PPG strikes passenger services deal with HKIA

June 29, 2022

Plaza Premium Group (PPG) the global airport hospitality services provider, has revealed that it will be providing airport passenger services at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) beginning July 6, 2022.

A total of 17 airport passenger services at HKIA will be operated by the Group’s brand, ALLWAYS. These services include meet & assist, porter service, wheelchair and buggy service, unaccompanied minor or young passenger assistance, administration (photocopy and printing), booking and inquiry, travel concierge, baggage wrapping, limousine service, and home baggage pick-up.

PPG is ALLWAYS ready to serve travellers in HKIA starting from early July

These services are available on ALLWAYS’ website, for travellers to book before arrival at HKIA.

ALLWAYS’ products will be hosted on PPG’s travel experience ecosystem, known as TECO. TECO includes an omnichannel booking engine that enables worldwide sales and distribution, a customer engagement centre with customer profiling and personalisation capabilities, a service delivery platform for dispatch, and real-time incident management.

In addition to the announcement, PPG has also signed its first strategic partnership with SATS HK in collaboration with ALLWAYS. SATS HK is an airport ground handler at HKIA, serving more than 40 international and regional airline customers.

Matagarup Zip+Climb

By Karen Yue

June 29, 2022

0

Perth welcomed many new destination experiences over the Covid years, all ready to enchant international visitors now as they return, and one of them is the Matagarup Zip+Climb.

Opened officially on December 5, 2021, the Matagarup Zip+Climb is an easy soft-adventure option for active folks and a fun way to take in the city skyline in the distance and the immediate beautiful landscape around the iconic Optus Stadium in Burswood Park.

What
In a nutshell, participants of the Matagarup Zip+Climb will climb up the frame of the bridge and then safely slide down a 400m-long zipline across the water body at up to 75km/h.

Sounds like the fun will be over in a jiffy, but the Matagarup Zip+Climb lasts a wholesome 90 minutes even with the Express Zip option, which involves 150 steps up to a platform set 35m above the Swan River.

The full Zip+Climb experience lasts two hours, requiring participants to take 314 steps up to the highest Sky View glass platform, down to the zipline platform and then swing off the zipline.

I took the Express Zip, and was put through a safety video and verbal briefing on what to expect. This briefing took place in an office on the banks of Swan River. Two staff then suited us up in safety harness, one cross-checking the other, before we set off on foot to the beautiful Matagarup Bridge.

Once on the bridge, our harnesses were attached to safety cables and we started our trek up steep stairs with an average gradient of 45 degrees. These same steps are used for technical access, and some areas can get rather tight, requiring participants to twist, bend and duck to get through – a superb workout for my legs!

I got to rest my legs momentarily on the zipline platform, just before the real fun began. We got clipped onto cable lines – these are dual cable lines that cater for two riders at the same time – and were give a verbal refresher on the braking stance we would need to adopt as we neared the end of the line. Then, with a good-to-go signal, I shouted “mummy!” and got pushed off.

Whoosh! It wasn’t the hair-raising ride I had expected it to be. In fact, I was able to keep my eyes open and take in the lovely sights as I descended on the Burswood Park foreshore.

All too soon, it was over and I wished I could get a second go.

Verdict
I highly recommend this superbly fun way to see the city. It is great for families, since riders as young as eight and are over 30kg in weight can zip with an accompanying adult.

Rate: From A$99 (US$68.70) for the Express Zip, with free photos of participation included
Website: www.zipclimb.com.au

Citadines Sudirman Jakarta opens with special offers

By TTG Asia

June 29, 2022

0

Citadines Sudirman Jakarta is offering special opening rates for all guests who book before July 31, 2022.

Room rates start from 650,000 rupiah (US$44) per night, with monthly rates from 14,000,000 rupiah (including breakfast).

Book before July 31, 2022 to enjoy special opening rates at Citadines Sudirman Jakarta

A 40-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Citadines Sudirman Jakarta is a mixed development of serviced apartments and apartments, suitable for both individuals and families.

The 253 units are fully furnished with modern amenities, complete with guest services and 24-hour security. Facilities include a gym, swimming pool, jogging track, launderette, all-day dining restaurant and meeting rooms.

