Wharf Hotels has appointed Christopher Johnson as general manager of Marco Polo Jinjiang.
With 20 years of experience in hospitality industry, Johnson has held senior leadership roles at international hotel brands including Hyatt, Hilton, Four Seasons, InterContinental and Fairmont.
Prior to joining Marco Polo Jinjiang, Johnson was general manager at Millennium Gaea Resort Hualien, Taiwan.
Gregg Webb, the freshly-minted CEO of Travelport, has bold plans to make the travel technology company more agile to adapt to industry changes and competition.
Speaking to international media in a virtual press conference on October 10 – his first since joining Travelport in August – Webb said: “I plan to win, period, and not based on category. I do not plan to be the third player for long.”
“Travelport can be disruptive, not based on creating a new business model, but by creating a speed to market that will be differentiated,” he added.
Travelport’s key competitors in the global distribution system (GDS) sector include Amadeus and Sabre, where Webb worked his way up to vice chairman in a two-decade-long tenure.
Webb joined Travelport shortly after the UK-headquartered company was acquired by affiliates of Siris Capital Group and Evergreen Coast Capital in a US$4.4 billion deal.
Besides pursuing growth in the air distribution sphere, Webb is also keen on land and sea business opportunities. To do so, he plans to leverage his recent stint as senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Hospitality, which has given him “a lot of insight into the opportunities that exist in the hospitality space, some of which are untapped by the GDS market”.
Sharing Travelport’s broad strategies and plans for 2020, Webb is keen to make “significant investments to move to its next-generation platform”.
He said: “We need to stop talking about Travelport as a global distribution system, but look at it as an electronic exchange between buyers and sellers of travel. We need to have a platform that is the most efficient data source aggregation, and content between buyers and sellers of travel that delivers value on both sides and one that can allow us to consume and efficiently distribute content.”
Webb added that he hopes to relook ways of creating a broader repository of travel data. Other plans in the pipeline include rolling out new capabilities around Travelport’s API suite, including its Trip Services platform and cloud-based point-of-sale system.
“I am very energised about the next-generation platform. In 2020, there will be announcements on capabilities rolling out in the marketplace,” he said.
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) has released a statement to announce its appeal against a recent high court ruling in the Thai shareholders’ favour to terminate The Peninsula Bangkok management contract made with the Peninsula hotel group.
HSH, which has been running the hotel since 1998, holds a 50 per cent stake in The Peninsula Bangkok via its wholly-owned subsidiary, while The Phataraprasit shareholders own the other 50 per cent of the luxury hotel, according to the statement.
HSH said in its statement that it strongly objects to the local Thonburi Civil Court’s ruling on September 10, 2019 that its subsidiary should not have been allowed to vote on a resolution regarding the termination of Peninsula’s management agreement at the shareholder meeting of the joint venture company held on January 26, 2019. It added that it has duly appealed this judgement to the Court of Appeal on October 9, 2019.
Any termination of Peninsula’s management would be a breach of the Peninsula’s management agreement, as well as the shareholders’ agreement between HSH and the Phataraprasit shareholders, said the company in its statement, adding that it “will vigorously defend its rights”.
HSH’s COO Peter Borer said in the statement: “Having been involved with The Peninsula Bangkok since its inception in 1998, I can confirm that we have always acted with integrity, in the best interests of the joint venture as a whole, supporting both shareholders and in compliance with the shareholders’ agreement and the hotel management agreement. Over the past decade, the hotel’s financial performance has been affected by political uncertainties and a challenging luxury hotel market in Bangkok, but as a group with a long-term investment philosophy, we have always remained committed to Thailand.
“Despite this difficult market, The Peninsula Bangkok has consistently performed well in its competitive set and this hotel has received many awards and accolades over the years, including the World’s Best Hotel by the readers of Travel + Leisure. The daily operations of the hotel are not currently affected pending the final outcome of the legal actions.”
In the meantime, The Peninsula Bangkok continues to be operated by The Peninsula under the legally binding hotel management agreement.
