Breaking down barriers

May 10, 2024

Why did Banyan Group expand into the lesser-known beach destination of Nakhon Si Thammarat with the Banyan Tree Beachfront Residences Sichon?
This is part of our attempt to support the Thai government’s call (for responsible tourism operators) to promote tourism in other beautiful places in Thailand.

Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani are just off the coast of Samui. The water is not as great as in Phuket, but they’re very nice places.

Nakhon Si Thammarat is just a stone’s throw away from Phuket and Samui. You can drive from Phuket to Krabi, and on to Nakhon Si Thammarat, then take a ferry to Samui. That whole part of southern Thailand has huge potential, and we would like to contribute to developing that.

Previously you discussed resort hubs forming the nucleus for broader development. Similar to Honolulu, you said that Phuket could also be a hub. How do you view Phuket now?
Even more so now. A recent report grouped Phuket with Miami and Dubai in the realm of branded residences. That’s saying a lot because Miami is so big and Dubai is so big. For Phuket to be mentioned in the same way indicates that Phuket is really coming of age.

Does the launch of your first branded residences in Sichon align well with your overall goals?
The timing is great because it gives us an opportunity to announce the launch of Banyan Living, a new platform for marketing and managing branded residences.

We’re not very large in terms of how many hotels we own, but in branded residences, we rank very highly. In a recent survey, we came in fifth globally after Marriott and IHG, which is significant when compared to our size.

Phuket as a city now ranks third in the world for branded residences. We are very big in Phuket and we have a lot of products, which we are now consolidating on one platform called Banyan Living. We have vacation ownership under Laguna Vacation Club; the Banyan Tree Private Collection, which is a sort of vacation membership club; and Sanctuary Club, which is an exchange programme for all property owners.

How do you see branded residences growing into tourism?
Real estate, which is generally ownership of an asset, has nothing to do with hospitality. Then you’ve got hospitality, which is purely tourism, hotel rooms and so on. They’ve been existing separately before.

Branded residences are where the two overlap. That’s a phenomenon stemming from a number of factors – Covid and growth of technology with the Internet and working from home. That’s one data point.

Another data point is people wanting a second home as a safe haven. Phuket is a safe haven, because everyone sees that Thailand is welcoming. It’s safe here as long as you abide by the rules; the food and weather are great. So, Thailand has come up in the world as a very popular place for branded residence.

Branded residence owners are generally not living there full-time. Even the super rich will figure, why waste it and not let it out? I may not get a fantastic return, but if I let it out when I’m not there, it can probably pay for all the expenses and give me a little decent return.

Banyan Living is a platform where now, if you own a unit in Sichon, not only do you get some revenue, but you can also visit many of the other properties that we have in the world.

It’s a big thing now to have branded residences and be able to participate in the (exchange of room credits) as part of our membership programme. That’s what Banyan Living is all about, and we are leaders in this field, given our size.

How does Phuket’s development trajectory over the past three decades as a resort destination compare to other popular beach destinations around the world?
We started in Phuket in 1985, when we first built the Dusit Laguna Resort. At the time, it was still zero – nothing at all.

Everything has an inflection point where it takes off and becomes something qualitatively different. Before Covid, Phuket was going along as a nice destination. After Covid, because of this need for safe havens by the Chinese and the Russians, and people looking for better weather to stay during winters, infrastructure began to develop.

We have about 4,000 rai of land in Phuket, which is approximately four square kilometers. We’re the largest developer and landowner in Phuket. Our property sales this year will be 4.5 times more than pre-Covid. Growth has been amazing. Because we have so much land, we can continue to grow.

You are developing a new lifestyle district in Phuket. Is there a market for it now?
Laguna Phuket is the name for the whole project, which is about four square kilometers. Laguna Lakelands is being developed as a big residential project of about one square kilometer in size. It may not be the biggest project in Thailand by population because you cannot go up to 50 storeys high.

But in terms of land area, it’s likely one of the biggest in Thailand. It will also be the first project where we bring in social sustainability. That’s very different from environmental sustainability.

Phuket has no park of any kind whatsoever, because it grew from being a small tin mining city. People who live in Phuket – whether Thais or foreigners – have no place to go.

