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Jamaica Tourism Minister moves to recover Japan market

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry will be placing special focus on increasing arrivals from Japan by implementing new marketing arrangements.

Speaking at a press briefing today at the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Kingston office, the Minister noted that he would be leading a team in Japan later this month to meet with key officials and stakeholders to recover the Japanese market, which he lamented was much stronger 30 years ago. 


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“Japan was a very good market for Jamaica 20-30 years ago. We lost that market because of a number of factors, one of which had to do with the economy of Japan and a fire that took place. The Japanese economy has rebounded and they are doing extremely well. Their outbound market is over 20 million and the appetite for Jamaica and the Caribbean is returning,” said Minister Bartlett.

He further noted that, “The good news is that we now have arrangements with main carriers. Out of Japan, we have a strong programme with Delta as well as American Airlines, which both have co-sharing arrangements with airlines out of Japan. There is now the gateway of Panama, which is connected directly into Japan.”

While in Japan, the Minister is expected to meet with the Japan Tourism Agency, as well as the Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Mr Hiromi Tagawa to establish the new marketing arrangements. He will also meet with The Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hon. Kazuyoshi Akaba on broader areas of collaboration.

Jamaica will also be a major exhibitor at Tourism EXPO Japan 2019, scheduled for October 24 and 25.  The event will focus on tourism as a major factor for the revitalization of regional economy and job creations. It is one of the largest tourism expositions of its kind in the world.

Other key markets the Ministry will focus on include India and South America.

“India is now the fastest growing economy in the world, with a growing middle-class. They have perhaps the best wedding market in the world. Jamaica will be tapping into that. We have a representative in India now and work has already started. We are also partnering with Indian tour operators and travel agents,” said the Minister.

He noted that work to improve the South American market has already began, with arrangements in place for the island to receive more visitors from the region beginning in December.

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“LATAM, which is the largest and most important carrier operating in the South American area, will inaugurate a flight which will have  three-rotations into Montego Bay on the first of December.

We will go to Lima and be on that first flight which will be a historic event for tourism in Jamaica. Jamaica will now have 14 rotations coming from South America, starting from December,” said the Minister.

To ensure that the country’s growth projections for 2020 into 2021 are secured, the Jamaica Tourist Board has also constructed a very strong marketing programme, which begins tomorrow in Canada.

The Minister is therefore scheduled to head to Canada tomorrow with the Director of Tourism, Mr Donovan White. While there, they will be meeting with stakeholders and members of the Diaspora.

“These new marketing arrangements are critical to resilience building. Jamaica is being proactive in our efforts to ensure our markets are secure, so that if there is a fallout from one end, we can pick up on the other end and keep our growth momentum on the level we project,” said the Minister.

“As of now, we have an increment of 150,000 more stopover arrivals for the year so far, which is a record. This represents an 8.6 percent increase over last year. In terms of our earnings, there was an increase of approximately 10.2 percent more earnings. Our initial projection was for US$3.6 billion, but this has now increased to US$3.7 billion,” he added.

MEDIA CONTACT: Corporate Communications, Ministry of Tourism, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Centara Targets 20 New Hotel Openings Across Vietnam By 2024

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has revealed plans for a significant expansion of its portfolio in Vietnam, with the goal of opening at least 20 new hotels across this vibrant and dynamic Asian nation in the next five years.

Part of the Central Group, the renowned Thai conglomerate, Centara is an award-winning international hotel group with a global collection of hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia (including Thailand, Laos and Vietnam), the Middle East, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It operates a series of leading brands, including six distinct hotel concepts, SPA Cenvaree, the Thai wellness brand, and COAST, the beachfront F&B concept.

Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya

Many of the company’s hotels are genuine market leaders, such as Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, which is one of the world’s top conference venues; Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, ranked best family resort in Thailand by TripAdvisor for the past 5 years; and Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, which was named by CNN as one of the best heritage hotels in Asia.

The group already has an intuitive knowledge of the Vietnamese market; Centara Sandy Beach Resort Danang is a popular upscale beachfront resort on country’s stunning central coast, and Central Group operates a range of top retail brands all across Vietnam, including GO! (formerly BigC Vietnam), LanChi Mart, B2S, Robins, SuperSports, Home Mart and Nguyen Kim.

