The 342-key Andaz Singapore, which opened its doors last year, has unveiled two Formula 1 promotions in anticipation of the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix that will take place from September 14-16 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The hotel will hold a Race Day Balcony Party at Mr Stork, the rooftop bar located on Level 39, from 17.00 to 01.00 on September 16, with a trio of table packages on offer. Each package is priced at S$500 (US$367; not inclusive of service charge or GST) each for up to six people.
Artist impression of the view from Mr Stork
Revellers can choose from two bottles of house spirits (700ml each); four Andaz Pale Ale Towers (3,000ml each); or three bottles of house wine and one bottle of house champagne (750ml each). All table packages come with a snack platter that includes a variety of bar bites such as mushroom croquettes, buffalo wings, chicken rice arancini and truffle fries.
Alternatively, a stay in the hotel starts from S$540 a night. Prices include complimentary conveniences such as a minibar filled with locally-sourced snacks and non-alcoholic drinks (replenished daily), Wi-Fi, all-day refreshments at Sunroom and Andaz Lounge Hour from 17.00 to 19.00 daily.
Taichi, Chinese martial arts, Teochew embroidery and more will be rolled out to cruises from Singapore
Dream Cruises is extending its Ageless Dreamers Program to Genting Dream, currently homeported in Singapore.
An enrichment series for mature cruisers first launched on World Dream in May 2018, the Ageless Dreamer programme will be rolled out with new elements ranging from Cantonese opera to Chinese embroidery and tai chi.
On designated sailings from Sept 23 to November 11, cruisers will be able to enjoy Cantonese Opera classics such as Di Nü Hua (帝女花), Swallows Fly Apart (分飛燕) and Love and Passion (萬水千山總是情) by Cantonese Opera artists from Guangdong province.
Taichi, Chinese martial arts, Teochew embroidery and more will be rolled out to cruises from Singapore
The artists will also share stories about their professional careers and personal hobbies. In addition, fans will have the chance to don traditional costumes and belt a tune or two under the guidance of professionals, as well as participate in interactive activities such as mask decoration workshops and photo sessions with traditional headgear, makeup and costumes.
Teochew embroidery (chao xiu) master Chuk Shu-Qin will bring her expertise and over 40 years of professional experience to World Dream, where she will teach guests the basics of this ancient craft.
The Tai Chi and Shaolin Wushu Academies at Sea will be back from September onwards. Founded by grandmaster Wang, who also coached e-commerce tycoon Jack Ma, Wang Xian Institute of Researching The Arts of Tai Chi will continue their partnership with Dream Cruises to host the Tai Chi Academy at Sea on every five-night cruise of World Dream, while professional instructors from Hong Kong tai chi Master will conduct a series of tai-chi classes for all two-night cruises.
Ageless Dreamers on Genting Dream may attend complimentary tai chi lessons from three masters in every cruise from October 1 to November 16. Led by Yang Xiaolin from China, who is a tai chi coach certified by the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation, as well as a member of National Registry of Coaches. Yang will be joined by Wendy Yum, who has been teaching in Singapore SoKa Association since 2001, and Teck Ghee C.S.C since 2005.
Shaolin master Zou, who hails from the Shaolin Culture Professional School in Zhengzhou, will host the Shaolin Wushu Academy at Sea on select sailings of World Dream in September and October, where guests will learn shaolin wushu basics such as Shaolin Baduanjin, Five Steps Boxing and Shaolin Yi Jin Jing.
Holistic wellness guru Teressa Siu will speak to guests on how to achieve
“ageless happiness” through sounds and breathing, among other methods said to enrich mind and body.
Nadine Tengco, who co-authored the Century Superbod Abs Plan and the Superbod Abs Diet, will offer weight-loss hacks.
Throughout the promotion period, Ageless Dreamers will enjoy on-board privileges, ranging from retail discounts to complimentary souvenirs. Early-risers may also participate in Walkathon Wonder, where they will start the day with a refreshing walk on the open deck, followed by cool-down at Crystal Life Spa, with complimentary refreshments and a health talk. All walkathon participants will receive a complimentary pedometer to keep track of their progress.
