Markus Kosch has been named general manager for Hilton’s new 309-room Conrad Guangzhou.
Over the past two decades, he has served Hilton in the Maldives as well as Chinese locations in Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, Hefei, Shenzhen, Sanya and Dalian.
In the past five years, he served Hilton as a cluster general manager for multiple properties. In Sanya-Haitang Bay, he managed the Conrad and DoubleTree by Hilton Resorts and most recently the Conrad and Hilton Dalian.
The integration of Scoot and Tigerair under a common brand and operating licence is expected to be complete by July 25.
Thereon, the Scoot website, www.flyscoot.com, will be the sole booking platform for all flights currently operated by Scoot and Tigerair, while the Scoot call centre will service bookings from both airlines at (65) 3157 6434.
Both airlines’ check-in counters will also reflect a single Scoot brand while the flight designator code for Scoot flights will be changed from the current TZ to TR, the code currently used for Tigerair flights.
The integrated Scoot fleet will consist of Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320-family aircraft. For now, destinations such as Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei will continue to be operated on both B787 and A320 aircraft.
These latest developments will wrap up the integration efforts of Scoot and Tigerair since May 2016, when they were brought under a common holding company, Budget Aviation Holdings.
Sarawak has withdrawn its sole representative from the Malaysia Tourism Board (MTB).
In a statement, Sarawak Chief Minister’s Office explained: “The state government deems that the participation of its representative in Tourism Malaysia is not necessary, as (it duplicates) the role and functions of the Sarawak Tourism Board.”
Bako National Park, Sarawak
A source told TTG Asia that the board was not involved in policy making and having a representation was not “critically important”.
The decision was made by the chief minister of Sarawak Abang Johari Open and was not due to the recent spat with Malaysian tourism and culture minister Nazri Abdul Aziz over the tourism tax issue, according to Sarawak State tourism, arts, culture, youth and sports minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah in a report by the Borneo Post.
He was also quoted in the same report as saying that MTB has “not been doing much for Sarawak. We might as well help ourselves through the Sarawak Tourism Board.”
Abdul Karim felt that the federal government should have consulted with the state first before pushing the tourism tax on Sarawak.
The Department of Tourism’s (DoT) new TV commercial sporting the Experience the Philippines tagline has received flak from the travel trade for falling short on both creativity and strategy.
The commercial – centred on a blind Japanese retiree who felt at home during his trip to the Philippines – was pilloried by netizens, including travel agents and advertising experts, who found the tagline and concept lacklustre.
Fingers are also pointed at ad agency McCann Worldgroup Philippines, as the commercial bears similarities to an earlier one by South Africa Tourism.
Clarifying that the ad is the second in a series of four TV commercials produced this year under the It’s More Fun in the Philippines tagline, Tourism secretary Ricky Alegre said the ad was meant to attract foreign retirees and people with disabilities (PWDs), citing figures from the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) that there are 27,000 retirees from 120 countries living in the country.
Travel consultants however said the ad may be more appropriate for the PRA as the country isn’t PWD-friendly when it comes to infrastructure and facilities.
“Our problem with this campaign is the substance of it and whether it would be effective,” said Rajah Tours president Jojo Clemente, adding that “It’s more Fun in the Philippines is one of the best campaigns ever mounted” and effective in bringing in tourists.
A travel consultant who requested anonymity opined that the word ‘experience’ neither “zeroes in on (the) message we are trying to convey” nor sets the Philippines apart from other destinations.
In its latest statement issued yesterday afternoon, the DoT said it is pulling out this international ad campaign and terminating its contract with ad agency McCann Worldgroup Philippines following the plagiarism backlash.
It will instead “reopen the procurement process for the production of a new advertising material which will be consistent with the current slogan, It’s more fun in the Philippines”.
Where gaming was once the core focus for many casinos across Asia, more gaming operators are now transforming these complexes into mixed-use, family-friendly destinations to drive domestic and tourist spending.
At the Asian Attractions Expo 2017 in Singapore, operators reported a shift towards more multi-generational entertainment options on top of gaming attractions.
Spectra at MBS
According to Ken Wheatley, director of technology supplier Christie, Macau led the pack, after which the development of mixed-use integrated resorts trickled to neighbours like the Philippines, South Korea and Singapore.
