Etihad strikes deal with Trip.com
Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, has partnered with Trip.com to allow programme members to earn miles on accommodation bookings made through the website.
Members will now be rewarded with three Etihad Guest Miles for every US$1 spent on accommodation bookings at over 1.4 million properties available through the portal, which has an international presence in more than 200 countries and regions.
To redeem, Trip.com users simply add their Etihad Guest membership number when making a booking and miles will be credited within 12 weeks after the stay is completed. Etihad Guest Miles will not expire, as long as one eligible transaction is made within an 18-month period.
KTO hosts special event to woo Vietnamese tourists
Vietnamese tourists can experience a trip to South Korea from now to December 6 at the Lotte Center Hanoi in Ba Dinh District, thanks to an event hosted by the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO).
Amid global travel restrictions, KTO organised the Hi! Korea event to promote the destination to Vietnamese tourists, and to spark memories of their past visits to the country so as to inspire future travels.
A booth introducing South Korean tourism and culture is available with various activities for eight weeks. Visitors will have a chance to join mini-games to win prizes, wear traditional clothes, learn to make handicraft souvenirs and discover the country through virtual reality technology.
Special events – such as a photo exhibition, K-pop cover dance, and a quiz show – will also take place on weekends to introduce South Korean tourism through different themes.
Park Jong Sun, head of KTO Vietnam, said that the event is designed to spark curiosity about South Korea, in hopes of attracting more Vietnamese tourists to come to the country when the pandemic ends, adding that Vietnam remains an “important market”.
The event marks the latest initiative by KTO’s Vietnam office to boost inbound tourism to South Korea amid the ongoing pandemic.
Vietnam has been among South Korea’s top 10 tourist sources. The number of Vietnamese tourists to South Korea from January this year to the end of May was 73,490, marking a decrease of 195 per cent in comparison with the same period last year, reported various media outlets.
STB, Expedia team up to boost tourism recovery in overseas markets, spur rediscovery by locals
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Expedia have inked a two-year global marketing partnership aimed at stimulating the local tourism industry by supporting homegrown businesses and strengthening Singapore’s position as a destination of choice when international travel resumes.
From now till April 2021, STB and Expedia will team up to support the on-going SingapoRediscovers campaign. Residents in Singapore can access a selection of domestic holiday bundles, staycation offers, attractions and tours via a dedicated landing page. The site will also feature inspirational content that spotlights some of Singapore’s local highlights and hidden gems, inviting locals to rediscover 10 of the city-state’s key precincts, including Chinatown, Little India, Marina Bay, and Sentosa.
As part of efforts to rebuild trust in travel and provide greater assurance of safety and cleanliness for locals and subsequently international travellers, the landing page will also highlight the SG Clean certification programme.
As international travel gradually resumes, STB and Expedia, through its Expedia Group Media Solutions brand, will jointly promote Singapore as the destination of choice in 10 overseas markets – Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, the UK and the US. Apart from offering attractive promotions for travel-related products and experiences such as flight promotions, online display ads and creative campaigns will also be rolled out to put Singapore at the top of international travellers’ minds.
Lynette Pang, STB assistant CEO of the marketing group, said: “Local businesses are the heart and soul of our tourism industry, and it is important to support them through this challenging period. When global travel returns and when the time is right, this partnership with Expedia will allow the Singapore tourism industry to tap on Expedia’s vast global network and user base to help local businesses reach new customers.
“In the immediate term, we will encourage locals to rediscover their neighbourhoods and precincts, and to support their favourite businesses safely and responsibly.”
The Sukhothai Bangkok promotes Alexander Christian Schillinger to GM
Alexander Christian Schillinger has been appointed general manager of The Sukhothai Bangkok.
Schillinger first joined the hotel as an executive assistant manager in 2016, where he was responsible for F&B as well as the hotel’s overall operations.
The seasoned hotelier has over 25 years of international experience, having held several key positions with properties such as Dusit Thani Bangkok, The Mira Hong Kong, the One&Only Royal Mirage Dubai and The Park Lane Hong Kong. At one point in his career, Schillinger also spent time with the Shangri-La group and was based in Bangkok and Beijing.
Other countries he has worked in include Germany, Greece, his native Switerzerland and the US.
Australia’s tourism recovery gathers pace after double whammy
Australian tourism is gaining significant momentum for recovery, surviving two of its biggest challenges this year by resisting the tendency to “go dark” in the early months of the pandemic.
The double blow of being hit by Covid 19 impacts almost immediately after bushfires ravaged many popular tourist destinations presented the country with deep challenges. But a responsive plan has resulted in, among other things, robust network growth in travel consultants for the industry worth A$126 billion (US$89.1 billion).
