Malaysia Airlines Regional Manager ANZ, Giles Gilbert, thinks over-tourism is emerging as a real issue for the travel industry globally.
“And I don’t think it is so much a case of blaming tourists, but exploitation by operators which breeds local discontent and guest dissatisfaction. If tourism isn’t sustainable in cultural, ecological or commercial terms, then it is ultimately self-defeating.”
“Salli Felton, CEO of the UK’s The Travel Foundation recently observed that, as an industry we need to get better about weighing up the actual costs and benefits of tourism, and making sure that the tourism products and services we sell and supply have net positive benefits for the wider community. And I think the future of what we do as an industry – from airlines, to hotels, to tourism operators, relies on us actively embracing this challenge.”
Find out what else Giles had to say in this week’s Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
My area of responsibility revolves around the commercial side of the operation. It’s my job to ensure we hit our targets and are profitable, so anything that helps improve revenue, gain additional passenger numbers or reduces costs come under my purview, and I’m constantly looking at the 4 P’s – product, price, place and promotion. How we tweak each of these is how we maximise our results and hit targets. Majority of my job also revolves around managing and directing the team at Malaysia Airlines ANZ that go out every day selling and promoting us to the market. This is vital when the vast majority of our revenue is coming from the trade.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
I joined the airline industry as I am a passionate traveller. Whenever I get the opportunity to travel I will, and love nothing more than meeting and seeing different cultures and places. At the end of the day we bring people together, for multiple reasons and that is something we must always have at the forefront of our minds. It’s a service and we need to enjoy what we do to enable us to serve our customers as best as we can. It’s a great industry to be in and there are lots of opportunities for those that stick to it.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession?
They say the only constant is change, and in this industry that change is constant and seems to be happening quicker by the day. Keeping ahead of the pack and constantly thinking of new and different ways of doing things to stay in front of competition is the biggest challenge.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
New Distribution Capability (NDC) is something that we all know about and think we know what it will do, but I’m not so sure even those that are implementing it really know where it will end up in five years time. How do we as an industry make sure NDC works for us all and creates opportunities for all in the industry?
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months?
I don’t believe NDC will be a game changer within 12 months; it will take a longer period of time and be progressive. What I think will be the biggest game changer for this industry is how airlines deal with and support the trade. Sales support teams are reducing in size and automation is becoming the norm. In 12 months I think there will be a big change in how airlines operate overseas, and we have already seen some of these changes happening at several Asian and Middle Eastern airlines. Malaysia Airlines has gone through this already, but others are still catching up. In 12 months I don’t think there will be a major airline left that has not gone through a major restructure and consolidation.
Who inspires you most and why?
Even assuming we are talking specifically about the travel industry, there are so many people I could point to. But if I have to single out one person, perhaps Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the famous British adventurer, pioneering polar explorer, and writer, who, among his many exploits, in 1979–82 led the first north-south surface circumnavigation of the world. He really is one of the last great explorers in the old fashioned sense of the world, and his passion and enthusiasm for travel, exploration and discovery remains undiminished even in his mid 70s.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
Michael McIntyre. I watch comedy to relax and just love his sense of humour. I’m also a huge fan of Billy Connolly because of his straightforward, honest approach to life. He says what we all think (well at least what I think). Where would we go? I’m yet to visit South America and the Galapagos Islands, which are high up on my bucket list as is Easter Island – although with these two comedians I’d be happy going to the local RSL and having a beer with them.
Company Website – www.malaysiaairlines.com
Contact Email – giles.gilbert@malaysiaairlines.com
