Princess Cruises extends cruise pause in Australia
Princess Cruises has extended its pause in operations for cruises departing from Australia and New Zealand until January 27, 2022.
Resultantly, the company has cancelled Coral Princess voyages through January 17, as well as Royal Princess and Sapphire Princess seasons through March 2022.
“It became apparent we would not be able to deliver planned deployment of Royal Princess and Sapphire Princess in Australia before they were due to start their published northern hemisphere voyages,” said Deanna Austin, Princess Cruises CCO.
“We recognise that guests planning cruises over the popular summer and new year holiday period will be particularly disappointed with the changes, however, we wanted to give guests as much notice as possible so they could plan their holidays with certainty.”
Princess said that it will protect travel agent commission on bookings that were paid in full “in recognition of the critical role they play in the cruise line’s business and success”.
Dusit expands China footprint with new Chuxiong signing
Dusit International has signed an agreement to operate an upscale hotel in the heart of Chuxiong City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
The agreement for dusitD2 Chuxiong, Yunnan was signed with Chuxiong Rongda Real Estate Development Company through Dusit’s representative in China, Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts.
Slated to open in 2Q2023, the new property will comprise 275 rooms, suites and villas in a prime location next to Guanyin Temple, just a 10-minute drive from the Chuxiong high-speed train station.
Hotel facilities will include an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a spa offering wellness therapies, and a range of meeting rooms. There will also be various activities conducted to promote physical and mental wellbeing.
Dusit International’s portfolio now includes more than 300 properties operating under six brands across 17 countries. In China, the company currently operates 10 hotels and has more than 20 properties in the pipeline.
Bali’s backpacker ban proposal draws tour operators’ ire
Travel operators in Indonesia have hit out at the government’s controversial plan to ban budget travellers or backpackers from entering Bali, as it looks to pivot to quality tourism to speed up economic recovery post-Covid.
Luhut Panjaitan, coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, who leads the implementation of emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM) in Java and Bali, said that the government would ban backpackers from entering Bali once the island reopens its borders, as it seeks to attract quality tourists.
“We will filter (international) visitors. We don’t want backpackers. (We want) quality tourists,” he said.
On September 13, the government eased Covid-19 curbs in Bali, lowering the PPKM status from the strictest level 4 to level 3. Previously, the government said that it may reopen Bali to international tourists when the PPKM status is dropped to level 2.
Lamenting the plan, Norberto Rodriguez Sanchez, tour advisor at Come2Indonesia, explained that backpackers’ visits brought direct economic benefits to society at the grassroots level because they had direct interactions with the community, such as staying in homestays.
“Backpackers do not want to spend money on big hotels, but they spend a lot of money on many other things, such as food and entrance tickets (to attractions),” said Norberto.
As guest houses were typically backpackers’ accommodation of choice, banning them from visiting Bali would be a blow not just to the locals who ran guest houses, but also SMEs in the tourism sector, he added.
Sebastian Ng, managing director of Incito Vacations, said that a backpacker ban would put a damper on the government’s plan to tap tourist villages located in rural areas to drive tourism recovery, as backpackers were one of their key target markets.
Rather than focusing on attracting quality or high-end travellers, the government should shift its focus to creating quality tourism experiences such as eco-friendly attractions that cater to the masses, he said.
Sebastian pointed out that foreign backpackers have made a tremendous contribution to the country’s tourism development by promoting many hidden gems, such as Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in the province of North Sulawesi. He added that the popularity of Tangkoko among backpackers prompted the government several years ago to develop the conservation area, including the building of electricity infrastructure.
Cyber risk poised to increase amid evolving travel landscape
Digital expansion has left no segment of the travel ecosystem untouched by cyber risk, with companies like Bangkok Air, Marriott Hotels, SITA and Ticketmaster having fallen victim to attacks or been fined for data breach.
According to Chng Tien San, vice president, cybersecurity, C&I, APJ, Mastercard, cyber risk exposure will increase as the travel industry evolves and every organisation regardless of size is vulnerable to cyber threats.
Chng noted the pandemic had further escalated cyber risk with an explosion of digital third-party relationships.
