Aviation roundup: Berjaya Air, Silkair and more

March 5, 2020

Berjaya Hotels & Resorts links Subang Airport to Redang Island

Berjaya Hotels & Resorts (BHR) has launched direct flights from Subang Airport, Kuala Lumpur (also known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport or Subang Skypark Terminal) to Redang Island, which is home to two of its resorts, namely, The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort and Redang Island Resort.

Using the ATR 42-500 aircraft operated and managed by Berjaya Air, the new direct flight will further enhance regional air connectivity and reduce travelling time to Redang Island from an average of four hours to approximately an hour, according to Foo Toon Kee, COO of BHR.

Some of the privileges include access and refreshment at Naza Sky Lounge located at level 1 of Subang Airport, personalised check-in, 15kg check-in luggage and 7kg hand luggage allowance per person, availability of excess luggage storage, express boarding and refreshment on board.

Silkair to stop flying to Hiroshima

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), will indefinitely suspend operations to Hiroshima from March 27, 2020 due to weak demand, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 outbreak.

The last SilkAir flight on this route will be MI867, which will operate from Hiroshima to Singapore on March 26, 2020.

All affected customers will be contacted and arrangements will be made to re-accommodate them onto other flights, said SIA Group in a statement.

Lao Airlines flies to Danang

Lao Airlines will be starting thrice-weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Vientiane to Danang, Vietnam from March 29, 2020.

Using an ATR72 aircraft, flight QV318 will depart Vientiane at 11.10 and arrive in Danang at 12.50, while the return flight QV319 will leave Danang at 13.50 and land in Vientiane at 15.35.

Finnair ups flights to Delhi

Finnair will be adding thrice-weekly frequencies to Delhi from July 1, 2020, to meet demand for the peak travel summer 2020 season.

Finnair currently flies to Delhi four times per week.

Operated with Airbus A330 aircraft, the route will be operated daily for the remainder of the summer season as well as for the upcoming winter season.

AirAsia heads to Zamboanga

AirAsia Philippines will be launching flights linking Clark and Cebu to Zamboanga, dubbed as “Asia’s Latin City”, from March 29, 2020.

The budget airline will be flying the Clark-Zamboanga route four times a week, and the Cebu-Zamboanga route seven times a week.

The launch of the new route is in response to calls from the government for better air connectivity among the country’s three major islands: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

As well, the airline has relaunched its Manila-Ho Chi Minh City route, as well as added another domestic flight linking Clark to Bohol, both of which will commence on March 29, 2020.

Indonesia trade protests against government’s incentive package

By Kurniawan Ulung

March 4, 2020

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Indonesian travel agents are feeling left out in the cold by the government’s recent rolling out of a range of incentives totalling 298.5 billion rupiah (US$21.5 million) to help tourism businesses bounce back from the Covid-19 crisis.

The incentives are mostly built around airfares in a bid to boost domestic travel. However, incentives to support local travel agents are said to be lacking.

Indonesian travel agents reckon the government can do more to tide them through Covid-19; Uluwatu Temple on the island of Bali, Indonesia pictured

I Ketut Ardana, managing director of Bali Sunshine and chairman of Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) Bali Chapter, has written a letter to the government to question the absence of incentives for travel agents.

“Our members have also been affected by the coronavirus as it has resulted in a wave of cancellations. This is not an issue faced just by travel agents who focus only on the Chinese market. Agents who handle other markets have also suffered a significant number of cancellations as the outbreak has made people from many countries reluctant or afraid to travel,” he said.

Pauline Suharno, secretary general of Indonesian Travel Agent Association (ASTINDO), told TTG Asia that she also intends to send a similar letter to the government to seek help in avoiding lay-offs, adding that some travel agents have started to offer unpaid leave to their staff.

She suggested that the government could implement helpful measures such as tax cuts and reducing interest rates for travel agents.

Both Daniel G Nugraha, director of Exotic Java Trails, and Budijanto Ardiansjah, director of My Duta Tour, argue that the tax waivers for hotels and restaurants should also be extended to travel agents.

