In 2016, Chinese luxury spend increased 20 per cent and returned to pre-2013 levels, according to chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report Rupert Hoogewerf, but buyers interviewed at ILTM Asia say this is not translating to fatter holiday budgets.

Hurun’s 2017 The Chinese Luxury Traveller Report states that purchasing power of respondents rose 57 per cent, from RMB14 million (US$2.1 million) per capita in 2015 to RMB22 million, as the effects of China’s 2013 anti-corruption measures ease.

Last year also saw the highest average willingness to spend extravagantly on accommodation, Hoogewerf said, with 60 per cent of wealthy Chinese travellers spending at least US$500 per night on rooms – although average household travel expenditure was relatively unchanged at RMB380,000.

Speaking to TTG Asia at ILTM Asia, Wang Ze Lin, outbound director of Resort Saloon, an agency operating under China Environment International Travel Service, observed a dip in Chinese travel spend in the past year.

In 2014 and 2015, the company’s bookings for resort destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius, Fiji and Tahiti were typically for five-star or five-star plus properties. But from 2016, the trend turned towards four-star properties, said Wang, citing the possible effects of slowing economic growth.

On the other hand, senior trip consultant at Deep Blue Trip, Eric Lee, has seen travel budgets grow in the past year due to a preference for smaller groups, personal vehicle and guide, and better quality services.

Meanwhile, assistant general manager of CYTS Sparkle Tour, Aymeric Naudin, pointed out that Chinese luxury travellers prioritise their spend differently depending on what part of the world they are visiting.

In Europe, “accommodation is generally not the primary allocation” as Chinese travellers prefer to splash out on activities, meals and shopping, said Naudin.

“In Asia, the budget for accommodation is very important. It’s all about affording a great resort with (ample amenities) as Chinese travellers (tend to) spend most time privately with their family in a villa.”

St Regis Hotels and Resorts is undergoing a brand repositioning to stay modern and relevant, and part of the new brand delivery will include a new “Live Exquisite” tagline and more experiential guest programmes developed by the St Regis Connoisseurs.

Lisa Holladay, vice president and global brand leader for St Regis, told TTG Asia the new positioning is built “all around living exquisitely”, and will retain the heritage, traditions and rituals the brand is known for.

Holladay pointed to the St Regis-sponsored 2017 Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup with Prince Harry as the guest of honour, held Monday at The Singapore Polo Club, as an example of how the new Live Exquisite promise is delivered. The polo game in the afternoon featured a lifestyle event that is a firm tradition with the St Regis brand, while the gala dinner that evening was held in an unexpected botanical paradise setting in The St Regis Singapore’s John Jacob Ballroom.

Also supporting the repositioning is a new print campaign which uses beautiful lifestyle photographs in different settings as well as a stronger reliance on the St Regis Connoisseur programme established in 2010. The programme calls upon trendsetters who share the same lifestyle as St Regis guests to provide ideas on how impressive travel experiences should be delivered at St Regis properties.

The programme, which counts professional polo player Nachos Figueras and singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum among its ambassadors, will soon be joined by Chinese millionaire socialite and jewelry designer Wan Bao Bao.

Yeoh Fay Linn, senior director, brand management & marketing Asia-Pacific, Marriott International, revealed that Wan will design a unique piece of jewelry that will only be retailed in limited quantity at St Regis properties and online boutique.

Coming up soon, the Live Exquisite promise will be delivered through a fashion project lead by another Connoisseur, fashion brand Marchesa. “Marchesa will design a collection of kaftans… bearing designs unique to our St Regis properties in resort locations,” shared Holladay.

Holladay also revealed for the first time that a search is underway for a “younger Connoisseur, perhaps a teenager” to give the brand a “younger perspective on how the brand can be enjoyed”.

She said: “These days, couples are travelling with their children, but they aren’t leaving their children with a babysitter at the resort. They want to spend quality time together. Children who grow up with frequent travellers – the kind who are our guests – are so well travelled themselves (so we can benefit from their perspectives).”

