TOURISM and hospitality professionals in Bangkok received a boost yesterday with news that the city has been shortlisted to host the Skal International World Congress in 2017.

Skal Club Bangkok submitted a bid to host the popular annual event in the face of stiff competition from five other Skal clubs based in Hyderabad, Stavanger, Toronto, Miami and Copenhagen.

Hyderabad is also shortlisted and the final decision will be made in a secret ballot of all Skal voting members attending the 2015 World Congress in Torremolinos, Spain in late October.

Skal members in Bangkok believe that up to 1,000 delegates could be visiting Thailand in 2017 if Bangkok wins the vote in Spain.

Dale Lawrence, president of Skal International Bangkok, said: “The decision to shortlist Bangkok reinforces our belief that the city is a first-class destination for business and leisure travellers and it is a timely confidence booster for all those working in Thailand’s tourism industry in the wake of the tragic event that took place on August 18.”

OAKWOOD Asia Pacific has signed a management contract with Newfort Realty to launch its first Oakwood-branded property in Singapore come November 2016.

Located near Mount Elizabeth Hospital on 18 Mount Elizabeth, just off shopping belt Orchard Road, the property will be part of the new Oakwood Studios brand.

Oakwood Studios Singapore will offer 98 residences ranging from studio units to two-bedroom apartments, with amenities including a lounge, gym and rooftop swimming pool.

The property will provide fully furnished accommodations, including kitchens complete with kitchenware, cutlery, washer and dryer.

Dean Schreiber, managing director of Oakwood Asia-Pacific, said: “Singapore is an important destination in both the business and leisure travel sectors and we have seen a marked surge in demand for serviced apartments in the city, as clients recognise the value of the home-like environment such accommodation provides, their cost effectiveness and flexibility.”

THE city of Tangalle in Sri Lanka’s southern coast is set to welcome the Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort in late 2015.

The 8.5ha resort boasts 32 villas and 120 suites decorated using locally-sourced furniture. Amenities for suites include bathrooms with rain showers, separate oval bathtub and a terrace or balcony with daybed, while villas come with private plunge pools, separate living spaces and indoor Bose sound systems.

A total of six restaurants, bar and lounge venues offer Sri Lankan and international cuisine. The Anantara Spa features eight treatment suites, a reflexology centre, and a beauty and hair salon.

The property is accessible via a 30-minute seaplane flight from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport to Mawella Lagoon Airport, followed by a 10-minute drive.

It is situated near attractions such as Wewurukannala Vihara temple, the rock temples of Mulkirigala and the Madunagala hot springs.

THE travel industry is not doing enough to tap into the lucrative senior travel sector, according to travel marketing firm MyTravelResearch.com.

Bronwyn White, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com, urges travel marketers to change their marketing techniques to better cater to senior travellers, instead of perpetuating cringe-worthy stereotypes that most seniors cannot relate to.

She suggests the utilisation of ageless marketing techniques, especially through imagery, emphasising on universal values such as love, friendship, loyalty, altruism and fitness.

High prices are also non-issues for seniors as they are not obsessed with cheap deals but would rather opt for value-for-money offers such as travelling during off-peak periods and getting late check-outs.

White also added that marketers need to be smart about search engine use and avoid using the term ‘senior’ on their website unless it refers to a specific package. An overuse of the term becomes off-putting, she said.

Furthermore, most seniors are less interested in acquiring material assets and are seeking to gain life-changing experiences in their travels, added White.

Lastly, White’s research has also tracked a rapid growth in single seniors wanting to travel, with most of them being women who may be newly divorced or widowed.

For more insight into marketing tourism to senior travellers, read White’s full blog post on Cashed Up, Time Rich – The Travelling Senior.

EMIRATES will be introducing four additional flights per week to its daily Phuket-Dubai service starting December 1, 2015, raising capacity on this route by 57 per cent.

A Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 310 seats in Economy Class will be operating the new flights.

Departure from Dubai will be at 22.55, arriving in Phuket International Airport at 08.00 the following day while the departure from Phuket will be at 09.30, landing in Dubai International Airport at 13.20 the same day.

Emirates has recently entered into a codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways on 19 routes across South-east Asia, adding a total of 14 new destinations to its global network.