Soothing Touch Barbados: An Island Oasis

from Gaming & Leisure Magazine

Summer 2021

https://mygamingandleisure.com/

Barbados is known for a number of things, including their idyllic tropical beaches, their surf, and as the birthplace of rum. When on the island state, their resorts, spas and leisure are a good way to while away the hours. 

In this episode of the International Road Trip, I was fortunate to sit down for a chat with Steve Andrews, a long-time friend, spa owner and Global Wellness Ambassador for Barbados. 

[G&L] Give us a bit of a summary on your background in the Spa & Wellness industry. 

[SA] I am a 24-year veteran of the Caribbean spa industry, having established Soothing Touch Massage & Aromatherapy in the mid-1990s, combining my skills as a therapist and my love for and participation in contact sports. In 2002, I combined massage therapy services with beauty treatments and formed Soothing Touch Da Spa Inc. Soothing Touch at the Bamboo Retreat took shape in 2019 as not only a spa but a natural retreat. 

Recognized by my peers as one of the Caribbean’s foremost spa entrepreneurs, my wide range of experience and training has allowed me to conduct spa therapy workshops for therapists across the Caribbean. More recently, I also conducted online training for therapists in Africa, with face-to-face classes to follow for both Africa and Asia as soon as it is safe to do so. 

Currently, I am the global wellness ambassador for Barbados. 

[Q] You have been involved with the Caribbean Spa & Wellness Association for a while. What was your role with the group, and what does the association provide to the region? 

[SA]  My passion to develop the Caribbean as the world’s leading spa destination earned me the post of chairperson, Caribbean Spa and Wellness Association (C-SWA). As a founding member, I lent my broad expertise to the association, travelling around the world and looking at best practices for the Caribbean spa brand and also co-managing a US$800,000 CARTFUND project with the Caribbean Export Agency, to develop the spa and wellness sector in the Caribbean. 

Outcomes of the CARTFUND project included regional standards for spas and a regional spa and wellness strategy for the Caribbean. I was also chair of the Caribbean Spa and Wellness Training Committee and organized the first regional training workshop for spa therapists in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, after a change in leadership the association is no longer active. 

[G&L] Have there been many changes in the industry through the years? Do you see any upcoming trends? 

[SL] There have been a number of changes in the industry over the years. When I first entered the sector, there were about one or two hotel chains offering spa services. As an independent operator, I had greater access to the clientele from the tourist market. Now, most hotels offer spa services so that has reduced our share of the tourism market. So, locals now form a large part of our clientele. 

With respect to trends, stand-alone spas, such as Soothing Touch at the Bamboo Retreat, have the opportunity to become major shareholders in the sector because more and more visitors are looking for a spa experience and not just a service. There is a move towards authentic experiences where spas can differentiate themselves by embracing the cultural and natural environment of their surroundings. 

[G&L] As Barbados is a small island-state, what challenges have there been in acquiring technology for managing spas? Has the industry’s move toward cloud-based applications been of benefit? 

[SA]  Prior to the pandemic, small-island states like Barbados did not necessarily place great emphasis on the use of technology in business operations. However, with the onset of the pandemic, many businesses, including those in the spa industry, made the essential move to online operations. With this move, however, challenges remain. Many spa operators are not fully equipped with the technological knowledge to take advantage of the various features of spa management software. Cost is also a major deterrent, which has meant that free spa software that is less effective has now started to penetrate the Caribbean. 

[G&L] Where do Soothing Touch and other spas in Barbados draw their clients from? 

[SA] Our clientele consists of a mix of locals and tourists and this is the case for most spas in Barbados. Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner in Barbados and so there are some hotel spas that rely more heavily on tourists than others. However, given the pandemic, there has been more emphasis on the local clientele. 

[G&L] How has the Covid pandemic affected you in Barbados, and the Caribbean in general? 

[SA]  The pandemic has put a major dent in tourist arrivals across the Caribbean. Our local clientele also depend on revenue from tourism so this means that they are not able to afford spa services. Spa operators, therefore, have been forced to offer steep discounts to keep our doors open, when we are allowed to open. 

[G&L] Have there been changes to the Spa & Wellness industry due to the pandemic? 

[SA] The industry has had to implement several protocols. However, most of these protocols have always been practiced in spas. These include the sanitization of tools, equipment and furniture, and general hygienic practices such as the washing of hands before and after every service. Traditionally, spas are expected to be highly clean environments. As a result of the pandemic, spas are once again placing great focus on their hygiene practices. Spas have also started to look at different ways of doing business, with a focus on service standards and staff training. They are also beginning to see themselves as an important pillar of mental wellbeing. 

[G&L] What are your plans for expanding business in the future? 

[SA] Soothing Touch at the Bamboo Retreat is working to regain its place as the number one day spa in Barbados. There are also opportunities for training via the master class run by the coaching arm of the business, Steve Andrews & Associates. 

The Steve Andrews & Associates Master Class in Massage Therapy and Coaching Programme focus on the development of therapists in a holistic way. Geared towards catering to individual needs, the class and coaching programme both start with a full assessment of therapists including their understanding of therapy. 

Our vision is to help therapists truly unlock their minds to fully understand the power of massage therapy so they can undertake the journey to heal themselves, their clients and their community. 

Gaming & Leisure Magazine would like to thank Steve Andrews for the time to chat and wish him the best in his efforts in Barbados, the Caribbean and worldwide.

