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Asia/Singapore Monday, 27th April 2026
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Conversational commerce will shape future of travel in APAC: Facebook

By TTG Asia
0
Facebook's Meghan Joseph on the deeper role of messaging between brands and consumers

Messaging, or “conversational commerce”, is poised to be one of the hottest trends shaping travel in 2019, according to Facebook’s global travel strategy and planning lead, Nikhliesh Ponde.

At the Facebook’s APAC Travel Summit in Singapore, it was revealed that people and businesses around the world now exchange over 10 billion messages each month.

Facebook’s Meghan Joseph on the deeper role of messaging between brands and consumers

This preference for messaging is even more pronounced in Asia-Pacific, where 87 per cent of smartphone owners use a messaging app every month.

“We recently conducted a global survey and found that people in emerging markets are twice as likely as those in mature markets to message a business at least once a month. People increasingly expect businesses to be available via messaging apps. This is a dynamic that travel businesses in Asia-Pacific are poised to leverage, given these are mobile-first markets,” Ponde added.

Some leading brands have already taken the leap by using WhatsApp to send timely notifications and offer customer support. First movers include leading airlines such as Singapore Airlines and travel planning websites like MakeMyTrip.com.

Messaging can also play a much deeper role as it draws people and businesses together into an ongoing conversation, said Meghan Joseph, client partner, Facebook Singapore.

“Consumers today visit numerous travel-related touch points over a few weeks when making a travel purchase. It’s much easier to make travel decisions when you have a personal and direct conversation – this is something that messaging can enable,” Joseph said.

The insights carry greater weight considering the emergence of a new middle class in Asia-Pacific. Nearly one in every two Internet users in Asia travels abroad at least once a year, the highest proportion of any region in the world.

Thailand inbound finds silver lining amid Chinese booking slump

By Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
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Some inbound segments are seeing a silver lining

It’s not all bleak and gloom for Thailand’s tourism sector even as Chinese tourist arrivals continue to tumble in the wake of the Phuket boat incident in July.

As it turns out, a slump in Chinese arrivals in recent months is creating a silver lining for some inbound segments, as hoteliers roll out tactical measures and look to other markets to make up for the booking shortfall in 2H2018.

Some inbound segments are seeing a silver lining

“With Chinese business dropping off since the incident, hotels are throwing out tacticals for the entire winter, which is unusual,” noted Tobias Fischer, director of business development, Go Vacation Thailand, sharing his observations with TTG Asia at the recent ITB Asia in Singapore.

“DMCs are seeing a better chance of getting hotel bookings this period because hotels still have allotments, and we are still able to book rooms at static rates now,” said Fischer.

This is opposed to the usual BAR rates that DMCs are contracted to when hotels are running on high occupancies, particularly during the winter period, he added, with such strategies extending even to the typically high-occupancy months of February and March.

Shreyash Shah, cluster director of sales at Mytt Beach Hotel in Pattaya, is “filling up the vacuum this winter season by pushing for longhaul and regional markets”, including working with DMCs to target group series from South Korea, India and Japan, from where he has registered a “pick up” in bookings.

It would, however, take another six months for the Chinese inbound market to recover, predicted Shah, although he is already seeing “good demand from the Chinese market” for the Lunar New Year period in 2019.

Meanwhile, lagging Chinese demand in recent months has driven Matthew Hindmarch, director of hotels and resorts at Phuket-based Aksara Collection, to show “new markets more love”. These include Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, India and the Middle East.

Hindmarch is “already closing out April next year” with bookings from South Africa, a “bright, cheerful and friendly market” where he sees small groups of lady travellers an emerging trend.

As well, Shah is finding cheer in the Russian market, which is “coming back in a good way”, with Mytt Beach Hotel hosting an average of 10 agent fam trips from across different Russian cities each week.

Search and rescue efforts underway for Lion Air crash

By Mimi Hudoyo
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The aircraft was experiencing technical problems a day before take-off, before allegedly being cleared to fly according to procedure; pictured: a different Lion Air aircraft at the Husein Sastranegara International Airport

The cause of Lion Air JT 610 crash yesterday remains unknown as search and rescue operations continue around Tanjung Pakis, Kerawang, West Java.

