Travel agencies reserving Booking.com accommodations through the Amadeus Travel Platform can now choose to process payment using a wider range of virtual cards from Amadeus’ digital wallet, across more than 1.3 million accommodation options.
The Amadeus B2B Wallet solution integrated with Booking.com reduces the demand on travellers to provide upfront payment information or to make payments at the point of check-in or out.
The collaboration reduces the demand on travellers to provide upfront payment information
Travel agents paying for Booking.com hotel stays now have the choice of using 14 different card types including credit, debit and pre-paid options, provided by participating banks from across the world.
For travel agencies, the Amadeus B2B Wallet allows them to set and manage priorities for how they pay accommodation providers, with the virtual card automatically recommended for each individual stay within the booking flow, saving time and creating efficiency across the entire booking experience.
Katja Bohnet, vice president of hospitality distribution, hospitality, Amadeus, said: “By helping agents pay for stays with Booking.com’s accommodation partners, we’re removing several points of friction. Travellers no longer need to provide card details at check-in or make a payment for the room at the front desk when they check out.
“Travel agents can align how they make payments depending on their strategic priorities thanks to a wide choice of options from our issuing partners. Accommodation partners will also receive payment quickly and reliably: it’s a win-win-win.”
Jeremy Cornuau, global director for partnerships, Booking.com, added: “Our primary aim is to make every aspect of the travel experience easier and more streamlined for travellers and travel providers alike, including when it comes to payment options.
“The Amadeus Travel Platform is an important distribution channel for our accommodation partners and making virtual payments part of the reservation process is a big step forward for everyone involved.”
Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has launched its first Radisson Individuals hotel in Pattaya, Thailand with Lewit Hotel Pattaya. The new hotel will operate under a brand affiliation agreement with Land Able Co.
Scheduled to open in February 2023, Lewit Hotel Pattaya marks the latest development in RHG’s wider growth strategy as it targets to double its operating portfolio in Thailand by 2023.
Lewit Hotel Pattaya, the first Radisson Individuals hotel in Pattaya, is scheduled to open February 2023
Located less than ten minutes from Jomtien beach, the 100-room hotel features an all-day restaurant, a glass-walled infinity pool with a waterslide and sundeck, fitness centre, and event spaces.
It is also a short drive from Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi International Airport, as well as the regional hub of U-Tapao Airport, making it easily accessible for domestic and international travellers alike.
David Nguyen, managing director, Indochina and strategic partnerships, South East Asia & Pacific, RHG commented on the signing: “This is a major milestone for our company as it demonstrates how we are successfully diversifying our portfolio with new resort locations that will further accelerate our expansion in Asia-Pacific.”
“This partnership represents the start of an exciting new era for Lewit Hotel Pattaya, a member of Radisson Individuals, and we look to leverage the expertise and global scale of Radisson Hotel Group as we prepare to welcome guests from all around the world as Thailand enters its first full high season for three years,” said Sarinya Ruennuch, director, Land Able Co.
Emirates and Air Canada will launch their codeshare operations, allowing customers of both carriers to enjoy seamless connectivity to 46 markets spanning three continents.
These include destinations across the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, South-east Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Codeshare tickets for Emirates and Air Canada will be available for sale from December 1
Codeshare tickets will be available for sale to 35 markets for travel effective December 1 with 11 additional markets to be added pending final regulatory approval. There is potential for more markets to be included in the future.
Customers can purchase tickets from both carriers’ websites and via major GDS systems and travel agencies.
Emirates customers will be able to book codeshare flights to and from Canadian points beyond Toronto, including Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver; while Air Canada will expand its reach across the Indian subcontinent and unlock more destinations, including Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.
Air Canada’s customers will enjoy seamless connectivity to South-east Asian destinations including Bangkok, Hanoi, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore; the Middle Eastern cities Jeddah and Muscat; as well as destinations in Africa, namely Addis Ababa and Dar Es Salaam.
Both airlines will soon introduce a reciprocal frequent flyer offering, allowing members of Aeroplan and Skywards to earn and redeem points on flights operated by Emirates and Air Canada, respectively.
In addition, eligible passengers will also be able to take advantage of reciprocal lounge access, along with select benefits for Aeroplan Elite and Skywards members when travelling on the partner airline.
Location
With a reclaimed area connecting the island to mainland Cebu, the resort is situated on Kawit Island off the coast of Cebu City in the South Road Properties, closer to the Mactan Cebu International Airport via the new Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.
