Destination Asia met its US$5,000 target in 24 hours, but is continuing to accept donations for more emergency supplies
Destination Asia is collecting funds to set up emergency stations for those affected by the earthquake that struck Lombok on August 5.
The death toll of the quake has climbed to over 300, as a 6.2-magnitude aftershock rocked the island yesterday.
Destination Asia met its US$5,000 target in 24 hours, but is continuing to accept donations for more emergency supplies
Each costing US$2,500 to set up, emergency stations comprise generators, water pumps, water filters, hoses, water storage tanks, tarpaulins, mats and tents, according to a statement from the DMC.
Proceeds will go directly to providing emergency support for those most in need on Lombok, Destination Asia said.
Contributions can be made here. The donation page will close Monday, August 13, 23.59 (UTC).
Destination Asia Indonesia staff are already working on the ground both with other local DMCs and partners to purchase and transport emergency supplies.
Singapore’s Changi Airport will soon introduce a lounge dedicated to fly-cruise, fly-coach and fly-ferry passengers.
To be located in the upcoming Jewel lifestyle hub, the “multi-modal transport lounge” will feature travel services such as ticketing and shuttle services to the cruise terminal, as well as passenger waiting areas.
The newly-built complex will be home to an integrated multi-modal transport lounge
The lounge will be managed by Changi Airport Group (CAG), which is currently in partnership talks with Royal Caribbean for this project.
Sean Treacy, Royal Caribbean’s managing director, Asia-Pacific, explained: “The lounge will be a place for cruise guests to relax before heading to the port, and for them to check in their luggage so they can remain free and easy. It is still being built. Royal Caribbean is keen on trialling it and we are still talking to them about how that’s going to work.
“This is still very early stages, but it is an exciting project because as a brand and company we are very focused on providing a seamless check-in and disembarkation process (for our customers).”
Ivan Tan, a spokesperson for the CAG, explained: “The cruise industry has been growing steadily, with passenger throughput at a high of 1.38 million in 2017. For fly-cruise specifically, CAG has signed various collaborations with cruise companies. This will allow airlines to capitalise on the opportunities presented by these passenger segments to enrich traffic sources and grow demand.
“With Changi Airport’s strong air connectivity, the multi-modal transport lounge at Jewel Changi Airport will strengthen Singapore’s position as a preferred hub for the region.”
Jewel, which is slated to open in the first half of 2019, will also include early check-in aviation facilities for travellers who arrive at the airport early. This will allow them to deposit their luggage and explore Jewel or terminal facilities prior to their flights.
No green light from authorities for the overnight Great Wall of China experience
Home rental giant Airbnb has scrapped a contest for travellers to spend a night in an ancient watch tower on the Great Wall of China, following its failure to get the green light from the Chinese authorities for the project.
Beijing Yanqing Cultural Commission, which is responsible for the popular Badaling section of the wall, said that it did not support the project as it “is not in line with the Great Wall’s heritage conservation values”, reported the South China Morning Post.
No green light from authorities for the overnight Great Wall of China experience
Airbnb said in a statement: “We have made the decision to not move forward with this event and instead we are working on a range of other experiences and initiatives that showcase China as a destination and highlight how people-to-people travel can drive human connections.”
Airbnb has apologised to those who had already entered the contest launched last week.
Previously, Airbnb had conducted similar competitions such as the Catacombs in Paris, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Abbey Road Studios in London.
The Travel Corporation (TTC) is now a sponsor of PATA’s BUFFET (Building an Understanding for Food Excess in Tourism) campaign, launched in January to address food waste in tourism.
As an official sponsor of the initiative, TTC has committed to help raise awareness of food waste in the travel and tourism industry. It also intends to challenge other industry stakeholders, particularly the hospitality sector, to reduce food waste to landfill.
TTC is sponsoring the PATA initiative
Moreover, TTC will share best practice solutions that its various brands and partners have been implementing to reduce and prevent excess food waste in a PATA special report that will be published and distributed to the hotel and tourism industry.
