TTG Asia will be taking a break on Monday, April 3, in lieu of Labour Day on Saturday in home base Singapore. News will resume on Tuesday, April 4.
We wish our readers who celebrate this occasion a happy and restful long weekend.
Return of concerts, festivals set the stage for Singapore’s entertainment renaissance
Festivals, performances and concerts are returning with a vengeance as Singapore relaxes public event restrictions, poising the country as a high-potential destination for entertainment-driven, post-Covid travel.
This follows the successful month-long pilot in September last year, which saw the return of live performances at selected venues for a maximum of 50 spectators. As of April 24, 2021, this number has increased to 750 with pre-event testing and 250 without pre-event testing, and zoning will no longer be required as long as safe management measures are in place.
The country is now ushering in the beginnings of an entertainment renaissance. In May 2021 alone, local residents will be able to participate in two arts and culture festivals. The Singapore HeritageFest 2021, running from May 3 to 30, will explore the nation’s food heritage and healthcare history through more than 100 on-site and online programmes, including virtual and physical tours, talks, documentaries and workshops.
Running concurrently from May 14 to 30 is the Singapore International Festival of Arts, which returns with more than 60 shows by local and international artists. Festival organiser Arts House Limited stated that several shows were sold out immediately, and it is exploring ways to open up more seats in light of the expanded capacity limit, reported The Straits Times.
The rising presence of ticketed public shows has also benefited organisers such as LAMC Productions, which specialised in international concerts in the pre-Covid era. The company now leans on top-billing local shows and celebrity-helmed private events, shared its founder, Lauretta Alabons.
It launched a headline show for local comedian Kumar in March, selling out three shows of 250 pax each, and recently brought on Maye Musk – the mother of Elon Musk – for a private virtual event. LAMC Productions has also opened The Flying V, a metal bar where patrons can enjoy metal and rock music with a selection of beers.
Alabons said: “This is our first time experiencing a long pause in our business on a global scale. We experienced SARS in 2003, but Covid-19 is another animal. We (are doing) what we can to help ensure a more impactful return of the entertainment scene.”
She expressed confidence that while the timeline for international acts to return may be uncertain, Singapore has a strong head-start in leading the region’s entertainment revival.
“We look forward to getting the live shows back on track in 2022. Ideally, the government increases the capacity for live shows to 1,000. The safety measures are great, although we are not able to cover costs with 250-capacity events at the present.
“In 2020, we started a video podcast called ‘Words & Music’ to connect artists to their fans during the Covid-19 downtime. Through its episodes, Singapore has always been mentioned as a destination the artists loved and would love to come back and perform at, which gives the audience more awareness and knowledge about Singapore as a vibrant entertainment hub to visit and explore.”
Maldives works towards a fully vaccinated tourism sector
Visit Maldives and the Ministry of Tourism have launched the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign to highlight the destination’s progress in inoculating tourism workers against Covid-19 as well as intentions to achieve the same for the rest of the resident population in the upcoming months.
The campaign will include social media activities and a supporting microsite that details the number of vaccinated tourism staff and information regarding registration for vaccination of employees and the latest health and safety guidelines.
Tourism leaders in the destination believe that a fully vaccinated tourism sector is instrumental in attracting tourists, alongside stringent health and safety measures and the Maldives’ unique geographical formation of the islands which offer natural physical distancing.
During the campaign launch on April 28, minister of state of the Ministry of Health, Shah Abdulla Mahir, stated that over 65 per cent of the eligible Maldivian population have received the vaccine and over 90 per cent of the eligible tourism industry is vaccinated.
He emphasised the importance of practicing health and safety measures regardless of the vaccination progress, and underlined the importance of achieving herd immunity.
The ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign will also seek to motivate facilities in the tourism industry to vaccinate their staff.
Maldives initiated the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine on February 1, and the government aims to provide free vaccination to all citizens and residents in the upcoming months.
IHG signs on second Kimpton for Thailand
IHG Hotels & Resorts has confirmed a second Kimpton hotel in Thailand, with the new property set to rise in Koh Samui later this year.
