Starwood expands, debuts St Regis in Malaysia

March 9, 2016

Artist rendering of St Regis Langkawi

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts will add nine new hotels to its portfolio in Malaysia over the next four years, translating to an additional 2,406 keys in the country.

The St Regis brand will make its debut in Malaysia this year with the opening of two luxury properties, The St Regis Langkawi, opening in April, followed by The St Regis Kuala Lumpur in June.

Arokia Das, senior manager at Luxury Tours Malaysia, thinks this will attract high-end travellers. “Nothing states luxury as St Regis does and it is well known for its service and hardware. The brand will make it easier to attract luxury travellers to Malaysia.”

The 208-room St Regis Kuala Lumpur is looking at a 60:40 ratio of FITs and groups/corporates to fills its rooms, said Christopher Chung, regional director sales & marketing, South-east Asia.

Meanwhile, Starwood’s Le Meridien Putrajaya is scheduled to open in June, featuring 350 guestrooms and a combined function space of 3,800m² made up of 16 flexible meeting rooms.

Hotels scheduled to open next year include W Kuala Lumpur in March; Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel in July; and The Westin Desaru Resort in December.

Japan’s Niseko Village to get slew of upgrades

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2016

NISEKO Village, YTL Hotels’ integrated all-season ski resort located in Hokkaido, is undergoing major upgrading works to include two new modern ski lifts, a 1.2km ski run and improved connectivity within the premises by December.

The Village Express will be an 830m long high-speed detachable lift. This will be the first gondola and chair mixed lift in Japan, comprising six-seater chairs and eight-seater gondolas on the same line.

The other new lift at the resort is the Upper Village Gondola, a pulsed gondola that stretches 300m. It will allow guests from Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse and The Green Leaf Niseko Village properties to access a beginner ski area on the mountainside that will also undergo enhancements in time for the 2016/17 winter season.

Guests also get greater access to shopping, entertainment and dining outlets via Village Express’ new mid-point station, which the Upper Village Gondola will also connect to through the top station of the Village Express route.

From the top station down to the base, a completely new 1.2km ski run will be created. The course will start midway down the existing Shaky Knees course with a turn to the skiers’ right, running from The Green Leaf Niseko Village and Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse down the fall line of the mountain.

It continues alongside the central village retail and dining area, traversing a ski-over bridge across the road that accesses Hilton Niseko Village with no impact to the current road system.

As well, two magic carpet surface lifts will be constructed between the Village Express lift base and the Niseko Kids beginners area to create a learning area for new skiers.

The new lift infrastructure will run throughout the year. From 2017 onwards, Pure, a nature and adventure park, will be open to guests during the summer period.

Asia keeps faith in German market despite booking shortfalls

By Raini Hamdi

March 9, 2016

Bailey: Shift to online?

ASIAN players are hopeful of a strong German market this year despite summer bookings at travel agencies in Germany in January – traditionally the strongest month for summer bookings – showing a sea of red.

GfK, which analyses some 340,000 bookings made at 1,200 travel agencies, shows a 12 per cent YOY fall in sales in January, wiping out 260 million euros of revenue for tour operators and travel agents. The drop followed an eight per cent fall in December. Summer 2016 sales are around 8.6 per cent behind last year’s cumulative total.

Asian sellers interviewed however suggest that the region is holding up as a destination. For some, GfK’s data also points to a shift – or the start of one – by German travellers to book online than using the traditional tour operating booking system.

Centara Hotels & Resorts’ COO, Chris Bailey, said: “Germany is a mature market to a destination like Thailand, so it is quite feasible that with the right communications and inducements, customers are booking online, thus the decline.

“As I view various data, all suggest that German outbound is actually set to grow, although small, from 1.5 to four per cent. The point here is it’s growing, so the question is: does the traditional travel sector in Germany still deliver what the customer wants to buy, in terms of product, flexibility, price and speed to market?

“Many European markets have changed, just look at Scandinavia, where the majority of customers are now booking online through one channel or another.”

