La Vie Hotels & Resorts welcomes new cluster GM, Sri Lanka
Kristofer Quadros has been named cluster general manager, Sri Lanka, of La Vie Hotels & Resorts.
In his new role, Quadros will be responsible for managing the strategic performance and operations of Radisson Hotel Colombo, Radisson Blu Resort Galle and Radisson Hotel Kandy.
With more than 25 years of management experience across the globe including Maldives, Dubai and Indonesia, he was most recently general manager of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
Competition brings to light exciting Hong Kong tours
Six tours – out of 700 – have emerged winners in the Deeper into Hong Kong: Creative Itinerary Design Competition, which seeks to identify creative ways to showcase Hong Kong to travellers.
The competition, jointly organised by the Tourism Commission and Travel Industry Council (TIC), featured six contest themes and attracted 700 entries put forward by 135 travel agents. Tour ideas that entered into the competition included camping at fish farm in Sai Kung, peace bun workshop on Cheung Chau island, and a boat trip to see unique rock formations in the Hong Kong Geopark.
Amid stiff competition, the six tours that claimed the top prize in each theme were: Going Far Far Away – Exploring the enchanting Sha Tau Kok, Lai Chi Wo and Mui Tsz Lam by Walk in Hong Kong; Fun Water Adventure: Sai Kung Star Gazing and Marine Exploration by NDS Travel; Legacy of Joy: Cheung Chau Cultural Tour by Pok Yat Travel Company; HK Pop Culture: 100% Hong Kong by HR Travelling; Journey Through National History: A Story of History and Tong Lau by Toudays Travel Technology; and Unconventional Journey: 2-day Hong Kong Urban Legends Tour by Ambition Travel.
The winners not only took home a prize, but their winning tours also earn listings on the websites of both Hong Kong Tourism Board and TIC to attract enquiries and bookings.
Gianna Hsu, chairman of co-organiser TIC, said: “We encourage travel agents to design quality in-depth tours of distinct themes that display the east-meet-west culture and different faces of Hong Kong. Such tours will enhance the city’s competitiveness and lengthen visitors’ stay duration.”
Hsu noted that the competition attracted a wide range of agents, in addition to familiar players.
Commenting on his winning entry, Paul Chan, CEO and co-founder of Walk in Hong Kong, told TTG Asia: “Only a million out of seven million people in Hong Kong have been to Sha Tau Kok. The overnight tour promotes insightful experiences via interaction with villagers through workshops, guided tour, and activities.”
Kenji Tsang, outbound and inbound department manager of Ambition Travel, hoped that his winning tour would allow urban legends to remain with more generations to come, and entice young FITs to join guided tours while in Hong Kong.
Philippines, Austria strengthen tourism ties
The Philippines is aiming to beef up tourism cooperation with Austria, through a Memorandum of Tourism Cooperation, to capture more visitors from the emerging European source market.
In 2023, the Philippines saw an 89 per cent recovery rate of visitor arrivals from Austria at 13,180, compared to the 14,840 arrivals in 2019.
Philippines Department of Tourism (DoT) secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the Memorandum of Tourism Cooperation with Austria will mutually grow the tourism numbers of the two countries; exchange best practices in culture, heritage, and retirement tourism; strengthen sustainable tourism frameworks and upskilling programmes in hospitality; and facilitate the enhanced connectivity between the two.
She added: “We acknowledge the opportunity to strengthen the market; we also wish to maximise the opportunity to educate and inform Austrians about our tourism products in the Philippines which are of great interest to Europeans, including our beaches, dive sites, adventure offerings, and experiential travel across our islands and among our diverse communities.”
The Philippines and Austria currently benefit from tourism talent exchanges.
According to Austria’s state secretary for tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler, the largest employment sectors for Filipinos in Austria “are in tourism and care”, with almost a quarter of the Filipino diaspora in Austria currently working in the tourism sector.
Kraus-Winkler likewise broached the conclusion of a “working holiday programme” provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in Manila between the Austrian and Philippine Governments in October 2023.
