AccorHotels acquires Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

April 30, 2018

Movenpick Egerkingen — Mövenpick has over 20,000 rooms in 27 countries (photo credit: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts)

AccorHotels has today announced that it has signed an agreement with Mövenpick Holding and Kingdom Holding to acquire Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, for a cash amount of CHF560 million (US$566 million).

Commenting on the latest acquisition, Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels, said: “With the acquisition of Mövenpick, we are consolidating our leadership in the European market and are further accelerating our growth in emerging markets, in particular in Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The Mövenpick brand is the perfect combination of modernity and authenticity and ideally complements our portfolio. Its European-Swiss heritage is a perfect fit with AccorHotels. By joining the group, it will benefit from AccorHotels’ power, particularly in terms of distribution, loyalty-building and development.

He added: “This transaction illustrates the strategy we intend to pursue with the opening up of AccorInvest’s capital: to seize tactical opportunities to strengthen our positions and consolidate our leaderships, as well as leverage our growth.”

Mövenpick has over 20,000 rooms in 27 countries (photo credit: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts)

Founded in 1973 in Switzerland, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts operates in 27 countries with 84 hotels (more than 20,000 rooms) and has a particularly strong presence in Europe and the Middle East. The group also plans to open 42 additional hotels by 2021, representing almost 11,000 rooms, with significant expansion in Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed during the second half of 2018.

New GM for JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa has appointed Matthias Sutter as general manager.

Sutter first joined the company in 2011 as hotel manager at the St Regis Sanya, before taking up his first general manager appointment at Sheraton D Cube City, Seoul in 2014.

He brings with him over 18 years of experience with some of the world’s leading luxury properties including Peninsula and Hyatt.

Singapore’s ‘heartland’ draws tourists in search of authenticity

By Pamela Chow

April 30, 2018

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tiong bahru singapore — Visitors want to see a more local and authentic side to Singapore; pictured, tourists in Tiong Bahru neighbourhood

Travellers to Singapore are no longer content with visiting the iconic landmarks like Marina Bay Sands and Universal Studios, and agents are responding by drawing up tours that delve into the city’s heartland areas.

“We can bring (tourists) into the satellite towns, where they can learn new things about Singapore and engage in hands-on activities,” said Dominic Ong, managing director of Star Holiday Mart.

Visitors want to see a more local and authentic side to Singapore; pictured, tourists in Tiong Bahru neighbourhood

He added that interest in “the usual tourist sights” is starting to wane as tourists are looking for “more authentic and local experiences”.

Director of CSI Marketing China, Joseph Sze, also observed that travellers from China – which in 2017 ranked as the top visitor arrival market for Singapore – are beginning to explore heartland areas such as Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio and Tiong Bahru for local shops and hawker centres.

This trend brings a new challenge for agents, as this visitor segment often opts to go free and easy and bypass tour operators altogether.

“This is a very competitive segment of inbound tourism. Of course, we listen to what other visitors say, but most of them are happy to eat and shop on their own,” revealed Crystal Sim, president & CEO of Albatross World Travel & Tours.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), as part of its new Passion Made Possible marketing brand, is also looking at ways to promote tours and activities outside of the popular Marina Bay district.

As part of its three-year collaboration with Disney, STB has been bringing themed events to malls such as ION Orchard and VivoCity, said Melissa Ow, the board’s deputy chief executive.

By end-2018, it will also launch Design Orchard, a retail and creative space on the popular shopping street that showcases home-grown designers and brands.

Oriol Montal at the helm of The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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Oriol Montal has been appointed as general manager of The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali and the adjacent Bali International Convention Centre.

A seasoned hotelier with over 20 years of experience, he was most recently the general manager for JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.

The Spanish national first entered the hospitality sector in 1994 as assistant F&B manager with Hotel Barcelona Sants, before joining The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Arts in Barcelona.

An extensive career with the Ritz-Carlton brand then followed, which saw Montal taking up various positions at Ritz-Carlton properties in Dubai, Portugal, Japan, Puerto Rico, Germany, Turkey and the US.

David Thompson bids farewell to Como Hotels, Nahm

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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Today will mark Nahm’s final dinner service under chef David Thompson, who created the restaurant with Como Hotels 18 years ago.

Thompson made the decision to part ways with the restaurant last year to continue exploring Thai food and flavours and to pursue new opportunities through Aylmer Aaharn, the Thai food group he co-founded in 2014.

