In India, Uttarakhand revs up efforts to lure more international arrivals

February 18, 2019

A recently unveiled state tourism policy, coupled with the hosting of PATA Adventure Travel And Responsible Tourism Conference And Mart 2019 in Rishikesh last week, are expected to be stepping stones in attracting more international tourists to the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

The new tourism policy, which was released at the end of last year, came 17 years since Uttarakhand’s first tourism policy was released in 2001. The policy accorded industry status to the sector, which opened up incentives for investors, and focused on new segments and products such as adventure tourism and homestays. The new policy also aims to develop one new tourism destination in each of its 13 districts.

“We have different products to offer to international markets but at present we are confined to yoga, wellness, high-altitude mountaineering and wildlife. New segments like adventure travel will be promoted,” said Dilip Jawalkar, secretary, tourism, religious affairs and culture department, government of Uttarakhand.

“We are also looking to host more international events in the future (like the PATA conference) so that so that local stakeholders know about best international practices,” he added. “Also, considering that we have ecological fragile areas, the focus is on increasing international arrivals in a sustainable way.”

Welcoming the proactive efforts that the state government have rolled out in recent time to promote tourism, Ravi Gosain, president, Uttarakhand Tourism Professionals Association, shared: “Interest from markets like France, Spain and Italy is picking up. The focus on homestays in the new tourism policy will help target international travellers interested in experiencing local culture. Events like PATA will also offer a global exposure to the destination and help in increasing inbound numbers.”

Rishikesh’s inbound arrivals are already mostly international, but there are a number of other destinations in the state that if can draw more international tourists with greater promotion, noted Anil Gusain, head, sales & marketing, Divine Resort & Spa Rishikesh.

In 2018, Uttarakhand received 120,000 international visitors, a growth of 20 per cent over the previous year. Key international tourist markets for the state include the US, Europe, Israel, Latin American and Central Asian markets.

International tour operators, such as Tom Parsley, personal travel consultant of UK-based Hays Travel, who attended the PATA event in Rishikesh, are already taking note of Uttarakhand’s emerging prominence for foreign visitors.

“Uttarakhand is a new, unheard of and diverse tourist destination. If infrastructure can be developed for easy access helping tourists to reach different points easily, it can become popular in overseas markets. Enough information on various tourism products and experiences available in the state should be made available to foreign tour operators,” Parsley said.

Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel

By Prudence Lui

February 18, 2019

0

hkgoceanparkmarriotthotel_premiere_double_bedroom_(1) — Premiere double bedroom

Location
Nothing beats its location. The property stands right next to the entrance of Ocean Park and a stone’s throw from the eponymous MTR station. As footbridges connect Ocean Park Station to the hotel, there are no traffic worries as it took me less than five minutes to walk the distance.

Since the MTR connection to the south side of Hong Kong Island debuted few years ago, it offers visitors additional means of access other than traditional buses. Travelling time from Admiralty Station to the park now takes only four minutes.

The hotel is also located close to hiking and jogging trails that lead through some of the Hong Kong’s finest coastline and country parks.

Rooms
Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel’s rooms are spread across three eight-storey towers.

My daughter and I stayed in the twin-bed, 29m²Premium Room of Marina Wing which overlooks the swimming pool. The room was outfitted in the ocean theme, and even my teenage daughter was delighted by the creative interpretation of the aquatic decor as she tried to count the number fish patterns – seen on panel walls near the bed and the bathroom – she could pick out. I noted that there were no sharp-edge furniture in the room, so kudos to a kid-friendly design that’s indeed kitted out for families.

I loved the abundance of USB and electrical plugs on the walls, which easily catered to the numerous electronic gadgets I brought. I thought it would be more convenient if there was an additional wall socket near the coffee/tea corner as I preferred to make both my capsule coffee while boiling hot water simultaneously.

In addition, the hotel also offers 14 themed guest rooms specially targeting families with kids with their animal motifs – think Whiskers Submarine (Ocean Park’s mascot sea lion), Bao Bao Paradise (panda) and Redd Forest (red pandas).

Facilities
It was during the hotel’s soft-opening period when I stayed, so the Central Lagoon was not yet open. Its scheduled opening is today (February 19).

The landscaped 1,410m²swimming pool has an upper pool for practice laps, as well as toddler and kid pools for families with young kids. Aside from the fitness centre that’s open 24/7, there is also a Harnn Heritage Spa on-site whose opening date is still not available at press time.

As a city resort hotel under Ocean Park’s umbrella, don’t miss the signature 16m-high floor-to-ceiling aquarium that spans across three floors of the hotel.

