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Travelport inks six technology partnerships in APAC
Travelport has secured six long-term agreements with travel agencies in Asia-Pacific, including three new wins and three renewals across Greater China, South Korea and Japan.
Of the three new wins, two are in Greater China with EverExpress Travel Service and Kent Holidays Company, and one in South Korea with Lotte Tour.
The company has also renewed its partnerships with Richmond International Travel & Tours and Hong Kong Borabora Trading in Greater China, as well as IACE Travel in Japan.
As part of the multi-year agreements, Travelport will provide the agencies with real-time access to a broad range of content from around 400 airlines, more than 300 global hotel brands, and over 37,000 car rental locations worldwide.
In addition, the companies will benefit from Travelport’s search, automation, shopping and booking technologies, while accessing valuable data, business logic and profiling functionality via a single platform.
Lotte Tour will also be using Travelport’s Branded Fares Data File; while EverExpress Travel Service will be using Travelport’s Branded Fares and Ancillary Services.
These merchandising solutions will allow both agencies to differentiate content from the over 275 airlines globally signed up to Travelport Rich Content and Branding, displaying and selling branded fare families and ancillary products with rich visuals and text.
Richmond International Travel & Tours will also continue to participate in initiatives driven by Travelport involving the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard. NDC is a travel industry-supported programme launched by IATA that will enable the travel industry to transform the way air products are retailed to corporations, leisure and business travellers.
Effecting change in travel purpose
There have been many predictions made at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic about how travel and tourism would return when borders reopen. The most popular vision is that travellers, having had the chance to reflect on life during the lockdown, would approach travel and tourism with greater responsibility, choosing to spend their money with sustainable hospitality suppliers and to give back positively to destinations they visit.
This virtuous rebound expectation has yet to be fulfilled. Travellers in general who have resumed their holidays, albeit locally, are mostly going for convenient resort locations or the best deal in town. On the other extreme end, ultra-lux holiday-makers are favouring ‘safecations’ – worry-free sojourns offered through exclusive resort buyouts to ensure the ultimate in safe distancing.
Perhaps it is still early days in travel and tourism recovery – some Asian governments are still swinging back and forth on movement restrictions as new waves of infections emerge, making it a challenge to plan a decent trip. Perhaps when conditions are more conducive for a stable recovery may we then see a true appetite and intention of travel taking shape.
I maintain a degree of doubt that mankind will emerge from this pandemic with a revolutionary awakening that travel is a privilege and travellers must give back positively to destinations and natives they interact with. Instead, I expect this change to start small – with the luxury travel segment. After all, the wealthy have been ahead of other traveller segments in discovering the joy of transformational and meaningful travel. They have long graduated from the need to grab the most shots at destination landmarks, or to brag about having been there and done that.
An effective agent of change, I believe, is the travel supplier community. 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.
There is no need for a quantum leap in travel and tourism habits; small changes today can still be beneficial tomorrow.
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.
SIA offers training to external firms
In its latest initiative to diversify its revenue streams, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has created a new arm that will offer training programmes to external businesses and organisations.
The new division, which is called the Singapore Airlines Academy, will train participants in the broad areas of service excellence, operational excellence, organisational innovation, and digital transformation.
The Academy will tap on “the wide range of globally recognised skills and competencies that exists within SIA” as well as “the decades of experience that has been accumulated by SIA staff”, the airline said.
Training packages can be customised to meet the requirements of individual companies. Conducted by the flag carrier’s trainers, courses that will be offered include Service Excellence and Leadership, Handling Challenging Customers, and Innovation Programme and Playbook.
SIA began offering external courses this September, when it collaborated with Singapore’s Khoo Teck Puat Hospital on a customised training programme for its patient care officers.
Vanessa Ng, SIA’s senior vice president of human resources, said: “SIA receives many requests from organisations wanting to know how we have attained our reputation for industry-leading service and operational excellence, and to better understand how we achieved our successful digital transformation.
“Our focus on people development and investment in training has been key to achieving these world-class standards. We are happy to share our competencies by offering specialised training programmes to external organisations. This would also allow us to contribute to Singapore’s national goal of reskilling and upskilling the country’s workforce.”
Singapore-Hong Kong bubble spurs Christmas travel bookings
Last month’s announcement that Hong Kong and Singapore have reached an in-principle agreement to establish a bilateral air travel bubble, which would restart leisure travel between them, triggered an immediate release of pent-up demand, according to research by ForwardKeys.
In the week that followed, flight searches for travel from Singapore to Hong Kong, which had been flat since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, soared to 50 per cent of 2019 levels, while bookings jumped to 30 per cent.
