James Cook University’s (JCU) Singapore Tourism Studies Group and Singapore Business School have partnered Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) to lead exchanges between industry and academic institutions for the integration of intellectual ideas and professional practice, with the first panel on April 30 focusing on the role of luxury tourism in industry recovery.
The discussion will centre on luxury travellers’ contribution to a sustainable tourism industry recovery
Daniel Andre Langer, principal of Equite, will kick off the morning session with a presentation on the Survey of Luxury Travelers & Covid 19, and a discussion will follow with industry leaders – Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts; Gabor L Vida, managing director of Rosewood Washington DC; Kelly Bricker, director of parks, recreation, and tourism, The University of Utah; Randy Durband, CEO of Global Sustainable Tourism Council; and Karen Yue, group editor of TTG Asia Media.
Panellists will examine current luxury tourism demand and trends, and discuss the possibility of this niche segment being the solution to a sustainable tourism industry recovery.
It will be moderated by Frances Kiradjian, founder and chair of BLLA.
The panel discussion, from 08.00 to 09.15 Singapore time, is free to attend, and registration can be made here.
A crop of hotels in Bangkok have been converted into “hospitels” – makeshift hospitals to accommodate Covid-19 patients – following the recent surge in infections after the Songkran festival.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said the “hospitel” idea was initiated by THA, Ministry of Public Health and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to deal with the shortage of beds at government and private hospitals.
Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit is one of the hotels in Bangkok that have converted into a “hospitel”
The move is aimed at accommodating local Covid-19 patients, unlike the government’s alternative state quarantine (ASQ) programme which is designed for arriving foreign visitors to serve their mandatory self-isolation at government-accredited hotels.
The latest Covid-19 spike comes after locals travelled across the country to celebrate the major national Songkran holidays from April 12-15, with Bangkok recording the most number of infections among the provinces.
Local media reported that at least nine hotel operators in Bangkok have turned their guestrooms into “hospitels”, including Malaysia Hotel (100 beds), Ozone Hotel @ Samyan (40 beds), Rattanakosin Hotel (150 beds), Indra Regent Hotel (455 beds), Sinsiri Ramintra Hotel (69 beds), Chiva Hotel (75 beds), Synsiri Hotel (52 beds), and Cheer Hotel (200 beds).
It has also been reported that a few more hotels are awaiting approval to join the scheme within this week. Prior to that, their properties will be accessed to evaluate if they meet the medical requirements, and they must also receive permission from their neighbours.
Staff at hotels turned into “hospitels” will receive mentorship and guidance from medical frontliners at public and private hospitals such as Phyathai Hospital, Paolo Hospital, and BDMS Group of hospitals.
Meanwhile, UHG Group, a hotel and real-estate developer which operates many mid-scale hotels, is offering beds and amenities to be used at field hospitals in Bangkok.
Correction: The original post had used a photo of Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, which is erroneous. Pullman Bangkok Hotel G is not part of the “hospitel” programme; Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit is. A correction has been made.
Staycationers who book a stay at Fairmont Singapore or Fullerton Hotel Singapore via KKday are in for a sweet treat, as the online travel platform has partnered The Elly Store to offer guests exclusive staycation bundles that come complete with Disney pyjamas set.Fairmont SingaporeFairmont Singapore
Guests who make bookings for stays at Fairmont Singapore or Fullerton Hotel Singapore from April 22 to June 30, 2021 will receive an Elly Store’s Disney Tsum Tsum Pyjamas Set worth S$246++ (US$185++).
Kkday offers family staycation bundles with The Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum Pyjamas Set
Two exclusive family staycation bundle packages are available at Fairmont Singapore.
The first package for two adults and one kid (S$370++) includes a one-night stay at the Fairmont Singapore, breakfast for two adults and one child, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$187), and a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 12 years old).
The second package for two adults and two kids (S$420++) includes a one-night stay at the Fairmont Singapore, breakfast for two adults and two children, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$246), a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 12 years old), and a one-time entry to Kiztopia for three hours of play across the various zones (two Adult and two Kid tickets).
Two exclusive family staycation bundle packages are available at Fullerton Hotel Singapore.
The first package for two adults and one kid (from S$470++) includes a one-night stay at the Heritage Room, breakfast for two adults and one child below six years old (breakfast charge at S$26 per child per day for those aged 6-11 years old), a S$100 dining credit at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$187), and a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 11 years old).
The second package for two adults and two kids (from S$515++) includes a one-night stay at the Heritage Room, breakfast for two adults and two children below six years old (breakfast charge at S$26 per child per day for those aged 6-11 years old), a S$100 dining credit at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$246), and a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 11 years old).
Malaysian-based WA Hospitality will be making its foray into Sihanoukville with the opening of the 300-key Won Majestic Casino Hotel & Resort Cambodia come 1Q2022.
