Hilton signs on fourth Maldives resort
Hilton will bring its fourth property to the Maldives by the end of this year through a management agreement with Amingiri Holdings.
The 109 all-villa Hilton Maldives Amingiri will mark the entry of Hilton’s flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand into the Maldives, joining the company’s portfolio of brands already in the destination – Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Hilton Maldives Amingiri is located on Amingiri Island in the Male Atoll, directly accessible from Velana International Airport via a 15-minute speedboat ride.
Every villa will come with a private pool, and guests can choose to enjoy a range of facilities across the resort, such as six restaurants and bars, a teens-only play zone, pool, spa, fitness centre and salon.
There will also be an exclusive six-bedroom villa ideal for travellers looking to reunite with loved ones.
Guy Phillips, senior vice president, development, Asia Australasia, Hilton, said: “The Maldives remains one of the world’s most highly sought-after destinations and the signing of Hilton Maldives Amingiri reflects the excellent growth potential we see in the market.
“We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with Amingiri Holdings to launch our Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand in the country. We are confident their experience in developing world-class resorts in the Maldives, combined with Hilton’s strong commercial engine, will place us at the top of mind for leisure travelers when it is safe to travel again.”
Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, brand management, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said: “We are thrilled to be seeing our flagship brand represented in the Maldives and look forward to providing the perfect setting for families and friends to reconnect and make new travel memories when the resort debuts in the coming months.”
GlobalData analysis highlights tourism catastrophe in the event of full Tokyo 2020 spectator ban
Data and analytics company GlobalData has identified disastrous business impact on various tourism-related industries in Japan should a complete ban on attendance be passed for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Although a decision has yet to be made about the acceptance of domestic spectators, GlobalData said the prospect of a complete ban cannot be dismissed.
Ralph Hollister, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, commented: “The prospect of no attendance would take things from bad to worse for Japanese businesses involved in the tourism sector. The wait for the announcement on spectatorship with be agonising for all businesses involved, as domestic attendance would at least allow for the recouping of some losses.”
Hollister said a a no-crowd attendance would hurt Japan’s lodging, airline, and retail industries.
He expects further bankruptcies in the lodging sector to surface in the event of a complete spectator ban, following on from 2020’s 57.3 per cent increase in hotel bankruptcies from the previous year, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
“Many Japanese hotels were built and refurbished in time for Tokyo 2020. According to GlobalData, the number of hotels that opened in Japan between 2013 (the year that it was announced that Japan would host the Olympics) and 2019 increased by 9.1 per cent, showcasing the investment that has occurred,” said Hollister.
He added: “If the Games are played behind closed doors in 2021, hotel bankruptcies could well exceed 2020 levels, as many smaller businesses will not be able to deal with a second summer of rock-bottom occupancy rates. Additionally, the large hotels built to directly cater for the Olympics will remain empty, leaving stakeholders in the lurch with little return on investment.”
Airlines would also have to brace for deep impact, warned Hollister
“The one-year delay has added to the woes of major airlines operating in Japan, which originally anticipated fleets at full capacity over the summer of 2020,” he commented.
On May 7 this year, Japan Airlines posted an annual net loss of US$2.6 billion, and All Nippon Airways reported its worst ever annual loss of US$3.7 billion for 2020. With overseas spectators having already been barred from the event in 2021, the airlines’ most valuable customers are out of the equation.
Hollister said: “If domestic visitation is also banned, meaningful recovery will look like even less likely. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways dominate both domestic and international routes. According to GlobalData, these two industry heavyweights controlled 48.7 per cent of the Japanese airline market in 2019, which also means that they will have taken the most impact from the pandemic on top of the potential impact of no visitation for the Olympics.”
Japan’s retail sector would see reduced return on investment made in anticipation of the Games.
“Many retailers in Tokyo would have been expecting a significant boost to revenues due to visitation created by the Olympics. Alike other industries involved in tourism, the retail sector has invested heavily in the build up to the Olympics. Many new concepts have been trialled to improve retail and touristic experiences for the Games, including mixed-use spaces that offer retail, food stands, coffee shops, art, cultural events and product launches.
“If no visitation is allowed, minimal returns will be seen on this kind of expenditure for the event, further forcing Japanese businesses into the red,” he warned.
TAT’s new Phuket commercial rides on star power
A new marketing campaign to promote the reopening of Phuket for tourism has placed strong emphasis on sports tourism, with some of the most memorable aspects of the destination being told through the eyes of three Leicester City FA Cup 2021 winners – James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in partnership with the King Power International Group, the Phuket is Now Open campaign comes under the theme, Amazing Thailand, Now even more Amazing.
