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Southeast Asia

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Southeast Asia

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It’s been a long road back for Chinese tourism in Southeast Asia, and everyone from street vendors in Saigon to tuk-tuk drivers in Bangkok will be hoping that this most special of years, the Year of the Dragon, brings back prosperity and good fortune. Here is a round-up of luxury resorts where you can join in the feast, the fireworks, and the fun for Chinese New Year.

Homage to the Sacred Naga in Krabi

The town of Krabi has a long and fabled relationship with dragons, or naga, as they are known in Thai mythology. For that reason, the naga is the symbol of Banyan Tree Krabi, and its serpentine image can be seen throughout the hotel, from the magnificent Naga Staircase that greets you as you arrive in the lobby, to the interior design, to the lush Naga Crest Mountain which overlooks the resort. On February 9th, the resort’s Naga Restaurant will host a sumptuous Chinese buffet featuring favorites such as Smoked Duck with Pomelo Salad, Chinese Drunken Chicken with Sichuan Cucumber Salad, and Chinese Five Spice Pork Terrine. A salad bar and vegetarian options will be available, as well as a Chinatown Chef Live Action Station where you can order an endless indulgence of everything from pork crackling to Spicy Tuna and Salmon Tartare to Hokkien Noodles with BBQ duck and wagyu beef. Dinner starts around sunset at 6:30pm and the price is just 2,990 THB per person, including a welcome drink.

For info and reservation, contact +66 075 811 888

A Mindful Way to Start the Year of the Dragon

The lunar new year program at TIA Wellness Resort in Vietnam is inspired by the dragon’s symbolism for strength, good fortune and transformation. Guests can pick and choose what they’d like to join over the three days of Tet celebrations. The festivities begin on Friday, February 9th with a creativity workshop “Reflection of the Year of the Rabbit” at 2:30pm. The evening brings a “Wishing Lantern Ceremony” at 7pm. On Saturday, February 10th the TIA team will host a 45-minute “Sunrise Beach Gratitude Meditation” at 6am followed by a traditional dragon dance performance at 9:30am. A range of festive feasts will be on offer each day including special menus in The Dining Room such as a Traditional Vietnamese Family Style Tet tasting menu with dishes including an abalone and sea ginseng soup, fish cakes on sugarcane with fresh herbs and pickles, and a rich beef stew served in a clay pot. Plant-based menus are also on offer.

Savor the Elements of Chinese New Year in Bali

At Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana, ‘The Art of Lunar New Year’ feast on February 9th invites guests to savor the elements of the Chinese New Year. Each dish represents an element of the holiday with prosperity, wealth, health, longevity, and fortune being plated up. The menu features Balinese, Japanese and Chinese cuisine with dishes like hot and spicy szechuan crab soup, and crispy Balinese pork belly. The evening also features a traditional Chinese lion dance and a welcome cocktail in the Tempayan courtyard. Prices start at IDR 888,000 ++ per person.

Lion Dances & Mongolian BBQ on Koh Samui Beachfront

Guests enjoying breakfast at Banyan Tree Samui are in for a surprise on the morning of February 10th when a Chinese lion dance procession sweeps through The Edge restaurant, marking the beginning of the Lunar New Year at 10:30am. That same evening, at 7pm, the normally placid private beach in front of the resort will explode into a fiery fiesta, when the hotel launches a Lunar New Year Party. The nightlife entertainment will include live music and a fire show on the resort’s private beach, with exquisite dining at beachfront Sands Restaurant which will host a Chinese Mongolian & International Buffet.

Sky-High Restaurant in Chiang Mai Hosts Prosperous Feast

Situated on Meliá Chiang Mai’s 21st floor with panoramic views of the city and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west, intimate fine dining restaurant MAI Restaurant and Bar will serve a delectable family-style dinner to wish guests ‘gong xi fa cai’. Served from February 9-11 from 6-10pm, and priced at THB 6000 net per set for four people, the feast’s highlights include a colourful salad featuring fresh salmon, shredded vegetables, pickled ginger and pomelo, as well as Chinese braised chicken with dried mushrooms and wolfberries, and steamed whole sea bass with warm lemon dressing. Other dishes include tender slow-cooked pork belly in soy sauce, wine, and spices, lotus leaf-wrapped artisan sausage fried rice, assorted seasonal greens with oyster sauce, and sesame dumplings in ginger broth. The dinner is accompanied by Chinese fine teas, fortune messages and a traditional red pocket containing a discount coupon for another visit.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Meliá Hotels International Goes Green in Southeast Asia

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Meliá Hotels International Goes Green in Southeast Asia - TRAVELINDEXHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam, April 24, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / As Spain’s leading hotel group, Meliá Hotels International, continues to expand its presence throughout Asia the company is making sure to bring the passion and flair Spain is known for – especially when it comes to protecting the environment.

