In collaboration with CrescentRating and Halaltrip, Bintan Resorts in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago has rolled out a series of initiatives to increase its appeal to Muslim travellers in South-east Asia and the Middle East.

The new initiative includes the publication of the Muslim Visitor Guide to Bintan Resorts, which is currently available in English and will be subsequently translated to Arabic. The guide highlights Muslim-friendly resorts, attractions and halal-friendly restaurants.

Kayaking in Treasure Bay Bintan’s Crystal Lagoon

Also, a dedicated microsite on HalalTrip will highlight the Muslim-friendly options in Bintan Island. All establishments, including hotels, restaurants, spas and attractions,have been rated based on CrescentRating’s system for Muslim friendliness.

Iris Kok, marketing communications manager of Bintan Resorts, said: “With anticipated growth in the Muslim travel market, we believe that this collaboration with CrescentRating is timely and boosts our marketing efforts towards welcoming Muslim tourists. It is an important step to access and adapt our offerings to be more Muslim-friendly allowing for informed decision-making.”

According to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017, the Muslim travel market is estimated to grow to US$220 billion in 2020 and US$300 billion by 2026. Indonesia currently stands in the third spot.

Hilton will soon plant a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Sri Lanka’s Weerawila, bringing its current hotel pipeline in the country to seven.

Slated to start operations in 1Q2018, the 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila is located on the banks of Lake Weerawila in the town of Tissamaharama, within Hambantota district. It is also near to the Weerawila Bird Sanctuary, a nesting ground for hundreds of diverse bird species.

(From left) KDU Group’s Thushan Upasena, Susantha Pointo, and Saman Upasena; Hilton’s William Costley, and Kieran Bestall; and KDU Group’s Deelaka Upasena
According to Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, the Weerawila hotel will mark the upscale brand’s fourth upcoming property in Sri Lanka.

DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila will be managed by KDU Adventures, a subsidiary of KDU Group.

Into its fifth year, Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE 2017) will be held at the Chengdu Century International Convention & Exhibition Center in Chengdu from November 30 to December 2 this year.

Organised by Singapore-based Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), CITE 2017 is supported by the Tourism Administration of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Tourism Association, the Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration, and the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition.

Edward Liu, the managing director of CEMS, speaking at an event

The 2017 show will feature a gross area of 10,000m² and is projected to boast over 400 international exhibitors from over 40 countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Turkey and the US, plus 400 international and local hosted buyers.

The three-day exhibition aims to welcome some 6,000 trade visitors from the travel and tourism industry and media, and 10,000 public visitors on the last day of the event.

An anchor highlight for the 2017 edition will be a pre-event promotional roadshows for exhibitors to promote themselves to their target buyers in various cities in the northern, central and western regions of China.

CEMS has also customised the pre-scheduling of business-to-business appointments to effectively match the needs of both the exhibitors and visitors.

Specially curated workshops, conferences, seminars, forums and panel discussions will also run concurrently with the exhibition for trade visitors to gain new practical knowledge on the industry practices.

More information on CIT 2017 is available at www.sc-cite.com.

Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes.

United Airlines flies non-stop between Singapore and Los Angeles
United Airlines will introduce a daily flight between Singapore and Los Angeles effective October 29, making it the longest scheduled service operated by any US carrier at 14,000km.

Flight UA38 will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport at 11.00 and arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at 10.15 the same day. The return flight, UA37, will depart Los Angeles at 20.55, arriving in Singapore at 06.50 two days later. Flying time will be approximately 15 hours and 15 minutes eastbound, and 17 hours and 55 minutes westbound.

The route will be serviced a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, offering a total of 252 seats – 48 United Polaris business class and 204 United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus.

With the launch of new non-stop service between Singapore and Los Angeles, the airline will terminate its Hong Kong-Singapore service on October 27 and Singapore-Hong Kong service on October 28.

Air Canada opens up flights to three Asian cities
Progressively from now until July 1, Air Canada will be launching 11 new international services globally, three of which are destinations in Asia – Nagoya, Taipei, and Mumbai.

The four-times weekly service between Vancouver and Nagoya began on June 1. Operated by a Boeing 767-300ER (Rouge), this will be a seasonal route.

