Dorsett Hospitality International has appointed Peggy Tan as general manager of Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur, a 290-room property soft opening on August 8, 2018.
Tan will be responsible for all aspects of the opening of the four-star, 290-room hotel, heading the overall business development and performance as well as strategic marketing and revenue plans.
Prior to this appointment, Tan spent the last five years in Singapore and was the area director of the sales & marketing division for Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts for three years.
Royal Caribbean International's Mariner of the Seas at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore
In 2017, India led visitor arrivals as Singapore’s number-one source market for cruises with 127,000 cruise passengers – a 25 per cent increase compared to 2016.
This contributed to a total Indian inbound traffic of nearly 1.3 million for the year, breaking previous records to become Singapore’s third-highest ranking source market for visitor arrivals, according to figures from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore
For Dream Cruises, the volume of Indian passengers on its cruise ships has seen “a steady growth with a healthy year-on-year increase throughout the years,” said Michael Goh, senior vice president – international sales, Genting Cruise Lines.
“India as a source market remains an important revenue contributor for Genting Cruise Lines, and we are optimistic of this steady growth with more Indian tourists opting for a cruise vacation from Singapore.”
Dream Cruises is currently deploying the Genting Dream to its homeport in Singapore, doubling the passenger capacity to 3,400, compared to previous Dream Cruises ships that homeported in Singapore.
Meanwhile, growth in the India market has doubled from 2016 to 2017 for Royal Caribbean, “driven by the increase in the summer sailings in Singapore that coincide with India’s peak travel season”, said Sean Treacy, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Treacy shared that cruises are especially appealing to Indian families, who “can group together to make cruises a friends-and-family gathering (while enjoying) the city as well”.
Karan Anand – head, relationships, Cox & Kings, noted that fly-cruise holidays are popular among Indian outbound travellers, with Singapore offering an attractive choice.
“The beauty of taking a cruise vacation from Singapore is because it’s a homeport for many cruise liners and travellers have a wide selection of cruise options. This makes it a highly desirable destination for Indian cruise travellers,” Anand said.
GB Srithar, STB’s regional director, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, said that cruise journeys are “gaining in popularity among (India’s) young adults or working millennials” due to being a “hassle-free, all-inclusive holiday choice”.
He said: “Singapore is regarded as a convenient cruise hub for Indians to not only visit the Lion City’s many attractions, but also the neighbouring South-east Asian countries.”
As cruise holidays are still a “nascent travel option” in India, STB sees room for promoting them as a compelling travel option for Indian travellers, said Srithar.
To promote Singapore’s cruise offerings, STB works with cruise lines and travel agents in India on joint marketing campaigns, training workshops and webinars, as well as to curate pre- and post-cruise experiences.
The board also supports industry players including cruise lines, travel agents and charterers under its Cruise Development Fund.
Portfolio includes the ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park (pictured)
AccorInvest is selling its Australian portfolio of 23 real estate assets and lease interests, which online reports say could be worth over A$300 million (US$222 million).
The portfolio encompasses 17 real estate assets comprising 1,797 rooms, of which four are branded as ibis hotels and the other 13 ibis Budget hotels. Notable assets include the ibis Hotel & Apartments Melbourne, ibis Sydney Airport, ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park and ibis Newcastle.
Portfolio includes the ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park (pictured)
The six lease interests include The Como Mgallery by Sofitel in Melbourne, the Novotel, Mercure and ibis hotels in Brisbane, and the Mercure and ibis hotels in Perth.
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group is handling the sale of the portfolio.
Craig Collins, CEO Australasia, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, said: “The pure scale of this portfolio and its diversity – in terms of location, market positioning and income profile – presents investors with an opportunity to immediately establish an unparalleled foothold in one of Asia Pacific’s most highly sought after hotel investment destinations.
“Economy hotels are a highly proven and successful hotel model in the Australian market. Their typically low operating costs and high level of profitability make them very attractive investments,” he added.
Peter Harper, executive vice president, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, remarked: “The sale offering comes at a time when the Australian hotel market is experiencing unprecedented investor interest and we expect that a wide range of groups will be drawn to the very attractive fundamentals of the individual hotels and portfolio as a whole.”
All hotels within the portfolio are currently operated under by AccorHotels under hotel management agreements.
