Sri Lanka has lifted its state of emergency – imposed after the Easter Sunday bombings in April – bringing hopes to the travel trade that the move will lead to a much-needed boost to tourist arrivals.
Trevor Rajaratnam, president of the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka, said the move would send a positive message to the rest of the world that Sri Lanka is open for travel. “It’s a huge positive move and will also help airlines which depend on more inbound travellers,” he noted.
Sri Lanka has lifted a four-month state of emergency which hopefully will boost tourist arrivals
Arrivals have dipped monthly since the attacks, and tourists have stayed away. Officials also believe winter arrivals will drop by 30 to 40 per cent, but hope that since the month-on-month emergency lapsed last Thursday, the situation could improve. Emergency rule permits the government to mobilise the armed forces on the streets among other security-related measures.
Mahen Kariyawasam, former president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Operators, said that the removal of emergency rule was a very positive move and would help in the recovery of tourism efforts.
As well, tourism industry officials said that even though several countries have relaxed travel advisories, these advisories were still at the category 2 and 3 levels, which denote ‘be cautious’ when travelling to Sri Lanka. Some countries like Russia have not relaxed its travel advisory.
“Even though many countries have relaxed travel advisories, they were at a category where government officials are not advised to travel (to Sri Lanka). A forthcoming major business conference was unable to invite government officials from other countries for this reason, which would now help in their participation,” Kariyawasam said.
Meanwhile, Achini Dandunnage, senior manager at the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, said: “With the lifting of the emergency, hopefully, travel advisories will be further relaxed.”
But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as authorities are in the midst of preparing for 21,000 to 25,000 followers of the minority Bohra Muslim community from 40 regions and countries that will descend into Sri Lanka for a mega international convention. The event, to be held from September 1-10 in Colombo, is a positive boost to business tourism.
Malaysia has recorded RM41.7 billion (US$13.7 billion) in tourist receipts in 1H2019, a growth of 6.8 per cent from the corresponding period in 2018.
Speaking at a press conference on the performance of Malaysia’s tourism sector, minister of tourism, arts and culture Malaysia Mohamaddin Ketapi said that the number of foreign visitors to the country rose 4.9 per cent to 13.4 million in the first six months this year, up from 12.7 million in the corresponding period last year.
Malaysia welcomed 13.4 million tourists in the 1H2019, up 4.9 per cent from the same period last year
Asia-Pacific continues to dominate Malaysia’s foreign arrivals at 70 per cent, he revealed, accounting for six of the top 10 international tourist source markets in 1H2019. Arrivals from Singapore topped the list with 5.4 million tourists, followed by Indonesia (1.9 million), China (1.6 million), Thailand (990,565), Brunei (627,112), India (354,486), South Korea (323,952), the Philippines (210,974), Vietnam (200,314) and Japan (196,561).
Overall, the short-haul, medium-haul and long-haul markets registered positive growth at 4.7 per cent, 7.2 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively, compared with the first half of 2018.
The top five countries with the highest expenditure per capita were Saudi Arabia at RM11,376 (US$2,715), the UK at RM5,241, Canada at RM4,593, China at RM4,546 and the US at RM4,537.
With steady growth recorded for the tourism sector in the first half, Mohamaddin is confident that Malaysia would meet its target of 28.1 million tourist arrivals for 2019 as the third quarter is also the peak summer travel season for the Indian, Middle East and European markets.
“We recorded over 13 million tourists in the first half of 2019. It is not the peak travel time for tourists from some countries yet. We have several more months (to) achieve our target,” he said.
Tourism Malaysia’s director general, Musa Yusof, who was also present at the press conference, said that he was optimistic that arrivals from China will continue to grow positively in 2H2019, despite China’s economic slowdown.
“Tourism Malaysia will be participating at the upcoming China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo from August 30. It will be great if we can capture 10 per cent of the Chinese population of Guangdong, which is around 111 million,” he said.
Apart from incentives such as the Joint International Tourism Development Program, Tourism Malaysia is also in discussion with China-based airlines and top Chinese outbound operators to attract more charter and scheduled flights from China to fly to Malaysia.
Next year also marks the Malaysia-China Cultural Tourism Year, which Musa believes will attract more Chinese tourists to Malaysia.
Thailand’s quarterly tourism confidence index in 2Q2019 held steady at 100 from its 1Q prediction, and is expected to remain at 100 in the third quarter of this year, a recent study found.
