Travel Technology
prnewswire | July 14, 2023
GetYourGuide, leading online travel booking platform, announced today the launch of four new 'Originals by GetYourGuide' — curated, one-of-a-kind experiences exclusively available on the platform — that will respectfully immerse travelers in Kyoto's rich culture and well-known traditions, offering unique access to never-before-seen locations. Created in collaboration with the Kyoto City Tourism Association (DMO Kyoto), GetYourGuide will open centuries-old doors, allowing travelers to appreciate the local heritage of the city and dive deep into Japanese culture at a time when travel to Asia-Pacific destinations is expected to rise by 94%.3
"After reopening to the world late last year, travelers are once again eager for a glimpse of Japan's history and traditions, and Kyoto, which has one of the largest collections of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is at the top of their list," said Jean-Gabriel Duveau, VP of Brand at GetYourGuide. "Many of Japan's culturally significant sites are hard to access — or even off-limits to visitors — until now. Our newest Originals by GetYourGuide will help travelers discover Kyoto's sacred traditions and rich culture through immersive experiences that take them off the beaten path."
GetYourGuide's four new, bucket list-worthy experiences in Kyoto include:
Unlock Ninna-Ji, a UNESCO World Heritage temple and learn the art of Wagashi:
Commissioned by the imperial family, Ninna-Ji Temple in western Kyoto houses one of the longest-standing temple buildings and is recognized as safeguarding some of the best examples of Japan's temple craftsmanship. In this once-in-a-lifetime experience, travelers will unlock the gates to the Ninna-Ji's imperial and spiritual history before it opens to the public. A resident monk will guide them through the halls, including areas usually closed to the public, until they arrive at Ninna-Ji's private tea house where they will learn how to make traditional Japanese confections known as wagashi and enjoy a traditional tea ceremony. Travelers will prepare these delicacies instructed by a wagashi chef who has been recognized as one of the best by the Japanese government.
Uncover the hidden world of Japanese maiko:
Kyoto, the former imperial capital, is the birthplace of geiko (Kyoto's geisha) culture, training female performance artists to entertain guests at teahouses and social events by singing, dancing, performing music, hosting tea ceremonies, and serving food and drinks. In an extraordinary opportunity to learn from and interact with a maiko — a geiko apprentice — travelers will be guided through the historic Gion district, Kyoto's famous geiko neighborhood, by a knowledgeable local guide. They will learn about the traditional customs and practices of maiko and geiko, then witness an authentic maiko performance inside a teahouse, get to play maiko games and ask questions directly from the apprentice — an opportunity that is rarely granted to the public.
Take in the ancient art of Noh theatre:
Travelers will venture to the beautiful, remote village of Ohara nestled in the mountains of northern Kyoto, where visitors to Kyoto rarely stray and a prominent Noh family resides. In a guided tour of the village, they will learn about Noh, an ancient performing art combining dance and theater that is still practiced today. Permitted inside a Noh Master's studio, travelers will see his costumes and centuries-old masks close up, and witness a private performance in his home. At the pinnacle of this experience, participants will be allowed to try Noh themselves — a rare event since traditionally, only Noh families may practice this art form.
Practice a guided meditation with a Zen monk:
Zen gardens and temples have long been a focal point for visitors to Kyoto and are the lifeblood of the city. In this exclusive experience, travelers will have a rare opportunity to experience the daily life of a Zen monk and gain insight into the history and practices of the temple as they enter the Jōju-ji Temple, a hidden gem known locally for its spectacular summer maple foliage. Here, they will learn about the history of Zen and its impact on Japanese culture, then experience a traditional Zen meditation with the temple's resident monk and get a glimpse into how this ancient wisdom lives on today. The exclusive visit will conclude with a lunch of Shojin, the traditional vegetarian fare of Zen Buddhist monks.
To book a visit to any of the four Kyoto Originals, please visit the GetYourGuide website. Reservations are available on a first come, first served basis on select dates through November 2023.
About GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide, is the leading global online marketplace for unforgettable travel experiences. Travelers use GetYourGuide to discover and book the best and most unique activities in any destination — including guided tours by local experts, culinary excursions, cooking and craft classes, skip-the-line tickets, as well as exclusive bucket list experiences.
Today, GetYourGuide offers more than 75,000 activities from over 16,000 experience creators. Since launch, travelers from over 150 countries have booked more than 80 million tours, activities and attraction tickets through GetYourGuide.
Powered by a global team of more than 700 travel and tech experts, the company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has 17 local offices around the world (including in the UK and USA).
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Travel Technology, Hospitality Trends
PR Newswire | July 05, 2023
Today, Collinson, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement solutions, and owner and operator of Priority Pass, announces a new partnership with Blue Sky Group, a hospitality provider in Indonesia that manages premium executive lounges in airports across Indonesia, alongside hotels and restaurants.
