Penang kicked off her first trade and media fam trip conducted since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with participants coming from Singapore and the programme being supported by Tourism Malaysia, Singapore office.
The fam trip, which started on March 29, was attended by six media representatives, four travel agents, a representative from Tourism Malaysia, Singapore office, two representatives from Tourism Malaysia headquarters, and one representative from Air Asia.
Tourism Malaysia, Singapore office facilitated Penang’s first post-lockdown fam trip this week
Speaking at a press conference at The Prestige Hotel, Yeoh Soon Hin, head of Penang State Exco for Tourism Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage, said there was a need to gradually revive the industry and put in place initiatives to generate economy activities that support the tourism industry.
Yeoh noted that recent measures to allow domestic travellers to visit Penang as well as Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane with Penang, launched March 16, have led to stronger tourism performance for the destination.
“Penang is home to us Penangites, yet it is also a destination filled with the known and unknown treasures to be discover by visitors. That is why Penang remains one of the top destinations for travellers throughout the years,” he elaborated, adding that Singapore is Penang’s second biggest arrival market just after Indonesia.
As travel starts to rebound globally, what does the industry need to do to thrive?
The industry needs to rebuilt trust. Actually, I do think consumers are giving the industry credit for acting very quickly around restrictions and transparency of information. Refunds and exchanges by and large went very smoothly during what was an unprecedented time. I think consumer trust is shockingly high for the travel industry right now, but continuing to build that trust, like making sure consumers and travellers know what the latest is on restrictions and everyone along the chain is trained on that so when things change they know, is key.
What opportunities has the pandemic presented for the industry to reinvent itself?
There are a couple of key moves that the industry is poised to make in the wake of the pandemic. The first is more flexibility. The rigidness around changes and refunds has changed drastically. The industry had to act very quickly to become nimble about how to operationalise those quicker and in a much more flexible way than we as travellers were used to. I hope that stays; travellers will expect that to stay because there’s still uncertainty.
The second is that consumers expect a good experience. It’s been a hard-earned pent-up wait for travel, so we expect things to go smoothly and we expect suppliers to provide that experience. We’re really counting on suppliers to deliver that now more than ever.
Why is the travel industry lagging behind in digital innovation?
Travel technology is very complicated if you compare it to other retail sectors. What I like about Travelport, and why I came to Travelport, is it’s a company with decades of in-depth experience and deep expertise, yet it is building something altogether new. There are a lot of upstarts in the industry but they don’t have the depth of experience to understand the complexities and how to simplify them.
What exciting entries to the market should the industry look out for in 2022?
We are very lucky to have a new CTO (Tom Kershaw, who joined as chief product and technology officer in July 2021) who is evaluating travel technology with fresh eyes. He’s very passionate about rebuilding search for travel and making it work just like the Internet; adding machine learning and the data we know about the traveller to the search so that it’s more personalised.
The second is workflow. It’s really important for the industry to make the workflow feel more like the Internet. This isn’t just for the end consumer but for the people working in the industry. A technical example is PNRs. They’re woefully outdated and have been flawed for a long time. Our plan is to reinvent them and move to an open-source model so that more than one person at a time can work on a file and bring the data closer to end travellers.
A recent Travelport survey revealed shopping for travel is complicated and cumbersome for consumers. What does the industry need to do to change this?
As we build Travelport+, our goal is to simplify that experience for both the industry and consumer. It’s not necessarily to reduce the complexity, travel is always going to be a really complex back-end technology, but to reduce the interaction with that complexity is our goal. To be able to simplify it for the users would be a real first in the industry.
What new needs have arisen from post-lockdown travel behaviour?
The depth of digital has accelerated across all of our lives and all generations. We carried out a study on trust last year and the thing that came out is there is zero tolerance for hidden fees, especially during a pandemic. For example, when you’re ordering food online, you know what it costs to have it delivered and any gratuity fees (are) not hidden. That transparency has to carry into travel.
There is a lot of buzz around personalising the travel experience. What does this mean?
