Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) celebrated 50 years with key partners and guests at the Sentosa Golden Jubilee Dinner on September 2 at Siloso Beach, where Singapore’s president Halimah Yacob attended as guest-of-honour.
To commemorate this milestone, SDC gave back to the Singapore community by presenting her with a cheque of S$3,908,888.88 (US$2.78 million) for the President’s Challenge and Community Chest.
Sentosa Development Corporation gave back to the Singapore community with a cheque of S$3,908,888.88 for the President’s Challenge and Community Chest (Photo: Sentosa Development Corporation)
President Halimah said: “Sentosa holds a special place in Singaporeans’ memories, and it is heartening to see how Sentosa and SDC have grown alongside Singaporeans over the past 50 years. It is befitting that SDC has made giving back to the community an integral part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations.”
The funds were raised through the Sentosa Golden Jubilee Charity Golf held on August 27 and 28, and all proceeds will be channelled to benefitting agencies of President’s Challenge and more than 100 social service agencies and 200 critical programmes supported by Community Chest.
Trip Affiliates Network (TAN) has teamed up with Indonesia’s B2B travel solutions provider Netral Port (NTP) to help the travel and hospitality sectors relaunch their post-Covid business operations with technology solutions.
TAN’s cloud-based solutions, booking engines and direct supplier connectivity, will allow companies to seamlessly automate their business operations, access a comprehensive suite of digital B2B and B2C payment solutions and enhance their online presence with dynamic product marketing capabilities.
The partnership will help Indonesia’s travel and hospitality sectors relaunch their post-Covid business operations with technology solutions
TAN will work closely with NTP, which has an extensive network of hotels, agents and OTA clients in Indonesia and South-east Asia. NTP’s suite of enhanced solutions aim to help companies digitalise, enhance direct supplier bookings, implement timely and cost-effective digital payment solutions and automate business operations.
“Our partnership with NTP affirms our strategy to work closely with established local partners who are able to immediately bring together a wealth of local relationships and market expertise and scale up the TA Network ecosystem globally,” said Ho Siang Twang, managing partner, TA Network.
Josua Sughandi, managing director, Netral Port commented that post-Covid, there is “a greater urgency by our clients to adopt cost-effective and scalable digital solutions to enhance the engagement of business partners and customers globally”.
He added: “Businesses have to be nimble, digitally savvy and plugged into an open ecosystem to grow in the global digital economy.”
South Korea has lifted the pre-departure Covid-test requirement for inbound travellers starting September 3.
The new rule came after a state infectious disease advisory committee recommended the government scrap the mandatory pre-travel PCR tests for international arrivals.
Travellers to South Korea no longer need to do pre-departure Covid tests
Previously, those inbound were required to show a negative result within 48 hours of their PCR tests or within 24 hours of their rapid antigen tests to enter the country.
Travellers are still required to take a PCR test within the first 24 hours of their arrival in South Korea and upload the test result on a Q-code website.
The government will also introduce the retooled Covid-19 vaccines known to be more effective for the more dominant BA.5 Omicron variant later this year – those aged 60 and over, or with underlying health conditions, will be prioritised for inoculation.
The recovery of Philippines’ inbound and outbound travel is slowing down due to high airfares, a weakening peso, and a logjam in embassies’ processing of visa applications and renewal.
Arjun Shroff, managing director of Shroff International Travel Care, said travellers prefer domestic travel over international travel due to the high costs of airfares, “which has risen by more than 60-80 per cent in some cases”.
Travellers prefer domestic travel over international travel due to the high costs of airfares
Asiareps Travel Services general manager, Ritchie Tuano, agreed that airlines’ high fuel cost “significantly contributes” to the travel slowdown.
He added that the surge of revenge travellers did not cause air travel demand to spike, even though most airlines were not 100 per cent operational.
This, coupled with the longer processing time of visa applications at embassies – which itself is trying to cope with the surge in demand and staffing issues – are all contributing to the slow down, noted Shroff.
Tuano said: “Embassies should be adding more staff, even though temporarily, to hasten the visa processing time.”
Moreover, the weakening of the Philippine peso reached an all-time high this week, and has also made it costlier for longhaul travel. That is why Filipinos are choosing to fly regionally to South-east Asian countries, or other countries that are visa-free, agents observed.
Tourism New Zealand unveiled its first global campaign since 2019, If You Seek, during the Kiwi Link Asia gala dinner held in Singapore last Tuesday.
The campaign builds destination desire by beckoning curious travellers to New Zealand, promising to enrich their experiences through extraordinary travel. If You Seek wants international visitors to not only be mindful of, but also embrace Māori values and traditions.
Tourism New Zealand’s campaign aims to attract travellers to visit the destination; Hooker Valley Track pictured
As part of the new campaign, Tourism New Zealand curated itineraries for those inquisitive enough to look deeper and go a little further to discover more authentic, meaningful connections.
