ASIAN cuisine on board and Mandarin- or Cantonese-speaking cabin attendants are just a couple of ways that Qatar Airways has adjusted service on its business jets to target the Asian market.

The Middle Eastern airline’s business jet division, Qatar Executive, is growing its international footprint in Asia and aims to develop more business from the corporate sector and the region’s fast-growing number of high net worth individuals.

Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said in a media statement: “As Asian corporations continue to expand their businesses, they are looking for the most convenient and efficient means of travel to spur their international corporate growth.

“The Qatar Executive fleet of ultra- and long-range business jets hence provide them with a key transportation means and also greater flexibility in meeting their regional and global business travel needs, no matter how complex they are.”

Qatar Executive began operating in the region more than one year ago and since then developed specific in-flight options for the Asian market. Passengers can request the service of Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking VIP cabin crew, who are well-versed in local customs and etiquette, and can also ask for their local cuisine for their onboard meals.

“The Asian travelling elite expects nothing less than the best aircraft in terms of range, performance and technology, combined with luxurious cabin design and refined personalised service,” said David Edwards, executive vice president of Qatar Executive, in the same press release, adding that response towards the product has been “extremely positive”.

In Asia, Qatar Executive deploys its wholly owned Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft for charter flights, allowing immediate bookings. The two-cabin, seven-pax jet can fly longhaul flights such as from Hong Kong to Djibouti or Jakarta to Dubai, without stops.

The business jet division recently announced it will purchase up to 20 Gulfstream aircraft, and received a 40-seat Airbus A319 All-Premium Class plane in February this year.

THE operator of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea parks has announced a major redevelopment and expansion plan that will include the addition of an area based on the film Frozen.

Oriental Land is also planning to redevelop its Fantasyland district with the addition of areas themed on Beauty and the Beast and Alice in Wonderland.

Investment for the projects over the next 10 years has been set at 500 billion yen (US$4.2 billion), although the popularity of Frozen means that the company hopes to have the replica of a Scandinavian village completed as early as 2017.

“Frozen has been a very popular film that attracts viewers of all age groups,” a spokesman for Oriental Land told TTG Asia e-Daily. “There is also a close connection with the sea and water, which is the entire theme of DisneySea.”

Details of the new attractions have not been decided ­– Oriental Land will release fuller details at the end of March 2016 – but it is likely that signage and maps will be available in languages other than Japanese, as they are at present.

In Urayasu, east of Tokyo, Tokyo Disney Resort covers nearly 121.4ha and has nine hotels, including three Disney-branded properties.

MELIÁ Hotels International has signed an agreement with Vietnam’s Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Group on April 30 to manage the five-star Meliá Yangon.

Owned by HAGL, the 429-room hotel will be part of the mixed-use Hoang Anh Gia Lai Myanmar Centre and is one of HAGL’s largest real estate projects, with a total investment capital of US$440 million.

The 23-storey hotel will debut under phase one of the project, which will also see the completion of a 27-storey commercial centre and two office buildings.

CEO of HAGL Group, Vo Thuong Son, said the hotel will come equipped with modern facilities, such as a convention centre, conference halls, entertainment and sport areas, and European, Asian and local restaurants.

“As our tourism sector progresses on track, Meliá will support the shortage of hotel rooms for the rising number of tourist arrivals to the country,” said union minister of hotels and tourism, Htay Aung, at the signing ceremony.

The Spanish hotel chain recently signed two more Bali hotels and is planning to open hotels in Vietnam and China as part of its Asian expansion.

SPAIN says it hopes to see direct flights launched soon between Shanghai and Madrid, following face-to-face talks between industry and tourism minister José Manuel Soria and China Eastern Airlines’ president, Yang Min Li.

According to news agencies and confirmation by a tourism ministry spokesperson TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to, the two parties reached an outline agreement during talks to offer a thrice-weekly service.

Soria, who was visiting Shanghai, said China Eastern had already been studying the potential of the route for several months.

While Air China currently operates eight flights a week from Beijing, this is not sufficient given the rapid growth in both commercial ties and incoming tourism from China, said Soria.

An added incentive for China Eastern could be a codesharing deal with Spain’s second regular airline, Air Europa, which briefly operated China flights in the past. Both airlines are members of the SkyTeam alliance.

There will be no TTG Asia e-Daily tomorrow, May 1, as we all take a much-deserved rest for our labour on this public holiday.

Hurray for long weekends!

TRAVEL agencies in Asia-Pacific can now access relevant booking data and business insights that will aid decision-making through a new feature of the Travelport system.

The technology solutions provider unveiled Agentivity yesterday. The web-based product is fully integrated with Travelport and can therefore update itself continuously with the latest activity of the travel consultant and travel agency.

Users will not have to install software or adopt a different workflow.

 Agentivity was developed by UK-based Inside Group to give travel agencies actionable insights on all aspects of business, including daily operations, booking trends, additional revenue opportunities, emergency notifications and individual consultant productivity, among others.

Mark Meehan, managing director of Travelport Asia-Pacific, said in a press release that Agentivity is “incredibly useful” to travel agencies.

“(It) enables them to fully exploit the business opportunities we offer through our Travel Commerce Platform and concurrently upgrade the professional competency of their own operations.”

BRINGING two more accommodation options to Malaysia is Thailand’s Onyx Hospitality Group, which will open the select-service Ozo Medini and Shama Medini serviced residence in 2018.

 Both projects will open as part of the mixed-use UMCity Medini Lakeside complex in Medini township in Iskandar.

Ozo Medini will offer 198 guestrooms, breakfast area Eat, grab-and-go outlet Eat2Go, a swimming pool and a fitness centre.

The 232-unit Shama Medini will feature a restaurant, kids’ club, fitness centre and a rooftop garden with an outdoor barbecue.

“We are thrilled to continue the expansion of our brands in Malaysia. As a Thai company, having a presence in one of our closest neighbouring countries has always been priority for us,” said Peter Henley, president and CEO of Onyx Hospitality Group, in a press release.

Onyx has one more project already in development in Malaysia – the Amari Johor Bahru.

Said Henley: “The latest projects are particularly significant for us, as upon completion, they will mark the first time all three of our core brands, Amari, Ozo and Shama will be present in one region anywhere in the world.”