Speaking during the Travel in the New Normal: Rethinking Technology and Cyber Risk webinar, organised by PATA last week, Chng warned that many companies view cybersecurity as an “afterthought”, despite cybercrime being a consistent threat.
Data he shared showed cybercrime was a US$350 billion worldwide problem and growing; and that 70 per cent of attacks targeted small businesses, with 63 per cent of small businesses having experienced a cyberattack in the last 12 months.
When asked how much companies should be investing to beef up protection, Chng said it was common to invest 10 per cent of turnover on IT expenditure and that between seven and 15 per cent of that sum is set aside for cybersecurity depending on the industry.
“But it is not one size fits all,” he stressed, adding that it would be higher for businesses in finance, manufacturing and retail.
Chng commented that SMEs not equipped with cybersecurity skill sets, not knowing how to start and what to protect in an expanding online ecosystem and cloud-based environment could raise their level of awareness and knowledge by accessing the Mastercard Trust Center.
The centre includes links to curated education, resources and tools from trusted external sources.
Businesses, he advised, needed “visibility of their assets and (know) how to protect customer data, IP, pricing, etc”. They should also work with trusted third-party suppliers, as well as train staff and establish organisation house rules on processes when there is a breach and the crisis response.
Shangri-La serves up Singapore’s first ice cream-themed staycation
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Singapore and Häagen-Dazs have collaborated to create Singapore’s first ice cream-themed staycation.
The Häagen-Dazs Staycation package is available at two of the group’s properties in Singapore – Shangri-La Singapore near Orchard and Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, Singapore.
The package includes exclusive Häagen-Dazs collectible cushion, teddy bear, bath bomb, face mask, coaster set, picnic mat and cooler bag.
Each room also comes with a mini-freezer stocked with Häagen-Dazs pints, stickbars and mini-cups that can be enjoyed during the stay or as take-home treats. Also included in the package is a specially curated dessert featuring classic Häagen-Dazs flavours, and a S$20 (US$14) Häagen-Dazs voucher.
The two-day, one-night package at Shangri-La Singapore is priced from S$499 nett, and comes with complimentary breakfast for two at The Line and complimentary car parking.
For Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, Singapore, the package is priced from S$599 nett for a two-day, one-night stay and from S$1,088 nett for a three-day, two-night stay. Each package comes with complimentary daily breakfast for two.
The packages are exclusively available on Klook’s booking platform, for stays from October 1 to November 18.
Rosewood to open first stand-alone residential project in Lido Key
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal to launch the brand’s inaugural stand-alone residential project in Lido Key, which will take the form of a 65-unit condominium slated for completion in 2025.
Rosewood Residences Lido Key – spearheaded by developer The Ronto Group and real estate investment firm Wheelock Street Capital – will be situated off the coast of Sarasota, Florida, a short walk from St. Armands circle.
Set to occupy 1.41ha of beachfront real estate, the residences will boast Gulf of Mexico views and average approximately 390m² in size.
On-site amenities will include a private restaurant and chef services for in-residence dining and catering, fitness centre with options for private training and yoga sessions, outdoor pools, massage rooms, private guest suites with housekeeping service, lounge featuring library and game room, and a 24-hour concierge.
Rosewood Residences Lido Key are for purchase only, no rentals will be available. Sales reservations for the condominium will launch in December 2021, with pricing yet to be announced.
Scaling NDC is a key enabler to rebuild travel
The last few years have seen steady progress on New Distribution Capability (NDC). However, the onset of the pandemic raised concerns that NDC might take a backseat. Interestingly, though, despite the challenges of the past 18 months, momentum around NDC hasn’t stalled.
In fact, the drive to improve travel retailing, personalisation and simplifying processes has led to much progress. We are optimistic that this drive will continue through 2021 – a year that is shaping up to be one in which NDC deployment is scaling globally.
This optimism carries over to the Asia-Pacific region where we’ve seen a number of important milestones with carriers like Singapore Airlines late last year and Qantas this year. We’ve also partnered with some of the biggest travel agencies across the region in G.M. Tour and Travel, Riya Travel and Hana Tour. Suffice to say, Asia-Pacific has been a dynamic growth region for NDC.
The time is now for the industry to truly engage and realise the maximum benefits from investments made in NDC as we work to rebuild travel.