The government of Myanmar will grant visa-free entry to citizens of Japan and South Korea, in addition to allowing Chinese tourists to apply for visas-on-arrival (VOA).
According to a Myanmar Times report, the visa relaxation comes as the government grapples with new ways to boost tourism after arrivals from Western markets were hit by the Rakhine crisis.
Myanmar plans loosening visa requirements to attract more Asian tourists
The same report shared that citizens of Japan and South Korea will soon be able to enter the country without visas.
Starting October 1, eligible passengers from China, Hong Kong and Macau will be able to apply for VOA at Yangon International Airport, Mandalay International Airport and Nay Pyi Taw International Airport.
For US$50, the VOA will cover a stays of up to 30 days for the purpose of tourism only.
Chinese tourists are required to present US$1,000 to show they have adequate cash for expenses for the duration of stay, as well as proof of a confirmed return or onward ticket.
In addition to the two new LNG ships, Princess Cruises also has Sky Princess (pictured) on order with Fincantier
Princess Cruises has placed an order for its largest cruise ships, the first to be primary powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), slated to be delivered in late 2023 and spring 2025 respectively.
Being dual-fuel powered mainly by LNG, the ships are expected to significantly reduce air emissions and marine gasoil.
In addition to the two new LNG ships, Princess Cruises also has Sky Princess (pictured) on order with Fincantier
To be built at the Italain shipyard Fincantier in Monfalcone, the two 175,000 gross ton ships will be able to accommodate approximately 4,300 guests (lower berths). Specification details for the ship design, along with anticipated features and amenities of this new platform design for Princess Cruises, will be shared in the future.
“After so many years (of partnering Princess Cruises) we are ready to enter a new era of this industry, increasingly aimed at reducing even more of our environmental impact,” commented Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, referring to the “all-time record project, both in terms of size and technology”.
In addition to the two ships, Princess Cruises has three new Royal-class ships on order with Fincantieri, including its next new ship, Sky Princess, which is currently under construction and scheduled for delivery in October 2019. The two other Royal-class ships are planned for delivery in 2020 and 2022.
Chinese travellers choosing 'authentic local experiences' over luxury, visiting places they have never been
Chinese millennials born after 1990 are especially pushing the boundaries of international travel, increasing their travel expenditure by a staggering 80% in the past year to fund social media-influenced trips “full of edgy experiences, high-tech accommodation, exotic delicacies and taboo ticket-items”, according to recent research by Hotels.com.
The study, part of the Chinese International Travel Monitor, found that Chinese travellers overall spent 40% more in the past 12 months, compared to the previous year, with the majority (60%) planning to spend even more the next year.
Chinese travellers choosing ‘authentic local experiences’ over luxury, visiting places they have never been
One highlight of the research was that travel brag moments and selfies had a massive influence on the Chinese traveller experience in 2017, with almost two thirds of respondents (60%) posting three to five times a day.
The study also found that the Chinese are travelling farther afield, staying away longer and spending more money, with Europe, North America, Latin America and Australia sought after over the past 12 months. This year also saw travellers extending their trips by an average of one to two extra days compared with the previous year.
Next year, Europe, Africa and the Middle East are the top new destinations for more than half of travellers. North America will continue to be a hot favourite, and Latin America is also emerging as a popular choice, with 26% and 13% of travellers planning a first-time visit to these destinations in the next year respectively. Over a third of travellers plan to visit Oceania next year, with Australia topping the list for future visits.
Chinese travellers are also keen to travel further to new destinations. More than half of Chinese travellers (60%) intend to travel to a country they have not visited.
More than one third (37%) still intend to visit countries they’ve been to before but will go to different cities. Key locations in Asia are top of the list for these travellers. Japan is a standout, with 46% planning to revisit but travelling to different cities there. South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand are also high on the list.
Staying in atypical accommodation was important to over half of travellers, who opted for out-of-the-box and independent hotels with local flavour (55%) over star ratings. Another 33% booked boutique hotels, 23% eco-friendly hotels and 21% hotels with cutting-edge technology.
Chinese travellers are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to getting down with authentic experiences – tasting exotic local delicacies (69%) and scouring the streets for authentic local items (43%) over shopping for luxury items (38%).
Connectivity and efficiency are key for Chinese on-the-go youngsters, with co-working spaces (39%), voice-activated technology (38%), virtual reality booking (38%), robotic customer service (32%), mobile phone operated room access (31%) and social media live lounges (26%) all desired additions to their accommodation.
