INTERNATIONAL hotel brands will make their mark in India’s north-eastern state of Assam within the next two years.

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and The Indian Hotels Company all have properties under construction in the state that should open doors by 2015.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India’s (ATOAI) annual convention in Guwahati, Assam tourism minister, Chandan Brahma, said: “There are four world-class hotels that are coming up in Assam. This will bring a new dimension to the hospitality sector of the region. Our ministry is working closely with other travel and tourism stakeholders to uplift state infrastructure.”

Sanjay Basu, managing director of Far Horizon Tours, welcomed the addition. “(The four new hotels) will improve the city’s service standards and will bring attention to the hospitality sector of the region,” he said.

However, other tour operators have voiced hopes that the government will also promote hotels that showcase the local culture and architecture, especially in villages.

“Instead of just focusing on developing massive hotels, the ministry of tourism in Assam should promote boutique properties and home stays, something that Kerala has done successfully. Such products will highlight the distinct identity of the region,” said Mandip Singh Soin, senior vice president, ATOAI.

Of late, Assam has been at the centre of tourism activity, having recently concluded the International Tourism Mart, which attracted 85 buyers from 23 countries.

IN A STUDY conducted by a local Muslim travel specialist, Malaysia emerged as the best destination for Muslim travellers, based on criteria such as safety, ease of access to halal food and prayer facilities, and Muslim-friendly hotels.

According to news agency AFP, Malaysia beat Egypt by a wide margin, scoring 8.3 against the latter’s 6.7 on a scale of 10. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey tied at 6.6, Saudi Arabia followed with 6.4 and Singapore was ranked a fifth with 6.3.

Surprisingly, the world’s largest Muslim nation Indonesia drew with Morocco and Jordan at 6.1, in sixth place.

Fazal Bahardeen, chief executive, Crescentrating, told AFP that the survey represented a traveller’s point of view. The annual study, which began in 2011, measures the ease of access to Muslim-friendly facilities by tourists rather than locals in 50 countries.

“Malaysia is one of the few countries where you can find a prayer place in almost every location – be it a shopping mall or the airport,” he said.

He noted that Malaysian authorities have been focusing on the Muslim travel market for years. Meanwhile, he said of Indonesia: “The main problem…is that it’s not as straightforward for a Muslim visitor to find halal food availability. For locals, it’s probably not an issue.”

Shopping-wise, the same survey put Dubai ahead of Kuala Lumpur in terms of availability of halal food and prayer facilities. Singapore also came in among the top 10.

For airports, Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport were among the most Muslim-friendly.

THE RITZ-Carlton will launch a new hotel in Tianjin, one of the five national central cities as designated by the Chinese government, in mid-2013.

Located 30 minutes away from Beijing via high-speed train, the Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin will offer 277 guestrooms, including 52 suites.

“The opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin in one of China’s most strategically important cities reflects our desire to meet the growing Chinese appetite for luxury experiences. (It) represents a major gateway opportunity that will accelerate the recognition of our service commitment to excellence by Chinese guests,” said Herve Humler, president and COO, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

The hotel will also feature four F&B outlets ­– including a Cantonese restaurant with 10 private dining rooms, each equipped with its own wine cellar – as well as an indoor swimming pool, luxury fitness and spa facilities.

Event planners can also make use of the hotel’s conference spaces such as one of the city’s largest ballrooms and three function rooms, totalling 1,625m² .

AIRASIA and AirAsia X have introduced two routes – from Singapore to Semarang, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia respectively – the latter targeting Muslim pilgrims.

Starting on February 6, AirAsia will launch four-times weekly flights between Singapore and Semarang, bringing the number of direct AirAsia flights out of Singapore to 14.

In conjunction with the launch, AirAsia is offering all-in, one-way fares from S$89 (US$73). Bookings are open until January 27 for the travel period of February 7, 2013 to February 9, 2014.

Meanwhile, longhaul arm AirAsia X will commence Kuala Lumpur-Jeddah services from February 16. The service will operate thrice-weekly from February 16 to April 30, and four-times weekly from May 1. Frequency may be adjusted according to seasonality.

AirAsia X is offering special introductory fares for the route, starting at RM399 (US$132) for economy class and RM1,599 for its premium flatbed seat, one-way. Bookings are available from today until Sunday for the travel period of February 16, 2013 to February 9, 2014.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO, AirAsia X, said: “With Jeddah being the gateway to the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah, we are delighted that our services will provide more affordable travel for our Muslim guests in Malaysia and throughout the region to perform the holy pilgrimage of hajj and umrah.”

