Tripartite partners pledge to support sustainable tourism in Thailand

October 23, 2019

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Expedia Group and UNESCO have come together to pledge collaborative efforts in sustainable tourism development.

The UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge forms part of a renewed collaboration between Expedia Group and TAT, following an MoU sealed between the two organisations in September 2018 to promote secondary destinations in Thailand.

In this renewed MoU, the Expedia Group will support TAT’s strategic goals in attracting high-value travellers, promoting emerging destinations to first-time visitors and generating more demand during low season.

(From left) TAT’s Chutathip Charoenlarp, UNESCO’s Peter DeBrine, TAT’s Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Expedia Group’s Jean-Philippe Monod, Expedia Group’s Katherine Cheng, and Expedia Group’s Ang Choo Pin at the launch of the UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge

Initiatives include driving inbound and domestic tourism through sustained digital marketing campaigns; identifying and promoting new tourism opportunities in Thailand; leveraging industry experience, digital technology and big data to provide strategic advice on Thailand’s tourism vision and plans; promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in Thailand’s tourism sector; supporting the development of digital innovation and capabilities across Thailand’s tourism industry; and promoting traveller safety and security in Thailand.

The agreement also supports the Thai government’s leadership and commitment towards conserving the marine environment and addressing marine debris issues, in particular, plastic waste across the countries of the South-east Asia region.

TAT deputy governor for international marketing, Asia and South Pacific, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, said that its collaboration with Expedia Group and UNESCO “will enable TAT to better incentivise business stakeholders and industry players to accelerate sustainable tourism development across the nation while supporting new travel experiences in emerging Thai destinations”.

He added: “TAT is committed to protecting the environment through its Thailand Reduce Waste initiative, which invites visitors and the tourism operators to reduce and eliminate single-use plastic that significantly creates waste in tourist destinations. It also promotes the use of organic materials that help save the earth and add value to local resources.”

Under the pledge, all parties are committed to supporting the reduction and elimination of single-use plastic while also promoting local culture and activities in Thailand.

Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture, said: “The Sustainable Tourism Pledge aims to turn words into action. This partnership with Expedia Group and the pilot initiative with Thai tourism is about taking those steps to minimise waste in the tourism sector and to promote the role of culture for sustainable development. This is good for the planet, for communities and could be the start of something global.”

APAC’s physical activity market shows active growth

By TTG Asia

October 23, 2019

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Asia-Pacific is now the number two physical activity market, valued at US$240 billion annually, or roughly 30 per cent of the global market, according to a research study by the Global Wellness Institute, Move to Be Well: The Global Economy of Physical Activity.

But the same study revealed that Asia will be the overwhelming growth leader from 2018 to 2023, with a market expanding 9.2 per cent annually, and is estimated to reach US$373.3 billion by 2023, overtaking North America as the world’s largest market.

APAC is now the number two physical activity market, valued at US$240 billion annually, according to a recent study

Asia-Pacific will account for a staggering 40 per cent of all global market growth from 2018 to 2023, with China and India combined driving nearly one-third of all growth.

The 180-page report found that the physical activity economy, which includes 1) fitness, 2) sports & active recreation, 3) mindful movement, 4) equipment, 5) apparel/footwear, and 6) technology, is now a US$828 billion world market, and is expected to grow to over US$1.1 trillion by 2023.

The top 10 recreational physical activity markets in Asia are 1) China (US$109.3 billion); 2) Japan (US$43.9 billion); 3) South Korea (US$23.5 billion); 4) Australia (US$16.7 billion); 5) India (US$13.4 billion); 6) Taiwan (US$7.7 billion); 7) Hong Kong (US$4.1 billion); 8) New Zealand (US$3 billion); 9) Thailand (US$2.9 billion); and 10) Indonesia (US$2.6 billion).

Four of the top 10 recreational physical activity markets in the world are in Asia: China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. The US and China are by far the world’s largest consumer markets, together accounting for 45 per cent of all global expenditures.

China’s physical activity sector is experiencing explosive recent growth with support from the government, a proliferation of gyms and fitness studios in Tier 1 cities and widespread adoption of fitness apps and other online platforms.

