Northstar

22 | www.travelweekly-asia.com GLOBAL WRAP Serviced residences provider The Ascott Limited has opened the doors to lyf Funan Singapore, its first co-living property. Touted as Southeast Asia's largest co-living property, the building houses 412 rooms across 279 apartments, as well as communal facilities and areas. The nine-storey property is directly connected to the Funan integrated retail and commercial development. The first flagship of its co-living brand is being "managed by millennials for the millennials and millennial-minded", offering collaborative spaces and social programmes that create a "live-work-play" experience. THE BEST OF TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA'S GLOBAL WRAP e-DAILY Travel Weekly Asia writers wrap up the best of the news from Asia and the rest of the world. Ascott unveils lyf Funan Singapore for 'live-work-play' Phuket's heritage district seeks support More government support is needed for Phuket Old Town as it prepares to submit a bid to designate it as a World Heritage Site in 2020. Phuket Old Town tourism community's president Don Limnunthaphisit said the city would "like to receive a rolling budget each year to support renovations", as do Penang and Malacca, which are cities on the World Heritage List. While the town receives some funding from the government, the community is responsible for most aspects of the renovation process. Trust online: It's hard to find A survey of 23,000 regular fliers in 20 countries has found that when shopping online, travellers are having trouble deciding which companies they can trust. Some 50% of travellers faced this dilemma, up 6% on 2018. They are also frustrated by not knowing whether online reviews are genuine (50%) and the time required to find the right option (43%). The survey, carried out for Travelport, found the vast majority of travellers (85%) favoured value over cost but often struggled to find it. Only one in five travellers booked a trip solely on cost. Phuket Old Town eyes World Heritage listing, but it needs help. Travellers favour value over cost but often struggle to find it. Xian is turning on the night lights. The five stars are shining in Nepal. Clarke Quay among the Singapore attractions for visitors from the Middle East. CREDIT: RAWPIXEL/GETTYIMAGES CREDIT: GYN9038/GETTYIMAGES. CREDIT: SKOUATROULIO/GETTYIMAGES That's the message that the ancient capital city of China's Shaanxi province is sending, with the launch of a new Night Tour Programme that will spotlight 30 night-time tours throughout the city by 2020. Visitors will also be invited to participate in various cultural experiences, including exploring nearly 100 night markets as part of the city's nightlife route. Decorated lighting on avenues will provide access to visitors of major night-time activities, including local hawker stalls and gift shops. This year, Nepal's Department of Tourism has awarded a five- star rating to four hotels – Soaltee Westend Premier and Hotel Central Plaza in Nepalgunj, and Aloft and Marriott Hotel in Kathmandu. More to Xi'an than terracotta warriors There's more to Xi'an than terracotta warriors and horses. The Ascott Limited opens its first lyf property, lyf Funan Singapore. CREDIT: GODERICBARCELITA /GETTYIMAGES. Nepal adds five-star hotels Nepal is on an hotel development spree, with at least a dozen five-star hotels being built across the country. There is optimism that "Visit Nepal 2020" will help draw two million tourists and fuel tourism growth. Developers are investing in high- end hotels, with most being planned for Bhairahawa, the city that will soon receive the country's second international airport. STB, Wego target Middle East market Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and online travel platform Wego have embarked on a co-marketing campaign targeting travellers from the Middle East. The partnership aims to entice more travellers to visit Singapore during the winter season, highlighting its "unique experiences, events and year- round activities". Wego's managing director, MENA and India, Mamoun Hmedan, noted that the company has seen a 34% increase in the number of bookings to Singapore on its platform in H1 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.

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