Marriott International brings W Hotels to China’s Sanya
Marriott International has signed an agreement with Hainan Qianrui Industrial Development Co. to bring the W Hotels brand to China’s Sanya Bay, known as the “Hawaii of the East”.
Slated to open in 2Q2028, W Sanya is nestled on the southern coast of Hainan province, just four kilometres from Sanya Phoenix International Airport, and adjacent to landmarks and attractions such as Tianya Haijiao, Dadonghai Beach, and Phoenix Island.
W Sanya is housed in a 15-storey building and is expected to offer 260 guestrooms and suites, with over half of the rooms featuring ocean views. Facilities include an outdoor infinity pool, four signature restaurants and bars, fitness centre, spa, and even venues.
Gavin Yu, chief development officer, Greater China, Marriott International, said: “We look forward to continuing to expand our luxury portfolio in Greater China in line with our Brand + Destination development strategy and align W Hotels with complementary destinations to cater to the ever-evolving luxury global traveller.”
“W Hotels is one of the world’s iconic hospitality lifestyle brands. This collaboration is set to breathe new life into Sanya, redefining the innovative luxury experience catering to both visitors and local residents alike,” added Hainan Qianrui Industrial Development Co.’s chairman, Liu Wenjun.
The magical world of Harry Potter arrives at Resorts World Sentosa
Following the success of its world premiere in Germany, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will soon welcome guests in South-east Asia at Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa later this year.
Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is an evocative and interactive art experience exploring some of the most mysterious corners of the wizarding world where fans can discover a series of immersive environments inspired by enigmatic places in the magical community, like the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic, and more.
Created by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and NEON, the Asia premiere of Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will comprise responsive video content, bold architecture, and original soundscapes create multi-sensory installations, while interactive technology invites guests to illuminate the invisible, revealing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life.
To join the waitlist, visit Harry Potter: Visions of Magic.
Upgrade your stay at Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur
Guests at Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia can now opt to enhance their stay with the special Elite Privileges Package.
With an add on of 80 ringgit (US$17) per room per night (single) or 120 ringgit per room per night (double), the package includes daily buffet breakfast, daily complimentary mini bar, beverages, snacks at Table Talk, laundry pressing for two pieces of clothing, late check-out, parking, and more.
Guests can also choose to elevate their stay experience from a Superior Room to a Dorsett Room by just topping up another 60 ringgit, or 150 ringgit to upgrade to a suite.
Facilities include a rooftop sky pool complete with wading pool and jacuzzi, children’s club room and a sky bar.
For more information, visit Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur.
Marlon Abeyakoon helms as GM of NH Collection Maldives Havodda
Minor Hotels has named Marlon Abeyakoon as NH Collection Maldives Havodda Resort’s new general manager.
With over 25 years of industry expertise in luxury hospitality and rebranding, he has a track record of operational leadership with global brands such as Kerzner, Hilton and Marriott.
Having joined Minor Hotels in early 2020, Abeyakoon was most recently general manager at Minor’s Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate hotel in Dubai.
Sanya ramps up marketing and promotion efforts in Singapore
The Sanya Tourism Board is pulling out all the stops with its destination marketing efforts with the aim of attracting Singapore residents.
The board held a tourism promotion seminar themed Where Fun Never Ends for the travel trade at the Shangri-La Singapore, with representatives from more than 10 tourism enterprises, including hotels with a presence in Sanya, transport, high-end yachts, airlines and wedding tourism companies, and over 30 trade partners from Singapore.
Speaking at the seminar, Albert Yip, director-general of Sanya Tourism Board, said: “Singapore has consistently been one of the significant sources of inbound tourism for Sanya. As a vital aviation hub, it is a key inbound market for Sanya.”
He added that there has been a notable increase in visitors since visa-free measures for 59 countries were implemented in the Hainan Province.
According to the Sanya Tourism Board, there has been a gradual increase in the number of visitors from Singapore to Sanya in 2023, particularly after the launch of the Phnom Penh-Sanya-Singapore air route, with a month-on-month increase of over 1,200 per cent in the number of overnight tourists.
The mutual visa exemption between China and Singapore has also greatly facilitated inbound travel to Sanya. In January and February this year, overnight arrivals of Singaporean tourists in Sanya increased by 661 per cent compared to the same period last year.
In addition, the board is currently working closely with airlines to increase the number of flights not just in Singapore but also around the region.
At present, there are flights to Sanya from Hanoi, Jakarta and Bangkok.
Through Singapore, Sanya Tourism Board is also targeting to reach more overseas visitors and is expanding its portfolio of tourism products to do so.
The city currently has about 130,000 hotel rooms from more than 41 international hotel brands including Marriott International, Crowne Plaza, Edition and Atlantis. New developments include the Hyatt Regency Sanya Tianli Bay, Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts and Sanya Yalong Bay Resort.
