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Tel: (65) 6395-7575
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Website: http://www.ttgasia.com
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November, 2009 |
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October, 2009 |
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Alert level goes further up - to phase 5Singapore (2009-04-30)
AS the swine flu pandemic continues to evolve rapidly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the level of alert from phase 4 to phase 5.
At press time, updates from WHO's website showed 148 cases of the swine flu infection, as officially reported by nine countries.
The US government reported 91 laboratory-confirmed human cases, with one death. Mexico reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths.
The following countries reported laboratory-confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (13), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the UK (5).
WHO still had not advised restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. |
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Thai authorities will manage, says confident trade Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-30)
THE travel trade is confident Thai authorities would be capable of dealing with the swine flu pandemic, based on their previous experiences tackling avian flu and SARS.
Thai prime minister, Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva, said Thailand will host next week’s ASEAN public health meeting to deal with the H1N1 swine flu issue so member countries could work in the same direction.
On top of several preventive measures introduced by Thai authorities since Monday, the Cabinet had on Tuesday (April 28) approved the formation of a special panel to tighten up existing measures and work with international health bodies.
In addition, thermal scanners have been installed at Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, Samui and Chiang Mai international airports to monitor arriving passengers. Hat Yai Airport will have the scanners in place later today.
Thai Airways International is also checking the health of passengers and implementing measures pertaining to hygiene and sanitation.
Meanwhile, at least two groups of travellers from Mexico will visit Thailand next month.
Bangkok-based Asia World will be handling both groups. Its managing director, Mr Stephen McEvoy, said they comprised one incentive group of 150 people and another “much smaller” group of leisure tourists.
“By far bookings are still holding, and we have asked the agents in Mexico to ensure the health of the travellers. We will also inform ATTA (Association of Thai Travel Agents) and will adhere to all preventive measures,” Mr McEvoy said. |
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No cancellations yet for Indonesian agentsMimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-30)
INDONESIAN outbound agents have received enquiries on the swine flu in the affected countries, but no cancellations have been made so far.
Genta Tours Jakarta vice-president tour division, Mr Dharmawan Rahardja, said: “We have not felt any impact of the flu yet. I think it is too early to project the impact as people still think it is the US and Mexico that are affected.
“Having said that, we also have some forward bookings to the US but there are no immediate reactions against travelling.”
Panen Tour outbound manager, Ms Francisca Tania, said the company had a group that left for New Zealand yesterday (there have been cases of the flu in New Zealand).
“We also have a number of forward bookings to the US and Europe and have received enquiries on the condition there, but no trip has been cancelled so far. However, it will all depend on how the situation develops in the coming weeks. If the disease spreads to more countries and makes media headlines all the time, I’m afraid travellers will rethink their trips,” she added.
Meanwhile, Indonesian airlines serving regional and international routes also reported business as usual. Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air were quoted by the local media as saying load factors of their flights were still normal.
However, referring to the negative impact of avian flu in Indonesia to Garuda’s inbound traffic in the past, the airline’s president and CEO, Mr Emirsyah Satar, said: “What is crucial is for Indonesia to prevent the disease from entering the country.”
Lion Air president, Mr Edward Sirait, feared that more countries would issue travel warnings resulting in a drop in load factor, should the pandemic situation worsen. |
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Macau steps up preventive measuresShenée Tuck, Macau (2009-04-30)
MACAU has boosted preventive measures against a possible outbreak of swine flu and strengthened health inspections at tourist attractions and checkpoints ahead of this weekend’s Labour Day holiday.
Secretary for Cultural and Social Affairs and president of the committee dealing with the flu pandemic, Mr Fernando Chui Sai On, said: “After analysing the situation and confirming the high risk of swine flu, the government decided to boost surveillance, sanitary inspections, triage measures and quick methods of screening, as well as border control, while hospitals prepare quarantine wards.”
Health institutions and professionals are on high alert to detect flu symptoms at any stage and increase monitoring of patients with fever or respiratory symptoms.
The Macau Government Tourist Office is collecting information on travellers as a precaution and the office has urged the travel trade to guard against the risk of swine flu in the workplace and remind employees to take care with personal hygiene.
Advice was also provided to hotels, restaurants and bars about food safety and sanity standards. There is currently no prohibition on the import of food from affected areas.
Macau’s Tourism Crisis Management Office issued text messages to Macau mobile network users in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be cautious and avoid crowded public areas with poor ventilation. About 350 Macau residents are believed to be travelling in swine flu-affected areas. |
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VisitBritain upbeat about arrivalsSingapore (2009-04-30)
FIVE people in the UK, including a 12-year-old, have tested positive for swine flu, according to a BBC News report yesterday (April 29).
However, VisitBritain does not believe that such developments would negatively impact arrivals into the destination.
A spokesman for the tourism bureau said: “The UK has a strong reputation for its response to and management of previous threats and our visitors need have no concerns about their health and safety when travelling to and around Britain.”
He added the Mexican market is a minor contributor to the UK’s inbound tourism business, worth around £40 million (US$59.3 million) per year.
VisitBritain also pointed out that the key difference between an outbreak of a contagious disease, such as SARS, in Hong Kong and Mexico, was that Mexico was not a transit gateway to the UK for other parts of the world. Many visitors to Britain from East Asia and Australasia are routed via Hong Kong.
VisitBritain will continue to liaise with the government and its agencies to monitor the outbreak and its particular relevance to the UK tourism industry. At press time, it had no intention to issue any particular advice on swine flu to actual or potential visitors to Britain. |
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Diethelm Travel Singapore to be launched
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Singapore (2009-04-30)
DIETHELM Travel Group (DTG) has entered into a joint venture with Uniglobal Holidays to create Diethelm Travel Singapore, which will be launched on July 1.
Under the agreement, DTG will hold majority ownership and management control in Diethelm Travel Singapore in partnership with current Uniglobal managing director, Mr Victor Yam. Uniglobal will transfer its existing non-Russian inbound business to the new company, and will continue to trade focusing purely on the Russian and CIS markets.
Mr Eric Yap has been appointed managing director of the new joint venture reporting to DTG COO, Mr Richard Brouwer.
DTG CEO, Mr John Watson, said: "We thought long and hard about the launch of this business given the current economic slowdown globally but, having found the right partners in Uniglobal Holidays, we feel this is the right time to proceed with a strategic investment in this key market. We have worked with Uniglobal for many years and they have an excellent reputation for quality service delivery."
Diethelm Travel Singapore brings DTG's portfolio to 12 countries: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. |
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Risks and rewards of tapping a giant
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Sharon Desker Shaw, Hong Kong (2009-04-30)
FROM Japan to Jamaica and everywhere in between, destinations are looking to China to fill the slack left by business travellers and import markets stalled by the global slowdown.
Indeed, Chinese nationals have been hitting the road with gusto. Two natural disasters and a reduced Golden Week in May did not curb mainland appetite for overseas travel last year. By year's end, close to 46 million overseas trips were made, 12 per cent more than 2007, and nearly half way to hitting the 2020 target of 100 million trips.
Robust as they are, the figures only tell part of the story. As speakers at PATA's Discovering Opportunities in Tough Times business forum in Macau last month noted, the market is evolving, as have regional outbound heavyweights before it, such as Japan and South Korea, once more liberal travel policies have had time to take root.
- Full analysis in TTG Asia May 1-7 |
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Malaysia's Middle East drive in jeopardy
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S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-30)
INSTABILITY in Thailand has pushed Malaysia to an access chokepoint as the destination scrambles against other South-east Asian competitors for Middle East travellers during the upcoming June to September summer season.
Malaysia lacks sufficient direct flights from the six Arab states that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council and has long relied on Thailand as a gateway.
But operators worry marathon anti-government protests will discourage Middle East travellers from flying in via the troubled kingdom. Concern has boiled over to the point where operators now doubt if Emirates will be able to fill the additional capacity on the Dubai-Bangkok route.
- Full report in TTG Asia May 1-7 |
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City of Dreams lifts hopes on Macau
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Shenée Tuck, Macau (2009-04-30)
ANTICIPATION is building on the Cotai Strip as City of Dreams, Macau's only integrated resort slated to open around mid-year, nears completion.
City of Dreams vice-president, hotel operations, Mr Paul Town, said the opening would bring a new product to a city thirsty for novelty.
The US$2.1 billion City of Dreams encompasses luxury hotel brands Crown Towers, Hard Rock Hotel and Hyatt.
- Full report in TTG Asia May 1-7 |
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Intercontinental appoints Marcos marketing director
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Hong Kong (2009-04-30)
INTERCONTINENTAL Hong Kong has appointed Ms Marita Reyes Marcos director of marketing.
Ms Marcos has more than 25 years of experience in luxury hotel sales and marketing in various countries. She was most recently Mandarin Oriental Bangkok sales and marketing director. |
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WHO raises alert level to phase 4 Singapore (2009-04-29)
THE swine flu pandemic has reached a stage beyond containment, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alert level from phase 3 to phase 4.
Phase 4 is indicative of sustained human-to-human transmission and signals the need for response and mitigation efforts. The most critical level on the scale is phase 6.
WHO is not recommending restriction of regular travel or closure of borders, but advises prudence for people who were ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention.
As of this morning, WHO reported 64 confirmed cases with no deaths in the US, 26 confirmed cases including six in Canada, three in New Zealand, two each in the UK, Israel and Spain, and seven deaths in Mexico.
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Goldjoy, EGL cancel tours to West CoastPrudence Lui, Hong Kong (2009-04-29)
TWO major Hong Kong outbound operators have cancelled group departures to destinations at the epicentre of the swine flu outbreak and more could follow if the situation deteriorates in the coming days.
Goldjoy Holidays, which has for the last decade specialised in tours to Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba, has cancelled its June departures, while EGL Tours has reported cancellations for two groups to the West Coast.
Goldjoy managing director, Mr Freddy Yip, said: “We only send about six to eight tours annually with about 25 people in a group. This is less than one per cent of our business. I think those having a huge volume of traffic to the US might be affected.”
EGL’s groups involved more than 20 people who were scheduled to depart on May 8 and May 11 for the West Coast. Managing director, Mr Steve Huen, said: “The peak season for the US is usually in June and July. We’ve got several groups departing in late May and whether they will be cancelled or not, depends on developments in the next few days. We will make a decision next Monday (May 4).”
Meanwhile, market leader, Hong Thai Travel Services, will continue to send tours to the West Coast. General manager, Ms Susanna Wong, explained: “We are not medical experts and what we do is to react according to advice from World Health Organization and our Security Bureau. The next few days will be crucial.”
The Travel Industry Council’s executive director, Mr Joseph Tung, said no Hong Kong tour groups were in Mexico at present. “We have no right to issue any travel warnings to members. I understand some agents have cancelled tours to Mexico and the West Coast of the US. I personally think it’s too early to do this but we respect individual decisions.” |
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Singapore agents jitteryKaren Yue, Singapore (2009-04-29)
ALTHOUGH the Singapore Ministry of Health has advised the public to postpone or avoid non-essential travel to Mexico only, over the past two days travel agents have received several expressions of intention from clients to cancel their US-bound tours.
SA Tours is awaiting confirmation of cancellation from a family of eight due to depart for the US in May, as well as four cancellations for a Spain- and Portugal-bound tour in the same month.
Hong Thai Travel, which saw US-bound tours slow to a crawl since the onset of the economic crisis, say they are not affected since they have no groups to the destination.
CTC Holidays senior vice-president (marketing and PR), Ms Alicia Seah, said: “I am worried about tours that cover California, which is near the Mexican border, and down the West Coast. If the situation in California worsens, it would scare travellers off.
“We are in close contact with our land operators there to ensure we can react in the fastest and best possible way should anything arise, and we will be monitoring the developments through the news.”
SA Tours is talking to airlines on cancellation penalties, but doubts any would waive charges since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health have yet to declare the US as a no-go destination. |
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Royal Caribbean suspends port calls in MexicoKaren Yue, Singapore (2009-04-29)
ROYAL Caribbean International announced yesterday that it was temporarily suspending all port calls in Mexico in a cautious reaction to the swine flu outbreak.
The temporary suspension involves four ships currently making regular scheduled port calls in Mexico - Enchantment of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. Itineraries for these voyages will be revised.
According to Singapore-based Citystate Travel, which acts as the international representative for the cruise company, the Singapore market is not affected by the move.
Sales and marketing manager, Ms Nicole Lai, said: "The affected voyages have departures from August to October, so for now, our customers here are booked on cruises to Alaska and Europe.