“Tourism generally benefits from working holiday programmes, as young people want to gain experience in tourism worldwide. Experience has shown that young people often also want to explore the country where they are working and go on vacation during their stay of up to one year. We want to further expand the good cooperation between Austria and the Philippines in the field of tourism and promote the mobility of young people,” she said, adding that Austria is “looking forward to the talks on the rapid implementation of a working holiday programme, as we were recently able to conclude with the US.”
Kata Group implements a facelift with Beyond Series
Kata Group, said to be one of Phuket’s oldest hotel chains, has embarked on a trio of mega projects to reflect the company’s pursuit of market relevance and stronger presence. It has opened Beyond Skywalk Nangshi in December 2023, an 800 million baht (US$22.18 million) resort and skywalk destination, implemented a 300 million baht rebrand for Beyond Kata resort titled Colors of Beyond, and launched the Beyond Series which sees its existing portfolio segmented into three distinct categories.
Commenting on Colors of Beyond, Sassitt Thavornvongwongse, assistant vice president of commercial strategy for Kata Group and Beyond Resorts Thailand, said the rebrand is forward-looking to tap the new generation of travellers.
“Colors of Beyond is a refresh of the brand – not to leave (behind) our current customer groups, but to make it a little more attractive for the next generation of travellers who will be our guests for the next 20 to 25 years,” he said.
The 300 million baht investment will elevate Beyond Kata into a premier beachside resort on Kata Beach, catering to families and business events.
As for Beyond Series, Sassitt said there would now be three distinct series: the tranquil Mountain Series, the serene Sea Series, and the vibrant City Series.
Also new is Beyond Skywalk Nangshi, the group’s ninth property, as part of the Mountain Series. This is a 57-room hotel boasting what is now Thailand’s tallest and longest glass-floor walkway 80m above sea level overlooking Phang Nga Bay. It is situated near Samet Nangshe Viewpoint, about a 45-minutes’ drive from Phuket International Airport.
Sassitt shared that the group plans to renovate many properties in its portfolio, while looking out for new property locations in the Andaman region – Phuket, Phang Ngai, Krabi.
Ideal locations would be “very popular tourist destinations” and prime areas preferably not too far from the beach, he shared.
Big concerts, big lessons: how hotels can win over music fans
Singapore’s music scene is booming! With chart-topping artists drawing in record-breaking crowds, the city is becoming a magnet for music fans across South-east Asia. This surge in concertgoers presents a golden opportunity for hotels to transform themselves into more than just a place to sleep. By creating immersive experiences that cater directly to the concert buzz, hotels can not only fill rooms but also turn these temporary guests into lifelong fans of their brand.
Coldplay’s six sold-out shows in January at Singapore’s National Stadium was the first major music event of 2024, drawing thousands of fans across the region. The concert series is the start of what is expected to be an incredibly strong year for international arrivals to Singapore. International arrivals in January 2024 were 1.44 million people, a 54.2 per cent increase from last January (0.93 million); however, it is still down from the pre-pandemic high in January 2020 by 14.79 per cent (1.69 million).
While Coldplay set records for the number of tickets sold in a single day and was the first to play six nights at the National Stadium, Taylor Swift’s sold-out shows in March took the city-state by storm, as 22 million people vied for the 300,000 available tickets.
These performances are massive opportunities for hotels to shine, as the occupancy rates reached 72.8 per cent during the Coldplay performance dates and 88.7 per cent during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the highest level since mid-June 2023. When musical events come to Singapore, it is not only the fans that benefit but the entire hospitality sector.
With more A-list artists, including Bruno Mars, scheduled to come in 2024, hotels and restaurants cannot be passive in their approach but must capitalise on the opportunity to create unique experiences, special packages, or collaborations.
Creating experiences that resonate with music fans
Hotels should curate immersive branded hotel rooms that stream the performer’s music and have specialised lighting, wall art, pillows, throws, amenities, and other items unique to the event and transportation to the venue. Ideally, this would also include tickets to the concert, access to exclusive events, meet-and-greets, backstage tours, or the ability to listen to new musical tracks before public release.
Outside of the guestroom, hotels need to create specialised events and spaces throughout the property. The lobby should offer themed drinks, including non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions named to either the tour or popular tracks, and merchandise tables with posters, shirts, and albums. The restaurant should have specials catering to the fans and the dietary restrictions of those flying in for the event.
