ORIENT-EXPRESS has launched the Belmond brand, a new name under which the luxury property owner and operator will market its collection of hotels and travel experiences.
The Belmond brand will come into effect from March 10 and encompass Orient-Express’ portfolio of hotels, trains, safaris and river cruises, with the name to be carried alongside each individual property brand.
A press release issued by the company said Orient-Express expects the new brand to “heighten awareness” about its offerings by making them “easier to recognise, navigate and explore”.
Ralph Aruzza, chief sales & marketing officer, said: “We will support the launch of Belmond with a sizeable investment of US$15 million in enhanced promotional and marketing initiatives. This will include new websites, social media and our first-ever, large-scale advertising campaign.”
DORSETT Hospitality International has appointed Thomas Hahn as senior vice president-operations, based in Hong Kong.
In his new role, Hahn will be responsible for Dorsett’s entire hotel operations division, as well as for overseeing and further developing the group’s operating infrastructure, standards and business performance for all the group’s hotels.
He brings to the position over 25 years of experience in luxury hotels and was previously vice president operations, central China and Holiday Inn Express Greater China.
HILTON Worldwide is making inroads deeper into the Asian market with the opening of the Waldorf Astoria Beijing last week and a new partnership with KDU University College in Malaysia to develop talents for the growing hospitality industry.
The 176-key Waldorf Astoria Beijing is located in the heart of the capital on the former site of Xianliang Temple. It is 27km away from Beijing International Airport.
Guestrooms include 28 suites in the main hotel tower as well as the Waldorf Hutong Villa, three hutong studios and a room housed in two villas with private entrances located in a garden courtyard.
Other amenities offered include three restaurants, 796m2 of meeting space, and a spa and fitness centre with a heated indoor swimming pool.
Waldorf Astoria Beijing is the brand’s second property in China, the first being Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund.
Separately, Hilton Worldwide last week said it has partnered Malaysia’s KDU University College in Petaling Jaya to offer students on-the-job practical training and a theoretical curriculum.
Under the Hilton Class programme, 30 first-years will be selected by the school and Hilton Worldwide from the pool of students pursuing degrees in international hotel & tourism management, hospitality management, culinary management in culinary operations or baking & pastry.
Chosen students will be offered at least one six-month internship at a Hilton property in Malaysia and also benefit from guest lectures, on-site visits and a specially tailored e-learning programme. They may also receive job offers from any Hilton Worldwide hotel.
William Costley, vice president, South-east Asia – operations, Hilton Worldwide, said: “This collaboration, the second of our strategic school alliances in Malaysia, also reiterates our commitment to developing our portfolio in Malaysia as well as the South-east Asia region.
“In preparing best-in-class talent to support this expansion, we are confident that this partnership will also support capacity building of local talent, and benefit the growing hospitality industry in this country, as more trained students enter the workplace.”
RELAIS & Chateaux is beefing up its presence in India and China, with new hotels entering its membership this month.
On top of its four hotels in India, the company has brought on board Samode Safari Lodge near the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, as well as desert resort Mihir Garh in Rajasthan.
Jaume Tapies, chairman of Relais & Châteaux, said: “We hope to have five projects in India by 2014. And in another five years, we hope to have 20 hotels in India.”
The company intends to set up circuits among the four regions in India, with north and south circuits already underway with its existing four properties.
“We are looking at projects in Kolkata, Darjeeling, Assam, Nepal, among other places, to develop the east circuit which is expected to be active in another two to three years,” commented Tapies, adding that Relais & Châteaux has shortlisted 15 of the 50 hotels inspected for membership in India and hopes to have at least five join the association this year. A member restaurant in New Delhi is also being sought.
In China, Brilliant Resort & Spa in Kunming has come under the Relais & Châteaux banner.
NATIONAL flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume flights to New York and Frankfurt this year with newly acquired aircraft.
Following a cash infusion by the Bangladesh government, the airline has signed a five-year dry lease of two Boeing 777-200 from EgyptAir that will be delivered next month, said Kevin Steele, managing director of Biman.
