Thailand-based Onyx Hospitality Group has signed a management agreement with Hong Kong-based investment firm Metropoly Holdings to open its first hotel in Japan, Amari Niseko.
Scheduled to open in 2024, Amari Niseko will form a central part of the Aruku-zaka Street mixed-use development, which will be home to a selection of lifestyle, retail and F&B offerings, residential apartments and the all-new Amari resort.
Onyx’s first hotel in Japan, Amari Niseko, is slated to open in 2024
Located in central Hirafu, in the Kutchan town of Abuta-gun district just off Route 343, Amari Niseko and Aruku-zaka Street will be easily reached via a two-hour drive or train journey from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo.
A year-round resort and a base for skiing in winter, and hiking and biking in the greener months, the 126-key Amari Niseko will offer a variety of studio, one-bedroom suite and two-bedroom suite configurations.
The resort will also offer a concept restaurant that transitions from an all-day restaurant to a destination cocktail bar come nightfall.
Onyx says that the last three years have been significant for the regional expansion of Amari, with the brand being launched in multiple new locations, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Laos.
LightBlue Environmental Consulting (LBEC) and Travel Without Plastic (TWP) are joining forces to tackle the two single biggest waste streams in hotels – food waste and single-use plastic.
Led by long-term sustainability professionals, both organisations originally set out with wider objectives in mind but narrowed down their focus to specific problem areas, and now wants to offer their services to hotels looking to tackle two of this decade’s increasingly important topics.
LightBlue Environmental Consulting and Travel Without Plastic have teamed up to tackle food waste and single-use plastic in hotels
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world, which is equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes, for human consumption is wasted and around 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is for single-use.
Aware that solving one problem should not cause another, both organisations champion a reduction in overall waste and their respective recommendations to businesses ensure that the wider picture is considered before any operational changes are made.
Habit is the biggest challenge for both organisations, compounded by today’s hectic on-the-go lifestyles. Hotels where guests would normally sit down for breakfast now offer to-go cafes, fuelled by single-use packaging that caters for city breakers and business clients who are rushing out to the office.
Over the past six years, LBEC has consistently measured that up to 50 per cent of all food purchased in volume never makes it to the buffet or the restaurant table. “Pre-consumer food waste is composed of roughly 40 per cent of non-edible items, and the remainder is related to inefficient storage systems, unskilled trimming, overstocking or over production. Kitchen waste is generally given less attention when discussing food waste, while buffet waste is commonly mistaken as the biggest source of food waste”, said Benjamin Lephilibert, managing director of LightBlue.
Similarly, TWP sees that an average of 15 per cent of single-use plastic is often purchased purely out of habit, with no regard for whether the product adds any value to the guest experience. Where hotels are invested in positive change, up to 68 per cent of single-use plastic waste can be reduced by following effective recommendations and implementing innovative communications that encourage guests to be part of the solution.
Needless to say, both approaches can create significant cost savings. When environmental concerns are not the main motivator, the bottom line usually triggers action.
Both businesses operate globally and can offer on-site and off-site support to hotels and other hospitality businesses interested in being part of the solution. The ideal next step would be to engage a number of hotels in Asia and Europe who are happy to lead by example and introduce a multi-tasking approach to both waste streams, potentially generating huge savings in terms of waste reduction and costs, both companies said in a joint statement.
Interested parties are encouraged to contact LightBlue Environmental Consulting at contact@lightblueconsulting.com or Travel Without Plastic at info@travelwithoutplastic.com.
The Adnate, Australia
The latest Art Series hotel, belonging to the Accor family, has opened in Perth and features Australian street artist Matt Adnate’s works. Two original canvases and up to 650 reproductions of 30 of Matt’s most recognised works from around the world adorn the walls and halls of the 250-room, 27-storey hotel.
The Adnate will also be home to a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine and cocktails, where the venue will be centred around the hotel’s pool area on level one. Other facilities include a gym and function room, as well as smart cars and bicycle for hire.
Andaz Seoul Gangnam, South Korea
Hyatt’s Andaz brand has marked its entry into the destination with this property. The hotel houses 241 guestrooms, all offering a bird’s-eye view of downtown through floor-to-ceiling windows. Facilities on-site include the all-day cafe A’+Z; Jogakbo, a space which meshes three F&B venues in one; and The Summer House, a wellness facility with a 16m-long pool surrounded by a whirlpool, and cold and warm baths.
Functions can be held in the four flexible event spaces, which can cater to groups of up to 250 people, or the 163m² Gangnam Penthouse Suite boasting its own entertainment terrace, bar and dining area that can accommodate up to 20 people, a TV den and a luxury bathroom.
