Alie V Sison is the new director of sales and marketing at Swissotel Clark, replacing Albert Lafuente who is now resident manager of Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City.
Prior to that, Sison was director of sales at Raffles and Fairmont Makati as well as Mandarin Oriental in Manila. She was also director of sales and marketing at Discovery Suites Ortigas.
The St Regis Goa Resort, India
The St Regis Goa Resort is a sanctuary between the Sal River and Arabian Sea near India’s south-western coastal city of Goa, famous for its tropical beaches, historic Portuguese-era architecture, seafood and culture.
Just a 60 minutes’ drive from Goa International Airport, the resort features 206 guestrooms including 46 suites, 20 suites and villas with plunge pools and private access to the beach.
Offering four dining venues and two bars, onsite facilities comprise a pool, gym, kids pool, mobile library, play park, 2,972m² of event spaces, and a 12-hole executive golf course.
Ayana Segara Bali, Indonesia
Ayana Segara Bali is a new hotel inside the Ayana Estate in Jimbaran. The hotel features 205 rooms, as well as a two-bedroom Ocean View Suite for families and larger groups.
The hotel offers three restaurants which serves up dishes using fresh local ingredients available from Ayana Farm for a pure farm-to-table experience.
Highlights at Ayana Segara Bali include Vista, a new open-air function space situated above the property boasting panoramic views of the Jimbaran Bay area; and the largest indoor-outdoor pool in Bali. Other facilities available are the main pool, rooftop pool, spa and fitness centre.
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, Thailand
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa has reopened after 18 months of renovation and expansion work.
Located an hour’s drive north of Phuket International Airport, the resort has built a total of 127 additional rooms and villas including 178 rooms with direct access to a private pool or the resort’s 2.4km lagoon pool waterway.
Boasting 11 restaurants and bars, the resort also has a new ballroom for events, an adults only swim up bar, a family Aqua Play Zone, and curated experiences such as a couples spa journey, private temple excursions, beachfront dining, cooking classes, a DIY spa workshop and mixology masterclasses of cocktails, and more.
Vibe Hotel Singapore Orchard, Singapore
Vibe Hotel Singapore Orchard houses 256 rooms across five room categories – Superior, Deluxe, Premier, Family, Suites – and is situated in the residential enclave of Orchard Road with easy access to Singapore’s longest shopping belt.
F&B options include the Lobby Bar, a social space for guests, transitioning from a café setting in the day to a watering hole at night; ROOS, an all-day dining destination serving up Australian-inspired cuisine; and the 24-hour self-service snack counter, Vibe Pantry.
With facilities like a pool and gym, there are also curated round-the-clock itineraries and exclusive perks for guests of Vibe Singapore.
As China continues with its zero-Covid policy, Japanese prefectures that once relied on Chinese tourists are turning their attention to other international markets for recovery.
Of the 31.9 million tourists who visited Japan in 2019, about one third were from China, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, making Japan the most visited overseas destination by Chinese visitors that year. Chinese tourists also punched above their weight in spending, generating 44 per cent of total consumption by inbound tourists in 2019.
Aside from Tokyo and Osaka, Shizuoka, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Aichi and Fukuoka were among the prefectures that benefitted the most from Chinese visitors in 2019. Due to China’s ongoing border restrictions, however, many regions are pivoting their efforts towards the rest of Asia and Europe.
Central Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, where 56 per cent of all inbound tourists were from China pre-pandemic, has launched a new website: Amazing Aichi. Introducing the area as a place renowned for samurai history, manufacturing and nature, the new initiative is supported in Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese and French – as well as English and Chinese – in an effort to lure new markets.
In Okinawa Prefecture, the hospitality sector is eyeing East Asia, at least in the short term.
“Before Covid, most direct flight traffic to Okinawa came from China,” Makoto Suzuki, global sales and marketing at Kariyushi Hotels Group, Okinawa, told TTG Asia.
Now, with the continuation of China’s zero-Covid policy, “the most speedy recovery is expected to be from Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong,” he said.
Hong Kong Airlines resumed direct flights to Naha International Airport, Okinawa, on November 2, while Korean Airlines will resume flights from Incheon International Airport, Seoul, to Naha on December 1.
Meanwhile, in Shizuoka Prefecture, where 73 per cent of all international tourists in 2019 arrived from China, efforts are ongoing to attract the luxury market, including in Europe.
