IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Ginger Tree Goveia to bring a new hotel to Goa, India.
Slated to open in January 2025, voco Goa Arpora will be IHG’s seventh brand in the country and will cater to the growing demand for quality accommodation in Goa.
voco Goa Arpora will open in January 2025; voco Orchard Singapore, pictured
Located in North Goa, the new property will offer proximity to popular night markets, dining, boutique shopping and beaches of Baga and Calangute.
The hotel will feature 110 rooms, an outdoor pool, spa, gym, meeting rooms and three F&B options.
Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and Air Macau recently organised a familiarisation trip for tourism professionals from Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.
The event from July 20 to 23 saw 14 representatives visiting diverse and abundant “tourism+” elements in Macau, where they also participated in the Tokyo & Osaka Travel Mart on July 21.
Delegates experience the diverse and abundant elements of “tourism+” in Macau
The itinerary included visiting the Macao Grand Prix Museum and the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, the World Heritage “Historic Centre of Macao” attractions, learning about hotel facilities, and tasting various delicacies. These experiences aim to inspire their design of more Macau tourism products targeting Japanese tourists.
MGTO also promoted the Travel Stimulation Program at the travel mart to continue to expand different types of tourist groups and promote diversification of tourist sources.
Klook has teamed up with Singapore’s Zurich Insurance Company to introduce TravelJoy, a revamped travel insurance offering that includes all-encompassing coverage for Klook customers.
Designed to go beyond conventional travel insurance boundaries to ensure peace of mind for customers, TravelJoy covers trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and lost or stolen luggage, and even tele-health services – this allows policyholders to consult medical professionals through virtual appointments, providing a convenient and efficient medical solution for travellers no matter where they are in the world.
TravelJoy covers trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and lost or stolen luggage, and tele-health services
TravelJoy can be purchased directly through Klook’s platform when making travel arrangements.
The partnership aims to continually tailor insurance offerings that meet the unique needs of today’s travellers and provide reliable protection. Both Klook and Zurich Singapore aim to make insurance more accessible and adapt to the evolving needs of customers in an increasingly connected world, making insurance purchases seamless and effortless.
This collaboration also marks Zurich Singapore’s entry into digital retail partnerships, following the launch of Zurich Edge – a proposition that combines deep insurance expertise with digital innovation to deliver unique embedded solutions in protection.
Chuan Sheng Soong, CEO of Klook Insurance, said: “We’ve always believed that our customers’ travel experiences should be seamless and hassle-free.”
“Through this partnership, we are committed to delivering seamless, dependable travel coverage with exceptional service to Klook’s customers,” added Reginald Peacock, CEO, Zurich Singapore.
Architect, artist and activist, Bill Bensley, has joined forces with Junkyard Theatre Phuket to create an exclusive art and theatre experience for one weekend only at The Slate Phuket.
Bringing to life his Faroese Chronicles exhibition, the resort will provide the perfect setting for guests to learn from Bill Bensley how to unleash their inner artist, engage in a one-night-only dinner and theatre performance narrated by the artist, and indulge in a vibrant art-themed feast at Rivet – all funds raised will go to the Shinta Mani Foundation and the Phuket Hotels Association.
Some of the artwork in Bill Bensley’s The Faroese Chronicles, which will be on exhibition at The Slate Phuket
Guests will have the chance to book a three-night stay to enjoy intimate access to the artist, with limited tickets available for the dinner and show, or an art-inspired lunch. The hotel will also organise a special online auction (prizes include travel experiences) and have prints from The Faroese Chronicles on sale to further assist fundraising.
The Faroese Chronicles is an exhibition of 38 artworks inspired by Bill Bensley’s numerous travels in the remote Faroe Islands and the quirky characters he discovered there. The Junkyard Theatre will perform a one-off show through song, dance, comedy, and rich storytelling, with Bensley joining the performers onstage to share the wit and wisdom of his Faroese friends.
Bill Bensley commented: “I always love returning to The Slate and am so looking forward to this fabulous event, which will be full of fun, but also with a serious side to raise funds and awareness for the Phuket Hotels Association and the Shinta Mani Foundation.”
Amari Raaya Maldives, Maldives
The 187-key Amari Raaya Maldives has just opened on a private island in the Raa Atoll and boasts its own seaplane jetty to facilitate safe and comfortable arrivals for guests.