Thompson still has Michelin-star Thai restaurant Long Chim to his name (photo credit: Instagram/@longchim)

Nahm was first created at COMO’s Halkin Hotel in London, earning a Michelin star within six months, before the current Nahm opened at the Metropolitan Hotel in Bangkok in 2011. The restaurant has remained on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list for seven consecutive years and was recently awarded a Michelin star in Bangkok’s inaugural year of the guide.

Thompson was presented a lifetime achievement award in 2016 for his dedication to Thai food culture at Asia’s 50 Best.

Adventure travel in India fast catching on with travellers

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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Thajiwas Glacier Sonamarg Jammu and Kashmir India — Thajiwas Glacier, Sonamarg, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Travellers are developing a taste for an adventure in India, with a study conducted by India’s major experiential travel booking platform, Thrillophilia, revealing a 178 per cent increase in demand for adventure and active travel during the past three years.

Twenty-eight per cent of respondents claim that on an average they indulge in at least five adventure trips in a year and 16 per cent are comfortable travelling solo, according to the Thrillophilia study, which surveyed 10,000 travellers and 1,800 travel partners.

Notably, the report shows that adventure tourism is gaining popularity not just with travellers in their youth, with 36 per cent of respondents aged above 35 preferring offbeat travel experiences as well.

The survey further reveals that trekking has gained popularity in India, and is the most popular activity with 26 per cent preferring to take treks during their trips; while water sports was the second favourite, preferred by 25 per cent.

As for the travel region, 27 per cent believe the Himalayas to be the best for adventure activities.

Moreover, travellers are spending more on their trips, Thrillophilia says, with the average expenditure per person per trip rising 13 per cent between 2015 and 2017.

Thirty-two per cent of respondents claim that the content on social networking sites, especially Instagram, is one of the major factors that roused their interest in experiential travel.

The trend is hitting India as the destination pushes the niche in the Year of Adventure Travel.

Abhishek Daga, co-founder, Thrillophilia, added: “The increase in demand for experiential travel in India can be largely attributed to the efforts made by the government bodies like Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, Ministry of Tourism and Indian Mountaineering Foundation to promote adventure tourism in India.

“Some landmark steps have been taken by the government which include granting funds to improve infrastructure in remote areas and giving security clearance for opening of 104 additional peaks in Leh area of Jammu & Kashmir.”

UK visa facility on wheels rolls into Bangkok

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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VFS Global Van — The van is equipped with end-to-end technology to enroll biometrics and accept visa applications remotely from any location

VFS Global has unveiled the first-of-its-kind ‘Visa Application Centre on wheels’ for UK visa applicants in Bangkok.

The Mobile Visa Application Centre (MVAC) is equipped with end-to-end technology to enrol biometrics and accept visa applications remotely from any location for individual or group submissions.

The MVAC will be available at two locations in the city of Bangkok

VFS Global’s MVAC caters to applicants – including governments and authorities – who may face challenges accessing the nearest fixed Visa Application Centre and would therefore prefer the centre to come to them, it stated in a press release.

According to VFS Global, other benefits of the mobile facility includes the ability to schedule requirements on demand at short notice to service applicant-surges or emergencies at any location; and the capture and transfer of data through secure and certified systems.

Jiten Vyas, regional group COO, VFS Global, remarked: “With state-of-the-art technology for secure submission of biometric data, the MVAC is a cost-effective solution as it does not require a permanent physical infrastructure and acts as a reliable backup to a physical Visa Application Centre with its round-the-clock service capabilities.”

Nick Crouch, regional director for UK visas and immigration in South and South-east Asia, added: “By producing this innovative, technology-led solution VFS Global can now offer a more flexible and creative offer for customers, ensuring the 80,000-plus Thais who apply for a UK visa each year can now do so in a more modern and convenient way.”

To avail the service, applicants must choose Bangkok as the location and select ‘Mobile VAC- Crystal Design Center’ or ‘Mobile VAC- Thanya Park’ in the appointment category. Applicants can fill the online application form and book appointments at https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

The mobile visa facilities are stationed at Crystal Design Centre (CDC) (Monday 09.30-15.00); and Thanya Park (Tuesday 09.30-15.00).

There is a minimal fee of 3,800 baht (US$120) per application which must be paid online through credit card.

