PHYSICIANS willing to assist during an emergency aboard flights operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) can soon do so in a more efficient manner.

ANA will be introducing its Doctor on Board programme in September, where doctors can choose to be identified and registered in advance. Flight crew can then quickly and directly approach the medical professional should the need arise.

The volunteers must be registered doctors and a member of the ANA frequent flier programme, Maho Ito, a spokeswoman for the airline, told TTG Asia e-Daily.

Registration begins from July and the system is set to take off on international flights from September.

“The main reason we are introducing this is because there are more and more foreign visitors coming to Japan and we are expanding our international services to meet that demand,” said Ito.

“There is therefore an increased possibility of a passenger being taken ill during a flight and we want to have a system in place to deal with any eventuality.”

Given the possibility of language being a barrier to rapid and effective treatment, the system is also incorporated into ANA’s new Communications Board app. Carried by cabin crew, the i-Pad application enables a user to verbally translate phrases between 17 languages.

UNWTO secretary-general, Taleb Rifai

EMERGING business models in travel should not be stifled, but fully embraced, a panel organised by the UNWTO agreed, albeit not without implementing measures to ensure a level playing field with traditional players.

At the 60^th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe held in Vilnius, Lithuania, an expert panel made up of representatives from Airbnb, TripAdvisor, BeMyGuest, the Lithuanian Hotels and Restaurants Association, the European Commission, and more, concurred that the business opportunities afforded by peer-to-peer distribution should not be missed out on.

This is especially so as tourism dollars become ever more important for nations. “At a time when economic recovery is still quite slow, tourism has been a major contributor to the European economy, generating 404 billion euros (US$450 billion) in exports,” said UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai.

However, this should not cause unnecessary friction within the industry. At the same time, consumers still need to be ensured the same level of protection afforded to them by current industry stalwarts.

Said Rifai: “Sustainable measures and other tourism policies should be applicable to all business models, so that all stakeholders across the value chain hold the same level of responsibility with regard to the sector.”

“Only by working in cooperation and by building bridges will the tourism community be able to capitalise on the strong potential of the sector,” he added.

HNA Aviation Group, a division of HNA Group, has taken a shareholding of approximately 13 per cent in Virgin Australia Group as part of a strategic commercial alliance between the two companies.

Under the agreement, new direct services between China and Australia will be jointly looked into, as well as greater cooperation in terms of codesharing, loyalty programmes, lounge access and promotions.

According to Virgin Australia, HNA is also committed to increasing its stake in the company over time up to 19.99 per cent.

Further details about the alliance will be made available as they finalise, according to a statement released by Virgin Australia, adding that the alliance is still subject to authorisation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, regulatory approvals from Chinese authorities and other commercial conditions.

Commenting on the move, CEO of Virgin Australia, John Borghetti, said: “The alliance will see us leverage the opportunities offered by China as well as the synergies of HNA’s comprehensive aviation supply chain.

“The Chinese travel market represents Australia’s fastest growing and most valuable inbound travel market, with inbound passengers from China increasing by approximately 18 per cent per year since 2010.”

Airlines operating under the HNA Aviation Group include Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Lucky Air and Urumqi Air, among many others.

Singapore Changi Airport 

OUTBOUND traffic from Singapore shrank 1.3 per cent in the first five months of 2016 compared to the same period last year.

According to business management consultant GfK, the reduced traveller volume can be attributed to cutbacks on discretionary expenditure such as leisure travel, fueled by a weakening economy and uncertainty in the financial markets plus rising redundancy in job functions.

China remains the top destination for Singapore travellers but growth in arrivals has dipped to a mere 1.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Thailand maintains its runner-up position.

Of the top 10 destinations, only Indonesia reported double digit growth with a 10.8 per cent gain in arrivals, while Japan saw a significant 18.4 per cent drop.

Commenting on Japan’s slow growth, Anthony Tan, APAC lead for travel and hospitality at GfK, said: “Despite continued efforts in marketing Japan, the recent earthquake has taken its toll.”

Currency effects are keeping certain markets buoyant however, with Australia seeing a modest 1.2 per cent growth due to favourable exchange rates for the Singapore dollar.

Beyond the 10 most popular destinations, South Korea saw a 16 per cent increase in Singaporean arrivals, a trend that may be partially attributed to the appreciation of the Singapore dollar against the Korean won.

Data shows that South-east Asia is still the most travelled region for Singapore travellers with traditional beach holiday destinations like Phuket, Bali and Langkawi gaining in popularity versus those further afield.

GfK predicts leisure travel to continue facing strong headwinds in the second half of the year as market conditions remain tenuous.

TOURISM industry leaders in Cambodia have welcomed a move by the Ministry of Tourism last month that will allow Chinese, South Korean and Japanese visitors three-year multiple-entry visas.

The visas are valid for 30-days per visit and are expected to be introduced later this year.

Said World Express Tour president Ho Vandy: “This is good because it saves time and money for tourists, and in turn they will spend more time and money in Cambodia. It is a big incentive.”

Kimhean Pich, founder and CEO of Discover the Mekong, noted that while the move will result in lower income from visa fees for the authorities, there is the potential for financial gain elsewhere.

“With the visa scheme, the tourism sector should make more money and this will result in higher tax revenues for the government,” he said.

Ang Kim Eang, president, Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said that the new visa plans should also help boost slower growth in arrivals.

He said: “The increase in arrivals last year is small, so the government is now trying to promote tourism by offering longer visas to the top three tourist markets for Cambodia.”