The Capella Sanya will open along the coastline of Blessed Bay on Hainan Island in 4Q2018, the outcome of a deal between Singapore-based Capella Hotel Group and China Gezhouba Group Real Estate.
Spanning 13.8ha, Capella Sanya features 190 rooms, suites and villas. Accommodation choices include executive suites, two- to four-bedroom villas, a presidential suite within the manor house, and five low-rise mansions.
A rendering of the upcoming Capella Sanya
The resort has six dining concepts including a signature restaurant, a Chinese eatery, a noodle bar and the lobby lounge. A wellness sanctuary offering treatments such as the Moroccan Hammam and ‘Snow Cabin’ complete the experience.
Capella Sanya is collaboratively designed by Jean-Michel Gathy and Bill Bensley, who drew inspiration from the legend of a Chinese trader’s adventures along the Silk Road.
Location Part of a mixed-use complex, this new hotel occupies a prime location in the satellite town of Kelana Jaya, with direct access to two major highways – Federal Expressway and North Klang Valley Expressway – which makes it a breeze to get to Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor.
From the hotel, it’s also less than a 10-minute drive from the Kelana Jaya and Glenmarie Light Rail Transit stations.
The adjacent upscale Paradigm Mall offers plenty of shopping and al fresco dining options, not to mention a nine-screen cinema, adding value and choices to any work or leisure stay at this hotel.
One Bedroom Suite
Rooms
Consistent with the hotel’s use of neutral colours, all the 300 grey-and-brown rooms feature sleek furnishings, marble-clad bathrooms and bamboo flooring – which provides tactile warmth to the feet.
I stayed on level 23 of a 30-storey building, the tallest structure in Kelana Jaya. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels in the bedroom and common space in the bathroom afforded sweeping cityscape views.
Adding to the homely ambiance was the round, wooden worktable that could be easily dragged to any spot in the room. I wish more hotels would think out of the box in ensuring guests’ stay are a comfortable one.
Residence Club rooms and suite guests have access to the New World Hotels’ signature Residence Club Living Room on level 29, which offers exclusive benefits such as complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments and dedicated concierge service.
F&B
The all-day dining Pasar Baru (meaning new market) on level 2, pays tribute to Malaysia’s multicultural mélange of Malay, Indian and Chinese flavours in a casual, market-style setting.
PJ’s Bar & Grill opened in March as the largest rooftop bar in Petaling Jaya city, featuring a viewing deck that wonderfully captures the city’s panoramic skyline. This restaurant specialises in Western and Asian grilled dishes.
The hotel lobby
The Lounge in the lobby area offers multiple cosy seating areas, and is the perfect place to unwind and relax with friends over a drink, snack and desserts.
Facilities Recreational activities are on the rooftop and a floor below, both offering sweeping views of the city. The state-of-the-art fitness centre also comes with an instructor to assist guests with the machines and to create a workout programme.
The hotel’s event facilities includes a 1,700m2 pillarless grand ballroom which can accommodate up to 1,000 guests in banqueting style and eight meeting rooms over two levels, all with abundant natural light.
Service Excellent. I had connectivity issues way past midnight in my room and a staff came to troubleshoot right away. Another kind staff also helped me to locate my car in the carpark when I forgot where it was parked.
Verdict Fantastic hospitality, plus attentive, friendly staff who made me feel right at home.
No. of rooms 300 Rates From RM350++ (US$89.40) a night Contact details
Tel: (60) 3 7682 0000
Email: petalingjaya@newworldhotels.com
The Sukhothai Shanghai, China
The Sukhothai Shanghai has opened with 170 guestrooms and 31 suites ranging from 44m2 to 172m2. Recreational facilities include a spa, gym, yoga and pilates studio, 25m-long heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room. There are also five F&B venues, one of which is headed by Michelin-star chef Theodor Falser. For meetings and events, the second floor is home to the Grand Shanghai Ballroom and six multipurpose rooms. The hotel is part of the HKRI Taikoo Hui mixed-use complex, which also includes Grade-A office towers and a shopping mall.
Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center, India
Marriott International has opened its 100th property in India, the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center. The hotel boasts 360 guestrooms including 39 suites, all of which are equipped with a 48-inch LED flatscreen TV, minibar and The Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience. There are six F&B venues, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and a spa with five treatment rooms. Meeting and event planners can avail the hotel’s 6,072m2 of function space spread over 12 meeting rooms, including 2,602m2 in the adjoining Convention Center.
Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa, Japan
The first Hyatt-branded beach resort in Japan stands on its own island approximately an hour’s drive from Okinawa’s Naha Airport. Of the 344 rooms, 320 will be housed in a seven-storey wing on Seragaki Island, while the remaining 24 will occupy a three-storey beachhouse on the Okinawa side. A short bridge links the two zones, both of which have direct beach access. Standard guestrooms on the Seragaki side start at 38m2, while the 24 beachhouse rooms range from 55m2 to 79m2 and come with kitchenettes or kitchens. Amenities include six dining outlets, five flexible banquet venues from 90m2 to 150m2, as well as a Seragaki Island Chapel. Bookings are now open for stays from September 1 onwards.
Avani Central Melbourne Residences, Australia
The 55-storey, 456-room Avani Central Melbourne Residences is opening in August. Recreational facilities include an indoor swimming pool, gym, two outdoor spas and three entertainment areas complete with BBQs and seating. Guests will also have access to two game rooms, two movie theatres, a library, two communal dining rooms, a communal kitchen and lounge area. Bookings are now open.
Glow Ao Nang Krabi, Thailand
Glow Hotels & Resorts has a hotel in Krabi. The property, located near the beaches of Hat Noppharat and Ao Nang Beach, offers 130 guestrooms. Rooms have four configurations and come with a choice of pool, hillside, town or terrace views. Facilities include free Wi-Fi, an air-conditioned gym, as well as two restaurants – Café’ Au Lait, for breakfast and cooked-to-order dishes; and Chen’s, for casual poolside dining and cocktails.
When Blackfish, a documentary that brought to light the alleged mistreatment of killer whales at SeaWorld Orlando, was released in 2013, it unleashed a whirlwind of negative press and public outrage unto the marine theme park. SeaWorld Orlando continues to feel the wrath of the PR disaster to this day, with a sea of red in its finances, leaders abandoning ship and large-scale boycotts as recently as in March this year.
Whale shark tank at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan
In Asia, the lessons from SeaWorld Orlando have not fallen on deaf ears. Aquarium operators are giving more thought to the long-term sustainability of the business – with a greater emphasis on conservation interests and animal welfare. And perhaps more often, efforts to stay viable and competitive are focused on innovative storytelling that makes modern aquariums more than just giant fish tanks.
Simon Foong, group managing director/CEO at Aquawalk, which owns and manages Aquaria KLCC, summed this up when he remarked that successful aquariums must have elements of not only entertainment, but also education and conservation.
Animal welfare key to longevity
Jason Horkin, senior vice president of attractions at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), observed that environmental conservation is becoming a notable trend in the sector, with a sizeable portion of the market becoming more eco-conscious.
To appeal to marine conservation enthusiasts, S.E.A. Aquarium at RWS recently launched a new conservation group, Guardians of the S.E.A.A. Members of the group enjoy exclusive invitations to curated events such as conservation talks and outreach activities, Horkin shared.
In Australia too, many aquarium operators believe that taking the conservation message to the community is both an act of environmental responsibility and a good long-term visitor strategy.
“(Conservation) is very much on trend in terms of growing interest and how we relate that story to our guests, and also getting involved in activities like beach cleaning,” said Rob Smith, Australia and New Zealand regional director for Merlin Entertainments, which operates the Sea Life aquariums in Melbourne and Sydney.
Meanwhile, in the pipeline for Aqua Walk is Aquaria Phuket opening this year-end in the Central Festival Mall, revealed Foong. The new attraction will incorporate a combination of real and virtual fishes, which Foong says solves ethical and logistical issues of confining whale sharks and dolphins in aquariums, as well as brings down the operating costs.
The aquarium will also work closely with Chulalongkorn University on research and breeding fish, information that would be shared with other aquariums.
Ocean creatures, visual effects stars of the show
With entertainment value arguably still of greater immediate relevance to the visitor experience, many aquarium operators TTG Asia spoke with were quick to highlight how they are enhancing visual impact and interest value with technology and innovative storytelling.
