InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has partnered with The Erawan Group to open a new Holiday Inn hotel in Cebu Business Park.
Set to open at the end of 2020, Holiday Inn Cebu City will feature 180 rooms. Facilities include a fitness centre, swimming pool, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, as well as meeting facilities.
The property will be the first Holiday Inn in Cebu; Cebu city pictured
The new-build property will be located in the same tower as Erawan Philippines’ owned Hop Inn hotel, but on the upper floors with its own separate entrance, lift and lobby. The building is situated at Samar Loop in the Cebu Business Park, close to the nine-hectare Ayala Center Cebu shopping mall.
Rajit Sukumaran, IHG’s chief development officer EMEAA East, commented: “With the upcoming completion of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport – the second busiest airport in the Philippines – later this year, we are expecting a further increase in visitors, including those travelling on business.”
Emirates sent an all-female team to the skies this week to commemorate International Women’s Day, highlighting the integral roles – ranging from the operational to the technical – that its female employees play in their day-to-day business.
Flight EK225 took off from Dubai to San Francisco with an all-female team on board an Airbus A380 aircraft, piloted by captain Patricia Bischoff from Canada and first officer Rebecca Lougheed from the UK, while the cabin crew was led by purser Weronica Formela from Poland.
An all-woman team powered the A380 flight from Dubai to San Francisco
In addition to the flight crew, an all-woman team worked on all ‘above wing’ and ‘below wing’ activities in the lead-up to flight departure, including customer service in the airport, ramp operations, technical services, and an array of other roles within the flight dispatch, aircraft appearance, crew operations, catering and security teams.
In total, a team of over 75 women from more than 25 nationalities worked on the EK225 flight, Emirates said in a press release.
Symphony of the Seas is the fourth Oasis-class vessel which debuted last year
Malaysia is the fastest-growing Asian market for Royal Caribbean Cruises, with 2017 growth rates double that of 2016, driven by increasing number of ship calls and passengers.
Sean Treacy, Royal Caribbean Cruises managing director, Asia-Pacific, described 2017 as a “record year of sales for Malaysia” to agents and media in Kuala Lumpur during a recent Chinese New Year dinner it hosted at The St Regis Kuala Lumpur last week.
Symphony of the Seas will be launched in April and a healthy number of forward bookings have been made by Malaysian travellers
He attributed the success to support from agents as well as Royal Caribbean Cruises’ investments in direct marketing to the Malaysian public via broadcast and print media in 2016 and 2017.
He added: “The strong growth was also driven by deployment of three ships in the region – Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas – which operated their longest-ever season in the region and attracted travellers from Malaysia.”
In the Malaysian market, regional sailings make up the strongest sales for the cruise line.
Meanwhile, forward bookings from Malaysians for Symphony of The Seas – to be launched in April as the world’s largest cruise ship, sailing seven-night cruises around the Mediterranean – also showed strong bookings.
To date, there are more than 700 passenger bookings from Malaysia, more than triple the market’s bookings for the Harmony of the Seas, which was launched in Barcelona in 2016 offering the same itinerary as Symphony Of The Seas.
Royal Caribbean Cruises and Penang Port are also in a joint venture to upgrade and improve Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal in George Town, Penang, to accommodate the berthing of two mega cruise liners at any one time. The project, which has yet to start, will see the expansion of the cruise terminal berth to 700m from the current 480m.
US hotel giant Hilton sees robust growth in South-east Asia’s hospitality market as it seeks to scale up its presence in the region, buoyed by booming global tourism demand, and high visitor and business inflows into this part of the world.
Optimism is running especially high for Thailand, according to Paul Hutton, vice president operations, South-east Asia, as the country is now enjoying a stable resurgence following a period of tumult several years prior.
Hutton: confident in South-east Asia’s hospitality market
“Thailand bounces back quickly – it’s a very resilient market. We are quite bullish about Thailand and have set high targets for the country this year,” shared Hutton during a media luncheon in Bangkok on Monday. “Thai tourism is showing healthy growth with 35 million tourists in 2017 – that’s almost one (tourist) for every two Thais.”
When Waldorf Astoria Bangkok – a first for the brand in South-east Asia – debuts within the next four months, the ultra-luxury outpost will underscore a “big statement” for the Thai capital, Hutton stated. Other luxury hospitality brands in the city will no doubt pose “healthy competition” for Waldorf Astoria, admitted Hutton, but he posited that a major tourism and business destination like Bangkok still has room for an ultra-luxury brand.
Hilton earlier this week also announced the signing of two management agreements with Majestic Grande for DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit (251 rooms; opening 4Q2018) and with Stone Bitters for Hilton Garden Inn Phuket Bang Tao (177 rooms; opening 2020) – the latter marks the entry of the Hilton Garden Inn brand into the Thailand market too.
Rendering of a Deluxe Room in Waldorf Astoria Bangkok
These two new properties, together with the upcoming Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, will soon raise the company’s Thailand current footprint of eight hotels to 12 operating or under development.
Beyond Bangkok and Phuket, destinations like Krabi, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are also on the company’s development radar, said Peter Webster, Hilton’s regional general manager for Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. “Emerging cities can be more exciting as the rewards are greater. We just need the right location and partner,” he remarked.
