Singapore to host GSTC Global Conference 2024
The Lion City will, for the first time, play host to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Global Conference come November 13 to 15, 2024.
While this will be the first GSTC Global Conference for Singapore, the country is no stranger to sustainability-focused events. It hosted six significant gatherings in 2022 alone – CleanEnviro Summit Singapore; Ecosperity Week; World Cities Summit; International Solid Waste Association World Congress 2022; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ISGT – 11th International Conference on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Asia 2022; and Greentech Festival Singapore.
Edward Koh, executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, Singapore Tourism Board: “Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s decision to hold their 2024 Global Conference in Singapore reflects our growing appeal as a global-Asia node for quality events with sustainability as a focus. Sustainability is a national priority for Singapore and our tourism sector.
“We are excited to see influential tourism stakeholders globally and in Singapore forge new partnerships and address critical issues in sustainable tourism at the event.”
GSTC Global Conferences typically draw the participation of international and regional tourism stakeholders involved in the development and promotion of sustainable tourism, from both the private and public sectors. The carbon footprint of the event and the travel of all attendees are also calculated and offset.
The last GSTC Global Conference was held in Seville, Andalusia, Spain, from December 12 to 15, 2022. It brought together 350 delegates from 61 countries, along with hundreds of online viewers.
Cape Fahn Hotel, Koh Samui welcomes new GM
Cape & Kantary Hotels has appointed Urs Aebi as general manager of Cape Fahn Hotel, Koh Samui.
He joins Cape Fahn Hotel, Koh Samui from Selina Serenity Rawai Phuket where he was also general manager.
Armed with his skills in accounting and cash-flow management, Aebi looks forward to working with the local team and suppliers to offer unrivalled service and facilities, as well as maintain the high standards of the hotel.
La Vie Hotels & Resorts names new head of South & South-east Asia
La Vie Hotels & Resorts has appointed Shankar Sreekumar as its head of South & South-east Asia.
Based at La Vie’s regional office in Bangkok, Thailand, Shankar brings with him almost two-decades of experience in the hospitality industry, having held numerous operations-focused roles.
He was most recently director of IHG’s centre of excellence, new hotels, AMEA.
Rutjiret Ananphong helms as GM of Centara Ubon
Centara Hotels & Resorts has appointed Rutjiret Ananphong as general manager of Centara Ubon.
Having been a part of Centara Ubon’s pre-opening team since August 2022, she will continue to oversee and direct all aspects of operations when the hotel officially opens next year.
Bringing with her over 20 years of experience, she was previously general manager of COSI Krabi Ao Nang Beach.
India all set to introduce new tourism policy
India’s new tourism policy that has been in a limbo for a long period is expected to be introduced in the next two months, and will roll out after the Union Cabinet’s approval, shared Rakesh Kumar Verma, additional secretary (tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
The announcement was made during an address to delegates at the 37th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) that took place in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh last week.
Once introduced, the new tourism policy will pave the way to reinstate India’s promotional activities which have been put on hold since the onset of the pandemic.
Verma shared: “We had an overseas promotional scheme under which we used to undergo promotional campaigns in all overseas markets. Prior to the pandemic, we were on track spending 3 billion rupees (US$36 million) every year on our marketing and promotional campaigns.
“After the onset of the pandemic, the funds were not released. However, now with the new tourism policy, we have our plans ready for the next five years which will see (the) setting up of a national tourism board and aggressive promotion of our destinations in international markets.”
Tour operators have been ruing that unlike other international tourism government bodies, India has not undergone marketing campaigns in overseas markets after the much-improved pandemic situation.
“We need an immediate marketing splash from the Ministry of Tourism for the period 2023-2024 followed by long-term plans. The efforts have to start now if we want the inbound tourism sector to get going,” opined Rajnish Kaistha, director of Paradise Holidays.
Apart from dedicated funding on tourism sub sectors like adventure, wellness and MICE, the new tourism policy will also focus on digital and social media marketing – the ministry has recently appointed McCann as its agency for branding and social media activities.
In addition, the ministry has decided to scrap its 20 overseas tourism offices and will instead appoint tourism representative companies in these markets.
Meliá appoints Ernesto Osuna Lopez as GM at Gran Meliá Nha Trang
Ernesto Osuna Lopez is the general manager for the first Gran Melia resort in South-east Asia in 2023 – he will oversee both the flagship Gran Meliá Nha Trang and Meliá Nha Trang, a sister property that will open by 2025.
