Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has launched its annual Cruise Month, a month-long campaign that promotes cruising as the preferred holiday style.
Running through October, Cruise Month aims to raise awareness about cruising and reinforce the benefits of booking through CLIA-accredited travel agents, telling consumers about the additional skills and education that dedicated cruise specialists have invested in, said the association in a statement.
Consumers can search for knowledgeable and experienced cruise agents based in Asia and accredited by CLIA with the CLIA travel agent search tool on the CLIA Asia website.
CLIA members can access new resources available in CLIA’s Cruise Month toolkit, which offers travel agents a wealth of downloadable materials that can be used in their own marketing and social media efforts.
Cruise Month will also celebrate the world’s wider cruise community as part of CLIA’s #WeAreCruise campaign, highlighting some of the many social and economic benefits that cruising brings to communities globally.
Travel agents with a keen interest in cruise are invited to join CLIA and its cruise line members at ITB Asia on October 18, 2019 to hear the latest trends and tips in increasing cruise profits.
Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed a landmark agreement with Taisei Corporation and Kanden Realty & Development to bring the Centara brand to Japan.
Scheduled to open in mid-2023, the 515-key Centara Grand Hotel Osaka will occupy a 34-storey tower in Osaka’s Namba district.
Centara Grand Hotel Osaka, the brand’s first property in Japan, is slated to open in mid-2023
Facilities include a lounge with customisable space for meetings and events, a rooftop restaurant sky bar, Spa Cenvaree, a fitness centre, as well as a diverse selection of restaurants and banquet facilities.
The addition of its first property in Japan is part of Centara’s expansion strategy, which calls for doubling the number of properties under its management by 2022.
Avis has joined hands with Travel Wander, a Singapore-based travel agency that specialises in active holidays, including cycling, hiking, running, conservation and culture.
The partnership aims to inspire more people to explore the unique and adventurous bike-drive itineraries offered in New Zealand.
Avis partners Singapore-based Travel Wander to promote bike-drive holidays in New Zealand (Pictured: Hawke’s Bay Trails North Island Ride, one of the bike itineraries offered by the companies)
With some of the world’s grandest mountain landscapes, Nga Haerenga, or the New Zealand Cycle Trail, offers an alternative way to soak up the beauty of the country. The bike path network, covering 2,500km of New Zealand’s countryside in both North and South Islands, has over 20 biking routes known as Great Rides for bikers of every age and ability.
Having access to a rental vehicle will give travellers the freedom to explore the country, and drive from one biking experience to the next whilst seeing the beautiful sights in New Zealand along the way, said Avis in a statement.
Angeline Tang, regional director – leisure travel & partnerships, Asia, Avis Budget Group, said: “Travel Wander is already a partner with Avis Singapore for New Zealand car rentals in the FIT segment… With trips being self-guided, our partnership with Travel Wander will provide travellers greater convenience and allows them the freedom to get from one ‘Great Ride’ to another in a car of their preference.”
Avis has one of New Zealand’s most comprehensive rental fleets, offering a wide range of vehicles from compact economic rental cars to luxurious soft top Cabriolets, 4-wheel drives, SUVs, eco-friendly hybrids, commercial vans and trucks. Last year, two additional hybrid models were introduced to the New Zealand fleet.
Avis New Zealand operates in almost 40 locations across the North and South Islands. Bicycle roof racks are also available for rental from Avis’ outlets at Auckland Airport and Christchurch Airport for travellers who are bringing their own bicycles for the Great Rides.
Here are some examples of the bike-drive itineraries:
Hawke’s Bay Trails North Island Ride
Meandering between the twin cities of Napier and Hastings, Hawke’s Bay Trails boasts 200km of cycle trails that are generally flat with a river and coastal network of pathways stretching over the Heretaunga Plains.
Tasman’s Great Taste Trail South Island Ride
Tasman’s Great Taste Trail starts from Nelson Airport and stretches across panoramic coastal and mountain views over Tasman Bay, Waimea Estuary and the Western Ranges, with many stops for fine food and relaxation in between.