Centara Sandy Beach Resort Danang, the first property of the group in Vietnam

Building on this long-term success, Centara is now pursuing a major nationwide growth strategy, with the target of opening at least 20 new hotels and resorts across Vietnam by 2024. Targeted destinations include key economic hubs such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Haiphong, and other high-growth areas like Danang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh and Hoi An. There is also strong potential in the southern coastal areas of Vung Tau, Ho Tram and Mui Ne, due to new road infrastructure connecting the region with HCMC and the development of a major new airport in nearby Dong Nai province.

Centara foresees opportunities for all six of its brands in Vietnam, which include Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Residences & Suites, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara and its latest concept, COSI, which caters for freedom loving and tech-savvy travellers.

“Vietnam’s tourism industry enjoyed a great year in 2018 and we expect this to continue for many years to come. Boosted by booming intra-Asian travel, more relaxed visa policies and impressive improvements to transport infrastructure, the country is already well on track towards another record-breaking tourism year in 2019. With our collection of hotel concepts, global hospitality expertise and local market experience, we are well placed to achieve our targets in Vietnam,” commented Centara Hotels & Resorts Chief Executive Officer, Thirayuth Chirathivat.

Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld

International visitor arrivals to Vietnam reached a record total of 15.5 million in 2018, the majority of which came from Asia, where the Centara brand is well known and respected. This upward surge is continuing in 2019; data from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) reveals that almost six million overseas travellers visited the country in the first four months of this year, and a buoyant economy is boosting domestic tourism.

Positive tourism trends are driving demand for new hotels and resorts. Recent data from industry analysts STR shows that over 23,000 new hotel rooms are currently being constructed in Vietnam – a reflection of the continued rise of the country as a global tourism hotspot. This creates opportunities for Centara, which has a proven track record of operational success and strong partnerships in the country.

Centara’s focus on Vietnam will form an important part of its global strategic vision, which includes the overall goal of doubling its total hotel portfolio by 2022. At present, the company has 71 hotels and resorts either operating or in the pipeline worldwide, comprising over 13,000 rooms.

For 30 years, Centara has developed a reputation for blending gracious, Thai-style hospitality with world-class accommodation and exceptional amenities. Now, with an expanded collection of innovative brands, Centara is aiming to build on this legacy by introducing new hotels and resorts all across Vietnam.

For more information about Centara Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com.

ABOUT CENTARA

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 71 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands -Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, Centara Residences & Suites and COSI Hotels – ranging from 5-star city hotels and luxurious island retreats to family resorts and affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology. It also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families.Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to double its size with additional properties in Thailand and new international markets, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

Find out more about Centara at www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Pornchanok Thongrungrot (Pao)
Corporate Public Relations Manager – International, Centara Hotels & Resorts
Email: pornchanokth@chr.co.th
Tel.: +66 (0)2769 1234 Ext. 6733 

Seychelles Tourism Board attending ILTM Asia-Pacific Fair

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) participated in the ILTM Asia – Pacific trade fair with a 4.5 sq. metres stand. The exhibition was held in Singapore from May 27, 2019 to May 30, 2019 at Marina Bay Sand.

Mrs. Amia Jovanovic Desir, the Director for India, South Korea, Australia and South East Asia attended the exhibition on STB’s behalf and Mrs. Elsie Sinon, the Senior Marketing Executive for these territories, accompanied her.

The concept of the fair comprised of pre-planned appointments and meetings. Several agents representing potential tour operating partners to discuss and conduct business. This year 573 companies combined with 540 international buyers participated in the exhibition.

The exhibition was inaugurated May 27, with a series of activities, which kicked off a panel discussion including some tourism-marketing experts as guest speakers, such as Dr Praga Khanna-who is a leading strategy advisor- and Ms Catherine Feliciano-Chon, Founder and Managing Director of CatchOn- marketing expert who is regarded as one of Asia’s leading executives.

In the ultimate aim of keeping the tourism trade participating exhibitors abreast of the continuous changes in the requirements of the travel trend.

