A Voyages of Discovery ship

In the aftermath of the sudden collapse of British tour operator All Leisure Group – which owns cruise lines Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery – Australia’s travel industry leaders say little could have been done to protect affected consumers, especially those not insured against company insolvency.

More than 500 would-be holidaymakers in Australia have cruise bookings with Voyages of Discovery, but it is feared that many would be unable to recover their money.

Said chief executive of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, Jayson Westbury: “It’s (a tricky situation) because this is not an Australian company and (a lot) depends on how these Australians bought their packages.

“Unfortunately all the regulations and advice in the world will never resolve something like this because there are so many ways people can buy their tours these days.”

David Beirman, a tourism risk specialist and a senior tourism lecturer at University Technology Sydney, said the issue of blame lies with the British company and whether it disclosed the problems it was facing. “Was there sufficient communication between the GSA and the company they represented?” he asked.

Still, Beirman pointed out that there had been warning signs especially with the recent string of terrorist attacks in the Middle East, where All Leisure Group specialised. “The cruise market tends to be most sensitive sector to terrorism,” he added.

While acknowledging that “no system is infallible”, Westbury advises Australian travellers to protect themselves by paying by credit card and using accredited travel agents. He also recommends buying travel insurance that includes coverage for insolvency.

(From left) TAT’s Tanes Petsuwan, Eva’s Golden Kou and Yuthasak Supasorn, and Eva’s Ken Chung at the signing ceremony

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) last week entered into a MoU with Taiwan’s Eva Airways Corporation to work on joint tourism promotion strategies that will boost visitor numbers from the US and Canada to the country.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said: “Eva Air is a vital link between North America and Asia as there are currently no direct flights from the US and Canada to Thailand. By working with Eva Air on tourism initiatives, we can help get word out about Thailand’s attractions and boost visitor numbers even more in 2017 and beyond.”

Eva Air currently operates 80 flights per week between North America and Taiwan. From Taiwan, passengers can connect with flights to Bangkok on the airline’s 26 weekly connections on the Taipei-Bangkok route, which was recently increased from 17 flights a week. Of the total passengers travelling on Eva Air’s Taipei-Bangkok routes, about 50 per cent are from North America and Europe.

Following the signing ceremony, a Project Implementation Workshop between Eva Air representatives and TAT directors from both the North America and Asia markets will be set up to discuss their marketing collaboration for both the long- and shorthaul markets.

TAT also has plans to open a new office in Canada to render services to Canadian tourists heading to the kingdom.

From January to November 2016, more than 1.2 million tourists from the Americas visited Thailand, 13.4 per cent more than the same period in 2015. Of this number, 859,838 travellers came from the US (up 12.3 per cent) and 216,768 from Canada (up 7.3 per cent).

Coral World Park

Viacom International Media Networks has revealed plans to partner with Coral World Park Undersea Resorts to build its first undersea attraction in Coron, a municipality in the western Philippine province of Palawan.

The brand’s first themed resort in South-east Asia, the 100ha Nickelodeon Resort and Attraction is expected to open in 2020 with 70ha for accommodation and 30ha for the themed attraction.

The destination will showcase themes centred on Nickelodeon’s iconic characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora the Explorer. It will also feature underwater restaurants and lounges located six metres below sea level with views of the ocean.

The Nickelodeon complex will be part of Coral World Park (CWP), a 400ha undersea-themed development spread across a cluster of 16 islands, which are five to 20 minutes apart by speedboat.

CWP will open in phrases starting from 2018, and developers say visitors can expect “a multi-island experience” that includes island hopping, lagoons, hot springs, an animal reserve, shipwreck diving and the largest coral reef conservation programme in Asia.

This announcement marks Nickelodeon’s expansion into Asia, following last year’s opening of Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon, the first Nickelodeon theme park in Asia at Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia.

SuperStar Virgo

Star Cruises has announced the triple homeport deployment of its flagship SuperStar Virgo in Hong Kong, Manila and Kaohsiung with the launch of the Golden Triangle Journey package.

From March 17 to May 31, 2017, the 935-cabin Superstar Virgo will offer a 6D/5N loop cruise that calls upon these three Asian cities. It will mark the first time a Star Cruises ship is homeporting in Manila.

Welcoming the deployment, Benito Bengzon, Jr, undersecretary for the Philippine Department of Tourism, said: “We are confident that the inclusion of the Philippines in the itinerary of SuperStar Virgo will help strengthen the country’s position as a competitive cruise destination in the region.”

Packages start from US$490 per person, based on a twin share for an Inside Stateroom.

Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia’s prime minister Najib Razak at the opening of the Agrobazaar Malaysia outlet at Sultan Gate

Inbound agents want the Perak Plate Programme to be sustained and evolved into a lasting platform to better promote the north-western state in Peninsular Malaysia.

