BANGKOK, 3 February 2021: Red Elephant Reps says it is confident travel recovery will kickstart possibly around the third and fourth quarter of the year on the back of vaccine programmes now underway.
Commenting on travel recovery in Southeast Asia, the company’s CEO, Ian Paul Woods, told TTR Weekly “we believe the trickle back will be slowly evident in Q3 and Q4 due to the vaccines being actively rolled out in various countries.”
He noted that Singapore and Thailand are already starting to reopen borders and allow travellers back – albeit with restrictions and conditions.
“Some sort of proof of vaccination, whether a digital passport or smartphone app, seems inevitable to ensure the safe resumption of international travel,” he said.
“Some airlines are already asking for proof of vaccination before boarding a flight, and Thailand has announced it is considering allowing vaccinated travellers to skip the mandatory quarantine. Countries that have already started vaccinations, such as the UK, UAE and Israel, could well be the first places to consider these passports.”
We have already seen an increase in travel requests for special deals that we are currently offering for future travel in the second half of 2021 and beyond. As our global sales team is seeing an increase in agents reconnecting with clients wanting to travel, we are actively promoting our destinations and products in Southeast Asia with training and webinars.”
Meanwhile, the company is expanding its travel and hospitality marketing in Russia and Japan following the appointment of a director of sales covering those two key markets.
It recently appointed Olga Tonkikh as director of sales for Russia, based in Vladivostok; and Hisae Yanai as director of sales for Japan, based in Tokyo.
“Their strong connections within the travel and hospitality industry in both Russia and Japan will be crucial in helping us grow within these regions,” said Woods.