Additionally, great emphasis was placed on the rise in the millionaire segment across South East Asia, which would be an advantage for destinations searching for new growth in both figures and revenue. Participants present were given marketing tips on how to connect and reach this specific and particular segment.

During the fair, which was spread over three days the STB team had 60 scheduled appointments including ad-hoc requests for meetings from tour operators were conducted. The agents met through the meetings were from a cross section market, which included Australia, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan and UK.

The various meetings pointed out that some destinations had reached saturation point or Deja Vu and influencing the demands from clients for new destinations to explore. Seychelles demarcates itself as a destination of choice, which matches their demand and interest.

Information gathered from the meetings pointed out that the destination’s lush vegetation and the different island characteristics, has an added value for the agent’s clientele base.

The visitors are looking for exotic high-end resorts. Through the detailed presentation presented to them, they were reassured of the wide range of products and attractions that Seychelles has to offer to such visitors’ segments.

From the meetings held with the agents, the STB team is looking at redefining its strategy including slowly developing some of the markets in South East Asia identified as having high potential for growth.

Mrs. Amia Jovanovic Desir, the Director for India, South Korea, Australia and South East Asia expressed her appreciation towards the various trade partners on the Asian continent.

“As a small destination with limited resources, we rely greatly on the support and trust of our local partners to join us on some of the promotional events which we organise in these territories. We believe that there are potential results to be acquired from penetrating this market region. The agents are thirsty for information about our island. We need to be patient and put some trust in the market. That is why we encourage continuously training of agents, which we believe is of paramount importance if we want to keep Seychelles visible and in the mind of the consumers on some of the markets. We need time to develop the market and to build the trust and a strong relationship with the agents,” said Mrs. Amia Jovanovic Desir.

All the agents were given general brochures of the destination, as well as a copy of the list of the local Destination Management Companies, DMCs and a Seychelles brand token as souvenir.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Seychelles Tourism Board records successful participation at 2019 Arabian Travel Market in Dubai

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The Seychelles Islands was represented at the 26th edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), in Middle East’s most popular travel trade event held from April 28 to May 1, 2019 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The 4-day event garnered the participation of some 2,500 companies, including the participation of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) featuring a representation from 150 countries, 65 national pavilions and more than 100 new exhibitors at the fair.

The Seychelles delegation was led by the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Didier Dogley. The Seychelles Ambassador in the United Arab Emirates, Jean-Claude Adrienne, STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis.

They were escorted by a strong STB team including the Tourism Attaché at the Seychelles Abu Dhabi Embassy, Ms. Aliette Esther, the STB representative in Dubai, Ahmed Fathallah, and Ms. Stephanie Lablache STB Director for the Middle East and Ms. Vanessa Lucas, Public Relations Officer from the Headquarters.

The team was completed by few trade partners representing local Destination Management Companies and hotels including Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort & Casino, Eden Bleu Hotel, Luxury Travel, Satguru Travels and Tours Ltd, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, and Vision Voyages.

The 2019 edition of the ATM travel trade show recorded over 40,000 attendees, highlighting Middle East’s thriving tourism sector and the major opportunity for Seychelles as a destination to increase its clients in the Middle East.  

STB’s participation has generated immense interest at the ATM as numerous partners and travel professionals visited the stand, conducting meetings with exhibiting partners attending the event alongside the STB team.

With the summer season fast approaching, coupled with other upcoming Middle Eastern holidays, the annual event was the ideal platform for the STB and its local partners to personally meet travel professionals to further the awareness of the destination as well as reinforcing its presence in the Middle East market.

The destination, with Six Senses Zil Pasyon as partner, was also one of the presenters at the TTN Travel Trade Competition on the 3rd day of the fair at the Inspiration Theatre on site. The STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis showcased the destination through a Pecha Kucha presentation— a story telling format using 20 slides for 20 seconds per slide.

The presentation was followed by a quiz which was the highlight of the event as one lucky travel agent took home a prize sponsored by Six Senses Zil Pasyon by answering the questions correctly.

During the event, Minister Didier Dogley and STB Chief Executive had the opportunity to give several media interviews to share the latest news about the destination.

