Indonesia on the radar of longhaul MICE planners

August 4, 2016

LONGHAUL MICE planners who attended the Business Matching session in Jakarta last week have said they are keen to organise events, meetings or post-conference incentive tours in Indonesia.

The 12 European buyers were in the city as part of the post-tour organised by the Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, in conjunction with the Singapore MICE Forum and the Asia Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange 2016.

Stephane Mockels, head of MICE, Emile Weber Voyages France, said: “We have confirmed plans for three conferences to take place in Singapore and we are now looking for an incentive destination for our corporate clients in the banking and insurance industries. These will be small groups with very high level (executives), and we are looking for high-end products.”

Kin Fung Michael Chow, director – corporate development & staff affairs of Provident Global Capital Group, South Pacific Asia and The Great China Region, said the group has 49 projects all over the world and organises 60 meetings and four incentive trips every year.

Chow said: “We used to organise them in Europe but with the economic situation, we now look at Asia. As we have many meetings, we keep looking for new destinations. I just did one in Bali and am looking at what Jakarta has to offer.”

Meanwhile, Shell Eastern Petroleum has just set up an events team in Singapore and the company is looking to expand its supplier base in the Asia-Pacific region; Indonesia is included, while Singapore will be the hub.

For AD Meetings & Events based in Rome, Italy, its major business is in Asia and its director, Debora Comune, said destinations like Bali are not new anymore and she was instead interested in up-and-coming ones like Toraja in South Sulawesi.

One of the sellers, Abdullah Lajam, managing director of Abbey Travel Indonesia, said regionally, Indonesia is seen as a good value destination when compared to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam where prices have started to rise. However, the challenge is having to create awareness of the destination among event planners.

Wienna Valerie Damanik, account director of Cakrawala Event Organizer Indonesia, also sees the potential of Jakarta as a destination, and expects the Ministry of Tourism to organise such events more often to help buyers become more familiar with the destination.

PCMA Asia-Pacific Scholarship benefits 20 APAC association executives

By Karen Yue

August 4, 2016

TWENTY association executives from around Asia-Pacific have benefitted from the inaugural PCMA Asia-Pacific Scholarship which funded their trip to Singapore in July for the PCMA Meetings Forum.

Created by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, the scholarship also drew interest and funding support from Tourism New Zealand, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Korea Tourism Organization.

Usa Thisyakorn, president of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of Thailand and congress chair of the 8th Asian Congress of Pediatric Infectious Disease 2016, was one of the scholarship recipients. She told TTGmice e-Weekly that the scholarship provided her with a “valuable learning experience” at the Forum.

“The discussions here are in-depth and the perspectives are global – not something association executives can easily access in Thailand,” Usa remarked, adding that she found the education focus on sponsorship issues especially beneficial.

Haesook Ma, assistant manager, convention team with the Korea MICE Bureau, said her organisation was motivated to field three local association executives for the scholarship as it recognised the educational value of the Forum.

Ma said: “The international speakers at the Forum provided our scholars with a precious opportunity to learn from the more experienced Western associations. While we have the annual Korea MICE Expo, we do not have anything that focuses heavily on association education.”

“Furthermore, our scholars act as ambassadors of South Korea when they converse with fellow association executives,” she added.

Commenting on the outcome of the scholarship, Jeannie Lim, executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel with the Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are heartened by the interest and response to the inaugural PCMA Asia-Pacific Scholarship. The positive feedback received from the scholarship recipients underscores the need to champion and cultivate association executives and meeting planners. With our partners, we hope to grow the scholarship and further support association executives in the region next year.”

Expanded BITEC targets events from lifestyle and entertainment sector

By Michael Sanderson

August 4, 2016

IN AN effort to capitalise on the six billion baht (US$170 million) expansion due for completion in November, the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) is seeking to secure major international concerts and theatre shows.

Set to become one of the largest venues in Asia – almost doubling in size to boast 70,000m²of event space – managing director, Panittha Buri, said BITEC would continue to be an industry leader for international trade exhibitions, consumer fairs and conventions.

