AccorHotels will introduce the Fairmont brand to South Korea in 2020 with the opening of the 326-room Fairmont Ambassador Seoul within an integrated development in Seoul’s Yeouido financial district.
From left: Accor Ambassador Korea’s Henry Cho; AccorHotels’ Chris Cho; Accor Ambassador Korea’s Vincent Lelay; Ambassador Group’s Jung Ho Suh; AccorHotels’ Patrick Basset; Parc1 Hotel’s Won Chae; Accor Ambassador Korea’s Taewook Kwon; Parc1 Development Hak-Song Kim and Jae-Young Kim; and Asia Asset’s Do-Hyun Chung
The Richard Rogers-designed property will have an eco-friendly positioning and feature a rooftop terrace, spa, fitness centre, pool, conference hall and four restaurants and a bar.
Fairmont Ambassador Seoul is located adjacent to Yeouido Park and is within five to 10 minutes’ walk to Yeouido and Yeouinauru train stations.
Brunei Tourism Board is initiating its first festival in collaboration with several stakeholders, offering a jam-packed programme of events and activities in the month of December.
Brunei’s Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism stated that the festival is expected to boost tourist numbers in the country and help achieve its target of air arrivals.
The month’s programme includes the International Food Fair; School Camping Special promoted by travel agents; Creative Arts Festivals including an art exhibition, graffiti showcase, street art demo and live mural painting; The Nyirik, offering the taste of Brunei in tour districts; and local product sales and exhibitions.
Other highlights include a Brunei E-Sports Tournament, a meeting point for the local and international gaming community, as well as a beach festival and seafood galore.
There are plans to make the festival a yearly affair, the tourism ministry said in a statement.
Pololikashvili with current secretary general, Taleb Rifai
Zurab Pololikashvili – current ambassador of Georgia to Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Andorra – has been appointed secretary general of UNWTO for the 2018-2021 period.
Pololikashvili was elected by consensus at the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly being held in Chengdu, China following the recommendation of the 105th UNWTO executive council.
Pololikashvili with current secretary general, Taleb Rifai
He was formerly Georgia’s minister of Economic Development (2009-2010) and deputy minister of Foreign Affairs (2005-2006).
WTTC president & CEO Gloria Guevara extended her congratulations to Pololikashvili at the UNWTO General Assembly, and said: “The close collaboration between WTTC and UNWTO over the past eight years has resulted in a more unified and cohesive international travel and tourism sector, where understanding and cooperation between the public and private sectors has increased considerably. I look forward to continuing this path into the future.”
As hotels and tour operators in Malaysia rack up higher tourist receipts thanks to the competitive ringgit, they are rolling out upscale offerings targeted at Asian visitors.
Industry players note that Asian visitors are more willing to splurge, even upgrading their hotel rooms and purchasing more luxurious experiences.
Tan: more room upgrades
Sand & Sandals Resort & Spa, located on Desaru Beach, has seen an uptick in guests choosing larger and more plush room categories, said its director of sales, Owen Tan.
“Our guests are also spending more in restaurants and on spa treatments,” noted Tan. “We are now offering spa and water-sports packages to attract more visitors.”
The resort’s key markets are in Asia, including Singapore, China and Hong Kong.
Also identifying this trend, inbound tour operator Synergy Tours – which previously specialised in the European market – has developed packages specifically for Asian travellers that include shopping stops and upscale hotels.
“Asians prefer the city life and are more willing to spend on shopping, such as buying products unique to the destination,” said Kan Pooi Yew, business development manager of Synergy Tours. “Shopping is in high demand for this market.”
She added: “We’re not offering budget tours for the Asian market since everyone else is doing the same.”
Instead, it is targeting Chinese business travellers with packages that include value-adds like transportation, guided tours and translation.
Conversely, the European market prefers to spend less while on a longer trip in Malaysia.
“Even though their currency is much higher than the ringgit, Europeans are not willing to spend much,” said Kan. “We frequently receive requests for more budget-friendly options.”
However, longhaul markets stretch their vacation time longer, with Europeans touring Malaysia for one to two weeks with Synergy Tours or even staying up to a month in resorts on Langkawi, according to MK Hotels & Resorts’ group assistant director of sales, Mohd Ariff Mokhtar.
These markets often prefer value-for-money offers or completely relaxation without any extra activities or experiences, said Kan and Ariff respectively.
On the back of Qatar getting Approved Destination Status from China, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has opened representative offices in China, with headquarters in Beijing and supporting locations in Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The offices will be operated in partnership with Preferred Hospitality Group’s PHG Consulting division, which provides representation and consultancy services for destinations and travel players.
Photo credit: Qatar Tourism Authority
According to Rashed AlQurese, chief marketing and promotion officer at QTA, Qatar´s marketing campaign in China will cover promotional initiatives, including workshops, sales visits, travel agents destination training through QTA´s online TAWASH programme, partnerships with tour operators, and innovative activities.
