Wild wonders
Hokkaido’s luxury travel sector is eyeing post-pandemic growth from Europe, North America and Australasia in hopes that these travellers are eager to experience outdoor adventures after months of staying home due to anti-Covid restrictions.
Hokkaido is well known for its high-quality powder snow, top-end onsen (hot spring) ski resorts as well as the Sapporo Snow Festival, which turns the prefectural capital into a winter wonderland every February. However, the travel industry is now hoping that an increased appetite for spending time outdoors and being active physically will put Hokkaido on the international travel map as “Japan’s northern frontier”.
Much of the central and eastern parts of the prefecture are rugged wildernesses largely untouched by man, including Daisetsuzan National Park. It is possible to see red-crowned cranes, among the rarest birds in the world, in the Kushiro marshlands or to spot whales and dolphins in the Sea of Okhotsk. One can even walk on the ice floes that gather there in winter.
It is these kind of experiences, unique to Hokkaido, that M Mizutani of the Hokkaido tourism board believes will attract a new kind of luxury traveller: someone who prioritises travel of immense value over lavish hotel rooms or fine dining.
“Hokkaido is unlike other parts of Japan,” Mizutani declared, pointing out its clearly defined seasons, wild scenery, adventure offerings, extremely high proportion of food sourced from within the prefecture, and cultural fusion of the Japanese and the indigenous Ainu people.
While Japan’s hosting of the Rugby World Cup in 2019 saw a record number of European tourists to Hokkaido, the tourism bureau’s Kaori Inoue said more is being done to raise awareness among the Western markets of everything the prefecture has to offer. Efforts include promoting places like the colourful Furano flower fields to show Hokkaido’s potential as a summer destination as much as a winter one.
Infrastructure is set to keep pace with promotion. March 2023 will see the opening of the Hokkaido Baseball Park, which will feature glamping facilities, hotels, hot springs and concert halls.
The Shinkansen line will also be extended from Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station to Sapporo by fiscal 2030, reducing travel time from Tokyo to Sapporo to about five hours.
Festival season heats up
Brought to you by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO)
The holiday mood lifts as the year comes to an end. Here in Macao, the sense of fun radiates even stronger, thanks to festivals that span from November until the start of the new year.
A festival of vibrant races
Recognised as Macao’s most important sports event, the Macau Grand Prix returns this year with its 68th edition. Held from November 19 to 21, the event will feature six races: SJM Formula 4 Macau Grand Prix; Sands China Macau GT Cup; Galaxy Entertainment Macau Guia Race; Melco Macau Touring Car Cup; MGM Greater Bay Area GT Cup; and Wynn Porsche Carrera Cup Challenge.
Made possible through the sponsorship of six major integrated tourism and leisure enterprises in Macao, the event will broadcasted across mainland China and overseas, spreading the word on Macao’s ever vibrant and safe living conditions.
To bring the races to everybody, the Macau Grand Prix will feature numerous public engagements.
The 68th Macau Grand Prix Family Carnival at Tap Seac Square from November 6 to 7 will feature a miniature Guia track, allowing little ones to live out their dreams of being the next world racer and to learn more about the event and racing activities in a lively and interesting way.
From November 13 to 14, Tap Seac Square morphs into the 68th Macau Grand Prix Car Show, where vehicles involved in the races are put on display. The Macau Grand Prix opening ceremony will be held here on November 13 at 15.00.
Furthermore, large-scale screens broadcasting the event will be set up at various locations throughout the local community and Macao residents can participate in the 68th Macau Grand Prix Photo Contest.
Over at the relaunched Macao Grand Prix Museum, 16 Little Racer DIY workshops will be held over the weekends in November. Parents and their little ones can come together to craft a wide range of car-inspired souvenirs, such as clay toy cars, hand-painted bags, handmade soap, puzzles, mosaic film artworks and more.
A festival of fun
Tour Macao FUN Fair kicks off on November 6 with a line up of festival markets, cultural performances, creative workshops and interactive games every weekend throughout the month. Hosted at Taipa Houses, the fair is not to be missed for anyone wishing to get acquainted with the destination’s unique culture and customs in entertaining ways.
A festival of delicacies
The annual Macau Food Festival returns to please hungry bellies from November 19 until December 5 at Sai Van Lake Plaza, with a range of gourmet favourites rounded up from across Asia, Europe, mainland China and Macao. Live entertainment, games and beer competitions bring even more flavour to the much-loved food festival.
Organised by the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, the 21st Macau Food Festival also aims to provide an international marketing platform for local catering businesses and ensure that tourism activities achieve a spill over benefit to economic development.
A festival of arts
Macao’s art scene appears to be most boisterous this year-end, with numerous major events and public activations marked for the concluding months of 2021.
Throughout November and December, the third Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries gathers a series of events to promote heartwarming cultural exchanges. Highlights include the Lusofonia Festival, the Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community, the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and The Belt and Road Culture Talk Series on Samba and Dance, among others.
Music lovers and aspiring musicians rejoice, for the Hush! 2021 Concerts returns this month with free performances across Macao’s many scenic and iconic locations as well as workshops where participants can learn from accomplished musicians, composers and producers, such as Aricalangi, Pun Kuan Pou, Joao Marcos Gomes Mascarenhas and Joe Lei.
Meanwhile, tourism mascot MAK MAK makes an artistic statement through a series of four art installations at the Portuguese-styled Taipa Houses, set up with the support of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macao Government Tourism Office. The Having Fun with Mak Mak series features the mascot dressed in Portuguese costumes and becoming a travelling companion for visitors.
In addition, Taipa Houses’ participation in the Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021 also welcomes the exhibition Global City by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich. The artwork is made of steel and resin, and conceptualised around the idea of a global village. It inspires visitors to reflect on land development and the application of information technology, exploring in depth the Internet and the convenience in life as well as the ways of communication and interaction between people.
A festival of lights
The Light up Macao Drone Gala will take place on December 4, 11, 18, 20 and 25, during which some 300 drones will light up the evening sky, with each performance lasting 10 to 15 minutes.
Through the themes The Art of Love for Motherland, Build Your Dreamland, Charm of Macao, Embrace Your Journey in Macao, and Passion for Macao, the presentations utilise a symphony of technology, integrated 2D and 3D design, light and sound effects – all orchestrated by five talented teams from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Beijing.
Set along the same theme of lights, the Macao Light Festival will be held from December 4, 2021 to January 2, 2022, and promises a line-up that will rival past years’ programmes. First launched in 2015, the annual event brings in projection mapping and light installations to conjure stunning visuals across the destination’s iconic zones and landmarks.
For more travel updates and inspirations, follow Mak Mak Macao (on Instagram), Stopover Macao (on Facebook), and Macao Moments (on Twitter), or visit the Macao Government Tourism Office website.
Future of hotel franchising in APAC shines bright
Hotel franchising will become an increasingly attractive and important business model in the Asia-Pacific region – which is home to a large group of independent hotels – as hoteliers navigate a post-pandemic future.
Joon Aun Ooi, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts president Asia Pacific, said that “the franchising model allows hotels to tap into the power of a global brand to support their recovery while at the same time giving them a strong degree of operational flexibility – whether it is a trusted and established brand that consumers are familiar with or a soft brand that enables them to maintain their individuality”.
“It will enable hoteliers to enjoy the benefit of a global scale and support and provides exclusive benefits through a loyalty programme,” Joon said at the recent ITB Asia.
Having access to brand guidelines on best practices will also give them the peace of mind that they have support to navigate recovery from the pandemic, he added.
C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett said that Asia lags behind Europe and North America in franchising or white label management, “but Covid-19 has simply accelerated what was going to happen anyway”.
Hotel groups are likely to focus more on their upscale and luxury brands, while pushing their economy and mid-scale brands into white label management or franchises, Barnett told TTG Asia.
“We’ve seen global hotel chains like Accor and IHG resize their Asian business models and downsize regional corporate offices significantly. Something has to give as a result, and for hotel groups, they are likely to focus more on their upscale and luxury brands that produce more fee revenue,” he explained.
“One issue of franchising in Asia, however, is that the cost gap for owners or developers is not enough to push them to franchise so that has to change,” said Barnett.
Loyalty programmes, on the other hand, “matters most in business hotels, and while we see stronger short-term demand in resort or leisure markets, independents can still compete,” he added.
“The question is what will happen to business travel now – with less trips and more business and leisure combined trips, it is (now) a fragmented space that certainly will see the onus on hotel groups to redefine loyalty and make it relevant post-pandemic,” Barnett shared.
Fliggy partners DidaTravel on accommodation supply
Chinese travel service Fliggy, part of the Alibaba ecosystem, has named DidaTravel its preferred accommodation partner for sourcing and distribution, a move that allows both companies to expand their accommodation portfolio and network of users.
Fliggy’s portfolio of hundreds of thousands of hotels across China and the wider Asia-Pacific region will be able to connect with more than 23,000 travel trade buyers on DidaTravel’s network, while DidaTravel’s hotel and tourism product partners around the world can access Fliggy’s 320 million users across China.
The partnership follows on from Alibaba’s series B financing in DidaTravel earlier this year, with a sum valued at hundreds of millions of yuan.
Rikin Wu, founder & CEO of DidaTravel, said the partnership with Fliggy would benefit both companies once the Chinese outbound market opens up in 2022.
Wu also added that Alibaba’s series B financing has enabled his company to invest in technology and expansion into Europe and North America, “where we will make new announcements shortly”.
The financing round was led by Alibaba and joined by Shenzhen Venture Capital and Guolong Capital, both of which had previously invested in DidaTravel’s 2018 fundraising.
Founded in 2012, DidaTravel now has over 300 staff in seven offices worldwide. The company transacted more than US$700 million worth of hotel bookings in China and Asia-Pacific in 2019.
Pan Pacific to open two Kuala Lumpur properties
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) is taking its Parkroyal Collection brand beyond the shores of Singapore with the launch of Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur in June 2022.
This will be followed by the opening of the 210-key Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur in October 2022, yet another first with the group’s signature Pan Pacific flag in Malaysia.
