Ep 78: Preparing Hotels for a New Travel Era, with The Phuket & Bali Hotel Associations

About This Episode

21 Jun 2021 • 36m00s

As Phuket and Bali prepare to welcome back international tourists, how are hotels in both destinations getting ready for the vaccinated travel era?

On this special edition, Gary and Hannah are joined by Brad Edman, General Manager of Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa &, representing the Phuket Hotels Association (PHA), and Jean Hélière, General Manager of Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach & Chairman of the Bali Hotels Association (BHA).

In this in-depth chat, Brad and Jean discuss the deep impacts of COVID-19 for the hotel sectors on both islands, and how Association members have reacted by reaching out to domestic travellers.

We also discuss the new health, hygiene and safety standards being put in place, and shifts in marketing and community outreach strategies. Plus, which destinations are the PHA and BHA looking to as case studies for reopening to tourism, which inbound source markets will they target, both initially and longer term, and which airlines might provide the all-important airlift.

Finally, how are the two hotel associations sharing insights and intelligence to help rebuild the visitor economies of these popular South East Asian island getaways.

Resources

Bali Hotels Association website here.

Bali Hotels Association Facebook.

Bali Hotels Association LinkedIn.

Phuket Hotels Association website here.

Phuket Hotels Association Facebook

Phuket Hotels Association LinkedIn

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