Brett Tollman, chief executive, TTC, said: “The tourism and hospitality sectors have to take immediate action to find solutions that can help reduce food waste, ensuring a direct impact to reducing carbon emissions. Climate change has greatly affected some tourism destinations, and it is imperative that everyone takes on a proactive role to drive positive change and protect our planet for future generations.”
The company will also be a key sponsor for PATA’s BUFFET for Youth Challenge that will take place at the PATA Annual Summit 2019 in Cebu from May 9-12, 2019.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka, Japan
The first international serviced apartment brand in the Umeda and Shin-Osaka areas offers a total of 185 units, comprising 59 hotel rooms and 126 fully furnished serviced apartments. Guests will have access to facilities such as a 24-hour gym, a meeting room, two laundry rooms, a car park and the all-day Café O. The serviced residence will also provide services such as concierge and reception services and housekeeping.
Dash Resort, Langkawi
Recently opened in April, Dash Resort, Langkawi offers 108 rooms and one private villa, all of which come furnished with complimentary Wi-Fi and LED TVs with satellite channels. The hotel features two restaurants, a poolside bar, an outdoor pool, a fitness centre and spa. For functions, the property also has a grand ballroom and two meeting rooms. Meanwhile, the Dash Beach Club offers entertainment by international DJs and fusion cuisine.
Citadines Blue Cove Danang, Vietnam
Part of an integrated development a 15-minute drive from Danang International Airport, the Citadines Blue Cove Danang offers a mix of 548 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, most of which overlook Danang Bay. Recreational facilities include a 24k gold-plated infinity pool, jacuzzi, fitness centre, spa, and children’s playroom. There is also a ballroom and meeting rooms, and residents can also avail optional services such as courier, babysitting, laundry and dry cleaning.
Cachet Boutique Zhejiang Racetrack Circuit Hotel, China
This property, located adjacent to the Zhejiang Circuit in Shaoxing, offers 52 guestrooms that open out to the 3.2km FIA Grade 2 racetrack and the surrounding mountainside. Rooms were created by interior designer Katharine Pooley, and their designs were inspired by motorsport and the finishes of luxe cars. Facilities include upscale dining experiences, a spa, and a fitness centre. There is also a wide range of trackside venues for hire.
Lavender farm, gin distillery and more available on-site; artist impression of the new voco property
One of Australia’s best-known wine regions will have its first globally-branded upscale hotel come 2021, with entrepreneur Martyn Barnes badging his Yarra Valley property as voco, a new upscale brand by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
The 170-room new-build voco Yarra Valley will boast touches not typical of hotels including an on-site gin distillery, lavender farm, mirrored maze, amphitheatre cut from natural ground, and provedore that serves and sells local Yarra Valley produce.
Lavender farm, gin distillery and more available on-site; artist impression of the new voco property
The property will also feature 20 cabins that offer a more intimate Yarra Valley experience.
It is said the building will sport a quirky, eye-catching design, rising to six storeys at one end and tapering to one storey at the opposite end.
Other features include conference and meeting facilities, a gym, bars, an on-site family restaurant and kids’ entertainment facilities.
Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s senior director of development – Australasia, said this will be the brand’s second signing since its launch in June.
“The signing of voco Yarra Valley continues IHG’s ambition to take our brands into regional markets, including suburban micro-markets close to Australian capital cities,” he added.
The hotel is situated at the gateway to the Yarra Valley of Maroondah Highway, less than an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD, with prominent visibility to motorists and parking facilities to welcome road trippers from the capital. Lilydale is the closest train station, and Coldstream & Lilydale airports are nearby.
Victoria’s Yarra Valley is known as one of Australia’s premier wine regions, famous for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as for bringing big-name artists like Robbie Williams, Stevie Nicks and John Farnham to perform at Rochford Wines’ annual Day on the Green concert series.
