Shangri-La Nanshan, Shenzhen, China Perched atop the Shenwan Huiyun Center, Shangri-La Nanshan, Shenzhen occupies its top 13 floors. Its 272 rooms offer spectacular views, while the 77th floor Wellness Club, and all-day dining restaurant and Chinese restaurant will keep guests satiated.
It is easily accessible by three metro lines and a 35-minute drive from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. Nearby attractions include Shenzhen Bay Park, Window of the World, and He Xiang Ning Art Museum.
JEN Kunming by Shangri-La
JEN Kunming by Shangri-La, China Nestled in the bustling heart of Yunnan Province’s capital, JEN Kunming by Shangri-La offers 274 smartly designed rooms, a 2,200m2 Wellness Club, and the OpenHouse Café Bar.
Its location in Kunming’s First Ring CBD, is ideal for exploring the city’s popular attractions including Kunming Museum, the bustling Nanqiang Night Market and the historic Qianwang Street.
The hotel is part of a dual-brand project, located in the same building as Shangri-La Kunming, which will debut in 2025.
Six Senses Kyoto
Six Senses Kyoto, Japan The Six Senses brand has launched in Japan with the opening of Six Senses Kyoto. Inspired by the golden Heian age, the hotel’s design infuses elements of traditional arts and folklore to create a refined, modern atmosphere.
It offers 81 guestrooms and suites, including specialty suites with a private Japanese courtyard and a 238m2 three-bedroom Penthouse Suite.
The Six Senses Spa offers a wellness screening and programmes that focus on sleep, detox, yoga, and fitness.
Katra Marriott Resort & Spa
Katra Marriott Resort & Spa, India Set among the serene landscapes of Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, the Katra Marriott Resort & Spa features 100 modern rooms, suites and cottages that offer panoramic views of the surrounding mountainous landscape.
Cottage suites come with a private swimming pool, while some rooms open to private balconies.
For relaxation, guests can indulge in the Quan Spa or recharge at the fitness centre.
The resort is close to several attractions, including Patnitop Hill Station, Mansar Lake and Krimchi Temple, all of which are within an hour’s drive, while Katra’s local market is just five minutes away.
The Malaysian state of Penang has been adding on event facilities, with its latest large-scale venue – Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) – set to open in April 2025, but its CVB chief said space for business events could run out in the next two years, as a result of strong growth in demand among regional and international organisers.
Speaking to TTGmice at IMEX Frankfurt on May 14, Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO of Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), said the destination’s business events industry has been doing very well, buoyed by improvements in air connectivity; intense destination marketing, particularly in luring technology-focused exhibitions; and greater value-for-money proposition due to the weak Malaysian ringgit against currencies of important client markets like Europe.
Penang Waterfront Convention Centre is part of The Light City waterfront development
Referencing PCEB’s presence at IMEX Frankfurt 2024 this week, Gunasekeran said: “The European (meetings and events) market has been strong for Penang even before the pandemic, and now demand is lifted by the currency exchange, which favours Europeans. Business requests are much higher than before.”
Encouraged by the soon-to-come PWCC, which will boast a pillarless exhibition hall offering 7,060m2 of net lettable area, PCEB is pursuing more exhibitions, particularly those related to technology.
Gunasekeran said there are many event requests for the PWCC, with expressions of interest emerging from Asia-Pacific, Europe and the UK.
“Interest from outside of Asia forms the majority, as Penang houses more than 400 multinational firms. With Penang seen as the Silicon Valley of the East, the destination also naturally attracts more international tech event organisers,” he added.
Underscoring PCEB’s determination to grow its exhibitions potential, the bureau has joined UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry as a member.
At present, Penang’s two purpose-built convention and exhibiton venues – Setia SPICE and the PICCA Convention Centre @ Butterworth Arena – along with meeting facilities offered by the many international-class hotels are able to meet events demand.
The recent scale-up of global air connections into the state has also attracted event organisers. New flights from China, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Indonesia, and Qatar materialised in 2023, while Flydubai’s daily Dubai-Penang service had just commenced in February.
“All our venues are doing so well, and based on the pace of growth now, I feel that they may not have capacity for more events in two years’ time,” he remarked.
However, he was not perturbed and said every meetings city would hit its capacity ceiling one day; the solution was to have a plan for continued infrastructure development.
He believes Penang’s hotel developments can support high demand for venues.
