TTG Asia
Asia/Singapore Monday, 22nd December 2025
Page 363

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore redefines green hospitality

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The lush foliage spread throughout the hotel acts as natural air purifiers and sinks for carbon dioxide, thereby helping to improve air quality and reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide within the building
The lush foliage spread throughout the hotel acts as natural air purifiers and sinks for carbon dioxide, thereby helping to improve air quality and reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide within the building

Brought to you by PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore

For environmentally-conscious travellers keen to explore a hotel that intertwines award-winning hospitality with innovative sustainability initiatives to curate unforgettable guest experiences, while providing green accommodation, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore will be an ideal choice for their sustainable sojourns.

Eco-friendly practices are central to the hotel’s core functions and applied across all its operations, with a holistic approach adopted towards sustainability and regeneration. From how they stay to what they eat, eco-conscious guests can go green all the way.

Green structural features 
Beyond an attractive structural spotlight, the lush foliage featuring over 2,400 plants, trees, shrubs, and ground covers spread throughout the 583-key hotel acts as natural air purifiers and sinks for carbon dioxide – thereby helping to improve air quality and reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide within the building.

The planters are installed with drip auto-irrigation, which prevents water waste while energy-efficient grow lights are used to double up as support for the plants.

In 2020, the country’s first “Garden-in-a-Hotel” also approached its rebranding with a “rejuvenation” approach, rather than reconstruction, and avoided producing 51,300 metric tonnes of carbon emission – equivalent to wiping out 10,000 hectares of forest.

Reduction of energy and water consumption 
Hotel guests enjoying the pool will be delighted to know that the 1,380 fibre-optic lights illuminating it during night-time, while visually beautiful, were chosen because they consumed three times less energy than standard lights.

Motion sensors are also deployed in all guestrooms to enable intelligent temperature control and efficient use of energy – they power down lights and air-conditioning when guests are away. Low-flow shower heads in the bathrooms help reduce water flow.

The luxury bayfront hotel’s 13 lifts and emergency lightings are also powered by the 210 rooftop solar panels which generate over 350 kWh of renewable energy per day, lowering overall electrical consumption and allow for savings of up to SG$21,900 per year on energy consumption.

Efficient waste management
Back in their guestrooms, hotel guests can enjoy water in glass bottles and from a water filtration system, eliminating the need for 360,000 single-use plastic bottles yearly. The hotel has also replaced miniature bath amenities with refillable pump bottles, doing away with two million miniature plastic packaging a year.

Besides, the in-room IPTV system helps minimise paper use too, while creating a more refreshed and clutter-free interior. Whether it is to book a spot in the gym or order room service, guests can do it all conveniently through the Stayplease digital concierge, by scanning an in-room QR code with their mobile devices.

Sustainable dining options
Eco-conscious travellers will also find tasty sustainable dining options widely available in PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore to feed their guilt-free indulgences.

The hotel boasts a 150m2 Urban Farm on its rooftop which forms the backbone of the hotel’s farm-to-table, farm-to-bar, and farm-to-spa concepts.

Better planning of menus months in advance help reduce food waste and the hotel always tries to offer seasonal greens so that the vegetables can be grown at the farm, or sourced locally.

Responsible culinary is also practised so that guests can savour dishes such as Non-kill Sturgeon Caviar, where the caviar is milked from the sturgeon, rather than killing the fish to extract it, and Watermelon Rind in Sweet Potato Dumpling where food waste such as watermelon rinds are recycled instead of being disposed.

At restaurant Peppermint, the chefs recycle food waste by making use of the beef trimmings from other beef dishes, to make Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta. The beef is slowly braised for at least six hours until it is tender, then shredded for the ragu sauce.

Desserts like Mulberry Light Cheesecake is made from the mulberries, marigold, passionfruit bachelor button and coral vein, harvested from the hotel’s farm.

Other green innovations include two energy-efficient food waste digesters that break down food waste in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner into liquid, which is safe for disposal into the waste pipe, while eliminating environmental pollution of groundwater.

A partnership with Nespresso ensures used coffee capsules from the guestrooms and the COLLECTION Club Lounge are collected so that the aluminium from the capsules are repurposed and upcycled into products, such as bicycle frames and ballpoint pens, while the coffee grounds are processed into compost and then sent back to the hotel’s farm.

