TOUR operators said business has not been affected by the heavy rains and resulting flooding that struck the east coast states of Peninsular Malaysia and Johor since last week.

Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager of Johor-based New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel, said sightseeing tours are going on as usual. However, the number of outdoor activities such as camping had dropped due to the rain.

Similarly, Manfred Kurz, managing director of Diethelm Travel Malaysia, said tours to the east coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang are going on as usual.

“We divert and use another road when it is necessary, but we don’t miss out on any of the tourism spots. We have an action plan in place if the roads get closed due to floods. There have been no cancellations from guests,” said Kurz.

Alex Lee, CEO, Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours, also said there are no changes to his tours in the east coast, as main tourist sites such as the highlands and beach resorts are not affected by the floods.

“However, we did receive cancellations, from locals and foreign tourists, due to recent reports of the floods. Forward bookings for this month and January are a bit slow but we believe things will pick up again in February.”

Every year, the beach resorts off Terengganu such as Redang, Perhentian and Kapas are closed from November until February or early March.

POLAND Tourism is developing an online specialist programme for Indian travel consultants, set to launch in March 2014.

“The online specialist programme will educate Indian tour operators about the various highlights and attractions of our destination. It will also provide details of key tour operators in Poland which are already strong in the Asian markets,” said Emilia Kubik, project leader, department of marketing planning with the NTO.

“It will be a live platform so information on various tourism-related developments will be updated real-time and be connected to an online social platform,” Kubik added.

The programme will be followed by a series of roadshows scheduled in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in April 2014.

The NTO is also mulling the development of a special section on its global website dedicated to the Indian market by year-end.

“We will also start a series of print and online advertising campaigns this month through to June 2014. The campaign, Come and Find Your Story, will try to boost online traffic to our website. We have also planned a number of fam trips for tour operators, media and film producers,” said Kubik.

Additionally, a newsletter will be introduced to Indian travel trade partners focusing on Warsaw and Krakow.

Poland recorded 30,000 Indian overnights in 2012.

SINGAPORE will welcome the debut of wax museum Madame Tussauds at Sentosa’s Imbiah Lookout in the second half of 2014.

The attraction, according to local broadsheet The Straits Times, will be located next to the existing Images of Singapore (IOS) exhibit.

Madame Tussauds owner Merlin Entertainments said the two attractions will be packaged together to showcase Singapore’s history and culture. The global attractions operator will invest over S$20 million (US$16 million) into the project, which also covers a revamp of IOS.

Merlin’s divisional director, Meike Schulze, was quoted as saying: “Sentosa is such a vibrant place, and it’s a great implemented and embedded leisure attraction already. And that is just creating the perfect home for us.”

Apart from the wax figurines of famous singers and actresses like Katy Perry, Jay Chou and Kate Winslet, Sentosa Development Corp chief executive, Mike Barclay, was reported as saying that the museum will include famous people who “have had a hand in shaping Singapore” as well.

The ticket price for both attractions will be around S$30.

US AIRWAYS will join Oneworld with effect from March 31, 2014, following yesterday’s completion of its merger with the alliance’s founding member, American Airlines.

All its regional affiliates operating under the US Airways Express brand will also transit to Oneworld at the same time. Their transition will follow immediately upon their exit from Star Alliance, with the final flights on March 30, 2014.

Until the full integration of American Airlines and US Airways – which will see the combined airline retaining the American Airlines name – US Airways and its regional carriers will operate as Oneworld affiliate members, under the American umbrella.

During the transition period, American Airlines and US Airways will maintain their current loyalty programmes.

The tie-up of both airlines was initially blocked by a lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department on fears that domestic routes would be concentrated in the hands of the two heavyweights, but was recently greenlighted after both agreed to make concessions to ensure more competitiveness in the US market (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 14, 2013).

JOGJAKARTA will need a thorough re-evaluation of its ratio of the number of hotel rooms to public space, said its governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, expressing support for the municipal government’s recent decision to impose a moratorium on new hotels.

