Boutique luxury cruise line Aqua Expeditions is diversifying its business operations to enter the coastal cruises market in 4Q2019, after operating as a river cruise line for the past 12 years.
Scheduled to begin operations from November 2019, the explorer class vessel will serve three new destinations with year-round departures. The full announcement on vessel name, facts, destinations and itinerary details will be released globally on May 8, 2019.
Aqua Mekong
CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro, said: “As with all Aqua Expeditions vessels, we will be partnering with a renowned designer and also a critically acclaimed chef to deliver a world-class culinary experience.”
A state-of-the-art, new-build luxury river cruise vessel will also be unveiled during its upcoming announcement. Together with a recently-purchased expedition vessel – bought in March 2019 and currently undergoing refurbishment – in operation, the cruise line will double its fleet from two to four vessels by mid-2020.
Why
After hearing many stories about Sky Mirror and seeing stunning Instagram pictures shared by friends who had been there, where their reflections on water were as clear as in a mirror, I was determined to create some Instagram worthy moments there myself.
Sky Mirror is all the more an aspirational place to see and experience, given that it surfaces in its full glory only a few times a month. It is a seabed that appears above water only during low tide, exposing an expansive dark coloured sandbar as huge as 50 football fields. It takes about half an hour to walk from one end of the sandbar to another.
The best time to take photographs at Sky Mirror are on the first and 15th days of the lunar month, as well as four days before and after these dates. Outside of these dates, the reflection from the water may not be as clear, and picture quality not at the optimal best.
While in Kuala Selangor to experience Sky Mirror, I also had the option to do an enriching activity. Sky Mirror Tour & Travel offers a one-day do a tour of Bukit Melawati, which has a history dating back to the 16th century, and was the state’s first administrative centre. Bukit Melawati offers panoramic views of the countryside and the sunset.
As the foothill of Bukit Melawati was within walking distance from the jetty, it made sense that I should visit it before heading back to Petaling Jaya, about 1.5 hours away.
The one-day tour includes a delicious seafood lunch and dinner and opportunities to shop for local seafood produce made in Kuala Selangor.
Eiffel Tower prop provided by the tour operator
What
Visits to Sky Mirror on the Straits of Melaka were only promoted to tourists from 2H2017 onwards, after its main jetty was launched by the former chief minister of Selangor, Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Prior to this, it was a local haunt known only to the fishing community of Kuala Selangor.
For many locals living in Selangor, Bukit Melawati is a weekend getaway and the main attraction there is feeding the wild, silver-leafed monkeys that roam about freely. I personally feel that the authorities should put an end to this as it promotes over breeding. Our eco-conscious guide pointed this out and discouraged our group from purchasing leafy greens to feed the monkeys with.
Luckily, I had a guide who was a good storyteller, otherwise the significance of over-three-centuries-old artefacts used to fight wartime enemies would have been lost on me. He gave me a glimpse into the macabre past of Bukit Melawati through the numerous cannons, poisoned well, traitors’ grave and the chopping block where enemies were decapitated.
There is also a museum located near the lighthouse, known as Kuala Selangor Historical Museum, which is open free-of-charge to the public. It contains displays of weapons used in the olden days, specimens of old currencies, dioramas and information on the history of the place and its rulers.
However, I found the experience rather dry as it involved a lot of reading. Personally, a short video documentary would have been more effective.
How
My day tour started at the Kuala Selangor jetty, where I was greeted by a guide. He gave a brief introduction about Sky Mirror and Kuala Selangor in general, and mentally prepared us for the 30-minute speed boat ride to Sky Mirror, which he forewarned could get bumpy at points.
The speed boat has a maximum capacity of 12 people, and was full when I visited last Boxing Day. There were easily a few hundred people ahead of us when we reached our destination, but it didn’t feel crowded as the seabed was huge.