Beyond wineries, Yarra Valley offers walking trails at Dandenong Ranges National Park, the Tarrawarra Museum of Art, the Healesville Sanctuary animal attraction, as well as skydiving and hot air ballooning. It’s also the first stop en-route to Mount Buller, Melbourne’s most popular ski field.
Myanmar is shaking off its reputation as a destination with high-priced hotels as accommodation options increase and room rates fall.
After Myanmar opened up, the country witnessed a sudden boom in tourists between 2011 and 2013, but the hotels were in short supply, according to Su Su Tin, managing director of Sanctum Inle Resort and Yangon Excelsior Hotel, which will open in July.
Sedona Yangon’s Inya wing lobby
She added: “Hotel prices went up and this affected tourism a lot.”
However, recent years have seen developers flock to fill the gap, with a series of local and international hotels opening their doors in the country.
Figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism show there are 1,648 licensed hotels and guesthouses, offering a total of 66,065 rooms. Most are concentrated in the tourist hubs of Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. In Yangon, the number of hotels increased from 370 in 2017 to today’s 397.
Chu Chee Seng, general manager, Keppel Land Hospitality Management, which manages Sedona Yangon, said: “Unlike in the past, when Yangon’s upper-scale room stock remained unchanged for more than a decade, the market is now seeing many new developments. About 16 upper-scale hotel projects are estimated to be completed within the next three years, translating to about 3,300 new rooms.”
He added that Colliers International expects the completion of just over 1,300 new units to cater to the rising needs of tourists.
However, Greg Allan, vice-president, operations (ASEAN) at Pan Pacific Hotels Group, predicts many projects under construction may delay operations due to various challenges, such as a shortage of skilled labour.
The sudden rise in accommodation, coupled with slowing arrival rates as the European and American markets become hesitant over the Rohingya situation in Rakhine State, has led to a drop in room rates, bringing them in line with other South-east Asian countries.
Edwin Briels, managing director of Khiri Travel Myanmar, said: “There was a lot of investment in hotels from budget guesthouses to five-star hotels. Now, there is a lot of availability, but we still see tour operators worrying about this. (Rooms are) plenty, and prices are very fair.”
Bertie Lawson, managing director of Sampan Travel, said the industry is still battling against its reputation for being costly.
He said: “Prices have gone down, but I don’t think the word has gotten out yet. The Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books published last year are still talking about Myanmar as pretty expensive, but that’s not the case.”
Despite this, Keppel’s Chu remains optimistic. In 2023, phase two of Yangon’s Junction City development will house the country’s first Sedona Suites, comprising 260 serviced apartments.
He said: “We believe that Myanmar’s hotel landscape will continue to evolve, catering to more diverse markets. There is growing potential for the mid-tier hotel segment in Yangon, which include bed and breakfasts, as well as boutique hotels.”
Correction: An earlier version of the story stated that Keppel Land Hospitality Management owns Sedona Hotel Yangon. The hotel is actually owned by Keppel Land, the parent company of Keppel Land Hospitality Management. The story has been corrected.
Myla Caceres has been appointed as Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc’s director of commercial.
In her new role, Caceres will oversee sales, marketing, reservations and revenue at the soon-to-open resort on Phu Quoc’s north-west coast.
A seasoned hospitality professional with over 25 years of experience, Caceres worked as Ascott International Group’s cluster director of sales and marketing in Thailand, overseeing 11 properties.
The Filipina has also held director of sales and marketing roles at several hotels in Thailand, including the Dusit Thani and the Crowne Plaza in Bangkok, as well as two upscale resorts in Vietnam, including a Swiss-Belhotel.
The Hollywood movie was filmed in several locations in Singapore
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is riding on the Hollywood hype surrounding print-to-screen romantic comedy, Crazy Rich Asians, by partnering Warner Bros to roll out destination promotion activities in the US.
Coming to theatres on August 22, the movie is based on the New York Times best-selling book by Singapore-born author Kevin Kwan.