Rooms
Fili Hotel has 379 sizeable rooms: 318 deluxe (41-49m²), 27 premier deluxe (61-70m²), 31 suites (89-231m²) and three villas (421-942m²). The suites and villas have butlers or mayordomos.
My deluxe seaview room featured relaxing earth tones, with paintings by local artists in summer-y colours and splashes of turquoise decor completing the tropical feel.
1 of 6
Deluxe seaview twin room
Fili Café
Mott 32
Lobby lounge
Xin Tian Di restaurant
Fina restaurant
It is tastefully luxurious with quality beddings and amenities, top-of-the line bathroom fixtures including smart toilet and huge bathtub, a user-friendly working table, and high-speed internet access for multiple devices.
Little details of generosity warm the heart, like the four complimentary big (not medium-sized) bottles of mineral water and a sumptuous welcome tray of artisanal chocolate concoctions with Cebu’s famous dried mangoes and pineapple.
F&B
Five restaurants were open as of press time, including the first franchise in the Philippines of Mott 32, with Michelin-awarded executive chef Lee Man Sing at the helm. While I did not try this strictly-by-reservation-only restaurant, a journalist friend, who is used to eating in the world’s finest restaurants, gave high marks to Mott 32’s modern approach to Chinese cuisine.
At Il Primo Steakhouse, chef Luca Angioletti’s potato gnocchi is delectably smooth, almost melting in the mouth. Done medium well on the Josper grill, the steak is just right and succulent.
Facilities
Services available include concierge, limo and car rental, baby-sitting and childcare. However, the pool and function rooms were not yet available during my stay.
Despite ongoing construction work, our room was well sound-proofed against the noise.
Opening next year apart from Fili Hotel’s facilities, are NUSTAR Convention Center, The Stage NUSTAR stage theatre, The Boardwalk which connects NUSTAR to Cebu on the 580m scenic walk, The Wharf for boarding yachts, and the 116m Skywalk with stunning views of the sea and cityscapes.
Service
From check in to check out, the hotel staff are friendly with chirpy greetings and warm smiles. They are also conversant, typical of Filipino hospitality.
Part of their training must have included photography – not only did they seem to expect to be asked by guests to take photos, given the elegance and opulence of the hotel, the photos also always turned out great!
Verdict
Whether by day or night, NUSTAR Resort & Casino stuns. I arrived at night and the integrated resort was like a palace with its shimmering lights reflected in the waters surrounding the island. Came morning, it boasted a lovely and full view of the sea, mountains and the city.
Once more facilities open next year, it will certainly be an awesome place to visit over and over.
Daniel Kerr has been named general manager of Chatrium Grand Bangkok.
The British national brings with him more than two decades of hospitality experience across Asia-Pacific, having gained experience with Hyatt, Langham Hotels International, and Ovolo Hotels Group.
He joins Chatrium Grand Bangkok from his last role as general manager for Starbucks Indonesia, where he launched Starbucks Reserve Dewata in Bali, the world’s first Starbucks concept store and the largest Starbucks Reserve in the Asia-Pacific.
Travel accessibility is improving after more than two years of disruption, and people around the world have responded to easing border restrictions by getting back to travel planning.
However, for people with mobility, mental and/or sensory issues, the definition of travel accessibility takes on a much deeper meaning. While differently-abled, these consumers share the same wanderlust as everyone else and look to destinations and tourism suppliers to provide the support they need to fulfil their travel dreams.
Spain, whose tourism appeals range from big-city draws, star-studded football clubs, historical landmarks and tantalising cuisine, says all these and more welcome travellers with disabilities. Fifteen cities across the country whose historical centres and urban spaces have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites promise universal accessible routes.
Take Ávila for instance. The destination, renowned for its medieval city walls, is regarded as one of the leading accessible tourist destinations in Spain. The Visitor Reception Centre offers wheelchairs for loan, while travellers relying on hearing aids can communicate with a magnetic loop installed at the information desk. Typhlological scale models of five of the nine gates in the iconic city walls enable travellers with visual difficulties to learn about the monument through touch. Furthermore, audio-video guides are available in nine different languages, including international sign language and a version adapted for children.
