New hotels: Hilton Busan, Sofitel Singapore City Centre and more

August 31, 2017

Hilton Busan
Standing along the South Korean coastline as part of the East Busan Tourism Complex, all 310 guestrooms at Hilton Busan come with private balconies and span at least 60m², while suites are 120m². Recreational facilities include a wellness centre, 24-hour fitness centre, kids club and a range of all-weather swimming options, including an infinity pool with panoramic ocean views, adults-only pool, children’s pool, and indoor pool. There are four F&B options, while meeting and event facilities comprise seven function rooms, a 1,417m² Grand Ballroom for 1,500 pax, a 977m² ballroom, two outdoor event venues and a wedding chapel.

Sofitel Singapore City Centre
Located in Tanjong Pagar, the 223-room Sofitel Singapore City Centre will feature the country’s first Nespresso Lounge and TWC Tea Bar, in addition to other amenities like the Racines restaurant, a 30m-long outdoor swimming pool, gym, the Lawn for yoga classes and outdoor performances, plus meeting and banquet spaces.

Lotte Yangon
The Lotte Yangon has opened its doors close to Inya Lake in Myanmar’s Hlaing Township district. The property features two buildings – a 15-storey hotel with 343 rooms and a 29-floor serviced apartment block with 315 units. Hotel rooms vary in size and type, the largest of which is 377m² and comes with its own study and dining room. Meanwhile, there are 19 types of serviced units, ranging from 62m² to 339m². Shared facilities include six F&B options, gym, outdoor swimming pool, a business centre, two ballrooms and nine meeting rooms.

Best Western Osaka Tsukamoto
Situated in downtown Osaka, two minutes away from JR Tsukamoto Station, the new-build hotel offers 105 rooms, all of which feature flatscreen TVs and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi. There is also a restaurant serving local and international cuisine, a 24-hour business centre and laundry services on-site.

Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket names GM

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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The Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG) has appointed Muhammad Alan Yuslan as general manager of Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket.

Prior to joining CHG, Alan was hotel manager at Melia Makassar, Indonesia.

With more than 16 years of international hospitality management experience, Alan has held positions with major international hotel brands such as Le Méridien, Marriott, Starwood, Melia Hotel International, and One and Only Resorts. He was also a member of executive teams for new hotel openings, including the W Maldives, W Bali and Le Meridian Bali Jimbaran.

He began his his hospitality career in guest services at the JW Marriott Jakarta.

Qantas scraps Dubai stop for Singapore on London flights

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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qantas-3 — More Australia to London route options

Qantas will re-route its Sydney to London Airbus A380 service via Singapore instead of Dubai from March 25, 2018, as it applies to extend its partnership with Emirates for another five years.

In addition to maintaining a second daily service between Singapore and Sydney using an A330 aircraft, Qantas will in March 2018 upgrade its existing 10-times weekly Melbourne-Singapore A330 services to a twice-daily service operated by a combination of A380 and A330 aircraft.

This will bring Qantas’ total number of services from Australia to London via Singapore to 49 weekly with a total of over 17,600 one-way seats.

With the change, Qantas passengers will be given the choice of hubbing through Perth, Singapore or Dubai (with Emirates) on trips to Europe.

The Australian national airline previously announced it was replacing its Melbourne-Dubai-London service with its ultra-longhaul Melbourne-Perth-London Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights. In addition, Qantas passengers will still be able travel to Europe via Dubai using Emirates’ 77 weekly services to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Qantas estimates the changes would give it an annualised net benefit of more than AS80 million (US$63.2 million) from FY2019.

“Our partnership has evolved to a point where Qantas no longer needs to fly its own aircraft through Dubai, and that means we can redirect some of our A380s flying into Singapore and meet the strong demand we’re seeing in Asia,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.

“Improvements in aircraft technology mean the Qantas network will eventually feature a handful of direct routes between Australia and Europe, but this will never overtake the sheer number of destinations served by Emirates and that’s why Dubai will remain an important hub for our customers,” he added.

Recovering Macau to start accepting tour groups again

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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Macau-Ruins-of-Saint-Paul-Church — Water and power supply restored at most hotels, main tourist attractions intact

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) will resume group tours starting September 2, following a temporary cessation to facilitate resource allocation for the city’s recovery from recent typhoons.

The decision was made after MGTO reached a consensus with travel agency and hotel industry associations at the end of a dialogue on Tuesday.

Water and power supply restored at most hotels, main tourist attractions intact

During the meeting, MGTO learnt that most hotels and guesthouses already have their water and power supply resumed, while the other services concerned are being restored progressively.

Since the catastrophe, MGTO has been sending inspectors to patrol various ports of entry and tourist attractions to keep abreast with the latest situation.

