TOURISM minister Arief Yahaya’s declaration that Indonesia will grant 30 more countries visa-free access was met with cheers internationally but local travel companies were nothing short of blasé.

“(Granting visitors) visa-free status is a means to increase the number of arrivals and national income from tourism,” said Arief, adding that neighbouring Malaysia and Thailand have enjoyed high arrival numbers since allowing tourists to enter without visas.

Intended to help Indonesia achieve its target of 20 million arrivals by 2019, the move was announced following a March 16 closed-door meeting with president Joko Widodo.

Some of the 30 countries on the list are China, Japan, South Korea, the US, Russia, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Czech Republic, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

“I think it will take some time before we see it happening,” said Achmad Sufyani, COO, Panorama Destination, pointing out that citizens of China, Japan, South Korea and Russia – the first four countries Indonesia said it would allow visa-free access to – still require visas at present.

Furthermore, Indonesia’s directorate general of immigration clarified over the weekend that that visa-free status are granted to a country’s citizens on a reciprocal basis, i.e. when the same rights are given to Indonesians visiting those countries.

Only 15 countries are currently in such an arrangement with Indonesia and it is difficult to imagine countries like the US and the UK doing away with the existing laborious visa application systems for Indonesian citizens.

Industry players TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to suggested more immediate solutions that could have a similar impact, such as an online visa application system, said Umberto Cadamuro, COO Inbound of Pacto. “What travellers need is smooth travel, so (the issue is) more about services, less about the visa fee,” he said.

Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya, Bali chapter chairman of Indonesia Tourism Industry Association, agreed: “A visa is a means of knowing who is entering the country. The complaints we have been getting are more on about visa services and long queues at the airport, rather than the amount of money they pay for the visa.”

UNIVERSAL Studios Japan (USJ) is planning to open a sister park in Okinawa, in what is likely to be the first of more theme parks to come in Asia.

The new park was announced by Glenn Gumpel, CEO of USJ, who said it will reflect the prefecture’s sub-tropical environment rather than being based on films and TV programmes.

“We are doing the research and planning at the moment but it is too early for any figures or dates to be mentioned yet,” Johta Takahashi, a spokesman for USJ, told TTG Asia e-Daily.

“The company is in discussions with the prefecture for the project and no location on Okinawa has been decided,” Takahashi said.

There are suggestions that a site near Nago, in the north, might have been earmarked for the park as officials have visited the site at least three times.

Looking ahead, USJ said last year that it was considering opening at least one and possibly two new theme parks in Asia by 2020, with Jakarta, Mumbai and Taiwan mentioned as possible locations.

The USJ theme park in Osaka is estimated to have attracted more than 12 million visitors for 2014, beating its previous record high of 11 million visitors in 2001, the year the park opened.

Its most popular attraction has been the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened in April last year, building on the success of rides such as Jaws, Spider Man and Jurassic Park.

AN ICONIC heritage building in Hamburg will be transformed into Frasers Suites Hamburg, a five-star all-suites hotel aimed at business travellers.

Scheduled to open in 2018, Frasers Suites Hamburg is located in the city centre, next to Rödingsmarkt station. It is steps away from shopping precinct Neuer Wall and close to new CBD HafenCity.

The landmark was built in 1920 and housed the Hamburg tax authorities until 2011. As a serviced residence, it will feature 147 suites with separate living, dining, sleeping and fully fitted kitchens.

A range of business and leisure facilities, including a conference hall, meeting facilities, a restaurant, bar and wine bar, Wi-Fi and a 24-hour gym, can also be found within premises.

Fraser Suites Hamburg marks Frasers Hospitality’s entry into its 50^th city and its third property in Germany, bringing its European inventory to more than 1,600 serviced units, across Frankfurt, Berlin, Barcelona, Budapest, Paris, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Choe Peng Sum, CEO of Frasers Hospitality, said: “One of Europe’s most affluent cities, Hamburg is a thriving port city, with flourishing industries – port and logistics, life sciences, aviation, media and IT, renewable energy and maritime technologies – a choice destination for foreign investment and, a notable tourist destination.

