Bangkok-based Absolute Hotel Services will debut the Eastin Hotel brand in the capital city of Laos, with the 94-key property due to open in the last quarter of 2021.
Eastin Hotel Vientiane Laos will feature deluxe rooms and suites, alongside facilities such as an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant, outdoor swimming pool and a gym.
Situated a short drive from the international airport, the hotel will be located on the banks of the Mekong river, with views across to Thailand.
The Malaysian government has introduced a second wage subsidy scheme worth RM2.4 billion (US$576.7 million) to assist companies that are still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, while lowering the nation’s unemployment rate.
In a live telecast on Wednesday (September 23), prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the subsidies would be given to companies that have seen a revenue decrease of 30 per cent or more as compared to last year, due to the recovery movement control order (RMCO) which has been extended to December 31, 2020.
Qualifying companies will be given a monthly wage subsidy of RM600 for up to 200 employees each for three months. New applicants that qualify, but have not received assistance earlier under the first wage subsidy programme, will be eligible to receive wage subsidies of up to six months. Applications are open from October 1 until December 31.
When contacted, two major hotel associations told TTG Asia that the government’s announcement was a step in the right direction, but said more needed to be done to help industry stakeholders weather the coronavirus slump.
Malaysian Association of Hotels CEO, Yap Lip Seng, applauded the government’s extension of the wage subsidy scheme, saying that it recognises the impacts of extended border restrictions on the tourism industry.
However, he highlighted that earlier requests by industry players for more assistance, including higher wage subsidies, utilities discounts and special grants, have gone unanswered.
“For the hotel industry particularly, we are hoping for more mid- to long-term support from regulatory requirements and tax incentives to tourism marketing as well as overall tourism development. We hope that the government will take into serious consideration our proposals submitted for Budget 2021,” he said.
“This will in turn facilitate mid- to long-term strategic planning and will set the tourism landscape for Malaysia for the next five to 10 years.”
Similarly, Sri Ganesh Michiel, deputy president, Malaysia Budget Hotel Association, welcomed the government’s latest move and urged its members to apply for the extended moratorium with the banks before the September 30 deadline.
He also appealed to the government to act swiftly in tackling issues that threaten the recovery of the tourism industry, including unfair commercial practices by online travel agents who are not subjected to the same regulations as their traditional counterparts.
He added: “We also see unfair competition in our hotel industry as four- and five-star hotels are reducing their rates, which have forced our budget hotel members to reduce their selling rates as well in order to compete.”
More than 70 per cent of the 30,000 hotel rooms and apartments across Queensland could sit unoccupied through the coming months if border uncertainty persists, warned Australia’s leading hotel group.
Accor Pacific said that without a hard border reopening date, Queensland will miss out on the crucial summer dollar, which could lead to a wave of business closures and job losses for the first six months of 2021.
According to estimates by the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland and the Queensland government, border closures are costing Queensland A$17 million (US$12.1 mil) a day.
Simon McGrath, COO for Accor Pacific, said: “The current border restrictions mean that Queensland will miss out on the summer dollar, a crucial period for local businesses, the economy and jobs. Now is when people are booking visits for the next three to six months and if they don’t have certainty that Queensland will be open, then Queensland will miss the surge in travel and fall behind other states. Queensland could go from leadership to last in the race for tourism.”
He highlighted that tourism annually contributes A$25 billion to the Queensland economy and employs 217,000 Queenslanders directly or indirectly.
“If Queensland misses this crucial booking window and JobKeeper (wage subsidy scheme) falls away, then some hotels will close for the first six months of 2021. This will significantly impair the state’s ability to bounce back; certainty is required now,” he added.
McGrath noted that the impacts to hotel businesses will have a knock-on effect for local business owners too. “The livelihoods of small business owners, from café owners, to restaurants to taxi drivers are at stake. We are urging the state government to use common sense, provide clarity and safely open up borders, which will set Queensland up for a stronger 2021 and save jobs. We all want to see local businesses thriving and workers return to work,” he said.