MGTO said in a statement that major tourist attractions have remained intact after the typhoon.

It will contact China National Tourism Administration and its counterparts in Shenzhen and Hong Kong regarding resumption of tour groups to Macau.

Expedia’s Okerstrom replaces Khosrowshahi as CEO

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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mark-okerstrom1 — Okerstrom a clear choice

Expedia’s CFO and executive vice president of operations Mark Okerstrom will succeed Dara Khosrowshahi, who recently left the giant OTA to head Uber.

Okerstrom will also join Expedia’s board of directors, while Khosrowshahi will continue to be a member of the board.

As Expedia’s CFO, Okerstrom held responsibility for all aspects of finance –including planning & analysis, procurement, real estate and investor relations – as well as corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions for Expedia.

Okerstrom’s role was expanded in 2014, adding responsibility for the company’s eCommerce Platform Group which includes centralised technology, payments, risk and global customer operations.

From 2006 to 2011, Okerstrom was Expedia’s senior director, corporate development and strategy, vice president of corporate development and strategy, and senior vice president of corporate development.

Prior to joining Expedia, Okerstrom was a consultant with Bain & Company and worked with UBS Investment Bank in London. Before that, he practised as an attorney with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London.

Expedia chairman Barry Diller said that the decision was a “natural” one as Okerstrom was Khosrowshahi’s principal partner in operating Expedia, and that no other candidate was considered by the Expedia board.

Meanwhile at Uber, new chief Khosrowshahi announced plans to lead the company to an IPO in 18 to 36 months and change its culture, Reuters reported.

MakeMyTrip’s corporate travel booking tool now live

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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makemytrip-mybusiness — The tool can be used on the existing MakeMyTrip app

Indian OTA giant MakeMyTrip has launched the MyBusiness tool to capture the booming corporate travel segment.

MakeMyTrip says the tool will be particularly helpful for SMEs that cannot afford to set up an in-house travel desk, by offering an efficient self-booking online solution to fulfil otherwise complex offline processes such as approval matrices, travel policies and payment options.

The tool can be used on the existing MakeMyTrip app

Benefits for employees include free cancellation and modification of flight and hotel bookings; complimentary in-flight meals and seat selection; complimentary hotel upgrades; and expense reporting capabilities.

Corporates, in addition, can enjoy GST credit benefits and redressal with a round-the-clock corporate helpdesk.

The solution also features a corporate wallet to reduce payment inefficiencies, liabilities and potential corporate card abuse.

Speaking at the launch, Rajesh Magow, co-founder and CEO-India, MakeMyTrip said: “Our focus and investment in MyBusiness underlines our (commitment to) changing the way corporate India moves. We have an aggressive plan in place to tap into this fast-growing business travel market.”

Added chief business officer, Ranjeet Oak: “For most organisations, business travel spending is the second largest expense, and the entire process allows certain amount of discrepancies and reimbursement issues later on.”

According to Global Business Travel Association, India is the fastest growing business travel market with annual growth of over 11 per cent. SME corporates make up 70 per cent of the country’s corporate travel business.

Hyatt acquires Exhale wellness brand

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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Hyatt Hotels Corporation is beefing up its health and fitness offerings with the purchase of spa operator Exhale for an undisclosed amount.

Hyatt will oversee the 25 Exhale locations in the US and Caribbean, and already has plans to expand the brand to Hyatt hotels in more resort settings and freestanding locations as well. The hotel giant also plans to offer Exhale-related perks for members of the World of Hyatt loyalty programme.

Exhale offers fitness classes, spa treatments and wellness retreats (photo credit: Instagram/@exhalespa)

Meanwhile, Exhale “will operate as a distinct standalone brand within Hyatt’s wellness category”, said the spa operator’s CEO and founder, Annbeth Eschbach, in a statement.

This is the second wellness company Hyatt has acquired this year, following its purchase of Miraval Group in January. The Chicago-based hotel company has plans to integrate the Miraval brand into its portfolio and develop more Miraval-branded resorts.

Aviation roundup: Finnair, Vietjet and Nepal’s Shree Airlines

By TTG Asia

August 31, 2017

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Finnair expands network in China

Finland’s flagship carrier has announced Nanjing as its seventh destination in Greater China.

Taking off on May 13, 2018, the new Helsinki-Nanjing service will be operated with an Airbus A330 aircraft. The route will be operated thrice weekly during the summer season and twice weekly in winter.

Vietjet links up Hanoi, Yangon

Vietjet launched daily Hanoi-Yangon services on August 26, its second route connecting Vietnam and Myanmar.

Flights depart Hanoi at 12.05 and arrive at 13.30, while the return service departs Yangon at 14.30 and arrives in Hanoi at 16.55.

