HOGG Robinson Group (HRG) has appointed Singaporean Joana Yap as general manager of HRG Singapore, effective August 1.
Yap first joined HRG in 2007 as head of client services before being promoted to head of service quality in 2010, further taking charge of HRG’s ‘above market’ approach later that same year.
She takes over Greg James, who will retire end-July after nine years with HRG.
TANJONG Jara Resort in the Malaysian state of Terengganu is offering a Summer Stopover promotion, dropping regular rates by 25 per cent.
With at least three nights’ stay at best available rates, the Summer Stopover promotion will include a choice of marine or forest activity, a choice of cultural activity, daily breakfast, lunch and dinner with beverages served for every night of stay, a private dining experience, a 50-minute spa treatment and return airport transfers.
The promotion is available for booking until October 28 for travel until October 31, subject to availability. Blackout dates apply and guests must be 16 years old and above.
YOKOHAMA Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) has developed a new brand and tagline to better reflect the Japanese city’s status as a destination for conventions.
Kana Nomoto, chief coordinator, convention sales department of YCVB, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the new brand and tagline, Japan’s First Port of Call, “was constructed to target the international and regional associations, with a focus on life sciences, environment, medical, IT and biotechnology industries”.
Japan’s First Port of Call was inspired by the city’s history – it was the first Japanese port to open up to the rest of the world, some 154 years ago.
Nomoto said: “(We found that) Yokohama is first in many ways, from being the first Japanese port to open up, to hosting first-time-in-Asia congresses, and to being the first in innovation, research and development. For international meeting organisers who want to bring their events to Yokohama, YCVB is, of course, their first port of call as we are a full service bureau.”
The new brand is reflected in a logo that uses a Japanese nami pattern, representing waves and reinforcing Yokohama’s status as a harbour city that is open and dynamic, and at the same time offering Japanese tradition, hospitality and efficiency.
A key image, capturing the port of Yokohama and the main convention area which is anchored by PACIFICO, has also been created.
Besides adopting a new and targeted MICE branding, YCVB is also revamping its website to incorporate fresh content and brand visuals, as well as creating a promotional movie that will be made available to event planners.
Meanwhile, Nomoto revealed that MICE business was promising for Yokohama last year.
“Last year, YCVB secured multiple high-profile meetings like the Goldschmidt Conference (2016), Biennial Congress of the Asian-Pacific Hepato-Pancreato Biliary Association (2017) and the International Orthodontic Congress (2020).
“Also in 2012, Yokohama hosted large-scale international meetings such as the 2012 IEEE 75th Vehicular Technology Conference VTC2012 Spring (800 delegates), Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (3,500 delegates), 15th International Conference on Behçet’s Disease (500 delegates), 4th Congress of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (3,000 delegates), and the 48th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council (1,000 delegates),” she said.
Yokohama continues to be on a roll this year, with the 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development coming to town for the second time. The event, hosted by the Japanese government, United Nations, United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank, will be attended by more than 3,000 attendees.
The city will also host the International Congress of Chemotherapy and Infection (2,500 attendees) and the Human Proteome Organisation Congress (2,000 attendees) this year.
THE capital of Central Java is developing infrastructure to support its goal of becoming a MICE destination, with a convention centre among the first of several facilities to open.
The new Marina Convention Centre, slated for a July opening, can accommodate events with up to 5,000 people, while another venue is now on the drawing block of the regional government. The latter will be part of the 40-hectare Recreation and Development Centre near the airport. It will have capacity for 15,000 to 20,000 people, and is expected to be ready by 2016.
Currently, a toll road connecting Semarang and Solo – Central Java’s other future MICE city – is under construction.
Achmad Yani International Airport in Semarang will start work on a new terminal this year, while Tanjung Emas Seaport is being expanded to enable larger cruise ships with more than 2,000 passengers to dock.
Air access improvements will come in the form of a Singapore-Semarang flight by SilkAir. The thrice-weekly service will commence on July 29.
Central Java Tourism Office director, Prasetyo Aribowo, said: “We expect Semarang to have good MICE facilities and infrastructure within the next three years, enabling it to compete with neighbouring destinations.”
However, the concept of MICE is not unfamiliar among tourism players in Semarang. Hotels in the city have been drawing corporate meetings, and most of these properties are equipped with function rooms of various sizes.
According to Horison Semarang regional general manager, Benk Mintosih, corporate events contribute an average of 40-46 per cent of business for all hotels in Semarang.
Benk said: “The meetings segment is important for the city, especially during weekdays. We hope that both the Central Java and Semarang City governments will focus on further developing the MICE sector.”
A BUOYANT economy and rising domestic and international investments in Indonesia are spurring the growth of business travel within the country.
