PROMOTION works in Asia by Tourism New Zealand in a post-Tolkien franchises world will continue in earnest, with a budget that is 10 per cent larger than 2014’s.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily yesterday morning, Tourism New Zealand’s Asia general manager, David Craig, attributed the surge in interest in New Zealand to the movie. He said there has been a 52 per cent increase in total international visitor arrivals since The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, and over 1 in 10 holiday visitors chose the destination solely because of The Hobbit.

Craig said: “While the movie ends, the interest in the destination will not just drop off. So there is a lot we want to keep doing to not just keep the momentum going, but to accelerate it as well.”

On the Asian front, New Zealand is “gaining momentum in interest” especially from Singapore, India and China.

As at February this year, total arrivals from Singapore were up by 10.4 per cent to 47, 296 visitors, India up by 24.6 per cent to 39,618 and China up by 21.3 per cent to 287,888.

With a beefed-up budget kicking in from July, Craig said depending on the circumstances of individual markets in Asia, Tourism New Zealand will engage in a bigger number of trade activities, more fam trips and also look at more direct airline routes.

“We want to support more airline groups, as part of the destination’s appeal is about direct air connectivity which is lacking in countries like India and Indonesia,” said Craig.

Asia currently accounts for one-third of all visitors to New Zealand excluding Australia, and arrivals from Asia have surged 16 per cent from last year – making the region its fastest-growing market.

INDONESIA’S travel industry has welcomed the government’s regulation prohibiting foreign currency transactions within the country in order to cut the rupiah some slack, with trade players saying this could improve the travel market.

Rama Tirtawista, group managing director of Panorama Group, said: “We are pleased with this regulation. This will enlarge the leisure and MICE markets.

“For corporates planning overseas MICE, planners usually set a budget one year ahead in rupiah while they are quoted in US dollar, so by the time the event takes place, the expenses may be higher than budgeted due to the depreciation of rupiah,” Rama explained.

Effective July 1 this year, the Indonesian central bank will disallow domestic transactions conducted in any currency but the rupiah.

Eko Yulianto, acting director of money management at Bank Indonesia, was quoted byReuters earlier this month as saying the bank sees at least US$6 billion in demand each month for domestic transactions. “We don’t want a dollarised economy so we need to uphold the sovereignty of the rupiah,” he reportedly said.

Garuda Indonesia’s president and CEO, Arif Wibowo, said the airline would comply with the new regulation. “As the flag carrier, Garuda is committed to supporting government and Bank Indonesia policy. Garuda will implement the regulation soon.”

The carrier has done a cross currency swap to dampen the risks of rupiah fluctuation, and has also submitted a request to IATA to support the regulation.

But Elly Hutabarat, chairman of the Association of Air Ticketing Companies in Indonesia (ASTINDO), said her association was already practising this.

“The regulation has long been (planned). ASTINDO and the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association signed an agreement with Bank Indonesia last November to use only rupiah for domestic transaction, so it is great that the regulation will finally be implemented.”

PLANS have been unveiled for the largest hotel in Japan, which will be built in Yokohama ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The APA Hotel & Resort Yokohama Bay Tower will occupy a 37-storey tower on the site of a disused wharf in the heart of the city. With a total floor area of 58,000m² and 2,400 guestrooms, the property will have the highest room count in a single hotel in Japan.

Scheduled to open in 2019, the hotel is located close to the Minatomirai district, which also holds the Pacifico Yokohama convention centre and Japan’s largest Chinatown. Tokyo is 40 minutes away by train.

The APA Group, which operates mid-scale hotels across the country, also announced an ambitious expansion plan in the run-up to the Olympics. It is developing a property at Makuhari, east of central Tokyo, and a 1,000-room hotel in the Ryogoku district of Tokyo, close to the national sumo stadium.

The company has also set its sights on expanding overseas in the coming years and expressed a desire to work with partners in the key markets of Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

THE completion of phase one development at Funtasy Island in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago has now been set for 4Q2015, with several key facilities to be ready for travellers by then.

A dedicated ferry terminal, public boardwalks, a sandy beach with activities, the Coral Club Pool & Spa, 80-100 units of the 150-key Corallium Villas and two attractions ­­– Stingray Cove and Deep Ocean Wonder – will open before the year is over, Thiva Kesavan, vice president-operations with owner/developer Funtasy Island Development (FID), told TTG Asia e-Daily.

A total of eight eco zone attractions will be developed by Seven Seas Funtasy Development, following a joint venture agreement inked on June 5, 2014. This will position Funtasy Island as the world’s largest eco theme park.

Michael Yong, FID director, pointed out that Funtasy Island is blessed with rich biodiversity. He said: “We have a deep commitment to preserving the natural habitat of the island. We chose to give up 50 units of Corallium Villas to preserve a mangrove forest in that area.

“We have invested in solutions to enhance the environment, such as planting 1,000Dendrocalamus giganteus seeds, which will grow into giant bamboo that give out plenty of oxygen while retaining more water in the ground, and planting more berries to attract more colourful birds. A coral breeding programme is also in the works.”

FID works closely with local government agencies and marine biology experts, such as professor Lee Siew Eang of Zeb Technology, to meet its eco goals.

Meanwhile, the dissolution of an agreement between FID and Meritus Hotels & Resorts to manage the island’s accommodation facilities has not been an obstacle. Janice Azupardo, Meritus spokesperson, said the MoU was terminated in 2014 due to changes in both parties’ business objectives.

Yong remarked: “We have several hotel companies knocking on our doors, and we will continue to look for a partner that shares our eco vision and has a global presence.”

AUSTRALIAN tour operator Scenic Tours has rebranded to Scenic following an extensive 12-month project to more adequately reflect its current offering.

The company started operations with coach tours in 1986 and has evolved to doing five-star cruises and tours.

“Today, we’re a global company, with a unique perspective on all-inclusive luxury travel,” explained chairman Glen Moroney.

“In addition, we’re also specialists in river cruising, and we’re able to use our global travel know-how in ways that weren’t even possible just a few years ago.”

Scenic will roll out its new branding across Asia in the coming months, with the assistance of GSAs Allesia International in Taiwan and Pacific World Travel in Kuala Lumpur.

“Scenic’s international department is fully supporting the GSAs in educating the consumer with guidance, marketing and sales materials, and near daily communication,” said Scenic’s international business development manager, Paola Zuber Guzman.

“The process of transitioning to a new market always takes some time so we see this as a steady growth effort, well planned and executed.”

Next year will be a big year for Scenic in Asia with two new luxury ships to set sail on the Mekong: the Scenic Sprit in January and another, yet to be named, in September. A third is also earmarked for the Irrawaddy River with a name and date to be confirmed.

MOHEGAN Tribal Gaming Authority and Incheon International Airport have inked an MoU to develop an integrated resort with entertainment and gaming features in Incheon.

The development, designed to be a gateway entertainment city in South Korea, will come up on the grounds of Incheon Airport, according to a press release.

The as-yet unnamed integrated resort will feature a two-tower luxury hotel complex with 300 six-star rooms and 700 five-star rooms, a private jet terminal, over 18,500m² of retail, food, art and entertainment experiences, more than 60 luxury brand boutiques, and a Korean cosmetics and beauty hub.

World-class performances will take place in an entertainment space for up to 20,000 pax, in addition to an indoor-outdoor amusement park and a casino spanning 18,500m² with 250 tables and 1,500 slot machines.

The MoU aims to see both parties finalise a concept agreement by June 30, 2015.

Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority operates gaming and entertainment facility Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania and the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.