Campaigns like Live From Aus in May, a live-streamed programme of virtual travel experiences to inspire the next Australian holiday, generated about 34 million online views in some 40 countries.
Tourism Australia (TA) also almost tripled the number of travel agents who went through their Aussie Specialist Program training to 80,000 agents in the last financial year, compared to 30,000 in a normal year.
“Obviously, in the panic phase, we did pause everything when the consumer sentiment wasn’t there,” TA’s executive general manager commercial, Robin Mack, told attendees at Australia’s luxury business exchange event Luxperience.
“But as you get into that restricted movement, and people were locked down as some still are in that dreaming phase, (people) can really absorb the content and we wanted to make sure we stayed as relevant as possible”.
With borders likely to remain closed to international visitors till late 2021, TA’s post-bushfire campaign appealing to locals to Holiday Here This Year has been evolving to meet current conditions, as some interstate borders remain closed or limited.
“(The campaign) is almost a call to arms and a behaviour change,” said Mack. “Already, over A$80 billion is spent domestically by Australians (including) 85 million room nights or overnight stays. But our big opportunity for that domestic market is getting the 9.6 million that go overseas to holiday in Australia.”
With restrictions beginning to ease, TA launched a new A$7 million campaign this week, headlined by Australian celebrity couple Hamish Blake and Zoe Foster-Blake, aimed at driving that domestic market to book not just hotels but experiences.
In the meantime, expecting that a trans-Tasman Covid-safe travel zone will soon be in place, Australia and New Zealand are also targeting each others’ markets and preparing for the luxury sector to be the first to fly.
“From a premium travel viewpoint, I think the luxury sector in New Zealand is underestimated from an Australian visitor perspective, so we’re looking forward to sharing and growing that segment,” said Tourism New Zealand general manager for Australia, Andrew Waddel.
“Ultimately, we believe that across the two markets, there are circa 10 million trips that won’t happen overseas or internationally and we think getting New Zealanders and Australians to travel locally as well as across the Tasman is not only a great way of connecting as people but also (encouraging) that regeneration in travel,” he continued.
Luxperience today concludes four days of meetings and educational talks as a fully virtual event for the first time with 640 delegates, an increase from past physical events which on average saw 600 buyers, media and exhibitors participating.
Malaysia’s Firefly to launch jet flights in early 2021
Firefly Airlines will start jet operations from 1Q2021, as part of parent Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG)’s revamped long-term business plan, with a focus on strengthening the revenue streams of each subsidiary as its premium carrier brand Malaysia Airlines (MAB) teeter on the brink.
Under the plan, Firefly will add up to 10 narrow body jets to its fleet in phases, serving the domestic, South-east Asia and Asia-Pacific markets out of Penang International Airport.
The low-cost carrier will be complementing sister company MAB in serving the leisure market, while diversifying its base connecting secondary cities in Malaysia to East Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.
It will leverage on available resources and talents from within MAG, with the possibility of deploying the Boeing 737-800 aircraft from MAB. This will give the national carrier room to focus on its network serving the premium market, according to MAG.
MAG CEO Izham Ismail said: “Based on available forecasts, domestic and short-haul travel will be most preferred in the current environment, hence, it makes commercial sense for Firefly to supply this demand from the northern region. This is in line with the group’s enhanced Long-Term Business Plan, which has been realigned to suit the current and future environment post-Covid-19, with a focus on strengthening the revenue streams of each subsidiary.”
With the new jet operations, Firefly will offer a flexible service concept, with product unbundling to suit the leisure-focused and price-sensitive customers, providing a more significant value proposition.
The setup of Firefly’s Penang hub jet operations will require minimal investment by MAG in 2021, with an expected increase in production, measured in average seat per kilometre, by 36 per cent over the next five years, MAG said.
Garuda flaunts special face mask livery
National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has unveiled a new livery depicting an intricately-designed face mask on the nose of one of its Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.
The airline had previously painted a blue surgical mask livery on one of its Airbus A330-900 Neo craft, as part of a campaign encouraging people to keep their masks on during the pandemic.
The new mask livery was designed by Indonesian creator, Jailani, the winner of the first phase of Garuda’s Fly Your Design Through the Sky competition which took place from October 1-9.
Themed Indonesia Pride, the livery design showcases the country’s cultural and natural richness, depicted by illustrations of Balinese Barong, a temple, alongside a Komodo dragon, the icon of Indonesian fauna.
Garuda Indonesia president and CEO Irfan Setiaputra said the Fly Your Design Through The Sky competition is aimed at encouraging active participation in raising public awareness on the importance of mask-wearing amid this pandemic, through the designing of face mask livery that will be gradually painted on four of the carrier’s Airbus planes.
