Arlene Foz, Manila (2010-06-30)

NEWLY sworn-in Philippine president Benigno Aquino lll has picked Alberto Lim as Department of Tourism (DoT) secretary, replacing lawyer and former congressman Joseph  Durano who held the post since 2005.

Sixty-year-old Lim brings with him 20 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. He was executive director of the 29-year-old Makati Business Club (MBC), an elite set of 800 chief executive officers and senior executives representing the country’s 450 most dynamic and high-yield companies.

“Tourism is a key avenue for increasing jobs in the country. We need someone who has proven competence in this field,” said Aquino.

A development frontrunner of famed destinations El Nido and Amanpulo, Lim was also top honcho of many travel and tourism outfits such as Tour Specialist, STATS Travel, Ten Knots, Nayong Pilipino and Civil Aeronautics Board.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-30)

EMIRATES Holidays has published a separate English brochure on Malaysia for the Gulf Cooperation Council markets for 2010 and 2011, making Malaysia its first destination worldwide to have a brochure on its own.

Emirates Holidays destination development manager Davinder Kaur said the brochure would help Malaysia stand out from other regional destinations, such as Bali, Thailand and Singapore, which had already built brand loyalty and were attracting high-yield tourists.

She said: “We believe in Malaysia and we want it to reach its potential. Malaysia is generally perceived by Middle East tourists as a cheap destination, partly because of agents’ diluting rates to get volume.”

The 20-page brochure features mainly luxury, five- and four-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Genting Highlands, Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. It was produced to meet the needs of the high-end segment of the Middle East outbound market.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-30)

COLORADO-BASED tour company Gray Line Worldwide has awarded brand rights to Destination Travel International (DTI), one of China's leading tour providers and operators, an arrangement that grants DTI exclusive rights to all Gray Line tours to Shanghai and Beijing.

A Gray Line Worldwide spokesperson told TTG Asia e-Daily that the brand generated over US$75,000 in direct online sales revenue for Beijing and Shanghai last year. The partnership with DTI will “take sightseeing in (the two Chinese cities) to the next level”.

She sad: “DTI is well respected in the market...(and) it has a wealth of experience offering top tier sightseeing excursions with the highest level of customer service. It beat the competition time and time again. These factors alone... will positively attribute to a growth in sales in the market in 2010.”

Meanwhile, Gray Line is looking to make the same move with other land operators in other destinations in China and Asia. The spokesperson said potential partners should possess financial stability, a strong connection to the community, and an ability to leverage on the Gray Line brand to grow business.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-30)

THE RECENT Bangkok protests have set East West Siam's (EWS) restructure programme (TTG Asia, March 5) but sister company Asian Oasis has been successful in winning corporate teambuilding accounts.

EWS had embarked on a major shake-up plan to regain its former glory and establish itself as one of Thailand's leading inbound operators by late 2011.

EWS management executive Manfred Ilg said: "Business was bad during the riots, but it is picking up now although the low season will continue."

Ilg said some updates on the company's restructure would be announced soon.

Meanwhile, the new EarthCare programme launched earlier this year by Asian Oasis, where Ilg also serves as general manager, is expected to attract more corporate business, especially from Thai-based companies and international schools.

It has received two groups of 15 delegates each so far this year, and will be handling a 14-pax corporate group from Hong Kong in September. There are also leads from the region.

Group sizes are small as Asian Oasis' Lisu Lodge in Chiang Mai and Lanjia Lodge in Chiang Rai only have 24 and 16 rooms respectively.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-30)

THE MACAU Government Tourist Office (MGTO) will deliberate next week on a new MICE incentive programme that will most likely run for a year. This comes as the existing Macau Business Tourism Centre's (MBTC) incentive programme for MICE buyers will expire in December.

Charles Leong, MGTO general manager in Singapore, said: “Macau in the past did not have many MICE-friendly products. But now that it does, with so many new venues opening up, I believe the new range of subsidies and support from MBTC (will be better). I would like Macau to be more aggressive, and I suspect it  will be,” Leong told TTG Asia e-Daily.

However, Leong admitted that there was still room for improvement in air access between Singapore and Macau. Only Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways, both low-cost carriers, offer  direct services between the two cities.

Leong said: “We have been asking SilkAir to resume flights to Macau (which it suspended in 2004). It was the first full-service carrier to fly direct. Whether or not SilkAir will heed our calls depends on many factors, such as how the Macau aviation authorities will support the carrier.”

Geneva (2010-06-30)

PASSENGER traffic in May grew 11.7 per cent over the same month last year, indicating a strong rebound in air travel after the harrowing dip caused by the European volcanic ash crisis.

IATA director general and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, said passenger traffic was now one per cent above pre-recession levels.

The meagre 4.8 per cent capacity increase in May lagged behind the strong upturn in passenger demand, pushing the month's international passenger load factor to 76 per cent.

Matching capacity to demand will become increasingly challenging in the coming months, as aircraft utilisation remains five per cent below pre-recession levels for single-aisle aircraft and eight per cent for longer-range twin-aisle aircraft.

Asia-Pacific carriers recorded a 13.2 per cent increase in demand in May over the same month in 2009, and they continue to drive the recovery based on robust economic growth, primarily in China.

Airlines are expected to post a US$2.5 billion profit in 2010, in a dramatic turnaround from the US$9.9 billion lost in 2009.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-30)

HANATOUR in Singapore, said to be the largest handler of inbound South Korean travellers to the city-state, has seen a “substantial increase” in arrivals since the start of this year, as travel confidence rebounds from last year's economic crisis.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, the agency's director Winston Koh said South Korean FITs and incentive groups were the fastest growing customer segments.

“More South Koreans are gaining independence and prefer to visit Singapore on their own. This is especially so among the younger generation. Incentive groups are also growing fast for us because our head office in South Korea is aggressively courting them,” Koh said.

The recent Hanatour International Travel Show in Seoul, which introduced a B2C element for the first time, attracted 110 bookings to Singapore.

Pointing to stronger efforts this year by the head office to promote Singapore to leisure  travellers, incentive groups, schools and golfers in South Korea, Koh expects inbound volume to remain strong for the second half of 2010.

In related news, Hanatour Singapore has relocated to DFS Galleria Scottswalk in the city centre to increase footfalls.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-06-29)

PANORAMA Group's aggressive foray into the leisure tourism sector takes a further step with the establishment of PHM Hospitality, a hospitality management company.

PHM Hospitality will manage the group’s hotels developed by Panorama Land Development (PLD). Kristian Kuntadi, a seasoned hotelier who had previously managed the Legian Beach Hotel and Rama Beach Resort Bali, among others, will helm the venture as partner and managing director.

Panorama Group CEO, Budi Tirtawisata, said hotels under PHM Management will not serve its own group but will operate as a separate entity, just like any other hotel management company.

PHM Management will manage and operate 196-room, four-star The Haven, Seminyak, in Bali, from July 1. It will also manage a mid-scale brand, The 101 Hotel, which will open its first property in Legian, Bali early next year.

Kuntadi will act as general manager of both hotels.

Kuntadi said: “PHM Management has come up with five different brands, which we will launch in stages. The target is to manage 10 properties by 2014.”

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-29)

THAILAND is expected to receive its first MICE White Paper in August, which will map out a recovery plan for the country's MICE industry.

The prototype of the year-long recovery roadmap was drafted by nine major industry players at the MICE Summit yesterday in Bangkok, organised by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

Heads of nine establishments, including the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center, CM Organizer, Destination Asia (Thailand) and Royal Cliff Beach Resort, drafted 10 strategic measures to bring back MICE business that had taken a beating during the recent Thai political crisis.

Measures include increasing Thailand’s MICE capabilities through various strategies and activities, establishing a bidding fund, enhancing database and stimulating domestic MICE.

TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchart said an industry-wide endorsement of the White Paper was expected at a MICE convention, to be held in July for some 100 delegates from public and private agencies. Cabinet approval would be sought thereafter in August.

“This White Paper will be the bible for the Thai MICE industry... and will set the course for  MICE budget allocation,” Akapol said.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved a MICE stimulus budget of 40 million baht (US$1.2 million) yesterday although TCEB had requested for 200 million baht.  (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 23).

Shanghai (2010-06-29)

THE ASIA Cruise Association (ACA) expects its members' ships to make 2,001 port calls around Asia this year, up 38 per cent from last year's 1,445 port calls.

Growing demand from regional source markets, particularly Australia, Japan, South Korea and India, and a rapidly burgeoning middle-class population in China, are said to be the catalysts for the growth in Asian cruising.

China's middle-class is expected to surpass one billion people by 2020. With discretionary consumption typically increasing alongside per capita income, this will translate into higher demand for recreational activities.

ACA counts Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Star Cruises, among others, as its members.

Bangkok (2010-06-29)

BEST Western is gunning for an aggressive expansion in Asia and the Middle East, with a target set for 300 hotels offering 60,000 rooms by 2015.

The group, which presently has 159 hotels in operation, undergoing rebranding and construction in Asia and the Middle East, names China, India, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait as its key target destinations.

Best Western's ambitions in Asia and the Middle East come alongside its strong position in Europe. MKG Hospitality, a global marketing research and consulting company for hotel and tourism, recently named Best Western as the single hotel brand with the largest pool of hotels in Europe.

The group now has 1,289 hotels offering 87,017 rooms across Europe.

Genoa (2010-06-29)

COSTA Cruises, which debuted its 1,700-passenger Costa Romantica at the inauguration of Tianjin's new international cruise terminal on June 25, is planning a further nine port calls at the Chinese city for the rest of this year.

Costa Romantica will offer five- and six-day cruises to South Korea (Jeju and Busan) and Japan (Fukuoka) with departures from Tianjin and Shanghai for the 2010 summer season.

Since its entry into China in 2006, Costa Cruises has invested some 50 million euros (US$61 million) in the region and quintupled its cruise capacity, with a total of 93 port calls made in China this year.

Costa Romantica joins Costa Classica in deployments around Asia.

More than 120,000 cruisers are expected to go on its cruises in Asia this year.

Bangkok (2010-06-29)

CENTARA Hotels & Resorts has opened a sales representative office in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana, India to further its investment in growing India as a source market.

