Aviation roundup: THAI Smile Airways, Finnair and more

October 10, 2019

THAI Smile Airways flies to Ahmedabad

THAI Smile Airways will commence direct flights from Bangkok to Ahmedabad, the largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat, from October 29.

Two classes will be available on the flights: Smile Plus (premium economy) and Smile Class (economy class), both offering full catering on board, advance-booking services and up to 40kg of free luggage allowance.

The Bangkok-Ahmedabad route will be available four times weekly on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. WE342 will depart Ahmedabad at 00.55 and arrive in Bangkok at 06.55, while return flight WE341 will depart Bangkok at 20.30 and arrive back in Ahmedabad at 23.55.

Finnair to take off for Haneda Airport

Finnair is starting daily flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport as of the start of the 2020 summer season, subject to slot availability. The new frequencies to and from Haneda will be in addition to Finnair’s daily flights to Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

The new flights from Haneda will be codeshare flights with Finnair’s long-term partner, Japan Airlines, which has a wide network of connecting flights from Haneda onwards to other destinations in Japan.

The planned schedule for Finnair’s flight from Haneda is at night time which complements Finnair’s morning flights from Narita, offering more options and flexibility to passengers. The exact timetable is subject to slot approvals.

Adria Airways leaves Star Alliance

Slovenian airline Adria Airways, headquartered in Ljubljana, has ceased to be a member of Star Alliance, effective October 2, 2019.

The departure of Adria Airways from Star Alliance after 15 years follows the company’s recent bankruptcy developments and cessation of all flight operations as of September 30.

Star Alliance members Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines and Swiss have announced additional routes and frequencies to Ljubljana.

Korean Air links Incheon to the Philippines and China

Korean Air will launch new flights to Clark, the Philippines, and Nanjing, China, on October 27; and Zhangjiajie and Hangzhou, China, on October 28.

From October 27, Korean Air will operate the Incheon-Clark route seven times a week; and the Incheon-Nanjing route four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

From October 28, the airline will operate the Incheon-Zhangjiajie route three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; and the Incheon-Hangzhou route twice a week on Monday and Friday.

The Incheon-Clark route will depart from Incheon at 07.55 and arrive in Clark at 11.05, while the return flight will depart Clark at 01.10 and arrive at Incheon Airport at 06.10. The flight from Incheon to Clark takes about 4 hours and 10 minutes.

The Incheon-Nanjing route is scheduled to depart Incheon at 10.40 and arrive in Nanjing at 12.10, while the return flight will depart at 01.15 and arrive in Incheon Airport at 04.45. The B737 will be used on this route from October 27 to November 29.

The Incheon-Zhangjiajie route will depart Incheon at 07.20 and arrive in Zhangjiajie at 10.20, while the return flight will depart at 11.30 and arrive in Incheon Airport at 03.40 the next day.

The Incheon-Hangzhou route will depart Incheon at 12.15 and arrive at 01.30 in Hangzhou, while the return flight will depart at 02.40 and arrive in Incheon at 06.00.

HK Express launches Hong Kong-Okinawa direct flight

HK Express has debuted a daily route from Hong Kong to Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, beginning September 26, 2019.

With the launch of this route, HK Express now operates flights to three destinations – Okinawa, Miyako (Shimojishima) and Ishigaki – across the islands.

Indonesia’s private sector steps up tourism investment beyond Bali

By Mimi Hudoyo

October 9, 2019

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Indonesia is intensifying efforts in developing the tourism industry beyond Bali, with the government pumping investment dollars into building supporting facilities and infrastructure in areas like Lake Toba, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo and Borobudur – which includes the Yogyakarta-Solo-Semarang triangle – this year as part of its 10 New Balis directive.

Efforts and dollars plowed by the government into developing these destinations has also spurred the private sector to seek out business opportunities in peripheral destinations beyond Bali, including Morotai, which is part of the 10 New Balis, Palu (Central Sulawesi) and Sorong (Papua).