The Past, Present & Future of Golf & Casino Tourism in ASEAN, with Bill Healey

The Southeast Asia Travel Show

Episode 74

June 2021

Golf and casino tourism were booming across Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific before the pandemic - but both sectors face an uncertain future. This week, Gary Bowerman and Hannah Pearson chat with Bill Healey, a hospitality, golf and casino tourism expert who has lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Bali. 

 Bill was developing an Asian golf trip booking app in Cambodia before the pandemic struck, and returned to the US expecting to return within a few months. In this fascinating chat, Bill reflects on the growth trajectories of golf and casino tourism in the region over recent years, and the various challenges being faced now and potential opportunities in future. 

We also talk about vaccine passports, contactless hotel services and revenue management applications. And with Bill currently being based in Las Vegas, we get his take on how casino tourism is recovering along the world-famous Vegas Strip. 

Listen:

🎶 Website: https://lnkd.in/gh9xEn7

🎶 Apple: https://lnkd.in/gcUEkxR

🎶 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gDT-RRR

Asia Golf Enterprises :: Wednesday Match Play Podcast

Asia Golf Enterprises is a golf technology firm built on 60+ years of experience in the golf and hospitality industry. The firm's directors are experienced in building, implementing and supporting leading technology for golf properties around the world. 

On this episode of The Wednesday Match Play Podcast presented by MemberText, Bill Healey will give us an overview of Asia Golf Enterprises, talk about their partnership with Homestretch Golf and Vantage Tag Systems, and discuss plans for their blog and social media footprint. He also talks about his world travels and their work his with resorts. This was an amazing conversation and an honor having Bill on this show. 

Let's tee off. http://bit.ly/2RyYwNI #podcast 

The episode is LIVE: https://rickyleepotts.com/podcast 

You can also listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bill-healey-asia-golf-enterprises-episode-no-295/id1242094788?i=1000557446474

The show is on Google Play, Spotify or wherever podcasts are heard.

The Sailing Club

An iconic leisure experience on the East Sea

from Gaming & Leisure Magazine

https://mygamingandleisure.com/

Visit the Sailing Club Phu Quoc at: https://sailingclubphuquoc.com/

Sometimes there’s a gem of a place that catches one’s interest, and becomes a favorite that stands out amongst others.  During my many travels through SE Asia over the past twenty-five years, I’ve been fortunate to visit Vietnam countless times and often travel the length of the country.   A leisure property that I’ve had the good fortune to visit frequently is the Sailing Club -- first in their iconic Nha Trang beachfront location, and then in a few of their other sites. The comfort of relaxing at the Sailing Club on Nha Trang beach is a wonderful way to have your day progress from sunshine to nighttime, with a wonderful view of the East Sea (aka South China Sea).

What started out as a small bamboo structure in Nha Trang in 1994 has since grown into an upscale brand that stretches across seven cities across Vietnam.  I was fortunate to catch-up with Jakub Sippl, General Manager at Sailing Club Leisure Group in Phu Quoc, a long-time leisure professional I have known for many years. I’m pleased to cover Jakub and the Sailing club in the G&L’s twentieth anniversary.

[Q] Could you give us a bit of a background on The Sailing Club Leisure Group -- when and how it got its start. 

[SC] Peter Vidotto made his first visit to Vietnam in 1992, he saw the potential it had way before its current tourism boom. Peter started the now-iconic Sailing Club Nha Trang in 1994, with a small bamboo structure. Sailing Club grew with Vietnam to what it is now. In 2001 he opened Sailing Club Mui Ne and his track record serves to prove he doesn’t do things in half measures! In 2014 Peter and Louis decided to form Sailing Club Leisure group - the timing was right, and that as a group we have a lot to offer to potential partners and operators. 

[Q] How has the group grown in recent years, and what locations is the company located? 

[SC] The group has grown tremendously over the past few years, and we are now looking at locations and projects all over Vietnam:

• 
  Phu Quoc
  
• Mui Ne
• Nha Trang
• Cam Ranh
• Phu Yen
• Hanoi 
• Halong Bay

We are now focusing on all aspect of leisure segment, including resorts, restaurants, bars, pools, events and beach clubs.

[Q] Jakub, you have been around a bit, both in Vietnam and abroad.  Please give us an update on joining The Sailing Club and the move to Phu Quoc. 

[SC] I arrived in Vietnam in 2008 for the first time and have lived in the country a total of 7 years with a little breaks in between different posts. I was in the Philippines when I heard about the opening for this unique opportunity to look after the opening of our first Sailing Club Signature Resort. I knew it would be an instant match. I joined the project earlier this year and arrived in Phu Quoc in June, just the right time to be involved in the final stages of the construction and planning. 

Since then, we started to work on the foundation of the hiring and team creation as well as sales and marketing strategies for the successful opening. We are currently looking at opening in Q1 2022.

[Q] Off the southern tip of Vietnam, the island Phu Quoc is more of a recent tourist destination in the region.  Can you discuss The Sailing Club's decision to open on the island? 

[SC] Phu Quoc Island has played a significant role in domestic and international travel for a number of years now and Sailing Club Leisure Group has found a perfect partner for this project. Our resort is owned by BIM Group, one of the most progressive hotel owning companies in the country. BIM Group has several hotels and resorts in Vietnam and they are increasing their footprint in Vietnam and South East Asia.

We believe that Phu Quoc will play a crucial role in post pandemic travel recovery for Vietnam and the whole region.

[Q] How would you describe the dining options at the Sailing Club sites?  Will the Phu Quoc site offer the same type of options? 

