Dusit International has signed a hotel management agreement with Hong Kong-based Tian Teck Property to operate dusitD2 Samyan Bangkok, which will be the first dusitD2 branded property in Bangkok.
Slated to open in June 2023 on Si Phraya Road, a thoroughfare which runs parallel to Silom and Sathorn Roads in Bangkok’s CBD, the new hotel will boast 181 guest rooms across 23 floors. The hotel facilities will include a lobby bar, a swimming pool with children’s pool, a fitness centre, an all-day dining restaurant and a large meeting room for business travellers.
Dusit International has inked a pact with Tian Teck Property to open its first dusitD2 property in Bangkok come 2023. In attendance at the official signing ceremony held at Dusit International’s corporate headquarters in Bangkok were (from left): Tian Teck Property’s Gerald Cheong; Dusit International’s Chanin Donavanik and Thierry Douin
Dusit-branded hotels currently operating in Bangkok include Dusit Suites Hotel Ratchadamri, Bangkok and Dusit Princess Srinakarin Bangkok. In 2023, Dusit will also open its new flagship Dusit Thani Bangkok as part of Dusit Central Park, a landmark mixed-use project currently being developed opposite Bangkok’s Lumpini Park.
Dusit International’s property portfolio comprises 271 properties (nine owned and 260 managed) operating under six brands across 13 countries. The company has more than 50-Dusit branded hotels in the pipeline and expects to open at least 10 to 12 hotels per year in key destinations from 2019.
FCC Angkor, Cambodia
Previously known as the FCC Mansion, Avani Hotels & Resorts has rebranded and renovated the former FCC Mansion in Siem Reap. Located across the Royal Independence Gardens and Royal Residence, FCC Angkor now boasts the restored Mansion restaurant, the Scribe bar, Visaya Spa, and two outdoor saltwater pools. The 80 revamped rooms and suites feature vintage typewriter, rotary dial phones, Khmer carvings and framed front pages of regional newspapers among its decor, plus large windows and terraces that open to greenery.
Hotel Soloha, Singapore
Boasting 45 rooms, Hotel Soloha is the latest art-driven hotel to open in Singapore’s Keong Saik neighbourhood. Artworks featured in the hotel lobby, lift-shaft and rooms were created by local artists Ethrisha Liaw and Danielle Tay. The boutique hotel also boasts four social spaces that can be transformed into event spaces, ranging from the al fresco courtyard for 20 pax, to the indoor F&B space for a maximum of 30. While the hotel also has its own eatery, the Takeshi Noodle Bar, the Keong Saik area is also home to a number of bars, restaurants and shops.
Ritz-Carlton, Xi’an, China
A Ritz-Carlton now stands in Xi’an, the ancient provincial capital of Shaanxi Province in central China. Located in the business centre of the city’s Gao Xin District, the hotel offers 283 guestrooms including 31 suites. Recreational facilities at the hotel include a fitness centre, yoga studio, and The Ritz-Carlton Spa which specialises in treatments steeped in Chinese traditions. There are also five dining experiences on-site, ranging from the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant Tasuro to Jing Xuan Cantonese outlet. Event planners may avail the more than 2,780m2 of space available, which includes several multifunction rooms, as well as a Grand Ballroom for up to 900 guests.
Travelodge Myeongdong Euljiro, South Korea
This select-service hotel in the heart of Seoul’s tourism district offers 224 rooms in three categories – Standard Twin, Superior Twin and Superior Double. Other amenities include The Lodge Restaurant, which guests can use as an all-day social and working space, high-speed complimentary Internet, 24-hour fitness centre and self-service laundromat. This is the group’s second hotel in the South Korean city.
Swiss-Belhotel Serpong, Indonesia
Swiss-Belhotel International has opened an upscale hotel within the Intermark mixed-use development in Serpong, 21km south-west of Jakarta. The 107-room hotel has on-site amenities such as a spa, gym, an outdoor swimming pool, a lounge and bar, and the all-day restaurant Swiss-Café. There are six function spaces, with the largest being a 670m2 ballroom that can hold up to 1,000 guests, and five other meeting rooms that can accommodate between 15 and 100 pax.
Princess Cruises will be expanding its high-speed Wi-Fi, MedallionNet, to six more ships come 2020: Grand Princess (February 21), Diamond Princess (March 15), Majestic Princess (April 18), Star Princess (June 12), Enchanted Princess (June 15) and Sapphire Princess (July 27).
Currently, MedallionNet is available on Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Coral Princess, Island Princess, Crown Princess and Emerald Princess. Sky Princess will be Wi-Fi-ready for Europe sailings this fall.