One such enterprise is Sahid Hotels & Resorts which has opened its first three-star property in Morotai. The 62-key Moloka’I by Sahid, which sits beside Juanga Ferry Terminal, is part of the hotel’s move to back the government’s 10 New Bali initiative, said Hariyadi Sukamdani, president director of Sahid Hotels & Resorts.

Indonesia’s private sector boosts tourism investment in peripheral destinations beyond Bali, including Morotai; Zum Zum Island, Morotai, pictured

“The growth of tourism to Morotai has prompted Sahid Hotels & Resorts to expand to the island. Morotai is one of the primary (tourism) destinations in eastern Indonesia, famed especially for its marine attractions,” he said.

Similarly, Tauzia Hotels is also aligning its property pipeline with the projected growth of Indonesian tourism by building properties in less-developed regions, said Armand Steinmeyer, director of business development and investment at Tauzia International Management.

For instance, although Raja Ampat is West Papua’s key attraction, Tauzia is anchoring Sorong as the development platform in the region. Likewise, the group is looking to develop hotels in Medan overlooking Lake Toba. “Medan is the gateway to North Sumatra, with rooms still for development there,” Steinmeyer said.

Besides Sorong and Medan, Tauzia is planning to build properties in Lombok, Palu, and Pontianak or Singkawang in West Kalimantan.

“Our vision for 2020 is to support these destinations to become globally competitive in South-east Asia,” Steinmeyer said.

For Pacto DMC, the catalyst for expansion beyond Bali stemmed from the “unhealthy” over-reliance on the famed tourist island, which currently comprises 60 per cent of its offerings.

Umberto Cadamuro, COO inbound of Pacto, said: “We have learnt from natural disasters like the Mount Agung eruption and earthquake (in Lombok) that we cannot depend on Bali alone.

“We are lucky that Indonesia is large enough for us to have opportunities everywhere. As part of our 20-year development, the big plan is to spread our revenue (generation) across Indonesia.”

For starters, the company will add product development divisions in each of its branch offices in Medan, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Makassar to broaden and strengthen its operations, Umberto said.

“As such, if anything happens in one destination, we still have others to offer,” he said, adding that Pacto’s development pipeline does not always align with the government’s plans.

Umberto also does not see the necessity of waiting for the infrastructure to fall in place to start developing new tourism products in a destination.

“Labuan Bajo started small and as facilities and infrastructure develop, arrivals are also growing. For Lake Toba, we have the opportunity to land one hour from the island (at Silangit Airport). That is already helpful because we can go from Medan to Toba, then fly to Jakarta directly,” he said.

“We can start working with a market (segment) now, and eventually, the volume will come.”

Oyo to raise US$1.5 billion in Series F funding

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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OYO-F — Airbnb confirms stake in India's OYO

Oyo Hotels & Homes will be raising US$1.5 billion in its latest funding round, of which a significant amount will go towards the company’s expansion in the US market, and strengthening its position in the vacation rentals business in Europe.

As a part of this Series F round, RA Hospitality Holdings will infuse approximately US$700 million as primary capital in the company, with the balance US$800 million being supplemented by other existing investors.

Oyo will be raising US$1.5 billion in its latest funding round

Earlier this year, Oyo announced that RA Hospitality Holdings has received CCI approval to invest US$2 billion in the company.

The company’s strong growth, improved margins and improvements in customer experience has led to the signing of a US$2 billion primary and secondary management investment round, spearheaded by founder and CEO, Ritesh Agarwal, with support from institutional banks and financial partners, said the company in a statement.

Prior to this, Oyo had raised over US$1 billion in its last financing round, announced on September 2018, led by SoftBank through SoftBank Vision Fund, with participation from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia and Greenoaks Capital, and supported by new strategic partners like Airbnb.

