Tourism performance a mixed bag in 2018, but M’sia on track to 2020 target

March 1, 2019

Despite marginal decline in arrivals in 2018, Malaysia’s tourism sector is optimistic that intensified promotions this year could bring the country closer to its 2020 target.

The country saw a 2.9 per cent increase in tourist receipts from RM82.2 billion (US$20.2 billion) in 2017 to RM84.1 billion in 2018. Per capita expenditure of tourists also saw a small increase of 2.9 per cent over 2017, recording RM3,257 in 2018.

No big change in arrivals, tourism spend in Malaysia last year

Musa Yusof, director-general, Tourism Malaysia, shared: “For the third consecutive year, shopping receipts overtook accommodation.”

Last year, shopping contributed 33.4 per cent of tourism receipts, followed by accommodation at 25.7 per cent and F&B at 13.4 per cent. Shopping receipts exceeded accommodation, growing from 32.7 per cent share in 2017 to 33.4 per cent share in 2018.

Meanwhile, despite a 0.4 per cent dip in tourist arrivals over the preceding year to 24.8 million, the average length of stay of tourists increased by 0.8 nights to 6.5 nights, Malaysia’s tourism, arts and culture minister, Mohamaddin Ketapi, announced at the press conference on Wednesday.

Arrival growth was seen in Central Asia (+81.9 per cent), Africa (+49.1 per cent), Americas (+26.3 per cent), West Asia (+25.3 per cent), East Asia (+24.3 per cent), South Asia (+13.4 per cent) and Europe (+7.8 per cent) while declines were recorded for Oceania (-0.8 per cent) and South-east Asia (-7.0 per cent) markets.

Overall, the medium-haul and longhaul markets made good recovery with a 19.3 per cent growth from 2017, thus positively impacting upon the average length of stay and tourism receipts.

Mohamaddin shared that Malaysia’s inbound tourism sector will get a big boost at the upcoming ITB Berlin where Malaysia is the partner country. He said: “Based on previous records, countries that had been ITB partner country had generated an increase of tourist arrivals of between 8 to 20 per cent within one to three years after becoming ITB partner.

This augurs well for Visit Malaysia 2020, where the government hopes to attract 30 million tourists and RM100 billion in tourism receipts, from this year’s target of 28.1 million tourists and RM92.2 billion receipts.

ITB Berlin will also be the platform for the launch of Visit Malaysia 2020 and publicity campaign in Europe.

Nepal tourism minister killed in helicopter crash

By TTG Asia

March 1, 2019

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557px-Rabindra_Prasad_Adhikari — The helicopter carrying Rabindra Prasad crashed near Pathibhara

Nepal tourism minister Rabindra Adhikari was killed in a helicopter crash, the Hindustan Times reported.

Hindustan Times understood that the tourism minister and other officials had planned to visit Pathibhara Temple before flying to Panchthar to observe the under-construction airport at Chuhan Danda.

The helicopter carrying Rabindra Prasad crashed near Pathibhara

Others on board the helicopter with the minister were the pilot, captain Prabhakar KC, tourism entrepreneur Ang Chhiring Sherpa, security personnel Arjun Ghimire, the prime minister’s close aide Yubaraj Dahal, deputy director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Birendra Shrestha, and CAAN engineer Dhruba Das Bhochhibhaya.

All seven on board the helicopter were killed in the crash near Pathibhara in Taplejung district, the article said quoting a CAAN spokesperson.

The crash reportedly happened when Adhikari’s team was returning to Kathmandu after offering worship at the temple.

Moments after the helicopter was reported missing, local residents in the Pathibara area informed the police about a huge flame at the crash site.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister has called an emergency cabinet meeting at the official residence of the prime minister in Baluwatar, according to Hindustan Times.

Hyatt enters JV to launch new brand for Chinese travellers

By TTG Asia

March 1, 2019

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hyatt-homeinns-china-jv- — The new brand has yet to be named

Hyatt and Homeinns Hotels Group, an affiliate of the Shanghai Stock Exchange-listed BTG Hotels, are in a strategic joint venture to create a new upper midscale hospitality brand built specifically for Chinese travellers.

Described as homegrown and independently managed, the brand is expected to be unveiled in gateway cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities in China in the next five years.

The partnership is meant to combine the collective strengths of Hyatt’s global experience in premium hospitality and BTG Homeinns’ scale as one of China’s largest hotel chains.

