Travelport, BeMyGuest ignite new partnership linking traditional, new-gen suppliers

February 17, 2015

IN A SIGN that the traditional establishments of the travel industry are flexible enough to accommodate the young tech-savvy upstarts of today’s market, Travelport has signed a distribution partnership with BeMyGuest.

The agreement is BeMyGuest’s first distribution partnership ever, reflecting tours and activities aggregator’s consistent stance of being open to working with the old guards of industry.

Its content has been integrated as a local content provider into Travelport Rooms and More, giving Travelport’s travel agencies access to BeMyGuest’s 6,700 tours and activities.

“There’s no doubt that tours and activities are the future of travel, and BeMyGuest has established a specialised selection of experiences which are growing in popularity and are in great demand with travellers. We pride ourselves on our breadth of content offering, and this partnership is a true example of how we provide travellers more choice by not only working with big players, but also supporting start-ups in the travel industry too,” commented Niklas Andréen, Travelport’s GVP hospitality, car and digital media solutions.

Said Blanca Menchaca, chief marketing officer of BeMyGuest, in a statement: “This is the first of many new global partnerships in BeMyGuest’s strategy to secure the best possible means to directly connect the travel industry with exciting local experiences.”

Specialists speaking at the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2015 earlier this month had encouraged disruptive B2C digital platforms such as Airbnb and Withlocals and travel agencies to collaborate.

Longhaul travel demand in full bloom for Lunar New Year holidays

By TTG Asia

February 17, 2015

CHINESE travellers are fully intent on making the best of the long Lunar New Year holidays, and Europe is set to reap the benefits of this, dominating the top five most popular destinations for group tours.

The Ministry of Transport China reported that the Chinese will make an overwhelming 2.8 billion trips during this period, up 3.4 per cent over 2014.

At the same time, 60 per cent of these travellers plan to take trips abroad, according to the China Tourism Academy.

The European continent is favoured especially by group tours from China, based on business reports from Kuoni. France is this year’s most popular destination, followed closely by Italy, while Switzerland, Germany and Spain round up the top five.

Independent travellers however, are sticking closer to home. GTA said that Thailand is the destination of choice for Chinese tourists, the result of pent-up demand from the political crises plaguing the country last year.

Hong Kong and Singapore are next on the list, followed by Australia, and Italy in fifth place.

Park Regis Singapore readies to unveil US$2.3m new look

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

February 16, 2015

FOLLOWING a S$3 million (US$2.3 million) refurbishment, the Park Regis Singapore hotel is gearing up to welcome guests with its spruced-up facilities by end next month.

The 202-key hotel, managed by the StayWell Hospitality Group, will sport new features that include a new restaurant, meeting room, lobby and reception.

Explaining the decision to relocate the hotel lobby from the ground floor to the third floor, Jason Dowd, general manager of the Park Regis Singapore, said: “When you look at a property, especially hotels, the prime real estate is normally taken by a non-revenue producing facility which is normally a lobby and reception.

“Yet 90 per cent of the time they (lobby and reception) take up the ground floors which hold the highest real estate returns (which is important) especially for F&B facilities,” he said.

As such, Dowd said the hotel has now created a more exclusive area on level three for the reception, which resembles an executive lounge, while its all-day dining restaurant has now expanded to occupy the entire ground level.

To court MICE traffic, the hotel now sports a new 92m² pillarless function space, which can fit 50 delegates in boardroom style, with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the hotel’s waterfall.

According to Dowd, the hotel guests largely come from South Korea, Australia and Germany, with 60 per cent made up by business travellers.

Understanding that connectivity is of utmost importance to guests, Dowd added that the hotel now offers free complimentary Wi-Fi access with upgraded bandwidth throughout the property.

Room boom will not lead to price war: Manila hoteliers

By Rosa Ocampo

February 16, 2015

ROOM supply in Metro Manila is reaching an all-time high and is exerting downward pressure on rates, but hoteliers are confident that the market will be able to absorb the increase and generate extra demand.

More than 4,000 rooms are slated to come on stream by this year-end, across all market segments.

