Thai property developer Sansiri eyes a slice of hospitality action

January 23, 2018

ttf-sansiri — (From left) STR Global's Jesper Palmqvist; Sansiri's Apichart Chutrakul; and TTF 2018 co-organiser and C9 Hotelworks' managing director, Bill Barnett.

Thai luxury property developer Sansiri, better known for building high-end residences and condominiums across the country, has now forayed outside of the real estate sector as part of a push to diversity its portfolio.

On its agenda is to bring The Standard Hotels, a boutique hotel chain in the US, into Thailand and other South-east Asian countries very soon, announced Sansiri CEO Apichart Chutrakul at a press conference during the Thailand Tourism Forum 2018 in Bangkok yesterday.

(From left) STR Global’s Jesper Palmqvist; Sansiri’s Apichart Chutrakul; and TTF 2018 co-organiser, Bill Barnett of C9 Hotelworks

The Thai property company is “not new to the hotel game”, stated Apichart, as it already owns two small hotels with about 50-60 rooms in Hua Hin and Khao Yai to complement its condominium business. “We are no longer just a property company; we have now become a mixed development company,” he added.

“We want to bring the West to the East,” Apichart declared. “We want to bring some of the best brands and operators to be based here. We believe tourist numbers will grow and we want to bring Bangkok up to standard with mega cities of the world like Tokyo, London and New York.”

Besides Standard International, the Bangkok-listed developer has recently invested in five other lifestyle and technology businesses – One Night, a last-minute boutique hotel booking app; Hostmaker, a London-based management company for Airbnb hosts; JustCo, a Singapore-based co-working group; Farmshelf, an indoor farm start-up; and lifestyle magazine Monocle.

Together, these six brands, which represent an investment of US$80 million, will enable Sansiri to drive the “transformation” in Thailand’s hospitality and lifestyle sectors to meet the demands of a new generation of travellers.

Meanwhile, Sansiri will continue to seek deals in other hospitality-related businesses in future, revealed Apichart.

STB partners Grab on e-payment, transportation initiatives

By TTG Asia

January 23, 2018

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grab-app — STB looking to enhance visitor experience using Grab's cashless payment solution, ride services and booking APIs

Keen to position itself beyond a ride-hailing company, Grab has entered into a three-year MoU with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to collaborate on a range of initiatives, from rolling out its cashless payment solution at tourist hotspots to offering mobility services for STB’s MICE industry partners.

In line with the national push to go cashless, Grab and STB will roll out GrabPay at locations including hawker centres, dining establishments, cultural and lifestyle precincts, shopping centres and tourist attractions.

STB looking to enhance visitor experience using Grab’s cashless payment solution, ride services and booking APIs

The cashless payment solution will also allow visitors to redeem GrabRewards points through the Grab app to discover other experiences and events.

Grab will also offer a range of its services, from GrabCoach to GrabCar Premium, to STB’s partners in Singapore’s MICE industry.

To proliferate the adoption of cashless payments in a more targeted manner, Grab and STB will exchange insights on visitor preferences, and will also launch a joint study to better understand visitors’ behavioural patterns and preferences for transport modes to get around Singapore.

In addition, Grab will be sharing its booking APIs in phases through STB’s Tourism Information & Services Hub (TIH), allowing select tourism businesses to integrate Grab’s various tools into their own digital platforms. This will enable visitors to better plan travel routes by providing easier access to information about estimated fares and waiting times.

Commenting on the partnership, Quek Choon Yang, chief technology officer at the STB, said: “With Grab’s extensive presence in the South-east Asian region, which contributes a very large share of our visitors, we are confident of reaching a sizable audience through the multi-faceted touch points offered through the Grab app. Together, we will create a travel experience that is both seamless and personalised to the needs of our visitors.”

FATA elects new board, MATTA’s Hamzah president again

By TTG Asia

January 23, 2018

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Datuk-Hamzah-Rahmat — Hamzah will be president for another term

At its annual general meeting held yesterday in Chiang Mai, the Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA) re-elected Hamzah Rahmat of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents as president for the second consecutive term.

