Hotels & Culinary ASIA (Nov-Dec'2014)

November-December 2014

The B-2-B Magazine on Hotels, Food, Travel & Lifestyle

HOFEX HOFEX 2015 2015 The First Prime Meat Tradeshow in Asia

Australia Attracts for Business Events InterContinental Hotels & Resorts AWARDED

World’s Leading

Hotel Brand Jewel Changi

AIRPORT

by 2018!

CARIBBEAN beach tourism

competition heats up

PHILIPS

MediaSuite Hospitality TV

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Create A ‘Selfie Station’ At Your Hotel

- By Doug Kennedy, Columnist, HCA

Most hotels and resorts are always looking for ways to expand their presence on social media. Many Tweetout press releases and post engaging content on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Others train their guest service colleagues to create memorable guest experiences that ‘Make Guests Tweet,’ which was the title of one of my recent articles that included some tips and techniques for doing so.

Vol.1 No.6 | November-December 2014 | New Delhi, India

Annual Subscription: India: Rs.2000 | Overseas: US$250

They say the first bite is taken with the eye, and here’s an appetizer of what’s in store. Hotels & Culinary Asia (HCA) is a B2B magazine for the ever-growing Hotel, Food, Travel and Lifestyle Industries.

HCA, through print and online magazine is real time information network that connects you with latest information of the above industries, at the forefront of all the action and as the key media partner to the major industry events around the world, you can trust HCA to serve you with what you need.

A quick glance through our pages will lead you into the world of the now in-demand technologies, services and events and much more.

Our aim is to update you with the most happenings in the world of hotel, food, travel and lifestyle industries. Dive in, read, explore through our pages and we shall serve you to the best of our abilities and honour our commitment towards excellence.

I n T h e P a g e s 4 10 14 6 1 22 25 27 8 2 36 38 40 43 5 4 46 48 52

The First Prime Meat Tradeshow in Asia Australia Attracts for Business Events InterContinental Hotels & Resorts awarded World’s Leading Hotel Brand Why the world needs better tourism service?

MGTO unveils “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” Award Winners Korean visitor number hits the newest record of 500,000 in Macau Virgin Group announces plans to enter the cruise industry Baan Laksasubha Resort, Hua Hin - A Preview W Hotels expands plans for Amsterdam debut Ritz-Carlton takes corporate volunteering to new level as partner of IMPACT 2030 Wyndham Hotel Group opens flagship property in Melbourne CBD Food Waste Prevention Drive in hotel industry ‘LightBlue’ New Philips MediaSuite Hospitality TV Caribbean beach tourism losing market share as competition heats up New Jewel Changi Airport with five storey Forest Valley to feature in 2018!

Health and Fitness Travel forecast

Doug Kennedy Most hotels and resorts are always looking for ways to expand their presence on social media.

Many Tweet-out press releases and post engaging content on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Others train their guest service colleagues to create memorable guest experiences that ‘Make Guests Tweet,’ which was the title of one of my recent articles that included some tips and techniques for doing so.

One additional easy way to encourage more social media postings is to create a “Selfie Station” in your lobby and/or other public areas. Having two teenagers has really made me understand first-hand the emergence of the “Selfie” phenomena as it has emerged these past few years, the purpose of which for them is to then score as many “likes” as quickly as you can. Seems whenever I am anywhere with my kids they are always scouting out places to take selfies.

Yet as I have traveled about these past few months I have also noticed that it is no longer just the Millennials who are taking and posting Selfies; it is travelers and tourists of all ages. When attending conferences and trade shows, it seems anywhere there is a place with a banner showing the conference name as a background and there are always attendees waiting to take pictures. One example I have experienced is at the HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference, where they had a backdrop with the HSMAI logo that I saw several people standing in front of posing for selfies. Another example is when I take my son to various sporting events, such as Miami Marlins games or WWE events, where they always have banners with the event or team logos that make perfect backdrops.

Recently I was in San Francisco on business down my Fisherman’s Warf and I saw one person after another posing in front of that iconic sign taking selfies with it in the background; in fact I even took one myself.

And when I was in Cancun conducting some training I noticed they have recently installed a sign reading CANCUN win large colorful letters. Sure enough, there were lines of people waiting their turns to snap a selfie.

Smart hoteliers should take advantage of this trend by installing “Selfie Stations” in their lobbies, conference center corridors, recreational areas and other public spaces. The first step is to order a backdrop such as a banner or large poster showing your hotel’s logo (and maybe even website address or slogan) that can be displayed in the space you have in mind. Next, have a sign made to put beside it that literally says “Selfie Station.” Then include a small display showing selfies taken by a few various people. Finally, provide a special email address or phone number for guests to share their selfies with the hotel marketing or PR staff so that they can be posted in a blog or social media outlet.

By providing a Selfie Station you will be not only harnessing the social media presence of your guests and visitors, but also adding a fun attraction that will make guests smile and give them a reason to remember their experience in a positive way. v

EDITORIAL: Reny, Sarvjit, Vishwapreet & Amrita (India), Anna (Sweden), Mike (UK), Liza (Singapore), Upi (Indonesia), Ying & Adrian (China), Arvi (Australia). Columnist: Doug Kennedy Public Relations Director: Winnie.

Advisor: Rajiv Sanghavi. Design, Art & Web Development: Diamond Infomedia. Publisher: Milinia Inc. Founded by: Late Mr N.S. Kanwar. B-2-B Group Publications: PRINTING REVIEW, Medical Device ASIA, autoASIA, Plastics & Rubber Review, Electronics & Electrical ASIA, Beauty & Fashion World. Contacts: To advertise: advertise@hotelsandculinaryasia.com, to submit a press release: editorial@hotelsandculinaryasia.com, to subscribe: subscribe@hotelsandculinaryasia.com.

Published, printed, & owned by Vishwapreet Kaur on behalf of Milinia Inc. at , D-182, PR House, Anand Vihar, 110092, New Delhi, India and printed by her at Technical Press, D-182/C, Anand Vihar, 110092, New Delhi, India.

Views expressed in this magazine are of the contributors, authors and companies and not necessarily of the publisher and/or editors’ and they do not take any responsibility for the errors and/or accuracy of the information published in this publication. No part or design of this magazine can be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher, who reserves the right to use the information published in this magazine in any manner whatsoever.

Hotels & Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 3

The First Prime Meat Tradeshow in Asia

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onsumers in Asia are more health-conscious and craving for higher quality products which lead to a surging demand for premium meat around the world.

HOFEX 2015 - Asia’s leading food and hospitality tradeshow – will be launching the first specialised prime meat tradeshow in Hong Kong - Meat @ HOFEX, gathering 80+ international meat suppliers to showcase all kinds of premium meat products.

Meat @ HOFEX has drawn a great deal of interest and attention from many top meat producing countries like Eblex from UK, US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), Japanese Wagyu beef prefectures, Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade – ICEX, Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Sutherland – a luxury meat

purveyor in Hong Kong, Welsh Meat Board and Scotland Meat Board.

They are eager to present their finest quality cuts on this excellent platform.

Kong Chefs Association. Besides practicality, contestants will be demonstrating their creativity and innovation in order to be crowned the best butcher in town!

Butchery Skills Challenge – Hong Kong International Culinary Classic Apart from showcasing some of the premium meats around the world, Meat @ HOFEX also includes a series of educational and intriguing events and competitions, featuring Butchery Skills Challenge. To promote the intricate art of butchery in Hong Kong, the Challenge is a new addition to the globally renowned Hong Kong International Culinary Classic (HKICC), which is endorsed by World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and co-organised with Hong

Other events to be held in the arena are The 4th Spanish Ham Slicing Competition, The GREAT English Breakfast, Japanese Wagyu Cutting Seminar, and many more live demonstrations and talks delivered by international industry experts.

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Meet with 40,000 Regional Trade Buyers HOFEX 2015 will also showcase a full spectrum of products that could be found in hotels, restaurants and bars, ranging from cooking equipment and tableware to food and beverage. Gathering 2,400 companies from 48 countries, the show will be held on

6 - 9 May 2015 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Over 40,000 regional buyers, including Importers, distributors, hotel general managers, restaurant owners and executive chefs, are expected to attend this highly-anticipated event in the F&B industry to source and network. Online visitor pre-registration will be open at www.hofex.com in February 2015. Stay tuned! For suppliers, don’t miss the chance to expand your business in the ever-growing market in Hong Kong, China and throughout Asia. Book your booth now!

Should you have any enquiries, please contact the Organiser, Hong Kong Exhibition Services Limited, at +852 2804 1500 /exhibit@ hkesallworld.com

Designed with tech-forward millennials in mind, Aloft Guangzhou University Park features 272 airy rooms with loft-inspired spaces with the brand’s signature features and offerings such as ultracomfortable plush signature bed, an oversized showerhead, custom amenities by Bliss Spa and fast & free WiFi. Plug & Play connectivity in all rooms links to the 42” LCD TVs to maximize work and play.

The hotel will also debut Arf - the Aloft brand’s signature pet-friendly program for dogs under 40 lbs, which features an Aloft-branded bed and bowl, plus treats and toys - the first of its kind in Guangzhou.

Aloft brand debuts in Guangzhou Center, or Guangzhou University City, in the center of Xiaoguwei Island on the Pearl River in the South-east of Guangzhou. Also known as the ‘Cyber Port’ and ‘Intellectual Center’ of Southern China, the city is a national hub for personnel training, scientific communication and research.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced the debut of its Aloft Hotels brand in Guangzhou with the opening of Aloft Guangzhou University Park. Located in the center of Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center and owned by Fineland Group, Aloft Guangzhou University Park features 272 spacious, loft-like rooms, a modern design aesthetic, live music performances, and a buzzing social scene.

“We are very excited to not only debut the Aloft brand in Guangzhou, but also make our mark as the first globally branded hotel in the area,” said Vincent Ong, Senior Brand Director, Asia Pacific Brand Management, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We look forward to bringing to life the Aloft brand’s passion for live music, vibrant design-led initiatives and innovative new technology while becoming the center of the social scene for the next generation of travelers.”

Aloft Guangzhou University Park is centrally located in the middle of Guangzhou Higher Education Mega

As a top tier national-level University Park, Guangzhou University City is home to no less than ten local higher education institutions, most of which are minutes away from the hotel by foot. Aloft Guangzhou University Park is located next to Lingnan Impression Park and within easy reach of several famous city attractions such as the Whampoa Military Academy, Revolution Memorial Museum and Guangdong Science Center. Additionally, the hotel is a ten minute drive away from Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, 25-minutes away from the Zhujiang New Town Central Business District of Guangzhou and 50-minutes away from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

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Aloft Guangzhou University Park offers a wide variety of dining and social spaces for guests to mix and mingle. The hotel’s signature restaurant, Nook, serves both a la carte and buffet-style international cuisine and specialty items, while its Yunshan Poetry Chinese Restaurant with six private rooms serves up traditional Cantonese and Chinese cuisine and fusion fare by top level Cantonese chefs. Foodies can also head to Re:fuel by Aloft - the hotel’s 24/7 grab & go venue for light meals, mix-and-match munchies, healthy bites, make-yourown cappuccinos and more.

Additionally, the Aloft Guangzhou University Park offers unique ‘Tactic’ meeting rooms of varying sizes with over 500m2 of sleek meeting space, including one at 345m2, equipped with high speed internet access and state-of-the-art AV equipment.

The Aloft brand’s signature W xyz bar is a buzzing space for guests to enjoy a refreshing cocktail, unwind with on-site recreational amenities such as billiards or table tennis, or catch up-and-coming music acts that are part of the Aloft brand’s signature “Live at Aloft Hotels” music programming. The Re:mix lounge also offers another vibrant space for guests to relax or play in a stylish setting, while those want to keep fit 24/7 can sneak in a workout at the wellequipped Re:charge gym or take a dip in Splash, the hotel’s indoor swimming pool day or night.

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H o t e l | O p e n i n g

Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa Opens in Cuba

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he hotel group has managed the property under its original name, Royal Hicacos Resort, over the last 12 months while extensive renovations and upgrades have been carried out.

Hotel News Resource Award winning Royalton Luxury Resorts expands its portfolio with the addition of the Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa. Weeks after Royalton’s first property, the Royalton Cayo Santa Maria, was recognized as the #1 All Inclusive Resort in the World by the TripAdvisor® Traveller’s Choice awards, Royalton Luxury Resorts is pleased to announce the addition

of its second all inclusive, adults only resort in Cuba. The Royal Hicacos Resort, winner of the 2014 Award of Excellence and currently ranked by TripAdvisor customers as the #1 resort in Varadero, has become the Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa, effective immediately.

Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & SpaThe hotel group has managed the property under its original name, Royal Hicacos Resort, over the last 12 months while extensive renovations and upgrades have been carried out.

Guests can look forward to a stylish lobby, re-designed beach restaurant, a new Jazz bar, and

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new pool and beach side Bali beds. Set upon the famous white sands of Varadero beach, the resort offers buffet and à la carte dining in five distinct restaurants where guests can sample an array of local and international cuisine.

The new Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa boasts over 400 Junior Suites; individual accommodation options are lavish and range from Split Level Junior Suites with king size beds, daily replenished mini-bar, expansive balconies and separate living rooms to sumptuous Royal and Presidential Suites where guests are pampered with a dedicated concierge, preferential dining

reservations and complimentary in-room spa treatments. On-site, guests can take advantage of a range of land and water sports including tennis, squash, catamaran sailing and diving.

Antonio Gelabert, Managing Director of the Royalton Resorts Cuba division, said, “We are thrilled to be able to offer the two most sought after adults only, all inclusive properties in Cuba. We have no doubt that the new Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa will continue to exceed our guests’ expectations now that we are able to offer our award-winning All-In Luxury™ experience.”

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Australia Attracts for Business Events Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb has launched a new initiative to attract more international business events to Australian shores.

