Singapore and Hong Kong are finalising details of the air travel bubble
Foreigners who are non-residents of Hong Kong will finally be allowed to enter the special administrative region of China from next month.
They will be subject to the same arrival procedure as residents, which calls for a quarantine of seven days.
Hong Kong will allow non-residents in, but with a seven-day quarantine condition attached
The government also said in a statement on April 22 that airlines carrying infected Covid-19 patients will face a shorter suspension of five days, down from the current seven.
Hong Kong’s borders have been tightly shut since the pandemic hit in 2020, and her reopening stance has remained cautious even as the rest of Asia moved to resume international travel.
The latest revisions are part of Hong Kong’s progressive reopening which started on April 1, 2022.
Hong Kong’s fifth wave of Covid infections have forced International Travel Expo (ITE) 2022 to move from June to August 18-21.
ITE 2022 incorporates the 36th ITE (Leisure) and the 17th MICE Travel Expo.
ITE 2021 attracted over 100 exhibitors, spurring confidence in show organiser of an even more successful event this year
Prior to the postponement, ITE 2022 had secured participation by repeat and new exhibiting national and regional tourism boards and companies from destinations such as Japan, Thailand and Canada.
Show organiser, TKS Exhibition Services, expects stronger exhibitor interest as more destinations waive quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated international travellers.
Evolve 2022 will take place in Melbourne on June 29 and 30, and has opened the show for registration.
Delivered by Meetings & Events Australia (MEA), the country’s association for meetings management professionals, and supported by major partners Melbourne Convention Bureau, Accor and EventsAIR, Evolve 2022 will feature an education programme and networking opportunities.
Melbourne will play host to MEA’s Evolve 2022
Attendees can expect a blend of plenary sessions and breakout streams across three pillars: Building Confidence, Best Practice, and Future Leaders. Speakers will hail from the events sector and other industries. Headlining the speaker list is former Disney head of innovation, Duncan Wardle.
MEA CEO Peter McDonald said the event would “refresh everyone’s minds about the value of our national community after a three-year hiatus of coming together face-to-face”.
He added: “MEA wants to lead by example and show the nation how it’s possible to gather safely for events and in large social groups. We’re hoping that Evolve will be the inspiration or impetus for other event holders to hit the ‘go’ button and drive the sector’s resurgence.”
Julia Swanson, CEO of MCB, said: “It’s time to reconnect and engage at business events – get the energy and magic of face-to-face interactions back again. With that front of mind, we look forward to seeing the events sector convene here in vibrant Melbourne at the live hub of Evolve 2022.”
Thailand is further lowering entry barriers for international travellers, with on-arrival PCR tests being scrapped and minimum Covid insurance coverage being cut from US$20,000 to US$10,000.
The latest round of changes will come into effect on May 1.
Thailand to remove on-arrival PCR test and proof of negative pre-arrival PCR test for vaccinated travellers from May 1
However, international travellers will still be required to register for a Thailand Pass with a Certificate of Covid-19 Vaccination and proof of insurance coverage. With this, they will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the Kingdom.
International travellers who are unvaccinated or are not fully vaccinated will also no longer need to show proof of a pre-arrival negative PCR test nor undergo an arrival test.
They are required to register for a Thailand Pass with a five-day hotel booking and an insurance policy with coverage of no less than US$10,000
– reduced from US$20,000.
Upon arrival in Thailand, they must be quarantined for five days and take a PCR test on the fifth day of their stay.
Exception is made for unvaccinated travellers who are able to upload proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travel via the Thailand Pass system. With this, they will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in Thailand.
The latest measures follow the removal in March of a pre-departure test requirement.
Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong has appointed Christopher Chia as general manager of Island Shangri-La with immediate effect.
In his new role, Chia will oversee the daily operations of Island Shangri-La, and Aberdeen Marina Club.
A seasoned hotelier with a career spanning over 30 years with the Shangri-La Group, Chia possesses extensive managerial experience overseeing flagship properties, including Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore; Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Manila and Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, and developing new projects under the Group’s portfolio across the North China region.
His most recent position was vice president at Shangri-La Hotel International Management Limited, a role which he had held since 2014, while concurrently taking on the role of General Manager at China World Hotel from 2016 to 2019, followed by a short stint outside of the Group and then a two-year sabbatical.
Dusit International has appointed Prateek Kumar as senior vice president – operations, in addition to this current role as general manager of Dusit Thani Dubai.
In his new role, Kumar will oversee the operations of properties in EMEA, India, the Philippines, Singapore, the Maldives, Japan, and selected properties in Thailand. He will be responsible for enforcing brand quality standards, enhancing customer satisfaction, and delivering optimum financial returns at each property under his supervision.
