Voytek Klasicki has been appointed general manager of Cape Panwa Hotel, Phuket.
Klasicki is no stranger to Phuket, having been the general manager at Cape Panwa Hotel 24 years ago. Most recently, he spent the last 15 years working for Centara Hotels and Resorts.
A seasoned hotelier with more than 40 years’ experience, Klasicki has worked in countries such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, The Maldives and Thailand.
The Thai government has set the tourism revenue target for 2023 at 1.73 billion baht (US$46.2 billion) – 80 per cent of what the Kingdom achieved in 2019, reported The Bangkok Post.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on September 19 that the bulk would come from international visitors.
In the best case scenario, total revenue from tourism in 2023 could reach 2.38 trillion baht – 1.5 trillion baht from foreign arrivals and 880 billion baht from domestic travellers.
International arrivals to Thailand has been on the mend, aided by the country’s removal of travel barriers. More than five million foreign tourists have arrived in Thailand between January and September this year, according to Anucha.
One million international travellers are expected in September alone, while 10 million are expected by the time the year closes.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has forecasted that arrivals in 4Q2023 would be around 1.5 million per month, and it would work with airlines on marketing to help restore inbound tourism.
China’s tougher border measures and Japan’s cautious approach toward the relaxation of inbound travel restrictions could displace Asia-Pacific as the world’s largest air passenger market for the year 2022.
Asia-Pacific, which has dominated the civil aviation market for several years prior to the pandemic, is estimated to finish second, behind Europe in terms of passenger share, and at a comparable level with North America.
The latest Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific forecast indicates that by the end of 2022, passenger traffic will only recover by about 55% as compared to pre-pandemic levels. This is in stark contrast to other regions where recovery is substantially higher, and indeed estimated to be approximately between 70% and 80%, respectively. In 2019, 3.4 billion passengers travelled by air in Asia-Pacific, representing 37% of the global volume of 9.2 billion. Following a phenomenal growth, 2020 was a watershed year for aviation as the Covid-19 pandemic crippled the industry.
In 2020, the region witnessed only 1.6 billion passengers, an unprecedented 53% crash in traffic owing to pandemic-induced restrictions across the globe. However, Asia-Pacific dominated the traffic share by contributing 1.6 billion pax or 44% to the global traffic of 3.6 billion. Home to several large domestic markets, the region demonstrated sensible resilience in air traffic.
In 2021, 1.5 billion people travelled by air in Asia-Pacific, experiencing a slight decline by -4% versus 2020, but was still the leading region accounting for 33% of 4.6 billion global passengers.
Although the latest ACI forecast predicts 22% growth for the year 2022 over 2021, the share of passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific is likely to drop to second globally, with an estimated traffic of 1.8 billion passengers – a decline of -45% compared to 2019.
Stefano Baronci, director general, ACI Asia-Pacific said: “The traffic in the region will not be able to fully recover to 2019 levels unless all countries keep their borders open to facilitate freedom of movement. China and Japan – one of the largest contributors to the region’s overall traffic – have been slow in lifting travel and Covid restrictions.
“We are urging states to take a measured approach to facilitate the recovery in a more sustainable manner and without causing significant impact on their healthcare system. Accelerating the recovery will need a whole of industry and government support, especially in view of an increasingly challenging macroeconomic scenario.”
ACI Asia-Pacific has written a letter, co-signed by ACI World and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), to the prime minister of Japan, urging the government to remove all restrictions and restore the travel privileges to enable smooth recovery of the industry in the region.
Appreciating the Japan government’s efforts for providing a safe environment for its citizens amid the pandemic and easing of restrictions on international air travel in a phased manner, the three organisations urged the Government to take necessary actions to bolster the recovery of the industry, including the resumption of visa exemptions to countries that had such an agreement with Japan.
This reform is considered particularly urgent in view of economies still battling strong headwinds, including geopolitical instability in eastern Europe and its subsequent impact on global macroeconomics, including high inflation and rising energy prices. All these external factors too are causing disruptions in supply chains, negatively hampering the recovery of the industry.
Baronci added: “There are positive signs emerging from Japan where the Government is considering on lifting of daily arrival caps to spur tourism to revive their economy, and it will benefit the industry to a greater extent. We hope to see a positive outcome in the very near future.”
Resorts World Cruises (RWC) is launching a series of monthly thematic cruises on the Genting Dream that includes a variety of enrichment programs and activities for guests to experience while at sea.
