Sentosa breaks ground on Asia’s first climate adaptation hub

August 3, 2026

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has broken ground on Asia’s first experiential climate adaptation hub as part of a three-year partnership with the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s SG Eco Fund.

Changing Course – Climate Adaptation Hub, developed by SDC and Terra SG, will open at Imbiah Lookout by the end of 2026. The attraction will be free to the public and is the first project under the SG Eco Fund’s Climate Adaptation Package.

Changing Course – Climate Adaptation Hub is scheduled to open at Sentosa’s Imbiah Lookout by the end of 2026

Located next to Sentosa Nature Discovery on the former Sijori Wondergolf site, the hub will use the nature-reclaimed landscape as a learning environment to explore climate change and adaptation.

Seven experiential zones will cover flood resilience, coastal protection, passive cooling, biodiversity recovery, ecological succession and the role individuals can play in climate resilience. Paid guided programmes for schools, companies and the public will be introduced from 2027.

Terra SG developed the educational content and visitor experience with SDC, alongside students, teachers and academic partners from the National Institute of Education and Nanyang Technological University.

The wider three-year partnership will also support the Cooling Sentosa Roadmap and provide opportunities to showcase projects by SG Eco Fund grant recipients through Sentosa events and programmes.

SDC CEO Thien Kwee Eng said: “Sustainability is most meaningful when people can experience it for themselves. Changing Course reflects our vision of Sentosa as a place where guests can discover not only nature but also how we can strengthen it for future generations.

“This collaboration with SG Eco Fund and Terra SG is an important step to foster greater awareness and encourage the wider community to embrace innovative solutions to climate adaption and mitigation.”

Desmond Ho, trust secretary, SG Eco Fund, added: “Building climate resilience is a shared responsibility that requires the collective efforts of stakeholders across the public, private and community sectors. Through our partnership with SDC, we hope to deepen the awareness of the impacts of climate change and inspire more ground-up action to strengthen Singapore’s climate adaptation.”

Hotel Okura plans 2028 debut in Türkiye’s Cappadocia

By TTG Asia

August 3, 2026

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Hotel Okura Co. will open Hotel Okura Thermal Resort & Spa Cappadocia in Türkiye in 2028, marking the Japanese hotel operator’s entry into the country.

Located in the historic village of Mustafapaşa in the Cappadocia region, the 102-room resort is being developed in partnership with Türkiye-based real estate and hospitality investment group KK Universal.

The 102-key Hotel Okura Thermal Resort & Spa Cappadocia will feature a spa and wellness centre when it opens in 2028

The development builds on the Okura Spa & Resort Cappadocia project first revealed in 2015. Plans have since been expanded to include additional land and a larger focus on thermal and wellness facilities.

The resort will comprise four buildings, combining preserved historic stone structures with new facilities, with three buildings connected by underground passages. A historic mansion acquired for the project will also be restored and incorporated into the property.

Wellness facilities will centre on a 3,500m² spa and wellness centre, featuring thermal baths using mineral-rich spring water, traditional Turkish hammams and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Three dining venues are planned, including Hotel Okura’s teppanyaki restaurant Sazanka and an all-day dining restaurant.

Mustafapaşa, about 55km from Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport, is located within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cappadocia region. The village was recognised under UN Tourism’s Best Tourism Villages initiative in 2021.

Toshihiro Ogita, president, Hotel Okura Co., said: “This project represents an important opportunity to introduce the Okura philosophy to guests in one of Türkiye’s most remarkable destinations. Through Okura’s signature hospitality, rooted in the spirit of Japanese omotenashi, we aspire to serve as a bridge between Türkiye and Japan.”

Chatrium opens bookings for its Phuket debut

By TTG Asia

August 3, 2026

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Reservations are now open for Chatrium Phuket Rawai ahead of its opening in 4Q2026. Located on Rawai Beach, the resort is Chatrium Hospitality’s first property in Phuket and offers a base for exploring the island’s southern coast.

The resort will feature 304 rooms, suites and pool villas, with interiors inspired by the maritime heritage of Rawai’s Chao Lay community.

