A new report by SiteMinder, the global hotel industry's leading guest acquisition platform, has signalled the importance for Thailand's hoteliers to employ new marketing, distribution and operational strategies to cater for the looming rise in domestic travel.
The survey discusses COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the Drive-In Hotel Markets. On a property level, the survey focuses on hoteliers' point of view on reopening strategies, domestic demand profile, and market outlook. The survey discusses COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the Drive-In Hotel Markets. On a property level, the survey focuses on hoteliers' point of view on reopening strategies, domestic demand profile, and market outlook. The survey was distributed to participants on 11 June 2020. The data collection period was available through 8 July 2020.
Kew Green Hotels, one of the UK's leading hotel management companies with over 55 hotels in its portfolio, is set to expand into the South East Asia market, launching seven properties, with four under the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brand umbrella in Bangkok, Thailand, commencing from quarter one 2021, delivered by a new joint venture with Siamese Asset, to form Siamese and Kew Green Management Company Thailand. Alongside the launch of these seven properties, Kew Green Hotels will also be launching a Commercial Hub for South East Asia to support the region, based in Bangkok.
Thailand's domestic-led tourism recovery was at the forefront of a virtual online event "TTF2020 - Special Bangkok Edition" today that tapped more than a 1,000 leading domestic and international travel and hotel industry participants. Research from hospitality consulting group C9 Hotelworks and Delivering Asia Communications focused on domestic inter-Thailand visitor market whose size at more than 227 million in 2019 stole the limelight versus 39.8 million international visitors.
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel operator, has used the recent pause in travel to revamp and revitalise its hotels and resorts, alongside the implementation of "Centara Complete Care", its certified health, hygiene and safety programme.
The Phuket Hotels Association has joined forces with Hotel Resilient to launch the COVID-READY Certification scheme, a new initiative to provide guidance, resources and tools to support the safe reopening of hotels and to help restore confidence in the island's hotel industry following Covid-19. Hotel Resilient is the world's only scientific benchmarking and certification body for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in the hospitality industry. It provides hotels and resorts with risk analytics, digital platforms and pragmatic tools for disaster and climate resilient planning, design and operations. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Hotel Resilient highlighted disease outbreak as one of multiple hazards potentially impacting hotels. In the wake of the pandemic, Dr. Trevor Girard, Director of Standards and Accreditation at Hotel Resilient and his team of risk specialists have evaluated the scientific evidence, international guidelines and industry best practices to set new standards that cover all aspects of a hotel's COVID-19 prevention and response strategy. Travelers Demand Safety Above AllThe COVID-19 pandemic has spread to almost every country in the world, and its impact on the tourism industry has been tremendous. Due to travel bans and nation-wide shutdowns, hotel bookings have decreased drastically and many hotels have temporarily closed. Even when restrictions ease and travel bans are lifted, it will be some time before it is business as usual. For months if not years, travellers will be extra cautious with their travel plans, most likely preferring destinations with little to no Covid-19 cases. In terms of accommodation, hotels that can provide an extra level of protection against the virus will be in high demand."The new COVID-READY Certification scheme will provide assessment, guidance and support to our Phuket hotels as they prepare to reopen," commented Anthony Lark, President of the Phuket Hotels Association. "Member hotels can obtain this internationally recognised certification, which will showcase Phuket as a safe destination and provide reassurance that hotels are working together to ensure the protection of their guests, staff and the community. Health and safety has never been more important than now, as we prepare to reopen our doors," Mr. Lark added. Teaming up with Hotel Resilient marks the next major step in the association's efforts to work together in restoring confidence in Phuket, and helping hotels prepare to resume operations with enhanced hygiene practices. Dr. Bijan Khazai and the Hotel Resilient team will work alongside the Phuket Hotels Association, member hotels, and local authorities to develop supporting tools and support hotels obtain international certification. The Hotel Resilient COVID-READY Certification scheme is aligned with the internationally recognized Hotel Resilient global standards on disaster risk management. It goes beyond hygiene and safety, addressing systemic and procedural changes to minimise risk and address various crisis management aspects, such as response planning, business continuity, and crisis communication with regard to COVID-19. These new standards are supported by a user-friendly audit and task management software that allows hotels to prioritise areas where action is needed to improve their level of Covid-19 preparedness. In addition, interactive and engaging e-Learning courses are available on the platform, helping to bring hotel staff up-to-speed on the current COVID-19 pandemic threat and describing their roles in the COVID-READY standards, such as preventing transmission or responding to an infection. "The COVID-READY Certification scheme will make Phuket one of the first tourism destinations in the world to take a proactive approach to safety and hygiene preparedness, based on world-class standards. Once all 70+ Phuket Hotels Association's member properties are audited and certified, it will provide a safer environment for visitors, hotel staff and the Phuket community," commented Dr. Bijan Khazai, CEO of Hotel Resilient. For more information about Phuket Hotels Association, please visit https://www.phukethotelsassociation.com. To learn more about Hotel Resilient, please head to https://hotelresilient.org.
