NCL will return to Asia this year-end with the Norwegian Star sailing from Singapore and Hong Kong

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line (NCL) has opened an office in Singapore earlier this week to serve as a regional base and in an effort to support the company’s three existing brands in South-east Asia.

Mumbai and New Delhi are the next cities to receive NCL offices as part of the cruise company’s ongoing expansion into Asia.

“Singapore is one of the final pieces of the puzzle,” said Steve Odell, senior vice president and managing director for Asia-Pacific at NCL.

“We’re here for a regional hub for ASEAN. Singapore is the most important market, but there are also big source markets for us around the region. To have a base here, which is the centre of Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, makes a lot of sense for us.”

He added that the new office, staffed to establish a cultural fit with the region’s markets, can more effectively communicate NCL’s offerings to potential clients.

Still, Odell is positive that the American- and European-centric offerings under its three cruise brands will not get lost due to cultural nuances in the region.

In December this year, NCL will return to Asia for the first time since 2002 with the Norwegian Star liner departing Singapore and Hong Kong. It is expected to set sail from Singapore on December 11 and arrive in Hong Kong on December 22.

“I think the good thing about these markets is that culturally, people can assimilate quite well in terms of food and entertainment.”

“There are always individual nuances that you can offer for individual markets. But in general in the ASEAN market, it is easy to give people what we normally offer as a standard product.”

This is contrary to efforts made to cater to the Chinese market, which Odell said requires “more customisation to the customers’ needs”.

NCL is expecting to launch the widely-anticipated Norwegian Joy for the Chinese market next year.

OUTRIGGER Resorts, the beachfront resort brand of Outrigger Enterprises Group, has joined Global Hotel Alliance’s (GHA) global network of 33 independent brands and over 550 properties, and will soon gain access to millions of customers in GHA’s loyalty programme and distribution network.

The alliance is expanding its footprint in new markets, including Outrigger’s home base of Hawaii, plus Fiji, Guam and Mauritius, while strengthening its presence in the Maldives and Thailand, adding a total of nine resorts to its portfolio.

The integration of Outrigger Resorts into GHA will be completed by early fall, at which time members of GHA’s Discovery loyalty programme will be recognised and rewarded across the Outrigger Resorts portfolio.

(From left) Steve Scarr, Shane Hunter and Annette DeSimoni of Corporate Traveller, and Paul Wilsher, general manager, Oakwood Apartments Brisbane

OAKWOOD Asia Pacific has opened the 162-unit Oakwood Apartments Brisbane, the very first Oakwood-branded property in Australia.

The property is located between Brisbane’s CBD and Fortitude Valley, and is a walking distance from many retail and F&B options in the city.

Facilities include a tennis court, outdoor pool and spa, sauna, gymnasium, as well as Alto Restaurant and Bar which opens daily for breakfast and dinner.

Four conference rooms are also available that can accommodate up to 220 guests.

To celebrate its opening, Oakwood Apartments Brisbane is offering guests a special rate of A$130 (US$100) per night with a choice of studio, one- or two-bedroom apartments for the month of April.

It is also offering a conference package – A$65 per day per delegate – for the months of April and May, inclusive of Wi-Fi, parking and choice of hot or cold lunch.

Songkran in Koh Samui, Thailand

THAI authorities are strongly urging locals and tourists alike to focus on culture and tradition rather than partake in drinking and massive water fights during this year’s Songkran Festival which kicks off today.

Songkran, or Thailand’s traditional New Year, is being celebrated from April 13-15 this year, and is usually a raucous affair where people splash each other with water.

But due to ongoing droughts, the worst the country has seen in decades, the government is calling for restraint on the injudicious use of water.

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said: “TAT is following the government’s water-saving policy which encourages people to use water more conservatively when celebrating Songkran.”

“Songkran is the most important festival in the Thai calendar and is celebrated in different ways up and down the country. We want travellers to discover more about this unique Thai event and to get a taste of the huge range of distinct local festivals,” added Yuthasak, as he aims to focus this year’s celebrations on the more cultural aspects of Songkran.

Traditionally, this was the time when agricultural work would come to a halt for a few days so that Thais can pay respects to their ancestors and to senior family members by sprinkling their hands with scented water. It is also a time to visit temples and to bathe Buddhist statues in a symbolic gesture of purification.

Many celebratory events, such as Thai Beverage’s Water Festival 2016, will be featuring cultural activities as a result.

“I am very pleased to extend our support to Thai Beverage or any private organisations who’ve stepped forward to assist us in the preservation and promotion of Thai culture and, of course, the traditional way of celebrating Songkran,” commented Yuthasak.

The government also plans to restrict alcohol and behavior it considers improper this year.

“I would like to urge all Songkran revellers to use water sparingly while engaging in a Thai tradition that has been around for generations,” said Prayuth Chan-o-cha, prime minister of Thailand, during a national television broadcast, adding that improper attire and excessive alcohol consumption were “embarrassing, in particular for many foreigners.”

However, this has not stopped people from engaging in water gun fights and partying on the streets as the celebrations broke out in many parts of the country earlier this week.

Tourists are also still expected to flock to Thailand during this festive period with an expected 10 per cent increase in revenues from last year.

Youssef El Khomri, general manager, Mercure and ibis Erawan, says his properties are “running at high occupancy” and he is expecting a full house during the period.

THE Macau Government Tourism Office has entered into a marketing partnership with Travelport to raise awareness and to drive traffic from the Middle East and African regions to Macau.

Under the agreement, the office will leverage on Digital Media Solutions delivered via Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform to target relevant travel agencies.

There will be an online competition, as part of a promotional campaign, to incentivise travel agents to generate interest in Macau as a destination.

Betty Fok, head of destination marketing department, Macau Government Tourism Office, says the partnership will be beneficial in acquiring business from the Middle East and Africa which are new focus regions for Macau tourism.