Trade gives tepid response to WTM’s Asia, China debuts

September 25, 2015

The WTM Portfolio, part of Reed Travel Exhibitions, is set to enter Asia and China in 2016 with the launch of two events under the new WTM connect brand.

WTM connect Asia will take place at Straits Quay Convention Centre in Penang from May 18 to 20, 2016, while WTM connect China will be held at the Renaissance Sanya Resort and Spa, Hainan Island from May 23 to 25, 2016.

According to the release, the new WTM connect events will offer a unique one-to-one format targeted at the booming Asian and Chinese leisure travel markets, allowing exhibitors to exclusively meet with elite hosted buyers.

WTM Portfolio, director, Craig Moyes, commented: “WTM connects are targeted events for exhibitors to meet with especially hand-picked buyers. The WTM Portfolio will help facilitate more than US$7 billion in travel industry business deals in 2015, the WTM connect events in China and Malaysia will see this figure increase further in 2016.”

Malaysia will be the host country for WTM connect Asia 2016, with local hosts including Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau and Penang Global Tourism.

With a new travel trade show on the horizon, private sector players are urging greater differentiation between such events.

“(WTM) has to be innovative and uniquely different from ITB Asia to attract buyers and sellers,” said Gracie V Geikie, director and principal consultant at Planet Borneo Group of Companies. “Personally, I am beginning to see a lethargy in travel trade shows because they are all a ‘me too’ event. There are also too many trade shows around of the same nature.”

Ally Bhoonee, executive director of World Avenues, agreed: “In my opinion, there are too many trade shows in the marketplace and this is not helping the industry as we keep seeing the same buyers.

“Trade shows are an expensive affair for sellers and profit margins have gone down due to the presence of OTAs. To make an impact, WTM connect Asia will have to address these concerns.”

Travelport, Axess roll out new desktop solution for Japanese agencies

By Julian Ryall

September 25, 2015

TRAVELPORT and Axess International Network have joined forces to release an enhanced desktop version of their global travel commerce platform, Axess Crea Advance, for travel consultants across Japan.

The two companies have been partners on the project since April 2012, with the newest version of their Axess agency desktop platform incorporating a range of new functions and services.

Powered by Travelport Smartpoint, the upgraded system offers a broad range of additional data on flights, hotels and hire cars, as well as user-friendly merchandising features designed to make communicating with the customer easier and more powerful.

The Rich Content and Branding options on flight sales, for example, permit airlines to display and promote their entire product range – from entertainment options to meals and details on the aircraft operating the route – saving time on searching the airline’s website for the same information.

Travelport also delivers details on more than 650,000 hotels around the world, including photographs, with an additional function showing ratings of properties from Tripadvisor.

“We have invested US$475 million into our travel commerce platform since 2012, so we’re very serious about what we do,” Mark Meehan, managing director for Travelport Asia-Pacific told TTG Asia e-Daily at the Visit Japan Travel and MICE Mart 2015 in Tokyo.

“Agencies can’t just offer a seat on a flight anymore,” he said. “It’s increasingly about the efficiency and data available to the consultant and communicating that to the consumer.

“The system has also been shown to have economic benefits to agencies, so it is improving their bottom lines as well,” he added.

Travel consultants already connected to the Axess system can undergo training with the new platform scheduled to be operational in 2017.

In addition to delivering a new agency desktop, Axess has also partnered with Travelport to launch Locomote, a smart technology platform that gives Japanese companies complete control and visibility of their corporate travel on any device anywhere in the world.

Virtuoso charts Asian expansion with 5 new members

By TTG Asia

September 25, 2015

VIRTUOSO will launch its luxury travel network in the Asian market with the addition of five new member agencies in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The five members are Country Holidays, Jebsen Travel Group, Charlotte Travel, Luxe Travel and Quotient Travel Planner.

Michael Londregan, Asia-Pacific managing director of Virtuoso, said: “The Asia marketplace is scheduled to become an increasingly powerful force is the luxury travel market and Virtuoso is very excited to be developing our brand in Asia with these established and highly regarded members.”