Along with three new event halls, BITEC will add 12 meeting rooms, three convention halls, retail and dining areas, an outdoor concert area and a mixed-use office building to its existing facilities. It will also boast greater transport links with a direct connection to Bangkok’s skytrain network, a terminal for 31 coaches and a helipad.

However, its growth strategy is “geared towards the lifestyle and entertainment sector such as concerts, live entertainment and theatre productions”.

“This was one of the driving factors to create EH 100 – our new lifestyle event hall with a 25m-high ceiling. The height allows for greater possibilities in terms of staging and backdrops as well as light and sound shows,” Panittha said.

Panittha said that once Phase II was complete, BITEC would be able to accommodate 40,000 people at a time. The expansion will be ready in time for Grand Metalex 2016, which will use all 10 event halls.

“Our organisers will be able to deliver bigger events, not only in terms of space, but also in terms of profile and exposure,” she said. “There will be opportunities to deliver multiple concurrent events – different events held at the same time, but separated by halls.”

First, business class traffic surge between Europe, APAC: Amadeus

By TTG Asia

August 3, 2016

THE Gulf carriers have recorded strong growth for first and business class passenger volumes between Europe and Asia-Pacific from 2014 to 2015, according to Amadeus IT Group’s travel intelligence team based on worldwide bookings made on the GDS.

For the 10 most popular routes between Europe and Asia-Pacific operated by Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, Amadeus observed a staggering 67 per cent increase in first class passenger volume and a 47 per cent increase in business class traffic in 2015 from the previous year. The increase was seven per cent across all cabin classes for these routes.

In terms of passenger numbers, the top 10 most popular routes between Europe and Asia-Pacific are Frankfurt-Bangkok, London-Bangkok, London-Delhi, London-Mumbai, Paris-Tokyo, Paris-Seoul, Munich-Bangkok, London-Hong Kong, Amsterdam-Bangkok and Paris-Bangkok.

At the same time, passenger traffic for flights between Europe and Asia-Pacific going through Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports also increased by eight per cent.

AccorHotels’ Badrinath to step down, join board as director

By TTG Asia

August 3, 2016

After nearly three years with AccorHotels as deputy CEO, Vivek Badrinath will depart the company and join international telecommunications group Vodafone as head of emerging countries and the Pacific from mid-October 2016.

Badrinath has been invited to join the board as director, which will be co-opted with effect from October 10. This will ensure Badrinath remains associated with the pursuit of the group’s digital ambitions and continue to contribute his expertise and viewpoint on sector issues, said the company in a press statement.

AccorHotels is set to announce a new organisational structure as well as an offensive and ambitious strategy by October.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport opens new Jewel Wing

By Dannon Har

August 3, 2016

CROWNE Plaza Changi Airport, part of InterContinental Hotels Group, has added a new 10-storey extension to the property.

The hotel, the only one located outside the transit area of Changi Airport, now has a 563-key inventory, an increase of over 75 per cent from its original 320 rooms. All 243 rooms at the new Jewel Wing are Business Rooms in King (28m²) or Twin (38m²) configuration.

Rooms cater well for business travellers, with amenities such as an ergonomic work station, complimentary Wi-Fi, wireless printing of documents, and a Handy smartphone for free unlimited local and international calls to 11 countries.

Corporates and meeting groups account for most of Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s guests, but its general manager Sunshine Wong points out that the hotel does receive customers from a broad spectrum.

“The positioning is for the business traveller and MICE. This is not to say that we don’t have other segments such as leisure,” Wong told TTG Asia e-Daily, when asked if the new wing alters its market mix in any way.

“Leisure groups, wholesale, even government for example are the different segmentation we have at the moment. Each of the segments we have right now are just going to be expanded because of the additional guestrooms.”

Seasonality plays a key part in this, added Wong, illustrating that during Australia’s winter season happening now, the hotel receives many more leisure guests transiting at Changi Airport from Down Under to Europe.

