Chris Dexter has been appointed vice president, operations for South-east Asia and Pacific Rim by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
The British national will lead the operations team from Wyndham’s regional head office in Singapore.
Dexter has been with Wyndham in China for the last 11 years, initially as general manager of Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou, before being promoted to vice president of operations for Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hotels & Resorts in Greater China, where he oversaw the operational responsibilities for 17 properties.
Dexter first embarked on his hospitality career in 1991 as F&B manager at the InterContinental Lusaka in Zambia. Other positions he has held include F&B director for Dusit Thani Bangkok; director of operations at Hilton opening properties in Chongqing and Phuket; and director of operations for the Leeds Marriott Hotel in the UK.
The initiative by MMPRC aims to promote the Maldives as a top destination across the globe.
The Maldives will be embarking on an expo in Malaysia – in partnership with AirAsia – this week as part of a long-awaited campaign targeting South-east Asian’s outbound travellers.
“With the Malaysian event, we are kicking off our campaign in that region,” said Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC), the country’s main tourism promotion agency.
The initiative by MMPRC aims to promote the Maldives as a top destination across the globe.
Named the Visit Maldives Travel Expo, the event in Malaysia will be a three-day long tradeshow held from July 5-7 at a mall in Putrajaya, where 14 partners from Maldives will be participating.
“It’s a different kind of tradeshow, with the first two days devoted to B2B, and the final day being a B2C event,” Mohamed told TTG Asia in a phone interview last Saturday.
Earlier this month, Mohamed told TTG Asia in an interview in Male that the MMPRC was planning to hold numerous promotions in South-east Asia as the region’s travellers tend to be quick decision-makers on overseas trips unlike their European counterparts.
Aside from Malaysia, MMPRC is also looking to conduct “some marketing activity” in Philippines and Singapore. For instance, MMPRC and its local partners will be taking part in the NATAS Holiday Fair in Singapore from August 2-4.
He added that the agency is not ignoring Europe, where “many roadshows are lined up”.
In addition, the Maldives has announced a three-fold increase in its tourism promotion budget this year to around US$7 million, compared with US$2.2 million annually in the past few years. Arrivals have been set at 1.6 million this year, up from 1.4 million in 2018.
The new campaign focusing on the South-east Asian outbound market is expected to give a timely promotional boost for the Maldives, as the destination has been perceived to suffer from a lack of new attractions and costly airfares.
According to Anake Srishevachart, chairman of Thaisin Express and Uni Thai Trip: “Even though the Maldives has become an emerging destination for international tourists (like the) Chinese, many Thais feel it still lacks fresh attractions and new activities – aside from clear water, private islands and beaches.”
“The cost of travel to the Maldives is also higher than other countries in Asia so only a few can afford packages. They may visit once but not (make repeat visits),” he added.
Wee Hee Ling, CEO at Euro-Asia Holidays on the other hand, shares that awareness of the Maldives in Singapore is not high.
“At the moment, it’s not a priority to visit (the Maldives), and there’s no rush to go there. Maldives tourism authorities have very quiet in the past two to three years, and there’s a lot more competition and options right now – for example, Fiji, Mauritius and the Pacific Islands have been very aggressive in spending money and effort on outreach. The Maldives has become a bit forgotten, and the demand from Singapore has dropped quite a bit compared to five years ago,” he elaborated.
Currently, South-east Asian travellers make up just 4.3 per cent of total traffic to the Maldives, and the MMPRC feels there is room to attract more. Main source markets from South-east Asia are Thailand – rising from 3,813 arrivals in 2009 to 32,436 in 2018; Malaysia – rising from 3,139 in 2009 to 22,202 in 2018, and Singapore – rising from 5,214 in 2009 to 18,638 in 2014 and then dropping to 13,877 in 2018.
Additional reporting from Suchat Sritama and Pamela Chow
Rolling out events celebrating architecture, 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and more
The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is eyeing South-east Asian markets “with an enormous amount of interest”, stepping up its promotional efforts in the region including through campaigns built around different themed events.
