BWH Hotels brings more products to price-conscious travel market
BWH Hotels (BWH) has signed on three new SureStay properties in Australia’s Brisbane and Sydney, expanding its product line for the price-conscious travel market.
Two of the SureStay-branded hotels will occupy converted properties in Sydney’s CBD and St Leonards, and are set to complete later this year.
The third product will bear the SureStay Studio brand – first in market – and be located in Brisbane’s Mount Gravatt. This will be converted from existing residential apartments into two-bedroom accommodation.
Rod Munro, managing director, BWH Hotels Australasia, said: “SureStay Hotels has experienced remarkable growth in recent years and the milestones prove that our premium economy products have quickly become one of the fastest growing brands in the hotel industry. SureStay is resonating with investors as we navigate the current economic crisis. With a strong pipeline and interest from new developers, we look forward to continuing to expand SureStay’s presence across the region.”
“When labour and construction costs are at historical highs, a premium economy brand represents the ideal solution for cost-effective asset repurposing, serving as a gateway to a global brand,” said Danilo Curcuruto, director of development, BWH Hotels Australasia.
“It’s great to see Australia catching up with the appreciation for this underestimated segment, which delivers consistency in performance, flexibility, and a targeted approach to an emerging customer database,” added Curcuruto.
All three are expected to welcome their first guests at the end of 2024.
With their opening, BWH will have eight Sydney properties and five Brisbane properties.
Uniworld expands fleet
Fans of luxury river cruises should keep their eyes peeled for a new vessel that is set to join Uniworld Boutique River Cruises in 2026 for a European sailing season.
The new-build Super Ship, the S.S. Emilie, is inspired by renowned Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and named after his life partner and muse, Emilie Flöge.
Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, said in a release: “We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new ship to our fleet in 2026, just in time to celebrate Uniworld’s 50th anniversary.”
She added that the “outstanding new vessel reaffirms our dedication to providing the best and most luxurious ships on the rivers”.
The S.S. Emilie will join other new Super Ships, including the S.S. Victoria, debuting on the Rhine and Moselle rivers in 2024 and the S.S. Elisabeth, debuting on the Rhine in 2025.
Programme details will be released in time to come.
Malaysia Airlines, Google join hands to boost Malaysia inbound
Malaysia Airlines and Google have forged a partnership to accelerate Malaysia’s ascent as a top-tier tourism destination while driving digital evolution within the aviation sector through the power of AI and digital technologies.
The partnership is said to be a significant milestone in Malaysia Airlines’ quest towards digitalising its commercial advancement to stimulate growth and demand from key markets and establish Malaysia as a central hub for international travellers.
By teaming up with Google, the national airline intends to harness cutting-edge AI and digital technologies to enhance its commercial operations, streamline processes, and provide tailored experiences to travellers. It will also utilise various critical product domains, encompassing Google Pay, Google Flights, and AI-powered marketing solutions, to enhance the customer experience.
Dersenish Aresandiran, chief commercial officer of airlines with Malaysia Aviation Group, said in a press release: “By harnessing the power of Google’s technology innovation and expertise, we are confident that we can unlock new opportunities, elevate the travel experience, and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a leading tourism hub in the region, aligning with the government’s vision for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”
With travel demand set to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, the airline also plans to leverage innovative solutions to fuel its growth and marketing channels, positioning the airline for substantial network expansion plans this year. Through Google’s AI-powered Performance Max, it will enable Malaysia Airlines to optimise its marketing campaigns, ensuring increased reach, relevance, and ROI in an increasingly competitive travel market.
Hokuriku Shinkansen extends line to Fukui Prefecture
Japan’s Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed rail service, known for its sleek white and blue trains, will extend its line from Tokyo to Fukui Prefecture starting March 16.
Currently, the service ends at Kanazawa City, known for its well-preserved Edo-era districts, traditional tea houses, and landscaped gardens.
Hokuriku Shinkansen will operate 14 round trips from Tokyo per day.
With this extension, travellers can get from Tokyo to Fukui City, the prefectural capital, in just two hours and 51 minutes.
Fukui City is a small castle town most known for the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, which is recognised as one of the greatest dinosaur museums in the world. The destination is also loved by cherry blossom hunters in springtime.
Other attractions in Fukui Prefecture include Maruoka Castle, one of twelve castles in Japan with a surviving historical keep from the feudal era; Tojinbo Cliffs, a Natural Monument and Place of Scenic Beauty; and Eiheiji Temple, founded in 1244.
