A better value proposition that leverages technology and the synergies from its recent acquisitions is what Hotelbeds expects to offer to its clients in a “competitive” and “fragmented” market, said managing director Carlos Muñoz.

Speaking to TTG Asia in an interview on the sidelines of its inaugural MarketHub Asia event, which took place in Bangkok earlier this week, Muñoz said: “There are many (bedbank) players like us in the market. We are the biggest player but we are only taking up about seven to eight per cent of the market share (prior to Tourico and GTA acquisitions).

“The B2B wholesale accommodation space is still very fragmented, while the OTA market is dominated by two big players (Expedia and Priceline). Our aim is to better support our tour operator and OTAs customers to succeed in this environment against the big OTAs, and if we’re fragmented it’s much more difficult to compete against them.”

The acquisitions of Tourico Holidays and GTA will enable Hotelbeds to take the best practices from each and combine them into “one single platform”, according to Muñoz. “The point (of the acquisitions) is not about getting market share, it’s about creating the conditions to provide more value proposition to our clients and help them face the challenges in the marketplace,” he elaborated.

While Muñoz feels that Hotelbeds has built up a strong global footprint – with Tourico a strong player in the US, and GTA in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe – he concedes that India still leaves room for further growth and is a market the company will focus on. China, on the other hand, is where Hotelbeds and GTA already have significant presence, he revealed.

When asked if a bigger Hotelbeds will curtail its responsiveness to the market, Muñoz feels it’s the contrary. “Being small is not an advantage in this business, because you need the size to be able to invest in the best technology, products and contracts… we were missing some size (earlier).”

Hotelbeds’ ownership change last year from TUI to two private equity companies Cinven and CPPIB has also given it “access to capital”, including opportunities in inorganic growth, which would enable it to pursue further organic growth, said Muñoz. Also, he does not rule out further acquisitions for Hotelbeds.

As the 3,883-guest Norwegian Joy last weekend pulled into Singapore, a month ahead of its first sailings in China, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) shared that it is pursuing more than just a numbers game in China, with market understanding and brand loyalty also key to its strategy.

“It’s not our aspiration to be the largest brand in China, we just want to be the best… (the Norwegian Joy) builds on what’s been done to open up the Chinese market over the past years, providing a product that will resonate well with Chinese consumers,” said Harry Sommer, NCLH’s executive vice president, international business development.

NCLH’s partnership with Alibaba, which was announced earlier this month, is expected to not only widen the cruise line’s reach among consumers in China, but also deepen its understanding of the Chinese market.

“Alibaba controls 70-80 per cent of the online Chinese market for everything from paper towels to Maseratis and everything in between. The sheer amount of consumer data they have makes them a force to be reckoned and a partner that helps us understand consumer tastes, what drives purchase decisions, tailor marketing and sales messages and make onboard products valuable.”

NCLH’s senior vice president and managing director for Asia-Pacific, Steve Odell, cites customer loyalty as a “critical part” of NCLH’s larger business and will continue to be so as the company enters China.

In fact, past guests can make up 60 per cent or more of demand, according to Sommer.

The new ship was unveiled in its entirety for the first time last Saturday, as 800 guests in Singapore – including media, travel agents and their customers – were introduced to onboard features such as a Ferrari-branded go-kart track, gaming arcade, 28 dining options and retail brands counting Apple, Cartier, Bulgari and Starbucks.

As the 3,883-guest Norwegian Joy last weekend pulled into Singapore, a month ahead of its first sailings in China, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) shared that it is pursuing more than just an numbers game in China, with market understanding and brand loyalty also key to its strategy.

“It’s not our aspiration to be the largest brand in China, we just want to be the best… (the Norwegian Joy) builds on what’s been done to open up the Chinese market over the past years, providing a product that will resonate well with Chinese consumers,” said Harry Sommer, NCLH’s executive vice president, international business development.

NCLH’s partnership with Alibaba, which was announced earlier this month, is expected to not only widen the cruise line’s reach among consumers in China, but also deepen its understanding of the Chinese market.

“Alibaba controls 70-80 per cent of the online Chinese market for everything from paper towels to Maseratis and everything in between. The sheer amount of consumer data they have makes them a force to be reckoned and a partner that helps us understand consumer tastes, what drives purchase decisions, tailor marketing and sales messages and make onboard products valuable.”

NCLH’s senior vice president and managing director for Asia-Pacific, Steve Odell, cites customer loyalty as a “critical part” of NCLH’s larger business and will continue to be so as the company enters China.

In fact, past guests can make up 60 per cent or more of demand, according to Sommer.

The new ship was unveiled in its entirety for the first time last Saturday, as 800 guests in Singapore – including media, travel agents and their customers – were introduced to onboard features such as a Ferrari-branded go-kart track, gaming arcade, 28 dining options and retail brands counting Apple, Cartier, Bulgari and Starbucks.

DMCs based in Morocco have now shifted their focus to the meetings and incentives segment from China, encouraged by the removal of visa requirements for Chinese travellers in June 2016.

Lesley Sanchez, managing director of Agadir-based Complete Tours, said: “Without (the need for) visas, it is the right time to double our efforts in China. The removal of visa requirements saw our leisure business from China triple in 2H2016. Getting a visa in the past used to take between two weeks to a month, and tourists had to disclose their bank statements as well as produce a letter from their employers in order to get a visa.”

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

Complete Tours aims to tap first-tier Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai through its sales offices there. Sanchez explained that with Emirates’ move to deploy A380s – instead of the A330s – on its Beijing and Shanghai routes to Casablanca, group sizes could potentially double.

Equally enthusiastic, Sidi Mohamed Cherif Alami, manager at Atlas Voyages, said: “Morocco is a new destination – and complements (visits to) Turkey and Egypt – for Chinese groups looking for a cultural destination rich in Arabic and Muslim history.