"However, we have been getting calls from customers who are worried about flying into the US for the Alaskan cruises. Customers either fly to Seattle or Vancouver to board the ship, and there have been suspected cases of swine flu in Vancouver."
Ms Lai expects cancellations, especially from elderly passengers, to materialise should the outbreak worsen.
Royal Caribbean has also established a toll-free hotline to aid affected customers, stepped up screening procedures for all embarking passengers and crew, provided hand sanitisers throughout all ships and enhanced sanitisation onboard. |
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Premature to judge swine flu impact, IATA saysHong Kong (2009-04-29)
IATA has said the timing of the swine flu outbreak could not be worse with the aviation sector facing its worst operating environment in decades.
The association’s director-general and CEO, Mr Giovanni Bisignani, said in a press statement: “It is still too early to judge what impact the swine flu will have on the bottomline. But it is sure that anything that shakes the confidence of passengers has a negative impact on the business. And the timing could not be worse given all of the other economic problems airlines are facing.”
The air transport group has been working with the World Health Organization to ensure the industry has an efficient response to the latest health scare.
Mr Bisignani’s comments came as IATA released data showing further deterioration in the performance of members in March over the same month last year.
Asia-Pacific carriers continued to lead the decline in global passenger volume, with demand in March slumping by 14.5 per cent, effectively outpacing capacity cutbacks of 9.3 per cent, according to new IATA data.
IATA pinned the region’s lacklustre performance on the sharp drop in longhaul travel, which has been falling faster than shorthaul.
Collectively, IATA carriers saw passenger demand plummet 11.4 per cent in March compared to the same month in 2008. Load factors for the month came in at 72.1 per cent, 5.4 per cent lower than March 2008 after factoring in a 4.4 per cent cutback in capacity.
“The global economic crisis continues to reduce demand for international air travel. Airlines cannot adjust capacity to match demand. Load factors have dipped sharply from last year. All of this is hitting revenues hard,” Mr Bisignani said.
IATA has forecast a decline of up to 20 per cent in international revenues for March as a result of deteriorating loads, and said it would be premature to assess the impact of swine flu on airlines’ bottomlines. |
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MITA against full foreign equity ownership
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-29)
THE Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) will be sending a memorandum to the tourism minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, objecting to the government’s recent decision to allow 100 per cent foreign ownership of inbound businesses in Malaysia.
The Cabinet has yet to announce whether foreign ownership would be extended to all foreign companies wanting to set up an inbound travel business in Malaysia or limited only to companies based in the ASEAN region.
MITA honorary secretary-general, Mr Adam Kamal, said the association feared local inbound operators would be marginalised because foreign companies in Malaysia are stronger in the areas of technology, funding and purchasing power to negotiate better rates with hoteliers.
An exco meeting will be held on May 7 to tackle members’ concerns on the new ruling.
- Full analysis in TTG Asia May 15-21 |
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Hotel Plaza Ltd renamed Pan Pacific Hotels Group
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Singapore (2009-04-29)
SINGAPORE-BASED Hotel Plaza Limited, which manages Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts and Parkroyal Hotels across Asia and North America, has changed its name to Pan Pacific Hotels Group.
This renaming initiative follows the successful integration of the two brands into one core business since October 2008 when the group acquired the Pan Pacific brand from its holding company, UOL Group Limited.
Apart from the renaming exercise, Pan Pacific Hotels Group is in the midst of streamlining operations to achieve greater synergy and efficiency, and has consolidated its corporate headquarters here from multiple locations into a centralised new location. |
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Sri Lanka set to develop post-conflict north-east area
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Colombo (2009-04-29)
SRI Lanka Tourism is gearing up for strategies to develop the tourist potential in the north-east region of the country.
The NTO claims the battle between Sri Lankan government forces and militant organisation Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is nearing its end, paving the way for long-awaited peace and development in the north-east area.
A high-level delegation headed by the deputy minister of tourism visited the east of Sri Lanka recently. The development of the east is of specific focus for the government as the beaches there are among the best on the island and Arugam Bay is famous as one of the world’s best surfing destinations.
Sri Lanka Tourism is also making arrangements for development of other locations such as Passikudah and Trincomalee, which have excellent beaches for recreation.
Meanwhile, the new brand of Sri Lanka Tourism will be launched in June, along with a well-planned communication campaign.
The NTO is also looking at promotional activities with hotels and national carrier SriLankan Airlines, aimed at primary markets such as France, Germany, and the UK for the summer.
A postcard campaign will be launched, where 250,000 postcards will be distributed to visitors and a discount booklet simultaneously distributed with over 50 discount offers from a range of hotels, shopping malls etc.
The domestic tourism component, which was launched under the ‘Narambamu Sri Lanka’ campaign, has brought about positive results and the NTO will launch an advertising campaign targeting the local market to increase occupancy levels and create awareness for ‘off the beaten track’ locations of interest in the country. |
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Swine flu outbreak report
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Malaysians advised against travel to swine flu-affected countriesS Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-28)
MALAYSIA'S health ministry has advised Malaysians to postpone their trips to Canada, Mexico and selected US states where there have been reports of swine flu infection.
Health minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told reporters yesterday (April 27): "Although the World Health Organisation has not called for any sanction in travel or trade with those affected countries, I would like to advise all Malaysians against travelling to these places."
The Health minister added at least 11 thermal imaging scanners would be installed at major international airports in the country to detect cases of swine flu by the end of this week. Passengers walking through the scanners will have their body temperature recorded, instead of the current method of manual checking.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport has designated a place at the arrival hall to screen all passengers arriving from Mexico, Canada and the US. |
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Swine flu outbreak report
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Trade presses government for serious measuresMimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-28)
WHILE asking the industry not to panic, the trade in Indonesia, particularly in Bali, is calling for the government to take serious measures to prevent the entry of swine flu into Indonesia.
Bali Tourism Board (BTB) board member, Mr Herdy Sayoga, said: “We are all concerned about the possible outbreak in Indonesia. We do appreciate the government for taking quick steps to prevent the outbreak, and we hope they are doing it very seriously.
“We are also concerned that people may decide to cancel their trips because of the disease, which has been spreading outside the US and Mexico.”
BTB had a meeting this afternoon to discuss measures to eliminate the impact on traffic.
Tour East Indonesia general manager, Mr Eddy Putra, said: “The outbreak of the swine flu is no longer just in Mexico and the US. It may have also spread as far as New Zealand, (according to newspaper reports). This, of course, concerns us as an industry fragile to issues.”
The regional government has taken measures by placing thermal scanners at entry points, monitoring pig farms and conducting briefings to farm owners on the issue.
“We would also like the Health Department to get the guidelines from World Health Organisation for detecting the symptoms, treating the disease and controlling the spreading if a case occurs,” Mr Putra said.
On the other hand, he hoped the industry would not panic and blow matters out of proportion, which could in turn affect travellers’ decision to take a trip.
“We do not wish to see, for instance, airlines over-reacting by implementing extra ‘safety’ measures, or insurance company increasing premiums. These will just discourage people from travelling. As US president Barrack Obama said, we should take this as a cause for alert, not cause for alarm.”
Preventive measures have not only been taken in Bali, but also around the country. Indonesia’s airports and seaports are on high alert.
In Jakarta, thermal scanners have been placed in the international terminals and all arriving passengers are checked. Health officials are reinforcing checks on passengers from abroad.
Reports said hospitals were stocked with the oseltamivir antiviral drug, which treats infections of the H1N1 strain, a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses. |
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Full foreign equity for all, or only ASEAN-based companies?
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S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-28)
THE Malaysian tourism ministry is awaiting a directive from the Cabinet on whether 100 per cent foreign equity ownership would be extended to all foreign companies wanting to set up an inbound travel business in Malaysia or limited only to companies based in the ASEAN region.
An official from the ministry said an announcement would soon be made.
The government’s move to liberalise travel services by removing the need for local participation was announced on April 22.
The measure is meant to attract more foreign investment into the country and create higher-value employment opportunities.
Prior to the announcement, foreign equity for inbound tour operating businesses was restricted to a maximum of 51 per cent for foreign companies based in ASEAN, and 30 per cent for foreign companies outside of ASEAN.
- Full analysis in TTG Asia May 15-21 |
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Puravarna continues brand expansion
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Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-28)
PURAVARNA Hotels and Resorts is optimistic the Thai tourism business will rebound, and is now working to develop the brand in the deluxe market.
Sales and marketing vice-president, Mr Peter Foster, said the hotel company was developing a flagship resort, The Puravarna Summer Palace, slated for completion within the next 18 months.
Located on Nai Harn Bay in Phuket, the resort will have 196 pool villas, featuring one- to four-bedroom designs.
The company now owns and manages The Royal Phuket Yacht Club, which it took over in 2006. Also located on Nai Harn Bay, the 110-room resort was first opened as Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 1987, and was in later years managed by Starwood under a Le Meridien brand.
Besides Thailand, Puravarna was also looking at extending management services to deluxe properties in the Middle East and Asia, he added.
The expansion is being headed by the company's CEO, Mr Steven Granville, and hospitality vice-president, Mr Joe Polito.
Mr Foster joined Puravarna in January. He was previously area director of sales and marketing of The Address Hotels and Resorts, based at The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai. |
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SilkAir to launch Penang services
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Singapore (2009-04-28)
SILKAIR will begin twice-daily services to Penang, Malaysia, from June 1.
The regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA) will operate the daily afternoon and evening services, while SIA will operate the daily morning service.
Together, both airlines will operate a total of 21 weekly services to the Malaysia state. |
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Alliances make a comeback through Asian Connections
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Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-27)
FOUR independent Asian inbound tour operators have formed a strategic marketing partnership to draw business from major global markets to 14 Asian destinations.
Founding members in Asian Connections are Thailand’s Asia World, Hong Kong’s DMC - The Destination Management Company, Malaysia’s Tour & Incentive Travel and Singapore’s World Express.
Three smaller partners - Lanka World in Sri Lanka, Explore Himalaya in Nepal and Bhutan Travel Bureau - are also collaborating with Asian Connections.
A statement from the alliance said it aimed to provide a streamlined Asia-wide service for professional group travel arrangements, with one point of contact for destinations throughout the region.
Asia World managing director, Mr Stephen McEvoy, told TTG Daily News the alliance would share marketing outlets and representatives in key worldwide locations, including the US, the UK, Germany and Australia.
Alliance members will also share booths at all major trade shows; the first being World Travel Market in November.
Joint sales missions to visit large overseas tour operators will kick off in the second half of this year or once a corporate brochure is completed.
A team of two - marketing coordinator manager and quality control manager - is expected to come on board in June to spearhead the alliance’s development from Asia World’s Bangkok headquarters.
As with the independent regional network One Asia Travel, Mr McEvoy said the alliance would not involve an equity investment.
Each Asian Connections partner will retain its independent identity and full control of its day-to-day business, according to the company’s statement.
“However, under the alliance’s marketing strategy, there will be expenses and all partners are committed to an annual contribution,” Mr McEvoy explained but declined to specify the amount.
He said alliance members had banded together mainly to expand their market scope and to pick up additional business - not only in key markets but to also grow the portfolio in other areas. “The goal is to see a 25 per cent increase in business for all partners in the first year of operations.”
Tour & Incentive Travel managing director, Mr Lawrence Koay, said the alliance was committed to “connecting the best of Asia” for any single business source, including pre- and post-packages for MICE and multi-destination overland tours.
DMC - The Destination Management Company managing director, Ms Jenny May, noted: “Banding together under Asian Connections means we can provide more options for clients interested in multi-stop itineraries.”
World Express managing director, Mr Darren Tan, said: “Our strength is our collective expertise in the leisure, MICE and cruise segments of the industry.”
- Full analysis in TTG Asia May 15
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Full foreign equity ownership now allowed in Malaysia
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-27)
THE Malaysian government's recent decision to immediately lift the 30 per cent ethnic Malay (Bumiputera) equity requirement for the tourism sector has been positively received by the private sector.
Commenting on the liberalisation which now allows 100 per cent foreign equity ownership of four- and five-star hotels, Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president, Mr Ivo R Nekvapil, said: "It will open a huge portal for new investments, which will in turn create an upswing in job opportunities for the locals. It will also open the door for more international hotel brands to come to Malaysia, which is good for the country."
Kuala Lumpur-based Nazar Travel & Tours managing director, Mr K Narayanan, foresees consolidation among smaller local travel companies as this would enable them to compete more effectively with larger foreign travel operators setting up their offices in the country.
