Global Travel News

Turning Website Views into Restaurant Visits

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Turning Website Views into Restaurant Visits - TOP25RESTAURANTS.comIf you’ve visited a new city lately, you may have searched online for places to eat. Maybe you read some reviews, then clicked through to the restaurants’ own sites. New research by the team of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University shows that in the hospitality sector, turning user clicks into dining visits depends on consistently positive messaging. By testing two competing theories of the effect of customer reviews, the study by Dr Seunghun Shin, Dr Hyejo Hailey Shin and Dr Jaehee Gim will help local restaurants optimise their marketing strategy through homepage testimonials.
In a crowded market like Hong Kong, restaurants have to be smart to stand out. Today, this means having an effective online presence to gain the trust of short-term visitors searching for nearby restaurants. While there are many third-party review platforms in the hospitality sector, such as TOP25 Restaurants, restaurants often add positive testimonials to their own homepages, hoping to “seal the deal” for those whose interest is piqued by reading such reviews. “About 70% of hospitality businesses display testimonial reviews on their websites”, say the researchers, “and about 80% of diners check a restaurant’s website before choosing to visit”.
Which write-ups should a restaurant select for its testimonials? Naturally they should be positive, but there are degrees of positivity. Overly glowing reviews might be seen as biased, perhaps written by people who have a close relationship with the business and are thus not objective. This is in line with attribution theory. “When reading a review”, the authors explain, “customers are less likely to adopt it in their decision-making if they perceive its evaluation is based on the reviewer’s personal reasons”. It might then seem more trustworthy for the restaurant to quote moderately positive reviews. Indeed, the authors mention a study showing that 5-star-rated products sell less well than 4.2–4.5-star products.
However, it could be argued that extremely positive testimonials have a better chance of providing the final push for prospective customers viewing the homepage. This fits with regulatory focus theory, which sees customers as focusing on their ideal goals, such as a satisfying experience. Indeed, there is evidence that some customers perceive unambiguously positive reviews as more credible than moderately positive reviews that also mention negative information. Where does this leave restaurants? “These two conflicting views make it difficult for hospitality businesses to determine how positive reviews need to be leveraged as testimonials”, the authors point out.
This uncertainty arises because most research has focused on the effects of reviews from third-party sites: online review communities, social networks, media-sharing platforms and search engines. The assumption is that the reviewers are independent of the firms they rate. However, testimonial reviews may not be perceived as fully independent, despite being written by customers, because firms choose to place them on their websites. This calls into question the generalisability of earlier studies. “It remains unclear how effective positive reviews are when communicated through a business official website as testimonials”, the authors say.
Another way to think about testimonials is in terms of how consumers classify them. The researchers note that “testimonial reviews have characteristics of both electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and advertisements”. On the one hand, they are like unbiased opinions, because real customers write them without any thought of making a profit; on the other, they resemble a form of online advertising, because businesses propagate them independently of the original writers. Whether they are ultimately judged as eWOM or advertisements affects how they should be phrased: word-of-mouth relies on authenticity, implying that any negative aspects ought to be mentioned, whereas advertising is expected to focus solely on the positive.
This lack of understanding of how testimonial positivity affects customers’ decision-making was the motivation for Shin, Shin and Gim’s study. Contrasting attribution theory and regulatory focus theory, they realised that “these two conflicting views make it difficult for hospitality businesses to determine how positive reviews need to be leveraged as testimonials to get the expected outcomes”. They therefore set out to determine how review positivity affects customers’ reactions to online testimonial reviews of restaurants, and how this contrasts with the effect of reviews hosted on other types of online platform.
The team started their study by scraping write-ups of Hong Kong restaurants from TripAdvisor. By analysing the answers to the optional question “was this review helpful?”, they found that 4-star reviews were perceived as more helpful than 5-star reviews. This set the stage for a detailed investigation of how ratings actually affect users’ visit intention. Three hundred participants were asked to search for a nearby Italian restaurant using their smartphones and confirm their choice after checking the restaurant’s website. Half of them saw fully positive 5-star testimonials on the homepages, while the others saw 4-star reviews that were mostly positive but noted caveats such as “a bit crowded”.
Considering that real-life restaurant websites might contain a mix of extremely and moderately positive testimonials, the researchers then studied the effects of such a mixture. Another 200 participants were recruited and tasked with settling on a local Italian eatery. This time, however, when they landed on a restaurant’s homepage, they saw either three 5-star reviews and one 4-star review, or vice versa. As in the above-mentioned experiment, the participants were subsequently asked about their intention to visit the restaurants that they had investigated using their phones, and their overall feelings about them.
Extremely positive testimonials were found to improve both the participants’ view of the restaurants and their actual visit intention. When the restaurants’ homepages carried unambiguously positive reviews, with nothing but praise for the food, prices and service, potential diners were more likely to rate their attitude towards the establishments as favourable and state that they would be likely to visit them. “A hospitality business should make potential customers who visit its website feel confident about their pre-decision by displaying glowing testimonial reviews”, the researchers infer.
When the participants saw mixed positive reviews (some including minor criticisms and others not), the results were consistent with the first experiment. Those who saw mostly the extremely positive reviews had more favourable attitudes and higher visit intention than those who read mostly the tempered positive write-ups. Evidently, according to the researchers, “it is more strategic for a hospitality business to display extremely positive reviews on their websites as testimonials”.
The strategic advantage of extremely positive reviews also indicates that the readers of testimonials tend to think of them as advertisements rather than eWOM. Consumers expect eWOM to be mixed, and there is evidence that they are more strongly influenced by moderately positive than extremely positive reviews on sites like TripAdvisor. However, they react less well when businesses mention criticisms on their own websites. Rather, when reading homepage testimonials, “customers want to be certain about their pre-choice when following up on the product of interest”, the authors conclude.
The next time you search for a restaurant online, your reaction to positive reviews may depend on whether you read review communities or the establishments’ own sites. If the restaurants have their strategy right, they will carefully choose their homepage testimonials and include only the most positive reviews to give interested diners the final push. The study’s authors suggest that restaurants could boost their visit rates by prioritising advert-like content over general information on the pages that users see when clicking through from a search app. In summary, this research fills an important gap in our understanding of testimonial review strategy and should aid hospitality businesses going forward.
Shin, Seunghun, Shin, Hyejo Hailey, and Gim, Jaehee (2023). How Positive Do Testimonials on a Restaurant Website Need to Be? Impact of Positivity of Testimonial Reviews on Customers’ Decision-making. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 108, 103382.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Pattern Insurance Revolutionizing Cancellation Flexibility for Non-Refundable Bookings

