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Sri Lanka frets tourism fallout from state of emergency
Travel in Sri Lanka has largely been unaffected by the state of emergency that was declared on Tuesday to curb ethnic unrest in some parts of the country, but the trade is concerned that the crisis will deter tourists from visiting the fledgling destination.
Clashes erupted earlier this week between majority Sinhalese and minority Muslims in the hill station town of Teldeniya in Kandy, a major tourist area. A curfew was imposed on March 7 and lifted on March 8, and was reimposed from 18.00 yesterday evening (Thursday) to 06.00 (today) as a precautionary measure.
A nationwide state of emergency was also imposed on Tuesday as a precaution again the unrest spreading to other areas. This is the first time emergency rule has been enforced in Sri Lanka since it was lifted in 2011, following the end of a savage civil war in 2009.
The US, the UK and Australia have also issued travel advisories, requesting their nationals to exercise caution when travelling in the country.
Travel Trade Association president Trevor Rajaratnam said it was an unfortunate situation as Sri Lanka in recent times has been identified as an emerging travel destination.
“The crisis has created alarm bells and many of us in the industry have been fielding calls from overseas reflecting concerns,” he said, adding that even though the unrest is confined to Teldeniya and the rest of the country was calm, the word ‘emergency’ always creates uncertainty.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority chairman Kavan Ratnayake is now expecting the problems will have a negative impact on tourism. “To say otherwise would be untrue. But how we deal with the situation as an industry and a country will determine how quickly we recover. We are monitoring the situation closely,” he was quoted as saying in local media.
While there are no restrictions to movements for tourists in Kandy, Samantha Ratnayake, president of Kandy Hoteliers Association, acknowledged that there had been cancellations.
Indonesian tourism ministry’s restructure puts marketing development at forefront
The Indonesia Ministry of Tourism’s recent restructure has resulted in marketing development being split into two area-based structures: zone I for domestic and neighbouring markets; and zone II for mid- and longhaul markets.
Nia Niscaya, former director of international tourism promotion with the ministry, now leads zone II as deputy minister of tourism marketing development II. The change has also resulted in a dedicated director taking charge of China, which was previously under the Asia-Pacific director.
“Europe, which was previously grouped with the US, the Middle East and Africa, now also has its own director, while the rest are divided among two other directors.”
Also new in this structure is that each region has its own marketing communications and strategy director.
When asked about her action plans in her new role, Nia said China, Europe and India would be her biggest points of focus this year. Specifically for Europe, the ministry will step up joint promotional efforts with wholesalers and airlines to boost arrivals.
“In the past, our focus was more on branding and we are moving into selling,” she said. “Airlines are the key to accessibility, and in Europe tour operators still play a major role in bringing tourists to a destination. Therefore, we are primarily focusing on collaborating with these two stakeholders.”
Nia revealed that results have been encouraging since the ministry took this step last year.
“At ITB Berlin this year, I will have 40 meetings with industry partners, mostly tour operators, to discuss such cooperations,” she said, adding that the ministry is investing in the promotion of packages wholesalers are selling across different platforms.
“For a certain amount of promotion budget we are to spend, agents must present to us the number of passengers they can produce on top of their own target. The additional numbers must also be new customers, not a ‘steal’ from other operators,” she elaborated.
With airlines, the ministry has linked up with both national and international carriers.
For example, the ministry has a joint promotion agreement with the Philippine Airlines, starting with a London-Manila-Bali/Jakarta deal which was sold during the Indonesia Weekend Festival (in London).
This was followed by the airline’s participation at the World Travel Market and ad placements on London taxis. In return, the ministry promotes the deal on its website.
A similar arrangement is also on-going with the Royal Brunei Airlines for its London-Bandar Seri Begawan-Bali service.
With Dubai-based Emirates, however, the ministry has a different arrangement. It jointly organised a sales mission that featured 10 of Indonesia’s top inbound players. “Emirates sponsored the tickets for both buyers and sellers, while we provided the event venue,” Nia shared.