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uilding on the success of the recent China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) in securing greater opportunities – both at home and abroad – for the local tourism sector, Mr Robb said the ‘Attracting Business Events to Australia’ initiative, will further enhance Australia’s thriving tourism market.

“Business events in Australia have a global reputation for being first-class, stellar events; they’re extremely important in terms of promoting Australia to the world,” Mr Robb said.

“They showcase Australia’s business capabilities, foster trade and investment outcomes, facilitate stronger people-to-people links and make a significant contribution to our economy.”

‘Attracting Business Events to Australia’ sets out a framework for the Australian Government – through Austrade and Tourism Australia – to work with industry

during the bidding and eventdelivery process.

in keeping with the Government’s trade and investment priority areas.”

With the tourism sector already worth more than $13 billion a year, Mr Robb said this new initiative will make a significant contribution to the Tourism 2020 goal, of increasing overnight visitor expenditure to between $115 billion and $140 billion by the year 2020.

better communities.

“This new framework demonstrates the common sense approach this Government has taken to the tourism portfolio, by moving it under the trade umbrella; allowing closer alignment between the work done by Austrade – our export promotion agency – and Tourism Australia,” Mr Robb said.

The Deloitte Access Economics report: ‘Australia’s International Business Events Sector – 2014’ further highlights the synergies between the international business events industry and the strategic imperatives of the Government including:

“The high-yield economic benefits of hosting business events – not just for the tourism sector but for the wider community – are key contributors to the Government’s economic diplomacy agenda, and are highly effective vehicles for driving industry growth, which is

• Building a stronger, more productive and more diverse economy; • Delivering more growth from Asia; • Building a diverse, worldclass 5-pillar economy; and • Delivering stronger and

President of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux, Lyn Lewis-Smith, welcomed the collaborative approach being adopted by the Federal Government, Tourism Australia and Austrade, saying that it was vital all agencies and governments – both state and federal – work together to attract the world’s leading business events.

Under the new framework, Austrade will coordinate ministerial support for an event and will organise onshore and offshore promotion, while Tourism Australia will partner with industry to provide marketing and promotional materials.

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Australian Convention Bureaux play a critical role in securing international business events for Australia. Under this new framework they will serve as the first point of contact for event organisers – and the broader business events sector – who are seeking Austrade and Tourism Australia support.

“The benefits to the Australian economy of winning and hosting international business events are felt long after the last delegate leaves the country,” Ms Lewis-Smith said.

Long haul arrivals trends in Europe boosted by China and Middle East markets during third quarter of 2014

Facebook money-grab will boost rise in ‘owned’ online media in travel industry Bronwyn White is co-founder of MyTravelResearch. com.

MyTravelResearch. com is a market research and marketing firm specializing in the travel, tourism and aviation industries.

Its specialty is providing insights that are actionable.

China and Middle East have driven growth from long-haul markets. While Ramadan’s end was key trigger for arrivals from Middle East, Chinese increase has been constant in the quarter.

The new results from the Air Travellers’ Traffic Barometer produced by European Cities Marketing and ForwardKeys highlight that international arrivals in Europe globally increased compared to previous year, and emphasize the importance of long-haul markets.

During the third quarter of 2014, all international source markets grew by +5% compared to previous year, mostly driven by long-haul travellers (+9%), while the Intra-European market (standing for 62% of all arrivals in Europe) had a modest growth of 2%.

China and Middle East have driven growth from long-haul markets. While Ramadan’s end was key trigger for arrivals from Middle East, Chinese increase has been constant in the quarter.

The highest growth in longest lead times (+15.5%) suggests that leisure trips has driven performance during this third quarter; long lead times represent 26.9% of all bookings to Europe in the third quarter of 2014.

However, very short lead times (less than 30 days) correspond to 25% of all arrivals and keep on growing (+8.8%).

Top 3 cities in volume remain London, Paris and Istanbul, while 4 Spanish cities jump to the top 10 most growing destinations: Valencia, Seville, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid.

Forward bookings trends for international arrivals in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2014 are 3.5% in advance versus last year, while long haul markets show a much higher expansion with +7.5%, in part due to their typically longer lead times. Forward looking information keeps London and Paris as top 2, while Rome is receiving more bookings than Istanbul. Most growing destinations for arrivals within next months show early bookers grow for Dubrovnik, Milan and Prague.

All ECM members have exclusive access to the complete European Cities Marketing-ForwardKeys Air Travellers’ Traffic Barometer with all the graphs and analysis.

This analysis is based on Air Reservation Data propriety of ForwardKeys as of 30th September 2014. Includes air reservations made by passengers arriving in Europe and staying at least one night in destination, therefore excluding: “Transits”, “Day trips”, “One-way trips” and “Returns”. Arrival period: 1 July – 30 September 2014 vs. 1 July – 30 September 2013.

Booking situation for next quarter: 1 October – 31 December 2014 vs.

1 October – 31 December 2013 according to bookings issued as of 30 September 2014 and as of 30 September 2013.

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ravel industry marketers need to be aware of the alarming changes underway at Facebook as it limits organic distribution in favour of paid-for posts.

Due to changes at Facebook, less than 4% of your company’s fans are now likely to see your company’s news and updates on Facebook. The change in strategy means that Facebook is diminishing your organic reach in favour of paid advertising. It is therefore time for tourism promotion bodies to start building their own online assets - and not acting as tenants without rights on Facebook. That’s the recommendation in my blog, “Are Tourism Websites Suffering at The Expense of Time Spent on Social Media?”

What many in the travel industry did not understand was that we were effectively acting as a tenant on rented space not a freeholder. The landlord could come along at anytime and increase the rent or start charging you for amenities. And if you can’t afford the increase, you might have to move out, use less space or have fewer amenities. At first, entry costs were low (or non existent) for social media and impact was high.

Facebook, for one, provided an easy and quick way to build a tourism brand and a following online. With tourism being a cash-poor sector, Facebook was a panacea. But with posts now reaching as few as 4% of a company’s Facebook fans it’s time for tourism entities to diversify away from Facebook and build an online presence that tourism bodies own and fully control.

Destinations and tourism entities should now do four things: 1) create informative, inspirational websites with images, videos and the right tone of voice 2) create content that helps customers at every stage of the path to purchase 3) make it easy for customers to book on your website, and 4) create their own database that they can own and control.

We still need to promote blogs and videos through social media. But just don’t build your entire marketing strategy on a platform that can suddenly be beyond your financial reach, says White. There are plenty of free or cheap alternatives to Facebook, such as Google+, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. It is time to move out of your rented space, get your own place and focus on building your own online real estate portfolio. Once you have done that, add to it on a regular basis, renovate occasionally to freshen up and regularly promote your hard work.

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InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is Crowned World’s Leading Hotel Brand for the Sixth Consecutive Year at World Travel Awards Final

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, part of one of the world’s leading hotel companies InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), claimed five awards at the 21st World Travel Awards Grand Finals, including the coveted title of World’s Leading Hotel Brand, an accolade the brand has held for six consecutive years since 2009 and twice before that in 2005 and 2006.

Asia’s Leading Business Hotel Brand, Asia’s Leading Luxury Business Hotel Brand, the Leading Hotel Brand in Australasia as well as in Mexico & Central America and North America.

At the Grand Finals, which were held in held in Anguilla on 7 December, InterContinental Bangkok, Thailand was named World’s Leading City Hotel, while the brand’s resorts, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam and InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort in Thailand, received the awards for World’s Leading Luxury Resort and World’s Leading Wedding Resort respectively. InterContinental Davos, Switzerland was also voted World’s Leading New Hotel.

Simon Scoot, Vice President, Global Brands, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts said, “We are honoured to be recognised as the World’s Leading Hotel Brand for the eighth time and to have won a host of fantastic awards this year.

It is testament to the great work, dedication and service of the people behind the InterContinental brand and its 178 properties around the world. Our wins give us even more encouragement to continue to provide guests

With the latest awards at the Grand Finals, the brand and its properties have received a total of 50 wins throughout the 2014 Award’s Grand Tour held across the globe. The world’s first truly international hotel brand was most notably awarded 14 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

with authentic and exceptional experiences each and every time they stay with us.”

The WTA was launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry and is now in its 21st year. Heralded as the ‘travel industry’s equivalent to the Oscar’s’ by The Wall Street Journal, the awards are decided based on votes by the public and travel professionals worldwide.

There is currently one InterContinental hotel (58 rooms) in India and 66 hotels and resorts (21,200 rooms) across Asia, Middle East and Africa. For more information on InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, visit www. intercontinental.com.

Why the world needs better tourism service? service. My NSW breakfast was in stark contrast to the service experience I received shortly before in Canada (where service was universally excellent). For example, staff at the Blue Water Cafe in Vancouver pointed us to a fantastic artisan sake maker. We wouldn’t have made this discovery without the staff taking time to chat and volunteer relevant information.

I believe it is time for us to make some changes and adopt a new perspective on service in the tourism industry.

When done right, tourism creates benign change and is a genuine force for social and economic good around the world. And within tourism, the delivery of service is key.

Good service requires quality interaction. It should be an interaction that leaves the visitor feeling enriched or engaged with the place they are visiting. In an age of instant social media, it is now even more important. A dissatisfied customer tells between 9 and 15 people on average says a consumer affairs study from America. But if they tell TripAdvisor, that can become tens of thousands very quickly.

In our research, Southeast Asian nations are consistently seen as leaders in service. Singapore Girl is an icon. But Western cultures such as Australia, UK, Germany, USA and France, with their egalitarian traditions, often struggle to deliver a high quality service experience.

My own service experience in this area on a recent weekend away very much confirms that service is a challenge for Australia. At a golf resort on the New South Wales Central Coast I waited 40 minutes for two slices of toast, which arrived without butter, which I then had to seek.

But I don’t think Australian culture is at odds with a great 16 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

Then there’s money. Does tipping help or hinder service? One theory is that if you know that you’ll earn more money you’re likely to give better service. I am sure money does play a role, but only up to a point. For example, the cabin crew on our Air Canada flight into Vancouver changed their service rotation to make sure that anyone who didn’t have a choice for dinner were served first at breakfast. As air stewards, they certainly weren’t expecting tips.

An important factor is the element of process and structure. In work I did for Tourism Queensland on service, we interviewed service leaders and saw a remarkably consistent pattern of behavior.

Pulling this together with the published literature on service quality, we developed a nine-step process that any business could apply to improve its service.

Although, Singapore Airlines is famous for friendly and patient service, it actually builds that service around a series of welldrilled protocols on how to interact with guests.

Tourism Vancouver also has processes such as service quality awards that recognise individual contributions.

Another thing any destination

By Carolyn Childs , Director

MyTravelResearch.com

can do is to use elements of its personality and culture to create a service style that is unique and helps create memorable interactions. The style that Canada uses is unobtrusive, but effective care for the customer. It was never about them and how great they were. It was always about how we were feeling.

Australians in the tourism industry have already considered what makes Australia unique as a country: qualities of warmth, positivity and energy. It is a genuine and spontaneous service style with energetic engagement at the behest of the customer.

But this approach could apply to any culture. For example, German style is often about quiet efficiency that provides peace of mind when travelling.

Apart from service, we need to remember practical measures: Chinese food snacks in the hotel room, signage in multiple languages at airports, ensuring that a prayer room is always available for Muslim guests, and so on.

But the combination of these with a style that authentically matches perceptions of the destination should ensure that any destination that cares about service will soon become a ‘force for good’ and build economic and social capital.

That said, I still wonder if visitors to Paris would feel that they missed out if they didn’t experience an exotic combination of high culture and rude service...

Tourism Australia announces Lisa Ronson as new CMO

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isa Ronson will be joining Australia’s national tourism organisation as its new Chief Marketing Officer. She replaces Nick Baker who recently announced he will be leaving Tourism Australia to pursue new opportunities early next year.

Ms Ronson joins Tourism Australia from Westpac, where she is currently the financial services company’s Head of Marketing Services. Lisa has 18 years marketing experience, in a career which has seen her hold senior brand marketing, advertising and sponsorship roles working across a range of diverse industries and global brands, including David Jones, Telstra, Visa International and Carlton and United Breweries.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, John O’Sullivan said Ms Ronson’s work with high profile, national and international brands as well as her extensive digital experience had been key factors in her appointment.

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to complete the search for a new chief marketing officer so quickly and, in Lisa, believe we have found the right person to take our marketing strategy forward,” he said.

Mr O’Sullivan said that Ms Ronson was a delivery-focused marketer with an outstanding track record of achieving results in every industry where she has worked.

“Tourism is an incredibly competitive global industry, with some 130 national tourism organisations all competing for the international tourist dollar. I think Lisa’s broad marketing experience in non-tourism sectors such as FMCG, Retail and Financial Services will bring fresh ideas and help keep us ahead of the pack,” he added.

Ms Ronson said she felt privileged and immensely proud to be given the opportunity to help promote her country on the international stage.

“Every step in my career has been driven by a desire to deliver outstanding results, work with great people and great brands. Whilst I will miss the team at Westpac, I couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunity that has been put before me and can’t wait to start,” she said.

Mr O’Sullivan paid special tribute to outgoing Tourism Australia’s outgoing CMO, Nick Baker. “I’m sure Lisa doesn’t need me to say it, but she has some pretty big shoes to fill in replacing Nick, who has done an outstanding job in leading the marketing team at Tourism Australia for the past seven years,” he said.

Ms Ronson will commence her new position in February 2015 but will conduct a proper hand over with Mr Baker before he departs Tourism Australia at the end of January 2015.

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Profile: Bronwyn White, MyTravelResearch.com Bronwyn has 22 years experience in the travel and tourism industry in the areas of market research, sales and marketing. Her extensive career began with Qantas Airways, where she worked her way through many facets of the most recognised and respected brand in Australia, in areas such as market research and consumer insights, wholesale, retail, group sales, freight and marketing. She has also worked at Tourism NSW as a Regional Marketing Manager.

