Tourism Australia pumps US$2.8 million into campaign aimed at Singapore travellers

February 8, 2022

With Australian borders set to reopen to all vaccinated visa holders from February 21, 2022, the NTO has turned its marketing focus towards Singapore residents – one of the destination’s largest inbound markets pre-pandemic, with a A$4 million (US$2.8 million) Yours to Explore campaign.

The campaign will be rolled out both online and offline, and complemented with other marketing activities to promote tours, self-drive packages and other offers in partnership with distribution partners such as Chan Brothers, UOB Travel and Klook.

Anderson: Singapore market brings more than 80 per cent repeat visitation to Australia

“We also continue to work closely with Singapore Airlines and Qantas to recommence (more services) into Australia in the coming months,” Brent Anderson, regional general manager of South & South-east Asia, Tourism Australia, told TTG Asia.

This large investment is necessary because Australia has “long been the most popular international destination for Singaporean tourists, with more than 80 per cent repeat visitation”, Anderson noted.

Australia has implemented robust Covid-19 management measures, ranging from Covid-safe applications in each state to smaller-group size operations. Tourism Australia’s tourism website, Australia.com, also provides travellers up-to-date information on the latest border status, as well as checklists and tools to help them plan a safe trip.

Anderson said that as flexibility is one of the top priorities to get Singaporean travellers moving again, Tourism Australia has worked with its distribution partners – such as tour providers, attraction companies and travel agencies – to put in place flexible booking terms and conditions in case of Covid-19.

During the two-year hiatus, Anderson said the Australian government provided A$50 million to nine tourism regions heavily reliant on international tourism, such as the Gold Coast and Whitsundays region in Queensland, and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

The downtime has given rise to a suite of positive-impact tourism experiences. They include Lady Musgrave HQ, a new, zero-carbon underwater accommodation in the Great Barrier Reef; and a Conservation Connection experience that connects visitors to Kangaroo Island with naturalists and researchers.

“Singaporeans can also experience new multi-day hiking trails, high-adrenaline activities like the Burrawa Climb by BridgeClimb Sydney; and sleep in tiny solar-powered homes at Mount Majura Vineyard near Canberra. Those with children can even visit the Pooseum in Tasmania, a unique science museum dedicated solely to animal droppings!” he elaborated.

Besides new tourism experiences, this year’s calendar of events include the Dark Mofo festival at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art, which runs from June 15-22 to feature large-scale light installations and a winter feast; as well as the indigenous Parrtjima festival in Northern Territory from April 8-17, which showcases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures via live music and film screenings, dot painting and traditional craft workshops.

When asked about Western Australia’s holdout as the only closed-border state even as the country readies to welcome back tourists, Anderson stated: “Western Australia’s updated Safe Transition Plan was based on the latest health advice, and as we eagerly await full border opening in the near future, Tourism Western Australia continues to plan and look forward to offering a safe and vibrant place for Singaporean visitors when they return.”

Anderson expressed optimism in tourism revival in 2022. “We know that travellers are looking to splurge a little more, immerse themselves in more bespoke and unique experiences, find offerings that consider wellness, and explore and better understand Indigenous culture – these are all areas in which Australia has a competitive edge,” he said.

Sri Lanka tourism players urge haste in global destination campaign launch

By Feizal Samath

February 8, 2022

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Sri Lanka’s tourism players are urging the tourism authority to fast-track a global promotional campaign that will position the country as a much sought after destination, so as to fulfill the tourism ministry’s ambition to welcome 1.2 million tourists this year.

A global campaign to promote Sri Lanka has eluded the country for many years, and just as the authority was close to finalising one, the pandemic hit in early 2020. The destination has so far managed only one-off campaigns.

Sri Lanka tourism players call for a global destination marketing campaign to support tourism recovery

“We need an urgent promotional campaign to promote Sri Lanka as an all-round destination. We also need to convince foreign tour operators that Sri Lanka is a safe destination,” said Devindre Senaratne, managing director at JourneyScapes and a former president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators.

Senaratne added that incentives to motivate foreign tour operators to market Sri Lanka are also necessary, as the same is offered by other competing destinations.

Sri Lanka is hoping to attract 1.2 million tourists this year, against a low 194,495 in 2021 and 507,704 in 2020 – both years hit by travel restrictions due to the pandemic. The destination welcomed 2.3 million arrivals in 2018.

The 2022 tourism target was mired in confusion. Initially, the state-run Sri Lanka Tourism said the target was half the 2018 figure, but that was replaced by the tourism minister declaring a goal of 2.3 million tourists. The target was eventually retained at 1.2 million.

“The 1.2 million target is a reasonable one. However, the government and the private sector-driven industry should speak with one voice and project one target. There shouldn’t be any confusion,” remarked Trevor Rajaratnam, an industry veteran and former president of the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka.

Hiran Cooray, chairman of Jetwing Symphony Hotels, believes the government is firm in its focus on getting tourism back on track.

“We are one of the most relaxed countries in Asia – just like the Maldives, in terms of entry rules vis-à-vis the pandemic. We are also relatively well managed with Covid-19 guidelines,” he said, adding that given these scenarios people from Europe would want to travel and look at Sri Lanka favourably.

“2022 should be considered a Year of Recovery for tourism in Sri Lanka,” he opined.

Sanath Ukwatte, former president of the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, said that while Sri Lanka’s traditional source markets – India and China – have not performed to expectations due to pandemic constraints, an improvement can be expected once restrictions are relaxed.

Last year, Sri Lanka’s top five source markets were India, Russia, the UK, Germany and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery may be hampered by shortages in food, cooking gas and other essentials owing to a foreign exchange crisis. However, Rajaratnam said Sri Lanka would overcome the foreign exchange crisis once tourism thrives and more dollars flow into the country.

Banyan Tree Krabi appoints new GM

By TTG Asia

February 8, 2022

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Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts has announced that Nigel Fisher, has been appointed general manager of its Banyan Tree Krabi, which opened in October 2020.

The Australian national possesses some 37 years’ experience in luxury hotel management across Asia and Australia.

After graduating from Switzerland’s École hôtelière de Lausanne in 1985, Fisher returned to Australia to join Hyatt International Hotels, where he would spend the next 15 years. In the 2000s, he was resident manager at the Four Seasons Sydney and at the Great Barrier Reef’s Hayman Island.

He then took on the role of general manager at leading hotels in Malaysia and the Philippines before moving to Banyan Tree in 2015. From his first post at Banyan Tree Huangshan in China, he stepped up as area general manager for Lijiang and Ringha. Fisher then oversaw the opening of the Angsana Penang, before being lured across the border to Thailand.

Voco Orchard Singapore

By Rachel AJ Lee

February 8, 2022

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Voco Orchard

1 of 5

Location
Voco Orchard Singapore has taken up residence in a 51-year-old heritage building along the bustling Orchard Road shopping belt, one that was vacated by Hilton Singapore. There is no shortage of activities in the area – shopping at Ion Orchard or Scotts Square, catching a movie at Shaw Theatres Lido just across the road, or indulging in a much-needed massage at Natureland nearby.

Rooms
My King Bed Suite affords a spacious living room – great for social catch-ups (with safe distancing and until 22.00) – and a separate bedroom with a bathroom complete with a bathtub.

As a conversion property, the suite is a strange – but not jarring – juxtaposition of old and new. The bathroom features dated marble fittings, a steam function for the shower (a first for me!) and round knobs on doors, alongside plush yellow armchairs, polished wooden cabinets and gold light fixtures.

Having stayed in a range of properties, I am always appreciative when there is a USB charging port or wireless charger at my bedside. I’m glad to report voco Orchard Singapore had both. The king-sized bed was comfortably firm, and contributed to the best eight-hour sleep I had in weeks.

I have no complaints about the high-speed Wi-Fi, large desk and comfortable Herman Miller chair that made my time at work pass quickly, and I think that business travellers will feel very much at home here.

In line with its green ethos, a number of sustainable touches have also been incorporated into the rooms, including bamboo toothbrushes, high-quality linens crafted from recycled materials, and eco-friendly friendly Apotheke shampoo and soap in refillable dispensers.

F&B
There are four F&B options at the hotel: the one-Michelin-star Iggy’s, D9 Cakery, the Opus Bar & Grill, and il Cielo on the rooftop. All are open except for il Cielo, which is currently undergoing a menu revamp from its previous Japanese-Italian inspired plates to a full-fledged Italian menu.

Dinner was taken at the Opus Bar & Grill, where the crispy crab cake – lump crabmeat, mango wasabi mayo, grapefruit salad – started my meal on a promising note.

For my main, I chose the 250g 150-day grain fed Angus tenderloin, and I was delighted with the perfect medium-rare state it was delivered in. Every slice was juicy, and sported charred edges with a cherry-red centre.

Opus Bar & Grill is big on sides, with over 10 varieties ranging from spiced salted egg yolk fries to smoked risotto. I opted for the over-the-top fries (foie gras fat, black truffle puree, parmesan), which was a great carb option. The creamed spinach was, unfortunately, too watery and fell flat.

Opus Bar & Grill offers breakfast service. However, due to Covid-19 limitations, I opted for an in-room breakfast instead. My order – a piping hot and hearty breakfast plate filled with hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage – was delivered in 20 minutes.

Facilities
The hotel offers a well-equipped 24-hour gym, and over 1,850m2 of meeting and social event spaces. There is a small pool on the rooftop and seating lounges, a holdover from Hilton Singapore.

Club guests should take advantage of the Club Lounge on Level 22. From 17.30 to 19.30, they have the opportunity to sample one of the newly-created voco Orchard Singapore cocktails, which tap into the history of Orchard Road and tie into the property’s Stay Interesting philosophy.

Service
Most of the staff have been held over by the previous management, which is a good sign as these individuals are familiar with the property’s ins and outs. Checking in was swift, and all staff members I encountered were polite and top-notch. The F&B manager at Opus was also receptive to my feedback, and we traded steakhouse recommendations in Singapore.

During my one-night stay, I requested to borrow a multi-plug extension from housekeeping so that I could play my Nintendo Switch on the 55-inch TV, and it was promptly delivered to my room without much fuss.

Verdict
Voco Orchard is a boon for business travellers who want to be within easy reach of both the CBD and the shopping road belt, while staycationers will be glad to find the charming property a quiet respite from hectic city life.

This may be IHG’s newest kid on the block, but it sure knows how to deliver on the brand’s hospitality from the heart.

Number of rooms 423
Rate From S$230++
Contact details
Tel: +65 6737 2233
Email: sinor.resvn@ihg.com
Website: www.ihg.com/voco/hotels/us/en/singapore/sinor/hoteldetail

TTG brings on second edition of The Great ASEAN Travel Fest

By Karen Yue

February 8, 2022

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In support of South-east Asian travel and tourism recovery, TTG Asia Media will host a six-month long B2B exhibition showcase from June to November this year.

Presented as The Great ASEAN Travel Fest Plus 2022, the event will feature interactive booths with 3D booth imaging and sales enablement capabilities, unlimited Walk-in Meets throughout 180 days, and monthly engagement activities to bring buyers and sellers together.

The Great ASEAN Travel Fest Plus 2022 will offer buyers a better understanding of latest tourism products available across South-East Asia and beyond; a traditional Indonesian dancer performing her art

A highlight of the online event is the two Open Houses, once in June and the other in November, where there will be themed streaming to highlight specific destinations as well as travel and hospitality brands.

Buyers will earn incentives and training certificates from their participation, while sellers will benefit from wider exposure beyond the travel trade industry.

Commenting on the event, Cheryl Tan, head of TTG Events, said: “This year’s event expands the benefits of a B2B tradeshow beyond just two to three days, by offering six months of unlimited exposure and traffic to destinations and brands.

“The show’s unique formula combines a variety of monthly engagement activities to provide valuable opportunities for buyers to engage with exhibitors through one-on-one meetings, streaming content, brand festival showcases, training videos, mission-to-win interactive games and more throughout the half-year duration. Buyers are also generously rewarded for their time with the show’s incentive scheme.

“As reflected with the Plus extension in the event name, the 2022 edition will also welcome suppliers beyond ASEAN, and looks forward to a diversified representation of destinations and brands.”

The Great ASEAN Travel Fest Plus 2022 is supported by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

TTG Asia Media’s inaugural The Great ASEAN Travel Fest, launched in May 2021, featured a plethora of hotels and resorts, tour specialists and destination marketers and NTOs, such as Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road; Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia; Panorama Destination; and Santika Indonesia Hotels and Resorts.

Thai Vietjet to increase Thailand-Vietnam services

By TTG Asia

February 8, 2022

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Thai Vietjet will step up operations between Thailand and Vietnam starting mid-February.

Thai Vietjet aims to operate five flights per week between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City

The airline is currently operating twice-weekly flights between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, but this will be increased to thrice-weekly from February 17, 2022. The eventual aim is to have flights connecting the two cities five times per week.

Thai Vietjet will also be resuming services between Bangkok and Danang from March 27, 2022.

Marina Bay Sands begins US$1 billion transformation, delays expansion for a year

By TTG Asia

February 8, 2022

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Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has begun a major renovation of its existing infrastructure, in addition to its expansion project that is now expected to be completed in 2026, one year after the original projection of 2025.

The US$1 billion reinvestment will span hotel rooms and suites, new F&B offerings and other enhancements to the integrated resort – the biggest upgrade expenditure to be made since the integrated resort’s opening in 2010. Works will be completed in phases over 2022 and 2023, transforming the design and significantly elevating the hospitality experience in the luxury travel segment, which is predicted to lead the tourism recovery.

A major upgrade of Marina Bay Sands is underway, alongside an expansion that will add new hardware to the sprawling integrated resort

According to a press statement, the renovation investment demonstrates parent company Las Vegas Sands’ confidence in Singapore and ongoing commitment to the country’s tourism industry.

“We are firmly of the view that Asia will continue to lead as a primary driver of growth in travel, and Singapore will remain a top destination of choice. Our reinvestment as well as our planned multi-billion-dollar expansion that we announced in 2019 represent a further demonstration of our long-term support for Singapore. It reaffirms our confidence in the future and our commitment to offering industry-leading luxury products and hospitality experiences to our guests,” said Robert G Goldstein, Las Vegas Sands’ chairman and CEO.

The renewed features across the property will be joined by new hardware from the expansion project, such as a performance arena, a fourth tower featuring about 1,000 hotel rooms, a sky roof with a swimming pool and a restaurant, as well as new ballrooms, exhibition halls and luxury retailers.

Australia to fully reopen to vaccinated travellers from February

By TTG Asia

February 7, 2022

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Australia will fully reopen her borders to all vaccinated visa holders from February 21, after almost two years of restricted entry since March 2020.

Although the country has put in a place a staggered border reopening since late last year to allow skilled immigrants and international students to enter the country, as well as quarantine-free travel arrangements with select countries like New Zealand and Singapore, all remaining restrictions will finally be lifted come February 21.

Australia will welcome all vaccinated visa holders from February 21

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers will still require an exemption and be subject to the relevant state and territory quarantine requirements.

With this announcement, internationally-focused Australian tourism businesses can breathe a sigh of relief and rebuild their markets.

