Lawrence (Larry) M. Cuculic has been appointed president and CEO by
BWH Hotel Group’s Board of Directors, taking over from outgoing president and CEO, David Kong.
Lawrence (Larry) M. Cuculic
Cuculic has been serving as senior vice president and general counsel for the company for 12 years and will assume his new role as president and CEO on December 1, 2021.
Prior to joining BWH Hotel Group, Cuculic was senior vice president general counsel and corporate secretary for Wabash National Corporation. Previously, Cuculic served as vice president legal and corporate secretary for American Commercial Lines, and was a partner in the law firm Gambs, Mucker & Bauman.
Former Perth Airport executive Carolyn Turnbull has been appointed as Tourism Western Australia’s new managing director, for a five-year term that will commence October 18, 2021.
Turnbull brings 20 years of international leadership experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, and joined Tourism WA in 2020 as the executive director – industry, aviation and markets.
The industry leader’s experience includes senior executive roles with global hospitality brands including Aman Resorts.
Before joining Tourism WA, Turnbull was spearheading the development of the western gateway as chief aviation development officer at Perth Airport.
Kathy Fong has been appointed as country manager of Sabre’s travel agency business in Hong Kong.
In this role, Fong will be responsible for leading sales, tracking performance, business development and agency engagement in Hong Kong, including customers in mainland China and Macau. She will also pursue key business opportunities in line with Sabre’s long-term strategic plan in these North Asia markets.
A veteran in the travel industry, Fong has spent more than 25 years with Sabre, with the past 20 years in various sales roles. Most recently, Fong served as leader of Sabre’s premier accounts team in Hong Kong.
Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island has completed a A$7.5 million (US$5.5 million) major renovation, adding features like brand new accommodation offerings, and a redesigned restaurant and bar; while also introducing a host of onsite activities.
Nestled on 26.3ha of Victorian bushland, Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island features studio, two and three-bedroom villa accommodation and is accessed by resort guests and members of Club Wyndham South Pacific vacation club. The resort is home to a range of facilities along with conference and events spaces.
Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island’s major makeover includes addition of new villas and redesigned restaurant
The refurbishment project, which commenced in 2019, included the renovation of 137 villas and the addition of new Deluxe and Grand villas. The onsite restaurant has also been redesigned with a sleek fit out and an upgrade to its culinary offerings. Renamed Flametrees, the restaurant offers an extensive menu, wine list, cocktail bar, and fireside dining.
Family-friendly activities introduced at the resort include an outdoor cinema, jumping castles (during school holidays), trivia and bingo nights, scavenger hunts and kite-flying competitions. The resort has acquired pedal karts and has converted a walking trail into a mini grand prix track as a nod to Phillip Island’s own world-famous circuit.
Onsite facilities also include a gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor spa, two outdoor swimming pools, a children’s wading pool, electric bikes, games room, three tennis courts and a children’s playground.
IHG Hotels & Resorts will continue its expansion in Victoria with the signing of the Holiday Inn Dandenong with hotel owners, the Pelligra Group.
This will be IHG’s fifth hotel with the Pelligra Group, joining Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, the newly opened Holiday Inn Werribee, and upcoming Holiday Inn Melbourne Richmond and Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton.
Ramada Encore by Wyndham Dandenong will be reflagged under the Holiday Inn brand
Formerly the Ramada Encore by Wyndham Dandenong, the hotel will undergo a A$10 million (US$7.3 million) refurbishment, and open as a Holiday Inn in April 2022. This will include all 108 guestrooms receiving a major refurbishment plus an additional 18 new rooms added. The lobby will also be transformed to incorporate Holiday Inn’s Open Lobby concept.
Holiday Inn Dandenong will join the 42 open or pipeline Holiday Inn brand family hotels in Australasia and the Pacific.
Wharf Hotels has appointed Robert Cousins as general manager of Niccolo Suzhou.
A 22-year hospitality veteran, Cousins has extensive hotel operations experience in China. Prior to Niccolo Suzhou, he was general manager of Waldorf Astoria Xiamen – which he successfully opened – and previously held leadership positions at Raffles in Hainan, and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai.
The Canadian began his hospitality career in rooms and expanded his experience in F&B, while working in Canada and the US.
Passengers aboard the Dream Cruises can now soak in the tastes, sights and sounds of Western Australia, from the world famous Margaret River wine region to the spectacular Pinnacles desert.
In the first-of-its-kind collaboration with a cruise company that is ongoing till November 6, Tourism Western Australia has curated a gamut of fun-filled adventures ranging from Swan Valley gourmet produce sampling to Amazing Race games.
Dream Cruises passengers can join Western Australia Amazing Race games to win prizes like Quokka soft toys
Passengers can also choose to book a Western Australian thematic cabin package which includes a plush toy, dry bag, mobile ring grid and a wine pairing menu for two at the Prime Steakhouse & Seafood Grill Restaurant by Mark Best.
Interiors of the 10 themed cabins feature decorations and imagery showcasing the iconic features of each Western Australian region. These familiar landmarks include the Blue Boat House, Busselton Jetty, Roebuck Bay, Pinnacles and Wildflowers at Canna Reserve.
Ava Ang, country head for Tourism Western Australia, Singapore & Malaysia, said: “With the anticipation of borders reopening in the next few months, this partnership is our way of stimulating visitor interest to Western Australia. By bringing a sampling of the experiences onboard, we seek to inspire travellers to fly to Perth and enjoy all that the State has to offer.”
Passengers get to savour the culinary taste of the Swan Valley produce in the Markets of the World, an array of food stalls representing international delights. Sampling of House of Honey products, Moorish nuts, Whistler chocolates and Mondo nougat is available.
Orders can be placed for these products as well as wine from Upper Reach, Riverbank Estate, Sittella, Oakover, Faber Vineyard, Sandalford, Pinelli Estate and Mandoon Estate onboard the cruise.
Passengers can also dine on the popular Western Australia rock lobster at specialty restaurants on the ship. The produce, worth A$20,000 (US$14,686), is flown in specially by Destination Perth and the City of Swan.
Quinton the Quokka from the world’s cutest marsupial family, found only in Western Australia, will also make an appearance onboard. There are plenty of selfie moments at various recognisable backdrops of Western Australia spread around the cruise ship. The winner of the best selfie will walk away with an all-expense paid trip for two to Western Australia worth A$9,999.
Quokka soft toys and other prizes including a Western Australian hamper are in store for winners of the Western Australia Amazing Race stops and the Trivial Wall.
Four major tourism players in Malaysia have joined forces to ramp up destination readiness and facilitate Malaysia’s reopening to leisure and business travellers as interstate travel resumes from today (October 11).
The four players are the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS), Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and airlines under the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) comprising of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings.
Nancy Shukri (middle) witnessing the signing of MoU at the launch of Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia
The signing of a MoU on Sunday at The Danna, Langkawi, focuses on combined efforts to be led by the three association giants in the industry and the national airline company to establish a Travel Safe Alliance (TSA) Malaysia and to position Malaysia as a safe destination for leisure and business travellers.
Certified by Bureau Veritas Certification Malaysia, it is a complete ecosystem of safe travel solutions made up of the “Travel Safe” label for travel and tour arrangements, “Clean & Safe Malaysia” label for hotels, and “SafeBE” for Business Events and convention venues.
Signatories to the MoU were MATTA president Tan Kok Liang; MAH president N. Subramaniam; MACEOS president Francis Teo; and Group CEO of Malaysia Aviation Group, Izham Ismail.
At a virtual press conference on Sunday, Nancy Shukri, minister of tourism, arts and culture, stated that her ministry recognises and supports the three certification programmes.
She said: “We need extraordinary strategies such as these to revive not only the tourism and business events industries, but also the socio-economy of the country. More vital collaborations between the public and private sectors is the key to accelerate the recovery of our industry and economy.”
She said the ministry is also getting feedback from Tourism Malaysia’s overseas directors on the expectations of foreign travellers in the new normal, so that Malaysia can meet their expectations once borders reopen.
In his opening remarks, Tan shared that the TSA Malaysia is working very closely with Singapore Safe Alliance on proposals based on safety standards on “how we can quickly work with our respective governments to reopen reciprocal travel arrangements between our two countries beginning with travel bubbles like Langkawi and business events in Singapore”. He added that details of the partnership will be announced later this month.
The Alliance has also made a number of proposals to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on ways to speed up recovery through the Travel Safe programme.
In a live telecast on Sunday, prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that interstate travel will resume nationwide from Monday as 90 per cent of the country’s adult population has been fully vaccinated. Interstate travel has been banned since January to curb a surge in Covid-19 cases.
He added that international travel will also be allowed from Monday for those who are fully vaccinated. However, travellers must do a swab test three days before returning to Malaysia, and another swab test upon arriving in Malaysia.
Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam laid out her vision for the city in her last policy address delivered last Wednesday (October 6), including to work out a detailed re-organisation proposal for consideration and implementation by the next-term government.
Her vision included the establishment of a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to consolidate the culture portfolio and the creative industries and tourism portfolio currently under the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau respectively.
Lam’s proposal for a government reorganisation includes the creation of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau
Industry stakeholders have welcomed the proposal, saying that this may facilitate the development of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, especially upon the completion of new infrastructure projects.
