#Inbound Tour Operator in Korea

[beyondkims]

Why Choose an Inbound Tour Operator in Korea?

Korea, known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes, has become a must-visit destination for travelers worldwide. Yet, planning a trip to Korea, especially for first-time visitors, can feel overwhelming due to language barriers and unfamiliar customs. This is where an inbound tour operator proves invaluable. Let’s explore the key benefits of choosing an inbound tour operator in Korea.

1. Local Expertise and Insider Tips

Inbound tour operators bring deep knowledge of Korea’s culture, history, and geography, offering you unique insights into the country. They can guide you to hidden gems, recommend top-rated local eateries, and suggest attractions beyond the typical tourist trail. Their expertise ensures you experience Korea authentically and memorably.

2. Personalized Itineraries

Every traveler has unique interests and preferences. Whether you’re fascinated by historical landmarks, eager to savor Korean cuisine, or looking for outdoor adventures, an inbound tour operator can design a custom itinerary that fits your desires and budget. Your trip will be as unique as you are.

3. Stress-Free Travel Planning

Organizing a trip to Korea can be daunting, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the destination. By working with a tour operator, you can eliminate the stress of planning. They take care of everything—from airport transfers and hotel bookings to scheduling activities. This allows you to relax and focus entirely on enjoying your journey.

4. Access to Exclusive Experiences

Tour operators often have partnerships with local providers, enabling them to offer unique experiences that independent travelers might not access. Imagine a private tour of a historical site, a front-row seat at a traditional cultural performance, or a hands-on Korean cooking class. These exclusive opportunities can make your trip truly unforgettable.

5. Reliable Support Throughout Your Trip

Traveling in a foreign country can sometimes present unexpected challenges, from language barriers to medical needs. In such cases, having a tour operator by your side provides reassurance. They are ready to assist with any issues that arise, ensuring smooth travel and letting you enjoy your vacation worry-free.

Partnering with an inbound tour operator like Kim’s M&T makes exploring Korea seamless and enriching. With their local expertise, personalized services, and unwavering support, your Korean adventure will be nothing short of extraordinary.

Contact Kim’s M&T at +82 2 570 3500 today to start planning your hassle-free and unforgettable trip to Korea!

[beyondkims]

Why Partner with a Korean Inbound Tour Operator?

Are you in search of a reliable yet specialized travel agency that focuses on organizing and managing travel arrangements for you for your upcoming trip to Lorea? You can rely on Kims’ M&T, a premier Destination Management Company (DMC) based in Seoul, South Korea. Renowned in the Korean hospitality and tourism industry, they specialize in organizing and managing travel arrangements for visitors to the region. Kims’ M&T is happy to help local & global travelers coming to Korea for meetings, events, celebrations, and traveling-specific locations.

An inbound tour operator's main responsibility is to create and implement detailed travel itineraries for international visitors. Being the leading inbound tour operator in Korea, Kims’ M&T assists and caters to tourists and travellers from other countries or regions who are visiting a particular location.  They provide exclusive packages that usually cover accommodation, transportation, sightseeing tours, and various other activities. Utilizing Kims’ M&T's services ensures a seamless travel experience. They work closely with local service providers, including hotels, transportation companies, guides, and attractions, to craft comprehensive itineraries that highlight the best of the destination.

Engaging an inbound tour operator offers numerous benefits to both travellers and the destinations they visit. Let's find out some of the benefits of hiring an inbound tour operator in Korea!

Local Expertise

Inbound tour operators possess extensive knowledge of their destination, including hidden gems, lesser-known attractions, and local customs. They are well-versed in local attractions, cultural nuances, and logistics, providing invaluable insights that enhance the travel experience and help visitors discover the authentic essence of the place.

Tailor-Made Itineraries

These operators excel at crafting personalized travel itineraries tailored to individual preferences, ensuring that every traveller's needs and interests are met. They consider factors such as budget, duration of stay, specific interests, and group size to create unique travel packages. They organize travel arrangements for individuals or groups wishing to explore various destinations in Korea.

Efficient Planning and Logistics

Inbound tour operators streamline the travel planning process by managing all logistical aspects. From booking accommodations and arranging transportation, lodging, meals, activities, and entertainment to coordinating sightseeing tours and activities, they handle the necessary arrangements. They can also assist with currency exchange and other travel-related issues, saving travellers time and effort.

Local Support and Assistance

Inbound tour operators offer on-ground support throughout the visit. They provide knowledgeable tour guides who are well-versed in the area's culture, history, cuisine, and more. With 24/7 assistance, they ensure any issues or concerns are promptly addressed, offering visitors peace of mind and an added layer of security.

Access to Exclusive Deals

Inbound tour operators in Korea design unique itineraries that highlight the best of the destination based on clients' interests. Their strong relationships with local service providers enable them to offer exclusive deals and discounts. They help travellers enjoy the cost-saving benefits of accommodations, transportation, and activities that are not readily available to individual tourists.

Leading inbound tour operators in Korea, like Kims’ M&T, possess extensive knowledge about Korean destinations. They have a deep understanding of the local culture, attractions, history, customs, and regulations. They utilize their experience & expertise to curate unique travel itineraries & experiences. They ensure that visitors have a memorable and enjoyable stay in Korea. For more information on your upcoming Korean trip please contact Kims’ M&T at (+82) 02-570-3500 today!

[phgq]

DOT backs expanded travel ban amid new Covid-19 variant

#PHnews: DOT backs expanded travel ban amid new Covid-19 variant

MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) throws its full support for the implementation of more stringent entry protocols in view of the confirmed new Covid-19 variant.

“While we favor the resumption of inbound travel to stimulate economic recovery, we value above all else the health and safety of our people. In this light, we ask for the understanding and cooperation of inbound travelers in adhering to the measures put in place to ensure the protection of both guests and local communities,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a news release on Wednesday.

Health and Safety Guidelines have been prepared by the DOT for the following tourism enterprises to ensure the safe stay of visitors and protection of workers and host communities: attractions, restaurants, accommodation establishments, tourist land transport, travel and tour operations, tour guides, island and beach destinations, dive establishments, staycation hotels, spa, and meetings, incentives, convention and exhibition (MICE) facilities.

“We put our full trust in our front-liners at the international ports of entry as well as in our local government units (LGU) to strictly carry out these measures at borders and triage points," Romulo-Puyat said.

She also called for close cooperation among tourism destination managers, enterprises and host communities in reinforcing the minimum health and safety standards in their respective areas, including the 14-day quarantine in hotels that serve as quarantine facilities.

The Philippines on Tuesday banned “all foreign travelers” from the areas where the new coronavirus strain is detected.