“China has risen rapidly as a major source of outbound tourists and we have identified it as a key source market for future growth, among both leisure and business visitors,” said AlQurese. “Our on-the-ground presence in China will enable us to actively promote Qatar to Chinese consumers, and develop relationships with members of the Chinese travel trade.”
He continued: “Now that Qatar has been granted Approved Destination Status, our work can begin immediately, and will culminate in a major campaign that will kick off in January, which will include advertising in major publications, key outdoor locations and fam trips for media.”
Moreover, QTA’s website is now available in Mandarin, giving Chinese travellers easy access to information about the destination´s tourism offerings, hospitality options and key tourism events online. Visit Qatar will also establish a presence across the most prominent Chinese social media platforms in the coming months.
Commented Sultan Salmeen Al Mansouri, Qatar´s ambassador to China: “Qatar has become an increasingly accessible destination for Chinese travelers, especially after Qatar waived entry visa requirements for Chinese citizens.
“At the same time, the Chinese outbound tourism market has been growing exponentially, making the time ripe for Qatar to establish a presence in China and actively engage with the domestic travel and tourism market.”
QTA´s office in China is the third to open in Asia and the ninth globally. It joins an international network currently covering the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, the US, the GCC markets and South-east Asia. QTA officials anticipate the opening of additional offices in Russia and India before the end of the year.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s restructure in January this year has resulted in the departure of several of its regional leaders, including its Asia-Pacific president, Thorsten Kirschke, and the group has just now has appointed Katerina Giannouka as Kirschke’s replacement.
The appointment is a rise for Giannouka, who was previously head of development for Asia-Pacific and China for Rosewood Hotel Group. Based in the Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore, she will join no later than December 4 and will report directly to John Kidd, CEO and COO of Carlson Hotels.
Giannouka at APAC helm
Following HNA Group’s acquisition of Carlson Hotels in December 2016, which also resulted in HNA owning 51.3 per cent of Rezidor, Kidd leads Carlson Hotels while Federico Gonzalez Tejera is CEO of Rezidor. While they operate as separate entities, a global steering committee was set up with the aim of providing strategic direction to both companies. Tejera is chairman of the committee.
Giannouka will also be a member of Carlson Hotels’ Executive Leadership Committee where she will work in tandem with the global and Asia-Pacific leadership teams to drive success and growth for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, a statement said. In her role, she will be responsible in leading the Asia-Pacific executive committee and its corporate offices in Singapore, Shanghai and Delhi.
“Asia-Pacific is a key growth engine for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group as we expand our presence and develop our successes,” said Kidd. “Katerina’s dynamic and energetic leadership experience, complemented with business intelligence and a tenacious work ethic, are testament to her accomplishments in Asia-Pacific and EMEA. I am confident that she will propel our Asia-Pacific business to greater heights.”
Adding a beach club concept and a budget hotel brand to its hospitality portfolio
Formerly just a hotel management company focusing on art-inspired hotels, Artotel Indonesia has transformed into Artotel Group, a company with three businesses lines, namely hospitality, event management and curated merchandise.
Under its hospitality portfolio are four brands: Bobotel, Artotel Beach Club, a boutique Curated Collection with Canggu and Lombok properties in the pipeline, and Artotel which debuted in 2012.
Adding a beach club concept and a budget hotel brand to its hospitality portfolio
Bobotel is a budget hotel brand targeting mass market. With 15m2 rooms, Bobotel will typically be attached to commercial spaces like malls, airports, main train stations and office buildings. The first opening is expected in Kelapa Gading this year.
The first Artotel Beach Club will open late 2017 iin Sanur, Bali and will offer local cuisine and laidback beach vibes.
The group will soon launch its event management arm, Artotel Project Series, which will offer consultation services for the organisation of events such as art exhibitions and art workshops. It will also offer consultancy to businesses wanting to collaborate with local artists.
In May, Artotel Group also introduced Art of Life offering a collection of urban and hip merchandise featuring original arwork from emerging Indonesian contemporary artists. There’s a website for it to reach local and overseas markets and an Art of Life booth in every Artotel hotel.
Along with the expansion, former corporate general manager Eduard Rudolf Pangkerego has been promoted to COO of Artotel Group.
“We hope that with our transformation and expansion, the company is now able to accommodate all market demands in Indonesia and of course globally,” Erastus Radjimin, CEO of Artotel Group, said, adding that hopes are for its four hospitality brands to grow beyond Indonesia.
The DMC opened a sales office near Frankfurt and appointed a representative in the UK
Tour East Group, part of the JTB DMC network, has upgraded its UK, Europe and Russia sales infrastructure.
