Two more Mövenpick hotels signed in Vietnam

December 5, 2018

Shortly after completing its acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, AccorHotels has announced it will continue expanding the brand in Vietnam with two latest signings in Van Phong and Halong Bay slated to open in 4Q2021.

“The addition of Mövenpick Resort Van Phong and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Halong Bay will bring our total pipeline of Mövenpick properties to nine in Vietnam,” said Patrick Basset, COO for AccorHotels Upper Northeast & Southeast Asia and the Maldives.

AccorHotels is the biggest international hotel operator in Vietnam with 6,101 rooms across all its brands. The group will be opening another 13 hotels across the country in the next two years, bringing the total portfolio to 41.

Nestled on a stretch of coast 130km from Cam Ranh International Airport, Mövenpick Resort Van Phong will feature 200 rooms and suites plus 100 villas, two restaurants, an outdoor pool, spa and fitness centre. For corporate events and weddings, the resort features a 300 seater ballroom and a range of meeting rooms.

Located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam, the 325 room Mövenpick Resort & Spa Halong Bay will offer access to the area’s main tourist attractions and activities on Halong Road and Halong Bay Cruise Port.

The resort will feature two restaurants, a rooftop pool and lounge with a view of the bay, a spa, fitness centre, a 300-seater ballroom and a selection of meeting rooms.

As part of the brand signature, the hotels also feature the Mӧvenpick Chocolate Hour which allows guests to sample delicious Swiss chocolate daily in the lobby.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has more than 80 properties in 24 countries . Mövenpick Resort Van Phong and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Halong Bay will complement the company’s existing collection of hotels in Vietnam, including Mövenpick Resort Cam Ranh and Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi.

20% off stays at Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit

By TTG Asia

December 5, 2018

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Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit is offering a 20% discount on accommodation and complimentary breakfast for guests booking two nights or more.

The deal is valid for stays from December 21, 2018 to March 31, 2019.

Click here to access the offer.

Big hike proposed for Komodo entrance fee raises eyebrows

By Mimi Hudoyo

December 4, 2018

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Padar-island-in-Komodo-islands,-Flores,-Indonesia. — Padar Island in Komodo National Park

The regional government of East Nusa Tenggara has announced plans to charge international travellers to Komodo National Park an entrance fee of US$500 per head, nearly 50 times the current Rp225,000 (US$16), causing some concern within the travel trade.

For domestic tourists, the entrance fee is currently US$10.

Viktor Laiskodat, the new governor of East Nusa Tenggara, was quoted by detik.com last Saturday as saying: “The (proposed) price is reasonable as the Komodo dragon is a rare species and (its) habitat is only found here, therefore, (the entry fee) should not be so cheap.”

Citing Bhutan as an example, the governor said: “You enter Bhutan immigration check point, you pay US$250.”

As the national park is a conservation area, Viktor stated that “it needs protection, and protection needs a high budget”. The funds will be used for tourism development as well as the conservation of the Komodo dragon and its habitat, he added.

Responding to the report, Leonardus Nyoman, director of Flores Exotic Tours, said: “What the governor is saying is a vision, but it is a sensitive issue that caused reactions from our business partners from Germany and France.”

The regional government could propose the tariff but had no authority to set its own prices, remarked Leonardus. Indonesia’s national parks come under the Ministry of Forestry, and all entry fees to national parks are determined by the central government according to categories and classes, he added.

“I wish the governor would discuss with local stakeholders before making (such a shocking) public statement,” he said.

With Komodo growing in popularity only in the last few years, Ng Sebastian, owner of Incito Vacations, opined it was not time to increase the entrance fee yet.

“I understand the aim is to prevent the national park from becoming a mass tourist destination,” he commented. “However, the first thing to do is to set the carrying capacity of the national park, which we do not have. Next is to open more gates to the Komodo and Rinca islands so that boats are not flocked at the existing ones, creating congestions.”

Ng suggested that discussions to be held between the governor and central government first before imposing a “single charge”. Currently, multiple charges including ranger and camera fees are now levied on top of the entrance fee, he explained.

