Roger Brantsma is now the general manger of Hilton Tokyo, the brand’s flagship hotel in Japan.
He was most recently the general manager of Hilton Tokyo Bay, a post he has held since January 2017.
Brantsma brings to the role a wealth of experience, having spent over 20 years with Hilton Hotels and Resorts. He began his career in the F&B department in Hilton Amsterdam, before moving into roles like director of operations in Hilton Sharks Bay Resort, Hilton Phuket Resort & Spa, and Hilton Sydney.
His first general manager appointment was at Hilton Chennai in 2011, before he moved to New Zealand to the post of cluster general manager for Hilton Auckland and Hilton Lake Taupo.
The Malaysian government has announced a RM20 billion (US$4.74 billion) economic stimulus package to mitigate the economic impacts due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Interim prime minister Mahathir Mohamad who unveiled the package yesterday (February 27) said it is anchored on three strategies, namely, mitigating the impact of Covid-19; spurring people-centric economic growth; and promoting quality investments.
Malaysian tourism businesses will receive help to tide them through the Covid-19 crisis under the government’s economic stimulus package; Dutch Square in Malacca pictured
Several plans are in the pipeline to ensure that Malaysia’s economy continues to enjoy robust growth, he said.
Mahathir said that the most immediate economic impact of Covid-19 has been the sharp decline in tourist arrivals throughout the region, which has badly affected hotels, airlines, travel companies and the retail industry.
To ease the impact, the government will take a three-pronged approach – first, to ease the cash flow of affected businesses; second, to assist affected individuals; and third, to stimulate demand for travel and tourism.
The measures proposed by the government will span six months beginning April. These include allowing tourism businesses to defer monthly income tax instalment payments, and allowing companies affected by the outbreak to revise their profit estimates for 2020 with respect to monthly income tax instalment payments without penalty.
As well, a 15 per cent discount on monthly electricity bills will also be extended to hotels, travel agencies, airlines, shopping malls, conventions and exhibitions centres.
Additionally, hotels and travel-related companies will be exempted from paying Human Resource Development Fund levies, while hotels will be freed from the six per cent service tax between March and August 2020.
Furthermore, the government will provide financing facilities for affected companies, in the form of two platforms.
Firstly, Bank Negara Malaysia will provide a Special Relief facility worth RM2 billion, particularly in the form of working capital for Small Medium Enterprises at an interest rate of 3.75 per cent. Secondly, Bank Simpanan Nasional will allocate RM200 million in microcredit facility offering an interest rate of four per cent to affected businesses.
In addition, the approval process for existing loan funds will be further streamlined, such as Bank Pembangunan’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund of RM1.5 billion.
Mahathir added that all banks are required to provide financial relief in the form of payment moratorium comprising restructuring and rescheduling loans for affected businesses and individuals.
He also called on industry players to play their part – for hotels to offer discounts and shopping malls to reduce rentals to their tenants. Malaysia Airport Holdings will also provide rebates on rental for premises at the airport as well as landing and parking charges.
In light of how the tourism slump has negatively impacted tourism businesses, Mahathir shared that the government will give a one-off payment of RM600 each to taxi drivers, tourist bus drivers, tourist guides and registered trishaw drivers.
To stimulate the tourism industry, Mahathir said the government will introduce initiatives such as personal income tax relief of up to RM1,000 on expenditure related to domestic tourism. Secondly, Malaysians will be eligible for digital vouchers worth up to RM100 per person for domestic flights, rails and hotel accommodation.
Thirdly, the government will relax existing guidelines limiting the use of hotels by government agencies from March to August 2020.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president, KL Tan, said the economic stimulus package will provide a “breathing space (for tourism businesses) to consolidate and recover”.
“It exceeds the RM8.1 billion allocated (by the government) during the SARS crisis in 2003 and is more comprehensive, holistic and benefits not only the tourism industry but all Malaysians,” he added.
He suggested that the government should also consider a proposal by MATTA to allow visa-free entry to tourists from India as this will further boost the economy without any additional expenditure.
West Java Tourism and Culture Office has launched the historical railway tour route in the southern part of the province, in line with the reopening of the service between Bogor and Sukabumi, and from Sukabumi to Cianjur last year.