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Pattern Insurance Revolutionizing Cancellation Flexibility for Non-Refundable Bookings - TRAVELNEWSHUB.comPattern, a leading InsurTech innovator specializing in customized embedded insurance and non-insurance products, is thrilled to announce the launch of its groundbreaking service, FlexIt.

Designed to provide unmatched cancellation flexibility for non-refundable bookings, FlexIt empowers travel, booking, and registration retailers to offer their customers an immediate, no-questions-asked cancellation option. According to Expedia’s most recent Path to Purchase report, 28% of travelers look for travel brands that offer flexible cancellation policies or refundable rates. Pattern’s platform is meeting that need with FlexIt.

FlexIt seamlessly integrates into the booking pathway of Online Travel Agencies, event booking companies, and any business dealing with non-refundable reservations, effectively transforming them into refundable bookings. This new service redefines customer experience by eliminating the need for complex claim forms or restrictive reasons for cancellations.

Joyce Segall, Global Head of Insurance Innovation and Strategy at Pattern, states, “Today’s consumers are looking for maximum flexibility around refundability with the ability to cancel without the hassle of filling out claim forms or deciphering a list of covered reasons. FlexIt allows consumers to book with confidence knowing they can cancel their booking for any reason, no questions asked.”

FlexIt’s coverage extends across all regions where Pattern operates, ensuring a global reach. Existing Pattern customers can seamlessly access FlexIt through Pattern’s embedded protections platform. Additionally, the service is available as a standalone offer for prospective online retailers seeking cancellation flexibility or as part of a more comprehensive protection offering.

Ido Hertz, Head of Product Management, explains, “Trip cancellation products like CFAR have always come with their fair share of limitations and are not widely available with every purchase, which has been confusing and frustrating to many of our customers. This is not your standard CFAR insurance. We’ve reimagined this product based on market needs. It is easily configured and embedded in every business, booking and customer journey in minutes, and using machine learning, it addresses every flexibility need, with a personalized cancellation service.”

Pattern Insurance invites businesses to explore FlexIt and revolutionize their booking processes by providing customers with unprecedented cancellation flexibility.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Joyned Appoints Omri Lachman as Managing Director of Growth

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Award-winning Jerusalem-based startup Joyned has today announced the appointment of Omri Lachman as its Managing Director of Growth.

A serial tech entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years of experience in launching and scaling disruptive tech ventures, Omri will lead Joyned into its next phase of growth and further extend its disruptive collaborative booking technology within the travel sector. Lachman’s expertise focuses on business development, strategy development, sales and marketing. He also has hands-on experience in working alongside both consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) audiences.

Lachman has previously served as CEO and co-founder of wireless charging technology startup Humavox, and was co-founder of gamified sports talent discovery platform LEAP. He serves on advisory boards of several Israel-based companies and has served as board member at Joyned since May 2021. 

As part of several leadership teams, Omri has nurtured early stage tech ventures to enable successful public offerings and has also successfully facilitated M&A transactions. His expertise spans across a variety of technological features, namely: semantic search engines, computer vision and image analysis, voice recognition, telecom, cyber security, sports and gaming, wireless electricity, blockchain and Web3. 

Commenting on Lachman’s appointment, Joyned CEO and co-founder Jonathan Abraham, said: “We’re really excited to have Omri join the team as our Managing Director of Growth. We’ve been very impressed with his contributions as a board member and he’s already provided invaluable expertise used in our business modeling, product-elements, business and go-to-market strategies. It felt like a natural progression to boost and enhance his position as we at Joyned are also looking to enhance our impressive growth further.”

Joyned is a SaaS solution for travel websites that enables friends and family to book together, increasing revenue in the process. Founded in 2017 by CEO Jonathan Abraham and CPO Michael Levinson, Joyned has rapidly expanded over the past year and its Gross Booking Value increased by more than ten times between Q2 2022 and Q1 2023. Joyned’s client base now includes travel industry giants Amadeus, RIU Hotels and OYO Vacation Homes. 

Omri Lachman said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to become even more involved in the growth and expansion phase of such an innovative company. Over my entrepreneurial journey, I have devoted most attention to companies and entrepreneurs which make their presence known within the market and are changing people’s lives for the better by doing so. Joyned is one of those companies. I look forward to working closer than ever with the team to continue Joyned’s position as the go-to solution and provider of this booking technology within the travel industry.”  

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

LEISURE TIME: New-look WestJet ‘leans into leisure’

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Despite his 20-month tenure at WestJet being “quite a roller coaster for sure” through the pandemic and its aftermath, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech is enthused about his prospects for the company, for which he boldly proclaims, “We want to be the national leisure champions for Canada from coast to coast.”

Addressing key stakeholders and community members at the Toronto Region Board of Trade late last month, von Hoensbroech tracked WestJet’s 27-history in Canada up to the present, which includes the purchase of Sunwing earlier this year, and the final ride of Swoop last weekend ahead of its integration into the WestJet fleet.

But for all the up and downs and company course changes over the years, von Hoensbroech says WestJet’s current mission to rule the leisure sector is clear.

While he noted that “the only event in aviation history that reversed growth was the pandemic – and the pandemic was really, really bad,” von Hoensbroech added that “everything is recovering, and by now, I would say it’s not really bad.”

Moreover, he pointed out that 4.5 billion people globally travelled in 2019 (with almost as many expected this year), making WestJet a player in a “massive, massive industry.”

And at the same time, rising living standards and mobility will enable even more people to travel, he said, observing, “Four out of five people on this planet have not sat on an airplane.”