Campaign materials include 18 short videos featuring New Zealanders experiencing Aoteroa’s local culture, generosity and natural beauty. They feature locations such as Bay of Plenty’s Whakatāne, a town with rich Māori history; Hooker Valley near Aoraki/Mt Cook, the highest mountain in the country; and the green hills of Waitomo.
After Singapore, If You Seek was rolled out in Japan and South Korea on September 1, and upcoming will be India on September 8. Prior to this, the campaign debuted in China, Australia, Germany, the US and the UK, as well as the domestic market on August 19.
Sellers at Kiwi Link Asia shared that travel demand for New Zealand has not wavered one bit, as there is pent-up interest.
“The number one obstacle at the moment is connectivity, where scheduling is not as regular as it used to be, but that’s going to improve as we get closer towards the end of the year,” Lou Baddiley, manager, international markets, RotoruaNZ, told TTG Asia.
Singaporean travellers, Baddiley noticed, have been researching New Zealand’s beautiful nature and are often return visitors. Aside from Singapore, other medium-haul visitor markets New Zealand is courting include Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and India; where “India is an emerging market with massive potential”.
Kiran Nambiar, business development director, Destination Queenstown, added: “Singapore has always been an amazing market for New Zealand, and it helps that the dollar is in Singapore’s favour. We’ve never had any challenges marketing New Zealand to Singaporeans, as demand has always been higher than the seat capacity, especially during the high season from October to February.
“The demand is strong, we just hope that the supply will return to pre-Covid levels and at some stage become higher (to help cope with travel demand).”
Another challenge that Nambiar faces is attracting more working holidaymakers/backpackers back to New Zealand, a crucial group that can quickly help rebuild Queenstown’s tourism infrastructure.
“There used to be about 6,000 available jobs in Queenstown that changed every three months. Aside from working holidaymakers filling service job positions, these visitors contribute to both the tourism economy and New Zealand GDP,” Nambiar said.
When these working holidaymakers leave, fond memories of New Zealand will translate to a “lifetime value of visitors where they keep coming back”, pointed out Nambiar, who will in turn, become default ambassadors for the country.
For Patrick Dault, destination and tourism manager, Development West Coast, his challenge in selling New Zealand is different.
“For me it’s about regional dispersal. How do we get travellers to our regions, out of the well-established destinations of Christchurch and Queenstown?” he remarked.
The West Coast is eight per cent of New Zealand’s land mass, offering two million square kilometres of conservation land. It is all about exploring the outdoors and wildlife, enthused Dault, but they have to make sure that “visitors know what to expect”, such as the slower pace of tourism in these areas.
Baddiley concluded: “The key message is New Zealand is open, and we welcome and embrace the Singapore market. One thing the last two years has taught us is that we don’t know what’s around the corner. If you’ve already been to New Zealand, come on back – there’s a whole heap of new stuff that we’ve developed over the lockdowns.”
Tourists at Kuang Si waterfall in Luang Prabang, Laos
Travel operators across Laos are racing to certify tour guides and drivers to cope with the surge in demand for organised tours since Laos reopened its borders to international tourists on May 9.
LaoSafe has witnessed an increase in requests for training and certification with the anticipated influx of tourists for the coming season. To date, over 710 tour guides and 270 drivers have achieved LaoSafe certification.
Travel operators across Laos are racing to certify tour guides and drivers to cope with the surge in demand for organised tours; Kuang Si waterfall pictured
LaoSafe is a nationwide initiative designed to create a world-class health and hygiene system within the tourism and hospitality industry, developing sector-specific standards for accommodation, F&B, tour guides and drivers to raise the benchmark of hygiene provision throughout the country and build international confidence in Laos as a safe tourist destination.
Encouraging tour operators in Laos to apply for LaoSafe, Duangmala Phommavong, managing director, EXO Travel Laos, said: “The LaoSafe training that our guides have received has helped them prioritise safety and cleanliness. As a tour operator, I want travellers to know that Laos has safety standards in place for them to travel with peace of mind and confidence.”
A spokesperson of Asian Trails Laos commented that LaoSafe empowered DMCs like them to offer customers a “safe and quality experience” and access a “harmonisation of services and the creation of standards on a national scale”.
While visitor numbers have not returned to 2019 levels, the removal of entry restrictions has given the tourism and hospitality industry a welcome boost after two years of tightly controlled borders.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) strengthens its regional management with the reorganisation of its operational leadership team as the Group expands across Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.
Reporting directly to Choe Peng Sum, CEO of PPHG, the newly-appointed leaders are organised into five regional clusters.
