A tourism mission for conservation
Covid-19 has exacted massive damage to world economies as well as the travel and tourism industry, but it is just one of many alarms Nature has sounded, from wildfires and droughts to hurricanes and floods, to retaliate against mankind’s excessive takings from planet Earth.
Conservationists are emphasising that it is in the travel and tourism industry’s interest to protect the environment – the beauty of which is their income generator.
The good news is, some businesses in the industry are already working towards positive change. They include World Wildlife Fund’s collaborations with organisations such as Ctrip, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Hilton Worldwide, and Intrepid Group; Everland’s work with Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia where community-based Jahoo Gibbon Camp brings in tourism dollars to improve the lives of natives; and Cardamom Tented Camp, a three-way initiative between The Minor Group, YAANA Ventures and Wildlife Alliance to fight against land and wildlife loss in Cambodia’s Botum Sakor National Park.
In this fifth article by TTG Asia Media for PATA Crisis Resource Center, TTG Asia‘s Pamela Chow and Karen Yue find out why continued environmental degradation is devastating for the world’s travel and tourism industry, what has been done to reverse the damage, and what more is needed.
What has habitat loss got to do with tourism? is now available at PATA Crisis Resource Center.
How hoteliers can bounce back post-Covid
More than a hundred million travel and hospitality jobs will be lost in 2020 due to Covid-19. The devastating impact of that number can only be upstaged by the profound loss of life, globally.
Here in Phuket – where I moved in 1988 as the opening general manager for Amanpuri, Aman’s first-ever resort – we have seen as many as 60,000 job losses in the hotel sector alone, and it’s a similar story on other island destinations around the world.
More than four months have passed with no local infections on Phuket. Yet passenger arrivals have plunged and there are no imminent signs of recovery, despite the country opening up to domestic air travel and guests from Bangkok becoming our “weekend warriors”.
Thailand – the first country to detect the coronavirus outside China – deserves high praise for its decisive actions in late March that successfully stopped the spread of Covid-19. But by closing the tourist-friendly kingdom to all non-resident foreigners, the country’s leading resort island now finds itself at an inflexion point. Local demand cannot stem the dramatic losses on Phuket with its 86,000 registered hotel rooms, nor reverse the rapidly escalating financial and social crisis across Thailand, where the World Bank estimates tourism accounts for 15 per cent of GDP.
What I know – from leading Amanpuri through the 1997 Asian financial crisis, then helping create and operate Trisara resort for 20 years through SARS and the 2004’s Boxing Day tsunami – is that we cannot continue to stand still indefinitely and we need to get safely back to business.
From the very earliest days at Amanresorts, the founder Adrian Zecha schooled his general managers to personally engage with every guest as though they were friends in our own homes. These relaxed, informal conversations led guests to feel more relaxed and trust that the entire experience wasn’t purely transactional.
I learned that ours is a business built on meaningful human connections, and as we emerge from this Covid-19 crisis, creating even more exceptional and surprising moments will be even more important as travellers start to move again in 2021.
Now as president of the Phuket Hotels Association, I work with our 78 members to prepare for the inevitable return of international arrivals. After several aborted plans, the Thai government is currently discussing ‘green bridges’ that may allow entry to foreigners from countries or regions with little or no Covid-19 infections, hopefully from countries such as New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan as well as parts of China and Australia.
As we face these hurdles in the race towards a new normal, I believe those of us in this incredibly complex business of making people happy should consider a more compassionate and thoughtful guest-centric approach to policies.
Whether or not the Thai government’s trial run to relaunch tourism works – and I hope it does – it’s going to be a buyer’s market for years as we already had an oversupply of hotel rooms in many areas.
With this in mind, I propose we offer a new Guest Bill of Rights.
- Frontline staff needs to be more empowered to make decisions, such as giving guests reasonable refunds or credit when they complain about an actual mistake. We all know the feeling of irritation at check-out when, with your flight take-off time looming, the reception staff disappears to ask an invisible manager about removing an erroneous charge for that Toblerone you didn’t eat.
