[Sponsored Post] Princess Cruises offers Ship Open-House for MICE players in 2018

December 6, 2017

Unforgettable MICE Retreats at Sea

Explore various destinations on an all-inclusive cruise getaway: Princess Cruises offers convenient itineraries of three to five days for meetings as well as seven to 11 days that make great incentives. Companies can explore cruise retreats in Southeast Asia and Australia during December to March or other popular destinations like Japan, Europe, Alaska during summer – guests can disembark at the various ports to explore the destination as a team.

Engage your team – for innovative team building ideas, allow us and our crew to help chart out a day of exciting activities to boost morale, improve communication and strengthen the teamwork.

Network in style and Dine in elegance – Go on a journey of culinary discovery on board Princess Cruises. There are countless ways for a group to get together for a drink or share a meal, including private cocktail gatherings, wine tastings, fine dining in our restaurants, dinners in our specialty restaurants and more. The dining experience onboard can be customized to cater to your group. With multiple, large capacity dining rooms, we can dedicate an entire dining room or section one just for you.

Room to relax – Committed to ensuring that our guests wake up each day feeling refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated, we’ve collaborated with the leading experts in both the science and beauty of sleep to develop the Princess Luxury Bed. A bed that is designed to provide the ultimate night sleep for our guests.

Entertain your team – Every evening, the ship will be alive with entertaining possibilities and your delegates will revel in it. Let the transition from work to play be seamless with our wide range of entertainment options. Catch spectacular production shows at the Princess Theatre, host private parties in the cozy lounges or bars, enjoy the latest blockbusters on our giant 300 square foot LED screen with our signature Movies Under The Stars® or even try scoring a date with Lady Luck at our Las Vegas Style Casino.

Reward your Top Achievers or Corporate Elite:

Come Back from your retreat feeling refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated with the pampering facilities onboard Princess Cruises.

Choose among accommodations ranging from affordable inside staterooms or balcony staterooms to upgrading them to our finest suites onboard.

Pamper them with a Chef’s Table dining experience which comes with behind the scenes tour or choose to add to their reward with award-winning shore excursions, a cocktail or beverage package, spa treatments, private balcony dining experiences with Champagne, etc.

[Click on images to learn more]

Sapphire Princess will be homeporting in Singapore for four months in 8 December 2018 to 21 March 2019. Voyages are between three to 13 nights, stopping at various exciting destinations which includes Phu My (Vietnam), Ko Samui (Thailand) and Bali (Indonesia).

Introduction to Sapphire Princess:

Sapphire Princess is an 116,000 ton world class liner which carries 2,670 passengers and features a large number of staterooms with private balconies, the award-winning Lotus Spa, fitness center, specialty restaurants and boutiques among other amenities across 18 decks. On every sailing, there is always something in the daily onboard offerings that brings out the vibrant, youthful side of team members to create lasting memories.

Find out more about Sapphire Princess here.

Spectacular production shows on every sailing: Catch the remarkable and dynamic production shows every evening with your team at the Princess Theatre. These imaginative shows feature Broadway classics, popular hits and original numbers performed by some of the largest and most talented casts at sea.

On Sapphire Princess, we have enticing food options available on board from hand-tossed pizza at Alfredo’s Pizzeria to multi-course dinners at five fine-dining rooms or casual dining options at the buffet, 24 hours International Café, and even room service is free!

Find out more about food and dining here.

Team building activities: Princess Cruises has a wide array of onboard entertainment for teams to spend quality time together and bond at a corporate retreat. Learn something new together with your team every day with our enrichment classes. Get your heart pumping with Zumba classes in the morning, hone your photography skills in photography classes or get your creative juices flowing with our arts and crafts classes. After lunch, learn how to play the ukulele with our talented musician. Guests can also pick up dancing in the various dance classes throughout the day.

Recharge your team – relax in many of the ship’s pools, unwind at our adult’s only top-deck retreat – The Sanctuary, rejuvenate in our award winning Lotus Spa, or engage in some retail therapy on board our duty-free shops carrying a wide variety of international brands. After a full day of excitement, Movies Under The Stars® is a great way for the team to relax under a backdrop of sky and sea and catch up on blockbuster Hollywood movies.