Ray feeding at Cairns Aquarium, Australia
While pools where visitors can handle some marine species have become de rigeur at aquariums, more venues are devising new ways to display their marine attractions as they would appear in the wild.
In some facilities in Japan, this includes the use of projection mapping facilities and lighting to simulate the open ocean and to show the creatures in their natural habitats.
A short rail journey south of Yokohama, the Hakkejima Sea Paradise aquarium – which attracted 1.6 million visitors in 2017 – new innovations have been rolled out in recent months.
“We installed a 457-inch LED screen to deliver dramatic presentations in conjunction with projection mapping technology in the (animal) performance area,” shared Kosuke Sudo, deputy head of operations at Hakkejima.
In Australia, Cairns Aquarium – the country’s newest aquarium in 18 years – is located in one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, putting it in prime position to feature marine animals unique and endemic to the area, some of which are critically endangered.
Yet, general manager Julie Cullen says the aquarium, which opened last September, has chosen also to give its visitors a rainforest and reef experience.
“It’s designed so that the immersive nature of the theming is extended from what is typically just your behind-the glass (interaction),” Cullen explained. “When you’re walking through the rainforest area, you’ve got soundscapes, shadows, shades and moving lightscapes. (In the mangroves zone), you’re literally walking on the mangroves boardwalk underneath the mangroves roof. And if it’s through the tropics area, you’d be walking through tree roots and creek boulders.”
Cairns Aquarium also boasts acrylic underwater viewing tunnels for visitors to crawl through, including a coral cay allowing explorers to pop up in the middle of a refloat and see how the animals move with the tide. There are also plans to launch student sleepovers in its Oceanarium, which houses large sharks and stingrays in a big circular area.
S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa
Merlin Entertainment is also creating immersive experiences for visitors with storytelling at its core. Sea Life Sydney recently introduced what it says is a first-of-its-kind penguin exhibition ride, allowing visitors to move through an area designed to resemble the habitat of sub-Antarctic penguins on a small boat.
“What we’ve tried to do here is tell the story of Australia’s Macquarie Island,” said Smith. “You’re able to see and hear the penguins trumpet their noise, which very much brings to life their daily environment.” Sea Life Sydney will also launch a cageless shark dive experience in May.
At Kyoto Aquarium, the emphasis has been on holding unique seasonal events designed to encourage return visits through the year, such as the use of augmented reality technology for its “Hado Shoot? Monster Fight” event last year.
More aquariums in Japan are also trying to raise the visual “wow” factor with size, such as the colossal window on the main tanks at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which is nearly 9m tall and more than 22m wide, giving visitors a view of hundreds of sea creatures in the pool beyond, which includes no fewer than three whale sharks, the longest of which is 8.7m from snout to tail.
While visual impact can be achieved through size, Foong opined: “It is not about having the largest aquarium, but about doing things differently – using technology and being able to come up with creative displays and exciting programmes that will win hearts.”
Aqua Walk plans to open a new aquarium in Ho Chi Minh City that incorporates high-definition projections and augmented reality (AR). The company is currently on the lookout for a suitable space.
In Singapore, aquariums are filling their year-round calendar with themed performances and seasonal events.
For example, during the recent Lunar New Year, Wildlife Reserves Singapore featured a special manatee show in its River Safari aquarium, the Amazon Flooded Forest, coupled with a zodiac predictions trail. Last year, it brought in a local jazz saxophonist and a 2m-tall cabbage cake to celebrate a manatee’s birthday.
Meanwhile, S.E.A. Aquarium offers 360-degree shark encounters using a cylindrical enclosure and sleepovers in its Open Ocean Habitat, which offers a floor-to-ceiling view of 40,000 marine animals.
Role of aquariums in education
While cynics may see animal welfare as an afterthought to fanfare, the two may not be such disparate concepts after all.
Education, the third element of successful aquariums that Aquawalk’s Foong highlighted, is becoming a key way of marrying entertainment and conservation.
The S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa has adopted an annual Lunar New Year affair named Gong SEA Fa Cai. During this event, guests are treated to an underwater dragon dance performance and can learn about marine species that are auspicious in Chinese culture – as well as how to save the ocean – through an “edutainment” trail.
