Myanmar Tourism Marketing (MTM) has signed an MoU with the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), which opened its newest chapter in Myanmar in early February.
ASTA opened its Myanmar chapter with a view to work on a variety of projects in Myanmar and seek out opportunities to educate their travel advisors on an emerging destination.
At the signing of the MoU agreement
“Myanmar is looking for ways to meet with the US travel market. Most countries know Americans spend more per diem than others, so everyone wants visitors from the US,” said Bob Duglin, vice president of international membership and expansion, at the MoU signing.
Duglin had travelled to Myanmar earlier this year to meet with tourism officials, before returning to the destination in June with some association members on an ASTA Education fam trip.
ASTA Myanmar chapter has almost 150 members, making it the association’s largest international chapter.
Hailed by MTM as the last frontier of South-east Asia, Myanmar presents US travellers with opportunities to discover new experiences in culture, nature and local hospitality.
“We continue to promote Myanmar to more travellers from around the world to make awareness about the unique Myanmar culture, nature and most of all the hospitality of the people,” said May Myat Mon Win, chairperson of MTM.
Hotelbeds is targeting an additional 14,000 travel agent customers by 2022, with growth focused on luxury agents and those specialising in “high-value” and longhual trips.
If it were to reach its target, Hotelbeds will serve a total of 64,000 travel agents.
A screenshot from the Hotelbeds website
In a statement, Hotelbeds said that travel agents – along with tour operators, airlines and points redemption schemes – form a central part of its commitment to offer to hoteliers incremental bookings of non-domestic and high-value guests.
The agent intermediary brings in guests who book further in advance, cancel less, pay more for a room, spend more in destination and come back more frequently, Hotelbeds stressed.
Carlos Muñoz, Bedbank managing director, commented: “The recently refreshed new Bedsonline retail brand, enhanced value proposition for customers, along with our strong local relevance and presence, improved product offering and tools are going to be the key drivers in achieving this goal.”
Meituan partners with SiteMinder to explore the overseas hotel market
Looking to expand its hotel inventory beyond its home market of China, Chinese e-commerce giant Meituan has entered a deal with SiteMinder, its first hotel distribution technology partner.
With SiteMinder appointed as its online distribution partner, Meituan says it now has a complete hotel technology stack to attract international hotel markets, beginning with South-east Asia.
Meituan partners with SiteMinder to exppand hotel inventory
For SiteMinder’s 35,000 hotel customers, the partnership with Meituan provides greater access to the lucrative Chinese traveller market.
Zhong Qiang, general manager of Meituan’s overseas accommodation department, said SiteMinder was chosen for its global presence, as well as its appeal to both large hotel chains and independent hotels.
Meituan has also recently struck a cooperation deal with Compass Hospitality, which operates hotels, serviced apartments and resorts across Thailand, Malaysia and the UK, to make the the latter’s flagship store available through both the Meituan and Dianping apps.
Chinese consumers are able to browse and enquire about price, location, and room status of all hotels run by Compass Hospitality.
The partnership also covers hotel income management and data analysis. Both parties will jointly explore the Internet and accommodation model, which centres around driving business growth through utilising digital technologies.
Meituan’s technology service platform today has more than 410 million transacting users. The company is publicly-listed in Hong Kong and holds a recent market value of approximately US$52 billion.
Symphony of the Seas is currently the newest in Royal Caribbean's fleet
Royal Caribbean Cruises is ordering a third ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Meyer Turku.
Scheduled for delivery in 2025, the ship will join its two sister ships in the new Icon class fleet – to be delivered in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
Symphony of the Seas (pictured) is currently the newest in Royal Caribbean’s fleet
Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, said the order affirms the company’s commitment to clean-power technologies at sea.
‘We’ve designed a class of ships powered by LNG that leverages the latest, environmentally-friendly applications. We believe that innovative shipbuilding can reduce our carbon footprint and boost energy efficiencies to help to build a cleaner future,” Fain continued.
Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, is confident that innovative design as well as energy-efficient technology and engineering will “make Icon class a game changer”.
The Roseate Ganges, India
Nestled on the banks of the river Ganges in Rishikesh, this luxury retreat offers just 16 villas, each opening to a private balcony overlooking the Himalayan outdoors. Facilities include a temperature-controlled infinity swimming pool overlooking the surrounding valley; a private stretch of white sand beach next to the Ganges; the Aheli Spa; and two F&B options, the Chidya Ghar restaurant and Roasted by Roseate cafe. The retreat also offers an array of experiences ranging from nature walks to meditation, and river rafting to the Rajaji National Park.
Element Melbourne Richmond, Australia
The opening of Element Melbourne Richmond marks the debut of the brand in the country. Facilities in the 168-key hotel include an all-day dining space, 24/7 Restore grab-and-go pantry and a fitness centre. The property also offers guests a complimentary Bikes-to-Borrow programme, as well as a Relax reception four days a week, which offers complimentary small bites, local beers and wines.
In addition, the hotel boasts four modern meeting spaces, spanning a total of 256m2. Located on level five, rooms can be configured to welcome between 12 and 250 guests. An outdoor deck space is also available, with views of Melbourne’s skyline and CBD
ibis Styles Bangkok Ratchada, Thailand
Located steps away from Bangkok’s Huai Khwang subway station is the 266-room ibis Styles Bangkok Ratchada. Rooms range from the 25m2 Standard Room to the 34m2 Family Room good for up to four guests, and feature designs inspired by basket-weaving patterns. Amenities on-site includes the Streats Café and adjacent bar, a fitness centre and a spa. For meetings and events, the hotel offers three boardrooms, and one grand ballroom that can hold 150 guests theatre-style.
Kishi-ke, Japan
Billed as the first chisoku-themed modern ryokan, this luxury lodging in Kamakura – a seaside city just south of Tokyo – has just space for five people at a given time time. The ocean-view retreat is based on the concept of chisoku, which means ‘to know the feeling of being fulfilled with the now’, where the goal is to help guests achieve inner harmony by mindfulness. Experiences here include cultural workshops such as tea ceremonies (chado, senchado), katana practice and zazen meditation. In addition, guests can also partake in Buddhist cuisine, all of which are practices leading to chisoku.
Park Hotel Clarke Quay will be one of the 14 hotels in A-HTRUST's Asia-Pacific portfolio to be combined with Ascott Reit's owned properties under a CapitaLand entity
A proposed combination of Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott Reit) and Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTRUST) will result in the largest hospitality trust in Asia-Pacific, and the eighth largest globally, with an asset value of S$7.6 billion (US$5.6 billion).
The combination will be effected by way of a trust scheme of arrangement, with Ascott Reit acquiring all the A-HTRUST Stapled Units. The total consideration for the combination is over S$1.2 billion, comprising S$61.8 million in cash and 902.8 million new Ascott Reit-BT Stapled Units.
Park Hotel Clarke Quay will be one of the 14 hotels in A-HTRUST’s Asia-Pacific portfolio to be combined with Ascott Reit properties under a CapitaLand entity
The transaction will bring together Ascott Reit’s global portfolio, which comprises predominantly serviced residences, and A-HTRUST’s 14 hotels in Asia-Pacific, creating an enlarged portfolio of 88 properties with more than 16,000 units in 39 cities and 15 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US.
It will also further diversify Ascott Reit’s global portfolio with foray into new gateway cities – Brisbane and Seoul.
“The enlarged portfolio will be further diversified with no single country accounting for more than 20 per cent of gross profit, thereby reducing concentration risk,” commented Tan Juay Hiang, CEO of the A-HTRUST Managers.
Chia Kim Huat, lead independent director of the A-HTRUST Managers, sees CapitaLand and its lodging unit, The Ascott, as a strong sponsor for the combined entity.