Commenting on the likelihood of a price war, Gordon Aeria, general manager of Hotel Jen Manila, said: “There will be a slight pressure on rates but overall, I’m cautiously optimistic that there will be growth in tourist arrivals coming from the increasing awareness about the Philippines in the international market, more flights coming in, and a lot of things happening now in Manila than three years ago.

“These positive attributes will in some way offset oversupply. They will bring in the leisure and business travellers.”

Eugene Tamesis, director of sales and marketing, Raffles Makati and Fairmont Makati, said: “In a way, (the oversupply) complements the room demand into the city, since these new hotels are actively promoting the destination and expanding the marketing reach.”

Bruce Winton, general manager of Marriott Manila, which is adding 228 rooms towards this year-end, said the new rooms would be used to meet increased demand after the Marriott Grand Ballroom opens in May.

The hotel is not seeing the impact of increased hotel supply in Manila as it presently has no competition in its location near Manila’s international airport, though a Hilton and a Sheraton will open in the next few years.

At the same time, a travel consultant who declined to be named said the new hotels will ease the relatively high room rates in the city, leading to more realistic pricing and preventing shortages especially during peak season.

Hokkaido is Japan’s most popular destination for South-east Asians

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2015

JAPAN’S northern-most prefecture is topping the travel wishlists of South-east Asian travellers even for first-timers to the country, trumping the regions in which traditionally popular cities like Tokyo and Osaka are located.

The finding was reported in a study commissioned by MicroAd, a Tokyo-based ad platform company, that focused on Japan’s four largest South-east Asian source markets of Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The survey was conducted from February 2-6 among 1,200 respondents from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Unsurprisingly, travel-hungry Singapore had the highest percentage of respondents who have visited Japan before at 48 per cent. Thailand, long a huge fan of Japan, was next with 29 per cent, while Malaysia and Indonesia reported 28 and 22 per cent of participants as having been to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Between both groups of travellers, those who have been to Japan indicated that they were most excited to go to Hokkaido. About 38 per cent of those participants who had visited Japan before were intent on going to the island, most known for excellent skiing, summertime blooms and seafood, while 34 per cent of those who have never travelled Japan are keen on Hokkaido.

Given that first-timers tend to travel the Golden Route (Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto), it followed that the Kanto region, where Tokyo is, was the second-most popular destination (28 per cent). In third place was the Kansai region (15 per cent), home to cultural capital Kyoto and Osaka, known otherwise as “the kitchen of the nation”. Southern region Kyushu took fourth (six per cent) while Okinawa rounded up the top five (five per cent).

For repeat visitors, Kansai (13 per cent) was the next destination of interest after Hokkaido, with Okinawa coming third (10 per cent). Kanto ranked fourth at nine per cent, tying with Kyushu.

This group spent most of their travel budgets on accommodation and shopping, while first-timers predict that attractions will take up the bulk of their money.

The findings bode well for a Japan that is aiming for 20 million arrivals by 2020, when it will host the summer Olympic Games, and wants to spread visitor arrivals beyond the Golden Route.

Bouncing back from the Great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, international arrivals for 2014 have surpassed pre-earthquake levels to hit 13.4 million. This is up from 10.3 million in 2013, likely buoyed by the depreciation of the yen and easing of visa restrictions on Asian markets.

Singapore arrivals hit 227,900 to surpass the record 189,280 set the year before, while Malaysia sent 249,500 visitors, a 40 per cent increase over 2013, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Trains on Vietnam’s railways given 5-star makeover

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2015

VIETNAM Railways has upgraded its passenger carriages to five-star standard for trains on its north-south express services, and plans to build two new five-star trains before end-2015.

Upgraded at a cost of about US$3.8 million, the first luxury trains come with uniformed staff and international-standard services including upgraded ticketing, TVs, a cafeteria, newspaper kiosks and free Wi-Fi.

The new express trains run daily between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, completing the journey in 31 hours, comprising 11 passenger cars, two service cars and 31 personnel. During peak season, each train can accommodate 508 passengers.

Diethelm Travel Vietnam’s business development leader, Hue Nguyen, said: “This is a much-needed change that might attract both domestic and international travellers, but not particularly the high-end traveller.”

