New hotels: W Chengdu, Quest Preston, and more
W Chengdu, China
Owned by KWG Group Holdings, W Chengdu is situated within Chengdu’s Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and marks W Hotels’ debut in South-west China. The hotel offers 297 guestrooms and suites, including the Extreme Wow Suite – the brand’s modern interpretation of the traditional presidential suite – featuring 368m² of flexible space with a sculptural bar and lounge area.
W Chengdu serves up a variety of F&B options. The Living Room offers crafted cocktails and tantalising bites, while Yao Yen features a Cantonese and Sichuan menu paired with fragrant regional teas. Elsewhere, all-day diner Zing showcases South-east Asian flavours, while rooftop patio Spark offers party packages including wine and spirits as well as regular sessions with DJ talent. Wellness amenities are a spa, and a gym which includes a 115m² Pilates studio alongside an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi. The hotel also offers more than 2,600m² of flexible meeting spaces spanning over two floors, including The Great Room featuring a 1,200m² pillarless space.
Quest Preston, Australia
Quest Apartment Hotels has opened its newest property Quest Preston, marking the company’s third opening this year and 42nd property in Melbourne. Developed by longstanding development partner, Pellicano, Quest Preston is centrally located on High St in the boutique retail and café precinct. The hotel comprises 35 studio apartments, 32 one-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bedroom apartments – all of which include fully equipped kitchens and in-room laundry facilities. Guests can also make avail of the on-site gym and conference facilities, alongside 24-hour reception service, local chargeback dining, pantry shopping service and valet dry cleaning.
DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila Rajawarna Resort, Sri Lanka
Uniquely situated within the Weerawila Bird Sanctuary which is home to over 400 species of birds, the newly-built, three-story, 78-room resort is owned by KDU Adventures and joins Hilton Colombo and Hilton Colombo Residences as the third hotel to be managed by Hilton in the country. All guestrooms are equipped with a 49-inch HDTV with entertainment hub, Wi-Fi, king or twin bedding, terrace or balcony, and rain shower.
Five F&B venues are on offer at the resort. Guests can savour a wide variety of cuisines at Spoonbill, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant, tea lounge and barbeque grill; or dig into an array of seafood at the rooftop restaurant Redshank. A trio of bars also promise to please: Turnstone, the main bar; Hornbill, the pool bar and lounge, and rooftop bar Nightjar.
Wellness facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre, a 75m-long outdoor swimming pool, yoga terrace, rooftop wellness spa, karaoke lounge and Tea Jar by the Lake. The resort also features over 929m² of meeting space, including the 723m² pillarless Grand Ballroom that can accommodate up to 600 guests in a wedding setting.
Fortune Park, Dalhousie, India
Fortune Hotels has opened its maiden property in the hill town of Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. Set in the lap of the mighty Himalayas, Fortune Park Dalhousie is the hospitality group’s fourth alliance in the state. The property features all-day-diner Zodiac, plush bar Neptune, a lounge, spa, gym, an activity zone and an indoor heated swimming pool. Additionally, the upscale hotel also encompasses a meeting room and two banquet halls – with a capacity to host up to a combined 200 guests.
Oakwood Suites Yokohama, Japan
Oakwood Suites Yokohama marks Oakwood’s first international serviced apartment brand in the Japanese port city, and its 12th property in Japan. The 175-unit property is the second serviced apartment asset owned by Mapletree in Japan. Occupying the 46th to 51st floors of The Kitanaka Yokohama Tower, studios to three-bedroom residences are on offer, each fully-equipped with a kitchenette, washer and dryer. Facilities include a residents’ lounge, 24-hour fitness centre and restaurant.
Sri Lanka trade opposes move to amend Tourism Act
The Sri Lanka government’s plans to amend the Tourism Act of 2005 which governs tourism in the country by amalgamating four state institutions involved in tourism into one agency has been met with strong opposition from industry players.
In his presentation of the 2021 budget in parliament last week, Sri Lanka prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the country’s finance minister, said the government planned to bring four existing institutions relating to tourism under the proposed Tourism Promotion Authority.
“The existence of separate institutions to fulfil various but interconnected roles has become a major impediment in implementing collective development activities and has led to the incurring of additional expenditure,” he explained, without providing further details.