These countries and areas include the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, and Spain. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "DOT backs expanded travel ban amid new Covid-19 variant." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125967 (accessed December 30, 2020 at 09:47PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "DOT backs expanded travel ban amid new Covid-19 variant." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125967 (archived).

[bigyack-com]

Vietjet Takes Delivery of Two More Airbus Aircraft

Vietjet took delivery of two new Airbus A321 aircraft, registered as VN-A521 and VN-A542, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Saigon on 31 December 2019. Vietjet now has a fleet of 80 aircraft, with VN-A521 the third 240-seat A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex) aircraft in the world. The first two of the aircraft type are also operated by Vietjet. With the arrival of the two aircraft, the airline is ready to meet the high travel demands during the lunar new year period.

Vietjet’s third A321neo ACF aircraft has an innovative cabin structure to increase the total number of seats to 240. The aircraft is expected to deliver fuel consumption savings of a minimum of 16, noise reduction of up to 75% and a decrease in emissions of up to 50%. Both new aircraft feature leather seats. Vietjet currently owns one one of the world’s newest and most modern fleets with an average age of only 2.7 years. The airline has transported nearly 100 million passengers and operates 130 routes covering destinations in Vietnam as well as international routes to Singapore, India, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Cambodia. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Vietjet, A321, Vietnam. Headlines: Japan, Singapore, S. Korea and Germany Have World's Most Powerful Passports  Yangon Int. 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[workfromhom]

Travel activities platform Klook raises $225M led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund

We recently noted that SoftBank’s Vision Fund has stepped up its deal-making in Asia this year, and today it added a new company to its roster: travel services platform Klook.

Hong Kong-based Klook announced today that it has raised a $225 million round led by the Vision Fund with participation from existing investors. The deal — which is described as a “Series D plus” — comes just eight months after Klook announced its $200 million Series D at a valuation of over $1 billion. The company didn’t confirm what its new valuation is, but co-founder and president Eric Gnock Fah (second from right in the photo above) did confirm to TechCrunch that it has increased.

Klook was founded in 2014 and it serves as an activities platform for users who travel overseas. That covers areas like visits to adventure parks, scuba diving, more localized tours or basics such as train travel, food or airport transfers, all of which can be found, paid for and taken using Klook’s platform. Today, Klook claims to host 100,000 activities across over 270 destinations. Its team has grown to over 1,000 staff and it has 20 offices, including sites in Europe and the U.S. as well as, of course, on its home turf in Asia Pacific.

This new injection means that Klook has now raised $425 million to date. Its investors include Sequoia China, Matrix Partners, TCV, OurCrowd, Goldman Sachs, Boyu Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) among others.

Gnock Fah said that Klook has maintained a dialogue with SoftBank “for a while.” The company only recently raised its Series D so didn’t need the additional capital, but he said that it was moved by SoftBank’s “bigger vision” and its potential role in the SoftBank “ecosystem.”

That, in particular, means opportunities to work with other Vision Fund-backed startups in Asia. Gnock Fah specifically name-checked ride-hailing firm Grab in Southeast Asia and hospitality company OYO, as well as e-commerce companies Coupang in Korea and Tokopedia in Southeast Asia.

“We don’t do point to point or on demand so it’s synergistic on both ends,” he said of potential tie-ins with Grab — which is already working with OYO — while he cited Klook’s ongoing work with Alibaba, which has relationships with Tokopedia and Lazada in Southeast Asia.

(From left to right) David Liu, Chief Product Officer; Bernie Xiong, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder; Anita Ngai, Chief Revenue Officer; Eric Gnock Fah, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder; Ethan Lin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder (PRNewsfoto/Klook)

The new funds will be used to develop tech, including AI and machine learning, and to go after growth in Western markets, Gnock Fah explained, as well as increasing Klook’s efforts in Japan — where it has been ramping up ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2020, and now has the SoftBank connection.

“Now is the time to scale up the fundamentals we’ve built in Western regions,” Gnock Fah said in an interview. “We already have a team on the ground — fundamentals are built — now it is about investing more on the supply-demand side.”

That sounds like increased online advertising spend — I often wonder how handsomely Facebook and Google profit from Vision Fund investments — while in Japan the company is working to cater to more Japanese travelers heading overseas on trips as well as inbound tourism. SoftBank has launched a number of joint ventures with Vision Fund companies to bring their services to the Japanese market — Paytm, WeWork, OYO and Didi Chuxing immediately come to mind — but Gnock Fah said nothing definitive has been decided.

“We’re in a lot of conversations with their team about how to work closely with them,” he said, pointing out that — unlike those aforementioned examples — Klook already has a presence in Japan.

Whenever the Vision Fund has invested in Asia-based companies, I’ve asked the founders how they handle the fund’s links to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is widely believed to have ordered the killing, and he runs Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main LP anchor behind the Vision Fund.

Clearly, based on an increase in deals in Asia this year, the link isn’t putting founders off.

Most founders of Vision Fund portfolio startups that TechCrunch spoke to have supplied fairly platitudinous comments or declined to say anything at all — you can read a collection of them here — but Gnock Fah suggested a new (and unique) perspective.

“Because it is a relatively new fund, there’s more spotlight” on the Vision Fund, he offered.

Klook declined to provide a further statement on the Vision Fund and the Khashoggi murder following our interview despite a request from TechCrunch.

“The new capital isn’t about capital per se — our economics are heath — but more for a strategic investment angle,” he said, getting back to more fundamental founder talking points.

The Vision Fund-led cash infusion does mean that Klook, which has been pretty candid about a potential IPO, is putting off plans for a liquidity exit further down the road.

“Right now, there is no fixed timeframe,” Gnock Fah said. “Back in the early days, we had that aspiration… back then, if we wanted to raise $300-400 million [then] IPO was the way to get that.”

The Khashoggi murder isn’t stopping SoftBank’s Vision Fund

from Facebook – TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2ImrYUq via IFTTT

[un-enfant-immature]

Travel activities platform Klook raises $225M led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund

We recently noted that SoftBank’s Vision Fund has stepped up its deal-making in Asia this year, and today it added a new company to its roster: travel services platform Klook.

Hong Kong-based Klook announced today that it has raised a $225 million round led by the Vision Fund with participation from existing investors. The deal — which is described as a “Series D plus” — comes just eight months after Klook announced its $200 million Series D at a valuation of over $1 billion. The company didn’t confirm what its new valuation is, but co-founder and president Eric Gnock Fah (second from right in the photo above) did confirm to TechCrunch that it has increased.

Klook was founded in 2014 and it serves as an activities platform for users who travel overseas. That covers areas like visits to adventure parks, scuba diving, more localized tours or basics such as train travel, food or airport transfers, all of which can be found, paid for and taken using Klook’s platform. Today, Klook claims to host 100,000 activities across over 270 destinations. Its team has grown to over 1,000 staff and it has 20 offices, including sites in Europe and the U.S. as well as, of course, on its home turf in Asia Pacific.

