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Expedia adds tools to help bring hotels in secondary Thai cities online

By TTG Asia
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Pimpawee: missed opportunities for hotels in Thailand's secondary cities

Expedia Group has launched two new features on its partner-facing portal to ease the digital transition for new hotel partners in Thailand who may be unfamiliar with online distribution.

As part of Expedia Group’s commitment following the recent signing of an MoU with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai government’s push for the country’s digital transformation through its “Thailand 4.0” initiative, the company will also be conducting a series of educational workshops to accelerate digital skills transfer to the hospitality industry in secondary cities.

Pimpawee: missed opportunities for hotels in Thailand’s secondary cities

According to a recent study, more than half of travellers use OTAs in their trip planning and OTAs convert the most travellers when compared with other booking sources.

Pimpawee Nopakitgumjorn, director of market management at Expedia Group, added that business opportunities are missed because the majority of accommodation in Thailand’s secondary cities are still offline.

“Hoteliers who are still operating offline will ultimately lose the opportunity to capitalise on Thailand’s growing inbound tourism”, said Pim.

To bridge the digital skill set gap and ease hotel owners’ concerns over the complexity of using digital tools, Expedia Group is introducing two new features on Partner Central, the company’s partner-facing portal.

Co-Browse is a trouble-shooting tool designed to solve hotel partners’ pain points when they have navigation problems on Expedia Group’s Partner Central platform. It provides hotel partner the capability to share their Partner Central webpage via a connection with Expedia Group consultant in real-time. Once a connection is established, the consultant can view, point to, and highlight areas of the screen to better assist hotel partners in navigating and performing operational tasks on Partner Central.

The other feature is the Adaptive Landing Page, designed to provide customised content and recommendations on the Partner Central homepage based on hotels’ current needs and familiarity with the different tools within Partner Central.

Expedia says the Adaptive Landing Page provides a simplified and more personalised experience for newly onboarded hotel partners to help them understand “the most essential tools and time-sensitive tasks” on Partner Central quickly, enabling them to optimise content, maximise visibility and accelerate booking potential on Expedia Group’s marketplace.

In addition to these online enhancements, Expedia Group will also be collaborating with TAT to organise a series of educational workshops to provide consultancy and digital expertise to hoteliers in secondary cities. These workshops will be conducted by experts from Expedia Group Lodging Partner Services.

Dream Cruises launches one-day itinerary between Guangzhou and Hong Kong

By TTG Asia
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Dream Cruises is rolling out a one-day cruise linking Guangzhou and Hong Kong onboard the World Dream.

The One Day Greater Bay Cruise will depart every Friday from Guangzhou (Nansha) to Hong Kong and every Sunday from Hong Kong to Guangzhou (Nansha).

World Dream will sail on one-day itineraries between its two homeports

During the promotion period from March to June 2019, every passenger will also receive a voucher worth HK$100 (US$12.70) for on-board consumption.

“Our new itinerary is perfect for first-time guests who would like to experience a cruise without the usual time and financial commitment of a regular length voyage,” said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines.

Dream Cruises began to deploy its ships to Guangzhou (Nansha), Shenzhen (Shekou) and Hong Kong in 2016 to operate cruises originating from the Greater Bay Area. Since then, it has developed 18 itineraries reaching 14 destinations and welcomed more than 1.8 million passengers by the end of 2018.

Dream Cruises says it will continue to promote the development of the cruise industry in the Greater Bay Area, including with its new Global Class ship scheduled for delivered by early 2021.

Travel and tourism players display solidarity following Christchurch attacks

By TTG Asia
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Night vigil for the victims of the March 15 Christchurch Mosque shootings

Travel and tourism players are showing solidarity in light of the unfortunate attacks at two Christchurch mosques last Friday.

Air New Zealand has capped one-way domestic fares for flights directly to and from Christchurch at NZ$139 (US$94) to assist customers needing to travel there to support those affected by the shooting tragedy.

Night vigil for the victims of the March 15 Christchurch Mosque shootings

The airline has had compassionate fare assistance in place since Friday, offering free travel to immediate family of deceased as well as discounted compassionate fares to other affected friends and family with close to 100 bookings made so far, including a number of group bookings.

