The Peninsula is a luxury hotel located on the bank of the Chao Phraya river in the Khlong San district of Bangkok. Thailand.
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) is set to gain full ownership of The Peninsula Bangkok, through an acquisition of the remaining 50 per cent stake in a joint venture that operates the property.
In a press statement, HSH said that it plans to acquire the Phataraprasit shareholders’ 50 per cent stake in The Peninsula Bangkok and its surrounding land, for US$70 million in cash plus a 50 per cent stake in the Thai Country Club and nearby land parcels.
An acquisition deal will see HSH owning 100 per cent equity interest in The Peninsula Bangkok
Upon completion of the deal, the company will assume full ownership and control over the development, management and future operations of The Peninsula Bangkok and its surrounding land. It will also cease to have any responsibility over the development, management and future operations of the Thai Country Club and its land parcels.
The company said that the restructuring is in line with its principal business of hotel ownership and management and reflects the desire of the company and the Phataraprasit shareholders to resolve all current and contingent disputes, including the dispute on the hotel management agreement relating to The Peninsula Bangkok.
HSH CEO and managing director Clement Kwok said that the decision was made in light of “the very challenging global and domestic market circumstances” and “the legal dispute between the partners”.
Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed agreements with developer SL International Construction to manage three new hotels in Myanmar.
The agreements cover the management of Centra by Centara Hotel Thiri Hpa-An, Hpa-An Hilltop Resort & Spa, and Centara Hotel Mandalay.
Centara brings total property count in Myanmar to nine with new signings in Mandalay and Hpa-An; Mandalay city pictured
In the last 12 months, Centara has inked management deals for a total of nine Myanmar properties, including the latest signings with SL International Construction.
Opening first in 2021 is Centra by Centara Hotel Thiri Hpa-An, a 77-key hotel nestled against one of Hpa-An’s karst mountains and featuring two F&B outlets, outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and meeting facilities.
Opening in 2022 a short 20-minute drive from Centra by Centara Hotel Thiri Hpa-An is Hpa-An Hilltop Resort & Spa, which will be managed under the Centara Boutique Collection brand of upper upscale and individual boutique hotels. The new-build resort will feature 60 guestrooms and bungalows, two F&B outlets, a spa, kids’ club, fitness centre with swimming pool, and a guest entertainment centre.
In 2024, Centara Hotel Mandalay will open as part of a mixed-use project which will also include a shopping mall, office and casino. The 200-room hotel will feature three restaurants, meeting facilities, fitness centre with swimming pool, and guest recreational facilities.
Centara has signed management deals with six hotels this year so far outside of Thailand, including the three Myanmar properties, as well as one in Oman, and two in Vietnam. The latest signings add 337 keys to the group’s portfolio now totalling 17,154 keys across 81 properties.
Kangaroo at Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, Western Australia
Australian tourism players have come together to launch a grassroots campaign imploring the nation’s state premiers and chief ministers to reopen interstate borders to allow the rebuilding of domestic tourism.
As part of the #SaveAussieTourism campaign, which was started by Baillie Lodges COO Craig Bradbery, an open letter has been written to the state’s leaders addressing the ongoing changes to interstate travel restrictions, which has thrown a spanner into the recovery plans of the industry.
Ongoing border closures have devastated Australian tourism businesses; a kangaroo at Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, Western Australia pictured
“The events of recent weeks, in particular the ongoing changes to policies around borders and access to interstate travellers, have resulted in crippling uncertainty among tourism operators and would-be travellers alike,” the letter reads.
“Guests who had previously been prepared to postpone travel have now cancelled in light of the latest announcements on long-term border closures. Fundamentally, we have seen these decisions erode confidence in the domestic tourism product and foresee serious, long-term damage to Australian tourism as a result.”
The letter, which was written by Bradbery, also highlighted the multiplier effect of tourism on employment in other sectors.
“This is an industry that directly employs over five per cent of the nation’s workforce or around 660,000 Australians, with millions more indirectly employed in or reliant on the tourism industry. This effective shutdown of the industry affects tourism businesses such as hotels, airlines, tour operators, travel agencies and attractions, as well as a wide range of other businesses which supply tourism operators or who benefit from visitors’ spending, particularly in regional Australia,” it reads.
“This includes many small independent businesses such as bakeries, wineries, farmers, local food stores, fuel stations, support services and art galleries. The regional spread of people and businesses impacted reaches deep into every electorate across the country.”
In the letter, Bradbery also stressed that the continued closure of interstate borders will mean that when international borders reopen down the road, a diminished tourism industry will struggle to accommodate the number of international visitors that Australia needs to bolster her economy.