Next, the daily flight between Vancouver and Taipei will begin on June 8, utilising a Boeing 787-9 (mainline).

The four-times weekly Toronto-Mumbai flight will only commence on July 1, utilitising a Boeing 787-9 (mainline).

Delta Air Lines launches daily services to Seoul
Delta Air Lines has commenced a new daily service between Atlanta and Seoul since June 3.

The flight is operated on an Boeing 777-200LR aircraft featuring 37 lie-flat seats with direct aisle access in Delta One, 36 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 218 seats in the main cabin featuring a nine-abreast seating layout.

Qatar Airways’ ban by several Arab countries from their airspace amid the ongoing diplomatic row has led Asian agents to seek alternatives for their affected clients, sparking concerns of price hikes for changes in travel plans at the last minute.

Like many tour operators in the region, a spokesperson from Singapore’s Chan Brothers Travel told TTG Asia that the agency is still adopting a wait-and-see approach as they keep a close eye on the unfolding situation and await further advisory from Qatar Airways before adjusting its itineraries to accommodate the added travelling times.

However, the lengthier travelling times for Qatar Airways flights to its Doha hub is a concern for many agents and their clients alike.

Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings, remarked: “We believe that there will be some sort of inconvenience as airlines flying from India to Qatar will have to re-route their flights. Similarly, those flying from Qatar to the West will have to detour to avoid the airspace. We believe that this will force Indians to choose carriers other than Qatar Airways for onward connections.’’

Guldeep Singh Sahni, Outbound Tour Operators Association Of India (OTOAI) president and Weldon Tours & Travels managing director, commented: “Most travel itineraries for groups and series are planned and sold in advance. The change in airlines will impact the cost and change in itineraries too, which may cause disputes in the packages already booked.”

He added: “Some passengers have already conveyed that they do not want to travel on Qatar Airways and requested changes. Our fear is that other airlines will also take advantage of this situation and increase their prices, which will heavily impact the tour operators.”

Furthermore, the Gulf blockade is expected to hit Umrah travellers from South-east Asia, particularly as this is the peak season for travel to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan.

For Ahmad Mahadzir, CEO of Malaysia’s KSB Travel & Tours, whose group of 15 Umrah travellers returning next week from Umrah are booked on Qatar Airways, he is at press time awaiting arrangements from the carrier to shift his affected clients to alternative airlines.

Meanwhile, Syed Razif Al-Yahya, group managing director of Sutra Group of Companies, has started seeking alternative travel arrangements for a group of 20 FIT clients scheduled to perform Umrah in the coming weeks leading up to the Hari Raya Muslim religious festival on June 25.

“There are a number of airline choices they can opt for, but as this is considered a last-minute booking, airfares will be quite high,” he said. “And this being the super peak period for Umrah, many hotels in Mecca and Medina will not make a refund on any change of dates.”

Stressing the importance of Qatar Airways for inbound traffic to Indonesia, especially as the airline recently added a third daily flight to Bali, PACTO’s COO inbound Umberto Cadamuro is hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon.

He remarked: “It is too soon to have a clear picture of the possible impact of an airspace ban, considering that IASTA (International Air Services Transit Agreement) members cannot legally shut down their airspace to fellow members. The only country that can actually shutdown its airspace to Qatar Airways is Saudi Arabia. However, an IASTA member can grant limited airspace access to fellow members, causing delays in the process. It is a wait-and-see situation as of now.”

In the Philippines, TravelExperts consultant Analiza Misa said the Gulf row is expected to have little impact on travel agents as there are few inbound travellers from Qatar and the majority of travellers are Filipino workers working in Doha.

– reporting by Rohit Kaul, S Puvaneswary, Mimi Hudoyo, Pamela Chow and Rosa Ocampo

Marriott International yesterday announced it will add over 100 luxury hotels to Asia-Pacific in the near future, nearly doubling its regional portfolio of 113 hotels across eight luxury brands and accounting for half of its global growth in this sector.

China continues to contribute to around half of new hotels in the region with key cities such as Shanghai and Suzhou flagged for new properties, while emerging luxury destinations such as Tasmania and Sri Lanka are also on the cards, according to a Marriott statement.