Talks are now underway with Turkish Airlines, and Nia hopes to leverage the airline’s connectivity to 160 destinations in Europe.
The ministry has set a target of 2.2 million arrivals from Europe this year. European arrivals last year rose 13 per cent over 2016 to reach nearly 1.9 million.
Zone II has been given a marketing budget of 1.8 trillion rupiah (US$138.5 million), with 10 per cent allotted for Europe to be spent on tradeshows, sales missions and fam trips.
Myanmar moves to allay Rakhine fears
Tourism stakeholders in Myanmar are rallying to mitigate the effects of conflict in the north-western Rakhine region on the country’s overall tourism health, with tour operators working closely with Myanmar Tourism Marketing (MTM) to dispel fears among potential visitors.
May Myat Mon Win, MTM chairperson, said: “The (affected) Rakhine area is extremely far away from the main tourist hotspots and even from the new destinations we are promoting now. Myanmar remains one of the safest, most secure and authentic Asian destinations.”
For example, Rakhine’s popular Ngapali Beach is “very far” from the “problem area”, said Kay Thwe Soe, managing director of Amazing Time Travels & Tours.
She remarked: “I have been in the tourism business for 24 years, and I have never been there. This is happening at the border, and our government is negotiating with the Bangladeshi government. All we can do is to invite visitors to come and see for themselves how safe it is.”
When asked if tourism arrivals were dented by the Rakhine conflict, Myanmar sellers insisted that travellers are still curious about the destination.
Lucia Martinez, business developer for Option Way, told TTG Asia that she has seen a rise in bookings for Myanmar. She added: “Myanmar is a favourite among Europeans, and we are in constant negotiations with flight operators to fly there. The French particularly are adventurous and like destinations that are not as popular, so they like to discover Myanmar.”
May Myat Mon Win added: “We are very concerned and sorry about the ongoing conflict. This is not an easy problem because of our country’s difficult history for the past 60, 70 years. We hope that this (situation) can be resolved peacefully.”
“It’s very important for tour operators not to turn their back on the rest of Myanmar, and that they support the tourism industry because (there are) a lot of people working in tourism who need this support. These are people from any race and religion,” said Edwin Briels, executive committee member of MTM.
Malaysia works towards prominent presence in Europe
Malaysia is seeking greater visibility in Europe through two new partnerships, one with ITB Berlin for 2019 and the other with the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association (ECTAA) as its Preferred Destination Partner for 2018.
As the partner country of ITB Berlin 2019, Malaysia will organise the opening ceremony on March 6 next year and from March 7 to 11 will fascinate trade visitors with a colourful programme of events.
“Malaysia’s official partner country titleship at ITB 2019 will entail publicity opportunities globally as well as the potential to reach out to key decision-makers and top industry players,” said Tourism Malaysia’s director-general, Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.
With ECTAA, Tourism Malaysia will highlight the diverse travel and tourism products in the country to members across Europe.
Along with these new efforts, Tourism Malaysia is addressing the lack of direct flights from Europe by working with national carriers of neighbouring countries, specifically Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, to bring in tourists from Europe.
Malaysia lost a direct connection between Frankfurt and Kuala Lumpur in 2015 and 2016 when Malaysia Airlines and Lufthansa suspended flights on this route. However, Germany’s Condor Air stepped in on Novermber 5 last year to service this very route.
Tourism Malaysia also encourages tour operators from Europe to initiate charter flight operations to Malaysia.
These initiatives will hopefully help to arrest the decline in European arrivals, which had seen a double-digit year-on-year drop in major markets such as the UK, Germany and Switzerland in 2016.
Tourism statistics for 2017, up to October, revealed a drop of 10.2 per cent in the UK market to 306,331 tourists; 15.4 per cent drop in the German market to 94,644 tourists; and 19.9 per cent in the Swiss market to 18,062 tourists.
Traditionally, the UK is Malaysia’s top performing European market, followed by Germany. Europe remains an important market for Malaysia as the average tourist spends 7.1 nights and a per diem expenditure of RM583.60 (US$149.40).