Drawing on two decades of experience in hotel management, Lopez joined Meliá Hotels International in 2011 to oversee Melia Buenavista in Cuba as general manager. He also led the grand opening of Meliá Koh Samui in 2020.
Lopez was previously based in Mexico serving in executive roles at The Westin Resort & Spa and Excellence Playa Mujeres, both in Cancun.
Hong Kong holds mega fam to ignite travel recovery
With travel restrictions eased, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) initiated a mega fam trip that brought 60 travel trade representatives from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore to shore, showcasing the destination’s latest tourism draws and winter festivities.
The event, which ran from December 13 to 17, set a milestone in Hong Kong’s return to tourism normality since the start of the pandemic.
According to a HKTB spokesperson, it is also the first fam trip to Hong Kong for its travel trade partners.
“The fam trip will inspire these South-east Asian trade representatives to introduce brand new tourism products, share Hong Kong’s tourism appeal to visitors in their respective market, and bring them back to Hong Kong as soon as possible,” said the spokesperson.
Participants visited new attractions such as Hong Kong Palace Museum in West Kowloon Cultural District, experienced Hong Kong’s authentic local culture through Hong Kong Neighbourhood – West Kowloon, indulged in new rides and performances at Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL), Ocean Park Hong Kong and Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong, and more.
Another aspect of the fam trip was a full-day meeting where more than 120 local travel trade representatives met with the South-east Asian delegation to discuss business opportunities.
Commenting on the success of the fam trip, Eva Lau, director, sales, Hong Kong and international with HKDL, told TTG Asia: “We believe seeing is believing. We also see this fam trip as a great opportunity to reconnect with the agents, to reignite the magic with them, and make HKDL a top-of-mind destination again.”
Lau added that there is potential to create more travel promotions to benefit travel agent partners and their guests.
According to HKTB, South-east Asia is a crucial source market for Hong Kong. Recent arrival data showed that regional travellers were among the first to return to Hong Kong.
HKTB executive director Dane Cheng said in a statement that a global promotional campaign is in the pipeline to “drive the full revival of Hong Kong’s tourism together” with various sectors across the city.
HKDL’s Lau revealed that another fam trip kicked off yesterday, on December 19, for the Japanese Tour Operators Association. HKDL is also preparing for trade fairs in the Philippines and Thailand early next year.
“We have also resumed our presence in key markets by making physical sales visits to our trade partners in the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and soon Malaysia and Indonesia. So far, we are the first attraction in Hong Kong that has done so. More visits will be scheduled in the coming months,” Lau said.
On a broader scale, Hong Kong’s reopening to travellers is expected to catalyse Asia-wide travel recovery, opined Mayur Patel, head of Asia, OAG Aviation.
“Hong Kong enjoys proximity to some of the fastest growing markets in the region. Cathay Pacific is adding some 1.16 million seats across its network this month, and it expects the adjustments will help boost travel sentiments. That is about 30 per cent compared with previous month’s (seat numbers), so you can see that’s quite an aggressive move forward,” he added. – Additional reporting by Prudence Lui
Leadership changes at NCLH’s Asia-Pacific offices
Steve Odell, managing director for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will retire from his position after a seven-year tenure with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH).
A cruise industry veteran with over 35 years of experience, Odell joined the NCHL in October 2015 to spearhead the launch of the company’s Asia-Pacific business across its three brands.
In his most recent role since 2019, he was responsible for the strategic expansion, vision and continued growth of the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific market for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
“It has been an honour to lead the unmatched teams at Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises during this exciting period of growth in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Odell in a statement.
Caroline Smith will assume Odell’s responsibilities in her new role as managing director, international in which she will oversee sales and marketing for Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Brazil.
Lisa Pile, current vice president of sales, Australia and New Zealand for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will expand her responsibilities to include the entire Asia-Pacific region as vice president sales and general manager Asia-Pacific for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, reporting to Smith.
Jason Worth, current vice president of sales, Australia and New Zealand for Oceania Cruises, will expand his responsibilities to the entire Asia-Pacific region as vice president sales and general manager Asia-Pacific for Oceania Cruises, reporting to Nikki Upshaw, senior vice president, sales for Oceania Cruises.
