First property under the brand will be the Jaya Lombok, scheduled for 2020 opening
After being on the drawing board for nearly five years, Jaya Hotels & Residences has finally been brought to fruition with partner Two Roads Hospitality Asia, and as an enduring legacy of late interior designer Jaya Ibrahim.
The brand is the brainchild of the respected Jaya, whose sudden passing in May 2015 took the hotel and design world by surprise and temporarily halted the project.
First property under the brand will be the Jaya Lombok, scheduled for 2020 opening
Jaya’s team later found a partner in Two Roads Hospitality – an Asian-American Group operating nearly 100 properties worldwide under a family of five brands – and the two went on to develop the brand and put forth a design-cum-management luxury model.
Several Jaya Hotels & Residences projects in Asia-Pacific will soon be announced.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has appointed its COO Izham Ismail as executive director and group CEO-designate effective October 20, in the wake of the resignation of its CEO, Peter Bellew, who will return to Ryanair on December 1 to assume the role of COO.
A statement said Izham’s appointment is in line with the 12-point MAS Recovery Plan (MRP), which provides for the development and succession of Malaysian leadership talent.
Izham Ismail: ready to take the reins
To ensure a smooth transition, a Board Executive Committee will be in place for up to six months, to be led by chairman Md Nor Yusof.
Izham will assume the role of group CEO on December 1 when Bellew, who is currently on administrative leave, leaves.
The statement said Izham has been integral to the airline’s ongoing turnaround effort. As COO, he was responsible for the operations division, which includes flight and airport operations as well as engineering. He led the restructuring of the engineering division for more efficient and leaner operations, and was also responsible for the airline’s fuel savings initiative
He has 38 years of experience in the aviation industry, having started his career with MAS as a pilot in 1979. He broke world aviation records when he flew MAS’ first B777-200 eastward from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur and back. The flight set new world records for longest flight and fastest round-the-world flight by a commercial airliner, with a total flight time of 41 hours 59 minutes over a distance of 23,310 miles.
Appointed to a management position just 10 years after joining MAS, he has climbed through the ranks over the years, including as senior instructor pilot, fleet manager and director of operations. Prior to becoming COO in 2016, he served as CEO of MASwings, MAS’ sister company in Sabah and Sarawak.
Izham said: “I am extremely honoured to be entrusted with this position. My entire career has been spent with Malaysia Airlines and it is very much my family. Helming the national airline is a big responsibility. I am humbled and at the same time, ready for the challenge. We are on track towards a full and complete transformation as outlined in the MRP, and I am looking forward to working with my MH colleagues to make this airline the pride of the nation again.”
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president, KL Tan said: “It is good to know that transformation is on track and in a matter of time, Malaysia Airlines will return to profitability.
“We have every confidence in Captain Izham and that he is the right man for the job. Technically, it is the board of directors’ responsibility to ensure Malaysia Airlines success and direction. We look forward to the national carrier improving and increasing air connectivity which is crucial for boosting tourism. We wish Peter Bellew the very best.”
Forward bookings for Catalonia down; fears of Barcelona impact
As Catalonia’s separatist drive wages on, Spain’s tourism industry as a whole faces losing revenues of 1.2 billion euros (US$1.4 billion) this quarter, a sum that could rise to 1.8 billion euros if there were to be more street protests, nationwide tourism lobbyist group Alianza para la Excelencia Turística (Exceltur) warns.
Visitor fears of further demonstrations and uncertainty over the region’s political future have reduced advance bookings for Catalonia for the final three months of 2017 by some 20 per cent compared to last year, according to the group.
Forward bookings for Catalonia down; fears of Barcelona impact mount
José Luis Zoreda, executive vice president of Exceltur, said member companies consulted were particularly worried about the impact on the regional capital, Barcelona, which benefits from its southerly location in Europe for attracting winter and especially MICE tourism.
“It is now right in season for conferences and leisure and shopping tourism,” he pointed out, at a time when Spain’s popular beach holiday season wanes.