Announcing the decision to liberalise 27 service sub-sectors on April 22, which includes tourism, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said it was part of Malaysia's commitment to ASEAN.
Tourism services liberalised include providing full foreign equity ownership for four- and five-star hotels and their f&b outlets; setting up of theme parks, convention and exhibition centres with a seating capacity of more than 5,000; and allowing travel agents from ASEAN countries to set up agencies in Malaysia to sell inbound tours.
Foreign travel agencies outside of ASEAN wanting to set up an office in Malaysia still have to find a local partner to work with, but it need not be of ethnic Malay origin.
The government aims to create a business environment conducive to attracting more foreign investments and creating higher-value employment opportunities. |
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Chinese carriers may drop Phuket during Golden Week
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Watchiranont Thongtep, Bangkok (2009-04-27)
AIRLINES from China are likely to postpone their flights to Phuket during the Golden Week, which commences on May 1.
Phuket Tourist Association president, Mr Bhuritt Maswonssa, cited Thailand's political uncertainty as the key reason. He said China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines had originally planned flight schedules for the week as it was the opportune time to attract outbound Chinese travellers.
“Despite the lifting of the emergency decree in Bangkok, the Chinese government has yet to lift its travel warnings. This has affected the airlines’ decision to promote Thailand.”
Shenzhen Airlines Bangkok office general manager, Mr Irwin Chan, said the airline had postponed the plan to inaugurate the Shenzhen-Phuket service from May 1. It is taking a wait-and-see approach for the launch.
Meanwhile, the airline is deciding whether or not to stick with the plan to increase the frequency of the existing thrice-weekly Shenzhen-Bangkok service to daily flights, originally slated to start from September.
Mr Chan said the airline began the Shenzhen-Bangkok service from April 1, but had been struggling with less than 50 per cent load factor immediately after the chaos broke out in the Thai capital during the Songkran week in mid-April.
He added business had yet to pick up despite the lifting of the emergency decree, a contrast to more than 90 per cent load factor achieved in the first week of April. |
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International SOS launches swine flu outbreak website
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Hong Kong (2009-04-27)
INTERNATIONAL SOS has launched a new website, http://urgent.internationalsos.com, to educate the public about the swine flu outbreak.
The site provides updates on the situation, travel recommendations and answers to frequently asked questions that those in California, Texas and Mexico, or traveling to these areas, may have. It will be continually updated.
Topics currently covered include:
- The latest updates on the outbreaks in the US and Mexico;
- Symptoms of the swine flu;
- Recommendations on travel;
- What those who currently are or have recently returned from the affected areas should do; and
- Latest available information on medical interventions.
International SOS has formed a crisis management team to evaluate the situation and aid clients in the affected areas, including more than 1,500 members in Mexico City. It is also urging clients to review their pandemic preparedness plans so they are prepared if the outbreak spreads.
As was reported by the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization is immediately convening an expert panel to determine if the pandemic threat level will be raised. |
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Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia upbeat about business this year
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Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-27)
SWISS-BELHOTEL International in Indonesia is optimistic about its business in the country this year despite the world economic crisis.
Swiss-Belhotel International - Indonesia Vice President, Mr Emmanuel Guillard, said: “The first quarter of the year saw good overall performance of our 16 properties in Indonesia, thanks to the domestic market which contributed to the bulk of our business.”
In Jakarta, for example, occupancy was down a bit prior to the general election, which fell on April 9.
Mr Guillard added: “Business has picked up right after the general election, with over 90 per cent on certain dates with MICE events and corporate travellers. We expect it will slow down again towards the presidential election in July. I’m confident the market will be up again after that, provided the election takes place peacefully.”
Speaking to the media on the occasion of Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia's first own table-top mart in Jakarta, Mr Guillard said the group would have three new hotel openings this year in Balikpapan, Kendari and Ambon, while four more hotels would be open between 2010 and 2011.
“Investors are taking advantage of the low prices of building materials to build properties. Apart from the confirmed management contracts we have secured, we have also received requests for proposals from other investors every week for hotels in secondary destinations,” he said.
Meanwhile, the group will be opening two hotels in Vietnam, one in Malaysia, one in The Philippines and three in the Middle East this year. |
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WORLDHOTELS launches Japanese language website
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Hong Kong (2009-04-27)
WORLDHOTELS has launched its first Asian-language portal - a Japanese version of worldhotels.com - underscoring the importance of the Japanese market to the company.
The Japanese version is the fifth language addition to existing versions in English, German, French and Spanish. A Chinese version is being developed to meet growing demand from Chinese-speaking countries.
Meanwhile, WORLDHOTELS also offers WORLDHOTELS.beconnected for travel agents, offering trade discounts, information about commission payments for bookings and a regular newsletter. |
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Subsidy for educational trips to Japan lowered
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Jonathan Yap, Singapore (2009-04-27)
THE Japanese embassy in Singapore has announced changes to the programme, Educational Tour for Singaporean Students to Japan, that will lower the financial subsidy for each student but increase the number of participants.
The programme will provide a S$800 (US$536) subsidy per student for more than 300 students in group sizes not exceeding 20 students each.
Embassy of Japan, Singapore, first secretary (Transport, Tourism and Environment), Mr Takashi Kawai, said: "Our budget for the educational tour programme remains the same as last year.
However, as fuel surcharges have fallen, we have reduced the amount per student from S$1,000 in 2008 to S$800 this year, allowing us to increase the number of students who can benefit from our subsidy."
The changes were announced during a Kyushu island promotional seminar in Singapore and come in the second year of the progamme's operation. |
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-27)
AIRASIA has further expanded its regional network through the launch of the Kuala Lumpur-Taipei route.
This new route will begin on July 1 with five direct flights weekly. AirAsia X will operate the flights.
Fares are offered from RM101 (US$28) one-way and exclusively available online via AirAsia's website. Booking period is from April 24 to May 3 for travel between July 1 and January 31, 2010. |
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Emergency decree lifted off Bangkok
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Sirima Eamtako and Watchiranont Thongtep, Bangkok (2009-04-24)
THAI prime minister Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva has lifted the emergency decree imposed on Bangkok and its immediate vicinity today.
The decree had been imposed since April 12 when street demonstrations instigated by anti-government protestors since the week earlier turned into riots.
Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) president, Mr Kongkrit Hiranyakit, said it was a good sign Bangkok was no longer under emergency rule. He urged the government to come up with concrete strategies to restore confidence among the international community.
Hong Thai Travel Services (Thailand) deputy managing director, Ms Pornsri Visvachaipan, said lifting the decree certainly helped restore tourist confidence. She said the company’s group of 3,000 visitors from Hong Kong postponed from April 16 had been reconfirmed for April 28.
Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers sales and marketing director, Mr Christopher Chung, said: “As long as there is no chaos in the next few months, tourist confidence will certainly return.” |
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Jumeirah not holding off Asian projects, asserts executive chairman
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Karen Yue, Singapore (2009-04-24)
JUMEIRAH Group executive chairman, Mr Gerald Lawless, has quashed rumours that the group may hold off its Shanghai development and scale back, or even close its regional sales office in Singapore.
These rumours were further fuelled by recent news of the departure of its senior vice-president, Mr Tony Cousens, who had only held the position for a year.
Mr Lawless said the group was still fully committed to its Asian projects and the sales office in Singapore would stay put, although the group would not seek a replacement for Mr Cousens’ position.
The group is sticking to its plan to add five properties in Asia-Pacific by 2012. Jumeirah Private Island Phuket in Thailand and Jumeirah HanTang Xintiandi in China are scheduled to open this year.
However, in response to TTG Daily News’ query on the state of the developments, Mr Lawless implied the delay of the openings. “We are willing to take a little more time to ensure that when they open, they will fully deliver the Jumeirah experience,” he said.
Similarly, work on the group’s Middle East developments is still in progress, albeit with some delay in construction. The Jumeirah Messilah Beach Resort in Kuwait will open within the next 12 months.
Mr Lawless said the group would not falter in its marketing reach in these challenging times, and that Asia would continue to be one of its key markets for its properties in London, New York and Dubai.
A series of planned sales and marketing activities, including sales trips to Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore in May to meet with high-end travel agents and potential customers, will take place throughout the year. Efforts will be supported by Sirius, the company’s loyalty programme, as well as strategic partnerships with Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.
The group recently signed agreements with seven tour operators and wholesalers in China, and will be looking into the high-end outbound market in Malaysia and South Korea. |
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Garuda reports 11-fold profit increase for 2008
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Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-24)
GARUDA Indonesia has announced a total after-tax profit of 669 billion rupiah (US$60.8 million) in 2008, an 11-fold increase over its profit in 2007, which was 60 billion rupiah, despite the high fuel prices and the global financial crisis towards the end of the year.
Garuda president and CEO, Mr Emirsyah Satar, said: “We have managed to book an increase far beyond that of 2007 through various commercial and operational programmes, staff productivity and efficiency throughout the year.”
Garuda’s total income last year increased by 37 per cent, from 14.2 trillion rupiah in 2007 to 19.4 trillion. It carried nine per cent more passengers last year, from 9.2 million to 10.1 million, while the available seat kilometre was up from 18.1 million in 2007 to 20.1 million.
While declining to mention the target of performance for this year, Mr Satar said: “While we have projections to work on, with the uncertain world economic situation, I had rather say we are projecting a total revenue increase, although it may not be as high as our 2008 performance.”
The optimistic projection was based on the fact that the airline was focusing more on the regional and domestic network, which was still strong.
Garuda executive vice-president sales and marketing, Mr Agus Priyanto, said: “Therefore, with the new aircraft we are getting this year (eight Boeing 737-800NGs and four Airbus 330-200s), we will be strengthening our regional network and cutting unprofitable routes.”
He gave the example of dropping the Darwin-Bali service while planning to open or increase frequencies in other Australian routes, and increasing Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur from daily to twice daily as of May 1. |
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Firefly to launch Kuala Lumpur (Subang)-Phuket daily service
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Bangkok (2009-04-24)
FIREFLY, a fully owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, will launch a daily flight between Kuala Lumpur (Subang) and Phuket from May 1.
The service will complement the airline’s existing route between Penang and Phuket, launched in April 2007.
According to the airline’s spokesperson, Ms Angelina Fernandez, Firefly is a full-fledged carrier for Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand - Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), and by the second quarter of this year, it will be introducing many more new destinations in this region.
Tourism Malaysia director - Thailand, Mr Iskandar Mirza Yusof, said Firefly’s direct flights into Thailand and Indonesia “are very significant for us” as they established both Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Subang) as a gateway for IMT-GT.
“Firefly’s codeshare arrangement with MAS will open the gateway for Malaysia, Sumatera, and Thailand to European, Oceania, Asian, Americas and Middle Eastern markets,” he said. |
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Langkawi to host climate change convention
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S Puvaneswary, Langkawi (2009-04-24)
THE Climate Change Convention 2009 - 101 Ways to Save and Make a Change will take place in Langkawi from October 23 to 25 with the support of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including Malaysian Nature Society, World Wildlife Fund, Langkawi-based hoteliers, Langkawi Development Authority and Malaysia Airlines.
To be convened by Asian Overland Services Convention & Events, the convention is expected to attract representatives from all over Malaysia and all sectors of the industry, government departments, institutes of higher learning, schools, the travel and hospitality industry, as well as NGOs concerned about the impact of climate change on the environment and seeking simple solutions to resolve environmental problems.
Asian Overland Services Convention & Events group managing director and Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa owner, Mr Anthony Wong, said the entire collection of room revenue for the three-day convention will be donated to the Save Our Earth Foundation, as the objective of the conference is to raise RM1,000,000 (US$278,872) for NGOs involved in environmental protection.
Asian Overland Services Convention & Events is also organising an Asia-Pacific convention in June 2010 in Langkawi. This convention is targeting to raise US$1,000,000 for NGOs.
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'Unions travel more to help members'
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Karen Yue, Singapore (2009-04-23)
THE difficult economic landscape is feeding a rise in travel needs among union members, according to Wavelink Travel, an agency that specialises in managing the travel and MICE needs of 80 unions in Singapore.
The agency’s executive director, Mr Ivan Ngoo, said: “When the going gets tough, unions work even harder to help its members, going on more study trips to visit other unions overseas to discuss ways to ensure job security for their members.”
However, Mr Ngoo said unions were a challenging segment to serve, as they were more dollar-driven than the average corporate group and tended to “squeeze rates” harder.