Royal Caribbean International’s fifth Oasis Class ship, Wonder of the Seas, will homeport in Shanghai when it debuts in 2021.
Set to be the “world’s largest cruise ship to sail from China”, Wonder of the Seas will be the first of the Oasis Class to sail the Asia-Pacific.
Unveiling the latest ship at a global cruise industry conference event in Shanghai, Royal Caribbean president and CEO Michael Bayley stated that an Oasis Class ship in China is a testimony of the cruise line “constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible”.
“Wonder of the Seas will redefine the ultimate vacation and be revolutionary in her own right, and she marks one of Royal Caribbean’s most exciting chapters to come,” he said.
The Shanghai event also welcomed the start of the ship’s physical construction with the lowering of Wonder of the Seas‘ keel into place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, halfway around the world in Saint-Nazaire, France. During what is known as the keel-laying ceremony, a 970-ton block, measuring 47m by 20m, was lifted onto the building dock with a 1,400-ton crane.
Wonder of the Seas will be part of the Oasis class of ships, the largest in the world, combining the seven-neighbourhood concept that her sister ships feature along with a lineup of experiences, dining, entertainment and technology.
In an earlier announcement, Royal Caribbean International will be splashing US$110 million to give Explorer of the Seas a facelift. Come summer 2020, the ship will see the addition of racer waterslides, a refreshed poolscape with poolside bar, transformed kids’ and teens’ spaces, as well as a sports bar and arcade. F&B establishments coming on board too are Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Johnny Rockets Express and Starbucks.
During its time in the Eastern Mediterranean, Explorer of the Seas will be joined by the reimagined Allure of the Seas, the Oasis Class ship cruising the Western Mediterranean from Barcelona.
Explorer of the Seas is the fourth ship in the Voyager Class to be transformed as part of the cruise line’s Royal Amplified fleet modernisation effort, that will see the cruise line invest more than US$1 billion to revamp 10 ships in four years.
Global Dream, Dream Cruises’ first Global Class ship, will boast “the world’s longest rollercoaster at sea” when it enters service in early 2021.
The Space Cruiser, which has been created in collaboration with Maurer Rides, will be the centrepiece of the Dream Park at the Pier – “the first-ever theme park at sea” onboard the new Global Class vessel.
“Outfitted with powerful electric motors and positive-locking drive system, the coaster defies the physical limits experienced by conventional rollercoasters, thus allowing acceleration over 1g almost everywhere on the 300m track,” Maurer Rides’ project manager Marco Hartwig said, adding that the ride can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.
Each of the three Spike carts will provide interactive driving excitement for up to two riders per vehicle with inline seats and an integrated throttle allowing guests to control the speed of the ride. Due to the unusual perspective, the driver of the Space Cruiser will have the feeling of flying over the sea, said the company in a statement.
Besides the Space Cruiser, the Dream Park at the Pier will also feature a myriad of other attractions, including a giant inflatable obstacle course, trampoline park, bungee trampoline, surf simulator, human gyroscope ride and go-kart ride for kids.
Apart from the theme park, other amenities on board Global Dream will include a cineplex, Asian and Western spas, ample shopping facilities as well as Asian and international dining experiences and fast food restaurants.
Her 2,500 cabins will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 passengers on a twin share basis and can cater to over 9,000 passengers during peak holiday periods. Global Dream will also feature Dream Cruises’ signature 151-suite luxury “ship-within-a-ship’ concept, “The Palace”.
Qatar Airways has enhanced its inflight economy dining experience with larger meal portions and a wider range of snacks, with the new offerings set to be rolled out beginning October 17 for flights to and from Singapore, as well as the rest of Asia-Pacific destinations it flies to.
The new dining experience will see portion sizes increase by 20 per cent for appetisers, 25 per cent for main courses, and 50 per cent for desserts. In addition, items that are typically served in premium cabin, such as Godiva chocolate and individually bottled water, have also been made available in Quisine’s economy service.
