Northstar

22 | www.travelweekly-asia.com GLOBAL WRAP THE BEST OF TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA'S GLOBAL WRAP e-DAILY Travel Weekly Asia writers and correspondents wrap up the best of the news from across Asia. Banyan Tree goes wild with latest resort MALAYSIAN TRAVEL AGENT GROUP COLLABORATES OVER BOOKING PLATFORM The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has announced a joint-venture with Singapore-based tech and travel- solution company Grabini to work on a hotel and attractions booking platform to rival OTAs. Datuk Tan Kok Liang, MATTA president, said the platform is directed at B2B businesses and "would be more attractive than OTAs, as hotels and attractions would be engaging directly with our 3,600 members to provide attractive rates for them to construct enticing travel packages to consumers". The platform offers real-time inventories and rates, and can be integrated with members' existing systems, according to CEO Alexander Abraham of Grabini (Malaysia). The system will be made operational in September. Banyan Tree Holdings' first Singapore resort will feature 338 eco-friendly rooms on a 4.6-hectare site within the Mandai Precinct. This includes 24 elevated tree houses in the heart of Singapore's tropical rainforest. Guests at the resort will also enjoy curated programmes, such as nature walks, conservation talks, as well as behind the scenes tours. Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree, said the resort would allow visitors to gain unprecedented access to nature. "It is truly a contribution to all Singaporeans who do not have the opportunity to go to distant countries and interact with nature," she said. The resort is set to open in 2023. An artist's impression of a treehouse room at the upcoming Banyan Tree Resort. A BOOST FOR BANDUNG TOURISM Indonesia's tourism minister Arief Yahya has announced a plan to develop the popular tourist destination into a 'Special Economic PHOTO CREDIT: MANDAI PARK HOLDINGS UK EASES BORDER ENTRY Singapore, Australia, Japan and South Korea passport holders, among others, visiting Britain can now use automated ePassport gates at 15 airports across the country. The border service, also available to arrivals via Eurostar rail terminals, will enable faster and secure processing of passengers entering Britain's borders. Datuk Tan Kok Liang, MATTA's president, at the signing. PHOTO CREDIT: VTT STUDIO/GETTYIMAGES Zone (KEK)' that will focus on improving accessibility. Under the plan, Bandung will host a number of events, including a five-kilometre Color Run and Independence Festival ahead of the country's Independence Day. The minister stressed the importance of improving access to the destination in the southern part of the city that offered natural beauty to travellers. Pan Pacific Orchard and its sky gardens. PHOTO CREDIT:AKHMAD DODY FIR- MANSYAH/GETTY IMAGES West Java's Cikubang Bridge is the longest active train bridge in Indonesia. PAN PACIFIC BUSY IN LONDON AND SINGAPORE Pan Pacific Hotels Group's first Pan Pacific hotel in London will debut in 2020, while Singapore's Pan Pacific Orchard will be relaunched in 2021. Pan Pacific London will have 237 keys in the heart of London's financial district at One Bishopsgate Plaza, a five-minute walk from Liverpool Street station. The Pan Pacific Orchard relaunch will feature three levels of experiential sky gardens, with foliage that cover three times the total land area. It will also be the group's very first zero-waste hotel, complete with rainwater harvesting system, a recyclable water system, as well as a compactor that transforms food waste into compost. Changi Lounge at Jewel. CHANGI CLEARED FOR FLY-CRUISE LOUNGE Singapore Changi Airport is pressing ahead with the Changi Lounge, which will offer an intermodal transfer experience for fly-cruise and fly-ferry passengers. "We are happy to share that we have found good traction with several cruise lines, as well as hospitality partners, and look forward to hosting our first intermodal transfer passengers soon," said Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group.

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