WITH the ‘red shirt’ rally expected to go ahead in Kuala Lumpur’s Padang Merbok tomorrow, Malaysian inbound tour operators are avoiding tours in the area due to concerns over safety.

Coinciding with Malaysia Day tomorrow, the controversial rally is organised by Malay groups to counter the recent Bersih 4 rally, purportedly dominated by Chinese.

Several travel managers have reported cancellations from neighbouring countries.

Yap Sook Ling, managing director of Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, said: “Our tours in Kuala Lumpur go on as usual but we will avoid the areas affected by the rally.”

Arokia Das, senior manager at Luxury Tours Malaysia, said his company has cancelled city tours in the daytime as “anything can happen, and depending on the situation tomorrow, we may schedule a night tour of Kuala Lumpur”.

According to Das, two student groups from Singapore have cancelled their trips for this coming weekend.

Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager of New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel in Johor, said: “We had a big meeting group of 600 pax from Singapore planning to have their meeting in Kuala Lumpur at the end of this month cancelled because of the rally. They are instead going to Thailand.

“Safety is paramount to tourists. I anticipate a much bigger drop in the coming weeks if the government does not control the crowd in tomorrow’s rally,” he said.

“Having this rally will change the perception of Malaysia as a multi-racial and harmonious country, which is what Malaysia has all this while been known for.”

CATHAY Pacific Airways will begin a new route between Hong Kong and Madrid next year, becoming the second carrier after Air China to offer direct flights between Spain and China.

Set to begin on June 2, 2016, the four-times weekly service will be operated on a Boeing 777-300ER, departing on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Ivan Chu, CEO of Cathay Pacific, said the new route forms part of the company’s expansion plans in Europe, with services recently launched to Manchester, Zurich and Düsseldorf.

While a high percentage of business traffic is predicted for the Madrid route, the airline says the service will not only open up a new gateway for Chinese travellers visiting Spain but also for those flying onward to destinations in Latin America.

Currently, Spain has only one airline offering direct flights between the two countries. Air China flies five times a week to Madrid and three to Barcelona.

Welcoming the new route, Roberto Xu, director of Madrid-based Asia specialist operator, Viajes Extremo Oriente, said: “At the moment there are very few direct flights between Spain and China. (By) using Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific will provide a good link with the south of China, as well as countries like the Philippines.”

THE Philippines is shaping up to be a major diving destination, according to sellers during the country’s first international Diving & Resort Travel (DRT) Expo.

Olivier Martinez, marketing director of Asiaqua, which owns a fleet of 12 dive ships, said their packages to the Tubbataha Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are already 85 per cent booked six months ahead.

Lauren Feather of international sales, Atmosphere Resorts & Spa in Dauin, Negros Oriental, observes growing interest in the Philippines in the US and other international dive shows. “The Philippines is the next big thing in diving,” she opined.

Christian Reinwald, owner of Easy Diving & Beach Resort in Sipalay, Negros Occidental, said the dive market is “alright” with 95 per cent of their European clients spending two to three weeks on diving safaris.

Asians, too, are being drawn due to proximity of the Philippines. Brisk demand from South Korean and Chinese divers has driven the Sea World Dive Centre in Boracay to expand and upgrade its facilities, said Hye Kyoung Jung, Professional Association of Diving Instructors course director at the centre.

Jung also acknowledges that the Philippine Department of Tourism did a good job in marketing and promoting diving in Philippines in recent years, adding that the special department for diving interests had managed to clinch the deal with Hong Kong-based LX Development Group to launch the DRT Expo in the Philippines.

FOREIGN travel among Vietnamese have traditionally been reserved for the wealthy, but a growing middle class is bucking that trend, according to local and regional tour operators.

“The living standard in Vietnam is increasing day by day,” said Vu Tuan Tu, leader of marketing and communication for Vietravel, urging outbound operators to shift their attention to the country’s growing middle class.

Hoang Tich Hong Hai, accounts manager for SaigonTourist, agreed: “The main markets have to focus on the average people, not the wealthy ones. The lifestyle (standard) is rising, Vietnamese people want to go outside (the country) to explore.”

Unlike their wealthier counterparts, Vietnam’s middle class tends to stay within Asia, according to Shirline Ng, sales manager at Princess Cruises, because obtaining tourist visas elsewhere can be difficult.