This new injection means that Klook has now raised $425 million to date. Its investors include Sequoia China, Matrix Partners, TCV, OurCrowd, Goldman Sachs, Boyu Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) among others.

Gnock Fah said that Klook has maintained a dialogue with SoftBank “for a while.” The company only recently raised its Series D so didn’t need the additional capital, but he said that it was moved by SoftBank’s “bigger vision” and its potential role in the SoftBank “ecosystem.”

That, in particular, means opportunities to work with other Vision Fund-backed startups in Asia. Gnock Fah specifically name-checked ride-hailing firm Grab in Southeast Asia and hospitality company OYO, as well as e-commerce companies Coupang in Korea and Tokopedia in Southeast Asia.

“We don’t do point to point or on demand so it’s synergistic on both ends,” he said of potential tie-ins with Grab — which is already working with OYO — while he cited Klook’s ongoing work with Alibaba, which has relationships with Tokopedia and Lazada in Southeast Asia.

(From left to right) David Liu, Chief Product Officer; Bernie Xiong, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder; Anita Ngai, Chief Revenue Officer; Eric Gnock Fah, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder; Ethan Lin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder (PRNewsfoto/Klook)

The new funds will be used to go after growth in Western markets, Gnock Fah explained, as well as increasing Klook’s efforts in Japan — where it has been ramping up ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2020, and now has the SoftBank connection.

“Now is the time to scale up the fundamentals we’ve built in Western regions,” Gnock Fah said in an interview. “We already have a team on the ground — fundamentals are built — now it is about investing more on the supply-demand side.”

That sounds like increased online advertising spend — I often wonder how handsomely Facebook and Google profit from Vision Fund investments — while in Japan the company is working to cater to more Japanese travelers heading overseas on trips as well as inbound tourism. SoftBank has launched a number of joint ventures with Vision Fund companies to bring their services to the Japanese market — Paytm, WeWork, OYO and Didi Chuxing immediately come to mind — but Gnock Fah said nothing definitive has been decided.

“We’re in a lot of conversations with their team about how to work closely with them,” he said, pointing out that — unlike those aforementioned examples — Klook already has a presence in Japan.

Whenever the Vision Fund has invested in Asia-based companies, I’ve asked the founders how they handle the fund’s links to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is widely believed to have ordered the killing, and he runs Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main LP anchor behind the Vision Fund.

Clearly, based on an increase in deals in Asia this year, the link isn’t putting founders off.

Most founders of Vision Fund portfolio startups that TechCrunch spoke to have supplied fairly platitudinous comments or declined to say anything at all — you can read a collection of them here — but Gnock Fah suggested a new (and unique) perspective.

“Because it is a relatively new fund, there’s more spotlight” on the Vision Fund, he offered.

Klook declined to provide a further statement on the Vision Fund and the Khashoggi murder following our interview despite a request from TechCrunch.

“The new capital isn’t about capital per se — our economics are heath — but more for a strategic investment angle,” he said, getting back to more fundamental founder talking points.

The Vision Fund-led cash infusion does mean that Klook, which has been pretty candid about a potential IPO, is putting off plans for a liquidity exit further down the road.

“Right now, there is no fixed timeframe,” Gnock Fah said. “Back in the early days, we had that aspiration… back then, if we wanted to raise $300-400 million [then] IPO was the way to get that.”

  The Khashoggi murder isn’t stopping SoftBank’s Vision Fund

[habkorea]

Korea Bike Tour - iTrip - Travoution aunched hands-free Korea tour packages

Korea Bike Tour – iTrip – Travoution aunched hands-free Korea tour packages

Travoution, the operator of ‘Bank of Trip’, a global online travel agency (OTA) channel management service dedicated to inbound travel products, has launched hands-free travel products with tourism venture companies, ‘Korea Bike Tour’, and ‘itrip’.

The hands-free travel package, launched as part of the Korea Tourism Organization’s tourism venture collaboration project, is designed with a total of…

[toomanysinks]

Travel activities platform Klook raises $225M led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund

We recently noted that SoftBank’s Vision Fund has stepped up its deal-making in Asia this year, and today it added a new company to its roster: travel services platform Klook.

Hong Kong-based Klook announced today that it has raised a $225 million round led by the Vision Fund with participation from existing investors. The deal — which is described as a “Series D plus” — comes just eight months after Klook announced its $200 million Series D at a valuation of over $1 billion. The company didn’t confirm what its new valuation is, but co-founder and president Eric Gnock Fah (second from right in the photo above) did confirm to TechCrunch that it has increased.

Klook was founded in 2014 and it serves as an activities platform for users who travel overseas. That covers areas like visits to adventure parks, scuba diving, more localized tours or basics such as train travel, food or airport transfers, all of which can be found, paid for and taken using Klook’s platform. Today, Klook claims to host 100,000 activities across over 270 destinations. Its team has grown to over 1,000 staff and it has 20 offices, including sites in Europe and the U.S. as well as, of course, on its home turf in Asia Pacific.

Its rivals include KKday, a Taiwan-based company backed by the likes of Alibaba and Line, and FunNow. Outside of Asia, there’s Peek, Headout, Voyagin, GetYourGuide, Culture Trip and even Airbnb’s ‘experiences’ feature. Still, Klook has raised considerably more than any of these competitors.

This new injection means that Klook has now raised $425 million to date. Its investors include Sequoia China, Matrix Partners, TCV, OurCrowd, Goldman Sachs, Boyu Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) among others.

Gnock Fah said that Klook has maintained a dialogue with SoftBank “for a while.” The company only recently raised its Series D so didn’t need the additional capital, but he said that it was moved by SoftBank’s “bigger vision” and its potential role in the SoftBank “ecosystem.”

That, in particular, means opportunities to work with other Vision Fund-backed startups in Asia. Gnock Fah specifically name-checked ride-hailing firm Grab in Southeast Asia and hospitality company OYO, as well as e-commerce companies Coupang in Korea and Tokopedia in Southeast Asia.

“We don’t do point to point or on demand so it’s synergistic on both ends,” he said of potential tie-ins with Grab — which is already working with OYO — while he cited Klook’s ongoing work with Alibaba, which has relationships with Tokopedia and Lazada in Southeast Asia.

(From left to right) David Liu, Chief Product Officer; Bernie Xiong, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder; Anita Ngai, Chief Revenue Officer; Eric Gnock Fah, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder; Ethan Lin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder (PRNewsfoto/Klook)

The new funds will be used to go after growth in Western markets, Gnock Fah explained, as well as increasing Klook’s efforts in Japan — where it has been ramping up ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2020, and now has the SoftBank connection.

