AIR Seychelles will introduce in February 2013 thrice-weekly services between the Seychelles and Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

With the Abu Dhabi-Hong Kong leg operated via a codeshare with Etihad Airways, the additional capacity will boost Air Seychelles’ services to Abu Dhabi to seven flights a week.

Cramer Ball, CEO, Air Seychelles, said: “The Seychelles needs a national carrier which can support the growing number of travellers into the archipelago, not just from our historical markets in Europe, but also the powerful emerging ones.

“Hong Kong’s economy is among the fastest growing in the world, supporting a booming middle class with a high disposable income per capita by global standards.

“These factors have brought a remarkable increase in the number of travellers coming out of the region in recent years. In fact, since 2010, the number of travellers coming to the Seychelles from Hong Kong has more than doubled.”

Offering connections to more than 30 destinations across China, Japan and Australasia, Hong Kong is also seen as a gateway for expanding Air Seychelles’ reach within Asia-Pacific.

LUXURY travel operator Orient-Express has partnered with New Delhi-based The Luxury Trains to tap the high-end Indian segment for its train and cruise products across Asia and Europe.

Marco Rosa, director – global sales & marketing (trains & cruises), Orient-Express, said: “Many Indians can afford these luxury experiences. Indian outbound is growing phenomenally and discerning tourists are keen to have unique experiences. Our partner, The Luxury Trains, has years of experience in selling luxury products in the market.”

Upaneeta Sen, managing director, Altair Services Kolkata, said: “Many Indians have had multiple overseas travel experiences and are now looking for niche and customised travel itineraries. Cruises and heritage train journeys rank high among their priorities.”

Ashish Saran, group general manager, The Luxury Trains, said: “There are certain segments where people are well-informed and travel-savvy, and look for one-of-a-kind experiences. We will work with trade partners who have customers capable of affording US$1,000-US$2,000 per day packages, and who are able to educate and motivate their clients.”

THE Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is ramping up its promotions in India as part of a strategy to attract more leisure travellers from emerging markets.

Speaking during a recent cultural event commemorating 60 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations, Motonari Adachi, executive director, JNTO Singapore Office, said the NTO was looking to target the high-end Indian leisure segment.

“We will take 16 travel (consultants from India) on a fam trip to Japan in November to showcase our tourism products that can be offered to high-end Indian families. We have also roped in Bollywood starlet, Dia Mirza, to (help us) promote Japan,” he said.

Additionally, JNTO is leveraging social media platforms such its Visit Japan from India Facebook page (www.facebook.com/VisitJapan.India) to raise awareness among Indian travellers.

JNTO’s efforts look set to receive a boost from increasing air capacity between India and Japan. All Nippon Airways started daily flights from Tokyo to New Delhi on October 28, while Japan Airlines will reinstate daily flights on the same route in December.

“Close to three lakh (300,000) Indian tourists visit Japan every year. Enhanced (air) connectivity is likely to lure more tourists to (Japan),” said Prem Syal, CEO & managing director, Hi! Tours India.

Japan has set a target of 80,000 Indian visitors in 2012. From January-August, there were 45,200 Indian arrivals to Japan, an 18.4 per cent year-on-year growth.

BANDUNG’S Husein Sastranegara International Airport will kick off expansion works on its passenger terminal next year.

The airport’s operation services manager, Iskandar Hamid, said: “The airport serves 74 flights with an average of 3,800 passengers a day, (so) it is beyond capacity already. By the end of the year, we are expecting to serve 1.4 million passengers, therefore it is crucial that we start expanding the terminal building.”

The airport’s current annual capacity is only half that number – 700,000 passengers – according to Hamid.

State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II has set aside Rp370 billion (US$38.5 million) to expand the facility from 5,000m2 to 20,000m2, which will boost its annual handling capacity to two million passengers.

Meanwhile, Hamid said there were requests for 46 additional domestic and regional frequencies for November, which if granted, will see the airport serving 120 flights a day.

EVEN though visitor numbers to Sri Lanka remain on target for the year, high-end hotels and resorts in the country have registered 10 to 15 per cent dips in occupancy levels this winter.

Arrivals rose 18.1 per cent year-on-year in September, while visitor numbers from January to September increased 16 per cent year-on-year to 693,772, paving the way for Sri Lanka to reach its target of one million visitors for 2012.

“However the arrivals (growth) is not reflected among the high-end hotels because of poor promotion of Sri Lanka overseas,” lamented Malin Hapugoda, managing director of Aitken Spence Hotels, the second largest hotel chain in the country.

Hapugoda explained that the lack of overseas promotion put Sri Lanka at a disadvantage against regional competitors such as Thailand and Malaysia, which were “very visible on the world stage”.

Other industry players pointed to a changing inbound profile as tourists to Sri Lanka increasingly seek cheaper accommodation options.

“The three- to five-star range is not attractive anymore,” said a source from a top inbound travel operator, adding that bookings for this segment had dropped by 10-15 per cent for the current winter season.

HOLIDAY Inn Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the initial phase of its inaugural property in Krabi with the rebranding of Sala Talay Resort & Spa to Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang Beach.

Situated along the Ao Nang beachfront, the 55-key resort offers a choice of four room types, including 19 deluxe rooms, 21 pool access rooms, 13 grand deluxe suites and two penthouse suites.

Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, a kid’s club, a book and DVD library, a fitness centre and a spa.

“We are pleased to announce the initial phase of the opening of our first Holiday Inn property in Krabi,” said Steve Ng, general manager for the resort.

“We plan to announce the complete opening of the 188-room property in October 2013.”

The new wing will feature Holiday Inn KidSuites, which offer private areas for parents and children, each with separate sleeping berths. The kids’ section of the suite comes with a bunk bed and a play corner equipped with a flat screen TV, a DVD player and a game console.

THE Banyan Tree Group marks its maiden foray in Vietnam with the opening of Banyan Tree Lăng Cô today.

Part of the Laguna Lăng Cô integrated resort, Banyan Tree Lăng Cô is accessible via a 60-minute car ride from Da Nang International Airport, which is fed by Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

The resort features 32 lagoon pool villas and 17 beach pool villas, while facilities include a spa, a fitness centre, an 18-hole golf course designed by Nick Faldo, a water sports centre and a boardroom with space for 12 pax.

To celebrate its launch, Banyan Tree Lăng Cô is offering a Must Stay Banyan Tree Lăng Cô promotion starting from US$735++ per night, with a minimum two nights stay from November 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013.

Guests who stay two consecutive nights are entitled to complimentary resort credits starting from US$735 per stay, which can be redeemed at Banyan Tree Lăng Cô’s restaurants, Banyan Tree Spa Lăng Cô and Banyan Tree Gallery.

Guests who stay three consecutive nights receive complimentary private round trip transfers in addition to the credits.