Malaysia, Saudi Arabia strengthen tourism, cultural ties
Malaysia and Saudi Arabia recently held a virtual meeting to discuss potential collaborative initiatives to revive the tourism and cultural industries in the two countries.
Among the initiatives discussed between the two governments were the sharing of information on policies and best practices, especially in measures to rehabilitate the tourism industry from the impact of Covid-19; as well as the joint promotion of tourism through social media and digital platforms to increase travel demand for both countries.
Other areas include the exchange of best practices on the sustainable management of cultural heritage sites as tourist attractions; in addition to the forging of close collaborative relationships between arts, heritage and cultural institutions and promotion of Muslim-friendly tourism.
The virtual meeting was between Malaysia’s minister of tourism, arts and culture, Nancy Shukri, and Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb.
According to a press statement from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, these discussions are expected to open up greater opportunities in the field of tourism between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in particular, as well as countries in the Middle East in general.
In 2019, Malaysia welcomed 121,444 tourists from Saudi Arabia, which has traditionally been the country’s main source market from the Middle East.
KLM’s network in Asia, Middle East nearly back to pre-pandemic levels
As more countries reopen their borders, KLM will rebuild its summer route network in Asia and the Middle East to be virtually identical to the one it operated pre-pandemic in 2019, to meet the anticipated rise in demand.
Due to the pandemic, however, fewer flights to the destinations will be offered and/or flights to the destinations will be offered in different combinations.
The Dutch airline highlighted in a press statement the most significant changes to its route network as compared to 2019, including the addition of Riyad (Saudi Arabia) as a new destination this summer, and the introduction of flights to Phuket (Thailand) this winter.
In Asia, there are 17 destinations planned for this summer, compared with 19 in 2019. Xiamen (China) is temporarily closed due to the pandemic, however, KLM partner Xiamen Airlines is currently flying to this destination. Service to Denpasar (Indonesia) will be offered as soon as Bali reopens.
Phuket will be added as a destination in winter 2021, with four-times-weekly flights.
For the time being, flights to Hangzhou and Shanghai (China) will keep the current stopover in Seoul (South Korea), until the rules change.
KLM flies to Chengdu once a week, after which the flight continues on to Beijing via a stopover in Seoul. From there, KLM flies back to Amsterdam.
Service to Bengalûru (India) has been suspended.
KLM said that scheduling within the network will be updated frequently throughout the winter season, in tandem with the changing travel rules.
Over in the Middle East, KLM will fly to seven destinations in the summer of 2021 – the same number as in 2019.
KLM will be offering Riyad (Saudi Arabia) as a new destination, with flights departing twice a week in the summer season and, starting this winter, three times a week.
Service to Abu Dhabi has been suspended, although KLM offers this destination as a codeshare with Etihad Airways. KLM expects to reintroduce Abu Dhabi as a destination in winter 2021.
“It is a positive sign that the number of destinations in the Middle and Far East has nearly returned to its previous level,” said Pieter Elbers, president and CEO of KLM.
He added: “While this is a step in the right direction, we aren’t there yet. Vaccinations are the key to the recovery of the aviation sector. After that, an internationally-valid vaccination passport will play a crucial role in restoring our clients’ mobility.”
Singapore to allow dining-in from June 21, but in groups of two
Dining in at F&B outlets in Singapore will be allowed to resume from June 21, but in groups of two people instead of five as previously announced.
Under the new regulation, groups that exceed two people who are not from the same household will not be allowed to dine-in together at eateries, even if they are split across multiple tables, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement.
People from the same household can eat out at multiple tables, said co-chair of the multi-ministerial task force Lawrence Wong at a press conference on Friday (June 18), Channel NewsAsia reported.
The report also quoted co-chair of the task force Gan Kim Yong as saying that authorities expect a regular rapid testing regime to be in place by around mid-July, which is when the group limit for higher-risk activities including dining-in will be increased to five people.
The new development comes as Singapore calibrates its reopening plan amid a rise in unlinked Covid-19 cases over the past week, due to a growing cluster at the 115 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre. As of June 17 (Thursday), the number of cases linked to the Bukit Merah View cluster have grown to 56.
The Health Ministry had announced on June 10 a two-step plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions, following a drop in the number of community cases. The ban on dining-in, which has been in place since May 16, were among the measures that were slated to be eased from June 21 under the second phase of the reopening.
However, with the recent rise in infections, plans now have to be readjusted, said Wong.
