InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has inked a deal to bring the Crowne Plaza brand to the northern Indian city of Lucknow, underscoring confidence in the industry despite challenging times.
Slated to open in late 2024, the 110-key Crowne Plaza Lucknow Sultanpur Road will feature a gym, an outdoor pool, an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, a club lounge, as well as 1,765m2 of meeting and banquet space.
IHG plants Crowne Plaza flag in India with new Lucknow signing
Sudeep Jain, managing director, South West Asia, IHG, said: “Lucknow is emerging as a key destination for both corporate and leisure travellers with its excellent transport connections and an expanding business and tourism landscape.”
He added that the signing “is a really encouraging sign of confidence in IHG and our brands in India, where we remain committed to growing our footprint, with a particular focus on primary and secondary markets”.
Currently, IHG has 36 hotels in India, and 42 in the pipeline.
Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has joined forces with Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) to inject US$4 million into the capital’s coronavirus-hit travel agencies to help buoy them amid the crisis.
The initiative, Seoul Travel Industry Crisis Overcoming Project, has earmarked roughly US$4,000 each to a total of 1,000 travel agencies.
Strugging tour operators in Seoul get lift from government; Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul pictured
The first round of fund allocations has been completed, with 685 out of 935 tour agencies that applied selected after the government reviewed their documents and business contingency plans, according to the SMG.
The second round of applications was launched on May 6, where SMG and STO will pick an additional 315 travel agencies to support. The application period ends May 15, with the final announcement to be made on May 27.
Out of all the companies which applied that saw its sales take a hit this February and March owing to the pandemic, priority will go to firms that saw a relatively higher percentage of decrease.
A spokesperson from VIP Travel, one of the first few grant recipients, said that the bailout “will greatly help travel agencies in Seoul to recover its vitality”.
Joo Yong-tae, director of the Tourism and Sports Bureau under the SMG, said that the project was launched to provide direct aid to the travel industry, which has been hit hardest by the virus.
“We will gradually expand the scope of support from travel to MICE and hotel businesses to protect the vulnerable tourism ecosystem,” he added.
No other municipality governments in the country has initiated a similar project to date.
Singapore’s Sentosa Island is planting a flag in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a popular Nintendo Switch video game that has sold 13.41 million copies since its launch in March 2020.
Homebound players of the game craving an island getaway can ‘visit’ Sentosa Crossing, a digital re-imagination of the holiday island launched by Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).
Sentosa launches virtual island getaway on Animal Crossing
In the game, Sentosa Crossing will feature a recreation of Sentosa’s iconic attractions and offerings, including Skyline Luge Sentosa, Capella Singapore, beach bars, nature trails and movies by the beach.
Players can register for one of the 36 free slots available each day to visit Sentosa Crossing. Each visit will be limited to 30 minutes, with each session having four visitors on the virtual island.
Lynette Ang, CMO, SDC, said: “We would like to encourage everyone to make time for an ‘island getaway’ during these challenging times. In addition, while exploring these leisure experiences, guests can also be inspired with ideas for future outings to Sentosa. We are planning to offer more novel leisure options for our guests.”
Sentosa Crossing is part of a series of free online leisure offerings by SDC, which has also rolled out other Sentosa Stayhomecation activities such as Sentosa Beats Party, Sentosa Cocktail Club and Virtual Yoga by the Beach.
Thailand authorities are drawing up a stringent set of health and safety certifications to be adapted by tourism players to lead the country into recovery.
At the latest meeting of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, deputy governor for international marketing at Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), unveiled plans for security and health administration certification to bolster confidence among tourists.
Thailand’s tourism authorities to propose new sanitation standards for tourism businesses; Thai hotel receptionist greeting guest with the wai, a Thai customary greeting, as an alternative to handshake to combat virus
Chattan said that TAT has outlined a set of hygiene protocols for tourism businesses to adhere to. “We want to create a standard where both proprietors and tourists can become more confident using tourism facilities and services,” he said.