“There is a definite opportunity for us to make a mark in the growing upper-midscale segment,” said David Sun, general manager of BTG Homeinns Hotels Group, chairman & CEO of Homeinns Hotel Group.

According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, domestic tourism revenue saw a 13 per cent increase last year, recording nearly RMB5.1 trillion (US$762 billion) in revenue. As income levels continue to rise, China’s middle class is seeking higher-quality offerings and travel experiences.

“With 70 hotels and a pipeline of more than 100 properties in Greater China, Hyatt is committed to a long-term strategy of purposeful growth in the region, said Stephen Ho, president of Greater China, global operations, Hyatt. “This collaboration is expected to provide Hyatt with deep China insights, build brand awareness and grow loyalty with a new set of travellers.”

BTG Homeinns Hotels Group operates one of China’s largest and fastest-growing economy hotel chain – boasting a presence of about 3,900 hotels in more than 400 cities.

In recent years, BTG Homeinns has invested in expanding its portfolio of midscale hotel brands to meet the growing demand amongst Chinese travellers seeking to upgrade their travel experience. It has developed a strong presence of about 600 midscale hotels across China, under brands such as Yitel Premium, Homeinnplus and Homeinn Selected.

China and Russia rising for the UAE, reveals ATM study

By TTG Asia

March 1, 2019

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dubai-2 — Destinations of the World, based in Dubai (pictured), will give WebBeds 5,600 unique direct hotel contracts

The UAE is predicted to witness particularly strong growth from China and Russia following Expo 2020 and its legacy, District 2020, according to research from Colliers International, in partnership with the Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

Expo 2020 and District 2020 are expected to have a long-term influence on the growth of inbound arrivals to the UAE from the country’s top five source markets between 2018 and 2023, the study projects.

Looking at the country’s top three source markets, the number of Indian visitors travelling to the UAE will increase at a CAGR of seven per cent to three million in 2023, while arrivals from Saudi Arabia and the UK will witness an increase of two per cent and one per cent to 1.8 million and 1.3 million respectively over the same period.

Expo 2020 taking place in Dubai expected to sustain arrivals growth

While the UAE’s top source market rankings are expected to remain mostly unchanged post-Expo 2020, the research reveals the Russian and Chinese source markets will show above average annual growth rates for inbound passenger arrivals.

Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, ATM, said: “The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 12 per cent to 1.6 million in 2023, while the number of Chinese tourists visiting the UAE will increase at a CAGR of eight per cent to 1.27 million over the same period, according to the data.”

Looking to acquire their share of these high-growth markets at ATM 2019 will be the tourism boards from the UAE’s seven emirates with major exhibits from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah as well as over 93 other UAE exhibitors such as Emirates, Emaar Hospitality Group and Dubai Airports Corporation.

Curtis said: “Taking a look at the other key drivers, besides Expo 2020, Russian visitors to the UAE have grown in recent years, due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes. Russian visitors also now benefit from relaxed UAE visa regulations and rising oil prices are helping to strengthen the Russian rouble, making the UAE more affordable.

“Regarding Chinese visitors, according to some analysts China’s middle-class will swell to 338 million households by 2020, a 13 per cent increase in just five years. Moreover, by 2030 35 per cent of China’s 1.4 billion population will have US$10,000 of annual disposable income, up 10 per cent from 2018. Therefore, the growth potential for both markets is significant.”

With 20 million annual visitors expected to visit Dubai by 2020, plus an additional five million between October 2020 and April 2021 – 70 per cent of which will come from outside the UAE – the overall hospitality supply in the emirate is expected to increase by 39 per cent from 59,561 keys in 2017 to 82,994 in 2021 to meet this demand.

Meanwhile in neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi, the number of rooms across three-, four- and five-star properties is forecast to grow 13 per cent from 21,782 in 2017 to 24,565 in 2021.

“Just as Dubai and Abu Dhabi have their own unique set of visitor attractions, we are now seeing the northern emirates carving stronger identities, supported by their respective tourism authorities. And, while Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah are smaller than Dubai and Abu Dhabi in terms of supply, they are evolving quickly,” Curtis said.

Ras Al Khaimah is working on an unprecedented pipeline, which will more than double the number of hotel rooms, from 4,019 in 2017 to 9,078 in 2021, the largest proportionate pipeline in the GCC.

The number of hotel rooms in Sharjah is also expected to more than double between 2017 and 2021, taking the total number of hotel rooms in the emirate to 5,295 by 2021. Meanwhile, Fujairah will add almost 500 keys over the same period taking its total stock to 2,543 rooms.