All Christchurch domestic bookings made with Air New Zealand after 15.00 on Friday, March 15, will be refunded back to the level of the reduced fares.

Beyond the measures Air New Zealand has introduced for customers affected by the shooting tragedy in Christchurch, it has also been working closely with the prime minister’s office to support the transport of key people to Christchurch including emergency services personnel.

The airline has transported more than 70 police officers from around New Zealand to Christchurch and various emergency support personnel, including eight specialist doctors from Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington and Tauranga.

The airline has also been working with the wider Muslim community to facilitate travel to Christchurch to assist with arrangements.

Meanwhile, G Adventures’ founder Bruce Poon Tip wrote a letter to partners in light of the tragedy, emphasising the purpose of tourism in fostering harmony.

“How do we confront the undercurrent of hate that fuelled the unspeakable and shocking tragedy that seems to be spreading across the globe? How can we each use our lives to promote peace, friendship and greater light? I believe that tourism, and the choices we make about how we use our time and resources, create a world that is more connected, empathetic, equitable and understanding,” he wrote.

Lombok earthquake triggers deadly landslide

By Mimi Hudoyo
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The earthquake struck near a tourist attraction in north Lombok, Tiu Kelep waterfall

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck East Lombok yesterday has triggered a landslide in the island’s north, claiming the lives of at least two tourists and injuring several others.

The landslide took place around Tiu Kelep waterfall, a famous tourist attraction in Senaru Village, North Lombok.

Disaster struck near Tiu Kelep waterfall and left 40 tourists trapped at the attraction

Most of the 40 tourists trapped at the location were Malaysians and Indonesians, Mujaddid Muhas, spokesperson of North Lombok Regional Secretariat was quoted as saying by detik.com.

Reports said all of the 22 Malaysian tourists and 14 Indonesian travellers had been evacuated last night.

A series of aftershocks continued to rock Lombok several hours after the first quake that struck at around 14.00.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, Indonesia Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency reported that the earthquake was felt not only on Lombok island, but also neighbouring Sumbawa Island and Bali.

The latest disaster struck Lombok just as it is slowly getting back on its feet after the devastating earthquake and tsunami August last year.

The island, which was bereft of tourists after the disaster last year, last month started to see some 30 per cent growth in arrivals and was expecting to reach between 60 per cent and 80 per cent by summer this year.

 

Philippines mulls cruise tourism development plan amid Boracay concerns

By Rosa Ocampo
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Cruise ship at Boracay, Philippines

The Philippines may have to revisit its cruise tourism development plan amid the ongoing overtourism challenge in Boracay, as the destination looks at reducing the number of cruise ship calls due to their environmental impact and low tourist expenditure.

Boracay is looking at reducing the number of cruise ships calling on the island, as tourism stakeholders have noted the low income from cruise passengers. They added that the passengers crowded out the beaches, and did not spend their tourism dollar at establishments such as hotels and restaurants. In addition, there was the question of ships’ impact on the environment including coral reefs.

Cruise ship at Boracay, Philippines

“The whole Boracay experience has compelled us to take a closer look at our development models – particularly for resort destinations or destinations that are getting higher (tourists) volume than the others,” shared Philippines’ tourism undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr.

Bengzon cited the need for an “optimum mix between headcount and revenue” in cruise tourism. This is in light of the revenue per passenger of expedition ships usually being higher than mega ships, but the latter help to boost arrival numbers.

In addition, expedition ships offer a “low-density, high-value experience” with no more than 700 passengers. They are also compact and less crowded than ships with thousands of passengers. Such cruise ships also have greater flexibility, and can visit smaller destinations.

Bill Barnett, managing director of consultancy C9 Hotelworks, said: “Cruise ships should be a key part of Philippine tourism, and it’s a natural fit. But it needs planning, infrastructure and the ability to handle mass movements of people.

“For Cebu, Davao and Manila, it’s a no brainer given these can support (large numbers of visitors), but once you start talking Boracay and Palawan, it’s a questioning of having proper handling capacity and port management.”

Barnett believes the Philippine government should seriously consider cruise tourism, but urged them to develop the sector responsibly.

“So much of the Philippines is domestic-led or mass market, i.e. China and South Korea. It’s hard to understand the push back. Go to Tahiti, the Seychelles or other romantic island destinations and (see how) they thrive on the (cruise) sector,” Barnett added.

