Heavy rainfall floods Dubai, disrupts airport operations

April 18, 2024

The UAE witnessed its heaviest rain ever recorded, causing chaos around the desert nation and disrupting operations at Dubai International Airport since Monday.

The impact of the heavy rain continued to be felt on Wednesday, with roads blocked and flights severely disrupted.

Vehicles drive through heavy rain in Dubai on April 16 (Photo: Jon Gambrell/AP)

Passengers in Dubai have been advised against travelling to the airport unless absolutely necessary to prevent overcrowding on the roads and highways.

The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20mm of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storms intensified on Tuesday morning and continued throughout the day, easing up only later that same day.

On Wednesday morning, the flooding had left “limited transportation options” and affected flights as aircraft crew were unable to reach the airfield, reported the airport. Some aircraft had been diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, the city-state’s second airfield.

About 300 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, and hundreds more were delayed.

Longhaul carrier Emirates and its low-cost sister airline, FlyDubai had major disruptions, with some foreign airlines cancelling flights to Dubai.

While Dubai International Airport has received some inbound flights today, outbound flights continue to be delayed.

As the UAE only experiences few rain periods in a year, it lacks the needed drainage infrastructure to handle heavy rain. However, it is not uncommon for roads to become partially submerged underwater during extended periods of rainfall.

There is also speculation that the flooding was caused by cloud seeding, though this has not been confirmed.

Authorities have warned that more thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds were forecast.

Tsunami alert at Indonesia’s Ruang Island as thousands evacuate after volcano erupts

By TTG Asia

April 18, 2024

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Indonesian authorities said rescuers were rushing to evacuate 11,000 residents this morning after Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi erupted multiple times since Tuesday night.

This has also raised a bigger threat, where falling debris or the volcano could collapse into the sea and trigger a tsunami as it did in 1871.

Mount Ruang spewing hot lava and smoke as seen from Sitaro, North Sulawesi in Indonesia on April 17 (Photo: Handout/Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation/AFP)

The country’s volcanology agency reported that the 725m volcano has been spewing fiery lava and ash plumes thousands of feet into the sky, which resulted in the agency raising the volcano alert to the highest level. The volcano was still billowing a column of smoke on Thursday morning, prompting authorities to shut down Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado city for 24 hours.

Ruang Island is home to about 800 residents, who have temporarily relocated to neighbouring Tagulandang Island, according to authorities. Officials have warned those on Tagulandang to watch out for falling incandescent rocks and hot cloud surges.

Tourists and residents were warned to remain outside a six-kilometre exclusion zone.

No casualties have been reported.

Mount Ruang is a stratovolcano, which are typically conical and relatively steep-sided due to the formation of viscous, sticky lava that does not flow easily. Stratovolcanoes often produces explosive eruptions due to gas build-up in the magma, according to volcanologists.

In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau caused it to topple into the sea, triggering a tsunami that struck the coasts of the main Java and Sumatra islands, killing more than 400 people.

New hotels: Cordis, Foshan, Lingnan Tiandi, Courtyard by Marriott Perth, Murdoch and more

By TTG Asia

April 18, 2024

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Cordis, Foshan, Lingnan Tiandi, China
Situated in Lingnan Tiandi, a cultural and commercial hub nestled in Foshan’s centrally located Chancheng district, the Cordis, Foshan, Lingnan Tiandi hotel is just a 10-minute walk from Zumiao subway station and 55 minutes by car from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

With 390 rooms and suites, all of which have private balconies, the property also has one- and two-bedroom service apartments available. Facilities include an indoor pool, a two-storey club lounge, fitness centre, two restaurants, eight function rooms, and a 1,260m² ballroom.

Surrounding the hotel are offices, shops and historic temples such as the 900-year-old Song Dynasty Ancestral Temple, which regularly hosts Chinese opera performances.

Courtyard by Marriott Perth, Murdoch, Australia
Courtyard by Marriott Perth, Murdoch features 150 rooms, an all-day dining venue, fitness centre, and flexible meeting spaces.

Located approximately 10 minutes from Perth’s CBD and 25 minutes from Perth International Airport, the hotel is also nearby hospitals like Fiona Stanley and St John of God, as well as Murdoch University.

Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa, Malaysia
Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa is nestled amid the Perhentian Island Marine Park on the island of Perhentian Kecil in Terengganu, on the East Coast of Malaysia. The resort is easily accessible by ferry from Kuala Besut Jetty, which is an hour’s drive from the city of Kota Bharu.

