Alibaba travel arm names new president

June 19, 2020

Fliggy, Alibaba Group’s online travel arm, has shaken up its senior management team, including the appointment of a new president, according to a ChinaTravelNews report.

Zhuoran Zhuang, vice president of Alibaba Group, has replaced Angel Zhao as president of Fliggy. However, Zhao will still serve as president of Alibaba Global Business Group and senior vice president of Alibaba Group.

Zhao replaced Shaohua Li as president of Fliggy in March 2018.

Zhuang, who joined Alibaba in 2009, previously served as CTO of Alibaba’s cultural and recreational unit and COO of the Youku video business.

Chi Fan, vice president of Alibaba Group, will no longer lead Fliggy’s hospitality and domestic business unit, but will be working under Alibaba’s cultural and recreational unit.

The Fliggy brand has had three presidents in the past four years, said the report.

Fresh look for Avani Kalutara Resort

By TTG Asia

June 19, 2020

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Avani Kalutara Resort has been given a facelift, with fully-renovated suites and lobby, refreshed outdoor spaces, brand new pool suites and dining venues, as well as a 360-degree grand ballroom.

A refreshed look awaits guests at the Avani Ocean View Suites with their tropical airy layout, the brand new Avani Ocean View Pool Suites equipped with private plunge pool and two terraces, and the Avani Deluxe Ocean View Rooms with views of the Indian Ocean and lagoon.

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Elsewhere, Karadiya Bar now offers a new pool bar experience. Other culinary venues at the 105-room resort include the Miridiya Bar serving up drinks and bites by the riverside, the Mangrove Restaurant featuring local and international delights, and the brand’s deli Pantry by Avani.

The brand new Ganga Ballroom can house up to 300 guests, and features 360-degree vistas of the Indian Ocean, Kalu Ganga and lagoon. There is also a dedicated events planner overseeing décor, catering, and logistics.

Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, gym, a Glider Adventure Tower for ziplining, climbing and abseiling, and water sports on the lagoon. Guests can also access adjacent sister property Anantara Kalutara Resort, featuring a spa with Ayurvedic treatments.

Agoda spurs travellers to GoLocal

By TTG Asia

June 19, 2020

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Agoda is turning towards domestic tourism as it starts down the path of recovery with the launch of its GoLocal campaign, which has signed up thousands of hotel partners in the pre-launch phase.

To support its initiative, Agoda has developed a fully integrated sales and marketing campaign, investing in social media campaigns, digital brand activations, video content, public relations activities, bespoke customer marketing, and a dedicated landing page, agoda.com/golocal.

Hotels can now market domestic travel deals to travellers via Agoda’s new GoLocal initiative

Accommodation providers opting in to the initiative can leverage this “multi-channel approach” to connect with travellers on the prowl for domestic travel deals.

Errol Cooke, vice president partner services, Agoda, said: “We soft-launched this initiative over the past month to gauge the appetite for support of domestic travel promotions, and the enthusiasm has been beyond our expectations… Our pre-launch GoLocal early adopters are significantly outperforming other providers within the domestic travel sector across the region, and so we are confident this GoLocal initiative will continue to generate even more bookings.”

Partners signing up to GoLocal will offer special domestic deals, and in return, they will be featured across various Agoda product and marketing touchpoints, including the exclusive agoda.com/golocal landing site for domestic travel, GoLocal badges to highlight participating properties on Agoda, plus brand and performance marketing activities.

Strategic partnerships with key verticals will highlight and promote partner hotels and properties, further extending the reach of the campaign.

PATA Travel Mart 2020 heads online

By TTG Asia

June 19, 2020

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This year’s PATA Travel Mart, originally to be held in Leshan, Sichuan, China from September 3-6, will now take place online in late September.

The event, held in conjunction with the Sichuan International Tourism Expo and supported by the Leshan Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, will include webinars, virtual exhibition space and one-on-one virtual meetings.

PATA Travel Mart, originally slated to be held in Leshan, Sichuan, China, will now take place virtually; Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan, China pictured

That revision is part of an update that PATA has announced for its 2020 and 2021 events calendar. Elsewhere, the PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2020 has been postponed to November 24-26, 2021 and will continue to take place in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Sarawak, the Sarawak Tourism Board, and the Sarawak Convention Bureau, the event will gather the top minds in destination travel for inspiring and insightful discussions on marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations.

In addition, the PATA Annual Summit 2021 will take place from March 23-26 at the Al Hamra International Exhibition Center in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The event, hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, will bring together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia-Pacific region. The Summit embraces a global forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of tourism.

