Under the Stay Safe With Meliá global programme, which involves the introduction of sweeping measures at Meliá Koh Samui in response to the pandemic, Chompoolad is tasked with verifying the resort’s programme compliance and taking care of guests’ emotional wellbeing.
In addition to developing YHI Spa’s menu, she will introduce wellbeing programmes that include spa therapies, healthy cuisine, as well as activities such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, and Muay Thai boxing.
With more than 15 years of hospitality wellness experience, the Thai national spent the last decade serving as the spa manager at Hansar Samui, also located on the Koh Samui Island.
Spaced out resort islands across the Maldives help facilitate safe distancing
The Maldives is among the first countries in Asia-Pacific to resume tourism. It reopened its borders to international visitors on July 15.
However, the pick-up in arrivals has been slow due to various reasons, including continued travel restrictions elsewhere. The general expectation among tourism players is that tourist numbers will only begin to rise from end October or early November.
Spaced out resort islands across the Maldives help facilitate safe distancing
As at July 31, the destination welcomed 1,769 visitors while 60 resort islands out of over 160 have reopened for business with stringent health and safety measures in place.
Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of the state-owned Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC), emphasised that it was more important that the destination was able to sustain the momentum of returning tourists, and acknowledged that departure restrictions imposed by some governments could make it difficult for some travellers to leave for the Maldives.
With these challenges in mind, this year’s arrivals target has been lowered to 800,000, compared to 1.7 million arrivals in 2019.
However, that has not discouraged the destination of more than 1,000 islands from pulling out all the stops to attract visitors. Tourism authorities have also been promoting the Maldives as the safest place on earth to visit during the pandemic, as island resorts are located far apart which allows for natural safe distancing.
Furthermore, the destination has one of the most flexible Covid-19 prevention regimes. Visitors are given a 30-day free visa-on-arrival and are not subject to any testing on arrival. They are also allowed to be whisked to their resort straight from the airport.
Swab tests will be conducted at the airport only if a visitor shows some symptoms of an infection.
Mohamed said that the most important message to the world is that the country is open.
“We are doing a lot of online marketing particularly in Europe, the Middle East, China and India, and constantly engaging with tour operators,” he said, adding that nationals from the UK, Germany, the US and the Middle East were among the first people to set foot on the Maldives since reopening.
And as the destination restarts her tourism activities, a wave of wellness features have swept through the resorts to feed a growing desire for healthy living.
Suresh Dissanayake, assistant vice president for sales and marketing at Heritance Aarah & Adaaran Resorts – Maldives, noted that some resorts are offering vegan food in addition to wellness offerings like yoga and meditation.
Some resorts are also answering the growing call for seclusion, offering travelling groups the opportunity to rent the entire island for themselves.
W Maldives, for instance, is offering its 77 private suites from US$199,000 a night, with access to the entire island and all its amenities.
At press time, Milaidhoo Island Maldives and The Nautilus Maldives were due to exclusively charter a private jet to run a one-off flight from London to the Maldives this summer. The A340 aircraft, featuring 100 flatbed business-class seats, was due to depart from one of Stansted’s private terminals on August 16, flying direct to Male, and return to the UK on August 31.
Many resorts expect business to pick up next year, with Dissanayake saying that 70 per cent of his bookings are for 2021 arrivals.
Most of the main carriers to the Maldives, such as Emirates, Qatar and Etihad, have resumed flights.
To speed up tourism recovery, authorities are discussing a fast lane with China, the country’s biggest tourism source market. The plan is to enable Chinese visitors to avoid any quarantine on their return from the Maldives.
Also in discussion is an air bridge with India and a travel bubble with the UK – both key tourism markets as well.
TAT partners Alipay and Fliggy to boost domestic tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in partnership with Alipay and Fliggy, has launched a campaign to encourage Chinese expats living in Thailand to travel domestically, as it banks on domestic tourism to jumpstart the industry’s recovery amid the pandemic.
Run from August 24 to December 31, 2020, the campaign enables Chinese expats who live in Thailand and hold an Alipay account to enjoy exclusive deals offered by participating hotels when booking a domestic trip through Fliggy.
TAT teams with Alipay, Fliggy to offer Chinese expats in Thailand exclusive deals as part of domestic tourism push
Alipay is a mobile payment platform operated by the Ant Group, Alibaba Group’s fintech arm; while Fliggy is Alibaba’s online travel platform.
With each booking made, travellers will be rewarded with RMB368 (US$53) in the form of digital coupons to redeem nationwide with participating operators. The campaign is dedicated to promoting domestic destinations including Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Ko Samet, among others.
