Langham Hospitality names first COO
Langham Hospitality Group has appointed Bob van den Oord as COO, a newly created position to support the company’s hotel operations and core business functions that are spread over four continents. He will report directly to CEO Stefan Leser.
In his new role, van den Oord will oversee the regional vice presidents, hotel managing directors and general managers of the group’s properties in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
tAt the corporate level, he will steer the food and beverage, spa, rooms and quality divisions to ensure that the hotels around the world meet or exceed operational, guest service, strategic, branding and fiscal plans, while maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance.
Van den Oord brings over two decades of experience to his new role based at the corporate office in Hong Kong. He was most recently managing director at The Langham, London as well as regional vice president, operations (Europe, Middle East and the US.)
Prior to his tenure in London, he was managing director at The Langham, Hong Kong. During that time, van den Oord also concurrently took on the corporate role as vice president, brands at Langham Hospitality Group and played an integral part in shaping the brand guidelines for both The Langham Hotels and Resorts and Cordis Hotels and Resorts.
He first joined the group in 1999 as resident manager of Le Meridien Boston (now The Langham, Boston.)
Singapore trade band together to uplift tourism industry
• Growing trend of tourism and hospitality stakeholders collaborating to chase the local tourist dollar
• Exclusive add-ons, complimentary tours part of hotel deals
• Value-aligned partnerships stir sales and attract new breed of experiential travellers
There is strength in unity, as the old adage goes. And that saying has never rang truer than for a tourism industry fighting to rise from the pandemic’s ashes.
With international tourism stuck in limbo, local players are scrambling to put all their eggs in the domestic tourism basket. Against that backdrop, a culture of collaboration is fast taking root, as more industry stakeholders pair up to craft unique and indelible experiences.
By collaborating with different stakeholders, companies can tap a pool of diverse talent. Such value-aligned partnerships can also prove a lifeline for businesses by unlocking new revenue streams amid the current headwinds posed by Covid-19.
Banding together in times of crisis
Following the government’s approval for staycations to resume last month, as well as for attractions to reopen and tours to resume, local travel players are creatively upping the ante to attract staycationers and locals to explore their own backyards.
At a time when bonus dining credits and late check-outs have become par for the course with staycation packages, many hoteliers are finding creative ways to sweeten the deal.
For some, they have formed alliances with tour operators to bundle hotel stays with tailor-made tours. Raffles Hotel Singapore, for instance, has partnered with two tour operators to offer immersive heritage experiences as an exclusive add-on to its staycation packages.
A Raffles Bicycle Trail with Tan Ah Huat, in collaboration with Let’s Go Tour Singapore, takes guests on a two-hour private bicycle tour (S$180++/US$131 for two pax) through the civic district enveloping Raffles Singapore.
An adaptation of the agency’s highly-rated heritage tour, the journey centres on the crafted story of fictional immigrant Tan Ah Huat who came to Singapore in the 1920s.
Robin Loh, founder, Let’s Go Tour Singapore, who curated a custom route for the hotel’s guests, said that the tie-up with Raffles Singapore seemed like a natural move as his original bike trail features the hotel as one of the stopovers. Another commonality between the pair, according to Loh, is the heritage narrative, as the grand dame is part of Singapore’s colonial history.
Since its August 1 launch, the bike tour has received bookings for seven persons to date – all expats, Loh shared, adding that the tie-up is “a long-term partnership”.
As well, Raffles Singapore has struck up a deal with private Peranakan museum The Intan to offer personally guided tours by owner and curator Alvin Yapp. The museum visit is part of a four-hour heritage tour, dubbed The Intricacies of the Peranakan Culture (S$580++ for two pax), which also includes a trip to the Joo Chiat precinct.
Yapp said the partnership “was two organisations coming together at the right time and at the right space” amid Covid-19. Both companies, he added, shared the same positioning – offering niche, premiere, exclusive visits.
