Uncertainty looms for US business travel with Trump ban upheld

June 28, 2018

The US Supreme Court is upholding the Trump administration’s travel ban restricting visitors from select countries from entering the US, much to the disappointment of global business travel associations.

Greeley Koch, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) Global, stated: “This is a disappointing decision on the part of the Supreme Court, and a setback for the principles underlying the global economy.”

The long-term impacts on American business and general tourism that the US travel ban will bring about remains to be seen

Some US$185 million in business travel bookings were lost in a single week following the first Trump ban, while the second and third continued to impact inbound US travel, said Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) executive director and COO Michael McCormick.

And with the ruling to uphold the ban, 37 per cent of GBTA members expect some level of reduction going forward.

GBTA is “deeply concerned” about the long-term impact of the travel bans and the global perception of doing business with the US. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and as the US changes its policies about inbound travel, others are likely to do the same,” the association said in a statement.

Koch also expressed ACTE’s concern over implications for a healthy business environment, which it believes relies on the economic inputs and outputs from workers and tourists coming into the US from around the world.

“ACTE believes in treating all travellers with fairness and respect for their contributions to the economy, regardless of country of origin. We hope that, despite this decision, the US government will take the time to carefully evaluate immigration and security policies to ensure that the economy continues to thrive without sacrificing safety.”

Offbeat Taiwan sees more incentive and teambuilding business

By Pamela Chow

June 28, 2018

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Demand for incentive travel and teambuilding trips to non-city areas of Taiwan are beginning to grow in popularity, following aggressive promotions by Meet Taiwan, the Bureau of Foreign Trade’s business events promotion agency.

The agency has been spotlighting unique offerings across Taiwan through campaigns such as the Asia Super Team annual challenge, roadshows in South-east Asia and business incentive programmes, Jessie Tseng, executive director of Meet Taiwan, told TTGmice at the Meet Taiwan Networking Event yesterday.

Buyers and sellers responding to to the host at yesterday’s Meet Taiwan event

“Most Singaporeans are familiar with Taiwan, but we would like to showcase more of Taiwan’s creative activities and programmes that would appeal to incentive and teambuilding groups,” said Tseng.

Selvam V, managing director of Singapore-based Star City Tours, shared that his clients have been eager to explore parts of Taiwan outside Taipei and engage in “local” experiences, such as rafting and handicrafts.

“We’ve only just introduced tours to Taiwan and our clients are already very interested in exploring the (whole) country,” he said.

Meanwhile, inbound tour operator Taiwan Tour has also seen increasing interest beyond Taipei. For example, incentive trips that aim to be “relaxing” are now often held in more rural areas such as Taitung and Hualien in eastern Taiwan, said Han Chang, representative of Taiwan Tour.

In these areas, groups engage in activities like outdoor cycling, visits and interactions with aboriginal communities and sticky rice-making to experience the “original culture” of the country, he described.

Still, corporate groups – especially first- and second-time visitors – expect to make a stop at Taipei when in the country, as it is the capital of Taiwan.

“The last or last two days can be spent in Taipei, be it to go to shopping centres or other venues in the city,” said Chang.

Wrapping corporate incentive experiences in virtual gift boxes

By Pamela Chow

June 28, 2018

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How did the inspiration for Xoxoday come about?
Back in 2012, myself and three friends – Manoj Agarwal, Kushal Agarwal and Abhishek Kumar – decided to start a company with the idea of innovating in the gifting space.

Xoxoday started off as Giftxoxo. Back then, it was more about providing innovative gifting solutions to consumers. However, a few months into the business, we realised that we needed to look beyond consumers and innovate further for corporates if we really wanted to disrupt the gifting space.

How did you come up with the concept of corporate gift boxes?
The whole concept of gifting in organisations was inclined towards either cash or (material) things. Most people also expected their gifts in a tangible physical form. For this, Xoxoday created personalised gift boxes with the recipient’s names engraved on it.

The box holds a host of experiences that they can choose from, such as learning to fly an airplane, driving a vintage car, milking a cow, getting a naturopathy session, or adventure sports such as scuba diving.

