INDONESIA’S Merpati Nusantara Airlines flight crash-landed at El Tari Airport, East Nusa Tenggara yesterday but all 46 passengers survived.

Flight MZ6517, which was operated by a Xian MA 60 aircraft, was scheduled to travel from Bajawa, Flores to Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. There were no reports of malfunction during the course of the flight.

Merpati’s corporate secretary, Herry Saptanto, said in a media statement that the aircraft was in good condition and the preliminary presumption was that the aircraft hard-landed.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Apart from the Bajawa-Kupang service, the same aircraft was also serving Kupang-Waingapu (East Nusa Tenggara) and Kupang-Alor routes. The airline has since deployed another Xian MA60 to minimise disruption on the other routes, said Saptono.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines is a state-owned airline company, which mostly serves remote destinations within Indonesia, including the eastern islands of Indonesia frequented by special interest tourists such as Flores and Rajaampat.

TOURISM Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) renewed efforts to promote the kingdom as an eco and adventure destination at Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) this year drew a mixed response from buyers.

Chris Ball, CEO of AdventureHoney.com, an Australia-based OTA specialising in adventure travel in Thailand, said: “Having not attended TTM before, I had limited expectations. It has certainly been a positive experience.

“There’s some wonderful adventure tour and activity operators in Thailand, but finding the best ones takes time. An event like this speeds that process up, which is great, not only for my business, but for the industry in general,” he said, adding he was now in a stronger position to sell Thai adventure products.

However, Brad Moss, director of sales and marketing at the Los Angeles-based ROW Adventures, said while he was pleased with support from the TAT, the fam trip he was taken on did not profile enough adventure activities and he had not met enough suppliers to convince him he could sell Thailand to American activity-focused tourists.

“(TTM+) was okay at best,” he remarked. “There were not a lot of suppliers in my realm of adventure. I think three or four booths was all.

“I think the TAT is 90 per cent focused on beach resorts, shopping and mass tourism. I think the country’s entire infrastructure is set up around those themes… I had extensive conversations about this with Thailand Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association. They agree, and feel my concerns too.”

Ecotourism and activity holidays were one of the four elements promoted under the Thailand Travel Mart’s Customize your Experience concept, the others being golf, weddings and honeymoons, and health and wellness.

Although promoting Thailand as an eco and adventure tourism destination was not a new strategy, bringing over so many international buyers to this year’s event marked a refocusing of efforts, a TAT spokesman said.

TAT hosted 21 international ecotourism buyers at the event, an increase of almost 15 per cent from the previous year, making it the second largest category of hosted buyers after weddings and honeymoons.

YANGON International Airport is gearing up for projected 20 per cent annual growth ahead of the 27^th SEA Games in December with its new common-use system from air transport specialist, SITA.

SITA’s Airport Connect Open system will equip the airport with a common-use solution to facilitate passenger check-in and boarding processes, including 30 new check-in counters, six new boarding gates and 10 new self-service check-in kiosks.

U Win Ko, general manager, Yangon International Airport, said: “Since 2008, passenger numbers at Yangon airport have nearly doubled to three million, and by 2015, we expect to handle more than five million passengers annually.

“Over the last year, we have seen the airport grow from 14 to 22 airlines, which means we need to increase our capacity immediately, while also planning for the future.”

Yangon International Airport serves seven domestic and 22 international airlines, including Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Air India and Air China.

FIREFLY is expanding its route network with a Johor Bahru-Pekanbaru service and padding up its flight schedule with extra frequencies for the Hari Raya season.

The airline will operate a four-times-weekly service between Johor Bahru and Pekanbaru, Indonesia between August 1, 2013 and July 31, 2014.

Departing Johor Bahru at 10.20, the flight will land in Pekanbaru at 10.40. Johor Bahru-bound flights leave Pekanbaru at 11.00 and touches down at 13.20.

“We’re targeting both business and leisure traffic out of Johor Bahru. We intend to provide Johorians a smarter travel option for them, especially with Hari Raya just around the corner,” said Ignatius Ong, CEO, Firefly.

To mark the launch of this new route, the carrier has rolled out promotional all-in RM99 (US$32) fares.

For Hari Raya celebrations expected to fall on August 8 this year, Firefly will step up flights to the destinations of Kota Bharu, Pekanbaru, Koh Samui and Penang from its central hub of Subang.

The carrier will add Phuket flights out of its northern hub Penang and introduce direct flights to Penang from southern hub Johor Bahru.

Said Ong: “The demand for flights on these routes during the (Hari) Raya period has been high historically, and this year is no exception. In fact, with the longer weekend, which coincides with the school holidays, we are expecting demand to be even more than that of last year’s Eid festive break.”

Firefly customers will earn double the amount of Enrich Miles for ticket purchases between June 1 and July 31.

AIRASIA X plans to raise up to RM859.3 million (US$274.9 million) through an IPO exercise to fund its fleet expansion plans and repay bank loans.

The company is offering 790.1 million shares at an indicative price range of RM1.15-1.45 for institutional investors. The deal will be priced on June 24.

