Millennials fuelling rise of fine dining
One in three millennials - those aged 18-29 - in the Asia-Pacific region is going to fine dining establishments at least once a month, more often than those older than them, according to MasterCard.
The most frequent fine diners in the region are in China - on average visiting more expensive establishments two or three times a month.
This is higher than the average for millennials across the region and higher than any other age group.
When choosing where to eat, Asia-Pacific consumers still prefer to rely on word of mouth and recommendations from friends and family (50 per cent).
This was applicable for all consumers, regardless of age group, with even millennials trusting word-of-mouth recommendations (52 per cent) more than online reviews (38 per cent).
This is despite the fact that more than a third of millennials (36 per cent) post comments and reviews of their dining experiences online. This is especially true of Chinese (61 per cent) and Thai (52 per cent) millennials, where more than half of the young people polled regularly post reviews after a meal. Beyond millennials, people in Thailand (39 per cent) and China (30 per cent) are also the most likely to spend more on dining over the next six months, with around one-third indicating they plan to eat at more expensive establishments.
NEW YEAR, NEW CORPORATE IDENTITY
Centara Hotels & Resorts will be renamed Central Hospitality International this month.
The introduction of CHI serves to differentiate the corporate brand and its member hotel brands, as well as to align the hotel group with the other eponymous Central Group companies, creating greater affiliation and synergy within the Central family, said Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of CHI.
“The inclusion of the word ‘International’ within the name signifies CHI’s intent to continue to expand its portfolio both in Thailand and international markets, becoming even more of a global player in the hospitality sector,” he said.
AIR CARGO DOWN 1.2% IN NOVEMBER
Global air cargo as measured in freight tonne-kilometres was down 1.2 per cent year on year in November, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Total cargo, however, expanded compared with October, and was higher than the low point in August.
This indicates that the decline in cargo demand may be bottoming out, IATA said.
