Gold Coast shows off new and improved event experiences in fam trip this week
Fresh openings as well as revitalised experiences and venues across the Gold Coast were lined up earlier this week ahead of This is Gold Coast’s (TIGC24) scheduled business appointments starting this morning, all with the intention of demonstrating the Australian destination’s continual transformation as a business events venue.
Event buyers from across Australia and New Zealand who arrived on Sunday and Monday had a chance to experience a breakfast event at InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort’s new beach club alongside high-energy stunts performed by JetPack Entertainment and Event over the property’s popular lagoon beach pool; play a round of friendly golf at the colourful ranges of Topgolf Gold Coast; explore the creative use of venues at the sprawling Home of the Arts through a breakfast showcase on the Outdoor Stage; and sail the scenic Gold Coast Broadwater on the stylish YOT Club catamaran while digging into lunch.
TIGC24 attendees were also split into three teams for a series of site inspections on Tuesday, covering venues such as QT Gold Coast, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, Sea World Marine Park, RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast, and the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct.
Experience Gold Coast director of business events Brooke Campbell explained that the three inspection streams were a new feature for the This Is Gold Coast event. The format was established to ensure hotels and venues presented were aligned to the needs of different buyers.
One stream was built for small- and medium-sized associations, another was for conference organisers, and the third for incentive event buyers.
“We will also always have a different programme for every year of This Is Gold Coast, and we always try to incorporate new products that entered the marketplace in the last 12 months,” added Campbell.
QT Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise now features new and improved event venues as well as refreshed guestrooms, having completed renovations a year ago. A sweet summer beach house vibe envelops the hotel’s interior, with the barefoot luxury resort characteristic strongest in its collection of six designer qtQT Cabins on level two. The cabins encircle a fireplace and social area, created to bring friends and neighbours together.
According the hotel’s events team, the qtQT Cabins are popular and require bookings far in advance. Corporate groups can book out all cabins for their VIPs and leverage the privacy of the area for exclusive gatherings.
The established Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast also showed off a refreshed look, thanks to investments into refurbishment works by its new owners, the Laundy and Karedis families. More cosmetic works will be carried out progressively, shared sales manager Lisa Thomas.
The hotel, said to be the largest beachfront resort in the destination with 295 keys, also recently signed on Encore as its creative event production partner. This allows Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast to support event clients with a range of advanced visual features and creative experience styling through Encore’s production expertise.
Speaking to TTGmice on the sidelines of a breakfast event at the Home of the Arts on Tuesday morning, Avril Harris, executive director of events, Experience Gold Coast, said the Gold Coast’s fun and creative offerings were a force to be reckoned with.
She said: “Can you find a better destination than the Gold Coast? This is one of our advantages. Whether you come here for a conference or a holiday, you get all the benefits of a holiday destination.”
“We have amazing hotels. In between meetings, attendees can go to the beach, explore the hinterland, and engage in a whole range of different tourism experiences in our city,” she continued.
According to Experience Gold Coast, there are currently 160 Gold Coast experiences for event delegates to choose from.
TIGC24 Welcome Event was held at Kirra Beach House, an ocean-facing dining and event destination launched by SITE Hospitality last December.
Welcoming event delegates yesterday evening, Dave Galvin, managing director of SITE Hospitality, said the TIGC24 Welcome Event was the first exclusive mode activation for the space on the second floor. Named Coastal Room, the new event venue comes with indoor areas as well as outdoor terraces that look out to the beach and ocean. It can accommodate up to 700 guests.
Gaming giant Melco takes on integrated resort development in Sri Lanka; lifts business hopes among local travel trade
Sri Lanka’s highly anticipated Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort will be rebranded as City of Dreams Sri Lanka, following an April partnership signing between Melco Resorts & Entertainment and John Keells Holdings. The latter is behind the US$1 billion-plus integrated resort (IR) development in central Colombo.
City of Dreams Sri Lanka will be the first integrated resort in Sri Lanka and South Asia, and is expected to revolutionise luxury hospitality, entertainment, and leisure in the country. It will comprise 800 hotel rooms, of which 687 will be branded as Cinnamon Life and 113 keys as Nuwa; 46,451m² of retail, entertainment and gaming facilities; event venues for up to 5,000 pax, and more.
