A new sea-to-air ferry transfer service from Shenzhen Shekou Port to the SkyPier in the airside of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will be offered from April 15 by Qatar Airways, which hopes to improve passenger movement in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Qatar Airways customers can purchase their ferry tickets from SkyLink or the port’s website. They will be provided with boarding passes and baggage check-through service to their final destinations at the Shenzhen Shekou terminal, where they will also clear their customs and immigration.
Southern China travellers can soon enjoy a convenient sea-to-air service with Qatar Airways
Upon arrival at SkyPier, customers can proceed directly to their Qatar Airways boarding gate or explore HKIA facilities prior to boarding.
Thomas Scruby, Qatar Airways vice president of sales for Australasia & North Asia, said the new ferry transfer service would boost the airlines’ footprint in the GBA by providing Southern Chinese customers more flexible flying options via HKIA and onwards to more than 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
“We know connectivity within the region and to the wider world is critical for the success of the GBA. Therefore, we are excited to do our part to build the infrastructure necessary to make it easier and smoother for local customers to travel despite the disruption caused by the pandemic around the world,” said Scruby.
“We are confident in the market’s demand and our commitment to the region remains resolute. The next phase of our partnership with Airport Authority Hong Kong will see the ferry transfer service to be further expanded to other key GBA metropolis such as Macau and Dongguan once government restrictions are lifted, allowing even more customers in the region to enjoy the world-class experience that Qatar Airways has to offer,” he continued.
With the global pandemic changing how people work, travel and live, the remote working trend continues to gather pace, with pristine beaches, expansive villas and even national parks being pitched as temporary workspaces to a rising breed of digital nomads.
Accommodation across the globe have reported longer-stay bookings fuelled by a rising tide of travellers looking for an escape from lockdown fatigue or a change in work scenery.
Keen to tap on that growing demand, more hotels and destinations are rolling out longer-stay packages, ranging from one month to a year, with deep discounts and other perks to please this unusual breed of travellers.
More remote workers are flocking to sandy beaches and the countryside for workations as the pandemic gives rise to a work-from-anywhere culture
Sweetening the long-stay deal
From free vaccines to five-year visas, tourism authorities across Asia and the Middle East are crafting strategies and dangling sweeteners to stir interest among long-stay tourists.
Dubai has since January started promoting free vaccines for all UAE residents as an added perk to its one-year virtual working programme launched last October.
Following on, in February, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority rolled out its Live RAK Play programme, luring remote workers to call the emirate home for one month to a year. The programme comprises a host of long-stay offers across numerous hotels, complete with free Wi-Fi, discounted rates, complimentary tickets to attractions, and other perks.
Similarly, Indonesian tourism officials are looking to tap into the burgeoning pool of remote workers facing work-from-home fatigue, in hopes of reviving the bruised sector. Once international travel reboots, Indonesia plans to offer a five-year visa for international tourists to carve out a second home in Bali, traditionally one of Asia’s hotspots for digital nomads.
According to tourism minister Sandiaga Uno, they can either opt for an individual package or one for the family, by making a deposit of US$142,300 or US$178,000, respectively. The plan targets business owners and travellers who are looking to escape the cold winters in their native countries by staying at least three to four months in Bali.
Foreign visitors will be allowed to work in Indonesia under this visa, renewable every five years. There are also plans to extend the programme to other parts of Indonesia, including Batam, Bintan and others within the ASEAN Travel Corridor Framework.
A remote worker taking a workation at a co-living and co-working space in Bolinao, Pangasinan
Work from home away from home
Private tourism stakeholders are also eager to capitalise on the extended workcation trend to speed up recovery in the pandemic’s wake.
In February, Hyatt Hotels Corporation launched The Great Relocate, offering a flat rate for long-term stays with a minimum 29-day booking for hotels across South-west Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Likewise, Centara Hotels & Resorts in January rolled out Work From Hotel (WFH) packages in destinations across Thailand, offering extended stays from two weeks to a month at reduced rates.
The initiative came about as Centara saw a surge in remote workers, some with children in tow, looking to escape for “a significant period of time” to pastures new such as beaches or the countryside amid the pandemic, said Tom Thrussell, vice president of brand, marketing and digital at Centara Hotels & Resorts. A trend was also emerging of Bangkok-based residents migrating to different areas, like coastal towns, to escape the city’s air pollution, he added.