[SC] Most of our dining venues are focused on elevated comfort food. We believe that you don’t need a silver fork to eat good food and that is the strategy we apply for all of our concepts around our venues. We create concepts which are suited for the market and guest segments, we create menus which suits wide pallets of people and offer healthy and sustainable options. We hire chefs who are ensure consistency and who deliver quality products and show creativity.

[Q]. What type of entertainment and facilities is found at your resort?

[SC] Sailing Club Signature Resort Phu Quoc is a brand that gives people a different designed choice – your private residence away from home. We combine the familiar comforts of home with the perks and indulgences of the resort. Should our guest’s need an amazing handpicked Spa treatment or should they need a great workout to start a day, it is all available for them. We also offer some great entertainment in our restaurant Sandals, The Market, we feature Cooking Studio, Wine Room, Chef’s table all integrated into this venue. If our guests feel like partying in the evening, our iconic Sailing Club Beach Club is only 3 minutes away.

[Q] Where will you customers come from? 

This is a complicated question at this point, we are pretty optimistic about the recovery (from the covid pandemic).  We are expecting the domestic market to recover first in the following months. Sailing Club has developed a very close relationship with the local market (locals and foreigners living in Vietnam) and want to continue this relationship in the future too. 

We will of course welcome other nationalities soon too, as we are expecting some great interest from the Korean and Japanese market as soon as the situation allows.

[Q] How has the Sailing Club Leisure Group coped with the recent pandemic? 

[SC] Our group, same as many others, was hit by the recent pandemic and we have completed with the restrictors applied in the country where most of our properties were, or are closed. We have however used the opportunity to review our working ways and processes. We are in the process of launching some interesting projects and we have started to work on our Loyalty program for the whole group. We also have to acknowledge the bravery of our associates around the country who showed endurance and loyalty towards the group and the industry. 

I’d like to thank Jakub Sippl and the Sailing Club for their assistance with this article, and for their many years of hospitality and allowing me to escape at their East Sea beach clubs for many years.

International Roadtrip :: Myanmar Tourism 2021

from Gaming & Leisure Magazine

Spring 2021

https://mygamingandleisure.com/

Myanmar Tourism :: An Emerging Market that Continues to Expand

An emerging tourism market that has piqued my interest in recent years has been in the SE Asian country of Myanmar.  In the Spring 2013 issue of Gaming & Leisure Magazine, I was fortunate to interview Ms. May Myat Mon Win in Yangon in the feature “Remarkable Journey :: The opening of the Tourism & Hospitality Market in Myanmar.”

Eight years later, I follow up with Mr. U Myo Thwin, Chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing, and also Managing Director of Sweet Memory Travel. Since he is an avid golfer, part of my focus is on the growth of golf and tourism within the country.

[Q] In 2019, South East Asia was considered the world’s fastest growing tourism sectors. In recent years (before Covid-19), how strong was the growth of tourism in Myanmar?

[A] According to research by the Myanmar Tourism Marketing (MTM), we had 4.3 million tourists arriving in 2019 which was an increase of about 40% of over 2018. Not only was ordinary travel booming in 2019 but sports travel was as well. One of the major factors in the growth of Tourism in Myanmar was the naming Bagan as a UNESCO Heritage Site.

[Q] Which countries have most of the tourists been coming from?

[A] Based on our research, most of the travelers to Myanmar are currently from China.

[Q] What have been Myanmar’s leading tourism sectors?

[A] Tourism in Myanmar has gone through a major transformation since the country opened its doors to the rest of the world with the arrival of democratization in 2011. Although the number of tourists visiting Myanmar is growing, it is still the smallest among ASEAN countries. All that is needed is to improve both hard and soft infrastructure, making it more convenient and comfortable to access existing tourist attractions which can be utilized in encouraging further growth in tourism. 

Growth in tourism stands to benefit Myanmar where one of the major priorities is to acquire more foreign currency reserve. That’s why cooperation from multiple industries will be essential, such as in the development and communication infrastructure. Doing so will be beneficial to Myanmar’s overall economy. It's a win-win situation, more investment in tourism will lead to more benefit in the economy. 

Travel and Tourism industry go hand in hand with Digital Marketing. The new generation of travelers no longer rely solely on local agencies to help them decide where to go. Gen Z people are getting inspiration online via various channels including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and many other travel channels. To access the nature and behavior of tourists and advertise thoroughly, technology is also a major force in the tourism sector in Myanmar.  

[Q] Covid-19 has impacted business and tourism around the world. How has Myanmar been
coping with the pandemic?

[A] It has been more than eight months since COVID-19 brought the world to a near stop. The Covid-19 situation in Myanmar is recognized as a warning level 3 and all travelers are recommended to avoid unnecessary flight to Myanmar. Travel restrictions have highly impacted accommodation, food and beverage, and manufacturing and servicing enterprises. 

We have determined that almost all of our businesses have suffered a decrease in sales, with more than one-fifth of business sales stopping completely. There are too many barriers for businesses to survive in this situation such as renting rate, infrastructure rate and employment rate. They ask specifically about emergency loans offered to small or medium-sized enterprises. 

The government has also announced COVID-19 Economic Relief Plans, but 0.1% of the businesses reported having received support from the government after all. Hotels, travel agencies, transportation (the most impacted enterprises) are now changing their method to survive in this situation. For example, hotels are now offering quarantine facilities for improving suspected people. 