“Penang will welcome many more new hotels in the coming years. Marriott International has a lot of properties in Penang, and the five-star Penang Marriott Hotel is the latest to open (in February this year). Within short months, this hotel has secured many association meetings. Marriott International also announced this month a new Westin for Penang, opening in 2026,” said Gunasekeran.
Penang Marriott Hotel offers 10 function rooms with 904m2 of space. The Westin Hotel, Penang will also cater to meetings, with venues including a grand ballroom.
Paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future for business events, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched its legacy toolkit, a Singapore MICE Industry Carbon and Waste Baselining study, and announced its ambition for carbon neutral participation at international tradeshows.
These were unveiled at IMEX Frankfurt this week, where STB has committed for the first time to holding itself accountable to carbon neutral standards.
STB’s new legacy toolkit helps event planners to better understand and materialise positive impact goals
The legacy toolkit, designed to assist stakeholders in understanding legacy and impact, and in creating their own, contains a clear framework titled, FIRM – Frame, Ideate, Realise, and Measure.
Specifically, the toolkit encourages planners to Frame their vision, Ideate their initiatives, Realise action plans and Measure impact. It also contains case studies to inspire legacy possibilities in Singapore. The legacy planning process aims to foster greater engagement between event organisers, venues, local communities and stakeholders. This includes working with established community organisations and institutions that serve as local points of contact to provide support and resources.
The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre is a prime example of such an institution in Singapore, providing valuable networks and expertise to build an inclusive and caring society.
Taking its commitment to responsible business events further, where carbon and waste are reduced and managed, Singapore has commenced a national MICE Industry Carbon and Waste Baseline exercise in 2023 to study the business industry’s environmental impact, thus meeting one of the targets outlined in the MICE Sustainability Roadmap announced by STB in 2022.
Through this study, an aggregated baseline of sustainability data points was established, focusing on energy, water and waste. These metrics can be consistently measured and are aligned with the global Net Zero Carbon Events Methodology. The findings revealed that the average business event venue-related carbon emissions per attendee stand at 14.13kgCO2; and a large proportion, 94 per cent of business event venue-related emissions, comes from energy.
Collected data will assist STB and the industry to track carbon emissions baselines regularly, and insights gained will be instrumental in driving waste reduction and decarbonisation strategies for positive environmental outcomes.
STB will also adopt a pioneering role in understanding carbon emissions when participating in international tradeshows for the business events sector. Its first move is with IMEX Frankfurt 2024, and will continue through other key international tradeshows from 2024, namely IMEX America and IBTM World.
For IMEX Frankfurt 2024, STB worked towards carbon neutrality by choosing direct flights instead of connecting flights, staying in with good sustainability practices/sustainability certifications, working with suppliers with good sustainability practices and supply chain decarbonisation process, reusing materials for the construction of the Singapore pavilion, and prioritising public transport or foot commute to the show hall.
All 34 Singapore pavilion partners were also briefed on sustainable best practices and have committed to minimising their carbon footprint while at the tradeshow.
Commenting on these initiatives, Yap Chin Siang, STB’s deputy chief executive, said: “Since the launch of the MICE Sustainability Roadmap in 2022, the Singapore Tourism Board has remained steadfast in our commitment to fostering a more sustainable and impactful MICE industry. We are pleased to share that the initiatives we unveil today will not only steer the MICE industry towards a more sustainable future, but also provide tangible ways in which event organisers and planners can make meaningful, lasting impact in Singapore. We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders and uphold our ambition to be the World’s Best MICE City.”
IATA is maintaining its projection of eight billion air travellers by 2040. Such massive travel volumes will push airport operations to their limits, but not all airports are able to expand their infrastructure to cope with future travel appetites, says Sumesh Patel, president for Asia-Pacific at SITA, the IT provider for the air transport industry.
In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions video news series, Patel discusses what airports are doing to prepare for higher passenger volumes as well as mounting public expectations for sustainable aviation, emerging technologies that could aid traveller processing, and obstacles in adopting available technology, including biometric clearance. He also highlights notable airport developments and digitalisation efforts in Asia, and casts his eyes on how the future of air travel could look.
Summit delegates will get to join the Offsite Educational Experience, which includes workshops on traditional dessert making and Portuguese blue tile Azulejo painting
The three-day PATA Annual Summit 2024, set for Macau from May 15 to 17, will see the debut of the PATA-WTCF China Dialogue, supported by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and sponsored by Dragon Trail International; the signing of two partnerships; and the launch of a social impact initiative.
The PATA-WTCF China Dialogue will explore the dynamic landscape of China Inbound Tourism, delving into the various challenges and opportunities.