Officials say the majority of hotels were not damaged in the earthquakes
As Lombok begins picking up the pieces following the recent string of devastating earthquakes the trade is adamant to show that most parts of the popular tourist island remain unaffected and win back confidence from foreign visitors.
Indonesia president Joko Widodo has issued a number of directives to accelerate reconstruction and rehabilitation of public facilities and infrastructure, housing, social and health services, and economy in Lombok. The government will also see that safety and security, as well as public and government services resume normalcy.
As reconstruction of facilities and infrastructure gets underway, officials say the majority of Lombok hotels remain undamaged
The president has also set a target that facilities for education, health, religious and economic activities to be ready by no later than December this year, with other facilities expected to be rebuilt by December 2019.
Meanwhile, the government has also announced a two-pronged strategy for the tourism sector, which will be led by the West Nusa Tenggara tourism office with supervision from the Ministry of Tourism.
The first one is destination rehabilitation, particularly in the areas directly affected by the disaster including the Gili islands, Senggigi, Senaruand Sembalun, among others.
The second one is the promotional strategy. Promotion will be focused on areas which are not affected by the earthquakes, such as Mataram, Sekotong, Mandalika and Tetebatu.
Fauzan Zakaria, head of West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Promotion Board, said: “The recovery programmes will not solely involve one stakeholder but everyone. The Public Works Agency will rehabilitate and re-establish tourist destinations and attractions, fixing broken infrastructure in these areas, for example.
“Airlines, hotels and other tourism stakeholders will do their part in launching promotions to limit cancellations and build traveller confidence to visit Lombok again.”
Lalu Abdul Hadi Faishal, chairman of Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association West Nusa Tenggara Chapter, said: “On the hotel side, one of the promotional efforts we have launched is to roll out deals where members get one night free with a three-night stay. This is valid until the end of the year.”
Such efforts are intended to show that the hotels in Lombok remain intact, Faishal elaborated.
“There are 83 hotels in Lombok of three-star and above categories, and 763 non-star properties. According to data, only 25 hotels suffered some damages of varying degrees, but none of them collapsed. The rest are intact.”
Fauzan added that these promotions are also key in sending the message to travellers that only some parts of Lombok was affected, as many other tourist areas remain safe for visits.
“Although there are some cancellations, we continue to see arrivals to Lombok. It shows that (well-informed) travellers continue to come,” Fauzan said.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sparked a surge in Chinese upmarket travellers visiting new destinations like Belarus, Croatia, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Serbia, as visa requirements become easier and more direct flights become available.
According to Chinese luxury travel agents attending ILTM China 2018 and industry observers TTG Asia spoke to, the increase in traditional and non-traditional “media attention” on “new” destinations has been fuelling demand in the last two years.
Tourists in Chefchaouen, Morocco
Bamboo Zhou, CEO and founder of 8 Continents Travel, said: “Experienced Chinese upmarket travellers are looking to explore new places and most now (offer) visa-free or offer visa-on-arrival, to Chinese travellers. Direct, or one-stop, flights now available are also making a difference.
“If new destinations are traveller-friendly, have different culture or something new to offer, our clients are interested as long as they feel safe,” he noted.
Agreeing, Sparkle Tour assistant general manager, Aymeric Naudin, added: “Central Asia and Africa are also opening up and places like Kazakhstan, where a Ritz-Carlton hotel opened in the capital Astana two years ago, are booming.”
Elsewhere, Naudin said direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Quebec are drawing Chinese upmarket travellers on short six- or seven-night trips to visit Montreal, Quebec City and Charlevoix for whale watching, ice festivals and the autumn colours, etc.
“Each season is different and luxury experiences in Eastern Canada are more reasonable (in pricing) compared to other parts of North America and Europe,” he noted.
Fanny Liao, director of Letravels, observed an uptick in interest to visit North Korea among Chinese upmarket travellers in their 40s and 50s at the beginning of this year.
