The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will spend 48.8 million baht (US$1.6 million) to revamp a 400m stretch of Khao San Road, with the aim of turning the “popular backpacking hub into an international walking street”, according to a recent Bangkok Post report.
Construction works is slated to start in October and end next February. During construction, businesses along the road will operate as usual.
A facelift is expected to turn Bangkok’s Khao San Road from a backpacking haven to an “international walking street”
According to the same report, residents had complained of vendors who misused the footpaths and road space to hawk their wares, and said that the facelift would resolve these problems as “it will readjust pavements for more ease of walking and allocate more space to vendors”.
The report also quoted Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Business Association, as saying that the refurbished street would foster friendlier ties between street vendors and shopkeepers, who have long shared an antagonistic relationship.
However, he expressed concerns that the timeline of the revamp would adversely affect inbound tourism, as the launch of BMA’s Khao San project in October will coincide with the peak season, and coupled with recent fall in tourism numbers, “will only rub salt into the wound”.
Top Global, a lifestyle developer in the region, is expanding its smart solutions business and developing next generation products and services for the hospitality, healthcare and security industries.
The company announced that it will expand its R&D capabilities with the acquisition of an aggregate 75 per cent stake in I Industries (IIPL) for an aggregate consideration of S$1.9 million (US$1.4 million).
Top Global acquires IIPL to develop smart solution products using technology
IIPL, which is a Singapore-owned IT consultancy co-founded by Victor Tan and David Kho, designs and develops machinery and equipment for sale, specialising in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), miniaturisation and Internet of things (IOT).
As Top Global is focused on expanding its smart solutions business, the acquisition will enable the company to exploit natural synergies, improve technological capabilities and provide immediate access to new customers.
Top Global envisages that IIPL, along with its other subsidiary, Ultron Techniques, will be able to co-develop next generation smart solution products and services for the hospitality, healthcare, security and agriculture industries.
In the hospitality industry, for example, there are opportunities for the use of AI and robotics in housekeeping and backroom operations traditionally performed by human beings, so as to increase productivity and enhance the customer experience.
Hano Maeloa, Top Global CEO and executive director, said: “We are looking at industries with a tight labour market and a high cost of business, where there are opportunities for one-stop smart solutions using technologies like AI, IOT and robotics, for example, to address their challenges in a practical and affordable manner.”
Tan and Kho co-developed the fully autonomous traffic enforcement robot that is currently undergoing trials at Jewel Changi Airport. The robot detects cars waiting in unauthorised areas and flashes a “No Parking” sign that encourages the cars to move off, thereby smoothening traffic flow. This particular robot helps to take some of the traffic management load off security personnel, allowing them to be deployed on other duties.
Hyatt Hotels has entered into a management agreement with CES Pirie Hotel, an entity wholly owned by Chip Eng Seng, to develop a new Hyatt Regency in Adelaide.
The new 295-room hotel will mark the return of a Hyatt branded hotel to Adelaide, continuing the group’s expansion in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra. With construction set to commence in early 2020, the hotel is expected to open in early 2023.
An artist’s rendering of Hyatt Regency Adelaide
The 27-storey Hyatt Regency Adelaide, which will be located on Pirie Street in the city’s CBD, will include facilities of more than 750m2 of event space, a Market Café, a Regency Club, swimming pool, fitness facilities and a rooftop bar.
Hyatt left the city back in 2009 when its North Terrace hotel was turned into an InterContinental hotel.
Alex Willats has been appointed as general manager of China World Summit Wing, Beijing, operated by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Prior to joining China World Summit Wing, Beijing, he was general manager of Shangri-La at The Shard, London.
Willats is originally from the UK and has more than 25 years of experience in the hotel industry. During his career, Willats has also managed The Ritz London, Claridge’s; and Dusit Thani Bangkok.
Willats first joined Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in 2015 and has since worked at Shangri-La properties in Qatar, Oman, India and The Philippines.
What
Once the SuperStar Virgo of sister brand Star Cruises, Explorer Dream has entered the Dream Cruises fleet after an overhaul that spans its on-board facilities and cabin interiors.
The vessel brings to the seas 928 staterooms, including Dream Cruises’ signature ship-within-a-ship luxury commune, The Palace.
Explorer Dream will sail out of its homeport in Shanghai and Tianjin to Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. This October, the ship will cruise from Sydney and Auckland.
A US$56 million makeover has transformed SuperStar Virgo into Explorer Dream
Why
Having once sailed on the original SuperStar Virgo, I was impressed by the vessel’s transformation. Common spaces from walkways to the pool deck had been rejuvenated, and the cabins brightened with homely yet modern murals.
It’s not just a feast for the eyes, but also the tastebuds as available on board is a bevy of F&B options, such as Asian restaurant Blue Lagoon, Seafood Grill by celebrity chef Mark Best, Mozzarella Ristorante & Pizzeria, as well as Umi Uma Sushi & Teppanyaki.
