THE NEWLY established Indonesia Tourism Promotion Board (ITPB) has come up with a series of packages to boost arrivals during low season.

Comprising free-and-easy as well as special interest programmes such as shopping and culinary tours, these packages will initially be available for the Asian market, including China, Hong Kong and Malaysia, according to ITPB board member Didin Junaedi.

ITPB is working with local airlines such as Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air, as well as various hotels and Visit Indonesia Tourism Offices to create the packages, he said.

Junaedi explained that ITPB has taken the initiative to develop and market the last-minute programmes in advance, so “suppliers and tour operators do not need to”.

“Our job is to complement the government’s programmes and not duplicate theirs. We are also looking at industry’s needs. While the trade doesn’t need any help during peak season, they do during the low,” said Yanti Sukamdani, ITPB chairman.

Besides boosting low-season traffic, ITPB’s other key programmes include green tourism and creative tourism promotion.

ACCOR has opened the largest ibis hotel in Asia-Pacific in Bandung, the capital of West Java province in Indonesia.

Located next to Bandung Supermal and the TransStudio indoor theme park, Ibis Bandung Trans Studio offers 606 rooms, 222 of which come equipped with connecting doors for families.

The hotel also features Oopen restaurant, which offers pasta and grill specialties in an open kitchen concept.

With new direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to Bandung, ibis Bandung Trans Studio is targeting not only the domestic market, but also travellers from neighbouring countries.

The hotel’s general manager, Patrick Sibourg, said: “We are very confident in the market potential of ibis Bandung Trans Studio. With its strategic location directly adjacent to TransStudio theme park and with access to all parts of Bandung city, the hotel is sure to quickly become ‘the place to stay’ for visitors seeking out great value accommodation in Bandung.”

Ibis Bandung Trans Studio is celebrating its opening by offering a introductory rate of 298,000 rupiah (US$32.50) including breakfast until May 31.

THE MYANMA Petroleum Products Enterprise has reversed its decision to sell aviation fuel to domestic airlines at market rate, following fervent lobbying from the local travel trade.

The switch would have seen domestic airfares on most routes rise by about 20 per cent from March 8, with fuel surcharges on some routes spiking by up to US$25 for foreign travellers and 18 kyat (US$3) for locals.

“After we were informed (of the surcharge increase) at short notice on February 28, we discussed the issue with private tourism bodies like the Myanmar Marketing Committee and Union of Myanmar Travel Association, and sent a letter to the ministry requesting it to reconsider the fuel surcharge increase,” said Ma Than Than Swe, tour manager at Diethelm Travel.

“In the future, if the fuel price is going to go up or down, they should inform us earlier, rather than giving us such short notice,” she added.

Yangon Airways and Air Bagan have offered to refund the fare difference to all customers who forked out extra for the increased fuel surcharge.

FOLLOWING the launch of its Pürovel Spa & Sport brand last year, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has introduced a new activity-based wellness programme which focuses on encouraging healthy lifestyles among its guests.

To be implemented in stages over the course of the year, the Swissôtel Vitality Programme will introduce a whole range of regular activities that guests can engage in while in their rooms, the gym, or outdoors.

Examples include the option to set up gym equipment within the guestroom, outdoor jogging maps which mark out planned routes of various distances for different levels of fitness, and the addition of guided walks and jogging tours in each hotel’s weekly programme—sometimes led by the general manager.

Swissôtel’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-room service menus will also take on a healthier twist, offering a larger selection of healthy and light dishes, supplemented by fresh fruit, low-fat products and organic coffee.

The new wellness initiative is scheduled to kick off with a weeklong campaign starting March 21, 2012.

KOREAN Air will introduce the Airbus A380 aircraft on its Seoul (Incheon)-Frankfurt route starting March 25.

Configured in a three-class layout with 407 seats – the lowest configuration of any A380 operator – the flag carrier’s A380s will feature 12 first-class Kosmo Suites and 301 economy-class seats on the first floor, 94 lie-flat Prestige Sleeper seats in Prestige (business) class on the upper deck, and facilities such as a Duty Free Showcase and three bars and lounges.

Meanwhile, Korean Air will also launch a daily connecting service between Seoul (Incheon) and Jeju Island from March 25, operated using a B737-800 aircraft with 149 seats.

The carrier currently operates five A380s to destinations such as New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. The introduction of the A380 on the Frankfurt route is expected to boost both business and leisure traffic from China, Japan and East Asia en route to Europe.

THE BAIRD/STR Hotel Stock Index rose 1.1 percent in February to end at 2,313, outperforming the MSCI REIT (RMZ), which reported a 1.4-percent decrease over the same period.

“The hotel industry’s performance held steady during the first part of the year,” said Randy Smith, chairman and co-founder of STR.

“The ever-changing economic landscape may keep some investors at bay, but we are hoping to see continued interest with the steady performance of the industry.”

David Loeb, senior hotel research analyst and managing director at Baird, said: “We downgraded our hotel sector rating to market-weight in mid-February, as investor expectations were high and stock valuations were full heading into fourth-quarter earnings.”

He added: “Managements’ 2012 guidance has been conservative and investor expectations for the year have been reset lower. Fundamentals are still strong, however, and we remain bullish on the longer-term lodging recovery.”

The companies that comprise the Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index include Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide among other international hotel chains.

ROYAL Brunei Airlines (RBA) is repositioning itself as a ‘boutique’ airline, having tided over a challenging period in the past couple of years.

“The whole industry went through challenging times and RBA is not immune to winds of the turbulence,” Dermot Mannion, deputy chairman, RBA told TTG Asia e-Daily in an exlusive interview.

“We have been restructuring our business in recent months, and are now refocused as a boutique airline with strong regional franchise and operating only to strategic longhaul destinations.”

In line with its revamped concept, Brunei’s flagship carrier will soon have its daily Dubai-London service linked via Bandar Seri Begawan to Melbourne, through the commencement of daily Melbourne flights.

“The daily and same-time (Melbourne) service through Brunei to the regional and longhaul networks will be an attractive product for Australia, the Middle East and London,” said Mannion, who hinted at plans to implement similar network extensions to destinations such as Manila, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Besides its new strategic longhaul product, Asian countries are also being targeted as key markets for RBA, which hopes to fly to Shanghai and expand its regional network over time.

Meanwhile, RBA has been undergoing a makeover that will see the carrier “rebranded, revitalised and refocused” with new customer service offerings based on Bruneian traditions, according to Mannion.

“Hospitality and tranquility attributes associated with Brunei traditions will be emphasised in our improved customer service,” he explained.

RBA also hopes to up the ante in the customer service stakes once it takes delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in August next year.

“I am confident that as we migrate our longhaul product to the 787, we can offer a higher quality service to meet our passengers’ aspirations,” said Mannion.

Reporting by Jennifer Phang