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Asia/Singapore Sunday, 14th December 2025
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Hyundai, Kia pump US$250m into Grab in electric car push

By TTG Asia
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Grab's Anthony Tan (left) with Hyundai Motor Group's Euisun Chung

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation will invest an additional US$250 million into Grab as the three enter a partnership to pilot electric vehicle (EV) programmes across South-east Asia.

Under the EV partnership, Grab and the Hyundai Motor Group affiliates will also bring together stakeholders from the EV industry to collaborate on measures to improve EV adoption and awareness in the region.

Grab’s Anthony Tan (left) with Hyundai Motor Group’s Euisun Chung

Grab, Hyundai and Kia will launch a series of EV pilot projects in South-east Asia, starting with Singapore in 2019. The pilot projects will focus on utilising EVs to maximise cost efficiencies for Grab’s driver-partners.

The deal will see the carmakers add 200 vehicles to Grab’s fleet, according to a Straits Times article.

The partnership will also include working with regional stakeholders including governments and infrastructure players to improve EV infrastructure in the region, such as through the building of a network of quick-charge stations.

In addition, the partners will explore the development of customised maintenance packages to Grab EV drivers and conduct research into how EVs can be most efficiently deployed in South-east Asia under its hot and humid climate conditions.

The three companies will further explore how to customise EVs to optimise them for mobility service platforms.

The additional investment builds on Grab’s existing strategic partnership with Hyundai and brings Grab’s current fundraising raised to US$2.7 billion. Grab is on track to raise over US$3 billion by the end of this year.

Investors in Grab’s current financing round include Booking Holdings, Microsoft, Toyota, and global financial institutions such as OppenheimerFunds, Goldman Sachs Investment Partners and Citi Ventures.

Hyundai first invested in Grab in January, and the two companies proceeded to exploring collaborations in the EV sector.

Grab’s latest initiative expands its cooperation with the Korean automotive group to include Kia.

In August, Grab announced a partnership with Singapore’s energy utilities provider, SP Group, to use SP Group’s public EV charging network for its EVs.

“As home to one of the world’s fastest growing consumer hubs, South-east Asia is a huge emerging market for EVs,” commented Youngcho Chi, Hyundai Motor Group’s chief innovation officer and head of strategy & technology division.

WTTC Global Summit in Seville extends invitation to wider industry

By TTG Asia
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The skyline of Seville at dusk

In a departure from its by-invite tradition, the 2019 WTTC Global Summit, set to take place in Spain’s Seville on April 3-4, is now open to industry professionals keen to attend the event.

This will be the first time industry professionals will be able to attend WTTC’s annual summit by paying a recovery fee — interested participants can write to summit@wttc.org for further details. Until now, the summit has been by invitation only, encompassing WTTC members and travel leaders.

The skyline of Seville at dusk

The 2019 summit will be centred on the theme of Changemakers to “(outline) a future vision of travel & tourism with the pioneering individuals and disruptive ideas that will make it happen”, Gloria Guevara, WTTC president & CEO, said in a statement. Entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusivity will be at the core of conversation throughout the summit.

WTTC has revamped the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards categories to introduce a special Changemakers Award to mark the summit’s theme, alongside the Social Impact Award, Destination Stewardship Award, Climate Action Award and Investing in People Award.

Applications for the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are open and will close on November 14, 2018. Visit wttc.org/T4TAwards for category guidelines, case studies on past winners, and the application form.

Meanwhile, destination hosts Ayuntamiento of Seville, Turismo Andaluz and Turespaña are leveraging the WTTC Global Summit to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the departure of the first circumnavigation of the world, which set out from Seville.

Juan Espadas, Mayor of Seville, said: “The global summit will demonstrate the extraordinary economic and tourist potential of Seville. It offers a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to recognise the possibilities of investment in the city and for tourists to see Seville as a destination of global importance.”

Francisco Javier Fernandez, tourism minister of Andalusia, added: “The WTTC Global Summit is a great opportunity to continue strengthening the international positioning of Andalusia, which is known as one of the world’s leading tourism regions.”

