Cruises have resumed, and successful sailings have been built on a foundation of meticulous planning, clearly defined health and safety measures, and crisis readiness – all of which have been tested rigorously with trial voyages, reveals Angie Stephen, vice president of Asia Pacific with Royal Caribbean Group.
In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five questions video series, Stephen also talks about Covid-19 Delta variant’s impact on cruise recovery and current operations, the company’s cruise resumption in Asia, and ongoing efforts to engage travel trade partners.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has entered into a one-year partnership with global fitness and wellness aggregator ClassPass to jointly promote Singapore’s wellness offerings and enhance the city’s attractiveness as an urban wellness destination.
This is the first such partnership in Singapore for ClassPass. It is also STB’s first since outlining Singapore’s goal to be a leading urban wellness haven at the Tourism Industry Conference in April 2021.
STB partners with Classpass to drive local and international demand for holistic wellness experiences in Singapore
The partnership aims to provide health and fitness businesses a global platform to share their offerings with local and international audiences, while raising awareness for wellness in Singapore. It will drive demand for wellness experiences available on ClassPass as well as expand the variety of such products and services on the platform.
Come 1Q2022, ClassPass and STB will jointly launch a domestic campaign to encourage locals to participate in wellness and fitness activities through the ClassPass platform. As part of the campaign, ClassPass will launch challenges that reward participants when they book a variety of wellness experiences on the ClassPass platform.
To further raise awareness and advocacy for local wellness experiences, ClassPass and STB will collaborate to develop video content that will be featured across the social media channels of both organisations. The first series will highlight wellness offerings within different Singapore neighbourhoods, while a second series will spotlight innovative wellness businesses on the ClassPass platform.
As Singapore prepares to reopen its borders progressively, the partnership will also showcase Singapore’s wellness and fitness offerings through engaging content to drive consideration among international visitors.
To start, ClassPass will work with its partners to organise a series of wellness activations against the backdrop of popular landmarks in Singapore. The live-streamed activations will be complemented by a tour of the location where the activity takes place, showcasing Singapore to ClassPass’ global audience.
ClassPass and STB will also work together to expand the inventory on ClassPass to include a broader range of wellness experiences, ranging from complementary health therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, to wellness-related attraction tickets and mental wellness services such as personal coaching and sound healing therapy.
Ong Ling Lee, director, sports, STB, said: “With rising interest and demand for wellness products and services both locally and internationally, Singapore is well-positioned to provide accessible and innovative wellness experiences that can rejuvenate and invigorate locals and visitors alike.
“This partnership with ClassPass supports our goal of establishing Singapore as a leading urban wellness haven. As travel gradually resumes, we hope it will boost our destination attractiveness and drive visitorship to Singapore, with visitors leaving feeling physically and mentally better than when they arrived.”
Interested businesses can now sign up at classpass.com/partners/singapore-tourism-board or reach out to ClassPass at singapore@classpass.com for more information on the campaign. An additional sign-on bonus of S$200 (US$148) will be awarded to those that join ClassPass within the month of September.
Klook has integrated with Google to bring the Things to do platform into its digital suite of offerings for travel operators, improving the latter’s access to consumers.
Google Things to do is a display feature that allows consumers to discover, plan and compare prices across activities and attractions around the world. It also allows for the availability of products to be updated and booked in real-time through a partner’s website.
With Klook as a connectivity partner, travel operators can provide an official site listing on Google Things to do without any technological development efforts
“With the integration of Google Things to do, we continue to build on our strong momentum of digitising the travel experiences sector and supporting the digital transformation of operators,” said Wilfred Fan, chief commercial officer at Klook.
“This demonstrates Klook’s commitment to equip and support travel operators with advanced capabilities and tools to achieve online success. Working with Klook will open new doors for travel operators, tapping into the latest developments in online user engagement behaviours that are evolving faster than ever,” Fan added.
