Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com 17 OC TOBER 2018 TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S 23 W hen it comes to brand refresh, some believe that all it takes is a new company logo and a website with a different colour scheme — but not Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG). Since last year's ITB Asia, the folks at PPHG have been hard at work to refresh its brand from the inside out. "Powerful brands are not built overnight. They are built on strong foundations, with care, resolute and a clear By Will Chin PPHG goes for a brand refresh A Panoramic Suite bedroom in Pan Pacific Melbourne vision," explained Cinn Tan, chief sales & marketing officer at PPHG. "Over the past months, we embarked on a brand refresh where we marked 'sincerity' as a hallmark of PPHG and aligned our two brands, Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL, to reinforce and position their unique strengths to meet the needs of today's travellers." PPHG began with its official website, which has been streamlined to optimise user experience. One of the biggest announcements this month was the introduction of Pan Pacific DISCOVERY and Pan Pacific Connections, two brand new loyalty programmes that provide more meaningful benefits and rewards to its B2C and B2B customers respectively. Existing establishments got some love from PPHG as well. PARKROYAL Penang Resort, for example, was re-launched earlier this year after a MYR 55 million refurbishment, with new public areas, rooms and family suites. PARKROYAL on Beach Road, too, has unveiled revamped ballrooms and modernised rooms and club floors. To cater to the long-stay market, PARKROYAL Yangon recently introduced new SOHO units. Finally, since acquiring Pan Pacific Melbourne in 2017, the hotel has also undergone extensive refurbishment to its rooms, club lounge and lobby, which have all been transformed. ////// UP AND COMING Perhaps the best places to witness PPHG's brand refresh in action are the new establishments coming down the pipeline. "We count in our three-year pipeline several new- builds that represent our image and brand aspirations: three openings under Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands in Jakarta, two more resorts under PARKROYAL in Malaysia, our first Pan Pacific resort in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and the highly anticipated Pan Pacific Orchard, which will be an architectural icon along [Singapore's] Orchard Road, setting the benchmark in the region for green, sustainable hotels." Cinn Tan, chief sales & marketing officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group GREECE FOR ALL SEASONS T he Mediterranean country is expecting a record-breaking 32 million tourists this year and the tourism ministry aims for even higher numbers. As part of its sustainable tourism strategy, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) is working to transform the country into a 365-day multi-island destination and developing thematic tourism for each region. Initiatives include promoting cities such as Athens and Thessaloniki as city-break spots and islands Crete and Rhodes, typically known for the seaside and sunny weather, as year-round locales. It is also planning to establish more partnerships with thematic tour operators in Europe and introduce combined tour packages that include both popular Greek destinations and "satellite" destinations. China is a strong market and the organisation is working to enhance direct flights from China such as establishing a Shanghai to Athens flight, working on promotional programmes and familiarisation trips. It also hopes to target India, which has one of the world's fastest-growing outbound markets. The tourism ministry is also going digital as part of its tourism strategy. This includes digitising public tourism education and training industry employees, working with other ministries on programmes that support tourism start-ups and the digital transformation of small- and medium-sized tourism businesses. Infrastructure improvement on roads, ports and airports is also in the works. BY AUDREY NG VISIT BOOTH: L05 VISIT BOOTH: Q22 PHOTO CREDIT: SHANSCHE/GETTYIMAGES Greece is promoting Athens as a city-break spot.

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