ITB China 2018 unveils Conference line-up, launches Business Travel Day

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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ITB China has unveiled its conference programme for this year, which will spotlight topics such as customised travel and travel tech, and will launch its inaugural Business Travel Day.

The ITB China Conference will kick off on May 16 with opening keynotes by James Jianzhang Liang, co-founder and executive chairman of the board at Ctrip, who in addition to other speakers like Eduardo Santander, executive director of European Travel Commission, and Yiyi Jiang, head of international tourism research, China Tourism Academy, will make up the morning session.

A speaker at the ITB China Conference last year

The afternoon sessions on May 16 will cover the topics of destinations and customised travel. For the destination segment, Phocuswright founder Philip Wolf will moderate panel discussion on the ECTY, looking at how to make Europe more attractive to Chinese tourists; Joseph Wang, chief commercial officer, TravelDaily China, will moderate a panel discussion on Connecting Destinations with Chinese Millennials; Iris Cai, co-founder, UniqueWay, will speak on The Implementation of AI and Big Data in Customised Travel, while executives from Abercrombie Kent as well as Lushu will present keynote speeches on how to design customised travel products.

The conference sessions on the second day of ITB China will focus on Travel Tech, which will see presentations by Chinese industry experts such as Mafengwo.com vice president Bin Du and Fliggy vice president Fisk Yu, as well as a panel discussion looking at hotel distribution.

Meanwhile, the Business Travel Day will kick off with a panel on “How Technological Innovations Are Transforming Business Travel”, moderated by Jonathan Kao, BCD Travel’s managing director from Greater China, followed by discussions with key players in the Chinese corporate travel scene.

Alicia Yao Hong, regional vice president, PCMA ICESAP will set the scene for the MICE session with a keynote speech and a case study on the “Belt and Road Initiative – How Does It Affect the Business Events Industry in China?”. A further discussion led by Philip Pang, PCMA ICESAP’s marketing and membership manager, will follow.

This year’s edition of ITB China takes place in Shanghai from May 16 to 18.

Marriott deepens Alibaba partnership with enhanced Fliggy deal

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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Marriott International, which first entered into a partnership with Alibaba last year to court Chinese travellers, is enhancing its collaboration with the Chinese e-commerce giant with the rollout of Fliggy’s Post Post Pay (PPP) functionality across more than 1,000 Marriott hotels globally.

As part of Marriott’s first phase of service enhancements, its new storefront on Fliggy – Alibaba’s travel service platform – starting this month features approximately 6,000 hotels from across its global inventory of 30 brands, presented in a Chinese traveller-friendly layout.

Marriott is enhancing services for Chinese guests through redesigned Fliggy storefront and its own Li Yu programme

Through the storefront, Fliggy’s PPP functionality will be offered to qualified Fliggy users at more than 1,000 hotels globally, including more than 270 hotels in the Greater China region, where the service is already available, and in high-demand locations throughout the Asia-Pacific region, such as Australia, Japan, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

To complement these enhancements, Marriott expects to certify over 1,000 hotels globally in its Li Yu programme, designed to cater better to Chinese guests.

Toy Story Land comes to life in Shanghai Disney Resort

By TTG Asia

April 30, 2018

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Shanghai Disney Resort welcomed its first guests to Disney·Pixar Toy Story Land last week, the first major expansion at the resort since its grand opening in 2016.

The resort’s seventh themed land features three new attractions – Slinky Dog Spin, Rex’s Racer, and Woody’s Roundup – a themed Character greeting area called Meeting Post and new shopping and dining experiences at Al’s Toy Barn and Toy Box Café.

The expansion comes as Disney parks celebrate 2018 as the Year of Pixar. Apart from the opening of Disney·Pixar Toy Story Land, there have also been reimagined favourites like the Pixar Play Parade at Disneyland Resort, the addition of Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World, and Pixar Pier and Pixar Fest at Disneyland Resort.

AccorHotels acquires Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

New GM for JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

Singapore’s ‘heartland’ draws tourists in search of authenticity

Oriol Montal at the helm of The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali

David Thompson bids farewell to Como Hotels, Nahm

Adventure travel in India fast catching on with travellers

UK visa facility on wheels rolls into Bangkok

ITB China 2018 unveils Conference line-up, launches Business Travel Day

Marriott deepens Alibaba partnership with enhanced Fliggy deal

Toy Story Land comes to life in Shanghai Disney Resort

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