Japan’s Kochi teams up with Singapore travel, sports partners to push out crafted trips
The Kochi Prefectural Government has joined hands with travel and fitness companies in Singapore to roll out hybrid tours for FIT and interest groups to drum up awareness and interest in the southern coastal region of Japan’s Shikoku.
In collaboration with Singapore’s Royal Wings Travel, two 7D6N free-and-easy tours have been developed to encourage in-depth exploration of the east and west regions of Kochi.
These unguided itineraries, which can be tweaked according to customer preferences, include three-star hotel reservations, train tickets and a handy travel guidebook detailing recommended routes, local businesses and attractions, as well as maps and tourist information.
The tours will be launched at the Experience Kochi travel and food fair taking place from October 18 to 27 at Harbourfront Centre, and sold by agencies Pegasus Travel Management, Siam Express and JOYOJ.
Takanori Asai, deputy director of the Kochi Representative Office in Singapore, explained that international trips in Kochi have traditionally been limited to a day or two as part of a wider Japan itinerary.
However, the massive shift towards free-and-easy travel, particularly among repeat tourists to Japan, has opened a window of opportunity for the prefecture and travel agents in search of lesser-known destinations.
Diana Ho, general manager of Royal Wings Travel, said: “Since free-and-easy travel is so popular now, we decided to create a tour that can meet the demands of our customers, and also allow us travel agents to add value with our planning expertise.”
Kochi has also worked with H.I.S. Travel Singapore to develop a mono-destination itinerary, as well as boutique fitness service provider ABCDE Fitness on a package that includes flights, accommodation at the new Mont Bell Mountain Lodge, warm-up sessions with a local running group, passes for the Kochi Ryoma Marathon in February 2020, private tours and workshops, and a dinner party with local residents.
Such creative collaborations are essential to attracting travellers today, said Asai. “It has become really hard to promote a destination through traditional means. So we have had to come up with new ways to promote Kochi,” he said. “If our efforts are successful, it is possible to have Experience Kochi events in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand as well.
Stark contrast in hotel performance for HK, Singapore in July 2019: STR
It was a tale of highly contrasting results when it came to hotel performance for Hong Kong and Singapore in July 2019, STR’s latest data showed.
In Hong Kong, occupancy decreased -4.1 per cent to 83.4 per cent, while average daily rate (ADR) fell -9.1% to HK$1,163.21 (US$148.29) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) plummeted -12.9% to HK$970.42.
STR analysts note that ongoing protests in Hong Kong have affected performance levels in the market. Hotel demand for the month fell three per cent, and preliminary figures show a double-digit decline in visitor arrivals during the second-half of July, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. That steep drop follows a first half of the year that showed a 13.9 per cent increase in visitor arrivals.
In Singapore, one of Hong Kong’s fiercest rivals, hotel occupancy rose +1.9 per cent to 91.8 per cent while ADR was up +0.5 per cent to SG$268.79 (US$193.40) and RevPAR increased +2.4 per cent to SG$246.80.
The country eclipsed 90 per cent occupancy for the first time in history. STR analysts note that the transient segment (bookings of less than 10 rooms) produced strong demand growth (+7.1 per cent) during the month, while group (bookings of 10 or more rooms) demand fell 7.2 per cent. According to the Singapore Tourism Board, the country welcomed 9.3 million international visitors during the first six months of 2019.
Overall, hotels in the Asia-Pacific region reported mostly negative results across the three key performance metrics in July 2019. Region-wide occupancy increased +0.2 per cent to 73.2 per cent, while ADR dropped -1.5 per cent to US$95.48 and RevPAR fell -1.3 per cent to US$69.91 when compared to July 2018.
Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold name Mayflower Holidays its Malaysia GSA
Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold, two brands under The Travel Corporation, have appointed Kuala Lumpur-based Mayflower Holidays as its GSA in Malaysia.
