Raini Hamdi, Singapore (2010-02-25)

PACIFIC World Singapore (PWS) has denied an exodus of staff from the company, sparked off by a restructuring that saw six staff, including general manager Meilin Tay and director of international sales, Anthony Ang, being made redundant.

Manuel Ferrer, who is now in charge as regional director Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia after founder Bob Guy retired last year, said only six staff were affected by a restructuring he initiated at the end of January to achieve greater efficiency and cost structure. PWS is still staffed by 67 people. Rumours swirled that it had cut about 30 staff as it was going to focus more on the leisure division HotelBeds than the DMC, which Ferrer said was “absolutely not true”.

Ferrer said though Tay and Ang had done a good job, with him being based in Singapore, there was no need for a GM post. Ang’s role was also unnecessary, he said. “We have international sales teams in major markets and we found that clients would contact them to get more details on Singapore, but when they are in Singapore, it is not to sales they want to talk to, but the people who operate the programme.”

The other four staff were technical and IT-related. “To me, that’s not our core business,” he said.
No changes were made in Indonesia or Malaysia and no further restructuring would be done, he said.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-25)

INDONESIA's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has proposed alternative visa-on-arrival (VOA) procedures, which if approved by immigration officials, would end the furore over the country's entry requirements (TTG Asia, February 19).

On January 26, Indonesia withdrew its US$10 seven-day VOA, leaving only the US$25 30-day VOA.

Director, international promotion I Gde Pitana said the move, meant to simplify the VOA process, had backfired and created problems for the private sector whose clients might need only a few days in Indonesia. “We overlooked that and have to bear part of the blame.”

Pitana has asked the government to scrap the new VOA charges for travel agents, DMCs and corporate clients who have booked trips to Indonesia over the next six months, and to charge a lower fee for travellers visiting “special zones” or  popular short-stay destinations such as Batam, Bintan and East Nusa Tenggara.

Waiving of VOA fees for visitors travelling through Singapore Changi Airport and visas-on-board for Australians and Europeans flying Garuda Indonesia have also been proposed.

“The purpose of travel visas is to enforce security. If Singapore’s immigration can do such a good job in screening passengers, we can leave the job to them,” Pitana said.

Singapore (2010-02-25)

THE ASIA-Pacific hotel market suffered a turbulent 2009 due to the global economic downturn, according to the annual hotel survey released by HRG.

Globally, all regions reported falls in average room rates compared to 2008. In Asia-Pacific, rates in local currency terms dropped by 17 per cent in Singapore and 18 per cent in Hong Kong.

The survey also reflects a challenging year for the hotel market, a global trend for the travel industry.

HRG's director global hotel relations Margaret Bowler said: “The patterns in this hotel survey would suggest that the industry has some way to go before rates stabilise in 2010...Corporates should continue to look to renegotiate rates and consolidate hotel programmes.”

Singapore (2010-02-25)

CARLSON Hotels is expanding its portfolio with the addition of the Radisson Hotel Brunei Darussalam.

The 142-key hotel, located in Bandar Seri Begawan, is owned by Hotel Associates, a Bruneian holding company, and will be managed by Carlson.

The property will be converted to the upscale, full-service Radisson brand on May 1 and will undergo a comprehensive refurbishment to include MICE facilities, an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant, two banquet rooms and two boardrooms with Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access.

Singapore (2010-02-25)

MARCEL Boeni, general manager of Siam Express, has joined Travel Centre Asia as business development manager responsible for planning and implementing strategies.

Travel Centre Asia was established in 1989 and traded under the name Thomas Cook Thailand.

Thomas Maurer bought the shares in 2007 and renamed it Travel Centre Asia. It continues to handle Thomas Cook group’s clients in Thailand.

Sharon Desker Shaw, Beijing (2010-02-25)

GLORIA Hotels & Resorts will close its resort in Sanya on February 28 and is exploring ways to make up for the loss of earning.

The 404-room Gloria Resort will be redeveloped over the next year-and-a-half, after which MGM Grand will take over its management.

The five-star resort, along with Gloria’s Beijing hotel, accounts for 50 per cent of the company’s annual earnings, a loss the group hopes to recoup through new management options.

Vice president sales and marketing Clarence Wong revealed plans to expand into the business budget hotel category and move into franchising and affiliate marketing. The group hoped to have between 25 and 30 of these limited-service hotels in operation within the next three years.

Gloria is also looking at franchising and affiliate marketing opportunities within and outside China, particularly in South-east Asia. It has signed the Ginza Capital Tokyo as an affiliate marketing partner.

Wong said Gloria is in talks for a replacement hotel in Sanya and has about seven hotels due to open from next month into early 2012 elsewhere in China.

Openings this year include a Hefei property, and two hotels in Chongqing, Wuxi and Hothot in Inner Mongolia in the third quarter.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-25)

FRASERS Hospitality is seeing healthy occupancy rates in its debut Malaysian property and will expand its footprint to India this year.

The 216-key Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur has recorded 70 per cent occupancy since it soft-opened last December.

Located within the capital's entertainment hub, the property is Frasers Hospitality's first for Malaysia.

The group's CEO Choe Peng Sum said Kuala Lumpur bore great potential as it had a thriving community of expatriates.

A second property, Frasers Residence Kuala Lumpur, will open in 2012 and a third is being planned for Penang.

This year will also see Frasers Hospitality planting its first flag in India with the 90-unit Fraser Suites New Delhi.

“India, just like China, will be a strong market for us – both as a source market and as a destination to expand our physical presence in. At present, Indian corporate travellers tend to travel inter-state more than beyond their borders, and we can provide for them. We will have six new-build properties across India over the next few years,” he said.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-02-25)

EMIRATES will increase services between Indonesia and Dubai to meet new demand.

Its Jakarta-Dubai direct service will grow from 11 flights per week to double-daily from March 1, boosting seat capacity by over 2,600 per week from the current 9,500 seats on the route.

Emirates country manager Indonesia, Mohammed Al Nahari, said: “Our flights will support the Indonesian government’s plans of raising inbound arrivals from the Middle East by up to 100,000 travellers this year.”

Supporting the launch of the new service, the airline has appointed VFS Global, a specialist partner for diplomatic missions, to assist in handling Dubai visa applications from Emirates passengers.

This will cut the approval time for visa applications, which usually take up to a week.

“With VFS’ extensive network, passengers will acquire a Dubai visa within a short time period of three to four working days. In addition, passengers who use this service will not be required to have a local sponsor while staying in Dubai,” Al Nahari said.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-22)

THAILAND'S political uncertainty and the ensuing furore have not affected traffic from Australia.

Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) secretary-general Pornthip Hirunkate, who said she was misquoted by an Australian media outlet last week (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 19), said the matter had eased up after her prompt verbal clarification followed by a written statement by TCT.

"There are no cancellations from the Australian markets," said Pornthip, who is also managing director of Destination Asia (Thailand), the ground operator for Flight Centre, one of Australia's largest tour operators.

Porthip said around 250 Australia-based buyers had signed up for tabletop meetings with 52 Thai suppliers at TCT's three-day roadshow in Sydney until Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Thai travel trade insisted that Bangkok remained a safe tourism destination.

Dusit International CEO Chanin Donavanik said: "Dusit is working to ensure all its international sales offices, partners, suppliers and clients are well-informed (of the real situation in Bangkok)."

Thai Hotels Association president Prakit Chinamourphong stressed that the political demonstrations were a norm in any democratic country. Such activities, he insisted, would not affect tourists.

Singapore (2010-02-22)

CORPORATE travel transactions fell 9.3 per cent last year, compared to 2008, according to a Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) report.