Chatrium Phuket Rawai will welcome guests from the fourth quarter of 2026, marking Chatrium Hospitality’s first resort in Phuket with 304 rooms, suites and pool villas

The resort includes splash pools, water slides and the Kalui kids’ club for families, while guests seeking relaxation can visit the Nemita spa or spend time by the pool. Dining focuses on fresh coastal flavours served in a relaxed setting.

Rawai is known for its fishing village atmosphere and access to nearby islands. Promthep Cape, Nai Han Beach and Ya Nui Beach are within easy reach, while Phuket Old Town is around 30 to 40 minutes away by car. Phuket International Airport is approximately 90 minutes away.

To celebrate the opening, the Seaside Grand Opening offer includes accommodation with breakfast for guests booking an opening stay.

For more information, visit Chatrium Phuket Rawai.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore names new culinary director

By TTG Asia

August 3, 2026

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Pedro Samper has been appointed director of culinary at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

He joins from The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, where he served as executive chef.

Samper brings more than 20 years of international culinary experience, having held senior roles at The Langham Hong Kong, The St Regis Kuala Lumpur, The St Regis Maldives and Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

Pallavi Pandey leads sales at JW Marriott Mussoorie

By TTG Asia

July 31, 2026

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Pallavi Pandey has been appointed director of sales at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa.

She joins from Naukuchia House – IHCL SeleQtions, where she served as director of sales, overseeing sales strategy, budgeting, forecasting and revenue growth.

Pandey brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience, including roles with Leisure Hotels Group, Summit Hotels & Resorts and Clarks Inn Group.

Sports, entertainment build tourism advantage: industry speakers

By Karen Yue

July 31, 2026

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Resorts, attractions and destination managers speaking at the Southeast Asia Business Events Forum on July 29 agreed that the right blend of entertainment and public events can improve quality tourism outcomes.

Vivien Oh, director of international MICE, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, shared that the integrated resort presents an annual line-up of sports and lifestyle events that “enlivens” the guest experience and encourages repeat visits.

Events such as the Borobudur Marathon, pictured, are helping destinations attract visitors while generating benefits for surrounding communities

Events in 2025 included Clash of the Giants, which featured a futsal match between the Manchester Reds and Liverpool Reds Legends, and the Asia-Pacific premiere of Universal Pictures’ Wicked: For Good.

These events also demonstrate the versatility of Resorts World Sentosa’s event spaces. Its 6,000m² column-free ballroom can host a conference one day and turn into a concert hall the next.

At Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan & Ratu Boko, which manages three heritage attractions in Indonesia, a mix of cultural, spiritual and music festivals has helped to attract higher-yielding visitors.

Gistang Richard Panutur, commercial director of Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan & Ratu Boko, shared that events such as the Borobudur Jazz Festival in July attracted 80,000 people, while the Borobudur Marathon typically draws 13,000 runners.

Gistang noted that these heritage attractions cannot simply bring “millions and millions of people” onsite due to conservation and preservation priorities. Hence, meaningful events are necessary to attract quality tourists who will positively impact the “society and communities surrounding our sites”.

One positive outcome of hosting events at the 1,200-year-old Borobudur Buddhist temple is income contribution to the surrounding Magelang Regency in Central Java.

Ahmad Fajar, acting president director of InJourney Tourism Development Corporation – which develops and manages integrated tourism areas in Indonesia, including Nusa Dua, Golo Mori and Mandalika – shared that events can enable destinations to expand their source markets.

Through sporting events such as MotoGP Indonesia and the Mandalika Racing Series, Mandalika has been able to develop a sports tourism niche alongside corporate hospitality and wellness tourism. These events have also led to the development of hotels, homestays, restaurants and local shops, as well as the creation of local employment.

Bangkok hotels gear up for Asia’s largest Hyrox race

By Anne Somanas

July 31, 2026

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Bangkok hotels are turning the August 13-16, 2026 staging of BYD Hyrox Bangkok into commercial product, with race-week rates and recovery offerings for the more than 22,000 participants expected at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center for the largest Hyrox race held in Asia. The race runs for four days, up from three in March, when it drew nearly 17,500 participants.

“This will be the biggest Hyrox race in the history of Asia, which is important not only for Bangkok, but for Asia as a whole,” said Gary Wan, managing director of Hyrox Asia Pacific. Hyrox partners with more than 170 gyms in Thailand, including 100 in Bangkok.