CAPITALAND-owned Ascott has secured two more contracts for serviced residences in Guangzhou and partnered one of the city’s leading property developers, Yuexiu Property, to deepen its presence in China, where it is already said to be the largest international serviced residence owner-operator.

Ascott will manage Citadines LiZhiWan Guangzhou and Somerset Riviera Guangzhou, both slated to open in the second half of the year. They will augment Ascott’s existing China portfolio that comprises Ascott Guangzhou, Ascott IFC Guangzhou and Springdale Serviced Residence Guangzhou in Guangzhou.

With currently 8,000 apartment units in 46 properties across 17 cities, Ascott hopes to have 12,000 apartment units by 2015. Yuexiu will acquire and developed serviced residences, with Ascott coming in to manage them.

Said Lee Chee Koon, deputy CEO and managing director for North Asia, Ascott: “Guangzhou is among the top three cities in China with the strongest economic growth. Its economy has expanded by 15 per cent annually for the past five years. Besides attracting investments from multinational companies in industries such as manufacturing, automobile and banking, Guangzhou is a leading city for international trade fairs.”

The 34-unit Citadines LiZhiWan Guangzhou will offer a range of studios and one-bedroom apartments, as well as a breakfast lounge, gym and business centre.

Somerset Riviera Guangzhou features 32 four-bedroom units, and comes with facilities including a swimming pool, gym, residents’ lounge and business centre.

COME October, Cebu Pacific (CEB) will be the first Filipino carrier to fly direct from Manila to Dubai, also the budget carrier’s first longhaul destination.

Emirates and Etihad Airways began daily direct flights from Dubai to Manila in December 2012 and January 2013 respectively (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 16, 2012).

Beginning October 7, the daily flight will depart Manila at 16.40. Dubai-Manila flights take off at 23.10. An Airbus A330-300 in a 400-seat, all-economy configuration will service the route.

“With CEB’s direct services to Dubai, Filipinos overseas can look forward to going home more often. Their relatives and friends can also visit them in Dubai more often,” said Alex Reyes, general manager-longhaul division, CEB. He added that there were over 700,000 Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates.

Said Reyes: “Dubai is the largest longhaul market to and from the Philippines. IATA PaxIS data indicate more than 70 per cent of passengers in this route take multiple stops and connecting flights because no home carrier offers a non-stop service.”

To herald the introduction of the service, CEB is offering over 3,000 seats to Dubai starting from 888 pesos (US$22) available for booking until January 20 or while stocks last, for the travel period of October 7, 2013 to January 15, 2014.

EXOTISSIMO Vietnam has put together a selection of community exchange tours in collaboration with non-profit organisations, designed to offer travellers a taste of local life while giving back to the communities visited.

The first is a partnership with UK-registered Bloom Microventures that gives travellers the opportunity to experience rural life in Vietnam for a day. The charity provides microcredit to women living below the poverty line. Tour fees will go to funding low-interest loans for women whom tour participants will get to meet during the tour.

The second is a half-day traditional painting and lantern making workshop. Participants will try their hand at Vietnamese painting and making an iconic Hoi An lantern, as well as enjoy a scenic boat ride across the river.

The Lifestart Foundation aids the disadvantaged in finding community, learning life skills and obtaining vocational livelihoods through handicraft. Proceeds from the tour will directly support disadvantaged Lifestart community members.

GOA TOURISM will roll out a new tourism master plan within the next eight months to plot the course of the state’s tourism development in the coming decades.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Nikhil Desai, director of tourism, Government of Goa, said: “The Goa government has begun the task of formulating a tourism master plan and state tourism policy for the next 40-50 years to dictate how tourism should develop, what should come where. The master plan will look into what kind of infrastructure and new tourism products are required.

“Once the master plan and policy are formulated, we will create an investment policy for tourism in Goa and encourage new tourism products.”

Goa Tourism has already floated a global tender inviting bids for the drafting of the tourism master plan, which will close by the end of the month.

Desai said an area of focus was developing Goa as a MICE destination, and that the government was looking to build a world-class convention and expo centre. Other plans include developing family theme parks and top-notch golf courses, one in the north and another in the south.

“The golf course in the north is already being promoted by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. We expect investors for the south project soon,” he added.