Adventure travel specialist World Expeditions has launched a new walking tour company dubbed Great Walks of New Zealand, offering 21 self-guided and guided walks on New Zealand’s South Island.
Crafted to offer flexibility, walkers can choose between a professionally guided, pack-free walk, complete with luggage transfers and lodge/cabin style accommodation; and a self-guided, full-pack carrying trek, with shared accommodation at DOC Great Walk or a private hut.
Self-guided hikes on lesser-known tracks like the Nydia Track are among 21 offerings by World Expeditions’ new brand Great Walks of New Zealand
The walking tours come in varying degrees of challenge and duration, ranging from a four-day introductory-style walk through to a 12-day challenging trek. Customised walks are also available.
Options include six different walks on the Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds region, ranging from an introductory-level hike and cruise combination itinerary to a self-guided six-day, extended hike. As well, there are four variations in the Abel Tasman National Park and a five-day self-guided Heaphy Hike.
For off-the-beaten-track walks, the company also offers self-guided hikes on lesser-known tracks including Banks Peninsula, Old Ghost, Paparoa, the Kaikoura Coastal and on the Nydia Track. The range will be expanded to include North Island walks in coming months, according to World Expeditions CEO Sue Badyari.
Vietnam’s budget carrier Vietjet will reopen some of its regular international flights from Vietnam to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan from September 29, 2020.
Vietjet will resume commercial flights to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan this month
The airline will operate once-weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo’s Narita every Tuesday, and one flight per week from Ho Chi Minh City to Seoul’s Incheon every Wednesday. It will also fly from Hanoi to Taipei’s Taoyuan once a week every Thursday.
Passengers departing from Vietnam must present a medical certificate with a negative Covid-19 test result taken within three days before departure time as well as comply with mandatory quarantine requirements of the host countries.
Why
As Singapore welcomes the revival of small group tours, operators are evolving their tourism products to cater to a domestic clientele. That greater demand for something beyond the cookie-cutter experience among locals exploring their own backyard has prompted travel agencies to push out a raft of immersive, value-added experiences.
What
Local agency Tribe Tours has gamified the tour experience in what it touts is the first-of-its-kind product in the local market. Chinatown Murders is a walking tour – with a whodunit murder mystery twist. Participants put on their imaginary Sherlock Holmes caps and work together to solve challenging puzzles in one of Singapore’s richest heritage districts. While there is no overall time limit, each puzzle has a ten-minute countdown to beat. Our tour took two-and-a-half hours.
How
Our Chinatown Murders journey started out with a pre-tour briefing, before each participant is handed sanitised mini-intercom units, earpieces, and hand sanitiser.
In keeping with safe management measures, this game tour can be played in teams of two to five persons, capped at 10 participants. Our 10-person outfit was split into two teams of five, led by a group of game masters and a guide-slash-storyteller. Each team was supplied a game kit, comprising material needed for our mystery jaunt, such as a puzzle book, a map and markers.
We kept our eyes peeled for clues hidden in our surroundings, and ears open for possible hints dropped by our storyteller. Each puzzle we solved helped unlock a new clue that narrowed down our suspect list, and brought us a step closer to nabbing the killer.
In between solving puzzles, our storyteller role playing a character which has lived in Chinatown for 48 years regales us with tales about growing up in the district – though a work of fiction, the stories were inspired by real people, we are told.
For a walking tour, the mini-intercom units worked excellently as all of us could hear the guide well, even from the back of the group. It also helped the guide summon some of us back to the meeting point whenever needed.
Verdict
Overall, the experience was a fun and interactive spin on the traditional walking tour. Already, the concept has piqued the interest of some local audiences, with Tribe Tours co-founder Jason Loe reporting bookings coming in from interest and corporate groups.
It’s easy to see why – the game tour makes for a refreshing alternative to typical icebreaker activities and team-bonding games. Throughout the tour, our game masters repeatedly emphasised teamwork ¬– indeed, we found that splitting up the puzzle-cracking between the members helped speed things up, while fostering greater discussion and collaboration.
I personally felt that the tour could have struck a finer balance between historical commentary and fictional storytelling. As much of the guide’s narration was fictional retellings, I did not learn as many new facts about Chinatown as I’d hoped. An even more immersive experience could be achieved if the commentary incorporated lesser-known tidbits about Chinatown or non-fictional accounts about its previous occupants.