In her consultancy life, Bronwyn has experience in a wide range of travel and tourism services, including: Market research / insights, strategic and tactical marketing consultancy and executive officer services for regional tourism organisations. Bronwyn has had a wide range of clientele from the Qantas Board, Regional Tourism Organisations to small bed and breakfasts.

In addition to market research and marketing services, Bronwyn currently focuses on helping the tourism and small business sectors make the most of the online and digital resources. She does this by showing small to medium businesses the power of having an online presence.

She also runs a well respected seniors travel blog, http://www.newyoungtravel.com.au. This site was a finalist at the Travelmole Web Innovation awards – only to be beaten by V Australia. She is guest writer for a variety of travel and senior magazines.

Bronwyn is also the published author of Seniors Travel Tips, a global travel guide for seniors.

Profile: Carolyn Childs, MyTravelResearch.com Carolyn has spent more than 25 years’ helping businesses achieve their goals by using research and other evidence to guide strategy and planning – mainly in the aviation, travel and tourism fields. She has worked in more than 35 countries on every inhabited continent and brings a detailed understanding of customers and how to connect with them. As well as running her own businesses, she has worked for organisations such as the International Air Transport Association, TNS (the world’s largest custom research company) and the Travel Research Centre. Her clients include blue chip names across the industry including Aer Rianta, Tourism Australia, TurEspana (Spanish national tourism organisation), Air New Zealand, Qantas and Emirates.

Her passion is making a difference and she does this by making research accessible and business focused. With Bronwyn White, she co-created Domesticate™ (now owned by TNS) – one of the industry’s most respected sources of strategic direction for the Australian domestic tourism market. She set up MyTravelResearch.com with Bronwyn in 2011 to help fulfill this passion by making the tools, approaches and insights accessible to everyone.

Carolyn is a regular speaker at conferences and writes blogs for Sparksheet (on behalf of TNS) and MyTravelResearch.com . She is currently preparing an ebook of her Sparksheet columns on opportunities in emerging markets.

Tourism Australia hosts the country’s greatest ever dinner party for the food and wine elite A selection of the world’s most influential and respected food and wine VIPs recently joined together at Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), for Restaurant Australia’s exclusive and highly anticipated ‘Invite The World To Dinner’ Gala event.

More than 80 international food and wine writers, critics, columnists, reviewers, celebrity chefs, TV personalities, including Heston Blumenthal, Alice Waters, A.A. Gill, Sanjeev Kapoor and Yifan Liu joined the likes of Australian foodies Maggie Beer, Matt Preston and Matt Moran to sample a truly unique and spectacular menu, created by Restaurant Australia Head Chefs Ben Shewry, Peter Gilmore and Neil Perry AM.

The event marked the culmination of Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia campaign, showcasing to the world the remarkable people, exceptional produce and inspiring places that make Australian food and wine so unique.

The gastronomic journey commenced with a ‘Chapter 1: Sparkling and Sea’ red carpet moment at Elizabeth Street Pier, with a variety of Australian oysters from Tasmania and West Australia complemented by House of Arras sparkling, served to the sounds of a string quartet.

Guests were then ushered onto a flotilla of ‘yellow boats’, provided by award-winning Tasmanian tourism operator Robert Pennicott, departing for ‘Chapter 2: Earth, Fire & Water’ held at the Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park (GASP!).

Amidst fire pits and Indigenous Hotels

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storytellers, guests were treated to the first of many creative courses to come from the Restaurant Australia Head Chefs, including King George whiting in paperbark and grilled baby corn with forest anise from Ben Shewry; Peter Gilmore’s charcoal grilled West Australian marron with wasabi butter and roasted wallaby tail broth; wood roast Tasmanian lobster with kombu butter and charcoal grilled Tasmanian abalone with liver, sake and mirin dressing by Neil Perry.

Wines from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia were served by the Australian wine elite including Bruce Tyrrell, presenting Tyrrell’s Vat 1 2005 Semillon.

Departing GASP! guests then boarded the iconic ‘MONA ROMA’ ferry for the museum itself, where they made their way through the venue for ‘Chapter 3: Art and

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Produce’ – the main course. Here the three Chefs blurred the lines of cooking and art to each present a unique course served with six matching Australian wines. Ben Shrewy presented salted South Australian red kangaroo and bunya bunya, Peter Gilmore a dish of smoked and confit pig jowl, black lipped abalone, koji, fermented grains, shitake, seaweed and Neil Perry served grilled sirloin, braised cheek, oxtail and tea smoked oyster red curry.

Finally, ‘Chapter 3: Sticky and Sweet’ saw diners enjoy a roving celebration of all things sweet in MONA’s Void gallery. Ben Shewry presented The Great Australian ice-cream cart and Blue Wren eggs, Peter Gilmore served fresh lychee, vanilla, rose, coconut alongside prune, salted caramel, jersey cream and from Neil Perry, 20 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

date tart and mango pandan and coconut.

Guests were also amongst the first in the world to sample the first raw milk blue cheese to be produced here in Australia; King Saul by South Australian cheese makers, Udder delights. Whilst producers including Bruny Island Cheese Company and Holy Goat rounded off the menu with a decadent cheese board.

The event shone the spotlight on Australia’s unique culinary offering, bringing together global influencers

with a collective reach of over 400 million fans and followers and showcasing the best of Australian food and wine experiences and produce on offer from every corner of the country.

John O’Sullivan, Managing Director Tourism Australia said the Gala event was a perfect culmination to what has been a highly successful Restaurant Australia campaign, aimed at closing the significant gap in the perceptions of Australia’s food and wine offering.

“Our global Restaurant Australia campaign set out to showcase Australia’s impressive food and wine offering to the world, highlighting the depth and diversity of our local producers, chefs and winemakers – last night exceeded our expectations.

“What our Restaurant Australia Head Chefs pulled together and the setting in which the meal was served was nothing short of breathtaking and has truly demonstrated the exceptional quality and unique produce we have on offer here in Australia,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“We hope all of our guests head home today with the taste of Australia still firmly imprinted on their palate, and we look forward to them sharing their experiences with their many followers.”

The chefs, Ben Shewry, Peter Gilmore and Neil Perry agreed it was a remarkable honour to cook for the world and showcase the unique food and wine offering Australia has to offer travellers from across the globe. Ben Shewry added “In my mind, Australian produce is some of the most interesting in the world. From our unique native ingredients, to the great diversity and natural selection of our different growing regions – my food is created to reflect this as well as instilling a playful sense of what it means to be a cook down under.” Before culminating Hotels

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in last night’s Gala event at MONA Hobart, the Invite The World To Dinner tour has seen international guests spending the last week travelling the country to experience more than a thousand of Australia’s best food and wine offerings, taking in every State and Territory.

Tourism Australia’s global food and wine campaign, Restaurant Australia aimed to increase international awareness of Australia’s impressive food and wine experiences, and therefore increase tourism into the country.

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MGTO unveils “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” Award Winners -Over 80 catering businesses on the list Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) held the “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” Awards Gala Dinner, recently. Launching the Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme (QTSAS) in April, the Office targets the catering industry this year.

During the Awards Gala Dinner, 86 qualified merchants were presented the “Star Merchant Award”, with four of them also entitled to the “Service Star Award”.

Senna Fernandes welcomes guests and trade partners at the dinner

The Gala Dinner was held at Grand Hyatt

The Gala Dinner was held at Grand Hyatt Macau. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Deputy Directors Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong; President of the Institute for Tourism Studies, Fanny Vong; Head of Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Choi Chi Hong; Head of Training and Quality Management Department of MGTO, Alice Coelho; Head of Consumer Arbitration Centre of Consumer Council, Ao Weng Tong; President of Macau Hotel Association, Samuel Yeung Chun Yip; President of the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macau, Chan Chak Mo; President of the Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering, Ieong Weng Seng and Chief Operating Officer of Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, P. C. Chan were present at the Gala Dinner.

Macau. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Deputy Directors Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong; President of the Institute for Tourism Studies, Fanny Vong; Head of Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Choi Chi Hong; Head of Training and Quality Management Department of MGTO, Alice Coelho; Head of Consumer Arbitration Centre of Consumer Council, Ao Weng Tong; President of Macau Hotel Association, Samuel Yeung Chun Yip; President of the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macau, Chan Chak Mo; President of the Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering, Ieong Weng Seng and Chief Operating Officer of Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, P. C. Chan were present at the Gala Dinner.

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Dedicated to “strengthen industry training and management; enhance tourism service quality” as one of its main goals this year, MGTO launched the QTSAS this April, aiming not only to establish service quality standards for the tourism industry but also to encourage and support industry partners to provide services of higher quality. The scheme’s objective is also to acclaim tourism businesses for their excellent services provided to customers and their remarkable service management.

The scheme includes two accolades namely “Star Merchant Award” and “Service Star Award”. Targeting the catering industry this year, the Office intends to extend the QTSAS to other tourism-related industries in Macau in the long run.

Based on the categorization of license, MGTO set

up four categories including “Deluxe Restaurant”, “First Class Restaurant”, “Second Class Restaurant” and “Food and Beverage Establishments”. A total of 99 merchants entered into the assessments. Starting in May, the participating businesses were given two types of assessments, “Service Management System Audit” and “Mystery Shopping Assessment” with regard to their management level and frontline service. 86 qualified merchants received the “Star Merchant Award” for their quality tourism services this year, with four of them entitled to the “Service Star Award” as well because of the highest score they received in their respective category.

During her speech, Director Senna Fernandes remarked, “Being an international tourist city, Macau has all the motives to keep improving and developing its tourism facilities and products. More than that, we shall not cease upgrading our service quality, considering it as one of the key factors that determine visitors’ travel experience in Macau and their impression about the city.” She hopes that local industry partners will continue to be a part of the scheme to improve their service quality, while together fostering the quality improvement of local tourism services along the path of building Macau into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. She

Each awarded merchant in the QTSAS was presented an accreditation certificate of “Star Merchant Award”, an accolade which shows to customers their ability and commitment to provide quality tourism services.Valid for a period of three years, the accreditation also helps the merchants to better promote their service. The merchants who received the highest score in their respective category were also presented the “Service Star Award” trophy and a cash prize of MOP5,000.

QTSAS Awards Gala Dinner QTSAS Awards Gala Dinner

congratulated all the awarded merchants and exhorted the catering and tourism sector to keep providing quality services for locals and visitors.

Each awarded merchant in the QTSAS was presented an accreditation certificate of “Star Merchant Award”, an accolade which shows to customers their ability and commitment to provide quality tourism services. Valid for a period of three years, the accreditation also helps the merchants to better promote their service. The merchants who received the highest score in their respective category were also presented the “Service Star Award” trophy and a cash prize of MOP5,000.

tourism and related sectors.

Details about the awarded merchants are listed in the “Star Merchant Award” – Restaurants and Eateries Guide, with printed copies given out at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters starting from around the end of this year. 24 deluxe restaurants, 22 first class restaurants, 13 second class restaurants and 27 food and beverage establishments are awarded the “Star Merchant Award”; one merchant out of each category is also presented the “Service Star Award”. The awarded merchant list is also available to the public on MGTO’s website: http://industry.macautourism. gov.mo.

MGTO held an array of activities to support the scheme including an explanation session about the QTSAS assessment criteria and a mid-term session for participating merchants to share their progress, as well as other training opportunities to optimize frontline staff service. On the other hand, the Office has produced a special video to promote the scheme and showed it as a debut during the dinner. Besides that, MGTO will promote the scheme through bus advertisements and other different channels as well.

In the future, MGTO will carry on the scheme and organize more different training activities in partnership with local trade and training institutes based on the demands of the

Special performance during dinner Hotels

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The Knickerbocker Hotel set for February 2015 opening

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ituated on the corners of 42nd Street and Broadway overlooking the heart of Times Square, The Knickerbocker Hotel will open its doors February 12, 2015, revealing an elegant, urban 330-room hotel. Originally opened in 1906 by John Jacob Astor IV, The Knickerbocker has witnessed and influenced more than a century of New York history.

As the rumored birthplace of the original martini and the first hotel to offer a multidimensional lifestyle experience, the legendary Beaux Arts landmark will infuse its storied past with the rhythm of modern New York.

“The Knickerbocker will epitomize classic-reinvented. We’re

embracing the hotel’s original DNA, while simultaneously offering guests intuitive service and relevant luxury,” said Jeff David, Managing Director of The Knickerbocker.

“The Knickerbocker’s history is something that most luxury hotels cannot offer - no matter how strong the brand or address. By drawing inspiration from our past to create a lifestyle experience that is beyond typical luxury hotel amenities, The Knickerbocker will undoubtedly appeal to both local New Yorkers and international travelers.”

A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, The Knickerbocker will provide the best of everything New York has to offer. Having

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commissioned leading architectural and interior design firm, Gabellini Sheppard to oversee the hotel’s design, The Knickerbocker’s interiors will reflect modern day functionality and contemporary design, creating an urban sanctuary for guests and local clientele. All 330 guestrooms, including 27 Junior Suites and four Signature Suites, will provide a sleek and contemporary, customized layout, outfitted in bespoke furnishings.

From state-of-the-art technologies, to exclusive bath amenities and inroom salon services from celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson, guests will discover all the comforts of home at their fingertips.

The Knickerbocker has partnered

with one of the nation’s most recognized master chefs, Charlie Palmer, to debut several exceptional dining venues and ensure a sophisticated level of taste throughout the hotel. Guests will have the option to dine at Charlie Palmer at The Knick – the hotel’s full service restaurant and bar; JAKES @ The Knick – a coffeehouse and artisanal cafe; and St. Cloud - one of the most magnificent rooftop bars in New York City, complete with a signature cigar lounge from celebrated tobacconist Nat Sherman. In addition, priority access and preferential treatment will also be offered to hotel guests at Palmer’s flagship restaurant Aureole, located just across the street from The Knickerbocker.