New CEO heads up Scott Dunn

By TTG Asia
0

Luxury tour operator Scott Dunn has named COO Sonia Davies as global CEO, an appointment that will take place with immediate effect.

Former CEO Simon Russell will relocate to San Diego in the spring and take up the role of international director to further develop Scott Dunn’s global expansion. Scott Dunn Asia CEO, Chang Theng Hwee, will continue in his role of spearheading growth to further establish the brand in the region.

Davies joined Scott Dunn in London in January 2018 as COO, leading the company’s global business operations of marketing, people, IT and product. Most recently she also managed the acquisition and integration of Asian-based tour operator Country Holidays, which now trades as Scott Dunn in Singapore and Hong Kong.

She has worked across a number of different industries, including chief commercial officer at private aviation company NetJets and European Change Director at Sysco.

These roles, along with eight years in strategy consulting at Bain & Company and The Parthenon Group, have given Sonia significant experience leading and working with UK based, as well as pan-European and global teams.

Smart hotels drive revs up in Singapore

By TTG Asia
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The guide identifies innovations that help Singapore hotels address manpower challenges

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and The Hotel Innovation Committee (HIC) yesterday unveiled a slew of projects that encourage technology adoption and innovation by hotels.

Supported by STB, HIC launched the Smart Hotel Technology Guide outlining the vision of a smart hotel and relevant technologies already available to help realise this vision.

HIC’s guide identifies innovations that help Singapore hotels address manpower challenges

The guide puts forth a vision of a smart hotel as one that allows guests to check-in independently and asses their room through a smart device, with a robot delivering their luggage to the room.

A video analytics system supporting facial recognition could zero in on a guest leaving the hotel with a suitcase and send an electronic bill to the guest to complete the check-out process.

Food and drinks consumed from the minibar could be automatically computed in the bill, eliminating the need for a manual stocktake.

The guide also features case studies of hotels and organisations that have successfully implemented such innovative solutions.

According to a joint statement released by STB and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), which leads HIC, the vision “is no longer a pipe dream… as many of the technology solutions required are already available in the market today”.

Technologies identified in the guide include real-time marketing distribution and review tracking solutions, artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive analysis, biometrics recognition and video analytics, the Internet of Things, among others.

“It is critical for the hotel industry to look beyond the present and learn to innovate and be future-ready,” said Ong Huey Hong, STB’s director of hotels and sector manpower.

While many hotels are already working towards learning to innovate and be future-ready, she said they may have limited capacity to explore and evaluate the many solutions available.

“Hence, the guide and the directory are very good starting points for solution providers to showcase their offerings to the industry and for hotels to search for smart solutions that best meet their needs,” she added.

To facilitate link-ups between hotels and technology vendors, HIC also launched the Hotel Technology Directory. To date, more than 70 local and foreign vendors with solutions ranging from facial recognition to Internet of Things can be found on the directory, providing hotels with a one-stop portal to source for technological solutions and start their transformation journey.

With the first Smart Hotel Technology Guide focussed on front-of-house operations, plans are underway to create a version targeting the back-of-house in 2019.

Other collaborations between STB and HIC planned include a new Hotel Innovation Challenge, which will seek innovations in emerging solutions covering areas including big data, blockchain technology and sustainability, on top of housekeeping and F&B jobs.

As well, Workforce Singapore, in partnership with STB and SHA and supported by the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union, has embarked on a Job Redesign Project to develop a Job Redesign Toolkit for the hotel industry. Slated for publication in the first half of next year, the JR Toolkit will complement the hotels’ transformation journey by helping them identify opportunities for job redesign.

Alongside these efforts, the new Advisory Committee on Human Capital Progressive Practices for Hotels, led by SHA and supported by STB, WSG, FDAWU and NTUC’s Hospitality and Consumer Business Cluster, will also work with the hotel industry to develop more progressive human resources practices to equip the industry with a future-ready workforce.