From left: Margaret Paul, Richard Tan and Jeremy Aniere
Margaret Paul will steer the Group’s global launches as the vice president of pre-opening, overseeing a growing pipeline of hotels, resorts and serviced suites. She also takes on the role of vice president of operations for Oceania, where she will oversee six properties in Australia.
Prior to her new dual role, Paul was the general manager of Pan Pacific Singapore.
Richard Tan takes on the role of vice president of operations for Dhaka, Indo-China, Malaysia and Nairobi in addition to his current purview over PPHG’s properties in Malaysia and Indo-China (Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia).
Tan will drive the operational performance of the Group’s properties in Dhaka and Nairobi, and oversee 17 hotels, resorts and serviced suites. He has more than 25 years of experience managing serviced suites and hotels in Asia.
Jeremy Aniere assumes the role of vice president of operations for Singapore, excluding Pan Pacific Orchard. Aniere will also drive the operational processes, standards and performance of eight Singapore properties under PPHG.
Amassing over 25 years of international hotel experience, Aniere joined PPHG in December 2021 and helmed Pan Pacific Perth as general manager until June 2022. He was previously the vice president of operations for Accor Greater China (South China).
From left: Anne Golden and Marcel Holman
Anne Golden is the vice president of operations for the UK & North America where she will oversee the operational performance for a total of six properties in these regions. She is also general manager of Pan Pacific London.
With more than 25 years of experience in hospitality, Golden was previously the regional vice president, operations and development with SBE Hospitality Group, London.
Marcel Holman joins as vice president of operations where he will oversee the operational performance of 13 properties across Indonesia, China and Japan. He takes on the role of general manager for Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore, where he will helm the opening in 1H2023.
With over 35 years of experience in hospitality, Holman was regional vice president of operations – Greater China and managing director of The Langham Hong Kong prior to joining PPHG.
Qantas’ trade partners will benefit from lower pricing when booking Australian domestic fares through the carrier’s next-generation distribution platform from November 29.
The lower fares will be made available to all travel agents, travel management companies and online booking tools accessing content via the Qantas Distribution Platform.
Qantas’ Distribution Platform will offer lower domestic fares to trade partners from November 29
Built using IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) standards, Qantas Distribution Platform was designed to modernise the service that trade partners provide to customers with a wider range of products, features and capabilities.
Since its launch, Qantas has continued to invest in the platform’s capabilities, releasing special offers and new revenue opportunities, growing its network of Technology Partners and expanding the program internationally.
For partners still in the process of connecting to the platform, Qantas will provide extra support in the three months leading up to the launch of lower pricing.
Travel agents who have registered in the Qantas Channel can access Qantas Distribution Platform content via either an Approved Technology Partner, or by developing a direct connection to Qantas’ NDC XML Application Program Interface (API).
Malaysia-based investment holding company Tiong Nam Group has unveiled plans for the first aviation-themed lifestyle hub in Malaysia, slated for completion in 4Q2023.
Located in Kempas, Johor Bahru, the hub will occupy over 19,000m² of the integrated township and feature the 1975 Avenue & Hotel.
The first aviation-themed lifestyle hub in Malaysia will feature a man-made beach and lagoon pool
Offering 38 keys, the all-suite cockpits and cabins will feature a 70s vintage, aviation-themed interior. Surrounding the hotel is a six-hectare project incorporating two redesigned Boeing 747s, as well as a man-made beach and the lagoon pool that weaves through the entire development.
F&B options will range from casual dining like cafés, bistros, buffet and family-friendly restaurants to pop-ups, international gourmet dining and themed dining. Other entertainment and activities will be revealed at a later date.
The hotel also features indoor and outdoor event spaces that are ideal for corporate travellers and event planners, as well as for social events.
Kenneth Perreau, general manager of 1975 Avenue & Hotel, is confident that the hotel will be able to “operate at a healthy occupancy in the first year of the hotel’s opening taking into consideration the integration, the connectivity, the market size and the authenticity of the extravagance experience we are offering”.
Banyan Tree Bangkok is offering guests a special package to commemorate its 25th birthday.
Guests can choose to enjoy a four-course set dinner at Saffron Cruise
The 25th Anniversary Celebration Package includes a one-night stay at a Horizon Room for two persons, with daily breakfast, and a choice of one of these benefits:
Three-course set dinner at Vertigo
Four-course set dinner at Saffron Cruise (available Friday to Sunday)
Sunday brunch at Romsai
Dim Sum buffet at Bai Yun
Dining credit valued at 3,000 baht (US$81) for use at any of the hotel’s dining establishments and in-room dining
Upgrade to a One Bedroom Suite with club access
60-minute body massage at Banyan Tree Spa
Complimentary additional night at a Horizon Room with breakfast
The package starts from 7,999 baht and is valid till October 31, 2022. Terms and conditions apply.