In defence of the governor’s statement, Rocky Praputranto, chairman of East Nusa Tenggara Tourism Board, said: “The US$500 mark represents the governor’s vision of positioning Komodo National Park at par with international parks and destinations overseas. He used Bhutan as an example, and I do not think the price proposed was fixed. He just thinks that the current price is much too low for a park like Komodo.

“The Komodo dragon is the main but not the sole attraction of the national park; it has great underwater wealth too. The governor wants the park to be well maintained and facilities, such as public toilets, improved too.”

High-speed rail opens doors to rail-cruise opportunities in Hong Kong

By Prudence Lui

December 4, 2018

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1117rail_cruise_A — Guests sailing with Dream Cruises on the company's first rail-cruise programme

Rail-cruise travel has gotten off the ground in Hong Kong as the city gets on board China’s high-speed rail network connecting to 44 cities in the mainland, according to Dream Cruises.

Dream Cruises collaborated with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to roll out its first rail-cruise campaign, launching a rail fare rebate programme in August this year.

Guests sailing with Dream Cruises on the company’s first rail-cruise programme

The partners offered a rebate of up to RMB400 (US$58) per cabin to the first 1,000 rail-cruise guests embarking World Dream in Hong Kong last month. According to Dream Cruises, the rebate quota was full within two weeks of the programme’s launch.

Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises, said: “We are very excited about the new rail-cruise opportunities that the High Speed Rail (Hong Kong section) brings to the city, especially in the advancement in connectivity between inland cities of China which drives the development of cruise industry in Hong Kong.

Brown shared that most of the rail-cruise guests were from cities in mainland China now connected to Hong Kong via high-speed rail without interchange, including Changsha, Guiyang, Wuhan, Nanning, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

He said: “We observed a 10 per cent surge in traffic since the new infrastructure opened in September. So far, we’ve got three rail-cruise groups ranging from 300 to 400 pax, which are good sizes for us.

“This concept provides a whole dimension of growth together with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. While the fly-cruise concept is so successful in markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong is now also benefitting from rail-cruise. The connection to 44 mainland Chinese cities by rail (is boding) a huge multiplier effect for cruises.”

The cruise company hopes to to penetrate inner cities like Chengdu and “encourage them to come to down to Southern China and experience the Silk Road at sea”, Brown said.

To further facilitate rail-cruise journeys between mainland China and Hong Kong, Dream Cruises will launch Hong Kong’s first in-town check-in counter for cruising guests in West Kowloon station, scheduled to be in operation in the first quarter of 2019.

Pushing local experiences in secondary destinations

By Rachel AJ Lee

December 4, 2018

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pata destination marketing — From left: Yaana Ventures' Willem Niemeijer, PATA's Paul Pruangkarn and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's Michael Goldsmith (photo credit: Ernelsa Villalba-Abelgas)

Localism, or local experiences, is something DMOs should invest in when it comes to the marketing of secondary destinations, shared speakers at the PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2018 in Khon Kaen last week.

Michael Goldsmith, vice president of marketing, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said: “As a visitor to a destination, local experiences are vitally important. We want to experience what life is like, or what we think what life is like. The experiences that visitors remember are experiences with people and local experiences in their destinations.”

From left: Yaana Ventures’ Willem Niemeijer, PATA’s Paul Pruangkarn and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s Michael Goldsmith

This view is supported by Willem Niemeijer, Thailand-based Yaana Ventures’ CEO, who said: “Travel is all about authentic encounters. It’s about going local.”

For instance, the Intrepid Adventure Travel Index 2018 revealed that adventure travel these days equates to local experiences, with only 22 per cent of the responses equating adventure travel to high-adrenaline sports.

Similarly, in the 2018 Tourism Outlook: The Exploration of Today’s Modern Traveler survey conducted by American Express, 25 per cent of respondents stated that learning about culture and history is their most important travel goal, while 72 per cent enjoy learning about different cultures, and 43 per cent look for local dining experiences.