Earlier this year the group announced the achievement of the highest overall rating in the global hotel industry in the 2023 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), an assessment of the performance in sustainability of over 7,800 companies around the world.

In Southeast Asia the penchant for environmental initiatives runs deep with a host of initiatives, partnerships, and hands-on programs at properties from Vietnam to Indonesia.

Below are a few highlights that showcase how the brand is ensuring future travelers can enjoy the beauty of these destinations for generations to come.

Indonesia

While digitization is becoming more commonplace in the hospitality industry, Gran Meliá Jakarta is taking all things electronic one step further. In addition to introducing a Meliá app to cut down on paper collateral and streamline processes, and offering a QR code for menus, the luxury hotel, in the heart of the busy metropolis, has introduced electric car charging stations and switched all lighting to LED. INNSiDE Yogyakarta is also embracing the increase in digital demand by offering key information and menus via smartphone. Meliá Bali, the group’s first hotel in Asia, which opened in the ‘80s, makes use of the abundant natural surroundings with an organic vegetable garden, honey-producing beehives, and microgreens corner. The oceanfront resort has partnered with the Nusa Dua Reef Foundation for a coral restoration project, which guests can get involved in, ecollabo8 for repurposing plastic into usable items – including a table in their kids club, ChopValue Indonesia for repurposing chopsticks and satay sticks into coasters, and Soap for Hope, which offers a sanitary method of repurposing used soap. The property is now plastic-free with everything from bin liners to amenity wrappers being swapped out for biodegradable alternatives. Even the takeaway coffee cups are now compostable. Sol by Meliá Benoa Bali is mitigating food waste through Scholars of Sustenance, a program that helps feed the island’s most in need communities, and helping educate guests through their Cleaning Blitzes.

Earth Day Activities: For Earth Day Sol by Meliá Benoa Bali will host a beach Cleaning Blitz with guests having the opportunity to join. On Saturday there will be a host of activities around Earth Day. Craft activities for kids include bag painting with an Earth Day theme and adults can make torches using waste cooking oil.

Vietnam

Meliá’s most expansive presence in Asia is within Vietnam with a myriad of hotels spread from north to south. Several properties have launched their own organic gardens, including Willow’s Garden in Meliá Ho Tram and the Balansa Organic Garden at Meliá Ba Vi Mountain Retreat. Many properties have partnered with Diversey, a global cleaning and hygiene products manufacturer, on programs such as PlasticShreds, which converts single-use plastic into plastic chips that are then combined with other materials to be upcycled into a variety of uses, from new roads to badminton courts; along with Linens For Life and Soap for Hope. Both initiatives involve transforming materials, such as leftover soap and old linen, into new (sterilized) soap bars and products for people in need, including all-purpose bags, sleeping bags, soft toys for children, and school uniforms. Plastic is being eliminated, whether it be bottles or amenity wrappings, and Sol by Meliá Phu Quoc has installed a 20-liter water tank in each room, along with two reusable glass bottles, so guests can keep topping up their own water supply without going through multiple bottles.

Earth Day Activities: At Meliá Ho Tram children and adults alike can take part in complimentary eco-themed activities including Earth Rock Painting at 11am and Recycled Paper Crafts at 3pm at the resort’s Elyxr Cafe. At Meliá Ba Vi guests can take part in tree planting activities on April 22nd.

Thailand

With three properties in the country and one more opening this year Meliá is cementing its presence in the popular tourist destination while trying to keep a light footprint. All properties have gone paperless with necessary information and menus available via QR code. For hotel supplies that are printed novel approaches are used, such as recycled banana leaves in Meliá Phuket Mai Khao and wooden folders with fabric from a local village in Meliá Chiang Mai. The pineapples in Phuket are used for more than just delicious desserts. The cleaning team uses a natural detergent made from pineapple peel. While the pineapple tops, which will eventually grow into a new pineapple, are used as table decorations throughout the property. Both Meliá Chiang Mai and Meliá Koh Samui have organic vegetable gardens, with Meliá Chiang Mai implementing a 360-degree approach with its farm on the outskirts of town and Meliá Phuket Mai Khao recently expanding its organic vegetable patch. Melia Chiang Mai also works with suppliers to ensure other vegetable deliveries come by basket and food waste that doesn’t got back to their organic farm as compost goes to a local pig farm. Meliá Phuket Mai Khao and Meliá Koh Samui have implemented wellness retreat programs, supporting mind, body and spirit, and also encouraging guests to interact with nature more. A prominent tree at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao features a “hug me” sign with a QR code giving hugging instructions to guests.

Myanmar

In Myanmar, Meliá Yangon has gone solar with the addition of roof solar panels to heat their hot water tanks. The city hotel isn’t letting the central location damper its farming ambitions and the hotel has its own organic vegetable garden located on the third floor. The Yangon team are actively involved in community programs such as Linen for Life, where they made 4,000 masks by upcycling old bed sheets and unusable uniforms into fabric, and through visiting local elderly homes and youth centres to provide support.