Princess Cruises will be rolling out its high-speed Wi-Fi, MedallionNet, to six more ships
MedallionClass Vacations are currently available on Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess, Royal Princess and Crown Princess, with Sky Princess beginning October 12, 2019 when the newest ship in the Princess fleet launches.
The OceanMedallion is a wearable device which delivers personalised service
By end 2020, guests sailing from Singapore on Grand Princess will have the elevated guest experience powered by the OceanMedallion, a wearable device that delivers personalised service to guests.
Miki Travel’s Asia Division recently treated its Philippine travel agents to a dinner and dance party, as a show of appreciation to local partners for contributing to the 30.6 per cent increase in the turnover of its Asian operations and 48.2 per cent increase in its e-business in 2018.
Miki Travel recently held a dinner and dance to show appreciation for their Philippine travel agents. Miki Travel’s team members present at the D&D were (from left) Katherine Lupisan, Cindy Bartolome, Sharon Soon, Moeschler, Maria Chan and James Timms
Olivier Moeschler, CEO Asia Division at Miki Travel, reported that in 2018, the Japan-based DMC opened new offices in Seoul, India, the US and Canada. With a network of 24 European destinations, he said Miki Travel will continue to expand its European offerings to include the Balkans (including Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia and Croatia), a large region that has yet to be explored and commercialised.
Mathias Gerds has been appointed general manager at Evason Ana Mandara in Nha Trang, Vietnam.
Gerds brings a wealth of knowledge to his new position, having spent over 20 years in different roles across luxury city and resort properties across the globe.
The German first began his career in the F&B sector, and then worked in senior roles at hotels such as Anantara Siam Bangkok in Thailand, Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm in Germany, St Regis Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Relais & Chateaux Palais Coburg in Austria.
The St Regis Singapore has appointed Vincent Billiard as general manager, an experienced hotelier with over 18 years of hospitality experience in luxury properties.
Prior to his move to Singapore, Billiard held numerous key leadership roles in several Ritz-Carlton hotels, and was involved in the opening of 10 other properties across a portfolio of brands including Ritz-Carlton, Edition and Bvlgari.
Most recently, Billiard led the launch of the Bvlgari Hotel and Residences Shanghai as general manager.
Malaysia-based Apple Vacations & Conventions (AVC) has appointed Ngiam Foon as its chief transformation officer.
In this role, he has been tasked with enhancing AVC’s business processes including its digital platforms to ensure a consistent customer experience across all its distribution channels.
Ngiam has 30 years of experience in the travel industry, having served as president and executive council member of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, board member of the Malaysian Promotion Tourism Board, part of the leadership team for a digital marketing collaboration project with China’s Alitrip and Tourism Malaysia, and for a Malaysia-China joint venture sports project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Bayu Buana Travel Services Indonesia has formed a joint venture company with Sri Lanka-based DMC Apple Holidays to tap the fast-growing Indian market to the country.
The partnership will see Bayu Buana own a 51 per cent stake in Bayu Apple Holidays, the new Bali-based joint venture company which is trading as Apple Holidays Indonesia.
Bayu Buana Travel Services Indonesia has formed a joint venture company with DMC Apple Holidays to tap India’s fast growing tourism market (pictured; from left: Apple Holiday’s Pradeep Kumar, Bayu Buana’s Agustinus Pake Seko)
Agustinus Pake Seko, president director of Bayu Buana Travel Services, said: “The number of arrivals from India to Indonesia has been growing significantly. Data showed that arrivals from India between January and June 2019 were 188,095, the third biggest market to the country after China and Australia. Some 55 per cent of the Indian arrivals are to Bali.”
“India is currently the second biggest outbound market (in the world) after China, with numbers expected to reach 50 million next year. As such, the opportunity to grow the market is huge,” he said.
“We are optimistic that the joint venture will be able to boost arrivals and contribute to achieving the government’s target of 800,000 arrivals by the end of this year.”
India is already the biggest market for Apple Holidays, the inbound company of Sharmila Travels and Tours which also operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Forming a joint venture with Apple Holidays – which boasts a strong network across India with its eight offices – is hence a strategic way to grow Indian inbound business into Indonesia, said Agustinus.
And with cases of Indian agents failing to pay for rooms having marred the trust of some Bali hotels in the market, Agustinus believes that Bayu Buana’s long-standing reputation and extensive network as a 47-year-old Indonesian travel company will stand to benefit Apple Holidays’ foray and expansion into Indonesia.
Both companies are not strangers to each another, he added, as Sharmila Travels and Tours and Bayu Buana are the local partners of BCD Travel in their respective countries.
“Pradeep Kumar (Apple Holiday’s managing director) and I are both members of the advisory board of BCD Travel, too,” said Agustinus.
When asked if Apple Holidays Indonesia would form a threat to Bayu Buana Travel Services, which has its own inbound division with operational offices in Bali and Bandung, Agustinus replied: “We will let them compete. Without the new company, our inbound division is facing competition from others anyway.”
