GLOBAL hotel booking site Agoda.com has partnered with low-cost carrier (LCC) Jetstar to share resources and offer co-developed holiday packages in Asia.

Through the alliance that went live with a soft launch in March, Jetstar’s Asia-based customers are able to access Agoda.com’s proprietary hotel inventory through the LCC’s website Jetstar.com.

The two companies are planning to offer holiday packages and specials via the Jetstar Holidays network, including weekly deals targeting Asia-Pacific destinations.

President and CEO of Agoda, Robert Rosenstein, said: “As two entities that have been focused on Asia-Pacific destinations for much of the last decade, both Agoda and Jetstar have always been dedicated to getting travellers the best deals online. Working together, we hope to create even more compelling offers.”

Jetstar group chief commercial officer David Koczkar said that in partnering with Agoda, Jetstar was effectively expanding its brand and customer reach.

“Through such strategic partnerships, Jetstar continues to offer our customers an expanded travel product that further drives revenue growth, but importantly, also complements our Pan Asian growth strategy,” he explained.

“In partnering with Agoda.com, Jetstar customers can now access a wider variety of holiday packages and hotel options, and get better value for their money,” he added.

PATTAYA hoteliers are expecting healthy business this year, in light of good year-to-date occupancy, RevPAR and average rates so far.

Amari Orchid Pattaya general manager, David Cumming, said the hotel has been running at more than 90 per cent occupancy, and recorded an average growth of 16 per cent on room rates since January.

“We have just finished May with 91 per cent occupancy, while RevPAR grew by 49 per cent year-on-year,” he said.

According to Cumming, hotels in Pattaya normally run at 30 to 40 per cent occupancy during low season from April to September. “For Amari, the contrast between low and high seasons is fading,” he said.

Furama Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, recorded a year-to-date occupancy of 82 per cent – double last year’s performance – while average room rates also doubled, according to general manager, Tatcha Riddhimat.

Tatcha said the hotel was rebranded Furama in April last year. A new marketing strategy was also introduced to attract a mix of leisure and meeting business. The hotel is planning to beef up its sales and marketing team to grow its meetings business from 25 per cent now, to 30 per cent by year-end.

Centara Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya is also looking at tapping more meetings and events. When the hotel opened in November 2009, it had been concentrating on the leisure market and had to place meetings in the backseat, said its general manager Andre Brulhart.

Brulhart said the hotel ended its first year of operations in 2010 with “high 70” per cent occupancy. “This year, we hope to break that 80-per cent-occupancy barrier and raise average room rates by 10 per cent,” he said.

MALAYSIA will woo its largest source market, Singapore, with more ecotourism products, even as it continues to bank on its annual sale campaigns.

Speaking at a thank-you luncheon for the Singapore travel trade, Azizan Noordin, acting director general, Tourism Malaysia, said the NTO would be focusing more on nature-based offerings such as parks and gardens and homestays.

“We have designated about 22 parks and gardens throughout the country, and we are going to promote 12 first,” he said.

Azizan also pointed out that Singaporeans made up more than half of the 49,000 homestay tourists last year.

Fascinating Holidays assistant director, business development, Hamid Samad similarly observed that homestay programmes were fast gaining popularity among Singaporeans, who were eschewing five-star hotels “to go back to basics and get an authentic experience”.

He has four groups of about 30 pax each planned for June alone, with enquiries pouring in daily.

Azizan also said that shopping sales continue to be a major draw, “contributing about 28 per cent of tourism expenditure”.

The 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, previously known as the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, will run from June to August at shopping malls and retail outlets. This year, however, other industry sectors such as F&B, hotels and tourism attractions will also be participating as part of the Malaysia Unified Sale.

Other tourism events in 2011 include a three-month 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival from July, a Fabulous Food 1Malaysia event from October to November, and a year-end Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Dance Tourism Carnival.

In 2010, Malaysia received 13 million tourists from Singapore, which generated 28.4 billion ringgit (US$9.4 billion) in tourism receipts, or roughly half of the 24.6 million arrivals and 56.6 billion ringgit achieved in total by the country.

AS A precursor to the upcoming IATA Annual General Meeting in Singapore from June 5 to 7, IATA director general and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, revealed strong April 2011 air traffic data at his pre-AGM briefing this morning.

According to Bisignani, international passenger traffic grew 16.5 per cent during this period. He cautioned, however, that this spike was exaggerated by comparison of this year’s data against that of the year before, when much of Europe’s airspace closed as a result of volcanic ash from Iceland.

Bisignani added that air passenger traffic in the Asia-Pacific region declined 0.6 per cent as an immediate consequence of Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.

During his briefing, Bisignani underscored the importance of watching growth in GDP as a key driver of air traffic growth. He noted that Asia’s GDP was expected to grow at a healthy six per cent this year, but cautioned that high oil prices – already breaching the US$110 per barrel level – “could spoil the situation”.

Meanwhile, Bisignani sees India’s air traffic growing quickly, even as its national carrier, Air India, continues to experience difficulties. Although aviation infrastructure in the country is considered a hurdle for growth, Bisignani said he was “pleasantly surprised” with how the new airport in New Delhi was built and opened in record time.