Rough Guides forays into bespoke trip planning

By TTG Asia
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The travel information publisher forays into trip planning
The travel information publisher now also offers trip planning services by local experts

Travel publisher Rough Guides will from winter 2018 start creating bespoke trips “packed with personality and adventure”.

In addition to Rough Guides books, blog, and podcast, the company now also offers bespoke itinerary planning by a local expert.

“As our readership has evolved over the years, we’re conscious that not everyone wants to travel the same way… As part of our commitment to continue to serve adventurous travellers of all ages, we’re proud to launch our tailor-made trips,” commented CEO Rene Frey.

With new Garuda link, Belitung tipped to be next Bintan for Singaporeans

By Tiara Maharani
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Belitung, a new alternative to Bintan for Singaporeans seeking getaway

Hopes are high that Belitung will soon join the ranks of Bintan to become a getaway destination for Singapore travellers, with Garuda Indonesia’s newly launched service linking the Lion City to the east Sumatran island.

On October 29, the Indonesian flag carrier commenced four-times-weekly services between Singapore and Tanjung Pandan in Belitung, operated with a Bombardier CRJ 1000 aircraft.

Belitung, a new alternative to Bintan for Singaporeans seeking getaway (photo credit: Tiara Maharani)

Over the last three years, Belitung has emerged as hot destination for locals, with domestic tourism driving tourism growth of over 25 per cent.

Arief Yahya, Indonesia’s tourism minister, said that scheduled flights to Belitung could unlock greater tourism growth and investment, especially given that infrastructure is already “very good and continues to be developed”, coupled with the “extraordinary natural and cultural potential” in the destination.

Pikri Ilham Kurniansyah, Garuda Indonesia commercial director, said: “Belitung could be an alternative to those who are already bored with Bintan. With a less-than-an-hour direct flight from Singapore, Belitung is a perfect short getaway destination.”

He added: “This (new service) is just the beginning. If the demand increases, (there is potential of it becoming) a daily flight.”

The new flight is lifting hopes of Belitung’s ascent to the international stage among the destination’s tourism stakeholders.

Karmila Santy, chairman of the Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) Belitung Chapter, added: “What we have long dreamed of has finally been realised. Last year we collaborated with the government to organise a charter flight with Sriwijaya Air. From this charter flight, a network was formed, and the market also began to realise that there’s a new destination (option). But the charter is no longer running and we lost the market.

“This Garuda service going to convince people to take a vacation to Belitung.”

In the near future, ASITA Belitung Chapter plans to conduct a sales mission in Singapore as part of efforts to attract more international visitors.

Karmila also hopes that the Garuda Indonesia flight will spark the development of flight connectivity to Belitung by encouraging more airlines to open routes from other countries. “Hopefully it can be from Malaysia, China and others.”

Sharing Karmila’s enthusiasm is Fhia LF, director of Belitung Archipelago, who made a sales call to Singapore with a few other agents following Garuda Indonesia’s announcement of the inaugural service on October 29.

“We directly contacted clients in Singapore and are actively promoting Belitung. Our mission is to introduce Belitung, so that people know that (this) beautiful destination exists.”

With greater awareness of the destination, visitors “will come”, she foresees.

Meanwhile, Arief shared that the Ministry of Tourism will provide promotional support for airlines or entrepreneurs looking to bring international visitors to Belitung.

Sansiri unveils launch of The Standard, One Night in Thailand

By TTG Asia
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From left: Standard's Amar Lalvani, Sansiri's Apichart Chutrakul and One Night's Jimmy Suh

The Standard, a boutique hotel brand, and One Night, a last-minute boutique hotel booking app, are expanding in Asia – first starting with Thailand.

The foray of both brands into Thailand was unveiled yesterday by Sansiri, coming on the back of the Thai real estate giant’s recent expansion into the global hospitality, technology and lifestyle industries through an investment worth US$80 million in six global brands.

