Rendering of the Penthouse Suite in the reimagined Regatta-class ships
Oceania Cruises has unveiled OceaniaNEXT, its most extensive product and service enhancement initiative to-date, which will kick off with a US$100 million upgrade of its four 684-guest ships, Regatta, Insignia, Sirena and Nautica.
The upgrades will result in 342 new suites and staterooms in each ship, as well as new décor in the restaurants, lounges and bars, inspired by the line’s 450 ports of call.
Rendering of the Penthouse Suite in the reimagined Regatta-class ships
Insignia will be the first to debut on December 7, followed by Sirena in May 2019, Regatta in September 2019 and Nautica in June 2020.
“OceaniaNEXT will be the most extensive and comprehensive suite of product and guest service enhancements that we have ever undertaken,” said Bob Binder, president and CEO of Oceania Cruises.
“The staterooms and suites are the most dramatic of the transformation,” said Yohandel Ruiz, founding partner of Studio DADO, a Miami-based design and concept studio helming the refurbishment work.
USB ports will also be incorporated in each of the staterooms, as well as a television system with movies on demand in multiple-languages, live stations and a programme guide, plus itinerary information and weather updates.
The Regatta-Class re-inspiration is the first in a line of announcements and enhancements to come in 2018, 2019 and beyond, according to Oceania Cruises.
"Wellness cuisine" developed with long flight duration and reduced body movement in mind
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has partnered US wellness brand Canyon Ranch to introduce a new level of comfort and relaxation to ultra-longhaul travel.
The programme will be rolled out on SIA’s Singapore-New York service, which will launch on October 11 as the world’s longest commercial flight with a duration of 18 hours 45 minutes.
“Wellness cuisine” developed with long flight duration and reduced body movement in mind
The partners say this will also be extended to nonstop services from Singapore to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Taking into consideration the longer flight duration and reduced body movement, SIA teamed up with Canyon Ranch experts and nutritionists, who will develop cuisine that focuses on nutrition and hydration. These will be offered in addition to SIA’s own meal selections.
The partners will also use sleep strategies designed to help customers in all cabin classes, improve the duration and quality of rest, as well as specific light settings to provide better cabin ambience for rest and relaxation.
Guided stretching exercises, led by Canyon Ranch exercise physiologists, will also be made accessible via personal seat-back entertainment systems to promote relaxation.
This will be the first time Canyon Ranch is taking its wellness methods to the air, after having serviced guests on land and at sea, according to CEO of Canyon Ranch, Susan Docherty.
The Canyon Ranch team of experts are from integrative medicine, exercise, nutrition and other disciplines – collectively known as Canyon Ranch Wellness Architects, and includes the 17th US surgeon general.
Red Planet Japan has acquired a land plot in the Nagarekawa district of Hiroshima for a Red Planet hotel, set to open in the months leading up to the 2020 Olympics.
The 160-room budget hotel will be Red Planet Japan’s seventh property in Japan, adding to its portfolio of hotels in Tokyo, Naha, Nagoya and Sapporo.
Red Planet Nagoya Nishiki
Red Planet’s CEO, Tim Hansing, said: “Our Hiroshima property takes on an important strategic role as we aim for a nationwide circuit tourism offering.”
Hiroshima, a gateway city to Western Japan for Asian tourists, is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Island Shrine of Itsukushima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, as well as other attractions such as Hiroshima Castle, the Shukkei-en Garden and the Hiroshima Museum of Art.
Simon Gerovich, chairman of Red Planet Japan, added: “Red Planet Japan is growing rapidly… Our business model is predicated on gaining scale and as our portfolio grows, we gain efficiencies and our margins expand.”
In 2019, Red Planet Japan will open its second hotel in Sapporo and its first hotel in Manila, followed by this Hiroshima property and a second hotel in Manila opening in 2020.
“These new hotels shall accelerate our earnings trajectory, and we continue to seek further sites in Japan, and beyond, to further grow our hotel portfolio,” Gerovich continued.
Red Planet Japan currently operates 704 rooms across Japan with a further 575 rooms being constructed in Manila, another 212 rooms in Sapporo, and 160 rooms in Hiroshima before the end of 2020.
