Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com 18 OCTOBER 2019 D AY 3 TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S 4 N early a decade since its opening, integrated resort Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is embarking on a major S$4.5 billion (US$3.25 billion) expansion to add new attractions, entertainment and lifestyle offerings in phases starting next year till 2025. RWS sets off on expansion 2.0 The investment, aimed at developing an additional 164,000sqm, will extend the resort by 50% of its gross size. Its major attractions Universal Studios Singapore (USS) and S.E.A. Aquarium will see the biggest changes. Two new themed concepts – Minion Park and Super Nintendo World – will BY IAN JARRETT Okura Nikko reopens prestigious Tokyo hotel A suite at the reopened The Okura Tokyo. BY IAN JARRETT be added to USS, while S.E.A. Aquarium will take over the space currently occupied by the Maritime Experiential Museum to create a new Singapore Oceanarium three times larger than the existing aquarium. There are also plans to introduce a new waterfront lifestyle complex housing two Traveltek says its latest addition to its portfolio, Tourtek, represents a "true industry first". Developed in conjunction with some of the world's leading travel brands, Tourtek enables agencies to increase their tours and activities sales by doing something they've never been able to do before – create their own unique tour packages. Traveltek's chief technical officer, Kenny Millar, said, "Our product team has carried out The Okura Nikko Hotels brand has expanded to 70 hotels worldwide with the opening of Hotel Nikko Bangkok, the group's second property in the Thai capital. The new Bangkok hotel, located at Sukhumvit Road, two minutes from Thong Lo BTS station, has 301 rooms with traditional Thai design, an outdoor pool and fitness centre. "We are trying to provide Japanese style hospitality called 'omotenashi' which means providing not only service manually but also trying to give guests a more personal touch service and hospitality," said Jo Sato, general manager of Hotel Nikko Bangkok. The company reopened The Okura Tokyo on September 12, replacing the highly reputed but ageing Hotel Okura Tokyo. The Okura Tokyo is the highest- branded property of the Hotel Okura group. In its new iteration, The Okura Tokyo houses the Heritage Wing – inspired by the original hotel – and the new Prestige Tower. The Okura Tokyo is the Okura family's first "Two Brand, One Operation" hotel, a concept the company will expand on in the future. Eleven Okura Nikko-managed properties are in the pipeline, all due to open by 2020 under one of three hotel groups: Okura Hotels & Resorts, Nikko Hotels International, or Hotel JAL City. extensive research within the industry and, combined with feedback from our own clients, we've been able to understand where the gaps in the market are in terms of the technology available. "A product offering the functionality that Tourtek does is something we've been asked about time and time again, so we're confident that the demand is there. "While existing tour products have been developed to provide those already in the tour market with a way to better manage their distribution and inventory, Tourtek was created to enable businesses that may not currently be in the tour space to compete. "This product removes the complexity in the tours booking process enabling agents to save time on administrative tasks, enhance their product portfolio and, VISIT: J22, BASEMENT 2. Traveltek unveils 'industry-first' product to boost tour sales A S$4.5 billion investment to add new attractions, lifestyle offerings in phases from 2020 to 2025 BY NAOMI NEOH most importantly, boost sales." Mr Millar said the product had been months in the making. "But we're delighted with the end- result, which once again puts Traveltek at the forefront of innovation." VISIT: BOOTH A36, BASEMENT 2. VISIT: BOOTH G47 The new waterfront lifestyle complex will house two hotels with up to 1,100 rooms with dining and lifestyle activities. CREDIT: RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA hotels with up to 1,100 rooms, with dining and lifestyle activities. Resorts World Theatre, which will be transformed into an immersive dining and performance concept, has been closed since May. To better connect the mainland to Sentosa, there will be a driverless shuttle ferrying visitors across the Sentosa Boardwalk that takes approximately 1.5 minutes and is expected to carry up to nine million passengers a year. Since its opening in 2010, RWS has attracted more than 20 million international and local visitors each year, accounting for more than one-third of all international visitor arrivals to Singapore. Traveltek's chief technical officer Kenny Millar

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