For large groups, a dedicated check-in area is provided.

F&B
There are four F&B options spread across the property. The Marina Wing where I stayed offered access to the 171-seater, all-day Marina Kitchen & Marina Café and the 126-seater Pier Lounge & Pier Bar.

My breakfast at the Marina Café on a Sunday morning was spiced up by the appearance of two of Ocean Park’s characters, which was clearly a fun moment for both kids and adults who lined up for the photo opportunity.

In the Club Wing, there’s a 92-seater Canton Bistro for classic Cantonese cuisine, as well as a 118-seater steakhouse called Prohibition Grill House & Cocktail Bar.

Service
Friendly and highly responsive. I only realised that I had left my jacket in my room after checking out. I called the hotel to check and within 15 minutes, I received both a call and email asking what would be the best way for me to collect my stuff.

Verdict
It is not only ideal for family and multi-generational travellers, but also for FITs and business travellers as the Club Wing offers elevated experience.

No. of rooms 471
Rates From HK$2,950 (US$376)
Contact details
Tel: (852) 3555 1688
Website: www.oceanparkmarriott.com
Email: mhrs.hkgop.generic@marriotthotels.com

Newly refurbished Seven Seas Mariner hits Asian waters

By TTG Asia

February 18, 2019

0

rssc-mariner — Seven Seas Mariner boasts new upgrades encompassing restaurants, rooms and facilities

For the first time since her 20-day bow-to-stern upgrade in 2018, Seven Seas Mariner will be returning to Asia-Pacific waters, boasting new culinary experiences, new suite designs and more.

From February to April 2019, the newly refurbished ship under Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ Regent Seven Seas brand will be taking travellers on four Asian itineraries, including Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai.

Seven Seas Mariner boasts new upgrades encompassing restaurants, rooms and facilities

All restaurants have been stylishly redesigned with enhanced art and décor. Flagship restaurant Compass Rose offers not only a new level of customisation but also a new look with grand crystal chandeliers.

For pool lovers, the deck boasts a new open layout and a mosaic-tiled pool, featuring a broad ledge for lounging in shallow water and surrounded by daybeds. Guests can enjoy expanded lunch selections at the outdoor Pool Grill, including steaks, chops, salmon, chicken and sausage, all prepared to order from new infrared barbecue grills.

The shipboard Canyon Ranch Spa now features pebble-stone tiles and light-wood accents in treatment rooms, while the adjoining fitness and aerobics centres offers new machines and equipment.

Inside, all public spaces boast new carpeting, art, furniture and new décor. The reception area features new marble desks and an original gold leaf accented artwork by Atlanta-based artist Tom Swanston. The grand spiral staircase in the atrium is crowned by a new large-scale blown glass art installation designed by Canadian studio Tsunami Glass.

All guest suites have also been redesigned, and now feature Elite Slumber beds, sitting areas with sofas, accent tables and new artwork; as well as private balconies.

Itineraries cover some “unique” cities such as Kochi, Kagoshima, Kota Kinabalu, Brunei and more. Seven Seas Mariner will sail the following itineraries in Asia this season:

16-night Myanmar Discovery Voyage from Singapore to Bangkok, departing on February 9 (from US$12,519 per pax)
18-night Way of the Emperors Voyage from Shanghai to Tokyo, departing on March 28 (from US$14,469 pp)
16-night Vibrant Markets & Villages Voyage from Bangkok to Hong Kong, departing on February 25 (from US$12,519 pp)
12-night Peaceful Gardens & Pagodas Voyage from Tokyo to Tokyo, departing on April 15 (from US$10,669)

Growing midscale appeal

By Rohit Kaul

February 18, 2019

0

Hospitality chains are seeing a clear growth path in India’s midscale segment with an expanding domestic middle class fuelling overall tourism growth.

India’s travel sector is currently driven by the domestic market, which industry players estimate to be nearly 10 times bigger than the international market.

The country is seeing a travel boom that has translated to increased demand for midscale hotels, with both Indian and international hospitality players alike expanding their presence to capture the growth.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is already eyeing deeper penetration into the mid-tier market with its Holiday Inn brand.

“Our Holiday Inn brand family suits the domestic, midscale travel sector very well. We see great opportunities in tier-two and -three cities, and are looking for strategic partners with the right-sized properties and aligned vision,” said Sudeep Jain, IHG’s vice president, development, South-west Asia.

In fact, 2018 has been a year of expansion for the Holiday Inn brand, which now makes up more than 80 per cent of IHG’s pipeline in India.

