Guests will get to meet Disney characters dressed in their Spring Festival costumes
To usher in the Year of the Mouse, Shanghai Disney Resort will be holding resort-wide celebrations and special activities from now until February 9, 2020.
Guests will get to meet and take photos with Disney characters dressed in their Spring Festival costumes, including “God of Fortune” Goofy, against various New Year-inspired photo backdrops around Mickey Avenue.
Guests will get to meet Disney characters dressed in their Spring Festival costumes
The incredible Spring Festival 2020 Firework Celebration: Our Families, a new vibrant fireworks show, will also take place daily throughout the Spring Festival period, with projections on the castle featuring families from beloved classic Disney movies, and traditional Chinese elements.
As well, Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is offering an exclusive Spring Festival Banquet on January 23 and 24, 2020 at the hotel’s Cinderella Ballroom. Featuring a range of classic traditional dishes, the banquet will also serve up fun activities like paper cutting, pumpkin carving, and dumpling making.
Guests looking to extend the magic with an overnight stay at either the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel or Toy Story Hotel will find themselves immersed in a festive environment, complete with beautiful decorations, and workshops in lantern-making, Chinese calligraphy, paper-cutting and dragon mask-colouring. In the lobby, traditional stories, solving riddles and festive face painting activities will be conducted.
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh has appointed Herman Kemp as general manager.
Kemp started off working on cruise liners, with the Holland America Line. After which, he joined the hospitality industry, where over 12 years he rose through F&B and management roles at Le Meridien, Sofitel and Carlton hotels, all in The Hague, a city in Netherlands.
His first posting as general manager was with Aryaduta Hotels in Indonesia in 2012. Prior to his Phnom Penh move, Kemp was general manager of Park Hyatt Siem Reap for nearly four years.
Expected to open in 2020, the 250-room Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh will mark the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Cambodia.
Happy travellers are likelier to splurge at the airport, according to new research from Collinson, urging airports and their ecosystem of travel-related businesses and brands to prioritise traveller satisfaction across the entire journey so as to increase passenger dwell time and spend.
Collinson’s Airport Journey report surveyed 6,667 people across 11 countries in the Americas; Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA); and Asia-Pacific to track evolving traveller preferences and behaviours, and learn more about travellers’ satisfaction with the airport experience.
Retail spending in airports linked to travellers’ satisfaction: Collinson
Overall, traveller satisfaction with the airport experience is on the rise, found the report. In 2019, 63% of global travellers said they enjoy the airport experience, a jump of 13 percentage points from 2018 when only 50% of travellers said the same. Collinson’s 2019 data drew on five additional markets not included in the 2018 data; with markets held constant, a jump of eight percentage points year-on-year was recorded.
However, there is a significant gulf between traveller satisfaction in Asia and the Middle East, compared to the US and Europe. On average, three in four travellers (74%) across markets like India, China and the UAE enjoy the airport experience, compared to less than half (48%) across markets like the US, the UK and Germany.
The polarisation in airport experience should concern airports and their ecosystem of businesses since the research found that happy travellers spend more.
Nearly nine in 10 (88%) travellers who routinely spend over US$200 at the airport said the airport experience is an enjoyable part of the journey. On the other hand, the least satisfied travellers spend less than US$28, among whom only 40% saying that they enjoy the airport experience.
Mignon Buckingham, corporate strategy officer, Collinson, said: “It may seem unsurprising that happy customers spend more, but the devil is in the detail. The airport experience is fragmented and relies on an ecosystem of players, including airlines, airport authorities, security and operational service providers, merchants, duty-free, retailers, bars and restaurants. Dissatisfaction at any point of the airport journey can trigger a loss in overall satisfaction and have a knock-on impact for all other players.
“The staggering differences in satisfaction rates in Asia and the Middle East compared to Europe and the US point to a variety of conclusions. Asia and the Middle East are leading international tourism growth, with arrival numbers growing by 6% and 8% from January to June 2019, respectively. This boom in tourism arrivals and the regions’ growing middle class are major motivations for the development of new airports and the evolution of existing ones.
