RateGain Travel Technologies has unified Adara and Sojern into a single global entity operating under the Sojern brand, creating what it describes as the world’s largest source of travel intent data.
The consolidation brings together products, talent and data assets to deliver predictive traveller insights and multichannel engagement at scale. RateGain said the alignment combines complementary strengths while preserving expertise and customer value, deepening product depth and reinforcing differentiation in the global travel technology landscape.
RateGain merges Adara and Sojern under the Sojern brand, creating a unified AI‑powered platform with the world’s largest travel intent data source
Sojern will retain the Adara workforce under newly organised leadership. The changes form part of a multi‑stage strategic alignment as RateGain builds what it calls the industry’s most comprehensive AI‑powered growth platform, designed to help hospitality and travel companies maximise direct bookings.
Bhanu Chopra, founder and managing director of RateGain, said: “Our mission is to simplify growth for travel brands by unlocking the full potential of integrated data. Adara joining Sojern under one roof represents a defining step in that journey.”
Mark Rabe, CEO of Sojern, added: “By uniting our people, data and technology under the Sojern brand, we are creating a powerhouse that connects marketing, distribution and revenue decisions. This alignment allows us to focus on what matters most: helping our customers navigate a complex travel landscape and capture every opportunity for growth.”
La Festa Phu Quoc, Curio Collection by Hilton, Vietnam
La Festa Phu Quoc, Curio Collection by Hilton has introduced a new wing in Sunset Town, marking the brand’s first Curio Collection resort in Vietnam.
Set on a hillside overlooking Kiss Bridge and opposite the Campanile clocktower, the expansion adds 29 suites and duplexes with Mediterranean-inspired interiors and sea views. Facilities include four new dining venues: a Mediterranean restaurant, Cantonese restaurant, rooftop sunset bar with pool, and a speakeasy-style jazz bar.
The property provides access to Festival Street and Phu Quoc’s beachfront promenade. Guests are within reach of Sunset Town’s entertainment areas, coastal viewpoints, and island attractions, with Phu Quoc International Airport serving domestic and regional routes.
Radisson Red Auckland
Radisson Red Auckland, New Zealand
Radisson Red Auckland has opened in the city’s Arts District, marking Radisson Hotel Group’s debut in New Zealand and the brand’s first property in Australasia.
Positioned at 33 Lorne Street in the city’s Arts District, the hotel features 322 rooms and suites, with higher floors offering skyline and harbour views. Facilities include an all-day dining restaurant and bar, fitness centre, and a large rooftop venue with bar and flexible event spaces accommodating up to 219 guests. The hotel is also pet-friendly.
The property is within walking distance of the Auckland Art Gallery, Civic Theatre, Sky Tower, Albert Park, and key CBD attractions.
Mitsui Garden Hotel Sapporo
Mitsui Garden Hotel Sapporo, Japan
Mitsui Garden Hotel Sapporo has reopened following a full renovation. The 177-room hotel offers updated configurations including 102 triple rooms and 38 quadruple rooms, catering to families and groups.
Facilities include a renovated large public bath, lobby lounge, and a new utility lounge with coffee service and laundry facilities. Dining is led by Hakko &, serving Hokkaido-focused cuisine with a breakfast buffet featuring local rice and seasonal dishes. Guests can also access a seafood breakfast programme at Kita-No-Gourmet within Sapporo Central Wholesale Market via complimentary shuttle.
The hotel provides convenient access to Sapporo Station, Odori Park, and the annual Snow Festival sites.
Hyatt Regency Zhuhai Gongbei
Hyatt Regency Zhuhai Gongbei, China
Hyatt Regency Zhuhai Gongbei brings contemporary accommodation to the Gongbei district, close to the Zhuhai-Macau border crossing.
The hotel features 278 rooms and suites, as well as a Cantonese restaurant, all-day dining restaurant, lobby bar, and a Regency Club lounge with views of Gongbei Port.
Leisure facilities comprise a fitness centre, indoor heated swimming pool, and yoga studio. The hotel offers more than 1,600m² of meeting and event space, including a 625m² pillar-free ballroom and additional function rooms.
The property provides access to Gongbei Port, Macau, and Zhuhai’s coastal areas and business districts.
Björn Again will bring The ABBA Forever Tour to Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands from August 14 to 16, 2026.
Regarded as the world’s leading ABBA tribute concert, the production features the Swedish pop group’s best-known hits, including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), SOS, The Winner Takes It All, Fernando and Knowing Me, Knowing You. The show also includes selections featured in the Mamma Mia films.
Björn Again will perform The ABBA Forever Tour at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands this August
Formed in 1988, Björn Again has performed in more than 120 countries and is officially endorsed by members of ABBA. The concert combines live vocals, choreography and theatrical staging in a full-scale tribute production.