Said Odell: “I am proud of the significant achievements we have accomplished together, and I am confident that this is the right team to lead the company into the future and continue delivering best-in-class experiences for our loyal guests and valued travel partners.”
Ben Angell, vice president and managing director Asia-Pacific for Norwegian Cruise Line, will continue to represent the brand in the Asia-Pacific region, reporting to Jason Krimmel, vice president, international sales and marketing for Norwegian Cruise Line.
“We are grateful to Steve for his strategic vision and significant contributions to the company which have positioned us as leaders in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region,” said Frank J Del Rio, president and chief executive office of NCLH.
Del Rio said the leadership transitions “reflect our robust succession planning and the strength and talent of our broader team”.
Going for green
The Jeju Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) takes sustainability and green efforts very seriously.
Aside from promoting sustainable business events and organising related forums, the CVB continues to encourage event organisers and tourism suppliers to take a more responsible approach.
Its chairman, Kim Ae-sook, shared: “We have been branding Jeju as a safe and sustainable business events destination.
“The island has world-class conference facilities for business events, and is the only place in the world certified in three UNESCO’s Natural Science Sector lists – as a Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage and Global Geopark.”
Many meeting facilities and unique venues in Jeju are already eco-friendly.
For example, the state-of-the-art International Convention Center (ICC) Jeju has installed multiple 751kw solar power generation facilities – the largest in scale on the island. The panels produce approximately 790,590kwh of electricity per year, saving approximately 100 million won (US$ 71,054) in electricity bills annually.
Meanwhile, Hwansang Forest Gotjawal Park, a natural primeval forest popular for teambuilding events, offers various educational programmes which include protecting the forest for future generations, and supporting local farmers who use only locally-grown ingredients for all F&B sold in the park.
As a result of its green efforts, Jeju CVB has obtained the ISO 20121 (Event Sustainability Management System) international certification, while five other organisations, including ICC Jeju, are seeking to obtain this certification.
Kim said: “We are also encouraging our MICE Alliance members to obtain ISO 20121 certification, as this will provide guidance and best practices to event organisers.”
As part of its responsible meeting efforts, in July 2021, Jeju CVB organised a Green MICE Forum to raise awareness on sustainability issues, such as minimising waste during events and using fairtrade products. The CVB also launched a guide for hosting green business events, and provided organisers with useful information on how to create a sustainable event in Jeju.
This year in August, Jeju CVB organised an ESG Management Forum to help strengthen local stakeholders’ understanding of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), and provided a platform for further discussions related to ESG management.
While sustainability management has risen in importance across the global business events industry, the downside to hosting a green event is that it may cost more, and involve more thought and planning, reflected Kim.
To help organisers create a memorable and responsible event, Kim shared that the CVB provides all the necessary “guidance and support”.
Indian travel agents are seeing an uptick in outbound golf tourism demand, with destinations like Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka gaining favour.
Thailand, which used to dominate golf tourism promotions in India, now battles for the spotlight with Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Dubai – all of which have held roadshows in 2022 to appeal to Indian golfers.
Rajan Sehgal, president, India Golf Tourism Association (IGTA), said: “Thailand has been promoting its golf tourism products to the Indian market for a long time. However, other destinations, especially short-haul ones like Vietnam, Malaysia, Dubai and Sri Lanka, are getting popular with Indian golfers. The respective tourism boards have realised the potential in the Indian outbound golf tourism market.”
According to Sehgal, foreign NTOs are drawn to the spending potential of Indian golfers. An average Indian golfer spends at least double of a regular leisure tourist.
He added that golf is now an integral part of many Indian destination weddings and business events.
“Event planners are creating opportunities for guests and delegates to enjoy a golfing experience,” said Sehgal.
Travel consultants told TTG Asia that the average size of Indian golfing groups ranges from eight to 40 pax.
Jyoti Mayal, president, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), said the intensified golf-focused destination promotions have helped to grow Indian outbound golf tourism numbers.
Even longhaul destinations, like South Africa, are keen to attract Indian golfers.
“We have diversified the way we sell South Africa to appeal to the core passions of Indian travellers. With highly customised and personalised itineraries, we are looking at mobilising niche communities like golfers,” said Neliswa Nkani, hub head – MEISEA, South African Tourism.