“We see value in not just day packages but also longer-stay WFH packages, because people are taking this opportunity to change up their environment for a longer period,” he said, adding that the WFH trend “is here to stay for the foreseeable future”.
To date, Centara has seen “hundreds” of bookings for its WFH packages, with top locations being the drive destinations from Bangkok and Pattaya; and further afield, Phuket, also known as one of the areas in Thailand with the finest air quality, according to Thrussell. Buyers of WFH packages have been a mix of Thai and expatriate residents.
While Centara also has a home-away-from-home package offering three- to six-month stays at slightly more competitive rates, demand has been subdued, shared Thrussell. However, he expects more longer stays to come into demand once borders reopen.
Over in the Philippines, hotels and resorts are looking to court digital nomads booking long-term stays. To capture this growing segment, an online booking platform has been set up by Manila-based hostel owner Orly Darnayla.
Baybayin Hub, referencing the word ‘coast’ in Filipino, connects a portfolio of local hotels and resorts with a current network of over 1,400 digital nomads seeking medium to long stays.
Currently, 35 resorts are on the platform, spanning six locations: from tourist hotspots like Boracay and Palawan to the scenic province of Pangasinan. Listings run the gamut from hostels and beach lodges to luxury resorts, with rates slashed up to 80 per cent and prices starting at US$200 for a month-long stay.
The idea was born out of the pandemic when occupancy at Darnayla’s hostel plunged from 99 per cent to zero amid the lockdown. To survive, he converted his hostel into a co-working and co-living space to tap the growing pool of remote workers, digital nomads and freelancers seeking an affordable workspace.
The move allowed Darnayla to continue operations at a time when leisure travel was banned, with only business travel permitted.
His pivot took off, with revenue soaring by 20 to 30 per cent – inspiring him to set up Baybayin Hub to support other hotel operators to make the same transition. For each booking made via the site, the platform takes a 15 to 30 per cent cut.
The 25-key Birdland Beach Club, the first resort to join the platform, saw occupancy soar from zero to 95 per cent within the first month of converting into a co-working space.
Gen-Zers and millennials make up the bulk of the platform’s clientele, with the rest comprising Gen X business owners and upper-class families, according to Darnayla.
Under the lockdown, guests were required to book a minimum one-month stay in accordance with legal requirements. But, following the rolling back of restrictions, the platform now also markets seven-day and 15-day stays. Since its October 2020 launch, over 400 rooms have been sold on the platform, with 15- to 30-day stays making up 98 per cent of bookings.
Darnayla said he has seen a hike in longer-stay bookings, with some guests at lower-end accommodation opting to extend their month-long stay for three to six months.
“They will stay longer, especially when they have found a community of like-minded professionals to co-work and co-live with,” he said. “Also, they feel safer staying in our resorts in the countryside or province because they are not as crowded as compared to (those in) big cities.”
Darnayla sees the switch to target remote workers and digital nomads as a way to crisis-proof hospitality businesses, as in the event of another pandemic, they can continue operating as co-working spaces.
Some of the platform’s resort partners are now investing to set up exclusive co-working spaces to cater for long-stay guests.
More companies are also catching on to the idea of flexible workspaces. In March, one of the biggest business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the Philippines, with 47,000 employees nationwide, signed up to the Baybayin Hub platform. As well, a couple of small, local BPO companies are also due to come on board.
Looking ahead, Darnayla plans to expand Baybayin Hub across South-east Asia, including countries like Japan, Thailand and Singapore.
Centara’s properties across Thailand, including Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, now offer extended stays at reduced rates
Embracing diversification, differentiation
The entry of more players into the long-stay market heralds new competition for established serviced residence providers who are vying for that same share of extended stay demand.
To strengthen its position in the extended stay business and build the company’s global scale, Ascott – which manages a range of long-stay brands, including Ascott The Residence, Somerset, Citadines and co-living brand lyf – has embarked on various initiatives.
Last June, Ascott expanded into the rental housing segment in China to tap on the growing demand from young, mobile workers as well as returning students from abroad looking to rent quality fully furnished homes in the tier one and tier two cities on a long-term basis.
