Myanmar-based Memories Group has bought a US$3.2 million minority share in Strand Hotel International.
The investment gives the Singapore listed company stakes in the Strand Cruise, a 61m-long 25-cabin luxury ship operating on the Ayeyarwady River; and a trio of hotels including the landmark The Strand Yangon, the four-star Inya Lake Hotel in northern Yangon; and the modern Hotel G Yangon in Yangon’s city centre.
The Strand Yangon is a national landmark in Myanmar
“The acquisition is in line with our plans to own, develop and/or operate more hotels and lodges so as to expand our hotel business segment,” said Memories Group CEO Cyrus Pun, adding that he remains convinced in Myanmar’s “enormous tourism potential”.
According to the country’s hotel and tourism ministry, Myanmar attracted some 3.6 million foreign visitors last year, a far cry from the 38.3 million tourists that neighbouring Thailand recorded.
Memories Group’s portfolio include sail operator Burma Boating; hot-air balloon flight company Balloons Over Bagan; and three recently-opened hotels in the country: four-star Awei Metta, Hotel Suggati, and Awei Pila in the Mergui Archipelago.
Scholarship Recipients from last year's fundraiser
Non-profit organisation The Phuket Hotels Association is inviting the public to bid in an online auction to raise funds for scholarships as part of its PHAB 2019 campaign, which included a charity gala dinner at Latitude Laguna Marquee last Friday.
Bidding is open until midnight May 31, 2019, and prizes include five-star stays and experiences donated by an array of sponsors from London, New York, Dubai, the Maldives and Sydney, plus Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Koh Samui – all available with discounts for the highest bidder.
Scholarship Recipients from last year’s fundraiser
In addition to hotel stays, the online auction includes a range of activities such as yacht charters, golf, tennis, surfing classes and gym memberships.
The PHAB 003 silent online auction is continually being updated with bids and new prizes are being added. Bidders can check back on how they are doing and see what other are coming up.
Proceeds from the auction will sponsor at least 20 hospitality scholarships and traineeships, exclusively for the benefit of young Phuket residents who would be otherwise unable to fund their education. To date, the association has successfully sponsored over 30 students studying hospitality and tourism in Phuket.
For more information, please visit https://phab.phukethotelsassociation.com/silent-auction/.
Diethelm Travel Group has appointed Adam Szymanski as its new North America representative.
Based in the US for his new role, Szymanski has been tasked with further establishing the company’s reach throughout the US and Canada.
Szymanski joins Diethelm with nearly a decade of experience in travel representation, sales and brand management. Beginning by creating African safari itineraries, he soon moved over to the supplier side of the industry representing more than 37 hotels, camps and DMCs across Africa with Travel Marketing Worldwide. From there, he became the North American representative for Singita through JG Black Book of Travel.
Prior to joining Diethelm, Szymanski most recently represented a collection of 26 hotels and six DMCs as the director of sales and marketing at Passages of Distinction.
(From left) Sunway Theme Parks' (STP) Kong Beng Kuin, Sunway Lost World of Tambun's Nurul Nuzairi Mohd. Azahari, Sunway Lagoon's Sean Choo, STP's Calvin Ho, Sunway Education Group's Elizabeth Lee, Sunway University's Donald Bowyer, Sunway University's Augustine Wong and STP Sunway Innovation Labs' Matt Van Leeuwen
Sunway Theme Parks (STP) and Sunway University have agreed to collaborate on a series of educational programmes for students of the university.
The programmes include a hosted speaker series at Sunway University by multi-disciplinary representatives from STP, which comprises Sunway Lagoon and Sunway Lost World of Tambun.
(From left) Sunway Theme Parks’ (STP) Kong Beng Kuin, Sunway Lost World of Tambun’s Nurul Nuzairi Mohd. Azahari, Sunway Lagoon’s Sean Choo, STP’s Calvin Ho, Sunway Education Group’s Elizabeth Lee, Sunway University’s Donald Bowyer, Sunway University’s Augustine Wong and STP Sunway Innovation Labs’ Matt Van Leeuwen
The venture will also see the creation of study trips by students of Sunway University to both STP’s themed parks, and the sharing of ideas for the future of careers in the entertainment, leisure, hospitality, tourism and other industries.
Through internship opportunities, the collaboration will give students of Sunway University the chance to experiment with and realise their ideas in a fully-functioning real-world setting.
Earlier this year, Sunway Lagoon had a first-phase design collaboration with Sunway University’s School of Arts and Design with the objective to nurture innovation among young students.
The students worked closely with the theme park’s retail team and developed “The Amazing Sunway City” creative merchandise. There was also an additional collaboration between the university and a lifestyle photographer at Sunway Lagoon.
Calvin Ho, senior general manager of Sunway Theme Parks highlighted: “Performing Arts and Drama Students from Sunway University are also recruited on an annual basis for Sunway Lagoon’s Nights of Fright event, Malaysia’s largest Halloween Festival.”
Meanwhile Sunway Lost World of Tambun (LWOT) has been initiating SDG programmes such as the collaboration with Sunway Youth for Sustainable Development society to create Malaysia’s first man-made Marmoset Island created using recyclable items.