With Klook as a connectivity partner, travel operators can provide an official site listing on Google Things to do without any technological development efforts and help drive even more bookings from Google. Leveraging the company’s proprietary Digital Solutions, operators can manage their prices, ticketing, inventory management, and even marketing, while Klook manages the technology from API integration to payment enablement.
Additionally, they can enjoy increased global presence and outreach with Klook’s support in 14 languages and 41 currencies, including over 30 payment methods globally.
In this new travel environment, Klook has seen an uptick in demand from operators who are eager to digitise their businesses. In 1H2021 alone, Klook has seen a 185 per cent increase in sign-ups from operators across Asia-Pacific. The list includes a variety of operators such as Manila Ocean Park, Suzuka Circuit Park, The Habitat Penang Hill, Utsunomiya Zoo, and Sunlight Air.
Singapore families looking for relaxing local getaways with their children during the upcoming school holidays can now do so with Frasers Hospitality’s plethora of staycation packages.
The Get Me Out of Home package allows guests to check into Gold Standard serviced apartments at Fraser Residence Orchard, Fraser Suites, and Fraser Place Robertson Walk for a week of pampering.
Fraser Residence Orchard
Prices are from S$168+ (US$124.32) per night for a Studio Deluxe at Fraser Residence Orchard; and S$199+ per night for a One-Bedroom Apartment at Fraser Suites and Fraser Place Robertson Walk.
A S$100 massage voucher, complimentary parking and a welcome hamper are included in this promotion which requires a minimum stay of six nights and is valid till December 31, 2021.
For weekend escapes, turn to Capri by Fraser, Changi City, where studios are designed with fully equipped kitchenettes, so guests can make the most of their Capri experience without having to venture out.
The Capri Master Chef Staycation package takes guests on a stay-in culinary journey, with easy-to-follow QR code recipe guides as well as complimentary breakfast for two.
Families with little ones can also opt for the Capri Master Chef JUNIOR Staycation package. Children get a ‘Little Chef’ cooking starter kit to whip up their choice of pancakes. This package includes complimentary breakfast for up to two adults and one child.
For those in need of some me time, the Capri Great Escapade package provides the ultimate solo getaway at Capri by Fraser, Changi City.
Guests can take part in the ‘Spot the Spot” challenge to win exclusive prizes. All they have to do is locate iconic spots around Capri by Fraser, Changi City and snap photos to win Capri merchandise.
For those looking for a spur-of-the-moment vacation, CapriXclusive offers Best Rate Guaranteed and free stays for all children below 11 years old who do not require an extra bed.
When considering sustainability, the mind frequently thinks of environmental first; or those in the corporate world would envision the best way to balance operational costs for a profitable future. The latter is more inclined towards longevity of business while the former seeks to protect our world – a movement increasingly demanded by consumers and operators alike.
It is the combination of these two ideas that would truly seek a holistic, sustainable change since profitability goes hand-in-hand with giving back to the world – or protecting our environment, be it income for local people, reducing waste or lowering carbon emissions.
Sustainability can cover so much these days and the ‘greenwashing’ by travel and hospitality brands may be compared to the ‘pinkwashing’ by consumer brands targeting the LGBT+ dollar. Think of a company that claims to be ‘green’ yet continues to print copious amounts of paper documents, rents an inefficient office site, or does not pay staff standard wages.
While it is cool to claim modern facilities and cashless or paperless contact points, are we placing too much reliance on technology in an industry that is traditionally supported by humans? Does this diminish the essence of ‘hospitality’?
I believe we should examine further the ‘sustainability’ of human resources. While a project can be environmentally green, it also needs to find a balance that hires local people – supporting local communities with wages, training and career development, and builds a team to support such a sustainable and eco-green backbone. Otherwise, I see a future where ‘hospitality’ will lose its human touch.
Take an example of automatic check-in and check-out at a modern city hotel: While environmentally friendly (and safe) for time-poor business travellers, could we risk losing valuable insight from local hosts in exchange for an express process? This style of hospitality creates a fast-food like accommodation experience.
