Crowne Plaza Changi Airport expands with new wing

December 12, 2014

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) has announced its latest signing in Singapore with the OUE Group for a new 243-room extension to Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, which opened in 2008.

The new 10-storey wing, due to open in 2016, will be located adjacent to the existing 320-room Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. Together, the hotel will feature 563 rooms, conference facilities for meetings and events, a business centre and round-the-clock business services.

F&B outlets in the hotel span Azur, the all-day dining restaurant; a specialty restaurant; a lobby lounge bar; and a warm and cool bar. Leisure facilities include a pool, health club and spa.

With the completion of the airport’s new runway, Terminal 4 and upcoming mixed-use complex which will link the existing three terminals and feature a range of retail outlets and leisure attractions, the new wing will complement Changi Airport’s growth as a key regional transit hub and lifestyle destination in the coming years.

Clarence Tan, senior vice president, development, Asia, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said: “Since it opened six years ago, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport has seen strong demand from a mix of passengers in transit and both short- and- long-stay business and leisure travellers. Its proximity to Changi Airport – one of the world’s busiest airports – and the neighbouring business park make it the ideal choice for visitors.”

The signing of Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s expansion will increase the business hotel’s room count by more than 75 percent and propels IHG’s development pipeline in the country past the 1,000-room mark.

IHG currently operates six hotels and more than 2,200 rooms across four brands in Singapore, including InterContinental Singapore, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road and Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay.

Cheaper airfares on the horizon: IATA

By TTG Asia

December 12, 2014

FLYING could get cheaper in 2015 as airlines are expected to pass on the savings made on slumping oil prices in recent months to the consumer.

Average return airfares, excluding taxes and surcharges, are expected to fall 5.1 per cent next year from 2014 levels. Due to airlines’ forward fuel-buying practices, IATA notes that the impact of lower fuel prices will be realised with a time lag.

Airlines are expected to post a collective global net profit of US$25 billion in 2015, up from the projected US$19.9 billion in 2014, according to IATA. This is based on projections that oil prices will average at US$85 per barrel.

Lower oil prices and stronger worldwide GDP growth are the main drivers behind the improved profitability.

Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO, said: “The industry outlook is improving. The global economy continues to recover and the fall in oil prices should strengthen the upturn next year. While we see airlines making US$25 billion in 2015, it is important to remember that this is still just a 3.2 per cent net profit margin.

“The industry story is largely positive, but there are a number of risks in today’s global environment – political unrest, conflicts and some weak regional economies – among them. And a 3.2 per cent net profit margin does not leave much room for a deterioration in the external environment before profits are hit.”

All regions are expected to report improved net profitability in 2015 over 2014. Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to achieve a net profit of US$5 billion in 2015 (up from US$3.5 billion in 2014) with a 2.2 per cent net profit margin.

Bangkok Airways seals codeshare pact with Garuda Indonesia

By TTG Asia

December 12, 2014

BANGKOK Airways and Garuda Indonesia will enter into a codeshare agreement from December 15, 2014, with the codeshare routes already open for sale.

The new partnership will enable passengers of Garuda Indonesia a smooth transit in the Thai capital to connect to Bangkok Airways’ destinations including Samui, Lampang, Phuket, Udon Thani, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phnom Penh, Luang Prabang and Dhaka.

Likewise, Bangkok Airways passengers will be able to make reservation on Garuda Indonesia’s network which include Bangkok-Jakarta, Singapore-Jakarta, Jakarta-Denpasar Bali, Jakarta-Yogyakarta, Jakarta-Semarang, Jakarta-Surabaya and Jakarta-Ujung Pandang.

Peter Wiesner, Bangkok Airways’ senior vice president – network management, commented: “The codeshare agreement allows the passengers to benefit from the networks of both airlines to travel between Thailand and Indonesia with ideal connectivity and increase travel flexibility. Besides, codeshare flights via Bangkok and Jakarta will be able to reach domestic and International points of each country.”

