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Fun-filled water adventures for the family in Bali

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TTR WEEKLY
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BALI, 12 April 2022: Holidays in Bali have so much to offer. From their famed beaches and surf to highland trekking to learning about the Balinese culture, it suffices to say that there’s something for everyone.

We’ve also got you covered if you’re thinking about some fun-filled water adventures that don’t involve going to the beach.

Bali Wake Park & Aqualand

Bali Wake Park first opened its doors in 2015 and brought wakeboarding boat-free – a first in Bali – to adrenaline junkies. Built around a 5-hectare lake, this cable wake park operates state-of-the-art full-size cable systems and lets you choose to wakeboard, kneeboard, waterski, or surf. Beginners can get their taste of riding, while the pros can hone their tricks on a series of slides and obstacles spread across the lake.

  • Photo credit: @robin2hood / Instagram
  • Photo credit: @chou_rman / Instagram

Aqualand was added in 2018, making them one of the largest aqua parks in Asia. Within the perimeter of the wake park, inflatables over 8 metres high lets you run, jump, slide and splash your way at this mega playground on the water. Challenge your friends on the obstacles, or simply bring out the child in you. Kids will have a blast bouncing on and off too!

You can easily spend an entire day there and recharge your batteries at the Cable Café or chill in their infinity pool and unwind at the Pool Bar with your favourite cocktail as you watch others having fun.

White Water Rafting

For some serious adrenaline rush, take the entire family down the rapids with a white water rafting adventure down Ayung River! While the littlest kids might not be suitable, your child as young as five can join the tour with Mason Adventures. Known for being Bali’s longest raft tour (12 km of river rapids), they are known for their professional services and for taking great care of all their guests, young and old (65 years old!), down class 2 and 3 rapids. Go on a wet and wild ride, and don’t forget to look around and soak in the scenic views as you go along!

Photo credit: Mason Adventures

Largest Free-form Swimming Pool in Bali

Spend the day at Hard Rock Hotel Bali, at Bali’s largest free-form swimming pool! Not staying at the hotel? Grab yourselves a Day Pass to chill with loved ones. Kids will enjoy their time at the Kids Waterpark, going down the slide over and over again. Adults can do that too at the bigger slides at the main pool! Rent yourselves a cabana by the pool and take breaks from the sun.

  • Photo credit: @bali_nyamuk / Instagram

The price for the Day Pass can be fully redeemed for food & beverages at Splash Bistro, their poolside eatery that serves up wood-fired pizzas, burgers, pasta, and a kid-friendly menu, to fuel you up for the day.

Call up in advance as there may be blackout dates.

Odyssey Submarine Cruise

Thinking about water-fun adventures without actually getting wet? Go on a Bali Submarine Cruise with Odyssey Submarine! Without the need to be a swimmer or diver, you can now explore the beauty of the underwater world in a safe and comfortable environment. The submarine dive takes place in the eastern part of Bali at Amuk Bay Karangasem as the bay is known to have a deep-sea trench with the underwater scenery kept natural and untouched.

  • Photo credit: @_dheaaprillia_ / Instagram
  • Photo credit: @umidwipayani / Instagram

The submarines are battery-powered to reduce any external stresses to the marine environment, and each trip carries 36 passengers in an air-conditioned cabin, bringing you down to 30 metres – as deep as where divers go – so you can enjoy the sights of reefs, and marine creatures like a diver does but kept dry. For families with younger kids, this is definitely an activity in Bali to consider that will bring the wonders of marine life right before your child. The tour includes hotel transfer (it takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to drive from Kuta), a 45-minute dive, and lunch, so definitely cater at least half a day for it!

Read more about family-friendly dining places in Bali or where your kids can have fun learning while on holiday!

WHERE TO STAY

Hard Rock Hotel Bali

Book early and save more on your Bali Escape. The package includes complimentary breakfast, a spa voucher worth IDR200,000 net and more! Click here to find out.

This article is brought to you by Hpaper Online – a travel publication by HPL Hotels & Resorts. For more travel guides, subscribe to Hpaper Online for more, and you will receive exclusive discounts just for email subscribers.

(Your Stories: HPL)

Sabre taps Japanese bear leaders

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 12 April 2022: Sabre Corporation, which powers global travel booking channels, has signed a new agreement with Japan-specific luxury travel platform and business-to-business membership portal Bear Luxe Japan.  