Taking place from April 28 to May 1, ATM 2019 will feature cutting-edge technology and innovation as its main theme, which will be integrated across all show verticals and activities, including focused seminar sessions, featuring dedicated exhibitor participation.

ATM welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, showcasing the largest exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels comprising 20 per cent of the floor area.

Availpro, Fastbooking merge under D-Edge brand

By TTG Asia

March 1, 2019

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Pierre-Charles Grob, who initiated the merge, is now CEO of D-Edge

Hotel technology solutions provider Availpro and digital marketeer Fastbooking are being merged under the D-Edge brand, with the aim of creating a new value proposition for the hospitality industry.

Pierre-Charles Grob, CEO of D-EDGE and initiator of the Availpro Fastbooking merge, said: “By combining Availpro and Fastbooking expertise, we are able to offer complete end-to-end solutions to our customers and help them approach their distribution strategy in a comprehensive manner.”

D-Edge CEO, Pierre-Charles Grob, initiated the merge

D-Edge has a portfolio of more than 20 solutions, a customer base of 11,000 hotels, and presence in more than 100 countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Its solutions are presented in five families: Central Reservation System (booking engine, channel manager, GDS, central inventory, payment automation), data intelligence (price recommendation, price monitoring, online reputation, performance analysis ), Connectivity Hub (connection to 500+ third parties solutions: PMS, RMS, CRM, OTAs, etc), Digital Media (display ads, search and metasearch marketing) and Website Creation (web design and development, content creation, media production).

The D-Edge brand is now live, replacing Availpro and Fastbooking.

New hotels: Swiss-Belresort Tanjung Binga, Shishi-Iwa House and more

By TTG Asia

March 1, 2019

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Swiss-Belresort Tanjung Binga, Indonesia
Swiss-Belhotel International has announced the opening of a hotel on Indonesia’s Belitung Island. Just 150m from the white sands of Tanjung Binga Beach, Swiss-Belresort Tanjung Binga is a four-star resort featuring 77 rooms, including five suites and seven inter-connecting rooms. Guests may also enjoy the Beach Club, water sports and other activities, in addition to facilities such as a 80m² pool, kids’ pool, spa, 24-hour fitness centre and a jogging track.

F&B concepts available include the all-day-dining Swiss-Kitchen Restaurant, overlooking to the pool and the sea, lobby lounge and pool-side bar. For meetings and events, the hotel offers the 200-guest Kelayang Ballroom and two meeting rooms for events of up to 70 guests.

Swiss-Belresort Tanjung Binga is located just over 45 minutes’ drive from HAS Hanandjoeddin International Airport, the main air gateway to Belitung.

Shishi-Iwa House, Japan
Shishi-Iwa House, a 10-room boutique resort designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, has opened its doors in Karuizawa, a mountain resort destination in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, accessible by train about an hour from Tokyo. Developed by HDHP GK, a social enterprise sponsored by HDH Capital Management, Shishi-Iwa House is positioned as a restorative retreat where architecture serves to provide peace and inspire intellectual creativity.

The hotel features a library and reception room, which also serves as a check-in area. The Grand Room is a shared social space where guests can convene, with an adjoining Catering Kitchen equipped for hosting private dinners and professionally catered functions. The Grand Room is linked to three connected clusters, each formed by a shared kitchenette and three to four guest rooms.

Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The 186-room hotel opened in Phnom Penh’s CBD near Monivong Boulevard, less than a mile from the Royal Palace and the Wat Phnom temple. Facilities include a lobby lounge, two meeting spaces, an all-day dining restaurant The Mekong, a 24-hour fitness centre and outdoor pool on the 20th floor, and The Deck, a rooftop bar serving cocktails and DJ beats on select days.

The Pavilions Himalayas Lake View, Nepal
Touting the first luxury tented eco villas of their kind in Nepal, boutique hotel group The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has launched its second property in the region after The Pavilions Himalayas.

To arrive at retreat, guests take a paddle boat across the Phewa Lake, followed by a short hike along a curving mountain trail. Jeep Safari transfers are also available on request, while the adventurous can opt for a five-hour trek from sister hotel The Pavilions Himalayas.

The eight new tented villas include four Classic Lake Villas (40m²), three Grand Lake Villas (50m²) and one Royal Lake Villa (82m²). Mountain botanicals and a natural spring pool form the basis of a Himalayan wellness experience, while Nepalese and international cuisine is crafted using produce cultivated at The Pavilions Himalayas’ own organic farm.