Said Horkin: “Through the extensive range of educational programmes, experiences and events, the aquarium aims to increase visitors’ knowledge on aquatic ecosystems, and inspire positive change towards protecting marine species.”
He added that S.E.A. Aquarium helps promote tourism in Singapore by presenting itself not just as a tourist must-see, but also as a “marine classroom to connect the public closer to marine life”.
Also notable is Aquaria KLCC’s recent addition of an AR experience, where endangered animals as well as extinct animals are brought back to life and roam free.
Similarly, Sea Life Malaysia, which will open its doors at Legoland Malaysia Resort in 4Q2018, is aiming to engage and inspire children to learn and care about the ocean and its inhabitants through compelling storytelling and up-close interaction.
Occupying 2,123m2 of land space, the two-storey aquarium will have more than 25 display tanks in 11 habitat zones, featuring thousands of sea creatures.
To enhance the learning experience, Sea Life Malaysia will include interactive elements in every habitat zone. For instance, kids visiting Rock Pool will be able to get hands-on experience to learn more about the natural habitat of Rock Pool, as well as its impact on many other sea creatures.
There will also be a behind-the-scenes tour allowing guests to learn about animal care and food preparation for all sea creatures.
Kurt Stocks, general manager at Legoland Malaysia Resort, which partnered the Sea Life chain to bring the attraction to Malaysia, said: “Quite possibly we will attract a new segment of tourists such as researchers and conservationists.”
Reporting by Adelaine Ng, Julain Ryall, Pamela Chow and S Puvanewary
Whether it’s the launch of a new campaign, hiring dedicated market representative or investment in better systems to attract last-minute bookings, it’s clear that Malaysia’s all out to win over Middle Eastern travellers.
The attention given to the Middle Eastern market is deemed critical, as key markets from the region to Malaysia had tumbled in 2017.
Malaysia has mounted an aggressive campaign to woo Middle Eastern travellers
Arrivals from Saudi Arabia declined 16.6 per cent to 92,789 tourists in the first 10 months of 2017, whereas arrivals from the UAE dropped 38.9 per cent to 7,255 visitors during the same period.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture and its promotional arm, Tourism Malaysia, are understandably concerned as Middle Eastern travellers are top spenders in Malaysia and stay between seven to 10 nights in the country.
The average daily expenditure of visitors from the Middle East, which varies from RM1,185 (US$303) for Kuwait to RM1,046 for the UAE and RM943 for Saudi Arabia, is notably higher than RM720 for Singaporeans, who contribute close to half of total arrivals to Malaysia and stay an average of four nights.
The decline was in part due to Tourism Malaysia’s reduced promotional budgets in 2016 and 2017, which resulted in a lack of presence in the UAE, TTG Asia understands.
A source at Tourism Malaysia said: “There is also increased competition from other countries to attract the Middle Eastern traveller. Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan have become ‘hot’ destinations for Middle Eastern travellers due to affordable airfares from LCCs and short flight time of between three to four hours.
“Also, the decline in tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia was partly due to the austerity measures taken by the Saudi Arabian government to save money after tumbling oil prices.”
This included cutting minister’ salaries by 20 per cent and scaling back perks for public sector employees from September 2016 until March 2017. The uncertainty in the economy led some travellers to hold back on their longhaul holiday plans,” the source noted.
From this year, Tourism Malaysia is ramping up international promotions to all major markets, including the GCC countries as a lead-up to Visit Malaysia Year 2020, where it hopes to attract some 36 million tourists and RM168 billion in tourist receipts. At the annual Arabian Travel Mart this year, Tourism Malaysia will be promoting its Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign.
Malaysia’s mid-year mega sales period has been specially timed to coincide with the summer holidays, which is also the peak arrival period for Middle Eastern travellers to Malaysia. Carnival Mega Sale will run from June 15 to August 31 as part of the government’s efforts to promote Malaysia as a shopping paradise to the Middle East market.
As well, the Malaysian government is working on improving the arrival experience for foreign visitors flying into the country. According to Malaysia Airports Holdings’ managing director Badlisham Ghazali, Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been working closely with the Immigration Department since early 2017 to open more counters during peak periods to reduce queueing time.
Improving the airport experience is especially timely and necessary amid fierce competition from South-east Asian destinations, remarked Ally Bhoonee, executive director, World Avenues.