“Fortunately, we tend to negotiate in bulk, and hotels and airlines are more than happy to offer lower rates for union groups,” he said.
Wavelink Travel, a subsidiary of Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), bought over NTUC Income Travel in mid-2008 and is now attempting to grow its corporate travel business segment. |
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Dubai turns in positive 2008 performance
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Hong Kong (2009-04-23)
DUBAI'S tourism performance in 2008 shows overall growth over 2007, across a number of indices.
According to figures released by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the number of hotel guests grew by 8.3 per cent, guest nights surged by 9.2 per cent, and hotels registered a 15.1 per cent rise in revenue.
Arrival figures from the Far East registered a strong overall increase, with Malaysian visitors increasing by 31 per cent, Hong Kong by 28 per cent and Singapore by 23 per cent.
However, visitors from Thailand and Taiwan registered decreases of one per cent and 17 per cent respectively. |
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Singapore's March performance reflects continuous downward trend
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Singapore (2009-04-23)
SINGAPORE’S tourism performance continues to tumble in March, with declining figures reflected in all indicators, according to the Singapore Tourism Board's latest release.
Visitor arrivals registered a decline of 13.3 per cent year-on-year to reach 790,000 and visitor days went down 11 per cent.
Singapore’s top five source markets, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Australia and the UK accounted for 49 per cent of total arrivals that month.
Visitor arrivals in 12 out of the top 15 markets decreased compared to the same month last year, reflecting the impact of the current global economic slowdown on consumer spending.
Hotel performance was also less rosy. Room revenue fell 33.3 per cent to hit S$125 million (US$83.1 million), and revenue per available room decreased 30.9 per cent to reach S$145.
Average room rate dipped further from S$205 in February to $196, a 18.5 per cent decrease over the same period last year.
Average occupancy rate was estimated to reach 74 per cent, posting a 13.1 percentage point decrease. |
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Centara adds two southern Thailand resorts to management portfolio
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Bangkok (2009-04-23)
CENTARA Hotels and Resorts has sealed the agreement with Thai-based Orapin Beach Resort Group to manage two resorts in southern Thailand, with immediate effect.
They are the 121-key Bhundhari Spa Resort and Villas Samui, a Centara Resort, and the 44-key Centara Pariya Resort and Villa on Koh Pa-ngan.
Bhundhari is a newly built five-star resort located on the northern part of Koh Samui’s popular Chaweng Beach. Many of the resort’s 62 villas have private pools.
Apart from a host of leisure and recreational facilities, the resort also has Centara’s signature Club concept with a Club Lounge offering five complimentary meal servings daily, including evening cocktails and canapés.
The four-star Centara Pariya Resort and Villa is a rebranded two-year-old resort on the south-eastern coast of Koh Pa-ngan, about 20 minutes by speedboat from Koh Samui. It has five guestrooms and 39 villas - some with own Jacuzzis. |
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MICE groups fit in well at Vietnam's newest all-villa resort
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TTGmice, Singapore (2009-04-23)
UNDETERRED by the current economic climate, the high-end luxury Princess d'Annam Resort & Spa has opened its doors to guests willing to pay from US$465 per night to four-figure rates for one of its 57 colonial French-styled villas.
Located on a secluded bay 35km south of the provincial capital Phan Thiet and 150km from Ho Chi Minh City, the resort spans about 18.2 hectares overlooking the South China Sea and offers a 1,800m2 spa area designed to be reminiscent of a Moroccan sanctuary.
For small- and medium-sized MICE groups, the resort offers the Binh Thuan ballroom for 250 people theatre-style, four function rooms and three boardrooms. There are four common pools and four f&b venues.
In-room amenities include plasma TV, highspeed Internet access, personal safe and fully stocked mini bar. |
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Jetstar to serve Penang, Langkawi in Malaysia
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Singapore (2009-04-23)
JETSTAR Asia has been given flying rights approval by the Air Traffic Rights Committee to commence services to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia, its 17th and 18th destinations.
The airline will commence flights later this year, with schedule and fares to be announced in due course.
It currently operates services to Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.
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Hangzhou Dragon Hotel embarks on first phase of renovation
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Hong Kong (2009-04-23)
HANGZHOU Dragon Hotel has launched the first phase of an RMB1 billion (US$146.4 million) renovation programme, which it expects to complete in time for September’s PATA Travel Mart.
The 20-year-old property, located in Hangzhou’s commercial district, is looking to re-position from a four- to five-star establishment with the renovation, according to director of sales and marketing, Mr Alfred Wong.
The first renovation phase covers 300 of the hotel’s 595 rooms and three f&b outlets, while the second phase will cover the remaining rooms and facilities with completion slated before next year’s Chinese New Year festivities. |
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TIC urged to fund liability
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Prudence Lui, Hong Kong (2009-04-22)
TRAVEL agents are pushing to use a small portion of an industry compensation fund for travellers to finance the launch of a long-awaited liability insurance scheme to minimise their operational risks.
Agents stepped up their call for liability funding after the 15-year-old Travel Industry Compensation Fund (TICF) snowballed to US$66 million at the end of March 2009.
Launched in 1993, TICF is partially financed by the 0.3 per cent levy on buyers of outbound packaged tours to protect them against agency default. The other half of the levy is used to fund the operations of the Travel Industry Council (TIC).
But agents will have to compete with other proposals the TICF board has brought to the travelling public for their feedback.
- Full report in TTG Asia April 24 - 30 |
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Viva Macau eyes Jakarta growth
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Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-22)
BUCKING current aviation trends, Viva Macau is looking to add two new flights between Macau and Jakarta as it believes the route offers immense growth potential despite a deepening global recession.
Viva Macau's bid for additional services to Jakarta comes in the wake of the Macau Government Tourist Office opening a marketing office in Indonesia.
However, Viva Macau has used all five of its weekly air traffic rights and additional frequencies hinge on bilateral air talks between the two governments, according to Viva Macau director, commercial, Mr Kaneswaran Avili.
But securing additional frequencies is not a cut-and-dry matter in Macau as Viva Macau learned from its push to launch services to Singapore.
- Full report in TTG Asia April 24 - 30 |
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Sharon Desker Shaw, Macau (2009-04-22)
THE issue of whether the industry was choosing to focus on a glass half empty rather than half full cropped up time and again at the PATA Business Forum in Macau last Monday.
Speaker after speaker at the business forum presented statistics and observations that demonstrated a surprising resilience to leisure travel despite the sharp jolt to consumer confidence from an onslaught of depressing economic news.
“There is an intention to travel,” keynote speaker, Visa China general manager, Mr Li Sheng, told delegates at the Discovering Opportunities in Tough Times forum.
The opportunity would be to capture the business when travellers shifted to shorthaul destinations, a change that “doesn't necessarily mean they are spending less, except for the airline industry,” Mr Li added.
- Full report in TTG Asia April 24 - 30 |
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Thailand receiving more FITs, fewer groups
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Watchiranont Thongtep, Bangkok (2009-04-22)
THE Thai travel trade says FITs are still visiting Thailand.
Pathfinders Travel managing director, Mr Ashley Monteiro, said the company remained engaged with ongoing enquiries from FITs from Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, India, Russia and the Middle East.
He said the enquiries made on the company’s B2B website were expected to materialise into about 10,000 room nights for this year, up from 3,000 room nights achieved last year.
“I strongly believe this market is still to come as they are able to find the most value-for-money travel arrangement by making online reservation themselves, instead of through a travel agency,” he added.
NS Travel and Tours FIT and ticketing department manager, Ms Onjaree Onprapai, said she also anticipated an increasing number of FITs, but decreasing number of group bookings.
She said it would cost less to book a trip for individual travellers as there would be no tour guide fee or extra charge applied.
However, both Mr Monteiro and Ms Onjaree said the riots in Bangkok last week might have a short-term impact on Thailand's inbound tourism. Both expressed optimism that new bookings for series and group tours would rebound in two or three months. |
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Starwood plans first customer contact centre in China
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Hong Kong (2009-04-22)
STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts is making a bigger play for the Chinese customer, with plans to launch its first customer contact centre in China at month’s end.
As part of the launch in Guangzhou, the hotel conglomerate will unveil a series of packaged deals for the region, with details to be made available shortly.
“The primary function of the customer contact centre is to assist our guests and customers in making room reservations and any other requests related to their stay,” said a Starwood spokesman, adding that the facility was more than a reservations centre.
She said the state-of-the-art support facilities at the centre would make it easier for “customers to do business with Starwood, and in the process build more effective relationships and loyalty for our properties in China and worldwide”.
Guangzhou is the third such facility Starwood operates in the region after Singapore and Tokyo.
The Guangzhou launch comes as Starwood continues to expand its footprint in Greater China, where the group has 47 hotels in operation and more than 60 under construction to-date and, like every major travel supplier, is eyeing the prospect of 100 million outbound trips from China by 2020. |
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Best Western Sawazdi Patong Hotel, Phuket to open
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Bangkok (2009-04-22)
BEST Western will open its fourth resort in Phuket - Best Western Sawazdi Patong Hotel, Phuket - in September.
The 146-room resort is about 30 minutes' drive from Phuket International Airport and is neighbour to the Jungceylon mall and a lively entertainment area.
It has a swimming pool, poolside bar, f&b outlets, fitness room, sauna room, games room, snooker room, spa and children's recreational facilities.
For business and incentive guests, there are meeting rooms, business centre, conferencing and banqueting facilities, and Internet connection throughout the resort on demand. |
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TAT lowers tourism target
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Watchiranont Thongtep, Bangkok (2009-04-21)
THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) intends to revise this year’s tourism target in the aftermath of last week's political riots.
TAT chairman, Mr Weerasak Kowsurat, said the impact of the closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport late last year, coupled with last week’s political chaos in Bangkok, would be the reason to lower the current target of 14 million tourist arrivals and revenue of 530 billion baht (US$14.9 billion) this year.
At press time, the revised targets were not yet disclosed.
Last week, Tourism Council of Thailand forecast that this year would have scaled back tourist numbers to about 10.86 million and foreign tourism revenue to 350 billion baht.
Mr Weerasak added key source markets such as China, South Korea and Japan were unlikely to rebound within the next couple of months, even during the coming Golden Week during, due to their declining confidence in the country's security and safety.
However, TAT is able to confirm the arrangement of international roadshows in South Korea, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, South Africa, China, the US and Canada to be testimonial events for restoring trade partners’ confidence.
Meanwhile, Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Mr Apichart Sankary, said the trade was seeking additional financial subsidies on the roadshows and international trade shows arranged by TAT for the rest of this year.
He also said the special air fare support from Thai Airways International was highly required.
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Thistle forays out of UK with two properties in Malaysia
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S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-21)
THISTLE, the second largest hotel room provider in London, will make its first foray out of the UK, with the opening of two new hotels in Malaysia, slated for mid-2009.
Thistle Port Dickson Resort will open in June while Thistle Johor Bahru will open in July.
The Thistle brand is part of Guoman Hotel Management (UK) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of GuocoLeisure Limited. Both companies are members of the Hong Leong Group.
In Malaysia, Thistle will be managing properties owned by GuocoLand Malaysia, also a member of the Hong Leong Group of companies.
GuocoLand Malaysia managing director, Mr Paul Poh, said there were plans to also open a Thistle city hotel in Kuala Lumpur and a 3.8-hectare land had already been purchased at Damansara Heights. This hotel is expected to open in late-2011 or early-2012.
The Thistle brand in Malaysia will have a five-star rating. Thistle Johor Bahru’s general manager, Mr Philip Skitch, said the hotel, formerly Hyatt Johor Bahru, was expected to be the leader in room rates in Johor , with average room rates well above the RM200 (US$56) mark, but below US$100.
Thistle area director of sales and marketing Malaysia, Mr M Manimaran, said this refurbished 381-room hotel was projecting 70 per cent of its business mix to comprise corporate FITs, and the remainder would be from the leisure and MICE segments.
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The market mix for Thistle Port Dickson, formerly Guoman Port Dickson, is projected at 35 per cent MICE and the remainder from the leisure segment.
Mr Manimaran added both properties were targeting mainly foreign tourists from Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
GuocoLand spent RM50 million refurbishing both properties and expects to see a return on investment within four to five years, according to Mr Poh. |
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'Agents see increased productivity as key to countering recession'
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Singapore (2009-04-21)
ABACUS International's most recent survey of more than 40 leading travel agents in the North Asia markets of China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan shows almost 40 per cent of these companies identifying business process automation as the single best way for global travel distributors to help their businesses ride out the current financial crisis.
