MYANMAR is witnessing the emergence of new tourism destinations as tour operators strive to cater to visitors looking for experiences beyond the Big Four of Bagan, Yangon, Inle Lake and Mandalay.

Khiri Travel, for example, will offer from October a new tour linking Bagan and Mrauk U. Located in the restive Rakhine State, Mrauk U is home to hundreds of temples and pagodas, but attracts small tourist numbers, as most travellers will need to fly to Sittwe, then take a boat to Mrauk U.

“Southern Chin State and Mrauk U are beautiful areas, and it’s certainly an area that can use more economic development,” said Edwin Briels, general manager of Khiri Travel Myanmar.

Despite security issues in Rakhine State, Briels believes Mrauk U remains a safe place to travel to. “Khiri Travel carefully follows the advice of the Myanmar government, who considers Mrauk U safe for travellers. The destination feels very peaceful and quiet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Remote Lands too has introduced a tour to Loikaw, a remote town in Kayah State with attractions including the 11th century Taungkwe pagoda, the weekend market and remote tribes that live a few hours’ drive away from the main town.

“Our clients are always looking to explore new areas that aren’t as heavily touristed as Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake,” Jay Tindall, co-founder of Remote Lands told TTG Asia e-Daily, adding that Myanmar Airways’ recent addition of direct Yangon-Loikaw flights makes Loikaw more accessible.

On the announcement that three Pyu city states have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Tindall commented: “We definitely expect the UNESCO status of the Pyu cities to raise interest in the area and will be promoting it more actively.”

Other destinations gaining interest include Pyin Oo Lwin and the trekking destination of Hsipaw in Northern Shan State.

AIRASIA Group has launched a product called Premium Flex designed to entice corporate road warriors.

Passengers will enjoy the flexibility of changing their flight without being charged a fee. However, they will have to pay the fare difference, if any.

Premium Flex offers a maximum of two changes to flight date or time, complimentary 20kg baggage allowance, complimentary seat selection, express boarding and express baggage at the airport carousel.

The product is available for all AirAsia flights (except for Sri Lanka). Flight change is available up to two hours before the scheduled departure time of the original flight and must be at least three hours before the departure time of the new AirAsia flight and at least four hours before the departure time of the new AirAsia X flight.

The change can be performed via web, mobile and all AirAsia official offline booking channels.

In conjunction with this new product launch, AirAsia is offering a 20 per cent discount on all flights throughout its route network until August 17. The discount also applies to AirAsia X flights for travel up to December 14, 2014.

ONE Farrer Hotel & Spa Singapore is putting the final touches to its opening on September 3 and, though the hotel is pitched at the luxury level, rates will not be luxurious at the start in a bid to draw the well-heeled to a new location and product concept.

For the first three to six months, the opening rates for the three-in-one hotel concept will range from S$280 (US$224) for rooms at the Urban Hotel, to S$400 for suites and S$1,000 for villas at the Skyline Hotel, said general manager and vice president hotel operations, Gilbert Madhavan.

Chairman, Richard Helfer, said: “The rates at One Farrer Hotel & Spa for a while would be more attractive than some other areas of the city, as it’s in a new location and we are a new independent hotel. This plus our superior facilities are good reasons for people to come as they know we’re a five-star hotel and they can try it out at a lower rate for now.”

The 243-room hotel has a three-in-one concept: Urban Hotel, levels 11-15, targeted at business and leisure travellers; Loft Apartments, levels 16-17, targeted at the extended stay market; and the Skyline Hotel, levels 18-20, targeted at the luxury segment.

It is part of a mixed-use development called Connexion at Farrer Park, which also boasts The Farrer Park Medical Centre, home to more than 200 medical specialists, and The Farrer Hospital, one of the first private hospitals to be built ground-up in Singapore after 30 years.

But only 25 per cent of the hotel’s business mix will be medical tourism. The rest will be leisure (15 per cent), corporates (30-35 per cent) and the remainder, meetings and incentives.

Helfer, former founding chairman and CEO of Raffles International Hotels & Resorts, said One Farrer Hotel & Spa would “drive” the leisure and corporate market with its concept and service standards.

– Richard Helfer on making a Connexion, View From the Top, TTG Asia, September 12 issue

TATA-SIA Airlines Limited (TSAL), the joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, yesterday announced the brand name of its full-service airline, which is expected to commence flying from October.

Vistara, derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Vistaar’ meaning limitless expanse. It will begin operations in October subject to approvals from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Headquartered in New Delhi, Vistara will take delivery of its first plane, an Airbus A320-200 in September and plans to increase its fleet to 20 aircraft, including A320neos by the end of the fifth year of operations.

While the airline’s route network in India is unannounced, TSAL’s CEO, Phee Teik Yeoh, said: “We will operate in cities where there is a clear demand for a full-service carrier be it metro or non-metro cities.”