The Perak Plate Programme was launched last month by the Perak state government at the Agrobazaar Malaysia in Sultan Gate, Singapore, as a prelude to the Visit Perak Year 2017 campaign. Currently underway until January 15, this initiative introduces Perak’s local delicacies and popular dishes to consumers in Singapore.

While agents believe that Perak cuisine is strong drawcard for this event, the scope of attractions need to expand beyond food to lure Singaporeans to visit the state itself.

“You’ve got to give them reasons to visit Perak. Food alone will not see them travelling there,” said Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager, New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel, commenting on the myriad holiday destinations that Singaporeans can choose from with a strong currency.

“The state government and Perak Tourism should involve the local agents to showcase the state’s ecotourism products, historical sites and cultural attractions,” she added.

Kingston Khoo, senior product development/contracting manager at Discovery Overland Holidays, suggested: “There could be variations to this programme to introduce Singaporeans to local seasonal fruits or even offer orchard stays during the durian fruiting season. Homestays will appeal to the youth segment from Singapore and offer them a taste of village life.”

Travel operators have given a guarded welcome to Japan’s legalisation of casinos as part of the government’s raft of new measures to promote tourism, warning that gambling alone is unlikely to prove a strong drawcard for visitors to a country hitherto known for its cultural offerings.

Since the law came into effect on December 26, the Japanese government has set up a panel to draw up additional legislation to regulate the operations of casinos by end-2017, with the hopes that the first integrated resorts will be operational before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Tokyo’s Odaiba waterfront has been earmarked as a potential site for the capital’s first casino, while similar proposals have also been put forth in Okinawa and Osaka.

Domestic travel giant HIS, which has also indicated its intention to set up an integrated resort, is considering utilising land at its Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Pankaj Pradhan, managing director of Beauty of Japan, sees casinos as a way to grow tourism revenue and jobs. “Most likely, this will also increase the flow of Chinese tourists and alter the image of Japan to a more versatile country that caters to a wide range of visitors,” he added.

But he cautioned that casinos could also take Japan’s image “in the wrong direction”, away from the unique culture, heritage and landscapes that the country is renowned for.

Carl Kay, president of Tokyo Way, pointed out that the majority of his clients, most of whom hail from North America and Europe, visit Japan “for its culture” and are unlikely to select Japan solely because of its legalised gambling opportunities. Gambling visitors are more likely to choose Las Vegas or Macau over Japan, he added.

NATAS Travel Fair

Almost 20 travel agencies will return to the NATAS Travel Fair next month, in a turnabout of a two-year dispute that saw the splintered faction launching a rival fair and new outbound travel association.

The NATAS fair, in its 50^th edition this year, will see the comeback of major players like Dynasty Travel, CTC Travel and Hong Thai Travel.

Steven Ler, deputy president of NATAS, commented: “NATAS offers participating exhibitors the most favourable terms and value proposition to make participation a commercially viable business decision.”

In 2014, key outbound agencies left NATAS fair to begin Travel Revolution Fair in 2015, citing issues such as lack of transparency, booth rentals and entrance fees.

Dynasty Travel Singapore’s marketing communications director Alicia Seah said with these issues now ironed out, the agency has decided to return to the NATAS fair.

Meanwhile, big names such as Chan Brothers Travel, SA Tours and Apple Holidays will continue to feature in Travel Revolution, organised by Singapore Outbound Travel Agents Association (SOTAA).

Jane Chang, head of marketing communications at Chan Brothers Travel, cited a central venue, better value and SOTAA’s proven track record in managing the past four fairs, as factors for the agency to continue their participation at Travel Revolution.

The newer fair, however, is now expecting a more modest turnout of 11 exhibitors, about half the original number, and it will be downsized from three to two halls, according to SOTAA president Kay Swee Pin.

“We are still very confident of our fairs because we still have very strong players with us who are a good representation,” said Kay, who is also SA Tours’ managing director.

Nevertheless, Kay revealed that this move took SOTAA by surprise as she was under the impression that NATAS was still considering their proposal to hold a joint fair with them.

Both associations had discussed combining the fairs last September, but that did not materialise due to differing expectations concerning venue and appointed credit card sponsor.

Urging a resolution, Dynasty’s Seah said: “It is essential for the travel industry to come together as a united community and consumers will benefit as there is only one event to visit.

“It will also mean lower operating costs for the stakeholders especially the tourism boards as they need not spend extra monies to stage two different fairs.”

The NATAS fair will be held from February 17 to 19 at Singapore Expo Hall 4, and the Travel Revolution fair from February 24 to 26 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Admission to both fairs are free.