Digital Travel APAC 2020 focuses on the power of personalisation in travel

November 25, 2019

The fifth edition of the Digital Travel APAC, which will see the gathering of some of the world’s most innovative and disruptive travel companies, will be held from April 20-22, 2020 at the Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.

E-commerce, digital marketing and customer experience leaders from Asia’s top travel businesses will converge at Digital Travel APAC 2020 to share their views on this emerging demographic of travellers.

Digital Travel APAC

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Already, forward-looking travel businesses are changing their strategy when interacting with today’s increasingly tech-savvy travellers.

Multi-device, mobile messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat and Facebook Messenger are a key tool in enriching the consumer experience.

From pre-sale enquires to flight reminders and chat assistance during their trip, agencies staying connected to their customers leads to higher satisfaction levels.

The SITA, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age report shows that 68 per cent of all passengers will be digital travellers by 2025, and will expect to manage their travel in much the same way they do every other aspect of their daily lives – using their mobile phones.

Digital Travel APAC will further explore the industry drivers of tomorrow’s travel business in an interactive two-and-a-half-day conference.

Key topics of discussions include:

Perfecting Personalisation – How to deliver a single view of the customer and real-time data access to deliver a hyper-personalised experience
Data-driven personalisation – What are the people, processes and technology requirements for rolling out a practical strategy that delivers on the customers’ individual needs from the get go?
How to understand customer needs to deliver personalised travel solutions in multiple markets

The discussions will be led by an advisory board comprising Cheryl Goh, group vice president of marketing, Grab; Jerome Thil, vice president of digital innovation, Singapore Airlines; Ronald Dalderup, vice president of innovation, Shangri-La; Nandor Locher, head of digital direct, Qantas; Akira Mitsumasu, vice president of global marketing, Japan Airlines; Andrew Cefai, senior director, marketing & e-commerce Asia-Pacific, Hilton; Piotr Jakubowski, ex-chief marketing officer, Go-Jek; and Vikas Bhola, regional director, South Asia-Pacific, Booking.com.

2020 will also see the travel event hold new formats for deeper engagement and discussions:

“How to” roundtables – A highly interactive small group format that allows participants to choose their desired topics while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Country Clinics – Deep diving into upcoming markets like Vietnam, India, Indonesia, China
Shark Tank – Identifying “the next best thing” in travel tech

Further information about event can be viewed here.

Readers of TTG are entitled to a 20 per cent discount to attend Digital Travel APAC 2020; simply quote ‘DTA20_TTG’ on checkout or email to sgwbrinfo@wbresearch.com.

Hyatt to open dual-brand property in Vietnam come 2023

By TTG Asia

November 25, 2019

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Hyatt_Place_Saigon_District_7_&_Hyatt_House_Saigon_District_7_For_distribution — A rendering of the upcoming dual-branded

Hyatt Hotels Corporation will introduce its first dual-branded Hyatt Place and Hyatt House project in South-east Asia, with the 300-key Hyatt Place Saigon, District 7 and 250-key Hyatt House Saigon, District 7 slated to open in Ho Chi Minh City come 2023.

The result of a management agreement between a Hyatt affiliate and Xuan Mai Sai Gon Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, the new hotels will form part of the Eco Green Saigon 13ha mixed-use project, which will also include residential units, office space, event space, and a primary school.

A rendering of the upcoming dual-branded property by Hyatt in Vietnam

Hyatt Place Saigon, District 7 will feature a café, a bar, a lobby lounge, three meeting rooms, an outdoor pool and fitness centre.

Hyatt House Saigon, District 7, which will predominantly cater to guests looking for longer-term accommodations, will consist of 250 rooms divided into studios and one-bedroom suites, a bar, a lobby lounge, a meeting room, an outdoor pool and fitness centre.

Asia leads the charge in solo travel market: Klook survey

By TTG Asia

November 25, 2019

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The vast majority of travellers – regardless of age, gender, or nationality – are keen on solo travel, according to a Klook-commissioned Solo Travel study conducted by YouGov.

The study, which polled close to 21,000 respondents across 16 markets, found that 76% of them have either travelled alone or are considering it.

The number of travellers in Asia who are more inclined to travel solo are growing

When comparing generational preferences, 80% of Generation Z (18 to 24 year olds) respondents and 79% of Millennials (25-39) said they have already travelled alone or would be keen to plan a solo trip.

