New hotel booking site to clear distressed inventory, aid cashflow

January 26, 2021

A new online hotel booking platform, JustTonite, is launching February 1 out of its Malaysia home base, specialising in same-day, room-only bookings with a late check-in at 18.00.

Unlike other booking platforms, rooms retailing on JustTonite fall into four rate tiers: Platimum at RM200 (US$49.45) nett, Gold at RM150 nett, Silver at RM100 and Bronze at RM50.

JustTonite offers only single-night hotel room bookings with no frills, targeting transient travellers for now

According to Hanley Chew, founder of JustTonite, hotels retailing on the platform are able to choose the tiers they wish to participate in as well as the number of rooms to be allocated for the night. This, along with the one-night-only booking, allows hotels to protect their rates.

“I understand what hoteliers need, especially in these trying times. Besides filling up distressed inventory, they also need immediate payment to ease their cashflow. While hotels are aggressively adopting cost reduction programmes, JustTonite is the platform for them to drive revenue,” explained Chew, who is a hospitality veteran with 28 years of experience, having worked with major brands and companies such as Marriott, Sunway, Berjaya and Theme Attractions Hotels & Resorts.

Prior to establishing his company, JustTonite, Chew headed the hospitality arm of Vietnam’s largest conglomerate, Vingroup, which operates 47 Vinpearl Hotels across Vietnam.

For an extended stay of more than one night, guests will use the same platform to book the next day or choose to book directly with the hotel at their prevailing rate.

“Our platform does not focus on regular room bookings which are available on all OTAs and Airbnb platforms,” Chew added.

The ongoing first phase features hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya – area which are badly hit by travel restrictions. There are plans to include hotels in the rest of the country and to go beyond Malaysia in the second half of the year, revealed Chew.

JustTonite targets transient travellers at the moment. Chew said Malaysians are craving for staycations, daycations and workcations, and have a clear budget for a night’s stay at a hotel.

“In the future, we are also looking at flashpackers or immersive travellers who travel on-the-go and transit in cities,” he said.

EGL Tours axes 120 guides as pandemic lingers

By Prudence Lui

January 25, 2021

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Hong Kong-listed travel agency EGL Tours has laid off 120 tour guides as business activity remains dormant owing to border restrictions during the pandemic.

The layoff accounted for a quarter of its existing workforce, with a total of HK$20 million expected to be paid to retrenched staff.

Hong Kong imposed its first Covid-19 lockdown this past weekend in the Kowloon Area

This marked the second major retrenchment exercise conducted by a Hong Kong travel agency, after Wing On Travel Service sacked 120 staff last December.

EGL Tours executive director, Steve Huen, told TTG Asia that affected employees were tour guides in charge of conducting tours in Japan and longhaul markets.

“Since our business was dormant for almost one year, only 20 of them chose to continue to work, while the rest opted for no-pay leave over the past 10 to 11 months. (The layoff) is a timely move and we hope to help them by offering some cash payouts before Chinese New Year,” Huen said.

Each retrenched worker received an average of HK$160,000 (US$20,600) in severance pay, with long-time employees (i.e those who have spent 20 years with the company) receiving HK$300,000.

“We promise to give them the priority to rejoin the company when the situation improves and business rebounds,” Huen said, adding that no further retrenchment is on the cards.

An agent, who requested anonymity, said that with many agencies downsizing in manpower to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic, it would be tough for agencies to return to pre-pandemic scale when travel recovers, as many agents may have already switched careers by then.

She added that as an independent travel agent, operating costs are “pretty low”, especially given that she is able to share her office space with two other agents after the Travel Industry Council relaxed the rule. She said they were holding out hope for business to improve at the end of 2021.

Bus operators are also suffering the brunt of prolonged border closures. One such company is Chinalink Express Holdings, a subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings, whose fleet of 550 coaches and small vehicles account for nearly 50 per cent of total market supply.