Health minister Ong Ye Kung was quoted by The Straits Times as saying that there were 94 community cases in the past seven days, compared with 41 in the previous seven. The proportion of unlinked cases has remained stable at 19 per cent.
Wedding receptions will remain prohibited until mid-July, MOH said. Gyms and fitness studios can resume indoor activities without masks from Jun 21, in group sizes of up to two people and in classes of up to 30 people, including the instructor.
Mask-on activities and outdoor mask-off sports or exercise activities can continue in groups of no more than five people and in classes of up to 30 people including the instructor. Meanwhile, work from home will remain the default arrangement.
HKTB spotlights outskirts of Hong Kong in summer video series
A fresh video series released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) as part of its summer campaign captures and bottles the city’s auditory essence into highly immersive and pleasurable viewing experiences.
The Great Outdoors Summer Video Series is a series of uniquely soothing sensory videos created under the HKTB’s 360 Hong Kong Moments initiative, as part of efforts to continue engaging with travellers.
Four distinctly themed Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos will each feature 30-second snapshots of dreamy environmental acoustics heard in far-flung corners of the city. The videos are designed to stimulate the senses and to heighten one’s sensitivity to the harmonic countryside symphonies just a stone’s throw from the city.
The video series stars curious individuals exploring the outskirts of Hong Kong, namely, Peng Chau, Shing Mun Reservoir, Stanley, and Sai Kung.
The ASMR videos form part of the broader Great Outdoors Hong Kong (GOHK) 2021-2022 summer campaign, which will also showcase 13 seasonal routes, covering hiking and sightseeing destinations, island-hopping itineraries and water sports experiences such as kayaking and snorkelling.
The entire GOHK 2021-2022 campaign is hosted on its own dedicated campaign website, and is packed with insider tips, dining recommendations and transportation suggestions.
Malaysia-based Vendfun introduces Hybrid Kiosk for budget hotels, homestays
Vendfun, a hospitality kiosk solutions provider based in Melaka, has launched an innovative 2-in-1 kiosk that combines self-service check-in and check-out features with vending capabilities, which will assist hotel operators to manage resources and reduce operating costs.
Vendfun Hybrid Kiosk is equipped with a 50-inch touch-screen panel that allows guests to check-in and check-out, as well as redeem promo vouchers and purchase products such as food and drinks. The patent-pending Vendfun Hybrid Kiosk is marketed to budget hotels and homestays in Malaysia and available on rental and rent-to-own bases directly from Vendfun.
Key features of Vendfun Hybrid Kiosk are a cashless payment facility, a passport scanner, a receipt printer, a room card dispenser, and built-in vending capabilities. The Hybrid Kiosk is also compatible with any hotel property management system (PMS) software to allow hotels to customise features of their preference.
Benny Wee, founder and CEO of Vendfun, said in a press statement that the launch of Vendfun Hybrid Kiosk comes as “many hotel operators are dealing with persistent human resources issues while scrambling to cut costs to weather the Covid-19 pandemic, and beyond”.
By automating check-in and check-out services, hotels can “increase operational efficiency and provide convenience to hotel guests”, he added.
Additionally, Vendfun Hybrid Kiosk has been touted as the first-of-it-kind product that provides a return on investment opportunity whereby hotels can create a new income stream by selling products through the kiosk.
Three units of Vendfun Hybrid Kiosk have been installed in hotels in Peninsular Malaysia, namely, Fenix Inn Hotel in Melaka, Sky View Hotel in Dengkil, Selangor; and GM Hotel Sunway Metro in Selangor.
Vendfun has been getting orders from other hotels in Selangor and they expect to install more Vendfun Hybrid Kiosks in the coming months.
The company plans to add new solutions to its kiosks soon, including memberships and e-concierge services to provide a complete elevated staying experience to guests.
As part of its roadmap, Vendfun plans to add an artificial intelligence component to the kiosks by year-end so that hotels can offer “more personalised services” and enhanced security through the use of facial recognition technology, said Wee.
Qatar Airways aims to transform retail experience for trade with new platform
Qatar Airways is introducing a new platform for trade partners that will enable them to build tailored travel experiences for their customers.
Called Oryx Connect, it has been developed based on the New Distribution Capability (NDC) data transmission standard developed by IATA in partnership with the travel industry.
Oryx Connect will benefit travel agents through improved functionality, intuitive user experience, access to rich content and the ability to tailor travel experiences for their customers.
It provides various options to consume Qatar Airways’ NDC content. In addition to an existing web-based portal powered by Accelya Farelogix SPRK tool, agents can now access NDC content with a range of aggregators including Aarongroup, Duffel, Travelfusion, Travvise and Verteil. The Amadeus Travel Platform will be added in early 2022.
