Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket's Spa Deluxe Ocean Facing room
Thai hotel operator Centara Hotels & Resorts has launched a Grand Beach Sale.
Valid for bookings made by April 21, 2019, this promotion entitles guests to a 25 per cent discount on every room type at five resorts in Thailand and the Maldives.
Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket’s Spa Deluxe Ocean Facing room
Participating properties are Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi, Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives, and the adults-only Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives.
This additional discount is on top of whatever rate, promotion or package the guest books – with no blackout dates or restrictions. In addition, up to two children can stay free-of-charge with their parents.
Guests must be a member of CentaraThe1, the brand’s free-to-join loyalty programme.
Plateno Group will bring Chonpines Hotel to Gangneung city, marking the midscale brand’s entry into South Korea.
Work on Chonpines Gangneung, South Korea has just commenced in the Gangwon Province city, with opening date scheduled for 2021.
Chonpines hotel in China’s Dongmen, Jingzhou
The brand has 50 hotels opened and nearly 300 hotels under construction in China, and its entry to South Korea is hailed by Plateno as a “breakthrough”.
Following Plateno’s “favourable progress” in Europe and South-east Asia, Chonpines’ entry to South Korea also marks the beginning of the group’s strategic development in East Asia.
It is reported that, apart from the South Korean market, Plateno has been developing the exclusive regional agency cooperation in Malaysia. Besides the Chonpines Gangneung, there are a number of projects under negotiation.
The Plateno Group expects that in the next three to five years, Chonpines will enter a new stage of global development with more branches opened overseas.
Chonpines hotel focusses on “integrating hotels currently in operation”, the group said. The group sees huge potential in global markets including South Korea. On top of regular hardware upgrades, local service standards and concepts are also in need of improvement to address the unique demands of increasing international visitors, especially those from China, the group said.
A new beach club in Phuket is asking “why should adults have all the fun” as it introduces child-friendly activities to keep the whole family engaged.
Located next to Catch Beach Club on Bang Tao Beach, Catch Junior offers a safe and fun environment for play, and opportunities to connect with other young people from all around the world. Parents can choose to either supervise the little ones or use the supervisory services offered.
Catch Junior
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One, two, jump!
Face painting at Catch Junior
More Jumping Pillow fun
The beach club features a 30-metre-long pool with a shallow section for kids, as well as jumping pillow large enough for 15 bouncing away at any one time.
Youngsters can test their power of balance and dexterity by playing on a slack line, climbing on a spider rope, or take DJ lessons from Catch Beach Club’s in-house musical crew.
Every weekend, a special brunch for children will be available with complimentary ice-cream. There are also healthier options as well as a cuisine menu and drinks list for adults to enjoy.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has struck partnerships with two major players in online travel – Indonesian unicorn startup Traveloka, fresh out of a US$420 million funding round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, and China’s Alibaba Group.
Both agreements cover marketing, content and consumer analytics.
With Traveloka, STB announced a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to promote the city as a preferred destination for visitors from across South-east Asia, targeting five major South-east Asian markets – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Keith Tan: more partnerships between STB and major OTAs as travel research and transactions shift online
The MoC, which was signed on the sidelines of the Tourism Industry Conference today, will cover three broad areas: information sharing, marketing campaigns and content generation.
Under the MoC, STB and Traveloka will launch at least 12 marketing campaigns across South-east Asia, and increase the volume of Singapore attractions and activities on Traveloka’s online platforms by 15 per cent. In addition, STB will provide content about Singapore to Traveloka from its Tourism Information and Services Hub.
This cross-sharing of knowledge is expected to generate new insights that will enable both entities to target South-east Asian travellers with more relevant offerings.
Keith Tan, STB’s chief executive, shared that this partnership is “part of (STB’s) overall strategy to better engage visitors from our key markets”.
“As more travel research and transactions shift online, STB will forge new partnerships with major OTAs to better meet the expectations of visitors,” he added.
Yady Guitana, head of global partnership, Traveloka, said: “The online travel market has been increasing exponentially in recent years. We are excited for this partnership as Singapore is one of the top outbound destinations from all of the South-east Asian markets that Traveloka has a strong presence in.”
Prior to this MoC, STB and Traveloka previously collaborated on a campaign in February 2019 to promote Singapore activities and attractions in Indonesia.
STB also revealed that it is in discussions for potential collaborations to promote the new Jewel Changi Airport and events such as the Great Singapore Sale, and Singapore Food Festival in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, reports say the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) is discussing an IPO with Traveloka. If this goes through, the OTA will be the first startup to go public locally.