“We (inbound travel agents) are the ones who craft inbound packages and sell them from one door to another overseas (to attract foreign travellers to Indonesia). So why are we still obliged to pay tax (while hotels and restaurants are exempted from it)?” Daniel said.

He also questioned the government’s imposition of the same tax rate on the sales of inbound packages as that of outbound packages.

He argued that inbound and outbound agents should not be treated on an equal footing. Inbound products, for example, deserved lower tax rates or even tax exemptions as they contributed to the country’s revenue.

Since hotels are waived from paying taxes, Daniel contends, they should consequently offer lower room rates to travel agents.

In the meantime, following the announcement of the first two Covid-19 cases in Indonesia yesterday, Wishnutama Kusubandio, minister of tourism and creative economy, announced that the stimulus package for attracting international tourists would be postponed until the disease subsides and things return to normal.

“Our focus now is to take care of international travellers who have entered the country, as well as improving the quality of tourist destinations through sustainable environment, health and hygiene, and safety and security,” he said.

However, Wishnutama said the government is aware of the importance of maintaining the economic sustainability of the country and hence, incentives for the tourism industry will continue as planned and will be closely monitored. – Additional reporting by Mimi Hudoyo

Maldives’ ban on cruise ships further dents tourism

By Feizal Samath

March 4, 2020

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The Maldivian government’s decision to temporarily suspend cruise lines from entering and docking in the Maldives as a precaution against the rapidly spreading coronavirus is a blow to the industry, officials said.

The ban, which is the government’s latest move to protect the tourism-reliant country island from the Covid-19 outbreak, coincides with the increase in number of cruise ship arrivals to the Maldives.

Maldives bans entry of cruise ships over Covid-19 fears

Last month, 15 cruise ships docked in the Maldives, while 19 cruise ships arrived in the island nation in December 2019, based on statistics from Maldives Immigration.

According to Mohamed ‘Bunny’ Ali, secretary general of the Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA), there were 14 foreign cruise lines carrying a combined 20,000 passengers that were scheduled to arrive between March 1 and April 23.

“This decision impacts us badly,” said Ali, adding that passengers on cruise liners generally spend three nights in the Maldives, which is made up of two nights in a resort and one night in a guesthouse, or vice versa.

Unlike visitors to only resorts, a broader spectrum of stakeholders, from groundhandling agents, resorts, guesthouses to shops, reap benefits from business generated by cruise liners.

The temporary ban will not affect luxury yachts which also frequent the Maldives regularly. “They have three to five passengers mostly, and this sector is not affected,” said Ali, whose association deals with all sailing craft into the Maldives.

Meanwhile, apart from the ban on travellers arriving from China, the Maldives’ largest source market, industry officials are also worried about the fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy.

Italy is the country’s third largest source market after China and India. “It is still too early to assess whether arrivals from Italy will be affected. We have to wait and see,” said an inbound travel agent in the Maldives.

Abdulla Ghiyas, CEO at travel start-up Premier Maldives, said that up till now, the ban on Chinese arrivals was to some extent negated by an increase in arrivals from other markets like the Middle East, India and Eastern Europe, but noted that the situation may change with the disease spreading to other countries like Japan, South Korea and Europe.

While tourism is the country’s main foreign exchange earner and employment generator, the government has said the safety and security of the Maldivian people remains paramount.

Mount Merapi’s eruption prompts airport closure; businesses undisrupted

By Kurniawan Ulung

March 4, 2020

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Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, was temporarily closed following yesterday’s eruption of Mount Merapi, which stands on the border of Yogyakarta and Central Java.

The volcano erupted at 05.33 on Tuesday, spewing a 6,000m column of ash into the sky, prompting state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura to close the airport from 09.25 to 15.30.

Indonesia’s most active volcano Mount Merapi erupted yesterday

The latest eruption recorded a maximum amplitude of 77mm, and lasted 450 seconds, reported air navigation company AirNav Indonesia.

Yohanes Sirait, manager of public relations of AirNav Indonesia, said that ash from the eruption had covered parts of the apron and runway of Adi Soemarmo International Airport.

During the airport’s closure, 13 domestic flights from and to Solo were cancelled, according to a press release by AirNav.

Novie Riyanto, director general of air transportation, Ministry of Transportation, said that he had rerouted several flights to destinations unaffected by the eruption.

Elsewhere, Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta and Jenderal Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang remained open and were unaffected by the eruption.

“We will keep coordinating with AirNav Indonesia and airline stakeholders to ensure that flights remain safe and normal,” said Novie.

Tesa Puji Astuti, public relations and events manager of Surakarta-based Alila Hotel, said that ash rain caused by the eruption was so severe that it reduced visibility in Solo.

She said that five corporate clients from outside Solo who had planned to stay at her hotel contacted her today to reschedule their check-in date.

Though they did not reveal their reasons for doing so, Tesa suspected that the airport’s closure could have played a part in their postponement.

Edher Irwantoro, general manager commercial of De Tjolomadoe, a tourist attraction and events venue in Solo, which is located 35km from Merapi, said that he also experienced ash rain but that it did not affect visibility.

Business ran as per normal, he said, adding that the attraction saw 478 tourists that day, and that masks were provided for visitors in the morning.

Edher also said that the bulk of De Tjolomadoe’s visitors are made up of domestic tourists, who arrive by road. Therefore, footfall remained unaffected by the closure of Adi Soemarmo International Airport.

Similarly, Edwin Ismedi, managing director of Yogyakarta-based Trend Tour & Travel, said that his business was unaffected by the eruption as ash rain did not happen in the province.

He added that he did not receive inquiries on the eruption from his foreign business partners.

Edwin said that Mount Merapi’s eruption would not affect activities in the Yogyakarta city as long as cold or hot lava did not flow from the mountain top. Yesterday’s eruption only spewed ashes and did not affect visibility as the wind blew east towards Solo instead of southwards to Yogyakarta.

However, he said that he had prepared Pindul Cave and Indrayanti Beach in the southern part of the city as an alternative to Mount Merapi should the condition worsen.

International Women’s Day: Saluting Tourism’s Leading Ladies – Michelle de Ocampo-Ballesteros, CEO and founder, Ex-Link Events, Philippines

By Rosa Ocampo

March 4, 2020

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The fight for gender equality is for everyone, and necessary for economies and communities to thrive. With this in mind, International Women’s Day 2020 galvanises all women to work towards an equal world. In support of this campaign, TTG Asia and TTGmice are featuring women leaders in the travel, tourism and business events industry this week. Today, we speak to Michelle de Ocampo-Ballesteros, the female honcho behind Ex-Link Events (Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services), on training up the younger generation and the greatest hurdle she faces in her line of work.

How is it like running Ex-Link Events with your husband as business partner and what have you achieved?
I first established the business 20 years ago, in the latter part of 2001; and my husband Orly joined me after six months. Working with one’s spouse is both challenging and rewarding. Together, we face each day with the challenge of raising a bigger family and making the business move with the times.

Work-wise, we are doing what we both love, while at the same time making a livelihood out of it. It’s rewarding as we contribute to giving jobs and taking part in nation-building. Seeing those young people join the company, believe in its aspirations, and share our passion for events management is the greatest fulfillment for me.

How do you achieve work-life balance?
Since both (my husband and I are) in the business, we’ve agreed at the onset to strike a balance between family and work by devoting quality time with the family despite or, because of, the demands of work. It takes a lot of maturity and acceptance of realities but they add up to both the sweetness and spices of our continuing journey.

How are you using your position to improve the lives of those around you?
Education is important. I’m a lecturer and resource speaker on events management in universities. I have my share of training and mentoring the younger generation to develop them into productive and responsible business events associates – not just in my company, but in others too.

We cultivate a pay-it-forward culture (by lending a helping hand to) the needy and the less fortunate – our beneficiaries are the Children’s Joy Foundation and God’s Special Children for children with autism and Down’s Syndrome. Yearly, we give school supplies and donations to the Dumagat indigenous children in Antipolo. As I am the current president of Rotary Club of Mutya ng Pasig and the Inner Wheel Club of Antipolo Central, Ex-Link partners with them in projects connected to our advocacy.

How do you think the industry can be a more welcoming place for women? How can you encourage gender equality in your workplace?
The Philippines’ events management industry is providing equal opportunities regardless of gender, if my 20-year career is anything to go by. We hire people based on their skills and attitude, not by gender, and that will continue.

What is the biggest challenge for your generation of women leaders?
These days, people management, especially when it comes to the next generation, is the greatest challenge faced by all leaders, not just women. Making the millennials and Gen Z productive, interested and passionate in their work has proved very challenging.

Going back to basics helps me cope with the challenges of being a female leader these days: The heart of a mother and acumen of a business leader fused to produce a team of passionate and involved individuals. Making the workplace a productive version of home and extending compassion to employees will produce a more involved team.

Still, the keys to sustainability is harnessing working teams that are concerned with the people, the product, profitability and the planet.

Vistara strengthens partnership with Sabre 

By TTG Asia

March 4, 2020

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Indian carrier Vistara has signed a new deal with Sabre Corporation which will enable the airline to boost its ties with partner airlines and enhance its scheduling capabilities using components of the Sabre Commercial Platform.

The full-service carrier has also adopted Sabre Codeshare Manager and partner solution Sabre Schedule Manager.

The new deal further strengthens Vistara’s partnership with Sabre as the carrier already has an existing GDS agreement with Sabre.

Vinod Kannan, CCO of Vistara, said: “Vistara has achieved significant growth in recent years, and we want to build on this success by continually expanding our fleet, boosting passenger numbers, growing our network and commencing long haul international flights. To do all of this, it is essential that we partner with industry leaders who can aid in our growth.

“Sabre’s scheduling suite will equip Vistara with the insight required to deploy optimised schedules while working with our codeshare airline partners.”

Under the new agreement, Sabre solutions will help Vistara to deliver robust, accurate and feasible schedules in a rapidly changing market environment, while minimising schedule duplication and enhancing productivity; better manage partnerships with other airlines by synchronising and automating marketing and flight information; proactively evaluate codeshare flight connection opportunities, helping Vistara to grow revenue alongside its geographic footprint.

Taxi-hailing app inDriver rides into Phuket

By TTG Asia

March 4, 2020

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International online ride-hailing service, inDriver, which is headquartered in Mountain View, California, has launched in Phuket.

Unlike other ride-hailing services, for inDriver, drivers are not automatically assigned to riders. The service allows users to set their own fare for their chosen route, while nearby drivers who receive notice of ride requests can choose to accept or ignore the fare offered, or bargain for a higher price.

Ride-hailing app inDriver offers a flexible platform for passengers

Once the counteroffers roll in, passengers select the most suitable driver in line with the categories most important to them, in terms of fare, driver rating, estimated time of arrival or vehicle model.

The app’s Real Time Deals model combats algorithms used by other ride-hailing companies, which rack up prices because of peak hours, traffic and request history.

In the initiate stage, inDriver will recommend prices in the app, with a minimum price of 230 baht (US$7).

For a safer ride, passengers also have the option of sharing their GPS location and ride details in real time from the app with trusted contacts.

Travelling with the service, which currently operates on a cash-only basis, can be done throughout Phuket’s city borders and the nearest suburbs.

Phuket is the third city in Thailand, after Chiang Mai and Hat Yai, where inDriver was launched.

inDriver, which can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store and AppStore, is used by 47 million people across more than 300 cities.

Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min unveils wellness retreat

By TTG Asia

March 4, 2020

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Luxury boutique resort Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min has rolled out the first luxury wellness programme in Myanmar, with an exclusive focus on holistic therapies, traditional treatments, nutrition, fitness coaching and educational wellness initiatives.

The Wellness Discovery package includes a pre-arrival consultation, yoga sessions, customised meditation class, spa treatments, an in-room wellness minibar, and holistic rituals in the morning and evening.

Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min’s guests can pamper themselves with the resort’s wellness package

Each guest will receive a wellness basket in their suite, which includes a yoga mat, skipping rope, wellness ball and dumbbells.

The resort’s wellness offering is focused on four key pillars, namely, Spa & Fitness, Yoga & Meditation, Culinary Journey, and Local Culture & Traditions.

Helmed by chef Aung Kyaw Swar, the Wellness Cuisine programme will feature locally-sourced organic products in his healthy and nutritious menus, available at the resort’s Roots Signature Restaurant.

The tailor-made energising and healing programmes are designed by onsite yoga master, Sudhir Thampi. Guests can also enjoy private and group yoga sessions as well as fitness classes as part of their package.

As well, the resort has partnered with cosmetic brand L’Occitane to create a rich selection of massage treatments and wellness experiences.

The Wellness Discovery package starts at US$180 per person per night, with a minimum stay of two nights from now until December 31, 2020.

Making travel tech affordable

By Pamela Chow

March 3, 2020

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The dynamic travel tech boom has proven a double-edged sword for industry players. While travel tech solutions promise higher outreach and efficient resource allocation, many of them are costly.

As such, travel agents who cannot afford them find themselves falling behind in terms of market penetration. Larger attraction operators, on the other hand, often struggle to strike a balance between traditional sales and new, dynamic distribution channels.

Filling this need for affordable and value-added solutions is GlobalTix, a Singapore-based company that leverages cloud technology, big data and analytics to disrupt traditional manual ticketing.

Globaltix CEO, Chan Chee Chong, explained: “Millennials are driving changes in the way travel is bought. They want things instantly and seek out unique experiences during their travel. In today’s connected world, operators need to be discoverable and bookable.”

Many Asian niche operators “are missing out on this digital and mobile revolution” because adopting the relevant technology is out of their budget, noted Chan.

To meet this need and match the budget of industry players, GlobalTix offers its solutions based on a subscription model starting from US$39 a month.

The affordable price means clients do not need to put money into customised solutions and expensive hardware, shared Chan.

Through unique customised B2B portals on GlobalTix, attraction operators can set agent-specific prices, capacity limits and special promotion prices.

Further down in the chain, agencies can access exclusive rates and reserve tickets, which are then digitally delivered to their customers.

Chan – a tourism pundit with 15 years of experience in the industry – co-founded GlobalTix with his brother, Chan Chee Kong, in 2013.

The company has grown its reach to more than 2,000 agents and 80,000 tours and activities in 120 cities.

Partnerships have been established with TripAdvisor, Expedia and Trip.com, as well as local DMCs such as Nam Ho and Asia Consolidated.

On top of solving ticketing woes, GlobalTix also offers other on-site solutions. For instance, it uses facial recognition so customers at attractions can buy candid photographs in which they have been tagged.

When asked about Globaltix’s strategy moving forward, Chan said: “We intend to strengthen our local presence to provide better customer service for partners here and become a partner of choice for agencies.”

Cheong Hai Poh joins Pan Pacific Yangon

By TTG Asia

March 3, 2020

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Pan Pacific Yangon has appointed Cheong Hai Poh as its general manager.

With 30 years of hospitality experience, Cheong was most recently the general manager of operations and asset optimisation at Stamford Land Corporation.

Having started his career as banquet sales manager and F&B trainer at Orchard Hotel Singapore, he has also worked with SHATEC, Star Cruises, Conrad Centennial Singapore, Grand Park City Hall and Grand Copthorne Waterfront.

Aviation roundup: Berjaya Air, Silkair and more

Indonesia trade protests against government’s incentive package

Maldives’ ban on cruise ships further dents tourism

Mount Merapi’s eruption prompts airport closure; businesses undisrupted

International Women’s Day: Saluting Tourism’s Leading Ladies – Michelle de Ocampo-Ballesteros, CEO and founder, Ex-Link Events, Philippines

Vistara strengthens partnership with Sabre

Taxi-hailing app inDriver rides into Phuket

Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min unveils wellness retreat

Making travel tech affordable

Cheong Hai Poh joins Pan Pacific Yangon

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