The ill-fated Boeing 737 Max 8 plane lost contact 13 minutes after take-off yesterday morning from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. It was bound for Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Island, carrying 189 people. All passengers are feared dead.

The plane was experiencing technical problems a day before the ill-fated take-off, but was allegedly cleared to fly according to procedure; pictured, a different Lion Air aircraft at the Husein Sastranegara International Airport

Apart from the plane’s captain Bhavye Harvino, an Indian passport holder, all passengers on board were Indonesians, more than 20 of whom were government officials returning to their posts in Pangkal Pinang after spending the weekend with families in Jakarta.

Search and rescue teams are currently working round the clock to locate the exact location of the wreck, and the search for the black box is also underway.

Technical issues were earlier reported for the plane during its Denpasar-Jakarta service on Sunday evening. However, Edward Sirait, CEO of Lion Air told the media that the airline’s engineers had fixed the problem and the flight was cleared to fly and landed safely in Jakarta.

Edward added that the plane was airworthy and pilot had taken all pre-flight inspections according to procedures.

Lion Air has just acquired the Boeing 737 Max 8 in August and has operated eight of 11 it has on order. The aircraft had only 800 hours of flight time recorded.

According to Reuters, this Lion Air accident was the first reported involving a MAX aircraft. Boeing has also issued a statement on its website that it was providing technical assistance at the request of the Indonesian authorities.

The accident may tarnish the image of the Indonesian airline safety, after ICAO awarded the Indonesia Ministry of Transportation the Council President Certificate, an award related to improvement on flight safety.

Earlier this year, the EU removed all Indonesian carriers from its air safety blacklist following improvements in their air safety.

Next Story Group adopts ‘hub and spoke’ model for Kafnu’s growth

By Prudence Lui
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Kafnu Alexandria, Sydney

Following the debut of Kafnu in Hong Kong, the Next Story Group is accelerating the brand’s Asian expansion, targeting 50 Kafnu premises within the next three years, predominantly in key capital cities.

The Kafnu concept is a blend of a private members club, shared workspace and boutique hotel.

According to group chief development officer, Andreas Flaig, the expansion will adopt a “hub and spoke” strategy, with “hubs” of 5,000-10,000m2 surrounded by “spoke” locations in smaller spaces of 2,000 – 5,000m2.

Kafnu Alexandria, Sydney

To date, there are three operating Kafnu properties, namely Hong Kong, Taipei and Bengaluru. By the end of 2018, Kafnu will add two more locations in Australia and Vietnam.

Projects in the pipeline are in Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Colombo, Mumbai and Bali, and the group is eyeing multiple locations within key cities such as Hong Kong, Mumbai and Delhi.

The group is also keen to step up its membership focus to drive loyalty across Kafnu properties in different cities.

Speaking to TTG Asia at the recent HICAP in Hong Kong, Flaig explained: “The beauty of the concept is that the membership is not bounded by geography; they can access the overseas premises and can network with local members there. As you see the intra-Asia traffic is growing, so we’d like to make sure when they travel, they stay with Kafnu. So far, Kafnu properties in Hong Kong and Taiwan have over 400 members altogether.”

Membership is on a selection basis, and is driven by members’ word of mouth and via the members’ own network, he revealed.

In terms of finding suitable locations, the group have looked at the commercial, retail and hotel spaces in three markets, namely India, Greater China and Australia.

Another aspect of the Kafnu strategy is conversion projects. Flaig added: “We can take an old, rundown, unprofitable small-scale hotel and convert it into a Kafnu. Take Greater China as an example. We are planning to have two to four in each cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and potentially Chengdu. I lived in China for nine years and China has a lot of non-performing or over-built assets, which do not produce enough revenue.”

Beyond the Kafnu brand, the Next Story Group is also mapping expansion of its hotel brands. Among the upcoming openings are The Next Hotel Colombo, a 255-key property in Melbourne and a Sage Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, the group’s CEO Darren Edmonstone shared.

PAL sets sights on shorthaul expansion

By Rosa Ocampo
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Bautista: currently no plans to add more flights to Europe

Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) network expansion will for now be hewn towards Asian and domestic routes, and less on longhaul.

