Adara, a travel data co-op and provider of traveller intelligence for travel brands, is expanding operations in India with the appointment of Suchit Huria as sales director.
Huria brings over 13 years of sales experience in the digital marketing industry. Prior to joining Adara, he was sales director at Httpool, where he led sales for performance and brand solutions.
Based out of New Delhi, Huria will be responsible for growing Adara’s footprint in India and expanding the pool of data partners to deliver consumer insights to travel marketers.
Since its expansion into the Asia-Pacific in 2014, Adara has established a strong presence in the region with offices and key hires in Singapore, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong.
The company is looking to partner with hotels, airlines, online travel agencies and other travel players in India.
“In a large and dynamic market like India, there is a huge opportunity to leverage data-driven insights for creating personalised travel experiences that can address the varied and evolving needs of consumers,” said Brandon Meyers, chief revenue officer at Adara.
“We have seen some great traction in our early days in India. With Huria onboard, we look forward to growing our operations and bringing our travel data offerings to travel marketers across the country.”
Location
Royal Cliff commands one of Pattaya’s most enviable addresses from its Phra Tamnak Hill location, about three kilometres from the city centre where the walking street, bars and shopping malls are found, thus offering a tranquil beachfront stay with easy access to the city’s key landmarks. From Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, it’s about a 75-minute drive to the resort.
Royal Cliff Beach Hotel
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Room
Stepping into my Ocean Deluxe Room, I was blown away by the stunning views of the Gulf of Thailand. The horizon was formed by an azure sky meeting the turquoise sea, punctuated with speedboats and their white water trails; while a trio of crystal blue pools sparkled in the foreground.
As part of the resort transformation led by renowned Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag, Ocean Deluxe rooms – together with the Mini Suites – were transformed with new bathroom features installed. The ensuing result is an expansive 36m2 interior featuring a pleasing white-and-lightwood palette accented with Thai decorative touches.
I stayed at the 474-key Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, which together with the 88-key Royal Cliff Beach Terrace, 373-key Royal Cliff Grand Hotel and 85-key Royal Wing Suites & Spa, make up the Royal Cliffs Hotel Group.
Facilities
A destination unto itself, the sprawling 26ha beachfront estate is home to myriad amenities. Architect Bunnag once again oversaw the construction and design of the property’s new features.
Fitness and sports fans should head to the Fitz Club – Racquets, Health & Fitness, which was transformed to sport an Amazon vibe in addition to fun slides. The upgraded Funtasea kids club and variety of pools promise hours of fun for families. As well, the infinity pool as well as private beaches are definitely popular in-resort lounging spots, especially during sunsets.
Other recreation facilities include seven tennis courts, the Nah Pah Thai Cooking School, a cigar lounge and luxury spas, among others.
Already a dominant player in Pattaya’s MICE space with its PEACH convention centre on-site, Royal Cliff is now pushing into the lifestyle and sporting segments with the creation of its own events – e.g. a one-night show by UK comedian Bill Bailey – making it an even more attractive destination for families and leisure groups alike.
F&B
The vast hotel complex boasts 11 restaurants and six bars, offering options from Asian to European fusion. Notable dining outlets include Chamu for Japanese, Maharani for Indian, Huang Chao for Cantonese, and Rossini for Italian flavours.
Overlooking the pools and sea, all-day-dining Panorama is where international buffet breakfasts are served. In the lobby, which has also undergoing a redesign, stands a new lobby bar and bakery.
Service
Service was pleasant and efficient – and delivered with smiles.
Verdict
A grand dame that has stood the test of time, its recent makeover has given it greater shine as a sanctuary for relaxation.
No. of rooms 474 Rates From 4,000 baht (US$126) for rooms with ABF Contact details
Tel (62 38) 250 421
Email success@royalcliff.com
Melbourne chosen as first international pilot location for Uber Air after a number of countries including Japan and India were shortlisted last year
Melbourne will be the first international pilot city for Uber Air, with test flights scheduled to start from 2020 and commercial operations to commence from 2023.
Taking Uber’s tech to the sky, Uber Air aims to open up urban air mobility, and help alleviate transport congestion on the ground. In the long term, Uber’s vision is for electric vehicles to transport tens of thousands of people across cities for the same price as an UberX trip over the same distance.
Melbourne chosen as first international pilot location for Uber Air after a number of countries including Japan and India were shortlisted last year
Susan Anderson, regional general manager for Uber in Australia, New Zealand and North Asia made the announcement at Uber’s global Elevate (Uber Air) Summit in Washington on June 11.