The key thing is information sharing and, again, the industry needs to move towards a more collaborative model that is maybe some form of unified traveller ID. However, there is hesitance there. Like with the publishing industry, there is a reluctance to share information for fear of competition despite the fact everyone knows it would be for the best. I think this will continue to be a discussion that evolves.
HIMMAFUSHI / MALDIVES - MARCH 08, 2019: Caucasian long haired surfer rides the tropical ocean wave with green island on the horizon and some underwater view of the coral reef.Tilt shift effect applied
Bucking international border closures and global travel restrictions owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Maldives is heading towards a successful tourism year in 2022, coinciding with the island nation celebrating its golden jubilee of tourism.
“We are hoping to break another milestone (in 2022) and welcome 1.6 million visitors this year,” remarked a confident Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director and CEO of the state-run Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
Surfing is just one of the many activities that can be done in the Maldives
The Maldives reopened her borders to tourists on July 15, 2020, after a brief three-month pandemic related lockdown, with rigorous procedures in place to ensure the safety of tourists and tourism workers.
Arrivals in 2021 hit 1.3 million, revelling in a period when few other destinations were open. Pre-pandemic, the year 2019 generated a record 1.7 million arrivals.
Mindful of Covid-19 travel constraints, MMPRC has relied heavily on promoting the destination through digital media, forging strong relationships with tourism companies to promote longhaul market recovery.
Mohamed told TTG Asia: “We had to adapt our marketing concepts towards online and digital events. We also conducted several social media campaigns to ensure that the world knew we were preparing and waiting to welcome them once it was safe to travel.
“This included a major campaign titled, Maldives, The Sun Will Shine Again, where we encouraged travellers to stay safe and visit the Maldives later.”
Throughout 2021, MMPRC carried out 260 different marketing activities in 22 global markets last year – all to ensure demand follows the destination’s open borders.
It also had multiple partnerships and engagements with major international travel brands and companies. For example, Kuoni France held a month-long campaign in partnership with the Maldives, where the destination was marketed through articles, photos, and newsletters on Kuoni’s digital and social platforms.
There were also destination marketing campaigns with Polish tour operator ITAKA; fam tours for travel writers from key source markets; a joint campaign with Italy’s Sporting Vacanze, a member of ASTOI, the Italian Association for Tour Operators; a global advertising agreement with BBC Global News; and a joint campaign with News UK, among others.
Despite Covid-19-related challenges, a number of new resorts opened in the Maldives last year. Many resorts are also on track to launch this year, including the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, and the Six Senses Kanuhura.
According to Dillip Rajakariar, group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels, the Maldives is a destination that can deliver a world-class experience on so many levels, thanks to its natural beauty, quality hotels, high levels of service and superb experiences.
“We have confidence in the future of the Maldives, so much so that we are launching our sixth property – the Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort – in the Baa Atoll in September this year,” he told TTG Asia.
Rajakariar expects easing travel restrictions across the globe to fuel demand for high-end destinations – the Maldives included.
Inigo Berastain, director, RIU Maldives, meanwhile, believes the Indian market, due to its proximity, will continue to be a very strong inbound market for the Maldives.
He is also confident that “the classic and strong markets” of Germany and the UK will continue to support the Maldives’ tourism recovery.
Berastain added that while there is a perception that the Maldives is a destination for honeymooners, RIU has been welcoming a wider variety of guests.
“We also receive families, groups of friends, people travelling alone, and corporate groups that decide to make their company trip here,” he revealed.
Travellers to the Maldives are often those who enjoy water activities, such as kayaking, scuba diving or surfing.
While the Maldives is widely popular for its one-island-one-resort concept, which provides guests with as much privacy as they desire, the destination also caters to all price points, from super-rich globetrotters to back-to-basics backpackers.
Mohamed said the Maldives is ready to welcome one and all, as accommodation inventory features resorts, hotels, guest houses, homestay options and liveaboards at different price ranges.
As such, the Maldives is also planning to court millennials, a group that currently makes up 40 per cent of the global travel market.
According to a recent Maldives Visitor Survey, statistics show that nearly half the visitors to the Maldives are below 35 years of age, while 60 per cent of them discovered the island nation on the Internet.
With Singaporeans historically making up half of international tourist arrivals into Malaysia prior to the pandemic, the Malaysian travel trade is banking on air and land arrivals from Singapore to expedite recovery and have come out with enticing deals to lure bookings as restrictions ease from April 1.
Genting SkyWorlds is one of the newest attractions in Malaysia ready to welcome Singaporeans
G Hotel Kelawai Penang, which reopened on March 13, is rolling out the red carpet to Singapore residents, with room deals from RM$350 nett (US$83) for deluxe room and from RM$399 nett for room with breakfast for two.
Christina Tan, director of sales and marketing at G Hotel Kelawai and sister property G Hotel Gurney in Penang, shared that Singaporeans were previously G Hotel Kelawai’s top foreign source market. She hopes the opening deals, running up to end of July, would entice families to stay more than a night.
Zenith Cameron, another five-star property in Malaysia, is hoping agents from Singapore will support the 175-key property, currently the newest hotel up in the Cameron Highlands. Zenith Cameron’s director of business development, Vimala Sivasubramaniam, said she had recently sent room contract rates to Singapore agents.
As the compulsory Covid-19 insurance coverage requirement for international travellers to Malaysia was not announced as of March 28, Tan said bookings were slow to materialise. That information was released on the following day, stating a requirement for Covid-19 travel insurance to come with a minimum coverage of US$20,000.
Resort World Genting’s senior vice president, sales and marketing, Spencer Lee, told TTG Asia that it was still too early to gauge response from the Singapore market. The integrated resort is offering 20 per cent off Genting SkyWorlds entrance during the soft opening period, two-day-two-park hotel and room packages, and promotional rates for Crockfords Hotel from now until June.
To encourage the return of Singapore guests, Sunway Lagoon Theme Parks executive director, Calvin Ho, said the complex is emphasising on safety aspects in its marketing pitch, and that both Sunway Lagoon and Lost World of Tambun are safe for families and all ages. He believes that contactless booking system and e-wallet wrist band for purchases in the theme parks will help to reassure visitors.
With self-drive a popular form of travel for Singapore residents exploring Malaysia pre-pandemic, Car Rental Association of Malaysia president, Felix Fernandez, expects such bookings among members in Malaysia to pick up in June and July. Destinations along the west coast, from Johor to Penang, will shine due to accessible highways, food and tourist attractions.
He said the reopening of the borders also presented an opportunity for car rental operators to rebuild their capacity in terms of operations and fleet size, as many have had to retrench staff and sell their vehicles in the past two years.
However, Malaysian Association of Hotels CEO Yap Lip Seng cautioned that in pre-Covid times, despite the large number of tourist arrivals from Singapore, it did not contribute to an equivalent hotel performance.
“Many of these incoming travellers had other accommodation options, including family-owned residences,” he told TTG Asia.
In 2019, out of the total 26.1 million tourist arrivals to Malaysia, 10.1 million were from Singapore.
Yap added: “The tourism industry is looking forward to recapture this, especially in the southern states.”
The development of Super Priority Destinations across Indonesia has turned out to be a magnet for investors who are keen to financially back Indonesia’s tourism future.
At present, the five focal points of developments are Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Borobudur (Yogyakarta and Central Java), Labuan Bajo (Komodo, East Nusa Tenggara), Mandalika (Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara) and Likupang (North Sulawesi).
Gran Meliá Lombok Resort & Spa to be developed on Torok Bay
In Lombok, real estate investment company Invest Islands is developing Gran Meliá Lombok Resort & Spa on a 16-hectare plot of land in Torok Bay, just 25km away from Mandalika. The US$80 million project, targeted to finalise in 2024, will have approximately 110 pool villas with distinctive concepts and facilities including a beach club and restaurant, a floating bar, a spa and tennis courts.