A pre-dinner drinks option is also now served on flights of more than five hours, with sparkling wine and cocktail snacks available prior to the main meal. A special movie snack selection with popcorn and potato chips will also be available for longhaul flights.
Qatar Airways’ country manager for Singapore, Justin Kestel, said that as the majority of travellers “spend most of the time in economy”, the airline sought to make improvements in the onboard experience, with a goal to be the “best in this class”. Aside from the Quisine rollout, a new generation of economy class seats will also be launched at the end of this year.
As such, the new Quisine menu has placed a greater focus on fresh and healthy ingredients, with a dose of locality. Travellers flying out of Singapore can look forward to noshing on local dishes such as roti prata and curry for breakfast, and chicken rice or nasi lemak for lunch or dinner.
“We know Singaporeans love their food, and it is a big part of Singapore culture, hence the best ingredients from the station it is flying out from will be used. The menu will also be changed every three months,” shared Kestel.
Kids’ meals have also been given an upgrade – items ranging from fresh fruits to juice boxes in its new meal boxes were chosen by 50 children from 15 nationalities in a study group with the catering team.
When asked about sustainability and the use of plastics, Kestel shared that the airline is reducing its single-use plastics, with 80 per cent of the tray items now recyclable – such as the dessert cups – or biodegradable.
The Quisine service was initially introduced earlier this April across the airline’s network, starting with its European destinations.
Singapore-based travel technology company SBC Travel Group has appointed Shankar Kotha as chief commercial officer.
With 20 years of global experience across distribution, sales, revenue management and commercial operations, Kotha will direct all aspects of SBC Travel Group’s commercial function.
SBC Travel Group is a multinational fintech company that delivers integrated payment, technology and distribution solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. SBC Travel is made up of five companies, including Global Direct, Cloud Stays, Dream Holidays Planner, Lets Dream Vacation Club and Planet Holiday Media.
Prior to joining SBC Travel Group, Kotha served as group director, revenue management and online distribution for Minor Hotels, where he spearheaded the group’s entire revenue management and distribution operation for its Australian and New Zealand property cluster, generating over US$400 million in revenue.
Kotha has also previously held key roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Universal Resorts, and Radisson.
PATA Singapore Chapter and TTG Asia Media have jointly launched the SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series, a collection of intimate knowledge exchange events featuring thought leaders from across various fields who will discuss hot button issues surrounding and impacting the business of travel, tourism and events.
The debut edition will be a morning half-day event held on November 5, 2019 in Singapore, at the Garden Pavilion at One Farrer Hotel, with two fireside chats, each lasting an hour.
The first fireside chat, When global economic headwinds and geopolitics collide with tourism, will feature speaker Andrew Staples, global editorial director of the Economist Corporate Network, The Economist Intelligence Unit and moderator Robin Yap, chairman emeritus of The Travel Corporation Asia.
Staples will cast his eyes on the forward global economic, political and risk landscape and discuss how recent developments, particularly the US-China trade war, sensitivities on the Korean Peninsula and anti-government clashes in Hong Kong, will impact travel and tourism business.
The second fireside chat, The rising tide of experiential travel, will centre on the rise of experiential travel, how that is changing the way accommodation and destination experiences are marketed and sold.
Joining this session are Dean Schreiber, CEO, Oakwood, and managing director, Oakwood Asia Pacific; Parin Mehta, managing director, Airbnb Trips, Asia Pacific; and Dan Penner, senior regional manager, Asia Pacific, TripAdvisor Experiences, with Xinyi Liang-Pholsena, TTG Asia editor as the moderator.
Explaining the motivation behind the creation of the SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series, Wong Soon-Hwa, chair of PATA Singapore Chapter and Vice Chair of PATA, said: “This series is a continuation of our successful Singapore Tourism Leaders Forum in March this year. We want to maintain this high level of engagement with our industry peers, including our eight association partners: Association of Singapore Attractions, Cruise Lines International Association, National Association of Travel Agents Singapore, Orchard Road Business Association, Restaurant Association of Singapore, Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers, Singapore Hotel Association, and Singapore Retailers Association. This will allow us to realise the “Power of One”.
“SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series will be a quarterly series featuring VIP conversations, panel discussions and lively debates, focusing on topical issues and current trends. It will also be a great platform for industry networking.”
Wong will join both sessions as chair of the series to contribute to the discussions.
Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media, the co-presenter of the SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series, said: “This collaboration allows both PATA Singapore Chapter and TTG Asia Media’s award-winning editorial team to leverage their passion for and understanding of the business we are in, and reach into their extensive network of opinion leaders to co-create some of the most fascinating fireside chat opportunities for the Singapore travel and tourism and business events fraternity.”
Karen Yue, group editor, TTG Asia Media, added: “The travel and tourism and business events industries do not operate in silo, and their health is influenced by macro factors. It is therefore important and beneficial for industry players to have regular big picture conversations with thought leaders across various fields. The SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series will provide such a platform.”
Each event will be kept to an intimate size to allow maximum interaction, with 100 to 150 attendees allowed.
Participation is free. To register for this event, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.sg/o/27465194925
Luxury boutique hotel 137 Pillars House is offering guests a rare opportunity to delve into the rich history of Chiang Mai with its new Tales and Trails of the Teak Wallahs day trip experience.
The one-day excursion chronicles the colourful lives of “gentleman foresters” or “teak wallahs” who worked for European-based companies that owned lumber concessions in the heavily forested north of Thailand.
The tour, which starts in the small museum at 137 Pillars House, takes guests to Lampang by private vehicle. Along the way, the guide will regale guests with old photographs and accounts of the time.
Stops include Wat Ket Museum; the Lanna Ancient House, one of the oldest houses in Chiang Mai; the Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club, the old colonial sports club which was founded in 1898, and the playground of the teak wallahs; the Foreign Cemetery, where many of them were laid to rest, and British consul-general W.A.R. Wood’s residence.
In Lampang, guests ride in a horse cart, a legacy of that period, to the Louis House, the former office of Louis Leonowens Company. Also included is a visit to the 100-year-old Forestry Department office; Ban Sao Nak, a wooden house dating back to 1895; the iconic Lampang railway station; Bombay House; and the site of the former Lampang Sports Club.
The Tales and Trails of the Teak Wallahs day trip experience is priced at 6,000 baht (US$196) per person, subject to applicable service charge and government taxes; and includes transportation by private vehicle, an English-speaking guide, meals, drinking water and entrance fees.
Rates at the 137 Pillars House start from 19,500 baht per night and are subject to applicable service charge and government taxes.
There are just months to go until the Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) campaign kicks off, but as promotional activity on the government’s part still appears scant, inbound tourism players in the private sector are picking up the slack and drumming up publicity around the campaign on their own.
VM2020, a government-led initiative conceived to raise Malaysia’s visibility on the global tourism map, aims to attract 30 million tourists to Malaysia and generate RM100 billion (US$33 billion) in tourist receipts.
The campaign is anticipated to revive inbound tourism to Malaysia, which has missed its tourist arrival targets for five consecutive years since 2013. Last year, the country recorded 25.8 million arrivals, shy of its 26.4 million target, and down 0.4 per cent from 2017. Tourists spent a total RM84.1 billion in the country last year – a wide gap from the RM134 billion target.
While the campaign has been announced by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Tourism at major tradeshows since early 2018, the travel trade in Malaysia have yet to see proper engagement by the government on the details, planning and focus of the VM2020 promotion.
Shaharuddin Saaid, executive director of Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners, said: “This is the fifth Visit Malaysia Year campaign and I feel it is the worst handled. In earlier campaigns, engagement with the travel trade was made much earlier. We knew the government’s direction, promotion focus, target markets and products that they wished to push, and we could align our strategies in line with the government. There has to be a consolidated effort to promote Malaysia in order to make the campaign a success.”
Inbound players have since resorted to taking matters into their own hands and moving ahead with their promotional efforts.
Nigel Wong, director, Urban Rhythms Tours, Adventures & Travel, shared: “We have prepared new packages on lifestyle and cultural tours, nightlife tours and urban adventures in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, in anticipation of VM2020.