Korean visitor number hits the newest record of 500,000 in Macau

MGTO Director Senna Fernandes and other guests welcomed the Lucky Tourist at Macau International Airport

Local media and the Korean media group interviewed the Lucky Tourist

Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) welcomed the Lucky Tourist followed by a celebration ceremony at Macau International Airport today (26 November) to celebrate Macau’s unprecedented record of 500,000 Korean visitor arrivals by far this year.

inaugurated at the Macau airport before departure.

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GTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes welcomed the 500,000th Korean visitor of this year at the Arrival Hall of Macau International Airport this morning and presented a wealth of souvenirs including two round-trip air tickets from Korea to Macau, two nights of hotel stay along with over MOP3,000 cash coupons among others.

Moon Yang-Seob, his wife and their 8-month-old son from Korea visit Macau for a 4-day, 3-night as individual travelers.

This is his first time to Macau as well as the first vacation of his son since he was born. He was very surprised and happy to be the Lucky Tourist and expressed that he chose to visit Macau as he likes the unique mix of the east and west culture.

After the ceremony, they were transported to the hotel by MGTO-arranged vehicle, ready to embark upon his lucky journey in Macau.

The flight NX819 arrived in Macau around 10 a.m. after departing from Incheon this morning. The passengers include five media delegates on a familiarization visit to Macau organized by MGTO. Coming from five prestigious newspapers in Korea, the visiting journalists will experience a leisurely trip in Macau for four days including a stroll around town, museum visits, Chinese and Portuguese delicacies, enjoyment of various performances and so forth. They will also enjoy a new experience in the Plaza Premium Lounge just

Korea has been thriving as one of Macau’s top ten tourism markets since 1999 till today. Rising to the 4th place just after the Greater China Region (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) in 2011, Korea has become Macau’s largest international tourism market. Macau welcomed over 470,000 Korean visitors in total last year whereas the sum of Korean visitor arrivals has already surpassed 460,000 within the first ten months of 2014, a remarkable year-on-year growth of 19%. Today, Korea is even the first international tourism market that marks the record-breaking 500,000 visitor arrivals in Macau, matching MGTO’s earlier forecast that Korean visitor arrivals would hit a new record in the latter half of this November.

Korean visitor numbers have been spiking up in Macau in recent years.

MGTO’s market representative in Korea keeps adopting new marketing strategies to promote Macau as a travel destination and multi-destination tours to Macau and Hong Kong. For instance, Hotels

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the representative office held a large-scale promotional event after the theme “Experience Macau” at Lotte World Theme Park in Seoul this April. Besides their keen effort to join prominent travel fairs and organize varied promotional activities with artists and industry partners, the representative regularly invites Korean media and travel trade delegations to visit Macau while leveraging the effect of social media. Moreover, the representative office has invited Korean television stations to film their widely-favored game shows such as “Running Man”, entertainment programs like “Friends in Macau” and “Location” as well as other TV dramas like “I Love You Like Destiny” in Macau.

In parallel with Macau’s positioning as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, MGTO is dedicated to exploring and developing potential tourism markets especially the international ones to diversify the destination’s source of visitors. The quantity of flights keeps adding between Macau and Korea as well.

Air Macau, Jin Air and Air Busan currently provide a total of 24 flights per week.

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IHG opens new Holiday Inn Express in Yopal, Colombia global relaunch, the largest in hospitality history. The relaunch continues to drive increased quality and consistency across the global portfolio, and new hotels feature a contemporary image with emphasis on arrival and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort and a redesigned logo and signage.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Yopal, Colombia. Located approximately 200 miles from Bogota in the northeastern region of Colombia, the new-build, 89-room hotel is situated in downtown Yopal, the capital city of the Department of Casanare.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Yopal, Colombia.

Located approximately 200 miles from Bogota in the northeastern region of Colombia, the new-build, 89-room hotel is situated in downtown Yopal, the capital city of the Department of Casanare.

Well-situated to meet the needs of travelers to the area, the Holiday Inn Express Yopal is located near four major international oil refineries and processing plants: Halliburton, Perenco, Equion and Ecopetrol.

“Yopal has experienced a significant increase in business travelers due to the recent boom in the local oil industry, and the Holiday Inn Express brand is ideal to meet the growing demand of these travelers,” said Gerardo Murray, regional vice president, Distribution and Commercial Marketing, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG. “The hotel’s convenient location near restaurants and local 26 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

attractions also makes it a perfect destination for leisure travelers.”

With the addition of the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Yopal, there are now 10 IHG hotels in Colombia, with 7 more hotels in the development pipeline including Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cartagena and Cucuta.

“It is very exciting to expand IHG’s Holiday Inn Express brand in new cities,” said Alvaro Diago, chief operating officer, Latin America and Caribbean, Americas, IHG. “IHG already has a vast portfolio of internationally recognized brands in Colombia, and opening this hotel in Yopal is in line with IHG’s growth strategy in the country.”

The Holiday Inn Express brand is one of the largest and fastestgrowing hotel brands in the industry, and in order to meet the ever-changing needs of its guest, IHG invested in the $1 billion Holiday Inn Portfolio of Brands’

The Holiday Inn Express Yopal hotel offers guests a comfortable, yet affordable stay with innovative, guest- preferred upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience with amenities that include an outdoor swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness center, complimentary high-speed Internet access and a business center and 1,200 square feet of meeting space capable of transforming into three smaller meetings rooms. Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs and free local and toll free phone calls with voicemail. Additionally, guests can enjoy complimentary parking.

Guestrooms feature contemporary styling, a 32-inch HD LED TV, comfortable twin, queen or kingsized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine. The complimentary Express Start™ breakfast bar features a full range of breakfast items, including regional and local dishes, a rotation of egg and meat selections, breads, yogurt, juices, fruit, pastries, cereals and coffee.

Owned and managed by Antares S.A., a construction and real estate company based in Bogota, the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Yopal is franchised by an affiliate of IHG.

Virgin Group announces plans to enter the cruise industry Virgin Group, the Branson family-owned branded investment group, has announced the formation of Virgin Cruises, its new cruise line business, as well as the appointment of a CEO and its lead investment partner, Bain Capital. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Tom McAlpin will join Virgin Cruises as CEO and will head the management team. Most recently, Tom has been President and CEO of The World, Residences at Sea. Tom also served as President of Disney Cruise Line having joined as part of the founding management team. Virgin Cruises will be headquartered in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area and plans to design and construct two new world class cruise ships. At this time, the company has not disclosed when it will start operating for competitive reasons. As part of one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, Virgin Cruises will offer guests an outstanding experience and service aimed at broadening consumer targets for the cruise market. Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson said, “We plan to shake up the cruise industry and deliver a holiday that customers will absolutely love. They’ll be sailing on the latest ships offering great quality, a real sense of fun, and many exciting activities all delivered with the famed Virgin service.”

Stephen Pagliuca, a Managing Director with Bain Capital, said, “From our earliest conversations with the Virgin team, we recognized there is a unique opportunity here to help build the next great cruise line serving travelers from around the world. We know that thanks to the strategic vision laid out by our collective team - and now under the guidance of Tom McAlpin - Virgin Cruises will help reshape consumers’ expectations of what a cruise experience can be. All of us at Bain Capital are thrilled to partner with the Virgin team on this compelling opportunity.”

Mexico poised to become Latin America’s largest travel market With relatively low online travel penetration and a population of more than 120 million, Mexico is a market of great untapped promise. According to a new Phocuswright report, the country had the world’s 13th largest travel market in 2013.

Mexican airports transported over 55 million passengers in 20131, and despite concerns about personal safety related to inter-gang violence, international arrivals jumped 10% between 1H13 and 1H14. On the heels of an economic upswing, Mexico’s middle class will drive domestic demand for both leisure and business travel in the coming years.

Totaling US$24.3 billion in gross bookings, the Mexican travel market was Latin America’s second largest in 2013. According to Phocuswright’s Latin America Online Travel Overview Second Edition, growth projections suggest that it could overtake Brazil for first place within the next decade, particularly if economic conditions improve and online travel agencies (OTAs) continue to make headway with Mexican consumers.

Because traditional channels hold sway, online penetration is low – more than 80% of leisure travel is booked offline. But some OTAs are now partnering with local travel agencies in hopes of tapping into Mexico’s huge offline market.

“Hotel bookings in 2013 surpassed Germany, the U.K., and Spain,” says Phocuswright’s director, research, Luke Bujarski. “Traditional travel agents still capture a large share of the leisure market, but the pendulum is swinging toward direct and online bookings. This will create opportunities for online travel agencies with local market knowledge and technical knowhow, as well as for web-savvy suppliers in tune with the latest channel management and digital marketing applications.”

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Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes.

Tom McAlpin said, “Cruise guests deserve something better and different to what is being offered today, and Virgin Cruises is committed to creating breathtaking experiences for them and a new generation of guests.

Opportunities like this do not come often, so I am very excited to lead this business and introduce the Virgin brand to the cruise industry, as it has always put customers at the heart of what it does.”

Virgin Group has partnered with private investment firm, Bain Capital, to work on this new venture. The partnership is committed to exploring the creation of a global cruise business and setting new industry standards.

Ryan Cotton, a Principal with Bain Capital, said, “We are pleased to pursue this exciting opportunity with Virgin, one of the world’s most respected and iconic brands. With a small number of global players, an experience in need of refreshing, and consumers ready for something new and exciting, the industry exhibits all the characteristics of one that is ripe for a new entrant. Drawing on our long history of growing and building great companies, we are confident that together with Virgin and the management team we will build Virgin Cruises into a new favorite for leisure travelers.”

Evan Lovell, Partner at Virgin Management Limited said, “Virgin Cruises complements our extensive travel and leisure experience, which includes our award winning global airlines, passenger train service, and new hotel brand which will open its first property in Chicago next month. We are thrilled that Bain Capital is joining us on this journey.”

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Sawasdee Welcome!

Sawasdee Sawasdee 28| November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

The dynamic Ms Laksasubha, the proud owner of Baan Laksasubha Resort from the Royal Thai Family of King Rama IV

“Recently a team of HCA magazine, consisting of Mr Reny & Mr Sarvjit, visited Hua Hin, Thailand, which a classic seaside resort town and has always been popular among the locals and the foreigners as a seaside heaven for over a century, to review ‘Baan Laksasubha Resort’ and were privileged to meet the gracious lady, the the founder of the resort, Ms M.L. Laksasubha, who is the great granddaughter of HRH Prince Krisda Bhiniharn Krom Phra Naresra Varariddhi.” <<A Report >> Hotels & Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 29

individualVillas for every need in luxury, style & comfort

BAAN LAKSASUBHA - BEACH RESORT VILLAS - a perfect blend of nature & heritage

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ransform intense anticipation into reality. Whether you are looking for a quiet escape or a vacation destination by the shore, Baan Laksasubha, is your perfect place to get away! Spend your days lounging on white sandy beaches, do countless water activities, and enjoy the sunshine at the beach front pool & bar. It gives you the Villas you need to relax, unwind and recharge in whatever way you would like.

Baan Laksasubha Beach Resort, the heritage from King Rama VII, to Ms M.L. Laksasubha, is located in the

heart of historic Hua Hin with the blue-green waters and white-sand beach just in front of this resort, is the reminiscent of the Hua Hinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History. Pull up to this resort and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be greeted by rows of towering lush green trees, tropical plants and the unmistakable scent of the ocean. Great ocean views greet you at this Beach Resort. The direct beach access lets you step right into the excitement of Hua Hin Beach.

At the Baan Laksasubha Villas, the friendly knowledgeable English Speaking staff is there to make your stay as enjoyable and comfortable

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as possible. The Concierge can help from making simple dinner reservations to VIP status at the beach side candle light dinner to lit up your romance, and to a complete activity schedule for your entire stay. The Baan Laksasubha is offering a variety of promotions and packages, catering to every vacation style.

You know that your stay at this Villas means you will enjoy comfortable accommodations in the heart of Beach. A little adventure and whimsy at the Beach Villas is something you can also expect.

A stay in one of the tranquil and well-appointed private villas at Baan Laksasubha relaxes and revitalizes the mind and the body. A sense of romance brims the premises, engulfing you and your loved one.

It gets even better with a pool, Zaanti Spa, as well as a beach side dining. A delicious beach and pool side restaurant at Baan Laksasubha serves western-Asian menus and fusion dishes. Surrounded by lush green trees and tropical plants, it creates a refreshing ambience inside and outside of the Villas. The beach side vocational restaurant is a great place for family dining or romantic

meals to savor tasty meals and sip delicious beverages at the beach bar overlooking ocean.

After a day at the beach, retreat to the comfort of your guest room and enjoy complete relaxation. Slip under the crisp sheets and cozy duvet of your Bed. High Speed Wireless Internet Access in all guest rooms allows you to stay connected with your family and friends when you’re miles away from home.

Baan Laksasubha was designed and constructed for lovebirds & families.

Besides exclusivity and privacy, the resort also boasts that unobstructed vistas of the Gulf of Thailand. The resort offers a number of packages and honeymoon offers.

Just few metres from Hua Hin Market Village, the luxurious beachfront

Baan Laksasubha has an outdoor swimming pool with sun loungers.

Offering free Wi-Fi and parking, it has a in room massage facility and a restaurant offered delicacies.

Sixteen well appointed Villas surrounded by lush green trees and plants run and maintained by the Thai Diplomat is the perfect place to enjoy your holidays. Overlooking the courtyard, garden or sea, airconditioned rooms are spacious and feature a TV and DVD player. For a quick bite, a minibar and tea/ coffee making facilities are available in all rooms. A smart, amiable and efficient place in the heart of the city with stylish, well-sized rooms that qualify it for boutique status.

