Ascott has clinched seven contracts to manage over 1,300 apartment units across six cities in China, including new destinations Kunming and Yichang.

The Singapore-based serviced residence operator, wholly owned by CapitaLand, has added more than 2,700 units across 15 properties in China this year, a 56 per cent increase compared with some 1,700 units and 10 properties secured in 1H2016.

Citadines Dianchi Time Plaza Kunming

The 92-unit Tujia Somerset Garden City Chongqing, located in the Jiefangbei CBC, is already operational and features one- to four-bedroom apartments.

Opening in 2018 are the 161-unit Ascott Yulian Plaza Dalian in the heart of Jinpu New District; Citadines Gaoke Liangjiang Chongqing with 198 units ranging from studio to three-bedroom located within the Gaoke Fortune Park industrial park.

As well, the 192-unit Citadines Three Gorges Yichang will open in Yichang city centre with the Yangtze River at its doorstep. It is part of an 80,000m² integrated development that also comprises an office tower.

Also part of a mixed-use development is the 244-unit Somerset Q Plex Shenzhen – located near the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, attractions such as the Windows of the World, Happy Valley and Chinese Folk Village, and a science park housing technology companies including Tencent, ZTE and Huawei.

Scheduled to open in 2019 are Citadines Dianchi Time Plaza Kunming and Tujia Somerset Yunlong Lake Xuzhou. The former will feature 150 units in an integrated development comprising retail and office components, while the latter will open alongside the Citadines Yunlong Lake Xuzhou and an 80,000m² shopping mall, all part of an integrated development.

The seven signings follow six secured in China earlier this year (for properties in Changsha, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan and two new cities Handan and Xuzhou) and puts Ascott on track to exceed its target of 80,000 units globally by 2020.

Delta Air Lines and Korean Air last week entered into a trans-Pacific joint venture to create a combined network serving more than 290 destinations in the Americas and more than 80 in Asia.

This agreement will augment the two airlines’ capabilities in the trans-Pacific market, and provide the necessary scale and scope to compete in this market, the airlines said in a joint statement.

Other aspects of the joint venture – subject to regulatory approvals – include expanded codesharing in the trans-Pacific market; joint sales and marketing initiatives in Asia and the US; co-location at key hubs; and enhanced frequent flyer benefits for customers of both airlines.

Under the agreement, the airlines will also share costs and revenues on flights within the scope of the joint venture as they work to expand service options.

This agreement is the latest expansion of the longstanding partnership between the two airlines which began in 2000 when both carriers became co-founders of the SkyTeam global airline alliance.

Delta recently launched a new service between Atlanta and Seoul on June 3, 2017. In summer this year, Korean Air will introduce a third flight between Los Angeles and Seoul, as well as a second flight between San Francisco and Seoul.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) are currently seeking feedback on the proposed amendments to the Travel Agents Act and Regulations, as part of a public consultation exercise running from now until July 12, 2017.

The review of the Travel Agents Act and Regulations is part of the Singapore government’s continual efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework and facilitate a pro-business environment in the travel agents industry as well as enhance consumer protection.

Among the key amendments to Singapore’s Travel Agents Act and Regulations proposed by the MTI and STB include licence exemption for entities providing walking or bicycle tours, expansion of consumer safeguards, and removal of the Banker’s Guarantee option in lieu of meeting the net worth requirement to be licensed.

As part of a tiered licensing regime, entities that sell or arrange tours within Singapore without passenger-carrying conveyance, such as walking or bicycle tours, would be exempted from a travel agent licence. As well, entities selling or arranging tours without accommodation can apply for a restricted licence with a lower paid-up capital and net worth requirement.

Travel agents would no longer be required to purchase fidelity insurance, and there will be an added provision allowing pro-rated refunds in cases where some products have been consumed.

Another proposed change is the reduction of “show cause” period – i.e. time given to agents to explain why they should be allowed to retain their licence when issued with notice of suspension or revocation – from 21 days to 14 days.

Moreover, to ensure consumers are aware of precautions against sudden closures, there would be the legislation of the additional licensing condition requirement for agents to seek the decision of consumers to consider purchasing travel insurance covering for insolvency.

Consumer safeguards – including on changes to tour, inaccurate advertisements, booking cancellations and dispute settlements – would also be expanded beyond just sightseeing and shopping tours.

Moreover, the maximum fine for unlicensed travel agent activities would be raised to S$25,000 (US$18,011) from S$10,000 while the maximum composition sum for compoundable offences would be raised to $5,000, or half the maximum fine prescribed, whichever is the lower. Administrative financial penalties would also be introduced and set at a maximum of S$2,000. These proposed amendments aim to serve a stronger deterrent effect.

