Franck Huang has been appointed head of development, China for Rosewood Hotel Group, which currently operates 14 hotels spanning its trio of brands – Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, New World Hotels & Resorts and penta hotels – in China.
Huang brings with him 15 years’ experience in the luxury hospitality industry and he was most recently vice president of development China at Marriott International.
The hospitality veteran has also held senior development roles at Starwood, where he spearheaded partnerships and deals for hotel brands such as Aloft, W Hotels and St Regis.
With mainland Chinese arrivals into Hong Kong spiking since the inauguration of the Hongkong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in October 2018, the ability of service providers and tourism stakeholders to respond to the growth is being put to the test.
Last November, visitors from the mainland surged 25.8 per cent to reach 4.6 million.
Travel Industry Council (TIC), executive director, Alice Chan said: “The number of inbound tours registered with the TIC from January to October 2018 dropped 10 per cent when compared with the same period in 2017. However, the number for October and November surged 18 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
With the bridge up, travel agents in Hong Kong say it is now about preventing crowding in popular tourist spots and having chartered coaches between Hong Kong and Macau
“We believe the increase in October and November was mainly brought about by the HZMB opening.”
While the new bridge has enhanced connectivity to mainland China and made Hong Kong a bigger draw for foreign visitors, this has introduced strain to the city – for example, the hordes of mainland tourist groups that flooded Tung Chung on Lantau Island caused disturbance to the local community.
“There is no more congestion in Tung Chung area since early December. However, since most groups would go to Kowloon City District for meals, shopping and night cruises, there were lots of complaints from the local residents about congestion in that area.
“The challenge for the trade is to find ways to divert some of the groups to other parts of Hong Kong to alleviate the impact on the local residents,” Chan remarked.
And while the bridge has introduced new itinerary possibilities for tour groups, there are still logistical issues to be ironed out before these can materialise.
One of these difficulties is the lack of charter bus service between Hong Kong and Macau.
For small groups, Holiday World Tour books individual seats on One Bus Hong Kong Macau, which runs 19 round trips daily for the public from Kwun Tong to The Parisian of Cotai, the agency’s managing director Paul Leung told TTG Asia.
He added: “At this stage, there is no chartered coach buses and demand for border-crossing bus tickets is high. Thus, we avoid booking seats on weekends or particularly Sundays. We are in talks with One Bus to open up alternative pick-up points in downtown Hong Kong.”
Although shuttle service by Golden Bus is available at the border crossing, Leung said that is not a viable option to “not risk our clients having to queue with the public”.
He further expressed hopes for the government to create more transportation options in the near future.
W Travel’s managing director, Wing Wong, remarked that until chartered coach services are made available, clients’ requests to use the bridge to connect from point to point will remain unfulfilled.
“Even if you manage to find (a charter service), it’s to Zhuhai and (comes at a high price), at about HK$7,000 for round trip. We can also create a new tour route combining Zhuhai and Macau, but the would be higher than taking a ferry.”
Overall, chairman of the Ocean Park Corporation board, Leo Kung Lin-cheng, contended in the first International Tourism Convention Hong Kong last month: “The city has a lot of tourist arrivals already. If we want to double and triple (arrivals), we have to have capacity. In order to handle additional arrivals, capital investment has to be added as well as infrastructural facilities like hotels and roads. In fact, infrastructural facilities take time to build so we should research and plan ahead.”
Cancellations reported in February but impact expected to be felt in ensuing months, some resorts say
The Maldives’ new administration is aiming to take promotion of tourism, the country’s main foreign exchange earner and chief employer, to the next level with an increased budget and broadened scope that also includes guesthouses.
In a series of announcements, the new government said it plans to triple the 2019 tourism promotion budget to US$6.7 million, up from US$2.2 million in 2018.
The new government announced pro-tourism plans including a bigger budget for destination promotion
The Maldivian tourism trade has in recent years urged the government to increase tourism marketing budget, especially in light of a proliferation of new resorts opening in the past 18 months.
Ahmed Karam, president of the Guesthouses Association of Maldives, who revealed that some guesthouses were overbooked during December, is hopeful that the government will expand this year’s tourism promotion efforts to the lower-end accommodation sector.
“Also, the industry has been clamouring for money to be spent on destination marketing, not just hotels taking part at travel shows and promoting their own properties. I believe this would also be part of this year’s campaign,” he said.
Abdulla Ghiyas, president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, also lauded the pro-tourism moves by the new regime, which announced an increase in promotional budget and reaching out politically to Western Europe.
At a tourism conference last month, recently elected president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said the government planned to open a SME bank in February to provide loans to expand guesthouses.
He was quoted as saying that the guesthouse development has shown that the Maldives must not be marketed only as a high-end, luxury destination, but as a mid-market and budget-friendly holiday destination as well.