“For me, it was a case of being able to curate the experience just for the Raffles Singapore’s guests, so that it feels like an extension of the Raffles experience… For example, the plating, the dishes, the kueh that we serve, and ending the visit with an impromptu song on the piano – these are all very much curated just for the Raffles’ guests,” Yapp shared.
The tour also considers the interests of each individual. Said Yapp: “The Raffles’ guests have very niche interests; some could be very interested in, say, embroidery, while others could be very focused on jewellery, which we can’t dwell on too much during regular visits because different people have different interests. So, I try to know as much as I can about their personalities, so that I can curate the visit to their taste.”
Christian Westbeld, general manager, Raffles Hotel Singapore, said that both partnerships were formed in line with the nine-month SingapoRediscovers campaign, launched last month by the Singapore Tourism Board to give a leg-up to tourism. Some 40 businesses have come on board to push out promotions for tours, hotels, and attractions under the S$45 million campaign.
Last week, the government followed up with another S$320 million worth of tourism vouchers under the campaign to encourage locals to play tourist in their own city.
Far East Hospitality is offering a variety of ways for domestic travellers to do just that, having rolled out a suite of experiential staycation packages to enhance the guest experience, while supporting local SMEs at the same time.
The wellness-conscious can enjoy complimentary aqua exercises and yoga led by local trainers of Aquaspin and Freedom Yoga when they book the Weekend TWOgether package (from S$888++ for a 3D2N stay in the Club room) at Oasia Hotel Downtown.
Elsewhere, urban explorers can fish for their own lunch and enjoy fresh seafood at the homegrown aquaculture farm and floating restaurant, Smith Marine Kelong, under the Rediscover Our Village package (from $500++ for a 2D1N stay in the Deluxe room) at Village Hotel Bugis.
A complimentary one-hour photoshoot at the Singapore Botanic Garden by local photography studio StudioPlay is available to lovebirds who book the Picnic Rendezvous package (from S$488++ for a 2D1N stay in the Club room), which also includes a snack basket and a picnic mat, at the Orchard Rendezvous Hotel.
Staycationers at The Barracks Hotel can set sail on a three-hour private yacht trip, under the Breakfast Sail with Ximula (S$800++), available as an exclusive add-on to the Sea Breeze and Champagne Staycation package (from $559++ per room per night) that also comes with a picnic basket, thanks to a tie-up with local yacht charter group Ximula Sail.
On the group’s move to step up partnerships with local brands, Arthur Kiong, CEO of Far East Hospitality, told TTG Asia: “Staycationers value unique and highly enjoyable hotel experiences that they otherwise cannot get at home. In other words, they do not seek the standard room and breakfast.”
Kiong’s view was echoed by Singapore Hotels Association’s president, Kwee Wei-Lin. “Our industry is undergoing a redefining moment right now. Apart from redesigning traditional jobs, guest services and space planning, the hotel experience needs to be upgraded to offer beyond a clean, comfortable room,” she said.
“Recent travel trends suggest that discerning travellers seek meaningful local immersion and community engagements. This is the perfect time for hotels to be creative in augmenting their existing facilities and guest experiences to cater to these changing expectations. Beyond Covid-19, this will enhance Singapore’s position as an appealing destination for both business and leisure travellers.”
Room for growth
For some hotels, dangling complimentary tours as an additional perk to their staycation packages has significantly boosted occupancy rates. One such example is lyf Funan Singapore which has hooked up with two tour agencies to weave free curated tours into its staycation experience.
A private SG55 walking tour led by Monster Day Tours through August brings five guests on the hotel’s Staycation Adventure package (S$350++ per night) to unearth hidden gems on home soil, while the Perfect Instacation package (S$190++ per night) available through rest of 2020 includes a guided photography tour for two helmed by Tribe Tours.
These travel agency tie-ups are part of lyf Funan Singapore’s signature #lyfgoeslocal programme, where guests get to experience the neighbourhood’s local and authentic elements, shared Ervin Yeo, managing director for Southeast Asia, The Ascott.