In Singapore, Germany is the second-most popular European travel destination after UK. According to IPK International’s World Travel Monitor data, tourist traffic from Singapore to Germany has been steadily increasing, posting a 45 per cent increase from 75,000 in 2016 to 109,000 in 2018.
Rolling out events celebrating architecture, 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and more
Of these travellers, the average length of stay is eight nights, and 81 per cent were booked online.
“We are looking at South-east Asia with an enormous amount of interest. This is an economical powerhouse with a huge market, and we’re expecting to see growth of five to six per cent a year from this region,” said Ulrich A Sante, ambassador to Singapore of the Federal Republic of Germany.
GNTB forecasts that by 2030, the number overnight stays by travellers from Asia-Pacific will grow by 123 per cent to reach 14.3 million.
The board’s trade efforts in the region include OTA campaigns, industry meet-ups, online roadshows and online training for agents.
This year’s activations will push 100 Years of Bauhaus, a celebration that includes festivals, events and activities centering on the architectural movement.
Concurrent campaigns that GNTB will push this year include German Summer Cities – which showcases urban attractions for summer vacations – and the 30-year mark since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In 2020, campaigns lined up to promote tourism to Germany include a nature campaign and the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven.
Singapore-based technology and distribution specialist BeMyGuest has announced a fresh injection of funds from its Series B round, coming largely from internal stakeholders, to bolster development in its home market of Asia.
The company also recently launched a SaaS platform to empower more operators with the ability to sell through those API-integrated partners.
Menchaca: company is committed to bolstering its tech lead
Blanca Menchaca, CEO & co-founder of BeMyGuest, said: “The new funding will take the company through its next phase of growth including the launch of a number of progressive technological initiatives… We view this funding as compelling evidence of the confidence not only in our business, but also this industry, and the Asian region.”
She added that BeMyGuest has established “a unique and agnostic B2B position in Asia”, including “the most robust API platform” in the attractions, tours and activities vertical that support more than 50 integrations with the region’s biggest OTAs.
“We are committed to building on our unique model which combines strong distribution with a powerful API to some of the largest OTAs in markets such as Indonesia, China, Korea and Vietnam. We also empower operators with our SaaS platform so that they get affordable tech to connect to our distribution network as well as use for their own business opportunities.”
She said this unique approach is key in Asia where tech adoption is low among a large proportion of operators. “We want to empower more operators with tech so that the entire market grows and everyone wins.”
According to Menchaca, BeMyGuest has seen a doubling of its revenues for the fourth year running and is expected to maintain the rapid pace of growth this year.
Japanese government urges tourists to buy travel insurance as unpaid medical fees pile up; tourists at the Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto pictured
Government agencies in Japan are campaigning for foreign tourists to purchase travel insurance as unpaid medial bills left behind by visitors exert mounting pressure on hospital budgets, according to a Kyodo News report.
The country has been experiencing a tourism boom and visitor numbers are set to further surge next year, when the country hosts the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Japanese government is urging tourists to buy travel insurance as unpaid medical fees pile up; tourists at the Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto pictured
Citing a survey by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, Kyodo News said that approximately 20 per cent of hospitals which have treated foreign tourists have seen patients’ medical bills go unpaid.
In one instance, a hospital counted over 10 million yen (US$92,000) in unpaid bills.
A survey conducted by the tourism agency in fiscal 2018 showed 27 per cent of foreign travellers arrived uninsured, while 48 per cent said they bought insurance from travel agencies or insurance companies and 23 per cent enrolled in travel insurance plans through credit cards, Kyodo News reported. Five per cent fell ill or suffered injuries while in Japan.
This is despite Japan’s tourism agency taking extra steps to sell insurance to foreign tourists in recent years.
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance had developed an insurance policy in cooperation with Japan’s tourism agency. It started selling the product in 2016, when tourist numbers increased sharply.
The policy was kept affordable by focussing on medical coverage over other the loss of personal items, for example.
Now, the Japan Tourism Agency is stepping up on its travel insurance campaigns. It has created flyers and placed them at tourist information centers in airports and hotels, alongside distributing cards listing the price of the most expensive hospital treatments.
