Visitors to Marina Bay Sands can look forward to the introduction of three new programmes – Eye of the Waterfall Tour, Sampan Musical Voyage, and Sunset in the Sky.
Sampan Musical Voyage is joined by Sampan singers
The Eye of the Waterfall guided tour on the Sampan Rides allows visitors to get a close-up view of the Rain Oculus and offers insight into the design and sustainability features the attraction. The tour is available every Tuesday at 17.00.
From now to August 2, the Sampan Musical Voyage welcomes visitors to embark on a leisurely ride while being serenaded by Sampan singers, and takes them on a musical voyage down the Canal at The Shoppes. Visitors are invited to learn to play simple percussive instruments and sing along to a song specially composed to pay homage to the Sampan boats’ role in Singapore’s rich history and culture. The Sampan Musical Voyage is available every Thursday to Saturday, at 14.00 and 18.00.
Sunset in the Sky at the SkyPark Observation Deck allows members of the public to indulge in chocolates and champagne while enjoying 360-degree panoramic views of the city skyline. This new programme starts from July 27 and is available every Thursday through Sunday from 18.00 to 21.00.
China will resume 15-day visa-free entry for citizens of Singapore and Brunei from July 26, after more than three years of the facility’s suspension due to the pandemic.
Singapore and Brunei citizens will be able to enter China visa-free come July 26; Beijing pictured
The facility is available to citizens of Singapore and Brunei with ordinary passports travelling for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends, and in transit, according to notices put up by the Chinese Embassy in both countries.
This follows the removal of most zero-Covid measures in December.
The recovery for South-east Asian inbound into Australia (mainly Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia markets) is slightly ahead of the curve, with Singapore almost back to pre-pandemic levels – but Tourism Australia has not taken its foot off the pedal.
Phillipa Harrison, managing director, Tourism Australia, stated: “When we look at these three markets, we don’t just look at the population, but we look at the population’s propensity to travel and the number of high-yielding travellers. High-yielding travellers are not high-net-worth individuals, but instead, people who spend a lot of their discretionary income on travel, and like what Australia offers in terms of nature, wildlife, and good food and wine.”
Tourism Australia is currently communicating to the market on how Muslim-friendly the destination is (Photo: Western Australia)
Prior to the pandemic, Tourism Australia focused its marketing activities and campaigns in 15 markets, where the 15 markets made up 80 per cent of inbound business into Australia. Within South-east Asia, the three standout markets are Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
One opportunity that Tourism Australia sees, and is currently focused on communicating to the market, is how Muslim-friendly Australia is, so as to provide another segment of travellers that Australian suppliers can tap into, Harrison said.
“We’ve partnered with the Australia Tourism Export Council, where they’ve put together a training programme to educate Australian tourism organisations on how to cater to Muslim travellers, and make them feel comfortable in terms of their requirements. In fact, Western Australia just put together a brochure (which features halal cuisine, prayer facilities, and suggested itineraries) for Muslim travellers planning a trip to Western Australia,” she elaborated.
In light of this and to continue its upwards recovery trajectory, Tourism Australia held the Australia Marketplace South East Asia 2023 in Singapore from July 19 to 21 to provide Australian suppliers with the opportunity to meet South-east Asian buyers. In attendance were 114 sellers, and 88 buyers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
When asked how this event differs from the Australia Tourism Exchange (ATE) held in April 2023, Harrison told TTG Asia: “A third of the buyers at Australia Marketplace South East Asia 2023 have never been to ATE. Also, our presence here does two things. It’s a good way to engage with our trade partners here, instead of having them to commit to taking a whole week to come down to Australia. It is also an opportunity to bring Australian suppliers up to these markets so that they can better immerse and understand the markets they are targeting. Hence, the events are complementary to each other.”
However, current skyrocketing airfares may deter some South-east Asian travellers from choosing to holiday in Australia.
As to whether Tourism Australia has a plan to help bring down current high airfares, its executive general manager of eastern markets and aviation, Andrew Hogg, said: “Like every industry, the global aviation industry has struggled to recover, and this is something out of our control. What we can do is to encourage capacity back to Australia, where the growth in capacity will help to normalise pricing.”
He predicted that the supply chain disruption will start to smoothen out over the next six months, as aircraft manufacturers get their delivery schedule back on track, airplanes are taken out of the desert, and rehiring of engineers, cabin crew and pilots are well underway. However, he cautioned that “airfares will never be the same as pre-Covid”.
