DUSIT International is bringing its D2 brand to Cebu in 2019 with the recent inking of a deal with developers Grand Land.
The 160-key dusitD2 Residence will be situated within the Grand Residences Cebu multi-tower condominium development, located close to the city’s business district, IT Park and the Cebu Golf and Country Club.
Facilities at dusitD2 includes an all-day dining restaurant, gym, pool, as well as meeting rooms.
THE US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assigned Thailand a lower Category 2 rating based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards, after a reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority in July.
With the downgrade, Thailand’s carriers can continue existing flights to the US, but will not be allowed to establish new routes there.
According to a statement by FAA: “A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means that the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures.”
THAI, the country’s national airline, immediately issued its own statement declaring that they are unaffected by the news. “(There) is no commercial or customer impact as THAI had already ceased operations to its only US destination of Los Angeles as of October 25, 2015,” said Charamporn Jotikasthira, president at THAI.
Thailand had held a Category 1 rating, which means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards, since 1997.
Manila is now experiencing a boom in luxury hotel development
When a group of travel consultants took up the cudgels and organised the Asia Premium Travel Mart (APTM) – the first high-end B2B tourism event in the Philippines – in May, it exposed major hurdles in harnessing the destination’s immense potential as a luxury destination.
First and foremost was the lack of knowledge on the Philippines, which was what prompted Fe Abling-Yu, president of S8 Exhibition, to organise APTM.
“We have been attending luxury travel market shows abroad. The closest one in Shanghai is a huge show, but there are no Philippine sellers except (for) Eskaya, which is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and the Manila Peninsula, part of the Peninsula Hotels group,” said Abling-Yu.
“We tell buyers to bring their clients to the Philippines and they ask, ‘Where’s the Philippines?’” she added.
However, owing to limited government funding, the private sector was forced to rely on themselves and pooled their own resources for APTM, according to the show organisers.
“We lack government support,” lamented Edwin Villanueva, director of S8 Exhibition, who added that despite being a johnny-come-lately in the luxury market, the Philippines has huge potential to tap the luxury leisure, MICE and wellness segments.
On his part, Philippine Tourism Promotion Board (TPB), COO, Domingo Ramon Enerio III explained to TTG Asia that they had supported APTM financially.
In agreement with private sector sentiments that more marketing is needed, the NTO chief said: “We have to be more aggressive with our combined efforts (on) the premium markets.”
On a more positive note, travel consultants observed that the country is fast catching up in its cache of luxury developments, despite ongoing challenges such as the need for more infrastructure and upmarket properties outside of popular destinations like Manila, Boracay, Cebu and Palawan.
International luxury hotel brands like City of Dreams, Conrad, Shangri-La, AccorHotels are coming into the country. “(These companies) won’t be investing here if they didn’t think that the country is ripe for premium travel,” Abling-Yu pointed out.
Wilson Techico, vice president – business and product development of Uni-Orient Travel, which has been offering customised services for high-end travellers, is confident that given time, the Philippines will develop as a premium destination. “We now have luxury hotels, resorts and facilities that were absent five or 10 years ago,” he said.
A growing number of destinations within the country are now becoming accessible, thanks to helicopter services and airlines like Skyjet and Air Juan which are targeted at high-end travellers.
Targeting premium travellers, who spend more and stay longer than average visitors, also reap higher dividends for tour operators, noted Shan David, president, Corporate International Travel.
Current luxury trends now include beach, culture and shopping sprees. Also becoming popular are men’s leisure golf and gaming, especially with the opening of the two integrated resorts, Solaire Resort & Casino and City of Dreams Manila, observed trade players.
This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 13, 2015 issue, on page 26. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
TAT lends its support to CBT initiatives such as the water-based community of Amphawa in Samut Songkhram
Travel consultants are incorporating more community-based tourism (CBT) initiatives in their Thailand itineraries, driven by increased demand for more authentic cultural experiences from clients as well as a growing interest in sustainable travel.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is also bringing increasing support to the CBT sector. Part of its 2015 Discover Thainess campaign focuses on the so-called 12 Hidden Gems, provinces renowned for their unique history, culture and lifestyle, which includes projects such as Ban Nam Chiao Community in Trat, Klong Rua Community in Chumphon, Klong Noi Community in Surat Thani and Ban Bang Phlab Community in Samut Songkhram.
TAT has expanded its support for CBT beyond marketing to include a number of other initiatives. Its Green Community (under the 7 Greens project) and Thailand Tourism Awards have been developed to encourage entrepreneurs to improve product standards. The NTO has also set up the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute to help establish guidelines for related products, which a spokesman said was key to the sector’s development.
CBT projects should be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure the sustainable development of the local communities, said Graham Read, sustainability and responsible tourism manager at Khiri Group.
“Many products in Thailand are marketed as CBT, but aren’t at all. Just because tourism occurs in a community doesn’t mean it’s CBT,” he said.
“There is confusion that CBT is ‘responsible tourism’. CBT can be ‘responsible’ but this is not always the case. The quality of CBT should be judged by the quality of the product and the benefit to the community as a whole.”
Another core challenge is navigating the fine line between providing an authentic experience of traditional life in a community and supporting a product which could actually hinder local development, said Soren Wettendorff, product development director, Destination Asia Thailand.
“In many people’s view, not least some NGOs, CBT has to be a primitive experience, almost like an expedition into the agonising everyday life of poor people,” he said. “(Too many people think) if it does not look poor and worn out it is not CBT. To me this (perception) is like trying to keep the population underdeveloped.”
Successful CBT projects should become financially sustainable and self-funding after their set-up phase, he elaborated, and both the industry and tourists alike should become more accepting of local communities achieving the aspirations of the wider society at large.
