Indonesia unveils Covid-19 screening tool to support safe travels

February 26, 2021

Indonesian tourism stakeholders have welcomed the launch of GeNose (Gadjah Mada Electronic Nose) C19, a Covid-19 detection tool, which will help facilitate safe travel.

The rapid test can analyse breath samples using artificial technology and detect the Covid-19 infection within two minutes. GeNose C19 was invented by science researchers at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, who began the research in 2008 with the initial aim of developing a tool that can detect tuberculosis.

Accor’s Adi Satria (far right) receiving the first GeNose C19 device from minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, while Ministry of Research and Technology’s Mego Pinandito looks on

The tool was first launched and deployed at major railway stations in Jakarta on February 2, and the Ministry of Transportation has announced that Covid-19 screening for airline passengers using the device will be available by April.

Speaking at the launch of the tool for the travel-related industries in Jakarta last week, Bambang Brodjonegoro, minister of research and technology/head of National Research and Innovation Agency, said that GeNose C19 has an accuracy of between 93 and 95 per cent, and is a more comfortable and less invasive way of testing for Covid-19 compared to throat and nasal swabs.

Additionally, the tool is portable so it can be used at any public spaces. Costs for doing the GeNose C19 test is also relatively affordable at between 15,000 rupiah (US$1.07) and 20,000 rupiah per test. In comparison, an antigen and a PCR test – a current requirement to travel – costs 250,000 rupiah and one million rupiah, respectively.

“This device is not only suitable for tourist attractions, but also places where people meet like offices, markets and factories,” Bambang said.

At the launch event, a host of travel-related associations from airlines to retail signed a letter of support committing to the usage and promotion of the GeNose C19 in their respective sectors.

On the occasion, Accor Asia Pacific (AAPC) Indonesia also signed an MOU with the Ministry of Research and Technology not only for the use of GeNose 19, but also the promotion of research and innovation products, to support the national economic recovery.

AAPC Indonesia has ordered 100 pieces of GeNose 19, and Adi Satria, senior vice president operations and government relations, Accor Indonesia and Malaysia, said the tool would be made available at Accor hotels in Indonesia, to benefit both guests and the hotel staff alike.

As regular testing for all its employees are part of the new norm, Adi said that using GeNose C19, a more cost-effective mode of testing for Covid-19, will help the company “save operational costs”.

Angela Tanoesoedibjo, vice minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, said that her office will make its best efforts to implement GeNose 19 screening on a large-scale basis in tourist destinations and attractions, to support the safe resumption of tourism activities.

Meanwhile, Salman Anwar, chairman of the Jakarta Tourism Forum, expects that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will set aside a budget to help industry stakeholders invest in the device. He also hopes that the regional and city governments will ease regulations for venues which implement such screenings to organise events.

Discova sets sights on Asia with new sales team

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2021

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Discova has formed a dedicated sales team who will focus on Asia both as a source and destination market, as it gears up to seize domestic and regional travel opportunities in the region.

The team located in various markets across Asia will be serving Discova’s partners and their travellers based in the region.

As part of Discova’s focus to serve domestic travellers, it has expanded its product portfolio in key Asian markets, including launching a new graffiti tour in Kampong Glam in Singapore

Andrew Turner, director of sales at Discova, said: “Discova is deeply rooted in Asia. We have been operating in Asia for over 25 years and have helped thousands of travellers from all around the world discover this amazing region. It is only natural that we are now expanding to serve partners and their travellers based in Asia. We believe Asia offers a great potential both from a domestic and regional tourism perspective.”

With domestic travel paving the way for tourism’s return, Discova has been expanding its product offering in key Asian markets including Thailand, Singapore, and Japan to meet growing domestic tourism demand.

For example in Singapore, Discova has launched a new graffiti tour, offering Singaporeans the opportunity to rediscover the trendy Kampong Glam neighbourhood. Visitors are taken to the street art of the area by local graffiti artists and invited to draw graffiti on designated walls.

“Even though we sometimes sell our products directly to domestic travellers like expats in Thailand, we are primarily a B2B business and as such, we are focusing on serving domestic travellers through our partners,” said Turner.

The newly appointed Asia sales team is also gearing up to seize intra-Asia tourism opportunities when borders reopen in the region.

Turner explained: “Before Covid hit, our intra-Asia travel business was growing, and we believe this trend will be amplified in a post-vaccine world. Asia-based travellers will most likely avoid long-distance trips and prioritise short-haul flights and close destinations they are already familiar with. We want to tap into this growing market working together with our Asia-based partners.”