The expansion into Asia comes off the decision to base the new regional headquarters for Asia-Pacific in Australia, following the brand’s move into Europe and the UK in 2014, noted Londregan.

He added: “The growth of Virtuoso in the Asia-Pacific region proves that demand for service from expert travel advisors and experiential travel that is unique and bespoke is a global reality and Virtuoso is perfectly placed to help agencies and advisors move with the demand.”

Ramada Encore Meridin to open in Johor Bahru in 2018

By Mimi Hudoyo

September 25, 2015

INDONESIA’s Topotels Hotels & Resorts is set to manage Ramada Encore Meridin in Johor Bahru following the signing of a franchise agreement between developer Mah Sing Group and brand owner Wyndham Hotel Asia Pacific.

Slated to open in 2018, the 322-unit serviced apartment is currently under construction at The Meridin@Medini, an integrated hotel complex in the Iskandar area.

The Johor Bahru property is the second Ramada Encore brand managed by Topotels Hotels & Resorts after the launch of Ramada Encore Seminyak in Bali in 2014.

[Sponsored Post] IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2015 to set new records

By TTG Asia

September 25, 2015

THE Leading International MICE event centred in the Asia-Pacific region is set to kick off on September 29, 2015 at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld Bangkok, Thailand.

It presents the largest line-up of over 20 MICE, events intelligence, corporate travel and association management knowledge sessions helmed by over 30 expert speakers.

Headlining the education front is the first-ever ASEAN MICE Forum, endorsed by the ASEAN Marketing and Communications Working Group. This unprecedented event enables IT&CMA to play a pioneering role in developing ASEAN’S MICE potential through the engagement of global industry leaders.

The 2015 edition sees a growth of 14 per cent in exhibitors’ participation, with sponsorship engagements increasing by more than 40 per cent over 2014. All these have been made possible by TTG Events’ unwavering commitment to deliver quality content and buyers to the events.

Featuring one of the largest CVB collections in the region, IT&CMA has once again delivered a truly global showcase of Convention Visitor bureaus. The international presence is witnessed by the entrance of new European, Middle Eastern and Asian bureaus like Berlin, Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Dubai and Jeju, while returning destinations Switzerland, Philippines, Macau and India are making a statement with an even bigger showing this year.

Ralf Ostendorf, director of market management at Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH explained the motivation behind exhibiting at IT&CMA 2015 for the first time: “Our first experience with IT&CM Events was at IT&CM China earlier in Shanghai this year, and it proved to be a successful show for us. We are looking forward to the same success at IT&CMA 2015, as we see a lot of potential for Berlin as a MICE destination in Asia.”

Having reaped results from past sponsored networking functions at IT&CMA, Seoul Metropolitan Government, is delighted to return as a luncheon host for buyer and media delegates.

Maureen O’Crowley, executive director, MICE Division, Seoul Tourism Organisation expressed her confidence backed by success at previous years’ events: “We had been the proud sponsor of Seoul Gala Dinner for several years. This year, we are excited to engage with buyers and media at a Seoul Hosted Luncheon. At this luncheon, we will be highlighting new incentives from Seoul, especially our special support programs. Through this intimate session, we want to create an event stronger working relationship with our target audience.”

IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2015 will be held from September 29 to October 1, 2015 at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. For more information, log on to www.itcma.com orwww.corporatetravelworld.com/apac.

Red Apple Travel wants a bigger bite of global markets

By Michael Mackey

September 25, 2015

KUALA Lumpur-based DMC Red Apple Travel has outlined ambitious plans to become a global player in the travel industry by growing its inbound and outbound business.

“Our vision for the next five years focuses on deeper penetration in existing markets, and targeting new markets like Africa and Latin America,” Suneet Goenka, group managing director at Red Apple told TTG Asia e-Daily.

In the past three years, Red Apple has expanded its destination offices in Europe and Australia, and widened its source markets to Japan, Russia, the Middle East and South-east Asia.

Emerging markets are next on the radar. “We intend to start a distribution office by early 2016 in Latin America, with Brazil being the first entry point for us,” added Goenka.

Red Apple is already working on its toehold in Africa, with a marketing campaign underway in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Africa.