PAL president and COO Jaime Bautista told TTG Asia, on the sidelines of the recent Association of Asia Pacific Airlines’ 62nd Assembly of Presidents in Jeju, of the airline’s expansion strategy amid the continued challenges of congestion at Manila’s international airport, high fuel prices and stiff competition.

Bautista: no plans to add more flights to Europe for now

While the flag carrier will replace the Manila-Vancouver-New York flight with nonstop Manila-New York service on October 29, Bautista ruled out opening new European routes apart from the existing daily Manila-London service.

Also not happening yet is the return of the thrice-weekly Cebu-Los Angeles service that it axed last year.

Since September 15, the Manila-London service has been using an aircraft with a smaller capacity of 295 seats, from the previous 370 seats.

It is understood that Middle Eastern and other carriers pose stiff competition along the routes to Europe from Manila. PAL also faces competition from Asian and American carriers alike on North American routes.

While PAL drastically reduced its flights to Kalibo and Caticlan with the six-month closure of Boracay, Bautista was looking forward to mounting more commercial flights as well as chartered flights from China and South Korea when more hotels open in Boracay next year.

Currently, PAL operates a daily flight to Boracay’s gateway Caticlan from Manila, Cebu and Clark, and a daily flight from Manila to another Boracay gateway, Kalibo.

“We will try to maximise the use of our airplanes operating in hubs where we are expanding, in Cebu, Clark and Manila,” said Bautista, detailing the airline’s Asian and regional expansion. “We have started flying from Clark to 17 major destinations in the Visayas and Mindanao.”

Grab partners Indonesia’s tourism ministry to roll out smart initiatives

By TTG Asia
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Grab will offer car rentals, with drivers and guides, to tourists visiting Indonesia

Now the mobile platform partner of Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, Grab will promote the country’s destinations as well as roll out tourist-friendly initiatives such as a car rental service complete with a driver cum guide.

This follows a smart tourism MoU between Grab and the Ministry of Tourism signed in September in support of the Wonderful Indonesia campaign.

Grab will offer car rentals, with drivers and guides, to tourists visiting Indonesia

“Digital advances play an important role to promote our tourism sector. Therefore, we are delighted to partner with Grab on our smart tourism strategy for the Wonderful Indonesia campaign, and provide a seamless digital experience for tourists at our airports and leading destinations in Indonesia. We hope this collaboration will help us realise our target to bring in 17 million international tourists this year and 20 million international tourists in 2019,” said Arief Yahya, Indonesia’s tourism minister.

With the partnership, promotions of the country’s destinations will be able to reach approximately 125 million users across eight South-east Asian countries.

For Grab, this is an extension of the Grab 4 Indonesia master plan 2020, according to Ridzki Kramadibrata, managing director, Grab Indonesia.

The Singapore-based company – which is growing beyond its original ride-hailing focus into on-demand food delivery, payments and other areas – recently stated it would invest a “significant portion” of fresh funding in Indonesia.

Among the tourist-friendly initiatives are Rent a GrabCar, available in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Manado and Makassar. Tourists can book a car easily at official Grab booths once they land at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Tangerang), Halim Perdana Kusuma International.

Select Rent a GrabCar drivers will receive training to be tour guides, and will obtain Wonderful Indonesia certification from the ministry.

Meanwhile, tourists can browse restaurant recommendations and try signature local cuisines with GrabFood, in addition to accessing reviews and information about Indonesia’s cultural and tourism attractions through the daily news feed, available directly on the Grab app.

Users can also redeem GrabRewards loyalty points in the Travel category for benefits, such as GarudaMiles from Garuda Indonesia and also Joumpa Airport Assistance.

Through the Ministry of Tourism’s Hot Deals promotion programme, Singaporean and Malaysian tourists can further enjoy special prices when they order a Rent a GrabCar service within selected cities in Indonesia.

Moreover, various digital facilities have been arranged for tourists including lounges, tourist information centres, charging stations, free Wi-Fi and rest areas for driver-partners in selected tourist destinations. Grab is in partnership with tourist attractions in Indonesia including Borobudur and Prambanan Temple, Jatim Park Group, Istana Maimun Medan and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Bali.

