Prepare your taste buds for an immersive dining experience as Le Petit Chef takes centre stage at Restaurant Espoir in Singapore from December 13.
Building on its previous success, this unique experience is renowned for its innovative and theatrical dining concept, combining cutting-edge technology with exquisite cuisine to deliver a one-of-a-kind gastronomic adventure. Patrons will witness a miniature chef guide them through a virtual world, preparing delectable dishes right before their eyes.
Le Petit Chef returns to Singapore this December
Choose from two exclusive five-course menus for adults, starting at S$168 (US$126). Specialised vegan and junior menus are also available – the show is not recommended for children below five years of age.
Restaurant Espoir is now open for reservations for December 2023 and January 2024.
Dorsett Hospitality International has appointed Harmesh Singh as the new general manager for Silka Maytower Kuala Lumpur, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel.
Having worked in the industry for more than 20 years, Singh has experience in sales and marketing as well as operations, and was most recently the director of sales & marketing for WEIL Hotel in Ipoh, Malaysia.
Manta Air will start direct flights from India to the tropical paradise of Maldives from January 2024.
The airline will operate direct flights from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to the Maldives’ Dhaalu Airport, allowing visitors to avoid transiting through the main Velana International Airport at Male, and gaining direct access to many luxury resorts located in Dhaalu atoll.
Manta Air will fly direct from India to the Maldives, and will handle the immigration processes at Dhaalu Airport
Manta Air will provide easy immigration processes exclusively for its guests at Dhaalu Airport, enabling quick transfers. Dhaalu Atoll is host to several resorts, including Kandima Maldives, Niyama Private Islands, St Regis Maldives, RIU, Baglioni, Angsana Velavaru, and Sun Siyam Iru Veli.
All flights will arrive in the Maldives in the mornings and depart late in the evenings for India.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the travel industry was a key theme of MarketHub Asia 2023 last week. Discussions flowed, and minds were blown by the possibilities that the new technology heralds for the future, but there was also much concern over the negative implications the AI revolution might have on employment – specifically, the kind of role that travel agents will play in an automated world.
During a round table break-out session, Carlos Muñoz, chief commercial officer of HBX Group, the parent firm of Hotelbeds, organiser of the event, sought to dispel the notion travel agencies will be rendered obsolete and that AI-powered chatbots will take the place of human beings, stating that AI will enhance the services provided by living, breathing travel agents.
AI can help enhance the services provided by live travel agents
“At the moment, there are many reasons why it is a painful, laborious process to create a travel experience for the customer. AI can remove those pain points and help create the right itinerary,” said Muñoz.
“The technology is here to help travel agencies create more value for the consumer – and the arrival of AI in the workplace will help travel agencies eliminate friction and become much more productive.”
Indeed, AI-powered chatbots can relieve travel agents from the more tedious aspects of their jobs by automating repetitive tasks, such as booking flights, hotels, and tours. By analysing customer data, including search history, social media activity, and purchase history, AI can recognise patterns and trends in behaviour that can be used to create effective personalised marketing campaigns to attract and retain customers.
However, as Muñoz pointed out, there is much more to the role of a travel agency.
“As a consumer, I use travel agencies to reduce my pain points. I don’t want to explore every possible destination option, and, crucially, I do not want to make any mistakes when booking. What I do want is advice and guidance. Something that AI will never be able to provide.”
The option to sidestep a travel agent has been possible for many years by directly booking hotels, flights, tours, and car rentals on company websites or through OTA’s. Freeing staff from mundane and repetitive tasks will allow travel agencies to focus on complex tasks requiring human intelligence, creativity, and sensitivity.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited has joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a group of over 200 of the world’s leading sustainable businesses.
The initial focus of the collaboration between WBCSD and Alibaba will be on Climate Action, particularly in finding innovative ways to leverage Alibaba’s platforms for broad decarbonisation and work with WBCSD members on the Avoided Emissions framework and methodologies.