The route, which in the 1880s connected Buitenzorg-Soekaboemi-Tjiandjoer stations, was the first to be established in the mountainous area of West Java, also known as Priangan. It was built to connect the fertile inland of Priangan and the commercial harbour of Batavia (Jakarta) during the colonial period.
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Sukabumi Train Station
Gedung Sate, West Java governor's office
Gunung Padang Megalithic Site
Closed from 2009, the route connecting Bogor and Sukabumi was only reopened last year with three departures a day, and reconnected with the Sukabumi-Cianjur route.
Meanwhile, the Cianjur-Bandung line is currently under construction. When ready, the train route from Bogor to Bandung will complement the existing busy Jakarta-Bandung route in the north.
To market the revived train route as a tourist product, the West Java Tourism Office recently conducted a three-day/two-night fam trip for 18 Indonesian inbound travel companies.
The tour took participants to cultural and historical attractions in Bogor, such as the Batu Tulis Inscription, Bogor State Palace and a traditional wooden puppet maker.
A visit to the gutta-percha – a type of coagulated latex – factory in Cipetir, Sukabumi, was among the highlights. Dating back to 1885, the facility is still in operations today.
Daniel Nugraha, owner of the Exotic Java Trails and organiser of the fam trip, told TTG Asia that West Java is in need of new tourism products to attract visitors.
“The southern route is rich in colonial history and has not yet been explored. Now that the rail track and train routes are available, we can develop interesting packages, particularly for the European market,” he said.
There are opportunities for the destination to attract corporate incentive groups too, he added.
The Tourism Train can be chartered and built into a customised itinerary for groups of 40 and more guests.
State-owned railway operator KAI allows for such flexibility, noted Daniel.
Iwan Wahyudi, general manager of Nusa Dua Bali Tours & Travel, a participant on the fam trip, is hopeful of offering the new programme to his European customers.
“Visitors coming from Jakarta can go to Bogor to visit the Botanical Garden, stay overnight in Bogor, then take the morning train to Sukabumi,” he said.
While he found the Cipetir factory to have an interesting history, the facility needs to be revitalised to be appealing for tourist visits.
“For the time being, I think the Pasirnangka Tea Plantation nearby is more saleable. My European travellers will like that,” said Iwan.
Lesandri Adnan, director of San Putra Sejahtera in Bengkulu province, suggested stepping up promotions on the Gunung Padang site close by, to attract history buffs.
“We learnt that the site was estimated to be built around 800BC, making it older than the Egyptian sphinx which was built around 2,500BC. Highlighting this in the destination promotions will attract travellers, scientists and archeologists to come (to West Java),” he said.
VFS Global has entered a partnership with the Embassy of Vietnam in launching the first official digital Vietnam eVisa on Arrival (eVOA) solution, with the signing of a MoU on cooperation for tourism promotion and facilitation of human mobility.
Eligible travellers can apply for the eVOA before departure to Vietnam by submitting their applications on https://vietnam.vfsevisa.com/.
VFS Global’s Chris Dix signs MoU with Ambassador of Vietnam to India Pham Sanh Chau on cooperation for tourism promotion
Priority eVOA such as same day as well as next day approvals are also available on the portal for those who seek a visa urgently to travel to Vietnam.
These services cost approximately US$10-US$16 more than the normal visas, depending if they are for single or multiple entries into the country.
The digitally integrated solution will offer applicants an electronic wallet/locker; storing scanned copies of their passport, live facial biometric capture and receipt of their eVOA upon approval. Customers are also able to make payments online using the portal.
Originally scheduled for March 31 to April 3 this year, the FHA-Food & Beverage tradeshow will now be held from March 2 to 5, 2021 at Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria.
Organiser Informa Markets had postponed the event out of consideration for the well-being of attendees and partners amid the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak.
FHA-Food & Beverage event has been postponed to March 2021
Martyn Cox, event director, hospitality, food & beverage – Singapore, Informa Markets, said: “FHA’s rich history of collaboration with our longstanding partners and attendees is a huge contributor to our success today. After much deliberation with our partners and industry associations we have concluded the new dates for FHA will provide the all-around best conditions for our community and optimal business performance for our exhibitors and buyers.”
The FHA team will be in touch with all participants to discuss event logistics and planning.
Radisson Hotel Group is rolling out a global plan to replace single-use plastics with bulk amenities in all hotels across its portfolio by the beginning of 2022.
This action will remove 57 million miniature amenities from circulation, avoiding the use of almost 500 tons of plastic annually.