The Singapore season runs across four performances: August 14 at 20.00; August 15 at 14.00 and 20.00; and August 16 at 14.00. The show duration is approximately 140 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.
Tickets are now on sale via Marina Bay Sands Ticketing, SISTIC and Klook. Promotional offers include 20 per cent priority and presale discounts with UOB, a 15 per cent early bird offer, and ongoing 15 per cent UOB privileges across all categories and performances.
Amid ongoing travel disruptions due to the US-Israel-Iran war, tourism sellers at ITB Berlin 2026 say stability in Asia-Pacific has become a strong selling point in tourism promotion.
Rob McIntyre, general manager of Pullman Singapore Orchard, emphasised that while he is “very conscious of not turning a crisis into an opportunity”, he sees a clear shift towards destinations perceived as reliable.
Safety and stability dominate ITB Berlin 2026, with Asia‑Pacific destinations spotlighting reliability and low crime rates as key advantages amid global uncertainty; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
“In times of uncertainty, people want to go with something they trust,” McIntyre said. He compared the current situation to the post‑Covid era, noting that travellers gravitated towards countries recognised for their effective crisis management.
“Singapore’s tourism (excelled) in the aftermath of Covid because it was perceived as a country that had handled the situation very well.”
Michael Wu, CEO of MyAsiaTours, which is headquartered in Taiwan, told TTG Asia that despite occasional tensions between China and Taiwan, flare-ups have been limited to a war of words and economic progress remains a priority of both leaderships.
In an interesting turn of events, Wu said news reports on China-Taiwan tensions have raised international awareness of Taiwan, resulting in more traveller interest.
“Our German and French clients increased almost 20 per cent last year,” Wu said.
Prior to the escalating Middle East conflict, Wu said clients were already requesting direct routes from Europe to Asia, adding that China Airlines’s flights to and from Frankfurt were often “fully booked”.
Wu said destinations with low crime rates, like Japan and Taiwan, are also popular with international travellers.
Pema Tashi, general manager of Happiness Kingdom Travels, pointed to Bhutan as a powerful example of safety as a tourism advantage. He described Bhutan as “one of the safest places on Earth”.
Tashi said travel and transits in Asia-Pacific remains “quite favourable”, as the region is safe and “easy to move around”.
Andrea Koch of Exo Travel stated trusted DMCs are an important element in ensuring travellers’ safety. Essential support systems such as 24/7 customer care hotlines are necessary, especially in times of global instability.
“Most of our clients have private cars and private tour guides, and are fully escorted. I think Asia is very safe for family travellers and female travellers. Our agent partners feel quite safe in choosing Asia as a destination,” she added.
Sathia Moorthy, CEO of OOTO & Co., a Singapore-based event planner, said safety and stability are especially important for commercial events, and Asia-Pacific has been able to excel in this sector due to its positive reputation.
“Amid current global uncertainties, I believe Asia-Pacific will continue to stand out as a region of reliability and confidence for the business events industry,” he said.
While McIntyre is proud of Asia’s stability, he said the region “cannot take things for granted”.
“We’ve got to be aware that the world is constantly changing, and we’ve got to adapt to these changes,” he remarked.
Tourism players are hopeful that Cambodia can capitalise on the Francophonie Summit in November to better position the nation for economic prosperity, with calls being made for the tourism sector to seize the “unique opportunity”.
“Hosting the Francophonie Summit is a unique opportunity for Cambodia to reposition itself… as a hub for trade, talents, investments, long‑stay residents and international events,” said Catherine Germier-Hamel, founder of Millennium Destinations.
Guichandut shared that the Francophonie Summit must become a legacy event – anchored in infrastructure, narrative, and business links – so its benefits extend far beyond November
“The summit creates a powerful platform to renew tourism cooperation between Cambodia and France, especially around sustainable tourism and skills development, but its real impact will depend on the concrete projects that follow.”
Marc Emmanuel, general manager of Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, said it would be a “missed opportunity” not to coordinate a series of events around the summit to secure long-term impact.
“We should seize this opportunity to bring culture, art, history, education and showcase it, not only during the summit, but throughout an extended period.”
Jacques Guichandut, founder and managing director of All Dreams Cambodia and N&A Cambodia Director, called on the government and private sector to work together to ensure the summit becomes a legacy event by anchoring three pillars: infrastructure, narrative and business links.
He said investments in roads, signage, public spaces, connectivity and conference facilities in the capital will benefit residents, businesses and future events “long after the summit”.
Regarding narrative, Guichandut pointed to the opportunity for Phnom Penh to “tell a fuller story” about political stability, economic growth, the new international airport and urban culture.