The movie is one of the first Hollywood films in decades to feature a predominantly Asian cast including Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh, and the first to star numerous Singaporean actors, albeit not in leading roles, namely Pierre Png, Janice Lee, Koh Chieng Mun, Fiona Xie, Tan Kheng Hua, Selena Tan, among others.
Screengrab from the movie trailer
Crazy Rich Asians was also primarily filmed in Singapore, with locations including icons such as Newton Food Centre, the Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, CHIJMES as well as neighbourhoods like Chinatown, Bukit Pasoh and Tanjong Pagar.
In collaboration with Warner Bros, STB and the Tao Group will launch the Crazy Rich Singapore Week at The Highlight Room in Los Angeles.
The pop-up event running from August 9-11 invites guests to “feast, drink and dance like you’re in the movie”.
It will present Singaporean cuisine, such as turmeric coconut curry of crab, calamansi and kaffir lime as well as beef short rib rendang (braised meat stewed in coconut milk and spices) by guest chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut, the only Michelin-star Peranakan restaurant in the world.
Peter Chua, head bartender of the 10-seater Junior pocket-bar, will also serve up concoctions inspired by Singapore-style coffee and pandan leaf.
Singapore’s DJ KoFlow will spin hip-hop tunes to keep energies high into the night, while mural art by artist Jahan Loh will also be featured at the Tao precinct.
Meanwhile, STB and Warner Bros are giving away trips to Singapore. Each prize includes two round-trip economy flights aboard Singapore Airlines, and four nights’ accommodation at a four or five-star hotel.
STB is also plugging a Crazy Rich Asians theme tour package by Indus Travel, where guests are shown locations featured in the film including Merlion Park, cultural enclaves and Gardens by the Bay.
“We hope that the film will inspire more visitors to discover the multitude of experiences in Singapore and ignite their passions for culture, food, entertainment and nightlife,” said Kershing Goh, regional director, STB Americas.
Lombok is beginning to see trip cancellations from visitors following the devastating earthquake last Sunday, but the travel trade is adamant to push out the message that most parts of the destination remain unaffected and safe for travel.
Dewantoro Umbu Joka, chairman of the Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) West Nusa Tenggara, said: “(The first earthquake on July 29) did not have too much impact, and visitors continue to come. But with the (second one measuring) a magnitude of seven on Richter Scale, it’s become a concern (for visitors). ASITA members reported receiving many cancellations.”
Kuta Mandalika Beach in Lombok is one of the unaffected destinations on the island
He was particularly concerned about the Gili Islands, as some 80 per cent of international travellers to Lombok also visit the trio of islands.
Estimating a loss of around 100,000 direct arrivals to Lombok due to the recent earthquakes, Indonesia minister of tourism Arief Yahya had announced that the government would try to keep up with its international arrival target to Indonesia by accelerating recovery in disaster-affected areas.
Lalu Abdul Hadi Faishal, chairman of Indonesia Hotel & Restaurant Association (IHRA) West Nusa Tenggara, is confident that Lombok bookings will recover in two months.
He asserted: “I think it’s normal to have lots of cancellations for a few days. This is a force majeure, everyone panics. But this condition will not last long. In fact, it can be faster than expected because the central government is involved directly in handling the situation.
“This is not the first time Lombok has been hit by a disaster. The experience of handling disasters, including the quick response to make sure clients are safe, makes Lombok tourism recover quickly,” he added.
To assist with the recovery, IHRA has immediate plans to launch promotions to key source markets such as Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Europe in September.
“We need tell the market that Lombok is big and only a small portion is affected by the earthquake,” stated Hadi.
Hadi stressed that the market needs to be educated about other destinations not impacted by the earthquake, such as Mandalika and Mataram City on Lombok, and Dompu and Bima on Sumbawa.
“Tourism stakeholders in West Nusa Tenggara have agreed that we highlight the destinations which are not impacted, rather than just saying, ‘Lombok is safe’.”
