Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Myanmar has appointed Ashok Kapur as cluster director of business development to bolster the group’s growing footprint in the country.
In his new role, Ashok will drive sales, PR, marketing, revenue, reservations and convention sales for all Hilton hotels in Myanmar, and support strategic business planning for properties under development.
He will be based at the cluster office in Hilton Mandalay. Originally from India, Ashok is an industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in travel and hospitality.
Pictured, Sentido Graceland Khao Lak Resort & Spa, part of the Thomas Cook Group
Thomas Cook Group and Asian Trails will create a new joint venture DMC in Thailand, set to begin operating on November 1 and handle over 100,000 Thomas Cook customers visiting the destination annually.
For the Thomas Cook Group, the creation of Thomas Cook In Destination Management represents another step forward in creating greater operational efficiency. Similar operating models are already in place in Spain, Portugal and the US, and the group says this “simpler approach fits the new shape of Thomas Cook” and its strategy for profitable growth.
Sentido Graceland Khao Lak Resort & Spa, part of the Thomas Cook Group
Michael Scheidler, group destination management director at Thomas Cook, said: “Working with a single partner to create our own DMC, based in this important destination for the group, means that we can take greater control of the quality and consistency of service all our customers will have during their holiday. We already have a successful partnership with Asian Trails in the UK and look forward to building on that for the benefit of our customers from all countries.”
Laurent Kuenzle, CEO Asian Trails Group, shared that the team in Thailand has been committed to a synergistic partnership with Thomas Cook since it entered into “more intense collaboration” with Thomas Cook UK in 2016.
The new company’s administrative headquarters will be in Bangkok, with an operation hub opening in Phuket.
A local working party of representatives from both companies is now working to finalise the preparations, structure and begin recruitment to ensure the new business is well positioned for the start of the winter 2018/19 season.
Guests of Charlotte Marriott City Center and Marriott Irvine Spectrum in the US to be among the first to enjoy Alexa for Hospitality
Amazon has launched Alexa for Hospitality, a programme designed to bring its voice assistant into hotels, enabling guests to order room service, request housekeeping or call the concierge for dinner recommendations without even picking up the phone.
The Internet giant is extending the voice-first service to hospitality providers on a by-invitation-only basis. The experience will be rolled out to select properties under brands such as Marriott Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, St Regis Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels and Autograph Collection Hotels starting this summer.
Jennifer Hsieh, vice president customer experience innovation, Marriott International, said: “Guests of Charlotte Marriott City Center and Marriott Irvine Spectrum will be among the first to experience a curated list of Alexa for Hospitality features. We will be evaluating guest feedback and adoption to inform how we expand the skills, features and functionality offered through Alexa in our hotels.”
Guests of Charlotte Marriott City Center and Marriott Irvine Spectrum in the US to be among the first to enjoy Alexa for Hospitality
Alexa can also be configured by hospitality providers to allow guests to control and adjust in-room devices like lights, thermostats, blinds and TVs to their individual preferences or ask Alexa to play music from popular services including iHeartRadio and TuneIn.
Moreover, guests can be given access to Alexa skills to check airport wait times, play games, get in a guided workout, play white noise to help them fall asleep, and more.
Soon, Alexa for Hospitality will support the ability for Amazon customers to temporarily connect their Amazon account to the Alexa-enabled device in their room. Once connected, guests will be able to play their personal music from services including Amazon Music, Spotify and Pandora; and listen to audiobooks with Audible.
And when a guest checks out, Alexa for Hospitality automatically disconnects their Amazon account from the in-room device.
To facilitate Alexa integration for hotels, Alexa for Hospitality is working with major property management, ticketing and guest engagement solutions.
According to Amazon, Alexa for Hospitality is built to work with existing hotel technologies, reducing or eliminating the need to retrofit or upgrade existing investments, and works with a range of trusted hospitality solution providers. Features developed by DigiValet, Intelity, Nuvola, and Volara allow guests to make requests like “Alexa, order wine” or “Alexa, book a spa appointment” with requests routed to hotel property management systems.
Alexa for Hospitality also works with guest room entertainment providers including World Cinema and GuestTek for voice control of TV experiences, and in-room control of connected devices using Crestron and Inncom by Honeywell.