Sales volume, which totalled US$21.4 billion, dropped 22.8 per cent year-on-year, the report further revealed. The higher drop in volume versus transactions demonstrated the cost-cutting measures companies took to reduce their travel spend during the recessionary year.

Volume in Asia Pacific and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) was impacted most, with the former declining by 27.6 per cent.

With CWT business stabilising at the end of 2009, president and CEO Douglas Anderson was “cautiously optimistic” about the next 12 months. He said: “Many of our clients tell us they will increase their travel this year to drive their business development. But they will remain cost-conscious and place great importance on 'productive' travel.”

A recent CWT survey (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 8) of travel managers showed that optimising hotel spend, improving traveller compliance, optimising simple bookings, and driving air and ground transportation savings were the top four areas of higher priority for this year.

Jakarta (2010-02-22)

INDONESIA’S immigration ministry will review the Visa on Arrival (VOA) facility within three months, in response to concerns by the tourism industry.

The immigration office had withdrawn the seven-day VOA costing US$10 while offering only the 30-day visa at US$25, which the trade feared would affect regional travellers who stayed less than seven days (TTG Asia, February 19).

Ministry of Culture and Tourism director general of tourism destination development Firmansyah Rahim said: “We had a coordination meeting with director general of immigration Muhammad Indra on the issue, and have agreed to review the impact in three months. An evaluation team has been formed.”

Rahim said the immigration office was also looking into other possibilities, such as issuing multiple-entry visas for expatriates living in Singapore to enable them to visit Batam and Bintan repeatedly without the hassle of applying for a VOA on every visit. 

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-22)

SINGAPORE'S first casino at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has attracted more than 128,000 visitors since its opening on February 14, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The lure of the new also doubled average visitor numbers to 30,000 a day for the resort island of Sentosa. Restaurants and tourist attractions reported a 20 per cent increase in business since the casino's opening.

Megazip Adventure Park has also seen “exceptionally good business” during the recent festive holiday break, but its spokesperson Sarene Seet was unable to ascertain that it was a result of RWS' opening.

She said, however, that “Sentosa as a resort island has benefited from greater publicity and renewed interest with new facilities rolled out” and the adventure park had benefited from well-managed access to the island.

The Sentosa Resort & Spa general manager Nigel Grocock said RWS' full impact on business would only be seen when Universal Studios Singapore opened. In the meantime, Grocock's team has been working on hotel packages that include visits to the theme park.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-22)

EXOTISSIMO Travel Group has launched a new product in Cambodia to cater to the demand from incentive groups for new unconventional experiences.

The new mobile safari tented stay provides a camping experience for up to 80 delegates with a total of 40 safari tents. Each is equipped with double beds, mosquito nets, clothes hangers, chairs, tables and fans, and a small veranda.

A proper dining area would be set up in the heart of the camp site with catering provided by surrounding villages, hotels or local charity hospitality schools. Exotissimo has also invested in Western-style bathroom facilities at the camp sites, according to business development director Hamish Keith.

The company is offering the safari tented stay at any location in Cambodia, including Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and along the Mekong River up to the Laos border. Suggested locations have included Sambor Prey Kuk, 198km from Phnom Penh, for a 15-tent, 30-person camp site surrounded by about 180 ruins of ancient temples, and Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island), for a 10-tent, 20-person beachfront site located some 135km from the Cambodian capital.

The product has already attracted a 30-person incentive from Australia, as well as smaller FIT groups.

Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-22)

THE LONE Pine Hotel on Batu Ferringhi beach, Penang, will reopen in October with a new spa facility.

The hotel had been closed for renovations since April 2009.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-19)

THE ASSOCIATION of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has told members to recommend tourists to reroute, instead of cancel, their trips to other Thai destinations with direct international air links, if they were concerned over the situation in Bangkok.

The directive from ATTA president Surapol Sritrakul was in response to concerns that travel advisories on Thailand recently issued or stepped up by 18 countries might stop tourists from travelling to the kingdom.

The advisories highlighted the political instability in Thailand, over news of an upcoming large political gathering on February 26 by red-shirted supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai Hotels Association president Prakit Chinamourphong said: “The gathering will just be a normal political gathering, which can occur in any other democratic country. It will not affect tourists.”

Meanwhile, Tourism Council of Thailand secretary-general Pornthip Hirunkate said an Australian media outlet misquoted her as saying that Australians should consider avoiding Bangkok.

“What I meant was that Australians could now travel direct to Phuket with more air links recently launched, if they were concerned about the (planned gathering on February 26) situation in Bangkok,” she said.

Singapore (2010-02-19)

MORE Singaporeans expect to go on holiday to a regional destination in the first half of this year compared to six months ago, according to a MasterCard survey on potential consumer travel behaviour.

Regional destinations are proving more popular with Singaporeans than destinations further afield, as nine of the top 10 likely global travel destinations listed by respondents are located in Asia-Pacific.

Ninety-seven per cent of 400 respondents listed a destination in the Asia-Pacific as a top vacation spot.

On a market-level basis, Malaysia (40 per cent) topped the list as the most popular destination, followed by Hong Kong (33 per cent), Taiwan (31 per cent), Australia (25 per cent) and Thailand (22 per cent).

Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-19)

MALAYSIA has revised its tourism receipt target for this year to RM54 billion (US$15.9 billion), an increase of RM2 billion, tourism minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said on February 18.

A new target was set as tourism revenue for 2009 came up to RM52 billion, from a total of 23.65 million tourists.

Malaysia registered 1,896,918 tourists for January this year, an increase of 1.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2009.

The top 10 markets were Singapore (1,001,806), Indonesia (202,124), Thailand (97,050), China, including Hong Kong and Macau (95,473), Brunei (67,544), Australia (54,136), India (48,426), the UK (32,739), the Philippines (32,040) and Japan (30,757).

For this year, the tourism ministry has set a target of 24 million visitor arrivals.

Jakarta (2010-02-19)

TWO Indonesian airlines are preparing to utilise their fifth freedom rights as part of their route expansion to Europe and the Middle East.

Director of air transportation Tri Sunoko was quoted by local media as saying Garuda Indonesia was planning to utilise the right to carry passengers and cargo between Dubai and Amsterdam on its Jakarta-Dubai-Amsterdam daily flight, which will be launched on June 1.

Lion Air also plans to service passengers transiting in Kuala Lumpur on its Jakarta-Jeddah flights. The airline now has five direct services a week between Jakarta and Jeddah and is planning to add two more via Kuala Lumpur.

Fifth freedom rights allow an airline to carry revenue traffic between foreign countries as a part of services connecting the airline's own country.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-19)

THE 41-key Wangz Hotel, a five-star boutique property, has opened in Singapore's heritage estate, Tiong Bahru, a site popular for boutique hotels such as the Link Hotel and Hotel Nostalgia.

Since its soft-opening last December, Wangz Hotel has built up its occupancy rate to 50 per cent. Spokesperson Wang Zhiling said numbers are picking up and the hotel is working closely with online travel agencies to boost occupancy, offering a maximum 15 per cent commission.

The hotel's proximity to the financial district and the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre have earned it a majority guest pool of corporate travellers, most of whom are from Europe, especially Germany and France.

Facilities include a gym, all-day dining restaurant Nectar and rooftop lounge Halo that may be booked for private events for 70 pax.

The hotel is owned by Glastech, which has businesses in serviced offices and property investment, among others.

Singapore (2010-02-19)

SILVERSEA Cruises has partnered Relais & Châteaux to introduce L'École des Chefs, an interactive cooking school, on 11 voyages this year.

The voyages, which are commissionable to travel agents and available to incentive groups, take passengers through culinary classes that are designed according to the cruise itinerary.

Highlights include workshops, cooking demonstrations, a “Lunch and Learn” event for guests to sample specially prepared dishes, and excursions to local markets, restaurants, hotels or other venues where possible on certain voyages.

Fares based on double occupancy for a Vista Suite on these voyages start from US$3,678 per person for a 12-day sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver and US$7,318 for a 16-day cruise from Athens to Dubai. An 18-day sailing from Sydney to Singapore with calls in eight ports including Brisbane, Cairns and Bali, starts from US$6,118.

Singapore (2010-02-18)

THAI hotel management company, Amari, has teamed up with a management consultant to grow its footprint in India with the launch of Amari India.

In its first international foray outside of Thailand, the company has entered into a joint venture partnership with Mandeep S Lamba to actively pursue its expansion in India, with a view to securing management contracts for seven hotels and resorts across the country within the next five to seven years.

India is a key source market for Amari's network of hotels and resorts in Thailand.

The development is in line with Amari's plans to position itself as a leading hospitality chain with plans to operate 51 properties in the Asia-Pacific region by 2018.

Lamba was previously the managing director and founder of Ten Hotels, a hospitality management company based in Gurgaon, New Delhi.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-18)

LAN Airlines intends to grow its presence in South-east Asia with the appointment of Singapore-based The Walshe Group as its GSA.

LAN Airlines general manager Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Rodrigo Contreras, sees further potential in Asia-Pacific air travel and is keen to establish a strong presence in South-east Asia following the company's success in North Asian markets such as Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong.

Contreras said: “Singapore is a natural and essential addition to the company's sales network in the region, providing not only a strong market in its own right, but excellent opportunities for travellers to make onward connections to ports such as Sydney, Auckland and Los Angeles where we have a strong online presence.”

LAN Airlines is offering three per cent commission to earn travel agent support. Although it has no plans to fly to Singapore, the airline is working with other carriers through interlining arrangements to promote its services to South American destinations.

LAN Airline, headquartered in Chile, is a member of the oneworld alliance and flies daily from Sydney, Auckland and Los Angeles to Santiago, and from Los Angeles to Lima.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-18)

THE strong Chinese economy and Tourism Malaysia's aggressive promotions in the mainland are prompting Malaysian agents to seek out more MICE business from China.

Mayflower Acme Tours director/general manager Chin Ten Hoy is targeting a RM7 million (US$2 million) turnover for MICE business from China this year, a RM2 million increase over last year. The company has strengthened its MICE department for China inbound, adding seven employees to its previous three.

“With more sales people looking for new business, our group sizes have tripled and the number of confirmed bookings have also doubled. Before, our group sizes averaged about 300 delegates. Now, our average delegate size is about 1,000 people. We have the hardware to confidently handle 10,000 delegates,” said Chin.

BMC Travel general manager KT Foo is also targeting a 30 per cent increase in MICE revenue from China this year. The company will expand marketing efforts to include secondary cities such as Chengdu, Wuhan, Guilin, Hohot and Harbin.

BMC travel has also increased its staff strength to eight dedicated employees for its MICE China inbound divisions, from a previous head count of six.

S Puvaneswary, Bandar Seri Begawan (2010-02-18)

AGENTS in Brunei are taking advantage of direct flights to Shanghai to develop the Chinese meetings and incentives market.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) will reinstate its four weekly Bandar Seri Begawan-Shanghai direct service from March 28.

PJ Majestic Tours & Travel managing director Peter Chieng said numerous multinational companies in Shanghai were looking for new destinations.

Chieng intends to do sales calls in Shanghai next month to look for MICE specialists to partner with in promoting Brunei as a mono destination.

Bonasia Holiday Management Services managing director Caroline Ang, is keen on rebuilding the meetings and incentives market from Shanghai and twinning it with Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Such programmes would be easier to sell, she said, given Brunei’s limited attractions and its strict policy on alcohol consumption.

Ang said: “With direct accessibility and seats, it is easier to talk to agents from China to promote Brunei as a MICE destination.”

Anand & Madhura Katti, Mumbai (2010-02-18)

BEST Western has introduced its Premier brand in India through a partnership with the Vedic Village Spa Resort of Kolkata.

The 140-room Best Western Premier Vedic Village Spa Resort specialises in Naturopathy and Ayurvedic medical treatments in luxury accommodation with a choice of villas, suites, studios and farmhouses.

Popular as a long-stay option and as a MICE venue, it has six dedicated conference rooms with a  seating capacity of 30 to 200 participants with a wide range of break-out spaces.
The resort was completely renovated last year and will soon have a convention centre that can accommodate 3,500 pax.

Bangkok (2010-02-18)

THAI Airways International (THAI) will resume its Bangkok-Johannesburg service with four flights a week from May 16.

The route will be part of the airline’s adjusted summer schedule, effective from March 28 to October 30.

During this period, THAI will reduce the frequency of its Bangkok-Oslo service from daily to five flights weekly while the Bangkok-Moscow and Bangkok-Busan services will be reduced from four to three flights a week. Its Bangkok-Penang service will turn daily, from the current five weekly flights.

The airline will also temporarily suspend the Bangkok-Kathmandu, Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok and Bangkok-Kuwait routes.

On the domestic front, THAI will transfer flights to Phitsanulok, Ubol Ratchathani and Mae Hong Son to its subsidiary low-cost carrier Nok Air from March 1. Nok operates from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport.

Prudence Lui, Hong Kong (2010-02-18)

JEBSEN Travel has expanded its portfolio of services to include cruise products.

The agency has added the Voyage of Discovery, Swan Hellenic Cruises and the soon-to-be-signed Uniworld Grand River Cruises to its product lineup. It is also currently in talks with a car rental company.

The company attributes the new direction to industry veteran Richard Willis, who came on board as  business development advisor last August.

Jebsen Travel Marketing Group managing director Eddy Sat said: “We have signed up a destination management company since Richard joined us. More principals are expected to be working with Jebsen.”

Singapore (2010-02-17)

WOTIF.COM Holdings registered after-tax profit of A$27.6 million (US$24.8 million) in the half year ending December 31, 2009.

The company, owner of travel brands such as Wotif.com, Asia Web Direct and LateStays.com attributed its 34 per cent growth in part to increased property and flight bookings.

During this period, the Wotif Group sold 22 per cent more room nights across the group than in the prior corresponding period. This came up to 3.7 million room nights or A$517 million in accommodation transacted by the group. Room nights sold in Asia rose 20 per cent to 587,000.

Wotif Group's flight bookings increased by 16 per cent and total transaction value for flights grew 12 per cent to A$40.7 million.

Adding to the company's success was its launch of Wotflight, an online booking service focused on Wotif.com's customer base. The company also purchased GoDo, a real-time online booking service with over 1,000 suppliers and 2,000 bookable activities, with cross-sell opportunities within the group.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-17)

CHIANG Mai-based Rowaco Asia Travel and Bangkok company MindWaves Solutions plan to grow traffic under a newly-formed partnership.

Rowaco Asia Travel managing director Rob Waardenburg said the new entity, Centennial IT & Travel, was expected to result in Rowaco achieving at least 2,500 inbound visitors a year from direct online bookings within the next few years.

The projection is on top of the 10,000 mainly European inbound clients the company currently services per year, about 90 per cent of which were B2B or booked through agents, he added.

According to Waardenburg, Centennial was set up to exchange expertise between Rowaco and MindWaves. “Centennial will do no business. Each partner will continue their independent operations in their respective bases of Chiang Mai and Bangkok.”

MindWaves will tailor-make IT solutions for Rowaco, at the same time drawing from the established inbound tour operator’s 18-year experience to sharpen-up its software development and offers, he said.