Tanes Petsuwan, TAT deputy governor for marketing communications, said: “The campaign forms part of the Royal Thai Government’s efforts to prepare the island (for) fully vaccinated visitors under the Phuket Sandbox model from 1 July, 2021.”
Fronting the campaign is a video commercial titled, Amazing Moments in Phuket. While sharing memorable experiences that await all visitors in Phuket through the three Leicester City FC players, the commercial also highlights sporting activities available in the destination, such as scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, sailing, parachuting and triathlon, as well as natural attractions, the local old town and Thai cuisine.
The video commercial began distribution on global channels and publicity channels of King Power, Leicester City FC, and Dug Out on June 16.
Stay Aman, wear Aman
Aman’s renowned sanctuaries in some of the most memorable locations in the world have now inspired a collection of quality apparel and accessories, allowing the brand to expand outside the parameters of its hotels and resorts.
The new retail collection, The Essentials by Aman, comprises activewear, loungewear, knitwear, swimwear, resort wear and soft accessories. Every piece is designed, developed and manufactured in Italy. Colour palette and prints are reminiscent of Aman destinations, from warm terracotta capturing the vibrancy of Amanjena, Marrakech to deep green celebrating the azure seas and olive groves of Amanzoe, Greece.
In keeping with Aman’s sustainability ethos, The Essentials collection will feature timeless and versatile pieces to ensure long-term wearability.
Join a Singapore Sling masterclass, visit a bee farm, and more
Singapore Airlines’ travel experiences platform Pelago has expanded its collection of activities for experience-seekers in Singapore.
The collection spans a diverse range of activities, from food and spirits, to nature, wildlife, and family-friendly activities.
For instance, foodies can learn how to whip up popular local dishes in an interactive three-hour cooking class, held in a pre-war shophouse in Chinatown; while spirits enthusiasts can try their hands at recreating the iconic Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel Singapore.
Nature lovers can embark on a rainforest expedition and seek out nocturnal wildlife or plan a family outing at a local bee farm and learn fascinating details about bees’ ecosystem, behaviours, and more.
Pelago features content written by an in-house team of journalists. All experiences mentioned in the articles on the platform are bookable, allowing consumers to build a customised itinerary based on what they read. Consumers can also explore the site through different topics such as food and drink, art and culture, hidden gems and popular attractions.
When international travel conditions eventually normalise, consumers will also be able to access collaborative planning tools on Pelago to plan their trip itineraries.
The site currently contains more than 200 curated experiences, including exclusive ones such as the Dale Chihuly: Glass In Bloom exhibition at Gardens By The Bay. More activities will be added in the coming months.
“Think of Pelago as a travel magazine that you can be inspired by and book directly on the platform. We have carefully selected a wide range of experiences that will appeal to consumers with diverse interests and passions. Although many aspects of travel have changed, we hope to enable people to embark on adventures and experience different cultures in the city we live in,” said Siddharth Shanker, CEO, Pelago.
Pelago offers flexible cancellations and refund policies. In addition, KrisFlyer members can pay for their bookings directly on the platform with KrisFlyer miles, and also earn KrisFlyer miles with each booking.
Sabre taps Gopass Global to mitigate travel risks
Sabre Corporation has partnered with travel risk management platform Gopass Global to help deliver its Covid-19 biosecurity risk analytics capabilities to the travel industry.
Gopass Global solutions leverages advanced analytics to deliver a single view of all of the biosecurity risk elements of a trip, thereby boosting traveller confidence.
Under the deal, travel agents across the globe now have access to Gopass travel risk management capabilities via the Sabre Developer Partner platform. By integrating with Sabre’s shopping APIs, Gopass populates a quantifiable risk score onto each travel option and displays the information to agents, who are then able to better advise their customers.
Powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, Gopass Travel Risk Optimizer provides travellers with an end-to-end analysis of all aspects of travel and their risk exposure in the cycle of travel. Gopass Global data also looks at country conditions such as infection rates, government policies and data reliability. Putting this all together, agents can obtain a risk score out of ten per flight itinerary, enabling them to clearly identify the lowest risk rates overall.
“For the travel industry to open up, recover and grow, it is vital that we are able to reduce and mitigate the risk of travel so we can instil renewed confidence in travel for both the leisure and corporate traveller,” said Mark Radford, CEO, Gopass Global.
“It’s clear leisure travellers want to know about potential travel risks so they can avoid or mitigate them. But this is especially critical for corporate travel as we learn to live with this pandemic. Companies need to ensure they are taking their duty of care to employees seriously when it comes to travel. It’s essential, therefore, that travel agents, and ultimately travellers, have all of the critical information they need at their fingertips when planning their trip to make the decisions that are right for them.”
KTO to host four-in-one travel expo
The Korea Tourism Organization will be holding a new, hybrid travel expo from June 29 to July 13, 2021, bringing four tourism events under one umbrella for the first time.
