Meliá Bali is taking steps to restore the coral reefs through a collaboration with Nusa Dua Reef Foundation, ensuring that visitors can enjoy the sea for years to come.
Protecting the environment is an essential pillar of Meliá Hotels International, and staff are actively undergoing training on how to establish and protect coral, learning how coral is grown, and have begun planting coral on a nearby reef, just ten minutes from the property.
Meliá Hotels International invites guests to show their support by purchasing coral through the resort for their reef project
Guests have been invited to show their support by purchasing coral through the resort, which will be used by Meliá Bali on their reef project. For each coral purchase, guests will receive a certificate acknowledging their contribution, and if requested, coral plantation activities for 10 or more participants can also be arranged.
According to the Nusa Dua Reef Foundation, in 2016 more than half of the coral reefs of Nusa Dua suffered from coral bleaching and become susceptible to a risk of death. So far, 62 artificial reef sculptures and 117 artificial reef structures at six locations underwater off Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa beaches have been placed.
Marriott International has appointed Volker Burth as general manager of W Kuala Lumpur, replacing Christian Metzner who has moved to W Singapore – Sentosa Cove.
Burth has 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry under his belt, beginning his hospitality career with InterContinental Hotels Group completing assignments in Germany and the UK.
He then joined the Sheraton Jeddah Hotel in Saudi Arabia as director of F&B in 2012 and subsequently moved to the flagship properties at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park in Australia and W Bangkok in Thailand.
Stanley Hui Hon Chung will assume the role of CEO at Greater Bay Airlines, replacing Algernon Yau.
A current member of the board, Hui’s career spans over 45 years. He has held a range of management positions in Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong headquarters and overseas offices, as well as in AHK Air Hong Kong, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, and Hong Kong Airport Authority.
Hong Kong’s authorities will heed science and temporarily lift the city’s flight suspension mechanism from today, choosing to rely on an extra PCR test for arriving travellers to deter the import of Covid-19 infections.
According to a statement from the government, the move is supported by initial statistics and scientific analysis that showed it is more effective to deter Covid-19 transmission through more frequent nucleic acid testing on arriving passengers than flight bans.
Hong Kong has dropped flight bans as a means to curb the import of Covid-19 infections
Travellers arriving into Hong Kong from July 8 will have to undergo a PCR test on the third day of their quarantine.
The move also takes into consideration the surge in arrivals as students return home for their summer holidays.
Hong Kong’s flight suspension mechanism has been an unpopular one, as it puts both travellers and airlines in a difficult position. The mechanism punishes an airline with a five-day flight route ban when at least five passengers – or five per cent of travellers, whichever is higher – are tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Hong Kong.
Miramar Travel’s general manager, Alex Lee welcomed the move. He said: “This mechanism not only affected incoming traffic but also appetite of outbound travel as clients are worried about cost and time from having to rebook tickets and secure quarantine hotels if they failed to fly back as scheduled. Therefore, scrapping this mechanism may spur the resumption of flight services and frequency. This is turn will make airfares more affordable.”
Wing Wong, managing director of W Travel, predicts a ramp up in flight capacity following the suspension of the flight ban.
“I expect the first wave of arrivals to comprise students returning from overseas and domestic helpers in next eight weeks, followed by businessmen, travellers here to visit relatives, and holidaymakers. My key concern now is for our supply of quarantine hotels to meet demand,” he added.
Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, Maldives
Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa is an all-villa resort nestled in Amingiri Island in the North Malé Atoll. The new 109-key resort is directly accessible from Velana International Airport via a scenic 20-minute premium speedboat ride.
Each villa comes with a private pool and views of the surrounding turquoise lagoon, while the overwater pool villas are outfitted with stairs to lead directly to the island’s lagoon, with a hammock by the pool.
Debuting in November 2022 is the six-bedroom Amingiri Residence, an ideal escape for larger groups of travellers looking for privacy. Set apart on a landscaped cove, the residence has its own arrival pier and a sundeck with uninterrupted 360-degree views of the Maldivian horizon.
