InterContinental Bali Resort welcomes new DOSM
InterContinental Bali Resort has appointed Jeremy Brook as the new director of sales and marketing.
Brook brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success in both sales and marketing strategies. He is adept at fostering strong and productive business relationships and is known for his strong team-building skills.
He has previously worked at InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula in Vietnam, InterContinental Hong Kong, Bulgari Hotel London, Peninsula Hotels Brand, to name some.
Jamie Tan joins Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore as hotel manager
Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay has named Jamie Tan as its new hotel manager.
A seasoned professional, Tan has over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry, including a tenure of 15 years at Pan Pacific Hotels Group.
In her new role, she will take charge of the hotel’s operations team, which encompasses front office, culinary, food & beverage, security, engineering, housekeeping, and lifestyle (spa and wellness).
Stephen Cane helms as GM of Dorsett Melbourne
Dorsett Melbourne has appointed Stephen Cane as its new general manager, bringing over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry to his new role.
Most recently area general manager at Accor, Cane moved back to Melbourne from London where he lived for 20 years, 12 of which he worked as general manager to four- and five-star hotels.
Rented clothes, luggage delivery among services to encourage responsible travel in Japan
Japanese companies are advancing their efforts to tackle travel-related problems, such as carbon emissions and disruption to local people, amid rising demand for responsible tourism among consumers.
“Travellers increasingly desire to make more sustainable choices regarding their travel destinations, accommodation, transportation and so on,” noted Japan Airlines in a statement, while noting that those travellers “still lack sufficient options”.
To meet those changing needs, the airline has teamed up with diversified business enterprise Sumitomo Corporation to launch “Any Wear, Anywhere,” a clothing sharing service designed to eliminate the need for the transportation of large luggage to Japan from overseas.
JAL customers can choose a clothing set dependent on the season and purpose of travel, including leisure or business, which is delivered to and picked up from their chosen hotel. After use, the clothing is cleaned and reused.
It is estimated that the service will enable a typical user travelling from New York to Tokyo to reduce the carbon emissions from their travel by 7.5kg, by just cutting back on 10kg worth of baggage.
Tokyo-based company Airporter, Inc., meanwhile, aims to provide hands-free travel by offering a luggage drop-off service at Japan’s main travel hubs. Travellers can request for their luggage to be delivered to their hotel or departure airport within the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
According to the company, the experimental initiative aims “to promote empty-handed tourism” and prevent “crowding of city buses caused by the increase in inbound tourists”.
This year’s surge in inbound tourists using city buses has been particularly problematic for Kyoto, whose municipal government, in September, introduced extra bus services, began encouraging greater use of the subway, ended the sale of one-day bus passes and began promoting services like Airporter that enable travel without luggage.
“We aim to realise sustainable tourism,” said Airporter.
China offers visa-free entry for citizens of six nations
China will temporarily exempt citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia from needing entry visas in a bid to boost tourism recovery.
The exemption will be in effect from December 1 this year to November 30, 2024.
It will be available to those visiting China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, or transiting for no more than 15 days.
Thailand to lure more Chinese through Fliggy partnership
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and online travel platform Fliggy have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to strengthen their partnership in promoting Thailand’s tourism and improving Chinese tourists’ travel experiences in Thailand.
The LOI will formalise the TAT-Fliggy partnership, while further enhancing the cooperation in several areas.
Both parties will identify pilot locations and leverage technology to promote “smart scenic destinations” to improve Chinese tourists’ experiences. In addition, they will collaborate on developing and promoting emerging Thai destinations, dubbed “Potential Hidden Gems”.
The LOI will also see this strategic collaboration on promotional content and campaigns specifically for Chinese tourists, particularly during special events such as Double 11, Golden Week, and Chinese New Year.
To help ensure the safety and create a better experience for tourists at any destination across Thailand, a 24/7 Chinese customer service hotline will be set up to communicate with Chinese tourists and address their concerns.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT governor, said: “The partnership with Fliggy will provide TAT with a broader platform to showcase the charm of “Amazing Thailand” and a diverse range of tourism products and services. We look forward to working with Fliggy to attract more Chinese tourists to our country.”
Zhuoran Zhuang, CEO of Fliggy, added: “Cross-border tourism is showing a promising recovery trend. As a leading platform for Chinese outbound independent travel, Fliggy has formed a deep partnership with TAT to collaborate on service upgrades, experiential innovation, promoting travel destinations, and talent development. This collaboration will bring people more diverse and high-quality travel options to Thailand, thus further strengthening the confidence of local businesses and the tourism industry.”
