Singapore tourism leaders convene to map their 2022 journey
Leaders of eight hospitality and tourism associations in Singapore will gather online for the SG Tourism United Forum on December 8 and 9, 2021 to review the year gone by and discuss the directions Singapore as a destination should take in 2022.
Representing associations are: Singapore Hotel Association, National Association of Travel Agents Singapore, Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers, Singapore Retailers Association, Restaurant Association of Singapore, Orchard Road Business Association, Association of Singapore Attractions, and Singapore River One.
The free-to-attend insightful exchange will also be joined by representatives of Singapore Tourism Board, Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines and Dream Cruises.
SG Tourism United Forum is presented by PATA Singapore Chapter with event partner, TTG Asia Media.
Wong Soon Hwa, chairman of both PATA and PATA Singapore Chapter, said the event would present an opportunity for Singapore’s hospitality and tourism players to come together “to share, learn and collaborate” as the industry heads into a new year.
“It’s time for solidarity and unity. Do not operate in silos. Only by working collectively as an ecosystem can we truly harness the Power of One,” Wong said.
Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media, said: “TTG Asia Media is delighted to be able to take this next step alongside PATA Singapore Chapter to re-stage critical conversations for the tourism industry towards recovery. The support from local industry leaders coming together in unity is symbolic of our theme to harness the Power of One. Their perspectives and voices in preparation for the uncertain road ahead will undoubtedly be invaluable, making this two-day event a must-attend for anyone with a vested interest in re-building Singapore’s tourism landscape.”
Wong also acknowledged the immense challenges the industry have had to go through due to the “unprecedented crisis with no playbook to rely on”, but commended players for being resilient survivors.
“The crisis will pass, and it is a matter of when. The show must go on, so we must start preparing ourselves for recovery,” he remarked.
Registration for the event is available here.
Participants are welcome to send ahead of the event questions they would like the speakers to address.
Dates: December 8 and 9, 2021 (Wednesday and Thursday)
Time: 10.00 to 12.30 daily (GMT+8)
Singapore metaverse start-up creating buzz with AR solutions
BuzzAR, a Singapore-based metaverse start-up that offers a suite of augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, is changing the way tourism and hospitality companies interact with their customers.
The company addresses issues associated with the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0, utilising three core solutions, namely, gamified wayfinding; its flagship WebAR solution which transforms any 2D image into a 3D AI-empowered animated video; and a proprietary Face to Cartoon solution for both B2B companies and the mass public that was released early this year.
“For hospitality companies, by standing in front of a screen, their face turns into cartoon in real-time. We further introduced it to the mass public using an app called HappyToon, where users can play with the app by themselves and at event venues, experiencing how AI computer vision is delighting them during difficult times like (amid this pandemic),” said Bell Beh, co-founder & CEO, BuzzAR.
She cited the example of how the Face to Cartoon technology was showcased at the launch of Singapore Tourism Board (STB)’s Tcube hybrid innovation platform.
“At the entrance of the event venue, people were invited to stand in front of ‘BuzzCam’, and this transformed and gamified the customer experience. It inspires curiosity, fun, and drives the target audience to certain locations,” explained Beh.
“For businesses, you can consider it a soft touchpoint to gamify the existing 2D user experience and replace it with a 3D AI-empowered experience with avatars.”
Beh shared that a hospitality company accumulated an estimated S$500,000 (US$365,604) value in bookings after running a WebAR campaign with BuzzAR, with an ROI that was 100 times.
BuzzAR was a member of the cohort 3 of the Singapore Tourism Accelerator (STA), a start-up accelerator launched by the STB.
The programme allowed the start-up to network with industry partners to understand and solve the pain points and challenges faced by tourism companies, Beh said, adding that the revenue generated was funnelled into growing the business.
Through the programme, BuzzAR gained significant business traction that allowed it to expand its offering into the B2C market, with HappyToon gaining users from 120 countries.
“This means that besides providing an AR solution to hospitality companies, we can now collaborate further to drive global traffic to these companies,” said Beh. “Through this, they can get access to our global audience, which are predominantly female and Generation Z, that allows for more informed targeting.”
During their participation in the STA programme, BuzzAR supported two tourism and hospitality companies, and developed another two leads after the programme. The start-up is currently in talks with more companies to onboard them for different solutions ranging from Face to Cartoon, WebAR, and gamified wayfinding.
“Apart from tourism and hospitality companies, we anticipate that many other venues, such as shopping malls and F&B outlets, will seek to gamify the user experience for their customers,” said Beh.
While the business has gained the most traction in South-east Asia, China, and North America, the team remains focused in bringing borderless solutions from Asia-Pacific to the world.