The company, which provides cross-border coach services between Hong Kong and Guandong province, has seen its staff count plunge from 2,000 before the pandemic to 900 since borders were closed.

Managing director Alan Chan lamented insufficient government assistance for coach bus operators. He said: “We have been losing HK$1.3 million on a daily basis, and most operators owe money to the banks, so it would be a big help if the government could set aside HK$200-300 million for us to cover costs for safety, repair and anti-pandemic measures on coaches.

“Currently, more than 1,000 coach buses have been sitting in a government site in Kwai Chung for months and we call it the graveyard for coaches.”

Pacific Princess departs fleet

By TTG Asia

January 25, 2021

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Princess Cruises has sold the Pacific Princess to an undisclosed buyer, as parent company Carnival Corporation looks to accelerate the exit of less-efficient ships from its fleet.

The boutique-style ship first joined the cruise line’s fleet in 2002, and originally entered service in 1999 as R3 for Renaissance Cruises.

The sale of Pacific Princess marks the 18th ship sold by Carnival, which plans to sell a total of 19 ships

Pacific Princess sailed more than 1.6 million nautical miles, and completed 11 World Cruises. In fact, The Love Boat’s “Captain Stubing” and Princess Cruises ambassador Gavin MacLeod was on the ship’s navigation bridge as the ship sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time to kick off the inaugural season sailing to Alaska from San Francisco in May 2003.

In another historic moment, Pacific Princess sailed a throwback cruise on December 3, 2015, recreating the cruise line’s very first itinerary to the Mexican Riviera in celebration of Princess Cruises’ 50th anniversary.

The cruise line said that guests with bookings will be notified, and along with their travel advisors, will receive information on how to book another Princess Cruise when operations resume. Guests can also opt for a refund.

Marriott going strong in APAC

By TTG Asia

January 25, 2021

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Marriott International will be growing its Asia-Pacific footprint with plans to open 100 properties across the region this year.

In 2020, the company celebrated its 800th hotel opening in the region, with 75 properties added to its portfolio during the year. Nearly 27,000 rooms were added to the region’s development pipeline in 2020 alone, in addition to the signing of Marriott’s largest branded residences project.

JW Marriott Shanghai Fengxian will mark the group’s 400th hotel in Greater China

Greater China has led the global recovery to date, and the company expects to soon celebrate its 400th hotel in Greater China and its 50th hotel in Shanghai with the opening of JW Marriott Shanghai Fengxian in spring 2021.

The group will also strengthen its luxury portfolio across mainland China, with expected openings in 2021 such as W Changsha, W Xiamen, St. Regis Qingdao and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve Jiuzhaigou.

On the back of strong post-pandemic demand for leisure bookings at Marriott’s properties across mainland China, the company is introducing more additions across its brand portfolio, with the expected opening of Sheraton Mianyan in the Sichuan province, and the anticipated opening of The Westin Nanjing Resort & Spa.

Beyond Greater China, Marriott continues to strengthen its footprint, with several expected brand debuts across Asia-Pacific in 2021. In Japan, W Hotels is expected to debut with the opening of W Osaka, while The Luxury Collection is also slated to debut in Australia with the opening of The Tasman in Hobart. Elsewhere, the Ritz-Carlton brand is expected to celebrate its debut in the Maldives in early summer.

Further expanding the group’s presence in resort destinations, the JW Marriott brand is slated to make its way to Jeju Island in South Korea with the planned opening of JW Marriott Jeju in late 2021. The company’s signature wellness brand, Westin, is also set to debut in one of India’s top beach destinations, Goa, this summer.

To support domestic travel in Japan, the company plans to open six additional Fairfield by Marriott hotels throughout 2021 along Michi-no-Eki roadside stations. Japan expects to have more than 30 Fairfield by Marriott hotels by the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Melbourne is expected to see the opening of the country’s second W Hotel with W Melbourne in spring and the opening of Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands in early 2021.