Inspired by the companions who accompanied aristocrats on their Grand Tours in the 17th to 19th centuries, who were known as Bear-leaders, Bear Luxe Japan is a global network of luxury travel designers and leading Japanese luxury hotels in Japan. It aims to develop and deliver a luxury travel ecosystem to enable the international market to access the rich traditions and culture of Japan. 

The new relationship expands Sabre’s footprint in Japan while opening up further access for Bear Luxe member hoteliers – primarily consisting of independent Japanese luxury hotels – through the Sabre SynXis hospitality platform and Bear Luxe Japan’s international reach to the luxury travel market.

“The absence of connectivity with the international luxury travel market has long been an industry-wide dilemma for Japanese luxury hotels. The anticipated partnership will be a game-changer in bridging the market gap,” said  Bear Luxe co-founder and chief operating officer Hiro Miyatake.

With this agreement, Bear Luxe hospitality members will be linked to hundreds of thousands of travel agents across the world through the Global Distribution System (GDS) connectivity solutions powered by Sabre SynXis. 

The new alliance will also enable the Bear Luxe platform to drive direct bookings, increase engagement and trigger conversions through the deep retail focus of the Sabre SynXis Booking Engine. Sabre’s corporate booking tools will provide Bear Luxe with the ability to connect with corporate travel buyers. Meanwhile, SynXis Voice Agent will elevate the call centre experience for potential guests, equipping Bear Luxe agents with the tools they need to minimize call handling times while increasing opportunities for ancillary sales. 

“We’re thrilled that Bear Luxe has selected Sabre as its trusted, strategic technology partner in Japan,” said Sabre Hospitality Solutions global managing director, Frank Trampert.

“We look forward to supporting them in their endeavours to open up further domestic, regional and international markets to Japanese hoteliers while helping visitors to experience the unique characteristics Japanese destinations have to offer.”

Thailand tones down Songkran festivities

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 12 April 2022: The Tourism Authority of Thailand is hosting the ‘Amazing Songkran 2022 Celebrations’ at 10 temples in Bangkok and the ‘Songkran Music Heritage Festival 2022’ in Ayutthaya and Songkhla, as well as supporting Songkran festivities elsewhere in Chiang Mai and Samut Prakan.

The Songkran Festival,  a nationwide holiday that runs from 13 to 15 April, will convene under Covid-19 guidelines that highlight the traditional and cultural aspects of the festival and ban rowdy parties.

TAT confirmed it would focus on the centuries-old origins and traditions of the Thai New Year, a time when family comes first, respect is paid to seniors, and people visit the temples to take part in ceremonies.

Marking the end of a 12-month cycle when the sun moves into April and there was traditionally a gap between rice harvesting and planting, Songkran in Thailand is officially observed as a three-day national holiday from 13-15 April, although celebrations can go on for longer – up to a week in some places.

Songkran 2022 festivities hosted by TAT

Amazing Songkran 2022 Celebrations at 10 temples in Bangkok namely, Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Rakang, Wat Suthat, Wat Kalayanamit, Wat Prayun, Wat Ratchanatdaram, Wat Mahathat, Wat Saket (Phu Khao Thong), and Wat Ratchabophit. 

From 13 to 15 April, TAT has arranged special festivities at Wat Saket and Wat Ratchabophit, including traditional culture and performances, such as, Khon masked dance, Thai-style antiphon singing, and Thai puppet show, as well as demonstrations of authentic Thai dessert making and fruit carving.

Songkran Music Heritage Festival 2022 from 12-21 April, in Ayutthaya and Songkhla.

TAT has selected Ayutthaya’s Wat Phra Ram and Songkhla’s old town as venues for the ‘Songkran Music Heritage 2022’ to enhance local and international awareness of both locations’ historical and cultural significance.

Water Festival by Thai Beverage Plc (ThaiBev) in six Thai cities

13-15 April 2022, at nine historic piers along Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, namely Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Prayun, Wat Kalayanamit, Wat Rakang, Maharaj Pier, Lhong 1919, SookSiam at ICONSIAM, and Asiatique the Riverfront.