“Since the launch of the joint offerings on August 1, 2020, we have seen an increase in enquiries and reservations on our staycation promotions, especially during the recent long weekends. lyf Funan Singapore was operating at near 100 per cent occupancy across the Hari Raya Haji and National Day long weekends,” he added. In comparison, the hotel was running at 85 per cent average occupancy rate from April to June 2020.
It isn’t just hotels that are waking up to the power of partnerships. Changi Airport is also hopping onto the collaboration bandwagon to boost footfall and brick-and-mortar sales. For the month of August, the airport is collaborating with Monster Day Tours to offer a two-hour Changi Airport & The Jewel Connection walking tour diving into fun facts about Singapore’s gateway to the world.
Priced at S$55 for a group of five, the tour includes discount vouchers and Changi gift cards worth S$20 that can be used at all participating outlets at Changi Airport.
Such initiatives help to build Singaporeans’ understanding of the airport’s history, while supporting local tour guides and the travel industry amid the pandemic, shared Peh Ke-Wei, vice president, passenger development, Changi Airport Group.
Multiple partnerships, multiple synergies
When it comes to partnerships, for some tourism players, it’s a case of the more, the merrier.
For Loh, the net has been cast wide. Since end-July, Let’s Go Tour has been offering two-hour boat tours (S$450 per session for a max of five pax) that explores kelongs, or floating fish farms, off the coast of Pulau Ubin on board a half cabin cruiser.
Alongside this new kelong tour, Loh has cosied up to fellow travel agency Singapore Sidecars to offer bundled packages marrying both experiences.
He said that the partnership was sealed as both tours “are on the slightly pricier side” and appeal to the same customer type – “people who appreciate our experiences and are willing to pay for them”. Loh shared that both agencies are co-crafting a bundled package for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.
Furthermore, he said that the agency is exploring tie-ups with other tour operators, DMCs and hotels to roll out more deals and tailored programmes. “In fact, quite a few hotels have reached out to us, and we are working out different tours for different hotels,” he said, but stressed that none of these partnerships have been cast in concrete.
Likewise, The Intan has roped in several business partners to ride on the e-commerce boom. The museum’s online shop, launched during Singapore’s circuit breaker, hawks the merchandise of several homegrown brands. Offerings include Peranakan-inspired earphones, in partnership with audio electronics outfit Morph; as well as local-inspired cookies with flavours like bak kut teh (pork bone broth) and goreng pisang (fried bananas) as a tie-up with bakery Old Seng Choong. Plus, a potential partnership with KrisShop is in the pipeline, Yapp said.
Better together: the power of partnerships
If there’s one silver lining behind the Covid-19 cloud, it’s how it is fueling creativity and collaboration.
“Survival is the priority for many SMEs today amid the economic fallout from Covid-19 and many businesses have stepped up to help them weather the pandemic. As we continue to wrestle with the pandemic, we must not only worry about our own business survival but those of our key partners as well,” Kiong said in a press statement.
“Hospitality is a part of the tourism ecosystem and we must do all possible to help each other preserve core capabilities. If there is one takeaway from this crisis, it is – we will survive only when we consider others.”
Such collaborations can be a lifeline, especially for SMEs. Loh said partnerships help raise awareness among Singaporeans about domestic tours.
“Generally, I think that tours are not the top (consideration) on Singaporeans’ minds. Every tour agency is trying to market tours to locals, but locals are probably not searching for tours. So, it’s collaborations like (bundling tours with hotel stays) that will bring awareness to tours, and encourage locals to go on tours,” he said.
As his agency’s curated tour for Raffles Singapore has only attracted the interest of the expatriate community so far, Loh is doing more tie-ups with other players in the tourism ecosystem in hopes of courting local residents.
The Intan’s Yapp said that industry collaborations help cater to customers who are now seeking curated, instead of a la carte, experiences.
He elaborated: “(Collaborative partnerships) lend a different angle to what we usually do. For example, if I didn’t work with Raffles Singapore, those other creative elements would not have come in. I think visitors today…want to be able to see that the whole staycation experience – the dining, the shopping, and the attraction – is seamless.”
