TTG Asia e-Daily will be taking a break from January 28, 2025, for the Lunar New Year holidays. The regular news bulletin will return to your inbox on Monday, February 3, 2025.
From all of us at TTG Asia Media, we wish all of our readers a happy and prosperous Year of the Snake!
British Airways has unveiled its newly refreshed lounge at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1, which now features a new Concorde Dining area exclusively for eligible customers, and office spaces with ample work areas and power outlets.
The lounge can seat up to 226 guests, and is available to customers travelling in First and Club World (business class), as well eligible loyalty programme members.
The lounge seamlessly blends British Airways’ rich heritage with the dynamic culture of Singapore.
The revamped lounge boasts bespoke British-made furniture and curated artwork, and offers individual pods for added privacy, improved seating arrangements, and upgraded ambient lighting.
Concorde Dining, formerly The Bar, has been transformed with luxurious fabrics and ambient lighting, and now offers attentive table service for an elevated dining experience. The reimagined menu includes British favourites such as herb-crusted beef tenderloin and sticky toffee pudding, alongside locally inspired dishes such as cashew satay chicken and Lion Mane mushroom curry. The drinks selection has also expanded, including the addition of three premium Champagnes from Joesph Perrier and Bollinger.
The refreshed Singapore lounge is part of British Airways’ wider seven billion pound (US$8.7 billion) transformation programme, which includes the introduction of brand-new cabin interiors, recently refreshed lounges in London, Washington and Lagos, and a new website and app. Further lounge refreshes, such as Seattle will take place later this year.
Cunard’s newest ship in the fleet, Queen Anne will debut in Asia in March 2025 during her 107-night maiden world cruise that calls at over 30 destinations across more than 20 countries.
Queen Anne entered service in May 2024 and is Cunard’s first new ship in 14 years. It spans 14 decks and features 15 dining venues and accommodation for up to 3,000 guests as well as over 1,200 crew.
She set off on her first sailing on January 9 at Southampton, England, and called at New York on January 18.
After New York, Queen Anne will sail around the Americas and South Pacific, followed by New Zealand and Australia before reaching her first destination in Asia, which is Manila, the Philippines on the 67th day of the world cruise. From there on, she will sail to Hong Kong and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City before arriving in Singapore on March 24 where she will anchor overnight.
On March 26, she will set sail to Kuala Lumpur and Penang, followed by Mauritius, South Africa, Namibia, Senegal, Tenerife (Spain) before completing her journey back in Southampton on April 27.
Singapore and Hong Kong are the only destinations in Asia where the ship will stay overnight.
Greater Bay Airlines will cancel 128 flights in February and March 2025 due to delays in new aircraft delivery and the need for regular inspection of some existing aircraft. It will also suspend its Hong Kong-Seoul service due to “unsatisfactory business performance”.
The decision has caused grave concern to the government, according to local news reports, and attracted the attention of Hong Kong’s Consumer Council, which has urged the airline to expedite refunds to customers affected by the large-scale flight cancellations.
However, travel trade players in Hong Kong told TTG Asia that they and their customers are not impacted.
Bao Shinn International Express, managing director, Johnny So, said: “Greater Bay Airlines seldom works with travel agents; it sells directly to consumers. We are not affected.”
With regards to the suspended Kong-Seoul service, So said the airline had done the same on other routes like Singapore, China’s Haikou and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.
He is unperturbed, saying that these routes “only generated outbound traffic (from Hong Kong) without bringing inbound tourist traffic from those (markets)”.
Travel Industry Council, executive director, Fanny Yeung, shared that trade feedback has indicated about 20 impacted tour groups with some 300 travellers.
Yeung opined that impact on groups was minimal, as the airline catered more to FITs.
“Fortunately, the cancellation will not affect services during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays,” she commented.
In a press statement issued on 22 January, Greater Bay Airlines admitted “an internal review in this matter has been carried out immediately and negligence was found in our flight scheduling process”.
In a recent presentation at the Thailand Tourism Forum 2025, JLL executives highlighted pivotal shifts in hotel management agreements (HMAs) in the Asia-Pacific region, with decreasing base fees and adoption of tiered incentive fees being the most significant change.
Sharing findings from JLL’s annual survey covering 145 HMAs in Asia Pacific based on signings between 2018 and 2023, conducted in collaboration with Baker McKenzie, Rathawat Kuvijitrsuwan, senior vice president, advisory & asset management – Asia at JLL, said: “One of the most significant observations was the decreasing base fees across the market, with the incentive fee structure moving toward a tiered model rather than being fixed.”
Furthermore, Rathawat emphasised the growing importance of sales and marketing fees. In a notable shift, the proportion of sales and marketing fees calculated based on total revenue above three per cent rose sharply – from no charge a decade ago to 22 per cent.
Other key trends include “key money” being included in contracts for upscale segments and above, as well as the rise of alternative operating models.
“We’re seeing growing traction for white label operators, and growth in direct franchise and potential ‘manchise.’ (We’re) watching how the larger operators address this shift,” he stated.