Elsewhere in the region, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam are bright growth spots in South-east Asia, while Hilton’s first hotel in Timor Leste is opening in 10 months.
It’s also a growth story for Sri Lanka, which is now deemed “a happy hunting ground for Hilton”, said Hutton. The company has signed six deals in the country, including Kandy, Yala, Negombo and Weerawila.
The US hotel giant now operates 220 hotels across 21 countries in Asia-Pacific, spanning seven brands, and has 415 hotels in the regional pipeline.
The opening of a luxury resort on the Cambodian island of Koh Rong fills a gap in what’s been known to be a backpacker destination, potentially helping inbound operators to lure visitors away from Angkor and extend their Cambodia stay.
In December, the five-star, 67-villa Royal Sands Koh Rong started welcoming guests, said to set the standards for luxury accommodation on the remote island.
With the addition of more luxury resorts in Koh Rong, there is a higher chance upmarket travellers will continue their holidays in Cambodia in the upcoming beach destination instead of hopping to nearby Thailand
Set on 550m of a 6.5km stretch of white-sand beach, the resort features two restaurants, a spa, gym, yoga sala and infinity pool.
Founder and major shareholder, Luzi Matzig, said: “We have created a luxury resort and new standards for the island, which we believe adds a new attraction to Cambodia and encourages visitors to stay in the country for longer.”
While the stretch of beach at Koh Touch in the south has become saturated with guesthouses, the remainder of Koh Rong’s 28 beaches that dot the 78ha island are relatively undeveloped.
Miles Gravett, general manager of Khiri Cambodia, said: “Royal Sands is a welcome addition to the industry and fills a luxury hotel void on Koh Rong, which has long been known as a backpacker destination.
He added: “Royal Sands also happens to be on what I think is one of the best beaches in the world, but this might change as more resorts are built.”
Away from budget accommodation, there is little to offer more upmarket travellers, apart from the three-star Sok San Resort.
Coralie Romano, branch manager at Diethelm Travel Cambodia, said: “We have been longing to become a beach destination, where our clients can extend their stay at the beach in Cambodia after touring the country instead of extending on Thailand’s beaches.”
While Romano said Cambodia is “not still there yet”, she said the addition of Alila Villas Koh Russey and Six Senses Krabey Island later this year – both set on private islands – will help cement Cambodia as a beach destination.
Amadeus has recently released Amadeus Video Solutions, a video player that allows travellers to make bookings while watching videos.
Amadeus Video Solutions gives brands the ability to embed clickable calls to action and live booking details about attractions, hotels, restaurants and other destination highlights in their videos. This allows travellers to click on the videos as they are playing to find detailed and accurate information about the place they want to discover, including how to get there.
The new video player allows travellers to click on videos as they are playing to discover destination details and book trips all in one place
Originally launched as a prototype called TravelCast in 2017, Amadeus Video Solutions is the result of two years of testing and tinkering led by Amadeus’ Horizon 3 team.
“Until now, there were plenty of interactive video players, but none specifically created for hotels, restaurants and other travel players. Amadeus Video Solutions is a direct answer to this problem which works in the interests of both the traveller and the industry as a whole,” said Steve Kopp, the head of Horizon 3.
Livn, an aggregator of instantly bookable tours and activities in Asia-Pacific, has announced that it will be expanding into India and Asia while making key appointments and increasing its staff count.
The Sydney-based company has appointed Raja Natesan to lead sales and marketing in India. He joins Livn from Uniglobe South Asia, where he was CEO. He has also held the role of COO at Yatra and Tui India.
Livn is increasing its headcount as it moves into the sales and marketing phase
Meanwhile, Livn’s CEO Mark Rizzuto indicated that they are looking for a similar calibre professional based in Singapore to cover opportunities in South-east Asia.
In addition, Livn strengthened its head office sales, marketing and reservations team by adding seven staff this year, with plans to employ another four. They include Monna Sanner as business development director and Lia Geraissate as Livn’s first marketing manager.
The appointments represent a 50 per cent increase in staff strength as the company now moves into the sales and marketing phase, enabling Livn to “capitalise on the enormous opportunities that exist in the tours and activities space”, said Rizzuto.
The distribution platform now features more than 30,000 products across 3,000 destinations and 196 countries, up from 22,000 products last September, and are on target to reach 45,000 products by June.
The Livn Platform sources its products via an API feed from the world’s leading tours and activities suppliers – everything from city tours and attractions to multi-day trips.
On the distribution front, Livn is entirely focused on the travel trade, only servicing the B2B channel, piping its instantly bookable product to travel agents and online retailers via a single API.
Already operating in Vietnam’s Nha Trang and Bai Tu Long Bay, Emperor Cruises will launch a third boutique cruise in the Cat Ba Archipelago, Hai Phong at ITB Berlin.
This new product offers the chance to cruise the Gulf of Tonkin (Lan Ha Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay) in an all-inclusive cruise, complete with butler service and on-request limousine transfer, which Emperor Cruises says takes the 5B highway from Hanoi to cut down the journey to just 1.5 hours.