Find out more about our entertainment here.

Exclusive Corporate Invitation:

Princess Cruises is organizing a showcase of Sapphire Princess in Singapore on Wednesday, 24 January 2018. Programme includes a product presentation, exclusive ship tour and 3-course networking lunch.

Event Details:
Date: 24 January 2018 (Wednesday)
Time: 10.00am – 2.30pm
Ship: Sapphire Princess
Port: Marina Bay Cruise Centre (61 Marina Coastal Drive, Singapore 018947)

Interested parties can email support@carnival-sg.com or call +65 69226788 by Mon, 15 January 2018 to register.

About Princess Cruises:

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided with the experience of exceptional customer service. As an award-winning destination leader offering international cruise vacations, Princess carries two million guests each year to more than 360 destinations around the globe on more than 150 itineraries ranging in length from three to 114 days.

Surin’s last words on tourism

By Raini Hamdi

December 5, 2017

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Former secretary-general of ASEAN and former Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan died of an acute heart attack on November 30. He was 68.

Surin reportedly collapsed while preparing to speak at the Thailand Halal Assembly 2017 at BITEC in Bangkok. He was rushed to Ramkhamhaeng Hospital, and pronounced dead at 15.07.

Surin Pitsuwan, the former ASEAN secretary-general, was involved in the peace process as facilitator and negotiator in the region

Surin was secretary-general of ASEAN from 2008 to 2012. A statement issued by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he “contributed greatly to the advancement and interest of ASEAN, as well as the promotion of ASEAN on the international stage. His outstanding personality, knowledge and wisdom were truly recognised by global leaders”.

As a champion of ASEAN tourism, Surin had always exhorted the region’s tourism public and private sectors to be mindful of sustainable development. In one of his last speeches directly related to tourism, in June last year when he delivered a keynote at the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2016, he called on the ASEAN tourism industry to pay equal attention to the socio-cultural pillar of ASEAN integration, not “over-focus” on its economic impact.

The “tapestry of contrasts” of ASEAN’s 10-member countries made it such an attractive destination and, because of this diversity, the regional travel and tourism industry should pay equal attention to the socio-cultural and political-security blueprints of ASEAN, “not just economic, economic, economic all the time”, Surin said.

While intra-ASEAN commerce was only about 27-28 per cent of the total trade volume, intra-ASEAN travel constituted about 47-48 per cent of the total and it was “within striking distance” that intra-ASEAN could hit the 50 per cent mark this year, the 50^th anniversary of ASEAN, he said. Thanks to low-cost airlines, transportation was no longer an issue in ASEAN connectivity. The challenge now, said Surin, was managing growth – how to improve services and enhance sustainability.

“If we are not careful, we will have problems of congestion and environmental impact, which will also impact the cultural resources that we value. It’s the software not the hardware. It’s the management, not the transportation systems anymore.

“Tourism is supposed to be one activity that creates opportunity for everyone. Let us make the ASEAN destination attractive, sustainable, accessible and playing the role of equalising that income.

“Tourism is a goose laying golden eggs. We can’t starve it, nor can we over-feed, nor ignore it, nor take too much advantage of it.”

At the same time, he called on the tourism industry to put pressure on the immigration and safety authorities to expedite a single visa to allow people to move more seamlessly through the region, but also for the industry to not just focus on doing business but be involved in the broader goals of creating a better world for future generations.

While tourists had the luxury of being on the move for leisure and pleasure, he urged the audience to think of the humanitarian suffering of the millions of people who were on the move to escape suffering and violence.

Norwegian makes move on Asia’s cost-conscious corporates

By Pamela Chow

December 5, 2017

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Low-cost carrier Norwegian made its move into the Asian market when they hosted a networking session to reach out to travel agents in Singapore last week.

A segment the airline hopes to reel in is corporate flyers who have a limited budget for their trips, said Lars Sande, the company’s senior vice president sales & distribution, Norge.

