TTG Asia will be taking a break on Tuesday, May 1, as it is Labour Day in Singapore. News will resume on Wednesday, May 2.
Harbouring ambitions in South-east Asia
INDONESIA
BENOA, BALI
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Indonesia’s most popular cruise port of call received 68 calls in 2017, up from 53 in 2016. It welcomed 98,208 passengers last year, 30 per cent higher than 62,859 in 2016. Seabourn Encore, Europa 2, Costa Luminosa, Queen Mary 2, Seven Seas Voyager and Golden Princess were among the ships which called at Benoa in 2017.
Need to know
Benoa port has a 3.2km long access channel and offers two berths. The port has a tourist information centre, batik shop, massage corner and a mini market. Popular tourist areas like Nusa Dua, Sanur, Kuta and Denpasar lie within easy access via taxis.
Incentives
For maiden calls at the port, the Ministry of Tourism will offer welcome receptions. Welcome receptions are available upon request.
Port development
When the Benoa port completes its overhaul by end-2018, a new cruise terminal added will be able to accommodate two ships carrying up to 5,000 passengers, at a berth 12m deep and 200m wide.
Supporting facilities such as hotels, shopping centres, restaurants and convention facilities are expected to be added to turn the terminal complex into a lifestyle spot in future.
TANJUNG EMAS, SEMARANG
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In 2017, Tanjung Emas received 16 cruise ships carrying a total of 11,673 passengers, down from 16,936 passengers from 16 cruise calls in 2016.
Among the cruise ships calling Tanjung Emas last year were Sea Princess, Seabourn Encore, Silver Shadow, Bremen, Aurora, Albatros, Star Clipper, Artania and Insignia.
Need to know
Most cruise ships can anchor and dock at Tanjung Emas Seaport, which has a 10m channel and a 575m wharf, with pilotage and tug service available. The terminal can accommodate up to 3,500 passengers, and has free Wi-Fi, souvenir shops, currency exchange, tourist information centre and a taxi information desk.
The gateway to the Borobudur Temple in Central Java, the port is located five km from the city centre.
Incentives
Semarang City Government will provide a welcome reception with traditional dances at the terminal arrival hall upon request.
Port development
Pelindo III plans to develop a reclamation area of 22ha on the east side of the port, but no further details are available at press time.
MALAYSIA
BOUSTEAD CRUISE CENTRE, SELANGOR
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This dedicated cruise terminal in Port Klang received 166 cruise calls in 2017, versus 146 cruise calls in 2016. The total volume of cruise passengers received in 2017 was 262,383, up from 182,088 in 2016.
Cruise lines calling at Port Klang include AIDA Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Star Clippers, TUI Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, P&O-Orient Lines, Celebrity Cruises, among others.
Need to know
As a docked port, Boustead Cruise Centre can comfortably handle one mega cruise ship and two mid-sized cruise ships at a time. Facilities at the terminal include free Wi-Fi, foreign exchange counters, restaurants, a travel agency and souvenir shops. It is about an hour’s drive to Selangor and 1.5 to two hours to Kuala Lumpur, depending on traffic.
Incentives
On request, Tourism Selangor will provide a 30-minute welcome reception at the terminal arrival hall.
Port development
There are proposed plans to expand the centre to berth two mega cruise liners at a time. Details are still being ironed out at press time.
SWETTENHAM PIER CRUISE TERMINAL, PENANG
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Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) in 2017 received 270 cruise calls and 438,369 passengers, a leap from 182,277 passengers from 117 cruise calls in 2016, and overtook Port Klang as the leading port in Malaysia for the first time.
Among the cruise lines SPCT welcomed in 2017 are Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Star Clippers, Norwegian Cruise Line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Cunard Cruise Line, Seven Seas Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Need to know
As a docked port located within the Penang’s UNESCO Heritage Zone, SPCT is located near Penang’s key attractions. The terminal is equipped with free Wi-Fi, an aero-bridge for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, foreign exchange counters, retail outlets and restaurants.
