Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has begun a major renovation of its existing infrastructure, in addition to its expansion project that is now expected to be completed in 2026, one year after the original projection of 2025.
The US$1 billion reinvestment will span hotel rooms and suites, new F&B offerings and other enhancements to the integrated resort – the biggest upgrade expenditure to be made since the integrated resort’s opening in 2010. Works will be completed in phases over 2022 and 2023, transforming the design and significantly elevating the hospitality experience in the luxury travel segment, which is predicted to lead the tourism recovery.
A major upgrade of Marina Bay Sands is underway, alongside an expansion that will add new hardware to the sprawling integrated resort
According to a press statement, the renovation investment demonstrates parent company Las Vegas Sands’ confidence in Singapore and ongoing commitment to the country’s tourism industry.
“We are firmly of the view that Asia will continue to lead as a primary driver of growth in travel, and Singapore will remain a top destination of choice. Our reinvestment as well as our planned multi-billion-dollar expansion that we announced in 2019 represent a further demonstration of our long-term support for Singapore. It reaffirms our confidence in the future and our commitment to offering industry-leading luxury products and hospitality experiences to our guests,” said Robert G Goldstein, Las Vegas Sands’ chairman and CEO.
The renewed features across the property will be joined by new hardware from the expansion project, such as a performance arena, a fourth tower featuring about 1,000 hotel rooms, a sky roof with a swimming pool and a restaurant, as well as new ballrooms, exhibition halls and luxury retailers.
Singapore has taken the Asia-Pacific (APAC) crown in GainingEdge’s fourth annual Competitive Index of international convention destinations, where the 2021 edition ranks the world’s top cities in terms of key draw factors for meeting planners.
Other APAC destinations that have made top 10 include Beijing, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Same as in 2020, Paris tops the list, while New York comes in at number two.
This year’s report focuses on destinations’ competitiveness to help them understand which strategies and activities can be deployed to speed up their recovery
As in previous years, the report covers the top 101 destinations with the largest number of international association meetings, according to ICCA, held in the last recorded three-year series (2017-2019). It also took into account the effect of Covid-19 since its onset in early 2020, and points out challenges international convention destinations have faced.
The report further identifies four key areas that all destinations should focus on as it recovers from the pandemic:
Intellectual Engagement – Building relationships with local leaders and leveraging on their international reputation;
Flexible Approach – Providing more flexible product offerings and maintaining an agile market approach;
Technological Advancement – Embracing new technologies in meetings and events to cater for live and remote participants;
Regional Focus – Increasing short-term focus on national and regional markets which will provide more near-term yield.
In addition, six cities – Beijing, Istanbul, Moscow, Budapest, Florence, and Ghent – that best show what can be achieved by different combinations of products and a focus on the international meetings market were also highlighted.
GainingEdge Analysis & Research (GEAR) head, Milos Milovanovic, said the main purpose of the Destination Competitive Index is to develop methodologies and quantitative tools for destination comparison which can help users speed up their post-Covid recovery.
“Our key focus this year was to provide a market analysis that would help people identify strategies and activities they can use to recover faster. The Index provides quantitative indicators that can facilitate conversations between the meetings industry and policymakers, be they government or city authorities. If they have facts-based data their proposals for industry support and other recovery assistance are more likely to be successful.”
GainingEdge CEO, Jon Sivertson, added that the key for all destinations is to analyse their competitiveness, within the correct set of competing cities, in order to better understand their current challenges. Armed with that perspective, they can develop effective strategies to speed up their recovery from the pandemic.
At every stage, the focus for the travel and meetings sectors must remain above all on prioritising customer safety and wellbeing to help keep travel and economies moving
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has published a whitepaper setting out key trends that travel and meetings & events managers should keep an eye on for 2022.