Won Majestic will mark WA Hospitality’s first property in Cambodia when it opens in 2022
Located steps from the picturesque Sokha beach, the property will feature luxury suites and studio rooms, a swimming pool, gym, three restaurants, guest lounge and a casino.
WA Hospitality had been awarded the management contract to manage the hotel by Cambodian real-estate developer Won Majestic, which has vast experience in the casino business in the region.
Singapore and Hong Kong have called off an announcement planned for Thursday (April 22) on an air travel bubble between the two cities.
It is not clear why the announcement has been delayed, and a new date has not been set, Bloomberg reported, quoting people familiar with the matter. The report also quoted a source as saying that the cancellation was initiated by the Singapore authorities.
Singapore-Hong Kong potential travel bubble hits another snag as Singapore battles fresh Covid-19 cluster
Media reports had earlier reported that Singapore and Hong Kong were finalising the details of the travel bubble, which will exempt travellers from quarantine. Sources had told the South China Morning Post that the Singapore-Hong Kong delayed travel bubble is on track for a mid-May launch, despite the emergence of new virus variants.
The development comes as Singapore faces a new Covid-19 cluster among its migrant worker community that is linked to an imported case.
Japan’s largest travel agency has launched a virtual reality tourism resource that aims to introduce remotely the country’s top destinations, experiences and products amid ongoing pandemic restrictions.
JTB Corporation teamed up with information media provider Fun Japan Communications and cloud service vendor Fixer to create Japan Virtual Platform, which will begin registration of users at the end of this month.
Virtual travellers will be able to tour attractions around Japan using an avatar on JTB’s new VR platform
The initiative is designed to help revitalise Japan’s battered tourism industry as well as regions and local businesses specifically. Initially, JTB will target Japanese users, but its aim is to attract 1.25 million users in Asia and 10 million users worldwide by 2024.
Users will be able to explore various parts of Japan virtually using an avatar. So far, Hokkaido – an area renowned for seafood, dairy products and unspoiled nature – and Tokyo’s sleek Marunouchi district famous for Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace Gardens have been created, with more areas slated for addition on a weekly basis. Users will also be able to interact with others and learn about the history and culture of Japan.
Local businesses and communities will be able to join the platform to promote e-commerce shopping, which JTB expects to be a popular activity among users.
Eijiro Yamakita, president and CEO of JTB, described the platform as a “new exchange mechanism that transcends the boundaries between real and virtual,” at a time when in-person exchanges continue to be “severely restricted” due to the pandemic.
Daisuke Fujii, president and CEO of Fun Japan Communications, said that the platform could “become a bridge between Japan and overseas” that helps to revive Japan’s tourism and local economy. He added that the project has the potential to “create a new trend in Japan and the world” based on “the connections between people”.
Australia is looking at Singapore as its next target for a travel bubble agreement, after its quarantine-free travel bubble with New Zealand took off this week.
The commencement of the travel bubble – the first for both countries – comes more than a year after air links between the two neighbours were suspended due to the ongoing pandemic.
Singapore tops Australia’s list for potential travel bubble partners; Flinders Street Station pictured
First flights under the two-way travel bubble were near capacity, with almost 10,000 people travelling between the two countries on Monday, the day the travel bubble opened, according to a report by The Straits Times.
With the opening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble and the global vaccine rollout, the Australian government is looking to forge similar agreements with other low Covid-risk countries, including Singapore.
Local news outlets quoted Australia’s deputy prime minister Michael McCormack as saying that the government remains “in discussions” with Singapore on a potential travel bubble between the two countries. He also said that discussions with the Singaporean government were in its initial phase, and that Singapore was top of the list for future travel bubbles.
A fresh explosion of Covid-19 cases in India has extended the destination’s road to recovery, upsetting travel and tourism players’ efforts to rebuild both domestic and international business.
The latest wave of infections in early April has impacted almost the entire country, especially in key tourism destinations such as New Delhi and Mumbai, resulting in lockdowns and night curfews. There are now more than 15 million confirmed cases across the country at press time.
New Covid surge derails India’s tourism recovery; CBD of Connaught Place in New Delhi pictured
E M Najeeb, chairman of ATE Group of Companies, which has businesses in travel and hospitality, said the latest development has dimmed future prospects.
“The rising number of Covid-19 cases in India is worrying. We were expecting some green shoots to sprout in international demand beginning September this year, but now the future looks challenging,” commented Najeeb.
Some countries, such as the UK and the US, have responded this week with advisories against travel to India. Both are important source markets for India pre-pandemic, with the UK contributing 9.2 per cent of total international tourist arrivals in 2019 and the North American market holding a share of 17 per cent.
According to a recent ForwardKeys study, North American markets are expected to grow strongly for Indian inbound while markets like Europe are expected to record a decline. However, some Indian tourism players find it too premature to predict a shift in demand pattern.
“The demand that we are seeing from North American markets is mainly from the Indian diaspora,” said Ravinder Kumar, managing director, Indian Legend Holidays, who added that the resumption of tourist visas – presently suspended – is key to the recovery of the inbound sector.
