Best Western Hotels & Resorts has appointed David Calvet as general manager of Tawaravadee Resort, BW Signature Collection by Best Western, in Thailand’s Prachinburi province.
The hotelier possesses an extensive knowledge of Thailand’s hospitality industry, having worked for for a series of international hotels in Bangkok and Phuket over the last 20 years.
Calvet was most recently the general manager of ibis Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit 50. Previously, he also held senior management roles with a series of well-known hotel brands, including Novotel and Sheraton. He also spent more than three years as directeur général of École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule, an international hospitality school in Siem Reap.
Tawaravadee Resort is Best Western’s first BW Signature Collection by Best Western property in Asia.
Azizan Noordin will step down as CEO of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) on November 30, with industry members of the opinion that the Malaysian tourism veteran is ending his tenure on a high note.
With his replacement yet to be named, deputy CEO Asri Redha Abdul Rahman will helm the organisation in the interim.
Azizan may only have been in active service for 24 months, but he has made a significant impact on the island’s inbound tourism, which some attribute partly to his time at Tourism Malaysia, where he served for over 38 years before retiring in 2016 as deputy director-general (promotion).
Azizan helped bring more air links, heightened destination awareness, among other contributions
Adam Kamal, secretary-general at Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said: “Azizan has done a wonderful job. One of the first things he did when he came into office was to draw up a calendar of events which has generally helped all inbound agents to plan their marketing campaigns so that it coincides with these events.
“He also had big ideas on developing Langkawi’s appeal and he worked tirelessly to attract more foreign airlines and charters to fly to Langkawi.”
Eric R Sinnaya, managing director, Morahols Travel and also the executive council member of Malaysia Tourism Council, said: “Azizan has brought a lot of positive changes to Langkawi. He has a tourism-related mindset and he knew what holiday makers wanted and that creating sporting and musical events in Langkawi will attract more tourists and millennials. He also had the respect and support from the private sector. In turn, he listened to their issues and found amicable solutions.”
Under his leadership and guidance, LADA organised 33 tourism events in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Some of these events become part of the annual tourism calendar for Langkawi, including the Royal Langkawi Classic Car Show, The Royal Langkawi Superbike Show and Langkawi Island Blues & Roots Aseana.
Ironman Malaysia, held in Langkawi earlier this month, attracted 2,400 participants from 70 countries. Azizan said that counting coaches, family and friends of participants, the destination welcomed around 7,000 visitors on the island for the event.
Moreover, Azizan and his team at LADA co-organised this year’s PATA Travel Mart (PTM) with Tourism Malaysia, a first for the state of Kedah.
Speaking to TTG Asia, Azizan said he is very proud of the execution of PTM and its role in raising awareness of Langkawi as an island destination for tourism at an international level.
Organising the show was done on a tight budget and required the co-operation with the private sector and the Langkawi Tourism Association.
He elaborated: “PTM has attracted quality buyers and we are seeing new agents from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Germany who are now selling Langkawi. We are also seeing increased visitors from China, Saudi Arabia and India.”
He is also instrumental in promoting Langkawi as the gateway to the northern mainland states of Perlis and Kedah.
As well, in his time at LADA, he has worked to improve air connectivity and was able to attract charter flights from China, some of which became scheduled flights.
He added that Qatar Airways has shown interest and that soon, there will be direct flights between Langkawi and India.
Azizan said he will continue to serve as vice chairman of PATA until mid 2019 and wishes to continue to be active in the tourism industry. He further shared that he is hoping to be attached to a local travel-related agency and PATA member so he can continue as vice president at PATA into the next term.
After a year of promoting Taiwan’s islands under the Bay Tourism theme, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) has announced that small towns will be the highlight of its 2019 campaign.
Under this theme, TTB will soon conduct open voting to the public to identify a list of suitable small towns. After that, a panel of professionals will be engaged to survey and finalise the featured towns.
Lin: driving tourism traffic to small towns to spread benefits
A total of 30 towns will be promoted for this campaign, said Trust Lin, director of the TTB Singapore office.
He explained: “Usually, most new visitor markets will go to the capital city of Taipei, and if they have time, visit some nearby cities. Rarely do they go to the small towns.
“Our visitor numbers have been going up – we had more than 10 million for three consecutive years and hope to hit 11 million this year – but if we cannot redistribute them to the small cities, the benefits of tourism expenditure cannot be shared equally across the country. That’s why we are encouraging tourists to visit these small towns.”
