DETERMINED to strengthen its position as a cruising destination, the Philippines will implement this year a development strategy put together by Sydney-based Chart Management Consultants and funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

It includes plans to upgrade Philippine’s ports, of which four were identified as priorities: Manila, Boracay, Subic and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, said undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism, Benito Bengzon Jr.

Shore excursions in all destinations will have to be improved and marketing stepped up, Bengzon said during the sidelines of the PATA Philippine Chapter’s first general assembly last Thursday.

He added that promotional efforts are already in motion with the country’s participation in major cruise events in Miami and the Asia-Pacific, and with the publication of the first ever Philippine Cruise Guide in 2014.

Cruise passengers have been growing at an average rate of 50 per cent over the past three years, from 19,313 in 2013 to 32,382 in 2014 and to 35,236 in 2015. The target this year is 65,000.

As of press time, 21 cruise ships are expected to make 59 ports of call in the Philippines this year, with more to be expected. In 2015, 22 cruise ships made 70 ports of call in the country.

Song Hoi-see (fifth from right), founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group and Teo Chew Hoon (fourth from right), senior vice president, airside concessions division of Changi Airport Group, jointly officiated the grand opening of Aerotel Singapore last week alongside other VIP guests

The ‘M’ sized room at Aerotel Singapore

The world’s first swimming pool located within an airport

The Aerotel Library Lounge

Read more about Aerotel Singapore in our preview article here.

AN agreement to increase flights between the US and Haneda International Airport in Tokyo was reached between the US and Japan last week.

“(US representatives) have worked diligently with their counterparts in Japan to find a way to provide business and leisure travellers more options to conveniently fly between Tokyo and the US,” said Brian Schatz, the US Senator for Hawaii.

“Adding more options into Haneda complements Japan’s desire to expand international flights, supports consumers, and aligns with tourism goals of the US.”

According to a statement from Schatz’s office, the agreement results in two new flight slots between the US and Haneda while also converting the four existing nighttime flights into daytime flights.

Air carriers will be able to bid for the new flight slots in the coming months.

INDUSTRY players in Sri Lanka are elated that SriLankan Airlines will not be scrapping all flights to Europe, a move earlier considered due to losses made from the routes.

The national carrier had considered pulling out of Europe, with the exception of London, to cut losses while consolidating on profitable routes like India and the Middle East.

“We are delighted. This is a very positive move and shows the government is listening to the industry,” said Hiran Cooray, president of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).

SriLankan Airlines last week announced that it will still discontinue flights to Rome but continue flying to London, Paris and Frankfurt, adding that flight capacity to the Middle East will be increased.

Ajit Dias, chairman, SriLankan Airlines said these frequencies will continue for awhile and there are no more plans to reduce frequencies. “We are also talking to several other airlines on code sharing arrangements (to cover sectors that the airline doesn’t fly to),” he said.

S. Paramanathan, managing director of Atlas Lanka Travels, said arrivals are rising even though it’s the shoulder season and hence not the time to reduce flights to European destinations.

THE Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne got off to a shaky start this morning when a tour bus carrying 15 hosted buyers and a Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) staff member crashed into a light rail bridge in the suburb of South Melbourne.

The group was part of a showcase tour heading to St Kilda when it ran into trouble at approximately 10.20.

MCB issued a statement confirming that 11 passengers and the driver of the bus had been taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries and for observation.

It is understood Victorian emergency services responded to the incident immediately with all passengers safely removed from the bus within an hour.

Speaking at the Tourism Australia Hosted Buyer and Media Lunch at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), which was delayed due to the incident, MCB’s CEO Karen Bolinger said: “Our primary concern is the wellbeing of the hosted buyers and staff involved and counselling services will be offered for all passengers, as well as guests of AIME who are affected by the incident.

“We will be monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis to ensure all passengers are provided with as much support as they need.”

Andrew O’Connell from the Melbourne Fire Brigade said it would have been absolutely terrifying for the passengers when the roof of the bus was destroyed.

