NATAS is roping in two industry veterans to head its secretariat and the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS) to tackle ongoing challenges.

Singapore Airlines veteran Steven Lek joins as executive director on June 15, while Yap Puay Beng, a name synonymous with Mansfield Travel and who was on the founding committee of the Centre for Tourism-Related Studies as TMIS was called previously, returns as executive director.

NATAS is still in discussions with Yap, a spokesman said, adding that a full announcement on their roles will be made soon.

The trade TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to welcomed the news and expressed optimism that NATAS will be able to repair the fracture in its outbound fraternity and address members’ issues.

Major outbound tour members, led by SA Tours, rocked NATAS by announcing in late-November of their pullout from the NATAS fair and the formation of rival event Travel Revolution.

From an outbound perspective, Robin Yap, president-Asia, The Travel Corporation (TCC), which took part in both the NATAS fair and Travel Revolution, said a united front is better for most travel suppliers.

TCC’s Yap said Lek has years of experience negotiating and working with travel agencies and with him at the helm, NATAS has the opportunity to move forward to identify a common objective of serving customers in the right way.

“The objective is business and if the right ingredients are there, NATAS can showcase its commitment, continue to engage, and something can be worked out,” he added.

Meanwhile, NATAS has also been without an Outbound chairman or subcommittee since late-November and its spokesman said a number of members “have indicated interest” in the role. An announcement will come soon.

On this appointment, the TCC’s Yap said NATAS needs new blood and the outbound chairman must be able to lead a subcommittee with a strategy to address the challenges of new consumer buying patterns and to influence change.

Meanwhile, the NATAS outbound breakaway faction has now incorporated the newly formed Singapore Outbound Travel Agents Association.

The 12 pro tem members include SA Tours’ managing director Kay Swee Pin, Misa Travel CEO Wee Hee-Ling, and Konsortium Express and Tours executive director Lim Chin Chwee.

DESPITE reports of the MERS outbreak in South Korea, holidaymakers from Singapore and Malaysia are still going ahead with vacation plans in the country.

As of press time, there were no cancellations at travel agencies that TTG Asia e-Daily interviewed.

Singapore-based Chan Brothers Travel is running tours as per normal in South Korea. Marketing communications executive Rebecca Chia said: “Customers who have signed up for upcoming South Korean tours have expressed concern, but are also adopting a wait-and-see approach.”

Cooper Huang, CEO of Malaysian Harmony Tours & Travel, anticipates some booking cancellations within these two months as people become afraid of travelling to South Korea.

On the other hand, Desmond Lee, managing director of Malaysia’s Apple Vacations & Conventions does not expect cancellations unless the Malaysian government released a travel advisory.

Since last month, two people have died after contracting the respiratory virus in South Korea. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 35 confirmed cases and the number of people under quarantine has risen to 1,369, reported AFP. More than 200 schools have also been shut as a precaution.

However, neither the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) nor the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued advisories against travel to South Korea, although WHO said in a statement that the MERS outbreak is likely to grow.

When contacted by TTG Asia e-Daily, a KTO spokeswoman said: “The KTO Singapore office is currently closely monitoring the situation in South Korea and is updating the trade partners about the situation.

“KTO would also like to encourage Singaporeans travelling to South Korea to observe measures recommended by health authorities, to adopt general health precautions and purchase adequate travel insurance.”

Meanwhile, AFP quoted KTO as saying that around 7,000 tourists, mostly from China and Taiwan, have cancelled planned group tours to South Korea, citing the MERS outbreak as the main reason.

VISITORS to Hawaii travelling via Tokyo’s Narita International Airport will soon be able to clear US immigration and customs procedures in Japan, leaving them free to start their holiday as soon as they touch down.

Reports have said that the US Department of Homeland Security will extend its customs preclearance operations to 10 new airports including Narita, though a launch date has not been announced.

Reacting to the news, Yasuhiko Hoshii, a spokesman for Japanese travel giant HIS, said: “The Hawaii market is pretty good for us at the moment as fewer travellers are choosing to go to China or South Korea due to political reasons.”

“Hawaii is always in the top five destinations for HIS and we’re putting more emphasis on the islands this year…If customs and immigration procedures are made easier, then we know our clients would welcome that,” he added.

The Japan Association of Travel Agents echoed that view on behalf of its members, with spokeswoman Eiko Sato telling TTG Asia e-Daily: “Japanese travel companies had long hoped that preclearance would be introduced and this move is welcomed by the industry.”

Sato hoped that preclearance would also be expanded to other Japanese airports at the soonest possible.

In a statement, Hawaii Tourism Authority described the decision as “great news for Hawaii’s visitor industry” given that Japan is its largest international market.

“Since Narita Airport is a major international hub for other countries in Asia, preclearance at Narita could also help to stimulate growth from other markets that transit through Japan,” it said.