The all-villa property offers accommodation options ranging from private beachfront villas to overwater pool villas, including 14 two-bedroom beach villas that are suitable for families.
For recreation, guests can discover arts and craft activities as well as various rustic features embedded in the resort design. Other facilities include eight F&B venues, a mangrove forest to explore, indoor and outdoor kids’ zone, an artist’s village where arts and craft workshops are conducted, a spa, and more.
Hilton Okinawa Miyako Island Resort
Hilton Okinawa Miyako Island Resort, Japan
Hilton Okinawa Miyako Island Resort is the first Hilton property on the Miyako Island, which is nestled approximately 300km southwest of the main Okinawa Island.
The 329-key hotel is just a 15-minute drive from Miyako Airport which is a short direct flight from Tokyo Haneda or Osaka Kansai Airports, and a 25-minute drive from Shimojishima Airport.
There are four restaurants and bars, three outdoor pools, gym, spa, kids’ club, ballroom, and a rooftop chapel for gatherings and celebrations.
HIIVE Binh Duong
HIIVE Binh Duong, Vietnam
Located in the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park 1 (VSIP 1) in Thuan An, Binh Duong, the 172-room HIIVE Binh Duong is also nearby Aeon Mall, Song Be Golf Resort, and just an hour away from Ho Chi Minh City’s international airport.
Onsite are an all-day dining restaurant, sports bar, meeting rooms, co-working spaces, golf simulator, and fitness centre – there are also laundry facilities on every floor.
Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort Dhulikhel
Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort Dhulikhel, Nepal
Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort Dhulikhel has opened its doors on July 24 in the Himalayan foothills between the Mahabharat range and Alpine highland ridge.
About an hour’s drive from Tribhuvan International Airport and 10 minutes from Namo Buddha, the new property offers guests a bespoke experience with personalised butler services, customised wellness activities, and exclusive dining experiences.
The hotel boasts 54 guestrooms and facilities such as a spa, outdoor infinity pool, Jacuzzi, restaurants, poolside bar, ballroom, and meeting venues.
ADGE Hotel + Residences
ADGE Hotel + Residences, Australia
The 254-room ADGE Hotel + Residences is situated in the heart of Surry Hills in New South Wales, Australia, and comprises a mix of guestrooms and two-bedroom apartments.
Dining options include Japanese omakase restaurant, Raida Noda’s Chef Kitchen, and Soul Deli which serves Korean fare.
The hotel is just a short walk from Sydney’s CBD, and minutes from the restaurant and shopping precincts of Crown and Oxford Streets.
E-sport events came into focus at the recent Asian IR Expo in Macau, with conference panellists underlining the power such activities have in attracting younger travellers and driving a technology-forward economy in Asia.
A survey conducted by a researcher from University of Macau found that China’s Gen Z is digitally connected and adept at multitasking, and has a preference for casino games, e-sports, video games as well as lifestyle.
Hong Kong hopes to organise events such as e-sports and music festivals
Hong Kong-based e-sports organisation Talon Esports’ CEO Sean Zhang, said good connectivity within China and between China and its surrounding region could position Hong Kong and Macau as a hub for e-sports events and festivals.
However, Zhang cautioned that the right people who understand e-sports and video games are required to sell related events well, because these are part of fan culture and it may be challenging to understand the target audience.
He referenced US-based Dreamhack, which is renowned for its local area network (LAN) parties that blend e-sports and community interaction.
Jarrold Tham, co-founder and chief financial officer, Talon Esports, agrees that Asia has the potential to grow its e-sports events calendar.
He said: “Last September, Singapore had its first international tournament, which was a success. Tickets at US$400 were sold out, and 20,000 people were packed into the stadium. There are many competitions in South Korea that bring in a lot of people. We also had an event in Bangkok last month,” Tham detailed.
Every event (in different countries) has the potential to attract a different demographic and fan base, he opined.
Talon Esports is working with tourism boards to grow e-sport events in Asia.
Dreamhack’s director, Sylvia Cristina Amaya, said the company is working with regional experts, such as groups managing e-sports talents, to better understand the Asian audience.
“This is a new market for us,” Amaya said.
Dreamhack made its foray into Asia with a two-day mobile gaming event in May 2023.
Hai Ng, co-founding partner of Neomancer, opined that e-sports is not just a singular event, and there needs to be strategies to get people to keep coming back, such as engaging the community to create fans.