The survey, which is a collaboration between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Tourism Council of Thailand and Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Economics, is based on responses from over 600 tourism operators and government officials from related agencies. It also interviewed 350 international and 350 domestic tourists, respectively.
Thailand’s quarterly tourism confidence index in 2Q2019 held steady at 100 from its 1Q prediction, and is expected to remain at 100 in 3Q2019
The findings in the second quarter of this year highlighted both the micro and macro factors affecting Thailand’s tourism industry: The slowdown of the world economy as well as Thailand’s economic stagnation; the Thai government’s stimulus and tax reduction scheme; extension on the visa-arrival fee waiver for citizens of 20 nations for another six months until October 2019, and the strength of the Thai baht to a weakening US dollar combined with rising inflation.
The index forecasts that the number of foreign arrivals in Q3 will increase 7.1 per cent year-on-year to 9.7 million visitors. It also projects that total arrivals will rise 4.7 per cent to reach 40.1 million international tourists for all of 2019, compared to 2018.
These findings, however, reflected a more positive sentiment than the latest projections from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which had cut its foreign arrivals forecast further to 39-39.8 million this year, down from 40.2 million.
Thai tourism in the first half of this year saw only a 1.4 per cent growth in foreign arrivals to 19.7 million, prompting the Thai ministry to slash its target in July from 41.3 million to 40.2 million, according to a Bangkok Post report.
The report also quoted Thai tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn as saying that he is confident the new projection is attainable as the government has been doling out incentives to foreign visitors.
Phiphat added that the Thai cabinet will continue to promote tourism in the upcoming months by extending the waiver of visa-on-arrival fees to 19 nations, which already covers China and India, from October 31 this year until April 30, 2020.
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn was also quoted as saying that the Thai cabinet believes the incentive will help draw some 20 million foreign tourists in the second half, maintaining tourism momentum to support the country’s three per cent GDP growth this year.
Despite a dip in foreign arrivals, especially from China, Yuthasak is positive that the goal of 3.4 trillion baht (US$111.9 billion) in tourism revenue this year is achievable, a 9.5 per cent increase from last year.
Meanwhile, the latest statistics of the Thailand Tourism Intelligence Centre report 23.1 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in the first seven months this year, up by 1.94 per cent year-on-year.
China still accounts for the biggest portion with 6.63 million visitors, a contraction of 3.3 per cent, followed by Malaysia with 2.24 million, up 6.2 per cent, and India at 1.14 million, up 24 per cent.
Hotelivate, an India-based hospitality consulting firm, has opened its fourth office in Jakarta, after Delhi, Mumbai and Singapore, with Satria Wei, a veteran hotelier with over 30 years of experience, taking the reins as managing partner and managing director of Hotelivate Indonesia.
Satria was formerly the COO at MNC Land Bali, providing asset management and operational assistance in integrated resort projects such as Trump Resort Lido, Trump Resort Bali and Park Hyatt Jakarta. Prior to that, he was with PHM Hospitality.
Satria: took the position as he wants to help improve hotel room rates throughout Indonesia
Manav Thadani, founder and chairman of Hotelivate, said in a statement: “Our teams have been monitoring and working in various Indonesian markets for over six years. While the hospitality market cycle was on a decline during much of this time, Hotelivate ran five editions of THINC (Tourism, Hotel Investment & Networking Conference) in Bali and Jakarta. We now observe a clear upswing in performance, and more importantly, in market sentiments.”
He added: “With the recent reelection of the government, we see a continuation of strong sentiments and feel this is an appropriate time for Hotelivate to set up an office in Jakarta.”
Satria told TTG Asia that his decision to helm Hotelivate started with his concern over the low room rates in Indonesia, particularly among individual-owned properties, as compared to other countries.
“I have been working with hotel management companies and trying to increase our prices has been difficult when the hotels around us were not trying to scale up but instead undercut our prices. (Improving hotel room rates) needs a concerted effort by a group of hotels in the area,” he said, adding that he will work with those hotels to improve their bottom line.
He said that Hotelivate Indonesia, which offers end-to-end hospitality business solutions, could play a role in improving hotel room rates and the first service the firm will offer is revenue and asset management, primarily to individual-owned hotels, and possibly for branded ones too.
Satria stressed on the importance of these services, citing the example of room rates in Bali’s Kuta area. “There are two- and three-star hotels selling their rooms for as low as Rp100,000 (US$9) to Rp200,000. Branded properties have their own revenue management, something that individual-owned properties are lagging behind,” he said.