Among the seven goals that comprise its Covid-19 Economic Relief Plan, the government prioritized the promotion of “innovative products and platforms”. This plan includes encouraging the use of mobile payment services, bank transfers and card payments for e-commerce sales. Lock-downs and quarantines have had a negative impact on people’s livelihoods and health.  Two third of the population in Myanmar is middle class, which is why we learn to live with Covid-19 without staying at home. Almost all companies are now using digital platforms to maintain their sales, and use video conferencing tools to access their work from home.

[Q] Golf is a significant sector for tourism for some SE Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam. How is golf positioned for in-bound tourism in Myanmar?

[A] Golf is also an important sector of tourism in Myanmar.  It typically provides more profit than ordinary tours like leisure travel and so on. Until 2017, golfing in Myanmar was not popular among international golfers because of lack of information. Starting from 2018, golfers from Thailand, Vietnam and other SEA countries started to notice Myanmar’s golf courses and they came to experience them. 

We at Sweet Memory Travel, also tried to promote golf courses in Myanmar by showing their detailed information on our website, brochures and other social media marketing platforms. Besides, we mention golf tourism in Myanmar in every convention we attended such as AGTC, IATA, ATF etc so that not only golfers from Asia but also western golfers will consider experiencing our golf courses. To answer your question, I would say in-bound golf tourism in Myanmar is very important for tourism in Myanmar. 

Like other types of travel, the local people are positively impacted as inbound golf travel provides golf related jobs like caddies, receptionists and so on. As you know, people from rural areas find it difficult to find a proper job, but now they can get a suitable job easily at golf courses near their village or town. A part of it too is that inbound golf tourism helps bring foreign cash flow into Myanmar, so the country gains much more profit from the golf tourism sector. 

When golf tourism is growing in Myanmar, local investors make more effort to build international standard golf courses to attract golfers. One of them for instance, is the Myo Tha National Golf Course, which is the quite popular and can be assumed the best golf course in Asia. As a result, Myanmar can be considered one of the new golfing destinations in Asia. 

[Q] Do you see golf tourism expanding in the coming years?

[A] As I mentioned above, golf tourism in Myanmar has a bright future. As a result of our effort in promoting golf tours, international golfers have become aware of golf courses in Myanmar and they pay attention to Myanmar as a golfing destination. According to our experience, we gained many golf groups from both Asia and western countries, all of which have given good feedback about golfing in Myanmar. Developing Myo Tha Golf Course is one of the major efforts we have in growing golf tourism in Myanmar. 

We are now trying to host the Asia Golf Tourism Convention in Myanmar, but have paused the process because of Covid-19. After this pandemic, we will re-start our operation, and if we get the organizer’s permission it will lead Myanmar to becoming a top golfing destination in the coming years.

[Q] How do you see tourism in Myanmar in the next year, and in five years from now?

[A] Firstly, I would like to mention the past tourism situation within the country.  Myanmar’s first wave of tourism was from 2003 to 2012, when we hit the one millionth visitor milestone. A tourism master plan for 2013-2020 had since been created. Like any tourism master plan, it charted the strategies, prioritized projects and activities for Myanmar to achieve a $10.2 billion revenue goal. 

A second wave of tourism is emerging in Myanmar with its international attention on the acts of genocide against the Rohingya. Other issues like coronavirus, trade wars, and climate change have also preoccupied the World. In 2018, in the latest available data from Myanmar’s Department of Immigration, there were 3.6 million arrivals spending $1.7 billion, not even a fifth of the 2020 revenue target. The destination was in fact better off in 2016 when it had fewer tourists, 2.9 million, but higher earnings of $2.2 billion due to longer-staying Western visitors. 

While coronavirus is a challenge with some cancellations being recorded, tour operators have their eyes set on the long-term prospects. In the first wave, Myanmar was cast in a soft glow as the last frontier of Southeast Asia, a spiritual land of gilded pagodas and of warm, gentle people, with the added romantic notion that tourism might help change a repressive state. 

Myanmar could no longer bask in that novelty in coming years. 

Moreover, tourists themselves have changed, their expectations of experiences, products and service delivery have risen higher. Word of mouth remains a strong factor to attract tourists. If gets negative social media reports by those who have visited, it can be very difficult to manage. 

One of Myanmar’s lovely facts is that although Myanmar is not widely known, tourists are willing to return to explore our emerging destinations such as Loikaw, Hpa An and the Mergui Archipelago. We also focused on allowing visitors to meet friendly locals in order to immerse in deeply in the true nature of the Burmese culture. As for the coming year 2021, we have needed to encourage more domestic tourism with incentives and attractive packages.

[Q] You are now the Chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing. How active is MTM, and what role do they play in promoting tourism?

Tell us a bit about yourself, what brought you into travel & tourism?

I am a young veteran in the Myanmar tourism industry and perform currently as the chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing, vice chairman of the Myanmar Tourism Federation and a Public Servant Member of Tourism Executive Committee of Union if Myanmar. I am also Managing Director of Sweet Memory Travel, BOD at Zwekapin Valley Resort & Spa, BOD at Dawma Alliance Company Ltd and a very active golf player. Besides paying attention to all above functions, I find myself so active in charity work in Myanmar and loves anything related to travel.

Now, let’s talk about Myanmar Tourism Marketing. Myanmar Tourism Marketing (MTM) is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organization which was formed in 2000 to be the marketing arm of the Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board under the guidance of the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism.

The objective of MTM is to bring together all Myanmar based companies and individuals actively involved with tourism, wanting to promote Myanmar as a destination offering a rich experience to its visitors.