In addition, hotels can customise the deployment by selecting default music stations that match their brand, adding property contacts to order room service or booking a spa treatment, and connecting to custom skills that only their guests can access.
For example, at Marriott Hotels properties where Alexa for Hospitality is deployed, guests can take advantage of the brand’s partnership with TED by requesting Alexa play a TED Talk.
Port calls in Okinawa in 2017 were up 33 per cent year-on-year
The proliferation of LCCs and increased frequency of air and sea routes are driving rapid growth in Okinawa, Japan’s southern-most archipelago.
Direct flights are in operation from countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and China. According to Yasushi Nakamura, vice-president of Okinawa Tourist Service, the main airport in Naha now receives more than 200 direct international flights per week, compared to 40-50 five years ago.
Port calls in Okinawa in 2017 were up 33 per cent year-on-year
Port calls in Okinawa in 2017 were up 33 per cent year-on-year, according to the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB). More than 500 cruise ships docked on the island chain, most of which hailed from Taiwan and China.
The result has been an unprecedented number of visitors: nearly 2.7 million fiscal 2017, representing a 26.4 per cent increase year-on-year, according to OCVB.
Kazuhiko Yoshioka, manager of the Okinawa inbound and MICE department of Nippon Travel Agency, attributes the archipelago’s popularity to its proximity to other Asian nations and Japan’s relaxation of visa requirements.
As well, some experts are observing that the Instagram-worthy beaches and sea have attracted the younger market.
Yasutomo Morikawa, spokesperson for the Kinki Nippon Tourist Group, agreed that Okinawa’s positioning as a resort destination has fuelled its growth. He predicts the firm’s April to June 2018 Okinawa sales will be up 30 per cent over the same period last year.
Meanwhile Ryubo Travel Service reported a 113 per cent increase in sales over the January to May 2018 period, most of which was derived from Taiwanese visitors.
The hotel market has responded with a spurt of openings, including new glamping resorts Island Magic Senagajima and Kariyushi Beach Glamping. DoubleTree by Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort launched in June and The Luxury Collection Hotel’s Iraph Sui will open in late 2018. The Hilton Okinawa Sesoko Resort is slated for 2020.
Further growth in Okinawa is expected due to the addition of more flights and another airport this year. By fiscal 2021, the government aims to attract 12 million visitors annually.
Tomer (centre) always offers durians to clients to end their Singapore food tour experience on a memorable note
What brought you to Singapore to conduct culinary tours?
I was a chef in Israel before coming to Singapore eight years ago to join my husband who was here for work. I’m a foodie and my passion is local markets and food, so when a Malay friend here took me to Tekka Market, I fell in love.
I remember having chicken biryani (spicy rice), served on a banana leaf with egg, mutton and cashew, and it was amazing. After three days of eating like this, my heart was in Singapore.
I wanted to share my passion with other visitors. Back (in 2010), there was no TripAdvisor, and I found it hard to find the local wet markets. When I started Wok ‘n’ Stroll, my company was one of the few players offering culinary tours.
What preparation did you have to do?
After my visit to Tekka Market, I bought books from Dr Leslie Tay (a prominent food blogger with a taste for hawker fare) and Makansutra (a local food guide and standard). I read blogs of people who miss Singapore food, like their grandmother’s popiah (vegetable wrap). I read up on every dish that I ate.
I wanted to share all of these by taking people out of the air-conditioned malls and off the beaten track. It took about two to three years to be licensed as a travel agent and create our first tours.
How do you ensure customers receive the best experience from your tours?
Manpower and guides are important. Our customers deserve to receive the best knowledge and service. Our guides are all professional – they know how to work with clients, be attentive, on time, tidy and give the best customer service.
But they also know how to be a passionate food explorer. They all have a background in food – from a blogger to a guy whose wife sells noodles in a canteen – so they can tell you about everything from the culture to the ingredients.
I tell my guides to take me as a tourist and be able to entertain me. I have to learn something interesting and surprising.
As guides, we are the ambassadors of Singapore for the three hours of our tour. Some clients have certain expectations about the tour and food, which can sound romantic to them, but sometimes they don’t like what they’re tasting.