The governor said: “With the additional 34 new (star- and non-star-rated) hotels (in the last couple of years), it is important to have a thorough study of the ratio of the number of available rooms to public space, so that it does not take away what rightfully belongs to the travelling public.”

Mayor of Jogjakarta, Haryadi Suyuti, earlier imposed a city regulation to stop issuing new hotel licences as of January 1, 2014. The moratorium is valid until December 31, 2016 and is applied only to the Jogjakarta municipality of this city province. However, investors who obtain new licences before January 1, 2014 will be able to continue with construction, while existing hotels are allowed expansion.

Haryadi was quoted by the local media as saying: “Jogjakarta already has quite a lot of hotels. This moratorium is temporary and we shall evaluate again later.”

According to the municipality’s data, there are currently 37 star-rated hotels and 370 non-star accommodations.

Horwath HTL director, Pacific Asia, Matt Gebbie, said out of the six major cities in Java-Bali (Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Surabaya, Semarang, Jogjakarta/Solo), Jogjakarta and Solo are the most balanced in terms of supply and demand, allowing occupancy and rates to increase in the last couple of years and next year.

Gebbie said the destination could apply a moratorium policy, but “more than dictating what to do the (regional government) can have an educated look at where the gaps in the market are”, such as whether there are too many hotels in the lower tier and not enough in another.

SINGAPORE’S Far East Hospitality has opened a second hotel in two months, its latest venture being a 37-room boutique heritage hotel, whose entrance is the temple-turned-museum Fuk Tak Chi at Far East Square.

Located in the heart of the CBD along Telok Ayer Street, Amoy has been designed to reflect the fact that the area is one of the first stops for immigrants coming from China.

For example, Chinese family names can be found on walls and doors, while rooms feature unique elements such as opium beds and painted porcelain basins.

There are two room categories – cosy single (16-19m²) and deluxe double (21-24m²) – which are now priced at S$218++ (US$174++) and S$268++ as part of an opening promotion until February 9, 2014.

Far East Hospitality (FEH), CEO, Arthur Kiong, said: “Just like how early migrants were picked up by their loved ones upon arriving on Singapore’s shores, we also make it a point to welcome all our foreign travellers from the airport.”

Besides the free airport-hotel transfers, other personalised touches include a choice of breakfast items that will be delivered to rooms every day as well as museum tours. However, due to the space constraints, there are no facilities such as a gym or pool.

Kiong revealed that the plan is to expand the hotel to around 100 keys, which would take two years to complete.

Amoy guest service manager, Trinh Tran Chau, said despite no promotions since opening a month ago, the hotel has been averaging 50-60 per cent occupancy, running full house on two occasions.

“We have been getting many travellers from Australia and Europe, who like the heritage aspect. We even had corporate guests who stayed for two weeks,” she added.

The hotel has been selling direct and through OTAs, although it will also be intending to work with local tour operators.

Having just opened the Village Hotel Katong last month (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 5, 2013), FEH will also be unveiling a refurbished and repositioned Rendezvous Grand Hotel Singapore next month, which will bring in more artistic and cultural elements associated with its Bras Basah locale.

Following its joint ventures with The Straits Trading Company Singapore (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 29, 2013) and Toga Group Australia (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 3, 2013) this year, FEH’s portfolio has swelled from 18 to over 80 hotels and serviced residences in eight countries, becoming a “global player”, explained Kiong.

He told TTG Asia e-Daily that FEH is looking to grow its presence in Europe and China, now that it has properties in Germany, Denmark, Hungary and one in China.

Closer to home, FEH will welcome guests at its all-suite Oasia Kuala Lumpur in 3Q2014, while Oasia Downtown is slated to open in 2015/2016 in Singapore.

SOUTH Korea yesterday announced a new air defence zone, a move regarded as a counter to China’s unilateral declaration of its own last month.

The new zone, which will take effect on December 15, also partially overlaps with China’s, and covers a submerged rock disputed by the two countries, according to local broadsheet The Straits Times.

