TRAVEL metasearch engine Wego is bulking up operations in India with the opening of its new and larger Bengaluru office in Indiranagar, and plans to double its employee headcount in the country this year.

Wego.in, launched in May 2012, has seen traffic to the site triple and revenue increase by 446 per cent, according to its press release. The site allows searches to be conducted in 11 national languages such as Bengali, Gujarati and Telugu.

“Over the past three months, our site has registered an increase in local language searches, with Bengali and Malayalam showing over 50 per cent increase in site usage, closely followed by Oriya and Urdu,” said Jackson Fernandez, general manager, Wego India.

“The site’s customised language and content has proved a worthy investment, meeting a clear demand for users not previously able to access search technology in their first language. Wego’s convenience and simplicity has also been noticed, and increasingly used, by international corporate travellers which have shown tremendous growth,” he added.

Earlier this month, Wego also established a headquarters in Dubai to service the Middle East and North Africa markets (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 7, 2013) as part of the company’s global expansion strategy. It is also in the midst of moving its Singapore head office to larger premises.

UNIVERSAL Studios Singapore (USS) will strengthen its Sesame Street experience with the world’s first immersive Sesame Street-themed indoor ride to open on March 1, 2013.

The science fiction-inspired ride will feature 12 characters from Sesame Street, including three brand new characters created exclusively for this ride: Macaroni the Merciless and his partners-in-crime, Zester and Shredder.

Also newly launched is a Sesame Street Character Breakfast at Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor, allowing early bird guests to start the day with Sesame Street characters and be among the first to board the ride before the park opens. Starting at 09.00 on weekends and selected holidays, tickets are priced at S$44 (US$35.50) for adults and S$32 for children. Guests must have a valid admission day-pass and then separately purchase the breakfast.

To celebrate the launch of Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase, USS will host a special Sesame Street Carnival between March 1 and 3, transforming the park’s New York zone into an extension of Sesame Street. Festivities include giant board games along the street and character meet-and-greets.

USS began staging live Sesame Street shows daily along New York Street in May 2012. Other Sesame Street-related offerings include Big Bird’s Emporium, a retail store and aSesame Street school bus with park-exclusive merchandise.

* Our article initially stated that the Sesame Street Character Breakfast price included admission to USS, which was factually incorrect and has been amended.

AMR Corporation-owned American Airlines and US Airways will join forces to become the world’s largest airline operating under the American Airlines brand.

In November 2011, AMR Corporation filed for bankruptcy protection in the US (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 30, 2011).

If the planned merger proceeds, the combined carrier will have US$11 billion in equity and a network of 6,700 daily flights spanning 336 destinations in 56 countries. Hubs of both airlines are expected to remain.

According to a release, the airline is expected to provide the most service across the East Coast and Central regions of the US; expand its presence in western US; bolster American Airlines’ leading position in Latin America and the Caribbean; enhance connectivity within the Oneworld alliance; and serve 21 destinations in Europe and the Middle East, among other improvements.

To be headquartered in Dallas-Fort Worth, the company will be led by US Airways CEO, Doug Parker. Thomas Horton, chairman, president and CEO of American Airlines, will serve as chairman for the airline’s board of directors and Oneworld alliance representative until the middle of next year.

Said Parker: “The combined airline will have the scale, breadth and capabilities to compete more effectively and profitably in the global marketplace. Our combined network will provide a significantly more attractive to customers, ensuring that we are always able to take them where they want to travel, when they want to go.”

The airline has firm orders for more than 600 new aircraft, including 517 narrow-body and 90 wide-body planes.

LYNX Space Programme is offering Indonesia’s ultra-wealthy an out-of-this-world space travel programme, after its launch in Singapore last year.

Spanning five days and four nights, participants will be familiarised with all aspects of a suborbital flight, climaxing with a one-hour space travel experience.

“To make the flight safer and more enjoyable, they will engage in medical screenings, seminars, altitude chamber training and a g-force experience,” said lifestyle travel consultant, John B Sutherland.

Sutherland, XCOR Aerospace and Space Expedition Corporation’s partner in Asia, is working with MillionaireAsia Indonesia to promote the programme. Test flights are due to start in the next few months, and interested parties should be able to venture into space by the end of this year or the beginning of 2014.

“In the last few months, there has been tremendous interest in Lynx, with a large increase in ticket sales (from outside Indonesia),” he said. “I’m excited to find out who will be the first astronaut from Indonesia.”

Sutherland said that 200 tickets had been sold so far, each priced at US$95,000 per person. To book a slot, space enthusiasts must first cough up US$50,000 or pay the amount in full to ensure he or she is among the first 100.

Wita Tour’s director of sales, Rudiana, said: “There are Indonesians who do not only have the money to spend, but also like visiting places where nobody has been to before. It is a (matter of) prestige. So I’m sure there is a market ­– although really small.”

NEW hotels in New Delhi’s Aerocity are making losses as they wait for security clearance and a certification of completion from relevant government authorities.

