South Korea’s Gangneung City adds more target markets
Gangneung City, located in Gangwon Province, South Korea, has long been a powerhouse in domestic tourism. Now, the city is setting its sights on the international market, with a particular focus on Taiwan and Japan due to their geographic proximity.
In the coming year, Gangneung City aims to expand its target markets to include South-east Asia, a region that is increasingly captivated by K-culture – Korean music, dramas, and films, shared Um Kum Mun, tourism policy department director, Gangneung City.
The city was the film site for popular dramas such as Goblin and The Glory.
Meanwhile, the city’s business events infrastructure is expanding. A yet-to-be-named convention centre is being built in the Olympic Park. This is scheduled for completion in 2026, in time for the 32nd ITS World Congress in October. The high profile event on smart mobility and digitalisation of transport is expected to attract participants from 100 countries.
It is the first purpose-built convention centre for the city, which has set its sights on the business events industry. It intends to grow inbound corporate incentive events as well.
With Gangneung City being connected to Seoul by a three-hour ride on the KTX high-speed train, Um said his destination would be attractive for twin-city leisure and MICE itineraries.
IHG, Hotel Management International take ANA Crowne Plaza brand to new destinations
IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan (IHG) has joined forces with Hotel Management International (HMI) to expand its footprints by rebranding three hotels in Japan to the ANA Crowne Plaza brand.
Totalling 539 rooms, the three Crown Palais hotels will undergo extensive renovations as they convert to ANA Crowne Plaza Kochi, ANA Crowne Plaza Chiryu and ANA Crowne Plaza Hamamatsu. Opening in 1H2026, these three hotels will join a 20-strong ANA Crowne Plaza portfolio in Japan that includes ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka and ANA Crowne Plaza Kanazawa.
Abhijay Sandilya, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan and managing director of IHG Hotels & Resorts Japan & Micronesia, said: “Converting these properties reflects the attractiveness of our brands, the value of IHG’s global enterprise backed by our strong in-market team with ANA’s support. Expanding the brand’s presence and adding three new destinations – Kochi, Chiryu and Hamamatsu – to our extensive portfolio across the country offers guests new experiences and options whether they are travelling for leisure, business or blended travel.”
Ryuko Hira, president of HMI, added: “With a long history of operating hotels for more than half a century across Japan, we are confident that the power of IHG and the ANA Crowne Plaza brand will enable us to strengthen our offering and expand our business, attracting a wider range of travellers to our hotels.”
ANA Crowne Plaza Kochi, ANA Crowne Plaza Chiryu and ANA Crowne Plaza Hamamatsu will add to IHG’s growing presence in Japan which currently sits at 47 open hotels with 15 in the pipeline.
Accor, Worldwide Hotels Group to launch two new hotels in Malaysia’s capital
Accor has strengthened its partnership with Worldwide Hotels Group by signing an agreement to introduce two new properties in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, set to launch in 1Q2025.
These properties, following refurbishments and rebranding, will mark the debut of the Grand Mercure brand in Malaysia as well as the addition of an ibis Styles to Kuala Lumpur.
As the first Grand Mercure branded hotel in Malaysia, the new Grand Mercure in Kuala Lumpur is located between the entertainment hub of Bukit Bintang and Chinatown, and will feature 325 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, fitness centre, swimming pool, and event spaces.
The new ibis Styles will be situated in the Bukit Bintang district, just steps away from public transportation and within walking distance of modern shopping malls and a variety of dining options. The hotel will offer 168 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, laundromat, and fitness area.
These two signings bring the total number of Accor’s PM&E pipeline keys across Asia to 46,802.
“Kuala Lumpur is a strategic destination for Accor, and we are thrilled to bring our global brands to this high-potential location. We remain committed to our expansion strategy, with a clear roadmap to consolidate our presence in Asia,” said Garth Simmons, COO of Accor’s PM&E Division in Asia.
Carolyn Choo, CEO of Worldwide Hotels Group, shared: “Together with Accor, we are confident in delivering exceptional experiences that reflect the unique cultural essence of Kuala Lumpur. We anticipate the opening of these properties in early 2025 and are eager to see the positive impact they will have on the local hospitality sector.”