Incentives
Cruise ships that call in Penang with a minimum of 1,500 passengers are entitled to a special welcome ceremony at the cruise terminal, courtesy of Penang Global Tourism.
Port development
Penang Port is collaborating with Royal Caribbean Cruises in a joint venture to improve SPCT’s facilities, including the extension of the berths from 480m to 688m, to enable the terminal to berth two mega cruise liners carrying over 4,900 passengers.
PHILIPPINES
PORT OF MANILA
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2017 was a bumper year for Manila in terms of port calls and cruise passengers. The port reported 52 cruise calls, double the 26 cruise calls in 2016. These cruise ships brought in 195,751 passengers last year, 157 per cent greater than the 76,068 passengers recorded in 2016.
Among the cruise companies that sent ships to Manila in 2017 were Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Hapag Lloyd, Celebrity Cruises, Ponant Cruises, Costa Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Seabourn Luxury Cruise.
Incentives
Welcome and send-off reception. As the Philippine Department of Tourism is a member of the Asia Cruise Cooperation (ACC), the destination benefits from ACC’s marketing support such as itinerary planning and research incentives to cruise lines.
Need to know
The Port of Manila is for alongside docking, with Pier 15 in the Manila South Harbor used for cruise ships. It is mere minutes away from Manila’s key attractions like the Walled City of Intramuros and Rizal Park, and is about an hour to the business and shopping centres in Makati.
Port development
Manila South Harbor Pier 15’s passenger terminal is undergoing refurbishment, a project by Asian Terminal Inc (ATI) and Star Cruises. Ongoing enhancement of the bollards in Pier 15, a joint project between ATI and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, is targeted for completion end-2018. There are also plans to build a dedicated cruise port along Roxas Boulevard, not far from South Harbor.
BORACAY
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Boracay is a rising star in cruise tourism, welcoming 24 port calls from 17 ships last year, more than double the 2016 record of 11 port calls from 10 ships. The number of cruise passengers surged 145 per cent to 185,631 last year from only 75,818 in 2016.
Cruise companies that favoured Boracay last year included Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Dream Cruises, Seabourn Luxury Cruise, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises among others.
Incentives
Welcome and send-off reception, plus ACC benefits similar to the Port of Manila.
Need to know
This tender port in Caticlan can accommodate only small ships. Boracay is a small island which can be explored on foot from end to end in just several hours.
Port development
There are plans to develop a cruise terminal in the reclamation area of the Caticlan Jetty Port.
SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE CRUISE CENTRE
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Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) received 253 ship calls in 2017, comprising cruise companies such as Azamara Club Cruises, Costa Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Silversea Cruises, to bring more than half a million cruise passengers last year.
Incentives
The port’s “efficient, fast turnaround services and operations” draw cruise lines, said Christina Siaw, CEO, SCC.
Need to know
SCC is a docked port connected to VivoCity shopping mall and the Regional Ferry Terminal, withSentosa Island and Universal Studios Singapore just minutes away. For fly-cruise transfers, Changi International Airport is a 30-minute drive away.
Port development
Infrastructure and service improvement opportunities will be explored, Siaw said.
MARINA BAY CRUISE CENTRE
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Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCC) handled 168 ship calls and 876,753 passengers in 2017, from all cruise lines calling in South-east Asia. These include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Costa Crociere, Dream Cruises and Azamara Cruises.
Incentives
MBCC offers welcome ceremonies for maiden calls and marketing collaborations with cruise companies.
Need to know
MBCC is a docked port with two berths, and is located 450m from the Marina South Pier train station.
Port development
The port has enhanced its infrastructure in recent years, including adding retail spaces such as duty free shops and an expanded F&B area.
THAILAND
LAEM CHABANG PORT, CHONBURI
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The passenger terminals received 59 cruise calls in 2017, versus 56 cruise calls in 2016. Both terminals in 2017 received 243,525 cruise passengers, up from 228,888 in 2016.
