Budget brand Hop Inn to expand in Asia-Pacific

August 29, 2023

Hop Inn has announced its strategic investment plan of 10 billion baht (US$283.4 million) for its Asia-Pacific expansion, with the aim of achieving over 150 hotels and 14,000 keys operating across the region with expected revenue to grow by four times by 2030.

Operating under the Erawan Hop Inn Company, Hop Inn plans to expand to 100 hotels in Thailand, 15 hotels in the Philippines, and 35 hotels in other Asia-Pacific countries. The expansion will be executed either through mergers & acquisitions, newly built, lease and operate and franchise models.

Hop Inn plans to expand to over 150 hotels in Asia-Pacific

Petch Krainukul, president of Erawan Hop Inn, said: “After nearly a decade of successful operations of the Hop Inn brand in Thailand and the Philippines since its first established in 2014, (now is the time for a) significant shift of our business growth. We are now exploring investment opportunities in other counties in Asia-Pacific.”

He shared that the first move will start in Japan with an investment of 1.7 billion baht for the acquisition of three hotels and one long-term lease hotel within Tokyo and Kyoto. A total of 373 keys are expected to open by 1Q2024.

“It presents significant growth potential and an attractive investment opportunity where we can expand our budget hotel portfolio,” he added.

EVA Air adopts NDC, extends Amadeus partnership

By TTG Asia

August 29, 2023

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EVA Air and Amadeus have renewed their existing distribution agreement to offer more diverse and personalised options for travel sellers.

The extended partnership enables the Taiwan-based carrier to roll out NDC-sourced content powered by Altea NDC technology. This process will continue to evolve, with more information set to be released in the coming months.

EVA Air will roll out NDC-sourced content powered by Amadeus Altea NDC technology

“Amadeus is acknowledged as a leader in the travel technology space and has consistently proven to be a valuable partner to EVA Air. We are delighted to extend our existing distribution agreement today and are set to develop our New Distribution Capability (NDC) offering moving forward” said Eric Chiu, vice president, digital and information planning, EVA Air.

Frederic Saunier, vice president, airline distribution, Asia Pacific, Amadeus, commented: “With NDC technology, EVA Air will improve its retailing capabilities to tailor offerings for its customers and unlock new opportunities for travellers and travel sellers alike.”

EVA Air serves a global network that connects Asia to Europe, North America and Oceania, and links more than 60 major business and tourist destinations.

A taste of Korean culture in India

By TTG Asia

August 29, 2023

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The Korea Tourism Festival kicked off with an enchanting gala night in India, celebrating cultural connections and vibrant experiences.

Held at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram on August 26 and 27, the Korea Culture and Tourism Festival offered a unique opportunity to experience different facets of Korean culture, including K-Performance, K-Beauty, Korean food, and traditional games.

Korea Tourism Festival attendees were treated to a Taekwondo demonstration by Taekwoncre

The festival also marked 50 years of harmonious diplomacy between South Korea and India, and was graced by the presence of Younggeun Lee, executive director of Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and Roshan M Thomas, deputy secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. In addition, Anushka Sen, an Indian television actress, model, and influencer, has been named the honorary ambassador of Korea Tourism from India.

Attendees were treated to an exclusive presentation and tasting session of Korean temple food by a Buddhist nun & grand master temple food guru, as well as a captivating Taekwondo demonstration by Taekwoncre.

Moreover, KTO hosted a Travel Mart event on August 25, featuring participants like JeollaNamdo Tourism Organization, Gwangju City, nine destination management companies, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Bioface, and Amorepacific, who actively engaged in exploring various aspects of Korean travel and lifestyle.

Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific convenes in HK next month

By TTG Asia

August 29, 2023

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Following a four-year hiatus, Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific will return next month from October 24 to 26 at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong.

Themed Rebuilding Asia Cruising Together, the event will feature panels, workshops and presentations addressing relevant regional trends, threats and opportunities, with each session led by a panel of cruising’s most influential leaders and experts. The conference programme will be headlined by the State of the Asian Cruise Industry session, diving into major industry updates, current trends and outlook for the region’s future.

Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific will return in October to Hong Kong

The dedicated Supplier Showcase Zone will feature exhibitors including ports, destinations and service providers from across the region showcasing their latest facilities and products. Attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with colleagues through a variety of networking receptions hosted throughout the three days.

“Seatrade has been engaged with cruising in the Asia-Pacific region for 40 years, bringing cruise communities together to support the development of this emerging market,” said Chiara Giorgi, global brand and event director for Seatrade Cruise.

