Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas has engaged a renowned sound therapist to conduct private Singing Bowl sessions at Anantara Spa from June 10 to 20, 2022.
Known for its healing properties, the Singing Bowl sound therapy comes with a host of benefits, from reducing anxiety to encouraging deep relaxation, as well as awakening the body, mind and spirit.
Singing Bowl sessions available at Anantara Spa for a limited time
Individual sessions are priced at RM400 (US$91) per person for 60 minutes. Group sessions are available too.
Thirty-five individuals and organisations were recognised at this year’s Singapore Tourism Awards for demonstrating resilience, innovation and service excellence amid Covid challenges last year.
Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and held at the Shangri-La Hotel on May 24, the presentation ceremony was graced by minister of state for trade and industry, and culture, community and youth, Alvin Tan.
Minister of state for trade and industry, and culture, community and youth, Alvin Tan joins Singapore Tourism Awards 2022 to celebrate individuals and organisations that demonstrate resilience, innovation and service excellence amid Covid challenges last year
There were 81 finalists for the Experience Excellence, Enterprise Excellence, Customer Service, Top and Special Awards categories this year.
One Kampong Gelam (OKG) and Group ONE Holdings each received a Special Recognition Award for displaying resilience and delivering creative and innovative products and experiences.
OKG initiated new events and activities to enliven and establish Kampong Gelam as a vibrant cultural district, while Group ONE Holdings piloted an international live sporting event in 2020, with pre-event testing and heightened safe management measures, paving the way for more events to resume in 2021.
Grand Hyatt Singapore, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa were each awarded the Special Award for Sustainability.
Far East Hospitality and Marina Bay Sands were each conferred the Special Award for Most Exemplary Employer, for developing and implementing impactful policies to retain and retrain employees during the pandemic.
Marina Bay Sands, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, and Trip.com Travel Singapore received the Special Award for Community Care, for displaying care and selflessness for the wider community during the pandemic.
Let’s Go Tour’s Red Oil Lamp: Chinatown Stories Alive and Voices: Memories of Kampong Lorong Buangkok were collectively named Outstanding Tour Experience for providing an immersive, theatrical experience based on the tour location and time period.
The Clan Hotel was recognised as an Outstanding Hotel Experience with its development of multiple cross-sector collaborations and incorporating them into various services to provide guests with new and authentic experiences.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed on the fourth Kimpton property in Thailand and the fifth Holiday Inn Express in Singapore.
Set to open in 2024, the 124-room Kimpton Hua Hin Resort is part of a long-term strategic partnership between IHG and Asset World Corporation (AWC) to jointly manage a portfolio of properties across Thailand.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena will open in 2023
A full renovation will see Kimpton Hua Hin Resort transformed from the former Imperial Hua Hin, which closed in May 2019. Located on an idyllic beachfront, the resort will offer four F&B outlets, a swimming pool, fitness centre, spa and resort centre, and meeting space.
In Singapore, IHG has partnered Marlow Hotels & Resorts for the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena. Slated to open in 2023, the hotel will be rebranded from the former Quality Hotel Marlow and undergo an extensive renovation. It will feature 231 rooms, with 34 suites catering to families, extended stay guests and large groups.
Facilities at the hotel will include flexible meeting spaces, a gym, swimming pool and self-service laundry. The Express Café & Bar, an integrated lobby and F&B experience, will be the first of its kind in the region, offering guests a place to work, relax or recharge.
A Marlow Hotels & Resorts spokesperson commented that as borders reopen, travellers will be looking for comfortable, fuss-free stays.
The weakened ringgit against the Singapore dollar along with improved access at the shared border have resulted in more bookings and bigger spend by Singapore travellers.
Zulkifli Rahman, director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, told TTG Asia that bookings from Singapore were particularly strong during the recent long weekend that featured the Labour Day and Hari Raya public holidays, as well as on weekends in May. Forward bookings for June weekends are also faring well.
Langkawi is seeing more visitors from Singapore
He said: “We see more Singaporean families. In the past, they used to go for standard rooms; these days we see them going for junior suites or the villas.”
Another five-star hotel that is seeing increased bookings from Singapore leisure travellers is G Hotel Kelawai in Penang.
The hotel’s director of sales and marketing, Christina Tan, said driving demand for leisure travel to the hotel this month and next month is the ongoing durian season in Penang. The island of Penang is known to have the best durian harvest in the country and, for durian lovers from down south, this is reason enough to travel.
Sharmini Violet, director of sales and marketing for Mega Water Sports & Holidays, said the strong Singapore dollar has prompted many clients to book the more expensive signature four-hour Dayang Bunting Island Hopping by jet ski tour.
Group sizes are increasing too, from one jet ski for two people previously to two or three jet skis seen with the advance bookings from Singapore.
The 8th Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) has confirmed a hybrid format this year, with the in-person component running from June 14 to 17 at Bali International Convention Centre (BICC).
Putu Winastra, chairman of the Association of the Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies (ASITA) Bali Chapter and chairman of the committee for BBTF 2022, said travel industry members have responded enthusiastically to the event.
Indonesia will promote its destinations at the 8th Bali and Beyond Travel Fair
He said the government’s relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions provides the
“momentum for the travel industry in Indonesia to update their business partners of their readiness to serve clients again”.
This was also an opportunity for Bali to “show (buyers) that the island is well prepared (with the new health protocol) and safe to visit”.
BBTF 2022 will be attended by more than 182 sellers from 10 Indonesian provinces and the country’s five super-priority destinations. Some 228 buyers from 29 countries will participate in the travel mart, with 64 of them attending in person.
“Bali is very attractive to international travellers. Many buyers are keen to come in person but seats on international flights are still limited and ticket prices are quite high at the moment,” Putu said.
Besides the travel mart, a talk show on Balancing in Harmony – the theme of this year’s BBTF – and post tours to different parts of Bali for buyers will also take place.
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas will add Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort to its portfolio, with the opening set for December 2022.
The 148-key Anantara Koh Yao Yai, located in the middle of Phang Nga Bay and halfway between Phuket and Krabi, will offer a range of beachfront villas, pool villas, penthouses and suites, all boasting ocean views.
Anantara Koh Yao Yai will open in December 2022
The resort will have its own private jetty for guests transfers from Phuket or Krabi airport, while a combination of speedboat and car rides will be required from Phuket International Airport.
F&B facilities at the hotel include an ocean-facing dining restaurant, an all-day lobby restaurant and bar with an international menu that will evolve with the seasons, and a pool bar. An organic farm onsite will provide the restaurants with daily fresh fruit, vegetables and spices.
There will also be a family pool, kids-only splash area, kids’ club, meeting spaces, fitness centre, and water sports centre with a hydro pool and hammam.
“The announcement of this latest addition to our Thailand collection of resorts, developed in partnership with Soraya Development, sends a clear signal about our commitment to the industry,” said Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels.
“With travel and hospitality sectors in Thailand and elsewhere set for a rebound, destinations like Koh Yao Yai that combine seclusion, easy access to pristine nature and authentic local experiences, are destined to benefit from a surge in demand with global travellers.”
To celebrate Laos’ reopening to vaccinated travellers, Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel is offering an exclusive three-night package.
Starting from US$110 per night in an Avani Deluxe Room for two people, the reopening package includes accommodation for three nights, daily breakfast, return airport transfers, a sunset boat cruise on Mekong Kingdoms, a sunrise Alms-giving experience, and a 20 per cent discount on Anantara Spa treatments.
Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel welcomes travellers back to Laos with exclusive three-night package
After a two-year hiatus, Myanmar resumed the acceptance of tourist e-visa applications on May 20.
At this initial phase of reopening, Myanmar will maintain pandemic protocols including vaccine certification, PCR testing and local medical insurance through Myanmar Insurance.
Tourists e-visa applications are now open; Bagan Archaeological Zone pictured
Travellers must be fully vaccinated and present proof of a second Covid dose at least 14 days prior to arrival. They must also provide evidence of a negative PCR test result obtained no more than 72 hours prior to departure, and purchase a travel insurance policy with Covid 19 coverage.
An on-arrival ART is compulsory. With a negative result, travellers can continue with their travel. Positive cases must be isolated in a designated government hospital or hotel which is covered by the health insurance.