From left: Standard’s Amar Lalvani, Sansiri’s Apichart Chutrakul and One Night’s Jimmy Suh

Apichart Chutrakul, CEO, Sansiri, said: “In November 2017, we announced our investments in several global brands that are leaders in the hospitality, technology and lifestyle businesses as part of Sansiri’s move to expand our collaborative, multi-disciplinary portfolio beyond real estate development. I’m delighted to share that only one year on, the investment has helped to fuel impressive growth that will see two of the brands – The Standard and One Night – expand into the lucrative Asian markets, with Thailand as their first port of call.”

He added: “The strategic partnerships with such strong and exciting brands will strengthen Sansiri’s core real estate business… The arrival of both The Standard and One Night in the Thai market marks another important step to be followed by several more in the future.”

The Standard has doubled its secured global footprint following Sansiri’s acquisition of a 35 per cent stake in the parent company for US$58 million. The boutique hotel brand currently boasts a portfolio of six properties and a combined 1,200 rooms (including the soon-to-open London property).

Ten properties are slated to open across the world over the next few years, as part of its five-year plan to develop 20 hotels globally in urban and resort locations, including London (opening 1Q2019), Paris, Milan, Berlin, Lisbon, Prague, Madrid, Chicago, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Dubai, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangkok, Phuket, Hua Hin, Jakarta and Bali.

Amar Lalvani, CEO, Standard International, said: “Our first hotel in Thailand will be in Phuket where we will also introduce the first Standard Residences product in partnership with Sansiri. Thailand is a particularly attractive market with the growth in visitors, and the fit with The Standard brand giving its thriving culinary, fashion and arts scene. We have chosen to open our regional office in Bangkok to oversee all of our operations in Asia and the Middle East.”

Commenting on the launch of Bangkok for One Night, Jimmy Suh, the app’s president and co-founder, added: “Bangkok represents the ideal market for One Night – a last-minute hotel booking app offering a highly curated collection of the most sought-after independent hotels at the lowest rates.”

One Night, which is operating in 15 major cities in the US and London with over 170 independent hotels, is projected to be in 30 cities by year-end 2019, including more cities in Asia and Europe.

Meliá keeps up expansion pace in SE Asia with new signings, rebrands

By Prudence Lui
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Meliá Phu Quoc to rise next to the beachfront Sol Beach House Phu Quoc (pictured)

Asia-Pacific remains a key focus area of expansion for Meliá Hotels International with a trio of new signings as well as a series of rebranding efforts in South-east Asia, which will bring the number of properties under operation or due-to-open in the region to 51 by 2022.

Situated in Hoi An Ancient Town, Meliá Hoi An is a 30-minute drive from Danang International Airport. The property will offer 150 rooms across five categories, a swimming pool, fitness centre and spa. Other facilities include multiple dining options and Power Meeting rooms.

Meliá Phu Quoc to rise next to the beachfront Sol Beach House Phu Quoc (pictured)

Meliá Phu Quoc, a 10-minute drive from the Phu Quoc International Airport, will sit next to the Sol Beach House Phu Quoc along a beach. The property will boast 380 rooms, elevated lounge areas with mountain and ocean views, several swimming pools, the YHI Spa, a beach club, as well as meeting and banquet facilities.

Meliá Hoi An and Meliá Phu Quoc will bring the total footprint in Vietnam to 12 hotels, making it the second biggest market for the group in Asia-Pacific.

Scheduled to open in 2021, Meliá Phuket Karon is surrounded by 64,000m2 of untouched forest, more than half of which has been set aside for an Adventure Eco Park. The 224-key property will feature two restaurants, a beach club, two swimming pools, pool bar, spa and fitness centre.

In Thailand, Meliá Hotels International has four hotels under construction together with its local partner TCC-Land. The latest signing of Meliá Phuket Karon to the portfolio will give the group six hotels in the country, two of which are in Phuket.

Meliá also intends to strengthen its brand portfolio in the region through rebranding and repositioning efforts, vice president development for the region, Gonzalo Maceda told TTG Asia at the recent HICAP in Hong Kong.

