Philippines Holds on to 2024 Tourist Targets

The Philippines Department of Tourism continues to target 7.7 million tourist arrivals in 2024. They described it as a moving target, giving them some wiggle room, referencing challenges the industry is facing including specific geopolitical issues. As of August 7, the country has already received 3,622,635 inbound visitors, of which 92.13% are foreigners. South Korea is still topping the list of source markets in terms of arrival at 26.37%. The U.S. is a distant second, accounting for 16.22%. In the first seven months of the year, The Philippines has already earned PHP323.68 billion in estimated visitor receipts, up 13.18% from where they were in the same period last year.

Hyatt Hotels announced an affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Heiwa Real Estate Co. Ltd. for a new Park Hyatt hotel in Sapporo. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2029, to be situated in the economic and cultural center of the Hokkaido Prefecture in northern Japan. This will be the fourth Park Hyatt branded hotel in the country. The hotel will be located in a mixed-use tower under development at the intersection of Odori Park and Sapporo Ekimae-dori. The hotel will span the 27th through 35th floors. Park Hyatt Sapporo will offer 157 luxurious rooms and suites, world-class culinary and wellness experiences, an indoor swimming pool and spaces for meetings and events.

The Park Regis by Prince Singapore announced an official rebrand following an extensive room refurbishment. The transformation aligns with Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts’ vision of “A Guest-Centric Future”. As part of the rebrand, the hotel will retain its iconic Fleur-de-lys logo with the rebrand including innovative technologies, upgraded accommodation features, and a unified loyalty program. The hotel has 203 newly refurbished guest rooms, including studio-style accommodations in four categories, including rooms with direct pool access. The room refurbishment is expected to be fully finalized by the end of this current month. The official launch of Park Regis by Prince Singapore will take place on September 3, 2024.

Swissotel Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of Swissotel Nusantara in Indonesia’s new capital city of Nusantara, East Kalimantan. The hotel features 191 rooms and suites, each offering forest views through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities include multiple swimming pools, a state-of-the-art gym, the Purovel Spa, and a kids club. All-day dining can be found at NUSA Restaurant. Swissotel Nusantara offers state-of-the-art meeting facilities and more.

Ahura Resorts – the 100% Fijian family-owned management company of Likuliku Lagoon Resort – announced a series of major revitalization projects for 2025 during which the resort will close from February 1 to April 30, 2025. The projects will include a refurbishment and refresh of all Bures including adding private plunge pools to 11 of the existing Beachfront Bures which will increase the Deluxe Beachfront Bure category from 18 to 29. The main pool will be refurbished, there will be a new restaurant concept unveiled that will offer an alternative evening dining experience, Saluwaki, to the existing signature Fijiana restaurant, which will take the overall dining options to three, and the environmentally-friendly synthetic roof thatching project will be completed. Ahura Resorts said the investment will be FJD$10 million to enhance and elevate the product offerings and guest experiences at Likuliku.

Kasumigaseki Capital Co., Ltd. announced the grand opening of its latest luxury venture, seven x seven Ishigaki under the subsidiary fav hospitality group Co., Ltd. The high-end hotel on the southern Japanese island is expected to open its doors on September 9th. The hotel will embrace self-hospitality with smart check-in via QR codes and digital concierges. The hotel will provide a variety of accommodations and amenities, allowing guests to create their own bespoke experiences. The seven x seven Ishigaki is located 18 minutes by car from New Ishigaki Airport, near Maesato Beach, facing the Pacific Ocean. The hotel features 121 rooms in 21 styles, including suites with private pools and saunas, and rooms with jacuzzis. There are two pools, a family pool and an infinity pool with jacuzzis and cabanas. The infinity pool is an exclusive club for guests aged 20 and above. The hotel offers various food and beverage options, including the Sky Bar by BATIDA which features a swimming pool and sauna.

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand confirmed it will be proceeding with purchasing land in Whangarei to develop a hotel as the agreement to purchase the land is now unconditional. M&C said the decision was based on the conclusion there was sufficient demand in the Northland market for a new four-star hotel of international quality. They expect construction of the hotel to take place over the next few years. M&C is expected to complete the transaction by August 29th and said they intend to continue exploring other opportunities around New Zealand.

Indian Hotels Company Limited has opened its 67th hotel under its ‘lean luxe’ class brand Ginger in Coimbatore. The Ginger Coimbatore Airport is situated close to the airport junction on Avinashi Road and offers 68 rooms, including six suites; Qmin restaurant, a fitness center and a conference room. The hotel is expecting to open a bar by April 2025. IHCL said they will open the 68th Ginger hotel in Udaipur soon and there are 25 more in the pipeline.

Personnel Move

Hotelier Victor Clavell has been named Chief Executive Officer for Urban Resort Concepts, a hotel management company based in Shanghai. Their portfolio includes The PuLi Hotel & Spa in Shanghai; RuMa Hotel & Residences in Kuala Lumpur; and The PuXuan Hotel & Spa in Beijing. Clavell was with Marriott International for 28 years. From 2010 he was Area Vice President for Asia Pacific. In 2020 he was named Chief Operating Officer at AMAALA, an ultra-luxury development owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President of Operations of Rosewood Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean.