TOP Fujian tourism and hospitality state-owned enterprise, C&D, has set up a cruise division to capture the wave of interest since it started operating cruise charters from Xiamen in 2011.

Chen Lian Bao, vice general manager of C&D’s cruise division, said it operated a charter between Xiamen and Manila on SuperStar Gemini and a Xiamen-Phuket-Manila-Xiamen incentive and leisure charter last year.

This year, C&D is mounting three back-to-back charters on SuperStar Virgo in July to coincide with the summer school holidays.

Its 5D4N cruise from July 13 will cover Hong Kong, Xiamen, Taipei, and Taichung before returning to Xiamen for 2,000 passengers. Its July 17-22 itinerary will sail from Xiamen to Jeju and Okinawa before returning to Xiamen. Its July 22-27 cruise will leave Xiamen for Hue, Halong Bay and Hong Kong.

Chen said: “The number of passengers we have handled has increased 100 per cent since 2011. In 2014, we expect to handle up to 8,000. Apart from the charters, we are also promoting fly-cruises to Singapore and Shanghai.”

He added that C&D was confident that it could cover the whole of Asia and offer 14-day sailings in future. 10

HONG Kong travel consultants have moved past the issue of IATA’s billing and settlement plan following its implementation last July, but the upcoming enforcement of IATA’s central bank guarantee (BG) initiative is the next hurdle to leap.

The central bank guarantee by IATA is meant to replace the existing bilateral bank guarantees between individual airlines and travel agencies that guarantees travel consultants seats on flights while protecting airlines against travel agencies going bust.

IATA’s assistant director of corporate communications for Asia-Pacific, Albert Tjoeng, said the BG scheme will be implemented on January 1 next year.

“The Passenger Agency Conference has passed the resolution for airlines that have bilateral bank guarantees to withdraw them after the local financial criteria has been strengthened. The resolution is effective June 1, 2014. If airlines continue to impose bilateral bank guarantees, they stand the risk of a lower priority when claiming against the bank guarantee held by IATA,” Tjoeng said.

“This means that the airline would risk not being able to claim against the IATA bank guarantee, which is a major source of credit risk protection. Any changes that are being made in the local financial criteria for Hong Kong has to be discussed at APJC Hong Kong. Agents should contact their APJC agent representatives should they have input to submit.”

Nan Hwa (Express) Travel Service, managing director and newly elected chairman of Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, Jason Shum, said: “IATA is in the process of discussing the ratio of BG based on consultants’ size of business, track record and financial assessment. I reckon this would range from 20 to 100 per cent.”

Arrow Travel, managing director, Tommy Tam, said: “Average ticket sales volume in 2013 was HK$24.8 billion (US$3.2 billion) and the bad debt on air ticket sales is on average less than HK$0.78 million per year, one of the lowest in the world. I personally doubt whether there is a single system that perfectly applies to the globe as business practice varies from place to place.”

However, he added: “It’s not totally bad for operations. Instead of paying BG for different airlines, we may end up with one single payment.”

Happy Star Travel Service, director, Joyce Fung said that it is too early to assess the impact. “It depends because the BG payment is currently offset between airlines and IATA. For instance, if IATA requests a total of US$150,000, I might pay US$100,000 to an airline to guarantee ticket stock, then only settle the balance of US$50,000 with IATA. In future, if IATA takes all payment, it’s still unknown if individual airlines would still ask consultants for separate bank guarantee. This is not known yet.”

ANANTARA Hotels, Resorts & Spas has launched the Anantara Emei Resort & Spa at the foot of UNESCO World Heritage site, Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province.

The resort features 90 guestrooms, 40 pavilions and 20 villas, including the top-tier villas with a private pavilion that also come with a Jacuzzi or swimming pool.

A range of F&B outlets are available for guests such as Jinyi for Sichuan and Guangdong cuisines, Cultivar for Chinese and European fare, lobby lounge Xueji, Yunshang Wine Cellar and the swim-up bar.

Spice Spoon, Anantara’s cooking classes, also allow guests to dive into local food markets and learn about how locals prepare their food.

Other facilities on site include a tropical outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, fitness centre, table tennis and outdoor tennis courts, yoga and tai chi classes, and the Anantara Spa.

For meetings, the resort offers 10 meeting and event venues. This encompasses a ballroom, boardroom and four private mahjong rooms.

Anantara Emei Resort & Spa offers easy access to Mount Emei as well. Visitors can hike or ride the cable car up to the top of Mount Emei.

