Bangkok-based Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has appointed Bryan Gabriel as CCO.
In his new role, Gabriel will oversee the group’s sales and marketing department, implementing the most effective ways and systems to support the brand’s expansion.
Having worked with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for 15 years, Gabriel was most recently the head of commercial for America at IHG.
He has also served in a variety of other leadership roles with the hotel group, including the director of sales and marketing at InterContinental Jakarta, general manager of Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island, and director of commercial for IHG South West Asia.
An array of attractively priced domestic tour packages were put up for sale at the 10th ASTINDO Travel Fair in Jakarta last weekend, all in a bid to encourage Indonesians to continue exploring and travelling amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Some of the value deals available included a 3D2N Bali tour package by Santika Hotel and Citilink Airlines with subsidies from ASTINDO that went for just 2.3 million rupiah (US$168), and another to Yogyakarta for 1.6 million rupiah.
Tourism and Creative Economy Board’s Nia Niscaya (third from left), Ministry of Transportation’s Novi Rianto (fourth from left) and ASTINDO’s Elly Hutabarat (fifth from left) pose with sponsors at the opening ceremony of the 10th ASTINDO Travel Fair 2020 (Photo credit: Kurniawan Ulung)
Determined to keep prices affordable, Sjahrul Firdaus, director of operations of The Indonesian Travel Agents Association (ASTINDO), said the association had voluntarily offset the price difference in airline tickets when fares were higher on certain dates or schedules.
New tours were also created just in time for the travel fair. Zahra Tour launched a new golf package to Bandung, West Java, while Kanomas Tour crafted a celebrity tour in partnership with local artists such as comedian-presenter Indra Bekti.
Regional governments are also doing that part to entice domestic travellers. Belitung, for instance, is creating more festivals that locals can partake in.
Isyak Meirobie, vice-regent of Belitung, told TTG Asia that Chinese tourists made up 20 per cent of the destination’s total arrivals. To make up for the loss of Chinese tourists during the Covid-19 crisis, he will rely on festivals and experiences, such as batik- and ceramic-making courses and cooking classes, to draw travellers from across Indonesia.
The Pesona Bedulang Belitong Nusantara festival on February 29 is one such example.
“It will introduce the tradition of local wisdom-based bedulang (communal) eating to travellers,” Isyak explained.
To further spur domestic travel interest, ASTINDO’s secretary-general Pauline Suharno said bank partner BCA Bank doubled the value of its cash-back to one million rupiah this year for transactions made at the fair, in addition to offering zero interest installments and travel insurance for packages bought on the spot.
Nia Niscaya, deputy of marketing at the Tourism and Creative Economy Board, who attended the opening of the ASTINDO Travel Fair, is expecting at least 13 per cent decline in foreign visitorship to Indonesia as a result of the outbreak.
The push for domestic travel will not only help make up the arrival shortfall and bring about much needed local economic stimulation, Nia said it could also drive home the message to the world that Indonesia is safe and hence boost traveller confidence.
ASTINDO is upbeat about the travel fair’s performance, projecting a transaction value of up to 253 billion rupiah from the Jakarta edition alone. While official attendance figures are not yet available, the event had targeted 150,000 visitors who got to meet with 150 travel trade players, including 50 travel agents, 16 major international airlines, and NTOs from nine countries.
ASTINDO chairman Elly Hutabarat explained that the travel fair this year had fewer participating airlines and NTOs compared to 2018 because of a deliberate reduction in exhibiting slots for sellers that failed to perform last year.
“This fair is for selling, not branding,” Elly emphasised.
The ASTINDO Travel Fair was also held in Palembang last week, and will head to Padang, Bali, and Surabaya from March 6 to 8.
Accor has signed a global partnership with Visa to launch a new co-branded payment card which will leverage the latter’s global payment capabilities to provide enhanced payment experiences to ALL-Accor Live Limitless loyalty members.
Members who apply for the new ALL Visa card will be able to use it for everyday purchases where Visa is accepted.
Accor partners Visa to offer payment card for its loyalty programme members
Accor will be collaborating with Visa’s partner financial institutions and banks in key markets across Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific to issue the new ALL Visa card.