“For us, it is like having two vehicles (with the joint venture). If (the Bayu Buana division) loses against Apple Holidays Indonesia, we are not totally at a loss as we still have 51 per cent in the joint venture. We also see this as an opportunity for each party to benchmark against each other to grow,” Agustinus remarked.
In addition, the Indonesia joint venture is also deemed a launch pad to spearhead Bayu Buana’s regional expansion ambitions, Agustinus told TTG Asia.
“We have been planning to go regional for some time, but that does not mean that we have to do it alone, and for us it does not matter if we do not flag our own brand out there as long as we (partly) own the company,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bayu Buana aims to acquire around 50 per cent shares of Apple Holidays, which is currently in the process of moving its headquarters to Singapore.
The Kasikorn Bank (KBank) Research Center estimates that the closure of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will affect Thailand’s tourism industry “by not less than 14 billion baht (US$454 million)”, according to a National News Bureau of Thailand report.
KBank Research Center deduced that the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, which led to the shutdown of HKIA and flight cancellations, not only hurt Hong Kong’s economy but also tourism, particularly for inbound travel into Thailand.
Hong Kong’s airport closure and flight cancellations may dampen Thailand’s inbound tourism
The KBank report also stated that August is the peak period for tourists from Hong Kong travelling to Thailand, with an average of about 4,200 to 5,000 tourists per day.
Continued disruptions to HKIA operations could lead to a loss of 30,000 tourists travelling from Hong Kong to Thailand, with an estimated loss of “not less than 14 billion baht” – the figure excluding tourists from other countries who use Hong Kong as a transit point.
In 2018, there were about 1,015,000 tourists from Hong Kong to Thailand, accounting for 2.6 per cent of the total 38 million tourists, and generating about 40 billion baht. In 2017, there were 800,000 tourists from Hong Kong to Thailand, out of the total 36 million tourists.
During the first half of 2019, there was a positive expansion of 5.8 per cent of Hong Kong tourists to Thailand, as compared to the same period last year. Hence, the loss of Hong Kong tourists to Thailand could put a further damper on the country’s ailing tourism industry.
Thai Airways International (THAI) has announced strategies to step up efforts to reduce expenses and increase revenue as the carrier seeks to stem losses in the second quarter.
A slew of external crises, such as the strong baht, US-China trade war, sluggish global economic and the closure of Pakistani airspace, had affected the airline as tourists numbers declined and customer purchasing power reduced, in addition to delayed engine repairs by the manufacturer, the airline said in a statement.
THAI has come up with a strategic plan to cut costs and increase revenue
Even though THAI implemented cost-control measures that has brought down the total cost than the previous year, the aforementioned external factors caused the airline to incur an increased net loss in the last quarter similar to other airlines amid a competitive marketplace, according to THAI president Sumeth Damrongchaitham.
In response, THAI management has “brainstormed ideas to establish guidelines to increase revenue and reduce expenses quickly”, which are outlined as follows:
SaveTG co-creation: A cost-control strategy that allows THAI staff to propose ideas and suggestions to the management team, and grants passengers the opportunity to suggest solutions for the airline at mailto:customer@thaiairways.com.
Zero waste management: A project that helps save and creates a circular economy for both the organisation and the nation as a whole, starting from food waste. THAI is currently cooperating with FoodInnoPolis to develop an action plan.
In the fourth quarter, a new marketing strategy will be implemented to launch direct flights to Sendai, in the Tohoku region of Japan.
Strategy to increase revenue: Regular utilisation of digital marketing, such as online promotions, to better serve online customers through the Thai Airways mobile app. The mobile app helps to increase revenue by selling ancillary products, such as extra baggage allowance, travel insurance, airport limousine service, car rental and hotels, in addition to enhanced language features and an enhanced layout to cater to the younger generation. Customers will also be able to purchase products online through the eCommerce platform which is expected to launch in October.
THAI synergy strategy: THAI’s products and services can be offered through business alliances. Currently, THAI is poised to collaborate with Café Amazon to expand business in Thailand and the Asian region.
TG group strategy: THAI and THAI Smile will be stronger together with a route network that offers systematic connectivity for passenger convenience, which will be implemented regionally in 4Q2019. THAI Smile is set to become a Star Alliance connecting partner by year-end, which will strengthen the airline network in this region.
THAI also adjusted its work structure with THAI Smile Connectivity to be centralised in order to increase passenger convenience and implement corporate business ethics throughout the organisation as well as strengthen unity, which is part of the whole #SaveTG master plan.
Sumeth said: “With these afore-mentioned strategies, we believe that THAI will return to its position as one of the top world class airlines, although not as soon as we hoped.”