Meanwhile, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore have highly developed, competitive physical activity markets. Governments in these markets are also active in promoting physical activity through public education campaigns (e.g. South Korea’s Program 7330 and Singapore’s Active Health programme). South-east Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, have small physical activity markets, lower levels of participation, and the lowest fitness industry penetration rates across Asia.

The top 10 Asian markets for participation rate (%) in recreational physical activities are 1) Australia (84%); 2) Taiwan (84%); 3) New Zealand (84%); 4) Mongolia (75%); 5) South Korea (74%); 6) Japan (70%); 7) Singapore (65%); 8) Hong Kong (58%); 9) French Polynesia (58%); and 10) Vanuatu (54%).

When it comes to recreational physical activity participation rates, many Asian markets shine. Six rank among the top 15 worldwide: Taiwan, New Zealand, Mongolia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

The full report can be read here.

First green resort in the works for Club Med in Kota Kinabalu

By TTG Asia

October 23, 2019

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Club Med will be opening its first green resort near Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state, in the northern part of Borneo island late 2022.

Located at Kuala Penyu Beach, Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu will feature 400 rooms, including 40 luxury suites, an all-day buffet restaurant serving international cuisines which also features a gourmet lounge, an a la carte specialty restaurant, a free-flow bar, a pool bar, and children’s club facilities.

Club Med to open its first green resort near Kota Kinabalu late 2022

Also available is a full range of Club Med facilities, including up to 30 types of land and water sports activities, and excursions to discover Kota Kinabalu and Sabah.

Club Med is collaborating with owners, Sabah-based Golden Sands Beach Resort City, to create the brand’s first large-scale sustainably-built BREEAM-certified beach resort in Asia-Pacific.

Club Med has been building resorts “with a focus on minimising the environmental footprint through efficient energy consumption, treating and recycling water, promoting renewable energy sources and waste recycling techniques,” said the company in a statement.

Its partnership with the Building Research Establishment for Club Med Borneo from the outset will create a benchmark for the hotel group to construct new resorts that meet stringent BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standards.

Growing wellness holidays demand births new tourism opportunities

By Mimi Hudoyo

October 22, 2019

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Wellness tourism is projected to grow from a US$639 billion industry in 2017 to US$919 in 2022, with Asia expected to be the biggest growth market valued at US$252 billion in two years’ time.

Changing wellness expectations have also gave birth to new business opportunities for wellness tourism specialists, noted Susie Ellis, chairman & CEO of Global Wellness Summit.

Wellness tourism is growing amid a rising trend towards greater health consciousness

Speaking at the opening of the event in Singapore last week, Ellis said that one prominent trend is the rise in health consciousness among stressed-out city-dwellers, which drives demand for accessible urban wellness resorts.

“Most people, when they travel, are looking for remote areas with beautiful settings and resorts. Not so much anymore, because people are living in the city and they are feeling the stress in the city so they also want to find a place in the city get their wellness experience,” she noted, citing Six Senses New York, the first urban resort for the hospitality brand, as an example.

The wellness sabbatical concept is heating up too, observed Ellis. “Wellness sabbatical is just starting out, and we are seeing people going away for a longer period, like three weeks, while still being plugged in and doing work at some level,” she said.

An example of a company that answers the needs of the wellness sabbatical concept is US-based Amble, which works with nonprofits, nature conservancies and small towns to provide unique experiences and affordable lodging to burned-out creative professionals who want to recharge and explore at the same time.

Slow walking, hiking, cycling and pilgrimages are also gaining greater traction, while spiritual seekers, consciousness explorers, and women wellness travellers will be segments to watch.

Volocopter’s air taxi prototype takes to the air in Singapore

By Pamela Chow

October 22, 2019

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Urban air mobility solution Volocopter, which is kickstarting its trials in Singapore, has launched its first public Proof of Concept flight at noon yesterday.

Held as part of the 26th Intelligence Transport Systems World Congress from October 21-25, the Proof of Concept flight is a piloted flight taking place at The Float @ Marina Bay. The two-seater aircraft is the second generation of vehicles, called Volocity, which can fly up to 35km per ride.

(From left) Skyports’ Duncan Walker & Volocopter’s Florian Reuter at the launch of Volocopter’s first public test flight

Volocopter’s CEO Florian Reuter shared: “We follow the regulations for a high degree of safety as set by the European Authority for Aviation Safety, which are as high as those set for the commercial airlines. We want to turn our vehicles fully autonomous as soon as we can.”

