IHG appoints development VP for SE Asia, South Korea

June 1, 2017

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Serena Lim as vice president, development, in South-east Asia and South Korea.

Based in Singapore, Lim will oversee the group’s expansion in South-east Asia and South Korea by identifying and orchestrating strategic growth opportunities.

The hospitality veteran has more than 20 years’ experience in hotel development, strategic planning and feasibility. Prior to joining IHG, she was most recently regional vice-president at Marriott International and earlier vice-president in development and strategic planning at Starwood.

Airlines send out warnings on phishing scams

By TTG Asia

June 1, 2017

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Within the span of a week, three airlines have sent out scam alerts about surveys falsely advertising free air tickets as prizes.

Singapore Airlines said on its Facebook page that there’ve been contests, emails and calls that claim to be Singapore Airlines offering free air tickets, before requesting personal data.

The statement read: “We advise customers to exercise discretion when revealing personal data to unverified sources. Singapore Airlines also wishes to advise customers to be cautious of social media posts and phishing websites that appear similar to our official website singaporeair.com.”

Thai Airways also clarified in a statement that it has no connections with the scam website that asked readers to answer a questionnaire for a chance to win a free ticket with the airline.

AirAsia warned of a similar survey circulating on social media offering 268 free tickets in conjunction with AirAsia’s 28th anniversary.

New flight paths: Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and more

By TTG Asia

June 1, 2017

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Singapore Airlines adds second Scandinavian city
On May 30, Singapore Airlines started a five-times weekly service to Stockholm via Moscow. This route is operated on an Airbus A350-900 with 253 seats, 42 of which are in business class, 24 in premium economy and 187 in economy.

SQ362 departs Singapore at 00.20 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and will arrive in Stockholm at 08.25 on the same day. The return leg, SQ361 will depart Stockholm at 10.25 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and arrive in Singapore at 06.20 the following day.

Japan Airlines heads to Melbourne
Japan Airlines will commence its inaugural Narita-Melbourne route beginning September 1, 2017. The daily service will utilise a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner which has a capacity of 186 seats.

The first flight, JL773, will depart Narita at 10.30 and arrive in Melbourne at 21.55 from September 1-30. The return flight will depart Melbourne at 00.05 and arrive in Narita at 09.05.

Due to daylight savings, from October 1-28, JL773 will arrive in Melbourne at 22.55, and from October 2-28, JL774 will depart at 00.35 and arrive in Narita at 08.35. The schedule beyond October 29 will be announced later.

SilkAir flies direct to Hiroshima
SilkAir will launch thrice-weekly flights between Singapore and Hiroshima on October 30, 2017.

The flights, which operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, will utilise a Boeing 737-800 aircraft in a two-class configuration.

MI868 will depart Singapore at 01.45 and land in Hiroshima at 09.30. The return flight, MI867, will depart Hiroshima at 10.25, and arrive in Singapore at 15.40.

SriLankan Airlines launches Colombo-Melbourne route
From October 29, 2017, the national carrier of Sri Lanka will fly daily from Colombo to Melbourne on an 283-seater A330-300 aircraft, marking the only direct flight between Australia and Sri Lanka.

Outbound flights will depart Colombo at 23.50 and arrive in Melbourne at 15.25, while the return leg will depart at 16.55 from Melbourne and arrive at 22.15 in Colombo.

Route update: Cebu Pacific axes Middle Eastern flights
Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) will suspend its service to and from the following destinations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; and Doha, Qatar.

CEB will fly the last of its four-times-weekly service from Manila to Kuwait on June 13, 2017 and its Kuwait-Manila flight on June 14. The thrice-weekly Manila-Doha-Manila route will have its last flight on July 1; while CEB’s last flight from Manila to Riyadh will depart on July 2 and the Riyadh-Manila flight on July 3.