As well, the PATA Travel Mart 2021 will take place on Ocean Flower Island in Hainan, China, and is organised in partnership with the Hainan Province government, and supported by the Dazhou Municipal Government and EvergrandeTourism Group.

PATA CEO Mario Hardy said: “Like many organisations across the world, PATA has needed to adapt to the impact of Covid-19. While we are disappointed that we are unable to organise a physical event this year, we remain committed to working with our members and industry colleagues to build a more resilient, responsible, and sustainable travel and tourism industry.

“Through our virtual events this year, like the Dream to Travel Festival, we are looking to expand upon the digital experience, allowing our members to truly engage, network and learn. In addition, we are examining how to innovate and integrate some of these virtual elements into our future events.”

Hong Kong’s new campaign aims to spur local tourism

By TTG Asia

June 18, 2020

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Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched the Holiday at Home campaign, with the aim of encouraging residents to discover hidden gems in their own hometown so as to stimulate virus-hit consumption.

The campaign, which will be rolled out in phases, provides Hong Kong residents with information on travelling around the city, including an Insiders’ Guide featuring lesser-known attractions.

Hong Kong incentivises local residents to explore the city’s lesser-known venues and attractions

Hotels, attractions, shopping malls, tour operators and restaurants will also roll out a collection of offers on an online platform. Locals can also redeem free tours upon spending of a designated amount.

In-depth travel guides and information about the offers are found on the dedicated campaign website HolidayHK.com.

HKTB chairman YK Pang said that Hong Kong saw only around 8,100 arrivals in May, nearly a 100 per cent decrease year-on-year. He added: “The HKTB’s strategy to revive Hong Kong tourism begins with revitalising the local market. By encouraging local tourism, we hope to rebuild the city’s vibrant atmosphere and give the world a positive impression so that visitors will feel confident about coming to Hong Kong again.”

Pang continued: “Once it is possible for visitors from a certain market to travel to Hong Kong, the HKTB will appeal to those visitors by extending to them the travel and local spending information and offers featured in this campaign, together with attractive flight-and-hotel packages.”

Thailand throws US$718m into domestic tourism push

By Anne Somanas

June 18, 2020

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Grand-Palace2 — Grand Palace Bangkok, Thailand

The Thai government has approved a 22.4 billion baht (US$718 million) domestic tourism stimulus, as part of efforts to soften the impact of the pandemic and speed up recovery in the travel and tourism sector.

The stimulus package was proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Finance (MOF), and comprises three packages geared toward frontline personnel, hotel stayers and those using domestic transportation to travel.

Thailand’s government turns to domestic tourism to make up for the losses in international tourism receipts

To date, no concrete plans have been drawn up as to when international tourists will be allowed back into Thailand – a situation that has frustrated local DMC chiefs. With hints that travel bubbles may not be implemented by July, it appears the Thai government has put foreign arrivals on the backburner, instead turning its focus on reviving domestic tourism with three incentive packages running from July through October of this year.

The Moral Support package worth 2.4 billion baht will fund the holiday travels of 1.2 million frontline medical personnel, public health volunteers and officials of sub-district hospitals. The subsidy is capped at 2,000 baht per tourist for a minimum 2 days and 1 night of travel booked through participating agents.

All other Thai nationals aged 20 and above will be eligible for the 18 billion baht Travelling Together package, where the government will fund 40 per cent of overnight stay rates at participating hotels, capped at 3,000 baht per night for no more than five nights. The subsidy will apply for the first five million eligible nights of stays booked outside travellers’ home provinces. The package also includes subsidies, capped at 600 baht per room, per night for other services, including related F&B businesses.

Another two billion baht has been allocated for the third package, Happiness-sharing Trips, to subsidise domestic flight fares, inter-provincial bus fares and car rental fees for two million individuals. The subsidy will cover 40 per cent of expenses, but is capped at 1,000 baht per tourist.

The package is expected to stimulate 100 million domestic trips and benefit 36,755 F&B operations and 24,700 participating accommodations in the hospitality industry.

With this scheme, the government hopes to incentivise Thais who would otherwise have travelled abroad to opt for local adventures instead, and that domestic receipts could make up for losses in inbound tourism.

An MOF source told the Bangkok Post that Thais spent 400 billion baht travelling abroad in 2019 – and the government hopes to capture 75 per cent of that sum in domestic receipts this year.