Now, we are going to develop 15 kilometers of walking trails and bicycle trails, botanic gardens, and a Laguna Phuket community club for the family. Currently, if you are living in Phuket with children, and you want the kids to take some enrichment courses, your husband wants to practice golfing, and you want to do Pilates, there is no place for that. Laguna Lakelands aims to fill that gap.

Why is it important that you do this?
There’s been a big focus on sustainable tourism development (but) sustainability is not just about the environment. It is about different communities coexisting with each other.

We want to make sure that what we are building in one square kilometer will benefit local people, because we are the biggest developer in Phuket by far. If we don’t lead the way, the divide will only grow.

For a society where people are so tolerant and welcoming, as a developer we have a responsibility to enhance that cooperation.

Singapore updates tourism performance forecast for 2024

By Karen Yue

May 10, 2024

STB_640 — STB's Melissa Ow highlights the tourism board's many initiatives to stimulate global travel interest in Singapore

Strong recovery in global flight connectivity and travel activity, continued NTO campaigning as well as fresh partnerships to stimulate international interest in Singapore as a tourism and events destination, have lifted the confidence of the country’s tourism industry, prompting the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to update its forecast for 2024.

This year, STB is projecting between 15 million to 16.5 million international visitor arrivals, and for tourism receipts to reach between S$27.5 billion (US$20.3 billion) to S$29 billion.

The initial forecast, shared in February, was 15 million to 16 million in arrivals and S$26 billion to S$27.5 billion in tourism receipts.

STB’s Melissa Ow highlights the tourism board’s many initiatives to stimulate global travel interest in Singapore

Addressing industry stakeholders at the STB Tourism Industry Conference 2024, held this morning at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, STB chief executive Melissa Ow, said: “This is no mean feat, as the upper bound of our Tourism Receipts projection, if achieved, will be a new record for Singapore, and it will mean that we have emerged even stronger after the pandemic.”

Elaborating on the drivers of such optimism, Ow pointed to the recovery of global flight connectivity and capacity, which she said “bodes well for us to sustain growth”.

“As of first week of May 2024, international flight capacity – based on seat capacity – has recovered close to pre-Covid levels, with some of our top source markets such as China, India and South Korea exceeding pre-Covid flight capacities,” she noted, adding that new flights have also enabled Singapore to deepen its reach across source markets.

Also instrumental to STB’s improved expectations of tourism performance are the intensified marketing efforts “to attract increasingly discerning…travellers who are looking for more purposeful travel to Singapore”.

Ow recalled the Made In Singapore (MIS) global brand campaign that was launched last September across key visitor source markets. 3D billboards were taken in high traffic areas such as Times Square in New York, London’s Piccadilly Circus , and Xintiandi in Shanghai to stoke interest and drive travel to Singapore.

STB also engaged key influencers to share their unique experiences in Singapore, and inspire a wider audience including their fanbases to visit.

“To sharpen our competitive edge, we will continue to develop our six global positioning campaigns, supported by a mix of products and experiences,” said Ow. One of these campaigns is the recent World’s Best MICE City Campaign, which profiles Singapore as a leading events destination that drives purposeful outcomes.

To ensure continued interest in Singapore, be it for holidays or business, STB has forged several partnerships that leverage the power of film, music and television as well as the positive influence of convenient payment solutions.

Recent mass media partnerships include one with JTBC, a leading South Korean TV network which has produced wildly popular shows; and Yuewen Global, a leading Chinese media and entertainment subsidiary of Tencent group.

With JTBC, a three-year MOU was inked to support production of variety programmes in Singapore. For a start, Singapore’s landmarks and attractions will be featured in its most popular dating reality show, My Sibling’s Romance.

With Yuewen Global, Singapore hosted the star-studded Yuewen Global IP Awards earlier this year, which took place outside of China for the first time. The live broadcasts attracted over 30 million viewers.

Multi-year partnerships with leading online TV platforms, iQiYi and Mango TV, have also materialised. Popular reality show, Divas Hit the Road, will air in June, just in time to entice Chinese visitors to choose the Lion City for their peak summer holiday.

Furthermore, STB has renewed its partnership with Trip Group for another three years, which will result in a series of marketing campaigns in eight markets, including China, the UK, and Thailand. The partnership also entails collaboration with Hong Hu Travel, which is Trip’s premium arm for customised travel, opening doors to high-yield visitors.

In India, a two-year partnership with PhonePe, India’s largest payments platform, will boost spending ease among Indian visitors.