For example, some customers find the belacan (chilli) too spicy and they want a beer, so I always tell our guides to just give them what they ask for. Let them enjoy it and go home happy.
I don’t just show my customers to a trendy restaurant – I take them to tour the establishment. We try to do unique experiences that revolve around food.
And we always give our customers durian at the end of the tour! Even if they don’t like it, they will still remember the good experience of Singapore.
As a non-Singaporean, how do you connect with the locals? What are the challenges and how do you overcome them?
As a former chef, I know the hawkers’ frustrations and appreciate the work that they do. We try to keep a close relationship with the hawkers. Some of them are our friends – we give them Chinese New Year or Deepavali presents, and they greet us during the New Year. We engage them in activities as our partners, and we’re even friends on Facebook.
One of our challenges was learning how to chope (reserve) hawker centre seats for big groups of 40. We have a food producer go to the market earlier to set up placemats and cutlery on the tables.
What is the next step for Wok ‘n’ Stroll?
We are working on technological developments that will take Wok ‘n’ Stroll to the next stage. I keep in touch with our clients to see what they’re looking for and what the next trend is, e.g. we are exploring a “catch of the day” tour to the fishery ports.We are also looking into developing tours tailored for the Chinese market, which is starting to visit the local hawker centres.
Hailed to live up to the success of ILTM Cannes, ILTM Asia Pacific came through and proved a hit with luxury buyers and sellers in its inaugural edition in Singapore.
Not only did ITLM Asia Pacific bring more luxury buyers and specialists from around the region to Singapore, the dedicated four-day event also opened doors to new business opportunities, greater engagement and awe-inspiring fun for the luxury travel community during their time in the Lion City.
In this video, hear from ILTM’s portfolio director Alison Gilmore, first-time attendees seeking extraordinary products for high-end clients, and sellers celebrating milestones in conjunction with the first-time event.
Can’t get enough of a good thing? Look out for ILTM Asia Pacific 2019!
Next phase for the website includes enhancements to the MICE section
Tour East has launched a new website, which will serve as a knowledge and information centre for its B2B travel industry partners.
Speaking on the launch, Chris Bailey – senior vice president said: “Our aim in designing this new site was to create a digital shop window to the world of Tour East and its portfolio of services, products and destination information from 15 countries throughout Asia-Pacific.”
Next phase for the website includes enhancements to the MICE section
The site also acts as a gateway for its travel industry partners using the Web-Connect booking platform, which houses thousands of products and services in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Korea will soon be added to the portfolio, and Tour East aims to have its whole network accessible by year end.
The next phase for the website includes further enhancements to the MICE section, expected to result in a one-stop tool for organisers to gather and collate information and data for planning their programmes throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Suppliers can now edit content directly instead of having to go through Livn
Tours and activities aggregator Livn has launched Content Manager, a self-service tool for suppliers to control the presentation of their products on the global distribution platform.
Business solutions general manager at Livn, Gary Gelenter, explained that once the products have been loaded onto the platform by the Livn product team, suppliers are able to log on and view how their products are presented to travel agents with the ability to also edit and enhance.
Suppliers can now edit content directly instead of having to go through Livn
“Now suppliers can edit and verify their products 24/7 without having to waste precious time sending emails back and forth with the Livn content team. Importantly from our supplier partner perspective, this improves the time to market from sign up to sale by almost half.”
Livn tours and activities products are now also airport and geo-coded to make them easier for agents to search for and sell, while notifications about new products and pricing can be done by ticking a box.
Content Manager has been made available to Livn’s contracted wholesale clients.
The Sydney-based company aggregates the inventory of more than 15,000 tour operators, sourcing more than 700,000 products, all of them bookable live, via a unified API which can be quickly integrated into any sales platform.
Livn has agency distribution agreements with key retailers such as Flight Centre, while its inventory has also been integrated into the Amadeus GDS, allowing agents to seamlessly book tours and activities product with instant confirmations and ticketing.
China Airlines to launch Kaohsiung-Jakarta flights
China Airlines will soon begin a new route from Kaohsiung to Jakarta via Hong Kong on July 1.