Blue Lagoon treated this writer to a taste of signature Szechuan spices – a must-eat when visiting China – while Umi Uma Sushi & Teppanyaki served up a delectable menu of fresh seafood and sake.
The pièce de résistance of Explorer Dream is perhaps its exclusive enclave aptly named The Palace. This cluster of opulent suites are royally decked with plush furnishings, with majestic Grecian art adorning the walls of select cabins. Arguably the most luxe of the lot, The Palace Villa even boasts a balcony fitted with an outdoor jacuzzi overlooking The Palace’s private pool deck.
How
Recreational spaces onboard the Explorer Dream include an arcade, games and virtual reality (VR) lounge ESC Experience Lab, the Zodiac Theatre, the Palm Court bar and an observatory.
At the ESC Experience Lab, I tried my hand at a few rounds of invigorating VR gaming with other guests. Available on both solo and team mode, the Dead Prison station “locks” players within a cage, where they can choose from a variety of shooting games.
I relished the concept and setting of this experience, as well as its interactivity – participants simply have to stand in one spot and “shoot”. As such, the setup offers high potential for Dream Cruises to explore other types of immersive VR games.
Verdict Explorer Dream marks a notable departure from cruise stereotypes with its greater emphasis on gastronomic experiences and family-friendly fun. Its entertainment offerings are varied and interesting, boding well for Dream Cruises’ upcoming plans with its Global Class fleet.
Rates
Fly-cruise packages start from S$690 (US$499) per person, based on double occupancy, and excluding gratuities, port charges and visas.
Boutique hotel Zagame’s House in Melbourne has appointed Adam Taloni as its new general manager.
Taloni brings with him over 20 years of managerial experience within the Australian hotel sector for both boutique, and large sector businesses.
Before joining Zagame’s House, Taloni launched Sydney’s Ovolo Wooloomooloo, and Peppers Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, where he was general manager at both properties.
Prior to Ovolo, Taloni worked as group general manager for Vanity Group, as well as area manager for the Mantra Group.
The travel trade in Bandung, West Java, continues to stay alert as Mount Tangkuban Perahu, a popular tourist attraction in Indonesia, is showing an increase in volcanic activities.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised the level of warning status of the mountain from normal to caution after it erupted again on Thursday evening and Friday morning, with volcanic ash soaring 180m from the bottom of the mountain’s crater. This follows the earlier eruption of the volcano on July 26.
Tangkuban Perahu crater
Budijanto Ardijansyah, chairman of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies, West Java Chapter, said that the Mount Tangkuban Perahu tourism park remains open, but he has instructed members of his association to restrict access to it in order to ensure the safety of tourists.
Budijanto is upbeat that the eruption of the Mount Tangkuban Perahu will not have a significant negative impact on tourism, citing the reason that West Java is rich in tourist destinations.
“For tourists, we divert travellers to other popular tourist spots in Bandung, such as Kawah Putih (White Crater) and Patenggang Lake. These places are safe,” he said.
Daniel Nugraha, the owner of Exotic Java Trails Tours & Travel, said that since the eruption began on July 26, none of his guests from countries like Malaysia, Singapore and the Netherlands has made a cancellation. It was presumably because the eruption did not affect operations at the Kertajati International Airport in Majalengka and the Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung in West Java.
He said that his guests remained excited although he removed Mount Tangkuban Perahu from the list of tourist destinations in his tour packages, and replaced it with other spots, such as the Lodge Maribaya amusement park.
“They did not protest against the change. (Everyone wants) to stay safe and that is why it is much better to not approach the mountain,” he said.
Herman Muchtar, chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, West Java Chapter, said that only two out of the approximately 700 hotel members across Bandung City and Regency has reported cancellations due to the latest eruption.
“We hope that the situation will become normal immediately,” he said.
Elsewhere, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Banten, West Java on Friday evening. The epicentre of the earthquake was located 147km south-west off Sumur coast, Banten, at a depth of 10km. A tsunami alert was on for about two hours, but it did not happen.
The earthquake shook the neighbouring Jakarta, Bandung and Lampung, and its effects were also felt in places as far as Yogyakarta and Bali. However, all operations in the region are running as per normal.
Avalon Waterways is capitalising on the growth of the Indonesian outbound cruise market to promote river cruising in Europe.
The company, which operates under the Globus Family of Brands (GFOB), is ramping up efforts to heighten awareness of river cruising by partnering outbound travel companies.
Avalon Artistry II on the Rhine River in Germany
Melania Sugeng, operations manager of Abdi Perwakilan Global, the GSA for GFOB in Indonesia, said: “The popularity of cruise tourism continues to grow in the country, as shown by the rising demand on cruising. Many Indonesian travel companies now have a dedicated cruise division. However, only a few travellers are aware of river cruising.”
Speaking to the media recently, Ray Smith, GSA business development manager of Avalon Waterays, said: “Unlike ocean cruising, travelling along the big rivers in Europe, like Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Rhone, Sein and Seon, provide travellers with different experiences.”