Queried whether it is the right time to commence operations in India considering the majority of domestic airlines are making losses, Yeoh said TSAL remains positive as the new Indian government is investor-friendly and has announced measures for the sector, like opening new airports in the country (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 29, 2014).

Mukund Rajan, member of the Group Executive Council at Tata Sons and director at TSAL, added: “The time is rights for us to commence operations as Indian travellers are looking for fresh options. India is expected to become the third-largest aviation market in the world by 2020, which clearly means there is a potential that needs to be tapped.”

Tata Sons had partnered Singapore Airlines in September 2013 for the joint venture, holding 51 per cent stake in TSAL (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 20, 2013).

PATA today released The Rise of the Young Asian Traveller report, revealing the key travel habits and attitudes of Asia’s future travellers in order to help tourism professionals understand the need to engage young people as consumers and employees of the industry.

Crucial information covered in the report include: their dream destinations (France, the US, Australia, Japan, and Italy); why youth travel does not always mean ‘budget travel’ in Asia; what the leap to mobile technology will mean for travel providers across the region; how low cost carriers have capitalised so successfully on the youth market; why the most sophisticated tourism boards look to attract students as well as leisure travellers; who exerts the biggest influence on young Asians’ travel decisions; and why it is important to start reaching the next generation of your brand’s consumers today.

PATA CEO Martin Craigs said: “This report highlights very effectively why Asia’s top destinations and tourism brands need to sit up and take notice of young consumers and their travel tastes. Today’s young travellers will very quickly become business and family travellers, so it is important to show them your trust and loyalty from a very early stage.”

The Rise of the Young Asian Traveller can be purchased at the PATA Online Store.

The report is based on participation from almost 3,000 travellers between the ages of 15 and 34 in an online survey distributed across 13 countries in North-east and South-east Asia, including China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 20, 2014).

MYANMAR will introduce an e-visa system beginning September 1, a move that could finally streamline visa processes for travellers.

Tourists are required to file their visa application online at www.myanmarevisa.gov.mm at least one week before their trip. The online visa is priced at US$50, though the same visa obtained through an embassy abroad costs US$30, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. Only credit card payment is accepted.

Once the application has been processed by the Ministry of Immigration and Population, applicants will receive an email confirmation letter that they must present to the airline and to immigration authorities at Yangon International Airport, along with their passports.

Business visas are not yet available online, though this may change in the future.

Mika Itavaara, managing director, Discovery DMC in Yangon, said: “This is great news that we have been looking forward to for quite some time. It will make visa application handling faster and more convenient to tourists from all countries. This is especially welcome news to those nationals who don’t have Myanmar embassies and consulates in their country or nearby.”

With the halt of pre-arranged visa-on-arrival several months ago, tourists from countries without a Myanmar consulate or embassy have had to stop in Bangkok to obtain the visa before going to Myanmar, taking one full day out of their itineraries.

Myanmar first announced it would implement an e-visa system two years ago (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 15, 2012).

By Tobias Esche.

HONG Kong Disneyland (HKDL) is casting a spell on the regional market to get more travellers from South-east Asia, which will see it stepping up trade engagement.

Larry Leung, director – travel trade sales, HKDL, said: “We realise that visitors from South-east Asia stay an average of four to five days in Hong Kong, and when they visit HKDL, they want the full experience. Thus, it is not just about selling theme park tickets, but also rooms in our two hotel properties and promoting our F&B offerings.”

He added that HKDL and its hotels have several halal-certified food outlets to endear them to Muslim travellers as well.

Said Leung: “Since the opening of the theme park, we’ve seen stable growth from our key markets in South-east Asia, so we see the need to further step up efforts. Our liaison representatives in key markets will also intensify training, educational and marketing support to travel consultants.”

HKDL participated in a Malaysian consumer travel fair for the first time over the weekend, bringing interactive activities and performances such as Disney character-drawing, storytelling sessions and making of towel animals.

The theme park welcomed three new themed areas – Grizzly Gulch, Toy Story Land, and Mystic Point last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 26, 2013).

The resort appointed its first South-east Asian liaison representative in Thailand in 2007, then further extended its network by appointing local representatives in other South-east Asian markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“We will also leverage the synergy with our parent company, The Walt Disney Company, next year with the ultimate goal of strengthening the Disney affinity and making HKDL a top-of-mind destination and driving traffic there.”

JETSTAR Group is solidifying its presence in Indonesia with the introduction of another travel shop and its Straight-to-Gate service.

The budget airline group opened its fourth Jetstar Travel Shop in Indonesia in Medan. The first in the city, the retail outlet is located on Jalan Juanda Baru and will begin selling hotels and travel insurance in the coming months, besides air tickets.

