RESPONDING to a sharp increase in demand for travel to France, eight new visa application centres will be opened in India from December 1.

The new centres will be located in Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Pune, Goa, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Hyderabad and Jaipur.

Francois Richier, the French ambassador to India, made the announcement yesterday: “Visas will be delivered within 72 hours in these new centres, depending on the time it will take in transporting visa applications to the French consulates.”

He said that Indian citizens could now apply at any visa centre in the country, regardless of his or her area of residence. Existing visa centres are located at New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Puducherry and Chennai.

Also launched was Chalo Paris, a new travel app for Indians visiting the French capital.

The French government has been on a drive to smoothen visa processes for the India. In July, French minister for foreign affairs Laurent Fabius announced that French consulates would issue tourist and business visas within two working days beginning January 1, 2015.

“The number of visas issued by French consulates in India has jumped by 33 per cent for January to October 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. We expect to reach 90,000 visas delivered in 2014,” said Richier.

Catherine Oden, director of Atout France India, commented: “Although the majority if Indian travellers visit France as part of escorted tour packages, we are also seeing a steady increase in the number of FITs in the last few years.”

THE disagreements that led to the exodus of 24 outbound agencies from the 2015 NATAS Travel Fair have been 80 per cent resolved, according to NATAS, which said it has no issues with members starting their own event.

NATAS spoke to the media yesterday following a forum with over 70 NATAS members. Devinder Ohri, president, said: “The outcome was very positive. We are quite close to achieving what we set out to achieve, which is to have one fair, rather than two competing fairs.”

He added that “things are looking very bright” and issues that led to the split are about 80 per cent resolved.

Regarding the pull-out, Ohri commented: “It is a commercial decision if our members should choose to organise their own travel fair, and we have no issues with them doing so.”

“However, we are of the opinion that having a single travel fair will benefit the industry and consumers the most in the long run, and we will continue to engage our members to bring this matter to a swift resolution,” he said.

The association announced at yesterday’s media conference that entrance fees for both its fairs in March and August next year would be waived, claiming this was not in direct response to the new rival fair but to celebrate Singapore’s 50th year of nationhood.

It has also adjusted exhibitor booth rental rates for savings of between 18 and 22 per cent.

Entrance fees and booth rentals costs were key points of contention raised by the working committee of the new Outbound Travel Fair earlier this week when it announced that 24 outbound agencies would be holding a separate event.

However, the committee representing the Outbound Travel Fair remains unimpressed.

Alicia Seah, director of marketing communications at Dynasty Travel and committee spokesperson, said: “As we see it, resolution is still far from the 80 per cent that NATAS has cited…we feel that they are reactive rather than proactive now.”

Seah said the waiver of entrance fees for next year’s NATAS fairs is temporary and the association is still withholding financial information specifically about the fairs.

MAJOR OTA Expedia is leveraging the exponential growth in mobile bookings with a new tablet app, even as it urges hotels and airlines to make available suitable inventory for the channel.

Speaking at the first Expedia Partner Appreciation Event in Hong Kong this week, Expedia’s area manager, Jenny Wong, said: “This year, we observed that about 15 out of 100 bookings are generated by mobile phones, which is 193 per cent year-on-year growth. This demonstrates great potential (for further growth).

“About 40 per cent of mobile bookings are for same-day reservations or within three days of booking, so I recommend hotel partners ensure same-day room availability. Mobile-only special deals are definitely a plus,” she added.

Kathleen Tan, CEO of AirAsiaExpedia, said her company had enhanced its booking platform by rolling out a new app for tablets six weeks ago for both iOS and Android tablets.

Called the New Expedia Tablet App, it offers a streamlined search function and federated search, allowing users to view hotel and flight prices simultaneously.

Abhiram Chowdry, VP and MD of Hotels.com, which comes under the Expedia group, said: “For Hotels.com, about 20 per cent of our sales are from mobile devices (global data) and Hong Kong numbers exceed this 20 per cent figure.”

Hotels.com last month launched the latest version of its Android app, which is also compatible with wearables besides the regular mobile and desktop devices.

More than 250 hotel and airline partners took part in the appreciation event, which was also staged in South Korea. The group plans to hold similar ones in Singapore and Tokyo in 2015.

KEMPINSKI Hotel Nay Pyi Taw opened to grand fanfare this month to welcome US president Barack Obama, who was in the Myanmar capital for this year’s ASEAN Summit.

The US president was housed in the 1,393m² Grand Royal Suite, Myanmar’s largest and most secure suite that also offers meeting and recreational features. It was rumoured that Kempinski would serve as Obama’s residence while in Myanmar when the hotel announced its opening date earlier this year.

Kempinski’s first property in Myanmar, the 141-unit hotel offers the choice of rooms or suites that are located within three one-storey villas.

Guests can choose between several F&B options including Rangoon Kitchen brasserie for pan-Asian and international cuisines, two lounges, the Diplomat Bar, and the Pool Bar.

Also within hotel premises are a fitness club, and a spa with eight treatment rooms that is scheduled to open in 2015.