“Now is the time to scale up the fundamentals we’ve built in Western regions,” Gnock Fah said in an interview. “We already have a team on the ground — fundamentals are built — now it is about investing more on the supply-demand side.”

That sounds like increased online advertising spend — I often wonder how handsomely Facebook and Google profit from Vision Fund investments — while in Japan the company is working to cater to more Japanese travelers heading overseas on trips as well as inbound tourism. SoftBank has launched a number of joint ventures with Vision Fund companies to bring their services to the Japanese market — Paytm, WeWork, OYO and Didi Chuxing immediately come to mind — but Gnock Fah said nothing definitive has been decided.

“We’re in a lot of conversations with their team about how to work closely with them,” he said, pointing out that — unlike those aforementioned examples — Klook already has a presence in Japan.

Whenever the Vision Fund has invested in Asia-based companies, I’ve asked the founders how they handle the fund’s links to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is widely believed to have ordered the killing, and he runs Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main LP anchor behind the Vision Fund.

Clearly, based on an increase in deals in Asia this year, the link isn’t putting founders off.

Most founders of Vision Fund portfolio startups that TechCrunch spoke to have supplied fairly platitudinous comments or declined to say anything at all — you can read a collection of them here — but Gnock Fah suggested a new (and unique) perspective.

“Because it is a relatively new fund, there’s more spotlight” on the Vision Fund, he offered.

Klook declined to provide a further statement on the Vision Fund and the Khashoggi murder following our interview despite a request from TechCrunch.

“The new capital isn’t about capital per se — our economics are heath — but more for a strategic investment angle,” he said, getting back to more fundamental founder talking points.

The Vision Fund-led cash infusion does mean that Klook, which has been pretty candid about a potential IPO, is putting off plans for a liquidity exit further down the road.

“Right now, there is no fixed timeframe,” Gnock Fah said. “Back in the early days, we had that aspiration… back then, if we wanted to raise $300-400 million [then] IPO was the way to get that.”

“We believe Klook is a leader in taking a mobile-first approach to the travel activities and services industry. The company has seen great success in scaling its business across different geographies and cultures, and we are excited to help them drive further innovation in the global travel industry,” said SoftBank partner Lydia Jett in a statement.

The Khashoggi murder isn’t stopping SoftBank’s Vision Fund

source https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/08/klook-raises-225m/

[fmservers]

Travel activities platform Klook raises $225M led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund

We recently noted that SoftBank’s Vision Fund has stepped up its deal-making in Asia this year, and today it added a new company to its roster: travel services platform Klook.

Hong Kong-based Klook announced today that it has raised a $225 million round led by the Vision Fund with participation from existing investors. The deal — which is described as a “Series D plus” — comes just eight months after Klook announced its $200 million Series D at a valuation of over $1 billion. The company didn’t confirm what its new valuation is, but co-founder and president Eric Gnock Fah (second from right in the photo above) did confirm to TechCrunch that it has increased.

Klook was founded in 2014 and it serves as an activities platform for users who travel overseas. That covers areas like visits to adventure parks, scuba diving, more localized tours or basics such as train travel, food or airport transfers, all of which can be found, paid for and taken using Klook’s platform. Today, Klook claims to host 100,000 activities across over 270 destinations. Its team has grown to over 1,000 staff and it has 20 offices, including sites in Europe and the U.S. as well as, of course, on its home turf in Asia Pacific.

This new injection means that Klook has now raised $425 million to date. Its investors include Sequoia China, Matrix Partners, TCV, OurCrowd, Goldman Sachs, Boyu Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) among others.

Gnock Fah said that Klook has maintained a dialogue with SoftBank “for a while.” The company only recently raised its Series D so didn’t need the additional capital, but he said that it was moved by SoftBank’s “bigger vision” and its potential role in the SoftBank “ecosystem.”

That, in particular, means opportunities to work with other Vision Fund-backed startups in Asia. Gnock Fah specifically name-checked ride-hailing firm Grab in Southeast Asia and hospitality company OYO, as well as e-commerce companies Coupang in Korea and Tokopedia in Southeast Asia.

“We don’t do point to point or on demand so it’s synergistic on both ends,” he said of potential tie-ins with Grab — which is already working with OYO — while he cited Klook’s ongoing work with Alibaba, which has relationships with Tokopedia and Lazada in Southeast Asia.

(From left to right) David Liu, Chief Product Officer; Bernie Xiong, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder; Anita Ngai, Chief Revenue Officer; Eric Gnock Fah, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder; Ethan Lin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder (PRNewsfoto/Klook)

The new funds will be used to go after growth in Western markets, Gnock Fah explained, as well as increasing Klook’s efforts in Japan — where it has been ramping up ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2020, and now has the SoftBank connection.

“Now is the time to scale up the fundamentals we’ve built in Western regions,” Gnock Fah said in an interview. “We already have a team on the ground — fundamentals are built — now it is about investing more on the supply-demand side.”

That sounds like increased online advertising spend — I often wonder how handsomely Facebook and Google profit from Vision Fund investments — while in Japan the company is working to cater to more Japanese travelers heading overseas on trips as well as inbound tourism. SoftBank has launched a number of joint ventures with Vision Fund companies to bring their services to the Japanese market — Paytm, WeWork, OYO and Didi Chuxing immediately come to mind — but Gnock Fah said nothing definitive has been decided.

“We’re in a lot of conversations with their team about how to work closely with them,” he said, pointing out that — unlike those aforementioned examples — Klook already has a presence in Japan.

Whenever the Vision Fund has invested in Asia-based companies, I’ve asked the founders how they handle the fund’s links to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is widely believed to have ordered the killing, and he runs Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main LP anchor behind the Vision Fund.

Clearly, based on an increase in deals in Asia this year, the link isn’t putting founders off.

Most founders of Vision Fund portfolio startups that TechCrunch spoke to have supplied fairly platitudinous comments or declined to say anything at all — you can read a collection of them here — but Gnock Fah suggested a new (and unique) perspective.

“Because it is a relatively new fund, there’s more spotlight” on the Vision Fund, he offered.

Klook declined to provide a further statement on the Vision Fund and the Khashoggi murder following our interview despite a request from TechCrunch.

“The new capital isn’t about capital per se — our economics are heath — but more for a strategic investment angle,” he said, getting back to more fundamental founder talking points.

The Vision Fund-led cash infusion does mean that Klook, which has been pretty candid about a potential IPO, is putting off plans for a liquidity exit further down the road.

“Right now, there is no fixed timeframe,” Gnock Fah said. “Back in the early days, we had that aspiration… back then, if we wanted to raise $300-400 million [then] IPO was the way to get that.”

