Credit: 123rf

THE Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) have launched a Sectoral Manpower Plan (SMP) to improve the skills and productivity of the hotel industry.

With the number of rooms predicted to increase more than 20 per cent by 2020, the hotel industry is expected to face increasing challenges like slower workforce growth and mismatched aspirations between job seekers and hospitality jobs.

The SMP – the first to be launched under SkillsFuture – aims to better attract and retain Singaporeans for the industry, groom talent for leadership roles, improve job quality and identify emerging skills needed.

Lionel Yeo, chief executive, STB, said: “As part of STB’s ongoing journey towards quality tourism, we are ramping up our efforts in working with the tourism industry to raise capabilities so as to better deliver a differentiated experience to Singapore’s visitors.

“In this regard, the hotel SMP is a critical blueprint to attract and retain Singapore talent, as well as develop a skilled workforce to support the industry’s growth,” he said.

The plan comprises five key initiatives to help employers manage a tightening labour market: Enhanced internships; SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme; SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative; SkillsFuture Study Awards; and measures to galvanise interest in hotel careers.

WDA’s chief executive, Ng Cher Pong, said: “With the hotel SMP, we have mapped out the exciting career progression pathways for individuals who are keen to enter the hotel industry.

“The SMP identifies emerging skills required in this industry and outlines how individuals will be supported in their quest to acquire deep skills…we believe that it will help to transform the hotel industry and enable it to be future-ready,” Ng added.

Credit: Carnival Corporation

CARNIVAL Corporation has revealed that its new cruise ship, Majestic Princess, will be homeported in Shanghai year-round beginning summer 2017.

Sister ship to Royal Princess and Regal Princess, Majestic Princess will become the first vessel built specifically for Chinese guests. The ship will also carry its Chinese name, 盛世公主号, on its hull.

“Royal Princess and Regal Princess were named after previous iconic vessels whileMajestic Princess will carry a name that was chosen by our global employees,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

The 143,000-tonne ship is currently being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. When completed, she will carry 3,560 guests for cruises to Japan and South Korea. Onboard features are similar to her sister ships, with a multi-storey atrium serving as the social hub of the ship.

The over-the-ocean SeaWalk, Princess Live! interactive studio and Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds guests in a curtain of light, will be available.

Dining options are plentiful with cuisine from Italy, France, North and South America, South-east Asia, Japan and China available onboard.

The ship will also offer Princess’ signature Movies Under the Stars, with the largest outdoor screen at sea, and the Princess Water Colour Fantasy Fountain and light show.

Accommodation will be configured to appeal to families and multi-generational travellers while all outside staterooms will have private balconies.

Credit: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection will launch its newest cruise ship, the Ganges Voyager II, in January 2016.

The 56-passenger, all-suite vessel will sail India’s exotic Ganges River on a new 13-day itinerary following India’s Golden Triangle and the Sacred Ganges tourist circuits, featuring a seven-night cruise and five-night hotel stay at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Highlights of the trip include Delhi’s Humayun’s Tomb, the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and Jaipur’s City Palace.

All suites are furnished with hand-printed murals, marble bathrooms with rain showers, robes and Molten Brown bath products. Rooms also feature flat-screen televisions with a wide range of movie choices as well as individual climate control.

Accommodation options include 20 standard suites (24.2m²), two heritage suites (26m²), two viceroy suites (33.4m²) and the opulent maharaja suite (37m²).

Guests housed in the maharaja suite will enjoy additional services, such as in-room dining and scented baths in the suite’s deep-soaker tub. Viceroy suite guests will enjoy daily butler and laundry services as well as one free spa treatment per person.

Public areas include the observation deck which provides 360-degree views; the Governor’s Lounge, which will feature onboard entertainment and cultural events; a spa and fitness centre; and the East India Restaurant, offering both Indian-inspired and Western cuisine.

Citadines Cebu City. Credits: Ascott

ASCOTT has made its first foray into Cebu and Pattaya by securing five new contracts – one in the former and four in the latter – to manage a total of 875 apartment units.

The new management contracts add to Ascott’s 1,600 units in eight serviced residences and 2,800 units across 16 properties respectively in the Philippines and Thailand, placing the company as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in both countries.

With 14 management contracts signed in South-east Asia this year, Ascott has added over 2,700 serviced residence units, more than triple the number of units added to the region this year compared to 2014.

Lee Chee Koon, CEO of Ascott, said: “We have ramped up our expansion in South-east Asia as we see a strong growth potential in the long-term. With more than 13,000 apartment units in 73 properties across eight countries in South-east Asia, over 30 per cent of Ascott’s global footprint is now concentrated in this fast-growing region.”

He added: “Ascott has been expanding beyond the capital cities to other areas with significant growth opportunities for serviced residences…We will continue to make inroads into new cities with strong growth potential and deepen our presence in the world’s capital cities to achieve our target of 80,000 units globally by 2020.”