The airline will use the aircraft to resume twice-weekly flights to Frankfurt beginning March 31 after a seven-year hiatus, and has rolled out a 50 per cent discount on fares available for booking until March 18 to mark the occasion.
Biman will also relaunch Dhaka-New York flights in June 2014. Its original Dhaka-Brussels-New York service was terminated in 1996 when the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Biman to Category Two safety status for its use of DC-10 aircraft that the aviation body deems unsafe.
FAA and Biman are in talks for Biman’s reversion to Category One status given the change of aircraft model.
Bangladesh has air service agreements with 43 countries but only flies to 18 cities in 15 countries due to lack of aircraft.
AIRASIA is aiming to double its revenue from Chinese routes within the next two to three years by increasing frequencies on existing services between Malaysia and China.
Aireen Omar, CEO of Malaysian operations, AirAsia, said at a press conference in Tianjin last week that China contributed more than 10 per cent of revenue for the Malaysia-based LCC.
“China is also an important market for the whole AirAsia group. All routes connecting with China are very profitable. We hope to strengthen the market further by improving connectivity into China from more destinations,” she commented.
Aireen added: “Currently, AirAsia is the biggest foreign airline flying into China.”
She declined to reveal which routes will have their frequencies increased.
AirAsia flies from Malaysia to eight points in China and Hong Kong: Guangzhou, Guilin, Shenzhen, Kunming, Nanning, Hangzhou, Macau and Hong Kong. Flights from Chiang Mai in Thailand to Hangzhou were inaugurated last Friday.
The group’s Malaysian operations will take delivery of three new Airbus A320 aircraft this year to boost fleet size to 75.
Aireen said the primary focus of the airline’s network expansion plans for 2014 will be to introduce new international routes, but details were not disclosed.
The LCC’s latest route will commence on April 18 between Kuala Lumpur and Kalibo, running four times weekly.
THE Tokyo metropolitan government last week showcased plans for a new shopping and entertainment complex in the Toyosu district of Koto Ward, which will also be the new home of the iconic Tsukiji fish market.
Expected to open in March 2016, the 1.7 hectare Senkyaku Banrai complex will consist of four buildings, according to Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun.
The buildings will house the Toyosu outer market featuring 120 stores from Tsukiji fish market and 20 new stores, a food court for 1,000 customers, cooking schools, a multilingual tourist information centre, one of Japan’s largest hot-bath facilities, food-related stores, and a market dedicated to traditional Japanese handicrafts such as pottery.
The designated site is within walking distance of venues for the Tokyo Olympics and directly linked to Shijo-mae Station on the New Transit Yurikamome, reported The Asahi Shimbun.
Tokyo’s government said it expects Senkyaku Banrai to attract some 4.2 million visitors, both local and foreign.
THE Taiwanese government has given the green light to transform Taoyuan International Airport into a regional aviation centre as the facility struggles to cope with increased passenger traffic in recent years.
International news agency AFP reported that the new ‘aerotropolis’ will span almost 7,000 hectares, and feature a free trade zone, a third terminal at the airport and an industrial park for goods distribution and aviation-related industries.
The head of Taoyuan county government, Wu Chih-yang, was quoted by the agency as estimating that up to NT$500 billion (US$16.5 billion) will go into the development, creating some 260,000 jobs.
Plans to turn Taoyuan airport into a regional hub were first raised in the 1990s by the Kuomintang party but progress halted after the party lost power, returning to the table only with the Kuomintang’s rise in recent times.
Taipei’s main airport now faces difficulties in managing increased passenger traffic as tourist numbers from China surge, with 2.9 million Chinese making their way to Taiwan last year, a 10 per cent increase from the previous year.
AFP stated that a third runway for the airport has been scheduled to open in 2020, 10 years ahead of the original date planned.
Passenger capacity is expected to reach 60 million annually by 2030, said the same report.