Available in Chinese, Korean, and Thai, the flyer also informs tourists that they can quickly and easily buy insurance using their smartphones or other devices, even after arriving in Japan.
Boutique luxury cruise company Heritage Line is expanding its portfolio next year with its new small ship, Anouvong, which will ply the Upper Mekong River.
Anouvong has two passenger decks for accommodation and public facilities, hosting a total of 10 cabins – eight staterooms and two suites.
The Deluxe and Deluxe Executive rooms are 20m2 in size, featuring French balconies and occupying both the main and upper terrace decks, with four rooms on each level. The two Signature Suites are located at the front of the main deck and boast 30m2 of floor space. Both Signature Suites comprise a private balcony and large bathroom with Jacuzzi.
Anouvong
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The terrace deck offers shaded sun beds for guests to watch the passing river landscapes, and is connected to the air-conditioned café-bar lounge. Other facilities onboard include the Bodhi Spa and a dining hall.
The luxurious overnight vessel will start sailings on September 29, 2020 with two itineraries, one short and one long, along the upper Mekong River.
The shorter trip, the Golden Triangle Traverse, will sail guests from Huay Xai on the Thai/Lao border, to Luang Prabang in central Laos. This journey can be booked in both directions, with a stay of three nights.
The longer alternative, Laotian Serendipity, will connect Vientiane with Huay Xai, with a Luang Prabang stop. The cruise can also be booked in both directions (nine-nights upstream, seven nights downstream).
Anouvong is now open for bookings. Over the next few months, Heritage Line is offering a special opening rate with a 20 per cent discount on any sailing. Rates start from US$1,044 per person for the three-night Golden Triangle Traverse, and US$2,368 on the seven-night Laotian Serendipity cruise (or US$3,045 for nine-night upstream).
Finnair has launched a new online service, branded Now/here, to make Nordic travel experiences more easily accessible to international travelers.
The service combines inspirational content with real-time inventory and availability for experiences, hotels and flights from a number of sources.
Tourists on a reindeer safari in Finland
The platform will start out with Finnish travel content, with plans to encompass other Nordic experiences.
“With this new service, international leisure travellers can find curated travel experiences in dynamic packages, with an effortless and fully digitalised booking flow”, says Kristiina Kukkohovi, who heads the Now/here program at Finnair.
“Now/here brings travel service providers to our digital platform, which is an important step in building a travel related ecosystem that offers win-win opportunities for all parties involved. For the future growth plans, we are also looking for new partners joining us to scale the business.”
Now/here addresses the growing strong interest towards the Nordics as a destination. The concept was tested in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, the US and Australia.
The Finnair Now/here team met with approximately 1,500 travel partners and hand-picked products like Reindeer Safari, Arctic Mindfulness with Huskies, Aurora Borealis Adventure, Forest Yoga & Hike and Private Island Experience to the pilot of the service. More destinations and experiences will be added during this year.
The service utilises the Bokun platform as one of the key inventory sources for experiences.
Marriott International will add a second Japan property, the mesm Tokyo, to its boutique Autograph Collection brand.
Slated to open in 2020, the hotel will occupy the 16th to 26th floors of the Waters Takeshiba main building, a multi-purpose complex that is part of the Takeshiba Waterfront Development Project.
A rendering of the mesm Tokyo
The mesm Tokyo will feature 265 rooms and suites, where some will offer views of the city skyline or the Hama Rikyu Gardens, a traditional Japanese park created for the shogunate in the Edo era.
Facilities on-site will include an all-day dining concept, a lounge bar, club lounge, fitness centre, as well as a banquet room for corporate events.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is expanding fast in New Zealand with its long-term partner in the country, Safari Group, with a joint pipeline of seven properties and growing.
The company has just signed a franchise agreement with Safari Group for the Ramada by Wyndham hotel in Wellington. Marking its debut in the capital city is the Ramada Suites by Wyndham Taranaki Street Wellington, scheduled to open in late 2020.
Wyndham's upcoming New Zealand propertiesRamada_Manukau_Pacific_Centre
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Ramada Manukau Pacific Centre
Ramada Queentown Central
Ramada Taranaki Street Wellington
This latest signing brings the two companies’ joint New Zealand pipeline to seven hotels, three of which will open this year.