Citing an example, Yapp said hotel guests could visit The Intan, stroll down Joo Chiat Road and end the day with a shopping experience at The Intan Atelier shop at the Raffles Boutique.
Kwee agreed that industry collaborations birth opportunities for all.
“I am a strong advocate of collaboration over competition, especially during an unprecedented crisis. Until Singapore’s border reopens in a safe manner, the tourism industry is facing the same challenges. Our objective is the same: to ensure the commercial success of our industry long after this crisis is over,” she said.
“Given the same constraint on resources and market conditions, we can only benefit from the synergy of collaboration. The end result is a win-win-win situation for Singapore as a destination, the tourism industry and individual travellers.”
New hotels: Mondrian Seoul Itaewon, Red Planet Hiroshima, and more
Mondrian Seoul Itaewon, South Korea
Located in the internationally diverse district of Itaewon, Mondrian Seoul Itaewon marks the fifth property in the Mondrian portfolio, and the first Mondrian hotel in Asia. Developed by Accor and sbe, in partnership with Yojin Construction & Engineering, the property boasts 296 guestrooms, as well as a range of dining and leisure spaces.
The outdoor pool features a viewing deck overlooking the city; while Altitude pool bar offers a range of cocktails, mocktails and fine wines with casual bites. Mondrian also brings Asia’s first Cleo restaurant to the lobby, serving up a blend of Miami vibes and Mediterranean cuisine. Privilege rooftop bar will curate a wide selection of whiskeys and wines, while the Rumpus Room and Blind Spot provide more intimate settings for after-work drinks. A 867m2 ballroom with integrated LED screen and five meeting rooms provide the perfect backdrop for any celebration or event.
Red Planet Hiroshima, Japan
The opening of Red Planet Hiroshima in the city’s Nagarekawa district marks the sixth Red Planet hotel in Japan. The 160-room hotel features the Red Planet brand’s space efficient guestrooms and intuitive technology, such as high-speed Wi-Fi and streaming services on in-room TVs. Red Planet Hiroshima is situated adjacent to Peace Boulevard and just steps from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Shukkeien Garden, and corporate offices, consulates, and government offices of the CBD.
Best Western Hotel Fino Tokyo Akasaka, Japan
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened the Best Western Hotel Fino Tokyo Akasaka, featuring 87 guestrooms, including Standard, Superior and Deluxe room options. Hotel amenities include a laundromat, complimentary Wi-Fi and an onsite restaurant serving daily breakfast, alongside Asian and Western dishes. Each room is fully equipped with contemporary amenities and modern accommodations, such as a refrigerator and a television. For business travellers, the hotel offers a 24-hour business centre.
Byron at Byron, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, Australia
Following a multi-million-dollar refresh, Byron at Byron, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, is set to reopen its doors on September 1, 2020. The resort is in the final stages of completing a A$6 million (US$4.3 million) refresh to ensure an ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Phase one will be unveiled on September 1, including a new restaurant offering sustainable and local produce, with 80 per cent of all ingredients sourced within a three-hour drive from Byron. Phase two will include updated guest suites and a new Eléme Day Spa, which will be unveiled in November.
Nestled within 18ha of subtropical rainforest, Byron at Byron’s new look will celebrate the local environment and community. The refreshed guest suites have been aptly named to reflect the resort’s setting, from Rainforest Suite and Treetops Suite, to Rainforest Luxe Suite and Treetops Luxe Suites. The resort will extend its offering to include a two-bedroom Rainforest Luxe Suite and a two-bedroom Treetops Luxe Suite. All suites offer fully-enclosed front and rear verandahs, rainforest showers, freestanding deep soak bathtubs and separate living areas.
Trio of Riu’s hotels in Indian Ocean reopen
Riu Palace Maldivas is welcoming guests once again, joining the chain’s two other hotels in the Indian Ocean region which have also rebooted operations.
