Sabre Corporation is enhancing the way hoteliers market to the travel agency community with the introduction of a new GDS media solution, as part of its rollout of Content Services for Lodging.
The new GDS media offerings will help travel agents find more relevant hotel options based on travellers’ personal preferences, including the ability to search by city name, airport code, city code, points of interest, geolocation, custom polygons and amenities.
Sabre launches new GDS media solutions for hoteliers
During the transition, which is expected to begin in mid to late 2020, both Hotel Spotlight and the new solution will be available to the Sabre GDS media customer base providing incremental value to customers.
Additionally, Sabre is changing the sales and services channels for Hotel Spotlight to simplify the process for hotel customers. From January 2020, Sabre Hospitality Solutions will serve as the exclusive sales channel for Hotel Spotlight and its future iteration. As of July 1, 2020, Hospitality Solutions will be the only provider able to service Hotel Spotlight and its future iteration.
Hoteliers looking to secure the benefits and visibility that the Sabre GDS media offerings provide should work with Sabre now to ensure their placement for the entirety of 2020 and beyond. Sabre’s GDS media solutions provide hoteliers with a way to be more visible to agents searching for certain locations and amenities, said the company in a statement, citing the example that a hotel using the current Sabre Hotel Spotlight is four times more likely to be booked by agents.
“The Sabre GDS is an incredibly valuable distribution and sales channel for suppliers looking to reach our global network of travel agencies and high value travellers, and Sabre Hotel Spotlight is an especially powerful and proven tool to help hoteliers drive conversions in the indirect channel,” said Brian Jorgenson, senior vice president of product marketing for Sabre Hospitality Solutions.
Jorgenson added that Sabre’s latest GDS media offerings is “consistent with our goal to help suppliers increase bookings across channels and to help agents offer more personalised service to travellers”.
Amsterdam-based ticket booking platform Tiqets has raised US$60 million in a Series C financing round led by Airbnb, with continued support from prior lead investors HPE Growth Capital and Investion.
With this new funding, Tiqets plans to invest in initiatives that accelerate its growth, build richer experiences for customers, and create better tools for its venue partners — all in line with its vision of making culture more accessible for all.
Tiqets’ CEO Luuc Elzinga (above) said he’s “thrilled” that the ticket booking platform has raised US$60 million in a funding round led by Airbnb
“Travellers are seeking out a diverse range of experiences when they visit a new city. The Tiqets team has effectively used new technology to connect travellers to communities and we are excited to support their work,” said Philippe Magid, Airbnb’s art and culture director.
“We founded Tiqets to bring more people more frequently into the greatest venues around the world. We are thrilled to have Airbnb’s support and look forward to delivering great experiences to even more travellers,” Luuc Elzinga, co-founder and CEO of Tiqets, said.
Location
The 606-room Village Hotel at Sentosa, together with sister properties The Outpost and The Barracks (opening December 1, 2019), make up the trio of developments that Far East Hospitality has unveiled on Sentosa.
Its location offers a unique vantage point on Sentosa, with Kidzania Singapore just next door and the Imbiah Monorail & Cable Car station located just a brief walk away. Other key attractions on the island, Resorts World Sentosa and Palawan Beach, are about five minutes away.
Rooms
Stepping into the 44m² Family Room – formed by two interconnecting Deluxe Rooms – I was drawn by the warm, cheerful vibes that the beige-and-white room radiated. Colourful illustrations adorn the wall, while an expansive window frames up views of the kids’ pools below, offering endless fascination for my two young children checking out the action below.
Say goodbye to plastic bottles at this hotel, as all rooms boast their own supply of potable water, dispensed via a Hyflux tap built into the sink. Also, complimentary tea, coffee and ice are available in the common pantry located next to the lift on each floor.
F&B
All-day dining Native Kitchen is the only restaurant on-site, seating up to 133 pax in its light-filled, airy environment. In the lobby, there’s also a small café, Supply Depot, offering drinks, snacks and pastries on the go.
In the works is the Mess Hall, a restored colonial heritage building that will house at least one Indian, Chinese and Japanese restaurant when fully opened.
