HILTON Worldwide has ceased managing Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi, having terminated its management agreement with owner Sun Travels & Tours on May 3.

According to a media release from Hilton, the cancellation of the agreement was “unforeseen and due to factors outside (Hilton’s) control”.

Sun Travels has taken over management, and consequently the property is no longer participating in the Hilton HHonors programme.

However, Hilton continues to manage Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and “remains committed to the hospitality and tourism industry in Maldives”, said the statement.

THE Department of Tourism (DoT) says it is on track to meet its 5.5 million arrivals target for 2013 based on the 1.3 million foreign tourists it witnessed during the first quarter, which marks a significant 10.8 per cent year-on-year leap.

South Korea remains the top source market, with arrivals rising 23.9 per cent year-on-year to 328,454 visitors. This puts it at 25.8 per cent of total arrivals.

The US takes second place with 186,065 arrivals or 14.6 per cent of total visitor volume, Japan with 114,269 arrivals or nine per cent, while China and Taiwan round up the top five markets with 98,242 and 53,867 visitors respectively.

Meanwhile, other source markets registering double-digit growth were Russia (26.9 per cent), Hong Kong (25 per cent), India (22.1 per cent), Singapore (15.4 per cent), Australia (12.7 per cent) and Malaysia (11.9 per cent).

By region, South-east Asia grew 14.8 per cent and East Asia, 14.2 per cent.

For March alone, the Philippines posted a double-digit increase of 11.3 per cent year-on-year with 417,392 visitors, the fourth consecutive month since December 2012 that visitor numbers surpassed the 400,000 mark after a record-breaking January and February (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 28, 2013).

Tourism secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr pointed out that the expansion and development of secondary gateways would open the country to more visitors, while investments in the air transportation and accommodation sector would increase the country’s capacity for visitors in the years to come.            

He said: “With key policy reforms such as the lifting of significant security concerns by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the rationalisation of the Common Carriers Tax, the focus is shifted to the tangible areas such as connectivity and improvement of tourism products.”

BUDGET brand Tune Hotels has entered India with the opening of Tune Hotel Ahmedabad this month, tweaking its product to suit the market such as the introduction of family rooms.

Annexed to the new 4D Square Mall in Motera, the 100-room property offers family rooms to accommodate four to six people, as well as standard single and double rooms, in a bid to tap India’s wedding segment.

Tune Hotels’ group CEO, Mark Lankester, said: “In addition to larger room varieties, we have also made other adjustments in our offerings to serve our Indian guests better, including more expansive food and beverage availability within the hotel.

“With a view to the huge wedding market in India, the hotel is able to cater to the needs for major banquet facilities for that total wedding experience. In fact, we’ve taken bookings for our very first wedding entourage already!”

Tune Hotels has entered into a 60-40 joint venture with Apodis Hospitality to open at least 20 hotels in India (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 25, 2013). It is looking to develop properties in major destinations, Tier Two and Tier Three cities, as well as the tourist triangle of Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi.

“The Tune Hotel Ahmedabad aims to serve both domestic travellers and visitors from abroad, especially members of the large non-resident Indian community from Gujarat settled in places like the US, Britain and the Gulf, who may already have had prior knowledge of the brand in the five countries we are already present in,” explained Lankester. The company intends to operate five to six hotels in Gujarat within the next three years.

To mark the opening of Tune Hotel Ahmedabad, room rates will start at Rs599 (US$11) when booked on Tune Hotels’ website until May 10, for the period of May 15 to September 30.

RESEARCH has found that the travel industry has yet to fully embrace newer payment systems, which has made travel consultants, wholesalers and tour operators less competitive as a result.

The finding is part of a series of white papers commissioned by eNett International and MasterCard and undertaken by PhoCusWright under the theme The Future of Travel Payments.

The study reported that 40 per cent of respondents said they faced the problem of losing out on unpaid commissions, which many recover via settlement services at a cost of 10-15 per cent.

Agencies turning over US$1 million and US$5 million hire one part-time staff member to handle reconciliation, fraud, chargebacks and related functions, while the task requires an average of 16 full-time employees in a company with over US$1 billion in bookings.

It said that travel industry players needed to take a wider view of the costs involved including manual processing, reconciliation and reporting, foreign exchange, delayed cashflow, fraud and supplier default.

Such hidden costs saddle travel companies with unnecessary burdens “at a time when travel suppliers are already under relentless pressure to cut costs and increase margins”.

Anthony Hynes, managing director and CEO of eNett International, said: “The travel industry continues to face a tough climate. A business’s ability to deliver and succeed in this environment will be dictated by how well-placed it is to control costs, minimise risk, utilise its data and ultimately enhance revenue.

“Deploying innovative new technology can help deliver the changes needed in a simple and straightforward way, meaning consultants and tour operators can focus on doing what they do best – meeting and exceeding the expectations of your customer.”

The study represents the views of over 1,500 respondents from the travel industry internationally.