The pool should include themed pool towels and music; the bar should include either a cover band or karaoke; the spa should have packages including glittery nail polish for younger fans and themed manicures for everyone else. The hotel must create the feeling that the musical event is happening at their hotel at every turn.
Go beyond the hotel room
Off-property, the hotel should partner with other companies to create unique experiences, as the guest spending outside of the price of the concert ranges between four to five times what they paid for the ticket; there are ample opportunities for shared revenue partnerships.
Hotels could work with Universal Studios Singapore to provide Universal Express and branded event merchandise and get up and close with the animals at the Singapore Zoo; themed night safaris or aquarium tickets can increase sales, bring together like-minded individuals in town for the performance, and create a lasting memorable experience.
Capitalising on the significant music events playing in Singapore can boost the hotel’s bottom line and create lifelong memories that the guest will look to recreate when their favourite musician plays on the subsequent tour. It is not enough to only increase the room prices to match demand; it must include value-added products, services, and even bespoke packages they could only get if they stay at the property.
Crafting different levels of packages and external partners that can be easily modified for the specific group or performer will ensure that hotels can launch the package immediately when a particular tour is announced. Hotels must diversify their packages and rooms to become the ideal location for those flying in for the event.
AirAsia X launches direct services to Kazakhstan
AirAsia X has commenced its Kuala Lumpur-Kazakhstan service, offering four-times-weekly flights between both destinations.
The new direct service is operated on an Airbus A330-300 with a seating capacity of 285, and departs every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Families enjoy free perks to explore Australia’s Queensland
Families are being lured to Queensland with the launch of Tourism and Events Queensland’s latest campaign in partnership with My Queensland.
Titled Festival of Free, this campaign offers a range of holiday packages, including free flights for kids, free tours and experiences for kids, and kids stay free inclusions across a range of hotels and resorts, from now till May 31.
Outstanding packages include five-night stays at Peppers Blue on Blue Resort at Magnetic Island, Freestyle Resort Port Douglas, and Novotel Surfers Paradise.
At Peppers Blue on Blue Resort Magnetic Island, families stay in a Studio Room inclusive of return flights with Virgin Australia (first kid flies free), a lunch time sailing cruise, daily breakfast for two, and more.
For Freestyle Resort Port Douglas, families fly on Virgin Australia (first kid flies free) with airport transfers, full-day Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef Cruise (free for kid), entry to Wildlife Habitat, and more.
Lastly, the Novotel Surfers Paradise package comes with return flights (First kid flies free), and comprises daily buffet breakfast and a choice of experience such as unlimited entry to Dreamworld, White Water World and SkyPoint.
There are also deals available for those without children.
For more information, visit Festival of Free.
Hong Kong’s textile heritage museum celebrates anniversary with Factory of Tomorrow
The Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) in Hong Kong has unveiled its Spring Programme 2024, Factory of Tomorrow ahead of its fifth anniversary.
The group exhibition, curated by CHAT’s curatorial team, will open to the public from now till July 14 and feature CHAT’s contemporary art collection as well as newly commissioned works.
Factory of Tomorrow aims to articulate the unique artistic character and vision of CHAT, which is housed in a prime example of Hong Kong’s industrial heritage – a former cotton spinning factory. From Hong Kong’s urban development to global climate change, 19 Asian artists interpret the past, present and future through unique lenses and textile.
Roughly divided into two parts, Factory of Tomorrow first reflects on the role textile played in Hong Kong’s industrial past before shifting the focus to the present and the future. Ranging from textile works and sculptures to immersive installations and videos, the artworks reflect the artists’ perspectives on textile technology and materials, diversity, climate change and the future.
In addition, CHAT highlights several new elements such as the new special display Misfitted: Unspoken Stories of Tailoring at the D. H. Chen Foundation Gallery, and a new interactive experience, Illumin-Loom, which will invite visitors to operate a virtual loom and create their own illuminated textile patterns. The CHAT Lounge will also reopen with curtains designed based on artworks by local students, the interactive art piece DEMOS, and the display Artefacts of Labour contextualising art through heritage, textile and CHAT’s collection.