Simultaneously, TTB will continue its tourism push to southern Taiwan by subsidising operators that offer tours to national scenic areas in the island’s south.
From this month, it will channel its funds towards promoting areas in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung and Pintung, said Lin.
“Combined with the visa waiver programme, I think we have become smarter with our promotions. We are also confident that our small towns are ready to receive visitors from all over the world,” he expressed.
Lin shared that since the implementation of the New Southbound Policy – which included visa waivers for countries like the Philippines and Thailand – arrival numbers from South-east Asia have increased.
According to TTB statistics, Taiwan received more than 2.1 million visitors from South-east Asia last year, posting a 29 per cent growth from 2016. From January to September this year, visitors from South-east Asia have exceeded 1.7 million, with a growth rate of 16.6 per cent.
“Traditionally, our number one market was Malaysia and number two was Singapore. But with the visa waiver programme, Vietnam has overtaken Malaysia as our new number one for the first nine months of 2018. This is followed by Malaysia, the Philippines, and then Singapore. It’s changing rapidly,” said Lin.
Blue skies again for Egypt's tourism; tourists riding towards the Great Pyramid of Khufu and Pyramid of Khafre on camelback, Cairo, Egypt
As Egypt’s tourism sector picks up in the wake of recent revolutions, inbound players are reaching out to Asia in hopes that tourism arrivals will bounce back to its heyday numbers.
“The volume of tourism in the last two years has come back up very quickly. We expect this year’s numbers to be comparable to those 10 years ago,” said Ahmed Abdul Mounem, tourism manager, Castle Tours.
Blue skies again for Egypt’s tourism; tourists riding towards the Great Pyramid of Khufu and Pyramid of Khafre on camelback, Cairo, Egypt
He projects international tourist arrivals to Egypt to rise next year, as airlines from Russia, Germany and other countries relaunched services to the destination.
“In the last five years during the revolution, Asia was the only market that supported Egypt and sent tourists to us. These were Singaporeans and Malaysians, and China was the top source market,” observed Ahmed.
This enduring interest in Egypt is owed to the North African country’s history and legacy. Sabrina Zhao, operations, Unlimited Egypt Travel, explained: “To the Chinese, Egypt is still a mystical and exotic destination, owing to its ancient history and portrayal in movies like Death on the Nile.”
However, Chinese travel preferences have evolved over the years. Zhao shared: “Most travellers first come to Egypt to see the pyramids, but more Chinese are now interested in in-depth discoveries like wading or even fishing in the Red Sea.”
Ahmed added that luxury self-drive tours in the oases and deserts are gaining in popularity among his Chinese clients.
UNWTO has partnered Niantic – the real-world games developer that created Pokemon Go and Ingress Prime – to enhance global tourism through mobile augmented reality (AR) game experiences.
Niantic was recently accepted as a UNWTO Affiliate Member at the 109th session of UNWTO’s Executive Council held in Bahrain last month.
UNWTO will collaborate with Niantic to curate global campaigns that will help build awareness for the organisation’s Travel.Enjoy.Respect campaign
The new partnership is part of the organisation’s ongoing efforts to bring together the actors of the ‘ecosystem’ of tourism technology under its priority of innovation and the digital transformation in tourism.
Commenting on the tourism relevance of Niantic games, Ion Vilcu, director of UNWTO’s affiliate members department, said: “Niantic are pioneers in creating real-world mobile game experiences that not only motivate their players to discover new places, but also to appreciate the culture and beauty of the world around them.”
Niantic’s games and global initiatives have been known for gathering players from around the world at real-world events, hence promoting civic engagement and cultural diversity while highlighting local heritage.
With the new partnership, UNWTO and Niantic will curate campaigns around the world that build awareness for the organisation’s Travel.Enjoy.Respect campaign, designed to enhance tourism’s contribution to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Each activity will also be designed to inspire and support exploration, and promote safe and responsible gaming practices for players of all ages.
Bokor Mountain and other Cambodian destinations will be featured, in addition to Chinese locations such as Yunnan
A film aimed at luring more Chinese tourists to Cambodia could attract more high-spending visitors from China and plant the South-east Asian country as a romance destination.
Filming on Love in Cambodia started in September as a joint bid between Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. The aim is to use the film as a tool to promote Cambodia to foreign tourists, particularly Chinese visitors.