"A PASSION FOR THAI COOKING" Following to this tradition, Baan Laksa Subha also conducts cooking classes, the most experienced chefs from its own kitchen trained the

students with the professional skills of Thai Food, recently they awarded the professional certificate to one of the participants from Italy. Some of the mouth watering delicacies they offered to learn are: Prawns with Tamarind Sauce; Spicy Mixed Vegetable Soup with Prawns; Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup etc.

Ms Laksasubha is proud to be a part of the Hua Hin community and is actively engaged in various social responsibility programs year around, e.g. beach cleaning walkathon, and ‘Green Thumb’ tree planting activities with the commitment extending to other social units with several projects being developed by her to promote better living for locals.

Visitors to Hua Hin will still sense this special atmosphere and old world charm. Besides sun-filled days on the mile-long beach there are leisure

activities for the whole family from watersports to golf. The area around the town let's you discover fabulous parks and peaks, caves and waterfalls.

In the evening the winding roads with a great variety of shops make a great stroll. And the restaurants built on stilts into the sea offer superb seafood in the legendary and unsurpassed preparation of the Thai cuisine.

Hua Hin is blessed with some attractive, accessible and family friendly beaches. As Hua Hin is situated on the Gulf of Thailand the seas are warm throughout the year, which makes swimming and other beach activities pleasurable at any time.

For a perfect way to spend your oceanfront vacation, book your stay at the BEST Baan Laksasubha Beach Resort and save today. 

a pool amid lush green trees and tropicals overlooking the luxurious villas

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relaxing body & soul in sun bath overlooking the ocean

the charming ocean front

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luxurious villas for the every comfort you need the well stocked bar offering mouth watering coctails

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royal thai cooking at beach front of the hotel awarding the thai cuisine certificate to one of the participants from Italy.

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Boutique hotel The Norman opens in Tel Aviv

Mumbai claims top tourist friendly destination spot according to new Thrillophilia survey

Situated in the heart of Tel Aviv, The Norman will bring sophistication and boutique character to the historic Mediterranean city. The Norman Tel Aviv will redefine the art of hospitality, capturing the timeless elegance of the 1920s matched with the comforts of a world class luxury hotel.

The Norman is located close to popular Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv’s first boulevard. By day, Rothschild is a commercial hub with key financial institutions lining the street, whilst at night it buzzes with diners and partygoers and is a place to see and be seen in.

Converted from two historic buildings in the heart of the ‘White City’, Tel Aviv’s UNESCO heritage site, the elegant Norman will comprise of 30 bedrooms and 20 suites, including two penthouse suites.

As commented by Managing Director, Olivier Heuchenne: “The Norman is a fusion of 1920s grandeur and contemporary elegance, comprised of two iconic buildings superbly restored to their former glory. International travelers will experience personal attention to the finest details alongside world-class services and facilities. It is truly an exciting project for all involved and an unprecedented international opening“.

The architecture has been conceived by Yoav Messer and will preserve the original building while remaining true to the area’s Bauhaus character, with interior design by David d’Almada of SAGRADA. Original Israeli artwork will feature throughout its public areas, guest rooms and suites ranging from classic oil paintings, unique sculptures and one-of-a-kind prints that David defines as “bringing the essence of Israel and its unique culture to life through multiple mediums”.

A resident curator will also be on hand to offer insights into the artwork displayed throughout the building. In addition, the hotel will offer bespoke tours of local galleries and artists’ studios, incorporating regular art showings and events taking place around Tel Aviv.

The Norman will feature two dining outlets, The Norman Restaurant, a brasserie style restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine throughout the day – and Dinings, the Japanese tapas restaurant currently ranked the third best restaurant in Zagat’s London guide, featuring outdoor dining as well as private dining for up to 20 diners. As part of the design, Dinings will also feature a live sushi counter and partially open kitchen, adding to the interactive experience for guests. In addition, The Library Bar will recreate a quintessentially English lounge and serve cocktails into the early hours.

A 24-hour concierge team will be on hand to share their unique knowledge advising on tailored experiences such as hot air balloon and vineyard tours, private art gallery visits and experiential dining. This will allow guests to experience the true sense of Israel and provide an insight into this unique destination.

The rooftop at the Norman will provide an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. Guests can enjoy the charm and beauty of Tel Aviv whilst relaxing in the infinity pool or indulge in a relaxing massage at the third floor Spa. Guests of the hotels Suites will also have the option of in-room treatments to create their very own haven of relaxation.

Thrillophilia.com has come out with an interesting survey that sheds light on the travel preferences of Indian holiday goers. The 6 factors taken into consideration were activities, food, nightlife, shopping, sightseeing and ease of transport at these locations.

When it comes to tourist friendly destinations in India, Mumbai rules the roost, coming in at the 1st position with an overall rating of 4.4/5, topping the food (4.5) and shopping (4.8) categories. Mumbai was also 2nd in the nightlife (4.6) and transport (4.5) categories while it came 9th in the sightseeing category (4.3).

Mumbai was followed by Goa (4.3), Delhi (4.1), Jaipur (4), and Jaisalmer (3.8) in the overall rankings.

According to the survey, travellers preferred Goa for its nightlife with more than 60 percent of them giving it a complete rating with an overall nightlife rating of 4.7. The state also came 1st and 3rd in the transportation (4.5) and activity (4.5) categories respectively.

Delhi came in 3rd in the nightlife (4), transport (4.4), and shopping (4.3) categories, 2nd in food (4.4), 13th in sightseeing (4.1) and 22nd in activities (3.6).

For nightlife ratings, the south Indian destinations came in high with Chennai (4), Bangalore (3.7), and Hyderabad (3.6) following Goa, Mumbai, and Delhi which made up the top 3 positions.

Interestingly, while Ladakh (3.2) came in the 23rd position for overall travel satisfaction, it stood first in the sightseeing category (4.7). A good 67 percent of the participants gave it a full rating in this category.

Other destinations high on the sightseeing rating were Nainital (4.6), Sikkim (4.6), Manali (4.5), and Shimla (4.5).

Surprisingly, Jaipur did not make it to the top ten list for sightseeing, but came in 2nd for shopping (4.5) and 3rd for food (4.4).

Delhi (4.4), Goa (4.3), and Jaisalmer (4.3) were the other favourites among the travellers for destinations in the food category.

When it came to activities and adventure ratings, it was no surprise that Rishikesh (4.8) was 1st with 72 percent voting for it. It was followed by Ladakh (4.7), Goa (4.5), Jaisalmer (4.5), and Manali (4.4) which rounded the top 5.

Overall, according to the study, tourists are looking for a complete experience, with a blend of activities, food, nightlife, shopping, sightseeing, and transport.

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W Hotels expands plans for Amsterdam debut

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tarwood has announced plans to expand the upcoming W Amsterdam with the addition of a second building as part of the hotel project.

Originally conceived as a singlebuilding property set in a former Telephone Exchange (‘Exchange’ building) on Dam Square, W Amsterdam, slated for an autumn 2015 debut, will now include the adjacent former KAS Bank building on Spuistraat 172.

The ‘Bank’ building will house an additional 66 contemporary guestrooms and suites – many overlooking the famous UNESCOlisted Singel canal – as well as a signature Away Spa, nightclub and destination bar and restaurant.

The Bank building will also include a ‘creative incubator’ concept space, providing a platform for local talent to showcase their fashion, art and design work and also featuring locally curated products.

“We have been overwhelmed by the interest and demand for W Amsterdam since we announced the project back in February and are thrilled to expand this hotel in partnership with its owner, Liran Wizman,” said Michael Wale,

President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “The W brand clearly resonates with the Dutch market, and we can’t wait to bring the W mix of contemporary luxury to the city when we launch the hotel in autumn next year.” W Amsterdam will mark the launch of the W Hotels brand in the Netherlands and is ideally located just behind the Royal Palace and steps from the city’s iconic canal district with its vibrant restaurants, bars and nightlife scene.

W Amsterdam will feature 238 guestrooms across the two buildings, including 25 suites, one WOW suite and two Extreme Wow Suites (the W brand’s reinterpretation of the Presidential Suite). Guests will enter the hotel in the Exchange building, where they will be brought directly to the rooftop to check-in and enjoy a cocktail in the W Living Room (the W take on the staid hotel lobby where guests can mix and mingle).

In addition to the destination bar and restaurant that will be located in the former banking hall of the Bank building, the Exchange will also feature a rooftop bar and restaurant with views over Dam

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Square and the city lights. The restaurants and nightspots will be managed by The Entourage Group, a specialist restaurant and bar operator.

W Amsterdam will offer 480 square metres of ultra-modern meeting and event space, including two Great Rooms and two smaller meeting rooms, and will also feature FIT state-of-the-art fitness centre and WIRED 24-hour business centre. Guests will also be treated to the W brand’s iconic Whatever/ Whenever service philosophy, providing them with whatever they want, whenever they want it, as long as it’s legal. W Amsterdam will also boast a full calendar of exclusive W Happenings that showcase what’s new and next in design, fashion and music to guests and local trendsetters alike.

“I’m thrilled that we have been able to expand the prestigious W Amsterdam project to offer even more world-class facilities for our globe-trotting guests,” added Liran Wizman, owner of W Amsterdam as well as of Europe Hotels | Private Collection. “With its contemporary design and innovative flair, there is no doubt that W Amsterdam will set the city

alight and become a unique resort in the city for jet-setters and locals to mix, connect and exchange.”

Both the Exchange and the Bank buildings will be re-imagined by award-winning practices OFFICE WINHOV of Amsterdam and Tel Aviv-based BK Architecture, including full restoration of historical elements combined with a new, contemporary design.

“Now split across two unique buildings in the very heart of the city, W Amsterdam will be a focal point for trendsetters to explore Amsterdam’s take on what’s new and next in fashion, design, music and entertainment,” said Bram van der Hoek, Managing Director and owner representative of Europe Hotels | Private Collection.

“The hotel’s cutting-edge design combined with W’s innovative lifestyle programming will bring something completely different to the Amsterdam hotel scene.”

Following the successful premieres of W Hotels in Istanbul, Barcelona, St. Petersburg, London, Paris, and most recently Verbier, Switzerland, W Amsterdam will become the seventh W Hotel in Europe, joining a portfolio of 45 W Hotels around the world with more than 20 in development.

Noel Attard appointmed CEO of Kempinski Trading JLT Kempinski Hotels has announced the appointment of Noel Attard as CEO of Kempinski Trading JLT, based in Dubai.

Kempinski Hotels’ Management Board have appointed Mr Attard, a long serving Kempinski General Manager whose deep operational and preopening knowledge, and strong financial background make him ideal to lead Kempinski Trading JLT. Markus Semer, Deputy CEO of Kempinski Hotels, says “Noel Attard has strong operational experience, especially in pre-opening, and is known for his business acumen. Both will be key as he takes on his responsibilities for developing Kempinski Trading’s activities. Mr Attard’s focus will be on providing effective purchasing and procurement solutions to both Kempinski hotels and other hospitality groups, who wish to benefit from Kempinski’s long-term relationships with high quality, luxury standard suppliers around the world.”

Attard joined Kempinski in 2001, originally as Financial Controller at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz in Malta, and later as Executive Assistant Manager. He then transferred as Executive Assistant Manager to Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Croatia to support the hotel during its pre-opening

Steven Dixon new Regional Manager, South and South East Asia at Tourism New Zealand Steven Dixon is now Regional Manager, South and South East Asia at Tourism New Zealand based in Singapore.

Dixon, who previously held the position of Business Events Manager for North America based in its LA office, will now lead Tourism New Zealand’s activities across the region including the markets of India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and Thailand.

Steven joined Tourism New Zealand in 2011 and has been fundamental in spearheading NZ’s Business Events offering with North American convention and incentives trade.

Prior to joining Tourism New Zealand, Steven worked in hotel management and development roles in Dunedin and Christchurch, including the highly successful launch of Hotel So in Christchurch. Before that, Steven spent time working in Japan and managing the New Zealand arm of a Japanese Inbound Tour Operator.

On the appointment of Steven Dixon, David Craig, General Manager Asia for Tourism New Zealand said: “I am delighted that we have someone of Steven’s calibre to head the team in South and South East Asia. We are already seeing high double digit growth across a range of markets in the region, and under Steven’s leadership, I am confident there will be much more to come.”

Tourism New Zealand’s Singapore office works closely with staff in Thailand as well as overseeing trade, PR and marketing activity in Malaysia.

The priority emerging markets of India and Indonesia have both grown significantly over the past year, as a result of both the Mumbai and Jakarta offices having four dedicated staff since October last year.

phase, and in 2008 returned to Malta as General Manager. In 2012, he was appointed General Manager at the Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square in Vilnius where he oversaw the property’s successful opening, and the first awards have already been received, including Condé Nast Traveler USA’s 2013 Hot List.

Throughout his career at Kempinski Hotels, Attard has taken on Task Force assignments to deliver his operational and financial expertise to hotels, including Djibouti Palace Kempinski and Kempinski Palace Portorož in Slovenia, which was in pre-opening. Attard has a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Banking and Finance from the University of Malta, and an MBA from Reims Management School in France.

Kempinski Trading JLT and Kempinski Handelsgesellschaft mbH, which was originally incorporated in 1914 and is the group’s oldest business unit, are the world’s leading procurement management companies, with offices in Dubai and Hamburg respectively. The companies provide comprehensive corporate purchasing services to Kempinski hotels, and professional procurement services for new hotel projects and major refurbishments to Kempinski and other companies.

Overseas holiday arrivals to New Zealand from the region has grown steadily over the years with the month of October registering a total of 98,128 visitors, up 12,288 - 14.3% increase from October 2013. Total visitor arrivals year-on-year as of end of October sits at 1.34million which amounts to a 6.4% increase.