Having organised programmes in partnership with local schools and universities in Asia for international students from Australia, Europe and the US, Discova is now expanding its educational travel offering to Asia-based international schools and universities for Asia-based students.

“Asia-based international schools and universities are looking for opportunities to participate in community development projects in the region as part of their students’ curriculum. Thanks to our long-standing relationships with our communities across Asia, we are able to respond directly to the needs of those educational organisations,” said Turner.

As well, Discova is expanding its offering for corporates, including employee incentive or employee engagement activities.

Turner explained: “With employees encouraged to work remotely, there is growing demand from corporates in the region for employee engagement initiatives or activities which will bring people back together. Each initiative is tailor-made; we often engage directly with the human resources department of the company to build the employee engagement activity based on their requirements.

“Our focus on domestic and intra-Asia travel is part of our long-term growth plan in the region. It is particularly exciting because it encourages us to create new products for customers who are particularly savvy, having first-hand knowledge of the destination and the region they live in. Our domestic and intra-Asia travel products are very inspiring and will certainly appeal to international travellers when borders reopen.”

TripAdvisor tracks traveller sentiment with new analysis tool

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2021

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A new live data intelligence dashboard launched by Tripadvisor will allow destination marketers to gauge travellers’ sentiment towards destinations and travel, in order to drive their recovery strategies.

Powered by Tourism Sentiment Index, the offering is part of Tripadvisor’s wider suite of data intelligence products for DMOs, known as the Tripadvisor Insights Platform. The live dashboard provides clients with essential word-of-mouth insights about destinations, combining Tripadvisor’s each and traveller behaviour insights with Tourism Sentiment Index’s sentiment technology.

Tripadvisor launches live sentiment dashboard to support global tourism recovery

The Tripadvisor Insights Platform is a collection of measurement and insights tools intended to help partners in the travel and tourism industry manage their media campaigns and overall recovery activities. The solutions use Tripadvisor’s wealth of user behaviour data to measure performance, uncover competitive insights and track how destinations, accommodations, attractions and restaurants are performing over time.

The new sentiment dashboard for DMOs uplevels the service offering of the Tripadvisor Insights Platform by providing clients with daily actionable intelligence, using insights from across 50 tourism touchpoints – including air access, accommodations and attractions. The dashboard’s analytics are drawn from real-time conversations, across half a million platforms, including Tripadvisor.

Sentiment towards destinations and travel contribute to an overall score that reveals a destination’s popularity versus competitors, enabling them to update campaigns, product offerings and messaging faster and more effectively.

The sentiment dashboard also includes a crisis analysis module that tracks the impact of the pandemic in locations around the world by revealing emotional reactions to categories such as health services, government and economics.

“Recovery in the wake of Covid-19 is key this year. The Tourism Sentiment Index will equip DMOs with critical information and actionable insights that will allow them to better understand their travellers and the global landscape, resulting in more targeted and strategic marketing and media placement decisions”, said Sarah Mathews, Group Head of Destination Marketing APAC at Tripadvisor.

“Being able to put the right message out to the right traveller at the right time will give DMOs an advantage in campaign planning and execution, all with the goal of bringing the world back to travel safely.”

Staybridge Suites to debut in India come 2023

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2021

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IHG Hotels and Resorts has signed a management agreement with NR Greenwood Construction to debut its extended stay brand, Staybridge Suites, in India.

Expected to open in 1Q2023, the Staybridge Suites Bengaluru Thanisandra will sit in the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, Bengaluru, which is also recognised as the second fastest-growing major metropolis in the country.

The Staybridge Suites brand offers amenities such as a fully equipped kitchen in suites, a dedicated outdoor space, daily complimentary hot breakfast, and an evening social event three nights a week.

Targeting both business and leisure travellers, Staybridge Suites Bengaluru Thanisandra will offer 170 suites featuring kitchenettes, a pair of meeting rooms, a 300m² dining room, a business centre and a gym.

Malaysia Airlines to roll out digital travel health pass

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2021

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Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has plans to introduce the Digital Travel Health Pass to help streamline its passengers’ travel journey, in the latest effort by the airline to instil post-pandemic travel confidence.

The health pass, which will be integrated with the MAS mobile app, will allow passengers to easily make appointments with certified medical partners to carry out a Covid-19 RT-PCR test or include their Covid-19 vaccination certificate on their mobile phones.

The travel health pass is part of Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to provide safe travels to its passengers

In addition, passengers can verify their travel eligibility with the airline before their travels, making them aware and informed of the constantly developing travel policies worldwide.