The four institutions are the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (both of which are chaired by Kirmali Fernando), the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, and the Sri Lanka Hotel School. Private tourism associations are represented on all the boards of these state institutions.
Sanath Ukwatta, president of the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), said the proposed amendment to the Tourist Act has not been discussed with industry players. “Our contention is that any changes should only be made after a consultation with the industry,” he added.
Also in opposition of the proposal is the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO). In a statement, the association – which takes credit for generating more than 60 per cent of overseas visitor arrivals – said that its members were unanimous that there was no need to change the Act which has resulted in the betterment of the tourism industry.
It said the 2005 law came into effect with the objective of developing the tourism industry to meet the international standards and to promote the destination with an effective marketing strategy under a private-public partnership, with SLAITO, THASL and the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka identified as the three apex bodies.
Given that the government currently collects a hefty sum through the imposition of the Tourism Development Levy on industry players, SLAITO noted that the current Tourism Act eases the financial burden on the government when it comes to promotional expenditure as the levy collected is being used for destination marketing.
Other industry officials said there were fears that the tourism associations would get marginalised and risk losing representation on these bodies if all the state institutions were to be combined into a single entity.
Sri Lanka’s airport and seaports have been closed to tourists for several months now due to the pandemic. Discussions are underway to reopen the airport to tourism under a phased programme in January 2021.
Guangzhou leads strong China hotel development pipeline
China’s hotel construction pipeline continues to remain robust in 3Q2020 amid Covid-19 headwinds, despite trending slightly down from a peak in the previous quarter, according to analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE).
In the latest China Construction Pipeline Trend Report, analysts at LE report that China’s total hotel construction pipeline remains robust at 3,409 projects (634,119 rooms), up one per cent by projects and rooms year-over-year. These project and room counts are, however, down slightly over peak 2Q2020 totals, which were the highest seen in China during this lodging real estate development cycle.
There are currently 2,208 projects (405,530 rooms) under construction in China, down year-over-year 13 per cent by projects and eight per cent by rooms. Like last quarter, projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months experienced another quarter of substantial year-over-year increases of 85 per cent by projects and 44 per cent by rooms, to stand at 746 projects (122,014 rooms).
These year-over-year highs in the next 12-month stage are attributed to a record number of pipeline projects within the upscale, upper midscale, and midscale chain scales. Projects in the early planning stage stand at 455 projects (106,575 rooms), up six per cent by projects and one per cent by rooms year-over-year. In 3Q2020, China opened 185 new hotels totalling 23,605 rooms.
Guangzhou leads China’s pipeline with 137 projects (26,615 rooms), followed by Chengdu with 131 projects (26,064 rooms). Next is Shanghai at 125 projects (23,296 rooms), then, Wuhan with 101 projects (13,899 rooms) and Xi’an with 95 projects (16,882 rooms).
Franchise companies topping China’s construction pipeline are Hilton Worldwide with record totals of 535 projects (107,848 rooms); InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), also recording all-time high project and record counts with 424 projects (90,906 rooms); and Marriott International with 336 projects (90,333 rooms). Next is JinJiang Holdings with 250 projects (25,127 rooms) and AccorHotels with 201 projects (34,655 rooms).
Hilton Worldwide’s top brands are Hampton by Hilton, at an all-time high, with 325 projects (50,100 rooms). Hilton’s second-largest brand, also at an all-time high, is Hilton Garden Inn with 68 projects (15,653 rooms). IHG’s leading brand in China is Holiday Inn Express, at a record count, with 205 projects (34,785 rooms) and then Holiday Inn, with a record number, at 69 projects (17,184 rooms).
Marriott International’s top brands are Marriott Hotel & Resorts with 67 projects (20,150 rooms) and Fairfield Inn with 47 projects (7,219 rooms). Another noteworthy brand for Marriott is Four Points Hotel, which is at a peak for projects and rooms count in China with 37 projects (11,048 rooms). Leading brands for JinJiang Holdings are 7 Days Inn with 106 projects (8,341 rooms), followed by Vienna Hotel with 75 projects (7,394 rooms). AccorHotels’ leading brands are the Ibis brands with 79 projects (8,341 rooms), and Mercure Hotel with 57 projects (9,407 rooms).
