Asia plays a central role in NCL’s future plans
Asia is both a vital source market, and an increasingly popular destination among Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) global clientele, and is making waves in the region with its strategic focus on the fly-cruise market.
During a recent visit to Singapore, Ben Angell, NCL’s vice president and managing director, shared with TTG Asia: “We are primarily focused on attracting guests from Asia who wish to travel overseas to cruise with us in destinations like Europe, Alaska, or Hawaii. We’re different compared to our competitors in this part of the world who are focused on deploying a ship in Asia with itineraries built for Asians.”
Typically, most Asian guests fly to Europe, sail for seven to 10 nights with NCL, before returning to Asia, but there is much room for this sector to grow. As such, during his visit to Singapore, Angell made it a point to meet with the travel trade, to share with them the benefits of NCL’s fly-cruise model.
“We believe we’ve got the best value proposition, and are confident in the quality of our product experience. This value (of how cruises can measure up to a land tour) can be measured very clearly when broken down, but not every travel agency has the time to do that,” said Angell.
To facilitate this, NCL has developed tools for their travel agent partners, and urges them to use those tools to help them win more business.
Damian Borg, director of sales strategy and operations – Asia Pacific, NCL, added: “We want our travel agents to also bring cruising into their conversations with their customers. For example, if their customer is thinking of, say four nights in Venice, and four nights in Rome, the agent can share with them the benefits of cruising so that they can enjoy both countries conveniently and comfortably.”
Aside from wanting to “be famous” for its fly-cruise offering, Angell also stressed the company’s “interest in Asia as a destination”.
In May 2024, NCL announced that it will be deploying 24 new port-intensive cruises across Asia, which amounts to a total of 85 Asia-Pacific voyages across Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun, and Norwegian Sky. The itineraries from September 2024 through to March 2026, have been “selling very well” both among its global clientele, and “Asian travellers who prefer to cruise closer to home”, Angell pointed out.
During the Asia season, NCL will ensure an average of 10 hours in every port and 40 overnight stays, offering guests a deeper immersion in local cultures, added Borg. When planning itineraries, NCL also ensures there is a mix of lesser-known boutique ports, alongside landmark and bucket list destinations.
According to Angell, cruising only represents one per cent of international holidays globally, meaning that all cruise lines have a “huge opportunity to tap on”.
Looking ahead, NCL will have eight new ships joining the fleet by 2036, which comprises four premium class ships, and the introduction of a new, not-yet-disclosed class.
Angell shared: “This is going to lead to some really exciting developments for NCL as we decide where we want to deploy those ships, and till then, we’ll continue to work with our partners to watch this recovery continue to gain momentum.”
Novotel partners WWF for ocean protection, restoration
Novotel has entered an international partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to champion the protection and restoration of the ocean through science-based action and conservation projects.
Under the three-year agreement, from 2024 to 2027, WWF France will provide technical expertise to Novotel, helping its 580 hotels worldwide to have a positive impact on the ocean.
Novotel will build a three-year science-based action plan, rooted in three of the United Nations’ priority ocean-related actions, namely reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification, particularly from land-based activities; fighting overfishing and promoting sustainable fishing models; and increasing scientific knowledge and research for ocean health.
The WWF partnership comprises four main objectives – work on sustainable seafood policies and supply chains for Novotel hotels and restaurants; raise guests’ and employees’ awareness of the importance of the world’s oceans; advocate for ocean preservation to inspire industry and policy makers; and preserve and restore marine biodiversity through support of five WWF flagship projects around the world.
The partnership will also see Novotel sponsoring several critical WWF ocean-related conservation projects across the world, including the protection of Posidonia, an endemic flowering plant of the Mediterranean; the identification and removal of ghost gear, which are lost, abandoned and otherwise discarded fishing gear; supporting the WWF France’s Blue Panda boat, which sails across the Mediterranean carrying out work including scientific dives, protecting endangered species of rays and sharks, and more; as well as tracking and tracing marine turtles in Asia-Pacific, and protecting the sea turtles of the Western Atlantic.