The functions of MTM include:

• The proper dissemination of information to promote Myanmar as a preferred destination for tourists.
• Participation in national and international activities to promote Myanmar.
• Promotion of activities amongst members for the exchange of ideas and information for mutual benefits
• Cooperation with international tourism bodies to jointly promote Indochina and ASEAN to long haul markets
• Publishing and distribution of news bulletins, promotion brochures and the maintenance of the websites myanmar.travel (b2c) and tourismmyanmar.org (b2b).

Gaming & Leisure Magazine would like to thank U Myo Thwin and the team at Sweet Memory Travel for their assistance with this profile.

Maximising Course Yield Now A Major Focus

from Golf Management News

Australia

February 2004

Tee times are finite resources.

Like airline seats and hotel rooms, there are only so many that can be sold, and the more that remain empty, the jore costly it is to the business.

In this feature golf business analyst Bill Healey outlines what is involved and the benefits of revenue management while on page 8 and 9 three Australian Golf Courses reveal how they are trying to maximize course yield.

For years, the golf industry has struggled with designing policies to maximize revenues, while sitting on a fixed capacity and a fluctuating demand.  Just as airlines have a fixed number of seats, and hotels have a fixed number of rooms, golf courses have a fixed number of tee times available to maximise revenues.

In addressing this issue back in the 1980s, the large international airlines pioneered the concept of Revenue Management . . . integrating the control and management of capacity and price.  Since the golf and airline industries are both characterised by high fixed costs, low margins and segmented pricing, business is won and lost at the margins.

Characterised another way, in golf, Revenue Management is selling the right tee time to the right golfer at the right price.  Since the airlines have had success in increasing revenues through proper use of revenue management, other industries such as hotels and car rentals have followed.  Golf is only beginning to explore this channel.

Maximizing revenue is a balancing act between the contradictory goals of maximising yield (price per round) and maximising the number of golfers on the course.

To increase revenues, golf facilities have had to get as many high-paying customers as possible on the course.  But management must recognize that a single level greens fee does not maximise revenues.  A more sophisticated pricing model should be developed . . .  hence the need to integrate Revenue Management into the facility’s Golf Reservation System.

Most golf courses will recognize that the demand for tee times greatly exceeds the supply during certain parts of the week, or even certain parts of the day.  Recognising when demand is strong, when it is moderate and when it is weak is the first step in optimizing the course’s revenue.

Using this data, golf management can set pricing strategies to manage demand at each level.  In times when demand is strong, prices should be increased to bring demand more in-line with supply.  Most commonly that would involve tee times on weekends and in the mornings.

In time-slots where demand is relatively low, management can set priding a bit lower, to encourage golfers to frequent the course on weekdays and in afternoons.  Using these two strategies will allow the facility to maintain the higher yield during peak periods, while increasing play during weaker demand periods.

Management could get a bit more sophisticated in their pricing structures as well, making a certain portion of their unfilled tee times available at a greater discount as the tee time approaches . . . for instance 48 hours in advance.  This will allow the course to book teh nigher yield tee times further into the future, thereby guaranteeing times to those willing to pay for prime-time spots.

Through discounted greens fees, leader demanded times will find their way to golfes who are price sensitive, are more flexible in their playing times, and are more willing to take a chance on getting a last minute time slot.

Revenue Management does increase the level of complexity in creating greens fee rates, and requires significant research and planning prior to implementation, but studies from the airline and lodging industries suggest well planned RM models will provide at least a 2% increase in corporate revenues.

Revenue Management is a valuable practice that has a place in golf, particularly through a sophisticated Golf Reservation System.  Controlling and managing capacity and pricing is not an easy task to do manually.  Revenue Management is a tool best used when fully integrated into the facility’s IT platform.

The Growth of Esports in Asia

from Gaming & Leisure Magazine

Winter 2019/2020

https://mygamingandleisure.com/

Click here for full issue

For those of us in the gaming industry, we have seen a steady growth in esports participation and viewership in recent years, noting that the trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The growth hasn’t been limited to just the dedicated esports athletes, but also in the number of casual viewers. This upward trend is a result of increasing awareness of esports and ease of access to the internet.

Gaming & Leisure Magazine
Winter 2018/2019

The significant rise in esports awareness started around 2015 when there were roughly a million people who had known of it. These numbers began to rapidly change, with more than a half billion people who had become familiar with esports by the following year.

One of the effects of this growth is a resulting increase in esport tournament participation, fueled in part by prize money and player earnings. In 2017, the total prize money for 4166 tournaments was more than $1.1 billion, with the mean tournament prize pool around $27,500.  For 2018 the total prize money increased to more than $1.5 billion with the mean tournament prize pool almost doubling to nearly $44,000.

Of the global markets, Asia has played a leading role in esport growth.  Due to a significant participation level throughout Asia, the 2018 Asian Games had featured esports as a demonstration sport.  As a demonstration sport, medals were awarded, but were not counted in the official medal tally.  Six video games were featured in the demonstration event, Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Pro Evolution Soccer, and StarCraft II.

In a bold commitment to mainstreaming competitive gaming, the Asian Games have made esports an official medal sport for the 2022 Games to be held in Hangzhou, China.  The Asian Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee and are considered the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

Additionally, the Olympic Council of Asia has recently announced a partnership with Alisports, (the sports arm of Chinese online retail firm Alibaba) to introduce esports as a demonstration sport at next year’s games in Indonesia

In a discussion with Roger Quiles, an Esports Attorney at Quiles Law in New York, I asked how eSports has grown in Asia compared with the rest of the world, to which he responded:

In the context of esports, Asia cannot be spoken of as a singular market. In some countries, particularly China and Korea, esports is well-developed and regulated. Notably, these countries predominantly play games on pc and mobile devices. As esports has a significant business presence in China and Korea, there is also more readily available infrastructure to utilize for esports endeavors. 