Hyrox is staging more than 100 events in its 2025/26 season, drawing over one million participants across five continents, including 17 events in Asia-Pacific this year; photo by Hyrox

Hyatt, Hyrox’s official regional hotel partner in Asia-Pacific, has eight Bangkok hotels participating in the World of Hyatt Hyrox Stay Experience, which requires a minimum two-night stay and offers 10 per cent off member rates, 15 per cent off F&B and spa treatments, and in-room recovery amenities.

Sammy Carolus, general manager of Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit, one of the programme hotels closest to the venue, reports a stronger mix from nearby South-east Asian markets.

“We are seeing a healthy pickup with booking pace around 32 per cent ahead of the same period last year, and Hyrox is clearly part of that story,” said Carolus. He added that participants often travel with family or friends, turning race weekend into a getaway that spreads spend across the city.

Another programme hotel, Andaz One Bangkok, has added an ice bath and a complimentary passive stretching session for recovery.

“Hyrox’s global race calendar encourages athletes to compete in multiple host cities, with each event offering World Championships qualification,” said Ross Cooper, general manager of Andaz One Bangkok. “With the event in August this time, it also presents an opportunity to generate incremental inbound demand during a traditionally softer travel period.”

Booking pace is still building at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon – also a World of Hyatt hotel – where general manager Patrick Janssen expects conversion closer to the event.

“Demand often builds nearer to the event, and we anticipate more last-minute bookings from participants and spectators,” said Janssen. “The Standard attracts guests seeking experiences that combine wellness, dining and culture, making Hyrox a strong fit for our audience, and we remain optimistic as the event approaches.”

Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, the first hotel in Thailand to join the global Hyrox network as part of the Hyrox Training Club, is also launching a hybrid training collaboration with VitalLife Scientific Wellness Center, part of Bumrungrad International Hospital, on July 31 ahead of the race. The programme covers medical performance insights and a recovery technology experience with red light therapy brand Dawn.

AI adoption surges among Chinese travel agencies

By Anne Somanas

July 31, 2026

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According to the latest Dragon Trail Research Chinese Outbound Travel Trade Survey, published on July 29, 2026, AI adoption is nearly universal among Chinese travel agencies, with most expecting increased use.

“In Dragon Trail’s summer 2025 Chinese Outbound Travel Trade Survey, 82 per cent of travel agents said their company was already using AI – one year later, the proportion has risen to 99 per cent,” noted Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications at Dragon Trail International.

Chinese travel agencies are expanding their use of AI across travel information management, translation and other business functions

Dragon Trail’s summer survey of 310 Chinese travel trade professionals currently engaged in selling outbound travel products explored how Chinese travel agents are using AI, as well as the technology’s current limitations and opportunities for future improvement.

The results showed that 99 per cent of travel agents reported at least some AI adoption by their companies, with 25 per cent saying the technology has been widely adopted across multiple business areas and another 46 per cent saying it is used in some business areas.

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, 89 per cent of respondents expected AI adoption by their companies to increase.

“Chinese travel agencies are using AI for a wide variety of business areas, the most popular of which are travel information collection and management for products such as hotels and flights, and translation and multi-lingual support, both selected by half of respondents,” said Parulis-Cook.

The survey also found that travel agents want to use AI to enhance personalisation but face challenges in doing so.

“Over half of our respondents (53 per cent) say this is the area where AI has the greatest potential to help them improve their business – but at the same time, customer information management is currently the area where travel agencies are least likely to be using AI and data security and privacy concerns are seen as the biggest challenge to applying AI to their business by 63 per cent of respondents,” Parulis-Cook elaborated.

She added that over the last year, Dragon Trail has been rolling out new AI tools for B2B marketing, including AI-powered support for live events and AI-enhanced travel trade marketing hubs, helping its clients to “connect more easily to the Chinese travel trade and empower travel agents to keep selling to this still-hungry market”.

Meliá Collection to make Vietnam debut with Mui Ne resort

By TTG Asia

July 31, 2026

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Meliá Hotels International will introduce its luxury Meliá Collection brand to Vietnam with the signing of Ocaria Retreat Mui Ne, a beachfront resort scheduled to open in 2029.