The Spain is Accessible website helps users to search destinations by theme or disability
As differently-abled travellers explore Ávila’s best sights via a specially-designed accessible route that threads through town, they will notice that commercial establishments with basic accessibility requirements are identified by the international symbol of access on their doors along with the Ávila Accessible label – the latter awarded by the Ávila Town Hall and the Municipal Board for the Disabled.
To further assist differently-abled travellers, Turespaña has created the Spain is Accessible website that allows users to search destinations by theme or disability.
Contributing to Spain’s commitment to accessible tourism is local hotel chain, Ilunion, which has 29 properties adapted for people with disabilities. Supportive facilities include individual articulated beds, telephone adapted for people with hearing and visual disabilities, inclined bathroom mirrors for people in wheelchairs, and recreational areas and parking designed for the disabled. The hotels are awarded with the universal accessibility certification (UNE 170001-2), while Ilunion itself has earned the Ethics Award from the UNWTO for its work in the field of accessible tourism. As of November 2021, two in five of the company’s 37,000-strong workforce have an impairment – demonstrating Ilunion’s determination to have diversity in both its clientele and talent teams.
Here in Asia-Pacific, Tropical North Queensland in Australia is the latest to take firm steps towards accessible tourism. In September, it announced the addition of Accessibility Hub to its destination website, listing experiences and accommodation that are accessible to all travellers.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland worked closely with Spinal Life Australia and Out There Travel Care to put together content showcasing accessible products, such as wheelchair-friendly beaches and rainforest boardwalks that are wheelchair-friendly.
“People needing to consider accessibility can now easily find accommodation options from specialised providers like Spinal Life’s Healthy Living Centre which has personal support workers, to traditional hotels with accessible rooms such as the Cairns Novotel Oasis Resort,” said Mark Olsen, CEO of Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is an accessible tourism experience. Photo by Dane Cross, Spinal Life Australia
Disabled Mission Beach journalist Imogen Kars has trialled a selection of accessible accommodation and tours, and has produced a series of blogs on travel options in Cairns, Palm Cove, the Cassowary Coast, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands.
To align tourism operators with its accessible tourism goal, the NTO led a Making Tourism More Accessible Workshop at the Spinal Life Healthy Living Centre. Trade participants got to learn about opportunities in the accessible tourism market, access business case studies, and hear from people with physical disabilities about what they are looking for in a destination.
Senior advisor access and advocacy for Spinal Life Australia, Dane Cross, said the accessible tourism market represented a largely untapped opportunity for tourism operators.
“Often, tourism operators don’t know where to begin on their journey towards better accessibility – this workshop enables people to ask simple questions and find out more about where to begin. We’d love to help tourism operators understand how to be more accessible and to secure a larger part of this market,” said Cross.
Accessible sandy paradise
Recognising that the Maldives is usually physically out of bounds for differently-abled travellers, no thanks to its sandy island paths, water jetties and layout of villas and restaurants, one private island resort has made it its mission to make its space welcoming for everyone, including those with additional mobility, sensory and cognitive requirements.
Taking guidance from Inclucare, a UK-based organisation that works to remove barriers to travel for disabled people across the globe, Amilla Maldives Resort has ordered staff training on inclusion excellence and has had its facilities audited by Inclucare officials.
The property is now waiting for the certification process to be completed.
General manager Jason Kruse told TTG Asia that Amilla Maldives Resort is equipped to meet inclusive travel needs. It already boasts many universally accessible villas on the ground level, all designed with wide doorways and accessible showers. These units also come with beach wheelchair, floating wheelchair for swimming, and in-villa phones that light up when they ring, for the benefit of hearing-impaired guests.
Soon to come are deaf-alert systems, induction hearing loops, magnifying glasses, adaptive yoga, aroma and sound experiences through the jungle for vision-impaired holidaymakers, and facilities that regulate sensory input for guests on the autism spectrum.
Tripseed’s electric tuk tuks are designed to bring ease of movement to differently-abled guests
Taking ground control
Thailand-based travel operator and distributor Tripseed has recently made the country even more welcoming through a range of accessible travel programmes and experiences.
These inclusive tours for elderly and disabled travellers promise more than just wheelchair-accessible facilities. Extensive audits have been conducted across properties, tour locations and transportation – all to evaluate ramp inclinations, availability of grab bars, manoeuvrability clearance and other important aspects, and to advise agents and partners on the most suitable travel options based on the level of assistance required.
