HK govt calls on hotels to pitch in for quarantine room inventory
With the latest surge in Covid-19 infections paralysing Hong Kong’s healthcare system, the government has turned to the hotel sector for help in supplementing isolation facilities.
In a February 16 webinar with key representatives from the Real Estate Developers Association, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam sought provision of at least 10,000 additional rooms as community isolation facility (CIF).
The government currently has some 4,400 rooms in the CIF inventory, of which 1,700 will be utilised by the end of this week and the rest before the end of next week.
The government’s CIF hotel scheme caters to people who test positive for Covid-19 but have no or mild symptoms. Participating hotels must meet specific criteria, and will be reimbursed by the government for their service.
Regal Hotels Group, a member of the Real Estate Developers Association, will respond to the call by converting several of its hotels into CIF. A spokesperson said arrangements are now being made for this conversion.
Fellow member Chinachem Group, which owns and runs key hotel chains across the destination, has designated Nina Hotel Causeway Bay and Nina Hotel Kowloon as CIF from late February and March respectively.
Michael Li, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, said the industry is in full support of the scheme, and the Federation has shared the call for help with members.
He told TTG Asia that more than 10 hotels with an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 guestrooms were likely to respond to the request.
The opportunity to participate in the CIF hotel scheme acts as a lifeline for Hong Kong hotels stricken by reduced tourist arrivals as a result of the fifth – and latest – Covid-19 surge, according to Li.
“Designated quarantine hotels in town are suffering a lot, as many international flights are banned. Their average occupancy stands at about 30 40 per cent. So, some of them have switched to become CIF,” said Li.
More cruise travellers are booking direct: GlobalData
Cruise bookings have shifted away from intermediaries and OTAs, with many travellers opting to book directly with the cruise line, according to GlobalData’s findings from its recent report, Key Trends in Cruises (Cruise), 2022 Update – Analysing Key Market Trends, Opportunities, Challenges, and Projects.
Industry revenue from cruise intermediaries in 2021 increased by 65% year-on-year (YoY) from US$11.8 billion to US$19.5 billion. However, cruise passengers have increased at a significantly higher rate. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), cruise tourism had risen by 95% YoY from 7.1 million to 13.9 million people.
Craig Bradley, associate travel & tourism analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Unlike other sectors in travel and tourism, the percentage increase in revenue for specialist intermediaries is not correlative with cruise passenger growth in 2021, suggesting that cruise tourists now prefer to cut out the middle-man and book directly with the cruise line.”
Due to the pandemic, it is generally expected both passenger revenues and trips to be broadly similar in their growth rate, with only marginal differences. For example, if taking a look at global outbound travel in its entirety, total trips increased by 95% YoY in 2021 and outbound revenues increased by 99% YoY according to GlobalData’s Tourism Demands and Flows Database.
However, specifically for the cruise industry, it is clear that intermediaries are underperforming with revenue increases 30% lower than passenger growth.
On the other hand, further research from GlobalData reveals that this change in booking behaviour reflects the current consumer sentiment towards intermediaries. In a 3Q2019 Tourism Consumer Survey, 44% of respondents said they typically book via an intermediary such as an OTA. However, in a 4Q2021 survey, only 24% of respondents said they booked their last holiday via this booking method. In addition, respondents who said they booked directly with the provider increased from 32% to 36%.
Bradley added: “There is a whole list of reasons why travellers now prefer to go direct, all of which are a result of the pandemic. Some want more flexibility and peace of mind, while others have had their confidence damaged due to poor customer experience, particularly dealing with refunds.
“Furthermore, the skills shortages in the industry are also problematic, with many cruise sales agents laid-off during the pandemic and subsequently moving into different careers. However, these issues are all fixable, indicating that this may be just a temporary shift, but cruise intermediaries must act now to ensure they can capture demand in 2022.”
Mandarin Oriental signs first Maldives property
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will be managing a new resort on a private island in The Maldives that is scheduled to open in 2025.
Currently under development, the 34-hectare resort will stretch across three private islands on Bolidhuffaru Reef in South Male Atoll, and can be accessed by a 20-minute speedboat ride from Male’s Velana international airport. The Group is working with a number of international consultants to ensure sustainability best practices are followed in all stages of the development.
The accommodation will comprise 120 standalone villas, made up of 56 overwater villas and 64 beachfront villas, including 10 branded Residences at Mandarin Oriental. Villas will range in size from 200m2 to 1,000m2, and some will have private pools.
Guests will be able to choose from six dining outlets, including three speciality restaurants and a sunset bar. There will also be indoor and outdoor event spaces for corporate meetings or social gatherings.
Recreational activities include a watersports and dive centre, tennis courts, a kids and teens club, a swimming pool, and a spa comprising 12 treatment suites, vitality pools, sauna and steam rooms as well as a beauty salon.
Tamai Shimada joins Conrad Centennial Singapore as sales director
Conrad Centennial Singapore welcomes Tamai Shimada as the new director of sales.
In this role, she is responsible for the overall hotel sales performance and strategy of the hotel.
Tamai has a wealth of hospitality operation and management experience spanning over 10 years of which seven years were spent with Hilton.
The Japanese started her career as a Front Office Guest Service Agent in both Hilton Niseko Village Hokkaido and Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel & Residences Gold Coast Australia, before taking up a sales position in Bali. She returned to her home country to join Hilton Tokyo in 2016 and was later promoted to assistant director of sales at Hilton Osaka.
Novotel Hotels & Resorts, Goa welcomes new DOSM
Novotel Goa Candolim and Novotel Goa Resort & Spa have appointed Rohan Samarth as cluster director of sales & marketing.
Samarth will be responsible for the entire management of the sales and marketing programmes, along with the implementation of strategies and budgets for the two properties.
He brings with him 10 years of experience in revenue management and knows the Goa market from his past association as director of revenue with Novotel Hotels and Resorts Goa in 2016.
Rohan has been associated with Accor for the last seven years. His last assignment was a corporate role as director of revenue and distribution for Ibis and Ibis styles India.
Indian tourism associations maps way to 2035 arrival target
The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) has released a document that details how India can work towards her target of 75 million tourists by 2035.
To achieve the ambitious targets, considering India’s 10.9 million foreign arrivals and US$30.05 billion foreign exchange in 2019, FAITH’s tourism vision 2035 proposes four strategic pillars – shared national tourism approach, value accretive regulations, investment drivers, and market excellence.
The vision document stresses the need to raise India’s competitiveness as a tourist destination by lowering taxes and making key policy changes, such as offering industry status to the tourism sector and allowing single window e-clearance for all tourism and hospitality projects.
It also recommends creation of five mega tourism zones in different states, focus on last mile connectivity, appointment of global tourism brand ambassadors, and focus on shorthaul international tourism, as well as the formation of national tourism council with participation from the prime minister and chief ministers of different Indian states.
Nakul Anand, FAITH chairman, said: “We believe that India has a great opportunity to achieve 75 million foreign tourist arrivals by 2035 if the government considers our recommendations. India, despite her immense tourism potential, only captures 1.2 per cent of the world’s international tourist arrivals.
“However, with required policy changes and focus on key segments including heritage, adventure, Buddhist circuit, medical and MICE, India can record 75 million inbound tourists (in addition to) 7.5 billion domestic tourism visits. This will result in US$150 billion foreign exchange earnings from inbound tourism, and US$225 billion from domestic tourism.”
Garish Oberoi, former president of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India, criticised India’s high Goods and Services Tax (GST), blaming it for making both domestic and inbound tourism expensive.
“The 18 per cent GST category for hotels with room rates of more than 7,500 rupees (US$100) must be abolished and merged with the 12 per cent GST category. Gradually, GST should be brought down further, below 10 per cent with full set-offs in line with global trends,” urged Garish.
Chiming in with recommendations for India’s business events sector, Amaresh Tiwari, vice chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), said a global MICE bidding fund with a corpus of five billion rupees was needed.
“We (also) need to create city convention bureaus in each of our main cities, which will work with ICPB as their hub to carry out a global bidding activity,” he said.
Resorts World Sentosa to begin expansion works in 2Q2022
Construction works for the expansion of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) will commence in 2Q2022, starting with Universal Studios Singapore and Singapore Oceanarium (SGO).
Minion Land, a new highly immersive themed zone, will join the Universal Studios Singapore theme park, offering multiple rides including one that will be the world’s first original ride exclusive to the theme park. Themed shops and restaurants are planned for this zone too.
The existing S.E.A. Aquarium will be rebranded as SGO and grounds will be tripled in size to take in a larger scale and depth of content. Backed by rich marine science knowledge, exhibits will provide immersive and multi-sensory storytelling of the evolution of the oceans’ inhabitants, fascinating oceanic zones such as the largely unexplored deep ocean, as well as unique representations of Singapore’s coastal ecosystems. It will offer fresh and enriching educational experiences and programmes that inspire positive mindset change and drive action to protect the oceans.
SGO will also encompass a Research and Learning Centre that is carbon-neutral. Fully equipped with immersive learning labs, collaborative workspaces, seminar rooms and a rooftop event space, the Centre will augment SGO’s educational offerings and provide advanced facilities for scientists and researchers to conduct valuable research work and drive marine science outreach on-site. It aims to catalyse the test-bedding of innovative solutions for real world challenges, and empower students and the community at large with hands-on learning experiences.
The two upgraded attractions are key components of RWS’s expansion plan, also known as RWS 2.0 when it was first announced in 2019.