“We believe Klook is a leader in taking a mobile-first approach to the travel activities and services industry. The company has seen great success in scaling its business across different geographies and cultures, and we are excited to help them drive further innovation in the global travel industry,” said SoftBank partner Lydia Jett in a statement.

The Khashoggi murder isn’t stopping SoftBank’s Vision Fund

Via Jon Russell https://techcrunch.com

[ghostzali2011]

Singapura, 22 Maret 2019 - Dua keunggulan wisata golf di Indonesia yakni keindahan alam dan layanan yang profesional ditawarkan kepada para pegolf se-Asia dan diharapkan menarik minat mereka yang hadir dalam ajang Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Golf Travel Fair 2019 untuk menjajal golf di Indonesia.

Indonesia selama ini banyak dianggap sebagai surga bagi para pemain golf (golfer) untuk merumput. Keindahan alam serta keramahan pelaku usaha golf di Tanah air penjadi pemikat golfer asing untuk datang.

Maka untuk menjadikan Indonesia sebagai destinasi utama para pegolf perlu upaya sinergi yang baik antara pemerintah maupun pelaku usaha. Karena potensi besar dari sektor_sport tourism_ yang satu ini bisa menjadi pundi-pundi devisa bagi Indonesia.

Kepala Bidang Pengembangan Area III Regional I Florida Pardosi saat SPH Golf Travel Fair 2019 di Takashimaya, Singapura, Jumat (22/3/2019) mengatakan Kemenpar terus mendorong kunjungan wisman salah satunya lewat wisata golf.

"Golf saat ini sudah bukan lagi sekadar olahraga, melainkan telah menjelma sebagai aktivitas wisata yang sangat potensial. Tidak hanya Batam dan Bintan, di berbagai daerah di Indonesia, lokasinya yang strategis, dan memiliki beberapa lapangan dengan standar internasional,” ujar Florida Pardosi.

Pada kesempatan yang sama, salah satu pemilik Golf Tour Operator yaitu Marc Travel Services Jakarta, Steve Bligh, menjelaskan potensi besar bagi Indonesia untuk mendatangkan pegolf asing. Selain lapangannya bagus, viewnya indah, pelayanannya juga terbaik dibanding negara-negara lain.

“Di Singapura saja, terdapat kurang lebih 80 ribu pegolf, kita bisa jual tidak hanya Batam atau Bintan saja. Di Pulau Jawa saja ada banyak golf course dengan pelayanan dan kualitas lapangan yang baik. Mulai dari Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung hingga Surabaya,” kata Steve.

Steve juga mengatakan, perusahaan yang dipimpin Marc Travel Services Jakarta pernah meraih Indonesia’s Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator 2017 versi Wolrd Golf Award. World Golf Award sendiri sebagai penghargaan tertinggi untuk pelaku usaha golf yang dikeluarkan lembaga di bawah Wolrd Travel Award.

“Ini menjadi tolak ukur dan refrensi para pegolf asing untuk datang bermain di suatu negara dan Indonesia selama ini terkenal dengan layanannya mulai dari pegolf turun dari mobil hingga bermain didampingi dengan caddie-caddie profesional,” katanya.

Untuk tingkat pengeluaran, lanjut Steve, rata-rata perpaket/perorang bisa mencapai Rp8 juta hingga Rp10 juta. Dan angka itu diluar belanja, makan, hingga tips yang mereka keluarkan. Rata-rata pengeluaran pegolf di Indonesia bisa mencapai Rp15 juta untuk satu pegolf.

Steve juga memasarkan beberapa penawaran paket untuk 4 hari 3 malam di beberapa daerah mulai dari Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, hingga Surabaya. Harganya berkisar 400-600 dolar Singapura untuk paket full board, di luar tiket pesawat, tips caddie, dan pengeluaran lainnya.

“Catatan perusahaan kami, pada 2018 kurang lebih 1.500 pegolf berkunjung dengan spending rata-rata Rp15 juta untuk 4 hari 3 malam,” katanya.

Hal itu juga dibenarkan oleh Manager Marketing Rainbow Hills Golf Club Savitri. Ia mengatakan, di Rainbow Hills sebanyak 65 persen pegolf yang bermain itu adalah wisatawan asing. Mereka paling banyak berasal dari Korea, Jepang, Malaysia, Singapura, Amerika, dan Eropa.

“Ini menjadi segmen pasar wisatawan yang berkualitas dan potensial bagi Indonesia. Sementara bagi mereka sangat menguntungkan dengan berbagai keunggulan wisata golf yang tidak didapatkan di negara lain,” katanya.

via SPORTOURISM.ID

[phgq]

Saving PH tourism in the face of Covid-19

#PHnews: Saving PH tourism in the face of Covid-19

MANILA -- In the face of the rapid-spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and the travel restriction imposed on China and its special administrative regions to contain this, the Philippines is projected to lose at least USD291.71 million or PHP14.83 billion in tourism receipts for the month of February 2020 alone.

China is the fastest-growing source market of the country, with around 1.7 million tourists visiting the Philippines in 2019.

With the visiting Chinese tourists virtually gone, tourism stakeholders in the country scramble to keep the industry afloat.

In Boracay, resorts and hotels have been experiencing cancellations due to the travel ban. Small players have also felt the outbreak’s effects.

Pepito Embarque, an e-tricycle driver in Boracay, used to transport more than a hundred tourists a day, most of whom are Koreans and Chinese. But with the virus scare, this dropped dramatically.

“Nawala na talaga ang Chinese, napakalaki ng nawala. Sa amin ang laki na ng lugi kasi Koreans at Chinese talaga ang kadalasan naming pasahero. Dati umaabot ng isang daang pasahero, ngayon kalahati na lang (The Chinese tourists were completely gone, they’re a huge loss. Our passengers are mostly Koreans and Chinese. Back then we get to ferry hundreds of tourists, now we’re down to half,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in early February.

If the situation drags on for another five months, the global Covid-19 crisis spells “catastrophic” for the small tourism enterprises in the Philippines, said Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Jose Clemente III.

“Hopefully not until six months, we're talking about PHP60 - P70 billion -- but that's approaching the close season already. But then again if it drags on, it becomes catastrophic for the smaller players in the industry. We're talking about the Chinese tour operators, they may be forced to close down completely,” he said in an interview last week.

In an attempt to cushion the outbreak’s impact, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has been actively inviting other foreign visitors to the Philippines. Next month, a nationwide effort to stimulate travel via shopping will kick off at the opening of the first Philippine Sale Festival.

The DOT is also intensifying its promotion efforts, with no less than President Rodrigo Duterte expected to visit Boracay, Cebu, and Bohol -- destinations hit hard by the decrease in foreign arrivals, particularly the Chinese market.

