Singapore-Malaysia crossing trials automated immigration system
A new Automated Passenger In-Car Clearance System (APICS) is being trialled at Singapore’s Woodlands Checkpoint on the Singapore-Malaysia border, a process that is expected to improve immigration clearance.
Drivers to Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint will drive up to a self-help kiosk under a light-controlled canopy, and scan their passport as well as their facial and iris biometrics on scanners located outside each car window. Passengers in the vehicle will no longer need to crane their necks out of the window for immigration clearance.
In the pilot phase, APICS is operational on weekday evenings and limited to cars where there is a single driver. This will be progressively offered to cars with more travellers.
Malaysia Airlines reopens its Platinum Lounge at KLIA
Malaysia Airlines’ Platinum Lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is back in business to support the flag carrier’s ramped up international services.
The reopening of the airline’s flagship Platinum Lounge also marks the full restoration of its lounges at KLIA, including its domestic, regional and Satellite Golden Lounges, following two years of pandemic-associated restrictions.
Passengers and frequent flyer members travelling via Business Suite, Enrich Platinum, Enrich CIMB World Elite, First Class on codeshare flights operated by Malaysia Airlines, oneworld First Class, and oneworld Emerald can enjoy end-to-end premium services offered by the airline, including access to the Platinum Lounge.
The Platinum Lounge offers guests exclusive fine dining experiences and spacious facilities to refuel before their flight.
The 24-hour lounge is equipped with private shower suites, nap rooms and serene seating areas.
Desaru Coast dangles welcome offers
Desaru Coast Destination Resort is celebrating the commencement of new ferry services between Singapore and the destination with a series of daycation and stay packages inclusive of return ferry tickets.
Daycation packages are priced from RM378 (US$86), and includes Desaru Coast experiences such as golf on the fairways of its world-class courses, resort-style dining at any of the destination’s restaurants, play day on pristine beaches or at the waterpark.
For more days of fun, staycation packages packs in hotel stays, an array of Desaru Coast activities and return ferry tickets. These are priced from RM2,379.
Further to the newly introduced packages, The Els Club Desaru Coast has rolled out a three-month promotion for its popular Golf Privilege Pass. For RM10,800, pass holders can enjoy daily rounds on the greens at both the Ocean and Valley Courses.
More activity-driven day packages will be introduced, and travellers can look forward to spa, brunch and cycling escapes.
Email concierge@desarucoast.com for more information.
IHG opens first Vignette Collection hotel in Asia
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Siam Sindhorn has designated Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok – previously an independent property – as the first Vignette Collection hotel to open in Asia.
Vignette Collection is IHG’s newest luxury & lifestyle collection brand, where each hotel has its own distinct outlook and story to tell.
Daily complimentary rituals at each Vignette Collection property create a sense of anticipation and connection and meet growing demand for more thoughtful travel experiences.
A complimentary Lao Khao shot is served with a mixed selection of pickled fruits from 1700 to 1800 daily at The Black Cat. Younger guests can dial the Emergency Popsicle Line located on the hotel’s second floor to receive a complimentary iced treat, delivered promptly by a dedicated Popsicle Butler.
Each of Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok’s 393 rooms feature bathroom amenities from Karl Lagerfeld and modern comforts such as Fritz Hansen’s iconic Drop chairs. The Fitness Centre offers panoramic city views, as does the Horizon Pool, which is located on the 18th floor.
The hotel also recently introduced three new dining offerings; The Black Cat is an atmospheric Thai Liquor bar, with a live band playing on selected evenings. Inspired by the golden age of Thailand, Bangkok’78 presents the city’s greatest culinary hits in a retro-inspired concept, while Sip & Co. adds to Langsuan’s flourishing café culture.
Sindhorn Midtown also partners with Kuvanant Foundation, which aims to provide educational opportunities for local students and those living with disabilities in rural areas of Thailand. The hotel will provide internship opportunities for the foundation’s students to earn first-hand work experience and offers career opportunities and insights into the hospitality industry.
Ascott acquires Oakwood Worldwide
CapitaLand Investment Limited’s (CLI) wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has acquired Oakwood Worldwide (Oakwood), a global serviced apartment provider, from Mapletree Investments
The acquisition increases Ascott’s global portfolio by 81 properties and about 15,000 units. Oakwood’s approximately 8,500 operational units will immediately contribute to Ascott’s recurring fee income streams upon completion of the transaction slated in 3Q2022.
Ascott’s acquisition of Oakwood will leapfrog Ascott’s global presence to more than 150,000 units in about 900 properties across over 200 cities in 39 countries. It will add new markets which include Cheongju in South Korea; Zhangjiakou and Qingdao in China; Dhaka in Bangladesh as well as Washington DC, US.
