Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com | 19 GLOBAL WRAP THE BEST OF TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA'S GLOBAL WRAP e-DAILY Travel Weekly Asia writers and correspondents bring you the best of the news from Asia Pacific and beyond. Raffles Hotel rejuvenates retail space Shop the Neighbourhood with Hotel Indigo IHG has come up with a novel shopping concept. The hotel group's 100 Hotel Indigo properties around the world will each have a shoppable hotel room that allows anyone to buy direct from the best artists and craftspeople from around the world, in one place, on social media. Shop the Neighbourhood with Hotel Indigo shines a spotlight on local neighbourhood stories that inspire the distinctive designs of each property. Hand-selected items from curated artisans and local makers are featured in the shoppable room. Australian tourism icon under siege Three months ahead of the closure of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia's Northern Territory, tourists are flocking to the site – previously known as Ayers Rock – many camping illegally and causing over-crowding problems. Raffles Hotel Singapore has unveiled spaces for co-working and contemporary art as part of a "discerning edit" of Raffles Arcade, its shopping, dining and lifestyle component. The flagship outlet, Raffles Gift Shop, has been transformed to Raffles Boutique, and additionally features a new heritage gallery showcasing the hotel's 132-year history in addition to gifts and souvenirs. The boutique also houses Ah Teng's Cafe, which offers a selection of gourmet coffee and tea and homemade pastries. The iconic Long Bar has taken up to a new perch on the second level. The Anangu traditional owners have repeatedly urged people to show respect to the rock's cultural value by not climbing it. Brett Mitchell, Intrepid Travel APAC managing director, said, "We educate travellers about why they shouldn't climb but we cannot stop them. We communicate our respect for the site wherever we can – from trip notes to sales to our people on the ground." Raffles Boutique. Radisson brands now under one digital roof. PHOTO CREDIT: INTREPID TRAVEL Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road. The move consolidates the group's single-brand websites into one platform, which now displays the group's entire portfolio of 1,100 hotels worldwide. Members of the hotel's loyalty programme, Radisson Rewards, will be able to use the platform to view and track their reward points and benefits. Uluru under siege. Radisson unveils website to park its brands Radisson Hotel Group has unveiled an enhanced global website to house all its brands as well as a supporting mobile application. A new way to see Shanghai. France is turning the air green. PHOTO CREDIT: PETMAL/GETTY IMAGES France pushes for flight tax from 2020 France is set to introduce a new green tax on plane tickets of up to 18 euros (US$20) per flight, similar to initiatives in other EU states, as it seeks to limit the environmental impact of air travel. The funds will be collected from flights originating from France and used to create less-polluting transport options amid growing concerns on carbon emissions from planes. The move, to kick in from 2020, will introduce a tax on flights within and outside Europe. Shanghai: One side trip you shouldn't miss There's a new way to see suburban Shanghai – in a sidecar of a vintage motor bike, ridden by a local expat. The two-hour tour for two has been launched by LUXE by EXO, the boutique luxury brand of EXO Travel. The Shanghai by Sidecar experience takes guests on an urban adventure through winding alleys and streets, riding in the sidecar of a vintage Chang Jiang 750 motorcycle. Gen Z more interested in travel than a home Travel has emerged as the most important financial outlay for Gen Z when it comes to thinking about spending their money. Research from Booking.com shows 65% of the cohort, aged 16- 24, put travel ahead of saving for a property. When pitting travel against other spend choices such as homewares, clothes, technology and gadgets and eating out, travel still came out top.

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