TTGmice’s e-news will be taking a break from January 23-24, 2023, for the Lunar New Year holidays. News will resume on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
From all of us at TTG Asia Media, we wish all of our readers a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year!
CWT wins global account with renewable energy giant Siemens Gamesa
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has awarded CWT the management of its global travel and meetings & events programme, following a competitive request for proposal (RFP) pitch process.
After a five-year Spanish corporate travel partnership, CWT will now underpin all global business travel, meetings & events, and hotel solutions for the entirety of Siemens Gamesa’s global travellers, spanning 50 markets.
“We were looking for excellent global and local service models to support our key hub settings, alongside strong and flexible offline and online booking platforms. CWT more than demonstrated its ability to meet this brief, whilst also showcasing strong credentials in global tech innovations and enhanced traveller experiences which will be essential to our evolving business needs,” said Maria Gonzalez Larrainzar, global travel manager, Siemens Gamesa.
“We are proud to be working with Siemens Gamesa across the globe. In an increasingly complex corporate travel market, our aim is to furnish them with the tools, resources, services and information they need to make their travel and meetings processes both simple and streamlined, enabling them to focus on their main imperative of leading the way for a sustainable future with comprehensive recyclable commercial energy,” said Nick Vournakis, chief customer officer at CWT.
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur welcomes back Peter Gibbons as GM
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur is proud to welcome Peter D. Gibbons back as its general manager. He previously helmed as general manager from 2012 to 2019.
Supported by his knowledge of the brand’s DNA and 38 years of experience in senior management positions in hospitality across five continents, Gibbons returns with strategies to put the hotel back on the local lifestyle map and will oversee the operations of the hotel.
He will also spearhead the hotel’s focus on people, community and projects that give back.
Sri Lankan hoteliers commit to rebuilding tourism responsibly
Despite tourism challenges, two Sri Lankan hotel players have remained firm in their efforts to uplift local communities as they rebuild their business.
Homegrown Teardrop Hotels, which has seven hotels across the country, maintains at least nine community projects, according to Manoj Devaraj, group head – sales and marketing.
Each hotel has an adopted charity organisation, while the head office supports two others – Teardrop Care Centre for Children with Disabilities, where the company is the main sponsor for Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities’ Welimada centre, scheduled to open this year; and a collaboration with the Tea Leaf Trust, where the company provides employment opportunities for impoverished young people raised on tea estates as well as organises field trips and workshops to expose these youths to personal growth opportunities in the tourism industry.
The team at Fort Bazaar, a hotel set within the historic port city of Galle, supports Sambodiya Home with regular infrastructural refurbishment and maintenance.
Recalling the progress of the hotel’s work with Sambodiya Home, Devaraj said efforts initially were not structured. It took a partnership with Travelife in 2020 to realise that a guided approach was needed for work to be meaningful.
“Travelife also led us to scrutinise our use of resources and cut down on imported items,” added Devaraj. As a result, Teardrop Hotels has improved the conditions of its four fruit and vegetable gardens across the country so that more produce could be harvested for use in hotel kitchens. Today, 30 per cent of its fruit and vegetable supplies are from these gardens.
Seafood, meats and other ingredients are also obtained from local producers “as much as possible”.
Close to 85 per cent of ingredients used in Teardrop Hotels kitchens are now locally sourced – up from about 60 per cent pre-pandemic.
“We have even looked at how suppliers work with us,” he added. To encourage local producers to deliver orders more sustainably, the company supplied reusable, stackable crates.
“The pandemic and import disruptions made us realise that relying on local producers is more reliable, offers greater value, and enables us to support our own people,” Devaraj said.
The slow return of tourism business has not dampened the company’s community commitment. Devaraj said: “Some of them were initiated during the pandemic, and we continue to do whatever we can with the manpower and resources we currently have.”
Over at Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa, efforts have been ongoing the past three months to raise the digital literacy of the teachers at a local village school. The effort is a long-term investment to build a more tech-savvy pool of young people that the hotel and other businesses could eventually hire.
General manager Refhan Razeen told TTG Asia: “Tourism will return to Sri Lanka, and we need to be prepared for that. One way is to work on local human resources.”
Next on Razeen’s to-do list is the establishment of a hotel school in Hambantota, “which will give locals a chance for employment at both Shangri-La hotels here and in Colombo”.