Although we were told from the get-go that this game tour wasn’t a contest, it was hard for our competitive instincts not to kick in. Since safe distancing rules have taken inter-team collaboration off the table, the tour experience could have been enhanced with the introduction of a solid competitive element. – Additional reporting by Cheryl Ong
A segment of less risk-averse travellers are continuing to drive pent-up demand for luxury holidays this year, despite ongoing uncertainty over international travel restrictions, according to a recent survey by Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
Conducted in partnership with Liz Hall Hotel & Travel Consulting, the survey looked at the current travel sentiments of more than 6,000 members of the luxury brand’s Invited member loyalty programme.
Luxury travellers keen to travel again, with most favouring domestic destinations, finds SLH survey
The results show a desire to travel this year wherever possible, adapting travel plans to changes in governmental advice, and a preference for smaller hotels where their experience can be managed and customised.
The survey results split the recipients into three groups: the Travel Ready, those who have already booked and even travelled, taking increased safety precautions in their stride; the Travel Reserved, those who are keen to get away but still cautious about potential risk; and the Travel Reluctant who are unlikely to travel until things have returned to ‘normal’.
With over 46 per cent of recipients expecting that they will be in the same position financially next year, it comes as no surprise that over 30 per cent fall into the Travel Reserved group and are currently planning a holiday in 2021.
Short breaks take priority as only six per cent indicate they would reduce spending on short breaks over the next 12 months, with holidays prioritised above personal purchases such as clothes, electronics, furniture and even outings to bars, theatres and restaurants close to home.
Domestic travel takes the limelight, with 61 per cent of global members (44 per cent in Asia) planning to take a staycation, of which 17 per cent plan to do so during 4Q2020.
SLH reservations data for bookings originating from Asia-Pacific since August 1 reflects these numbers, with 93 per cent of reservations for local hotels. International bookings were mainly for 2Q2021 visits, with top destinations being Maldives and the UK. Most are also mindful of travelling safely, with a majority agreeing almost unanimously (93 per cent) to additional health checks at the airport.
In terms of selecting accommodation, over 90 per cent of recipients stated that they would feel most comfortable in a small hotel, while private residences were also popular. Location, flexible booking options and cleanliness were guests’ most important considerations.
Discounts and offers ranked least importantly to SLH guests – 28 per cent are of the view that there should be no discounts at all, with hotels investing in hotel services to ensure guests’ safety at luxury standards instead. In addition to cleanliness-related conditions such as capacity adjustments, accredited Covid-19 certification, enforced social distancing, face masks, guests would favour hotels which can also offer enjoyable activities safely as well as those with an outdoor focus.
From December, all Singaporeans aged 18 and above will receive S$100 (US$74) worth of SingapoRediscovers vouchers, which can be used on staycations, attraction tickets and tours.
The vouchers will be provided in denominations of S$10 via the SingPass government portal, and will be valid for seven months between this December through end-June next year, reported Channel NewsAsia.
SingapoRediscovers vouchers can be utilised on local hotel stays, tickets to attractions and tours; a domestic tourist snapping a photo of the floral display at the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay pictured
A S$10 subsidy will also be provided for children and youth tickets for attractions and tours, according to a fact sheet distributed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Wednesday, said the report. Each adult may purchase up to six children or youth tickets at subsidised prices during the duration of the scheme, it added. More details on the redemption mechanism will be announced in November.
Trade and industry minister Chan Chun Sing was quoted by the report as telling reporters at the Jurong Bird Park on Wednesday that the move will help the local tourism industry hit hard by Covid-19 to rebound. “This is not a social assistance scheme. This is an economic scheme to help our tourist attractions to preserve their capabilities that have been built up over the years, while they consolidate capacity in the interim,” he said.
STB CEO Keith Tan said the agency will put out a tender to appoint the platform providers for the redemption of the vouchers, according to the report. “We envisage it to be fairly simple and straightforward. We don’t want it to be too complicated for our locals using it, as well as for the merchants who benefit from it,” he added.
Last month, deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat announced that the government would set aside S$320 million in vouchers to encourage its citizens to participate in the SingapoRediscovers domestic tourism campaign. All licensed hotels, attractions and tours that have been approved by the STB to operate or reopen can benefit from this scheme.
From Friday, attractions that have received approval to resume operations can apply to the STB to increase their operating capacity from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, subject to approval by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Attractions can also apply to increase the capacity at their outdoor shows, which were previously limited to a maximum of 50 people.
Accor will bring the luxury Fairmont brand to Australia for the first time, with the Fairmont Port Douglas set to open in Far North Queensland come 2023.
Set on the edge of two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – the hotel in the coastal town of Port Douglas will boast 253 rooms. On-site amenities include several restaurants and bars, a spa, treetop walk and conference facilities, designed around resort-style pools.