Moving ahead, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore continues to soldier on its green stride to become even more sustainable, with the upcoming launch of its rainwater harvesting system in late 2023 – all while providing a distinct and memorable world-class guest experience.

For more information on PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore’s sustainability efforts, visit here.

World of Hyatt adds more rewards and benefits

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Starting January 1, 2024, World of Hyatt will expand its awards and benefits to offer more flexibility and choices for its members.

World of Hyatt members will be able to choose from earning points for future free nights, enhancing stays with suite upgrades, to enriching their well-being experiences.

World of Hyatt will offer more flexibility and choices for its members

With the programme updates, members will be recognised more frequently along their journey with World of Hyatt and choose whether to use their award or gift eligible awards to loved ones.

Milestone Rewards will begin after 20 qualifying nights or 35,000 Base Points per year and continue for each 10 qualifying nights, up to 150 nights.

New Milestone Rewards include earning up to 2,000 Bonus Points on their next stay at a Hyatt property; selecting FIND credit to use on any FIND experience around the globe; gifting loved ones with stays; getting a complimentary second night at Miraval resort upon one night’s booking; and enjoying one free night in participating hotels and resorts.

Amy Weinberg, senior vice president, brand, loyalty and data, Hyatt, said: “The new Milestone Rewards are rooted in what we heard from our members – we understood they wanted more rewards and more choice, so we are offering a wider array of options to craft their travel journey, care for their well-being and immerse themselves in the transformative experiences that World of Hyatt offers.”

World of Hyatt is also rewarding eligible meeting and event planners, travel advisors, and small business administrators, offering new pathways for business stakeholders to earn status and milestones when they choose Hyatt for their clients and colleagues.

Those planning events or booking on behalf of travellers will earn two qualifying night credits toward tier status for every US$5,000 up to US$150,000 in eligible spend each year on qualifying events, bookings through Hyatt Privé, or when making a qualifying booking through Hyatt channels with an IATA number associated with their World of Hyatt membership.

Klook completes US$210 million funding, embarks on a new era of profitable growth

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Klook has successfully completed a US$210 million financing, supporting business growth and fortifying financial stability.

The equity round is led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from BPEA EQT, Asia investment funds Atinum Investment and Golden Vision Capital, and corporate investment arms from South-east Asia, including Krungsri Finnovate (under Bank of Ayudhya), Kasikornbank Financial Conglomerate and SMIC SG Holdings. The round also includes bank facilities from Citi, JP Morgan, and HSBC.

From left: Klook’s Eric Gnock Fah, Ethan Lin and Bernie Xiong

For many Asian markets, 2023 marks the first year of travel recovery but Klook has demonstrated business success, surpassing previous milestones with a threefold increase compared to 2019 and boasting an annualised gross booking value of US$3 billion. Notably, the company also achieved overall profitability for the first time earlier this year.

Ethan Lin, CEO and co-founder, credits this accomplishment to the collective efforts of the team in establishing the groundwork for the post-Covid era of travel.

He said: “During the pandemic, we doubled down on our resources in merchant digitisation and the expansion of our supply network, including car rentals and outdoor experiences. This positions us strongly to capture new travel trends coming out of the pandemic.”

Through increasing brand strength, strategically building on and leveraging its app-first approach to both acquire and retain customers, Klook’s success sees over 80 per cent of bookings made through mobile today. Additionally, the influx of new customers acquired in 2023 more than doubled that of 2019, while repeat customers contributed to over half of the total bookings, demonstrating the sustained customer loyalty fostered by the platform.

“Leveraging strong business fundamentals that led to significant growth in revenue and profit this year, including a threefold increase in productivity (revenue per headcount), we are set for a new phase of sustainable expansion. With Asia in the early stages of post-Covid recovery, upcoming global events like the Paris Olympics 2024 and Osaka World Expo 2025, along with rising expenditures and digital adoption, the industry outlook in Asia is exceptionally positive,” added Lin.

The global travel industry is projected to soar to US$15.5 trillion by 2033, with Asia-Pacific leading the way as the fastest-growing region. Klook remains focused on catering to the increasing demand for immersive travel among Asian customers and showcasing the best of Asia to inbound travelers.

“Our goal is to empower travellers to explore the world effortlessly through the Klook app, a one-stop platform that seamlessly connects them to a comprehensive range of in-destination services, encompassing immersive experiences and convenient ground transportation,” shared Eric Gnock Fah, chief operating officer and co-founder of Klook.

