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30 NOVEMBER 2017 CONFERENCE 1 DECEMBER 2017 SHIP INSPECTION Sponsorship contact: Whey Whey Ng l Regional Sales Director | whey.ng@ntmllc.com | +65 6801 0460 It's not how to sell, but what to sell T H E F U T U R E O F SOUTHEAST ASIA CRUISE TOURISM DISCOUNT CODE FOR TRAVEL AGENTS Email us with your full name, company name, designation and country to twa.admin@ntmllc.com PLATINUM SPONSORS ORGANISED BY GOLD SPONSORS C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CruiseWorld Asia-ITB ASIA one third w marks.pdf 1 10/17/2017 9:41:46 AM Making a Difference w w w.travelweekly-asia.com 27 October 2017 PUBLISHED BY NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA SINGAPORE PTE LTD ISSN 2382-6061 MCI (P) 013/07/2017 PPS 1849/09/2014 (025581) O F F I C I A L D A I L I E S 3 How travel providers partner tech giants is an absolute must-watch DISTRIBUTION REVOLUTION CONTINUED ON PAGE 4. G lobal accommodation wholesaler Hotelbeds plans to establish strategic partnerships with non-traditional customers. This direction sets the company's growth trajectory for its retail channels, revealed Sam Turner, sales director, Hotelbeds, in an interview with Travel Weekly Asia at ITB Asia 2017. This strategy follows the recent acquisition of GTA and Tourico Holidays. "The nature of distribution is changing," says Turner. "The gatekeepers — the Googles, the Facebooks, the Amazons, the Apples — are big tech giants that have access to consumers, and are playing a big role. How travel providers partner these guys is absolutely relevant." Direct distribution Turner explained that hotels now distribute their products in more ways than ever. Many of the big brands want to distribute more By Bing J. Jaleco directly but some face competition from alternative lodging spaces like Airbnb. "And then you have big online players that have an increasing 'relevance' with suppliers," he said, pertaining to industry giants like Expedia and Priceline. "Many of the suppliers want to reduce that relevance, or at least maintain or control it, so there are a number of forces there. This is where I see us playing a supporting role with suppliers in helping them control their dependence on the big guys because we have access to a big distribution," Turner said. Hotelbeds now has an inventory ALL THE HYPE OVER CULINARY HOLIDAYS BY NAOMI NEOH With about 30% of a traveller's budget spent on food, according to a recent UN World Travel and Tourism Council report, culinary experiences are proving to be a popular way to experience a destination. And new players are quickly joining this growing tourism trend. In July this year, TIFTA (The Independent Food Tour Association), a non-profit association of food tour operators, was launched with seven founding members in South-east Asia across eight countries. "We want to build a reputable community of tourists across the globe and be a resource for food travellers worldwide. We do this by focusing on maintaining the standards of quality in food GONE FISHIN': MBS, WWF NAVIGATE THE WATERS OF FOOD SUSTAINABILITY BY LEE XIN HUI M arina Bay Sands (MBS) is raising the bar for sustainable events with an enhanced green meetings package, as part of its landmark alliance with the World Wide Fund for Nature in Singapore (WWF). The partnership, which adds to the integrated resort's global sustainability strategy, Sands ECO360°, is centered on support for sustainable fishing practices, and responsible seafood procurement which began in 2014 when it removed shark's fin at MICE events hosted at Sands Expo and Convention Centre. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4. Hotelbeds sales director Sam Turner (right). Jacob Holder, founder and CEO, Taste of Thailand Food Tours and founding member of TIFTA. tourism," said Jacob Holder, founder and CEO, Taste of Thailand Food Tours and founding member of TIFTA. With a plan to double the number of members and triple the number of markets which we operate in, the TIFTA wants to continue raising standards in culinary tourism and considers potential membership based on criteria such as uninterrupted, proven operational experience, high-quality feedback from customers and the use of new technology to make tour experiences seamless.

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