According to the nation’s official statistics, Spain is one of the most travelled nations in the world. Two well-known locations, Barcelona and Madrid, are among the top five summer destinations that European travellers on Trip.com have booked as a result of the pandemic.
The travel outlook for this summer, Ms. Morillo said Ms. Sun, “is fantastic.” “The number of visitors has surpassed the pre-pandemic level, and most importantly, travellers are spending more this summer compared to 2019,” the statement continued. However, Ms. Morillo clarified that they don’t solely pay attention to visitor volume. Right now, sustainable and high-quality tourism is Spain’s preferred approach to tourism, which has replaced “mass, sun, and beach” tourism.
“The geography and culture of Spain are different. Despite the fact that we already have well-known tourist locations, we must concentrate on enhancing tourists’ experiences rather than merely bringing in more people. According to Ms. Morillo, we should work to encourage more tourists to visit off-the-beaten-path locations.
Ms. Sun, who has been throughout Spain, concurred that there are many undiscovered jewels to be found there and pointed out that the Trip.com Group has been preparing for the return of Chinese tourists to Spain ever since the pandemic’s emergence. Through the use of content marketing techniques, the online travel agency has produced effective campaigns to maintain clients’ interest in the nation. These include influencer marketing initiatives on its platform for travel-related content, the debut of a StarHub official account for Spain, and the development of curated lists for users to discover vacation ideas in Spain.
Has there been a change in Chinese tourists’ recent travel habits or choices, even though Spain has traditionally been one of their most preferred destinations?
According to Ms. Sun, “The new generation of Chinese tourists expects genuine and distinctive experiences in Spain. Through our cutting-edge technology and marketing capabilities, we give them the most exciting travel inspiration and trustworthy suggestions.
Future travel will change as a result of technology
The use of cutting-edge AI technologies by Trip.com Group to improve the consumer experience is reshaping the travel and hospitality sector. Over 75% of airline and hotel-related issues voiced by customers are now resolved by the AI chatbot, without the need for these consumers to speak to a customer support representative, thanks to the company’s pioneering use of AI technology in customer service in 2016.
Trip.com introduced “TripGen” earlier this year, a real-time AI travel assistant that offers users immediate advice on pre-trip decisions and on-trip plans. The overall travel experience has become more joyful and stress-free thanks to this cutting-edge gadget.
Ms. Morillo concurs that technology is redefining the tourism business in all facets, including talent development and destination development in addition to pre-booking, booking, and customer service.
“Technology will alter travel patterns in addition to how individuals purchase goods. For instance, Ms. Morillo said, “We have observed numerous cities employing technologies to direct the flow of passengers and improve mobility in the city, ultimately enhancing the travel experience.
Women are an organization’s foundation.
In December 2022, Ms. Morillo took on the position of State Secretary for Tourism, capping a long and fruitful career covering a variety of industries, including software, investment banking, and hospitality. “I think everybody should work in the public sector at some point in his or her life, because you can give back to the society and make a difference,” said Ms. Morillo.
Ms. Morillo is a strong advocate for gender equality in the workplace and encourages more women to take up leadership positions. “While the gender ratio in middle management teams in Spain is equal, it becomes increasingly unbalanced at higher management levels. This needs to be changed,” Ms. Morillo shared.
The Spanish government recently approved a draft Equal Representation Law that aims to promote more equal representation of women and men in politics, business, and other spheres of public life. While Ms. Morillo views this as a positive step, she believes that more needs to be done to create a truly gender-inclusive workplace.
Ms. Sun agrees with Ms. Morillo’s views and believes that striving for equal gender representation in senior management teams is not only the right thing to do but will also lead to more rational and considerate decision-making for governments, companies, and organisations.
“With more than half of Trip.com Group employees and one-third of middle managers being female, women are the backbone of our business,” said Ms. Sun. “I look forward to further enhancing the figure in the near future.”
During their discussion, Ms. Sun also shared with Ms. Morillo’s the Group’s recently launched Childcare Subsidy programme. Under this new scheme, full-time employees with children after 1 July 2023 will receive a subsidy of RMB 10,000 for each child on their first, second, third, fourth and fifth birthdays. The Group plans to invest RMB 1 billion as subsidies to support its employees in family planning and promote working families.
Over the years, Trip.com Group has introduced several family-friendly policies including hybrid work and assisted reproduction benefits.
“As we have always said, our employees are our greatest asset. The launch of this new initiative is a testament to our commitment to supporting our employees to achieve their family and career goals,” said Ms. Sun. “Going forward, we will continue to create family-friendly workplaces across our various offices.”
Source- Travel daily