“Cruise operations are gradually restarting in this region with some markets returning strongly to near pre-pandemic levels. With several cruise lines already operating in the region and new players on the horizon, Seatrade is excited to be back in Hong Kong to continue supporting the recovery of the Asian cruise market.”

Birdwatching paradise at voco

By TTG Asia

August 29, 2023

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voco hotels has a new adventure for animal-loving guests with its exclusive Find Your Flock package.

Guests who book the Find Your Flock package will enjoy early bird check-in and complimentary breakfast. They can even borrow binoculars to help find nearby feathered friends during their stay, and children’s binoculars are also available upon request for the entire family to enjoy a relaxing bird-watching stroll.

voco hotels has launched a new package for bird enthusiasts, just in time for the migratory season

Bookings are open from now to September 30 for stays between September 1 and October 15 – just in time for the migratory season!

This offering is available across select hotels in the US and Singapore.

For more information, visit voco.

ASITA holds first travel fair

By Dhini Oktavianti

August 28, 2023

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ASITA Pariwisata, the association of Indonesia’s tour and travel companies, launched its first travel fair, in partnership with BRI Bank, last week.

Ensued by the B2B ASITA Jakarta Travel Mart (AJTM) events in the last few years, which were organised by the Jakarta Chapter, ASITA Pariwisata chairman Artha Hanif shared that the B2C ASITA Tour Travel Fair will provide a larger platform for members to market their products and boost their sales.

ASITA Pariwisata’s travel fair aims to provide a larger platform for members to market their products and boost their sales (Photo: Dhini Oktavianti)

The aim of the fair was to highlight the variety of products that association members – comprising inbound, outbound, domestic travel companies, as well as Umrah and Haj travel companies – offered, noted organising committee chairman Hasiyanna Ashadi.

She said: “By holding this travel fair, we are connecting members with customers (particularly BRI bank account holders who were given 15 per cent discount on sales). We are also encouraging members to be more creative with their products to attract customers, who expect to find new and interesting products.”

For example, Thayiba Tora Tour and Travel offered a bonus 3D2N trip to West Sumatra (Padang Bukittinggi and Solok), inclusive of accommodation and flights, to attendees who bought Umrah and Haj packages during the ASITA Tour Travel Fair.

Meanwhile, Buttonscarves Travel offered a Haj and Umrah package which comprised all pilgrimage necessities such as the ihram cloth, prayer mats, and even suitcases.

The Indonesian immigration office also set up a booth to serve passport applicants, making the show a one-stop shop for travellers.

During his opening speech, Triawan Munaf, tourism and creative economy deputy chairman of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, said: “ASITA is like a supermarket (whose members) do not only sell destinations, but need to be skilful to package and promote their products.”

He remarked such B2C events are important platforms for travel companies to market and sell their products, but it was also important to have a quality show and not merely focus on the quantity.

Indonesian developer teams up with Club Med on mega resort project

By Tiara Maharani

August 28, 2023

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Indonesian Paradise Property (Paradise Indonesia), a major developer of lifestyle properties of hotels, shopping centres, and apartments in Indonesia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vacances (Club Med) to build and manage five new resorts in Indonesia.

These mega projects will mark Club Med’s expanding presence in the country after the openings of Club Med Bali and Club Med Bintan which opened in 1984 and 1997 respectively.

From left: Paradise Indonesia’s Anthony Prabowo Susilo and Boyke Gozali, and Club Med’s Henri Giscard D’Estaing and Rachael Harding

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in Jakarta on August 25, Anthony Prabowo Susilo, president director of Indonesian Paradise Property, shared that the management contract will span a 30-year period.

He said: “Club Med and Paradise Indonesia share the same vision, to create holiday experiences in exotic destinations throughout Indonesia. With this collaboration, we aim to become the leader of premium all-inclusive and experimental vacations in exotic locations.”

Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of Club Med, stated: “Indonesia is the main focus for Club Med because it is projected to be one of the markets with the fastest growth by 2039.”

The project will take place over several phases. The first phase of development will focus on building three resorts in the next five years in North Sulawesi, West Java and Bali. The construction of the other two resorts, or the second phase, will be carried out after the first three are complete, with locations to be announced.

Speaking on the choice of destinations, Anthony said: “To build these resort areas, we are preparing around 300 hectares of land per project with a target of construction starting no later than 2025.”

He added that each project would amount to at least 500 billion rupiah (US$33 million).

Paradise Indonesia currently owns 13 hotels in Jakarta, Bali, Batam, Yogyakarta.