The property’s overall concept has been inspired by bojagi – a traditional Korean wrapping cloth used in significant ceremonies and as gift wrap to preserve good luck, according to traditional Korean folklore.
Four Points by Sheraton Bali Ungasan, Indonesia
This property features 270 rooms and suites, where some rooms come with private balconies, private terraces, garden or pool access. Elsewhere on property is Evolution, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, where guests can find local and international favourites; while The Garden Pool Bar serves local craft beers on tap. Other facilities include an infinity pool, a fitness centre, a spa, wedding chapel, and a family pool and kids’ club. There is also 1,694m² of flexible indoor meeting space, the largest of which is a pillarless ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,200.
Radisson Blu Hangzhou Xintiandi, China
The first Radisson in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, features 265 rooms and suites equipped with multimedia connectivity. For Club and Suite guests, the top floor Executive Lounge provides a range of bespoke business services and all-day refreshments. The 18-storey hotel also offers facilities such as a 450-pax grand ballroom, four function rooms, an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and Thai-style spa. The hotel is home to several F&B outlets, including a Chinese restaurant with nine private dining rooms.
Hotel Gracery Osaka Namba, Japan
This 170-key property situated in the Namba area lies within walking distance to Osaka hotspots Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi. Guestrooms start from 18m², and feature separate toilets and bathrooms. Other facilities in the hotel include the Bonsalute restaurant, and a self-service cloak room.
Asian Trails' complete management team, comprising (from left) Thomas Carnevale, Marcel Grifoll, Xiaolin Zhang, Emir Cherif, Virginie Kury, Luzi Matzig, Laurent Kuenzle, Laetitia Law-Lai, Thuy Tien, Stefan Bruns and Bjorn Schimanski, at the DMC's 20th anniversary big bash
Asian Trails recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a company party at a leading resort in Hua Hin, marking the auspicious date of 9.9.99 (September 9, 1999) when the Bangkok-based DMC was born.
Luzi Matzig, today’s chairman, together with CEO Laurent Kuenzle co-founded Asian Trails, which today has expanded into 10 destinations and eight regional offices across Asia.
Asian Trails celebrates 20th anniversary
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Asian Trails' complete management team, comprising (from left) Thomas Carnevale, Marcel Grifoll, Xiaolin Zhang, Emir Cherif, Virginie Kury, Luzi Matzig, Laurent Kuenzle, Laetitia Law-Lai, Thuy Tien, Stefan Bruns and Bjorn Schimanski, at the DMC's 20th anniversary big bash
In a blog entry on the company website entitled “20 years of ‘blazing new paths in travel'”, Kuenzle stressed that “people” remains central to what Asian Trails does. Of the almost 700 staff the company now has, some 10 per cent have been with the company since the very beginning and more than 50 per cent for over five years, he revealed.
“I still see myself as bridging people, as my love and understanding of Asia help me in putting the right people together to achieve amazing results. It is not just about monetary returns – this must be a given or we wouldn’t be here today – but it’s also about the trust, respect and understanding that my team and I have cultivated in our organisation and in all who interact with Asian Trails,” he wrote.
Much like the rapid growth seen in Apparel and Consumer Electronics, eCommerce is quickly shaking up the travel industry.
As the recent collapse of Thomas Cook, a huge global travel group operating for 178 years has shown us, rethinking marketing and business models for travel businesses should no longer be a distant priority.
Hailing from Asia’s top travel businesses, eCommerce, Digital Marketing and Customer Experience leaders are coming together at Digital Travel APAC 2020 to share their views on this emerging demographic of travellers.
Returning again for the 5th year, Digital Travel APAC will be held from 20 – 22 April, 2020, at the Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. Growing from year to year, the event is an exclusive gathering of the world’s most innovative and disruptive travel companies. The best place to be for travel professionals to learn, network and have fun all at the same time.
Leveraging the increasingly tech savvy travellers of today, forward-looking travel businesses are already changing their strategy when interacting with their customers.
Multi-device, mobile messaging platforms (WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, etc), are one of the ways that many are using to reshape the customer experience.
From pre-sale enquires to flight reminders and chat assistance during their trip, agencies remain connected and contactable to their customers, bringing a level of assurance for increased satisfaction and service excellence.
The report by SITA, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age, shows that by 2025, 68% of all passengers will be digital travellers and will expect to manage their travel in much the same way they do every other aspect of their daily lives – using their mobile phones.
Digital Travel APAC will further explore the industry drivers of tomorrow’s travel business in a focused, interactive 2½ day conference. Key topics of discussions include:
Perfecting Personalisation – How to deliver a single view of the customer and real-time data access to deliver a hyper-personalised experience
Data-driven personalization – What are the people, process and technology requirements for rolling out a practical strategy that delivers on your customers’ individual needs from the get go?
