Manila-based hotel management firm wants to help SMEs compete with the big boys
A pair of former honchos of a now-defunct Singapore-headquartered OTA has set up a hybrid hospitality management company in Manila, targeted at small and medium-sized hotels and resorts.
Unlike a typical hotel management company, SMS Hospitality Network (SMS) offers clients the option to choose sales and online revenue management only; online revenue management including rates, inventory and reputation; or full management including operations as in the case of the 30-key Gilmore Tower and Suites.
Furthermore, SMS can also represent province-based clients in trade shows and business events held in metro Manila.
“The pandemic has shown very clearly that small and medium-sized hotels and resorts need support. If they are just going by themselves, they will have difficulty competing with the big boys,” said Nikki Rocha, SMS Hospitality CEO and president.
Rocha was previously the group executive vice president and president in the Philippines of the now-defunct Asiatravel.com, which closed in 2018.
There are over 5,000 hotels and resorts accredited by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism, and a significant number of them, mostly SMEs, are not listed in OTAs.
“In terms of network, (these SMEs) need support on how to be more visible on OTAs. So with our team, experience, network plus the technology we will provide, we can help them manage their hotels and resorts to achieve that,” said Francis Asuncion, SMS managing director, who was Asiatravel.com’s vice president in Thailand.
SMS’ value proposition is to achieve the full revenue potential of the properties by using high-technology and mastering OTAs’ algorithm. “A lot of owners don’t realise that they can earn much higher than what they currently do,” Rocha said.
Asuncion said SMS Hospitality is the exclusive Philippine partner of Japan’s OTA Rakuten for hotels, while India tech partner Street Gooser provides the real-time, cloud-based property management system.
Correction: In our previous version, we stated that the company name is SMS Hospitality Solutions, which is the registered name of the company. SMS Hospitality Network is the name that the company is known by in the industry. This article has also been edited for accuracy.
Set sail on a Nordic Christmas adventure with Dream Cruises
The age-old traditions and cultures of Scandinavia will come to life this Christmas on board Dream Cruises’ Genting Dream and World Dream, during its A Nordic Christmas Adventure sailings, taking place from mid-November until January 1, 2022.
The Singapore sailings will feature an array of culinary delights, as well as Christmas-themed activities, decorations and entertainment with influences from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Highlights include a lighting ceremony that will bring to life the exclusive Dream Advent Calendar and a miniature Santa Express train wending its way through a Gingerbread Town.
At the Zouk Beach Club, guests can explore a Nordic village illuminated with thousands of twinkle lights, highlighted by a festive Swedish yule goat in the village square, with Santa making an appearance.
A selection of Christmas pastries, festive hampers, Scandinavian souvenirs and fun crafts will be available at the Nordic Market, where there will also be photo opportunities with iconic Christmas characters.
Guests can pick up a set of limited-edition Dream Cruises Christmas cards and explore the ships to collect 10 different embossing stamps to personalise each card to keep as a souvenir.
At the inclusive restaurants, The Lido and Dream Dining Room, complimentary traditional holiday fare will include roast turkey, slipper lobster, Gammon ham, roasted beef tenderloin, honey glazed Norwegian salmon, ginger-spiced chocolate cake, Christmas cookies, Swedish St. Lucia saffron buns, and more.
Gastronomes can upgrade their dining experience at specialty restaurants such as Prime Steakhouse & Seafood Grill or Umi Uma with Wagyu beef, foie gras, tiger prawns, oysters and other delicacies.
Family-friendly performances will take place in the Zodiac Theatre that will bring back memories of nostalgic childhood Christmas shows.
Verry Christmas, on board Genting Dream, is a Christmas spectacular replete with Santa Claus, elves, an evil Snow Queen and a polar bear; while World Dream’s Jolly Holly show highlights an array of performers in spellbinding routines.
From November 17 to December 18, musical theatre performer Eli Zaelo, from the cast of The Lion King Musical and Titanic The Musical, will also be performing at the Nordic Village square on board Genting Dream.
Emirates seals codeshare with Garuda Indonesia
Emirates and Garuda Indonesia have signed an MoU to establish a codeshare partnership between both airlines, a move which will allow customers of both airlines to enjoy seamless connectivity on new routes across the Americas, Middle East, Africa and Europe.
In addition, Emirates and Garuda Indonesia will also explore opportunities to cooperate on their respective frequent flyer programmes, to enable customers of both airlines to earn and redeem loyalty points for reward tickets, upgrades and other exclusive benefits.
The codeshare agreement is expected to come into effect from January 2022, with customer benefits to include seamless booking, ticketing, one baggage policy and check-through to the final destination in addition to travel benefits across 18 routes on both airlines’ networks.
Irfan Setiaputra, president & CEO, Garuda Indonesia, said: “This partnership is timely as countries are expected to start to reopen their borders for international flights and ease their travel restrictions. It will also help open up many opportunities for Indonesia’s trade and tourism activities.”
Under the codeshare agreement, Emirates customers will be able to connect to and from Denpasar, Surabaya, Makassar, Balikpapan, Manado, Medan, Padang and Solo airports on flights operated by Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta, to Dubai and beyond with a single ticket.
Additionally, routes directly connecting Denpasar with Surabaya and Makassar will be available for passengers’ convenience.
Garuda Indonesia will also add their marketing code to flights on eight routes operated by Emirates, including between Dubai and Jakarta, Denpasar, Bahrain, Moscow, Johannesburg, Cairo, London and Manchester.
Open-air panoramic ride SkyHelix to open in Sentosa next month
Sentosa’s latest attraction SkyHelix, billed as the highest open-air panoramic ride in Singapore, will open at Imbiah Lookout on December 15.
The opening is a few months ahead of schedule, in time for the school holidays and year-end celebrations, said operator Mount Faber Leisure Group (MFLG).
Standing at 40m tall, SkyHelix features a vertical helix-like structure. During the ride, guests will be seated in an open-air rotating gondola, which ascends 35m above the ground to a height of 79m above sea level.
The 12-minute ride includes 10 minutes rotating at the peak. With a drink in hand, guests will be able to enjoy panoramic views of Sentosa, the Keppel Bay area, and the Greater Southern Waterfront.
As an added safety measure, an attraction host will accompany guests on the ride to ensure safety protocols are followed.
Adult tickets cost S$18 (US$13.30), while child tickets – over 1.05m – cost S$15. All tickets come with a choice of one standard non-alcoholic beverage (soft drink or slushie) or a SkyHelix Sentosa souvenir. Alcoholic beverages and snacks are subject to additional pricing.
The ride is open only to vaccinated guests and accompanying children under 12 years old.
Designed and constructed by French company Aerophile, an expert on high-point attractions, the SkyHelix will be powered by three electrical winches that are managed on ground, and include emergency brakes and a safety mechanism.
When asked about the attraction’s sustainable aspects, Buhdy Bok, managing director at MFLG, revealed that SkyHelix’s projected carbon footprint for a whole year – 365 days for up to 12 hours a day, and carrying a projected 100,000 guests – would be “equivalent to one flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur”.
To achieve carbon neutrality, mitigation methods will be deployed, where renewable energy, such as the installation of solar panels to reduce energy consumption, will be looked into, added Favian Ooi, MFLG’s director, operations and asset development.
Bok noted: “As Singapore eyes a long-term goal recovery of its tourism sector, the opening of SkyHelix Sentosa signals a strong message of hope and optimism for the industry and the country.”
He told TTG Asia that vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs) will help attract tourists back to Singapore, and every established VTL “is a positive sign which will go a long way in supporting travel and tourism recovery”.
“We have seen the VTL daily quota steadily increase from 2,500 to 6,000. While it is yet to be determined how many of these VTL travellers are tourists, on November 10, CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) reported encouraging figures especially from Australia and South Korea and this sends a positive message that VTLs are impactful for tourism recovery,” he elaborated.
Thien Kwee Eng, CEO of Sentosa Development Corporation, added that SkyHelix joins a pipeline of new and upcoming Sentosa experiences, including wellness experiences at Oasia Resort Sentosa; a perfumery experience at Scentopia; as well as the island’s new lifestyle destination, Southside; among others.
She said: “We look forward to welcoming more guests to Sentosa, as we bolster our position as Asia’s leading leisure destination.”
Malaysia to launch travel corridor with Indonesia, prepares to reopen to international visitors by January 1
The governments of Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to implement a travel corridor between the two countries in stages.
Priority will be given to fully vaccinated individuals travelling for business, medical or humanitarian purposes, said Malaysia’s prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in a joint press conference on Wednesday (November 10) with Indonesian president Joko Widodo at Istana Bogor in conjunction with his three-day inaugural official visit which began on Tuesday.
“Reopening borders in a safe manner is important in balancing between the need to open up and redevelop the economy and maintain aspects of public health security and control,” said Ismail Sabri.
He added that the travel corridor arrangement may start between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, as well as Bali.
Further details on the reopening of the border between Malaysia and Indonesia will be issued in a joint statement at a later date.
Earlier this week, Malaysia and Singapore agreed to launch a vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between the two countries, with six daily designated flights between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, from November 29.
Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers will be able to travel between Singapore and Malaysia, and be subjected to Covid-19 tests in lieu of serving quarantine or stay-home notice.
Malaysian high commissioner to Singapore, Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, said the relevant agencies in Malaysia and Singapore are ironing out related issues such as Covid-19 testing regimes and cross-border processes, The Star reported.
Malaysia’s borders are also expected to reopen to foreign visitors from many more countries, latest by January 1, 2022.
National Recovery Council chairman, Muhyiddin Yassin, gave this assurance on Thursday, after taking into consideration the achievements of the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme.
“In general, I’m satisfied with the development, particularly in the trend of daily positive cases, deaths, admissions of patients under Categories 3 to 5 in hospitals and the vaccination rate among the adult population, which have reached 95 per cent, along with 76.7 per cent coverage for adolescents,” he said, as reported in New Straits Times.
Denmark imposes quarantine for travellers from Singapore
Vaccinated travellers from Singapore will no longer be able to enjoy two-way quarantine-free travel with Denmark, and will have to serve at least four days of quarantine in the European country.
In a Facebook post on Thursday (November 11), the Embassy of Denmark stated that “Singapore is now considered a high risk country for travel to Europe” due to its Covid-19 infection numbers.
According to the post, all travellers from Singapore must be tested upon arrival and self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status. However, their quarantine period will be shortened if they test negative for their PCR test on day 4 of their arrival.
This news comes just a month after it was announced that Denmark was one of several countries that Singapore had added to its vaccinated travel lane (VTL) scheme, which allows for quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers entering Singapore on designated VTL flights.
Upcoming Superbike World race drives hope for Lombok’s tourism revival
Lombok is gearing up to host its first post-pandemic mega international motorbike race at its brand new 4.3km Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit next week, a warm-up event to MotoGP 2022 and eyed as a launchpad for the revival of tourism in the destination.
The World Superbike (WSBK) will take place from November 19-21, and all preparations are completed for the event, according to Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy, who conducted a site visit.
The government has issued Covid-19 health and safety guidelines to the organiser and limited the three-day WSBK event to 25,000 spectators.
Sandiaga said he has also seen the crowd simulation for crowd control management by the local police, armed forces and the Covid-19 task force to prevent a new virus wave.
The minister said the event is important for the tourism and creative economic sector, particularly for West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). Moreover, Mandalika is one of the country’s five super priority tourism destinations, he added.
The event is expected to provide a momentum boost to the promotion of the tourism and creative economy, particularly that of NTB, as well as attract international special interest travellers to visit Indonesia, now that the international border is open, he said.
Aiming to capture that momentum too is the local Lombok community. As soon as movement curbs were eased last month, the West Lombok Tourism Office and the tourism community kicked off a series of activities, such as cultural performances, creative economic and home industry exhibitions, food festival, as well as outdoor activities and games for families in the Senggigi area.
Saiful Ahkam, head of West Lombok Tourism Office, said the WSBK event serves as a catalyst to motivate the local industry to get back on their feet and organise activities to attract travellers – starting from the local Lombok residents to the neighbouring islands and eventually, international travellers when international traffic returns.
Saiful said: “We started a couple of weeks back with a pedestrian acoustic performance to attract passers-by. Hotels organised staycation programmes with festivals and games to attract families, and the response has been great. Some hotels have reported 100 per cent occupancies during the weekends.”