Liao said: “We organised trips in March and June and we have requests to go to Pyongyang during the September 9 Independence Day celebrations to participate in the parade, experience local life, take a helicopter tour and play golf. Unfortunately, hotels there are not taking any bookings and we have to postpone the trip.”
Meanwhile, Minjuan Deng-Westphal, head of research at China Outbound Travel Research Institute (COTRI), said China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism is forecasting that 150 million Chinese visits to BRI region destinations will take place and generate US$200 billion in spending between 2016 and 2020.
COTRI has updated its 2018 forecast from 154 million to 160 million, and further projects the figure will reach 200 million in 2022, 300 million in 2027 and 400 million by 2030.
ILTM China 2018 will be held in Shanghai from October 30 to November 2.
Four years ago when Ho Ho Go Experience was launched to offer in-depth local cultural tours, traditional operators were sceptical about the niche product.
It did not help that founder Ling Ho was an outsider without any trade network and experience. Unlike ordinary tours, Ho’s involve a fair bit of walking – and sometimes sweating too.
Yet this was just the kind of tours that Hong Kong needed, Ho said.
Ho Ho Go Experience offers walks as well as foodie, lifestyle and private tours that bring participants closer to local life.
“From the start in 2015 I found the city’s tour product development at a crossroads and lacking high quality and personalised tours. Having enjoyed various insightful tours overseas, I decided to establish one here in Hong Kong,” she recounted.
“Tourism is a window to a city, and Hong Kong abounds in local neighborhood experiences and resources that not many tourists ever see.”
Ho’s company prides itself on employing passionate guides with in-depth local knowledge and insights.
Once, a Taiwanese girl chose a Yau Ma Tei tour but turned out to be the sole participant. Rather than follow customary business practice and cancelling the tour, Ho decided to proceed with the one-person tour.
“I later found out she had earlier joined a similar tour for free but the guide hardly answered her questions. That’s why she didn’t mind to pay and learn about the neighborhood,” Ho recounted.
“I always treat clients as friends as they come all the way from other parts of the world and are willing to spare few hours on our tours. Therefore, we must give them back something good. I hope international visitors remember such cultural characteristics even when they are back home and know that Hong Kong has a soul.”
Ho opined that new ideas tend to get copied swiftly. Rather than simply following trends, she continues to seek out local flavour and the “soul” of Hong Kong at the heart of tours, all the while adding new, unusual stops in her programmes.
When it comes to the eat and play theme, for example, she takes participants on a six-hour journey comprising a hiking route to Lai Chi Wo in Taipo with abandoned villages along the way.
For the two-hour Choi Hung Public Housing Estate, participants are brought close to the pulse of everyday life in Hong Kong, visiting areas enjoyed by locals.
Ho said: “Today, even traditional tour companies offer cultural tours. Two years ago I asked the Hong Kong Tourism Board how many tour operators there were like Ho Ho Go and the answer was two. Today, there are many agents claiming to provide such experiences.”
With more tour companies offering cultural tours, Ho says a priority is to stay away from crowds and keep tours intimate. Ho Ho Go Experience’s downtown tour takes a maximum of 15 people, and a student helper is assigned for every five participants.
Japan entered the world’s top 10 destinations in terms of tourism earnings in 2017, among the highlights in UNWTO’s most recent report.
International tourist arrivals grew 7% in 2017, the highest increase since 2010, UNWTO’s Tourism Highlights shows. Growth in arrivals was mirrored by a strong increase in exports generated by tourism, which reached US$1.6 trillion in 2017, making tourism the world’s third-largest export sector.
China leads outbound travel spend, while Russians re-enter the ranking of top 10 spenders
Among the top markets and destinations in the world, Spain rose to become the world’s second most-visited destination in terms of international arrivals, after France.
In terms of tourism earnings, Japan entered the top 10 in 10th place after six straight years of double-digit growth. Meanwhile, Russia re-entered the top 10 of world spenders at eighth place.