The 138-key Kimpton Koh Samui on Choengmon Beach will feature the brand’s signature playfulness, immersive guest experiences and innovative approach to restaurants and bars. Accommodation options materialise in the form of suites and villas, with pool villas granting unique direct access to the beach.
Four distinctive restaurants and bars as well as a pool, spa, fitness centre, Kids Club and a 124m2 multi-purpose meetings and events space are in the plan.
Serena Lim, vice president, development, South East Asia and Korea, IHG, said: “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with NYE Estate whom we share a common vision of elevating and growing the hospitality sector in Thailand, as well as new partners Multiply Partners and Capstone Asset to bring Kimpton’s heartfelt approach to hospitality to Koh Samui as we continue to expand the brand across the region as well as globally.
“The strength of IHG’s brand portfolio has led to some exciting growth opportunities here in Thailand and this signing is a great example of that. There’s an appetite from owners to join the IHG family of brands and benefit from the power of our enterprise, as the strength and resilience of our brands come to the fore in the current environment.”
The latest signing reflects IHG’s continued expansion of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in Asia since its debut in October 2020. There are now Kimpton hotels in Taipei, Bangkok and Tokyo, and more properties are lined up for Bali, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nanjing, Sanya and Kuala Lumpur.
JR Kyushu Jet Ferry sails into local sightseeing business
JR Kyushu Jet Ferry has launched local sightseeing cruises on its Queen Beetle Hydrofoil in Fukuoka Prefecture in response to the suspension of international travel due to Covid-19.
The 502-seat vessel departs from Hakata Port on three routes – Fukuoka Bay, Itoshima Coast and Okinoshima – before returning to Hakata Port. Each cruise takes about two hours.
Created by the award-winning designer behind JT Kyushu’s Seven Stars deluxe sleeping train, Eiji Mitooka, the Queen Beetle is designed as a luxurious space. Passengers can enjoy spacious seats, exceptional seascape views from the onboard dedicated observatory, shopping and multiple F&B options.
Once operating between Fukuoka and Busan in South Korea, the cruise line secured special permission from Japan’s transport ministry to run domestic cruises after its operations had been suspended for a year.
To maintain the link with South Korea, Tokyo-based travel agency H.I.S. is selling cruise packages that include a shopping trip to a Korean supermarket at Hakata Station and a boxed lunch featuring Korean-style chicken or bibimbap rice dish.
Most customers are from Fukuoka but JR Kyushu Jet Ferry hopes to attract residents in the Kanto and Kansai regions once domestic travel resumes after the end of Japan’s state of emergency on May 11.
Rosewood to make Japan debut in Okinawa
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open its first property in Japan on Mikayo Island in the Okinawan archipelago come 2024.
The 55-villa, ultra-luxury resort Rosewood Miyakojima will occupy a secluded peninsula surrounded by white sand beaches, rock formations and ocean vistas. Each of the resort’s villas will feature private pools, landscaped gardens and unobstructed sea views.
Four restaurants and bars will showcase fresh seafood, island-raised beef, locally distilled spirits and craft beer. With a stunning seascape as a backdrop, the resort’s indoor and outdoor event venues will play host to destination weddings and private celebrations.
On-site recreation will include a standalone Rosewood Explorer’s Club, Rosewood’s programme for younger guests designed to inspire creativity and imagination, as well as encourage adventure, discovery and social responsibility through unique experiences attuned to the destination. Asaya, Rosewood’s integrated wellness concept, will offer treatment rooms set amid private gardens, indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy facilities and a menu of programmes and services influenced by local healing traditions.
The property will be situated within a 20-minute drive from Miyako Airport and 30-minute drive from Shimojishima Airport which receives direct flights from Hong Kong and major cities in Japan.
Royal Caribbean’s new mega-ship to set sail in 2022
Royal Caribbean’s new and fifth Oasis Class ship, Wonder of the Seas, is set to make its debut in March 2022, sailing from Shanghai and Hong Kong on four- to nine-day voyages through the Far East to Japan.
Currently under construction in Saint-Nazaire, France, Wonder will be the world’s largest cruise ship and the first-of-its-kind to call China home when it arrives in March 2022.