Experiential travel and activities are a strong differentiator in our catalogue (and these) catch the attention of organisations. (They have) opened up to the concept, (as) they realise that gifting experiences makes a difference to employees’ lives and they actually come back to work rejuvenated.

Who are your key clients?
Xoxoday serves both retail consumers and enterprise clients; we have more than 800 global clients. Our business portfolio comprises Experiences & Activities, Enterprise SaaS Rewards Platform, and Gift Vouchers. (Besides Singapore), we have offices in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, the UAE, the US and Australia.

What potential do you see in Singapore?
Singapore’s well-developed enterprise ecosystem is what attracted Xoxoday. We are looking for opportunities to partner with top corporates for their RnR and loyalty programmes. It’s quite motivating to see how large multinational companies collaborate with small local companies to generate a competitive edge and create value through innovation in Singapore.

Singapore’s ideal geographic location, connectivity with world’s fastest growing markets, and contribution towards the growth of the Asia region make it an ideal launch pad for companies pursuing opportunities in Asia.

How are you reaching out to corporates in Singapore?
We reach out to HR or marketing heads via e-mails, events and referrals. This is followed up with meetings and discussions where we brief them about our products and how gifting experiences can make a difference to employees’ lives.

Once the contract is signed, we sell Xoxoday’s platforms for rewards, recognition, engagement and communication.

How is it like working with clients in Singapore?
The RnR and customer loyalty solutions on our employee engagement platform are becoming popular among our international clients. The platform generates a happiness score, which can be used to align your team around the objective that matters most. This helps HRs identify and fix issues, increase employee retention and save on constant recruitment.

Also, the corporates here are very particular about automated products (that are also) simplified.

What are some differences you’ve seen between the India market and the Singapore market?
The Singapore market tends to be more responsive to new concepts and innovative solutions, (so) decision-making is much faster here. We have also noticed that the market is not quite open to new ideas unless there is a need.

How does Singapore as a travel destination compare to others you have in your catalogue?
Singapore has a huge potential to become a hub for curated experiences. People look for activities that are divided into categories such as adventure (scuba diving, trekking), tours (photography, food), outdoors (biking, horse riding), indoor (mystery games, pottery workshops) and wellness (spa treatments). High-quality experiences such as these can be found in Singapore.

What are your future plans for the Singapore market?
Our prime objective would be to become established as a leading tech company for HR, marketing, RnR, engagement, and customer loyalty with our catalogue of curated experiences. This would also add value to the travel and tourism industry in Singapore. Also we would like to set up a base in Singapore to handle our business in South-east Asian countries.

Iconic hotel to rebrand as The Okura Tokyo in 2019

By TTGmice

June 28, 2018

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G.A._DESIGN_INTERNATIONAL_LIMITED_[The_Okura_Heritage_Wing_Room-1] — A rendering of the room in the Okura Heritage Wing

Come September 2019, The Okura Tokyo will replace the established Hotel Okura Tokyo, which has been Hotel Okura’s flagship since opening in 1962.

Hotel Okura will rebrand its flagship Hotel Okura Tokyo, established since 1962, as The Okura Tokyo when it reopens in September 2019.

A rendering of the room in the Okura Heritage Wing

After the revamp, the luxury hotel will offer a total of 508 rooms across across two buildings. The smaller of the two buildings, the 17-storey Okura Heritage Wing will boast its own reception, the Yamazato Japanese restaurant and Chosho-an tea ceremony room.

The larger Okura Prestige Tower, at 41 storeys, will also offer fine dining options and banquet facilities – one of which will be the largest ballroom in Tokyo. Guestrooms will begin on the 28th floor, offering vistas of Tokyo from every room.

The refurbishment will include a full restoration of its main lobby, which will sport “legacy decorations” including hexagonal Okura Lantern ceiling lights, and lacquered tables and chairs arranged like plum flowers.

A rendering of the main entrance. Photo credit: Copyright 2018 Taniguchi and Associates

The Okura Museum of Art will also have its second coming following the hotel rebrand. Originally established in 1917 as Japan’s first privately operated art museum, its collection includes around 2,500 works of art, among which are three National Treasures, 13 Important Cultural Properties and 44 Important Art Objects designated by the Japanese government.