The extension of the high-speed rail line allows Japan to increase connectivity to the outskirts, taking travellers deeper into the country.
Vouch brings tech assistance to back of house
Singapore-based Vouch, which specialises in guest experience platforms for hospitality businesses, now has a new suite of back-end solutions to support hotel operations, from housekeeping to engineering.
Named Hotel Operations Management Ecosystem (Vouch HOME), the new system integrates seamlessly with Vouch’s existing guest-facing platform, creating a unified ecosystem that streamlines workflows, automates tasks, and increases efficiency. This also eliminates the need for multiple vendors, offering a single source of truth for operational data.
Joseph Ling, founder and CEO of Vouch, said: “In today’s competitive hospitality landscape, being efficient is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
The company noted that traditional hotel operations are often plagued by manual tasks, scattered data across different systems, and communication breakdowns between departments. This inefficiency directly impacts the guest experience, leading to longer wait times, frustrated staff, and ultimately, lost revenue.
Ling explained that Vouch HOME grants hotel managers “a holistic 360-degree view of their operations, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions”.
The new system comprises three back-end components.
One, the Task Manager, a centralised task management system with mobile access, that shares live status for timely completion. Two, Room Assignments and Inspection, which automatically assigns rooms for attendants and alert floor supervisors instantly for inspection on customised checklists. Three, Preventive Maintenance, which schedules and tracks maintenance for assets proactively, minimising downtime and ensuring positive guest experience.
Looking ahead, Vouch will leverage the power of generative AI to analyse data and deliver customised, actionable recommendations for each hotel, empowering them to further optimise operations and drive sustainable growth. This will launch in the first half of 2024.
New hotels: La Festa Phu Quoc, The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Nagoya and more
La Festa Phu Quoc, Vietnam
La Festa Phu Quoc in Vietnam overlooks the beach and is just a stone’s throw away from attractions like the Hon Thom Cable Car, Kiss of The Sea Show and Kiss Bridge.
With a total of 197 rooms and suites, La Festa Phu Quoc offers facilities such as restaurants, lobby bar, outdoor pool, spa, and kids’ club.
The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Nagoya, Japan
The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Nagoya boasts 246 rooms which feature Japanese design, and offers onsite restaurants, including a tea lounge.
Located in the historic Chunichi Building, the hotel is situated on the seventh floor and 24th to 32nd floors, offering views of iconic cityscapes, such as the Nagoya Castle, Mirai Tower and Oasis 21, as well as of the city and the Sakae district.
Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat, the UAE
Located on the coast halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai is the new Greek island-inspired Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat.
This adult-only hotel boasts 22 guestrooms and suites, as well as two restaurants, 24-hour gourmet in-room dining, infinity pool, spa, and event venues.
Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong, Thailand
The 504-room Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong features a communal lounge, bar & restaurant, rooftop bar, gym, a meeting room, as well as the signature Moxy Grab + Go that offers 24/7 snacks and drinks. Guests can also enjoy a casual check-in on the ninth-floor welcome area and bar.
Situated in Ratchaprasong, the hotel is close to shopping outlets, restaurants, and bars, with easy access to the BTS skytrain and Chit Lom Station.
Abu Dhabi intensifies Asia-Pacific courtship
Following the establishment of strong demand from two major Asia-Pacific source markets, India and China, Abu Dhabi is now preening its feathers for more travellers from the region, with South Korea and Pakistan on its checklist.
Abdulla Yousuf, director of international operations with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), underlined the importance of the Asia-Pacific region. He stated that India and China are among the top three tourism performers for Abu Dhabi, and the rest of the region holds great potential for growth.
Citing South Korea as an example, Abdulla said an upgraded air service agreement between the UAE and South Korea was inked in 2023, and that led to a doubling of flights between the two points. In-market efforts are facilitated by an Abu Dhabi tourism office in South Korea.
“We are now studying the potential of the Japanese outbound market. Data shows that Japanese travellers have a keen interest in the Middle East. We want to find out what their spending power is, what they look for on their trips, etc, before designing our strategy for Japan,” he told TTG Asia.