Garuda Indonesia executive vice president sales and marketing, Erik Meijer, also commented: “We are pleased to announce this partnership with Bangkok Airways which extends our network even further within South-east Asia. Thailand is an important market for Indonesia and through this partnership we can offer more travel options for the increasing number of passengers travelling between the two countries. At the same time, the agreement is expected to boost trade and tourism activities by making Indonesia much more accessible for Thai visitors.”

Luca Casaura named Costa Crociere’s vice president corporate marketing

By TTG Asia

December 11, 2014

Luca Casaura has been appointed the vice president corporate marketing of Costa Crociere today, with immediate effect. Casaura will report to Norbert Stiekema, executive vice president sales & marketing.

In this position, Casaura will coordinate all marketing activities concerning the development and positioning of the brand, media and communication strategy, research and product development.

Casaura was previously at Activia Global, holding the position of vice president marketing, where he launched the first ever global ICP Campaign for them.

Between 2008 and 2012, Luca Casaura has been Marketing, Communication and Media Director for Danone Italy, having previously gained various international experiences, first as marketing director of the “Enfants et Desserts” division of Danone France and later as Marketing Director of Danone Canada.

In 2015, I resolve to…

By TTG Asia

December 11, 2014

With New Year just around the corner, travel agency bosses reflect on the changes they want to make in their businesses and personal lives

SINGAPORE
Anthony Chan
Group managing director & CEO
Chan Brothers Travel

Business resolution I want to channel all energy and resources to grow and reinvent the core business in the areas of product quality, product innovation, value pricing, marketing creativity and technology.

One aspect is elevating our service leadership and enhancing the experiential aspects of our business through our Customer-Centric Initiatives, which includes tapping on the robust CRM system launched in 2014, to better manage our relationships with each individual and providing more value to our customers through targeted marketing.

We also want to grow the luxury travel market through our private tour division that offers tailor-made itineraries, high-touch and exemplary service, and a never-say-never belief to ensure customers’ dream holidays come true.

Personal resolution Plan for more personal holidays and vacations with my loved ones. For someone that helms a travel business, that should be at the top of the things I love to do, and should do more often. I would also want to take time out, recharge, refresh and invest myself with new and positive thoughts. As a wise saying goes, “If you won’t invest in yourself, who else would?” It is important for me to achieve a balanced yin and yang with both my business and personal pursuits.

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

VIETNAM
Luong Thang
Founder and CEO
Handspan Travel Indochina

Business resolution The Internet has changed business so dramatically that the ways clients come to us are also different, so next year I’d give a bigger marketing focus on the Internet and technology. As clients tend to contact the service providers directly, we’re investing in an 18-cabin boat in Halong Bay, plus an eco-resort in northern Vietnam, both of which will debut in 2016. We want to be a service provider to increase our chances of getting guests to come to us directly, as well as differentiating ourselves from competitors.

Personal resolution I’d like to travel more to get a better idea of the market. We are trying to expand our outbound market and send Vietnamese tourists on cruise ships, hence I want to jump onto a cruise ship to see how the experience is like. I also want to go to South American countries like Brazil and experience the destination first before introducing them to Vietnamese. For my own pleasure, I like to travel backpacker style, with a map on a motorcycle; this is also the travelling style I would adopt in South America.

By Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

MALAYSIA
Samuel Chung
Managing director
Straits Central Travel & Tour Agencies

Business resolution To increase the international profile of Borneo as a great tourism destination, I want to create a photography contest for Borneo Island, involving the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and Indonesia’s Kalimantan. Pictures tell a thousand words and this contest will be a great way to create better awareness of Borneo. I haven’t worked out the mechanisms yet, but I hope to run this contest from July to October as this is the European season for Sarawak.

Personal resolution I want to start a training club for dogs in order to educate dog owners on how to handle their dogs better and not to neglect their pets. I was the former president of the Sarawak Kennel Association and I simply love dogs.

By S Puvaneswary

INDONESIA
Ratna Ning
President director
Pacto

Business resolution Having registered a very significant growth both in revenue and net profit in 2014, in 2015 our approach will remain consistent with our vision of developing unique products delivered with exceptional quality of service at affordable rates, both for our inbound and outbound department.

