Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Tourists invisible to Hong Kong retailers

    Tourists invisible to Hong Kong retailers

    While more tourists have been crossing the border for the ongoing Golden Week, there has not been much gold in it for Hong Kong retailers.

    Visitor numbers jumped more than 14.1 per cent on Saturday, the start of the holiday, according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department (IMMD).

    This has mainly been attributed to visitors from the neighbouring Guangdong province, with cheaper hotel rooms and convenient travel making Hong Kong an accessible choice, says the South China Morning Post.

    Statistics show that more than 200,000 visitors arrived on the first day of the national holiday, a jump from last year’s 177,000. But despite the rise, the visitors have been spending less – hardly good news for Hong Kong retailers, who have already been feeling the pinch. With Hong Kong no longer riding the wave as the first port of call for Chinese tourists, retailers were warned last month that they need to discount or die.

    For the new influx of visitors, their travel and buying patterns differ from previous mainland tourists as they are familiar with Hong Kong and tend to visit relatives, go sightseeing and buy from stores in residential areas. Family visitors and Shenzhen residents spiked more than 40 per cent on the first day of the holiday, while those crossing the border on the “L visa” dropped 5 per cent.

    Hong Kong retailers are already branding this the worst-ever Golden Week, with many reporting lower numbers of mainland tourists, fewer tour buses and less spending.

    However, Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung says the divergence between tourist numbers and luxury sales is a “good sign”.

    “The city’s tourism sector is normalising,” he says, with high-quality individual tourists compensating for the loss in mainland tour groups, which have long been criticised for forcing visitors to buy high-priced products at designated shops.

  • Indonesia to promote cruise, yacht destinations in Korea

    Indonesia to promote cruise, yacht destinations in Korea

    The Ministry of Tourism will promote Indonesian tourism destinations, especially for cruising and yachting, at the Seatrade Cruise Asia 2016 to be held on May 12-14 in Busan, South Korea.

    During the cruise industry exhibition, the government will introduce Indonesias best cruising and yachting destinations, Deputy of International Marketing Development of the Ministry of Tourism I Gede Pitana stated in a press release here on Thursday.

    The ministry will inform the international companies and yacht owners of the governments step to increase tourist arrivals by simplifying the approval procedure for yachts entering Indonesian waters through the Clearance Approval for Indonesian Territory system.

    “The process to issue an entry permit will take only one hour,” Pitana noted.

    The government is prioritizing 10 yachting destinations, such as Tanjung Kayang Belitung, Tanjung Lesung, Seribu Islands, Mandalika Lombok, Labuhan Bajo, Wakatobi, and Morotai, in which marinas have been built to accommodate yachters.

    For cruise tourism, the five major ports of Belawan in Medan, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Benoa in Bali, and Soekarno-Hatta in Makassar will serve as the entry gates to Indonesia.

    Eight marine tourism companies of Indonesia are also participating in the Seatrade Cruise Asia 2016.

    Moreover, the government is promoting its visa-free policy for Korean citizens by advertising its campaigns in the local media and through catalogs placed in Korean high-speed trains.

    The guests at the exhibition will be able to enjoy the performances of Indonesian dancers and several varieties of Indonesian coffee at the Wonderful Indonesia booth at the Seatrade Cruise Asia 2016.

  • Indonesia’s Muslim cyber warriors take on IS

    Indonesia’s Muslim cyber warriors take on IS

    A group of Indonesian “cyber warriors” sit glued to screens, as they send out messages promoting a moderate form of Islam in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

    Armed with laptops and smartphones, some 500 members of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) – one of the world’s biggest Muslim organisations – are seeking to counter the Islamic State group’s extremist messages.

    “We’ll never let Islam be hijacked by fools who embrace hate in their heart,” tweeted Syafi’ Ali, a prominent member of the NU’s online army, a typical message to his tens of thousands of followers.

    They are trying to hit back at IS’s sophisticated Internet operations, which have been credited with attracting huge numbers from around the world to their cause.

    Internet propaganda is believed to have played a key role in drawing some 500 Indonesians to the Middle East to join IS, particularly among those living in cities where it is easier to get online.

    The dangers of the growing IS influence in Indonesia were starkly illustrated in January when militants linked to the jihadists launched a gun and suicide bombing attack in Jakarta, leaving four assailants and four civilians dead.