Riu Sri Lanka was the first to open in July, followed by Riu Creole in Mauritius, which reopened on August 12.
With the reopening of Riu Palace Maldivas, 61 hotels under the chain are now welcoming guests again, since the pandemic forced Riu to shutter its 99 hotels located across 19 countries in March.
Riu Palace Maldivas first opened in May 2019 and, together with Riu Atoll, they were the first Riu hotels in the country. Its exclusive facilities include luxurious villas over waters, and a variety of dining options. All of these properties offer Riu’s exclusive 24-hour all-inclusive service.
Since reopening, the trio has been applying the hygiene and safety protocols which are set out in the Riu Post-Covid-19 Manual, developed by Riu in partnership with the consultancy Preverisk. The measures cover all the hotel spaces and services, including reception, shared areas (pools, dining rooms etc.), entertainment, cleaning and technical services.
In addition, the hotel chain offers Riu Protect, a new feature providing services such as healthcare to its guests, including those who contract Covid-19 during their holidays. The product, which is intended to offer guests of the hotel chain added peace of mind, has been designed with the backup of insurer AXA XL and the advice of Mercer Marsh Benefits.
Former PTAA president Alice San Juan passes on
The Philippine travel trade is mourning the passing of Alice M. San Juan, well-loved for her kindness and motherly care as much as for her passion for travelling.
Her impressive CV included stints at Philippine Airlines and Rajah Group, whose outbound division she helped grow as its executive vice president.
The former president of Philippine Travel Agencies Association and Women In Travel Manila left a legacy of being a mother, sister, friend and mentor rolled into one. San Juan was also known for putting the spotlight on issues rather than on her leadership, and brightening dark corners with her inspiring talks, zest for life and disarming smile.
Hospitality consultant Jerome de la Fuente recalled: “She’s very motherly, warm and friendly and knows what she’s talking about. She is very well-liked by her staff and by the travel trade.”
China’s domestic flights headed for full recovery next month
Domestic air travel in China, which has been recovering gradually after the pandemic upended commercial aviation, is likely to fully recover by the start of September, according to ForwardKeys.
In the second week of August, domestic arrivals at Chinese airports reached 86 per cent of 2019 levels, while bookings (issued air tickets) hit 98 per cent, with most being for travel in mid- to late-August.
ForwardKeys’ forecast of a full recovery is based on four factors. First, the pandemic is now under control. Second, domestic aviation seat capacity is set to grow by 5.7 per cent in the last week of August, as compared to the same period last year – and when airlines make seats available, they tend to fill them by flexing fares.
Third, many school and university students are travelling ahead of the start of term in September. Finally, aggressive price promotions have greatly stimulated demand.
Since mid-June, nine Chinese airlines have launched a dozen different offers. For example, China Southern’s Fly Happily promotion allows customers to fly to any destination across the country, before January 6, for US$529. Until year-end, HNA allows passengers on its airlines to fly to and from Hainan for US$386. Elsewhere, Xiamen Airlines is launching Students Fly, which allows first-year university students to take a flight between August 25 and September 25 for just S$40.
Looking back, the aviation market in China bottomed in the second week of February and it has climbed slowly since then. Along the way, the recovery highlights were the Labour Day holiday at the start of May, resumption of group tours within China in mid-July, containment of Beijing’s second wave of Covid-19 later that month, and the ruling on August 20 by the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control that people in Beijing were no longer required to wear a mask in public.
The most notable setback was Beijing’s second Covid-19 outbreak, which caused the recovery to stall from the second week of June for a month.
Analysis of destinations within China reveals that Sanya, the holiday hotspot in the South China Sea, has been the stand-out performer, with 14.2 per cent growth year-on-year in the second week of August, helped by Hainan province’s new duty-free policy introduced on July 1.
Chongqing, Chengdu, Shanghai and Shenzhen have also seen positive year-on-year growth, due to higher levels of economic activity. However, Chinese travel to Beijing is still 24.8 per cent behind the same period in 2019, held back by the city’s second Covid-19 outbreak.