Along with specific sector trends across hotel, air and ground travel, GBT highlights four specific trends:
New ways of working and living that are transforming the travel manager’s role
Traveller confidence and trust: the keys to keeping travel moving
How sustainability will continue to drive corporate travel agendas, raising demand for greener options
Why travel and meetings programmes and policies are positioned play key roles in driving progress in diversity, equity and inclusion.
At every stage, the focus for the travel and meetings sectors must remain above all on prioritising customer safety and wellbeing to help keep travel and economies moving
“Travel and meetings managers will be increasingly visible in 2022. Their responsibilities will be more integrated with other departments as mobility becomes central to the culture of organizations that need to bring distributed teams together,” said Drew Crawley GBT’s chief commercial officer.
“They’re also helping to set the agenda for sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion and will be instrumental in helping organisations understand and adapt to cultural evolution,” he added.
Some of the key points in the whitepaper are as follows:
A seat at the table: new ways of working and living are transforming the travel and meetings & events managers’ roles
The role of travel and meetings and events managers are set to evolve. Traditional patterns of work and travel are shifting, professional and personal lives are blurring, and travel and mobility are becoming more central to ‘traditional’ HR issues. This could see these roles become pivotal: heading up wider employee mobility and interaction policies, budgets and programmes that support overall company culture and strategies. Ultimately, this would result in a stronger voice and a seat at the C-suite table.
Traveller confidence: the key to keep people moving Communication and safety are driving travellers’ decisions on flights and accommodations. While timely and targeted messages to engage with travellers are important, effective communications are two-way. Travellers need to be empowered to get advice and give feedback on their experiences. These insights are vital in increasing employee engagement and can ensure travel programmes and policies align with people’s expectations.
Sustainability will continue to drive corporate agendas, raising demand for greener travel options Business leaders are under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to emissions targets, not just with investors but with employees and the broader community. This puts travel and meetings programmes under new scrutiny. Data will be key, and managers will need to work closely with suppliers to analyse data, implement and measure the impact of sustainability levers.
Travel and meetings can drive progress in diversity, equity and inclusion Corporate travel professionals are in a prime position to play a pivotal role in their organisation’s DE&I strategy. Corporate travel managers are using policy to support all employees and to demonstrate that inclusiveness is integral to company culture.
Air Global aviation should be on the recovery track – but capacity, schedule and price will remain unpredictable well into 2022. Cost pressures due to the availability of fewer flights and reduced route coverage mean travel managers need to be at the ready to recalibrate expectations and help their travellers adjust to the new normal.
Hotel The global hospitality recovery will build momentum in 2022. This is good news for hoteliers but a challenging sourcing environment for travel and events buyers. Global labour shortages are also impacting hotel pricing and with rates trending upwards, buyers may need to move quickly to avoid or contain rising costs.
Ground Scarcity will be a critical issue for car rentals in 2022. There simply aren’t enough cars to meet demand. The ongoing mismatch between constrained supply and growing demand means car rental prices are set to rise. It’s time for travel managers to have conversations with car rental partners about the needs of their travellers and the ability to supply the programme.
The full version of the GBT Trends 2022 whitepaper can be found here.
Australia will fully reopen her borders to all vaccinated visa holders from February 21, after almost two years of restricted entry since March 2020.
Although the country has put in a place a staggered border reopening since late last year to allow skilled immigrants and international students to enter the country, as well as quarantine-free travel arrangements with select countries like New Zealand and Singapore, all remaining restrictions will finally be lifted come February 21.
Australia will welcome all vaccinated visa holders from February 21, Canberra’s Parliament House pictured
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers will still require an exemption and be subject to the relevant state and territory quarantine requirements.
With this announcement, internationally-focused Australian tourism businesses can breathe a sigh of relief and rebuild their markets.
Australian Tourism Export Council’s managing director Peter Shelley said that this positive news is a “clear target to work towards” to start to rebuild the once-burgeoning industry.