F&B choices include Origin, a sustainable seafood dining experience; all-day dining restaurant Habitat; beach restaurant Beach Shack; Sip Tea Lounge; adults-only overwater bar Eden, and poolside bar Aura.
There is also a kids’ club and access for teens to the Re:Fuel rooftop bar.
Hyatt Regency Jaipur Mansarovar
Hyatt Regency Jaipur Mansarovar, India
Hyatt Regency Jaipur Mansarovar is a 245-room property in the state of Rajasthan.
Situated near the renowned ISKCON temple, the hotel also offers easy access to iconic landmarks and shopping attractions such as Hawa Mahal and World Trade Park.
Guests can choose a range of accommodation, including 34 suites. The rooms come with traditional projecting stone windows known in India as jharokas that provide guests with a bird’s eye view of the central courtyard.
For an authentic culinary experience, Shrot, which means ‘source’, offers organic, locally-sourced, regional delicacies. Guests can also dine at the North Club, or enjoy coffee and pastries at the 24/7 Royal Bakery and Bar.
Facilities include a spa, fitness studio, pool, kids pool, as well as thematic indoor spaces and outdoor locations for events.
Adina Serviced Apartments Singapore Orchard
Adina Serviced Apartments Singapore Orchard, Singapore
The 88-key Adina Serviced Apartments Singapore Orchard offers choices of studio, two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with bathroom amenities from the Sydney-based brand INK&WATER. Guests can organise a grill party at the barbecue pits, and enjoy facilities like the rooftop pool and gym.
Guests can stock up on groceries from Ryan’s Grocery and have them delivered and waiting upon checking in, along with a welcome popsicle, an Australian-inspired hamper with snacks and tea, and a Fedora hat to shield against the tropical sun.
Other highlights include the Make Your Own Sandwich breakfast experience, Perk Me Up Coffee Mondays, and the curated seasonal neighbourhood guide.
The Langham, Gold Coast
The Langham, Gold Coast, Australia
The Langham, Gold Coast is the first luxury hotel with direct beach access on Australia’s Gold Coast in over three decades and is located in between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, close to shops, farmer’s markets, local vineyards.
The hotel boasts expansive balconies for each of the 339 suites and rooms. Guests can take a dip in one of two lagoon pools with infinity edges.
Dining options include afternoon tea at the Palm Court, all-day dining Akoya, and beachside café 26 & Sunny. Come Australian spring, three-star Michelin Cantonese restaurant, T’ang Court, and the Coral Moon bar will open.
Perth Region Tourism Organisation (Destination Perth) is placing a host of new and refreshed destination experiences and products in the spotlight as it works to bring back travellers from critical Asian markets.
In an interview with TTG Asia, Tracey Cinavas-Prosser, CEO of Destination Perth, said travel and tourism stakeholders across the Perth region “have not stood still” even as the pandemic decimated international tourism.
The Matagarup Bridge Zip+Climb is one of many new experiences available now in Perth (photo by Karen Yue)
As local travel and tourism stakeholders evolved their offerings to engage the domestic market in the absence of foreign visitors, a slew of fresh experiences was created to present opportunities to enjoy the destination in a new light.
“Every experience that is successful with the locals, which is the hardest market to please since they think they know everything about the destination, will 100 per cent work for the international traveller,” she said.
Some of the new attractions in Perth and her surrounds include the Matagarup Bridge Zip+Climb; an expanded series of Swan Valley Wine Cruises operated by Captain Cook Cruises; a rejuvenated and expanded Sandalford Wines vineyard in the Swan Valley; and the FOMO lifestyle development in Fremantle.
Cinavas-Prosser: accessibility within Western Australia will continually be improved to enable travellers to explore more destinations across the state
Cinavas-Prosser shared: “The most significant positive change to Perth over the pandemic years has been the improved access to nature, open spaces and wellness. People are now looking at their holiday plans and thinking about the things they can do in great, open spaces. Therefore, I think adventure tourism will be the key for (our business recovery).”