“There is a deep imbalance in the way the ocean is treated. Globally, over-exploitation and pollution are depleting the ocean’s resources, while only a tiny fraction of climate finance is allocated to its preservation. The ocean’s health affects us all and our collective actions have a profound impact. We will rebalance how we engage with it, consume its resources, and invest in its protection and restoration,” commented Karelle Lamouche, chief commercial officer, premium, midscale & economy division, Accor, Novotel’s parent group.
Yann Laurans, conservation director, WWF France, said: “WWF aims to restore ocean health for the benefit of people and nature. The oceans are an essential resource of biodiversity that must be protected. We are confident our world-renowned technical and scientific expertise will help Novotel drive operational change for the greater good of their business and the ocean”.
Accor also has an established track record of developing sustainable solutions and innovations in the maritime sector, such as supporting Energy Observer since 2017 and its recent partnership with the Fondation de la Mer in 2022 to adopt the Ocean Framework.
Choice Hotels Japan expands Comfort brand
Choice Hotels Asia-Pacific, in conjunction with Choice Hotels Japan, has welcomed 22 new properties under the group’s flagship Comfort brand. The new additions, signed under a management agreement with Hoshino Resorts, extends Choice Hotels Japan’s portfolio to 96 in key destinations and are strategically situated to complement the locations of existing hotels.
These new properties include Comfort Inn Shiojiri Kita Inter, Comfort Inn Sana Fujioka Inter, Comfort Inn Suwa Inter, Comfort Inn Toyokawa Inter, Comfort Inn Tosu, Comfort Inn Chiba Hamano, Comfort Inn Kumamoto Miyukifueda, Comfort Inn Utsunomiya Kanuma, Comfort Inn Fukui, Comfort Inn Fukushima Nishi Inter, Comfort Inn Niigata Chuo Inter, Comfort Inn Nagasaki Airport, Comfort Inn Hitachinaka, Comfort Inn Tsuchiura Ami, Comfort Inn Kofu Isawa, Comfort Inn Zentsuji Inter, Comfort Inn Munakata, Comfort Inn Ichinoseki Inter, Comfort Inn Karuizawa, Comfort Inn Himeji Yumesakibashi, Comfort Inn Kurashiki Mizushima, and Comfort Inn Kagoshima Taniyama.
With domestic and inbound demand at all-time highs, president and director of Choice Hotels Japan Takeya Muraki is pleased to extend the group’s presence in key locations for business and leisure guests.
He said: “We have more guests than ever seeking accommodation options across Japan and we’re confident these new additions establish us as the brand of choice for travellers seeking reliable, value for money accommodation.”
New hotels: La Quinta by Wyndham Parnell Auckland, Pan Pacific Jakarta and more
La Quinta by Wyndham Parnell Auckland, New Zealand
The 116-key La Quinta by Wyndham Parnell Auckland is nestled in the city’s heart with access to some of Auckland’s top attractions, including the Auckland Domain, Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, Spark Arena, and Commercial Bay.
Facilities include a fitness centre, restaurant, lounge area, and event venues.
Pan Pacific Jakarta, Indonesia
Pan Pacific Jakarta has launched as the tallest luxury hotel in Jakarta. Located in Thamrin Nine’s iconic Luminary Tower, the hotel’s 158 rooms and suites are spread across levels 71 to 90. The hotel features a Japanese restaurant, rooftop bar, indoor pool, gym and club lounge.
For easy access throughout the city, guests can enjoy seamless connectivity to the city’s modern MRT, LRT, and Commuter Lines, including a nearby Airport Train service that offers a fuss-free route to and from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
The Royal Park Hotel Ginza 6-chome, Japan
The Royal Park Hotel Ginza 6-chome is located in the centre of Tokyo, and offers accommodation, a restaurant, bar, communal bath area, and luggage storage space.
Nearby the hotel are attractions such as Ichibabashi Park, Tsukiji Outer Market, Nihon Tenji Seitei no Chi, local temples and shrines like Tsukiji Honganji, and traditional performances of Kabuki.
There are two metro stations within easy access – Ginza Station and Higashi-Ginza Station – and the nearest airport is Tokyo Haneda Airport, just 15 km from the hotel.