How to understand customer needs to deliver personalised travel solutions in multiple markets
Led by a growing advisory board:
Cheryl Goh, Group VP of Marketing, Grab
Jerome Thil, VP of Digital Innovation, Singapore Airlines
Ronald Dalderup, VP of Innovation, Shangri-La
Nandor Locher, Head of Digital Direct, Qantas
Akira Mitsumasu, VP of Global Marketing, Japan Airlines
Andrew Cefai, Senior Director, Marketing & eCommerce APAC, Hilton
Piotr Jakubowski, ex-CMO, GO-JEK
Vikas Bhola, Regional Director, South Asia Pacific, com
2020 will also see the travel event hold new formats for deeper engagement and discussions:
“How to” roundtables, a highly interactive small group format that allows you to choose the topic that matters to you most while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Country Clinics, deep diving into upcoming markets like Vietnam, India, Indonesia, China
Shark Tank, Identifying “The Next Best Thing” in travel tech
Digital Travel APAC is known for its unique session format, with dedicated tracks for key topics held in smaller, intimate groups.
TripAdvisor will no longer sell tickets to, or generate revenue from, any attraction that continues to contribute to the captivity of future generations of cetaceans, referring to whales, dolphins and porpoises.
As a result, any commercial facility that breeds or imports cetaceans for public display will be banned from sale on TripAdvisor and its subsidiary Viator.
TripAdvisor’s new policy that bans ticket sales to sites that breed or import captive whales and dolphins will affect major attractions like SeaWorld parks (Pictured: Killer whale performing at Sea World in San Diego, California)
Products currently on sale and found to breach the new rules will be removed over the next few months, with the policy coming into full force by end-2019. The new policy will not apply to seaside sanctuaries that provide care to cetaceans already in captivity.
A seaside sanctuary environment is defined as a natural body of coastal water, such as a bay or a cove, that houses cetaceans in as close to a natural environment as possible while providing protection and oversight from qualified husbandry and veterinary staff, according to TripAdvisor.
Seaside sanctuaries must adhere to a strict no-breeding policy, must not train their animals to perform in any shows or performances for public display, and must prohibit all forms of physical interaction between guests and the animals, including any in-water guest experiences.
The decision follows an extensive consultation process with a range of experts, including marine biologists, zoologists and conservationists, and considered the scientific evidence and arguments presented from all sides. It continues TripAdvisor’s commitment to improving the welfare of animals globally, particularly animals in tourism.
“The extensive evidence presented to us by the experts was compelling. Whales and dolphins do not thrive in limited captive environments, and we hope to see a future where they live as they should – free and in the wild,” said Dermot Halpin, president, TripAdvisor experiences and rentals.
He added: “We believe the current generation of whales and dolphins in captivity should be the last, and we look forward to seeing this position adopted more widely throughout the travel industry.”
Conservation groups and animal welfare experts welcomed the move as an important step forward.
Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with Animal Welfare Institute, said: “TripAdvisor is on the right side of history. Whales and dolphins cannot thrive in captivity and enlightened tourists no longer tolerate exploiting these intelligent and socially complex marine predators for human entertainment.”
Nick Stewart, global head of wildlife, dolphins, World Animal Protection, agreed: “This sends a clear message to other travel companies that we must end this cruel industry once and for all. Together, we can ensure this is the last generation of dolphins held captive for entertainment.”
TripAdvisor’s policy extension also takes into account that while it is possible to prevent future generations of cetaceans from a life of captivity, the situation is different for those already in captivity. For most of the current population of cetaceans, releasing them into the wild is not a realistic option. Thus, the policy also includes several stipulations aimed at protecting the needs, safety and health of cetaceans currently in captivity.
Halpin stressed: “Our aim is not only to prevent future generations of whales and dolphins from being raised in captivity, but also to encourage the industry to move towards alternative models, like seaside sanctuaries, that will better provide for the needs of the current captive population.
“Seaside sanctuaries have enormous potential, but they need more backing from the tourism industry. As long as facilities with captive whales and dolphins continue to profit from keeping these animals in smaller, cheaper and less natural living environments, then they don’t have enough incentive to adopt serious change,” he said, adding that the company hopes their latest move will help “turn the tide”.
TripAdvisor says its decision to cease selling tickets to sites that breed whales and dolphins represents the latest extension of the travel booking platform’s animal welfare policy, which first launched in 2016.