Centara is seeing a five per cent rise in German bookings YTD. Tourism Authority of Thailand also shows a 7.14 per cent rise in German arrivals in January, over January 2015, to 86,428.

“That communicates that business is still out there but certainly the market has become much more late-booking as customers are prepared to wait for the best deal. The introduction of low-cost longhaul Eurowings and aggressive online air deals, also fuel a different booking mechanism,” added Bailey.

AccorHotels Asia-Pacific’s chief marketing & distribution officer Graham Wilson said terror attacks in Bangkok and Paris last year might have dampened bookings during December and January.

“Our key German market hotels in Thailand, Australia and Bali actually saw some increase in December and January,” said Wilson. “This is backed by figures from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism showing German arrivals into Bali were up 14.11 per cent last year, including a stronger December, and Tourism Australia figures showing German arrivals into Australia were up 1.7 per cent in 2015.

Wilson: Confidence will return

“Last year was an extraordinary year for travel to Thailand because most of the main operators had hedged a good rate on the baht to the euro, which gave them a competitive edge when the baht dropped. While the slump in the euro has dampened market sentiment, Asia still represents great value for German and European travellers.”

“There is a lot of change in Germany at the moment which may be impacting travel sentiment but we believe confidence will return through the year.”

Judy Lum, senior vice president sales & marketing of Tour East Group, did see a slowdown in Germany/Swiss markets by 3Q and 4Q2015 after a slight improvement at the start of last year, which for Tour East was offsetted by a spike in UK arrivals.

“While Germans are known to value their holidays, issues of an unstable euro, several unstable European economies still, the threat of terror attacks and then the Zika pandemic are just too much to ignore. Nevertheless, we are optimistic of the European market overall and are confident of a slight improvement at the close of the 2015/16 season.”

Mactan-Cebu airport plans to capture more markets

By Rosa Ocampo

March 9, 2016

MACTAN-CEBU International Airport (MCIA) is rapidly increasing the number of flights into Cebu, and is currently in talks with Jetstar and Turkish Airlines to launch routes to Australia and Europe.

Four international services will start linking to Cebu this month: Philippine Airlines’ nonstop flights to Los Angeles; Emirates from Dubai via Clark; Eva Air from Taiwan; and Xiamen Airlines from Xiamen.

Qatar Airways will also return to Cebu within the year, said MCIA’s CEO Andrew Harrison.

He pointed out that with South Korea being Cebu tourism’s “key dependency”, there is a need for Cebu to diversify by targeting other markets, including Europe, Australia and mainland China.

“We want (to capture the European market) because they (tend to) stay longer – about 10 nights compared to four nights from Asians. Australians, in addition, have the propensity to travel to beach destinations,” said Harrison.

“Also, with the majority of tourists to the Maldives being mainland Chinese, we want them to know that (Cebu is a more affordable destination) that they do not have to travel as far to get to.”

Greater connectivity to MCIA would ease the congestion in Manila’s international airport and also serve the “latent demand” for travel to Visayas and Mindanao, he added.

But he reminded that there needs to be demand for the destination before airlines would fly there, which is why MCIA is partnering with the Philippine Department of Tourism and the travel trade to promote the destination by going on roadshows and trade shows.

Khiri Group rebrands as Yaana Ventures

By Raini Hamdi

March 9, 2016

Willem Neimeijer, founder, Khiri Group

THAILAND-BASED Khiri Group is rebranding itself as Yaana Ventures as it moves to expand its other businesses while Khiri Travel retains its name and remains a vital DMC division.

Having roped in former Diethelm Travel CEO Richard Brouwer as CEO of Khiri Travel, founder of Khiri Group, Willem Neimeijer, has stepped up as chairman of Yaana Ventures and will be focusing on growing travel products that develop communities and the environment.

While the company is synonymous with the DMC-side of the business since Neimeijer founded it 22 years ago, less is known that it also operates GROUND, which arranges educational trips that develop communities, and the Anurak Community Lodge in Khao Sok, Thailand, and the Banteay Chhmar Tented Camp in Cambodia. As demand for authentic and meaningful travel products continue to rise, Neimeijer believes it’s time to expand GROUND and develop more lodges and tents.