Navi Mumbai Marriott Hotel, India
Situated on the bustling Thane Belapur Road, the Navi Mumbai Marriott Hotel is 26 km from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, and 12 km from the upcoming DB Patil International Airport.
The hotel features two restaurants, bar, club lounge, rooftop pool, spa, fitness centre and meeting spaces.
TFE Hotels announces key GM appointments
TFE Hotels has announced several key hotel general manager appointments across its Adina, Vibe and Travelodge network in Australia and New Zealand.
Having been with TFE Hotels for 15 years, Shaarn Letele is the new hotel general manager of the soon-to-be-refurbished Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour.
Frances Ryall joins TFE Hotels fresh from a stint with IHG, where she was operations manager of Crowne Plaza Coogee. She will head as hotel general manager at Vibe North Sydney.
Meanwhile, Arthur Rojas, who started his career with TFE in 2011, has been named cluster general manager of Travelodge Melbourne Docklands and Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank.
In Auckland, New Zealand, Annabell Javinez takes on the role as general manager of Travelodge Hotel Auckland Wynyard Quarter, while Suzanne Pentecost has been appointed general manager of the 164-key Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart.
PATA unveils new trends that redefine the new Asia-Pacific tourism landscape
PATA’s Navigating the Path to Tourism Recovery webinar on June 6 revealed that new consumer preferences and habits have emerged in 1H2024 in Asia-Pacific, a tourism sector recovering from the pandemic years in an uneven manner.
The post-Covid tourism surge from 2022 was initially powered by more affluent tourists seeking relaxation amid nature, user convenience, sustainable and authentic local tourism experiences, all enabled by heightened digitisation of travel.
Travel experts convened at the webinar said those trends have since evolved and that megatrends such as value for money, seamless booking and payments, and travel that aligns more to consumer values are now the hallmarks of post-lockdown tourism in the region.
Caroline Bremner, senior head of travel research at Euromonitor International, stated destinations that deliver safety, relaxation, value, good quality food and drink and access to natural attractions would continue to do well. She noted that younger (Gen Z) travellers preferred personalised, authentic local experiences, with price not so much of a consideration, whereas the older baby boomers seek value in their travels.
Free cancellations, easy digital payments, reliable user reviews, free upgrades and personalised recommendations (especially from family or friends), turn lookers to bookers, said Bremner.
However, tourism experts addressing the webinar said that Chinese outbound tourism was still lagging, dampening tourism performance in destinations across Asia-Pacific. Indeed, China’s neighbouring destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Macau may not fully recover until the end of 2026 due to Chinese travellers opting to stay home or travel domestically instead of abroad.
Destinations such as India and Thailand which have all but recovered – or in Singapore’s case, exceeded – their high point 2019 tourism arrival levels did so by attracting tourists from markets such as Australia, Europe and the US to compensate for stay-away Chinese and Japanese.
China as a destination has its challenges too. Anyu Liu of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, revealed that international tourist arrivals into China are currently only around 80 per cent of 2019 levels, and may only return to around 96 per cent by the end of 2026. Liu added that inflation, labour supply challenges and regional conflicts were dampening recovery.
Addressing the issues raised by the webinar around the region as a whole, PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid remarked that tourism in Asia-Pacific could be enhanced by air capacity improvements, better land-based regional connectivity, improved training to attract and retain skilled personnel, and an easing of visa restrictions.
Artificial intelligence in travel
Looking at a quickly-arriving travel tech future, the webinar speakers noted that artificial intelligence (AI) was a big concern as it could be manipulated to perpetuate bias and misinformation, especially in travel marketing. AI needs to be used responsibly and carefully as a travel enabler, said Bremner.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep destination information honest and up to date as AI bots perpetually scrape the internet for publicly available data.
The speakers also noted that AI was already being used to suggest travel itineraries and to train hospitality staff in educational settings.
As for whether AI bots could replace tourism forecasters in universities, Liu shared that they conducted internal tests to see if ChatGPT could generate more accurate forecasts. “So far we’re safe,” he quipped.
PATA will release its mid-year tourism forecast reports on 39 Asia-Pacific destinations on June 25.
