Chatbot for flight search and booking being tested in Thailand
Amadeus is piloting an AI-powered bot that connects travel agents to users of popular chat app, Line.
Developed in partnership with India-based GoHero.ai, the bot – named @flightbot – will be tested with Thai travel agencies and the travellers they serve before rolling out in other markets across the Asia-Pacific region.
Chatbot for flight search and booking being tested in Thailand
“With the new 24/7 bot on Line, travellers using @flightbot will gain direct access to Amadeus’ global content and technology via Amadeus-connected travel agencies with just the touch of a button, including a range of available flights and options to choose from,” said Simon Akeroyd, vice president, corporate strategy and business development, Amadeus Asia Pacific.
Line users can search for and befriend @flightbot, chat privately with the bot and receive assistance for any flight-related queries. Throughout the test period, the bot will address queries related to air travel bookings, departure city and destination, and flights with the best prices, in either English or Thai.
The goal is for @flightbot, which is in constant learning mode, to ultimately be able to provide round-the-clock conversational replies that can meet the personalised needs of travellers.
The AI-powered service will also provide travel agents with a secure and streamlined transaction process, where travellers can complete payment via the chat.
Air traffic growth in Asia-Pacific brings new challenges
The international air transport industry achieved its safest year on record in 2017, with a total of 10 major accidents involving western-built aircraft resulting in 55 fatalities, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
This represents a loss rate approaching one major accident for every four million flights, which AAPA attributes to the efforts of regulators and industry safety stakeholders working in close collaboration.
Air traffic growth in Asia-Pacific brings new challenges
Looking at western-built commercial jets, there were three major accidents which resulted in a total of 40 fatalities. Asia-Pacific carriers experienced one major accident involving large western-built commercial airline jets, with zero crew and passenger fatalities.
Commercial turboprop operations also achieved significant safety performance improvements, according to AAPA. In 2017 there were seven major accidents involving this type of aircraft, which resulted in a total of 15 fatalities, including one major accident involving an Asian operator which resulted in two fatalities.
Andrew Herdman, director general of AAPA, commented: “With the demand for air travel growing continuously, the world’s airlines are now responsible for safely transporting over four billion passengers each year. About one third of those passengers are being carried by airlines based in Asia-Pacific, on some of the busiest routes in the world. Understandably with this responsibility, safety is always our first priority.”
Herdman continued: “For Asia-Pacific, the growth in demand for air travel brings with it challenges requiring more attention. Governments need to focus on wider issues related to aviation infrastructure capacity constraints and congestion, the need for more effective regulatory oversight and investments that provide a future air transport system meeting prescribed international standards, not only for safety, but also for environment, security and other key performance standards.”
Ctrip is partnering the Priceline Group’s restaurant reservations platform, OpenTable, to allow Ctrip mobile app users to book from tens of thousands of restaurants across North America.
OpenTable app
With the agreement, Ctrip has become OpenTable’s first partner in the Mainland China market. Available in six languages, the Princeline group platform already has over 43,000 bookable restaurants in more than 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.
The tie-up comes as North American destinations rise in popularity among Chinese travellers. According to Ctrip’s data, Chinese visitors to North America in 2017 spent on average RMB16,000 (US$2,456) per person. Both the US and Canada were included on Ctrip’s 2017 Top 20 Popular Country list, with three US cities in the top 10 for longhaul trips, and Canada seeing over 60 per cent growth year-on-year.
Centara Hotels & Resorts has appointed Allen Thomas as vice president business development.
Reporting to Centara’s deputy CEO Markland Blaiklock, Thomas will be responsible for executing the company’s plan to grow its hotel stable from 58 to 134 properties over the next five years.
Thomas has 28 years of experience in the hospitality sector, including, positions with HPL and Como Hotels, and most recently Resorts Holdings International.
Malaysia Airlines relaunches Brisbane flights
Malaysia Airlines will reinstate flights between Kuala Lumpur and Brisbane from June 6.
From Brisbane, MH134 pushes back at 23.20 to reach Kuala Lumpur at 05.50 the following day. Out of Kuala Lumpur on the return leg, MH135 takes to the skies at 09.50 to reach Brisbane at 19.50.