Facilities
A major draw are the four different thematic experiences – a lazy river pool, children’s play pool, adventure pool and the infinity Pamukkale pool – which Village Hotel at Sentosa shares with sister properties. The lazy river pool was a big hit for young kids like mine, who took pleasure in floating around the river lined with foliage, mini falls and whirling pools. A Volkswagen food truck stands in one corner, offering light snacks and drinks.
Not to be missed is the Pamukkale infinity pool, which commands a stunning view of the South China Sea (especially at sunset), with a pool bar and deck chairs on the side. Note that this particular pool is accessible to adults only.
As a family-friendly resort, Village Hotel Sentosa also has complimentary weekend activities lined up for children, while half-hourly shuttles connect guests to VivoCity shopping mall on the mainland.
Service
A ladder for kids is placed next to the reception counter, enabling little ones to enjoy the check-in/out process with their parents.
Verdict
Clearly a standout choice on Sentosa for families and leisure travellers alike. With its more affordable price point, Village Hotel Sentosa will make an appealing choice for staycations as well as excellent base for foreign visitors looking to a few days of fun on Sentosa.
Rates
Deluxe room from S$280++ (US$202), Family room from S$370++, and Interconnecting room from S$470++
Bhutanese national flag-carrier Drukair has taken delivery of its new ATR 42-600 aircraft, which will feature a 40-seat cabin with generous pitch and stowage.
The latest-generation turboprop aircraft, which will be used on the airline’s domestic and international routes, was chosen for its outstanding operational performance in challenging conditions.
Besides boasting cutting-edge avionics, Drukair’s ATR is equipped with the ClearVision system, which will provide pilots with outstanding vision and situational awareness.
The airline’s ATR serves small airports in the Himalayan Mountains and links Bhutan with Kathmandu, Kolkata and Dhaka.
FlyArystan connects Nur-Sultan to Moscow
Kazakhstan’s first LCC FlyArystan has started its first international route from Nur-Sultan to Moscow.
From December 13, 2019, the daily, three-hour service will operate from Nur-Sultan to Zhukovsky International Airport using an Airbus A320 aircraft.
Flights will depart Nur-Sultan at 22.10 and arrive in Moscow at 22.40 on the same day. The return flight to Nur-Sultan will leave Zhukovsky at 23.25 and arrive in Nur-Sultan at 05.35 the next day.
Cebu Pacific starts new routes to Guangzhou and Hong Kong
Cebu Pacific has commenced two direct services between Clark and Guangzhou, as well as Puerto Princesa and Hong Kong, making it the first airlines in the Philippines to fly these routes.
The new routes are in line with the carrier’s plans to expand its route network in China, where it recently commenced flights between Shenzhen and Manila earlier this year.
Starting from November 11, 2019, the four-times-weekly Clark-Guangzhou service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The outbound flight will depart Clark at 11.35, while the return flight will depart Guangzhou at 15.15 the next day.
Starting from November 17, 2019, the four-times-weekly Puerto Princesa-Hong Kong service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flight 5J5306 will depart Puerto Princesa at 15.35 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; and 4:05pm on Saturdays. Return flight 5J5307 will depart Hong Kong at 19.30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; and 20.00 on Saturdays.
Keen to tap on Saudi Arabia as a new outbound destination following the kingdom’s recent move to open its doors to foreign tourists for the first time, the Indonesian trade is calling upon the Saudi Arabian government to increase destination awareness of the conservative country, including its tourism offerings and regulations.
Under the e-visa programme, citizens from 49 countries will be able to apply for an e-visa online ahead of their trip or upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. The single-entry visa is valid for 30 days, while the multiple-entry visa allows for a stay in the country of up to three months.
Indonesia’s travel trade keen to tap on Saudi Arabia as a new outbound destination; Jeddah coast in Saudi Arabia pictured
Additionally, female visitors are exempted from wearing the head-to-toe abaya robe, through they still have to dress modestly. The authorities now also allow unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms.
