Ananda in the Himalayas has promoted Mahesh Natarajan to chief operating officer.
In his new role, Natarajan will drive Ananda’s brand, business vision and goals, as well as lead wellness strategy, product development, research and innovation. He will also lead the international expansion of Ananda’s footprint and extend the company’s deep expertise in wellbeing into new brands and strategic developments.
Since 2008, Natarajan has been leading brand, marketing, sales and business development of IHHR Hospitality, the company behind Ananda in the Himalayas.
With over 25 years of experience in brand and marketing, sales and business development, Natarajan has worked in strategy consulting (Accenture), fast-moving consumer goods (Procter & Gamble and Perfetti) and hospitality (Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Ista Hotels). He also founded and managed a tech-marketing start-up for creating CRM solutions for B2C industries.
KC Cheah, CEO and founder of Alpha Red Services, tapped his strong background in airline distribution and insights into travel agency operations to realise a new business opportunity in airline distribution which had traditionally relied heavily on global distribution systems.
Over the years, the growth of the Internet and technology has made direct distribution more cost-effective for airlines. But while it works well in the home market, Cheah noticed that it is much more expensive in overseas markets due to marketing costs of the airline brand and the direct distribution channel.
KC Cheah
Thus was born Alpha Red Services, a B2B air travel content aggregator which Cheah set up in 2016. He described his company as “value-adding” to the air travel industry, where its cloud-based technology platform, T-Commerce Gateway (TCG), offers airlines easy access to overseas markets through OTA partners. He saw that their strong localisation features and customer stickiness were very good alternatives to distribution through the airline’s own direct channels.
At the same time, OTAs benefit by having easy access to all available airline content via a single format and connection, thus, providing them with an efficient means of accessing multiple airline content.
Cheah’s business has taken off, despite headwinds. Last year, while the pandemic led to the collapse of global air travel, TCG still managed to rake in RM7.9 million (US$1.9 million) in gross booking value transactions. Although this marked a drop compared to the RM8.7 million in 2019, Cheah is happy with the results as 2020 was largely a pandemic year.
This year, Cheah is projecting a whopping RM36.04 million in gross booking value transactions, as it anticipates the resumption of air travel in Asia-Pacific where TCG has a strong network, alongside its plans to integrate with more airlines from beyond the Asia-Pacific region.
Cheah shared: “We are currently serving 13 airlines in Asia-Pacific and two airlines in Europe – British Airways and Condor. We are looking at adding three airlines from Asia-Pacific, three from the Middle East and six airlines from Europe in the next 12 months.
He further said that from the pandemic’s onset, the company has been operating in “a lean and mean manner”, while adding more airlines into its content pool.
“To further serve anticipated demand and recovery on global air travel, we are equipped and well-positioned financially after the recent completion of a fairly successful equity crowdfunding exercise,” he added.
Cheah shared that the funds are mainly to be used as working capital as the company broadens commercial partnerships with airlines and supports the onboarding of more OTA partners.
Besides growing demand and supply for higher conversions, the company will also be working on big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to increase conversion of sales.
“We were serving more than 20 million searches a day prior to the pandemic. This has given us the big data for analysis on the demand and supply of the airline content by region, by route and by channel, among others. (Based on) the analysis, we utilise AI to make the right and prompt decisions on our offers to achieve better conversion,” said Cheah.
Alpha Red Services is among a select group of companies from across the Asia-Pacific region recently chosen to join the Highway to a 100 Unicorns, a Microsoft initiative to empower start-ups with mentoring, technology and access to enterprise clients.
Quest Apartment Hotels has signed an agreement to lease an 83-room apartment hotel on Wellington Street, Collingwood, slated for a November 2022 opening.
Construction on Quest Collingwood Apartment Hotel is scheduled to commence on July 1, 2021, and the property will form part of a 10-storey, mixed-use commercial project by Melbourne developer Centreland Group.
Quest Collingwood is scheduled to open in November 2022
Set to occupy eight floors of the project, Quest Collingwood will offer a mix of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, guest front of house, conferencing facility for up to 80 people, business lounge and gym.
There will also be an additional two levels of office space, a ground level café and two levels of basement parking within the build.
KKday Singapore has launched a series of virtual tours and interactive online courses, ranging from river cruises to DIY clay jewellery making courses and visits to Erawan Shrine.
“The recent Phase 2 Heightened Alert may have dampened many spirits, especially for parents and kids for the upcoming June school holidays. Hence, we aim to shift the focus towards virtual offerings to provide them with unique and fun virtual experiences while staying safe at home,” Weichun Liu, co-founder, KKday, said.
Experience a sky lantern release in Taiwan from the comfort of your home via live-stream
Erawan Shrine(available every Monday till June 30, 2021)
During this live-stream, KKday’s Bangkok-based guides will present your written prayers and purchased offerings to the Four-Faced Buddha at Erawan Shrine. This will be followed by a traditional dance performance.