He also observed that the rate of a room in an economy-branded hotel in Mumbai was double that of the same brand in Bali.
But with proper revenue management, Satria said, many hotels in Indonesia can potentially increase their average room rates by 15 to 20 per cent.
“I have met hotel owners who wanted to see their properties increase in value so that when they release their hotels into the market after five to 10 years of operations, their properties will not only be valued by the land – like many of them today – but also the assets,” he said.
Many hotels across Indonesia are engaged in price wars due to an oversupply situation and thus, may be resistant to spending their thin margins on consultancy fees. “We realise that imposing fees up front will not work, so we are formulating a different scheme whereby hotels pay only after they see the results,” said Satria.
Expounding the feasibility of the scheme, which is still in the planning phase, he said: “If the current average room rate is Rp500,000 and after working with us it increases to Rp600,000, I think hotels will not mind paying 15 per cent of Rp100,000 to us.”
Some 300 travel trade buyers from around the world have applied to attend TRAVEX next year, the B2B trade show that is part of the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF).
Running from January 14-16, 2020, at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, TRAVEX will offer buyers from around the world the opportunity to shop for some of the best and latest travel and tourism products from across South-east Asia.
TRAVEX, the B2B trade show that is part of the annual ATF, will return next year in Brunei
At press time, Europeans make up the majority of approved buyers at 41 per cent, followed by Asians at 32 per cent and Americans at 15 per cent. The rest of the approved buyers hail from markets including Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Estonia.
Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media – whose business unit TTG Events is organising TRAVEX 2020 on behalf of Brunei Tourism – said interest from travel trade buyers has been strong.
“Travel trade buyers from Asia and other regions of the world have come to recognise the value TRAVEX brings to their programme research, as well as the acquisition of business contacts, products and services. In addition to many buyers keen on returning to the event in 2020 to source for South-east Asian travel and tourism products and services, we are also seeing a good number of new applications even though we are still five months away from the event,” said Ng.
He shared that TTG Events applies a strict qualifying process for hosted buyer applications to ensure exhibitors get quality business interactions. As such, the final count of approved buyers will grow in coming weeks after careful consideration.
One of the early-stage approved buyers is Jaime Monfort, operations manager with Bidtravel, Spain, who is looking “to develop group tours with tailored packages particularly from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam” from his attendance at TRAVEX 2020.
Also eyeing connections with new suppliers is Guillaume Vaudey de Vaudrey, general manager of Cosmopolis, France. He is keen on partners from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Attractive social events and post-show tours are also magnets for buyers, according to Ng.
ATF 2020 and TRAVEX 2020 will also feature three self-paying tours from January 17, 2020. The Proboscis Monkey Tour is the shortest option, running for 2.5 hours to give participants an interesting snapshot of Brunei’s natural landscape, and the habitat and ecology of the elusive creature. The other two tours are bound for Ulu Temburong National Park, with one being a seven-hour-long day trip, and the other lasting for two days and one night.
Exhibition spaces are selling out fast, Ng noted, with confirmed sellers from both the corporate sector and regional NTOs.
Interested travel and tourism suppliers can contact TTG Events at atfsellers@ttgasia.com.
Air New Zealand has appointed CFO Jeff McDowall as acting CEO, as a global search goes underway to replace Christopher Luxon when he leaves the role on September 25.
Taking up the acting CEO role from September 26, McDowall is not seeking permanent appointment to the role, according to a statement issued from the airline. He will be remain the airline’s interim chief until a successful candidate is found, which may not be until 1Q2020.
Jeff McDowall
McDowall’s previous roles at Air New Zealand include group general manager corporate finance and group general manager commercial. Prior to Air New Zealand, he worked across a variety of industries in Asia, the US and the UK.
Meanwhile, general manager corporate finance Stephan Deschamps will take over as acting CFO on September 26.
In addition, the airline’s chairman Tony Carter will also retire on September 25 at the annual shareholders meeting. He will be replaced by current director Therese Walsh, who is leading the CEO search process on behalf of the board.
MGM Resorts International has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing an integrated resort in Osaka, even as market rival, Las Vegas Sands, has announced the termination of plans to build a casino in the Japanese city in favour for Tokyo and Yokohama instead.
“MGM Resorts remains deeply committed to pursuing an integrated resort in Osaka, Japan,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, in a statement. “We announced our ‘Osaka First’ strategy and have not wavered from that plan. We have always had confidence in our position, as what we will bring to Osaka is something only MGM Resorts can deliver.”