“We have secured three rental housing properties in Shanghai and Hangzhou, increasing our presence in China’s high growth rental housing sector,” said Kevin Goh, CapitaLand’s CEO for lodging and Ascott’s CEO.
Further, the group’s hospitality trust, Ascott Residence Trust (ART), will foray into the US student accommodation sector with the acquisition of an Atlanta property for US$95 million, as it looks to capitalise on the sector’s resilience amid Covid-19 headwinds. The purpose-built student accommodation, Signature West Midtown, boasts 525 beds across 183 units.
“Student accommodation, with leases that typically last for a year, will build on our stable income streams,” said Goh. “It will offer a new platform for growth and also diversify ART’s portfolio beyond traditional hospitality assets, mitigating the near-term headwinds faced in the hospitality sector.”
To tap on the telecommuting trend, Ascott also capitalises on its serviced apartments to feed domestic demand, with the launch of Work in Residence and Space-as-a-Service last August in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, China and Vietnam.
As for Far East Hospitality (FEH), the company’s segmentation of its brands based on traveller profiles, instead of demographics or nationalities, has set it apart from its extended stay competitors, said Arthur Kiong, CEO of FEH.
For instance, the company’s Village brand targets travellers with a keen interest on the local culture and wanting to experience living like a local, with edible gardens set up in its Village serviced residences so that residents can sample local vegetables in their own backyards.
Meanwhile, its Oasia brand targets the wellness-conscious traveller.
Post-Covid, Kong projects that families are likely to travel together out of safety considerations and that travellers will be opting for longer stays due to the inconveniences of travel. With the company offering accommodation options for shorter-term, with a minimum six-night stay, and extended stays for a minimum of three months, Kong said that its serviced residence portfolio is well poised to meet these evolving trends.
Pattaya's host city status comes as Thailand works to position the destination as a MICE-friendly city while Eastern Economic Corridor development gets underway
Thailand’s latest wave of fresh Covid-19 infections has resulted in massive cancellations for hotels in major Thai cities ahead of the Songkran festival, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicting income losses of up to 50 per cent for the accommodation sector.
To contain the latest outbreak, the Thai government has imposed mandatory quarantines for travellers coming from high-risk provinces – 41 at the point of publication – as well as shut pubs and bars in the same provinces for two weeks.
Hotel occupancy in Pattaya is down to just 60 per cent for Songkran, usually a peak travel season
These measures have negated the government’s effort to boost domestic tourism by way of adding an extra day to the Songkran public holiday, which runs from April 12 to 15.
Numerous public events that have been planned for this week have also been disrupted. For instance, Amazing Songkran Buriram was issued a stop order on April 10, after opening on April 6. It was scheduled to conclude on April 15. As a result, remaining concerts, marathon and sports events were cancelled.
In Prachuap Khiri Khan province, famed for Hua Hin beach resorts, hotels have reported cancellations of 70 per cent of booked rooms.
Hotels in Ayutthaya province have had their bookings slashed by 40 per cent.
Hotels in Pattaya are now running at an average occupancy rate of 60 per cent for Songkran, down from a high reservation rate of 95 per cent. In the same eastern region, hotels in the seafront Rayong town saw 30 per cent of bookings being postponed.
TAT also reported a five to 15 per cent room cancellation in Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces.
However, according to Bhumkit Raktaengam, president of the Tourism Business Association Phuket, hotel occupancy for the festive period has plunged from 80 per cent to just 35 despite the destination being a popular option with domestic travellers.
As of April 12, half of the hotel bookings made in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces were cancelled, shared La-iad Bungsrithong, president of the Thai Hotels Association Upper Northern Chapter.
An overwhelming majority of Singaporeans would be comfortable using digital health passports to help restart travel, with a new global study commissioned by Amadeus showing 96 per cent of Singaporean respondents in favour of such an initiative – the highest among the nine countries that were surveyed globally.
The study, which also looked at factors that travellers will take into consideration when it comes to storing health data, found that 63 per cent of Singaporean travellers would be more likely to store health data on an app where a travel company has partnered with a trusted healthcare company.
Singaporeans most receptive to digital health passports among countries surveyed in recent Amadeus study
Three in four Singaporean travellers (74 per cent) agreed that they would more likely feel comfortable sharing health data if the airline they frequently travel with offered a way to store travel health data in an app.
