FAR East Hospitality’s (FEH) Peranakan-themed Village Hotel Katong is ready to open its doors tomorrow, with a mission to deliver a taste of Singapore culture as the flagship property of the Village brand.

CEO Arthur Kiong said: “The Peranakan culture is unique to the South-east Asia region and synonymous with the Katong precinct (where the property is located), and is one that fascinates both locals and travellers. There is so much more to Singapore than the usual same old Orchard Road. We know that the Singapore Tourism Board’s strategy now is to  promote the neighbourhood precincts and we are the answer to this strategy.”

To reflect the colourful Peranakan heritage of the surrounding Katong and Joo Chiat district in Singapore, all rooms in the 229-key hotel don vibrant Peranakan-inspired motifs, paintings and carpets.

To literally provide guests a local flavour, Kiong added that the hotel’s Katong Kitchen whips up an array of dishes reflective of the district – including Nonya and local fare like chap chye (mixed vegetables) and Katong laksa (spicy noodle soup).

Village Hotel Katong is a 10-minute drive to Singapore Expo and a 15-minute drive from Singapore Changi Airport. Kiong said he expects the the bulk of guests to come from corporates, due to the hotel’s location.

“We are targeting about 40 per cent business travellers, 35 per cent FITs and perhaps 10 per cent local Singaporeans for staycations,” he commented, adding that FEH aims to attract travellers on the Kangaroo Route who will “probably stay in Singapore for one or two days, and (the hotel’s) close proximity to the airport will be useful”.

Kiong predicts that FEH’s Village concept will appeal especially to the Australians and Japanese who enjoy such “unique cultural concepts”.

The hotel has five meeting rooms, the largest of which can seat 150 in theatre style. Other hotel amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi access, airport shuttle service, cable TV, swimming pool and gym.

ROADS and attractions in the province of Bohol have reopened and a recovery plan for Cebu and Bohol is in the works, as the region’s tourism industry gets back on track following the recent earthquake disaster.

According to a statement issued by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT), attractions such as the Loboc River Cruise, Tarsier Habitat and Chocolate Hills Adventure Park have begun welcoming visitors once again.

Roads leading to tourist places of interest are also now passable, with roads from Tagbilaran City to Carmen via Corella already open to cars and vans.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged to support the recovery of Bohol and Cebu through the development of a recovery plan.

The plan includes a communication strategy to bring back the confidence of domestic and international travellers and of the communities, the assessment of tourism infrastructure and assets to be prioritised for rehabilitation by agencies concerned, international donors, development partners, national and local government agencies, and the private sector.

It also extends to product development for new tourism circuits, governance programmes, and long-term initiatives to sustain growth, mitigate risk of crises and increase preparedness of tourism destinations in the event of disasters such as the recent earthquake (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 16, 2013).

DoT has postponed the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s 5^th World Ecotourism Conference, originally scheduled to take place in Cebu and Bohol between November 13 and 15, to 1Q2014 (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 30, 2013).

DETERMINED to have a cut of the lucrative MICE business, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City Government has this year established the Meeting & Event Promotion Office and entrusted it with destination promotion and event bidding responsibilities.

Vincent Tseng, director-general of Kaohsiung City Government, explained: “Kaohsiung has been attracting small meetings for years, but the recent Asia Pacific Cities Summit in September really warmed up the city’s pursuit of large-scale international meetings.

“We were also encouraged to establish this office because of the new Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center which opens next year. Two major trade events are already confirmed ­– the Taiwan International Fastener Show and the Taiwan International Boat Show. The city never had a dedicated convention and exhibition centre. This office will help local PCO/PEOs bid for events to fill the new venue.”

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of the ongoing 52^nd ICCA Congress in Shanghai, Alice Chou, director of the Meeting & Event Promotion Office, said Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center has the potential to host many more marine-related trade events as it is located along a deep, natural harbour and allows boats to be brought into the exhibition space.

According to Tseng, the city has also gained additional ammunition for MICE promotions through the merger of Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in 2011 to form Greater Kaohsiung.

Part of the new metropolis is the Asian New Bay Area, where the Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center sits along with several other facilities that will open progressively over the next two years. They include Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Centre, which will boast an outdoor theatre for more than 12,000 pax and nine indoor halls; Dadong Culture & Art Center, which will offer an 800-seat theatre and a 200-seat music hall; as well as a library, a cruise terminal and several hotels.

Tseng said: “Kaohsiung now has a lot more land to develop new hardware for business events. Attractions in the outskirts, now part of the city, will be used in enhancing pre- and post-show tours and incentive experiences.”

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide today announced the launch of Four Points by Sheraton Penang after extensive renovations and rebranding of the beachfront property.

Offering 220 rooms and suites, Four Points by Sheraton Penang is located on secluded beachfront in Tanjung Bungah. It is 45 minutes from Bayan Lepas International Airport and 15 minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage City of Georgetown, popular beach area Batu Ferringhi and Straits Quay, home to Straits Quay Convention Centre.

Guests will enjoy free Wi-Fi throughout resort premises, an outdoor pool with ocean views and a 24-hour fitness centre. F&B outlets include The Eatery for local and international flavours, and The Best Brew Pub featuring tasty snacks and a wide selection of beers.