The talk of the town is Okada Manila, a 44ha integrated resort in the Entertainment City gaming strip. The US$2.4 billion project boasts a casino, hotel, dining and shopping outlets and conference spaces, in addition to a 1.2km-long multimedia show comprising choreographed water, light and music performances.
Such multimedia shows are also gaining traction with operators across Asia, checking off boxes as a photogenic, sustainable and cost-effective revenue driver, with the Marina Bay Sands’ latest Spectra light-and-water extravaganza along its promenade as an example.
Often conducted in the evening, multimedia shows motivate visitors to stay in resorts later or even overnight, and can spark up to 15 per cent more on-site F&B spending, said Jean-Christophe Canizares, chairman and CEO of French multimedia provider ECA2, which developed the Wings of Time show in Sentosa.
They can also be “refreshed easily and changed seasonally”, said Michael Reid, founder of IconPath Curated Experiences.
This is a big selling point – especially for regional parks with smaller budgets – as operators prioritise the “sustained repeatable value” of an attraction, explained managing director of MR ProFun China, Ron Merriman, the company that helmed Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
Director of entertainment at Walt Disney Attractions Japan, Paul Rivet, shared that the park refreshes its shows every two to three years, with slight changes to elements in between.
Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore
The 268-residence Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore has opened in Singapore’s CBD. The second Oakwood-branded property in the city-state, residences come in a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. With the minimum stay pegged at seven nights, studios come furnished with a kitchenette as well as complimentary launderette access, while the bedrooms feature fully-equipped kitchens and a washer/dryer. Amenities include a fitness centre, outdoor infinity pool and Jacuzzi, lobby bar, executive club, lounge and the Se7enth restaurant.
Conrad Osaka
Situated on the 33rd to 40th floors of the Nakanoshima Festival Complex is the 164-room Conrad Osaka – the brand’s first in western Japan. Rooms start from 50m2 and suites from 66m2, all of which come with floor-to-ceiling windows, 49-inch TVs, Bluetooth speakers, rainshowers and free-standing bathtubs. Facilities include four restaurants, a bar, spa, 24-hour fitness centre and 20m-long heated indoor pool. For meetings or events, Conrad Osaka has two ballrooms, one boardroom and one divisible meeting room. The 225m2 main ballroom can accommodate up to 100 guests, and comes with a private foyer and spiral staircase.
DoubleTree by Hilton Shenzhen Longhua
DoubleTree by Hilton Shenzhen Longhua offers 238 guestrooms, including 12 suites, each at least 48m2 and featuring a separate work area, 42-inch LCD TV, DoubleTree Sweet Dreams Sleep Experience bedding, and the new verbena and lavender line from Crabtree & Evelyn. Facilities available include a 24-hour fitness centre, an outdoor pool, three whirlpools, a business centre, as well as four F&B options. The property also offers 1,630m2 of meeting space in the form of a 738m2 pillarless ballroom and six meeting rooms.
Citadines OMR
The Ascott has opened its second service residence in India, the Citadines OMR in Chennai. Standing along Old Mahabalipuram Road, the city’s IT Corridor, the serviced residence offers 269 units across three configurations. All the studios, and one- and two-bedroom apartments come with a fully-equipped kitchen. Recreational amenities include a rooftop infinity pool, gym, steam and sauna facilities, and resident’s lounge. There are also two F&B options, as well as a business centre, launderette, convenience store, and two meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 100 people.
Lanson Place Hospitality Management has named Augustine Silva as its chief development officer.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Silva will be responsible for driving the group’s strategic growth by acquiring new management contracts, as well as new investment or joint-venture projects in South-east Asia and Australia.
Prior to joining Lanson Place, Silva was the COO for Avari Hotels. With 33 years of experience under his belt, the seasoned hotelier has served in companies such as Ascott, Frasers Hospitality, Millennium & Copthorne International and Ascendas Hospitality Trust in South-east Asia, China, Australia and the US.
Ascott has secured the first three properties under its new co-living concept, lyf, in China and Singapore.
