ASIA Cruise Fund, founded by Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) in April this year, has welcomed China’s Hainan and the Philippines as the alliance’s newest members at an official agreement held during the recent Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific conference in Hong Kong.

Hainan and the Philippines will become official members of the Asia Cruise Fund in December 2014 and April 2015 respectively.

The co-op fund’s four partners will work closely together to encourage the introduction of more cruise products, drive the development of the Asian cruise market and invite other ports in the region to enter this strategic alliance.

Wayne Liu, deputy director-general of TTB, said: “The Philippines and Hainan joining the co-op fund (will transform) the alliance from a single ‘line’ between two places to an entire ‘area’. We are confident that by linking the unique features of these four destinations, we will enrich the content of the Asian packages offered by cruise operators and strengthen their confidence in the Asian market. This will expand the scale and boost the competitiveness of this market, and further brighten the prospects of tourism in Asia.”

Philippine Department of Tourism secretary, Ramon R Jimenez, Jr, said: “The Philippines is now experiencing burgeoning Asian cruise business, attracting more and more cruise calls to its 7,107 beautiful island destinations. There has been a dramatic influx of cruise arrivals to the country with an average growth rate of 40 per cent over the last two years, which is expected to hit 50 per cent by year-end. This performance milestone has served as the driving force for the Philippines to take on a more active role in strengthening the promotion of the region’s cruise industry.”

Zhu Hongwu, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission, said: “Cruise travel is now a highlight of Hainan tourism. Through participating in the Asia Cruise Fund, we want to attract cruise lines to develop more itineraries featuring Hainan. This will not only enhance the tourism industry of Hainan, but also bring about a win-win situation for Hainan and our partners.”

Peter Lam, chairman of HKTB, added: “Meanwhile, Hong Kong will continue to enrich its cruise offerings and promote its diverse onshore experiences, including unique cultural experiences and world-class dining and shopping, to cruise passengers from the region and around the world.”

ACCOR has announced the opening of the 210-key Mercure Pattaya Ocean Resort, which marks the group’s sixth Mercure hotel in Thailand and fifth Accor hotel in Pattaya, according to Patrick Basset, COO for Accor Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Occupying a prime location in North Pattaya with direct access to the beach, Mercure Pattaya Ocean Resort offers 210 guestrooms across four room types – Superior and Superior Ocean View rooms, Deluxe Ocean View rooms, Ocean View Suites and Executive Family Suites.

The resort offers meeting rooms equipped with the latest audio-visuals and broadband Wi-Fi Internet access, in addition to a dedicated meetings team. Complimentary Wi-Fi Internet connection is available throughout the property for guests.

A highlight at Mercure Pattaya Ocean Resort is its mini water park with a dramatic rock wall, caves and a giant slider surrounded by tropical gardens. Other resort facilities also include a lobby lounge, a fitness centre and a kid’s club.

Guests can enjoy all-day dining at Molten Restaurant offering Thai and international cuisine, complemented by Mercure’s Flavours of the Cellar wine offers, or tuck into snacks and a wide selection of delectable drinks while relaxing at the Pool Bar.

To celebrate its opening, Mercure Pattaya Ocean Resort is offering a special introductory rate of just 1,890++ baht (US$57.60++) from now until March 2015 for bookings made through www.Accorhotels.com or www.Mercure.com.

Meanwhile, the resort has also appointed Nikolay Stoyanov general manager. Stoyanov joins with more than seven years operational experience with international hotel brands. He was last general manager at ibis Hua Hin.

COME early 2015, the 173-key Raffles Jakarta will open its doors in the capital’s commercial hub of Kuningan, offering direct access to Ciputra Artpreneur Centre, a new landmark development dedicated to the art and theatre.

Peter French, president of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, said: “With Raffles Jakarta, we are bringing to Indonesia an authentic expression of Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ philosophy – the hotel has its own individual personality, its own story to tell and a combination of both Indonesian and global influences that give it a unique sense of place. The interpretation and display of Hendra Gunawan’s artwork in this hotel is a truly special tribute to Indonesian art.”

Some of Hendra’s most important works will be exhibited in the hotel’s interiors; an art concierge will conduct walking tours of the Indonesian icon’s art pieces to provide insights into his fascinating and turbulent life.

The hotel’s 173 luxurious rooms and suites, which are some of the largest in the city, are also a representation of the artist’s retreat featuring elegant Indonesian aesthetics and supreme comfort, while the bedroom is kept separate from the lounge to make each guestroom feel like a suite within itself.

