GTA will no longer exhibit at key travel marts including World Travel Market 2015, Fitur and ITB Berlin, saying it will instead invest in deeper client engagement in-market.
Ivan Walter, CEO of GTA, said: “Our investment today is increasingly focused on new ways to have deeper and better quality engagements with our customers. Our global sales and sourcing teams are in-market, meeting clients and suppliers face-to-face every day and listening to their needs.
“Such frequency of contact and the exciting new opportunities technology presents to connect means we are less reliant on some trade shows to fulfill this need.”
The decision reflects the maturity of most major European source markets, the ease of connectivity between countries, and the volume of GTA’s business in the region, said a company statement.
Its size and industry-standing means GTA is less reliant on annual meetings with large audiences to enhance the depth and quality of conversations that will help its business – and that of its partners – grow, it added.
Mariner of the Seas at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore
ROYAL Caribbean International, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) have entered into a multi-million marketing initiative to promote fly-cruise tourism in Singapore.
Set to run from now till 2018, the tripartite campaign seeks to lure over 170,000 overseas visitors to Singapore to sail on Royal Caribbean ships during the three-year period, projected to lead to an estimated growth of over 50 per cent for the cruise line and generate over S$100 million (US$71 million) in tourism receipts.
Mariner of the Seas at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore
Besides the marketing push, the investments will also be directed to research studies and channel development activities through partnerships with the media and travel trade. Markets targeted include India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia as well as regions in Europe and North America.
At the same time, Royal Caribbean intends to increase frequency of sailings from Singapore to over 40 a year, which will be augmented by its 3,807-guest Mariner of the Seas when she begins her biggest-ever deployment in October for the next Singapore season.
Sean Treacy, managing director, Singapore and South-east Asia of Royal Caribbean Cruises, said: “Having deployed ships here regularly for the last seven years, Royal Caribbean now looks forward to its next phase of significant growth in Singapore. Our three-year deployment plan is our strongest commitment ever to this market and we see great potential in Singapore as a source market and regional cruise hub.”
STB, assistant chief executive (business development group), Neeta Lachmandas, said: “The tripartite collaboration is a significant development not just for Singapore but also for South-east Asia. We hope Royal Caribbean’s commitment will inspire new cruise itineraries around the region to offer more reasons for travellers to take to cruising, and also motivate our neighbouring ports and destinations to invest and realise fully the tremendous potential of the Asian cruise industry.”
Lim Ching Kiat, senior vice president for market development at CAG, said: “This collaboration represents the synergistic efforts by CAG, Royal Caribbean and STB to effectively tap fly-cruise traffic from across the globe and serve as a cruise hub for Asia. Changi Airport will continue to leverage on its network and work with airlines and travel (consultants) to promote fly-cruise packages through Singapore.”
STARWOOD Hotels and Resorts has appointed Philip Kang as general manager of The Westin Tashee Resort in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Prior to this new role, Kang was general manager of The Westin Fuzhou Hotel and previously the opening general manager of Sheraton Wuxi Binhu Hotel and Sheraton Shenzhen Dameisha Resort.
Kang has a decade-long career with Starwood and will be overseeing the opening project of the new resort.
BUFFALO Tours has launched a series of new products, named Local Life, aimed at providing travellers with in-depth cultural experiences and exposing them to social and environmental responsibility.
In groups of no more than 10, the packages take travellers on cycling trips into countrysides, walking excursions into residential heartlands, journeys to enjoy home-cooked meals at ethnic villages and trips to savour local street food.
Credit: Buffalo Tours
By limiting group size and using alternative travel options like bicycles and public transportation, Buffalo hopes to reduce the negative social and environmental impact tourism can create. A portion of the sales proceeds also go directly to local businesses.
Currently, Local Life has on offer 35 different tours in 10 countries throughout Asia.
THE Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Committee (YPTDC), keen to expand direct international air connectivity to the province, has met SilkAir to discuss the possibility of starting flights to a second international gateway there.
YPTDC, part of a trade delegation to Singapore last month, would like the Singapore-based regional carrier to consider adding direct flights between Singapore and Lijiang International Airport, in addition to the current four-weekly flights to regional capital Kunming.
Oliver Huang, marketing division director of YPTDC, said: “There are now 12 airports in Yunnan with another four under construction and being planned, making it the province with the most number of airports in China.”
“We want more direct international flights,” said Huang, noting the first intercontinental direct flight was launched between Kunming and Paris in December 2014, while flights between Kunming and Vancouver via Shanghai started in June this year.
However, a SilkAir spokesman has told TTG Asia e-Daily that there are currently no plans for direct flights to Lijiang.
“Nevertheless, we continue to seek opportunities to enhance our network and are constantly reviewing potential new destinations to fly to,” said the airline spokesperson.
AS THE travel trade event showcasing the largest contingent of ASEAN destination products and services, ATF is an internationally reputed travel trade event, recognised and attended by some 500 global buyers and media.
Involving all 10 member nations of ASEAN from the tourism industry sectors, close to 300 booths have already been secured by hotels, resorts, airlines, tour operators, themed attractions, tourism boards and other travel suppliers.
Credit: TTG Asia
Join exhibitors like Brunei Tourism, Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, Bali Garden Beach Resort, Mekong Cruises, Borneo Eco Tours, Rajah Travel Corporation, Park Hotel Group, Bangkok Airways, Vietravel, and many more at ATF 2016.
Arthur Hecker, owner of travel wholesale/retailers RMK Global Travel Services based in the US, is particularly focused on sourcing from the host country, saying: “I want to get in touch with local providers of tours and accommodation from all over the Philippines.”
Click here to see who our buyer applicants want to meet. Book a booth now before the early bird promotion ends on September 15, 2015.
JUMEIRAH Group has signed an agreement with Oxley Malaysia to operate the new Jumeirah Kuala Lumpur Hotel and to brand the Jumeirah Living Kuala Lumpur residences. Construction is expected to start in 2016 and complete in 2021.
Both properties will be housed in the same tower located near the Petronas Twin Towers, Maxis Tower and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The 190-key hotel will occupy the upper floors of the tower with amenities including an all-day dining venue, a fine dining restaurant, a lounge and bar, spa, fitness club and swimming pool. The residences will take up the lower floors of the tower.
Jumeirah Group’s agreement with Oxley Malaysia marks the company’s entry into the Malaysian market. It currently operates 23 hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with another 25 in the pipeline. Of those projects, 11 of them are being developed in Indonesia, China and India.
LUFTHANSA and Austrian Airlines has joined Swiss and Brussels Airlines to complete Lufthansa Group’s (LHG) implementation of Amadeus Fare Families to launch the group’s new branded fares consistently across direct and indirect channels.
As such, Amadeus subscribers will now be able to book Lufthansa and Austrian Airline’s new Light, Classic and Flex fares for flights departing as of October 1.
By branding and separating products and services, LHG will be able to show the full value of each fare family and offer greater transparency on product characteristics as well as terms and conditions.
Travel planners will then be able to advise their customers throughout the booking flow, or choose to upsell from one fare family to the next based on individual needs and preferences.
Holger Taubmann, senior vice president of distribution at Amadeus, said: “Through Amadeus Fare Families, airlines can reshape the way they package, display and upsell their branded fares to travel experts and consumers.”
Taubmann added that travellers will profit from the increased transparency, greater travel customisation through the channel of their choice and the capacity to only pay for the services they will use.
THE Philippines Department of Tourism (DoT) is focusing on revving up tourism revenue as arrival targets no longer seem achievable.
Arrival numbers were originally targeted at 10 million by 2016, but have since been downscaled to 5.5 million this year and 6.5 million by next year. Despite this, the DoT still expects to meet tourism revenue goals of more than US$6 billion by 2016.
The change in strategy comes as tourism receipt numbers are at an all-time high of US$2.1 billion based on January-May figures, with tourists spending more at $1,200 on average. They are also staying longer, averaging around 10 to 11 days.
Calling it a “paradigm shift”, Domingo Ramon Enerio III, COO of DoT’s marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), said the emphasis is “on foreign exchange earnings, not just on the physical numbers; more on the income side and how we can get more tourists to spend more”.
THOMAS Cook India has signed an agreement to acquire Kuoni Group’s travel businesses in India and Hong Kong for an estimated US$84.2 million, as party of its strategy to beef up its global travel portfolio.
Thomas Cook India will run Kuoni’s businesses in India and Hong Kong independently and take on the 1,800 employees in both locations.
With the acquisition, travel brands like SOTC and SITA will come under the umbrella of Thomas Cook, which has just acquired Sri Lanka-based DMC Luxe Asia.
Prem Watsa, chairman and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Thomas Cook India, said: “Our acquisition of Kuoni’s tour operating and retailing businesses in India and Hong Kong as well as the Indian inbound business reaffirms our belief in the country’s market potential, as also our strategic intent to explore viable geographies, including the larger Asia opportunity,” he added.
Peter Meier, CEO, Kuoni Group, said: “With the sale of the tour operating activities in India and Hong Kong, we have completed the sale of the outbound business. I’m very pleased that we found forward-looking solutions for the units in India and Hong Kong.”
Kuoni has announced earlier this year that it was seeking buyers for its outbound units.
Credit: Buffalo Tours 
Credit: Buffalo Tours
Credit: Buffalo Tours
Credit: TTG Asia
Credit: 123rf
