6.3.2019 TTG Show Daily ITB Berlin 2
In the spotlight
A tourism hub and destination
Nond Kalinta, Thai Airways’ (THAI) vice president of sales tells Paige Lee Pei Qi how the group is leveraging
Bangkok as its strategic hub to drive the European market to explore secondary cities in the country
What is THAI doing to court the Euro-
pean market?
Fortunately for us, Thailand is a popu-
lar destination among Europeans as the
country is rich in both culture and his-
tory, (offering) sandy beaches, beautiful
temples and delicious food. These factors,
combined with Bangkok’s geographic lo-
cation as a hub for onward connections
to Thailand, Asia and the Pacific, make
Bangkok a prime Asian destination.
One benefit we offer our passengers
is our non-stop flights from Europe to
Bangkok, where they can enjoy an unin-
terrupted journey.
Which are the latest connections that
appeal to the European market?
Being situated in the heart of South-east
Asia, Bangkok is a hub for both business
and leisure travellers. THAI, together with
our regional carrier, Thai Smile, offer our
passengers onward connections to over 50
destinations in domestic Thailand, Asia
and Australasia. We cover some of the Eu-
ropean market’s most popular (outbound
travel) destinations from Vietnam to
Cambodia to Indonesia, Japan and Aus-
tralia.
THAI also offers great connectivity on-
wards to Asia’s key business destinations,
allowing our passengers to arrive in good
timing for meetings and conferences.
What new destinations are on THAI’s
network expansion radar?
We are constantly performing route stud-
ies to offer the best connections and des-
tinations to our passengers. Most new
frequencies and destinations will come
about once we receive our new fleet start-
ing in 2021.
What are the key challenges in attract-
ing the European market, and how is
THAI overcoming that?
The biggest challenge for us, and all air-
lines, remains the increasingly aggressive
competition in the market. Not only is
the pressure from our competitors at its
highest in decades, but we must also take
into account the new destinations that are
popping up in Europe, Africa, and North
and South America.
Again, the charm of Thailand and
South-east Asia remains our major
strength and something we work very
hard to promote.
We work closely with the Tourism Au-
thority of Thailand to promote not only
our mainstream destinations, but also
secondary cities throughout Thailand that
have yet to be fully discovered.
We also work tirelessly to promote our
prime connections and frequencies be-
yond Bangkok and Thailand – whether
it is on THAI, Thai Smile or our partner
airlines.
We work closely with the Tourism
Authority of Thailand to promote not
only our mainstream destinations,
but also secondary cities throughout
Thailand that have yet to be fully
discovered.
Showcasing diversity
Marchella Purwanaika, director of Jambuluwuk Hotels & Resorts, tells Paige Lee
Pei Qi how Indonesia’s cultural richness can be discovered through its properties
What’s the one key message that Jam-
buluwuk want to convey to ITB Berlin
buyers?
Indonesia has so much to offer other than
Bali. The islands in Java and Gili Trawan-
gan are also very appealing, with the com-
bination of beautiful nature, culture and
historical activities.
What’s coming up next in your expan-
sion pipeline?
Currently the group owns and operates
five hotels in Indonesia: Jakarta, Jogjakar-
ta, Batu Maling, Seminyak Bali and Gili
Trawangan. We will be adding a boutique
hotel in the heart of Jakarta’s business cen-
tre in Thamrin city by summer 2019. This
will be perfect for city travellers who are
seeking convenience, comfort and style.
We will also be opening boutique re-
sorts in beachfront Lombok’s Mandalika
and Bromo in East Java by 2020.
Which source markets from Europe are
expected to do well in 2019, and why?
Our targets are the UK, French and Ger-
man markets for Gili Trawangan resort
because this destination is now making
a comeback after the (Lombok) earth-
quake. It has recovered and its appeal is
now rising for tourists.
What new markets/segments
in Europe does Jambuluwuk
have on its radar?
We are aiming to reach the
Our targets are the UK, French, and
German market for Gili Trawangan
resort because this destination is
now making a comeback after the
(Lombok) earthquake.
Mediterranean market as they seem in-
terested to explore more of Seminyak and
Gili Trawangan.
As a homegrown hotel group, how does
Jambuluwuk stand out amid greater
competition and grow your European
market share?
We bring out the culture and local tradi-
tion in all areas of our hotel. Our guests
will enjoy modern comforts blended with
Indonesian tradition while learning more
about Indonesia at the same time.
EDITORIAL
Karen Yue Group Editor
Xinyi Liang-Pholsena Editor, TTG Asia
S Puvaneswary Editor, Malaysia/Brunei
Mimi Hudoyo Editor, Indonesia
Pamela Chow Reporter, Singapore
Rachel AJ Lee, Yixin Ng Sub Editor
Caleb Richard Lai Photographer
Redmond Sia, Goh Meng Yong Creative Designers
Lina Tan Editorial Assistant
SPECIAL PROJECTS DIVISION
Paige Lee Pei Qi Assistant Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
Marissa Carruthers, Prudence Lui, Julian Ryall,
Rosa Ocampo, Chadamas Chinmaneevong,
Feizal Samath, Rohit Kaul
SAL E S & M ARKE TING
Pierre Quek Publisher and Head Integrated Solutions
Ar-lene Lee Senior Business Manager
Fiona Chan Senior Business Manager
Jonathan Yap Senior Business Manager
Shirley Tan Senior Business Manager
Chelsea Huang Marketing Executive
Delia Ng Digital Marketing Strategist
Cheryl Lim Advertisement Administration Manager
Carol Cheng Assistant Manager Administration
and Marketing
PU BL ISHING SE RVICE S
Jonathan Wan Head, Operational Support Services
Kun Swee Qi Publishing Services Executive
Nur Hazirah Web Executive
Katherine Leong Circulation Executive
TTG ASIA M E DIA
Darren Ng Managing Director
For sales & marketing enquires, please contact
[email protected]