“Establishing a presence in the key cities of Germany, which has remained among the most innovative countries in the world with high investment in R&D, has strategic significance to our global growth and particularly in Europe where our serviced residences have been experiencing strong demand since we first launched Fraser Suites Kensington, London in 2002.

“We are now anchored in the three dominant European countries – the UK, France and Germany – that continue to lead as the top destinations for investment in the region, accounting for 50 per cent of the FDI inflows in Europe.”

AIR New Zealand and Air China are keen to take their codeshare partnership to the next level with a proposed alliance that will see daily direct flights between Beijing and Auckland, opening up the Chinese capital as a key market for New Zealand.

Subject to regulatory approvals, the proposed service could take off in December.

The aim is to double the capacity between China and New Zealand, adding on to the existing codeshare on Air New Zealand’s daily Shanghai-Auckland service.

Air China CEO, Song Zhiyong, said in a media release that the relationship between China and New Zealand is entering into a new phase following the economic, cultural and political exchanges of recent years.

“We are committed to working with our Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand to provide better air connectivity between China and New Zealand in order to meet the growing demand from travellers in both markets,” said Song.

“The proposed alliance with Air New Zealand allows both flag carriers to build a sustainable air service between Beijing and Auckland and supplement the existing connectivity between China and New Zealand. This service, along with Air New Zealand’s Shanghai-Auckland service, will provide greater benefits to travellers in both countries in the coming years – an outcome which we will feel very proud of.”

KOREAN Air and Aerolíneas Argentina have agreed to codeshare on flights that will effectively link Seoul and Buenos Aires via New York and São Paolo.

The new codeshare on the route via New York will commence on March 25 while the service through São Paolo will start after April, upon obtaining regulatory approval.

Alongside Korean Air’s current routes between Seoul-New York and Seoul-São Paolo, the codeshare flights to Buenos Aires will provide greater convenience and choice to passengers of both airlines travelling to and from Argentina.

The Seoul-New York-Buenos Aires route will operate daily, departing from Seoul and New York at 10.05 and 16.10 at respective local times.

Return flights depart daily from Buenos Aires’ Ministro Pistarini International Airport and New York at 23.00 and 13.00 the next day respectively.

Flights on the Seoul-São Paolo-Buenos Aires route will leave Seoul every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 21.30, while return flights from Buenos Aires’ Jorge Newbery Airport will depart from Monday to Saturday at 07.00.

MALAYSIA’S beleaguered Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will lay off some 6,000 employees this June as it recalibrates its business strategy following a trying 2014.

According to Malaysian daily The Star, as estimated 6,000 employees will receive termination letters on June 1, with the rest to be absorbed into the newly formed MAB Airlines.

MAB take over the national carrier’s operations and liabilities on July 1, but Christoph Mueller will assume his role as managing director and group CEO from May 1.

The move is part of Khazanah Nasional’s 12-point restructuring scheme for MAS, which was hit hard last year by the MH370 and MH17 tragedies.

The Star reported that MAS completed a comprehensive talent assessment exercise in February and is still in the process of identifying talent to be retained.

TOURISM Australia announced yesterday the appointment of Andrew Hogg to the role of regional general manger Greater China.

Hogg joins Tourism Australia from Qantas, where he has held his current position of general manager China since 2011. He has also worked in a number of other senior roles in a career spanning over 25 years with the airline, covering finance, sales, marketing and operations.

In his new role, Hogg will take up the key position of leading the company’s China and Hong Kong teams.

China is Australia’s second largest by volume and most valuable inbound tourism market, currently worth more than A$5 billion (US$3.8 billion) annually. Recent forecasts by Tourism Australia indicate the market could be worth up to A$13 billion by the end of the decade.

NEW airlines in India cannot mount flights to international destinations within a six-hour flight radius and must earn credit before being allowed to fly longhaul, proposes a new rule put forth by the government that looks like a backpedal from promises of a more transparent and business-friendly environment.