The ship’s inaugural season cruises are now open for bookings. From March through November, guests can sail roundtrip from Shanghai to Japan. The combination of ports of call to choose from include Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Ishigaki and Miyazaki.
Wonder will homeport in Hong Kong, from November 2022 through January 2023, to offer Christmas and New Year’s holiday sailings to several ports of call. Part of the destination line-up are Chan May, Vietnam; Busan and Jeju, South Korea; Kochi and Okinawa, Japan; and Taipei, China.
With a gross tonnage of 236,857, Wonder is 362m long and 64m wide, and it features a total of 18 decks and 2,867 staterooms to accommodate up to 6,988 guests.
Wonder will feature the first living park at sea, home to more than 20,000 plants; specialty restaurants; high-end boutiques; twin rock-climbing walls; a classic carousel and deck-defying AquaTheater shows. There will also be a pool and sports zone which will include the tallest slide at sea, a 25m zip line, basketball and volleyball courts, a miniature golf course; as well as a youth zone which will include a nursery for infants and toddlers.
The spa and fitness centre will offer a lineup of exercise classes within the gym and indulgent spa treatments. It will also be home to a café, which will serve up a menu of light and tasty fare like smoothies and sandwiches.
Liz Ortiguera takes helm at PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has appointed Liz Ortiguera as its next CEO, effective May 17, 2021.
She succeeds Mario Hardy who will finish his term at the end of May.
Liz Ortiguera is a senior executive with over 25 years of global experience and expertise in general management, marketing, business development, and partner network management.
Her career spans several industries – travel/lifestyle, technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. She has also cut her teeth at both multinational corporations including American Express and Merck, and start-up environments in software as a service (SaaS), e-commerce, and ed-tech.
For 10 years, she was the general manager for Amex’s Travel Partner Network in Asia-Pacific, managing partnerships with top travel management companies, MICE-related organisations, and leisure agencies in the region.
The new frontier of air travel safety
The HealthCert arrangement is applicable to travellers from Indonesia flying to Singapore. What significant changes will this mean for both companies and travellers along this route?
(HealthCert is) recognised by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Changi Airport. Upon arrival, (travellers) can show their unique HealthCert QR code to be scanned by a universal verifier at any immigration counter, thereby, saving time for airlines and immigration authorities on health status verification and providing travellers exclusive access to the fast lane facility at the airport.
The major challenge being addressed is that without the HealthCert tamper-proof swab result, airline staff and immigration authorities will have to manually verify the document which otherwise would have made it a time-consuming process.
There has been much concern about the veracity of travel certifications in the market. What are your thoughts about authenticity and enforcement?
There have been multiple incidents of Covid-positive travellers doctoring fake Covid-negative swab results to travel overseas. Accredify is a government-authorised service provider, and HealthCert was developed by Accredify to resolve the issue of fraudulent Covid-19 swab results that is prevalent across the world and in black markets. Considering the major challenge of fake medical and test reports being used across the world, travellers can be assured that Covid-19 swab results issued will be recognised by immigration authorities upon their arrival in Singapore.
Which other countries will this arrangement be extended to?
Effective March 23, we have started issuing HealthCerts for Singapore-bound travellers (from) Indonesia. Through this partnership with Accredify, we plan to extend this service to other locations like Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand in the coming months.
In the realm of travel bubbles and green lanes, how significant is adopting certification programmes and applications like HealthCert?
Travel bubbles will become an important (element of) safe travel, at least in the initial phases of resumption. They come with the reassurance that the governments collaborating on these corridors have achieved a certain amount of success in battling and lowering the Covid-19 outbreak in their country.
As an added layer of security to the bubbles, testing pre-departure remains key and only negative-tested travellers can board a plane. A verified test as a security blanket will be key in bolstering the travel spirit and be an effective advocate for both regional and international travel.
If there is a silver lining in this crisis, governments and companies can think much more boldly and expansively about the future, and perhaps act on a once-in-a-generation idea that can be extended across the world to ensure a safe resumption of travel.
Whatever demand looks like, it’s important to carefully monitor the evolution of the pandemic, especially its impact, and align ourselves to cater to any new demands across regions or countries, which will make the paradigm shift in travel a comfortable experience for travellers.