Skyscanner reports substantial growth in Indian market
Skyscanner has seen significant growth in the Indian market over the past few years, with India emerging as one of Skyscanner’s top five markets, driven by a surge in both international and domestic travel searches.
Hugh Aitken, vice president, strategic relations and development, Skyscanner, who was on a visit to New Delhi last week, shared: “India has grown substantially for us in the last couple of years. India is now one of our top five markets. Since 2019, we have seen a 121 per cent growth in bookings via Skyscanner for international destinations in India and a 639 per cent growth in domestic bookings. Comparing January this year with last year, we saw a 35 per cent growth in international searches. We are seeing substantial growth in the Indian market.”
Skyscanner has strengthened its partnerships with all major Indian airlines and OTAs to ensure travellers have access to the best prices, content, and choices. Earlier this month, Skyscanner announced a partnership with Indian carrier Akasa Air, offering the latter an audience of over 110 million monthly users searching for flights on Skyscanner platforms.
Aitken noted: “As a marketplace, we have on one side, travellers, and the other side, partners. We have strong partnerships with all the Indian airlines and OTAs. In the last few years, we have worked towards building our partner size for the marketplace so when travellers come to Skyscanner in India, they know they can see the best prices, best content, and the best choice.”
To enhance its local presence, Skyscanner launched a Hindi site last year and is considering introducing its platform in other regional languages. The company has also noted a growing trend of Indian travellers seeking inspiration on Skyscanner, and searches from India – without a specific destination in mind – have grown by over 55 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022.
According to Skyscanner’s research, 61 per cent of Indian travellers planned on taking more trips in 2024 versus 2023, which is higher than in the US (44 per cent) and the UK (32 per cent) and represents the highest intent among the markets in Asia-Pacific – Singapore at 54 per cent, South Korea at 46 per cent, and Australia at 38 per cent.
Aitken noted that on average, Indian travellers planned on taking three trips in 2024, compared to the 2.5 trips recorded in 2023.
Skyscanner is also seeing Indian travellers exploring new destinations. The top trending destination for Indian travellers is Danang, Vietnam, with a growth of 1,141 per cent. Other top outbound destinations for Indian travellers in 2024 include the cities Dubai, London, Bangkok, Toronto, and Jeddah. Domestically, the top destinations are New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Goa, and Hyderabad.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Skyscanner is observing a preference for shorter-term booking windows compared to other markets. While 40 per cent of American travellers plan longhaul travel more than three months in advance, in Asia-Pacific, it is only 28 per cent.
Editor’s note: This copy has been amended with updates from Skyscanner relating to several data points.
Frasers deploys Sabre’s SynXis Retailing
Frasers Hospitality and Sabre Hospitality have formed a strategic partnership to deploy the latter’s latest solution, SynXis Retailing, as part of Frasers Hospitality’s retailing strategy, marking a pivotal step in its commitment to retail innovation and superior guest services.
Building upon a strong partnership established in 2009, this collaboration saw Frasers Hospitality enrol one of its properties in the Preferred Launch Partnership programme as a pilot to tap into the capabilities of SynXis Retailing to elevate the overall guest experience. The outcome of the programme surpassed expectations, with the pilot property reporting a significant increase in ancillary revenue. The Retail Studio also complements the existing SynXis Booking Engine which offers a more personalised guest experience and seamless booking process via Frasers Hospitality’s platform.
SynXis Retailing provides hospitality players with the ability to “sell anything”, presenting an opportunity to introduce new revenue streams to properties with limited amenities, such as serviced residences. This flexibility enables hoteliers to enhance offerings for guests across their portfolio, from policies and services to food and beverage options, and even activities and experiences from third-party suppliers.
Sabre Hospitality president Scott Wilson said: “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to innovation and delivering unparalleled value to hoteliers and guests alike. Hospitality retailing plays a pivotal role in this endeavour, as it allows hospitality companies to not only offer accommodation but also to curate personalised experiences and ancillary services tailored to individual guest preferences.”