Said Neimeijer: “At the core we are passionate about delivering authentic travel experiences. As a DMC, Khiri Travel has specialised in delivering this to tour operators but increasingly we find that we need to go further in the pursuit of this passion.

“For example, we co-founded and manage the Anurak Community Lodge simply because there was no property in the region that respects nature, the local community and delivers a good product at a reasonable price that we could use.

“We look for synergies in all our ventures, but are aware that each needs a separate, dedicated focus. In short, as entrepreneurs in the travel and hospitality sector, we have ambitions that required a new brand.”

On why the rebranding, which is done by QUO, is necessary, Neimeijer said: “First, it clarifies our aspirations in the travel and hospitality industry in Asia above and beyond the Khiri brand. Second, it frees Khiri Travel, with 22 years of experience, to focus on destination management. Third, Yaana gives space for each of its brands to take the lead and grow.”

Logo of Yaana Ventures

Yaana in Sanskrit embodies ‘journey of discovery’ and ‘entrepreneurial explorers and experienced partners’.

“There is a pattern among our ventures: they are all in the tourism and hospitality sphere, all focused on Asia and all with a distinctive company culture,” said Neimeijer.

Meanwhile, new CEO of Khiri Travel Brouwer aims for quality growth in light of a changed marketplace that demands experiential travel. “We prefer to commit the next five years to strengthening the foundation that has made Khiri Travel what it stands for today.

“Enabling growth for the tour operator today means that the ground partner must ensure that travellers who are leaving their holiday destination have experienced that destination to the fullest. Those experiences are different for each client, therefore a rich variety in product is absolutely essential.

“In plain economic terms, that should bring us a 100 per cent gain over the next five years.”

New brand, growth plan for BCEC as it hits 20 years

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2016

BRISBANE Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) is celebrating its 20^th anniversary with a brand rejuvenation and a strategic plan for growth.

BCEC general manager, Bob O’Keeffe, said the new brand is designed to shape a future BCEC.

Said O’Keeffe: “We see our 20^th anniversary as a catalyst for change. We are taking this opportunity to look forward, to challenge the status quo.

“We intend to broaden our culture of innovation across all aspects of our operation, raising the bar even further working with our clients and partners, and taking our event delivery to the Next Level with a strong strategic plan for growth and enhancement.”

The new brand, along with fresh advertising materials, was developed over several months with Ogilvy Brisbane, exploring the competitive environment, locally and internationally, incorporating research and new marketing trends.

Managing director of Ogilvy Brisbane, Russ Vine, said: “While the venue is well established and runs like clockwork, it is not without edge (and) excitement.”

BCEC has a strong track record of hosting high calibre international and local events including the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit. It has hosted more than 17,000 events and 11 million visitors.

Vine pointed out that “Next Level is not always about being bigger or better – it means going beyond expectations and striving to make events a success. This might be Next Level service, cuisine, lighting or staging, and Next Level innovation, harnessing technology or simply thinking outside of the box”.

As part of the new branding, BCEC has also launched a new mobile friendly website.

Graeme Caplen, director of Entegy who re-built the BCEC website, said BCEC.com.au is fully mobile optimised and designed for visitors and clients who are on the go.

“(The) website will evolve with the centre as it delivers on its Next Level promise,” Caplen said.

Starwood to reward sustainable meetings adopters

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2016

STARWOOD Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts has rolled out a new meeting offer which dispenses 2,000 bonus Starpoints to meeting organisers who book its sustainable meeting packages with any participating hotels in the region.

As part of the programme, participating hotels offer a comprehensive range of options that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible, and that promise to enhance the customer experience. Steps taken towards this end include featuring locally sourced produce and sustainable seafood on the menu, doing away with table coverings or using reusable ones, and having having recycling bins in all meeting spaces.

Starwood vice-president, sales – Asia Pacific, Nichlas Maratos, said in a media release: “Starwood is committed to drive sustainability efforts and our Global Citizenship work is a great reflection of this.

