Tourists shop at night market in Phuket town

INTERNATIONAL tourist arrivals worldwide grew four per cent to 561 million between January and June this year compared to the same period in 2015, with Asia-Pacific showing the strongest growth worldwide.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, Asia-Pacific saw a nine per cent increase in international arrivals through June, surpassing the Americas (four per cent), Europe (three per cent) and Africa (five per cent). Limited data for the Middle East pointed to an estimated nine per cent decrease, though results may vary from destination to destination.

Growth in the Asia-Pacific region was driven by robust intra-regional demand. Oceania (10 per cent) led growth, followed by North-East Asia, South-East Asia (both nine per cent) and South Asia (seven per cent).

Looking at outbound flows in 1H2016, top source market China reported double-digit growth in expenditure on international travel (20 per cent), benefiting destinations in the region and beyond.

The US came in second, seeing an increased expenditure on outbound travel by eight per cent through July, thanks to a strong currency. The third largest market, Germany, reported a 4 per cent increase in expenditure through July.

Meanwhile, expenditure from Russia and Brazil continues to be weak, reflecting the economic constraints and depreciated currencies in both markets.

The study added that prospects for tourist arrivals are positive for the remainder of 2016. Countries that have already reported results till July or August show continued growth in the current Northern Hemisphere summer peak season.

Moreover, the UNWTO Panel of Experts remains confident about the September to December period. Confidence is highest in Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, while experts in Europe and the Middle East are somewhat more cautious.

STIFF competition to fill rooms in Bangkok has resulted in the closure and sale of Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Hotel after its 36th year in business.

Listed conglomerate Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS) is set to be the new owners of the property.

“It comes as no surprise for a hotel to be sold amid fierce competition. The deal is so good. I would seal it too,” said Thai Hotels Association (THA) president Supawan Tanomkieatipume.

BDMS is purchasing the property for 10.8 billion baht (US$311 million), taking into account the previous owner’s accumulated losses exceeding 700 million baht. BDMS plans to transform the hotel into a wellness centre to compete with nearby Bumrungrad Hospital.

The deal became the talk of the town within industry circles last week when a handwritten letter by the hotel’s managing director and owner addressed to her staff was shared on social media.

The letter mentioned that Swissôtel Nai Lert Park will be closed next January and cited stiff competition as the reason for the closure and sale.

Hotels in Thailand have been facing headwinds for longer than a decade now due to political uncertainty and oversupply.

As of 2Q2016, there were about 42,000 hotel rooms in Bangkok alone and some 9,700 more will have come online by 2020, according to research by CBRE. Almost all international hotel brands have a presence in Bangkok.

Years before this sale, Swissôtel Nai Lert Park had repositioned its branding downwards by changing operators from Hilton to Swissôtel.

According to rankings by STR Chain Scales-Global, Hilton is in the luxury category while Swissôtel was slightly lower, at the upper upscale level.

“It may be big a mistake of many hotels to downgrade their hotel brand. If the downgrading is really unavoidable, you must select the top brand with an effective distribution network in your new category,” said Paisit Kaenchan, CEO and director of Grand Asset Hotels and Property.

Normally, downgrading from a luxury brand to an upper upscale brand will result in lower revenue, warns Paisit. Room rates at luxury hotels in Bangkok are around 5,000-6,000 baht per night while the rate of the next lower tier stands at about 3,000 baht, he added.

Paisit further explained that regular maintenance is crucial for hotel businesses in order to stay afloat.

THE Singapore International Festival of Music (SIFOM) is returning for its second edition this year under a new theme – Myths and Legends.

The festival, which debuted last year to give rising young musicians in Singapore a platform, runs from October 13-30 this year at various concert venues and public spaces around the city-state, featuring more than 20 free and ticketed performances and workshops

This year’s ensemble of performances include showings by opera stars from the Musical Olympus Foundation (Moscow) and performing artists and composers from Europe, Asia, Russia and Ukraine, among many others.

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (reportedly the world’s best orchestra by critics), Norway’s Ensemble 1B1, local Chinese music group Ding Yi Music Company and Ikan Girl by the Bhumi Collective will also be making appearances.

SIFOM was first conceived and curated by internationally-renowned conductor and grammy-nominee, Darrell Ang, who is also the artistic director of SIFOM.

Gary Khan

INDIA’s first regional convention bureau, Hyderabad Convention Visitors Bureau (HCVB), turns five years old this year with flying colours and is charting the course to put Hyderabad further on the global MICE map in the next five years.

Gary Khan, CEO of HCVB since its formation in 2011, can now count a “very good track record” of winning 19 association bids out of the 36 HCVB had put in since the bureau’s inception.

HCVB’s strategic marketing plan for the next five years will see the bureau focusing its efforts on the European region because that is the “crux of associations”.

It plans to increase its participation in roadshows in Europe from once to twice a year, and maintaining presence in tradeshows.

It will also focus on the IT, healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors which are Hyderabad’s strongest suits. While the Telangana state currently brandishes India’s only purpose-built convention and exhibition centre that can accommodate up to 6,500 delegates, Khan admitted that this infrastructure might still pale in comparison to other cities’ convention facilities that can host up to 20,000 guests.

However he pointed to the presence of a huge Indian market as Hyderabad’s winning factor.