13-15 April 2022, at Lanna Ancient House, Charoen Prathet Road, Chiang Mai.

13 April, 2022, at Inthayongyos Road, Mueang Lamphun.

13-14 April 2022, at Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, Udon Thani.

13-14 April 2022, at Wat Chaisi, Mueang Khon Kaen.

11-12 April 2022, at Phuket’s old town.

During the Songkran Festival, 13 to 15 April, the government announced a ban on water splashing, powder smearing, and foam parties at Songkran locations and in public areas. The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages are also prohibited at the event locations.

(Source: TAT)

Singapore joins sustainability index

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 12 April 2022: Singapore joins the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), to consolidate the country’s current sustainability efforts under the Singapore Green Plan 2030 (SGP2030).

The move sees Singapore cementing its position as a sustainability performance improver and changemaker, alongside destinations in the region such as Bangkok and Sarawak. Other cities participating in the GDS-Index include Gothenburg, Copenhagen, and Glasgow.

The GDS-Index is a sustainability benchmarking and improvement programme for destinations around the world. It is used to assess the current social and environmental performance of a destination annually and, in turn, drive improved performance. The GDS-Index is a collaborative partnership between ICCA, ICCA’s Scandinavian Chapter, IMEX, ECM, and MCI Group.

Building on Singapore’s identity as a City in Nature, Singapore’s participation in the GDS-Index is aligned with the vision and targets of SGP2030, which has charted Singapore’s ambitions and targets over the next 10 years, strengthening Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement. The commitment supports Singapore to be a more sustainable urban destination and positions it to achieve its long-term net-zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable.

STB became a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) member in October 2021 and strongly supported local tourism businesses in their sustainability journey.

“Sustainability is a key priority for Singapore tourism because it is vital to our future, and travellers have become increasingly aware of the impact of their consumption,” said  STB chief executive Keith Tan. “Becoming a leading sustainable urban destination requires a long-term commitment from both the government and industry. That is why Singapore’s participation in the GDS-Index is important. It focuses our collective efforts and helps us track our progress as a City in Nature, where large experiences come with small footprints.”

Travellers grab Sarawak tour bargains

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 12 April 2022: Sarawak’s tourism industry is on its way to recovery, with more and more Malaysians starting to travel again, evident in the sharp rise in the sale of Sarawak packages during last week’s MATTA Fair.

Held at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Kuala Lumpur from 9 to 10 April, the MATTA Fair showcased 20 of Sarawak’s industry partners under the promotional banner of the Sarawak Tourism Board. Popular tour packages booked at the fair included stays in traditional longhouses, diving, kayaking and mountain climbing.

Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor said: “Sarawak’s presence in MATTA Fair 2022 was timely with the reopening of Malaysia’s border. We are all geared up to welcome tourists to experience Sarawak’s distinctive blend, whether it is experiencing the culture of Sarawak’s many indigenous communities or exploring gigantic caves in the Gunung Mulu National Park.”

Sarawak was the featured destination for MATTA Fair 2022 for the third time before the national travel fair paused for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are excited to be once again receiving travellers to Sarawak from all around the world. It is important for the recovery of the industry and signals a return to some form of normalcy in travel, which is an exciting step forward. The industry needs to recover and get back to business, and MATTA Fair was a great opportunity to showcase the best of what Sarawak and Malaysia have to offer.”

Packages sold at bargain prices to fairgoers focused on the most popular activities such as night cycling rides around Kuching City as listed by the Lonely Planet, discovering Bung Jagoi Heritage, an old Bidayuh village established more than 150 years ago, exploring Sarawak’s coastal villages in Bruit, Daro and Matu, and trips to Mulu National Park, a UNESCO Heritage site famed for its caves and the Pinnacles.

Currently, visitors from West Malaysia can take direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Kota Bahru to Kuching, while they can direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang to Sibu and take direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru to Miri.

For more information, visit https://sarawaktourism.com/

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

Phuket’s PHIST returns in September

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TTR WEEKLY
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PHUKET, 11 April 2022: PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism) is back for an in-person event this September following a two-year lull due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event is a leading sustainability forum that rallies the hotel industry and its stakeholders to discuss governance, environmental sustainability, and social impact.

PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Poole (Southeast Asia) Co Ltd.