Also to commence are the Sail-Away Celebration Parties available at the start of each week for Genting Dream’s Sunday departures, which are filled with performances, music, dance, good vibes and amazing hospitality from the Captain and crew.
Resorts World Cruises’ president Michael Goh said: “At Resorts World Cruises, we are taking the celebration up a notch and onto the ship, introducing unique themes that will be refreshed every month for our guests’ pleasure. Each thematic cruise promises to be different; and guests can look forward to a one-of-a-kind experience at sea, complementing the extensive onboard offerings, cuisines and shore excursions that are readily available.”
From now until October 16, guests can discover a new world of bright colours and neon lights with the Light Meets Night thematic sailing. The ship’s Zouk Beach Club transforms into a magical outdoor wonderland under the stars with colourful displays and projectors. There is a Glow-in-the-Dark Bouncy Playground just for kids, dance and light performances by some of Singapore’s renowned street musicians and buskers, as well as Arts and Crafts workshops to create glow-in-the-dark paintings, and more.
Celebrate Halloween at sea with the Clowning Around thematic cruise from October 16 to November 2, where the ship turns into a house of horror with special Halloween-themed rooms and activities.
Wellness-seekers can join the Sensational Voyage thematic cruise from November 2-13, where they can participate in numerous exercises and meditation classes under the supervision of professionals, and indulge in healthy meals under the guidance of onboard nutritionists.
For the year-end holidays, celebrate Jelilo Christmas at sea with one of Singapore’s famous homegrown art and toy designers from gagatree. The ship will be decked up in Christmas decorations, with Christmas markets, a Christmas feast, and workshops for guests to creating personalised gifts.
For more information, visit Resorts World Cruises.
The newly-rebranded Paradox Singapore Merchant Court at Clarke Quay will leverage the hotel’s heritage credentials to stand out in Singapore’s competitive accommodation landscape.
The hotel was conceived following the April 2022 partnership between Canadian-born boutique hospitality brand, Paradox Hotel Group and leading property developer in Malaysia, TA Global to rebrand the former Swissotel Merchant Court.
Jessie Khoo-Gan, the hotel’s general manager, told TTG Asia: “One of the key values that the owners wanted to present is to be on the chic, playful side and yet offering an authentically local taste.”
The hotel showcases distinctive décor reminiscent of historical elements. For example, its Ellenborough Market Café spotlights Peranakan (Straits Chinese) dishes and setting, while the name pays homage to the former popular market and street in the area.
The 476-key hotel enjoys a prime location, with the bustling entertainment and dining river district of Clarke Quay at its doorstep as well as tourist spots such as Chinatown and Little India within a short train ride away.
Moving forward, Khoo-Gan wants to build on its unique branding, capitalising on the interesting background of the Merchant Court area where samsui women and coolies used to congregate in the olden days.
Her team is exploring a locally-made, tailored-by-Paradox package for guests that involves a heritage trail in Clarke Quay and nearby Fort Canning.
She told TTG Asia that ideas for the future include bringing local delights, such as bak kut teh (pork rib soup) and sweet potato porridge, to the hotel’s F&B offerings and creating a special massage that is reimagined from treatments offered in the past. The latter is expected to appeal to a rising traveller trend for wellness, and can take advantage of the hotel’s ability to function as a quiet sanctuary to relax and unwind, complete with scenic riverside views.
She said: “We (Singapore) are so small, so we always need to reinvent, find new things to entice people to want to come to Singapore.”
The current power of planning travel online puts choice in the hands of the traveller in ways that would have been inconceivable 25 years ago.
With a simple search, millions of travellers can be connected to their choice of brands and experiences. Travellers can select how they want to travel by sharing preferences, instantly enabling them to compare options for where they might want to stay. Powerful back-end and user interface development, paired with supply from partners, has put the power firmly in the fingertips of the traveller.
While this clearly benefits the traveller, it’s clear that the online travel market has become too price conscious rather than the right product at a fair price.
Fortunately, this is now changing. What we are currently seeing is a realignment of the online travel booking experience, with technology putting the traveller’s considerations at its core – with the aim of providing an exceptional guest experience.