Ow emphasised that “engaging with our fans and visitors and extending our reach to new markets would all be in vain if not for a great destination that continues to deliver quality experiences”.

Hence, Singapore has to be “relentless in the pursuit of novel tourism concepts, steadfast in the refresh of our existing products, and nimble in securing major events”.

IHG signs new Kimpton in Teneriffe, Brisbane

By TTG Asia

May 10, 2024

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) will open a brand new Kimpton, its first managed luxury hotel in Brisbane, in 2028.

Announced at AHICE Asia Pacific, the news follows the signing of an agreement with Kokoda Property to bring the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand to the trendy suburb of Teneriffe.

The 155-room Kimpton is expected to open in Teneriffe, Brisbane, in 2028

The 155-room property will form part of Kokoda Property’s $1.5 billion mixed-use development comprising extensive ground floor hospitality and retail amenity, commercial offices and multiple residential towers in a lifestyle precinct.

The luxury lifestyle hotel will offer design-led rooms and suites, including marquee suites that will cater to celebrity guests and VIPs; a 200-plus-seat signature restaurant and bar on Level 14, a spa with multiple treatment rooms, fitness centre, and 618m2 of flexible indoor and outdoor event space.

As the hotel will be located by the waterfront, guests will have easy access to the waterfront and enjoy panoramic views of the city skyline from an infinity pool overlooking the Brisbane River and an open-air Garden Terrace bar.

The Teneriffe neighbourhood itself is a vibrant and social inner-city locale with trendy wine bars, restaurants, breakfast cafés, dog parks, artisan bakeries and locally loved microbreweries all within walking distance.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring our Kimpton brand to Brisbane, particularly in such a strategic location that perfectly aligns to the aspirational ethos of the brand. Kimpton has an ardent global following amongst the lifestyle-led and socially inclined, which will resonate strongly as part of the Skyring Terrace precinct and within Brisbane’s luxury hotel market. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Kokoda Property in pursuit of our common vision to elevate the hospitality space in South-East Queensland,” said Cameron Burke, director of Development, Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts.

“The strength of IHG’s brand portfolio, particularly within the luxury and lifestyle segments, is accelerating the growth of our Australian estate – and this signing is a significant testament to that,” he added.

“The Kimpton brand was the ideal choice for, and will be the centrepiece of, our striking Teneriffe development. The brand’s lifestyle centric positioning, design and playful guest experiences will fit perfectly into this exciting and unique pocket of Brisbane,” said Mark Stevens, founder and managing director, Kokoda Property.

The signing adds to IHG’s fast-growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio and reinforces its focus on its growing presence in Australia. In the luxury and lifestyle segment, IHG has 14 open hotels and has a further five in the pipeline in Australia for brands including InterContinental, Six Senses, Hotel Indigo, and now Kimpton.

Emirates to refurbish A380s and Boeing 777 planes

By TTG Asia

May 10, 2024

As part of its retrofit programme, Emirates announced that it will completely refurbish 43 A380s and 28 Boeing 777 aircraft, bringing the total number of 191 aircraft.

The original plan called for 120 aircraft – 67 A380s and 53 777s to undergo full refurbishment. The Boeing 777 remains the backbone of the Emirates fleet while the A380 is the airline’s flagship customer favourite.

Move ensures product consistency across fleet and more refreshed aircraft in active service well into the mid-2030s

The refurbishment programme is part of the airline’s commitment to “provide customers with an unparalleled travel experience”.

“We’re topping up our multi-billion dollar investment in the retrofit programme to introduce cutting-edge cabin products on more of our A380s and Boeing 777s, demonstrating a clear commitment to elevating the customer experience with a best-in-class suite of products across every cabin. The addition of more aircraft fitted with our newest generation seats, updated cabin finishings and a contemporary colour palette also marks a significant step in ensuring more customers can consistently experience our premium products across both aircraft types,” said Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline.

So far, Emirates has retrofitted 22 A380 planes. In July, the first Boeing 777 will undergo an interior refresh.

It will take about two weeks for each Boeing 777 to be refurbished before it resumes service. Plans include the refurbishment of the First-Class cabin, all new Business Class seats making a debut on the aircraft in an updated 1-2-1 seating configuration, in addition to 24 of the latest Premium Economy seats, giving customers more premium options to choose from.