The fact that Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population and is a key source market to Saudi Arabia’s pilgrimage market means that it has the potential to greatly boost tourist arrivals to the Middle East kingdom.
Although Indonesia is not included in Saudi Arabia’s e-visa programme, Rudiana, director of sales of Wita Tour in Jakarta, said that Saudi Arabia’s move is a breakthrough that will accelerate tourism development. Saudi Arabia’s opening up to tourism follows in the footsteps of UAE which is largely open to foreigners.
Though Rudiana is aware of Saudi Arabia’s rich history and culture, he awaits to see how the government will brand its tourism campaign and what non-pilgrimage tourist destinations they will highlight to attract foreign tourists. Meanwhile, Mecca and Medina, Islam’s holiest sites will remain closed to non-Muslim travellers.
He said that many non-Muslims in Indonesia were curious about Saudi Arabia, and have expressed interest in visiting the kingdom. But he added that “the image that they have in mind of Saudi Arabia is that it is a country only for Muslim pilgrims”.
Jakarta-based Elok Tour’s managing director Pauline Suharno expects Saudi Arabia to immediately embark on promotions through roadshows, travel marts or travel fairs to raise awareness on potential business cooperation to promote tourist spots that are open to foreign travellers.
Pauline said that the Saudi Arabian government and business stakeholders also had to train Indonesian travel agents to better understand the country’s tourism sector, including its attractions and offerings, so that they would be well-equipped to push Saudi Arabia’s tourism products to prospective travellers, especially non-Muslims.
Echoing that sentiment is Hasiyanna Ashadi, head of Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) Jakarta chapter, who said that Saudi Arabia’s tourism offerings remains a huge question mark to the outside world. “Does it have resorts like those in Bali? Are its tourist attractions like those in Dubai? We don’t know yet,” she said.
Hasiyanna expressed a hope that Saudi Arabia’s new tourist visa policy would be followed up with face-to-face socialisation about the new regulations relating to technical matters like attire for foreign tourists, especially non-Muslims, despite the news reports about it already circulating out there.
“Do they need to wear hijabs? Is it okay for unmarried couples to travel together there? We need more certainties about those things,” she said.
Hasiyanna added that the Saudi Arabia government’s new move spelled good news for Indonesian umrah pilgrims too as it allows them to explore lesser-known cities in the country after visiting the holy sites of Mecca and Medina.
She believes that the Saudi Arabian government is currently preparing the tourist sites to push, and predicts that travel agents may begin introducing tourism packages at the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) in Dubai next April.
Panorama Group’s CEO Budi Tirtawisata, who recently participated in a fam trip hosted by the Kingdom’s tourism authority for WTTC members, said that the country was in the preparation stage to get ready for tourists.
“They have many interesting historic sites, upmarket international branded hotels and other infrastructures. What we need is DMCs who understand how to handle holidaymakers (whose requirements differ from pilgrims). I also think that they should develop a variety of hotels to meet the needs of different types of travellers,” he said.
He believed that Saudi Arabia would attract Indonesian holidaymakers once the facilities and personnel were ready for them.
Hasiyanna said that she plans to visit the ATM next year, adding that it was possible for her company, Marintur, to roll out outbound packages to Saudi Arabia. Her positive impression of Mecca, Medina and Riyadh made her upbeat that the development of other cities in the country would also be impressive and that it would be a breeze to sell the packages to clients.
However, many foreigners have yet to be acquainted with the sites outside the pilgrimage cities as they were never exposed to the outside world. “I believe that Saudi Arabia has many exotic spots,” she said.
In a move that is part of a broader strategic partnership between two travel giants, users of accommodation booking platform Booking.com can now book Grab’s ride-hailing services in Singapore through the former’s app.
Booking Holdings is an investor in Grab, and Grab introduced hotel bookings directly through its app, in partnership with Agoda and Booking.com, earlier this year.
From left: Booking.com’s Angel Llull Mancas and David Adamczyk; and Grab’s Shawn Heng sharing more about the partnership at the press conference yesterday
Grab’s latest cross-app effort follows its recent investment in ride-hailing aggregator Splyt, which enables Ctrip and AliPay customers visiting South-east Asia to book Grab rides through their own apps.