    It was the first major attack in Indonesia for seven years, following a string of Islamic militant bombings in the early 2000s that killed hundreds.

    As well as firing off tweets, the NU members have sought to dominate cyberspace by establishing websites promoting the group’s moderate views, an Android app and web-based TV channels, whose broadcasts include sermons by moderate preachers.

    The initiative has been building momentum for a while but started to pick up pace a few months ago. A handful of cyber warriors operate from a small office in Jakarta, while the rest work remotely, and the group mostly communicate with one another over the web.

    But it will be an uphill battle and the NU, which has been promoting moderate Islam for decades, conceded they have previously struggled to take on IS’s hate-filled messages.

    “NU has for a while wrestled with this radical propaganda,” said Yahya Cholil Staquf, secretary general of the NU, which claims at least 40 million followers.

    “Every time we defeated them, it didn’t take long for them to regain their strength.”

    The online drive comes as the NU is set to take its campaign to promote their tolerant form of Islam onto the international stage this week, with a two-day meeting from tomorrow of moderate religious leaders from around the world.

    They aim to showcase their particular brand of the Muslim faith, known as “Islam Nusantara”, to counter the IS jihadists’ radical interpretation of Islam.

    Meaning “Islam of the Archipelago” – Indonesia is the world’s biggest archipelago, comprising over 17,000 islands – it is accepting of diversity and stresses non-violence.

  • AirAsia Indonesia to end Bali-Kota Kinabalu services

    AirAsia Indonesia to end Bali-Kota Kinabalu services

    AirAsia Indonesia will end its thrice weekly Bali-Kota Kinabalu services, effective June 23.

    In a statement, AirAsia Bhd chief executive officer, Aireen Omar, said this was due to the stagnant market growth and insufficient revenues to offset the costs.

    “The operational costs have also increased quite substantially for AirAsia’s operations at Terminal 1 Kota Kinabalu International Airport,” she said.

    Following the termination of the services, the low-cost carrier said it would offer three options for the affected customers.

    The passengers could reschedule their journey with the latest flight on June 21, 2016, depending the availability of seats, it said.

    “They could also opt for creditshells which can be used as payment towards any AirAsia tickets or products and they are valid for six months or 180 days from the date of issuance,” it said.

    AirAsia said it would also offer a full refund of the amount equivalent to customer’s booking.

  • Apple, SAP enter cloud apps partnership

    Apple, SAP enter cloud apps partnership

    Apple and SAP have teamed up to combine native apps for iPhone and iPad with the capabilities of the SAP HANA platform.

    This joint effort will also focus on developing a new iOS software development kit (SDK) and training academy.

    According to the companies, the SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK will provide businesses, designers and developers the tools to quickly and efficiently build their own iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, based on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, SAP’s open platform as a service.

    These native apps will provide access to core data and business processes on SAP S/4HANA, while taking full advantage of iPhone and iPad features like Touch ID, Location Services and Notifications.

    A new SAP Fiori for iOS design language will advance the SAP Fiori user experience by combining it with a consumer-grade iOS experience to deliver on the robust user needs in the enterprise and enable developers to build next-generation apps.

    SAP will also develop native iOS apps for critical business operations. These apps for iPhone and iPad will be built with Swift, Apple’s modern, secure and interactive programming language, and will offer a familiar user experience with the SAP Fiori for iOS design language.

    “This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP’s deep expertise in business software,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

    “Through the new SDK, we’re empowering SAP’s more than 2.5 million developers to build powerful native apps that fully leverage SAP HANA Cloud Platform and tap into the incredible capabilities that only iOS devices can deliver.”

  • Optus commences rollout of VoLTE

    Optus commences rollout of VoLTE

    Australia’s Optus has commenced the rollout of VoLTE technology to Australia’s major capital cities.

    The Singtel subsidiary revealed that its initial rollout will concentrate on the central business district metro areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.

    Optus will initially offer VoLTE over Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones.

    Optus managing director Dennis Wong said the company plans to “continue to add capability to other devices and remains focused on expanding our VoLTE footprint to further locations, particularly in regional Australia.”

    “We’ve been testing and tweaking VoLTE for the best customer experience and we’re excited Optus customers will start to see the benefits of this technology on our 4G Plus network.”