DCT Abu Dhabi has made firm inroads into India and China through the power of celebrity endorsement. In India, the NTO signed on Indian superstar Ranveer Singh for a two-year contract in May 2023. As destination ambassador, he appears in Abu Dhabi’s One Summer Isn’t Enough campaign, where he explores Abu Dhabi’s top draws.
In China, Chinese actress Liu Yifei fronts the destination’s campaigns.
Would DCT Abu Dhabi draw on additional stars to raise its brand presence in other Asia-Pacific markets? Abdulla said plans are still in the works, and the celebrity would likely be a “global face that can be plugged into multiple markets”.
He added that DCT Abu Dhabi maintains market presence throughout the year, via a global brand campaign and a specific campaign each for winter and summer. The campaign slogan, Find your pace, inspires curiosity for every type of traveller to explore Abu Dhabi, presenting the destination’s hidden gems and popular attractions through a new lens.
“Whether you travel with the family, favour adventure, seek culture, or just want to go slow and lie on the beach all day, Abu Dhabi allows you to find your own pace within the destination,” Abdulla elaborated.
Destination branding is supported by trade partnerships for tactical offers and B2B roadshows in key source markets. The tourism office led several roadshows across India, China and South Korea throughout 2023, and will continue to do so this year.
The inaugural APAC Summit will debut in June 2024, bringing trade buyers from across Asia-Pacific into the destination for knowledge exchange and a chance to experience Abu Dhabi for themselves.
When asked about new tourism draws, Abdulla said: “Abu Dhabi’s existing attractions are still refreshing because many travellers did not get to travel outbound for a long time. It is important that a destination not only highlights new draws but also finds new experiences within existing attractions and landmarks.”
Yet, Abu Dhabi does have a few new lures. Snow Abu Dhabi opened last year, allowing visitors to ski all year round. Also new is SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. According to Abdulla, the marine attraction rescues creatures from the Gulf for rehabilitation before releasing them back into their natural habitat.
“SeaWorld Abu Dhabi has attracted a lot of school groups from abroad as well as marine researchers,” he said.
Coming up soon is teamLab Phenomena in the Saadiyat Cultural District, and a new season of NBA (National Basketball Association) Abu Dhabi Games 2024, where Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets will play two pre-season games on October 4 and 6 in Yas Island.
“Abu Dhabi is so good with culture, family activities, and events. Some of the best events of the world are held here, like NBA, Formula One and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship),” he added.
IATA steps up support in journey to digital identity transformation
IATA is setting standards and developing tools like training and publishing the One ID Handbook to take airlines, airports and governments a step closer to “transforming passenger processing using digital identity technologies”.
The handbook aims to help build a “solid trust framework across global boundaries” and benefits include a “seamless and contactless journey”, a “cost-effective and productive operation, “secure and facilitated” border management, and a “scaleable and interoperable system for the industry”.
Speaking at the recent Aviation Festival Asia, Shu Hui Bian, regional manager, customer experience and facilitation, IATA, said training on One ID: Digital Identity and Biometrics Fundamentals is being offered in Singapore, Beijing and Miami this year. These courses run for four days, across 32 hours in all.
According to IATA, 41 participants from seven countries have taken this course in the past four years.
For passengers, their credentials needed for travel such as passports, visa, etc can be stored in their digital wallets; they can share those credentials with other parties such as airlines, airports and governments with consent in advance before arriving at the airport; complete the process remotely, go through touch points with biometric recognition only; and use the same credentials for the next journey.
IATA One ID standards status shows that the handbook is scheduled to be available in March – digital admissibility is planned for 2024 while dates for contactless travel and biometric handling have yet to be confirmed.
Shu commented: “The key principles of One ID are that passengers own and control their data, can opt in to advance share digital identity information, have a biometric-enabled end-to-end digital experience, that verifying parties request only the minimum data and passengers must have the ability to opt out at any stage for manual processing.”
Pan Pacific Hotels Group makes ambitious return to Indonesia
Singapore-based Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) has marked its return to Indonesia, following six years of absence, with a new opening and two more up its sleeves.
The hotel company opened the 180-unit Parkroyal Serviced Suites Jakarta last January.
Two more will follow – the 158-key Pan Pacific Jakarta in mid-2024 and the 160-key Parkroyal Jakarta in 4Q2024.
All three properties will be housed in the 95-storey Luminary Tower in the Thamrin Nine mixed-use complex. The serviced suites, now in operation, occupy levels 73 to 82. Pan Pacific Jakarta will be on levels 83 to 89 while Parkroyal Jakarta will be on the lower levels.
