Malaysia restarts interstate travel between RMCO states

March 10, 2021

Following a nearly two-month ban, domestic travel has been given the green light to resume with the Malaysian government lifting its ban on interstate travel from today (March 10), albeit under certain restrictions.

For the time being, interstate travel is only allowed between states that are under the recovery movement control order (RMCO). These states are Perlis, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah as well as the Federal Territories of Putrajaya and Labuan.

Interstate travel in Malaysia currently restricted to travel between RMCO states, including Melaka

The rest of the country is under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).

Those travelling between RMCO states must use a registered tour agency and the company must obtain approval from the police prior to travel. Interstate travel on a personal capacity is still not allowed.

While travelling from one state to another, tour vehicles are not allowed to make a stop at states which are still under CMCO. This includes the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Sarawak.

Yap Sook Ling, managing director, Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, said the lifting of the interstate travel ban is a good beginning and her agency stands ready to accept tour bookings as vehicles have been kept well-maintained and in running order, even amid the travel lull.

She expects FIT travel, made up of families travelling together, to take off. Sit-in coach tours may also make a comeback, provided the number of new Covid-19 cases continue to dip, and attractive rates are offered to domestic travellers, she added.

Yap, however, stressed that inbound tour operators cannot rely solely on domestic tourists as the rates are low. She said: “We need the borders to reopen soon and for the government to implement travel bubble arrangements with other countries. The government should also look at welcoming foreign tourists who have already taken their Covid-19 vaccinations.”

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president, KL Tan, expressed uncertainty about travel demand in the short-term as the main markets for domestic travel are residents living in areas that are still under CMCO. He also hopes that, eventually, the need to get police approvals ahead of travel would be lifted.

To help speed up recovery, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) president, N Subramaniam, proposed for the government to allow travel between RMCO states via flight with confirmed hotel bookings. He said: “Hotels are ready with their SOPs, especially those certified ‘Clean & Safe’, which is MAH’s very own hygiene and safety label supported by Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.”

DOT works to boost resiliency of El Nido

By TTG Asia

March 10, 2021

0

The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) will endeavour to ensure the tourism resiliency of the country’s prime destination, El Nido in Palawan, through the full implementation of the Sustainable Tourism Development Project (STDP) this year.

The announcement was made by tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat during a visit to El Nido on Friday (March 5). The project is a collaboration between the DOT, the Provincial Government of Palawan, the Municipalities of Coron and El Nido, and the Asian Development Bank.

DOT’s STDP programme aims to enhance resiliency of El Nido; Siete Pecados beach in El Nido pictured

The tourism chief shared that the STDP, an initiative under the DOT’s Transforming Communities Towards Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Tourism (TouRIST) programme, aims to make El Nido’s tourism development more sustainable and inclusive.

Projects will focus on making improvements to the town’s drainage; solid waste (landfill development); ecosystem-based tourism site management; as well as enterprise and skills development from 2021 to 2026.

With the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine in the country, Romulo-Puyat said that the DOT is optimistic that tourism workers in destinations like El Nido, Palawan will be prioritised in the government’s vaccination programme, after medical frontliners and senior citizens.

Google abolishes fees for hotel booking links

By Pamela Chow

March 10, 2021

0

Hotels can now have booking links listed on Google at no charge, as the search giant announces that it is eschewing paid links in favour of “organic” price comparison – a development that strengthens Google’s standing in the metasearch space.

Prior to this update – announced by Google’s vice president, product management, Richard Holden – hotels and OTAs had to pay to list bookable room rates on its price-comparison metasearch platform, Google Travel.

Holden (right): Switch to organic, free booking links for hotels on Google will boost booking confidence

Starting this week, hospitality players will be given two new slots for booking links under the “Overview” tab in Google Travel, in addition to a maximum of four paid ad slots. These paid links will also appear under the “Prices” tab, in addition to an unlimited number of organic and free booking links from eligible partners. The organic links are based on pricing and availability information fed from the hotel.

Holden explained that this change will give consumers “more confidence in making decisions about booking”. He explained: “Users will find that they’ll have more confidence in the product over time, because they believe that they’re seeing all the offers (available). That, in turn, will benefit our partners, from small hotels to large OTAs.”

This development joins another change in Google’s metasearch product made in January last year, when it stopped charging airlines for direct booking links within the Google Flights price-comparison feature. The same update was made to the listing of shopping products this year.

“We’re going to see a strong need for the industry to connect with consumers, going forward. We see this as a great opportunity to make it available to any player in the ecosystem (who are) looking for ways to efficiently reach consumers coming out of a very trying period,” expressed Holden.

Last December, Google also rolled out its Travel Insights platform, which provides data-driven analytics about travel demand and consumer booking trends. This serves as a fountain of knowledge that hotels, travel companies and governments can tap on to understand where the potential for travel is re-emerging, said Holden.

HKTB preps tourism recovery plan

By TTG Asia

March 10, 2021

0

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has committed HK$1.138 billion (US$146.6 million) to a series of short-term, as well as medium- to long-term plans, over the next financial year to prepare for the recovery of tourism and the resumption of international travel.

The short-term strategy will focus on encouraging back international visitors to Hong Kong as soon as possible. When borders reopen and global travel resumes, HKTB will launch Open House Hong Kong, a campaign designed to restore visitor arrivals through tactical offers and exclusive experiences.

HKTB will partner cities in the Greater Bay Area to revitalise Hong Kong’s tourism sector

In the medium- to long-term, HKTB is conducting a holistic review of Hong Kong’s tourism brand and positioning. Following the resumption of travel, HKTB will launch large-scale promotions through multiple channels including digital platforms in key source markets, as well as media and tour operator co-ops to present Hong Kong’s reinvented tourism image.

In addition, HKTB will develop multi-destination partnerships with cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), such as Macau and Guangzhou, to enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as the gateway into mainland China and build on the GBA tourism brand.

The two-phased approach to the plan will complement the ongoing initiatives to support the travel trade, cruise and MICE industries, as well as maintain Hong Kong’s international exposure.

HKTB executive director, Dane Cheng, said: “Despite the start of vaccinations against Covid-19 worldwide, the pandemic situation remains volatile and unpredictable. We consider it unlikely Hong Kong will see a full resumption of cross-border travel in the next three to six months.

“However, we do expect it to be possible for Hong Kong to welcome tourists from selected markets.”

He added: “In formulating our strategies for 2021/22, we focused on two major areas. Firstly, we saw a need to offer support to the trade and boost the ambience in Hong Kong, while ensuring the city’s continued exposure on the international stage ahead of the resumption of international travel.

“Secondly, we anticipate competition for tourists will be intense once the pandemic is over, with rival markets going to great lengths to bring visitors back. The HKTB is therefore setting aside resources for large-scale promotions so that Hong Kong will stand out against competing destinations.”

One-third of destinations globally shut to tourism: UNWTO

By TTG Asia

March 10, 2021

0

The emergence of new Covid-19 variants has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease travel restrictions, with recent data from the UNWTO showing that one in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism.

Total closures to tourists are most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.

Total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia-Pacific and Europe; *Prague* in *Czech Republic pictured*

The UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report provides a comprehensive overview of the regulations in place in 217 destinations worldwide. While previous editions had shown a movement towards easing or lifting restrictions on travel, the latest report shows that the persistent seriousness of the epidemiological situation has caused governments to adopt a more cautious approach.

As of the beginning of February, 32 per cent of all destinations worldwide (69 in total) are completely closed for international tourism. Of these, around just over half (38 destinations) have been closed for at least 40 weeks. At the same time, 34 per cent of worldwide destinations are now partially closed to international tourists.

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Polilikashvili said: “Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution. Their use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.”

The ninth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report shows that regional differences with regards to travel restrictions remain. Of the 69 destinations where borders are completely closed to tourists, 30 are in Asia and the Pacific, 15 are in Europe, 11 are in Africa, 10 are in the Americas, and three are in the Middle East.

At the same time, the UNWTO research also indicates a trend towards adopting a more nuanced, evidence and risk-based approach to implementing travel restrictions. Growing numbers of destinations worldwide now require international tourists to present a negative PCR or antigen test upon arrival and also provide contact details for tracing purposes. Indeed, 32 per cent of all worldwide destinations now have the presentation of such tests as their main requirement for international arrivals often combined with quarantine, while the same amount have made tests a secondary or tertiary measure.

The Travel Restrictions Report also notes how different governments are issuing advice to their own citizens. Analysis of the top ten tourism source markets currently advising against non-essential travel abroad found they generated 44 per cent of all international arrivals in 2018. UNWTO notes that advice issued by governments will play a crucial role in the restart and recovery of tourism in the weeks and months ahead.

Tokyo 2020 may be closed to overseas spectators

By Kathryn Wortley

March 9, 2021

0

There may not be any overseas spectators at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games when the high-profile sporting event takes place this year in the Japanese capital, as fresh Covid-19 cases continue to present themselves and anti-hosting sentiment grows among the Japanese public.