He said the “plans are drawn up” and awaiting approval from the top.
Besides investing in education, the hotel will soon launch the Green Passport, a hotel-wide sustainability programme with a goal of 15 Rs – Respect, Rethink, Responsible, Resource, Restore, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Reclaim, Replace, Refill, Refocus, Recycle, Refuse and Reward.
Fleshing out the objectives of some of the Rs, he said Rethink would involve reviewing daily practices towards a sustainable future, while Restore would mean fixing damaged items so that they could continue to be used and not simply thrown away.
Razeen acknowledged that the Green Passport is “an ambitious project”, but it provides a clear structure for all staff to follow through on their sustainable journey.
A green champion will be appointed to lead topical efforts, such as water conservation, and come up with an action plan to bring ideas to fruition.
Razeen is hopeful that achievements could be used as case studies for other Shangri-La hotels as well as for local university students specialising in sustainability.
To further support the local community, Razeen is looking to engage a village near Yala to produce and supply the hotel with vegetables.
“This community is dependent on wildlife safari, which is seasonal. By having them grow and supply food to our hotel, they can earn income during the off-season,” he explained.
Singapore prepares for the return of Chinese business travellers
- STB optimistic about the pace of recovery from China
- Outbound bookings from China have surged, but so have airfares
- Event organisers anticipate return of Chinese business travellers
Singapore has been preparing to welcome the surge in business travel from China given the strong pent-up demand.
“Mainland China remains a key and strategic market for Singapore and is an important source of business visitors. Prior to the pandemic, China was among our top 10 MICE source markets,” Poh Chi Chuan, executive director, exhibitions & conferences, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) told TTGmice.
Poh pointed out that the Chinese continued to travel to Singapore for business and attend business events such as Singapore FinTech Festival and Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific in 4H2022, even though border restrictions were still in place.
But more Chinese visitors are set to step foot in Singapore this year, with China’s Machinery and Electronics Show and Vinexpo Asia set to be held in the city-state for the first time, marking the launch of their Asia-Pacific editions. Other 2023 tradeshows with high records of Chinese visitors in past editions include BuildTech Asia (March 28-30), Food & Hotel Asia – Food & Beverage (April 25-28), and Asia Tech x Singapore (June 6-9).
According to a global survey by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), companies in the exhibition industry are projecting revenues to reach about 87 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 1H2023.
To tap into this potential, STB has intensified efforts to educate local stakeholders on the preferences of Chinese travellers, refresh their knowledge of Chinese consumer behaviour, and ensure their staff are equipped to meet evolving needs.
For example, in October 2022, STB facilitated a sharing by WeChat Pay to over 100 tourism stakeholders, ensuring they remain familiar with mobile payments systems that are widely used by Chinese travellers.
This was followed by a December launch of a tourism alliance between close to 80 tourism stakeholders from Singapore and almost 100 tourism stakeholders from Western China. “A communications channel on WeChat was established, facilitating networking and business opportunities between members from both countries,” Poh added.
To further assist Chinese event organisers and business travellers, STB will be releasing an information guide in the coming weeks with essential information on Singapore’s immigration and health protocols. It will also highlight Covid-19 test locations near business event venues where Chinese business travellers can take their pre-departure tests before returning home.
Bookings have surged
Since the reopening was announced, bookings processed in China shot up by more than 150 per cent during the first week of January versus the previous week, according to CWT. This was a huge incline in comparison to the 15 to 20 per cent week-on-week increase that the TMC saw in the second half of December.
Albert Zhong, general manager, China, CWT, stated: “Singapore has been among the top five destinations booked by our clients in China following the reopening, and this doesn’t come as a surprise given the strong business ties between the two countries, as well as Singapore’s status as regional hub in Asia Pacific for many multinationals.”
He added that although airlines have started increasing flights to and from China, capacity is still “significantly below pre-pandemic levels”.
Hence, the growth in China’s outbound travel will likely be a “well-paced one, considering air capacity will be rebuilt gradually”, as opposed to an immediate surge, noted Poh.
Because of the limitation in flights, airfares have also skyrocketed, and this will likely continue until more capacity is restored.
Zhong noted: “The Average Ticket Price (ATP) of flights to Singapore booked by our customers in China during the first week of January this year nearly doubled compared to the same period in 2019. Business class fares to Singapore increased even more sharply, with ATPs up by 125 per cent compared to the first week of January 2019.”