Under the partnership, Rowaco is expected to launch a new website later this month and will be equipped with a new online reservation system later in the year.

Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-17)

AIRASIA is expanding its reach in Vietnam with the launch of a new low cost carrier (LCC), VietJet AirAsia.

AirAsia recently acquired a 30 per cent equity stake in VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company (VietJet Air) to establish the joint venture, which will see Vietnam opening another gateway to the ASEAN region.

The new LCC will operate both domestic and international flights and is currently finalising details regarding routes, frequencies and launch of flights.

The formation of VietJet AirAsia makes Vietnam AirAsia’s fourth country base, after Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Vivian Lee, South Korea (2010-02-17)

KOREA is looking at a bigger share of the MICE pie with the revamp of its MICE organisation.

The newly transformed Korea MICE Bureau, formerly known as the Korea Convention Bureau, will take on greater responsibility with additional staff and an expanded scope, mainly from overseeing conventions and international meetings to include incentive travel, corporate meetings, events and exhibitions.

In addition, the bureau, along with the Medical Tourism Center and the Inter-Korea Tourism Center, has been classified under the area of New Growth Business. Kunsoo Kim has been appointed vice president for the New Growth Business.

Prior to the restructuring, the bureau focused mainly on international meetings and incentives. Now, the Korea MICE Bureau will reinforce functions such as identifying potential clients, developing a wider choice of programmes and providing professional and sophisticated support to incentive groups.

The bureau consists of a MICE Strategic Planning Team, Convention Team, Corporate Meeting and Incentive Team, as well as the Event and Exhibition Team.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-02-17)

AIRASIA will cease its loss-making Manado-Kuala Lumpur service on February 25, almost one-and-a-half years after it first started plying the route.

Though traffic to Manado was growing, load factors from Manado was low, reaching 50 to 60 per cent on an average ticket price of 600,000 rupiah (US$64.50). AirAsia then increased ticket prices to cover the losses but this had an adverse impact on loads.

Indonesia AirAsia director of marketing and distribution Indonesia, Widijastono Nugroho, was quoted by Bisnis Indonesia as saying: “The decision is final as we have been running losses for one year.”

North Sulawesi tourism stakeholders regretted the decision, which would dampen efforts to make Manado a MICE destination and a tourism gateway to the province. TTG Asia e-Daily also understands Manado is keen to provide the venue for the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012 in Indonesia.

Mapanget Megah Wisata Tours and Travel managing director Reenaldo Wangkar said: “We are losing both inbound and outbound groups with this closure. It is a big loss for us and for the destination.”

Local tourism stakeholders intend to lobby AirAsia to consider options such as a Kuala Lumpur-Manado-Makassar (South Sulawesi) service, a move some trade members consider too late.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-02-17)

BALI-based tour agency Indo Journey is expanding its presence in Indonesia.

With its set-up of a Jakarta office and the launch of MICE Journey in Bali, the company is moving to capture both the inbound Jakarta traffic and the burgeoning Indonesian MICE market.

Indo Journey CEO and managing director Agus Winarko said: “I know it is unusual to set up a second office in Jakarta to grab inbound business as most people believe Jakarta is not an inbound destination, but we see the opportunity for both leisure and MICE, especially from India and the Middle East.”

The company will participate in the Gulf Incentive Business Travel and Meetings fair for the first time this year to develop the Middle East market.

“In fact, with strong competition in the travel agency business, I see MICE as a more lucrative prospect. Therefore, we see the importance of setting up a separate company to handle MICE. This business will not only be dependent on the inbound market but also on the huge domestic meetings business,” Winarko said.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-17)

SINGAPORE GP will maintain prices for its Paddock Club, Sky and Club Suites this year and introduce a slew of enhanced features in its hospitality suites.

Last year, Singapore GP raised prices for its hospitality suites from S$3,000 (US$2,125) to S$7,500 per person in 2008 to S$3,388 to S$8,000. Despite the price hike, 85 per cent of the inventory was taken up.

For this year's race, it will cost S$8,000 for a three-day pass to the Paddock Club, which will offer greater layout flexibility with options for a built-in informal meeting area, more food stalls, a Bellini bar, an enhanced spa area, and dedicated suites for 90 guests instead of the previous 100.

Sky and Club Suites will also enjoy better layout flexibility, more space between tables in shared suites, an improved f&b selection, a new spa service, and dedicated suites for 45 guests instead of 50 previously. Three-day passes range from S$5,000 to S$7,000 per person.

Rates for the Green Room corporate suite, however, will go up three per cent to S$3,500 alongside an enhanced meal service with champagne.

Singapore GP corporate sales director Darren Chen noted strong interest from repeat and prospective clients since sales started on February 9.

Jakarta (2010-02-11)

REGIONAL tour operators are decrying Indonesia’s move to withdraw a seven-day visa-on-arrival (VOA) costing US$10, which means their clients must pay for the other VOA, a 30-day costing US$25 per application, even if they stay only a few days.

Indonesia withdrew the seven-day VOA on January 26 but allowed greater leeway for those with the 30-day VOA, who are now allowed a one-time extension of  up to another 30 days. But the extension is irrelevant for the shorthaul markets, whose average length of stay is no more than a week. In fact, these markets were being penalised, argued operators.

While the extension might be good news for longhaul operators, regional operators said doing away with the seven-day VOA might affect overall volume as regional travellers needed to pay an extra 150 per cent on visa charges even if they stayed a week or less.

- Full report in TTG Asia, February 19 issue

Anand & Madhura Katti, Mumbai (2010-01-21)

THE IATA Agents Associations of India (IAAI) on February 8 filed a contempt of court motion against India's Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA), Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the 16 airlines which moved to zero commissions.

IAAI president Biji Eapen said the proceedings were filed because the parties involved did not follow the Kerala High Court July 13, 2009 directive for the DGCA to resolve the issue of airlines paying zero commissions.

Meetings between the DGCA, MCA, airlines and travel trade associations have not brought about any conclusion to the matter.

Eapen said: “(We were) hoping to settle the matter amicably. The IAAI did not take any pre-emptive action previously and had decided to allow the government enough time to settle the issue. No action has been taken so far and hence we had to file this case in the interest of the travel fraternity of India.”

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-11)

CITY and beach resorts in Malaysia are enjoying high forward bookings for the upcoming Chinese New Year period.

Dorsett Regency Hotel Kuala Lumpur general manager Christina Toh said forward bookings for the period between February 14 and 18 were hovering around the 80 per cent range compared to the 40 per cent occupancy rate in the first week of February.

The 335-room, Impiana KLCC Hotel & Spa is also averaging 80 per cent occupancy from February 14 to 19, said its director of sales & marketing, Norizan Karim.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang with 250 rooms and the 99-room Tanjong Jara Resort in Terengganu are also seeing bookings of around 90 per cent for the period between February 13 and 19.

Prudence Lui, Hong Kong (2010-02-11)

HONG KONG will welcome 2,700 new hotel rooms to meet the demand of an expected increase in arrivals this year.

The Hong Kong Hotel Association (HKHA) does not expect the increase, an addition to the 5,000 new rooms introduced last year, to cause an oversupply.

HKHA executive director James Lu explained: "With visitor arrivals projected to increase by five per cent in 2010, the supply of new hotel rooms will be more than sufficient to handle increased visitor traffic...The overall sentiment is good and 2010 will be a good recovery year for Hong Kong."

Hong Kong Tourism Board statistics show hotel occupancy of 78 per cent in 2009, down seven per cent compared to 2008 with an average room rate of HK$1,023 (US$132), a 16.3 per cent decrease. In 2009, there were 3,062,651 visitor arrivals, a 0.3 per cent growth - versus the original projection of a 1.6 per cent drop.