Hogg noted: “There’s a lot of confidence in Australia from our aviation partners, and we’ve seen them keep capacity in the market. Our job is to make sure that the demand is there and work with airlines on the demand, so that they will commit to more capacity in the future.”
Currently, Australia’s inbound is sitting at around 77 per cent of pre-Covid levels, and once airlift is back on track, Harrison shared that Australia will see a full recovery “sometime in 2025”.
“In the longer term, our forecast is we’ll get to about 11 million inbound passengers by 2027, up from 9.4 million prior to the pandemic,” added Harrison.
Sri Lanka is proposing that the Indian rupee be made a tradable currency in the country which, if approved, would provide a huge boost to tourist arrivals from India.
The proposal was mooted by Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe in talks with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during the former’s visit to India on July 20.
From left: Sri Lanka’s Ranil Wickremesinghe and India’s Narendra Modi meet this month
India is currently Sri Lanka’s biggest source market, with arrivals totalling 116,193 between January and June this year, up 68,761 from the same 2022 period.
An Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said in a media briefing that Sri Lanka has identified the Indian rupee as “a designated foreign currency in their system”.
India is Sri Lanka’s neighbour and biggest trading partner, with one Indian rupee equivalent to four Sri Lankan rupees.
Currently, the US dollar is the only tradable currency in Sri Lanka for all transactions, including those made by tourists.
Sri Lankan foreign affairs minister Ali Sabri told reporters on Saturday that there was a strong possibility of adopting the Indian rupee as a valid currency in Sri Lanka, with anticipated arrangements to facilitate seamless business transactions for Indian tourists visiting the country – a move that was welcomed by the travel industry, albeit with some caution.
Sunil Dissanayake, chairman of the Northern Province Tourism Bureau, said the proposal would pave the way for more Indian tourists visiting the country, particularly to the north where most of the minority Tamil community live.
Northern Sri Lanka is connected with India via the latter’s Alliance Air airline, which started four weekly flights last December between Chennai in southern India and Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. These services were boosted to daily operations since July 16 due to growing demand.
Dissanayake, who is also director and CEO of the Colombo-based Bandaranaike National Memorial Foundation (BMICH), the largest convention and exhibition centre in Sri Lanka, said plans were underway to extend Alliance Air flights to Colombo International Airport Ratmalana, in the outskirts of the capital city.
Ahintha Amerasinghe, managing director Worldlink Travels, said that while the move would boost Indian traffic to Colombo, it is vital to have a process to allow Indian rupees to be used in Sri Lanka.
“While we offer hotel rates in US dollars, that would have to change for Indian visitors. The process and infrastructure have to be developed before any decision is (made),” he noted, adding that this would benefit Indians, especially those who have found it difficult to secure dollars when travelling overseas.
How do you work with the hospitality industry?
We are experienced F&B consultants with collectively 55 years’ experience in the service and hospitality industry. We consult on projects in the luxury segment and full-service segment hotels and deliver quality restaurant projects, working with leading individuals in the industry.
We additionally support owners by seeking out partnerships with other passionate leading F&B individuals, developing F&B strategies and coordinating development from the ground upwards to opening. Over the next five years, we are looking to expand from the Middle East further into South-east Asia and Vietnam as restaurant creators and strategists by working on hotel and restaurant projects that are signed and under development.
What trends have emerged in Vietnam’s F&B sector?
In my opinion, Vietnam is one of the top Asian destinations that will go through a fundamental change in F&B in the next few years due to rapid changing consumer trends and urbanisation in the country. The youth of Vietnam are pushing change here, especially in the F&B scene.
Cooking local is an emerging trend. Although this is quite prominent worldwide, I don’t feel historically restaurants in Vietnam have capitalised on the incredible produce that is available. I believe this will change as consumers demand to know the origins of produce. Since being in the country, I have discovered so many new local products that are incredible but quite unknown. I think Vietnam’s F&B industry should celebrate the incredibly diverse products available here.
Vegan dining is on the rise. In Ho Chi Minh City’s districts 7 and 2, you will find so many vegan restaurants. However, once you step out of these areas, it becomes bleak. Danang itself lacks strong, quality-driven vegan or healthy-dining restaurants. This will change as more people focus on health and sustainability, and demand grows.
Why is it important that hotels develop a strong F&B brand?
For decades hotels have felt a rise in guests exiting hotels to go to the street to find restaurants and bars. Hotels lack edge and modern character, which I call the “F&B Mojo” when it comes to dining. Hierarchy and red tape prevent hotel F&B teams from expanding and being creative.
I have worked on this question for years within corporate hospitality by changing the strategy and working on a more diverse street approach to F&B strategy within hotel public spaces. Partnering with local brands, or regional chefs who have succeeded in standalone restaurants, by working with them in hotels makes the overall in-house approach more appealing to guests externally and internally.
What projects are you working on?
Wafaifo Resort Hoi An is a 134-key hotel and we are in the process of design and build. The hotel will open in 2Q2024. B&B Ideas Group is responsible for the F&B strategy creation, supporting the design and build process, and helping launch the F&B strategy with the hotel operations team.
B&B Ideas Group is currently working on the 334-key Waldorf Astoria West Bay in Qatar, where we are the owner’s F&B representative and support. Additionally, funded by the owner of the Waldorf Astoria, we are creating a new luxury brand called Muru on the fifth floor with chef Mauro Calegreco and designer Lazaro.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see in Vietnam’s F&B sector?
Without a doubt, Covid-19 and lockdown. Vietnam, like all countries in the world, went through an incredibly tough time and I don’t think anyone was unaffected. The F&B and hospitality industry was hit hard. Many workers left the industry through lack of confidence and reliability of work. At present, finding quality F&B staff remains tough.
So many restaurants, bars and nightclubs closed permanently, and the industry suffered immense damage, with huge amounts of money wiped off. Rebuilding the industry and regaining confidence will take time.
What is your future vision for B&B Ideas Group?
To keep finding new opportunities in Vietnam and South-east Asia. I believe we are small, versatile and adaptable to what is happening in the scene here, and we can make a tremendous impact working with emerging hospitality companies, hotels, and restauranteurs.
I witnessed the creation of the F&B industry in Dubai. When I arrived in the city, it was pretty lacklustre and hotel restaurants and bars dominated the scene. Now, the change is incredible and Dubai is one of the leading F&B cities in the world.
I believe our experience working in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), especially Dubai, allows us to bring this experience and dynamic approach to the region. One thing I learned in Dubai is that nothing is impossible through hard work, determination and a very open-minded approach to “you can build anything”.
Marking 23 years since its inception, Angsana by Banyan Tree Group has introduced Angsana Heritage Collection, a curated portfolio of properties, in Mexico and Morocco.
The recently expanded Hacienda Xcanatun, Angsana Heritage Collection in Mexico is located just 15 minutes away from downtown Merida, the capital city of the Yucatan region known for its tropical rainforests and the home of the ancient Mayans. Haciendas, named after the Mayan word for “tall stone house”, were the epicentre of the country’s economic and social life during Mexico’s colonial period.
Riads Marrakech, Angsana Heritage Collection comprises six large traditional houses built around a central courtyard and features 42 rooms and suites
First built to house and operate livestock in 1789, Hacienda Xcanatun has been transformed into a hotel with 36 new suites, adding to the original 18 historic suites. Its expansion also includes new facilities such as an Olympic-length swimming pool, a solarium with a poolside snack bar, a fitness centre and a spa.
In Marrakech, Morocco, Riads Marrakech, Angsana Heritage Collection is minutes away from the landmark Jemaa el-Fna Square. The property comprises six riads – large traditional houses built around a central courtyard – totalling 42 rooms and suites.
Tripadvisor has upgraded its core trip planning product, Trips, with the introduction of a new AI-powered travel itinerary generator.
This new feature (currently in public beta) creates personalised travel itineraries utilising OpenAI’s generative AI technology. It leverages human insights from over a billion reviews and opinions of the more than eight million businesses listed on Tripadvisor, delivering reliable, trustworthy guidance from its community of real travellers.
Trips will utilise AI technology to create personalised travel itineraries
Tripadvisor’s president and CEO, Matt Goldberg, said: “By harnessing the power of generative AI, we can begin to fully unlock the potential of our platform’s unparalleled review and traveller intent data, allowing us to offer truly unique travel guidance to our members.”
To create an itinerary using AI, travellers are prompted to enter their destination and travel dates, travelling companions, and the types of activities they are interested in. In just a few seconds, they are presented with a personalised, day-by-day itinerary, which they can save, edit, and share with other parties in their travel group.
Travellers will also have opportunities to engage and interact with Tripadvisor’s travel guidance content – from reviews and opinions, to experiences and photos from the community. Travellers can save all content they interact with to a Trip as they build their travel plans.
“We know our community is passionate about trip planning, so we wanted to thoughtfully build something that would enhance that experience, not replace it,” added Sanjay Raman, chief product officer at Tripadvisor.