Bordering the runway of Indira Gandhi International Airport, concerns about the proximity of these hotels’ rooms to the road the country’s prime minister and president travel en route to the airport have spurred the city authorities to heighten security levels.

No clear directive has been issued yet to the 13 hotels with a total of 5,500 rooms – some ready for opening and the rest in various stages of construction – but suggestions to ramp up security have included replacing windows with walls, demolishing the top two or three floors and installing six-layered bulletproof windowpanes and higher boundary walls.

Meanwhile, hotels such as Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Aerocity, Red Fox Hotel, Delhi Airport, Ibis Delhi Airport and JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity are languishing in their completed states awaiting clearance.

Lemon Tree and Red Fox, which both come under the Lemon Tree Hotels group, have a total of 500 rooms and 600 employees on standby, reporting a daily loss of Rs2.5 million (US$46,294).

Patu Keswani, chairman and managing director, Lemon Tree Hotels, said: “We have complied with all requirements and have been waiting for the completion certificate since December.”

HILTON Worldwide earlier this week inked a management agreement with BG Group of Hotels to manage four hotels in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT), marking the group’s first entry into the region and the debut of Australia’s first DoubleTree by Hilton property.

Following a rebranding exercise, the Crowne Plaza Darwin will become the 235-room Hilton Darwin, Holiday Inn Darwin will become the 184-key DoubleTree by Hilton Darwin, Holiday Inn Esplanade Darwin will become DoubleTree by Hilton Esplanade Darwin offering 197 rooms and Crowne Plaza Alice Springs will become the 235-room DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs.

Previously managed by InterContinental Hotels Group, the four hotels are currently operational but will be subject to conversion works. They will join Hilton Cairns as a portfolio of five BG Group of Hotels properties being managed by Hilton as of May 1, 2013. They will also augment Hilton’s existing portfolio of 15 hotels in the Australasia region.

Said Ludvik Berger, owner, BG Group of Hotels: “We are particularly pleased to introduce the first DoubleTree by Hilton properties to Australia, which we believe will meet the needs of our customers and continue to provide jobs in the region.”

Meanwhile, minister for tourism and major events, Matt Conlan, also welcomed Hilton to the region. “The Hilton brand is well known throughout the world and should provide opportunities for Tourism NT to talk to new markets about the Territory as a visitor destination,” he said.

“The Hilton brand also has strong connections in Asia, which will assist our current marketing strategies to attract more tourists from the region to the Territory,” he added.

WITH the NATAS consumer show just around the corner, Singapore outbound agency Chan Brothers Travel has unveiled its trend forecast for the year ahead, pointing to the return of Japan as a major destination and the rising popularity of cruises, exotic locales and holidays with local celebrities.

Chan Brothers reported more than 20 groups departing for Japan over the one-week Lunar New Year period, citing this as “testament to the unwavering popularity of Japan among Singaporeans”. With the Japanese yen at an all-time low, tour and shopping prices have tumbled by as much as 20 per cent, while the traditionally popular cherry blossom season is approaching.

ASA Holidays, which is holding its own travel fair this weekend, is also banking on the weakening yen and the cherry blossom season. Backed by a contingent of representatives from Japan, including the popular Hello Kitty and My Melody characters, Albert See, managing director of ASA Holidays, believes that Japan will be one of the top-selling destinations. Last year, ASA Holidays achieved a 110 per cent growth in the number of bookings to Japan compared to 2011.

According to Chan Brothers, Singapore is also fast becoming the cruise hub of South-east Asia, with regional cruises exhibiting a 60 per cent increase in 2012. Bookings for international cruises to Canada, the US and Europe are climbing too, with January 2013 sales alone reaching almost 20 per cent of 2012’s figure.

As well, exotic destinations are a fast-rising travel segment, with more Singaporeans choosing to head to Bhutan, Turkey, Dubai, Nepal and India, all of which registered close to a twofold increase in traffic last year.

Anthony Chan, group managing director, Chan Brothers Travel, said: “As (the) Singapore travel market is relatively mature, instead of competing on price, we continue to focus on product quality and innovation, service differentiation, value creation, advertising creativity and operating efficiency.”

AFTER month-long refurbishment works, Star Cruises’ SuperStar Libra has returned to Penang and will embark on two new cruises to Myanmar later this year.

The vessel will sail from Penang to Krabi-Yangon-Phuket on May 26 and August 11 this year on 7D6N cruises, calling on Yangon for the first time.

At Yangon, passengers can make shore excursions to visit the Bogyoke Aung San Museum, dine at House of Memories and shop for Burmese gems.

“We are excited to bring SuperStar Libra to Yangon for the first time and explore its top tourist sights, such as the reputed gold-plated Shwedagon Pagoda, the National Races Village and Thanlyin morning market, to name just a few,” said Michael Goh, senior vice president of sales, Star Cruises.

Refurbishment works on the 677-cabin cruise ship covered upgrades on its restaurants, entertainment and recreational venues, and the 111m² newly-designed retail area where passengers may purchase duty free merchandise including designer handbags, perfumes and accessories. SuperStar Libra was also given new hull artwork.