Similar trends were also found among the older generations: roughly 73% of Generation X (40-54) and 71% of Baby Boomers (55+) said they were interested in travelling alone. There is also little difference between genders, with 74% of women and 78% of men saying they have either already experienced or would be interested to pursue solo travel.

And while there has been an uptick in interest globally, the data shows that solo travellers in Asia are leading the charge by a large margin. Between 69% and 93% of travellers from Asia have either travelled solo in the past or said that they are open to the idea. In western countries, by comparison, that number hovers between 60% and 69%.

When asked about their reasons for flying solo, half of the respondents said that they wanted to enjoy uninterrupted “me time” or reward themselves, suggesting that travellers value their independence more than ever.

However, the same survey also found that while many people said that they are interested in hitting the road alone, they also had reservations about potentially feeling lonely. In fact, half of the survey participants who wanted to solo travel cited a “fear of loneliness” as the biggest hurdle. This concern was prevalent across all generations – with Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers all ranking loneliness as their top concern.

Additionally, 48% said that safety was their biggest worry; and 30%, planning and booking the itinerary on their own.

VLeisure teams up with Travel Prologue on open ecosystem for B2B partners

By TTG Asia

November 25, 2019

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Vietnam-based travel booking platform VLeisure has partnered with Travel Prologue, a hotel direct booking service provider, to deliver live room rates and inventory to B2B channels like travel agencies, wholesalers and corporate travel intermediaries.

Under the partnership, VLeisure is able to provide an open ecology network to its customers, while leveraging on Travel Prologue’s hotel connectivity services and network of hotels such as Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Furama Hotels International and Berjaya Hotels & Resorts.

Phan: sharing technology is the way forward for the business

VLeisure’s technology will deliver “seamless payment solutions and many more efficiency driven modules for wholesalers and agents”.

VLeisure’s CEO Phan Le said: “An open ecosystem for the travel industry will be the next development in the hotel distribution business. There is no longer a ‘one man wins’ in hotel distribution anymore, making it more of a level playing field. Sharing technology is the way to go and Travel Prologue shares the same ideology with our vision on this.”

Travel Prologue’s managing director Ho Siang Twang said: “Our B2B hotel direct booking service, Trip Affiliates Network, is designed to help hotels and their B2B channels improve their direct bookings with one another.”

Hertz adds Mini fleet to British Collection

By TTG Asia

November 25, 2019

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WM_HERO_GROUP_F3Q-web — Rent Minis from certain locations in Europe

Hertz is marking its 60th anniversary with the addition of 60 Mini vehicles, including the Mini Cooper, the Mini One and the Mini Countryman, to the premium British Collection.

To launch the expansion, Hertz has asked the vehicle wrapping company Yannimize to “dress up” some of its Mini cars in vinyl, featuring three eye-catching designs. The artwork showcases the traditional red, white and blue of the Union Jack, alongside 16 typically British cultural references.

Minis are available for rental in the UK from Hertz

“Mini is an icon of British style and culture, and as such, it had to be part of our British Collection,” Hertz UK’s country manager Richard Davies said. “With the British Collection sporting Jaguar, Land Rover and Mini models, as well as an exclusive, personalised service, we trust customers will be pleased to join the ‘Best-of-British’ vibe.”

The newly added Mini models are available at Hertz locations in Edinburgh Airport, London Heathrow Airport and London Marble Arch.

New DOSM arrives at JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok

By TTG Asia

November 25, 2019

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JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok has appointed Dongwoon Kim as director of sales and marketing.

A Korean national, Kim joins JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok from Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, where he was also director of sales & marketing.

His previous stints include the positions of director of sales and associate director at the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, and other sales positions at the Hyatt Regency Jing Jin City Resort & Spa, and the Hyatt Regency Xi’an.

Royal Caribbean seals five-year, fly-cruise partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport

By Rachel AJ Lee

November 22, 2019

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Royal Caribbean International has entered into a new multimillion-dollar marketing partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to promote fly-cruises.

The five-year tripartite collaboration is expected to bring some 623,000 international fly-cruise visitors to Singapore, and generate over S$430 million (US$315.6 million) in tourism receipts between end-2019 and 2024.

