The embattled Philippine travel trade is using every avenue to improve the destination’s image, following the latest attack of a heavy indebted gambler at the casino of Resorts World Manila (RWM) last Friday after a series of unfortunate events in recent months.

The RWM casino attack, which claimed 38 lives including the gambler’s, came on the heels of ongoing clashes between the military and ISIS affiliated terrorists in Marawi that led to the imposition of martial law in Mindanao. An earlier failed terrorist attack in Bohol and terrorist threats in central Visayas had also led to travel advisories from various countries.

Marlene Insigne, tours division manager, Southeast Travel Corp, said they immediately sent assurance to their clients and counterparts abroad, attaching the letter of Benjamin Santiago, director, National Capital Region (including Manila) on the Department of Tourism addressed to tourism stakeholders.

Santiago in his letter urged Philippine stakeholders to assure their counterparts abroad that Manila and the nearby regions remain a safe destination for visitors, emphasising accurate information dissemination is critical.

“We continue to work closely with you by providing you with reliable updates on matters that may affect tourism and your businesses and assist in minimising any adverse effect that may arise because of lack of information or worse, inaccurate reporting in the media,” he wrote.

Insigne said that a group of eight from the US has not cancelled their booking for this week at Belmont Hotel, part of the RWM complex, which she expects to have tighter security.

Bernadette de Leon, general manager, Amiable Intertours, said that while they can only “wait and see until things get better”, the Philippines still has time to recover its image.

De Leon said that the RWM attack is “an isolated case” and not an act of terrorism, adding that martial law in Mindanao is only for 60 days and will be lifted once the terrorists are defeated in Marawi.

Fe Abling-Yu, one of the founders of the Asia Premium Travel Mart (APTM) which will be held in Manila on June 20, said the mart is hit by some cancellations “but that this is also the best time to promote the Philippines”. She is also encouraged that there are over 10 APTM buyers and media who will go on a Davao fam trip.

On Facebook, travel agents began challenging their friends here and abroad to post pictures of the Philippines to show it as a great place. “Let’s counteract the negativity and help ourselves,” said Rajah Tours president Jojo Clemente.

An interest in cultivating new visitor source markets is apparent among Nepal’s tourism stakeholders at the inaugural Himalayan Travel Mart, which took place in Kathmandu last week.

Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board, said tour operators should target emerging markets such as Vietnam and Cambodia, away from the traditional sources of Europe, China and the US.

One of the temples in Lubmini, a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal

He said: “We need to reach out to new markets where the economy and outbound tourism are growing rapidly.”

Home to many important Buddhist sites – the largest being Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha – Nepal appeals to many South-east Asian Buddhist countries, and this element needs to be pushed.

Suman Pandey, chairman of PATA Nepal, added: “We have more direct flights, and many of these countries can reach Nepal within three to four hours. Nepal needs to be promoted to these countries.”

Tapping into the youth sector from neighbouring India and Bangladesh for weekend getaways and short breaks is another viable segment, said Joshi.

Growing flight connectivity has made the country more accessible, coupled with new products such as ecolodges and community projects being developed in Kathmandu and the surrounding areas.

Shital Chandra Dharel, executive director of Himalaya Heart Treks and Expeditions, said: “While trekking or safaris may take a week or more, there are a lot of experiences in Kathmandu and the surrounding areas that can be enjoyed in a short few days.”

Ctrip has partnered Centara Hotels & Resorts, one of Thailand’s largest hotel groups, as it seeks to strengthen its presence in South-east Asia and offer products from a broader range of geographical locations.

The Chinese OTA giant will work with Centara on issues of supply support, online marketing, user rights protection and system direct connection, said deputy general manager of Ctrip hotel business, Xiao Yuan.

Ctrip is also expected to seize the opportunity from the cooperation to create more travel package deals in Thailand.

“Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists, and will remain so for a long time. Therefore, through closer cooperation (with Centara), Ctrip’s overseas presence in Thailand will continue to deepen and will extend elsewhere in South-east Asia, better serving customers,” Xiao added.

Thomas Russell, Centara’s vice president, added: “Ctrip is Chinese tourists’ preferred website for booking outbound travel. With the support of Ctrip’s site traffic, we have a great opportunity for exposure, which will further enhance public awareness of our brand.”

According to data from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, nearly 8.8 million Chinese travellers visited Thailand in 2016. Among them, 2.5 million (+91 per cent y-o-y) had used Ctrip, meaning that almost one in three Chinese tourists to Thailand booked through the OTA.

Xiao also noted that Ctrip will accelerate the pace of its overseas expansion this year. In addition to Thailand, Ctrip will also focus on Japan, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and eight other countries.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has launched the Jabodetabek Airport Connexion (JAConnexion), a bus service connecting 15 hotels and seven malls in Jabodetabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi) to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Initiated by the Jabodetabek Transportation Management Board, the service is operated by four major bus operators deploying a total of 91 buses.

Officials at the launch of JAConnexion. Photo credit: kabartangsel.com

Indonesia’s minister of transportation Budi Karya said: “Soekarno-Hatta (sees) traffic of 150,000 (people) a day and 25,000 (more) work at the airport. Such a transportation service has become mandatory, but 91 buses are not enough. I expect by the end of the year, we will have 400 buses.”

JAConnexion will give travellers an alternative mode of airport transport on top of the Jakarta Lite Rapid Transit train service, which will start operating soon.

Among the hotels and malls enjoying the shuttle connections are Alila Jakarta, Hotel Borobudur Jakarta, Sari Pan Pacific, Grand Indonesia, Taman Anggrek and Plaza Senayan.

The service costs 50,000 rupiah (US$3.75) from hotels and half the price from malls.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has signed three hotels in Japan, all on track for opening in 4Q2017.

The company secured license agreements for the 105-room Best Western Osaka Tsukamoto, 60-room Best Western Sapporo Odori-Koen and a conversion project in Honshu, the Best Western Yamagata Airport with 94 rooms.

Osaka, Japan

These follow the recent opening of the 105-room Best Western Tokyo Nishikasai Grande, Best Western’s third property in the Japanese capital, and the rebranding of The Hotel Nagasaki to become Asia’s first operating BW Premier Collection hotel.

The new additions would bring Best Western’s Japan portfolio to 15 properties.

“Japan’s tourism industry is booming. Having welcomed a record total of 24 million international visitors last year, the government is now targeting 40 million arrivals by 2020 – the year Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympic Games – and a staggering 60 million visitors by 2030,” commented Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ managing director of international operations – Asia.