Thailand launches second edition of responsible tourism project

By TTG Asia

August 28, 2023

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With the success of the The One for Nature initiative in 2020, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has unveiled The 2nd The One for Nature project in its continuous efforts to promote responsible tourism in Thailand.

The 2020 project embodied the concept of Travel with Responsibility in Thailand, and aimed to spotlight Thailand’s sustainable tourism and safeguard the nation’s abundant natural resources.

Responsible tourism activities have been initiated in renowned destinations, such as the Walking Streets in Chiang Mai, pictured

The resurgence of this project offers travellers the opportunity to immerse themselves in more abundant natural surroundings once again after natural sights across Thailand have rejuvenated and restored their natural beauty.

TAT aims to promote responsible tourism under the brand Amazing Thailand, encouraging environmentally-conscious travellers from all over the world to participate in activities via the online channel which will elevate awareness and cooperation among international travellers and also foster responsible tourism practices in Thailand through international influencers.

In addition, some of the on-ground responsible tourism activities have been initiated in renowned destinations, such as Pattaya, Chon Buri, and Walking Streets in Chiang Mai and Phuket to strengthen awareness and encourage active participation from travellers across the country.

Emirates experiences one of its busiest summers ever

By TTG Asia

August 28, 2023

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This summer was one of Emirates’ busiest with over 14 million passengers with average seat load factors exceeding 80 per cent across its global network between June and August.

Looking at the coming months, Emirates’ booking trends show demand for international travel across its network.

Emirates anticipates a strong demand for international travel across its network in the coming months

Destination Dubai remained popular among travellers with two million customers travelling to the airline’s hub.

Top inbound markets to Dubai on Emirates during this period included the UK, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt and Kuwait. Over 35 per cent of visitors to Dubai travelling on Emirates were families, staying an average of over two weeks to experience the city’s sites and attractions.

This winter season, the airline anticipates another spike in demand for travel to Dubai as the city runs a packed calendar of global conferences, sporting events and more. The city has already welcomed more than 8.5 million international visitors in the first six months of 2023, registering more than a million more visitors during the same time last year.

Emirates’ chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said: “Travel demand across our network has been strong and resilient despite rising cost-of-living pressures in many markets. It shows the value that people place on travel – whether for work, play, study, or visiting loved ones; and how essential international air connectivity is to communities.”

From June to August, Emirates operated nearly 50,000 flights to and from 140 cities, carrying over 14 million passengers.

Emirates offers travellers convenient and extended access beyond its own global network, to over 800 cities in 100 countries – thanks to its 157 airline and rail partners.

Highlights this summer include launching daily flights to Montreal, Canada; additional services to 12 cities (Athens, Brisbane, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Budapest, Bologna, Medina, Jeddah, Entebbe, Venice and Shanghai); resuming daily services to Birmingham, Nice, Taipei and Shanghai; introducing new service to Bali; introducing its latest four-class A380 aircraft to Singapore, Los Angeles and Houston; as well as the new interline and expanded codeshare arrangements with Kenya Airways, Air Canada and Philippine Airlines.

mPay introduces global travel smart e-wallet for Macau residents

By TTG Asia

August 28, 2023

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Macau Pass S.A. (Macau Pass), together with Alipay+, will expand the coverage of the cross-border payment business of mPay to more than 40 countries overseas later this year.

These include the UAE, the UK, Switzerland, European Economic Area countries (such as France, Germany and Italy), Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the US.

Macau resident users can now easily make payments at more than 40 countries overseas; tourist in Prague, Czech Republic, pictured

Macau resident users can simply switch to the Alipay+ overseas payment code on mPay to access the cross-border payment function when they see the Alipay+ logo at the merchants in these countries.

Sun Ho, chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, said that the change in consumer culture and modern technology goes hand in hand in the new era, and demand for electronic payments, especially cross-border mobile payments, is also booming rapidly. mPay and Alipay+ strive to create a smart e-wallet that facilitates Macau residents to travel globally,which helps solve the issues they encounter with payment while travelling overseas.

mPay will continue to expand electronic payment, lifestyle services and marketing technology services to develop more open and diversified intelligent payment business scenarios.

Budget brand Hop Inn to expand in Asia-Pacific

EVA Air adopts NDC, extends Amadeus partnership

A taste of Korean culture in India

Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific convenes in HK next month

Birdwatching paradise at voco

ASITA holds first travel fair

Indonesian developer teams up with Club Med on mega resort project

Thailand launches second edition of responsible tourism project

Emirates experiences one of its busiest summers ever

mPay introduces global travel smart e-wallet for Macau residents

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