It concludes: “We need interstate borders to remain open. We need certainty that domestic travel is accessible so that Australians can recommence making travel plans and so we can get employees and businesses back to work.
“We implore you now to desist from making announcements that erode this confidence; we implore you to stop spending public money on border closures. We implore you to work quickly and collaboratively with neighbouring states to install screening protocols for travellers and to implement logical solutions which will allow interstate travel to recommence in a safe and sustainable manner.”
As of publish time, the open letter has been endorsed by nearly 500 industry players representing hotels, tour operators, accommodation, attractions, airlines and airports, vehicle rental companies, and more.
Signatories to date include tourism leaders like Flight Centre Travel Group CEO Graham Turner, Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton, as well as Helloworld Travel executive director and CEO Cinzia and Andrew Burnes.
Low cost airlines Cebu Pacific and Air Asia aircraft at colorful sunset at Puerta Princesa Airport in Palawan island, Philippines. August 2018.
The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) will have to wait it out before it can get the full refund of at least 141 million pesos (US$2.91 million) it is seeking from 27 airlines for cancelled flights due to the pandemic.
One of the big hurdles is that airlines are caught in a similar financial bind as travel agencies, if not worse. That leaves their hands tied even as PTAA president Ritchie Tuano made repeated appeals to IATA and the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board for ticket refunds to help the liquidity of its 605 members, of which 80 per cent or 419 agencies have temporarily closed, with the rest only partially open.
Cebu Pacific, AirAsia among 27 airlines which owe Philippine travel agents refunds for cancelled flights
Paz Alberto, Philippine IATA Travel Agents Association president and Ark Travel Express general manager, asked agencies for patience, understanding and support for airlines, including Thai Airways which is banking on state-led financial aid to tide through the crisis and Etihad Airways which has announced it can only issue refunds within a year.
At the Network of Independent Travel Agencies general membership meeting last week, Alberto also said that the air passenger bill of rights (APBR), which was being invoked for air ticket refunds, was done at a time when Cebu Pacific had many cancelled flights and failed to address the fact that airlines don’t have money in this time of pandemic.
Alberto said one option is for agencies to instead offer clients travel vouchers which can be valid for up to two years and have lenient and generous add-ons including discounts and the option to refund.
Her stance reflects that of IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac who, in an April open letter to the travel agents community, said that “the best answer for both airlines and travel agents is for regulators to ease requirements for cash refunds and allow airlines to issue vouchers instead” to “remove the pressure that is currently on agents to issue cash refunds at a time when airlines are making decisions based on their own need to preserve cash”.
TTG Asia learned that Tuano, in communications with IATA and the CAB as early as April, invoked Section 11.2 of the APBR entitling passengers affected by flight cancellations due to force majeure to reimbursement for the full value of the fare and Section 16 specifying that “the reimbursement shall be made via check or cash, with no mention of the legality of a travel fund or a travel voucher”.
As irate passengers were also demanding refunds of travel agency service fees, Alberto clarified that refunds are not mandated by law because the service to passengers was a “consummated transaction”.
In the ongoing stalemate, seen by some quarters as airlines getting interest-free financing from smaller players, PTAA’s Tuano said in a statement: “Airlines have been one of the travel agencies’ long-time partner in the tourism industry. As the industry grew, they have thrived. Both sides need each other especially during this time of crisis.”
Among the 27 airlines that owe the travel agencies refunds are Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airways, and Qatar Airways.
Indonesian hotels and restaurants are banding together with homegrown airlines to create affordable travel bundles in a bid to revive the struggling domestic tourism sector.
The Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) and Indonesia Air Carriers Association (INACA) have sealed an agreement to come up with attractive travel packages to boost domestic consumption.
From left: Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA)’s Denon Prawiraatmadja, Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (IHRA)’s Hariyadi Sukamdani, and Bali provincial government’s Ni Luh Made Wirati at the signing of the MoU between INACA and IHRA in Bali to collaborate on providing affordable travel packages
The MoU was signed in Bali by the chairmen from both associations: Haryadi Sukamdani from IHRA, and Denon Prawiraatmadja from INACA.
In a similar move to stimulate domestic demand, earlier in Jakarta, Indonesia AirAsia CEO Veranita Sinaga, alongside Denon and airport authority dignitaries, launched the Waktunya Terbang (Time to Fly) campaign at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Both events took place last weekend as part of the INACA-IHRA Safe Travel Campaign series to boost travel confidence and stimulate domestic travel.
The campaign series was launched on August 6 in Bali, followed by Medan and Yogyakarta, before returning to Bali last weekend. Each edition sees INACA and IHRA partnering with a different airline.