MGM Resorts has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing an IR in Osaka
Not only will its proposed Osaka IR “bring world-class entertainment, exciting cultural events, convention expertise, and premium dining and retail experiences that will have broad appeal both nationally and internationally”, Murren said MGM Resorts will “develop a truly unique destination that will generate significant economic activity for the region and increase employment opportunities while delivering an attractive return for all stakeholders”.
He added: “We are also excited about our partnership with Orix, a highly respected Japanese company with a strong presence in Osaka, as we jointly pursue this venture.”
Roiback, a specialist in the management of the direct channel of hotel sales, is the first Spanish tech company to directly integrate with Book on Google, the tech company solution that allows users to book hotel rooms without leaving the search engine. This agreement benefits Roiback’s clients by providing a higher conversion rate and a lower acquisition cost.
One advantage of Book on Google is that it removes friction in the conversion process, particularly on mobile, by allowing users to book a room on a Google-hosted site, avoiding losing clients who tend to leave the reservation when they are directed to other websites from different OTAs or from the hotel.
Roiback’s integration into Book on Google allows users to book hotels rooms without leaving the searcher
With this function, Google improves the user experience and the conversion, thereby also increasing the hotel’s profitability. The hotelier still owns the reservation and its information, and Google does not add any extra costs for booking through this process, even though it is necessary to have a Hotel ads campaign to benefit from this service.
Book on Google is not only available in Spain, but also in the US, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Poland. This is another advantage for the hotels as they will be able to access more efficiently to markets that otherwise would be complicated to reach.
Rebeca González, managing director of Roiback, said: “In the last year, the sales generated from the metasearch engines have been multiplied by five and, in particular, Google Hotel Ads has tripled its traffic and it is present in more than 40 per cent of the traffic from the hotels in Google. In the end, what is important is the hotel’s profitability and if Book on Google allows you to increase your conversion and to lower the distribution cost, certainly, we must be there.”
Concurrently, and with the objective of offering better solutions to a changing industry where the weight of the metasearch engines is more and more relevant, Roiback has launched Metabase Pro, a specialised solution for the efficient management of the metasearch engines, that Roiback already offered with its reservation platform but from now will also be made available for clients who do not use the BackHotel from Roiback.
“The touristic industry is in a changing moment where the metasearch engines have more and more importance, especially with Google Hotel Ads and now, also with Book on Google. This is a great opportunity for small- and medium-sized chains to be able to face the big OTAs. Clearly, the traditional tourist industry has changed. The hotels have the great challenge of being where clients look for and to be able to position themselves, and in Roiback, we know how they can do it,” said González.
Hotel Icon has rolled out tech-enable solutions since its inception
While major hotel chains are leading the charge in the adoption of smart technology in the hospitality sector, boutique and small independent hotels in Hong Kong are also making efforts to ride on the digital wave.
Hotel Icon, opened by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been a testbed for the latest innovation and technologies in hospitality since its inception. It debuted two robotic butlers to assist F&B and housekeeping for about six weeks in 2017, and will roll out a series of tech-enabled solutions (e.g. smart light switches) to bring enhanced comfort and convenience for guests.
Hotel Icon has rolled out tech-enable solutions since its inception
General manager Richard Hatter said: “With the increasing application of smart items in various industries, the international travellers’ expectation of a smarter lodging experience is unprecedentedly growing. Guests have expressed an undeniable demand for more digital experience (in hospitality), (amid) a culture of convenience and instant gratification.
“Though certain popular destinations and international hotel chains are aggressively promoting their smart image, Hong Kong’s hospitality industry, however, is still lagging behind other destinations in terms of offering a smarter hotel experience,” he observed.
“A majority of hotel operators or owners in Hong Kong may have focused heavily on the ROI of the application of smart elements and are often resistant to the implementation of new hotel technologies,” added Hatter, citing some challenges that prevent the greater adoption of smart solutions in the sector.
“Some less tech-savvy hotel staff are also less receptive to the launch of new smart infrastructure and new standard operating procedures which may affect their day-to-day routine.”
Under Madera Hospitality Management, Hotel Madera Hollywood has been an early adopter of hospitality innovation among the city’s boutique hotels. The property has since its launch installed a smart living system in its 38 one-bedroom suites to offer guests personalised in-room experiences through controlling the TV, blinds and lighting moods with the touch of a finger.