Jetstar Asia CEO, Barathan Pasupathi, said customers have the option of transacting in cash at the shop, catering to the needs of Indonesian customers.

“The Jetstar Travel Shop in Medan is another customer initiative that we believe will help our customers to have even easier access to our everyday low fares,” said Pasupathi. “Customers in Medan prefer to book and purchase their tickets through offline booking options as credit card penetration is still relatively low in the city.”

Jetstar Asia operates daily flights between Medan and Singapore.

In the meantime, Jetstar Asia started rolling out its Straight-to-Gate service in Indonesia on August 8.

Following a soft-launch of the service in Jakarta last month, passengers without check-in baggage and visas departing from Surabaya, Medan and Bali can now check-in online, proceed directly to the gate and pay airport tax there.

Straight-to-Gate was launched in Singapore last year followed by Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. Pasupathi said some 45 per cent of Jetstar Asia’s passengers with only carry-on baggage have been eligible for the service since it was first launched.

The Jetstar Group operates 114 weekly flights between the Indonesian ports of Jakarta, Bali (Denpasar), Medan, and Surabaya, as well as international destinations, including Singapore, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.

JAPANESE CVBs are dangling freebies to increase the appeal of their cities as attractive incentive destinations and counter the image of Japan as an expensive travel option.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily during the Japan Incentive Travel Seminar in Singapore last Thursday, Momoko Maeda, incentive coordinator from Sapporo Convention Bureau, said: “In order to bring more guests into our city, we must be able to attract them first with a value proposition and position ourselves at the top of their minds.”

According to Maeda, incentive groups will be able to enjoy a list of benefits if they spend more than 200 nights in the city, e.g. 50 pax for four nights.

The bureau will sponsor the group’s gala dinner and throw in a performance, or arrange a special welcome ceremony by a “kimono lady” for the group.

Said Maeda: “Our unique cultural dance items will be popular for the guests because it is something only we have that will leave them with a memorable experience.”

Likewise, the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (OCVB) Welcome Project created for incentive tours, which are valid until March 30, 2015, includes an airport greeting fronted by Miss Okinawa.

Shuhei Kohagura, OCVB’s MICE marketing specialist, added: “As attractions at receptions, we can provide displays of Okinawan performing arts including Ryukyu, Eisa, and lion dances (as part of the Welcome Project).”

Tourism arrival figures from Singapore to Japan between January and June are at 97,900, up from 83,304 over the same period last year, said Susan Maria Ong, deputy director of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Singapore office.

Maggie Tay, director, Singapore-based Euro-Asia Holidays, said while Singapore travellers are always interested in Japan, budget is still an issue. “Travelling to Japan is already more expensive than other destinations in the region, and the expenses there are also quite high.

“However for the groups who want to really reward their staff, they will be willing to spend a bit, so these are the ones that will still go to Japan,” she said.

Similarly, Jenny Ho, managing director, Classic Travel, who usually arranges for incentive tours in Tokyo and Osaka, said: “It is useful that the other CVBs are coming up with attractive offers so we can explore these cities instead of the typical major ones.”

JNTO also brought its incentives showcase to Kuala Lumpur on Friday, the second and final leg of the travel seminar.

THE Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) have rallied behind prime minister Najib Razak’s call for a complete overhaul of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in order to return it to profitability and improve its public image.

The airline’s largest shareholder, Khazanah Nasional, last Friday proposed to take full ownership of the airline through an offer to purchase the remaining 30.6 per cent stake it does not already own, which would lead to MAS’ effective delisting from Bursa Malaysia (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 8, 2014).

Meanwhile, MAS will continue to operate all current flights, schedules and reservations.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, MATTA president, Hamzah Rahmat, believes restructuring would have a higher chance of success if carried out without interference from airline unions or politics.

He said: “Sacrifices will have to be made, but it will be for the good of the airline and its sustainability in the long term. MAS used to be a renowned airline in the past, so close to Singapore Airlines. But now, it is behind Garuda Indonesia. Since Garuda’s restructuring, its inflight services and international image has improved. MAS, too, can climb back and become one of the top Asian airlines, and one of the top 10 airlines in the world.

“As far as MATTA is concerned, we strongly back our national carrier for national interest. Where there is a choice of airlines, we urge the travelling consumer to choose MAS.”

Adam Kamal, deputy president 2, MITA, said: “The restructuring is timely in light of MAS’ image after the twin tragedies this year involving two of its aircraft and the airlines’ poor financial performance over the last few years. What is important is for Khazanah Nasional to ensure that this time, the restructuring will be effective.”

MAS’ image took a drubbing in the wake of two major incidents, the mysterious disappearance of MH370 and the downing of MH17 over Ukrainian airspace, both within the short span of a few months.

Over the last 12 years, MAS underwent six restructuring exercises, and details of this latest planned exercise is expected to be announced at the end of this month.