For South and South East Asia, an overall upward trend sees India leading with 20.2% growth, Singapore 16.3%, Malaysia 11.9% and Thailand closely following at 10.8%. 2014 was the Jakarta office’s first year of operation, and the team have been working to build a foundation for future growth.

Nick Mudge, who has been covering the role of Regional Manager for South and South East Asia since July, returns to Tokyo as Regional Manager of Japan and Korea.

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Ritz-Carlton takes corporate volunteering to new level as partner of IMPACT 2030 activities in their communities.

Through the combined efforts of all of the Ladies and Gentlemen, the Community Footprints teams will reach out to 100 communities in 28 countries and territories throughout the world on this day.

A sample of the Community Footprints projects that The RitzCarlton Ladies and Gentlemen are participating in with their local partner community organizations on International Volunteer Day include – At The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Center, planting and helping conserve the Ghaf tree, a rare desert plant species of culture and ecological significance.

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he Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has become the first Founding Partner of IMPACT 2030: The Global Initiative for the Advancement of Corporate Volunteering. IMPACT 2030 was introduced at the United Nations on Friday, December 5, 2014 on “International Volunteer Day” where The Ritz-Carlton and the fellow Founding Partner companies showcased the meaningful difference their employees are making locally, nationally and internationally through corporate volunteering.

IMPACT 2030 is a global private sector led collaboration created to mobilize corporate volunteers to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Initiative’s partner companies recognize that a commitment to corporate volunteering — when used in concert with the United Nations, peer companies, and philanthropic and nonprofit organizations — is a powerful tool to address critical social and environmental issues and inspire the private sector to positive action. The focus areas for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company’s social and environmental responsibility program, Community Footprints, are hunger and poverty relief; child well-being; and environmental responsibility, and are key components of the company’s culture of corporate social responsibility.

“Through IMPACT 2030, the power of many will be the force that 38 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

will allow us to make a significant impact,” said Herve Humler, President and Chief Operations Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “In communities where we do business, we will be collaborating with corporate partners and other stakeholders to help address critical issues”. He is joined at the United Nations on International Volunteer Day by Sue Stephenson, the company’s vice president of community footprints and Vice Chairperson of the Executive Committee for IMPACT 2030, to recognize and celebrate the dedication and impact being made by Ritz-Carlton employee volunteers.

On the day, the Community Footprints teams at The Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts across the globe will participate in volunteer

At The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, volunteering to renovate FamilyHouse, a center supporting children and families in a lowincome community in the cancer treatment and recovery process.

At The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, preparing and distributing over 1,200 lunch boxes in support of Hong Chi Association, a nonprofit organization in Hong Kong that helps people of all ages with intellectual disabilities and their families.

At The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin, the hotel’s Ladies and Gentlemen will host interview skills classes for young students at BildungswerkKreuzberg, helping them improve their social skills and guide them through mock interviews.

At The Ritz-Carlton Corporate Office in Chevy Chase, Maryland, the team will participate in a Succeed Through Service literacy coach program to help the young students at Cardozo Education Campus improve their reading skills.

IHG partners with leading trainer of childcare professionals IHG renews presence in Christchurch with Crowne Plaza signing InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement to develop the 200-room Crowne Plaza Christchurch, signalling IHG’s commitment to Christchurch’s economic revival.

Located in the central business district (CBD) and across from the planned new Christchurch Convention Centre due to open in 2017, the upscale hotel will be a conversion of a current commercial building owned by a consortium of local Christchurch investors. The hotel will be one of the tallest buildings in the city, presenting guests with unrivalled views of Mt Hutt and the New Zealand Ski fields.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the first collaboration between a global hotel brand and a premier provider of early years training.

For the next two years, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will partner with Norland College – a name recognised all over the world as the mark of the highest quality nannies, Norland Nannies.

The partnership will see Norland College provide all InterContinental Hotels & Resorts around the world with expert guidance on babysitting and staff recruitment to ensure families have the best quality care when they stay at an InterContinental hotel or resort.

The new collaboration is the latest in a series of enhancements to the InterContinental brand’s children’s programme, Planet Trekkers by InterContinental. It includes the brand’s global children’s menu developed by award-winning celebrity chef, Theo Randall and leading children’s food expert and best-selling author, Annabel Karmel MBE. Planet Trekkers by InterContinental is a programme of tailored services, dining and interactive activities that are specifically created for families with children aged 4-12. The programme offers a wide array of creative and immersive activities that help families explore the destination together and cultivate a deeper understanding of the world around them.

IC Bali_1Simon Scoot, Vice President Global Brands, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, IHG said: “At IHG, we are constantly listening to our guests to ensure we are meeting and exceeding their travel needs. For our InterContinental brand, we know that families who stay with us look for our help in keeping their children happily entertained with fun opportunities to learn about the world. We couldn’t wish for a better partner than Norland to help us ensure families feel welcomed, entertained and looked after.”

Liz Hunt, Principal of Norland College added: “Norland is committed to providing premium training and consultancy with the ultimate aim of positively impacting on children’s lives. We are delighted to work with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to enhance their babysitting services.”

The hotel will feature up to five suites and 195 guest rooms and food and beverage options including an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and lobby lounge and bar.

Catering to both business and leisure travellers, Crowne Plaza Christchurch will also have a business centre and function space for meetings and events, as well as a fitness centre.

Matthew Tripolone, Head of Development, Australasia, IHG, said: “Tourism is one of the 20 high priority projects outlined in the Economic Recovery Programme for Greater Christchurch, and we are proud to be part of the city’s economic revival. The signing of this agreement is testament to our confidence in and commitment to this market. When the new Crowne Plaza Christchurch opens its doors in 2015, IHG will once again have a presence in every major market in New Zealand, and we are confident of our long-term growth in the region.”

Dean Humphries, National Director Hotels at Colliers International, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased to bring these two partners together. Crowne Plaza Christchurch will play an important role in the city and I’m confident that both parties have the experience and commitment to quality and brand integrity to make this hotel the number one choice for business travellers to Christchurch. The owners are business people that are committed to the Christchurch rebuild and they are delighted to partner with IHG to bring this great brand to the heart of the city.”

Crowne Plaza has nearly 400 hotels in more than 65 countries worldwide, including 68 hotels across AMEA. Crowne Plaza Christchurch will be the third Crowne Plaza in New Zealand, joining Crowne Plaza Queenstown and Crowne Plaza Auckland. IHG currently has 38 hotels open across six countries in Australasia, with an additional five hotels in the pipeline including an InterContinental and four Holiday Inn Express hotels.

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Wyndham Hotel Group opens flagship property in Melbourne CBD Wyndham Hotel Group has officially opened its flagship Melbourne development, Wyndham Hotel Melbourne, becoming the company’s first hotel in the city. the vibrancy and sophistication this cosmopolitan city is renowned for and we look forward to offering guests and more than 49,000 vacation owners the exceptional service and product for which the Wyndham® brand is known around the world.”

The 23- and 21-storey towers were designed by Melbournebased Bruce Henderson Architects and feature stylish one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as three-bedroom Grand and Presidential Suites that boast added luxuries such as built-in fireplaces, wine refrigerators and outdoor lounge and dining areas.

Centrally located in Melbourne’s central business district (CBD) on the corner of William Street and Little Bourke Street, the high-rise complex boasts 531 apartments across two towers and comprises hotel accommodation, vacation ownership, residential apartments and a retail precinct. It joins 16 hotels currently open and operating in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Guam under the Wyndham, Ramada, TRYP by Wyndham and Days Inn brand flags.

Wyndham Hotel Melbourne operates as a mixeduse property, providing accommodations for both Wyndham Hotel Group guests and vacation owners with 86 apartments through WorldMark South Pacific Club by Wyndham, part of sister company Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, Australia’s largest vacation ownership company. The two companies first introduced this successful hybrid model in the South Pacific in 2009 with Wyndham Surfers Paradise.

Barry Robinson, president and managing director for Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific and Wyndham Hotel Group in South East Asia and Pacific Rim, said this new Melbourne development would mark an exciting first for both companies.

“We are very happy to enter the Melbourne market with this exceptionally designed, flagship property that will appeal to both business travellers and holidaymakers,” Mr Robinson said. “Wyndham Hotel Melbourne reflects 40 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

The transformation of the building includes a new façade and upgraded building services as well as significant environmental initiatives such as rooftop solar panels, rainwater reuse in bathrooms and double-glazed doors and windows to reduce noise and increase energy efficiency.

Additional hotel services and amenities include a 24-hour

reception, concierge, a gym, a library, meeting space, ground floor retail and dining precinct and a rooftop pool with a barbecue area and city skyline views.

The property was developed

by Hengyi Australia, an affiliate of Shandong HYI (Group) Co. Ltd., an award-winning residential and commercial developer based in China. It is operated by Resort Management by Wyndham.

“Wyndham Hotel Melbourne makes a major architectural contribution to the streetscape in this part of the CBD and is a long-awaited upgrade of what was once an abandoned building,” said Stephen Speer, head of Marketing and Business Development at Hengyi. “It is a great commercial success for Hengyi and an opportunity to establish our reputation in Melbourne.

Furthermore, the project has given us the opportunity to work with Wyndham, a company that shares similar values to Hengyi, and we will no doubt go on to partner with them on many more opportunities around Australia.”

FOUR SEASONS RESORT KOH SAMUI ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF JEFF REDNOUR AS GENERAL MANAGER Joining Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui from Regent Singapore, a Four Seasons Hotel

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our Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand announces the appointment of Jeff Rednour as General Manager, commencing November 17, 2014.

Rednour joins the Resort from Regent Singapore, a Four Seasons Hotel, where he has been instrumental in launching the Hotel’s much lauded Manhattan Bar and Dolcetto Pasticceria.

Originally from Las Vegas and holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Rednour’s career with Four Seasons has taken him through stints in Houston, Langkawi and Singapore, as well as roles assisting a wide range of hotels such as Four Seasons Hotel Damascus, Four Seasons Hotel Amman, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

and Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole in their pre-opening stages. It was also during this period of his career that Rednour had his first taste of island life at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.

“Ultimately hotels are about people,” says Rednour. “And for me the most rewarding part of the job is building strong relationships with both the staff and guests, creating unforgettable moments that they’ll treasure for years to come.”

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Rednour will also be able to add a new string to his bow by taking up Muay Thai kickboxing in the Resort’s newly launched training ring, designed by renowned architect Bill Bensley. “My family and I love the outdoors,” says Rednour. “We can’t wait to explore Koh Samui’s beaches and hills, and to discover just what makes this island so special.”

Jeff Rednour takes over the reins from Lubosh Barta, who will be the opening General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.

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Meliá Ubud new Meliá Hotels International resort in Bali Spanish-based Meliá Hotels International continues to grow in Asia Pacific with the opening of a new hotel in Bali, Meliá Ubud. Meliá Hotels International has signed a management agreement with PT Pilar Prambanan INvestama, a company part of the Podo Joyo Masyhur Group.

The new Meliá Ubud has easy access to the rest of the island and is only a 45-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport (also known as Denpasar), the third busiest airport in Indonesia. Figures continue to show that it is a travel destination becoming more and more popular over the past few years.

The resort will consist of 49 keys, including a venue for weddings and events – one of the most successful market segments in Bali - and a relaxation area with a YHI Spa. During the signing ceremony the Vice President Asia Pacific, Bernardo Cabot, stated: “The Melia Brand has been present in Bali almost 30 years being part of the development of the destination. Melia Hotels International is very excited adding Melia Ubud to our portfolio, giving our clients additional accommodation

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options and increasing our cross selling opportunity between our properties in Nusa Dua, Benoa and Legian”.

Indonesia is a very special place for Meliá Hotels International, as it was in Bali in 1985 when Gabriel Escarrer opened the company’s first international hotel, Meliá Bali. Now, 30 years later, Meliá Ubud will become the forth hotel in Bali and the tenth hotel in Indonesia, alongside Gran Meliá Jakarta, Melia Bali, Meliá Purosani, Sol Beach House Benoa Bali, and the upcoming Gran Meliá Bintan, Meliá Surabaya, Innside Yogjakarta, Innside Makassar and Sol House Legian, which are currently in the preopening stage.

With this addition to its portfolio, Meliá Hotels International continues to grow in Asia Pacific, with already 20 hotels in the region including countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and Mongolia.

H O S P I TA L I T Y

Food Waste Prevention Drive in hotel industry ‘LightBlue’ “At first I thought it was complicated and wasting our working time. We did not understand why we had to separate food waste. But then we received training about what were our mistakes in the past. Now before I throw something away I think twice whether the item could be used again or not” says a First Kitchen Agent Culinary of the Hotel.

Have you ever realized that many people in modern urban settings perceive food as something that can be easily disposed of, as long as it has been paid for?

They tend to overlook the fact that this food has often required thousands of liters of water, quantities of chemicals, gallons of fuel to be transported (thereby releasing kilos of Co2), electricity to be stored, natural gas and substantial labour to be prepared, presented and finally disposed of. These people are not only consumers, but sometimes even food outlet managers or hoteliers.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), roughly 33% of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tons — gets lost or wasted.

Conscious of the value of food and eager to conduct its business in a more responsible way,Sofitel So Bangkok has recently partake in an ingenious Food Waste Prevention Program with the support from LightBlue Environmental Consulting Co., Ltd., a Bangkok based hotel sustainability training and consulting firm. After weeks into the initiative, the hotel has seen noticeable improvements in food waste prevention, food cost reduction and practices in its key departments such as Food & Beverage and Kitchen. Upon the successful completion of this program which facilitated the hotel to save in many ways, this practice will continue as

part of the hotel’s sustainable development.

“I was not 100% convinced in the beginning. LightBlue Environmental Consulting had to convince me first, and the project was then presented to the owner of the hotel who understood immediately the potential benefits” says Accor’s VP Operations Luxury Brands, S-East Asia.

