Trisara resort in Phuket, Thailand has introduced its Stay Longer, Save More deal, offering guests an exclusive discounted rate with extra benefits if they stay a minimum of four or seven nights.
The additional benefits include daily breakfast, return airport transfer, complimentary use of non-motorised water sports equipment, complimentary daily outdoor activities, as well as 2,500 baht (US$94) in Wellbeing credits which can be used to redeem activities such as massage and beauty therapies, personal training, and yoga and meditation.
Remote workers, families and groups of friends can enjoy long-stay rates at Trisara
Perched directly over the property’s private bay, Trisara’s collection of residences range from two-bed units to multi-bedroom configurations, featuring expansive suites, sea-facing verandas, and extensive swimming pools.
Each residential villa is attended to by a dedicated maid and chef who prepare home-cooked Thai and Western dishes on demand and by request.
With privacy guaranteed, the residences are also perfect for special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, marriage proposals or celebrations with extended family or with groups of friends.
Marriott International has raised more than US$347,000 through its annual charity event, Road to Give, to support charitable organisations across Asia-Pacific.
Road to Give encourages Marriott International associates to support meaningful local causes while engaging in different types of movement for their physical and mental well-being – running, walking, dancing and golfing were just some of the activities organised this year.
Marriott International’s annual Road to Give event organised 96 fundraising events across Asia-Pacific to raise funds for local community causes; Road to Give event in the Philippines, pictured
More than 21,000 associates from Marriott International hotels volunteered almost 50,000 hours in the ninth edition of Road to Give, with all proceeds donated to support local causes such as providing educational support to children at local orphanages and disadvantaged backgrounds; food donations to low-income communities; cleft surgery to children; medical care to patients with cancer and kidney-related diseases; and more.
“We are proud to see our hotels stepping up their Road to Give fundraising efforts this year! We raised almost US$100,000 more than the previous year, representing our associates’ dedication and passion to make the communities where they operate better places to live, work and visit,” said Andrew Newmark, chief human resources officer, Marriott International, Asia Pacific (excluding China).
“As we look forward to Road to Give’s ten-year milestone next year, I am incredibly excited to see what lies ahead in terms of how we strive to make even stronger, positive impact in our local communities.”
Singapore’s Tourism Development Fund will get a S$300 million boost that will go into a range of initiatives aimed at reinforcing the city-state’s global business-hub status.
The industry can expect to see a rejuvenation of existing tourism offerings, training support for tourism workers, and intellectual development of local tourism companies. A pipeline of quality experiences will be launched in the coming years, in collaboration with tourism players.
The latest Tourism Development Fund booster will be spent on enhanced tourism experiences, talent investments and support for local businesses
The Tourism Development Fund, first established in 2005, has so far backed major tourism developments such as Trifecta and supported more than 100 local tourism businesses in their productivity and sustainability journey over the past two years, stated minister of state for trade and industry Alvin Tan in parliament on March 1, reported local media.
Singapore welcomed 13.6 million international visitor arrivals in 2023, which was 71 per cent of 2019’s arrivals. Indonesia, China and Malaysia were the top performing source markets.
The destination is expected to receive 15 to 16 million arrivals this year, with tourism receipts projected to sit around S$26 billion to S$27.5 billion.
The Hong Kong government has allocated more than HK$1.09 billion (US$127.7 million) in funding to strengthen the destination brand and expedite tourism development.
Financial secretary Paul Chan said the newly released budget would allow Hong Kong’s tourism industry to create more products and stage more events to attract high-quality tourists who would also spend more time in the destination.
Hong Kong will build a greater line-up of experiences and mega events as well as lead intensified destination marketing
Hong Kong’s mega events calendar will feature big names like the 15th National Games in 2025, jointly hosted by Hong Kong, Guangdong Province and Macau; as well as financial forums such as the Asian Financial Forum, the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit, and the Asian Financial Forum.
The funding will also facilitate the creation of the Sponsored Overseas Speaking Engagement Programme, which will sponsor reputable scholars and industry leaders to attend overseas events where they will promote Hong Kong’s many strengths.
Visitors to Hong Kong can expect a medley of new and enhanced experiences, such as monthly pyrotechnic and drone shows set against Victoria Harbour; a revamped A Symphony of Lights light-and-sound show; immersive city walk programmes; and various outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, stand-up paddle-boarding, trail-running, and stargazing in the wilderness.