Many DMCs and travel consultants, including luxury specialists, are currently marketing CBT as elements of an itinerary rather than the focus of an entire trip. The trade also needs to be selective about the source targets and demographics to which it markets such products.
“CBT in Thailand is becoming more popular, but not for all markets,” said Read. “For Khiri Travel, CBT is generally more popular with the young European market (Millennials) interested in soft adventure; it’s less popular with the American market. There also tends to be a perception amongst baby boomers that CBT cannot be associated with comfort.”
Wettendorff said community initiatives focused on wildlife and nature are often more successful and easier to sell than those offering cultural experiences.
“When it comes to direct interaction with local communities, I find that it’s a lot harder for people in general to handle,” he said. “The guests are afraid of being annoying to the local people and locals being afraid about not pleasing their ‘donors’ in the right way.”
Yann Gouriou, founder and managing director of Unicorn Hospitality, which manages Maekok River Village Resort in northern Thailand, said using a more conventional business, such as a hotel which works with the wider local community can be effective for developing CBT.
Maekok River Village Resort, in part due to its relatively remote location, has always worked closely with the local community “both as (a place of employment for locals), an education centre and a resort offering tours and educational programmes for students and hotel guests alike,” he said.
The property has also helped support local schools, raising more than 20 million baht (US$568,700) for some 150 projects over the past 11 years, and has developed strong links with a weaving cooperative run by Shan women in the nearby village of Ban Mai Mok Cham.
This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 13, 2015 issue, on page 23. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
TRAVELPORT has made several new appointments to its leadership team, all taking place with immediate effect.
Sandra McLeod has been named CEO of Locomote, an Australian travel start-up which Travelport has recently taken a controlling share of. Prior to this, she was group vice president for global accounts and corporate development at Travelport, and will leverage on her past 25 years of international sales experience at her new role.
Scott Hyden, formerly group vice president and managing director at Travelport Americas, is now group vice president, enterprise customer group. Before joining Travelport, Hyden served as president of STA Travel, and before that he was general manager for Travelocity Business.
Bret Kidd takes over Hyden as group vice president and managing director for Travelport Americas and will have overall responsibility for the company’s travel agency, TMC and regional OTA customers across the region. Before joining Travelport, Kidd was most recently from Stratos Management Systems.
Dan Westbrook in turn replaces Kidd as vice president and general manager for Travelport’s air commerce technologies business, which delivers IT and business intelligence solutions to airlines. He first joined Travelport in April 2009 and previously held senior roles in travel merchandising at Sabre.
SINGAPORE will be the first South-east Asian nation to get its own Michelin Guide, the popular restaurant recommendation publication which awards much-coveted stars – ranging from one to three – to top dining establishments.
The Singapore version of the guide will be bilingual, in English and Mandarin, and is expected to launch in the second half of 2016.
The Singapore Tourism Board will be in charge of promoting the guide while Robert Parker Wine Advocate, an authority on fine wines, will be creating a website to accompany the print version of the guide.
Bib Gourmand awards, which the Michelin Guide gives to restaurants that offer quality food at affordable prices, will also be making its debut in Singapore.
Within Asia, the only other countries with their own Michelin Guides are Japan, Macau and Hong Kong.
THE luxury travel segment is expected to see more buoyant growth worldwide due to increasing income levels and a greater emerging middle class, according to a report by International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) in association with Euromonitor.
North America will continue to have the highest number of wealthy households, but Asia-Pacific will see the fastest increase in affluent families with a predicted 113 per cent growth between 2015 to 2030.
The next two fastest growth markets are Australasia and North America with an expected 86 per cent and 80 per cent growth respectively for the same period.
In terms of pure arrival volumes, Asia-Pacific will remain the global powerhouse with China alone predicted to provide over 87 million travellers by 2019.
Look out for Asia luxury market reports in the December issue of TTG Asia Luxury, out soon.
XIAMEN Airlines has commenced flights from Sydney to Fuzhou since November 29, with plans to launch a Sydney-Xiamen route from December 5. A Boeing 787-8 aircraft will operate the new routes.
According to a media statement, the new route will reduce flight time between Xiamen and Sydney to nine hours.
Services to Melbourne, Vancouver and New York will also be launched in 2016.
TRAVELPORT has increased its investment in corporate travel technology company Locomote, now taking a 55 per cent controlling share of the Australian start-up. Travelport first invested in Locomote in 2013.
Gordon Wilson, president and CEO of Travelport, said the move is part of the company’s drive to develop new digital services and mobile capabilities for the travel industry.
“Corporate travel needs and demands, content, and the demographic make-up of travellers are all changing rapidly. Travelport intends to be at the forefront of these changes as we deploy our content and technology assets to address them,” said Wilson.
“Locomote, which approached the market with a clean slate and a fresh approach, is a key part of how we envision the future.”
With this shift, Philip Weinman, founding investor and CEO of Locomote, has appointed Sandra McLeod as the company’s new CEO while Weinman steps into the position of vice chairman.
SOFITEL Bangkok Sukhumvit is offering a four-day, three-night corporate package that caters to groups of 15 to 50 people looking for a combined business and leisure trip.
The ‘Gourmet Small-Business Getaway’ deal is valid from now till March 2016, and includes three-nights stay in a Luxury Club Millésime Room, Thai- or French-themed coffee breaks and preferred pricing on spa treatments, food and beverage.
Also included in the package is an art appreciation cocktail hour at the hotel’s S Gallery, a wine and cheese pairing session at onsite cheese room La Fromagerie, a cocktail session at rooftop bar and restaurant L’Appart, a day-trip to several city sites, a long-tail boat ride as well as dinner at Asiatique Riverfront Night Market.
The deal is priced at 42,190 baht (US$1,635) per person.