Providing a snapshot of what’s to come at the ILTM conference, John Toomey, vice president, sales and distribution, Asia-Pacific, said a trio of Ritz-Carlton properties – in Langkawi (2017), Jiuzhaigou (3Q2017) and Koh Samui (2018) – will soon join the brand’s existing 24 in the region.

The Koh Samui property, to be the first Ritz-Carlton resort in Thailand, will feature 175 suites and pool villas, six dining experiences and two secluded beaches.

Marriott also plans to add four W Hotels to its Asia-Pacific portfolio of 10 in the next two years. The 374-key W Shanghai is set to open on June 30, followed by W Suzhou in August. Another two are expected to launch next year in Australia (Melbourne and Brisbane) as the first W Hotels in the country.

As well, JW Marriott will debut in the Maldives and India’s Jaipur this year, adding to the 32 hotels established under the JW Marriott flag in Asia-Pacific.

Now housing 27 hotels in Asia, Marriott’s selection of independent hotels, The Luxury Collection, is expected to make its first mark in Singapore this year. The Duxton Club will reside in two separate pre-war colonial heritage buildings – Duxton House and Duxton Terrace – within walking distance of each other.

Two hotels are expected to open under Marriott’s boutique Edition brand in the next 12 months, one in Bangkok and the other in Shanghai.

Bullish on the growth potential of luxury travel, Tooney said: “Luxury is no longer just for the few. We have 50 million luxury travellers in the world, (which is) set to grow another 50 per cent. This includes 200,000 HNWI expected to double over the next few years.

“Asian billionaires control more wealth than billionaires in North America and other regions around the world… and they’re spending on travel experiences, hotel accommodation and air tickets.”

Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer, Asia Pacific, added: “This region continues to see a growing number of HNWI, which combined with dynamic economic growth, has created a strong increase in demand for luxury hotel experiences.”

-reporting from ILTM Asia 2017

For a country that is strongly associated as a trekking destination, more efforts are needed to cultivate Nepal’s positioning beyond that of mountains and peaks if it is to reach its full tourism potential, said international buyers at last week’s Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM).

During HTM, the industry was given a glimpse into Nepal’s diversity that spans sprawling lowlands, national parks where Bengal tigers and rhinos can be spotted, dense forest and jungle with rare wildlife and vegetation, and more than 60 ethnic groups.

“For us, Nepal is the Himalayas. It is sold as an extension of a trip to India,” Veronica Sarmiento, manager of Spain’s Buscame Viajes, told TTG Asia. “Coming here has changed my perception. Nepal is definitely a stand-alone destination but not many know this. It can also be a fantastic spiritual trip.”

P Anand, founder and CEO of Bangalore-based OTA Beyonder Experiences, added until now Nepal remains off his radar, as mountaineering does not appeal to his target market of 30- to 45-year-olds.

He added: “I now realise Nepal is more than climbing Everest. It has lots of rich cultural experiences that appeal to my market. This needs to be promoted much more.”

Tour operators in Nepal are starting to realise the need to diversify products and widen the marketing net, with more safaris and cultural and spiritual tours being created and promoted.

Shiva Dhakal, managing director of Royal Mountain Travel, has spent the last two years developing a network of nine community homestays across Nepal, with another two set to open by this year-end.

He said: “There is much more to Nepal than the mountains – the culture, the people, their daily lives. This is what people want and this is what we have; we need to show this to the world.”

Niccolo and Marco Polo Hotels are now officially grouped together as Wharf Hotels under Wharf Hotels Management, the management company name for the Hong Kong-based hotel group.

The new name allows for “differentiated and defined strategies” to be developed for both brands, and is in line with Wharf Hotels’ vision to expand its hotel footprint in the Asia-Pacific. The naming convention for Niccolo and Marco Polo operating hotels will remain unchanged.

As well, Wharf Hotels will be a business entity for usage in corporate contracting, development, talent and other business-to-business platforms.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Wharf Hotels – a subsidiary of The Wharf (Holdings) – currently manages 14 hotels in China, Hong Kong and the Philippines under the Marco Polo Hotels and Niccolo Hotel brands.

Another four Niccolo-branded hotels are currently under development, which will bring the group’s portfolio to 18 hotels within the next 18 months.