The company will also open inbound offices across Indochina, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and New Zealand.

“We will maintain our core DMC business. However, we are building business units that will be owned by Red Apple Group, which includes our own fleet, restaurants or even hotel management at some point,” said Goenka.

Financing for the massive growth plan will come from existing resources, he added.

The Netherlands seeking to entice young, affluent Indonesian travellers

By Mimi Hudoyo

September 25, 2015

Credit: Visit Holland

THE Holland Alliance, a strategic partnership formed by NBTC (Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Amsterdam Marketing, has launched a new campaign in Indonesia this week.

Named Destination Holland, the campaign, targeted at middle- and up-market travellers aged between 30 to 50 years old, is a joint initiative to promote the Netherlands with programmes aimed at introducing the unique cultures of the destination to the Indonesian market.

Andrew van der Feltz, director, business development and operations at NBTC, said: “The campaign programme will focus on Dutch Heritage, flowers, cities and shopping.

“Initially we will focus on the travel trade market, (providing them with) printed (promotional material) and organise tour operator gatherings.”

Feltz noted a global decline in group travel, with tours making up only “38.5 per cent of travel to Holland.”

“On the other hand, FIT travel is growing. Therefore, we are targeting the affluent and young urban professionals in Indonesia,” he said.

The campaign launch follows the opening of a Holland Alliance representative office in Jakarta in May, where AVIAREPS was appointed as its representative in South-east Asia.

In 2014, about 42,000 Indonesians visited Holland and this year, a target of 45,000 arrivals is expected.

Shangri-La expands India presence with Bengaluru outpost

By TTG Asia

September 25, 2015

Credit: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

SHANGRI-LA Hotels and Resorts launched its latest property yesterday in the Indian state of Karnataka with the opening of Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru.

The 397-key, 19-storey hotel is a 30-minute drive from Bengaluru International Airport and is sited near the Bangalore Palace and Cubbon Park.

The interior is reminiscent of India’s regal past, complete with overhanging cylindrical chandeliers and imposing marble columns.

Guestrooms come equipped with complimentary Internet access and start at 41m² in size, while the hotel’s 30 suites range from 98m² to 274m². Suite guests enjoy free access to the Horizon Club Lounge.

Eight F&B options will be available, with Shang Palace, Shangri-La’s signature Chinese restaurant featuring Cantonese dim sum and barbecue specialities, taking the main spotlight.

For all-day dining there’s b Cafe at the hotel’s lobby level while the adjoining b Cafe Pastry features sweet and savoury pastries for both dine-in or take-away guests.

Credit: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Soon-to-open restaurants include Caprese, offering Mediterranean food on the hotel’s 18th level. On the same floor is India at Saffron, which features South and North Indian cuisine. Yataii offers sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki dinners.

Located at the rooftop will be Hype, an indoor and outdoor lounge serving up a range of cocktails, hard liquor and tapas bites while a guest DJ spins upbeat tunes.

Other facilities include a 24-hour gym outfitted with a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, as well as CHI, The Spa which specialises in Ayurveda treatments.

For meetings, the hotel’s grand ballroom has 739m2 of space and is able to hold up to 900 guests. This is supported by five flexible function rooms.

An introductory rate is available from now to December 31, 2015 at 9,500 (US$143) rupees per night, which includes 3,000 rupees worth of credits for use at Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru’s F&B outlets and spa.

The Sanchaya appoints new DOSM

By TTG Asia

September 23, 2015

FAY Gauna Lugue has been appointed director of sales and marketing at The Sanchaya in Bintan, Indonesia.

She was most recently the COO of In2Nite Singapore, a last-minute hotel booking app, where she was in charge of group operations, online marketing, contracting, loyalty programs and affiliate partnerships.

Credit: The Sanchaya

Relocation trends

By Raini Hamdi

September 23, 2015

Firms are relocating younger employees, and serviced apartment operators are responding with new products.

Lanson Place Hotel, Hong Kong

3 hottest relocation cities in Asia now and why
Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai are still the hottest Asian cities to relocate to, despite capital investments trending outward from these cities.