In addition, there is also a Birthday Bash giveaway, during which the fifth, 55th, 555th, and 5,555th visitors of CHAT will each receive a surprise gift.
For more information, visit CHAT.
Myanmar recovery still a long way
- Tourism dented by Covid-19 and the coup
- Travel advisories issued by Western countries still stand
- Tours have been redirected towards locals
After more than three years since Myanmar experienced the coup d’état, four since Covid-19 hit, the country’s tourism sector is nearly wiped out.
“Many tour operators are gone for good, others are hibernating, only very few are still active in one way or another,” said Jochen Meissner, managing director of Uncharted Horizons Myanmar.
Domestic tourism forms only a fraction of what it was prior to the pandemic and military coup, mainly comprising group bus tours to Bagan and Inle Lake, and Yangon city tours. Many tourist destinations remain severely restricted, especially in border regions, including Chin, northern Shan, Kayah and Kayin states, while the entire north is a war zone and off limits.
Uncharted Horizon Myanmar’s guest numbers and income are down to 10 to 15 per cent of pre-coup and Covid times, with only two freelance guides left out of the previous seven full-time staff.
Meissner noted that Western visitors have slumped to a few thousand annually, with no more group bookings. Russian, Chinese and Thai tourists form the majority of the small number of arrivals.
According to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, in 2023, there were 240,219 arrivals at Yangon International Airport, of which 88 per cent were from China and Asia. “It can be assumed that most are business travellers, while a very small percentage are tourists,” said May Myat Mon Win, general manager at Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon.
Despite dwindling expatriate numbers, today they form a large part of Uncharted Horizon’s business, along with local day tour group bookings for Yangon. These mainly comprise friends, company outings and team building trips.
Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, managing director at DTH Travel Myanmar, said currently a trimmed team of 12 are employed to deal with “day-to-day matters”. This includes a “few” monthly bookings, predominantly to Yangon and Bagan.
“Western governments continue to urge against travel to Myanmar due to the ongoing political and security instability,” he said, adding they “strongly advise against trips to most tourist areas throughout the country”.
Meissner said he also, as a tour operator, no longer encourages international tourists. “As long as the political situation doesn’t change and the armed conflict doesn’t stop, the situation in the tourism sector will definitely not improve.”
Edwin Briels, founder of Exploration Travel Myanmar, which recently expanded operations to Thailand to curate boutique tours in secondary segments, told TTG Asia: “Everyone is in survival mode.”
He added he received about one booking a month at his Lalay Lodge in Ngapali Beach, but since December 2023, it has become virtually impossible to access the area.
Local focus
Adaption has been key and, like Meissner, most have tapped into the domestic market.
Meisser said Uncharted Horizons is proactively targeting locals. “Our tours were originally designed for foreign visitors. We only later realised that they’re also a great experience for locals, most of whom have never been to areas we visit right across the river from downtown Yangon.”
Mon Win said the majority of hotels are now dependent on local demand in the form of leisure, events and wedding, mostly in Yangon and Mandalay. Kalaw, Ngwesaung and Chaugtha beach enjoy high occupancy rates during public and school holidays.
“The pandemic has changed the game for hoteliers,” she said, adding Chatrium’s traditional core market is Europe, America, Japan and Asia. Today, it mainly serves domestic clientele in the local business and leisure segments.
While DTH Myanmar welcomes a handful of foreign guests, the rest of the team is engaged with data loading for other DTH destinations. “We prioritise providing jobs for our team, primarily through outsourced work within our group’s international locations,” Wai Yar Zar said.
He added that while DTH has supported staff to find employment in other industries, “this has become increasingly difficult due to the growing number of people impacted by the country’s struggling economy”.
However, Briels believes that the industry can quickly rebound. “It’s been interesting to see how resilient Myanmar people are, and, when possible, the tourism industry will also show this resilience,” he told TTG Asia.
Meisser added: “Only with change on a political level will the situation improve. I know of many Myanmar fans waiting for this to happen and return as soon as the situation allows. Tourism will also play an important role in the rebuilding of the country.”
Mandarin Oriental has appointed Alex Schellenberger as its senior vice president, brand.
The German national has over two decades in global luxury brand building, storytelling and brand experience roles, and brings insights and expertise to this newly-created global role.