Madera’s head Lucas Lai said: “The initiatives enable us to deliver a speedy guest experience instead of traditional person-to-person service, leading to higher loyalty and satisfaction… Most travellers at the moment are not familiar with the operations of this new technology because it is not popularly implemented in the market.”
But Lai believes that digital transformation of hotels is a necessity. “We believe that leveraging technology from digitisation to artificial intelligence is not just a trend but gives us competitive advantages in the market in delivering a fresh guest experience,” he added.
For Ovolo Hotels, the provision of smart technology solutions is one way it can tangibly incorporate effortless living ethos across every aspect of the hotel experience for guests, according to group director of brand experience and culture, Amanda Cottome.
The group has implemented Amazon Alexa across all its properties to offer personalised in-room experiences, whether it’s greeting guests with a Happy Birthday upon their arrival or playing their favourite songs based on customer intel.
In the deployment of ideas, Cottome said picking the right technology that not only has longevity, but ready implementation without significant development investment, are major considerations.
She elaborated: “We’re not looking for ‘fads’ but instead something that is ahead of the curve in terms of predicting what our future guests will need and desire. It’s about creating an experience beyond what they have in their own homes and far greater than what they would expect.
“We also like to focus on technology that enhances guests experience and does not detract or replace human engagement or the high levels of customer service we guarantee,” added Cottome.
Artist’s impression of the evolution & extinction zone at Singapore Oceanarium, part of Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has unveiled major transformation plans touted to “create a new wave of tourism growth for the next decade”.
With a total development investment of S$4.5 billion (US$3.3 billion), RWS 2.0 will see an increase in gross floor area of about 50 per cent. The added 164,000m2 will be largely achieved through intensification of existing land, and new experiences will be delivered in phases from 2020. Completion is projected for 2025.
Slated to open end-2020 will be a new pirate-themed “adventure dining playhouse”, which will replace the Resorts World Theatre. Next up will be a public seafront attraction with free evening light shows, as well as expansions of Universal Studios Singapore (USS) and S.E.A. Aquarium.
With the expansion, USS will feature two new sections – Minion Park and Super Nintendo World – filled with family-friendly attractions, themed shops and restaurants.
Meanwhile, S.E.A. Aquarium’s size will more than triple as it gets rebranded as the proposed Singapore Oceanarium. The new centre will showcase marine life; additional exhibits of prehistoric marine life and deep-sea creatures; and tell a story of evolution, exploration and conservation.
Along with the expansion of hotels in the Central Zone, RWS 2.0 will also introduce a new waterfront lifestyle complex complete with two new hotels which will add about 1,100 more rooms to RWS.
Capping off the redevelopment are plans to introduce a new driverless transport system that provides connectivity between the mainland and Sentosa.
Tan Hee Teck, CEO of RWS, said: “RWS will form an integral part of the future Greater Southern Waterfront and become a centrepiece of the transformative journey to enliven the southern corridor.”
Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands (MBS) will be investing S$4.5 billion to build a fourth tower, designed by the property’s original architect Moshe Safdie.
The new tower will be built on 3.2ha of land beside the current resort, and will feature a suites-only luxury hotel with some 1,000 keys, a sky roof with a swimming pool, signature restaurant, ballrooms, exhibition halls and F&B offerings.
Also part of the plans is a 15,000-seat indoor entertainment arena centrepiece, “with leading design and cutting-edge technology (to) attract top entertainers from Asia and around the world”, announced the owner of MBS, Las Vegas Sands. A timeline for completion has not been set at press time.
Mike Lee, vice president of sales, MBS, shared: “Today’s tourism landscape requires hospitality players to be even more nimble-footed and adaptable than ever. MBS is keenly aware of the evolving landscape and demands (of visitors), and has always been focused in innovating and planning for the future.”
Aside from the new hotel tower setting “a new standard of luxury in South-east Asia”, Lee also expressed that dining expectations have also intensified, as guests “now want to be entertained while they dine, and be simulated by visual and aural senses”.
“Think DJs taking centrestage in a restaurant, theatrical show kitchens and a playlist that sets the mood of a venue and the ensuing conversations of its guests,” he described.
This has inspired MBS to continue looking out for opportunities to “morph entertainment and food”, evident from their partnership with Tao Group to open cocktail lounge Avenue, nightclub Marquee and the upcoming Japanese restaurant KOMA.