Hamzah will be president for another term

Also elected were Mingkwan Metmowlee of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, who was named deputy president; Pauline Suharno of the Association of Air Ticketing Companies in Indonesia as secretary general; and Cesar Cruz of the Philippine Tour Operators as honorary treasurer.

Hilton makes key appointments in India

By TTG Asia

January 23, 2018

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Hilton has named Navjit Ahluwalia as senior vice president and country head, India and Jatin Khanna as vice president and head of operations, India.

Effective immediately, Navjit will oversee Hilton’s 33 hotels trading and under development, including the recently opened Conrad Bengaluru, while leading the company’s growth strategy in the country.

Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks Hotel

An Indian native, Navjit brings to Hilton 30 years of hospitality experience, including over 13 years at Marriott International where he held key leadership roles, the most recent being senior vice president responsible for expanding the company’s portfolio in South Asia.

Jatin, who assumes his position next month, takes over operations from Andre Gomez, who will be moving to a new role elsewhere in the company.

Also an Indian native, Jatin holds over 20 years of operations experience, including with both InterContinental Hotels Group and most recently Marriott International, where he managed the company’s full portfolio in Bengaluru city as vice president, Bengaluru and general manager for the Bengaluru Marriott Hotel.

Bang the drum for new Hokkaido ski resort

By TTG Asia

January 23, 2018

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clubmedfosun — Ready for guests to come knocking: (from left) Club Med Greater China's Gino Andreetta, Fosun Tourism Group's Qian Jiannong, Idera's Takuya Yamada and Club Med's Xavier Desaulles

Club Med Tomamu Hokkaido opened for business last week, with over 600 guests from over 20 countries present to celebrate the official launch of the year-round ski resort.

Ready for guests to come knocking: (from left) Club Med Greater China’s Gino Andreetta, Fosun Tourism Group’s Qian Jiannong, Idera’s Takuya Yamada and Club Med’s Xavier Desaulles

Unveiled at the opening ceremony are features including Japan’s largest indoor wave pool, Mina Mina beach, open all year; four dining concepts including specialty restaurant Haku, which serves up farm-to-table yakiniku barbecue with local Hokkaido and Wagyu beef; and winter attraction Ice Village, a frosted forest complete with ice slides, an ice restaurant and bar serving cocktails in ice glasses.

Danish pop-up container suites en route to SE Asia

By Marissa Carruthers

January 22, 2018

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PopUp_Greenland_A_02_EFFEKT — Containers repurposed into pop-up accommodation in Greenland

An innovative breed of accommodation is aiming to shape the future of hospitality, and has its sights set firmly on South-east Asia.

In the modern age of travel, where mass tourism can have a detrimental effect on the environment and people are seeking out unique experiences, Danish start-up Poshtel PopUp believes it has found the solution.

Containers repurposed into pop-up accommodation in Greenland

It plans to “challenge the hotel industry and the dominant logic around it” by offering a sustainable alternative to traditional beds, according to co-founder Kristoffer Bloom.

Having snapped up a fleet of shipping containers, the company’s vision is to transform them into luxury, eco-friendly pop-up suites that are affordable and can be transported anywhere in the world.

Said Bloom: “We often see ourselves as part of a greater movement… sustainability is one of the main factors. Sustainability has moved from being a niche to a necessity. Not (simply) stickers about towels on the floor; we mean deeply embedded responsible behaviour in every piece and element of the business. You can pretty much view the suites as banks of raw materials.”

Franchise deals being negotiated round the globe

With the first project recently opening its doors in Copenhagen, franchise deals are being negotiated across the globe, with prospective sites in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia currently being explored. Projects in Japan and South Korea are also likely to pan out.

“Our plans for South-east Asia are big as the opportunities are endless. In this part of the world, it feels like every corner tells a new story, it’s rich in exciting cultures and rapid growth that opens new possibilities,” Bloom said.