Slated to open in 2019 as part of a mixed-use development, the contemporary 180-unit Citadines Cebu City will be located less than an hour’s drive from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, close to the business districts of Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park. Guests can choose from studios, one-bedroom units or two-bedroom serviced apartments.

Ascott’s four new properties in Pattaya, meanwhile, will be ready to welcome guests from 2018 onwards.

Citadines North Pattaya (Left) and Citadines Jomtien Beach Pattaya. Credits: Ascott

The 300-unit Citadines North Pattaya will appeal to corporate travellers from the nearby industrial estates while visitors will appreciate the prime location of the 150-unit Citadines Central Pattaya near the city’s bustling nightspots.

The 95-unit Citadines Jomtien Beach Pattaya will attract expatriates working at the nearby industrial estate in Rayong as well as leisure travellers at Jomtien Beach.

The luxurious 150-unit Somerset Wong Amat Beach Pattaya will cater to corporate guests on extended stays and families seeking exclusivity and tranquillity.

Credit: Ngong Ping 360

THE Hong Kong government will be allocating an additional HK$10 million (US$1.2 million) in funds to aid local attractions in drawing more overseas guests.

Named the Matching Fund for Overseas Tourism Promotion by Tourist Attractions (MFTA) scheme, attractions can apply to use the fund in partnership with hotels, travel agencies, retailers or airlines to do joint marketing campaigns abroad. The funding contribution by the government will be capped at HK$2 million or 50 per cent of the total required by each applicant, whichever is lower.

Applications must come in by October 14, 2015 for initiatives running from November 2015 to March 2016. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will vet and approve applicant’s submissions by end-October.

Stella Kwan, managing director of Ngong Ping 360, said traffic this summer had dropped nine per cent compared to last year, attributing the decline to the depreciation of some Asian currencies that dampened travellers’ desire for overseas travel.

“We are interested in the scheme and we will explore different activities when planning promotional visits to different South-east Asian countries and China. Participation in more tradeshows will also be considered as well as the (plan) to penetrate destinations like Indonesia, India and Malaysia,” said Kwan.

Likewise, Hong Kong Ocean Park believes this timely measure will benefit local attractions. “If we were granted the funding, we would launch more promotions in key source markets, such as mainland China, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and India, focusing on winter (November to February) promotions,” said a spokesperson.

While local attendance at Hong Kong Ocean Park remains strong during the summer holidays, the number of foreign visitors had dropped around 15 per cent in July and August compared to last year.

A Finnair Airbus A330. Credit: Finnair

FINNAIR has expanded its presence in Asia with the introduction of two new destinations – Fukuoka in Japan and Guangzhou in China – for the 2016 summer season, served by an Airbus A330 aircraft.

The thrice-weekly flight to Fukuoka is part of a joint venture between Finnair, British Airways and Japan Airlines. With the addition of Fukuoka, Finnair now flies to four cities in Japan including Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.

Finnair will also open a direct route from its Helsinki hub to Guangzhou with four-weekly frequencies between May 6, 2016 and October 29, 2016, making it the airline’s sixth destination in Greater China.

The airline currently provides services to Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as a summer service to Xi’an.

“We intend to double our Asian traffic by 2020 from the 2010 baseline, and these new destinations are an important step towards this target,” said Pekka Vauramo, president and CEO of Finnair.

Credit: X2 Villas

THAILAND-BASED design hotel group X2 (CrossTo) has launched the X2 Chiang Mai Nimman Villa, its latest addition to the X2 Villas portfolio.

It is located in the city centre along the Chiang Mai’s trendy Nimmanhaemin road and surrounded by coffee shops, teahouses, wine bars, restaurants and boutique shops.

Credit: X2 Villas

The hotel boasts seven retro-modern styled bedrooms, each furnished by local and international designers to reflect some of Chiang Mai’s culture and heritage.

The villa also has a common living room featuring a 40-inch LCD TV, a games and entertainment room which comes with a home theatre system and pool table, an indoor meeting room, a fully-equipped kitchen and dining room, and a private BBQ rooftop sun deck with a four-person Jacuzzi.

Credit: JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong

SISTER properties JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong and JW Marriott Hotel Macau have jointly rolled out a corporate accommodation deal for consecutive stays at both hotels. It is available for bookings from now to June 2016 and with a
minimum of 10 guestrooms.

The package 
includes a welcome drink, breakfast for up to two 
persons per room, one complimentary room for 
every 35 paying guestrooms per night (up to a
 maximum of three rooms), up to a maximum of three 
upgrades to the next available room category
 and an eight per cent rebate off the final master
bill for guestrooms only. Terms apply.

The JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong has 602 keys and more than over 1,115m² of meeting space, including the largest hotel ballroom on Hong Kong Island.

JW Marriott Hotel Macau, located within Galaxy Macau integrated resort, offers 1,015 keys and 11 meeting rooms spread across 2,800m², including the Grand Ballroom which can accommodate over 1,600 guests.

To book, email jwmarriotthongkong.com or jwmarriottmacau.com.