Bokor Mountain and other Cambodian destinations will be featured, in addition to Chinese locations such as Yunnan
The US$2 million movie – slated to premier in China in early 2019 – will feature Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, Koh Rong island off the coast of Sihanoukville, and Bokor Mountain in Kampot. Scenes will also be shot in China, primarily in Kunming in Yunnan province.
Heng Chinmeng, founder of Cambodia Dream Travels, hopes the film will encourage more high-spending Chinese travellers as well as young families and couples to visit the country’s lesser visited destinations.
On the back of the film, Rosewood Phnom Penh plans to arrange a press brief to be distributed by its PR agency in China. Adrein Pon, director of sales and marketing, said: “We believe (the movie) will increase the number of tourists, including the high-end market.”
Anantara Angkor Resort’s general manager Sarah Moya is hopeful that the movie will attract more high-end Chinese to Siem Reap, which currently lacks the sophisticated shopping and dining experiences that the luxury sector opts for.
“The film will help a little in capturing the niche within that market that we would prefer to have,” she said.
Likewise, Le Meridien Angkor intents to use the film as part of its digital marketing efforts in China. Maria Rowena Medina, marketing manager, added that the romantic film could plant Cambodia on the map as a wedding destination.
Said Medina: “The movie, for sure, will have a positive impact on Cambodia’s tourism efforts in China. It may cement Cambodia as a romantic destination and the opportunity may arise for Cambodia as a wedding and honeymoon destination for Chinese.”
Chhay Sivlin, president of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, revealed that a series of fam trips will be organised.
Furama Resort Danang's board presented the Indian president with a photo of him and his family on 30 Indian Bodhi leaves from a tree in Danang
On a three-day visit to Vietnam, Indian president Ram Nath Kovind identified tourism and civil aviation as sectors that the two countries can build on together, alongside financial services, IT and the digital economy and more.
Speaking at the Vietnam-India Business Forum in the Vietnamese capital, the president pointed to the country’s historical friendly relations, and stressed that trade is a driving force of their diplomatic ties today.
Furama Resort Danang’s board presented the Indian president with a photo of him and his family on 30 Indian Bodhi leaves from a tree in Danang
In the past eight years, there has been an almost four-fold increase in bilateral trade, from US$3.7 billion in 2010 to US$12.8 billion in 2017. With both Vietnam and India on a path of high growth, this trend is expected to continue.
The president added the Vietnam-India business relationship presents prospects for engagement in financial services, IT and the digital economy, hydrocarbons, defence, renewable energy, mining, healthcare, tourism and civil aviation, among other sectors.
The president and his spouse started their official visit at the Furama International Convention Palace.
He was welcomed by secretary of the party committee of Danang city Truong Quang Nghia and met with general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and president Nguyen Phu Trong, and separately with National Assembly chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The president also visited Danang Cham Museum, My Son world cultural heritage in the central province of Quang Nam.
This was his first state visit to Vietnam, and also his first trip to South-east Asia since he took office in July 2017.
Vietjet’s JAL codeshare kicks off with Hanoi-Osaka service
Vietjet has commenced daily Hanoi-Osaka flights, its first codeshare services with Japan Airlines. The flight departs from Hanoi at 01.40 and arrives in Osaka at 07.50. The return flight takes off at 09.20 and lands in Hanoi at 13.05.
Air Canada ups frequencies across the globe
Air Canada has announced frequency additions, all operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
From Vancouver, the airline is increasing service to Delhi with daily flights on a year-round basis starting June 2, 2019, as well as increasing its non-stop Melbourne service to four times weekly year-round, and summer seasonal service to Zurich will increase to five flights a week.
Vancouver International Airport-Osaka (Kansai) flights will be bumped up to a five-times weekly frequency from June to October next summer.
NokScoot ramps up Bangkok-Osaka frequencies
NokScoot will be increasing its Bangkok-Osaka flights to six-times weekly, up from four-times weekly, beginning February 2, 2019.
XW112 will depart Bangkok at 23.50, and arrive in Osaka at 07.10 the following day on all days except Tuesday. The return leg, XW111, will depart Osaka at 08.30, and arrive in Bangkok at 12.45, on all days except Wednesday.
The two additional Bangkok-Osaka flights are on Thursday and Saturday and will continue to be served by Boeing 777-200 wide-body jet, configured with 415 seats.