For meetings and events, the resort boasts 1,100m² of flexible space across two ballrooms and a pre-function area with panoramic views of the ocean, all equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment. The largest ballroom, Pearl, offers over 500m² in space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Straits of Malacca. A professional events team provides support for all events.

To mark its opening, Four Points by Sheraton Penang has rolled out a special introductory rate of RM199 (US$63) per night in a Deluxe Room for stays between now and March 31, 2014.

The deal includes double SPG Starpoints, 20 per cent off F&B, and free in-room Wi-Fi Internet access.

TAUZIA Hotel Management has dropped its dynamic pricing policy in favour of a fixed rate system for its budget chain Pop! Hotels.

Rates at Pop! Hotels are classified according to time of the week – weekday or weekend – and time of the year. However, rates will be fixed throughout the week in some areas including Jakarta.

Marc Steinmeyer, president director of Tauzia Hotel Management, said the change from dynamic pricing, which can fluctuate at any time according to occupancy and season, to fixed rates, was in the interests of ensuring consistency in product and services.

“Customers who want to book a room today do not need to worry that price may change next month or the following month,” he explained.

Speaking on the sidelines of the opening of Pop! Hotel Tebet, Jakarta recently, he said the dynamic rate system applied by airlines and hotels today do not guarantee that travellers would get the best rate by booking long before date of travel or stay.

“Customers will be disappointed if they buy an air ticket long before their travelling dates and later find cheaper, last-minute offers,” said Steinmeyer. “On the other hand, if they wait till the last minute to book, there may not be such an offer, the price becomes higher or there are no more seats available. Travellers face uncertainty. We want to change this.”

Steinmeyer shared that the fixed rate system would be applied to Pop! Hotels and the impact evaluated before Tauzia decides whether to implement it at the company’s other brands.

Tauzia now operates seven hotels under the Pop! brand, with 26 more under construction and due to open progressively through to 2015.

Irene Janti, brand director for Pop! Hotels, said the rates at Pop! Hotels this year fell below 400,000 rupiah (US$35.40), and prices for 2014 had not been confirmed.

THE tourism and business event sectors in Shanghai will benefit from the city’s hosting of the 52^nd ICCA Congress, said local tourism leaders at the event’s opening session on Sunday morning.

Du Yili, vice chairman of China National Tourism Administration, said the congress, which features four days of educational sessions led by meeting specialists from around the world and business exchanges, will enable China’s MICE players to “learn from other destinations and raise the standards of the industry”.

“I hope that (overseas attendees) will also gain a better knowledge of China’s MICE facilities and resources (through this congress),” said Du during her welcome address.

The 52^nd ICCA Congress has drawn up to 930 delegates from 60 countries – the largest attendance for an edition hosted outside of Europe. Of these attendees, 230 are first-time participants.

Describing China’s MICE industry as having “entered a new era of development”, Du said: “Cities across China have seen an improvement in MICE standards. In 2012, convention and business footfalls exceeded six million and made up a major portion of total tourist arrivals.

“The country has placed greater importance on tourism development (and) recognises that this industry plays a key role in job creation and the stimulation of domestic demand and economic growth.”

Yang Jinsong, chairman of Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, believes that the congress will raise the awareness and popularity of Shanghai as a destination for both leisure trips and meetings, and enable the Chinese city to sustain the growth momentum of its meetings industry.

Underlining Shanghai’s business events capability, Yang said the destination offers “many exhibition centres as well as over 300 star-rated hotels that can cater to events”.

“When the National Convention and Exhibition Center in Hongqiao is completed (in 2015), it will offer 500,000m² of exhibition space and be the country’s largest venue,” he added.

The congress concludes this Wednesday and the next edition will be hosted in Antalya, Turkey in November 2014.

INSIGHT Vacations has unveiled a range of new itineraries for 2014 focused on in-depth experiences to give travellers the opportunity to understand a different side of Western European destinations.

Sheryl Lim, regional director, Asia, Insight Vacations, said: “In 2014, we will take vacationers to more new countries than any operator. These include Andorra, San Marino and Moldova, making it a total of 45 out of 46 countries in geographical Europe.

“Our survey found that many want to explore European destinations more widely and deeply. We have added unique experiences into our Country Roads itineraries that take vacationers off the beaten track where they rarely visit.”

The 19-day French Elegance tour eschews shopping capital Paris to take travellers through locales such as Normandy, to learn about D-Day; the fortified abbey of Mont St Michel; Vichy, renowned for its spa waters; and Champagne country, famous for grand cru and culinary delights.

Spanning 11 days, the Country Roads of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands tour includes a walk through the recently reopened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, a visit to a working windmill, watching shoemakers carve traditional Dutch clogs and learning about Edam cheese-making, among others.

Meanwhile, the 16-day Principalities of Europe tour will take travellers to the smallest independent countries in Europe, such as San Marino. Travellers can expect an educational visit and tasting opportunities at a family-run olive mill in Provence, a French cooking demonstration class in Aix-en-Provence, and VIP entry to the Vatican Museum, including the Bramante Staircase, which is closed to the general public.

Travellers who book selected European summer 2014 itineraries and pay in full before February 12, 2014 will receive a discount of up to 10 per cent.