The service will run four times a week, providing 120,000 seats to/from Brisbane airport on the Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The airline will be operating the route every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Other routes between Kuala Lumpur and Australia are to Sydney (twice daily), Melbourne (twice daily), Perth (daily) and Adelaide (four times a week).
Eurowings links up Bangkok and Munich
German low-cost airline Eurowings will begin twice-weekly flights – on Mondays and Saturdays – between Bangkok and Munich starting on June 15 this year.
The inaugural flight will leave the Bavarian capital on June 15, whereas the first flight from Bangkok is going to take off on June 16.
AirAsia launches Macau-Phuket flights
AirAsia has begun daily flights between Macau and Phuket.
Taking three hours and 45 minutes, flights will depart Phuket at 05.20 and arrive at 10.05. The return flight will depart Macau at 10.40 and arrive in Phuket at 13.05, taking three hours and 25 minutes.
Apart from this route, Thai AirAsia offers a variety direct flights to Macau from Thailand, including Don Mueang-Macau (four flights a day), Chiang Mai-Macao (one flight per day) and Pattaya (U-Tapao)-Macau (four flights per week).
Tianjin Airlines adds Auckland to network map
Tianjin Airlines now flies from Auckland to Tianjin via Xi’an, making it the second intercontinental flight between China and New Zealand for the airline.
GS7968 will depart Auckland on Saturdays at 22.05 and arrive in Tianjin at 11.25 the following day, while GS7967 will depart Tianjin at 21.10 and arrive back in Auckland at 19.05 the following day on Fridays.
Finnair adds longhaul frequencies to Asia
Finnair will add several frequencies to some of its longhaul Asian destinations, namely Osaka, Hong Kong, Delhi and Phuket, for the 2018/2019 winter season.
Finnair’s route to Osaka will now become daily during the winter season with two additional frequencies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Two additional frequencies will also be added to the Hong Kong route on Fridays and Sundays, for a total of 12 weekly frequencies.
As well, Finnair’s route to Delhi will become a daily destination during the winter season with the addition of a flight on Wednesdays, and a fourth weekly frequency will also be added to the Phuket route on Mondays.
Air New Zealand has appointed Jenni Martin as head of South and South-East Asia. She will report to Scott Carr, regional general manager Asia.
In her new role, Martin will be based in Singapore, and will be responsible for sales and market development activity across South and South-east Asia, with a particular emphasis on working closely with Air New Zealand’s alliance partner Singapore Airlines.
Martin began her career at Air New Zealand in 2010 when she joined from Qantas as an account executive in the New Zealand region corporate sales team. Since then, she has progressed through a number of roles and was most recently the airline’s senior manager sales and operations based in Sydney.
Tung (middle) commemorated his retirement with friends last month
Hong Kong’s tourism trade ushered in 2018 with new leaders at the helm of key associations and councils, eager to propel their organisations forward amid changing forces in the industry.
Last month, Joseph Tung retired from the Travel Industry Council (TIC) after a 20-year tenure and handed the reins to his deputy, Alice Chan.
Tung (middle) commemorated his retirement with friends from the industry last month
Chan said the key challenge for TIC going ahead is preparing to transform. It now plays the dual role of trade association and self-regulatory body of travel agents, but is expecting to relinquish the latter once the trade’s new regulatory body, the Travel Industry Authority, is set up.
“To prepare for the upcoming changes, TIC has been allocating more resources to assist traders and has already embarked on a number of funding schemes and projects to help enhance members’ competitiveness by promoting the use of information and computer technology; training of travel agency personnel; and collaboration with mainland and overseas tourism organisations,” she shared.
“Indeed, the workload of the executive office has grown tremendously in the past few years and is bound to expand further in the next few years. We are looking forward to obtaining additional manpower and developing an even more efficient team.”
At the Hong Kong Hotel Association (HKHA), Patrick Kwok, formerly general manager for business development of the Hong Kong Tourism Board for over 34 years, in late August replaced veteran James Lu as executive director.
A series of proactive changes has been planned for roll-out, such as a website revamp to enable better communication with members and consumers, new initiatives to enhance membership benefits, and increased collaboration with stakeholders and partners to uplift HKHA’s profile.
Kwok told TTG Asia: “The industry enjoyed a very rewarding year in 2017 and expects to continue in the first half of 2018. However, we have to be nimble in view of external factors including political tension, increasing interest rate and the strong US currency as well as intense competition in the region.
