Hua Hin feels winds of change with new international air link

March 5, 2018

Hua-Hin-night-market — ; a night market in Hua Hin pictured

Hopes are high that Thailand’s oldest beach town, Hua Hin, will soon become a bigger draw for overseas visitors as it gets a much-anticipated boost in air accessibility through a new international connection operated by AirAsia.

The Malaysia-based LCC last week announced the launch of four-times weekly flights linking Kuala Lumpur to Hua Hin from May 18, ending months of speculation among industry members over this new route.

Tom Thrussell, Centara’s vice president of brand, marketing and digital, commented: “I think this could be a good start and it will hopefully pave the way for even broader access in the future. The Asian markets who make short stays to Thailand have been less inclined to visit Hua Hin in the past because the journey time from Bangkok, at either end of a short stay, eats into too much of their break. This new accessibility will change that for one of these markets for now at least.”

This new international link will mark “a turning point for Hua Hin’s tourism fortunes”, believes David Barrett, chief executive of Bangkok-based DMC PIGS, making Hua Hin more popular among a younger international crowd.

Despite Hua Hin becoming “cooler” with more good bars and restaurants popping up, noted Kim Martin Rasmussen, product manager at Exo Travel Thailand, it is likely to remain a stronger draw for the Asian and domestic markets. Phuket and Koh Samui still remain the preferred destinations for Exo Travel’s agents and clients by far, he added.

That said, Hua Hin and neighbouring Cha-am in 2018 are already chalking up the same number of room nights as all of 2017, which will translate into an increase for Exo Travel overall for the destination this year, shared Rasmuseen. Most of the extra bookings this year will come from the UK, German and French markets, he added.

Franck Rodriguez, general manager of the newly opened Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin, is confident that the resort town is on its way to “becoming a more rounded destination”, pointing to the wide variety of products that Hua Hin currently offers, including meeting venues, international shopping centres, hospitals and an airport that just turned international.

The owning family of Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin, Proud Real Estate – which is also behind several high-profile developments like Vana Nava Water Park, True Arena sports complex, Bluport mall and an upcoming beach club – envisions a “cross-promotion” strategy to market Hua Hin to visitors, Rodriguez told TTG Asia.

Urging stronger destination marketing efforts for Hua Hin, Barrett added: “Over the past decade, Hua Hin has been promoted as a second-tier destination in Thailand for both leisure and MICE. Hopefully, with AirAsia paving the way with flights, Hua Hin will receive more promotional backing from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and tour operators.

“I would like to see greater cooperation between the private and government sectors, coming together to create a clear destination identity for Hua Hin,” he added. “Destination branding is key.”

Thailand’s Singha Estate snaps up six Outrigger resorts for US$250mn

By TTG Asia

March 5, 2018

0

Castaway-Island-beach-bure-exterior-hammock — Beach Bure at Castaway Island in Fiji

Singha Estate, the property arm of Thai beer company Boon Rawd Brewery, last week announced it will buy six hotels across four countries from Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels for US$250 million.

These properties are namely Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort and Castaway Island in Fiji; Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort and Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort in Thailand; Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort; and and Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort.

The investment is outlined as part of Singha Estate’s strategy to “invest in hotels and resorts in prime tourist destinations” and “diversify the company’s geographic risk”, the company said in a statement.

The latest announcement comes on the back of recent deals signed by the Thai developer in Bangkok and the Maldives last year.

Fukushima tourism finally rebounds from 2010’s triple disasters

By Julian Ryall

March 5, 2018

0

Nearly seven years after the triple disasters of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown virtually crippled Fukushima’s tourism industry, the number of foreign overnight travellers has recovered to levels last seen before the disaster.

In the first 10 months of calendar 2017, a total of 78,680 foreign visitors spent at least one night in the prefecture, surpassing the 77,890 visitors in the same period in 2010. Final statistics for the full year are not available, but prefectural authorities expect the 2017 figure to eclipse 2010’s figure of 87,170 foreigners who stayed in the prefecture.