From left: Changi Airport Group’s Peh Ke-Wei; Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Angie Stephen; Quantum of the Seas’ captain Sindre Borsheim; and STB’s Keith Tan at the event to mark the tripartite collaboration to promote fly-cruises

The partnership targets key regional markets including China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as longhaul markets like Australia, the UK, and the US.

Angie Stephen, managing director Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean Cruises, is confident that the partnership will “extend beyond five years”. She told TTG Asia: “This is because of the success that we’ve seen over the past 11 years. Cruising, and the awareness of cruising, is just getting started in Asia. I am very optimistic about the growth of cruising, (which is further) buoyed by a rising middle class.”

The partnership is also expected to generate at least 60 per cent higher tourism receipts compared to the previous partnerships combined. The first partnership ran from 2015 till 2018 to market Mariner of the Seas, followed by another three-year partnership launched in 2017 to promote Ovation of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas. Both partnerships generated a total of S$260 million in tourism dollars.

Aside from being a significant generator of economic benefits, South-east Asia’s cruise tourism sports a positive outlook, as the sector is expected to post growth of between 4.6 per cent and 6.4 per cent per annum to reach 4.5 million cruise passengers by 2035.

To support fly-cruises, a fast-growing passenger segment, CAG launched a seamless intermodal transfer service for passengers flying into Singapore and sailing out on cruise lines and ferries.

Passengers who take up this service will have their bags delivered from their arriving flights to their departing ship and enjoy facilities of the Changi Lounge located in Jewel Changi Airport, before being transferred to the cruise terminal. From December 1, 2019, Royal Caribbean guests sailing out of Singapore from China will be able to enjoy this seamless transfer service as part of the new fly-cruise travel packages.

This announcement is in tandem with the cruise line’s five-year Quantum Class ship deployment in Singapore. To kick off the partnership, Quantum of the Seas has arrived fresh from her multimillion-dollar refurbishment for her six-month homeporting season in the city state – Royal Caribbean’s longest ever Singapore deployment for a Quantum Class ship – which is expected to carry some 150,000 overseas and local guests.

Royal Caribbean also announced new amenities onboard the refurbished Quantum of the Seas, including an escape room and glow-in-the-dark laser tag, which target multigenerational travellers.

“We’re also working on a new children’s programme that we hope to announce next year. We’re also looking at themed cruises – for instance we’re partnering a local radio station in March 2020 – and we’ve also successfully completed a halal-certified cruise for a partner in Malaysia with 500 guests on Voyager of the Seas two weeks ago,” Stephen shared with TTG Asia.

She noted that it marked the cruise line’s first halal-centric initiative, and based on its success, is certainly something “we can explore in the future”.

Singapore’s Liang Court to be turned into mixed-use development with Somerset, Moxy brands

By TTG Asia

November 22, 2019

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Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott Reit) will join City Developments (CDL) and CapitaLand to redevelop the Liang Court site in Singapore’s Clarke Quay area into an integrated development, the companies announced in a joint news release on Thursday.

The site currently comprises Liang Court mall, Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay hotel and the Somerset Liang Court Singapore serviced residence.

Liang Court site proposed integrated development

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The Liang Court site proposed integrated development, which will have a gross floor area (GFA) of 100,263m², will comprise two residential towers offering some 700 residential units, a commercial component, a hotel, and a 192-unit Somerset serviced residence, subject to approval from the authorities, according to the statement.

The proposed integrated development is targeted to open in phases from 2024.

The residential and commercial components will be owned by the 50:50 CDL-CapitaLand JV entities, while the serviced residence will be owned by Ascott Reit, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CapitaLand.

Upon completion, CDL and CapitaLand’s 50:50 joint venture entities will own the residential and commercial components, while Ascott Reit will own the Somerset serviced residence. CDL Hospitality Trusts (CDLHT) will own the hotel under a forward purchase agreement with CDL.

The new hotel will be operated under the Moxy brand by Marriott International when it is completed around 2025, the result of a deal involving CDLHT selling its entire stake in Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay to the 50:50 CDL-CapitaLand joint venture entities and CDL, according to a report by The Straits Times.

Meanwhile, Ascott Reit, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand, said that it has signed a put-and-call option agreement with CDL to sell 15,170m² of the site’s GFA for Somerset Liang Court Singapore for S$163.3 million (US$119.8 million).

