Hospitality Trends In The Asia-Pacific: A Discussion Of Five Key Sectors

[ 264 ]

International Journal of

Contemporary Hospitality

Management

10/7 [1998] 264вЂ"271

Ð'© MCB University Press

[ISSN 0959-6119]

Hospitality trends in the Asia-Pacific: a discussion of

five key sectors

Nerilee Hing

Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia

Vivienne McCabe

Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia

Peter Lewis

Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia

Neil Leiper

Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia

This paper reviews recent

trends in major hospitality

sectors in the Asia-Pacific

region. Observes that the

meetings, incentives, conventions

and exhibitions (MICE),

backpacker, and bed and

breakfast sectors are growing,

characterised by burgeoning

market demand,

proliferation of specialist

infrastructure, sector-specific

education and training, and

dedicated development and

marketing strategies. The

casino sector is facing major

challenges, seeing declining

demand in some areas. Competitive

forces are evident in

the licensed clubs sector,

where a proliferation of gambling

options has undermined

traditional sources of revenue.

Conversely, the hotel

and restaurant sectors can be

considered mature. There is

increased attention to facilities

development, asset

management, market segmentation

and use of new

technologies, and the restaurant

sector appears focused

on product revitalisation.

Concludes that the recent

economic turmoil in Asia will

no doubt produce new challenges,

as well as opportunities,

in the lead up to the next

millennium.

Introduction

This paper reviews recent trends in key hospitality

sectors in the Asia-Pacific region.

While fallout from the 1997-98 Asian

economic crisis will no doubt produce new

opportunities and challenges, certain patterns

of development underlie each of these

sectors. Those enjoying significant growth in

market demand are concentrating on infrastructure

and market development, and striving

to improve professionalism, quality standards

and marketing efforts. For more

mature sectors, competition is necessitating a

range of responses, from product rejuvenation

and enhancement, to greater attention to

asset management, market segmentation and

technology-assisted operations management.

These trends are discussed in reference to

five sectors of hospitality industries вЂ" meetings,

incentives, conventions and exhibitions

(MICE), casinos, licensed clubs, accommodation

and restaurants.

The MICE sector

Meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions

(MICE) comprise one of the fastest

growing sectors of tourism and hospitality

industries worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific

region, the MICE sector grew by 124 per cent

between 1980-1996 (Hutchinson, 1997, p. 116),

spawning proliferation of specialist facilities,

sector-specific education and training, and

dedicated development and marketing

strategies at both national and regional levels.

The discussion below elaborates on these

developments, particularly in the region’s

major convention destination, Australia, to

illustrate the potential for the sector in the

Asia-Pacific.

Competition within the Asia-Pacific region

The Australian National Convention Strategy

identified the Asia-Pacific region as the major

competitive MICE destination to Australia in

terms of both location and development of

world