“These traits have led to a lot of over-tourism during the last two decades. This has (led) a lot of travellers to seek out the unexplored. Poshtel’s highly-modular construction method combined with out high concentration on sustainability allows us to enter new, unexplored frontiers.”

Pushing the sustainability element, Poshtel has also designed a utility unit in a box called The 5th Element. This is an off-the-grid utility unit that provides power, water and waste management that is 100 per cent solar powered.

“With this technology, we can really challenge the boundaries of what is today possible in the industry, and that’s exactly what we set out to do,” added Bloom.

Sentosa to get cable car picnics, spruced-up Merlion

By Pamela Chow

January 22, 2018

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2012_panoramic_cablecar-SuperEdit_wLine_cropped — Picnic in the sky concept

The iconic Merlion structure on Sentosa Island and the Singapore Cable Car running from Mount Faber into Sentosa are primed for a suite of enhancements in 2018.

The developments will be made under the new One Faber Group, an autonomous subsidiary of the Sentosa Development Corporation that also manages other attractions such as Sentosa’s night show Wings of Time, FUN Shop and Faber Peak Singapore.

Fine dining in the sky products to be designed for couples and families

A refresh of content and attraction experience will be given to Singapore’s largest Merlion structure, located in Sentosa, to be fitted with augmented and virtual reality elements, Lim Suat Jien, managing director of One Faber Group, told TTG Asia in an interview.

Lim added that by popular demand for the “romantic and intimate” Dining on Cloud 9 – which arranges a fine-dining experience on cable-car rides between Harbourfront and Mount Faber – the product will soon be extended to also run on the Sentosa line, and will also offer family-friendly packages.

“On the Sentosa line, we’re going to introduce a more ‘family’ feel with a picnic-in-the-sky concept. For this, we will bring bento sets. It’s a picnic with a difference,” revealed Lim.

She confirmed that the refreshed Merlion is scheduled to be unveiled in 2Q2018, while cable car dining on Sentosa Line would be launched in 2018.

This follows the group’s launch of its new brand video, key visual and tagline – “One Escapade, Countless Experiences” – last Friday. With this new branding, One Faber Group will look into creating a “seamless experience” between Mount Faber and Sentosa, which are connected by the Singapore Cable Car, described Lim.

More recently, the group has opened the Dusk Restaurant and Bar that overlooks the Harbourfront skyline, and enhancing the Wings of Time show with on-ground elements such as mascot meet-and-greet sessions during special occassions.

The group is also incorporating its new developments into its regional outreach to target markets such as India and China. The latter will be engaged through popular platforms such as WeChat and Alipay.

US government shutdown affects national parks, monuments

By TTG Asia

January 22, 2018

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whitehouse — About a third of the more than 400 national park sites across the country are completely closed

Many key tourist attractions and national parks have had their regular operations disrupted due to the US government shutdown, which began on Saturday.

The federal government will stop paying staff for duties that are classed as “non-essential”, which affects many but not all tourist facilities in the country.

About a third of the more than 400 national park sites across the country are completely closed

The partial government shutdown will not affect front-line staff in international and domestic aviation – air-traffic control, Customs & Border Protection and airport security in the US – as these are classed as essential workers and therefore will continue to report for duty and be paid as normal.

The Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service (NPS), has issued an “Important Shutdown Notice” to announce that the NPS is “conducting no park operations and providing no visitor services”.

The National Parks Conservation Association estimated that about a third of the more than 400 national park sites across the country are completely closed, reported the Los Angeles Times.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday announced that the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which was forced to close on Sunday due to the federal government shutdown, will be open for visitors on Monday, with New York state picking up the tab for federal workers.

In San Francisco, one of main destinations in the Bay Area, Alcatraz, is affected by the shutdown. Ferries are still running to take tourists to The Rock, and the island will stay open. However, rangers will not be available to give tours and tourists won’t be able to visit at night either.