“Market segmentations do change and we just have to adjust as we go along. Certain seasons, such as the end of the year, we experience more leisure traffic and less business travellers, and we change our marketing plan accordingly,” he added.

But the property’s core clientele remains, and Wong hopes to continue reaching out to one essential group, the MNCs.

He said: “There is definitely one segment of the MICE business that we’re looking for, which is all the multinationals based in Singapore. We also believe that this hotel can be positioned as a hub, meaning regional MNCs can have their meeting here for two, three days and off they go. That’s what we’re targeting and we’ve been quite successful in going after that segment.”

Jewel Wing welcomed its first guests on August 1. The new wing is named as such as it will overlook the Jewel Changi Airport retail complex once the building is completed in 2019.

The property expansion is also coming ahead of the airport’s Terminal 4 opening slated for 2017. Crowne Plaza Changi Airport first opened in 2008.

New international association minted for hotel executives

By TTG Asia

August 3, 2016

A NEW association for hotel executives has been launched to provide career support and other benefits to members.

Named the International Association of Hotel Executives (IAHE), the collective is is a subsidiary of the International Association of Hotel General Managers (IAHGM). The two bodies will be run as separate entities, sharing links in relevant areas.

John Cameron, CEO of both IAHE and IAHGM, explained: “During the development of IAHGM, we received significant interest from other hotel professionals looking for independent support. Therefore, we felt a responsibility to create a bespoke solution that meets their needs, without taking anything away from the exclusive offering established for general managers.”

He added: “It makes real sense for us to nurture the interests of this wider industry group, especially as they account for a large part (approximately 80 per cent) of the talent pool for future general managers.”

IAHE membership is open to hotel executives who have served as head of functions in roles across 13 categories: manager/resident manager/executive assistant manager, director of finance, director of sales & marketing, director of human resources, director of rooms, director of food & beverage, director of revenue management, director of IT, director of PR, executive chef, executive housekeeper, chief engineer and head of security.

Membership benefits include medical, life insurance and retirement/savings plan options, which will stay with the member regardless of job status and country of residence.

Those looking for career assistance and support will be able to take advantage of the Career Management Centre, which provides independent evaluation and assessment, career development plans and the formulation of a candidate package.

The association will also offer a paid service to general managers who are members of IAHGM, giving them access to an international database of potential job candidates.

Jakarta airport’s new terminal set for August 9 opening

By Mimi Hudoyo

August 3, 2016

ANGKASA Pura II, the airport authority of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta has confirmed that the airports new terminal, Terminal 3 Ultimate, will begin operations on August 9.

National carrier Garuda Indonesia will take the lead by operating all its domestic services from this new terminal.

The services are being moved from Terminal 2F to Terminal 3 and international flights will follow later, revealed Benny Butarbutar, vice president of corporate communications at Garuda.

Agus Haryadi, head of corporate secretary and legal of Angkasa Pura II, said: “An ongoing coordination with related parties, especially Garuda and Airnav Indonesia (the air traffic control service) will be done to make sure that Terminal 3 operation runs smoothly.”

Terminal 3 Ultimate has been designed as a hub for domestic and international destinations with a total capacity of 25 million passengers per year.

STB, NATAS join forces to help travel agents stay competitive

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

August 3, 2016

Lionel Yeo, chief executive, STB, speaking at the inaugural Travel Agents Industry Forum

IN AN effort to help travel agents in Singapore deal with online competitors and manpower challenges, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) have jointly launched an initiative to help travel agents redesign their business models.

The Travel Agent Roadmap, launched yesterday at Singapore’s inaugural Travel Agents Industry Forum, aims to help agents move “beyond ticketing and order-taking” to become “designers of travel experiences”.

STB’s chief executive Lionel Yeo said: “With more consumers becoming discerning and going online for their travel needs, travel agents must rethink their businesses in order to value-add and remain relevant, competitive and productive in a dynamic travel landscape.”