The collaboration will include finding innovative ways to leverage Alibaba’s platforms for broad decarbonisation
Alibaba Group is powered by a global workforce from over 60 countries and regions, and has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2030. It also introduced a Scope 3+ target which is based on the potential of leveraging its digital technology and platforms to enable and engage a wider group of stakeholders to promote low-carbon products, services and behaviours.
“(Alibaba Group’s) commitment to advancing sustainability and decarbonisation aligns with our vision for a better world where nine billion people live well, within planetary boundaries. Alibaba’s position as the largest e-commerce and digital technology company from Asia to join WBCSD will bring valuable platforms and technological capabilities to our collaborative efforts,” said Peter Bakker, president and CEO of WBCSD.
Alibaba Group’s chief financial officer and chair of the group’s Sustainability Steering Committee, Toby Xu, shared: “We strive to work with our partners across industries to create enduring, wide-ranging, and impactful value for our stakeholders. We are excited to collaborate with WBCSD on advancing our climate actions, along with other initiatives, that contribute to a net-zero and sustainable future.”
The Lufthansa Group is extending its Green Fares to longhaul flights with this sustainable product offered for the first time in Asia-Pacific.
The fare will initially be tested on 12 selected routes for flights from November 30, and the airlines participating in the test are Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and SWISS, which offer the connections.
The Lufthansa Group is extending its Green Fares to longhaul flights on 12 selected routes, including Asia-Pacific
The 12 selected routes include Bangkok-Vienna; Brussels-Kinshasa; Frankfurt-Bengaluru; Frankfurt-Miami; Hong Kong-London; London-Hong Kong; Munich-Seoul; Nairobi-Frankfurt; Paris-Bangkok; Sao Paulo-Zurich; Singapore-London; and Zurich-Los Angeles.
Passengers booking flights with Lufthansa Group airlines, for example from London to Hong Kong or Paris to Bangkok via the airlines’ hubs, will also automatically be shown the Green Fares tariff.
The fare includes full offsetting of individual, flight-related CO2 emissions through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. All projects in the Lufthansa Group climate project portfolio are certified according to the highest available standards.
In February, the Lufthansa Group successfully introduced Green Fares for routes within Europe and to North Africa – since the launch, over 500,000 passengers have opted for a Green Fares flight.
“The growing demand for our Green Fares fare shows that more and more people want to travel as sustainably as possible. We support them with suitable offers. The Green Fares test on longhaul flights will provide us with important insights for the further development of our portfolio for more sustainable travel,” said Christina Foerster, member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board responsible for Brand & Sustainability.
Hotel Mi Rochor, Singapore
Hotel Mi Rochor is the latest addition to Singapore, surrounded by the colourful charms of Little India and Kampong Glam, the Bugis shopping district, and the Bencoolen arts enclave.
Featuring 530 rooms, the hotel is conveniently located next to Rochor MRT station, providing direct train access to many popular shopping and dining spots and the CBD.
On the property, guest can enjoy facilities like the outdoor pool, gym, gardens, and all-day dining restaurant.
Hotel Mi Rochor also features eco-conscious elements, such as biodegradable bathroom amenities, reusable bath amenity bottles, and in-room filtered water dispensers.
Artyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai
Artyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai, China
Located along the Huangpu River in the buzzy cultural hub and new CBD of Qiantan, Shanghai, this new lifestyle hotel is located adjacent to the Bank of Communications and New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center.
The hotel boasts 202 rooms and suites, F&B options, as well and meeting venues.
Nearby the property are shopping, dining, and entertainment including Taikoo Li, Oriental Sports Centre, and NYU Shanghai. The Bund, People’s Square and Xujiahui are just 15 minutes away by car.
The Singapore Edition
The Singapore Edition, Singapore
The Singapore Edition is the brand’s first hotel in the region and offers a tranquil green escape from Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road.
The 204-key hotel features a collection of restaurants and bars, spa, gym, garden courtyard, rooftop pool, and event spaces.