The new airport has so far allowed Air India to establish its main hub there, and terminate several loss-making flights from different parts of India to Frankfurt and onwards across the Atlantic to North America.

He did, however, voice concerns over taxation issues in India, which he believes “the government needs to revise, including that which is levied on aviation fuel”.

TOUR operators in the Maldives remain confident that the industry is booming, despite recent concerns over rising taxes and whether the destination is over-priced.

Sim Mohamed Ibrahim, secretary general of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry, said that the industry, through using strategies such as discounts during the off-season, was well-placed to continue to profit from growing tourist interest. This, despite perceived challenges relating to increasing taxation (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 26).

Ibrahim said there were 327,563 arrivals in the country during the first four months of the year, 16.9 per cent more than the same period last year. Arrivals from Europe formed the bulk of arrivals.

HAVING received anti-trust immunity approval from the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport, All Nippon Airways (ANA) looks set to go ahead with plans to launch a strategic joint venture with Deutsche Lufthansa AG on Japan-Europe routes.

The joint venture will allow ANA and Lufthansa to work together on schedule coordination and joint product sales. Customers will benefit from seamless transfers and better connections. The two carriers aim to introduce the joint venture during the 2011 winter timetable.

Christoph Franz, chairman of the executive board & CEO, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “This approval marks a great step forward for our customers. Optimised flight schedules will better enable them in future to plan their trips between Japan and Europe.”

Shinichiro Ito, ANA president & CEO, said: “This agreement will further improve the level of service we offer to passengers and boost our company’s international competitiveness.”

This latest agreement between the two Star Alliance members follows the launch of a similar joint venture between ANA and United Airlines on trans-Pacific routes in April.

AMADEUS has renewed its agreement as the exclusive distribution technology provider of MakeMyTrip.com.

Deep Kalra, founder & CEO of MakeMyTrip.com, said: “We have gained immensely through our long-term relationship with Amadeus. They have been our valued partners, providing us with exclusive GDS technology.”

“With this renewed agreement, along with Amadeus’ technology, we will be able to add more value and benefits in our offerings,” he added.

The technology provided by Amadeus to MakeMyTrip.com includes Amadeus Web Services 2.0, its low-fare search technology Amadeus Master Pricer and its suite of solutions.

TRAVELPORT’S Orbitz Worldwide has gained the edge in its ongoing tussle with American Airlines (AA) over the carrier’s plans to force agents into using its Direct Connect booking system rather than their global distribution systems (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 6).

Orbitz, which owns ebookers, was forced to pull data on AA’s flights, having lost a legal dispute against the airline before last Christmas.

The Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois today entered an injunction against AA, overturning its December 21, 2010 ruling. It also agreed with Travelport that the injunction should have been granted in December, which would have prevented AA from terminating its contracts with Orbitz.

AA will now have to reinstate Orbitz’s ability to display and ticket AA flights. As a result, Orbitz is able to sell AA’s fares and content immediately.

Travelport’s chief commercial officer, Kurt Ekert, said: “Travelport is delighted with the court’s ruling requiring AA’s fares to be reinstated on Orbitz, enabling consumers to book AA tickets through Orbitz. We view this as a significant ruling.”

SINGAPORE-based hospitality and tourism education provider Shatec Institutes has opened a new, self-run restaurant where trainees can hone their culinary and service skills.

Beyond the combination of new bistro, sandwich and bar counter facilities, Recipes offers Shatec students an avenue to practice their service and culinary skills in a real-life setting, as well as the opportunity to work with top chefs.

“This restaurant is a venue to profile our talents to future employers,” said Shatec Institutes chief executive, Anthony Yip. “We have every confidence in our students to rise to the challenge that awaits them at Recipes, to provide good food and good service.”

“Recipes provides an excellent opportunity for hands-on experience in hospitality and F&B service that will serve me well when I join the industry,” said Karen Li, who hails from Foshan, China, and is currently enrolled in Shatec’s diploma in hospitality management programme.

OVER 100 corporate travel managers have registered so far for this year’s Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and Corporate Travel World Asia Pacific, to be held in Bangkok from October 4 to 6.

More than 450 MICE buyers have signed up as of the moment. Fifty per cent are first-time registrants representing six new countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Denmark, Latvia, Lebanon and Turkey.

Other confirmed delegates include corporate travel buyers and representatives from Accenture Service, Agilent Technologies, Coach Shanghai, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Cummins Power Generation(s), Deakin University, Emerson, Fidelity Business Services India, General Electric, HRG Sita (India), Mazda Motors of New Zealand, Mercedes Benz, Sephora Cosmetics China, Standard Chartered Bank, Symantec Asia Pacific and Australia, Tata Capital and United Nations Children’s Fund.

On the exhibition front, newcomers at IT&CMA include Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hyderabad International Convention Centre, HPL Hotels & Resorts, Cox and Kings India, Park Hotel Group, Diners Club HK, Caravelle Hotel, Furama Resorts, UVI Holidays India, Wuzhen Tourism and Mission Hill China.