While the region’s instability was not yet affecting other parts of Spain, a 20 per cent drop in Catalonia would cut the expected annual growth for Spain’s tourism as a whole from 4.1 per cent to 3.1 per cent.
While there has been no news yet of tourism companies moving their headquarters out of Barcelona, as has been happening with other industries, Zoreda said a brake has been put on scheduled investments.
In comparison, the terror attacks in Barcelona and the nearby resort of Cambrils in mid August at the height of the sun and beach holiday season have had “a very limited impact on tourism.”
“It is very positive to underline that (nationwide) revenue is growing faster than visitor numbers,” said Exceltur’s director of research, Oscar Perelli.
The average tourism spend in the country in peak summer had risen by almost seven per cent, while year on year business travel spending was up by over 22 per cent.
China’s HNA Group will invest RMB50 billion (US$7.5 billion) to transform its business strategy by consolidating online and offline resources as well as merge its technology, investment, finance and services business segments.
The group said an important component of the transformation is HiApp, a digital tourism platform with a global cloud service database, in addition to airline products and services, scheduled for roll out by year-end.
For HNA Group, it is “necessary to work out thorny issues in the market and achieve integration of passenger flow, business flow and information flow as well as the offline-to-online transition”.
Through a digital upgrade, the group hopes to not only further optimise its asset efficiency, but also take future market initiatives in terms of developing and extending industry resources.
The group also expects to offer innovative cloud services and products to enterprises and start-ups, drive the development of technology, finance, investment and services segments, while connecting offline tourism resources with innovative industries for upgrading.
A Fortune Global 500 company, HNA Group has offline resources and operating experience in the air travel industry value chain, hotels, travel services, business centres, residential communities and more.
Meituan-Dianping has raised US$4 billion in its Series C financing round led by Chinese Internet giant Tencent and which saw The Priceline Group come in as a new investor.
With the new funding, Meituan-Dianping intends to strengthen the positions of its four core business groups (Travel & Leisure, In-Store Dining, Lifestyle & Entertainment and On-Demand Delivery) as well as its newer diversified lines.
Commented Wang Xing, CEO of Meituan-Dianping: “Meituan-Dianping presently has the largest service-focused e-commerce platform in China, but even so, numerous parts of our diversified business are in early stages of growth and the opportunities for further expansion are enormous. We look forward to investing wisely to build out our platform and offerings and to fully leverage AI-based and analytics-driven technology, for the benefit of our consumers and merchant partners.”
Todd Henrich, global head of corporate development of The Priceline Group, said: “Our commercial relationship between Agoda.com and Meituan-Dianping will help each company benefit from the other’s expertise and capitalise on the opportunities presented by China’s exceptionally large travel market.”
Other key investors in the funding round include Sequoia Capital, GIC, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Trustbridge Partners, Coatue Management, IDG Capital, Tiger Global Management, and China-UAE Investment Cooperation Fund.
In the past year, Meituan-Dianping enhanced its Travel & Leisure business group with the launch of a consolidated travel platform, Meituan Travel. It is already China’s second largest hotel reservation platform, according to a Meituan-Dianping statement, having reached 36 per cent market share.
The service-focused e-commerce giant this year also achieved 86 per cent market share for In-Store Dining and 61 per cent for On-Demand Delivery, on top of entering new verticals such as B&B accommodation.
The company stated it will continue to invest in “cutting-edge technology to create innovative solutions and drive efficiencies for local businesses”, as well as focus on expanding into “key target verticals with high potential and that complement the company’s existing services”.
Launched in 2015, Meituan-Dianping today connects more than 280 million annual active buying consumers with more than five million annual active local merchants across China.
A 160-year-old landmark in Warsaw will in early 2018 become home to the Raffles Europejski Warsaw.
Situated on the Royal Route, neighbouring the cobbled streets of the Old Town, the hotel will feature 106 guestrooms featuring oak floors, a corner library and curated Polish art by Anda Rottenberg and Barbara Piwowarska.