Many countries in North America and Europe grant visas based on one’s income and previous travel record, she explained. “If your passport is totally empty, you can forget about a US (or) Canada visa.”

Meanwhile, similar costs of living make neighbouring nations accessible to Vietnam’s middle class. Sambath Leakhena, sales executive for FCC Hotels in Siem Reap, commented: “They travel to Cambodia and Cambodians are also traveling to Vietnam.”

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism reported more than 900,000 Vietnamese to Cambodia last year, comprising more than 20 per cent of all foreign visitors to the country.

Reporting by Dave Fox

HONG Kong Disneyland Resort has unveiled a slew of new programmes and activities to celebrate its 10^th anniversary.

First is a new concert-style stage show named Mickey and the Wondrous Book featuring 22 original costume designs and various Disney characters, set to be launched on November 17, 2015.

Additionally, the resort has enhanced its Disney in the Stars fireworks show with cutting-edge technology, lighting effects and a video projection using the Sleeping Beauty Castle as a canvas. The enhanced show will officially launch in November.

Other new attractions include the Fairy Tale Forest in Fantasyland in December, photo opportunities with Disney characters with the new Happily Ever After storybook photo spots around the park, as well as anniversary-themed merchandise and food.

Seasonal offerings during Halloween and Christmas such as Disney Haunted Halloween and Disney Sparkling Christmas will be held concurrently with the 10th anniversary celebrations.

The resort will also launch the Iron Man Experience in late 2016 and the opening of the Disney Explorers Lodge in early 2017.

BRITISH businessman and founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, has his eyes set on launching a Virgin-branded airline in Thailand, according to a news report by the Bangkok Post.

Branson already have ventures in Thailand, including two Virgin radio stations and a chain of stores for its Virgin Active fitness brand. He cites the ease of working with the Thai people and the opportunities in Thailand as reasons for his interest in venturing into the country’s aviation and hospitality sectors.

Details are yet to be released, but the charismatic leader plans on making a big impression in hopes to shake up the aviation industry there.

LUXURY hospitality group Trump Hotel Collection has revealed a second property to be developed in Indonesia, which will see Asia get its first Trump-branded golf course. The resort will also be the second collaboration between Trump Hotel Collection and Indonesia’s MNC Group.

Located in Lido, West Java, the property will include a six-star luxury resort, 18-hole signature Ernie Els championship golf course, a country club, spa, as well as a high-end residences with villa and condominium offerings.

Bapak Hary Tanoesoedibjo, group president and CEO of MNC Group, said: “MNC is repositioning and rebranding what is currently known as Lido Lakes to be the pride of Indonesia.”

“The area will be a 3,000ha world-class integrated lifestyle resort destination, heralded by the completion of the Bogor-Sukabumi toll road which will enable guests an unprecedented opportunity to escape to this new destination,” he added.

The new Bogor-Sukabumi toll road, developed by MNC Group, will provide direct access to Lido Lakes, thus reducing the drive time from Jakarta to an hour. The resort is also located within an hour’s driving distance to the forests of Bodogol and Cikaweni waterfalls.

The official signing of the agreement took place on August 19, 2015.

In addition to the Trump luxury development, MNC group has also agreed to a partnership with a leading design and production firm based in Los Angeles to open Indonesia’s first world-class theme park.

DATA from travel intelligence company ForwardKeys found that air travel bookings from China have slowed sharply over the past three months, especially to Europe and the US.

This closely mirrors the decline in the country’s stock market, according to ForwardKeys.

Total outbound international bookings fell from a growth of 21 per cent year-on-year, to just 1 per cent since the Shanghai Composite hit its peak. The decline was worsened by lower Chinese purchasing power as a result of the weaker yuan.

ForwardKeys data shows that the biggest fall was in August when growth in outbound bookings turned negative, but departures from China from September to December 2015 will still grow compared with the same period last year.

Data also shows travel during the impending Golden Week national holiday from October 1 to 7 should not be affected because bookings were made months in advance.

However, bookings to Europe and the US for November and December 2015 are lagging behind the volumes for the same period last year, a reflection of the impact the weaker Chinese currency is making on travel decisions.

Olivier Jager, co-founder and CEO of ForwardKeys, said: “The prospects for the low season after Golden Week are still uncertain because Chinese travellers are becoming late bookers.”