This was boosted by the partnership with SAMHI last year, which saw the rebranding of about 2,000 rooms and 14 hotels in the latter’s Indian portfolio – both operating and under construction – to Holiday Inn Express properties.

“We recently opened the first hotel from our partnership with SAMHI, the Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50. We will be opening an additional eight to 10 Holiday Inn Express hotels in the near future,” added Jain.

IHG has also signed a deal with Lotus Trans Travel Private to establish four Holiday Inn hotels in the Buddhist Circuit of India.

Rahul Chaudhary, executive director of Nepal-based CG Corp Global Hotels & Resorts, is also sizing up opportunities in the midscale market.

“We look at this segment as an area of opportunity for us and will continue to expand our Fern & Zinc branded properties in India, (as) we expect greater profitability margins from the mid-market segment,” said Chaudhary.

“This is because a growing section of the middle class is taking up leisure travel, and (this segment) sees mid-market hotels as a key part of their travel experience.”

Greater cost control in business travel, Chaudhary pointed out, has also benefitted the mid-market hotel development in India.

Chaudhary added that CG Corp will continue to invest and add more rooms in the midscale segment as long as land and infrastructure costs are competitive. “We expect greater profitability margins from the mid-market segment,” he said.

For Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, midscale properties are also favoured as “their smaller scale represent faster breakeven points and less debt exposure”, said vice president sales, S Karthikeyan.

The India-based hospitality chain has recently opened a midscale property, Saira Fort Sarovar Portico, Jaisalmer, and has several other midscale openings lined up in Lucknow, Junagarh, Dibrugarh, Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Gorakhpur and Dahisar.

US grants Vietnam permission for direct flights

By TTG Asia

February 18, 2019

0

vietnam-airlines-hanoi — Vietnam Airlines is planning to launch four-times-weekly flights to Los Angeles

With the US set to permit direct flights from Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines has announced plans to launch four-times-weekly flights to Los Angeles.

The US embassy in Hanoi was to deliver a Category 1 rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to Vietnam on Friday (February 15) afternoon, according to the Ministry of Transport’s website.

Vietnam Airlines is planning to launch four-times-weekly flights to Los Angeles

The approval comes ahead of the upcoming meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, scheduled for February 27 and 28.

Officials from North Korea and the US began arriving in Hanoi on Saturday (February 16) in preparation for the widely watched summit.

A VnExpress report quoted Vietnam Airlines CEO Duong Tri Thanh as saying that the carrier would begin with four flights a week to Los Angeles, followed by daily flights to the US West Coast, home to a large Vietnamese community.

A Vietnam Airlines official had previously told VnExpress International that the airline is considering buying wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus 350-1000 or Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner for the direct service.

Duong said it would take at least five years for the direct service to the US to break even.

Budget airline Vietjet and private airline Bamboo Airways have also expressed interest in operating direct flights, although concrete details of their plans were not available at press time.

Citing figures from the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, VnExpress shared that the number of Americans visiting Vietnam grew by 11.9 per cent last year to 687,000.

An ethnic Vietnamese population of over 2.1 million in the US is also expected to provide a steady source of travel demand, industry insiders told VnExpress.

WTTC teams up with border management and tech association to promote biometrics

By TTG Asia

February 18, 2019

0

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the International Border Management & Technologies Association (IBMATA) are joining hands to promote the use of technology such as biometrics to facilitate safe, secure and seamless travel across international borders.

IBMATA is global non-profit organisation promoting communication and collaboration between border agencies and technology providers worldwide.

Making use of biometrics to enhance security, while also providing seamless travel

Tony Smith CBE, chairman of the association, said: “Border agencies are dealing with more international passengers at their international borders than ever before, against a backdrop of static or declining resources. It is important that they make best use of new and emerging technology to enable them to facilitate the traveller experience for the vast majority of low risk traffic, while at the same time maintain safe and secure borders.

“Our relationship with WTTC will enable us to maximise collaboration between the travel industry, border agencies and technology providers to help us deliver this important function.”

Gloria Guevara, president & CEO, WTTC, added: “Travel and tourism employs one in ten people on the planet today and over the course of the next 20 years we will witness a doubling of the number of travellers and the creation of as many as 100 million jobs around the world. We have a responsibility to prepare for the future by transforming the traveller experience while increasing security by working together and with governments.”

Qantas conceptualises first class lounge in Singapore through VR

By TTG Asia

February 18, 2019

0

Qantas is putting virtual reality (VR) to work in the development of its new First Lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport, set to open end 2019.

Qantas International’s CEO Alison Webster said that VR gives the airline a completely new way to ensure that a lounge meets customer needs right from the conceptualisation process.