The competition will be held throughout this month, with the four winners to be announced in stages through October till November 9.
Aloft Bangkok serves up gourmet staycation deals
Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 has unveiled the Stay & Savour campaign, offering Thai residents a staycation with gourmet dining experience.
At a starting price of 1,999++ baht (US$64), guests can enjoy one-night stay with breakfast and a seafood dinner buffet at the onsite Crave Wine Bar & Restaurant every Friday to Saturday from 18.00 to 22.00, with an extended hour every Sunday, from 17.00 to 22.00.
In addition, guests can also enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, access to the onsite 24/7 gym and rooftop pool, as well as complimentary tuk-tuk shuttle to BTS Nana, Terminal 21 shopping mall and MRT Sukhumvit.
Guests can save on their stay with Rao Tiew Duay Gun, a new domestic tourism campaign by Tourism Authority of Thailand offering discounts on hotel rooms for no longer than five nights to five million travellers. Valid Fridays to Sundays for the rest of 2020, guests can input promo code YQ1 in corporate/promotional code box when making online reservations.
Hong Kong extends aviation sector relief until year-end
Hong Kong’s Airport Authority (AA) will extend the relief package for the aviation industry for a further two months until year-end, in response to the ongoing challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
AA had previously extended its relief package for businesses operating at the airport in August, until the end of this month.
Relief measures include full waiver of parking charges for idle passenger aircraft and airbridge fees; reduction of passenger aircraft landing charges; fees reduction related to ramp handling, maintenance and airside vehicles; as well as rental reduction for terminal tenants covering lounges and offices.
In addition, there will also be fee waivers for terminal licensees including ancillary passenger services, commercial services counters and cross-border transport operators; as well as concessions on franchise fees for aviation support services such as into-plane fuelling.
The full waiver on fees in relation to aircraft maintenance charges and fixed charges for inflight catering services will also continue until year-end, as will rental relief for retail and catering tenants. Most shops and restaurants in the terminal have suspended business and their rental is waived. For those that remain open to provide essential services, the base rent is waived.
CapitaLand’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has secured more than 2,100 units across 12 properties in China over the last three months, bringing the number of new units to more than 5,600 across 26 properties in what marks a “record high” for the group.
This represents a 60 per cent year-on-year growth in units in China. Globally, Ascott has sealed new contracts for more than 3,700 units across 22 properties, with 60 per cent from China, while the rest are in various countries including Austria and Indonesia.
Signalling “strong recovery” in China on the operations front, Ascott’s apartment revenue in September 2020 reached close to 95 per cent of that in the same month last year. As well, Ascott has been maintaining a steady stream of openings, on the back of growing demand for extended-stay properties. In 2020, Ascott opened 17 properties with over 2,400 units, with about half of these units in China.
Ascott said that its base of long-stay corporate guests coupled with the strong domestic leisure travel market have enabled the group’s serviced residences in China to achieve “robust” occupancy rates.
In September 2020, close to 75 per cent of its guests in China were domestic travellers. During the same period, Ascott’s properties in tier one cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen achieved an average occupancy rate of over 86 per cent. In Chongqing, despite facing the pandemic and the worst floods in decades, Ascott Raffles City Chongqing achieved a high occupancy rate of 80 per cent in August 2020, maintaining that momentum in the following month.
Kevin Goh, CapitaLand’s CEO for lodging and Ascott’s CEO, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the resilience and flexibility of Ascott’s business model to the fore. In 2020, we have signed more than 9,300 units in 48 properties worldwide, while expanding in China at a record rate. We are also planting new flags in markets such as Austria and Indonesia, offering our guests a wider network of Ascott properties.
“At the peak of the Covid-19 situation, many of Ascott’s properties worldwide remained open to provide a safe haven for our long-stay corporate guests, maintaining a robust average occupancy rate. With China being the first major economy to resume growth after the pandemic and the easing of domestic travel restrictions in the country, we are seeing strong recovery at our properties in China.”
Tan Tze Shang, Ascott’s managing director for China and head of business development for China, added that several of Ascott’s properties in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chongqing, Xi’an and Wuxi achieved 100 per cent occupancy during China’s Golden Week holiday from October 1-9. Apartment revenue for Ascott’s properties in China also saw year-on-year-growth during the Golden Week holiday, he added.
Tan also said that the 12 new properties secured in China will see Ascott making inroads into three new Chinese cities – Baotou, Ningbo and Yantai – while strengthening its presence in Changchun, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Xi’an. These properties are slated to open between December 2020 and 2026, and will bring the group’s total number of units in China to about 30,000 in more than 150 properties.