Located in the heart of Bukit Bintang, both properties will open in a mixed-use complex owned by the UOL Group, PPHG’s parent company.
The 535-room Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur will showcase a lush green façade of 78 sky planters on its frontage and roof terraces showcasing 1,207m² of plants and trees.
In tandem with the brand’s design for sustainability, the hotel will also feature motion sensors across public areas and rooms, a food waste digester, no single-use plastics, and an urban farm. It will also have a wellness floor comprising a spa, gym and fitness studio, as well as a pool.
Get your game on at Orchard Hotel Singapore
Gaming enthusiasts can now learn from and pit their skills against the stars of Team Flash, a professional e-sports organisation, at four exclusive weekend clinics when they book the Gamers Staycay at Orchard Hotel Singapore.
The staycation package comprises a two-night stay filled with jam-packed clinics and e-sports activities. Guests will get the opportunity to train with some of the world’s best “fighters” in popular games such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, FIFA, E-racing and Brawl Stars. They will also get to pit their skills against fellow gamers to win attractive prizes in mini-tournaments.
“With the rise of e-sports and Singapore hosting the first Global Esports Games in December this year, it’s a timely opportunity to initiate a Gamers Staycay package to cater to both children and adults, elite gamers and casual players,” said Paul Hugentobler, general manager of Orchard Hotel Singapore.
“We wanted to create a different staycation experience for Singaporeans to escape into a virtual world of fun and enjoy exclusive sessions with Team Flash’s popular gamers to learn the latest e-sports trends.”
The clinic dates are: November 26-28, December 3-5, December 10-12, and December 17-19.
Priced from S$400 (US$296) for two pax, the 3-day/2-night Gamers Staycay package includes daily breakfast and daily S$20 F&B credit. Children under 12 years old dine for free with every paying adult for Christmas Buffet Dinner.
Prior reservation is required and bookings can be made here.
Cristian Nannucci joins Pan Pacific Hotels Group
Heading PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur and Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur is Cristian Nannucci, the newly-appointed complex general manager.
A 30-year hospitality veteran, Nannucci has held a number of hospitality positions across three continents in Europe, Asia and Middle East. He specialises in F&B and business restructuring, and possesses a background in rooms operations, and sales and marketing.
He most recently served as general manager of Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu, the Philippines.
Shangri-La Singapore welcomes new GM
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has appointed John Rice as general manager of Shangri-La Singapore.
Rice will supervise the daily operations of the hotel including Shangri-La Apartments and Residences, and be responsible for driving commercial growth, inspiring service excellence, enhancing guest engagement, strengthening community partnerships and elevating the hotel’s luxury family positioning.
In addition to this new capacity, Rice also holds the position of vice president, operations (Philippines), and will continue to oversee all Shangri-La properties in the Philippines region.
The Australian brings with him extensive knowledge and expertise in the luxury hospitality sector, with senior Shangri-La leadership appointments in Mainland China and the Philippines.
Prior to his arrival in Singapore, Rice led hotel teams across six hotels and resorts in Manila, Cebu and Boracay; and played a pivotal role in leading the teams through the Covid-19 pandemic by identifying new revenue streams, launching new business initiatives and driving commercial results.
He was also responsible for spearheading the opening of Shangri-La The Fort, Manila.
Accor’s Mövenpick to make Brisbane debut
Accor will bring its Mövenpick brand to Brisbane for the first time with the opening of the 96-room Mövenpick Hotel Brisbane Spring Hill come 2024.
In partnership with private development group Keylin, the 15-storey hotel will be situated at 447 Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill, the city’s oldest suburb, bordering the Brisbane CBD and the 65ha Victoria Parklands.
Mövenpick Hotel Brisbane Spring Hill will boast art deco-inspired interiors, a restaurant, bars, 25m swimming pool, fitness centre, daily Chocolate Hour and an assortment of the brand’s other signature offerings. It will also include conference facilities with capacity for more than 100 guests.
Simon McGrath, CEO Accor Pacific, said that the property would be the third Mövenpick Hotel in Australia and the first Mövenpick Hotel in Queensland.
Tripadvisor’s co-founder and long-time CEO, Stephen Kaufer, will step down from his position at the company next year.
“We come to the close of 2021 in a strong position – travellers are returning as we exit the pandemic, exciting new initiatives are well on their way, and we continue to leverage our strengths as we evolve Tripadvisor for the future,” said Steve Kaufer, CEO, in a statement.
“Given our strong position, the talented teams driving our plans forward, and after over 20 years at Tripadvisor, I believe now is the best time to announce my plans to step away from the company next year. I have such respect and appreciation for all the teams over the years who have made this company what it is today, and remain devoted to continuing to guide the Tripadvisor family as CEO until the transition is complete.”
Kaufer co-founded Tripadvisor in 2000 with the mission to help travellers around the world plan and book the perfect trip. Over the past 21 years, under his leadership, the company has grown into the largest travel site in the world, with employees in more than 20 countries and operating localised travel sites in over 40 markets.
The board of directors has initiated an open search for Kaufer’s successor.