With the Chief Executive’s participation to promote places and the implementation of strict precautionary measures to protect tourists against Covid-19, the DOT remains optimistic of vibrant Philippine tourism in 2020.

Communication as key

China as a top outbound travel and tourism market alone tells the gravity of the Covid-19 crisis on the industry, said Tiffany Misrahi, World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) vice president for policy.

Chinese outbound travel spending accounted for 1.9 percent of the total global outbound spending in 2003, a share that increased to 16.3 percent in 2018, Misrahi said.

“In this context, a fact-based approach from trusted authorities such as the WHO (World Health Organization) to decision-making will be key as we must avoid disproportional reactions which may affect the health of citizens and economic health of destinations. The global community must stand together, engage in information sharing and demonstrate solidarity and cooperation," she told the PNA.

Rachel Salcedo, WTTC’s communications executive, said tourism stakeholders must quickly reassure that a destination is safe and the situation is under control, citing communication as one key factor in riding the crisis.

“The honesty shown in the face of crisis can help foster trust. It is important for authorities to take control of the ‘story’ and respond quickly, giving instructions, being consistent, open and accessible and expressing empathy,” she said.

In addition, having a proportionate response is equally important, she said.

“It is important to not only be honest about the information you do know but also notably what is still unknown. Selecting a key spokesperson that is credible is also imperative in communicating this information.”

Asked how a country that has grown reliant on the big-spending Chinese market can still achieve its 2020 targets, Salcedo said it should adopt a strategic marketing plan based on the new market situation.

“Understanding the nuances of travelers and their motivations is critical in the recovery phase. Destinations should work to identify which market segments are likely to come back first after an incident and focus on these source markets first,” she said.

Citing the 2019 WTTC Economic Impact Research, Salcedo said China makes up 12 percent of all inbound arrivals to the Philippines, South Korea, 25 percent; the United States, 15 percent; and Japan, 9 percent. The 87 percent of the overall spending from travel and tourism in the Philippines comes from domestic travel, she noted.

“Knowing this kind of information can allow destinations to effectively tailor their marketing to adapt after a crisis," she said. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Saving PH tourism in the face of Covid-19." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1094321 (accessed February 20, 2020 at 03:27PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Saving PH tourism in the face of Covid-19." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1094321 (archived).

[bigyack-com]

Air India No Longer Available on Sabre GDS

Sabre has confirmed that flight and fare content from the troubled airline, Air India, is no longer available through its GDS system. The two companies have been partners for over 20 years.

Kristin Hays, vice president – global communications for Sabre, said, “We are very disappointed that Air India decided to withdraw from Sabre. We believe that access to Sabre’s global network of travel agencies provides great value to Air India. We have worked with Air India for the better part of a year to reach a new agreement, in anticipation of the existing contract expiring and after receiving a termination notice from the carrier. Unfortunately, after extensive negotiations, we have been unable to come to a new agreement. Our teams will continue to work with Air India to finalize an agreement that meets the needs of Sabre, Air India and travel buyers.” The Indian airline has been looking for a new investor since 2018 and speculation is rife over whether the airline will be able to remain in business. “Sabre remains committed to GDS agreements that meet our airline customers’ unique needs while also balancing the needs of the travel buyers who rely on Sabre for robust travel content,” added Ms. Hays. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Air India, Sabre. 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[cleopatrarps]

With Ban Upheld, Travel Industry Urges a Welcome for Tourists

The travel industry is hoping to turn the page on a bad public relations chapter in the wake of the Supreme Court decision upholding the travel ban on five Muslim-majority nations as well as North Korea and some travelers from Venezuela.

“The most important thing is the administration has got to change its rhetoric to welcoming legitimate travelers from around the world because the noise has been so loud around this issue that we’ve been hurt in inbound international travel,” said Roger Dow, the president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group with members that include hotels, theme parks and airports.

International travel in the United States fell during the earliest days of the Trump administration when the initial travel ban was issued by executive order in January 2017.

According to preliminary figures released in March by the National Travel & Tourism Office at the Department of Commerce, international visitors to the United States in 2017 fell by 3.8 percent to 54.9 million. The office has not released 2018 figures because of what is says is an undercount of the previous two years, which it says it is working to correct.

Still, other measures confirmed the decline in international travel. In a preliminary release of figures by the United Nations World Trade Organization, international tourism grew globally by 7 percent in 2017, but grew only by 3 percent in North America. It noted that losses in the United States were offset by gains in Canada and Mexico.

The airfare prediction app Hopper found that flight searches to the United States from outside of the country have fallen 12 percent since the 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Dow of the U.S. Travel Association estimated the loss of foreign travelers at less than 2 percent, which represents about $32 billion in spending.

The travel ban isn’t the only reason inbound international tourism has taken a hit in the United States, industry analysts say. Contributing factors include the strength of the dollar, which made travel to the United States more expensive, and the rise of low-cost airlines within Europe in particular that made travel there more attractive, they say.

Inbound travel spending is considered an export and at $245 billion, according to the U.S. Travel Association, it represents the second largest industry export after transportation equipment, such as airplanes. Subtracting the $161 billion Americans spend traveling abroad, the country currently has a $84 billion trade surplus in travel.

According to the Commerce Department’s tourism office, the Middle East accounted for 3.5 percent of inbound international tourism in 2016, or about 1.3 million, and none of the countries covered by the ban with the exception of Venezuela is among the top 20 tourism markets coming to the United States. (The Muslim-majority countries are Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya and Somalia.)

The travel ban that was upheld by the court on June 26 in effect since December.

With renewed attention to it, travel companies are pivoting from expressions of concern to those of welcome aimed at reassuring international travelers across the spectrum of nationality and religion.

“While inbound travel into the United States is down, we are optimistic that this trend can and will turnaround,” wrote Leigh Barnes, the regional director for North America at Intrepid Travel, which offers tours around the world.

“The U.S. government has been the source of a lot negative media attention this year, but it is the responsibility of the travel industry to continue to stand for open borders, inclusivity and the celebration of diversity, despite what is happening in the political world,” Mr. Barnes wrote.

The company would not say how much its United States business is down, but last September it said tours within the country were off by 24 percent compared to the previous year.

Other industry leaders acknowledged the need for border security while maintaining their commitment to hospitality.

In a statement, Hilton Hotels said: “As a company that hires employees and welcomes guests from all over the world, we recognize the need to balance safety and security with the unwavering hospitality that is at the core of our industry. We are talking to the Administration, Congress, and the broader travel community with the goal of developing smart policies that strike the right balance between encouraging hospitality and enhancing national security.”