The Queenstown Trail South Island Ride
The Queenstown Trail unveils close to 120km of spectacular cycling trail in Otago’s Wakatipu Basin.
West Coast Wilderness South Island Ride
In the middle of the Southern Alps on the West Coast lies a series of tracks carved by pioneering goldminers. Today these old tracks, together with extensive water races, logging tramways and historic railway lines, form the West Coast Wilderness Trail.
Thoughtfully developed by PT Pengembangan Pariwisata Indonesia (Persero) or Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), a state-owned enterprise specializes in the development and management of integrated tourism estates, with more than 45 years experience presiding over its flagship development, The Nusa Dua, a world-renowned tourism complex in south Bali. The Mandalika itself covers 1,175 hectares, with mesmerizing endless hills and well-known, unique beaches defining the island as an untouched paradise awaiting to be explored.
Start from Kuta Mandalika beach, which sits on the western part of The Mandalika coastline. This family-friendly public beach promenade is designed for public coastal leisure activities with its Beach Facility buildings providing bathrooms, showers and lockers for best convenience, as well as for events ranged from fun walk, fun bike, community yoga to big events such as The Mandalika Triathlon and TNI Marathon, welcoming more than 5.000 spectators.
This beach and the rolling hills of south Lombok are well suited for all kinds of sporting events such as running, cycling, paragliding, triathlons, as well as motorsports. Thanks to this natural setting, The Mandalika will host the world’s first street race for MotoGP in 2021. The Mandalika Street Circuit will be the first international street racing circuit designed and developed from the ground up that can accommodate international sanctioned motorbike races. The circuit construction will begin in Q4 2019 and will be ready by the start of the race in 2021.
The 2nd beach on the coastline is Seger beach, well-known of its Princess Mandalika statue representing the legendary tale about a beautiful princess of Lombok’s southern coast who sacrificed and threw herself into the ocean to bring prosperity to the people in form of “Nyale”, marine biota that is believed to bring luck during harvest time. The name of The Mandalika itself is inspired by this profound legendary tale.
Added into the natural beauties of The Mandalika is Serenting beach that sits close by to the upcoming Street Circuit, the infamous white sand Tanjung Aan beach, and Gerupuk beach situated in the west of The Mandalika,well-known amongst international surfers as their “surf paradise” due to its unique waves, and it is complimented with a natural mangrove river perfect for visitors who love to enjoy the natural surroundings where a variety of birds, some migrating from Australian winter time, are thriving.
As a fully integrated tourism complex, The Mandalika will be equipped with a host of mid- to high-end hotels totalling some 16,000 rooms and 190,000 sq. m of retail space, a theme park, golf course, hospital, street racing circuit, international conference facilities, and small medium enterprises centre. The Mandalika also has been designated as an ecotourism destination which will continue to comply with global environmental standards, incorporating clean solar energy, water desalination plants, and suitable waste disposal. Additionally, over half of the area will be designated as open green space, which will not only maintain and protect the natural beauty, but also enhance the life and culture of local residents. ITDC has also factored into the plans a 70-hectare eco park, future homes to a variety of rare bird species, and a mangrove forest. Apart from functioning as a sanctuary for native jungle birds indigenous to the area, the bird park is expected to be a key attraction for visitors to The Mandalika.
Encouraged by the strong growth in visitor arrivals from Asia, which once trailed behind its traditional markets from the US and Europe, Canberra is now pumping more efforts and resources into wooing travellers from the region, particularly China, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Andrew Barr, chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory, whose portfolio includes minister for tourism & special events and minister for trade, industry & investment, said: “Not too long ago, Europe, the US and the UK were key markets and Asia lagged behind, due to lack of awareness. Canberra was overshadowed by Sydney and Melbourne.
Canberra is promoting destination awareness among Asian visitors (Pictured: Parliament House in Canberra)
Since March, Visit Canberra has stepped up promotion efforts in South-east Asia, with the appointment of a full-time staff based in Singapore to service the travel trade and promote the Australian capital city in this region. “This has helped us build a stronger relationship with the travel trade and create more awareness of the destination,” said Barr.