“Restarting of e-tourist visas and reinstatement of scheduled international flights, at least to those countries with which India has travel bubble arrangements, are critical for the revival of Indian inbound market,” echoed Subhash Goyal, chairman of STIC Travel Group.
Currently, India has travel bubble agreements with 27 countries.
Najeeb believes that new tourism source markets will emerge once the pandemic is over. He is placing his bets on the Middle East and Far East, but remains confident that the traditional source markets of the US and Europe will still be important.
He has started engaging counterparts in the Middle East and Far East to gauge the needs of travellers, and has plans to organise familiarisation trips for tour operators based there.
Recovery could also come from niche travel segments, such as wellness and religious tourism.
Arun Anand, managing director of Midtown Travels, told TTG Asia that wellness seekers from the US and Europe would desire India post-pandemic, and they would likely do long-stay programmes.
He also urged Indian destination marketers to focus on Buddhist tourism as a means to rebuilding inbound business.
And with travellers prioritising travel safety and favouring shorter flights, Arun predicts that India will see “good demand” from neighbouring Asian markets like South-east Asia.
The much-delayed travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong is on track for a mid-May launch, despite the latter having confirmed the first Covid-19 infection with a mutant strain in the community.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, insider sources have revealed that details on the travel bubble are set to be released in the coming days. The report also quoted a source as saying that both sides are keen for the plan to materialise as soon as possible.
Singapore, Hong Kong keen to launch delayed travel bubble as soon as possible
The development follows Singapore’s announcement that the stay-home notice period (SHN) for travellers from Hong Kong will be reduced from 14 days to seven days from Thursday (April 22), and they will be allowed to serve their SHN at their place of residence.
Travellers will also be required to take a Covid-19 PCR test upon arrival and another PCR test before the end of their seven-day SHN.
Hong Kong will also shorten the self-isolation period for fully vaccinated visitors from Singapore, requiring them to serve only a seven-day quarantine at a designated hotel, instead of 14, from as early as end-April or early May. Additionally, Singaporean travellers who have not been vaccinated will need only quarantine for 14 days at a designated hotel, as compared to 21 days previously.
Hong Kong travellers who wish to join the travel bubble scheme will have to be fully vaccinated. However, Singapore will not impose the same vaccination requirement for incoming travellers from Hong Kong.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has appointed Joanna Flint to the newly-created role of chief commercial officer.
In this new role, she will oversee the development and execution of the Group’s commercial strategy while also taking executive responsibility for all aspects of Mandarin Oriental’s customer experience.
These responsibilities were originally assigned to chief marketing officer, Jill Kluge, who will retire from Mandarin Oriental in September 2021.
Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Fint spent 12 years at Google in general management and sales leadership roles, most recently as managing director – global partner Business, with responsibility for industry go-to-market and commercialisation for Google’s media and technology partners in Asia Pacific.
Before Google, she was principal consultant at Ogilvy Asia Pacific. This followed a decade in the travel industry-leading global eCommerce, CRM and customer service transformation programmes for Singapore Airlines and British Airways.
Staycationers who book a stay at Fairmont Singapore or Fullerton Hotel Singapore via KKday are in for a sweet treat, as the online travel platform has partnered The Elly Store to offer guests exclusive staycation bundles that come complete with Disney pyjamas set.Fairmont SingaporeFairmont Singapore
Guests who make bookings for stays at Fairmont Singapore or Fullerton Hotel Singapore from April 22 to June 30, 2021 will receive an Elly Store’s Disney Tsum Tsum Pyjamas Set worth S$246++ (US$185++).
Two exclusive family staycation bundle packages are available at Fairmont Singapore.
The first package for two adults and one kid (S$370++) includes a one-night stay at the Fairmont Singapore, breakfast for two adults and one child, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$187), and a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 12 years old).
The second package for two adults and two kids (S$420++) includes a one-night stay at the Fairmont Singapore, breakfast for two adults and two children, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$246), a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 12 years old), and a one-time entry to Kiztopia for three hours of play across the various zones (two Adult and two Kid tickets).
Book online here.
Two exclusive family staycation bundle packages are available at Fullerton Hotel Singapore.
The first package for two adults and one kid (from S$470++) includes a one-night stay at the Heritage Room, breakfast for two adults and one child below six years old (breakfast charge at S$26 per child per day for those aged 6-11 years old), a S$100 dining credit at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$187), and a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 11 years old).
The second package for two adults and two kids (from S$515++) includes a one-night stay at the Heritage Room, breakfast for two adults and two children below six years old (breakfast charge at S$26 per child per day for those aged 6-11 years old), a S$100 dining credit at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, one king-sized bed or two double beds, an Elly Store Disney Tsum Tsum family set of pyjamas (valued at S$246), and a complimentary rollaway bed for children (under 11 years old).
Book online here.