Apart from enjoying onward facilities, travellers also get to soak in the scenery along the river banks and visit places of interest in different destinations, according to Smith.
Melania said: “In the last few years, we focused our efforts in creating awareness and encouraging travel companies to sell our products. Now, we target consumers through social media, and join travel companies in participating at travel fairs as well as talking to corporates.”
Apart from scheduled ships with itineraries ranging from three to 14 nights, Avalon Waterways also promotes chartered services for groups.
Smith said that in Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan are the major markets, while in South-east Asia, the Philippines and Malaysia are the top markets.
“We hope to see Indonesia catching up as we see there is a big potential here,” he said.
Qantas’ new distribution model, the Qantas Channel, which aims to modernise the way agents book fares and deliver personalised experiences to customers, has taken effect from August 1.
The Qantas Channel is part of the broader digital strategy to enhance Qantas’ booking systems, and is a new agreement between the airline and its agency partners to provide access to a wide range of Qantas fares, products and information for agents.
Qantas’ new distribution model has come into effect
Over time, agencies who have signed up to the Qantas Channel will be able to offer customers new content sourced from the NDC-enabled Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP), which is not currently available via traditional indirect booking systems.
Qantas has partnered with all of the major GDSs to make the Qantas Channel available to agencies globally and continues to work with other technology partners to deliver the Qantas Channel and QDP content.
Thousands of agencies around the world have signed up to the Qantas Channel, representing around 90 per cent of Qantas’ revenue from trade partners.
Qantas executive manager, sales and distribution, Igor Kwiatkowski, said the launch of the Qantas Channel was an important milestone in the transformation of the airline’s distribution strategy.
“The launch of the Qantas Channel, together with our new distribution platform will, over time, empower our agency partners to deliver more enriched and personalised experiences for our mutual customers,” Kwiatkowski said.
He added: “We’ve observed other international airlines adopt new distribution models and recognise that the adoption of the new technology takes time. That’s why we’ve deliberately taken a phased, collaborative approach so that the Qantas Channel, and the new content that it will offer, can be delivered in the most seamless way possible.
“Greater reward and recognition of our Frequent Flyers and the ability to deliver targeted offers for our agency partners are just some of the benefits that are in the pipeline. Ultimately, our vision is to offer our agency partners a bigger toolkit than what they can offer our customers today.”
Agencies that have not registered for the Qantas Channel may incur a channel fee, in addition to no longer being able to access a wide range of traditional fares being made available via indirect channels or having access to the new content via the QDP as it becomes available.
Born and bred in the Inle Lake region of Myanmar, Yin Myo Su – affectionately known as Misuu – has devoted the past decade of her life to raising the standards around the area she calls home.
For the last 23 years, Misuu has been running a family business of hotels and resorts in the area. “I had worked in hospitality for a long time so I know how tourism can do good but also a lot of harm. Promotion and preservation go hand-in-hand,” she said.
Inle Heritage
1 of 6
With that realisation, she began sowing the seeds for Inle Heritage. What began as a Burmese cat reintroduction breeding programme in 2007 has today flourished into a full-fledged hospitality vocational centre geared towards helping disadvantaged youth.
As part of her sustainability efforts, Misuu also turned a traditional stilted house into a restaurant serving up her grandmother’s recipes and a garden to grow the fresh ingredients.
In order to receive organic status, Misuu had to get the soil and water tested. And while the soil passed, the water from Inle Lake didn’t. Misuu recalled: “As a child 40 years ago, I would wash myself with this water. Now in some places, it has intense chemicals from boats and other issues.”
Misuu set about collecting data and monitoring the water throughout the lake. She flew to Malaysia to visit projects there that were using natural water filtration systems, and subsequently created a cost-effective natural wetland with aquatic plants that filter grey water. This strategy was soon adopted by other villagers and communities living on the lake.
Since then, Misuu has continued building up her foundation, opening the Inle Heritage Hospitality Vocational Training Centre (IHHVTC), which enrolled its first batch of 42 students in 2013. To finance the school, she started the aforementioned restaurant, cookery classes, an art gallery, a small resort of stilted houses and a gift shop selling items made by vulnerable women.
“I wanted to provide a space for those who drop out of formal education. The high school drop-out rate is 70 per cent. Only 30 per cent of students passed their exams last year. This is a problem and there aren’t enough vocational schools to cope with this. What do we do with all of these drop-outs? I see them as raw stones and we can help shape their future,” she shared.
IHHVTC has built up a strong reputation across the country – its students intern at some of Myanmar’s leading hotels, including the Kempinski Hotel in Naypyitaw, and Belmond Governor’s Residence, The Strand Hotel and Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon.
Fresh graduates are snapped up by a waiting list of top hotels, restaurants and other hospitality-related businesses across the country. In future, Misuu hopes to expand the school and take in more students annually.
The hospitality school is also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality and Catering (ASSET-H&C), which recently scooped a PATA Grand Award for Education and Training.