“(But) as all trains in Vietnam are old Russian models, do not expect exceptional quality, especially compared with Europe. The trade-off is that you will get an authentic experience of travelling in a South-east Asian country.”

Much of Vietnam’s railway infrastructure deteriorated following war damage, said Nguyen. “I think the point is that no trains in Vietnam live up to the term ‘five-star’, nor can they live up to the word ‘express’. Let’s wait and see the new service proving itself.”

However, Diethelm Travel Vietnam’s product manager Quan Do, said the upgraded carriages could encourage train tours that have been hindered by carriage quality and other factors.

By Louis Allen.

Nowroz is The Amazing Mr Anderson

By Raini Hamdi

February 16, 2015

FORMER head of Travelport Asia-Pacific, Simon Nowroz, has set up The Amazing Mr Anderson, a consultancy that aims to eschew the usual dull and hands-off consultancy experience in favour of a ‘studio approach’ where clients are stirred to collaborate and innovate to generate growth and positive social impact.

The UK-based firm is preparing for a launch in Asia-Pacific and targets the travel and tourism private sector, which Nowroz believes needs this service the most.

Said Nowroz: “Travel is a big employer, but it is also a big polluter and land developer. These last two can have negative effects if not managed properly. Unchecked pollution can drastically increase health risks and drive climate change, while ill-thought through land development can destroy the local ecology, communities and cultures – the very things that make travel interesting. By innovating with local communities these risks can be better mitigated, ensuring a more sustainable and balanced approach to travel and tourism.

“Asia is particularly at risk because it generally has less government intervention, rules and regulations. It is also less ecologically aware (i.e. little by way of sustainability education, few reporting requirements on firms and less shareholder attention).

“Environmental and social sustainability in travel and tourism are the issues of the day, and the story that needs to be told. Our studio is focused on social sustainability (the people who make up the destinations that we travel to) and we want to help the travel sector to get better at social inclusion and innovation.”

The Amazing Mr Anderson is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and Social Enterprise UK. It does pro bono work with the Clinton Foundation and Hult University in community development, and is already working on bringing social innovation to the education, healthcare and media sectors.

“Most consultancies drive innovation through a dull and hands-off experience of power point slides and excel spreadsheets, with little emphasis on experimentation. As a result about 75 per cent of current innovation efforts fail in companies,” said Nowroz.

“We undertake innovation programmes in a studio environment, where our clients are encouraged to tinker and experiment with ideas and concepts. This hands-on process results in early prototypes, rapid market testing and quick iterations, and results in much higher success rates. Our studio methodology is rooted in the science of Stanford’s design school processes.”

Asked why he decided to to this, Nowroz said: “As someone fascinated by innovation, change and problem solving, sustainable commerce is the single biggest problem to be working on today. I am driven by the magnitude of change required, by the complexity of getting it right and the urgency to mobilise around solutions. I simply couldn’t be a spectator once I fully understood the challenge. So I’ve invested financially, emotionally and intellectually to create a place (our studio) where we can collective work through what we do next.”

According to Nowroz, the current model is “simply broken beyond repair” and the question is, what next?

“Destinations are being destroyed, cultures lost, societies destabilised, oceans polluted. The very resources that make travel attractive and successful are being undermined and quietly lost. Legacy firms have assets that are no longer fit for purpose (highly polluting), processes that are linear (instead of circular) and strategies that fail to deal with the pending risks. New firms carry less of the ‘20th century infinite resources’ mentality but need helping scaling,” he said.

“The planet cannot sustain how we live today, so we’ve already lost that debate. Now the question is, what next? The “what next” will take years to unfold…there are quiet voices that need to be heard, small experiments that need to be shared, and journeys that need to be encouraged.”

How to grow brand loyalty among today’s travellers

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2015

TO SUCCESSFULLY woo this generation, travel companies must recognise a new breed of traveller and what they expect from their reward programmes, says a new report.

In The Grand Wanderluster, reward and loyalty programme technology provider Collinson Latitude outlines the characteristics of The Grand Wanderluster, a new class of traveller spawned by the digital boom.