Avani Hotels & Resorts brand to debut in Singapore
Minor Hotels, together with Singapore’s Kajima Development and Abu Dhabi-based Alwathba Investment, will launch its Avani Hotels & Resorts lifestyle brand in Singapore, marking the group’s entry into the country.
Scheduled to open in 1Q2027, the 13-storey property will boast 200 keys, and is located in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar district, just minutes away from the CBD and Chinatown.
The hotel will offer both business and leisure guests a contemporary stay that blends the rich heritage of the city-state’s iconic shophouses with its modern urban development. The Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood is a food hotspot, offering dining options ranging from traditional hawker fare at Maxwell and Amoy Street food centres to Michelin-recommended global cuisine along Kiong Siak Road, Telok Ayer and Duxton Hill.
It is also nearby to the Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 350 metres from the Maxwell MRT Station, providing easy access to Singapore’s Downtown Core, Marina Bay and other districts.
“Avani Singapore represents a strategic market entry for Minor Hotels, and we are honoured to have our partners Kajima and Alwathba alongside us as we venture into Singapore’s hospitality sector,” commented Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels.
Sunflower blooms at Singapore’s Changi Airport
Changi Airport in Singapore has been transformed into a blooming spectacle with its first-ever flower-themed showcase from now till end of September.
The Sunflower Sojourn display features over 5,000 sunflowers of more than 10 varieties, beautifully arranged at over 20 locations across all four terminals. The showcase extends outdoors to Hub & Spoke, making it the largest sunflower showcase ever held in an airport.
Visitors will be treated to floral displays featuring larger-than-life sunflower topiary sculptures, towering at five and eight metres tall respectively, at the Departure Halls of Terminals 2 and 3.
The blooms are grown in Changi Airport’s own plant nursery, and visitors can also discover the sunflower’s cultural significance, ecological importance and the diverse human uses of this plant.
Visitors can also grab exclusive merchandise at the Main Event Outpost at Terminal 3 Departure Hall and the sunflower-themed vending machine located at Terminal 3 North, near the Jewel link bridge. These include the limited-edition Buddy bear dressed in a sunflower outfit, as well as pens, coasters, acrylic magnets and pouches which feature minimalist artwork inspired by Changi Airport’s gardens, including the Sunflower Garden, Enchanted Garden, and Cactus Garden.
Hub and Spoke visitors can enjoy delectable sunflower-inspired dishes like soft-serve yogurt with sunflower-flavoured sauce and sunflower butter toast, available in limited quantities.
“The sunflower, a symbol of joy and cheerfulness, perfectly aligns with our service philosophy of delivering delightful and positively surprising experiences to all visitors,” commented Ang Siew Min, senior vice president of airport operations development, Changi Airport Group.
Philippine Airlines, Amadeus to improve traveller experience
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has teamed up with Amadeus to leverage on the latter’s broad set of solutions and services to enhance the travel experience of passengers on its international and domestic flights.
PAL will benefit from the full integration of customer loyalty knowledge and data with the Altéa Passenger Service System (PSS) to deliver real time personalisation throughout the customer journey. PAL first embarked on a digital transformation journey with the adoption of Amadeus’ Altéa PSS in 2018 and more recently Amadeus’ customer profiling and personalisation solution, Traveler DNA.
Amadeus will provide a team of travel industry experts with unique knowledge of airline website optimisation to completely evolve PAL’s digital channels.
Working hand-in-hand to create a truly end-to-end customer experience, from acquisition to post travel, Amadeus will redesign the airline’s website and operate it from a new cloud based infrastructure, as well as provide managed services to maintain, monitor, and fully manage the cloud hosting environment of the PAL website.
Co-innovation through an established digital lab and competency centre organised between the two companies will continue, with a focus on further customising and enhancing the carrier’s website.
PAL will implement the Amadeus Loyalty Management solution to enhance the proposition of Mabuhay Miles, powering its transformation into a digital, lifestyle loyalty programme. This will provide more flexibility to better serve loyalty members, increasing their engagement.