Klook will strategically allocate the new funds to three key areas for growth: in product innovation; scaling social and digital marketing through the Klook Kreator programme to drive conversions with authentic, social, user-generated content; and advancing innovation through continuous artificial intelligence (AI) integration.

Klook recently collaborated with Google Cloud to integrate Generative AI across the platform, and will collaborate with new strategic investors in the region to increase market share and boost growth in South-east Asia.

Travelport delivers retail-ready NDC for Lufthansa Group Airlines

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Travelport has launched Lufthansa Group airlines’ NDC content and servicing capabilities in the Travelport+ platform. Agents using Travelport+ will be able to easily search and compare NDC offers from the Lufthansa Group airlines, which include Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Air Dolomiti.

Travelport’s NDC content and servicing solution for the Lufthansa Group airlines has first become available to all agency customers located in Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK. Access will expand to agency customers located in additional European countries in the coming weeks and will continue to roll out to Travelport+ customers in the Americas, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions in early 2024.

Travelport’s NDC content and servicing solution will help agents to easily search and compare offers

Jason Clarke, chief commercial officer, travel partners, Travelport, said: “Our NDC solution is designed to minimise complex retailing processes so that agents using Travelport+ can easily shop and book NDC offers from the Lufthansa Group and provide a seamless servicing experience for travellers.”

Travelport+ enables agency customers to access a wide range of rich content, fares, and unique offerings from the Lufthansa Group airlines all in one place, enhanced by the Content Curation Layer. This technology enabler, embedded inside Travelport+, uses powerful artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities to provide agents and travellers a more modern retailing experience with accurate search responses, highly relevant results, and greater clarity and transparency.

By providing travel agents worldwide with the capability to seamlessly shop, compare, and book NDC offers from all Lufthansa Group airlines through Travelport, this ensures that travel customers have simplified access to a broad range of choices and optimal options.

Norwegian Jewel

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Main pool deck

What
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) recently celebrated its long-awaited return to Asia, and commenced a six-month season of voyages in the region.

As the first ship in the NCL fleet to return to Asia in over three years, Norwegian Jewel offers 16 itineraries ranging in length from 10 to 14 days. For the first time, guests have the opportunities to call at 11 countries and sail from nine different departure ports, such as Singapore, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Taipei (Keelung), and Seoul (Incheon). Other first port calls for NCL include Manila, Boracay, Palawan and Salomague in the Philippines; Bintan Island, Indonesia; and Hualien, Taiwan.

Facilities
The highlight of my cruise was undoubtedly the culinary experience, with 15 dining options available.

Throughout my 4D3N cruise from Taipei to Manila, I dined at the Tsar’s Palace which serves plated Western dishes, and had a burger for supper at the 24/7 O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill. The indoor buffet-style Garden Café is where most people will be, as it serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu changes daily but my favourites were the Australian-style meat pies and Key Lime cheesecake; there’s also a soft-serve machine here!

I was able to dine at two speciality restaurants: La Cucina served up Italian favourites like an excellent burrata salad and moreish mushroom pasta, while Brazilian steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria featured an impressive salad bar filled with cured meats, cheeses, and piping hot soups, which guests can fill up on while waiting to be served skewers of sausages, steak, and chicken carved table-side.

Meanwhile, Bar City, located between the Casino and The Atrium on Decks 6 and 7, is a boon for those with Premium Beverage Packages to have a different drink at each of the four bars. Aside from Bar City, there are 13 bars and lounges, including a Sugarcane Mojito Bar, and Malting’s Beer & Whiskey Bar.

On one of the evenings, I caught the Rock You Tonight production, which delivered a high-energy performance featuring iconic songs from Queen, Journey, and The Who. Although I didn’t recognise all the songs, the dance crew were captivating in their performance, leaping and spinning across the stage with such gracefulness.

Finding moments of relaxation was effortless. The ship’s amenities, from spacious sun decks to cosy lounges, provided numerous idyllic spots for soaking up the soothing sea breeze or simply enjoying a good book.

Another space to relax is the Mandara Spa and Thermal Suite where a plethora of treatments from full-body massages to rejuvenating facials are offered. During my tour of the enormous thermal suite, I thought that the heated mosaic loungers and glass-walled saunas – located over the bridge wing and offering the same view as the ship’s captain – stole the show.