A sales office has been opened just outside Frankfurt to service the Continental Europe region, and is headed by newly appointed director of business development – Europe, Vishen Mootoo.
The DMC opened a sales office near Frankfurt and appointed a representative in the UK
In the UK, Select-Representative has been appointed to support sales activities in the UK, Ireland & Scandinavia.
Both join the existing Moscow office to deliver a market-focused support mechanism.
Shige Suzuki, president and CEO, Tour East Holding, said the changes come at a strategic time for the group as it rolls out its next generation of B2B booking engine for hotels and resorts.
Asia has one of the fastest growing hotel markets in the world, but as the industry moves into the mobile space, the region’s immense potential remains largely untapped.
“Half of all online travel is booked on mobile devices in China. But beyond China mobile penetration falls, with 80 per cent of travel still booked on laptops or desktops in India and 70 per cent in Japan,” said Drew Rosser, SHR’s vice president of sales.
Rosser: cross-context booking experience
Referencing a Phocuswright hospitality trend report, Rosser noted that Asia had one of the fastest-growing hotel markets in 2016, with a projected growth rate of seven to nine per cent over the next four years.
In South-east Asia, mobile bookings make up 62 per cent of hotel reservations by Indonesian travellers – the highest in the region. Trailing behind are Thailand at 42 per cent and Malaysia at 23 per cent.
Spotting this trend, Rosser said SHR is making moves on Asia to open players in the region up to its mobile solutions. This includes Windsurfer, which will be the first CRS to interface with Protel HotelSoftware and include Protel’s new Whisper Screen technology.
The newly forged alliance gives SHR access to Protel’s 14,000 global hotel clients’ transaction and preference data, enabling them to offer their hotel clients data insights pertaining to guest experience.
SHR is banking on Protel’s network to roll out outreach and marketing efforts in Asia, including “joint webinars, roadshows, speaking engagements and press releases”, shared Rosser.
More than 2,500 hotels in 81 countries currently use Windsurfer, and SHR hopes to grow this number by tailoring its products to Asian markets.
One example is through social media and messaging functions. Rosser added: “As we look at our product growth, we believe that it is the guest who should be at the centre, driving decisions for technology.
“One way of doing this is having a cross-context booking experience… Now with the adoption of messaging apps, hotels must once again meet the guest communication in the format in which they want to hear from them.”
He described flexible communication between hoteliers and their guests through different booking stages; such as emails during the planning phase and SMS during the in-stay phase.
“With this in mind our portfolio growth will reflect this direction in the upcoming months and years,” said Rosser.
Hotel G Yangon
Billed as “Yangon’s first lifestyle hotel”, Hotel G Yangon’s 85 rooms range from 15m2 to 30m2 across four categories – Good, Great, Greater and Greatest, and come furnished with a Bluetooth stereo alarm, LED smart TV and Press Reader. Higher category rooms also have a Handy. Facilities include a gym, studio with a weekly schedule of yoga, pilates and Zumba classes, a gift shop, and the Babett Eatery & Bar.
Hard Rock Hotel Shenzhen
This is Hard Rock’s first hotel in Mainland China. It is located in Shenzhen’s Mission Hills Centreville. Throughout the 258-room property, guests will be able to check out over 160 rare and valuable memorabilia – from Hard Rock’s 80,000+ piece collection – on display. Amenities include four F&B venues, 1,000m2 of event facilities, kids’ club, gym and rooftop pool. The hotel also offers the brand’s signature music amenity programme, The Sound of Your Stay, where travellers can rent a Fender guitar, or mix music with the Traktor Kontrol Z1 controller.
Hotel COZi Wetland
Tang’s Living Group’s has launched its first hotel under the midscale Hotel COZi brand in Hong Kong. Five minutes away from Wetland Park, the hotel offers 336 rooms across 16 floors. All rooms have free Wi-Fi and Handy, but higher category rooms come with extras such as a microwave oven and multifunctional radio. Three more properties will open in Tsuen Wan, Kwun Tong and Tuen Mun.
Holiday Inn & Suites Rayong City Centre
The first Holiday Inn & Suites Hotel in the eastern province of Rayong offers 288 rooms over 30 storeys, 64 of which are longer-stay suites while 224 are guestrooms. Facilities include nine meeting rooms and ballrooms, an infinity pool, fitness centre and five F&B options. The hotel is just over 30 minutes from U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport and next door to Passione Shopping Mall.
Cassia Bintan
Part of the Laguna Bintan integrated complex, Cassia Bintan currently has 56 available rooms (with plans to increase capacity to 180 by 2019). Room configurations vary, from one- to two-bedrooms, to loft living or single level with kitchenette. Each of its rooms and public spaces are decorated with traditional Indonesian art created by local artist Adi Dharma. Amenities include the Xana Beach Club, numerous dining options, while various activities such as jetskiing or ATV-ing can also be arranged.