According to Manfred Kurz, managing director at Diethelm Travel Malaysia, the market is also crucial for Malaysia as travellers like to venture off the beaten track, hence contributing to rural economies.
Tourism Malaysia has also increased its promotional budget for 2018 as part of efforts towards creating more awareness internationally of the year-long Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign.
The campaign is expected to generate 36 million tourists and RM168 billion in tourism receipts. The objective of the campaign is to promote Malaysia as a top-of-mind destination by highlighting the Travel, Enjoy and Respect tagline, in line with the National Eco-Tourism Plan 2016-2025.
Chinese-centric LN Global Hotel Alliance has been formed
Ling Nan Hospitality and online solution provider Compass Edge, together with partners China Southern Airlines and GZL Travel Services, have come together to launch the LN Global Hotel Alliance.
The alliance has four components. Compass Edge represents hotels outside of mainland China – such as The Bellevue Resort in Philippines and The Trans Resort Bali; Ling Nan Hospitality represents a large number of hotels in China – including The Garden Hotel and the China Hotel in Guangzhou; China Southern Airlines is the air segment of the alliance; while GZL represents the travel services product.
The number of loyalty members under the four brands amounts to more than 46 million Chinese travellers.
Anita Chan, CEO of Compass Edge, said that all four pillars are complimentary to each other with no overlap and no conflict of interest.
She added: “It is extremely difficult for a standalone property to be in the loyalty game, especially in China. Chinese people buy from those they know and trust. Now, overseas independent hotels can get that trust endorsement from the three most reputable China travel brands via LN Global Hotel Alliance.”
Moving forward, LN Global Hotel Alliance will put together lifestyle experience travel products for high net worth Chinese travellers.
“LN Global Hotel Alliance is not just a hotel loyalty program. We no longer just sell hotel rooms. It is an innovative concept to bring the experiences that Chinese travellers are looking for and present them in the Chinese digital ecosystem that Chinese people use,” said Chan.
“It is also important to stress that unlike OTAs, we do not want to sign up every hotel in the world. Far from it, we limit the number of hotel members in each location so that we can provide them with better service and a larger presence in this hugely important market place.”
Currently, the LN Global Hotel Alliance has more than 100 founding hotel members in over 13 countries and 30 cities.
Dream veteran among Nikki Beach’s latest hires to drive expansion
Luxury lifestyle and hospitality brand Nikki Beach Worldwide has made two senior appointments to chart its expansion worldwide.
Kevin Wallace, the new president of Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts Asia, will lead the division’s expansion across China, India, Australia and South-east Asia.
Prior to joining Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts, the seasoned international hospitality executive was president of Centara Hotels and Resorts, managing director-Asia of Plateno Hotel Group and most recently managing director-Asia Pacific for Dream Hotel Group.
Meanwhile, Alexander Schneider has been appointed vice president of Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts in Europe and the Middle East. Schneider has been with the brand since 2016, leading the opening of Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai.
Born and raised in Germany, Schneider brings over 17 years of hotel management experience to the table, having worked with major hotel operators including Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi – UAE, Rixos Properties UAE, Grand Hyatt, Germany and Casa Camper.
While Nikki Beach’s roots are in luxury beach clubs with 13 destinations worldwide, the Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts portfolio currently includes four resort properties in Koh Samui, Thailand, Porto Heli, Greece, Bodrum, Turkey, and Dubai, the UAE.
The Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts division has plans to open over 20 additional properties in the next five years.
Europe to benefit from increase in Chinese airlift
Europe is expected to welcome more Chinese travellers on the back of increased flight capacity from China, the latest figures from ForwardKeys showed.
A total of nine new routes and one resumed route will start in 1H2018, plus a further three are in the pipeline. At least four China-Europe routes are already planned for 2H2018.
ForwardKeys’ statistics show that by June there will be an extra 30 flights a week from China to Europe. Based on an estimation of 200 seats per flight, that means 6,000 more seats will be available for Europe-bound Chinese travellers. Excluding Russia, the average total number of seats available each week last summer was 150,000.