Furthermore, Singapore Airlines’ daily Singapore-Canberra service via Sydney, launched since May 2018, has also bolstered the strong growth of Asia, which currently accounts for about 40 per cent of arrivals to Canberra.
“We have a strong partnership with Singapore Airlines and leverage (the carrier’s) distribution power through their global network to further promote the destination,” he added.
Barr is leading the Canberra delegation to Australia Marketplace South East Asia 2019 (AMSEA), which is currently taking place in Kuala Lumpur from September 30 to October 2. It is the first time AMSEA, formerly known as Walkabout South East Asia, is held in Malaysia. The event saw the participation of a total of 177 delegates, with 78 Australian tourism businesses meeting with 81 buyer companies from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Brent Anderson, regional general manager, South & South-east Asia, Tourism Australia, shared that Malaysia was chosen to host this year’s AMSEA as it showed strong potential for further growth in arrivals as the seventh largest source market. “Over the last 18 months, arrivals have been hovering around 400,000,” he said.
According to Anderson, Australia has been attracting a growing number of travellers from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia looking for short getaways, especially during long weekends and school holidays.
“As more than 80 per cent of travellers from Malaysia and Singapore are repeat visitors, The UnDiscover Australia Campaign launched in September 2018 is a huge success because it showcased new experiences and destinations in Australia beyond the traditional city gateways of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth,” he said.
A trend noted by Visit Canberra is the growing number of millennial travellers, who are in part drawn by the many nature-based attractions located within a two-hour drive from Canberra’s CBD. Higher education institutes like the Australian National University, University of Canberra and Canberra Institute of Technology are also attracting Asian students, who in turn creates traffic from the visiting friends and relatives segment.
Apple Holidays Singapore’s director, Benny Ho, observed: “Airline promotions and a favourable exchange rate are driving demand for short breaks (to Australia) for the Singapore market. We also see repeat visitors wanting to explore new destinations, such as Uluru and Alice Springs, both in the Northern Territory.”
Adam Saunders, managing director of ExploreToursPerth.com, a first-time seller at this show, sees growing demand for private Muslim-friendly tours around Perth amongst visitors from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. A year ago, his company launched Muslim-friendly tours, which now accounted for five per cent of the company’s revenue.
Anderson shared that Tourism Australia also saw the potential of the Muslim travel market and that more efforts had to be taken to tap into that market. He said: “We had an internal planning meeting last week and halal- and Muslim-friendly tourism were among the topics discussed. We know we are lagging behind South Korea and Japan in this area, so we hope to work with the Australian travel trade to roll out new initiatives by 2021. ”
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) has proposed a set of guidelines on price transparency regarding the “dos and don’ts” for suppliers of all consumer-facing industries relating to various pricing practices so as to avoid misleading consumers, following its findings from a study on the online travel booking sector in Singapore.
CCCS’ market study on the online travel booking sector in Singapore revealed that the online travel booking segment in South-east Asia was worth US$19.4 billion in 2015, accounting for 61 per cent of the internet economy in South-east Asia. Between 2015 and 2018, online travel booking grew at 15 per cent driven by growth in online airline and hotel bookings, to a size of US$29.7 billion in 2018. Singapore was estimated to be the third largest in South-east Asia in terms of online booking market value in 2018, with the highest per-capita online travel booking expenditure in the region. By 2025, the online travel booking market in South-east Asia is estimated to reach US$78 billion, according to Google’s and Temasek’s e-Conomy SEA 2018 report.
CCCS pushes out guidelines on price transparency for online travel bookings, following study regarding misleading industry practices
Singapore consumers are increasingly turning to online channels in making their travel bookings, including searching for, comparing, and purchasing travel-related products such as air tickets and hotel accommodation online, whether directly from the websites of service providers like airlines and hotels, OTAs such as Expedia and Booking.com, or web aggregators, also known as metasearch engines like Skyscanner and Trivago, CCCS revealed.
