Centara Hotels & Resorts is strengthening its footprint in Thailand and Vietnam with the addition of five properties to its portfolio to launch between 2024 and 2027.
The company has signed a strategic Hotel Management Agreement (HMA) with Phi Phi Paradise Company for its Villa 360 property, which will reopen as Centara Villas Phi Phi Island in October this year. The resort offers 40 villas, an all-day dining restaurant, sunset sky bar, outdoor swimming pool and pool bar, spa, fitness centre, and mini shop.
Centara also signed a HMA with Kornsiri Hospitality Management for 68-key Tiva Ao Makham Resort Phuket, a greenfield project set to redefine health-focused travel with facilities including yoga, cycling, and a Pilates reformer studio, as well as a sauna, steam room, and onsen.
In Vietnam, Centara is set to open two properties in Vung Tau City in 1Q2027. The 261-room Centara Life Vung Tau will offer an all-day dining restaurant, modern meeting rooms, swimming pools, pool bar, fitness centre, spa, and kids’ club. Meanwhile, Centara Residence Dio Dua will offer 536 rooms, a fitness centre, swimming pool, and kids’ club.
Crystal Holidays Harbor Van Don will be opening a second tower in 2Q2025 as part of its plan to develop five hotel and resort apartment buildings within its five-star international standard resort and entertainment complex. Complementing the existing Centara-branded Tower A, which boasts a dedicated purpose-built convention centre, Tower B comprises 496 rooms along with a variety of dining options, a fitness centre, and swimming pools.
“These new signings represent significant milestones for Centara Hotels & Resorts, setting the stage to further pursue unique opportunities and partnerships around the world while fuelling our momentum to shape the future of hospitality,” said Andrew Langston, senior vice president – business development, Centara Hotels & Resorts.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration is restarting its marketing and promotional activities in India after a three-year hiatus brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The authority organised its destination seminars in New Delhi and Mumbai recently – the first of travel trade activities after the pandemic. Taiwan Tourism Administration has also opened its Taiwan Tourism Information Centre (TTIC) in Mumbai. The centre will act as a one-stop-point for information related to travel and hospitality in Taiwan.
“Our first focus is to reach pre-pandemic tourist arrival numbers in the Indian market. Our promotional activities will focus on various products and experiences for both leisure and MICE segments. We are planning to organise fam trips for travel agents and media later this year. Also, a training programme for travel agents is in the pipeline,” shared Joseph Cheng, director, Taiwan Tourism Administration & Taiwan Visitors Association, Singapore office while speaking to TTG Asia at the New Delhi leg of destination seminars.
From January to November, the tourist arrivals from India to Taiwan stood around 30,000, a 70 per cent recovery compared to 2019. The Taiwan Tourism Administration is also in the process of hiring a PR agency in India to help grow outbound numbers from India, especially the MICE market.
“Metro cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai will be our focus for tapping the MICE segment. We are also in talks with China Airlines and EVA Air to begin direct flights between the two destinations,” added Cheng.
An official from China Airlines, who wished not to be named, told TTG Asia that the carrier may look to operate direct flights between New Delhi and Taipei once there is an availability of aircraft.
Some of the destinations Taiwan is looking to promote in India include Taipei, Taoyuan City, Kaohsiung and Tainan. Presently, the top inbound source markets for Taiwan are Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.