Australia’s major airlines, travel agencies unite to call for lifting of Queensland border restrictions
Qantas and Virgin have banded together with Flight Centre and Helloworld to launch a publicity campaign calling on the government to reopen Queensland’s borders immediately to save the battered tourism industry.
The quartet will run the four-week campaign to coincide with Queensland’s state elections on October 31, according to news reports.
They were quoted by reports as saying that reopening state borders is essential to jumpstart businesses and sustain livelihoods.
“We want to see Australians reunite with loved ones after months of being separated and we want to see local businesses, and the one million people in the tourism industry, get back to work,” an online petition by Qantas which accompanies the ad campaign reads.
“We’re calling for decisions on domestic border closures to be risk-assessed against an agreed set of medical criteria and a shared definition of what constitutes a Covid hotspot.”
The call comes after months of pandemic-induced travel restrictions that has decimated the global tourism industry and left many businesses fighting for survival.
PATA virtual roundtable to shed light on Singapore tourism recovery
PATA Singapore Chapter will host the SG Tourism Industry Roundtable: Navigating the Covid Storm online conference on September 24, where industry leaders will provide guidance on how the city-state’s hospitality industry can navigate the challenging new reality and find opportunities for business.
Starting at 15.00 SGT, panellists will share their experiences and views on the lessons learnt from Covid-19, what can be done individually and as an industry to save the sector, as well as how businesses and manpower can be recalibrated.
Speakers include Margaret Heng, executive director, Singapore Hotel Association; Rose Tong, executive director, Singapore Retailers Association; Steven Ler, president, National Association of Travel Agents Singapore; Mark Shaw, chairman, Orchard Road Business Association; Kevin Cheong, chairman, Association of Singapore Attractions; and Terence Heng, vice president, Shaw Theatres.
TTG Asia Media is the Tourism Media Partner for the online conference.
Registration for this free-to-attend roundtable closes on September 17, 2020. Attendees will receive conference details along with their registration confirmation.
TTG Conversations: Five questions with Fransiska Handoko, Bali Hotels Association
The public’s growing expectation for health and safety protection promised by the travel community could lead to suppliers going overboard and becoming too sterile, warns Fransiska Handoko, government & organization relations with the Bali Hotels Association.
In this new episode of TTG Conversations: Five questions video series, Fransiska speaks about the fine balance between safety and hospitality, challenges of implementing health and safety protocol by smaller, resource-restricted hotels, and long-term compliance controls.
STB and Klook ink US$1.5m domestic tourism partnership
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and booking platform Klook have signed a S$2 million (US$1.5 million) domestic marketing partnership to boost Singapore’s tourism and lifestyle offerings under the SingapoRediscovers campaign.
The seven-month collaboration, which starts this month, will focus on three areas: curated promotions for products and experiences, content development, and digital marketing to boost domestic spending.
Through the partnership, STB will encourage Singapore’s tourism businesses – including hotels, attractions, tour operators and dining establishments – to develop new products and experiences that will appeal to the local crowd. These will then be bundled with attractive offers, and marketed to different interest groups such as foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, “value seekers” and “weekend warriors”.
Examples include a stay at Mandarin Orchard Singapore paired with an Art Jam Session in the heart of Orchard Road, or complementing a stay at Hotel Mono in Chinatown with a nostalgic journey on Trishaw Uncle Guided Tours.
STB and Klook will also create content ranging from video reviews to livestreams, hosted by Klook’s pool of key content partners and opinion leaders. This series will convey authentic stories that cast a spotlight on hidden gems and value-for-money promotions, while raising the profile of homegrown businesses.
Both parties will also co-invest in digital marketing initiatives, such as search engine marketing, display and social media advertising, in order to enhance the reach and searchability of the various promotions and offerings under this campaign.
SIA jumps on board flycation trend
Singapore Airlines is following in the footsteps of EVA Air and Royal Brunei Airlines, with plans to launch no-destination flights from Changi Airport next month in a bid to diversify its revenue streams amid Covid-19.
