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Tech Boost for Travel Agent Industry

The Travel Agent Roadmap launched in August 2016 is going through a process of refinement. Back then, the Roadmap sought to enhance the capability and sustainability of the travel agent industry. Business transformation, technology and manpower were identified as key areas for transformation.

Two years on, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) have recently announced new and updated initiatives to help travel agents stay relevant and build their capabilities.

Mr Ong Ling Lee, Director, Travel Agents and Tourist Guides, STB, said, “STB launched the Travel Agent Roadmap two years ago to help travel agents transform their businesses and become more agile and resilient in responding to challenges. As we enter the third year of the Roadmap, we are refining the different types of support for travel agents to equip them with the relevant tools and resources that they might need to tap growth opportunities.”

Some of the newly installed initiatives include a Travel Talent Transformation & Management Program, the NATAS Resource Centre, and an updated Business Transformation Through-Train Program. These initiatives were undertaken by NATAS and stakeholders from the travel agent industry to help travel agents innovate further to stay competitive.

The Travel Transformation & Management Program serves to improve human resource practices and attract and retain workers. One-on-one sessions with consultants will help resolve gaps in human resource practices through masterclasses and site visits to firms with successful human resource practices. They will also be guided through the solution implementation.

An online NATAS Resource Centre could be materialised in 2019. The centre is a one-stop shop where travel agents can access toolkits and resources. They will also receive timely advice on how to embark on business transformation projects.

Version 2.0 of the Business Transformation Through-Train Program will be launched in the second quarter of 2019. A successful pilot run was concluded in 2018. The program targets travel agents who are ready to relook their business models. It guides travel agents through three phases for transformation: ideation, research and implementation.

Travel agents are assisted to envision new business models, identify gaps and opportunities, and implement business shifts to remain competitive. Thus far, seven travel agents have completed the first run of the program. An open call to the industry will be made for the second run of the program in the first quarter of 2019.

Furthermore, plans are underway to boost a travel agent’s tech-savviness through tech talks, solution call-out and online travel portal. The intention is to educate travel agents on the technology solutions available. Relevant technology vendors will be identified to assist the agents.

NATAS will also be launching a Travel Technology Challenge in 2019. The Challenge builds on the Tourism Innovation Challenge to further proliferate new technology solutions among the industry.

Presently, NATAS seeks to develop an offline-to-online portal to support travel agents in moving into the online domain. Themed travel fairs feature on the portal. It also serves as a plug-and-play solution for travel agents who currently do not have an online presence. Potential leads have been identified by NATAS. More plans are scheduled to build an offline-to-online portal which can host a wider network of players within the travel and tourism ecosystem, improving user experience.

Since the Roadmap’s launch, more than 90 projects have been implemented. From technology adoption to business remodelling, STB’s Business Improvement Fund has assisted them. In turn, travel agents have improved productivity and over 800 manhours have been saved.

Mr Steven Ler, President, NATAS said, “We believe that with careful planning and strong execution, we can navigate challenges together in the next lap of our journey.”

In the years to come, STB and NATAS will continue to work hand in hand, bringing the travel industry to the future.

Mr Ong said, “We are confident that the initiatives launched today, from the self-help resources to the Through-Train Programmes, will help our travel agents become true designers of travel experiences.”

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

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CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

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Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

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HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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