“A hard border reopening date will give the rest of Australia the certainty they need to make plans for the future, and people need to be assured that when borders do eventually open, they will stay open. As soon as we are certain of a border reopen date, Queensland should prepare for a big summer boom.”
Planet Happiness, which tracks destination well-being, has teamed up with Taste of Happiness to create a video series spotlighting local culinary experts, in hopes of boosting food tourism when travel returns.
Through a series of 12-minute branded videos, Taste of Happiness will feature chefs, food and drink artisans, farmers and winemakers presenting destinations’ culinary crafts and traditional recipes. It will intertwine content with local culture and landscapes.
Each local food and drink story, told through the eyes of a local ‘hero’, will include reflections on what makes him or her and their local community happy.
Taleb Rifai, an ambassador for the WTTC, and global tourism advisor, said that the Taste of Happiness project is a timely recovery and sustainability tool for the global tourism industry. “The project is admirably consistent with Planet Happiness objectives as it promotes localisation, community inclusivity, and educates us in culinary heritage and conscious travel,” said the former head of the UNWTO.
Planet Happiness founder Paul Rogers added: “Taste of Happiness will be a powerful recovery vehicle for the local hospitality industries. It will give a sense of local pride to residents. And because we all relate to food, it will inspire viewers who are eager to travel again.”
Prospero Film & Media, based in Poland, which will be responsible for the film production has produced multiple documentaries and advertising spots on six continents as well as shows such as MasterChef Poland, MasterChef Junior Poland, Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Top Model, House Hunters International and numerous travel and culinary programmes.
Brand Bridge, the company responsible for the digital launch of the project, will implement big data and AI tools to bring traffic and create digital marketing opportunities for Taste of Happiness partners.
CLIA, an industry body which represents major cruise lines, has unveiled the adoption of a mandatory set of health protocols, as part of a phased resumption of operations in the Americas.
Some of these protocols include testing of all passengers and crew for Covid-19 prior to embarkation, mandatory mask-wearing onboard and during excursions where physical distancing cannot be maintained; as well as air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air onboard.
Also in place are risk-based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation.
These core elements will be adopted by all CLIA ocean-going cruise line members. CLIA said in a statement: “Guided by world-class experts in medicine and science, CLIA and its ocean-going cruise line members have outlined a pathway to support a phased-in, highly-controlled return to passenger service in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America with protocols that promote the health and safety of passengers, crew and the communities visited.
“The core elements mirror the successful resumption of cruising in other parts of the world and include 100 per cent testing of passengers and crew prior to boarding — a travel industry first. Initial cruises would sail on modified itineraries under stringent protocols that encompass the entirety of the cruise experience, from booking to debarkation. With support and approval of regulators and destinations, cruises could feasibly begin during the remainder of 2020.”
Informed by leading scientists, medical experts, and health authorities, the core elements are the product of extensive work by CLIA ocean-going cruise lines and their renowned teams of science and medical experts, including the recommendations from the Healthy Sail Panel established by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, as well as MSC’s Blue Ribbon group and Carnival Corporation’s collection of outside independent experts.
Other considerations included the effective protocols developed for the successful sailings in Europe by MSC Cruises, Costa, Tui Cruises, Ponant, Seadream, and others.
These core elements will be continuously evaluated and adjusted against the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the availability of new prevention, therapeutics, and mitigation measures.
We are on board a half-cabin cruiser, in the midst of the water border that Singapore shares with Malaysia, skimming past kelongs, mangrove swamps and wild boars scavenging for food on deserted beaches. Overhead, we spot a white-bellied sea eagle gliding through the air every now and then, and a low-flying Emirates aircraft – a rare sight these days – cruising past the skyline. This is home, truly… like nothing that we’ve seen before.
Bringing us on this joyride exploring kelongs, or floating fish farms, in the north-eastern banks of Singapore is Robin Loh, founder of Let’s Go Tour Singapore. Priced at S$450 (US$330) for a maximum of five persons, the two-hour Let’s Go Kelong Tour was a breeze to put together for Loh, who has spent over 20 years fishing for leisure in this coastal area.