For the active, there’s an enclosed sports court behind the funnel, as well as shuffleboard courts, giant cheeseboards, and golf cages. Shore excursions can also be arranged for those looking to disembark at the myriad ports of call. Norwegian Jewel offers several shore excursions per location, with choices ranging from adventurous expeditions to trying the local cuisine.

The main pool deck offers two full-sized pools, four hot tubs, and tons of open deck space for sun loungers. Live music & DJs also keep the vibe going throughout the day.

To take in views of the ship and the endless sea, head to the forward sun decks on the 14th and 15th floors. It’s a quieter space away from the bar music and main pool deck.

Room
I stayed at the Balcony Stateroom on the 10th floor which was furnished with a queen-sized bed, and one single sofa bed. On both sides of the bed are USB charging ports, great for keeping your devices near you.

The room’s floor-to-ceiling glass doors opened up to a private balcony, and this was where I spent several hours perusing a good book; it’s been so long since I found time to sit down and read. While the Wi-Fi served my needs, however, it wasn’t the fastest.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the gentle rocking of the ship added to the overall sense of tranquillity, lulling me into a deep sleep every night.

All the accommodations on Norwegian Jewel, from the inside rooms right up to The Haven, underwent a significant revitalisation in late 2021, and I’m glad to report the modern bathrooms with large, glass-doored showers, as well as the cabin carpeting, certainly felt new.

Verdict
This 4D3N cruise experience from Keelung, Taiwan to Manila, Philippines was a perfect blend of relaxation opportunities, culinary excellence, and restful nights. As a frequent traveller who rarely opts for cruising holidays, I think I finally understand the appeal of cruising, and would not mind doing it again.

Contact details
Website: https://www.ncl.com/in/en/cruise-ship/jewel

Vietjet offers year-end ticket promotion

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Vietjet has launched its Real Deal to new me, let’s Vietjet! Campaign for the festive season, which offers a wide range of activities both on land and in the air.

To kick off the festivities, Vietjet is running a ticket promotion with base-fare as low as US$0 from now to end of December 12 for flights from January 5, 2024 to October 31, 2024. Passengers can even pre-order hot meals and drinks at 30 per cent off.

Vietjet is offering ticket promotions and F&B discounts for the festive season

The offer is applied to all Vietnamese domestic routes and international services between Vietnam and Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, and destinations in South-east Asia.

From December 15, Vietjet is also offering gifts in the form of an e-voucher worth 500,000 dong (US$20) for future flights.

For more information, visit Vietjet.

A splendid time

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Travel and tourism’s road to recovery have given birth to some of the liveliest and most creative case studies in marketing.

From leveraging the power of global celebrities, to dispensing art-inspired non-fungible tokens at key tourist attractions and areas that can be exchanged for travel perks, to crafting a movie centred on the power of love just to show off a destination, marketers are having a ball right now.

Some marketing initiatives are altogether meaningful and creative, like the International Convention Centre Sydney’s community-focus approach to building its brand equity.

Yet, it is not all fun and games, as marketing and communications in travel, tourism and events have to take into account changes in traveller/delegate priorities, content consumption preferences, and communications technology. The noisy marketplace today also determines what destinations and suppliers will have to do to stand out.

As travel and tourism recovery picks up speed, no doubt we will continue to be gifted with even more brilliant marketing activations that will serve as valuable case studies for us all.

Heightened state of marketing

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Travel and tourism is charging forward, and along with it comes a vibrant marketing landscape where communications and activations are intensified to charm every potential buyer.

This marketing landscape is also evolving, shaped by new consumer behaviours, shifts in media consumption patterns, and changing consumer expectations, observed Lina Ang, managing director APAC at Sojern.

 

However, Ang emphasised that some significant trends – sustainability, authenticity, and accessibility – were already gaining traction in the industry before the pandemic.

She said: “The impact of these trends has been further accelerated by factors such as extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, and the industry’s rapid digitalisation. These developments have driven travellers to seek more authentic and meaningful experiences, along with the adoption of digital and contactless solutions for immersive guest experiences.”

In response, marketers are crafting immersive and experiential initiatives while hotels are embracing guest-facing technology solutions. And as the emphasis on personalised experiences deepens, companies are allowing digital marketing and data-driven decision-making to guide their strategies.

Evolved traveller behaviour and preferences also have an impact on the specialised public relations (PR) discipline within marketing, observed Joleena Seah, managing director – Southeast Asia, GHC Asia.