The modern loyalty technology will empower PAL with a full range of capabilities including currency retailing, a modern UI experience, a loyalty member portal, targeted promotions, real-time identification and allocation of benefits, as well as advanced acquisition, member recognition and segmentation.
The carrier will also be able to expand its loyalty partner network, offering them an intuitive, self-service partner management portal.
The digital services and loyalty solutions feature full integration with the Altéa PSS suite, as well as technology from Amadeus’ partner network.
PAL president Stanley Ng said: “Our website and the Mabuhay Miles programme are key aspects of our digital strategy. This partnership with Amadeus will help us strengthen our technology infrastructure in these areas further. With Amadeus’ expertise and unique understanding of the travel industry, we will be able to keep service levels high and anticipate future technological developments in the market. We look forward to working with Amadeus as we progress on our digital transformation journey.”
“We have a team of dedicated experts working closely with Philippine Airlines to elevate and optimise its website and we will also work alongside the carrier to grow its loyalty programme, to improve customer experience, and increase engagement of loyalty members,” added Javier Laforgue, executive vice president, travel unit & managing director, Asia Pacific, Amadeus.
Taiwan bounces back with new campaign to lure tourists post-quake
Taiwan is set to launch a new campaign to revive its tourism industry, which has struggled since a major earthquake in April, the largest in 25 years, caused damage and roadblocks in Hualien County and led to the temporary closure of Taroko Gorge, one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, which received 2.44 million visitors in 2021.
The campaign will feature promotional airfares to attract international visitors, crucial for the country’s recovery. The earthquake struck on April 3, just before the high tourism season, resulting in a significant drop in visitor numbers, with only 600,000 arrivals to the country in April, compared to the one million expected.
Trust HJ Lin, deputy director general of the Taiwan Tourism Administration, emphasised Taiwan’s quick recovery, noting that most of the country was back to normal the next day, and that impacted areas, like the road to Taroko Gorge, are expected to reopen later this year or early next year.
“We understand the concerns sparked by the earthquake, but it’s important to note that 90 per cent of international tourists visit the western side of Taiwan, which was largely unaffected,” he added.
Taiwan experiences frequent earthquakes due to co-existing on the same seismic belt as Japan.
Lin also highlighted Taiwan’s strict building regulations, pointing to the Taipei 101’s damper system as an example of the country’s earthquake preparedness, which is heightened due to its experience with the 1999 Chi Chi earthquake.
“Our strict regulations on public and residential buildings help minimise damage, so even severe earthquakes – which are rare in our country – leave Taiwan largely unhurt and undamaged,” he said.
The tourism industry was just beginning to recover post-lockdown, with 800,000 foreign visitors in March, when the quake hit, leading to widespread cancellations and delaying of trips by travellers. The weak Japanese yen, which drew travellers, also complicated Taiwan’s recovery.
In response, Taiwan’s new promotional campaign aims to restore confidence among travellers.
Lin mentioned that special fare promotions with airlines will be rolled out soon, while the new Waves of Wonder branding launched in May 2024 works to underscore the country’s uniqueness as a top destination and showcase Taiwan’s endless plethora of highlights and hidden gems even outside of quake-hit Hualien.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration will also host its Thailand roadshow on September 20-22 at Siam Paragon to woo Thai travellers with new surprises.
Macau launches new tourism campaign
The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has launched a new campaign, Experience Macao Limited Edition, to attract international visitors and boost the local tourism and economy.
This innovative online interactive games campaign aims to attract international passport holders (excluding Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) to participate, offering 100 attractive prizes including travel opportunities to Macau.
The campaign kicked off on August 26, and will continue with events on September 16 and October 7. International visitors can register and take part in the 10-day online question game once a day. If they answer three questions about Macau correctly, they can instantly enter a lucky draw for a chance to win prizes, such as exclusively-crafted experiences sponsored by six integrated resorts comprising accommodation, round-trip air ticket to Macau, World Heritage visit, cultural heritage experiences, dining at Michelin-star restaurants, and more.