“We look forward to leveraging Sabre Hospitality’s latest solutions to analyse guest preferences and personalise our offerings as part of our purpose and commitment to curate and enrich guest experiences,” added Mark Chan, chief operating officer of Frasers Hospitality.
Sustainability, heritage themes central to Bali and Beyond Travel Fair 2024
Calls for collaboration among Indonesia’s travel and tourism players to drive quality and sustainable tourism are resounding at the 10th Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF 2024) that kicks off today.
Speaking at the event earlier today, Ida Pandita Mpu Brahmananda, who is known to industry players as I Gede Pitana, tourism expert and professor of tourism science at Udayana University Bali, underlined the importance of collaboration in successful implementation of regenerative tourism.
He also urged industry players to ride on the tourism strength of Bali to spread business and benefits throughout the country.
Indeed, the annual BBTF’s mission has been to emphasise Indonesia’s varied travel and tourism destinations and products beyond popular Bali as well as the resort hotspot’s latest developments.
The theme at BBTF 2024, which runs from today until June 14, is Exploring and Experiencing Sense of Indonesia’s Beauty. Content highlights diverse attractions across the country as well as sustainable practices in preserving nature, culture and heritage. The event also aims to foster collaboration that facilitate quality and sustainable tourism.
I Putu Winastra, committee head of BBTF, told TTG Asia: “Last year, the event focused on how the industry was stepping up efforts on sustainability. This year, we expect to see resulting products that meet the demands and needs of today’s travellers.”
BBTF 2024’s exhibits promote products and experiences in the categories of adventure, nature, rural, gastronomy, community-based and health – particularly emphasising on the current mounting interests in wellness and medical tourism.
Some 460 buyers from 45 countries will connect with 282 seller organisations during the B2B sessions on June 13 and 14.
Eleven provinces, comprising of Bali, Jakarta, West Nusa Tenggara, West Java, Central Java, Riau Islands, Yogyakarta, East Nusa Tenggara, Bangka Belitung Islands, South Sulawesi, and East Kalimantan are participants this year.
Additionally, Nepal, Timor Leste, China, the US, Malaysia, South Africa and Iran are also at the show.
Putu said: “We have been working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in inviting and selecting buyers, and are happy to see many new buyers from countries we have not reached before, such as Panama and Bulgaria.
“We are also happy to see more international sellers participating this year. Last year we had five; this year seven. This shows that BBTF is seen as a good platform for them to do business.”
BBTF attendees this year have access to an upgraded event app that functions on android and iPhone devices, allowing them to pre-schedule appointments with ease.
During this ongoing super peak summer season, the travel trade in Malaysia has observed that not only is the Indian traveller demographic generally skewing younger, but demand is also evolving.
Inbound agents reported that travellers this summer are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, with some are travelling to Malaysia with their young children. This contrasts with pre-pandemic times, when travellers were predominantly middle-aged and seniors.
Arokia Das Anthony, executive director of Essence of Asia, commented that many leisure Indian travellers are demanding for more activities in their programmes, and that they do not want more free and easy time.
“We are getting more requests for soft adventure programmes such as visiting Taman Negara National Park or experiencing Mossy Forest at Cameron Highlands,” he said, adding that Indian travellers are seeking more in-depth experiences, such as if they were travelling with young children, they would request for educational experiences like mangrove tours, or even a stop at the Geopark Discovery Centre when visiting Langkawi.
Zahira Tahir, founder and CEO of Universal Holidays, observed that the younger set of Indian travellers were more willing to spend on quality experiences.
“They book four- and five-star hotels, opt for private tours and are willing to try the local food and non-Indian cuisine as compared to the older generation who would stick to Indian cuisine, even while on holiday. I recently had guests who booked Marini’s on 57 (an Italian restaurant known for its panoramic city views) and Nobu Kuala Lumpur (a celebrity chef restaurant),” she shared.
Zulkifli Rahman, director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, noted that younger Indian travellers were willing to splurge on luxury accommodation throughout their trip.
He elaborated: “In the past, travellers from India were generally older and they used to split their stay between two accommodation of different star categories, reserving the last night or two in a luxury hotel such as ours. Now, we are seeing them spend their entire stay in Langkawi at our hotel.”