PUTTING its foot to the pedal is Fujita Kanko, set to open two new overseas offices in Bangkok and Jakarta this month alone.

The 60-year old company, which operates the Washington and Gracery hotel chains in Japan, as well as Hotel Chinzan-so Tokyo, is gunning for ambitious 25 per cent growth in overseas guests by 2019.

It also hopes to build international awareness of its brands among travellers.

“Adding Bangkok and Jakarta bases is a critical step in our business plan,” said Akira Segawa, Fujita Kanko’s president and CEO.

“South-east Asia is a strategically important market – an increasingly strong inbound market for Japan, and also a very popular destination for Japanese travellers.”

Fujita Kanko currently has offices in Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei and Singapore, and its Singapore operation was merged with its Jakarta office last month. The consolidated office will oversee business in Malaysia as well.

Last year, the company also announced it will open a hotel in Seoul in 2018, its first overseas property since 2002.

Segawa said: “We’ve built a broad range of hospitality expertise, and offer some of Japan’s most upscale, exquisite properties. We’re eager to welcome more international travellers, and to build local businesses, including opening hotels, in other Asian markets.”

STARWOOD Hotels and Resorts Worldwide made its market debut in Myanmar with signing of the Sheraton Yangon last week.

Owned by Family Business Group Hotel, the hotel is located in Tamwe Township near Kandawgyi Lake and scheduled to open in mid-2017.

The hotel will feature 375 guestrooms, three dining venues, a spa, fitness centre, swimming pool, and 1,880m² of events space.

While the Sheraton brand is widely thought in the hospitality industry to have lost ground to new brands launched by chains catering to increased customer sophistication and changing demographics, Starwood is not giving up on its storied brand.

Starwood earlier this week launched a 10-point plan to revive Sheraton, including the creation of a new tier of hotels, Sheraton Grand, and a US$100 million marketing campaign.

HUGE changes await the beleaguered Malaysia Airlines (MAS) as it restructures into a new “start-up company”, including a rebranding and revisions to its fleet and routes.

MAS parent company, Khazanah Nasional, said its third quarterly progress update of MAS’ restructuring that the national carrier will be “principally commercial” while remaining “a full-service international airline, maintaining current domestic routes”.

Khazanah is porting over MAS’ assets and liabilities to Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB), the new company that takes over MAS operations on September 1, according to an article byReuters.

At the centre of MAS’ attempt to reinvent itself is MAB’s managing director and group CEO, Christoph Mueller, who has been credited with turning around carriers such as Lufthansa, Irish national carrier Aer Lingus and Belgium’s Sabena.

Said Mueller to Reuters: “It’s not a continuation of the old company in a new disguise, everything is new.”

Khazanah’s press statement said the revamped airline will be like a “start-up company” – equipped with a “refreshed Malaysian-centric brand”, young fleet and updated products on all longhaul flights, including flat beds in Business class and a better in-flight entertainment system. A new catering concept and more customisable flight experiences will also be on offer.

The new MAS will serve destinations in South-east Asia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Saudi Arabia, and is exploring potential partnerships that will see Africa, the US and Europe covered within its network even as it mulls further route rationalisation.

It has already suspended flights to Frankfurt, Kunming, Krabi and most recently, Kochi in India.

The airline’s costs are 20 per cent above its rivals and Mueller was reported as saying that it will take three years to close the gap and return to profitability.

Furthermore, despite having denied rumours of aircraft sales not a month ago, Mueller also confirmed to Reuters that MAS has been trying to sell two of its Airbus A380s.

Revamped MAS will likely have a smaller fleet, but retain all of its current types of aircraft.

THE Akaryn Samui Resort and Spa has been rebranded under the Outrigger brand after being bought over by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts for a “very good” price.

Bangkok-based Akaryn Hospitality Management Services was the owner and operator of Akaryn Samui, and released its flagship luxury resort to Outrigger for the “very good” offer for the five-star resort, said founder and managing director Anchalika Kijkanakorn.

Now named the Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort, the property was launched in 2012 and is situated in Hanuman Bay for privacy. It is 10 minutes away from Samui International Airport.

The resort features 27 Garden Pool Suites, four Ocean View Pool Suites, 3 Ocean Front Pool Suites and 18 Garden Pool Villas, all of which come with a balcony or terrace, private pool, Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning.

Three restaurants, a bar, swimming pool with swim-up bar, spa, and fitness centre are some of the other amenities within resort premises.

The acquisition is part of Outrigger’s bid to reach beyond its native Hawaii, as it told TTG Asia e-Daily earlier this year.

There are currently nine Outrigger properties, two each in Hawaii, Fiji, and Thailand, and one each in Guam, the Maldives and Mauritius, and the company is planning properties in Seychelles, Thailand, Indonesia, Micronesian, Palau, Okinawa, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.