Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com 18 OC TOBER 2018 TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S 17 Meliá's distinctive Spanish resort concept heads to urban destinations to meet demand for bleisure travel, which is enjoying strong growth in China and Asia Pacific. "The outbound travel and luxury travel in the China market maintains strong growth. For the outbound By Esther Faith Lew Meliá meets needs of Chinese travellers Desaru Coast Riverside, a waterfront retail and lifestyle village at Desaru Coast. Chinese travellers, we provide them with more leisure-focused and Chinese- friendly service by launching the Pengyou by Meliá and collaborating with Ctrip. Our background and expertise in the resort industry makes us well placed to create an exceptional experience for our guests," says Bernardo BY BROOKE THIO JEJU SCORES FOR LEISURE AND MICE Jeju's total visitor numbers from January to August 2017 was 975,277, a 60.7% drop from the 2.48 million visitors over the same period last year. Bernardo Cabot Estarellas, SVP, Asia Pacific, Meliá Hotels International DESARU COAST GEARS UP FOR YEAR-END OPENINGS BY NAOMI NEOH Cabot Estarellas, SVP, Asia Pacific, Meliá Hotels International. The Pengyou Program by Meliá ensures that guest service is tailored to meet the specific preferences and expectations of Chinese travellers. It is implemented in over 90 hotels globally. To further attract the loyalty of Chinese travellers, Meliá Hotels International has collaborated with Ctrip, the leading provider of travel services in China, to generate big data analysis and creative marketing campaigns across multiple channels to strengthen market understanding and reach. Gran Meliá, Meliá and INNSIDE by Meliá are the brands that will introduce Spanish hospitality to China and set the benchmark for service culture. Integrated destination resort Desaru Coast is gearing up to open its resort and conference facilities starting from the end of this year. In the last four months, the resort's adventure waterpark, retail component and a hotel have opened their doors. The Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, which opened PHOT0 CREDIT: ZKRUGER/GETTYIMAGES J eju, once a favourite cruise and holiday destination for Chinese tourists, is now enticing a more diverse crowd to its shores through aggressive promotion, especially in South-east Asian markets. After China's tourism boycott in 2017 over the South Korean THAAD missile deployment, Jeju's total visitor numbers from January to August 2017 was 975,277, a 60.7% drop from the 2.48 million visitors over the same period last year. However, the Jeju Convention and Visitors Bureau quickly rallied towards new markets, especially from South-east Asia, by allowing visa-free entry for visitors from Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. This resulted in over 290,000 Vietnamese tourists visiting South Korea in the first eight months of 2018, 42.7% more than the previous year, with Jeju being one of the top destinations. Jeju is also working to realise its full potential as a MICE destination. ICC Jeju, the island's main convention venue, recently hosted the 2nd World Leaders' Conservation Forum and will be the venue for the Jeju MICE Expo from November 8 to 9. In November 2017, Jeju Shinhwa World intergrated resort also officially opened the 2,000 square metre Landing Convention Centre in western Jeju. Air connectivity is the final piece in the puzzle: direct flights from South-east Asia have helped bring more tourists, even as aviation analyst OAG declared the Seoul Gimpo-Jeju air route the busiest in the world. In December 2017, AirAsia X launched direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeju, the longest flight to the island. last month, brings guests its signature "rock star" treatment across its 365 guest rooms. Next door, the 23-acre waterfront Desaru Coast Retail Village comprises retail, restaurants, cafes and entertainment offerings, with integrated entrances to the adventure waterpark, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort and Desaru Coast Conference Centre. The Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, which opened in July, features one of the largest wave pools in the world, as well as the first water coaster in the region. The waterpark — one of the world's largest — offers 20 different slides and a mix of wet and dry rides. The newest resort brand to join the Desaru Coast umbrella is the ultra-luxury resort brand One&Only. The 128-acre beachfront development will include 42 suites, two luxury suites and a four-bedroom villa, and 50 One&Only private homes. Upcoming openings scheduled for Q4 2018 and beyond include The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, Desaru Coast Conference Centre and Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villa. VISIT BOOTH: C14 "ICC Jeju, the island's main convention venue, recently hosted the 2nd World Leaders' Conservation Forum and will be the venue for the Jeju MICE Expo from November 8 to 9." VISIT BOOTH: H30 VISIT BOOTH: Q16

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