Accommodations opened in recent months include Loquat Villa Suguro, which was converted from a 100-year-old traditional property, and two new glamping sites in the foothills of Mount Fuji: Gran Regalo Asagiri and Moss Jurigi.
Indonesia welcomed G20 delegates this week with upgraded and sustainable infrastructure and attractions in Bali, with a spotlight on local cultural arts and craft and cuisine.
Angela Tanoesoedibjo, vice minister of tourism and creative economy, said at a virtual media briefing from Bali that the offer of various national dishes represented an Indonesian gastronomic diplomacy.
Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy’s (MoTCE) deputy of tourism products and events, Rizki Handayani, shared that the Story of Gulu and Friends food theatre and the Archipelago on a Tray highlighted culinary delights from different parts of Indonesia.
She said: “The tray, for example, showcased (dishes with ingredients) sourced from Aceh to Papua. The duck, for example, was from Sumatra, coffee from Gayo (Aceh), and tea from West Java. All islands in the country were represented (in the lunch).”
The story of sustainable food sources was also presented through an integrated performance.
As part of the G20 side event, head of delegations visited the Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest Park. Ahead of the visit, facilities at the mangrove area were upgraded, including the construction of the entrance gate, parking area, G20 monument, plaza area, Beji (the sacred garden in the temple area), Wantilan (pavilion), mangrove tracking track, nursery area, nursery irrigation system, receiving area, viewing deck towards Benoa Bay, and viewing tower.
The Estuary Dam Solar Power Plant (SPP) also had upgrading works done, such as optimising the function of the water reservoir in the Muara Reservoir, which is expected to reduce the impact of climate change. This renewable energy transition is in line with one of the global issues at the G20 Summit.
In addition, Indonesia showcased its green energy concept by implementing the SPP on the Bali-Mandara Toll Road, with electric vehicles – 962 cars, 454 motorcycles, and 28 bus units – operated during the event to move G20 delegates around.
Amadeus is partnering with Yanolja Cloud, the wholly-owned subsidiary of South Korean travel company Yanolja, to shape the future of travel with the creation of Travel Innovation Alliance.
The alliance will unlock key strategic areas of interest that will improve the travel experience for customers all over the world. Both organisations will combine their resources, strategic objectives, and roadmaps for the future, and work together through deep dive workshops to identify key target areas to invest in, and the next big problems to solve in travel.
Many aspects of travel will be explored to find areas of synergy such as accommodation, airline merchandising and distribution, destination tours, and tickets to activities like concerts, sports, and exhibits. This offers the possibility for Yanolja and its affiliates to gain access to Amadeus’ global network of travel sellers via the Amadeus Travel Platform.
Other Amadeus content and solutions will also be reviewed for integration into existing Yanolja Cloud and affiliate platforms.
In addition, Yanolja Cloud and its affiliates will deep dive into Amadeus’ search solutions such as MasterPricer and Instant Search, as well as technology around automation and merchandising to enhance Yanolja platforms. Together, these solutions will help travellers using the Yanolja platforms find and book personalised travel experiences easier and faster than ever before, while travel sellers will be able to reach their target customers more efficiently.
“This Travel Innovation Alliance is a key step in our commitment to giving back to the travel industry and travellers,” said Fred Barou, senior vice president, online travel and market strategy, Asia Pacific, Amadeus.
Jongyoon Kim, CEO of Yanolja and Yanolja Cloud, added: “The travel industry can only evolve and innovate at the speed of collaboration. In today’s connected and globalised world, no company can risk working alone. Working together, we will be able to achieve great things and accelerate the much-needed transformation of this industry.”
AirAsia will increase flights to and from Hong Kong starting this December, with a special promotion to support the surge in travel demand ahead of the upcoming festive seasons.
From December 15, flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok (Don Mueang) will increase to four times weekly, while Hong Kong-Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong-Manila will operate three-times weekly.
With the promotional all-in one-way fare starting from HK$672 (US$85), passengers can now fly to destinations in South-east Asia, or connect via the airline’s network to Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Singapore, Bali and more.
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has partnered Dinso Resort Co. to introduce its Luxury & Lifestyle collection brand, Vignette Collection, to Thailand’s Patong in mid-2023.
The sustainability-focused Dinso Resort Phuket, Vignette Collection will support the brand’s continued global expansion since its launch in 2021. It will be IHG’s fourth opened or pipeline Vignette Collection property in Thailand.
A 60-minute drive from Phuket International Airport and just eight minutes from the tourism hub of Patong, the resort is located nearby Patong Beach, restaurants, bars, night markets and shopping centres.
