In the news: A journey down memory lane to discover the beginning of Raffles Hotel Singapore; Amadeus’ invests in automated pedestrian analytics and insights company CrowdVision; Alipay adds four more SEA countries to its platform.
HOTELS: ‘We Were Built’ – The story of how a Singapore icon came to be
Film director Kirsten Tan behind the scenes of ‘We Were Built’ (Image credit: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
Very few first-time visitors to Singapore would miss the chance visit the iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore, just to have a look, buy a souvenir or imbibe a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. The hotel is currently undergoing restoration and will reopen in the second half of the year, so for now visitors have to enjoy the Raffles experience at the nearby pop-up Long Bar and temporary Raffles Gift Shop.
While awaiting its reopening, Raffles Hotel Singapore is taking us on a short history of its founding and its ties to the history of the city-state with the launch of a short film, ‘We Were Built’.
To recap, Raffles Hotel Singapore opened in 1887 and is one of the few remaining great 19th century hotels in the world. It became part of AccorHotels in late 2016 after the French hotel group purchased the Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), owner of the luxury Raffles, Fairmont and Swissotel brands, for US$2.9 billion. FRHI was previously owned by the Qatar Investment Authority and Kingdom Holding Company of Saudi Arabia, as well as Oxfrod Properties, the real estate division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System
“The moving and emotive short film draws inspiration from a close reading of the history of Raffles Hotel Singapore, with a focus on its close bond to the history of Singapore and its proud literary heritage,” is how the hotel describes it in a statement.
‘We Were Built’, the film’s title, comes from a poem of the same name specially commissioned by the hotel and penned by writer-poet Amanda Lee Koe, Singapore’s youngest Literature Prize Winner.
It is directed by Kirsten Tan, a Singaporean award-winning film-maker and director. She conceptualised the film through her personal and close interaction with the hotel during her stay there.
“The moment I stepped in, its distinctive quality is inescapable. You feel like you’ve been transported to a different time altogether. Corinthian pillars, a tinkling piano, dark wood patios, a scented pillow. I wanted to capture that aura of lyrical timelessness, that sumptuous pause that counteracts the hectic fever of modern life,” she recalled
Christian Westbeld, general manager of Raffles Hotel Singapore, said, “The film perfectly captures the hotel’s storied history, and offers viewers a glimpse into what it means to be a guest at Raffles Hotel Singapore.”
Making a special appearance in the film is Chinese American movie star, Lisa Lu, who have performed in movies including “The Last Emperor” and “The Joy Luck Club”.
Watch the film below:
https://youtu.be/1ku8lQreQ-Q
DISTRIBUTION: Amadeus’ latest investment helps airports manage passenger flow in real time
CloudVision uses computer vision software and AI to manage passenger flow (Image credit: 06photo/iStock-Getty Images)
Amadeus Ventures has invested in CrowdVision, a London-based startup providing solutions to improve passenger experience at airports, especially at security checkpoints, via better queue management and other techniques.
CrowdVision uses computer vision software and artificial intelligence to help airports monitor the flow of passengers in real time to minimise queues and passenger volume.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts air travellers to reach 7.2 billion by 2035, double the 3.8 billion passengers in 2016.
In congested airports, CrowdVision’s technology enables them to cut queue and waiting times, giving travetllers more time to spending retails areas.
“Together with CrowdVision, we will be able to help airports to better anticipate and respond to traveller flows for better real-time, planning and investment decisions,” said Suzanna Chiu, head of ventures at Amadeus.
“We’re committed to helping airports improve their operations and performance, because when airports run smoothly, everyone benefits: airports can get more value out of their retail areas, more flights can take off on time, and travellers enjoy better journeys.”
Added Fiona Strens, CrowdVision’s chief executive officer: “CrowdVision complements the existing Amadeus Airport IT portfolio to deliver additional insights and benefits to customers. Working with Amadeus will give us access to a huge network of airports and travel partners around the world.”
Terms of the the investment in CrowdVision were not disclosed.
Amadeus Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Amadeus launched in 2014, has invested in a number of startups that include Situm, Avuxi, Betterez, Bluesmart, BookingPal, Flyr and Yapta.
PAYMENTS: Alipay rolls out in four more Southeast Asian countries
Yangon latest to jump on to Alipay platform (Image credit – Kandawgyi Lake in Yangon: Boyloso/iStock-Getty Images)
In the race to capture Chinese visitors more and more countries in Southeast Asia are not only rolling out incentives and easing visa requirements, but also adopting Alipay to make it easy for the travellers to pay for goods and services.
According to a recent Nielsen/Alipay report, 65% of Chinese tourists used mobile payment platforms during their overseas travels, more than six times in comparison to non-Chinese tourists (11%). Over 90% of Chinese tourists would consider using mobile payments when traveling overseas if more overseas merchants accepted it.
In tandem with this trend, the mobile and online platform has added four more countries to its Southeast Asian network – Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and the Philippines – increasing its reach in the region to eight countries (the other four are Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam).
In Cambodia, Alipay is now accepted in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville across shopping, F&B, entertainment and hospitality sectors.
In Laos, the payment option is available in all department stores in Vientiane Shopping Center, as well in convenience stores and F&B outlets along the Mekong River in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Resorts World Manila started accepting Alipay last month. For the initial roll-out, RWM has Alipay-equipped terminals in Maxims Hotel, Newport Cinemas and Snack Bar, the VIP Concier
Myanmar is the latest country in the region to launch Alipay. It is now accepted in shopping centre, F&B outlets and tourist attractions in Yangon, including Sule Shangri-La Yangon, Rangoon Tea House and Yangon Yangon Bar.
• Featured image credit (Retiling of Raffles Hotel Singapore’s roof): Raffles Hotel Singapore