With net proceeds from the sale, Ascott Reit will redevelop the retained GFA of 13,034m² into a new Somerset serviced residence with a hotel licence. The land’s lease tenure will be refreshed from 57 years to 99 years. Upon completion, the estimated project development expenditure of the new property is approximately S$300 million.

The consortium also said that it plans to rejuvenate the river promenade flanking the integrated development, which is “in line with the government’s plans to enhance the vibrancy of the precinct”.

The move is expected to to generate social activities around property, increase footfall and improve pedestrian accessibility along the Singapore River, it added.

Bob Tan, Ascott Residence Trust Management’s chairman, said: “With revitalisation plans in place for the Singapore River and Clarke Quay precinct and the proposed construction of a new integrated development, it is an opportune time to recycle our capital into redeveloping our ageing property into a new Somerset serviced residence and refresh the land’s lease to 99 years.

“We will strengthen our presence in a prime location in Singapore’s popular lifestyle hub. We will continue to seek yield-accretive acquisitions, as well as development and conversion projects to maximise returns for unit-holders.”

Oakwood to open first Myanmar property in Yangon

By TTG Asia

November 22, 2019

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Oakwood, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mapletree Investments, will be launching its first Oakwood Hotel & Apartments in the Bahan Township of Yangon, Myanmar.

Opening in 2H2021, this new development signals Oakwood’s aggressive expansion within Asia-Pacific following recent property announcements in Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Yangon is slated to open in 2021

Housed within a newly developed landmark, Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Yangon will offer 128 studio and one-bedroom apartments. On-site facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, an all-day dining restaurant and two meeting rooms.

Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Yangon will have easy access to many tourist attractions, including The Shwedagon Pagoda, which is a short drive away. Other nearby attractions include the famous Kandawgyi Lake, Yangon Zoological Garden, People’s Park and Bogyoke Aung San Museum.

New tax-free app by UTU touts higher VAT refunds

By TTG Asia

November 22, 2019

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Singapore-based digital rewards platform UTU is providing global tourists and shoppers with the means to receive 85 per cent of their VAT refund back – a significant increase from the 55-60 per cent refund that tourists currently receive.

Tourists can now bypass the long queues at multiple tax-free operator counters by utilising UTU Direct, a tax-free app, to consolidate all their purchases and track transactions throughout the refund process, until they receive the money and cash back to their preferred credit card.

UTU rolls out a tax-free app that gives users higher VAT refunds

International shoppers in Italy can also bring any tax refund form issued within Italy by any tax refund operator to the UTU Service Counter, and using UTU Direct, receive 85 per cent of the tax refund amount back.

Working with various card schemes and bank-issued cards, UTU Direct has been created to bring “increased fairness to the tax-free shopping sector”, which has long been operating through a paper-based system shrouded in opaque commissions, meaning shoppers do not receive as much VAT refund as they are entitled to.

Co-founded by Asad Jumabhoy, a VAT refund veteran with 25 years’ experience, UTU said that its focus is customer-centricity for VAT refunds – paired with a new business model designed to deliver additional value to shoppers and shops in this era of mobile connectivity.

“Most shoppers are not aware of their rights or that they even have a choice in how they claim their VAT refunds to get the best outcome for themselves. The goal of UTU has always been to innovate the tax refund process, which has remained mostly unchanged for decades as a complex, paper-based and commission-ridden system. Our solutions ensure tourists the choice in how they wish to receive their refunds, getting more for their VAT Refund every time,” said Sanjay Chinchwade, senior vice president of marketing at UTU.

In coming weeks, UTU also plans to launch UTU Plus, a VAT refund product available to all travellers and shoppers across 19 Eurozone countries, providing up to 5 per cent more on all qualifying VAT refunds.

UTU is also in the process of beta testing its 100 per cent VAT Refund product in Italy at selected stores, pending a general roll out.

Digital Travel APAC 2020 focuses on the power of personalisation in travel

Hyatt to open dual-brand property in Vietnam come 2023

Asia leads the charge in solo travel market: Klook survey

VLeisure teams up with Travel Prologue on open ecosystem for B2B partners

Hertz adds Mini fleet to British Collection

New DOSM arrives at JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok

Royal Caribbean seals five-year, fly-cruise partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport

Singapore’s Liang Court to be turned into mixed-use development with Somerset, Moxy brands

Oakwood to open first Myanmar property in Yangon

New tax-free app by UTU touts higher VAT refunds

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