The property offers 148 rooms and suites, as well as 26 tree-top pool villas. Facilities include two restaurants and bars, a 150m² meeting room, swimming pool, fitness centre and spa.
Singapore gears up for the inaugural Singapore Sail Grand Prix (SailGP), supported by Singapore Tourism Board, which will take place on January 14 and 15, 2023 at the destination’s Parkland Green in East Coast Park.
It will be the eighth leg of an eleven-stop global championship that visits some of the world’s most iconic cities – from San Francisco to Saint-Tropez to Sydney, and for the first-time ever in the region, Singapore.
With teams from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the US sailing F50 catamarans at highway speeds, guests can enjoy the exciting event from shore with a range of ticket options starting from S$28 (US$20). These include private VIP hospitality suites, waterfront access to the race village that includes live commentary and entertainment, plus access to the race boats and opportunities to interact with SailGP athletes.
Guests can even go behind the scenes at the SailGP Team Bases, and tour the “pit lane garages” where athletes and shore teams prepare the high-tech F50 race boats.
For more information, visit Singapore SailGP.
Hotels and ryokans in Japan are seeing a surge in bookings for the coming autumn, winter and spring seasons following the country’s move last month to reinstate visa-free travel for 68 countries.
Overseas enquiries and reservations came swiftly after the announcement that Japan would welcome FITs from October 11, with an average of 12,900 pax arriving daily over October 11-31, up from 1,900 daily over October 1-10. As of November 7, the daily average was 20,045 pax.
Amami Onsen Nanten-en, a ryokan in Osaka, is “virtually fully booked” until the end of December, with “fair interest” already for April, the region’s cherry blossom season, a front desk staffer told TTG Asia.
Jared Campion, founder of Tokyo-based campervan rental company Dream Drive, is also “very busy” with inbound bookings, which has prompted the company to add more campervans to its fleet.
IHG Hotels & Resorts, which has 44 hotels in Japan, has reported an 80 per cent increase in bookings month-on-month from September to October.
And, in a further boost, international travellers are tending to stay longer and spend more in each accommodation.
Amami Onsen Nanten-en’s spokesperson said: “We’re seeing an increase in multiple night reservations and in bookings of our most expensive room, perhaps because people want to treat themselves after a rough couple of years.”
Local communities are also set to benefit as tourists are increasingly seeking out Japanese experiences around their hotel, according to Abhijay Sandilya, managing director of IHG Japan & Micronesia.
“We’re seeing people seek out the experiential element” of travel, he told Bloomberg, adding that IHG Hotel Indigo’s programme showcasing its neighbourhood in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, is proving popular.
Based on current and projected bookings, 45 per cent of a cross-section of 800 hotels and ryokans in Japan are expected to see an increase in year-on-year annual revenue in fiscal 2023 (April 2022 to March 2023), according to Tokyo-based research firm Teikoku Databank.
Marriott International is expanding its select service portfolio in Greater China with the expected addition of 30 hotels in the segment by the end of 2023.
Its portfolio currently includes the following brands spanning across 67 cities in Greater China: Moxy Hotels, Fairfield by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, and Element Hotels.
The expansion of the select service portfolio in the region will elevate consumers’ travel choices in China’s second- and third-tier cities, such as Foshan and Changchun, while expanding its presence in first-tier cities like Shanghai.
Gavin Yu, chief development officer, Greater China, Marriott International said: “With a well-defined ‘Brand + Destination’ development strategy, we see great growth potential in providing approachable and moderately-priced choices across emerging destinations.”
He added that Marriott International will continue to work with owners and franchisees to enhance the select-service brands portfolio through new-builds and conversions.
The company is also enhancing its strategic positioning in Greater China through dual-brand projects and its franchise-plus model – the former will accommodate travellers’ growing desires for flexible accommodation by offering consumers more choices, and saw the signing of six dual-brand hotel projects representing 14 hotels this year; while the latter helps to streamline hotel openings and initial stage operations, as well as uphold brand quality.
Upcoming anticipated openings across Greater China include AC Hotels by Marriott in Suzhou; Moxy Hotels in Chongqing and Ningbo; Fairfield by Marriott in Kunshan and Zhuji; Courtyard by Marriott in Chongli and Jiuzhaigou; Aloft Hotels in Beijing and Yantai; and Element Hotels in Guangzhou Baiyun.
In addition, Four Points by Sheraton will accelerate its growth in Greater China with over five planned openings in 2023.