The partnership will commence from September 1, 2019, with Mayflower Holidays responsible for the sales and marketing as well as reservations and operations of both brands for both the B2B and B2C markets across Malaysia.
Anthony Lim, managing director for Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold, said that the company is excited “to leverage Mayflower Holiday’s extensive global tourist-industry network and their strong relationships with trade partners” to offer their range of premium and luxury holidays to travellers.
Mayflower Group’s CEO Chin Ten Hoy said: “We will promote the Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold products in all our distribution channels, be it B2C via online or B2B network. Currently, our wholesale departments are servicing more than 500 travel agents nationwide and we will capitalise our distribution network to ensure the Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold brands are top of mind for travellers when they think of going for holidays.”
Mayflower Holidays’ first public outing under this brand will be at the upcoming Matta Travel Fair at Putra World Trade Centre from September 6 to 8, followed by a series of B2B product launches and education roadshows in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kota Kinabalu.
Dusit’s first Asai Hotel to open in Bangkok’s Chinatown
Dusit International has signed a long-term lease agreement with I Am Chinatown to develop and operate Asai Bangkok Chinatown in the heart of the city’s thriving Yaowarat district.
As the first hotel to debut under Asai Hotels, Dusit’s new lifestyle brand for millennial-minded travellers, Asai Bangkok Chinatown is slated to open early next year in a prime location adjacent to Yaowarat Road and 100m from the new Wat Mangkon station.
Asai Bangkok Chinatown will feature 224 compact rooms measuring between 18-22m2, a large communal space with a workspace, plus other facilities like a fitness centre, a bar and a pop-up restaurant concept featuring a seasonal farm-driven menu curated in collaboration with Paolo Vitaletti and Jarrett Wrisley of Appia, Peppina and Soul Food Mahanakorn restaurants in Bangkok. The hotel’s chefs will seek to use fresh herbs and vegetables from an on-site organic garden.
To further promote sustainable agriculture, the hotel has partnered with Akha Ama, a socially empowered enterprise growing coffee in northern Thailand, to source 100 per cent Arabica beans from the project.
Besides Asai Bangkok Chinatown, five more properties are already confirmed in the pipeline, including three Asai Hotels in Cebu, one hotel in Yangon, and a second hotel in Bangkok. These properties are expected to open from mid-2020 onwards.
Six travel agencies in Singapore suspended
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have suspended six travel agents from conducting travel agent activities with effect from August 26, 2019.
The six travel agents are Alert Co, Success Express, RJ Travels, Sai Universal Holidays, Szimsai Holidays Events and TIS365.
During the period of suspension, the travel agents are required to fulfil any existing obligations to their customers, but will not be allowed to accept new travel bookings.
The suspension is the result of the companies’ failure to submit their audited statement of accounts within six months after the close of their financial year, said STB in a media advisory.
The suspension will remain effective until the travel agents submit their audited accounts, or for up to six months – after which, STB will decide on the next course of action, it added.
The STB said that the submission of audited accounts is a requirement under the Travel Agents Regulations.
“Failure to submit the audited accounts within the stipulated deadline raises concern over a company’s ability to meet the minimum financial requirements as mandated under the Travel Agents Regulations.”
STB stresses that it “takes a serious view against errant travel agents, and will not hesitate to take necessary actions to protect the reputation of Singapore’s travel industry”.
DFS tobacco and liquor stores to depart Changi Airport in 2020
The DFS Group will be pulling out of Changi Airport’s liquor and tobacco business, after close to 40 years of operation, according to a report by The Straits Times.
Its duty-free stores will close in June 2020 to make way for a new tenant, said the report, as DFS did not bid in the new concession tender, which closed on Monday (August 26).
DFS, which is Changi’s biggest and oldest tenant, manages 18 liquor and tobacco stores at the airport, occupying more than 8,000m2 of retail space across the four terminals.