“However we recognise that besides making sure that our internal operations and infrastructure are ecosystem friendly, our efforts should also include our customers and make it possible for them to actively participate in and be involved in this initiative.”

For environmentally conscious planners, the Meetings Impact Report (MIR) is offered free and assesses the environmental impact of individual events via indicators such as energy and water consumption, waste management and sustainable food choices. Once the MIR is calculated using the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative, meeting planners can offset the event’s carbon footprint with a list of donation opportunities through South Pole Carbon, Starwood’s global carbon-offset partner, that advance emission-reduction projects around the world.

The offer is exclusive for Starwood Preferred Guest and SPG Pro members, and is valid up to October 31 for arrivals by December 31, 2016. A minimum spend of US$10,000 is required.

Perth Convention Bureau gets funding support from opposition party

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2016

WESTERN Australian Labor Party (WA Labor) will invest A$5 million (US$3.7 million) per annum in the Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) to boost the hospitality and tourism sectors’ ability to create jobs and diversify the economy.

WA Labor’s investment will mean a 62 per cent increase in funding compared to the cuts announced by the Liberal Government in the 2015-16 State Budget.

Tourism Council Western Australia estimates that the annual investment will create over 340 new jobs in the state and maintain a total of 1,260 jobs each year.

In 2014/2015, the business events market directly contributed A$112 million to the state economy and created over 900 jobs.

A joint media release by WA Labor and PCB states that the bureau regularly provides a return on investment more than two to three times its Sydney and Melbourne counterparts and operates on a much lower cost basis than competing bureaus.

Mark McGowan, WA Labor leader, said: “It makes smart economic sense to invest in organisations that have a high return on investment like the Perth Convention Bureau to create more local jobs for Western Australians.”

With more than 2,000 additional hotel rooms coming on line in the near future, WA Labor’s investment in PCB will grow the visitor numbers required to fill these rooms.

Treatments on the fly in Asia

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2016

TTG Asia examines the state of health and medical tourism in four thriving markets in South-east Asia

THE PHILIPPINES
What started out as wellness tourism – with a smattering of beauty and pampering fixes – has become full-fledged medical tourism now that hospitals in the Philippines are offering cancer, cardiology, stem cell and other treatments.

At least four Manila-based hospitals – Asian Hospital and Medical Center; St Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City; The Medical City; and Makati Medical Center – were accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) in recent years. These JCI-accredited hospitals have also launched a “one-country” package combining medical treatment and tourist activities.

Angel Ramos Bognot, president and managing director of Afro-Asian Travel and Tours, said: “Medical tourism has huge potential but it has not been given much attention. It is very silent.”

Bognot explained: “We should be thinking of medical tourism not only for beauty. Nip and tuck is only one element. We have hospitals recognised for their top-notch facilities, and competitive pricing for the wide range of medical procedures they can perform.”

While Philippine medical tourism is not as well-known when compared with Singapore, Thailand, India and South Korea, it leverages on its competitive pricing; highly skilled and culturally sensitive doctors and nurses; modern facilities; and English-proficient healthcare workers.

Several travel consultants interviewed noted that overseas Filipinos and foreigners from the US and US territories of Guam and Saipan, as well as Asians, flock to the Philippines for orthodontics, ophthalmology and dermatology, drawn by the significantly lower prices than those in their countries of origin.

According to the Philippine Department of Tourism’s (DoT) medical tourism booklet, an ophthalmology package starts at US$978; a surgery package at US$1,848; an orthopaedic surgery at US$4,111; and a cardiology, thoracic and vascular surgery package at US$18,222.

This niche product is starting to obtain “keen interest from travel agents and tour operators from several countries”, according to Philippine tourism secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.

Jimenez noted that during the World Medical Tourism and Global Congress Healthcare Congress held in Washington DC last year, a US-based international buyer from the insurance industry selected the Philippines over Singapore, Thailand, Costa Rica, Brazil and Bolivia as a medical tourism destination of choice.