Qantas' First Lounge

1 of 3

“While we already use VR technology to promote destinations, this is the first time we have used it to better understand a lounge design. Being able to immerse ourselves in a virtual lounge gives us a more accurate sense of space and an understanding of how it will look to scale,” said Webster.

Industrial designer David Caon and his team have been appointed to create an immersive VR representation of the design concept, enabling Qantas to preview and fine-tune lounges and speed up the design consultation process. A similar approach is being used for the airline’s upgrade of its A380 cabins.

The new lounge for 240 customers is designed to suit transit travellers with generous and comfortable seating options, featuring shower facilities, a la carte dining including an open kitchen, a cocktail bar and plenty of device charging stations.

The interiors will take on a neutral colour palette, luxurious materials and leafy green highlights, with the latest light technology advances incorporated into which to allow passengers to feel relaxed and better synchronise their body clocks with future time zones, according to Caon said. Key materials like marble and oak will also be used.

Aside from the First Lounge, Qantas’ existing Business Lounge will be expanded and will open mid-year. The overall lounge capacity in Singapore will increase by 60 per cent, and when combined, the First and Business Lounges will offer seating for more than 800 customers.

Aviation still vulnerable to cyber attacks despite greater IT spend: SITA

By Pamela Chow

February 18, 2019

0

While the aviation sector has demonstrated awareness of the rising threats to security and data privacy, companies are still lacking in resources and capabilities to beef up their cybersecurity systems, revealed findings in a survey by SITA.

SITA’s president of Asia-Pacific, Sumesh Patel, shared that 92 per cent of organisations have developed an IT security strategy, and cybersecurity spend is rising year-on-year.

There is a need for the same standard and technology to better aviation security

However, the rate of growth remains sluggish. From 2017 to 2018, the percentage of airports’ IT budget spent on cybersecurity rose from 10 to 12 per cent, and airlines’ from seven to nine per cent.

Barriers inhibiting faster growth include a lack of resources, tight budgets and missing manpower skills. According to the survey, 78 per cent of aviation organisations cited limited resources as a key challenge when implementing cybersecurity.

Patel said: “The industry challenges are the same (across the board), but the problem is that not everyone is aligned. We need standards and technology that can help to bring the industry together and promote industry collaboration.”

To do this, SITA has been stepping up outreach and aiding organisations by pooling resources. For example, it launched an aviation blockchain sandbox last year to encourage collaboration and information sharing among airlines and airports.

Another area that SITA is building up on is operational excellence, which helps counter the impact of disruptions. Patel revealed: “(Flight disruption) is one of the areas where the industry is losing the highest amount of money. This is to the tune of almost US$35 billion.”

In this area, SITA has launched an enhanced flight prediction solution that grants airports visibility of its incoming flights six hours before arrival; the typical visibility range is 30 minutes to an hour. Patel confirmed that Changi Airport has implemented this solution, which will allow the airport to plan its resources and runway slots efficiently and in advance.

Looking into 2019 and beyond, IT investment for airports is largely channeled into self-boarding technologies. Some 74 per cent of airports will have self-check-in facilities by 2021, and 70 per cent self bag-drop.

Seeking out wellness in China

By Prudence Lui

February 15, 2019

0

Traditional-Chinese-Medicine — Traditional Chinese medicine therapies, such as acupuncture and massage, helps to attract visitors and travellers from international markets

Often perceived as a heritage and culture destination, China has much to offer in health and wellness tourism, with niche and speciality offerings in these segments quickly on the rise among foreign visitors keen to seek out novel and enriching experiences.

Exo Travel China’s product manager Seaver Qin has observed an uptick in client requests for novel and unique experiences, among them wellness and health tours. He explained: “(Foreign) markets are now aware that there are other types of Chinese martial arts like yongchun, tai chi, qigong, etc. So far, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and tai chi yield a lot of queries and bookings.

Traditional Chinese medicine therapies, such as acupuncture and massage, helps to attract visitors and travellers from international markets

“We arrange visits to TCM clinics for (travellers to acquire) basic knowledge like massage and acupuncture, plus guided tours by a specialist. Meanwhile, tai chi or qigong classes can be arranged at venues like Temple of Heaven and local parks,” shared Qin on the various ways the DMC crafts and incorporates wellness packages for its clients.

Likewise, Pacific World Shanghai, destination manager, Violet Wang, also noted a rise in supply, as well as demand, for wellness tourism in China. Chinese health and wellness themed destinations such as Hangzhou, Moganshan, Anji and Water Villages are often proposed as pre/post-tour extensions to the DMC’s high-end incentive and corporate events.

The growing attention paid to the emerging wellness segment was evident at the most recent China International Travel Mart (CITM) in Shanghai last November, where a dedicated zone was erected for Chinese wellness operators and suppliers keen to attract more overseas business.

Among the participating operators at CITM’s wellness zone was Sheenjoy Health Care and Tourism Group. The 23-year-old Chinese group has cast its sights on expanding beyond the domestic silver market to reach out to the international markets, while it aims to grow its existing 30 bases to 200 in the country within the next five years.

Its headquarters channel manager, Wang Kaikai told TTG Asia that its Kunming base is already drawing a considerable number of Russians keen to learn about TCM. He said: “It is typical to see Russians spend an average of two weeks (in China)… Aged around 50-70, our target groups are the mid to high-end clientele.”

Meanwhile, Chinese hospitality player Sunriver has established a foothold in Mount Qiyun – regarded as the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism in China – in Anhui province since 2012 by building holistic wellness facilities including a 290-room resort, cultural town, teahouse and more recently treehouses of 32 rooms within the mountain area.

According to manager Sha Teng-hai, health-related activities like seasonal tea-picking tours and tea appreciation are popular among foreigners, who mostly hail from South Korea and Taiwan and stay an average of three days.

He said: “We also hope to tap more Asian countries like Japan given the improved infrastructure like high-speed rail launched in 2015. The train has shortened the six-hour journey from Huangshan Airport to only 1.5 hours, making (Mount Qiyun) more attractive. There is also domestic demand from neighbouring provinces like Fujian as domestic health tourism is also a popular trend.”

A spokesperson at Hong Kong-based Hong Thai Travel described that China has no lack of wellness products, ranging from hot spring tours in Guangdong or taiqi/kungfu tours in signature locations like Chengdu’s Mount Qingcheng, but it’s typically study and incentive groups which are more receptive to the wellness/health theme than general group tours.

Another challenge, the spokesperson pointed out, is the association of China as a wellness destination for older travellers 50 and above, whereas the younger generation are more likely to flock to South-east Asia for wellness experiences.

Other impediments to this segment’s growth lie in the lack of quality offerings and manpower, Pacific World’s Wang remarked. “When pushing this (wellness) theme, we found a limited high-quality product supply in China so far, and sometimes there is a lack of bilingual instructors in health and wellness programmes,” she said.

To overcome the interpretation issue, Pacific World hires Chinese-speaking local instructors on top of additional translators. “This situation is getting better with time, especially with increasing numbers of bilingual professionals,” said Wang.

Jokowi receives Father of National Tourism award

By Mimi Hudoyo

February 15, 2019

0

IHRA-Joko-Widodo — Haryadi Sukamdani presents Joko Widodo with the award during IHRA's 50th anniversary

Indonesia president Joko Widodo has been honoured as Father of National Tourism by the Indonesia Hotel & Restaurant Association (IHRA).

The award was presented by IHRA chairman Haryadi Sukamdani at the gala dinner held in conjunction with the association’s 50th anniversary on February 11.

Haryadi Sukamdani presents Joko Widodo with the award during IHRA’s 50th anniversaryIHRA

In his welcome address speech at the dinner, Haryadi said the title was given to the president for his leadership in the development of tourism and for his commitment to infrastructural development.

He added that infrastructural improvements during the president’s tenure – including toll roads, 11 new airports, seaports and power plants – directly affected the growth of tourism in the country.

Haryadi also mentioned that the visa free policy granted to 169 countries has helped the country’s arrivals growth surpass the regional average.

Moreover, under Jokowi’s administration, the tourism budget has increased from two trillion rupiah (US$142.8 million) in 2014 to 2.1 trillion rupiah in 2015, and 3.3 trillion rupiah in 2016. In 2018, the budget totalled 3.4 trillion rupiah and went up to 3.8 trillion this year.

IHRA records as of 1H2018 show that investment in hotel and restaurant development increased by 78.6 per cent since the president took his post.

In India, Uttarakhand revs up efforts to lure more international arrivals

Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel

Newly refurbished Seven Seas Mariner hits Asian waters

Growing midscale appeal

US grants Vietnam permission for direct flights

WTTC teams up with border management and tech association to promote biometrics

Qantas conceptualises first class lounge in Singapore through VR

Aviation still vulnerable to cyber attacks despite greater IT spend: SITA

Seeking out wellness in China

Jokowi receives Father of National Tourism award

Tried and Tested

Knai Bang Chatt by Kep West

What to Buy Now

All aboard for a heritage train experience