    Last year the operator launched the first commercial 3x LTE-A carrier aggregation network combining one FDD carrier with two TDD blocks. The network combines 1800-MHz and 2300-MHz frequency bands.

    Optus is Australia’s second largest operator after incumbent Telstra, offering both fixed and mobile services as well as satellite and other services.

  • Vodafone’s M-Pesa surpasses 25m active users

    Vodafone’s M-Pesa surpasses 25m active users

    Vodafone has announced that its M-Pesa mobile money service now has more than 25 million active customers.

    Across the M-Pesa footprint in Africa, Asia and Europe, active M-Pesa customers increased by 27.1% to 25.4 million for the 12 months ending in March.

    Vodafone offers M-Pesa in 11 countries, having most recently launched in Albania and Ghana. The service debuted in 2007 in Kenya and Tanzania.

    M-Pesa is also available in India, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Lethoso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Romania.

    In India, Vodafone recently launched an M-Pesa smartphone app to allow customers to pay for goods on Ebay, as well as taxi fares and train tickets on India’s national railways.

    Over the past 12 months Vodafone has entered a series of deals with partners to allow for cross-border and cross-service transactions using M-Pesa.

    These include global agreements with the international money transfer hubs TransferTo and MFS, as well as an arrangement to allow direct-money transfer between M-Pesa and users of MTN Mobile Money in seven East African countries.

    “I am delighted and proud that M-Pesa has reached the 25 million active customers milestone,” Vodafone group director of mobile money Michael Joseph said.

    “M-Pesa continues to expand, evolving beyond traditional money transfers to encompass savings and loans, payment of salaries and benefits, settlement of utility bills and school fees and to enable vital health and agricultural solutions.”

  • Thailand’s AIS faces $71k fine per day

    Thailand’s AIS faces $71k fine per day

    Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has written to AIS warning of $71,114 (2.5 million Baht) a day fines unless they complete the handover of 300,000 subscribers to TrueMove under the mobile number portability system by May 10th.

    Thai language daily Thairath reported that AIS has refused to release the subscribers due to incomplete or erroneous documentation. The story also said that AIS had no problems with Dtac all valid Dtac porting requests had been completed.

    Earlier we reported on how the government was trying to force AIS to sign an MOU with True and allow the NBTC to step in with the final say on MNP with no recourse of appeal.

    AIS did not respond to request for comment by the time of going to press.

  • China awards fourth telecoms license

    China awards fourth telecoms license

    Chinas’ big three operators will have new competition, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issuing the nation’s fourth telecoms license to China Broadcasting Network.

    The license will allow China Broadcasting Network to provide domestic internet data transmission and telecoms infrastructure services.

    With the license the company willl be able to provide key telecoms services including broadband, calling and text messages, Shanghai Daily reported. The company will offer services via its subsidiary China Cable Television Network, which operates cable TV services nationwide.
    Chinas’ big three operators will have new competition, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issuing the nation’s fourth telecoms license to China Broadcasting Network.

    The license will allow China Broadcasting Network to provide domestic internet data transmission and telecoms infrastructure services.

    With the license the company willl be able to provide key telecoms services including broadband, calling and text messages, Shanghai Daily reported. The company will offer services via its subsidiary China Cable Television Network, which operates cable TV services nationwide.

    A spokesperson for the MIIT said the introduction of a new operator is expected to improve market competition, as well as technology innovation and integration.

    The allocation is also in line with the ministry’s three-network convergence project, which aims to combine telecoms, television and internet services into a single network.

    China Broadcasting Network was founded in 2014 and has registered capital of 4.5 billion yuan ($691.9 million).

    Shares in incumbent operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom all declined slightly in the wake of the news. But Reuters reports that the introduction of China Broadcasting Network to have little impact on the operators’ businesses in the short term, due in part to the broadcaster’s capital constraints.
    A spokesperson for the MIIT said the introduction of a new operator is expected to improve market competition, as well as technology innovation and integration.

    The allocation is also in line with the ministry’s three-network convergence project, which aims to combine telecoms, television and internet services into a single network.

    China Broadcasting Network was founded in 2014 and has registered capital of 4.5 billion yuan ($691.9 million).

    Shares in incumbent operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom all declined slightly in the wake of the news. But Reuters reports that the introduction of China Broadcasting Network to have little impact on the operators’ businesses in the short term, due in part to the broadcaster’s capital constraints.