NokScoot also intends to boost the frequencies on the route to a daily basis later next year once regulatory approval is secured.
AirAsia launches Khon Kaen-Pattaya (U-Tapao)
Starting December 21, Thai AirAsia will launch four-times-weekly flights between Pattaya (U-Tapao) and Khon Kaen. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flight FD442 takes off from Pattaya at 07.00 and lands in Khon Kaen at 08.00. FD443 leaves Khon Kaen at 08.25 the same day for arrival in Pattaya at 09.25.
The ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) is inviting travel and tourism industry members to submit their nominations for its annual awards.
There is no limit to the number of entries each person can submit and registration is not required.
Completed forms are to be emailed to Flora Abdullah at aseanta.ceo@gmail.com, and deadline for submissions is on December 15, 2018.
This year, ASEANTA added two new awards namely the Best ASEAN Hotel Package and the Best ASEAN Cruise Program, bringing the number of awards up to eight.
Air France KLM has appointed Wouter Gregorowitsch as country manager for Indonesia.
Based in Jakarta, Gregorowitsch will oversee commercial sales throughout the country, strengthen Air France KLM’s market position, and cooperate with partners and SkyTeam alliance partners.
Wouter Gregorowitsch
He succeeds Wouter Alders who has moved to the position of commercial director for Spain and Portugal.
Gregorowitsch’s most recent position was within the pricing department at KLM’s head office in Amstelveen, and he has held other positions within the e-commerce, apron services, and engineering and maintenance departments.
Azizan Noordin will step down as CEO of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) on November 30, with industry members of the opinion that the Malaysian tourism veteran is ending his tenure on a high note.
With his replacement yet to be named, deputy CEO Asri Redha Abdul Rahman will helm the organisation in the interim.
Azizan may only have been in active service for 24 months, but he has made a significant impact on the island’s inbound tourism, which some attribute partly to his time at Tourism Malaysia, where he served for over 38 years before retiring in 2016 as deputy director-general (promotion).
Adam Kamal, secretary-general at Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said: “Azizan has done a wonderful job. One of the first things he did when he came into office was to draw up a calendar of events which has generally helped all inbound agents to plan their marketing campaigns so that it coincides with these events.
“He also had big ideas on developing Langkawi’s appeal and he worked tirelessly to attract more foreign airlines and charters to fly to Langkawi.”
Eric R Sinnaya, managing director, Morahols Travel and also the executive council member of Malaysia Tourism Council, said: “Azizan has brought a lot of positive changes to Langkawi. He has a tourism-related mindset and he knew what holiday makers wanted and that creating sporting and musical events in Langkawi will attract more tourists and millennials. He also had the respect and support from the private sector. In turn, he listened to their issues and found amicable solutions.”
Under his leadership and guidance, LADA organised 33 tourism events in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Some of these events become part of the annual tourism calendar for Langkawi, including the Royal Langkawi Classic Car Show, The Royal Langkawi Superbike Show and Langkawi Island Blues & Roots Aseana.
Ironman Malaysia, held in Langkawi earlier this month, attracted 2,400 participants from 70 countries. Azizan said that counting coaches, family and friends of participants, the destination welcomed around 7,000 visitors on the island for the event.
Moreover, Azizan and his team at LADA co-organised this year’s PATA Travel Mart (PTM) with Tourism Malaysia, a first for the state of Kedah.
Speaking to TTG Asia, Azizan said he is very proud of the execution of PTM and its role in raising awareness of Langkawi as an island destination for tourism at an international level.
Organising the show was done on a tight budget and required the co-operation with the private sector and the Langkawi Tourism Association.
He elaborated: “PTM has attracted quality buyers and we are seeing new agents from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Germany who are now selling Langkawi. We are also seeing increased visitors from China, Saudi Arabia and India.”
He is also instrumental in promoting Langkawi as the gateway to the northern mainland states of Perlis and Kedah.
As well, in his time at LADA, he has worked to improve air connectivity and was able to attract charter flights from China, some of which became scheduled flights.
He added that Qatar Airways has shown interest and that soon, there will be direct flights between Langkawi and India.
Azizan said he will continue to serve as vice chairman of PATA until mid 2019 and wishes to continue to be active in the tourism industry. He further shared that he is hoping to be attached to a local travel-related agency and PATA member so he can continue as vice president at PATA into the next term.