Abacus' president and CEO, Mr Robert Bailey, said in addition to reducing operating costs, the new generation of productivity tools enabled travel agency staff to focus on client servicing, especially as the travel industry moved towards a reduced-commission environment with service fees and ancillary services taking over as agents' main source of revenue.
Mr Bailey added those wanting to retain and win customers would have to work harder on all aspects of client servicing to justify the fees they charged, which made the use of productivity tools to free up resources more important. |
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More AirAsia X flights to London, Stansted soon
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-21)
AIRASIA X has announced that commencing July 1, it will increase the frequency of its flights between London, Stansted and Kuala Lumpur to a daily service.
Since its inaugural flight in March, the low-cost longhaul airline has operated five times a week between Stansted and Kuala Lumpur, but unprecedented passenger demand has led to the introduction of a daily service less than four months after its maiden flight.
To mark the occasion, AirAsia X is offering one way fare from as low as RM499 (US$137) exclusively through online booking from April 21 to 23 for the travel period July 3, 2009 to January 31, 2010.
The robust demand has been especially realised from business travellers taking advantage of low premium (XL) fares, as well as students who are enjoying the travel opportunities offered by inexpensive longhaul air fares.
The Kuala Lumpur-Stansted flight is fast turning Kuala Lumpur into a regional hub connecting three continents, with Australians flying into the Malaysian capital and connecting on AirAsia X to London.
British and European travellers using AirAsia X’s service to Kuala Lumpur in turn hop onto AirAsia’s extensive route network to travel at low fares throughout South-east Asia.
AirAsia X, CEO, Mr Azran Osman-Rani said: “We knew this service would be popular but to increase the frequency so soon was beyond our expectations. These super low fares are even applicable during the peak July to August summer season.”
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Jetstar secures interline agreements with three more carriers, after Qantas
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Melbourne (2009-04-21)
FOLLOWING last month's commencement of interlining ticketing sales with Qantas, Jetstar has announced interlining and ticket settlement relationships with three more carriers - Etihad, Air Tahiti Nui and Air Calin.
Jetstar CEO, Bruce Buchanan, said: "These new agreements allow Jetstar to access more passengers globally, particularly as we continue to expand our network within Asia and the Asia-Pacific region."
Etihad recently commenced its Melbourne-Abu Dhabi route, while New Caledonian-based Air Calin will introduce Jetstar customers to a South Pacific network, and Air Tahiti Nui will provide access to French Polynesia.
Jetstar also claims it is now the largest player on the Australia-Japan route and said it added a fresh choice for Japanese and Australian customers. |
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UFI offers exhibition management course for the third time
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TTGmice, Singapore (2009-04-21)
UFI aims to boost Asia's skill base in the business event industry through the 2009 UFI Exhibition Management Degree course that will commence in Bangkok in June and conclude in November, comprising both face-to-face and e-learning components.
Conducted in English, the course will focus on a wide range of topics prepared for managers working in the exhibition industry, including project management, business strategy development, cross-cultural and human resource management, market research, exhibition marketing, cost control and CRM.
This is the third year UFI has held the degree course in Thailand, hosted this year by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau and Thai Exhibition Association.
The deadline for enrolment is April 30. More information is available at www.tceb.or.th. |
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OTOA chairman Fung passes away
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Hong Kong (2009-04-21)
THE chairman of Hong Kong’s Outbound Tour Operators Association (OTOA), Mr Alan Fung, passed away suddenly, with a wake and memorial service planned this weekend.
The wake will be at the Hung Hom World Funeral Parlour on April 26 followed by the funeral at 11.30 on April 27.
Mr Fung, the general manager of JBC Travel until his sudden demise, was chairman of OTOA for less than a year, having taken up the reins last October after serving on the board for seven years.
Deputy chairman, Mr Brandon Lau of Kuoni Travel, will head OTOA in an interim capacity until a new chairman is selected at the association’s July meeting. |
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Montreal eases visa application for Chinese MICE travellers
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Karen Yue reporting for IT&CM China 2009, Shanghai(2009-04-20)
CHINESE MICE travellers to Montreal may soon find it easier to get an approval for their visa application.
Tourisme Montreal, Greater Montreal Convention and Tourism Bureau executive vice-president, Mr John Dunn, said the destination’s foreign affairs department had recently expressed intention to expedite and ease visa approval for MICE groups.
Mr Dunn said: “Chinese MICE groups will no longer need to worry that they will be broken up if some members are not granted entry visas. This will support our current effort to grow the pool of Chinese MICE visitors, which is now just too small.”
According to Mr Dunn, the tourism office has only started to focus its attention on the China market 18 months ago and it is seeing a slow start.
“There are only small groups coming into Montreal now, and most are incentives. A small number of business travellers also do visit Montreal for international shows, but they are not there as a direct impact of our solicitation. We have to grow the meetings, conventions and exhibitions segments,” he said.
Apart from establishing a presence at IT&CM China for the first time last week to reach out to the Chinese MICE market, Tourisme Montreal will have a pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai next year to shout its wares.
A key challenge, Mr Dunn said, was the lack of sufficient direct air access from China to Montreal, which is a 14-hour flight from Beijing or Shanghai, with a transit at Toronto.
The bureau is presently in talks with Air Canada and Air China to develop improved air access and flight frequency. |
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Starwood makes four Hawaiian properties 'Chinese-friendly'
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Karen Yue reporting for IT&CM China 2009, Shanghai (2009-04-20)
STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts is introducing several new features at its four properties - Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Princess Kuiulani, Moana Surfrider - A Westin Resort & Spa and The Royal Hawaiian - in Waikiki, Hawaii to court the growing Chinese market.
In 2008, Hawaii received 54,618 visitors from China, 10 per cent of which are MICE visitors.
Speaking at a press conference during IT&CM China in Shanghai last week, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide business development manager, China market, Ms Wei Li, said: “90 per cent of Chinese visitors, whether on leisure or business, would stay in Waikiki, so we have to tap the flow.”
To do so, the group has installed instruction labels and directions in Mandarin in all its four hotels, prepared arrival guides and brochures in Mandarin, provided Chinese culture and language training for all its management associates, and offered to accept payment through China UnionPay, a domestic credit card company.
Ms Li said the properties were the first in Hawaii to accept a Chinese domestic credit card. The international chain is also on track with its US$700 million renovation works slated for completion in October this year.
Public areas, furniture and fixtures will all be refreshed, and Sheraton Waikiki will have its entire second floor converted into meetings facilities that boast new sound and light and visual technology.
To offer additional convenience to guests, Starwood has in place a “stay in one, enjoy all” policy which allows guests access to any facilities in all four hotels and sign purchases to their room account. |
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Hotel openings undeterred by Bangkok's political situation
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Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-20)
THAILAND continues to see new hotel openings as the country struggles to work on its image tainted by recent political instability.
Fraser Resort Pattaya opened on April 8 and Paresa Phuket is slated to open on July 1, among others.
The 79-room Fraser Resort Pattaya was opened just three days before the international image of the beach resort city was shattered by protestors’ storming into the venue of the ASEAN Summit and Related Summit.
Assistant director of sales, Mr Pimporn Subintramas, said she remained confident in Pattaya as one of the top Thai beach resort destinations. The number of visitors to the resort was expected grow despite the current low response due to the recent political protests, she added.
Meanwhile, Paresa Phuket sales and marketing director, Ms Tiparpa Sapanon, said the resort, once opened, would be a serious rival to Phuket’s top high-end resorts - Amanpuri and Trisara.
She added the resort targeted luxury traveller segment including honeymooners and couples from the UK and Europe. “We will be leveraging on the numerous direct air access from regional and international markets to Phuket, as well as the resort’s spaciousness and unique contemporary southern Thai-style architecture.”
Paresa Phuket is a one billion baht (US$28 million) investment by a group of Thai investors. It will have 49 pool villas measuring between 140m2 to 660m2, perched on a cliff off Kalama Beach, or about a 30-minute drive from the airport. |
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Mimi Hudoyo reporting for TTGmice, Jakarta (2009-04-20)
KUONI Destination Management (KDM) has launched a new programme gearing towards Muslim travellers to Europe. The programme was launched recently in Indonesia and Malaysia and targeted at the special interest and leisure groups.
KDM general manager sales - Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, Mr Reto Kaufmann, said: “When we talk about special interest groups, our service focus is on government delegations and trade missions travelling to Europe to attend meetings or have technical visits on their agendas.
“KDM can provide more than 800 technical visits throughout Europe. The leisure group segment includes mainly large families going for holidays to Europe.”
Apart from the usual DMC services such as hotel bookings and land transportation arrangement, the programme also meets specific Muslim needs such as access to 150 halal restaurants, 70 mosques, Bahasa Malaysia- and Bahasa Indonesia-speaking guides in selected cities, and 24-hour customer and emergency services by multilingual staff.
Mr Kaufmann said the new programme was launched in response to the fast growing number of Muslim travellers.
- Full report in TTGmice June issue |
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Garuda to terminate Darwin services, cut Bangkok frequency
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Jakarta (2009-04-20)
GARUDA Indonesia has officially announced the termination of its Denpasar-Darwin services as of April 24 and will reduce Jakarta-Bangkok services from seven to thrice a week from May 1.
Garuda vice-president corporate secretary, Mr Pujobroto, said: “We have decided to cut the Darwin service to avoid financial loss as the demand on this route has not been meeting our target. We will utilise the aircraft to fly other profitable routes (such as the domestic network).
“However, we will still fly the route on May 7 and May 15, to serve passengers who have made confirmed booking for those dates.”
In the mean time, other services to Australia (Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne) will remain the same.
Commenting on the Jakarta-Bangkok route cut, Mr Pujobroto said: “The Bangkok route is actually a lucrative one and our decision to reduce the frequency is temporary, due to the escalation of the political conflict in Thailand.
“Once the condition is back to normal, we will resume the original schedule.” |
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Grand Park Wuxi to undergo refurbishment
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Karen Yue, Singapore (2009-04-20)
THE 407-room Grand Park Wuxi will undergo refurbishment works to plump up its banquet facility from May till the end of the year.
This follows a year after Park Hotel Group’s takeover of the property, formerly Sheraton Wuxi, in January 2008.
When completed, the property’s banquet facility, which will occupy the entire ninth floor, will be four times larger than the current 300m2. It will be able to accommodate 500 people in a sit-down dinner set-up.
Refurbishment works will also be carried out for the hotel’s exterior and f&b outlets. Business will be as usual throughout the renovation project. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Congresses hold upRaini Hamdi and Ollie Quiniquini (2009-04-17)
THE global financial crisis is not decimating the number of attendees at congresses, but association buyers admit they have to push their meetings harder to secure delegate targets.
CVBs are anxious association meetings already secured this year and next may be cancelled as a result of poor attendance, but association buyers polled said so far, numbers had held up.
US-based International Institute of Acoustics & Vibration executive director, Mr Malcolm Crocker, in fact, is surprised that his international conference in Cracow, Poland, this July has secured 1,000 delegates.
“We thought with the economic downturn, we would see about 800 delegates. People like to travel. Scientists want to meet other scientists and listen to presentations and hold discussions on what works,” he said.
- Full report in IT&CM China and CT&TW China Daily Day 3 |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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2010 worriesSharon Desker Shaw (2009-04-17)
MALAYSIA'S outbound incentive travel market could plummet by as much as 50 per cent in 2010 as the local business performance continues to weaken this year.
In the worst case scenario, Jebsen Travel & Tours managing director Mr Lim Chee Tong predicts the overall outbound volume could halve next year as companies that have missed sales targets would have little reason to reward executives and dealers.
“They can't make changes to 2009 because the performance has been delivered by their team or their dealers. We have to watch for 2010.”
Next year's expected fall comes off an especially robust 2009, the result of last year's strong first half, which helped major corporations exceed budget despite a sharp deterioration in the second half. In Jebsen's case, its 2009 incentive volume is up 50 per cent over the previous year, according to Mr Lim.
- Full report in IT&CM China and CT&TW China Daily Day 3
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Mighty pyramids a draw for ChineseKaren Yue (2009-04-17)
EGYPT is courting more Chinese incentive groups, having seen 50,000 incentive travellers from the market last year, from a lone group of 700 delegates in 2007.
Egypt tourism office's counsellor of tourism, Dr Nasser Abdel-Aal, based in Beijing, is focusing efforts on courting corporate clients and incentive houses in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as these cities have a larger population of established companies and experienced incentive houses.
