Northstar

4 | www.travelweekly-asia.com INDUSTRY VOICES Thuan Dao is the founder & CEO of BedLinker. He has more than 15 years' experience in hospitality with key roles in revenue management, reservations, e-commerce and sales. He holds a Masters in revenue management from Cornell University. He is focused on helping the industry with revenue management and improving their direct distribution, especially in the B2B segment. 22 18 6 Back in the day, hotel chains had a problem with properties that either did not comply with their established brands or were considered as having their own individuality: the boutique hotels. It was a tricky issue deciding what to do with these maverick properties and how to run them. So began the birth of soft brands. Unlike a "hard" hotel brand, a soft-brand collection is created to appeal to independent hotel owners who don't want to be run with the same guidelines or held to the same strict standards as a hard brand like Hilton. They do however want access to their distribution network. The first wave of soft brands more than 10 years ago focused on luxury. In recent years, soft brands are geared towards lower- end independent hotels, bringing together a large, fragmented market. The latest chains to launch brands include Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Hilton with its Tapestry Collection. The systems and infrastructure offered by major franchisors are major factors for independent hotels. But these benefits come with significant costs, from franchise fees to high PIP costs, management restrictions and hidden expenses. WILL THE INDEPENDENTS PLEASE STAND UP? This trend is set to change, however, and independent hotels are seeing the market shift in their favour. A significant advantage is their ability to move quickly, upgrading assets when the market demands, helping them manage property improvement without spiralling costs. As inflation hits budgets, non- branded hotels are in a superior position than branded ones. Today's traveller wants an experience; most know about good design and unusual spaces that exude local flavour instead of the "sameness" or generic feel of a hotel chain. Millennials, in particular, like boutique hotels. They appreciate that local independent look and feel that well established brands usually cannot offer. As such, boutique hotels are in a better position to compete for the Airbnb market looking for a tailored bespoke experience. They can also benefit from their own branding strategies, digital campaigns and creative flair to attract customers. Another major advantage is the availability of distribution channels and technology solutions that allow them to work with and sell directly to travel agents and tour operators. IMPROVING DIRECT DISTRIBUTION Purchasing channels are changing fast. Many of the previous benefits of branding with a large network are being eroded and systems like BedLinker, which integrate with other solutions such as Hotelbeds, enable hoteliers to engage in more dynamic selling and open up local inventory to global buyers, via low- cost solutions. With more brands, distribution channels, and availability that give them the ability to market to new guests, hoteliers can now make decisions based on an array of factors other than brands. From property management systems to channel managers, these new products have become essential to hoteliers everywhere to help them do what they do best and stay independent. The gap between hotels and big chains is fast narrowing, and hoteliers who use the tools available and explore options with distribution channels stand to win. CONTENTS 9 PRODUCT: TECHNOLOGY In the tech seat with Cetin Sekercioglu 11 AVIATION Interconnection is the enabler for smart airports 16 DESTINATION: TAIWAN The sparkle of small towns 18 PRODUCT: FAMILY TRAVEL Catching the multi-generational family travel wave 21 TRAVEL AGENT Citystate Travel's Albert Ho on following his heart 23 BEST OF GLOBAL WRAP: The best of the news across Asia Pacific Above: Explorer Dream's Palace Villa. Left: Seattle-based 58 Stars will attempt to reach clients with its pop-up agencies. Below: Hong Kong's hotel performance is tipped to overtake Singapore's. Independent hotels can win the battle of the lucrative identity market

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