The latest property offering is the 345-key East, at Taikoo Place in Island East. In November, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong will make its much anticipated comeback in West Kowloon.

Singapore (2010-02-11)

BANYAN Tree Hotels & Resorts has revamped its worldwide recognition programme for travel agents.

The improved Xtraordinary Travel Consultants (XTC) programme, rolling out on February 22, is designed to recognise, incentivise and engage top-producing travel agents.

Available to travel consultants via either a qualifying selection process or by-invitation-only basis, privileges will be given to members who secure bookings at all Banyan Tree and Angsana properties.

Assistant vice president, global network marketing, Audrey Chung, said: "With around eight new properties expected to open this year...our members will have the opportunity to earn more points when promoting them, and at the same time, experience our award-winning properties themselves. We are confident that XTC will empower our agents to make more informed recommendations to their clients", she added.

A dedicated XTC banyantree.com/xtc website has been established for members.

Jakarta (2010-02-11)

BEST Western International has launched a luxury brand property in Indonesia.

The 148-room Best Western Premier Hotel Solo, located in the heart of Solo, Central Java, is near the two famous royal palaces of Mangkunegaran and Kasunanan, and is targeted at leisure and business travellers.

Best Western International Area Development - Indonesia business development consultant, Winston Hanes, said:  “We are proud to have such a beautiful hotel under the Best Western Premier brand in Indonesia. Solo is a city rich in culture and the hotel reflects the area’s many different batik designs and the architectural accents famous in this region of Javanese royalty.” 

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok, reporting for TTGmice (2010-02-10)

THAILAND has been selected as venue of the inaugural Agel World Tour Asia 2010, to be held from March 27 to 28.

The event marks the first time Agel, a nutrition supplement supplier and multi-level marketing company, will hold its annual business event outside the US. Agel plans to hold the event bi-annually from this year.

Agel Enterprises (Thailand) general manager Chaiwat Chaijindawat said South-east Asia was singled out for the regional version and Thailand was selected because Agel Thailand represented the fastest-growing market in the region.

About 4,000 to 5,000 delegates from 54 countries are expected to attend the event, which will be held at IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok.

According to Chaiwat, Agel Thailand will also host the regional event next year.

Jakarta (2010-02-10)

DEMAND for Bali is high over this Lunar New Year, with a total of 28 extra flights mounted between February 1 and February 21.

Indonesia’s directorate general of air communication announced it had issued 16 extra flights for the Shanghai-Denpasar route operated by China Eastern Airlines, six Hong Kong-Denpasar by Cathay Pacific, three Hong Kong-Denpasar by Hong Kong Express and three Shanghai-Denpasar by Shanghai Airlines.

Director of air transportation, Tri Sunoko, was reported as saying: “The four airlines have requested for extra flights following the high demand for seat capacity during the holiday period to Bali.”

Meanwhile, Garuda Indonesia changing aircraft from 162-seat Boeing 737-800NG to 222-seat Airbus 330-200 from Jakarta to Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, among others.

Ollie Quiniquini, Manila (2010-02-10)

EL NIDO Resorts in Palawan is expanding with a third resort opening in May 2011.

The El Nido Resort at Pangalusian Island will cater to the high-end market, particularly from Russia and other European markets, and command room-only rates of US$500 to US$800. It will have 45 casitas, each with its private beach, and three to four f&b outlets.

The new addition will bring El Nido Resorts’ room inventory to 145, as its Lagen and Miniloc properties have 50 rooms each.

Meanwhile, El Nido Resorts switched to a room rate structure last month, abandoning its long-time all-inclusive concept. Sales manager Bambi Samson said: “We’ve removed the f&b component from the rate to give guests more flexibility and pay only for what they consume. They have the option to pay the room rate, which includes tours, activities and equipment, or upgrade to a full-board package.”

Rates, with breakfast, at El Nido Resort Miniloc now range from US$250 to US$350; at El Nido Resort Lagen, from US$350 to US$400. F&B for lunch and dinner is either a la carte or buffet.

Phnom Penh (2010-02-10)

CAMBODIA's first luxury tented resort, 4 Rivers Floating Ecolodge, has opened.

The resort, accessible only by boat, is located on the bend of Tatai River running from Cardamom Mountains, in the southwest of Cambodia and covering Koh Kong and Pursat provinces.

Cambodia-based Asia Adventures is the booking agent for the Ecolodge.

There are 18 luxury tented villas, a reception area, gourmet restaurant and river water swimming pool. Each 45sqm villa has a four-poster bed, DVD player, flat screen TV, WiFi connection, minibar and a private floating terrace.

A number of non-forest products were used in its construction. The resort uses solar power with a backup generator powered by biofuel and has a waste management system.

Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-10)

IN danger of losing its tourist icon, the Malacca state government is negotiating to keep the Eye on Malaysia in the city with the company that owns the 62m high observation wheel, Belgian based company, Fitraco NV.

Malacca Chief Minister, Mohd Ali Rustam, reportedly said several proposals would be put forward. One
is to allow local company, Eye On Malaysia, to continue operating the wheel and pay Fitraco NV 60 per cent of ticket sales. Another was for the state subsidiary, Perbadanan Sungai dan Pantai Melaka, to buy the wheel.

On February 7, Fitraco NV won its suit against MST Ad Suria, filed at the High Court on September 15, 2009, to recover a RM17 million (US$ 4,956,985) loan for rental and freight of the wheel to Malaysia in 2006.

The High Court had granted the right to Fitraco NV to take possession of the wheel. It could do anything it wanted with the wheel, including relocating or selling it.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-09)

MALAYSIA is facing a severe shortage of Chinese-speaking guides for the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday period.

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association has requested the tourism ministry to issue 230 temporary tourist guide licences from February 13 to 22, said its executive council member (China market), Bernard Low.

According to Low, the shortage of Chinese-speaking guides this year is more pronounced than in previous years as arrivals from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan are booming. Last year, there was no shortage of guides and in 2008, the tourism ministry issued only 100 temporary guide licences. 

A release issued by Tourism Malaysia shows that the country is scheduled to receive 44 charter flights from the North and East Asia region between January 24 and March 1.
The flights are expected to carry about 6,477 holiday-makers from South Korea (360 pax), China (3,590 pax) and Taiwan (2,527 pax) to destinations in Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kuantan, Johor, Penang and Langkawi.

Bangkok (2010-02-09)

THAI Airways International (THAI) has received the green light for a 35.5 billion baht (US$1 billion) acquisition of 15 new aircraft over the next four years.

A total of 31.25 billion baht is earmarked for the financial lease of seven aircraft with a capacity of 300 seats to serve regional routes. The airline will lease for 10 to 15 years eight aircraft with a capacity of 350 seats for longhaul routes.

The 15 new aircraft will be on top of the airline’s latest acquisition of five Airbus A330-300s to come into operation this year and six A380s to be delivered between 2012 and 2013.

The acquisition of new aircraft is part of the Thai flag carrier’s plan to upgrade its fleet over the next 10 years.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-09)

THE ongoing leadership conflict in the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) has not deterred the incumbent executive council (exco) from organising events for members.

A half-day seminar for members will be held today in Kuala Lumpur, the first since the MATTA general elections on January 7.

The agenda will include current issues facing the travel industry and a members’ update, said Mohd Khalid Harun, MATTA's president.

A management committee meeting tomorrow will fine tune details on holding seminars in other states.

The exco is also planning a B2B tradeshow which will run concurrent with the MATTA fair in Kuala Lumpur from September 10 to 12.

Mohd Khalid was elected president during the hotly contested general elections, a result still challenged by the camp of opposing candidate Joshua Peter Tan (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 8, 2010).