He said: “The arrival experience is the first impression tourists get of Malaysia and if it is not pleasant, it could deter repeat visits to Malaysia. Tourists may opt to go elsewhere.
“Europe and Turkey are also aggressively wooing Middle Eastern visitors. Political instability in the Middle East has also resulted in more demand for short- and medium-haul holidays. Malaysia has to put in much more effort today to compete.”
According to Ally, his company had seen a decline of 30 per cent from the Middle East last year, the bulk of which is from Saudi Arabia. To arrest the decline, the company had employed a full-time Arabic-speaking marketing manager from Egypt to be based in its Kuala Lumpur office to be in regular communication with outbound agents from the Middle East and support the efforts of the company’s sales offices in Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt, which generates business leads and provides marketing support to agents on the ground.
To compete with OTAs, the company leverages its Arabic-speaking personnel to provide assistance and itineraries in Arabic.
Meanwhile, Within Earth Holidays has recently invested in a B2B system that allowed dynamic packaging with instant confirmation and the flexibility to make changes in hotel room categories and duration of stay, an initiative executive director Saini Vermeulen believes will give the inbound agency an edge to obtain last-minute bookings from the Middle East.
This year, the company also plans to work with partner hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Penang to invite several social media influencers from the Middle East on a fam trip to Malaysia so that they can share their experiences and attract more tourists to Malaysia.
Jai Kishan, general manager, New World Petaling Jaya Hotel, said the newly opened property will be exhibiting at the upcoming Arabian Travel Mart, and has also established connections with the Middle East market through sister properties, Rosewood Jeddah and Rosewood Abu Dhabi.
He added: “We have also identified social media channels, influencers, bloggers and socialites that resonate well with the Middle Eastern travellers and we will invite them on fam trips to stay in our property.”
Following a wave of cancellations after emergency rule was declared in the country on February 5, tourism bodies in the Maldives are intensifying efforts to restore travel confidence in the country through international trade shows, marketing campaigns and dialogues with overseas embassies and authorities.
Most resorts are located far away from the political unrest in the capital, says the Maldivian trade
The emergency status had been activated to quell opposition protests after a Supreme Court order to release several political prisoners was revoked. Emergency rule was extended for another 30 days from February 19 and was finally lifted on March 22.
Among the fallouts from the crisis was the cancellation of a new Spanish charter, which would have brought in 750 passengers per week in summer, said Yoosuf Riath, CEO of Capital Travel & Tours. The authorities, he revealed, had been working for years to convince the charter operator to come to the Maldives.
Several countries had also issued travel warnings, including China, the Maldives’ largest source market. Trade sources said that in the initial days following the crisis, airports in China including Shanghai even displayed notices saying it was not safe to travel to the Maldives.
However, China has since downgraded advisory to just an alert, following discussions between the Maldivian government, industry bodies and Chinese authorities, a senior official at the Association of Travel Agents (ATA) told TTG Asia on condition of anonymity.
“Tourists are not affected at all because they go to the resorts straight from the airport and Malé is on another island,” he stressed.
“The key is to tell the world that the Maldives is safe for travel. Everybody is working hard on this, and to restore normalcy,” the ATA official added.
A major challenge for the Maldivian trade, whenever any political crisis erupts in the atoll nation, is to convince visitors that the resorts are located far away from the political action in the capital and that travel – and tourists – would be unaffected.
In spite of the spate of travel advisories issued during the 45-day state of emergency, tourist arrivals to the Maldives in February 2018 rose 19 per cent year-on-year, with Chinese inbound numbers surging 38.1 per cent from the same period last year, in part due to the Chinese New Year, which fell in February this year.
While the arrivals for February did not register any drop, Abdulla Ghiyas, president of the Maldivian Association for Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), is more worried about cancellations and declining enquiries for subsequent months.
“We need to look at March data too. I think April to June will be difficult months,” he said, adding that refusal by resorts to refund may have also mitigated declines in February.
Sharing similar concerns, Sunny Umar, CEO of Maldives Getaways, remarked: “The impact of cancellations would be felt in May-June.”
At press time, general manager of an inbound travel company, who declined to be named, said the number of cancellations has reduced and enquiries have returned to the pre-emergency level.