Proof of return ticket from Myanmar and hotel booking must be attached to the online visa application.
In celebration of World Oceans Day, S.E.A. Aquarium at Sentosa, Singapore is bringing back Ocean Fest with an exciting and educational line-up including interactive art installations, upcycling workshops, beach clean-ups, a children’s summer camp and more.
Activities will run from May 27 to August 16, 2022.
Make upcycled LED design lamps from plastic cartons as part of Ocean Fest’s Upcycling Workshop
The Ocean Fest Bundle Deal is priced at S$48 (US$35) per adult and includes a S.E.A. Aquarium admission ticket, S$5 meal voucher, and S$5 retail voucher; child entry is at S$38 and includes an educational worksheet.
At S.E.A. Aquarium’s Junior Ocean Protector Camp, children between seven and 12 years old are invited to learn about the oceans and marine biodiversity through fun and enriching activities during their mid-year school holidays.
Taking place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 28 to June 26, participants will embark on a guided Ocean Protector Trail comprising various missions to help them learn about marine animals at the aquarium, encounter selected marine animals, and learn to reduce waste by upcycling.
For S$248 per child, parents will also receive a complimentary dining voucher worth S$30, and S$80 if enrolling two or more children.
Greaves: fresh opportunities abound for the recently-formed association
Visitor centres across Australia have formed a professional association, and together launched an app to help domestic travellers and international visitors explore Australia with greater confidence.
Commenting on the need for a formal grouping, Mark Greaves, head of the Association of Australian Visitor Centres and director of The Tourism Group, said: “Accredited visitor centres have been around for a while in Australia. While the accreditation is fairly new, there is a growing awareness of the need to have a collective voice and single touchpoint for the tourism industry. It was a logical step forward and all stakeholders – such as local associations and Tourism Australia – were supportive of this concept.”
Greaves: fresh opportunities abound for the recently-formed association
Currently, more than 450 accredited visitor centres are spread across Australia, and these are open seven days a week. Pre-pandemic, some 13.5 million international and local travellers utilise these visitor centres, said Greaves.
The association’s new app directs visitors to the nearest accredited visitor centre – a necessary product “when there are often hundreds of kilometres between towns”, Greaves explained.
“It is reassuring to know there is someone up ahead who can assist in an area, town or region new to the visitor,” he said.
The app also provides an offline map that is useful in locations with no telecommunication coverage.
Speaking to TTG Asia at the recently-concluded Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Sydney, Greaves regarded the event as a “watershed moment” for the association – it was the first time the association participated in a B2B tradeshow.
Aside from providing value to ATE visitors, Greaves said the association’s presence was a way to show airlines, coach companies, car hire companies and inbound tour operators the “value of local town and regional contacts looking to find unique and differentiated products for their clients”.
“This is the first time visitor centres have been brought under one umbrella, and we are excited about the opportunities.”
As to how these physical visitor centres stand against the convenience of online destination searches, Greaves said: “Face-to-face interaction is still appreciated, more so after the pandemic. The visitor centres offer a friendly face, and knowledgeable and up-to-date local recommendations about nearby attractions and places of interest. Sometimes, travellers also come in to verify information they found on Google!”
Greaves is confident that the association will grow from strength to strength as more travellers return to Australia. Future plans include building relations and partnering with key industry bodies such as Tourism Australia and the Australian Tourism Export Council for various outreach activities, as well as working closely with travel agents to add the app to clients’ pre-travel general information.
After a two-year hiatus, Myanmar resumed the acceptance of tourist e-visa applications on May 20.
At this initial phase of reopening, Myanmar will maintain pandemic protocols including vaccine certification, PCR testing and local medical insurance through Myanmar Insurance.
Travellers must be fully vaccinated and present proof of a second Covid dose at least 14 days prior to arrival. They must also provide evidence of a negative PCR test result obtained no more than 72 hours prior to departure, and purchase a travel insurance policy with Covid 19 coverage.
An on-arrival ART is compulsory. With a negative result, travellers can continue with their travel. Positive cases must be isolated in a designated government hospital or hotel which is covered by the health insurance.
Proof of return ticket from Myanmar and hotel booking must be attached to the online visa application.