For Bob Tan, Ascott Reit’s chairman, the combination is a win-win for both parties’ unitholders. “Ascott Reit as a combined entity will see our asset value grow by 33 per cent to S$7.6 billion and our distribution per unit increase by 2.5 per cent for FY2018 on a pro forma basis.”
He expects that the entity will have a higher proportion of stable income derived from master leases, balanced by growth income derived from management contracts.
“With access to a larger capital base and a higher debt headroom of about S$1 billion, we will have greater financial flexibility to seek more accretive acquisitions and value enhancements. The combined entity can then be strategically positioned to potentially enjoy a positive re-rating of the unit price and gain a wider investor base, which would be beneficial to all our unitholders.”
Beh Siew Kim, Ascott Reit’s CEO, added: “This will present an enlarged capacity to acquire more assets as well as undertake more development and conversion projects, thereby increasing their asset values over time – all with an aim to bring about greater income stability through a resilient and well-diversified portfolio.”
Earnings contribution from developed countries is expected to increase to 82 per cent on a pro forma basis, according to Beh, which will facilitate the inclusion of Ascott Reit into the FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed Index and potentially result in higher trading liquidity and a larger investor base.
The combined entity will also the seventh largest trust listed on the Singapore Exchange by asset value.
TAT revises down 2019 target for both international tourist arrivals and tourism receipts
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has downgraded its projections for international tourist arrivals, now down to 40.2 million from the 41.3 million forecast earlier, the Bangkok Post reported.
The agency has also trimmed its forecast revenue growth from tourism receipts, which include domestic travel, to 9.5 per cent from 10 per cent. This brings the expected revenue for the year to 3.38 trillion baht (US$110.6 billion), down slightly from the previous projection of 3.4 trillion.
TAT revises down 2019 projections for both international tourist arrivals and overall tourism receipts
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn attributed the less optimistic projections to the global economic slowdown, the baht’s appreciation and soaring fuel prices disrupting travel plans, according to the Bangkok Post report.
For 2020, he is targeting a 10 per cent growth in tourism revenue, hopeful that the unfavourable conditions in 2019 will ease next year.
The target is achievable, he said, as TAT places greater focus on market segmentation and potential niche markets, especially lifestyle and health-oriented individual tourists who tend to spend more during trips.
The aim is to increase the portion of quality tourists who have income above US$60,000 a year to 20 per cent by 2021 from the current 13 per cent, the Bangkok Post article stated.
The Bangkok Post also quoted Tossaporn Sirisamphan, chairman of the TAT board, who stressed the importance of developing existing tourism destinations and new products.
There is a national plan to promote small provinces so tourism benefits could be better distributed to local communities in secondary destinations. The aim is to narrow the ratio of tourism receipts from major cities against second-tier provinces to 80:20 by 2022. The ratio was 87:13 last year.
Related projects include a plan for the Southern Economic Corridor that will create a strategic zone between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, especially Ranong province, where there is an eight-metre-deep seaport.
Another project is the development of the Thailand Riviera into a romantic coastline, a scheme already tabled for cabinet consideration.
The podcast launched with an initial five-part series
Trafalgar has launched the industry’s first agent e-learning podcast to enable travel agents to listen and learn about the company’s brand stories and “behind-the-scenes” information while on the go.
The initial five-part series, Travel Unlocked, will see the brand reveal stories and “never-before-shared information” from a variety of guests within the business, such as travel directors, sales managers, product developers and CEO Gavin Tollman.
The podcast launched with an initial five-part series
The episodes will cover FAQs, JoinTrafalgar sustainability efforts, and how Be My Guest – another innovation by Trafalgar – was born.
The podcast will address travel agents’ desire for “behind-the-scenes” access to brand knowledge. Conrad McCall, Trafalgar’s global trade engagement manager and podcast host, shared that “94 per cent of agents surveyed said they wanted access to information that consumers could not find in any brochure or online, cementing their role as the experts in the industry.”