Hertz drives into Sri Lanka with a trio of brands

By TTGmice

June 1, 2017

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Three of Hertz Global Holdings’ car rental brands – Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty – are now operating in Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo, following the signing of a multi-brand partnership agreement with local franchise partner Andrew The Car Rental Company.

Mahen Kariyawasan, managing director, Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty Sri Lanka, said: “We intend to expand to the Colombo international airport and another downtown location by early 2018.”

Kariyawasan expressed optimism citing the country’s “booming tourism, growth in expatriate relocations and an increase in international investments”.

Rental options in Sri Lanka vary between short- and long-term, self- and chauffeur-drive options, with vehicles including compact, wagon/state, luxury cars, SUV and minibuses.

All international customers renting with Hertz in Sri Lanka will receive a free SIM card and gift coupons while supplies last.

Centara welcomes European agents to Hua Hin

By TTG Asia

June 1, 2017

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Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin recently hosted 180 travel representatives from the German-speaking market participating in the Hua Hin leg of DER Touristik Campus Live in Thailand 2017, a workshop organised by European tour operator DER Touristik.

Besides site inspection of the resort, the European agents were also treated to a cocktail reception in the topiary garden surrounded by Thai traditional music, as well as a themed Thai street food presentation at the welcome dinner party by the beachfront.

Benefit of an expert touch

By Julian Ryall

June 1, 2017

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Event brief
The Transamerica Direct 2016 Client Conference was a three-city incentive programme for the top clients of the US-based Transamerica Life Insurance Company taking in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

During their stay in Tokyo, the group took part in The Walkshop, an English-language guided walk through the dense forest that surrounds Meiji Shrine. More than merely providing an explanation of the site’s history and significance, Walkshop participants are encouraged to focus on the three concepts of knowing, being and doing.

Drawing on East Asian culture to examine these important concepts, and how they interact, promotes efficient and effective action that can be applied in the work place or private life.

Challenges
The challenges occured in two stages – in the initial planning and after the event had commenced.

Senior management of Transamerica Direct had already selected Japan as the destination, so it was up to Amy Ingalls, director of the company’s Meeting Planning & Events office, to devise a programme that would engage a group of seasoned travellers and provide them with more than they could get from simply walking around the shrine with a brochure.

On site, weather was an issue as Tokyo is notoriously hot and humid in the summer with temperatures peaking in August. The heat can be energy-sapping and, in extreme cases, lead to people being taken unwell.

The final complication involved participants’ desire to snap as many selfies as possible. Some wandered off to take photos during the event, interrupting the flow of the event.

Solutions
Given that the party was largely made up of experienced travellers, Ingalls believes she made the right choice by engaging a DMC with local skills and knowledge, and then following their advice for a Walkshop event.
Weather issues were somewhat alleviated by warning the participants well in advance. With hindsight, Ingalls said future events should have staff stationed along the route ready to hand out cold water.

Banning selfies outright is impractical – and will not go down well with participants – so Ingalls resorted to explaining the schedule clearly to participants and included a set amount of time at the outset and end for them to get snap happy.

Key Takeaways
“I would choose (Japan) again as it is one of the cleanest, safest countries that I have ever visited, while the locals are all very polite and welcoming to tourists,” Ingalls remarked.

She was also pleased to have left the programme in the hands of a “fantastic” DMC, which knew the ideal excursion to both educate and entertain.
“I worked with James Kent at The J Team DMC and they (the team) were fantastic and very detailed,” she said. “They know the country very well and have a deep understanding of incentive programmes and the attendees.”
She gave the thumbs up to how The Walkshop provided “interaction and knowledge” to participants.

“The Walkshop was great for this age group; the average age was approximately 48,” she added. “The participants asked a lot of questions and enjoyed the interaction with Adam (Fulford, who devised the experience). But it is possible that a younger age group might not enjoy this format as much.”

Event: Transamerica Direct 2016 Client Conference
Organiser: The J Team DMC and The Walkshop
Venue: Meiji Shrine, Tokyo
Date: August 6, 2016
Number of participants: 30