He added that the board has identified 10 business groups, namely, restaurants and eateries; accommodation; amusement and recreation parks; transportation; travel agents and tour operators; spas, wellness resorts and retreats; department stores and shops; golf courses and driving ranges; theatres and cinemas; and souvenir shops.
The certification includes a raft of measures, such as availability of hand sanitiser in public areas, adequate soap in restrooms, high maintenance of cleanliness in every area of businesses, and sufficient ventilation.
Chattan added the proposal is currently in the preliminary stages and that TAT is working with relevant ministries and the private sector to develop the framework.
He added: “This is one of the most revolutionary moves we can make at this time. It’s a positive step, not only in creating confidence but in really protecting people who depend on the tourism industry, work in the industry and who visit us. Eventually, every country should have one.”
Thailand’s tourism players are also seeking to position Thailand as a safe and healthy country to visit once travel resumes. Daniel Fraser, CEO of Smiling Albino, is proposing Hygiene Plus. The campaign will see DMCs and other tourism players commit to a set of hygiene standards approved by a medical body.
He said: “We want to see Thailand emerge as a hygiene-friendly destination. We want to be able to (set out certain) standards and launch a series of commitments from when the guests leave the hotel to everything that happens in between until they come back to the hotel.”
Shibuya has entered the third and final stage of an ambitious urban development plan that aims to transform the bustling Tokyo district into a thriving, modern centre for business and entertainment by 2027.
Led by East Japan Railway, Tokyo Metro and developer Tokyu Land Corporation with support from the local government, the extensive enhancements centre around Shibuya Station and its surrounds.
Shibuya is in the midst of a major facelift that is slated for completion in 2027
In 2019, the second phase of the project was completed with the opening of three new complexes: Shibuya Scramble Square, Shibuya Fukuras and Shibuya Parco.
At 230m tall, Shibuya Scramble Square is the tallest building in Shibuya and houses Japan’s largest rooftop observatory called Shibuya Sky, which overlooks Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing. The skyscraper also has more than 200 outlets, including extensive F&B options.
Shibuya Fukuras, designed as a one-stop-shop for international visitors, comprises a bus terminal serving Haneda and Narita airports, a tourist information centre, luggage storage and delivery, and foreign currency exchange.
For entertainment, Shibuya Fukuras has an art centre while Shibuya Parco boasts a wide range of shops and a 636-pax theatre.
The facilities add to other recent developments that have increased Shibuya’s appeal as a location for business events.
Shibuya Stream, which is connected to the south side of Shibuya Station, is one example. Opened in 2018, its 250m2 multipurpose hall caters for seminars, exhibitions and concerts, hosting 700 pax standing and 294 pax theatre-style. Floors 9-13 are housed by the Excel Hotel Tokyu.
Two leafy outdoor spaces on the first floor beside the newly redirected Shibuya River offer sophisticated spaces for small-scale events or functions.
Still to come, in 2023, is the Shibuya Station Sakuragaoka East District Redevelopment covering 2.6ha. The Central and West Buildings of Shibuya Station are scheduled for completion in 2027, to coincide with the opening of the maglev service that will connect Tokyo and Nagoya in 40 minutes, reducing travelling time by 50 minutes.
Shibuya Station, which serves 2.8 million passengers daily, is also to get a boost, with some platforms and lines being consolidated or moved to improve service and connections.
In anticipation of the eventual industry rebound, Indonesia’s travel trade is calling on tourism authorities to boost its online presence by enhancing the Indonesia Tourism Exchange (ITX) – a platform for tourism providers to market their products online – so that it is in a better position to compete with its regional and international counterparts.
With large-scale social restrictions currently in place, the need for tourism businesses to have an online presence post-Covid-19 becomes more crucial.
Indonesia tourism players call on the government to improve the existing Indonesia Tourism Exchange website
The trade’s appeal is in response to Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy Wishnutama Kusubandio’s statement highlighting the importance of going digital during a recent web meeting with the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies.
During the meeting, Wishnutama noted the rise of virtual meetings and webinars among tourism players amid the Covid-19 pandemic, urging the trade to ramp up digitalisation efforts.