A new committee will be set up within NATAS to help agents redesign their business and jobs to stay competitive while remaining sustainable. Together with STB, NATAS is also developing a step-by-step playbook that advises travel agents on how they can adopt new business models.

As for manpower constraints, this new roadmap will also feature a “suite of resources” that travel agents can utilise such as training and mentorship programmes and seminars.

Devinder Ohri, president of NATAS, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “We are signalling to the industry that if they don’t adopt technology and change their ways, it will be very difficult for them to survive. In this day, if you are not in a digital environment with a digital solution, you are not even on the playing field.”

Pointing out how technology promises both “wondrous possibilities and profound dislocations”, Ohri said STB and NATAS will organise regular technology showcases for agents, and provide them with an accompanying guidebook on the latest and most relevant solutions.

Acknowledging the widening disparity in terms of technological capabilities between the smaller and bigger travel agents, Ohri said this new platform will enable smaller agents to subscribe to new services “without considerable investments”, thus helping to “level the playing field”.

Travel agents are encouraged to tap on financial funding like STB’s Business Improvement Fund, which can subsidise up to 70 per cent of costs.

According to Samson Tan, CEO of GTMC Travel, who is in the midst of expanding his company’s portfolio to include a B2C component, he said: “Moving forward in the current age is a challenge. You won’t be in the business if you’re not doing something new or adopting new technology.”

The new roadmap also aims to address issues of manpower, and will feature a suite of resources that travel agents can utilise such as training and mentorship programmes and seminars.

Respect for animals in tourism

By Raini Hamdi

August 3, 2016

Raini Hamdi rounds up good animal welfare practices in the travel sector.

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Buffalo audits elephant camps
Buffalo Tours has completed an audit of 38 elephant camps in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, of which only 20 camps passed its welfare and safety requirements.

Camps were graded with six classifications – Excellent Approved, Great Approved, Good Approved, Good Approved With Caution, Improvement Needed and Unacceptable – with the bottom three not recommended or sold by Buffalo. It has sent assessments to all elephant camps to maintain their positive aspects and improve negative points.

“We are now confident to advise our global partners like Flight Centre, Vakanties, Wendy Wu and Topdeck where they should send their clients,” said Graham Harper, educational travel manager and chairman of Buffalo Tours Responsible Travel Advisory Board.

SpiceRoads stops elephant rides and shows
SpiceRoads has become the first Thai tour operator to join over 100 travel companies worldwide committed to stop elephant rides and shows. It has signed the elephant-friendly tourism pledge with World Animal Protection Thailand, under the commitment to offer elephant experiences from only those operations with a high standard of elephant welfare and conservation, with responsible viewing of elephants in wild or semi-wild habitats, as well as proactively communicating this commitment to protect elephants to their customers, and encourage elephant-friendly tourism.

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andBeyond dehorns rhino
Luxury travel company andBeyond has dehorned all the rhinos at its Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal as a temporary measure to safeguard the population and relieve the pressure faced from poaching.

The mass dehorning, which andBeyond said is similar to cutting one’s nails, was safely carried out by expertly trained veterinarians. It has no known side effects, with little change in the behaviour of dehorned rhinos.

andBeyond will re-evaluate the poaching situation and make the decision about whether it is necessary to repeat the dehorning process in 18 to 24 months.

ABTA drafts global welfare guidance for animals in tourism
The UK’s leading travel association ABTA, in partnership with the Born Free Foundation and with inputs from 200 individuals and organisations worldwide, has come up with a Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism, the first report of its kind that seeks to establish concrete guidance for welfare best practice across a broad range of animal interaction experiences.

Practices that are blankly considered unacceptable today are detailed, such as elephant polo, ostrich riding and crocodile wrestling. Elsewhere, detailed specific guidance is given on the treatment of animals like dolphins and elephants in captive environments, wildlife viewing and working animals.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, August 5, 2016 issue, on page 22. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.