Another initiative is the Hainan Safe Pay app, which allows tourists to make payments easily in Hainan via their smartphone’s NFC capabilities.
Moreover, Sanya has a great range of cultural activities and natural scenery – Yip highlighted music festivals, the Li and Miao cultures, and Luhuitou and Tianya Haijiao as must-see scenic spots.
“Sanya is a relaxed place; and is very safe to walk around at night – it’s great for families and for a relaxing holiday,” said Yip.
The city is also focusing on sustainability, with educational programmes and activities such as coral planting available for visitors. Yip shared that the board is “dedicated to building a platform for friendly cooperation with foreign partners and deepening international cultural and tourism exchanges”.
Aside from Singapore, Sanya Tourism Board has plans to visit the Middle East, Europe, Japan and South Korea as part of its inbound tourism efforts.
Strong 2023 performance powers Club Med’s 2024 growth ambitions
Club Med has reported a fruitful 2023 that brought in record resort operating income as well as higher business volume, operating margin, average occupancy rate, resort capacity, and visitation, with performance paving the way for a bullish 2024.
Globally, the specialist in premium all-inclusive holidays, recorded 1.9 billion euros (US$2.1 billion) in business volume, up 17 per cent from 2022 and 16 per cent from 2019.
Resort operating income hit a record high of 174 million euros, an increase of 64 per cent over 2022 and 70 per cent over 2019.
Operating margin is up 50 percentage points to 9.5 per cent, compared with 6.2 per cent in 2019, thanks to a successful upmarket strategy and business model optimisation.
Club Med also expanded its resort capacity by six per cent over 2022 and brought in more than 1.5 million guests, a 16 per cent year-over-year increase that was largely driven by a rebound in travel from Asia following the end of pandemic restrictions. The average room occupancy rate also reached 70 per cent, reflecting a 3.4-point improvement on 2022.
Strong business performance in 2023 has so far flowed positively into the new year, with record bookings in 1H2024. As of March 2, 2024, the company has 14 per cent more bookings compared to the same period of 2023, which was already at a record level.
Club Med noted that the East and South Asia, and Pacific (ESAP) region had also contributed well to its Premium All-Inclusive Resorts in 2023. Business volume was up 102 per cent year-on-year and six per cent over 2019. Guest numbers had also reach pre-pandemic levels, driven by the revenge travel phenomenon, a strong momentum on domestic travel in Japan & Malaysia, and the success of its mountain business ( up 44 per cent over pre-pandemic performance).
Rachael Harding, CEO of Club Med ESAP Markets, said: “Club Med’s exceptional results are a testament to our market leadership in premium, all-inclusive holidays, especially in our mountain resorts.
“Embracing our refreshed brand identity and campaign, That’s l’Esprit Libre, we will continue to create experiences that allow our guests to disconnect from the worries and mental burden of everyday life to fully embrace the present. This will be achieved through doubling down on the essence of holidays with Club Med, where well-designed spaces, curated sports and activities, signature festive ambience, and our international team of G.Os are synonymous with our premium all-inclusive programme.”
Harding also pointed to the company’s “robust expansion plan” as a means to meet the needs of its travelling clientele. In the pipeline now are three properties – one in Thailand this year, one in Malaysia in 2025, and one in South Africa come 2026.
Looking ahead, Club Med has committed to maintaining its sustainable tourism development focus and to spotlight its summer mountain resort offerings.
IHG brands a Hainan Airlines aircraft to elevate travel experience
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has teamed up with Hainan Airlines to debut the IHG Explorer, a branded aircraft featuring bespoke business class dining options, amplified member benefits and a co-branded safety video.
Together, IHG and Hainan Airlines are reimagining travel by incorporating diverse cultural elements into guests’ journeys, creating personalised in-flight travel experiences while driving the development of tourism. Through this partnership, IHG also aims to introduce a fresh travel experience that highlights the group’s localisation strategy and dedication to the Chinese market.
Marking the first time that Hainan Airlines has launched a fully themed aircraft with a hotel group, the IHG Explorer aircraft features the comfort of 180-degree reclining seats, where customers can relax while watching a creative co-branded safety video that blends IHG’s extensive and varied brand portfolio in China into essential flight safety instructions.
For business class dining, IHG is introducing food from its Chinese restaurant brand, Cai Feng Lou, which comprises regional delicacies and a signature tea in collaboration with HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts.
Furthermore, IHG and Hainan Airlines will gradually introduce more diverse member benefits during 2Q2024, offering IHG One Rewards and Fortune Wings Club members a range of benefits from ground to sky.
Jerome Qiu, COO, IHG Greater China, said: “Partnering with Hainan Airlines extends our commitment to the air, providing both groups’ members with more immersive travel experiences. From the moment they step onto the plane, guests will be able to enjoy the sense of ‘True Hospitality for Good’ which we aim to convey every day.”