Construction will abide by sustainable development principles, such as the use of organic, locally-sourced materials for construction, and implementation of energy saving fixtures like solar-powered golf buggies, solar panels and rain water storage.
Invest Islands has also set up Invest Islands Foundation to help the local community cultivate an organic farm in South Lombok, and to provide training on health, waste management and ecological issues at local schools and local communities.
Jack Brown, CEO and co-founder of Invest Islands, said: “Lombok is in the midst of a private and public investment boom. It is a chain reaction and more and more developers and contractors are coming into the area. Besides, the recent MotoGP Mandalika race has put the destination in the limelight nationally and internationally.”
Lombok International Airport has undergone a terminal expansion during the pandemic, with Pullman Lombok Mandalika Beach Resort set to open in August and a Kempinski property to follow soon.
Over in North Sulawesi, Taka Anugrah Perkasa has picked Bitung City to develop Batuangus 369 tourist site, a 13.2-hectare resort complex in Batu Angus Nature Tourist Park.
Eduard Pangkerego, COO of Artotel Group, the appointed operator of the site, told TTG Asia: “We are riding on the momentum of the government’s efforts to open up North Sulawesi for tourism with the Super Priority status, with Likupang Special Economic Zone as the focal point.”
He recognises North Sulawesi’s tourism potential, pointing to the destination’s international airport in Manado and the government’s courtship of direct flights from Hong Kong and China, among other efforts.
Pre-pandemic, North Sulawesi enjoyed direct arrivals from China on chartered flights.
According to Eduard, the development of both Likupang and Bitung will amplify North Sulawesi’s presence and speed up other tourism development to make it one of Indonesia’s major places to visit.
Eduard shared that Batuangus 369 will not only preserve the environment but also cultivate local nature, culture and heritage.
He said: “The Colosseum (a major development in the first stage of the project), for example, will reflect the identity of nine sub-ethnic groups recognised among the Minahasa people through the architectural concept of its hotels, villas and cultural arts displayed in the complex.”
Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy, Sandiaga Uno, has noted the growing interest of international investors and will facilitate more projects.
Speaking at the Tourism and Creative Economic Investment Forum in Bali recently, Sandiaga revealed that the authorities are inviting new investments in five Super Priority Destinations, eight Special Economic Zones, and 12 sustainable tourism projects across the country.
From March 27, Air New Zealand and alliance partner Singapore Airlines will resume direct flights from Singapore to Auckland with 14 weekly services on the Boeing 789-9 to meet travel demand between the two destinations.
According to Jonathan Zhang, general manager, Asia, Air New Zealand, initial response and demand since the announcement on the reopening of borders have been positive for services both ways.
Air New Zealand resumes Singapore-Auckland flights from March 27
In a press statement, Air New Zealand said New Zealanders are eager to return home after two years and reunite with family and loved ones.
The airline continues to emphasise on passenger health and safety, and highlights its World’s Safest Airline award by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, product, and Covid-19 rating website.
“The safety and well-being of our customers and our people is important to us, and we’re doing what we can to ensure every journey together is a safe and enjoyable one. High touch surfaces are cleaned regularly, and we take extra steps to ensure all our aircraft and lounges are frequently cleaned,” added Zhang.
The reintroduction of Singapore-Auckland services will complement Singapore Airlines’ seven weekly services between Auckland and Singapore.
“Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Air New Zealand have shared a strong partnership over the past seven years and we look forward to working closely to provide even more travel options for customers to explore New Zealand, or for (New Zealanders) to travel to Singapore and beyond on SIA’s global network of 97 destinations,” said JoAnn Tan, senior vice president marketing planning of Singapore Airlines.
Meliá Hotels International is partnering with Infinite Luxury Group, a sales, marketing and communications specialist for unique and luxurious hotels and destinations worldwide, to intensify its positioning and presence in the Chinese luxury travel market.
Bernardo Cabot, area managing director China, Meliá Hotels International, said the partnership brings “strong support” to the company’s business in the luxury segment and will boost the number of luxurious and unique travel experiences for both guests and stakeholders.