Scheduled to open in Auckland come August is the 85-room Ramada Suites by Wyndham Auckland Manukau Pacific Centre. The 10-storey, new-build hotel will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with laundry and cooking facilities, as well as on-site gym, restaurant and other amenities. Located in Auckland’s South, the hotel is close to the Vodafone Event Centre, Rainbow’s End theme park and the Vector Wero Whitewater Park.
In addition, the 47-room Ramada Suites by Wyndham Auckland Victoria Street West will in September open in Auckland’s central business district. The property sits atop the historic Cambridge clothing factory and is surrounded by landmark attractions including Aotea Square, Sky Tower and Auckland Conference Centre.
In the same month, Queenstown will welcome the Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham Queenstown Central. The property will feature 131 rooms along with an on-site restaurant, gym and conference facilities. Overlooking Lake Wakatipu, the hotel is within walking distance of Queenstown’s main shopping and entertainment areas, and is a short drive from the ski slopes of Coronet Peak and the Remarkables.
The three hotels are owned and developed by the Safari Group and will operate under a franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts currently licenses or operates nine hotels across New Zealand, five of which are Safari Group developments.
“With its spectacular scenery and enticing attractions, New Zealand is a highly desirable destination for international travellers – especially the new generation of affluent Asian visitors. Arrivals to New Zealand have increased by more than 50 per cent since 2010, due in part to its rising popularity in countries such as China,” said Joon Aun Ooi, president and managing director, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, South East Asia and Pacific Rim.
According to government data, a total of 3.9 million international travellers visited New Zealand in the year ended March 31, 2019, up 1.3 per cent year-on-year. This year marks the sixth consecutive year of growth.
Despite being an established destination on the regional travel map, private investors as well as state-owned enterprises alike continue to see tourism opportunities on the Island of the Gods, rolling out a flurry of new infrastructure and attractions.
A major project underway in Sanur is the overhaul of the 58-year-old Grand Inna Bali Beach, as owning company Hotel Indonesia Natour (HIN) has unveiled plans to remake Bali’s first five-star hotel into an integrated resort.
State-owned ITDC is currently drawing ip a new masterplan for Nusa Dua
To be renamed Hotel Indonesia Bali, the 43ha estate will comprise the existing 525-room hotel and garden villas – which will be renovated and expanded – a new mid-scale hotel opening next year with 166 keys, a convention centre with a capacity of 10,000 guests, a lifestyle art market, an eco-park and a pier.
The whole project is targeted to finalise in five years with a total investment of Rp2.8 trillion (US$197.2 million). When ready, the resort will boast a total of 1,017 keys, comprising 943 rooms in three- to five-star categories, 73 premium villas and one presidential villa.
Hotel Karya Indonesia, a joint venture between HIN and four state-owned companies – Hutama Karya, Pembangunan Perumahan, Waskita Karya and Wijaya Karya – is the developer of the project.
The redevelopment of the Grand Inna Bali Beach, whose last renovation dated back to 1993, would enable the historic property to better keep up with the competition, according to Iswandi Said, president director of HIN.
Recognising the estate’s valuable asset, location and potential, Indonesian president Joko Widodo has instructed the revitalisation of the hotel, and minister of state enterprises Rini Soemarno came up with the idea of turning it into a small-scaled integrated resort.
Iswandi remarked: “Hotel Indonesia Bali will not only provide a new convention destination in Sanur, it will become a new icon for Bali with all its facilities.”
While acknowledging that Sanur’s laid-back character has been its asset in attracting senior travellers from Europe and long-staying visitors, Iswandi said the new development is critical for the destination to accommodate and tap onto other market segments, particularly business events and leisure travellers.
In the meantime, state-owned Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is in the process of drawing up a new masterplan for Nusa Dua, a 350ha integrated tourism estate on Bali. With the refined masterplan, the resort is expected to attract not only MICE businesses but also the leisure market.