In the near future, the company plans to launch its very own non-fungible tokens, called CryptoToon, that they co-create in the metaverse, allowing businesses, users and creators to create, own and trade in the creator economy.
Beh said that the company is looking for collaboration partners, such as hospitality companies, to bring the digital goods market to the global audience.
With AR, VR and AI revolutionising the travel and tourism landscape, Beh said that such innovative and immersive tech solutions will drive the future of the industry.
“Web 3.0 has arrived. Therefore, a company’s future depends on how fast and how willing they are to adopting new technologies, while continuing to do what they are best at and observing what the market needs. The market demands AR, immersive tech now,” said Beh.
“AR solutions are one of the best ways to stay in touch with every user, even when they are isolated. Together, we can connect, delight, and entertain users from anywhere.”
Agoda beefs up product offerings as borders open up
Agoda has rolled out a multitude of products across the customer booking funnel to improve the accessibility and efficiency of travel in a post-Covid landscape, as countries across Asia-Pacific start to reopen.
Launched earlier this year in Thailand, Agoda has expanded its alternative state quarantine packages for travellers looking to book accommodation for their mandatory quarantine needs across Asia.
Repatriates and inbound travellers can now search availability, room type, and pricing in real-time and pick from a total of over 600 government-approved hotels worldwide, including new locations in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. More market options are expected to join the programme in the coming months.
By simplifying the search and booking process on its platform, participating hotels will also benefit from Agoda’s international reach and marketing strategies to drive higher exposure and conversion among travellers looking for a greater selection of quarantine hotels as more markets reopen.
In addition, Agoda has partnered with Sherpa, a digital solutions provider, to build a travel restrictions world map explorer. Available at agoda.com/travelmapadvisor, the interactive map housed on Agoda’s platform will detail entry restrictions and Covid-19 documentation, testing requirements, quarantine protocols, and more, for destinations around the world. The web-based widget pulls together the latest data and information in real-time via an interactive map for easy navigation.
This secure solution connects across Agoda’s customer journey via homepage banners, property listings and hotel pages, across web, mobile and app, to further reinforce booking decisions and drive conversions, across the funnel. Travellers can choose a country or territory on the map to identify what restrictions are in place, before inputting their passport issuing country, origin and destination country, and vaccination status.
“As international travel remains complex, it is not enough to just have good supply and price. We want to give our customers further autonomy and flexibility over quarantine stays, clarity on which type of rates they need to book, and what requirements and restrictions exist for their travel route,” said Enric Casals, regional vice president, partner services, Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Furthermore, Agoda has built a curated selection of country and city guides housing in-depth information of top travel destinations. The content is aimed at capturing granular details of differing interstate and interzonal requirements, highlighting things to do, places to visit safely, and travel tips in a post-pandemic environment.
The first guide for Thailand will be launched later this week followed by other popular destinations such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, France, the US, UAE, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore by the end of the year.
Thor lands at Madame Tussauds Singapore to mark new Marvel 4D experience
Madame Tussauds Singapore has introduced Thor to the Marvel Super Heroes line-up, joining Captain America, Spider-Man and Iron Man in its immersive zone decked with highly interactive and innovative sets.
The exhibit of the God of Thunder with his all-powerful hammer, Mjolnir, will be showcased for a limited period only. The 182cm by 15cm superhero is clad in his modernised uniform of black body armour, a replica of his costume in the first Avengers film and an update from the brown and gold Gladiator-style ensemble in the first Thor film.
Thor’s arrival marks the launch of the wax museum’s latest thrilling 4D Marvel movie experience. Guests will get to experience wind-chilling, water-soaking and face-flinching special effects as they get closer than ever before to Captain Marvel, Thor, Black Panther, Rocket, Spider-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp as they battle Loki in a bid to save the world.
Genting Dream ups passenger capacity for Hong Kong sailings
Dream Cruises will increase the passenger capacity of Genting Dream from 50 per cent to 75 per cent from December 1, allowing for over 2,500 guests on board every Super Seacation voyage from Hong Kong. The move is based on the latest guidelines by the local authorities.
In a statement, Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines, thanked the Hong Kong authorities “for providing us with this stamp of approval on the effectiveness of our health and hygiene protocols”.
He added that since the company resumed cruises in Hong Kong on July 30, it has hosted more than 70,000 passengers on board Genting Dream without any Covid-19-related incidents.
Dream Cruises said that overall demand for cruises is at “a consistently high level” since operations resumed, with the Christmas and New Year sailings already sold out based on the previous 50 per cent capacity. Hence, it added, this increase will provide a boost to the holiday season for guests who have been unable to book their Super Seacation during this peak period.