While the ‘experience’ described differs from the traditional idea of staying in a warm and welcoming home-away-from-home, it still offers an experience and deserves its own market niche. It may not be experience-rich but it fulfils the need for an efficient experience. The traveller staying at human-less hotels is also a different kind of traveller – one who seeks limited emotional transactions and a quick/easy/safe travel solution.
Thanks to the ubiquity of social media, news and consumer eyes looking at sustainability as environmental care is on the increase. However, public education and awareness of the true meaning of sustainability on all macro levels is further required.
Marketers and brand leaders should develop campaigns about the people behind the technology, the knowledge that cannot be shared via apps and the redirection of operational costs/profits that help build local communities. This message can actively gain traction as part of post-Covid recovery strategy. Transparency to sustainable practices will help win the hearts and loyalties of a hyper-aware traveller community.
Project leaders and investors need to consider the wider idea of ‘sustainability’ beyond environmental and waste management, to drive human resource as the seed to build on sustainability models. Only when you empower a workforce partnered with eco-conscious design, building and operations while balancing positive profitability, that’s when you get a truly sustainable project – otherwise it is all smoke and mirrors.
Plaza Premium Group, Qingdao International Airport Group and Capital Airport VIP Service Management Co. have jointly launched a first-to-market land-to-air premium airport experience at China’s Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport.
The unique land-to-air premium experience is offered in two areas: a three-storey VIP Building located at the Arrival area and three Plaza Premium Lounge outlets at the Departure area.
The new land-to-air premium airport experience is available at China’s Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport
Spanning 6,500m2, the multi-complex VIP Building offers end-to-end airport hospitality services such as dining, lounging, meet-and-greet, personalised concierge and accommodation.
The ground level houses 11 VIP rooms that offer designated spaces for corporations to provide private and premium airport services to affluent travellers. Services include private check-in, concierge, dining, lounge, and a special fast track or curb-to-apron service for those departing at the Domestic terminal.
The second floor is occupied by Plaza Premium Lounge, which comprises three private dining areas, three tea rooms, an Aerobar, massage service, concierge, VIP meeting rooms, individual work stations and a souvenir shop.
On level three, Aerotel Qingdao caters to travellers in need of a comfortable and convenient stay. There are 54 guestrooms across three suite types, all outfitted with quality bedding, pillow options, soothing lighting, powerful showers, high-speed Wi-Fi and in-room IPTV.
Over at the Departure area, travellers can enjoy three pay-per-use Plaza Premium Lounges located on the airside third floor of Terminal 1, situated near the boarding gates, as well as on the East and West sides of the Central Landscape Area respectively.
All services are available for reservation on Plaza Premium Lounge official website and Aerotel official website or via partnered distribution channels and corporations.
Song Hoi-See, founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group, said: “The Qingdao project showcases how Plaza Premium Group’s offering has evolved beyond lounge and traditional airport services, towards an end-to-end airport hospitality experience to serve the evolving needs of travellers in today’s new travel landscape. This project that we have spearheaded demonstrates that diversification in the industry is necessary and we look forward to offering this holistic support service to more airports globally in the future.”
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched The Upcycling Project, through which parts and materials of retired commercial aircraft will be given to various Singapore-based organisations and selected global retail brands for onward usage for art and other products.
These upcycled and repurposed products will directly support educational institutions, artists and persons with disabilities.
Parts and materials of retired SIA aircraft will be put to good use, supporting schools, artists, people with disabilities, and more
The first initiative under The Upcycling Project will be a competition organised by SIA and Singapore University of Technology and Design, aimed at promoting awareness about design and upcycling among tertiary and pre-tertiary students in Singapore.
Aircraft parts and materials will also be donated to several educational institutions for use as teaching materials in art and design courses.
Furthermore, SIA has appointed Singapore-based brand and product consultants, Supermama’s Edwin Low and Escano’s Adriana Lim to source for local and global retail brands that are keen to repurpose aircraft parts and materials into products such as furniture, service ware, and fashion apparel and accessories.