The new Tourism Highlights report also illustrates that China continues to lead global outbound travel, having spent US$258 billion on international tourism in 2017. This is almost one-fifth of the world’s total tourism spending in 2017, which stood at US$1.3 trillion, some US$94 billion more than in 2016.
Available data for early 2018 has since confirmed international tourism’s continued strong growth, with a year-on-year increase of 6% in arrivals between January and April.
New school semesters may already underway after the mid-year break, but that doesn’t mean families are packing away their travel gear just yet.
In fact, new research from Agoda revealed seven out of 10 families globally take at least two family vacations a year, with Asian travellers taking more than twice as many family trips as their Western peers (five trips a year versus two).
Asian families take more trips together compared to those in Europe, Agoda’s survey shows
The Agoda Family Travel Trends 2018 survey, conducted by YouGov, found that just 18% of travellers globally take only one family holiday a year, while over 34% have taken more than five family trips in the past year.
Asia dominates this multi-holiday trend with 77% of travellers from Thailand and 62% from the Philippines claiming to have taken five or more family breaks in the past year. Conversely, only 7% of British travellers took more than five family trips, with the UK also most likely (34%) to take only one.
A four- to seven-night stay is the most popular duration for family holidays globally but there are large variances across markets.
In the UK, a four- to seven-night stay made up 41% of family travel in the past year, compared to only 20% of family travel for Thais. Instead, family vacations of more than 14 nights are taken by almost a third of Thais but only 11% of Malaysians. Vietnamese, Malaysian and Chinese families are most likely of all travellers to take one- to three-night vacations.
The study also found that Asian travellers engage in more multi-generational and extended family trips. Thais (66%) and Indonesians (54%) were most likely to have included grandparents in their holiday plans. This trend is also reflected when looking at extended family members with Thais and Indonesians most likely to include siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles in their vacation plans.
While 35% of global travellers have taken a holiday with grandparents, respondents from the UK and Australia are the least likely to have done so, with only 13% and 20% of embarking on them respectively.
It is not just family members that the Americans, British, Australians and Chinese don’t travel with, they are also the least likely travellers to go away with other groups of friends, with only 22% of Americans, 23% of Brits, 26% of Australians and 27% of Chinese having done so in the past year.
Meanwhile, almost half (48%) of travellers from the Philippines tie up with a group of friends for some of their vacations, closely followed by Vietnamese and Malaysian family travellers at 43% and 40%.
Hotels are still the most popular accommodation for families, followed by holiday homes, B&Bs and all-inclusive resorts. Cost, safety and activities were the top global considerations for when planning family holidays compared to holidays with non-family or alone.
When it comes to travel motivation, travellers globally look forward to quality family time (68%) the most on family trips. Relaxation (66%) and trying new things (46%) came out as second and third preferences.
British and Singaporeans are the most adventurous on family trips. Exploring new cultures as a family travel experience is most popular among these two groups (48% and 46% respectively). Chinese and Thai travellers are the least likely to investigate new cultures on their trips, (both 29%).
When examining anxieties relating to family travel, concerns about falling sick (36%), the standard of accommodation (21%) and family disagreements (16%) ranked highest for family travellers globally.
Brits seemingly have the least worries when it comes to family holidays, with nearly a third (27%) saying that they have no concerns at all.
Lotte Hotel Seoul will open its Executive Tower on September 1 after a revamp spanning guestroooms and facilities.
The number of rooms in the Executive Tower have been adjusted from 373 to 278, not only to expand the service space of Deluxe Room, but also to enhance the facilities.
Lotte Hotel Seoul's revamped Executive Tower
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The Royal Suite, said to be the largest of its kind in South Korea, also received a 4.1 billion won refresh. It now boasts Beautyrest Black, the largest bed available in the country; the C. Bechstein grand piano in the living room, one of the top three pianos in the world and is worth approximately 50 million won; and a private fitness area with equipment from Italy’s TechnoGym.
One of the additions to suites is a “clothing management device” called Styler, installed in a Lotte Hotel for the first time.
Among the service enhancement are Valet Box in suites that will save guests the trouble of requesting laundry service, and packing and unpacking assistance on request.
