Marriott, USAID to lift economic conditions for Maldivian islands
Seven Marriott International resorts in Maldives and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently came together to look into collaboration with local islands that will expand economic opportunities for their residents.
The seven Marriott International resorts are represented by Marriott Maldives Business Council’s chairman Renato De Oliveira.
The partnership is aligned with Marriott International’s Take Care culture, a commitment to promote opportunity, community and purpose for all.
Possible outcomes from the partnership include tourism excursions on nearby inhabited islands, increased resort employment of local island residents, joint waste recycling efforts, locally sourced agriculture products, and more.
“Together we are paving the way for thriving communities and building a future where everyone’s potential is unleashed,” said De Oliveira, who is also general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands.
“We will continue to build deeper connections in local communities which are aimed to sustainable and mutually beneficial cooperation,” he added.
Batik Air connects Dubai and Kuala Lumpur
Batik Air has commenced direct flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, which is expected to fuel both leisure and business traffic between the two destinations.
Flight OD714 departs from Dubai every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 04.05, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 15.35 local time. The return flight, OD713, operates on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing at 23.05 local time and arriving in Dubai at 02.25. The flight is operated using a new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, with 12 business class and 150 economy class seats.
This follows the airline’s Jeddah-Kuala Lumpur service launched on August 15.
Ammar Abd Ghapar, director general of Tourism Malaysia, said the new service will support destination promotions in the lead up to Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
He added: “This will further boost the growth of traffic flow via Kuala Lumpur International Airport, opening up Malaysia more broadly to travellers from other international destinations and thus accelerating Malaysia’s tourism recovery.”
Meanwhile, group strategy director of Batik Air and Lion Group, Chandran Rama Muthy, said: “The new Dubai-Kuala Lumpur route expands Batik Air’s reach, seamlessly connecting (South-east Asia) and Asia-Pacific markets with the Middle East.”
Chinese carriers give up extra flight slots as travel demand takes a hit
The campaign to entice more long-stay tourists to Thailand has not been as effective as government projections hoped, with the disappointing numbers of arrivals leading Chinese carriers to readjust operational requirements for flights into Thailand for the near future.
The knock-on effect comes from less-than-successful attempts to inspire Chinese tourists with reduced admin and costs for long-term visas to stay in the country. The launch of the campaign meant that several Chinese airlines requested extra flight slots into Suvarnabhumi International Airport, alongside additional ground crew to cope with increased operations.
At the time of launch (during Golden Week), numbers in arrivals went up to approximately 18,000 passengers per day. However, once Golden Week concluded, the figures slumped down to just 8,000, before rising slightly to 10,000 – but these numbers have not been enough to impact the economy in real terms.
When the drive for more Chinese arrivals failed to inspire tourists to come to Thailand in anywhere near the numbers expected, the airlines did not sell enough tickets to make the additional flights profitable, and they had to give up the extra staffing requirements and additional flight windows.
The scheme for reducing red tape and fees for long-term visas has been a key component of prime minister Srettha Thavisin’s strategy for reinvigorating the economy, and he was keen to defend its potential, laying the blame for the shortfall on a stagnant Chinese economy and China’s promotion of domestic travel. It is also impossible to ignore the impact the Bangkok mall shooting in October has had on a source market that places a premium on safety and security.
However, Srettha remains confident in the allure of the visa exemption campaign and there are plans to roll out similar terms in other territories, including India, Taiwan, and potentially Europe.
Onyx Hospitality Group witnesses soaring demand from Indian market
Thailand-based hospitality management company, Onyx Hospitality Group is witnessing strong growth numbers from the Indian market.
Kashyap Vora, vice president – corporate finance, investments & development of Onyx Hospitality Group, shared with TTG Asia that properties in Thailand, Malaysia and Maldives are leading in terms of the demand generation from India.
“The demand from the Indian market is at an all-time high and growing rapidly. Comparatively, the Indian market has exhibited the highest growth base among other markets. The buoyant Indian economy and digitisation in the country are helping to grow the numbers from the Indian market,” said Vora.
Detailing the impressive growth statistics, Vora noted the phenomenal rise in Indian outbound marketing for properties like Amari Bangkok, Amari Pattaya, and Amari Phuket, boasting an approximate 108 per cent growth rate this year. Additionally, the newly-opened property, Amari Raya, in the Maldives has experienced a rapid surge in Indian arrivals.