Similan Islands gets green light to limit daily visitor numbers

By TTG Asia
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Speed boats and tourists on an island in Similan, Phang Nga Province, Thailand

Thailand’s Similan Islands National Park, a popular diving and snorkelling spot in the Andaman Sea, has been given the green light by the Supreme Administrative Court to limit the number of visitors to protect the archipelago from further degradation, reported the Bangkok Post.

The Supreme Administrative Court’s decision last week overturned an earlier ruling from the Phuket Administrative Court, which said a plan to limit numbers by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) was illegal.

Speed boats and tourists in Similan, Phang Nga Province, Thailand

Last October the department announced plans to limit daily visits to the park to 3,325 tourists and 525 divers, and that visitors could not stay overnight with permission.

However, the DNP’s plans was met with resistance from tour operators, who had petitioned the Phuket Provincial Court to annul the visitor limitations as it would severely affect their businesses.

This was followed by the Phuket Provincial Court’s issuance of an injunction against visitor limitations but the department appealed against the ruling.

Following the closure of Maya Bay, curbing visitor numbers to the Similan Islands is the DNP’s efforts to control tourism and limit environmental damage to Thailand’s popular destinations.

Sri Lanka and Maldives: an Indian Ocean pairing that works well together

By Feizal Samath
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Elepahants safari in Minneriya, Sri Lanka

With Sri Lanka and the Maldives in close proximity to each other, just 50 minutes apart by flight time, tour operators are now seeing greater potential and value in promoting packages combining both countries.

The two markets complement rather than compete with each other, with the Maldives’ strongest asset being its beaches affording privacy while Sri Lanka is favoured as a destination for its diverse cultural attractions and wildlife parks, said Tracy Neureuther, director of Mosaic Tourism Consulting in Germany.

Elepahants safari in Minneriya, Sri Lanka

Echoing similar observations of Champika de Silva, cluster director of sales at Anantara Resorts Sri Lanka, said: “During my recent visit to Spain, almost all the tour operators and travel agents I met booked Sri Lanka using the Maldives for the beach stay.”

However, de Silva has yet to see the combo trend pick up for the German, French and Benelux markets to Sri Lanka, possibly “due to price” issues, although a small number of high-end British visitors are already booking Anantara’s Sri Lanka resorts for beach stays at the end of a round-trip destination with the Maldives.

Nevertheless, hoteliers like Sanath Ukwatte, president of the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, whose Colombo-based Mount Lavinia Hotels group owns a 75-villa resort in the Maldives, now sees “huge potential in promoting joint packages” of both destinations.

While joint packages form just 10-15 per cent of its business, Maldives-based Coco Collection Hotels & Resorts/Sunland Hotels’ chief commercial officer Andrew Ashmore, likewise, sees a lot of potential in pairing up both destinations.

“(Demand) has grown of late as Sri Lanka is becoming a huge emerging (destination) for Europe. We see interest from mainly the UK and Germany. Generally it’s six (nights) and four (nights), or five and five, or seven and three,” he shared.

While pairing these two destinations may be a new segment for some players, Nalin Jayasundera, managing director of Aitken Spence Travels which owns the Adaaran chain of resorts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, has been promoting joint tours for some time.

“At one time when there were no direct flights the Maldives, the Chinese used to visit Colombo en route to the Maldives and do combined tours; now there are direct flights to the Maldives,” he said, adding that there is potential to drive joint promotions for the European markets.

Garuda’s new Nagoya service likely to benefit corporate over leisure segment

By Kurniawan Ulung
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Nagoya (pictured) now connected to Jakarta

Indonesia’s outbound agents are hopeful that Garuda Indonesia’s new four-times weekly direct service between Jakarta and Nagoya – launching on March 23 – will bring more business both ways.

Ari Ashkara, president director of Garuda Indonesia, believes that the new service to Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan’s fourth largest city, will boost investment and trade opportunities in addition to attracting more Japanese outbound travellers to Indonesia.

Nagoya (pictured) will soon be connected to Jakarta

Rudiana, director of sales of WITA Tour in Jakarta, said this new route this would benefit Jakarta, Indonesia’s key business and administration centre where many Japanese companies are headquartered.