What’s coming to Singapore
• Universal Studios Singapore to welcome Minion Park and Super Nintendo World
• A new waterfront complex will be added to Resorts World Sentosa
• Marina Bay Sands to construct fourth tower with luxury hotel and a 15,000-seat indoor entertainment area
A rendering of the upcoming Londoner Hotel at Sands Resorts Macao
Sands Resorts Macao
To woo new and repeated visitors, Sands Resorts Macao continues to push the experiential envelope hard to attract increasingly savvy visitors.
According to Sands China’s vice president of sales, Stephanie Tanpure, connecting with guests and offering varied experiences and events that resonate on a deeper and emotional level is key to remaining successful in the IR space.
Aside from ensuring a varied selection of 850 retail brands at the Sands Resorts Macao, new experiential offerings include the Parisian Privé Styling Suite, exclusive to the Shoppes. The bespoke space allows guests to enjoy a personalised styling consultation with a fashion stylist for the latest looks, trends and fashion tips, as well as make-up and gift recommendations.
Sands Resorts Macau’s “F&B and event areas are also all about the experience”, Tanpure pointed out. For instance, the IR welcomed Chicado, a contemporary Portuguese restaurant by Portuguese celebrity chef Henrique Sá Pessoa; along with the Crystal Jade Group’s opening of restaurants at Sands Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao.
Earlier in June, Sands China announced that The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao have become InterContinental Alliance Resorts. The Londoner Macao – with suites designed in collaboration with famed football star David Beckham – will join the alliance when it opens in 2020, following the renovation of the current Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central.
MGM
MGM is putting innovative art and entertainment experiences at the heart of its two resorts, MGM Cotai and MGM Macau.
With the help of the MGM Theater, the resort has continuously brought in a line-up of varying shows and concerts, such as the Jabbawockeez hip-hop dance crew, The Harry Potter Film Concert Series and Fuerza Bruta Wayra, a post-modern theatre show that originated in Buenos Aires.
The latter is a 360-degree immersive theatrical performance that does not require a rigid stage or seating arrangement, and instead revolves around the audience, according to a MGM spokesperson.
“MGM will continue to use this space and technology to create even more immersive experiences for visitors and make people part of the art,” the spokesperson added.
Aside from theatre experiences, the MGM spokesperson revealed the IR wanted to create an environment that allowed people to “create and interact with the art”. As such, MGM Cotai boasts a permanent art collection – numbering over 300 pieces ranging from Qing Dynasty carpets to Asian sculptures – on display throughout the resort.
Recently, both MGM properties also launched a series of exclusive F&B experiences. For instance, the renowned Wagyumafia from Tokyo unveiled a pop-up at Grill 58 of MGM Cotai, and brought in their first-ever Wagyumafia Progressive Kaiseki Dinner, the first to be served outside of Japan.
Over at MGM Macau, visual-gastronomical experience Le Petit Chef will be available until September 13, 2019, as the character retraces the steps of Marco Polo and presents gastronomic highlights from the Silk Road to diners.
An exclusive sushi pop-up bar will also run at Rossio until September 29, 2019, where Hiroyuki Sato, the chef-owner of the one-Michelin-star Hakkoku in Tokyo’s Ginza district will elevate the crafting of sushi into an art form.
What’s coming to Macau
• Construction of the Grand Lisboa Palace will be completed this year, boasting fashion designer-branded hotels – Palazzo Versace Macau and Karl Lagerfeld Hotel.
• Studio City Macau will welcome two new entertainment attractions – The Flip-Out, Macau’s first indoor trampoline centre; and Legend Heroes Park, the city’s first VR theme park.
Resorts World Genting’s Imaginatricks live-action show
Resorts World Genting
This Malaysian IR on the peak of Mount Ulu Kali has been welcoming new developments since 2016, as part of its 10-year, RM10 billion (US$2.4 billion) Genting Integrated Transformation Plan that was announced in December 2013.
These investments were deemed necessary in order for Resorts World Genting (RWG) to stay competitive in the face of newer IRs in Asia, where the aim was to offer its guests world-class entertainment combined with a holiday experience that encompasses both shopping and dining.
In 2017, the SkyAvenue mall opened first with 250 shops offering dining, entertainment and shopping options, followed by the launch of Genting Highlands Premium Outlets with 150 shops offering steep discounts on branded items.
More recent openings include Skytropolis Funland, which soft-opened in December 2018 with a 37,100m2 indoor theme park boasting more than 20 rides; and the 3,250m2 Zouk Genting, which comprises hip-hop club Empire by Zouk, gaming bar RedTail by Zouk, RedTail Karaoke and upcoming Fuhu Restaurant & Bar.