“The strength we have is in our numbers (people) because we can provide a huge attendance number that no other country can offer. We are not talking about just 20 or 50 more people, but a few hundreds. We also give associations the opportunity to increase their membership,” he said.

Pointing to the ICANN Congress, which will be held in November with 4,000 delegates, Khan said these big international names that are descending upon Hyderabad are a “testimony” to the destination’s capability to host large-scale events.

ADDITIONAL airports around Asia will be home to more than 40 TravelersBox kiosks by the end of 2016.

These kiosks allow travellers to deposit their leftover foreign currency into online accounts such as PayPal, Skype, iTunes and Starbucks gift cards. There is also a donation button for travellers to donate to a preferred cause.

Tokyo’s Narita International Airport is the second airport in Asia to receive the physical-to-digital currency convertor kiosks after Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Tomer Zussman, co-founder and CEO of TravelersBox, said: “For the Asian market we’ve given specific attention for each of the local travellers’ nationalities. Solutions such as Nets Flash Card for Singaporeans, Lazada for South-east Asian travellers and more, will soon be available.”

The company has also entered into a partnership with Baidu wallet, tapping the Chinese market.

TravelersBox currently have over 75 kiosks located in airports around the world.

The Glasshouse, Edinburgh

MALAYSIA’s YTL Hotels is expanding its portfolio with the recent acquisition of three properties, one each in Edinburgh, Berkshire and London.

The Glasshouse Hotel, located in the heart of Edinburgh, is part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection.

This acquisition reinforces YTL’s partnership with Marriott, which began in 1995 through the ownership, management and future development of seven properties including JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur and The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui.

The second property that will come under YTL’s hotel portfolio is Monkey Island in the village of Bray in Berkshire, renowned as the only village in the world with four Michelin-star restaurants and pubs.

YTL also acquired the Academy Hotel in London’s West End. The hotel comprises five restored Georgian townhouses and is a stone’s throw away from The British Museum.

With these, YTL’s global portfolio has increased to 29 assets across Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, France, Spain and the UK.

ACCORHOTELS has brought the co-living concept into the hospitality space with the launch of new brand Jo&Joe.

Accor describes Jo&Joe as “a brand that blends the best of private-rental, hostel and hotel formats” that caters to the needs of millennial travellers seeking community living, such as shared kitchens and sleeping areas.

Plans are for 50 properties to open by 2020 in destinations popular with millennials, such as Bangkok, Warsaw, Budapest, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with openings in the cities of Paris and Bordeaux first in 2018.

All Jo&Joe venues will take root in bustling city-center locations that are close to public transport and in proximity to major points of interest, said Accor.

Giving an idea of how the pioneering concept might work in a hotel setting, Frédéric Fontaine, senior vice president, global marketing innovation lab at AccorHotels, said: “More than just an accommodation solution, Jo&Joe has been conceived as an experience enhancer thanks notably to its offbeat design, innovative digital ecosystem and catering offerings.

“With its ‘open house’ concept, the brand diversifies the customer journey by welcoming guests as well as locals, who treat Jo&Joe venues as an annex of their living room.”

The concept is designed to promote interaction and foster community living thanks to common areas that are open to both guests and public, where activities such as a concert, yoga class or workshop can be held.

Room formats are also unconventional and caters to different needs. The Happy House, for instance, is a private area where travellers can relax, work, cook or wash their clothes, while Together, the brand’s flagship room type, is a modular sleeping area with recreation spaces and bathrooms that guests share without sacrificing privacy.

Jo&Joe’s concept is co-conceived by UK design company Penson, known for creating spaces for brands such as Google, YouTube, Playstation and Lotte World Tower.

Local Cambodian seller at a floating market

CAMBODIAN agents are favourable towards a new ecotourism legislation currently being drafted.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism revealed that the law, now in an early developmental stage, aims to better tap into the global ecotourism trend by keeping tourist offerings competitive while at the same time protect natural resources and boost conservation efforts.

The legislation is being developed with the help of the French University of Toulouse and Acting for Life, an NGO which specialises in sustainable tourism, to identify necessary criteria to govern and support the growth of the sector.

Tourism minister Thong Khon said: “Ecotourism is a new tool to attract foreign tourists and it is a trend that should be focused on to develop our tourism industry. Ecotourism can benefit local people directly and play an efficient role in reducing poverty.”

He added that arrivals for ecotourism and community-based tourism (CBT) are growing by almost 20 per cent year-on-year.

Somborath Dy, operations manager at Cambodian Rural Development Tours, which promotes ecotourism in Northeast Cambodia, said: “Cambodia has the potential to develop ecotourism because it not only has rich cultural resources but also diverse natural resources.”

He adds that It is essential the plan encourages private and public bodies to work together to enhance training, capacity building and financial backing to promote sustainable growth and overcome challenges such as insufficient infrastructure, illegal hunting and excessive logging.

Heng Vuthy, general manager of Mekong Dreams, which focuses on CBT, said: “Cambodia has many sites that are perfect for ecotourism to be developed, helping provide authentic experiences while providing support to many struggling communities.”

For 1H2016, 37,385 international tourists visited Cambodia for ecotourism, an increase of six per cent compared to the same period last year.