Boasting 200 deluxe rooms and 17 villas, Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa offers an all-day dining restaurant, poolside restaurant, bar and lounge, spa, fitness centre, kids and teens club, pillarless grand ballroom and two flexible function rooms.

The resort organises dive excursions with equipment provided, and led by experienced instructors, while the Terengganu Arts, Crafts & Cultural Centre lets guests discover more about Terengganu’s traditional arts and crafts through workshops, demonstration and activities.

DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station, Japan
The 266-key DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station features an all-day dining restaurant, café and lounge, fitness centre, executive lounge, and an 88m² meeting space.

The nine-storey hotel is conveniently located within walking distance of Kyoto Station, providing easy access to the city’s famed historical landmarks, dining scene, and shopping districts.

Singapore introduces co-living train hotel

By TTG Asia

April 18, 2024

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Singapore will welcome its first-ever co-living train hotel by transforming a decommissioned SMRT train carriage into a boutique co-living space.

The hotel is currently in the works, and is scheduled to open in September this year.

Artist impression of the new co-living train hotel (Photo: Tiny Pod)

Leading this project is local start-up company Tiny Pod with the support of statutory board JTC Corporation. The train hotel is part of the Tiny Pod’s pop-up shipping container initiation, LaunchPad @ one-north, which was launched in 2020. The company also has other containers up for rent at spaces like Gardens by the Bay and Haw Par Villa.

The train hotel will have eight rooms, each of them with an attached bathroom. A special feature is the LCD panels that will be mounted inside the driver’s compartment showing real-life footage of the train’s earlier journey through the tunnel, creating quite a surreal experience for the guests.

It will be located at Ayer Rajah Crescent with a recreational green space integrated with F&B vending machines and bicycle racks, as well as repurposed train chairs redesigned as outdoor public benches.

“By transforming underutilised spaces into unique accommodation experiences, we unlock new revenue streams and minimise our environmental footprint,” commented Tiny Pod’s founder and CEO, Seah Liang Chiang.

Kyushu to welcome new sightseeing train

By TTG Asia

April 18, 2024

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A new sightseeing train is set to launch in the southern-island of Japan on April 26 this year.

Named Kanpachi Ichiroku, this new D&S (Design & Story) train is designed to immerse passengers in the ambiance of the Yufu Kogen Line, where passengers can embrace the essence of the region, including its climate, terrain, local cuisine, customs, and picturesque landscapes.

The new D&S train in Kyushu will commence operations on April 26 (Photo: IFOO)

The name of the train is derived from the names of two historically significant figures, Aso Kanpachi and Eto Ichiroku who played pivotal roles in both the realisation of the full opening and formation of the current Kyudai Main Line.

In conjunction with the Fukuoka and Oita Destination Campaign (April to June 2024), JR Kyushu will launch this new Limited Express D&S train on April 26.

The train will depart from Hakata Station on the once daily trip (except Thursdays) on the Yufu Kogen Line via Yufuin to Beppu Station, taking around five hours. The fare includes the one-way ticket on the train and a bento box meal.

Visitors can book tickets online or through a travel agent. The JR Kyushu rail pass, however, cannot be used for Kanpachi Ichiroku.

Collinson rolls out LoungeKey Pass Storefront

By TTG Asia

April 18, 2024

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Collinson has launched LoungeKey Pass Storefront, a new channel that enables businesses to increase ancillary revenue.

LoungeKey Pass Storefront is a B2B tool that extends from LoungeKey Pass, a digital voucher that enables users to visit an airport lounge without the need for registration, physical cards or membership. Businesses can now offer direct purchase of LoungeKey Pass to their customers by linking to the co-branded user interface via their existing booking channels or customer journeys; in turn providing their business with immediate ancillary revenue.

Customers with a LoungeKey Pass can access airport lounges and travel experiences in over 700 airports in 145 countries; I.A.S.S Superior Lounge at Narita International Airport, pictured

Besides boosting ancillary revenue, LoungeKey Pass Storefront offers businesses cost-effective brand differentiation through the ability to personalise the user interface with their logo and accessibility to the Storefront via their own ecosystem.

Brands can further enhance their customer engagement proposition by incorporating LoungeKey Pass Storefront as part of their spend-based rewards or point redemption programmes.