Besides the hallmark Raffles Butler service, this newest Raffles outpost is also home to the Writers Bar, a reinterpretation of the revered institution at Raffles Singapore as an oasis of art, Indonesian history, literature and artefacts. The Arts Café offers a selection of Pan-Asian and European dishes from its theatrical show kitchens, whereas Navina – derived from the Indonesian word for ‘fresh’ – provides a more informal poolside setting for light meals, tea or aperitifs amid the lush tropical gardens.

All meetings and social celebration venues, ranging from a private boardroom to the 2,500m2 Grand Dian Ballroom, are conveniently located on level 11, with direct access from the car park and express lifts from the lobby entrance.

Recreational facilities span the Signature Raffles Spa, swimming pools (including a children’s pool and play area), a full-service fitness centre, a yoga terrace, tennis courts, two open air pavilions and a jogging track around and through the lush garden.

To celebrate its opening, guests staying from February 1 to April 30, 2015 can enjoy 25 per cent off the best available rate for rooms and suites.

Raffles Jakarta’s opening will bring the company’s global portfolio to 12 hotels and resorts. Upcoming openings are expected in Jeddah, Sharm-el-Sheikh and Warsaw over the next few years.

CHINESE tourists planning a trip to Singapore can now purchase Flashpay cards for use on local transit and taxis in the Lion City, and pick them up upon arrival at Changi Airport, thanks to a partnership between Singapore’s NETS and Alipay.

NETS and Alipay yesterday launched an overseas transport card that can be purchased via Alipay Wallet, Alipay’s mobile wallet, which has 190 million active users across China.

To purchase the card, users simply log into their registered account via Alipay Wallet, and an e-voucher will be sent to their account. Travellers can collect their Flashpay cards by presenting the e-voucher at designated “Changi Recommends” counters at Changi Airport upon touchdown.

The cobrand Alipay Flashpay card costs S$50 (US$38.20), comprising a card cost of S$5 and a stored value of S$45. Customers are allowed to purchase up to five Alipay FlashPay cards. Visitors who redeem the card from now until March 31, 2015 will receive a S$20 voucher, courtesy of Changi Airport Group (CAG), a partner of this collaboration.

Ang Sok Hong, senior vice president, sales, NETS, said: “Given Alipay’s popularity amongst Chinese consumers and its volume of traffic, it was only natural for us to partner with Alipay to see how we could make outbound travel more seamless for Chinese tourism.”

Wendy Sun, head of business development for Alipay in South-east Asia, said: “This transportation card will provide Chinese tourists a hassle-free travel experience and we look toward to making this collaboration a great success.”

Peh Ke-Wei, vice-president, passenger development, CAG, said: “China is an important market to Changi Airport and is currently our fifth largest source market in terms of passenger numbers. CAG is constantly on the look-out to collaborate with like-minded partners to boost passenger traffic to and via Changi Airport.”

BCD Travel is venturing into Cambodia by tying up with Tonle Travel, a local corporate travel and inbound tour specialist with whom it has already enjoyed a working relationship of more than four years.

The latest expansion marks the global travel management company’s 18th market in Asia-Pacific.

The addition of Cambodia into BCD Travel’s portfolio reflects the country’s strategic importance to global business as a trading and logistics hub for the Indochina region. Vinay Chhaya, vice president of operations in Asia-Pacific for BCD Travel, said: “The partnership with Tonle Travel allows us to enhance our service offering and grow our presence in a key emerging market.”

Tui Rutten, managing director of Tonle Travel, commented: “Cambodia’s robust economic performance continues, with 7.5 per cent anticipated real growth in 2015 and rising foreign direct investment. This growth in the manufacturing, construction and service sectors has resulted in increased demand for quality corporate travel management solutions.

“By partnering with BCD Travel, we can add immediate value to our Cambodian customers’ business travel programmes, and foster new business development growth.”

Greg O’Neil, president for Asia-Pacific, BCD Travel, added: “With the solid economic outlook in Asia, we see great opportunity in continuing to expand our presence throughout the region. This new partnership sends a clear message: As a global player in the business travel market, we’re committed to helping corporate customers and their travellers travel smart and achieve more – wherever they need to be.”

THAILAND’S tourism industry will recover and return to 2013 levels in terms of RevPAR within next year as long as the country remains politically stable, opined Patrick Basset, Accor’s COO for Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.

RevPAR at Accor’s Thailand properties was up seven per cent year-on-year in November, which outperformed the market average by about 10 per cent.

However, Accor’s occupancy in Bangkok, which slid from 74 per cent in the first nine months of 2013 to 61 per cent in the same period this year, is forecast to rise to 71 per cent next year.