The Digital Travel Health Pass will incorporate some modules of the IATA Travel Pass that have been developed on the basic principle to allow travellers to be in control of their journey while travelling around the world.

With that, passengers will be able to create a digital passport, verify their test/vaccination requirements and status, and share their “OK to Travel” status with the relevant authorities. This digital ID on the App will pave the way for MAS’ passengers to eventually take advantage of contactless technology options throughout the travel processes.

As part of the airline’s efforts to provide safe travels to its passengers amid the pandemic, the travel health pass is the one-step solution in ensuring all passengers can travel safely while maintaining that all the necessary precautions are taken in limiting the spread of the virus. Creating a contactless journey with travel documents stored securely on the platform, passengers will enjoy a safer, end-to-end seamless travel experience.

MAS said that it is working closely with the relevant authorities to roll out the health pass, with more details to be revealed “in the coming weeks”.

Fresh Covid spike thwarts Japan’s domestic air travel rebound

By Kathryn Wortley

February 26, 2021

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Japan’s domestic airlines have scaled back flight plans so far this year in response to the country’s third wave of Covid-19 infections.

In January and February, Japan Airlines (JAL) operated about 50 per cent of its normal domestic schedule, while All Nippon Airways (ANA) ran one- to two-thirds of its flights.

Third Covid wave forces Japan Airlines to halve capacity on domestic flights this and last month

The move is further evidence that the country’s domestic flight rebound is being hampered by spikes in virus transmission, according to data from the Centre of Aviation.

In 2020, monthly domestic passenger volume in Japan dipped from almost 9 million in January to about 7.5 million in February, as news began to unfold about the novel coronavirus. It then plummeted to less than 1 million in May, marking a drop of 93 per cent year-on-year, the result of a freeze on international travel and a state of emergency declaration asking residents to stay home as much as possible from April 7 to May 6.

Since May, the number of domestic passengers per month rose sharply to exceed 2.5 million in July. Growth remained stagnant through August, the period of Japan’s second wave of infections, before reaching almost 5 million passengers in October, the last month for which data is available.

Japanese airline domestic capacity rate, too, appears related to the spread of Covid-19 in Japan. Following an initial plunge in March and April 2020 corresponding with the stay-at-home request, domestic capacity began to recover in June 2020, reaching more than 2.6 million seats. But this growth was lost in August, when a second wave of infections pushed capacity down to less than 2 million seats.

With the July 22 launch and subsequent promotion of Go To Travel, the government-sponsored domestic travel subsidy campaign, capacity began to recover. JAL and ANA announced plans to operate at about 85 per cent of their pre-pandemic schedule in December 2020, but the arrival of a third Covid wave and the suspension of Go To Travel on December 28, hurt the airlines again. Over the New Year period, JAL reported a 52 per cent reduction in domestic bookings year-on-year, while ANA reported a 58 per cent decline year-on-year.

Global airlines to continue burning cash through 2021: IATA

By TTG Asia

February 25, 2021

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The airline industry is expected to remain cash negative throughout 2021, according to new analysis by the IATA, overriding a previous forecast that airlines would turn cash positive in the fourth quarter of 2021.

At the industry level, airlines are now not expected to be cash positive until 2022, IATA said in a statement.

Airlines could burn through US$95 billion in cash this year, says IATA

Estimates for cash burn in 2021 have ballooned to the US$75 billion to US$95 billion range from a previously anticipated US$48 billion.

Factors that play into this estimate include a weak start for 2021, with it being evident that 1H2021 will be worse than earlier anticipated, due to governments tightening travel restrictions to combat new Covid-19 variants.

Forward bookings for summer (July-August) are currently 78 per cent below levels in February 2019 (comparisons to 2020 are distorted owing to Covid-19 impacts).

From this lower starting point for the year, an optimistic scenario would see travel restrictions gradually lifted once the vulnerable populations in developed economies have been vaccinated, but only in time to facilitate tepid demand over the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere. In this case, 2021 demand would be 38 per cent of 2019 levels. Airlines would burn through US$75 billion of cash over the year. But cash burn of US$7 billion in 4Q would be significantly improved from an anticipated US$33 billion cash burn in 1Q.

In the pessimistic scenario, airlines would burn through US$95 billion over the year. There would be an improving trend from a US$33 billion cash burn in 1Q reducing to US$16 billion in 4Q. The driver of this scenario would be governments retaining significant travel restrictions through the peak northern summer travel season. In this case, 2021 demand would only be 33 per cent of 2019 levels.