  • Lady Gaga & Elton John launch Macy’s line

    Lady Gaga & Elton John launch Macy’s line

    Lady Gaga, Elton John and department store chain Macy’s have launched a limited edition clothing range for charity.

    Love Bravery is described as “a high-spirited, limited-edition line of clothing and accessories that inspire compassion and combat prejudice”. Available as part of Macy’s American Icons campaign, Love Bravery spans several categories, including shirts, sweats, outerwear, clutches, backpacks, scarves, beanies, keychains, pins, and even speakers, water bottles and skateboards, all rendered in vibrant graphic prints and designs that fuse both artists’ renowned musical talent and style.

    love-bravery-gaga-elton-04

    “It’s an honor to team up with Sir Elton John to create this line with Macy’s,” said Lady Gaga. “We need to make the world a kinder and braver place where men and women everywhere are empowered to live with compassion. That’s what Born This Way Foundation is all about, that’s what the Elton John AIDS Foundation is all about, and that’s what Love Bravery is all about.”

    “I love the idea of fusing who you are on the inside – your passions and dreams – with what you wear on the outside,” said Sir Elton John.

    “Love Bravery is about the compassion on the inside to understand someone’s fears, and the bravery on the outside to stand up for them, and for yourself: to accept others for who they are and to be who you want to be. It’s what I’ve tried to do in my life, my career and with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and it’s a passion Lady Gaga and I share. So I’m thrilled we are collaborating on this project and delighted Macy’s understood our dream to connect with people this way.”

    Created in collaboration with Lady Gaga’s sister, Natali Germanotta, and designer Brandon Maxwell, the limited line boasts fresh crop tops and sleeveless tees in stark black-and-white, while heather sweatshirts with tonal graphics and tops with metallic lettering are edgy updates to the athleisure trend. Oversized scarves with piano key prints and artistic interpretations of Lady Gaga’s face are stylishly offbeat, and neoprene backpacks that say “Love” and also have piano key prints are super cool must-haves. With enamel pins and patches in the shape of moto jackets, electric guitars, microphones, platform shoes and Lady Gaga’s infamous claw, the options to show off your inner little monster are endless. Clutches in the shape of sunglasses, pianos and hearts are unapologetically fun and sassy.

    “In addition to being deeply talented musical artists, Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John are champions of self-love, courage, empathy and kindness, and Love Bravery represents all of those tenets,” said Martine Reardon, Macy’s chief marketing officer.

    “We are so proud to present a line that is not only fun and bold, but also stands for something so meaningful and important. The work they do through Born This Way Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation is invaluable and truly changes lives, and Macy’s is honored to partner with them to spread the message of love and acceptance.”

    Born This Way Foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world by shining a light on real people, supporting quality research, and fostering meaningful partnerships focused on social emotional learning (SEL) and mental health awareness and resources. The Elton John AIDS Foundation raises much-needed funds for evidence-based programs that give people the information and tools to protect and care for themselves and those they love – challenging stigma, reducing the spread of HIV and preventing people from getting sick or dying of AIDS.

    The foundations brought together a diverse array of young people to showcase the Love Bravery apparel and will be sharing content from that campaign this spring. The limited-edition line with Macy’s is the first in a series of activations which are planned for the coming months to make people feel proud of who they are.

    Love Bravery will be sold exclusively at Macy’s this spring, with 25 per cent of the purchase price benefiting Born This Way Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and will be available globally later this year. All donations from the limited-edition line, on sale through August 30, will be made to Born This Way Foundation, which will use 50 per cent to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

  • New Zealand Eyes More Investment in Indonesia

    New Zealand Eyes More Investment in Indonesia

    Franky Sibarani, Chairman of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) met with Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Joze Tavares in Auckland last Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The meeting was held to coordinate New Zealand’s plan to increase its investment in Indonesia.

    “To attract more investment, the BKPM will [cooperate] with the Indonesian honorary consul in Auckland, which is also the President of the ASEAN Business Consul,” Franky said after the meeting.

    Franky added that the BKPM will continue to coordinate with Indonesian representative in New Zealand to follow up potential investments.

    Jose Tavarez welcomed the Indonesian government initiative to market possible investments in New Zealand.