SUNTEC Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre (Suntec Singapore) has announced it will be the “venue of choice” for JEC Group’s major global CONFEX events for the next three years.
Convened by the world’s largest organisation dedicated to the promotion of the composites industry JEC Group, JEC Asia Composites Show & Conferences is one of its CONFEX events that provides a platform for composites designers, manufacturers and suppliers to showcase their technologies and will take place in Singapore between November 17 and 19, 2014.
In 2014, JEC Asia is targeting 5,000 delegates and visitors, and 300 exhibiting companies from 50 countries.
According to Arun Madhok, CEO of Suntec Singapore, the convention centre’s ability to offer flexible customisable space attracted the JEC group most.
“The extreme flexibility of Suntec Singapore’s space allows us to easily accommodate multiple room configurations…we are able to switch room configurations in a very short time and resize meeting rooms and conference halls from one day to the next,” he said.
“Whether an event grows 10 per cent, 50 per cent or 100 per cent from year to year, Suntec Singapore’s flexible space will fit the need without wasting any resources,” Madhok added.
According to the press statement from Suntec Singapore, the growing interest in Asia is driven by the region’s key strategic position for the composites industry, having overtaken the Americas and Europe in terms of production.
Asia represents 41 per cent in production volume compared to 32 per cent in the Americas and 20 per cent in Europe and is expected to reach 50 per cent by 2015.
It’s a market waiting to be served. Many are bothering to, seeing how halal travel demand is growing and how real value add is required.
Kuoni Group Travel Experts (GTE) now moves as many as 150 Muslim-only tour groups a year from key Asian markets to European destinations and, increasingly, destinations in the Middle East and the US. These are small families, government groups or large MICE movements with up to 1,000 travellers. Kuoni GTE’s head of MICE Sales Asia, Reto Kaufmann, estimates that annual growth could be as high as 30 per cent, with the MICE market increasing fastest.
Last year, the company saw double-digit increases in room nights booked by group travellers from Indonesia and India, while those from Bangladesh quadrupled. China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand also offer significant numbers of potential Muslim travellers. China, with a Muslim population of 23 million, recorded a six per cent rise in room nights booked with Kuoni GTE last year.
According to a Pew Research Centre forum, 72 countries today have a million or more Muslim inhabitants and 60 per cent of them live in Asia-Pacific. Catering to Muslim travellers beyond haj and umrah pilgrims seems a no-brainer, with rising disposable income and a younger demographic among them. But the fact that it’s still a novelty shows how fraught it is with challenges.
Agencies that have already dipped their toes in the water know that pork-free is not necessarily halal. Try explaining that to a restaurant tucked in the alps of, say, Switzerland. Finding halal restaurants and Muslim-friendly facilities remain the fundamental challenge – even in countries such as India, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, which have recognised the importance of Muslim travellers, “only parts of the programme comply with Islamic rules”, said Dannie Soesilo, commissioner of an Indonesian agency, Sakinah Nurhidayah.
Not all countries have halal certification bodies and in fact rely on travel consultants to develop halal products, added Garuda Indonesia Holidays’ COO, Widjaya Hadinukerto. Accreditation is therefore becoming important, Widjaya said.
But being halal, like eating organic, can be expensive, and agency heads like Adam Kamal, general manager of Rakyat Travel Malaysia, expressed angst over operators who keep costs down by taking clients to pork-free restaurants whereas his agency uses only halal-certified ones. “Meals at these restaurants are more expensive and may be out of the popular tourist spots. Thus there is additional transportation cost incurred,” Adam said.
For agencies handling MICE groups, finding halal restaurants that can cater to big groups is a struggle. Cooper Huang, CEO, Harmony Tours & Travel, Malaysia, sometimes works with hotel ballrooms but outsources the cooking to chefs from halal restaurants. For FITs, he provides his clients with maps where they can find halal restaurants.
A halal partnership. Left, Bolduc aims to create a TripAdvisor-like halal travel portal. Right, Kaufmann aims to educate European travel trade about Muslim travel market and needs.