These include the commissioning of the Third Runway of Hong Kong International Airport targeted for 2022, M+ Museum set to open next month, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Lyric Theatre Complex, the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, as well as the Kai Tak Sports Park, which can also stage cultural performances in the coming years.
Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman, Pang Yiu-kai, welcomed the proposal which may co-ordinate related works and consolidate Hong Kong’s position as the MICE and tourism capital of the Greater Bay Area, as well as an international travel destination through the hosting of major international MICE events.
A recent survey conducted by Hong Kong Travel Agents’ Relief Alliance showed that 70 per cent of respondents supported the idea of a dedicated Bureau for culture.
Convenor Perry Yiu opined: “The proposal reflected the government’s willingness to take the industry’s advice and prepare for the restructure to spur synergy among sports, tourism and culture.”
She said that the central government’s introduction of the National 14th Five-Year Plan shows its support to position Hong Kong as an East‑meets‑West centre for international cultural exchange. The plan “favours long-term tourism development and reinforce our position as tourism hub,” she added.
The government continues to support the tourism sector with initiatives such as deepening co‑operation with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities, establishing the GBA tourism brand, as well as attracting more events and C&E activities to Hong Kong through various funding and promotion programmes.
Come 2025, Hong Kong is set to host the 15th National Games together with Macao and Guangdong – a move which fosters more diversified development in sports.
Improved sporting facilities, transport links and barrier-free access in Tokyo are among the legacies of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), which has released its findings on the legacy of the Games for leisure and business travellers to Japan.
Plans for the Games’ legacy began to be put in place when Tokyo was selected as host city, in 2013. Organisers and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government made “a commitment to use the Games as a catalyst for the development of new technology that would help make urban environments more sustainable and more accessible,” said a JNTO note.
Tokyo 2020 Games has seen positive legacies such as the creation of more barrier-free facilities as well as a sharpened focus on sustainability
Since then, Tokyo has seen improved transport links, including widened roads and sidewalks, as well as improved or new barrier-free access at numerous key subway and mainline stations. English-language signage in public areas has increased and smartphone translation apps are available to assist visitors’ communication with shop staff or taxi drivers.
The newly constructed venues around Tokyo Bay will provide new leisure opportunities for visitors, including swimming, canoeing, archery, sailing and rowing. Sea Forest Waterway also has a recreational area with views of the Tokyo skyline.
The former Olympic Village is being converted to a new residential and commercial development called Harumi Flag. The sustainable city-within-a-city will be the first in Japan to be supplied with hydrogen via pipeline from an adjacent site.
Other areas of Japan have also been inspired by the Games’ focus on sustainable development. Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture is recognised as an SDG Future City by the Japanese government as it operates a strategy of “green resilience”, which involves balancing industrial development and forest conservation.
JNTO is hoping the combination of greener approaches, more tourist-friendly infrastructure and new leisure options will keep Japan firmly on the world’s must-visit list.
“Japan is looking forward to welcoming a new generation of overseas visitors. And Tokyo’s focus on sustainability and diversity, inspired by the city’s hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, promises to make their stay more comfortable and enjoyable than ever,” said a JNTO note.
A 22-year hospitality veteran, Cousins has extensive hotel operations experience in China. Prior to Niccolo Suzhou, he was general manager of Waldorf Astoria Xiamen – which he successfully opened – and previously held leadership positions at Raffles in Hainan, and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai.
Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island has completed a A$7.5 million (US$5.5 million) major renovation, adding features like brand new accommodation offerings, and a redesigned restaurant and bar; while also introducing a host of onsite activities.
Nestled on 26.3ha of Victorian bushland, Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island features studio, two and three-bedroom villa accommodation and is accessed by resort guests and members of Club Wyndham South Pacific vacation club. The resort is home to a range of facilities along with conference and events spaces.
The refurbishment project, which commenced in 2019, included the renovation of 137 villas and the addition of new Deluxe and Grand villas. The onsite restaurant has also been redesigned with a sleek fit out and an upgrade to its culinary offerings. Renamed Flametrees, the restaurant offers an extensive menu, wine list, cocktail bar, and fireside dining.
Family-friendly activities introduced at the resort include an outdoor cinema, jumping castles (during school holidays), trivia and bingo nights, scavenger hunts and kite-flying competitions. The resort has acquired pedal karts and has converted a walking trail into a mini grand prix track as a nod to Phillip Island’s own world-famous circuit.
Onsite facilities also include a gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor spa, two outdoor swimming pools, a children’s wading pool, electric bikes, games room, three tennis courts and a children’s playground.