THE US and China last week reached a landmark agreement that grants travellers in both countries 10-year multiple-entry visas and boosts the trade’s efforts to lure more Chinese visitors to American shores.

Under the reciprocal agreement, travellers on short-term business and tourist visas will now be granted multiple-entry visas valid for 10 years and student visas for five, instead of the one-year validity previously.

Also breaking new ground is Brand USA, representing the country of honour at this year’s China International Travel Mart (CITM) with a 300-strong delegation and 73 booths at the show.

Jay Gray, vice president, global market development, Brand USA, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “This (visa announcement) is great timing, coming prior to CITM. We had over 1.8 million Chinese arrivals to the US in 2013.”

The NTO had already expected China to overtake the UK as the top overseas source market by 2018, Gray added.

This new visa development could have a multiplier effect on Brand USA’s existing plans to make the US a top-of-mind destination for the Chinese, including the fully localised version of an online training programme for travel consultants (to be launched in May 2015), mega fam trips and advertising.

Peter Phang, managing director Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority China, said: “In the immediate term there is now more incentive for Las Vegas to tap second- and third-tier cities in China because of the bigger pool of potential tourists. We’ll also entice more agencies to sell Las Vegas packages.

“Imagine a manufacturer in Guangzhou who comes to Las Vegas to participate in a tradeshow. With a 10-year visa, he can come back to exhibit every year.”

Karen Wang of wholesaler Beijing Global Tour International Travel Service added: “With this 10-year visa, travellers going to Mexico, the Caribbean or such destinations can have short trips in the US instead of merely transiting there.”

But she noted that the US is still an unfamiliar destination for the Chinese and more awareness should be drummed up locally.

Bob Wang, general manager of China Swan International Tours, which has seen a 20 per cent year-on-year hike in customers visiting the US, mostly for group tours, said: “It may not be great news for wholesale travel agencies, because even if a traveller goes on a group tour the first time, maybe the next time they will go as FITs (which is a loss for the agency).”

KARMA Royal Group’s holiday ownership brand, Royal Resorts, is being revamped with a new logo.

The group’s chairman and CEO, John Spence, said: “The debut of the new Royal Resorts logo reflects the brand’s evolving identity.

“The logo’s elegant new design brings us in line with sister brand Karma Resorts and reflects our determined move towards a four-star network of properties with a truly global reach.”

Currently, the brand offers 13 resorts in India, Indonesia, Thailand, and most recently, Greece, its first foray into Europe with the launch of the Royal Villea Village on the Greek holiday island of Crete.

The group is seeking further expansion in Europe, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and the UK.

It is also aiming to expand its presence in the Philippines, the Middle East, Brazil and the Caribbean.

SWISS hotel group Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is set to open a new boutique property in Koh Samui, Thailand in December.

Mövenpick Resort Laem Yai Beach Samui is 30 minutes from Samui International Airport and features 50 rooms and villas, a beachfront restaurant, bar, three outdoor pools and an Asian herbal spa.

Each room and villa offers a private terrace, complimentary Wi-Fi, rainforest shower and flatscreen TV.

To celebrate the launch the resort is offering a 40 per cent discount to guests staying four or more nights.

The hotel is the third property in Thailand, alongside the Bangtao and Karon Beach hotels in Phuket, to be managed by Mövenpick.

Out of the over 25 new properties due to open worldwide, 15 are scheduled to open in Asia including locations such as the Philippines, India, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.

THE Indian government is mulling a second international airport in Delhi-NCR, through the amendment of an existing clause within India’s airport infrastructure policy which disallows airports to be built within 150km radius of one another.

The plan was revealed to the press on Wednesday by Mahesh Sharma who took over as the new minister of state for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

“The new airport at Jewar is in the wider interest of the country. Considering the industrial growth in Noida and Greater Noida belt, there is a need to develop infrastructure, like a new airport.

“We will discuss the proposal within the civil aviation ministry and with prime minister Narendra Modi before moving ahead with it,” said Sharma.

The proposal to have a greenfield Taj International Airport and Aviation Hub at Jewar was first mooted in 2001 by the state government of Uttar Pradesh, and land spanning 35 villages was acquired in 2003 for the purpose.

However, the state government had scrapped the project, citing the restrictive airport infrastructure clause.

“If needed more land can be acquired for the project. Delhi-NCR’s population is projected to increase to 2.4 million by 2030 from the current 1.6 million.

“Considering the growth of air traffic at Indira Gandhi International Airport, a new airport near the Indian capital is needed,” Sharma added.

A decision is expected to be made by year-end.

