Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS) has appointed Steven Chua as its chief executive officer.
Chua has amassed 30 years of experience and expertise in the hospitality and tourism industry. His forte in grooming and developing talents for the industry was evident during his time at Temasek Polytechnic and SHATEC.
In his tenure at Sentosa Development Corporation, he led in the development of Tourism Academy @ Sentosa to upgrade visitor experience on the resort. He was previously president & CEO of SHATEC, and established SHATEC Institutes Macau.
Accor has announced changes to its senior operations leadership team to bring increased expertise and focus to Accor’s operations across Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and Fiji.
Scott Boyes has been appointed senior vice president hotel operations, Pacific North. Having worked in Accor operations for 28 years, he will be responsible for hotels under management agreements in the newly designated Pacific North region, which will include New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Northern Territory.
From left: Scott Boyes, Adrian Williams, Danesh Bamji, and Marcus Hanna
Adrian Williams has been named senior vice president hotel operations, Pacific South, and will be responsible for Accor’s Premium, Midscale and Economy hotels in the newly designated Pacific South region. He has over 30 years of hotel operations and senior leadership experience.
Danesh Bamji is the new vice president franchise, Pacific. He will leverage Accor’s brand, marketing, sales, customer engagement, digital and loyalty strategies as well as the delivery of Accor’s systems, tools and resources.
Marcus Hanna has been appointed vice president operations Pacific, Sofitel, MGallery and Emblem. He has over 18 years of experience with Accor, and his most recent role was as managing director for Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford.
The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), the private sector consultative body assisting the government in developing and implementation of tourism policies, has elected Bob Zozobrado as its president.
He was previously chairman of PATA Philippines Chapter.
From left: Marilou Ampuan, James Montenegro, Bob Zozobrado, Margie Munsayac, and Rolando Canizal
Other elected officers for the two-year TCP term 2023-2024 include executive vice president James Montenegro; vice president for Luzon, Rolando Canizal; vice president for Visayas, Peter Tay; vice president for Mindanao, Marilou Ampuan; treasurer Margie Munsayac; among others.
Marc Selinger has been appointed general manager of Meliá Chiang Mai which opened in April 2022.
Having been with Meliá Hotels International for the past seven years, he was previously acting general manager and hotel manager at Meliá Hanoi in Vietnam, and the director of operations at Meliá Yangon in Myanmar.
Lionel Ferrari takes on the role of general manager of Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas in Phang Nga province in Thailand.
With more than 15 years of hospitality experience in the Seychelles, he will oversee all operations for the new property. He was previously the general manager of Maia Luxury Resort and Spa in 2017 where he overlooked the rebranding of the property to Anantara MAIA Seychelles Villas.
Ferrari is also fluent in four languages: French, English, Italian and Spanish with conversational Portuguese and Seychellois Creole also in the mix.
Jeremie de Fombelle has been named as The Lux Collective’s chief sales and marketing officer.
With over two decades of leadership and operational experience in luxury hospitality management, he will focus on awareness-driving strategies for the company’s portfolio of brands globally across channels.
Based in Mauritius since 2014, he was most recently regional general manager for Mauritius and Reunion Island for Lux* Resorts & Hotels.
Dusit International has appointed Makoto Yamashita as pre-opening general manager of ASAI Kyoto Shijo and area general manager – Kyoto, Japan.
Bringing more than 30 years of marketing and operational experience to the role, he will be responsible for spearheading the opening of ASAI Kyoto Shijo and Dusit Thani Kyoto, ensuring both properties meet their financial and operational objectives.
Prior to joining Dusit, Yamashita was area general manager of Mori Trust Hotels & Resorts in Tokyo and Nagano.
Onyx Hospitality Group has reinforced its expansion plan with a number of strategic promotions to achieve the group’s core business objectives.
From left: Chutima Fuangkham Kennedy, Wuthivet Vetchabutsakorn, and Hathairat Naenkwaen
Chutima Fuangkham Kennedy is the new promotion – vice president, marketing, and has been with the company for 13 years. Her experience and expertise fall within the digital marketing arena, where she was responsible for building the group’s digital marketing team and successfully deliver double-digit ROI throughout her career.
With more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, Wuthivet Vetchabutsakorn joined Onyx in 2021 and is the group head of finance. He was with Asset World Corporation Public Company Limited where he served as chief financial officer.
Hathairat Naenkwaen first joined the company in 2017 as OTA partnership director. In her new role as promotion – senior director, sales & distribution, she will drive the strategic revenue performance across distribution as well as sales and key accounts.
Singapore’s landscape is constantly changing, and the silhouette of the central business district now has a new sight.
CapitaSpring is a 51-storey skyscraper, designed by celebrity architects the Bjarke Ingels Group in collaboration with Carlo Ratti Associati, distinctive for its sleek aluminium façade.