Full results and how travel consultants can tackle the problem of inefficient payment systems will be discussed in a webinar on May 7, which interested parties can sign up for at www.enett.com/insights.

THAILAND-based ONYX Hospitality Group’s Amari brand will debut in Indonesia with the launch of Amari Pecatu Bali in 2015, a joint venture between STA Group Property Division and PR Bali Pecatu Graha.

The 435-key property will be developed as part of the Pecatu Indah Resort integrated development, boasting a shopping mall and conference venues for up to 12,000 pax. The resort is currently home to an 18-hole golf course, which was designed by Ronald Fream.

Amari Pecatu Bali will offer 385 deluxe rooms, 10 junior suites and 40 villas ranging 54m² to 400m², each with either a view of the fairway or the Indian Ocean.

Facilities at the new hotel will include two destination restaurants, a lounge and bar, a sea view swimming pool, a spa, a gym and a retail area.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group had earlier announced that it was to manage the 380-room Parkroyal Pecatu Bali Resort, which will also be located within the 400-hectare Pecatu Indah Resort (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 15, 2013).

COME 2016, Singapore-based developer GuocoLand will roll out an integrated mixed-use development in the heart of the CBD, which will comprise a hotel, offices, apartments as well as retail and event space.

Located above Tanjong Pagar MRT station, the 290m Tanjong Pagar Centre will be Singapore’s tallest building with a floor space totalling 158,000m². The project will include Guoco Tower, a 38-storey Grade A office block; premium residences known collectively as TP180; six levels of retail and F&B space; and a luxury business hotel.

“The richness of the historical district, park and landscape spaces will differentiate it from other commercial developments. We have set out to build a global icon that will position Tanjong Pagar as a premier-quality business and lifestyle district in the CBD and be a benchmark for sustainable and liveable developments,” said Trina Loh, group managing director, GuocoLand (Singapore).

Architecture firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who was behind iconic buildings such as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and New York City’s One World Trade Center, has been appointed for the project.

She added: “Tanjong Pagar Centre signals a transformed portfolio for GuocoLand in Singapore. It will expand our focus on commercial properties in Singapore, and reaffirms our position as a developer of large-scale integrated developments here and in the region.”

In addition to Tanjong Pagar Centre, the Group also boasts a portfolio of mixed-use developments in China, Malaysia and Vietnam. Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund holds a 20 per cent stake in Tanjong Pagar Centre.

PLANS are afoot to convert the former colonial-era Police Commissioner’s building on Yangon’s Strand Road into a US$50 million five-star hotel.

Nestled in a sprawling two-storey structure that takes up a square block near the famed Strand Hotel, the building was first completed in 1931 and, in recent years, has served as a court complex. The converted hotel will have 239 standard rooms and a number of larger suites and deluxe rooms, as well as restaurants, meeting rooms, a pool and other facilities.

Than Htike Minn, managing director of Flying Tiger engineering company, which has been selected by the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) for the redevelopment, said: “The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore was once a post office building, and was listed as a part of Singapore’s heritage. The developers were not allowed to alter the original structure and architectural features. In the same spirit, we will try to convert the Police Commissioner’s building into Myanmar’s most prestigious hotel.”

Sai Khan Hlaing, a director of the company, said MIC had leased the building for 50 years with the possibility of two 10-year extensions. “The terms and conditions do not allow the original structure and architectural features of the buildings to be changed,” he said.

The project is a joint venture with a partner company based in Singapore, said Sai Khan Hlaing.

“We have a very strong team to develop this project as fast as possible. We will also use local workers as well as foreign experts, which will create about 600 job opportunities for local people. We expect to finish the whole project within two years and open the hotel in early 2015,” he added.

However, the plan has drawn opposition from conservationists. The Police Commissioner’s building became the centre of controversy when the Myanmar Lawyers’ Network took to the streets last year to protest against the development project, saying the government’s sale violated Myanmar’s national conservation laws.

ENCOURAGED by Vietnam’s and Cambodia’s growing potential as luxury travel destinations, Luxury Travel Vietnam will roll out its first set departure tours in the two countries from June.

Vietnam Highlights 12 Days will depart Ho Chi Minh City on the first of every month, with the first departure set for June 1. Meanwhile, Vietnam and Cambodia Experience in 14 Days will start from Hanoi on the 15^th of each month and end in Siem Reap, with the first departure slated for June 15.

Tailored for small groups of up to only 12 guests and a minimum of two, all departures are accompanied by an English-speaking tour guide.

The package is priced from US$1,569 per person on a twin-sharing basis, including domestic economy flights, 11 nights’ premium accommodation, most meals, airport transfers and sightseeing tours.

Luxury Travel, sales and marketing manager, Hung Nguyen, said: “In response to market demand, our set departure offering will enable our travel partners and their clients the opportunity to book luxury tours on a predictable and affordable basis. If you book, we guarantee you are going.”