Some 51 per cent of Singaporean travellers said that having a travel app that could be used across the entire journey would greatly improve the overall travel experience. The same percentage said they would be reassured that all their information is in one place, while 49 per cent indicated this would reduce stress around travel.
While Singaporean travellers are receptive in sharing their health data, they remain cautious about travelling, with only 23 per cent saying they would book international travel within six weeks of restrictions lifting, compared with a global average of 41 per cent across all the markets in the study.
Mieke De Schepper, managing director of Amadeus Asia Pacific, said: “Markets across Asia-Pacific have shown tremendous resilience in light of Covid-19 and this survey shows us that travellers want to start traveling again. Singaporeans have the highest level of receptiveness when it comes to digital health passports amongst other Asia-Pacific and Western countries. The survey proves that travellers are placing their confidence in digital health passports, which is key in shaping how travel will be rebuilt moving forward.
“The travel industry is resilient and we will build it back better than before. This survey further highlights the need for all of us, within the industry, to work together with the government in order to achieve this.”
Green shoots sprouting in India’s domestic tourism market has been curtailed by renewed restrictions to stem a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, leaving hospitality players bracing for a fresh blow to their businesses.
With destinations like New Delhi imposing a night curfew and Mumbai announcing a weekend lockdown, business sentiments have nosedived.
Renewed lockdowns and curfews derail India’s tourism recovery; tourists thronging Taj Mahal in April 2021 pictured
“The domestic market that had started to pick up is going to witness a downturn again,” said Sanzeev Bhatia, vice president and general manager, The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa in New Delhi.
“Restrictions like night curfews mean that besides a loss in room night business, the banqueting business will also take a hit. In fact, a lot of hotels are already seeing cancellations of some booked banqueting business.”
Maharashtra reported 63,294 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday (April 11), its highest spike since the onset of the pandemic. The state government is mulling imposing a full lockdown across Maharashtra from April 14.
“Whenever there is a rise in Covid-19 cases, the hospitality industry is targeted and victimised, (despite us) operating in the safest of environments and following all the mandated compliances,” said Sherry Bhatia, president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India.
“A majority of the establishments have mounting debts and face threats of insolvency. With fear of losing jobs like last year, many workers have begun to leave for their homes again. After last year’s lockdown, the hospitality industry is in turmoil and is just not in a position to bear any more losses.”
However, a section of hospitality players remain bullish about the future prospects of the industry.
“After almost a year, the last couple of months saw domestic tourism enabling the hospitality sector to slowly get back on its feet. Though the recent increase in Covid-19 cases has created a dent in that growth, it is still faring well,” said Sarbendra Sarkar, founder and managing director, Cygnett Hotels and Resorts.
“We are better prepared to manage the situation. While all tourist spots and public places have been closed, people are still opting for staycations. Besides, the vaccination drive has instilled a sense of safety among people. While they are cautious, they have no fear of leaving their safe spaces.”
Private tourism stakeholders have decried a proposal by the Sri Lankan government to scrap current laws governing tourism policy, a move which would weaken the industry’s representation in various state-owned tourism organisations.
The government is proposing to set up a new Sri Lanka Tourism Authority which will merge three state institutions, all of which currently has representations from industry associations. The proposed new authority, however, will not have representations from the private sector. The decision to appoint a new authority was approved by the Cabinet last week.
Tourism stakeholders oppose government’s proposed changes to the Tourism Act of 2005
At a joint media briefing held in Colombo on Friday, officials of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) said they were opposed to the change. They urged the government to focus on the present burning issues and not change the existing Tourism Act enacted in 2005, at a time when tourist inflows are at a record low owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the reopening of the airport for international travel in mid-January through end-March, Sri Lanka has welcomed less than 10,000 foreign visitors. In comparison, the country received an average of 160,000 monthly arrivals in the pre-Covid-19 period.
The new proposal aims to bring under one authority the different functions of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (involved in development), Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (involved in promotions) and Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau (responsible for promoting MICE). Under current practice, representatives of the THASL, SLAITO and other related bodies are represented on the boards of these organisations, thus, having a say in their policies.
Industry stakeholders are irked that they have not been consulted on the proposed changes, which they say would be detrimental to the growth of the industry, given that the private sector voice is not represented in the proposed new authority.