At the signing of the agreement in Bali, Denon said: “Today, we are facing a ‘fierce duel’ between health and the economy with this pandemic. For us in the industry, both are top priorities. We need to create a pattern to stop the virus from spreading out and at the same time, (create an environment that) will allow people to do their activities without too much fear.”
Both Denon and Haryadi said the joint campaign was historic for both associations as they were aligned around common goals, and mutually beneficial to both ends. In turn, they expect to contribute to the country’s economic recovery.
Their cooperation will focus on two components to lift plane load factors and boost hotel occupancy, Haryadi shared. One, bolstering travellers’ confidence to fly again and two, providing affordable travel packages.
To provide affordable travel, both associations plan to create flight and hotel bundle packages for both solo and group travellers, which would be accessible through the websites of all participating airlines and hotels.
Denon said: “As associations, we are providing the umbrella (agreement) and will let members come up with the B2B implementation agreement that will (allow each party) to maintain their profitability.”
Commenting on the agreement at the Waktunya Terbang campaign launch, Veranita said Indonesia AirAsia would follow up with negotiations with IHRA members.
“I am optimistic that we can materialise the cooperation. In fact, AirAsia already has the platform not only for air ticket sales but other products so that travellers can buy combined products at the same time,” she said.
Veranita stressed on various measures the airline has been taking to ensure the safety of operations and to regain air travel confidence. That includes a HEPA air filter which cleanses the cabin air every two to three minutes and filter 99.9 per cent of air particles including virus and bacteria.
Denon said the campaign, which works with INACA member airlines including AirAsia on recovery strategies, will continue to be rolled out in various tourist destinations across the country, with an aim to see an optimal rebound in domestic travel activities during the year-end peak season.
Clive McNish, former general manager of Glen Ivy Hot Springs, has assumed the new position of group director – operations at Goco Hospitality’s headquarters in Bangkok.
In his new role, McNish will be ensuring the successful opening, operation and management of all Goco Hospitality-branded spas and retreats.
Having worked for GOCO Hospitality in various roles since 2014, McNish first joined as general manager of a Goco wellness resort project in Beijing, China, before becoming the company’s corporate general manager. He then assumed the general manager role at Glen Ivy Hot Springs, America’s oldest hot springs resort acquired by Goco Hospitality in 2016.
At Glen Ivy Hot Springs, McNish led a three-phase, multi-million dollar renovation project that included a global repositioning, alongside new amenities and services.
Previously, McNish served for four years as wellness director and general manager at Kamalaya Wellness Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort has appointed Daryn Hudson as its general manager, ahead of the hotel’s opening this October.
The Australian brings a wealth of experience to the role, having joined Marriott International for the first time in 2005 as director of F&B at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa.
Having moved to South-east Asia to take up senior roles at Marriott hotels in Manila and Bangkok, Hudson achieved his first general manager role in 2013 at Marriott Executive Apartments Sathorn Vista, Bangkok. He also spent time as general manager at the Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo.
Most recently, Hudson was at the helm of The Stones Hotel – Legian Bali, Autograph Collection. During his career, Hudson also successfully completed a series of Marriott leadership programmes, including Executive Leadership training in Asia-Pacific and the US.
Climate change and sustainability should not be ignored for the sake of SDGs, or vice versa, nor should the social impact of travel in terms of job creation and inclusion be overlooked in the path to recovery, said tourism experts during the Virtual Destination Mekong Summit on August 25.
“Now we’re living in an unprecedented situation. For the last nine years, the growth of the travel and tourism GDP has outpaced the growth of the economy,” said Gloria Guevara, president & CEO, WTTC.
Climate–friendly travel practices to gain increasing importance with rise of a new breed of ethically conscious travellers: Lipman
“One out of 10 jobs, or 330 million jobs (worldwide) depend on travel and tourism, and there are currently 121 million jobs impacted due to Covid. It will be 197 million by the end of this year,” she said.
She emphasised the democratisation of tourism over the past two decades, labelling the current travel crisis a social one and calling for a “top-bottom and also bottom-up” approach to solving the crisis.
“Let’s not forget the millions of people who use tourism to put food on the table, and also remember that tourism has a significant social impact that helps to pay for education – 54 per cent of SMEs are led by women, while 30 per cent are led by youth. This is a sector that provides a lot of inclusion and support,” she added.
Another concern is that travel post-Covid will be led by a generation of young, highly ethically conscious people who will inherit the state of climate change in 30-40 years.
“The youth now have Earth Day; they learn the SDGs in their schools. It’s much more in their DNA than in our generation,” said professor Geoffrey Lipman, president, SUNx Malta.
“(We need to think) in terms of climate-friendly travel, so that the young activists won’t be able to say: ‘You shouldn’t fly.’”