Kumar first joined Dusit 14 years ago, in 2008, as general manager of Dusit Thani Manila. In January 2013, he became the general manager of Dusit Thani Dubai. Two years later, he was promoted to area general manager – UAE, followed in 2017 by his most recent role: regional vice president – EMEA.
During his career, he has worked in senior management positions for the former Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Renaissance/Marriott Hotels in Australia. Prior to joining Dusit, he worked for Raffles Hotels and Resorts and was responsible for the preopening of Ascott Raffles Place, Singapore.
As Indonesia does away on-arrival PCR tests and eases visa policies, Bali-based business events players are reporting budding interest from incentive groups, bringing hope and confidence to stakeholders.
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort’s general manager Sylvain Pasdeloup, told TTGmice that the property has received around 20 international, incentives-related enquires for 2022, and he expects to welcome more for 2023.
Incentives to Bali are on the rise as border controls are relaxed; Canggu, Bali pictured
Meanwhile, at The Apurva Kempinski Resort Bali, the demand for incentives spiked after Bali announced its reopening.
“We are seeing a strong uptick of around 40 per cent in enquiries for 2022, as well as some leads for 2023 and 2024,” said Kadek Budiasa, the resort’s director of sales and marketing.
Other properties in Bali have already secured confirmed bookings.
For instance, Merusaka Beachfront Resort & Spa will be welcoming incentive groups of between 50 to 200 participants from India in May, June, and September.
As for Good Day Tour Bali, the company has also received a number of incentive groups, but these were mainly those that were scheduled for 2020 and were postponed due to the pandemic, shared its managing director Wisnu Arimbawa.
Wisnu pointed out that the timing to obtain new corporate incentives bookings for 2022 has passed as most companies plan for such trips at the beginning of the year, but pandemic-related restrictions were only recently eased in April.
“As such, a new booking that will come in this year, will most likely be for 2023 or beyond,” he shared.
Another factor that stood in the way of Bali’s recovery was that direct flights to Bali are still limited, which means seats are currently quite expensive, according to Adjie Wahjono, operations manager of Aneka Kartika Tours.
Regardless, Adjie and Wisnu are optimistic about the future, and expect the demand for incentives will hit around 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, before a full recovery in 2024.
Wisnu suggested that business events stakeholders target South-east Asian outbound incentives for now. “Singapore has the most potential as there are many direct flights available. Besides, many regional officers are based there.”
Umberto Cadamuro, chief operating officer inbound of Pacto, meanwhile, is looking further afield to India, as Bali is a popular travel spot for outbound Indian travellers.
“We should not expect Europeans to return so soon as their market is experiencing a crisis due to the Ukraine-Russia war, which (results in) corporations being more careful in planning incentive trips,” he added.
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has secured 77 new conventions during 2021, worth an estimated A$144 million (US$107 million) in direct expenditure to the Queensland economy.
The events will deliver an estimated 50,000 delegates to Brisbane, generating 245,000 room nights to the city’s hotels with flow-on benefits to local businesses across the hospitality and tourism sectors.
A pre-pandemic conference at BCEC
One major win is for 2025, where the world’s leading experts in population research will be heading to Brisbane to attend the International Population Conference; it is the first time in the event’s 93-year history that it has been held in Australia.
Other newly-confirmed conferences are three large-scale events set to deliver 2,000 delegates to Brisbane, one forecasting more than 8,000 and one with 5,000 delegates all heading for Queensland and Brisbane over the next three years.
These global and national meetings will attract considerable talent and expertise across a range of the State’s key sector industries, including technology, transport, population, healthcare, science and research.
BCEC’s general manager Bob O’Keeffe AM said the reopening of borders and resumption of international flights, as well as a very strong and evident desire for face-to-face meetings, was driving momentum in the industry, with the Centre forecasting more than 800 events through to the end of 2022.
O’Keeffe opined that interest in Australia is strong and will only be amplified in future with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games further enhancing awareness.
“Brisbane’s infrastructure development has already begun, and with the boost of further investment as part of the official Olympic Infrastructure program, Brisbane and the Centre’s appeal as a business events destination is expected to skyrocket.”
BCEC is the major driver of business events to Brisbane and Queensland, responsible for more than 70 per cent of delegate stays and visitation.
Cross: lyf properties are designed for guests to forge connections
The Ascott Limited (Ascott) recently opened its second co-living property, the lyf one-north Singapore, situated among a number of start-ups, research and development firms, as well as high-tech and media enterprises in the One-North precinct.
Norman Cross, head of lyf Brand, told TTGmice that lyf is designed for “next-generation guests”, which combines “the best of serviced residences, hotels and co-living apartments”.