By contrast, southeast Asia is still developing its esports ecosystem, albeit at a very rapid pace. There, mobile games dominate the esports market, which creates its own separate challenges for businesses and players to face. Additionally, Japan, known for its legendary fighting game players, has only recently opened its doors to large scale esports activities with its player licensure system. 

Realistically, the most appropriate way to discuss Asia's growth of esports is that different areas and different countries are in different stages of their esports adoption. In a sense, Asia's differing levels of adoption is a microcosm of how the world at large has taken to esports. Some countries have embraced the industry, regulating it as they see fit and creating an ecosystem for it to continue to grow despite its already significant levels, and other countries are still figuring out their esports strategies, or have only recently implemented a strategy. 

Further, I asked Roger if there is anything unique about eSports in Asia?

Asia at large embraces mobile games as esports titles much more than other areas of the world. This is particularly unique and has broad implications for the businesses operating within that ecosystem. For example, an esports organization with teams operating in several mobile titles may have a bit more difficulty obtaining what are otherwise considered to be esports-endemic sponsors, simply because the items or technology needed to interact with mobile games is different than its PC counterparts.

Mobile games require very little, if any, peripherals to play, so there is less inherent value for a peripheral sponsor to engage that organization. However, this also creates opportunities that more traditional pc based ecosystems do not so readily have, like phone sponsors, tel-cos, and more. As time passes, I think you'll begin to see a more of a divergence between the business of operating a mobile based esports organization and a pc based organization.

I also spoke with Chris Smith, founder of BIG Esports in Melbourne, Australia.  He adds that  “Asia does its own thing with different gaming titles and a focus on mobile esports, which is comparatively small in US/EU”

In comparing Australia to the global esports market, Chris mentions that “Australia is 5-8 years behind the USA, while Asia is on its own level. Australia follows the US tech/consumer/esports market.”

As tournaments are an important feature in esports, Roger responds to my question, what impact do Tournaments have in eSports in Asia .. are there any established major tournaments that players aim for?

Tournaments and leagues are always the lifeblood of esports, regardless of what area of the world they are in or how big the event is. No matter how big or small, tournaments give players the ability to prove themselves. At the pro level, that's going to mean recognition, money, and the ever-important respect. At the local tournament level, that still means recognition and respect, and hopefully at least a few dollars. Though the scale of the events may change, the desires of players do not. Certainly, larger tournaments can be a showcase for esports to gain new fans and new competitive players, who then must traverse the winding road of small tournaments to continue their path to pro. Major tournaments will vary based upon the game(s) followed, like the League of Legends World Championship, though there are some multi-title tournaments as well, like the World Electronic Sports Games

Initially popular as a spectator sport in Asia, with more than 40,000 people attended the 2014 League of Legends World Championship finals in Seoul, competitive gaming now draws tens of millions of viewers to online platforms and live venues around the world, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

It is projected that annual growth will be approximately 14% by 2021, with the number of casual viewers estimated at 307 million, and esport enthusiasts to be about 250 million, for a total audience of 557 million.

Esports are considered by many to be one of the world’s largest growth markets in the coming years.  I’d like to thank Chris Smith and Roger Quiles for their input.

Global Technologies - Introducing Western Technologies to Overseas Markets

from Gaming & Leisure Magazine

Autumn 2019

https://mygamingandleisure.com/

Through the past twenty years, I’ve assisted a dozen or so leisure software companies in entering the Asian market.  In most cases these firms were leaders in their regional markets.  There has been varied levels of success based on a mix of variables.  I’ve touched on this in past articles in the past -- and will address a few issues herein.

Gaming & Leisure Magazine
Fall 2019

Language / Character sets:  This is one of the more obvious issues to address as there are scores of non-English / non-Western character sets found in Asia.  Some, national languages like Indonesian, Malay and Vietnamese are similar to the western-fonts (though Vietnamese has a plethora of accents).  These are rather simple to adapt into a non-Asian solution.

Other more complicated character sets include double-byte Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Khmer, Thai, etc.  Some systems are easily adaptable, others require a significant amount of re-tooling.  There are a few levels that a firm needs to consider:

• Data fields accepting Asian fonts, but the hard-coded record-labels within the system are not suitable.-- the UI is fixed with a single western language.  Though the system can provide an outward facing localized view, the staff using the back-end are required to use the English UI to operate the system.  This provides a work-around for sites wishing to implement the western system, but care must be given in staffing and user training.   For many of today’s systems, they are designed to allow multiple language tables allowing for users to quickly change languages.  These are typically newer systems -- while legacy systems, market leaders fall behind in this respect.

• Data not able to accept double-byte characters.  This requires a rather significant system review where the full solution needs to be analyzed to see where the data structure needs to be re-structured to allow the DBCS. Testing would need to be done on multiple langauges -- from the easier Chinese, Korean and Japanese to the more difficult like Khmer & Burese.

Operational issues:  Surprise has been a very common reaction from leading firms entering the Asian market.  The firm’s directors / developers are often surprised that their system, by and far a market leader in Europe and the USA may have gaps in their system in the Asian market. 

Example 1 - Caddies:  For the purpose of illustration, one such case is in trying to adapt western golf tee-time systems into the Asian market.