Sande addressing agents in Singapore in a bid to increase the airline’s visibility

The event is the first of Norwegian’s outreach efforts in Asia, where Sande remarked that there is little to no awareness of Norwegian as an international airline.

Only 25 to 30 per cent of the carrier’s routes serve Norway domestically, clarified Sande.

In October this year, the airline launched a direct connection between Singapore’s Changi Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport, making it the world’s longest low-cost flight.

He also shared that the carrier is hoping to expand its connections between Singapore and Scandinavia and European cities such as Barcelona and Rome, and may increase its four-times-weekly Singapore-London service to daily.

Sande asserted that Norwegian is not poaching business from frequent flyers of legacy airlines, but are instead focusing on travellers who are looking for quality at a more affordable price point.

The airline “controls” its costs by investing in channels such as selective crew distribution, limited branding and advertising, as well as newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft, explained Sande.

Its longhaul routes are served by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet and shorthaul flights by the 737 fleet, of which 90 to 95 per cent is fitted with complimentary Wi-Fi. The airline is looking to install Wi-Fi on the rest of its fleet in the coming months.

Norwegian’s entry has piqued corporate agent interest, but some told TTGmice that they are unsure about local interest and product specifics.

Yi-Leen von Rueden, sales manager of Global Travel, said: “We thought a Scandinavian airline would be expensive, and never expected it to be a low-cost carrier; so it’s a good option.”

However, von Rueden finds that although her company sells both full- and low-cost carriers, her corporate clients often choose to fly on commercial airlines especially when it’s on the company dime.

Voyager Travel’s general manager Jenny Ng agreed, commenting that Norwegian’s longhaul flights may be hard to sell when full-cost airlines such as British Airways, KLM and Finnair often roll out competitively priced fares for an all-inclusive service.

Ng concluded that more information and communication with Norwegian will be crucial in order to for agents to sell the airline.

Massive trade fairs scheduled for new MITEC

By S Puvaneswary

December 5, 2017

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MITEC_-_03 — MITEC pushes the green envelope; aims to reduce its environmental impact and drive sustainability

Malaysia’s newest venue for exhibitions and conferences, Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), which opened in August this year, has revealed a 1H2018 event calendar that is packed with large-scale trade fairs.

Gunther Beissel, MITEC CEO, said the “high-profile events” include MITA Travel Fair 2018 in January which will attract an estimated 10,000 attendees; Malaysia International Furniture Fair in March with some 15,000 attendees; Malaysia International Halal Fair and Defense Service Asia, both in April, with some 20,000 attendees each.

The recently-opened MITEC further solidifies Malaysia’s position on the MICE map

MITEC, which boasts more than 45,000m² of gross exhibition space, is also said to be the country’s largest exhibition centre. When combined, the exhibition halls can accommodate up to 47,700 visitors in a theatre setting or 28,300 banquet guests.

Spanning over three massive double volume floors, MITEC offers 5.3 hectares of flexible function space including 11 exhibition halls (nine mega halls and two medium-sized halls), one multipurpose hall, 10 meeting rooms, VIP suites and lounge and media and press facilities.

The venue is a public-private partnership project with the Malaysian government, managed and operated by Prisma Galeri, an entity under Naza Corporation Holdings and owned by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation.

While 1H2018 will be a busy period of MITEC, Beissel has forecasted a challenging new year due to the “volatile global economic climate”.

“(Business) events have become a lot leaner and very much budget and ROI focused, and we need to be even more creative by providing innovative products and services,” he said.

“Fortunately for MITEC, Malaysia’s unique selling propositions such as value-for-money, direct air access from most major cities around the world, a safe and stable political climate, and established industry supply chain among others help boost our attractiveness for the regional and international marketplace,” he added.

Still, “strong growth” is expected in the coming years, largely from “high population markets in Asia due to their expanding middle classes”.

As well, Beissel anticipates a growing importance placed on sustainable and eco-friendly practices, special dietary requirements and healthy F&B options, and flexible function spaces.

ICC Sydney makes it easier for delegates to fly off after an event

By TTGmice

December 5, 2017

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International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) has become the first venue of its kind in Australia to pilot a mobile airline check-in and baggage drop service, in partnership with Off Airport Check In Solutions (OACIS).