According to research by LE’s market intelligence team, hotel construction projects in most major cities have resumed as the country continues to maintain control of Covid-19.
Malaysian healthcare providers take consultations online to reverse medical tourism slump
Malaysia’s medical travel sector is turning to tele-consultation and digital services to provide continuity in foreign patient care as travel restrictions suppress medical tourist arrivals and dent hospital revenue.
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) CEO, Sherene Azli, anticipates a 70 per cent reduction in hospital receipts to between RM500 million (US$122.3 million) and RM600 million by this year-end – a shadow of 2019’s performance. Last year was a record-breaking year for Malaysia’s medical tourism sector, with some 1.3 million medical traveller arrivals on record, making the country the top destination for medical tourism in the world.
Nadiah Wan, CEO, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara and group CEO of TMC Life Sciences, explained that medical tourism arrivals were reduced due to tight border controls and travel restrictions that have also translated into stricter government requirements that medical travellers have to abide by as well as complex logistics and safety measures that medical facilities must undertake.
Speaking on the Collaboration for an agile future in healthcare travel panel during the insighHT2020 virtual conference organised by MHTC, Nadiah added that the pandemic has also altered the profile of medical tourists to Malaysia. Prior to the pandemic, Thomson Hospital used to receive customers mainly from South-east Asia seeking fertility treatment, which is an elective procedure. Today, medical travellers are approaching the hospital for critical procedures such as brain or cardiovascular surgeries.
Fellow speaker, Ronald Koh, president/CEO, Penang Adventist Hospital, said the pandemic and travel crisis have put private hospitals in Penang, a top medical tourism destination in Malaysia, on “survival mode”.
To reverse the slide in foreign customers, Penang Adventist Hospital has invested in digital solutions to allow doctors to conduct tele-consultations with patients who are unable to travel to Penang for treatment, as well as to prescribe digitally, receive virtual payments and deliver medicines to the homes of foreign patients.
Stanley Lam, CEO of Mahkota Medical Centre in Melaka, noted a mindshift among doctors who have learnt to adapt and use online platforms for tele-consultations.
On its part, MHTC is helping to drive a rebound in the industry through a three-prong strategy: aggressive publicity and branding campaigns showcasing Malaysia’s excellence in healthcare while at the same time building trust and new partnerships; providing support and facilitating end-to-end infrastructure including the adoption of digitalisation; and thirdly, building Malaysia as a thought leader in medical tourism.
Building back better
What is the future of travel? At this very moment last year, my vision of the future was one of abundant travel opportunities, made possible by convenient air services, some of which at affordable price points, that allow anyone to travel anytime. More destinations are opening up for tourism, fresh hotels are springing up in exciting destinations, and the growing presence of specialised tour and activity suppliers that present destinations in new light also serve to inspire travel and encourage exploration of new places.
Who would have guessed that the travel landscape would change so drastically this year because of a single virus? I would never have imagined travel to become so inaccessible, that only business-critical trips may be permissible, that costly and invasive swab tests are compulsory for travellers to be cleared for take-off, and that one may need to jump through more hoops to secure a travel visa and government-issue entry approval.
Travel and tourism for one and all who can afford it – in terms of time and money – no longer exists.
While the absence of travellers is a relief for communities struggling with overtourism, it has also provided a sobering realisation that we cannot do without tourism, for it touches many aspects of our life in positive ways – as an employer, a consumption stimulator for other industries, a supporter of community development, and a contributor to conservation efforts.
Can we rise from the ashes as responsible and appreciative travellers who make every trip count for something? Or, as professionals in the travel and tourism trade, ensure our work leaves a legacy for the communities we touch?
In these early days of tourism recovery, the answer seems promising. Hospitality players are partnering small businesses and communities within and beyond the tourism space to rebuild demand together and help each other ride out the storm.
Tours and activity operators are arousing interest in community-based tourism – even if only as an answer to safe distancing needs of travellers today.
So, even as initial travel demand seems to be mostly driven by convenient resort locations or the best deal in town, and not so much for meaningful and sustainable purposes, travel and tourism suppliers can be the heroes we need to move us towards a virtuous rebound.
