A SUMMER Meeting Package is now on offer at the 320-room Taipei Marriott Hotel.
The deal includes a night’s stay in a Classic Room which comes with views of the iconic Taipei 101 building, international breakfast at the Garden Kitchen restaurant and a full-day meeting package.
Rates begin from US$265++ per person.
Promotion ends September 30, 2016.
Email catering@taipeimarriott.com.tw for reservations.
CORPORATE travel has long been an important cornerstone of the travel industry, signifying a large revenue stream for its industry players. The boon and bane of the industry is dependent on a multitude of factors, the most significant being oil prices and the safety of travel.
However, as we progress towards an increasingly global economy, corporate travel has become inevitable. As such, it is vital for organisations to equip themselves on the latest corporate travel trends in order to make informed decisions before embarking on their next destination.
Mild turbulence
In light of the economic slowdown in 2016, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) predicts a 12 per cent growth in total business travel spend in 2016, a decrease from the 14.2 per cent experienced in 2015 .
However, the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a boom. China is expected to overtake the US and clinch pole position in terms of business travel spending in the 2016. Closer to home, Singapore is set to register a higher growth for its business Ttavel and MICE industry. The Singapore Tourism Board has also decided to extend its In Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE) programme to Europe and North America in a bid to attract the anticipated rise in international outbound travel.
Business or pleasure?
The rise of Bleisure is the latest trend to take hold of this industry. The portmanteau Bleisure, refers to the mixing of business with leisure. As a perk to business travellers, companies have recognised the benefits of accommodating employees to travel with their families during corporate trips, at the expense of the employee. Coupled with the increasing use of technology to manage their business travel, employees are beginning to better integrate their work-lives, instead of merely trying to achieve a balance of two separate entities.
Duty-free not
Conventionally, an employer is legally obliged to educate their staff on the inherent risks in business travel. However, the rise of Bleisure travel has blurred the distinction between work and leisure, raising new issues in the area of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH). Until companies can strike a balance between Bleisure and WSH, they will have to be mindful in giving their employees more leeway.
Technology take-off
Technology has disrupted every aspect of our lives, including business travel. Today’s business travellers have the world at their fingertips; once their itinerary is booked, they are able to access a plethora of information and real-time updates that will help make their trip a seamless experience. Along with the rise of Bleisure, technology allows business travellers to be more productive, ranging from the ability to make real-time expense claims, to immediately reacting to unforeseeable circumstances at their destinations.
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Bertrand Saillet is the general manager of FCM Travel Solutions, responsible for the South-east Asia region. As a veteran in the travel and technology industry, Saillet brings with him a wealth of extensive knowledge and experience. He is tasked to take FCM to the 3.0 travel management sphere – making sure the company delivers amazing travel experience and meeting the needs of all travellers across all generations.
Prior to joining the FCM family, Saillet held various management positions with Amadeus.
Article by Bertrand Saillet
THE Philippine destination marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), is looking into tweaking its current Fun Works MICE brand to create a new campaign by the end of this year as well as “reinventing” its role as more destinations across the country, such as Davao/Mindanao, Cebu and northern Luzon, are taking the initiative to promote their own business events products.
In consultation with the private sector, TPB will discuss these changes with incoming tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo, according to TPB COO Domingo Ramon Enerio III on the sidelines of the second Asia Premium Travel Mart.
Enerio told TTGmice e-Weekly that some destinations had formed the equivalent of a convention and visitors bureau in an aggressive bid to attract business events.
He added: “Now is the golden opportunity for the regions (those proactive destinations) to be responsible for their own (destination) marketing. We can create more noise with more players.”
Enerio said the TPB could cooperate with these destinations in international marketing activities and would, at the same time, reach out to other destinations that required guidance.
Commenting on the Fun Works brand, Enerio shared that a clearer explanation was needed to show what it stood for.
He said that while the brand highlighted the Philippines as a destination for relaxed, fruitful and productive business events, it also got misinterpreted as the name of a theme park, like DreamWorks.
(From left) Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of TAT, and Ackash Jain, director of QNA International, exchange a warm handshake after the agreement signing ceremony
THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has successfully won the bid from QNA International to host the 4th Annual Destination Wedding Planners Congress 2017.
The event, scheduled to be held in Thailand from May 2-4, 2017, is expected to attract 450 delegates from around the world. The previous three editions took place in Greece, Mauritius and Italy.
Ackash Jain, director of QNA International, said: “Thailand has been a very strong contender; the country is already very popular among travellers and leisure seekers, and is also on the radar as a coveted destination for weddings and honeymoons.’’