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said: “Chinese expats living, working, and studying in Thailand form an important market for us to actively engage to promote domestic travel. Alipay and Fliggy, as the leading and most popular daily life and travel platforms among the Chinese, are naturally the right partners for us.
“We are confident that the collaboration will bring the tourism industry to local Chinese expats, and connect them with our business operators to create a unique and fun domestic travel experience.”
Correction: Our initial report stated that travellers will be rewarded with RMB388 in the form of digital coupons with each booking. The correct amount should be RMB368.
Freedom Male Tourist Wearing Casual Clothing On Zip Line Or Canopy Experience In Laos Rainforest, Asia
WTTC has released a set of health guidelines to support the safe resumption of adventure tourism, which it foresees will climb in popularity as travellers seek more unique experiences post-Covid.
Backed by UNWTO, the WTTC protocols also take into account guidelines from WHO and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
WTTC has unveiled its latest set of safe travel protocols for adventure tourism operators; a male tourist ziplining in a rainforest in Laos pictured
Protocols for the adventure tourism industry were compiled on the basis of insights and frameworks developed by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), in collaboration with key tour operators such as Abercrombie & Kent, Eurotur, Intrepid and The Travel Corporation.
Within these protocols, the adventure tourism industry refers to a wide variety of experiences including cycling, rafting, trekking, skiing, snowboarding, wildlife safaris and culinary tours, among others.
WTTC predicts that this tourism segment will see growth in the post-Covid landscape, as they are not only mostly conducted outdoors which reduces risk of virus transmission, but group sizes can be managed to allow for physical distancing.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC president & CEO, said: “Adventure tourism is becoming increasingly popular amongst travellers and will represent a key component to travel in the new normal. According to our recently launched Covid-19 Travel Demand Recovery Dashboard, it is also one of the fastest growing segments, which is why it is vital to establish measures allowing safe travels for adventure travellers.”
ATTA CEO Shannon Stowell added: “As tourism professionals, our priority now is to see adventure travel come back strong, resilient and sustainably. WTTC and ATTA collaborating on global guidelines for adventure travel is a significant effort to support companies worldwide in reopening as quickly and safely as possible.”
Measures include:
• Reduce participant capacity limits for activities as appropriate to allow for physical distancing
• Ensure activity difficulty levels do not exceed guest ability and skill, thus, decreasing the need for a possible rescue
• Provide clear, consistent, and up-to-date communication on new health and hygiene protocols via the organisation’s channels, both digitally and physically through clear signage
• Promote contact tracing apps if required by local legislation
• Inform guests about support available if questions or concerns arise
• Share guest guidelines ahead of trip or activity digitally and in person upon arrival on the basis of advice from health authorities, which may include the wearing of face masks or coverings, guidance on hand hygiene and avoiding physical contact. Consider having consumers acknowledge guidelines
• Encourage guests to purchase tickets online if possible
• Keep the same households, families, or members of group bookings together for all activities to lower risk of exposure for those outside of that unit, wherever possible
• Ensure, where possible, that each guest can handle their own equipment and gear for the duration of the trip. Where possible, guests should be encouraged to bring their own equipment or gear, such as bikes, skis, and helmets, among others
• Limited physical contact and queuing where possible
Ahead of its September 9 reopening, Andaz Singapore has joined forces with Grand Hyatt Singapore to offer stay and dining deals of up to 50 per cent off through an online flash sale held in conjunction with its third birthday celebrations.
As an additional perk, customers get to enjoy an additional 10 per cent off their entire cart with a minimum spend of S$2,000 (US$1,465).
Andaz Singapore will offer up to 50 per cent off on stay and dining experiences in its upcoming flash sale
During the flash sale period between September 8-22, Andaz Singapore will be offering SG$33 Birthday Deals (S$38.84 nett), such as two pizzas at Alley on 25 or three cocktails at Bar Square.
In addition, the hotel will have a slew of celebration offers at up to 50 per cent off during the flash sale.
The luxury suite stay experiences available during this flash sale include Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Bed & Breakfast Family Staycation in a Grand Deluxe Two Bedroom at S$730 (originally S$1167.58), with inclusions like breakfast for four at StraitsKitchen, a BBQ platter dinner for four at Oasis, 20 per cent off F&B and room service, and a S$50 Damai Spa credit.
For Andaz Singapore, it is offering the Large Suite Experience at S$650 (originally S$950), with inclusions like breakfast for two, a S$100 F&B credit, early check-in, late check-out, in-room minibar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and all-day refreshment and snacks in Sunroom.
Other deals include the Andaz Great Workation at S$177 (originally S$354), and the City View Room Experience at S$324 (originally S$590).