The refurbished Boeing 777 will be configured with 332 seats in four classes, featuring eight First Class suites, 40 Business Class seats, and 260 Economy Class seats. To make room for the new Premium Economy cabin, 50 Economy seats will be removed.

When the retrofit programme is fully completed, the airline will have installed 8,104 next-generation Premium Economy seats, 1,894 refreshed First Class suites, 11,182 upgraded Business Class seats and 21,814 Economy Class seats.

Emirates currently operates its refurbished A380 aircraft fitted with Premium Economy to New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Sao Paulo and Dubai. The airline will be boosting services with the new cabin to Osaka in early June.

The airline will be serving 42 cities with Premium Economy by February 2025 with the A350 entering its fleet in September of this year, in addition to the newly refurbished Boeing 777s also slated to begin serving more cities later this summer.

Saudi sets out to win over Indonesia travellers

By Tiara Maharani

May 10, 2024

In a bid to expand the Indonesian visitor profile and extend the market’s length of stay, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) conducted Nusuk Indonesia Roadshow, a series of events to promote destinations beyond well-known Mecca and Madinah, in Jakarta last week.

Saudi Arabia recorded 1.5 million arrivals from Indonesia in 2023, which was 36 per cent higher than a year before. For 2024, the target is set at 2.2 million.

Saudi Tourism Authority leads a roadshow to Jakarta to engage travel professionals and the travelling public

Alhasan Aldabbagh, STA president for Asia-Pacific markets, told TTG Asia: “We’re trying to position Saudi Arabia as a holiday destination. We believe we can lure Indonesian travellers to other cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, and AlUla after they perform Umrah (an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca). Also, we are targeting families to spend their holidays in our country.

“There are many leisure activities travellers can do in those cities.There are many festivals and sporting events, particularly in Riyadh, that travellers can join in. In fact, there are more events in Saudi than in Las Vegas.”

The Jakarta roadshow comprised a trade presentation and B2B tabletop meetings, where 43 Saudi Arabian travel-related companies met with some 1,000 Indonesian travel companies specialising in pilgrimages and outbound travel agents from different parts of Indonesia.

STA also had a consumer-led activation under the Visit Saudi, beyond Umrah campaign. This was a five-day consumer travel exhibition and fair at a major shopping mall. Seven Indonesian travel-related companies participated in it.

To facilitate travel, Saudi has streamlined its visa policy for Indonesian passport-holders. They can apply for a visa at VFS Tasheer offices, while those holding a valid US, UK or Schengen visa can apply for an e-visa.

“We have also introduced a 96-hour (free) transit visa for travellers on Saudi Arabian Airlines,” he added.

Meanwhile, visas for Umrah are also improved. Now, it is obtainable though the Nusuk App with an increased validity from 30 days to 90 days to allow travellers to explore the country after their religious programme.

A special arrangement was also made available during the travel fair where visitors could apply for a visa using only a credit card; the visa was issued within 24 hours.

When asked about accessibility, Aldabbagh said are currently 83 direct flights between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, and his target was to grow that figure to 202 by the end of 2024.

“We are cooperating with a number of airlines, including Lion Air and Garuda Indonesia, especially to connect Saudi Arabia with cities outside Jakarta. We want more flights from Surabaya, Medan, Makassar, and others,” Aldabbagh said.

To further attract Indonesians, more events will be organised to engage with Indonesia’s outbound travel players.

Indian travel demand projected to rise as Thailand extends visa exemption

By Rohit Kaul

May 10, 2024

The Thai government’s decision to extend visa-free entry for Indian tourists by an additional six months is expected to lift arrival numbers from India.

First introduced last year and originally set to expire on May 10, 2024, the visa exemption will now remain in place until November 11.

Indians who have never explored Thailand may be keen to pick the destination now that the visa exemption has been extended

Thailand’s prime minister Srettha Thavisin made the announcement following a cabinet meeting earlier this week. The programme allows Indian passport-holders to stay up to 30 days per visit to Thailand.

Naveen Nahar, director, Travelz Factorry, told TTG Asia that the initial announcement had led to a 15 per cent increase in enquiries for travel to Thailand.

“With this recent extension, interest (in Thailand) is expected to keep rising. This decision is also likely to attract first-time travellers to choose Thailand over others,” he added.