Ricky Baheramsjah, head of investment and marketing division at ITDC, said: “With the re-master-planning, ITDC intends to revitalise Nusa Dua and offer something unique and differentiated from other destinations in Bali.”
The new masterplan will enable Nusa Dua to keep up with changing customer preferences, explained Ricky. “Nusa Dua’s (existing) masterplan is 30 years old already.
“When you look at the type of new hotel brands coming into Bali such as W, Aloft and Moxi, (they are different from the earlier types of hotels); even established hotel brands like Four Seasons and St Regis are repositioning themselves to attract a new generation of travellers.
“Travellers are looking for something different. A lot of the guests in Nusa Dua may stay in the area from morning until lunch time, and then they would head out and seek out entertainment like the Rock Bar, and Omnia or other trendy, bohemian-type attractions. We want to offer something of similar feel and quality but still maintaining our high-end luxury position,” he said.
While MICE will remain a key market for Nusa Dua as the area is home to two major convention centres, Ricky said focus will now be given to the leisure market too.
“For the hotels, leisure is part of their business too. In order for us to be competitive in the leisure market, we need to provide a more interesting and entertaining proposition, (offering more fun activities) in Nusa Dua.”
While the new masterplan for Nusa Dua may not be ready until the year-end, some “revitalising” programmes have been introduced.
The peninsula area, for example, has been landscaped in such a way to be able to host large-scale events.
Recent launches that will appeal to investors include the launch of the Manarai Beach House, a beach club run by the Ismaya Group, pointed out Ricky.
“With the investors, we are also looking at revitalising the Bali Collections (shopping, dining and entertainment centre), to make it more attractive to the new market,” he added.
Meanwhile, ITDC is already in the early stages of developing north Bali as a cruise tourism destination, with plans to develop a resort similar to Nusa Dua with about 10 to 12 hotels, F&B and entertainment facilities, a marina or a proper cruise terminal. The resort will stand on a 100ha piece of privately owned land, expandable to 250ha, near Menjangan National Park.
Ricky explained: “The lack of sea ports in Indonesia means that any cruise ships going from Singapore or Thailand to Australia and South Pacific bypasses Indonesia almost completely, which is a loss of opportunity. If we provide stopovers across Indonesia, these will provide a great opportunity to capture the cruise market.”
However, accessibility is currently North Bali’s greatest development challenge, as the airport lies on the island’s south, from where it takes about three hours to drive to the Menjangan area.
ITDC hence considers north Bali more accessible by cruise ships. And with contemporary cruise ships offering many man-made entertainment on board, the beaches, nature and national park in the north will make attractive drawcards for cruise passengers, Ricky aded.
Furthermore, the area’s development is expected to stimulate the arrival of more infrastructure and facilities, which is still lacking in north Bali.
Amid its push for better infrastructure and modern facilities for the destination, the Bali regional government, on the other hand, is also working to cultivate the island’s core strengths in tradition, culture and attractions.
As part of the government’s aim to disperse tourist footfalls away from the island’s packed south, the Bali Government Tourism Office, together with academics and experts in the field, has selected local events and attractions across different destinations for promotion.
Dewa Ayu Laksmiadi Janapriati (Laksmi), head of marketing, Bali Government Tourism Office said: “We are identifying local attractions and festivals in Bali, particularly in areas less popular to travellers.”
She shared a few examples, among which is Jembrana in west Bali, an area known for its cattle breeders and a traditional bull race festival. To attract visitors and stimulate the locals to develop tourism, a Governor’s Cup is planned for Jembrana this year.
To showcase the community-based ecotourism that Pemuteran, West Bali is known for, the Pemuteran Bay Festival was held last year featuring activities like underwater art parade, underwater expo and biorock reef conservation.
In the meantime, the assimilation of the Balinese and Chinese cultures is shown in the Balingkang Kintamani Festival, a cultural parade depicting the romantic legend between King Jaya Pangus with Kang Cing We of China.
“We collect local (traditions and attractions) from each regency in Bali, categorise them into local, national and international events, and promote them accordingly,” said Dewa Ayu, citing the promotion of Balingkang Kintamani Festival to the China market as an example.