Japan Airlines is the first brand globally to partner with Collinson to offer LoungeKey Pass to its customers, where JAL’s customers are now able to purchase LoungeKey Pass directly via JAL’s website.

Customers with a LoungeKey Pass can access over 1,500 airport lounges and travel experiences – dining not included – in over 700 airports in 145 countries.

According to Collinson’s The New Rules of Engagement: Customer Expectations Revealed research report, while most consumers in Asia-Pacific (60 per cent) cite rewards, such as points or cashback, as preferred ways to engage with them, experiential benefits continue to increase in significance. Consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Zs, seek non-financial, experiential-driven rewards, such as airport lounge access, sleeping pods and gaming lounges; with these generational cohorts revealing that having access to airport lounges makes them feel valued and rewarded.

Todd Handcock, global chief commercial officer and Asia Pacific president, Collinson said: “Customer engagement and loyalty programmes that have travel-related benefits are highly popular among consumers of today. Almost half of the Asia-Pacific-based respondents to our recent research survey said that brands who offer such rewards are highly effective in influencing their spending behaviour.

“By leveraging LoungeKey Pass Storefront, businesses can deepen their engagement with their consumers through making highly-valued experiences more easily accessible, while driving better commercial returns.”

Maldives keen to woo back Indian tourists

By Feizal Samath

April 17, 2024

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Roadshows in three Indian cities, influencer and media familiarisation trips to the Maldives are on the cards as Maldives travel authorities ramp up promotions to woo back Indians following a political spat in January.

Soured relations between India and the Maldives resulted in a slowdown in Indian arrivals in the Maldives, dropping to sixth place as a source market from being the topmost market in 2023.

The Maldives has set eyes on attracting more Indian travellers to the destination

“We are confident with the support from the industry and the Government agencies, Maldives can regain the current decline in Indian tourists,” said the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) earlier this month in a statement after a meeting with the Indian Ambassador in Male to revitalise this source market.

Maldives’ economy depends largely on tourism, and has been caught in between political rivalry with its two main markets – India and China – after the recently-elected president Mohamed Muizzu won based on a pro-China stance compared to his predecessor favouring India.

In January, after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi sought to promote a series of Indian islands as a tourist destination, his move was criticised by three Maldives’ deputy ministers who were quickly suspended in an attempt by Maldivian authorities to settle the row.

MATATO president Abdullah Ghiyas told TTG Asia that they have finalised one roadshow to be held in Bangalore while the other two will be finalised at meetings with Indian authorities attending the ATM 2024 in Dubai next month.

He said plans are underway to facilitate influencer and media fam trips to the Maldives in the forthcoming months.

MATATO said India remains a vital market for Maldivian tourism, and it looked forward to partnering with prominent travel associations and industry stakeholders across India to further promote the Maldives as a premier travel destination.

Despite the slowdown from India, tourist arrivals in the Maldives overall rose in the period January to March 27, 2024 to 576,952 from 505,083 in the same 2023 period. The main source markers were China, Russia and the UK, Italy, Germany and India.

The Maldives attracted 1,842,169 visitors last year, slightly higher than the target of 1.8 million while this year’s target is set at two million arrivals.

Travelport, Tourism Malaysia expand destination marketing collaboration

By TTG Asia

April 17, 2024

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Travelport and Tourism Malaysia have expanded their strategic destination marketing collaboration following the successful campaign and data analysis work that has accelerated the campaign conversion growth for the Malaysian DMO during the past year.

Travelport will continue to provide Tourism Malaysia with meaningful data and market intelligence used to drive destination marketing campaign decisions. The DMO will use insights from Travelport to educate and engage travel retailers about Malaysia, focusing on continuous growth in visitor arrivals, longer stays and higher spending from tourism.

Malaysia is giving Melaka, Kelantan, Perak, and Perlis the spotlight this year; Ipoh Lake in Perak, Malaysia, pictured

“Travelport provides the meaningful data analysis that we need to effectively educate tourism players about our unique and diversified experiences for travellers so they can promote Malaysia as a top destination for their customers,” said Manoharan Periasamy, director general of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. “Through this collaboration, we have achieved a 50 per cent uplift in campaign conversions compared to 2019.”