Rocky Too, senior vice president, sales and marketing, RWG, said: “We regularly create exciting events to keep interests high and the momentum going. One such attraction is Imaginatricks, a stunning show of dance and acrobatics.” The multimillion-dollar international production will run until May 24, 2020.
Although RWG is also promoted as a family-friendly destination, the IR has taken “great pains” to attract every market segment, said Too.
As such, the Jungle Gym was also added to its offering early last year to provide age-appropriate activities for children, while F&B prices are kept reasonable to cater to this segment.
Currently, the domestic market makes up 80 per cent of arrivals to the resort, and Too revealed that “our existing customers are taking a lively interest in the new developments”. He also added that RWG is “gaining more interest among millennials, with the opening of Zouk Genting, as well as international dining options” such as UK-based restaurants Burger & Lobster and Harry Ramsden’s.
Desaru Coast
Desaru Coast, a coastal getaway in the southern state of Johor with a 17km-long beachfront, was officially opened by the sultan of Johor on July 5, 2019.
Desaru Coast is home to four hotels and resorts, two world-class golf courses, a themed water park, a retail village as well as a conference centre.
Currently, two international hotels – the 275-key Westin Desaru Coast Resort and the 365-room Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast – have started operations, which Vikram Mujumdar, general manager of The Westin Desaru Coast Resort believes will “elevate the profile of the tourist destination” and “deliver a brand promise that was lacking in Desaru”.
Two more internationally-branded properties, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas and One&Only Desaru Coast, are on track to open at the end of this year.
Also already open is the Desaru Coast Conference Centre, managed by Westin, and the anchor attraction Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark.
In conjunction with the official launch ceremony, Desaru Development Holdings One also hosted the inaugural edition of the three-day Ombak Festival with specially curated activities including culture, music and food which highlighted homegrown talents, products and creativity.
Roslina Arbak, CEO, Desaru Development Holdings One, shared that response towards the waterpark has been “encouraging”, while the golf courses are “attracting growing interest from Singaporeans and regional travellers”. Key markets for the IR include Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and India.
“We are in the midst of curating more outdoor activities at Desaru Coast to complement the Adventure Waterpark, such as ATV rides, mountain biking, a climbing tower and ziplines, among others,” she elaborated.
Although Roslina has indicated that the IR’s primary focus is on “holidaymakers”, the IR is mindful that the MICE sector is also growing.
“We are in the midst of adding teambuilding activities and facilitation, as well as curating lifestyle and entertainment events that will appeal to both the business event and bleisure traveller,” she noted.
To further improve access from Singapore, a ferry terminal at Desaru Coast is scheduled to be completed by end 2020.
What’s new in Malaysia
• Resorts World Genting and The Void have introduced the first-of-its-kind hyper-reality experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire created in collaboration with ILMxLA.B.
• Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark has five thematic zones, offering unique rides such as Kraken’s Revenge and the Tidal Wave Beach.
An aerial rendering of the upcoming Hoiana in Vietnam
Hoiana
The opening of Hoiana in Central Vietnam is set to be a game-changer for the country’s tourism landscape.
The joint venture between VinaCapital, Suncity and VMS, comprises a sprawling US$4 billion IR set along a four-kilometre-long beach south of Hoi An and Danang. Once complete, the waterfront development will include hospitality, gaming, leisure, entertainment and retail facilities.
The first phase is slated to open in September, and will include golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr’s first course in Vietnam, the Hoiana Shores Golf Club, and Rosewood Hotels & Resort’s Vietnam debut, Rosewood Hoi An.
Hoiana Casino, Suncity’s first casino, and other accommodation, including New World Hoiana Hotel and Residences, will open later in the year. This will be followed by a string of other developments that will be rolled out in phases.
Grace Hoang, Hoiana’s vice president of resort marketing, said the IR is backed by a portfolio of esteemed brands and expertise, which are expected to “bring exciting entertainment and hospitality experiences and raise the benchmark of IR in Vietnam”.
With tourism in the area growing at a rapid pace, the Central Vietnam destination was the most attractive to Hoiana. A total of 4.3 million people visited in the first six months, representing a 15.1 per cent year-on-year increase.
With the dominance of the Asian market, Hoiana is aggressively targeting players from South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau and South-east Asia, as well as the domestic market.