Raffles Europejski Warsaw
The hotel is said to boast some of the largest rooms in the city, with the Raffles Suite at 293m2.
Facilities at Raffles Europejski Warsaw include a six-treatment-room spa, pool, a signature restaurant that extends out onto Piłsudski Square, Long Bar and Humidor, complete with a patisserie.
Thomas Guss – a third generation hotelier born in Germany and brought up in Paris – has been named general manager of the hotel. He brings with him five-star hotel experience in countries such as mainland China and Berlin.
Malaysia's tourism and culture minister Mohamed Nazri Bin Abdul Aziz (in shades) presiding over the sending off ceremony for Malaysia Rail Packages at Hatyai Junction Railway Station, Songkhla
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Thai-Malaysian diplomatic relations, a ceremony to promote Malayan Railways (KTMB) train packages departing the neighbouring Thai city of Hatyai was held earlier this month.
Malaysia’s tourism and culture minister Mohamed Nazri Bin Abdul Aziz (in shades) presiding over the sending off ceremony for Malaysia Rail Packages at Hatyai Junction Railway Station, Songkhla
The Malaysia Rail Tourism packages, which start at 4,451 baht (US$134.20), combine train fares, accommodation, meals, and attractions and activities including theme parks and city tours. Trains depart Hatyai and Padang Besar railway stations.
Present at the sending off ceremony were package buyers, travel agents, and members of the media.
AVANI Hotels & Resorts has appointed Daniel Kipping as its director of sales.
Kipping will be responsible for the strategic direction of sales for the brand which spans 12 countries, with a portfolio of 18 properties and a pipeline of new hotel and resort openings within the next three years in South-east Asia, New Zealand, the UAE, Australia, the Maldives and Africa.
Based in Bangkok, he will play a key role in the brand’s leadership team, with the aim to optimise opportunities, drive business, find new regional synergies and support Avani hotels’ sales teams.
Kipping has more than 30 years of experience, and has held senior positions with hospitality operators in Europe, Asia & Middle East, including InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton.
Akaryn Hotel Group has appointed Thomas Singenberger as hotel manager at Akyra Sukhumvit Bangkok, set to open 1Q2018.
The Swiss national brings more than a decade of executive level experience, and has held senior positions at The Okura Prestige Bangkok and Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit.
Potentially game changer for small- to medium-sized operators in Johor
With AirAsia commencing its first route between its southern hub of Johor and Kolkata, West Bengal’s capital, agents in Malaysia are expecting to see a shift both in consumer demand and business opportunities towards the state.
Commenting on the five-times-weekly flights commencing November 28, Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager, New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel, said: “This is an important route because in the past, Indians used to bypass Johor on their way to Singapore. These new flights will create a shift, where we will see Indians wanting to stay primarily in Johor Bahru.
Potentially game changer for small- to medium-sized operators in Johor
“It will also create more interest among repeat visitors who have already been to Kuala Lumpur and Resorts World Genting. Johor will become a new destination which has it all, soft adventure, beaches, islands and man-made attractions such as golf courses, theme parks and shopping outlets.”
Ahead of the launch, a buyer-meet-seller event that brought together 30 outbound agents from Kolkata and 15 inbound tour operators and hotels from Johor was organised by the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), AirAsia and Tourism Johor.
MITA secretary-general, Adam Kamal, said the event provided new business opportunities for small and medium sized operators from the state of Johor, a departure from “concentrating solely on large tour operators from Kuala Lumpur”.
Indeed, inbound agent from Johor, Chali Ng, director of PSHolidays, said: “In the past, we played a supporting role with bookings for transport and tours coming from agents from Kuala Lumpur. At the recent B2B session, I made many contacts of outbound Indian agents and hope this will lead to more direct bookings.”
Despite the developments, Tesy Antony, director, Daya Kukuh Travel, opined that it remains a challenge to market Johor as a mono-destination for four-day stays without sufficient “world-class attractions” in the state.
The agency is hence looking at four-day packages combining Johor with Singapore or Johor with Malacca.