Cinavas-Prosser said the spirit of adventure could be defined in various ways: “It could mean finding that amazing restaurant that you’ve always wanted to go to, or ziplining down the Matagarup Bridge. It could also be hiking down a trail in the Swan Valley.
“Adventure could be many things, but for all of these things, people are looking for something different, fresh air and less congestion. Perth can satisfy all these desires, as the city has access to abundant wildlife and nature which are at our doorstep.”
Availability of new experiences is especially critical, as Perth enjoys a high repeat visitation rate from Asia. On average, 71 per cent of international visitors to Perth have visited Australia before. Singapore has the highest repeat visitation averaging 87 per cent, followed by Indonesia, Thailand and Hong Kong at more than 75 per cent.
Naturally, these loyal Asian markets are attracting keen attention from Destination Perth.
“We know that they will keep coming back, but we also know that access is paramount. Accessibility to Western Australia and to the state’s regions will continue to be a priority as we work to rebuild demand,” said Cinavas-Prosser.
Since the reopening of Western Australia’s international borders in March, air connectivity with Asia is returning. Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines now fly 17 and five weekly flights to Perth respectively. Thai Airways resumed its Bangkok–Perth services on July 5. Qantas will reconnect Perth with Jakarta from November 30, beginning with three flights per week.
The state government will also continue to focus on improving connectivity within Western Australia, which will encourage travellers to “expand their horizons to visit our unique regions”.
Accor continues its expansion in Indonesia with the signing of Mövenpick Jakarta International Airport. The 310-key airport hotel is slated to open in 4Q2026.
The hotel is situated in Tangerang City, the third-largest urban centre on the western border of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan. Facilities will include an all-day dining outlet, lobby bar, spa, fitness centre, swimming pool, kid’s pool, 10 meeting rooms and a business centre.
Mövenpick Jakarta International Airport will be a convenient base for those visiting Indonesia
Garth Simmons, CEO, Accor, South-east Asia, Japan and South Korea, said: “As a rapidly booming destination, the country continues to be a robust growth market for us, where we actively explore opportunities to expand our network to provide travellers and locals with wider and more attractive options.
“The signing of Mövenpick Jakarta International Airport reflects our confidence in the future of Indonesia’s tourism industry. When the hotel opens, we believe that it will be a convenient base for those visiting the country.”
Accor has plans to open 11 hotels in Indonesia this year.
China’s move to cut quarantine requirements, which kicked in last week (June 28), is sparking optimism for outbound corporate travel, but is less likely to spur inbound leisure demand.
Alexander Glos, CEO, China i2i Group, which provides B2B and B2C tourism-related services to international and domestic clients, said it was a move in the right direction as many companies depend on global trade, and doing business with and in China.
Glos: if quarantine requirements were to be cut to two or three days, we might see FIT travel take off
Glos continued: “These companies need to be at trade fairs, and staff have to travel to meet clients and do it more efficiently. It is a big change from 21 days quarantine.”
According to the National Health Commission, travellers entering China will be quarantined at centralised facilities for seven days, down from 14, followed by three days of self-monitoring, down from seven.
Glos noted Thailand reported receiving 25,000 business travellers from China in May and quoted a travel agent saying clients were taking trips to Thailand lasting a week or two in July.
“If quarantine requirements were to be cut to two or three days, we might see FIT travel take off,” he opined.
A travel agent catering to English-speaking markets told TTG Asia: “For visiting family members and existing residents trying to return from abroad, this (new quarantine requirement) is definitely an improvement.
“However, no tourist would subject himself to this for the sake of a holiday in a country that could get locked down at any time. China needs to drop its zero-Covid policy entirely for inbound business to recover.”
China Star founder Liu Ping agreed the new quarantine requirement is “not for tourists” and would not appeal to international incentives or meeting planners organising short China programmes.
Meanwhile, industry insiders report the Civil Aviation Authority of China is talking to airlines, granting extensions of services in July and August, and negotiating bubbles and corridors likely to focus on Hong Kong, South-east Asia, Korea and Japan.