Iain, who has more than 20 years of international hospitality experience, has spent most of his career at Louvre Hotels Group, a subsidiary of Jin Jiang Hotels.
Thailand's domestic tourism reopening is shaping up to see Bangkok as the hub for an early return of daytrips, staycations and inter-provincial road trips. With over eight million residents coupled with a sprawling megacity catchment with a population base in excess of 15 million, the recovery of the country's tourist economy is set to be staged from the capital city. Focusing on Bangkok's closest inter-provincial destinations, last year over 59 million domestic visitors were recorded in data collected from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Thailand was one of the first Asian countries to be hit with a COVID-19 case, and transmission has since spread to surpass the two-thousand range. The hotel industry has been severely affected and many hotels are closed temporarily for at least a month. It is estimated that international arrivals into Thailand could fall by 10 million by the end of the year. Horwath HTL has collated sentiment responses from 83 hotels and resorts across Thailand. The report highlights influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on hotel market performance, cost-control measures undertaken and what forms of support are most needed.
A talented hospitality professional with two decades of diverse experience in sales and marketing and a passion for building strong business relationships has been named five-star Meliá Koh Samui's director of sales and marketing.
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel operator, recently donated 1,500 food boxes to the Thai Government's Public Relations Department, as part of its ongoing efforts to help those communities and individuals most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The meals, which were prepared by a team of food and beverage staff at Centara's flagship, Centara Grand at CentralWorld, were presented by General Manager of the hotel, Robert Maurer-Loeffler, to the Deputy Director-General of the Government Public Relations Department, Pichaya Muangnao.
The survey discusses COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the Bangkok hotel market. On a property level, the survey focuses on hoteliers' point of view on contingency measures, business strategies, signs of recovery, and comparison between pre- and post-COVID-19. The survey was distributed to participants on 15 April 2020 and the data collection period was available through 30 April 2020.
Experience-driven and carbon-neutral retreat Santiburi Koh Samui has unveiled a series of new experiences for people to enjoy from their homes that complement the resort's Lèn programme, a creative concept that allows everyone to discover individual happiness. Via a new virtual reality innovation, Santiburi Koh Samui travellers can teleport themselves to the resort while staying at home. To do so, they just need a VR headset from any brand and watch the VR video, available on Santiburi's YouTube Channel. For those who do not have goggles, they can still experience the property in 360 degrees via a smartphone and the same video.