PHIST 2019 was attended by more than 1,000 delegates from all over Southeast Asia, convening to discuss ways in which the hotel and tourism industry can foster best practices when it comes to governance, environmental sustainability and social impact.

This year’s event will include workshops, expert panels and thematic discussions where experts and stakeholders can come together to discuss topics including destination development, hotel sustainability governance, sustainability marketing, and global trends on sustainability.

Speakers will be a mix of industry experts from both local and international organisations. Delegates will also be able to attend an expo with exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services being offered in sustainable tourism development.

PHIST is organised by The Phuket Hotels Association in collaboration with C9 Hotelworks and Greenview. The 2019 event was supported by the Thailand Convention Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) and Thai Hotels Association (THA), AMCHAM and Austcham.

Sponsorship Experts Paul Poole (Southeast Asia) will be managing sponsorship and partnership marketing for PHIST 2022. The independent marketing consultancy is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

(This article was first published in PP(SEA)CL’s April 2022 newsletter.)

Art shines during Ramadan

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE, 11 April 2022: Baker Khalid Yousuf Baker is an Emirati artist of many talents and loves exploring the use of bold colours and shapes when painting. His latest piece, ‘New Journey’, combines rhythmic waves and energetic visual textures, drawing on inspiration from his surrounding environment.

Baker, along with other talented artists from Mawaheb, a Dubai based art studio dedicated to People of Determination, continues to show the world that disability does not define your limits, and with the help of Emirates,  they will proudly be exhibiting their art for sale at the Emirates Official Store.

Emirates began its relationship with Mawaheb two years ago by collaborating to create a special edition, bespoke designs for the airline’s Ramadan boxes served onboard to passengers during the holy month. This year, The airline is honouring the spirit of Ramadan and supporting the positive impact art has on culture and society, and has partnered with Mawaheb, which means ‘talent’ in Arabic, to help sell pieces from its artists on the airline’s global Emirates Official Store platform, increasing their visibility, showcasing their brilliance, creativity and hard work and ultimately connecting them to art lovers all over the world. The artists, based in Dubai, have disabilities and are known as People of Determination in the UAE; in recognition of their achievements in different fields and productive contributions to society will directly support its operations and help keep its diverse programmes for People of Determination running. The studio helps to provide the tools, mediums, the space and the inspiration needed for People of Determination to nurture their talents and grow their abilities.

For Emirates’ bespoke Ramadan meal boxes, the Mawaheb artists closely worked with the airline’s in-house team, using the holy month as the inspiration for the art they would be creating. After a productive local community activity, the design was born and was later produced in two colour schemes. The boxes helped to showcase their talent and creativity from Dubai to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the studio had to close its doors due to the impact of the pandemic on creative communities but has since reopened with a brand new warehouse-style studio in Al Quoz, a vibrant cultural neighbourhood in Dubai, to continue its mission of helping People of Determination realise their full artistic and creative potential.

A glimpse of the art from the collection on sale includes ‘Flowers’ and ‘Connecting the Dots’ by Rekha Kriplani, a talented artist with an impressive series of paintings> She had her first solo exhibition in 2019; ‘Eye by AliOk’ by Iraqi artist Ali Al Salhi, whose art is characterised by precise, neat lines accentuated by bright and cheerful colours. Ali enjoys painting while listening to iconic classical Arabic singer Umm Kulthum; ‘The Warm Flowers of the Summer Spring’ by Mariam Ismail. Mariam is a gifted artist with many talents: story writing and painting, and is an experienced motivational speaker. She has a broad interest in gaming, pop culture and anime. Her dream is to become a voice actor;  ‘Dots Dots Dots’ by British artist Namrata Pagarani explores her love of colour; and ‘Landscape With Dots’ by German artist Leila Murgian, incorporates stippling techniques using lively colour schemes, inspired by her love of butterflies and hugs.

Emirates is an avid supporter of culture and arts in the UAE and around the world and has been connecting with communities and helping feed their creative spirit by sponsoring and promoting diverse events and platforms across literature, music and art for more than 20 years. 

