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AirAsia goes live with new contactless clearance procedure
SG-HK travel bubble off for now
The launch of the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble will be deferred for two weeks due to the spike in Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong, said Singapore’s transport minister Ong Ye Kung this afternoon.
In a Facebook post published an hour ago, Ong explained that although the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore had announced this morning the commencement of the travel bubble as planned on Sunday, further discussions between him and Hong Kong secretary Edward Yau determined that it would be prudent to defer the launch of the arrangement.
“We will review within two weeks on the new launch date and update again,” said Ong in his post.
“I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travellers who have planned their trips. But we think it is better to defer from a public health standpoint. The airlines will be contacting the travellers individually.
“This is a sober reminder that the Covid-19 virus is still with us, and even as we fight to regain our normal lives, the journey will be full of ups and downs. But we will press on and look forward to when we can safely launch the ATB,” he said.
In response to the update, Singapore Airlines has issued a statement, saying that it “supports the decision by the Singapore and Hong Kong authorities to defer the launch of the Air Travel Bubble”.
The airline spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our customers remain our top priority. Affected customers are being contacted by Singapore Airlines. Customers who no longer wish to travel due to the deferment of the ATB can request for a full refund of the unutilised portion of their ticket, and have the cancellation fees waived.”
Covid spike puts SG-HK travel bubble on the line
Authorities in Singapore and Hong Kong are deliberating on the status of their unrestricted travel bubble, which is due to commence tomorrow, as a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections hits Hong Kong.
On November 20, Hong Kong reported 26 new Covid-19 cases, which led Hong Kong’s secretary for Food and Health professor Sophia Chan to describe the situation as “severe”. In-person lower primary classes have since been suspended, and the Hong Kong government has urged residents to cease unnecessary gatherings.
According to Singapore media reports, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is likely to make a decision soon on the status of the inaugural Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble, an unique agreement that allows the exchange of residents from both cities without the need for quarantines and restricted itineraries.
In an earlier video message to the public, Singapore’s transport minister Ong Ye Kung had described the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble as “very precious and not to be taken lightly”.
The sustainability of the travel bubble is subject to Covid-19 conditions; the arrangement will be suspended should the seven-day moving average for unlinked coronavirus infections exceeds five in either city.
Successful sailings set to spark resurgence of Japan’s domestic cruise market
Domestic cruises have resumed in Japan after a lengthy hiatus due to the pandemic, providing a boost to the travel industry and hope for the return of international cruises in the longer-term.
Two Japanese ships have completed short cruises to nearby ports in recent weeks. Both were operated under limited capacity and strict new policies for passengers and crew to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Mitsui OSK Passenger Lines’ Nippon Maru sailed from Niihama in Ehime Prefecture to Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, where passengers disembarked to visit tourist spots, including Huis Ten Bosch theme park. The Asuka II operated by NYK Cruises, meanwhile, undertook a four-day trip from Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture to Shimizu in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The resumption follows the cruise companies’ successful implementation of new infection prevention guidelines laid out by the Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association and the Ports & Harbors Association of Japan in September. These measures require passengers’ health conditions and travel history in the two weeks prior to boarding to be checked. Liners also need to ensure sufficient distancing among passengers and the use of face masks and disinfectants.
The successful cruises are expected to spark a resurgence in the domestic cruise market following the crisis that engulfed cruising in February with the widespread coronavirus outbreaks on the Diamond Princess in Yokohama. Attractions, facilities, shops and eateries in port cities are also expected to see an uptick in sales from shore excursions.
Alongside the development, the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal was opened in September. Capable of accommodating the world’s largest cruise ships weighing more than 200,000 tons, it will act as a gateway for international tourists, which totalled 2.2 million in 2019, according to Statista.
Still, even when international cruises resume, Heather Hopkins Clement, co-founder of private guide service Cruise Port Navigation, predicts autumn 2021 will be the earliest she can see a return to guiding international arrivals. Before that, she added, “passengers will most likely be required to take only the ship’s tours to maintain a travel safety ‘bubble’ until we get past the coronavirus”.
Preferred debuts sustainable hotel brand
Preferred Hotel Group has launched a new sustainable tourism brand, Beyond Green, in line with the company’s vision to build a better and brighter future for travel while protecting the planet for future generations.
The brand launch comes after Preferred’s acquisition of Beyond Green Travel – which is founded by ecotourism pioneer and global sustainability expert Costas Christ – in February 2020.