The Tourism Commission will continue to organise signature creative arts and cultural projects in the coming years. Such projects, like the Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival and the Design District Hong Kong, have been very well received.
The hefty budget will be accessible to Hong Kong Tourism Board, with HK$971 million set for use over three years – 2024/25, 2025/26, and 2026/27 – while HK$665 million is earmarked for 2024/25.
HKTB chairman Pang Yiu-kai thanked the government’s funding and shared usage intentions: “We will adopt four key strategies to reinforce the city’s status. First, we will continue to develop diverse tourism experiences. Second, we will organise and support mega events throughout the year. Third, we will step up promotions in visitor source markets. And finally, we will continue to join hands with the industry to enhance the capacity to receive visitors, to launch a new promotional campaign to encourage the trade and the public to be good hosts, and to enhance service qualities so that we offer every visitor the best possible experience.”
Cathay Group welcomes the government’s pro-tourism budget. Its executive officer Ronald Lam said: “As a committed enabler of Hong Kong’s future through our ability to connect Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland with the world, Cathay remains focused on continuing to sustainably grow our business as Hong Kong’s home carrier.”
Lam reinforced that Hong Kong has a thriving international aviation hub, where Cathay, together with about 120 airlines, provides flight services to some 180 destinations globally from Hong Kong International Airport.
“We enthusiastically welcome initiatives that further strengthen Hong Kong’s leading hub status,” he stated.
Set for operations in end-2024, the Three-Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport is expected to bring new and exciting opportunities for the aviation industry.
Lam said: “We fully support the government’s proactive plans to leverage the opportunities presented by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Three-Runway System to foster increased intermodal connectivity, and continue to develop flight services along existing major routes as well as routes connecting Hong Kong with Belt and Road Initiative countries and regions.”
The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) opened its travel fair this morning at the Singapore Expo with expectations of a strong visitor crowd that would mirror the robust demand for travel seen throughout 2023.
Speaking at the NATAS Travel 2024 opening ceremony, Simon Er, deputy president of NATAS, said demand for travel is still “robust, strong and ongoing” and “hopes for visitor numbers to top 102,000”.
NATAS Travel 2024 features a larger collection of travel suppliers
Interest in courting Singapore residents this year is much stronger, evident by an expanded Travel Fair 2024 featuring 66 exhibitors compared to 51 in the February 2023 fair. The range of sellers include travel agencies, national tourism organisations, and other players in the industry.
Guest-of-Honour gracing the opening ceremony was Melissa Ow, chief executive of Singapore Tourism Board (STB), who spoke about Singapore’s tourism recovery and continued attractiveness as a destination with business and leisure offerings. She also acknowledged the increased demand for authentic experiences and is also optimistic that outbound travel remains healthy.
When asked for projected transaction value by the time the fair ends on Sunday, Er said such information would not be available.
Appetite for package tours continues to remain strong in 2024 among all types of travellers, from multi-generational families to couples, according to travel agencies that TTG Asia spoke to at the fair.
They also predict destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe to remain perennial favourites of Singapore residents. However, demand for destinations farther afield will also pick up, especially for Norway and Finland to catch the Northern Lights, due to reports that the phenomenon will be at its strongest this year
“Travellers are also looking for more experiential and in-depth tours”, said Diana Tan, head of department (HR & public relations), CTC Travel.
She observed a stronger desire for new sights. “People want to start exploring places they’ve never been to before to get a different experience,” she said.
Younger travellers, for instance, have made enquiries and bookings to places such as Antarctica. There has also been more demand for Xinjiang and Silk Road tours, Nepal, Egypt and Morocco, as well as requests for English-speaking guides.
Similarly, Jeremiah Wong, senior marketing communications manager, Chan Brothers Travel, noted an increase in more off-the-beaten-path destinations.
He expects bookings for the company’s Bhutan packages, which were popular in 2023, to gain more traction as they now include a chartered direct flight to the country. There has also been a healthy increase in interest to places such as Mongolia and Uzbekistan – also because of chartered flights.
Both Tan and Wong also noted that travellers were making their travel plans earlier than usual.
