PPHG rolls out B2B and B2C loyalty programmes

September 11, 2018

Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) has introduced two new loyalty programmes – Pan Pacific Discovery for guests and Pan Pacific Connections for corporate bookers.

Through Pan Pacific Discover (panpacific.com/discovery), customers will be able to avail the guest loyalty programme and its selection of benefits, personalised services and local experiences. Benefits include an exclusive members’ rate, late check-out till 15.00, and upgrades to the next room category with direct bookings.

PPHG’s B2C programme for its loyal customers

PPHG will also extend customised privileges for residents of its Serviced Suites, with a range of benefits such as branded toiletries and complimentary laundry.

Pan Pacific Connections, a by-invitation only bookers’ programme, recognises, retains and rewards loyal corporates bookers for booking rooms, meetings and events at all hotels, resorts and serviced suites under PPHG. Membership is open to both corporate accounts and individual booker accounts, where members earn points for every eligible stay and meeting.

Delivered through a digital platform, corporate bookers can log in to their account round-the-clock and book negotiated corporate rates or special corporate rates directly through the website, www.panpacificconnections.com. Members enjoy instant reward points for their bookings, which can be used to redeem a selection of rewards from hotel stays, dining, wellness, lifestyle and shopping products.

Vietnam’s first Ramada heads for Ho Tram Strip

By TTG Asia

September 11, 2018

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Ramada-Worldwide-by-Wyndham-Ho-Tram — 241-key Ramada by Wyndham Ho Tram Strip to be part of Vietnam’s first integrated resort

Vietnam is set to welcome its first Ramada Worldwide by Wyndham with a scheduled late-2019 opening in the up-and-coming Ho Tram.

Owned and developed by Ho Tram Project Company, Ramada by Wyndham Ho Tram Strip will occupy 5.3ha of seafront land within the Ho Tram Strip – Vietnam’s first integrated beach resort destination which covers 164ha and a 2.2km beachfront site.

The upcoming Ramada by Wyndham Ho Tram Strip will be part of Vietnam’s first integrated resort

The hotel will feature 198-key hotel will feature seven two-bedroom penthouses and 36 three-bedroom villas, two outdoor pools, a spa, a gym, two restaurants, a pool bar and meeting rooms.

Guests will also be able to access the facilities of the surrounding Ho Tram Strip, including a convention centre, a casino, a shopping precinct, multiple restaurants and bars, and The Bluffs, an 18-hole links-style championship golf course designed by Greg Norman. A new water park is also under construction as well as an amphitheatre seating up to 2,000 people.

The property will be located than two hours from Ho Chi Minh City and Tan Son Nhat International Airport, and 60km from the upcoming Long Thanh International Airport.

Cambodia’s tourism sector eyes new markets in region

By Marissa Carruthers

September 10, 2018

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Tourists-at-Banteay-Srei — Cambodia is looking to develop new visitor source markets from the Asia-Pacific. Chinese tourists at Banteay Srei, one of the smallest sites at Angkor, pictured

With tourist arrivals from China, Thailand and Vietnam coming in greater numbers than before, Cambodia is keen to develop new feeder markets in the region for growth.

Several new visitor source markets are coming onto the radar of PATA Cambodia Chapter’s (PCC), which invited tour operators to its inaugural Biz Fair held last week from September 3 to 5.

Cambodia is looking to develop new visitor source markets from the Asia-Pacific. Chinese tourists at Banteay Srei, one of the smallest sites at Angkor, pictured

Among the emerging feeder markets PCC is targeting is Bangladesh. Sinan Thourn, PCC chairman, said: “If you look at the country, it has about three million people travelling abroad, and they are looking for new destinations. Many go to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Cambodia is overlooked and is missing out.”

Thourn added that PCC wants to attract the masses of Indonesians who travel to Thailand annually but skip neighbouring Cambodia. He said: “Outbound tourism from Indonesia is growing and a lot go to Thailand.”

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal will also be targeted in 2019. “We predict these markets will pick up. We can’t just focus on China,” added Thourn. PCC plans to organise a series of fam trips, carry out targeted marketing and build on the first Biz Fair.

Mohosin Iqbal, CEO of Amazing Tours in Bangladesh, said with Thailand ranking as Bangladesh’s second most popular outbound destination, he plans to push neighbouring Cambodia.

Said Iqbal: “Cambodia is our new destination and we have a strong and growing outbound market looking for new countries. Interest in Cambodia is already starting.”

Sariul Islam Razu, CEO of Serve International, added he will put together packages promoting Cambodia to his clients.

However, Thourn said the main challenge remains with air connectivity. “There are no direct flights from these destinations. We are only two hours away from Indonesia, for example, but with no connections we seem so far away. But we can’t wait for the flights to come to start pushing, we have to start now.”

Nuno Costa, marketing and sales director of Cambodia Airports, said they are currently working with several airlines to develop routes to new destinations. He added: “Indonesia is one of them. At this point, we are still in talks.”