Hotel Okura has also unveiled The Okura Heritage Brand, a new brand that emphasises “traditional Japanese dignity and elegance” to complement its existing The Okura Prestige Brand. The Okura Tokyo will be the Okura family’s first “Two Brand, One Operation” hotel, a concept that the company will expand going forward.

Advanced individual reservations for The Okura Tokyo will be accepted from April 2019; while reservations for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions will be possible from September 2018.

Indochina is next target for Oakwood’s expansion

By TTGmice

June 28, 2018

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Oakwood-1 — From top: Oakwood Residence Hanoi’s façade; an aerial rendering of Oakwood Premier Phnom Penh and Oakwood Hotel & Residence Phnom Penh within the One Park compound

Serviced apartment operator Oakwood Worldwide will expand into Indochina as part of its regional growth strategy, with three properties set to open in Cambodia and Vietnam next year.

“We have been steadily growing our stronghold in China and Japan and are thrilled to be broadening our presence in South-east Asia,” said Dean Schreiber, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Oakwood Worldwide. “Cambodia and Vietnam have been rapidly developing with healthy economic growth rates and this is an opportune time for Oakwood to establish itself as we foresee increasing demand for long-term accommodation.”

From top: Oakwood Residence Hanoi’s façade; an aerial rendering of Oakwood Premier Phnom Penh and Oakwood Hotel & Residence Phnom Penh within the One Park compound

In Cambodia, Oakwood Premier Phnom Penh and Oakwood Hotel & Residence Phnom Penh will feature 220 units and 168 units respectively, offering guests a choice of hotel rooms; studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as penthouses.

Both properties will be situated within One Park – a prime mixed-use development comprising office and retail space, medical centre, international school and residential towers.

Over in Vietnam, Oakwood Residence Hanoi will become the brand’s third property in the country after Oakwood Apartments Ho Chi Minh City and Oakwood Residence Saigon.

Situated next to the West Lake on Dang Thai Mai Street, the Hanoi outpost will feature 265 studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as penthouse units. Facilities include a children’s playroom, swimming pool with pool bar, gym, as well as meeting and restaurant facilities.

All three Indochina properties are slated to open in mid-2019.

AccorHotels cements plans for Pullman Khao Lak Resort

By TTGmice

June 28, 2018

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Pullman_Khao_Lak_Resort_-_Rendering_1 — rendering of the upcoming Pullman Khao Lak Resort

AccorHotels has signed an agreement with Thailand-based real estate developer Khaolak Inter for a Pullman-branded property in the coastal town of Khao Lak.

Slated to open in 2021, the Pullman Khao Lak Resort will feature 50 family suites and a large kids club, specifically for family getaways. For couples and business travellers, the resort also offers seven private villas and an adult-only infinity pool.

From left: Khaolak Inter’s Michael Choo, Kamontip Phunratanamala, and Chan Chanyapoolsin; AccorHotels’ Patrick Basset, Gilles Cretallaz, and Joyce Ong. Photo credit: Pramook Tipvimalmas

Other amenities include an all-day dining eatery, a speciality restaurant, a lobby bar, and two meeting rooms with two breakout rooms. Wellness facilities include three pools, a health and fitness centre, beach club and spa.

The property is located an hour’s drive north of Phuket, and 80km south of Phuket International Airport. Should ongoing plans of Phang Nga Airport come to fruition, it will provide the first commercial aviation gateway to Khao Lak, bringing travellers closer to Khao Lak and the Phang Nga Province.

rendering of the upcoming Pullman Khao Lak Resort

There are currently over 120 Pullman hotels in 33 countries worldwide, with Asia-Pacific accounting for more than 70 hotels and resorts and over 21,000 rooms. Upcoming properties in the region include Pullman Mandalay Mingalar in Myanmar, Pullman Luang Prabang in Laos and Pullman Tokyo Tamachi in Japan.

Beyond Asia: The Barbican Centre, Washington State Convention Center, and QO Amsterdam

By TTGmice

June 28, 2018

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The Barbican Centre makes improvements on existing event spaces
The Barbican Centre in London is refurbishing and upgrading Cinemas 2 and 3 to enable them to also be used for conferencing – complete with registration and food and beverage spaces.

Cinemas 2 and 3, which opened in 2012, will undergo upgrades and refurbishment, with a targeted opening date this summer. Once work is complete, both cinemas will have a capacity of 150 pax each, as well as offer the latest in high definition projection and audiovisual facilities.

WSCC expansion moves forward
The expansion of the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) in Seattle has been approved to go forward by the City Council. The US$1.6 billion project, scheduled for a 2021 completion, aims to double the size of the facility to more than 78,900m² of space.

The design of the WSCC addition prioritises efficiency, connections with the surrounding neighbourhoods, open and engaging public spaces, and a unique experience that embodies Seattle’s special qualities. The also aims to be a leader in sustainability, and will seek LEED Silver certification.

QO Amsterdam marries luxury and sustainability
QO Amsterdam, a 288-key InterContinental Hotels Group property, has opened its doors in Amstelkwartier in the Dutch capital.

The 21-floor hotel is designed to reduce environmental impact while creating the best possible guest experience, from the rooftop greenhouse to the intelligent façade and energy-saving features in its construction.

Amenities include Dutch eatery Persijn; Juniper & Kin, kitchen garden & bar on the 21^st floor; 482m² of meeting space; and Embody, a wellness studio on the 20^th floor that offers the latest in fitness and wellness trends, and a wide range of group classes.

Niklas Andréen joins CWT as chief traveler experience officer

By TTGmice

June 28, 2018

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Carlson Wagonlit Travel has appointed Niklas Andréen as executive vice president and chief traveler experience officer, effective September 2018.

Based in London, Andréen will report to Kurt Ekert, president & CEO of CWT, and serve as a member of the CWT Executive Leadership Team.

The Swedish national will oversee worldwide Traveler Services, which is being rebranded as Traveler Experience to align against CWT’s 3.0 digital strategy and an holistic approach to customer experience across all channels. He will take over these responsibilities from Matt Beatty.

Currently, Andréen is senior vice president & managing director of hospitality, car, digital mMedia, corporate and digital (beyond air) at Travelport. He has held several other leadership roles there including leading the integration of Travelport’s digital assets into their business.

Fourth Ascott serviced residence in Suzhou opens

By TTGmice

June 28, 2018

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Somerset_Baitang_Suzhou_(2) — An apartment in Somerset Baitang Suzhou

The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has opened its fourth property in Suzhou – a fast-growing city along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, a key economic region that accounts for more than 40 per cent of China’s GDP.

Somerset Baitang Suzhou is strategically located in the heart of the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) – home to more than 2,000 multinational corporations – next to the Central Business District in the east of Jinji Lake.

The 194-unit serviced residence comprises one to four-bedroom apartments, and offers an array of facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, gym, restaurant, golf driving range, and sauna and steam rooms.

The property is also within walking distance of two stations on Metro Line 1 and extensive bus lines, and a 20-minute drive from the Ecological Hub, Integrated Free Trade Zone and High Tech Industrial Zone.

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre names new head of safety & security

By TTGmice

June 27, 2018

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The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has appointed Maniraj Nadarasa as its new Head of Safety & Security.

In his new role, Maniraj is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of an efficient and effective strategy to manage risk, to maintain continuity of operations and ensure the safety and security of the Centre’s team members and visitors.

Maniraj brings with him over a decade of safety and security experience in the hospitality industry.

Prior to joining the Centre, Maniraj was the loss prevention manager at the Westin Kuala Lumpur, where he was responsible for managing security operations and the implementation of risk assessment plans.

Uncertainty looms for US business travel with Trump ban upheld

Offbeat Taiwan sees more incentive and teambuilding business

Wrapping corporate incentive experiences in virtual gift boxes

Iconic hotel to rebrand as The Okura Tokyo in 2019

Indochina is next target for Oakwood’s expansion

AccorHotels cements plans for Pullman Khao Lak Resort

Beyond Asia: The Barbican Centre, Washington State Convention Center, and QO Amsterdam

Niklas Andréen joins CWT as chief traveler experience officer

Fourth Ascott serviced residence in Suzhou opens

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre names new head of safety & security

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