He explained that although the aircraft have the capability to be fully autonomous, the concept of urban air mobility can still benefit from public acceptance and familiarity. As such, the public trials and commercial flights upon launch will be manned by a fully licensed pilot.

In anticipation of the scaling up of demand and operations, Volocopter has also signed with car partners Mercedes Benz and Didi to produce the aircraft in large quantities, said Reuter.

Along with the test flight, Volocopter also unveiled a prototype of The Volo-Port, a full-scale air taxi vertiport created in collaboration with Skyports. This hub is where passengers will be registered through biometric or traditional passport processes, clear security checks, as well as embark on their flights.

A series of these vertiports are set to pop up across the island as both companies continue to meet with various attractions and landlords in Singapore, said Duncan Walker, managing director of Skyports.

He added: “The end game is for the pricing of each ride to be comparable to a taxi ride. This is a transport solution that is meant to be for the masses. We aim to fly to places that are harder to access and are pain points of travel, and certain routes already look interesting to us – for example, getting from Marina Bay to Sentosa Island. It is possible to get a taxi, but some tourists might want to take a more scenic route.”

Over the following days, Volocopter will hold infrastructure showcases to potential destinations in Singapore, as well as mayors, politicians and regulators from other Asian cities, to pique interest in the solution.

“If we get any major buy-ins, there are many Asian cities that we are excited to go into,” said Walker.

Go-Jek CEO resigns to join Jokowi’s new cabinet

By TTG Asia

October 22, 2019

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Go-Jek CEO and co-founder Nadiem Makarim has resigned from the ride-hailing firm to join Indonesian president Joko Widodo’s new cabinet, according to a report by The Straits Times.

Group president Andre Soelistyo and the other co-founder Kevin Aluwi would take over as co-CEOs of the US$10 billion firm, the report quoted Go-Jek as saying in a statement. The firm also added that it had “planned for this possibility and there would no disruption to our business”.

Go-Jek chief Nadiem Makarim resigns to join Indonesia’s new cabinet

“The president discussed with me about human resources, bureaucratic reform and efforts to boost investment,” the report quoted Makarim as saying to reporters, adding that his cabinet post remains unspecified. Indonesian media have linked the 35-year-old, who hails from a prominent Jakarta family, to a possible cabinet post in a new digital economy ministry or in education.

Makarim’s departure from Go-Jek comes at a time when the Indonesian unicorn is pursuing funding to compete with Singapore-based rival Grab, whose biggest shareholder Softbank said in July will invest US$2 billion into Indonesia through Grab, facing off with Gojek in its home market.

Go-Jek raised over US$1 billion earlier this year from backers including Alphabet’s Google, and Chinese tech giants Tencent and JD.

Malta taps Man Utd’s star power in Asia-targeted marketing efforts

By Pamela Chow

October 22, 2019

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Malta’s tourism arrivals have traditionally been dominated by European markets, with the UK, Germany and Italy as the forerunners. However, recent economic and political issues in Europe have spurred the island to look to the Far East to expand visitorship.

“UK arrivals have slowed because of Brexit, and Italy is facing financial problems. We want to diversify into new markets, such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Australia. We are now at 2.7 million tourists, and the biggest growth is coming from these new markets,” shared Carlo Micallef, deputy CEO & chief marketing officer of Visit Malta.

Malta looks to tap into new markets in Asia; Marsans Harbour in Valletta, Malta pictured

As part of its latest efforts to court Asians, Malta struck a partnership with Manchester United Football Club as an official destination partner. The agreement, inked in September, will see Malta being featured as the “players’ destination of choice” during the club’s events overseas, as the country is a popular holiday spot among the players and home to the oldest active Manchester United supporters’ club.

Such a partnership would be effective in Asia, where Manchester United is a household name, and can lend its star power to the destination, said Visit Malta’s manager – marketing, Xiaolong Wu.

Malta has also been added to Qatar Airways’ roster of flights, which can bring even more travellers from Asia. The destination has also signed an MoU with four Chinese tour operators.

Micallef said: “Our aim is to establish longhaul direct flights, but we must build up demand first to justify such an investment. We are not far off, because arrivals from China and Japan are growing steadily, and the number of South Koreans visiting Malta this year has tripled.” Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia are next on the agenda.