Under the proposed system, airlines would need to accumulate 300 domestic flying credits (DFCs) to ply international longhaul routes – a feat considering that carriers will need to have been in business for at least a year and own a fleet of six Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 category aircraft to reach 200 DFCs.

DFCs are earned for each domestic flight operated.

TTG Asia e-Daily is unable to independently verify the criterion for flying to international destinations within the six-hour radius.

Nevertheless, this effectively dents the aspirations of new carriers like Vistara and AirAsia India by forbidding flights to commercially profitable destinations like Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in favour of protecting existing legacy airlines.

The proposal will be deliberated by the cabinet and implemented in April, and is meant to replace the unpopular 5-20 rule which stipulates that new airlines must have operated domestically for at least five years and own a fleet of 20 aircraft before it can start international flights.

News analysts have speculated that the proposed rule is partially aimed at pacifying existing Indian carriers that had objected to India revoking 5-20 for the new start-ups like Vistara.

 Rajendra Churiwala, director-eastern region, IATA Agents Association of India, said: “(The new system) is a way to protect the national carrier from competition. When most flying rights between India and the Middle East have been used up and routes monopolised by the three leading carriers from the UAE and Qatar, new carriers should get a shot at these shorthaul routes. Conversely, Air India, until now, has not used their limit of flying rights to the Middle East.”

He added: “In contrast, a new airline like Air Arabia was allowed to fly into multiple Indian destinations without any restriction.”

THE former Hotel Nikko Tokyo will be rebranded and managed by Hilton Worldwide under the name of Hilton Tokyo Odaiba later this year.

Property owner Tokyo Humania Enterprise had signed an agreement with Hilton Worldwide for the conversion, and the move brings Hilton’s current presence in Japan to 11 hotels strong.

Located 16km away from Haneda International Airport, Hilton Tokyo Odaiba is situated within the popular entertainment and shopping area in Odaiba’s waterfront area. It is well connected by road and rail, with the key business and commercial districts of Shinagawa and Ginza easily accessible from the hotel.

Standing at 15 storeys, the hotel is equipped with 453 rooms and suites, each with a private balcony that offers views of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. A selection of 10 F&B outlets, event spaces including a 1,200m² ballroom, business centre and two wedding chapels, a fitness club, spa and indoor pool are also found within hotel premises.

Upon its launch, Hilton Tokyo Odaiba will become the sixth Hilton property in the Kanto area, joining Conrad Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo, Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa, Hilton Tokyo Bay and Hilton Narita.

ROUBLE trouble from major source market Russia was unable to blot out Thailand’s visitor arrival progress in January this year, with almost all source markets showing recovery, especially Asia.

Total arrivals surged 16.3 per cent to reach 2.7 million arrivals in January 2015 alone compared with the same time last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

With the exception of Europe and Oceania, all regions showed improvement, with East Asia hogging the biggest market share of 58.2 per cent.

Arrivals from China and Malaysia grew at breakneck speeds of 57 per cent and 92.6 per cent year-on-year respectively with 560,399 and 279,517 visitors. South Korea was the third biggest source market and grew 13.1 per cent in January, while Japan came fifth with a five per cent increase in tourists.

Neighbouring South-east Asian countries each witnessed double-digit growth in outbound travel to Thailand, an indicator of the restoration of trust in Thailand.

Traveller numbers from the Americas was up 1.4 per cent; South Asia did well at 19.1 per cent; the Middle East powered through January with 31.1 per cent; and Africa sent 0.8 per cent more tourists.

However, Europe and Oceania both registered a marked decline. While most European markets recorded weak but positive increases, juggernaut Russia’s 46 per cent year-on-year tumble offset all gains for a 14.3 per cent drop in European arrivals overall.

Russia fielded 145,605 travellers this January, almost half of last year’s 269,479 visitors, but remains Thailand’s fourth largest market.

Over in Oceania, arrivals fell 6.4 per cent as Australian visitors declined 7.1 per cent to 71,904 and New Zealand, 3.5 per cent to 8,647.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is aiming for 28 million international visitors this year and 1.4 trillion baht (US$42.9 billion) in tourism earnings.