“Without the long-standing legacy infrastructure that other regions must contend with, airports in Asia and the Middle East can build ultra-modern facilities, cherry-pick best-of-breed features, and keep the customer experience absolutely central to it all. These are no doubt contributing factors to travellers’ strong enjoyment of the airport experience in these regions.”
Asia-Pacific has been called the busiest area on Earth for airport development, accounting for 48.5% of global spend on airport upgrades and 57% of investment in new airports. Starting from scratch in very recent years means airports in Asia and the Middle East can leverage innovative design and offer seamless technology and services to passengers, as seen in some of the world’s top airports like Singapore Changi, Incheon International and Dubai International.
On the other hand, airports in the US and Europe must contend with how to update long-standing facilities to accommodate booming passenger numbers. Europe and the US are home to the world’s 10 oldest airports, while the average US airport is over 40 years old.
Mignon continued: “But infrastructure alone does not deliver traveller satisfaction. With so many innovative travel experience solutions now coming to market, this is an exciting time for airports in every region to consider new ways to boost traveller satisfaction and spend. Airports in Asia and the Middle East can integrate trailblazing products and services into their offering, to ensure travellers’ on-the-ground experience matches the airports’ modern physical infrastructure.
“A brand new terminal may look impressive to a traveller, but unless the services offered are equally cutting-edge, customers won’t be satisfied. Airports in the US and Europe have a different challenge and must seek out solutions that enable a seamless journey and offer unexpected moments of delight, so that no matter the age of the infrastructure, travellers enjoy a world-class airport experience.”
New opportunities to help improve traveller satisfaction
Collinson’s Airport Journey research indicates many key opportunities for airports and other businesses to enhance traveller satisfaction and encourage engagement and spend. Travellers want more opportunities to take control and create a smooth, enjoyable trip even before the journey begins, with nearly three in four (70%) saying they would consider pre-ordering food and beverage if the option was available.
More than half (53%) of travellers who spend upwards of US$150 on retail said they do not spend more because of baggage restrictions, and 39% would spend more if a delivery or collection service was offered.
The travel retail app Inflyter is currently working to connect airports and duty-free providers to deliver services which will allow travellers to pre-order and collect duty-free purchases on their inbound journey or have them delivered to an airport lounge.
Travellers want relevant marketing communications
Another key finding from Collinson’s Airport Journey research is that there is considerable opportunity for airports to improve their traveller relationships via communications. Nearly one in two travellers (45%) receive communications at times when they are not planning to travel; indicating a lack of relevance and personalisation, not to mention wasted marketing spend for airport businesses and brands.
An explanation for this may be that, in the absence of a structured loyalty or engagement programme, many airports have no means of knowing when customers will be travelling. Still, 48% of travellers said they receive communications that encourage them to spend more time at the airport, and another 46% said receiving discounts ahead of travel encourages them to shop and dine at the airport. Both points reveal that travellers are in fact open to receiving marketing-driven communications from the airport, if these are relevant and tailored.
Mignon added: “Traveller satisfaction with airports is improving, but there is still a significant gap between travellers’ ideal experience and what airports deliver. Our research shows a number of opportunities where all of us in the travel experience landscape can help to give travellers a little more luxury, comfort and peace of mind right across their journey.
“For example, when we know who the traveller is, we can make their experience smoother via inbound or in-lounge duty-free collection services or the ability to pre-order airport meals. Travellers can also be incentivised with card- and payment-linked offers that are personalised and relevant. Ultimately, communications is key, which is why Collinson is focused on helping our partners get to know individual travellers better so that we can provide them with timely information and tailored offers that make the journey more efficient, enjoyable and stress-free.”
Visitors to Japan this year can enjoy more special offers, experiences and events as well as greater access to cultural properties, thanks to a new programme by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
Promising a way for everyone to enjoy the whole country, the Your Japan 2020 campaign features discounted fares from most major airlines and LCCs on domestic flights to encourage travel to the regions.