Meanwhile, Malta is also enhancing its tourism capability, such as welcoming Asian tourism students, investing in Mandarin-speaking tour guides and hospitality staff, and implementing more multilingual signage across the island.

Asian Trails Vietnam gets in F1 race with Hanoi deals

By TTG Asia

October 22, 2019

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With only a few months before downtown Hanoi is transformed into a Formula 1 street circuit, Asian Trails Vietnam has secured various deals with suppliers and accommodation providers before, during and after the first week of April next year, the DMC announced in a statement.

Hanoi’s successful bid for Vietnam Grand Prix 2020, which will take place from April 3 to 5, 2020, has led to steep increments in hotel rates in the city over this period. As the dates draw nearer, rooms and suites in the city are filling very fast, with enquiries still pouring in, said the company in a statement.

Asian Trails Vietnam sells deals around the upcoming Vietnam Grand Prix 2020

As an official ticket reseller for Vietnam Grand Prix 2020, Asian Trails Vietnam says it has been able to secure “great accommodation deals” packaged around this iconic sporting event.

The DMC added that while it is committed to work in line with submitted requests, contractual agreements during these days cannot be honoured. The company’s inbound team will continue seeking out deals for any budget.

Archipelago partners Grab to launch scooter sharing service in Indonesia

By TTG Asia

October 22, 2019

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Archipelago International, which is among Indonesia’s largest hotel management groups, has joined forces with Grab to launch GrabWheels, an on-demand e-scooter sharing rental service in the country.

Dedicated pick-up and drop-off electrical charging stations have been installed across many Archipelago hotels, encouraging hotel guests and residents alike to rent the scooters through the Grab mobile app.

Archipelago International partners Grab to launch e-scooter sharing rental service GrabWheels across its hotels in Indonesia; Grabwheels mobile bikes parked along a corridor in Singapore pictured

E-Scooters, charging stations and safety helmets are provided and fully maintained by Grab, while the Archipelago hotels provide strategic locations for the stations.

Archipelago International’s president and CEO John Flood said that the partnership is aimed at “enhancing guest experience through technological advancement while reducing the impact on the environment and making a sustainable difference in the locations where we live and work”.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings unveils organisational realignment for APAC

By TTG Asia

October 22, 2019

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) – comprising Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Oceania Cruises (OCI) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) – has announced a new organisational realignment in the Asia-Pacific region.

The strategic move will provide a more distinct focus for each respective brand under the NCLH banner, and will be in alignment with the head office in Miami, following the recent appointment of Harry Sommer as president and CEO of NCL.

From left: Steve Odell, Ben Angell, and Felix Chan

The new direction will see Steve Odell spearhead the company’s upper-premium and luxury brands as senior vice president and managing director OCI and RSSC APAC, with Ben Angell as vice president and managing director NCL APAC.

Angell’s new appointment means that he will be overseeing the sales, marketing and passenger services functions for NCL across the APAC region. Reporting to Angell will be Felix Chan, vice president and general manager NCL Asia.

Meanwhile, Odell will oversee the sales, marketing and passenger services functions for OCI and RSSC across Asia-Pacific.

Odell has over 20 years of experience working with luxury brands across the Asia region. He was instrumental in establishing the luxury cruise business in Asia from his first tenure in the region in 2001 and has worked with travel partners in all the key regional markets. He was a founding board member of the Asia Cruise Association, prior to the establishment of CLIA in the region.

Reporting to Odell in Asia will be Constance Seck, director of sales OCI & RSSC South-east Asia and India; Chisato Morita, general manager OCI & RSSC Japan; and Holly Kong, director of sales OCI & RSSC North-east Asia.

Tripartite partners pledge to support sustainable tourism in Thailand

APAC’s physical activity market shows active growth

First green resort in the works for Club Med in Kota Kinabalu

Growing wellness holidays demand births new tourism opportunities

Volocopter’s air taxi prototype takes to the air in Singapore

Go-Jek CEO resigns to join Jokowi’s new cabinet

Malta taps Man Utd’s star power in Asia-targeted marketing efforts

Asian Trails Vietnam gets in F1 race with Hanoi deals

Archipelago partners Grab to launch scooter sharing service in Indonesia

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings unveils organisational realignment for APAC

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