Richard Cutting-Miller, executive vice president of US-based Resonance consultancy, added that people now care less about material possessions, instead placing more emphasis on experiences, the places one travels to, and how one uses their free time.

“For example, North America was all about Budwiser and Millerbeer. Now, if you go to Portland, Oregon, it’s all about craft brew. It’s about speciality products people enjoy, and they choose destinations to experience these,” he elaborated.

“There’s a tremendous amount of interest, especially from millennials, who want to experience what life is like in a city like Las Vegas. What we have to do is to market and talk about the unique attributes (such as kayaking or hiking), and not just the internationally-recognised tourism attractions, which are often buildings or landmarks (like the Bellagio fountain),” Goldsmith added.

That is why Thailand’s latest tourism campaign also revolves around local experiences, in addition to the launch of a new strategy to lure travellers to other destinations in the country.

Srisuda Wanaphinyosak, Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) deputy governor for international marketing (Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Americas), shared: “This PATA event is complied with TAT’s latest campaign of Amazing Thailand Go Local – which is a landmark project to promote the kingdom’s lesser known destinations – as well as the Hub and Hook strategy, with the main city acting as a hub and hook to the nearby lesser known destinations. Khon Kaen is a great example of a hub city, and (while nearby hook destinations are) Udon Thani, Nong Khai and Kalasin.”

Aside from developing local experiences, the forum also highlighted that for the betterment of the entire society, a close working relationship with locals was also crucial.

Niemeijer pointed out: “A primary mistake that well-intended destinations make when deciding on their marketing plan is not involving the local community. It needs to be from grassroots up. Is (the marketing of the destination) welcome by them? The locals have to be part of the process, or even take the lead.”

SIA picks up stake in data tech company after launching travel retail JV

By TTG Asia

December 4, 2018

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Danny_Edgar_Paul_SeriesB-1 — Data Republic's Danny Gilligan, Singtel Innov8's Edgar Hardless and Data Republic's Paul McCarney

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has acquired a minority stake in Australia-founded Data Republic, which facilitates “shared data projects” between organisations, shortly after launching a joint venture that will see KrisShop, formerly the Singapore Airport Duty-Free Emporium, transform into an e-commerce platform.

Data Republic’s governance platform, Senate, enables organisations to “collaborate on shared data projects in a secure environment”, leveraging technology to protect privacy, provide audit trails and ensure data security, according to a statement released by the airline.

SIA participated in a Data Republic funding round led by Singtel Innov8; pictured, Data Republic’s Danny Gilligan, Singtel Innov8’s Edgar Hardless and Data Republic’s Paul McCarney

“SIA recognises the increasing importance that data plays in allowing organisations to have an enriched understanding of customers’ preferences,” said the airline’s senior vice president, information technology, George Wang.

The airline will work with Data Republic as well as its partners to provide opportunities for data collaboration.

This follows the launch of a joint venture between SIA, 3Sixty (formerly DFASS Group) and SATS on December 1.

It was announced earlier this year that the joint venture will cover activities commencing under the existing KrisShop and Scootalogue in-flight sales brands, transforming KrisShop into an e-commerce platform.

Activities include in-flight duty-free and ground-based duty-paid goods, as well as pre-order services, with onboard and ground-based deliveries.

The companies signed a share subscription agreement under they will jointly invest about S$35 million (US$25.6 million) in KrisShop. SIA holds 70 per cent of the entity, while 3Sixty (Singapore) and SATS each holds 15 per cent.

Firefly suspends flights into Singapore over airport move issues

By TTG Asia

December 4, 2018

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Firefly on December 1 suspended flights into Singapore over issues in relation to the transfer of small aircraft operations from Changi to the newly opened Seletar Airport, the Malaysian carrier announced in a notice on its website.

While Firefly and Malaysia’s transport ministry were in 2014 informed of the relocation – which the former agreed to – the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia did not give the green light, the Civil Authority of Singapore told Channel NewsAsia.

The Malaysia Airlines subsidiary is unable to relocate to Seletar Airport without approval from Malaysia’s civil aviation regulator

Firefly is unable to resume flights into Singapore until it obtains the necessary approvals. The airline added that it has not been provided any definitive timeline by the authorities for the delay.