Olivier Ponti, vice president, insights, ForwardKeys, said: “This is a highly significant moment because it is the first time, since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, that a major segment of the aviation market anywhere in the world has returned to pre-pandemic levels. The crunch question is whether heavy discounting will still be needed to maintain the recovery or whether the industry will return to profitability during the upcoming Golden Week holiday in October.”
Singapore, Thailand to speed up green lane talks
Singapore and Thailand have agreed to expedite ongoing discussions on a reciprocal green lane to facilitate essential business travel between the two countries, said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a press statement on Wednesday.
That agreement was reached during the Singapore-Thailand Political Consultations video conference call on Wednesday, co-chaired by the permanent secretaries of both countries’ foreign ministries: Chee Wee Kiong from Singapore and Busaya Mathelin from Thailand.
Besides Thailand, Singapore is currently also in talks with several countries, including Indonesia and Japan, to set up reciprocal green lane arrangements.
During the meeting on Wednesday, both permanent secretaries also had productive talks on strengthening the resilience of supply chains and connectivity networks, while reaffirming the excellent state of bilateral relations between Singapore and Thailand, the ministry said in a statement.
They also shared timely information and experiences on combatting Covid-19, and mutually contributed medical supplies, equipment and Covid-19 diagnostic test kits, it added.
Both parties also emphasised the importance of further intensifying cooperation with ASEAN’s partners through the promotion of research and development on vaccines and medicines, according to the statement.
They also committed to supporting ASEAN’s efforts to fight the pandemic, keeping their economies open and connected, and establishing a framework to deal with future public health emergencies.
TTG debuts video series on hot button issues
A series of short videos on demand fronted by key industry leaders will kick off in September, with conversations centred on current issues impacting travel, tourism and business events industry stakeholders.
The debuting September season of TTG Conversations: Five Questions video series will feature guest speakers such as Subhas Menon, director general, Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines; Gregg Wafelbakker, general manager Asia, Tourism New Zealand; Carl Jones, vice president and head of travel, Asia Pacific and Greater China, SAP Concur; Robert Hecker, managing director, Pacific Asia, Horwath HTL; and Fransiska Handoko, director, government and organisation relations, Bali Hotels Association.
Each episode will run for 15 to 20 minutes, with the guest speaker tackling five questions that will allow a concise insight into a specific topic.
TTG Conversations: Five Questions content will be circulated to TTG Asia Media’s global audience via the weekly TTG Asia e-Daily and biweekly TTGmice e-News, and hosted on TTG Asia Media’s YouTube page.
Domestic market in focus
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is now into the second phase of its three-stage tourism recovery roadmap.
Where the first stage was focused on encouraging domestic tourism, the attention now is on developing travel bubbles between Hong Kong and source markets where the outbreak is under control.
The final stage of the tourism recovery roadmap will involve work to resume international travel.
HKTB’s executive director, Dane Cheng, acknowledged that the path to tourism recovery would be long as uncertainty remained around the pandemic.
With access to international markets still out of reach, HKTB has chosen to rely on domestic travel to support the industry. To that end, HKTB launched the Hello Hong Kong campaign to encourage locals “to travel and explore the territory from new perspectives”.
“Since Hongkongers cannot fly out due to (travel) restrictions, why not take this chance to rekindle our interest in Hong Kong?” said Cheng .
He believes that local support will send a positive message to foreigners considering future travel plans to Hong Kong.
The Hello Hong Kong campaign encompasses three main features.
Firstly, there are six thematic and immersive itineraries developed just for the locals, such as culture and wellness, with a focus on lesser-known attractions and activities. Some ideas include forest bathing in Tai Po and boating in Tai Mei Tuk.
Secondly, the campaign drives over 11,000 attractive offers via a one-stop dining, shopping and entertainment platform.
Lastly, there is a Spend-to-Redeem Free Local Tours programme for Hong Kong residents. At press time, this programme has been suspended due to a resurgence in community infections.