Against this backdrop, CCCS conducted a market study on the online provision of bookings for flight tickets and hotel accommodation to Singapore consumers. The study examined various business practices adopted by the industry players, and the associated competition and consumer protection issues. This is the first market study by CCCS that examined both competition and consumer protection issues, since CCCS took on the additional function of administering the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA) from April 1, 2018.
Price, being an important factor for most consumers and crucial for comparing between alternatives, is key to consumers making well-informed purchasing decisions. In the absence of clear disclosure on prices and pricing practices, consumers may be misled into making wrong decisions, said CCCS.
Following the study, CCCS has developed a set of guidelines on price transparency to assist suppliers of all consumer-facing industries in their display and advertisement of prices to avoid misleading consumers and infringing the CPFTA. These guidelines apply to both online and offline transactions.
The four common practices of online travel booking providers that give rise to consumer protection concerns, as well as CCCS’ proposed guidelines on price transparency are as follows:
1. Drip pricing
This refers to the practice of not disclosing both mandatory and optional charges upfront, which can lure consumers into making a purchase based on incomplete price information, and restrict competition by making it harder for consumers to compare product offerings across suppliers.
What CCCS recommends: Suppliers should ensure that any unavoidable or mandatory fees or charges, like taxes and surcharges, are included in the total headline price.
2. Pre-ticked boxes
Such practices can result in consumers buying unwanted add-on products, as a result of failing to opt-out by unchecking the pre-ticked boxes.
What CCCS recommends: As good practice, suppliers should avoid using pre-ticked boxes to automatically include add-ons. If pre-ticked boxes are used, suppliers must provide proper disclosures of the goods or services offered in a clear and prominent manner.
3. Strikethrough pricing
Such practices can mislead consumers into making a purchase, or paying a higher price, should the comparison between a current and a crossed-out price be false or misleading.
What CCCS recommends: When comparing their price with a previous price to represent a discount, suppliers should use an actual, bona fide previous price (i.e. usual price) that provides a legitimate basis for the price comparison.
When comparing their price with others, suppliers should ensure that any representations and price comparisons with other suppliers’ prices or the use of terms such as cost price, are not false or misleading.
4. Pressure selling
Suppliers touting false or misleading claims can create a false sense of urgency for consumers to make a purchase based on inaccurate information.
What CCCS recommends: When using the term “free”, suppliers should ensure that any representation that the price is $0 or “free” is not false or misleading and any qualifiers, terms and conditions as well as subsequent or deferred charges should be stated upfront clearly and prominently.
CCCS’ recommended positions are intended to encourage online travel booking providers to adopt transparent pricing practices, such that prices and their accompanying terms and conditions are communicated clearly. Through this, CCCS aims to educate suppliers and over time, reduce misleading pricing practices, thereby enabling consumers to shop confidently. This will enable consumers to make an informed choice and allow businesses to compete on a level playing field.
The guidelines will provide more clarity on what constitutes an infringement of the CPFTA and how suppliers should display and advertise prices in a clear manner, it added.
CCCS is seeking public feedback on the proposed guidelines on price transparency. The closing date for submissions is October 21, 2019.
More information on the proposed guidelines on price transparency and the public consultation can be accessed and downloaded from the CCCS website under the section “Public Consultation”.
CCCS said it will continue to monitor market developments in the online travel booking sector in Singapore.
Indian hospitality chain Oyo Hotels & Homes and its principal backer SoftBank Group have jointly acquired an 80 per cent stake in Japanese apartment rental operator MDI.
Nikkei Asian Review reported that the acquisition cost over US$100 million, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Oyo and its principal backer SoftBank jointly acquires 80% stake in MDI
In the fiscal year ending in March, MDI posted revenue of 114 billion yen (US$1 billion), and 37,000 rooms operating under its management.
Following the acquisition, Oyo plans to list a portion of the 37,000 rooms operating under MDI management on its OyoLife room rental platform. This will supplement the firm’s existing inventory of about 2,000 rooms in Japan.