Tourist visiting Ouchijuku Village, a former post town along the Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route in Fukushima

Visitor numbers collapsed in the months after the March 11 earthquake and a mere 23,990 foreigners stayed in calendar 2011.

“We have been working with the Fukushima government to promote the prefecture at international events, focusing on events in countries where we have already seen visitor numbers recover, such as Taiwan, Thailand and Australia,” said Kazuhiko Yoshioka, director of overseas promotion for the Fukushima Prefecture Tourism and Local Products Association.

Yoshioka shared that the organisation plugs the prefecture’s samurai history, onsen, fruit, scenery and seasonal highlights as part of overseas promotion. Information on the destination is also shared online.

“Getting the message across can be difficult,” he admitted. “We have found that the best way to overcome worries about safety is to ensure that up-to-date and accurate information is accessible and then to share that information as widely as possible.”

Travel operators concur that visitor numbers have bounced back strongly.

Paul Christie, CEO of Walk Japan, said the company’s walking tour in the footsteps of famous poet Basho in Tohoku are “selling very well – so well, in fact, that they are sold out months in advance.”

“We have found that whatever problems happened in Fukushima seven years ago are no longer in the forefront of people’s minds,” he said. “I have been quite surprised, but it is really not an issue for the vast majority of people.”

At Nippon Travel Agency, Kaho Mori, assistant manager of the inbound division, observed: “There is interest in Fukushima Prefecture as part of our tours of the Tohoku region. We are getting a lot of interest in that part of the country from visitors from North America, although less from European countries.”

Love beckons at new harbour attraction in Malacca’s Riviera

By TTG Asia

March 5, 2018

0

Love is in the air on The Riviera in Malacca with the launch of Love Harbour Melaka, an integrated attraction taking in hotels, wedding planning services and retailers.

Positioned as the first love-themed harbour in Malaysia, the development offers wedding planning services and a “cross-century love theme” pavilion. It also houses business including boutique hotels, F&B establishments and various retailers including bridal shops and other specialty shops.

New harbour-side attraction beckons lovebirds to Malacca

Construction on the development began in 2015, a collaboration between Mythas Legacy, a Malaysian-based property management and tourist attraction development company, and First Avenue Partners (Asia).

Apart from local visitors, the developers expect the attraction to also attract lovebirds from overseas.

“The new harbour will be one of the major draw-cards to what is already an outstanding tourism destination,” said Mythas Legacy’s CEO, Hedki Heng.

He targets 1.6 million tourist visitors annually, and revenues of RM32 million (US$8.2 million) in the first year, RM48 million the next, and RM72 million in the third year.

While a statement from the developer touts a new “game-changer” that promises to “turn the tide for tourism”, Mythas Legacy is still on the lookout for more tenants.

“We are seeking more tenants and businesses from various fields such as F&B, bridal shops, wellness establishments, home decorations, etc. We target relevant tenants and businesses that can add more value to the growth of Love Harbour Melaka,” Heng said.

The two-hectare attraction has 100 tenant units, and a further RM15 million is planned to be invested to promote the area.

Agents win big at Sabre, Malaysia Airlines bash

By TTG Asia

March 5, 2018

0

A travel agent was gifted with a car at the Sabre & Malaysia Airlines Gala Dinner last week, an event celebrating Sabre’s over 20-year partnership with the Malaysian national carrier while rewarding the contribution of top agents across the country.

“From the time when Malaysia Airlines was a founding shareholder of Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific (formerly known as Abacus) to today, Malaysia Airlines and Sabre have built a strong, strategic partnership based on a common vision, and by working together to provide the best services to agencies and travellers in a competitive and evolving market,” said Jorge Vilches, senior vice president, air line of business, Sabre Travel Network.

The gala also marked the culmination of a agency reward programme called the 2017 MAB & Sabre Awesome 10-Month promotion, which kicked off in March 2017 and generated “significant business growth” for Malaysia Airlines on the Sabre platform.

During the event, which brought together 250 industry stakeholders, Sabre agents with the most ticketed bookings for Malaysia Airlines were rewarded with prizes, with the top agent bringing home the grand prize, a Nissan Grand Livina.