Kevin Goh, CLI’s CEO for lodging, said: “We intend to build on the strong reputation and heritage of the Oakwood brand, especially in markets across South-east Asia, North Asia and North America. Oakwood will continue to grow alongside Ascott’s current portfolio of global brands as we continue to build growth momentum for our lodging business.”
“Besides strategic alignment… Ascott’s acquisition of Oakwood brings about an immediate boost to our units under management and franchise contracts. The Oakwood portfolio will accelerate the growth of our asset-light business, with added recurring fee income streams, expanded lodging offerings and increased customer base,” added Goh.
China tightens Covid curbs again
Eastern Chinese cities have tightened Covid-19 curbs on July 3 in response to new infection clusters, setting fresh delays to the country’s tourism and economic recovery.
Cities impacted by China’s latest restrictions include Wuxi, a city near Shanghai; Si county in Anhui province; and Yiwu in Central Zhejiang Province.
In Wuxi, operations at public facilities, such as restaurants and shops, are halted, while flights between Yiwu and Beijing are cancelled.
Si county, which contributes the bulk of infections in the latest wave, has locked down its 760,000 residents and suspended public traffic.
This comes as China announced on June 28 the decision to cut quarantine period for international travellers by half, to one week, and reduce the post-quarantine home monitoring period from seven days to just three.
Gilles Cretallaz moves to Dusit International
Dusit International has appointed Gilles Cretallaz as its new chief operating officer, replacing Lim Boon Kwee, who retired from the position in May 2022.
In this new role, Cretallaz will be responsible for overseeing the financial and operational responsibilities of Dusit’s hotel business unit, including all Dusit Hotels and Resorts, ASAI Hotels, Elite Havens, White Label properties, and condominiums/residences under Property Management, at both corporate and property levels.
The French national brings to the role more than 30 years of experience leading hotels for the Accor group across Turkey, China, and South-east Asia. Before moving to Dusit, Cretallaz served as senior vice president operations – South-east Asia where he headed Accor’s Bangkok Office and oversaw the operations of 150 hotels.
Indonesia’s tourism recovery marred by clipped wings
Demand for Indonesia, particularly Bali, is high but Indonesian travel industry members are concerned that the lack of seat capacity and skyrocketing airfares will hamper further growth.
Wayan Sukasih, director of sales and marketing, Grand Mirage Resort & Thalasso Bali, told TTG Asia that while business is growing, with occupancy as of mid-June standing at 30 to 50 per cent, “not all of our markets are back yet”.
“Currently the Australians and Indians have started to come again, while Europe, Japan and particularly China have not. They are either still not able to travel, or they cannot fly because there is no seat or the airfare is too expensive,” said Wayan.
Eduardo Castro, general manager, Meliá Bali Indonesia, is cautious with his expectations since half of the hotel’s occupied rooms now are taken by groups hailing from Jakarta and attendees of the events related to the G20 Summit. A clearer picture of international travel recovery will show when the G20 Summit concludes.
Castro’s concerns stem from international flights into Bali that are not yet fully reinstated.
International flights to Bali have been on the rise since April but current services are still at around 30 per cent of 2019’s operations, according to the Bali Regional Tourism Office.
Although travellers are keen on Bali, they have been forced to look at other destinations due to the lack of flights.
“This is definitely a threat for the destination,” said Castro, adding that global inflation, rising fuel prices and steep airfares are putting even greater pressure on travel recovery.
Classic Tours in Lombok, which markets adventure travel to consumers in Europe and the US, have found airfares from Europe triple that of pre-pandemic prices, while domestic airfares within Indonesia are highly inflated.
Classic Tours’ travel consultant, Nawasier Tralala, said domestic flights are in shortage but necessary for adventure travellers to access remote destinations.
As a result of rising airfares, Tralala is forced to recalculate his package rates, which are thrice as high. For customers who are looking to travel now on postponed 2020 trips, the fare difference is causing friction.
“I cannot run the programme with the old budget, and (customers) are not willing to top up that much. So, we have agreed to postpone the trip again, towards the end of the year. Hopefully flights will be back to normal by then,” he said.
When asking about this predicament, Putu Winastra, chairman of Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies Bali Chapter, recommended that the government negotiate with international airlines to ramp up flights to Bali.
Asia Concierge aims to reinvent the DMC model
- Former Destination Asia leaders regroup to launch Asia Concierge
- The new kid on the block is determined to challenge the way traditional DMCs work
- The rise of travel designers will benefit the travel sector in the long term
A new DMC, Asia Concierge, has launched in Asia, led by former leaders of Destination Asia who see an opportunity to create a “travel design company” that reimagines the DMC model and the Asia travel experience for upmarket clients.