The hospitality brand debuts with a global portfolio of 24 founding member hotels, resorts, and lodges that exemplify sustainable tourism leadership.
To qualify for Beyond Green membership, a property must demonstrate leadership in the three key pillars of sustainable tourism: environmentally friendly practices that go beyond the basics, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and contributing to the social and economic wellbeing of local communities. They must also show progress in meeting more than 50 sustainability indicators that align with global sustainable tourism standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotel Group, said: “Never before has there been a greater need to promote a kinder and gentler way to explore our beautiful, yet fragile planet. Driven by our brand promise, Believe in Travel, which guides every decision we make as a company, we believe that now is the time to go big and be bold as we look to the future of travel.”
Added Christ: “While there may be a tendency to think of sustainability as just the latest travel buzzword, its roots are long and deep. What we are witnessing is an evolution of travel, not a passing trend.
“Beyond Green is about reconnecting with our common humanity and understanding that the diversity of our cultures and different ways of life are what create the rich fabric that makes travel so enjoyable and fascinating. In that same context, nature brings inspiration and renewal to our lives. Sustainable tourism is not about giving something up, it is about gaining something more – a great vacation that is also a force for good.”
The Beyond Green platform will support the needs of its member properties by providing global connectivity, distribution technology, marketing, sales, quality assurance, branding, and sustainability solutions, as well as access to participate in I Prefer Hotel Rewards, Preferred’s loyalty programme.
Beyond Green will also enhance visibility for its global portfolio and champion sustainability storytelling through its brand website, StayBeyondGreen.com, which has soft launched ahead of the brand’s official consumer debut in 1Q2021. Beyond Green member properties will also be bookable on a common GDS chain code, to be announced in early 2021.
SiteMinder, AsiaPay partner to drive digital payments across Asia hotels
Hotel guest acquisition platform SiteMinder has joined forces with AsiaPay, a digital payment service provider, to simplify the online payment process for consumers booking a hotel room in Asia.
Through the partnership, which comes amid rising consumer demand for choice and contactless experiences, AsiaPay’s payment gateways – PayDollar, PesoPay and SiamPay – have been integrated into SiteMinder’s online booking engine to provide an automated and secure way for hotel customers to make an upfront payment when booking on their desktop or mobile.
From this month, hotel users across 12 destinations can accept their customers’ digital methods of payment securely to eliminate the need for costly terminals and manual payment processing during customer check-in. Upfront payments will also reduce cancellations or no-shows for hotels in those 12 locations, namely, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Macau, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay, said: “More Asian travellers make and pay for their hotel bookings online, via desktop or mobile, than through any other channel. For hotels in the region to stay competitive, it is important for those millions of travellers to find the online booking and payment process simple and convenient.”
Bradley Haines, regional vice president of Asia Pacific at SiteMinder, added that the partnership allows its hotel customers to “offer greater choice to their guests, so they can increase booking conversions online and save time by not having to manage payments manually onsite”.
SiteMinder’s partnership with AsiaPay comes at a critical time for hotel businesses in Asia, which are plagued by credit card declines, daily payment reconciliations and increased data security standards. The companies’ partnership means eligible hotels can now reduce the time, cost and risk involved with handling payments manually, by giving their customers the ability to book ahead through a process that complies with the latest Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
Headout tracks Covid travel restrictions
Local experiences marketplace Headout has launched a one-stop Covid Travel Restrictions Tracker that keeps tabs on the constantly evolving travel restrictions around the globe, and provides up-to-date information on a real-time basis.
It tracks more than 160 countries across the globe with real-time data on quarantine rules; government-mandated health protocols; country recommended apps; the status of public transport, eating establishments, and tourist attractions; as well as the current count of Covid cases, among others.
Varun Khona, CEO and co-founder of Headout, said: “Headout’s mission is to make experiences exceptional and accessible. True to this mission, we have launched Covid Travel Restrictions Tracker to help travellers (know) where they can travel to and where they can’t with just a couple of taps. This tool will help them make an informed choice and book with confidence, well aware of the travel climate at their destination.”
The Covid Travel Restrictions Tracker sources information from local, state, and federal government websites, CDC, UNWTO, and WHO; and is updated daily with specific requirements and regulations for each country. The Tracker has a compact widget feature that can be embedded on any website for the benefit of the larger travel community.