The 187-key property will comprise 156 guestrooms and 31 villas, becoming the first Meliá Collection hotel in Vietnam. It is being developed in partnership with Nam Chau Tourism JSC.

Ocaria Retreat Mui Ne will become Vietnam’s first Meliá Collection property when it opens in 2029

Located on Mui Ne’s beachfront, the resort has been designed as a coastal retreat that incorporates natural ventilation, sustainable materials and architecture inspired by the surrounding sand dunes and sea. Facilities will include two dining venues, a spa, fitness centre, meeting spaces, a kids’ club and an outdoor swimming pool.

Meliá currently operates 22 hotels in Vietnam, with six more properties in the pipeline. The addition of Meliá Collection expands the group’s portfolio in the country to five brands.

Mui Ne, around a three-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City via the Long Thanh-Dau Giay-Phan Thiet Expressway, is known for its beaches, red sand dunes and fishing village. Accessibility to the destination is expected to improve further with the future opening of Phan Thiet Airport.

The hotel also marks Meliá’s first collaboration in Vietnam with Nam Chau Tourism JSC, reflecting the group’s continued expansion through partnerships with local developers.

Aviation roundup: Cathay Pacific, TransNusa and more

By TTG Asia

July 31, 2026

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Cathay Pacific expands Latin America codeshares
Cathay Pacific is boosting its Latin America network with new codeshare services to Fortaleza and Recife in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic through oneworld partner Iberia via Madrid.

The additions will bring Argentina and the Dominican Republic into Cathay Pacific’s codeshare network for the first time.

Cathay Pacific currently serves six destinations in four Latin American countries through codeshare partnerships: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil, Mexico City and Guadalajara in Mexico, Lima in Peru, and Santiago in Chile.

To support the expanded codeshare network, Cathay Pacific will add three weekly flights to its non-stop Hong Kong-Madrid service from October 25, 2026, increasing the route to daily operations. The additional flights will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

TransNusa connects Bali and Phuket
TransNusa has launched direct scheduled flights between Bali and Phuket, expanding its international network from Bali.

The new service operates four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using an Airbus A320 with 174 seats.

Phuket becomes TransNusa’s fourth international destination from Bali, joining Perth, Singapore and Guangzhou, as the airline continues to develop Bali as one of its international hubs in Indonesia.

The route also expands TransNusa’s links with Thailand. The airline will begin scheduled flights between Jakarta and Bangkok on August 6, its second new international route in the second half of 2026.

Emirates rolls out new Economy headrests
Emirates is introducing adjustable headrests across its Economy Class cabins, with installation under way across its fleet.

The U-Dream headrest will be fitted to Economy Class seats on all Emirates Airbus A350s and most of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. Three A350 aircraft are already equipped with the headrest, with the airline targeting installation across its entire A350 fleet by the end of 2026.

The headrest will also be pre-installed on all 270 Boeing 777X aircraft ordered by Emirates. From 2027, installation will begin on the airline’s retrofitted Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.

Developed with Safran Seats as part of its Z400 seat, the headrest can be adjusted vertically and tilted, while its side wings fold inwards to provide head and neck support. It has been tested to meet European Union Aviation Safety Agency safety standards.

Cebu Pacific to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi
Cebu Pacific will equip its fleet with Starlink inflight Wi-Fi from 2027, becoming the first low-cost carrier in South-east Asia to offer the service for passengers, flight crews and operational teams.

Cebu Pacific and fellow Indigo Partners portfolio airlines Frontier Airlines, Wizz Air, Volaris and JetSMART plan to install Starlink on more than 1,000 aircraft collectively.

The satellite-based system, developed by SpaceX, will support activities including streaming, online gaming and internet-based work during flights.

Sentosa breaks ground on Asia’s first climate adaptation hub

Hotel Okura plans 2028 debut in Türkiye’s Cappadocia

Chatrium opens bookings for its Phuket debut

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore names new culinary director

Pallavi Pandey leads sales at JW Marriott Mussoorie

Sports, entertainment build tourism advantage: industry speakers

Bangkok hotels gear up for Asia’s largest Hyrox race

AI adoption surges among Chinese travel agencies

Meliá Collection to make Vietnam debut with Mui Ne resort

Aviation roundup: Cathay Pacific, TransNusa and more

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