Customers can visit https://www.emirates.com/af/english/experience/seasonal-occasions/ramadan/  for more information on the full Emirates Ramadan experience and how to travel in comfort during the Holy Month.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Swiss-Belhotel chairman wins award

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TTR WEEKLY
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JAKARTA, 11 April 2022: Swiss-Belhotel International chairman and president Gavin M. Faull has won Indonesia’s Tourism Business Leader in Global Hotel Chain 2022/2023 award.

Executive director and senior vice president Matthew Faull picked up the award at the Indonesia Leading Tourism Business Leader Awards ceremony organised by the Indonesia Travel and Tourism Foundation last week in Surabaya.

“Receiving this award is an honour for Swiss-Belhotel International and me. We started operations in Indonesia 34 years ago, and today, Swiss-Belhotel International has its largest portfolio, with 75 hotels, within Indonesia, from a total of 125 hotels in 19 countries globally. ,” said Gavin Faull.

Sabre sights first recovery signs

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TTR WEEKLY
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MUMBAI, 11 April 2022: Corporate travel is showing strong signs of recovery, according to Thomas Cook (India) Group managing director Madhavan Menon.

He was the first speaker in Sabre’s new virtual insights series. Speaking as part of the Sabre Ascent series, Menon said that for March 2022, Thomas Cook (India) is seeing a domestic corporate travel recovery of around 70% of pre-pandemic levels, with international corporate travel starting to follow the same trajectory. 

His comments mirror the latest figures released by Sabre in its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides updated recovery figures for 1 to 28 March compared to the same period in 2019.

The Sabre filing said: “While domestic and leisure bookings have continued to lead the recovery, international and corporate bookings have improved at an accelerating rate since January 2022. We expect the March 2022 recovery versus the same period for both international and corporate bookings to be at their highest levels since the pandemic started.”

During the first-ever Sabre Ascent session, Menon also told Sabre’a Bengaluru GCC vice president and managing director Jaya Kumar K,

that he expects technology to play a “far greater role” in corporate travel as business travellers expect increased, targeted information to help them navigate travel in a Covid-19 world as well as a much more personalized approach. 

Menon said that Sabre is “leading this crusade of evolving technology in the travel industry, and that is not something which should be underestimated” because his company would not have made so much progress without global distribution technology. 

The webinar also addressed the challenges and opportunities brought about by the pandemic and the evolution of domestic tourism, new trends in personalization, whether sustainability is top of mind moving through the pandemic and the evolving demands of travellers in this new age of travel. 

Looking back at the pandemic,  Menon noted: “What was initially seen as a challenge turned out to be an opportunity. I don’t think any of us had faced a challenge of this kind, but there was a realization you’re not alone, and everybody is facing the same problem. The last two years have given us the opportunity to re-set.”

He said that Thomas Cook (India) had re-sized out of necessity, carried out back-end integration, and upgraded its technology to create a more customer-centric focus. “This journey we are taking at Thomas Cook is moving from telling the customer what he or she should do on his holiday to the point where the customer chooses how he or she wants to go on holiday and how they want to interact with us,” he added. “The experience and access to information should be the same no matter how a customer comes to us.”

You can watch the Sabre Ascent series webinar here to find out more from Thomas Cook and Sabre about: How can the travel ecosystem use personalized travel and customer-centricity more effectively to enable travel 5.0

Centara Grand Hotel Osaka sets opening date

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 11 April 2022: Centara Hotels & Resorts has confirmed a July 2023 opening date for Centara Grand Hotel Osaka.

The group’s Chief Executive Officer, Thirayuth Chirathivat, was recently in Japan for the project’s topping-off event alongside his business partner counterparts in Taisei Corporation and Kanden Realty & Development and made time to visit the hotel site on Namba street.

Construction is well underway, with the 35-storey structure completed and overall progress nearing its halfway milestone.

When complete, Centara’s debut property in Japan will feature 515 premium accommodations, including rooms with bunk beds and connecting rooms, making it an ideal destination for families, leisure, and business travellers. The hotel will also be home to a unique rooftop dining destination crowning the architectural masterpiece, as well as the first SPA Cenvaree in the country, fitness centre, co-working space, and sophisticated events spaces.

Centara’s foray into Japan highlights the group’s strategic goal of becoming a top 100 global hotel operator within five years with a portfolio of approximately 200 hotels and resorts, up from 89 properties at present.

To learn more about Centara Hotels & Resorts, visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com

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