In collaboration with CrescentRating and Halaltrip, Bintan Resorts in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago has rolled out a series of initiatives to increase its appeal to Muslim travellers in South-east Asia and the Middle East.

The new initiative includes the publication of the Muslim Visitor Guide to Bintan Resorts, which is currently available in English and will be subsequently translated to Arabic. The guide highlights Muslim-friendly resorts, attractions and halal-friendly restaurants.

Kayaking in Treasure Bay Bintan’s Crystal Lagoon

Also, a dedicated microsite on HalalTrip will highlight the Muslim-friendly options in Bintan Island. All establishments, including hotels, restaurants, spas and attractions,have been rated based on CrescentRating’s system for Muslim friendliness.

Iris Kok, marketing communications manager of Bintan Resorts, said: “With anticipated growth in the Muslim travel market, we believe that this collaboration with CrescentRating is timely and boosts our marketing efforts towards welcoming Muslim tourists. It is an important step to access and adapt our offerings to be more Muslim-friendly allowing for informed decision-making.”

According to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017, the Muslim travel market is estimated to grow to US$220 billion in 2020 and US$300 billion by 2026. Indonesia currently stands in the third spot.

Hilton will soon plant a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Sri Lanka’s Weerawila, bringing its current hotel pipeline in the country to seven.

Slated to start operations in 1Q2018, the 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila is located on the banks of Lake Weerawila in the town of Tissamaharama, within Hambantota district. It is also near to the Weerawila Bird Sanctuary, a nesting ground for hundreds of diverse bird species.

(From left) KDU Group’s Thushan Upasena, Susantha Pointo, and Saman Upasena; Hilton’s William Costley, and Kieran Bestall; and KDU Group’s Deelaka Upasena
According to Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, the Weerawila hotel will mark the upscale brand’s fourth upcoming property in Sri Lanka.

DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila will be managed by KDU Adventures, a subsidiary of KDU Group.

Into its fifth year, Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE 2017) will be held at the Chengdu Century International Convention & Exhibition Center in Chengdu from November 30 to December 2 this year.

Organised by Singapore-based Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), CITE 2017 is supported by the Tourism Administration of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Tourism Association, the Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration, and the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition.

Edward Liu, the managing director of CEMS, speaking at an event

The 2017 show will feature a gross area of 10,000m² and is projected to boast over 400 international exhibitors from over 40 countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Turkey and the US, plus 400 international and local hosted buyers.

The three-day exhibition aims to welcome some 6,000 trade visitors from the travel and tourism industry and media, and 10,000 public visitors on the last day of the event.

An anchor highlight for the 2017 edition will be a pre-event promotional roadshows for exhibitors to promote themselves to their target buyers in various cities in the northern, central and western regions of China.

CEMS has also customised the pre-scheduling of business-to-business appointments to effectively match the needs of both the exhibitors and visitors.

Specially curated workshops, conferences, seminars, forums and panel discussions will also run concurrently with the exhibition for trade visitors to gain new practical knowledge on the industry practices.

More information on CIT 2017 is available at www.sc-cite.com.

Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes.

United Airlines flies non-stop between Singapore and Los Angeles
United Airlines will introduce a daily flight between Singapore and Los Angeles effective October 29, making it the longest scheduled service operated by any US carrier at 14,000km.

Flight UA38 will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport at 11.00 and arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at 10.15 the same day. The return flight, UA37, will depart Los Angeles at 20.55, arriving in Singapore at 06.50 two days later. Flying time will be approximately 15 hours and 15 minutes eastbound, and 17 hours and 55 minutes westbound.

The route will be serviced a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, offering a total of 252 seats – 48 United Polaris business class and 204 United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus.

With the launch of new non-stop service between Singapore and Los Angeles, the airline will terminate its Hong Kong-Singapore service on October 27 and Singapore-Hong Kong service on October 28.

Air Canada opens up flights to three Asian cities
Progressively from now until July 1, Air Canada will be launching 11 new international services globally, three of which are destinations in Asia – Nagoya, Taipei, and Mumbai.

