Accor bookings rebound in Australia
Accor is seeing the first signs of a tourism revival in Australia as New South Wales and Victoria residents prepare to go on vacation for the first time in months. Chief Operating Officer Simon McGrath said the group, which runs a network of 380 hotels from budget to luxury, was finally starting to see new bookings exceed cancellations, meaning record-low occupancy levels could start to rise.
More from the Financial Review
RevPAR in China is starting to recover: STR
STR analysts have been providing a weekly video deep-dive into China’s hotel performance. Key highlights from the most recent week include:
• Midscale and economy hotels in China are driving a RevPAR recovery
• RevPAR is expected to grow over the next week due to a variety of factors, such as general growth trends, easing of restrictions and the meeting of the Beijing National Congress
• When looking at April performance, Sanya was the only market in China to post a positive year-over-year percentage change in ADR
Wynn to reopen several Vegas restaurants
On May 29, Wynn Resorts will open five of its Las Vegas restaurants, including Allegro, Jardin, Lakeside, Mizumi and SW Steakhouse at the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore on the Strip. The remainder of both properties will remain closed until Nevada’s governor announces when gaming operations can resume. Restaurant patrons will have to make reservations, the company said. Bar areas, in accordance with gaming board rules, will also remain closed. All restaurant employees will have their temperatures screened before each shift, Wynn officials said.
Travelers allowed transit through Changi Airport
The Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority released a statement which mentioned that travelers will gradually be allowed to transit through Singapore Changi Airport starting June 2, according to reporting from HVS Asia Pacific. After Singapore banned all short-term visitors from entering or transiting via Singapore in March, only foreign passengers on repatriation flights arranged by their governments can transit through Singapore, and only work-pass holders, including their dependents, who are providing essential services such as healthcare and transport are currently allowed to enter the country. According to CAAS, the move is part of Singapore’s strategy to gradually reopen air transport to meet the needs of the economy and people, while ensuring sufficient safeguards for safe travel after the end of the circuit breaker. Additional safe-distancing measures will also be implemented in designated facilities in the transit area.
Singapore casinos will stay closed as 75% of economy reopens
As Singapore continues to see new COVID-19 cases, the government has declared that some businesses will be allowed to return to work, but not casinos. The Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) told the outlet that the current shutdown on gambling, which has an end date of June 1, will be extended. The city’s two casino operators, Las Vegas Sands (Marina Bay Sands) and Genting Singapore (Resorts World Sentosa) – have been shut down since April 7. The announcement comes after the government moved into phase 1 of reopening the economy. The finance and wholesale sectors will be allowed to return to work on June 2, along with nearly 40 other sectors, adding up to nearly 75% of the economy. This includes consumer electronics manufacturing, logistics, telecommunications and professional services, but not retailers or hotels.
Abu Dhabi’s certification program for the tourism sector
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi launched a safe and clean certification program, a first of its kind for the region, which aims to standardize cleanliness and hygiene levels across all businesses and organizations in the region’s tourism sector. The certification program was developed in partnership with a developer and will be rolled out in phases. Phase 1 will be dedicated to hotels in Abu Dhabi, with other tourism attractions and businesses to follow.
Thailand’s plans for post-COVID-19 tourism recovery
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has a new tourism campaign, “Amazing Trusted Thailand,” in an effort to rebrand tourism in Thailand post-COVID 19, according to reporting from HVS Asia Pacific. The organization is planning to match foreign tourists from countries that were removed from “Disease-Infected Zones for COVID-19” with provinces in Thailand that never reported infection case or have not reported a new case in the past 28 days. The organization will also target high-end foreign tourists from Europe and Asia Pacific region to visit Thailand under a quota. Tourists will not be subjected to 14-day quarantine measures but will be requested to provide health certification, fit-to-fly certificates and buy health insurance before visiting Thailand. The plan will require THB10 billion to THB20 billion (US$312 million to US$626 million) from the THB400 billion (US$12.5 billion) economic rehabilitation projects budget. The plan will be proposed in a cabinet meeting next week.
Ryman Hospitality drops purchase of Texas development
Nashville-based Ryman Hospitality Properties will terminate its agreement with Stratus Properties to purchase the Block 21 mixed-use development in Austin, Texas. Ryman CEO Colin Reed cited unstable capital markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the termination. Ryman will forfeit its nonrefundable deposit of US$15 million provided to Stratus in connection with the execution of the purchase agreement in December 2019.