Ritesh Agarwal, founder & CEO (global), Oyo Hotels & Homes, said: “I am also happy to share that on a year-on-year basis, we have seen that not only are we operating profitably at the building level, but at the same time, our EBITDA has also improved by 50 per cent on a year-on-year basis. The losses as a percentage of NRV have also been on a steady and significant declining curve.”

Vietnam unfurls new tourism marketing campaign

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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A new destination marketing campaign for Vietnam will soon be launched at the upcoming World Travel Market in London to present a “fresh and updated view” of the country to global travellers.

#VietnamNOW, a joint effort between Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), will spotlight the vast array of exciting experiences and world-class products Vietnam offers visitors, alongside its renowned natural beauty, and rich historical and cultural attractions.

Vietnam’s new tourism marketing campaign #VietnamNOW will promote the country’s famous street food, UNESCO heritage sites and natural landscapes, among others

“Through #VietnamNOW, we hope to expand the image of Vietnam overseas, by showing more of the outstanding options that are available in Vietnam today,” said Dinh Ngoc Duc, director general of VNAT’s tourism marketing department.

In addition to promoting Vietnam’s famous street food, UNESCO heritage sites, cultural treasures and natural landscapes, #VietnamNOW will also highlight new options for travellers, such as golf getaways, wellness retreats, luxury resorts, adventure tourism and urban breaks, VNAT officials said.

Events such as festivals, marathons and the 2020 Formula One Race in Hanoi will be leveraged to build awareness of Vietnam’s diverse tourism assets.

Malaysian Gen Zer’s glamping venture takes root in Sabah

By S Puvaneswary

October 9, 2019

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Flenny Wong Cheng, 22, was first introduced to glamping during the first year of her three-year Bachelor of Media programme at the University of Adelaide. She quickly saw glamping as a viable business opportunity in her hometown of Kota Belud, Sabah, where there were no similar offerings.

She pitched her idea to her parents who supported her decision to quit her studies and pursue her dream of setting up a glamping venture in Sabah.

Flenny Wong Cheng quit her studies to start a glamping company

“Besides, they missed me and were glad I was coming home for good,” she recalled. Her parents and siblings also provided her with financial support to kick-start this new venture.

It took months of planning and getting the ground work done before Cabana Retreat opened to the public on February 1. It is located on Rampayan Beach in Kota Belud, about 70km from Kota Kinabalu, the state capital.

While the homepage on the official website describes Cabana Retreat as the first pop-up beach resort in Malaysia, there are no plans as yet to relocate as Wong had leased the site for a five-year period from the land owner.

Cabana Retreat has been dubbed “the first pop-up beach resort in Malaysia”

She has set up 24 cotton canvas luxurious tents, custom-made in China. The tents are equipped with lighting, air-conditioning, pillows and mattresses, side tables and most basic amenities guests would expect from a hotel stay, including free Wi-Fi and daily housekeeping. While there are no TVs, movies are screened under the stars at the open cinema.

Said Wong: “We provide a luxurious way to enjoy the outdoors, while staying connected to family and friends.”

Half a year since opening, Wong describes business as being hectic, with high occupancies usually on weekends, school holidays and long public holidays.

“Our guests are mainly locals, young couples and families, and stays range from one to three nights. International guests are mostly from China and Europe. They like Kota Belud’s nature and activities like jet skiing, paddle boarding, banana boat rides, ATV rides and local tours to see the fireflies, Mantanani Island, and river cruises.”

Besides marketing through its website and social media, Wong partners inbound tour operators. She also has plans to add more tents and to entice investors to develop more activities in Kota Belud.

Saudi Arabia allows unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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Saudi Arabia will now allow foreign men and women to share hotel rooms without proving they are related, as part of the government’s push to attract more visitors and diversify the country’s economy away from oil exports.

Women, including Saudis, will also be permitted to rent hotel rooms by themselves.