Guichandut also recommended that the summit be used to structure biannual B2B platforms with francophone tour operators, airlines and investors.
He believes that an accurate alignment of the political summit with a professional tourism summit organised by the Cambodia Tourism Board and the private sector could bring quick returns on investment.
“These key players would go home with a renewed image of the country and concrete reasons to promote it differently, not as an extension but as a destination in their brochures, websites and campaigns – but that has to be organised now to fully capitalise on this unique opportunity,” he said.
Centara Hotels & Resorts has outlined double-digit revenue growth in 2025, driven by portfolio expansion and the full opening of The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts in the Maldives.
Group revenue rose 10 per cent year-on-year to 12,318 million baht (US$380 million). Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased five per cent, supported by a four per cent rise in average room rate to 5,922 baht. Hotel business profit declined slightly due to development costs and the completion of a 50-key villa extension at Centara Karon Villas Phuket.
Thirayuth: we remain firmly on track to achieve our long-term growth ambitions
For 2026, the company is targeting revenue growth of 14 to 15 per cent, supported by tourism recovery in Thailand, new openings and property renovations. Two resorts – Centara Grand Beach Resort Hua Hin and Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi – will undergo repositioning, with the Krabi property set to relaunch as Centara Reserve Krabi by year-end. RevPAR is projected to reach 4,600-4,800 baht, compared with 4,281 baht in 2025.
Centara plans to open five properties in 2026. The group entered Nepal in January with the 42-key Himalayan Hideaway Resort Pokhara, The Centara Collection. Upcoming openings include Centara Life Namba Hotel Osaka, two properties in Van Don, Vietnam, totalling 977 keys, and Centara Life Hotel Surat Thani in Thailand.
Sales and marketing activity will include roadshows in 18 countries, while brand initiatives will focus on the rollout of the Centara Grand Experience and further development of the Centara Reserve brand.
Technology investment continues, including the expansion of the Centara Data Warehouse, a new booking engine designed for future AI integration, and the Centara App, which has recorded 100,000 downloads since its December 2025 launch.
The company also reported sustainability progress in 2025, including reductions in energy use (26 per cent), water consumption (33 per cent), waste-to-landfill (23 per cent) and emissions (24 per cent). Solar panels were installed at 18 properties. Centara achieved GSTC certification across its portfolio and maintained inclusion in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2026.
Centara Hotels & Resorts CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat shared: “2025 was a highly productive year for Centara, despite ongoing headwinds across the global travel and hospitality sector. As our international portfolio expands and more travellers experience our distinctive, family-centric style of hospitality, we remain firmly on track to achieve our long-term growth ambitions.
“In the year ahead, we look forward to creating even more exceptional experiences for our guests as we continue progressing toward our goal of becoming a top 100 global hotel group by 2027.”
RedDoorz is accelerating expansion in Indonesia, with plans to add 100 to 150 company-operated hotels by 2027. The company currently manages around 100 company-operated properties in Indonesia, following a pilot in 2025, and operates approximately 4,300 partner properties across Indonesia and the Philippines.
It aims to reach 4,700 properties by the end of 2026. In Indonesia alone, RedDoorz properties are present in more than 300 cities.
RedDoorz is expanding its portfolio of company-operated hotels across Indonesia
The expansion of the company-operated model is intended to strengthen operational control and deliver more consistent guest experiences. New properties will operate under the RedDoorz, Sans and Urbanview brands. Sans targets the economy lifestyle segment, while Urbanview focuses on affordable urban accommodation. Both brands were introduced in 2020 as part of the group’s multi-brand strategy.
To support the growing portfolio, RedDoorz is implementing AI-driven systems across its company-operated hotels. The company has introduced RedPilot, an in-house AI tool designed to assist hotel managers with pricing, operational oversight and performance monitoring. The system provides real-time insights to support decision-making and improve efficiency, with deployment planned across all company-operated properties in the coming months.
Amit Saberwal, founder and CEO, RedDoorz, said: “By expanding our portfolio of company-operated properties, we gain deeper operational control, which allows us to deliver consistent guest experiences while improving unit-level economics for the business. Technology, particularly AI, will play a critical role in enabling this scale – helping us maintain quality, optimise operations, and drive profitability across a large and geographically diverse network.”
Effi Setiawati, owner of RedDoorz Syariah Plus @ Wisma Bougenville Karawaci, Tangerang, added: “As an individual owner, it is difficult to build this level of operational and technological capability on our own. RedDoorz’s technology-led approach gives us confidence that the hotel is being managed professionally and efficiently, while allowing us to focus on the long-term value of the asset rather than daily operations.”