The project consisted of a full week of audit to understand where food waste is coming from, where in the food chain it is happening (Spoilage, Preparation, and Guests), what the reason for discarding is and what main items ended up in the bins. For seven days, employees have been sorting, weighing, defining and recording Food Waste during breakfast, lunch, dinner and night shifts at each food waste generation point of the hotel, establishing a Food Waste baseline performance level (in grams of food waste per cover).

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Then a dedicated team composed of staff and managers from Kitchen, Food & Beverage, Stewarding, Human Resources, Engineering and Finance (The So Food Lovers Committee), took the program in its own hands and tested various initiatives for Food rescue, Food Cost reduction and improved practices in key areas.

“We went through a lot of changes together with LightBlue and hard work for recording food waste and make chefs and staff change the way they perceive the food and treat the food” says the hotel Culinary Designer (Ex. Chef).

The efforts were indeed worthwhile as the hotel managed to rescue 6’535kg of edible food, coupled with very substantial financial savings.

“Very few similar projects have been implemented so far across the industry. The hotel should feel proud to be part of this pioneer initiative. Within 5 to 10 years, most major hotel chains will understand the true cost of food wastage and will be controlling their food waste much more carefully”, predictsBenjamin Lephilibert, Founder and MD of LightBlue Environmental Consulting.

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M&C creates new post for Richard Ong as General Manager of Asia Operations

Carlson Rezidor announces the Park Inn by Radisson Tori Tbilisi, Georgia

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C), has announced the appointment of Mr. Richard Ong in a newly-created position of General Manager, Operations, Asia.

Mr. Ong will assist the Senior Vice President, Asia, based in Singapore, to oversee the operations of M&C’s 13 regional hotels to drive and optimise operational excellence, improve cost efficiency, and enhance guest satisfaction.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with distinction from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has more than three decades of hospitality experience across countries such as Singapore, Australia, China, Japan and Korea.

Mr. Ong held several key leadership appointments with international brands like Raffles International Limited, Ascott International Management, Carlton Hotel Singapore and The Westin Stamford & Westin Plaza, Singapore. During the course of his career, Mr. Ong has led large teams covering Operations, Sales & Marketing, F&B, hotel renovations and preopening of hotels.

Prior to joining M&C, Mr. Ong was the General Manager of ANA/Crowne Plaza Osaka, Japan.

M&C also announced the appointment of Mr. Pjey Mayandi as Hotel Manager of Studio M Singapore.

In his new role, Mr. Mayandi will lead and drive the overall performance of Studio M Singapore, the first fully loft-inspired hotel in Singapore.

With its convenient location near the city’s main business and shopping attractions, the hip and avant-garde style hotel makes it a great stay for business or leisure.

He joins Studio M Singapore with more than 20 years of experience including 8 in the international hospitality industry. He has worked in countries such as Dubai, Qatar, Oman and Singapore.

M&C is the London-listed subsidiary of City Developments Limited (CDL), a property giant listed in Singapore. Both CDL and M&C are members of the Hong Leong Group of companies.

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Carlson Rezidor is expanding its presence in Georgia with the announcement of a partnership agreement with Block Geo Group to develop the Park Inn by Radisson Tori Tbilisi. It is Carlson Rezidor’s second Park Inn under development in the capital city – both complement the existing Radisson Blu hotel in town. All across Georgia, Carlson Rezidor now operates and develops six properties.

“Georgia is a key growth market for us, and we are delighted to further strengthen our network across the country together with our partners”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor.

Park Inn by Radisson Tori Tbilisi will feature 180 guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant with 240m² and a lobby lounge bar area of 120m².

Furthermore, the hotel will offer a meeting space totalling 215m² and parking space.

The hotel will have a central location just off the main commercial street of Tbilisi and only 200 meters from the Georgian Houses of Parliament.

The Expo-Georgia Exhibition Centre, with over 139,000m² conference and exhibition space is located only 5km away. The international airport of Tbilisi is located 14km from the hotel and serves 27 destinations with increasing numbers in the summer months. Air traffic has shown exponential growth, reaching an all-time peak of 1.5 million passengers in 2013 amounting to an 18% increase year-on-year.

Park Inn by Radisson is Carlson Rezidor’s young and dynamic midmarket core brand. It is currently being re-designed as compelling and competitive offer for the growing guest clientele of Generation X and Y and features innovative services based on the three pillars choice – connectivity – control.

data privacy, MediaSuite TVs automatically delete personal information after use.

Customisation of app profiles to meet hoteliers and guests needs

AppControl allows hoteliers to add, delete and sort apps and create different profiles for different rooms. Hoteliers can customise the look and feel of the Smart TV offering to fit their hotel’s corporate identity. In order to optimise bandwidth management, hoteliers can offer full Smart TV services with premium options in selected rooms whilst other rooms can have a reduced feature set with apps requiring smaller bandwidths.

Connecting securely with guests’ smart devices

New Philips MediaSuite Hospitality TVs Provide Future-Proof Connectivity and Sophisticated Remote Management Tools TP Vision introduces a new range of energy-efficient Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs. They provide great picture quality, versatile connectivity and many dedicated hospitality features, including smart remote management tools, interactive information pages and a Smart TV offering that can be individually tailored for each class of guest room.

MediaSuite hospitality TVs benefit hoteliers with low running costs and comprehensive service through a large Philips TV partner network. Philips MediaSuite features five models with screen sizes from 71cm (28in) to 140cm (55in) and will be available from the second quarter of this year in Europe, Middle East, Russia and APAC.

MediaSuite powered by Oxigen delivers superior hospitality solutions

Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs are powered by Philips Oxigen, a comprehensive feature set designed to deliver the latest in connectivity to both guests and hoteliers, while ensuring low cost of ownership.

Easy remote maintenance benefits hoteliers

With SmartInstall hoteliers can save serious money. It allows hoteliers to set-up and maintain Philips MediaSuite TVs remotely with little effort. Hoteliers can load software upgrades and update

SmartInfo pages via an easy to use PC tool without entering guest rooms. Channel mapping can also be carried out without disturbing guests.

Interactive, smart information system Thanks to SmartInfo, hoteliers share customised information easily with their guests direct to the MediaSuite TV screen without the need for an internet or intranet connection. A well-designed choice of templates assists hoteliers in creating interactive info pages to promote value added hotel services, including spa and restaurant offerings, and to deliver all kinds of relevant tourist information.

Secure access to Philips Smart TV offering

Philips MediaSuite TVs allow access to the cloud-based Philips Smart TV portal including a large number of online apps, exclusive hospitality apps, catch-up TV services and social media platforms. To ensure Hotels

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Next to their broad selection of wired interfaces and ports, including USB, HDMI, and Ethernet LAN, Philips MediaSuite TVs offer hasslefree and secure wireless connectivity. Miracast and DirectShare allows movies, pictures and music to stream from guests’ iOS and Android smartphones and tablets to the MediaSuite TV in their guest room. Secure pairing mechanisms protect guests’ private content and data.

Integrated IPTV

Thanks to integrated IPTV, Philips MediaSuite TVs seamlessly connect to existing interactive systems as well as IPTV channels. Video-ondemand delivery, interactive hotel menus and information as well as online ordering systems are possible without a set-top box. In addition to delivering content over coax TV cables, hoteliers can now use an internet network to deliver TV channels or VOD directly to the TV.

Professional services enhancing ROI

Philips hospitality TV owners are served by a care team that specifically focuses on Hospitality TV. TP Vision’s hospitality TV business unit also runs a large partner network with local contacts offering professional and reliable services including on-time and on-location logistics.

Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 45

Caribbean beach tourism losing market share as competition heats up The Caribbean region has seen lacklustre annual growth of about 2.5% in tourism numbers since the turn of the millennium, while WTO projects that even this will fall in the coming years. The Caribbean’s total share of world tourism, currently 2.1%, is projected to fall to 1.7% by 2030 – not cheerful news for companies planning new investments in beach resorts in the region.

The beach remains the biggest attraction in global travel, with its popularity booming as never before.

The Caribbean, however, is not benefitting much from improving numbers. Despite the world economic malaise over the past five years, global tourism has grown at an average of 5% per annum, a rate that far outpaces economic recovery. And beaches have been prominent in attracting ever more tourists to travel further than ever before in search of the perfect patch of warm sand.

Growth in arrivals in the Caribbean, however, is almost stagnating, United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO) figures tell us, while the beaches of Southeast Asia, and Thailand in particular, have enjoyed a huge 46 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

surge in new visitors.

The Caribbean region has seen lacklustre annual growth of about 2.5% in tourism numbers since the turn of the millennium, while WTO projects that even this will fall in the coming years. The Caribbean’s total share of world tourism, currently 2.1%, is projected to fall to 1.7% by 2030 – not cheerful news for companies planning new investments in beach resorts in the region.

In stark contrast, however, Southeast Asia has enjoyed huge booms in visitor numbers yearafter-year, with its 2013 jump of 12% making it the fastest growing tourist region on the planet.

Thailand, clearly the star performer of that region, rose 18% in 2013 and saw a massive rise of 88% in

tourist numbers in the five years up to 2013. Beautiful tropical beaches were, by far, the major attraction that brought a total of 26.7 million tourists to Thailand last year (more than the total for the entire Caribbean), allowing it to join the world’s top 10 most visited countries for the first time.

Beaches were the biggest attraction in other Southeast Asian countries too, particularly Malaysia and the Philippines, both of which also offer a great diversity of islands with good quality beach resorts. Myanmar, newly opened to the world, is another powerful contender for future market share in beach tourism, with potential to pull many visitors away from older, more traditional beach destinations by the thousands. In the high season of 2014 Myanmar had just

49 hotels and resorts on three beaches along its northwest coast – but all eyes are on the 800 islands in its near-pristine Mergui Archipelago. These virtually uninhabited, stunningly beautiful islands currently have just a single beach resort, but planning for many more is already underway. Expect resorts on amazing tropical beaches to blossom here by the score, or perhaps the hundreds, in coming years.

The new influx of visitors to Southeast Asia’s beaches has seen many bypassing and flying right over the traditional beach destinations in the Mediterranean, which also saw lacklustre growth in tourism over the past five years. With long distant travel now easier and cheaper than ever before, many once-too-distant destinations of Asia have become quite accessible. For wealthy Western Europeans, favoured guests in most beach resorts, the trip to Southeast Asia is about 2,000 kilometres and a

few hours longer than that to the Caribbean – apparently not a big deterrent.

Mediterranean beach countries Greece, Italy and Turkey trailed in that order.

Some analysts believe the natural human lust for new horizons and fresh flavours makes it inevitable that ever-more travellers will head to the diverse countries of Southeast Asia, turning their backs on both the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. These traditional destinations are becoming too familiar for some, and not as ‘exotic’ as their Asian competitors.

High crime rates in many Caribbean countries, and pollution in the Mediterranean, are also seen as deterrents that make many wouldbe visitors look further afield for new beaches.

The web organization that issued the awards, The Beachfront Club, utilizes hi-tech mapping to pinpoint all true beachfront hotels and resorts on the planet – those that have no road or traffic between the rooms and the water.

The inexorable rise of Southeast Asia was further illustrated when Thailand took first place in the recent Global Beachfront Awards, a count of the true beachfront hotels in over 100 countries worldwide.

With an amazing 1,250 absolute beachfront accommodations, Thailand overtook the USA (with 1,016 hotels), Mexico (with 943 hotels) and Spain (with 736 hotels), followed by the Philippines in 5th place. Traditional Hotels

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The rise of Southeast Asia as a global challenger to the Caribbean and the Med is unlikely to see any slowdown for many years to come. The region is diverse in geography and culture, and the people are exceptionally friendly and welcoming to strangers. Most importantly, the warm, clear seas of Southeast Asia are strewn with thousands of beautiful islands with countless, empty tropical beaches, all waiting for beachfront hotels and near limitless visitors from cold climates seeking a patch of sand in the sun.

While beach tourism will continue to warm up as the global economy does, the competition among the world’s beach destinations is already getting hot.

Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 47

New Jewel Changi Airport with five storey Forest Valley to feature in 2018!

• Lifestyle destination • Forest Valley • Majestic Areas • New Retail brands • Multi facilities for travellers Jewel Changi Airport Trustee Pte Ltd (JCAT), a joint venture between Changi Airport Group (CAG) and Capita Malls Asia, the shopping mall business of CapitaLand, broke ground for the construction of Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel)–a mixed-use complex featuring attractions, retail offerings, a hotel and facilities for airport operations, which will be developed in front of Terminal 1 (T1).

Strategically located in the heart of the airport, Jewel is envisaged to be a world-class lifestyle destination that will enable the Changi air hub to capture passenger mindshare, and strongly boost Singapore’s appeal as a stopover point for travellers.

At the groundbreaking ceremony graced by Minister for Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, guests were given a first glimpse of Jewel’s unique architecture and design, as well as its exciting myriad of lifestyle offerings.

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The ceremony also marked the commencement of expansion works for T1, which will be carried out alongside the construction of the Jewel complex. The redevelopment of the 3.5 hectare (ha) site at T1, formerly an open-air car park, allows Changi Airport to expand the terminal’s footprint, thus increasing T1’s passenger handling capacity to 24 million passengers per annum.

Designed by a consortium of consultants comprising Safdie Architects led by world renowned architect Moshe Safdie, as well as Benoy and local architects RSP, Jewel features a glass and

steel facade that will be a visually stunning addition to the airport landscape.

Visitors will be presented with an impressive view of the complex as they travel on the roadways leading to the airport. Beneath its distinctive facade, Jewel will be the first in Singapore to seamlessly integrate a refreshing environment of lush greenery amid other attractions and facilities within the same building. The complex– scheduled for completion by end of 2018– will have five storeys above ground and five basement storeys, covering a total gross floor area of about 134,000 square

Breathtaking Forest Valley. A lush environment filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs, for visitors to immerse themselves in a green valley of verdant landscaping and waterfalls.