For most who golf at an American golf course, its standard to walk or take a cart and get around the full 18-holes.  In most Asian countries however, there is a requirement that every golfer be accompanied by a caddie.  Typically a round of golf includes the greens fee, golf cart and caddie.

As in a spa requiring where a therapist is booked with each treatment (what good is a massage booking without a masseuse?), a golf booking in Asia requires a caddy.  So, for each golf booking, a caddie must be scheduled and assigned prior to the golfer’s arrival at the club.

Moreover, should a golfer have a preferred caddie, that information should be within the club’s historical data, so they can accommodate the golfer for their preferred caddie.  Customer service, plain and simple.

Taking it yet another step further -- courses in SE Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, etc), will typically have guests from all around the region.  It's not uncommon for clubs and resort courses to have guests from Korea, Japan and China on the course along with their local guests.  It would be helpful to have an easily accessible record of languages a caddie may speak -- so that a caddie with some Korean fluency can be lined-up with one of the Korean golfers, while a caddie with some Japanese fluency can be lined up with a Japanese golfer, etc.

Example 2 - Currencies:  As a second illustration are currencies in a POS and management system.  Quite a few of the Asian currencies do not use decimals.  A few for instance are:  Vietnamese Dong, Indonesian Rupiah and Thai Baht.  Adapting systems designed and developed in the west, they often find the 2-decimals displayed at every point within the system.  Most system users and customers know that it’s due to the foreign design and live with it.  However, locally developed systems manage the requirement appropriately.  I’ve seen a few solutions where a system’s configuration allows for the system user to define the number of decimals to be used throughout the system.

Example 3 - Currencies:  Singapore is one of several countries with a decimal currency, but they’ve eliminated the 1-cent coin.  All transactions are rounded up, or rounded down to the nearest 5-cent.  A function that is handled well in local systems -- and by very few western systems.

Taxing structures:

Most countries / municipalities have unique taxation and reporting requirements.  One unique place is the Philippines, which has strict guidelines set by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Bureau code requires that:

“developers, distributors, dealers, supplier-vendors, pseudo-suppliers who intend to sell, distribute, use sales machines or receipting software shall secure accreditation from the BIR before selling, distributing or using the machines. Pseudo-suppliers are defined as (i) taxpayer-users of sales machines and/or receipting system software who are directly importing receipt/invoice-generating business machines or developing their own sales receipting system software or (ii) resellers of receipting software acquired online or abroad for use and/or re-sell in the Philippines.

Only BIR-accredited CRM, POS, other sales machines/receipting software shall be used by business taxpayers.” 

Gaining BIR certification can be a lengthy process - six months or more while the system is reviewed by the Bureau.  The development required to follow BIR requirements can be enough to make some companies bypass The Philippines as a potential market.

Pricing: This is an area I’ve frequently had disagreements with developers looking to enter the overseas market.  Often I am met with the request that the system should follow the same pricing as the firm offers in Europe or the USA.  This often is a quick way to be removed from consideration.  For example -- taking an American system into Vietnam, Cambodia or almost anywhere in SE Asia, the pricing should be significantly lower. 

Sure, the company is offering a system that leads the market in the USA and/or Europe .. so it must be top-of-the-line -- unbeatable.  But then again, the system is missing key features, certifications, etc at listed above.  The gap is one that a growing number of local solutions providers are happy to fill -- with lower cost systems developed by lower cost developers.

Over the past 20 years, I have seen quite a few national markets in Asia without a local provider and clients seriously considering overseas systems.  However, the overseas firms have often been steadfast in maintaining their high price-points.  Inflexible in pricing, the systems were not welcomed into the market, leaving a gap for local developers to flourish.  Often these leisure software startups in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. quickly developed solutions to fill the gap.  They’ve then expanded their market to other sites in their home country, and then neighboring countries.  Along with system compatibility, pricing requires consideration as part of the overall strategy.

The Growing Cambodian Casino Market

from Gaming & Leisure Magazine

Summer 2019

mygamingandleisure.com

Cambodia is one of the fastest growing casino markets in the world with a large surge in licences issued  in both 2017 and 2018.  The nation’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has released figures showing a 53% increase in 2018 over the number of casinos in 2017.

Gaming and Leisure Magazine
Summer 2019

Though Cambodian nationals are not allowed to gamble, growth of casinos has been significant. With 52 casino licenses issued in 2018, the total number of casinos in the country has reached 150, up from 98 at the end of 2017.  A significant portion of the surge is from the southern coastal province of Preah Sihanouk, where they have 88 casinos in this province alone.

The country’s gaming industry has benefited greatly from several factors:  a) a world renowned integrated resort (NagaWorld) in it’s capital, b) a neighboring country that prohibits casinos and gaming (Thailand), c) a neighbouring country that significantly restricts their citizen’s ability to gamble (Vietnam), and d) a very lenient policy allowing significant investment to come in from China.

NagaWorld - Phnom Penh

Cambodia’s trend-setting integrated resort, NagaWorld is one of the country’s largest 5-star hotels and the only luxury premium casino in the country. Based in the capital city, Phnom Penh, the resort has 1658 luxurious rooms and suites, and caters to an international clientele of both business and leisure guests. NagaWorld encompasses most of what travelers need and desire under one roof: 27 Food & Beverage outlets and clubs, two all-suite luxurious spa, shopping gallery including China Duty Free Group, extensive entertainment services including gaming facilities, and premium meeting spaces with state-of-the-art facilities.