Considered the gateway to China, Hong Kong consistently offers an exciting city for expats: easy to reside in, great to establish business networks and very family friendly. Within the past 10 years, the city has seen a 50 per cent growth in the extended stay market.

Global MNCs will also easily consider relocating their employees to Hong Kong’s friendly neighbouring competitor cities though, specifically Singapore or Shanghai.

Singapore saw a 30.4 per cent increase in serviced apartment supply last year and is perceived to be a city as easy to move to as Hong Kong. Shanghai continues to boom; although serviced apartment inventory have quadrupled in the past four years, occupancies are still in the 80 per cent levels. We have just announced our fifth property there.

Aside from these three established key cities in Asia, Lanson Place residents are also relocating to other prime cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila. Most offer more affordable living, but are also exciting up-and-coming business destinations.

What’s trending
We’ve seen a shift in resident demographics throughout all our properties in Asia-Pacific, mostly in the past two years. With advanced technology, Millennials are signing shorter-term tenancies, wanting to do conduct business faster and more efficiently. Baby boomers and Gen X are residing without families, while younger families are seeking smaller and more versatile units.

More significantly, residents who have been educated abroad are coming back to their own countries and relocating from within the Asia-Pacific region. In China, corporations are expanding their companies to second- and third-tier cities but are still seeking a comfortable yet affordable lifestyle for their employees.

How operators match changing trends
Lanson Place has specifically introduced a third business model called Serviced Suites by Lanson Place to address the changing trends and needs of corporates relocating.

This lean, efficient and contemporary serviced apartment style not only provides a higher return in investment for developers but most importantly offers residents a niche lifestyle, no matter the location or purpose of their residency.

Smaller units are creatively designed with unique combined open living and working spaces; public areas are the extension of their homes offering seamless connectivity throughout the entire development; ‘grab n go’ F&B concepts and energising activities promote well-being. This model forms the majority of pipeline deals for Lanson Place, be it in secondary locations in key gateway cities or 1.5-tier cities within China.

Fraser Residence Kuala Lumpur

3 hottest relocation cities in Asia now and why
Singapore – the world’s number one city for business friendliness – remains one of the hottest business destinations in Asia. A key gateway city for the South-east Asia market, it is known for its open-trade environment, corruption-free government and high quality of living, attracting large MNCs pursuing business opportunities in the region.

Kuala Lumpur has become an increasingly attractive business destination particularly for global manufacturers, offering lower tax and stricter intellectual property protection regimes, in comparison with other markets like China. It is ranked among the top 15 countries most favoured by MNCs in 2014-2016 with various government incentives for foreign companies geared towards making Malaysia a gateway to the ASEAN market.

Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have also been successful in attracting foreign investment, quickly becoming an important market for companies looking to expand into second- and third-tier cities in Asia. Some of our residents who have completed their assignments in Jakarta have been relocated to Vietnam to take on new assignments.

What’s trending
We have observed that overseas assignments are increasingly shorter, on a more regular basis of between two weeks to a month, as opposed to the previous trend of longer assignments of up to three months at a time. Younger executives are being deployed for overseas assignments and as such there is also less need to accommodate an entire family. These, plus the increased overall appreciation of the advantages of serviced apartments, have contributed to the rising adoption rate of our serviced apartments in general and the one- and two-bedroom apartments in particular.

Most companies also now offer staff flexi-benefits packages as a measure to improve cost efficiency, where expatriates have the option of cashing in on their allocated accommodation expense if it is not fully utilised. This has led some expatriates to either opt for more affordable alternatives or shorten their length of stay.

How operators match changing trends
Plans are in place to further boost our inventory in these three cities as part of our goal of achieving 30,000 apartments units globally by 2019.

With the trend of shorter stays in mind, our newer properties have been configured with a larger number of one- and two-bedroom apartments to cater to more business executives who now tend to travel on their own, while at the same time maintaining the spacious defined living, kitchen, bedroom and study areas our serviced apartments are known for.

We also work closely with our corporate clients to better understand their evolving needs and customise solutions to complement their travel and relocation policies.

Oakwood Residence Sukhumvit, Thonglor Bangkok

3 hottest relocation cities in Asia now and why
Both Singapore and Hong Kong lead the relocation markets in Asia-Pacific as they continue to serve as business hubs for multi-national organisations.