STB on the same day also signed a three-year MoU with Alibaba Group to drive visitor arrivals and spending. Similar to scope of the MOU includes co-developing joint marketing campaigns and content, collaborating on inbound Chinese travellers analytics and insights and creating more “smart tourism experiences”.
Over the next three years, STB will work with key business units in the Alibaba ecosystem, such as Alipay, Fliggy, Youku, Damai and Alibaba Cloud, to engage Chinese visitors throughout the consumer journey and gain deeper insights into their travelling behaviour.
The Malaysian government is considering imposing measures to protect the ringgit, which has been sliding against the dollar, a move seen as beneficial for both inbound and outbound tourism business.
Speaking to University Malaya students recently at a Youths Ask, Tun Answers session, The Star reported the prime minister as having said that “Malaysia cannot allow the market and the ringgit to decline and depreciate further due to attacks by currency speculators”.
Ringgit stability good for business, tourism players say
During the Asian Economic Crisis in 1998, Mahathir, who was then the fourth prime minister of Malaysia, had pegged the ringgit at RM3.8 to the US dollar.
Manfred Kurz, managing director at Diethelm Travel Malaysia, said that pegging the ringgit again would benefit his longhaul inbound business from Europe where forward bookings are at an average of six months, though the company has also received bookings for summer 2020.
He shared: “We quote in US dollars because the ringgit is not tradable outside of Malaysia. We have to estimate and give a buffer on how the ringgit will develop. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. We are tour operators, not bankers.”
“Pegging the ringgit for a period of time will stabilise the currency from fluctuations and it will be easier to work with,” he opined.
Outbound agent, Stephen Thomas, managing director, Topaz Travel & Tours, agreed: “Pegging the ringgit will be good for us outbound players as we don’t have to speculate whether the ringgit will go up or down in six to 12 months time. Medium-haul holidaymakers usually book their tickets six months in advance, and those planning their trips to longhaul destinations, book 12 months or even longer.”
Uzaidi Udanis, president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, shared that a weaker ringgit has not resulted in a significant improvement of tourist arrivals over the last few years. He expects that fixing the ringgit would help to stabilise the economy.
He said: “If the ringgit weakens further, it can result in higher cost of hotel and tour operator services, which depend on imported food and equipment to run recreational activities and transportation.”
Yesterday, Bernama reported that the ringgit was trading higher against the US dollar in early trading on better demand as market sentiment towards the ringgit was lifted by news on the revival of the East Coast Rail Link project.
The ringgit traded at 4.10 against the US dollar, down from 4.11 against the US dollar on Friday.
Hotelbeds and Oyo Hotels & Homes have announced a strategic global distribution partnership, giving the Indian hotel giant its first deal with a bedbank.
The partnership provides Oyo with access to more than 60,000 travel buying intermediaries on the Hotelbeds platform, including tour operators, airline websites, points redemption programmes and loyalty plans from more than 140 source markets.
(From left) Oyo’s Abhinav Sinha, Hotelbeds’ Mark Redmond, and Oyo’s Maninder Gulati
Meanwhile, Hotelbeds’ clients will have access to Oyo’s portfolio of more than 18,000 franchised and leased hotels and over 10,000 homes and villas, across 10 countries – India, China, Malaysia, Nepal, the UK, the UAE, Indonesia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
The deal covers both wholesale and retail distribution via Hotelbeds and Bedsonline.
Mark Redmond, head of global chains at Hotelbeds, commented: “Oyo Hotels & Homes is one of the most talked about hotel brands currently and is massively shaking up the entire sector. While they currently have an impressive 515,000 rooms, they’re set to increase up to one million by the end of the year and we’re looking forward to helping them find incremental and higher-yielding bookings for many of those rooms”.
Brown: one of the ship's key roles is to address new Chinese markets
Following a US$56 million overhaul that spans on-board facilities and cabin interiors, Dream Cruises christened its newest vessel, the Explorer Dream, in Shanghai last Thursday.
The vessel – formerly the SuperStar Virgo of sister brand Star Cruises – now features 928 staterooms, including Dream Cruises’ signature ship-within-a-ship luxury commune The Palace.
Brown: one of the ship’s key roles is to address new Chinese markets
Also on board is a collection of entertainment spaces such as an arcade, games and virtual reality lounge ESC Experience Lab, the Zodiac Theatre and, the Palm Court bar and observatory.
Dining options include Asian restaurant Blue Lagoon, Seafood Grill by celebrity chef Mark Best, Mozzarella Ristorante & Pizzeria, as well as Umi Uma Sushi & Teppanyaki.
