PATA's Tourism Recovery Scenarios for Asia Pacific

The Pacific Asia Travel Association had a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand to discuss the future of tourism in Asia Pacific. The PATA Travel Mart 2024 began at the Queen Sirikit Conference & Exhibition Center in Bangkok, so PATA did have a focus on Thailand. PATA continues to give three recovery scenarios for tourism in APAC – mild, medium and severe. The mild scenario has a strong recovery, with international tourist arrivals surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Medium includes steady growth with recovery exceeding pre-crisis benchmarks, while the severe scenario suggested a slower path, with recovery to 2019 levels not happening until 2026. PATA said they still believe 2024 will be -31% below 2019 levels. For Thailand PATA's range goes from 50.65 million arrivals under the mild scenario to only 33 million under the severe in a 2026 scenario. That would be 126% of 2019 for mild, 106% for medium and only 83% of 2019 arrivals for severe.

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced a strategic partnership with Roxy-Pacific Holdings Ltd. to introduce its Vignette Collection brand to the Maldives. The conversion deal will have the Noku Maldives rebranded, joining the Vignette Collection in December 2024 as Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection. Noku Maldives is a 50-key private villa resort located on the island of Kudafunafaru. The resort will undergo a refurbishment to align with the distinct identity and elevated standards of the Vignette Collection. IHG said they have had record conversion activity this year, with conversions representing 41% of openings and 55% of signings in the first six months of 2024. Throughout the region, including the Maldives, more than half of its signings are now conversions.

Singapore-based Collective Hospitality announced the acquisition of the majority of the business of Selina Hospitality PLC, a company that is in administration. Collective Hospitality said with this transaction, it's now one of the largest lifestyle hospitality owner/operators in the world. Selina's board approved FTI Consulting LLP as administrators of the company on July 22nd. Collective acquired the majority of the operating subsidiaries from the administrators on August 22nd. This includes approximately 100 hotels in 22 countries which target the Gen Z and millennial markets. Newmark Group's Lodging Capital Market teams are advising Collective on the acquisition. Collective Hospitality is owned by Destination Group.

Hard Rock Hotel Bali announced the launch of the newly renovated King Suite. The two-bedroom suite offers a wide range of amenities, including a jacuzzi, bathtub, pool table, and spacious living room with Madonna's iconic gold bustier and Michael Jackson's black kimono robe on display. Also being announced was all the new Hard Rock memorabilia at the resort, including things from Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Eddie Van Halen, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez and Fergie, Elvis Presley, INXS, Pink, Eric Clapton and Alicia Keys.

Tropicana Corporation BHD will be soft-launching its two key developments in Johor in Malaysia – Lido Waterfront Boulevard in Johor City Centre and Fraser Hills in Tropicana Uplands, Gelang Patah. The announcement was made during an event marking the sale and purchase agreement between Tropicana Firstwide Sdn Bhd, a unit of Tropicana Corporation, and NTT GDC Malaysia, the indirect subsidiary of Japan-based NTT Data Group, for the sale of a piece of freehold land in Gelang Patah, Johor Bahru. The Lido Waterfront Boulevard will be built on 163 acres of reclaimed land located along the Johor City Centre facing Singapore. The first phase will be The Watermark Residence, expected to soft launch in 4Q24. Tropicana Uplands will be a 314-acre freehold township.

Savills Singapore and CBRE issued a joint announcement on two boutique hotels located in Joo Chiat and Little India being put up for sale. The two companies are exclusive marketing agents for the properties, with the two comprising 138 keys, available to purchase individually or as a portfolio. The first property is Hotel @ 51 Joo Chiat Road. The 70-room hotel is priced to sell at S$60 million. The four-story property occupies a land area of 7,629 square feet with a total floor area of around 22,925 square feet. The second property is Hotel @ 22 Beliliois Lane. The heritage hotel is located in the heart of Little India and is priced at S$63 million. The hotel has 68 rooms and occupies a land area of 13,130 square feet with total floor area of 25,540 square feet.

Australia News

Trilogy Hotels announced the signing of three new properties to manage in Sydney, Australia. Those properties are the 194-room Novotel Sydney Parramatta and 165-room Mercure Sydney Parramatta, in agreement with The Huang Family, and the 93-room Leura Gardens Resort in an agreement with the Schwartz Family Company. Leura Gardens Resort is the 15th hotel in the Schwartz hotel network.

Australia's first Hoxton designer hotel from Ennismore will anchor a $600 million mixed-use development in Cremorne, in the inner east. The Hoxton Melbourne will have some of its food and beverage offerings, as well as a meeting space, housed in the repurposed Match Factory. The hotel rooms and another F&B offering will sit within a new building that local developer Alfasi will construct fronting Church Street.

BWH Hotels announced the signing of the economy soft brand hotel, City Oasis Inn Townsville, SureStay Collection by Best Western, located in northern Queensland. The hotel is set to operate within BWH's soft brand, SureStay Collection starting September 2024. The hotel is located just 900 meters from the 25,000-person capacity Queensland Country Bank Stadium. City Oasis Inn will offer a mix of guest rooms and suites, featuring pet-friendly room options, kitchenettes and a two-bedroom Miners Cottage built in the 1880s. The hotel includes a lagoon-style swimming pool, City Oasis Café, tropical gardens and gym access. This is the second SureStay Collection hotel in Queensland.