As one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, China is also a key relocation market. Encouraged by the Chinese government’s opening up and increased pace of reform, more companies are establishing operations in China’s emerging cities in the mid-west. This trend, combined with the increased demand for serviced apartment in primary cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, is stimulating new serviced apartment projects, resulting in rapid development and progression across China.

Oakwood Worldwide has an aggressive expansion plan for China, with a second property in Beijing and one in Sanya and Haikou in the pipeline. We have also expanded our Asia-Pacific operations with the opening of an office in Hong Kong to meet the increased demand for serviced apartments in the region.

What’s trending
Some of the key trends we have noticed in the global mobility industry:

An increase in short-term assignments as companies look to plug skills gaps, contain costs and appeal to younger workers who want to broaden their experience.
A drop in the average age of assignees – in 2014, the 30-39-year-old age bracket had one of the highest percentages of international assignees (33 per cent), taking over from the 50-59-year-old age bracket, as reported in the 2014 Brookfield Global Relocation Trends Survey.
Continued growth in the number of assignments in Asia-Pacific due to the increase in business travel.
The growth of emerging markets as companies continue to broaden their reach and send assignees as project work increases.

How operators match changing trends
Oakwood Worldwide has a four-pronged approach in preparing to meet the needs that will result from the aforementioned trends:

Robust development strategy in Asia-Pacific: Oakwood Worldwide is looking to double our current Asia-Pacific branded portfolio of 28 properties over the next three to five years.
The launch of a hotel desk at the end of 2014 to give clients access to accommodation in smaller and remote cities where serviced apartments are not as readily available. This also provides flexibility for short to medium, and long-term stays.
Strengthening our vetted supplier network: In Asia-Pacific, Oakwood Worldwide offers more than 400 properties across the region through local network partners.
Evolving business model: By using Lanyon to contract rates from serviced apartment providers and hotels, we help organisations save time and resources, offering greater efficiency throughout the relocation.

Ascott Kuningan Jakarta

3 hottest relocation cities in Asia now and why
Indonesia, the Phlippines and China.

Indonesia is the biggest economy in South-east Asia while the Philippines’ strong economic fundamentals continue to attract foreign investors, in particular the back-office processing operations sector.

In China, demand for serviced residences remains strong in the first- and second-tier cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

Given the strong economic potential of Asia, we will continue to deepen our presence and grow our network in Asia. We have expanded Ascott’s presence in key cities such as Jakarta, Manila and Shanghai with the opening of Ascott Kuningan Jakarta, Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila and Ascott Heng Shan Shanghai in recent months.

What’s trending
With increasing talent mobility, our serviced residences continue to receive many guests who stay for an extended period of a month or more for relocation or project assignments.

As travellers get savvier and companies tighten their travel budgets, they recognise the value that serviced residences provide as compared with traditional hotels.

They appreciate the flexibility for project team members to share an apartment while enjoying the privacy of individual bedrooms and the convenience of a kitchen.

Younger executives are seeking smart living that integrates work, rest and play, as well as unique, personalised and authentic local experiences when they are overseas.

Staying healthy while on the move is also a trend.

How operators match changing trends
By constantly innovating and looking at new ways to delight guests.

Ascott is the first global serviced residence company to embrace smart home technologies. We have forged an exclusive partnership with Samsung Asia to jointly develop smart solutions customised for serviced residences. Guests will be able to use their mobile or wearable devices to control washing machines, refrigerators, smart TVs and the like.

We aim to test-bed the technologies at selected Ascott serviced residences by the first half of 2016, with plans to roll out to our properties worldwide in phases.

We have also launched the Ascott Lifestyle programme, offering guests bespoke cultural, gastronomical, local and wellness experiences.

For instance, to help guests settle in a new city, there are local language classes and guided tours of the local market. Guests can stay fit by exploring the neighbourhood they are in with our customised jogging routes.

There are also cultural programmes such as batik making workshops and personal cooking sessions being conducted right in their apartment.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, September 18, 2015 issue, on page 13. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.