The national carrier is working towards launching these domestic flights, dubbed “flights to nowhere”, by end-October, according to sources quoted by The Straits Times.
SIA is also exploring a partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board to allow passengers to pay for a portion of such flights using tourism credits distributed by the government, said the report.
A screenshot of an email in a Telegram group chat, allegedly sent by SIA, stated that the inaugural flight is set to take place on October 17, 2020, with proceeds to go to charity, reported The Business Times. According to the screenshot, the flight will last approximately three to four hours, with subsequent flights set to take place on a weekly basis.
Last week, SIA announced that it will be cutting 4,300 jobs across its three airlines, as the global aviation industry braces for a long road to recovery.
Singapore, Mastercard join hands for recovery, digital transformation
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Mastercard have signed a partnership to co-develop solutions and initiatives to help players transform their businesses, pivot to new audiences, and prepare for the gradual return of international visitors.
Under Mastercard’s City Possible programme, this partnership will commence with digital initiatives for seamless international travel and e-commerce. It will explore projects such as enhancing contactless ticketing and payment solutions for tourism offerings in Singapore under STB’s Visit Singapore Pass, sharing of data insights for business planning in the tourism industry, as well as joint marketing and advertising campaigns.
“This partnership places Singapore and STB on the path to becoming a global lab for solutions and pilots, creating travel experiences that are safe, yet personalised to the needs of our visitors. The partnership is also in line with our efforts to transform and build new capabilities for our tourism industry,” said Keith Tan, chief executive, STB.
Ari Sarker, co-president, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, added: “There is an urgent need for public and private sector players to work together to identify the best strategies for all industries to digitise, be flexible and be agile in efforts to keep up with new consumer demands.”
STB is the first national tourism organisation to join Mastercard’s City Possible program, which aligns key stakeholders to address challenging issues faced by city planners. The programme connects its members to holistic urban solutions and provides access to expertise from a global community of urban leaders, businesses, NGOs and academics.
Jakarta returns to partial lockdown as Covid surge strains healthcare system
The Jakarta city government will reimpose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) across the capital city starting Monday (September 14), following a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city.
Since restrictions were eased in June, the number of Covid-19 cases and fatalities in the capital has continued to soar. With Jakarta now finding itself in “times of emergency”, the authorities have reimposed a partial lockdown to prevent further spread of the virus, according to its governor Anies Baswedan.
The Covid-19 task force reported 1,351 fatalities in Jakarta, while the number of new cases had risen from 901 on September 1 to 1,274 on September 10, bringing the city’s tally to 50,671 as of September 10.
“Due to this emergency situation, Jakarta (government) has no choice but to ‘pull the emergency brakes’ as soon as possible,” he said.
Anies revealed that 77 per cent of 4,053 isolation beds in the capital city are currently being occupied, and he feared the city would run out of them by September 17 if no action was taken. He added that local Covid-19 intensive care units could reach capacity by September 15, if cases continue to climb.
During the PSBB, all offices and entertainment venues must be closed, and staff will have to work from home. Only 11 essential businesses, hotels included, will be allowed to open.
Anies said that he would not only strictly limit people’s movement, but also ban all dine-in services at F&B outlets. Worship places and other public facilities will also be shut in a bid to prevent crowds.
Tourism stakeholders in Indonesia backed the governor’s decision, while at the same time, urging firmer enforcement of health and safety measures.
Hasiyanna Ashadi, managing director of Marintur Indonesia, said that the Covid situation could become much graver, if the governor did not reimpose PSBB. She also called for greater surveillance in monitoring the public’s compliance to PSBB, noting that many people are not wearing their masks correctly and do not maintain physical distancing.
However, some industry players pointed out the economic repercussions of reimposing a partial lockdown in the city.
Maulana Yusran, deputy head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said that the move would cause further disruption to the country’s ailing tourism industry.
To mitigate the fallout from the PSBB, he suggested that the Jakarta administration extend relief measures to struggling industry players, such as tax waivers, subsidies, and cash transfers for affected workers.