Taiwan’s Sky Lantern Release(now till June 30, 2021)
Launch a sky lantern into the sky with your wishes on it via live-stream. Materials used for the lanterns are eco-friendly, so burning does not cause pollution.
Nara Deer Park(available in July 2021)
Catch a glimpse of the famous deers and Sarusawa Pond in Nara Park, marvel at the five-storey pagoda of Kofukuji Temple and tour round Higashimuki Shopping Street.
Dotombori River Cruise(available in June and July 2021)
Visit Osaka’s most popular nightlife and entertainment district and see the iconic Glico Man on this guide-led virtual cruise down the Dotomburi river.
DIY Clay Jewellery Making Virtual Course(till June 18, 2021)
Learn the art of clay jewellery making at your own pace, with unlimited access to this virtual workshop. Free materials will be provided.
Brush Lettering Course(till June 18, 2021)
Explore the art of brush lettering with an experienced instructor who will give a step-by-step demonstration. Learn online at your own pace with unlimited access to this course. Free materials are provided.
Floral Embroidery Hoop Art Online Course(till June 22, 2021)
Challenge your creativity and relax your senses while mastering the art of embroidery. Learn online at your own pace and enjoy unlimited access. Free materials will be provided.
Taiwan Chia Te Bakery Milk Cake or Sun Cake Gift Bag
Savour Taiwan’s iconic confections from the award-winning Chia Te Bakery. Choose from the all-time favourite Sun Cake or the Milk Cake, and have them directly delivered to you in Singapore.
The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has proposed to the government the possibility of setting up a green lane that will facilitate the entry of foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The green lane will make it easier for fully vaccinated travellers to visit the country for leisure as quarantine rules are being relaxed with the progress of the vaccination worldwide.
The Philippines may soon allow entry to fully-vaccinated travellers as the government looks to reopen the economy; a quiet Boracay amid the Covid pandemic pictured
Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said: “The green lane will pave the way for the reopening of our tourist destinations to leisure travellers who are now fully vaccinated. It will give the jobs back to many of our tourism workers and gradually revive the tourism industry under safe conditions.”
DOT’s proposal follows the move by several countries to open up their major destinations to fully vaccinated foreign travellers.
Romulo-Puyat said: “We must keep pace with our neighbours and the rest of the world in slowly reopening our tourist destinations. We must be ready for the visitors when the whole world is ready to safely travel again.”
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has tasked the DOT and several other agencies of the government to explore protocols for inbound international travel for fully vaccinated individuals.
Headed by the DOT and the Department of Foreign Affairs, a small working group has been formed to evaluate the possibility of implementing green lanes and formulate protocols therefor.
The group also includes the Bureau of Quarantine under the Department of Health, the Bureau of Immigration under the Department of Justice, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Transportation, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration under the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Trade and Industry.
UNWTO has signed a MoU with Google to collaborate on harnessing the power of innovation, education, data and market intelligence to drive a sustainable and inclusive recovery for global tourism.
The new MoU builds on past cooperation between the UN specialised agency for tourism and Google, and comes as destinations in some parts of the world look to restart their tourism engines.
UNWTO-Google partnership to lead global tourism’s recovery via innovation, education, and market intelligence
Notably, the two organisations will host trainings for DMOs, using a new Capacity Building Curriculum developed by Google. These sessions will empower destinations to switch to digital, with the training adapted to reflect their specific circumstances and the unique challenges every destination currently faces.
The new Capacity Building Curriculum will also complement existing joint initiatives, and a data sharing agreement for Google’s Travel Insights to power a portion of the UNWTO’s tourism recovery tracker.
Alongside this, the Tourism Accelerator Program, designed by Google in partnership with UNWTO, will also be scaled up globally. A pilot programme launched across EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) in 2020 showed the value of working with policymakers to put digital at the heart of their tourism recovery plans and the benefits of upskilling DMOs so they can make effective use of data and market intelligence.
The partnership will go beyond empowering destinations and businesses during the immediate recovery phase. Under the agreement, Google will provide ongoing support for a number of UNWTO’s leading initiatives, including Startup Competitions designed to promote and support innovation across the sector.
UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The strong partnership between UNWTO and Google will help put innovation and digital at the centre of tourism’s recovery. By working together, UNWTO and Google will empower destinations, businesses and tourism workers to realise the power of data and market intelligence, both increasingly important as global tourism looks to restart and recover.”
Looking ahead, UNWTO and Google will also collaborate on joint research projects related to tourism, providing governments, destinations and businesses with the data and insights to guide tourism towards recovery.
Japan may be forced to endure a longer pandemic-induced state of emergency beyond May 31, as current measures fail to show sufficient decline in Covid-19 infections.
The country recorded 4,045 new cases on May 22, down from 7,521 new cases on May 12, the peak number recorded this spring. The average daily rate, however, is not significantly below that recorded before the state of emergency declaration on April 23, when 5,014 new cases were recorded.