“With close to two years with our borders closed, our industry has lost tens of billions of dollars in export revenue and we welcome the border reopening as an opportunity to regain some of Australia’s tourism market share,” he said.
He believes that there is a “significant pent-up demand” as Australia has been off the global destination list for nearly two years now.
“But the challenge for our industry is to meet this demand successfully and that will involve tourism businesses rebuilding their lost capacity, product, service skills and supply chains.
“Given the tourism industry has taken a devastating hit to its skills base, experience, expertise and global sales networks, we urge the government to outline a significant funding commitment to our industry in next month’s budget as a sign of its support for what has been a hugely valuable economic contributor for more than a decade.”
American Express Global Business Travel’s Jo Sully, vice president and regional general manager, Asia Pacific, similarly welcomed the reopening.
“Business travel is the backbone of our global economy – the engine room of commerce and a vital connector of cultures. Reopening the border signals Australia’s return to the world stage. We are open for international business, ready to help clients, colleagues, partners and suppliers re-connect across the global community,” she said.
Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has unveiled the speaker line-up and official themes behind its 2022 Knowledge Program.
Delivered in partnership with Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meetings & Events Australia (MEA), the AIME Knowledge Program is a curated mix of keynote and breakout sessions. The three core themes behind this year’s programme are Business Innovation, Driving Engagement and Human Connection organised by PCMA, and Fostering Collaboration by MEA.
Matt Pearce, CEO of Talk2 Media & Events speaking
The Knowledge Program will be hosted Australian broadcast journalist and former news anchor Mimi Kwa. Confirmed speakers include Simon Griffiths and Steve Sammartino – Griffiths is the co-founder and CEO of Who Gives A Crap, a profit-for-purpose toilet paper company that uses 50 per cent of its profits to build toilets in the developing world, while Sammartino is Australia’s leading futurist, tech entrepreneur and growth hacker. He is also the host of TV Program The Rebound.
Sammartino shared: “The past 23 months have led to dramatic shifts in the way organisations operate. In a climate of constant disruptions, effective leaders have to embrace and thrive within uncertainty, possessing the foresight to transform their organisation to capitalise on new business growth.”
PCMA’s managing director (APAC) Florence Chua added: “The Knowledge Program will deliver a balance of future-ready thinking, priceless peer-sharing and focused discussions around business and social responsibility of our community. I am cautiously optimistic we, as an industry, are ready to build momentum for 2022.”
AIME’s Knowledge Program will commence in person March 21 and continue with the Ideas Academy on March 22-23. AIME will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 21-23 in person and March 28 to April 1 online.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Azabu Tokyo marks the first of 20 new openings scheduled for the hospitality brand for 2022.
Two-bedroom apartment with tatami
This is the brand’s 13th property in Japan, and caters to both short- and long-stay business travellers, as well as leisure guests.
Anchored in Tokyo’s Azabu-Juban embassy district, Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Azabu Tokyo offers 171 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom spaces, all of which boast a private balcony, washer, dryer, and a fully-equipped kitchen. There is also a fitness centre onsite.
Delphine Millot has joined the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in the newly-created role of senior vice president of sustainability.
In this new role, Millot will lead GBTA’s initiatives to create a strong industry focus and public “voice” by working together with members, policymakers and other stakeholders to chart a course toward a more sustainable future for business travel.
Areas of engagement include research and insights; industry and member programmes, policy and advocacy; and education and certification, as well as incubating solutions, tools, and supply chain initiatives to help travel buyers and travel suppliers put sustainability at the forefront of their travel programmes and operations.
Millot will work with the founding partners of GBTA’s newly-created sustainability programme which consists of sponsoring organisations and supporters from across the industry, first unveiled in November at the 2021 GBTA Convention.
Millot will also work with the GBTA Sustainability and Responsibility Committee which over the years has delivered sustainability tools and educational programmes to GBTA members. Among the 2022 initiatives for this established global committee led by current chairperson, Jenny Sabineu, are the relaunching of an updated GBTA Sustainability Toolkit and the development of a global industry standard Supplier Scorecard.
Mark Cuschieri, GBTA board vice president and executive sponsor of GBTA’s Sustainability initiative will also serve as chairperson for the GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council, and Sabineu as its vice-chair.
Millot’s professional background includes experience working between private, public and non-profit sectors, both in Europe and the US.
Most recently, she served as the head of the international public affairs division for Grayling, a global consulting firm specialising in strategic communications and government affairs. Her experience includes managing a European-wide campaign for the Environmental Defense Fund to reduce methane emissions, which are responsible for at least 25 per cent of today’s global warming. This resulted in the Global Methane Pledge adopted at COP26 in November 2021 as the single biggest political effort to date to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
In previous roles, she worked closely with senior-level executives at leading multinationals in multiple business sectors, as well as with associations representing sectoral interests including business aviation, oil and gas, heating and cooling, construction equipment, aluminium, and bioenergy.
Diethelm-Keller Holding has sold its remaining shares in Thailand-headquartered DMC Diethelm Travel to Stefan Römer, CEO of Diethelm Travel and founder of Tourasia, finalising a change in ownership of what is recognised as one of Asia’s most established travel companies.
According to a Diethelm Travel statement issued last Friday, Tourasia Roemer, Arcothai International and investor Gonpo Tsering will take over Diethelm Travel together and “bring Diethelm Travel to the new era of travel empowered with advance IT system while staying true to our DNA as your trusted DMC in Asia”.
Tourasia Roemer, Arcothai International and investor Gonpo Tsering take over ownership of Diethelm Travel; Stefan Römer pictured
Römer said: “I am excited to assume full ownership of Diethelm Travel together with my new partners and would like to thank Diethelm Keller Travel Holding for the great partnership over the years as well as their trust in us to successfully lead the business into the future. I am confident that Diethelm Travel is well positioned to take advantage of the travel industry taking off again in 2022.”
Diethelm Travel today has an extensive network of 13 fully licensed and insured offices throughout Asia, in destinations such as Bhutan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore and Vietnam.
What is CTC’s outlook for the coming year as more borders open and the fully vaccinated can travel quarantine-free travel?
CTC is cautiously optimistic about corporate travel recovery in 2022. With global vaccination percentage rates continuing to increase and the availability of medicine targeting Covid-19 patients gradually coming to the market, I think the worst has already passed.
Having said that, the continuous mutation of the virus – such as the Delta Plu, Mu, and Omicron variants – remains the biggest uncertainty in 2022.
What must travellers consider if they are willing to go on a business trip and what resources can travel managers turn to to keep up-to-date?
Let me use Singapore’s change of Covid-19 national strategy from “zero tolerance” to “living with Covid” as an example. The consequence of this policy has resulted in the immediate opening of its border. But infections rose to an unprecedented record high, with more than 5,000 cases per day reported, forcing the government to tighten some restrictions. In my view, the pendulum effect will still be felt in 2022.
CTC continues to engage travel manager members and share new knowledge. I was in Shanghai to host the Travel Smart Conference at the Radisson Collection Hotel, Yangtze Shanghai, on November 30, 2021, where more than 100 participants attended.
On December 7 and 8, 2021, CTC hosted the Corporate Travel Summit at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
In the event that physical events are not possible, CTC will continue to run our virtual events. To help travel managers’ do their jobs better, virtual sessions on topics such as the new ISO 31030 on travel risk management, sustainability, etc., have been organised.
What are some key corporate travel trends to look out for in 2022?
Most of our members are telling us domestic travel has resumed. However, international corporate travel is “still sitting on the fence”. One point is clear though: with an increased use of event technology, training or internal meeting trips will be significantly reduced.
What are the opportunities for corporate travel recovery in 2022?
Many new international treaties facilitating freer trade have been reached, such as the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific), EU/China CAI (CU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment), and more.