At Changi Airport, Firefly operates 20 daily turboprop flights to and from Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan.

In a notice on its website, the airline said arrangements were being made for affected passengers.

For Subang-Singapore and Singapore-Kuantan routes, Firefly would accommodate passengers on Malaysia Airlines at no cost or offer a full refund within 30 working days, according to Channel News Asia.

On the Singapore-Ipoh route, full refunds will be made within 30 working days as well, or passengers can change to another destination operated by Firefly at no additional cost.

The airline will not provide compensation for missed tours, connecting flights with other airlines, hotel booking cancellation or any other out of pocket expenses incurred due to the route suspension.

Advice for those affected by Marriott data breach

By Industry Expert

December 4, 2018

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After news broke of a major data breach at the world’s largest hotel chain, John Shier, senior security advisor at cybersecurity firm Sophos has some important tips for the millions of guests who may have been compromised.

The potential fallout from the Marriott’s Starwood data breach should be alarming to anyone who has stayed at a Starwood property in the last four years.

Shier: victims should assume the worst and take all necessary online precautions

Not only are guests at risk for opportunistic phishing attacks, but targeted phishing emails are almost certain, as well as phone scams and potential financial fraud. Unlike previous breaches, this attack also included passport numbers for some individuals who are now at increased risk for identity theft.

At this point, however, it’s unclear what level of exposure each individual victim has been subject to. Until then, all potential victims should assume the worst and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves from all manner of scams.

Sophos recommends these tips.

Be on alert for spearphishing: Marriott has said that personal details associated with the Starwood Preferred Guests accounts have been compromised, and personal email addresses are vulnerable. This creates the perfect scenario for cybercriminals to actually spearphish consumers because they have this type of detailed information.

Be on alert for opportunistic phishing: Marriott has said it will email Starwood Preferred Guests, those who may be impacted. Do not click on links in emails or other communication that seem to have come from Marriott or Starwood hotels. It’s possible that criminals will try to take advantage of this by sending malicious tweets or phishing emails that look like they’ve come from the company. Hover over URLs and links to see the address before you click. Look at the email address to see where it is from.

Monitor your financial accounts: Reports indicate the attackers may have access to some members’ encrypted credit card information, but it’s not clear as of yet if this information can be decrypted; in general, monitor your credit card for suspicious activity. As a safety precaution, change the password to your online credit card account. If you use the same password for similar financial management websites, immediately change the password on those websites. As a best security practice, always choose a different, strong password for each sensitive account.

Take steps to keep your personal data as safe as possible online

Change passwords, as a precaution: It’s not clear as of yet if the attackers have access to Starwood Preferred Guest account passwords, but as a safety precaution, consumers can change their password. If this password is also used for any financial accounts, change those immediately. Monitor your Starwood Preferred Guest account for suspicious activity.

Don’t Google “Web Watcher”: Marriott is offering victims in the US, UK and Canada a free, one year subscription to something it calls WebWatcher, which it describes as a service that monitors “internet sites where personal information is shared.” Don’t Google it. If you Google “WebWatcher” you won’t find the monitoring service, you’ll find lots of links to spyware of the same name. Don’t sign up for that. Do follow the links to country-specific versions of the official breach site. You cannot sign up for monitoring from the main breach page, you have to go to the all-but-identical versions of the page for the US, UK or Canada.

Solo travel more popular among Thais: Visa

By TTG Asia

December 4, 2018

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solo-travel — Thais aged 18 to 24 years old most likely to travel solo, study finds

Over a quarter of Thais (28%) have travelled overseas solo in the past two years, ahead of the global (24%) and Asia-Pacific (23%) averages, according to Visa’s Global Travel Intentions Study looking at international travel trends and behaviour of 17,500 global travellers from 27 countries including Thailand.

The study further identified those most likely to travel solo are the youngest group of travellers (18-24 years old) at 45%, and those combining business and leisure travel or bleisure travellers at 37%. Travellers aged between 25-35 years old and affluent travellers round out the group that is most likely to travel solo at 28% likelihood each.