Direct flights between India, Cambodia to take off

By TTG Asia

January 25, 2021

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Cambodia and India have agreed to start direct flight connections and promote closer tourism exchanges and cooperation in all areas after the Covid-19 crisis subsides.

The agreement was reached during a meeting last week between Cambodian tourism minister Thong Khon and Indian ambassador to Cambodia, Devyani Uttam Khobragade, the Phnom Penh Post reported.

Pre-pandemic, Angkor Wat has drawn a rising tide of Indian tourists due to the deep-rooted historical connections between the two countries

Khon was quoted by the report as saying that the two countries have a long history of cultural and religious ties, with holy sites across India playing host to hordes of Cambodians on religious tours pre-pandemic.

To foster active tourism cooperation, he urged the Indian government to reschedule religious tour packages after Covid-19 had been stamped out.

Khobragade fully backed a direct air route connecting the two countries as “it will bring a lot of benefits to the tourism sector, considering how young Indians nowadays really like these kinds of tourism tours”.

Khmer Angkor Tour Guide Association president Khieu Thy told The Post that direct flights with India would be a boon for Cambodia.

Ancient Khmer temples remain a major drawcard for Indian visitors, he said, noting how closely related the religions that inspired their construction are with those of India.

“The number of Indian tourists coming to Angkor Wat has increased every year (with the exception of 2020) and this will create more jobs for local people,” Thy said.

An MoU between Cambodia and India that authorises the rights to operate a direct flight was signed back in 2002, according to Secretariat of State for Civil Aviation spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha.

Nearly 1.3 million international tourists visited Cambodia in the first 11 months of last year, down 78.2 per cent as compared to the same period in 2019, according to official data. Indians accounted for 12,869 visitors, marking a 80.2 per cent drop from the 65,077 tallied in the same period in 2019.

Tourists trickle back to Sri Lanka after borders fully reopen to all except UK visitors

By Feizal Samath

January 25, 2021

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Sri Lanka has welcomed its first batch of visitors from Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, after reopening its borders to foreign tourists last Thursday, following a 10-month pandemic-induced closure.

The lifting of the ban on all commercial travellers, bar those from the UK which is currently under lockdown amid a virus surge, comes after a successful pilot project to test the waters ahead of the country’s full reopening. Started on December 28, the month-long pilot project involving Ukraine tourists ended on Sunday with a total of 1,700 arrivals.

All foreign visitors, except UK travellers, can now enter Sri Lanka under strict health protocols

A Sri Lankan Tourism official said on Sunday that since the reopening of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and the Mattala International Airport (MRIA) for commercial travel, the country has seen “a trickle of arrivals”, but is hopeful that “interest would catch up” down the road.

As of Sunday, less than 100 tourists including a group of five travel agents and two journalists whose agenda is to examine Sri Lanka’s potential for wellness holidays, have arrived in the country. A group of Chinese visitors are due to arrive this week, while the country expects to start receiving Russian tourists from next month, with SriLankan Airlines resuming flights to Moscow from February 15. To date, 15 airlines have scheduled regular flights to Sri Lanka.

As Sri Lanka reopens its doors to the world, every effort has been made to ensure that the island country is “safe, secure and serene” for visitors, Sri Lanka Tourism chairperson Kimarli Fernando told a conference in Colombo on Thursday. She said breaching the health guidelines could amount to an offence, urging travel and tour agencies to inform their clients of the strict regulations in place and to ensure no violations occur during their tours.

Under the health guidelines, visitors need not serve a mandatory quarantine on arrival, but they must obtain a visa online, and a mandatory Covid-19 insurance cover costing US$12, which covers US$50,000 worth of hospital or medical bills for a month. All visitors must also present a valid PCR test taken 96 hours before arrival.

Travellers also have to pre-purchase PCR tests online prior to setting foot in the country. Each test costs US$40. The first test will be taken on arrival at their hotel, and the second, after five to seven days or at the onset of symptoms. A third test is required for visitors staying between 10-14 days.