Japan’s government may extend current state of emergency from May 31 to June 20; local tourists walking along a street in Kyoto, Japan amid Covid-19 lockdown pictured
Initiated to curb a Covid-19 surge related to Golden Week, a series of consecutive national holidays in early May, the emergency measures at first covered Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo: four prefectures home to one quarter of Japan’s 126 million people. Large events were banned, commercial facilities covering more than 1,000m² were asked to shut, teleworking was encouraged and eateries were required to close by 20.00.
Now, the Japanese government is considering a longer state of emergency, which has already been expanded in scale (to include seven more prefectures), accounting for 40 per cent of Japan’s prefectures and 70 per cent of its population.
According to a top government spokesperson speaking Sunday, the government is considering either extending the state of emergency from May 31 to June 20 or scaling back emergency measures in only some areas to quasi-emergency measures.
Government Covid-19 advisory panel member Keiichiro Kobayashi told NHK: “If the government hastily lifts the declarations, that would lead to a rebound (in the number of cases) and put a major brake on the economy.”
In addition to placing anti-infection measures on residents, the Japanese government has tightened its already rigorous travel bans, increasing the number of countries and regions covered by travel restrictions to 159.
In the past week, Japan banned entry to foreign nationals who have recently travelled to India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Saint Lucia, East Timor and Mongolia.
Trip.com Group has donated 400 oxygen concentrators to its industry partners and local organisations in India to help the South Asian country tackle oxygen equipment shortages amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The first shipment of 125 medical oxygen concentrators has already arrived with industry partners in India, while the further 275 oxygen concentrators will arrive to local government and NGO partners in the coming week.
Trip.com Group donates 400 oxygen concentrators to India to provide support amid the Covid-19 crisis
Over the past few months, new Covid-19 cases have surged in India. As a result, the Indian medical system has been heavily burdened with huge numbers of patients and inadequate supplies of critical medical equipment, including oxygen concentrators.
Trip.com Group chairman James Liang said: “The pandemic has given people a deeper understanding of the importance of community and collaboration as we look towards a positive shared future. Covid-19 is a challenge that we all need to overcome. It is increasingly necessary to strengthen cooperation, support each other, and work together in the fight against the virus.”
Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, added: “We are doing everything we can to provide immediate and direct support for people at risk of Covid-19 in India. We urge all businesses in the travel industry to collaborate and help where possible, to protect communities and individuals and make greater contributions to the recovery of the global travel sector.”
Cross Hotels & Resorts has commenced the construction of the 102-key Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station, a joint venture with Italmar (Thailand) signed in 2019.
The new property will join Cross Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit to mark the second Cross Vibe property owned by Italmar (Thailand).
Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station is slated to open in 4Q2022
As its name suggests, Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station is located only steps away from the Udomsuk BTS Skytrain station which will become the interchange station of the Light Rail Train system’s Bangna – Suvarnabhumi Airport line.
Slated to open in 4Q2022, Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station will offer a connection area, co-working space, business centre, lifestyle café, fitness centre and rooftop pool.
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has signed MoUs with China’s International Medical Exchange & Cooperation Committee (IMECC) and Hangzhou Rende Maternity Hospital, in an effort to improve the patient experience for healthcare travellers from China to Malaysia.
Both partnerships will encourage knowledge exchange between MHTC and IMECC and Hangzhou Rende Maternity Hospital, respectively, through a series of virtually conducted Continuous Medical Education (CME) sessions, whereby Malaysian and Chinese healthcare experts will explore and discuss industry best practices and healthcare matters.
MHTC signs partnership with China’s International Medical Exchange & Cooperation Committee (IMECC) and Hangzhou Rende Maternity Hospital, as part of its long-term growth strategy
Additionally, the partnership with each respective entity will also open doors for patients from China to seek safe and trusted treatment options with MHTC members through virtual consultations.
MHTC CEO, Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, said in a press statement that the partnerships will ensure that healthcare travellers from China “benefit from a more holistic patient journey experience which offers continuity of care with excellent pre- and post-care services”.
Malaysia is an increasingly preferred healthcare destination for medical travellers from China, particularly since the country has been positioned regionally as the Fertility Hub of Asia and has experienced a 300 per cent increase in demand for fertility treatments between 2011 and 2016, according to an MHTC statement.
By the same token, Malaysia has also been positioned as the Cardiology Hub of Asia, being home to highly reputable cardio health institutions which have achieved many breakthroughs in the field of cardiology. Moving forward, Malaysia will also be showcased as the Cancer Centre of Excellence.
Quest Apartment Hotels has signed an agreement to lease an 83-room apartment hotel on Wellington Street, Collingwood, slated for a November 2022 opening.
Construction on Quest Collingwood Apartment Hotel is scheduled to commence on July 1, 2021, and the property will form part of a 10-storey, mixed-use commercial project by Melbourne developer Centreland Group.
Set to occupy eight floors of the project, Quest Collingwood will offer a mix of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, guest front of house, conferencing facility for up to 80 people, business lounge and gym.
There will also be an additional two levels of office space, a ground level café and two levels of basement parking within the build.