HVS Monday Musings: DCF is the most appropriate method of hotel valuations, especially during the COVID era

By Akash Datta and Dipti Mohan
This article discusses the reasons why the Discounted Cash Flows method is considered the most appropriate hotel valuation methodology in a market like India. Read on to know more.

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Singapore to Allow Visitors from Australia and Vietnam from 8 October

From 8 October, Singapore will unilaterally lift border restrictions to visitors from Australia, excluding Victoria state, and Vietnam. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has mentioned that the two countries have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and have successfully controlled the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. The two countries will join New Zealand and Brunei as the four countries that Singapore has unilaterally opened its borders to. Visitors from the two countries will be able to apply for the Air Travel Pass for entry into Singapore from 1 October. The earliest day they will be able to come into Singapore will be 8 October. The Air Travel Pass scheme allows for all forms of short-term travel, including leisure travel. Visitors will have to take a swab test upon arrival and can go about their activities after they get a negative test result. They will have to use the TraceTogether mobile app for the duration of their stay here, among other conditions.

Seychelles Review Travel Advisory and Open Borders to All Countries from 2 October 2020

On 1 August 2020, Seychelles open its borders for international travellers from selected countries and with certain limitations. On 2 October 2020, Seychelles Department of Tourism reviewed its Visitor’s Travel Advisory. As per the new advisory, all countries allowed to enter Seychelles will be considered permitted countries and have been divided into two categories: 1) permitted countries from low and medium risk and 2) consist of countries from the list of seven countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and the United Arab Emirates) given special status. Permitted countries from Category 2 will be subjected to a set of different measures, including a Polymerase Chain Reaction test within 48 hours of travel, stay within hotels designated, restricted movement for the first five days of the stay and request to adhere to all stated procedures in the Visitor’s Travel Advisory. Visitors from Category 1 will be requested to adhere to another set of more relaxed procedures.

Bandar Malaysia to Start with Over Twelve World-class Towers Worth MYR10 Billion in 2021

Malaysia-based Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd (“IWH”), developer of Bandar Malaysia, shared that the company will build more than twelve world-class towers with a gross floor area of over 1 million square metres and an estimated gross development value (“GDV”) of around MYR10 billion in Phase 1 of the project. Construction is expected to commence by June 2021 to spur the Malaysian economy and create jobs. In the first phase, there will be several Grade A office towers, hotels, serviced apartments, and luxury residences, developed across 20.23 hectare of land over four years. The project will kick-off with infrastructure development involving the building of several roads and highways, as well as installing power and water supply. Located at the site of the former Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Sungai Besi, Bandar Malaysia will be developed across 194.5 hectare of land and will be the single largest city development project in South-East Asia. Based on international real estate consultants' estimates, the GDV of the project is estimated to be over MYR200 billion, while the Ministry of Finance Incorporated had earlier in December 2019 estimated a MYR140 billion GDV.

Australia Government Allocates AUD231 Million to Domestic Tourism

The Australian government has pledged AUD231.6 million to Tourism Australia from 2020 to 2021 to drive domestic marketing activities and encourage Australians to travel, as well as to push new campaigns to continue to attract international visitors when international travel borders are ready to open. An additional AUD51 million has been allocated in the budget for a Regional Tourism Recovery initiative to assist tourism regions that rely highly on international travellers to pivot and adapt their products, experiences, and marketing strategies to the domestic market. According to Trade, Tourism and Investment minister, Simon Birmingham, as Australia moves into the next phase of the tourism recovery plan, new budget measures will further support the sector and jobs by stimulating domestic visitation to our tourism regions and encouraging domestic business travel. The government have also added AUD1 billion to Australia’s research effort, which according to Universities Australia, will allow universities to secure an important and continuing role in national recovery. A sum of AUD317.1 million aid will extend the International Freight Assistance Mechanism until the mid-2021 to restore global supply chains and keep international freight routes and flights operating during Covid‑19.

Absolute Share Price Performance, as on 9 October 2020