And with a flight schedule that arrive in Jakarta early in the morning, Rudiana predicted that the service would attract more business than leisure travellers. “In Indonesia, the most favourite destination for leisure travellers is Bali, not Jakarta,” he noted.

Like Rudiana, Pauline Suharno, managing director of Elok Tour, opined that the direct flight “will be very attractive for business travellers”.

As for the leisure market, Suharno hopes that the national carrier will launch competitive airfares to attract Indonesia’s outbound travellers. Otherwise, she added, Indonesian travellers are more likely to choose other airlines that provided more affordable tickets even if they are not direct flights.

Rudiana agreed, sharing that airfares would determine whether Garuda could win the market for the Nagoya route. If airfares were too expensive, said Rudiana, Nagoya is unlikely to attract leisure travellers as it is perceived as an secondary tourist destination in Japan.

“Tokyo and Osaka have been deemed ordinary by today’s Indonesian travellers,” he shared.

Cebu to host PATA annual summit this year

By TTG Asia
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Cebu in the Philippines to host the PATA Annual Summit, including a one-day conference themed Progress with a Purpose

PATA Annual Summit (PAS) will take place in Cebu from May 9-12, 2019.

Hosted by the Philippine Department of Tourism, the four-day event will be held at Radisson Blu Cebu. The PAS programme will also comprise a one-day conference under the theme, Progress with a Purpose, which will highlight the fundamental challenges, issues and opportunities within the travel and tourism industry and how together actionable change for the better can be brought about.

Cebu in the Philippines to host the PATA Annual Summit, including a one-day conference themed Progress with a Purpose

Keynote speaker Andrew Staples, global editorial director at The Economist, will be presenting on the ‘State of the World Economy’. This will be followed by John Koldowski, special advisor to PATA CEO, who will give insights on the ‘Current and Future State of Travel and Tourism in the Asia-Pacific’. These presentations will be followed by a BBC moderated panel discussion, titled ‘Navigating the Numbers’.

Other topics to be discussed during PAS 2019 include ‘Destination Management in Times of Uncertainty’, ‘Mainstreaming Sustainable Tourism’, ‘The Power of Data and Insights for Responsible Development’, ‘Accessible Tourism for All’ and ‘The Future of Sustainable Destination Branding’.

Confirmed speakers in the line-up include Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Robin Yap, chairman emeritus, The Travel Corporation; Martin Heng, accessible travel manager & editorial advisor of Lonely Planet; and Maja Pak, director general of Slovenian Tourist Board.

Alongside the conference, students and young tourism professionals will also be able to engage with industry leaders at the PATA Youth Symposium. A half-day UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate is also part of the summit programme, providing an opportunity for tourism leaders in the private sector to discuss the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the travel and tourism industry today.

Investment company buys travel tech firm Air Black Box

By TTG Asia
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Air Black Box forst tp provide capability for airlines to network and cross-sell with each other, regardless of carrier type or PSS platform

Airline technology company Air Black Box has been acquired by 777 Partners, expanding the Miami-based investment firm’s portfolio of companies in the aviation sector.

“Air Black Box’s expert team and technology platform fits our criteria for investing in disruptive aviation companies that create efficiencies and drive revenue in areas that haven’t been fully optimised,” Juan Arciniegas, a principal of 777 Partners, said in a statement.

Air Black Box the first to provide airlines capability to network and cross-sell with each other, regardless of carrier type or PSS platform

“In aviation’s evolving global marketplace, their technology plays a key role in achieving our shared vision for an airline industry that is more agile, flexible and profitable for all stakeholders.”

Ian Reyner, CEO of Air Black Box, said the acquisition by 777 Partners will enable the firm to bring its solution to more airlines and a broader segment of the travel industry.

Air Black Box, a platform that enables airlines to network and cross-sell with each other, is also the technology behind Value Alliance, the world’s first LCC alliance and Asia-Pacific’s largest – comprising Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, Scoot, Nok Air, NokScoot, Vanilla Air and Jeju Air.

Jeju Air, one of the founding members of the Value Alliance, in 2017 made an investment in Air Black Box Asia Pacific.

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGssociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTG Asia | Tourism drives national growth in the Philippines
TTG Asia | How are we travelling?
TTG Asia | South-east Asia market a hot catch for river cruise lines: AmaWaterways