Sustainability has also become a dominant theme, with Rathawat pointing out that “as sustainability becomes increasingly legislated and embedded, owners and operators may look to align further in HMAs on sustainability.”
Orn Yomchinda, senior vice president of investment sales – Asia, focused on Thailand’s hotel investment landscape, noting a record-breaking 21.4 billion baht (US$618.5 million) in transactions in 2024 averaging 1.4 billion baht per deal across 19 properties, 15 transactions, and over 4300 hotel keys. This translates into 263 per cent year-on-year growth compared to 2023.
“We have broken many records. Key transactions included the sale of major assets like the Ascott portfolio at around 1,800 rooms, and (Thailand’s) largest standalone asset ever sold, valued at five billion baht,” she stated, referring to the sale of the Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit in November 2024, which was the equivalent of US$155 million at the time.
She pointed to the increasing popularity of leasehold transactions, particularly in Bangkok, as the market matures.
Yomchinda said that despite a narrowing yield spread, Thailand overall remains an attractive destination for investors due to the country’s strategic location.
Looking forward, she predicted continued but slightly less active investment in 2025, where the evolving HMA landscape is expected to prioritise opportunistic and value-added deals, with Bangkok, Phuket and Samui remaining the top destinations for Thailand.
“This year, we’re probably looking at 13 billion Thai baht in transactions, which is 10 to 15 per cent above the 10-year average,” she concluded.
Japan’s Kyoto is working towards higher accommodation tax – up to 10,000 yen (US$64.20) per night for rooms priced from 100,000 yen and more – to fund city infrastructure developments and address overtourism issues. This is expected to be implemented from March 2026.
Kyoto’s current accommodation tax on overnight tourists, in place since 2018, has an upper limit of 1,000 yen per person per night.
With the revision, stays costing 6,000 yen a night will incur a 200 yen tax; room rates from 6,000 yen to 19,999 yen a night would be subjected to 400 yen in taxes; from 20,000 yen to 49,999 yen would have 1,000 yen in taxes; from 50,000 yen to 99,999 yen would have 4,000 yen in taxes; and rates exceeding 100,000 yen would have 10,000 yen in taxes.
Trips for educational purposes would be exempt from the taxation.
According to local news reports, the collected money would be used to improve city infrastructure, including public transportation services and conservation of traditional buildings.
Riding on a proven rise in bleisure travel and the pivotal role food plays in travel experiences, Oakwood is taking a strategic position to cater to the evolving needs of travellers seeking the perfect blend of business and pleasure.
In a press statement, Ascott’s Oakwood noted that bleisure travel is currently a global market valued at nearly US$600 billion, based on Forbes research, while American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report had highlight the influential power of food experiences in travel, with 46 per cent of respondents saying they would sign up for cooking classes to engage with the culture of the destination, while 34 per cent would shop for groceries while travelling.
In line with these findings, all new Oakwood properties will feature on-site dining options. Following last year’s brand refresh, more than half of Oakwood properties today offer the convenience of dining on-property, featuring a variety of culinary options that focus on comfort food.
Furthermore, the Oakwood brand’s All You Knead is Comfort brand campaign 2025 will tap into the universal power of comfort food to soothe the soul and satisfy the palate. The campaign invites guests to experience the comforts of home through food-inspired activations, including cooking classes, celebrity chef collaborations and limited-time offerings at on-property restaurants, available through March 31 this year.
As part of this campaign, Oakwood is also showcasing its culinary capabilities with the launch of its first digital cookbook, Comfort, Curated. Featuring recipes by Oakwood chefs from all 12 countries that the brand currently operates in, the cookbook presents a collection of dishes from various regions, and is available for free download on the brand campaign webpage. Through this initiative, Oakwood invites guests to recreate a taste of home no matter where they are, and when they return home, a taste of the destinations they have visited.
Alongside the digital cookbook, Oakwood properties have teamed up with local culinary experts to offer exclusive, limited-time menus and masterclasses for guests.
Tan Bee Leng, chief commercial officer, Ascott, said: “As bleisure travel continues to grow, our guests are increasingly seeking distinctive culinary experiences. This reflects a broader shift towards experiential travel, where food acts as a gateway to understanding and appreciating the culture and heritage of each destination. Oakwood is well-positioned to ride this trend and distinguish itself with its multi-faceted approach to culinary tourism.
“With Home on a Plate as one of our brand signatures, Oakwood apartments are equipped with kitchens, allowing guests to prepare local dishes using ingredients sourced from the region. This hands-on approach not only fosters a deeper cultural connection but also offers flexibility in dining choices.
“Additionally, our F&B programme, All You Knead is Comfort, goes beyond the physical dining spaces by offering guests interactive culinary events like cooking classes, food tastings and seasonal offerings. These activities enable guests to engage directly with local chefs and food traditions, enriching their stay and creating lasting memories.”
