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. The good cruise news from Asia PAN PACIFIC: HOTEL GUESTS WANT UNIQUE VALUES, TRUST Pan Pacific Hotels Group CEO Lothar Nessmann has been in Australia for the official launch of Pan Pacific Melbourne, taking time to unveil the group's refreshed brands' positioning. "Today's travellers place greater value than ever on authenticity, customisation and flexibility ahead of décor and facilities; genuine service over cookie-cutter; and increasingly — convenience. "With an emphasis on the importance of trust forming a recurrent theme of stakeholder feedback, the group took great care to incorporate this philosophy into its marketing taglines," Nessmann said. THE WORLD'S BILLION-DOLLAR AIR ROUTE Flight information provider OAG has come up with a list of the world's most lucrative air routes — and the airlines that fly them. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its 2018 Asia Cruise Trends report. Highlights include the fact that there were more Asian passengers in 2017, with four million taking an ocean cruise (up 20.6%). There were also more variety of ship products in Asian waters in 2018, with 38 cruise brands deployed and more ships in Asian waters. South-east Asia ports, too, are expected to see significant growth, with more than 20% increase in port calls in 2018. Finally, Asian travellers have been found to prefer shorter cruises within Asia, with 91% going for shorter sailings of four to six nights on average. The Yarra Suite at Pan Pacific Melbourne. Quantum of the Seas at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore. In terms of revenue produced, the British Airways London Heathrow (LHR)-New York JFK service broke the billion-dollar threshold in 2017. On an hourly basis, that equates to US$24,639 that OAG says is not quite the highest hourly earner. That accolade goes to the Emirates London Heathrow-Dubai service that ranks third in the Top 10. Five of the top ten revenue earners are either to or from London Heathrow. They include Singapore Airlines' LHR-Singapore routes that produce revenue of US$18,253 per hour flown. suites and villas, with 60% of the accommodation featuring private plunge pools. Kempinski is expanding across Asia. It currently operates one hotel in Indonesia — the 289-room Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta. MARRIOTT UP CLOSE WITH THE KOMODO DRAGONS Marriott International will open Courtyard by Marriott Labuan Bajo Komodo Resort on the western tip of Flores Island, Indonesia, in 2021. The resort, with 158 rooms and suites, will be a gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Komodo National Park. Access to the resort will be improved by the construction of a new marina port for yachts BENSLEY'S GRAND ENTRANCE IN CAMBODIA Guests at the new Bensley Collection Shinta Mani Wild who arrive at the gate lounge by road or helicopter, can experience an adrenalin-filled entry to the Cambodian resort via a 380-m zip line over river and waterfalls. The luxury tented camp builds on the success of the first Bensley Collection property, Bensley Collection — Shinta Mani Angkor, an Riverside luxury at Bensley Collection Shinta Mani Wild. enclave of 10 Khmer-inspired pool villas that opened in Siem Reap in December 2017. Bensley Collection Shinta Mani Wild will open on November and is three hours' drive south of Phnom Penh. THE BIG SHIFT IN CHINESE TRAVEL: HERE'S WHAT'S HOT Exclusive visits to film locations, Michelin-star restaurants, ancient sites off the beaten track, and prestigious sporting events are the new must-dos for more adventurous and better-off Chinese tourists. Not so popular are regular package deals, according to joint research by ForwardKeys and the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), which indicates China outbound bookings for the (European) summer are ahead 13.5%. Researchers say customised travel is the big growth sector with a 300% growth in 2017. ForwardKeys says the new customised Chinese travellers tend to be younger than average, "money-rich and time- poor". KEMPINSKI TAKES THE PLUNGE IN BALI Kempinski will unveil The Apurva Kempinski Bali in Q4 2018, the company's second hotel in Indonesia. Set on the cliff of Nusa Dua in southern Bali, with views of the Indian Ocean and tropical gardens, the five-star Apurva Kempinski Bali will offer 475 rooms, The Apurva Kempinski Bali. Komodo dragon.

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