The office is holding monthly trade seminars for them and developing a Mandarin website and brochures highlighting Egypt's various attractions and MICE infrastructure. It is also participating at IT&CM China.
Dr Nasser is eyeing more corporate incentives as they are larger than government incentives: 80 to 400 delegates staying a week, visiting Cairo, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada. Government incentives comprise five to 15 delegates staying four to five days.
Egypt could cater to Chinese groups, Dr Nasser said. “There is no shortage of international five-star hotels. About 15,000 new rooms are being added each year. Every key city in Egypt has convention and exhibition centres. Language is hardly a barrier; we have over 200 guides who have mastered Mandarin.” |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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TCEB response on holdJonathan Yap (2009-04-17)
THE Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) cancelled a press conference scheduled for Friday at the IT&CM China trade show in Shanghai, choosing to wait for direction from Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before making any further announcements.
A TCEB spokesman said: "Nothing official will be announced until next week at the earliest. We are still waiting for the government's direction before we can decide on a strategy to respond (to the industry following the protests in Bangkok)."
Meanwhile, buyers at IT&CM China have continued to show interest in Thailand. The spokesman said TCEB saw interest from longhaul markets such as Poland, Bulgaria and the UK.
Bangkok-based C.C.T. Express' Mr Zhao Hui Fong said the company had landed three new groups for after July, although one 130-people China group had cancelled their April visit. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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No theatrics(2009-04-17)
WE hear Placido Domingo and Sarah Brightman have stayed at the architecturally stunning Fairmont Beijing, the group's first property on the mainland, even though the 222-room property only opens in July.
The hotel hosted Domingo in January and Brightman three weeks ago. So why would the operatic pair stay in an unopened hotel? Here's why: to do what they love doing as the Fairmont has a spectacular multi-use theatre, which would not look out of place in Vienna, thanks to plush interiors, stellar acoustics and jaw-dropping chandeliers.
But the site also comes with the latest technology, including movable floors and ceiling, which allows for a speedy transformation from a theatre setting to - MICE planners, take heed - an intimate banquet venue in the time it takes guests to sip their latte during coffee break.
And by the way, as befits a diva, Brightman and her entourage took up 55 rooms at the hotel. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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MEHK to introduce Your Tailormade MICE MenuPrudence Lui, Hong Kong (2009-04-17)
THE Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) will roll out and showcase the brochure, Your Tailormade MICE Menu from Hong Kong, next month to woo MICE visitors.
This is in line with The Food and Wine Year kicked off on April 16. The menu highlights a selection of concepts including Michelin-rated restaurants, dining out of the box, alfresco dining, dining in a new dimension, mega banquet, wine tasting and culinary classroom.
The 40-page brochure will be printed in English and uploaded to MEHK's website soon.
Meanwhile, when asked about the feedback for the Business Right Here campaign launched last month, MEHK general manager, Ms Gilly Wong, said it was well received.
“The exhibition segment has shown a favourable sign of good quality buyers whereas meetings and incentives are a bit conservative due to tightened budgets. Still, incentives are vital for corporates as a way to reward staff and retain loyalty during this hard time. So far, this segment is continuing, not dead.”
The campaign will continue through to June 30, providing overseas trade exhibition buyers with greater incentives involving Cathay Pacific/Dragonair, local attractions and hotels. The second wave of this campaign will be rolled out in July for shows from September to November.
Ms Wong added: “The city’s hotels have dropped their rates by 20 per cent and introduced many value-added packages. There is no better time than now to experience our premium services and good deals.” |
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TCT urges extension for stimulus strategies
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Watchiranont Thongtep, Bangkok (2009-04-17)
THE Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) urges the Thai government to extend deadlines for all stimulus strategies to keep the beleaguered tourism industry afloat.
President Mr Kongkrit Hiranyakit said the lingering impact of the closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport late last year coupled with this week’s chaos and riots in Bangkok would have scaled back this year’s number of tourists to about 10.86 million and foreign tourism revenue to 350 billion baht (US$9.88 million).
TCT’s figures are a 22.86 per cent down from its earlier forecast of 14.08 million visitors and a 12.5 drop on last year’s foreign tourism revenue of 540 billion baht.
Mr Kongkrit said to cushion the impact TCT would seek the government’s support in extending deadlines on all recovery measures launched earlier this year. He said the waiving of landing and parking fees at international airports, as well as of national parks’ entrance fees and tourist visa fees should be extended until the end of this year.
“We will also seek the government’s help in extending deadlines for soft loans, as well as to offering tax incentives and financial subsidies to the suffering Thai tourism operators.”
World Travel Service managing director, Mr Kusa Panyarachun, said the domestic political turmoil would cause his company to lose around 80,000 to 100,000 foreign tourists this year, down from about 180,000 arrivals per year. “An emergency soft loan is most needed for the Thai travel trade at this moment,” he said.
Hong Thai Travel Services (Thailand) deputy managing director, Ms Pornsri Visvachaipan, said her company had suffered postponements from about 3,000 tourists from Hong Kong this month.
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Malaysia cuts tourist loss with The Big Swing
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S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-17)
THE tourism ministry has initiated a new tactical called The Big Swing with its promotional arm, Tourism Malaysia, and inbound tour operators.
The Big Swing aims to minimise the loss of international tourists as a result of the political tensions in Thailand, especially in view of the upcoming Golden Week celebrations in China and the peak summer holiday seasons in India and the Middle East.
The tactical works with Tourism Malaysia overseas officers and inbound tour operators to convince overseas wholesalers and tour operators who have stopped promoting Thailand because of the political uncertainties, to promote Malaysia instead.
Up to the end of April, Malaysia Airlines is offering no additional charges to travellers re-routing flights from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association is speaking with hoteliers in Kuala Lumpur to come up with tactical promotions for the summer period, to encourage more international tourists, according to its honorary secretary-general, Mr Adam Kamal. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Advice hurts ThaisOllie Quiniquini, Prudence Lui and Karen Yue (2009-04-16)
THAILAND'S MICE efforts have been dealt a severe blow following two advisories by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) for residents to suspend trips to Thailand.
The first notice posted Monday (April 13) morning reminded Chinese residents to exercise extreme caution when in Thailand. The second notice that afternoon, however, advised all Chinese residents to suspend travel to Thailand and for those already there to try to return to China as soon as possible. The notices did not specify any timeframe.
China's trade sprung into action as soon as the advisories were issued. Jiangsu-based Nantong Wanjia International Travel manager, Mr Yu Wei Rong, said six groups of 16 to 53 persons each bound for Bangkok today had switched to Singapore and Malaysia. Many others with confirmed incentives to Thailand have chosen to defer or cancel their trips.
Nanjing Comfort Travel MICE manager, Mr Zhou Peng Fei, recently had five to six groups for a combined 200 people cancel their incentives to Thailand. The company usually sends 300 to 400 people to Thailand annually but Mr Zhou does not intend to send any there this year.
- Full report in TTG Asia April 24-30 |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Longhaul sees redOllie Quiniquini (2009-04-16)
BANGKOK may no longer be under siege after protestors loyal to former prime minister, Mr Thaksin Shinawat, abandoned their three-week blockade of Government House but the violence in the Thai capital's streets over the last few days has left longhaul incentive houses concerned over the safety of their clients bound for the kingdom.
Thailand is among the top, if not the top, incentive destination in Asia for many European markets, and European buyers polled by the Daily had varied reactions to the country's political crisis.
Germany's TMG CEO, Mr Stefan Luzar, who has a pharmaceutical group comprising 28 to 47 persons scheduled to visit Thailand for an incentive this November, is taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the Thai political crisis.
Italy's Be Love the Line's Ms Petra Schmeing was forgiving of the situation, saying that political unrest can happen anywhere in the world, while Germany's BK Consulting International managing director, Ms Bozena Kraus, also intended to push through with a group scheduled to visit Thailand and Indochina next year. Her bookings for Thailand remain intact and she has not received any cancellations yet.
- Full report in TTG Asia April 24-30 |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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China can handle itRaini Hamdi (2009-04-16)
CHINA'S exposure to the global financial crisis is huge, but yesterday's IT&CM China keynoter, Dr George Zhibin Gu, says it “still is manageable” and - good news for the industry - inbound and outbound travel is not expected to be significantly reduced.
The China commentator who has just authored two new books, China's Global Reach and China & the New World Order, in an interview said China depended on international trade (US$2.56 trillion last year) and foreign direct investment (US$850 billion), and invested US$1 trillion in US government and agency bonds.
As well, 25 million Chinese employees now work for overseas companies inside China. “So, altogether, China's economic and political health are directly tied to the fortunes of global markets and world development,” Dr Gu said.
Asked how the crisis was changing China's economic and political development, he said it would delay the ongoing basic economic reform, ie, China's move towards a “law-based market economy” where a firm separation of government from business, with a right set of ownership, legal protection and governance, exists.
- Full report in TTG Asia April 24-30 |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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China in vogue(2009-04-16)
CHINA is the flavour of the moment as buyers from far and wide eye the destination for its attractive deals and variety.
To some extent, instability in Thailand has been a boon to China. “Thailand was our top destination in Asia for a long time and we still offer it to our clients, but they always ask about the political situation,” said South Africa's Travel & Explore Corporate owner, Mr Shaun Jorgensen. “We see this destination becoming an alternative to Thailand.”
Out of Pakistan, American Express Travel supervisor for incentive travel, Mr Muhamad Bilal Hameed, is scheduling at least three big movements to China this year. Two groups - 100 to 150 people and a mix of conference, meetings and incentives - are automotive clients while the third is a student group of 40 to 50 people.
Turkey is another market discovering China's charms. But Intra Travel's executive board member Mr Ertugrul Karaoglu called for simplified visa procedures, saying the process was too lengthy and expensive. “I am not asking for visa-free privileges but a more effective process.” |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Why cash is still kingPrudence Lui (2009-04-16)
A CHINA-BASED MNC says banks will need to offer a longer credit period if they want to increase credit card penetration in the market.
Philips (China) Investment sourcing specialist of travel North Asia general purchasing, Ms Jane Liang, said: “Frankly, direct savings from corporate cards are not impressive compared with our 30 to 45-day payment cycle with our TMCs. We could secure better cashflow.” Her firm employs 16,000 staff and spends on average RMB$100 million (US$15 million) on travel annually.
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (China) Global sourcing, indirect materials and services senior strategic buyer, Mr William Wang, disagreed. The company is considering a switch to a corporate card in the near future. Mr Wang said advantages were generous discounts, insurance coverage and centralised data processing.
CITS American Express Business Travel survey shows 75 per cent of 250 companies reimburse each receipt, while temporary cash advance is the alternative practice. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Olympic lessonsKaren Yue (2009-04-16)
SHANGHAI tourism players are preferring to be conservative about the potential of the six-month World Expo 2010 as memories of a failed Beijing Olympics due to stringent visa restrictions, massive spikes in room rates and regulated halt in conventions and exhibitions ring clear.
Grand Hyatt Shanghai director of marketing, Ms Belinda Goh, said: “The Olympic Games really hurt MICE business for so many hotels and we pray that the government will not impose similar visa or MICE restrictions then.
“Hopefully, with the World Expo being a business event, unlike the Games, restrictions will be less rigid.”
Adding to the cautiousness, some 800,000 beds will be opened in Shanghai by April 2010. A director of sales and marketing of a five-star business hotel said: “We don't want to commit ourselves to a rate ... Our usual corporate groups are still making enquiries but it is just too early now to know for sure how demand will be. We will know for sure how rates will be by the third quarter.”
STOP PRESS! Read each issue of the IT&CM China and CT&TW China Daily online on April 15, 16 and 17 at www.ttgmice.com/daily. The Doublebill event is taking place at ShanghaiMart Expo. |
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Aftermath of the chaos in Bangkok
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Koh Samui, Chiang Mai implicatedWatchiranont Thongtep, Bangkok (2009-04-16)
TWO Thai destinations are feeling the pinch from this week’s chaos and riots in Bangkok.
Tourism Association of Koh Samui president, Mr Seni Puwasetthawon, said hotels on Koh Samui were suffering an immediate 20 per cent drop on the number of Asian tourists for this week.
“From this month until September, hotels on Koh Samui will probably be running an average occupancy rate of 30 to 40 per cent, down from about 50 to 60 per cent during the same period last year,” he said.
Thai Hotels Association Northern Chapter president, Mr Kanog Suvannavisutr, said occupancies at Chiang Mai hotels within the next six months would be around 40 to 45 per cent, or about a 10 per cent drop over the same period last year.