In order to deliver better results for travellers, and for hoteliers looking to improve their business, there are a series of ways in which hoteliers can adapt to better suit the traveller’s needs. The reasons to focus on guest experience are clear: better guest experiences lead to higher rates of rebooking, greater brand loyalty, and better reviews which lead to additional bookings. By using technology and marketplaces which put the traveller experience at the centre, hoteliers can drive better traveller experiences and better outcomes for all.
Understanding travellers’ experience better
The ability to accurately gauge a traveller’s perception of different aspects of their trip or experience is important for understanding where they can improve, and to hear about the elements of a trip that travellers particularly value. Technology which enables hoteliers to listen for signals that indicate a great guest experience is crucial.
The need to be attuned to the traveller’s needs is underlined by findings that 53 per cent of consumers are likely to spend with companies if they trust they’ll get what they were promised. Using technology that tracks and analyses key touchpoints – from guest reviews, cancellations, and in-stay feedback, to call propensity and relocations – can all help to build an accurate picture of the overall experience. Knowing where a hotel is overpromising and underdelivering is important to understand how to make improvements, eliminating the guessing game and helping to inform actions to improve traveller satisfaction.
A marketplace in step with guest experience
While this feedback helps to improve a hotelier’s offering, this information is also helping to improve online marketplaces for hoteliers and travellers alike. For example, Expedia Group is reimagining its marketplace by rewarding partners that deliver great traveller experiences with more visibility. Historically, offer strength, which reflects factors related to a property listing – factors like content, images, and price availability – have been a significant component to our marketplace. Expedia Group is introducing changes to our marketplace where a hoteliers’ visibility will reflect two types of signals: offer strength and guest experience.
The intent behind the guest experience signals is to give travellers an accurate and clear picture of what they can expect when they book their accommodations by meaningfully elevating the importance of the guest experience. Some of the signals impacting this score will include staff and service ratings, cleanliness ratings, relocation rates, amenity ratings and more.
This traveller-centric shift will reward accommodation providers that have delivered positive guest experiences with increased visibility and performance, and more opportunities to create connections with guests. Using a marketplace which takes into account price consideration and availability alongside how a hotel has performed for guests in the past, delivers an equally positive experience for the hotel and traveller. After all, many hoteliers consider providing a great experience the core value that they offer to travellers. Indeed, across Asia-Pacific, the industry takes pride in our ability to provide exceptionally high levels of customer service and hospitality – as evidenced by the importance of omotenashi in places like Japan.
When the traveller wins, we all win
Previous iterations of the overly commodified online travel experience don’t best serve the traveller’s needs, and don’t offer the best value to hotels. Traveller-centric technology, such as a marketplace that rewards partners and displays rooms and experiences which take into account previous guest experiences, much better reflects travellers’ preferences.
Without adopting technology that puts travellers at its core, hoteliers risk being left behind as travellers seek an online travel booking experience that best serve their holistic interests – not just price. By adopting the right technology, hoteliers can expect a richer suite of tools to better understand and serve travellers and better businesses because of it.
Cebu Pacific (CEB) will resume its flights to Kota Kinabalu from October 31, bringing the number of its international destinations to 19.
The Manila-Kota Kinabalu service will operate on every Monday and Friday; return flights will fly every Tuesday and Saturday.
The flight will depart from Manila at 23.25 and arrive at Kota Kinabalu at 01.50 the next day; while the return flight will depart Kota Kinabalu at 02.35 and arrive in Manila at 04.40.
All guests bound for Kota Kinabalu must download and register for the MySejahtera mobile app to indicate their Covid-19 risk status.
I was recently invited on an excursion – a journey into SITA’s tech lab where many of its systems and programmes for travellers, airport operators, airlines and pilots are showcased.
I finally got to see how SITA Flex works. In layman’s terms, SITA Flex allows airports and airlines to process their passengers beyond the confines of traditional check-in counters, by using smart devices – tablets for the airport/airline staff and personal smart devices for passengers. SITA Flex could be deployed in cafes or sitting zones around the departure hall, allowing passengers to complete the process themselves, or implemented by roving airport/airline service officers who will provide assistance when needed.
The benefit for airports and airlines is that the former can spread out check-in crowds while freeing up valuable facility space for commercial usage, while the latter can process more passengers without needing more counters or staff.
As a traveller, I am excited by SITA Flex. While many major airports in Asia have self-check-in kiosks at their departure halls, crowding in a single area is still a reality. I relish the prospect of being able to avoid crowds by choosing alternative check-in zones, and perhaps queue for my latte while getting my baggage tags printed out at the same time.