“The event just gets them here (to the destination) – what happens around (them), like local experiences and activities, are what’s going to bring them back,” Ng remarked.
The Taurikura Initiative, a capability building programme designed to support visitor economy businesses to accelerate their sustainability journey, has been completed.
The initiative is a free, 12-week course for visitor economy businesses across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland wanting to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to lead the charge in their sustainability approach and create positive change. It offers personalised one-on-one support, collaborative workshops, community building and assistance in the creation of sustainability action plans.
The Taurikura Initiative offers personalised one-on-one support, collaborative workshops, community building and assistance in the creation of sustainability action plans
The programme is being delivered by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region’s economic and cultural agency, in partnership with Tourism Industry Aotearoa, which represents all sectors of the industry in Aotearoa to enable the best tourism experiences possible.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s head of visitor economy Annie Dundas said: “Like all sectors, the visitor economy must consider the impacts it has on the environment, local communities and natural resources. In addition, visitor expectations are changing with growing demand for environmentally sustainable and community-focused tourism options.
“We also know that employees are attracted to working for businesses whose values align with theirs. It’s clear that every visitor economy operator has a crucial role to play in creating an authentically sustainable industry in both Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa.”
She continued: “To reduce the visitor economy’s carbon footprint, mitigate the effects of climate change and meet evolving visitor demands, businesses need practical tools to drive change. The Taurikura Initiative provides a framework to create positive change for the environment, communities, industry and individual businesses through problem-solving, planned action and strategic decision-making. This programme is so important for the recovery and the long-term viability of our visitor economy sector.”
Rebecca Ingram, CEO of Tourism Industry Aotearoa, remarked that assisting businesses to move to a better future state is one of the organisation’s most satisfying roles.
“We are thrilled with the progress of operators in this first cohort. Not only have they made substantial changes in their own business, but they are taking the lead on sustainability initiatives in their own communities. This is where we see real change for the environment and in our society.”
Waiheke Island and Aotea Great Barrier Island businesses began the 12-week programme in late March and completed it on June 12. The next cohort with operators from Rodney and central city began yesterday and will complete on October 23.
Feedback from participants has been positive. After completing the programme, Waiheke Island’s Ananda Tours, which offers premium food and wine experiences, achieved Qualmark Gold, having been Silver for several years.
“Although I felt strongly about the need to drive a more sustainable business, I struggled with dedicating the time to really focus on making changes and finding out where to start. The programme was helpful as it showed some simple steps and small changes we could make to minimise our impact straight away, while making a start on bigger goals to work towards in the future,” shared Brooke Robinson, owner of Ananda Tours.
Since taking part in the initiative, tourism operators on Aotea Great Barrier Island have begun working on a plan to phase out single use cups by working with hospitality outlets on a suitable alternative, a movement which has been successfully implemented in Wanaka.
Luxury hotel properties in Jakarta and Bali are seeing stronger RevPAR that has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to a JLL survey.
For the financial year ending June 2023, luxury RevPAR in Jakarta has reached 1.4 million rupiah (US$93), 10 per cent higher than in 2019. In Bali, luxury hotels have registered a RevPAR of 4.6 million rupiah, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 21.4 per cent.
Bali welcomed over 1.8 million international arrivals between January and May this year
Julien Naouri, senior vice president, investment sales hotels and hospitality group, JLL Asia-Pacific said Jakarta hotels’ performance was boosted by increasing occupancy and average daily rates (ADR), which have risen along with international arrivals to the city.
Latest data from the Central Board of Statistics (BPS) showed that international arrivals to Jakarta between January and May 2023 were at 639,497. In May, Jakarta welcomed about 158,000 international tourists, exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time, Naouri added.
Meanwhile, Bali has welcomed 1,863,837 international arrivals between January and May, representing 81 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels, according to BPS.
The JLL survey also showed that both destinations will welcome more hotels by end-2023.
Bali will see six hotel openings that will add 555 rooms to the existing inventory of 45,621 as of June. In Jakarta, two hotels – the 316-key Swiss-Belhotel Kelapa Gading and the 253-key Mövenpick Jakarta Pecenongan – will contribute to the existing 58,105 rooms in the market.
Onyx Hospitality Group is growing its Amari Hotels & Resorts portfolio, with the first of five upcoming openings launched on August 1.