Members of The Grand Wanderluster generation are defined not by age or gender but instead by their behaviours, characteristics and interests, and reward programmes are key to cultivating and retaining brand loyalty.

“The current accessibility and mass availability of travel means that traditional demographic based approaches to audience segmentation are a thing of the past,” said James Berry, e-commerce director at Collinson Latitude, which is part of The Collinson Group.

“Travel brands need to reinvent how they engage with the Grand Wanderluster generation or risk losing them to the competition.”

The report further breaks down The Grand Wanderluster into six separate personas based on their priorities during travel and advises how to attract each group.

The Aspirationals are today’s reinvented frequent flyers who want quick and easy online redemption. Travel brands should find out and offer rewards relevant to their interests.

The Balancers, believers of work-life balance, want the most value from their choices. To win them over, communicate more with a variety of non-travel related rewards.

Family-oriented Nesters will pay attention to online awards and redemptions that can be used to enhance family holidays, and communication is key for them.

Fourth, combine a personal touch and rewards featuring the diversity of activities they enjoy to get through to the high-earning Safeguarders.

The On-demanders are the career-oriented looking for instant gratification. Travel brands should make their reward programmes device-friendly and let them choose their own reward categories, including luxury products.

Lastly, the sceptical and disinterested Individualists are rarely the target of travel brands, reaching out to and giving them more ways to earn and redeem rewards is the first step to bringing them on board.

Research for this study was conducted by Vanson Bourne in October 2014, using a sample of 4,000 consumers from the UK, US, Middle East and Singapore.

Making travel inclusive

By S Puvaneswary

February 16, 2015

Poor infrastructure, services and attitudes towards travellers with special access needs is preventing the Asian tourism sector from seizing an important niche market

While the concept of accessible tourism for senior and disabled tourists has emerged in various parts of the world, the needs of this niche market remain unaddressed and under-served in Asia despite its strong potential to contribute to tourist arrivals and revenue.

The World Health Organisation Report 2011 estimates that 15 per cent of the world’s population has a disability and more than one billion people with special needs worldwide, of which an estimated 80 per cent live in developing countries.

According to HelpAge International, by 2050, nearly one in five people in developing countries will be over 60. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific projects that Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China and Thailand will become the five leading countries in Asia with an ageing population of 60 years and above in 2050.

The Asia-Pacific Network on Accessible Tourism (APNAT), which is headquartered in Malaysia and currently in the process of being registered as an association, will soon see the establishment of country chapters to champion barrier-free travel for people with disabilities in the region.

Sia Siew Chin, pro tem committee chairman of APNAT, said: “Through APNAT, we would like to be able to reach out to governments, people in the tourism industry and service providers to provide for the access needs of everyone in society, in particular people with disabilities.”

Advocating that the creation of barrier-free travel can improve a country’s tourism competitiveness, Joseph Kwan, global chair, International Commission on Technology & Accessibility, Rehabilitation International and advisor to APNAT, said: “Making changes need not be too costly. When transportation such as old buses and cars need replacement, transport providers can look at buying vehicles that are user-friendly and accessible to the elderly and people with disabilities, thus increasing ridership and in turn, revenue.

“Costs in making appropriate changes to building structures and facilities that are accessible to all can be reduced by getting advice from specialist access architects and from organisations dealing with people with disability.”

Several enterprising travel organisations in the region have already identified the market as ripe for picking.

For Antony Leopold, managing director of Kuala Lumpur-based Ace Altair Travels – which caters to the special needs of disabled travellers from the point of arrival to the point of departure – his interest in providing such travel services is a personal one, as he suffers from polio.

Leopold said: “We ventured into this segment in 2013 when we fitted our new van with a hydraulic wheelchair lift. That year, we had three physically challenged clients. In 2014, we had 26 clients, ranging from families with a member needing a wheelchair, to couples and friends with special needs travelling together.

“(This) year, we will fit another van with two hydraulic wheelchair lifts as we get many requests from people travelling in pairs,” he added.