Saudi Arabia now allows unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms; Martyrs of Uhud at Mount Uhud pictured

“All Saudi nationals are asked to show family ID or proof of relationship on checking into hotels. This is not required of foreign tourists. All women, including Saudis, can book and stay in hotels alone, providing ID on check-in,” a Reuters report quoted the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage as saying.

The reform will allow unchaperoned women to travel more freely, and for unmarried foreign visitors to stay together in the Gulf state, where sex outside of marriage is banned.

This move follows the conservative country’s recent decision to allow entry to international tourists from 49 countries for the first time, representing a further opening up of the country to the world and tourism as the authorities aim for 100 million annual visits by 2030.

Until recently, Saudi Arabia has remained closed off to the world, and in the past, unrelated men and women, including foreigners, risked severe punishment for interacting in public, said the Reuters report.

According to the same report, Saudi Arabia has also relaxed the dress code for foreigners who need not wear all-covering black robes but should dress modestly, though alcohol remains banned in the country.

Spike in assistance requests for airline passengers with special needs following Travelport’s awareness campaign

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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Requests for assistance for airline passengers with intellectual disabilities have nearly doubled since Travelport rolled out a global campaign to raise awareness of a dedicated Special Service Request (SSR) booking code.

Since the launch of Travel Unified in March this year, use of the DPNA (Disabled Passenger with Intellectual or Developmental Disability Needing Assistance) SSR code on flights booked through Travelport have increased globally by 89 per cent year-on-year, said the travel technology company.

Help requests for airline passengers with special needs have surged following Travelport’s awareness campaign

At a regional level, use of the code on flights is now up 273 per cent in Asia, 259 per cent in Africa, 94 per cent in Europe and 22 per cent in Oceania. Use remains low in both North and South America.

SSR codes are used in the airline industry to communicate traveller preferences or needs to airlines. They are delivered through standardised four-letter codes defined by the IATA.

The DPNA SSR code can be used by travel agents, among others, to alert airlines when a passenger has an intellectual or developmental disability and needs assistance. The code needs to be accompanied by additional descriptive free text, so the airline understands the support required. Once an IATA member airline has received the code, a response acknowledging the request is mandatory.

Many airlines, as well as airports and hotel groups, have initiatives in place to meet travellers’ individual needs if they are made aware via the SSR code at the time of booking that they require additional support.

As part of its campaign to raise awareness of the DPNA SSR code, Travelport has shared educational “sign-on alerts” and graphical “prompts” more than 10 million times with hundreds of thousands of travel agents across the world through Travelport Smartpoint, its flagship point-of-sale solution that is used by travel agents, among others, to search and book airline seats, hotel rooms and more. The digital media used to reach travel agents is typically sold by Travelport to travel providers, like airlines and hotels, as advertising space.

Fiona Shanley, chief customer and marketing officer at Travelport, said: “We’re encouraged by the results we’ve seen so far and our decision to extend Travel Unified until at least the end of 2019 should enable us to reach even more travellers and travel agents. We’d like to call on all airlines, airports, hotels and other members of the travel family to do more to ensure everyone has the travel experience they deserve, including the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual disabilities.”

Linda Ristagno, external affairs manager at IATA, said: “Air travel is an integral means of transport in today’s world and all those with disabilities – visible or not – should have access to safe, reliable and dignified travel. With the approval of the IATA AGM Resolution in June, our airline members are committed to improve the air travel experience for the estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide.

“The Travel Unified awareness campaign is an excellent example of a company taking a leadership role in this space, and a reminder of how the travel experience can be improved for passengers through a simple four-digit code. The correct use of DPNA provides airlines with the relevant information that they need to support passengers with intellectual disabilities. We encourage the travel industry to continue to raise awareness of the code and for passengers with disabilities to know that they are always welcome on board.”

Princess Cruises names sixth Royal-Class ship

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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Princess Cruises’ sixth Royal-Class cruise ship will be christened Discovery Princess, and will be the cruise line’s first-ever vessel to be based on the West Coast, sailing out of Los Angeles.