PPHG’s reentry comes at a competitive time when Jakarta is seeing a boom in new upscale hotels and residences.
Ed Brea, complex general manager of the three properties, told TTG Asia that PPHG’s owner, UOL Group, is confident about Indonesia and committed too.
“Unlike most international brands here, PPHG not only manages but also owns both Parkroyal Serviced Suites and Pan Pacific Jakarta. On top of that, we manage the hotel (Parkroyal Jakarta) belonging to the developer (Putragaya Wahana),” he said.
Such confidence stems from the fact that Indonesia is one of the fastest growing economies in South-east Asia, which will entice international business, according to Brea, who added that the country’s sizeable young population and huge domestic market altogether make Jakarta an underrated business city.
Brea said: “(Being a new kid on the block), I guess it is our advantage to have three products that target three different market segments, in an area where no new hotels were built for years. All the major hotels here (along the Sudirman-Thamrin Streets) are matured properties.”
He said the opening of Parkroyal Serviced Suites was well positioned to capture a market that is not tapped into.
“We chose to open the serviced suites first because we felt there was a great need for such a property right now. We are running at 30 per cent occupancy within two months of opening,” he added.
Pan Pacific Jakarta will target high-end travellers while Parkroyal Jakarta will cater to those looking for mid-scale accommodation.
Brea expects the three properties to charm various market segments, beyond corporate business, thanks to the availability of meeting facilities and the support of a lifestyle mall and concert hall in the Thamrin Nine complex. An underground access way connecting the complex with the MRT train station will be built for guests’ convenience.
Commenting on the rate strategy in the competitive city, Brea said the three properties have clear distinctions. Parkroyal Serviced Suites presently runs with daily rates, but these will “go away” once the other two properties are open for business.
All three properties will function with one sales and marketing team, ensuring a complementary relationship instead of a competitive one.
Editor’s note; The original copy stated 178 keys at the Parkroyal Jakarta; this is a mistake and has been corrected. PPHG is also managing the property for the developer, not the contractor, as it was wrongly stated.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is looking to raise arrivals from Indonesian this year – up from 2.3 million in 2023 – as it gears up destination promotions in more Indonesian cities.
Speaking at the Made in Singapore media event in Jakarta this week, Mohamed Hafez Marican, area director for Singapore Tourism Board in Indonesia, noted that the Indonesian travel market had a huge impact on Singapore’s travel and tourism industry recovery.
While he said “no specific numbers” have been set as target for 2024, he assured that the STB team aims to “achieve more” than it did in 2023.
To strengthen its positioning as a welcoming, Muslim-friendly destination for Indonesians, STB will take its destination marketing efforts deeper into Indonesia, beyond capital city Jakarta. Activations are planned for Medan, Surabaya, Bandung, and Makassar, including roadshows in Surabaya, Denpasar and Balikpapan, according to Hafez.
“We collaborate with ASITA Pariwisata, the association of Indonesia’s tour and travel companies, and the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Association (Amphuri) East Java chapter to develop tourism products and establish market presence in East Java and other cities outside Jakarta,” Hafez detailed.
According to Monas Tjahjono, chairman of ASITA Tourism East Java chapter, the collaboration is to introduce Singapore as a friendly destination to Muslims in East Java.
Meanwhile, Amphuri will make Singapore one of the destinations in Umrah-plus packages or as a stopover destination in Umrah/hajj packages.
Monas said: “There is a perception that it is difficult to find halal restaurants and hotels in Singapore. STB and ASITA Pariwisata want to correct this and convey that Singapore is a Muslim-friendly destination.”
ASITA Pariwisata will launch 3D/2N and 4D/3N halal tour packages to Singapore, with visits to Sultan Mosque and Kampong Glam. However, the main highlights will be halal restaurants in popular tourist places such as Orchard Road and Sentosa, remarked Monas.
New products and hidden gems, such as culinary tours of Lau Pa Sat food market and Rumah Toko Warisan Kami, will also be played up.
STB will intensify social media promotions to reach a wider audience and inspire travel through storytelling. Efforts will include collaboration with media and entertainment firms, as well as celebrities.
Editor’s note: The original news copy stated a target of four million arrivals from Indonesia this year, double of 2023’s figure. STB did not state a figure for its target. TTG Asia apologises for the error.