Summit delegates will get to join the Offsite Educational Experience, which includes workshops on traditional dessert making and Portuguese blue tile Azulejo painting
Fresh MoUs between PATA and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), and between PATA and the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF), will be signed during the Partnerships for Tomorrow session.
Furthermore, PATA will launch the PATA Kind Hearts initiative to underscore the association’s commitment to positively impacting local communities in the destinations where PATA events are hosted. This involves a donation of approximately 100 children’s books to Instituto Cultural de Macau (Macao Cultural Institute) to nurture a love of reading among the young.
PATA Annual Summit 2024 is hosted by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and co-hosted by SJM Resorts, bearing the theme, Reimagining Tourism.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said: “While sustainability remains a focal point, this year’s summit will certainly delve into broader discussions, thought-provoking conversation, encompassing areas such as travel technology trends, marketing strategies, tourism policy, and cultural advancements. It will catalyse positive change transcending current norms across various dimensions of tourism.”
PATA said this year’s registration numbers have been the highest since the end of the pandemic.
“I am thrilled to see that when PATA members come together in full force at such a flagship event like the PATA Annual Summit, it will present an opportunity for the association to come into full form that can recalibrate the strength of what PATA is all about. We can only get stronger when we are together. Hence, it is our hope that members from across the world will seize this opportunity to find touch-points to collaborate with each other as the travel and tourism industry is recovering to its fullest potential,” added Noor Ahmad.
MGTO director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said, “It has been several years since our destination last staged a PATA flagship event, and it will be a great opportunity to provide delegates from across the Asia-Pacific region with a first-hand experience (of) the new dynamic development of Macau as a world centre of tourism and leisure.”
Summit attendees can expect to hear from a line-up of esteems industry professionals, such as SJM Resorts, managing director, Daisy Ho; Hong Kong Tourism Board, executive director, Dane Cheng; Ministry of Tourism, India, director general (tourism), Manisha Saxena; World Travel & Tourism Council, regional director Asia, Sarah Wang; OAG, head of Asia, Mayur Patel; and Sobie Aviation analyst, Brendan Sobie.
The Thai government’s decision to extend visa-free entry for Indian tourists by an additional six months is expected to lift arrival numbers from India.
First introduced last year and originally set to expire on May 10, 2024, the visa exemption will now remain in place until November 11.
The visa exemption makes it easier for more Indians to explore Thailand’s sights and experiences
Thailand’s prime minister Srettha Thavisin made the announcement following a cabinet meeting earlier this week. The programme allows Indian passport-holders to stay up to 30 days per visit to Thailand.
Naveen Nahar, director, Travelz Factorry, told TTG Asia that the initial announcement had led to a 15 per cent increase in enquiries for travel to Thailand.
“With this recent extension, interest (in Thailand) is expected to keep rising. This decision is also likely to attract first-time travellers to choose Thailand over others,” he added.
Indian airlines have responded with plans to boost frequencies on popular routes. IndiGo, for instance, will increase its flights between Delhi and Phuket from 7 to 14 per week starting June 1. Air India will introduce a second daily service on the Delhi-Phuket route, also commencing June 1.
“The demand for Thailand in India is growing for leisure, MICE and wedding verticals. We have also seen female groups from India travelling to Thailand for celebrations. Extending the visa exemption scheme, coupled with deals and offers for Indian travellers, will further help Thailand to penetrate the Indian market,” said Aditya Tyagi, founder, Luxe Escape.
Last year, Thailand welcomed 1.62 million visitors from India, making it the kingdom’s fourth largest market. Overall, Thailand recorded over 28 million tourist arrivals in 2023.
STB's Melissa Ow highlights the tourism board's many initiatives to stimulate global travel interest in Singapore
Strong recovery in global flight connectivity and travel activity, continued NTO campaigning as well as fresh partnerships to stimulate international interest in Singapore as a tourism and events destination, have lifted the confidence of the country’s tourism industry, prompting the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to update its forecast for 2024.
This year, STB is projecting between 15 million to 16.5 million international visitor arrivals, and for tourism receipts to reach between S$27.5 billion (US$20.3 billion) to S$29 billion.
The initial forecast, shared in February, was 15 million to 16 million in arrivals and S$26 billion to S$27.5 billion in tourism receipts.