Explorer Dream will sail out of its homeport in Shanghai and Tianjin to Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. In October this year, the ship will cruise from Sydney and Auckland.
Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises and managing director Crystal Cruises Asia, told TTG Asia that one of Explorer Dream’s “core strategic roles” is to “address new markets” emerging in China.
“We need to build awareness, excitement and loyalty in the Shanghai market right away. Bringing the rail-cruise, fly-cruise and regional driving markets into Shanghai is our first priority,” he elaborated.
Brown admitted that while cruising is increasingly popular in Asia, the industry can benefit from even greater awareness and education about the different products in the market.
At the christening ceremony, Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines, announced that Explorer Dream will chart the course for the company’s future expansion by sailing to new destinations and unlocking new markets around the globe.
Vietnam-based Fusion hotel group is adding to the country’s burgeoning wellness hospitality market with plans to open more properties.
Since 2008, Fusion has introduced upscale resorts to emerging destinations in Vietnam, becoming the first wellness brand to invest in then-rising locations such as Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh and Danang.
Fusion resort in Phu Quoc
To date, it employs 1,800 employees, including 300 spa therapists, across its six resorts and hotels that span a range of brands.
This includes Fusion Resorts with an all-spa exclusive service; Fusion Suites located in urban centres; and Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion, a sprawling project in Hue that takes in a five- and three-star resort.
Fusion’s COO, Atilla Erda, said of the group’s strategy: “Fusion saw the growing trend in wellness-inspired hospitality was not being developed in Vietnam as it was in other markets. Although there were resorts and hotels with spa services and facilities, these tended to be additional paid-for options rather than inclusive in the room price.”
Later this year, a Fusion Suites is slated to open the gateway to the emerging beach destination in the seaside city of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. And a third property in Danang is underway.
Next year, it will launch its Fusions Originals brand with Darwin in Ho Chi Minh City. Inspired by leading scientists, artists and inventors, Fusion Originals aim to reflect the history of their namesakes in fresh and creative ways.
The group is also gearing up for the launch of Fusion Resort Quang Binh next year.
Erda said: “We have placed our focus in the right place – on Vietnam – and have chosen our ventures carefully. Fusion has invested heavily in local manpower and knowledge. This has meant we have been able to enter specific locations that have not previously been on the map.”
Erda adds that offering inclusive spa treatments and services such as its breakfast anywhere, anytime has proved to be a “strong differentiating factor from others also operating in high-end hospitality”.
Having captured Vietnam’s wellness market, Fusion plans to continue pushing the country’s potential, planting it firmly on the regional wellness map.
Said Erda: “In the short term, we want to further develop the retreat market, refining and redefining what the idea of the wellness concept really is, taking it to exciting new levels with fresh destinations and original services.”
In the fourth quarter of 2019, Singapore Flyer will unveil the Time Capsule, a key part of its multi-year rejuvenation plans.
The new attraction will follow the launch of another update to the attraction last year, a multimedia in-capsule experience named Flyer 360+.
The Time Capsule at Singapore Flyer
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Premised on the Singapore story, the Time Capsule offers a multisensory experience of the Singapore story from 700 years ago to the present, as well as a glimpse of the future.
The Singapore Flyer shared in a statement that the Time Capsule will present highlights of the nation’s inspiring moments, as well as well-known Singapore legends using immersive media. Its interactive environment will feature projection mapping, holographic technology and interactive multi-touch screens.
Ringo Leung, general manager of the Singapore Flyer, said this new component represents the first milestone in the attraction’s commitment to be an active part of the development of Singapore’s Marina Bay area in the years to come.
The culturally and historically significant landmark in Paris damaged in a fire that raged on for hours on Monday night
A fire broke out at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday and ravaged the UNESCO World Heritage Site for hours.
The massive fire toppled the cathedral’s iconic spire, collapsed its roof and threatened the centuries-old art and architecture inside. However, both towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral are relatively intact, Laurent Nunez, secretary to the interior minister, stated hours after the fire.
The culturally and historically significant landmark in Paris damaged in a fire that raged on for hours on Monday night
The cause of the fire is still undetermined, but officials have referred to the incident as “involuntary”.
As world leader’s show solidarity with Parisians, UNESCO’s director general Audrey Azoulay said on social media: “Deep emotion in the face of this dramatic fire at the cathedral, inscribed as a (World Heritage site) in 1991.
“UNESCO is closely monitoring the situation and is standing by France’s side to safeguard and restore this invaluable heritage.”
No deaths were reported, but at least one firefighter was injured.