Games organisers are now mulling the tough decision, and a conclusion is expected by March 25 ahead of the start of the Japanese leg of the torch relay. However, officials with knowledge of the planning have told domestic media that “practically, the course has already been set”.

Tokyo 2020 may only welcome an audience of Japan residents

Speaking anonymously, they reported that organisers are unlikely to admit overseas spectators, citing difficulties globally in suppressing Covid-19.

The new chief of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, Seiko Hashimoto, added to speculation that the Games might be open only to Japan residents with her comments at a news conference.

She said: “We would really like people from around the world to come to a full stadium, but unless we are prepared to accept them and the medical situation in Japan is perfect, it will cause a great deal of trouble, including for visitors from overseas.”

The prospect of welcoming international visitors to Tokyo to the opening ceremony in four months’ time has become more troublesome in recent days, with the slowdown in the decline of Covid-19 cases in the capital. The number of new daily infections has showed little change since February 21, with an average of 200 to 300 reported cases each day.

In response, the government has extended a state of emergency for the greater Tokyo metropolitan area until March 21. The order was initially placed on the Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures on January 7 for one month, before being extended to March 7.

Announcing the extension, prime minister Yoshihide Suga said: “I believe a two-week extension is necessary to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people.”

Athletes participating in the Games will be allowed to enter Japan this month following the lifting of the state of emergency. They will not be required to undergo quarantine but must restrict themselves to their accommodation and sports venues.

Trip.com, Shangri-La expand product offering for customers

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2021

0

Trip.com Group and Shangri-La Group have extended their partnership, bringing in more diversified products, services and benefits for travellers.

The agreement is said to be a new milestone for both companies, as they continue to work together to grow international business as well as cementing their presence in regional markets.

China World Summit Wing Beijing, one of the many properties under Shangri-La Group

Both companies have laid out plans to benefit mutual guests through enriched offerings and rewards, with one of the initiatives being the granting of Shangri-La Golden Circle Programme access to 300 million-plus Ctrip high-end members.

Shangri-La customers will also benefit from Trip.com Group’s rich range of services, from transportation ticketing to corporate travel management.

Accor picks up fresh properties in Vietnam

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2021

0

Accor has deepened its partnership with owner Novaland with three new hotel signings in Vietnam, with plans for seven more in the future.

The latest additions are the 248-room Mövenpick Phan Thiet and 250-room Novotel Phan Thiet within NovaWorld Phan Thiet, as well as Mövenpick Ho Tram, a 209-room hotel at Wonderland – NovaWorld Ho Tram, a complex under development by Novaland.

Novotel Phan Thiet will sit within the NovaWorld Phan Thiet complex, among a plethora of entertainment facilities

All three hotels will feature a range of recreational, wellness and F&B facilities, while Novotel Phan Thiet and Mövenpick Ho Tram will offer venues for meetings and events.

Currently under development, the NovaWorld Phan Thiet complex is a 1,000-hectare project on the Tien Thanh coastline. It will comprise a theme park, a waterpark, a 16-hectare ocean park with a marina, 36-hole golf course, a 7,000-seat events stadium, a 3,500-seat tennis court, a marathon track, a mall, food courts, a hospitality school, an international village, a senior centre and over 20 resorts managed by international operators such as Accor.

The NovaWorld Ho Tram complex spans 1,000 hectares along a 30km coastline from Loc An to Binh Chau.

The latest signings are part of Accor’s strategic development plan to expand into emerging destinations, introducing world-class hospitality brands for both domestic and international travellers. Accor will manage a further seven properties in the newly developed complexes by Novaland in Binh Thuan, Ba Ria Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City.

“Following on from the launch of Mercure Vung Tau and ibis Styles Vung Tau last year, we are extremely pleased to further develop our partnership with Novaland and look forward to leveraging our global distribution capabilities and extensive experience to successfully introduce the Novotel and Mövenpick brands to NovaWorld Phan Thiet and NovaWorld Ho Tram. With their untouched natural beauty, both destinations are very promising and have the potential to be the most visited coastal areas in the country,” said Garth Simmons, CEO, Accor Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea.

The hotel company now has 35 hotels in Vietnam and a strong pipeline of committed projects across the country.

Arabian Travel Market goes hybrid this year

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2021

0

An in-person Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will return this year to the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 16 to 19, followed by a virtual event a week later to reach an even wider audience.

Now in its 27^th year, ATM 2021 will bear theme, A new dawn for travel and tourism, and focus on the current state of the industry as well as what the future holds. Event content will also discuss emerging trends in travel and tourism, and how innovation can drive the industry forward.

The last in-person Arabian Travel Market was hosted in 2019, and it will return this May to Dubai

Supporting ATM’s theme, a recent Colliers report, MENA Hotel Forecasts, estimates that 2021 will be a year of recovery, based on the assumption that hotel performance across the region is already improving. Major destinations such as Dubai and Cairo are leading the way with estimated full year 2021 occupancy levels of 68 per cent and 65 per cent respectively.

They were closely followed by Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Muscat and Amman, with average occupancy of 58 per cent, 56 per cent, 51 per cent, 48 per cent, and 45 per cent respectively.

Overall, average year-on-year growth of the 20 destinations researched was 47 per cent.

Expressing confidence in the industry’s recovery based on vaccine progress, Danielle Curtis, ATM’s exhibition director ME, said: “Last week, Pfizer released the first reading of its Phase-3 trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine, announcing that it was more than 90 per cent effective in preventing the coronavirus, based on interim data analysis.

“If approved by the US Food & Drug Administration, Pfizer estimates it can roll out 50 million doses this year and up to 1.3 billion in 2021, enough to vaccinate almost 675 million people. So, we are confident that by May next year, we will be on the threshold of a new dawn for our industry.”

Both ATM 2021 and ATM Virtual are part of the wider Arabian Travel Week. Debuted in June last year, ATM Virtual was said to be a success, drawing 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries and facilitating 11,301 prescheduled one-to-one meetings and 23 live video sessions. Overall, webinars had more than 24,000 views over the course of three days.

Curtis believes that maintaining a virtual event element this year would allow more industry professionals from around the world to join in the activities, especially at a time when not all travel restrictions are off the table.

The Arabian Travel Week includes International Luxury Travel Market 2021, and Travel Forward, the travel technology vertical. ATM will also be partnering with Arival on a series of webinars aimed at tour operators and destination managers.

Buyers Forums will be established for key source markets such as Saudi Arabia, India and China, while a virtual digital influencers’ speed networking session, a hotel summit and a responsible tourism programme will also be held.

The in-person event will adhere to all health and safety guidelines, and will provide a touchless and seamless delegate experience.

SIA to pilot IATA Travel Pass this month

By TTG Asia

March 9, 2021

0

Passengers travellers from Singapore to London from March 15 to 28 will be part of Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) pilot trials for the IATA Travel Pass mobile application for digital health verification.

This is the second phase of SIA’s digital health verification process trials, which is based on the IATA Travel Pass framework.

Passengers on Singapore Airlines’ flights between Singapore and London this month will get to participate in an IATA Travel Pass trial

Passengers with Apple iOS devices will be invited to download the app and create a digital ID with a photo and passport information. They have the option of also including their flight information.

They can then book a pre-departure Covid-19 test at any of seven participating clinics in Singapore via an online portal, and register at the clinic using the digital ID and flight information in the app.

Passengers participating in the trial will need to show their confirmed status in the app to the check-in staff in Changi Airport before flight departure. In line with current regulatory requirements, they will also need to bring a physical copy of their health certificate that is issued by the clinic where they took their Covid-19 test.

If successful, the pilot will pave the way for the integration of the entire digital health verification process into the SingaporeAir mobile app from around mid-2021, again using IATA’s Travel Pass framework, noted the airlines in a press statement.

The airline will work closely with its partners in Singapore and around the world in the facilitation of these trials, and towards the eventual restoration of a seamless travel experience for its customers.

JoAnn Tan, SIA acting senior vice president for marketing and planning, said: “The first phase of the trials helped to support SIA’s drive towards a secure and convenient industry standard for the verification of Covid-19 test results, and the health status of passengers including their vaccination status in the future.

“This gives us confidence that in the second phase, we can further streamline the verification process for eventual integration into SIA’s mobile application. This will help to provide a hassle-free digital solution for our customers in the new normal, and bring about a more seamless travel experience.”

Malaysia restarts interstate travel between RMCO states

DOT works to boost resiliency of El Nido

Google abolishes fees for hotel booking links

HKTB preps tourism recovery plan

One-third of destinations globally shut to tourism: UNWTO

Tokyo 2020 may be closed to overseas spectators

Trip.com, Shangri-La expand product offering for customers

Accor picks up fresh properties in Vietnam

Arabian Travel Market goes hybrid this year

SIA to pilot IATA Travel Pass this month

Tried and Tested

Knai Bang Chatt by Kep West

What to Buy Now

All aboard for a heritage train experience