EMIRATES Singapore is shifting into high gear in order to grab a bigger slice of the corporate market, creating a new global sales position here to drive demand for the airline’s five daily flights to Dubai, the most recent of which was launched in August.

Country manager Singapore and Brunei, Andrew Bunn, said that the opportunity to develop the local market had only materialised in December 2012 when Emirates introduced an A380 for one of its daily services permanently, which pumped up capacity by 46 per cent.

The airline now has 35 flights a week between Dubai and Singapore, with 28 of them nonstop and seven via Colombo, in addition to daily services from Singapore to Brisbane and Melbourne.

He commented: “Before my time (Bunn came onboard in April after 17 years at Lufthansa), we would be crying out for seats from inventory control for point-of-sale Singapore. Our connectors from Brisbane and Melbourne were always operating with very high loads, with seats being sold by Australia and the UK, or other markets.”

While only 15 to 20 per cent of revenue from Singapore is corporate, Bunn wants to grow this by reaching out not just to TMCs and business travel agencies, but also travel managers and end-users by building up loyalty through Emirates’ frequent flyer programme.

The new global sales executive hired a month ago would target Singaporean companies that have a regional footprint or South-east Asian companies that may not have a global deal in place.

Bunn elaborated: “What Emirates has traditionally done is focus more on the volume market. But over a period of time, especially with such a great business class product, we can go directly to the corporates. That also protects the yield.

“Singaporean companies have always traditionally picked one carrier, but that is changing. We’re able to position ourselves right up against the competition because of our network and product…Why not take a big aircraft into and out of Dubai and have product consistency all the way rather than connecting somewhere in Europe onto a small aircraft? As our network grows, we’re able to offer that.”

Emirates has no doubt been rapidly expanding its network, with routes launched in recent months including Boston, Chicago, Brussels, Budapest and Oslo. Next March, it is also stepping up frequency on New York (JFK) with a fourth daily flight using an A380.

Calling the new destinations a game changer in being able to attract the leisure market as well, Bunn said: “It’s been almost a little surprising how well received Budapest and Oslo have been with Singaporeans. There’s a real desire to travel and explore. They want to see the Northern Lights and also sail up the Danube.”

These have helped turn Singapore, which has traditionally been strong in transit traffic, into a market in its own right, he added. From a “high percentage” before, transit passengers now generally account for 35 to 40 per cent across all flights.

GERMANY is witnessing fast growth in leisure travel from the Indian market, which was previously largely corporate-focused, according to the latest statistics of the German National Tourism Office (GNTO).

For January-August 2014, leisure and business travel shares stood at 42 and 58 per cent respectively, compared with last full year’s 30 and 70 per cent respectively.

GNTO India director of sales and marketing, Romit Theophilus, said: “Earlier, Indian tourists didn’t consider Germany as a holiday destination, but now they realise there is a lot to explore in Germany for leisure. Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin are now hugely popular among Indians as leisure destinations.”

GNTO kicked off yesterday in New Delhi a multi-city roadshow that will also cover Bengaluru and Mumbai. More than 10 suppliers from Germany are participating in these roadshows.

Maritim Hotels director of international sales, Mark Spivey, shared: “We are seeing an increase in leisure business from India.

“Indian leisure traffic is predominantly South Germany-centric. Families who have done Switzerland and Austria are looking at Germany as a great value-for-money destination. Indian leisure business has also picked up for theme parks.”

The hotel group has recorded 30 per cent year-to-date growth from the Indian market.

“The demand for leisure travel is coming from markets like New Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat. However, we are also looking to tap other markets like Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru,” he added.

ACCOR’S no-frills brand has landed in South Korea with the opening of the 195-unit Ibis budget Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun.

The most affordably priced in the Ibis umbrella of brands, this Ibis budget in the centre of Seoul is near Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Myeong-dong District, Cheonggyecheon Stream, shopping malls, and subway lines 2, 4 and 5.

Rooms come with twin-, double- or triple-sized beds, a bathroom with shower, a TV with a multimedia hub, Wi-Fi, a working table, a safe, a mini-refrigerator and a tea/coffee-maker.

Other facilities include a restaurant, a sauna room, a gym, a laundry room, an indoor car park, and a business corner with free internet access and printing services.

Patrick Basset, COO for Accor Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines, said: “With the successful opening of our Ibis hotels in Seoul and Busan, we are proud and excited to introduce the first Ibis budget hotel in South Korea.

“We saw an increasing demand in Seoul for international-standard accommodations coupled with affordable pricing. We therefore believe this hotel will become a favourite among domestic and international travellers visiting this vibrant city.”