Australian Tourism Export Council’s managing director Peter Shelley said that this positive news is a “clear target to work towards” to start to rebuild the once-burgeoning industry.

“With close to two years with our borders closed, our industry has lost tens of billions of dollars in export revenue and we welcome the border reopening as an opportunity to regain some of Australia’s tourism market share,” he said.

He believes that there is a “significant pent-up demand” as Australia has been off the global destination list for nearly two years now.

“But the challenge for our industry is to meet this demand successfully and that will involve tourism businesses rebuilding their lost capacity, product, service skills and supply chains.

“Given the tourism industry has taken a devastating hit to its skills base, experience, expertise and global sales networks, we urge the government to outline a significant funding commitment to our industry in next month’s budget as a sign of its support for what has been a hugely valuable economic contributor for more than a decade.”

Philippines details arriving protocols for foreign travellers

By TTG Asia

February 7, 2022

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The Philippine tourism secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat has issued a reminder to all arriving travellers of the country’s entry requirements, as borders prepare to reopen to international leisure travellers on February 10.

Puyat made the statement, following the issuance of Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 160-B, which details the new entry, testing and quarantine protocols for foreign nationals coming from 157 visa-free countries.

The Philippines’ reopening on February 10 will restore the livelihood of millions of Filipinos working in tourism-related establishments and businesses who have been displaced by the pandemic; Manila Bay pictured

She emphasised that the new entry guidelines take careful consideration of the health and safety of both visitors and the general public.

All arriving visitors must present an acceptable proof of vaccination; a negative PCR test obtained 48 hours before departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding lay-overs for their return journey; valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination not later than 30 days from arrival in the Philippines; passports valid for a period of at least six months at the time of their arrival in the Philippines; and travel insurance with at least US$35,000 in coverage for Covid-19 treatment from reputed insurers.

The Philippines’ reopening applies only to fully vaccinated foreign travellers as well as unvaccinated children under the age of 12, provide they are traveling with fully vaccinated foreign parents.

Unvaccinated foreign children below 12 years old that are travelling with their Filipino parent/s will need to fulfil entry, testing, and quarantine protocols that apply to their Filipino parent/s.

Meanwhile, those between 12 to 17 years old must follow the protocols based on their vaccination status, and shall be accompanied by their parents during their facility-based quarantine.

While foreign visitors are exempted from facility-based quarantine, Puyat said travellers should continue to self-monitor and report to the local government unit of their destination should they exhibit any Covid symptoms.

“The opening of our borders to eligible foreign visitors and the rebound of the tourism industry can only mean the restoration of the livelihood of millions of Filipinos working in tourism-related establishments and businesses who have been displaced by the pandemic. It will contribute greatly to the eventual revival of the Philippine economy”, Puyat added.

TTG Conversations: Five Questions with Hannah Pearson, Pear Anderson

By Karen Yue

February 7, 2022

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Restrictions at South-east Asian borders are easing and optimism across the travel and tourism industry is rising, observes Hannah Pearson, director of Pear Anderson, a research and sales representation tourism consultancy.

In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions, Pearson provides a quick overview of how the region’s border restrictions have evolved since Covid-19 first made landfall here in February 2020, and shares her views on tourism recovery potential, government reactions to Omicron, and challenges in facilitating critical intra-region travel.

Tourism Australia pumps US$2.8 million into campaign aimed at Singapore travellers

Sri Lanka tourism players urge haste in global destination campaign launch

Banyan Tree Krabi appoints new GM

Voco Orchard Singapore

TTG brings on second edition of The Great ASEAN Travel Fest

Thai Vietjet to increase Thailand-Vietnam services

Marina Bay Sands begins US$1 billion transformation, delays expansion for a year

Australia to fully reopen to vaccinated travellers from February

Philippines details arriving protocols for foreign travellers

TTG Conversations: Five Questions with Hannah Pearson, Pear Anderson

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