The trial took place at the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) conference, which had nearly 2,000 delegates in attendance last week.

This new service allows delegates to travel to the airport luggage-free

The service enabled international and interstate visitors to check-in and drop off their luggage at an OACIS counter within ICC Sydney on the final day of the conference, travelling to Sydney Airport luggage-free, and conveniently collecting it at their final destination.

Geoff Donaghy, CEO of ICC Sydney, said the successful pilot marked another moment of innovation for the venue as it continues to deliver a world class experience for business travellers.

“Since opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney has already received numerous accolades for its unique offering, and we are excited to be leading the charge here in terms of optimising the visitor experience.

“Our pilot with OACIS was a success on all fronts and with more than 1,000 events secured until 2026, it could be a game changer for our clients, delegates and visitors,” he said.

Another benefit of the off-site check-in, noted Donaghy, is that its gives event delegates “more time to enjoy our beautiful city, including its restaurants, shops and other city attractions”.

The OACIS system uses cloud-based technology to remotely integrate with airline check-in systems. Luggage is then securely transported to the airport and placed in the baggage system for security screening.

“Our market research has revealed business travellers are keen to embrace off-airport check-in services using their personal technology,” said Matt Lee, CEO of OACIS, adding that OACIS can grant event delegates “more flexibility and time, avoiding queues and congestion at the airport”.

“The setup is also simple and no permanent facilities are required, allowing us to be very agile and support clients as and when they need it,” said Lee.

Blacklane goes green

By TTGmice

December 5, 2017

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All Blacklane rides are now green, with the company committed to offsetting the carbon footprint of all rides across the 250 cities and 50 countries it operates in.

This is believed to be the first time a ride service is launching a global carbon-neutral programme. Blacklane offsets carbon emissions by funding a wind farm near Pune, India, where 40 wind turbine generators produce electricity with no fossil fuel consumption.

Corporates can help to reduce their carbon footprint with Blacklane

Jens Wohltorf, CEO and co-founder of Blacklane, said: “Quality rides (that do not) compromise the environment benefit travellers, drivers and the world. They also align companies’ business travel needs with their sustainability goals.”

To deliver its promise, Blacklane is partnering Carbon Footprint, the UK government’s provider, to offset ministerial travel carbon dioxide emissions. The company calculates Blacklane’s carbon emissions based on ride distances and vehicles in the fleet.

Business events steer course for cruises

By Pamela Chow

December 5, 2017

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How much has cruising risen in popularity with corporate crowds, and what has spurred this?

Each year, Royal Caribbean sees a growth of about 20 per cent for MICE bookings across South-east Asia.

In the last 10 years since we started operating cruises in Asia, we have been experiencing growth in the FIT sector and in turn, the MICE sector. Very often, FIT guests who have enjoyed the experience so much recommend this to their work organisations for company trips.

We believe that this growth is merely the start. With factors such as increased globalisation and more businesses moving their headquarters to Asia-Pacific, as well as the growing affluence of people in the region, we foresee strong potential for MICE cruises in the region.

How has Royal Caribbean reacted in response to this growth?

Our mega ships such as Mariner of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas (now) come with more and bigger onboard MICE and entertainment facilities, such as a three-tier main dining room, 800-seater ice skating rink, 1,300-seater theatre, and an indoor or outdoor sports court.

We are always striving to grow our MICE business in the region. Our most outstanding (market examples) are Indonesia and India, where the MICE business has overtaken the FIT segment in terms of volume. Incentive travel is popular (among) companies in these markets (as a) reward for their staff. (Furthermore) cruising is a relatively novel travel option for them, hence the growing attraction.

What is being done to capitalise on these markets?

Royal Caribbean will continue to focus on delivering the best MICE service and experience for the region, by constantly innovating our amenities and facilities.

We are also operating increasingly longer seasons in Singapore to better cater to more MICE customers from different countries during their peak holiday seasons. Our 2016/17 season offered 64 sailings over nine months, whereas our 2017/18 season will be featuring 76 sailings over more or less the same period.