MATATO – while looking to launch its own marketing initiatives – is also urging the government to spend more on destination marketing to counteract the effects of negative press.
Earlier in January, tourism minister Moosa Zameer announced that 100 million rufiya (US$6.5 million) would be spent on tourism marketing in 2018, an amount that is likely to increase after the February crisis.
Tourism deputy minister Hussain Lirar has announced that the industry is working with the government and overseas PR agencies to restore confidence for travellers.
Meanwhile, the message that the Maldives is safe to visit was disseminated at the recent ITB Berlin.
This year, the country’s tourism promotion body, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, plans to participate in 10 international travel fairs, including in China, Russia and Germany.
In January, things were looking up for tourism in the Maldives, with 2017 arrivals growing at double the rate over the previous year.
Moreover, an ongoing airport expansion was set to increase capacity by over six times, and plans were underway to attract more airlines to the destination.
These would help to tackle an oversupply of rooms in the Maldives, which is expected to see an addition of 20 new resorts this year.
UNWTO's Zurab Pololikashvili welcomes Messi to the organisation's responsible tourism movement after the Barcelona-Leganés match last Saturday
UNWTO’s Zurab Pololikashvili welcomes Messi to the organisation’s responsible tourism movement after the Barcelona-Leganés match last Saturday
FC Barcelona’s star forward and worldwide football phenomenon, Lionel Messi, has been appointed UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism.
Messi joins the Spanish football player Fernando Hierro and Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque as the first personalities appointed by the UNWTO to advance the links between sports and tourism and promote the transformative power of responsible tourism.
UNWTO secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, commented: “Messi is a unique sportsman and an example of how willpower and constant work yield good results. It is a great honour to have Messi joining UNWTO and other well-known personalities in promoting the positive values and benefits that tourism represents.”
Messi is the first football player in history who won five Ballon D´Or – the first four consecutively – and four European Golden Shoes. In the time he has played for Barcelona, the club has won a total of 30 titles, including eight Spanish Leagues, four Champion Leagues and five King’s Cups of Spain.
For some agents, there have not been cancellations for trips coinciding with the election (photo credit: Harris Hamdan/Shutterstock)
Agents are confident that Malaysia’s upcoming 14th National General Election on May 9, which has been declared a public holiday, is unlikely to deter Malaysians’ outbound travel demand as it falls on a weekday and not over a long weekend.
Nanda Kumar, managing director at Hidden Asia Travel & Tours, said: “We have not had any cancellations for tours running on the week of the general election. Our tours to Yogyakarta, Bali, Bangkok, Pattaya and South India are running as scheduled.
For some agents, there have not been cancellations for trips coinciding with the election (photo credit: Harris Hamdan/Shutterstock)
He added: “People have booked these tours at least two months ago and have taken leave from work. None of my clients have cancelled or changed the date of travel because it coincides with the general election.”
Another agent, Cooper Huang, CEO at Malaysian Harmony Tours & Travel, said: “The election date does not coincide with the school holidays and (will take place during) a low season for travel. We have not had any request for change in booking due to the general election.”
With the general election date finally fixed after months of speculation, it would afford better clarity for leisure and corporate travel planning, said Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager, New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel.
He said: “There was a lot of uncertainty in the past (few months). We had enquiries in February and March from corporate clients asking us whether they could postpone the trip to a later date with a fee waiver on hotel bookings and airline tickets if the polling date clash with their event.”
Other agents are also optimistic about that outbound travel demand will pick up soon, with Bobby Eng, general manager at Sunflower Holidays, already receiving new bookings for the coming school holiday season in June.
Meanwhile, Malaysia-based carriers including AirAsia, as well as Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and sister carriers Firefly and MASwings, have announced the waiver of flight change fee for Malaysians with existing travel bookings that coincide with the polling day. “This is to allow Malaysians to fulfil their responsibility as voters,” MAS said in a statement.
Funds from levy collection will go towards building infrastructure, promoting rural destinations and more
Travellers leaving Japan by plane or ship will have to pay 1,000 yen (US$9.30) in departure tax effective January 7, 2019, the first permanent levy to be introduced since the land value tax was established in 1992, according to the Japan Times.