In 2019, Thailand got 18 per cent of its GDP from tourism, and domestic travel spend made up about six per cent of that total, approximately one trillion (out of three trillion) baht of tourism income.

The government hopes to earn at least 900 billion baht from domestic travel this year, which would nearly rival 2019’s tourism revenue of 1.28 trillion baht generated by Thailand’s primary cities.

Hotels wanting to join the programme can register with state-owned Krung Thai Bank, while eligible travellers can sign up via the Krungthai Bank (KTB) app to obtain the e-vouchers. Last year, the Thai government also issued a domestic tourism subsidy via the KTB’s app, which proved so popular that the app crashed within hours of its debut.

New hotels: Hôtel Perle d’Orient Cat Ba – MGallery, Park Hyatt Suzhou and more

By TTG Asia

June 18, 2020

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Hôtel Perle d’Orient Cat Ba – MGallery, Vietnam

Accor has set up its seventh MGallary in Vietnam, Hôtel Perle d’Orient Cat Ba – MGallery, which is situated in the picturesque Lan Ha Bay. The hotel is the first international luxury property on Cat Ba Island. Offering exclusive access to its own private beach, the 121-key hotel offers five F&B venues, kid’s club, gym, spa, and wellness centre with outdoor pool. For events, the Crystal Ballroom can host up to 190 guests, while the Tonkin Room can accommodate small meetings and private functions for up to 26 guests.

Park Hyatt Suzhou, China

The Park Hyatt brand has opened an outpost in Suzhou, eastern China, located near Jinji Lake in the heart of Suzhou Industrial Park. On-site facilities include a pool, fitness centre, spa with six treatment rooms, as well as three F&B venues – Xizhou Hall serving locally-inspired fare, Living Room for light refreshments and tipples, and Apartment 208 specialising in prime steak and sustainable seafood. On show too are five function venues covering 2,400m², which can accommodate private and large groups, up to 900 guests. Accommodations can also be arranged for overseas attendees in the hotel’s 178 rooms and suites, ranging from 50 to 173m².

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Japan & China

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has expanded its portfolio with two property conversions in Japan, and the opening of five new hotels in China.

Wyndham Grand Awashima, formerly known as Awashima Hotel, is a Mediterranean-style resort hotel located on the island of Awashima. The property boasts 60 suites, an outdoor onsen, a concert hall for events and several restaurants, one of which specialises in the local cuisine from Shizuoka Prefecture. There are also several banquet halls for events.

Wyndham Garden Nagaizumi, formerly known as Nagaizumi Garden, features 95 Japanese and contemporary style-suites, all equipped with kitchenettes. Situated on the slopes of Mount Ashitaka, guests are surrounded by views of Numazu City and Suruga Bay. Visitors can bathe in the Momozawa natural onsen which contains vanadium from Mount Fuji, while travellers with pets will be delighted to know that the hotel is pet-friendly and even has a dog café, Blue Bird.

Both hotels, which have recently undergone light refurbishments, mark the debut of the brands in the country and make Wyndham the first global hotel company to expand into the emerging destinations of Awashima and Nagaizumi.

Over in China, Wyndham has opened five Ramada by Wyndham-branded hotels.

Located in the centre of Luoyang city, the Ramada by Wyndham Luoyang Downtown offers 142 rooms and suites, alongside amenities such as meeting spaces, business centre, gym, bar and restaurant.

Situated south-east of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, the Ramada by Wyndham Jianyang is the first international five-star hotel in Jianyang city. The 191-key hotel features facilities like meeting rooms, fitness centre, indoor pool, restaurant, and lobby bar.

Looking over Changsha’s Yuhua district, the Ramada by Wyndham Changsha Wuguang offers delegates easy access to the Changsha International Convention & Exhibition Center. There are 140 rooms and suites within, alongside amenities such as meeting facilities, fitness centre, and two restaurants.

Over in the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, the Ramada by Wyndham Wuhan Qingshan is situated at the intersection of Jianshe 3rd Road and Fushun Street. The property boasts over 100 keys, two restaurants and meeting facilities.

Lastly, the 179-room Ramada by Wyndham Kunming Yiliang in central Yunnan province stands 45 minutes from the Jiuxiang Scenic Region and Shilin Stone Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site. On-site amenities include two restaurants, meeting facilities, pool, and spa.

CLIA’s Cruise Champion training now open to all

By TTG Asia

June 18, 2020

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CLIA is offering open access to its new online training course, Cruise Champion, making it available to travel agents and other industry supporters from outside the association’s membership.

