Indonesia Is 17% Below Its 2019 Level of Foreign Visitation

Indonesia reported foreign tourist arrivals rose by 20.1% year over year to 1.15 million in May. This was the fourth month in a row that arrivals exceeded 1 million and the fifth time in the last six months. The hotel occupancy rate rose to 54% from 47.1% in April, the highest since December 2023. The hotel occupancy ratio is also about 5 percentage points higher than a year ago. From January to May, foreign tourist arrivals rose by 23.8% to 5.2 million. That is still below the 6.3 million in January to May of 2019. Asia and ASEAN led the major source markets for the first five months of the year, followed by Europe and Oceania.

The Chinese Exit and Entry Administration said non-Chinese permanent residents of Macau will not be allowed to apply for a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau residents. This follows the easing of the entry tax threshold for mainland Chinese travelers to Macau, which was announced last week. The new measure relaxes visa restrictions for non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau with the Mainland Travel Permit being valid for five years and would allow them to travel to and from the mainland multiple times during the period with a stay of up to 90 days each time.

Minor Hotels announced the upcoming rebranding of Peace Resort Samui into NH Collection Samui, marking the arrival of NH Collection to Thailand. The property will undergo an upgrade and, starting on January 1, 2025, will operate as NH Collection Samui. The 122 key property is located directly on Bophut Beach, nestled along the shore of Koh Samui, positioned within the easy reach of the Fisherman’s Village. Sister property Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort is located 400 meters away. NH Collection Samui will offer a mix of deluxe rooms, bungalows and villas, some with private swimming pools and direct beach access. There is a collection of F&B options, along with a fitness center, water sports center and kids and teen facilities. Flexible meeting and event spaces are also available for business and personal events. The hotel was originally established in 1977 by the Pupaiboon family.

BWH Hotels announced the launch of SureStay by Best Western Bangkok Ramintra. They described it as an urban oasis in an up-and-coming part of Thailand’s capital city. The hotel is located on the main Ratchada-Ramintra Roadin the city’s Khan Na Yao district. The hotel offers a choice of 80 bright, loft-style rooms, all equipped with modern features. The fourth floor has a glistening outdoor pool. There is an onsite restaurant, coffee shop, a gym and corporate travelers can use a meeting room. With the addition of this hotel, BWH Hotels now offers 12 hotels in Bangkok encompassing seven of its brands – Best Western, Best Western Plus, Vib, SureStay by Best Western, SureStay Plus by Best Western, SureStay Collection by Best Western and WorldHotels Elite. The new opening also brings BWH Hotels’ nationwide portfolio in Thailand to 20 properties, including city hotels, beachfront resorts, upcountry retreats and more.

Once again, Dennis Uy and his PH Resorts tried to tell everyone that everything was fine with their third attempt at getting a partner for their Emerald Bay project in Mactan, Cebu in the Philippines, only to have that partner not even make it near the altar. The parent company of Okada Manila announced they terminated the agreement with Uy and PH Resorts. Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment said the conditions of the agreement were not met. PH Resorts continued to put on a brave face, saying they were confident the Cebu casino resort would materialize as they worked towards another transaction, be it an acquisition, joint venture, or something else that would ensure the completion of the project. Given that three parties walked away, with all three saying Uy was unreasonable, perhaps selling this in a fire sale may be the only way it will get developed in the near term.

CSN Developers Pvt Ltd announced a partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to open a Wyndham Garden Hotel at Adityapur in Jamshedpur. The agreement is a franchise one. Wyndham Garden Jamshedpur Adityapur will have about 55 rooms. Amenities will include an all-day dining and bar lounge, meeting rooms, a business center, a fitness center, and a swimming pool. The hotel is said to be in the advanced stage of construction and is expected to open by February 2025. This will be the second hotel in Jamshedpur under the Wyndham Garden Brand.

ITC Hotels announced its foray into West Bengal with the opening of Storii Devasom Resort & Spa, Kolkata. The Storii resort is spread across three acres and is situated in the South City Retreat District. It features elegant overhangs, sheltered walkways, and vibrant gardens. ITC said this launch strengthens the chain’s presence in eastern India. ITC will manage the hotel, which features a mix of spacious rooms, suites, and villas.

Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd. announced the grand opening of the Jinqiao. Haichang Penguin Resort Hotel on July 1. The Hong Kong hotel will be operated by the group for 20 years and is said to be part of a growing cluster of parent-child resort hotels. The new theme hotel was jointly built by Haichang Ocean Park and Jinqiao Group and is located in the pilot area of Lingang Comprehensive District. The hotel is the first penguin-themed resort in Shanghai. The building has 10 floors with floors 3-10 being where the guest rooms are located. Each floor of the guest room features a type of penguin as the theme element.

Accor‘s Mercure brand announced the opening of Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion. The contemporary hotel rises above the Kuala Lumpur skyline, strategically located within the Trion @ Kuala Lumpur complex which includes serviced apartments and retail shops. The hotel features 228 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a lobby lounge, a swimming pool and sundeck pool café. The Sky Gym is available for fitness, and there are six modern and stylish function rooms and a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 200 guests. The hotel features the Wau Bulan motif, with its lower section mimicking the graceful crescent moon shape, capturing the essence of the Wau Bulan as it sways in the breeze.