DANIEL Corpuz, formerly executive director of the then Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), has been appointed undersecretary for tourism promotions and planning of the Philippine Department of Tourism.
Corpuz retired from the PCVC in June last year. The PCVC has since been replaced by the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board.
By Ollie Quiniquini
HONG KONG expects arrivals this year to grow by 10 per cent over 2010’s 36 million visitors, and has formulated a strategy to meet this target.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) 2011-2012 tourism work plan gives the city a new destination brand, “Hong Kong – Asia’s World City”, and an enhanced calendar of events.
The NTO has identified Vietnam and the Netherlands as emerging markets, in addition to India, the Middle East and Russia. According to HKTB chairman James Tien, this was spurred by Vietnam’s robust economic growth and better air connections between Hong Kong and the Netherlands. The HKTB will also open its office in Taiwan soon.
Business arrivals to Hong Kong increased by 14.4 per cent in 2010, and overnight MICE arrivals surged to by 23.3 per cent to around 1.31 million from January to November. HKTB executive director Anthony Lau expects the uptrend to continue. “We anticipate a 10 to 15 per cent growth this year, with both exhibition and convention segments (performing well).”
On the leisure front, the board will push new products such as Aqua City and Rainforest at Ocean Park, Sky 100, Tai O Heritage Hotel and Hong Kong Disneyland’s Toy Story Land.
THE ACCOR Group will be present in Sihanoukville, the port city in southern Cambodia, with the opening of a new-built 54-room Ream Resort in 2013, which will be part of its MGallery portfolio.
MGallery’s footprint is growing in the Mekong region, with four other management contracts secured – 107-room Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi, 69-room Veranda High Resort Chiangmai, 118-room Veranda Resort & Spa Hua Hin and 75-room Songtsam Retreat at Shangri-la, the first MGallery hotel in China. With eight MGallery hotels in operation in Asia, and the 174-room Hotel Muse Bangkok announced earlier, the collection has grown to 14 to-date in Asia.
Accor’s senior vice president sales and marketing, Graham Wilson, said the chain was also enjoying rapid growth with its Pullman and Novotel brands in ASEAN. A Pullman will open in Bali and Danang by mid-2011 while three Novotels will open in Bangkok this year. “We remain heavily committed to Bangkok and see growth opportunities across destinations in Thailand,” he said.
BRUNEI Tourism has appointed Beijing-based Longway as its marketing representative for China/Hong Kong and the Walshe Group to represent it in Australia/New Zealand. The appointments are for a two-year period and mark the sole overseas offices for the sultanate.
Brunei Tourism CEO, Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, said the NTO would work with these representatives to conduct travel trade and media activities.
China/Hong Kong is the sultanate’s second largest market after Malaysia, generating 13,224 air arrivals in the first seven months of 2010. Australia is the fifth largest market, with some 8,440 air arrivals during the same period, while New Zealand is eighth, with 5,146 air arrivals.
This year, Brunei Tourism is targeting a 20 per cent increase in air arrivals over last year, an ambitious goal as previous annual targets were just around 11 or 12 per cent. A five-year masterplan will be unveiled in July.
THE PHILIPPINES is reverting to tried-and-tested slogans such as WOW Philippines as it develops a new brand campaign for 2011 and beyond after the spectacular failure of the Pilipinas, Kay Ganda! branding shortly after its November 15 release.
“We will only make the announcement when we are ready,” said Benito Bengzon Jr., Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) assistant secretary, International Tourism Promotions. “In the meantime, we will continue going about our usual efforts such as participating in travel fairs and engaging the media, and introducing more joint promotions and tactical advertising.”
Putting the debacle behind it, the country is introducing a new “action-oriented” five-year national tourism development plan focusing on access and infrastructure, according to DoT secretary Alberto Lim.
– Full story in TTG Asia
EUROPEAN buyers decry being squeezed out of Bali, which is expecting another spurt of growth in the Australian market this year.
A UK buyer has charged that Bali hoteliers are “arrogant”, merely interested in Australian tourists, and have increased their contract rates by 20 to 30 per cent for the UK market.
Other European buyers are less scathing, but have described Bali as “challenging” to sell. TUI Netherlands product manager Asia, Sebastian de Vries, said: “On the one hand, the Holland market is price-sensitive and the euro’s devaluation (is not helping). On the other hand, airfares have increased and hotel prices in Bali are up because the island is doing well with the Australian and regional markets.”
Bali hoteliers deny giving longhaul markets the short shrift. In fact, several said they were trying to achieve a balanced mix as it was risky to have too much business from one market. But many have been able to maximise yields by turning to OTAs, which they said was also good for cashflow
because of immediate payments.
– Full story in TTG Asia
THE DEMISE of Best Tours in Belgium late last month is forcing smaller Belgian tour operators to relook their strategies in anticipation of the big boys in the market becoming only bigger in the wake of the collapse.
This may in turn result in niche, away-from-the-mass-market ASEAN destinations such as Indochina being featured more prominently in Belgium than ever before.
Best Tours was largely seen as the biggest Belgian-owned outfit specialising in Asian destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam and China.
Marc Lambert, CEO, Antipodes Voyages, said the focal issue in the Belgian market now was that its bankruptcy meant that the “bigger players were getting even bigger”. “In order to fight big players like TUI and Thomas Cook, which are generalists that also cover Asia in their programmes, Australasia specialists like us need to find niche destinations and products in places like Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.”
– Full story in TTG Asia
ASEAN outbound tour operators are expecting double-digit growths in business this year, thanks to a stronger regional economy and more intra-regional flights.
Shroff International Travel Care Philippines managing director Arjun Shroff forecasts Philippine outbound to grow up to 18 per cent this year, with about half of the travellers opting for Asian destinations.
“Asia is priority. It is the most affordable destination and is easy to connect with as airlines have been launching new routes and increasing flights between cities within the region,” he said.
KBS Thailand managing director Kosol Boonma said increasing intra-regional air traffic from the Philippines was also benefiting Thailand. He expects Thai outbound to grow 10 per cent, nurtured by a stronger baht.
– Full story in TTG Asia, January 28
By Sirima Eamtako
Additional reporting by Mimi Hudoyo
SUBODH Kant Sahay, formerly Minister for Food Processing Industries, has replaced Kumari Selja as India’s Minister for Tourism, in the country’s union ministry reshuffle yesterday.
Vayalar Ravi is the new Civil Aviation Minister, replacing Praful Patel. Ravi takes the helm of the Civil Aviation Ministry in addition to his current portfolio as Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs.
Both gentlemen take on their new assignments at a time when their respective industries are flourishing.
Tourist arrivals to India grew by 9.3 per cent to 5.58 million last year, compared to a 3.3 per drop in 2009.
Indian aviation is also on an upward trend. Domestic airlines carried 52.08 million passengers last year, an 18.77 per cent increase over 2009’s 43.85 million.
By Anand and Madhura Katti
DORISON Travel Singapore is seeing good response for culinary tours to South-east Asia which it launched last April.
Managing director Jimmy Sim said most of the bookings were from Singapore clients and longhaul travellers as part of their South-east Asian programmes.
The tours to Thailand and Indonesia last four to five days, with each group comprising no more than 15 participants, who visit local markets, get shopping and cooking lessons from quality chefs and learn about Asian spices and the culture behind popular dishes.
– Full story in TTG Asia
Additional reporting from Brian Higgs