Our guide, Johnny Tee, told us to stick together as he led us to a clear area, which became the spot for the photography session that was to follow. Johnny guided us on how to pose, and created special effects with the props brought from his office. The end result was very impressive. In all, the photography session took about an hour.
We were also captivated by the sight of hermit crabs and sea clams that inhabit Sky Mirror.
The Sky Mirror experience was followed by a seafood lunch at Jeti Seafood Restaurant. Here we had the freshest of seafood, from the fishermen’s catch brought to shore just two hours before our arrival.
After lunch we stopped by some shops selling local produce opposite the restaurant. This was followed by a drive to Sri Shakti Dhevasthanam Temple in Bukit Rotan, a beautiful century-old attraction.
We then drove on to Bukit Melawati, where our guide brought history to life. He also showed us to walking treks known only to locals. Along these routes, we stopped to watch eagles soar against the setting sun and enjoyed beautiful panoramic views of the township below us.
Verdict
Sky Mirror sells itself, but what made the tour worthwhile were the individuals involved – the guide with great storytelling skills, and the excellent photographer who showed us tips and tricks to snap the perfect Instagram shot.
Operator: Sky Mirror Tour & Travel Price: RM300 (US$74) per person for a group of up to six people, or RM500 for a smaller group of two people; free of charge for children below the age of two.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into a management agreement with Towa Real Estate, an affiliate of Toyota Group, to develop a 120-key hotel at the Fuji Speedway, Japan’s historic racing circuit.
Slated to open in 2022, the project will be the first in Japan under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. Guestrooms will start from 45m2 and feature views of Mount Fuji.
Hotel amenities will include multiple fine dining restaurants and bars, as well as indoor pool, fitness centre, spa and natural onsen hot-spring bathing facilities. A 500m2 ballroom and a 200m2 conference room will cater to events.
A Motorsports Museum, housed within the property, will showcase the historic significance of Fuji Speedway with rare, historic automobiles making up its artefacts.
In addition, Towa Real Estate is also developing a Motorsports Village facility in the foothills of Mount Fuji. There will also be a Oyama Parking Area Smart Interchange opening in 2021.
More Platinum and Gold benefits redeemable at airports, including lounges and restaurants
Grab is launching a new suite of benefits redeemable at South-east Asia’s airports for Grab Platinum and Gold members, eager to tap the growing market of intra-regional travellers.
This follows the mobile ride-hailing and technology provider signing up more than 150 partners in major airports across South-east Asia including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
More Platinum and Gold benefits redeemable at airports
This marks the most significant expansion of the GrabRewards catalogue since launch in 2017.
New travel benefits for Platinum and Gold members include access to close to 70 lounges in the region, at rates of up to 55 per cent off, and discounts up to 20 per cent at over 80 F&B partners.
In Indonesia for example, Grab users can use the Plaza Premium Lounge (in Soekarno-Hatta airport) and Concordia Lounge, available in 12 cities throughout Indonesia, including in Denpasar, Lombok and Makassar.
“Grab data shows the national airport consistently comes up as one of the top pick-up points in Indonesia and across the region. With travel as being such an important part of our customers’ lives, we now aim to provide a great overall experience for South-east Asia’s road warriors,“ said Ridzki Kramadibrata, president of Grab Indonesia.
The company has catered to travellers through payments experience and airport transfers, and now to more benefits at the airport, Ridzki said.
Tourism is on the rise in South-east Asia, with the size of the region’s overall travel market estimated at US$149 billion in 2017. The intra-regional traveller segment accounts for over 37 million trips, according to Grab market research data.
Native app features 2,000 tours, activities and attractions across 25 countries
A Singapore startup has launched a new tours and attractions booking platform with strong support and backing from the trade, including traditional travel agency Euro-Asia Holidays.
The Native platform offers more than 2,000 products – running the gamut of tours, activities and attraction tickets – across 25 countries and 80 cities, including more than 200 in Singapore.