STB’s Melissa Ow highlights the tourism board’s many initiatives to stimulate global travel interest in Singapore
Addressing industry stakeholders at the STB Tourism Industry Conference 2024, held this morning at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, STB chief executive Melissa Ow, said: “This is no mean feat, as the upper bound of our Tourism Receipts projection, if achieved, will be a new record for Singapore, and it will mean that we have emerged even stronger after the pandemic.”
Elaborating on the drivers of such optimism, Ow pointed to the recovery of global flight connectivity and capacity, which she said “bodes well for us to sustain growth”.
“As of first week of May 2024, international flight capacity – based on seat capacity – has recovered close to pre-Covid levels, with some of our top source markets such as China, India and South Korea exceeding pre-Covid flight capacities,” she noted, adding that new flights have also enabled Singapore to deepen its reach across source markets.
Also instrumental to STB’s improved expectations of tourism performance are the intensified marketing efforts “to attract increasingly discerning…travellers who are looking for more purposeful travel to Singapore”.
Ow recalled the Made In Singapore (MIS) global brand campaign that was launched last September across key visitor source markets. 3D billboards were taken in high traffic areas such as Times Square in New York, London’s Piccadilly Circus , and Xintiandi in Shanghai to stoke interest and drive travel to Singapore.
STB also engaged key influencers to share their unique experiences in Singapore, and inspire a wider audience including their fanbases to visit.
“To sharpen our competitive edge, we will continue to develop our six global positioning campaigns, supported by a mix of products and experiences,” said Ow. One of these campaigns is the recent World’s Best MICE City Campaign, which profiles Singapore as a leading events destination that drives purposeful outcomes.
To ensure continued interest in Singapore, be it for holidays or business, STB has forged several partnerships that leverage the power of film, music and television as well as the positive influence of convenient payment solutions.
Recent mass media partnerships include one with JTBC, a leading South Korean TV network which has produced wildly popular shows; and Yuewen Global, a leading Chinese media and entertainment subsidiary of Tencent group.
With JTBC, a three-year MOU was inked to support production of variety programmes in Singapore. For a start, Singapore’s landmarks and attractions will be featured in its most popular dating reality show, My Sibling’s Romance.
With Yuewen Global, Singapore hosted the star-studded Yuewen Global IP Awards earlier this year, which took place outside of China for the first time. The live broadcasts attracted over 30 million viewers.
Multi-year partnerships with leading online TV platforms, iQiYi and Mango TV, have also materialised. Popular reality show, Divas Hit the Road, will air in June, just in time to entice Chinese visitors to choose the Lion City for their peak summer holiday.
Furthermore, STB has renewed its partnership with Trip Group for another three years, which will result in a series of marketing campaigns in eight markets, including China, the UK, and Thailand. The partnership also entails collaboration with Hong Hu Travel, which is Trip’s premium arm for customised travel, opening doors to high-yield visitors.
In India, a two-year partnership with PhonePe, India’s largest payments platform, will boost spending ease among Indian visitors.
Ow emphasised that “engaging with our fans and visitors and extending our reach to new markets would all be in vain if not for a great destination that continues to deliver quality experiences”.
Hence, Singapore has to be “relentless in the pursuit of novel tourism concepts, steadfast in the refresh of our existing products, and nimble in securing major events”.
The pricing policy for Colombo hotels effective since August 2023 to upgrade city room rates will be terminated on May 31, 2024, now that its objectives have been met.
Tourism minister Harin Fernando told reporters that the Minimum Room Rate (MRR) for hotels in Sri Lanka’s capital has successfully raised room rates by 33 per cent.
The pricing policy to increase room rates at Colombo hotels will be terminated end-May
“Occupancy levels have also increased from 46 per cent to near 70 per cent, hence it is believed the industry is now mature enough to continue (business based on market forces) from this stage,” he explained.
The MRR, which drew widespread protests from travel agents and event promoters last year, was promoted by the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka.
Trip.com Group is stepping up its activities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with the opening of its new regional office in Dubai last Saturday as well as participating at the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) 2024 for the first time.
The company is also tying up with local companies to create cross-selling opportunities by working closely with tourism boards in the region.
Chai: looking to forge similar partnerships with other tourism boards in the region
“We have just done the localisation of our sites in the Middle Eastern languages which we feel is critical to tap this market. We are also focusing on forging local partnerships like the recent one with Saudi Arabia’s Seera Group where we are talking about hotels, flights and even car rental integration. In the next one or two months, we are expecting to sell each other’s inventories,” said Boon Sian Chai, managing director and vice president of international markets at Trip.com Group while speaking to TTG Asia at ATM 2024 currently taking place in Dubai.