At present there are 145 resorts, 515 guesthouses and 12 hotels with over 42,000 beds. Arrivals in January-November 2018 rose by seven per cent to over 1.3 million, with Australia showing the largest growth of 39.3 per cent to 34,523 arrivals owing to new direct flights between the two countries.
Overall, travel operators are anticipating quick tourism recovery after a troubled few months in 2018 when a state of emergency was imposed, hurting a few markets including China, the country’s biggest tourism source, while several Western countries increased travel advisories.
“December was a very good month with the airport extremely busy. It looks like we would have had a record month in December,” said Abdulla.
December arrivals figures were not available at press time. However, Maldivian airport authorities said the main international airport accommodated 83 private jets during peak December 25-31 Christmas and New Year period, up from 55 private jets in the same 2018 period.
IATA Pay is an industry-wide initiative to develop a new payment option for consumers purchasing a ticket directly from an airline website
The first IATA Pay ticket purchase transaction has been completed in a live test environment.
The live test conducted with UK-based fintech company ipagoo was done under the UK’s Open Banking framework with IATA Pay pilot airlines, including Cathay Pacific Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Emirates.
IATA Pay is an industry-wide initiative to develop a new payment option for consumers purchasing a ticket directly from an airline website
IATA Pay is an initiative to develop a new payment option for consumers purchasing a ticket directly from an airline website. It is made possible by the European Commission’s second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), and the UK’s Open Banking regulation. These regulations encourage use of direct debit transactions, where payments are made from the customer’s bank account directly into the bank account of the merchant.
IATA says its role is to develop an industry solution enabling airlines to make this payment option available on their websites.
In a statement, IATA touts user and recipient security as well as instant/near instant payment as some benefits of the new method.
IATA Pay is said to offer airlines a cheaper alternative and simpler payment process resulting in fewer lost sales, according to the association.
“Today’s consumers, and especially millennials, have expectations of multiple payment options including mobile and peer-to-peer. IATA Pay responds to these expectations. At the same time, airlines are trying to manage significant card payment costs – US$8 billion per year and rising. A large part of this cost is incurred in direct purchases from airline websites,” said Aleksander Popovich, IATA’s senior vice president of financial and distribution services.
IATA is also working with Deutsche Bank on a prototype for Europe (excluding the UK), starting with the German market, which is expected to undergo testing in early 2019.
Following this, IATA will validate the concept with the intention to expand to other regions.
Design Orchard is an initiative of Enterprise Singapore, JTC and Singapore Tourism Board
Design Orchard will open its doors on January 25 to groom local fashion and lifestyle brands for success on the global stage, as well as add to ongoing efforts to update and transform one of Singapore’s best-known shopping precinct.
The 2.5-storey Design Orchard – spearheaded by Enterprise Singapore, JTC and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) – is located at the junction of Orchard Road and Cairnhill Road, comprising a retail showcase on the first level, incubation spaces on the second level and the rooftop, and an events space on the rooftop.
Design Orchard is an initiative of Enterprise Singapore, JTC and Singapore Tourism Board
Homegrown retailer Naiise will operate the retail showcase, which will feature 61 new, emerging and established brands. These include Artisan of Sense, Jewels, Qlothe, SoftRock Living and The Animal Project. The brands cut across categories such as fashion apparel, beauty and wellness, food souvenirs and small home furnishings.
Naiise will also run a mentorship programme, covering areas such as marketing, merchandising and expansion plans, for the brands in the retail showcase.
Entrepreneurs including Unlisted Collection founder Loh Lik Peng, Spa Esprit Group founder Cynthia Chua and Motherswork founder Sharon Wong will be part of the mentorship programme, sharing their knowledge and experience through regular one-on-one mentoring and group sharing sessions.
Ranita Sundra, director of retail and dining at STB, said: “Singapore is home to many global brands. As these brands become more ubiquitous, we noticed that more people are drawn to local products with a Singapore story. Design Orchard is thus an exciting opportunity for us to profile the best of Singapore talent under one roof at a prime location.”
The Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore (Taff) will operate The Cocoon Space, an incubation space on the second level targeted at local lifestyle and fashion designers.
Taff will nurture independent designers and fashion businesses by offering co-working spaces with resources such as a Makers Studio with professional sewing equipment and a Fabric Library, and collaboration and networking opportunities with industry players. Designers will be encouraged to innovate and design products with sustainability principles in mind.
The organisation will also run an incubation programme, The Bridge Fashion Incubator, for aspiring fashion startups from both Singapore and around the region. Focused on sustainability, innovation and technology, the programme is meant to meet the business and technical needs of designers by covering talent development, training and overseas trips for sourcing and production.
Alan Yeo, director of retail & design at Enterprise Singapore, said: “The Cocoon Space provides aspiring Singapore designers with shared facilities, enabling them to testbed and prototype their ideas, and hone their business skills more quickly. Very importantly, we want to work with them to create products that are aligned to the industry trends and consumer needs. This is why Taff’s incubation programme will focus on fashion technology and sustainability.”