The ability to QR code scan via WeChat and acceptance of mobile phone payment were particular points for development for Chinese travellers, according to Hotels.com. Booking and reservation methods were not up-to-scratch for a third of travellers, while local transport arrangements along with Mandarin-speaking guides and hotel staff were also areas for improvement.
Bespoke Hospitality Management Asia (BHMA) has announced two top management appointments at its Bangkok head office following its acquisition by Flight Centre Travel Group.
Hotel industry veteran Peter Lucas has been appointed CEO of the company. He was most recently Boutique Corporation’s senior vice president of asset operations, overseeing hotel, serviced apartment and F&B portfolios.
Lucas (left) to work alongside Thaliwal
Prior to this, he was COO with Destination Properties, where he asset-managed hotels operated by Accor, Starwood, Hilton and Swissotel, as well as F&B operations for franchised restaurants such as Hard Rock Café.
Working alongside him is Harry Thaliwal, recently appointed executive vice president of operations at BHMA.
Thaliwal started his career in operations with the Pan Pacific Group. He subsequently moved to the InterContinental Hotels Group, where he worked for more than 23 years before joining Centara Hotels and Resorts as corporate director of operations.
In his new role at BHMA, he will oversee all operational aspects including strategy, growth and pre-opening projects.
Scoot has launched a transactional chatbot, named MARVIE (Scoot’s Most Awesome and Resourceful Virtual Intern Ever), on its Singapore Facebook page via Facebook Messenger.
Developed with the expertise of airline technology company Caravelo, MARVIE is said to be the first chatbot by an airline in Asia to allow transactions, in addition to responding to customer queries.
The airline launched the transactional chatbot a year after its merger with Tigerair
The chatbot is able to assist customers to search for flights, display the same fares and availability as reflected on Scoot’s website and mobile app, make flight bookings, and allow payment by credit card.
Since it was soft launched early this month, MARVIE has serviced an average of 50 unique users a day, and resolved 37.5 per cent of queries received on Facebook, according to Scoot.
This resolution rate is expected to rise as more customers interact with MARVIE.
There are plans for MARVIE to be able to accept promo codes, assist customers to manage and make changes to their bookings, purchase ancillary products such as preferred seats and travel insurance, make interline bookings involving flights by partner airlines, and accept more payment modes.
Scoot also intends to make MARVIE available in more languages and on more platforms, including the airline’s website.
Artist impression of the hotel, located 'steps away from' Jalan Lintas
Come 4Q2021, Avani Kota Kinabalu Hotel is slated to open in the capital of Sabah as the brand’s second property in Malaysia.
A 20-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, the new-build will form part of a mixed-use development with retail, office and condominium complex.
Artist impression of the hotel, located ‘steps away from’ Jalan Lintas
The 378-key hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant and a rooftop pool and bar, as well as 855m2 of meeting space.
Avani Hotels & Resorts currently operates 23 hotels and resorts in 15 countries, with 13 new hotels in the pipeline, including the latest signing in Melbourne, Dubai, and a third Avani property in Bangkok.
Harnessing the potential of tourism, which makes up 10 per cent of world GDP, to advance SDGs
UNWTO has launched an online platform to better engage the tourism sector in the advancement towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the support of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Tourism4SDGs.org is a “co-creation space” that allows users to access a wide range of resources, add their own initiatives, findings and projects, motivate discussion and collaboration, and share content related to tourism and sustainable development.
Harnessing the potential of tourism, which makes up 10 per cent of world GDP, to advance SDGs
“Tourism plays a vital role in many, if not all, of the 17 Goals”, said UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili. “Tourism has come of age as a cross-cutting economic activity with deep social ramifications.”
Ambassador Raymund Furrer of SECO commented: “Switzerland strongly supports this platform as it will allow a focus on the three main components of sustainable tourism: its economic, environmental and social dimensions.”
Learn, Share and Act, the three levels of interaction at Tourism4SDGs.org, aim not only to educate but also to encourage conversation and collaboration towards a sustainable tourism sector.
The platform was launched during the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’ in New York this month, during an event co-hosted by UNWTO and the One Planet network.
The 17 SDGs constitute a global agenda for people, planet, prosperity and peace through partnerships. The SDGs aim to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and solve climate change by 2030.