Indian airlines have responded with plans to boost frequencies on popular routes. IndiGo, for instance, will increase its flights between Delhi and Phuket from 7 to 14 per week starting June 1. Air India will introduce a second daily service on the Delhi-Phuket route, also commencing June 1.

“The demand for Thailand in India is growing for leisure, MICE and wedding verticals. We have also seen female groups from India travelling to Thailand for celebrations. Extending the visa exemption scheme, coupled with deals and offers for Indian travellers, will further help Thailand to penetrate the Indian market,” said Aditya Tyagi, founder, Luxe Escape.

Last year, Thailand welcomed 1.62 million visitors from India, making it the kingdom’s fourth largest market. Overall, Thailand recorded over 28 million tourist arrivals in 2023.

Fun for the family at Conrad Centennial Singapore

By TTG Asia

May 10, 2024

Conrad Centennial Singapore has launched a new Family Escape package that promises a series of activities and amenities for parents and children alike to enjoy a fun weekend together.

The package includes an in-room tent, colouring books and crayons for the young ones to display their artistic side, and a cozy set of bathrobe and slippers for junior guests.

Daily breakfast is also included at the all-day dining restaurant Oscar’s, which offers a sumptuous spread of international delights and local specialities.

Guests are also entitled to a 25 per cent discount at the hotel’s other restaurants, including Michelin-listed Cantonese restaurant Golden Peony and Lobby Lounge, during the duration of their stay.

Apart from the on-site hotel facilities, the Family Escape package includes admission tickets for two adults and two children to indoor playground Kiztopia, at the nearby Marina Square mall. Enjoy two hours of adventure among the 18 different play areas with slides, ball pits and interactive play zones.

Take advantage of the late check-out time of 4pm to fully enjoy what the package has to offer.

The Family Escape package requires a minimum of two nights’ stay, and includes breakfast and Kiztopia tickets for two adults and two children under 12 years old.

Father’s Day promotions are also available at Lobby Lounge, Oscar’s and Golden Peony. For more information, visit Conrad Centennial Singapore.

Greater Bay Airlines pulls plug on Hong Kong-Singapore service

By Karen Yue

May 9, 2024

In a surprising turn of events, Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) has decided to suspend its scheduled daily service between Hong Kong and Singapore starting 1 June 2024 until further notice, due to commercial reasons.

The service recently commenced on April 26, with the airline pitting against low cost competitors Scoot and AirAsia and full-service rivals Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Greater Bay Airlines will suspend its new Hong Kong-Singapore flights from June 1, 2024

To mark the occasion, the airline hosted a fam trip to Hong Kong for representatives of some of Singapore’s largest travel agencies.

In response to TTG Asia’s query, an airline spokesperson expressed regret for “the inconvenience caused to our passengers”, and said direct contact with affected passengers is being established to help them “make flight protection, rebooking or refund arrangements”.

“All associated fees will be waived,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson also stated: “We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all our passengers and stakeholders for their continued support for GBA. We will learn from the experience and strive to explore new potential destinations, enhance the service of existing routes, and collaborate with travel agencies on charter business.”

GBA’s other services in the network are not affected.

Asian hotel brands bet big on Saudi Arabia

By Rohit Kaul

May 9, 2024

Saudi Arabia’s aggressive development of sites like AlUla, Neom, Diriyah Gate and more for tourism activities has attracted the attention of hospitality brands with roots in Asia, with several openings coming right up.

Minor Hotels, Dusit Hotels & Resorts, and Banyan Group are among those viewing the destination with optimism.

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Gate will soon welcome a new Anantara while other parts of the kingdom will see a boom in new hotel openings

Minor Hotels has signed deals to open two hotels in Saudi Arabia under its luxury hospitality brand Anantara. The two properties coming up in Neom’s Trojena and Diriyah Gate are expected to be operational by 2027.

Speaking to TTG Asia at Arabian Travel Market 2024 happening this week, Ian Di Tullio, chief commercial officer, Minor Hotels, said: “Saudi Arabia has incredible resources be it in terms of heritage, culture or nature. It offers tourism experiences that are unmatched. I think Saudi Arabia is going to be among the top 10 tourism (destinations) globally, if not top five, in the next decade or so. We have a number of hospitality projects that we are working on with Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund (TDF). Over the next 10 years, we plan to expand our presence in Saudi Arabia by adding 30 hotels across various brands in our portfolio.”