Taleb Rifai, former secretary general, UNWTO, also referenced the democratisation of travel. “We have to respect that travel has become a human right – but how to travel, that is our challenge. We have to clean up our act, (but) I don’t think we need to make a choice between (travelling and not traveling).”
Panelists highlighted the power and passion of the young generation to drive new travel initiatives forward, and the importance of local ownership of travel initiatives, for example, localisation of the SDGs.
For this reason, the new Phuket Model being trialed by the Thai government is infused with local community involvement, according to Thailand’s former minister of tourism and sports, H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul. “Phuket consists of many smaller towns, for example, Kata and Karon, and every town has their own different problems. (Involving the locals and getting their inputs on how to solve local issues) means that Phuket can work on every small town.”
“Governments change but locals are the constant. The real implementers are the locals, the young generation,” she stated.
Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA, underscored the need for “global financing but local implementation,” as locals are the ones to benefit from job creation.
Rifai stated that the crisis has put domestic and regional tourism, which have been somewhat overlooked in the past, squarely into the forefront where they belong, and serve as a wake-up call to the travel industry.
He said: “The tourism sector is known to be one of the most conservative sectors in the world. (We are) counting on the fact that this crisis will make us all change.”
Come 2022, Tokyo-based Okura Nikko Hotel Management will open a new property in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
The company has contracted with the state-owned Aerotropolis City Development Group to manage the new property through its joint venture BTG Nikko International Hotel Management.
Hotel Nikko Chengdu Yixin Lake to open in October 2022
Slated to open in October 2022, the Hotel Nikko Chengdu Yixin Lake will be located in the Tianfu Yixin Lake development area in the Shuangliu district, about 20km from the centre of Chengdu. The hotel will form part of an urban development project spanning 8.4km², which will include residential, educational, medical, commercial, sports and office facilities.
The property will feature 303 guestrooms with a standard area of approximately 45m², including suite rooms. In addition to Japanese and Chinese cuisine, all-day dining and a lobby bar lounge, there will be two banquet halls, six conference rooms, executive lounge, children’s play room, fitness centre, and an indoor swimming pool.
Geographical map location of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah Malaysia in Asia continent on atlas
The long-standing dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines over their territorial rights to Sabah has intensified, following a recent move by the Philippines to approve a new bill for the inclusion of Sabah as part of the country’s map printed on Philippine passports.
Malaysia said that it remains steadfast in protecting the sovereignty of Sabah. Prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was quoted by the New Sunday Times as having said: “We will not bow to this claim. Sabah remains in Malaysia and it is an integral part of our country. There should be no attempts to take Sabah out of Malaysia or attempts by anyone to claim Sabah as part of their region.”
Philippines approves a bill to include Sabah in the country’s map on issued passports; Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia displayed on map pictured
The government plans to beef up security along Sabah’s sea borders to prevent the intrusion and entry of illegal immigrants.
Recently, the Philippines’ House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a substitute bill requiring the printing of the country’s map, including its 322km exclusive economic zone and Sabah, on Philippine passports.
According to news reports, Cagayan de Oro City representative Rufus Rodriguez, the author of the bill, said that it “aims to emphasise and insist on our victory on the West Philippine Sea over China in the International Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands, and our legal and historical rights over Sabah”.
He further added that “the inclusion of the map on our travel document is a strong statement that we are asserting our sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.”
Meanwhile Sabah’s caretaker chief minister, Mohd Shafie Apdal, said that the Philippines’ never-ending claim on Sabah should be a national agenda to be solved and not used as a political tool, The Star reported.
The report quoted him as having said: “We want the federal government to officially have a government-to-government talk with the Philippines government through an ASEAN platform.”
“The claim itself needs to be erased and done with a long time ago, everything was written and finalised as per the Cobbold Commission when the Federation of Malaysia was formed.”
Shafie said the Philippines’ Sabah claim was never properly dealt with in the past, and that is why it is still continuing.
Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort has appointed Daryn Hudson as its general manager, ahead of the hotel’s opening this October.
The Australian brings a wealth of experience to the role, having joined Marriott International for the first time in 2005 as director of F&B at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa.
Having moved to South-east Asia to take up senior roles at Marriott hotels in Manila and Bangkok, Hudson achieved his first general manager role in 2013 at Marriott Executive Apartments Sathorn Vista, Bangkok. He also spent time as general manager at the Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo.
Most recently, Hudson was at the helm of The Stones Hotel – Legian Bali, Autograph Collection. During his career, Hudson also successfully completed a series of Marriott leadership programmes, including Executive Leadership training in Asia-Pacific and the US.