Radisson to reduce single-use plastics in all hotels across its portfolio by 2022
At the same time, plastic straws and stirrers will no longer be used in its hotels by 2021, with eco-friendly alternatives offered to guests on request.
To affirm Radisson’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business, Federico J González Tejera, president & CEO, Radisson Hospitality AB and chairman, Global Steering Committee, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “Plastic pollution is one of the current major global issues and we are proud to play a leading role in driving plastic reduction across the travel and tourism industry.”
A series of initiatives are also in the pipeline across various destinations: commercial reverse osmosis water filtration systems replacing PET water bottles in India and Bangladesh; ensuring responsible recycling efforts in Africa through partnership with a local social enterprise; offering unlimited filtered water and reusable water bottles to guests in Manchester and Brussels; and repurposing soap and bulk amenities to be distributed to the needy in North America.
Single-use plastics in meetings and events have already been phased out in over 200 hotels across the Group.
British Airways (BA) will be cancelling some flights to and from Italy, Singapore and South Korea, due to weakened traffic demand to those areas amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The UK flag carrier will cancel 56 roundtrip flights from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Italian destinations including Milan, Bologna, Venice and Turin between March 14 and March 28.
British Airways cuts flights to and from Italy, Singapore and South Korea as Covid-19 outbreak hits demand
Daily flights from Heathrow to Seoul will be changed to alternate days, and BA will also be cancelling six roundtrip flights from Heathrow to Singapore every other day from March 15, leaving just one flight daily.
Affected customers will have the option of rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or travel postponement.
Thai hotel operator Centara Hotels & Resorts will bump up its global inventory by almost 2,000 rooms and suites across eight properties in four countries by the end of this year.
Its South-east Asian portfolio will welcome Centra by Centara Cha Am Beach Resort Hua Hin and KMA Resort Inle Lake, Myanmar in 1H2020; and COSI Krabi Ao Nang Beach, the refurbished Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, and Centara Plumeria Resort Pakse, Laos in 2H2020.
Centara will be opening eight new properties this year; Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai pictured
The expansion continues in the Middle East with the launch of The B Premiere Hotel in 2Q2020 and Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai in 4Q2020. The latter will feature Centara’s first kids’ spa.
Aiden, a collection of boutique hotels by BWH Hotel Group, is slated to open in late 2020 at Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct.
Developed in partnership with property developer iHHL, Aiden by Best Western @ Darling Harbour, set in a refurbished 1930s art deco building, will house 88 guestrooms across eight storeys, including a café, bar and retail shop on the ground floor.
Aiden by Best Western @ Darling Harbour is slated to open in late 2020
Nicholas Chen, director, iHHL, said the hotel will be designed with the guest’s needs at the core.
For instance, guestrooms will provide media connectivity and plentiful workspace – features that today’s travellers seek.
Chen added: “We selected the location for our development for to its ideal positioning, close to world class attractions including the Australian National Maritime Museum, the International Convention Centre, the Sydney Fish Market, Cockle Bay Wharf, King Street Wharf and Barangaroo.”
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort, the health-focused retreat in downtown Bangkok, offers Thai residents a serene staycation in the Thai capital.
Nestled in the centre of Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s commercial district, and just a 10-minute walk from Ploenchit BTS skytrain station, the resort features 0.48ha of lush gardens and health-focused facilities.
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort offers an oasis of calm in the heart of Bangkok
Rooms-wise, the entry-level superior rooms promise 42m² of space, while the suites can comfortably accommodate families of four. In-room amenities like yoga mats are also available.
The resort’s healthy-living concept is woven throughout every part of the resort, including its restaurants and bars. Chef Gabi Kurz, a global nutritional expert, has created a series of menus, which is implemented by Chef Rajiv using high-quality and wholesome ingredients.
F&B outlets includes Tamarind Natural Dining which offers fresh and organic cuisine throughout the day, including a Sunday Brunch experience; while the newly launched Khum Hom restaurant specialises in Thai cuisine.
The resort also features an outdoor swimming pool, a cafe, a lobby lounge, a 24-hour fitness centre, and a wellness clinic.
Rates start from 3,500++ baht (US$111++) per room per night, while Tamarind’s Sunday Brunch is available for 2,500++ baht per person (food only), with an optional free-flow drinks package for 888++ baht.