For more information, visit Citadines Sudirman Jakarta.

MATFA appeals for entertainment tax exemption for theme parks

By S Puvaneswary

June 28, 2022

0

The Malaysian Association of Themepark & Family Attractions (MATFA) has requested a five-year exemption on the 25 per cent entertainment tax, while working on a complete exclusion with the government concurrently so that the industry can attract investors.

MATFA’s president, Richard Koh, shared that the current exemption on entertainment duty for entertainment activities until the end of this year only applies to Federal Territories, which are Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.

Koh: Malaysia cannot realise its dreams of becoming a theme park capital in South-east Asia, as our regional peers do not have punitive entertainment tax

Koh pointed out that theme parks located outside of the Federal Territories – in the states of Pahang, Johor, Perak, Selangor and Pahang – are unable to benefit from the exemption.

On top of the 25 per cent entertainment tax, theme park operators also have to pay an additional 35 per cent tax for importing theme park-related equipment.

Koh lamented: “Malaysia cannot realise its dreams of becoming a theme park capital in South-east Asia, as our regional peers do not have punitive entertainment tax. Countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Australia do not impose entertainment taxes.”

He added that theme parks are “capital intensive investments”, where returns “go through a long gestation period” before managing to break even.

Koh further pointed out that theme parks and family attractions were under the purview of the Entertainment Duty Act 1953, which he described as “archaic and outdated”.

He opined that the Act, introduced by the British during their rule in pre-independence, should be reviewed as it is strongly anchored to the idea of entertainment being equivalent to a ‘sin-tax’ and was usually applied to cabaret dancing, casinos, boxing and strip shows.

The family entertainment centres of today are “far removed from such elements”, he declared. “Theme parks and family entertainment centres came under the purview not by design but by default when the government, when deciding what to slap on the industry, had only this in hand.”

Koh recommended that the Malaysian government classify theme parks and family entertainment centres under the recreational category – similar to zoos, museums, skating rinks and swimming pool complexes.

Philippines revs up motorcycle tourism efforts

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2022

0

The Philippine Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) recently partnered with the Harley Owners Group (HOG) for the PH Ride with Purpose campaign held in Mauban, Quezon on June 25, 2022.

In addition to promoting tourism, the campaign helped to raise funds for the tree planting and eco-park development project in Pangasinan.

The first-ever *PH Ride with Purpose* event saw more than 2,000 motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gather to rally for responsible riding while promoting Quezon as a tourist destination

Earlier in November 2021, the TPB and the Department of Tourism (DoT) launched a Philippine Motorcycle Tourism (PMT) programme to stimulate domestic tourism and capitalise on the country’s scenic views.

The very first PH Ride with Purpose event by HOG Manila Chapter saw more than 2,000 motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gather to rally for responsible riding, and promote Quezon province as an adventure and culinary tourism destination.

The event showcased activities such as skills demonstration, test rides, safety riding skills training, tasting of local delicacies, and local tourism promotion, among others.

TPB’s chief operating officer, Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones, said: “The success of the PMT programme exemplifies the demand for exploring the country on two wheels and presenting an alternative way of travelling to entice the public to discover more of the Philippines’ interesting culture, sites, cuisines and other tourism products.”

The TPB has also successfully organised ride events in Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Bicol Regions in close coordination with regional offices. Both government agencies are also working together to develop motorcycle circuits around the country that will be marketed as a new tourism product.

Sellers court Indonesian Muslim travellers at TTC Travel Mart

By Dhini Oktavianti

June 28, 2022

0

Sellers from Europe, South Korea, UAE and Turkey were out in force at the recent TTC Travel Mart in Jakarta, to promote their latest halal trips and offerings to outbound travel partners in Indonesia.

For instance, Sirait Tours and Travel is currently offering halal tours for Indonesians interested in longhaul trips to Madrid, Spain and Portugal.

Europe, South Korea, UAE and Turkey sellers promoted their latest halal trips and offerings at the recent TTC Travel Mart in Jakarta (Photo: Dhini Oktavianti)

Lindung Sirait, Sirait Tours and Travel’s representative for Indonesia, said: “While Spain and Portugal are not Muslim-dominated countries, they have Muslim histories, which travellers can still witness.”