All of which sets up the airline up for success in a country with “long flight distances across its vast geographic landscape,” and, as such, one that “relies on air travel (and) needs airplanes more than any place in the world” due to lack alternative travel infrastructure (like trains).

And despite a dominant competitor (Air Canada) and new entrants in the market (Lynx, Flair, Canada Jetlines, etc.) creating “fierce new levels of competition,” WestJet says its ambitious growth plan (inclusive of Swoop and Sunwing) will see it provide more seats than any other Canadian airline across over 230 nonstop routes from 26 Canadian communities to 55 sun destinations in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Further, its newly formed vacations division, Sunwing Vacations Group (which encompasses both Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations) forms the largest Canadian tour operator and allows WestJet to boast “two leisure champions” amongst its assets.

Alexis von Hoensbroech and Sunwing Vacations Group president Andrew Dawson

Indeed, underpinning the WestJet Group’s future is the airline’s strategic focus on the addition of Sunwing Vacations Group to its leisure portfolio, as well as expanding fleet of 737 aircraft.

And with the largest narrow-body orderbook in Canada, WestJet will soon begin to implement plans to densify its aircraft cabins to distribute costs across even more seats, while continuing to serve guests who prefer a more premium offering.

By leveraging the ultra-low fare products pioneered by Swoop and vacation packages offered by Sunwing Vacations, the WestJet Group says it “will harness a newfound ability to provide affordable fares alongside increased leisure vacation packages across Canada through its growing fleet.”

Notably absent from the plans is a desire to target business class travellers, a choice that aligned with the company’s decision coming to out of the pandemic to focus on three main priorities:

• To be a leader in western Canada – “a market where we can be No. 1”
• To “lean into leisure” and lead the sector across the country
• To target and be affordable to every Canadian, “and not just the elites.”

As important as knowing what it wants to be, von Hoensbroech says, what WestJet doesn’t want to be, namely operating where it has “no path to be No. 1” – such as flying in eastern Canada, particularly the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal triangle, or to New York, and instead “investing our assets into leisure flying in the West.” Similarly, not investing in non-core products.

But the WestJet boss notes that the airline still as a sizable presence in Ontario and eastern Canada, albeit with a greater focus on cross-country flying than regional connectivity.

And with the merger of WestJet and Sunwing, he enthuses, “this is the most comprehensive leisure network that Canada has ever seen… with 236 non-stop routes.”

And there’s the combination of the tour operators (WestJet Vacations with Sunwing Vacations), which von Hoensbroech calls the “new powerhouse of Canadian vacations.”

Since its launch in 1996 with three aircraft, WestJet has become “a large mid-size airline” (second largest in Canada), and “and a real success story,” that currently offers 30 million seats to over 100 destinations, says von Hoensbroech.

And, if the WestJet boss has his way, there’s nowhere to go but up.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Award-Winning PRU Premieres Inside-Out Gastronomy Experience

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Award-Winning PRU Premieres Inside-Out Gastronomy Experience - TOP25RESTAURANTS.comPhuket, Thailand, October 31, 2023 / TOP25RESTAURANTS / PRU, the only restaurant in Phuket to have ever received the prestigious Michelin star, will give guests front-row seats to the best of Thailand when its new kitchen premieres on November 1.

Helmed by Executive Chef, Jimmy Ophorst, PRU has blazed a trail for sustainable fine dining in Thailand. And the “Inside-Out” experience, housed in a new purpose-built restaurant, dissolves the traditional wall between the kitchen and the dining room.

With an open kitchen encouraging connections with guests, diners will be able to see how each morsel is prepared, thereby providing complete transparency to the culinary process.

“We’ve been inspired by the kappo style of service, where the formality between the chef and his guests are eliminated as the chef ‘cuts and cooks’ the freshest seasonal ingredients based on interactions with each guest,” said Ophorst. “We adopted the philosophy in the new restaurant design to create the Inside-Out experience and bring our guests closer to the best ingredients Thailand has to offer.”

The restaurant, located inside the exclusive grounds of the award-winning Trisara resort, has ten seats at the kitchen counter where guests can witness Ophorst and his team upclose. Guests wanting more space can experience Inside-Out in the main dining room. Further seating for exclusive small group events is available inside The Reserve, a private dining room inside a modern wine cave that houses a select collection of over 200 premium and rare wines.