Highlighting the growth in Malaysia, where the group operates four properties including Amari Penang, Amari Kuala Lumpur, Amari Johor Bahru, and Ozo in Penang, Vora remarked: “Two properties, Amari Penang and Amari Kuala Lumpur, have witnessed a 58 per cent increase in arrivals from India this year.”
Apart from higher occupancy from the Indian market, the group is also witnessing an increase in the average length of stay for Indian travellers. “Sharing an example, the average length of stay of India travellers visiting our Thailand properties used to be four to five nights. Now we have seen it increased to six to seven nights,” he said.
To tap the Indian market, the group with 55 years of operating history is also introducing India specific products in its properties like Nila, which offers Indian coastal cuisine apart from organising trade road shows in India.
As part of its expansion plans, Onyx Hospitality Group is gearing up to unveil new properties in the coming months, including Amari properties in Colombo and Laos, along with three additional properties in Malaysia under the Shama portfolio.
IHG signs InterContinental Sabah Kota Kinabalu Resort
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Taipei real estate broker Zhancheng Tourism Development have partnered to introduce the eco-friendly InterContinental Sabah Kota Kinabalu Resort.
The 450-room new-build beachfront resort located in the capital of Sabah is scheduled to open in 2027. It will be IHG’s third hotel in Kota Kinabalu together with Holiday Inn Express Kota Kinabalu City Centre and the upcoming Crowne Plaza Kota Kinabalu Waterfront.
InterContinental Sabah Kota Kinabalu Resort will adopt environmentally-friendly practices throughout its design, construction and operations, and provide guests with immersive, close-to-nature stays through experiences that value, protect and care for the biodiversity of its location. All rooms, suites and villas will offer a strong “back-to-nature” theme steeped in Borneo culture, and feature a full range of modern creature comforts.
Some sustainability-based initiatives will include the resort using recycled water via a rainwater filtration system, local sourcing of goods and materials, an on-site food garden, and the use of low carbon materials from the local area.
Just a 25-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, InterContinental Sabah Kota Kinabalu Resort will feature a 600m-long beach, with facilities such as four restaurants and bars, 2,400m2 of meeting space, fitness centre, spa, kids club, three outdoor pools and the Club InterContinental Lounge. Activities offered comprise island hopping, snorkelling, forest walks, mangrove kayaking expeditions, and firefly and proboscis monkey cruises.
Rajit Sukumaran, managing director, South East Asia and Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Kota Kinabalu is one of the leading leisure destinations in Malaysia and an eco-tourism hub renowned for its nature-based attractions and rich cultural heritage… we’re invested in bringing new and unique experiences to a range of city and resort destinations.”
Jetstar Asia restarts Singapore-Osaka services
Jetstar Asia has relaunched its service from Singapore to Osaka via Manila on November 24.
The low-cost carrier will operate five services a week between Singapore and Osaka, increasing to daily from December 30 to meet the pent-up demand for the service.
Birdwatching at The Aviary Hotel in Cambodia
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.
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).
In response to the Malaysian government’s move to offer 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from China and India starting December 1, 2023, AirAsia will increase services between China-Malaysia and India-Malaysia starting in the first quarter of 2024. The change will result in 230 weekly flights with up to 5.2 million seats per year.
The announcement coincides with the recent announcement of the easing of travel restrictions for Malaysians to China, from December 1.
Parent company Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking initiative.
“AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make visiting Malaysia easier. The 30-day visa-free entry for the citizens of China and India will surely provide a welcome boost for Malaysia’s tourism and its economy ahead of the upcoming peak travel season while boosting economic bonds between these great nations. As a vital player in the aviation sector, we stand ready to add capacity to support the demand for affordable and accessible air travel in the region.”
AirAsia Aviation Group’s group CEO, Bo Lingam, added: “We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance regional connectivity in two of our largest markets, but also to act as a catalyst for significant economic growth. With an estimated 4.6 million guests expected to travel on our extensive network of 26 routes in China and India in 2024 alone, we are ready to play a pivotal role in achieving Malaysia’s ambitious tourism targets of 25 million international tourists annually.”
Both AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia fly 17 routes into the country with a total of 156 flights weekly. AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia fly from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Kunming, Guilin, Nanning, Shantou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. AirAsia Malaysia also flies from Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Wuhan, as well as from Johor Bahru to Guangzhou.
Both airlines have also increased frequencies to nine routes into India with a total of 74 flights weekly. AirAsia Malaysia flies from Kuala Lumpur to Bengaluru, Kolkata, Cochin, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy, and Trivandrum – a new destination starting in February 2024. AirAsia X Malaysia flies from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi and Amritsar.