Azerai Resorts crafts new guest experiences at Vietnam properties
Travellers visiting Vietnam as the country reopens can pair their stay at Azerai Resorts with unique experiences that take them into the surroundings for a taste of local culture.
The suite of experiences are varied across all properties, spanning indoor activities such as themed feasts and cooking classes to outdoor jaunts such as unique cruises and visits to historical sites.
Azerai Can Tho, for instance, conducts a half-day excursion along the Mekong River, with the starting point at Hau river and progressing through a local plantation to discover seasonal produce and to have a tête-à-tête with the plantation owner. The package includes a private cruise, trekking and picnic lunch for up to two guests.
Meanwhile, Azerai Ke Ga Bay offers a brief excursion to Ke Ga in Ham Thuan Nam district, to call at the tallest and oldest lighthouse in Vietnam.
For a full experience listing, visit Azerai.
International demand for South-east Asia on the rise: Travelport
Bookings made through Travelport’s platforms are showing strengthening demand for South-east Asia, with Manila, Singapore, and Bangkok leading as the most in-demand destinations.
According to Travelport’s booking data, the other regional destinations in the top 10 list are: Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hanoi (Vietnam), Phuket (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Angeles/Mabalacat (Philippines).
In 1Q2022, international flight bookings to the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei have increased and showed upward trajectory, with the Philippines taking the lead by achieving 42 per cent of its international bookings in 1Q2019 prior the pandemic.
The Philippines and Thailand were among the earliest countries in South-east Asia to reopen their borders, and travellers are clamouring to visit. In 1Q2022, these two countries alone represent over half (51 per cent) of all international flight bookings to the region.
Within a week of the Philippines announcing plans on January 28 to fully reopen to vaccinated travellers on February 10, international flight bookings to the country rose by 114 per cent. One month after the announcement, the country saw a 294 per cent increase in daily flight bookings.
Thailand first allowed foreigners to enter the country on February 1 with the introduction of its Test & Go programme, which required tourists to have a negative PCR test for entry, and a subsequent antigen test on the fifth day of travel. In the 24 hours following that announcement, international flight bookings to Thailand grew by 37 per cent.
On March 7, the Thai government further revised the measures, dropping the testing requirements on the fifth day. With that change, international flight bookings grew 128 per cent compared to bookings following the first announcement.
The top five countries traveling to South-east Asia are the US, the UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.
Solo travellers made up 44 per cent of international flight bookings for the first quarter of 2022 to date, by far the largest traveller segment, which may be comprised of returning business travellers, flexible tourists whose bags are packed the moment borders reopen, and South-east Asian expats who are eager to return home without enduring a once mandatory quarantine.
Booking.com reveals the trends shaping sustainable travel in 2022
Booking.com has released new research on April 14, with insights gathered from more than 30,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories including Singapore, highlighting that the impact of their trips remains top of mind.
72% of Singapore travellers say they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months, an increase over what was surfaced through the company’s 2021 data.
With 77% of Singapore travellers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, over half of all local respondents (57%) cited that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices.
32% of Singapore travellers say that the sustainability efforts of accommodation and transport providers play a strong role in their property and transport decisions respectively. In fact, 69% of Singapore travellers say they would be more likely to choose a sustainable accommodation – whether they were looking specifically for one or not.
48% of Singapore travellers confirm seeing a sustainable accommodation on an online travel site over the past year and 37% indicate that they actively look for information on the sustainability efforts of a property before booking. 54% of Singapore travellers have actually stayed in a sustainable accommodation over the past year.
Even with a vast majority (84%) of Singapore travellers intend to stay in a sustainable property at least once in the coming year, 30% of those who didn’t stay in a sustainable accommodation over the past year hadn’t known such properties existed – nearly one in three said they still didn’t know how to find them. However, if these properties are made easily accessible, 56% said they would review it, thus underlining the importance of making this sustainability information transparent and understandable for a broad audience of travellers.
Singapore travellers generally avoid busy and over-visited destinations, with 31% saying that they chose to travel outside of peak season and over a quarter (27%) choosing to go to a less popular travel destination over the last 12 months to avoid overcrowding.
For future trips, 37% are willing to exclusively travel outside of peak season to avoid overcrowding, and 64% revealed that they would avoid popular tourist destinations and attractions to ensure a more even dispersal of the impact and benefits of their visit. 29% would even be willing to choose an alternative to their preferred destination to help avoid overcrowding.
However, 43% struggle to find appealing less-crowded destinations and 41% are pessimistic about finding sustainable travel options in cities or other popular tourist destinations – creating an opportunity for travel platforms to work with accommodation providers in these destinations to help them progress on their sustainability journeys, highlight more sustainable options, and help consumers discover alternate times and places to take their trips, without sacrificing on experience.
54% of Singapore travellers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived, and 64% look for experiences that are representative of the local culture. 24% say they have actively familiarised themselves ahead of their trips with the local cultural values and traditions of the destination, with approximately one in four willing to pay more for travel activities to ensure they are giving back to local communities.
Singapore travellers are also mindful about how far they travel, how they get there and how they get around once there. 25% say they chose to travel to a destination closer to home to reduce their carbon footprint and one in four indicated that they researched public transport, even options to rent a bicycle, in their chosen destination. Train travel is preferred over car for longer distances by 27%, and 36% say they feel ashamed to fly because of its impact on the environment. When booking transportation for their trips, 39% actively look for sustainability information.
While 54% reveal that they don’t actively look for more sustainable transport options, it still has an impact on booking behaviour and customer satisfaction. 33% say sustainability efforts don’t play a strong role in their transport choices but report that it can influence their final choice. For the 28% who say that sustainability efforts play no role in their choice of transportation, they still feel good if knowing that the transport option booked follows sustainability best practices – this opens up a wide range of opportunities to grow consideration for more sustainable options across the entire trip experience.
JTB, HIS restart organised tours to Hawaii for Golden Week
Japan’s largest travel agency will resume overseas organised tours this month after a two-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
JTB Corporation will begin its restart with packages to Honolulu, Hawaii, departing on April 28, just ahead of Japan’s Golden Week, a series of national holidays that are typically the busiest travel period for Japanese consumers.
In a press release launching the Hawaii product, JTB said its move is possible due to the stabilisation of Covid cases in the US destination, the easing of entry and exit restrictions, and the successful site visit by the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) to Hawaii from April 3 to 7.
The travel agency also cited a survey conducted in February 2021 by JTB Tourism Research & Consulting Co. that showed Hawaii would be the first choice for an overseas trip for all generations once international travel restrictions were eased.
Speaking in Honolulu after the site visit, JATA chairperson Hiroyuki Takahashi said he was confident that JATA member companies would begin producing and selling products for Hawaii this summer.
The return of the Japan market will boost Hawaii’s tourism suppliers, who once relied on Japanese spending. In 2019, almost 1.6 million visitors arrived from Japan, contributing to 12.6 per cent of visitor spend and making up Hawaii’s largest foreign market, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Takahashi expressed hope that the number of visitors to Hawaii from Japan would “fully recover (to 2019 levels) in 2023”.
HIS Co. has also announced intentions to resume package holidays to Hawaii from May 1, marking the end of a hiatus since March 2020.
Appealing to risk-averse Japanese consumers, both agencies have pledged extra support for customers. For JTB, this includes daily health checks and local guidance on obtaining negative PCR certification to re-enter Japan, while HIS’s offering includes a 24-hour Japanese-language support line in Hawaii.
Hmlet merges with European co-living powerhouse
Singapore-based co-living company Hmlet has merged with European flexible living provider Habyt following an equity share swap.
The move follows Habyt’s acquisition of two other co-living players, Milan-based Roomie in March 2022, and Frankfurt-based Homefully in June 2021.
The Singapore start-up will bring its inventory of 1,200 units in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan under Habyt, which has a portfolio of over 8,000 units worldwide in 10 countries and 20 cities.
As part of Habyt, Hmlet will continue to operate under its own brand name with Hmlet CEO Giselle Markarachvili acting as head of APAC for Habyt. Chief real estate officer Joshua Li will become Habyt’s head of expansion, APAC, and both will report to Luca Bovone, founder and CEO of Habyt.
Makarachvili commented in a statement on April 12 that the company has plans to “deepen our footprint in our existing markets and (is) aiming to expand into new markets as well”.
Hmlet is actively expanding its offerings with the recent launch of Hamilton in Singapore, comprising 68 rooms across a row of eight conservation shophouses that have been refurbished to accommodate the brand’s standards. It also signed three new buildings in Hong Kong that are slated to open this quarter.
Noting the rising in competition in the co-living sector, especially in Singapore where there are 10 players, such as The Assembly Place and lyf, Makarachvili said the consolidation of Hmlet and Habyt is “key for expansion”.
IHG rolls out new loyalty programme
IHG Hotels & Resorts has debuted a new global loyalty programme, IHG One Rewards, promising richer benefits, more ways to earn, and easier access on a new mobile app.
IHG One Rewards comes with enhanced member benefits, such as free breakfast for Diamond Elite members and exclusive access to Reward Night Discount promotions for Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members.
Elite members can expect early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades, where available.
Recognising that not all members want to use their points in the same way, IHG One Rewards introduces Milestone Rewards, – a technology-enabled platform that allows members to choose their preferred perks. A selection of rewards will be offered at every 10th night of stay, through to 100 nights stayed.
