14 SEEN @
14 SEEN @ ITB CHINA Cinn Tan Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group Pan Pacific Announces “Brand Refresh” Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) announced its global brand refresh on May 16 at ITB China, with “sincerity in service” as its hallmark. The Group outlined plans to establish Pan Pacific Hotels Group as the preferred hotel chain in the region, for the next decade and beyond, through refreshed brand identities, bold marketing initiatives and a philosophy of sincerity and service excellence, pledging to go the extra mile for every guest across its properties in China and around the world. As part of the brand refresh, PPHG conducted in-depth surveys with guests, frequent travellers and partners, with the results revealing that trust was the differentiating factor for the Group, both for its Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands. Cinn Tan, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, said of the changing environment: “The hospitality industry has evolved through the years, with new customer segments, customer expectations and lifestyle habits. This is part of an industry wide trend towards greater emphasis on the overall well-being, enrichment and experience of travellers. Sincerity is a core value cherished in China and the world over. We do not take for granted the trust which our partners, customers and guests place in us.” As part of the brand refresh, PPHG took a deep look into the data for true insights into customer perception and expectations. By combining content with technology, and design with analytics, the user experience is now at the centre of the website redesign, creating a new digital experience optimised across different platforms and devices. The result is an online experience which is more user-friendly and mobilefriendly, and most importantly, built with purpose. In addition to the website refresh, a Fliggy (formerly Alitrip) storefront is now online with all available Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL properties listed, as well as a WeChat mini-programme, now live, which provides travel guides and e-concierge services for Chinese users PRIME PLAZA HOTELS & RESORTS CELEBRATES 15 TH ANNIVERSARY Prime Plaza Hotels & Resorts reached an exciting milestone just before heading to ITB China as the company celebrated 15 years of delivering the signature of Indonesian hospitality to international customers in that nation. The Indonesian hotel operator has grown from managing four properties when it was established in April 2003, to managing thirteen properties in key locations in Bali, Java and Sumatera to date with 2,053 rooms in total. The company plans to add more flagships to its portfolio by 2020, with new hotels to open in Samarinda and Batu – Malang. The celebration of Prime Plaza’s 15 th anniversary was organised on the 2 nd April 2018 by Bali Dynasty Resort, and was attended by the Management and the resort’s loyal guests, many of whom have become returning customers for years. “In keeping with Prime Plaza’s commitment of quality, we are committed to delivering exemplary service and holiday experience by consistently upgrading our facilities for the enjoyment of our guests,” said General Manager Didit Indra Purnawarman. Bali Dynasty Resort is a premier beachside resort in South Kuta Bali, renowned for its warm Balinese hospitality. The Resort was recently named as one of Asia’s best resorts for families by TripAdvisor in the 2018 Travellers’ Choice Awards. The Resort was also voted on No. 1 in the “Top 10 Best Family Resorts in Indonesia”, in the 4-Star Category, in the 2017 Holidays with Kids Readers’ Choice Awards by the readers of Holidays with Kids Magazine. The Resort was also included in the 2017 top family hotels by the magazine Out and About with Kids Australia, and received Platinum Medal in Tri Hita Karana Awards, following its success in incorporating the spiritual, social and environmental principles to business and the sustainable charity programme to help the disadvantaged people in Bali since 2000 ITB CHINA NEWS • Monday 28 th May 2018 www.itb-china-news.com
SEEN @ ITB CHINA 15 Basileu Tavares Executive Director, Iguassu Convention & Visitors’ Bureau SLOVAKIA LURES CHINESE TOURISTS WITH CLEAN AIR, GOOD FOOD AND GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY Chinese Tourism Professionals Experience Brazilian Verve at ITB China No doubt the stand with the most singing, dancing, and just plain fun at this year’s ITB China was that of Brazil. And getting the Brazilian “feeling” was even easier still for those indulging in the Caipirinha tastings at the end of the day. While it was Brazil’s first presence at ITB China, it was also the occasion to discover one of the nation’s key destinations, Iguassu. “Iguassu is one of the seven wonders of nature, and it’s also a World Heritage site” explains Basileu Tavares, Executive Director, Iguassu Convention & Visitors’ Bureau. “It’s a destination you must visit during your life. Everybody must have it on their bucket list.” Iguassu can be enjoyed in many different ways, such as in a boat tour taking the adventurous visitor under some of the 275 falls, or enjoying a helicopter flight, or trails through the forests. The falls are located between Brazil and Argentina, so most visitors visit both sides to see the falls adequately. At an on-stand presentation, Tavares asked passers-by whether they were well acquainted with Iguassu and barely a hand was raised. “Many Chinese have heard about Iguassu, but few of them really know what the Iguassu Falls are”, says Tavares. Brazil has just named China as a priority tourism market, with the aim of achieving 100,000 visitors by 2020. In 2017, the figure was around 60,000 visitors from China into Brazil and 10,000 in Iguassu. Tavares says he and his team were very satisfied with the result of their presence at ITB China. “For us, it’s been a great experience, because it’s Brazil’s first time here. We have the attention of the Chinese tour operators, and all of them want to know more about the country and everything we have to offer” Slovakia is still a little known European destination for the Chinese traveller, but the nation’s tourism authority is working on changing that, thanks in part to ITB China. The country had a colourful stand at the show, with high-ranking staff such as Igor Paule, Director of the Department of Strategy and Analyses, Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic, present to answer queries by Chinese TOs and TAs. “Of course, we have not been so visible up to now. They know Vienna, which is just 40 km from Slovakia, but they don’t know Slovakia. So that has been the main aim of our presence at ITB China. The reaction has been very positive because what the Chinese tourists are looking for is good food… and as Slovakia never had enough money for pesticides over the past decades we have a lot of organic food and wine and we have very good high-quality water,” says Mr Paule. The air is not polluted which, for people coming Igor Paule Director of the Department of Strategy and Analyses, Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic from cities like Shanghai or Beijing is a big plus according to the Slovakian strategist: “60% of the land is covered by forest and forests are a natural filter for the air, so this is what I always highlight for Chinese people. We are a safe, clean country, and much of the food is organic. In Slovakia, travellers can have the same quality service as in Austria, with much lower prices.” Mr Paule’s Impressions of this show? “I am satisfied with the organisation and also with the meeting schedule which was very tight. We had lots of meetings, some of them only very short but we had between 15 and 20 useful meetings a day so I think the organization of these meetings in advance was very good.” Slovakia was at ITB China partly in support of the EU China tourism year, with a rise in Chinese visitors of +40% in 2016 and +60% in 2017 to tat nation. The official web site has thus now seen a sixth language added: Mandarin ITB CHINA NEWS • Monday 28 th May 2018