On this balmy Friday afternoon, our tour starts with a few Covid safety measures. We are given a contact tracing form to fill out. According to Loh, the names are compiled and sent to the Singapore Tourism Board on a weekly basis. Masks have to be kept on throughout the tour – for both the guide and guests.
Temperature checks are also part of the drill. We cleared a temperature check at the entrance of the Marina Country Club, where Loh’s boat is parked, and checked in via SafeEntry. As part of further safety measures, Loh said boat seats are wiped down using disinfectant at the end of each day.
The boat tour is part of the agency’s This Is Home series, a collection of educational and interactive tours made for locals. Loh turned to domestic tourism to keep his tour business afloat amid the travel slump. Now, it seems the tides are turning for Loh, with the kelong tour reaping a harvest, netting about 30 bookings within less than two months of its launch.
In this Covid era, privately-hosted boat tours that promise ultimate safety have proven an attractive lure, especially with family groups, as people are “very scared” of contracting the virus. When international tourists start to trickle back, Loh said, this new collection of products could be marketed to them as “whatever is suitable for locals would be a hit with foreign tourists”.
Today’s tour brings us on a journey to see sights beyond the picture postcard image of the island city. Notable sightings along the way include the Singapore offshore islands of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong, cluster of kelongs, a high-tech fish farm, and the now-infamous S11 dormitories, aka Singapore’s largest Covid-19 cluster. From our vantage point, we espy the cramped conditions of the dorms, fringed by double barbed wire fences, not unlike that of a prison or detention camp. Just across, blocks of government-commissioned flats stand tall, unfenced. I’m guessing this is what inequality looks like.
Along the tour, we learn fascinating nuggets about kelongs and why traditional fish farming is a “risky” business. Loh regales us with riveting anecdotes of his sightings at sea from two decades ago, involving smuggling and high-speed boat chases. Unlike bigger group tours, where dialogue is usually a one-way street, we get to fire away our burning questions at the chatty and affable Loh, who expertly fields all our queries.
Our trip concludes with a stopover at what Loh called the “last full kelong in Singapore”. Unlike other kelongs, this one has two long rows of wooden stilts built in a V-shaped structure to herd fish into the lift net hoisted at the centre where the kelong stands. These small fishes are then fed to farm fishes, which are harvested for sale. When we floated the idea of incorporating a land visit to one of the kelongs for a more immersive experience, as opposed to just viewing from afar, Loh said the concept is not feasible now as there is no dock on the site, but added that they are exploring the idea.
For those craving to return to the days of yore, or those curious about what Singapore circa 1960s looked like, the tour harkens back to the city-state’s humble beginnings as a Malay fishing village. As engaging as it is educational, the boat tour makes a nice change of scenery from the usual land tours, while spotlighting a slice of Singapore’s history forgotten amid the march of rapid urbanisation.
When we finally return to shore, the whole vibe around the jetty, not to mention the old-school, non-airconditioned F&B venues within the compound, makes us feel like we are still stuck in a time warp. But as we make our way out of the premises, we are stopped at the entrance by the security guard who gestured towards the designated exit, prompting us to check out via SafeEntry, and reminding us once again that this is 2020.
Thailand’s Sala Hospitality Group has partnered boat rental company True Leasing to create private cruise packages that pair stay and dining experiences with a sightseeing trip along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.
The cruise aboard a classic mahogany Hacker-Craft boat will sail past the city’s landmarks such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Escorted by a boat captain, all boats offer seating for up to five guests – ideal for couples, families and groups of friends.
Guests can choose from two curated packages that combine cruises and a five-course menu crafted by the chefs at the sala rattanakosin Bangkok’s Eatery and Bar, with one also including overnight stays at the hotel.
Lunch or dinner for two, along with a private 30-minute Chao Phraya classic boat cruise is priced at 9,100++ baht/US$290++ (down from the standard rate of 12,900++ baht). Alternatively, guests can combine their meal and a 30-minute cruise with an overnight stay in a wat arun river view suite, including breakfast for two the following morning for 16,999++ baht (reduced from the standard rate of 24,400++ baht).
Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts and Amorn Patana Asset have signed a hotel management agreement for Centra by Centara Hotel Bangkok Phra Nakhon, slated to open in July 2022.
The ongoing project comprises the renovation of an existing building in parallel with the construction of a new building next to it to form an inner courtyard.
The 170-key hotel will be housed in two low-rise buildings, with accommodation ranging from 21m2 rooms to 44m2 for the largest Junior Suites. Facilities include a lobby lounge, restaurant, outdoor swimming pool in the courtyard, fitness centre, banquet and meeting facilities.
Centra by Centara Hotel Bangkok Phra Nakhon is the eighth Centra by Centara-flagged property in Thailand, and the second in Bangkok, after the Centra by Centara Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Chaweng Watthana.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shrunk flight booking lead times across the Asia-Pacific region since March 2020, with the last-minute booking trend led by India and Thailand, new data by Amadeus has shown.
According to Amadeus’ first Covid-19 Travel Insights bulletin, flight bookings across the region have been made 17 days later on average during the pandemic, compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019.
Indian travellers appear to be the most last-minute in the region when it comes to booking flights – making flight bookings on average only 10 days before their departure date between March-July 2020. This is followed by Thai and Singaporean travellers, who have been making bookings on average 21 and 25 days prior to departure during the pandemic.
The Amadeus bulletin also found that overall booking lead times for international and domestic flights combined have decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic across all ten of the Asia-Pacific countries that were studied, except Malaysia where there has been no noticeable change.
India, Australia, Thailand and New Zealand have seen the most significant changes in traveller behaviour, with decreases of 68 per cent, 54 per cent, 53 per cent and 51 per cent respectively in flight booking lead times compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. Even in Japan – where booking lead times have remained the longest in the region at 53 days – the booking window has contracted by 14 per cent compared to before the pandemic.
Cyril Tetaz, executive vice president, airlines, Amadeus Asia Pacific, said: “We expected that a greater number of passengers would prefer to book last-minute in light of the uncertainties and changing travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has been borne out by our flight booking data across Asia-Pacific.
“This has significant ramifications for our industry as it looks to rebuild. For a start, airlines, hotels and tour operators now have a much shorter window of opportunity to engage travellers, and urgently need to adapt their marketing and business strategies to cater to the nuances of the last-minute market more than ever before.
“The old methods of using historical data to predict demand and income are no longer effective in the Covid-19 era, either; with so many bookings now left to the last minute, travel businesses will need to increasingly rely on reliable real-time data instead, and build flexibility into every aspect of their day-to-day operations, so that resources, systems and services can be seamlessly scaled up and down as demand fluctuates at short notice, without having any impact on the traveller’s experience.”
Amadeus’ Covid-19 Travel Insights bulletin also looked into the impact that the pandemic has had specifically on domestic flight bookings. Whilst most markets in the region followed a similar pattern of condensed lead times for domestic flights in the Covid-19 era, travellers in Malaysia and the Philippines have so far bucked this trend.
In recent months, Malaysian travellers in particular have been making domestic flight bookings much further ahead than they were typically doing before the pandemic hit – booking domestic flights, on average, 51 days ahead of their departure date between March-July 2020, compared to the country’s average booking lead time of 28 days for domestic flights prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.
According to Amadeus’ anonymised data, the same is true of Filipino travellers too, whose average booking lead time has increased by 22 per cent for domestic flights during the pandemic.
“Whilst in general we have seen the same pattern of much shorter lead times on domestic flight routes in Asia-Pacific, Malaysia and the Philippines are two important exceptions where travellers are actually booking domestic flights further ahead than they previously would have done. This could, in part, reflect particularly strong concerns from Malaysian and Filipino travellers about the safety of travel and the security of domestic bookings,” said Tetaz.
“Whatever the reason, travel companies in these markets will clearly need to go the extra mile to lure back hesitant domestic travellers, which is going to be a critical part of every country’s recovery, especially in the short-term.”
Avani Hotels & Resorts has welcomed six new general managers to its team, who will head up properties in Asia and the Middle East.
