THE PATA Investment Forum is set to take place in Bangalore, India on September 7, prior to the PATA Travel Mart 2015. This year’s focus will be on topics of government and policy, as well as commercial and private interests for the development of tourism in India.

The announcement came alongside a reveal that PATA will be partnering hospitality consulting firm Horwath HTL for the organisation of the event.

Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA, said: “The state of Karnataka and the city of Bangalore have much to offer tourists, with its rich heritage and culture. There is tremendous potential for the responsible development of tourism in the state, which can be achieved with the right investments in place. The PATA Investment Forum will allow travel and tourism professionals in the state the opportunity to learn how to unlock this potential.”

Delegates can expect representatives from local government and private sector players to be present at the forum, allowing for open discussions on how to best develop India’s travel industry.

Entry to the event is free for the public.

KHIRI Travel has put together a 4D3N itinerary to the Mogok gem area in northern Myanmar that sidesteps the well-trodden visit to a gem mine.

The new tour programme overturns perceptions that the only attraction Mogok has to offer is its gem mines. Instead, guests attend a 90-minute workshop on gems, where they can learn the differences between gemstones and the importance of colour, carat, clarity and cut.

Guests can also go trekking in tribal areas, join a street food session in Mogok, visit a botanical garden in Pyin Oo Lwin (formerly Maymyo) and take a river cruise from a pottery village to Mandalay, via the heritage site of Mingun.

Instead of taking the cruise, guests have the option to visit Shwebo and the newly declared UNESCO World Heritage site at Hanlin with a guide.

The mountainous Mogok area, which is primarily visited by foreigners in the gemstone business, has only recently been opened for tourism.

“Our aim is to let guests experience the essence of a fascinating cultural area defined by Lisu, Palaung, Gurkha and Shan tribes, tea and coffee plantations, and the gemstone-rich mountains,” says Edwin Briels, general manager of Khiri Travel Myanmar. “The legacy of British colonial influence also makes the Mogok area a unique experience.”

Travel trade prices for the trip in a private vehicle range from US$485 per pax in a six-person party and up to US$710 for a two-person party, based on twin sharing. The single room supplement is US$110 per pax.

ONLINE travel marketplace Responsible Travel has spoken out against the UK government’s negative travel advice towards Greece and on the media frenzy surrounding the inflated dangers of travelling to the country.

The company argues in a statement that the UK government’s travel advisory, while correct in pointing out the greater preparation required when visiting Greece during this period of economic crisis, however fails to point out the necessity of tourism as an industry in the European nation, which accounts for 18 per cent of the country’s GDP according to Responsible Travel.

Justin Francis, managing director of Responsible Travel says: “One of the best things we can do to support Greek people is to continue to travel to the country, however the tone of the messaging and advice from the UK government, and subsequently the mass media, completely contradicts this.”

“The government of course has a duty to advise its citizens, but the information is given out-of-context, deterring travellers with little thought given to the negative impact on the Greek tourism industry,” Francis adds. “Tourists couldn’t be more welcome than they are now.”

Christos Panagiotopoulos, general director of Responsible Travel member, Arkas Travel, concurs, saying “we the Greeks understand that we need tourism more than ever. Tourism is the strongest column of our economy and we do our best to support it.”

“We never heard of any incident with tourists, or any problems with supplies,” assures Panagiotopoulos, disputing the UK travel advisory which encourages holiday-makers to bring sufficient supplies with them for the duration of their trip to Greece.

A full list of Responsible Travel’s own travel advisory to Greece can be viewed on their website here.

Credit: Alila Hotels & Resorts

ALILA Hotels & Resorts will debut Alila Solo in Surakarta Central Java this October.

A 15-minute drive from Adi Sumarmo International Airport, the hotel lies within easy reach of the city’s main attractions: two centuries-old Sultan’s palaces, Triwindu Antiques Market and the Laweyan Batik District.

Alila Solo offers 255 rooms and suites, all of which feature city views. The four Alila Suites (90m2) each extend to a private ‘hanging garden’ terrace with plunge pool, while the Presidential Suite (200m2) features a full service pantry, multi-functional room and 24-hour butler service.

F&B options include all-day dining restaurant Épice, rooftop bar Agra and the pool deck café, while recreational facilities comprise of the swimming pool, spa, gym, and children’s pool and club.

For meetings, Alila Solo provides 15 meeting spaces, and two ballrooms that can be combined to create a 2,100m2 Grand Ballroom to hold 3,500 pax. Its Executive Lounge offers full business centre facilities, secretarial services and all-day refreshments.