According to the report, three firms have submitted bids for the liquor and tobacco concession. They are The Shilla Duty Free of South Korea, which currently operates the perfume and cosmetics stores at Changi, another South Korean firm Lotte Duty Free and Gebr Heinemann of Germany.
The report also quoted DFS Group chairman and CEO Ed Brennan as saying in a statement: “Our decision not to bid was based on our unique understanding of the business environment as the current operator of this concession at Changi. Specifically, changing regulations concerning the sale of liquor and tobacco, against a global context of geopolitical uncertainty, meant that staying in Changi was not a financially viable option.”
A new tenant will be announced in November, said the report.
Six Senses Maxwell offers wellness in spa pods
Six Senses Maxwell has unveiled five spa pods and two relaxation rooms, which will provide guests with a wellness sanctuary in the heart of Singapore’s city centre.
Located on the fourth floor of Six Senses Maxwell, the spa pods and relaxation rooms are decorated and furnished in line with the property’s signature 19th century aesthetics. Guests can look forward to both traditional and innovative wellness experiences from Six Senses Signature Massages to locally-inspired rituals, targeted therapies and functional fitness.
The boutique hotel is also debuting the Singapore-exclusive, locally-inspired wellness retreat experience featuring traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and massage techniques. This 135-minute-long experience, priced at US$220++, starts with a consultation with seasoned practitioners from a local full-service TCM clinic followed by a conversation and wellness recommendations.
Following the consultation, a relaxing ritual with warm amethyst crystals reduces daily stress and tension starting with a back, neck and shoulders massage. The package also features an orchid-scented Himalayan salt scrub, a rose body mask and a lifting facial massage and a wellness lunch at either Yellow Pot Chinese Restaurant or Cook & Tras Social Library.
The 150-minute-long Cleansing Retreat experience, priced at US$258++, incorporates body and facial treatments infused with vitamin C, jasmine, green coffee and chilli to spring clean the whole system. This retreat also includes a detoxifying drink, yoga and a wellness lunch at either Yellow Pot Chinese Restaurant or Cook & Tras Social Library.
The spa pods at Six Senses Maxwell are open from 11.00 to 20.00 daily.
Adphorus expands in APAC with sales director hire
Travel marketing science company Adphorus has appointed William Chan as sales director, Asia-Pacific. He will be based in the company’s Singapore office.
The announcement comes on the heels of recent expansion by its parent company, Sojern, following rapid growth in Asia-Pacific. Adphorus, a Facebook and Instagram Marketing Partner, provides the technology and know-how to scale revenues through a scientific approach to travel advertising.
Chan brings with him significant digital experience having led sales teams across Asia-Pacific for companies like ada and AdParlor. He possesses extensive knowledge of the Facebook Marketing Partners ecosystem, and has helped companies execute Facebook ad campaigns at scale, reaching new audiences and optimising their campaigns to drive performance. During his time at ada, Chan used their first party telco data to improve client campaign metrics by up to 20 per cent across the board.
He also previously managed media sales at Electronic Arts in EMEA.
Malaysia pushes for digitalisation in its tourism industry
Malaysia is embarking on a comprehensive digitalisation journey to employ initiatives that will help develop its tourism industry through education, as well as the creation of smart eco-management of destinations.
Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said in his keynote address at the World Tourism Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Monday that by “embracing” digitalisation, it will help the tourism industry to be “internationally-connected”, and provide data analytics of tourism futures while shortening the supply chain.
But for this to materialise, Mahathir pointed out that a new investment climate was necessary to cultivate an environment to enable the tourism industry to move forward.
“Investment in hard and soft infrastructure need to be balanced. National policies need to allow for investment incentives in more intangible products such as data acquisition, content creation and online platform presence,” he elaborated.
As part of the new National Tourism Policy (2021 to 2030), Malaysia will also be designating Special Tourism Investment Zones throughout the country, where incentives are being formulated to attract both hardware and technology-based investment in the tourism sector.