Personal resolution I will continue my contribution to causes related to the development of education in Indonesia since I believe that education is key to cope with challenges that our nation is facing now and in the future. In line with my passion for running marathons, I have been an active member of Berlari untuk Berbagi or Running for Sharing, a community of runners who share the love of long-distance running and the passion for charity. While running in various marathons in Indonesia and overseas, we have raised significant amount of money as well as awareness to benefit schools and children in less fortunate communities.

By Mimi Hudoyo

THAILAND
Stephen McEvoy
Managing director
Asia World Enterprise

Business resolution I plan to focus on expanding our in-house technology to offer more online services via our XML links with our clients. I want to explore more partnership opportunities around Asia; the Philippines and Japan have already joined our network and there are other interesting possibilities. We will continue to expand our product range to include more niche market activities and be more selective on the tradeshows we attend and focus more on sales visits. We will also develop our land in Chiang Mai to create our own restaurant and cooking school.

Personal resolution I want to reduce my personal overseas travel, although I make this same resolution every year. And hopefully, I will get the chance to play golf more often – again, I have wished for this in the past. Plus, I want to spend more time with my sons, before the eldest leaves for university in the UK next year.

By Greg Lowe

INDIA
Guldeep Singh Sahni
Managing director
Weldon Tours & Travels

Business resolution We will focus on offering experiential tours like self drive, adventure sports and deep sea diving in 2015. Also, our focus will be on selling offbeat destinations for Indians like Brazil. Gone are the days when Indian travellers were just confined to sightseeing and shopping; the new-age Indian traveller is now looking for experiential holidays.

Personal resolution I will exercise daily and adopt a balanced diet to keep my weight under control. There are many social functions I attend personally as well as in my capacity as the president of Outbound Tour Operators Association of India, which at times takes a toll on my health as one tends to over-indulge. I will ensure that I eat at home before I head to any social function.

By Rohit Kaul

HONG KONG
Jason Wong
General Manager
Hong Thai Travel Service

Business resolution Cruise travel will still be the focus in 2015. In summer, Quantum of the Seas will come to Hong Kong and Shanghai to start the first cruise sailing in Asia, and Voyager of the Seas will be based in Hong Kong from June to October. As cruise demand has burgeoned in the past two years, Hong Thai will keep investing more resources in the cruise market, such as designing thematic cruise products, recruiting more cruise specialists and offering on-the-ship staff training for cruise inspections.

As the only Hong Kong agency licensed to operate outbound group tours for China residents under the CEPA arrangement – our flagship store in Shenzhen has recorded a steady growth since its opening in September 2014 – and China’s new rich becoming increasingly aware of in-depth travel, Hong Thai will explore more interesting and luxury travel destinations such as South America, Middle America, the US, Canada and the polar areas for the China markets.

Personal resolution I wish to spend more time exploring new destinations for Hong Kong travellers. My next planned destinations might be Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico and Bhutan, as I believe the Hong Kong market needs something new and special.
Last year had been a tough year for the travel trade in Hong Kong. As a member of many trade associations, I wish to work on more collaborations to facilitate trade development.

By Prudence Lui

JAPAN
Haruhiko Sakano
Manager
Inbound business, JTB

Business resolution Keywords for 2015 will be expansion of our global network, branding, and simply, the penetration of source markets. We are trying to be a global DMC and our various acquisitions are helping us to expand in a quicker way. We need to streamline internally the standards of service and hospitality that we offer across our network.

As for branding, we presently run all the DMCs owned under the JTB group and in future we will need to consolidate them to help B2B travel consultants understand who we are. Right now, the Global Network by JTB Group sounds more like an alliance than one company. However, we’re not changing the local DMCs’ name.

Personal resolution I’m aiming to balance work and my private life better, and my aim is just to be happy. I go to Hawaii every year with my wife and kids for the sun, beach and food, and the coming year will be no different. I play soccer twice a month and will keep that up.