Fairmont Port Douglas will bring a new level of sustainable luxury to Australia’s Far North
The hotel is also planning to work with the local Kuku Yalanji community, traditional owners of the land, to provide Indigenous Welcome to Culture and Smoking Ceremonies for special events.
As the first hotel in the region to achieve Ecotourism Australia’s Eco Destination Certificate, Fairmont Port Douglas has been recognised for its strong environmental credentials, winning the Communities & Culture Award at the Sustainable Destinations Awards in March 2020.
Singapore-headquartered Luxury Tours & Travel (LTT) has inked a digital partnership deal with B2B travel technology company Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) to power regional expansion.
LTT provides travel services and content to its global trade partners, including airport transfers, sightseeing tours, worldwide hotel accommodations and tour packages. Also headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Indonesia and Thailand, TA Network provides a broad range of system solutions designed to streamline and automate business processes.
Luxury Tours’ partnership with Trip Affiliates Network comes as Covid-19 accelerates the need for digital business transformation
The LTT-TA Network partnership brings together deep know-how in business and technology elements. TA will be providing a broad range of cost-effective digital solutions, including online supplier connectivity, scalable channel distribution, digital payments and operations automation.
“Appropriate adoption of technology will be critical in a post-Covid era where travel agents will be faced with ever more dynamic travel demands and pricing,” said Jennifer Chang, LTT’s general manager and a travel veteran with more than 35 years of industry experience.
The DMC’s partnership with TA Network to embark on a complete digital transformation will “enhance our competitiveness and enable us to accelerate our regional expansion plans”, she added.
Josef Foo, Trip Affiliates COO and managing partner, said: “We are excited with the tremendous potential of travel agents to transform digitally and achieve higher revenue and operating margins. In the post Covid ‘new normal’, our agent clients with their human agents will be well positioned to provide personalised travel care and arrangements, be it for FIT, small group or large group tours.”
Minor Hotels has partnered with Thai developer M.K. Real Estate Development and VitalLife Scientific Wellness Centre, a subsidiary of Bumrungrad International Hospital, to launch RAKxa Fully Integrative Wellness and Medical Retreat in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Launching in December 2020, RAKxa was conceived as a fully sustainable medical wellness retreat within Bang Krachao on the Chao Praya River, known locally as the ‘Green Lung’ of Bangkok. The concept aims to deliver bespoke healthcare in a relaxing environment.
Minor Hotels will manage the luxury villas at RAKxa Fully Integrative Wellness and Medical Retreat; Rakxa pool villa pictured
RAKxa’s 60 private villas will be managed by Minor Hotels. In December, 27 garden villas spanning 80m2 will welcome the retreat’s first guests. Pool villas and a presidential villa are set to launch in early 2021.
William E Heinecke, chairman and founder of Minor International, owning company of Minor Hotels, said: “At a time when customers are reprioritising their health, the hospitality industry’s pivot to wellness is no longer a trend but a necessity. Refocusing on health is happening on the community level too, making the arrival of pioneering concepts such as RAKxa all the more important.”
Separated from the rest of Bangkok by a winding river, RAKxa is accessible by both boat and car, and is located approximately an hour from both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports.
Residents in Asia-Pacific countries harbour an overall positive sentiment around tourism in the region, as compared to the global averages, with most ready to welcome visitors again with due attention to the traveller impact on environment and cleanliness.
Those are among the findings from PATA’s newly-launched report entitled The Impact of Health and Hygiene on Post-Covid-19 Destination Competitiveness in Asia Pacific.
PATA’s new report examines the impact of health and hygiene on post-Covid-19 tourism competitiveness in Asia-Pacific destinations
Report contributors include the co-founders of the Global Health Security Index, a project of the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; TCI Research, Tripadvisor, and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
With Covid-19 changing the way people travel, the report also found that health-related issues are among consumers’ top considerations when selecting travel destinations.
PATA chief of staff Trevor Weltman said: “Despite much remaining unknown about the future of travel post-Covid-19, this timely report highlights emerging trends about health and hygiene in travel and tourism concerning traveller booking behaviour and resident sentiment. Such insights can assist destination managers and marketers to get ahead of the curve to rethink, rebuild, and reposition their destination’s focus on health and hygiene beginning now.”
The report recommends that destination managers and other tourism stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region begin creating close partnerships with public health officials, tourism supply chain businesses, and local communities to commence a coordinated renewal of traveller confidence in the health and safety of their destination.