Happy Tours, a DMC with offices in major European countries, was also present at the B2B tradeshow to highlight its ability to cater for Indonesian Muslim travellers.

Travis Wong, Happy Tours’ regional sales manager, shared: “We offer a Driver Guide Service and private tour that can provide a halal tour for Muslim visitors from Indonesia.”

Halal tours by Happy Tours include basic requirements for Muslim travellers, which include halal food and prayer stops either at a mosque or Muslim community house, added Wong.

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) was also present at the TTC Travel Mart to highlight why Korea is a safe and comfortable destination – thanks to Muslim-friendly tourist facilities at resorts, and the availability of mosques for Muslim travellers.

Akhmad Faezal Alhamdi, MICE & GA manager of KTO told TTG Asia: “Korea Muslim Friendly is one of the government’s campaigns to attract Muslim tourists around the world, including Indonesia.”

KTO Jakarta’s spokesperson, Irma Maulida, added that South Korea has about 328 halal-certified restaurants for Indian, Asian, Chinese, Korean, Western and Russian cuisine.

However, the package prices of a halal tour are usually more expensive than a regular tour package. While a six-day regular tour costs around US$1,300 to US$1,600, a halal tour could cost around US$1,700 to US$1,800.

“Halal or Muslim-friendly ingredients are usually difficult to find and the cooking method must involve certain people, for example, a Muslim chef. This affects the price of the package,” Irma explained.

However, tour operators need to take into consideration that halal compliance levels also depends on individuals.

Riyanto Sofyan, chairman of Indonesia Halal Tourism Association, pointed out that some Muslim travellers “are okay with the basics as long as their needs as Muslims are fulfilled, while some are more stringent with halal certifications , even for drinking water”. There are also some travellers who accept “no pork, and no lard” labels.

Gen Zs intend to spend more on travel this year: YouGov

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2022

0

YouGov’s latest Travel & Tourism Report 2022: Youth of Today, Travel of Tomorrow, found that Gen Zs intend to spend more on travel products and services this year (26%), ahead of clothes or accessories (32%) and dining out (27%).

The data collected in April 2022 shows that 25% of Gen Zs globally intend to spend more on travel products and services in the next 12 months, dropping slightly to just over one in five among young 18- to 24-year-olds in Singapore (23%). This is however still higher than other Asian markets like Indonesia (22%) or Hong Kong (6%), where Gen Zs are more conservative in increasing their travel spending in the next year.

Domestic travel (45%) outweighs international travel intention (16%) globally, and the same is observed in the Asia-Pacific region, with over half of Gen Zs in Indonesia (57%), Thailand (55%) Malaysia (54%) planning to take a domestic trip in the next 12 months. Over two in five in China (49%), Japan (44%), and Australia share similar sentiments, together with one in three in the Philippines (33%).

The only territory in Asia-Pacific where international travel intention outweighs domestic is in Singapore, with one in five intending to take an international holiday (20%), and only one in six would take a domestic one (17%).

Additionally, when asked about searching for sustainable travel offers for their next vacation, 42% of Gen Z travellers in Singapore responded positively, making them the second-highest proportion of Gen Zs of the 17 markets covered in the report.

Travel & Tourism Report 2022: Youth of Today, Travel of Tomorrow sets out to understand Gen Zs globally, explore the issues of importance to them, what they want from travel, and the best ways to connect and engage with this future generation of travellers.

Vietjet opens seven international routes from Danang

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2022

0

Vietjet has opened up seven new international routes connecting Danang with Singapore, Busan (South Korea), New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bangalore (India).

The new services will start operations in July 2022 with four to seven return flights per week.

Vietjet’s new routes will help promote economic, trade and business investment between Danang and other Vietnamese cities and regional destinations

Vietjet’s vice president, Nguyen Thanh Son, said: “Danang is one of Vietnam’s most attractive destinations for international tourists. Vietjet has transported nearly 22 million passengers to Danang so far and currently operates eight domestic and five international routes to and from Danang.”

The new routes will help open up more opportunities, as well as promote economic, trade and business investment between Danang and other Vietnamese cities and regional destinations.