Sky Garden at CapitaSpring
Intersecting it are orthogonal pin-striped fins that lend tantalising glimpses into pockets of green terraces and communal spaces at multiple elevations.
As one of the tallest buildings in Singapore at 280m, it is hard not to miss the subtext: design matters to the country.
It is not just the architecture that is eye-catching; there are interiors and landscaping created by big international names.
On a local level, there is a burgeoning made-in-Singapore scene that translates into unique retail experiences perfect for meaningful souvenir shopping, among others.
What all this means is that Singapore is increasingly becoming a destination for design aficionados.
“Design now permeates every part of the country, whether in the form of beautiful, useful products, services and experiences that elevate individual lives, or on a systems level, that yields large-scale, national impact,” pointed out Dawn Lim, executive director of the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg).
Tourists will feel this most keenly first through the architecture of the colonial, heritage, modern and contemporary styles.
Fiamma, Capella Hotel Singapore
For instance, Marina Bay Sands by Moshe Safdie is now a compulsory stop for visitors to Singapore, as is his Jewel Changi Airport on the way in or out of the country.
Lesser known but no less important is the impressive collection of modern buildings, many of which were constructed after Singapore’s independence in 1965. The equivalent of Generation X in human terms, these include Golden Mile Complex by Design Partnership and the Church of St Bernadette by Alfred Wong.
Themed tours are occasionally planned by Docomomo (Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of Modern Movement) Singapore for tourists to explore and get acquainted with them.
“We have one of the highest concentration of modernist buildings in the world and while each has its own unique story to tell, they contribute to the broader narrative of the pioneering phase of our urban renewal,” said Ho Weng Hin, chair of its executive committee.
Tucked in between all that brick and mortar are landscape design attractions that hold their own.
There is the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Gardens by the Bay, by architects Wilkinson Eyre and Grant Associates. The National Orchid Garden within was recently enhanced by CPG Consultants and Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl. Geometrical shapes that have fan-like forms and a similar roof incline make up the new and revamped structures that are then unified by a meandering trail.
There are also countless restaurants and bars across the city-state that wow with their interior design and compel visitors to sit, sip and feast for hours.
The multi-award-winning Andre Fu Studio from Hong Kong has just completed two: Italian restaurant Fiamma in Capella Singapore, and the cellar of steakhouse 665°F in Andaz Singapore.
Then there are the Singaporean designers gradually making their mark on the local and global stage, fronted by retail concepts that just as alluring.
Oasia Hotel Downtown
Visit the atelier of Roger&Sons, a wood specialist that creates everything from outdoor benches to refined chess sets.
Fashion label Ginlee Studio offers a Make In Shop Experience, a bag-design workshop where shoppers will learn how the brand’s signature pleats are crafted and take home their own customised pleated bag.
Furniture brand Scene Shang has a loft in the suburbs that is worth visiting to immerse in a lifestyle steeped in Asian heritage.
“The design industry has emerged as a creative force – leading Singapore’s drive towards an innovation-driven economy and playing a critical role in making the city a liveable and loveable one,” expressed Dsg’s Lim.
Serving up a slightly different type of design is Tribe Tours, which developed an itinerary focused on three architecture winners of the President’s Design Awards, the highest accolade in the country.
The Hunt for the Green Treasure, as it is called, is gamified to make it more accessible to the man on the street, and includes exclusive entry to a home at public housing project SkyVille @ Dawson.
“People have the perception that design is high-brow, intellectual and difficult to understand. But we beg to differ and want to tell the world that good design is everywhere and accessible to everyone,” said Law Yock Song, who heads partnerships & business development for Tribe Tours.
He is incredibly optimistic that design can be used as a hook to lure more tourists to Singapore.
“It might not be the main purpose of the visit, but it can inspire travel and spark curiosity about the destination,” Law said.
Beyond made-in-Singapore products, Dsg’s Lim hopes that tourists will also understand that design in the local context embodies an attitude to improve lives – given how the country wrote its own playbook in almost every aspect of governance.
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh which is home to the Taj Mahal – one of the wonders of the world – introduced its new tourism policy in November 2022 which provides a conducive business environment with an investment-friendly approach to encourage and sustain private sector participation.
The new tourism policy also focuses on marketing and promoting new tourism products, events, and the lesser-known destinations of the state globally to attract incremental tourist footfalls. The government of Uttar Pradesh has recognised that it expects the tourism sector to play a key role in the state’s ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar economy.
Forts in the Bundelkhand region will be developed as new centres of tourism; Kalinjar Fort pictured
Mukesh Kumar Meshram, principal secretary & director general, tourism, government of Uttar Pradesh, said: “We want to promote theme-based activities like wellness, heritage, adventure, cuisine tourism, eco-tourism and film tourism to name a few. Investment-based subsidies have been offered to the hotel industry in the new tourism policy. We are also offering a two per cent extra incentive to film shoots that highlight lesser-known tourist destinations of the state.”