A consistent move towards sustainable and responsible travel needs to start with programming, by ensuring that featured activities and contractors support host destinations, communities and local conservation efforts in some form.
Travel and tourism can build back better and stronger, and it is up to us to make that happen.
Karen Yue is group editor of TTG Asia Media. She sets the editorial direction for the company’s stable of travel trade titles and platforms, and produces content for them as well.
IATA to bid goodbye to DG Alexandre de Juniac
International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, will step down from his role effective March 31, 2021.
In line to take over De Juniac’s role is Willie Walsh, former CEO of International Airlines Group. He was recommended by the IATA Board of Governors at the 76th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 24 to become IATA’s eighth director general from April 1, 2021.
De Juniac commented: “I did not come to this decision lightly. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the global air transport industry – what I call the business of freedom – as the head of IATA. Over the last years IATA has strategically increased its relevance as the voice of the global airline industry. This has been evident in the COVID-19 crisis. IATA has set the course to restore air connectivity amid the pandemic with systematic pre-departure testing. We are well into preparations to fulfil critical vaccine distribution needs.
“In parallel, we have restructured IATA to survive the crisis and be ready to support the industry recovery. We have a motivated team that is determined to get the job done. The building blocks for an industry recovery are in place, and now is the right time to hand over IATA’s leadership for the long process of recovery.”
He joined IATA in September 2016 from Air France-KLM, where he was chairman and CEO.
Carsten Spohr, chair of the IATA Board of Governors and CEO of Lufthansa, said: “Alexandre has led our industry in extraordinary times. Under his leadership, IATA has become a stronger and an even more relevant organisation.
“I am also pleased that we are able to present a very capable candidate to the 76th IATA AGM to succeed Alexandre in this important role. I am convinced that Willie will be a great director general for IATA.”
Macau rolls out e-learning programme for Indian agents
The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) in India has kicked off the Macao Specialist Program for travel agents, allowing the destination bureau to maintain engagement with trade partners and provide them with useful product updates.
Each varied module in the online learning programme is designed to ensure that the agents are well equipped with accurate information to promote Macau as an ideal destination for Indian travellers, and to create interesting itineraries.
Upon completion and passing of each module, agents will be certified as a Macao Specialist.
TTG is getting a new home
TTG Asia Media is relocating its Singapore head office, effective November 30, 2020.
It will now be located at The Alpha, 10 Science Park Road, Singapore Science Park II, #03-11, Singapore 117684.
Main office line will remain unchanged, with auto attendant assistance to route calls to various departments.
Meanwhile, editorial communications can continue to be directed to ttgnewsdesk@ttgasia.com.
The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood debuts with three properties
Oakwood has launched The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood with a landmark signing that brings three properties into the new brand portfolio.
The new brand, which targets independent travellers, allows for a curation of independent properties that retain their unique positioning yet leverage Oakwood’s hospitality management expertise and distribution network. It will strengthen the company’s market potential through distinctive residential spaces that celebrate individualism.
The signings with 8M Real Estate will grant Oakwood management rights to three iconic heritage properties in Singapore’s key architectural conservation precincts, namely KeSa House, Ann Siang House and Wanderlust, with the first of these expected to open in 1Q2021.
“Oakwood is dedicated to continuous innovation and evolution with a guest-first approach. Recognising that travel decisions reflect the lifestyle and identity of our discerning owners and guests, we are excited to launch The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood and extend greater accessibility to partners on a journey towards the curation of diverse experiences. The debut of The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood alongside our inaugural partnership with 8M Real Estate symbolises the dawn of a new era in the serviced apartment industry as we celebrate individualism together,” said Dean Schreiber, interim CEO of Oakwood.
“This exciting new partnership with Oakwood allows us to leverage their expertise in hospitality management and brings a global distribution network to deliver flexible living residences for locals and travellers alike. The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood allows all three properties to retain their unique characteristics and identities which we have passionately designed and developed over the past few years.” said Ashish Manchharam, founder and CEO of 8M Real Estate.
Singapore is pressing forward with a prototype for hybrid events that can accommodate up to 250 pax in person, including overseas visitors, made possible with safe itineraries, rapid antigen testing and a strict cohort system.