He said the bleak outlook would cause hotels in Chaing Mai to reduce workforce by around 20 per cent, or about 6,000 staff, to sustain the impact from this week riots in Bangkok. |
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Aftermath of the chaos in Bangkok
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Business as usual for PEACHBangkok (2009-04-16)
THE Royal Cliff Beach Resort and Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH), the venue of the ASEAN Summit and Related Summit forced to be cancelled by red-shirt protestors last Saturday, has announced it is business as usual at its premises.
The statement said: “We would like to inform all our friends and business partners that all residents and staff, as well as guests-designated facilities of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort have been unaffected, and our usual service has been uninterrupted, by the events that took place on April 11 in and around PEACH.”
The hotel said the anti-government protestors spent less than 40 minutes on the resort's premises.
“No clashes of any nature took place on the resort’s premises. Likewise, there was no interaction between the protestors and the inhouse guests. By the same evening, the protestors left Pattaya,” the statement read.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared Pattaya and Chonburi under a state of emergency at about early afternoon last Saturday, and lifted the decree about six hours later.
TTG Daily News went to Pattaya on Sunday, and again on Tuesday, and witnessed as per the Royal Cliff’s statement that all Pattaya accommodation and tourism services continued to function as normal. |
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MAS waives charges for Kuala Lumpur-Thailand flight changes
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-16)
MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) will be waiving charges for passengers to change their flights from Kuala Lumpur-Thailand and vice versa from now until end-April.
The airline's senior general manager for network revenue management, Dr Amin Khan, said: "In view of the current situation in Thailand, we have given the flexibility for passengers who are booked with us to change their flights at no charge.
"This will help passengers who want to get out of Thailand. At the same time, we are providing options for our passengers who are travelling into the country."
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Soekarno-Hatta Airport opens Terminal 3
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Jakarta (2009-04-16)
SOEKARNO-HATTA International Airport, Jakarta’s Terminal 3, started operation yesterday with a capacity of four million passengers a year.
The new terminal located next to Terminal 2 serves domestic flights with Indonesia AirAsia and Mandala Airlines operating from there. The two airlines initially operated from Terminal 1.
Angkasa Pura II (airport authority) spokesman, Mr Trisno Heryadi, said the new terminal would be able to ease the overloaded domestic Terminal 1.
“Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 were designed to accommodate nine million passengers every year, while in the last two years the terminal catered for 32 million per year, of which Terminal 1 served 16 million,” he said.
Unlike the old terminals, which were rich in traditional architectural designs, the US$27.3 million Terminal 3 is modern in concept. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Pushed to meetRaini Hamdi (2009-04-15)
COMPANIES are being helped along to meet with a slew of incentives from hotels which refuse to accept their battle is lost even as corporations cut essential costs to survive the global financial crisis.
The latest bid is by Hilton Hotels which today launches an offer for companies to meet free at any of its 47 hotels in Asia-Pacific, including Hilton, Conrad and Doubletree by Hilton, hoping this will remove the biggest obstacle to meetings today: real cost and perceived cost (ie, fear of being judged uncost-conscious).
Several companies interviewed at CT&TW on Monday said they were cutting back on meetings by 20 to 30 per cent and making that up via tele- or video-conferencing. GE China sourcing leader, Mr Hamish Wang, said the company now had a target for at least 30 per cent of all meetings to be done by tele- or video-conferencing.
More than just a deal, Hilton Hotels' vice president sales and marketing Asia-Pacific, Mr Andrew Flack, said he hoped the Meetings for Free plan was a catalyst.
Anyone making a room booking from today to June 30 for any date in 2009 gets a free day meeting package that includes meeting room, lunch and refreshments. This can be used for a conference, training or sales event for two to 100 residential delegates. It would translate to 25 per cent savings for, say, a residential meeting for 50 delegates staying overnight at Hilton Singapore with a full-day meeting.
A Hilton Hotels-commissioned survey of 233 meeting delegates in Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore and Shanghai suggests meetings can be kickstarted, as the majority believe meetings are effective, according to Mr Flack. But they were indeed more “considered” and “deliberate” when deciding to meet and eager to demonstrate to bosses they were saving money by meeting cost-effectively, he said.
This also results in smaller, more regular meetings in shorthaul destinations, which the Hilton promotion aims to capture. About 20 per cent of the chain's business in Asia-Pacific is linked to meetings.
Since January, chains have noticeably tried to prop up their meetings business with discounts or more generous rewards for meeting planners. Independent hotels grouping WORLDHOTELS also just launched a rewards programme which provides a US$50 reward voucher for every US$5,000 MICE booking planners make. Vouchers can be used to redeem gifts from local supermarkets to online bookstore Amazon.
Chains may see results. McKinsey & Company and Shanghai Four Seas Travel are among those that told the Daily their first consideration was to cut costs. - Additional reporting by Jonathan Yap |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Stricter travel rules hit TMCsKaren Yue and Ollie Quiniquini (2009-04-15)
TRAVEL management companies (TMCs) in China are facing the double whammy of government clampdown on business travel and MNCs' strict compliance policies.
In a government circular in March, officials were ordered to keep business travel spend low and declare all expenditure for approval. They cannot add destinations to their itinerary, extend stay or charge personal consumption to the government account.
This followed an exposé when two officials were found last year holidaying in the US on the pretext of business. Although such abuse was public knowledge, several travel managers interviewed said the government was forced to address the problem because of pressures stemming from the financial crisis and international media coverage of the two officials.
Meanwhile, TMCs said China-based MNCs had cut business trips by 30 to 40 per cent in the first four months.
China CYTS Business Travel International TMC department director, Mr Lenno Cao, said some MNCs had switched to a four-day work week, implemented stricter travel policies and requested TMCs to renegotiate rates. Five-star hotel stays are now limited to senior staff; junior staff to lesser-star hotels. Mr Cao expects a 30 to 50 per cent drop in revenue this year. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Zero commission likely to apply in ChinaKaren Yue (2009-04-15)
ZERO commission from airlines, a common practice in other markets, may soon become a reality in China as the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) ponders the possibility of scrapping the current regulation that requires domestic airlines to pay out a commission to travel agents.
Carriers now are required by law to pay a three-plus-x commission rate to agents, with ‘x’ being an additional percentage commission determined between the carrier and their agent partner.
CAAC has been in talks with domestic carriers and travel agents since July last year to discuss the feasibility of letting the trade players themselves determine preferred commission levels.
Shanghai Air Transport Trade Association for Sales Agents vice-chairman, Mr Wang De Sun, said such a move might spell the demise of small agencies that lack the volume and clout to demand commission from carriers.
“Ideally, travel agents need five to eight per cent commission in order to cover their overheads and feed their employees. Without the rule to protect smaller agencies, they are doomed. This is especially difficult for travel agents that handles only leisure travel since it is illegal for agents here to charge leisure travellers service or transaction fees.”
Industry critics the Daily spoke to say it is high time for travel agents in China to rethink the way they work.
China Air Transport Association chief representative, Ms Yang Jing, said: “Travel agents in other markets have already grown to accept zero commission from airlines so Chinese travel agents must evolve and adapt to the changing environment. If they want to stay profitable, they have to expand their service offerings to court corporate customers instead of just being contented with serving leisure travellers.”
Industry players also suggest that smaller travel agencies consolidate their sales volume to achieve greater negotiating power with airlines. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Buyers galore(2009-04-15)
BUYERS are outnumbering sellers at this year's IT&CM China by 1.5 to one and organisers are also continuing to educate Chinese buyers, whose numbers have increased further, on the concept of pre-arranged business sessions.
In the third instalment of the annual IT&CM China, some 300 buyers from 31 markets across the world, including first-time buyers from Bulgaria, Japan, Pakistan and Chinese Taipei, will meet 200 exhibiting organisations from 20 countries.
Mr Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media, one of the two organisers of the MICE-focused trade show, said: “If a seller is able to maximise his time at the show, he would be able to squeeze in more appointments than the 32 slots provided over the two days.”
The show organisers will, for the first time, appoint “chaperons” to help Chinese buyers conform to the requirements of seller-meet-buyer sessions and pre-arranged business sessions. The chaperons will also gather buyers in time to attend hosted luncheons.
Each chaperon will assist 10 to 15 Chinese buyers. Mr Ng said the chaperons would help Chinese buyers maximise their attendance at IT&CM China. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Hidden Agenda(2009-04-15)
WHAT exactly do people do while on a conference call? A Hilton Hotels survey should cause companies that increasingly teleconference rather than meet to rethink the strategy.
Eighty-one per cent of respondents in the survey admitted to carrying on working, 81 per cent check their emails and 75 per cent have side conversations with colleagues.
You don't really want to know what your colleague is doing - 35 per cent of respondents said they visited the bathroom with their handphone while on the call. Another 20 per cent said they helped themselves to an alcoholic drink.
Makes face-to-face meetings sound a whole lot more productive. |
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Reporting from IT&CM China and CT&TW China in Shanghai
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Till death do us meet?(2009-04-15)
HOW tough can a travel manager be? Cutbacks and rigorous travel budget control are understandable in these economic times, but is travel ever a life-or-death situation? GE Water & Process Technologies Asia's Phoenix Dong Wei summed up his policy on assessing travel requests that land in his inbox: “Are you going to die without this business trip?”
How is that for tough love?
STOP PRESS! Read each issue of the IT&CM China and CT&TW China Daily online on April 15, 16 and 17 at www.ttgmice.com/daily. The Doublebill event is taking place at ShanghaiMart Expo. |
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Trade urges government to lift emergency decreeSirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-15)
THE Thai travel trade is urging the government to quickly lift the emergency decree that has been imposed on Bangkok and the vicinity since Sunday, as peace and order has returned to the Thai capital.
Thai Hotels Association president, Mr Prakit Chinamourphong, said: “The lifting of the emergency decree will at least send an official signal that Bangkok has returned to normalcy. The next step is to restore confidence in Thailand.”
He said tourists would tend to stay away from any city declared under a state of emergency. “Hotels in Bangkok have been running an average occupancy rate of around 30 per cent since the last few days after the riots broke out. One hotel has lost about 300 room nights from Japanese tour groups.”
Asia World Enterprises managing director, Mr Stephen McEvoy, said his company still managed to hold FIT bookings for the month, but had to re-arrange travel programmes.
“Tourists want to skip Bangkok and have asked to be transferred directly to Chiang Mai or Phuket. At the moment, tourists are still coming to Thailand, especially repeat visitors, and we won’t see a full picture of the cancellations until next week.”
Diethelm Travel Asia COO, Mr Richard Brouwer, said it was too early to say whether the quick end to the riots in Bangkok with minimal casualties would help minimise the long-term impact on Thai tourism industry.
“Even as Bangkok returns to normal, people worldwide are still seeing re-run images of the chaos and riots in Bangkok on international media. However, we have kept our overseas partners updated that what happened did not affect tourists, and the situation in Bangkok has now calmed down.” |
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MICE industry suffers cancellations, postponementsSirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-15)
ALTHOUGH normalcy has returned to the streets of Bangkok, the Thai travel trade is concerned the domestic political instability may have turned away some MICE events.
Diethelm Events executive manager, Mr David Barrett, said the clashes in Pattaya and on the streets of Bangkok over the past four days had hammered the company’s business for this month and May.
He said a major event that was due to start tomorrow, involving three five-star hotels and a city centre convention facility, was being relocated to either Hong Kong or Dubai. A pharmaceutical company had also cancelled their event, he added, while numerous postponements were being requested.
Meanwhile, the First Asian Martial Arts Games, slated to be held from April 25 to May 3, has been postponed to June. This is on top of the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, scheduled to be held in Pattaya late last week, that was forced to be cancelled as a result of the anti-government protests.
Thai Hotels Association president, Mr Prakit Chinamourphong, said the government had to quickly put an end to the ongoing domestic political conflicts to avoid further loss of big events, especially those slated to be held later this year.
Thailand is scheduled to host the 19th International Congress of Nutritional Science for 6,000 delegates and the 19th World Congress of Neurology for 7,000 delegates in October.
Mr Barrett said: “Now that peace has been restored to the streets of Bangkok...we are anxiously waiting for the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the industry to get back into full swing, after the Thai New Year, so that collectively we can start to rebuild our destination's reputation and contain the fallout.” |
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'Thailand's hotel business will fall to 20-year low'
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Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-14)
THE Thai travel trade has expressed fears the current political turmoil, coupled with the rippled impact from late last year's closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport, will send Thai tourism industry several steps backward.
