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Varied prognoses about Tokyo 2020’s postponement

Japan’s travel trade is scrambling to establish the fallout from the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to 2021, but experts say the current Covid-19 crisis may have more impact on the nation’s tourism and service sector than the Games’ delay.

About 8.5 million international tourists were expected to visit Japan during the Games, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In addition to their accommodation, an estimated 46,000 rooms were booked for organisers, sports officials, media and sponsors.

Japan’s destination […]

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Maldives bans tourist arrivals

The Maldives will be banning all tourist arrivals from midnight on Friday, March 27.

An announcement from the president’s office said that on-arrival visas would be suspended from midnight of March 27 but exceptions would be made for individuals with special permission like diplomats, government officials, and contract workers.

Maldives tightens coronavirus preventive measures by banning all tourists

“We are aware of the impact of our measure; the tourism industry will come to a halt. But this is something we need to do […]

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Great interview with one of travel’s most brilliant, eccentric and innovative designers, Bill Bensley

WHERE DID YOU GET STARTED?

As a professional, I cut my teeth in Asia, finding this place exuberantly life-confirming, and I have loved this job from the start, from early days in Singapore and Hong Kong, to setting up shop in Bangkok.

I started out building exotic gardens, mostly in Bali, but honestly, I did not like many of the hotel buildings I was engaged to tart up with my tamed jungles! As time went on, I learnt the spoken and architectural […]

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OUE to rebrand Mandarin Orchard into largest Hilton hotel in APAC

Property group OUE and OUE Commercial REIT (OUE C-Reit) will spend S$90 million (US$62 million) to rebrand Mandarin Orchard Singapore to Hilton Singapore Orchard, following an agreement with Conrad International Management Services (Singapore), said OUE in a press release.

The revamped property will be Hilton’s flagship hotel in Singapore, and its largest in Asia-Pacific.

Mandarin Orchard Singapore will be rebranded into Hilton Singapore Orchard

The hotel’s rebranding will see the addition of new meeting facilities and F&B offerings to cater to the growing […]

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UNWTO and WHO calls on innovators to accelerate tourism recovery

In the face of an unprecedented challenge, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), calls on innovators and entrepreneurs to put forward new solutions to help the tourism sector recover from COVID-19.

With millions of jobs at risk as the pandemic hits tourism harder than any other sector, the United Nations specialized tourism agency has included innovation in its wider response to the pandemic. That response has seen UNWTO work closely alongside WHO to […]

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In tough times, Asia hotels find new roles

Once filled with merry folks on vacation or business people meeting and closing deals, several hotels in Asia are now readying for a new role as the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

Come next week, the five-star Media Hotel & Towers in Jakarta, Indonesia will begin operations as an apartment for frontline medical staff. All hotel facilities will be at the government’s disposal until the situation is brought under control, according to Fifi Aleyda Yahya, vice president corporate communications of […]

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