Europe, with a 10 per cent market share of the outbound Chinese market, saw a 7.4 per cent increase in Chinese travellers during the recent New Year holiday period in January and February this year, revealed ForwardKeys. Turkey – recovering after terrorist attacks – surged 108.2 per cent, and Greece by 55.7 per cent, compared to the same period last year.
Travel in the opposite direction is set to increase too. At present, flight bookings to China, in the coming six months, from the rest of the world, are 11.8 per cent ahead of where they were at this time last year. The stand-out origin region is the Americas, which is responsible for 25 per cent of travel to China. Bookings from there are currently 24 per cent ahead.
ForwardKeys CEO and co-founder, Olivier Jager, said: “It seems that the EU-China Tourism Year is having a positive impact on travel in both directions. The Chinese have been growing in confidence for international travel for some time now and that trend is being reciprocated. Europe clearly has a lot to gain from this increased capacity because the Chinese are ready to spend money on luxury goods while on holiday, providing good opportunities for European retailers.”
New hotels: Azerai Can Tho, Felix Hotel and more
Azerai Can Tho, Vietnam
Located on Au Islet in the Hau River, a tributary of the Mekong River in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, the resort offers 60 rooms housed in 30 two-room structures. Each room is approximately 35m2 , with views of the river, lake or the surrounding gardens and trees that can be enjoyed from the outdoor terrace with loungers. Recreational facilities on the eight-hectare site include a spa with eight treatment rooms, gym, yoga and meditation pavilion, swimming pool, pilates studio and a tennis court. There is also a restaurant, grill, lounge and bar.
Felix Hotel by 8Hotels, Australia
All 150 rooms in this hotel near Sydney’s Domestic Airport have been designed to pay homage to the 1960s golden era of flying. The high-flying theme runs throughout the property from conference rooms, Boeing and Airbus, to suite categories Economy, Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class. All rooms are fitted out with 55-inch TVs, power rain showers and blackout curtains. Guests will check in on the top-floor penthouse, which is also home to a cocktail bar, 24-hour food shop and outdoor rooftop cinema. There is also a 24-hour gym, Felix Athletic Club and self-service laundry.
Atlantis Sanya, China
Atlantis has launched the US$1.6 billion integrated entertainment resort on Hainan Island in China. The 540,000m2 property offers 1,314 guestrooms including 154 suites (five of which are underwater), water slides at the Aquaventure Waterpark and The Lost Chambers Aquarium which is home to 86,000 marine creatures. Guests will also have access to 21 different F&B options, the AHAVA spa, and 5,000m2 of space for functions and events.
The Longhouse, Indonesia
This exclusive property in the hills of Jimbaran offers only six bedroom suites named after Indonesian islands – Bali, Lombok, Sumatra, Sumba, East Java and West Java – where no two suites are the same. Amenities on the property include a dining room, a hilltop bale for morning yoga, an infinity pool, bar, private lawn and home theatre. A spectrum of guest services are offered, from cooking courses in Indonesian cuisine to local village tours, Balinese massages in the in-house spa and mixology sessions.
JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa, India
The JW Marriott brand has made its debut in India’s Pink City with 200 guestrooms, villas and suites, where the property design is inspired by the palaces of Rajasthan. The property has five dining options – the fine-dining Mohan Mahal; all-day restaurant Sukh Mahal; rooftop eatery Hawa Mahal, complete with live music; the Jharokha bar and lounge; plus light bites and non-alcoholic drinks at Preet Mahal. Other amenities include a spa, outdoor pool, fitness centre, kids club, as well as over 4,830m2 of indoor and outdoor banqueting venues that include a 1,021m2 pillarless ballroom.
Island-wide race a happy hunting ground for agents
Royal Caribbean’s Royal Hunt competition proved to be a happy hunting ground for four agents from Singapore’s New Shan Travel, who each bagged a three-night South-east Asian cruise on Voyager of the Seas after becoming the winning team.
In eight teams of four members each, 32 participants from Singapore travel agencies last Saturday took part in the island-wide race. They first downloaded a location-based mobile app in order to find six golden anchors around Singapore and uncover treasures along the way.