HKTB told TTG Asia that it is closely monitoring Covid-19 conditions around the world, and is ready to launch targeted promotions in source markets that are ready to travel again.
Destination information and special tour packages for specific markets will be made available through the Hello Hong Kong campaign.
Some destination specialists, like Gray Line Tours, are heeding HKTB’s call to pivot to the domestic travel market for survival.
Executive director Ronald Wu shared that two to three itineraries were created just for Hong Kong residents. To attract interest, the itineraries are attractively priced and feature routes that are not easily accessible to the public.
Liberty Hong Kong’s managing director, Portia Hau, agrees that tours that stand out in the local market will be those that are unusual and “value for money”.
Hau’s team is promoting customised, upscale and in-depth tours via social media and within own social circles between this month and December 2020.
Wu believes there is potential demand from locals, given that the government is offering cash rebates to residents who purchase featured itineraries.
Furthermore, the government’s Green Lifestyle Local Tour Incentive Scheme should also incentivise local tour agencies to pursue the domestic travel market, he opined.
The scheme grants travel agencies a cash incentive for organising tours that encourage the public to get close to nature and practise green lifestyles.
Also looking for sustenance in the domestic travel market is Walk in Hong Kong, a specialist in walking tours.
Co-founder and CEO Paul Chan shared that limited edition tours are now being offered on a regular basis and at a discounted rate, and are promoted on the HKTB campaign platform.
However, Chan admits that local spending power pales in comparison to long-haul markets.
“The (local) traffic (also cannot) compensate what we have lost to the pandemic. We would only benefit if locals looked for expert guides (and) unique experiences that (mass market) products cannot offer,” he added.
The shift to domestic market is a diffucult decision to make.
Despite scoring a few local bookings, mostly for short breaks in hotels, general manager, Doris Lam, of inbound events specialist, Momentous Asia Travel & Events, said “it is not easy for DMCs doing inbound business to make adjustments overnight” because “it takes years for a DMC to build up its branding in a market and its clientele base”.
For Ivy Sung, CEO of Faces of Hong Kong, the ROI from serving the domestic leisure marketing is too minimal for the business switch to make sense.
Gray Line Tours’ Wu opined that the Hello Hong Kong campaign can only be a “short-term tactic” for industry survival.
“We, the agents, ultimately hope the business situation will improve in 4Q2020. As overseas markets are now inactive, we can only maintain close communications with our partners, to update them (on safety conditions in Hong Kong) and (share travel tips for) a safe journey (in the future).”
Wu said travellers now value health and safety standards over price and exotic destinations.
Thailand-based Dusit International will expand its footprint across India, with a plan to open at least two Dusit-branded hotels in the country each year beginning 2021.
The expansion will target tier one and tier two cities, such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore; as well as key leisure destinations throughout the country.
Already, the hotel group has signed Dusit Princess Serviced Suites Kolkata, under a franchise agreement with the Kolkata-based real estate developer Jain Group.
Slated to open in 2Q2022 as part of Jain Group’s high-end residential development project, Dream One, Dusit Princess Serviced Suites Kolkata will occupy a prime location near the green expanse of Eco Park.
Comprising 42 three-bedroom units, the new property will feature a swimming pool, an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant, and a fitness and wellness centre. Banqueting and meeting facilities will also be available for small and midscale events.
Currently, Dusit is in talks with other potential owners and is on course to conclude at least four more signings within the next 12 months.
“While Covid-19 has brought immense challenges for tourism and hospitality worldwide, we remain confident that our resilient industry can and will bounce back, and we expect India to be a key player in international and domestic tourism in the brighter days ahead,” said Suphajee Suthumpun, group CEO, Dusit International.
India is one of the top seven source markets for Dusit Hotels and Resorts worldwide.
With India’s fast-growing middle class expected to reach 583 million people – or 41 per cent of India’s projected population – by 2025, Dusit also sees huge potential for its upscale and midscale brands in this burgeoning market.