International cruise ships that called last year include Norwegian Star, Aidabella, Seabourn Sojourn, Costa Victoria, Crystal Symphony, Mariner Of The Seas, Queen Mary 2, Pacific Eden, Mein Schiff 1, Superstar Gemini, among others.
Incentives
Welcome ceremonies for cruise lines making inaugural calls.
Need to know
Laem Chabang is a docked port. Terminals A1 and C0 are passenger terminals, with the former mainly used to berth passenger ships of up to 70,000 DWT. The cruise terminal boasts souvenirs and massage shops, a shopping centre and a supermarket. It is two hours south of Bangkok and an hour’s drive from Pattaya.
Port development
Plans to build a second passenger terminal and upgrading the existing terminal are being studied.
PHUKET
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Phuket port received 186 cruise calls in 2017, surging from 89 cruise calls in 2016. The total volume of cruise passengers last year soared to 286,156 from 162,818 the year before.
Cruise lines that called last year include Aegean Odyssey, Albatros, Celebrity Constellation, Costa Luminosa, Legend Of The Seas, Lirica, SuperStar Libra, Ocean Dream, Sapphire Princess, Seven Seas Navigator and Silver Discoverer, among others.
Incentives
None.
Need to know
Phuket Deep Sea Port was designed to receive cargo ships but it currently also serves cruise ships. It is a docked and tendered port, with a few souvenir shops and restaurants. It takes 45 minutes to Patong beach.
Port development
Phuket Deep Sea Port announced its expansion plans last year to widen the port from 360m to 420m in order to handle big cargo ships and passenger ships at the same time. However, the starting date of the expansion is yet to be revealed.
VIETNAM
PHU MY PORT
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Cruise companies calling include Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
Need to know
Phu My Port, referred to as the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, sits about 130km, or 1.5 hours, from the city. It is a commercial port where cruise ships dock at container terminal piers. The port has a depth of 9.3m, with the maximum vessel size accepted 60,000 DWT.
Port development
While there are currently few tourist attractions located within the industrial area, plans are being discussed to create Vung Tau Marina City nearby, which will house a tourism complex and amusement park.
Rising expectations for a growth sector
Expectations are high among hoteliers in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Putrajaya that 2018 would bring stronger performance for the Malaysian hospitality sector, bolstered by an improving domestic economy, greater destination promotion efforts by Tourism Malaysia as well as being the host nation of PATA Travel Mart 2018.
The PATA Travel Mart (PTM), which will be held in Langkawi in September, will provide extra mileage in showcasing Berjaya Langkawi Resort, one of the show’s official partner hotels, said Berjaya Hotels & Resorts’ CEO Henley Chew.
Chew expects the hotel to be fully booked during the mart and the increased exposure arising from the mart will result in higher average occupancy for the hotel this year, after closing 2017 at nearly 70 per cent.
The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa had chalked up a good year in 2017, thanks in large part to its close proximity to Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC), which attracted international MICE events, as well as four Indian destination weddings that brought in excess of 1,000 guests altogether, said Rajiv Kapoor, general manager of both the resort and convention centre.
With the LICC as PTM venue and The Westin Langkawi as a partner hotel, the show’s spotlight on Langkawi this year will certainly lead to greater awareness among international buyers and generate business leads, Kapoor added.
Furthermore, with increased promotional efforts by Tourism Malaysia in key markets this year in the lead-up to Visit Malaysia Year 2020, holidaymakers who have already been to Bali, Phuket and Koh Samui will likely seek a new destination in Langkawi, added Kapoor, who is optimistic that 2018 will perform even better than last year for The Westin Langkawi.
Elsewhere in the country, the year-end opening of Resort World Genting’s (RWG) 20th Century Fox World Malaysia is set to benefit hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, as RWG is easily accessible from both cities by car.
The new RWG attraction is expected to draw more tourist traffic from the region as well as China and India for Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, which saw an uptick in leisure traffic last year from volume markets of China, India and South Korea, Chew said.
Genting’s outdoor theme park launch, too, is likely to attract more business opportunities for Le Méridien Putrajaya, according to the hotel’s director of sales & marketing, Tan Lee Fong.
“As we are 30 minutes’ drive from KLIA and klia2, tourists may wish to stay in Putrajaya for some sightseeing before proceeding to visit Genting for a day trip or few nights and then return home,” she explained.
Tan is projecting a four per cent increase in average occupancy for Le Méridien Putrajaya, and efforts to market to and attract more South Korean and Japanese golfers will be stepped up, leveraging the 18-hole Palm Garden Golf Course near the hotel.
It’s also a sanguine picture painted for 2018 at Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside, which last year embarked on a rejuvenation project to add an infinity swimming pool facing Putrajaya Lake and a children’s pool, bringing the total number of swimming pools to four.
“The reinvestment of our facilities has paid off with higher weekend occupancies from staycationers,” the hotel’s general manager Roberts Ejubs told TTG Asia. “We had record occupancy in 2017 since the hotel opened over a decade ago.”
Ejubs, who is also the area general manager of AccorHotels in Malaysia, added: “Putrajaya was once a hidden secret and I am glad to see more awareness and more tour operators promoting the destination… Tourism Malaysia’s increased investment in global promotions will certainly benefit the destination as a whole.
Maldives still a paradise for luxury travellers
As more affordable accommodation options spring up in the Maldives, hoteliers at the recent Hotelier Maldives GM Forum – which took place last week at Kurumba Maldives – remain positive the destination will continue to attract luxury travellers.
Vlad Reyes, general manager at the JA Manafaru agreed that the Maldives is still a strong luxury destination despite a growth in the mid- to low-end segments.
“Many tour operators and travel agents have told us that their clients still treat the Maldives as the highest aspiration where they can be in ‘a little patch of Paradise’ during their holidays. Nowhere else can you find the same sun, sand, surf and sea experience as you have here in the Maldives,” he said.
Andrew Ashmore, group head of sales and marketing at Coco Collections, observed that resorts such as the Cheval Blanc Randheli, One&Only Reethi Rah, Soneva and Velaa Private Island are likely to maintain their rates and continue to have an edge in the luxury sector.
He pointed out that growth is seen from “all areas”, with India showing luxury potential and the Middle Eastern markets being “the big focus for summer”.
But with the Maldives becoming more “mainstream”, Ashmore acknowledged that the share of luxury travellers could be spread thinner, albeit still significant.
Outside of the forum, hoteliers like Dilip Rajakariar, CEO of Minor Hotels Group, expects strong demand will continue in the luxury segment in the Maldives over the coming years. The growth seen in the mid-tier segment is only a natural progression for an aspirational destination like the Maldives, he opined.
Likewise, Sonu Shivdasani, founder and owner of the luxury resorts Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, added that the Maldives remains associated with “rarity” that many luxury travellers seek.
The luxury offerings in the Maldives continue to grow, with the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, which already boasts the undersea restaurant Ithaa, scheduled to roll out underwater villas too in November.
Meanwhile, the lure of the Maldives for the rich and high profile remains strong, as the destination is seen to afford both security and privacy away from the prying paparazzi. In February/March, a tour party comprising a “royal” visitor and his entourage of around 2,000 including security was cancelled due to the state of emergency, although payments for his bookings at several luxury resorts were retained.
Update: The story has been updated to indicate that additional comments were gotten from outside of the Hotelier Maldives GM Forum.
Changi Airport Terminal 1 gets bigger arrival hall, garden
A new arrival hall opened in Terminal 1 (T1) of Singapore’s Changi Airport on April 24, increasing the terminal’s floor area by 35 per cent to 8,500m2.