Disney Cruise Line (DCL) has marked the arrival of Disney Adventure at its new homeport in Singapore, as the ship docked at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) with a water salute and fireworks display.
The vessel will depart on its maiden voyage from Singapore on March 10, 2026, operating three- and four-night sailings at sea. The programme is designed for families and will draw on Disney, Pixar and Marvel content across entertainment, dining and accommodation.
Singapore welcomed Disney Adventure with a water salute and fireworks display; photo by Disney Cruise Line
The deployment forms part of DCL’s expansion plans, with the fleet expected to grow to 13 ships by 2031. Recent additions include Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny. The Singapore homeporting arrangement is set for five years.
Singapore recorded more than two million cruise passengers from 375 ship calls in 2025, supported by direct air links to more than 160 cities and the expanded MBCCS. The Singapore Tourism Board said the agreement is expected to support fly-cruise demand and contribute to the tourism and maritime sectors.
Disney Adventure will feature seven themed areas and a range of dining and retail outlets. Onboard retail space totals nearly 1,580m². Retail concepts include World of Disney, National Geographic Store, and the Duffy and Friends Shop. Entertainment offerings include a new stage show, Remember, developed for the ship, alongside Duffy and the Friend Ship and a Marvel-themed attraction, Ironcycle Test Run.
Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, said: “The arrival of the Disney Adventure in Singapore marks a significant milestone in our global expansion, introducing Disney cruising to Asia for the very first time. Honouring Disney Cruise Line’s legacy of unforgettable journeys, our newest ship brings together our signature storytelling and creativity in an exciting new destination.”
Melissa Ow, chief executive, Singapore Tourism Board, added: “The Disney Adventure’s arrival brings us a step closer towards realising our Tourism 2040 vision to drive quality tourism growth. Together with Disney Cruise Line, we’re excited to bring magical experiences to travellers from around the world.”
Oceania Cruises has introduced the Oceania Club Ambassador Program, a referral initiative aimed at rewarding repeat guests for recommending the cruise line to friends and family.
The launch forms part of the cruise line’s broader loyalty strategy, as it continues to position its product around culinary-focused sailings and destination-driven itineraries.
Oceania Club members can earn future cruise credit through the new Ambassador referral scheme
Under the scheme, when an Oceania Club member refers a first-time guest who books their first voyage, both the existing member and the new guest will receive US$200 in savings in the form of future cruise credit.
The programme applies to new, full-fare bookings made by first-time guests. Both the referring member and the referred guest will receive a US$200 Future Cruise Credit, which can be applied to existing or future reservations that have not yet reached final payment. Members may apply up to four US$200 Future Cruise Credits per booking, and credits are valid for three years from the date of issue.
Referring and referred guests are not required to travel together. The programme is limited to personal referrals among friends and family, with public solicitation, including via social media, not permitted.
To qualify, the referred guest must complete the Ambassador Referral Form on Oceania Cruises’ website within 14 days of paying their deposit to ensure the credit is applied.
Oceania Cruises said the initiative is designed to encourage word-of-mouth referrals within its loyalty base, supporting repeat business and first-time bookings through existing customer networks.
The launch forms part of the cruise line’s broader loyalty strategy, as it continues to position its product around culinary-focused sailings and destination-driven itineraries.
Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue will make its Asia debut at Green Canvas, Mandai Wildlife Reserve, from April 24 to September 13, 2026.
The attraction marks the first large-scale travelling exhibition at Green Canvas, a purpose-built indoor event space within the Mandai Wildlife Reserve precinct.
Participants can step into the Overworld at Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue and journey through iconic Minecraft biomes on a quest to save the village; photo by Minecraft Experience
Following runs in Dallas, London and Toronto, the immersive one-hour adventure invites participants to step into the Minecraft universe and journey through eight themed rooms to save a village under siege.
Designed for families, long-time players and newcomers alike, the experience blends large-scale projections, theatrical sets, motion-tracking gameplay and interactive storytelling.
Visitors will explore recognisable Minecraft biomes, gather resources and encounter familiar mobs, using a handheld Orb of Interaction to influence the environment and shape their quest. The adventure concludes at the Trading Post, where participants can collect a commemorative keepsake and unlock a digital in-game cape.
Created by Montreal-based studio Supply + Demand in collaboration with Microsoft, Experience MOD and Mojang Studios, the experience builds on Minecraft’s global popularity, with more than 300 million copies sold worldwide.
The presale waitlist is now open. Presales begin on March 10, 2026, with general ticket sales from March 11, 2026. Timed entry slots run daily, with weekday tickets from S$46 (US$34) for adults and S$40 for children, and weekend tickets from S$51 for adults and S$44 for children.
WildPass and Friends of Mandai members receive a 15 per cent early bird discount until March 23, 2026.