Buyers attending the Indonesia Corporate Meeting & Incentive Travel Mart 2013, which concluded in Semarang, Central Java last Saturday, told TTGmice e-Weekly that their clients were spending 10 to 20 per cent more on business travel and taking their events to more destinations in Indonesia.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel programme executive, Deesy Ngelyaratan, said: “We have been getting new businesses since last year, especially from the energy service sector. This year we expect business to grow up to 50 per cent compared to 2012.”
Illustrating how better business sentiments are encouraging companies to invest more in events, pharmaceutical company Sandoz Indonesia has allotted more budget for training this year, in anticipation of a 20 per cent growth in business.
Business events are also spilling out of major Indonesian cities and into secondary destinations, as companies expand their business network deeper into the country.
Insurance firm Tugu Pratama, which has been expanding its business across Indonesia, is sourcing for hotels located around its branch offices in cities such as Balikpapan, Medan and Surabaya.
“Business growth leads to more movements, be it for training, meetings or sales. It is more convenient for our travellers to be accommodated in hotels near our offices,” explained Gilang Gita Purchila, senior administrator – HRD and GA Group with Tugu Pratama Indonesia.
Agility general affairs manager, Lina Salim, said the development of event facilities and services outside of key cities gave her an opportunity to organise events in new destinations.
“I met a seller who offers teambuilding facilities in Garut (located two hours from Bandung), which can be suitable for my company’s events,” she said.
According to Aston Pontianak Hotel and Convention Center’s director of sales and marketing, Bambang Wijanarko, corporate clients tend to first explore the more familiar or developed cities in Kalimantan, before bringing their events to other destinations in the region.
Bambang said: “They will start with Balikpapan and Samarinda in East Kalimantan, followed by Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan and then to Pontianak. Hence, the number of corporate events (at Aston Pontianak Hotel and Convention Center) may not be that many yet, although we have groups from heavy equipment, building and construction, and pharmaceutical companies with 50 to 100 pax each.”
THE first Ramada property in Singapore will throw open its doors in nine days’ time, placing a selection of indoor and outdoor event venues in the heart of the Balestier heritage district.
The four-star Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park is said to be the first international hotel of that category in the Balestier and larger Novena area, where the central business district is mere minutes away by train. The hotel is armed with 540m2 of meeting and banquet space which will be filled by local and regional corporate events, according to general manager Tony Cousens.
The Balestier Ballroom is a pillarless space with a six-meter high ceiling, adorned with eye-catching red lanterns. It can accommodate up to 300 guests in a theatre setting, and be divided into three smaller function rooms.
The Zhongshan meeting room, well-lit with floor-to-ceiling windows, can seat 150 guests in a theatre setting, and be converted into two separate rooms.
“We expect 80 per cent of our business to come from Asia-Pacific, so we are targeting the powerhouses of Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Australia for our meetings segment,” said Cousens.
“There is a good catchment of companies (across Singapore) and we know that (corporate event planners) in the central business district want to come out here and not do their meetings in Orchard Road, where they will lose the attention of their audience. On top of that, more companies are seeking mid-market properties to conduct training events, and we have been getting a lot of interest from technology and banking firms,” he added.
The first corporate event at the hotel will be a two-day conference with 200-300 pax, taking place on May 18 and 19.
Meeting packages and corporate dinner deals at Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park are priced from S$50++ (US$40.70) per person and S$648++ per table of 10 pax respectively. Guestrooms are priced from S$180++ per night during the promotional period, ending August 31.
Besides indoor venues, event planners can also use Zhongshan Park, a tree-lined space next to the hotel that overlooks the iconic Sun Yat Sen Memorial Museum. It is suitable for cocktail receptions with up to 500 guests.
A breezy terrace by the pool on the third storey is also available for private hire. It can take 150 guests for standing events and no more than 100 for sit-down dinners.
FAR East Hospitality will host its first heritage festival later this year, allowing foreign travellers to gain a deeper understanding of Singapore’s culture when they stay at its hotels and residences.
Held in conjunction with the Singapore HeritageFest 2013, the Far East Heritage Festival will run from July 19 to September 18 and is predicted to attract some 200,000 participants.
On offer are guided tours to colourful districts such as Kampong Glam, and personalised cultural experiences where participants can sample local food, play traditional games or learn about vanishing trades like parrot astrology.
Guests who stay at Far East Hospitality properties during the festival period can participate in all events for free and will receive S$80 (US$65) in cash vouchers for spending at Orchard Central, a 20 per cent discount off admission fees to four museums and complimentary Wi-Fi access.
In addition to the above, those who stay between July 19 and August 18 will enjoy trail activities at four locations as well as receive a Heritage Festival Passport with a suggested itinerary for a self-guided tour, and a dual-purpose bag.
Exhibitions and recreated spaces located in the trails along Orchard Central, Little India and Village Hotel Albert Court, Kampong Glam and The Fullerton Heritage Gallery @ The Fullerton Hotel are open to all visitors.