The policy already commits TripAdvisor and Viator to no longer sell tickets to experiences where travellers come into physical contact with captive wild animals, such as elephant rides and tiger petting experiences. It was further enhanced in 2018, at which point TripAdvisor also banned demeaning animal shows and performances from sale.
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) has fuelled a tourism boom from the competing nations, according to a study by ForwardKeys.
During the period from September 12 to November 6, which covers the tournament dates and several days before and after, flight bookings to Japan from the competing nations are currently 38.1 per cent ahead as compared to the same period last year, the study found. The highest peak is on the day before the opening ceremony, with bookings from the competing nations more than double those on the equivalent date in 2018.
Rugby World Cup has fuelled a tourism boom from the competing nations: ForwardKeys
Olivier Ponti, vice president insights, ForwardKeys, said: “When we analyse these visitors in more depth, we see that their average length of stay is 11.7 nights. That tells us that few people are coming to watch a specific game and then returning home; the majority are making a holiday of their visit.”
The RWC tourism boost is most strongly illustrated by visits from Ireland, which is not a mainstream tourism market for Japan and has no direct flight connections, according to the study.
Bookings for the period beginning September 12 to November 6 are currently 500.3 per cent ahead of where they were at this time last year. The average length of stay is 12.7 nights, which indicates that Irish visitors, having made the journey – the minimum flight time from Dublin to Tokyo is 13.5 hours – are also staying for a holiday in Japan.
There are very clear booking spikes around the dates when the Irish are playing their matches, which also happen to be the weekends.
Ponti said: “What intrigues me most is that the highest peak in bookings coincides with the quarter-finals. I’m tempted to suggest that Irish fans are confident of their team reaching that far but not necessarily any further. However, as Ireland is the world’s second ranked team, I suspect other factors are at play, such as the very limited availability of tickets for the semi-finals and final, and a strong preference of Irish rugby fans to take a two-week holiday.”
Industry players in Boracay are worried that the destination will stand to lose certain market segments following its prohibition of an upcoming beach volleyball tournament and public beach weddings on the island.
The most recent restrictions follow previous bans on other beach activities like sandcastle building, use of kerosene for fire performances, smoking and drinking.
Industry players fear Boracay’s tightening restrictions on beach activities, including the banning of an upcoming beach volleyball tournament, will affect tourism
The Boracay Beach Volleyball Open (BBVO) was notified by the general manager of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) over the phone recently that it is prohibited from holding the tournament from November 15 to 17 – three months after it made the request in June.
“We were informed that since they don’t allow beach weddings anymore, we are therefore also not allowed to have events on the beach,” a BBVO organiser said, adding that they are awaiting the official written communication from BIATF and that they couldn’t change the event’s venue on such short notice.
BBVO has been organising the volleyball open since 2011 except last year when Boracay was in the initial stage of its rehabilitation. “We usually have 200 attendees, including 150 athletes. During the last edition in 2017, we saw participants from some 15 countries,” the BBVO organiser revealed.
But a possible restriction on beach tournaments could affect sports tourism which is a key draw to the island, Viveca Hutchinson of Tribal Adventures, a Boracay-based adventure tour company specialising in kayaking, rafting and mountain biking, said: “As stakeholders of Boracay, we have not been approached (by BIATF) despite our decades of knowledge and experience of living on our beloved island. We have not been informed of the reasons behind the changes to the rules for activities held on the beach”.
“Apart from the monitoring and implementation of visitor numbers and garbage generated by events such as beach volleyball and more, we do not know of any reason how (holding the BBVO at Borocay) could affect the maintenance of the island’s ‘pristine’ condition,” Hutchinson added.
Narzalina Lim, founder of tourism and hospitality consultancy Asia Pacific Projects, calls for the BIATF to provide clarity regarding their restriction of activities on the beach. “There must be solid, defensible reasons why these activities are being restricted. The impression that I get from (BIATF) is that their decisions are based on knee-jerk reactions and not on facts,” she said.
She added that if the BBVO takes place during peak season when Boracay sees a tourism influx, and that the event takes up a lot of space over multiple days, then she agrees that it should not be held.
Lim also sees no reason to prohibit weddings, a big market for the destination. “I have been to a beach wedding in Boracay and it did not take up much space. The ceremony can be held at the beach, and the reception, at the resort,” she said.
Questioning the logic of banning sandcastle building on Boracay’s beaches, Lim remarked: “Children and adults both love building sandcastles, so why deprive them of this joy? Boracay will lose the family market if this activity is banned.
“The Department of Energy and Natural Resources should focus its attention and police powers instead on the mainland Chinese who are stealing sand from various beaches all over the Philippines and getting away with it.”