“By year-end, we hope the government will aggressively promote VM2020 and provide direction to the travel trade so that we can leverage and align with the government’s promotional efforts in terms of important markets.”
Arokia Das Anthony, director, Luxury Tours Malaysia, remarked: “When our overseas partners ask us what the highlights of VM2020 are and what will make it interesting for their clients to visit Malaysia next year, we tell them that we will update them once Tourism Malaysia comes up with a list of special events for 2020.
“At the moment, we can only brief our partners that VM2020 is a government initiative and we encourage them to promote Malaysia as it is still a value-for-money destination with very reasonable hotel rates that are more affordable than Singapore and Indonesia.
“While we feel that VM2020 is moving at a sedentary pace, we cannot sit still and wait. We have started doing our own marketing and online promotions for 2020 since March. Forward bookings from our key markets – India and South-east Asia – have been quite encouraging.”
Ally Bhoonee, executive director, World Avenues, opined: “While the government has been late in engaging the travel trade (for VM2020) and rolling out a list of event highlights, we can empathise with their situation. The new government elected last May had pressing issues that needed to be addressed first. However, the lack of engagement with the private sector is not an issue for us. Ninety-five per cent of all products in Malaysia are existing ones. With VM2020, it is just a matter of marketing these products with a new twist.
“In the previous four Visit Malaysia campaigns, we focused on key destinations in Peninsular Malaysia, namely Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Johor and Cameron Highlands, for the Middle East markets.
“This time around, we are extending the scope to cover all states in Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak. We are showcasing the unique cultural diversity of Malaysia as well as the uniqueness of each state, in terms of cultures, food and lifestyles.”
A bumpy ride ahead
Malaysia’s goal of achieving 28 million tourist arrivals for the last Visit Malaysia Year campaign in 2014 was derailed by the high-profile aviation accidents of MH370 and MH17 which took place in the same year.
While it may be too early to tell how VM2020 will fare, given the lack of government-led publicity on the campaign coupled with multiple taxes imposed on foreign tourists, Malaysia seems to be fighting an uphill battle to hit its VM2020 targets.
From September 1, travellers flying out of Malaysia will have to pay a departure tax ranging from RM8 (US$1.92) to RM150, depending on the destination and flight class.
Also, since September 1, 2017, hotels, resorts and other accommodation premises have, on behalf of the federal government, begun collecting a flat rate of RM10 per room per night in tourism tax for foreigners.
On top of that, tourists who stay in Melaka, Penang and Langkawi also have to pay additional taxes, ranging from RM2 to RM9 per night.
Viewed in isolation, these extra charges seem like chump change. But cumulatively, it could make a difference on where a tourist plans to holiday, argued Ally, whose company is a key player in the Middle East inbound market.
He shared: “Middle East tourists come with their extended families. With more countries vying for the Middle East market, the government should look at deferring the departure tax until after VM2020 campaign as that will give the campaign a boost.”
Earlier in April, the International Air Transport Association had urged the government to reconsider imposing the tax as it could do more harm than good to the Malaysian economy. It is projected that the tax would reduce the number of air passengers departing Malaysia by up to 835,000 per year, resulting in a decrease in GDP of up to US$419 million and a loss of up to 5,300 jobs.
Also calling for the deferment of the departure levy until after VM2020 is the Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents’ (MATTA) president, KL Tan.
“We are not for or against the levy. All we are asking is for it to be deferred amid concerns that the latest levy will affect target arrivals,” he said.
A Reuters report in July revealed that China’s economic growth has slowed to 6.2 per cent in 2Q2019 from a year earlier – the weakest pace in at least 27 years, as demand at home and abroad faltered amid an escalating trade war with the US.
Inbound agents are concerned that a prolonged trade war with the US may affect the country’s tourist arrivals to Malaysia.
Said Wong: “The accumulated levies and taxes will certainly have an impact on price sensitive markets such as India and China. But it is still too soon to tell how big this impact will be.”