Ozu Castle in Ehime Prefecture will be opening in April to host overnight visitors
Visitors’ shopping experiences will also get a boost, with discounts at more than 1,000 stores nationwide, cash-back services and gift campaigns. Half-price luggage storage and delivery services are also part of the plan.
Tourists can look forward to new experiences, including culinary classes, adventure travel programmes and historic activities related to ninja and samurai. In conjunction with the campaign, Japan’s popular anime characters have also been given a new look for 2020.
The campaign ties in with Tokyo’s hosting of the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, but JNTO said that it is designed to appeal to any visitor to Japan throughout this special year for the country.
“Since the Olympics and Paralympics are held in Japan this year, it is a great time to gain interest (in Japan) from all over the world. We regard 2020 as the greatest opportunity to attract visitors to Japan,” Reiko Fujita, executive director of JNTO’s Global Strategy Headquarters, told TTG Asia.
In Ehime Prefecture, Ozu Castle will become the first castle in Japan to open its doors to overnight visitors, beginning in April. According to JNTO, guests can experience the life of a lord during the Edo Period (1603–1868) with a stay in the restored wooden keep. The tentative programme also features a reenactment of a lord entering the castle, a performance of historic court music and moon gazing from the turrets.
In July and August, Sado island in Niigata Prefecture will host Earth Celebration, a three-day arts and music festival. Attendees can enjoy sea kayaking and cook rice using traditional methods on terraced rice fields.
Pop culture fans, meanwhile, can attempt the Anime Pilgrimage 2020, the visitation of 88 iconic locations from Hokkaido to Okinawa featured in classic and contemporary anime, to receive a commemorative gift.
The future of air travel in Asia-Pacific, ideas to best tackle air travel challenges and opportunities, as well as updates on New Distribution Capability (NDC), will be among the many aviation-related topics to be discussed at the second SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series which will be held in Singapore on February 11, 2020.
Organised by PATA Singapore Chapter and co-presented by TTG Asia Media, the aviation-themed edition welcomes the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as programme partner.
Clockwise; from top: Vinoop Goel, Bineetha Mohanan, Chang Chee Pey, and Lim Ching Kiat will be speaking at the second edition of the SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series
The event will feature two sessions, leading with Asia-Pacific aviation outlook where speakers will share their projections for air travel in 2020 and beyond, and discuss how industry stakeholders should work together to overcome challenges, especially environmental concerns, to achieve opportunities presented in air passenger forecasts.
Vinoop Goel, IATA’s Asia-Pacific regional director of airports & external relations; Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group’s (CAG) managing director, air hub development; Chang Chee Pey, Singapore Tourism Board’s assistant chief executive, international group; and Wong Soon-Hwa, PATA Singapore Chapter chair and PATA vice chair are panelists.
Ven Sreenivasan, associate editor of The Straits Times, will be moderating the conversation.
The second panel will focus on NDC, which has seen its adoption gain speed in recent times as more stakeholders, beyond just airlines, move towards airline retailing. The session, led by Bineetha Mohanan, IATA’s Asia-Pacific head of customer services, seeks to provide clarity around the latest industry status of NDC and airline retailing.
Commenting on the programme line-up for the second SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series, Wong said: “Aviation is a critical topic as air travel impacts all sectors of the tourism ecosystem. We must keep abreast of the latest trends and developments.”
He continued: “Asia-Pacific destinations could see foreign visitor arrivals grow an average of 5.5 per cent per annum between 2018 and 2023 to close to 900 million foreign visitor arrivals in 2023, according to projections by PATA in its Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2019-2023. To fuel this growth, the aviation sector in the region must keep pace with capacity growth and airport infrastructure to meet growing traffic.”
“In Asia-Pacific, we are fortunate to have numerous world class airlines and airports, on top of world class destinations. How are we going to respond to the opportunities and challenges ahead?
“NDC is another interesting and important topic for all of us. What exactly is NDC and how does it impact industry players? The NDC session will bring us all up to speed.”
