The third edition of Further East, themed New Horizons, returned to Bali earlier this month from November 7-10, 2022, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Held at the Alila Seminyak and organised by This is Beyond, this year’s show – now called Further East APAC – also expanded its focus to include the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Calling the pandemic a “gamechanger”, Serge Dive, founder and CEO of This Is Beyond, said that 2022 has gone through a “reboot”, and is a “new chapter” for the tourism industry.
For instance, Dive pointed out that sustainability and climate change have become essential considerations for tourism businesses. He added that as tourism recovers, this is an opportunity to think of how the industry can build back better as well.
Meanwhile, Jinou Park, founder of Normal, built on the topic of surviving in the new era in his presentation Igniting your Brand’s Purpose Post-Pandemic, and stated that it was important for travel businesses to have clear branding and purpose in mind.
This comes as lockdowns and restrictions have caused a change in consumers’ behaviours, where they have had to pause and adapt to a new way of life. This, in turn, develops “new habits” that remain post-lockdown, Park said.
For instance, among the millennials and Gen X-ers, their spending is now more “purposeful”. Expectations of travellers have also changed post-lockdown, cautioned Park, where hospitality providers now need to take into consideration more personalised experiences, and ensure the highest levels of well-being and care are provided.
Park added that remote work, and living spaces in destinations with a high quality of life and excellent transportation, will also be in demand moving forward.
Further East APAC 2022 was attended by 137 exhibitors, 37 per cent coming from Indonesia, eight per cent from Australia and New Zealand and the rest from other Asian countries. A total of 140 buyers attended the show, where 70 per cent were from outside Asia-Pacific.