Native app features 2,000 tours, activities and attractions across 25 countries
Co-founder & CEO Bryan Goh told TTG Asia that not only does Native offer similar or even lower prices for attraction tickets than competitors such as Klook and KKday, it also sets itself apart by providing more immersive experiences that have been personally selected to appeal to its target audience.
He explained: “Every single activity on our platform is curated by our team for our target audience, which is the millennials. We’ve realised that today’s millennials are coming into more disposable income and we see them willing to spend a little more on comfortable luxury tours that are immersive.”
Since its launch last August, Native has seen 10 to 20 per cent monthly growth. The startup has just closed its seed round to the tune of seven figures, revealed Goh.
He added that in the next four to five months, Native will launch “additional business units that have not been done in South-east Asia yet” and that will “disrupt the traditional travel agent business quite heavily”.
Seeing an opportunity in the digital space, travel industry veteran Euro-Asia Holidays has lent its support to Native by securing a S$300,000 (US$221,278) grant under the Singapore Tourism Board’s Marketing Innovation Programme.
With this grant, Euro-Asia Holidays and Native will work together on a campaign – titled Beyond the City Lights – to build awareness of the platform and Singapore as a destination.
Campaign initiatives include a contest to identify travel ambassadors, who will create content and share about their experiences in Singapore, as well as a social media call to participate in a social movement towards authenticity.
“The space is big enough for both traditional and digital players. Traditional agencies still focus a lot on personal service; at the same time, we need to transform ourselves and embrace technology,” expressed Wee Hee Ling, CEO, Euro-Asia Holidays.
“The traditional and the new can meet and open up new avenues of business. In fact, we can also become a B2B agent who can harness (startup) technology to service our clients more productively,” she said.
The greater hotel options could help reduce deviation from corporate policy
A new partnership between Amadeus and Agoda will give travel agents access to pre-paid hotel content from 150,000 properties globally, a move expected to especially benefit business travel agents.
Travel agents all over the world will now be able to view Agoda’s content – available at the same price as Agoda’s website – compare it to other content through a single screen, and make bookings in one PNR combining other trip content.
More hotel options could help reduce deviation from corporate policy, Amadeus says
Christian Lukey, head of hotels, mobility & insurance, Asia Pacific, Amadeus, said: “This is our first partnership with a B2C company in Asia, and an important one because it will enable travel agents to offer a (more) competitive and seamless service, while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.”
Access to the breadth of hotel content will be especially important for business travel agents. Efficiencies include the pre-paid nature of Agoda’s content on Amadeus, a sound option for employees without a company credit card, and combining the content on a single PNR with the employee’s other travel arrangements.
The major benefit, however, is the potential of reducing deviation from corporate policy.
“Every employer knows the frustration of having their employees book travel outside of the corporate policy – it’s hard to track, adds costs and makes it impossible for the employer to provide proper duty of care,” Amadeus said in a statement.
Citing research from American Express Global Business Travel, Amadeus said the top reasons why employees book travel outside of their company’s travel policy has to do with the location of their accommodation – to stay in the same hotel as the client, to be closer to the meeting/event location, or to stay in a safer location.
To encourage more employees to stay within policy, employers need to ensure their corporate travel provider has good accommodation options.
For Agoda, growth prospects in the business travel sector make the partnership with Amadeus an appealing one. Ernst Hemmer, senior director for Agoda said: “This partnership gives Agoda access to the global travel agent market and specifically the business travel sector, which is forecast to grow 5.8 per cent annually to reach US$1.6 trillion in 2020.”
Gloria Guevara speaking on industry responsibility to combat human trafficking at the WTTC Global Summit 2019
The WTTC has launched a global taskforce comprising travel industry members and associations to help prevent and combat human trafficking, an illicit activity that relies on travel networks to operate.
Gloria Guevara, president & CEO, WTTC commented on the taskforce formation: “Human trafficking is a devastating, widespread and critical issue that unfortunately relies on travel & tourism networks to operate. As a sector, we must do everything in our power to help eradicate the problem so that people may move freely and safely across the globe, but never coerced.”