Wishnutama promised that he would engage local e-commerce experts to build a new digital platform for Indonesian travel companies so that it could compete against foreign travel platforms when tourism resumes.
However, not all trade players are in favour of the idea.
Jongki Adiyasa, executive director of Ina Leisure Tour & Travel, said: “Making a digital platform is not like baking a cake. Based on my experience, it will take at least two years to make the platform work well, provided the travel company has very good IT staff.”
Though he acknowledged the importance of an online presence, Jongki said that it would be a costly endeavour for the country’s inbound players, who are mostly not tech-savvy, to go digital during the Covid-19, especially since their businesses have been hard hit by the pandemic.
He opined that rather than build a new platform, the government should work with inbound players and the makers of Indonesian marketplaces, such as TravelBiz, to enhance the existing ITX platform, especially in destination promotion efforts.
Lamenting how the current ITX platform does not sell tourism products crafted by Indonesians, Jongki hopes a refreshed version of the site will provide a space for inbound players to feature their products, such as tour packages and special bundled prices for attractions and accommodation.
Such improvement is not enough, argued Ng Sebastian, owner of Incito Vacations, adding that Indonesia needs a marketplace platform that enables potential inbound travellers to directly make online bookings.
For Ng, the most important thing that the government needs to take into account is that the platform has to adopt good SEO practices so that it can show up on the first page.
He noted that local industry players have already gone down the digital route a long time ago. “However, the question is how sophisticated our websites are. (Based on my observation), none of them is very good yet,” he said.
According to Indonesian travel companies that already operate online platforms, they face several difficulties in their digital marketing efforts, including failing to grow organic traffic, and improve SEO rankings.
Heritage Cruises will launch its maiden voyage following the coastline of Vietnam in September 2020, on board four-deck, 20-cabin boutique ship Binh Chuan.
The first 10-day/9-night Heritage Binh Chuan Expeditions will depart from Halong Bay on September 7, 2020, and arrive at Nha Rong Saigon Seaport on September 17, with stopovers in Danang and Nha Trang. The return voyage will take place from September 20-29.
Heritage Binh Chuan will ply the coast of Vietnam come this September
The Heritage Binh Chuan Expeditions offers cruise holidays to more than four destinations in Vietnam and UNESCO heritage sites, such as Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, and Saigon. An array of onboard activities and shore excursions are also available.
After these maiden expeditions in September 2020, Heritage Binh Chuan will embark on two expeditions per month from September 2022, said a spokesman.
The maiden voyage from Haiphong to Saigon is a charter booked by an Italian group but the return trip from Saigon to Haiphong, also calling at Nha Trang and Chan May (Hue) seaports on the way back, are still available on a first come, first served basis, with prices start from US$5,200++ per person for the 10-day/9-night expedition.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched the Abu Dhabi Specialist Programme, an e-learning platform which will educate travel trade industry professionals with all destination-related information about the emirate through a series of online courses.
The programme will be rolled out in three phases in several languages across 17 markets, including the UK, the US, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and Russia, as well as GCC countries.
Abu Dhabi rolls out online courses for travel trade to learn more about the emirate; Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu-Dhabi, UAE pictured
The first phase was launched on May 4, in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India.
Designed specifically for industry partners such as tour operators, travel agents and wholesalers, the Abu Dhabi Specialist Programme will equip travel trade professionals with up-to-date information about the UAE capital, so that they will be able to better promote the destination.
The e-initiative, which is part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, aims to reach a larger number of travel trade agents worldwide, including previously untapped markets like Canada and New Zealand, according to Saood Al Hosani, acting undersecretary at DCT Abu Dhabi.
The courses encompassed in the programme cover information related to key attractions in Abu Dhabi, local events, accommodation options, and much more. Additionally, it includes a rewards section featuring incentive programmes, exclusively available for Abu Dhabi Specialists – travel trade agents who graduate from the main programme.
The Abu Dhabi Specialist Programme is now available for travel trade professionals on abudhabispecialist.com.
For the Indian travel industry, upon successful completion of two modules, agents can win an Amazon gift voucher worth Rs 10,000 (US$132). As well, upon successful completion of the Specialist Programme, agents stand to win the latest smartphones and a trip to Abu Dhabi.
