Presentation on a brief overview on future-proofing for travel businesses in the contemporary period.

1. Future-Proofing Your Travel
Business
Harish Shah
Stratserv Consultancy

2. Future-Proofing
The Basics

3. The Future
• Uncertain
• Ambiguous
• Non-linear
• Shaped by the Broadest Spectrum of Factors
• Businesses still need to be ready for it
• We work today, for the results of tomorrow
• Our efforts today worthwhile?
• Cannot be known, but can be studied

4. How the Future Happens
• Nothing happens in a Silo
• The Future is a result of Convergences
• Multiple Developments
• Across Multiple Domains, Fields, Industries and Spaces
• Shaped by Inter-related Synergies and Cross-Impacts
• A story of Domino Effects
• Butterfly Effect

5. Future-Proofing
• Intertwining the Focus on the Future with the Organisation’s Human
Resource Activities/Efforts; Future-Oriented HR Strategy
• Developing/Redeveloping Organisational Plans & Strategies with a
long-term view; Around Strategic Foresight
• Permeating a Culture of Systems Thinking Application across the
Organisation; Starting with the end in Mind
• Adopting Foresight Based Decision-Making Models & Processes
• What can happen?
• What will likely happen?
• Best possibilities (And worst)

6. A Future-Proof Organisation
•The most important resource (Human Resource) is;
• Adequate & Appropriate to meet Future Needs
• Empowered & Enabled to meet Future Challenges
• Well Managed to Adapt in, Endure through and Foresee Future Changes &
Disruptions
•The organisation is able to operate Proactively as opposed to
Reactively
• The Organisation minimises situations of having to “catch-up” or “keep-up”
with elements in the external environment
• By staying ahead
• By developing the necessary internal resources

7. A Future-Proof Organisation
•Less at Risk;
• Reduced possibility of being caught “Off-guard”
• Threats are mitigated in advance or pre-empted
• Management/Staff prepared for various possibilities through Scenario
Planning
• Opportunities are Foreseen and Capitalised upon before they pass
• Possible threats to continuity are Factored/Mitigated in Strategies and Plans
before they arise

8. A Future-Proof Organisation
• Has high endurance
• Adaptable to constantly changing conditions and environments
• Flexible
• Will be relevant for a long time ahead (yet)
• Decades if not centuries
• Evolutionary
• Business Model
• Product Lines

9. Measures
• Regular Scenario & Contingency Planning
• Strategic Foresight (Ongoing)
• Regular Revaluations and Reviews
• Constant Vigilance
• Environmental Scanning
• Monitoring
• Long-term Competency Building (Organisational)
• All HR needs to be geared to this end
• Innovation Culture
• Systems Thinking Culture

10. Systems Thinking
System

11. Systems Thinking
Understanding the process of
each system interacting with
other systems within a larger
system

12. Travel Industry
The Critical

13. Numbers
• 1.035 Billion International Tourists in 2012
(Jump of 52 million from previous year)
• 983 Million International Tourists in 2011
(Jump of 43 million from previous year)
• 940 Million International Tourists in 2010
• The 10 most visited countries in the world saw 492 million tourist
arrivals in 2014
• 7 of the 10 most visited countries in the world at present are in
Europe
• France is the top destination by tourist arrivals

14. Growth Areas
• Space Tourism
• Sports Tourism
• Allocated Sporting Tickets sold in Packages with Flights, Hotels, Excursions and
Other Activities
• Doom Tourism
• Tourism to places that are environmentally or otherwise threatened
• Experiential Tourism
• Cultural Tourism

15. Growth Areas
• Agritourism
• i.e., Farm Stay
• Culinary Tourism
• Nautical Tourism
• Wellness Tourism
• The fastest Growth Area
• Destination Weddings
• Medical Tourism

16. What is Happening?
Examples

17. TripIt
• SAP Created Application
• Now available for Apple Smart Watches
• Allows users to keep their travel itineraries on their wrists
• Allows users instant access

18. Apple’s “Time Travel” Feature
• watchOS 2
• Users view scheduled Calendar Events + Weather Forecasts
• Forecast if planned event or meeting will be disrupted by Weather
Complications
• Can be used to forecast Weather when Flight Lands
• Uses Rotating Digital Crown

19. Function Space Revenue Management
• Launched by IDeaS
• Allows Hotels to capitalise on non-room revenue streams
• Increase group and Function Space profits
• Forecasts and Validates Expected Demand
• Day by Day parts
• Uses advanced analytics
• Enables Hoteliers to make Demand-Based Changes
• Strategic Pricing Decisions

20. Zuji.com
• Game Changer in the Travel Industry
• Set a new precedent
• Broad and Diverse Options to Travellers
• Destinations
• Accommodation
• Flights
• Favourable Rates
• Dates
• Combinations

21. Threats or Opportunities
Examples

22. Virtual Reality
• 360 Degree Cameras
• Civilian Drones
• 3D, 4D, 5D relay Technology
• HMDs
• Oculus Rift Headsets
• Teleporter Stations (You feel the experience)
• Marriot Case Study
• Holographic Projection
• Enhanced with Augmented Reality Technology

23. Fuel
• Prices
• Greater Energy Efficiency World Wide
• Lower Demand = Lower Price?
• Emergence of Green Aviation
• Long-term hope of Solar Powered Aircraft
• Significant Oil Sources are in Middle-East/Africa
• Plagued by Conflict
• ME-West Politics

24. Terrorism
• Islamic State
• Al Qaeda
• Taliban
• Al Shabaab
• Jemaaiyah Islamiah
• Boko Haram
• Abu Sayyaf
• Moro Islamic Liberation Front

25. Changing World of Work
• Virtual Offices / Virtual Work Environments
• Work-from-Anywhere
• Online Work
• Tele-conferencing Technology (More accessible than ever)
• Work Possible on Mobile Smart Devices
• Leaner Organisations (Less Employees / Increasing Job Cuts)
• Unemployment?
• No Job = No Money for Travel
• Increasing Automation

26. Generational Changes – The Millennials
• More Informed
• Hungrier for Content
• More Connected – Relationships Across Borders
• More Vocal
• Not Loyal Customers
• More Demands
• Fast
• Easy
• Hassle-free

27. Changing Economic Landscape
• Poorer West
• Wealthier East
• Next Growth Frontiers
• Africa
• Southeast Asia
• South America
• Rise of BRICS:
• Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
• Transition from Worker Society to Entrepreneur Society

28. Let’s Talk
Call +65 94510637 or email harish_shah@stratservconsultancy.com to enquiry for a
detailed presentation or in-house talk.