Local art consultant Jazz Chong, who helms The Ode to Art gallery, will work with SIA to select Singapore-based artists and sculptors who will create unique artworks with the upcycled materials. For a start, four prominent artists and sculptors have been selected – Baet Yeok Kuan, Kumari Nahappan, Sun Yu-Li, and Yeo Chee Kiong. The completed art pieces will be sold exclusively at The Ode to Art gallery.
Meanwhile, SIA will also work with SG Enable, an agency that supports people with disabilities, in its i’mable Collective initiative. Aircraft parts and materials will be be provided to the i’mable Collective’s makers. The final products will be sold and proceeds go directly to the makers.
Yeoh Phee Teik, SIA’s senior vice president customer experience, said: “There was a lot of interest when we first broached the concept, and we are happy to be able to support a wide range of communities through this initiative.”
Hong Kong-based low-cost carrier HK Express launched one-way services to Taipei and Kaohsiung on August 23 and 26 respectively, with return flights slated to take off next month.
HK Express now flies from Hong Kong to three Taiwanese cities
The new services this week join HK Express’s existing Taichung service to grant its passengers improved access to all three Taiwanese cities.
Return flights from Kaohsiung are expected to materialise from September 2, while the first return flight from Taipei will operate on September 4.
Customers travelling to these Taipei and Kaohsiung must comply with local entry requirements, which may include Covid-19 tests pre-departure and on-arrival, as well as quarantine and health declaration forms.
Cambodia’s rapid vaccination rollout has sparked hopes that international tourists will be welcomed in 4Q2021. However, industry players warn without the hasty announcement of official plans another high season will be lost.
Cambodia’s impressive vaccination campaign has seen more than 75 per cent of the population fully vaccinated. Frontline workers are already receiving their third booster injection, with children above 12 years old being given their first jab.
Private tourism stakeholders will jointly send a formal letter to the relevant ministries urging them to announce plans to fully open to vaccinated visitors in 4Q2021
Additionally, a recent report from Executive One Consulting forecasts 80 per cent of Cambodia’s adult population will be fully vaccinated by August 31. This compares with July 22, 2022 for Thailand and September 22, 2022 for Vietnam.
Ronni Dalhoff, managing director of Diethelm Travel Cambodia, said: “As one of the world leaders in the vaccine process, Cambodia should also be one of the world leaders in the re-opening process. Cambodia has given itself a golden opportunity that simply must be used to the maximum.”
He added the Kingdom needs to act fast to “reshape the travel dynamics in South-east Asia” and plant Cambodia on the map as a standalone destination ahead of its neighbours.
While the government has publicly mooted the idea of opening to vaccinated tourists in 4Q2021, nothing has officially been announced. Agents fear they are now in danger of losing out on another year of business as the high season looms and preparation time runs out.
Steve Lidgey, general manager of Travel Asia a la Carte, said: “We need a proper plan in place so the industry can prepare. It’s not just so tour operators can sell overseas but hotels and other hospitality businesses need time to plan.”
The general manager of an independent travel agent, who wanted to remain anonymous, has already ploughed his personal savings into the business. He said: “The situation is desperate. It’s worrying because if we lose this high season, it will be another year of no business and we simply can’t survive.”
The head of a destination management company added: “The economic consequences will be far more severe and long-lasting than the disease will ever be… Counting cases in Cambodia is irrelevant at this stage of the vaccination process; it’s basically fear mongering. Count severe cases and hospitals over capacity, and get back to normal life.”
CAM DMC and other stakeholders will jointly send a formal letter to the relevant ministries urging them to announce plans to fully open to vaccinated visitors in 4Q2021.
Cambodia has also confirmed it will host ASEAN Tourism Forum in the coastal city of Sihanoukville from January 16 to 22, 2022. The Ministry of Tourism confirmed it is ready to welcome 2,000 participants from more than 25 countries.
IATA and global payments platform, 2C2P, has established a partnership that will see the payment gateway being integrated into IATA’s Financial Gateway (IFG), granting airlines all over the world increased payments reach and enhanced operational efficiency, amid the aviation industry’s gradual recovery to pre-pandemic levels.