The main focus of travellers’ interest is the Christmas holiday period, with the peak dates for flight searches to Hong Kong covering the weeks of December 10, 17 and 24. When it comes to tickets, travel has been booked throughout December, with 18-25 being the peak travel dates. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of people (over 80 per cent) will be travelling for leisure or to visit friends and relatives.
Deeper analysis by ForwardKeys suggests that tourism-dependent retailers based in Hong Kong are likely to be significantly happier than their counterparts in Singapore as the immediate uplift in flight bookings from Singapore to Hong Kong is more than three times higher than in the opposite direction.
The Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble agreement, which is expected to launch this month, comes after the pandemic forced Singapore and Hong Kong to close their borders to all foreign travellers on March 23. Since then, it has been almost impossible to fly between the two places (or anywhere else) and hardly anybody has been searching or booking travel.
Jameson Wong, APAC director, ForwardKeys, commented: “This bilateral air travel bubble is a milestone arrangement as it will be the first moment international leisure travel is permitted again in our region. The immediate rush of bookings is significant because it proves that people want to travel and they will travel, as soon as the right safety protocols are put in place and government-imposed travel restrictions are lifted.
“Our findings will provide a much-needed breath of fresh air and hope to the multitude of businesses and individuals that rely on travellers for income. We can expect material gains in travel demand, certainly more than what we are tracking right now, when the policy is implemented and when the precise details of the Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble are announced. I am confident that other countries in the region will see this as a case study to guide their own travel facilitation initiatives in the near future.”
FAMILY FIRST AT INTERCONTINENTAL SINGAPORE
CHOOSE FAMILY FIRST AT INTERCONTINENTAL SINGAPORE WITH THE FAMILY FIRST STAYCATION PACKAGE THAT INVITES GUESTS TO GET AWAY WITHOUT GOING AWAY.
Embark on a family adventure and relax and recharge with your loved ones in the comfort of our spacious rooms and suites. Enjoy bonding time with family activities such as in-room movie night from our extensive DVD library and the young ones can look forward to specially designed amenities including mini bathrobes, slippers and more.
Additionally, take advantage of dining benefits including an a delectable breakfast showcase at Ash & Elm for two adults and two children; a three-course set dinner at award-winning Cantonese restaurant Man Fu Yuan or European brasserie Ash & Elm for two adults; and 20% savings on a la-carte food and beverage at selected restaurants.
Available for stays until 30 December 2020, guests may choose to luxuriate in the natural light-filled interiors of the guest rooms in the Main Tower that display a harmonious blend of textures and colours reflect hints of ethnicity inspired by the vibrant locale, or immerse in the lifestyle of a bygone era in the Heritage Wing. Taking inspiration from the Peranakan culture, Heritage Rooms and Suites feature furnishings representative of the Straits Chinese culture from timber floorings and duck egg blue panelling, to louvered windows and wooden shutters that overlook the narrow streets below.
The Family First Staycation Package starts from $280++, and includes:
- Buffet breakfast for two adults and two children below the ages of twelve years at Ash & Elm
- In-room kids’ teepee (subject to availability)
- Three-course dinner prix-fixe menu at Man Fu Yuan or Ash & Elm for two adults
- One main course and dessert from the Planet Trekkers Menu for two children below the ages of twelve years
- Unlimited ice-cream from our traditional cart from 1300 – 1730 at The Lobby Lounge
- In-room movie night from our extensive DVD library with popcorn and milkshakes
- Kids bathroom amenities
- Welcome kids’ amenities
- 20% savings on ala-carte menu items at Ash & Elm, Man Fu Yuan and The Lobby Lounge, non-inclusive of seasonal offers, brunch menu or any other promotions
- Extra bed for one child below the age of twelve years
Terms and Conditions: This promotion is valid for bookings and stays until 30 December 2020. Full pre-payment is required upon reservation and is non-transferable and non-refundable. Rates are subject to 10% service charge and prevailing government tax. Prior room reservation is required and subject to availability. This offer is not valid in conjunction with other offers or promotions.
For more information or to make a reservation, please speak with us at +65 6825 1000, email sinhb-resvn@ihg.com, or visit singapore.intercontinental.com.
Okinawa works to boost tech adoption in tourism amid Covid
Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture is strengthening efforts to improve tourism offerings using technology in a bid to support safe travel amid the pandemic.
At ResorTech Okinawa, a trade fair held alongside Tourism Expo Japan last week, Okinawa-based companies rolled out new services and solutions for a vast range of providers including accommodations, F&B, retail and transportation as well as DMOs and municipalities.
The second annual event, which was supported by the prefectural and national governments, marked the culmination of a two-part exhibition. The first attracted 135 exhibitors and more than 8,000 visitors over February 5–6.