It is the third Anantara resort in China after Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa, Yunnan and Anantara Sanya Resort & Spa on Hainan island.

BRAND USA has set up the first Brand USA Taiwan Advisory Council (BTAC), an integrated marketing body purposed to create strategies and programmes to promote the US among Taiwanese travellers.

Established in collaboration with the American Institute in Taiwan, BTAC is helmed by Brand USA Taiwan and Hong Kong managing director, Reene Ho-Phang, as chairperson.

Members include representatives from United Airlines, Delta Airlines, China Airlines, Eva Air, Hertz, Phoenix Tours, Lion Travel, Colatour, ezTravel and ezfly.

Scheduled to meet on a quarterly basis, the new body held its first meeting in March to exchange ideas on how to better promote the US to the Taiwanese market.

An idea raised was the possibility of producing and placing outdoor advertisements on public transportation and billboards.

Raymond Chang, general manager of Taiwan & Korea for Delta Airlines, also wanted Brand USA to organise a mega fam for Taiwanese travel consultants.

“With this experience, the industry will be better equipped with knowledge to develop and customise more comprehensive travel itineraries that will suit diverse needs,” he remarked.

Taiwan joined the US Visa Waiver Program in 2012, resulting in a 35 per cent increase in Taiwanese arrivals to the US in the first three quarters of 2013.

VISITORS from Hong Kong are the most willing to spend on lodgings of all inbound source markets to India, paying Rs8,061 (US$134) per night in 2013. This is according to Hotels.com’s latest Hotels Price Index, which said the figure was up six per cent over 2012’s Rs7,599.

Travellers from the Middle East ranked second with Rs7,909 followed by South Africans (Rs7,594), growing three and four per cent respectively. Switzerland ranked fourth (Rs7,457, 15 per cent), Singapore came in ninth (Rs7,123 with no growth) while China ranked 10^th (Rs7,115, 17 per cent).

Anil Punjabi, chairman-east, Travel Agents Federation of India, said: “Business travel has increased, showing a rise in higher end hotel usage by visitors from Hong Kong, China, the Middle East and South Africa. This trend is likely to escalate in 2014 and 2015 with greater flight connectivity and the increase in luxury hotel rooms in key destinations.”

European countries displayed the most growth in amount spent on accommodation, with Belgium leading the pack (25 per cent), trailed by Italy and Finland (22 per cent), and Austria (16 per cent).

Ravi Gusain, managing director, New Delhi-based Erco Travels, said: “The growth in room rate paid by visitors from western European countries like Finland, Italy, Austria and Switzerland augurs a healthy trend. If these economies are recovering, then there will be a resurgence of tourist inflow from these traditional markets this year and in time to come.”

New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Bengaluru continued to be the most-visited destinations for international inbound travellers to India.

ABU Dhabi-based domestic carrier Rotana Jet today launched flights to two airports in Sri Lanka, in what appears to be its first international flights.

Airline officials said the two-year old carrier will operate three flights a week from Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi to Sri Lanka’s main Bandaranaike International Airport just outside Colombo and the recently Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 7, 2013).

The airline will use an Airbus A319 aircraft with both business and economy class seats. In a statement, the airline said it planned to increase flights to six per week later.

Schedules were finalised during recent discussions in Colombo between Sri Lankan minister of aviation Piyankara Jayaratne, secretary of civil aviation Ravindra Ruberu, the UAE ambassador in Sri Lanka and Rotana Jet chairman, Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan.

The carrier is a charter and scheduled service operator that initially conducted domestic operations with flights to Bahrain, Muscat, Salalah, Sir Bani Yas island, Fujairah, Delma and Dubai.

SUNWAY Group yesterday announced it will open Asia’s first Nickelodeon-branded attraction zone within Sunway Lagoon theme park come March 2015.

In a strategic collaboration with Viacom International Media Networks Asia, the Nickelodeon Explorers’ Oasis will receive a total investment sum of RM100 million (US$30.9 million). Nickelodeon will bring its characters, expanded interactive shows and signature green slime to Sunway Lagoon.

It will be located within a four-hectare area where the Elephant Walk and Waterfall Gardens are.