The source shared: “Cathay Pacific is said to be hiring 4,000 staff to increase its frequency to the mainland in July and August following the appointment of Hong Kong’s new leader.
“It is a step-by-step process of China opening up,” he observed.
Avani Chaweng Samui Hotel & Beach Club is set to open August 2022 on the island hot spot of Chaweng, Koh Samui.
Situated along Chaweng Beach Road, the new build will offer guests shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. Samui International Airport is also just 10 minutes away by car.
Avani Chaweng Samui Hotel & Beach Club is set to open in August this year
With a 1950s-inspired design, the three-storey hotel features 80 rooms and suites, social hang outs, gym, and a central pool with cabanas and a bar which doubles as a check-in area.
Guests at Avani Chaweng will get priority access to SEEN Beach Club Samui’s restaurant, bars and swimming pools, as well as its famous pool parties.
Thailand-based business jet charter airline, MJets, has signed an agreement with Sersol to set up a Joint Venture Company (JVC) offering aircraft charter services, ground handling services, aircraft management and the positioning of a fleet of private jets in Malaysia and Indonesia.
This partnership will bring positive revenue streams for both organisations with a 50/50 equity split. It is expected to improve travel options at competitive prices following its entry into the market.
MJet’s partnership with Sersol is expected to improve travel options at competitive prices following its entry into the market
MJet’s CEO Natthapatr Sibunruang said: “With 15 years of experience in private jet services and maintenance experts for the aviation industry, we believe that MJets has the capability and strategic approach to soar towards success with the develop and expansion of private jet services in South-east Asia. We are thrilled to come into an agreement with Sersol and look forward to the future development and long-term relationship of our partnership and this flagship project in Malaysia and Indonesia.”
Sersol Group’s managing director, Justin Lim stated the company is taking steps to expand its business into aviation, technology, sustainable energy, property development, telecommunication and healthcare. By adding the private jet charter aviation sector, it will offer Sersol an opportunity to enter Malaysia and Indonesia’s aviation sector.
Lim noted that “there is increasing demand within differentiated market segments desiring safe and reliable travel options easing travel complications”, and that this JVC will provide a strategic growth opportunity in tapping into this demand for private charters by high-net-worth individuals.
He then joined the Sheraton Jeddah Hotel in Saudi Arabia as director of F&B in 2012 and subsequently moved to the flagship properties at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park in Australia and W Bangkok in Thailand.
Hong Kong’s authorities will heed science and temporarily lift the city’s flight suspension mechanism from today, choosing to rely on an extra PCR test for arriving travellers to deter the import of Covid-19 infections.
According to a statement from the government, the move is supported by initial statistics and scientific analysis that showed it is more effective to deter Covid-19 transmission through more frequent nucleic acid testing on arriving passengers than flight bans.
Travellers arriving into Hong Kong from July 8 will have to undergo a PCR test on the third day of their quarantine.
The move also takes into consideration the surge in arrivals as students return home for their summer holidays.
Hong Kong’s flight suspension mechanism has been an unpopular one, as it puts both travellers and airlines in a difficult position. The mechanism punishes an airline with a five-day flight route ban when at least five passengers – or five per cent of travellers, whichever is higher – are tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Hong Kong.
Miramar Travel’s general manager, Alex Lee welcomed the move. He said: “This mechanism not only affected incoming traffic but also appetite of outbound travel as clients are worried about cost and time from having to rebook tickets and secure quarantine hotels if they failed to fly back as scheduled. Therefore, scrapping this mechanism may spur the resumption of flight services and frequency. This is turn will make airfares more affordable.”
Wing Wong, managing director of W Travel, predicts a ramp up in flight capacity following the suspension of the flight ban.
“I expect the first wave of arrivals to comprise students returning from overseas and domestic helpers in next eight weeks, followed by businessmen, travellers here to visit relatives, and holidaymakers. My key concern now is for our supply of quarantine hotels to meet demand,” he added.