Dusit Hotels & Resorts signed its first hotel in Saudi Arabia – Dusit Princess Al Majma’ah, Riyadh – which is expected to be operational by the end of this year or early 2024.

“Saudi Arabian tourism market is growing at a different level. We are excited to open our first hotel in the country. We are currently holding discussions with many interested parties to expand our presence in Saudi Arabia. What holds us in good stead is the fact that as a Thai hospitality brand, there is a good awareness about our hotels in Saudi Arabia as well as the Middle East in general,” said Nichlas Maratos, vice president – commercial, Dusit Hotels & Resorts.

Asian hospitality firms expect the domestic market to drive demand first and foremost.

“We will create tourism destinations within Saudi Arabia for locals to explore. A lot of demand is expected to be generated by the other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, followed by India and other Asian markets like China and Thailand. Europe will also contribute to the overall demand,” added Tullio.

Contrary to the widespread belief that Saudi Arabia is solely concentrating on luxury travel, Tullio sees potential for mid-scale to luxury range of accommodation.

Banyan Group currently has one operational property – Banyan Tree AlUla. It is expected to open one more in the kingdom.

Overall, Saudi Arabia has plans to add 250,000 hotel rooms by 2030.

Club Med ramps up Singapore, Malaysia promotion as markets show strength

By Karen Yue

May 9, 2024

Strong booking performance in both Singapore and Malaysia source markets for Club Med resorts in 2023 has encouraged the hospitality firm to play a bigger hand in the marketing game, with a stronger emphasis on its leadership position in premium, all-inclusive holidays for families and active couples, sustainable experiences, and unique snow vacations.

Olivier Monceau, general manager of Club Med Singapore and Malaysia, told TTG Asia in an interview that the refreshed brand identity, That’s l’Esprit Libre, will set the tone for Club Med’s efforts in marketing and guest experience design.

Monceau expects two Club Med openings in South-east Asia to excite Singapore and Malaysia markets

“That’s l’Esprit Libre strategically repositions the brand within the luxury lifestyle domain. Elevating Club Med Kiroro Peak to an Exclusive Collection resort underscores our commitment to luxury and exclusivity,” he said.

Monceau emphasised Club Med’s long-established commitment to sustainability, which has been in place since 1978 through the company’s Happy to Care promise and initiatives by the Club Med Foundation, as well as determination to “accentuate snow holidays” through tailored approaches for different guest segments.

Digital and omnichannel strategies will be prioritised, “given the digital proficiency of our target markets”, he added.

Monceau, who oversees two attractive source markets for Club Med, highlighted the 72 per cent spike in total business volume out of Singapore in 2023 compared to 2022 as well as the 40 per cent increase in business volume out of Malaysia over the same period.

Singapore was also the leading source market for Club Med’s Japan resorts in December 2023. Its first snow report for the market, issued last year, showed “promising trends”, with 38 per cent of respondents having previously experienced snow holidays; seven in 10 possessing experience in skiing and/or snowboarding; and 50 per cent spending seven to 10 days on each snow holiday.

Monceau underlined strong repeat potential in the market – 97 per cent of Singaporeans intend to take another snow holiday.

He is certain that Club Med’s ski-in ski-out resorts, varied activities, quality services, and comprehensive range of activities for children and families will continue to attract the Singapore market.

To spur bookings, Club Med runs Early Bird Sales, which enable families to gain “remarkable savings” even for travel during peak school holiday seasons.

For the Singapore market, Club Med is expanding its tailored package offerings, particularly for short stays in the Alps, and stepping up promotions of Chinese destinations to capitalise on ongoing visa-free policies.

Meanwhile, he described Malaysia as a resilient source market with promising growth, adding that there was a 41 per cent surge in client numbers.

For the Malaysia market, marketing focus is on Japan’s snow resorts as well as properties across China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives, which have all witnessed increased bookings from Malaysian holiday-seekers.

Looking ahead, Monceau expects two South-east Asian openings – Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu and the Family Oasis in Club Med Phuket – to herald greater excitement in both Singapore and Malaysia markets.

Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu, opening in 2025 in a protected area, will offer nature and cultural experiences for guests. The new Family Oasis concept at the existing Club Med Phuket resort features renovated rooms, family-friendly amenities, and relevant activities.