The casino licence, spanning 10 years, has been awarded to a wholly-owned local subsidiary of Melco. Melco will fit-out and operate the gaming area at City of Dreams Sri Lanka, as well as manage the top five floors of the hotel under its Nuwa brand of ultra high-end luxury rooms.
Set to open progressively, phase one will be ready in October 2024. The gaming centre and Nuwa will open around June or July 2025.
The mega development has drawn approving nods from Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism players.
Nishad Wijetunga, president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, said the IR would enhance the product mix in Colombo, as the city has been lacking in entertainment and activity-related events.
“We need an events calendar for the city so that travellers are aware of what it offers. We have been talking to the authorities about this,” he said.
Hiran Cooray, veteran hotelier and chairman of Jetwing Group which has a string of resorts across the island, welcomes the new angle on which to market the capital city.
“Colombo is a vibrant city and full of life, but we have failed to position and market the capital (the way) cities like Singapore, Manila, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur (do),” said Cooray, adding that Colombo already has plenty of “cafés, parks, restaurants, bars, a vibrant seafront promenade, lake, historic monuments, and many other attractions”.
“The outside world is unaware of what we have to offer in Colombo,” he told TTG Asia.
Krishan Balendra, chairman of JKH, which also has a string of resorts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said the IR would fill the entertainment gap in the country. He expects visiting families from South Asia and South-east Asia to also enjoy the casino.
Balendra added that Sri Lanka would benefit from Melco’s South-east Asian client base.
The scale of City of Dreams Sri Lanka will require a large number of hospitality workers. When asked about potential hiring issues, considering the large number of hospitality professionals that exited the country during the economic crisis of 2022, industry leaders expressed optimism.
Balendra said it would be possible to recruit the required 2,500 staff for the new facility.
Jetwing’s Cooray added that workers who left Sri Lanka have been coming back after realising that “the grass was not as green on the other side”. They have also been attracted by the country’s tourism opportunities.
“Many chefs who left us are returning, and the state-owned hotel school is unable to cope with the demand from applicants now,” shared Cooray.
Trisara embraces sustainability with stay-and-dine programme
Trisara in Phuket is transporting guests from resort to farm to table then back again with its new limited-time programme, Wellspring.
Available from now to October 31, guests get to enjoy a two-night stay at Trisara and learn more about the sustainability innovations at the property with the Wellspring package.
First, there is a tour around the 16,000m² Pru Jampa organic farm within the Tri Vananda boundaries, followed by a set lunch at JAMPA restaurant helmed by executive chef Rick Dingen.
In addition to the farm and dining experiences at Tri Vananda, the Wellspring package will also entitle guests to a round-trip airport transfer between Phuket International Airport and Trisara; daily international breakfast for two per bedroom; and complimentary non-motorised water sports including sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and snorkelling.
From now until the end of September, guests also receive additional perks such as homemade chocolate truffles, cookies, tea, and coffee, and 2,500 baht (US$69) resort credit per bedroom per night redeemable for on-site well-being activities or dining experiences.
For more information, visit Trisara’s Wellspring.
SKÅL Krabi welcomes new president
SKÅL International Thailand has named travel specialist Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen as its new president of SKÅL International Krabi.
A Norwegian national, Kristensen is the founder and managing director of Krabi travel specialist, Krabi Spesialisten, which is now celebrating its 20th Anniversary as a leading provider of custom-designed tours to Southern Thailand.
She is also the founder of Wedding in Thailand, a company providing bespoke weddings and events in Krabi, Phuket and other locations in Southern Thailand.
SriLankan Airlines still seeks foreign partner
While Sri Lanka has scrapped plans to sell a stake in its national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, after foreign offers it sought didn’t meet up to expectations, government officials say they are pursuing an alternate route which still includes attracting investors to the debt-ridden airline.
“We are looking at an alternate proposal which would still be under the previous plan to invite investors. It’s sensitive at the moment but we hope to announce the new plan in two to three weeks,” said a source close to the negotiating team.
On Thursday, the government said it had dropped plans to sell a minority stake of 49 per cent of SriLankan Airlines, after none of the bidding entities that expressed interest in it was deemed “worthy”.