The prototype was launched yesterday (November 25) at TravelRevive, a joint event organised by Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and ITB Asia from November 25-26.
TravelRevive is the first hybrid travel tradeshow to take place in Asia-Pacific amid Covid-19, and is expected to see close to 1,000 delegates on-site across both days, including 65 foreign delegates from 14 countries.
On top of the polyamerase chain reaction (PCR) test that international attendees had to undergo upon arrival, they also took a new rapid antigen test before the event that delivered Covid-19 diagnoses within 30 minutes.
Speaking at the event, Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s minister of trade and industry, said: “We are not waiting for a vaccine to arrive, nor are we waiting for the Covid-19 pandemic to blow over. Instead, we are establishing foundations now to get started on a journey to reinvent and rebuild (the MICE) industry.”
Features that have been spun into this new hybrid event format include a blend of physical conferences and virtual broadcasts, an online meeting diary for delegates, as well as exclusive experiences such as a private museum tour and a private tepee dinner in Night Safari.
The shift towards digitalisation of MICE events and the reinvention of leisure experiences were “already present prior to Covid-19”, remarked Chan. He observed that businesses had begun to revaluate the need to travel for routine meetings, and travellers were starting to consider more environmentally friendly travel experiences.
“The outbreak of Covid-19 has driven (another) need: health security and physical comfort. Whoever can ensure visitors’ health security in a faster and better way will gain a competitive advantage. Singapore recognises this, and has every intention to lead in this area,” he described.
Chan also stressed that Singapore is adopting a “risk management approach instead of a risk elimination approach”, as it is “unable to tap on a large local population or domestic sector”.
Going forward, various industry stakeholders will roll out a series of products to reinforce safety measures for the leisure travel and MICE industries. For instance, Changi Airport Group is developing a safe travel concierge, which provides visitors a checklist of requirements before entering Singapore and helps business delegates remain in their event cohort.
Other protocols in the works, such as a combination of PCR testing on arrival and periodic antigen tests, usage of the TraceTogether app for contact tracing, and more will be detailed in the Events Industry Resilience Roadmap by SACEOS, STB and Enterprise Singapore.
Chan said: “We hope that such protocols will be accepted and adopted by more countries. This will allow all of us to have a shared protocol (that can) reduce the need for a long-term quarantine period that is really disrupting business travel.”
In addition, during the event, the STB inked three MoUs which it said are a “boost to the MICE industry in Singapore” and signal international event organisers’ confidence in Singapore “as launchpad for regional expansion”.
The first is a one-year MoU that the Infocomm Media Development Authority and STB have signed with B2B event organiser Informa Tech to launch a new international technology event in Singapore. Slated for the second half of 2021, the event will bring together governments and businesses in the infocomm, media and tech ecosystem to discuss topics related to innovation and digital transformation in the tech sector.
STB said the partnership will “help to deepen Singapore’s position as a thought leader in the digital space and provide a platform for the discussion of new ideas, policies and regulations”.
The flagship tech event will also allow Singapore to tap on new and existing international networks, as well as leverage Informa’s industry knowledge, expertise and networks to further create and grow new best-in-class events in Singapore, it added.
Secondly, the STB has also signed a a three-year MoU with Fiera Milano, one of the world’s leading exhibition organisers, to establish a South-east Asia Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in Singapore.
The new office will be Fiera Milano’s first South-east Asian headquarters, and will make them the first Italian professional exhibition organiser to set up its RHQ in Singapore. It will also serve to deepen Fiera Milano’s presence in South-east Asia, providing greater support in the region. The collaboration is also set to strengthen commercial relations between Italy/Europe and the South-east Asian region.
Lastly, under a one-year MoU inked with STB, Messe Munich will establish its South-east Asia RHQ in Singapore, as part of the trade fair company’s plans to grow its presence in the region. The partnership will also see Messe Munich creating new anchor events in Singapore.
By bringing both Fiera Milano and Messe Munich into Singapore, STB said that it will also leverage their existing network of events, hosted fairs, and exhibitors to launch high-quality international tradeshows that appeal to both South-east Asian and international audiences.