Capella Ubud has appointed Mark Swinton as general manager, a hospitality veteran with more than 30 years of professional experience in the luxury hospitality industry.
Prior to joining Capella Hotels & Resorts, Swinton led the pre-opening efforts for Six Senses Bhutan, where he acted as country general manager, assisting with the conceptualisation, development and operational strategy implementation for all five lodges.
Previously, the Canada-born spent 10 years with Aman, working in management roles across Bhutan, Beijing, Borodubur, and Bali, where he was regional director of Aman, Indonesia.
Professional associations perform more than self-serving roles for their members and the industry they represent. Fact. Professional associations, through their meetings and events, leave behind more than just tourism receipts for the host city. Fact.
John Graham
Unfortunately, also a fact, a lot of the good that associations do are kept within their walls.
Illustrating the extensiveness of associations’ work, John Graham, president and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), said: “Everything in life is touched by associations. Associations set the safety standards of the smartphone you are using, the production standards of the blouse that you wearing, and the quality of the medical care you are receiving. And that’s just the standard-setting part of the work associations do.
“Associations also boost the economy, create jobs and conduct research to improve lives. But not many people know about the public good that associations are achieving, and it is important that associations talk about that.”
For years, the ASAE has run the annual Power of A Awards in North America, which recognises associations that are able to leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional performance, kickstart innovation and improve world conditions.
Award winners have traditionally been North American associations, but ASAE is now hoping to globalise it by including nominees and winners from Asia-Pacific.
“The concept of the Power of A is relevant in any part of the world, and so we thought why not try to get some associations based in Asia-Pacific to apply for the awards in 2019 and into the future? Furthermore, the awards is one way to bring wider attention to the legacies of associations,” he added.
Here in Asia, the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) organises the Ang Susi Awards which recognises individuals who have sustainably managed an association and produced remarkable results, and also membership organisations that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in helping the environment, empowering people, serving communities, enhancing trade and industry, developing technology solutions, and for being agents of change.
Graham believes that associations need to “get smarter” in publicising their good work, something that Richard Holmes, director of the International Bureau For Epilepsy (IBE), echoes.
“It could be talking to the press or using social media to spread the word on what the association is doing in the lead up to, during and after its meeting,” Holmes said.
Association leaders who spoke to TTGassociations also emphasised the importance of measuring and communicating the legacies of associations to the government and relevant agencies, so that their meetings aren’t only recognised for their contribution to tourism. This in turn would encourage more local government and national agencies to support hosting bids for global association meetings.
Another critical aspect of association legacies, opined association leaders, is the need to carefully build opportunities to do good into their programme.
Iain Bitran, executive director of the International Society For Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), said: “Legacies don’t just fall from the sky or materialise with the wave of a wand. Associations must plan for it to happen.”
On ISPIM’s part, the association has moved to “build legacy into our Asia-Pacificmeetings” by having challenge-based content. In preparation for the ISPIM Connects Fukuoka conference in Japan in December 2018, Bitran met with the city government and had them identify seven to 10 local issues that could be addressed with innovation.
“From that we picked three: ageing, energy transition and building a start-up ecosystem,” Bitran explained.
“Our members worked on possible solutions in the lead up to our conference, and presented them to the city and local participants at the meeting. Our solutions became the legacies we left behind for Fukuoka.”
Far-reaching goodness of associations
From improving safety and living conditions of people to conserving wildlife, associations can effect deep social benefits through their meetings and the work they do.
AIDS Society of India
The AIDS Society of India lobbied successfully for the establishment of an AIDS/HIV law in 2017 that protected patients from abuse, as well as government support and recognition for the need for AIDS/HIV public education which has helped to reduce the number of infections. Its intensive promotion of far more affordable AIDS/HIV medication produced by qualified Indian pharmaceutical companies and their export to Africa have allowed more patients in that continent to access medicine.