Gran Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand targets the luxury travel segment
Chiming in on the new partnership, Joanne Tang, founder and CEO, Infinite Luxury Group, said: “The hotel group has beautiful hotels and resorts in China, and around the world, and we believe that the luxury Chinese traveller will appreciate the Spanish warmth and hospitality.”
Tang noted in a press statement that well-heeled Chinese travellers are now “seeking unique travel experiences while longing for the borders to reopen to travel overseas”, making this an opportune time for Infinite to introduce Meliá Hotels International to its luxury network.
Meliá Hotels International targets the luxury travel segment with its premium Gran Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand. There are now Gran Meliá Chengdu and Gran Meliá Xi’an in China, with plans for a third hotel, Gran Meliá Zhengzhou, in the coming years.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has introduced two new shore excursion concepts that take their travellers to new destinations and landmarks.
The two new tour concepts, Behind the Design and Eco-Connect, will roll out across the fleet from summer 2022, with a total of 10 Behind the Design tours for the initial launch and over 150 options Eco-Connect options.
Blue Planet in Copenhagen, Denmark (Photo credit: Regent Seven Seas Cruises)
Behind the Design tours are exclusive to European destinations in Europe’s summer season, with further international destinations expected to be announced later in the year. These tours will offer insights into some of the world’s most captivating and brilliant architectural feats. Travellers can expect to browse modernistic buildings Royal Library and Blue Planet with an architectural historian in Copenhagen, Denmark; discover how the Equinor and Munchmuseet buildings have transformed Oslo’s skyline in Norway; or get an insider’s understanding of the challenges in building La Villa Mediterranée and MUCEM, two avant-garde landmarks in Marseille, France.
Eco-Connect tours provide guests with the opportunity to engage with local groups and businesses to learn about their conservation and sustainability efforts. They can discover how converting to biodynamic and organic farming further elevates the quality of the esteemed wines at Château de La Dauphine in Bordeaux, France; or get up close with sloths at a sanctuary in Puntarenas, Costa Rica to learn more about these animals and how deforestation has affected their natural habitat.
“We understand that while our guests love the all-inclusive and superior service standards found onboard our luxury fleet, their primary reason for travel is to discover and explore,” said Jason Montague, president and CEO, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
“That’s why our incredible destinations team has worked tirelessly over the last two years, creating unique and immersive ways to explore hundreds of destinations with completely fresh perspectives and unique experiences.”
Many of the tours are included as part of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Unlimited Shore Excursions, with select experiences offering another level of engagement as Regent Choice Shore Excursions, starting at US$299 per guest.
Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is welcoming holidaymakers back with its Pool Villa Dream package, where guests can indulge in the comforts and premium amenities of residential-style beachfront living.
Featuring choices of the one, two, or three-bedroom villas, guests at Anantara Desaru Coast can soak up the warm sunshine on a nature-hedged pool deck or cool off with a frozen drink in a personal plunge pool. They can also dine at the poolside gazebo, or leave meal planning to their butler who will see to all the arrangements – from poolside breakfast to private barbecue on the deck.
Anantara Desaru Coast’s one-bedroom lagoon pool villa
For longer stays, guests will find plenty of activities including supervised fun at the kids’ and teen club, cinema under the stars, Old Town foodie tours, and eco excursions into the mangrove forest.
The Pool Villa Dream package is priced from RM$3,949 (US$936) onwards based on double occupancy and includes two nights’ accommodation, daily buffet breakfast, daily lunch and dinner at Turmeric Restaurant, complimentary select resort activities, and access to fitness facilities and swimming pools.
The package is bookable for stays till December 15, 2022.
Asia’s progressive resumption of travel has resulted in intensifying demand for private air charters, with many requests and bookings coming from leisure travellers and family groups in recent weeks, observes Stefan Wood, executive director of Air 7 Asia.
In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions, Wood discusses how demand sources are changing, factors driving up preference for private air charters, and what the return of more scheduled flights means for private jet business.
As travel starts to rebound globally, what does the industry need to do to thrive?