Seah said PR practitioners in travel and tourism must more than ever ensure authenticity and transparency in their messaging, especially as travellers are more discerning now, aided by easy access to online research and user-generated content; be purpose-driven, where sustainability, environmental and social consciousness are no longer optional but compulsory elements in successful branding; create compelling and relevant content that can be consumed in the way customers want; and leverage employees as brand advocates.

Innovations lead the way
Just as the travel and tourism industry is expected to face unpredictable environmental and economic conditions on its journey to recovery in 2024, Ang said marketers should be prepared for the same and be nimble. She believes that digital marketing can provide flexibility while data-driven, always-on marketing campaigns can achieve short-term success by providing real-time insights into traveller behaviours and enable organisations to connect with travellers at the right time, through the right channels, and with the right message.

Meanwhile, long-term marketing success requires an authentic sustainability strategy. Ang advised: “Striking a balance between increasing visitation and fostering relationships with local businesses, thus gaining (travellers’) support while minimising environmental impact, will be a top priority for travel marketers.”

She also suggested a co-op marketing route, especially those juggling limited resources.

A co-op campaign involving the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and 37 hotels to drive direct bookings to the hotels and economic impact for the destination resulted in a 1.74x ROI and 700-plus room nights booked from January 2021 to March 2021.

Travel and tourism companies should brace for even more communications innovations ahead.

“AI is at the forefront of this revolution, altering how travellers plan, book, and experience the world. AI enables us to personalise travel experiences in ways previously unimaginable,” said Ang.

Seah advised companies to balance concerns and benefits of applying such features as VR, AR and AI.

Seah added: “Many people react to VR, AR and AI with skepticism. The most common protest is that our industry is powered by people and magic of the human touch. Yes, that’s undeniable. However, brands that harness these technologies to generate new ideas, gain audience insights, and reach customers through voice assistants and chatbots will be in a better position to compete in a brave new world that is fascinated by VR, AR and AI.”

Citing an example of an interesting technology application in destination marketing, Seah said the Singapore Tourism Board has virtual influencer Rozy as part of its SingapoReimagine marketing campaign in South Korea.

Before leaping into new marketing technology, Ang suggests that companies “do their homework” to “gain a comprehensive understanding of their existing customer base and potential audiences”.

 

China, Singapore to initiate mutual 30-day visa-free travel

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China and Singapore have proposed a 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement between both countries.

Aiming to implement it early next year, discussions on operational details are currently ongoing between the two nations.

The agreement will enable more people-to-people exchanges between China and Singapore

When implemented, the initiative will enable more people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Chinese citizens currently require a visa to enter Singapore, while Singaporeans can enter China without a visa for 15 days if travelling for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends, and in transit.

China had recently offered visa-free travel to six countries in a bid to boost tourism recovery.

Air France-KLM, Etihad Airways announce frequent flyer partnership

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Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways have teamed up to extend their respective loyalty programmes to members from both airline groups.

This new collaboration follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between both airline groups earlier in September.

Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways loyalty members will be able to earn and redeem rewards from both airlines

Members of Flying Blue, Air France and KLM’s loyalty programme, as well as members of Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, will now be able to earn and redeem miles in either loyalty programme when flying on Air France, KLM or Etihad. Reciprocal benefits for elite members will be announced soon.

Following the MoU signed earlier this year, Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways customers can now connect to (and therefore earn and redeem miles) more than 60 new routes covering destinations worldwide.

Flying Blue Miles can be redeemed to enjoy a range of experiences – from flights, worldwide hotel stays, car rentals, or products from the Flying Blue Store. Etihad Guest Miles can be spent on flights, worldwide hotel stays and vacations, or products from the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.

Currently, Air France operates daily flights between Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport, while Etihad operates daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Angus Clarke, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Air France-KLM, said: “This 11-year collaboration is now expanding even further, as we aim to explore opportunities in loyalty, in addition to enhancing our route network for the benefit of our customers from all around the world.”

Arik De, chief revenue officer at Etihad, added: “Our nine million Etihad Guest Members will now have access to earn and redeem Etihad Guest Miles when flying with Air France-KLM giving even greater opportunities to enjoy the benefits of the programme. We look forward to welcoming Flying Blue members on to the expanding Etihad network to earn Flying Blue Miles as they choose to fly with Etihad.”