Most American museums will not be affected as the vast majority are not fun by the federal government.

For visitors to the US, the ESTA system for online travel authorisation will continue to function as normal.

Gardens by the Bay founder Kiat W Tan to retire

By TTG Asia

January 22, 2018

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Dr_Kiat_W_Tan_RS — Tan's "City in a Garden" vision came to be hugely pivotal

Founding CEO of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, Kiat W Tan, will step down from his role on February 15, to be succeeded by current COO, Felix Loh.

With a career built around the stewardship of nature, Tan has dedicated over 30 years to conserving the natural heritage in an increasingly urbanised Singapore.

Tan, with his vision of Singapore as a “City within a Garden”, played a pivotal role in the development of the city’s green spaces and key attractions

He was instrumental in the conceptualisation and development of Gardens by the Bay, and has also held several senior appointments, including founding CEO of National Parks Board from 1990 to 2006.

Envisioning Singapore as a “City in a Garden”, Tan intensified Singapore’s green spaces through the development of more green lungs and corridors. He also laid out the master plan for the redevelopment of Singapore Botanic Gardens and spearheaded its transformation into a world-class botanical institution.

He introduced the Singapore Garden Festival in 2006 and was instrumental in helping Singapore win the opportunity to host the 20th World Orchid Conference in 2011.

After his retirement, Tan will continue to play an important role in the progress of the Gardens as corporate advisor. This will include providing landscape and horticultural advice for the upcoming development of the Founders’ Memorial at Bay East Garden.

His successor, Loh, a horticulturist by training, joined the Gardens four years ago and has more than 20 years of experience in parks management, horticulture and landscape industry development, and policy development.

A former National Parks Board scholar, Loh had also served in the Ministry of National Development in various capacities, overseeing infrastructure policies, human resource, finance and corporate development functions.

Emirates comes to A380’s rescue with US$16bn deal

By TTG Asia

January 22, 2018

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emirates-a380 — Emirates has a combined 178 A380s in its existing fleet and on order

Talk of the Airbus A380 falling off the production line has been thrashed for now with Emirates announcing a US$16 billion order for 36 additional Airbus A380 aircraft, with 20 firm orders and 16 options.

With no orders made on the A380 last year, and some in the industry pegging it a less viable and efficient aircraft compared to the Dreamliner, Airbus COO John Leahy reportedly stated last Monday the company might have to axe the A380 should Emirates not put down an order.

Emirates has a combined 178 A380s in its existing fleet and on order

Just days after, Emirates extended this very lifeline to the A380. The 36 additional Airbus A380s will be delivered to Emirates from 2020 onwards – together with the airline’s 101-strong A380 fleet and its current order backlog for 41 aircraft – will bring the airline’s commitment to the A380 programme to 178 aircraft, worth over US$60 billion.

Some of the new A380s will go towards fleet replacement, according to Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

“We’ve made no secret of the fact that the A380 has been a success for Emirates. Our customers love it, and we’ve been able to deploy it on different missions across our network, giving us flexibility in terms of range and passenger mix,” Ahmed explained.

Other winning qualities of the A380, he added, are “the technology and real estate on board” which have given the airline “plenty of room to do something different with the interiors”.

Commented a more optimistic Leahy: “This new order underscores Airbus’ commitment to produce the A380 at least for another 10 years. I’m personally convinced more orders will follow Emirates’ example and that this great aircraft will be built well into the 2030s.”

Thai property developer Sansiri eyes a slice of hospitality action

STB partners Grab on e-payment, transportation initiatives

FATA elects new board, MATTA’s Hamzah president again

Hilton makes key appointments in India

Bang the drum for new Hokkaido ski resort

Sentosa to get cable car picnics, spruced-up Merlion

US government shutdown affects national parks, monuments

Gardens by the Bay founder Kiat W Tan to retire

Emirates comes to A380’s rescue with US$16bn deal

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