Philippine hotels and resorts are preparing to reboot operations via an overhaul in their business processes, with a renewed focus on tapping the domestic market and advancing digitalisation for post-pandemic travel.
In a webinar run by WOFEX University, The Linden Suites general manager Celeste Romualdo said that the biggest challenge in charting business recovery plans is “what will be left of the market after the community quarantine” even as her property, one among a handful in Ortigas still allowed to open during this time as it has long-stay guests and medical frontliners, is already adopting new safety and social distancing rules.
Hotels in the Philippines will need to adapt to new safety and health protocols when travel resumes, says industry players; aerial view of sandy beach and hotels in the Boracay, Philippines pictured
Romualdo added that there will be changes in how sales call are being carried out and the way meetings are set with clients, and that there will be an emergence of more online platforms and digital transactions as opposed to human-to-human contact.
In a webinar conducted by Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Margie Munsayac, vice president sales and marketing of Bluewater Resorts in Cebu and Bohol, said that they will go after the local market, which will be their major source. “Most people are experiencing cabin fever so they will hit the beach,” she opined.
She shared that the plan going forward for hotels will be to operate on a lean management as there will be lower occupancy, in keeping with new safety measures such as social distancing. She added that properties should look at offering more flexible rates and cancellation policies.
Elpidio Beloso Jr, general manager, Holiday Inn Express at Resorts World Manila (RWM), suggested that business recovery plans should also include redirecting to digital marketing, revisiting unique selling points, as well as focusing on local markets and product enhancements.
In the aspect of ramping up digital promotions, Beloso said that RWM has launched a talent competition called Kwarto (Room) Guts Talent where they invite overseas Filipino workers who are quarantined in their properties to create a video displaying their talent, with the most creative and entertaining entries to receive vouchers for an overnight stay in one of three selected properties, and meal for two.
Preparations are underway for the Maldives to resume tourism by July after a prolonged shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, government and industry officials said.
Tourism minister Ali Wahed and finance minister Ibrahim Ameer have both said the most likely scenario is that the borders would be re-opened by July for tourist arrivals.
Maldives set to welcome tourists against in July
However, Abdulla Ghiyas, former President of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, said that the reopening of borders in July would also depend on the containment of Covid-19 cases.
Maldives has recorded 785 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as at May 6, including 528 foreigners, with a death toll of three, according to the country’s Health Protection Agency.
The infection of foreigners are mostly among Bangladeshi nationals who work in the capital Male as construction workers and in other unskilled jobs. The infection rate in resorts have been much less.
A government relief package has been offered as loans and debt moratorium to the private sector, which is largely made up of tourism businesses. Discussions about a second relief package are ongoing, according to Ghiyas.
Tourism represents more than 70 per cent of the business in the Maldives, with the government relying on tourism taxes and lease rentals of tourism islands to sustain the economy.
According to Suresh Dissanayake, assistant vice president – sales marketing at Heritance Aarah & Adaaran Resorts – Maldives, the government has plans to re-open its borders first to regional tourism traffic from India, China, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries by 3Q2020, followed by Europe in October or November.
China is the Maldives’ single largest tourism source market, but as a region, nearly 50 per cent of arrivals come from Europe.
Dissanayake said that both Emirates and Qatar are expected to resume flights from June, with the Maldives set to be among the first destinations to be served by the Middle Eastern carriers.
While most resorts in the Maldives are closed, about 10 to 12 resorts have been transformed into quarantine or isolation facilities. There are also another 10 resorts housing a combined 500 foreign guests, some who deem it safer to remain in the island-country than return to their own hometowns.
Repatriation flights have been operating intermittently to ferry foreign workers to their homeland.
The Maldives, which is home to some 200 resort islands, closed its air and sea borders to tourist arrivals on March 27.
Earlier in the year, the government was positive on tourism prospects, targeting two million arrivals this year after last year’s record 1.7 million. However, in light of the pandemic-induced shutdown, the number of tourist arrivals to the Maldives this year could drop by half of 2019.