Red Planet Japan’s new hotels would boost the number of rooms operating under the Red Planet brand in Asia to 6,552 over the next two years.
Getting lost tops the list of common reasons for couple to argue
Nearly one in five Hong Kong couples who have argued during travel have considered breaking up after arguments, while 13% argue about photo taking, according to a recent survey by Skyscanner.
With this year’s Double Seventh Festival, also dubbed the Chinese Valentine’s Day, falling on Friday, Skyscanner surveyed 1,100 travellers from Hong Kong who take trips with their partners to find out where the points of friction are.
Getting lost tops the list of common reasons for couple to argue
The survey shows that most couples travelled with their partner for the first time after dating for less than a year, with 36.6% saying their first trip with their partner happened in the first one to six months and 27.2% saying six months to a year. Only 4.6% waited less than one month to embark on their first trip together.
When it comes to arguments, these can take place at any time during the trip. 36% of respondents argue during the trip, while 12% fight about trip planning when creating travel itineraries and booking tickets.
A larger proportion of respondents (44%) said they had never argued with their partners for the trip.
However, among those who do argue during holidays, almost one in five (18.9%) said that the fights had been so serious that they had even thought of breaking up after the trip.
The findings reveal that not getting to attractions on time and getting lost tops the list of the most common reasons for couple to argue (17%), followed by different expectations on the travel experience (14%).
Notably, 13% of respondents either argued about their partner’s ability to take nice photos or that they were taking too many photos during the trip.
AirAsia to launch Chiang Mai-Hanoi flights
AirAsia has opened ticket sales for its four-times-weekly flights between Chiang Mai and Hanoi launching on October 28. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flight FD870 departs Chiang Mai at 13.20 for arrival in Hanoi at 14.50. FD871 leaves Hanoi the same day at 15.20, arriving in Chiang Mai at 16.55.
PAL goes to Sapporo
Philippine Airlines will commence thrice-weekly Manila-Sapporo service on September 10, utilising its new 168-seat Airbus A321neo aircraft. The six-hour direct flight will leave every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Korean Air advances partnership with Delta with new Boston service
On April 12, 2019, Korean Air will launch a nonstop service between Boston and Seoul in cooperation with joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines. The new Boston flight, along with new Minneapolis/St. Paul-Seoul service that Delta is launching in 2019, are the first additions to the joint venture’s Seoul-Incheon network since the two carriers launched their partnership in May.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, flights depart Seoul at 9.30 and arrive in Boston at 10.30 on the same day. The return flight will depart from Boston at 13.30 and arrive in Seoul at 16.50 the following day.
Emirates updates schedule on Singapore sectors
Commencing October 28, Emirates will effect some changes to its schedule between Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN), Brisbane (BNE) and Melbourne (MEL).
Qatar Airways deploys latest wide-body Airbus on JFK route
Qatar will deploy the Airbus A350-1000 on its New York JFK route starting October 28. This will be the airline’s first commercial US route to be operated with Airbus’ latest wide-body aircraft, which currently services daily non-stop service between Doha and London.
The A350-1000 offers 327 seats across two cabins, with Qsuite Business Class seats and 18-inch extra wide Economy Class seats. The aircraft is said to emit the lowest twin-engine noise level of any aircraft.
From left: Grant Sumich, John Stucci and Anthony Rumpei
WebBeds has recruited three senior executives, all based in Sydney, to lead its operations in the Pacific region.
Former vice president of sales & marketing at GTA, John Stucci, has been named president-Pacific at WebBeds.
From left: Grant Sumich, John Stucci and Anthony Rumpei
In his new role, he will lead the company’s regional operations and expansion in the Pacific, providing strong leadership, driving performance and developing partnerships across the region.
Stucci worked for GTA for over 10 years and formed part of the company’s global leadership team since 2012. He also has experience working in airlines and GDS businesses.
Assuming the role of head of commercial-Pacific at WebBeds is Grant Sumich. He now leads the company’s commercial strategy in the region, including relationships with suppliers, agents and other partners.
Prior to this he was head of sales for Rezdy, a booking and distribution system for tours and attractions. He also spent nine years at GTA as head of sales.