LWOT has also worked with Sunway University to conduct educational environmental workshops at a couple of Q-dees centres in Perak, to raise awareness on the significance of waste management and conservation.
The Red Sea Project is an upcoming tourism development in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has set its sights high on becoming a major tourism hub that connects Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
At the Arabian Travel Market, the kingdom laid out its ambitious Vision 2030 masterplan, which aims to reposition the country on the global tourism stage.
The Red Sea Project is an upcoming tourism development in Saudi Arabia
John Davis, CEO of Colliers International MENA, said: “Saudi Arabia wants to be the heart of the Arabian Islamic world; a global powerhouse and a hub that connects Europe, Asia and Africa.”
In the next 11 years, the Kingdom plans to pump US$36 billion into the country’s roads, airports, railways and sea ports.
Several multibillion-dollar projects are also in the pipeline, including a US$500 billion mega leisure and business development, NEOM. This will comprise 12 small cities, with lifestyle and tourist products, luxury hotels and villas on a 460km stretch of the Red Sea. It will operate solely on wind and solar power and leverage robotics to perform functions such as logistics and security. The first phase is slated for completion by 2020.
The Red Sea project is set to be the Middle East’s first fully-integrated luxury mixed use destination. It will comprise 50 islands dotted in the water, with the first phase of 14 luxury hotels boasting 3,000 hotel keys set to open by 2022.
Badr Al Badr, CEO of Dur Hospitality, said: “We have been in the industry for 42 years and we’ve never seen anything like this, the tourism sector is being totally revamped. The country is opening up to visitors, whether religious or general tourism. There are a lot of investment opportunities to be taken advantage of.”
Visa restrictions have been loosened, with an e-visa scheme set to launch in the coming months, and airport expansions and the construction of new terminals are ongoing. The easing of leisure and entertainment laws have seen a target set of having 2,500 movie screens spread across 350 theatres by 2030.
However, Badr predicts it will be the country’s MICE market that shines in the near future. By 2020, Saudi Arabia will invest US$1.6 billion into facilities, with a swathe of shows already planned, including hosting G20.
Said Badr: “The biggest growth will be the MICE sector. That will really pick up in Saudi Arabia in the next few years, followed by general tourism.”
Kishu Gomes (third from left) predicts tourism, which supports half a million Sri Lankan households, will suffer 50 per cent declines in arrivals in the coming months
Tourism players remain confident Sri Lanka will bounce back after the devastating Easter terror attacks, which have taken a significant toll on travel confidence and demand to the country.
Speaking during a press conference at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Kishu Gomes, chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, remained positive that the country’s tourism industry can quickly recover in the wake of the attacks, which killed more than 250 people.
Kishu Gomes (third from left) predicts tourism, which supports half a million Sri Lankan households, could see a 50 per cent decline in arrivals in the next two months
Gomes predicted international visitors to Colombo will fall by 50 per cent in the next two months, with outlying areas seeing a 30 per cent drop.
He added the annual target of attracting 2.5 million visitors in 2019 is expected to tumble to two million.
Rebuilding the tourism sector is now a key priority for Sri Lanka Tourism, with the authorities currently in the midst of selecting global PR and marketing agencies to help with the recovery strategy, said Gomes.
Nearly half a million Sri Lankan families are dependent on tourism for their daily living, so the impact on the economy must be mitigated, he stressed.
“We are working to regain the confidence of global travelers and operators by demonstrating that Sri Lanka’s response to the incident is effective while reassuring future tourists that all appropriate steps are being taken by the Sri Lanka Government to prevent any future incidents and ensure the continued safety and security tourists within the country,” added Gomes.
Per Storm, product manager at Nyhavn Rejser in Denmark, estimates it will take at least six months for bookings to pick back up. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the company had contacted all clients booked to visit Sri Lanka until September to offer an alternative trip.
Said Storm: “From October onwards, we hope things will have calmed down.”
Muhammed Shafi, holiday consultant at Dubai-based Deira Travel, said Sri Lanka was a popular exotic destination with his clients from the UAE and Iraq, with enquires “significantly” dropping.
He added: “We have to wait and see what happens in the coming months. When people get the trust back and they are confident it is safe to travel, things will return to normal. It’s too early now to send people there.”
Natalia Ciupac, operations manager at Luxury World Key Group in Dubai, also remained confident that Sri Lanka’s tourism industry will see a swift recovery.
She said: “I don’t think it will take too long for tourists to return but we have to keep checking the situation. When travel advisories are lifted, I think we will quickly see confidence restored but that may take a little time.”
Tourists at Kuang Si waterfall in Luang Prabang, Laos
The Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA) will roll out a new joint marketing campaign among other initiatives in 2H2019 to promote South-east Asia to the world, shortly after its president assumed concurrent leadership at ASEANTA.
Mingkwan Metmowlee, president of FATA, shared at the recent FATA Convention 2019: “A joint marketing campaign will be launched with ASEAN Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHRA) and the ASEAN Airlines Association to create competitively priced packages in ASEAN, by land, air and cruise for intra-ASEAN travel and overseas travel.