The four-times weekly service between Vancouver and Nagoya began on June 1. Operated by a Boeing 767-300ER (Rouge), this will be a seasonal route.

Next, the daily flight between Vancouver and Taipei will begin on June 8, utilising a Boeing 787-9 (mainline).

The four-times weekly Toronto-Mumbai flight will only commence on July 1, utilitising a Boeing 787-9 (mainline).

Delta Air Lines launches daily services to Seoul
Delta Air Lines has commenced a new daily service between Atlanta and Seoul since June 3.

The flight is operated on an Boeing 777-200LR aircraft featuring 37 lie-flat seats with direct aisle access in Delta One, 36 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 218 seats in the main cabin featuring a nine-abreast seating layout.

Qatar Airways’ ban by several Arab countries from their airspace amid the ongoing diplomatic row has led Asian agents to seek alternatives for their affected clients, sparking concerns of price hikes for changes in travel plans at the last minute.

Like many tour operators in the region, a spokesperson from Singapore’s Chan Brothers Travel told TTG Asia that the agency is still adopting a wait-and-see approach as they keep a close eye on the unfolding situation and await further advisory from Qatar Airways before adjusting its itineraries to accommodate the added travelling times.

However, the lengthier travelling times for Qatar Airways flights to its Doha hub is a concern for many agents and their clients alike.

Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings, remarked: “We believe that there will be some sort of inconvenience as airlines flying from India to Qatar will have to re-route their flights. Similarly, those flying from Qatar to the West will have to detour to avoid the airspace. We believe that this will force Indians to choose carriers other than Qatar Airways for onward connections.’’

Guldeep Singh Sahni, Outbound Tour Operators Association Of India (OTOAI) president and Weldon Tours & Travels managing director, commented: “Most travel itineraries for groups and series are planned and sold in advance. The change in airlines will impact the cost and change in itineraries too, which may cause disputes in the packages already booked.”

He added: “Some passengers have already conveyed that they do not want to travel on Qatar Airways and requested changes. Our fear is that other airlines will also take advantage of this situation and increase their prices, which will heavily impact the tour operators.”

Furthermore, the Gulf blockade is expected to hit Umrah travellers from South-east Asia, particularly as this is the peak season for travel to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan.

For Ahmad Mahadzir, CEO of Malaysia’s KSB Travel & Tours, whose group of 15 Umrah travellers returning next week from Umrah are booked on Qatar Airways, he is at press time awaiting arrangements from the carrier to shift his affected clients to alternative airlines.

Meanwhile, Syed Razif Al-Yahya, group managing director of Sutra Group of Companies, has started seeking alternative travel arrangements for a group of 20 FIT clients scheduled to perform Umrah in the coming weeks leading up to the Hari Raya Muslim religious festival on June 25.

“There are a number of airline choices they can opt for, but as this is considered a last-minute booking, airfares will be quite high,” he said. “And this being the super peak period for Umrah, many hotels in Mecca and Medina will not make a refund on any change of dates.”

Stressing the importance of Qatar Airways for inbound traffic to Indonesia, especially as the airline recently added a third daily flight to Bali, PACTO’s COO inbound Umberto Cadamuro is hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon.

He remarked: “It is too soon to have a clear picture of the possible impact of an airspace ban, considering that IASTA (International Air Services Transit Agreement) members cannot legally shut down their airspace to fellow members. The only country that can actually shutdown its airspace to Qatar Airways is Saudi Arabia. However, an IASTA member can grant limited airspace access to fellow members, causing delays in the process. It is a wait-and-see situation as of now.”

In the Philippines, TravelExperts consultant Analiza Misa said the Gulf row is expected to have little impact on travel agents as there are few inbound travellers from Qatar and the majority of travellers are Filipino workers working in Doha.

– reporting by Rohit Kaul, S Puvaneswary, Mimi Hudoyo, Pamela Chow and Rosa Ocampo