In line with its aviation theme, CAG has stepped in as venue sponsor, with the event being held at Changi Experience Studio @ Jewel from 15.00 to 18.00. A valuable hour-long networking reception will take place at the start.
First debuted on November 5, 2019, the SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series is a collection of intimate knowledge exchange events featuring thought leaders from across various fields who discuss hot button issues surrounding and impacting the business of travel, tourism and events.
The Series is designed for intense learning and encourages speaker-audience interaction through compact panels in hour-long fireside chat formats.
Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media – the co-presenter of the SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series – expects another strong turnout for the second edition, as it did for the debut edition which saw its initial attendance cap at 150 being lifted to accommodate almost 250 delegates.
Sowaka, Kyoto
Located in the heart of Kyoto, Sowaka, a 23-bedroom luxury ryokan hotel, has opened its doors to international guests. Conceived through the renovation of a century-old sukiya-style building, Sowaka’s main building comprises 11 bedrooms, and a 12-bedroom annexe. Guests can select from rooms with a wide variety of styles and amenities – think outdoor bathtubs, private gardens, a wooden naguri wall, or a tea ceremony room. Hotel facilities include the La Bombance restaurant, a private bar, lounge, Japanese garden, and rooftop balcony.
Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh, Vietnam
Nestled on Long Beach, an 18km-long stretch of sand in Khanh Hoa province, Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh features 292 rooms, suites and pool villas, ranging from 45m² to 140m². The 36 villas also boast private pools, cabanas and alfresco dining areas.
The beachfront resort houses six F&B venues: Sunrise, an all-day dining destination; Blu Lobster, a Vietnamese restaurant and seafood grill; and four bars. Other facilities include a spa, an outdoor infinity pool, fitness centre, and nine meeting facilities, including a Grand Ballroom that can seat up to 385 persons for a gala dinner.
The Farm, the Philippines
Following its acquisition by CG Hospitality last October, The Farm at San Benito, an eco-luxury medical wellness resort and spa in Batangas, the Philippines, has recently completed its expansion to accommodate more wellness travellers.
One of the new additions to its portfolio is the Mahogany Villa. There are five Mahogany Villas available, four of them measuring 300m² and featuring one bedroom. The remaining Mahogany Villa spans 600m², with two bedrooms, a pantry, and a nanny room. The Farm will also be opening two new Bamboo Villas, which are 400m² spaces with one bedroom, a bathtub, and TV, for regular guests.
Centara Sonrisa Residences & Suites Sriracha, Thailand
The 145-key Centara Sonrisa Residences & Suites Sriracha in Chonburi Province offers an array of accommodation options: the Superior, Deluxe and Deluxe Seaview guestrooms are ideal for two, while the Family Residences and Two-bedroom Suites can comfortably accommodate families of four to five. Residences are also equipped with kitchenettes and furnished with children’s bunk beds.
There are three F&B options on-site: UMI which offers traditional Japanese cuisine; Zing, a casual delicatessen and café; as well as Tropicana Pool Bar and Sky Bar, which both serves light bites, refreshments and cocktails. Other facilities include a ballroom which can accommodate up to 120 persons theatre-style; fitness centre; kids’ club; outdoor swimming pool and water playground.
Novotel Perth Murray St, Australia
Accor & Fragrance Group have launched the 431-room Novotel Perth Murray St, which soft-opened on December 19, 2019. Situated in the heart of Perth’s CBD, the hotel features a fitness and spa facility, including a pool, steam room, day spa and sauna, four bars and restaurants, four meeting rooms and a conference room for up to 120 people banquet-style. The first phase saw 40 rooms open in December, with the rest of the hotel to be fully operational by 1Q2020.
The fifth edition of the Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) is taking place at Royal Phuket Marina from now until January 12, 2020.
Targeting yachting aficionados and wealthy lifestyle enthusiasts from all over the region, TYS aims to position Thailand “as the primary Asian destination in the global yachting arena” and attract foreign yacht tourism.
Thailand Yacht Show returns for its fifth edition at Royal Phuket Marina from now until January 12
The show will feature an on-water display, which is a first-class array of luxury yacht models, including several premieres, from the region’s leading brokers and world’s biggest boat builders.