South Korea’s news agency Yonhap News reported the defence ministry as saying that the expanded zone was designed to have its southern boundary match the country’s broader flight information region, and includes airspace over the Seoul-controlled reef of Ieodo and other southern islands of Marado and Hongdo.

The ministry also said: “The air defence and identification zone adjustment is in line with international aviation order and regulations. It does not put restrictions on civilian flight operations or infringe upon the airspace and interests of neighbouring countries.

“Ahead of the announcement, we have offered sufficient explanations to related countries. The government will discuss with related countries measures necessary to prevent accidental military clashes with the newly adjusted zone.”

Yonhap News also quoted a transport ministry official as saying the ministry will in a few days be wrapping up discussions with related agencies about the issue of airlines giving notification to China.

China’s earlier self-declaration of its new defence zone, which overlaps those of Japan and South Korea, had sparked outrage from the two countries and concern from the US, with airlines defying its airspace ruling (TTG Asia e-Daily November 28, 2013).

MAURITIUS and Dubai are both stepping up their pursuit of the Indian market, with weddings among the segments being courted.

Vijaye Haulder, deputy director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), said: “Every year around 10,000 weddings take place in Mauritius, out of which few are of Indians. Currently, 10 per cent of our overall arrivals from India comprise of MICE travellers and we are looking to increase these numbers significantly. Mauritius receives 50,000 golfers annually, out of which an insignificant number is from India.”

Last month, MTPA organised road shows in Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi, in which 15 suppliers from Mauritius participated to promote their offerings in the wedding and MICE domains.

“We are educating partners about the incentives we give to MICE organisers on group travel of minimum 100 people. We are also talking to Air Mauritius to increase flight frequencies and are focusing on non-metro Indian cities to increase wedding and MICE arrivals,” said Haulder.

Last year 46,000 Indians travelled to Mauritius and the NTO is expecting 60,000 Indian arrivals by end-2013. Mauritius recorded 45,000 Indian arrivals from January to October. The NTO is targeting 10 per cent growth in 2014.

Meanwhile, also courting the Indian wedding and honeymoon segment is Dubai, encouraged by 15.8 per cent year-on-year growth in 1H2013 from India, its second biggest source market.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has been conducting a series of road shows in major Indian cities. Mansoor Bawazir, head for Region, India, Middle East and Southern/Eastern Africa, overseas promotions and inward missions, DTCM, said: “India will be one of the important source markets to achieve our target of 20 million visitors by 2020.”

In November, a 22-member Dubai delegation interacted with over 1,000 travel consultants and wedding planners in Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Carl Vaz, director – India, DTCM, said: “We are looking at penetrating deeper into tier two cities like Pune, Indore, Nagpur, Chandigarh and Jaipur and tier three cities such as Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Raipur and Bhubaneswar.

“Currently, we have 2,000 certified experts from metros, tier one and two cities under the Dubai Expert Training Programme and we are now looking at adding 1,000 operators from tier three cities as Dubai specialists.”

Anil Guptaa, managing director, Mumbai-based Anjali Travels and Tours, said: “Dubai has the right mix of attractions, F&B, hotels and flight connectivity in making it a very attractive destination for Indians. Shopping is an added plus. We anticipate 20 per cent growth in 2014.”

Additional reporting by Shekhar Niyogi

LONDON’S Maybourne Hotel Group, which owns and operates three of the city’s luxury hotels – Claridge’s, the Connaught and the Berkeley – has announced a partnership with British fashion house Burberry.

Suite guests across the three hotels are entitled complimentary use of a classic Burberry trench coat during their stay. Men’s and women’s versions are hung in the wardrobes prior to arrival. If alternative sizes are required, or if guests wish to purchase a trench coat, hotel staff can arrange for a new one to be brought to the suite.

Guests at Claridge’s will also be entitled to experience Burberry Private Clients services by a global team of relationship management and styling experts.

Commenting on the project, Maybourne Hotel Group CEO, Stephen Alden, said: “This is an iconic partnership of two great British brands. We take pride in looking after our visitors both within the hotel and on-the-go and now, with the provision of a weather-beating Burberry trench coat, each of them will be well equipped to brave the elements in style.”