Tourists at Kuang Si waterfall in Luang Prabang, Laos
“Visitors who purchase these packages will be required to visit a minimum of three countries and stay at least two nights in each country. There will be Silver, Gold and Platinum packages, incorporating three-, four- and five-star hotel accommodation respectively. The land and sea packages are expected to be launched in August and will be marketed through the ASEAN NTOs, participating airlines and on FATA website.”
Mingkwan shared that FATA is also in talks with two cruise companies to launch new itineraries around the region.
The second initiative involves collaboration with the 10 ASEAN NTOs to test and promote new products for the intra-ASEAN, medium and longhaul markets.
FATA members from different markets will be invited on fam trips to evaluate the products for their respective segments and provide feedback for improvement. And while they are in ASEAN, they will be invited to attend B2B networking and business sessions.
Mingkwan said: “We can do this every two months in a different destination. We have confirmed the first fam trip to be in the Philippines this July, and the next one might be in Cambodia.” Destinations will be proposed by FATA members.
Another initiative kicking off in 2H2019 will put forth service standards for travel agents, equipping them with the know-how on catering to tourists with disabilities.
FATA aims to approach Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau and NTOs from other ASEAN countries to get funding for this project. The association will also work with the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence to design the course.
Mingkwan was elected as the new president of ASEANTA at the recent annual general meeting held in Kuala Lumpur. She said being president of both ASEAN tourism associations is also a good opportunity for further collaboration on such projects.
The app offers self-guided tours for guests, enhanced visibility and consumer data for businesses
Vox Group, a leading provider of audio guides, has launched a mobile navigation app designed for self-guided tours.
Positioned as a “personal concierge in your pocket”, the app showcases key points of interest with high-quality audio, text and imagery from local experts and urbanites.
The app offers self-guided tours for guests, enhanced visibility and consumer data for businesses
The company says the app does not replace travel agents and tour operators. Vox City Guide is a B2B2C solution for traditional players seeking an add-on product and new ways to offer greater personalisation for travellers.
PopGuide is the B2B version of the app which can be custom branded by business partners and suits the full spectrum of travel sectors from cultural attractions to tour groups.
“We’ve fully mapped out over 20 cities in six different languages, with another 20 due in the second quarter, and its play-back can be set to automatic so, as your guests travel around, they can enjoy commentary on route – by foot, cycle, car or public transport, all without hefty roaming charges” said John Boulding, Vox CMO.
Businesses need to adapt to new demands for personalisation by changing their product mix, and marketing themselves differently, which Vox says can be done with its new mobile solution.
The app will also give them businesses to “rich destination data on customer engagement”, allowing them to better plan for the future.
The product is not new, with a similar app by Israeli startup WishTrip also touting a self-guided solution that brings together different parts of the travel ecosystem.
Apart from raising brand visibility, WishTrip allows tour operators and travel agents to digitise and enhance their offering. Its push notification and live chat tools facilitate a constant flow of communication between tourism suppliers and visitors, for example.
Businesses can also reach different nationalities as the app operates in 14 languages.
In addition, WishTrip says it helps destinations and tour businesses keep visitors safe, with navigation and communication tools warning visitors of potentially dangerous areas.
WishTrip has been on the market for a year, and today features 30,000 trails created by more than 500,000 users in over 80 countries.
Tourism New Zeland's Gregg Wafelbakker and Tencent's Norman Tam signed a MoU drive the tourism industry in New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand has signed a MoU with China’s Tencent Holdings to promote New Zealand as a high-quality travel destination for the Chinese FIT market.
The collaboration also aims to further develop New Zealand’s tourism industry through extending the country’s marketing outreach efforts to the inbound Chinese market, allowing local merchants to have a deepened understanding of Chinese travellers’ consumption behaviour via WeChat user insights.
Tourism New Zeland’s Gregg Wafelbakker and Tencent’s Norman Tam signed a MoU drive the tourism industry in New Zealand
Using the company’s expertise in Chinese consumer engagement, Tencent will provide user insights for Tourism New Zealand to widen their grasp of Chinese visitors’ consumption habits and preferences, which will serve as basis for them to develop more impactful marketing strategies.
According to Gregg Wafelbakker, general manager Asia of Tourism New Zealand, the MoU is reflection of the NTO’s effort to grow visitor markets through “diversified, digitalised and innovative partnerships”.
China is New Zealand’s second largest international tourism market, and the number one market in terms of holiday spending.
Artist impression of the Oakwood hotel in Dandenong
Melbourne’s up-and-coming suburb of Dandenong will be home to an Oakwood-branded hotel, which will open as part of Barnes Capital’s Spectra Building in 2021.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dandenong will boast 98 elegantly appointed rooms and apartments, offering amenities like gourmet experiences, meeting facilities, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, as well as an entertainment area.
Artist impression of the Oakwood hotel in Dandenong
Said to embody “a new concept of urban lifestyle”, the 20-storey Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dandenong will feature views of Port Phillip Bay and the Dandenong Ranges, and ease of access to Melbourne CBD and the Mornington Peninsula.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dandenong will be the second property in Australia for the Singapore-based hospitality company.