SERVICED residence operator The Ascott and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) have embarked on a joint venture to create a US$600 million serviced residence fund.

According to a press release by Ascott’s parent company CapitaLand, the new fund will have an initial focus on Asia-Pacific and Europe, investing in serviced residences or rental housing for 10 years, with a three-year investment period.

Ascott will have first rights to manage the properties it acquires.

The fund will primarily be used on developments in business districts which can be taken to market quickly, such as those suitable for redevelopment or refurbishment.

The real estate group is also planning to launch six new funds with up to S$10 billion (US$7.35 billion) in total assets under management by 2020.

CapitaLand said that its fund management business will play a crucial role in its plan to build up its portfolio, especially across “key gateway cities” in Asia. It aims to manage 80,000 apartment units globally by 2020.

Jin Air will start flying to Hawaii from December, making it the first South Korean low cost carrier to add longhaul international flights to its shorter services.

The airline, which began operations in 2008 and is affiliated with Korean Air, will use a 355-seat Boeing 777-200ER on the route, flying between Incheon International Airport and Honolulu five times a week.

Analysts anticipate that more of South Korea’s budget carriers will apply to operate longhaul routes.

“Hawaii is primarily a leisure destination and bargain prices are popular on that sort of route,” Geoffrey Tudor, an analyst at Japan Aviation Management Research, told TTG Asia e-daily.

“And as a subsidiary of Korean Air, that will give the parent airline the opportunity to focus on operating to destinations that are more expensive.

“We are seeing this trend of diversification emerging in the industry and it permits a parent airline to offer a wider range of products,” Tudor said.

Jin Air presently operates two domestic routes and 16 international flights to 20 cities in eight countries, including Bangkok, Manila and Hong Kong, but it is already planning to add eight more international flights from Busan and two from Incheon, the carrier said.

To keep up with demand, the airline is introducing a further two Boeing 777-200ERs to its fleet, along with four smaller Boeings designed to operate shorter routes. That will give Jin Air a total of 19 aircraft.

OPERATIONS at both Ngurah Rai International Airport Bali and Lombok International Airport are back to normal after reopening last Sunday and Saturday respectively.

However, as eruptions at Mount Raung are still ongoing, the Indonesian trasnportation authority said there is still possiblity for the airports to close again if the winds blow volcanic ashes towards the airport.

I Ketut Ardana, chairman of the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) Bali Chapter said: “It is a force majeur and the industry here is hand in hand in helping the guests as much as we can. Most airlines are helping with waiving cancellaton fees and some are giving accommodation for those who could not enter Bali.”

“We learnt of some problems with stranded passengers who did not have extra funds for extending their stay in hotels.”

Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association Bali Chapter, had issued a circular letter to the industry, including travel companies, to waive the overstay charges for stranded passengers.

“Unfortunately, we had received the notice a bit late and some clients had been charged,” Ardana said.

Nina Zen, regional director of sales and marketing, Swiss-Belhotel International said the over supply of rooms in Bali helped.

Giving an example of her hotel in Seminyak: “We are running 65-68 per cent occupancy in our hotel in Seminyak, so we can still accommodate those who are stranded while still having rooms for the ones coming.”

In the mean time, Global Travel Media reported Jetstar and Virgin Australia were operating bigger aircraft and adding extra flights to rescue thousands of passengers today. Virgin is expected to fly about 2,000 passengers from Bali while Jetstar plans to operate 18 flights in and out of Bali, which includes 10 additional services.

THE upcoming Travel Revolution 2015 from July 24 to 26 will see 37 outbound travel agencies present at the fair, up from the previous 30 in its debut fair earlier this April.

Kay Swee Pin, president of Singapore Outbound Travel Agents Association (SOTAA) said this three-day fair is targeting a total of 80,000 in visitors and S$100 million (US$74 million) in sales turnover.

The earlier instalment of the fair welcomed 76,000 visitors with an overall sales figure of approximately S$100 million.
Key outbound travel agencies like Chan Brothers Travel, CTC Travel, Dynasty Travel and SA Tours will be present. National tourism organisations from Japan, Taiwan and Korea will be promoting their destinations at the event as well.

Held at Marina Bay Sands Expo Halls D to F, this exhibition spans 17,000m2, with more than 70 exhibitors participating. Admission to the event is free and the show runs from 10.00 to 21.00 over three days.