Travel Daily | Relais & Châteaux pushes into Asian market with ILTM & three Asia

With 4 of Australia’s most iconic hotels, New Zealand’s 6 best lodges and Tahiti’s showcase Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa under its banner, Relais & Châteaux is ready for a concerted push into the expanding Asian market.

Its stand at ILTM was coordinated by Relais & Châteaux Asia Director Stephane Junca, who has built a network of nearly 30 hotels and fine restaurants across Asia in the past five years. Mr Junca and Japan Director Mihoko Nagazawa organised the ensuing showcases to further expand its network of travel industry contacts.

The events allowed the Relais & Châteaux team to build more than 200 new or existing relationships with travel trade, media and corporates largely from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, India and Australia, over the 10-day tour. GSAs for Australia-New Zealand Anthony Knox and GSA for China Rachel Wang were present at ILTM in a sales capacity.

Natasha Granath, Director for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, said the Asia Pacific offices of Relais & Châteaux recognised that the continued growth in Asian tourism and business travel was important for the association because it was offsetting declines in visitor arrivals from traditional markets such as Europe and the US.

“We have our four regional directors and 12 hotels represented at ILTM this year because we realise the potential this market has to deliver business to our properties worldwide,” she said. “China has been identified as a big growth market for Australian and New Zealand Tourism and we want to ensure that we attract our share of the luxury travellers expected to hit our shores in the years ahead. It’s also about being prepared for when the Japanese economy picks up again or when other growing markets such as Taiwan start moving.

“The quality of our hotels in Australia and New Zealand – qualia on the Great Barrier Reef for example, Saffire in Tasmania and such iconic properties as Huka Lodge and The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand mean hat we are competing on an international scale for the high-end tourism dollar,” she said.

“ILTM is our chance not just to educate Asian travel industry professionals about our destinations, our brand and our products, but for us to learn about what the Asian traveller is looking for, its likes and dislikes, so that we can appeal to this customer using a more honed approach.

“Tahiti is already a popular market for the Chinese, particularly for honeymooners but the Asian markets still need educating about Australia and New Zealand luxury destinations and we need to distinguish those products from their main competitors – the luxury lodges in South Africa and the resorts in the Maldives, which offer similar price points and a luxe adventure-style offering, within 8 to 14 hours flight from Shanghai, Beijing or Tokyo.”

Pic caption:

Stephane Junca, Relais & Châteaux Director Asia; Angeline Tang, Relais & Châteaux Director of Sales Asia Pacific; Annie-Claude Bergonzoli, Relais & Châteaux Director Southern & East Africa & Indian Ocean; Natasha Granath, Relais & Châteaux Director Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific.