Long-weekend travel falls out of favour, while tourism villages gain popularity among Indonesian travellers
A national vaccine rollout has boosted Indonesians’ confidence to travel domestically in the second half of the year, but the majority will shun long-weekend travel to avoid the tourist crowd on their getaways.
That is among the findings of Inventure-Advira’s new report titled Indonesia Industry Outlook 2nd Semester, 2021: Consumer Megashifts Post Vaccine.
The report conducted in mid-June to find out trends across 10 major industries, including tourism, hospitality and F&B, in the country also showed that more Indonesian travellers were seeking out CHSE-certified facilities and that the demand for tourism villages is on the rise. CHSE certification is given to destinations that have fulfilled standards of cleanliness, health, safety and environmental sustainability.
Yuswohady, managing partner of Inventure, said: “Before the pandemic, the people’s interest in spending long weekends travelling was very high. The situation has changed post-pandemic. Our survey showed that 71 per cent of respondents would avoid travelling during such period, even if they have been vaccinated, for health and safety reasons.”
He said that the shift towards remote working and learning means that holidays don’t have to be reserved for long weekends as employees can work from anywhere and children can learn from anywhere. Besides, the government has come up with the Work from Bali programme to encourage government staff to work remotely from Bali, while also promoting workations at destinations such as Yogyakarta, Lombok and Labuan Bajo.
The survey also revealed that 83 per cent of respondents would opt to holiday at tourism villages, which boast nature, eco, wellness and adventure offerings.
“Travellers (prefer to) visit destinations (with) nature offerings (in the wake of the pandemic). That’s why hotels located in green areas such as Labuan Bajo have become more interesting,” Maulana Yusran, secretary general of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association, said at a conference to launch the e-book containing the survey findings.
Resultantly, city hotels are suffering and have had to resort to offering staycation and self-isolation packages to keep their businesses going, according to Maulana.
He urged the government to allow meeting spaces to continue operating amid the current social restrictions as business events contributed 30-40 per cent to city hotels’ revenue. Moreover, the Inventure-Advira survey showed that 60 per cent of respondents wanted business events to be held in-person in the post-vaccination period.
Maulana said: “Having received CHSE certificates mean that hotels have implemented all the required protocols to run an event, so there is no need for the government to bar events (as part of Covid-19 restrictions).” He also noted that traditional markets, which tend to be crowded and adhere less to protocols, are allowed to remain open during this period.
When it comes to F&B establishments, CHSE certified (79 per cent) and outdoor restaurants (77 per cent) serving healthy menus (72 per cent) will be top picks among customers, according to the survey.
Yuswohadi said that restaurants will be competing over the next few months to offer new operational models in response to hygiene and safe distancing concerns alongside greater demand for low-touch options.
The survey also noted that consumers who had become used to ordering F&B online during the social restrictions would continue this habit (71 per cent) even when restrictions ease.
Rex Marindo, founder of Foodizz, projected rising demand for food delivery services will attract more restaurants to adopt cloud-kitchen models, focused on serving customers online without providing dine-in facilities.
Raffles Udaipur makes two pre-opening appointments
Raffles Udaipur, the brand’s first hotel in India, has made two new appointments – Abhishek Sharma as general manager, and Rajan Malhotra as director of sales and marketing.
Abhishek has over two decades of outstanding experience in luxury hospitality, and joins Raffles Udaipur with over nine years of leading teams in the role of general manager, throughout luxury hotels and resorts, including The Oberoi Group in India and Soneva Fushi Resort in The Maldives.
Prior to that, Abhishek worked as head of F&B with renowned hotels in India, Maldives, Mauritius and Egypt. His journey in F&B and hotel management includes various pre-opening and opening roles.
Meanwhile, Rajan will take charge of introducing the Raffles brand experience in India, as well as planning and implementing strategies to support the hotel’s positioning. He will be leading the sales and marketing team, exploring business opportunities and will be responsible for the budgeting, forecasting and achieving the hotel’s commercial objectives.
Rajan brings along with him 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with successful stints at Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Services India, The Zuri Group of Hotels & Resorts, Le Méridien Jaipur Resort & Spa, Taj Palace, New Delhi and The Grand New Delhi.
Thailand extends lockdown, expands enhanced restrictions to more provinces
Thailand will extend lockdown restrictions in Bangkok and 12 other dark-red zone provinces for another two weeks starting Tuesday (August 3), with 16 more provinces to come under the curbs, amid a Covid-19 surge.
Provinces marked as a dark-red zone are placed under the strictest of restrictions which includes a night curfew, a ban on dine-in services, and curbs on inter-provincial travel.
The restrictions will be evaluated after two weeks, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). If the situation does not improve, the restriction period may be extended until August 31, with more areas expected to be added.
The 16 provinces which have been added to the dark-red zone are: Kanchanaburi, Tak, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Prachin Buri, Phetchabun, Rayong, Ratchaburi, Lop Buri, Sing Buri, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Ang Thong and Phetchaburi.
With the new additions, a total of 29 areas in Thailand – or more than one-third of the country – will be under the tightest restrictions.
In the meantime, 37 provinces have been declared as red-zone or maximum controlled places, while 11 provinces are in orange or controlled areas.
Thailand has been listed as among the top 10 countries last week for recording the highest daily Covid-19 infections. On August 1, the country reported 18,027 infections and 133 deaths, bringing the cumulative total to 615,314 cases and 4,990 fatalities.
Due to the severity of the situation, Thai AirAsia has announced that it will temporarily suspend all business operations in Thailand until the end of August, but hopes to resume services in September.
Meanwhile, some hotel operators and travel companies in Phuket said that the ongoing semi-lockdown has taken a further toll on tourism businesses. They also claimed that the Phuket Sandbox programme has yielded no benefit for small operators as most returnees to the island are regular guests of big hotel chains.
Local media reported that more hotels have decided to pause operations amid the Covid surge.
Manila to return to rigid lockdown as the Philippines struggles to contain Delta variant
In yet another setback for the Philippines’ tourism industry, the government has announced that metro Manila will be placed under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20 to stave off a surge of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19.
Under the ECQ, only essential industries are allowed to operate and public transportation either suspended or limited.
This comes after authorities extended the general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened and additional restrictions in metro Manila, from July 30 to August 5, with leisure and business travel being prohibited.
Various destinations throughout the Philippines are in varying levels of lockdown.
Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have cancelled a number of domestic flights following the immediate suspension of point-to-point flights for leisure. Returning flights are for tourists residing in the NCR Plus (metro Manila plus Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal).
Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat had informed the travel and tourism sector that from July 30, hotels are not allowed to accept leisure or staycation guests. Staycation guests residing in areas outside metro Manila have to shorten their stay and return to their place of residence.
Essential meetings and social events are prohibited and dining is not allowed in restaurants in metro Manila during the GCQ with heightened restrictions and ECQ.
Indoor tourist attractions have already been closed, and while outdoor attractions may operate at 30 per cent of maximum venue capacity, they will have to suspend operations by August 6.
Since July 30, point-to-point travel for leisure from NCR Plus areas has been banned. Accredited establishments outside NCR Plus areas are not allowed to accept leisure guests coming from NCR Plus areas, regardless of the date of the booking.
On August 1, the Philippines recorded 8,735 new Covid-19 cases, and 127 deaths. The country has reported 216 cases of the Delta variant, but health experts say the real number could be higher.
This is the third time metro Manila has entered ECQ, including the first at the onset of Covid-19 in March last year.
Orchid Haven opens at Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest
Orchid Haven, a new 280m² space to host changing orchid displays as well as permanent orchid exhibits, has opened within Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest cooled conservatory.
Launched by minister for national development Desmond Lee on Friday (July 30), the dedicated space will feature more than 1,000 orchids at any one time.
This is the first time since 2017 that a major area has been revamped in Cloud Forest, whose changing orchid displays have featured a plethora of orchids from Central and South America to East Asia. The new Orchid Haven is about three times the size of the original space.
While development works of Orchid Haven began last year, they were put on hold because of the pandemic.
The first changing orchid display to be showcased in Orchid Haven has been dubbed Flight of the Moth Orchid, and launches fortuitously just before Singapore’s National Day. The exhibit is a tribute to the Phalaenopsis orchid, a diverse genus whose floral form resembles that of a moth in flight. In this display, more than 800 Phalaenopsis orchids of 17 taxa are showcased in a breathtaking “waterfall” of cascading blooms.
Gardens by the Bay’s CEO Felix Loh said: “Our latest creation Orchid Haven is a way for our horticulturists to pay tribute to the nation on its 56th birthday, and amidst the current setback, the Flight of the Moth Orchid display expresses our confidence that Singapore will soar again in our battle against the pandemic.”
Qantas to require digital health pass for international flights
The Qantas Group will work with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to roll out a digital health pass when international flights resume.
The IATA Travel Pass connects customers to certified testing labs so that their Covid test results and vaccination information can be uploaded to the platform, allowing customers to verify their health status securely with border or health officials and airline staff before boarding their flights.
The app also matches a customer’s health information against a specific flight; checks the entry requirements for the country they are travelling to; and provides clearance to travel on that flight, to both the customer and airline.
Final development work is now underway to ensure the app is ready for use on Qantas and Jetstar international flights when they resume, the airline said in a press release.
Qantas Group CCO, Stephanie Tully, said: “We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that.
“Many governments are already requiring proof of vaccine or a negative Covid test result for international travel. Even if it wasn’t a government requirement, Qantas has always been a leader in safety and we have a responsibility to our customers and crew.
“A digital health pass will connect customers with Covid testing facilities, health authorities and airlines, and ultimately enable the opening of more travel bubbles and borders.”
Zipair to launch Tokyo-Singapore service
Japan Airlines’ low-cost carrier, Zipair Tokyo, will be expanding its international network with the launch of a weekly service between Tokyo and Singapore on September 7.
Singapore will be the airline’s four destination, alongside Bangkok, Seoul, and Honolulu. The two-way service will be operated on Tuesdays using a Boeing 787 configured aircraft, initially as a weekly service which will be increased to twice weekly from late October.
Flight ZG53 will depart Tokyo Narita at 14.00, and arrive at Singapore’s Changi Airport at 20.25. Return flight ZG54 will take off from Changi at 21.55 and land at Tokyo Narita at 06.05 the next day.
Shingo Nishida, president of Zipair Tokyo, said: “Due to the impact of Covid-19, restrictions on entry into both countries are still in effect, but we hope that our new service to Singapore will provide a new convenient option for those who need to travel to and from Japan for business or pleasure.”
Brewing a barrel of fun
Hong Kong
Sharper culture and heritage draws
Hong Kong’s tourism appeal continues to evolve, with a slew of new and iconic cultural attractions set to rise in the next six to eight months.
The long-awaited M+ in West Kowloon Cultural District is expected to steal the limelight. Scheduled to open in late-2021, this 60,000m2 world-class large-scale contemporary art museum will be the largest of all recent museum openings in the region.
In unison with the museum’s opening, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will extend its Hong Kong Neighbouhoods promotional campaigns to the West Kowloon Cultural District, which includes Yaumatei, Jordan and Tsimshatsui, to provide an all-encompassing art, cultural and historic experience.
On the other side of the harbour, the 82-year-old Bauhaus-style Central Market has been given a new lease on life as a new-age marketplace, set to open in 3Q2021. The 134-year Pokfulam Farm (Old Dairy Farm Senior Staff Quarters) is expected to reopen in July as a heritage hub bringing together the 60-plus historical spots around the Pokfulam neighbourhood.
That’s not all for culture vultures and history buffs – Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre will launch in 4Q2021, tantalising visitors with exhibits that harness augmented and virtual reality technologies. It will also host workshops, seminars and talks.
Fun-seekers can also look out for the new Water World attraction within the Ocean Park water theme park this summer.
Discova’s country manager, Sandy Ho, said Hong Kong’s new attractions would inspire greater interest from longhaul markets and even encourage longer stays.
Gunther Homerlein, Destination China’s general manager/owner, is particularly excited about the M+ museum and the developments within the West Kowloon Cultural District. He said: “It will always be beneficial (for Hong Kong) to have a museum of international standard. Hopefully, it will have some signature pieces that can put it on the map.”
He added that the West Kowloon Cultural District has strong potential for events. – Prudence Lui
Japan
All-rounded additions
Post-pandemic travellers to Japan can look forward to more adventurous attractions and regional offerings than ever before as tourism development continues through 2021 and 2022.
A series of new launches will allow visitors to enjoy the outdoors, local experiences and unique accommodation, powering up Japan’s existing wellness and cultural appeal.
In Hokkaido, the National Ainu Museum and Park Upopoy, which are dedicated to Japan’s indigenous people, the Ainu, opened in July 2020.
Over in Kyushu, there is a spike in activities, resorts and glamping options. Simon Metcalfe, representative of Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization, attributed these developments to Kyushu’s “steady preparations” for tourists pre-pandemic as well as its “lush nature, surrounding oceans and many islands.” He also noted the region’s “connection to and co-existence of nature and the locals”.
Many new cycling tours have been launched in Kyushu, including Hassenba in Hitoyoshi and Kumagawa. The three-hour, 4.5 km route takes in key sightseeing spots such as Hitoyshi Castle ruins.
Cycling tours are also poised for growth in other regions once inbound visitors return, thanks to an uptick in interest among domestic travellers during the pandemic.
Japan’s unique accommodation inventory is set for expansion, with several interesting openings to come.
Sea Cruise Glamping Kumamoto Amakusa, which offers ocean views from all rooms and dolphin-spotting, will open in July 2021.
Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto will open its doors in January 2022. Located near Hokkaido’s Upopoy, the resort is designed to provide a place for guests to experience Ainu culture and “understand what co-living with different ethnic groups is,” according to the hotel company.
Treeful Treehouse, a sustainable resort powered by solar energy in the north of mainland Okinawa, is slated to open in the 12 months. The luxury riverside treehouses will boast panoramic views, beautiful interiors as well as modern comforts including air-conditioning.
Major theme parks are also joining Japan’s tourism portfolio. They include the newly opened Super Nintendo World in Osaka and Studio Ghibli Theme Park in Nagoya, which is expected to welcome visitors in 2022.
Popular local theme park Fuji-Q Highland has added another fun element – the 55m Fujiyama Tower, comprising a Sky Deck with sky walks and a Slider tube-type ride to the bottom. There is also an observatory offering views of Mount Fuji. – Kathryn Wortley
Macau
Bright lights, family delights
The glittery city of Macau is expanding its family fun repertoire, with unique museums, theme parks and adventure games to charm travellers of all ages.
Studio City Water Park debuted in May this year, showing off a variety of spectacular aquatic rides and adventures. The attraction is the result of a major revamp that Studio City Macau integrated resort undertook.
The rejuvenated Macao Grand Prix Museum followed next, with an opening on June 1. Now occupying a larger space, the museum showcases the history and thrill of the Macau Grand Prix in an innovative way, with several interactive games and entertainment for everyone.
Coming up next, Lisboeta Macau will launch ZipCity, a zipline experience, and GoAirborne, an indoor skydiving facility.
Destination specialists are certain that Macau’s latest attractions will appeal to travellers from a younger age bracket as well as mainland Chinese travellers, who tend to gravitate towards novel offerings. – Prudence Lui
Singapore
Next play hub for young and young-at-heart
Singapore’s garden city reputation may have to make space on the pedestal for a new label, judging by the attractions that have opened this year as well as those coming up in 2022.
Fresh fun picks that have emerged this year, such as the COMO Adventure Grove nature playground at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Coastal PlayGrove at East Coast Park and ForestPlay SG adventure park on Sentosa, are boosting Singapore’s family travel appeal. Their outdoor play approach also speaks to the growing preference for activities in open spaces that allow for good ventilation and safe distancing.
Adding to Singapore’s growing play hub status is US-based experiential attraction Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC), which will open its first international outpost in Singapore this August.
Located in Dempsey, MOIC will feature 14 never-before-seen installations dedicated to the celebration and experience of enjoying ice cream. These include a fully functional, Singapore-inspired Dragon Playground; a pink and yellow jungle with 10,000 bananas; and the largest MOIC sprinkle pool ever created.
Later this year, Slingshot thrill ride will debut at Clarke Quay. It is said to be the tallest ride of its kind in Asia, with the ability to catapult riders almost 70m into the air at high speed.
Singapore’s attraction inventory will continue to grow in 2022, with Sentosa launching SkyHelix, the city-state’s first open-air panoramic attraction to offer scenic views of the resort island and Southern Waterfront. Guests can enjoy a drink as the rotating gondola gently ascends 35m above ground.
In revealing some of the new tourism developments back in April 2021, Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) chief executive Keith Tan emphasised that Singapore was not in “hibernation mode” despite the pandemic, and the new products would “help us get ready for recovery” and the eventual return of international tourists.
In addition to new draws, work is also underway to update existing attractions and tourism precincts. A new event space is set to emerge on the Orchard Road shopping belt in 2022, while a vacant site in the same prime district has been earmarked for a new attraction concept.
To further strengthen the lifestyle appeal of the Orchard Road district, STB is working with the Orchard Road Business Association to scale up the programming of the annual Christmas on a Great Street and Orchard Road Black Friday events later this year.
Tan described these projects as “a welcome breath of fresh air among the Covid-19 negativity in the past year”. – Karen Yue
Vietnam
Fresh destinations to explore
The pandemic has failed to halt tourism development across Vietnam, as new destinations have sprung to life.
Secondary destinations such as Pu Luong, Mai Chau, Phu Yen and Yen Bai have become shining stars during the pandemic, as domestic travellers seek new spots to explore.
Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Travel DMC, said: “New destinations and resorts have become trendy with local travellers looking for authentic and unique experiences. This will provide new experiences for international visitors once they can travel.”
Exclusive Avana Retreat Mai Chau opened its doors in April, and is already proving popular.
In Mui Ne, the new Centara Mirage Resort, owned by Novaland, will appeal to families with its multiple pools, child-friendly zones, and gaming and technology-based entertainment for teenagers and young adults.
Linh Le, founding partner of Luxperia DMC, said ‘tween-agers’ are particularly drawn to indoor entertainment, and Vietnam’s destination operators will do well to offer such activities.
Sungroup has also rolled out multiple projects on Phu Quoc island. Most notable is Sun Premier Village Primavera, a destination built to resemble the Italian Amalfi coast – complete with shophouses, restaurants, residential properties and hotels.
Also on Phu Quoc, VinGroup officially launched its US$2.8 billion Phu Quoc United Center in April. It takes in VinWonders Phu Quoc, said to be Vietnam’s largest theme park; an animal conservation park; an 18-hole golf course; a shopping and entertainment precinct; business events facilities; multimedia shows; 24-hour street markets; and even a hospital.
With cruising gaining fans among the local crowd, Ha noted that Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba archipelago now offer even more cruising options that will also benefit international visitors. – Marissa Carruthers
Kota Kinabalu-themed “flight to nowhere” takes off from South Korea
A total of 96 travellers boarded a Kota Kinabalu-themed “flight to nowhere” flying out of Incheon International Airport on July 25.
Operated by South Korean LCC Jin Air, the flight departed Incheon International Airport at 12.40 and took passengers low-flying over Daegu, Busan, and partially Japanese airspace, before landing at the same airport at 14.30.
“Flights to nowhere”, also known as scenic flights or sightseeing flights that take off and land in the same place, have become a new revenue stream for airlines and a novel way to indulge travel-starved locals amid ongoing travel restrictions during the pandemic.
To aid the local aviation industry and duty-free sectors in South Korea amid the global crisis, the South Korean government gave the green light early this year for local-based airlines to operate “flights to nowhere”.
The Kota Kinabalu-themed sightseeing flight, which sought to inspire travel to the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state, was conducted with the support of Sabah Tourism Board and assistance from Tourism Malaysia.
The flight featured a variety of perks and special inflight activities, and each passenger was given a goodie bag prepared by Jin Air and Sabah Tourism Board. Major duty-free shops in South Korea – namely, Shilla, Lotte, and Shinsegae – also offered duty-free services on board.
The cabin crew kept passengers entertained with quizzes and a lucky draw. Prizes included round-trip tickets from Incheon to Kota Kinabalu that were sponsored by Jin Air, as well as hotel and sunset cruise vouchers sponsored by the Sabah Tourism Board.
“People clearly miss the experience of flying. These experiences will surely offer opportunities for them to remember Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia as a top-of-mind tourist destination,” Shaharuddin Yahya, director of Tourism Malaysia Korea, said in a press release issued by Sabah Tourism.
Sabah Tourism and the Tourism Malaysia Seoul office said they plan to extend this activity to other Korean airlines including Air Busan and Jeju Air, with an increased number of flights in August 2021.
Sabah had been one of the top holiday destinations in South-east Asia among the South Koreans prior to the pandemic. Nearly 400,000 South Koreans visited Sabah in 2019, with 67 direct flights departing from Incheon, Busan, and Muan to Kota Kinabalu.
Dream Cruises’ Genting Dream is the first cruise ship to restart operations in Hong Kong with her maiden Super Seacation voyage on July 30.
More than 1,000 guests took part in the historic inaugural voyage on Genting Dream which departed from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
To celebrate the occasion, an official ceremony was held, which was attended by Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and economic development Edward Yau Tang-wah, Hong Kong Tourism Board’s chairman Pang Yiukai, and Genting Cruise Lines’ president Kent Zhu.
“We are extremely proud that Genting Dream will be the first cruise ship to restart operations in Hong Kong and we are grateful for the support we have received from the Hong Kong government, authorities and trade partners for their trust in Dream Cruises,” said Zhu.
“We have also been very encouraged by the response to our Super Seacation Cruises with sold out and very strong bookings throughout the month of August. With the increase in the rate of vaccinations in the city, we are confident that our Super Seacation cruises will become one of the most popular vacation options for the residents of Hong Kong in the near future.”
In preparation for welcoming its first passengers on board, since her arrival into Hong Kong in early June, the crew of Genting Dream has been implementing new health, hygiene and operating protocols.
All crew members have been fully vaccinated 14 days prior to the cruise. Guests must also be fully vaccinated 14 days before their departure date and must pass a Covid-19 PCR test 48 hours prior to sailing.
Genting Dream will offer two and three-night Super Seacation itineraries, with three weekly sailings. Highlights of the July 30 cruise included a magic show by local magician Louis Yan, while the August 1 sailing features yoga classes led by Coffee Lam, a certified yoga instructor.