The Future of Travel

Driving purpose and changing American politics are the major passion topics of renowned architect and landscape designer, Bill Bensley. Chatting with David from his studio in Bangkok, Bill talks about his greatest desire for hospitality—namely that every hotel built from this moment forward have a purpose, or at least one small detail that’s sustainable. He also discusses, among other things, his vision of a post-Trump presidential trifecta involving Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall.
Bill’s lifelong purpose focuses on conservation. In his latest project in China’s Guangdong province, the ‘human zoo’, he’s hoping to educate a whole generation of Chinese children that wildlife must stay in the wild and not end up on dinner plates. He believes that if we, as a species, continue to ignore the interconnectivity between man and nature, then ‘we’re done’.

In the midst of a global pandemic that no one saw coming, and the ensuing economic crisis, Tosaporn Sihanatkathakul and his family have endured a much more personal form of loss. In a touching conversation with David and Catherine, the Executive Director of the Landmark Lancaster Hotel Group reflects on the role of legacy and family in business—both literally and as it pertains to those who depend on a hotel for their livelihood.
En route to the new normal, Khun Tosaporn is looking to redesign current meeting spaces into what he describes as ‘goodwill spaces’. He also speaks candidly about the risks of investing in hotels at the moment, and what diversification means to him in the near to medium term.

HRS Chief Executive Officer Tobias Ragge is more optimistic than many of his peers. Providing a vaccine is developed, he suspects we could see the hospitality industry operating at 80% of 2019 levels as early as next year—not 2024 as many pundits predict. He also suspects this pandemic may have changed us more profoundly than we realise. In addition to business leaders operating more conservatively for a time, he expects the general public to emerge from time spent in quarantine with fundamental questions about life, work and the meaning of it all. This sort of paradigm shift could send ripples through society.
He says now is the time for organisations to sharpen their value proposition, as those that are able to showcase their value are the ones that will survive this pandemic. The one-million-dollar question: whether it’s the bigger hospitality brands that survive, or there’s a proliferation of distinctive, smaller brands.

Robert Hecker—Managing Director, Pacific Asia of Horwath HTL—joins David and Catherine in this episode of The Future of Travel. A long-time friend of QUO, Robert provides insight into when and how he believes tourism will recover from the COVID-19 crises.
According to Robert, the dominant industry sentiment is that pre-pandemic levels won’t return until 2024. As a result, Robert believes projects slated to open in 2024 or later will be okay, but anything set to open in the next three years may struggle due to excess market capacity. And while he doesn’t see foreclosures happening just yet, Robert expects some consolidation among hotel management groups, whether through takeovers or joint ventures.

In the latest episode of The Future of Travel, Clint Nagata, Founder and CEO of Blink Design, talks to David about the impact of the virus on the world of hospitality design. Clint believes the crisis will accelerate many of the trends we were witnessing before—such as increased focus on genuine local experiences, integration of technology and wellbeing as a core component of a hotel’s offer.

Clint also hopes that luxury will take on a new meaning in a post-virus world, with consumers having learnt to enjoy and appreciate simple things, rather than the brightest or most expensive.