Moreover, according to a survey conducted by QNA International, Thailand was listed as the top destination of choice in Asia for destination weddings and honeymoons.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of TAT, said: “Weddings can raise a great deal of revenue for Thailand. The average spend for a wedding is around five (US$142,000) to 20 million baht depending on how many guests attend. It is estimated that 400 couples come from India alone to get married in Thailand, with Europe and the US being strong markets.”
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
THE past week has seen Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) securing two conference wins – the 11th World Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2019 (DOHaD 2019), and the 2020 Meeting of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT 2020).
The biennial DOHaD, touted as the only gathering worldwide for specialists in the field of research in prevention of disease in early life, will be held in Melbourne for the first time.
The four-day event will take place at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and is expected to attract over 800 scientists, clinical researchers, obstetricians, paediatricians, public health professionals and policy leaders in the discipline of foetal and developmental disease.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren, said: “Events of this calibre put Melbourne and Victoria (state) on a world stage, and contribute significantly to our economy. Business events are the highest yielding sector of the Victorian visitor economy, delivering an economic contribution of A$9.98 billion (US$7.5 billion) and 65,000 jobs annually.”
Come October 2020, MCEC will also play host to the world’s leading musculoskeletal physiotherapists, who will exchange knowledge, share research and celebrate innovation in the neuromusculoskeletal physiotherapy sector, during IFOMPT 2020.
MCB said that this meeting would generate A$5.5 million for Victoria, and attract 1300 international and local delegates.
Eren added: “Staging the big international conferences provides valuable returns for all Victorians. It means more business for our hotels, restaurants and other small businesses – and that means more jobs for locals.”
CHINA will continue to contribute the largest share of tourists to the Asia-Pacific region this year, according to a report by MasterCard.
The MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index revealed that 50.4 million tourists from China are projected to travel to destinations across Asia-Pacific this year to make up 15.7 per cent of total international overnight arrivals in the region.
They are expected to spend US$45.3 billion, contributing 18.2 per cent of total tourist expenditure in the region.
South Korea (32.5 million; 10.1 per cent) ranked second after China, followed by Taiwan (22.5 million; 7 per cent), the US (20.6 million, 6.4 per cent) and Japan (18 million; 5.6 per cent).
China propelled to its lead from 2009, when it was the sixth biggest contributor of tourists to the region, driven by 25.9 per cent compounded average annual growth rate to reach the top spot in 2012. It has held the lead ever since.
Japan in contrast has seen its share of tourists to Asia-Pacific destinations fall from top spot in 2009 (9.7 per cent share) to fifth in 2016 (5.6 per cent share).
Further afield, the US at number four has consistently been the highest ranked non-APAC origin country since 2009. The UK is the only other non-APAC source market within the top ten at ninth place.
“In the past few years, the mix of tourists in key Asia-Pacific destinations has changed significantly, reflecting the economic rise of China and other emerging Asian economies. Where you might have found tourists from Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the US, you are now much more likely to come across travelers from mainland China,” commented Matthew Driver, executive vice president, global products & solutions, Asia-Pacific at MasterCard.
“The impact of the economic transformation of China and specifically the rise in disposable incomes is the biggest driver of tourism growth globally. While we are expecting similar growth from India and Indonesia in the longer term, as well as other segments such as Halal tourism, Chinese tourists are more concentrated in Asia and impact markets at a larger scale.”
Tom Klein
SABRE has made public that president and CEO Tom Klein intends to resign from the company and the board of directors by December 31. Until then, Klein will continue to serve as CEO of the company while the board formally searches for a successor.
“By making this announcement now, the board of directors will have ample time to identify a successor as we work through a smooth transition to keep the company’s growth plans and our customer deliverables on course,” said Klein.
“Then I will be able to turn my personal attention to new opportunities knowing that I am leaving Sabre on firm ground, with a great management team and a bright future as a global technology leader.”
Klein first joined Sabre when it was still a unit of AMR Corp., where he held sales and marketing roles under American Airlines. He went on to serve in a number of executive roles under Sabre, including group president of both Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions. He was then named president of Sabre in 2010 and CEO in 2013.
“Under his leadership and vision, Sabre is clearly positioned as an innovative technology company and our business has been reinvented to ensure our solutions meet the changing needs of the very dynamic travel industry,” said Larry Kellner, chairman of Sabre’s board of directors.
“During this transition period it will be business as usual for Sabre’s customers, employees, and suppliers as the board works to identify a successor.”
Screenshot of Smailing Tour’s website homepage
ONE of Indonesia’s biggest tour operators, Smailing Tour, will be embarking on a new expansion strategy as it celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
“Besides making Smailing more competitive, our ongoing transformation programme ensures the company will continue to be relevant and (is capable of) meeting the demands and expectations of domestic and international tourists,” said Anthony Akili, president and CEO of Smailing Tour.