Phuket, which remained stable at 70 per cent, is expected to increase to 72 per cent in 2015.

“We were directly hit by the street protests and political turmoil from November 2013 and then by the declaration of martial law [and coup d’etat] from June,” said Basset, adding that the market had started to recover in the third quarter.

“Security is one of the biggest concerns for tourists, but as long as the situation remains calm and Thailand is not in the news for the wrong reasons, then we will see a return to previous performance next year.”

“Thailand remains the best tourism destination in South-east Asia,” he said, adding that while arrivals could increase to as much as 40 million from about 25 million this year, the government must invest in infrastructure to ensure the country is able to cope with the increase.

Basset said future prospects for Accor and other international hoteliers also remained strong in Thailand, given that internationally branded hotels only accounted for about one-fifth of current supply, which is low compared to developed markets.

“We signed 14 (management contracts with) hotels in Thailand this year, up from an average of 10 per year,” he said. “As the market gets more competitive, more owners are looking to international brands to manage their properties.”

Seven hotels with a total 1,425 rooms joined the brand’s network in Thailand this year, expanding Accor’s Thailand portfolio to 54 properties and 12,827 keys with another five hotels in the pipeline.

FINOLHU Villas is set to become the world’s first luxury resort using solely solar power when it opens in the Maldives come mid-January 2015.

The Club Med-managed property at Gasfinolhu island, featuring 52 luxury bungalows and a solar power system, is 40 minutes away from Male, the resort’s officials said.

The resort will be Club Med’s second facility in the Maldives after the 240-room Club Med Kani, located just five minutes away.

According to Maldivian media reports, the resort’s many solar panels cover the walkway from the jetty to the reception, as well as the rooftops of utility buildings.

The panels are capable of producing 1,100 kilowatts at power peak, while the island at full occupancy only requires 600 kilowatts at peak load.

The resort’s power system is automated and computer programmed, and can switch from solar to diesel power when necessary, particularly when there is continuous rain and no sunlight to generate solar power.

Excess solar power is stored in batteries during the day, which is then used to power the resort at night.

Tourism-dependent Maldives has over 100 resorts which consume 49 per cent of the country’s annual diesel imports. The authorities have been looking at alternate energy options and have been encouraging resorts to do the same.

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) will refurbish and convert the Rydges Perth into the city’s first InterContinental hotel by 2017.

The hospitality company has signed a management agreement with Unir Hotels for the 240-key InterContinental Perth, located in Perth’s CBD with key facilities such as Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, His Majesty’s Theatre, and retail and dining outlets.

InterContinental Perth will come with function spaces including a boardroom and meeting rooms, a business centre, in-room Internet access, and a Club Lounge. A bar-and-restaurant concept is in the works.

InterContinental Perth will become the third IHG property in the Western Australian capital, joining Holiday Inn Perth and Crowne Plaza Perth, and the sixth IHG property in the country.

AFTER a hiatus of eight years, Air New Zealand will return to the Lion City to begin a new direct service between Singapore and Auckland from January 6, 2015.

The daily service will be operated on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

Styling itself as the official airline of Middle-earth, the fictional fantasy realm created by JRR Tolkien, Air New Zealand has teamed up with Tourism New Zealand, Warner Bros Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema to launch a Hobbit-themed installation in Bugis Junction shopping mall in Singapore last Friday.

The display showcases the airline’s latest offerings for vacations in New Zealand and also its unique Economy Skycouch seats.

Commenting on the airline’s promotions surrounding The Hobbit trilogy’s latest movie, Mischa Mannix-Opie, sales and market development manager Singapore, Air New Zealand, said: “It’s a big opportunity to promote Air New Zealand around the globe as the official carrier to Middle-earth and it’s perfect timing in Singapore, as not only is the promotion around the movie, it’s also in the lead-up to our launch on January 6.”

“We are also working very closely with the travel consultant community here in Singapore to reintroduce them to Air New Zealand, and educating them on the products we have on board.”

Flying Economy class on Air New Zealand will also give passengers the choice of upgrading to an Economy Skycouch seat for a fee, one of 18 that can be found on the Boeing 777-200. The Skycouch is a row of three seats with footrests that can be raised to horizontal in order form a flat, flexible space.

Mannix-Opie said: “There are a lot of families from Singapore that are coming to New Zealand for a holiday, so we think it’s a great opportunity for them to use these seats when they are flying with us.”

Air New Zealand is currently offering a “S$500 (US$383) off Premium Economy Offer” as part of its Middle-earth promotion until December 31 for travel between Singapore and Auckland from January 6 to June 30, 2015.

More details can be found on www.airnewzealand.com.sg