Wuhan goes into lockdown as coronavirus death toll hits 17

January 23, 2020

Wuhan-railway-station — Authorities clamp down on travel in and from the Chinese city; a railway station in Wuhan pictured

Chinese authorities have closed off the Chinese city of Wuhan, which is home to more than 11 million people, as it struggles to contain the deadly coronavirus outbreak, according to a report by The New York Times (NYT).

From Thursday, all public transport, including trains, buses and ferries, in Wuhan have been shut down, while all flights and trains leaving the city has been stopped.

Authorities clamp down on travel in and from the Chinese city; a railway station in Wuhan pictured

The sudden restrictions, which was announced on Chinese state media hours prior to it being implemented, comes as the virus’ death toll reaches 17, with nearly 600 confirmed cases in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, South Korea and the US, according to China’s National Health Commission.

All the fatalities have been in Hubei, the province around Wuhan.

The report quoted the Chinese authorities as saying that the measures in Wuhan were needed to “effectively cut off the transmission of the virus, resolutely curb the spread of the epidemic, and ensure the safety and health of the people”.

They further said that an end date to the restrictions would be announced at a later time, added the report.

The fast-spreading virus, which first emerged at the end of December, has stoked fears that it would burgeon to the scale of the SARS epidemic, which broke out in China in 2002 and 2003, and spread rapidly, resulting in more than 800 deaths worldwide.

As the number of victims grow, governments around the world have implemented entry screening measures at ports of entry, and the World Health Organization is weighing the declaration of a global emergency over the new virus, said the report. Similarly, immigration and health authorities are on high alert and taking precautionary measures.

Given the massive scale of the shutdown in Wuhan, medical experts have voiced concerns over the potential fallout, the NYT reported.

Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, was quoted by the report as saying that a city the size of Wuhan has “tens of thousands of connections with the outside world that are coming and going all the time, bringing food and medicine” and that “the complexity and downside cost of (the lockdown) will be potentially very high”.

The shutdown occurs at a time when millions of Chinese citizens travel within China and beyond its borders for the Lunar New Year holidays.

An estimated 30,000 people fly out of Wuhan on an average day, according to air traffic data. The city is the hub of industry and commerce in central China, home to the region’s biggest airport and deepwater port.

Shane Lee heads up Louis T Collection’s first Taiwan property

By TTGmice

January 23, 2020

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Louis T Collection has appointed Shane Lee as hotel manager to lead its first Taiwan property, CESVI.

Lee joins the team this month in preparation for the March opening of the 28-room boutique hotel – made entirely of shipping containers in Taiwan’s port city of Kaohsiung.

Having spent most of her hospitality career between Bali and Taiwan, Lee was most recently the executive assistant manager to the general manager at Westin Yilan Resort in Taiwan. Prior to that, she was the general manager at Bali Graha Asia, where she ran the company’s two different private villa properties in Canggu, a popular beachtown area on the island.

She has also served at various properties including W Hotel Taipei, Silks Place Taroko Resort, in Taiwan’s Taroko National Park, and ClubMed Bali.

Indonesia lays out big event, development plans for Labuan Bajo

By Tiara Maharani

January 23, 2020

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labuan-bajo-airport — Komodo International Airport – the gateway to Labuan Bajo and the Komodo National Park – is slated to be upgraded and expanded

Indonesia is planning to host the G20 and ASEAN summits in Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara province when she takes over the presidency of the world economic grouping and chairmanship of the South-east Asian association in 2023.

In preparation for the two high-level events, efforts are being accelerated to develop the tourism facilities in Labuan Bajo, including the expansion of Komodo Airport to give it a larger terminal and longer runway with capacity for more international flights.

Komodo International Airport – the gateway to Labuan Bajo and the Komodo National Park – is slated for expansion and upgrades

“We need to improve everything in Labuan Bajo, including the infrastructure and the landscape. There are also waste problems and clean water issues that we should tackle. We should work hard so that the destination is ready to host international events in the years to come,” Indonesian president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said in a statement released by the State Palace.

Last year, Jokowi’s administration had named Labuan Bajo as one of the government’s five super-priority destinations to be developed in line with overall efforts to establish the tourism industry as one of the country’s new drivers of economic growth.

Developments outlined for Labuan Bajo include an integrated tourism complex in the Marina area, which will house the 147-key Hotel Inaya Bay Komodo, a ballroom for up to 1,000 people, commercial spaces, a marina, and a flight deck; a creative hub in Puncak Waringin, which will comprise an amphitheatre, green open spaces and an observation deck.

Eager industry players have offered suggestions for other aspects that needed attention for Labuan Bajo to be ready to host the events.

Reza Abdullah, president director of Royalindo Convention International, said the destination needed to tackle the current lack of five-star hotels.

“There are sufficient three- and four-star hotel rooms in Labuan Bajo for summit participants, but the heads of state will need presidential suites or at least the largest suite in a five-star hotel,” opined Reza.

According to the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association, there are only 102 star-rated hotels in Labuan Bajo with a combined inventory of 2,150 rooms. The 205-key Ayana Komodo Resort is the only five-star hotel in the destination.

Reza believes there is ample time for Labuan Bajo to expand its upscale hotel offerings.

Susilowani Daud, president director of Pacto Convex, shares Reza’s sentiments, saying that president Jokowi has a good track record in making good his infrastructure development promises.

“(Three years is sufficient time for) Labuan Bajo to be ready for the G20 and ASEAN summits in 2023,” Susilowani said.

Jokowi’s big plans for Labuan Bajo have attracted investors.

“As a destination, the popularity of Labuan Bajo has been rising in recent years. Plans for the G20 and the ASEAN summits could trigger more incoming investments,” said Susilowani.

Besides infrastructure development, Wisnu Budi Sulaeman, CEO of Puntama Convex, also urged for attention on electricity, clean water issues and food supply management.

Goa looks beyond beaches to grow tourism

By Rohit Kaul

January 23, 2020

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Hot-air-balloon-Goa — Not many know that activities like riding a hot air balloon can be done in Goa

Goa is looking to promote its rich and diversified tourism products and offerings beyond beach holidays, as the Indian state seeks to stem the continued haemorrhage of visitors in the wake of the collapse of Thomas Cook UK which used to bring around 50,000 tourists to the destination.

The UK is the second-largest source market for Goa, after Russia.

Not many know that activities like riding a hot air balloon can be done in Goa

As part of its marketing efforts, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) recently organised a fam trip for inbound tour operators across the globe to showcase the state’s various tourism offerings beyond beaches.

The GTDC also plans to launch a marketing campaign spotlighting its diverse offerings, on top of participating in domestic and international trade shows to promote Goa as a destination for adventure, eco-tourism, MICE, heritage, and medical tourism activities.

“Goa has been a preferred destination for domestic and international tourists. However, some tourists have the perception that Goa is just about the sun, sea, and sand. We want to dispel such notions and assert that Goa has much more to offer than beaches,” said Nikhil Desai, managing director, GTDC.

“Goa has a lot to offer for adventure tourism, like hot air ballooning, bungy jumping, and scuba diving. One can also enjoy white water rafting during the monsoon season. We are also strengthening our offerings on the wellness and MICE front.”

A new promotional video showcasing the diversity of tourism products in Goa was launched on the sidelines of the three-day Goa International Travel Mart 2019 that took place in October last year.

As well, the state will be developing an Ayurveda cum Yoga centre in Farmagudi under the public-private partnership model. A tender in this regard seeking expressions of interest from private players has already been floated. To cater to corporate travellers, discussions are ongoing for a new state-of-the-art convention centre in Dona Paula.

“We are also looking to introduce heli tourism in the state. We will be organising media fam trips and utilising social media platforms to create awareness about the richness and diversity of tourism experiences in Goa. Our focus is on attracting high-quality visitors to Goa,” said Desai.

SATTE invests in Bangladeshi emerging corporate travel sector

By Caroline Boey

January 23, 2020

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Corporate travel in Bangladesh will get a shot in the arm this year when the first SATTE, organised by Informa Markets India, will be held in Dhaka from August 19-20 and incorporate a Corporate Travel Day by CTC (Corporate Travel Community).

Describing Bangladesh as “an extremely new emerging market with corporate travel management in its infancy”, Benson Tang, CTC executive director, said the event would be a “very simple travel management 101 introduction”.

The corporate travel management sector is in its infancy stages in Bangladesh, with room for growth; Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city pictured

CTC, he added, was looking at flying in travel managers to showcase case studies on corporate travel management, starting from scratch to the more sophisticated.

According to a recent World Economic Forum report, Bangladesh’s GDP growth rate in 2020 is forecast to be eight per cent and the economy is diversifying. Apart from the garment trade, the services sector – including microfinance and computing – makes up more than half of the country’s GDP.

Hong Kong-based Florence Robert, regional travel manager Asia-Pacific, Ericsson, said that Bangladesh’s “(corporate travel) market is still immature”, adding that there were “no easy forms of payment and online corporate tools”.

“There is only basic access, limited (booking) tools and it is difficult to get LCCs or Internet promotional fares,” she noted.

Commenting that his company’s Bangladesh corporate travel programme is “quite basic and manual”, a Shanghai-based corporate travel manager called it “sufficient, as the footprint and number of travellers are small”.

He noted that Bangladesh was “considered a country with elevated risk for travellers from a security perspective, and general safety during the rainy season.”

“Travel there is restricted to those with a real need, and there are very few expatriates based there. Outbound is also limited as the office there is small, with less than 100 trips in and out,” he added.

A Singapore-based corporate travel manager whose company did not have a full office yet in Bangladesh, said travel there was “project-based” or involved major milestones like vendor qualification, before the award of the contract, then maybe once or twice in the life of a one- to two-year project.

“But I can share that the region is a hotbed for outsourcing and centralisation of services, so it is probably becoming quite a popular business destination,” he commented.