Additionally, Sabre is pursuing new projects with Malaysia Airlines and is the first to launch Malaysia Airlines Government Travel Services this year. This service will accelerate the digitisation of the booking experience for government official travel on Malaysia Airlines through the Sabre platform.

Hyatt seals deal with Tianfu Minyoun amid China push

By TTG Asia

March 5, 2018

0

Hyatt Hotels and Tianfu Minyoun Hospitality have partnered to bring 50 Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels to China, with franchise agreements for the first three hotels under the agreement already signed.

Under the strategic development agreement, Tianfu Minyoun will develop the 50 hotels in cooperation with Chinese investors over the next five years, the first three being Hyatt Place Nanchong Gaoping, Hyatt Place Changchun Jingyue and Hyatt House Changchun Jingyue.

More Hyatt-branded properties will be opening in China over the next few years

The Chinese hospitality company will operate and manage the three hotels.

Additionally, Tianfu Minyoun is planning to develop hotels under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt and Hyatt Centric brands in “unique and attractive” destinations across China.

President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, said: “Hyatt continues to seek innovative ways to build a diversified brand portfolio by collaborating with owners and developers who share our values and our commitment to expanding our brand growth in a country with such significant growth potential.”

Tianfu Minyoun is the first authorised third-party management company for franchised Hyatt hotels in China, distinct from exclusive franchise and brand agency models, added Hyatt’s Asia Pacific group president David Udell.

Testament to the capacity of the partnership, Tianfu Minyoun has secured a credit line of RMB30 billion (US$4.7 billion) from Sinhuan Tianfu Bank, which would go towards the construction and renovation loans for hotel owners of the projects contemplated by the strategic development agreement.

Tianfu Minyoun has also teamed up with Road King Investment Group to establish a RMB10 billion industrial fund to support the agreement.

Merainer joins Rosewood as VP of development in APAC

By TTG Asia

March 5, 2018

0

Luxury hospitality company Rosewood Hotel Group has appointed Noel Merainer as vice president – development, Asia-Pacific to lead the group’s expansion in the region.

In his new role, he will be responsible for the development of the company’s four distinct brands, including ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, deluxe New World Hotels & Resorts, neighbourhood lifestyle pentahotels, and the newly launched business and lifestyle hotel brand KHOS.

Merainer has 17 years of experience in the hospitality sector, having held various positions at Marriott International for eight years including vice president, development planning and feasibility for Asia-Pacific. He was also regional director of revenue management at Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, following six years in operations with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

Panorama Destination establishes Malaysian outfit

By S Puvaneswary

March 2, 2018

0

Indonesia-headquartered Panorama Destination will from April 1 officially commence its Malaysian operations, led by general manager Noor Ismail.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, the Panorama Destination Malaysia office will take care of FIT and group bookings for inbound leisure and incentive travel, covering both Malaysia and Singapore, revealed Noor.

Panorama to sell cover Malaysia and Singapore from its new office

Most recently head of sales and marketing at Malaysian DMC Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, Noor will report directly to Panorama Destination’s CEO Renato Domini.

Noor further shared that Panorama’s Malaysian outfit will include teams for operations and logistics, data management and product development, while Noor himself will take care of sales and business development for the time being.

Overall, operations in Malaysia will be kept lean, with a team of 10 full-time staff by the end of the year, Noor said.

“We have started responding to enquiries and bookings for this summer, mainly from markets in Europe, South Africa, India and regional neighbours. We have received positive interest for FIT bookings for Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore,” Noor told TTG Asia.

On top of “classic products” such as round trips combining Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, Penang, Langkawi and Borneo Island, the DMC will also offer experiential travel focused on multi-destination trips combining Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

“We are also capable of cross-selling and cross-referral among our offices,” added Noor.

Part of Panorama Leisure Group, Panorama Destination was founded in 1999, while the group itself was established in 1972.

In addition to the new office in Malaysia, Panorama Destination opened its first office in Thailand last year and also acquired a Singapore company to launch Panorama Destination Singapore.