Broadening ‘farm-to-fork’ to embrace the wider local community, the new PRU experience uses artisanal products throughout the customer journey. From lounge chairs to the tiles used to the artwork decorating its walls, PRU highlights community crafted products. All courses are served using ceramics made by InClay Studio from Chiang Mai, and all utensils are produced by local Thai artisans.

“Fine dining should connect people across cultures,” said Ophorst. “We’re proud to play a role to connect our guests to the richness of Thai products via our ‘community-to-fork’ principle which includes artisans as our partners.”

Further building on PRU’s reputation for shaping lesser-known Thai ingredients into delicious bites in a sustainable way, an additional bespoke menu, Gaia, is offered, which is completely ovo-lacto plant-based. Moreover, the restaurant serves lunch that features a lighter seasonal fare with different courses from the evening menu.

“We’ve come a long way to be where we are now,” added Ophorst. “But we want to look forward to attracting customers from around the world to Phuket with the objective of dining at PRU. Every chef wants to improve and push to the highest level possible and I’m no different. The creative scope that the new venue affords us means that the sky’s the limit.”

PRU is a part of the constellation of restaurants from Montara Hospitality Group, whose core philosophy of “Dine Good, Do Good” prioritizes sustainability and support for local communities throughout guest experiences and in all F&B operations. The group has a 16,000 sqm organic farm, Pru Jampa, that provides essential ingredients to PRU and other Montara restaurants. All ingredients used in PRU are 100% sourced from Thailand.

PRU was the first and only restaurant in Thailand outside Bangkok to receive the prestigious Michelin star in 2018, a recognition that it has maintained every year since. PRU was also the first and only restaurant in Thailand to receive the Michelin green star for its sustainable practice, a recognition it has maintained every year since. In addition, PRU has been recognized as one of the best restaurants by Asia’s Top 100 Restaurants, as well as by other local, national, and international lists.

Chef Jimmy Ophorst, affectionately known as Chef Jimmy, is originally from Honselersdijk, Netherlands. His interest in cooking started at a young age in the family kitchen and on the seashore of his hometown. His career at the Montara Hospitality Group began in 2014 as a Chef de Cuisine for Trisara and received his first Michelin star with PRU at the age of 29.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Ethiopian Airlines to Resume Four Weekly Services to Madrid

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Ethiopian Airlines to Resume Four Weekly Services to Madrid - AIRLINEHUB.comAddis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 23, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Ethiopian Airlines Group, the fastest-growing global airline brand and the continent’s largest airline, is pleased to announce that it will resume four weekly passenger services to Madrid, Spain’s capital and a city of elegant boulevards and extensive, starting from December 9, 2023.

The four-time weekly services from Addis Ababa will be operated per the below schedule on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Regarding the resumption of the flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are delighted to reinstate our Madrid flights. The new services will continue to be vital in linking Africa with Spain’s arts and financial center creating critical link to the socio-economic relationships between Madrid and more than 60 African cities where Ethiopian Airlines flies to. Once again, we are glad to offer this connection between the two regions. Ethiopian Airlines suspended its Madrid flights back in 2020 due to the pandemic; now we are back even stronger to provide our renowned award-winning services to/from the Spanish capital. Our services to Madrid will be operated by the modern Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that furnishes ultra-comfort to our esteemed customers.”

Ethiopian Airlines offers a seamless connection to both leisure and business travelers onboard its more than 140 young and modern fleet to its more than 150 passenger and cargo international and domestic destinations.

Apart from its flight resumption to Madrid, Ethiopian will start new services to Gatwick London and Bangui Central Africa in November while many more new destinations are in the pipeline.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is the fastest-growing airlines brand globally and the continent’s largest airline brand. In its seventy-seven years of successful operations, Ethiopian, the fastest growing airline, has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. In addition to its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines and in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian’s fleet category consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900 and Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate most of these aircraft.

Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world by providing safe, secured, market driven and customer focused Passenger and Cargo Transport and Logistics, Aviation Training, Airport Management and Ground Services, MRO and Aerospace Manufacturing and Travel and Tourism Services. As a multi-award-winning airline, Ethiopian has been the champion in various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for six consecutive years among others. The airline has been a Star Alliance member since 2011 and has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Samarkand Academy Adds to Growing UNWTO Education Network

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Samarkand Academy Adds to Growing UNWTO Education Network - TRAVELINDEXSamarkand, Uzbekistan, October 31, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has further enhanced its status as the global leader in advancing education and skills development for the tourism sector. As one of the top priorities of the Organization’s leadership, and fully endorsed by all Member States, education serves as the foundation for building more resilience and accelerating the shift to greater sustainability.

Against the backdrop of the 25th General Assembly (Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 16-20 October 2023), Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili visited the new Tourism Academy Samarkand in Collaboration with UNWTO. The Academy will train students new to the sector as well as those already working in tourism, giving them the skills they need to grow their careers. The Secretary-General praised the commitment of President President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Minister Aziz Abdukhakimov to investing in education and professional training and for recognizing the role both can play outside of the tourism sector itself.

The Samarkand Academy is just the latest in a growing network of education initiatives spearheaded by UNWTO. Just one month before the General Assembly, against the backdrop of this year’s World Tourism Day (27 September), the Secretary-General visited the newly-opened Riyadh School for Hospitality and Tourism in Collaboration with UNWTO. The school has already welcomed its first students and aims to welcome many thousands more, both from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia itself as well as from across the wider region and the world.

Alongside its Academies, UNWTO is transforming tourism education at every level. The Education Toolkit, launched out of the UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East, is designed to support Member States everywhere introduce tourism as a high school subject. This stands alongside the growing UNWTO Tourism Online Academy, the UNWTO Students League and now the Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Tourism Management offered by UNWTO in partnership with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and the Arts of Switzerland, in supporting people at every stage of their educational journey in tourism.

Education as a priority for the sector will next be highlighted at the Minister Summit hosted by UNWTO at the World Travel Market (London, 6 November).

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Top Chef Delivers Modern Cantonese Cuisine at Summer Palace of InterContinental Bangkok

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Top Chef Delivers Modern Cantonese Cuisine at Summer Palace of InterContinental Bangkok - TRAVELINDEX - TOP25RESTAURANTS.comBangkok, Thailand, October 31, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Indulge in new culinary delights of handmade dim sum and à la carte delicacies at Bangkok’s renowned Cantonese dining destination. InterContinental Bangkok, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, has announced the introduction of a fresh new menu at Summer Palace, Bangkok’s favourite destination for Cantonese specialties. The renowned restaurant presents to the public new à la carte and all-you-can-eat dim sum lunch menus that invite guests to indulge in an elevated culinary experience guided by esteemed Executive Chef Shui Wing Yau and his exquisite art of handmade dim sum. The new Summer Palace menus deliver an array of mouthwatering dishes to guests, such as delicate dim sum filled with succulent ingredients seasoned with aromatic spices as well as an impressive selection of seafood, signature lobsters and Peking duck.

Chef Yau, a native of Hong Kong and a two-time recipient of Michelin accomplishments during his tenure in Hong Kong and Shanghai, sets foot in Bangkok as the bold visionary behind the new Summer Palace menu. With more than three decades of international experience from esteemed kitchens which he infuses into the new menus of Summer Palace’s delectable Cantonese cuisine, Chef Yau is driven by a vision to set new industry standards. He is passionate about introducing guests to modern Cantonese delights through fresh ingredients combined with sophisticated cooking techniques that create innovative dishes and are a true representation of Chinese culture.

Commenting on his ambitions for Summer Palace, Chef Yau said,
“The legendary reputation of Summer Palace precedes me. I am honoured to share my craft with those who have a passion for modern Cantonese cuisine in such a well-established dining destination. My new menu is designed to demonstrate the power of food as a catalyst for connection when deep-rooted authenticity is combined with refined modern elegance. Whether guests desire world-class dim sum or à la carte dining options, we have something on offer regardless of the occasion. Summer Palace is a true gem within our culinary offerings at InterContinental Bangkok and we are excited to delight guests with a modern twist to authentic Cantonese cuisine.”

Chef Yau’s Signature Dishes
Guests can enjoy Summer Palace’s array of delightful selections, including Chef Yau’s top recommendations and signature dishes, such as:
• Peking duck
• Iberico char siu
• Tea-smoked chicken with crispy rice
• Deep-fried crispy fish maw
• Stir-fried lobster with egg white and crab roe
• Summer Palace fried rice
• Braised bamboo fungus, fresh mushroom wrapped in bean curd skin with black truffle
• Cooked rice in lobster soup with fresh baby oyster and crispy rice
• Crispy pork belly with spicy mustard
• Deep fried slow cook beef short-rib with garlic, chilli and black bean
• Deep fried snow fish with balsamic vinegar sauce
• Steamed bamboo fish with homemade yellow chilli sauce

Other highlights include an exquisite selection of award-winning and organic premium teas from Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, including Arun Tea (awarded “Gourmet Medal” in 2021) and Sayun Tea (awarded “Gourmet Medal” in 2021). The restaurant additionally offers its own unique blend of premium Chinese tea: La Vie En Rose.

An Ambience Fit for Every Occasion
Whether seeking a romantic dinner for two, a business lunch, or a large family dinner, Summer Palace offers seating for any occasion. Ten richly appointed private dining rooms offer intimate and exclusive dining experiences for groups of six to 20 people. The main dining area sets the stage for a lively and communal atmosphere, transporting guests to a world of Cantonese indulgence. A live kitchen introduces a dynamic element to the dining experience, allowing guests the opportunity to witness the skilled art of creating Cantonese delights first-hand.

Summer Palace is offering an all-you-can-eat dim sum lunch starting at THB 1,150++ per person. The menu highlights include Siu Mai with shitake mushroom, steamed black truffle dumplings with vegetables and fresh mushrooms, crispy spring rolls with king crab meat and avocado, and baked stuffed sesame puffs with onion, Iberico ham and mushrooms. For those seeking an à la carte experience, Chef Yau’s new menu features mouth-watering creations ranging from THB 420++ to THB 11,800++.

Summer Palace is open seven days a week for lunch (11.30 to 14.30 hours) and dinner (18.00 to 22.30 hours). Reservations can be made by calling +66 (0) 2 656 0444.

About InterContinental
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts makes travel alluring, with insights from over 75 years of experience. Each of our properties provides a gateway to the glamour of The InterContinental Life. As a brand, we aim to embody global sophistication through our superior, understated service and exceptional amenities. What makes us truly different is the genuine interest we show our guests through personalized and attentive services. We offer our most valued guests signature VIP services through a dedicated InterContinental®Ambassador programme and an exclusive Club InterContinental experience. We connect our well-travelled guests to what’s special about a destination, so they enjoy authentic local experiences that will enrich their lives. For more information and to book, visit intercontinental.com, and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

About IHG
IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 19 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,900 in the development pipeline.

• Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
• Premium: voco hotels, HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels
• Essentials: Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Garner hotel, avid hotels
• Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites
• Exclusive Partners: Iberostar Beachfront Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 345,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

PATA and Visa Finance and Digital Skills Workshops Concluded

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PATA and Visa Finance and Digital Skills Workshops Concluded - TRAVELINDEXBangkok, Thailand, October 31, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is delighted to announce the successful completion of the finance and digital skills workshops for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in tourism, which took place in Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines. These workshops were part of PATA’s collaboration with Visa to build the capacity of tourism businesses in Southeast Asia towards efficient financial management and increased digital literacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has urged tourism businesses and destinations across the world to build greater resilience and become more innovative and adaptive. To do so, the tourism industry must strive to be robust enough to withstand crises and unexpected events, but also flexible enough to quickly adapt to new circumstances. For SMEs, this includes, for example, learning how to identify and manage risks, effectively manage finances, increase sustainable practices to save costs and stay competitive, and make use of digital tools and platforms to better reach customers and manage operations.