Dusit International CEO, Mr Chanin Donavanik, was quoted in a local Thai newspaper as saying the political unrest would cause Thailand's hotel business to fall to a 20-year low.
The trade has also estimated around 100,000 employees in tourism-related businesses are in danger of losing their jobs should the unrest continue and worsen.
Tourism Council of Thailand president, Mr Kongkrit Hiranyakit, said Thailand would lose mostly tourists from the 15 countries whose leaders were caught in the middle of last Saturday's chaos at the venue of the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya.
"Tourists from these countries amount to around 8.5 million visitors, or about 60 per cent of the total number of travellers to Thailand. A large drop from these countries is inevitable as their leaders, who experienced first-hand the chaos in Pattaya, will certainly advise their citizens to avoid traveling to Thailand."
At press time, 19 countries had issued advisories against travel to Thailand, just as the Thai authorities managed to control the riots - which had escalated and turned violent - on most of the streets of Bangkok.
Australia, the UK, US, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Singapore and several countries in Europe including Germany and France have told their citizens to reconsider their travel plan to Thailand, or to either stay away from Bangkok or exercise extreme caution while in the Thai capital.
At press time, several main roads in Bangkok's inner districts were cleared of the riots while certain parts remained closed for security reasons. |
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Jakarta strives to gain attention of Singapore MICE
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Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-14)
JAKARTA must conduct more awareness campaigns in Singapore if it is serious about grabbing the corporate MICE market from the Lion City.
MICE buyers from Singapore on a MICE Site Visit Programme to Jakarta recently said many Singaporeans were not aware of the new venue and other facility developments in Jakarta. In fact, there are still perceptions in the market that the city is not safe.
Forde Media associate director business development, Mr Daniel Cheong, said: “If you are talking about products - such as hotels, venues, and destination management companies - Jakarta has what Singapore and Bangkok have. We do include Jakarta when giving options to clients, but our US clients pick other destinations for ‘security’ reasons. I think the Jakarta government needs to do more promotions and fam trips like this to change the perception.”
In2 Marketing and Consulting brand communication executive, Ms Janice Chan, said: “Initially I was a little nervous about coming here because of the news and stories my friends told me about (the riots in 1998, which affected the Indonesian Chinese community); but when I got here, it was not so bad. I think the government and private sector need to do something to change the negative perception, and the industry needs to update us on the products.”
Commenting on the feedback from buyers, Visit Indonesia Tourism Office (VITO) Singapore representative, Mr William Sim, said: “We do realise that Jakarta has a potential, not only for coroporate meetings but also incentives, if it is combined with neighbouring Bandung. But there is a lack of awareness among the Singaporean players. That is why we kick-off with this programme and will follow with others.”
MICE Site Visit Programme to Jakarta was organised by VITO Singapore together with Garuda Indonesia and Millennium & Copthorne International. |
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Casa del Mar Langkawi completes refurbishment
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-14)
CASA del Mar, the Mediterranean-style resort in Langkawi managed by HPL Hotels & Resorts, has recently completed an RM1 million (US$280,407) refurbishment to upgrade the beachfront recreational area.
The resort garden facing Cenang beach features new pebble-lined walk paths, wooden decking around the bar and patio areas, as well as new water features. There are also new outdoor furniture, extended deckchairs, teakwood dining tables and chairs and plushy three-seated couches.
The resort's 34 rooms include one Royal Suite, three Deluxe Suites, three Junior Suites, 17 sea-view rooms and 11 pool-view rooms. |
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Six Senses pursues expansion opportunities
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Bangkok (2009-04-14)
WHILE many companies in the industry are lamenting the downturn in travel spending, Six Senses Resorts is bucking the trend and seeking new expansion initiatives.
The hotel group sees an opportunity in the current economic situation to take over troubled existing resorts in the coming months.
In addition, the group is looking at identifying financial partners with which to launch a vehicle to buy into troubled resorts and resort developments seeking capital.
The group's chief financial adviser, Mr Simon Allison, said: “While we would be prepared to sell a small amount of equity to cement such an alliance, in the current market conditions Six Senses is not really keen on selling shares, but rather on finding like-minded growth partners who will focus on the real estate angle of the deals, while we bring our management and marketing skills to the table.” |
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Best Western to unveil new property in Lao Cai, Vietnam
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Bangkok (2009-04-14)
BEST Western International will open the Best Western Sapaly, Lao Cai in Vietnam in December.
The property is part of the Lao Cai International Frontier Gate Trading Plaza, a multi-purpose complex with shops, restaurants and convention facilities in the heart of the business area of Lao Cai City.
It has 180 rooms, swimming pool, health club, Jacuzzi, restaurants, bar, karaoke club and disco. There is also a ballroom for 450 people, meeting rooms and a fully equipped business centre.
Close to industrial parks, the property's target guests include business people participating in Lao Cai's booming trade and investment. Lao Cai is also a recognised scenic tourist destination. |
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Thai tourism yet again bleeds from Bangkok brawls
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Sirima Eamtako, Pattaya and Bangkok (2009-04-13)
THE beleaguered Thai tourism industry faces a huge loss as riots created by red-shirt protestors continue on the streets of Bangkok, which has been declared under an emergency decree since Sunday.
The Thai capital has been in chaos as the protestors have blocked several main roads and even clashed with Thai troops earlier this morning. The protestors on Saturday broke into the venue of the ASEAN Summit and Related Summit in Pattaya, causing the Thai government to cancel the event.
Tourism Council of Thailand president, Mr Kongkrit Hiranyakit, told TTG Daily News the country faced a loss of more than 200 billion baht (US$5.64 billion), or about 35 per cent of the annual foreign tourism revenue of about 540 billion baht.
He said cancellations for the week and subsequent periods had amounted to about 50 per cent, and added: "No show is imminent. Many tourists, particularly those currently staying in Bangkok, are cutting short their stays.
"At the moment, until peace and order is restored in Bangkok, there is nothing the Thai travel trade can do except for providing as much convenience as possible to tourists."
Mr Kongkrit said the council had asked for co-operation from the Thai travel trade including hotels, tour operators and travel agents not to impose charges on cancellations or no-show to tourists during the period.
Due to the declared state of emergency, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has called off all celebrations relating to Songkran, or Thai New Year holiday, slated for today until April 15. Major shopping malls such as Siam Paragon and Central Department Stores are closed today.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is providing updates on Thailand's tourism situation at www.tourismthailand.org/thailandtourismupdate. |
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Ng is Malaysia's new tourism minister
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S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-13)
MALAYSIA’S tourism ministry has appointed a new tourism minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who said her immediate tasks were to meet tourism industry players to discuss their problems and to work on inter-ministerial co-operation.
Her appointment comes at a time when the tourism industry is facing challenging times due to the global economic crisis. Tourism veteran and Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel group managing director, Mr Anthony Wong, said Dr Ng had to get industry players to work together, upgrade their services and to create new products.
He added: “There must be think-tank sessions between the tourism ministry and industry players, and educational standards for local tourism and hospitality courses must be further improved by employing more academics with industry experience.”
Dr Ng was appointed the new tourism minister on April 9, taking over from Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said who had been dropped from the new Cabinet line-up. Datuk Seri Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib remains as deputy tourism minister.
Prior to this appointment, Dr Ng was the minister of Women, Family & Community Development. She is also no stranger to the tourism industry, as in 1999 she was appointed the Culture, Arts and Tourism deputy minister. |
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SIA, Garuda turn in good sales at IT&HF
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Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2009-04-13)
THE strategy put up by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Garuda Indonesia with their special promotional fares seemed to reap in good sales during the three-day Indonesia Travel & Holiday Fair (IT&HF) held in Jakarta last weekend.
SIA threw the promotional fares to a number of destinations, which the agents said were “the very best”, such as US$128 for Jakarta-Singapore return and US$888 to Europe (on certain flights) for the period of travel between April and July this year (no high-season blackout dates).
Garuda was offering US$103 return to Singapore, and US$110 to Kuala Lumpur from Jakarta until August 10 on all flights, with blackout dates between June 14 and July 15 where the holiday season rates applied.
The rates applied only for tickets issued by the participating travel agents during the event.
IT&HF organising committee chairman, Mr Panca Sarungu, said: “The total number of visitors were more than 21,000 people and this exceeded our expectation of some 20,000 visitors.
“We have received information that SIA managed to sell some 3,000 tickets (ticket only and as part of a packaged tour) to different destinations, and our informal survey with exhibitors showed estimated transaction value was around 20 billion rupiah (US$1.8 million).
“This shows the interest to travel among the Indonesians is still there,” he said.
No report was available on the Garuda ticket and package sales, but Garuda Greater Jakarta senior manager passenger marketing and sales, Mr Dedy Irawan, estimated 20 to 30 seats per flight (regional and domestic flights, tickets only and in packages) were sold during the event.
IT&HF is a consumer travel fair held for the second time (last year it was called Indonesia International Travel Fair) by Rajamice.com and the Indonesia Ticketing Agents’ Association, specialising in outbound and domestic travel.
About 137 companies participated at the show, including the top outbound tour operators, hotel brands such as Accor, and Sol Melia, and National Tourist Offices of the neighbouring countries. |
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Higher tourism spending in Hong Kong last year
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Hong Kong (2009-04-13)
HONG Kong's total inbound tourism spending last year increased 11.7 per cent over 2007, reaching HK$158.95 billion (US$20.51 billion), according to figures released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
The average per capita spending of overnight visitors reached HK$5,439, which was 6.2 per cent higher over 2007, while that of same-day, in-town visitors surged by 20.9 per cent to HK$1,498.
Overnight visitors from Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific had the highest per capita spending at HK$6,181 - 10.6 per cent higher over 2007, followed by those from Europe, Africa and the Middle East with HK$6,045. In third place was the Americas - with HK$5,760 each, followed by Mainland China with HK$5,676.
Shopping took up the largest share of expenditure by both overnight (57.3 per cent) and same-day visitors (88.1 per cent), while spending on entertainment saw a significant increase by 24.6 per cent, especially among shorthaul visitors from Mainland China, Taiwan and South and South-east Asia. |
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Langham appoints Palmer managing director
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Hong Kong (2009-04-13)
LANGHAM Hotels International has appointed seasoned hotelier, Mr Duncan Palmer, managing director of The Langham, Hong Kong, taking over from Ms Katie Benson.
Mr Palmer will also assume the role of vice-president, design. He has more than 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, and was most recently managing director of The Langham, London. |
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FETTA to red shirts: 'Spare a thought for country's image'
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Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2009-04-09)
THE Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (FETTA) has called on protestors to stop destroying Thailand’s international image.
The statement came after red-shirt protestors have been staging a mass rally in Bangkok from yesterday to oust the government, as well as out of concerns that any international media coverage of the protests would further hurt the already beleaguered Thai tourism industry.
Speaking at today’s press conference, chaired by tourism and sports minister, Mr Chumpol Silpa-archa, the presidents of eight tourism-related associations under FETTA’s umbrella harmoniously asked protestors to exercise their rights within the democratic system.
Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Mr Apichart Sankary, said the Thai travel trade understood protestors had the right to express their democratic opinions, but the protests should be carried out in a calm and peaceful manner.
Thai Hotels Association president, Mr Prakit Chinamourphong, said he hoped the situation would not turn violent, and asked the government to exercise restraint toward protestors, especially since the country was entering two high tourist periods – Songkran from April 11 to 15 and May Day in the first week of May.
“Any violence occurring now may also hurt a number of large meetings and conventions, the majority of which are slated to be held around the end of this year,” he said.
According to FETTA, the immediate impact of this week’s mass demonstration would be on Asian markets such as China and Japan, which are very sensitive to safety and security issues. European tour operators, who are now preparing to finalise their brocures in May, might also not push Thailand. |
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New business website to boost Malaysian tourism
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Kuala Lumpur (2009-04-9)
A NEW website, Malaysia Truly Business (www.malaysiatrulybusiness.com), has been launched to spearhead a new initiative designed to present Malaysia as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for business and industry, and to bolster the country’s tourism industry.
The one-stop portal of compelling facts will be a platform for Malaysia to showcase to the world a multitude of business and investment opportunities in various sectors including financial, manufacturing, services, and technology.
It also directs visitors to the relevant Malaysian agencies such as Malaysia My Second Home, Tourism Malaysia (MICE), Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, Multimedia Development Corporation, Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, Bursa Malaysia as well as the key economic corridors, among others. |
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