Eager efforts from organisers
Event organisers such as RX (Reed Exhibitions) and Clarion Events are upbeat about the greater interest from Chinese exhibitors and buyers, and have intensified efforts to woo them for their upcoming Singapore tradeshows.
Yip Je Choong, senior vice president commercial – Asia Pacific and managing director of Singapore and Indonesia, RX Global, said: “With borders now open, we are ramping up that avenue of communication, with some of our team members heading over to China to connect and meet with our Chinese partners in person. There are also plans for us to conduct roadshows in China in due time.”
Within China itself, RX hosts more than 70 trade fairs across 12 sectors in China annually. Meanwhile, for its Singapore-based tradeshow, Inter Airport Southeast Asia (March 1-3, 2023), RX is also confident of positive attendance rates from Chinese delegates.
Yip further noted that the reopening of the world’s second-largest economy holds “immense opportunities for businesses in Singapore and the region”.
“China accounted for 19 per cent of tourist arrivals in Singapore before the pandemic. With inbound travel from China to make a gradual return, China’s opening is also expected to offset the effects of the slowdown on Singapore’s economy. This bodes well with the progress needed for Singapore’s MICE industry to make a full recovery in two to three years,” he added.
Meanwhile, Clarion Events, which organises Insurtech Connect Asia, has similarly kept busy laying the groundwork for the re-emergence of Chinese business travellers amid the pandemic.
Richard Ireland, Clarion Events’ CEO Asia, elaborated: “As the world’s second-largest insurance market, China plays a vital role in shaping the global insur-tech industry. In November 2022, we held a virtual event specifically tailored to the Chinese market as part of our efforts to bridge the gap and promote collaborations between China and the global insur-tech community.
“We have also been working closely with our local Chinese partner INSLAB to bring in delegations from China to participate in our InsureTech Connect Asia event taking place from May 30 to June 1, 2023 in Singapore.”
Healthy outlook for Singapore’s business events industry
Singapore’s business events industry is set for further growth this year in tandem with increasing flight connectivity and capacity, China’s gradual reopening, and strong interest from Indonesian, Malaysian and Indian markets, noted Singapore Tourism Board (STB) officials at yesterday’s Year-in-Review conference.
Looking back on the year past, STB said recovery for business events had picked up pace. In 2022, marquee international events that made a comeback to Singapore included Food and Hotel Asia – Food & Beverage and Food and Hotel Asia – HoReCa, which took place as two dedicated trade shows for the first time; ITB Asia; and Singapore Fintech Festival, which attracted a record turnout from over 115 countries.
STB also secured new events like FIND: Design Fair Asia, Global Health Security Conference 2022, and the 14th World Stroke Congress, as well as high-quality business gatherings such as Herbalife APAC Extravaganza 2023 and the 25th World Congress of Dermatology 2023.
To support industry recovery, STB will pump S$110 million (US$83.1 million) into boosting both business and leisure events over the next two years. Funding comes from the S$500 million war chest that was set up in 2022 to aid tourism recovery.
In terms of incentive travel potential, Juliana Kua, STB’s assistant chief executive, International Group, said groups from China, Indonesia and Malaysia have shown a strong interest in Singapore.
Kua added that STB received strong signals even during the pandemic that they were able to secure a number of Chinese groups for Singapore.
Singapore’s strong appeal as a business centre for the Chinese is further underlined by a number of China-based events that were held in the city-state last year, despite travel restrictions. Asia Corporate Week and Caijing Summit were such examples. Coming up, Singapore has a steady pipeline of business events either from China or which appeal to Chinese corporate travellers.
For now, China’s connectivity with Singapore is resuming at a slow and cautious pace – a deliberate move by the Singapore authorities to ensure Changi Airport has the capacity to maintain smooth operations. There are currently 38 weekly flights between Singapore and China.
STB chief executive Keith Tan said at the Year-in-Review conference that he expects to see Chinese arrivals returning to 30 to 60 per cent of 2019’s numbers by the end of 2023.
The Indian corporate market, meanwhile, has indicated strong interest in Singapore despite current testing requirements for travellers returning to India from Singapore. Air access between Singapore and India will improve in about one to two months’ time, with connections to 17 cities in India, one more than the pre-pandemic level of 16.