Malaysia

Meliá’s newest hotel in the region, INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala Lumpur Cheras, opened on March 25 with a host of eco-measures already in place, including wheat straw combs and toothbrushes, yoga mats made from cork, and solar-powered LED lighting.

Earth Day Activities: On April 22nd INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala Lumpur Cheras will begin planting a poolside vegetable garden with lemongrass, pandan leaves, chili, mint and tomatoes that will be watered by recycled rain water and will eventually supply the kitchen.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Saudi Tourism Authority Expands Partnership with Aviareps

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Saudi Tourism Authority Expands Partnership with Aviareps - TOURISMSAUDIARABIA.com - TRAVELINDEXMunich, Germany, August 26, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The Saudi Tourism Authority has opened a commercial office in Malaysia covering the Southeast Asia region as part of its strategy to engage the tourism trade in key source markets and raise awareness of Saudi, the authentic home of Arabia, as travelers around the world dream of exploring exotic destinations once more.

The destination reopened to vaccinated international visitors at the beginning of August.

STA now has representative offices in eleven markets serving 21 countries, with an eventual goal of having a 15 offices around the world to expand the reach of the Authority’s activities.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority:

“STA is focused on enhancing its ability to deliver a truly global scale offering by investing resources today in the network that will drive our business for the future. We are building an integrated global team of professionals to showcase Saudi’s diverse offering of cultural adventures, world-class heritage sites, and authentic Arabian hospitality.”

The Malaysia office will be responsible for trade and consumer marketing activities, expanding the reach and relevance of Saudi’s tourism offer, and working with tour operators, travel agents, and other industry stakeholders to build awareness and drive conversion in line with STA’s strategy and mission. The Southeast Asia representative office is being set up with the support of the region’s leading aviation & destination marketing representative company, Aviareps Malaysia as its in-market representative covering the Southeast Asia region.

Kelvin Ong, Vice President, Southeast Asia for Aviareps Group:

“Southeast Asian nations have a strong affinity with Saudi as a destination and many of the region’s travelers have already experienced the country’s legendary hospitality while visiting the country on pilgrimage. We have already formed a dedicated STA team based in Malaysia to cover the region.”

Shazlin Ahmad, Country Manager for STA in Southeast Asia:

“Opening a dedicated office to serve this market creates an opportunity to expand the appeal of Saudi as a compelling leisure destination by sharing with travelers the diverse landscapes, bustling cities, abundant attractions, and storied historical sites that make Saudi unique. We are confident that Saudi’s diverse offering will be appealing to all demographics from the region. We have already begun outreach into the Southeast Asia’s tourism trade ecosystem and the response has been very positive. We are actively seeking opportunities to co-invest with partners who are keen to add Saudi as an exciting new destination in their portfolio.”

Since opening its borders to international tourism in September 2019, Saudi rapidly established itself as the fastest-growing tourism destination in the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Despite the global shutdown of leisure tourism in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, STA continued to invest to prepare the destination for a return to normalcy.

In 2020 STA delivered a domestic tourism campaign that saw visitor spend across target destinations between July and September increase by more than 30% compared to the equivalent period the year before.

An international brand awareness campaign launched at the beginning of 2021 extends across 26 countries and 13 languages, with significant investment in outdoor, broadcast, and digital advertising.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority:

“Saudi has a wealth of iconic sites for travelers to experience when borders reopen and we are ready to welcome visitors from around the world. By investing now in brand awareness and in our network of international offices, we are seeking to expand the global reach and relevance of these sites and integrating new ways of thinking and delivering on our mandate.”

To support the international and domestic tourism trade ecosystem, STA is introducing Saudi Expert, a comprehensive digital platform that provides partner companies with data, insights, destination information, and creative assets in real-time.

The new platform is intended to ensure that DMCs, tour operators, and other stakeholders have on-demand access to the information they need to build their business.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority:

“Tourism businesses need to be more agile than ever to respond to sudden changes in the environment. Agility depends on a constant supply of up-to-date information, and our goal is to get that information to our partners almost as soon as we get it ourselves. We are working at pace to help our partners introduce the authentic home of Arabia to more people than ever before.”

About Aviareps
Aviareps is the world’s leading international representation, marketing and communications company for aviation, tourism, hospitality, and food and beverage brands. Founded in Germany in 1994 with the ambition to help clients to step into global markets, the company’s global network now expands around the world to six continents.

The Aviareps service portfolio includes extensive expertise in representation and sales, marketing and communications, business development, IT solutions and financial services. In addition to their well-established General Sales Agent (GSA) services and tourism marketing representation, Aviareps provides more than 250 clients with support in digital marketing, advertising, public relations, crisis communications, social media management, event coordination, sales, web design and more.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News