Hilton Taizhou, China
The 21-storey, 336-room hotel marked its debut as the first international hotel brand in the heart of Taizhou’s CBD in Jiangsu province. The hotel offers over 2,500m² of meeting space, including a 1,030m² Grand Ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. The hotel also has a rooftop garden and an outdoor lawn for gatherings, weddings and events. For F&B, guests can choose from all-day restaurant Huan; Arch Chinese Restaurant for local Zhejiang flavours and seafood; and the He Lobby Lounge. Facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre, indoor swimming pool and whirlpool.

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By TTG

March 1, 2019

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Pakistani airspace closure forces flight cancellations and reroutes

By TTG Asia

February 28, 2019

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india-pakistan — Flights diverted due to the closure of Pakistani airspace

Some flights were rerouted or cancelled following an escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, but Indian tour operators say it should be business as usual in tourism for now.

Early yesterday morning, India sent in the air force to eradicate a major terrorist camp in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). This was in reaction to a terrorist attack on a security contingent in Kashmir two weeks ago, India’s Creative Travel & JungleSutra WIldlife Journeys said in a circular issued to partners.

Flights diverted due to the closure of Pakistani airspace

Describing India’s retaliation as “simply an anti-terrorist operation”, the tour company said India took out a terrorist camp and “no civilian or military targets in Pakistan were touched or ever targeted”.

“There is also a lot of misinformation and ‘fake news’ being spread, which is unfortunately a common phenomenon now all over the world. We do not see any immediate sense of concern at this stage and will keep you posted if something happens,” said Rajeev Kohli, joint managing director, Creative Travel & JungleSutra WIldlife Journeys.

“If at any point we find any reason to amend anyone’s journeys, you will hear from us immediately. As of now, it’s business as usual.”

In view of the closure of Pakistani airspace, airlines have been making flight changes.

Singapore Airlines announced the following reroutes and cancellation:

Singapore to London
1. SQ308 operating from Singapore to London on February 27, 2019 will stop in Dubai for re-fuelling before proceeding to London
2. SQ318 operating from Singapore to London on 27 February 2019 will stop in Mumbai for re-fuelling before proceeding to London.

Singapore to Frankfurt
1. SQ326 operating from Singapore to Frankfurt on February 27 will stop in Mumbai for re-fuelling before proceeding to Frankfurt, provided it is able to arrive in Frankfurt before the airport’s curfew.
Due to the delay, SQ325 operating from Frankfurt to Singapore on February 27 is cancelled and passengers will be transferred to other airlines.

All other flights that overfly affected airspace will be rerouted, but are due to operate as scheduled at this point.

SIA is advising customers to check the status of their flights on the website or contact their local SIA reservations office. Customers are also advised to update their contact details to receive updates on their flights.

Meanwhile, Thai Airways (THAI) has cancelled flights:

To Pakistan
– TG341 and TG342 to and from Bangkok-Karachi
– TG345 and TG346 to and from Bangkok-Lahore
– TG349 and TG350 to and from Bangkok-Islamabad

To Europe
February 27:
– TG920 from Bangkok-Frankfurt
– TG911 from London-Bangkok
– TG921 from Frankfurt-Bangkok
– TG931 from Paris-Bangkok
– TG941 from Milan-Bangkok
– TG945 from Rome-Bangkok
– TG971 from Zurich-Bangkok
– TG951 from Copenhagen-Bangkok
– TG961 from Stockholm-Bangkok
– TG955 from Oslo-Bangkok
– TG925 from Munich-Bangkok

February 28:
– TG910 from Bangkok-London
– TG924 from Bangkok-Munich
– TG930 from Bangkok-Paris
– TG934fromBangkok-Brussels
– TG940from Bangkok-Milan
– TG936from Bangkok-Vienna
– TG960from Bangkok-Stockholm
– TG970 from Bangkok-Zurich
– TG950 from Bangkok-Copenhagen
– TG954 from Bangkok-Oslo

THAI says it is monitoring the situation, and plans to operate flights on an alternative route that does not pass Pakistan and is now awaiting for airspace authorisation.

Airline passengers who hold tickets on routes affected by flight cancellation may change their itinerary and be exempted from fees and charges.