The course will take a deep dive into the workings of the global cruise industry, helping to combat misperceptions and raise awareness of the strict regulations that govern cruising operations worldwide, so travel agents will be better placed to respond to clients’ queries.

CLIA offers free access to its online training course, Cruise Champion, to promote greater awareness of the cruising industry

CLIA managing director Australasia & Asia Joel Katz said: “By sharing more knowledge about cruise line practices and the strict regulations that govern our industry, we can build a bigger network of voices who advocate for cruising globally.

Topics covered include regulations, safety, health, security, environmental protection and corporate social responsibility.

While other CLIA education options will remain exclusive to members, Cruise Champion can be accessed without charge.

Macau rolls out subsidised tours for locals

By TTG Asia

June 18, 2020

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The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has launched a subsidy scheme for Macau residents joining tours run by local travel agencies in hopes of spurring domestic travel.

Under the campaign, titled Macao Ready Go! Local Tours, each Macau permanent and non-permanent resident can enjoy a grant of 560 patacas (US$70) to join two tours – with 280 patacas per tour – scheduled between June 22 and September 30 organised by participating travel agencies.

MGTO will subsidise local tours for Macau residents in bid to revive tourism; Ruins of St. Paul’s in Macau pictured

Participants can pick from 15 itineraries in two categories: Community-based Tours (six itineraries) and Leisure Tours (nine itineraries). The tour fees cover sightseeing, catering, tour guide service, insurance, and more. The two grants must be used on tours in different categories. Those who wish to join a third tour must then pick up the tab.

The project is coordinated by MGTO, sponsored by the Macao Foundation, and undertaken by a task force comprising Macau Travel Agency Association, Association of Macao Tourist Agents and Travel Industry Council of Macau.

As part of the project, the task force will work with the travel agencies for their provision of resources such as coaches, drivers and tour guides, as well as arrangements for catering and tourist attractions, among others.

In addition, to cater for participants with special needs, community organisations, schools and other institutions can contact the task force for coordination of tour application via info@lovemacau.org.

Downtime reflections

By Karen Yue

June 18, 2020

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The Covid-19 pandemic has presented new and unusual business challenges for hotels. How have hotels’ approach to sales and marketing changed as a result?

With the global impact of Covid-19 on travel evolving from week to week, and market-to-market recovery being hard to predict, we conducted a survey with 500-plus hoteliers worldwide at the end of May (to understand the state of hotel marketing). Findings indicated that they are aligned on key post-Covid recovery marketing strategies.

Some key findings included:
● 42% of respondents believe we can expect to see signs of recovery in 4-6 months
● 54% are looking to government easing lockdown restrictions as an indication of recovery
● 39% will have a very small budget for marketing when recovery begins, so (spend) will be lower than pre-Covid
● 50% will keep the same marketing mix (while) 39% will be focusing on tactics that promote more direct bookings, away from OTAs

We don’t recommend that hoteliers go dark right now, as they should be focused on generating brand awareness, honing in on the local and drive markets, and (creating) advanced booking offers. Pay-for-performance models are an excellent way to achieve this without (straining) a small budget or (when there is) no budget at all.

Consumers trapped at home are spending more time online, working, learning, shopping and seeking connections. What should hoteliers do to engage these consumers online positively?

Hoteliers spending this time to upgrade their website and booking engine is key. Having a Covid-19 information page will also be key to garnering confidence among consumers to book with that specific hotel.

Now, more than ever, travellers want a flexible cancellation policy. Hoteliers are (doing that, enabling their guests) to book now and stay before the end of 2021. For example, Marriott has extended loyalty status to February 2022, and paused all points expiration to February 2021. Additionally, Marriott is making it easy for their customers to get involved in giving back, thus building brand loyalty; they can use their Bonvoy points to donate to The World Central Kitchen, UNICEF, Red Cross, (or desired) disaster relief fund.

What critical considerations should hotels take in planning their current sales and marketing strategy?

What we are seeing as part of current strategies, especially for chain hotels, is that they are offering competitive pricing and flexibility with stay dates. This has resulted in independent hotels holding off introducing offers due to the low lead in room rates.

In terms of future marketing strategies, hoteliers need to be cautious about group bookings – crowded hotels (during the) pandemic will not send a positive message and perhaps even create consumer distrust of that hotel.

When we ease out of Covid-19, hotels should focus on messaging that will give their customers and travellers peace of mind to stay with them and feel confident in their brand. Cleaning, disinfecting, social distancing, meal service protocols, and other standard operating procedures will be at the forefront for a long time.