Aside from providing visibility to the destination and indulging in various promotional activities at the ATM, the STB team, headed by its Chief Executive also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the renewal of a marketing agreement between the Tourism Board and Emirates Airline. 

Mrs. Francis mentioned her satisfaction following STB’s participation at the ATM, she also thanked the partners who supported the team by their presence on the stand during the event.

“STB’s participation at the ATM was definitely a great success. There was an increased interest from our media partners and our partners in the Middle East to hear about the latest news from our destination. It was vital for the destination to be present at the event, the upcoming holidays in the Middle East opens a window of opportunity to increase visitor’s arrival on the Middle East market. With the efforts contributed by the local trade present at the fair, I am confident that we have made a huge impact on the market,” said Mrs. Francis.

 “We are hopeful and anticipating to surpass last year’s visitor arrivals to the destination by participating in different travel and trade events in the GCC that will serve as a platform to personally meet with new and existing trade partners.” said Mr. Fathallah.

The UAE along with the GCC countries currently being the fourth market feeder to the destination continues to be one of the largest source markets to the destination finishing off the year 2018 with more than 32,000 visitors from the GCC.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

ATM to launch inaugural M.E. edition of Travel Forward in 2020

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Travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from around the world will have an opportunity to explore the next generation of industry innovations at the Middle East’s first ever edition of Travel Forward, which will take place alongside Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020.

The travel and hospitality innovation event will connect buyers and suppliers from across the Middle East and beyond, enabling delegates to try out the latest industry tools and take advantage of technologies that could boost efficiency and improve the customer experience.

The event will cover the full spectrum of industry tools, from emerging innovations such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and machine learning, to existing systems such as booking engines, business management software and end-user technology.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “In today’s ultra-competitive travel, tourism and hospitality markets, the effective implementation of innovative technologies is essential to the long-term success of any business. By identifying the right tools to meet their needs, industry professionals can give themselves a competitive edge.

“That is why events such as Travel Forward are so important to our sector’s future. By bringing together buyers and suppliers, and facilitating face-to-face interactions, the show will make it easier for participants to identify and test innovative technologies and applications that could help to achieve their long-term goals.”

Travel Forward will form part of next year’s Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising several co-located shows including Arabian Travel Market 2020; ATM Holiday Shopper; CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa; and ILTM Arabia.

The original edition of Travel Forward was launched during World Travel Market 2018 in London. Based on the success of the event to date, organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions rolled out a Latin America edition earlier this year, and plans to introduce both Middle East and South Africa editions in 2020.

Richard Gayle, Event Manager, Travel Forward at WTM London, said: “The London edition of Travel Forward has attracted widespread industry interest since its launch in 2018. The event not only allows technology suppliers to showcase their products and services to buyers on a one-to-one basis, but also enables travel, tourism and hospitality professionals to get hands-on experience with technologies that could transform their operations.

“The Middle East edition of the show will enable industry players from across the Gulf to engage with the latest innovations by bringing these technologies to their doorstep.”

Delegates at the Middle East event will have access to high-profile keynote speakers and a world-class line-up of technology experts, and the event’s organiser plans to limit the number of exhibitors so that suppliers and buyers can be more effectively aligned.

Travel Forward will include a dedicated product theatre, enabling exhibitors to conduct live demonstrations for attendees. The event will also feature ‘Pitch It – Prove It’ start-up challenge, in which suppliers will not only explain the theory behind their innovations but also demonstrate their advantages in real time.

The standalone event will build on the success of ATM 2019’s theme, cutting-edge technology and innovation, which has been integrated across all show verticals and activities, including its focused seminar sessions.

For more information about ATM 2019, visit: https://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.

To find out more about Travel Forward, visit: https://travelforward.wtm.com.

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

Arabian Travel Market is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2018 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 141 countries over the four days. The 25th edition of ATM showcased over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre.  Arabian Travel Market 2019 will take place in Dubai from Sunday, 28 April to Wednesday, 1 May 2019. To find out more, please visit: www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: NATHALIE VISELE, Director, Shamal Communications, Arjaan Office Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel: +971 4 365 2711 | Mobile: +971 50 457 6525, E-mail: nathalie.visele@shamalcomms.com , Website: www.shamalcomms.com