Qantas-Accor alliance gives members two-fold reward
A partnership between Qantas and Accor will allow eligible members of both brands’ loyalty programmes to simultaneously earn both Qantas Points and ALL – Accor Live Limitless Reward Points on both Accor hotel bookings as well as Qantas flight bookings.
Scheduled to launch mid-2021, it will be the first partnership of its kind between an airline and hospitality group in the Asia-Pacific region.
Members will also enjoy more opportunities to redeem points as well as a suite of exclusive benefits for top-tier members.
The reward scheme will apply for hotel stays across Accor’s 1,240 hotels, apartments and resorts in the Asia-Pacific region and across Qantas’ domestic and international flights.
Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said: “This is an entirely new way to recognise the loyalty of our frequent flyers which we know will be very popular. Although our members haven’t been flying much lately due to border closures, we know there is huge pent-up demand, and we’ve been looking at how we (can) provide even more value when their travel resumes – whether that’s for business or leisure.”
Full details of the new partnership will be revealed early next year.
Pushing sustainability forward amid Covid-19
Marina Bay Sands was built around its sustainability features. What consideration led to the construction of these elements?
As a Sands property, Marina Bay Sands is guided by its global sustainability strategy Sands ECO360 to minimise environmental impact and lead the way in sustainable building development and resort operations.
During the design and construction phase, energy conservation and efficient water usage were high on the agenda. To reduce the need for additional lighting, the building was designed to introduce abundant natural daylight to illuminate indoor areas. Specially designed convex and concave roofs reduce heat gain into the podium interior. Sun shading across the glass façade in the form of balconies, vertical fins and canopies were also installed.
The property features large-scale art installations which dynamically integrate with the building’s architecture to create an Art Path at Marina Bay Sands. Some of the art pieces such as Rain Oculus, Wind Arbor and Tipping Wall around the property are designed with sustainability in mind.
How were the types of measures and equipment decided upon?
Our practice is to adopt an evidence-based, impact-first approach when introducing any sustainability initiatives on property. We also constantly find new ways to make our operations more resource efficient. For instance, we introduced five anaerobic digesters in the third year of our operations after studying what the industry was doing and how we could do better. We conducted extensive research and piloted different solutions before we landed on the right one for the company.
To continue making our business even more sustainable, we constantly talk to peers in the industry and are always looking to embrace new technologies. For instance, we have now enhanced our food waste minimisation efforts, using food waste technology in selected kitchens to help chefs monitor and reduce the amount of food waste produced.
What difficulties did the resort face in going green?
The main challenge for any organisation implementing and maintaining its sustainability efforts is how well it engages its stakeholders and rallies them towards a common vision. From suppliers and vendors to team members, we actively engage stakeholders in the sustainability journey, sharing our goals and encouraging them to make business decisions that reduce environmental impact wherever possible.
What are some examples of such responsible business decisions?
(Our) sustainable purchasing policy provides guidelines to vendors, encouraging them to (adopt) solutions, materials and goods that minimise environmental impact. The purchasing policy covers a wide range of supplies, such as responsible food sourcing and earth-friendly packaging materials.
Procurement teams are also guided by this policy and consciously review procurement decisions. Chefs collaborate closely with vendors and procurement teams to plan dishes made with sustainable ingredients. Overall, advocating a culture of sustainability empowers over 10,000 team members to create a positive impact not only at Marina Bay Sands, but also in their personal lives.
How does the Marina Bay Sands’ team keep to its sustainability commitment amid this pandemic, as the higher hygiene standards increase demand for single-use packaging and resources for sterilisation?
Like any other business, we have been trying to navigate the ongoing pandemic. Hygiene and sanitisation priorities are higher than ever, but we continue to stay focused on the goal to decouple our environmental footprint from our business growth.
We are scrutinising the chemicals in cleaning products and choosing those that are enzyme-based, PH neutral, safe and non-toxic to sanitise all high-touch surfaces. Our restaurants also provide all diners with a paper mask-holder made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper. While these are a few examples of what we have been doing, the team at Marina Bay Sands is proactively looking for solutions to continue minimising our impact on the environment even in the midst of this pandemic.
As we step into the new normal, what initiatives are the team currently working on to further the company’s sustainability accomplishments?
One key partnership we’re really excited about is our investment in the Drop by Drop Project with Seven Clean Seas, a Singapore-based social enterprise tackling plastic pollution in our oceans. Our support will go towards the development of the River Plastic Recovery System, a floating plastic collection system that captures river plastic before it reaches the ocean.