With this in mind, PATA developed an online learning course covering these topics specifically tailored to tourism SMEs. Although they comprise approximately 80% of all tourism businesses, SMEs are often vulnerable – especially in times of crisis – due to lack of capacity, time and resources. The Finance and Digital Skills course was therefore created to assist SMEs in their resilience-building process and increase their capacity to better navigate the post-COVID-19 tourism era.

The course was developed with the support and expertise of Visa and the Practical Business Skills initiative, and it is available for free in six languages on PATA’s Sustainability Resource Centre website.

To take this knowledge further, PATA and Visa implemented in-person workshops in Hanoi, Jakarta, Siem Reap and the Laguna Province with the invaluable support of the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, and the Philippine Department of Tourism, respectively. These took place from July to September 2023.

Each workshop consisted of two days, the first focussing on Finance Skills and the second on Digital Skills. The first encompasses topics such as financial management (statements, formulas, financing opportunities, etc.), risk management and financial benefits of sustainability, whereas the digital skills workshop covers business digitalisation, digital marketing and online payments, and cybersecurity.

The last set of workshops happened from September 11-12 in Santa Cruz, Laguna Province, in the Philippines. This workshop had the largest number of attendees, 43 owners and managers of local tourism SMEs, mostly travel agencies and accommodation providers. In total, the Finance and Digital Skills workshops were attended by 120 participants in the four destinations.

According to PATA Chair Peter Semone, “Helping build resilience and increase sustainability in tourism is of great significance to us. We have been advocating for it since before the pandemic, but especially with our Tourism Destination Resilience Programme launched in 2021. Our aim is to ensure that the tourism sector never has to undergo the challenges and hardship witnessed during COVID-19. We are therefore delighted to see the high level of interest of SMEs in becoming part of this initiative, to help them be more resilient and adaptive.”

Patsian Low, Vice President of Inclusive Impact & Sustainability for Asia Pacific at Visa, added, “Visa has long been committed to the digital and financial upskilling of small and micro-businesses worldwide.  Given the importance of tourism in Southeast Asia, we are delighted that our partnership with PATA has supported so many small businesses in tourism in the region to move towards greater digitalisation and financial empowerment.  Our partnership with PATA is just one example of how Visa uplifts everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.”

For any queries about PATA’s sustainability and social responsibility initiatives, please contact ssr@PATA.org.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO General Assembly Endorses Regional Offices in Americas and Africa

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UNWTO General Assembly Endorses Regional Offices in Americas and Africa - TRAVELINDEXSamarkand, Uzbekistan, October 31, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The commitment of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to moving closer to its Members and being on the ground in every region has been further demonstrated through confirmed plans for two new Regional Offices.

At the 25th UNWTO General Assembly (16-20 October 2023, Samarkand, Uzbekistan), Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili set out his leadership vision for the Organization, including the aim of adding to the growing network of Regional and Thematic offices. At the Assembly, Mr. Pololikashvili signed an agreement with Minister of Tourism of Brazil, Celso Sabino, to open a Regional Office for the Americas in Rio de Janeiro. Alongside this, UNWTO continues to work closely with the Kingdom of Morocco to establish a Regional Office for Africa in Marrakesh.

Reflecting the clear aims of the leadership vision for both UNWTO and the global tourism sector, Regional Offices will focus on one or more of the Organization’s priorities. The planned Regional Office for Africa will focus on the priorities of innovation and investments in tourism, while the Regional Office for the Americas will also be focused on investment. They will join the Regional Office for the Middle East, opened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 2021, which is now a hub for tourism education and tourism for rural development, and the UNWTO Regional office for Asia and the Pacific in Nara, Japan.

Secretary-General Pololikashvili’s leadership vision for expanding and enhancing UNWTO’s presence on the ground also includes a commitment to new and more diverse Thematic Offices. At the119th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, also held in Samarkand, the Government of Uzbekistan presented its proposal to establish a Thematic Office for Tourism on the Silk Road in the city of Samarkand.

Additionally, after successfully unblocking stalled plans to move on from UNWTO’s home for more than 50 years, the Secretary-General used the occasion of the General Assembly to report that the Spanish Government is now set to start work on a new headquarters in Madrid. Works are expected to conclude in the first semester of 2025.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News