This partnership will allow Priority Pass Members to access 13 airport lounges, eight of which are exclusive to Priority Pass Members, in Indonesian airports. This includes Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (PLM).
Blue Sky Group's airport lounges offer comfortable spaces for travellers to relax pre-flight, as well as VIP rooms for informal meetings. Lounges at Balikpapan (BPN) and terminal 2 of Soekarno-Hatta (CGK) airports provide complimentary buggy services that transport guests from the lounge to immigration. In addition to curated lounge spaces, members will be able to enjoy Ippolito coffee – Blue Sky's in-house brand, roasted locally – as well as sample Indonesian cuisine, such as Pisang Goreng and varieties of Jajanan Pasar.
"This is an exciting time for the travel industry in Indonesia, as the country has set a goal of attracting nearly 7.4 million international arrivals in 2023; almost double the number of arrivals when compared to last year," said Todd Handcock, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Asia Pacific President at Collinson. "We are delighted to partner with Blue Sky Group, one of the top hospitality providers in Southeast Asia, to vastly enhance our Priority Pass Members' experience when visiting Indonesia, through inventory that both provides a taste of the local culture, and a memorable airport experience."
Linan Kurniahu, CEO of Blue Sky Group said, "We are thrilled to partner with Priority Pass to provide their members with access to our premium airport lounges in Indonesia. Our airport lounges combine the best of local culture and cuisine with the highest levels of international travel service. This partnership represents a significant milestone for us as we continue to expand our footprint across Asia Pacific's travel industry."
Indonesia has a rapidly growing economy and is fast becoming a major international business and leisure travel destination. Recognising the importance of this market to Priority Pass Members, together, both partners will make travel to and within the Indonesian archipelago more comfortable and relaxing than ever before.
About Collinson
Collinson is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence.
We work with the world's leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We deliver market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end consumers.
About Priority Pass
Priority Pass is the world's original and market-leading airport experiences programme. We provide travellers with access to 1,300 airport lounges and travel experiences in over 650 airports in 148 countries. Members can access an ever-growing range of premium experiences – from spas to sleeping pods to dining – that help elevate every journey into something special. By building partnerships with other leading brands, we help to bring a better travel experience to the world.
About Blue Sky Group
A nationwide company focusing on hospitality, property services and restaurant management, Blue Sky Group started in 1973 as one of the few hotels in Balikpapan, Indonesia. Since 2003, Blue Sky Lounges serve in major cities in Indonesia, such as Balikpapan, Jakarta, Pekanbaru, Pontianak, etc.
We are the sole privately owned brand with multiple outlets that have partnership with major banks and corporate & government entities in Indonesia. Our aim is to continue to be the destination for travellers before their journey, with the goal of going to international market in the future.
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Hospitality Management
Globenewswire | August 25, 2023
Canary Technologies, the hospitality industry’s leading guest management system, is launching Canary AI, a fully enabled generative AI engine that will be embedded across Canary’s entire Guest Management System. The beta version product is the latest in Canary’s award-winning suite of guest management tools, driven by the latest technology. Generative AI refers to algorithms that are used to create new content using existing context.
The product will assimilate relevant general hotel information from existing resources about the property and surrounding area in order to generate auto-responses using contextual guest information like reservation details and guest profiles. The AI model is trained over time to craft the most relevant answers based on the most common guest responses.
Canary’s new feature will keep customer data safe while helping hoteliers increase staff efficiency, enabling them to save hours in responding to guest inquiries. It also saves guests time, providing answers to their top-of-mind questions directly and instantly. Canary’s AI capabilities will also drive a more personalized guest experience based on their specific customer criteria like loyalty status. Hotels can sign up to be part of the beta launch by contacting Canary.
“AI is reshaping the way we live, travel, and do business. With Canary AI, we’ll be able to help hoteliers transform the guest experience and enable staff to focus more on hospitality,” said Blake VanLandingham, Head of Engineering for Canary. “As AI reshapes the way we live, travel, and do business, we look forward to maintaining the safety of customer data and building this new technology into the guest journey as part of the Canary platform.”
Canary will continue to embed AI into their products to help hoteliers reduce fraud, streamline operations, elevate the guest experience and boost revenue.
About Canary Technologies
Canary Technologies is modernizing the hotel tech stack with its award-winning end-to-end Guest Management System. Digitizing everything from post-booking through checkout, Canary is trusted by more than 20,000 hoteliers in 75 countries, including leading global brands, such as Four Seasons, Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Ace Hotel Group. Canary is the #1 rated solution on HotelTechReport and was the sole hotel technology company named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023. Canary’s solutions help hotels eliminate paper processes, boost revenue, increase staff efficiency, improve the guest experience, and reduce chargebacks and payment fraud. Canary’s guest platform includes Contactless Check-In/Checkout, Upsells, Guest Messaging, and Digital Tipping.
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