Currently, Vietjet operates four services between Vietnam and India, including Hanoi-New Delhi/Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City-New Delhi/Mumbai. It will launch two more routes connecting the island city of Phu Quoc with New Delhi and Mumbai in September 2022.

Cook up a storm at The Datai Langkawi’s cookery school

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2022

0

The Datai Langkawi is serving up a culinary experience dedicated to the old spice routes of Asia with The Dapur cooking school.

Guests who take part in this immersive activity will go on a gastronomy journey under the guidance of the resort’s team of Malay, Indian and Thai resident chefs. They will even get to pick ingredients from the wide variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs in the resort’s Permaculture Garden.

The Dapur (meaning kitchen in Malay) lets guests immerse in a gastronomy journey under the guidance of the resort’s resident chefs

They will then have a choice of curated two-course menus they will learn to prepare and cook up some of the resort’s signature dishes.

These include Malay dishes Kerabu Udang Kelapa Parut (Langkawi prawn salad tossed with fresh grated coconut, green island herbs and chilli paste) and Rendang Ayam Utara (slow-cooked chicken, lemongrass, galangal, roasted coconut, turmeric leaf and local spices); Thai specialities like a traditional Tom Yam Goong (spicy prawn soup), and Gai Phad Khing Sod (stir-fried chicken with young ginger and wood ear mushrooms); as well as Indian Chana Salad (chickpea salad) and Methi fish curry (Indian fish curry, fenugreek leaf, masala spices, tomato and cream).

Children are also invited to join the Little Chef class where they can learn baking techniques and make their own peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies, monkey muffins and profiteroles.

The Dapur is located within the resort’s authentic Malay restaurant The Gulai House, built in the traditional kampung house style.

For more information, visit The Datai Langkawi.

Hong Kong shores up tourism offerings during downtime

By Prudence Lui

June 27, 2022

0

While the shuttering of the iconic 45-year-old Jumbo Floating Restaurant signals the closing of a chapter, Hong Kong continues to write new ones as it keeps itself ready for the eventual reopening of its borders.

Sha Tau Kok Pier within the Frontier Closed Area was already opened up to registered local tour groups in early June under a six-month trial scheme by the government.

Sha Tau Kok Pier has been opened up to registered local tour groups in early June 2022

Having been sealed away from non-residents over the past 60 years, a visit to this border town previously required a closed area permit and a guarantee from a local resident.

This positive move ties in with the direction of the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy and to facilitate the tourism development, as well as promote the local culture of Sha Tau Kok and the North East New Territories.

Under this scheme, each holiday will have two sessions to accommodate three local tours per session, allowing travellers to visit neighbouring scenic spots such as Lai Chi Wo and Kat O by water vessels on each holiday during the period.

Between June 3 and August 28, 26 licensed agents will be picked to organise these tours with each comprising no more than 30 persons.

Upon completion of the scheme, the government will then assess and review before further opening up Sha Tau Kok town (except Chung Ying Street) by considering the requisite ancillary facilities and formulating suitable measures.

The city’s newest arts and cultural landmark, the seven-storey Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) held its opening ceremony on June 22 and will welcome visitors from July 2.

Situated in the western tip of West Kowloon Cultural District, it features nine galleries with opening exhibitions jointly curated by the HKPM and the Palace Museum.

For hotels, the MGallery Hotel Collection debuted its first property, The Silveri Hong Kong – MGallery, on Lantau Island. The soft opening of the first Fullerton resort worldwide is scheduled for mid-July this year, and is located next to Ocean Park’s Water World.

PPG strikes passenger services deal with HKIA

Matagarup Zip+Climb

Citadines Sudirman Jakarta opens with special offers

MATFA appeals for entertainment tax exemption for theme parks

Philippines revs up motorcycle tourism efforts

Sellers court Indonesian Muslim travellers at TTC Travel Mart

Gen Zs intend to spend more on travel this year: YouGov

Vietjet opens seven international routes from Danang

Cook up a storm at The Datai Langkawi’s cookery school

Hong Kong shores up tourism offerings during downtime

Tried and Tested

Knai Bang Chatt by Kep West

What to Buy Now

Korean Air enhances Terminal 2 lounges with new Prestige East experience