While the WSBK event is located in Central Lombok, Saiful hopes the activities in West Lombok would attract visitors to the Senggigi area.
“Although people’s focus will be on WSBK during the event, West Lombok Tourism Office will enliven Senggigi with various interesting events (to) attract visitors to stay in Senggigi,” Saiful said.
Awan Aswinabawa, owner of A&T Holidays Lombok, said: “West Lombok has set an example for tourism stakeholders that even with limited budgets, they can restart their businesses by working hand-in-hand to maximise the momentum of international events (held in Indonesia). I do hope that other regions will follow suit and that Lombok shines again.”
Ennismore to build Tribe in SE Asia
Lifestyle hotel group Ennismore, a joint venture between founder Sharan Pasricha and Accor, has launched Tribe hotels in South-east Asia, with properties set to open in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines in the coming years.
Tribe’s expansion to South-east Asia forms part of Ennismore’s global growth of its lifestyle brands. Ennismore has already signed 50 Tribe hotels and is aiming for rapid expansion with up to 150 to open globally within the next five years, including in Phnom Penh, Bali, Singapore, Phuket and Manila by 2025.
Launched in 2019, Tribe is an alternative lifestyle brand “that is shaking up the rules of hospitality to fulfil the wants and needs of the modern traveller, without compromising on sophistication, style or functionality”.
A key feature of Tribe hotels are multifunctional spaces that encourage connection between guests, such as collaborative workspaces, decompression zones and social destinations.
François Leclerc, deputy brand COO at Ennismore, said: “Tribe is all about reshaping the traditional hotel experience into something that enables guests to stay, work and socialise in a truly contemporary environment.”
From the music selections to the choice of local coffee roasters, each Tribe element is meticulously curated. Tribe collaborates with different creative designers at each location, selecting elements to reflect the brand’s philosophy and unique vibe.
Guestrooms feature high quality linens, intuitive connectivity, rain showers, signature robes, and Nespresso coffee machines.
Leading hotel groups unite to build sustainability framework
An initiative to set a common definition of hotel sustainability to drive responsible tourism has been launched by several leading hotel companies, in cooperation with the WTTC and Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Developed in consultation with distribution partners and key tourism and travel stakeholders, the Basic Sustainability framework aims “to raise the global basic level of hotel sustainability in a clear and transparent manner for all travellers and stakeholders”.
The framework will critically deliver on a common starting point for hotel sustainability accessible to all hotel actors worldwide – whether they are part of a large international group or independents. It will encompass four clear stages and practical tools that guide the industry towards a regenerative impact on our planet.
In the coming months, the hotel groups in this initiative will work in close alignment with the WTTC, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and key stakeholders on finalising the essential sustainability actions with demonstrable positive impact. They will also collaborate to share tools and best practices with each other and the wider industry to ensure all hotels start on a pathway towards the targets of the COP 21 Paris Accord.
The sustainability basic framework is aligned with the main aspirations such as the UNWTO Glasgow Declaration and the UNSDG’s decade of action.
Current partner hotel groups include Minor Hotels, NH Hotel Group, Barceló Hotel Group, Huazhu including their affiliate Deutsche Hospitality, Accor, Indian Hotels Company, Jin Jiang International (Holdings) Co. including their affiliate Jin Jiang Hotels, Meliá Hotels International, Louvre Hotels Group and Radisson Hotel Group.
Currently in the development phase, the Basic Sustainability framework will be launched in March 2022.
Talks are underway for a quarantine-free travel bubble between the Philippines and the South Korea, as the South-east Asian country looks to gradually reopen its borders to revive its pandemic-hit tourism industry.
If the plan goes through, it would be the first travel bubble arrangement for the Philippines since the start of the pandemic.
Philippines tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told Bloomberg in an interview that the two countries are in the midst of discussing the quarantine requirements for when the visitors return to South Korea.
While South Korean travellers are keen to arrange chartered flights to Bohol, the quarantine requirement for when they return to their home country poses an issue, she said.
Romulo-Puyat expressed hope that with increasing vaccination rates and declining Covid-19 cases, that governments will scrap the quarantine requirement for people returning to their countries.
She added that while the government is considering travel bubble arrangements with other destinations, it is South Korea – the Philippines’ top source market – that has shown interest in travelling to the country.