The option to provide a Banker’s Guarantee in lieu of meeting the minimum S$100,000 net worth requirement to be licensed would be removed, as STB deems it neither provides assurance of financially sustainability nor direct recourse in the event of insolvency.

Comments and feedback on the proposed amendments to the Travel Agents Act and Regulation can be sent to mti_feedback@mti.gov.sg.

Bintan Resorts is training its sights on Japanese and Chinese millennials in its development and marketing efforts, as arrival numbers from these two markets continue to rise.

For the period of January-April 2017, the destination saw year-on-year visitor increases of 10.8 per cent from Japan and four per cent from China, shared Bintan Resorts International’s manager of marketing communications, Iris Kok.

Photo credit: Bintan Resorts

To reach out to the younger demographic, the destination will churn out “marketing videos, creative advertising, social media and content development”, including collaborations with social media influencers, shared Kok.

She added: “Many of the Japanese and Chinese tourists are visiting Bintan as a twin destination from Singapore.”

Singapore also remains a key market for Bintan Resorts, which will continue to keep up its marketing efforts in the city-state with an increased focus on video and digital marketing. For January-April 2017, visitor arrivals from Singapore saw a year-on-year increase of 15.1 per cent.

On the tour operator side, demand for Singapore and Bintan as twin destinations is on the rise, reported Philip Gejon, senior sales and marcom manager of TACentre.com. Most of these are first-time visitors to Singapore who also want to experience a second city, he explained.

But there’s still potential to drive higher demand for Bintan, said Gejon. “For locals, it is definitely a mature route but for tourists, this city pairing can be improved further… I believe Bintan needs to step up in developing attractions and interesting activities to do if they want tourists to pour in.”

While the Philippines and Vietnam are key markets driving the city pairing trend, TAcentre.com will also introduce Bintan as a twin destination to Singapore in the China market, where it recently set up shop, said Gejon.

Australian startup Localyokl, which offers immersive guided experiences à la Airbnb Experiences, is planning to expand its services into Asia-Pacific.

“We’re expecting the company to double in size by this time next year,” said Localyokl experience creator Ben Crisp. “We are looking to expand into South-east Asia and New Zealand, especially since there are endless opportunities in both regions for different kinds of tours.”

Localyokl was launched in the Gold Coast in March this year and has since started connecting tourists with “live like a local” experiences in Brisbane and Sydney. It is planning a national rollout by year-end.

While plans for South-east Asia are still in their early stages with the focus now on Australia and New Zealand, Crisp revealed that Indonesia would likely be the company’s first step into the region “as it is our nearest and largest neighbour”.

The startup currently has about 400 guides and more than 140 experiences on offer, from paddle board yoga to market tours. Bilingual guides are available to cater to international tourists.

Genting Cruise Lines and China Southern Airlines have signed an MoU to work together to market the fly-cruise concept in China and develop Guangzhou into a world-class cruise homeport and travel hub.

Both parties will channel resources towards product development, sales, marketing and promotions to create new products, such as the new Air + Cruise + Travel programme targeting MICE, group and individual travellers.

They will also further develop promotional opportunities through loyalty programmes, such as exclusive access to VIP lounges and express check-ins; affiliate rewards programs, express luggage portal service and more.

The agreement will be rolled out in two phases: the first involves cross-promotion to corporate staff and affiliates of both parties, followed by a full-fledged promotion campaign in the market to drive domestic and international travel across all sales channels.

Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines, said: “It is our goal to expand the source market of Guangzhou, propelling the advancement and development of the cruising industry in the country.”

This strategic partnership is also supported by the Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality.

Mantra Group is consolidating its multi-branded portfolio – Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree – across Australia, New Zealand, Bali and Hawaii into a new single consumer brand, Mantra Hotels.

All 128 properties, as well as travel agent log-ins, access to BizBeds and Mantra Group’s affiliate programme have transferred over to MantraHotels.com. The group’s newly launched and revitalised loyalty programme, Mantra+, is also located on the new website.

Commenting on the reimagined brand identity, Mantra Group’s COO Tomas Johnsson said: “Our new Mantra Hotels masterbrand reflects our intent to encourage guests to live life outside the square and reaffirms our commitment to facilitating genuine and trusted experiences in a meaningful way.”

As part of the rebranding, the group has launched a new Mantra Hotels logo emphasising the brand’s holistic, organic approach to servicing the needs of travellers, which will be used across all consumer communications channels.