In an email correspondence, an Oyo spokesperson revealed to Nikkei Asian Review that the company aims to “leverage MDI’s strong network and business development capabilities in Japan’s real estate market”.
Earlier in February, Oyo forayed into Japan’s housing rental market through a joint venture with Yahoo Japan Corporation to form Oyo Technology & Hospitality Company. This resulted Oyo bringing its housing rental product, Oyo Living, from India to Japan.
In July, Oyo published a statement hailing itself the world’s third largest hotel chain by room count as of June 2019, where its portfolio comprises more than 23,000 hotels and 46,000 vacation homes.
In the same month, Oyo founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal invested US$2 billion, through the entity RA Hospitality Holdings (Cayman), to increase his stake in the startup he founded.
In an age where few places are untouched by mass tourism, the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan remains “one of tourism’s last frontiers”, said Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana, speaking at the keynote address of Travolution Forum Asia, organised during the recent PATA Travel Mart in Nur-sultan, Kazakhstan.
Applauding PATA’s decision to host its first event in Central Asia, Foster urged sellers attending the mart to become “pioneers” in selling Kazakhstan to their markets. Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth largest country by land mass with an 18 million population, offers a “great steppe” for travel sellers.
Air Astana’s CEO Peter Foster wants more Asians to visit Kazakhstan, which he calls “one of tourism’s last frontiers”
Far from being a country “in the middle of nowhere”, Kazakhstan is located right “in the middle of everywhere”, Foster stated, as evident from the Kazakh flag carrier’s connections to most cities in Asia and Europe within a seven-hour flight radius.
“Kazakhstan is the perfect bridge between Asia and Europe,” he maintained.
The launch of its low-cost arm, FlyArystan, will enhance Air Astana’s hub status and connectivity with Central Asia. Already, the LCC has reduced domestic airfares by 30 per cent, and will soon launch services to regional cities, said Foster.
Meanwhile, Air Astana has just taken delivery of the first of its five Airbus A321neo aircraft last month, which will gradually replace its Boeing 757s on long range routes to Asia and Europe. Further deliveries of the A321neos are expected over the next two years.
Foster shared that Shanghai and Singapore are high on Air Astana’s flight expansion radar. The carrier is already carrying a lot of business from China to Paris, London and Frankfurt, leveraging its hub status in Central Asia.
Currently, 40 per cent of its international business is made up of transit business and 25 per cent of its total turnover, therefore the airline chief sees a critical need to build the inbound market into Kazakhstan.
“We’re relying very much on outbound from Kazakhstan and Russia. We’re not carrying many Asians into Kazakhstan,” he said.
“We need tourists from Asia. The Europeans are all over the Silk Road but we see very few Asians in the region.”
One way is through co-marketing Kazakhstan with the “big five tourism destinations” in the region, which include Almaty, St Petersburg and Moscow in Russia, Tbilisi in Georgia, and Kiev in Ukraine.
Kazakhstan is becoming “a must-see destination” on the Silk Road, said Foster, as the country is home to ancient monuments and cities with storied history.
DTech Solusi Bisnis has introduced cGO, an online reservation platform for yachts, vessels, island tours, ferry transportation and tour guide services.
At the recent media launch of the platform in Jakarta, DTech Solusi Bisnis’ CEO Ngadiman said: “The idea to launch this app came about when I was in Lombok (during) the earthquake, and it was so difficult to find (information) on the available boats to transfer people out of the island.
DTech Solusi Bisnis’ Ngadiman (second from left) and his team at the media launch of cGO, an online reservation platform for marine transport services
“cGO aims to provide access for travellers to explore, experience and enjoy the Indonesian archipelago through local social platforms in an affordable, secure and comfortable manner. cGO strives to eliminate the conventional hassle of traditional booking systems between providers and customers.”