2C2P payment gateway is now integrated into IATA’s Financial Gateway
A key initiative by the global airline body, IATA’s IFG solution enables all airlines globally to access diverse payment solutions through one platform. With 2C2P’s integration, IATA member airlines from every continent will now have increased access to popular regional and local payment methods from Asia, including mobile wallets, QR, direct debit and other alternative payment methods.
The move is expected to open up a sea of opportunity for airlines all over the world to further penetrate the Asian market, given that Asia, the world’s most cash-reliant region, is embracing digital payments like e-wallet and QR-enabled solutions amid the pandemic.
2C2P will bring on board over 250 payment methods and enable access to 400,000 alternative payment touchpoints through one point of integration.
Airlines will also be able to process pay-outs and remittances, issue cards and wallets as well as access digital goods and services via 2C2P.
According to a recent IATA and Tourism Economics report, global air passenger numbers are forecasted to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.
“As the aviation industry gradually picks up with increased vaccine access and travel demand, 2C2P hopes to facilitate its road to recovery through this partnership with IATA which will help airlines to adapt to the needs of their customers in different regions and markets,” said Aung Kyaw Moe, founder and CEO of 2C2P.
Sustainability can cover so much these days and the ‘greenwashing’ by travel and hospitality brands may be compared to the ‘pinkwashing’ by consumer brands targeting the LGBT+ dollar. Think of a company that claims to be ‘green’ yet continues to print copious amounts of paper documents, rents an inefficient office site, or does not pay staff standard wages.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has entered into a one-year partnership with global fitness and wellness aggregator ClassPass to jointly promote Singapore’s wellness offerings and enhance the city’s attractiveness as an urban wellness destination.
This is the first such partnership in Singapore for ClassPass. It is also STB’s first since outlining Singapore’s goal to be a leading urban wellness haven at the Tourism Industry Conference in April 2021.
The partnership aims to provide health and fitness businesses a global platform to share their offerings with local and international audiences, while raising awareness for wellness in Singapore. It will drive demand for wellness experiences available on ClassPass as well as expand the variety of such products and services on the platform.
Come 1Q2022, ClassPass and STB will jointly launch a domestic campaign to encourage locals to participate in wellness and fitness activities through the ClassPass platform. As part of the campaign, ClassPass will launch challenges that reward participants when they book a variety of wellness experiences on the ClassPass platform.
To further raise awareness and advocacy for local wellness experiences, ClassPass and STB will collaborate to develop video content that will be featured across the social media channels of both organisations. The first series will highlight wellness offerings within different Singapore neighbourhoods, while a second series will spotlight innovative wellness businesses on the ClassPass platform.
As Singapore prepares to reopen its borders progressively, the partnership will also showcase Singapore’s wellness and fitness offerings through engaging content to drive consideration among international visitors.
To start, ClassPass will work with its partners to organise a series of wellness activations against the backdrop of popular landmarks in Singapore. The live-streamed activations will be complemented by a tour of the location where the activity takes place, showcasing Singapore to ClassPass’ global audience.
ClassPass and STB will also work together to expand the inventory on ClassPass to include a broader range of wellness experiences, ranging from complementary health therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, to wellness-related attraction tickets and mental wellness services such as personal coaching and sound healing therapy.
Ong Ling Lee, director, sports, STB, said: “With rising interest and demand for wellness products and services both locally and internationally, Singapore is well-positioned to provide accessible and innovative wellness experiences that can rejuvenate and invigorate locals and visitors alike.
“This partnership with ClassPass supports our goal of establishing Singapore as a leading urban wellness haven. As travel gradually resumes, we hope it will boost our destination attractiveness and drive visitorship to Singapore, with visitors leaving feeling physically and mentally better than when they arrived.”
Interested businesses can now sign up at classpass.com/partners/singapore-tourism-board or reach out to ClassPass at singapore@classpass.com for more information on the campaign. An additional sign-on bonus of S$200 (US$148) will be awarded to those that join ClassPass within the month of September.