Singapore Airlines, Alaska Airlines in codeshare deal

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will from September 27 enter into a codeshare partnership with Alaska Airlines to expand its footprint in the North American market.

Under the agreement, SIA will add its SQ designator code to Alaska Airlines flights on routes serving 18 destinations within the US and to Mexico. Existing codeshare flights operated by Virgin America – which was acquired by Alaska Air Group in 2016 – on routes serving 19 destinations within the US will also be included under the new agreement.

Members of SIA’s frequent flyer programme KrisFlyer will be able to accrue miles when travelling on both carriers from September 27, while Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan members will be able to redeem miles for SIA-operated flights at a later date.

Shree Airlines jets off

Nepal’s largest operator of helicopters Shree Airlines has expanded into commercial passenger jet service, following its recent acquisition of three Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft – two CRJ200 and one CRJ700.

The Nepali carrier commenced services with its first CRJ200 aircraft on August 11, and plans to equip its CRJ700 with six seats in business class.

Shree will operate between Kathmandu and the regional destinations of Bhadrapur, Bhairawaha, Dhangadi, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj.

Qantas reshuffles executive leadership

By TTG Asia

August 30, 2017

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Qantas Group has announced a reorganisation of its executive leadership team, taking effect in November this year.

Alison Webster, currently executive manager of freight, catering & airports, will become CEO of Qantas International. In her nearly 30 years’ experience in aviation, including 13 at Qantas, she has held senior executive roles across commercial, customer, and operations at Qantas and British Airways.

She replaces Gareth Evans, who has been appointed CEO of Jetstar Group, while current Jetstar Group chief Jayne Hrdlicka will become CEO of Qantas loyalty and digital ventures, which now also includes innovation.

Meanwhile, Lesley Grant, currently CEO of Qantas loyalty, will be Qantas’ new group executive of people and culture, succeeding Jon Scriven who is retiring after over eight years at the company.

As well, Andrew David, present CEO of Qantas Domestic, will take on additional responsibility for Qantas freight, catering and airports.

The new executive leaders will report to Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, who said the changes reflect talent optimisation and renewal in the company.

“Over the past three years, our senior executive team has led the group through a major turnaround. We’re now entering a phase of ongoing improvement and innovation, and these changes will help drive that,” said Joyce in a statement.

Hong Kong eyes youth travel to revive Indian market

By Rohit Kaul

August 30, 2017

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hong-kong-old-town-central-walking-trails — HKTB promoting Old Town Central walking trails

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is taking steps to attract younger travellers from India in hopes of reversing declining arrivals from the market.

Hong Kong recorded 149,000 overnight arrivals from India in the first six months of 2017, a 15 per cent dip from the same period last year. The decline has been attributed to the introduction of pre-arrival registration for the Indian market, the strengthening the Hong Kong dollar, and an increase in direct flights between India and mainland China.

HKTB promoting Old Town Central walking trails

“The pre-arrival registration has (put) a few people off visiting (Hong Kong) because it takes a while for travellers to understand the new process. Indian tourists see Hong Kong as a last-minute destination. Without successfully registering for pre-arrival, it will take Indian travellers longer to get a visa,” said Peter Hoslin, HKTB’s regional director, Europe and new markets on the sidelines of a recent mission to Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi.

The HKTB’s focus is now on India’s seasoned travellers in their early 20s to early 40s. “We (are targeting) New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as we see an inclination (of travellers) in these cities to visit Asian destinations,” he added. “We want to target young, evolved travellers who have been to a few destinations before they choose Hong Kong.

“For us, young travellers comprise 54 per cent of the Indian overnight stay. Most of our visitors from India (70 per cent) are visiting Hong Kong for the first time. We want to (increase the share of) younger segment as they are likely to be repeat visitors,” said Hoslin.

With attractions like Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park already popular among Indian travellers, the NTO is now looking to promote experiential products such as walking trails in Old Town Central among India’s youth segment.

Apart from travel trade partnerships, the HKTB is banking on fam trips for trade and media, in addition to digital and social media strategies, to reach out to young Indian travellers. Its new TV commercial, scheduled to run from September, is expected to help attract the segment.

New hotels: Hilton Busan, Sofitel Singapore City Centre and more

Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket names GM

Qantas scraps Dubai stop for Singapore on London flights

Recovering Macau to start accepting tour groups again

Expedia’s Okerstrom replaces Khosrowshahi as CEO

MakeMyTrip’s corporate travel booking tool now live

Hyatt acquires Exhale wellness brand

Aviation roundup: Finnair, Vietjet and Nepal’s Shree Airlines

Qantas reshuffles executive leadership

Hong Kong eyes youth travel to revive Indian market

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