Destinations that meet these expectations through investing in hygiene and safety measures and clearly communicate these changes to travellers and residents alike, will be well-positioned to win in the post-Covid-19 travel era.
The methods of analysis used in the report include social listening, sentiment analysis, and surveying. Furthermore, Part III of the report, which provides a destination competitiveness analysis, is a re-weighting of the “Health & Hygiene” pillar of the WEF’s 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). The TTCI benchmarks the travel and tourism competitiveness of 140 economies to measure the factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the sector.
Ultimately, multi-sectoral coordination between ministries of health, agriculture, tourism, and trade, and communication of the outcomes of these policy actions to the broader community, including travellers, will be critical to meeting these goals and restoring confidence in the tourism industry. “These preliminary findings are shared to provide an enhanced understanding of where the industry is heading, as well as an initial roadmap for how to get there,” Weltman added.
More about the report will be shared at the PTM Forum on The Impact of Health and Hygiene on Post-Covid-19 Destination Competitiveness in Asia Pacific on September 25, 2020 at 16:00 ICT, as part of Virtual PTM 2020. Speakers include representatives from TCI Research, Tripadvisor, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and WEF.
The webinar is open to all Virtual PTM 2020 delegates, PATA members, media, non-members and all interested parties. To register, click here.
Philippine hotels and resorts are evolving their products and services to adapt to changing demands and lifestyles during the pandemic, including pushing out packages with work, study and health components.
Andrea Mastellone, senior group general manager, Ayala Hotels and Resorts – Seda Hotels, noted an increase in demand for workations, with people now looking to work from hotels for a change of scenery, with recent surveys showing that working from home isn’t exactly a bed of roses.
Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria is among a growing number of Philippines hotels offering work from hotel packages
Workations is a growing market that can fill the hotel room void left by returning overseas Filipino workers, business process outsourcing staff, and health frontliners, Mastellone said in a webinar. However, he noted, while the workation trend may “give life to hotels” during the pandemic, it is “not sustainable” and “would be extinguished in the short-term”.
Hotel Sales and Marketing Association spokesperson Pearl Peralta Maclang agreed that workation is a new trend that many properties are hopping on, including Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Dusit D2 Davao.
The shift to distance learning for Philippine schools has also birthed a growing trend of hotels and resorts becoming alternative spaces for children to play and study, said Margie Munsayac, Bluewater Resorts vice president sales and marketing, in an HSMA online press briefing.
“People want to go on staycations on weekends and even on weekdays, and hotels are assuring them of stable Wi-Fi connection because children can study anywhere as long as there is stable Wi-Fi connection. People would love to go to hotels for a different environment and atmosphere,” she said.
Workation packages would be embraced by internationally travelling millennials, who are looking to explore destinations where they can mix work and leisure, Munsayac added.
As the populace becomes more health-conscious, another trend is hotels providing on-site medical consultations. Discovery Hospitality has partnered with Cardinal Santos Medical Center to have doctors on stand-by at its property Discovery Suites Ortigas. The Farm at San Benito also offers similar programmes.
Nathan Boublil, co-founder and CEO, Zen Hospitality Solutions, said that heightened hygiene standards adopted by hotels and resorts will give them an edge over serviced apartments and Airbnb, the latter now suffering due to an “amateur level of service”.
Also working in tech-savvy hotels’ favour amid the pandemic are technologies like smart room controls, mobile concierge and keyless check-ins that helps with social distancing, Boublil said.
Minor Hotels has partnered with Thai developer M.K. Real Estate Development and VitalLife Scientific Wellness Centre, a subsidiary of Bumrungrad International Hospital, to launch RAKxa Fully Integrative Wellness and Medical Retreat in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Launching in December 2020, RAKxa was conceived as a fully sustainable medical wellness retreat within Bang Krachao on the Chao Praya River, known locally as the ‘Green Lung’ of Bangkok. The concept aims to deliver bespoke healthcare in a relaxing environment.
RAKxa’s 60 private villas will be managed by Minor Hotels. In December, 27 garden villas spanning 80m2 will welcome the retreat’s first guests. Pool villas and a presidential villa are set to launch in early 2021.
William E Heinecke, chairman and founder of Minor International, owning company of Minor Hotels, said: “At a time when customers are reprioritising their health, the hospitality industry’s pivot to wellness is no longer a trend but a necessity. Refocusing on health is happening on the community level too, making the arrival of pioneering concepts such as RAKxa all the more important.”
Separated from the rest of Bangkok by a winding river, RAKxa is accessible by both boat and car, and is located approximately an hour from both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports.