It is said crisis unites and there’s no better time than now for unity as the travel industry undergoes its biggest test with the outbreak of Covid-19. With Asia being the first to be impacted, and the rest of the world now feeling the repercussions, there are lessons to be learnt and experiences to be shared from our region.
The WiT Podcast aims to try give shape and clarity to the recovery process as some countries emerge while others are just getting into it, and others yet to get into it. There must be lessons to be exchanged, and ideas and practices to be shared, so that we can unite and collaborate our way out of this crisis.
No one knows how long this will last, but what we do know is that we will come out stronger if we think together. And failing the ability to meet physically for now, this is our way of connecting the industry through deep, meaningful discussions and debate
Episode 2: Ross Veitch, CEO & Co-founder, Wego; Kei Shibata, co-founder and CEO, Line Travel.jp and Trip 101; Christine Tan, managing director, Asia Pacific, D-Edge Hospitality Solutions
Japan was one of the latest countries to be dragged into this crisis – let’s call it Batch 2. Hokkaido declaring a state of emergency on February 28, which will last to March 19, sent shock waves through the industry, and companies having to deal with the aftermath. What is the data showing LINE Travel.jp? And how is the company dealing with the effects?
In Batch 2 is also the Middle East, with cases in Iran sowing panic, and Dubai is seeing mass cancellations of events. What is the data showing Wego, one of the largest online travel brands in the region? How are independent hoteliers getting through this? Will this prompt a reset on how they sell, market and distribute? What is D-Edge Hospitality Solutions seeing in its interactions with customers?
In this episode, we mix up three different perspectives, but with one common thread – they are all thinking differently about their business and coming up with creative approaches to problem solving. From giving staff extra days of annual leave to creating new sales tools and blending remote and office work, it pays to think differently.
(This was recorded March 4. According to this Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS, the virus is now in 115 countries and territories around the world as of March 10).
Meanwhile, the WHO continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. “Travel measures that significantly interfere with international traffic may only be justified at the beginning of an outbreak, as they may allow countries to gain time, even if only a few days, to rapidly implement effective preparedness measures. Such restrictions must be based on a careful risk assessment, be proportionate to the public health risk, be short in duration, and be reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves,” stated the WHO. “Travel bans to affected areas or denial of entry to passengers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases but may have a significant economic and social impact.”