“We want to leverage technology to enhance the safety, security, quality and comfort of the lifestyles and activities of both residents and visitors to resort destinations,” said Junichi Inagaki, ResorTech Okinawa executive committee chairman, adding that such concerted efforts would drive greater “productivity and value-add” across the tourism sector.
In response to the Covid-19 crisis, many exhibitors showcased touchless systems designed to offer peace of mind and reduce the need for staff due to the drop in visitors.
Yoshinori Kanemi, representative director of IT company Gold Value Creation, and Ryo Yamada, representative director of accommodation creator United Corporation, introduced their collaboration, MujInn, a system that offers unmanned front desk operations.
Check-in can be completed online in advance including submission of copies of travel documents, while payment can be made by machine at a convenience store. On arrival, guests can confirm their booking by simply snapping a photo at the MujInn terminal, which offers a real-time chat function for queries in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean and Thai.
“The system is a no-stress, no-fuss way for customers to check-in easily without delay,” said Kanemi, adding that automating such repetitive processes frees employees up to focus on higher-value tasks that help propel businesses forward.
Prashant Nonayya Bangera, president of Rati, which also introduced its smart check-in system, said the technology is reducing crowding in lobbies and helping cut labor costs.
Post-check-in, his solution includes a real-time chat option with the hotel’s front desk, housekeeping, restaurant and spa departments to help visitors make the most of their stay.
Silversea welcomes Silver Moon to fleet
Silversea Cruises has taken delivery of its new ship Silver Moon, bringing its total fleet to nine vessels.
During an intimate ceremony held at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy, executives from Silversea Cruises, the Royal Caribbean Group, and Fincantieri delivered live speeches via video feed, commending the more than 1,000 craftspeople who contributed to the build.
Present in Ancona, Roberto Martinoli, Silversea’s president and CEO, penned his signature to officially take delivery of the ship.
Debuting aboard Silver Moon is the culinary enrichment programme S.A.L.T., an acronym of Sea and Land Taste, which will enable guests to enjoy a range of destination-focused gastronomic experiences both onboard and ashore.
As part of the S.A.L.T. programme, three new venues will cater to guests onboard Silver Moon. S.A.L.T. Kitchen, a regional restaurant, will offer a menu that changes with the destination; S.A.L.T. Lab, a test kitchen, will host workshops, tastings, and demonstrations using local ingredients and artisanal techniques; while S.A.L.T. Bar will feature a selection of regional wines, spirits, and other drinks, based on the destination.
With a maximum capacity of 596 guests, Silver Moon will offer 298 suites, including four Owner’s Suites, four Grand Suites, and two Royal Suites. All guests will enjoy the dedicated service of a butler, alongside an in-suite bar, stocked with preferred beverages; and 24-hour in-suite dining.
The ship will also feature a number of redesigned public spaces to allow for safe distancing. This includes Silversea’s signature French restaurant, La Dame, which has been redesigned and enlarged to accommodate 56 guests, with the option to dine outdoors.
As well, the Atlantide restaurant has been enlarged and enriched to accommodate up to 220 guests, while the Connoisseur’s Corner now features a new Wintergarden area, creating a sheltered area outdoors.
Silver Moon is the third ship to be built by Fincantieri for Silversea Cruises, with the fourth, Silver Dawn, scheduled for 2021.
Singapore to get first MGallery
Orchard Hills Residences, the newest addition to Accor’s MGallery collection, is set to open in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s famed shopping strip.
The 168 serviced residences will be the first MGallery in Singapore, and is slated to open in 1H2021, under an agreement between the hotel group and investment firm SIN Capital.
Designed by Japanese studio Nikken Sekkei, Orchard Hills Residences will be located at Orchard Hills, a fully-integrated luxury healthcare hospitality development that will offer bespoke luxury hospitality services, curated health and wellness services, healthy cuisine, and flexible workspaces.
Key highlights include the world’s first cantilevered clear-bottomed swimming pool more than 100m above street level, and a 9-by-9m digital art installation custom designed by teamLab, among other design features.
Orchard Hills Residences is SIN Capital’s flagship development, the first of a strong pipeline of integrated luxury healthcare hospitality developments in key gateway cities across Asia.
Restaurant A380 @Changi
Why
Coronavirus travel curbs have not quenched the desire to travel, and for many, a reminder of the in-flight experience is a welcome treat. In Pattaya, a retired commercial airplane was converted into Coffee War, a “plane café” complete with first-class seats, while Thai Airways turned the staff cafeteria in its Bangkok headquarters into an aircraft-themed restaurant.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) went the extra mile. Over two weekends between October 24 and November 1, two of its newly retrofitted A380 superjumbo aircraft were opened for exclusive tours and multi-course meals, reviving the memory of dining in the clouds.