“With governments having tightening border restrictions, 2021 is shaping up to be a much tougher year than previously expected,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO.

“Our best-case scenario sees airlines burning through US$75 billion in cash this year. And it could be as bad as US$95 billion. More emergency relief from governments will be needed. A functioning airline industry can eventually energise the economic recovery from Covid-19. But that won’t happen if there are massive failures before the crisis ends. If governments are unable to open their borders, we will need them to open their wallets with financial relief to keep airlines viable.”

Erawan Group marches on with APAC expansion

By Suchat Sritama

February 25, 2021

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Thai hotel developer Erawan Group is set to expand its portfolio in Thailand and overseas, with the aim of becoming the leading budget hotel operator in Asia-Pacific by 2025.

As part of a five-year plan (2021-25), the group targets to raise the number of its Hop Inn hotels in Thailand to 100 from the current 46, which will bring the total room count from 3,600 to more than 7,200.

Erawan Group plans to double the number of Hop Inn hotels in Thailand within the next five years

At the same time, the group has finalised deals to double its portfolio in the Philippines from five to 10 hotels, adding 937 rooms to the existing 843. The new properties will be situated in Cebu, Ortigas, Davao, Iloilo and North EDSA. An additional five new projects are underway.

Erawan Group’s president Petch Krainukul said the budget hotels will serve mainly the respective domestic markets, ahead of the large-scale return of international guests, which he predicts will not manifest until 2023.

Hop Inn holds bright prospects: Its only major rival in Thailand is the B2 Hotel brand, while it ranks among the top three players in the Philippines’ budget hotel sector.

Shifting its focus to overseas markets is the fourth phase of the group’s growth plan set into motion since 2016, following a focus on the luxury segment (before 2005), diversifying into other brands (2005-10), and moving into budget including the creation of Hop Inn (2011-15).

Besides Thailand and the Philippines, the group is also eyeing opportunities to acquire properties in other countries as well as seeking to raise three billion baht in capital to drive expansion.

In 2020, the group logged an accumulated loss of 1.71 billion baht (about US$57 million) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Budget hotels like Hop Inn are predicted to recover ahead of other segments. While the group’s major luxury flagship hotels including Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, JW Marriott Bangkok and Renaissance Koh Samui Resort and Spa have been suffering from the decline of international visitors, its economy and budget segments have seen improvements.

ANA trials autonomous buses at Haneda Airport

By Kathryn Wortley

February 25, 2021

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Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) is eyeing the implementation of autonomous buses at Tokyo Haneda Airport by 2025, following a successful series of trials carried out this month.

Driverless buses are a central part of the airline’s vision for a “Simple and Smart” airport of the future, which ANA says can be achieved through widespread application of sustainable autonomous technology.

ANA is the first airline in Japan to trial autonomous buses

Masaki Yokai, senior vice president of ANA, said that use of the buses, which are powered by electricity rather than gasoline, will “result in fewer emissions and decreased carbon footprints at airports”. The company, he added, is “optimistic that (the completed trials) will give us the information we need to continue improving these technologies.”

The trials were carried out from February 1–12 in collaboration with Softbank’s Boldly mobility initiative, Advanced Smart Mobility and BYD Japan. Autonomous buses were used to transport almost 60 airport employees at any one time. Routes were limited to Terminal 2’s restricted area, where aircraft and cargo vehicles are located.

The technology allowed dispatchers to monitor the progress of the buses in real time and receive feedback to evaluate the journey at all times. Cameras displayed multiple views of the road and environment around the bus as well as the vehicle’s interior. A remote monitoring system was also used to manage bus departures and the opening or closing of bus doors, a first for ANA.

The February tests are the latest in a series of efforts by the airline to experiment with autonomous vehicles, which began in February 2018. They follow the successful trial of an autonomous towing tractor and automated baggage loader at Kyushu Saga International Airport from September 28 to October 5, 2020.

ANA says its next step is to test driverless buses to transport passengers, which is expected to be carried out in 2021.

Full recovery for APAC hotel demand not until 2023

By TTG Asia

February 25, 2021

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Asia-Pacific’s hospitality sector is predicted to take on a V-shaped recovery, with a return to 2019 levels expected in 2023, according to Colliers International’s recently-released Hotel Insights 1Q2021 report.

Govinda Singh, executive director, head of hotels & leisure, Asia, commented: “The global economic outlook is expected to improve by 2H2021, with travel to rebound over the next three years to at least pre-Covid-19 levels. We anticipate some caution in the near term as borders reopen and the mechanism to facilitate mass travel is formalised between governments; nevertheless, we are of the opinion that travel will return.