The launch of the company’s Bali Ticketing and Outbound Centre yesterday kicked off this transformation, which expands Smailing’s Bali operation, from mainly catering to inbound businesses to the island to now encompass domestic and outbound leisure and corporate segments.
Anthony said Smailing will still continue to support the Indonesian government’s goal to bring in 20 million international visitors by 2020.
To do this, Smailing Tour Bali has been rebranded as Smailing Tour DMC as the company expands its inbound travel business to include other parts of Indonesia.
The company opened Smailing Tour DMC Yogyakarta last year and will expand its footprint further by opening offices in Bandung, Surabaya, Lombok, Balikpapan, Medan, Batam, Makassar, Manado, and Labuan Bajo next year.
The newly renovated property manages to further leverage on its cultural charm and unbeatable location, discovers Yixin Ng
Location
Poised in Singapore’s bustling Bugis area, right above the subway, the newly-revamped InterContinental Singapore serves simultaneously as a tranquil hideout in a busy shopping district and a launchpad for discovering the eclectic local colour.
Having only one night at the hotel, I was satisfied by how options for retail, dining, nightlife and arts and culture, were all within walking distance from the property.
Time-strapped guests can experience the city’s many facets on foot – from the watering holes dotting Arab Street to the Singapore Art Museum on Bras Basah Road to the heartland haunts found in the housing estates surrounding Rochor Centre.
The hotel recently began taking advantage of its location in the heritage-steeped district with the launch of complimentary guided walks every Saturday. The walks cover 20 art institutions and historical sites including the former Saint Anthony’s Convent, now home to the National Design Centre.
Rooms
All 338 guestrooms in the hotel’s main wing now flaunt a fresh look after a round of facelifts was completed in February.
It is always impressive when hotel rooms manage to sport a sophisticated aesthetic without giving off a bleak and severe vibe. I thought InterContinental hit the mark in this aspect. There is a charm embodied in the details that serve as subtle throwbacks to Singapore’s cultural roots. I especially took to the motifs on the mirror reminiscent of Peranakan tiles and the air-conditioning vents styled after Chinese carved beams.
My stay was in a Club-InterContinental room, which included complimentary pressing of two clothing items upon arrival. Even with the usual club benefits, the ultimate luxury for me was the bed. The sheets and duvet were feathery smooth to the touch and the mattress firm and springy.
For those who appreciate more spaciousness, I found out that rooms on the top floor have higher ceilings.
Facilities
Although the hotel ballrooms and meeting spaces were not included in the revamp, I was told there have been interest from corporate groups wanting to use the hotel’s overhauled suites for break-out sessions.
Aside from the ornate set-up, the spaciousness of the suites with floor area of up to 259m2 is a clear selling point.
The hotel gymnasium also underwent upgrades and looks more sanitary now. An open studio space complete with yoga mats is also attached.
Other renovated facilities include the lobby, lobby lounge and concierge lounge. Although the revamp brought few functional changes to these areas, I found that the new artwork and display pieces hinting at Singapore’s heritage served to prime visitors for their dive into the cultural potpourri beyond the hotel’s walls.
F&B
The new all-day dining restaurant, Ash & Elm, is a flashier version of its predecessor, boasting rustic-chic décor and an open kitchen concept. In comparison, it’s breakfast buffet selection was relatively pedestrian, with à la minute stations, sections of cold cuts, cheeses, juices and an international spread of breakfast items.
Service
Service was for the most part efficient and satisfactory. My requests for technical assistance and evening room-cleaning were quickly heard. Hospitality at the lobby lounge exceeded expectations – over tea, the staff picked up on my partner’s dietary restrictions during our conversation and offered us a portion of chicken meatballs.
Verdict
With great success, the refurbished hotel delivered a sense of place, both through its aesthetics and the newly rolled-out heritage walk. InterContinental also gets a solid tick for managing the balance of changing with the times while keeping its old-world charm and character well intact.
Name: InterContinental Singapore
No. of rooms: 338 rooms and suites in the main wing; 65 in heritage wing
Rates: From S$295 (US$219)
Tel: (65) 6338 7600
Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching with representatives from Sedona Hotel Yangon and Keppel Land Myanmar
The iconic Sedona Hotel Yangon welcomed Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong recently during his three-day trip to Myanmar to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During his trip, Lee met with Singaporeans working in Yangon and launched the Singapore-Myanmar Vocational Training Institute in downtown Yangon.