With implementation starting in 2022, international trade is forecast to continue to expand at a rapid pace in years to come. And as we all know, corporate travel is the paramount prerequisite to negotiating business deals.
Some countries adopting a “living with Covid” policy have already opened their borders. The US, the second-biggest corporate travel spend country, for example, is showing an upward trend for both domestic and international travel.
The NZ government's Five- step plan prioritises returning New Zealanders and brings forward the reopening of key visa categories
New Zealand will be reopening its borders to New Zealanders and key visa holders over the coming three months, with a full border reopening targeted for October 2022.
Starting from 23.59 on February 27, vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers from Australia will be allowed to enter without having to go through managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).
The NZ government’s five-step plan prioritises returning New Zealanders and brings forward the reopening of key visa categories; Auckland’s skyline pictured
Two weeks later from 23.59 on March 13, New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under the current border settings from the rest of the world will be able to enter.
This includes skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage, as well as successful Working Holiday Scheme visa applicants. This move will supply urgently needed workers for the tourism, hospitality, wine and horticultural sectors, as well as provide some visitor spending.
Next, from 23.59 on April 12, borders will be open to current offshore temporary visa holders, who can still meet the relevant visa requirements, and visas for critical workforce individuals that do not meet the 1.5 times median wage requirement.
By July 2022, the New Zealand government is planning to open its borders to anyone from Australia, as well as for countries with visa-waiver travel. The final step in the reopening plan is planned for October 2022, when borders open to travellers globally, and all visa categories made available.
However, while the announcement on border openings is an optimistic step forward, it will not revive New Zealand’s hard-hit business events industry unless there’s a radical change to isolation requirements, noted Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA)’s chief executive Lisa Hopkins.
She lamented: “Currently $150 million worth of business events are at risk because of international border settings.
“The reality is a business visitor will not isolate in a hotel for seven to 10 days if they are expected to attend a three-day conference. The sector will now be fielding cancellations and postponements from Australia.”
“The impact the pandemic has had on business events, major events, cruise, tourism, and hospitality has been extreme. And while we now look forward to a future with greater optimism, it will take some time to work through the past,” Hopkins said.
The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
Australia will fully reopen her borders to all vaccinated visa holders from February 21, after almost two years of restricted entry since March 2020.
Although the country has put in a place a staggered border reopening since late last year to allow skilled immigrants and international students to enter the country, as well as quarantine-free travel arrangements with select countries like New Zealand and Singapore, all remaining restrictions will finally be lifted come February 21.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers will still require an exemption and be subject to the relevant state and territory quarantine requirements.
With this announcement, internationally-focused Australian tourism businesses can breathe a sigh of relief and rebuild their markets.
Australian Tourism Export Council’s managing director Peter Shelley said that this positive news is a “clear target to work towards” to start to rebuild the once-burgeoning industry.
“With close to two years with our borders closed, our industry has lost tens of billions of dollars in export revenue and we welcome the border reopening as an opportunity to regain some of Australia’s tourism market share,” he said.
He believes that there is a “significant pent-up demand” as Australia has been off the global destination list for nearly two years now.
“But the challenge for our industry is to meet this demand successfully and that will involve tourism businesses rebuilding their lost capacity, product, service skills and supply chains.
“Given the tourism industry has taken a devastating hit to its skills base, experience, expertise and global sales networks, we urge the government to outline a significant funding commitment to our industry in next month’s budget as a sign of its support for what has been a hugely valuable economic contributor for more than a decade.”
American Express Global Business Travel’s Jo Sully, vice president and regional general manager, Asia Pacific, similarly welcomed the reopening.
“Business travel is the backbone of our global economy – the engine room of commerce and a vital connector of cultures. Reopening the border signals Australia’s return to the world stage. We are open for international business, ready to help clients, colleagues, partners and suppliers re-connect across the global community,” she said.