NagaWorld enjoys a 70-year casino licence that will run till 2065, as well as a 41-year monopoly within a 200km (120 mile) radius of Phnom Penh that expires in 2035, guaranteeing it’s position as Cambodia’s flagship integrated resort.

Border Casinos - Thailand / Cambodia

Located in SE Asia, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand on the west & north, Laos on the northeast, and Vietnam on the southeast.  The southern part of the country is a seashore on the Gulf of Thailand.

Since casinos and gambling are banned in Thailand, there is a vibrant casino market within each of the provinces on the Thai-Cambodia border.  Most notably in Poipet (Banteay Meanchey province) and Koh Kong province which serve as busy border points with significant vehicular traffic between the two countries.  Poipet serves as the busiest border point between Thailand and Cambodia, linking Bangkok with the cities of Siem Reap & Phnom Penh.  It’s also a common point for expats making a visa run.

Mere steps across the border there are a handful of casinos servicing mostly Thai gamblers.  As casinos are banned in Thailand, these casnos thrive by feeding off the Thai, much to the chagrin of the Thai government.

One example of the tensions happened just last year (2018), when the new Saitaku Resort and Casino had its soft opening in Oddar Meancheay just across from Thailand’s Buriram region. The intent of this casino was to rely almost exclusively on an influx of gamblers from Thailand  The Thai authorities however, barred their citizens from crossing through the Chong Sai Taku checkpoint to visit the casino. While hundreds of invited VIP guests were allowed to attend the casino opening, Thai border agents prevented non-invited guests from making the trip.

Days later, the Cambodian authorities retaliated by blocking their citizens from crossing over into Thailand. The tit-for-tat restrictions wreaked havoc on both sides of the border  with non-gaming businesses who depend on the steady stream of tourists for the bulk of their income.

Border Casinos - Vietnam / Cambodia

The chief border point between Vietnam and Cambodia is at the Bavet crossing point.  The most common traffic through Bavet are a) vehicles traveling between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Phnom Penh, and b) local Vietnamese crossing the border to gamble.

Though the casino industry is also growing in Vietnam, the government has restricted Vietnamese nationals from gambling.  Until only recently Vietnamese were not allowed to gamble, which resulted in many traveling across the border to gamble in Bavet and other locations.  This resulted in the loss of significant revenues in Vietnam as their citizens crossed the border.

Recently however, the Vietnamese government has approved licenses for several casinos to allow locals to gamble -- though the licenses are typically on the coast, and far from the Cambodian border. The draw of Vietnamese to the casinos in Cambodia have only been slightly impacted.

Earlier this year I spent a few days at a rather small border crossing --  Binh Hiep International checkpoint, a crossing that has been open less than two years.  There are three casinos there at the moment, each rather small and catering nearly exclusively to Vietnamese.  The Vietnamese side of the border is paved, but the Cambodian side is mostly still a dirt road as construction trucks continue to build a fourth, larger casino right on the border.

I found it an interesting dynamic to watch -- as it was quite easy for Vietnamese gamblers to cross back and forth over the international border.  Typically, they’d cross from Vietnam to Cambodia on motorbike, and wouldn’t need to go through standard immigration processes.  Rather, they would simply get a blank “arrival card” from the Cambodian border guard, which they would then return to the guard on their way out. Quite often the motorbike would not stop, but simply roll through as they took the card from the immigration / customs agent.

The process was quite more thorough however, when I crossed from Cambodia into Vietnam, as visas were checked, my baggage checked and my passport stamped.  At this crossing however, it was simple for them to cross (many likely without a passport).

Spending some time outside the casino, I noticed there were certain types of deliveries coming in from Vietnam to the gamblers.  Often, the gamblers preferred their meals from home, so it was common to see Vietnamese meals delivered by motorbike to the gamblers, which they were allowed to consume within the casino.  There were no passport checks for those delivering meals as it was a common enough event, likely dozens of times a day.

On a couple other exchanges, I’d watch as an older person arrived at the casino on motorbike, and connect with one of the gamblers (a friend or family member).  The person arriving would hand them a baggie of cash -- likely further funds to allow the gambler to continue placing bets well into the evening.  There were no ATMs at these border casinos, so the additional funds needed to come in from across the border.  As long as the funds were coming in from Vietnam, the border control was a bit relaxed.

Sihanoukville - The former sleepy coastal town

Sihanoukville was once a very relaxed coastal town, well off the beaten path.  Typical travelers here were backpackers and nomadic beachgoers.  Local foods and beer on the beach and a decent sunset drew the adventurous here for some time off-the-grid.

The coastal town now has changed significantly -- and is booming with construction of new casinos -- largely backed by Chinese investors.  Most of the casino licenses approved in 2017 to present are for new projects in this southern coastal town.  The complexion of the town has changed, as it is almost exclusively an enclave for Chinese investors and tourists.  The Sihanoukville airport has also added multiple direct flights from China.

There are several factors that are leading to the expansion here.  One is that the Cambodian government has been willing to embrace the investment by Chinese to help develop the southern province. Aside from the private investment into Chinese casinos, the Chinese government is assisting in development of roads and infrastructure in the province.  Chinese companies now have more than $4 billion worth of power plants and oil operations just off-shore.   Sihanoukville is Cambodia’s only deep-water port, and its become part of a vital trade route for China and a focal point for Chinese investment.

Growth in the Cambodian casino industry is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, with most of the focus to remain on border casinos and Sihanoukville.  The gaming environment is a bit foreign to the typical westerner -- but can be enjoyed by the open-minded, thrill-seeking nomad.