The Korea International Travel Expo (KITE 2021) will kick off on June 29 with an opening ceremony at the Paradise City Hotel in Incheon. The programme line-up will include keynote speeches by Berlin Tourism and Congress CEO Burkhard Kieker and Singapore Tourism Board assistant chief executive Chang Chee Pey, a performance by Korean longboarder Ko Hyojoo as well as a night-time drone show.
The event will kick off with the Korea MICE Expo from June 29 to July 2, featuring a roadshow, CVB showcase, and an exhibition on meeting technologies.
This will be followed by the Korea Travel Mart from July 5-7. Highlights include discounted Korean products, early-bird flight ticket prices to South Korea, a live travel talk show with a K-pop star, and an online fam tour for overseas buyers.
Taking place from July 8-9, the Korea Luxury Travel Mart will feature a tourism conference, as well as a virtual fam tour showcasing luxury tourism and related products.
Wrapping up the expo will be the Korea Medical Wellness Tourism Fair from July 12-13, featuring a conference, virtual wellness programme, and medical consultations for overseas delegates.
Delegates can expect to obtain the latest information on South Korean tourism in relation to the four sectors, engage in one-on-one video business consultations with Korean sellers through a new online platform, and gain insight into post-Covid-19 tourism in South Korea. Over 1,500 domestic and overseas buyers, as well as thousands of visitors, are expected to attend.
Contactless ticketing system launched in Nami Island
rezio, a SaaS platform that provides an all-in-one booking solution for travel operators and activity providers, has created a contactless experience for visitors to popular tourist attraction Nami Island in South Korea.
Through its online-merge-offline (OMO) cloud integration solution, rezio has successfully powered the ticketing solution for Nami Island, providing more than 100,000 visitors a safe and seamless contactless experience amid the pandemic since its launch in June.
The cloud integration solution by rezio enables customers to purchase tickets online, receive their e-tickets with QR codes and enter the attraction via the electronic turnstile by scanning their tickets, completely omitting the need for physical interactions.
Self-service ticketing e-kiosks are also available on-site, which eliminates the need for long queues and unnecessary exposure to crowds. Employees of Nami Island are also able to manage the crowd within the attraction at any one point of time through the real-time inventory notification.
IHG grows India footprint with signing of Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Jalandhar
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Samplast Resorts to develop Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jalandhar GT Road.
The new-build, 110-key hotel is expected to be operational by 1Q2024.
Located on the Grand Trunk Road, also known as NH1 which connects the country’s capital city of Delhi to Amritsar, the hotel will be a short drive from the city’s CBD as well as shopping destinations. Additionally, the hotel will have an adjoining strip mall that will offer multiple dining options for hotel guests.
On-site facilities will include a bar and lounge, fitness room, meeting rooms, 1390m² of banqueting space, as well as signature amenities.
Frequent flyer programme customers of Star Alliance member airlines will soon be able to use their biometric identity at any participating airport following a new agreement between the alliance, NEC Corporation and SITA.
Connecting to SITA‘s Smart Path solution, the Star Alliance biometrics platform will be able to use SITA’s shared airport infrastructure already available in more than 460 airports.
Together with SITA and NEC’s global presence, which was strengthened through a July 2021 partnership, multiple biometric projects can be delivered in parallel, speeding up the availability of biometric passenger processing to Star Alliance’s member airlines globally.
A further advantage is the integration of NEC I:Delight platform, which allows passengers who have opted to use the service to be identified quickly and with a high degree of accuracy, even on the move. The I:Delight platform is also able to recognise passengers even when wearing a mask, an increasingly important feature for travel during the current pandemic. The platform is already in use by Star Alliance member airlines at several airports in Europe.
Uniquely, passengers using Star Alliance’s biometrics platform enroll only once. Passengers can pass through biometrically enabled touchpoints across multiple member airlines and participating airports using just their face as their boarding pass. This speeds up the passage through the airport while making each step completely touchless, supporting important health and hygiene safety measures in times of Covid-19 and delivering on Star Alliance’s vision of a seamless customer experience.
Jeffrey Goh, CEO, Star Alliance, said: “This agreement is instrumental in bringing further scale to our biometrics service, with the inherent benefits of speed and meeting customer expectations for a more touchless and hygienically safer experience across all of our member airlines. Biometrics is a key element of that experience and our strategy of leading the way in digitalising the passenger journey.”
Barbara Dalibard, CEO, SITA, said: “Passengers have long welcomed the advantages of control and speed automation brings to the passenger journey; a trend that has been accelerated by Covid-19. With this agreement the benefits of biometric identity will be extended from a single airline or journey to a vast network of airlines. That is truly unique and demonstrates the benefits digital identity can bring to the passenger.”