Lotte Hotel Seoul said it also features the largest club lounge (15th floor) in South Korea and private meeting rooms. In addition, Le Salon (16th floor), a luxury lounge exclusively for Executive Lounge customers, offers breakfast, light snacks, afternoon tea, and happy hour and bar services. One highlight of the lounge is the Live Station, offering beverages made on the spot as well as authentic French-style Gueridon service.
For F&B, two Michelin-star restaurant Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul (35th floor) will make a return.
Pierre’s Bar, transformed into a luxury French boutique space, will carry 10 new signature cocktails and various single malt whiskeys. Pierre Bar is also introducing its new PG Bar Membership. Available in two tiers, Gold and Platinum, the PG Bar Membership entitles holders to single malt whiskey and champagne drinks depending on the membership level. Additional benefits such as 30 per cent discount on snack dishes and free Keeping Box service are also included. Sales are limited to 30 members.
Onyx Hospitality Group has appointed Phan Ing Pai as vice president, operations – Greater China. Based in Shanghai, Phan will report to Gina Wo, senior vice president & head of Greater China.
He will be responsible for leading the operations team in the Greater China region, providing support to all operational properties across the region and ensuring all properties are in line with the group’s established operational standards. Phan will also work closely with the sales & marketing team by offering commercial support to the property teams, ensuring optimum hotel performance and business returns.
Prior to joining Onyx, Phan was area general manager, North China for Frasers Hospitality.
He has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality and serviced apartments industries and a deep understanding of the Chinese market. Phan has spent the past 14 years in China, where he also held senior level positions with Swiss-Belhotel International.
Khiri Travel founder and CEO Willem Niemeijer celebrates the milestone with a spirited bang of the drum
DMC Khiri Travel last Friday evening marked its silver anniversary with a cocktail party in Bangkok, with company employees, travel industry leaders and guests gathered at The Glass House, Nai Lert Heritage House to celebrate the positive impacts the Bangkok-based DMC has made in many aspects of its business and operations over the last 25 years.
The celebration featured traditional Thai puppetry by Joe Louis Theatre, a ‘memory lane’ display featuring photos and memorabilia that marked Khiri Travel’s transformation over time (including the original table when the company was still a one-room office), and staff dressed in traditional attire from its eight countries of operation.
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Khiri Travel founder and CEO Willem Niemeijer celebrates the milestone with a spirited bang of the drum
Niemeijer (middle) and family
A Thai puppet show in action
Getting down to business in a panel (from left): PATA's Mario Hardy, Global Sustainable Tourism Council's Randy Durband, Hot Heads Innovation's Stu Lloyd, Niemeijer and QUO's David Keen
A panel discussion entitled The Next 25 Years in Travel also saw industry veterans Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA; Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council; and David Keen, CEO of QUO; together with Willem Niemeijer, CEO of Khiri Travel, presenting different viewpoints about overtourism, authentic travel, elephant riding and plastic usage, among others.
Sustainability has been a key theme for Khiri Travel since it was founded by Niemeijer in Bangkok in 1993 to arrange travel to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia at a time when the Mekong region was opening to tourists.
A quarter century later, responsible travel remains at the core for Khiri Travel which has now grown in a DMC with 230 employees and 17 offices across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The sustainable tourism pioneer has a long history of giving back, with guests at the anniversary event encouraged to support the trio of projects initiated by its charity arm, Khiri Reach: help for the victims of the recent Lombok earthquakes, clean water wells in Myanmar, and a children’s foundation in Vietnam.
Integrity, inclusion and respect for local culture will continue to define Khiri’s commitment to responsible travel as the company expands further. “We’re always looking at sustainable long-term growth for Khiri,” said Niemeijer.
“Khiri Travel will continue to support the sustainable development of travel beyond Asia’s hubs,” he remarked. “As a CEO, the joy for me is when we work with local people at grass roots to help them realise their hopes for their families and communities. For me, this will not change in the next 25 years.”
Yet this was just the kind of tours that Hong Kong needed, Ho said.