Nickelodeon Explorers’ Oasis will comprise nine attractions and six rides as well as feature immersive attractions such as the Oasis Lagoon Splash Pad and climbing structure, an interactive water play area using reactive technology, daily signature slime events, a variety of other water slide attractions, retail shops, games and food service establishments themed with Nickelodeon’s hit properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorerand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Gerald Raines, vice president, recreation business development for Nickelodeon, said: “This is an ideal location for Nickelodeon to start its themed-based attractions in Asia, which will no doubt open up opportunities for our recreation business in Asia. It is also an important next step in boosting the Nickelodeon experience across all facets of entertainment for families across Malaysia and Asia.”

Nickelodeon Explorers’ Oasis is targeted at children from three years old, said Indra Suharjono, executive vice president and managing director of Viacom International Media Networks Asia. It will add to the existing rides and attractions in Sunway Lagoon, which total more than 80 and span over 35 hectares.

Other Nickelodeon-branded attractions and parks around the world include Nickelodeon Universe in Minneapolis’ Mall of America, SeaWorld on the Gold Coast, Australia, Nicklodeon Land at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in the UK, Nickland at Movie Park Germany and a new Nickelodeon Land to open at Parque de Atracciones Madrid.

BEST Western International’s expansion drive in South-east Asia has taken it to Makassar on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it has opened Best Western plus Makassar Beach.

Located on Jalan Botolempangan, the hotel is minutes from Losari Beach.

Glenn de Souza, Best Western’s vice president of international operations for Asia & the Middle East, said: “As Indonesia emerges as an economic power, trade and tourism is spreading out into the country’s many outlying islands and provinces. As the 11^th largest island in the world and home to outstanding cultural and ecological diversity, Sulawesi is becoming a new regional centre of trade and tourism.

“The launch of this new hotel will establish Best Western as one of the first international hotel groups on the island, and we are confident our upscale Best Western Plus product will be well-received by the increasing number of visitors to Makassar and Sulawesi,” de Souza added.

Best Western Plus Makassar Beach offers 162 rooms including nine suites, ranging in size from 27-62m².

The hotel is equipped with facilities such as free Wi-Fi, a semi-outdoor swimming pool, a pool bar, Chill In Restaurant for local, Indonesian and Western cuisine, and the De Corner Lounge for fine wines and spirits.

Meeting spaces encompass 12 meeting rooms with a capacity of 150 delegates.

GLOBAL Hotel Alliance (GHA) last week welcomed the entry of two new member brands – Thon Hotels and Glo Hotels – from the Nordic region, bringing the number of member hotels in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark to 120.

Thon Hotels is based in Oslo and part of the Olav Thon Group. Established in 1989, it is the third largest hotel chain in Norway with a portfolio of 64 hotels in Norway, five in Belgium, one in the Netherlands and one in Sweden.

The brand targets business and convention travellers specifically, but its properties in the Arctic Circle are popular with leisure travellers as well. Thon Hotels’ membership will commence within the next few months.

Glo Hotels, with headquarters in Helsinki, is part of The Kämp Group. It has four hotels in Helsinki, marking the first time GHA is represented in Finland.

Aarne Hallama, CEO of The Kämp Group, commented: “We are a well-known, local Finnish lifestyle brand and we need access to our key feeder markets in Sweden, Russia, the UK and Germany; GHA membership will help us enormously to reach customers in these markets, which we cannot do effectively alone.”

Chris Hartley, CEO of GHA, noted that the alliance recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary.

“These two new brands bring the alliance to 425 hotels, and we are gradually gaining strength and recognition in key regional markets, such as the Nordics. This in turn is helping us drive more business to our member brands, so everyone in the alliance benefits from our growth because of the collaborative nature of our business, and in particular our sharing four million customers through our loyalty programme, GHA Discovery,” he said.

“It’s an exciting year for the alliance, and we expect more brands to join in the coming months, as independent players continue to look at how they can compete for market share with the mega-chains; and we’re providing that solution.”

CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group has signed an agreement with Rockwood Hotels & Resorts for Radisson Blu Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa, to open in May this year.

Simon C Barlow, president, Asia-Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said: “We are aggressively growing our presence and reinforcing our leadership position as the largest international hotel group in India. Radisson Blu Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa is an outstanding property and will be a great addition to our fast-expanding portfolio in India, where we now have 66 hotels in operation and 41 in development.”

The 240-key hotel is situated on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake in Ambamata, close to the city centre and less than an hour’s drive from the airport.

It also offers facilities such as an outdoor swimming pool, a lawn tennis court, a spa, a fitness centre and four F&B options – an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant, lobby bar and lounge and poolside bar.

Radisson Blu Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa will also offer 544m² of meeting space, inclusive of a pillarless ballroom that can accommodate up to 450 people.