The DoT, in tandem with participating private hospitals, is also promoting medical tourism more extensively abroad. This includes having a presence at last year’s World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress in the US and the International Medical Travel Exhibition & Conference in Dubai.

Among the most sought-after hospital procedures in the Philippine Medical Tourism programme are cardiology care, minimally invasive surgery, orthopaedic care, aesthetics and cosmetics like dental services, ophthalmology and executive health check-ups, according to Jimenez.

Meanwhile, the Medical City’s healthcare facility in Clark, Pampanga, is being aided by the DoT’s push for air route development section, said Jimenez.

Belo Medical Group, one of the biggest and most successful medical aesthetic ambulatory clinics in the country, is also starting to link up with tour operators to promote their services.
Simon Ang, managing director-operations of Celebrate Life TLC, confirmed that included in their premium package offerings abroad are Belo Medical Group’s surgical and non-surgical beauty breakthroughs and products.

To tap the potential of Philippines’ medical tourism, Asia Premium Travel Mart will include this niche, together with luxury travel, come its third B2B show in 2017. – Rosa Ocampo

MALAYSIA

By 2020, Malaysia aims to surpass Thailand and Singapore to become the top medical tourism destination in South-east Asia.

Currently ranked third in South-east Asia in terms of the number of health travellers, Sherene Azura Azli, CEO, Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), said the main challenge is the lack of awareness of Malaysia as a health tourism destination.

She elaborated: “Middle Eastern travellers come to Malaysia for holidays but go to Thailand for medical treatments. We don’t shout loud enough about our unique value proposition in our marketing and communications.”

Citing Malaysia’s unique selling proposition for medical tourism, Sherene said: “Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world in which the healthcare travel industry is directly supported by the government. This translates to unparalleled support in the development of infrastructures for the industry, as well as for other initiatives, such as extended medical visas for healthcare travellers who may need longer-term treatments.”

In addition, many leading Malaysian hospitals and healthcare facilities possess accreditation from international bodies such as the Joint Commission International and International Society for Quality in Healthcare.

The Ministry of Health Malaysia also imposes stringent regulations on hospitals and healthcare facilities, particularly in matters related to quality and safety, which the institutions strictly abide by.

“Another point tipping the balance in Malaysia’s favour is that English is widely spoken in Malaysia and this builds confidence in patients who are able to communicate with confidence directly to their doctors,” added Sherene.

She describes healthcare in Malaysia as being “highly affordable”, primarily due to the Ministry of Health’s regulations on ceiling rates for healthcare treatments in the country.

According to Sherene, Malaysia presently has a large market share in Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and the Middle East, with moderate share from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Japan and South-east Asia.

“Moving forward, apart from strengthening our presence in the aforementioned countries, MHTC looks to focus efforts on promoting Malaysia healthcare to more markets internationally. Key target markets identified for growth are China, Europe, central Asia and ASEAN,” she said.

Healthcare travellers to Malaysia have been increasing steadily at approximately 20 per cent compound annual growth rate since 2009. MHTC’s target for 2015 was to attract one million healthcare travellers and generate a revenue of RM1 billion (US$238 million), up from RM730 million in 2014.

Among the most sought-after treatments by international health travellers to Malaysia are cardiology, orthopaedics, in-vitro fertilisation, neurology, health screening, oncology, cosmetic surgery and dentistry.

Sherene added: “The (value) of the ringgit against the currencies of developed countries also results in healthcare rates here to be highly competitive as compared to those in their home countries, with no compromise on the quality of care.”

KL Tan, general manager of Borneo Trails Tours & Travel in Kota Kinabalu, agreed that the weakened ringgit, coupled with consultation appointments that are easy to obtain, has helped boost demand for cosmetic surgery as well as non-surgical procedures from his key markets – China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia – where there is direct air access to Kota Kinabalu.

Borneo Trails provides medical tourists with an itinerary, combining holiday packages with an appointment with Charles Lee, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital. – S Puvaneswary

THAILAND
Thailand’s medical tourism sector continues to grow and will remain strong with help from both the government and private sector, sources told TTG Asia.