- Overcharging for cookie-cutter minibars is over. We can and should customise the minibar with healthy (and not so healthy, this is a holiday after all) options including authentic, hygienic and plastic-free packaged local treats. Guests would buy more too, as mini bars are mostly poor investments. My favourite is the totally free local New York mini bar at The Greenwich, Robert De Niro’s hotel in New York.
- No more ‘nickel and diming’ on the hotel bill. We owe it to our guests to stop profiting off necessary conveniences like faster water with breakfast, Internet and hotel laundry.
- Goodbye to 50 per cent or even 100 per cent room charges for late check-outs. Let’s be better at allocating rooms. There should always be a private space for guests who arrive before 14.00 and if hotels are not 100 per cent full, guests should be able to leave after midday without being whacked with a half-day charge.
- Breakfast should be included, full stop, and let breakfast finish late. Since there is nothing more luxurious than a long, relaxed breakfast on a holiday, guests should not have to rush down to their first meal of the day simply because the chef wants to start prepping for lunch at 10.00.
- We can and must protect our guests and the planet at the same time. Drinking water should be in glass bottles, plentiful and complimentary. There must be an unilateral end to plastic shampoo bottles and laundered garments shrouded in cling plastic have to go. In Phuket, we challenged our member hotels to remove plastic water bottles in 2018, which resulted in a reduction of six million plastic bottles from our landfills.
Our industry’s humble beginnings offer valuable lessons for any hotel’s future success. What was not optional for a medieval innkeeper should guide the 21st-century hotelier: buy local, being supportive of our local communities, engagement with and protection of the local environment.
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Digital Travel APAC returns with a virtual run this December
Asia’s topmost digital travel experts will convene online this year at the fifth edition of Digital Travel APAC, taking place on December 8 and 9.
The flagship conference and networking event will be held entirely online to ensure the ease of access and safety of all its attendees. Content will focus on continuous innovation and progress in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the delivery of safe yet great travel experiences.
Attendees will actively connect with top minds from Asia’s most successful airlines, hotels, OTAs, meta-search platforms, tours and activities, car rentals, cruise lines and tourism boards. The myriad of travel verticals, coupled with a strong profile from the attending delegates will enable high level peer-to-peer discussions throughout the event.
Building upon the success of the previous virtual outing, Digital Travel’s last virtual summit for the year will feature more than 30 speakers and at least 10 cutting-edge technology companies with peer-to-peer interactivity built into its core. More than 300 attendees are expected.
Programme highlights range from one-on-one video meetings and powerful keynotes, to all-star panel discussions and intimate ‘live’ roundtables and think-tank sessions.
A powerful new platform will allow all delegates to seamlessly transit between sessions and connect with fellow attendees and speakers directly.
Travel, OTAs and metasearches executives enjoy free access to the main conference.
Registration is now open.
TTG Conversations: Five questions with Uzaidi Udanis, Tourism Productivity Nexus
A company’s productivity and efficiency are especially tested in challenging times, but business owners are able to improve on these aspects without incurring high costs and making large investments in cutting-edge technologies.
In this new episode of TTG Conversations: Five questions video series, Uzaidi Udanis, chairman of Tourism Productivity Nexus and president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, shares ideas on what the travel trade can do to maximise their productivity while at the same time keep costs down and stay relevant.
Restoration of Okinawa’s Shuri Castle on track for 2026 completion
Shuri Castle, a popular tourist attraction in Okinawa Prefecture that was destroyed in a fire in 2019, is to be restored and open to the public by 2026 with national and prefectural government support.
The announcement was made on the eve of the first anniversary of the blaze, at the night reception of Tourism Expo Japan, the business meetings and exhibition for travel trade professionals held from October 29 to November 1.
With a hill-top location overlooking Naha, the capital of Okinawa, Shuri Castle had been an iconic spot for travellers before a fire suspected to be caused by an electrical fault broke out in the early hours of the morning of October 31 and engulfed the surrounding six wooden buildings across 4,000m2 of the complex.
Speaking at the expo’s reception, Denny Tamaki, governor of Okinawa Prefecture, expressed his gratitude for monetary donations and messages of hope that have flooded into the southern Japan prefecture following the devastation of its UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“With the support of well-wishers from at home and abroad and the financial support of the government of Japan, together we are on schedule to complete the restoration of the main chambers of the castle by 2026 and to open up to visitors once again,” he said.
