News

February 21, 2022

HVS Monday Musings: Tourism Revival in Kashmir, the Paradise on Earth

Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), popularly known as the Paradise on Earth, is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty and scenic splendor. From pristine valleys, beautiful lakes, gardens, snow-capped mountains, and glaciers to famous religious places, temples, and monasteries – the union territories have something to cater to every tourist. The region’s distinctiveness rests in the fact that each season has its own allure. It's no surprise, then, that since the region's lockdown was lifted, Jammu & Kashmir has seen a significant increase in tourist traffic and is slowly reclaiming its position as one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. Reports indicate that over 6 lakh tourists visited J&K in 2021, surpassing all previous records, with half of them arriving in October to December as early snowfall drew a huge number of visitors to the region. As a result, hotel occupancy has been at an all-time high, with certain resorts in Pahalgam and Gulmarg being sold out at the end of the year.

Kashmir, India

January 27, 2022

ITB India to be held as a virtual event on 5 – 7 April 2022

ITB India 2022 will be an all-virtual event with the physical show postponed to 2023. Scheduled on the same dates, ITB India 2022 Virtual will be held from 5 – 7 April 2022. After close observations of international developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of the Omicron variant, and extensive conversations with local authorities and partners, the show organisers made the difficult decision to move the show completely virtual, which now gives exhibitors and trade visitors maximum planning security.

ITB Berlin

Mumbai, India

External Article

January 18, 2022

In Thailand, Hotels are Suing Guests for Leaving Poor Reviews

In the case of one hotel, the customer isn’t always right, as a resort in Thailand is taking legal action against a guest who left a negative review on a travel booking website.

vice.com

Thailand

January 18, 2022

voco hotels presents its first Pop Up in Singapore and an opportunity to win 52 weekends of staycations

voco hotels – a premium collection brand from IHG Hotels & Resorts – will present its first pop up in Singapore along Orchard Road from Thursday, 20 January 2022 to Wednesday 26 January 2022. Two activations will be located outside ION Orchard and voco Orchard Singapore. Consumers will be able to access collaboration content produced by local creatives and brands at the pop up. They are also invited to participate in a staycation social giveaway with an opportunity win 52 weekends of stays at voco Orchard Singapore and more prizes.

IHG

Singapore

January 14, 2022

Grab a Desk With a View With amã Stays & Trails

With the lines between work and leisure increasingly blurring as people are confined to their homes, there is a growing demand for private working environs that allow one to balance the two. With the new Work From Your Home offer by amã Stays & Trails, guests can now remotely work from breath-taking destinations while spending quality time with their loved ones including their furry friends, all in the safety of their exclusive amã Stays & Trails bungalows.

IHCL

Ernest - Lighthouse's AI for hoteliers

External Article

January 13, 2022

Chinese consumers make move on travel plans for 2022

Chinese consumers are progressing from merely dreaming of travel in 2022 to setting clearer travel plans, according to Dragon Trail International’s latest China Travel Market Monitor, which surveys 1,045 Chinese citizens who have had recent international travel experience.

TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd

China

Ad AI Hospitality

"Just tell me why my weekend pickup dropped." With Ernest, now you can ask your commercial data anything, and act on the answer.

Lighthouse

Ad Guide

The next-gen metrics that move hotel P&L

Hotel tech has changed what's possible – and measurable. RevPAR and ADR aren't enough; discover the metrics that really matter.

Mews

December 31, 2021

Second GBA Smart Tourism Forum Successfully Held at the SHTM

On 17 December 2021, the Second GBA Smart Tourism Forum was successfully held online and offline at the SHTM. The Forum was organised by the SHTM and its Hospitality and Tourism Research Centre together with STR, and was supported by the School of Tourism Management of Sun Yat-sen University and the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies and sponsored by the University Grants Committee, Hong Kong Tourism Board and Pacific Asia Travel Association. The Forum was run by a group of talented undergraduate students from the SHTM's Special Events Class.

Hong Kong PolyU

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR)

December 31, 2021

New Tourism, New Directions Explored at IMPACT2021 Conference

Organised by the SHTM and its Hospitality and Tourism Research Centre together with STR and run by a group of talented SHTM undergraduate students from the Special Events Class, the IMPACT2021 Conference took place on 16 December at Hotel ICON in both online and offline forums.

Hong Kong PolyU

Hong Kong , Hong Kong (SAR)

December 1, 2021

Turning Crisis into Opportunity: How Hong Kong’s Quarantine Hotels Build Brand Love

Surviving hotel quarantine, whether for a mandated seven, 14, or 21 days, is no easy feat. But amid challenging times for the hospitality industry, government-enforced hotel quarantine schemes all over the world – perhaps most notably in Hong Kong – have offered opportunities for hotel companies to demonstrate what “hospitality” truly means for their brand.