Lombok’s Mount Rinjani puts hiking trails off limits for a year

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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mount-rinjani-trekkers — Mount Rinjani is a popular spot for trekkers

Mount Rinjani’s hiking trails are expected to remain close for a year, after the recent Lombok earthquakes triggered landslides and fissures at the park, the Jakarta Post reports.

Head of Rinjani National Park, Sudiyono reportedly told KompasTravel that the park is not safe for visitors now.

Over the span of about a year, landscape and ecosystem recovery will take place, he said. The year-long closure is also expected to give time for the soil to stabilise.

Mövenpick CEO Olivier Chavy steps down after Accor acquisition

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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Following AccorHotels’ completion of its acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts on September 3, Olivier Chavy announced on his personal LinkedIn page that he has stepped down from his role as the CEO and president of the Swiss hotel chain with immediate effect.

Chavvy shared that it is with a “mix of emotion, immense gratitude, pride and some sadness” as he leaves his position at Mövenpick, a role that he took up in 2016. “I am going to take that much-needed breather, and then start searching for a new challenge,” he wrote.

Chavy steps down as AccorHotels is now the new owner of the Mövenpick brand

AccorHotels has now acquired 100 per cent of Mövenpick’s share capital, and the full brand use rights for the Movenpick Hotels & Resorts brand for all activities related to the hospitality business.

The French hospitality giant currently has 84 properties in Asia and Europe, numbering 20,000 rooms, in Mövenpick’s name. The brand’s global pipeline of 42 signed or proposed properties, scheduled to be opened by December 2021, is now in the control of AccorHotels.

For members of Le Club AccorHotels, the transaction now brings the Movenpick network into the loyalty programme, where members can now earn and redeem points at all Movenpick properties.

Koh Samui’s measured approach to growth pays off in hotel performance: C9

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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Angthong-national-marine-park,-Koh-Samui — Angthong national marine park, Koh Samui

Despite recording strong growth in international passenger arrivals in recent years, C9 Hotelworks says the Koh Samui remains a “calm in the middle of a gathering storm” as most of Thailand’s resort destinations face an onslaught of mass tourism.

A new report by C9 showed that international passenger arrivals at Koh Samui’s airport over five years doubled in 2016, rising another 15% in 2017 over the previous year. Two factors that come into play in the airlift is Bangkok Airways’ proliferation of codeshare agreements along multiplication of more regional direct routes, C9 says.

C9 pointed out that while LCCs have tapped into Asia’s soaring consumer class in most destinations, creating dizzying growth numbers, the island’s privately-owned airport has allowed for poised and sustained development over the past five years.

In Koh Samui, airlift, luxury hotel brands and a developing wellness sector are among the factors that are “boding well for a sustainable growth profile”, according C9.

Citing figures from STR, C9 observes the domino effect of the various factors at play on the defined uptick in Koh Samui’s hotel performance over the past three years. Numbers from the Thai Hotels Association reflect a market-wide RevPAR increase as of the end of June of 7%, comparing year-on-year figures.

C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett said the island’s appeal to upscale travellers stems from its barefoot luxury makings, complemented by global brands such as Four Seasons, W, Conrad, InterContinental and the recently opened Ritz-Carlton, but also a rising tide of wellness focused resorts.

“According to market research, wellness properties such as Kamalaya, Samahita and Vikasa attract year-round visitors, have strong appeal overseas, and trade far less seasonally than many of the legacy properties,” he continued.

“Not only is occupancy a strong point but a longer average length of stay, loyalty in terms of returning guests and direct booking are key attributes.”

Looking ahead, C9’s research points out the growing influence of mainland China which is linked to Bangkok Airways plan to expand airlift to that region.

This trend can be seen in airport international passenger arrivals that by the end of June this year saw Chinese grow by 58%.

One of the traditional geographic source markets Germany also saw a year-on-year spike of 35% for the same period.

Buhdy Bok now MD of One Faber Group

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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Buhdy Bok, an industry veteran with two decades of experience in the aviation and cruise sector, has been appointed managing director of One Faber Group in Singapore.

The One Faber group was last year rebranded from Mount Faber Leisure Group, and has a portfolio spanning Singapore Cable Car, Wings of Time, Sentosa Merlion, Faber Peak Singapore, Dusk Restaurant & Bar, Spuds & Aprons, Good Old Days, Show Bites, Fun Shop, Cable Car Gift Shop and local membership programme Faber Licence.

Bok will be responsible for taking on the next phase of building One Faber Group’s business through its portfolio of leisure products at Faber Peak Singapore and Sentosa Island.

He spent 15 years with Singapore Airlines in the Singapore, Shanghai, Nanjing and Milan offices and seven years with Costa Cruises based in Shanghai. He last held the position of chief commercial officer with NokScoot Airline, a joint venture between Scoot and Nok Air, based in Thailand.