A pre-confirmed booking at a safe and secure certified hotel is also required for the first 14 days. A quarter of the room inventory in these hotels will be kept vacant to be used as health facilities in case tourists have to self-quarantine.

Sri Lanka’s main source markets are India, the UK, Russia and China. The country attracts around two million tourists a year, but officials said no targets have been set for this year.

As of Saturday, Sri Lanka has reported 57,587 cases of Covid-19 and 280 related-deaths.

Hong Kong trade pours cold water on debt-ridden Ocean Park’s planned resort makeover

By Prudence Lui

January 25, 2021

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Tour agents in Hong Kong have cast a shadow of doubt over the financial viability of the government’s multi-million-dollar plan to transform the cash-strapped Ocean Park into an entry-free, adventure-themed resort destination within the next two to three years.

The fate of the city’s iconic theme park was decided after the government and Ocean Park Corporation completed a rethink exercise to chart the way forward for the park.

The government has committed US$36.1 million into remaking Ocean Park into a resort destination focusing on education and conservation

Under the plan, a new non-ticketed retail, dining, and entertainment (RDE) zone is to be created at the lower park area, which will be managed by a private developer under a long-term concession agreement. The RDE zone will house public spaces to host open-air markets and events, a children’s playground and water play area. Conservation and education-related facilities and attractions, including the Grand Aquarium and the soon-to-be-completed Steam Hub, will also be integrated into the RDE zone.

In order to become financially sustainable in the long run, the park will outsource part of its park area or facilities to different operators. With that in mind, a pay-as-you-go ticketing model is also being considered, in place of the existing pay-one-price model, to help boost the park’s attendance.

Other key components of the revamp include a new adventure-themed zone which could feature outdoor attractions, such as Xraycer and Zipline; as well as new wellness-themed zones for activities such as glamping, trekking, meditation, and yoga retreats. Some 12 aged rides including Mine Train and Raging Rivers will be phased out to make way for new facilities, including a line-up of 26 new rides.

The iconic Cable Car and the Ocean Express will be retained to connect the lower park area with the upper park area, at the same time, it has been proposed for a pier to be developed in the lower park area at Deep Water Bay so that the public can access the new RDE zone by sea in future. A plan is also being mulled over for another pier to be built adjacent to the Water World in Tai Shue Wan to boost connectivity between the two areas.

Slated for a summer opening, the long-awaited Water World will be the city’s first year-round, all-weather water park featuring 27 indoor and outdoor water attractions such as a man-made beach, a surf rider, and an eight-lane mat racer. A resort-style cabana area will also provide space for dining and relaxation. Operation of this facility will be overseen by the park, at least in the short- to medium-term, to ensure its early opening.

The secretary for commerce and economic development, Edward Yau, said the park will cut down on facilities and related expenses which are not cost-effective and re-orient its development focus back to education and conservation.

He added that the park’s transformation will “take time and resources”, thereby, requiring the government’s assistance in the following areas: bearing the costs for conservation and education work of the park for four years, deferring the repayment of government loans, extending the repayment period and waiving the interest, and providing a non-recurrent funding to help the park to cope with its present financial need.

The chairman of the board of the Ocean Park Corporation, Lau Ming-wai, said: “The new model of operation enables us to improve, innovate, and invigorate the park in the exciting years ahead. Our renewed direction embodies our vision of advancing Ocean Park into Hong Kong’s leading education platform, with a strong mission to promote environmental conservation and protection. Leveraging our exceptional location and with the launch of the Water World, we are confident that Ocean Park will play a pivotal role in the Invigorating Island South initiative.”

However, industry players have casted doubt on the viability of this new business model to sustain operations of the park.

While noting that the new operating and pricing models aim to achieve business sustainability, Gray Line Tours chairman, Michael Wu, expressed uncertainty as to whether it would work. He said: “I received phone calls from agent friends asking how we can promote the park in future when the pay-one-price model is removed, and clients have to pay extra on-site for certain rides and facilities.”