The company has also signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with regional tourism boards like Qatar and Saudi Arabia to expand its collaboration in the Middle East.
“We recently had a joint promotion with the Saudi Tourism Authority and SAUDIA airlines where we bundled air tickets with hotels to attract Chinese travellers – it recorded an overwhelming response. We are looking to forge similar partnerships with other tourism boards in the region,” he added.
In North Africa, Trip.com Group is mainly focusing on Egypt and Morocco primarily. Chai noted: “We are still small in the North African markets and are open to collaborating with tourism boards in the region too.”
Trip.com Group has observed an increase in travel interest to key destinations in the Middle East such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with a triple-digit growth in bookings in 1Q2024 compared to the same period in 2023, demonstrating the region’s growing appeal.
Meliá Hotels International has added The Grand Luang Prabang to its portfolio, making the one-time palace of a Lao prince the first member of the Melia Collection in South-east Asia.
Under Meliá’s umbrella the Luang Prabang property will undergo a renovation and refurbishment over the next year, remaining operational throughout.
The Grand Luang Prabang is the first member of the Melia Collection in South-east Asia
Meliá Collection hotels were launched in 2022 to bring together some of the group’s most distinctive and one-of-a-kind properties. With its rich culture and architecture, the destination of Luang Prabang has held UNESCO World Heritage status for two decades.
Situated on lush riverside in Luang Prabang, The Grand Luang Prabang is a 75-key property spread out over eight buildings, comprising of a 1920-built palace and a collection of annexes. The property commands the high ground of a six-hectare bluff on a bend of the Mekong with sweeping views of mountains and river, as well as sunsets.
Balconies from guest rooms overlook manicured gardens and lotus ponds, and the property also features an expansive swimming pool in the gardens. Meliá plans to add Spanish hospitality to the mix, while ensuring the hotel retains its distinct character.
Gabriel Escarrer, chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, remarked: “We expect destinations like Luang Prabang to become more popular with modern travellers who are seeking new and unique experiences, and I’m sure that this hotel, with its unmistakable sense of place, will enable guests to fully enjoy the destination.”
The three-day PATA Annual Summit 2024, set for Macau from May 15 to 17, will see the debut of the PATA-WTCF China Dialogue, supported by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and sponsored by Dragon Trail International; the signing of two partnerships; and the launch of a social impact initiative.
The PATA-WTCF China Dialogue will explore the dynamic landscape of China Inbound Tourism, delving into the various challenges and opportunities.
Fresh MoUs between PATA and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), and between PATA and the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF), will be signed during the Partnerships for Tomorrow session.
Furthermore, PATA will launch the PATA Kind Hearts initiative to underscore the association’s commitment to positively impacting local communities in the destinations where PATA events are hosted. This involves a donation of approximately 100 children’s books to Instituto Cultural de Macau (Macao Cultural Institute) to nurture a love of reading among the young.
PATA Annual Summit 2024 is hosted by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and co-hosted by SJM Resorts, bearing the theme, Reimagining Tourism.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said: “While sustainability remains a focal point, this year’s summit will certainly delve into broader discussions, thought-provoking conversation, encompassing areas such as travel technology trends, marketing strategies, tourism policy, and cultural advancements. It will catalyse positive change transcending current norms across various dimensions of tourism.”
PATA said this year’s registration numbers have been the highest since the end of the pandemic.
“I am thrilled to see that when PATA members come together in full force at such a flagship event like the PATA Annual Summit, it will present an opportunity for the association to come into full form that can recalibrate the strength of what PATA is all about. We can only get stronger when we are together. Hence, it is our hope that members from across the world will seize this opportunity to find touch-points to collaborate with each other as the travel and tourism industry is recovering to its fullest potential,” added Noor Ahmad.
MGTO director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said, “It has been several years since our destination last staged a PATA flagship event, and it will be a great opportunity to provide delegates from across the Asia-Pacific region with a first-hand experience (of) the new dynamic development of Macau as a world centre of tourism and leisure.”
Summit attendees can expect to hear from a line-up of esteems industry professionals, such as SJM Resorts, managing director, Daisy Ho; Hong Kong Tourism Board, executive director, Dane Cheng; Ministry of Tourism, India, director general (tourism), Manisha Saxena; World Travel & Tourism Council, regional director Asia, Sarah Wang; OAG, head of Asia, Mayur Patel; and Sobie Aviation analyst, Brendan Sobie.