The chain's senior vice president for sales and marketing Chris Bailey said: “We have seen strong growth in the number of Indian guests staying in our hotels and resorts over the past two years, and we believe this is the right time to invest further in this market, which we are convinced has a very large potential.”

The new office will be headed by Nainee Garg.

Shanghai (2010-06-28)

ASIA'S enormous population of close to three billion and largely untapped source status have inspired cruise industry experts to expect the region to contribute five million cruisers by 2020.

Speaking at the Seatrade All Asia Cruise Convention 2010 in Shanghai, Royal Caribbean Cruises executive vice president Michael Bayley compared the penetration rates versus population in other markets: cruising's penetration is 3.2 per cent in North America, about one per cent in Europe and less than 0.05 per cent in Asia.

With a population close to three billion, Asia has the potential to reach 40 million cruisers in 30 years, he said. “I think five million Asian cruisers by 2020 is not unrealistic at this stage.”

Shanghai International Port Group chairman Lu Haihu also pointed out that the cruise market in China has seen rapid development. Regulations have been eased, there has been marked government support for the industry and ports have been investing in the development of terminals and infrastructure.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-28)

EMIRATES will increase services between Singapore and Dubai to 21 weekly from the current 19, from July 1, which will in turn enhance connection to the UK via Dubai.

The airline operates 98 flights a week to Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick, Newcastle and Glasgow in the UK from Dubai.

American Lloyd Travel Services director of sales Kent Tan said the additional flights will benefit price-conscious leisure travellers who cannot afford premium direct flights to the UK offered by Singapore Airlines and British Airways, and business travellers who fly frequently to Dubai.

Tan said time-strapped business travellers would very much prefer to fly direct to London if flights are available. “Corporate clients would only ask for alternative carriers, like THAI Airways or Emirates, if seats on Singapore Airlines and British Airways are sold out or if there is work to be done in the transit cities.”

The Singapore-London route is now served by Singapore Airlines and British Airways, as well as other carriers such as THAI that flies via Bangkok, Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong and Qatar Airways via Doha.

Dubai (2010-06-28)

JUMEIRAH Group has signed an agreement with Shanghai Zendai Himalayas Real Estate Company to manage VENU HIMALAYAS Hotel Shanghai, the first property for the Dubai-based luxury chain's new VENU brand.

Jumeirah announced the launch of the new contemporary lifestyle hotel brand at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in April 2010.

The 400-key art-themed hotel, located in the Himalayas Centre in Pudong, is scheduled to open in 2011.

The Himalayas Centre has a modern art museum, a theatre and retail space. Located in front of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and within an exclusive high-end residential area, the project enjoys direct access to the Shanghai Metro system and is less than a kilometre from the Maglev train, allowing a seven-minute connection to Pudong International Airport.

The property is Jumeirah's sixth management project in China.

Raini Hamdi, Singapore (2010-06-28)

MARGARET Teo, assistant CEO – development of Singapore Tourism Board (STB), has resigned, after 20 years of service with the NTO.

Her last day is June 30.

Teo was instrumental in shaping Singapore's leisure and hospitality offerings, and helping to realise transformational tourism projects, in particular the Singapore F1, the two integrated resorts and the International Cruise Terminal.

"With these projects completing, the time has come for me to close the STB chapter in my life. I intend to spend some time with my family, while reassessing life’s priorities and exploring options for personal growth," she said.

Teo's duties will be handled by Tony Lai, who will oversee the cruise portfolio, and Melissa Ow, who will handle the integrated resorts.

Singapore (2010-06-28)

KEY performance indicators released by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for the month of May reflected growth in all areas.

Visitor arrivals to Singapore for the month grew 30.3 per cent to reach 946,000 – the highest ever recorded in the month of May. This is the sixth consecutive month of record visitor arrivals for the Lion City.

All 15 top source markets registered year-on-year growth, except the UK, which remained flat. Of these, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan registered the highest growth at 48.8 per cent, 48.7 per cent and 47.4 per cent respectively.

Hotels performed well too, with average occupancy rate (AOR) hitting 85 per cent, posting a 17.1 percentage point increase over May 2009, and average room rate (ARR) increasing 13.4 per cent to S$209 (US$151). Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) grew by 42.1 per cent to reach S$178.

STB's performance report for May further noted that the AOR of economy-tier hotels saw the largest growth at 23.8 percentage point against May 2009 to reach 87 per cent, while ARR of mid-tier hotels had the largest growth of 24.5 per cent to reach S$168.

Bangkok (2010-06-28)

ALILA Cha Am is investing more than 600 million baht (US$18.50 million) on a second phase expansion, which will be completed in 2012.

The expansion, which will sit adjacent to the existing property, will include 43 pool villas, two restaurants, a club lounge and a swimming pool.

The two-year-old resort is also spending some 20 million baht to refresh its Red Bar, Chill Pool and Spa Alila. Works are scheduled to be completed in October.

Alila Hotels and Resorts regional sales director Emmanuel Vikas said the refurbishments would allow the resort to meet growing demand, particularly from Thais. “It is tough to get a room at our resort during the weekends.”

Vikas, however, expects the resort to run at just 40 per cent occupancy over the next three months at a low-season average rate of 4,500 baht. These are expected to grow in the coming high season to 60 per cent occupancy and an average room rate of 6,000 baht.

Meanwhile, the resort has recorded a 35 per cent increase in the number of inbound tour operators contracting for the high season, and witnessed pick-ups from Australian and German markets during the recent Thai political crisis.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-06-25)

PROMINENT Indonesian inbound tour operator, Pacto, has won the account of Dutch tour operator, 333TRAVEL, and will be handling groups supplied by the latter from September 1.

Pacto business development director Umberto Cadamuro told TTG Asia e-Daily: “The Dutch market is expanding and accessibility is improving now that Garuda Indonesia flies to Amsterdam. For Pacto, this is a very good opportunity, as we have been looking for a reliable partner there. The partnership with 333TRAVEL will position us well in the market for Dutch groups.”

333TRAVEL senior product manager Annemieke van der Graaf said: “For the years to come, 333TRAVEL has ambitious plans to (achieve) a substantial growth in leisure business from Holland to Indonesia.”

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-25)

UK-BASED Surreal Holidays, formed in September last year, expects to earn £2 million (US$2.98 million) - 95 per cent of which from selling Thailand - in its first year of  operation.

The tour operator, established by a group of Thai investors, has roped in veteran Thai tourism promoter David Kevan as its business development director and shareholder.

Kevan, who left Western & Oriental – to whom he sold Tropical Locations and served as group head of product - in February, joined Surreal Holidays on June 15. He has been selling longhaul destinations for 40 years, including Thailand for 30 years, and was behind the startup of Tradewinds UK.

According to Kevan, bookings from the UK for Thailand are currently slow, but are expected to pick up strongly from September to reach 2008 levels. Despite the UK departure tax, Thailand remains a value-for-money destination.

He said based on contract rates with hotels, UK visitors would be able to book a winter 2010/2011 Thai holiday at 2010 low season specials, except during the Christmas and New Year periods.

- Read more in TTG Asia next issue

Bangkok (2010-06-25)

TUI Nordic will increase capacity on its winter 2010/2011 charter flights by 30 per cent year-on-year,  taking the total number to 135,000 passengers.

In addition to operating the 282-seat Boeing 767 aircraft, the tour operator plans to fly the 582-seat B747 on Thailand routings. It will operate thrice-weekly flights to Phuket and a weekly service to Bangkok, from 11 cities in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

TUI Nordic CEO, Christian Clemens, said sales for the 2010/2011 winter season started off very well when it was launched last December, but were eventually affected by the recent political situation in Bangkok.

“We have so far sold 8,000 more trips compared to the same period last year, but in order to get sales up to where they should be, stimulating initiatives are needed.”

The tour operator and the Tourism Authority of Thailand are now discussing marketing campaigns in the Nordic countries.

Clemens also suggested lowering airport taxes and landing fees to effect quicker sales recovery. This method was successfully implemented in other tourist destinations, he said.

Meanwhile, 90 per cent of capacity on TUI Nordic's summer charter flights to Thailand have been sold. The programme will be continued in summer 2011.

Shanghai (2010-06-25)

SHANGHAI World Expo is breathing life back into the city's hotel landscape, raising average room rates to almost RMB 1,000 (US$147) – a level last seen in October 2008.

STR Global reported that the strong year-on-year room rate growth of 29 per cent was aided by a 54 per cent increase in occupancy.

Market-wide occupancy for the month hit 72 per cent, representing a staggering 99 per cent increase over May last year. This is also the first time average occupancy for the city crossed the 70 per cent mark since November 2007.

STR Global's report further highlighted an occupancy of 79 per cent at an average rate of RMB 2,091 for five-star hotels in May, resulting in RevPAR growth of 105 per cent over May 2009. Such RevPAR figures have not been seen since the height of the market in 2006, it said.

London (2010-06-25)

THE WORLD Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has started the tendering process for the host city of the 12th Global Travel & Tourism Summit.

A request for proposal has been issued to cities worldwide, and that, along with supporting documents, must be returned to WTTC's events director Tony Thompson by September 1.

The Summit is the world's highest-level gathering of industry chairs, chief executives and senior government officials, working together to unlock the industry's significant potential for sustainable development and economic growth across the globe.

Benefits for the host destination include a targeted audience of over 1,000 senior business and industry leaders from the travel and tourism, hospitality, aviation and cruise sectors, and the provision of an outlet for the destination to demonstrate its commitment to recognising the value of travel and tourism as an economic driver, which potentially attracts further investments from global businesses.

The Summit took place in Beijing this year and will be held in Las Vegas next year.

Bangkok (2010-06-25)

TRAVEL agents using the Amadeus Selling Platform (version 4.2 and above) will now have access to a new car booking tool, Cars Plus, in 10 languages.

Said to offer the “power of a professional tool with the simplicity of a consumer website”, Cars Plus offers features such as advanced search options that, for instance, allow a search for car rental options around a landmark or address, multiple comparative availability displays, and extensive multimedia such as car images, product icons and maps, among others benefits.

Travel agents will be able to generate customer loyalty and create instant revenue opportunities from increased car rental sales.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-24)

THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a short-term Thailand Today: Ready for Travel recovery campaign in a valiant effort to match last year's 14 million arrivals.

TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said the campaign would run through to September. Noting that Thailand still had six months to meet its targets, Suraphon said: “We have in the bag 25 per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter.”

The plan identified China and Oceania as “quick-win” markets.

- Read more in TTG Asia, June 25

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-06-24)

PANORAMA Leisure Group (PLG) intends to open an operations office in Paris by the end of 2010 or early next year, as part of its ambitions to become a global player.

PLG president director Budi Tirtawisata said: “We are strengthening our position as an Indonesian inbound, outbound, MICE and transportation company to face the global challenge. A presence in Europe is one of the ways (to do so).”

The Paris office will cater not only to traffic between Indonesia and France but also between Europe and South-east Asia.

Whether it will be a joint venture or a full-fledged PLG outlet and other details have yet to be threshed out, but Panorama Tours, PLG's outbound arm, is currently developing its network with local suppliers for European ground operations.

- Read more in TTG Asia, June 25

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-24)

AUSTRALIA'S Victorian State Government has announced a A$1 million (US$870,776) funding to attract more conferences and delegates to Regional Victoria over a four-year period.

This comes just after the state was given A$150,000 by the Australian Federal Government for delegate-boosting initiatives and destination promotions to the business event market.

Although it was not clear at press time how the additional funds would be used, Business Events Victoria chairperson Andrew Hiebl told TTG Asia e-Daily that the funds and “new spotlight on Regional Victoria are welcomed” by the organisation, which operates as a collective group of conference venues, hotels, tour operators, local councils, regional tourism organisations and service providers targeting business events market.

Hiebl said a current campaign has allowed Victoria's 10 regions to apply for grants to develop tools that benefit event planners. For instance, Great Ocean Road used the funds to develop two personalised viral campaigns that organisers can use to entice delegates to business events in Geelong and the Surf Coast regions.

“Business Events Victoria would envisage that any future funding would be used to continue the great work that has been achieved to date and further promote Regional Victoria to the business events sector.”

Bangkok (2010-06-24)

THE FIRST Hotel Indigo property in South-east Asia has been signed in Bangkok, marking another strategic move for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)'s expansion of the upscale boutique brand in Asia-Pacific.

The brand has now signed up eight properties in Asia-Pacific. First to open is Hotel Indigo Shanghai in September.

Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road, located within Bangkok's diplomatic and commercial district, will be completed by the end of 2012.

The 188-room hotel will have a specialty restaurant and bar, a business centre, meeting facilities, swimming pool, a gym and health club, and a spa.

IHG Asia Australasia managing director Jan Smits said: “Bangkok is a strong market for boutique hotel products. Hotel Indigo offers an intimate, boutique experience with the added benefits of being part of a large international hotel company – a model that’s generated high customer satisfaction and good returns for our owners internationally.”

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (201006-24)

OUTBOUND travel agents in Malaysia believe a familiarisation trip by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, from June 30 to July 4, could help boost demand.

Paradise Travel & Tours CEO, M Ali, said there were not many enquiries and bookings, even during the recent two-week school break that ended on June 20.

Client Travel managing director David Lim said a familiarisation trip at this juncture was critical to boost confidence and to showcase that Bangkok was a value-for-money destination.

The trip, which will also host travel media, will cover Bangkok and showcase the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2010 that will run up until August 15, as well as demonstrate Bangkok's return to normalcy.

Singapore (2010-06-24)

THE ASIA Cruise Association (ACA) and China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA) have inked an MOU to collaborate on driving growth and the commercial and professional development of the cruise industry in the region.

The MOU outlined four key areas of collaboration - joint efforts to promote cruise culture among Chinese consumers, facilitation of regional cruise governance, joint development of the cruise market in Asia for commercial and professional enhancement, and cross participation in both associations' international and regional cruise events.

CCYIA vice chairman and secretary general Zheng Weihang said: “One of CCYIA's objectives is to actively promote the cruise industry and develop China as a leading cruise destination. Amidst the rapid growth of China's cruise industry, it is pertinent that we forge alliances with other cruise industry associations to leverage on each other's strengths to expand our network of trade promotion and development.”

The two associations will also be conducting regular dialogue exchange to unearth and address industry issues and develop collaborative initiatives.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-23)

MALAYSIA should enhance its product development and promotions to grab a greater share of the high-yield market.

These were among the recommendations presented to industry leaders yesterday by consulting firm, Jelas Dinamik, which had been commissioned by the Tourism Ministry to conduct a study on developing niche segments for high-yield longhaul markets, namely the UK, Germany, France, Russia and Sweden.

The study examined 13 categories – MICE, taxi service, car rental, promotional activities, luxury trains, food festivals, luxury cruises, hotels, airlines, golf tourism, ecotourism, spa/wellness and medical tourism.

The firm advised the Malaysian trade to create more boutique hotels, engage specialised marketing companies to push golf tourism and encourage environmentally-friendly certification of golf courses, allow foreign spa operators to enter the market, and carry out specific and focused promotional activities targeted at high-spending tourists.

To give ecotourism a further boost, facilities at lesser-known ecotourism locations should be upgraded and a variety of activities should be introduced at eco-lodges.

The Malaysian government is seeking to escape the middle-income trap and capture a greater share of high-yield tourists. The 2020 target is to get 3.5 times more tourist receipts than the 2010 target of RM54 billion (US$16.8 million).

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-23)

LAS VEGAS Sands chairman and CEO, Sheldon Adelson, hopes to take the integrated resort (IR) concept to various destinations worldwide.

Speaking at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) official opening celebrations, Adelson said he was in talks with the South Korean government and will soon be calling on the governor of China's Hainan Island.

Adelson said: “I've been to South Korea and was asked if we could build something like (MBS) there. If the South Korean government allows locals to visit casinos, my answer would be yes. We're looking at different locations in Seoul and Incheon. If Hainan legalises gaming and if the Chinese government doesn't put (travel curbs on mainland Chinese visitors) on and off, we could put up another Macau there.

“An IR project requires not only the government’s commitment, but also infrastructure commitment. We'll consider any viable location with the required infrastructure, such as the airports, available to us. You have to have all these components, like Singapore does, to make an IR successful.”

He added that, with Asians' propensity for gaming, “we could put five IRs in Asia and they won't saturate the market”.

Adelson is also exploring Greece, Italy and Spain for possibilities.

Anand & Madhura Katti, Mumbai (2010-06-23)

THE TRAVEL Agents Association of India (TAAI) has chosen Phuket as the venue for the Indian Travel Congress, its 59th Convention and Exhibition that will be held from September 17 to 19.

TAAI president and Swifttravel International chairman and managing director Rajinder Rai said: “TAAI's objective is to showcase a new destination to our delegates every year. Phuket is an ideal and beautiful destination that requires support after the recent political unrest in Thailand.”

Rai said the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Governor of Phuket had pledged their support for the event, offering transfers and police escorts. TAT is also offering pre- and post-tours for delegates, and all six hotels in the Laguna Bay area are extending TAAI special rates on rooms and F&B.

The Indian Travel Congress 2010 is expected to attract 1,500 delegates.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-23)

MARINA Bay Sands has been receiving some 25,000 visitors a day, a third of whom are locals, since soft opening on April 27.

Fridays and Saturdays have been the busier days, said Las Vegas Sands Corp president and COO, Michael Leven.

While he admitted that the numbers were lower than the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel's daily average of 70,000 visitors, Leven was quick to point out that MBS' visitor numbers would grow once the resort opened fully.

MBS president and CEO, Thomas Arasi, added that MBS “has had very good attendance across all components... restaurants are teeming and occupancy is very strong”.

All facilities in the mega resort complex, with the exception of the Louis Vuitton boutique and two night clubs, will be open by year-end.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-23)

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened its first in-hotel Cisco TelePresence meeting suites in Asia-Pacific at Sheraton on the Park Sydney, and will follow with one each in Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers and The Westin Tokyo in the third quarter this year.

The TelePresence meeting suites in Sheraton on the Park Sydney can seat only six people around the broad table, although more could join in at the back of the room. Rental fees are at A$500 (US$435) per hour.

When asked if having a TelePresence facility would cause meeting planners to do away with residential meetings, a spokesperson with the chain said: “No, this is a facility to compliment residential meetings. If an attendee could not make it, a breakout session could be had with a key speaker, etc. People will always still need to meet face to face, to network and interact. This is just an additional facility (for businessmen) to have quick meetings and still actively participate.”

Bali (2010-06-23)

BALI Dynasty Resort has completed its extensive renovation, which gave guestrooms more environmentally-friendly touches.

Guestrooms are now equipped with energy-saving switches and large aluminum sliding patio doors to let in more natural light. Bathtubs in deluxe rooms have been replaced by showers. Balcony doors are also wired to turn off air-conditioning if left open for a certain period of time.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-06-22)

QANTAS Airways has launched Walkabout Australia in Indonesia to boost outbound traffic and encourage travellers to visit destinations beyond Sydney and Melbourne.

Through this programme, Indonesians flying from Jakarta to Sydney and Melbourne are offered domestic flights to destinations such as Brisbane or Adelaide at only US$15 per sector. The offer is valid for tickets issued by June 30 for travel up to the end of the year.

Qantas Airways Indonesia sales manager Bernadette Muljohardjo said: “Many travellers, especially those accompanying their children studying in Australia, are reluctant to go beyond Sydney or Melbourne because of the domestic airfare.”

Muljohardjo expected the offer to attract between 10 and 15 per cent of the Sydney- and Melbourne-bound traffic.

Qantas Airways Indonesia manager Bob Everest said the Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed 100,000 Indonesians had travelled to Australia for leisure, education or  business between September 2008 and September 2009.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-22)

MARRIOTT International plans to put Thailand back on the map with the world’s largest Thai dinner in September, among other recovery strategies to be introduced over the next few months.

Edwin Fuller, the group’s president and managing director - international lodging, said the dinner would be held throughout the chain’s 3,400 properties to generate interest in Thailand.

He said details of other strategies, including contests, cross-selling efforts, field sales and Internet sales, were still under wraps.

The move came after Marriott's properties in Thailand suffered a number of cancellations from the domestic political crisis that plagued Bangkok recently. The 333-room Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasonghad to be closed for seven weeks, after being open for a mere six weeks.