We’re also looking for more ways to diversify our sources and increase support for local food producers. Marina Bay Sands currently procures 63.5 per cent of our food within Asia-Pacific, and we are making steady progress towards our 75 per cent target. To minimise food waste, we’re looking at expanding our existing unserved food donation partnerships with local food banks, and also plan to halve our food loss and waste by 2030.
Perth’s incentive offering continues to grow nearly a year on from Dreamtime
At Tourism Australia’s signature incentive showcase Dreamtime in December 2019, delegates had an opportunity to see firsthand how Perth has come into its own as an incentive destination, after significant investment in infrastructure. Fast forward almost a year – through the world-stopping spread of coronavirus – and with the city currently tracking over 120 days without a local transmission case of coronavirus, Perth has restarted business events of up to 900 people.
The city’s incentive offering continues to grow too, with several new venues and experiences recently opened or set to debut in early 2021.
The Raft
Perth’s first permanent floating open-air venue launched in October 2020 on the city’s central Swan River, drawing inspiration from Western Australia’s stunning coastal landscape. With capacity for up to 250 people for cocktail events or 180 for seated dinners, The Raft is proving popular, with the venue fully booked for the rest of 2020.
Samphire Rottnest
A laidback beachside luxury addition to the accommodation offering on Perth’s Rottnest Island – home of the impossibly cute and exceptionally photogenic quokka – is the 80-room Samphire Rottnest. The hotel has six event spaces from the Poolside, which can host 80, to the Bayside Room and Bar with capacity for 200. Available for exclusive use, Samphire is right on the beach, a short walk from boat charter drop-offs from Perth. Staff also work with groups to tailor itineraries to make the most of the idyllic surroundings.
Want more of what’s new in Australia? Business Events Australia’s new incentive magazine Australia Next, curated just for South and South East Asian customers, is packed with ideas to keep you dreaming of Australia and have you overflowing with ideas for Australian incentives when travel restarts.
Matagarup Bridge Climb and Zip Line
A thrill-seeking experience is set to open in Perth by the end of the year, when a bridge climb and zip line debuts on the Matagarup Bridge, which connects central Perth with the Burswood Peninsula, home to Optus Stadium, crowned the most beautiful stadium in the world in 2019. Participants will take 314 steps up the bridge’s main arch for a view over the Swan River to the city’s skyline and be able to combine the climb with a 400m zipline over the river, travelling at up to 100km per hour, landing in Burswood Park.
AGWA Rooftop, Art Gallery of WA
Available for events from February 2021, the new rooftop space at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in the centre of Perth will be the largest commercially available rooftop space in the city, with capacity for up to 500 people. The space will feature an inside gallery space, an open-air sculpture park and two outdoor event spaces, with views of the city, the Perth hills and the new WA Museum. The centrepiece of the rooftop will be a new 34-metre-long contemporary Aboriginal art piece by Noongar/Minang artist Christopher Pease, which will wrap around one third of the wall of the rooftop.
AirAsia has partnered with digital transformation company GrayMatter to launch Scan2Fly, a cloud-hosted technology that determines a passenger’s eligibility to fly before they arrive at the airport, thus facilitating a more seamless and contactless clearance procedure for travellers and staff.
With Scan2Fly, AirAsia passengers can scan and upload their medical certificates during the online self check-in process. This includes the corresponding processing of any required documents to verify whether the passenger is approved to fly by the various authorities and possesses a valid Covid-19 Negative Certificate.
The system has gone live for a number of AirAsia flights from Malaysia’s KLIA2 Airport to/from Singapore as well as to/from Surabaya. It will soon be offered for flights to and from Jakarta, as well as other AirAsia destinations where valid travel documents are required prior to travel.
Scan2Fly is among the airline’s latest technological enhancements to improve the customer journey in pandemic era. Other recent enhancements include automated bag drop services, roving technology for temperature checks, and biometric facial recognition technology for its passenger processing system through its strategic partner Vision-Box.
The airline is also working with Vision-Box to further deploy numerous other touchless experience systems, such as digital identity management across the airline’s travel and finance ecosystem.
Javed Malik, COO of AirAsia Group, said: “Innovation has always been in our DNA. Our digital transformation continues to gain momentum as we work hard to make travel in this new world more secure, hygienic, contactless and seamless than ever before by improving our digital capabilities which reduce costs and further enhance the customer journey. As we pivot into a one-stop travel and lifestyle platform, there are many more innovations in the pipeline which we will announce in due course.”