Instead, he proposed for the park to retain its basic admission fee model, with chargeable optional rides, citing the example of Chimelong Paradise in Shenzhen, where visitors are charged an admission fee which includes ride access, but have to fork out extra for shows.

Wu added: “To me, the proposal looks like a major landlord subleasing space and living on rental fee. The transformation is just for the sake of survival, without any proactive initiatives. With dolphin show to go off the list, what else can it excite visitors with?”

He also raised doubts as to whether a mere focus on conservation, education and natural beauty is able to achieve breakeven. While he does contend that “the ticket-free area at lower hill will be a mecca for domestic helpers” and “the Water World is set to draw more young visitors who rarely see such scale and design in the region”, he also stressed that “in the long-term, the park needs to reinvent to stay competitive and draw repeated visitors”.

W Travel Service managing director, Wing Wong, opined that the free admission would not be enough to attract visitors. “As far as I know, the mainland Chinese aren’t keen on ocean conservation and nature protection. Under this new model, I doubt how it could generate more income if there are no new exciting ideas – those wellness ideas like yoga and glamping are only gimmicks.

“Also, although Water World is an all-year round attraction, it may face a seasonal demand issue. It may be worthwhile to make money in real estates, developing some prime spots in order to drive regular income.”

Last year, the park obtained the Legislative Council’s funding approval to support its operation for a year. Under this new move, the government will pump a maximum yearly financial assistance of HK$280 million (US$36.1 million) into Ocean Park for four financial years starting from 2022-23 to support the education and conservation initiatives in its future strategy.

Disgruntled Accor staff lash out at South-east Asian chief over alleged lack of Asian leadership

By Karen Yue

January 22, 2021

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A community of disgruntled Accor employees in Asia has demanded dialogue with Garth Simmons, CEO of South East Asia on what it claims to be a loss of Asian leadership across South-east Asia, Japan and South Korea following October 2020’s global restructure.

The restructure saw Accor dissolving the Asia-Pacific headquarters and replacing it with three hubs of Pacific, Greater China, and South-east Asia plus Japan and South Korea that report directly to Paris.

Continued business challenges have led Accor to let go of expatriate and local staff across Asia

Identifying themselves as Many Concerned Asian Employee, the community asked for reasons as to why all key positions across Accor’s Asian properties were held by “white people” despite a headcount of 60,000 Asian staff, and claimed that responses from the South-east Asian office have been slow.

Correspondence between the community and Simmons was leaked to the press by the former.

In response, Accor has issued a press statement saying that it remains “strongly committed to diversity and inclusion” in its hiring practice.

“As part of the restructure, roles were appointed based on expertise and experience, and not on race, gender or background. We currently have 33 per cent of senior vice president or vice president roles in our management team which are held by Asians. Our goal is to increase this percentage and develop even more local talents into executive positions as our business recovers,” said an Accor spokesperson.

The statement also explained that the Covid crisis and continued travel restrictions had left the company with little choice but to release expatriate and local staff across the region.

“Tough decisions had to be made and these decisions inevitably impact people’s lives and can leave some disgruntled or unhappy employees. Throughout the process, we respected the applicable employment laws in each country. We also chose only internal candidates in order to protect as many of our people as possible.

“We appreciate that, in addition to a corporate office restructure, many people were also affected at hotel level because of decisions by hotel owners who also had to resize their teams,” it added.

While TTG Asia has reached out to Many Concerned Asian Employee for further information, a response was not available at press time on Friday evening.

Cambodia seeks to turn Kep province into tourist magnet

By TTG Asia

January 22, 2021

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A master plan to develop the Kep province in Cambodia into a high-end, eco-tourism destination, covering four prime sites and 251 projects, is being drafted by the country’s tourism ministry.

Tourism minister Thong Khon was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that the facelift is to strengthen Kep’s attractiveness and competitiveness as a luxury destination for foreign travellers, in order to help restore the industry to pre-pandemic health.