Life Saving Society Malaysia
When the World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2015 was held in Penang, Malaysia, the local host, Life Saving Society Malaysia, took the opportunity to call for the creation of a council to promote water safety culture, and to lobby for swimming lessons in school. A year after the conference, the Malaysian cabinet approved the formation of the Water Activity Safety Council, which was placed under a ministry. The conference itself also brought about nation-wide awareness of the vast number of drowning cases and prevention methods.
International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
ICCA, through its annual ICCA Congress, runs the Gift of Love project which allows delegates to contribute to charitable causes in the host city. As well, in the lead up to ICCA Congress 2016 in Kuching, Sarawak, ICCA ran a year-long Borneo Orangutan Project which invited delegates to adopt one of six orphaned baby orangutans. It drew excellent response, where companies – not just individuals – offered large sums of money to support the programme.
This article was first published in TTGassociation April 2019, a sister publication of TTGmice
Cebu city (pictured) has successfully hosted two major conferences, and has emboldened the government to pursue more
The Philippines government has announced that it will be making bids to host the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) General Assembly, and WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) Global Summit, both scheduled for 2021.
Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat declared that the country is “ready”, while addressing the PATA Annual Summit in Cebu City last Friday.
Cebu city (pictured) has successfully hosted two major conferences, and has emboldened the government to pursue more
She added that the country is “bullish in the pursuit” of hosting the two major events, after having successfully hosted Routes Asia 2018 and this year’s PATA Annual Summit, both held in Cebu City.
UNWTO’s General Assembly, the most important global meeting of senior tourism officials and high level private sector representatives, is held every two years. It will be hosted by the Russian Federation this year, where previously it was held in Chengdu, China in 2017.
Meanwhile, the annual WTTC Global Summit was held in Seville, Spain recently in April while last year’s was in Argentina.
The business event sector is being considered a “new initiative” for the Philippines government, and the 2019 work programme of the Department of Tourism and its marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board, has indicated intentions to bid for “big ticket events”. Aside from the WTTC and UNWTO, the country is also keen on other major events such as other UNESCO Creative Cities Network Annual Conferences.
Last year, the country launched its first-ever MICE roadmap, in a bid to reclaim the destination’s place as a business events powerhouse.
UFTAA’s meeting wants to show that Sri Lanka is ready to receive tourists; Colombo pictured
An international body of travel agents, the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations (UFTAA), has announced plans to hold its next meeting in Sri Lanka to support the destination which took a devastating hit in the wake of last month’s Easter Sunday attacks.
UFTAA president Sunil Kumar Rumalla told reporters in Colombo last Friday: “UFTAA board member, Trevor Rajaratnam, appealed to us to try and look at Sri Lanka as a destination for our next immediate event which is normally held in August (in another country).”
UFTAA’s meeting wants to show that Sri Lanka is ready to receive tourists; Colombo pictured
Rajaratnam, who is also the president of the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka, told TTG Asia that he was preparing a formal letter address to UFTAA’s board of directions to look into meeting earlier in Colombo in June or July. Some 100 tourism leaders and experts from 30 countries are expect to attend.
Rumalla also informed reporters that the event was fast-tracked by a month or so as it could “serve as a message to the whole world that a global body of tourism experts and leaders is present in Sri Lanka”.
He added UFTAA is committed to supporting Sri Lanka, similar to its support of Turkey to rebuild confidence in the country in the aftermath of terrorist attacks there three years ago.
“We are very keen to see that this most wonderful country is brought back to normalcy as soon as possible,” Rumalla shared.
In the meantime, Emirates and SriLankan Airlines have pledged their support to facilitate the UFTAA mid-year forum by offering concessionary airfare to delegates coming to Sri Lanka. Hotels are also expected to offer concessionary rates for foreign delegates attending the forum.
UFTAA is also considering holding an event at one of the affected hotels on Easter Sunday. More than 250 people including 40 tourists died in the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo. Two of the hotels are have reopened, but a third hotel, the Shangri-La Colombo, has yet to reopen.
The Singapore business event market has gained importance among Busan suppliers following SilkAir’s May 1 commencement of four-times-weekly direct flights between the city-state and the coastal Korean city.