Coming up soon, IHG Hotels & Resorts will launch the IHG One Rewards mobile app, which promises a more personalised and streamlined booking experience and communications with the hotel. The app is a key element to IHG One Rewards and sets a foundation for future growth.
Claire Bennett, global chief customer officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said IHG One Rewards is “one of the largest and most comprehensive investments that IHG Hotels & Resorts has made in recent years”.
“It’s also the biggest development we’ve made in the loyalty space since introducing the industry’s first loyalty programme,” Bennett added.
HK Express creates air, ferry passes for Greater Bay Area passage
HK Express has started retailing its new HK Express Air + Ferry Pass that facilitates seamless travel between Shekou Cruise Homeport in Shenzhen and Hong Kong International Airport.
In collaboration with Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company (CKS), the new transit service makes it easier for customers in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to access HK Express destinations, across the region, starting with Singapore, Kaohsiung and Tokyo.
HK Express Air + Ferry Pass holders will be exempted from Hong Kong Air Passenger Departure Tax, and can check their baggage through to their final destination with HK Express.
The flight and ferry bundle is available for booking with a single payment on the official HK Express website and WeChat MiniApp.
“This new Air + Ferry Pass bundle provides a convenient, efficient and affordable way for our GBA customers to fly with us,” said Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express. “With the GBA market growing rapidly, we plan to expand our collaboration with CKS to include more departure points in the region so more travellers can enjoy our unique destinations.”
South Korea drops most Covid curbs from today
Waning cases of Omicron has allowed South Korea to ease off most Covid restrictions from today, including a midnight curfew on eateries and a capacity cap on private gatherings that was previously set at 10.
Rallies and other events with 300 or more people are also permitted now, while a 70 per cent limit on capacity at religious facilities has been removed.
Social distancing rules no longer stand, although mandatory mask-wearing remains in place.
The decision on April 15 follows on the footsteps of eased travel requirements, including the exemption of mandatory quarantine for fully vaccinated inbound travellers.
However, the authorities have yet to reinstate visa-free travel, due to continued concerns with Omicron sub-variant presence in other countries.
Berjaya Air connects Singapore, Redang with new service
Holidaymakers from Singapore can now easily access Redang Island in just 80 minutes, thanks to a new service offered by Berjaya Air.
The flight connects Singapore’s Seletar Airport with Malaysia’s Redang Airport, and is the only direct air link between the two destinations.
Travellers can purchase the Enchanting Redang Escapade package for a complete holiday experience, which includes a Berjaya Air flight from Singapore to Redang Island, a four-day/three-night accommodation at The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort, daily meals, welcome evening cocktail, recreational activities, and more. Priced from S$2,096 (RM 6,288) nett per person, the package also includes access to the Seletar Business Aviation Centre, a 15kg check-in luggage allowance per person, express boarding and refreshments on board.
Berjaya Air welcomes private charters to Redang Island.
IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan’s continued portfolio expansion is underscored by a strong confidence in the fundamentals of the country’s tourism industry, said the organisation’s new chief.
Abhijay Sandilya, managing director of the hotel group for Japan and the Micronesia, was appointed to the post on October 1, 2021 and arrived in Tokyo in April this year.
Speaking to TTG Asia, Sandilya said that as soon as the “shackles are removed” and travellers are permitted to return to Japan, the tourism sector will experience a surge in interest and bookings.
However, everything hinges on the government’s decision to ease entry restrictions on leisure travel, said Sandilya, who has experienced first-hand the problems the pandemic has caused to the previously booming Japanese travel market.
“The pandemic has had a huge impact on the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, and this has been the greatest demand suppression seen in any of our lifetimes,” he said.
“The silver lining is that as soon as restrictions are relaxed, we will see a rapid bounce-back,” he remarked, adding that enquiries at IHG properties in Tokyo and Osaka have been encouraging in recent weeks while “some parts of corporate travel” is returning.
“We are also seeing airlift coming back. We need to find the balance between keeping people safe and welcoming the return of tourism,” he said. “And that is important because globally, tourism employs one in every 10 people.”
Sandilya insists that the government’s ambitious tourism target of 60 million arrivals in the year 2030 is still achievable.
To meet that demand, the company has in recent years embarked on an ambitious expansion plan, with Sandilya in his former role as vice president for development in Japan and Australia overseeing the opening of Japan’s first Kimpton, Regent and Hotel Indigo brands, as well as the first new Holiday Inn Express in many years.
In 2021, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan also concluded its largest deal in 15 years with an agreement to open or completely renew three properties – with more than 1,000 rooms – in the Appi Kogen region, famed for its winter sports. These properties will boost the brands’ profile and popularity, while efforts are also afoot to reverse the talent drain that has afflicted the industry during the downturn, Sandilya shared.
“Japan is one of the world’s favourite destinations, the macroeconomic conditions are extremely robust, and we are huge believers that consumer demand will soon be back,” he said.