Singapore hotels to remain attractive to investors, with the outlook remaining positive and pricing firm

“There will be changes and more emphasis on factors such as hygiene, but our inherent wanderlust, relatively cheap cost of travel and pent-up demand will drive our prediction of a V-shaped recovery for the sector over the next three to four years.”

While Melbourne hotels are expected to benefit from domestic demand in the near term, new supply may dampen performance of existing properties.

In 2019, Melbourne hotels performed at high levels, recording year-round occupancy levels of 84.2 per cent. In 2020, however, in line with the rest of Australia, performance was affected by Covid-19, with hotels operating at half the occupancy levels of the previous year’s figures and demand predominantly from those undertaking the mandatory quarantine period in hotels and a small proportion of intrastate leisure demand.

The extent of new supply to enter the market in 2021 is anticipated to affect existing hotels’ ability to recover. Melbourne city currently has the largest hotel development pipeline in Australia, with 19 hotels currently under construction, totalling over 4,800 new rooms (11 hotels of which are due to open in 2021). This is in a current market of 130 hotels with approximately 19,600 rooms. Hotel projects under construction that are scheduled to proceed include the Ritz Carlton, Shangri-La and Next Melbourne.

Gus Moors, head of hotels, valuation & advisory services, Australia, commented: “Melbourne has a great track record of absorbing supply in the past, and its strong event calendar, excellent domestic demand profile and extensive infrastructure projects position the city to emerge strongly as the economic recovery takes hold.”

Singapore hotels are expected to remain attractive to investors, with the outlook remaining positive and pricing firm, buoyed by the resumption of MICE activities.

The Singapore government has been actively promoting various tourism initiatives that should drive visitation in 2021, including the business travel lane, which allows corporate and diplomatic travellers to skip quarantine on arrival, and the launch of the Air Travel Pass Program, which allows leisure tourists to apply for travel to Singapore without undergoing the 14-day quarantine period. In addition, the World Economic Forum recently announced its plan to host its annual meeting in Singapore in August 2021, which would be a boost to Singapore’s MICE and hospitality sector.

Colliers expects investment interest in Singapore hospitality assets to remain, underpinned by sound hotel fundamentals. Planned new attractions and infrastructure projects scheduled between 2021 and 2030 – including the expansion of the two integrated resorts and Great Southern Waterfront – bode well for future visitation and, combined with the relatively low level of new room supply anticipated over the near term, this should continue to underpin hotel fundamentals over the medium term. Hotel projects expected to proceed include Pullman Singapore, Banyan Tree Mandai, Artyzen Cuscaden, Mondrian Duxton Hill and Club Street.

While green lanes for business travel are slowly emerging, investors are still on the lookout for high-value quality assets, with significant pricing adjustments making listed entities prime targets for M&A opportunities.

The most liquid markets were South Korea, China, and Japan, while markets such as Singapore and Malaysia saw little investment sales during the quarter. With international travel restrictions in place, markets with large domestic investment bases continue to have an advantage during times of challenged cross-border investment, as Tokyo and Seoul maintain their top positions.

Colliers expects investment activity to gain pace in the coming months as investors move to take advantage of any opportunities that will emerge, although cautious sentiment and stricter underwriting remain key given the evolving Covid-19 situation, coupled with economic volatility and uncertainty.

The land-based casino industry was one of the most hard-hit sectors globally. Recovery in 2021 will vary across Asian destinations, although all should witness some recovery, with most from 3Q2021. Colliers expects Macau and Cambodia to lead the way, with Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam lagging behind.

Gaming markets with high local visitation will lead the recovery. Premium mass will drive the recovery in Macau, whilst the VIP segment will lead Cambodia’s. As governments across the region grapple with the effects of Covid-19, many are turning to integrated resorts to generate revenue and employment, a trend that is expected to continue. Once not thinkable, even Thailand is considering development of a gaming sector.

Indonesia unveils Covid-19 screening tool to support safe travels

Discova sets sights on Asia with new sales team

TripAdvisor tracks traveller sentiment with new analysis tool

Staybridge Suites to debut in India come 2023

Malaysia Airlines to roll out digital travel health pass

Fresh Covid spike thwarts Japan’s domestic air travel rebound

Global airlines to continue burning cash through 2021: IATA

Erawan Group marches on with APAC expansion

ANA trials autonomous buses at Haneda Airport

Full recovery for APAC hotel demand not until 2023

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