Thais aged 18 to 24 years old most likely to travel solo, study finds

On the flip side, travellers aged 36-44 years old are the most likely to travel with other people throughout the entire trip at 71%.

When travelling with companions, bigger groups are common, and a group will typically comprise up to five people on average. Those travelling with others are most likely to be accompanied by their spouses/partners (49%) or friends/colleagues (42%). Travellers aged 45 years old and above (72%) are more likely to travel with their family and friends throughout the whole trip.

When it comes to travel activities, travellers from Thailand differ from their Asia-Pacific counterparts. The top three activities for Thai travellers are tours and attractions (71%), food and dining (69%), and shopping (68%). When it comes to food and dining, Thai travellers opt for eating at local casual and small restaurants (39%) and tasting street food (30%).

In addition, some of the key activities Thai travellers engage in are visits to cultural locales (52%), visits to theme parks and attractions (34%), and religious monuments (29%). Shopping for Thai travellers is all about venues that carry a range of brands and products, at duty-free shopping at destination airports (34%), at large and medium retailers (33%), and small retailers (30%).

On the other hand, top activities for Asia-Pacific travellers are food and dining (73%), shopping (69%), and tours and attractions (64%).

Iconic Bangkok hotels in midst of renovation

By TTG Asia

December 4, 2018

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MO_Bangkok_-_Exterior — Mandarin Oriental Bangkok overlooking the Chao Phraya River

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok has announced that its River Wing is scheduled to undergo renovation from March to October 2019, right as another iconic name in the city, The Sukhothai Bangkok, unveils its new Club Wing.

The Sukhothai Bangkok this week completed the transformation of its Terrace Wing into the Club Wing as part of a larger restoration plan covering the rest of the hotel and the main wing room interior over the next few years.

The Sukhothai Bangkok's new Club Wing

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The new wing features 33 brand-new rooms and suites, a club lounge on the sixth floor, a new fitness centre in the basement and a renovated 25m-long outdoor infinity pool surrounded by 12 cabanas.

Rooms in the wing range from 45m² to 138m², with some featuring large verandahs. In-room conveniences include Japanese toilets, Harman Kardon sound systems, a 55-inch LED television, digital bedside control panel, a Nespresso coffee machine and a pillow menu.

Club Wing guests also enjoy in-room check in when they arrive.

The club lounge located on the sixth floor of the new wing offers is believed to be one of the largest in the city. As well as a la carte breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktails, the lounge also offers a private meeting room for up to six persons.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok overlooking the Chao Phraya River

Meanwhile, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced a renovation at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok next year, encompassing all the rooms and suites in the River Wing, together with the lobby, swimming pools and Lord Jim’s, The Verandah and Riverside Terrace restaurants.

A major component of the work will be to enlarge the guest rooms located in the River Wing. The overall number of guest rooms will be reduced from 338 to 301, while the number of suites will increase from 30 to 46.

All rooms and suites in the Authors’ and Garden Wings – restored in 2016 – will remain open throughout the renovation.

It will also be business as usual at all other restaurants and banqueting facilities, including the two-Michelin-starred Le Normandie, Authors’ Lounge, Bamboo Bar, Ciao Terraza, Sala Rim Naam, Terrace Rim Naam, The China House and the Ballroom.

As both swimming pools will undergo renovation, alternative arrangements will be made for guests wishing to swim. Spa and fitness facilities will remain fully operational.

Two more Mövenpick hotels signed in Vietnam

20% off stays at Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit

Big hike proposed for Komodo entrance fee raises eyebrows

High-speed rail opens doors to rail-cruise opportunities in Hong Kong

Pushing local experiences in secondary destinations

SIA picks up stake in data tech company after launching travel retail JV

Firefly suspends flights into Singapore over airport move issues

Advice for those affected by Marriott data breach

Solo travel more popular among Thais: Visa

Iconic Bangkok hotels in midst of renovation

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