Weekend brunching options include Andaz Singapore’s Lazy Breakfast at Alley on 25 at S$44 (originally S$59), the hotel’s refreshed unlimited a la carte brunch concept; and Grand Hyatt Singapore’s mezza9 a-la-minute Sunday Brunch at S$70 (originally S$91.81). Up for grabs too is a relaxing spa treatment at Grand Hyatt Singapore with its Damai Spa 90-Minute Personalised Body Treatment at S$195 (originally S$282.48).
Vouchers can be purchased at hyattsingapore.whyqueue.shop during the two-week flash sale from 09:00 on September 8 to 08.59 on September 22.
Accor has inked a franchise agreement deal with Tabcorp Park, a horse racing venue in Melbourne, to rebrand the on-site hotel to Mantra Melbourne Melton.
The 41-room hotel aims to become a destination of choice for racegoers, business travellers, sporting groups and families looking for convenient, contemporary trackside accommodation when it reopens to the public.
Tabcorp Park’s on-site hotel will reopen as the rebranded Mantra Melbourne Melton, under a franchise deal with Accor
Overlooking the racecourse, the hotel claims to offer “the best seat in the house for Tabcorp Park’s weekly harness racing”. It also boasts a selection of guestrooms, including a mix of Standard Rooms, Deluxe Rooms, and Apartments. Amenities include three F&B outlets, on-site car parking, as well as conference and events facilities for functions of all sizes – from intimate events for 20 people to large-scale dinners for 500.
Since acquiring Mantra in 2018, Accor has continued to grow the brand, with five new Australian hotels opening in the past two years.
IHG is expanding its footprint in Indonesia with the signing of its first Hotel Indigo in Jakarta, slated for a 2022 opening.
Partnering IHG in this project are PT Kapuk Naga Indah, the land and building owner and a subsidiary of property developer Agung Sedayu Group (ASG), and Salim Group. The signing of Hotel Indigo Jakarta Pantai Indah Kapuk marks the start of the partnership between ASG and IHG as one of their preferred partners for hotel projects in Indonesia.
IHG’s first Hotel Indigo will rise in Jakarta come 2022
The new 200-key hotel will be located on Golf Island PIK or Kawasan Pantai Maju within an exclusive development that also houses luxury homes, modern offices, education institutions and leisure facilities, including a golf and country club, waterpark, and luxury mall.
Hotel facilities will include a gym, various retail outlets, and a 1,076m2 adaptable function room that can host up to 375 guests. Guests also enjoy unlimited access to the neighbouring Day Club, where they can avail the club’s numerous facilities.
Foreign passengers arriving from overseas are subject to distance and will do health inspection and quarantine during the covid 19 season.
The Malaysian government will impose an entry ban on citizens of countries that have reported more than 150,000 Covid-19 cases from Monday (September 7), as virus cases continue to surge globally.
The ban includes citizens from the US, Brazil, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The US, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines are among the high-risk countries included on Malaysia’s no-entry list; travellers wearing face masks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia pictured
Senior minister (security cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Health Ministry will soon announce a list of countries whose citizens will be included in the entry ban.
“However, for emergency cases or bilateral relations, such as if people need to come here for a meeting between countries, we will allow their entry. But this requires permission from the Immigration Department,” New Straits Times quoted him as having said.
On Tuesday, Malaysia announced an entry ban on long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia, and the Philippines from next Monday.
Earlier this week, health director-general, Noor Hisham Abdullah, told a press conference that the infectivity rate of Covid-19 has increased in Malaysia, stressing an urgent need to continue tightening border controls. He also noted that the majority of coronavirus cases reported in Malaysia lately were imported cases, amid a global surge.
The ministry is expecting an exponential surge in Covid-19 cases in the months of November and December, following full winter in the northern hemisphere.
A more concentrated push needs to be taken by Indonesia’s government to stimulate domestic travel demand, including focusing its marketing efforts on select few destinations and rolling out a safe travel campaign to shine light on the industry’s crusade against coronavirus.
Irfan Setiaputra, president director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, said that the government should relook its plan to develop 10 new Balis, including five super-priority tourism destinations such as Toba Lake in North Sumatra and Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara.
Government should shelve 10 new Balis plan for now and target two destinations for rebound, says Irfan
He suggested for the government to follow in the footsteps of neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia who dedicate their marketing resources to specially promoting just a couple of destinations such as Phuket and Penang in the initial Covid-19 recovery phase.
To get the tourism sector back on track, the government should evolve its marketing strategy to focus on two destinations over the next one to two years, including Bali as a top priority plus one of the 10 New Balis to be determined by considering “the interest of the people”.