NYC & Company opens arms to SE Asian tourists

By S Puvaneswary

February 28, 2019

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manhattan-nyc — Manhattan, New York City

NYC & Company is honing in on South-east Asia’s growing outbound travel market, drawing on trade initiatives such as agent training programmes that show what the Big Apple has to offer beyond the known icons.

The company organised its first trade mission to the region earlier this week, covering Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, with five tourism partners – Hudson Yards, The Museum of Modern Art, Tour America, Wyndham Garden Brooklyn Sunset Park Hotel New York and Hertz – joining the mission to meet with the local travel trade.

High on the agenda are training and education programmes for the travel trade, including on how to take advantage of better deals and to experience more of New York, shared Makiko Matsuda Healy, managing director, tourism market development, NYC & Company.

The DMO recently revamped its online training programme for the travel trade to also include webinars on new offerings in the city as well as other need-to-knows.

Healy shared that NYC & Company wishes to tap into South-east Asia, a region where the outbound travel market is expected to double by 2025 on the back of an expanding middle class.

For 2018, NYC & Company is forecasting visitor numbers from South-east Asia to increase from 221,000 in 2017 to 241,000. On average South-east Asian visitors stayed an average of 11 days in New York City, according to Healy.

Since the opening of its representative office in Singapore in October 2018, NYC & Company has been busy identifying key tourism players in this region and supporting them. Fam trips for agents and the media from South-east Asia are also being planned for in the near future.

The Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam are the top three inbound markets to New York from South-east Asia.

The Philippines, which is the biggest market from this region, is strong with traffic from the VFR (visit friends and relatives segment) and business events, especially incentive travel.

Malaysian outbound agent, Vickie Yong, director, Airlink Travel & Tour, shared the need for US visas, which could be relatively expensive, is the main challenge in selling the destination, adding that many affluent Malaysians would rather holiday in Europe where they enjoy visa-free entry.

Another agent, YJ Chong, senior manager sales & marketing West Division at Apple Vacations & Conventions, shared that US president Donald Trump’s immigration stance has not been a deterrent for Malaysian Muslims and Malaysians in general.

Healy commented: “New York City always celebrates diversity and welcomes people from all over the world, no matter what the immigration policy is. This is the message we wish to convey.”

China’s tier-two cities heat up among mature Singaporean tourists

By Pamela Chow

February 28, 2019

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zhangjiajie-china — Zhangjiajie scenery at Wulingyuan, Hunan

China’s second-tier destinations are picking up in popularity among Singaporean travellers, particularly among the demographic of older working adults with higher spending power, observed travel agents at the NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents Singapore) Travel Fair last weekend.

The three-day fair, which attracted some 60,000 visitors over its first two days, featured booths touting flights to cities such as Hangzhou, Ningxia and Zhangjiajie, with a smattering of Silk Road itineraries.

Zhangjiajie scenery at Wulingyuan, Hunan

“China has its evergreen cities like Shanghai and Beijing, but we have seen an increase in demand for secondary cities like Ningxia,” noted Diana Tan, head of department for customer services, CTC Travel.

Drivers of this trend include increased flight connectivity since last year – Singapore is now connected to Nanchang, Haikou, Jinan and Nanning, with Guiyang coming this year – as well as luxury hotel chains planting their flags in such cities.

Zhu Wenbo, general manager of Travel 21, shared: “The Singapore market has always had the demand for China, but it has increased recently and we’re focusing on drawing it out now. Popular areas for us are Beijing, Yading and Chengdu, because traditionally travel agents include compulsory shopping tours in these itineraries, but we don’t have those and our customers appreciate that.”

He echoed that demand for group tours to these destinations have been on the rise, with Travel 21 even flying a group of 100 pax to Chongqing last year.

Travellers prefer a consistent “premium standard for food and accommodation” when travelling to China, and this includes “five-star hotels and above” as well as cultural activities and sightseeing, Zhu observed.

Tourism performance a mixed bag in 2018, but M’sia on track to 2020 target

Nepal tourism minister killed in helicopter crash

Hyatt enters JV to launch new brand for Chinese travellers

China and Russia rising for the UAE, reveals ATM study

Availpro, Fastbooking merge under D-Edge brand

New hotels: Swiss-Belresort Tanjung Binga, Shishi-Iwa House and more

Maximise savings at ITB Asia 2019 with Early Bird Rates

Pakistani airspace closure forces flight cancellations and reroutes

NYC & Company opens arms to SE Asian tourists

China’s tier-two cities heat up among mature Singaporean tourists

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