Vietnamese hotel group traces Originals brand debut to Darwin

By TTG Asia
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Hotel reception

Fusion will add a third brand to its portfolio with the opening of the first hotel under the personality-driven Originals concept in Ho Chi Minh City next year.

Each Originals hotel will bear the name of a pioneering artist, inventor, scientist or social leader. For the inaugural member of the collection, they’ve selected Charles Darwin, the British botanist, scientist and naturalist who redefined mankind’s place in the universe.

Darwin - a Fusion Original
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Hotel reception

Darwin – a Fusion Original is currently under construction in the heart of Saigon’s District 1, less than 200m from the city’s iconic opera house and close to shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and tourist hotspots.

The 88-room hotel will pay homage to its namesake by creating an air of 19th-century discovery and adventure. Fusion’s designers have focussed on Darwin’s studies of plants, animals and people from all over the globe and will honour this by featuring botanical motifs, super-sized extracts of Darwin’s manuscripts, and a palette of all-natural tones and textures in the interiors.

There will also be a copy of Darwin’s most famous publication, On the Origin of Species, inside every bedside unit.

The ground-floor lobby, named Beagle Bar, will host regular live music and spoken-word events lubricated by old-school rum cocktails and local craft ales.

Meanwhile, Origins Restaurant, home to a re-imagined breakfast concept known as T.O.A.S.T. (The Original Answer to Snooze Time), will serve dishes inspired by Charles Darwin’s global journeys.

“With Darwin and every Fusion Original that comes after it, you’ll never quite know what to expect,” added Remco de Hoog, Fusion’s chief architect. “We love shaking things up, and we think our guests will really enjoy the feeling of entering the unknown each time… in a good way, of course!”

Since its launch in 2008, Fusion has worked to marry hotels with wellness-inspired resorts. The company has opened five resorts and hotels in Vietnam so far, with a team now boasting more than 1,500 employees, including 300 spa specialists.

Calling nominations for sustainable travel products in Mekong

By TTG Asia
0
The Experience Mekong Collection showcases tourism-friendly practices that are sustainable, responsible and innovative

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is calling for public nominations for responsible and sustainable travel experiences in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) as the second annual Experience Mekong Collection Showcase approaches.

MTCO is inviting the public to nominate their favourite GMS small businesses on www.experiencemekong.org to determine the 2019 Experience Mekong Collection Showcase. The nomination deadline is December 1, 2018.

The Experience Mekong Collection highlights tourism-friendly practices that are sustainable, responsible and innovative

According to MTCO, results gleaned from this year’s collection showcase revealed a strong rooting interest from the public with nearly 80 small-business nominations collected in total.

“The importance of responsible tourism cannot be underestimated and the ‘Experience Mekong Collection’ is a wonderful way of highlighting examples of good practice,” said MTCO executive director Jens Thraenhart.

“This sets several benchmarks to further improve travel experiences in the GMS. We hope this motivates other operators to become more involved and do their part for responsible tourism,” he said.

During the earlier Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) held in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, MTCO announced its inaugural showcase selections (one per GMS country). The first-ever showcase featured small businesses committed to sustainable and responsible practices with each of them categorised under Do, Shop, Stay, Tour/Cruise or Taste.

In addition to being honoured at this year’s MTF, representatives of the showcase selectees had a chance to speak to delegates about the positive impact their experience has impressed on not only tourists but also on local residents.

The 2018 showcase attractions were each examined on practices, tangible impact on the environment and social climate, and financial viability. Case studies on each of the 2018 experiences were developed by students of the Mahidol University International College in Thailand.

All members of the Experience Mekong Collection are highlighted on a feature page within www.mekongmoments.com in addition to being recognised by a certified badge reflecting its responsible and sustainable practice.

Other benefits for members include a free booth at next year’s MTF and discounted rates on sales and marketing services from industry partner Oriental Hospitality Solutions.

Cruise deals galore as Genting Hong Kong celebrates silver anniversary

By TTG Asia
0
World Dream

To commemorate Genting Hong Kong’s 25th Anniversary, Star Cruises and Dream Cruises are extending a slew of offers for passengers and guests.

The two Genting brands are rolling out Buy 1, Get 1 Free promotions and Oceanview cabin to Balcony cabin upgrades on participating ships throughout the region.

