14 TTG TRAVEL AWARDS 2018 SPECIAL EDITION
Travel Hall of Fame
Banyan Tree Spa Thai Airways
International Star Cruises
Kingkarn Olarngarnjanin
AVP / executive director – spa & gallery,
Banyan Tree Spa Krittaphon Chantalitanon
Vice president, alliances and commercial strategy
department, Thai Airways International Michael Goh
Senior vice president – international sales,
Star Cruises
How has your organisation stayed ahead of the
competition this year? How has your organisation stayed ahead of the
competition this year? How has your organisation stayed ahead of the
competition this year?
In 2018 we launched Sanctuary Wellbeing at
Banyan Tree Spa Sanctuary Phuket, elevating
wellbeing through focusing on simple yet im-
pactful changes that are sustainable and relevant
to today’s lifestyle. Activities are designed around
self-awareness and discovery rather than a top
down instructional approach, such that each
guest has the freedom and flexibility to discover
their own path to wellbeing.
The programme enables urbanites to take
ownership and choose across a customisable mix
of over 50 activities in mindful practices, fitness
classes, life enrichment workshops and body
awareness classes. Four curated programmes are
also available to provide guidance on achieving
specific wellbeing goals. As a legacy carrier, we place strong emphasis on
developing products and services to maxim-
ise customer satisfaction when travelling with
THAI. The world renowned Thai identity and
hospitality is also the strength in our service, and
as the ambassador of Thailand, we integrate this
unique trait in both our services and products to
enhance flying comfort and convenience. As a homegrown Asian cruise line with close to
25 years of valuable experience, we have always
been proud of our deep-rooted Asian heritage;
and with Genting Hong Kong’s vast experience
in land- and sea-based operations, Star Cruises
is able to leverage on the group’s key expertise in
promoting its brand in the Asian market.
Together with the ongoing support of our
local and regional business partners, Star Cruises
continues to stay ahead, pioneering and growing
the Asian cruise industry, forging new relation-
ships and setting new benchmarks for ourselves
and the industry. Star Cruises remains commit-
ted in offering best-in-class services and facilities.
What three factors are critical in bringing your
organisation continually forward into the future?
First, we have our finger on the industry’s pulse
and respond quickly to changing consumer
demands. This helps us stay relevant and be a
pioneer in the industry with the treatments and
techniques employed.
Second, our therapists are our important
asset that we nurture through a comprehensive
curriculum cultivated by our Spa Academy. Each
therapist goes through 650 hours of training
where they learn the skills and knowledge to
deliver consistent service.
Third, partnerships and collaborations with
value-aligned providers in the spa, hospitality
and wellness industry are crucial to us.
What can your trade partners and customers look
forward to in doing business with you in 2019?
A fresh new look through multiple touchpoints,
designed to convey a more holistic reinterpreta-
tion of our founding philosophy around nature-
inspired wellness therapy with ‘the art of touch’,
and what a Sanctuary of the Senses means for the
ever more discerning consumer.
We are also looking forward to the launch
of new signature experiences that build on our
hydrotherapy innovations of the Rainforest and
Rainmist, in which we are currently in experi-
mental mode. We believe that water is life, and
we are elevating our pioneering tropical garden
spa model based on this. – Ho Ren Yung, VP,
Brand HQ, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
What three factors are critical in bringing your
organisation continually forward into the future?
Today, the competition in the airline industry
is intensified and heightened, especially for
the legacy airlines, due to the emergence of low-
cost carriers.
For many businesses, to move forward does
not always mean to become a large organisation.
As for THAI we see it is necessary to streamline
our business, apply effective cost-cutting meas-
ures to cut unnecessary expenses, stop flying to
unprofitable routes, increase co-operation with
partners and airline peers, embark on a new di-
mension of business such as research and devel-
opment, and the most important of all, maintain
the highest standard of operational safety and
good governance principles.
THAI is also active in terms of projects and
activities, contributing to the development of
the society while helping to reduce the effects of
global warming, greenhouse gases and the trade
of protected wild animals and their products.
What can your trade partners and customers look
forward to in doing business with you in 2019?
THAI will continue to work in close
co-operation with business partners such as
hotels, travel agents, financial institutions and
government organisations to promote Thailand
as the MICE destination of choice.
Following the current government’s Thailand
4.0 mission, THAI is focusing more on innova-
tion and technology to further promote Thai-
land’s investment and business opportunities
and also to become the hub of the AEC.
Research and development as well as envi-
ronmental issues will be part of the company’s
operational objectives to make sure that we can
meet future challenges through new business
models and approaches that integrate those
key elements.
What three factors are critical in bringing your
organisation continually forward into the future?
Above all, Star Cruises intimately knows what
Asian consumers like and how they like it. At the
core of every Star Cruises voyage, we aspire to
take the Asian hospitality to another level and go
beyond the norm to deliver an experience filled
with the heartfelt warmth and friendliness that
we Asians are renowned for.
In addition, we have been fortunate to have
cultivated a strong network of business partners.
Alongside our travel agents, we have had the
support of the media, including TTG Asia, and
local government bodies that have invested in
improving and building cruise infrastructure
throughout the region.
Also, we owe our successes to the dedicated
crew and employees at Star Cruises that has led
us to where we are today. We are developing
the next generation of leaders and continue to
enhance our talents to offer best-in-class service
and innovative offerings.
What can your trade partners and customers look
forward to in doing business with you in 2019?
We value our trade partners and will continue
to work hand-in-hand in providing exciting and
unique experiences in 2019.
We will expand source markets, further
develop the MICE and fly-cruise sector with
exciting itineraries and innovative onboard of-
ferings and form strategic alliances, which will
create new opportunities for our trade partners
and concurrently more attractive options for our
customers. – Ang Moo Lim, president