Singapore cruising sets milestone with arrival of Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum
Soon after docking in Singapore in preparation for a new sailing season in two weeks’ time, Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas took off with a special preview for international guests – the first time a cruise line is able to welcome more than just Singapore residents since the pandemic hit in 2020.
The milestone sailing, from April 2 to 4, had media representatives, travel trade partners, business associates and their accompanying family from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and India.
Angie Stephen, vice president and managing director, Asia Pacific, Royal Caribbean International, told TTG Asia: “We have been sailing globally with international guests since 2021, which was an important year for us because we returned to Europe, the Caribbean and Alaska. However, Spectrum is Singapore’s first cruise with international guests (since the pandemic).”
According to Annie Chang, director of cruise with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), almost 500,000 people have sailed since Singapore restarted cruises in November 2020, with programmes restricted to no port calls and for Singapore residents only.
Set to begin its season on April 11 – six months ahead of schedule, Spectrum has seen “incredible” demand, revealed Stephen. Demand from the domestic market has remained strong, fuelled by sister ship Quantum of the Seas’s successful and extended season in Singapore. At the same time, interest from international guests is intensifying, stimulated by Singapore’s simplified arrival procedures that came into effect April 1.
Stephen said: “Initially, international demand was coming in for Q4 when we have published ports of call. Now that it is easier to come to Singapore, many international guests are happy to come here and join our cruise-to-nowhere programmes in Q2.”
Spectrum’s South-east Asian sailings offer a range of programmes, from two-night quick breaks to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to a nine-night retreat to Thailand and Vietnam. These will begin in October.
The ship’s new season in April coincides with Singapore relaxed social restrictions, allowing it to sail with 75 per cent of capacity instead of the previous 50 per cent. Guests can also do away with their mask outdoors, and enjoy the return of live entertainment at lounges.
“Singapore’s relaxation of social restrictions means more opportunities for more guests to enjoy our activities as we scale up occupancy in our venues. Theatres are the perfect example of how things are changing. At one point, we could only have 50 people in the theatre; now we can have up to 1,000,” said Stephen.
However, as Singapore looks to win back international travellers, she said it is imperative that the authorities consider further easing restrictions, as travellers “would want their experiences here to be easier than or equal to the place they are coming from”.
Royal Caribbean International is doing its part to streamline procedures for guests. It now allows pre-departure ARTs to be conducted at any Quick Test Centres or Combined Test Centres designated by the Ministry of Health, or via a video consultation with an approved private healthcare provider. These are in addition to the existing test option by Fullerton Health Testing Centre at Raffles City.
The company has also fast-tracked the development of its Royal app to simplify the online check-in process and to introduce a new e-muster function, shared Stephen. The latter allows guests to complete their compulsory safety drill on the app.
“My favourite technology advancement on the app is the e-muster. The safety drill has to happen before we start sailing. Pre-pandemic, everyone had to gather at the assembly station at the same time, with their life jacket, watch a video and listen to the captain for 15 to 20 minutes. That was never a fun way to start a cruise,” she recalled.
The Royal app’s e-muster function went live on Saturday with the trade and media preview.
Stephen shared that the team is now “really focused on bringing back ports of call”, and is working with the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to set up one set of protocols to make it easier for international guests to enjoy three countries on one cruise.
Minor vs Marriott: the ball is back in Thai court
Minor International advised investors on March 31 that it has won another right to pursue legal action against Marriott International in the Thai court and under Thai law for alleged mismanagement of its fully-owned hotel, the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.
The Thai-based chain first filed the lawsuit against Marriott and its Thai subsidiary Luxury Hotels & Resorts in July 2019. A Thai court said in September that year the case could proceed. However, in 2020, Marriott succeeded in getting the case to be moved to Singapore for arbitration, as per the arbitration clause in the management agreement.
Minor International is claiming damages of 570,605,134 baht (US$19 million). Allegations include Marriott’s failure to protect owner’s interest through poor purchasing practices and “damaging” sales and marketing decisions. Minor also claimed that Marriott is enriching itself “through non-transparent license fee arrangements, supplier rebates and use of monies in the Marriott loyalty programme fund”.
Contacted by TTG Asia, Marriott in Asia-Pacific said: “As this is pending litigation, we do not propose public commentary. For the avoidance of doubt, however, the Thai court has not made any decision in relation to the substance of Minor International’s legal claims. The Thai court has simply found that Minor International commenced proceedings in the wrong division of the Thai court and that the claims can therefore only proceed in a different forum. As part of that process, Minor International has also been compelled to withdraw a significant part of its claim.
“Marriott is confident that what remains of Minor International’s legal claim is without merit. Marriott will defend any claims brought against it vigorously and does not intend to litigate those issues publicly.”
Steve Chojnacki, chief commercial officer & general counsel, Minor International, responded to TTG Asia‘s questions by saying the case has now been transferred to the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court Thailand.
He has refused to comment on whether there is a stand-off with the Singapore outcome, citing “confidentiality reasons”.
“However, our Thai court lawsuit against Marriott International is absolutely permitted to proceed, which is extremely important to us. Marriott clearly wants to avoid Thai court, but we strongly feel that this is the appropriate forum to hear Thai law claims relating to a business that operates in Thailand,” he said.
“The court will now take up the claim and hear arguments before making a determination. We are confident of success and this will help not only us but other Marriott-system hotel owners who are trying to hold Marriott accountable for their business practices.”
Minor said that other Marriott hotel owners, including those in Thailand, are “closely monitoring” the legal case. In its statement, the company said it is aware of at least one other Thai hotel owner that has terminated Marriott’s contract and that it expects “others will follow suit shortly”.
Last December, Maneeya Realty Company, owning company of the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel, issued an early termination notice to Marriott. The management agreement was signed in 2007, for 25 years.
Meanwhile, Marriott emphasises that this dispute has no impact on the operations at the JW Marriott Phuket.
New yacht option now available for private cruises around Singapore
Blessed Yacht Charters has put a new Meridien 391 Power Boat Cabin Cruiser into the waters, ready to take holidaymakers and corporate groups around Singapore waters.
The 13m-long vessel, currently berthed at Marina At Keppel Bay, offers two air-conditioned cabins, a fully-equipped galley with refrigerator and microwave oven, a karaoke room with good sound system, and a flybridge at the upper deck that offers panoramic views and a spacious lounge.
It is good for small groups of 18 guests.
Floating mats, kayak, paddle boards, floats, fishing rods with artificial baits come part of the recreation package. Guests can charter the vessel for sailings to Lazarus Island or along Marina Bay to take in the city skyline.
Charter packages are priced at S$850 (US$625.40) for a four-hour block on a weekday, between 08.00 to 22.00, and at S$1,200 for weekends.
Guests can bring their own food and drinks at no extra charge.
Blessed Yacht Charters also provides BBQ pit rental and photography services at additional charges.
Contact info@blessedyacht.com for more information.
Visa, Tourism Malaysia collaborate to drive tourist expenditure
Visa has entered into a long-term partnership with Tourism Malaysia to support its efforts in promoting the country as a preferred travel destination and drive stronger tourist receipts from both domestic and international markets.
The partnership involves the launch of the Visa Preferred Merchant (VPM) programme, which gives Visa cardholders access to exclusive offers for accommodation, air tickets, dining, shopping and medical wellness. The VPM programme will be available to both domestic and international travellers during identified tourist travel seasons through the websites malaysia.travel and visa.com.my.
Aligned under Tourism Malaysia’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026, Tourism Malaysia and Visa will kick off a collaborative domestic travel campaign, which sets out the NTO’s strategies and priorities up to 2026 to achieve a successful and sustainable tourism industry.
During her speech at the Memorandum of Collaboration signing ceremony on March 31, minister of tourism, arts and culture, Nancy Shukri, said: “We are delighted to reunite with Visa as a preferred payment partner and launch the Home Away from Home campaign. I believe that through this partnership, Tourism Malaysia will be able to leverage Visa’s analytic capabilities, which can be beneficial to improve tourists’ experiences in Malaysia.”
In 2019, Malaysia welcomed 26.1 million international tourist arrivals and recorded a total expenditure of RM$86.1 billion (US$20.4 billion). The top three purposes of expenditure were shopping, accommodation and F&B –all of which made up RM$61 billion in tourism receipts.
This year, Malaysia is aiming to attract two million international tourist arrivals, with a target of RM$6.8 billion in tourism receipts.
Qantas adds Timor-Leste to network
Qantas commenced Darwin-Dili services yesterday, making it the first new ongoing international route from Darwin since 2008 and first international operation on the E190 aircraft.
With Dili just over an hour’s flight from Darwin, passengers from Timor-Leste can seamlessly transfer through Darwin to Qantas Group’s extensive domestic and international network to travel to other parts of Australia, and the world.
During the pandemic when international borders were closed, Qantas temporarily operated weekly flights between Darwin and Dili in partnership with the Australian government to maintain critical passenger and freight links.
For a start, three return flights will operate each week, and the service will be ramped up to five from July.
QantasLink COO Petrea Bradford, who travelled on the inaugural flight, said the national carrier’s new service would help strengthen the deep connection between Australia and Timor-Leste.
“After two years of closed borders, this new route is a key part of Qantas’ focus on rebuilding connectivity in the region for businesses, families and freight,” she added.
Qantas Group recently announced the E190 base in Darwin, creating more than 90 new local aviation jobs and servicing key QantasLink routes from the Northern Territory capital across Australia. This week also saw Cairns and Townsville added as two new domestic routes from Darwin.
Return of Australian market kickstarts Bali’s tourism recovery
Bali tourism players are heaving a sigh of relief as border restrictions ease along with Jetstar Australia’s progressive resumption of services to the resort island, facilitating the return of their top source market.
Australia was Bali’s top performing source of arrivals in 2019, with 1,245,410 footfalls on record. In that year, Bali attracted 90 per cent of Australian arrivals to Indonesia. Australia is also second after Europe in terms of arrivals to Indonesia.
Oriol Montal, general manager of the Westin Resort Nusa Dua and Bali International Convention Center, told TTG Asia that the latest development “means so much to Bali and her people, as this marks an important milestone for Bali towards economic and tourism and travel recovery”.
“For almost two years, Bali has been anxiously awaiting the return of International travellers and we are thrilled that the day finally came,” he added.
At the Westin Resort Nusa Dua and Bali International Convention Center, the leisure market from Australia is currently outpacing that of business events. However, he expects business travel demand to follow soon, as enquiries for events are coming in. Pre-pandemic, Australia was among the property’s top three markets.
Gede Suteja, cluster general manager of COMO Shambala Estate and COMO Uma Ubud, has seen a significant change in international room reservations for the first time since the pandemic hit in 2020. Bookings pace picked up in March, and sped up towards April.
“For the first time, we see a real hope that Bali tourism will recover,” Gede remarked, adding that Australia is among his top three markets and is “extremely important for our business”.
“It can potentially be the first international market to return to COMO Bali,” he said.
Bali’s reopening and returning airlift has prompted many last minute bookings from international markets, observed Eugene Feklistov, cluster director of sales and marketing for Bali of COMO Shambala Estate, COMO Uma Ubud, COMO Uma Canggu.
Before the removal of on-arrival quarantine, international bookings tended to be for stays far in advance, from 3Q2022 onwards, he shared.
Looking ahead, Feklistov expects the Australian market to take six to 12 months to return to pre-pandemic level at his beach properties, and 12 to 24 months at his Ubud property.
Offering a more conservative projection, Montal said the Australian market would only reach pre-pandemic levels in 1Q2023 or 2Q2023.
Fransiska Handoko, chairman of Bali Hotel Association, told TTG Asia that the speed of market recovery was dependent on seat capacity. Should flight frequency from Australia return to pre-pandemic levels and travel restrictions are eased further, the Australian market could hit pre-pandemic levels by 4Q2022 or 1Q2023.
According to Gufron, director of Alpha Hotel Management, Bali’s recovery must also require the return of travellers’ confidence, and that would in turn entice airlines to grow capacity.
Speaking at a trade focus group discussion on rebuilding the Australian market, Gufron said: “The priority now is to build trust and confidence among Australian and New Zealand travellers. The market is still concerned about health as well as safety of (tourist facilities) in the destination. They are also concerned about the synchronisation of government regulations and actual implementation on ground.”
He suggested fam trips for trade and media from Australia and New Zealand as well as sales missions led by Bali as solutions.
“Our wholesale partners, such as Flight Centre Australia, Helloworld, Bali Tours Australia and House of Travel New Zealand, are ready to promote the destination, so are the airlines like Garuda, Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia,” he said.
En route to recovery, Fransiska also hopes that the government will incentivise Bali hotels because many of them were closed or not fully operational in the last two years. Such incentives could be soft loans for hotels to use on improving facilities as they prepare for reopening. – Additional reporting by Mimi Hudoyo
UNWTO, Travelindex to support tourism SMEs
UNWTO and Travelindex Group have come together to help SMEs in the tourism space to improve their business reach as travel resumes, and to raise socio-economic awareness of the tourism sector.
UNWTO estimates that micro- and small businesses employ more than half of the sector’s workforce, making them important engines of employment and economic opportunity.
SMEs’ critical contribution to the growth of tourism and poverty alleviation is also recognised.
However, they face numerous obstacles and challenges due to pandemic-related disruptions and its impact on the economy, with additional pressures stemming from an increasingly digital world.
This first-ever partnership with Travelindex Group forms part of UNWTO’s wider shift towards harnessing the power of digital innovation to drive the restart of tourism by giving SMEs the possibility to reach a wider audience, grow and develop their market share and position.
Travelindex Group has one of the world’s largest travel and tourism ecosystem with millions of highly engaged visitors and followers across 240 destinations. The open and content-driven ecosystem connects directly over 800,000 companies worldwide through 90 owned online properties and social media channels. It offers a range of dedicated websites to the industry as well as services that help empower local SMEs for more online visibility and reach.
Joint efforts by UNWTO and Travelindex Group will show that sustainable and responsible travel is possible, if not indispensable, in the post-pandemic world, highlighting how small, medium size and micro-enterprises play a decisive role and vital contribution to the sector’s recovery.
“Countless small businesses and destinations are ready to welcome the world back to their doorsteps,” said Bernard Metzger, founder and CEO at Travelindex Group. “Travelindex Group is proud to provide a platform and ecosystem not only for large groups but, at no costs, for small businesses in the tourism sector to help them, and their employees and families, to recover faster and more sustainably. Our aim is to contribute to the growth and development of local SMEs and, ultimately, of the entire sector.”
Sustainable First, a platform by the Travelindex Group, features sustainable businesses and destinations, and focuses on the impact these have in their local community and the Sustainable Development Goals they implement.
“This partnership is a natural fit for us, our values and mission are truly aligned with UNWTO’s. Our platform is all about highlighting best practices in sustainability in tourism and we are focused on bringing especially the amazing sustainable work SMEs are doing, already leading by example, to a wider audience,” said Mafalda Borea, chair and co-founder of Sustainable First, board member, Travelindex Group.
Travel SaaS rezio celebrates third birthday with freebies
Online booking system rezio is celebrating its third anniversary with deals that benefit existing and new trade partners for the month of April.
From now until April 30, new subscribers can enjoy a free trial for three months, while existing partners with paid annual subscription will get an addition three months of usage.
Tourism startups in the past three years are entitled to a tourism digitisation e-commerce course for each new subscription plan.
Since its launch in April 2019 to streamline processes and embrace digitalisation for tours and activities companies, rezio is now present in more than 700 cities, supporting 1,300 merchants globally. It achieved an annual growth of over 350 per cent.
With the gradual opening of borders across the world, rezio hopes to spread its solutions to more partners in Asia and beyond, bringing them real-time inventory control and improved booking efficiencies.
Digitalisation needed to future-proof tourism industry: leaders
The tourism industry needs to embrace the digital age to thrive as travel resumes, as it lags behind other sectors, experts at Travelport’s recent The Future of Travel Retail Thought Leadership event in Dubai claim.
“It’s time for our industry to undergo huge transformation,” said Greg Webb, CEO of Travelport.
“Even though the industry is a leader in experiences, it lags in terms of the technology to deliver those experiences.”
In a recent Travelport survey, respondents perceived the travel industry to be lagging in digital innovation, falling below even finance in rankings.
Jennifer Catto, Travelport’s chief marketing officer, said: “Travel has not evolved digitally at all. The time to start thinking about this is now because the last two years have totally accelerated the depth of digital in all our lives.”
The industry is also being urged to tap into rapidly advancing technology that has the potential to transform the sector.
Steve Bambury, Metaverse and Web3 consultant, said “future-proofing” the industry now is key as virtual worlds advance. For example, introducing virtual reality (VR) to showcase destinations is a trend predicted to rapidly gain momentum.
“Harnessing VR technology, whether showing simple footage or 3D content, takes people to another level of immersion and gives them a taste of what to expect,” he opined.
He added that the Metaverse is the next big thing, with international brands, such as Nike, Gucci and McDonalds, snapping up plots of land inside the virtual world.
“This is very forward thinking,” added Bambury. “You have a virtual space where people can walk in and enquire about a hotel or destination. If they want to know about Sri Lanka, suddenly the walls disappear and you’re surrounded by Sri Lanka.”
Destinations are already developing their own virtual world. For example, Metaverse Dubai hosted the world’s first economic summit in Metaverse last month.
Bambury said the opportunities are endless, predicting in the next 15 years “virtual trips to impossible places”, such as Ancient Rome, Mars or the Kingdom of Atlantis, will become an option.
“This won’t replace real-life travel but real-life travel will be supplemented by crazy stuff like this. This is innovation that opens up whole new worlds in the way that we engage with digital content. You can wait or future-proof yourself and act now,” he said.
Marriott International has set a target of adding nearly 9,000 keys within its portfolio for Vietnam, and will debut several key brands including Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marriott Hotels, Westin, and Courtyard by Marriott in the country.
Several premium brands will debut in the country. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts will debut in several new destinations, while Renaissance Hotels will establish its presence in Danang and Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts in both Danang and Cam Ranh. The flagship Marriott Hotels brand will debut in Hanoi and Hoi An, while Westin will open in Hanoi and Cam Ranh.
Marriott Executive Apartments is also slated to enter Danang.
In the select service segment, Marriott International will introduce Fairfield by Marriott to Vinh Yen, Halong and Hanoi, while Danang, Ha Long and Nha Trang will see several Courtyard by Marriott hotels opening.
The company will also expand its branded residential portfolio over the next four years. In 2021, the company announced a milestone project that is expected to include close to 4,200 dual-branded residential and officetel units in Ho Chi Minh City. The project is expected to serve as the world’s largest hotel-branded residential project and is slated to open in phases in late 2024. The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Hanoi is also slated to open in 2024.
“Vietnam experienced impressive pre-pandemic economic growth driven in part by coordinated development policies and the strong investment in infrastructure,” said Rajeev Menon, president, Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International.
“Our growth in Vietnam reflects the trust our local owners and franchisees continue to have in Marriott International, and we look forward to presenting them with opportunities to leverage our comprehensive portfolio of 30 brands, as well as our strong distribution network.”
Marriott International’s area vice president – Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia & Myanmar, Jakob Helgen said: “Vietnam is a vibrant destination and has over the years experienced record levels of tourism as international travellers flocked to the country and domestic travellers began to discover the many wonders available in their own backyard. With the recent reopening of borders, we are hopeful for Vietnam to rebound rapidly, and we are excited to expand across even more parts of this captivating country.”
Marriott International currently operates 10 properties in Vietnam, spanning six brands.