Wide open space The field to dig the halal travel goldmine is therefore wide open. Last December Kuoni GTE tied up with Crescentrating, a Singapore-based company barely five years old, whose primary business is to help the travel industry cater to Muslims through consulting, workshops and market research. It also rates hotels’ halal-friendliness and is now moving to accredit more than 100 travel agencies over the next 12 months. Most of these agencies will be from South-east Asia, the initial target market for the first eight curated Muslim tour packages which the partnership is launching this month. The tours cover five European cities – Paris, London, Rome, Berlin and Geneva – and are aimed at Muslim MICE and family groups from Asia and Europe.
“Our rating enables travellers to understand clearly to what degree their needs will be met with respect to availability of halal food, prayer facilities, service during Ramadan and level of non-halal activities and amenities in the hotel (for example, alcohol served in the hotel, separate pool and spa facilities, etc),” said COO, Dany Bolduc.
Asked what criteria it uses to accredit travel agencies, Bolduc said: “Three main criteria: They are an accredited agency with the local authority, preferably with IATA membership; have staff who have participated in our training workshop; and sell Muslim travellers only packages that comply with Crescentrating criteria.”
Although Crescentrating has its own portal with a booking engine, halaltrip.com, Bolduc said this until now serves only individual and small group travel. Over 50 per cent of Muslims travel in family and/or multi-generational groups, which is why it needs Kuoni.
“Offering tour packages requires expertise in the logistics of transporting and managing large groups of people; a channel of DMCs who are experts in local sights and attractions, and have deep relationships with hotels and restaurants that can offer great quality at an affordable price. Kuoni is a world leader in tour packages,” Bolduc explained.
Kuoni in turn needs Crescentrating’s expertise on and commitment to halal travel to further bolster its credibility and value-add among Muslim clients. Added Kaufmann: “Part of it is helping to educate Europe’s travel trade about halal food expectations, family-friendly environments, making allowances for religious practices and gender-related nuances, and that an increasing demand exists.
“We are sourcing those hotels and restaurants that can meet not only the needs of large groups of people, but also are willing to go the extra mile and offer added value. European suppliers know that if Kuoni is investing in Muslim-specific tours, we’ve done our homework and there’s a definite market here.”
Going the extra mile Kuoni itself goes the extra mile by ensuring, say, itineraries allow for the regular prayer times daily. It arranges joint prayer sessions or exchanges that can enhance the destination experience with the local communities.
Asked what he’d wish destinations, airports and other tourism providers would do for halal travel, Bolduc said: “The availability of halal food is critical. Airports need to have halal-certified concessions. Restaurants and food suppliers in destinations would also be well-advised to offer more halal food choices in their establishments.
“Prayer facilities are also important while travelling. Governments have a role to play by raising the awareness of this untapped market to the tourism service sector and encouraging local business to cater to the unique requirements of Muslim travellers.”
In its rankings, Malaysia has consistently ranked as the most Muslim-friendly travel destination under the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Co-operation) category. Kuala Lumpur International Airport was also ranked as the top airport in 2013. For non-OIC countries, Singapore and Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport were ranked as the top destination and airport respectively, in 2013.
“This year’s ranking of destinations should be very interesting as a number of countries are making significant inroads in developing infrastructure and services to attract Muslim travellers,” said Bolduc.
Japan, for instance, is seeking to create more user-friendly airports for Muslims, with prayer rooms, ablution facilities, halal food, etc, in the lead up to the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Meanwhile, a US$170 million resort built on Islamic principles will open in the Maldives in October. A joint venture between Maldives’ ADK Group and Turkey’s Capris Gold Group, it will offer Muslim-friendly services such as a separate beach for ladies only, certified halal buffet in all restaurants, family-friendly facilities.
Needless to say, no alcohol or pork is sold in this resort.
“We have our own brochures with halal-certified restaurants. I think Malaysian consumers will trust us more than they trust Kuoni.” Adam Kamal, GM, Rakyat Travel Malaysia