The exhibitor line-up includes renowned brands, charter agencies, high-end property developers and leading names in the automotive, hospitality and F&B industries. A mix of high-net-worth buyers and sellers, as well as aspiring yacht owners, will also be in attendance.
As well, Italian boatbuilder Azimut Yachts will display two brand-new models, while British brand Sunseeker will have a front-line showpiece yacht to demonstrate the ultimate in high-fashion luxury boating.
Visitors to TYS 2020 will find a whole host of new features, including interactive demonstrations, special Children’s Day events, art exhibitions and an artistic masterclass, live music, fashion shows and an array of F&B options, including a brand new Floating Bar in the heart of the marina.
The Show’s main draw remains the world-class selection of yachts and boats – from small sailboats to superyachts, RIB’s to jet-skis, navigation systems and chandlery to the latest water-sports toys – for visitors to admire, and to charter or purchase. TYS will also offer the opportunity for first-timers to try sailing a yacht from its Demonstration Platform.
The private island of Koh Rang Noi, situated a short ride from the main exhibition, will serve as the venue for TYS 2020’s Welcome Party on January 9, as well as the backdrop to the show’s Superyacht Hub, which will showcase a selection of international superyachts at anchor.
Tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, bringing tremendous economic benefits to destinations. But as the world becomes more accessible, tourism can become a double-edged sword, bringing with it overtourism – hordes of tourists that strain a destination’s infrastructure and resources.
In addition, travel contributes to the single-use economy as well, no thanks to plastic cups used onboard aeroplanes to unused blocks of soaps in hotels that have to be thrown away. Even flying itself is deemed shameful nowadays.
Tourism will never be completely sustainable, but we can all work towards a common goal of making it more sustainable
But on the alternative end of overtourism is sustainability, a buzzword throughout 2019, and I believe 2020 as well. This comes as the tourism sector discovers ways and means to make tourism both beneficial and sustainable.
From destinations like New Zealand and Thailand, to tourism services like airlines and cruise liners, to international hospitality companies like Marriott and Pan Pacific Hotels Group, many private stakeholders in the tourism sector have clambered on the sustainability bandwagon.
Numerous efforts undertaken by these companies include switching to large-format bathroom amenities, minimising carbon emissions by using fuel more efficiently, the introduction of limits to renowned attractions, and employing various zero-waste tactics to minimise food wastage.
But as sustainability has now moved beyond single-use plastics and recycling, a more conscientious approach is also required, according to a report by B2B4E travel management platform CWT. This means that companies in the tourism sector need to look at all aspects of the supply chain – from reducing their environmental footprint by sourcing locally to choosing a sustainable venue for their events, to helping to tackle human trafficking and promote gender diversity in the various industries.
I couldn’t agree more.
Cliché as it might sound, every little bit will help. But with the combined efforts of the private sector and the government, perhaps we may be able to better balance development and sustainability, and leave a lighter footprint wherever our feet take us.
A maiden call ceremony was conducted for Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas when it called at Subic Bay, the Philippines on January 7, 2020, during her seven-night sailing from Hong Kong.
At 169,379 gross registered tonnes, Spectrum of the Seas is the first Quantum Ultra Class ship that has a total capacity of 5,622 guests.
The plaque and key exchanges took place onboard the ship between captain Flemming Nielsen; and Wilma Eisma, chairman of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; Carolina Uy, director for Department of Tourism Region 3; as well as captain Terence Uytingban, general manager for Ben Line Agencies.
Edward E Snoeks has been appointed as the general manager of Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok and The Residences at Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, which is slated to open in April 2020.
Prior to his current role, Snoeks held senior executive positions with Marco Polo, IHG, and most recently, Okura Hotels, across major destinations in Asia such as Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Bangkok.
He has also served as vice president hotel operations for Hong Kong Parkview Group, and also played a key role in the openings of Eclat hotels in Taipei and Beijing, as well as other projects in Hong Kong.