Ace Altair Travels’ services include providing trained personnel; recommending disabled-friendly hotels, restaurants and attractions; and offering special equipment such as wheelchairs, ramps, shower chairs and portable commode.

“There are different levels of disability,” stressed Leopold. “Once we get a request from a client, we will first have to find out what is the level of their disability, what they are able to do and not do. If the person requires a wheelchair, we will find out the size and whether they want a motorised one or not.”

Leopold also drew attention to the state of disrepair of sidewalks and high curbs in Malaysia, where wheelchair users frequently find their path of travel obstructed by poorly designed narrow sidewalks, parked cars, motorcycles, fences, stairs and trees, reflecting an accessibility issue that is repeated across other South-east Asian cities from Bangkok to Jakarta.

“In many areas of the city, it is virtually impossible to travel without an assistant,” he added. “We hope our effort will make accessible tourism a reality in Malaysia, which presents a great challenge for travellers with mobility impairments.”

In Singapore, want2travel (www.want2travel.com.sg) was started by Patrick Ang, a paraplegic, in July 2012 to encourage families to involve disabled or elderly members with mobility issues in their travel plans instead of leaving them behind.

He said: “There is a lot of additional work when it comes to providing travel services for the disabled. For example, we will find out the extent of the disability and then try and match accommodation and services to suit the client’s needs.

“Many hotels claim they are disabled friendly because they may have ramps leading to the entrance, but the disabled room may not have a toilet that is disabled friendly (with) handrails or enough space to manoeuvre a wheelchair, thus we do a thorough check first before recommending a hotel or providing advice to a client.”

Non-profit organisations are also keen to make tourist sites more accessible.

With an aim to make the state’s Sungai Liam Waterfall in Ulu Yam accessible to all, the Waterfall Lovers Association of Selangor is raising funds through corporate sponsorship to build parking areas for the disabled, ramps linking the parking area to the waterfalls, disabled-friendly toilets and special wheelchairs for use in water.

This ambitious project, scheduled to be completed in 1H2015, will be replicated at other waterfalls too, said Mohd Ridzuan Gunasegaran Abdullah, secretary general of the association.

Elsewhere in the country, National Council for the Blind Malaysia will join hands with George Town World Heritage to develop a three-hour audio descriptive guided walk around the UNESCO World Heritage site of George Town in Penang, catering to the visually impaired. The trail is targeted to be launched in July.

Meanwhile, the Taiwan Access For All Association had recently developed a mobile app for inclusion and assistance for disabled and senior travellers. The app provides a listing and photographs of accessible restaurants, tourist sites and hotels, and users can also share their experiences on accessibility. There are plans in future to develop this site in English, according to the association’s secretary-general, Jacky Hsu.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, February 13, 2015 issue, on page 07. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Premier Inn adds 4 hotels in Indonesia

By TTG Asia

February 13, 2015

PREMIER Inn has added four hotels to its pipeline in Indonesia, as part of the next phase of its expansion plan that will see the group having 10,000 new hotel rooms in Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Middle East by 2018.

With the addition of the four new properties in Bali, Bandung, Jakarta and Sentul, this will bring the total count of Premier Inn-owned properties in Indonesia to 1,921 rooms and 14 hotels.

The first of the four hotels to open, the 112-key Premier Inn Bandung will start operation in 2H2015. It is situated near the Braga City walk entertainment complex and is a 15-minute drive away from Husein Sastranegara International airport. It also boasts a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 guests.

Expected to open in 2H2016, Premier Inn Sentul will have 153 rooms and is situated near the Jungle Land Theme Park, Sentul Circuit and Sentul Convention Centre. It is a 60-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The 120-key Premier Inn Bali Legian is scheduled to be ready for business in 2017. It will have meeting facilities, a bar, multiple dining options, a fitness centre, swimming pools and a spa. Guests can walk to the nearby Kuta beach.

The 84-key Premier Inn Jakarta Gajah Mada is also expected to open in 2017. It is situated in Central Jakarta, near the city’s business and commercial districts, and will be a 30-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Premier Inn had earlier announced its debut in Singapore in mid-2016 with a 300-room hotel.