“Personalised results and recommendations from fellow travellers are two of the most important elements of the planning process and generative AI has helped us bring them together in a way we think will be really compelling for travellers.”
Over the coming months, Tripadvisor will continue to upgrade Trip, improving the personalisation of AI-powered itineraries and expanding the suite of travel planning tools.
During the beta phase, the AI feature will only be accessible to users in the US via desktop and mobile web, with a focus primarily on experience, attraction, and dining recommendations. Tripadvisor plans to make the feature available in more markets and on native app platforms as the beta progresses.
Kids staying at The Standard, Hua Hin will get to enjoy extra play time while learning at the new kid’s playroom, The Hut.
The Hut will feature all sorts of fun games and activities, from an extensive art and craft station and playboards to building blocks. There will also be weekly-changing supervised activities held each Saturday in partnership with Elate, a progressive learning institute based in Bangkok that offers a personalised STEAM curricular.
Plenty of fun learning activities await kids at the new playroom, The Hut
Youngsters can look forward to beach buggy races, sandcastle and beach house building sessions, kite and tote bag design classes, planet-naming games, and other wild and whimsical activities.
The Standard, Hua Hin is now offering the Are You Kidding? stay package priced from 7,999 baht (US$234) that includes accommodation in the Corner Family Room, F&B discounts, a VIP kid’s arrival experience with activity pack, playtime at The Hut, daily breakfast, free dining for kids, and more.
The Hut is open daily from 09.00 till 18.00. The Elate sessions are for children aged five to 12 years old and priced at 850 baht per child.
Queensland has designated 2023 to be the Year of Accessible Tourism, part of the Towards Tourism 2032 strategy to provide better destination experiences for visitors of all abilities, as well as provide legacy outcomes – including built infrastructure and skills development for tourism operators – across the state in preparation for Brisbane Olympics 2032.
Annastacia Palaszczuk, premier of Queensland, said: “Almost one in five people have a disability and spend about A$8 billion (US$5.2 billion) on tourism services annually. Dedicating 2023 to The Year of Accessible Tourism will drive change and create opportunities for both industry and travellers and create a legacy our state can be proud of.”
Get up close with the animals at the Adelaide Zoo (Photo: Tourism Australia)
The strategy gets A$12 million in government funding, of which A$1 million has been designated to raising awareness of accessibility needs and services, another A$1 million to promoting accessible Queensland visitor experiences, and the remaining A$10 million is set aside for the Accessible Tourism Fund for small and medium businesses to build infrastructure and install technology to assist travellers with an impairment.
Queensland’s minister for tourism, innovation and sport and minister assisting the premier on Olympics and Paralympics sport and engagement, Stirling Hinchliffe, said: “These grants will support upgrades of accessible visitor infrastructure and technology that will further enhance Queensland’s reputation as an all-abilities destination of choice. More and more people with a disability and their families are looking for travel options that can cater to their needs.
“We want this year to be the transformation that creates an enduring legacy for Queensland as an inclusive, world-class visitor destination.”
The Accessible Tourism in Queensland project is already operational in Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Fraser Coast, North and Far North and Outback Queensland.
Differently-abled visitors are able to experience Gold Coast beaches, with Burleigh Beach offering accessible beach matting, mobi-chairs and beach wheelchairs; explore underground lava tubes at Undara Volcanic National Park; and get up close to marine life on the Great Barrier Reef on a day cruise to the floating platform at Agincourt Reef which has a chairlift for easy water access.
Moreover, as part of Queensland’s submission to the International Olympic Committee in mid-2021, the state is committed to promoting greater inclusion, diversity and accessibility in the planning and delivery of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Initial strategies include enhancing accessibility through urban planning and accessible tourism by embedding universal design principles in regional plans to enhance urban amenity and public transport solutions, and increasing career pathways by partnering with the industry to create new and innovative jobs for people with a disability while encouraging business owners to embrace inclusion.
Although Queensland may be leading the charge, other states including Tasmania, Northern Territory, and Western Australia are not far behind.
Sarah Clark, CEO of Tourism Tasmania, stated: “The accessible tourism market is fast-growing, and in Tasmania, there is an increasing understanding and appreciation of travellers’ diverse needs and desires. It’s a journey, and we’ve made some great progress.
“With accessibility forming part of the Tasmanian tourism industry’s positive impact agenda, Tasmania’s attractions, experiences and accommodation offerings are increasingly able to cater to accessibility needs and provide more information about how their tourism offering is inclusive for everyone.”
Walking in the National Botanic Gardens in Canberra (Photo: Tourism Australia)
Moreover, Tasmania has partnered with Vacayit to provide 50 in-depth audio guides about its restaurants, farm stays, distilleries, cruises, markets, festivals and heritage sites on the free Vacayit app. Produced for blind and low-vision travellers, the guides combine rich sensory descriptions and engaging storytelling with helpful travel advice. These can also be read as transcripts for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Tasmania’s spectacular tracts of nature, evident from its 19 national parks, can be enjoyed by travellers of all abilities. Motorised wheelchairs and scooters are already permitted on tracks like the Russell Falls track in Mount Field National Park, and Cradle Mountain Rainforest Walk. Some parks also offer all-terrain TrailRider wheelchairs for complimentary hire (though bookings are required in advance), enabling travellers to explore more rugged tracks.
However, to make tourism more accessible across the entire industry, Tony Quarmby, executive director marketing at Tourism NT, said: “It needs to become a part of every business’ DNA. There shouldn’t be a special place on a website or a standalone accessible itinerary – it should be integrated into everything that tourism businesses do and put forward to the consumer.”
Input is also obtained from the community. For example, Tourism NT’s sample five-day itinerary in the Top End was created with the assistance of Sarah Skopellos, a manual wheelchair user and disability advocate who has lived in Darwin for 30 years. Another five-day itinerary in the Red Centre was created with the help of Justine Petrick, who has experience as a carer for an immediate family member with wheelchair needs, and vast knowledge of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care system.
“Our goal at Tourism NT is not to have accessibility as a standalone pillar but rather a part of everyday operations for NT tourism businesses. It goes another level in understanding the guests’ needs and also their expectations; whether that be accessibility needs, sustainability concerns or ethical practices; it’s about tailoring each interaction with our customer,” added Quarmby.
That is why the latest Northern Territory attractions have been built with accessible tourism in mind.
These include Wintjiru Wiru by Voyages Indigenous Tourism as well as Light Towers in Kings Canyon Resort. Other tourism products that have long provided accessible tours include wildlife encounters such as Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, Outback Tour Services’ Uluru tours, and Ramada Suites by Wyndham Zen Quarter Darwin, which has a ramp access to the deck and a hoist for getting in and out of the water.
Tourism Western Australia’s managing director, Carolyn Turnbull, added: “Accessible tourism has always been a priority, and we have undergone an accessible tourism strategy that was developed and finalised last year.
“More importantly, that will be at the forefront of our 10-year visitor economy strategy, which is currently being developed; it will be a big part of our strategic platform moving forward.”
Passenger Terminal Amsterdam has come out to clear the air following yesterday’s news reports on the city moving to ban cruises from calling at the central terminal: it is business as usual.
News reports emerged July 21 evening across mainstream and trade media that the Amsterdam’s city council had approved a proposal banning cruise ships as part of the city’s latest move to clamp down on over-tourism.
Passenger Terminal Amsterdam remains open to cruise ships
A spokesperson for Amsterdam deputy mayor Hester van Buren, who has responsibility for the city’s port, told the media that discussions are now underway on how to implement this decision.
Ilana Rooderkerk, the local leader of the socially progressive D66 party, which introduced the motion, said “polluting cruise is not in line with Amsterdam’s sustainable ambitions” and claimed that cruise ships run against the city’s “task of combating mass tourism”.
According to a BBC news report, Rooderkerk recently compared cruise tourists to a type of “plague of locusts” descending all at once on the city.
In response to the city council’s statements, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam has issued its own. It said: “We have taken note of the council’s call that they do not see any room for sea cruises in the city of the future at the current location. There is no administrative response or proposal yet on how to address this call. There is certainly NOT an immediate closure of the terminal. We continue our business as usual.”
A spokesperson from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) also told TTG Asia that despite the news reports, cruises have not been banned from Amsterdam.
“The port and Passenger Terminal Amsterdam have already pledged to undertake investments worth millions of euros in port infrastructure and shoreside electricity for the long-term. There have been discussions on its relocation outside the city centre which started back in 2016 and which are still ongoing,” said the CLIA spokesperson.
The CLIA spokesperson added: “We are working with the authorities to accommodate the views expressed by Council members while continuing to support the communities that benefit from cruise tourism. Of the more than 21 million visitors that Amsterdam receives each year, around one per cent arrive by cruise ship, with cruise tourism contributing around 105 million euros to the city annually.”
How do you work with the hospitality industry?