To boost our MICE business, we have also created a new business development manager position in our office this year, dedicated to developing the MICE business of our travel agents in Singapore.

What factors might be limiting faster growth?

Although mindsets are also slowly changing on the cruise industry, most people still do not know what cruise travel can offer. A survey conducted in 2016 by Royal Caribbean revealed that 86 per cent of Singaporeans are not aware of the activities and innovations that are readily available on board.

Awareness among planners is also an issue. A 2014 study by Cruise Lines International Association found that 32 per cent of planners were unaware of meetings spaces on ships, and 28 per cent were unaware of ship capabilities.

It is therefore important for cruise companies to continuously raise awareness of the value of cruising, and set themselves apart in terms of the products and facilities offered in order to drive MICE spending.

Lastly, securing sufficient air seats for several hundred to a few thousand MICE guests at one go from overseas to Singapore for a cruise is also a constant challenge for us, especially during the peak holiday periods. We hope that this situation will improve with the opening of the new Terminal 4 of Changi Airport.

A familiar face helms Thai tourism but Kobkarn will be missed

By Raini Hamdi

November 30, 2017

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Thailand’s Cabinet reshuffle on November 24 sees the return of former minister of tourism and sports, Weerasak Kowsurat, to the role, replacing Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul who held the post for three years.

Weerasak was also chairman of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau.

In general his appointment received positive nods from economic analysts who referred to his experience with the tourism and MICE industries as a big plus. However, sentiments showed that Kobkarn would be sorely missed.

“Great pity. She stood head and shoulders above most ministers of tourism in the region. She had a passion and knowledge of her subject that really set her apart. Plus she was so easy to engage , happy to take on board criticism as well as platitudes, and gave the impression she listened,” said David Kevan, a director at Chic Locations based in London.

Kobkarn’s last public trade appearance was at the World Travel Market, her fourth, during which she recapped a few of the key achievements of Thai tourism industry this year. This included the successful hosting of WTTC in April, and the recognition that sustainable tourism development was needed for the country.

“The good news is that the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand rose nearly nine per cent to 32.6 million in 2016, bringing in 1.64 trillion baht worth of business, up nearly 13 per cent from 2015. Those are undoubtedly impressive figures and ones that give me, as minister for tourism and sports, enormous satisfaction because it reflects consumer confidence in our products, services and most important, our people.

“On the other hand, we have to accept that this growth is putting enormous pressure on our infrastructure and our environment. This is what will be at the forefront of our tourism development agenda in future,” she said.

Thailand 4.0 national development strategy would focus on health and wellness, food and agriculture, smart devices and robotics, digital technology and the Internet of Things, and creative, culture and high-value services.

“To complement the government’s vision of Thailand 4.0, we need to strike a balance on three fronts. Of course, we aim to maintain the growth in tourist numbers and revenue. At the same time, we need to ensure that our product remains worth buying across all fronts. This means preserving our heritage, ensuring safety and security, protecting the environment and much more. Visitors do not want to come to Thailand to experience rubbish-strewn beaches and burned-out forests that have been harvested by villagers who have not benefited from the tourism windfall,” she had said.

Danang’s new Ariyana Convention Centre to get more accommodation support

By Karen Yue

November 30, 2017

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Vietnamese company Sovico Holdings is transforming the landscape of Danang’s beachfront with the expansion Ariyana Tourism Complex, which will in two years’ time welcome a 1,400-key luxury resort to support its new Ariyana Convention Centre, where a week-long series of APEC meetings and related events was held earlier this month.

Ariyana Tourism Complex also comprises the luxury Furama Resort Danang, Furama Villas Danang and the International Convention Palace – all products of Sovico Holdings which altogether elevate Danang’s status as a serious contender for international business events, opined Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general director, Furama Resort Danang.

The new Ariyana Convention Centre is being marketed as a standalone venue

The three-storey beachfront Ariyana Convention Centre, opened in mid-October, takes in 12 multifunctional rooms, three of which can be split into multiple spaces. The largest facility is the Ariyana Grand Ballroom, a massive 2,079m² pillarless hall with a nine-metre-high ceiling that can seat 2,500 people in a theatre setting, and be divided into four smaller spaces.