Qatar Airways Group CEO, Akbar Al-Baker, said: “Working collaboratively with trade partners is pivotal to our business success, so we are pleased to stand truly in partnership with our agents, rather than introduce artificial barriers, restrict content, add surcharges or apply complex administrative changes to the booking process.
“Oryx Connect will provide best-in-class booking and servicing capability to our agents and their customers at all levels of technological integration, and through multiple modes of connectivity, from the most familiar existing booking environments to the leading edge of flight retailing solutions.”
Travel agents will benefit from full offer and order management capabilities from booking, servicing, ticketing and payment. This includes intuitive display of Qatar Airways’ Classic, Convenience, Comfort and Elite fares, helping them deliver the most suitable product offering to customers.
They will also have access to a variety of ancillary products and service offerings. Payment options include industry-standard settlement methods, such as ARC and BSP cash and card, and IATA EasyPay.
UNWTO launches hospitality recruitment platform
As part of efforts to kickstart tourism jobs recovery, the UNWTO has launched the Jobs Factory, an innovative platform designed to connect hospitality talent with employers across the sector.
The Jobs Factory harnesses global hospitality network Hosco’s power of machine learning, algorithms, and deep learning to match candidates with suitable positions, both locally and internationally.
Job-seekers are able to create a profile, search for positions that match their experience and skills, and set up job alerts to be informed of the latest opportunities. The platform also helps tourism businesses and organisations to find and recruit the best talent.
All of UNWTO’s 159 member states will be invited to use the Jobs Factory as their national tourism recruitment platform, as will its more than 500 affiliate members, ranging from businesses to universities and think tanks.
Additionally, through the Jobs of the Future Observatory, member states can also monitor current and future skills development to analyse trends. This will allow them to forecast and identify gaps and mismatches and make data-driven decisions.
UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The pandemic has hit global tourism hard. Up to 120 million jobs are at risk. However, tourism has a long history of adapting and embracing innovation. The Jobs Factory will be a great help to the millions of people who depend on tourism. It connects employers with the very best talent our sector has to offer. And it will help our member states make important decisions based on the latest, trusted data.”
Rosewood heads to Chongqing
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed by Chongqing Sunac Huacheng Real Estate Development Co. to manage Rosewood Chongqing, set to open in the city’s CBD come 2030.
Situated in the Jiangbeizui International Financial Center, Rosewood Chongqing will be housed in a new-build, mixed-use development that will also feature deluxe offices, apartments, residences, retail shops and public green spaces. The hotel will occupy four towers within the project, which spans 470m and 103 floors and is the tallest building in the city.
Upon completion, Rosewood Chongqing will offer 183 accommodations, including 25 suites. Apart from four dining outlets – a bistro, living room, Chinese restaurant and specialty bar, the hotel will also feature a spa, fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool. For gatherings, the hotel will also offer 945m² of meeting and event space, including a grand ballroom.
Rosewood Chongqing will mark the brand’s tenth project in Greater China and its eighteenth in Asia.
Hong Kong green-lights plan to cut quarantine for vaccinated travellers
Fully vaccinated travellers from most places to Hong Kong will need only serve a seven-day quarantine at a designated hotel as long as they pass an antibody test, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, the plan will not include travellers coming from high-risk locations like Japan, the UK and the US. Currently, travel from some countries like India deemed extremely high-risk is still barred.
The timeline for the policy has not been determined and will hinge on when the testing facilities are ready, said the sources.
The report further quoted the sources as saying that authorities are now trialling various antibody tests which will detect if a person has been vaccinated or has recovered from Covid-19.
Currently, Hong Kong has one of the world’s strictest border policies. Travellers entering Hong Kong are required to quarantine in a designated hotel for up to 21 days, even if they’re fully vaccinated.
Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality has unveiled a new entertainment and lifestyle hotel brand dubbed Mhub by MGM, targeting Gen Z travellers.
The new brand aims to satisfy young guests’ pursuit of individuality and a differentiated travel experience in collaboration with the local community. The brand focuses on offering guests a complete experience of entertainment, freedom and joy, through a diversified approach.
Mhub by MGM is the fourth international five-star brand launched by Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality, following Diaoyutai, MGM Grand and Bellagio.
The world’s first Mhub by MGM hotel opened in Nanjing this May, with more hotels set to open successively in Shenzhen and Zhuhai; as well as other major first- and second-tier cities and holiday destinations, including Xiamen.