A comprehensive new survey of consumers in China's first tier cities has concluded that 53% of respondents would like to travel overseas within 2020. Moreso, the most popular months for trips abroad for the remainder of the year are August, October and December. Thailand is one of the most impacted travel markets by Covid-19 in Asia. The country hosted 39.8 million international visitors last year with China accounting for nearly 11 million arrivals. The expanded Thai tourism, hotel and travel sector contributes between 12-15% of GDP to Southeast Asia's second largest economy. The newly released China Thailand Travel Sentiment Survey 2020, conducted in mid-April by C9 Hotelworks and Delivering Asia Communications, focused on key demand factors in the country's reopening of the tourism economy. A strong positive message from the research is that 71% of Chinese consumers said they would like to visit Thailand.
Accor is offering a day-use room package across 10 hotels in Bangkok to guests who need a private office space for the day. Bangkokians who are desperately looking for a spacious hideaway to get their job done or who need a quiet place to focus on an important project can now book a room for up to 8 hours between 8:00am-8:00pm in 10 hotels. Expect a quiet room with a business desk for working, complete with high-speed internet and a lunch box. Now available, this package is valid for one person per room with rates starting from THB 690 at selected ibis Styles hotels. For a more premium experience, opt for the THB 890 package at selected Novotel hotels or the THB 1,190 package at selected MGallery, Pullman and Grand Mercure hotels.Participating hotels are located all over Bangkok to enable local residents to select a private office location that is close to their homes:
In Thailand's south - Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort's newly renovated 178-keys completed in January 2020 and Avani+ Koh Lanta Krabi Resort which will offer 87-keys and secluded access to the stunning white sand Klong Dao Beach which is scheduled to open by end of 2020 will be managed by Farah C. Jaber as Cluster General Manager.Farah started his career with Minor Hotels in 2013 as an Executive Assistant Manager at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas in Thailand. In 2016, he was promoted to Resident Manager of Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel and Oaks Bangkok Sathorn before moving to Vietnam as General Manager of Anantara Mui Ne Resort in 2017. More recently Farah spearheaded the successful opening of Anantara Quy Nhon Villas as Cluster General Manager along with Avani Quy Nhon Resort also under his leadership.
Karun brings more than 10 years' hospitality experience and is a graduate of Thailand's Mahidol University International College in Travel and Hospitality Management; upon completion of his study, he started his career with Bandara Hotels & Resorts while undertaking his Master degree prior to joining Fair House Group in Koh Samui as a Group Director of Sales & Marketing. Scheduled to open in late 2020, the brand new Avani+ Khao Lak Resort will offer 328-keys and direct access to the pristine beaches of Khao Lak, just north of Phuket.
Stephan brings 15 years' experience within the hospitality industry, beginning his hospitality career with a degree from The Hotel Management School Maastricht, The Netherlands. After graduating, Stephan was appointed Assistant Hotel Manager at the luxury hotel and Michelin star awarded 'de Echoput' before joining the Intercontinental Hotels Group. In 2011, Stephan began a nine year journey with Marriott International in the United Kingdom, undertaking senior leadership roles at the Edinburgh Marriott and the Residence Inn Edinburgh followed by a transfer to London to work at The London Marriott Hotel and Executive Apartments Canary Wharf. During this time Stephan also supported other prestigious hotels such as Ritz-Carlton Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London in taskforce assignments, his most recent role was as General Manager at the London Marriott Park Lane.
Following the market's prosperity in the past few years, hotels across all segment have started to witness hindering economic growth, resulting in a softer performance in 2019. The unexpected outbreak of COVIC-19 has swept away the majority of the demand in the market. As the number of travel advisory continues to heighten, concerns over air traffic and tourism spending are increasing among the public as people are reluctant to travel. The following article gives a brief overview of Phuket, its tourism industry, and the recent dynamics of the local lodging market.
Accor has announced the signing of V Villas Phuket - MGallery. The 24-pool villa resort, which will join the group's MGallery Hotel Collection, is being developed on a hilltop in Ao Yon Beach, Phuket, approximately 1 hour by road from Phuket International Airport and 20 minutes from Phuket Town. When completed, the resort will feature five distinctive dining outlets, a swimming pool and a spectacular spa & wellness centre.