“As category leaders, we saw the opportunity to reach our valued agent partners in a way that suits them – that directly addresses challenges they currently face with accessing brand information in a hassle-free way. This e-learning series truly speaks to our AgentsFirst mantra and constant innovative thinking,” McCall said.
Travel Unlocked mainly functions as an educational tool, with 90 per cent of agents surveyed wanting better e-learning resources.
Each episode has an associated quiz, which can be accessed through TTC Academy, either via a desktop or on the go via the Litmos App. Agents can download the app, log in with their TTC Academy credentials and listen to the podcasts, accessing the review questions directly in the app.
“These podcasts will change the game for our agent partners, opening up opportunities for them to learn about our brand on an even deeper level, in turn empowering them to share the Trafalgar story with their customers when recommending travel choices, and with plenty of laughs along the way,” McCall summarised.
Travel Unlocked is now available via Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn as well as TTC Academy. It will also be available at a later date on Apple Podcasts.
Mastercard and ASEAN NTOs have entered a two-year partnership to promote South-east Asia through a campaign that celebrates the region’s geography, culture and heritage sites, as well as the hospitality of its residents.
In addition to promoting travel across intra-ASEAN corridors, the Feel the Warmth campaign also aims to boost inbound travel from China, India and Australia.
Ho Kham Luang Pavilion at Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiang Mai
“This is a great opportunity for our 10 member states to celebrate South-east Asia as the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination,” said Benito Bengzon, undersecretary, Philippines Department of Tourism, who is also chair of the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Partnership Working Group.
“By partnering with Mastercard and featuring convenient and secure ways to pay cross-border, we’re delivering on our vision of creating a cohesive ASEAN economy and sharing the vast array of exciting experiences with travellers from every corner of the world.”
In addition to acceptance at over three million merchants in the region, travellers can also use their Mastercard cards to pay for local travel and small purchases. For example, Mastercard contactless credit, debit and prepaid cards can be used to pay for buses and trains in Singapore, as well as e-payments at convenience stores in Thailand and taxi apps across South-east Asia.
“South-east Asia offers a treasure trove of opportunity and experiences for businesses and consumers, and Mastercard’s collaboration with the ASEAN Tourism Board will give travellers even more reason to immerse themselves in the region’s dynamic environment,” commented Audrey Yeo, vice president, marketing and communications, Southeast Asia, Mastercard.
Mastercard’s partnership with the ASEAN NTOs builds on an earlier collaboration between the two organisations, the Visit ASEAN@50: Golden Celebration, which brought together tourism partners and Mastercard’s global Priceless Cities programme to strike a universal chord with consumers across different countries, languages and cultures.
From left: Tourism Western Australia's Ava Ang; Western Australia tourism minister Paul Papalia; and AirAsia X Malaysia's Benyamin Ismail and Chia PinYu
On the back of its largest-ever A$12 million (US$8.4 million) international tourism marketing offensive just launched in Singapore on Tuesday, Tourism Western Australia has rolled out similar efforts in Malaysia with the sealing of an expanded cooperative marketing agreement with AirAsia yesterday.
The deal, worth A$1 million (US$703,575), will see joint marketing campaigns developed to promote affordable flights to Western Australia, including flight deals, print, television, radio, cinema and online advertising.
From left: Tourism Western Australia’s Ava Ang; Western Australia tourism minister Paul Papalia; and AirAsia X Malaysia’s Benyamin Ismail and Chia PinYu
It is hoped the combined campaign activity in Malaysia alone will generate more than 29,000 visitors, as well as promote Western Tourism to markets such as India, China and Japan, where AirAsia’s “route network is the strongest”, said AirAsia X Malaysia’s CEO Benyamin Ismail.
The signing follows the launch of Tourism Western Australia’s Muslim Travel Guide. The guide features road trip routes, itineraries, must-visit attractions, restaurants and Muslim-friendly facilities in the state.