Looking to support travellers with invisible disabilities, Tripseed is standing by specialised guides who are trained in American sign language, British sign language and Thai sign language, as well as those trained to assist guests with other audio-visual impairments.
With this universal accessibility arrangement, Tripseed’s differently-abled guests can enjoy top-selling tours, such as an evening street food experience in an electric tuk-tuk, specially outfitted with a built-in wheelchair ramp and unique wheelchair restraint system – a first in the industry.
Tripseed also scrutinises tour routes to ensure that travellers are not met with navigation difficulties.
Founder Ewan Cluckie told TTG Asia that his company has delivered two accessible trips for the Thai market at press time in September, and has a few international bookings lined up for the upcoming Christmas period and through to mid-2023.
It is also working with Wheel the World to reach out to differently-abled travellers.
The Cathay Pacific Group has named the following senior management appointments.
Ronald Lam will take on the role of chief executive officer effective January 1, 2023. Previously chief customer and commercial officer, he is responsible for all customer, commercial and cargo-related activities of the Cathay Pacific Group’s airlines.
Ronald Lam has been named chief executive officer of Cathay Pacific Group
In his new position, he will lead the airline through its post-Covid recovery and the introduction of the Three-Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport. He will also continue to serve as chair of HK Express.
Effective from January 1, 2023, Lavinia Lau will take over Lam’s role as chief customer and commercial officer. Lau will also be appointed executive director on the board of Cathay Pacific. She will be succeeded by Erica Peng, who will also be appointed director of customer travel.
Alex McGowan will be appointed chief operations and service delivery officer and also executive director on the board of Cathay Pacific effective April 1, 2023. McGowan will also be appointed chair of Air Hong Kong.
Mandy Ng, currently chief executive officer of the HK Express, will return to Cathay Pacific as director service delivery effective April 1, 2023.
Jeanette Mao, currently general manager inflight services at Cathay Pacific, will take over Ng’s current position of chief executive officer of the HK Express from April 1, 2023.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) 66th Assembly of Presidents in Bangkok this week has brought optimistic news of continued growth in both international air passenger traffic and capacity.
At a media roundtable this afternoon, Subhas Menon, AAPA director general reported that passenger traffic carried by Asia-Pacific airlines has increased by five-fold to 62 million between January and September when compared to the same period in 2021, capacity has expanded by 125 per cent over the same period, and international passenger load factor has risen by 40 percentage points to average at 70 per cent.
Subhas: airlines continue to actively invest in recruitment and training to address additional manpower needs as air travel demand is expected see healthy growth in the coming year
“The travel rebound has been quite stupendous, and is taking place in spite of the worsening economic conditions,” he said, but added that Asia-Pacific’s air recovery still lags behind other regions of the world.
Air traffic here stands at around 40 per cent of 2019 levels compared to other regions that are already approaching 90 per cent.
“Obviously, the main reason is that China hasn’t come to the party yet. And China is a huge market,” reasoned Subhas.
Excluding China, the region’s air travel traffic stands close to 60 per cent of 2019 levels, propped up by major markets like India, South-east Asia and Australia.
Subhas is confident that performance figures for the full year would look even better, as latest data takes in only the first nine months of 2022 and excludes travel demand resulting from the reopening of South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong in October.
He shared that IATA’s forecast is for air traffic to reach 75 per cent of 2019 levels by the end of 2022.
Looking into 2023, Subhas maintains optimism based on “robust forward bookings across the globe”, especially driven by business travel, business events and Visit Friends and Relatives tourism.
However, he cautioned that the aviation industry faces many headwinds in its road to recovery, such as constricted fuel supply, rising oil prices, strengthening US dollar due to periodic interest hikes by the Federal Reserve, and increasing cost of business operations.
“At the same time, though, a strengthening US dollar also means that we are likely to import more visitors to Asia,” he said.
Further emphasising the conflicting conditions between the macro environment and state of aviation business, Subhas said: “We are going into recession in a ‘job-full’ market, where unemployment rate is at its lowest and job vacancies are very high. So, people are gainfully employed during the coming recession. However, with interest rates going up, people are generally incentivised to save and that could impact travel.”
When asked to cast his eyes beyond 2023, Subhas said it is “very hard to say how travel demand will hold for the coming years”, and airlines will have to carefully navigate these conditions further down the road.
China: long runway for comeback
In discussions about the return of volume travel market China, Subhas said it has been difficult for airlines to plan their operations to and from the country due to its government’s resolve to stick with its zero-Covid strategy.