AirAsia to resume Kuala Lumpur-Vientiane route
AirAsia Malaysia will restart its Kuala Lumpur-Vientiane route starting July 2, making it the only airline offering direct flights to all 10 South-east Asian countries.
The two-way services will fly between both cities twice weekly on every Tuesday and Saturday.
Hong Kong Airlines steps up recruitment efforts
Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) is recruiting flight attendants through large-scale recruitment events organised in various regions and drawing interest from thousands of job seekers eager to embark on a career in the aviation sector.
The most recent was on March 17 in Taipei, where over 200 candidates were invited for on-site interviews.
Last year, Hong Kong Airlines launched its first recruitment in the Greater Bay Area and has organised recruitment events in Osaka, Bangkok, and Taipei respectively since the end of last year, receiving over 2,000 applications. Qualified candidates were invited for on-site interviews.
Since 2023, HKA has been incrementally launching and reinstating an array of domestic and regional routes and now services 25 destinations. With the ambition to expand its fleet and route network this year, the airline has stepped up its recruitment efforts and has resumed significant events outside Hong Kong after several years’ hiatus, presenting an opportunity for international talent to apply in person.
Sally Lo Chi Yau, general manager of onboard experience at HKA, remarked: “Our service team consists of members from all over the world and they usually offer mutual support and share insights about life in Hong Kong, thus aiding recruits in swiftly adjusting to the working environment. Here at Hong Kong Airlines, we embrace a multicultural ethos and are committed to fostering a corporate culture that is both relaxed and vibrant, which we believe will entice more international talent to join us.”
Airline chiefs of legacy, low-cost carriers (LCC) and new full-service start-ups, who spoke at the recent Aviation Festival Asia in Singapore, have one thing in common – the need for additional aircraft to meet growing passenger demand and expansion of their domestic and international networks.
Air India, under new Tata Group management since 2022, has 506 orders, 36 on lease and is accepting one aircraft delivery every six days. Air India CEO and managing director Campbell Wilson is expecting “some delays” on its orders 18 months into its five-year transformation, noting the airline is “undersized in relation to the market”.
IndiGo is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, and the LCC has a 60 per cent share of the domestic market. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers reported growth of 20 per cent in the past year and its 2024 network will comprise 86 domestic and 33 international destinations, adding that the airline’s target is to grow from 300 to 1,000 aircraft to “double in size by the end of the decade”.
New player Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air was launched some 15 months ago and is in an alliance with Turkish Airlines. According to CEO Tony Douglas, the start-up is looking to fly to some 150 destinations, has an order for 72 aircraft, and expects to start operations by mid-2025.
On another panel, CEO of Really Cool Airlines Patel Sarasin said the new Thai full-service international player is scheduled to take off by the end of the year but shared he was facing challenges in finding aircraft.
Fellow panellist Mike Szucs, CEO of Cebu Pacific, said he was negotiating with Airbus and Boeing for 150 aircraft to tap domestic and international opportunities with major improvements in the country’s airport infrastructure under way.
However, airlines have little control over the delivery of their aircraft orders.
Douglas admitted Riyadh Air has “no Plan B” in the current situation of demand chasing supply; while Elbers acknowledged there were supply chain challenges and original equipment manufacturer issues.
On how Thai Airways is coping with passenger demand changes following China’s reopening, CEO Chai Eamsiri said Chinese state-owned enterprises were controlling the flow of outbound travel and the airline was managing its aircraft deployment by serving only 42 routes, less than 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
For Riyadh Air, Douglas noted that China, described as a giant market, is on its “list of top priorities”, adding “we have to go to China and will use social media” to promote its appeal to football-mad supporters – Cristiano Ronaldo captains Saudi Pro League Al Nasser – and adventure seekers as host of the Dakar Rally.
Airlines also have no clear answer on how to get to net zero carbon emissions, identified as one of the industry’s biggest challenges even though low-carbon and sustainable fuel are available.
Chai commented carbon neutrality was not just the responsibility of airlines and “everyone has to pay for it”.
While the airlines are ready, where there are mandates in Europe and where the Schengen region and the US have also introduced incentives, he said more guidelines are needed in Asia.
Chai referenced the February announcement that flights departing from Singapore will be required to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2026, in a move aimed at progressively decarbonising airline operations.
Singapore is aiming for a one per cent SAF uplift and passengers will have to pay more for their air tickets due to a levy imposed on the purchase of the fuel with fees paid based on factors such as distance travelled and class of travel.
The rest of South-east Asia, even the Thai government, Chai pointed out, have no comprehensive policy on SAF and the national carrier is pushing for clearer concrete solutions on its availability in the market.
While no mention was made during the panels on recent incidents of missing aircraft door plugs or tricky pilot seat switches having a knock-on effect on delivery and capacity rebuilding, passengers will have to brace themselves for higher ticket prices as airlines wait for orders and what else is to come as governments and the industry work out the route to net zero carbon emissions.