CI671 will depart Kaohsiung at 14.10 and arrive in Hong Kong at 15.35. It will then depart Hong Kong at 16.35 and arrive in Jakarta at 20.20. The return leg will depart Jakarta at 06.25, and arrive in Hong Kong at 12.25. It will then depart Hong Kong at 13.25 and arrive back in Kaohsiung at 14.55. The route will be operated daily on a Boeing B737-800.
Berlin becomes Scoot’s third longhaul destination
Scoot has launched its third longhaul destination, Berlin, connecting Singapore with the German capital with four-times-weekly direct flights.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flights will depart Singapore at 12.25 and arrive in Berlin at 07.20. The return flight will depart Berlin at 09.40 and arrive back in Singapore at 03.45 the following day. The route will be serviced with a 787 Dreamliner.
SAS moves Hong Kong route from Stockholm to Copenhagen
From October 28, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will shift its Hong Kong route from Stockholm, Arlanda to Copenhagen, Kastrup. The airline will ply the new route five days a week.
On October 28, SK965 will depart Copenhagen at 20.55 and arrive in Hong Kong at 14.45 the following day.
SAS has struggled with profitability on the Stockholm-Hong Kong route since launching it three years ago, but said the new slot would offer an improved timetable including night flights.
Passengers that have already booked a flight from Stockholm will be rebooked via Copenhagen to Hong Kong.
Delta announces destination updates
Delta Air Lines will launch two new routes between the US and Asia-Pacific next year as it pulls the plug on its Hong Kong-Seattle service later this year.
The American carrier will begin direct services between Minneapolis-Saint Paul in Minnesota, and Seoul, as well as non-stop flights between Seattle and Osaka-Kansai. The latter route will be included in Delta’s joint venture partnership with Korean Air, which serves 12 destinations in Japan.
Lastly, Delta will cease Seattle-Hong Kong service, with the last flight out of Hong Kong on October 4, 2018. Delta will continue to serve Hong Kong from Seattle via Seoul Incheon, with its joint venture partner Korean Air.
PAL now flying a tri-class A330 to Auckland
Since June 18, Philippine Airlines (PAL) started utilising its tri-class Airbus A330-343 on its non-stop flights from Manila to Auckland, increasing the capacity on this route by 22 per cent.
PAL replaced the original 414 economy seats with three new cabin sections, resulting in a more spacious cabin with only 309 seats. The refurbished A330 has 18 business class, 24 premium economy and 267 regular economy seats.
The thrice-weekly service leaves Manila on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The return flight, PR219, departs Auckland on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Making an online booking is often where most customers start their travel experience today. Amid stiff competition, brands need to cut through the clutter, ensuring that their target audience not only lands on their page, but completes the booking.
Steve Miller Jones
Ensuring reliability
Consumers want a fast and consistent experience each time they interact with brands online.
According to Limelight Network’s State of User Experience survey, 84 per cent of respondents expect web performance consistency across devices; 43 per cent said they would abandon the current booking site in favour of a competitor’s if the experience is slow.
Brands should look to integrate content delivery network (CDN) solutions, which can ensure this amid changing network conditions. Users will gain fast content access without rebuffering, and ultimately have a positive experience.
Ensuring security
Beyond providing an interactive user experience, brands need to ensure that their site is secure. With 98 per cent of organisations experiencing cyberattacks since 2016, brands need to be adequately equipped, as cyberattacks ultimately undermine customer trust and relationships.
This can be safeguarded by automatically stopping bad bots and facilitating good bots through a trusted CDN, to maintain revenue-generating traffic. This will ensure the speed of customer experience, through ongoing monitoring that protects web applications without impacting performance.
Benefiting from an optimised user experience
When users enjoy a beneficial web experience, brands ultimately gain profitability and customer trust.
In the case of Cebu Pacific, an airline which receives 90 per cent of its user bookings online, they wanted to not only ensure web acceleration but security of revenue and routes by managing partner bots. By implementing a CDN, it saw a 61 per cent improvement in global delivery performance, successfully scaling with customer requirements.
As such, an optimised user experience is more crucial than ever. Brands should start by taking the first step, by identifying technology partners that can edge them closer to this goal.
Limelight Networks is a global CDN service provider that enables organisations to deliver faster websites, more responsive applications, highest-quality videos, and consistent game and software downloads to any device.