“Instead, the airline will undergo restructuring under an alternate plan,” stated Sri Lankan minister of ports, shipping and aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva. However, he did not share what the alternate proposal was.
“We are not going to sell SriLankan Airlines but restructure it. According to Sri Lankan law, only 49 per cent of the airline’s shares can be given to a non-Sri Lankan entity – but there is minimal interest in the world for that.”
The airline reported an operating profit of 43.4 billion rupees (US$143 million) from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 but has suffered a net, carry forward loss of 71 billion rupees. The airline flies to 114 destinations in 62 countries, has a staff of 6,000 and has relied on government financial support to sustain the carrier.
In October last year, the government called for offers to bail out the struggling airline and there were six bids, none of which included an international carrier.
In 1998, Dubai’s Emirates bought a 43.6 per cent stake in SriLankan Airlines together with a 10-year management concession but opted out of renewing the contract in 2008 due to disagreement with local authorities.
Aviation analysts said the lack of a clean balance sheet is one of the reasons why the airline is not attracting any positive offers. One analyst said: “Investors want their money ploughed into the airline instead of settling a government loan.”
Another expert, who was involved in the 1998 part-sale to Emirates, said the problem in finding a suitable partner is the timing and uncertainty of the call for offers.
He noted: “Sri Lanka is heading for a series of elections starting with the Presidential election in September/October 2024 and investors are unsure what the situation would be if a new president is elected. Furthermore, Sri Lanka’s economic woes have also created uncertainty.”
An acute economic crisis in 2022 which saw a shortage of foreign exchange led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas and essential items, forcing the authorities to seek an IMF bailout package.
“The government also needs to provide a proper risk assessment to potential investors so that they know in advance what they are getting into in making a positive bid. The amount of debt and the profitable routes and non-profitable routes have to be clearly expressed and whether these unprofitable routes would be shed; these are all questions that have to be answered,” the aviation expert, who declined to be named, said.
IHG hotel executives expand roles
As IHG continues its expansion across the region, two hotel executives will take on expanded roles to drive the company’s growth and performance.
Rajit Sukumaran takes on the role of senior vice president and managing director, East Asia & Pacific, and will oversee IHG’s growth, performance and reputation in more than 20 countries.
He has 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and brings a wealth of experience to his newly-created position having led IHG’s South East Asia & Korea business unit over the past four years.
Vivek Bhalla has been promoted to managing director, South East Asia & Korea and will be responsibility for the growth, performance and operations of its estate of more than 120 hotels across 10 brands, and a pipeline of over 90 properties.
Bhalla has been with the company since 2016, most recently spending four years as vice president, operations, South East Asia & Korea before which he had two years in India as regional vice president/head of South-west Asia.
Meanwhile, Matt Tripolone, managing director, Australasia & Pacific and Abhijay Sandilya, managing director, Japan & Micronesia continue in the roles and join the East Asia & Pacific Leadership team.
Capella Hotel Group appoints new GMs
Capella Hotel Group has named John Blanco as cluster general manager for both Capella Kyoto and Patina Osaka – both scheduled to open in 2025 – while Ellen Franke is the general manager of Patina Osaka.
Blanco was formerly general manager of Capella Bangkok, and has a wealth of experience having worked at The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and other independent hotels around the world. He is also proficient in six languages.
Franke joins Capella Hotel Group from The Ritz-Carlton, having worked for the group since 2006 across several global locations. She brings with her 25 years of experience leading luxury hotels across Europe, the US, China, and Malaysia.
Small Luxury Hotels of The World partners The MRS Group of Hotels in India
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has teamed up with The MRS Group of Hotels, a leading Indian hospitality group known for its boutique hotels, as a move to expand into the vibrant Indian subcontinent.
This partnership allows The MRS Group of Hotels to leverage SLH’s global distribution network and marketing capabilities, showcasing their unique offerings to an international audience.
The MRS Group of Hotels currently encompasses brands such as Suryagarh in Jaisalmer, Narendra Bhawan in Bikaner, and Mary Budden Estate in Binsar, all three of which will join SLH’s collection. Each hotel serves as a gateway to India’s heritage, offering thoughtfully designed experiences that authentically reflect the character of their locations.