Gloria Guevara urging the tourism industry to combat human trafficking at the WTTC Global Summit 2019
The founding members of the taskforce are Airbnb, Amex GBT, The Bicester Village Shopping Collection, Ctrip.com International, CWT, Emirates, Expedia Group, Hilton, JTB Corp, Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority, Marriott International, Silversea, Thomas Cook and TUI.
This global industry-wide initiative aims to increase industry and consumer awareness of human trafficking; train employees and travellers on how to identify and report suspected cases; encourage governments to enact legislation which recognises human trafficking as a crime throughout the entire chain and develop resources and support needed such as national hotlines; and to provide assistance, employability training and employment opportunities to survivors.
The human trafficking ‘industry’ is worth US$150 billion annually and contributes heavily to modern slavery, in which 40 million people worldwide are entrapped. One-quarter of trafficking victims worldwide are children (or 5.5 million). Meanwhile, 19 per cent of victims are trafficked for sexual purposes, which makes up 66 per cent of the illicit income generated.
Luxury Escapes has appointed Graham Hills as the new head of Asia, based in its regional headquarters in Singapore to spearhead the company’s regional growth strategy and launch in new markets.
With almost two decades of industry experience, Hills was most recently chief commercial officer at BeMyGuest, one of Asia’s leading distributors of tours and activities. Prior to that, he spent six and a half years at travel meta search company Wego, with roles in Jakarta and Singapore. He also spent six years at Tourism Western Australia in the online marketing team in Perth, before moving to Singapore in late 2007.
Launched in Australia in October 2013, Luxury Escapes has launched dedicated sites in 13 countries in Asia, with Singapore and Hong Kong being its biggest markets. In 2018 Luxury Escapes’ parent company, Lux Group, acquired travel businesses, Bon Voyage and Scoopon Travel.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is launching Centara Privilege Club, a new paid loyalty programme that offers exclusive privileges, discounts and experiences to Centara customers.
The technology-driven programme is a collaboration with Hospitality Marketing Concepts, allowing members to redeem digital e-certificates and receive targeted mobile push notifications about hotel promotions based on geo-location, preferences and purchasing behaviour.
Cru Champagne Bar at Red Sky, Centara Grand at CentralWorld, Bangkok
Members of Centara Privilege Club receive lifestyle benefits focused on F&B, accommodation, spa, a complimentary night’s stay, cash certificates and other member-only advantages.
The programme is distinct from and complementary to Centara’s free CentaraThe1 loyalty programme. Members can earn points for stays and on-property spend, which can then be redeemed for future stays and a variety of other benefits.
The CentaraThe1 programme currently has over three million members and members can actually use their earned points to purchase a Centara Privilege Club membership.
JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) Sydney’s Office will extend its focus across the Tasman Sea to take on a more proactive role in enticing New Zealand travellers to Japan.
Kana Wakabayashi, executive director of JNTO Sydney Office, said in a statement: “New Zealand has always been a market we have wanted to expand into, especially since we have already participated in local cultural events together with the Japanese embassy and local consulates. Now that New Zealand has been identified as an emerging market, we hope we can make a bigger impact and actively reach potential travellers.”
Sunflower field in Niseko Hokkaido, Japan
Marketing activities planned for New Zealand over the coming year include B2B seminars, exhibiting at local B2C events and also B2C marketing.
New Zealand saw a record number of visitors to Japan in 2018, a total of 73,208 travellers visiting the country and a 12.8 per cent year-on-year increase from the previous year. JNTO plans to continue this positive momentum by more actively engaging and educating the market about travel opportunities in Japan.
JNTO Sydney Office currently has a marketing and media tender open for agencies interested in working with the office to market in New Zealand.
Aside from New Zealand, JNTO and Japan Tourism Agency will be conducting promotional activity in three new secondary markets: Mexico, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Existing primary target markets are China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Italy and Spain.