“Hopefully they all ducked their heads and closed their eyes to keep themselves out of trouble and I think that’s what’s kept them remarkably uninjured.”

A spokesperson from Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital confirmed they were treating five passengers from the accident who were stable but would remain in hospital overnight.

THE Singapore Airshow 2016, which took place at the Changi Exhibition Centre from February 16 to 21, saw strong visitor numbers from both the trade and consumer segments, as well as an increase in amount of deals made at the show.

A total of 50 deals were concluded this year, a 14 per cent increase over the 2014 edition, with 10 of the deals amounting to US12.3 billion in value. The other 40 deals, announced by 20 companies, had undisclosed values. Eight MoU signings were also made, double that of the previous show.

Trade attendance from February 16 to 19 saw a 7 per cent increase compared to 2014, while public visitorship from February 20 to 21 maintained at 80,000. In total, Singapore Airshow 2016 welcomed over 130,000 visitors.

Exhibitor highlights included having nearly 60 companies taking part in the French pavilion this year, the largest French presence ever at an airshow outside of France. Meanwhile, more than 140 exhibitors represented the US and host country Singapore had 36 companies exhibiting at its pavilion, an increase from 29 in 2014.

“We are pleased that the fifth edition of the Singapore Airshow has received such strong support from both trade and public visitors alike,” said Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events, organisers of the Singapore Airshow.

“We would like to thank our stakeholders, exhibitors, partners and visitors for their continued participation and support, and look forward to building on this year’s show to make Singapore Airshow 2018 even more exciting.”

Singapore Airshow 2018 will be held from February 6 to 11 at Changi Exhibition Centre.

MATTERS of safety, capacity and cost are hampering the competitiveness of Thailand’s aviation sector, according to a statement by IATA, and the association is calling on the country’s government to hastily rectify them.

“Aviation is critical to Thailand’s economic success. It is the backbone of the tourism industry and provides critical global business links. We estimate that today aviation and related activities account for some 2 million Thai jobs and generate US$29 billion in GDP,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.

“And by 2035 we could see that grow to 3.8 million jobs and US$53 billion in GDP. If realised, that potential 83 per cent growth would have a broad and positive impact across the Thai economy. It is in jeopardy, however, unless key issues of safety, capacity and costs are addressed urgently.”

Regarding safety, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had recently assigned Thailand a lower Category 2 rating based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards, after a reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority in July, 2015.

With the downgrade, Thailand’s carriers can continue existing flights to the US, but will not be allowed to establish new routes there. Thailand was fortunately spared being put on the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) blacklist, a list of airlines banned from operating in 28 European Union member countries.

“ICAO and the US FAA have pointed out safety oversight concerns and divergence from global standards at the government level. Safety is aviation’s top priority. The government of Thailand must address these concerns in support of a vibrant aviation sector that is the backbone of travel and tourism,” said Tyler.

There are also safety concerns about soft spots on the tarmac, taxiways and apron area of Suvarnabhumi airport with aircraft frequently getting stuck in them. The extra power and towing needed to maneuver through these surfaces is a safety risk to ground personnel, ground vehicles and aircraft, warned IATA.

On top of that, frequent surface repairs create congestion. Tyler stated: “The constant resurfacing of the tarmac, taxiways and apron area with asphalt is an unacceptable patchwork solution. We literally need a concrete solution.”

The airport also faces a capacity crunch. Suvarnabhumi is handling over 52 million passengers, which already exceeds the terminal design capacity of 45 million while demand is growing by 10 per cent annually. Fast tracking the phase two terminal expansion would provide much needed terminal capacity. IATA also calls for third runway plans at Suvarnabhumi to move forward.

As well, with LCCs accounting for 54 per cent of the shorthaul market in South-east Asia and with gulf carriers growing stronger in the longhaul segment, IATA is urging Thailand to remain competitive on the pricing front.

“In the face of intense competition, Thailand’s aviation competitiveness is being chipped away with various new or increased taxes and charges. It is in Thailand’s long-term self-interest to review and abandon proposals that increase the cost of transportation. That includes taxes or charges,” said Tyler.