“Uttar Pradesh has many hidden facets that international travellers (have) yet to explore. From the forts of Bundelkhand to the state’s rich flora and fauna, the tourism products of Uttar Pradesh are diverse. A large number of international travellers travel to Agra (to see) the beauty of the Taj Mahal but the majority are unaware of places like Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, which is a heaven for birders and nature lovers conveniently located on the Delhi-Agra highway,” said Rajiv Mehra, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).
The government of Uttar Pradesh is planning to give a facelift to the forts located in the Bundelkhand region in order to develop them as new centres of tourism.
“We are looking to work with private partners to introduce light and sound shows and trekking facilities at the Kalinjar Fort. We also plan to introduce water sports activities in Barua Sagar lake which is located adjacent to the beautiful fort complex of Baruasagar,” added Meshram.
The state’s tourism department, Eco-Tourism Board and forest department are working closely together to promote eco, nature and wildlife experiences in both domestic and international markets.
“We believe that a holistic and collaborative approach to nature-based ecotourism and cultural tourism is essential for sustainable progress as they are both undeniably co-dependent. While efforts have been ongoing to promote these circuits, we are now taking more active measures to develop an awareness of these possibilities to the world of travellers,” shared Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, principal chief conservator of forest & head of forest force, government of Uttar Pradesh.
The UP Nature and Bird Festival 2023 is being organised between February 1 and 3 at Vijay Sagar Bird Sanctuary in Mahoba district to highlight the biodiverse-rich wildlife reserves and sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh. The festival will witness an audience of national and international experts in the fields of birding, nature conservation, and wildlife tourism and photography.
Uttar Pradesh is blessed with expansive and picturesque rivers conducive to the development of cruise-based tourism. The tourism department of the state is emphasising on the promotion of river tourism, especially in the luxury segment. The commencement of the world’s longest river cruise journey – Ganga Vilas on January 13 this year is expected to bring the spotlight on the river cruise tourism segment of the state. Being operated by Antara Luxury River Cruises, the journey commenced from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam.
“The government of Uttar Pradesh is very keen to showcase the potential vested in its river cruise tourism market. Within the state, we are planning to begin river cruises between Prayagraj to Ballia and Ayodhya to Varanasi. These river cruises will also allow tourists to explore remote areas of the state,” said Raj Singh, founder & chairman, Antara Luxury River Cruises.
The new tourism policy of Uttar Pradesh has also stated the wedding and MICE segments as one of the focused tourism areas. The tourism department is at present identifying wedding tourism destinations to be listed in an online inventory system to aid wedding planners and event management firms. Moreover, locations are being finalised in destinations like Agra and Ghaziabad for setting up conventional centres supported by an event ecosystem to project the state as an attractive MICE destination.
Sarbendra Sarkar, founder & managing director, Cygnett Hotels & Resorts, said: “Uttar Pradesh’s new tourism policy is designed to be investment-friendly and to promote a variety of tourism offerings.
“To capitalise on this, we are planning to open a property in Vrindavan by the end of this year, with a focus on the wedding market. We are also eager to open our hotels in other parts of the state.”
As part of India’s G20 Presidency, 11 meetings in various cities of Uttar Pradesh are taking place between February 13 and 15. The government of Uttar Pradesh is utilising these meetings to offer foreign delegates a taste of unique experiences like Braj culture through folk song and dance performances. Braj is a region in India of which a significant area (Mathura-Vrindavan) falls in Uttar Pradesh. Eco-tourism experiences of the state will also be presented to the visiting delegates.
However, a section of stakeholders believes that implementation of the new tourism policy will be key to promoting diverse tourism offerings of the state.
“The government of Uttar Pradesh is serious about the development of tourism. A high-level committee should be set up under the chairmanship of the chief minister or a senior officer from his office to monitor the implementation of the policy. A destination like Agra needs no promotion, but it should be made tourist-friendly by ramping up infrastructure and amenities in the city,” opined Sunil C. Gupta, managing director, Travel Bureau.
In his tenure at Sentosa Development Corporation, he led in the development of Tourism Academy @ Sentosa to upgrade visitor experience on the resort. He was previously president & CEO of SHATEC, and established SHATEC Institutes Macau.
Having been with Meliá Hotels International for the past seven years, he was previously acting general manager and hotel manager at Meliá Hanoi in Vietnam, and the director of operations at Meliá Yangon in Myanmar.
Ferrari is also fluent in four languages: French, English, Italian and Spanish with conversational Portuguese and Seychellois Creole also in the mix.
Based in Mauritius since 2014, he was most recently regional general manager for Mauritius and Reunion Island for Lux* Resorts & Hotels.