He added that ahead of the expo, the Japan Association of Travel Agencies, were among those that have provided financial support to restore the castle to its former glory.
Visitors can inspect the structural remains of the castle including the ancient stone foundations, which castle guides say are the site’s most valuable cultural asset, as well as parts of two historically important stone statues, which have been labelled to allow for their reconstruction. Other parts of the castle complex, including its walls and gardens also remain open to the public, having been unaffected by the fire.
Events at the castle will be the backbone of restoration plans, according to Tamaki who said the castle walls would be used for digital mapping shows while the open spaces would feature traditional Okinawan entertainment. He said efforts would improve and further develop the charm of Shuri Castle Park in the long-term.
Grab and Marriott ink wide-ranging agreement
Grab and Marriott International have established a wide-ranging strategic partnership that will see both companies integrating their offerings.
Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Marriott International will integrate into Grab’s platform in phases across food delivery, payment, transport, loyalty and rewards, as well as advertising. Marriott International will have access to Grab’s customer base via GrabFood, GrabPay, and GrabAds, enabling them to serve a growing pool of customers who are increasingly transacting online.
GrabFood will feature approximately 600 restaurants and bars from Marriott International’s portfolio in six different South-east Asian markets. In addition, customers will be able to pay for their dining experiences through GrabPay at selected Marriott International hotels.
Customers will earn GrabRewards points for all transactions on the Grab platform, which can be converted to Marriott Bonvoy points (and vice versa). Marriott Bonvoy is the travel programme of Marriott International that encompasses the company’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands and home rental offering, Homes and Villas by Marriott International.
Grab and Marriott will also link their respective loyalty programmes to offer expanded benefits to both membership pools. Starting in 1Q2021, Grab customers and Marriott Bonvoy members will be able to enjoy two-way points transfer. This will allow consumers to convert GrabRewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa.
Next up will be GrabPay. Piloting in 1Q2021 in Singapore, travellers will be able to make cashless payments through GrabPay at participating Marriott International hotels. F&B outlets that accept GrabPay can soon also access Grab’s Merchant Discovery feature to notify guests in the vicinity of participating hotels about ongoing promotions and events.
Aside from the creation of joint marketing campaigns, both companies will also launch more loyalty initiatives in the coming months.
The strategic partnership will begin in Singapore in November 2020, with Marriott International and Grab to roll out more products and services across South-east Asia in multiple phases.
IHG Rewards gets into bed with Mr & Mrs Smith
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Mr & Mrs Smith have unveiled their loyalty partnership to give IHG Rewards members an even wider selection of luxury and lifestyle hotels to stay at.
The first selection of over 400 handpicked Mr & Mrs Smith hotels are available to book by IHG Rewards members through IHG’s direct channels (including IHG.com and IHG mobile app). New hotels will be added each week, with the full selection of properties available to book by late November.
This exclusive partnership more than doubles the number of luxury and lifestyle hotels which members can choose from; complementing IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio of hotels and resorts across Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Hotel Indigo.
This includes hotels in 11 new destinations where IHG is not currently present: Barbados, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Croatia, Iceland, Sweden, Morocco, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
As well as earning and redeeming loyalty points for their stays, IHG Rewards members can expect extras on arrival at each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel.
Elite IHG Rewards members will receive Bonus Points on eligible room rates according to their tiers, while InterContinental Ambassadors and Royal Ambassadors and Kimpton Inner Circle members will receive a complimentary room upgrade (where available) and Mr & Mrs Smith GoldSmith welcome gift.
Lybra integrates future flight search data into its Assistant RMS
Lybra’s Assistant Revenue Management System has now integrated millions of future flight search data sets, from one of the leading OTA metasearch flight booking sites, into its algorithm.
Along with other macro-level demand data, this data can also be used to calculate future demand within a destination.
Because flight search data is a strong indicator for travel intent and, therefore, for hotel booking intent, it is particularly useful for revenue managers in establishing accurate, competitive room rates.
Revenue managers have access to flight search data – including departure city and airport, destinations, travel dates, one- or two-way flights, etc. – and flight selections – including airline, airport, number of stops selected, flight times, etc. – directly through the Assistant RMS dashboard.