Although the Ariyana Convention Centre is part of a bigger complex with hotel accommodation, Nguyen said it – as well as the “warmer, boutique-style venue” International Convention Palace – is marketed as a “standalone venue to be used by any event coming to Danang with attendees staying anywhere in the destination”.

However, there is no doubt that the 1,400-room Ariyana Beach Resort and Suite Danang, opening in two years’ time, will be a more convenient accommodation option for delegates attending events at Ariyana Convention Centre. Guests will enjoy complimentary tram and shuttle bus rides between the hotel and convention centre, with the journey taking no more than seven minutes.

“Ariyana Beach Resort and Suite Danang will be geared towards business travellers, and is meant to support big events coming to Ariyana,” Nguyen said, adding that next on the plans are upgrading works for Furama Resort Danang.

Meanwhile, efforts to sustain Ariyana Convention Centre’s post-APEC meetings business momentum include participation in selected travel tradeshows such as IT&CMA and AIME, organisation of trade events that bring travel agents and event planners to Danang, and roadshows in key source markets.

“In terms of key markets, we are keen on Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia,” Nguyen shared.

The team hosted a networking party in Singapore on Tuesday, with selected business event planners on the invite list. Following that, Nguyen has plans to head to Hong Kong, and to conduct a roadshow during AIME in Melbourne next February, and another in Sydney.

Besides high-profile APEC events, Ariyana Convention Centre has secured a tradeshow in March 2018 for an exhibition with 200 booths and conference for 900 people, and two incentives of 2,000 people each in May 2018 – one from the US and the other from Malaysia.

“These events allow us to exceed our (sales targets) for March and May,” remarked Nguyen.

Danang Hotel Association to train low-rated hotels on how to scale up

By Karen Yue

November 30, 2017

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Nguyen-Duc-Quynh_2C-Deputy-general-director_2C-Furama-Resort-Danang — Nguyen: readying smaller hotels for 'quality tourists'

Danang Hotel Association is starting a training and assistance programme in December to guide one- and two-star hotel members on transforming their business to attract a more lucrative clientele, in a bid to ensure Danang maintains her reputation as a quality destination.

In an interview in Singapore, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy chairman for the steering committee of the Danang Hotel Association, who is also deputy general director of the luxury Furama Resort Danang, said: “The biggest issue we have in Danang is the large supply of one- and two-star hotels. There are 25,570 hotel rooms in Danang, 40 per cent of which are one- and two-star hotels. These hotels tend to attract lower-end tourists who may bring with them certain social issues that will ultimately influence Danang’s destination reputation. Danang needs to be a destination for quality tourists.”

Nguyen: readying smaller hotels for ‘quality tourists’

As a solution, Nguyen is recommending that the one- and two-star hotels “convert into long-stay properties that are suitable for business travellers and domestic family groups on holidays”.

He explained: “Following the APEC meetings (in Danang from November 4 to 11), trade and foreign investments will pick up in Danang, which will result in more foreigners coming in for business projects. They will need a place to stay, and one- and two-star hotels could provide that by scaling up their facilities and changing their business structure.

“Going after the long-stay market will also help alleviate these hotels’ poor business during the winter low season.”

The association will provide guidance on business transformation and training on critical knowledge such as revenue management.

When asked where the association will get its funding for these activities, Nguyen said: “They will come from membership fees and sponsorship from businesses that have an interest in our members, for example hotel booking technology companies that hope to introduce their solutions to these one- and two-star hotels.”

[Sponsored Post] Princess Cruises offers Ship Open-House for MICE players in 2018

Unforgettable MICE Retreats at Sea

Surin’s last words on tourism

Norwegian makes move on Asia’s cost-conscious corporates

Massive trade fairs scheduled for new MITEC

ICC Sydney makes it easier for delegates to fly off after an event

Blacklane goes green

Business events steer course for cruises

A familiar face helms Thai tourism but Kobkarn will be missed

Danang’s new Ariyana Convention Centre to get more accommodation support

Danang Hotel Association to train low-rated hotels on how to scale up

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