Technology is no longer a barrier to adoption and it’s now possible for travel sellers and buyers to consume aggregated content, including low-cost carrier (LCC) content, delivered via different technologies in a single application with an improved booking experience. Also, airlines are beginning to differentiate with NDC by offering product bundles and price points that deliver exactly what travellers want.
NDC is the present and the future
So, what role does NDC play in rebuilding travel? It’s simple. The NDC retailing process enables industry players to get creative in the digital retail space, which opens many more doors to facilitate opportunities like dynamic packaging, fare bundles and other ancillary services.
NDC allows airlines to create richer content and distribute tailored offers through travel agents and corporate booking tools in real-time. In turn, travel sellers will have the tools to efficiently build personalised offers for travellers.
Take Qantas as an example. The airline can now recognise frequent flyers that book via NDC-enabled travel sellers at the tier level and is able to present customised deals based on price, points rewards, ancillary options and bundles. There will come a time when Qantas enables payment with a combination of cash and miles via NDC for frequent travellers, opening a whole new world of retailing options.
Give travellers what they want
The technological expectations of travellers have been set by brands like Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify when it comes to ease of use and personalisation. NDC can give travellers the same smooth experience they are used to with the technology they use in other parts of their lives.
The end-to-end integration of NDC enables advanced servicing capabilities, so travellers can change, modify or cancel a booking quickly with just a few clicks. The process is smoother and faster so travellers can easily access more information and make better informed choices.
The next step in NDC
The industry has come a long way since the inception of NDC. Yes, there are still challenges to contend with, but also achievements to be celebrated. This is where things are about to get more interesting.
At Amadeus, we are working hard so that by the end of 2021, every Amadeus-connected travel seller globally will be able to access content sourced from both NDC and EDIFACT technologies through a single search query, with a simplified end-to-end booking flow, using the Amadeus NDC-enabled solution of their choice.
We understand that there are still some obstacles to overcome around servicing, integration and lack of standardisation to obtain the full benefits of NDC. However, we also recognise that NDC is a journey, and by working together as an industry, we will not only overcome these issues but unlock limitless possibilities to improve travel retailing.
Find out more in our recently launched spotlight paper titled NDC: 2021 and the path to industrialisation, featuring insights from House of Travel and Qantas, as well as other airlines, travel sellers, corporations and industry bodies.
Bookings take off following Singapore-Germany Vaccinated Travel Lane announcement
Bookings from Singapore to Germany has increased, with leisure travel leading the way, following the announcement of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between both countries, which kicked off on September 8, according to recent data from ForwardKeys.
Since the pandemic stymied international travel for residents in Singapore since March last year, Germany is the first quarantine-free, longhaul destination for fully vaccinated travellers.
When examining the air tickets issued between the announcement day on August 19 and September 3, demand for travel from Singapore to Germany was 135 per cent higher than from Germany to Singapore.
Tickets from Germany to Singapore reached 18 per cent of that issued in the same period in 2019, while in the other direction, it’s at 93 per cent of 2019 levels.
“We had observed similar lopsided demand when the Australia-New Zealand air travel bubble (ATB) launched in April earlier this year, with almost three times as much travel going to New Zealand than the opposite direction,” said Jameson Wong, vice president strategic clients & partnerships APAC at ForwardKeys.
“However, while that initial rush was primarily due to returning New Zealanders residing in Australia, the Singapore to Germany air bookings reflect a considerable amount of pent-up demand from the leisure segment. For both directions, around 70 per cent are return tickets, indicating a sizeable pie of short-term visitors,” added Wong.
Further analysis using data from ForwardKeys’ Destination Gateway revealed that the biggest proportion of travellers from Singapore to Germany are indeed leisure travellers, accounting for 76 per cent of all travellers – up from 43 per cent in 2019.
“From quarantine-free fine prints, traveller confidence, timing, clarity of information, attractiveness of the destination to the ease of making travel arrangements, the stars seem to be well aligned for longhaul, outbound leisure travel to truly restart,” commented Wong.
The number of travellers choosing to book directly with airlines has also grown four folds, 88 per cent now versus 22 per cent in 2019, revealing the control and assurance that travellers need in the post-Covid era.