Added Hoang: “Hoiana is lucky to work with some of the best international brands to establish our destination. Furthermore, we have a beautiful site at a fantastic location – pristine beachfront and proximity to Hoi An old town. Not many IRs in the region can boast these advantages. It is an exciting time ahead for us.”
Aiming to raise hospitality standards, Hoiana has also partnered with the Arts, Culture and Tourism College to launch Hoiana – Quang Nam Tourism Vocational Training Centre.
The not-for-profit initiative provides free hospitality training to local students, and graduates will be guaranteed employment with Hoiana. Courses include Asia’s first accredited golf training programme.
What’s coming to Vietnam
• A 198-room Ramada hotel is slated to open at Ho Tram Strip as part of the IR’s second phase, which include other amenities such as a waterpark, an outdoor auditorium for 2,000 pax, and movie theatres, among others.
• Slated to open by 2022 is the US$2 billion Van Don project in Quang Ninh. The 2,500ha development is expected to receive a 50-year license, on top of multiple entertainment options, hotels and F&B venues.
Resorts World Manila
The fourth and last phase of Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) expansion is currently more than halfway through, as it attempts to retain its edge as the country’s largest and most diversified IR.
The expansion covers both gaming and non-gaming facilities, and while its gaming capacity has almost doubled, the same holds true for its number of hotels, retail stores, F&B outlets and entertainment centres.
The 357-key Hilton Manila was the first to open end-2018, while the Sheraton Manila opened earlier this year with 390 rooms. The 188-key Hotel Okura Manila is expected to open soon, bringing with it several dining options including Japanese, a pool, and fitness centre. The three properties will add 940 keys to the IR, bringing the total to over 2,000 keys.
RWM also announced plans to renovate Maxims Hotel into a Ritz-Carlton, a first in the Philippines.
To appeal to more family-friendly travellers and non-gaming clientele, a roster of theatre plays, musicals and recitals will be held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater; while new attractions have also been unveiled, such as Lumina, a 110m-long walkway with 100,000 multi-coloured LED bulbs that links RWM’s second level to Newport Mall.
To make it more convenient for guests, RWM has taken advantage of its proximity to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, to which the IR is linked via an air-conditioned walkway. Shuttle buses also regularly ply routes to other terminals and a number of points in metro Manila.
Osaka’s IR will be sited on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay
IR operators place bets on Japan Almost one year after the Japanese government approved legislation that permited the creation of the nation’s first IR, potential operators are beginning to jostle for the limited number of licenses that will be released.
Aside from Tomakomai in southern Hokkaido, local authorities in the city of Osaka; Marina City in Wakayama Prefecture; and Sasebo City in Nagasaki Prefecture have all expressed a firm interest in hosting IR.
For Osaka, the city has set aside the reclaimed island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay for its IR.
Earlier this year, Genting Singapore announced that it is bidding for one of the hotly contested Japan licences, and has its eyes set on Osaka. The company revealed in May that it is preparing a concept plan ahead of the August deadline. Seven companies are understood to be in the running, including MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands.
Then in late June, US casino operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment unveiled plans for a US$4.5 billion IR in Tomakomai city.
The proposal envisages three hotel buildings, a conference hall and an arena in a forested part of the community, while outdoor activities will include cross-country skiing, riding and farming. The plan also includes a casino, where the whole development could lead to the creation of as many as 7,000 new jobs.
Hard Rock International also has its eye on Tomakomai, proposing a guitar-shaped hotel, an event venue, Broadway-style theatres, wellness facilities, a Four Seasons-branded resort and nearly 20,000m2 of retail and dining space.
Other casino operators that have expressed an interest in the Hokkaido IR include Rush Street Gaming, Macau-based Melco Resorts and Entertainment, and SJM Holdings.
Under the Integrated Resort Act, passed on July 20, 2018, three licenses will initially be provided for operators that meet the requirements for any facility to have a conference hall, an exhibition site “suitable for global level exhibitions and fairs”, a theatre to promote Japanese history and culture, a travel facilitation office, and hotel accommodation.
Under the terms of the law, the size of the casino cannot exceed three per cent of the size of the entire IR. Licenses will be valid for three years and can be renewed for additional three-year terms, while a range of restrictions on Japanese visitors will be designed to ease concerns over an increase in gambling addiction.
Firm bids are expected to be invited after Tokyo host the Olympic Games in 2020, with the first licenses approved in the early part of 2021. The first resorts are expected to open their doors in 2026.
