Northstar

May-Jun 2017 53 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com green field and brown field investment projects. We are focusing on Jakarta and Bali, while Bandung, Surabaya and Yogyakarta are important as well," says Robinson. Wyndham's 119-room Days Hotel & Suites Jakarta Airport draws travellers in transit and short-stay business travellers, while its third Ramada hotel in Bali, Ramada Bali Sunset Road Kuta, continues to tap into the mass tourism traffic in the vibrant Kuta district. Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali and Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach Bali provide upscale experiences. Indonesia's MICE tourism development is also another area in which Wyndham's global brands find value with planners. With the inception of the Indonesia Convention and Exhibition Bureau last year, the tourism ministry has set the ambitious goal of elevating Indonesia's ICCA ranking in Asia Pacific, currently in 12th place, to eighth place by 2019. The ministry is also expecting the MICE industry to grow 10 percent by 2019. Cities with suitable infrastructure to host international-level MICE events are Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Bandung and Yogyakarta. In Surabaya, the 292-room Wyndham Surabaya enjoys a convenient location near the business centre and main retail precinct. The hotel has nine venues for meetings and events for up to 750 people. SHOOTING STARS IN SOUTH KOREA Robinson said Ramada is the largest international brand in South Korea with 21 hotels spread across several provinces. Jeju welcomed Ramada Jeju Seogwipo and Days Hotel Jeju Seogwipo Ocean last year and Ramada Encore Jeju Seongsan in January. Wyndham currently has 24 hotels offering 5,520 rooms, with about 30 hotels and over 10,000 rooms in the pipeline. Five more hotels are due to open by the end of the year or in 2018: Howard Johnson Incheon Airport, Days Hotel Incheon Airport, Ramada Encore Yongin, Ramada Daejeon and Ramada Encore Kimpo "Our investments in South Korea "Indonesia offers many good opportunities for hotel developers… we are focusing on Jakarta and Bali, while Bandung, Surabaya and Yogyakarta are important as well." – BARRY ROBINSON, PRESIDENT AND MD, WYNDHAM VACATION RESORTS ASIA PACIFIC & WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP SOUTH EAST ASIA & PACIFIC RIM. will be mostly green field projects," says Robinson. He added that Wyndham's entry into Gangwon and Gunsan is timely as there is a lack of international full-service chains in those provinces. Ramada Gunsan and Ramada Gangwon Sokcho will fill the gap with affordable quality accommodation. Ramada Gangwon Sokcho's market presence in Gangwon primes demand for the brand in the run-up to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The property offers 495 standard rooms and 61 suites spread across 20 floors. Hotel facilities include a banquet hall for conference and events, an all-day dining restaurant, a spa and sauna and a fitness centre. Gunsan, which is gaining a reputation for MICE events with its 1,824sqm convention centre, welcomed Ramada Gunsan last year. The property has 137 rooms offering views of the surrounding mountains and Eunpa Lake, and a ballroom for up to 120 delegates and six breakout rooms. South Korea enjoys a steady growth in its MICE industry, with an ICCA international ranking at 13th place. BIG PLANS IN VIETNAM The mixed-use model gains traction in Vietnam, with a focus on integrated complexes offering hotel accommodation, private residences, MICE facilities, offices and retail space. "Vietnam is the hot market at the moment, with a 38 percent growth in hotel rooms last year," says Robinson. The city will welcome the tallest building end of 2018 when the upscale Wyndham Hotels and Resorts ® opens, with 57 floors comprising 3,200 apartments, studios and rooms; conference facilities, a retail and dining precinct and recreation parks. Wyndham Legend Halong Bay opened last year, followed by Wyndham Soleil Danang in My Khe Beach locale.

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