Japan forges first critical travel green lane
Japan and Singapore will commence a green lane for essential business and official travel for residents from both countries on September 18, making it the first such arrangement for the North Asian country.
In a joint statement, the foreign affairs ministries of both countries said that the Business Track arrangement will allow the safe resumption of cross-border travel and business exchanges with the necessary public health safeguards in place.
These safeguards include pre-departure and post-arrival testing as well as the need to adhere to a controlled itinerary for the first 14 days in the receiving country.
Operational details including the requirements, health protocols and application process will be published on the website of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and Singapore’s SafeTravel website on September 18.
To date, Singapore has four other reciprocal green lanes for business and essential travel with the governments of Malaysia, China (selected cities), Brunei and South Korea.
Ovolo expands Australian portfolio
Hong Kong-based Ovolo Group will expand its footprint in Australia with the signing of Ovolo South Yarra, slated to launch in 1Q2021.
Located near the intersection of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in Melbourne’s cultural hub of South Yarra, Ovolo South Yarra will offer 123 rooms and suites featuring technology integration and intuitive design.
Among the hotel facilities is a unique Ovolo kitchen & bar concept, which will feature locally sourced produce, as well as seasonal cocktails and wines sourced from Australia’s producers.
Penang medical service providers are urging the Malaysian government to rethink its blanket ban on incoming travellers from a number of ‘high-risk’ countries – a move which has dealt a fresh blow to the country’s once-thriving medical tourism industry.
Malaysia first announced an entry ban on long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, which was later expanded to include countries with more than 150,000 coronavirus cases.
Malaysia had harboured hopes to attract some two million medical travellers from abroad this year through its Malaysia Year of Healthcare Travel 2020 campaign, which unfortunately, has been dashed by pandemic-induced travel restrictions.
Countries on the entry ban list include key source markets for Malaysia’s medical tourism, including Indonesia which accounts for more than 60 per cent of all annual sales, the Philippines, the US, the UK, and Bangladesh.
Penang players in Malaysia’s medical tourism industry opined that the government needs to consider other solutions to replace the entry ban.
Chan Kok Ewe, Penang Health Association founding chairman, suggested that Malaysian authorities set up a think tank to formulate a more sustainable solution to handling the protracted crisis.
He said: “Health authorities, economists and politicians must sit down and discuss what the best way out of this problem is. In the past, medical professionals knew how to deal with tuberculosis and leprosy. So why can’t we do something to deal with Covid-19 (before a vaccine is found)? We will have to live with it so let’s find the best ways and means to deal with it.”
He suggested that a study be conducted to find a strategy for allowing medical tourists into the country without risking public health.
One of the ways that could be done is by enforcing stringent SOPs like quarantine and Covid-19 testing, opined Mary Ann Harris, executive director, Penang Centre of Medical Tourism. She suggested that instead of a blanket ban, medical tourists be required to self-isolate for 14 days and present a negative Covid-19 certificate prior to departure for Malaysia.
She said that a key lesson the pandemic has taught stakeholders is the need to diversify source markets and not over-rely on countries like Indonesia.
She added: “It is vital to look for other source markets. We can replicate our success with the Indonesian market by looking at other markets that share similarities in language, such as Singapore.”
Last month, Penang’s chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow, said that the state had temporarily halted all medical tourism activities until it finalises a new set of health and safety procedures in light of the coronavirus crisis.
As such, the state is currently not handling any foreign patients, despite existing demand for its medical services, especially among the chronically ill, shared Mary Ann.
Both Chan and Mary Ann were speaking at the recent World Hospitality, Lifestyle and Entertainment Exhibition & Conference hybrid forum entitled Malaysia: An Emerging Global Giant in Medical Tourism.
In 2019, Malaysia attracted 1.3 million inbound medical tourists, with more than half seeking treatment in Penang. Malaysia was the top healthcare travel destination in the world by volume. Medical tourists to the country contributed more than RM1.8 billion (US$434 million) in hospital receipts and RM6.6 billion in total economic impact last year.