When asked if airlines would shift operations and capacity away from current well-performing routes to China when reopening finally happens, Subhas told TTG Asia that such moves were unlikely.
“There will be some balancing of capacity to take advantage of the situation though,” he remarked.
“Right now, you are right, airlines are looking at the low hanging fruits. Some markets have opened up close to six months already. India is a massive market with huge outbound potential, and the travel appetite there has rejuvenated the Indian carriers. So, it makes sense for airlines to continue to tap into these markets that are already at the table (instead of shifting operations heavily to China),” he reasoned.
He added that China’s slow reopening has given the aviation industry time to rebuild operations without intensive demand pressures.
“Nobody has said this, but it is good that China has not opened up at the same time as other destinations while airlines are trying to ramp up capacity. Imagine, China’s return will only exacerbate the situation (of air travel demand outstripping supply),” he opined.
As Japan’s inbound tourism begins to recover, the country’s airline industry is stepping up efforts to offer visitors more sustainable travel amid growing demand for greener trips post-pandemic.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) are increasing awareness of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and have submitted a joint report on the demand for SAF to the Japanese government.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are increasing awareness of sustainable aviation fuel
“It’s important to improve people’s understanding of SAF,” Shinichi Inoue, chairman of The Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan and president and CEO of ANA, told attendees at Tourism Expo Japan 2022, while introducing ANA’s SAF Flight Initiative: For the Next Generation.
The programme enables customers using ANA for cargo transportation or employee business trips to pay part of the SAF cost, thereby contributing to the reduction of CO2 throughout their value chain. In exchange, they receive a CO2 reduction certificate approved by third-party organisation GHG Protocol.
ANA is aiming to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions, zero resource disposal and a 50 per cent reduction in food waste by 2050 compared to fiscal 2019.
JAL, meanwhile, will operate its first fully sustainable charter flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on November 18. The chosen craft, the Airbus A350, ordinarily emits 15 to 25 per cent less CO2 than JAL’s conventional aircraft. By using SAF and a carbon offset programme, the initiative will generate net zero CO2 emissions.
The flight “marks a new era of air travel”, said JAL in a statement.
To support local communities and help prevent over-tourism, The Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan is also trying to encourage more travellers to explore rural Japan, shared Inoue.
In 2019, 47 per cent of inbound travellers visited Tokyo but about half of the country saw less than one per cent of international arrivals, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.
As official partners of the National Parks of Japan, ANA and JAL promote flight and travel packages to national parks to encourage enjoyment and conservation of the natural environment.
The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA) and Greenview have teamed up to progress sustainability across the hospitality industry. The partnership will focus on creating innovative tools and initiatives to support the industry to work towards Net Positive Hospitality
Both organisations will build on their previous collaborative work developing the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) – which enables hotels to measure the carbon footprint of stays, meetings and events. Used by over 30,000 hotels worldwide, the newly updated tool is applicable to all hotels.
The partnership will create innovative tools and initiatives to progress sustainability across the hospitality industry
HCMI provides consistent, transparent, and globally comparable data, enabling hotels to inform buyer decision-making and track their carbon reduction progress. The tool is used in the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking index, the largest industry initiative of its kind which enables hotels and their customers to benchmark sustainability performance.
SHA and Greenview have also worked together to create the Hotel Destination Water Risk Index and build the Hotel Water Measurement Initiative, as well as collaborating with Tourism Declares, the Pacific Asia Travel Association and the World Travel & Tourism Council to create the Net Zero Methodology.
Glenn Mandziuk, CEO, SHA said: “If we are to progress towards net positive hospitality, it is essential that hotels, partners and clients have access to reliable tools to understand the impact of the industry. Having worked collaboratively with Greenview to develop pioneering tools for a number of years, this new agreement will ensure that any and all hotels around the world are able to measure their impact and help create alignment in order to drive significant progress.”
Eric Ricaurte, founder and CEO, Greenview added: “Through this joined-up approach, we aim to facilitate hotels to not only keep track of their impact, but also understand and communicate their progression towards a more sustainable future.”
Location
He joins Chatrium Grand Bangkok from his last role as general manager for Starbucks Indonesia, where he launched Starbucks Reserve Dewata in Bali, the world’s first Starbucks concept store and the largest Starbucks Reserve in the Asia-Pacific.