“We also offer very good value. A room in a five-star local brand in Marrakesh costs between US$100 to US$150 a night, while an international five-star property can cost between US$150 to US$200 a night.”

Sidi added that there were unique experiences that Morocco could offer Chinese groups such as camel rides, zip-lining in the Atlas Mountains, hot air ballooning, and historical and museum visits.

Headquartered in Casablanca, Atlas Voyages has 17 branch offices in main tourist cities such as Marrakesh, Agadir, Tangier, Casablanca and Fez. It opened three sales offices in China last year, in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Also eyeing China’s meetings and incentives market is Menara Tours, headquartered in Marrakesh.

Its FIT & groups director, Mounir Samir, said: “We plan to open a sales and marketing office in Beijing next year, and participate in B2B events in China. The incentive market is a lucrative one with delegates spending three to four times more than their leisure counterparts.”

The Moroccan National Tourist Office is doing its part to attract Chinese event groups, such as through regular fam trips for Chinese agents and relevant media.

In addition, a source told TTGmice that a Chinese film crew was slated to visit Morocco end-May to produce a reality show for a Chinese channel, which would “give the destination better brand awareness and create more interest among Chinese travellers”.

Following a recent refurbishment, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, has added a new overwater pool cover that brings about more than 1,300m² of outdoor events space.

Made of Plexiglas, also known as acrylic glass, the transparent Plexiglas table-tops are durable and engineered to support weights of up to 800kg per cube. When placed into the water, the standing Plexiglas-top cubes can be custom-built to take on various shapes, from a rectangle to a square or even a T-shape to accommodate the entire length and or width of the pool, or just a portion depending on the event.

Pool platform 

There is also the possibility of video projection mapping, LED lighting in the trees and foliage, as well as underwater lighting to supplement the pool’s floodlights.

Possible events include product launches, pool parties, outdoor concerts with a dance floor, and fashion shows. The platform can accommodate between 150 to 200 people for a sit-down buffet dinner, or between 150 to 450 people for a cocktail reception.

Aside from the pool cover, the new outdoor swimming pool now features a three-tiered timber pool deck flanked by sun loungers, private cabanas, a pool bar and an outdoor grill.

Prices start from S$80 (US$58) for a cocktail reception for at least 50 guests. A minimum F&B spend of S$18,000 is required to close the pool for exclusive use, with an additional S$12,000 for the custom set-up of the preferred pool cover configuration.

The biennial Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) has expanded beyond the space available at its usual home ground, Singapore EXPO (SingEx), that the 2018 edition will occupy all available exhibition space at Suntec Singapore as well.

Billed as two venues, one mega show, FHA 2018 will occupy the 100,000m² SingEx, the 12,000m² MAX Atria @ Singapore EXPO and 37,000m² at level three, four and six at Suntec, according to UBM SES CEO Lindy Wee.

FHA 2016. Photo courtesy www.foodnhotelasia.com

Wee added FHA, which has been growing at 15 per cent for each edition over the last four years, would be split with Suntec housing the non-food, non-edible, and equipment exhibitors under Hotel Asia.

It is not the first time UBM SES has had to separate one of its events. In 2011, Broadcast Asia was located at Suntec and ComunicAsia at Marina Bay Sands. FHA was also split before SingEx opened in the late-1990s and it was housed at the former World Trade Centre and Suntec.

Apart from FHA 2018’s different location themes, the organisers are stepping up logistics planning to shuttle visitors between the city centre and Changi efficiently and also use technology to “live stream” highlights at the two venues to ensure visitors are “not missing anything”.

Wee opined: “There is nothing much we can do, the exhibitors are accepting it, inconvenience is expected and we are minimising the inconvenience.”

In 2016, FHA featured 3,500 exhibiting companies and 80,300 attendees, comprising exhibitors, visitors of which 52 were from overseas, conference delegates and media.

Kempinski has recently relaunched the largest property it manages in China –Yanqi Island.

Located 60km north of Beijing’s city centre along the Yanqi Lake, the complex offers 594 guestrooms and suites – 306 at the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing; 110 at the Yanqi Hotel; and 178 across 12 boutique hotels.

Leisure facilities include 11 restaurants and bars, two Kempinski The Spa centres, a private marina, and Kids Club. There are even a nine-storey Yanqi Pagoda and a 40,00m² Summer Garden.

For business events, Yanqi Island offers 14,069m² of meeting space, comprising the 8,277m² Beijing Yanqi Lake International Conference Centre, and four ballrooms and 23 meeting rooms within the various hotels.

ICCA is taking steps to raise the importance of its members in the associations industry and to play a stronger role as a knowledge provider for its members, as part of its strategic plans to advance the association for specialists in the management of international association meetings sector.

Speaking to TTGmice in an interview, Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA, noted that these two directions are significant elements in ICCA’s plans for the future.

Martin Sirk

“ICCA is taking a new approach to make our members partners of associations. We want them to become strategic advisors to associations and not just service providers. In the longer term, that will stimulate better meetings and establish closer and deeper relationships within the community,” said Sirk.

ICCA is also reducing the importance placed on its role as an associations meetings data manager, to a greater focus on its new role as a knowledge provider. It intends to stimulate knowledge exchange among members and be the sole “dashboard” from where members can get all of the information they require.

Sirk pointed out that the need for professional accreditation among conference organisers is rising along with greater expectations of PCO standards, a trend that is particularly strong in China where events are thriving, driven by individual and corporates’ desire to do business in the country.

The trend, he added, will also push associations and PCOs in China to “create their own world-class events rather than bid for international ones”, perhaps by way of internationalising their domestic events.