“In fact, the industry faces a (situation of) high base and slow growth in terms of overnight visitors. With about 20,000 new hotel rooms in the next five years, manpower resources is a real challenge. Moreover, our reliance on OTAs will continue to hurt our yields and, not to forget Airbnb, which is becoming more active.”
The association will hence spearhead new initiatives and leverage new business opportunities such as those that may arise from the completion of major infrastructures and the Big Bay Tourism Development.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents (HATA) has elected 32-year-old Ronald Wu as chairman, making him the youngest chief in the association’s history. Son of the former TIC chairman Michael Wu, he joined Gray Line Tours in late 2011 and began his involvement with HATA in 2012 as a convention committee member.
In his two-year term, he intends to focus on members’ participation. He elaborated: “With over 300 members, we can make a difference in the trade, but this can only be done if our members are as engaged as the executive committee are. The challenge is in how to continue to strengthen HATA’s role as a key voice of the industry. We need to remain influential and be involved in all areas that will affect the trade, including regulations, development, education, etc.”
In order to achieve this, he stressed that HATA will need to evolve with the industry, and be aware of the current travel trends including those concerning customer behaviour and new technology. “For the industry to grow, we definitely need more new blood to join the trade,” he said.
Resort closed from January 2-6 as roads leading to national park were flooded
Roads to Taman Negara, Malaysia’s largest national park and conservation area, were made inaccessible by floods in Jerantut District earlier this month, but some agents and resort operators say it is now business as usual at the attraction.
After a temporary closure from January 2 to 6, one of the larger resorts in the park, the 87-key Mutiara Taman Negara National Park Resort, reopened its doors on January 7.
Resort closed from January 2-6 as roads leading to national park were flooded
Mutiara Taman Negara’s director of sales, Kingston Khoo, said: “The weather is beautiful now at Taman Negara. Water levels on the Tembeling River in Kuala Tahan have receded by more than seven metres and are back to normal levels.”
Khoo shared that activities at the resort are running as usual, including the canopy walk, boat trips from the resort to Lata Berkoh, jungle-trekking trips and visits to indigenous communities.
He said the resort is looking to close the month with an average occupancy of 40 per cent, adding that agent partners have continued to support and promote the park since its reopening.
One such agent, Manfred Kurz, managing director of Diethelm Travel Malaysia, said: “We had a handful of FIT clients whom we had to divert when the resort was temporarily closed. But now that it is open, we continue to (sell) programmes to Taman Negara, which we think is the (go-to) park in Peninsular Malaysia if you want to learn more about jungles.”
Meanwhile, Khoo remarked that weather patterns have changed, and the monsoon season normally expected in the months of November and December have begun later in the past two years, and in shorter spells.
Hoshino Resorts is set to debut its fourth brand, OMO, with openings in Tokyo and Hokkaido scheduled for spring 2018.
Joining Hosihoya, Risonare and Kai under Hoshino’s brand portfolio, OMO is positioned as an urban-based, mid-range line of hotels. The brand will carry the tagline ‘Get down with the local rhythm’ and focus on actively introducing guests to local and insider-type experiences from eateries, bars and other attractions.
A rendering of OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka’s look. Photo credit: Hoshino Resorts
Hotel names will include numbers signifying the range of services offered, with zero denoting complete no-frills and nine the full OMO experience.
Set to open on May 9, OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka will be located a minute’s walk from JR Otsuka Station which has a direct access from major train stations such as Shinjuku and Shibuya on the JR Yamanote Line.
OMO7 Asahikawa will open on April 28, offering guests experiences such as the Asahiyama Zoo as well as the area’s famed local ramen shops.
The former Novotel Batam has been rebranded as Travelodge Batam, marking the Indonesia debut of the Travelodge brand.
The newly-refurbished Travelodge Batam features 249 rooms and facilities such as an indoor swimming pool and a fitness centre.
This will be the first Travelodge-branded hotel in Indonesia
Located in Batam’s shopping and entertainment district, the hotel is within walking distance or a five minutes’ drive to key attractions including Nagoya Hills Mall and Harbour Bay Mall and the Harbour Bay International Ferry Terminal.
Travelodge Batam is 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry and 30 minutes’ drive from the Hang Nadim International Airport.
Malaysia Airlines relaunches Brisbane flights