Fuller said the strategies would keep the ball rolling as Thailand continues to face challenges from the world economic slowdown and weak consumer confidence.

He said despite the current business glitch, Marriot would continue to expand in Thailand by bringing the current portfolio of 17 hotels to 23 by 2012 and 30 by 2015.

Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-22)

MALAYSIA'S Tune Hotels.com will open Tune Hotels.com-Westminster, its first London location in late August, marking the start of a Greater London push with 14 more properties and 1,500 rooms opening by 2017.

Tune Hotels.com group CEO, Mark Lankester, said: “There is so much to do and to spend hard-earned money on in the capital, that we believe the accommodation should do what people want it to do – help them sleep fantastically well, knowing they have spent sensibly on that sleep, without paying for things they don’t want or need to use.”

Tune Hotels.com provides only comfortable beds, powerful showers and 24-hour security. Non-essential items are available as extras.

Tune Hotels.com in the UK will be operated under a strategic partnership with Queensway Group Limited, a UK-based private investment group owning and operating hospitality assets in the UK, Europe and United Arab Emirates. Globally, the brand is aiming for 100 hotels in its portfolio by 2015.

Hong Kong (2010-06-22)

HONG KONG serviced apartment group Home2Home has rebranded its property portfolio as Ovolo, following the recent acquisition of two serviced apartment buildings from rival operator Kush Living.

Ovolo now has 174 apartments in five buildings on Hong Kong Island, making it one of the largest owner-operators in the destination's serviced apartment sector.

The brand is known for its eco-friendly, design-conscious serviced apartments that are fitted with state-of-the-art communications and entertainment technology.

Home2Home also operates boutique serviced offices under the brand izi, and is expanding into hotels, having acquired an industrial building in Aberdeen, which it will convert into a 120-key boutique hotel.

Shanghai (2010-06-22)

THE RITZ-CARLTON Shanghai, Pudong has opened, making it the city's second property under the luxury label..

The 285-room hotel, located in the Shanghai financial centre within the Lujiazui financial trade zone, occupies the top 18 floors of the Shanghai IFC South Tower.

It offers a 24-hour club lounge on the 49th floor, five F&B outlets including a rooftop restaurant and bar designed by renowned interior design firm Super Potato, a 10-room spa on the 55th floor, and more than 2,500m2 of meeting and conference space.

Rainer Burkle, area vice president and general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company said: “As Shanghai has been experiencing exponential growth and many multinational companies have opened in Pudong, we find it strategically viable for The Ritz-Carlton to be located on both sides of Huangpu River.”

Hong Kong (2010-06-22)

SOFITEL Luxury Hotels has signed on a new flagship property in Shanghai – Sofitel Shanghai Jing'an, which will open in 2011.

Located at the intersection of Beijing Road and Jiangnan Road and surrounded by international offices, luxury boutiques and malls, the 515-key hotel will be the chain's fourth and most luxurious property in its Shanghai portfolio.

The third floor of the hotel will be dedicated to meeting and function space, and will include a ballroom, a junior ballroom, a variety of configurable spaces and a business centre.

This new property signing follows two recent additions in China – Sofitel Lianyunggang Suning Galaxy and Sofitel Haikou, which will open in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Prudence Lui, Hong Kong (2010-06-21)

HONG KONG'S Travel Industry Council (TIC) has decided to revoke the membership of Win's Travel Agency, which was recently embroiled in an incident that wound up in the death of a tourist.

The agency had allegedly assigned an illegal tour guide on a tour last month, leading possibly to the death of a mainland Chinese visitor who suffered a heart attack after arguing with the guide over compulsory shopping.

Win's Travel Agency has been fined HK$7,000 (US$900.73) over the incident.

The agency has also been suspected of using and producing false documents. The matter will be referred to the police.

In the meantime, details of the agency's directors will be sent to the Travel Agents Registry to prevent them from applying for another license under a different company name.

This is the most severe penalty TIC has ever prescribed, according to chairman Michael Wu. “The most serious punishment (before) was the suspension of a member's operations. (But this) case really tarnished our tourism image and I hope this (revocation of Win's Travel Agency's licence) would deter malpractice within the trade.”

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-21)

FOLLOWING meetings between Resorts World Genting (RWG) and the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), agents can once again book through RWG's agents reservations call centre (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 26).

The resort has also made available unlimited complimentary shuttle services between RWG and Awana Genting Golf and Country Club. “This makes Awana Genting at mid-hill a more attractive destination. Before, guests staying at Awana Genting were entitled to one free pass a day per person,” said MITA secretary-general Adam Kamal.

On July 1, RWG will reveal its new combo package for agents to sell to day-trippers.

Adam said the package would cover a return ride on the cable car, theme park entrance tickets and lunch. “We’re hoping such packages would eliminate the difference between day-trippers and staying guests. It is now approximately US$10 more expensive for day-trippers than staying guests.”

Agents had earlier decried the severe room crunch at RWG because of the renovation of three of the five hotels at the attraction. Work on these is expected to end by the last quarter of the year.

Singapore (2010-06-21)

THE FULLERTON Bay hotel, part of The Fullerton Heritage waterfront strip that runs down Collyer Quay, will open on July 8.

The new-build hotel in Singapore's central business district offers 100 rooms, five individually-themed suites and a Presidential Suite, as well as three signature culinary offerings – The Landing Point, a waterfront lounge with a 13-metre-long bar; Clifford, a brasserie with a 800-bottle wine library; and Lantern, a rooftop bar.

Sino Land, a sister company of Singapore's biggest private developer Far East Organisation, is leading the Fullerton Heritage development, which preserves existing buildings and turns them into high-end retail, F&B and entertainment outlets.

Singapore (2010-06-21)

SINGAPORE'S Frasers Hospitality has planted its first flag in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the opening of Fraser Suites Dubai, a 180-key property that occupies the top 23 levels of the 45-storey Sidra Tower in the city centre.

The company's CEO, Choe Peng Sum, said: “Dubai's status as an international business hub is well-established and its business-friendly environment ensures that it will continue to attract high levels of investment. From a strategic perspective for Fraser, establishing a presence here was a natural progression in our strategy to become a key player in the UAE.”

Fraser Suites Dubai features round-the-clock reception and concierge, a restaurant, business centre, boardroom and meeting facilities for six to 30 people, as well as leisure facilities such as an outdoor pool, a tennis court and a 24-hour gym.

Singapore (2010-06-21)

THE LION King musical at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort will not make its debut this September as initially planned, but next March instead.

Tickets will go on sale from October. Prices had yet to be disclosed at press time.

The Broadway musical will be staged at one of the resort's two theatres, which can accommodate 4,000 people altogether.

MBS president and CEO Thomas Arasi said “featuring Disney's The Lion King is one more step towards fulfilling our dream of having the best-of-the-best in Singapore and in Asia.”

This announcement comes days before MBS's grand opening on June 23.

Singapore (2010-06-21)

HONG KONG Airlines will launch non-stop services to Moscow by the end of June, using  its new Airbus 330-200 aircraft, the first in its current fleet.

The latest delivery will be followed by 22 more A330s and 30 single-aisle A320s. The arrival of the A330s will support the airline's plans to expand its reach to major cities in Europe and North America.

Hong Kong Airlines president Yang Jian Hong said the new aircraft will also “enable us to offer our customers a premium product across our route network...”

Six Senses drops Hideaway, Latitude brands

SIX Senses Resorts & Spas is reducing its number of brands, dropping Hideaway and Latitude and focusing on just three, Soneva, Six Senses and Evason.

Founder and CEO, Sonu Shivdasani, said this was to avoid any confusion in the marketplace. There are two Hideaways in operation in Samui and Hua Hin and no Latitude in operation. Resorts due to be branded Hideaway and Latitude will be rebranded Six Senses.

A look at the portfolio’s definition of the two brands indeed shows little differentiation between them and the core Soneva and Six Senses brands. It says the Hideaway is “the boutique interpretation of the Six Senses brand”, while the Latitude “usually offers a greater number of accommodation” than the Hideaway.

The line-up of Soneva, Six Senses and Evason leaves no ambiguity. Soneva has the highest RevPAR, is intimate and ultra-luxury, followed by Six Senses (luxury) and Evason (deluxe and also contemporary in style).

There are three Sonevas, eight Six Senses and four Evasons in operation. More are opening.

-Full report, TTG Asia, Beach Holidays, August 6 issue

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-18)

BOOKINGS to Bangkok are returning for some travel agents in Singapore, with leisure FIT and group bookings taking the lead.

AD Travel, which suffered a 70 per cent dip in bookings to Thailand in April, has so far  enough leisure and incentive bookings to the destination to “cover at least a month's office rental”, said its director/general manager, Joe Lim.

Hong Thai Travel Services also saw a pick-up in leisure bookings to Bangkok that came “sooner than expected”, said its spokesperson.

Extensive hotel promotions, such as one-plus-one and two-plus-one roomnights, as well as airfare promotions by Thai Airways International and Cathay Pacific have helped.

Accor is offering cash back to guests staying at 36 hotels and resorts in Thailand between now till September 30. For instance, guests of Pullman will get 500 baht (US$15) per roomnight to spend in the hotel.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand in Singapore is also giving visitors vouchers to use at Let's Relax Spa, which has branches in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket, or  Ramayana Restaurant in King Power Downtown Duty Free Complex.

Jakarta (2010-06-18)

TAUZIA Hotel Management, which manages Harris Hotels & Resorts, has launched a new brand called POP! Hotels in Indonesia, targeted at young and eco-friendly travellers.

TAUZIA president director Marc Steinmeyer said: “When developing Pop! Hotels, we (want) to cater for the new generation of smart travellers who know what they want and would choose a hotel that corresponds with their style...and budget.

“With its eco-friendly approach, Pop! Hotels also targets a new breed of customers who are more conscious about environmental challenges and (want) to care for Mother Earth by spending wisely without compromising on quality.”

Eight properties are due to open within the next 12 to 18 months; the first, in Denpasar this August. This will be followed by two more each in Bali and Jakarta, and one each in Manado, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-18)

CONTIKI Holidays is keen to grow its “couple market” in Asia, following a spike in bookings from this segment.

The tour operator, whose products cater to travellers aged 18 to 35 years old and are popular with large student groups and single travellers, has seen a 25 per cent increase in bookings from young couples in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines over the past three years.

Its regional director Nicholas Lim said: “It isn't just dating or married couples who are buying Contiki tours. Best-friend duos are on the rise too. So these are the segments we want to grow now.”

He noted that more young honeymooners are willing to spend on longhaul holidays to Italy and Greece, encouraged perhaps by the weaker Euro and greater awareness of the element of fun typical of Contiki's tours.

When asked if Contiki would develop more tour itineraries for this market, Lim said the company already had several programmes that are suitable. “We have a variety of budget tours that are suitable for best friends, and more upmarket packages for couples who usually want something better. We just need to reacquaint our products with travel agent partners and gain their support in growing this customer group.”

Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-18)

VISITBRITAIN has launched a new interactive travel website as part of its digital strategy to use social media, online content, mobile phones and smartphones to grow arrivals.

The new visitbritain.com will have 95 per cent user-generated image content throughout and magazine-style travel features. Content will be offered in 22 languages.

VisitBritain director of marketing Laurence Bresh said the new website would “inspire visitors to visit Britain before, during and after the Olympic Games”.

Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-18)

MALAYSIA will host its first B2B international Islamic travel mart - World Islamic Tourism Mart & Conference - this December at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Organised by the Global Islamic Tourism Organisation (GITO) Secretariat, the mart and conference will be held concurrently on December 3 and 4, and will be followed by a two-day consumer travel fair.

GITO Secretariat pro-tem president Joshua Peter Tan said the event will attract approximately 100 buyers and 250 sellers. The focus will be on Islamic tourism products and tour packages. Conference panelists will comprise regional experts on Islamic studies and issues.

Tan said the event is set to become an annual fixture.

Virtuoso to enter China

US-BASED Virtuoso is talking to several partners in China and hopes to enter the market in the next 12 months, its vice president - Hotels, Destinations & Tours, Albert Herrera, told TTG Asia e-Daily in an interview.

Herrera said China’s luxury outbound market potential was a reason Virtuoso was interested to expand in China.

“My boss Matthew Upchurch (founder and CEO of Virtuoso) was at the last two years’ ALTM, and WTCC in Beijing recently. All the information exchange and the different concepts discussed tweaked his interest. But it takes the right partner to come into a market like China. And the stamina. It is not going to be just for the short-term,” he said.

The ideal partner is an entrepreneur in China who understands the market and the laws governing it. Virtuoso is founded on the concept of giving its travel agency members and their clients an edge in a competitive and always-changing travel marketplace. Membership is by-invitation-only; a Virtuoso travel agent carries the cache of being a real travel specialist and is widely held today as the ideal service provider of luxury travel. The issue for Asia is a lack of them (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 15), particularly in China where luxury travel is burgeoning.

Herrera said the Virtuoso model would have to be adapted to China market needs. He said Virtuoso was able to expand well in the region, going by its success in Australia/New Zealand, which it entered in 2004. There are 45 Virtuoso agents there today.

Virtuoso was going into the UK market last year, if not for the global financial crisis which caused it to switch track and focus on survival of members in a difficult climate.

Herrera said. “We're in North America, Latin America, Mexico, Australia. Our next frontier is Europe and Asia,” he said.

– Full report in TTG Asia

Mimi Hudoyo, Bali (2010-06-17)

BALI Hotels Association (BHA) has adopted and relaunched the Bali Is My Life programme, which was first introduced in 2005 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The programme promotes tourism by highlighting Balinese people – from the dancer, the mask carver, the artist, the masseuse, the chef, the surfer, the farmer to the schoolgirl.

BHA chairman Jean-Charles Le Coz said: “All the real-life characters symbolise that Bali is not merely a manufactured Western playground but an island where its inhabitants live and love. That is the true asset of Bali, which travellers cannot find anywhere else. So instead of creating a new (campaign), BHA decided to revitalise Bali Is My Life and relaunch it.”

New touches to the programme include a documentary about Bali, a revamped BHA website and the association's high-tech visitor's guide using 2D barcodes.

Le Coz added: “This is not BHA's promotion. This is Bali tourism's promotion. We would like to encourage stakeholders to also use this material to promote the destination.”

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-17)

HOT on the heels of the official opening of its first Studio M Hotel in Singapore, Millennium and Copthorne Hotels (M&C) has revealed plans to introduce a budget property in the city.

M&C chairman Kwek Leng Beng said: “I already have another concept for Singapore. It will be a very budget product. But how soon that will materialise would depend on land prices.”

Kwek told TTG Asia e-Daily that Singapore lacked budget hotels. “The Singapore government is helping to allocate more sites suited for the development of budget hotels, though these sites are not in the city centre. There is definitely demand for budget accommodation, driven by the rise of low-cost carriers (and the tourist segment they bring to Singapore).”

Plans for the project have yet to be concretised but Kwek said the new budget hotel should “ideally be located outside the city centre”.

He also intends to introduce the group's budget hotels to regional destinations such as Vietnam and China, “but not in key cities like Shanghai and Beijing”.

Singapore (2010-06-17)

INTERNATIONAL visitor arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region rose 10 per cent in the first quarter of this year, according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

South and South-east Asia posted the highest gains at 17 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. North-east Asia saw a more modest uptake in arrivals, recording an eight per cent year-on-year increase.

Top performers were Bhutan (up 57 per cent), Myanmar (39 per cent) and Vietnam (36 per cent).

International arrivals to South Korea, however, dipped slightly (down one per cent) in the first three months.

– Read more in TTG Asia, June 25

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-17)

PHUKET is expected to attract six million visitors this year, up from 2009’s 5.5 million, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

TAT Phuket office director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon said the forecast was based on the southern Thailand beach destination's monthly year-on-year growth of 20 to 30 per cent from January to May.

Foreign visitor numbers are projected to reach 4.5 million, an increase over last year's four million. Australia, the UK, Sweden, South Korea and Germany were Phuket's top five markets in 2009.

Bangornrat said Russia was poised to overtake Germany this year as the island's fifth largest source market.

Meanwhile, the growing number of direct regional flights is expected to bring in even more visitors from Australia, India, the Middle East and South Korea.

– Read more in TTG Asia, July 9

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-17)

THE LARGELY under-utilised Putrajaya International Convention Centre  may be converted into a new parliament building.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz, said yesterday that the Cabinet would decide on the centre's fate once the Public Works Department submitted its report.

Hoteliers in the Putrajaya area welcomed the development.

Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside general manager Patrick Sibourg said this would stimulate the hotel's domestic and government segments.

Yeow Hock Siew, general manager of Marriott Putrajaya, said the hotel would benefit in general as the conversion would increase government activity in Putrajaya by virtue of the presence of Members of Parliament.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-17)

DESPITE the surge in arrivals to Phuket, the new Westin Siray Beach Resort and Spa is entering the market with a price-based strategy.

Marking this year's numbers, the five-star resort is offering 2010 roomnights for 2010 baht (US$59) per night, from its August 1 opening date through to October 31.

General manager Greg Findley said the introductory rate was a short-term strategy to create “buzz and interest” in the resort during the current low season, as it is the first five-star property on the island's east-coast corner.

Findley said published rates starting from 8,000 baht would apply from November 1 but the resort would continue to offer packages to keep interest up.

The 261-key resort on Siray Island, some eight minutes from Phuket town and 45 minutes from the airport, will have six F&B outlets, three outdoor pools and four meeting rooms.

Bangkok (2010-06-17)

ACCOR is giving Thailand tourism a nudge with a “cash back” incentive at its 36 properties in the country.

Until September 30, guests staying at participating Pullman, MGallery and Novotel hotels will receive 500 baht (US$15.41) per roomnight. Those staying in participating Grand Mercure and Mercure hotels get 250 baht, while guests at ibis and all seasons properties pocket 150 baht.

The “cash back” credits are to be used on hotel services such as spa treatments and F&B.

Oswald Pichler, Accor vice president for operations – Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, believed that as the country regained stability, tourists would be looking for deals to travel to destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, Chiang Mai and beyond. Accor's promotion, he said, would match the call.

Leading says consumers returning to travel agents

LEADING Hotels of the World (LHW) has seen a 21.3 per cent growth in GDS bookings and a 20.6 per cent pick-up in voice bookings in the first five months of this year, figures that reflect that clients are returning to travel agents to book their trips, according to Ted Teng, LHW’s president and CEO.

Both sources also account for the bulk of the business – US$131.1 million and US$59.1 million worth of bookings respectively from January to May – with Internet bookings contributing US$43.8 million.

Teng said: “For us in the luxury business, travel agents are extremely important and are showing significant growth as clients are (overloaded by) information on the Internet and are going back to the...experience of agents.”

LHW also saw a strong growth of 30 per cent in bookings from the Internet and Teng said there was a shift from OTAs to its members’ and LHW’s websites.

LHW bookings in the first five months rose 22.7 per cent compared with the same period in 2009. Teng expects a 15 per cent increase in revenue to US$553 million this year and has promised members a doubling of revenue to US$1 billion by 2013.

– Full report, TTG Asia, June 25

Asia’s luxury travel products get more luxurious

ASIA’S luxury travel products are just getting more luxurious to win over the high-end traveller’s dollar, as a sampling at ALTM shows.

From October 1, Six Senses Resorts & Spas will fly its clients privately between its new Soneva Kiri resort in Koh Kood, Thailand to Siem Reap in Cambodia, bringing the Angkor Temples to their feet at a flight cost of US$600 per person. Destination Asia is the land operator who will handle its clients.

Sofitel Luxury Hotels is segmenting its luxury market further with a sub-brand called So, designed to appeal to trendy sophisticated travellers. The first, Sofitel So Mauritius, opening in December, will have bed covers, linen and towels designed by Kenzo, while the second that will open in Bangkok in summer 2011 will have three different design concepts done by well-respected architects and interior designers.

Luxury agents are also noticing a rising crop of luxury boutique hotels across Asia, with one agent, East-West Travellers Singapore’s CEO, Janet Tan-Collis, saying this genre is the current “rage” among her clients.

“It is the new luxury clients from emerging markets such as China, India, Russia and Brazil, and a younger generation of developers, that are driving these trends,” said Stephane Laguette, Sofitel Luxury Hotels’ vice president sales, distribution and marketing Asia-Pacific.

- Full report in TTG Asia, June 25

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-16)

MALAYSIAN Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) wants to maintain the status quo on compulsory membership for members in order for them to obtain and renew their annual licenses.

MATTA president Mohd Khalid Harun said compulsory membership had proven to be workable and beneficial to the industry. “With MATTA monitoring its members, the Tourism Ministry can rely on us to regulate the travel and tour industry. The ministry has to think hard before it decides to undo this structure that it had created in 2000.”

He said the call for non-compulsory membership was made by a few individuals and it did not represent the intentions of the majority of MATTA members. There was also no discontent among the majority of members.

Mohd Khalid was commenting on the joint memorandums sent to the tourism ministry by the captains of five travel agencies last month and in August last year.

The five associations were Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, Malaysian Indian Travel and Tour Association, Car Rental Association of Malaysia, Bumitra Malaysia and Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association.

Mohd Khalid called on these associations to approach MATTA for a dialogue.

- Read more in TTG Asia, June 25

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-16)

KOH Puos Investment Group (KPIG), a Cyprus-registered company funded by a group of Russian investors, will spend more than US$1 billion on developing a southern Cambodian island into a mixed-use tourism and real estate empire.

The project, to be marketed internationally as Morakot Island, will occupy the 120-hectare Koh Puos island, located off the coast of Sihanoukville.

The development, to be carried out in phases throughout 2016, will comprise of hotels, a casino complex, sports facilities, luxury residential villas and apartment buildings, nature  trails and modern landscaped beaches, among others.

Andrew Halturin, COO and project director of KPIG, told TTG Asia e-Daily the group was in talks with several international chains, including Hilton Worldwide, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group, on hotel development projects.

He said the project will be “far superior than any construction currently in Cambodia and will rival similar developments in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia”.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-06-16)

ASTON  International has taken over the management of The Kuningan Suites, a 100-room all-suite serviced apartment and hotel in Jakarta, and has rebranded it as Aston at Kuningan Suites.

It is the first existing property Aston has taken over, as all its 30 hotels were new-builds.

Aston International vice president sales and marketing Norbert Vas said: "This all-suite property has a very strategic location in downtown Kuningan (a business district), close to the embassies, which are our major targets."

Vas said the property had been running at about 50 per cent occupancy with an average room rate of 520,000 rupiah (US$56.50), and was known more as an apartment than a hotel.

"Our target is to achieve 85 per cent occupancy with an average room rate of 700,000 rupiah in a year's time. This is quite a modest target if you look at the product and location. By comparison, Aston Rasuna, also located in the Kuningan area, is running at an average occupancy of 96 per cent," he said.

To achieve Aston's targets, guestrooms are being renovated, an online booking engine will be established, and sales and marketing activities will be intensified.

"We need to inform the market that we welcome both long-staying and daily hotel guests," Vas said.

Singapore (2010-06-16)

PAN Pacific Hotels Group will open two new properties in Zhejiang, China, by end 2011, increasing its portfolio of Chinese properties to four.

The 400-room Pan Pacific Ningbo and 200-room Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Ningbo will be located at the gateway of an upcoming industrial and economic zone in Ningbo, and be part of a mixed-used development by Ningbo International Trade Investment and Development Company Limited.

Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Ningbo will be the group's third Serviced Suites property after Singapore and Bangkok.

Where are the Virtuosos of Asia?

WHILE luxury hotels and resorts have kept pace with the growth of upmarket travellers, the same cannot be said of distribution, creating a fault line in the supply chain of this segment.

Hotel groups are lamenting a lack of luxury travel agents, particularly in China, to service a market that has rebounded as a result of Asia blithely sailing through the global financial disaster.

At an ALTM forum yesterday, Kent Zhu, group director of sales and marketing, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, said: "We do not have the system as such in North America where travel consultants and Virtuoso build a personal connection with clients and provide advice to them.”

“China has that (high-end) group who want to get to Hainan by private boat, or prefer helicopter rides and private jets, but we are not able to make a connection with this group of people. There is no right approach yet,” said Zhu, pointing out that there was a huge opportunity for agents to enter.

Jumeirah Group’s CEO, Guy Crawford, agrees but observes that these agents are evolving. He said while in Shanghai, he met such agents. “Some of them are clever, bright and focused on the market. They are there, but I agree the individual service of the level that Virtuoso provides is not there yet. This will evolve however,” Crawford said.

No Woman No Cry hotel

CLIENTS of travel agents who love reggae music and its legend Bob Marley, who hit top of the chart with his No Woman No Cry, are set to make a beeline for the first reggae hotel, Marley Resort & Spa, launched by his daughter, Stephanie Marley, and Dreamscape Journeys.

The resort, located in Cable Beach, Nassau, a 60-minute flight from Miami, was the summer retreat of the Marleys. It now offers 16 luxurious themed suites, all of which reflect musical legacies of Bob and Rita Marley.

"So many people celebrate my father's music and see that his message is prolific and still relevant today," said Stephanie Marley, who is in Asia and at ALTM to promote Marley Resort & Spa. "They keep his spirit alive. In return, we are inspired to share our piece of paradise here in a place we once called home.”

The music gallery was once the dining room that connected to the kitchen, then manned by “Mama Lur” (Lurline Pile), who whipped up Jamaican favourites like Ackee and Salt Fish breakfast for the family. She is now the signature Jamaican cook at Simmer Down, the restaurant at Marley Resort & Spa.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-15)

EVENTS Thailand, a professional exhibition organiser formed last July in Phuket, will hold its first event, the Asian Hospitality and Travel Show (AHTS), at Phuket Central Festival from October 1 to 3.

Managing director Simon Samaan said the first AHTS will showcase some 40 hotels in Phuket and around 20 to 30 hospitality suppliers from South-east Asia. A number of local and international hotels in Phuket have already registered for the event.

Some 30 MICE planners and tour operators from South-east Asia, Hong Kong and India would be invited on a hosted buyer programme.

Events Thailand plans to stage AHTS in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui next year, with four months between outings, and hopes to turn these showcases into annual events.

Jorge De la Torre, also managing director of Events Thailand, said AHTS has been endorsed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and was about to gain the support of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

The company intends to open offices in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui later this year.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-15)

NEW attractions in Singapore have resulted in overwhelming inbound leisure traffic this June holidays, forcing some inbound agents to turn away customers because of a lack of hotel rooms in the city-state.

At Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort, home to Universal Studios Singapore theme park and one of Singapore's two casinos, hotels have been running at over 90 per cent on weekdays and close to full on weekends.

The resort's spokesperson added that tickets to the theme park have been sold out “almost everyday since last weekend – even on weekdays” and expected the trend to stay throughout June.

Lex Travel's inbound volume had grown at least 20 per cent so far this month over June 2009, said its destination marketing assistant manager Kevin Pay. China, Indonesia and Malaysia have been the company's top performing source markets. Chinese travellers are also staying an extra day this month.

“We had to reject some bookings because we can't find any more rooms. Even two-star hotels are full! We expect the strong demand and persistent lack of room supply to continue through the year. We can only grab as much business as we can handle,” Pay said.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-15)

MALAYSIAN agents are planning ways to tap the outbound and inbound markets when AirAsia starts direct daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Yangon from July 20.

Malaysian Harmony Tours & Travel CEO, Cooper Huang, said he would design ground packages for youths as “AirAsia usually attracts the younger generation.”?

Another outbound agent, Feature Tour manager Terence Chew said his company would design special packages for the Muslim leisure market, besides the normal leisure programmes.

Meanwhile, inbound agent, Tina Travel & Agencies managing director Adam Kamal said he would visit outbound agents in Myanmar and study the needs of the market before deciding whether it was feasible to enter it.

Singapore (2010-06-15)

THE FIRST half of the year has seen Seoul bagging 14 international conferences that will take place this year and over the next few years.

These wins include the Taiwan-based Worldwide Chinese Life Insurance Congress' International Dragon Award in 2011, an event that is typically held in Chinese destinations such as China, Taiwan and Macau. Over 5,000 visitors, including CEOs of American International Assurance Company, Prudential and other major insurance companies in Chinese-speaking areas, are expected to attend the event and generate a direct expenditure of over 14.3 billion won (US$11.6 million) and a production effect of over 26 billion won.

Other events won include the 2011 International Council of Nurses Congress, the 2011 International Gastric Cancer Congress and the 2018 International Fiscal Association Congress.

The 14 international conferences will generate a combined economic windfall of more than 72 billion won.

The number of international meetings held in the South Korean capital grew from 125 in 2008 to 151 in 2009.

Mimi Hudoyo, Jakarta (2010-06-14)

PANORAMA Leisure Group (PLG), which is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, reported a loss of 7.42 per cent in integrated income last year, from 1,647 billion rupiah (US$179 million) in 2008 to 1,524 billion rupiah in 2009.

Net profit in 2009, however, increased 13.4 per cent over 2008's 5.7 billion rupiah.

PLG director Royanto Handaya said: “On the outbound side, we saw a change in travel patterns, with more Indonesian travellers choosing regional destinations, taking shorter holidays, and going for lower airline classes in legacy airlines or low-cost carriers. These resulted in lower spending.

“The stronger rupiah against foreign currencies (as of end 2009 and first quarter of 2010) and higher margins of some products had (together) lowered income.”

Looking forward, Panorama Leisure Group CEO, Budi Tirtawisata, said: “Things look better this year with the improving world economic situation and all our business pillars - inbound, outbound, MICE and transportation - expanding. We expect our integrated income to increase by 25 per cent.”

PLG will spend 200 billion rupiah this year on 500 new transportation units for Panorama Destination (inbound arm) and Panorama Transportation, which provides bus, taxi and limousine services.

Singapore (2010-06-14)

THE ASIAN upmarket crowd is back on the road, according to the results of a survey conducted by Reed Travel Exhibitions and TTG Asia for the Asia Luxury Travel Market, which starts today in Shanghai.

Featuring responses from 386 luxury travel buyers and suppliers, the survey found that respondents are optimistic about 2010 prospects, as the jetset crowd loosens purse strings and give in once more to upscale holidays.

Some 71 per cent of luxury travel buyers have noticed a recovery in their business in recent months, mainly from international clients. The conviction in the market is so strong that 78 per cent of agents are looking to recruit more staff this year.

Luxury travel spend is up, with 45.7 per cent of clients spending US$1,000 to US$5,000 per booking and 35.4 per cent spending more than US$5,000.

Sixty per cent of sellers have also changed their products by upgrading facilities, being more customer-oriented, providing more benefits, adding marketing efforts, introducing packages, renovating and tailoring products to budget-conscious travellers.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok, TTGmice (2010-06-14)

THAILAND will go ahead to bid for the World Expo 2020, but has delayed its plans to announce its intention at the Shanghai event this year.

Explaining the need to delay announcing Thailand's grand ambitions at the Shanghai World Expo, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) president Akapol Sorasuchart said the recent political crisis might have tarnished the country’s image in the short-term.

“But looking forward, we plan to place Thailand back on the map through (the bidding of) the World Expo 2020”.

At press time, Akapol said the working committee was tasked to study and prepare more details from six provinces, Ayutthya, Chonburi, Petchburi, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chanthaburi, all of which had offered to be the bidding city.

Akapol said each province must come up with a proposal that should be vetted through by its respective private sector via a publicly-staged forum.

Prudence Lui (2010-06-14)

THE LONG-AWAITED airlink between Taipei Songshan Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport was inaugurated today.

Various airlines including China Airlines, EVA Airways and TransAsia Airways will operate the route from Taipei, while China Eastern Airlines will fly from Shanghai.

EVA Airways Hong Kong general manager Clark Yeh said the 80-minute journey will further intensify traffic between the two destinations. “Owing to the Shanghai World Expo, all direct flights from Taiwan to Shanghai are full, so are transit flights via Hong Kong. The new services will help to meet demand. The new connections will also facilitate smoother traffic in the long term and enable same-day return."

The Songshan-Hongqiao services will shave at least two hours off travel time.

China Airlines general manager for Hong Kong, Johnson Sun, welcomes the move. He said: “We’ll start with six flights per week but the frequency will be boosted to nine by October.”

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur, TTGmice (2010-06-14)

RESPONDING to the increased occurrence of short booking lead-time, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) recently introduced a value-add programme called PlenaryOnCall, comprising six packages for its 500-seat plenary theatre.

Packaged on a per person basis for a minimum of 150 people, the value deals are further enhanced with all-inclusive purpose-built premium seating, audiovisual equipment, high-end IT facilities, specially designed VIP circle and a sophisticated presentation environment.

Packages start from RM30 (US$9.18) per seat per day, excluding taxes, with a choice of half-day and full-day options. All are inclusive of free-flow coffee and tea, aerated soft drinks and assorted cookies.

Asia Experience senior account manager, MICE, Saini Vermeulen, applauded the new deal, saying: “This new offering is flexible and caters to our clients’ needs where lead times are getting shorter, especially from regional markets. The ready-made packages make it easier for us to propose to our clients. Rates-wise, they are very competitive.”

Ollie Quiniquini, Singapore (2010-06-14)

HARD Rock Hotel Penang is looking to grab a greater share of international business.

The hotel, which opened last September, has been a hit with the domestic market and Singaporeans for leisure getaways, family holidays and MICE events but is looking to get more bookings from Europe, Australia and the Middle East. According to a Hard Rock Hotel Penang spokesperson, forward bookings from Europe and Australia for the summer season have been encouraging.

The spokesperson said that direct bookings on the hotel’s website brought in a substantial chunk of the business, particularly from the domestic, Singaporean and Australian markets. But the hotel continues to work closely with travel agents, she added.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang’s average room rate ranges from RM350 (US$105) to RM 380.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-11)

GERMANY-BASED Hahn Air, an airline and e-ticketing solutions provider, is introducing an insolvency protection insurance to travel agents in Asia-Pacific from June 15 to protect them against the bankruptcy of operating carriers ticketed on Hahn Air electronic ticket (HR-169).

The insolvency protection insurance was first rolled out to travel agents in Europe on January 1.

Hahn Air general manager Nico Gormsen said: “We are the only e-ticketing platform in the world offering this service. It is a unique offering against airline insolvency.”

In the event that a flight stated on the HR-169 e-ticket is cancelled because of the insolvency of the respective airline, Hahn Air provides a full refund of the unused part of the ticket, including taxes.

Hahn Air e-tickets are available in all Global Distribution Systems worldwide in more than 160 countries. It has interline e-ticketing agreements with more than 220 airlines.

Malaysia (2010-06-11)

THE MALAYSIAN Indian Travel and Tour Association (MITA) has clarified that it “does not bear grievances against Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA)”, following a report on national travel and tour associations urging the Malaysian tourism minister to end compulsory membership in MATTA (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 4).

MITA president, K Thangavelu, said his association was not part of the June 3 joint press conference by captains of Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, Car Rental Association of Malaysia, Bumitra Malaysia and Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association.

He, however, said MITA supported the call for non-compulsory MATTA membership as this would save members from paying double membership annual fees and assist MITA with its membership drive.

K Thangavelu added that MITA, along with the other associations, sent memorandums to the Tourism Ministry of this matter in August 2009 and last month.

Singapore (2010-06-11)

ABACUS International has published a report highlighting the importance of social media as a marketing and communications tool.

The Abacus Travel Insights report referenced the recent Icelandic volcanic eruption and resulting flight cancellations as events that demonstrated the power of social media in maintaining communication between travellers and their families and airlines.

The report said airlines used Twitter to keep passengers updated in real time and to instruct them on how to change booked seats. United Airlines and British Airways employed Twitter to resolve customer issues while Lufthansa posted updates on flights' status. The Changi Airport Group used Facebook and Twitter to enlist help from its fan base to offer hospitality to stranded passengers.

Abacus International president and CEO, Robert Bailey, said: “In a crisis situation like this, social media becomes an invaluable communications tool. It allows people to share information, provides real-time updates and an exchange platform for those seeking a way home and those who had a solution to get home.”

The company's vice president marketing Brett Henry added that as more travellers rely on social media for advice and feedback, online travel agencies are presented an opportunity to connect with travellers and value-add with pre-trip information.

- Read more in TTG Asia, June 25

Singapore (2010-06-11)

THE ASIA Cruise Association (ACA) held its first cruise training session today in Hong Kong for more than 90 travel agents during the International Travel Expo.

The one-day training session focused on developments in Asia's cruise industry, cruise product range and the know-how of selling cruise products.

Propelled by cruising’s great potential with its growing popularity in Asia and major cruise lines deploying more ships to the region in the recent years, ACA’s training session also aimed to impress on travel agents the attractiveness and lucrativeness of this market and encourage them to start adding cruise packages to their travel product range.

ACA chairman Rama Rebbapragada said: “It is important that travel agents understand the various cruise products and learn how they can market cruise packages effectively. With this training, travel partners can in turn help to widen the cruise marketing outreach. Our association has already lined up a series of training programmes across Asia for the rest of the year.”

The next training session is scheduled at Seatrade All Asia Cruise Convention 2010 from June 24 to June 25 in Suzhou, China.

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-11)

CLUB Med wants to double the bookings for its snow resorts in Asia-Pacific as it prepares to launch it Club Med Yabuli in Heilongjiang, China this November.

The resort operator's managing director for Asia-Pacific, Olivier Horps, told TTG Asia e-Daily that although Southeast-Asia represents a small market for its ski resorts, the market is “growing very fast”.

“At Club Med Sahoro, guest numbers from Asia-Pacific range from 10,000 to 15,000 a year for the past few years, with Japan and Australia being the top source markets. For the past three to four years, numbers from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong have doubled,” Horps said.

“Because ski holidays are typically higher priced than beach holidays, travel agents can earn at least twice more by selling ski resorts. Not many of them know this, and we're trying to reinforce this in Asia-Pacific through a training programme, tailored for each market, that provides product information, core marketing funds and fam trips.”

- Read more in TTG Asia

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-11)

ONYX Hospitality Group is eyeing expansion into Hong Kong and China, following the establishments of Onyx India and Onyx Singapore.

The move is part of Onyx’s growth strategy to become Asia’s leading hospitality provider with 51 properties in the region within the next eight years, up from 16 properties in Thailand now.

However, Onyx owner Yuthachai Charanachitta said the plan to form Onyx Hong Kong was still at a “maybe” stage.

For China, the group’s CEO, Peter Henley, said it would first enter the Southern region, and was in talks with potential partners to enter with either the Amari or Ozo brand.

Henley said: “Both China and India are equally important to Onyx. India, in particular, has about one billion people but less hotel rooms than Manhattan.”

Onyx has some six new properties in the pipeline in Thailand. Amari Residences Bangkok will open in September and a mixed-use Amari Hua Hin in 2012 while another mixed-use project is being planned for Phuket.

It will debut its luxury brand Saffron with the opening of The Oriental Residence Bangkok next year. Meanwhile, details of one Ozo hotel each for Bangkok and Koh Samui will be announced in the next few months.

Bangkok (2010-06-11)

Former PATA executive Renton de Alwis has returned to the association to offer advice on membership retention, recruitment and chapter development.

His return came at the invitation of PATA CEO, Greg Duffell.

De Alwis, a former chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, most recently served a second term in that capacity and then went into a life of active social activism, working in the country's rural environment in the deep south.

Ollie Quiniquini, Singapore (2010-06-10)

JTB has bought into Singapore tour operator, Star Holiday Mart, as part of its plan to expand beyond the Japanese market.

Tomoyuki Okagawa, JTB corporate and strategic planning manager, global and MICE business, told TTG Asia e-Daily that Star Holiday Mart would be an integral part of JTB's global inbound market expansion.

A joint department, Central Sales Operations, has been formed within Star Holiday Mart to handle JTB's non-Japanese inbound business to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan.

“Star Holiday's Singapore Alive is strong in the Indian, Indonesian and European markets and these will be the markets we will focus on initially,” said Okagawa.

“(With Star Holiday Mart officially becoming a member of the JTB Asia Pacific Group as of today, June 10,) they can now also use our network in China, Europe and the US.”

- Full story in TTG Asia, June 25

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-10)

THE THAI Hotels Association is mulling a one-price promotional package to prevent hotels from plunging further into a price war.

President Prakit Chinamourphong said its marketing team was working to launch packages with one rate each for three-, four- and five-star hotels this month, to run until October.

“This is a short-term strategy to deal with the price war. To address the core issue (of confidence), we're working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai Airways International to organise a media fam trip.”

Prakit said the price war erupted after a luxury hotel along the Bangkok riverside dumped its rate from 14,500 baht (US$445.54) to 3,500 baht for Thai residents, until July. Many hotels followed suit, especially with 1+1 specials.

Dusit International CEO, Chanin Donavanik, said “hotels in Thailand are now cheaper than Laos.” He added that while a five-star average rate of US$70 to US$80 would be good enough for Bangkok, this was three times less expensive than Singapore and even cheaper than Malaysia.

Though he would rather not intervene in the private sector’s strategies, TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said: “I do not wish to see hotels offering more discounts on the longterm contract rate. Thailand is already a value-for-money destination.”

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-10)

THAI tourism minister Chumpol Silpa-archa and major industry players will meet tomorrow over the tourism relief package approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday.

Thai Hotels Association president Prakit Chinamourphong said hotels, despite being hardest hit by recent events, only received a property tax waiver of 80 baht (US$2.50) a room until December 2011. “Hotels are likely to run low occupancies for at least three to six months. It's impossible to stay afloat with such little help.”

He added that the measure that shaved up to 15,000 baht off the personal income taxes of Thais buying local travel packages from tour operators should have been extended to all registered tourism establishments.

Large hotels had hoped for a loan package, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) wanted five billion baht more. The Cabinet only approved to maintain the five-billion baht scheme for SMEs, with repayment period extended from five to eight years.

Chumpol said he would re-propose the loan scheme for large hotels to the government  but needed more details on losses and requirements.

Dusit International CEO, Chanin Donavanik, estimated a loss of 100 to 200 billion baht for the Thai tourism industry this year. The tourism relief package was just a drop in the ocean of losses, he said.

Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok (2010-06-10)

THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) is revisiting its existing tourism marketing budget after the Cabinet approved only 22.5 per cent of the total requested stimulus.

The NTO sought an ad hoc budget of 1.6 billion baht (US$49 million) for an image campaign in the aftermath of the recent political crisis, but only received 360 million baht for domestic tourism marketing.

TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said the extra amount for domestic tourism would be spent on four projects - creating tour packages in consortium with domestic tour operators, staging Thai Tourism Festivals in five regions, events marketing and online tools.

Domestic tourism will be marketed under a Thai campaign, translated as “give Thailand a warm hug”.

Suraphon said for inbound tourism, marketing departments for longhaul and shorthaul markets would have to adjust their strategies based on the existing budget. A mega fam trip for about 500 to 600 overseas agents and media will be held in early July while an image campaign is in the works.

He said TAT planned to announce its short-, medium- and long-term strategies for Thailand tourism recovery on June 17.

Prudence Lui, Hong Kong (2010-06-10)

HONG KONG agents will be able to establish themselves as wholly-owned or joint-venture entities in Beijing and Shanghai municipalities, from January 1 next year.

This provision of the latest Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) covers group tours to Hong Kong and Macau for residents registered with permanent residence in the two municipalities.

A similar arrangement was put in place in 2007 in other provinces like Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong.

Sunflower Travel Service plans to play it by ear. Managing director Cindy Young said: “Opening a branch in Beijing or Shanghai involves huge cost and handling inbound tours from China is even more painful nowadays, given the low tour pricing.”

“Unlike in Hong Kong where most travellers buy their own holiday trips, mainland Chinese travellers often have companies that foot their holiday bills. So agents have to establish a strong network in order to tap business,” Young added.

A spokesman for Cathay Pacific said: "The new arrangement will enable Hong Kong wholly-owned travel agents to offer more comprehensive and higher quality tour packages and services for the mainland China market.”

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-10)

THE ORGANISERS of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association 2010 (IPBA) global conference, held from May 2 to 5 at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), has accused the venue of false representations and assurances in a new countersuit.

This latest development followed MBS' move to issue IPBA conference organisers with a writ of summons in late May to claim an outstanding payment of S$300,000 (US$212,404) after news of several hiccups – including a blackout during a keynote address and in-room facility glitches - encountered during the four-day conference emerged.

Despite these issues, MBS told TTG Asia e-Daily that “business momentum at MBS has never been stronger” and the team is “fielding numerous property tours for potential clients everyday”.

IIR Exhibitions Asia Pacific Life Sciences Division divisional director Andrew Keable, whose company had confirmed three events at MBS this year, including Hospital Build Asia 2010 in May, also maintained confidence in the venue.

“We will continue to talk with MBS for future events,” Keable told TTG Asia e-Daily.

S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur (2010-06-10)

OUTBOUND tour operators in Malaysia are planning to leverage AirAsia X’s limited free seat promotion to all its destinations by advertising ground arrangements and tour packages.

Harmony Tours & Travel CEO Cooper Huang said the airline promotion, for travel between October 11 and November 14, would help boost travel during the vacuum between the Muslim festival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri in September and the year-end school holidays, from November 22.

He and Parlo Tours general manager, Kerry Tam, said they planned to advertise closer to the travel period.

AirAsia X flies from Kuala Lumpur to London (Stansted), China (Hangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu), Taiwan (Taipei), and India (Mumbai, New Delhi) and Australia (Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne.

The promotion was valid for online bookings made yesterday and today.

Jakarta (2010-06-10)

ANGKASA Pura II, the airport authority of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, will further expand the airport's Terminal 3 and is currently drawing up a new design.

Angkasa Pura II Soekarno-Hatta Airport general manager Hariyanto said Terminal 3 will be expanded from three piers to five.

Terminal 3, the newest facility at the airport, serves Indonesia AirAsia for domestic routes and Mandala Airlines.

The immediate development for the terminal is a 300 billion rupiah (US$32 million) project to connect Pier 1 and Pier 2. Tender for the additional expansion will be out in September when the new design is ready.

Hariyanto said more airline companies, such as Indonesia AirAsia, were interested in operating from this new terminal.

Raini Hamdi, Frankfurt (2010-06-09)

SINGAPORE has gone back to its MICE mantra of “facilitation” – and with a vengeance – having dropped its stimulus scheme, introduced last year after the global financial crisis, in February.

“The shift is from ‘stimulus’ to ‘facilitation’,” said Singapore Tourism Board (STB)’s assistant CEO for BT-MICE group, Melissa Ow.

Ow refutes charges from some quarters that STB is taking a back seat on growing the MICE market as the two new integrated resorts do the job of keeping Singapore top-of-mind and rope in the numbers.

STB, for instance, has just announced a new event, TravelRave, aimed at facilitating the convergence of content on Asian travel and tourism. TravelRave will see the debut of a by-invitation-only, 150-delegate Asia Travel Leaders Summit organised with the World Travel & Tourism Council. Existing travel and tourism events including ITB Asia, Association Day @ITB, Web in Travel and Terrapin’s aviation conference will be part of TravelRave held in October each year in Singapore.

Meanwhile, STB introduced its new branding, YourSingapore, to the MICE world for the first time at IMEX recently. A new set of YourSingapore creatives for MICE is being finalised and will be rolled out soon.

- Full report, TTGmice, July issue

Raini Hamdi, Frankfurt (2010-06-09)

A YOUNG Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is gaining a sure-footing, tabling a proposal to the government for an undisclosed, “much larger” funding and brushing aside questions about its “neutrality”.

Operational in August 2009, the bureau said it supported 15 bids last year representing 16,150 delegates and RM147 million (US$44 million) spending. MyCEB’s budget looks a pittance at RM10 million per financial year currently. It is angling for a “much larger” funding and one that covers three years instead of one in order to compete in international association meetings bidding.

The bureau is proving its worth with one of its biggest catches this year being the 2,500-pax Federation of International Surveyors International Congress 2014. To gain endorsement as a central bureau, it is also out to show it is neutral and supports all of Malaysia’s major convention states – Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Sarawak, which has its own convention bureau.

A new corporate logo has been unveiled and the bureau's staff strength has been budgeted to grow from five now to over 20 by mid-year. A new office in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city centre further signals MyCEB is here to stay.

- Full report in TTGmice, July issue

Karen Yue, Singapore (2010-06-09)

JETSTAR will begin daily direct flights between Singapore and Melbourne from December 16, and Auckland from March 17 next year, using A330 aircraft.

The low-fare airline's CEO, Bruce Buchanan, said the services will connect the company's three major hubs - Singapore, Australia and New Zealand – and “build a solid foundation for future growth...to North Asia and Europe”.

Jetstar Asia and Valuair CEO, Chong Phit Lian, said the new services will target leisure and student travellers, as well as business travellers of small and medium-sized enterprises and budget-conscious multinational companies.

“The services will also benefit travellers from Australia and New Zealand who want to connect to 21 other destinations on our network out of Singapore.”

When asked if Jetstar's flights to Melbourne would cannibalise Qantas' Singapore-Melbourne services, Chong said: “We prefer to let market forces lead us. Anyway, Qantas is strong with its own customer base. Jetstar will attract more leisure and cost-conscious business travellers and these segments will expand the pie (of customers) for the company.”

One-way fares will start from S$300-odd, said Jetstar's country manager Singapore  Jeremy Ho.

Further, Chong said Jetstar's decision on flights to Europe will come “later”.

Jakarta (2010-06-09)

TRAVELLERS from countries that enjoy visa-on-arrival (VOA) facility who are bound for Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (Aceh) can now process their visa at the new Sultan Iskandar Muda airport in Banda Aceh.

The airport, which opened last year, is now equipped with the facility and started to issue VOA on June 7.

Aceh head of immigration Bambang Widodod said: “Travellers to Aceh do not need to spend time processing their visa in Jakarta or Medan anymore. I hope this facility will attract more tourists, business travellers and investors to Aceh.”

VOA to Indonesia are given to travellers from 52 countries such as Australia, Japan and China. A 30-day visa costs US$25 and can be extended to a maximum of another 30 days.