Design Orchard is developed by JTC, which appointed local firms WOHA Architects and Sunray Woodcraft Construction to design and build the development respectively.
The building features a sloping rooftop with lush greenery and timber seats. The rooftop space, with its amphitheatre, also serves as a space for events set against the backdrop of Orchard Road.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts will soon add a new seafront property in the resort town of Hua Hin, on Thailand’s gulf coast, to its portfolio.
Best Western Plus Carapace Hotel Khao Tao will feature 410 guestrooms featuring modern amenities and a balcony. Ground floor rooms will have terraces with direct access to pools.
A rendering of the first Best Western in Hua Hin
Amenities include a pool bar, beach bar, a restaurant serving breakfast and all-day Thai and international cuisine, a coffee shop, a fitness centre, while on-site parking will be available. The centerpiece of the resort will be a series of freeform lagoon pools, slides, waterfalls and a children’s water playzone, surrounded by tropical palm trees, sun decks and cabanas.
The property stands just south of the Hua Hin town centre, and is a 2.5 hours drive from Bangkok.
Changi Airports International (CAI) and Chongqing Airport Group (CAGC) have struck a partnership to form the Sino-Singapore Chongqing Airport Commercial Management, with the former holding a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture and the latter 51 per cent.
The Sino-Singapore Chongqing Airport Commercial Management Company was established to develop the non-aeronautical businesses at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. This includes introducing experiential concepts that promotes a sense of place, as well as new product categories and brands for visitors to the airport. The company will also manage airport facilities, the carpark, as well as advertising in the terminals and ground transport centre.
Chongqing Jiangbei Airport’s Terminal 3
CAI’s first successful collaboration with the airport’s management team in 2008 saw commercial sales per passenger increase by 20 per cent when the terminal became operational in 2010. CAI was engaged again in 2011 to work with the team to plan the commercial space for the new Terminal 3A.
This partnership is part of the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative (CCI) between Singapore and Chongqing. The CCI, launched in November 2015, is the third government-to-government project between Singapore and China. It focuses on developing financial services, aviation, transport and logistics, and information and communication technology in the city.
Keel has been laid on the first of numerous ships planned under a Thien Minh Group (TMG) and Wendy Wu Tours (WWT) joint venture.
The 35-cabin Victoria Mekong will begin operations on December 11, 2019, offering three- and four-night cruises between Can Tho, Vietnam and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Designed by VISEC and constructed by SSIC shipyard, the four-deck ship will measure 76.8m in length and 13.2m in width, and is able to accommodate up to 70 passengers. It has received SB (Inland water – Coastal line) classification and will sail under the Vietnamese flag.
The Victoria Mekong will offer passengers a “green” experience plying the waters of the Mekong Delta between Vietnam and Cambodia. Booking is now open for the first six cruises in 2019.
TMG’s existing network of hotels, cruises and other tourism brands include L’Azalée Cruises, Emeraude Cruise – both operating Halong Bay itineraries – and Peak Vietnam.
Aiming to make Goa a fully accessible destination and address different mobility issues of tourists, Cox & Kings’ Enable Travel has partnered Ezy Mov, the first wheelchair taxi service in India, to provide accessible guided tours in the state.
Ezy Mov, which has completed more than 100,000 rides, has a fleet of taxis fitted with equipment like hydraulic lifts and wheelchair restraint systems.
Touring Goa has gotten easier for persons with disability
Debolin Sen, head, Enable Travel, said: “Due to lack of transport facilities available, people with mobility issues including elderly travellers are unable to experience a destination in its broadest sense. To ensure barrier-free travel and enhance transportation within a destination, we have partnered Ezy Mov.”
Bennet D’cunha – CEO, Ezy Mov, added: “Our mission is to position India as the leading country with regards to accessible tourism. What better place to start the journey than Goa (one of the country’s top holiday destinations). Moreover, the public infrastructure in Goa currently is more accessible compared to other states.”
Touring for disabled travellers in India is now easier
Aiming to make Goa a fully accessible destination and address different mobility issues of tourists, Cox & Kings’ Enable Travel has partnered Ezy Mov, the first wheelchair taxi service in India, to provide accessible guided tours in the state.
Ezy Mov, which has completed more than 100,000 rides, has a fleet of taxis fitted with equipment like hydraulic lifts and wheelchair restraint systems.
Touring Goa has gotten easier for persons with disability
Debolin Sen, head, Enable Travel, said: “Due to lack of transport facilities available, people with mobility issues including elderly travellers are unable to experience a destination in its broadest sense. To ensure barrier-free travel and enhance transportation within a destination, we have partnered Ezy Mov.”
Bennet D’cunha – CEO, Ezy Mov, added: “Our mission is to position India as the leading country with regards to accessible tourism. What better place to start the journey than Goa (one of the country’s top holiday destinations). Moreover, the public infrastructure in Goa currently is more accessible compared to other states.”