Cross: lyf properties are designed for guests to forge connections
Lyf’s popularity will only increase, Cross opined, as the pandemic has “spurred a new way to live and work”, due to “an increasing trend of digital nomads and self-starters preferring to work remotely”, while looking for “novel experiences and opportunities to connect” at the same time.
At lyf one-north Singapore, guests will be able to take part in social programmes “centred on innovation and sustainability”, noted Cross, such as a woodworking workshop led by sustainable upcycling brand, Creuse, as demonstrated during its grand opening.
Aside from providing business guests a place to rest their heads, the property also welcomes corporate groups and small meetings, with several indoor and outdoor spaces available for bookings. Meet is an outdoor amphitheatre; To-Gather is a flexible outdoor activity area; Hang Out is the property’s social clubhouse and terrace, while Huddle & Collab is lyf one-north Singapore’s function room, which is suited for brainstorm and networking sessions.
“The apartments, social spaces and experiential programmes at lyf properties are designed for guests to forge connections and to nurture a strong sense of community,” stated Cross.
As for sustainability, one of the top trends to emerge from the pandemic, lyf one-north Singapore has several initiatives in place, from encouraging a car-lite lifestyle with bicycle lots and shower facilities, to toiletries stored in larger 500ml pump bottles. The building is also a Green Mark Gold Plus certified building by Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority, with various features that improve energy efficiency, reduce building energy consumption and reduce carbon footprint.
As part of its local partnerships, the property has teamed up with The Goodburger food truck, which serves up plant-based burgers on-site, as well as launched a lyf Innovation Lab with Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Informatics & IT. The Innovation Lab will design and testbed immersive virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, as well as digital experiences for the lyf brand. Successful pilots will eventually be implemented across other lyf properties worldwide.
This digital partnership offers “borderless experiences in the virtual realm”, shared Cross.
“For instance, virtual experiences could include live virtual property tours, physical craft workshops where guests can purchase their own creations in the metaverse as non-fungible tokens or as actual merchandise in the real life, and participate in virtual sports games,” he elaborated.
When asked how business has been since its soft opening in November 2021, Cross revealed the property has “achieved a strong occupancy rate of above 85 per cent”, with guests hailing from the UK, France, China and Australia.
Ascott currently has 17 lyf properties with over 3,200 units in 14 cities and nine countries. This includes 10 lyf properties that are under development – five of which are slated to open this year in gateway cities such as Bangkok, Cebu, Kuala Lumpur, Xi’an.
Lyf will also make its entry into Australia this year.
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore progressive approach to meetings to drive better results
Hospitality players in Singapore are tailoring engaging and differentiated packages to recapture large-scale events, as well as the greater meetings and corporate events segment.
According to Christopher Kang, director of commercial strategy, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, his property is “curating an all-encompassing experience for the MICE segment with its Mindful Meetings programme”.
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore takes a progressive approach to meetings to drive better results
The Mindful Meetings programme, he elaborated, was “specially tailored for business and corporate meetings and events”, and is “based on five key principles – Nourishment, Movement, Stillness, Connections, and Wellbeing”.
For instance, Nourishment means that meeting menus at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, are built around fresh food that nourishes the body and brain; while Movement includes yoga and stretching sessions during breakout sessions.
Edward Chew, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), reckoned the property is in good stead to cater to the emerging wave of sustainability conscious visitors too with its Eco-MICE packages.
For example, RWS provides clients with the option to hold events at a venue with the best green practices, which range from meals being served in sustainable packaging to using reusable pens and recycled paper during events.
As for Cinn Tan, chief sales and marketing officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG), the hospitality player is also intensifying efforts to drive demand as border controls into Singapore have eased.
For instance, PPHG was the official hotel partner for the recently-concluded HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens, where Pan Pacific Singapore hosted the 16 participating teams, and offered special discounts on stays and dining experiences for ticket holders and groups.
“With more large-scale events returning to Singapore, we are in discussions with more partners to channel more business for our properties. Being part of such events will help us to raise the profile of our properties on the world stage,” Tan told TTGmice.
Meanwhile, aside from driving demand in its corporate and business events segments, Shangri-La Group has gone the extra mile to provide international guests with complimentary AIG Covid-19 emergency medical coverage and access to around-the-clock emergency travel assistance services during their stay, providing planners with greater peace of mind.
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Hong Kong’s fifth wave of Covid infections have forced International Travel Expo (ITE) 2022 to move from June to August 18-21.
ITE 2022 incorporates the 36th ITE (Leisure) and the 17th MICE Travel Expo.
Prior to the postponement, ITE 2022 had secured participation by repeat and new exhibiting national and regional tourism boards and companies from destinations such as Japan, Thailand and Canada.
Show organiser, TKS Exhibition Services, expects stronger exhibitor interest as more destinations waive quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated international travellers.