In addition, Anthony Rumpel has been appointed hotel procurement manager – Pacific. He was previously with GTA in Australia and Thailand, holding positions in hotel sourcing, and most recently in global commercial and technical training.
WebBeds operates JacTravel, Sunhotels, Lots of Hotels, totalstay and FITRuums.
I Gde Pitana speaking during a UNWTO Ministerial Roundtable last year
I Gde Pitana has resigned from his position at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism as deputy minister covering Indonesia, South-east Asia, Australia and Oceania, effective yesterday.
The sudden resignation has taken the industry by surprise.
I Gde Pitana speaking during a UNWTO Ministerial Roundtable (photo licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In a circular made available to TTG Asia, Pitana said he stepped down to “return to my original habitat”. He said the step was taken “to pursue my personal goals” as a professor of Tourism at Udayana University, Bali.
Pitana said: “It has been too long since I left the world of education. It’s time to return to serve the university that raised me.”
He added: “I want to build tourism through education, because skilled human resources are the key to the future of Indonesian tourism. My duties and obligations are much bigger now.”
While leaving his current post, Pitana’s duty at the Ministry of Tourism will not end here. Tourism minister Arief Yahya has assigned him as ‘an expert staff’ for areas covering marketing and tourism cooperation.
Until the minister inaugurates a new deputy, all formal matters concerning Pitana’s are handled by an acting deputy, namely Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani.
The security upgrade forum in session with Tanes Petsuwan, TAT deputy governor for marketing communications (photo credit: TAT)
Thailand says it is ready to undertake “a sweeping overhaul of all the country’s safety and security measures relevant to the travel and tourism industry”, and hopes to reduce threats to tourists including when it comes to crime.
At a half-day forum convened last week to analyse key issues and brainstorm ideas to enhance security, Weerasak Kowsurat, minister of tourism and sports, said: “Thailand has recently experienced numerous incidents impacting the safety and security of both Thais and foreign tourists. This has had a negative impact on the image of tourism and could potentially impact the tourist atmosphere of the country.
“In the short term, it could lead to cancellation of travel bookings. In the long term, it could lead to a lack of confidence in the service business, especially in relation to the safety and security of life and property of tourists.”
The security upgrade forum in session with Tanes Petsuwan, TAT deputy governor for marketing communications (photo credit: TAT)
This comes on the back of Chinese president Xi Jinping calling on Thai authorities to do everything possible to ensure safety and security for all visitors, not just those from China, following a tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of 47 Chinese tourists.
But this was not the first time a foreign government has stepped in in response to events surrounding tourist safety in Thailand. In 2014, the British government voiced concern over Thai authorities’ investigation of a high-profile murder case of two British tourists in Koh Tao. The diving destination has been coined “death island” due to the many foreigner deaths reported to have occurred there, including as recently as last month.
Two Burmese nationals were convicted of the crime, sparking outrage around the world. International actors such as human rights NGOs and the media continue to cry foul, believing the suspects to have been scapegoated to protect local mafia and tourism interests. Authorities have been criticised for letting threats to tourists persist by sweeping the issue of crime under the rug.
While Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn stated that “the overall goal is to reduce the number of accidents, crime and threats to the life and property of tourists”, the focus for now seems to be on accidents rather than crime and corruption.
According to a TAT statement statement, the measures and recommended actions generated by the forum would be divided into: preparation measures, crisis management measures, post-crisis relief measures. It is these measures that will be communicated to the National Tourism Policy Board and the Cabinet to approve for further action by the relevant agencies.
“For sure, we can launch another marketing campaign based on discounted rates, but it is more important to win the hearts of the Chinese people by showing them that we are truly sorry for the accident and that we are serious about fixing the problem that caused it,” the tourism minister said at the event themed Travel around Thailand, Safe Everywhere.
More than 150 participants from the country attended the half-day forum presided over by Weerasak. Among them were representatives of private and public sector associations.
Already, Thailand is acting to enforce more stringent boat safety measures. According to TAT, the captain and helmsman must register each boat’s name and specification, plus the exact number of passengers and tour route must be submitted to the responsible officials including Phuket’s Marine Office, Tourist Police and Provincial Administrator before leaving port each time.
TAT also shared that effective immediately, Thai boat operators will be swiftly punished with the maximum penalty that the law affords if found in violation of the new laws related to marine tourism.