Other restrictions, like the ban on smoking and drinking on the beach and the use of kerosene for fire performances, only serve to minimise pollution and not its complete eradication, Lim stated. “What BIATF should do is focus on the powerful offenders with connections to higher-ups because that is what will have the most impact on the environment,” she said.
It’s clearly the age of Asia when it comes to passport power, as Japan and Singapore retain a firm hold at first place on the Henley Passport Index (HPI) entering the final quarter of 2019, each with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 190 out of a maximum 227.
The HPI, a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom for their citizens, is released by citizenship planning firm Henley & Partners.
Japan and Singapore retain first place on the Henley Passport Index (HPI)
For most of the 14-year history of the index, which is based on exclusive data from the IATA, the top spot has been held by a European country or by the US. However, this shifted dramatically in 2018, with Asian countries now firmly established as world leaders when it comes to both global economic activity and global mobility.
With visa-free/visa-on-arrival scores of 188, Finland, Germany, and South Korea remain in second place, while Denmark, Italy, and Luxembourg come in third, with a score of 187. Both the UK and the US remain in sixth place, with access to 184 destinations visa-free – the lowest position they have held since 2010 and a significant drop from their top ranking in 2014. Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the ranking, with access to just 25 countries without a prior visa.
Using historic data from the HPI and the Index of Economic Freedom, political science researchers Uğur Altundal and Ömer Zarpli of Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively, found that “countries that have higher visa scores also rank higher in economic freedom, especially in investment, financial, and business freedom”.
Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the creator of the passport index concept, said: “Our ongoing research has shown that ‘passport power’ is more than simply the destinations a holder can travel to without a visa. Often, there is a strong correlation between visa freedom and other benefits such as business and investment freedom, independence of the judiciary, fiscal health, and property rights.”
While Brexit is – in theory, at least – only weeks away, the focus is firmly on how it will affect migration policy to and from the UK. Madeleine Sumption from The Migration Observatory at Oxford University noted: “Unlike trade policy, the future of immigration policy in the UK does not depend fundamentally on whether or not the UK leaves the EU with a deal. In either scenario, there will be a ‘transitional period’ until at least December 2020, in which free movement of EU citizens to the UK will continue more or less as it operates today. After that however, long-term settlement is likely to be much more difficult for EU citizens. And UK citizens who want to move to EU countries after Brexit will also face more restrictive immigration regimes.”
The biggest climber on the index over the past quarter has been the UAE, up five places to rank 15th. Lorraine Charles at Cambridge University’s Centre for Business Research said: “While the UAE may not be able to compete with Saudi Arabia – the regional hegemon – in terms of military strength and economic power, the projection of its soft power is uncontested in the GCC.”
As they have done throughout the index’s long history, countries offering investment migration programs continue to perform strongly. Moving up from the 16th-place position it held last quarter, Cyprus now holds 14th place, with Cypriot citizens able to access 173 destinations visa-free. Malta retains its strong seventh-place position with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 183, while Antigua and Barbuda has risen to 28th place with a score of 149 after gaining access to Russia.
Commercial real estate information provider CoStar Group has entered into an agreement to acquire STR, one of the world’s biggest hospitality data and intelligence firm.
The acquisition comprises the entire STR portfolio, including STR, Inc, headquartered in Hendersonville, Tennessee; STR Global, the company’s international business headquartered in London; Hotel News Now, the company’s digital media arm based in Cleveland; and the Hotel Data Conference, hosted each year in Nashville since 2009.
CoStar Group signs deal to acquire STR for US$450 million
The transaction, valued at US$450 million in cash, is expected to close in 4Q2019, subject to customary closing conditions.
“The STR team has built an extraordinary company that partners with the hotel industry to create benchmarks and analytics that are the primary tools hotel management and investors rely on to optimise and improve their assets,” said Andrew Florance, founder and CEO of CoStar Group.
He added: “STR brings an unrivalled reputation within the global hospitality industry for their data integrity, reliability and strict confidentiality, and we look forward to continuing to build on these core values in the next chapter of STR’s growth.”
STR, Inc has been a private, family-owned company since its 1985 founding as then-Smith Travel Research by Randy and Carolyn Smith. The Smith family also maintained majority ownership in STR’s international entity. Overall, STR employs 370 team members in 15 countries.
“CoStar brings leading technologies, as well as complementary data, analytics and sales capabilities that we believe will enable STR to accelerate growth and increase the value and insights we provide to our hospitality clients,” said Amanda Hite, STR’s president and CEO.
The hotel industry has been the cornerstone of STR’s business from its founding. Today, the company processes, analyses and reports on data from 66,000 hotels representing 8.9 million rooms in 180 countries.