What
Parked at Changi Airport Terminal 3, a pair of double-decker A380s hummed in wait of their first guests since the outbreak. While each plane seats more than 470 pax at usual capacity, only 250 guests were served per aircraft, per dining session, in line with safe distancing measures.
With a choice of either lunch or dinner serving, diners selected their experience as they would book their flight. Seatings ranged from Economy to Suites, and the menus varied with the cabin class. Guests who signed up beforehand were also treated to a guided tour of the entire aircraft, including the suites and the cockpit.
How
Although the restaurant was the core concept, the entire experience mimicked the boarding process. Our journey started in the departure hall, where we were guided to the gates. In order to prevent overcrowding, we had been allocated ‘departure’ timings.
Once inside the gate hold room, we could enjoy a variety of activities while waiting for our guided tour. The caricature sketching station was a hot favourite, and a batik rose-making workshop was held every half-hour. At hourly intervals, the cabin crew held a showcase of the airline’s uniforms from 1957, with a queue set up for guests to snap photos.
After a short time, I was called for the pre-dining tour. Each batch was further split into small groups of four to five, led by a staff of Singapore Airlines who acted as a product guide.
The groups were spaced apart, with no two occupying the same cabin. The tour took us through the plush suites – where we caught a rare glimpse of the cabin’s luxurious powder room – all the way to the cockpit of the plane, where three pilots were stationed for a photo with guests.
Post-tour, we were led back to the gate hold room, where we waited an hour as the planes were prepared for dining. As the cabin crew filed in, they were greeted by rousing applause from fans and loyal customers. Many of these crew members have not flown for months, and had volunteered to serve in Restaurant A380 for a small allowance.
Upon boarding for our meal, the crew warmly welcomed us with SIA’s famed hospitality. I was seated in the business class cabin, and was given a choice between an international course and a local menu selected by chef Shermay Lee. All guests were also entitled to two complimentary alcoholic drinks and a free flow of other beverages.
The dishes had been prepared by SATS, and were thus, fresher than usual in-flight meals. I picked the international menu, and was treated to a hearty dinner comprising SIA’s signature satay, smoked salmon, a well-done beef fillet, baked cheesecake and a smattering of cheese and fruit.
The entire meal lasted about three hours, during which, we were kept entertained by in-flight entertainment. At the end, guests were given a goodie bag with airline merchandise as a token of appreciation.
Verdict
As the dishes had not been frozen and were formulated for on-ground consumption, they tasted much richer than they would have in the air. While I found the beef a tad dry, I greatly enjoyed the truffle mash it was served with, but my overall favourite had to be the satay.
Crowd control was largely effective, however, it could have been managed better at certain points, such as during the uniform showcase, when the queueing system was not clear to guests and the staff had to rush to enforce safe distancing.
During the hours between entering the gate hold room and boarding for our meal, the wait could have been made more enjoyable if some snacks or drinks were provided. Ultimately, however, the service was well worth the wait. Throughout the dinner, the crew was eager to host and engage in hearty conversation, and the overall experience was a unique and memorable way to support SIA through this tumultuous storm.
Rate From S$53.50 (US$40) per person
Contact
Tel: +65 62238888
Website: www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/plan-travel/discover-your-sia/restaurant-a380-at-changi/
Qantas has expanded its agreement with Sabre Corporation to offer agents access to richer information about the airline’s fares, products and services.
Sabre’s graphical Sabre Red 360 interface will now showcase Qantas products with rich, relevant and engaging content through the airline’s connection with ATPCO.
Under the agreement, Sabre will integrate Qantas’ UPAs (Universal Product Attributes), or targeted visual content, that bring unique airline fares, products and services to life. This content has recently expanded into Reassurance UPAs which highlight messaging and graphics about the additional health measures airlines like Qantas are taking to ensure a safe travel environment.
Sabre Red 360 will also showcase Qantas Amenities, such as seat pitch and power outlets, and UTAs (Universal Ticket Attributes) which are consumer-friendly benefits such as baggage allowance and seat selection.
The connection to Qantas’ ATPCO Routehappy Rich Content expands on Sabre’s existing partnership with Qantas through its Branded Fares solution to deliver greater value to the industry.
Sabre vice president, regional general manager, Asia Pacific, travel solutions, airline sales, Rakesh Narayanan, said Qantas’ move to enable Routehappy Rich Content through Sabre Red 360 will provide agency partners with “an even richer shopping experience” when booking and servicing the airline’s customers.
“Qantas is one of the world’s most innovative airlines and this latest initiative demonstrates their commitment to the agency distribution channel and the use of Sabre technology to support booking growth and industry recovery,” he added.
Qantas executive manager, global sales and distribution, Igor Kwiatkowski, said the addition of Qantas’ Routehappy Rich Content will enable the airline to provide agents with even more information about its fares and services, including health and safety measures through its Fly Well programme.