Finn Partners

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR)

The next-gen metrics that move hotel P&L

November 26, 2021

Accor Signs Seven-Year Accor Stadium Deal in Sydney

Accor, the largest hotel operator in the Pacific, has won the naming rights for Stadium Australia, with the iconic venue in Sydney Olympic Park to begin the transition to Accor Stadium from today.

Accor

Sydney, Australia

Supplier News

November 8, 2021

Siteminder (ASX:SDR) share price rockets 35% on ASX debut

A rare Australian unicorn has just graduated to the ASX, with Siteminder Limited (ASX: SDR) shares commencing trading on Monday.

The Motley Fool

Australia

Ad Guide

Hotel tech has changed what's possible – and measurable. RevPAR and ADR aren't enough; discover the metrics that really matter.

Mews

October 25, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Growth of Indian Aviation Augurs Well for Tourism

The Indian aviation sector is finally flying high following a burst of encouraging news in recent weeks. Air passenger traffic is rising steadily, especially with the onset of the festive season and resumption of corporate travel, prompting the government to allow airlines to operate at full capacity. Air traffic is expected to recover further after the country reopens its borders to international tourists in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, with Jet Airways resuming operations and a new ultra-low-cost airline, Akasa Air, launching flights next year, as well as the privatization of the national carrier, Air India, through a sale to Tata Sons, competition in the aviation market is set to heat up.

October 18, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Island Tourism: Uncovering India's Undiscovered Gems

India’s vast coastline is peppered with some of the world’s most stunning, untouched, and unexplored islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as Lakshadweep, are home to the majority of these. Both islands have become popular tourist destinations in recent years because of their beautiful landscape, rich biodiversity, and unique experiences ranging from historical landmarks to water sports and adventure activities. Pre-COVID in 2019, Lakshadweep hosted over 7,000 tourists, whereas the Andaman & Nicobar Islands welcomed over 500,000 tourists. While the foreign tourist arrivals in Andaman & Nicobar have stayed relatively stable, domestic tourist arrivals doubled during 2012-2019. Despite these outstanding growth figures, tourism on these islands remains mostly undeveloped and undiscovered.

September 27, 2021

Gen Z and Millennial Airbnb Hosts in the Philippines leading the way for inclusive tourism recovery

Latest Airbnb data shows over 68% of all new Filipino Hosts in H1 2021 are Gen Zs and millennials aged 18-40

Airbnb

Philippines

September 22, 2021

Radisson Hotel Group invites Chinese guests to create meaningful and memorable moments in Shanghai

Radisson Hotel Group is reviving the joy of travel in Shanghai with a new campaign that invites Chinese travelers to create memorable, meaningful moments in the “Paris of the East”. As China’s domestic tourism recovery gains momentum, guests are encouraged to return to this amazing metropolis and rediscover its iconic attractions.

Radisson Hotel Group

China

September 20, 2021

Wharf Hotels’ South China Regional Sales Office Opens

Wharf Hotels today announced the opening of a Regional Sales Office in Guangzhou, China. Headed by Regional Sales Director, Kenny Lai – a 14-year veteran of the hospitality industry, he will actively manage business developments in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and the rest of Guangdong Province, as well as cover strategic sales activities in the municipality of Chongqing and the provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Sichuan.

Wharf Hotels

Guangzhou, China

September 20, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Rebuilding the MICE Segment in India

If ‘virtual’ was the key trend in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) industry in 2020, ‘hybrid’ has been the buzzword in 2021, as in-person attendance made a comeback at large-scale events in various countries. All popular international MICE locations are taking measures to resurrect the segment, with Singapore and the UAE leading the way, having hosted multiple hybrid events successfully in the past year, with even international delegates in attendance.

August 23, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Upholding Traveler Confidence – the First Step in the Road to Recovery

Traveler confidence is improving post the second wave, renewing hopes of a recovery for the travel and hospitality sectors. Domestic aviation traffic has been steadily increasing month after month, growing by 47% in June 2021 (compared to May 2021) and 61% in July 2021. The surge in demand has even prompted the ministry of civil aviation to increase domestic airline seat capacity to 72.5% of pre-COVID levels from 65% earlier.

August 16, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Government Initiatives to Rebuild Indian Tourism Post the Second Wave

Travel demand – both leisure and business – is gradually improving in the country, bringing in a newfound enthusiasm and euphoria in the Indian travel & hospitality sectors. The declining cases, easing of restrictions across states, and increasing momentum of the vaccination drive, coupled with people’s inherent need to travel, are key factors driving this revival. A uniform national travel guideline is also expected to be implemented soon, which will further ease travel within the country.

By Dipti Mohan and Mandeep Lamba