Seoul CVB teams up with secondary Korean destinations in incentives push

By TTGmice

January 23, 2020

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The Seoul Convention Bureau has indicated that it will be signing four more partnerships with secondary South Korean cities this year – in addition to Gwangju – building on the first-ever MoU signed with Gangwon province in 2019.

Last year, close to 7,000 MICE participants utilised the co-marketing support programme provided by Seoul and Gangwon for their incentive group tours.

Gangwon (pictured) has welcomed from more incentive groups since the signing of the MoU

Gangwon was first propelled into the MICE spotlight with the hosting of PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

MICE planners in Indonesia (77 per cent), followed by Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, were the top few South-east Asian countries to send corporate groups to the two Korean cities.

For instance, an Indonesian lifestyle products company sent 1,500 of their employees on a trip which included winter activities such as curling and riding on sleds, as well as exploring Korean culture in Seoul such as visiting a palace in Seoul wearing a traditional hanbok.

In 2020, Seoul and Gangwon is set to welcome more groups together, starting with a group of 5,000 participants coming from Indonesia in February.

Beyond Asia: Gateshead Quays; Mandarin Oriental, Dallas; 26th Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists

By TTGmice

January 23, 2020

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Gateshead-Quays-800x500 — Gateshead Quays

Gateshead Quays conference centre slated for 2023 opening
ASM Global (a merger between SMG Europe and AEG Facilities) has been confirmed as the venue management provider for a new £260 million (US$341.5 million) arena, conference and exhibition centre on Gateshead Quays in England.

Set to open in 2023, the development includes a 12,500-pax arena; 6,300m2 of conference and exhibition space; two hotels, bars, restaurants and car park. Upon completion, it is estimated that up to 300,000 new visitors will be drawn into the region each year boosting the economy by up to £30 million annually.

Mandarin Oriental announces outpost in Dallas
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will be managing a luxury hotel, as well as branded residences, in Dallas, Texas, once it opens in 2022.

The new development will comprise a 25-storey mixed-use tower located in the Turtle Creek neighbourhood, close to the CBD.

Mandarin Oriental, Dallas will have 176 guestrooms and suites, four restaurants and bars including an all-day dining option, a lobby lounge, MO Bar and speciality restaurant. There will also be meeting and function facilities, alongside other recreational facilities include a spa, fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool.

Rimini clinches environmental conference
The Palacongressi di Rimini in Italy has won the bid to host the 26th Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE).

Held from June 22-25, 2021, the European scientific association will bring together 1,200 experts – the majority European – who are active in environmental, climate and resource economics. The agenda will include the circular economy, low carbon transport systems, and the decarbonisation of buildings.

The association’s 2019 European Conference was held in Manchester, in June, the 2018 edition in Gothenburg and the previous year in Athens. In 2020 it will be Berlin that hosts the event.

CWT names Scott Hace as enterprise strategy VP

By TTGmice

January 23, 2020

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CWT has appointed Scott Hace as vice president, enterprise strategy, reporting to Julia Kou, senior vice president, enterprise strategy & corporate development.

Together with his team, Hace will partner with key leaders across the business to accelerate strategic projects around growth strategies, operational efficiencies, and competitive differentiation. Additionally, the enterprise strategy team works closely with CWT’s leadership team to define near and mid-term programme priorities while evaluating corporate development opportunities for CWT.

This is not Hace’s first foray with enterprise strategy, having joined the company as director of enterprise strategy in 2015. From there, he was promoted to senior director, global supply chain partners in 2017.

Prior to joining CWT, Hace spent 15 years doing consulting in the high-tech and communications industries with companies like Avaya, Comcast, Cognizant, and Accenture where he managed large IT transformations, and developed new sales and go-to-market strategies.

Osaka Kabuki-za theatre given new life as a hotel

By TTGmice

January 23, 2020

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Designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the former Osaka Shin-Kabukiza theatre has been transformed into Hotel Royal Classic Osaka which dangles luxurious stays and a selection of contemporary event venues.

The property incorporates the facade of the former Osaka Shin-Kabukiza theatre, while the interior is now a tranquil and elegant oasis for rest and recreation.

Hotel Royal Classic Osaka

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There are 150 rooms and suites spread across the 12^thto 19^thfloors within (there is no 13th floor), with doubles starting from 25m², right up to the 78m² suites.

There are four F&B options on-site. On the ground floor is cafe-lounge Koagari, while on the second floor is Yura Yura buffet restaurant, which serves international cuisine, and is able to seat 106 diners.

The restaurant on the 11^thfloor restaurant welcomes only hotel guests for breakfast, and can seat 92.

Finally, the Kumo bar and lounge can be found on the rooftop, where it serves up panoramic views of the Namba district and its surrounds.

Events are welcomed at the Hotel Royal Classic Osaka, with five main function rooms spread across the third to ninth floors. With no more than one function room per floor, events and gatherings are promised privacy. Each venue can accommodate standing events with up to 400 guests, with the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors offering private terraces for outdoor parties. There is also a 60-pax sky banquet room Rui, plus five private 10-seat function rooms.