Others were more outspoken. The shared accommodations company Airbnb, which operates in over 191 countries, said its business had not been affected by the tumult, neither at home nor abroad, and did not expect the Supreme Court decision to impact its future business. Still, the company, which has criticized the administration, most famously in a Super Bowl ad in 2017 with the theme “we all belong” depicting a diverse group of people, has been speaking out against the Supreme Court decision.

“Airbnb and travel at large is actually designed to encourage people to spend time with people with different backgrounds,” said Chris Lehane, the global head of policy for the company. “That’s why we think this decision is so profoundly wrong.”

The post With Ban Upheld, Travel Industry Urges a Welcome for Tourists appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2KwKtHf via News of World

[newestbalance]

With Ban Upheld, Travel Industry Urges a Welcome for Tourists

The travel industry is hoping to turn the page on a bad public relations chapter in the wake of the Supreme Court decision upholding the travel ban on five Muslim-majority nations as well as North Korea and some travelers from Venezuela.

“The most important thing is the administration has got to change its rhetoric to welcoming legitimate travelers from around the world because the noise has been so loud around this issue that we’ve been hurt in inbound international travel,” said Roger Dow, the president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group with members that include hotels, theme parks and airports.

International travel in the United States fell during the earliest days of the Trump administration when the initial travel ban was issued by executive order in January 2017.

According to preliminary figures released in March by the National Travel & Tourism Office at the Department of Commerce, international visitors to the United States in 2017 fell by 3.8 percent to 54.9 million. The office has not released 2018 figures because of what is says is an undercount of the previous two years, which it says it is working to correct.

Still, other measures confirmed the decline in international travel. In a preliminary release of figures by the United Nations World Trade Organization, international tourism grew globally by 7 percent in 2017, but grew only by 3 percent in North America. It noted that losses in the United States were offset by gains in Canada and Mexico.

The airfare prediction app Hopper found that flight searches to the United States from outside of the country have fallen 12 percent since the 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Dow of the U.S. Travel Association estimated the loss of foreign travelers at less than 2 percent, which represents about $32 billion in spending.

The travel ban isn’t the only reason inbound international tourism has taken a hit in the United States, industry analysts say. Contributing factors include the strength of the dollar, which made travel to the United States more expensive, and the rise of low-cost airlines within Europe in particular that made travel there more attractive, they say.

Inbound travel spending is considered an export and at $245 billion, according to the U.S. Travel Association, it represents the second largest industry export after transportation equipment, such as airplanes. Subtracting the $161 billion Americans spend traveling abroad, the country currently has a $84 billion trade surplus in travel.

According to the Commerce Department’s tourism office, the Middle East accounted for 3.5 percent of inbound international tourism in 2016, or about 1.3 million, and none of the countries covered by the ban with the exception of Venezuela is among the top 20 tourism markets coming to the United States. (The Muslim-majority countries are Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya and Somalia.)

The travel ban that was upheld by the court on June 26 in effect since December.

With renewed attention to it, travel companies are pivoting from expressions of concern to those of welcome aimed at reassuring international travelers across the spectrum of nationality and religion.

“While inbound travel into the United States is down, we are optimistic that this trend can and will turnaround,” wrote Leigh Barnes, the regional director for North America at Intrepid Travel, which offers tours around the world.

“The U.S. government has been the source of a lot negative media attention this year, but it is the responsibility of the travel industry to continue to stand for open borders, inclusivity and the celebration of diversity, despite what is happening in the political world,” Mr. Barnes wrote.

The company would not say how much its United States business is down, but last September it said tours within the country were off by 24 percent compared to the previous year.

Other industry leaders acknowledged the need for border security while maintaining their commitment to hospitality.

In a statement, Hilton Hotels said: “As a company that hires employees and welcomes guests from all over the world, we recognize the need to balance safety and security with the unwavering hospitality that is at the core of our industry. We are talking to the Administration, Congress, and the broader travel community with the goal of developing smart policies that strike the right balance between encouraging hospitality and enhancing national security.”

Others were more outspoken. The shared accommodations company Airbnb, which operates in over 191 countries, said its business had not been affected by the tumult, neither at home nor abroad, and did not expect the Supreme Court decision to impact its future business. Still, the company, which has criticized the administration, most famously in a Super Bowl ad in 2017 with the theme “we all belong” depicting a diverse group of people, has been speaking out against the Supreme Court decision.

“Airbnb and travel at large is actually designed to encourage people to spend time with people with different backgrounds,” said Chris Lehane, the global head of policy for the company. “That’s why we think this decision is so profoundly wrong.”

The post With Ban Upheld, Travel Industry Urges a Welcome for Tourists appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2KwKtHf via Everyday News

[touristguidebuzz]

Interview: Ctrip CEO on Growth Strategies and Employee Empowerment

Ctrip CEO Jane Sun discussed the company's domestic leisure and outbound travel strategies, as well as services for women and children to help move past the country's former one-child policy. Ctrip

Skift Take: Ctrip dominates online travel in China and will benefit from the continued shift from offline to online bookings. Additionally, the company is pushing more into the lucrative outbound market. We discuss these trends and more with CEO Jane Jie Sun.

— Dave Montali

Chinese outbound travel gets so much attention these days, but domestic leisure travel remains the core driver of Ctrip’s financial results with the company having a dominant share of online bookings in the top cities within mainland China.

I recently visited Shanghai and had the chance to interview Ctrip CEO Jane Jie Sun, and we discussed a broad range of issues.

After its investments in former rivals Qunar and eLong, Ctrip has managed to tone down the severe discounting that was under way, and is now pushing into lower-tier cities.

On another front, Ctrip does have a very large share of online travel in China, but the move from offline to online bookings is still very early in its transition path. Additionally, rising incomes have increased the size of the middle class and affluent population, further propelling domestic travel.

The outbound market, which is already a $261 billion industry, is the next push for Ctrip. Outbound travel growth from mainland China to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan is flat this year after several years of declines, while outbound to the rest of the world is still growing in the mid-teen percentage points.

With fewer than 10 percent of China’s population having a passport, outbound travel is still fairly early in its trajectory, but has leveled off from its rapid growth period.

Ctrip has partnered with Booking.com for foreign hotel inventory, acquired Skyscanner, made numerous investments in smaller companies in key markets (MakeMyTrip in India, for example), and is pushing a company-wide English-speaking initiative. Ctrip’s initial outbound strategy focuses on the Asian market given the proximity, but the United States and European markets should follow.

In walking around Ctrip, I noticed there was a nursery, and Sun discussed the multiple ways the company is trying to reverse the impact of the now-abandoned one-child policy.

We recently launched A Deep Dive Into Ctrip and the China Online Travel Market 2017.

Below is part of an interview with Ctrip CEO Jane Jie Sun. For more insights from Sun and the rest of the executive management team along with much more on Ctrip and the travel ecosystem in China, get the full report here.