Second edition of STB’s Marketing Innovation Programme now open

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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stb-marketing-innovation-programme — STB will match marketing costs dollar to dollar

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is inviting all Singapore-based business to apply to its second edition of its Marketing Innovation Programme (MIP), which was launched in April 2017 to inspire businesses to experiment more boldly in marketing.

In this edition, businesses will now stand to receive a dollar-for-dollar matching award of up to S$300,000 (US$217,755; excluding GST) to cover the marketing costs pertaining to their campaigns, including creative production of assets and collaterals, marketing-related costs for publicity events and activation, talent engagement and media buys.

STB will match marketing costs dollar to dollar

This is in addition to covering the distribution costs of the campaign that were supported under the inaugural edition of MIP.

Applicants will be evaluated by a panel comprising STB and industry representatives against criteria such as innovativeness and potential to drive tourism outcomes and feasibility of the campaign.

The first MIP attracted 44 proposals from businesses across a wide range of industries, of which three campaigns by AccorHotels, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, and Wildlife Reserves Singapore were granted support for showing the strongest potential of telling a great Singapore story and enhancing the city state’s destination appeal.

Said Jacqueline Ng, STB’s director, marketing partnerships and planning: “We encourage businesses to be bold in pushing the boundaries of marketing and creative storytelling of their businesses to showcase the passions and possibilities of Singapore.”

Applications close on October 15, 2018.

Another airline bites the dust amid Myanmar’s overcapacity

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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Air Mandalay has suspended all scheduled and charter services to restructure its business, the fourth domestic airline in Myanmar to wind up in the face of high fuel prices and slower than projected demand.

Myanmar’s second oldest airline suspended services starting from September 4, with no confirmed date for the resumption of operations. Speaking to the Myanmar Times, Air Mandalay’s spokesperson May Thandar Wi said this would be subject to market conditions.

Air Mandalay has shuttered once more. Photo credit: Flickr/Travel Aficionado

The airline joins Air Bagan, Apex airline and FMI Air to have wound down, leaving six domestic businesses to compete in the sector.

The company stated in a press release that it “has been extremely difficult” to operate in the country and the situation has worsened since 2011, when “a number of new airline licenses were approved to operate in the country.

While president Thein Sein’s administration since 2011 limited the number of airlines operating in the country to 10, there is already too much competition and an overcapacity in the small market. Along with high operational costs, this has seen many domestic airlines making losses, May Thandar Win told the Myanmar Times.

And in 2014-15, the airline was unable to operate for more than a year due to the delay in issuance of import permit for its two Embraer ERJ145 jet aircraft and a nine-month delay in 2017-18.

A foreign private joint venture airline with the government incorporated on October 6, Air Mandalay’s routes before the recent suspension covered Yangon, Myitkyina in Kachin, Sittwe in Rakhine and Tachileik in Shan.

K11 Artus luxury hotel residences to rise in Hong Kong’s Victoria Dockside

By TTG Asia

September 10, 2018

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K11_ARTUS_-_luxury_hotel_residences_within_the_art_and_design_district_V.. — Concept of the K11 Artus, which will form part of the Victoria Dockside development

Hong Kong’s art and design district Victoria Dockside will soon see the addition of K11 Artus, a new luxury hotel residence concept, announced New World Development.

Located at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the property is scheduled to open in summer 2019. It will have 287 residences spanning 14 storeys, featuring open-air waterfront views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island.

Concept of the K11 Artus, which will form part of the Victoria Dockside development

“Artus marks a major milestone for the K11 brand with our expansion into the hospitality sector,” said Adrian Cheng, K11 founder and executive vice-chairman of New World Development.

New York-based architectural studio Kohn Pedersen Fox designed the building while Bangkok-based P Landscape will be responsible for the surrounding greenery. In addition, renowned Hong Kong-based architect Andre Fu and his studio AFSO have been engaged to create the interiors.

Artus will be part of the Victoria Dockside development, a 278,700m2 art and design district in Tsim Sha Tsui. This US$2.6 billion development includes the K11 Atelier office tower and K11 Musea, a new ultra-high-end experiential retail, art, cultural and dining destination.

Paul Cunningham, general manager of hospitality and portfolio management of New World Development, said in a statement: “Combining the convenience of hotels and the comfort of serviced apartments, ARTUS offers flexible rental plans from short- to long-term stays to accommodate the needs of our guests.”

PPHG rolls out B2B and B2C loyalty programmes

Vietnam’s first Ramada heads for Ho Tram Strip

Cambodia’s tourism sector eyes new markets in region

Lombok’s Mount Rinjani puts hiking trails off limits for a year

Mövenpick CEO Olivier Chavy steps down after Accor acquisition

Koh Samui’s measured approach to growth pays off in hotel performance: C9

Buhdy Bok now MD of One Faber Group

Second edition of STB’s Marketing Innovation Programme now open

Another airline bites the dust amid Myanmar’s overcapacity

K11 Artus luxury hotel residences to rise in Hong Kong’s Victoria Dockside

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