According to RWS, the two attractions are envisioned to become Singapore’s new tourism icons and purpose of visits.
Backed by a S$400 million (US$297.6 million) investment, RWS 2.0 will bring a mix of new attractions, entertainment and lifestyle offerings to the integrated resort and facilitate the property’s contribution to Singapore’s tourism recovery.
Refurbishment of three existing hotels – Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Hotel Michael and Festive Hotel – is also part of the plan, and work will be carried out in phases from 2Q2022 through 2023.
Festive Hotel will be refashioned into a bleisure (business-leisure) and workation (work-vacation) hotel with a variety of mobile working spaces and lifestyle offerings that will meet new work trends.
Resorts World Convention Centre will also enjoy an upgrade to strengthen RWS’s position as a premier business destination.
RWS CEO Tan Hee Teck said: “With our upcoming RWS 2.0 developments, we are confident that RWS will be well-positioned to lead the recovery of Singapore’s tourism as borders gradually reopen. We are excited to welcome the return of more international travellers with an even more vibrant RWS in the near future.
“RWS’s vision for the next decade is to become a sustainable and innovative top tourism destination in line with the Singapore Green Plan. As we begin construction works on our expansion, we continue to pursue a holistic approach to destination building. We are acutely aware of the need to embody into our designs a more sustainable environment, and are engaging various stakeholders and consultants to incorporate the latest technology and research into our developments to achieve this goal.”
Maldives directs new training campaign at India agents
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is working with online B2B reseller platform, 2HUB, to conduct the Destination Online Training programme in India.
Running from February 16 until May 16, 2022, the programme aims to equip travel agents in India with the latest information about the Maldives’ tourism industry, from safe measures taken by tourism suppliers to unique experiences in the destination that will appeal to Indian travellers.
2HUB has created a dedicated online platform for this training campaign. Members of 2HUB, including tour operators and travel agents, can log into the website and access e-learning content at their convenience.
More than 500 travel partners from India are expected to participate in the programme.
As these travel partners interact directly with more than 120,000 high potential travellers, MMPRC hopes that the training campaign will reinforce India as the Maldives’ fastest growing source market
India is among the top source markets to the Maldives in 2021. Thus far in 2022, the destination has welcomed 13,947 travellers from India.
Indonesia cuts on-arrival quarantine to three days for vaccinated and boosted travellers
Fully vaccinated travellers who have also received their booster shot can now serve a shorter on-arrival quarantine when they enter Indonesia, with plans by the government to abolish this requirement by April 1, 2022.
According to instructions issued by the Indonesian Covid-19 Task Force, the reduced quarantine requirement from five to three days applies to travellers coming through international airports in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali, Batam, Bintan, Manado and Lombok, as well as seaports in Bali, Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Bintan, and more. This came into effect February 16.
However, travellers are still required to take a PCR test upon entry, before exiting their quarantine, and on the fifth day of their time in Indonesia.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy, said: “If the condition continues to improve, vaccination rate keeps on increasing, and (health protocols are strictly applied), the government will consider revoking quarantine rule (for fully vaccinated and boosted travellers) by April 1.”
Pauline Suharno, president of Association of the Travel Agencies in Indonesia (ASTINDO), said the announcement was a timely one, as the association is planning to organise the ASTINDO Fair from March 3 to 8.
Fransiska Handoko, chairman of Bali Hotel Association, said the move was in harmony with industry players’ request, adding that Bali can soon compete with other destinations, such as the Maldives and Thailand, which have also removed quarantine on arrival.
To improve the country’s competitiveness, Fransiska hopes that the government would reinstate visa-on-arrival or roll out a special permit for travellers to obtain a visa without going through sponsoring travel companies.
Ultimately, tourism stakeholders wish for the complete removal of quarantine for arriving travellers.
Jongki Adiyasa, vice chairman of Indonesian Inbound Operators Association, said studies have proven that traveller quarantine is ineffective in curbing local infections. He opined that PCR tests and monitoring through the national Covid-19 contact tracing app, PeduliLindungi, would suffice.
Western Australia will finally permit interstate and international entry from March 3, 2022, announced premier Mark McGowan today.
Triple-vaccinated interstate travellers will be allowed into Western Australia without the need for quarantine, while international arrivals will be permitted if they meet the Commonwealth requirements to enter Australia, and take an ART within 12 hours of arrival. Positive results must be reported.
Unvaccinated returning Australians to the state will have to undergo seven days of hotel quarantine.
McGowan conceded that “the virus is already here and we cannot stop its spread”. According to news reports, the state set to reach a peak of 10,000 new cases a day by the end of March.
McGowan had earlier in January cancelled intended border reopening on February 5 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
He confirms that the March 3 reopening is final, and a further change is unlikely.