Travelport global head of destination marketing Anna Au-Yeung shared: “As we expand our strategic collaboration, Travelport’s data insights will continue to empower Tourism Malaysia with setting the right strategic focus, resource allocation and market priorities as traveller preferences and market conditions continue to evolve.”

This year’s tourism scene in Malaysia is packed with State Visit Year from four states: Melaka, Kelantan, Perak, and Perlis. The country will also host the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 and the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year that will take place in 2026.

Periasamy said: “We expect that this collaboration will continue to maximise our promotional efforts which will focus on placing Malaysia as the top-of-mind ecotourism destination of the world, through the country’s diverse ecosystems and natural wonders.”

Accor receives recognition as choice employer for two years running

By TTG Asia

April 17, 2024

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Accor has once again been named as one of the best companies to work for in Australia having been recognised as a 2024 5-Star Employer of Choice (500+ employees) by HRD Australia for the second consecutive year.

This coveted accolade was achieved through a rigorous two–part selection process, consisting of a detailed submission on Accor’s team offerings and practices, followed by an anonymous employee survey to gauge employee satisfaction across multiple metrics.

Accor implements a number of initiatives to attract, retain and develop talent

Accor operates more than 400 hotels, resorts and apartments across the Pacific region, employing more than 21,500 people.

Commenting on the recognition, Accor Pacific COO PM&E, Adrian Williams, said: “It reinforces that we have a committed and caring team, who are passionate about supporting and developing people, and creating career pathways. Our teams bring diversity, experiences and stories to our culture, which makes Accor a community for all to excel. Our people are integral to our success and growth and I could not be prouder of them.”

Accor has implemented a number of initiatives to attract, retain and develop talent. Example programmes include Accor’s revolutionary Work Your Way initiative, which offers increased flexibility and a range of personalised benefits, to create a fulfilling and inclusive team member experience.

Accor also has a nation-leading Indigenous Careers Program, which has placed more than 2,500 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander team members into positions since its inception in 2015. Plus, with a growing desire among its Indigenous team members for leadership roles, Accor has facilitated numerous scholarships for tertiary education, leadership programmes, and the appointment of Indigenous hotel general managers.

Furthermore, Accor is steadfast about setting team members on the path to sustainable transformation and recently launched its ‘School For Change’ training programme, which aims to improve individuals’ understanding of the causes of climate change and its impact on biodiversity and communities.

“It’s an exciting time to work in hospitality as the travel industry continues to evolve and expand. What I love most about our industry is that it gives you the chance to learn and grow, which opens doors to the world,” added Williams.

La Vie Hotels & Resorts launches new tower at ADGE Hotels & Residences

By TTG Asia

April 17, 2024

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ADGE Hotel & Residences in New South Wales, Australia – managed by La Vie Hotels & Resorts – is launching a second designer hotel tower on the former site of the Cambridge Hotel, adding an additional 149 guestrooms to the property, making 254 rooms in total.

This decision was due to ADGE Hotel & Residences having exceeded occupancy targets since opening last August, regularly selling out during key events.

La Vie Hotels and Resorts’ executive leadership team with ADGE hotel staff

ADGE Hotel & Residences general manager, Paul Cundy, said: “Adding 149 extra rooms to our inventory means we can better cater to demand surges over busy event periods, which will only add to the colour and life that keeps this hotel buzzing.”

“We understand that today’s travellers want more than just a place to rest and ADGE has been a great example of how we’ve been able to deliver a fun, vibrant and sociable place for locals, interstate and international travellers to stay,” said Jerry Xu, CEO, La Vie Hotels & Resorts.

“Travellers are looking for hotels with personality, flair and a unique point of difference that creates a truly one-of-a-kind stay close to city hubs, and we’re thrilled with what we’ve been able to achieve with ADGE, with the support of our trusted owners.”

Heavy rainfall floods Dubai, disrupts airport operations

Tsunami alert at Indonesia’s Ruang Island as thousands evacuate after volcano erupts

New hotels: Cordis, Foshan, Lingnan Tiandi, Courtyard by Marriott Perth, Murdoch and more

Singapore introduces co-living train hotel

Kyushu to welcome new sightseeing train

Collinson rolls out LoungeKey Pass Storefront

Maldives keen to woo back Indian tourists

Travelport, Tourism Malaysia expand destination marketing collaboration

Accor receives recognition as choice employer for two years running

La Vie Hotels & Resorts launches new tower at ADGE Hotels & Residences

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