Stronger interest from Indonesian and Malaysian corporate groups is spurred by successful KOL engagements for Muslim markets, which has positioned Singapore as a muslim-friendly destination.
UFI announces dates and destinations for 2023 conferences
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, will organise its full flagship series of Regional Conferences around the world in 2023.
The dates and locations are:
- UFI Asia-Pacific Conference, March 2-3, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- UFI LATAM Conference, April 25-27, in San José, Costa Rica
- UFI MEA Conference, May 9-11, 2023, in Doha, Qatar
- UFI European Conference, June 14-16, at the MECC Maastricht, The Netherlands
Co-located with the European Conference, UFI will also run two specialised events focusing on human resources, and operations & services. The UFI HR Forum, and the UFI Operations & Services Forum, will take place at the MECC Maastricht, The Netherlands from May 13-14.
Open to all industry professionals, the programming of the conferences will have a global perspective. While the majority of participants at each regional event will be from the region where it takes place, UFI usually welcomes a significant share of participants from other parts of the world.
Emirates ramps up European services
Emirates will scale up its A380 operations with a return to Scotland’s Glasgow (March 26), France’s Nice (June 1) and the UK’s Birmingham (July 1).
It will also resume its second daily service to London Stansted from May 1 this year, utilising the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that is outfitted with the Game Changer First Class product.
With the return of the second daily flight to London Stansted, Emirates will operate 11 daily flights to London, including six times daily to London Heathrow and three times daily to Gatwick.
The Calyx hosts zero-waste event
The Calyx, a venue set in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, managed to achieve a zero-waste dinner during one of its recent events.
Themed ZERO – where sustainability tastes better, the dinner was hosted by Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust’s Principal Environment Partner, HSBC Bank Australia.
The Calyx team – including the on-site event firm Laissez-faire Catering – teamed up with one of Australia’s leading sustainable chefs Matt Stone, to curate a sustainably-sourced menu highlighting some of the best produce Australia has to offer.
Sara Flaksbard, general manager, Laissez-faire Catering said the creative recipes were planned to create minimal waste and a reduced footprint, with strategically sourced local and seasonal ingredients selected.
“Produce was requested to be organic or biodynamic with no single-use plastic items being used (not even cling wrap) and any unused produce was recycled and used in the cooking process or composted to grow more ingredients.
“Food wastage is a big by-product of events, so we carefully planned the amount of food to match attendees, limiting supply to minimise the environmental impact,” said Flaksbard.
A taster of the sustainable menu included fried akoya oysters, a native oyster that reinvigorates the fisheries industry in Albany, Western Australia; cricket balls, made with crickets, a sustainable protein booster; and a gin and orange parfait with cultured butter where the whole fruit of the orange was used.
The event was also an opportunity to celebrate the work HSBC’s clients are doing to transition to net zero, as well as recognise the support HSBC has offered to a number of projects designed to accelerate and scale up investments in coastal ecosystems.
Alpa Bhattacharjee, head of sustainability, HSBC Bank Australia said their 25-year partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust has always focused on biodiversity conservation, so The Calyx was the ideal choice to highlight their environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.
“We needed a venue that was flexible enough to showcase and deliver the zero-waste goals that we had set for the evening while providing an immersive and memorable experience. The Calyx is a physical embodiment of what our partnership aims to deliver, and the team were able to translate this vision from start to finish,” said Bhattacharjee.
Elevating the environmentally-themed event, The Calyx’s moveable floral displays and the spectacular green wall made up of over 18,000 plants immersed the guests. An organic style runner featured as the table centrepiece and included cabbages, pumpkins and radishes, which were donated to OzHarvest after the event, along with any leftover prepared food. Even the napkins were washable velvet to reduce paper waste.
In total, 16kg of produce was donated to OzHarvest and 2.5kg of waste was composted. The whole event was 99 per cent zero food waste.
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South Korea will lift its mask-wearing mandate for most indoor public places from January 30. Masks will still be required to be worn in medical facilities and when travelling in public transport.
While most of the country’s pandemic-related precautions have been scrapped, it maintains a seven-day isolation rule for those tested positive for Covid.
Meanwhile, travellers arriving from China are required to take a Covid test when travelling to South Korea.