THASL and SLAITO members are the main investors in the tourism industry and they are responsible for the majority of tourist arrivals to the country. In addition, they also pay the highest amount of taxes to the government.
“We are of the firm view that the tourism industry cannot be developed by merely changing the current Tourism Act, and a change should not be done, unless there is a real benefit to the stakeholders of the tourism industry in the long-term,” the two associations said in a joint statement.
The government has said the change is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the tourism sector. The proposed authority will consist of the chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism; the director-general; secretaries to the Ministry of Tourism, Provincial Councils, Cultural Affairs, Environment and Wildlife or a nominee; and a representative of the Treasury and chairman of the Central Cultural Fund. There will be no private representation, unlike the current practice.
Industry officials said the proposed new organisation could also suffer due to a shortage of funds. Current funding for the state bodies comes under a set of taxes (including an embarkation tax for departing tourists) which brings in over 2 billion rupees (about US$10 million) annually. Of this, 70 per cent goes to the Promotion Bureau, while 14 per cent goes to the Development Authority. Under the proposed changes, only 66 per cent will be received by the new authority which has to use it for all activity – at a time when Sri Lanka is planning a massive international advertising and promotion blitz in late 2021-early 2022.
The current proposal is a return to the pre-2005 period when Sri Lanka had a single institution called the Ceylon Tourism Board with promotion and development arms. It was changed in a new 2005 Tourist Act enabling the private sector involvement in the operations of the separate entities representing promotions, development and conventions.
It’s a snowy December afternoon in Santa Claus’ Finnish homeland Rovaniemi. The sales director of Santa’s Hotel, Eveliina Korhonen, enters a cosy wood-panelled room that is the reception of Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle, a glass-roofed igloo hotel nestled a stone’s throw away from Santa Claus Village, which lies right on the Arctic Circle.
Korhonen is bringing Singaporean travellers on a virtual tour of the hotel in Lapland, giving them a glimpse into the interiors of a glass igloo, ideal for spotting northern lights. The hotel houses 71 climate-controlled, glass-roofed igloos tucked in the snow, each kitted out with modern-day amenities. Korhonen demonstrates how guests can set the aurora alarm on their in-room tablets to alert them when the northern lights appear, so they do not miss out.
Chef Dave of Burnt Ends giving Singaporean viewers a taste of Western Australia, as part of Dynasty Travel’s Makan Makan Facebook Live series
The virtual tour is among Singapore travel agency Chan Brothers’ efforts to continue engaging with local travellers amid the pandemic. While trips to Finland to view the aurora borealis are off the cards for now, the agency has teamed up with Visit Finland to showcase key attractions in the destination to stay top of mind among their travellers.
The live broadcast, which can be viewed on Chan Brothers’ Facebook page, is part of its ongoing Travel Tales Come Alive series, where the agency partners with various NTOs and its overseas destination specialists to promote the destinations through live virtual tours, online cooking classes, and more.
Chan Brothers partnered with Visit Finland to inspire travel to Lapland via a Facebook Live session
Besides Visit Finland, Chan Brothers also works with NTOs like Tourism Western Australia, Tourism New Zealand, Hong Kong Tourism Board and Dubai Tourism to churn out virtual content via Facebook Live, complete with Q&A sessions with attractive prizes to be won, including a five-day Perth & Wild Seafood Experience for two worth S$4,000 (US$2,980).
The series also aims to highlight the Covid-safe measures in place at these destinations, including mask-wearing, social distancing and sanitisation of aircraft and tour buses.
“We have ramped up touchpoints and connections with our customers, followers and subscribers across a spectrum of digital platforms in an aim to spark positivity about travel through sharing safer, smarter and novel travel experiences,” shared Jeremiah Wong, senior marketing communications manager at Chan Brothers Travel.
He said that the overall responses to these engagement efforts have been “positive” and “encouraging”, with each Facebook Live session raking up to 8,000 views organically. “This goes to show that our organic audience base is actively engaging with our travel content and that wanderlust is truly alive,” he added.
Wong further shared that the agency is in talks with various other tourism boards and overseas partners on engaging local audiences creatively through its platforms.
“We are also working closely with our partners and suppliers in ensuring and heightening safety and health measures across all touchpoints of the holiday experience,” he said.