The ongoing tussle between the two MATTA camps will be heard before the High Court on April 1.

Singapore (2010-02-09)

ADELAIDE Convention Tourism Authority (ACTA) has won the bid to host the 2014 World Aquaculture Congress.

The major world congress is one of the largest to be held in the state of South Australia with more than 3,000 delegates and 200 exhibitors expected to attend the four-day event, with a projected injection of A$11.5 million (US$10 million) into the local economy.

Damien Kitto, ACTA CEO, said: “The win is testament to ACTA's Conventions Adelaide programme and our 'Team Adelaide' approach...which they saw firsthand, what South Australia has to offer in terms of products and services.”

Singapore (2010-02-09)

ASSOCIATIONS now get twice the support to help them bid for international conventions to be held in the East Malaysian state of Sarawak.

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) will work in tandem under a Team Malaysia banner to bring more international conventions to the country.

Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad, chairman of SCB, said: “Malaysia has not yet achieved its potential in regard to this most lucrative sector of tourism and our research shows that East Malaysia is a popular choice with international planners...Our two organisations have the same goal of winning more business for Malaysia, so it makes good sense to pool our resources and support when bidding overseas and we know this will increase our chance of success in this highly competitive market.”

To kickstart the partnership, the two CVBs will jointly host an Association Dinner in Kuala Lumpur on January 28, where meeting planners and association hosts will be briefed on the Team Malaysia concept.

Singapore (2010-02-09)

HOSPITALITY management company Golden Tulip has added to its portfolio with the signing of two properties in Thailand.

The group will rebrand the Royal Orchid Pattaya and the Erawan Hotel Pattaya as the Golden Tulip Resort Pattaya and the Golden Tulip Erawan Hotel respectively.

Both Pattaya properties will undergo extensive renovations to bring them up to the company's operating standards and will re-open in early March.

New integrated resort for Manila

 Ollie Quiniquini, Subic (2010-02-08)

HOT on the heels of unveiling its Resorts World Manila integrated resort, Travellers International has announced plans for another international tourism project in Metro Manila.

The company, a joint venture between Philippines’ Alliance Global and Malaysia’s Star Cruises of the Genting Group, will build a 40-hectare integrated resort called Bayshore City within the Entertainment City Manila development along Manila Bay.

Alliance Global president Kingson Sian said Bayshore City would have close to 5,000 rooms, gaming facilities, shopping arcades, museums and conference venues. “We will also team up with our partner, Star Cruises, to bring big cruise ships to Manila Bay. We are currently studying the feasibility of turning Metro Manila into a cruise destination and hub.”

Development on Bayshore City will start this year but Sian declined to provide a completion date for the project.

Meanwhile, Travellers International’s Resorts World Manila will be fully opened by next year. Presently operating in the eight-hectare project that soft-opened last August are the 342-room Marriott Hotel and one of four gaming floors in the eight-storey building that will house a 172-suite Maxims Hotel, scheduled to open this year. The 700-room Remington Hotel, a budget condotel-type property, will start welcoming guests by early 2011.

Conference highlights challenges for Philippines MICE

Ollie Quiniquini, Subic (2010-02-08)

ACCESS, infrastructure and the lack of longterm strategies are among the challenges the Philippines must overcome to become a viable MICE destination, said speakers at the Philippine MICE Conference in Subic that concluded yesterday.

Anthony Wong, Asian Overland Services group managing director, suggested tapping into the low-cost carrier (LCC) network to improve access. Noting that LCCs have changed the regional playing field, Wong encouraged the Philippines to court more LCCs. “Even MICE groups nowadays do not mind flying on LCCs.  The Philippines can become a hub of LCC activity.” As AirAsia and Tiger Airways already fly to Clark’s Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, Wong was eager to explore Clark-Subic packages for Malaysia’s leisure and MICE groups.

Proper infrastructure was key for Martin Sirk, president of the International Congress & Convention Association. The lack of venues, access and mobility was holding the Philippines back in its MICE ambitions, he said.

Elizabeth Rich, CEO of Australia’s Business Events Council, would like to see greater “Swiss precision” in holding events and also urged the country to clean up its environment.

For MCI Group president Robin Lokerman, it was about longterm strategies and execution. “Look into partnerships and leverage your unique cultural spirit,” he said.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-08)

BANGKOK-based tour operator, All Asia Exclusive (AAE), will launch its own line of border-crossing tour products at ITB Berlin.

Sales director Phaopan Anankamnee said the new products would allow AAE to provide a one-stop service for customers of its two main European accounts - Tischler and Tourasia - and other emerging accounts from Italy and Portugal to book combined tour programmes between Thailand and Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar.

Currently, partners book the Thailand portion with AAE while the border-crossing option is handled by local or regional tour operators.

AAE's new products will highlight the Thailand-Cambodia package with crossings from Thailand's Aranyaprathet through Cambodia's Poipet to Siem Reap. The Thailand-Laos tour will offer two crossing options - Chongmeg to Pakse or Nongkhai to Vientiane - and the Thailand-Myanmar programme will be from from Maesai to Tachileik.

AAE is also looking at ways to conduct its own programmes in Cambodia and Laos while partner AAE (Myanmar) will be the groundhandler for the Myanmar portion.

Singapore (2010-02-08)

THE first of three buoyant foundations for the world's first floating island was laid in Seoul on February 6.

The 9,995m2 artificial floating island in the Hangang river will comprise three islets, namely Vista, Viva and Terra, joined together to form the Soul Flora.

Each islet of the island will have different themes and functions and will provide spaces for various activities.

Vista, the largest of the three islets, will feature a 692-seat multipurpose hall for plays, concerts, festivals and other cultural performances. It will also have a rooftop terrace, a sunken deck, a flower garden and a pedestrian trail.

Viva, the second islet, will also be able to accommodate cultural and entertainment activities.

Terra, the smallest of the three, will serve as the base for water sports and leisure activities and will accommodate a club house and dock for boats.

Funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to the tune of US$84 million, construction of the island started in March 2009 and is expected to be fully operational by August. 

Singapore (2010-02-08)

OPTIMISING hotel spend, improving traveller compliance, optimising simple bookings, and driving air and ground transportation savings are the top four areas of higher priority for travel managers in 2010, according to a survey by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT).

“Driving savings was the mandate for travel managers throughout 2009...This will be the case in 2010 as well, even as the economy improves and business travel picks up,” said Cathy Voss, CWT executive vice president, global programme solutions.

The report surveyed 169 travel managers to identify their key priorities for 2010.

Forecasting the year ahead, CWT anticipates a decline in negotiated hotel rates; little, if any, demand for dynamic hotel pricing from travel managers and buyers; higher average ticket prices for air travel as industry consolidation and capacity reduction continue; and the reinforcement of ancillary fees. Furthermore, competition for rail travel will increase and car rental companies will continue to control costs while increasing rates and no-show fees.

CWT also foresees efforts to enhance the  traveller experience through mobile services, paperless boarding passes and wireless Internet for air and rail travel.

Singapore (2010-02-08)

WYNDHAM Hotel Group will launch two new properties in Singapore.

The 391-room Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park and the 405-key Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park will be the first under the Ramada and Days Inn brands respectively to be developed in Singapore.

Both properties, located at Balestier Road, will be developed by HH Properties, a joint venture between Hiap Hoe and SuperBowl Holdings. Construction will begin early this year and completion is slated for 2014.

Hong Kong (2010-02-05)

SHERATON Hotels & Resorts has launched a US$20 million multimedia campaign, unveiling the brand's relaunch following a multi-billion dollar revamp.