The new hall is part of a larger expansion plan for T1, estimated to boost the terminal’s handling capacity to 24 million passenger movements per annum. The terminal served about 3.2 million passengers in the first quarter of 2018.
Within the arrival hall, a 460m2 garden has also opened, featuring palm trees of up to 15m in height, a feature pool and a diversity of flora incorporated with dragonfly topiaries and sculptures.
This is the airport’s first garden situated in the public area. It also offers a glimpse of the upcoming Jewel Changi Airport, which when open will be directly connected to the arrival hall.
Coming up, the floor area in the baggage claim hall will also be expanded by 90 per cent, with an increase from the current eight belts to 10.
Upgrades are currently being made to T1’s departure, arrival and baggage claim halls, with works including the replacement of check-in counters, implementation of Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST), interior design fit-outs and an expansion in floor space.
T1’s baggage handling system will also become fully automated with sortation capability to support automated check-in and automated bag-drop functions. An automated early baggage storage facility will also be implemented.
Indonesia’s Archipelago partners retail developer for domestic expansion spree
Indonesia-based hospitality management company Archipelago International has signed a letter of intent with NWP Retail to launch 14 hotel projects in mixed-use developments in prime locations across the country.
The hotels will be developed under three of the company’s brands, favehotel, Harper and Aston, and are expected to add over 1,800 rooms to Archipelagos’ portfolio.
John Flood, president and CEO of Archipelago International, said in a statement: “Mixed-use developments like NWP Retail build are really a great idea and offer customers a one stop experience with everything they need when visiting a destination.
“Domestic growth is particularly important to Archipelago International’s expansion strategy due to the country’s strong economic growth and expanding middle class and youthful population. With over 200 million domestic tourists in Indonesia each year, there are tremendous opportunities – not to mention further afield in Asia and beyond.”
Archipelago International expects to open more than 50 new hotels in the next few years and raise its inventory to more than 25,000 rooms.
No longer niche, halal tourism could be a US$157 billion industry by 2020
The halal travel segment is proving to be an industry-shaping force, with Muslim travellers projected to spend US$157 billion by 2020, among the findings revealed at the in Dubai earlier this week.
Also released at the summit are figures that show that Muslim travel spend is driven by millennial travellers, and that Saudi Arabia remains the top performing market, set to grow 17 per cent over the next three years alone to reach US$27.9 billion.
Faeez Fadhlillah, founder and CEO of Salam Standard and Tripfez, said: “The biggest countries and some of the fastest-growing economies in the world are found in Asia and the Middle East. These regions typically have large Muslim populations which are young with prosperous middle classes.
He added that second- and third-generation Muslim communities in developed economies such as Europe and North America now have far more purchasing power, generating increased demand for faith-based travel and tourism.
Omar Ahmed, founder and CEO of Sociable Earth, shared: “Certainly, the halal travel market has graduated from its niche status to become an industry-shaping force, in its own right. It has become mainstream.”
“It is also clear that mainstream travel and tourism organisations will now have to become far more pro-active if they want to attract increasing numbers of halal travellers and tap into the potential of this massive market.”
Meanwhile, the panel agreed that halal travel has many facets and meant different things to different people depending on their own Islamic values.
Ahmed shared that Sociable Earth is focusing efforts on niche areas such as Muslim solo travel and also hijab-free holidays. “Our data shows huge potential for women travelling together in groups to enjoy hijab-free holidays and experiences, a trend that we feel will become increasingly popular.”
Moreover, the panel observed that often destinations were in fact halal friendly without realising it. Tamara Tawil, market manager, Geneva Tourism, said this is where many European destinations go wrong, adding that they just need to communicate more effectively.
“Muslim travellers want new experiences, so destinations should illustrate that. They certainly don’t want to see stereotypical images that remind them of home. It’s a fine line,” she said.