Wong has seen bookings made more than six months in advance especially for seasonal travel during popular periods, such as the cherry blossom season. High airfares post-Covid have also motivated people to confirm their travel plans earlier.
Among his customers, Wong noted strong demand for all types of package tours, from the fully planned ones to self-drive packages among multi-generational families, and has also observed more single travellers making bookings.
He added that even travellers who used to travel free and easy have converted to package tours as they appreciate the convenience.
Sands Resorts Macao will introduce Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) check-in and direct bus transfer service effective March 1, providing convenience and comfort for its guests.
It is said to be the first integrated resort in the destination to offer such services.
Guests of Sands Resorts Macao benefit from check-in and direct bus transfers right at HKIA
Guests can now enjoy the convenience of checking in for their flights directly from the integrated resort, saving valuable time while enjoying a seamless journey to HKIA. Furthermore, it is expected that this initiative will play a role in supporting the MGTO’s visitor number goals for 2024 and beyond.
The new bus service – part of Phase 1 of expanded transportation offerings – will depart from The Venetian Macao directly to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port, providing a convenient link to HKIA.
Stephanie Tanpure, vice president of sales, Sands China, said: “The introduction of airport check-in and direct bus transfers is a critical component of our response to calls to enhance the accessibility of Macau as a destination. We are committed to ensuring that every guest’s journey with us is as easy and convenient as possible.”
Silversea’s second Nova-class ship, Silver Ray, celebrated a successful float out at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany on February 25, as she nears her debut sailing scheduled in June this year.
Silver Ray will then spend her inaugural season in the Mediterranean, before crossing the Atlantic in December.
Silver Ray will debut this June
The float out marks a significant milestone in a ship’s construction, representing the project’s advancement into its final stages. Now nearing completion – approximately 15 months since Meyer Werft first cut steel for the ship – Silver Ray is the sixth addition to Silversea’s fleet in just three years.
“With the float out of Silver Ray, excitement is building for the launch of the second ship in our pioneering Nova-class,” said Silversea president Barbara Muckermann.
“We received such incredibly strong feedback on Silver Nova from guests, travel advisors, and members of the press following her launch in August 2023. Sustaining the wave of innovation that is driving our success, the launch of Silver Ray will strengthen Royal Caribbean Group’s unwavering commitment to delivering a lifetime of vacations for guests, with its industry-leading global brands.”
With pioneering energy efficiency standards, Silver Nova and Silver Ray are 40 per cent more energy efficient than required international standards and regulations. On board, guests enjoy the brand’s hallmarks of luxury with a range of enhancements, including all-new venues and suite options, new Otium wellness experiences and amenities, and enrichments to the S.A.L.T. culinary programme, with the introduction of the S.A.L.T. Chef’s Table.
While the tourism sector in Singapore is poised for growth following recovery from the pandemic, a new NTUC LearningHub report found that business leaders are kept awake by five key challenges, three of which relate to human resources.
Key findings from NTUC LearningHub’s Industry Insights Report 2024 on Tourism revealed that the top challenges are changes in travel behaviour/spending (63 per cent); existing employees lacking the depth of skills required to cater to the changing trends (57 per cent); a shortage of tourism professionals (53 per cent); employees being unwilling to take on training (45 per cent); and travellers only visiting Singapore for seasonal events (44 per cent).
Seventy per cent of Singapore tourism leaders strongly agree that tourism professionals need to upskill to enhance the destination’s quality of service delivery
Despite these challenges, only 48 per cent of leaders in the tourism sector have sent their employees for tourism-related training, with nearly 29 per cent expressing the intention to do so in the future and 23 per cent not intending to do so at all.
Amid emerging trends in tourism – such as the increased use of technology in tourism (76 per cent), demand for greater service excellence (66 per cent), the growing importance of holistic wellness travel and regenerative tourism (40 per cent), and increased demand for the practice of sustainability in tourism (37 per cent) – nearly all tourism leaders (51 per cent strongly agree, 43 per cent somewhat agree) perceive that these trends create more job opportunities in the market.
In fact, almost 77 per cent of them are keen to hire talent to fill tourism job roles. The top job roles according to tourism leaders are marketing communications officers (32 per cent), administrative staff (30 per cent), and event managers/executives/specialists (28 per cent).
With organisations currently employing technologies like contactless payment options (69 per cent), AI chatbots (38 per cent), cybersecurity (31 per cent), big data (27 per cent), and IoT management (14 per cent), leaders in the sector are keen to send their employees for training in areas of digital/technology (79 per cent). This is followed by other training areas such as service engagement (77 per cent), sustainability (41 per cent), and holistic wellness travel and regenerative tourism (26 per cent).
In terms of service excellence, 70 per cent of tourism leaders strongly agree that tourism professionals need to upskill to enhance service experience, as only three per cent of leaders consider the quality of service in Singapore’s tourism sector as excellent. On the other hand, more than half of tourism leaders (52 per cent) consider it to be only average or below.
In addition, 75 per cent of tourism leaders reveal that their organisation intends to incorporate sustainability in their tourism offerings. Currently, energy conversion (63 per cent), sustainable waste management (58 per cent), sustainable sourcing and procurement (56 per cent), carbon footprint management (53 per cent), and water conservation (50 per cent) are the top sustainability measures organisations employ.
At present, only 15 per cent of tourism leaders are very familiar with holistic wellness and regenerative tourism, while 53 per cent are somewhat familiar. Despite that, about nine in ten agree (29 per cent strongly agree, 64 per cent somewhat agree) that it is important for Singapore to expand into holistic wellness travel and regenerative tourism.
Commenting on the report findings, Tay Ee Learn, chief sector skills officer, NTUC LearningHub, said: “In this dynamic landscape, tourism organisations must embrace transformation and align their business strategies with emerging trends to gain a competitive edge. It is paramount that these organisations shift their focus from merely filling job roles to skills upgrading to arm their workforce for new and redesigned job roles in the future workplace. By identifying skills gaps in the current workforce, communicating the urgency of upskilling and reskilling to employees, and providing readily available training opportunities, organisations can cultivate a conducive environment that facilitates the continuous learning and development of workers; thereby, securing a highly competent and motivated talent pool.”
The NTUC LearningHub’s Industry Insights Report 2024 on Tourism surveyed 167 business leaders in the tourism sector and interviews with experts from the Singapore Tourism Board, Workforce Singapore, and Resorts World Sentosa, and explores the sentiments towards hiring, training, and in-demand skills among leaders within the tourism sector.
China Southern Airlines, Qatar Airways’ codeshare partner, is launching a new route connecting Guangzhou and Doha from April 22.
China Southern Airlines will connect Guangzhou with Doha (pictured) come April
The new service will be operated on the Boeing 787 aircraft and will offer four weekly non-stop flights.
This will see China Southern becoming the third codeshare partner for Qatar Airways in China, joining its oneworld partner Cathay Pacific and Xiamen Airlines.
South African Airways will commence its non-stop three times a week service from Perth, Australia to Johannesburg, South Africa from April 28.
South African Airways
The 10-hour flight will depart O R Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at night, and arrive at Perth International Airport the following day. Flights from Perth are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with arrivals on the same day in Johannesburg.
This new route will be the second inter-oceanic route to be reopened following the launch of the Sao Paulo, Brazil route in October 2023.
Marriott International has raised more than US$347,000 through its annual charity event, Road to Give, to support charitable organisations across Asia-Pacific.
Road to Give encourages Marriott International associates to support meaningful local causes while engaging in different types of movement for their physical and mental well-being – running, walking, dancing and golfing were just some of the activities organised this year.
More than 21,000 associates from Marriott International hotels volunteered almost 50,000 hours in the ninth edition of Road to Give, with all proceeds donated to support local causes such as providing educational support to children at local orphanages and disadvantaged backgrounds; food donations to low-income communities; cleft surgery to children; medical care to patients with cancer and kidney-related diseases; and more.
“We are proud to see our hotels stepping up their Road to Give fundraising efforts this year! We raised almost US$100,000 more than the previous year, representing our associates’ dedication and passion to make the communities where they operate better places to live, work and visit,” said Andrew Newmark, chief human resources officer, Marriott International, Asia Pacific (excluding China).
“As we look forward to Road to Give’s ten-year milestone next year, I am incredibly excited to see what lies ahead in terms of how we strive to make even stronger, positive impact in our local communities.”