Headlines of extreme weather conditions have been quite common throughout 2024, with the year ending with news of the heaviest snowfall in Seoul in a century as well as warmer than expected autumn in Japan that delayed the peak of seasonal foliage. Unusual weather also led into 2025, with Singapore getting a particularly wet January.
However, Chuan Sheng Soong, CEO of Klook Protect, the travel insurance arm of OTA Klook, said travel interest – including for outdoor adventures and activities – remains strong in the face of increasingly unpredictable and disruptive weather patterns.
Soong noted that travellers participating in outdoor adventures and activities will be most at risk of disrupted travel plans when bad weather strikes. To help customers better cope with disrupted travel due to weather issues, Klook is working to “close gaps” in travel insurance coverage and is providing its own set of support solutions, including a No-Show Refund that covers failure in participation for any reason.
In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions video news, Soong also discusses changes in travel insurance take-ups as cases of unpredictable weather spike, and what travellers should consider when selecting the right travel insurance plan.
Bangkok’s historic Chinatown is set for a transformative new chapter with Asset World Corp (AWC) breaking ground on Woeng Nakornkasem Yaowaraj, a 16 billion baht (US$$474 million) mixed-use development near MRT Samyot station.
Spanning 2.24 hectares, the project is designed to integrate luxury hospitality, retail, and cultural experiences, solidifying Chinatown’s position as a premier tourism hub.
“Travellers are looking for uniqueness, authenticity, and value – this will be a world-class destination on some of the most valuable land in Thailand,” said Wallapa Traisorat, CEO and president of AWC.
The development is the group’s largest to date.
The 135,000m2 development aims to achieve international green building standards and will feature two luxury hotels – an InterContinental with approximately 300 keys and Chinatown’s largest ballroom for events, and a Kimpton hotel with around 200 keys.
Complementing these will be an eight-story contemporary Chinese pavilion serving as a scenic viewpoint, along with approximately 50,000m2 of high-end retail space. A significant portion of this will feature one of Thailand’s largest underground retail complexes, spanning two and a half levels below ground.
The project will also integrate Chinatown’s most extensive parking facility, with the project extending a total of five storeys underground and 10 storeys above ground.
“Aside from building a world-class landmark, we are committed to conserving the heritage shophouses surrounding the property, ensuring they remain an integral part of the community,” Wallapa noted.
“We will draw out the history and connect it with tourism, offering a unique, immersive experience,” she elaborated.
Part of AWC’s larger River Journey initiative, the project aligns with broader efforts to celebrate Chinatown’s maritime heritage.
The development will be well-connected to Bangkok’s expanding transport network, including an eco-friendly, Chinese-themed tram linking the development with other key Chinatown destinations, such as Songwat road.
Additionally, a boat service themed with Chinese lanterns will bring visitors from the Chao Phraya River via the Ong Ang canal, and connect Woeng Nakornkasem Yaowaraj with AWC’s planned wellness destination across the river at Lhong 1919 pier – the original docking point in Bangkok for Chinese junk boats – for which a Ritz-Carlton property is planned.
“We believe there is a demand (for luxury hospitality in Yaowarat) but there has not yet been quality supply (made available). After opening many luxury properties, we’ve seen that the demand is very strong from this sector. With 500 new luxury keys, we are confident in the strong, quality demand for high-end hospitality in the area that can reinforce both economic and tourism growth,” she stated.
Beyond hospitality and retail, the space is designed as a vibrant cultural hub, set to become a focal point for Chinese New Year and other festival activities.
“We envision Woeng Nakornkasem as a family-friendly lifestyle destination, offering unique entertainment such as Chinese martial arts, family-owned street food institutions native to the area, and heritage experiences,” Wallapa added.
Opening in phases, Woeng Nakornkasem Yaowaraj is expected to be fully operational by 2029.
Guests who stay at Marriott Hotels may soon get to see some of their favourite comedians at select properties across Xiamen, Shenzhen, and Beijing from January 20 through the end of March 2025.
The hotel group has launched the Wonderful Hospitality For Your Heartfelt Smile brand campaign in Greater China. As part of the campaign, Marriott Hotels will collaborate with popular Chinese comedians Yan Peilun, Zhang Youwei, Liu Yang, and Zhu Meiji, to host a series of live comedy shows at the mentioned properties.
The comedians also star in five campaign videos that capture everyday moments at Marriott Hotels, from the front office associates who anticipate guest needs to exceptional, in-house dining experiences crafted with passion and care.
“As the flagship brand of Marriott International, Marriott Hotels offers discerning travellers an inviting environment tailored for comfortable stays made special with heartfelt service,” said Betty Tian, managing vice president, customer, Greater China. “Today’s travellers are seeking greater personal connections with the destinations they visit. With creative cross-industry collaborations, we will offer more enriching guest experiences that enhance our promise of Wonderful Hospitality. Always.”
The launch of the campaign marks the official kick-off of Marriott Hotels‘ Wonderful Hospitality brand programme in 71 properties across Greater China.