Slated to open early 2021, Avani Doc Let Resort in Vietnam has welcomed Dennis Gordienko to the role of general manager.
Gordienko first joined the Minor group in 2015 as cluster resident manager at Anantara Maldives. Prior to that, he was executive assistant manager leading the pre-opening of Amari Dhaka in Bangladesh. In 2019, he took the pre-opening helm at FCC Angkor by Avani prior to being reassigned to Avani Doc Let Resort.
The Ukrainian started his hospitality career as an F&B intern in Antalya, Turkey, with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts in 2003. Since then, he has worked in London and also his native country within F&B and rooms departments with international brands such as Radisson, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
He then moved to YTL Hotels – Small Luxury Hotels, where he was general manager of Gaya Island Resort, before moving to Vistana Penang Bukit Jambul in the same capacity.
In another Vietnam appointment, Beatrice Ellis has taken the helm at Avani Hai Phong Harbour View Hotel.
Ellis joins the hotel in a newly-promoted role from Anantara Hoi An Resort, where she has been based since 2017, starting as executive assistant manager and, for the last year, as the resort manager.
The South African brings more than 18 years of international experience in the hospitality industry, spending the previous six years with Minor Hotels in both the Maldives and Vietnam.
Over in Cambodia, Michael Robinson has been named the new general manager of FCC Angkor by Avani.
Robinson’s decade-long career in hospitality has seen him work across the US, Middle East and Asia, starting with a trainee role with Hyatt Regency La Jolla in San Diego. In 2009, he moved to the Middle East as pre-opening assistant manager – front office with Grand Hyatt Doha in Qatar.
In 2011, Robinson joined Park Hyatt Dubai as assistant front office manager, followed by a promotion to the role of front office manager a couple of years later. The New Zealand national then relocated to Vietnam in 2016 to work as director of rooms for Caravelle Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City. Later in the year, he was promoted to his first general manager role for the same property – his last assignment prior to joining Minor Hotels.
Moving onto Malaysia, Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort has welcomed Yogeswaran Veerasamy as its new general manager.
A Malaysian national, Veerasamy brings over two decades of hospitality experience across Asia and the Middle East. A seasoned hotelier with a strong background in F&B, he began his hospitality career in 1996 at the Raffles Hotel Singapore. Between 1999 and 2008, he held various F&B leadership roles at hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; The Fullerton Hotel Singapore; and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Cambodia.
Veerasamy was subsequently promoted to executive assistant manager of F&B at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace in India in 2008. Between 2012 and 2017, he held hotel manager roles at W Singapore Sentosa Cove and The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore, before taking on a general manager role in 2017 at The Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast.
Before joining Minor Hotels, Veerasamy was general manager for M Social Hotel Singapore.
Next up in South Korea, Avani Central Busan Hotel has appointed BK Kwon as the property’s general manager.
The South Korean has worked across Europe, Asia and Australia over a career spanning 15 years. Starting as a trainee with Conrad Hotel Bangkok in Thailand, he was promoted to assistant F&B manager in 2006. Between 2008 and 2011, he was based at Parmelia Hilton Perth Hotel in Australia serving as conference & banqueting operations manager, before being promoted to executive housekeeper, and finally, hotel operations manager.
In 2011, Kwon relocated back to South Korea to join Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort as director of operations, followed by a stint at Haevichi Hotel and Resort Jeju as general manager from 2014. Prior to joining Minor Hotels, he was executive director – hotel business division for Haevichi Hotel & Resort Corporation.
Lastly, in the UAE, Georges Farhat has been appointed as general manager for the Avani Palm View Dubai Hotel & Suites, slated to open in 4Q2020.
With more than 25 years of hospitality experience and a strong background in operations, Farhat brings a wealth of knowledge to this role from his previous positions with InterContinental Hotel Group.
Farhat’s first foray into hospitality was in 1994 with the Crown Plaza Dubai Hotel as a management trainee, and he rose through the ranks in both commercial and rooms division. In 2007, he was appointed the property’s hotel manager, followed by his first general manager assignment in 2014. Most recently, Farhat was the opening general manager for the Crown Plaza Dubai Marina.