By Hannah Koh

THE PHILIPPINES
Bernie M Arnaiz
Assistant managing director
Rajah Travel Corp

Business resolution Next year ushers in our resolve, as a TMC, to consistently deliver quality services and seamless travel experience. This means adherence to established travel policies and processes to ensure that our clients are handled with utmost care. We start from the point of our client’s travel queries by ensuring timely responses, followed by reservation, ticketing and back-end processing, ending with the client’s feedback.

As 2015 is Visit Philippines Year, we will embark on an extensive campaign to bring in international markets to visit the country. Our goal is to introduce unexplored and unique destinations in the country through packages that highlight diverse cultures and promote ecotourism.

Personal resolution As a travel professional, I have made it my personal mission to continue with travel consultants’ education, steering them towards service excellence and work commitment. The ability to inculcate these precepts can be found through the delivery of consistent and reliable services. The management must primarily set an example to follow these principles, with actions worthy of emulation.

By Rosa Ocampo

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 12, 2014 issue, on page 10. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

KSAE aims to help South Korean associations become ‘less traditional’

By Rosa Ocampo

December 11, 2014

THE newly formed Korea Society of Association Executives (KSAE) seeks to advance the skills of industry practitioners through education and training, networking, and even advocacies, its secretary general Glynn Cho told TTGmice e-Weeky.

While South Korea has over 50,000 associations and organisations, there is no system in place yet for what KSAE wants to pioneer in, said Cho, who is also CEO of the Korea Association Management and Consulting, at the sidelines of the Philippine Council for the Advancement of Association Executives (PCAAE) Summit II.

KSAE has benchmarked the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) which Cho – the first Asian it certified as an association executive – represents in South Korea and the PCAAE which was formed last year.

With 90 individual members, KSAE wants to collaborate with ASAE and PCAAE to achieve common goals.

In his presentation at the PCAAE Summit II, Cho said associations and organisations in South Korea will in the future be open, transparent, collaborative, self-sufficient and sustainable.

Currently traditional in character, they are generally conservative with single super power and are dependent on the government.

TEA, SACEOS ink MoU to bolster bilateral opportunities

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

December 11, 2014

THE Thai Exhibition Association (TEA) today entered into a MoU with Singapore’s SACEOS to enhance business opportunities for exhibition organisers and visitors in both countries.

Supawan Teerarat, TCEB’s vice president, strategic and business development, said: “The world’s gaze is now fixed on the opportunities presented by the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). As you know, the AEC will stimulate networks and cross-border trade.

“TCEB believes that the MICE industry can operate as a catalyst to boost all sectors, and that Thailand is uniquely positioned to unlock the potential of the AEC,” Supawan added.

SACEOS president Janet Tan-Collis said: “The AEC will offer a new battleground for foreign organisers. Currently, local organisers are competing among themselves and facing competition from foreign organisers. These foreign organisers are now on an aggressive acquisition trail in ASEAN countries.”

“This partnership between SACEOS and TEA brings about collaboration not only in developing business opportunities but also in knowledge sharing (between Thailand and Singapore),” she added.

Under the MoU, areas of future collaboration include the exchange of information to promote products, services and joint offering for member rates for each other’s events for a maximum period of three calendar years, plus a reciprocal hyperlink on their respective websites.

Supawan added: “This will open the door to new market opportunities to uplift the region’s MICE industry, especially within the exhibition sector. We are confident this partnership will lead to new investment among Thai organisers and SACEOS members, contractors, freight and service providers.”

Thailand welcomed 77 trade fairs in 2013 and generated an estimated revenue of about US$174 million, of which some 3,016 visitors from Singapore accounted for eight per cent of the total international trade visitors.

According to Patrapee Chinachoti, president of TEA, the number of trade fairs in Thailand has grown by at least 10 per cent this year, and this new MoU will “definitely help” to increase this number further.

Local players urged to carve out a niche in competitive exhibition market

By Rosa Ocampo

December 11, 2014

AS competition heats up in Asia’s exhibition sector, the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations (AFECA) is urging local exhibition organisers to find their niches to level the playing field against foreign players.