“If our attention is spread out to ten destinations, we will not get many tourists (due to the lack of focus),” he said in a recent webinar initiated by Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA).
To stimulate demand to the selected destinations, the government needs to play a more proactive role, said Budi Tirtawisata, CEO of Panorama Group. Examples of measures he cited include incentivising tourists and tour operators in source markets, activating travel and trade shows, diversifying attractions in tourist destinations, standardising safety protocols, and providing tax holidays for investment in the tourism sector.
He said that the government also needed to roll out more friendly regulations to air passengers to lure them to fly as well as lobby foreign airlines to reopen direct routes to those destinations.
However, Irfan stressed, health protocols should not be neglected for the sake of expediting tourism recovery, as the pandemic has brought safety to the top of travellers’ minds. Weak enforcement of health protocols along the tourism value chain could lead to a collapse of public confidence in travel and airlines, resulting in a more drawn-out recovery for the sector.
“There was a debate about the necessity to increase airline seat capacity from 50 to 70 per cent, or even 100 per cent. Garuda Indonesia did not want the government to restore full operational capacity because physical distancing has been the concern of the people and the airline industry should be the first to set an example and comply to the health protocols,” he said.
Such industry-led efforts to campaign for safe travel should be more widely publicised via a massive state-run campaign, opined Elly Hutabarat, chair of the Indonesian Travel Agent Association.
Public fear about air travel lingered due to the lack of an effective campaign, Elly said, even though airlines have equipped their aircraft with a HEPA filter, which can purify the air to reduce airborne transmission risk.
According to her observations, many people are unaware about HEPA.
She, therefore, urged the government to collaborate with INACA, airport operators, and other stakeholders to roll out a joint campaign on safe travel, which includes raising awareness about HEPA.
“Why do (businesses) hire a good PR company to make an effective campaign? Because they know how to change people’s minds,” she said.
Muhammad Awaluddin, president director of airport operator Angkasa Pura II, agreed with Elly on the necessity and importance of a publicity campaign to rebuild trust among the flying public.
The Angkasa Pura II, he said, had launched the Safe Travels Campaign on July 27. Since then, he has seen 9,289 aircraft movements and 788,000 passengers across its 19 airports from August 1-12, up 16 per cent month-on-month and 48 per cent from July, respectively. He believed that the result would be bigger if all stakeholders collaborated.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, Japan
Housed on the highest floors of a new 39-storey tower in Otemachi, the hotel offers 170 Jean-Michel Gathy-designed guestrooms and 20 suites including the 38th-floor Imperial Suite. Among the four F&B offerings are Italian restaurant Pigneto and Virtu cocktail bar. An on-site spa offers five treatment rooms, alongside additional facilities such as steam rooms, Japanese baths, gym, and a 20m-long indoor pool. Flexible event space spanning 1,370m² across multiple venues include a Grand Ballroom with six-metre-high ceiling, and several function rooms and outdoor terraces. Separately on the 39th floor, the Social Room is a residential-style venue for executive meetings or private cocktail receptions.
Courtyard by Marriott Penang, Malaysia
The first Courtyard in the country stands along Jalan Macalister in the heart of Penang’s UNESCO-listed George Town. It offers 199 keys, with facilities such as a business centre, 24-hour fitness centre, an outdoor infinity pool, the Gin Library bar, and all-day dining restaurant Penang Kitchen. Event planners may avail the pillarless ballroom good for 150 guests, or eight meeting rooms.
Sheraton Kunming and Delta Hotels by Marriott Kunming, China Marriott has opened the Sheraton Kunming and Delta Hotels by Marriott Kunming, marking the debut of Sheraton Hotels and Delta Hotels by Marriott in the capital city of China’s Yunnan province. Sheraton Kunming offers 427 guestrooms, while Delta Hotels by Marriott Kunming features 639 rooms. Together, the duo boasts 3,000m² of shared conference and banquet spaces, including a 1,352m² pillarless grand ballroom, eight multifunction rooms and a rooftop garden. Recreational facilities include a fitness centre, heated indoor swimming pool and spa, as well as five F&B options ranging from the all-day diner Xiu to Yun Chinese restaurant.
Oval Hotel, Australia
Set to open its doors in September 2020, the boutique hotel located at Adelaide Oval has started accepting bookings. All 138 rooms including two master suites will feature intuitive technology such as keyless entry and electronic room controls for personalisation of climate, lighting and ambiance, curtains, room servicing and privacy settings. Other amenities are the brand’s flagship bar and dining spaces, including the all-new Bespoke Wine Bar & Kitchen.