Where do we stand now in terms of standardising Covid testing certifications? How many programmes are being developed, and in your opinion, are there too many or too few?
As Covid-testing certifications are a relatively new segment that is very dynamic, it will be interesting to see who takes the lead, and the interoperability between the governments, technology companies and various organisations will ensure which can become a standard.
While some governments have already made Covid-19 tests mandatory before entering their respective countries, it is important to make these tests hassle-free, easily accessible and (able to deliver) fast results. This could be done either at airports or at certified medical laboratories, in association with a visa services provider like us. Technology like the blockchain based-health passport app CovidPass – developed by WEF Young Global Leaders – will also go a long way in reassuring travellers of their safety.
How is VFS Global responding to ever-changing travel regulations, especially the emerging trend towards digital health passports?
Now that digital solutions such as health passports and certificates are becoming more prevalent, we are helping to digitise authentic test results. We have already partnered with Accredify for a smart and hassle-free travel solution to Singapore to help travellers save time on arrival. We want to support any solution that helps travellers and are actively looking into integrating with several other platforms, IATA’s Travel Pass included.
As vaccination picks up around the world, does VFS Global have plans to develop a vaccination certification programme for inoculated travellers?
The next solutions developed will be around vaccine certification programmes to ensure travel resumption continues for the already vaccinated. Most programmes under development are geared towards facilitating travel and come in the form of smartphone apps with varying criteria for a clean bill of health. Vaccine passports, for example, are a popular way to approach proof of immunity with jab rollouts underway across the globe. Some apps accept positive antibody tests as proof of immunity for those who have had the virus and recovered.
One of the top challenges we see is the authenticity and the verification of these documents – be it vaccination certificates or test certificates – through the interoperability between two governments or the airline community in the near-term.
However, a lot of work is going on in the background with discussions between airlines, governments and technology-enabled companies. One classic case in point is the air bubble concept as it shows how a government can verify the credentials of the traveller, keeping well in mind concerns on data privacy and legal legislations in the respective countries.
How do you envision vaccination certifications will influence the formation of travel bubbles?
From vaccination certificates to digital or health passports, government, airlines and technology-driven companies across the globe are taking steps to relaunch travel by letting people prove their Covid-free status. But vaccine access around the world and mounting concerns over data privacy are some of the key concerns with how the measures will work in the formation of travel bubbles.
Making health passports stricter or requiring them for travel could invite legal challenges. A major worry is that banning unvaccinated people from travelling would exacerbate inequality and discrimination since access to jabs is far from universal. There are also concerns over how applications would access personal data of users.
Bangkok-based See You Again Co travel company has created a vaccine tour package to take private groups and individual travellers to Serbia for a jab against Covid-19, in response to eager expressions of interest from its regular customers.
With rates starting from 100,000 baht (US$3,203) per traveller, the two-week package includes airfare, accommodations, meals and visits to attractions.
Executive director Netnapa Kaewsangtham, who built the company as a specialist in European trips over the last 12 years, told TTG Asia: “(New and regular clients) have been asking us to arrange such a trip because the travel conditions from Thailand to Serbia are not as restricted compared to other (countries).”
Serbia is welcoming foreigners keen to access Covid-19 vaccines as part of her tourism business stimulation. Travellers with visas approved in the US and the UK, toting Schengen visa, or exhibiting no Covid-19 symptoms within 72 hours of travel may enter Serbia without having to perform mandatory quarantine, said Netnapa.
Vaccine tourists may pre-register and select their desired brand of vaccine. Without pre-booking, travellers can obtain their vaccine from public hospitals but will not be given the freedom of choice.
According to Netnapa, more than 5,000 people have expressed interest in the tour at press time.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the vaccine tour does not pose any conflict with Thailand’s Tourism Business Act.
Thai residents who go on the tour will need to fulfil a mandatory self-quarantine for 14 days, according to the Department of Disease Control.
While See You Again Co is seeking subsidy for hospitalisation and quarantine expenses from the Thai government, Netnapa believes that most customers who sign up for the vaccine tour will be able to afford these fees.