A master plan is being drawn up to turn Kep into a high-end tourism destination

During a recent meeting presided by Thong Khon to discuss the plan, Ny Phally – ministry undersecretary of state and director of the secretariat of the inter-ministerial commission – said the four primary development areas are Kep town, Ankol beach, the Phnom Vore region, and the province’s archipelago.

Phally said under the master plan, the Kep beach will be improved upon, and the Angkol beach will be developed as a new tourist site, while the Sre Ambel salt fields will be turned into an agro-tourism destination.

“Apart from improving these coastal areas, there are many other development projects, including expansion of international sports facilities, construction of a tourist-oriented war museum and organisation of visits to the 13 islands which are rich in biodiversity like corals, sea dolphins, dugong, fish and many other rare species,” he was quoted by the report as saying.

In its draft master plan, the inter-ministerial commission outlined nine key strategies, including developing tourism resources in Kep town, creating travel corridors, and improving the quality and safety of tourism in the region.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh

By Marissa Carruthers

January 22, 2021

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Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh

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Location
Located in the heart of the capital, Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh sits close to the capital’s main attractions, including the National Museum, Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Rooms boast striking citywide panoramas that sweep across the capital and Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers.

The property melds old and new with a stunning revamped colonial villa serving as the lobby and an upstairs lounge bar against the backdrop of 10- and 14-storey contemporary towers.

Rooms
The property takes in three styles of suite and nine room options. Each feature a chic contemporary design with light spilling in through floor-to-ceiling windows. I checked in at the King Palace View Deluxe room, a 49m² space that boasts vistas of the nearby Royal Palace. It features a comfortable king bed, desk and seating area with a sofa and table. A large bathroom has a separate bath tub, rain shower and toilet.

F&B
There’s plenty of eating and drinking options. The Attic sits in the eaves of the colonial villa and makes for a stylish space to enjoy carefully-crafted cocktails and snacks. The Market Café is light and lofty and serves breakfast, a la carte options and delightful, four-course afternoon tea.

On the 14th floor sits FiveFive rooftop restaurant and bar. The chic indoor and outdoor space offers splendid views coupled with a menu of fresh seafood and meats. The Metropole Underground is slated to open in Q1 as a 20th century metro-themed bar.

Facilities
Guests can keep fit at the 24/7 fitness centre and large outdoor swimming pool, while businesses can make use of the 1,400m² of flexible meeting and conference spaces capable of accommodating up to 1,500 pax. The 10th floor Regency Club serves food and drinks throughout the day and evening, and Jivapita Spa will open in February.

Service
The property has been designed for Covid times. Hand sanitisers are dotted throughout, QR code menus are available for dining, while sealed stickers reassure that rooms and other items, such as TV remotes, have been sanitised. Temperatures are taken on arrival and staff wear masks. Additionally, the service is impeccable. Smiling staff were on hand to greet me throughout my stay and explain each dish and cocktail served.

Verdict
The hotel is an excellent addition to the capital’s upmarket offerings and is already proving popular with grounded locals and expats taking advantage of the staycation package and the capital’s latest sophisticated drinking and dining options.

Number of rooms 247
Rates
Standard rates from US$200. Staycation packages from US$157.
Contact details
Tel: +855 23 600 1234
Website: www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/cambodia/hyatt-regency-phnom-penh/pnhrp

New hotel booking site to clear distressed inventory, aid cashflow

EGL Tours axes 120 guides as pandemic lingers

Pacific Princess departs fleet

Marriott going strong in APAC

Direct flights between India, Cambodia to take off

Tourists trickle back to Sri Lanka after borders fully reopen to all except UK visitors

Hong Kong trade pours cold water on debt-ridden Ocean Park’s planned resort makeover

Disgruntled Accor staff lash out at South-east Asian chief over alleged lack of Asian leadership

Cambodia seeks to turn Kep province into tourist magnet

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh

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