In addition, the 100 winners can stand a chance to win the ultimate prize of a 30-day trip, which includes round-trip air tickets for two, hotel accommodation, gastronomy, cultural and activity experiences, as well as tickets to tourist attractions and shows. All they have to do is share their trip moments in Macau on Instagram with the official hashtag #MacaoLimitedEdition, tag MGTO’s official account, and the post that garners the most likes by December 31 will be selected as the winner.
Speaking at an online-offline press conference, MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, remarked: “The game is designed to captivate both Macau enthusiasts and those just beginning to discover the wonder of our city. We want to reach out to new markets like the Middle East in addition to South-east Asia.
“Each prize has been carefully curated to offer a unique glimpse into Macau’s diverse offerings, i.e. special access to cultural sites, bespoke dining experiences and unique tours of Macau’s most iconic attractions.”
She added that MGTO has also partnered with Klook to offer these experiences for sale.
On the other hand, an agent, who requested not to be named, suggested that if the Macau government hopes to attract more foreign visitors, it can introduce subsidies for local travel agents, such as cash incentives for each inbound tour participant, which will result in the agents coming up with competitive quotations for overseas clientele.
Japan to introduce new entry system for foreign visitors
The Japanese government is set to introduce a new travel authorisation system requiring all international visitors to declare personal information online in order to enter the country.
The new system will operate similarly to the US’ ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which was introduced as an anti-terrorism measure. The Japanese version, tentatively named JESTA, will also screen visitors prior to entry, using a similar online system.
The government plans to launch JESTA by 2030.
The implementation of this new system aims to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who come to Japan from visa-exempt countries and regions. Travellers from the 71 countries will be required to declare their details using JESTA once it is launched.
The 71 visa-exempt countries and regions include Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the US, and more.
JESTA will require visa-exempt foreign nationals to declare their purpose of entry and place of stay online for screening by the Immigration Services Agency before they travel. If the application is flagged as an illegal-stay risk, the travel authorisation required to leave the country will not be granted, and the traveller will be encouraged to obtain a formal visa through their local embassy instead.
The Japanese government will also introduce another system which will run on a trial basis during this fiscal year. Passenger information will be sent to the Immigration Services Agency after boarding procedures have been completed, and will be checked against a list of ‘blacklisted’ travellers, including foreign nationals of interest and those with criminal records. If any, the airline will be notified in order to refuse boarding to those passengers.
More details about JESTA will be provided closer to the launch date.
PATA Nepal Chapter has launched a marketing campaign to introduce new products and promotions as well as raise awareness for lesser-known destinations, such as the western, eastern and northern parts of Nepal, where there are already wildlife, mountains, and cultural attractions.
Narendra Bhatta, general secretary of PATA Nepal Chapter and managing director of Heritage Tours and Travels, told TTG Asia that Nepal stakeholders recently invited a number of tour operators and DMCs from India to visit the far west of the country, where wildlife-sighting, rafting, trekking and pilgrimage programmes were introduced.
Similar fam trips will be held next year to help more overseas tour operators develop new programmes to attract travellers to Nepal.
To facilitate access, Nepal Airlines plans to launch a new service between Kathmandu and Sydney, Australia in the next few months, operated on an Airbus 332 with 274 seats in two classes. This would be Nepal Airlines’ first regular scheduled flight to Australia.
The airline previously operated chartered flights to Australia on a scheduled twice-weekly service.
Meanwhile, the Buddhist Circuit company, which organises spiritual tours connected with Buddha’s life, has launched the first Women Empowerment Spiritual Sports Run – Mother Maya Devi Maternity Route Marathon. The run starts from Lumbini and ends at Kapilvastu Palace, tracing the route Buddha’s mother, Mother Maya Devi took to birth the prince. The three-day marathon will take place across Enlightenment Day, Mahaparinirvana Day, and Vesak Day.
Having organised the Mount Everest Marathon for the last 20 years, Bikram Pandey, founder and owner of Buddhist Circuit, said: “This is the first women empowerment run dedicated to the queen who gave birth to Buddha. The programme will not just be for runners; visitors can also participate in a pilgrimage or a holy walk, guided by a nun or priest.”