Speaking to TTG Asia on the opening day of the Amari Raaya Maldives, Onyx’s CEO Yuthachai Charanachitta described the 187-key resort as the group’s “ultimate resort” and “one of the big milestones” for the company.
Yuthachai: Amari Raaya Maldives is our new benchmark for all Amari resorts
Amari Raaya Maldives comes as Onyx ends its management of Amari Havodda Maldives. The new-build sits on an island that is three-kilometres all around, and maintains plenty of open space amid a busy collection of hardware that includes an indoor and outdoor kids zone, arts centre, eight F&B venues, a spa with 10 treatment villas, water sports centre, herb garden with open kitchen and dining area, mangrove forest, and more.
“Amari Raaya Maldives is one of the most expensive projects undertaken by an owner with us, under the Amari brand. While Amari is an upper-upscale brand, the opening of Amari Raaya Maldives means we are now playing in the luxury space. Furthermore, Amari Raaya Maldives is our first luxury resort under the brand,” he explained.
The Amari portfolio currently comprises 14 properties, including the new Maldivian addition, and the majority is made up of urban hotels in cities, with strong products for meetings and corporate travellers. Some of its recent openings include the 453-key Amari SPICE Penang, Malaysia, which is directly connected to SPICE Convention Centre and SPICE Arena.
Of the four Amari properties that are set to open in 2024, three will be city hotels – in Colombo, Sri Lanka; Vientiane, Laos; and Bangsaen, Thailand – and one will be a “small resort” in Niseko, Japan.
“So, you can say that Amari Raaya Maldives is our new benchmark for all Amari resorts. It will be a strong reference resort product for us when we speak to owners,” said Yuthachai, adding that the success of the property will also determine the scale of management enquiries Amari will get in the future.
When asked if Amari Raaya Maldives would be the turning point for Onyx to elevate all Amari properties into the luxury category, Yuthachai would only say that the group constantly reviews all its brand and properties.
“We will not be able to bring all our existing Amari properties to Amari Raaya Maldives’s level immediately, but over time we will. That said, I believe that hospitality branding needs to be focused. I do not believe in having extensions of brands – like Brand A, A.1, and A.2 – that just creates a lot of confusion around pricing,” he added.
Yuthachai also shared that he may be inspired to bring some concepts at Amari Raaya Maldives to other Amari properties in time to come. One concept is the application of a backstory to Amari Raaya Maldives, built on a fictional castaway Seb, who found his way onto the island and built his life there.
“This has not been done at other Amari hotels. We could adopt some essence of Seb’s story into other Amari resorts, but for now, Seb is unique to Amari Raaya Maldives. Or, perhaps a different backstory would be more suitable for individual properties in Phuket, Samui and Pattaya, so that the guests’ journey and interactions will be more meaningful,” he said.
Amari Raaya Maldives’ extensive activity centre and kids’ zone are also worth looking into for other Amari properties, he noted.
The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high speed rail (HSR) project, which was terminated in January 2021, has been revived – both Singapore and Malaysia will be involved in the project.
Handling the development and implementation of the project is MyHSR Corp, a company owned by the Minister of Finance and under the supervision of Malaysia’s Transport Ministry.
The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high speed rail project has been revived and will be handled by MyHSR Corp
The company is now embarking on a full-fledged Request For Information (RFI) exercise to assist the government in making informed decisions. The RFI exercise will be opened to local and international firms and consortia to submit their concept proposals.
MyHSR Corp chairman Fauzi Abdul Rahman remarked: “The KL-Singapore HSR project will bring tremendous benefits to the people, particularly in enhancing and expanding economic dynamism from the Klang Valley to the Southern Corridor of the peninsula, and eventually to the rest of Malaysia.
“In addition to providing a new travel option that is safer, faster, more efficient and sustainable, the project will help us to contribute to the agenda of Malaysia Madani, generating long-term growth and sustainability for the people and the nation.”
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Transport Ministry said they are willing to discuss any new proposal from Malaysia “in good faith, starting from a clean slate”.
The HSR project, which aimed to reduce travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to about 90 minutes, was discontinued after multiple postponements at Malaysia’s request and an eventual lapsing of an agreement in December 2020.
The proposed line was supposed to have a stop at Iskandar Puteri, linking the Nusajaya region within Iskandar Malaysia to Singapore, Melaka, Seremban and Kuala Lumpur.