This will provide revenue managers with a real-time, accurate assessment of future demand within a destination, up to 365 days in advance.
Hotels can also establish the total percentage of demand for their destination, coming from each departure country – and all of the cities/airports within each country – to determine where the most traveller demand is coming from. Knowing which travellers are interested in travelling to the property’s destination – and when – also gives revenue managers the ability to manage their inventory more effectively, by adding more inventory to the booking channels that are most popular.
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Location
The hotel is located in Langsuan, a leafy, tree-lined soi close to prime districts such as Sukhumvit and Chidlom, and to Bangkok’s most famous park, Lumpini. Its elite neighbourhood ensures a good mix of trendy cafes, bars and restaurants at the hotel’s doorstep.
If you’re fit, it’s a good walk to Chidlom or Rajdamri BTS stations. Otherwise, use the hotel shuttle to either Chidlom and Silom station, although this would start when international tourism or business levels pick up.
Rooms
I didn’t want to go anywhere when I saw my ultra-spacious and sleek room. It dawned on me this was what I needed: to be enveloped in wide-open space that is serene and spotless. In our current crisis, this is ever more inviting.
I couldn’t believe how bold the hotel was to put just a sofa and a king bed in an elongated bedroom of a unit that is 84m2 in size. Yet, the room didn’t appear cold, which minimalist rooms often do. This is thanks to the contemporary Thai textures, tasteful furniture and furnishings, great lighting and a soothing colour palette of whites, greys and browns.
From the 24th floor, an endless view of Bangkok’s central district skyline and the sprawling gardens of the US Embassy only expanded the openness, which I soaked in with gratitude.
The other thing to soak in was the by-the-window bathtub in the super-sized bathroom. I also loved the luxurious amenities such as bathrobes designed by Christian Develter.
Room sizes and categories at the hotel start from a 48m2 Deluxe Room to a 320m2 Celebrity Suite. My 84sqm Grand Premium was enough! One idea I thought was smart is a small workspace area with a round table that seats two, rather than the usual by-the-wall workspace. This allows a couple to work together, have a game of backgammon or dine in if they wish.
F&B
I was surprised to see how bustling the cafe in the lobby, CRAFT, was on a late Monday morning and considering the hotel just opened. The reason, I soon realised, were exceptional brews at affordable prices. I had an espresso that included medium roasted beans from southern and northern Thailand, in cooperation with the Royal Thai project, for 90 baht (US$2.90). Alternative bean selections from Indonesia and Vietnam could also be had.
I would return just for the pistachio croissant.
Surrounding the hotel are lush gardens, with people enjoying a coffee or a drink outdoors throughout the day. I was struck by how the hotel brings nature into it, or itself out into nature. Inside, there is a lot of art that depicts nature, such as a “waterfall” installation and a check-in counter carved from wood with a wall-to-wall backdrop of art depicting a huge white flower.
There was a lot of energy, playfulness and style, be it by the hotel or its guests. A lady walked past me with two furry, beautiful cats, each looking a million-dollar in a transparent, round cat-stroller. That’s the kind of unexpected head-turners you would see at this hotel, which is so pet-friendly it has separate floors for cats and dogs.
I checked out the rooftop bar and barbecue restaurant, Bar.Yard, for a possible pre- or after-dinner drink, but it was being set up for a private function. For dinner, I went to Ms. Jigger, an elegant Italian restaurant draped in a curtain with its own sophisticated bar that serves Ms. Jigger’s favourite cocktails. So who’s Ms. Jigger? She’s a personality created by the hotel – again, this hotel is full of fun and surprises.
Ms. Jigger also likes great Italian – the food was divine. No wonder the restaurant was nearly full.
The hotel has another restaurant, Stock.Room, which will serve among others Thai street eats on-site or take home. But this had not opened on my stay on October 19.
Facilities
There’s so much to do that I wished I had stayed more than a night. I wanted to fit in a yoga lesson, a work-out class at the gorgeous gym on the 41st floor, swim in the pool nearby which overlooks a green park, and go to the Amaranth Spa by HARNN.