Members can earn tailored rewards based on customer preferences and boost their loyalty points when staying at an Accor property or when making purchases.
Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of Accor, said: “This new initiative will provide unmatched benefits to our members and reinforce the success of our ALL loyalty programme by increasing our member base, driving additional engagement and giving each member incentives to stay with us more frequently and easily.”
Thailand’s Dusit International has signed a 1.6 billion peso (US$32 million) investment agreement with Philippine-listed infrastructure holding company Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) to jointly develop and manage hospitality and residential properties in the Philippines.
Expected to be completed in June 2020, this joint investment is subject to approval from the Philippines Competition Commission.
Dusit to expand footprint in the Philippines via a multi-million tie-up with Metro Pacific Investments Corporation; Dusit Thani Hotel in Manila, Philippines pictured
As per the investment agreement, the structure of which is expected to be in place by December 2020, Metro Vantage Properties, the real estate, hospitality, and tourism subsidiary of MPIC; and Dusit Philippines Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dusit International, will jointly invest in two companies in the Philippines, namely, Metro Dusit (MDI) and Dusit Hospitality Management Corporation (DHM).
MDI will operate as a developer of real estate projects in the Philippines, particularly hotel and residential condominium projects, while DHM will provide management services in relation to these projects, as well as other projects developed in partnership with third-party business operators.
DHM will also manage all of Dusit’s existing properties in the Philippines.
The investment partnership is in line with Dusit’s three-pronged strategy for sustainable and profitable growth, which includes balance, expansion and diversification.
As part of the strategy, Dusit aims to expand its presence in established and emerging markets to achieve a 50-50 balance between domestic and international revenue by 2025.
“While we recognise the outbreak is currently impacting trade and business throughout Asia, our partnership with MPIC is a long-term investment scheduled to be in place at the end of the year, when we believe business as usual will be resumed,” said Suphajee Suthumpun, group CEO, Dusit International.
Dusit International’s property portfolio now comprises 307 properties operating under six brands across 14 countries.
Hong Kong will be shutting its borders to all arrivals from South Korea from today, in response to a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases there which had South Korea raising its virus alert level to the highest red on Monday.
Travellers who have been to South Korea in the past 14 days will also be denied entry to the SAR.
Hong Kong bars all arrivals from South Korea over virus fears
Hong Kong residents returning from South Korea will be placed under medical surveillance for 14 days, while those returning from virus-hit cities including Daegu and North Gyeongsang will be placed under a 14-day quarantine at quarantine centres, public broadcaster RTHK reported.
South Korea now has more than 800 confirmed cases of the Covid-19, making it the most virus-hit country outside China.
The Hong Kong Security Bureau has also issued a Red Outbound Travel Alert on South Korea, with security secretary John Lee advising citizens against any non-essential travel to the country.
Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has entered 2020 with the signing of 17 new hotels in India, boosting the company’s portfolio in South Asia to more than 150 hotels and 17,000 rooms, both in operation and under development.
The new hotels will add approximately 1,880 hotel rooms across India between now and 2025.
RHG expands footprint across India
The 17 hotels include two operational ones: the 165-room Radisson Hotel Agra which opened in June 2019, and the 135-room Radisson Hotel Gurugram Sohna Road City Center which has been running since April 2019.
Park Inn by Radisson Gwalior is expected to open this year.
Properties coming up in 2021 include the 180-room Radisson Hotel Greater Noida, the 100-room Radisson Hotel Bareilly, and the 100-room Park Inn by Radisson Surat.
The last property in the expanded portfolio to open will be the 180-key Radisson Blu Hotel Jaipur Malviya Nagar, come 2025.
Dream Cruises will be suspending Genting Dream’s operations from Singapore from now until March 27, 2020, in response to growing concerns about the spread of Covid-19.
Dream Cruises president Michael Goh said: “Guests who are booked on any of the cancelled itineraries will be contacted and provided with a variety of compensation options, including to defer their cruise to a future sailing or, if needed, to cancel their cruise for a full refund.”
Dream Cruises suspends Singapore operations due to Covid-19
As the health and safety of guests and crew are of top priority for Dream Cruises, the company has from the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak been working closely with various local and regional authorities in implementing precautionary measures across its fleet.
Health and temperature screening for all embarking guests and crew members before every sailing, as well as stringent sanitisation and enhanced disinfection protocols, especially in high hand-touch areas, have been carried out on its ships.
As well, crew members on duty are required to wear masks and other appropriate gear, including disposable gloves; complimentary facial masks for passengers are available upon request.
To date, there have been no reported cases of Covid-19 among guests or crew while on board, or transmitted via any of Dream Cruises’ ships.
Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) has started sacking staff last week following a challenging few months of poor performance, as prolonged civil unrest in Hong Kong coupled with the wave of flight restrictions stemming from the coronavirus crisis has sent the airline into financial tailspin.
The move comes a day after the start-up airline slashed in-flight services to a bare minimum, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Hong Kong Airlines axed 170 employees last week to cut costs
Sources told the SCMP that 170 employees, mostly flight attendants, were informed that Wednesday (February 19) would be their last day of work.
The airline has also stopped offering food, drinks, blankets and pillows on all flights, as part of a series of cost-cutting measures, said SCMP.
Earlier, HKA had announced that it was making 400 staff redundant, while all other staff would be required to take unpaid leave from mid-February till end-June, or work part-time on half pay.
Unable to pay for in-flight entertainment, the airline has not offered screen entertainment since December. On Tuesday, the carrier closed its flagship airport lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, and made a drastic cut by only offering a bottle of water to business class passengers, and a pre-packed cup of water to economy passengers.
For more than a year, the airline has been battling severe financial woes. Last December, the government stopped the beleaguered carrier from losing its licence to operate through a last-minute cash injection.
Tokyo’s newest attraction has risen in the form of the Shibuya Scramble Square, a 47-storey, large-scale multipurpose complex that at 230m, is the tallest building in Shibuya.
Sitting directly above Shibuya station, the new landmark, which opened on November 1, 2019, comprises an observation deck, offices, an industrial exchange facility, and commercial facilities.
The view from Shibuya Sky
The building is home to 213 shops and restaurants, including seven newcomers to Japan and 49 newcomers to Shibuya.
The 2,500m2 Shibuya Sky, one of Japan’s biggest rooftop observatories, offers panoramic views of Tokyo’s landmarks.
Also situated within this facility is the Shibuya QWS, an interactive business community space where individuals from diverse backgrounds come together to invent new seeds of societal value. The venue also welcomes non-members, with the launch of Open QWS, an event that aims to encourage more people to utilise this facility.
Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion, a natural hot springs resort in Central Vietnam, has rolled out a host of well-being programmes, including a Reiki Training and Sound Journey, a Hot Springs Detox Retreat, and a year-round Wellness Detox programme.
Siam Reiki founder Lei Wei De, and Daphnee Lam, a sound healer and Siam Reiki practitioner, will be co-hosting a Reiki Training and Sound Journey retreat from March 3-5. Participants will learn how to self practice the healing art of Reiki on themselves and loved ones; and delve into Siam Reiki, a variation of traditional Reiki that tackles energy blockages in a person’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body.
Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion launches three new well-being programmes
Prices start from US$444 for two nights accommodation (based on twin sharing) and the Reiki certification. Sound healing and private Reiki sessions are an additional fee.
The Hot Springs Detox Retreat combines juice cleansing with alternating resting and movement. Guests will be guided by wellness experts, and get to relax in the property’s Japanese-style onsen, practice yoga and meditation, have daily detox massages, and more.
All-inclusive prices start from US$1,050 per person for a four-night stay in a one-bedroom bungalow. Courses run on an almost monthly basis with retreat dates set for the month of May through December.
Wellness Detox Packages are available in three-, five-, or seven-day arrangements. Highlights include a detox juicing class and a vegetarian cooking class, both using organic produce. Daily spa therapy is a key part of the process as well as the recommended D-TOX Reflexology treatment, which uses pressure points throughout the body to speed up the detox process. Retreat participants will take part in intermittent fasting, dropping down to just two meals a day.
These new programmes are in addition to the resort’s extensive range of wellness activities, from yoga to hiking.