Other agencies are buzzing during this downtime too. With food being an integral part of travel, Dynasty Travel launched in February the Makan Makan video series, working with tourism boards to give viewers a taste of foreign cuisine at home.
The agency joined hands with Tourism Western Australia to showcase grill house Burnt Ends, Hong Kong Tourism Board to feature Kam’s Roast, and Japan National Tourism Organization to spotlight Okinawan diner Nirai-Kanai. Viewers stood a chance to win dining vouchers to the featured restaurant.
Citing the case of working with Tourism Western Australia, Alicia Seah, Dynasty Travel’s director, public relations & communications, shared: “Food plays a vital role in planning our tour itinerary – be it a visit to the wineries, cafes in the city centre or quaint restaurants along the coastal routes of Western Australia. So, we hope to bring a taste of Australia to our customers and viewers in the comfort of their homes.”
Travel Wander, on the other hand, is connecting with local travellers in a very active way. Last December, the company teamed up with Switzerland Tourism to host a virtual hiking event dubbed Ticino Swiss Virtual Challenge, where participants have to complete a walk, hike or run covering 24km within 20 days. Some 50 people took up the challenge, with successful participants receiving a customised digital badge as a keepsake.
The event was to encourage locals to continue to lead an active lifestyle, and to raise awareness about the agency’s Hiking in Ticino Switzerland trip which it plans to relaunch post-Covid, shared Mabel Cheang, lead executive, business development at Travel Wander.
Currently, the company is also working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand Singapore Office to create a Thai-themed walking and cycling programme catering to local residents. Additionally, in conjunction with the upcoming World Bicycle Day, Travel Wander plans to launch a special sports T-shirt. “This is something different from our usual travel-related projects so that we keep things fresh and interesting for our members,” explained Cheang.
The agency has also run a series of virtual trip presentations titled Weeknights with Wander Gals via Facebook Live, where Cheang alongside founder Sheryl Lim promotes various destinations, in collaboration with tourism boards like New Zealand Tourism, Jeju Tourism Organisation and Destination NSW, and its overseas partners from Iceland and Greenland.
Viewers have the opportunity to pose questions to a destination specialist from Switzerland Tourism during a Facebook Live session hosted by Travel Wander
“More often than not, many interesting information about the destination are shared – information that cannot be easily found online,” said Cheang. “It also gave the various destination leaders the opportunity to interact with travellers on an intimate level, albeit digitally. Our audience also appreciates the interaction as it gives them a better idea on how to plan future holidays.”
In preparation for the travel rebound, the agency has opened pre-registration for its tours at a deposit fee of only S$10 per person. “This allows us to study what trips are more popular so that when travel rebounds, we will be able to focus our energy and resources for trips that are in demand,” explained Cheang. “With this initiative, it has offered us invaluable insights on what local travellers desire, and allow us to communicate directly and effectively with them rather than casting a wide net.”
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has signed a hotel management agreement with Pegasus Investment and Consultancy JSC to operate Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam, which is expected to be operational by 2023.
Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam will be managed by Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts under its Dhawa brand. Inspired by paddy terraces, the 240-key resort will sit on 10.5ha of land and is sited on tiered platforms that leads towards the seafront.
Pegasus’ Abdul Rashid (left) and Banyan Tree Holdings’ Eddy See at the signing ceremony to operate Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam
With an estimated total investment value of S$100 million (US$74.5 million), Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam is the second phase of the Pegasus Education Tourism Development project, which will combine educational facilities with resorts and residences. The development’s first phase kicked off with the opening of outdoor experiential education campus Outward Bound Vietnam in 2016. Its third phase will comprise eco-residences.
Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, said: “As the world tourism gradually rebounds, this signing marks Banyan Tree Group’s continued growth and our second Dhawa resort signed in Vietnam. The Vietnam economy has proven its resilience in the face of Covid-19. This strategic partnership highlights the like-minded collaboration and entrepreneurship of two homegrown brands with strong overseas footprints.”
Greater understanding of the Covid-19 virus has allowed more airlines to establish sensible safe travel standards today, through partnerships with healthcare specialists, immigration authorities and government agencies.
However, communications between airlines and travellers are still fixated on pandemic-coping mechanisms and not enough attention is being paid to other critical travel aspects that have changed, such as traveller booking flexibility and service excellence.