Abandoned factory in Solo turns into heritage centre

By Mimi Hudoyo

March 2, 2018

0

Dejolo — The full 21ha project will open in phases over an estimated 10-year period

The city of Solo in Indonesia’s Central Java Province will soon welcome a new heritage attraction and cultural centre, named De Tjolomadoe, as buzz steadily builds around its March 24 launch after Canadian musician and songwriter David Foster christened its concert hall with a performance earlier this week.

De Tjolomadoe was reborn from a building previously occupied by a sugar factory of the same Dutch name (its Bahasa Indonesia name is Colomadu). The factory, which was built in 1861, had been abandoned since its closure in 1998.

The full 21ha project will open in phases over an estimated 10-year period

Developed and managed by Sinergi Colomadu, a consortium of state-owned companies, Pembangunan Perumahan (PP), Taman Wisata Candi and Jasa Marga, the project has taken up 200 billion rupiah (US$15.4 million) in investment on a 30-year BOT term with the land owner, National Plantation 9.

Linda Gustina, director of commercial and hospitality of developer PP Properti, a consortium member of Sinergi Colomadu, said: “Solo is well-known for its culture and De Tjolomadoe will become a (new) cultural centre. We are inviting artists and art curators to take a role in (bringing this) attraction (to life).”

She added: “With an international standard concert hall, Solo now not only can attract major Indonesian performers but also international artists of David Foster’s calibre, who will in turn draw visitors, at least from the neighbouring countries.”

Standing on 6.4ha of land in Colomadu, Karanganyar Regency, the main building houses a concert hall, multi-purpose hall, cultural centre and commercial area. The site also has two outdoor venues for open-air events such as carnivals, music and dance performances.

Preserved elements from the old factory preserved include machines, the chimney tower and even part of an old banyan tree, which serve as exhibits and windows into the past for visitors to the new attraction.

Edison Suardi, general manager construction of Sinergi Colomadu, said: “The whole building serves as a Sugar Factory Museum, where travellers can walk around and learn about its history. Although each room now has a different function, visitors can still find traces of the past. The steel planks in the repair room, for example, now become the base of the restaurant’s tables.”

This will be the first of six stages of the De Tjolomadu project, which covers a total area of 21ha. Later phases will include construction of a convention and exhibition centre, themed shopping mall and four-star hotel.

Worldhotels reclassifies portfolio, debuts instant loyalty benefits

By TTG Asia

March 2, 2018

0

worldhotels-hotel-fort-canning — New vision for the brand involves three collections, new loyalty programme

Following its acquisition by Associated Luxury Hotels last year, WorldHotels is now set for a relaunch its hotel classification system as well as a new loyalty programme.

At the company’s Global Annual Conference in Shanghai, CEO Geoff Andrew outlined a major rebrand to focus on three new WorldHotels Collections – WorldHotels Distinctive, WorldHotels Elite and WorldHotels Luxury.

New vision with three collections, new loyalty programme

He also presented WorldHotels’ new CRM/loyalty platform, named The List, which aims to give WorldHotels guests instant loyalty benefits including an arrival ritual and upgrades on availability. The platform will also harness the collective marketing resources of all participating hotels.

“WorldHotels is making significant investments to enhance its service offerings for independent hotels including the expansion of its already extensive global sales and e-commerce force along with new additions to its development team,’ said Andrew.

Since acquiring WorldHotels at the beginning of 2017, ALHI has already generated sales leads to WorldHotels worth over US$16 million, according to a statement from the company.

Hua Hin feels winds of change with new international air link

Thailand’s Singha Estate snaps up six Outrigger resorts for US$250mn

Fukushima tourism finally rebounds from 2010’s triple disasters

Love beckons at new harbour attraction in Malacca’s Riviera

Agents win big at Sabre, Malaysia Airlines bash

Hyatt seals deal with Tianfu Minyoun amid China push

Merainer joins Rosewood as VP of development in APAC

Panorama Destination establishes Malaysian outfit

Abandoned factory in Solo turns into heritage centre

Worldhotels reclassifies portfolio, debuts instant loyalty benefits

Tried and Tested

Disney Adventure

What to Buy Now

Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong serves up April dining and Songkran events