Together with digitalised pre-trip processes like electronic visa and electronic travel authorisation, biometrics implementation throughout the pre-boarding and boarding process, technology can further improve the accuracy of passenger clearance, reduce physical touchpoints and minimise waiting times.
Even more promising is the idea that similar technology applications and the traveller’s electronic identity can be utilised beyond the airport, so that the traveller who was cleared for flight can also waltz through the cruise terminal for his ocean getaway without undergoing repeat checks, into his pre-booked hotel room without the need for a keycard, and into the exhibition hall or conference centre without a physical badge. Wouldn’t it be great if he could also pick up his pre-booked rental car or pocket Wi-Fi just by scanning his face and not having to input the same personal particulars for every different vendor?
I dream of the day I can travel anywhere without a physical passport, where my official travel document is available as a secure app – just as my Singapore identity card is – and my face or my palm is my access key.
Of course, discussions about such a streamlined future of travel isn’t new and the common gripe continues to be the slowness in getting government agencies and commercial organisations worldwide to agree on a data-sharing system. But, at least, technology transformation is happening faster at airports, catalysed by combined pressure on operators to better manage processes with a smaller pool of workers post-lockdown as well as greater public expectation for safe distancing and contactless everything.
Veteran hotelier Christian Metzner is the new general manager of W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. He was previously general manager with W Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With an extensive background in sales, marketing and revenue management, Metzner brings with him close to three decades of luxury hospitality experience and a fresh strategic vision for the property.
Hailing from Germany, Metzner’s career with Marriott International began in 1996 at the Arabella Sheraton Complex South Germany in Munich, and since then he has held numerous positions within the company.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is expanding its brand portfolio in Asia-Pacific with a pipeline of landmark luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts that are expected to open in late 2022 and 2023.
The expansion will see several brands entering new markets, such as The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Japan, the Andaz brand in Thailand, and the Hyatt Centric brand in South-east Asia with a new hotel in Malaysia.
Fuji Speedway Hotel, the first hotel under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt will open in October with 120 rooms. Located in Shizuoka and 80 minutes by car from Tokyo, the property is set amid Mount Fuji and the legendary Fuji Speedway racing circuit, offering a getaway for motorcar lovers and professional racers, business executives, couples and families alike.
Also opening in October is 222-room Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, the first Hyatt Centric brand in South-east Asia, while Andaz Pattaya Jountien Beach will open in 4Q2022 with 204 rooms.
Some of the additional luxury and lifestyle hotel openings planned for 2022 and 2023 include Grand Hyatt Shenzhou Peninsula, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Andaz Macau, Grand Hyatt Kunming, Andaz Nanjing Hexi and Alila Donghu Wuhan.
The recent opening of Park Hyatt Jakarta marked the first of Park Hyatt in Indonesia.
Confident in the region’s path to recovery, Carina Chorengel, senior vice president-commercial, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt said: “As people seek to reconnect, explore new destinations, or revisit reliable favourites, we are seeing greater demand for premium accommodations and longer stays at Hyatt hotels.”
Speaking at the Media Event in Jakarta as part of its Journey with Hyatt across Asia roadshow last week, Chorengel noted that there is growing demand for premium rooms, suites and villas.
According to her, properties in Asia-Pacific – Australia, South Korea, and South-east Asian countries – are thriving, while China hotels and resorts are well supported by the domestic travel market.
“With nearly 70 per cent of our global portfolio classified as luxury and upper upscale, we are well positioned to meet the growing demand from high-end travellers in each segment we serve,” she added.
Hyatt is all set to join in the current travel trend, where sustainability is the new luxury and immersive, authentic experience on the rise.
In her presentation, Angelina Hue, director of brand marketing and communications Asia-Pacific, Hyatt, said: “(The) Alila brand is a great embodiment of what it means to be sustainable yet offering luxurious experience.”
Alila Villas Uluwatu Bali works on zero waste operation, as explained by the hotel’s general manager, Hemal Jain. He shared that all waste generated on the property is taken to the hotel’s lab, where it is segregated and donated to like-minded organisations for converting into useful items.
Some examples of how the hotel is internally converting items include turning ice buckets into lamp shades, rubber tyres into planter boxes, wine bottles into glasses, and (used) room slippers shredded and used as bean bag stuffing.
“People want to make choices that are responsible and resonate with their personal values,” said Hue.