In a February 4 earnings call, Starwood Hotels & Resorts CEO Frits Van Paasschen described it as the brand's "biggest marketing campaign ever".

The 'Rediscover Sheraton' campaign encourages travellers to take a new look at the brand, which has undergone a three-year overhaul costing US$6 billion, US$2 billion of which went on new hotels overseas.

Another US$4 billion will be invested in developing the brand over the next three years, Van Paasschen said.

"We've opened 65 new hotels, renovated 100 others, redesigned over 300 lobbies and rolled out over 100,000 new Sweet Sleeper Beds," Van Paasschen said. "We've also pulled the Sheraton flag off 40 hotels that could not meet our standards."

'Rediscover Sheraton' leverages the insight that a growing number of travellers are blending business with leisure and there is growing demand for space that allow for social interaction.

Hong Kong (2010-02-05)

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts has reported that guests are returning to luxury accommodation after what it described as “the worse downturn in our lifetimes” in 2009, during the February 4 earnings call.

The group, which owns brands such as Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien and W Hotels, saw revenue per available room (RevPar) for the year fall 20 per cent as luxury properties were hardest hit in the global slump.

“As we have been predicting for some time, guests are coming back to luxury,” said Starwood CEO Frits Van Paasschen.

Regionally, he said Asia-Pacific stood out with RevPar for the luxury segment growing one per cent against declines of three per cent for the company as a whole.

Starwood chief financial officer Vasant Prabhu also said that Asia showed “the sharpest base of recovery” on trends such as the declining rate of cancellations and a rise in production for 2010. “The recovery was broad-based across Asia led by China. The only market that lags is Japan.”

Van Paasschen also revealed that the region was far and away the company’s largest growth driver, accounting for 50,000 of the 85,000 rooms in the pipeline.

Starwood plans to double its China portfolio and increase its inventory in India by 60 per cent by 2012.

MCI chief points to rise of meetings hybrid

Ollie Quiniquini, Manila (2010-02-05)

A NEW hybrid of meetings is emerging, having taken on board MICE lessons learned during 2009’s recession, say MICE industry leaders.

MCI Group president Robin Lokerman said the days of long plenary sessions are over. “The format of meetings will change completely. Venues need to be hyper-connected. Layouts need to change – there will be a need for more small breakout rooms and networking space.”

Lokerman believes meetings and conferences will be more interactive in different ways, thanks partly to new technology. While admitting that virtual meetings will never replace one-on-one contact, he said conferences would most likely have 12-minute presentations by speakers and “then people will digest the information, discuss this and come back with new insights”.

Elizabeth Rich, CEO of the Business Events Council of Australia, said small meetings might lose out with the advent of new technology but “when you’ve got issues that require heart, you need that direct person-to-person contact still”.

- Read more in TTGmice

New challenges ahead for meetings business

Ollie Quiniquini, Subic (2010-02-05)

INTERNATIONAL association meetings remained buoyant in 2009 but events planning grew a bit tougher as companies made fundamental changes to the way they did business.

Martin Sirk, president of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), noted that despite 2009's grim economic climate, there were very few cancellations for association meetings last year.

Calling the sector the most resilient in the whole meetings industry, Sirk attributed the positive showing to companies' recognition of the power of a knowledge economy, i.e. such events were necessary for transfering knowledge and for growth.

But shorter lead times, apparent since last year, have made event planning more challenging, according to Asian Overland Services group managing director Anthony Wong.

With associations now requiring destination management companies to share responsibility on results, one of the main challenges was meeting client requirements without sacrificing on service and quality. Human resource training therefore has become more vital this year.

- Read more in TTGmice

Ahir Bhairab Borthakur, Bangalore (2010-02-05)

MORE than half a year after a Kerala High Court ruled in agents’ favour, India’s Ministry of Law and Justice on February 3 asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) to look into the legality of airlines paying zero commission.
 
The travel agent fraternity is expecting the ministry will take a favourable stand and intervene to resolve the long-running row with airlines.

Associations such as the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), IATA Agents Association Of India (IAAI) and Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) are preparing for another round of meetings with the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) next week.

“(Last July) the Kerala High Court and now the law ministry have made DGCA the arbiter on this matter. We have full faith in the ministry and are optimistic that we will reach a favourable solution,” said Pradip Lulla, president of TAFI.  

The verdict of the Kerala High Court needs to be passed by DGCA as a directive, which all international airlines must abide by when flying into India.

Agents across the country are asking airlines to reinstate the five per cent commission on air tickets after about 14 foreign carriers moved to zero commission last year and introduced a transaction fee-based model. Air India and Jet Airways have reinstated a three per cent commission.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-05)

MOVENPICK Hotel Saigon will close for a major revamp and reopen on August 1.

The US$15 million renovation will give the property, which occupies the former Omni Hotel Saigon, 279 rooms instead of the current 251, reconfigured meeting spaces and refreshed f&b outlets with new menus.

The hotel's general manager Dominik Stamm said there was a need to close the property to avoid disruptions to guests. Alternative accommodation has been arranged for guests affected by the temporary closure.

Stamm believed that the hotel would no longer be referred to as the Omni after the overhaul.

Jakarta (2010-02-05)

BOUYED by passenger demand, Indonesia’s Lion Air will expand its services to Saudi Arabia from February 10.

The airline will increase its Jakarta-Jeddah direct flights from twice-weekly to five a week on its two-class, 506-seater B747-400 aircraft.

Lion Air managing director Edward Sirait said: “The flight frequency increase is a consequence of a high average load factor, around 80 per cent, since we launched the service last year and there is still a big potential market to develop on this route.”

Singapore (2010-02-05)

HONG Kong Airlines has placed orders with Airbus for six A330-200 aircraft for regional and longhaul route development.

The airlines plans to launch new services to destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to the Middle East and Europe.

The latest commitment will increase the number of A330s ordered by Hong Kong Airlines to 23. In addition to A330s, the carrier also has 30 single aisle A320 aircraft on firm order for future delivery.

Singapore (2010-02-05)

PREMIER properties in Hua Hin and Cha Am have collaborated on a marketing strategy to increase awareness of the region internationally.

The group launched its initiative on www.itsinhuahin.com to promote accommodation and activities available in and around Hua Hin and the neighbouring beach town of Cha Am.

The promotional partners include Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa, AKA Resorts, Anantara Hua Hin, Banyan Resort, Courtyard by Marriott Hua Hin, Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Veranda Resort & Spa Hua Hin, Banyan Golf Club and Hua Hin Hills Vineyard.

Hong Kong (2010-02-05)

WESTIN will open in China’s sixth largest city tomorrow (February 6), with an introductory package pegged at RMB1,001 (US$147) per room night.

The 275-room Westin Tianjin – located in the city’s historic and business district – has seven f&b outlets, a spa, gym and a dedicated MICE floor, offering 1,250 sqm of meeting and function.

The introductory offer includes RMB 400 per room in hotel credit that can be spent anywhere on the property but cannot be redeemed for room and service charges or used for the next stay.

Sunny Heng, who was until recently with sister Starwood hotel Sheraton Tianjin, has been appointed general manager of the new property.

Hong Kong (2010-02-05)

CHINA-based GDS TravelSky has extended its 15-year relationship with Travelport under a new agreement.

The mainland’s only licensed GDS extended its agreement for the Travelport E-Ticket Interchange system and its interline e-ticketing facility.

TravelSky processes more than 200 million passengers a year in China and its customers include 30 domestic airlines and nearly 200 regional and international carriers, 147 domestic airports and 7,000 ticketing agents.

Singapore (2010-02-05)

JETSTAR has extended an agreement with Abacus as part of moves to further develop its distribution network.

The Australian low cost carrier is banking on the agreement with the GDS to provide travellers greater access to its network of more than 50 destinations across Australasia, South-east Asia and the US.

The airline’s Jetstar Pacific subsidiary will join the arrangement by March.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-04)

BANGKOK-based Siam Express has mapped out a growth strategy that will see the established inbound operator venture into the outbound space.

An April launch is on the cards for the outbound business, which will see the company develop itineraries and operate tours for the Thai market.

“In the past, we have only focused on inbound and corporate travel, but we recognise the potential in the untapped outbound segments within our database,” said executive director Tanya Pirapokin.

The agency is making its outbound bet even after bookings for the Globus’ family of brands – for which it serves as GSA in Thailand – plunged 40 per cent last year, on par with regional patterns.

The other leg of its growth strategy was to focus on the FCm Travel Solutions Thailand operation, a joint-venture business that was established in late 2008 with Australia-based FCm Travel Solutions.

Pirapokin said the plan was to double FCm Thailand’s base of seven multinational clients.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-02-04)

MCI Group Asia-Pacific and Suntec Singapore kicked off the first initiative of a joint strategy to beef up the city’s bid to increase its share of the association meetings market.

An educational seminar to help associations in the city hone their management expertise crucial to drawing regional association meetings to Singapore was held today. The seminar focused on ways associations could keep up with the changing times. A second seminar is planned for later in the year.

The initiative is part of a joint marketing deal signed by MCI and the venue operator during ITB Asia last October to jointly pitch for business events to be held in the city. The two parties are putting together a strategy to reach out to 250 associations in the region, which have been identified as having conferences with more than 1,500 delegates attending.

MCI Singapore director – institutional division Chester Chu said associations in Singapore functioned differently from their western counterparts and there was much local associations could learn through these seminars and networking with other associations.

Although the seminars are now limited to Singapore-based not-for-profit associations, a spokesperson for MCI said future seminars may be expanded beyond the city-state.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-02-04)

AIRASIA X is temporarily suspending its Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi service, three months after the route’s launch.

In a statement, the longhaul budget airline said flights would resume “once we are able to have a more economical aircraft to service this route. We remain optimistic about the potential of Abu Dhabi, and we believe with the right aircraft, the economic upside can be very promising especially if we can pair up Abu Dhabi with another on-route destination”.

Travel agents said the suspension would not make a dent in their business.

World Avenues executive director Ally Bhoonee noted that most inbound tourists from the Middle East preferred flying on full-serviced airlines.

Sri Sutra Travel managing director Syed Razif Al Yahya said Abu Dhabi was not a popular mono destination for Malaysian tourists and had to be twinned with the more popular Dubai.

Singapore (2010-02-04)

BANGKOK Airways and EVA Air have signed a codeshare agreement, which has been hailed as beneficial for Thai tourism.

The agreement, for services from Amsterdam, Vienna, London (Heathrow) and Taipei to Koh Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai, will be come into effect in March.

EVA will operate the international flights while Bangkok Air will handle the domestic service.

“With the strength of Bangkok Airways’ feeding network coupled with EVA Air’s longhaul expertise, I strongly believe this partnership will benefit Thailand's tourism outlook to a great extent,” said Captain Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, president of Bangkok Airways.

Hong Kong (2010-02-04)

CATHAY Pacific is bringing frequency on the Hong Kong-Seoul route back to 2008 levels in a two-phase expansion.

Beginning May 2, the airline will add four flights a week to the Korean capital and another three flights from July 1, which will take its frequencies back to five flights a day on the route.

The Hong Kong carrier will also shift flight times on the Mumbai routes. From March 28, daily flights to the Indian city will depart 21.50.

The new schedule offers better connectivity for travellers arriving in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to connect with the service as well as provide passengers a full day in Hong Kong before departure.

Singapore (2010-02-04)

CHINA’S Jin Jiang International Hotels (Group) has launched a new GDS chain code.

The group will use JJ as its code for all hotels owned, managed and operated by Jin Jiang International Hotels Management Company. The company believes having its own code will better differentiate it from rivals in the GDS booking space, said to provide the largest source of corporate bookings for hotels.

Travel agents and corporate bookers will now be able to access all of Jin Jiang's properties through the new code on all major GDS.

Singapore (2010-02-04)

AIR France KLM and Amadeus have extended their full content agreement until December 2013.

The agreement provides travel agents worldwide access to the airline group's full range of fares, schedules and inventories on the Amadeus platform.

Currently, Amadeus also has full content agreements with key airlines including British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic and the SAS Group.

Hong Kong (2010-02-04)

FURAMA Hotel Dalian in China’s north-east has joined as an affiliate of WorldHotels’ Deluxe Collection.

The 620-room hotel has a large stock of meetings rooms to capitalise on MICE demand from the area’s large base of industries, from manufacturing to logistics, petrochemicals, electronics, IT and finance.

The property has 11 function rooms offering 2,300m2 of meeting space, which can accommodate 1,200 delegates in a classroom setting.

“Dalian is not only a booming city attracting a large number of business travellers, but has also been rated as one of the most livable cities in China,” said WorldHotels’ vice president for Asia-Pacific, Roland Jegge.

Bangkok (2010-02-04)

SIAM Bayshore Resort and Spa in Pattaya has completed a 300 million baht (US$9 million) top-to-bottom renovation.

All 270 rooms and suites are now equipped with facilities such as a Hi-Fi stereo and CD player, 32-inch flat screen LCD TV, precision control air-conditioning and high-speed Wi-FI internet access, while bathrooms have been re-modelled to feature marble countertops, a walk-in shower, a bathtub and aromatic amenities.

In the Ocean Wing, the public spaces and f&b outlets have been re-modelled with a new open-air main lobby, a lounge-cum-museum, a bar and all-day dining.

Hong Kong (2010-02-03)

CHINA’S online travel services provider Ctrip plans to pay US$88 million to acquire a 90 per cent stake of Hong Kong listed agency Wing On Travel in a deal to capture a greater share of the booming Greater China travel market.

In the deal announced Tuesday, the Shanghai-based company plans to pay cash for the 45-year-old leisure tour operator, which has 20 branches in Hong Kong and a call centre.

“Through this investment, Ctrip will significantly increase its presence in Hong Kong, in addition to mainland China,” said the Nasdaq-listed company in a statement. “...Wing On Travel’s solid track record in the leisure travel market will bring an innovative platform to service the increasing number of business and leisure travellers in the Greater China area.”

The acquisition announcement came as the Nasdaq-listed online operator reported a fourth quarter revenue surge of 43 per cent to US$83 million, pushing full year 2009 revenue to US$291 million or 34 per cent more than last year. The gain pushed year-on-year profits up 48 per cent to US$97 million in 2009.

Hotel reservations provided the biggest chunk of Ctrip’s overall revenues for the year at US$140 million, up 25 per cent over 2008; followed by air bookings at US$130 million or an increase of 35 per cent and package tours at US$26 million, up 62 per cent.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-02-03)

BUFFALO Tours is adding to its emerging regional network, launching an office in Laos following openings in Cambodia and Thailand last year.

The Hanoi-based tour operator, which has been operating in Vietnam for 15 years and which has a presence in neighbouring countries through local operators, opened the Luang Prabang office last month. Its Cambodia office is in Siem Reap and Thailand’s in Bangkok.

Further to its expansion, the operator has also won the Netherlands’ Fox Vakanties account for its Thai operation.

With the expansion, the company aims to grow client numbers by 35 per cent this year. It enjoyed a 20 per cent increase over 2008, bringing last year’s total passenger yield to nearly 30,000 visitors.

 – Full report in TTG Asia, February 19 issue