In addition, as part of the country’s National Ecotourism Plan 2016-2025, Malaysia is also developing cluster-based ecotourism destinations with special concession packages that inculcate the use of technology and smart eco-management of the destinations.
Mahathir added that the aim was for the country to become “The Capital of Smart Ecotourism Destination”, and reiterated that education of all stakeholders as well as travellers is needed to help develop a tourist sector that is “responsible, sustainable and inclusive”.
He said: “Industry stakeholders are now venturing more actively into the sharing economy, digital platforms, social media integration and big data analytics to customise tourism experience offerings to specific demographics across the globe.
“As tourists’ arrivals are forecasted to reach 1.8 billion people by 2030, we foresee a wider base of services being offered beyond the conventional tourism-focused activity, to include medical, filming, adventure sports, content development, religious activities, gaming and green technology.”
According to the World Economic Forum’s Digital Transformation initiatives, digitalisation in tourism is expected to contribute up to US$305 billion of value through increased profitability by 2025. It will also generate benefits valued at US$700 billion for businesses and wider society.
Indonesian travel industry members have voiced their support for president Joko Widodo’s plan to move the country’s capital to East Kalimantan, predicting that the move will help boost tourism and bring about better infrastructure to the Indonesian portion on the island of Borneo.
Haryadi Sukamdani, chairman of Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, welcomed president Jokowi’s plan to move the capital, which will straddle North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara regencies in East Kalimantan.
The hotelier said: “This will bring positive impacts to tourist destinations, (particularly) in East Kalimantan. Kutai Kartanegara is rich in natural resources, including nature attractions, but the regency has yet to explore its tourism potential to the maximum due to the lack of infrastructure.”
Similar to Kutai Kartanegara, North Penajam Paser also has infrastructure that remains far from adequate, according to Haryadi, who shared the example of having to use a long, drawn-out route from North Penajam Paser to the well-developed city of Balikpapan, due to Balikpapan Bay that separates the two cities.
Should the local government build a bridge between North Penajam Paser and Balikpapan, he suggested, travellers would benefit from the shorter travel time and the regency could speed up its tourism development with better infrastructure.
Like Haryadi, Haryadi, Sudarsana, general manager of business development of Santika Indonesia Hotel and Resorts, also expects the new location of the capital city would boost tourism in Kutai Kartanegara and North Penajam Paser, encouraging locals to create new offerings in the regency to lure more tourists.
He said that the new capital city would also benefit the neighbouring provinces on Kalimantan Island because of its strategic location. Hoteliers and business players in the travel industry would not miss this good momentum to expand or deepen penetration into Kalimantan.
“Luxury and star-rated hotels will pop up in North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara,” he projected.
Currently, Santika Indonesia Hotels and Resorts has three hotels in the area – Samarinda in East Kalimantan, Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan and Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan.
According to Sudarsana, Santika is considering to open a new property in East Kalimantan. He said: “We have yet to make a decision, but (the opening of the new hotel) is already in discussion. We have surveyed the location.”
Bahriyansyah, owner of Bee Holidays, states that tourist attractions in Kalimantan possess their own uniqueness and are not inferior to those in Java.
“We have world-class tourist sites, such as the Derawan Islands. I believe that president Joko Widodo’s decision to pick East Kalimantan as the new site of the capital city will scale up the brand of tourism in (the area),” he said.
“When it comes to promoting tourist sites, for example, we (travel agents in Kalimantan) are on our own now. We need the government to help support and back us up in branding our tour products,” added Bahriyansyah, who also expects that the capital city move would uplift Kalimantan’s profile through a better private-public partnership.
However, he foresees the opening of the new capital will entail migration from other parts of the country, which in turn will lead to greater competition for the local community.
Bahriyansyah hence would like the government to prepare the local trade in Kalimantan to face this potential challenge so that they would not be left behind as competition intensifies.