She said: “Since we entered the market in 2012, Australians have embraced Uber wholeheartedly. Today, over 3.8 million Aussies regularly use Uber as a reliable way to get from A to B, and governments across the country have recognised the important role ridesharing plays in the future of transport for our cities.”
“Australian governments have adopted a forward-looking approach to ridesharing and future transport technology. This, coupled with Melbourne’s unique demographic and geospatial factors, and culture of innovation and technology, makes Melbourne the perfect third launch city for Uber Air. We will see other Australian cities following soon after.”
According to Anderson, the state government of Victoria, Australia has been highly supportive of the programme.
Congestion is a growing concern for cities around the world, and Australia is not immune – congestion currently costs Australia US$16.5 billion annually and increasing to around US$30 billion by 2030.
Eric Allison, the global head of Uber Elevate, said: “As major cities grow, the heavy reliance on private car ownership will not be sustainable. Uber Air holds enormous potential to help reduce road congestion. For example, the 19km journey from the CBD to Melbourne airport can take anywhere from 25 minutes to around an hour by car in peak hour but with Uber Air this will take around 10 minutes.”
“Uber’s technology is changing the way people move around their cities – from bikes to pooled rides, we are always looking for ways to reduce the need for private car ownership. In the coming years, with Uber Air, we want to make it possible for people to push a button and get a flight.”
Uber also announced partnerships with leading Australian companies, Macquarie, Telstra and Scentre Group, owner and operator of Westfield in Australia and New Zealand and will work with key existing partners including Melbourne Airport who collectively will support the infrastructure and telecommunications needed to create a successful urban aviation network.
“As the gateway to Melbourne for tens of millions of travellers each year, we can see fantastic potential for Uber Air in the future. We look forward to continuing this exciting conversation, and working with government, regulators and our local communities to make this happen,” said Lorie Argus, chief of parking & ground access at Melbourne Airport.
Andrew Penn, CEO, Telstra added that the company will be working closely with Uber over the next 12 months to assess what network infrastructure, connectivity requirements and other capabilities would be needed to support airspace mobility in urban centres.
Wallace: Singapore an effective hub to serve growing travel demand from South-east Asia to New Zealand
Air New Zealand plans to launch five-times-weekly seasonal flights between Christchurch and Singapore this winter to appeal to the strong travel demand from South and South-east Asia.
Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines currently offer a 10-times-weekly service between Christchurch and Singapore. The seasonal flights will bring the frequency of the service to 15 times weekly in the December 1, 2019 to February 15, 2020 period.
Wallace: Singapore an effective hub to serve growing travel demand from South-east Asia to New Zealand
The airline is also deploying the larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the route, which would increase capacity including in the premium economy category.
Cam Wallace, chief revenue officer, Air New Zealand, said: “We have seen strong demand for travel to New Zealand in the South and South-east Asia market, and we expect (the additional flights to) appeal to travellers in this region.
Singapore is likely to continue serving as Air New Zealand’s South-east Asia hub. On the airline’s strategy in growing outbound markets Indonesia and Malaysia, where it does not fly to directly, Wallace said: “Both are key growth markets for Air New Zealand in South-east Asia as we continue to see strong demand from travellers in the region. At this stage, both markets are being well served through our recently renewed alliance with Singapore Airlines, providing connectivity through Changi Airport.
“Capitalising on its strategic geographical location, excellent air connectivity and world-class infrastructure, we are seeing plenty of opportunities to grow our presence in the region through our operations in Singapore. We will continue to assess opportunities across markets and leverage our well-established partner network in the region to capture demand.”
Meanwhile, Christchurch is expected to grow in appeal, benefitting from new destination offerings and intensified sales and marketing efforts.
“Christchurch is building new experiences at a phenomenal rate, with new bars, restaurants and artworks going up quicker than anywhere else in New Zealand. This new seasonal Singapore-Christchurch service complements the MoU signed between the airline and Christchurch city agencies in September 2018 committing to exploring joint marketing, enhanced freight and passenger capacity, and signature events.”
“These changes reinforce Christchurch and the South Island as a priority market for Air New Zealand, as we seek to leverage the strength of both airlines to deliver increased connections into the domestic New Zealand network,” Wallace said.
The airline is also running a tactical campaign with Christchurch Airport to promote South Island.
The campaign will span offline and online media buys to increase the awareness of New Zealand and Air New Zealand to consumers in Singapore, targeting the family market and professionals, managers, executives and businessmen.
“We are also working with key agents to develop new itineraries for the South Island,” he said.
Yanolja, the largest online travel platform in South Korea, has raised US$180 million in Series D funding from Booking Holdings and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, bringing its current valuation to more than US$1 billion.
Alongside its investment, Yanolja and Booking Holdings have entered into a strategic partnership and commercial agreement.
Yanolja is now valued at US$1 billion
With the partnership, Booking Holdings’ brand Agoda will have the ability to offer its customers access to Yanolja’s hotel accommodations in South Korea. Yanolja customers will also gain access to accommodations across the globe powered by Agoda and other Booking Holdings’ brands.
The South Korean OTA says it has accelerated sales growth at an annual rate of more than 70 per cent over the past five years, and is now the largest online travel platform in the country after becoming the industry’s first to surpass US$100 million in monthly transactions, It records 20 million accumulated reservations for accommodation and leisure activity booking.
The new funds will be used to further innovate in hospitality-related technology to automate hotel operations and achieve more pervasive connectivity across the value chain, according to Yanolja.
A portion of the newly raised funds will also be deployed to accelerate digitalisation and achieve growth potential in the global travel and leisure market, going beyond the traditional travel sphere.
Yanolja houses more than 200 hotels including recognised franchises across the country. Outside South Korea, Yanolja has invested in South-east Asia’s ZenRooms, which has more than 1,000 hotels across the region, strategically positioning itself for its global hotel franchise business.
Furthermore, Yanolja has developed a cloud-based property management system in South Korea, supporting all kinds of accommodation types.
Yanolja is also engineering a smart hotel that utilises key technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT). Earlier this year, Yanolja, in collaboration with Korea Telecom, introduced the smart hotel concept on Jeju Island, expected to reap benefits such as cost efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Bargain hunters most at risk of falling prey to online travel scams
Almost a third of Singaporeans surveyed in a recent McAfee study indicated they have been scammed, or nearly scammed, when booking a holiday online.
Polling 500 Singaporeans, the American cyber security firm found that the top holiday destinations which hackers are targeting through malicious sites are, in order, Taipei, London, Bali, Tokyo and Kyoto.
Some 23 per cent of respondent who have been scammed said they realised the site or reservation method they used was fraudulent only when they turned up at their holiday rental.
Bargain hunters most at risk of falling prey to online travel scams
How scammers target travellers
Bargain hunters are most at risk, according to the study, which found 34 per cent of the victims were scammed after they saw a great offer which turned out to be fake.
Around 30 per cent of respondents booked holidays through email promotions and pop-up advertisements.
Moreover, 23 per cent of respondents indicated they do not check the authenticity of a website before booking a holiday online, while 33 per cent said it did not cross their mind to check.
McAfee said cybercriminals drive unsuspecting users to potentially malicious websites that can be used to install malware, steal personal information and even capture passwords.
In addition to planting malware-ridden search results, hackers send malicious links through text messages, emails and pop-up advertisements to lure bargain hunters.
Avoiding scams
McAfee advised users to click on websites that have been authorised as safe by the security software in their devices.
Travel searchers should also use trusted platforms and be mindful to not be easily lured by advertisements of discounted rates.
They may also ensure the device’s connection is secure by using a virtual private network when conducting transactions on a public Wi-Fi connection.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has named Nathalia Wilson director of development, South-east Asia & Korea.
Joining the development team based in the Singapore corporate office with 20 years of hotel investment and asset management experience, Wilson will focus on further expanding IHG’s presence in the region.
Prior to joining IHG, Wilson was at Savills, where she established and led the Asia Pacific Hotel Advisory Business. Over six years, she played a pivotal role in growing the team based in Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Japan and China. At Savills, she further honed her skills in asset management, hotel investment, due diligence, hotel advisory, feasibility studies and strategic planning.
Wilson also worked in the regional offices of Hyatt in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai; and Goldman Sachs Realty Japan in their Tokyo headquarters.
She is fluent in Bahasa Indonesia and conversational Japanese.
Jetwing Symphony has unveiled plans to open a new boutique hotel in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
The hotel will feature 26 rooms and suites ranging from 52m2 to 81m2 with private butler service. The rooms enjoy sweeping views of the Mahaweli River and the hill country, and includes a private balcony or terrace.
The four-storey hotel has been designed in collaboration with renowned architectural firm Philip Weeraratne Associates, and joins a portfolio of 40 resorts and villas in Sri Lanka managed by Jetwing Hotels.
The building is formed by two wings on either side, connected by a semi-public Gallery Walk dedicated to the arts and crafts of Kandy.
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong has appointed Jill Goh as general manager.
A seasoned hotelier, Goh has been with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group since 1993, serving previously as resident manager both at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London until 2013, when she was appointed corporate operations manager – Asia, based in Hong Kong. From 2015, she then held the role of general manager at Mandarin Oriental’s Macau property.