Wyndham Grand Bangsar Kuala Lumpur
Wyndham Grand Bangsar Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wyndham Grand Bangsar Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar, offers 513 rooms and expansive event spaces, including a ballroom that can host up to 2,000 people, and a collection of 12 versatile meeting rooms.
Other facilities are an outdoor pool, spa, gym, restaurant, executive lounge, and onsite parking.
Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point
Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point, Australia
The 105-room Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point is a boutique hotel tucked behind the city’s iconic neon Coca-Cola sign in the King Cross neighbourhood.
The theatrical lobby welcomes guests to a specially curated art collection, and guests can even add their own touch to the atmosphere, selecting vintage vinyl records to spin on the lobby’s turntable each evening.
The rooms provide stocked mini bars, local designer bathrobes and Biology care amenities.
By day, guests can explore bistros, boutiques and galleries at Potts Point – come nightfall, bars, clubs and theatre starts right from the hotel’s doorstep on Kings Cross Road. Also nearby is Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, as well as harbour side and the CBD.
Space Fest @ Expo returns this December with a cosmic array of family-friendly activities lined-up from December 2 to 31.
Held at Singapore Expo, Space Fest @ Expo will transform 10,000m² of exhibition hall space into an intergalactic playground, featuring over 20 space-themed carnival rides by Singapore’s leading carnival organiser Uncle Ringo.
Space Fest @ Expo returns this December and will feature a wide array of family-friendly activities
Families with children aged two years and above can also look forward to games and fun craft activities to challenge their skills and creativity.
Expect a selection of F&B and retail offerings at the festival, as well as check out the marketplace Aurora Bazaar.
A line-up of live entertainment and stage performances by local bands such as Jive Talkin’, Shaggies and The ETC will keep everyone grooving on the weekends. Visitors can also bring home memories of their interstellar adventures at the instant photo booth and snap tons of Insta-worthy shots at the unique installations around the festival grounds.
Best panoramic view of Pattaya viewpoint from Pratumnak Hill. Pattaya city skyline in Chonburi Thailand.
The travel industry in Pattaya received a boost this week with the announcement that a new organisation, the Association of Chonburi Tourism Federation (ACTF), has been established to help lead the resurgence of the region’s economy.
Chonburi has had a strong 2023 – recording 17.2 million arrivals in September 2023 – to become the most popular destination in the country after Phuket.
The new federation will empower small businesses as well as launch initiatives to promote tourism in the province; Pattaya in Thailand, pictured
However, despite these relatively decent numbers, the yield from travel and tourism is still below the peak levels of 2019, and the occupancy rate so far, in November, is just 60 per cent. This is due to a lower number of arrivals than forecast by government economists, a shortfall that has been blamed on the failure of recent campaigns to attract tourists, such as the slashing of visa requirements for Chinese, Indian and Russian tourists.
Speaking to reporters, the newly-elected president of the ACTF, Thanes Supornsaharungsri, explained that the objective of the newly-formed federation is to bring together tourism partners in Chonburi province, which includes Pattaya, to address the challenges currently faced by the tourism industry and enhance the competitiveness of the private sector.
Comprising more than 20 travel and tourism associations and professional groups, including Sriracha Koh Si Chang Tourism and the Thai Hotels Association (eastern chapter), the concept for the ACTF grew out of collaborative efforts from stakeholders created during the pandemic to help power innovation and unite the local industry under one united banner.
Additionally, the federation will empower small businesses with the voice and standing to contribute to discussions about the future of the region’s infrastructure and development plans.
The ACTF has already planned several initiatives to promote tourism in the province. These include the development of new tourist attractions, improved connectivity, and the promotion of eco-tourism activities that will be beneficial to the environment and local communities.
With nearly 30 years of experience, Henssler has held senior leadership positions in Europe, the Middle East, and China.
Having worked in the industry for more than 20 years, Singh has experience in sales and marketing as well as operations, and was most recently the director of sales & marketing for WEIL Hotel in Ipoh, Malaysia.