    “New Zealand has large potential related to the development of renewable energy, specifically geothermal [energy],” Tavares said.

  • Changi Hello Kitty cafe opens

    Changi Hello Kitty cafe opens

    Travellers to and from Singapore have a new experience from this week: a Hello Kitty cafe in Changi airport.
    IMG_2408The Changi Hello Kitty cafe is located in Terminal 3 and mirrors some of the experiences from similar cafes in Japan and other large Asian cities.

    Hello Kitty Orchid Garden will be open 24 hours a day in the central arrival hall, with its decor and menu inspired by Singapore’s national flower.

    It is the first Singapore cafe featuring the feline character out of Japan, and as well as refreshments it will offer plush toys and souvenir tea cups. There will also be Hello Kitty-inspired tea blends, and the cafe is expected to have Halal certification.

  • Bali’s exports to Europe decline

    Bali’s exports to Europe decline

    Balis exports of various handicraft and small industrial products to European countries declined in the first three moths this year because the economic growth in Europe has not yet recovered well.

    “Importers from Europe still demanded for various handicraft, garments and furniture products but the volume was not as big as that last year,” exporter Made Parwata said here on Saturday.

    He said that importers from Spain still maintained stable demand and delivery was still smooth.

    Other European importers were those from Italy, France and Germany. These countries are included as the big ten importers of Balis products.

    However, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) data showed that imports of these products by France, Spain, Italy and Germany declined from US$19 million in the January-March 2015 to US$17 million in the same period this year.

  • Indonesia to take part in Beijing Tourism Expo

    Indonesia to take part in Beijing Tourism Expo

    The Indonesian government will participate in the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) to be held on May 20-22 to realize its target of attracting two million Chinese tourists this year.

    The Indonesian Tourism Ministry would be one of the main sponsors of the expo, Deputy Tourism Minister in charge of International Tourism Marketing Development I Gede Pitana stated here, Friday.

    The ministry was optimistic that Indonesia would be able to attract Chinese tourists during the long holiday from October 1 to 7 this year, he noted.

    China has become Indonesias main tourist contributor, according to Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

    Last year, some 987 participants from 81 countries took part in BITE, which was visited by some 120 thousand people.

    BITE has been organized annually for the past 13 years, and Indonesia has taken part in the expo twice.

    Other countries expected to participate in BITE this year are the United States, the Maldives, Seychelles, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, India, and some European countries, among others.

    Indonesia has set a target of attracting 20 million foreign tourists by 2019, from 9.7 million last year.

    This year, Indonesia hopes to lure some 12 million foreign tourists.

  • BI Urged to Stimulate Housing Market

    BI Urged to Stimulate Housing Market

    Indonesia Property Watch (IPW) CEO Ali Tranghanda asked Bank Indonesia to issue a more progressive regulation on Loan to Value (LTV) in order to tackle issues with a slowdown in the national housing market recovery.

    “For the middle-lower segment, particularly houses with loan liquidity facility (FLPP), the LTV can be fully provided so that the down payment is set to 0 percent,” Ali said in a press release on Friday, May 6, 2016.

    For the middle segment, Ali suggested that the LTV should be set to 90 percent, so that the down payment would stand at 10 percent. Meanwhile, Ali said that BI should strictly govern the LTV for upper segments, “because the upper segment is a subject to massive speculations, although it has impacts on the housing market,” Ali added.

    According to Ali, policies that can hamper the cash flow of middle-lower segments includes the requirement for developers to market homes that are under construction.

    “BI is expected to stimulate the housing market movement,” Ali added.

    Ali explained that the relaxed policy could be implemented until the housing market fully recovered. Given with the current market condition, Ali said that BI should not burden the housing sector with strict regulations.

    The national housing market has so far not shown signs of recovery. After a growth in sales figure in the fourth quarter 2015, the trend did not continue in the first quarter of this year. The IPW reported that the housing market in the first quarter plummeted by 23.1 percent compared to the previous quarter, or was down by 54.09 percent compared to the first quarter of last year.

    Data from the IPW revealed that almost all regions experienced a decline in sales, and the middle segment remained the largest market share at 52.19 percent. Meanwhile, the upper and lower segments accounted for 28.27 percent and 19.54 percent of the housing market share, respectively. Earlier in the fourth quarter 2015, the upper segment dominated the market share.