Designed from the ground up as a Princess Medallion Class ship, the 143,700-ton, 3,660-passenger Discovery Princess is currently under construction at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The ship will feature an evolution of the design platform used for the cruise line’s previous Royal-Class ships.

Princess’ newest ship will be christened Discovery Princess

Discovery Princess is scheduled to debut on November 3, 2021, on a seven-day Mediterranean & Aegean inaugural cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Athens.

With cruise vacations open for sale from October 8, 2019, Discovery Princess will sail on destination-rich itineraries to the Mediterranean, Caribbean and South America before arriving in Los Angeles for her West Coast debut, sailing to Mexico and the California Coast.

The worldwide itineraries offered onboard Discovery Princess to Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Mexico and the California Coast for the 2021/2022 cruise season, is also Princess Cruises’ largest-ever inaugural launch programme.

The inaugural season of Discovery Princess includes 30 departures on 21 unique itineraries to more than 50 destinations in 23 countries.

Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project rolls out improved tour programmes

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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Myanmar’s Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project has enhanced its tour options for the 2019-2020 season, with an eye to improve the guest experience as well as maximise the positive impacts on the fishing communities of Irrawaddy River.

Since its founding in 2017, the community-based ecotourism project has worked closely with fishing communities on the river to develop tours ranging from one to three days, while remaining committed to the protection of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins.

Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project

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For the 2019-2020 season, Living Irrawaddy has grown its fleet to two boats to increase capacity and availability for single-day and multi-day trips. New luxury tents have been equipped with full size mattresses and set up on the shores of the Irrawaddy River, allowing guests to feel fully immersed in the natural surroundings.

Living Irrawaddy’s project advisor Paul Eshoo said: “Our programmes are designed to provide an educational experience about Irrawaddy dolphins and cooperative fishing and immerse guests in Myanmar culture and provide memorable, meaningful interactions with local communities on the Irrawaddy River.

“Proceeds from the tours contribute to the ongoing efforts to protect the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population on the Ayeyarwady River and to support communities who depend on the river for subsistence. We are trying to push the envelope on how businesses can work with communities to achieve sustainable, small-scale conservation programs integrated with tourism.”

Living Irrawaddy has also continued to strengthen its commitment to sustainability by introducing new initiatives. In addition to profit share with the fishing communities on the river, the company now pledges US$1 per person, per day to carbon offsetting for the boat fuel. The project now directly benefits 80 villagers who provide support services during the trip.

In April 2019, Living Irrawaddy established a pact with fishermen in the rivers’ dolphin conservation zone to restrict the use of fishing nets in areas where the dolphins feed. According to the company, many dolphins have been critically injured or killed by nets over the years and this agreement will help prevent future casualties in the protected area.

Blair Fowler named GM of Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse

By TTG Asia

October 9, 2019

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Blair Fowler has been appointed general manager of Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse, bringing more than 15 years of operational experience in the US, the UK, Australia and South-east Asia to his new role.

He is no stranger to Marriott International, having first joined the company in 2008 in Queensland, Australia. In 2010, he moved to Thailand to become rooms division manager in Hua Hin. This marked the start of a five-year period living and working in the country.

In 2011, he moved to the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel, and worked his way up from director of rooms operations to director of operations, and then to acting general manager.

In 2015, Blair achieved his first full general manager’s role at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon in Vietnam.

Aviation roundup: THAI Smile Airways, Finnair and more

Indonesia’s private sector steps up tourism investment beyond Bali

Oyo to raise US$1.5 billion in Series F funding

Vietnam unfurls new tourism marketing campaign

Malaysian Gen Zer’s glamping venture takes root in Sabah

Saudi Arabia allows unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms

Spike in assistance requests for airline passengers with special needs following Travelport’s awareness campaign

Princess Cruises names sixth Royal-Class ship

Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project rolls out improved tour programmes

Blair Fowler named GM of Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse

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