While the opportunity may be timely due to changing consumer behaviours, sources say a key catalyst for the birth of Asia Concierge was the completion of the sale of Destination Asia to Dnata Travel Group at the end of 2020.
Dnata announced the acquisition of Destination Asia – excluding operating companies in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and China – in 2016. Destination Asia’s complex shareholding structure, with as many as 36 shareholders, could be a reason for the protracted sale.
The completion, plus the pandemic’s impact on business, saw shareholders and senior executives leaving Destination Asia, including its chief operating officer, Nicholas Mulley, and Paul Levrier, a partner since the DMC’s inception more than 25 years ago.
Mulley and Levrier, along with Andreas Grosskinsky, former Destination Asia general manager Indonesia, and Brenton Mauriello, executive chairman of Design World Partnership, are now the main partners of the holding company Asia Concierge, which in turn owns stakes in each of Asia Concierge’s seven operating companies.
This included the four that were not part of the Destination Asia sale to Dnata. The other three are Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Addie Samerton, a long-time Destination Asia leader, has also joined as a partner in Asia Concierge Thailand.
“Setting aside Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and China from the acquisition allows, or encourages, Nicholas and Paul to set up Asia Concierge. So Dnata has only itself to thank for this emerging competitor,” a source told TTG Asia.
Not a breakaway team
Asia Concierge now has 35 staff and expects to expand the team to 50 people by year end, said Mulley in an interview.
He does not see Asia Concierge as a breakaway team, rather, as the birth of a new company with a new vision and strategy.
“We’ve all been working in the industry for 10 to 20 years and we’re still passionate about it. We saw this as more of an opportunity to collectively come together, step back and think of what we want to do, not to recreate another Destination Asia or another DMC.
“We want to create a travel design company that focuses on a smaller number of clients – FITs, couples and corporate meetings — and deliver a high level of service, a lot more creative product and showcase the Asia that we know.”
Asia Concierge is working with specialised tour operators and agents in the UK, the US and Australia whose clients want a curated experience in Asia.
“There is a place for everybody. We’re starting on a clean slate and are not competing with the previous company. We have different market segments,” he added.
Staying fighting fit
Meanwhile, Destination Asia remains agile, with new teams joining across the region, said its group marketing and communications director David Andrews.
Destination Asia continues to operate in 11 countries, although China and Myanmar have been “temporarily suspended” since April 2022.
Throughout the pandemic, the company invested heavily in technology to provide tour operator clients with an online one-stop booking centre, and put staff through an extensive online training to ensure they can help grow partners’ business in an ever-evolving travel landscape.
The product team recently launched 11 new travel styles, including Offbeat and Self-Guided tours, allowing for greater customisation and flexibility. Responsible travel has been integrated across all travel styles, Andrews said.
Complacency?
Have DMCs, like hotels, been complacent through years of growth until Covid-19 put a brake on the boom in 2019?
Asia Concierge believes so. A line in its corporate profile said: “The DMC world is one of complacency. We aim to change that.”
Asked to elaborate, Mulley said: “We are making the point that so often the same product is offered over and over again with no real thought on how mass tourism has impacted the industry, and finding ways to spread out the interest to less commercial areas. We also want to challenge ourselves to create a new and innovative product that focuses on soft touch tourism and the art of slow, immersive yet authentic travel experiences.”
If the pandemic spurs the rise of new “travel designers” and jolts existing DMCs to be better, the sector will be stronger in the long term. Currently, however, it is still a fight for survival and the dust is far from settled on winners and losers.
Said a veteran DMC on the condition of anonymity: “Inbound markets are still tentative (in recovery) and shorthaul travel will be the guide post. But shorthaul travel has not always favoured DMC use.
“For many Caucasians, and some Asian travellers, Asian destinations are still seen as exotic, requiring more assistance. This favours the DMC business. However (DMC partners) value reputation, depth of product, and price. And now, they are looking for post-Covid preparedness and resilience. No planner wants to bet their job on a new supplier who promises a lot but has no track record. This favours the long-established company who is still in business.”
Five foreign carriers have returned to Sabah, with the most recent being Jeju Air which restarted operations on June 29 between Incheon and Kota Kinabalu.
Other international carriers that have resumed their direct flight operations to Kota Kinabalu include Scoot, Royal Brunei Airlines, Jin Air and Air Busan, while local LCC Air Asia now flies direct from Singapore and Manila to Kota Kinabalu.
According to the Sabah Tourism Board, improvements in air connectivity are helping the Malaysian state to “become a well-connected South-east Asian destination”.
In line with re-established accessibility, the Sabah Tourism Board has conducted destination promotional trips to a number of countries, while continuing to maintain engagement with airline and tour operators partners and its presence at tourism exposition events.