The spa won. It was another of the hotel’s beautiful spaces, and the aromatherapy massage was excellent.
Service
Service began at the top, with general manager Patrick Both welcoming me warmly on arrival. The staff were enthusiastic and relaxed but watchful to meet needs.
Verdict
So what did this stay tell me about brand Kimpton?
First, it’s not just a boutique hotel brand but a trendy restaurant operator. Second, it is about modern luxury – full of vigour, is sociable, creative and fun.
The brand was founded in 1981 by William (Bill) Kimpton and was in 2011 the largest boutique hotel group in the US. InterContinental Hotels Group bought the chain for US$430 million in 2014. Asia is now a key expansion area, with two Kimptons in operation in Taipei and Tokyo, and future openings in Hong Kong, Sanya, Shanghai, Bali and Kuala Lumpur.
Kimpton Maa-lai Bangkok translates the key aspects of the brand flawlessly. What grand entrance in South-east Asia.
Number of rooms 362 (131 of which are serviced residences)
Rate 8,830 baht nett (US$283; the opening offer for Grand Premium Room at time of stay)
Contact details
Tel: 66 2 056 9999
Email: book.KimptonMaaLai@ihg.com
Website: www.kimptonmaalaibangkok.com
As part of its SingapoRediscovers campaign to promote local tourism, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched bundled promotions, personalised itineraries and online content focusing on ten key precincts, as well as extended its run from March 2021 to June 2021.
These “Singapoliday” destinations are Changi/East Coast, Chinatown, Civic District, Joo Chiat/Katong, Kampong Gelam, Little India, Mandai/Kranji, Marina Bay, Orchard Road and Sentosa.
To encourage locals to go on a Singapoliday and explore their favourite precincts, STB will roll out a new video series called S.P.I.E.S. (Secret Places in Exciting Singapore). Over ten episodes, the series will shine the spotlight on lesser-known facts and discoveries for each precinct. Each episode will be hosted by a local celebrity, and broadcasted on STB’s social media platforms.
To be launched in November, the first episode will feature actor Tosh Zhang visiting Little India to uncover its secrets, such as a vintage garment shop and a hotel filled with artworks and sculptures. Upcoming hosts include Siti Khalijah Zainal, Fakkah Fuzz, Rishi Budhrani and Judee Tan.
More content will be released in the coming months to encourage locals to visit the various precincts. This includes a video series titled How To Not Waste Your Annual Leave, hosted by Chua Enlai and Michelle Chia.
As part of the campaign, hotels, attractions, tour operators as well as retail and dining establishments have also come together to offer bundled promotions for each precinct.
Locals can pick from a total of 50 bundled promotions, featuring a combination of products such as staycations, attractions, tours, as well as retail and dining offers in each precinct.
For instance, locals wishing to explore Marina Bay may choose a staycation-attraction package curated by travel agent The Traveller DMC that features Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, and Gardens by the Bay. In the heritage district Kampong Gelam, The Sultan and Tribe Tours have paired up to offer a staycation and Instagram photography tour of areas such as Bugis and Waterloo Street.
Around a quarter of these promotions were curated by local travel agents such as The Traveller DMC and Gourmet Trails, who have pivoted and rallied with industry partners to design promotions for the domestic market.
More offers will be added in the coming months, and tourism businesses may submit their proposed promotions via STB’s Tourism Information and Services Hub.
STB has also designed customisable itineraries to help locals plan mini-holidays of up to three days within each precinct. These itineraries suggest recommended hotels, attractions, tours, as well as retail and dining offerings in each district.
For instance, locals can stay at Hotel Soloha or Oasia Hotel Downtown Singapore and explore the Chinatown precinct on a Trishaw Tour by Trishaw Uncle or a Red Clogs Down the Five-Foot Way tour by Journeys. Those looking for an island retreat on Sentosa can stay at The Barracks Hotel Sentosa or Capella Hotel Singapore, join a kayak fishing tour, and dine at the Ocean Restaurant, touted as South-east Asia’s only permanent underwater aquarium dining experience.
Since the launch of SingapoRediscovers in July, more than 100 businesses – across hotels, attractions, tour operators, retail and F&B – have offered over 600 promotions.