Prior to this, travellers from Singapore had to fly to Seoul for onward air connection to Busan, or journey on by bus or rapid train service.
Sehoon Choi: new direct flight will result in a stronger growth rate in Singaporean outbound travellers to Busan
According to Sehoon Choi, junior manager with Busan Tourism Organization’s Convention Bureau, Singapore was never a key source market due to accessibility limitation. Instead, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand were top Asian producers due to ease of access from these countries.
“There were 39,173 visitors from Singapore to Busan in 2018, which is about 16.8 per cent of total Singapore arrivals to South Korea,” said Choi.
“That was a 53 per cent increase over 2017 numbers. But with the new direct access provided by SilkAir, we expect a much stronger growth rate this year,” he said.
Choi referenced Malaysia as a case in point. “After a direct flight was launched (by AirAsia X) between Malaysia and Busan in 2013, arrivals rose steadily. Malaysia is now one of our main markets for incentive programmes and corporate meetings,” he said.
He added that most events coming out of Singapore would be incentive programmes and corporate meetings due to the strong presence of MNCs in the city-state. However, Busan Tourism Organization is also keen to attract international conventions related to Busan’s seven strategic industries such as marine, intelligent services and finance.
The Lion City’s appeal as a MICE source market would improve further with Jeju Air’s new direct Singapore-Busan service come July, noted Choi.
Also anticipating healthy demand from Singapore on the wings of SilkAir is Jin Hee Kim, sales manager, Crown Harbour Hotel Busan.
“We rarely get corporate groups from Singapore, with most of our corporate business coming from Thailand. But we believe the new SilkAir access will change things,” remarked Kim.
James Kang, managing director with MEPS International, a Seoul-based DMC and PCO, said the SilkAir service would allow his agency to promote Busan as an entry point for a wider business event programme in South Korea, but noted that higher-end groups would still prefer to fly with main flag carriers.
Both domestic and international flights will have to pay the levy; Kuala Lumpur International Airport pictured
Malaysia’s Air Passenger Departure Levy, scheduled to come into force in July or after, will not benefit the inbound business events sector, as DMCs fear that it will make it more difficult to compete with regional destinations for business.
Arokia Das Anthony, director, Luxury Tours Malaysia, groused: “Why do we need to tax business and leisure travellers who have come to Malaysia and are spending money here? This will not incentivise them to choose Malaysia. We are already at a disadvantage to Thailand and Singapore as both are regional hubs with better flight connectivity. This departure levy will add on to (the disadvantage).”
Both domestic and international flights will have to pay the levy; Kuala Lumpur International Airport pictured
“Most of my company’s inbound business events are from China and India, both price sensitive markets,” he added.
Similarly, Adam Kamal, general manager, Tour East Malaysia, lamented: “An additional US$10 can affect the decision of business event organisers when choosing a destination.”
Kamal said in addition to the departure levy, there is also a tourism tax that Malaysia has enforced. Previously, the travel industry believed that once the levy is implemented, the tourism tax will be abolished.
“However, that is not the case. Now there will be an additional charge involved, and that will be the deal breaker,” he pointed out.
To entice incentive groups to still choose Malaysia once the new tax is in place, Uzaidi Udanis, general manager of Eyes Holidays, said his company would have to “add more value in the form of activities”.
He compared the situation to Singapore, indicating that the city state was “expensive”, but incentive organisers were willing to travel there as there are many activities to do throughout the day.
When asked if the tax would impact outbound Malaysian incentives, Uzaidi said the effect would be non-existent as companies would still have to motivate their sales teams and dealers with incentive trips, regardless of the costs.
The Air Passenger Departure Levy to be imposed on departing passengers to overseas destinations, are on the basis of a two-tier rate structure. It starts at RM20 (US$4.80) per departing passenger to ASEAN member countries, and will cost RM40 per departing passenger to all other international destinations. This fee is in addition to the RM73 passenger service charge already imposed at airports.