Moreover, blueprints of boats are required to be inspected by officials and be officially authorised. In case of any incident, the officer who authorised the boat will also face charges if the vessel in question is found not to be up to standard.
The Expedia Group is buying up AirAsia’s remaining 25 per cent equity interest in AAE Travel, a joint venture formed by the two firms in March 2011 and in which Expedia Group has held 75 per cent equity since 2015.
AAE Travel had started out as a 50-50 partnership that gave Expedia exclusive online, third-party distribution rights of the airline’s flights and packages in Asia-Pacific, excluding Australia and New Zealand.
AirAsia will concurrently purchase AirAsiaGo.com domain names and related assets
AirAsia’s divestment effectively dissolves the deal, opening up the LCC to new distribution channels, and prompting Expedia Group to integrate websites localised during the tie-up into its global platform.
The cash consideration for Expedia Group’s ownership is US$60 million, and excludes AirAsia’s concurrent purchase of AirAsiaGo.com domain names and related assets from AAE Travel.
AirAsiaGo.com, which offers a full suite of travel products including AirAsia flight and hotel packages featuring Expedia Group lodging content, will continue to be powered by Expedia Group.
“AirAsia has (helped) establish Brand Expedia as a strong and increasingly locally relevant player in the Asia region,” said Mark Okerstrom, president and CEO, Expedia Group. “This transaction unlocks better integration of our Brand Expedia Asia business into our core global travel platform, giving us even greater confidence in our ability to harness the huge growth potential that Asia represents.”
Tony Fernandes, group CEO of AirAsia, commented that the airline plans to continue working closely with Expedia Group in the future, particularly on regional and global distribution of flights.
He further shared: “This sale represents the divestment of the last of our non-core investments from the previous round of joint ventures. These proceeds will be used to develop big unicorn products such as BigPay, Travel 360, Redbox Logistics and Ourshop.”
Sydney continues to hold onto its position as one of the top meeting destinations in the Asia Pacific region in 2018.
The list was compiled based on sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network which in 2017 sourced more than 40 million room nights worldwide and $14.7 billion of business, supporting more than 715,000 events around the globe.
The top seven cities Singapore, Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Melbourne maintained their positions on the list. Seoul dropped out of the top 10 as newcomer New Delhi shot to the eighth spot, ahead of Mumbai.
The top 10 cities in Asia Pacific in 2018 are:
Singapore, Singapore
Sydney, Australia
Bangkok, Thailand
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Shanghai, China
Melbourne, Australia
New Delhi, India
Tokyo, Japan
Mumbai, India
Sydney is a proven event destination that delivers on all measures: experienced teams at world-class facilities and venues; a breadth of travel and accommodation possibilities; as well as its renowned Aussie welcome and unrivalled natural beauty, according to Business Events Sydney.
Just as importantly, it offers easy accessibility between the airport, conference facilities and the city centre, and is a safe and stable destination for international visitors and locals alike. It also has a culture to match, with a dynamic dining scene, a love of the arts, a passion for sport, and a naturally exuberant spirit.
To keep up with the competition, Business Events Sydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith, said: “We keep ahead of global trends, create or adopt innovative approaches and advocate changes that improve the business visitor experience in our city.
“We (also) seek out business events where Australia offers incredible industry expertise capability to share with and learn from the world for our corporate visitors to share and brag about back home,” she added.
Each year, Sydney welcomes around 40,000 delegates. Ranked as one of the world’s top 20 places to meet, it has played host to some of the largest and most prestigious association and incentive events in the world today.
To compile the lists, Cvent evaluated more than 11,000 cities featured in the Cvent Supplier Network, tracking activity from January through December 2017.
Qualifying data included total unique requests for proposal received, total room nights, number of awarded requests for proposal, awarded room nights, percentage of qualified meeting venues and the number of profile views.
Chris McAndrews, Vice President of Marketing for Cvent’s Hospitality Cloud, said the cities featured in the top 10 have spent significant resources into developing the business and events locations.
“Meetings have become a major economic driver for cities worldwide. Because of this positive impact, destinations are pulling out all the stops to attract MICE business, and we expect to see this healthy competition continue,” said McAndrews.