Besides Singapore, this Grab-Booking.com partnership will also connect international travellers visiting seven other South-east Asian countries. The roll-out will be completed by year-end in Indonesia and Thailand; and early 2020 for Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Shawn Heng, Grab’s regional head of business development and Grab for Business, said: “There is no need (for these travellers) to rely on curbside hailing, haggle with the driver, deal with a language barrier, or download another app. International travellers heading to South-east Asia can use – and trust – a platform they are already familiar with.”
While Booking.com already has existing partnerships with transport providers such as car rental companies and taxis, this marks its first partnership with a ride-hailing service in South-east Asia, a region that receives around 130 million international inbound travellers annually.
David Adamczyk, director of transport strategy, Booking.com, added: “As a European, it wouldn’t be natural for me to have Grab already installed on my phone. This app is for that type of traveller who isn’t already using the product, is a resident here, knows that it exists, or may not be interested in downloading a new app for the trip.”
He added that North or South Americans visiting South-east Asia, for instance, are unlikely to be familiar with Grab, hence the Grab functionality within the Booking.com app would come in handy. Travellers are able to access to Grab services in-app, cashless payments in the user’s currency, and customer services in the user’s language.
Angel Llull Mancas, vice president and managing director Asia-Pacific, Booking.com, reasoned: “Asia is one of the agents of growth for Booking.com. Online penetration in this part of the world is at 54 per cent, so there’s still a lot of room to grow.
“While our business has been focused on delivering the best accommodation for our customers – and this will always be our core business – we want to have connected trips; which is making sure we deliver a seamless experience from the beginning of the journey until the end,” Mancas noted.
Booking.com’s ultimate ambition is to become an end-to-end travel service provider, giving travellers a single platform to book, pay for and manage every step of the journey, from accommodation and transport to experiences and attractions.
When asked what else is in the pipeline for Booking.com, Mancas said: “We’re also looking at a partnership (ground transportation options) in China with Didi Chuxing, which is also a challenging (destination) for international travellers.”
Adamczky added: “In Europe, we’re in the test phase for the booking of trains and buses (public transportation) in five cities, and we’re looking to roll that out to more cities over the course of next year.”
As for whether Grab’s other services such as GrabFood, as well as loyalty points, will eventually be integrated into the app, Adamczky said that they will “get the basics right first, and will figure out how to join the schemes (if possible) later”.
Travel industry veteran Dane Cheng will take up the executive director mantle at Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) from November 1, 2019, replacing previous chief Anthony Lau who stepped down from the role in end July.
HKTB chairman Pang Yiu-kai said that Cheng was chosen for the role because he had considerable experience of marketing and management in the tourism industry.
Dane Cheng
“I am very pleased to have Mr Cheng joining the HKTB at this moment in time when the tourism industry faces huge challenges. I am certain that Mr Cheng will lead the team to overcome the current difficulties. Later, when the time is right, he will join forces with the travel trade and other sectors to launch a far-reaching global promotion, attracting visitors from every continent back to Hong Kong and rebuilding Hong Kong’s reputation as one of the world’s leading travel destinations,” he said.
With over 30 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry, Cheng has held senior positions in general management, marketing, communications and international affairs in various regions during his time with Cathay Pacific Airways. He was also the executive director of Hang Lung Properties from 2017 to 2019.
KlikNBook.com, an Indonesia-based B2B bedbank founded in 2012, has pumped heavy investments in technology and human capital as it targets to achieve 40 per cent share of the domestic market a year from now.
Peggy Lee, the company’s founder and director of operations, said: “The hospitality distribution landscape is changing, and competition from international brands is fierce. We had some modest success, but ran into challenges when negotiating with big brands as they want to see numbers. We knew that we needed investment, so we had to upgrade our technology and recruit people who understand the business.