The 112-unit lyf Wu Tong Island Shenzhen is scheduled to open in 1H2018; the 120-unit lyf DDA Dalian in end-2018; and lyf Farrer Park Singapore, the biggest of the three with 240 units, in 2021.
lyf Wu Tong Island Shenzhen
The brand, first announced in Singapore last November, is designed for millennial types including technopreneurs and those in the creative industries, said Ascott’s CEO Lee Chee Koon. All three confirmed lyf properties have economic zone or innovation park locations.
“With the launch of lyf in these two key markets for Ascott, we are gathering momentum to capture this booming social generation… China is among Ascott’s top customers globally and has the world’s second largest millennial population,” said Lee.
“As global fintech hubs, China and Singapore are also homes to start-ups raking in billion-dollar deals. We are therefore expecting to see more lyf properties in gateway cities in China as well as another in downtown Singapore.”
Ascott targets 10,000 lyf units globally by 2020, and is looking at other potential markets including Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the UK.
What was once perceived as Hong Kong’s historic enclaves are now seeing new life as tourism hotspots, as the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) becomes the latest to jump onto the neighbourhood tourism bandwagon with its five themed Old Town Central walking routes.
Covering Central and the adjacent Sheung Wan neighbourhood, outlined by Wyndham Street, Caine Road, Possession Street and Queen’s Road Central, with Hollywood Road running through the middle, these self-guided walks are targeted to help travellers discover the heritage, cuisine and art in the area’s streets and alleys by spotlighting colonial monuments, temples, hole-in-the-wall local eateries and restaurants.
A spokesman elaborated: “HTKB will also work with trade partners to promote guided tours that focus on the richness of Central, and its locals and expats, (to publicise) the district’s charms and hidden gems through PR campaigns and on digital platforms.”
The spokesman added that HKTB “will continue to explore similar tours in other historic areas such as Wanchai”.
The Hong Kong trade sees HKTB’s latest initiative as a good effort to create more experiential travel opportunities in Hong Kong.
Walk in Hong Kong’s co-founder and CEO, Paul Chan, remarked: “HKTB realised that it can’t compete with other destinations in theme parks; but city culture, living history and heritage are something we have and shouldn’t waste.”
The walking tours operator has more than 20 routes in its portfolio, ranging from market food tours in Kowloon to old trades and artisan tours in Sheung Wan.
However, walking tours of Hong Kong’s cultural neighbourhoods require special expertise and cater to just a niche segment, explained Chan. “Neighbourhood tourism is still in its infancy as it’s not a mainstream product like bus tours. It requires experts, R&D as well as a strong local network.
“What’s more, this type of tour can’t accommodate big groups so growth is organic, not explosive. It needs someone with social pride and passion to run it. The lack of quality tour guides is the biggest crunch,” Chan lamented.
When asked if Airbnb Trips, which has been launched in several cities in Asia-Pacific to focus on local experiences, poses a threat to the future prospects of tour outfits specialising in neighbourhood tourism, Chan said: “We don’t treat it as competition, but a large platform to drive more inbound traffic for such a niche experience. Frankly, the pie is small and it would be great we can learn how other players run such operations.”
To stay sustainable, Walk in Hong Kong has trained its sights on high-value segments like FITs as well as working with luxury hotel concierges to provide special experiences for their VIPs and business travellers, Chan added.
As well, more support from HKTB is required to grow and develop neighbourhood tourism, trade players pointed out.
Via Vai Travel’s director, Sef Lam, said: “I believe most visitors come (to Hong Kong) for business while others come to shop, eat and sightsee. Not many may want to spend their time exploring local neighbourhoods, but if these tours are offered free, it might be a good start.”
She added: “Recently, I joined a Lei Yue Mun walk organised by the Maritime Museum with resources from the Society of Hong Kong History. HKTB can certainly do more by liaising with the different museums and hotels and offering these as free tours.”
This article was first published in TTG Asia June 2017 issue. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
Travelport Digital, part of Travelport, has appointed Ailsa Brown as vice president, Asia-Pacific.
Brown’s responsibilities include maximising new opportunities and promoting Travelport Digital’s business-transforming mobile engagement solutions for travel brands across Asia-Pacific.
She previously led Travelport’s sales and commercial strategy in the region for a number of years.