A Kasikorn Research Center report stated that the number of medical treatments provided to medical tourists by Thai private hospitals is expected to reach 2.8 million in 2015, up 10.2 per cent year-on-year.

The same report also stated that Thailand’s major medical tourist markets include Myanmar, Japan, the Middle East and Europe, with Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China showing strong potential.

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, Thailand’s largest private healthcare provider, published on its website its recent analysis: “During 3Q2015, Thai and international patients grew 10 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. This resulted in the revenue proportion between Thai (74 per cent to 73 per cent) and international patients (26 per cent to 27 per cent) changing slightly from 3Q2014 to 3Q2015.

Established hospitals in the country are also expanding the scope of their treatments to meet the requirements of a growing global clientele.

Sudi Narasimhan, Bumrungrad International Hospital’s corporate director of marketing and business development, said: “We are expanding our programmes and specialities that will address more types of treatment. For example, we opened a dedicated liver centre last year. Our dedicated focus on liver treatment matches the increasing trend of patients with liver issues.

He added: “Another example is the Newlife Healthy Aging Clinic, which also opened last year, focusing on the holistic treatment of different issues that arise in elderly patients.”

The broadening range of medical treatments available is also a good fit with the government’s plans to promote Thailand as a quality leisure destination.

Visanu Jaroensilp, Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) deputy governor for tourism products and business, said: “TAT would like to promote Thailand (as more) than just a medical tourist market. We are looking to expand into the health and wellness sector, which refers to both the preventive and curative sides of the market.”

He added: “Thailand is one of the world’s most popular health and wellness destinations and it will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. It will grow well in the future for several reasons.

“One, the ageing populations globally and regionally. Two, there is increased attention being paid to health and wellness as a lifestyle choice across all groups. Three, there is an availability of a broad range of products, services and facilities in Thailand to cater to this entire market,” he explained.

TAT showed its support for the sector at the Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase in September 2015, which took place under the theme of Anti-Aging: The Next Big Thing in Health Tourism.

Fifty-six invited buyers specialising in health and wellness tourism had the opportunity to meet with top anti-ageing and aesthetic providers in Thailand.

Thailand’s Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also simplifying the visa application process for health and wellness visitors and accompanying persons alike. Health visitors from the GCC countries, and up to four accompanying people, are eligible for a visa-free stay of 90 days. – Michael Mackey

SINGAPORE

Singapore’s well-heeled reputation as a medical hub continues to shine, in light of the city taking second spot in the world for the Health outcomes and cost: a 166-country comparison report by The Economist Intelligence Unit in November 2014.

According to Soo Siew Keong, director, enrichment, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the proportion of medical tourism receipts was about four per cent of the overall tourism receipts in 2014. The top source markets include Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

He said: “Visitors from the region continue to come to Singapore for a wide range of medical care, from health screenings to advanced procedures in areas such as cardiology, neurology, obstetrics and gynaecology, oncology, ophthalmology and orthopaedics.”

According to Arifin Ng, general manager & senior vice president of Singapore Medical Group International Partners, around 30 to 40 per cent of their patients are foreigners from countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Russia.

Ng said: “Patients normally come to Singapore for more complicated cases, and they come for treatments such as cancer, orthopaedics, obstetrics, gynaecology, eye, dental and aesthetics.”

Highlighting how facilities like the Farrer Park Hospital and the new Raffles Medical Centre will boost the appeal of medical tourism, Soo said that “Singapore remains a destination of choice for quality medical care”.

The privately-run Farrer Park Hospital, designed with the capacity for 145 beds, is also part of a lifestyle concept combining healthcare and hospitality. The hospital is set in Connexion, a relatively new 20-storey building housing a hotel, spa and retail mall.

As for the 1,600m2 Raffles Medical Centre, which serves as an integrated multidisciplinary medical centre at Shaw Centre, its aim is to provide one-stop medical care in the heart of Orchard Road.