In this new episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions, we speak to Chetan Kapoor, co-Founder and chief strategy officer of Safe Travel Barometer.
Besides reviewing how airlines are delivering on safety promises amid a pandemic, Chetan also discusses how efforts have evolved with new information on the virus, airlines’ approach to health passports, and loopholes in Covid-19 testings and quarantine procedures that can weaken travel suppliers’ and immigration agencies’ attempts to limit infections.
Following the end of the government’s employment support scheme for the tourism industry last November, industry players have rallied together to create short-term job and business opportunities for travel agents and practitioners.
A proposal under the Job Creation Scheme put forth by 18 travel industry-related associations and unions, including the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) and the Hong Kong Hotels Association (HKHA), was accepted by the government recently.
Tour operators selling products at the inaugural travel fair organised by Hong Kong Japanese Operator Association
Last November, the government earmarked HK$6 billion (US$771.4 million) under the Anti-epidemic Fund to take forward the Job Creation Scheme, which is expected to create 30,000 temporary jobs in the public and private sectors over the next two years.
Under the scheme, tourism workers will be offered some 2,000 temporary jobs to assist in administrative tasks across 24 community vaccination centres (CVCs). The job openings target travel agents, hotel staff, tour guides/escorts, coach drivers and back office staff.
Currently, the government deploys manpower from various departments to run and manage operations at the CVCs, and the administrative support by the travel trade will allow for more flexible deployment of its manpower.
In order to conduct recruitments, a new company, the Tourism Industry CVC Administration Services, has been set up. The company will be granted a HK$2 million subsidy by the government.
According to convenor Michael Wu, the hiring process for the job openings started yesterday (April 7), and is expected to draw 7,000-8,000 applications.
So far, three job categories are waiting to be filled, namely, centre supervisors (46 vacancies with HK$40,000 monthly salary), assistant centre supervisors (92 vacancies with HK$30,000 monthly salary), and registration officers (1,600 vacancies with HK$1,300 daily salary). All appointees will undergo a short period of training and familiarisation before officially commencing work on May 1.
Each employment contract has a five-month term, with an estimated cost of HK$150 million for all 2,000 jobs combined.
Meanwhile, the first-ever mini travel mart to support the embattled tourism industry has been launched today (April 8) at a 650m2 event site in Kwun Tong. Jointly organised by Hong Kong Japanese Operator Association (HKTOA) and Inspire Hub, the four-day marketplace provides free booths for agents (15 booths) and practitioners (20 booths) to sell products.
HKTOA spokesman, Gianna Hsu, told TTG Asia the aim of the travel mart is to provide an avenue for the travel trade to earn some income during this challenging period. “As many practitioners have lost their jobs, we hope to drive more business opportunities for them. This mini-mart attracted more than 110 applications from the industry, and eventually, only 35 applicants were picked through a live lucky draw. It is estimated to draw around 1,000 visitors per day.”
Products on sale at the travel mart are mostly gourmet food sourced via the operator’s overseas networks. For instance, China Travel Service is showcasing a slew of premium tea brands and Japanese enzyme, while independent practitioners are selling everything from healthy dried fruit packets and soup packs to handmade jewelry and wellness products.
Admission tickets are available at HK$10 per person, while travel trade professionals enjoy free entry.
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has signed a hotel management agreement with Pegasus Investment and Consultancy JSC to operate Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam, which is expected to be operational by 2023.
Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam will be managed by Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts under its Dhawa brand. Inspired by paddy terraces, the 240-key resort will sit on 10.5ha of land and is sited on tiered platforms that leads towards the seafront.
With an estimated total investment value of S$100 million (US$74.5 million), Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam is the second phase of the Pegasus Education Tourism Development project, which will combine educational facilities with resorts and residences. The development’s first phase kicked off with the opening of outdoor experiential education campus Outward Bound Vietnam in 2016. Its third phase will comprise eco-residences.
Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, said: “As the world tourism gradually rebounds, this signing marks Banyan Tree Group’s continued growth and our second Dhawa resort signed in Vietnam. The Vietnam economy has proven its resilience in the face of Covid-19. This strategic partnership highlights the like-minded collaboration and entrepreneurship of two homegrown brands with strong overseas footprints.”