Other recommendations I have for recovery are:

● Look for early signs of recovery, starting with the number of active cases and death rates. When numbers of new active cases and death rates plateau, it is likely that lockdown restrictions will be eased and social distancing measures will be lifted. Pay attention to government-issued travel policies obtained from reliable sources. Another sign to look out for is airlines ramping up to reinstate suspended flights.
● Promote a flexible reservation policy that is customer sensitive, and be mindful that the approach you take now will be remembered in the future. Consider incentivising postponed bookings and having a flexible cancellation policy.
● Use this time to optimise your website. Make it easy to navigate and book; provide updated and accurate information; use desirable images to convey the brand’s offering; and improve the speed of your webpages which will affect your ranking on Google search results page. It’s important to note that travellers using mobile to search are much more likely to leave a page if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
● Set up a Covid-19 information page to highlight the measures you are taking to ensure the well-being of your customers, staff and local community. Share how the team is trained to respond swiftly to anyone showing Covid-19 symptoms on property, including your process to notify medical authorities. If your country has a national health and hygiene audit initiative, call it out on this webpage.

How about their future sales and marketing strategy?

Globally, more and more people are isolated indoors. With that, many have turned online and are dreaming about and planning their next trip. Because online traffic is exponentially higher these days, it is important to maintain upper to mid-funnel marketing and brand awareness activities. We have seen a spike in travel bookings for late-2020 and early-2021, suggesting that travel will pick up (then), with a domestic focus first, then regional and finally, international.

Here are some digital advertising tips to keeping your potential customers engaged and ready to book with you as soon as they are able: choose your audience; get ahead of the staycation trend; select optimal marketing channels such as Display, Facebook, Instagram, search engine marketing, video and metasearch, and ideally, run them with a single vendor in order to avoid attribution/overlap issues; make sure your messages match the tone of your current audience’s circumstances; and use remarketing to advertise to the people who had come to your site, checked you out and then continued on their day.

Other recommendations I have are:

• Inspire dreamers on social media by continuing to showcase your business to keep future customers engaged
• Use metasearch to get in front of travel planners, starting with sites like Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor, Kayak, Trivago, and Skyscanner where approximately three-quarters of travellers will be browsing to plan their future travel
• Improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) strategy to get your business in top search results organically without paying for advertising. The content you put on your website determines your SEO ranking, so, during this crisis, use certain key phrases often and meaningfully throughout your website to float your site to the top of the Search Engine Results Page
• Reevaluate your rate parity and OTA strategy. When businesses are able to convince that their brand presents the best value, it encourages guests to book directly with them, thus developing trust
• Consider a co-op, especially if you don’t have the funds. Reach out to your local NTO or government destination partner for an advertising co-op possibility.

The big hotel chains clearly have all the sales and marketing guns they need to go forward in the digital world. What about the smaller local chains or independent properties that want to be competitive but may not know how to proceed? How can they get started?

Gone are the days when it cost an arm and a leg to own a website. Nowadays, there are affordable website developers and marketing partners (to be found).

At Sojern, we support independent hotels with our Pay On The Stay model, where a hotel pays a commission for the booking we have driven and (use our) tools such as The Hotels Network’s offering to… drive direct bookings.

The absolute bare minimum a local chain or independent property can do is have a well informed property website.

How is Sojern helping?

We’ve been talking with our customers across the world and travel verticals, and (many say they are) using this time to think about their current partnerships, relationships, and industry, and to see how they can use this time to re-evaluate some things.

There is so much changing every week that you need to be flexible, soak up as many great ideas and strategies from each other and from other verticals within travel, and let data guide your decision-making as much as possible.

We understand that tracking the ever-changing travel trends is more important now than ever. To help arm hoteliers and travel marketers (with timely information), we’ve released a real-time insights dashboard that provides the latest travel trends. Additionally, we have a webinar series where industry experts share how they are tackling Covid-19.

Alibaba travel arm names new president

Fresh look for Avani Kalutara Resort

Agoda spurs travellers to GoLocal

PATA Travel Mart 2020 heads online

Hong Kong’s new campaign aims to spur local tourism

Thailand throws US$718m into domestic tourism push

New hotels: Hôtel Perle d’Orient Cat Ba – MGallery, Park Hyatt Suzhou and more

CLIA’s Cruise Champion training now open to all

Macau rolls out subsidised tours for locals

Downtime reflections

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