A playground for everyone

metres (sqm).

Forest Valley and Gateway Gardens

In line with Singapore’s reputation as a garden city, Jewel will house one of the largest indoor collections of plants in Singapore–with about 22,000sqm of space dedicated to landscaping throughout the complex.

One of Jewel’s centrepiece attractions will be the Forest Valley, a huge five-storey garden filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs. Visitors can immerse themselves in the beauty of nature within this idyllic valley of verdant landscaping and waterfalls, and can even take a hike up the valley in air-conditioned comfort.

There will be four different Gateway Gardens located at the complex, where every garden will feature unique landscaping elements. For instance, the North Gateway Garden, which will be seamlessly connected to the T1 Arrival Hall, will retain a nostalgic piece of T1’s heritage through landscaping features made from the recycled trunks of raintrees from the former openair car park.

The other centre piece of Jewel will be the breathtaking 40-metre high Rain Vortex, expected to be the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Located at the central core of the complex, this majestic spectacle will captivate visitors with its magnificent water display. Come night fall, the Rain Vortex will transform into an enchanting Light and Sound show with special lighting effects.

Adding to the existing recreational spaces at Changi Airport that have been popular with Singaporeans, the top level of Jewel will feature park space of approximately 13,000sqm in size, comprising gardens, walking trails, playgrounds and dining outlets. Canopy Park, with engaging and fun play facilities, is designed to be a wonderland for both the young and old. In the surrounding area, there will be food and beverage outlets where visitors will be able to enjoy al fresco-like dining while admiring views of the Forest Valley, in cool comfort throughout the day.

Within Jewel, there will be a wide range of retail offerings which will appeal to shopaholics from around the world. The retail mix is envisaged to include exciting new-to-Singapore concepts, top international brands, as well as home-grown names.

The integration of world-class retail brands and unique dining concepts with indoor gardens and leisure attractions will provide visitors with a myriad of experiences all under one roof– making Jewel a one-of-a-kind lifestyle destination for both local residents and tourists.

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Strengthening the Changi air hub To strengthen Changi Airport’s appeal as a transit hub, there will be facilities in Jewel to enhance passengers’ journey. The complex will house an integrated multi -modal transport lounge offering dedicated services for fly-cruise and fly-coach passengers, such as ticketing, issuance of boarding passes and baggage transfer services. These will allow Changi to leverage new opportunities such as the growth of Singapore as a regional cruise centre.

In addition, early check-in facilities in Jewel will enable passengers to check-in for their flights and deposit their luggage ahead of the regular check-in timings-providing them with added convenience.

To widen the range of accommodation options available at the airport, Jewel will offer its own hotel with approximately 130 rooms, operated by YOTEL– an international hotel brand with an established presence in Europe and the United States of America. This adds to the range of lifestyle offerings at Jewel, and provides an additional choice of accommodation for transiting travellers.

Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 49

Revamp of T1 Departure Hall to incorporate self-service check-in channels. Self service checkin kiosks and bag-drop counters will be added, improving efficiency and increasing passenger handling capacity.

The expansion of T1

As passenger traffic increases, there is a need for CAG to expand T1’s handling capacity, to uphold the passenger experience, as well as provide further room for airlines’ growth at the terminal. With the redevelopment of the open-air car park, CAG will extend the footprint of the terminal building into the space of the site, adding more than 70% to the floor area of the arrival and baggage claim halls.

The expanded T1 Arrival Hall will be seamlessly integrated with Level 1 of Jewel while the Baggage Claim Hall will also see more circulation space and the installation of additional baggage belts, operated by an upgraded baggage handling system. At the T1 Departure Hall, a revamp of the check-in count ers will take place, with the incorporation of self-service kiosks.

This will improve efficiency as well as optimise the space available. In addition, improved ground transport facilities will be developed for T1 to cater to increasing visitorship. A second departure drop-off bay will be constructed, doubling the number of vehicular lanes for drivers to drop off passengers. The length of the arrival pick-up bay will also be extended by 50%.

A much larger basement car park–spanning five levels with 2,500 parking spaces–will be built as part of the Jewel complex, providing T1 users with sheltered parking directly connected to the terminal. Facilities for taxis and coaches, such as the taxi waiting area, taxi pick-up bays and coach stand, will also be expanded.

Currently, only Terminals 2 and 3 are directly linked to the Changi Airport Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station. New pedestrian linkages will be constructed connecting 50 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

T1 and Jewel to the MRT station, improving inter-terminal connectivity and accessibility.

The start of an exciting journey Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CAG’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Jewel Changi Airport Devt Pte. Ltd (JCAD) said: “An important hallmark of Changi Airport’s growth over the past thirty-old years has been continual change and innovation.

In charting the airport’s future, this spirit continues to underpin our strategy. Faced with intensifying competition, we challenged ourselves to rethink what an airport can be–not just as a gateway for flights, but as a tourism destination on its own.

“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks only the beginning of this exciting journey. Over the next few years, we will work hard with our designers and contractors to execute our vision and realise our aspirations for Jewel. We look forward to presenting, in four year’s time, an iconic, world-class destination that both Singaporeans and our passengers from all over the world will enjoy, bringing Changi Airport to its next level of growth.”

Mr Philip Yim, Chief Executive Officer of JCAD said: “We are delighted to mark a new milestone in the development of Jewel Changi Airport. Apart from distinctive design, Jewel will break new ground with its unique mix of attractions, retail and airport facilities, integrated in a way like never before to create a slew of different experiences in a single visit.

“Located at the doorstep of the award-winning Changi Airport, it will be a place where Singapore and the World meet. For international travellers, Jewel will be an exciting tourist destination.

For Singaporeans, it will be a playground near home where they can share many happy moments with their loved ones. For our retail partners, the opportunity to reach out to the diverse mix of passengers at a major air hub presents exciting prospects,” added Mr Yim. The construction of Jewel and the expansion of T1 will be undertaken by a construction joint venture formed by Woh Hup and Obayashi Singapore. Works will commence following the groundbreaking ceremony.

Suvarnabhumi Airport enhance services to travellers new automatic taxi kiosks now open The 10 new kiosks, to be found outside Gates 4 and 7 on the first floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s terminal building, are designed to cut waiting times to as little as five seconds by managing the queues and directing passengers to numbered taxi ranks, at the press of a button.

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acting in a welcoming manner to all tourists and travellers, and that their vehicles are safe and up to international standards.”

hailand’s main gateway, Suvarnabhumi Airport has launched the newly-installed automatic queue-card kiosks that aim to improve travellers’ access to taxi services, a move praised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as helping to enhance the image of the kingdom as a welcoming tourist destination.

The 10 new kiosks, to be found outside Gates 4 and 7 on the first floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s terminal building, are designed to cut waiting times to as little as five seconds by managing the queues and directing passengers to numbered taxi ranks, at the press of a button.

Passengers in groups or with many bags will be able to opt for one of the larger taxis to ensure they have enough space. These methods will reduce the processing time to allocate the taxi.

Mr. Thawatchai Arunyik, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “The launch of these automatic queue-card taxi kiosks will facilitate passengers using the taxi services at the Airport, to ensure that all taxis are

Mr. Thawatchai said, “In the initial state, there are staff on standby these taxi kiosks to help obtain the queue cards for passengers.

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They help to expedite the queues, and in a country well-known for great hospitality as Thailand, these well-groomed and hospitable staff act as one of the first hosts that are ready to greet welcome to all tourists and travellers arriving at our country’s first doorstep.”

Under the new computerised system, taxi drivers will have to take passengers on a first-come-firstserved basis to any destination, either to Bangkok downtown or to other destinations; such as, Pattaya.

Passengers are required to pay the fee by the metre system, and are subject to a 50-Baht Airport taxi surcharge. In addition, the slip printed automatically by the new system will record all details of the taxi drivers and their vehicles, allowing officials to locate them instantly in case of a lost item.

Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 51

Health and Fitness Travel forecast top wellness spa trends for 2015

Thermal Springs

Health and Fitness Travel are not only the go-to destination for healthy holidays, wellness breaks and fitness retreats; they are leaders in spotting emerging trends and are continually forecasting the next big trends in wellness travel. 2015 calls for more effective ways to keep the body and mind in optimal well-being, here Health and Fitness Travel predict the next big trends.

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Cleansing in hot springs may be the oldest spa experience in the world but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been a hotter moment for thermal springs with more spa goers discovering this affordable spa experience with a host of benefits from improving certain skin conditions to pain relief. Bathing in the healing waters not only does our bodies good but also feels fantastic.

Top 3 Places: Adler Thermae (Italy), The Banjaran HotSprings (Malaysia), Como

Shambhala Estate (Bali)

Fierce Fitness With a new culture where people rush from work to join their running club or boot camp, competitions like triathlons and popular high intensity interval programmes add fierce to fitness with a trend to rise led by people who take fitness seriously. Fierce fitness is also fun and becomes sociable whether joining group training from cycling to swimming, getting energised or joining a dance programme. Our

collection of Fusion Fitness holidays are customised for people who want to create a fun and rewarding programme.

Top 3 Fitness Holidays: Thanyapura Triathlon (Thailand), The BodyHoliday Fusion Fitness (St Lucia), 38 Degrees North Optimal Fitness (Ibiza)

Mindful Living With today’s supercharged world people need a reboot for their mind with mindfulness giving us the tools to cope with today’s highly stressed-out world.

The benefits of spa and wellness activities have long known to reduce stress and relax us but going forward there is a big focus on bringing mindfulness techniques into our lives to help us reach a new place of serenity and calmness. Health and well-being holidays offer an opportunity for people to unwind and focus on mindfulness with the tools and expert knowledge to assist.

Top 3 Mindful Living Retreats: Shreyas Silent Retreat (India), Kamalaya Embracing Change (Thailand), Maya Ubud (Bali)

Eco Friendly As traveller’s interest in environmentally friendly healthy holidays continues to grow, so does the number of innovative and luxurious travel experiences on offer.

More hotels are finding that adopting eco-friendly

initiatives also saves them money and travellers want hotels to be as responsible, ethical and sustainable as possible. We offer a number of eco-friendly holidays without having a damaging impact on the environment so you can unwind with peace of mind.

Top 3 Eco-Friendly Health Resorts: SwaSwara (India), Lefay Resort (Italy), Aro Ha Wellness Retreat (New Zealand)

Dietary-Customised Healthier Food More people opt for nutritious, diet-customised healthy food, with more hotels making healthy food offerings with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian menus.

Some are introducing more juice options along with raw food and specialised diets in order to satisfy guests who want to focus on goals such as weight loss or for those wanting a detox.

Top 3 Places: Sianji Well-being (Turkey), SHA Hotels

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Wellness Clinic (Spain), Kamalaya (Thailand)

Cultural Discovery & Wellness Recovery With people desiring more exotic, off-the-beaten-path destinations and wanting engagement in more unique, local and indigenous cultural experiences, so they can unite the perfect travel experience of wellness with culture. Now we can travel to far-flung destinations and sample the local culture with tailor-made trips. With this trend set to grow, our Discover Recover holidays offer the perfect opportunity for people to combine this type of experience.

Top 3 Destinations: Costa Rica, Vietnam, Bali

Short & Effective Wellness Breaks More health enthusiasts are opting for wellness breaks. Instead of a 2-week wellness holiday, travellers are choosing more frequent and shorter breaks for a mind and body reboot. A more accessible option

Culinary ASIA | November-December 2014 | 53

instead of a far flung holiday travellers can reap the benefits of a short healthy break for a change of scenery, relaxation, wellness activities and healthy food. Our new collection of BodyBreaks have been created for those who want to maintain their wellbeing without needing to travel far.

Top 3 Wellness Breaks: Galo BodyBreak (Madeira), Punta Vitality BodyBreak (Croatia), Paradis Plage BodyBreak (Morocco)

Managing Stress Whilst wellness hotels and spas are here to help people relax, more are now offering specific stress management and stress recovery programmes with specialist therapies, consultations and healthy nutrition. Guests are encouraged to participate in group activities like yoga, cooking classes and meditation with the goal to send guests home with the tools to manage stress.

Top 3 Stress Management Holidays: SHA Anti-Stress (Spain), Ananda Stress Management (India), The Farm (The Philippines)

Healthy Honeymoons With an emerging trend towards more experiential honeymoons, attitudes have changed amongst 54 | November-December 2014 | Hotels & Culinary ASIA

newlyweds with more no longer content to laze pool or beachside, but wanting to return from their honeymoon feeling healthier, fitter and spiritually richer.

Whether learning to cook healthy Vietnamese cuisine on a cultural honeymoon in Southeast Asia, or white water rafting and zip lining on an adventure honeymoon in Costa Rica, couples are looking to discover new experiences on a healthy honeymoon they will remember.

Top 3 Healthy Honeymoons: Karkloof Safari Spa (South Africa), Maalifushi by COMO (Maldives), The BodyHoliday (St Lucia)

Wellness-Driven Baby Boomers With an ageing population, baby boomers, who are retired or retiring and have the income to travel are not slowing down as they enter their golden years. They are focused on continuing an active

lifestyle and embrace wellness in an effort to maintain their high quality of life as they age. With wellness travel growing rapidly, baby boomers are experiencing more wanderlust as they search for new destinations for a healthy holiday.

Top 3 Places: Parrot Cay (Turks & Caicos), Rancho La Puerta (Mexico), Zighy Bay (Oman)

Speciality Wellness Retreats The rise in wellness retreats and speciality weeks is increasing often headlined by wellness gurus. From SUP & Yoga retreats in Ibiza to fitness training weeks in St Lucia, there is a demand for more tailored retreats where guests can focus on a specific goal and interest from a mindfulness and detox retreat to a triathlon or boot camp.

Top 3 Wellness Retreats: 38 Degrees North (Ibiza), Phuket Cleanse (Thailand), F12 Fitness Retreat (Spain).