Arthur Kiong, CEO, Far East Hospitality, said: “As a home-grown operator and Singapore’s largest operator of hotels and residences, we believe in taking the lead to share Singapore’s success story.
“The inaugural festival is Far East Hospitality’s way of introducing Singapore’s rich culture and heritage to local and overseas travellers alike. While Far East Hospitality is currently focused on providing Singapore-inspired hospitality and rich experiences throughout the festival period, we will subsequently explore the possibility of making this an annual event for more guests to learn about Singapore’s yesteryears.”
When asked how much of an increase in occupancy the company was expecting as a result of the festival, Kiong said: “Taking into account the traditional lull periods from July to September, Far East Hospitality is expecting a 20 per cent increment for leisure individuals and online booking segments.”
Bookings will be open from today until September 18, unless sold out prior.
TRAVELLERS from Saudi Arabia now form the largest user base of metasearch engine Wego out of all the Gulf states, with trending overseas destinations including Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
According to Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, managing director, Wego Middle East and North Africa: “Travellers from Saudi Arabia are now considering (flight and accommodation) options at over 2,000 destinations for trips this summer, representing a huge opportunity for the industry.
“Almost seven in 10 transactions online are for air ticket purchases averaging over US$1,600, the highest in the region. Accommodation is also averaging almost US$900 per booking.”
On what Saudi Arabian travellers were searching for, Jakarta made up eight per cent of search volumes to August, more than doubling in three years. Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur are also gaining traction.
For inbound, Wego singled out the United Arab Emirates as seeing strong demand especially for flights from Asia. South Asia dominates a quarter of the total, with growth from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia also registered.
“Travel suppliers and intermediaries from the Gulf states should now be building their brands to cater to new online audiences in these markets, especially the burgeoning middle classes demonstrating greater purchasing power and intent,” said Masri.
The press release credited the spike in demand for flights to UAE to the recent Emirates and Qantas alliance (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 27, 2013), Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia’s codeshare pact and Etihad’s newly minted agreement with Air France, resulting in a boost for major hubs in the UAE.
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) is adding a new Surabaya service to its network and will increase the frequencies of outbound flights to Bali and Jakarta.
From July 26, SIA will take over one of subsidiary SilkAir’s two daily Surabaya flights, deploying 285-seat Airbus A330-300 aircraft to increase SIA-SilkAir capacity on the route by almost 50 per cent.
Surabaya-bound flights depart Singapore at 07.50 and arrive at 09.10, while return flights leave at 10.30 to reach Singapore at 13.35.
On the same day, the carrier will add its ninth daily service to Jakarta. Flights leave Singapore at 16.25 and touch down at 17.10, taking off at 18.10 and arriving at 20.45 on the return leg.
SIA will also kick off a fourth daily service to Denpasar, with the aircraft scheduled to depart Singapore at 07.00 and land at 09.35 every day. Singapore-bound flights leave Denpasar at 21.45 and arrive the next day at 00.15.
The airline is the latest to beef up Singapore-Indonesia links, with SilkAir (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 3, 2013) and Tiger Airways (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 7, 2013) having made recent announcements.
ASIAROOMS.COM’S survey on online accommodation bookings has found that travellers prefer to pay for their rooms upon checkout rather than at the point of booking.
The AsiaRooms.com Traveller Confidence Index 2013 revealed that 29 per cent of all respondents would prefer paying upon checkout. In comparison, 24 per cent would pay a basic room rate in advance and 23 per cent would fork out an advance deposit.
When it came to preferred payment methods, credit and charge cards took tops with 70 per cent, followed by debit cards with 37 per cent.
Clarence Lin, brand development lead, AsiaRooms.com, commented: “Customers appreciate the convenience of a simple accommodation booking experience that comes with a guaranteed stay and future payment options.”
The same survey stated that Asian travellers were mostly likely to book their business and leisure trips online. Some 75.2 per cent of respondents from Asia said they had purchased travel online within the last year, up 4.9 per cent from last year’s index and above the global average of 65.4 per cent.
Singaporeans took the crown when it came to booking trips online, with 84.3 per cent of respondents from the Lion City having made an online booking in the last 12 months.
Travellers are also less price-sensitive compared to the year before. The number of Asian travellers who cited affordability as a reason for lower accommodation usage in the coming year fell 17.5 per cent from last year.
Singaporeans once again led in accommodation spend per night at US$132, besting the global (US$115) and regional average (US$122). The survey noted that Singapore travellers spent more nights overseas and more per night on accommodation.
Commissioned by AsiaRooms.com in partnership with VisionOne UK, responses were collated from more than 12,000 online participants in over 25 major international markets across Asia-Pacific, America and Europe.