Proceeds from the IPO will be used to repay bank borrowings, purchase new aircraft and for working capital.

The airline also has plans to set up new hubs in Indonesia and Thailand. Its CEO, Azran Osman-Rani, said: “The initial process of getting licensing from the regulatory bodies are underway.”

AirAsia X is looking at creating hubs in Bangkok, Jakarta, Denpasar and Tokyo – cities with AirAsia hubs in order to capitalise on AirAsia’s massive feeder network to build a stronger brand and group presence in the Asia-Pacific region (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 22, 2013).

The longhaul arm of AirAsia will take delivery of seven new Airbus A330 aircraft and another seven aircraft next year, part of its scheme to increase its operating fleet size to 32 by 2016, through a mixed strategy of purchasing and leasing aircraft.

The new aircraft will be used to increase frequencies on current routes and introduce new ones.

Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsia Group, said AirAsia X would also resume flights to India but declined to reveal whether the airline would recommence services to Delhi and Mumbai.

AirAsia X’s services from Kuala Lumpur to Mumbai and New Delhi were suspended on January 31, 2012 and March 22, 2012 respectively.

SOME 97 travel consultants in Singapore have been recognised for their expertise under the NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents Singapore) Accreditation Scheme since its launch on March 14 (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 22, 2013), and at least 92 individuals are now in line for the next enrolment.

Describing the response to the new scheme as “excellent”, NATAS spokesperson, Alvin Lim, said that several more applications were pending confirmation and the target was to accredit 300 travel consultants by end of 2013.

“We have offered a 50 per cent discount on course fees for the first 100 applicants in the second enrolment to make this programme more accessible to travel consultants from both inbound and outbound travel companies,” said NATAS COO, Anita Tan, adding that while fees are meant to be borne by the travel consultants themselves, some agencies have offered to absorb the cost for their employees.

The three-stage programme (TTG Asia Online, Tip Sheet) costs S$50 (US$39.74), S$75 and S$100 depending on the level of accreditation. When accreditation expires in two to three years’ time, consultants must upgrade their skills through courses to earn a renewal.

According to Tan, the scheme is currently supported by 19 industry leaders, among them are Chung Tak Ing, senior assistant general manager of ASA Holidays and Lee Hwee Noi, manager of Hong Thai Travel services.

“We will review our panel of industry leaders regularly as we are concerned that (the activity) may be too taxing for them. This is a voluntary service after all, and each assessment takes up a full day. Our next review will likely be at the end of this year or early next year,” said Tan.

She added: “Through NATAS Accreditation, we hope to recognise travel consultants who choose to upgrade themselves on their own accord. The accreditation is for the individual, not the company, so it is to their own benefit to earn this recognition. At the same time, the scheme gives consumers a mark of assurance, knowing that the travel consultant serving them is a professional who will deliver quality and reliable service and advice.”

To raise the awareness of this “stamp of quality” among consumers, NATAS is running advertisements in traditional print media and on buses that ply commercial and heartland networks, as well as in a travel supplement to be published during its travel fair this August.

THE Myanmar government last week unveiled a new tourism master plan for the country on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Naypyidaw, a joint effort between the government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Norwegian government.

Funded by the Norwegian government, the plan outlines 39 development projects worth almost US$500 million.

Projects outlined aim to grow international air arrivals to destinations Mandalay and Naypyidaw, improve the Bagan river port, build feeder roads in areas such as Ngapali Beach and Inle Lake, strengthen tourism education and training, and identify US$44.5 million in new training and partnerships.

The plan also calls for tourism police divisions to be set up, as well as a Tourism Executive Coordination Board to bring tourism-related ministries, agencies and federations together under an umbrella organisation. The board will be chaired at the vice-president level.

It also suggests the introduction of pilot community-based tourism initiatives to ethnic communities to prepare locals for and give them control over tourism.

The 1993 tourism law will also be reviewed and updated to streamline licensing formalities for tourism stakeholders, and amend the regulations involving the gaming subsector, labour and the establishment of outbound tour operations for Myanmar citizens.

ADB vice president, Stephen Groff, said: “Tourism will be a pillar of Myanmar’s economy, and it has the potential to create meaningful job opportunities for the country’s people, including those living in poor communities.”

“This plan is a long-term vision, and a solid start to ensuring tourism contributes equitable social and economic development in Myanmar,” he added.

ADB estimates international arrivals will reach 7.5 million by 2020 to bring in US$10.1 billion in tourism receipts, if Myanmar continues with its reforms. Under a high growth scenario, tourism could provide up to 1.4 million jobs by 2020.

Foreign arrivals at Yangon airport stood at 253,136 for the first four months of 2013, up almost 44 per cent year-on-year over 2012’s 175,930, according to figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

VISITORS from some 45 countries will be able to make 72-hour visa-free transits in Chengdu, as long as they have a third country visa and valid air ticket.

According to China Daily, Chengdu becomes the fourth Chinese city to implement such a scheme, which has already taken root in Beijing, Shanghai (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 27, 2012) and Guangzhou.

It has not yet been announced when the policy will take effect.

Citizens of the following countries will be eligible for the scheme: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.