World Dream

In addition, passengers who register for a digital Scratch and Win card will enjoy an instant surprise and be eligible for lucky draw prizes including packages on Crystal Cruises, as well as for one of five Grand Prizes including Bvlgari watches worth up to HK$200,000 (US$25,499) to be announced at the end of November.

In the month of November, every cabin on participating ships will receive a 25th Anniversary Coupon Book containing freebies, discounts and gifts with purchase worth over HK$2,000 that can be redeemed at F&B, spa and entertainment outlets, for shore excursions and cabin upgrades.

During the anniversary period, guests may also take advantage of free menu upgrades at inclusive restaurants, special discounts for designated dishes at Blue Lagoon and Anniversary Set Menus at speciality restaurants – washed down with Silver Anniversary signature cocktails and mocktails.

An anniversary discount of 25 per cent on cabin upgrades as well as selected Anniversary Tour Package Discounts are also available, in addition to Silver Anniversary Shopping Spree sales at various retail outlets.

A total jackpot of US$125,000 is up for grabs at the Grand Anniversary Jackpot Bingo taking place across the Dream Cruises and Star Cruises fleets.

Guests also stand to take home one of 25 Prizes at the Pre-Show Giveaway in the theatre before selected performances.

Dream Cruises will also celebrate with a Silver Anniversary edition of Dream Night where guests can enjoy a commemorative firework display and laser show.

Meanwhile, in anticipation for the debut of Dream Cruises’ Global Class in 2020, Dream Cruises has launched a naming contest inviting members of the public to propose a name, in English and/or Chinese, for the new cruise liner. The participant that submits the chosen name will win 25 complimentary cruises on board the new ship when she starts her service.

Uncertainty over Sri Lanka’s new tourism campaign amid constitutional crisis

By Feizal Samath
0

A major constitutional crisis that resulted in the sacking of Sri Lanka’s prime minister has put in jeopardy the November launch of a new logo and slogan for the country’s new destination marketing campaign.

The campaign, So Sri Lanka, was scheduled to be launched on November 5 at the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London.

The long-delayed campaign was scheduled to be unveiled next month, before a global rollout in 2019

But president Maithripala Sirisena’s sudden dismissal of prime minster Ranil Wickremesinghe and the appointment of former president and current parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place last Friday has caused confusion in the administration. Furthermore, Wickremesinghe is also refusing to quit, saying that he was removed unconstitutionally.

Sirisena will be appointing a new cabinet of ministers today, comprising mainly members of parliament from his party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka People’s Front. The cabinet, which includes the tourism portfolio, earlier comprised mainly members of Wickremesinghe’s United National Party.

Both Wickremesinghe and Sirisena have been clashing over several issues in the past few months, with political analysts saying a parting of the ways was inevitable.

“I am not sure whether I would be going to office,” said a worried Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) managing director Sutheash Balasubramanian, adding that regardless of changes he hoped the campaign would go ahead as scheduled.

Balasubramaniam, like many other heads of government departments, are political appointees.

Industry officials have expressed concern over the developments and fears that the campaign would be further delayed.

“This is a great slogan – So Sri Lanka – and similar to Incredible India or Amazing Thailand. I hope despite the new developments that the government will go ahead with the launch in London,” said The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka’s president Sanath Ukwatte.

He said the industry has been anticipating the launch of this destination marketing campaign, which has been in the works for the past three years. Should the tagline and logo be successfully unveiled next month, the campaign was scheduled to officially start in early 2019.

Sri Lanka’s earlier campaigns were entitled Wonder of Asia, followed by Small Miracle. In recent months, the SLTPB has been involved in two smaller campaigns – an advertising blitz on CNN, and a digital marketing campaign directed at the country’s main markets of India and China, and Western Europe. These two campaigns will then feed into the So Sri Lanka campaign which will be undertaken on a global scale for all markets.

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGassociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTG Asia | Langham signs dual-brand hotel project in Xiong’an New Area
TTG Asia | Brand USA brings travel advisor ambassador scheme to South-east Asia
TTG Asia | Malaysia extends Visit Malaysia campaign to 2027 amid global uncertainty