In addition, Hilton Honors members can now earn and redeem points for SLH stays and enjoy exclusive benefits, including free Wi-Fi and a guaranteed member discount – Gold and Diamond members will enjoy space-available room upgrades and continental breakfast for up to two guests.
Karan Singh Vaid, president of The MRS Group of Hotels, shared: “This alliance not only highlights our dedication to reimagining hospitality in India but also amplifies our mission to offer travellers thoughtfully designed experiences that are rooted in our rich heritage and distinctive service.”
“The MRS Group of Hotels’ brand philosophy aligns perfectly with our conscious travel journey towards sustainability and conservation. We are looking forward to sharing their bespoke experiences through our story-telling channels and global distribution networks,” added Mark Wong, senior vice president Asia Pacific of SLH.
PATA announces Gold Award 2024 winners
PATA has revealed the winners of the 2024 PATA Gold Awards, with Hong Kong Tourism Board selected as the Grand Title Winner in the Marketing category for its Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign and Intrepid DMC Nepal as Grand Title Winner in the Sustainability and Social Responsibility category for its More Intrepid Women for Nepal campaign.
TTG Asia Media was also named the Business Article winner under the Marketing category for its Going green story.
This year’s 20 winners across two broad categories, namely Marketing, and Sustainability & Social Responsibility, were selected from over 100 entries submitted by 47 travel and tourism organisations and individuals.
The winners will be celebrated at the upcoming PATA Travel Mart 2024, to be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand on August 28. In addition, all winning entries will be featured in the 2024 PATA Gold Awards booklet, to be published in August, and throughout PATA Travel Mart 2024.
Since its inception in 1984, the PATA Gold Awards honour organisations and individuals for their achievements and commitment to advancing tourism, and is sponsored by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), marking 29 consecutive years of collaboration.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said: “We have witnessed tourism professionals putting more creativity and passion into their work to enhance the tourism economy. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the applicants and judges who have dedicate their time and efforts into making the PATA Gold Awards a possibility.”
Upskilling the digital skills of marginalised and rural communities is crucial to driving meaningful impact and enabling them to tap into the tourism flow in their destinations.
During a webinar hosted by PATA and Airbnb, Pavnesh Kumar, PATA’s director of sustainability and research, said it is key that platforms, such as Airbnb, which launched a series of capacity-building projects with rural communities through its academy arm, work with governments, civil society partners and impact organisations to drive digital impact.
“While digital tourism platforms promise economic opportunity for all, certain communities still face significant hurdles due to inequitable access to digital skills and training,” he said.
Kumar added that this makes capacity-building projects pivotal in empowering communities, putting a focus on improving internet connectivity, enhancing digital literacy, fostering entrepreneurship and strengthening tourism operations.
Asmita Joshi, head of public policy for India and South Asia at Airbnb, said the key challenges the company found when developing its projects were that the tourism economy often does not reach underserved rural communities.
The major challenges are lack of digital infrastructure, limited internet access and the need to build digital literacy skills, coupled with a raft of socioeconomic factors and cultural nuances that vary from community to community.
“The internet and digital upskilling offer a galore of opportunities to communities, especially remote, that rely on walk-ins and offline measures to benefit from tourism. The moment they’re able to access the internet, their economic opportunities grow by many folds,” Joshi said.
Maica Teves, executive director of Spark Philippines – a benefactor of one of the Airbnb Academy programmes, which has seen females involved in the tourism field delivered training on digital skills, including marketing, to create a network of tourism micro-entrepreneurs.
“Collaborations with online global platforms can open up international markets for local entrepreneurs, increasing their visibility and potential customers. This will help diversify income sources and elevate their service standards to meet global expectations,” she said.
However, Joyce Dogniez, vice-president of empowerment and outreach at the Internet Society Foundation, stated when developing capacity training programmes, it is crucial that they are tailored to each community and build capacity on the ground.
“You need to get into the community, especially when you go to more rural areas. If you go to certain villages, you need to get the chiefs involved, for example. You need to build local capacity, which means not only training them, but training trainers. That’s critically important, because we need to have that sustainable aspect to it.”