The Malaysian native also has extensive experience in operations and management and has played a key role in numerous Mandarin Oriental renovation projects.
The Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+), Thailand’s leading annual B2B travel show, which was held between 5-7 June, has ushered in a fresh era of business opportunities for buyers looking for new Thai destinations.
This year, the theme of the “New Shades of Emerging Destinations” is designed to encourage visitors to explore the new shades of Thailand in the 55 provinces identified as emerging destinations or the “hidden gems” throughout the country.
This is part of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) strategy to promote provincial destinations which are already popular with domestic tourists and increasingly preferable by international visitors.
As a testament to the show’s success, the first day of business networking session saw a total of 339 buyers from 51 countries and 370 sellers, including 10 from the Greater Mekong Subregion countries.
For the first time, the buyers list includes 13 companies from Brazil along with new buyers from Chile, Argentina and Colombia.
First time buyers have also been invited from other new source-markets; such as, Lebanon, Latvia, Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Ukraine and Israel.
The sellers list includes exhibitors, mainly from the Southern and Central regions of Thailand. In order to help buyers home in on the emerging destinations, the directory of sellers includes a special listing of the 20 exhibitors from this segment.
Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor of International Marketing (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas) said that this year’s TTM Plus features some important changes in the trade show component to ensure enhanced business opportunities for both buyers and sellers.
She said: “We recognise that in this era, there are constant changes in everything from customer segments to technology and demographic profiles. The value of travel trade shows needs to be constantly refreshed and enhanced to justify the investment in time and money by both buyers and sellers.
We also have to marry the business objectives of the private sector with our national objectives to create jobs, reduce income disparities and better distribute visitors around the country. At the TTM Plus, all these objectives have been merged. It takes time and effort for emerging destination cities to be recognised and chosen by travellers, and this year’s TTM Plus has set the ball rolling.”
In 2018, the Thai tourism industry recorded a total of 38 million international arrivals, up by 7.54 per cent, generating an estimated US$62 billion in earnings, up by 9.63 per cent over 2017. This year, TAT has set a growth target of twelve percent in tourism revenue from the international market.
Based out of New Delhi, Huria will be responsible for growing Adara’s footprint in India and expanding the pool of data partners to deliver consumer insights to travel marketers.
Air New Zealand plans to launch five-times-weekly seasonal flights between Christchurch and Singapore this winter to appeal to the strong travel demand from South and South-east Asia.
Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines currently offer a 10-times-weekly service between Christchurch and Singapore. The seasonal flights will bring the frequency of the service to 15 times weekly in the December 1, 2019 to February 15, 2020 period.
The airline is also deploying the larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the route, which would increase capacity including in the premium economy category.
Cam Wallace, chief revenue officer, Air New Zealand, said: “We have seen strong demand for travel to New Zealand in the South and South-east Asia market, and we expect (the additional flights to) appeal to travellers in this region.
Singapore is likely to continue serving as Air New Zealand’s South-east Asia hub. On the airline’s strategy in growing outbound markets Indonesia and Malaysia, where it does not fly to directly, Wallace said: “Both are key growth markets for Air New Zealand in South-east Asia as we continue to see strong demand from travellers in the region. At this stage, both markets are being well served through our recently renewed alliance with Singapore Airlines, providing connectivity through Changi Airport.
“Capitalising on its strategic geographical location, excellent air connectivity and world-class infrastructure, we are seeing plenty of opportunities to grow our presence in the region through our operations in Singapore. We will continue to assess opportunities across markets and leverage our well-established partner network in the region to capture demand.”
Meanwhile, Christchurch is expected to grow in appeal, benefitting from new destination offerings and intensified sales and marketing efforts.
“Christchurch is building new experiences at a phenomenal rate, with new bars, restaurants and artworks going up quicker than anywhere else in New Zealand. This new seasonal Singapore-Christchurch service complements the MoU signed between the airline and Christchurch city agencies in September 2018 committing to exploring joint marketing, enhanced freight and passenger capacity, and signature events.”
“These changes reinforce Christchurch and the South Island as a priority market for Air New Zealand, as we seek to leverage the strength of both airlines to deliver increased connections into the domestic New Zealand network,” Wallace said.
The airline is also running a tactical campaign with Christchurch Airport to promote South Island.
The campaign will span offline and online media buys to increase the awareness of New Zealand and Air New Zealand to consumers in Singapore, targeting the family market and professionals, managers, executives and businessmen.
“We are also working with key agents to develop new itineraries for the South Island,” he said.