According to a Sociable Earth survey of 35,000 travellers, key ways non-Muslim countries can attract Muslim guests include through providing a variety of halal food in the hotel (61.3 per cent), list nearby mosques (61.1 per cent) and halal restaurants (55.2 per cent), and offer private pool villas (14 per cent).
TAT now has an address in Toronto
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) this week opened an office in Toronto, its third address in North America after New York and Los Angeles, and 28th overseas.
Kalin Sarasin, chairman of the TAT board, said: “We chose Toronto, the capital city of Ontario, because it is a vibrant, multi-cultural city and one of the largest metropolitan areas in North America. We believe it will be a perfect location to cover Canada, which has been identified in our current marketing plan as a high potential market with a long average length of stay and strong purchasing power.”
Moreover, Ontario was the largest source of Canadian travellers to Thailand in 2017, with a market share of 45 per cent.
In 2016, the average length of stay for the Canadian travellers in Thailand was approximately 18 days – double the average length of stay of the overall market – with daily expenditure of around 172 CAD (US$134) per person.
And from 2013 to 2017, revenue from the Canadian market rose six per cent on average in five years.
Elaborating on TAT’s efforts in Canda, Kalin said: “We are working with local partners to develop new products and introduce new local experiences in Thailand that fit with the targeted segments including the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. They (show strong) interest in beach, culture, health and wellness, weddings and honeymoons, and our gastronomical delights.”
In conjunction with the launch of its Toronto office, TAT also launched the Amazing Thailand’s Open to the New Shades campaign in Canada. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT deputy governor for marketing communications, gave a 4D presentation of the campaign, highlighting five categories of products: gastronomy, nature and beach, culture, way of life, as well as art and craft.
In 2017, Canadian visitor arrivals to Thailand totalled 258,392, up by 5.52 per cent over 2016. This contributed to income of 845.9 million CAD, representing a 7.6 per cent growth.
At the end of this year, TAT projects revenue growth of 8.46 per cent from the Canada market.
BW Premier Collection coming to Vietnam’s Vung Tau next year
Best Western Hotels & Resorts will roll out a BW Premier Collection beach resort in the Vietnamese coastal city of Vung Tau come 1Q2019.
Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection, will offer 135 rooms and suites, all equipped with upscale facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Guests will have direct access to a beach, and a selection of on-site facilities including a restaurant serving Vietnamese and international cuisine, a spa, lounge, outdoor pool, and ample spaces for relaxation.
Just 100km or a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau is the largest city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province on Vietnam’s south-central coast, overlooking the East Sea. It is also located 60km from the planned Long Thanh International Airport.
Saint Simeon Resort will be the company’s fourth BW Premier Collection property in Asia. This upscale concept made its regional debut in 2017 with the launch of Hotel Nagasaki, BW Premier Collection in Japan, and was joined recently by Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport, BW Premier Collection in Thailand.
Construction is also now underway on the brand’s second Thai hotel, BluPhere Pattaya, BW Premier Collection, which is scheduled to open in 2019.
In addition to Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection, the company also has plans to launch an upscale resort on the southern island of Phu Quoc.
Standing tall and all ready to tackle Singapore Sevens
The world’s best rugby sevens teams have arrived in Singapore for the third edition of the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens, which takes place this weekend (April 28-29) at the Singapore National Stadium.
All ready to vie for the win are the 16 team captains, standing tall among the giant man-made trees at the Super Tree Grove, Gardens by the Bay. They are (back row, from left) Dai Ozawa (Japan), German Davydov (Russia), Scott Riddell (Scotland), Nathan Hirayama (Canada), Oscar Ayodi (Kenya), German Schulz (Argentina), Manoel Dall’Igna (France), Alatasi Tupou (Samoa), Adam Thomas (Wales), Igor Genua (Spain); (front row, from left) Jessie Parahi (Australia), Tim Mikkelson (New Zealand), Jerry Tuwai (Fiji), Kyle Brown (South Africa), Ben Pinkelman (US), Tom Mitchell (England).