Kempinski has also confirmed it will open its second property in Myanmar, Kempinski Hotel Yangon, in 2016.

The former colonial state house will be converted to a 229-unit hotel with facilities such as three restaurants, a lobby lounge, a rooftop bar, a grand ballroom, a swimming pool and a spa.

ACCOR today announced it will open Pullman Sydney Airport by May 2016, having signed a management agreement with property expert Goodman.

The 229-unit hotel will be part of the mixed-use, A$100 million (US$85.6 million) precinct in Mascot near Sydney’s airport, combining hotel, commercial and retail spaces.

Pullman Sydney Airport’s facilities include two F&B outlets, conference facilities, a gym, as well as an Executive Lounge.

Accor Pacific COO, Simon McGrath, said: “The Sydney hotel market has been considerably constrained over the last two years with occupancies idling between 80 and 90 per cent, hence the urgency for new inventory to service the high corporate and leisure demand in the city.”

INDUSTRY experts speaking at last week’s Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific have touted Japan as a huge potential source market given that the country’s senior market is 15 million strong – double Hong Kong’s population.

Celebrity Cruises’ commercial director for Asia Pacific, Kelvin Tan, said: “We should look at (baby boomers) since they should have nice nest eggs from their retirement funds. They could fill our low-season cruises and can take the longer cruises that we want to promote.”

Sailings to Europe, South America and Australia are popular in Japan, he said, adding that he had seen a huge increase in business and even full ship charters as Celebrity Cruises starts to run more sailings out of Asia.

However, stumbling blocks remain. Said Tan: “Tough consumer protection laws heavily favour the consumer, making it challenging for cruise operators who need high-volume business. It’s also difficult to operate shorter cruises due to the cabotage law that restricts non-Japanese cruise lines.”

Dominic Paul, senior vice president international, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises, and managing director, RCL Cruises, added: “Japan is a market that somehow never quite lives up to the expectation everyone have for it. Despite economic struggle in last few years, it’s still a very affluent population but cruising has never taken off.”

Nevertheless, Paul predicted: “Over the next five years, we will probably see Japan picking up.”

According to NYK Cruises’ managing director, Masami Masuyama, about 238,000 Japanese travellers spent their holidays on cruises in 2013, of which 122,800 boarded international cruises.

He said: “Japanese cruisers prefer to do short itineraries for families in summer as it’s difficult to take long vacations, while the retired choose long cruises in winter. With over 17 million outbound Japanese travellers in 2013, there is plenty room to grow, not forgetting the senior population, with one in four being over 65 years old.”

TRAVELLERS from 43 countries will now be able to apply online for visas to India through a dedicated portal unveiled by the government today.

Indianvisaonline.gov.in accepts applications at least four days before and a maximum of 32 days from intended arrival date. Each visa is priced US$60 and valid for 30 days with no extensions available.

Travellers may obtain only two e-visas each calendar year.

Nine international airports in the country, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Trivandrum and Goa, have been equipped with the necessary systems and software to process e-visas.

Countries that will be able to use the e-visa system include Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, the US, and Thailand, among others. For the full list, visit indianvisaonline.gov.in.

China, while a key focus market, has not been included yet but is expected to be added to the list in the second phase of roll-out, alongside other nations.

Subhash Goyal, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators, welcomed the move and said the industry had been asking for this for a long time.

Rajendra Churiwala, director-eastern region, IATA Agents Association of India, added: “Bringing so many countries under the ambit of tourist e-visas is a revolutionary move that will instill confidence among inbound travellers as well as international tour operators.

“We should see a surge of 25 per cent in international visitor arrivals in 2015, and additional 30-40 per cent growth in 2016.”

Foreign tourist arrivals in India between January and September 2014 numbered 5.2 million.

MICROTEL Inns & Suites Philippines will bring Tryp by Wyndham to the country next year, with plans for up to nine more properties under the select-service urban hotel brand.

Jose Mari del Rosario, president and CEO, said the first Tryp by Wyndham will open at the Mall of Asia Complex in Manila in December 2015.

A Microtel spokesperson also told TTG Asia e-Daily that the hotel will likely have more than 150 rooms in four distinct categories: the Tryp room for stylish comfort, the family room with bunk beds and amenities for children, the fitness room with equipment such as a treadmill and workout gear, and the premium room which boasts better amenities and views than the Tryp room.

Discussions are ongoing but restaurants and meeting spaces are also in the pipeline.

The spokesperson said the hotel is targeting Asian tour groups and FITs from the US and Europe, as well as young leisure and business travellers.

Unlike “spartan business hotel” sister brand Microtel, Tryp is more “upscale”, explained del Rosario.

Born in Spain as part of the Meliá Hotels International, Tryp became part of Wyndham Hotel Group in 2010 and is known for its trendy design.

Del Rosario said the group aims to have eight to 10 Tryp hotels within the next three to five years in urban centres such as Metro Manila and Cebu City, as well as mature tourist destinations like Boracay, he said.