Guests can set sail on A Nordic Christmas Adventure from now until January 1 to explore the age-old traditions of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The set-up for these sailings mimics a Nordic village where guests can browse the Nordic market for Christmas goodies or take in the magical Santa Express running through a tasty Gingerbread Town.
Holiday fare will be available at restaurants on board Genting Dream, and a seasonal stage production dubbed Verry Christmas will also be staged.
Dream Cruises is also offering a special Thanksgiving flash sale from now until December 7, with fares starting from HK$888 (US$113) per person.
Accor debuts luxury brand with inaugural flagship hotel in China
Accor has introduced the Emblems Collection, a global portfolio of boutique hotels and luxurious resorts, with the brand’s first hotel and flagship property to debut in China’s Guizhou province.
Guiyang Art Centre Hotel, Emblems Collection, residing in the city’s famous Guiyang Art Centre, is slated to open in December 2022. Originally built as an opulent private residence, this crown jewel of the capital city attracts visitors with its lush landscaping, sprawling grounds, and serene wellness ambience. The property will feature 64 suites, two ballrooms, a swimming pool, spa and fitness area, as well as bars, lounges and restaurants.
“The hotels we will feature in Emblems Collection are those sought out by travellers who appreciate high-end, boutique-style experiences, as well as by hoteliers who cherish the independent brands they’ve built while desiring the benefits that come with a global partner, ”said Sébastien Bazin, chairman & CEO, Accor.
Hotels and resorts joining the Emblems Collection will fall into three categories. The first, Emblems Collection Heritage, will feature hotels that are landmarks of a destination or properties that celebrate the hallmarks of history and classic cultural traditions.
Meanwhile, Emblems Collection Retreat will focus on resort properties along beaches, countrysides or nestled in the mountains, offering holistic spa and wellness experiences; while Emblems Collection Signature will showcase design-led hotels.
The Emblems Collection brand is designed for independent and boutique hotel owners who are seeking to upgrade their property’s luxury status and give their global profile a boost. The hotel brand is also the only Accor luxury brand to offer franchise opportunities for independent hoteliers.
The new brand will encourage its hotels to retain their unique identities, while providing direct ROI and the opportunity to maximise revenue with access to Accor’s sales, distribution and loyalty platform.
With an aim to grow the collection to 60 properties by 2030, Accor is actively seeking new properties to be part of Emblems Collection in targeted destinations across the globe. Paris and Prague are two key cities where luxury heritage hotels might be candidates for Emblems Collection Heritage or Emblems Collection Signature.
Other target cities for potential growth include London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Marrakech, Cairo, Amman, Doha, Moscow, Bangkok, Seoul, Sydney, Montréal, New York, Havana, Cartagena, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Santiago, among others.
For the Emblems Collection Retreat, short-listed destinations include Tuscany, Mykonos, Bodrum, Algarve, Bali, Australia’s Gold Coast and Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
S Hotels & Resorts breaks ground on SO/ Maldives
S Hotels and Resorts, the flagship hospitality arm of Thailand’s Singha Estate, has marked the official launch of SO/ Maldives with a ground-breaking ceremony for the beachfront resort on the third island of Crossroads Maldives, the country’s first fully-integrated leisure and resort destination.
Set to be opened in 2023, the 80-villa project is being created by S Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with Myanmar-based Wai Eco World Developer and Accor. The property will represent the debut of the SO/ Hotels & Resorts brand in the Maldives.
Nestled on its own island overlooking the Emboodhoo Lagoon, SO/ Maldives will offer a collection of beachfront and over-water villas, as well as an array of dining and entertainment offerings.
SO/ Maldives’ speciality restaurant will serve up Levantine cuisine, with panoramic views across the ocean from its location above the arrival pavilion. Over at the poolside, guests will discover an art deco-inspired beach club with Miami South Beach vibes and a plant-based menu.
The resort has ousted the traditional all-day buffet concept and will introduce a central cooking suite with various culinary theatre concepts. A chef’s table will be discreetly tucked away for those seeking an exclusive dining experience. Meanwhile, events can be brought to life at the oceanfront wedding venue and meeting spaces.
Guests at SO/ Maldives will also be able to take advantage of the facilities at Crossroads Maldives. The Marina @ Crossroads is an 800m beach walk lined with cafés, restaurants, a beach club, boutiques, spa, the Marine Discovery Centre and a 30-berth yacht marina. The integrated resort is located just 15 minutes by speedboat from the international airport.
SO/ Maldives will become the third accommodation option at Crossroads Maldives, joining SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives.
Destination Gold Coast welcomes new chair
Destination Gold Coast’s Board of Directors has appointed Adrienne Readings as chair of the tourism body, following the step-down announcement of Paul Donovan, who held the position for 17 years.
Readings will be working closely with the Board and the team at Destination Gold Coast to represent the interests of Gold Coast’s 4,400 tourism businesses and the 35,000 people employed by the sector. She has served on the Board of Destination Gold Coast for 17 years and formerly acted as vice chair.
In total, she possesses more than 30 years’ experience in business events, tourism management and hospitality.
Readings is also the general manager of Australia’s largest regional convention centre, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC), the first woman to be appointed general manager of an Australian convention centre.
In her role at GCCEC, Readings successfully identified and developed commercial opportunities for the Gold Coast and oversaw the delivery of billions of dollars of economic impact to the region.
Readings said in a press statement: “The next two years is all about our city’s recovery and creating a blueprint for future success to attract more visitors, more often and to grow expenditure for the Gold Coast.
“It has been a heartbreaking 18 months for our industry, but I see so much opportunity ahead of us with the return of interstate visitors in a matter of weeks and eventually international markets, a future pipeline of A$179 million (US$129 million) in business events opportunity for the city as well as working with peers to strengthen the future of the region through new infrastructure, development and city connectivity.”
Sri Lanka gears up to launch global tourism campaign
The Sri Lankan government is preparing to launch a tourism promotion campaign in key source markets in coming weeks ahead of the forthcoming winter season.
The campaign costing 270 million rupees (US$1.3 million) was recently approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
According to industry officials, the campaign involves three initiatives: television commercials globally; public relations and digital marketing initiatives in France and a social media campaign in the Middle East; and tourism and trade promotion campaigns in the UK, Germany and India.
India is Sri Lanka’s main source market, while the UK, Germany, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia have emerged as other key markets this year.
“Given the delay in rolling out the global communication campaign as the appointment of the firms via competitive bidding process is time-consuming, the strategic programme will be initiated as a short-term plan to revive the Covid-hit tourism industry,” reported the Daily FT newspaper. “In this context, the Cabinet has also approved a reduction in the number of days for the usual bidding process, from 42 days to 14 days.”
The industry has been pushing for a global promotion campaign across all media to boost tourism, but this has been delayed for a number of reasons over the years, including the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on hotels and churches in 2019 which decimated tourist arrivals. The plan hit another setback with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.
In addition, a change in the government in late 2019 further exacerbated the proposed global promotion campaign which has been in the works for the past five years.
The announcement on the upcoming launch of the global campaign has been welcomed by the industry. “I hope and pray every day that the marketing campaign and the communication campaign will be launched soon. If that does not happen, we will continue to get low-spending tourists into the country,” Hiran Cooray, a veteran hotelier and president of the state-run Sri Lanka Tourism Advisory Committee, told a recent public forum.
Sri Lanka shut its borders in March 2020 when Covid-19 hit. Since reopening to tourism in January, the country has recorded 60,695 tourist arrivals in the 10 months through October – a sharp drop compared to the 507,311 arrivals in the three months (January-March) of 2020.
The quarantine period for travellers arriving into Indonesia has been raised from three days to seven as a new Omicron Covid-19 variant surfaces.
Taking effect from November 29, the tightened regulations apply to international travellers and returning Indonesians from countries other than South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, Angola, Zambia and Hong Kong, which have declared cases.
Foreigners from countries with Omicron Covid-19 variant cases will be barred, while returning Indonesians will have to serve a 14-day quarantine.
Indonesia’s tougher stance on international travel came amid a protest led by Bali’s travel industry, whose representatives have issued a petition to president Joko Widodo to revise the country’s entry policy, including scraping the quarantine requirement.
In the open letter to the president, 34 tourism-related associations belonging to the Bali Rise Forum raised five major requests.
Stakeholders asked for the government to provide a special paid e-visa facility without requiring travellers to go through corporate guarantors or re-impose visa-on-arrival and free visas, especially to travellers from low risk countries.
They also suggested that fully vaccinated foreigners with proof of negative PCR tests be exempted from quarantine, or at least be allowed to quarantine on the island instead of within a hotel.
Other key requests included allowing transit passengers at hub/transit countries to continue onwards to Bali after a maximum of 12 hours interval; adding travel-ready countries to the list of those eligible to travel to Indonesia; and lowering the minimum insurance coverage from US$100,000 to US$50,000.
Agus Yoga Iswara, Bali Rise Forum coordinator, said the open letter represented the anxiety of tourism stakeholders in Indonesia, particularly those in Bali.
“Our evaluation showed there was a policy discrepancy that resulted in the implementation of open borders being less than optimal. The regulations…have made it difficult for foreign tourists to come to Bali,” said Yoga.
Addressing concerned industry stakeholders, Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy, explained that the government did not want to rush into taking an open border policy just to attract foreign tourists. A cautious approach was still needed so as to protect the local community.
“Policies are made with prudence and vigilance,” he stated.