In response to how STB will continue to grow the city’s appeal of medical tourism, Soo said: “STB will continue to work together with private healthcare providers to strengthen their reach in key target markets. We will also support in-market intermediaries (such as financial institutions, airlines, associations and insurers) in profiling Singapore as an advanced medical care destination.

“In addition, STB supports efforts by medical associations and conference organisers to secure healthcare-related international conferences to facilitate knowledge exchange between Singapore healthcare providers and their in-market counterparts,” he added. –Paige Lee Pei Qi

This article was first published in TTG Asia, March 4, 2016 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Belitung’s new shine

By Mimi Hudoyo

March 9, 2016

A successful novel turned movie has provided the impetus for a small island to step out of its tin-mining past and discover the other treasures it has.

A hidden gem in the east coast of Sumatra, Belitung is striving to gain recognition as a tourist destination for regional and international travellers.

Part of the Bangka-Belitung Province, Belitung was home to a thriving tin mining industry in the 1970s, but the economy took a turn in the late 1990s when the state-owned Timah Industri moved its tin operations to the much bigger neighbouring island of Bangka.

It was not until Andrea Hirata’s novel Laskar Pelangi (English: The Rainbow Troops) – set in the author’s hometown in Belitung’s Gantong Village following the demise of the local tin mining industry – was adapted into a successful movie in 2008 that Belitung started attracting Indonesian and expatriate visitors and the locals had their eyes opened to the island’s tourism potential.

The destination came to be dubbed Bumi Laskar Pelangi (Land of the Rainbow Troops) and the Andrea Hirata Words Museum was built on the film site in Gantong Village in 2010.

Lending Belitung its tremendous potential for tourism are several sites that stand testament to the island’s unique history and natural biodiversity, according to Budi Setiawan, director of Belitung Adventure Tours and Tourism Destination Board.

Around Tanjung Kelayang in the north, natural granite formations can be found on land and in the ocean – sometimes hundreds of metres deep – while remnants of sunken ships that sailed from China, Arabia and Europe centuries ago lie in the southern islands of Belitung.

“The fact that these ships brought valuable goods such as porcelain of Tang, Ming, Song and other Chinese dynasties has made the area an historic underwater archaeological site,” said Budi.

Another highlight is the tarsier, an endangered species of small primates found in Belitung’s rainforests.

“The locals used to take (the tarsiers) for granted and chased them out of their gardens. Only when tourists started travelling from far away to see them did the locals get reminded of their value,” said Budi, who also heads the Belitung Environment Concern Group.

Budi posits that community-based tourism is the way forward for Belitung, but admits that adjusting to a service-oriented industry like tourism will take time for the locals.

Local engagement is thus key to ensuring the sustainable development of both tourism and livelihoods.

“The locals know the forest and mangrove areas best; they are divers by nature and they are proud of their homeland,” said Budi. “In the past, some of them were pirates; some bombed corals to sell. We trained them to become guides. The dive guides, for example, are certified now.”

As part of conservation projects, Budi runs educational tours for travellers, corporate groups and students. Activities available include island hopping, trekking, diving, river tubing, tarsier watching, coral planting and adoptions, turtle release and mangrove touring.

Meanwhile, there are plans to develop Leebong Island – a 37ha isle three kilometres off Belitung’s coast – with an eco-friendly approach. Yudianto, owner of Belitung Happy Tour, the sister company of Leebong Island management, said: “We will build a limited number of accommodation and recreational facilities. Currently, we are in the first phase of development and one out of five bungalows and the restaurant is ready.”

Also underway are plans by the Bangka Belitung government to expand the runway from 2,225m to 2,550m at the H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Airport in Tanjung Pandan, the capital of Belitung.

Arief Yahya, Indonesian minister of tourism, commented: “Airport development is crucial if Belitung wants its tourism to grow.”

In September last year, Indonesian president Joko Widodo inaugurated Tanjung Batu Seaport. Tanjung Kelayang has been named one of the 10 special economic zones to be developed and promoted by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.

Apart from hotels, a port for yachts will be built at Tanjung Kelayang. The whole project is expected to finalise in five years.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, March 4, 2016 issue, on page 32. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.