Properties on the rebranded list so far includes Meliá BaVi Mountain Retreat (opened 2018), Meliá Saigon Central (2019), Meliá Koh Samui (formerly Imperial Boat House Koh Samui, opening in 2019 after renovation), Meliá Chiangmai (2019) and Innside Saigon Mariamman (to be rebranded from Lavender Boutique Hotel in 2020).

Meanwhile, Maceda sees possibilities in the Philippines as a new destination and expressed confidence that the group will foray into the country next year, with the Meliá, Sol and Innside brands offering good potential.

Opening of Myanmar-India border crossings to stimulate overland travel

By Marissa Carruthers
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Rhi village in Chin State, close to an India border crossing

The opening of Myanmar’s borders with India is expected to lure overland travellers from Europe and Asia.

From September, all nationalities were given clearance to enter Myanmar at the overland borders of Tamu and Rih Khaw Dar. It is now possible to travel through Myanmar and onwards to Bangkok, exiting at one of the four Thai border crossings.

Rhi village in Chin State, close to an India border crossing

Edwin Briels, managing director of Khiri Travel Myanmar, said this is the first time overland travellers can cross through Myanmar from Europe and Asia. Previously, the Old Silk Road was used, passing through China.

Said Briels: “In the past, travellers had to circumvent Myanmar, or pay high fees for a caravan permit that includes a government minder and all their expenses for the trip. Now, it’s possible to cross into Myanmar and exit to Thailand.”

He added once the route becomes established, it will lead to a steady growth in overland travellers. They tend to stay in the country for one month and travel year-round, including during the traditionally quiet green season months.

Briels also expects the route to appeal to overland bikers.

Sammy Samuels, managing director of Myanmar Shalom Travels, said the checkpoints make remote areas of Myanmar more accessible to travellers. Tamu connects with upper Sagaing Region and Rih Khaw Dar with Chin State.

Said Samuels: “Both regions offer many off-the-beaten-track places for travellers… We hope there is great potential for tourism development.”

However, Bertie Lawson of Sampan Travel pointed out that while the opening of the crossings have “provoked a lot of interest”, amenities are currently lacking and it will take time for it to become a popular tourist draw.

“Infrastructure and guide services are still basic and expensive,” he said. “So I don’t think it will make a huge difference soon.”

Air Astana readies LCC for 2019 take-off

By TTG Asia
0
Foster: LCC is airline's response to rapidly changing local and regional business environment

Air Astana will soon launch FlyArystan, an LCC offering fares “approximately half” of what the airline has available today.

Scheduled for launch in the first half of 2019, FlyArystan will operate a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft configured to an all-economy class of 180 seats. The LCC will have an initial fleet size of four aircraft, with plans to grow to at least 15 by 2022.

Foster: LCC is airline’s response to rapidly changing local and regional business environment

In a statement, the airline said it will adopt a “classic LCC model, strictly following the examples of highly successful airlines such as easyjet, Indigo, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia”.

FlyArystan will start with mostly domestic routes, Air Astana said in its announcement, before expanding into regional international routes in the mid-term.

The new carrier will operate from multiple aircraft bases in Kazakhstan with routes and aircraft bases to be announced over the coming months.

The management team has already been appointed, drawn from Air Astana’s senior local managers.

It will be led by Tim Jordan, a British-Australian national with more than 15 years’ senior LCC management experience at Cebu Pacific and Virgin Blue.

Air Astana stressed that the project will be entirely self-funded, requiring no capital from shareholders, no state subsidies or external financial support of any kind.

Peter Foster, president and CEO of Air Astana, commented: “FlyArystan is the result of much serious thought and internal business planning, and (our response to) a rapidly changing local and regional airline business environment. It will be good for the mid to long-term prospects of Air Astana, and we hope, very welcome to the Kazakhstan travelling public, who will be able to benefit from significantly cheaper airfares on domestic and regional routes.”

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGssociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTG Asia | Salter Brothers Hospitality names Chris Curran as COO
TTG Asia | Building a new world
TTG Asia | Le Méridien Putrajaya welcomes new GM