Recognising the niche market need for an all-in-one solution for boat charter and its derivatives, cGO provides an informative, secure and transparent online marketplace to ease the travel reservation of all modes of water transportation, which include yacht and vessel rental, ferry transfers as well as island tours and tour guide services, said the company in a statement.
It added that cGO aims “to be the platform where the demand and supply directly meet within an easily navigable reservation system”.
Nora Kassim, managing director and co-founder of cGO, said: “Through cGO, providers or merchants will be able to manage the inquiries directly through the comprehensive dashboard and promote their products and services to both local and international markets.”
This platform offers professional asset management system and marketing efforts for a flat commission rate.
“Backed by cGO’s professional team, operators can also enjoy multiple benefits including secure payment and billing, controlled flexibility, customisable system, transparency in information and higher sales performance,” Kassim said.
Ngadiman added: “As one of the digital tourism stakeholders, cGO is committed to empower the local economy and tour operators with an international standard and competitive edge that is dedicated to the local SME, mid-size tour and travel agents. On top of that, with the tour guide feature, cGO opens up a new business opportunity for the local human resources and encourages them to strive to reach international standards.”
When the app goes live in November, customers or users will be able to match their preferences to make reservations through a cloud-powered website and app. Customers can also compare all modes of water transportations and tours to popular sites as well as lesser-known destinations in Indonesia.
“With cGO, customers can view real-time rates and book transportation according to their desired budget and schedule. Above all, cGO prioritises safety, transparency and credibility. Each operator and brand at cGO is registered and audited to provide complete and accurate information with no hidden costs. The platform also ensures safety in payment gateway, secure customer data privacy and allows an objective review system,” Kassim said.
The company has joined hands with Dtour Travel Services, Ancol Marina Port, private and government sectors, as well as local and international boat owners, to provide supporting systems for the online platform so as to ensure a comprehensive range of services and reliable results.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched the 25by2025 campaign, an airline industry initiative to advance gender diversity in the airline industry by 2025.
The 25by2025 campaign is a voluntary commitment by participating IATA member airlines. Key among the commitments of airlines participating in the 25by2025 campaign are to increase the number of women in senior positions (to be defined by the member airlines) by either 25 per cent against currently reported metrics or to minimum representation of 25 per cent by 2025; and to increase the number of women in under-represented jobs, like pilots and operations, by either 25 per cent against currently reported metrics or to a minimum representation of 25 per cent by 2025.
IATA’s 25by2025 campaign aims to advance gender diversity in the airline industry by 2025, including increasing the number of women in senior and under-represented positions, like pilots and operations
IATA member airlines who have already signed up to the 25by2025 campaign include China Eastern, Lufthansa Group and Qatar Airways.
There is currently no comprehensive airline industry-wide gender diversity statistical report. But with women representing around five per cent of the global pilot population and three per cent of CEOs, the gender imbalance in the industry is clear.
Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO, said: “Aviation is the business of freedom. An example of that is the freedom for 2.7 million women and men to develop exciting careers within this industry. But women are under-represented at senior levels, and in some professions, within airlines. Airlines understand the value that a diverse and gender-balanced workforce delivers. The 25by2025 campaign provides a global context and encouragement for the many initiatives our members are already taking to address the gender imbalance.
“I am confident that 25by2025 will be a major catalyst for progress -progress that will set the industry up to achieve even more in this important area. Our work will not be done in 2025 – in fact, this is only the beginning. Our ultimate aim is of course for a 50-50 gender split with equal opportunities for everyone in every part of our industry.”
In addition to the commitments from member airlines under the 25by2025 campaign, IATA will also be making the following commitments:
Increasing the representation of women in IATA’s senior management, referring to the director level and above, from the current 19 per cent to at least 25 per cent by 2025
Working with member airlines to increase the number of women they appoint to IATA governance roles from the current 17 per cent to a minimum of 25 per cent by 2025
Ensuring that the number of women participating as panelists or speakers at IATA conferences hits a minimum of 25 per cent by 2025
Creating a forum for sharing diversity and inclusion initiatives and best practices across the industry and publishing annual industry statistics on gender diversity