Previously, Fliggy and TAT initiated joint campaigns to communicate the readiness of Thailand in welcoming Chinese tourists post-pandemic, including online travel programmes and livestream broadcasts promoting Thai travel experiences and special packages.
The StandardX lifestyle hotel brand joins the marketplace
Hotel company Standard International has unveiled a new lifestyle hotel brand, The StandardX, which is said to be a youthful reinvention of the core brand, The Standard.
In a press release, the company explained that “The Standard is no stranger to reinvention” and that the “new hotel concept… takes the iconic brand back to its youthful roots”.
The StandardX design will be conveyed through “minimalist rooms, cultural programming, and intuitive hospitality without pretension”. Hotel locations will be carefully selected to allow guests to thrive in places “thrumming with cultural pulses” and rich in art, fashion, and music.
“Here, guests aren’t whisked away from the neighbourhood but rather are provided with the keys to unlock its hidden treasures,” stated the company.
The brand will make its first appearance in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia. Set to open in February 2024, The StandardX, Melbourne will be neighbours to “iconic record stores, sticky-carpeted punk clubs, legendary writers’ haunts, and beloved party spots”. Guests can expect to find Fitzroy’s charms reflected in the hotel’s interior spaces and 125 rooms, as well as a collection of art produced by local talents.
Facilities will include F&B venues and The Box, a retail outlet where guests can pick up daily essentials, snacks and more.
A Standard International spokesperson told TTG Asia that more properties in Asia-Pacific carrying the new The StandardX brand will follow the Melbourne debut, and none will be rebranded from existing The Standard properties.
Trip.com and HKTB expand Hello Hong Kong campaign
Trip.com has launched the Hello Hong Kong campaign in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, where travellers from the four South-east Asian countries will enjoy a discount when making hotel bookings in Hong Kong.
From now until January 20, 2024, travellers from Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam will be able to enjoy 20 per cent off hotel bookings, while travellers from Thailand will be able to enjoy 20 per cent off hotel bookings from January 16 to March 17, 2024.
Travellers to Hong Kong who book their hotels or air tickets through Trip.com will also be able to claim a Hong Kong Night Treats voucher worth HK$100 (US$12.80). The voucher is available for use in participating restaurants and bars after 18.00.
This is part of Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) global Hello Hong Kong campaign, introduced earlier this year to encourage travellers to visit Hong Kong. It also marks the first thematic marketing campaign between Trip.com and the HKTB outside of mainland China after the pandemic,
“South-east Asian travellers have traditionally enjoyed visiting Hong Kong, as shown by the visitor numbers – in the first nine months of 2023, five of the top eight short-haul visitor arrivals in Hong Kong were from South-east Asian countries, with visitors from Malaysia growing by more than 90 times compared to the same period in 2022.
“Our Trip.com data from the same period also bears this out, with the four countries participating in the Hello Hong Kong campaign ranking in the Top 10 markets booking trips to Hong Kong. We are happy to partner HKTB to welcome more travellers from South-east Asia to Hong Kong,” said Edison Chen, vice president of destination marketing & strategic alliances, Trip.com group.
EXO Travel achieves B Corporation certification
Bangkok-headquartered EXO Travel has been certified as a B Corporation, following a rigorous evaluation of the impact of their operations and business model across five areas: workers, community, governance, customers and environment.
Contributing to the certification of EXO Travel as a B Corp were corporate activities such as providing extensive training opportunities and benefits such as parental leave, and flexible working environments; measuring and reducing their carbon footprint; as well as working with local hotels and transportation services and incentivising them to be more responsible in their business practices.
EXO Travel also gives back part of its profits through the EXO Foundation for projects that directly impact the lives of local people.
This significant milestone comes after a challenging yet transformative four-year assessment process, disrupted by the pandemic.
EXO acknowledges that the journey does not end here, and will use the assessment as a stimulus for continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring that its operations and offerings not only meet but exceed B Lab’s high standards of sustainability and ethical business practices.
The Aviary Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Siem Reap, invites visitors to enjoy the gems of Cambodia’s bustling avian life with its new Birdwatching Package.
Visitors can expect to find birds such as the Black-headed woodpecker, Blossom-headed parakeet, the Collared Falconet, and much more.
Under the guidance of Cambodian tour guides who are intricately acquainted with the avian wildlife of their home country, visitors will be taken through a journey to spot some of Cambodia’s 600 unique species of birds.
Available from now till April 30, 2024, the package includes a two-nights’ accommodation, daily breakfast, complimentary Wi-Fi access in rooms, and a half day bird-watching tour in Angkor Wat.
For more information, visit The Aviary Hotel.