One of the company’s boats in Halong Bay
The Cat Ba Archipelago boasts pristine beaches, secluded lagoons, coves, tropical forests and lakes, allowing holidaymakers to swim, kayak and bike to experience the Gulf of Tonkin.
The itinerary also includes the fishing village of Lan Ha Bay, and water sports such as kayaking, squid fishing, snorkeling and wildlife spotting.
On the three-deck ship, suites range from 38 to 70m2, while F&B options include Can Chanh Palace Royal Restaurant for Vietnamese gourmet cuisine, Panorama Restaurant & Lounge Bar on the sundeck for tea, coffee and beverages, as well as the Hanoi Bar 1945, serving up cocktails and a selection of coffees such as egg coffee, café sua da and café den.
The ship also features an outdoor deck complete with plunge pool and private cabanas, the Bao Dai Library for reading and relaxation, The Heritage Spa offering massages and essential oil treatments, a dry sauna, fitness centre and Kids’ Club.
Apart from daily limousine transfers between Hanoi to Cat Ba Archipelago upon request, the Emperor Cruises team can also arrange for private charter airplanes, helicopters or seaplanes.
“Our cruises operate from Got Harbor in Hai Phong on a daily basis for the day cruise, with scheduled one- or two-night programmes such as the Emperor Discovery, Emperor Experience or Emperor Hideaway. In addition, three- to four-night party cruises and private charters for leisure and professionals are available upon request,” said Pham Ha, co-founder of Emperor Cruises.
Web in Travel (WIT) has teamed up with Phocuswright in search for two Asia-Pacific travel innovators to help fast-track their business ideas into successful ventures on the global stage.
To qualify, startups have to be below five years old and be related to travel and tourism. Up to 10 semi-finalists will be chosen and coached to present at the WIT Japan & North Asia 2018 Bootcamp on June 28. Three finalists will then be selected for the WIT Startup Pitch Grand Finals to take place during the main WIT Japan & North Asia Conference on June 29.
Softinn Solutions, a travel technology company offering a cloud-based hotel reservation system for small to medium hotels, was the victor of WIT Japan & North Asia Start-up Pitch 2017
The winners of both competitions will each receive a one-year membership into the Phocuswright Innovation Platform. This membership offers access to a diverse network of advisors and its network of innovation partner events.
Also included is one conference ticket for The Phocuswright Conference taking place November 13-15 in Los Angeles. The winner will be invited to participate in a startup day held on November 12, comprising a three- to four-hour programme that includes curated content developed by Phocuswright’s Innovation Advisory Board and Platform Partners. Two companies from this startup programme will be selected to deliver a five minutes of fame presentation during the conference.
“Past WIT Startup pitch winners have gained access to funding opportunities, places in accelerator labs as well as access to mentors to advise them on their business. This year, with the collaboration with Phocuswright, they get a chance to shine on the global stage,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder of WIT.
The Philippine travel trade is opposing government plans to temporarily close Boracay to tourism as it undergoes rehabilitation from severe environmental degradation caused by wanton violation of building rules and regulations.
While tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo favours the two-month closure of the entire island starting in the lean month of June, which she disclosed during a recent trade meeting, industry leaders warned of negative repercussion to the country’s image, job displacement and economic dislocation.
The trade strongly opposes the DOT’s proposal to temporarily close Boracay
Philippine Tour Operators Association president, Cesar Cruz, pointed out: “Closing Boracay is not simply closing the island, but an iconic destination. Imagine the impact on the tourism industry as a whole as this could be reflective of the other destinations in the country: unsafe, dirty, hazardous, etc.”
As to Department of Tourism’s (DOT) suggestion to urge tourists to visit other Philippine spots instead, Cruz countered that there’s no other destination in the country, except Manila, with the capacity to take in Boracay’s two million tourists.
“The worst-case scenario is if these visitors…decided to go to other countries. Vietnam has already surpassed our two million Korean arrivals. Once they cancel the Philippines in their tour programmes, it will take years to win them back,” Cruz warned.
The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) insisted that responsible resort owners that have complied with all government regulations and requirements “should remain open even during the time when Boracay is being rehabilitated”.
PTAA will this month send a team to inspect the facilities of its 18 member resorts in Boracay to see if they are compliant with government regulations and to correct them of any infringement.
However, Tourism Congress of the Philippines’ president Jojo Clemente lamented that one of the bigger issues left unanswered is what would happen to the almost 20,000 workers who may be displaced if Boracay is totally closed.
Aware that over 56 billion pesos (about $1.1 billion) in tourism receipts is at stake with the imminent rehabilitation of Boracay, the DOT is looking at alternative means of employment and livelihood for the 17,737 direct tourism employees.
The DOT office covering Boracay is coordinating with other local government units to relocate employees that may be laid off during Boracay’s rehabilitation. “Those who will be affected can work with the demolition of illegal structures and the construction of the improved sewage system and road infrastructure,” Teo said.
The DOT is also studying tax holidays and incentives for those business and employees affected. Skills development trainings and seminars for front liners and other tourism ambassadors are also being planned.