The country’s Transport minister, Anthony Loke, has also defended the departure levy, saying that the money was needed to raise revenue, as the government could collect a few hundred million ringgit from this sector annually.
Thai Airways and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) have inked an MoU to increase business events bound for the Kingdom. The partnership will also help THAI grow its MICE revenue through traffic heading to Thailand and elsewhere on routes operated by the national flag carrier.
The MoU was signed by Wiwat Piyawiroj (fourth from left), executive vice president, commercial of THAI, and Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya (third from left), president of TCEB.
This MoU follows a joint MICE campaign launched in January this year.
London: Major international medical congress chooses UK city
The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) has announced that it will return to ExCeL London – an exhibitions and international convention centre in Canning Town – in 2020.
The five-day event is expected to bring together over 10,000 hepatologists, doctors and medical professionals, to share recent data, present studies and findings, and discuss the latest topics on liver disease.
London has welcomed a number of prestigious medical events over the past few years. In 2018, the city played host to Diabetes UK, the European Association on Antennas and Propagation; the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery Annual Congress; and the British Geriatrics Society Autumn Meeting.
Tulum: Mexico’s MICE sector receives boost with new infrastructure
Mexican hotel company Posadas has announced plans to open a convention centre in the new resort destination of Tulum in Quintana Roo.
The new venue, which will span over 3,065m2, represents the company’s biggest investment in the meetings market to date. It will be part of a new tourism development named Tulkal, and will include multiple resorts, such as a 515-room Fiesta Americana all-inclusive property, and a 340-room Live Aqua Beach Resort.
Overall the destination will have 1,300 oceanfront rooms spread across all of its properties in its final phase.
Fujairah: Upcoming ITMC Summit to be held in the UAE
The ITMC (Independent Travel Management Company) Summit, hosted by WIN Global Travel Network, will take place from June 9-12 2019 at the InterContinental Fujairah Resort in the UAE.
Open to independent Travel Management Companies (TMCs) from across the globe, the theme for this year’s event will be Rewired.
The Rewired theme will look at changing technology in the business travel sector and how the distinction between online and offline concepts has been blurred across many markets. A key focus will be how service models can be enhanced through artificial intelligence and additions such as chatbots which are designed to create efficiency and simplify travel arrangements, allowing TMCs more time to perform complex tasks and better personalise the traveller experience.
During the conference, attendees will have access to industry-leading professionals and a variety of workshop sessions. Confirmed speakers include Rockport Data and Analytics’ Jon Gray; Synthesis Group Australia’s William Pegg; and Changing Times’ Richard Savva.
Journey Hub Hotel Phuket, a property owned by Boutique Corporation, has been renamed Oakwood Hotel Journeyhub Phuket, as of April 1, 2019, following the announcement of a strategic partnership between the two companies.
Deluxe King Room
Oakwood Hotel Journeyhub Phuket marks Oakwood’s first entry into a resort location. The hotel located in Patong, Thailand, features 171 rooms and suites across several categories ranging from the lead-in deluxe room to the two-bedroom suite.
Other facilities and services include a fitness centre, rooftop infinity pool, Crossways Bar & Restaurant, and complimentary shuttle service to the nearby Jungceylon Shopping Centre, Bangla Road, and Patong Beach.
Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa is offering event planners a year-end promotion to book meetings or events from now until November 30, 2019, for stays from September 1, 2019, to December 22, 2019.
During this promotion period, new meeting or event bookings with at least 25 rooms per night will receive special offers on meeting packages, complimentary guestrooms, free room upgrades, Double World of Hyatt points up to a maximum of 100,000 points, among others.
Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa – Ballroom
Moreover, group bookings of a minimum of 50 rooms will benefit from additional perks such as complimentary spa treatment, hotel limo airport transfer, signature pre-dinner drink and outdoor catering fee.
The beachfront resort features 900m2 of event and meeting facilities, ranging from the Regency Ballroom which can hold up to 250 guests to the Beach House Garden that can host 700 pax.
Book through danang.regency@hyatt.com or call (84) 236 398 1234.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