The new levy, coined the “sayonara tax”, will apply to all travellers, both Japanese and non-Japanese, except children under two years old and transit passengers who depart within 24 hours of arrival.
Funds from levy collection will go towards building infrastructure, promoting rural destinations and more; Tokyo Haneda airport pictured
The move comes amid a visitor boom in Japan, which saw tourist arrivals grow by 19.3 per cent to reach over 28.6 million in 2017, with the number targeted to grow to 40 million by 2020.
Among the proposed uses of the funds are the enhancement of tourism infrastructure, promotion of destinations in rural Japan and the backing of global tourism campaigns.
There are also plans to have public transportation operators expand free wireless internet services as well as electronic payment systems.
In 2017, tourism revenue to Rayong totalled over US$1 billion
The tourism sector in Thailand’s Rayong province is set to flourish with plans to develop U-Tapao into the third Greater Bangkok gateway airport, in line with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) initiative, as well as spillover effects from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Rayong last year hosted seven million visitors, while tourism revenue to the province in 2017 tallied in at just over US$1 billion and is expected to rise sharply on positive market sentiment, according to according to C9 Hotelworks’ newly released Rayong Hotel Market Update.
In 2017, tourism revenue to Rayong totalled over US$1 billion
While accommodation supply presently stands just under 15,000 rooms, with widespread interest spurred by the government’s EEC initiative, Thai and overseas investors are flocking east, C9 observed.
C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett added: “The domino effect from China’s Belt and Road Initiative is clearly a game changer for Rayong. Looking back over the past 12-18 months Chinese visitors saw some retraction due to Thailand’s zero-baht tourism crackdown but opening up the skies at U-Tapao is going to propel the province into an entirely new destination proposition.”
Bangkok’s rising status as a megacity is a catalyst for change, Barnett said, and a key demand generator is the redevelopment of U-Tapao into a third Greater Bangkok gateway airport.
Airlift at U-Tapao is rapidly expanding with scheduled and non-scheduled (charter) flights now serving 26 overseas cities. According to C9’s research, last year aircraft movements surged by 47 per cent year-on-year, with much of international lift now coming from mainland China.
Looking at EEC investment into large-scale projects, C9’s report notes that the expansion of the industrial zones at Map Ta Put and Laem Chabang and upcoming high-speed railway lines are key elements to a medium and long-term strategy for sustainable growth.
Despite Rayong’s legacy domestic tourism market and secondary attraction as a spillover destination from nearby Pattaya and Jomtien, the visitor source markets are changing.
Both the Japanese and South Korean segments have registered increased from activity in expansion of the industrial zones and Russians along with Western Europeans are being attracted by the coastal resort areas and offshore islands.
Agents are confident that Malaysia’s upcoming 14th National General Election on May 9, which has been declared a public holiday, is unlikely to deter Malaysians’ outbound travel demand as it falls on a weekday and not over a long weekend.
Nanda Kumar, managing director at Hidden Asia Travel & Tours, said: “We have not had any cancellations for tours running on the week of the general election. Our tours to Yogyakarta, Bali, Bangkok, Pattaya and South India are running as scheduled.
He added: “People have booked these tours at least two months ago and have taken leave from work. None of my clients have cancelled or changed the date of travel because it coincides with the general election.”
Another agent, Cooper Huang, CEO at Malaysian Harmony Tours & Travel, said: “The election date does not coincide with the school holidays and (will take place during) a low season for travel. We have not had any request for change in booking due to the general election.”
With the general election date finally fixed after months of speculation, it would afford better clarity for leisure and corporate travel planning, said Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager, New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel.
He said: “There was a lot of uncertainty in the past (few months). We had enquiries in February and March from corporate clients asking us whether they could postpone the trip to a later date with a fee waiver on hotel bookings and airline tickets if the polling date clash with their event.”
Other agents are also optimistic about that outbound travel demand will pick up soon, with Bobby Eng, general manager at Sunflower Holidays, already receiving new bookings for the coming school holiday season in June.
Meanwhile, Malaysia-based carriers including AirAsia, as well as Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and sister carriers Firefly and MASwings, have announced the waiver of flight change fee for Malaysians with existing travel bookings that coincide with the polling day. “This is to allow Malaysians to fulfil their responsibility as voters,” MAS said in a statement.