AFECA president Edward Liu predicted that by end-2020, most South-east Asia’s exhibitions and shows would be owned by American and European organisers, who have been very active on the acquisition trail over the past few years with the accelerated growth of the Asian economy.

Advised Liu: “If (smaller players) want to survive, they should focus on their strength and perhaps go for niche shows where they have strength and make fairly good money in it.

“It doesn’t have to be a big show. But so long as the show meets the requirements of exhibitors and buyers and sellers are happy with the event, it should generate decent profits and returns for the organisers”, he said.

AFECA secretary general Marisa D Nallana said local organisers should not feel threatened by the entry of foreign organisers and instead should seek out ways to work and complement their competitors.

Nallana said that the Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS), which she chairs, is encouraging members to go out and touch base with other countries “because the name of the game now is working with partners in the region”.

“We lose out if we stick to (that) parochial mind,” she added.

German CVB’s new Beijing rep office opens doors to more meetings

By TTG Asia

December 11, 2014

THE German Convention Bureau (GCB) will increase its presence in China with the opening of a representative office in Beijing in 2015, marking the organisation’s second external branch office after New York.

With a trading volume of over 140 billion euros (US$174.4 billion) in 2013, Germany is by far China’s biggest trading partner in Europe, and China, likewise, is Germany’s most important trading partner in Asia.

The GBTA has also predicted that the amount of business trips to Germany from China will increase beyond the current 964,000, which already accounts for 40 per cent of the total number of journeys from Germany to China. Research indicated that China might soon overtake the US as the largest nation of business travellers.

The new Beijing office will hence build on the emerging business and tourism links between the two countries, said Petra Hedorfer, chair of the GCB’s board of directors and CEO of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

Said Hedorfer: “Following the launch of our activity around the theme ‘Germany as a business travel destination’, developing the GCB’s presence in another key market is the next important step. The new office will enable Germany to continue to benefit from the rapid developments in China.”

Matthias Schultze, managing director of the GCB, said: “Having our own representative office in China provides clear advantages for members and partners of the GCB: proximity to the market will enable more intensive marketing work with a large number of new activities in which members can participate.”

The GCB will continue working with the GNTB to roll out further marketing activities in China, including online training (http://germany-meetingexperts.com) about Germany as a destination for meetings and conventions – approximately 600 Chinese event planners have taken part in this since the beginning of September 2014.

Marriott’s new digital meeting platform, app stir event imagination

By Greg Lowe

December 11, 2014

MARRIOTT International will roll out its new meetings technology platform and related app in the region next year, said Bart Buiring, senior vice president of lodging services and operations Asia-Pacific.

Asia-Pacific will be the first to see the implementation of MeetingsImagined.com, a digital portal that focuses on visual content and leverages social media to attract meetings clients.

“A picture says more than a thousand words, and Meetings Imagined is an intuitive platform which uses thousands of images of our facilities and events to show planners what we can do,” he said. “Planners and delegates can post pictures of the set-up process or coffee breaks. Our hotel teams can post too, so that helps create some friendly competition between properties to see who gets the most engagement with their content.”

Buiring said the co-created content provides planners with new ideas for events as well as showcasing facilities at various properties. Such technology is key in connecting with Millennials, he pointed out, adding that Asia-Pacific provided a fertile testing ground given the region’s position at the forefront of meetings design.

The hotelier is also set to deploy its Meeting Services App, which provides real-time connectivity for meetings planners and features a wide range of functions, including a chat facility to connect clients with Marriott’s events team throughout the planning and execution process. It also enables clients to immediately respond to issues as and when they arise, he elaborated.

“If you’re in a meeting with 160 people and don’t want to leave, you can use the app to request for the lighting or air conditioning to be adjusted, order more coffee or delay lunch. Our team will respond immediately and inform the planner of how their request is being processed.

“It will soon be able to handle the billing process too, which is a major development as billing is the current pain point for most planners.”

The app was piloted in a six hotels across Asia-Pacific – Thailand, Australia, the Philippines and China. It will be rolled out across all JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton and Autograph properties within next year.