Skift: When you look out over the next two, three, four years, and prioritize growth, how do you view things like lodging versus air travel or outbound versus the increase in domestic leisure travel?

Jane Jie Sun: Maybe I can talk with you on the markets and then product, because that’s the two different angles we can look at. In terms of market, there are two major markets we are very focused on. The first one is the domestic market where Ctrip is very strong in first-tier cities, and some of the second-tier cities. For the third or fourth-tier cities, we haven’t penetrated them to the same extent. We’re spending more marketing dollars into these areas. That’s one priority in a domestic market.

Skift: Is that through the Ctrip brand or through the Qunar brand, or both?

Sun: Both. Ctrip will probably will focus on the top thirty cities, and Qunar will focus more on the lower market.

That’s the domestic market. Then another opportunity for international expansion. We made an investment in Skyscanner, which has global brand that compares the prices for air tickets, but does not have direct booking facilities like Ctrip has. Our two teams will work together, make their direct booking facilities through us. That’s our priority. Also, in other promising markets, such as India, we made investment in MakeMyTrip, which is the leading player there. In the United States, where we see huge growth potential, we made investment in three local tour operators.

Skift: For MakeMyTrip, do you see that as a meaningful contributor or more of an incremental piece of the pie for Ctrip?

Sun: Right now, we are the second largest shareholder. The reason we feel it makes sense is the two markets are very sizeable. China has 1.3 billion people and India has 1.2 billion. If you look at the GDP per capita, India is about 15 years behind China. If they learn from our past experience, probably they can avoid a lot of pitfalls.

Skift: What are the trends you are seeing in China Outbound?

Sun: For Chinese travelers, because of the short distance to places like Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand, if you take off one day or two days you can make a very nice long weekend. The travel frequency to Asian countries is much more frequent than long-haul travel. But China does have two or three long-haul opportunities.

One is the Chinese New Year, where the whole country shuts down for one week. Another one is National Holiday which is October the 1st, the country shuts down for seven days. Another one, which lots of family will enjoy is the summer holidays. These are the long-hauls.

Our focus first of all is the Asian market, because we feel our air product in Asia is very strong. And we can leverage our network to serve the rest of the Asia for air products. We also have lots of other products such as rental cars, attraction tickets, train, golf-tour, etc.

Skift: In China, Ctrip has so much functionality beyond hotels and air travel. Do you see that progressing to other markets where you’ll have a U.S. version, you’ll have a European version? Or do you see this being the Chinese version and the US version is a little bit stripped down and it’s more about that air and hotel?

Sun: It’s very interesting. In the China market, people like to have everything in one place. In a PC world, it’s very easy to open different apps and compare price. But in an app world, it’s not very easy to open multiple apps to compare price. Consumers, at least in the China market, like to have it all on one site where they can have everything. It will be an interesting experiment to see how the rest of Asia progresses.

Skift: In China, the economy is growing nicely and policy changes have made travel easier from an inbound perspective. A U.S. visa used to be a one-time entry, but now I spend 140 dollars and can make unlimited trips for 10 years. Are you seeing a pick-up in inbound?

Sun: Yeah. For the U.S., the 10-year visa is going to greatly boost the multicultural exchange. It is also the same thing with outbound travel. We, very much want to open up more for more countries. The US-China now has 10-year visa. If this happens with Europe, the rest of Asia, it will promote a lot of the international travel.

Skift: A subtle thing I noticed walking around Ctrip is that you have a nursery there. I would imagine this is not common in China?

Sun: No, not at all.

Skift: Can you discuss how the nursery came about, how it helps employees, and if the impact on retention?

Sun: China used to have this one child policy. Our founder James [Jianzhang Liang] wrote the book on this to promote reversing the policy because in order to have a stabilized population, every family needs to have 2.1 children. In China now, it’s below that at 1.3, 1.2. It’s really a severe issue. What we believe is the government needs to give tax breaks to incentivize family to have more children. And enterprise also needs to take on the responsibility to support our young families. At Ctrip, any children from 18 months to kindergarten can be brought here. During the summer and the winter, we have camps. We open up our conference room for the kids to be there.

For pregnant women, we give them a taxi for free. When they have babies, we give them a monetary gift. For some of the employees, if they are in a remote area, they can join the work-at-home program if the coverage is slow.

All of these measures are intended to send a message to society as a corporation that we need to be corporate good citizens. We need to encourage our employees.

Skift: I know you are pushing all employees to learn English. What is the driving force there?

Sun: Sure. Our employees are very young and very curious. They grew up in China so I have lots of confidence that they can serve the China market very well. But in order to go abroad, the first barrier is the language, otherwise you won’t be able to communicate with the other side. I feel that to learn English is very important. English is a global language. No matter where you go, you want to communicate with the rest of the world. Learning English becomes the first and very important step for them and fortunately, our employees are very eager to take on the challenge.

Our official language is not Chinese now, but rather dual Chinese and English.

Skift: In the past, the U.S. was almost always the leader in tech and you’d have the Chinese company a little behind. This has changed where companies like WeChat are an example of what Facebook Messenger could become versus the other way around. What have been the main drivers of this change?

Sun: In the first stage, China was so much behind the USA. I talked with you last time that when I first came to the USA, my professor brought me to a grocery store and I saw an aisle of food for pets. And I burst out crying because in China in 1989, lots of poor people were starving. That’s the level that we’re looking at. At that stage, if we talk about technology, innovation, there was no ground. People were still trying to meet their basic needs.

Throughout the past 30 years, I think that the government has done a good job of lifting the poverty level so the majority of Chinese people are out of poverty. Feeding people is not an issue anymore, right? Then, people start to have better education, workers will be sent to global universities. They learn from the world.

The second stage probably was following the footsteps of the U.S., UK, and the rest of the world. What they did, we copied.

Now, China is already surpassing Japan, Europe, Germany, and the UK. China is the second largest economy in the world. The vision becomes more global. Chinese people are very strong in math, chemistry, physics, and computer science. The general education is very strong in math and logic thinking. That gave China an advantage.

Another thing is the Confucius teaching in the past 2,000 years, being diligent is part of the culture. Our team works very hard. Creativity is created by people. If you’re willing to put 16 hours versus a person who puts in 8 hours, your productivity will be double the other one. One year in China probably equals two years in the rest of the world.

Skift: What is your vision for Ctrip over the next five years?

Sun: Ctrip wants to be the most innovative online travel agency in the world. We need to encourage more and more young employees to take ownership in their business. I want their authority. I always tell our employees right now, and we have about 30,000 employees, if each employee treats them as the CEO of their business unit, our company will innovate. I want them to use CEO mentality to handle their day to day work.

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