According to Ema Mandal, ForwardKeys insights specialist, the average length of stay for the leisure travellers has grown by only two days – from 13 days in 2019 to 15 days.
“We thought the metric would have lengthened significantly given the prolonged halt on longhaul. But it seems the travellers from Singapore to Germany are ‘warming up’, playing it safe and have not yet started to take advantage of the fact that one can take domestic flights within Germany without affecting the return VTL eligibility, which could have driven up the length of stay,” Mandal said.
A closer look at seasonality reveals some similarity in travel patterns across the main traveller segments.
Arrivals started to increase from September 8 when the VTL kicked off, but quickly dwindle off in early November and subsequently pick up again when the school holidays commence from November 20, peaking into December, just in time for the Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland, or Christmas Markets in Germany.
Soon-to-open Hilton Singapore Orchard names GM
Hilton has appointed industry veteran Cedric Nubul as general manager for Hilton Singapore Orchard, which is set to open in January 2022 following an extensive refurbishment of the current Mandarin Orchard Singapore.
Nubul brings over 20 years of experience with Hilton hotels, including strong experience in conversion of hotels. He served in the role of general manager across the Caribbean and Colombia over the past eight years, and previously worked across France, Spain, Italy, the Maldives, and Malaysia.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) plans to launch 13 new properties across 10 key gateway cities including London, Hanoi and Phnom Penh by 2024.
The expansion will see the addition of more than 3,300 rooms to the group’s inventory, bringing its portfolio to 48 properties across 29 cities.
PPHG is a member of Singapore-listed UOL Group Limited. The move will see the group establish its presence in key gateway cities, including London, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Dalian, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap.
Among the 13 properties to open is the Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur, which will mark the sustainability brand’s first opening beyond Singapore when it debuts in June 2022.
Located in the heart of Bukit Bintang, the Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur will be a beacon of green design, sporting a lush green facade made up of 78 sky planters and roof terraces showcasing 1,207m² of plants and trees. The hotel will also feature a wellness floor, comprising a spa, a gym and fitness studio, as well as a pool.
The Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur complex will also house Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur, catering to long-stay guests. Other new openings in Malaysia in 2022 include the expansion of its Parkroyal resorts portfolio in Langkawi and Malacca. The 301-room Parkroyal Langkawi Resort has a direct beach front, with meeting facilities and a beach club. The 418-room Parkroyal A’Famosa Melaka Resort will see a upgrade as well as new builds offering relaxed accommodation choices.
The group will also plant its flag in Indonesia with a cluster of properties in its capital city, Jakarta. Over the next three years, Parkroyal Jakarta, Parkroyal Serviced Suites Jakarta, and Pan Pacific Jakarta will open within the Thamrin Nine, combining commercial spaces, entertainment, and retail offerings within an integrated environment.
Come 4Q2022, PPHG will open Pan Pacific Orchard, touted as “Singapore’s first zero-waste hotel”. The property will feature foliage covering more than 300 per cent of the hotel’s land area, alongside four thematic sky gardens: Forest Terrace, Beach Club, Secret Garden and Cloud Terrace. The 350-room hotel will employ a rainwater harvesting system, a recyclable water system, and a compactor that transforms food waste into nutrient water for the hotel’s sky gardens.
Marking its next move into China for 2022, PPHG will introduce the country’s first Parkroyal hotel in Dalian, a major sub-provincial city in Liaoning Province. Towering at 52 levels, Parkroyal Dalian will be located on Youting Road, which offers connectivity to Xinghai Square, Dalian World Expo Centre and Dalian Xinghai Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The group will also increase its strength in Indochina to a total of nine properties in the region by 2023. It will make an entry into Cambodia’s capital city with Pan Pacific Phnom Penh, and into the famous city of UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat with Parkroyal Siem Reap.
The 212-room Pan Pacific Phnom Penh will be situated in the Norodom Boulevard, while the 130-room Parkroyal Siem Reap will be a 10-minute drive from the gates of Angkor Wat.
In 2022, the group will further expand its serviced suites portfolio within the region. Parkroyal Serviced Suites Hanoi will open in the Westlake area, featuring 126 suites with lake views; while Parkroyal Suites Bangkok will occupy a prime location on Sukhumvit Soi 6, within walking distance of Nana BTS sky train station.