KlikNBook.com invests heavily in technology and human capital as it aims to achieve 40 per cent domestic market share in a year’s time
“We are lucky that we have found investors who are looking to develop this business,” she said, declining to name the investors and the amount of funds injected into the company. She added that the company would target domestic travellers who are travelling within Indonesia or overseas.
The bedbank’s president director Riyo Wisaksono said that with hotel developments spreading from major destinations to secondary and third-tier cities, the company is looking to tap on these potential markets by bringing in fresh blood to support the organisation’s growth.
“We have (recruited) 25 team members who have years of experience developing and managing (domestic) bedbanks. They have developed good relationships with hotel suppliers and buyers (travel companies),” he said.
The domestic market presents “huge” opportunities, said Riyo. According to data from Statistics Indonesia, there were 303.4 million trips in 2018, a growth of 12.4 per cent from 2017.
In addition, improved accessibility across the country, on the back of construction of toll roads across Java, alongside airport developments, have also encouraged domestic travel.
“It is interesting to learn that the opening of the toll road (between Surabaya in East Java and Solo in Central Java) have boosted room occupancy rates,” Riyo shared.
Hoteliers in Solo used to grapple with an oversupply of rooms, but they are now seeing between 70 to 80 per cent occupancy rates since the opening of the toll road last year, according to Riyo. Travelling between Surabaya and Solo has been slashed by half to less than three hours.
“This (toll road) seems to have attracted people in both provinces (Central and East Java) to visit each other. The places of interests in East Java are full of travellers from Central Java and the other way around,” he said.
Meanwhile, KlikNBook.com has its sights trained on local travellers heading overseas too, Lee revealed. “Indonesian outbound travel continues to grow and these travellers need accommodation overseas, so our content will have to cater to their needs too,” she noted.
Quizzed on the strategy to reach the target, Riyo said: “We work with both big and small hotels with policies that allow them all to profit and for the small to grow.
“Our offices will be in Bandung, Bali, Surabaya and Jakarta, but we will work with small, local bedbanks in other cities to develop content. This way, our content will grow without killing small businesses in the secondary markets,” he added.
Marriott International has signed an agreement with Myanmar’s property developer, Yoma Land, to bring the Westin brand into the country in late 2021.
Under the agreement, the new-build Westin Yangon which will feature 281 rooms and suites alongside 90 premium serviced apartments, will make up part of the Yoma Central integrated real estate development.
Westin Yangon
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Upon completion in 2021, Yoma Central expects to be anchored by the restored former headquarters of the Burma Railway Company, one of Yangon’s oldest colonial-era buildings. Yoma Central plans to also feature two Grade A office towers and a collection of luxury private homes, all of which will be connected by a retail podium.
The hotel will also feature Westin’s signature services and amenities such as the fully equipped WestinWorkout Fitness Studio, the RunWestin programme, and The Heavenly Spa By Westin. Guests can also pack light and stay fit while travelling with the Westin Gear Lending programme, featuring New Balance clothing and shoes delivered to their rooms.
F&B establishments include an all-day dining outlet, two specialty restaurants, as well as the lobby lounge, pool bar and rooftop bar. The business community can avail themselves of the four meeting rooms, a board room and 2,470m² of conference and event space.
Hertz Asia-Pacific has appointed Discover the World (DTW), a global travel industry sales and marketing specialist, as its general sales agent (GSA) for Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Hong Kong company First Marketing has also been appointed as the GSA for Macau.
DTW and First Marketing will manage the outbound sales of products and services of Hertz and its additional car rental brands Dollar, Thrifty, Ace and Firefly to domestic travel trade partners, corporate customers and leisure travellers, said the company in a statement.
A Hertz customer service centre in Malaysia
Hertz Asia Pacific’s vice president Eoin MacNeill said: “Both GSAs have the expertise, capabilities and knowledge of the Hertz brands to ensure business growth, while adapting to the evolving mobility landscape.”
DTW has held a long-term partnership with Hertz, having operated as the Hertz GSA across many Asian countries as well as Ukraine and Guatemala, for more than 26 years.
First Marketing has worked with Hertz since 2009, when they were first appointed GSA for Hong Kong.
