(From left) Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company; and Fan Xiping, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group recently broke ground on the new Toy Story Land at Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland is set to get its seventh themed area, Toy Story Land, come 2018.

The new zone will be set in the backyard of Andy – the boy from the Toy Story movies – and will feature three new attractions and a character greeting area.

Currently, Shanghai Disneyland already has the Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue attraction themed after Toy Story. Shanghai Disney Resort is also home to the only Toy Story-themed resort hotel in the world

According to Shanghai Disneyland, characters and stories from the Toy Story franchise have strongly resonated with Chinese guests so far.

Meanwhile, Fan Xiping, chairman of the theme park’s developer, Shanghai Shendi Group, revealed that Toy Story Land is part of an accelerated expansion plan for the first phase of the theme park, and that more attractions will be launched in the future.

Yong kang Street in Taipei

Though Chinese groups heading to Taiwan have plunged, overall arrivals there have risen due to growth from other source markets, according to C.T Su, chairman of the Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF Taipei), which held its annual trade and consumer show earlier this month.

Total visitor arrivals in Taiwan for the first three quarters of 2016 reached nearly 8 million, up 4.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Su explained: “The Mainland Chinese market is estimated to drop 800,000 this year though we welcomed four million of them in 2015. But markets like South-east Asia, the US, South Korea and Hong Kong performed well with positive growth. As far as I know, only group tours are affected. Chinese FIT traffic has kept growing.

“What we can do is to focus more on promoting in South-east Asia. The Taiwanese government has added Thailand to its visa waiver programme since August to allow 30-day visa-free stays and the Philippines will be getting e-visa facilities. This really helped.”

Kathy Yuan, international affairs division section chief of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, confirms Su’s observation. “Since August, visitor numbers from Thailand has started to rise steadily… previously, our visa application procedure was quite stringent and required proofing documents.”

Easing of Taiwanese visa requirements and procedures were also made in the South-east Asian nations of Myanmar and Cambodia earlier this year.

Accommodations solutions provider HRS has rebranded its corporate business segment and at the same time unveiled its new multisource hotel booking solution.

The rebranding comes as HRS seeks to distinguish its full-service offerings for corporates from its leisure business, which is unmanaged and functions more like an OTA.

Its refreshed corporate brand boasts a new logo to encapsulate its range of solutions along the entire value chain, from purchasing, analytics, optimisation, rate negotiation and booking on all channels, through to its MICE segment tools via its Meetago platform.

“We recognised very early that companies are not just concerned with the number of hotels in the portfolio – they are looking for holistic end-to-end services that offer real added value,” said Tobias Ragge, CEO of HRS.

“Managed travel is a completely different environment to the consumer segment and HRS has offered much more than just a quick way to book an overnight stay for a long time. With our new brand presence, we are now looking to make this difference visually clear.”

Concurrently, HRS is showcasing its new multisource tool, announced at the GBTA Conference 2016, taking place in Frankfurt now from November 14-16.

The tool overhauls the technology behind its corporate booking platform and essentially allows the booking of rooms at the best available rate from an array of distribution partners, such as Expedia, eLong, MakeMyTrip and the main GDSs, without leaving the HRS ecosystem.

This means that unlike metasearch engines, users won’t be redirected to a third party site to complete bookings, while still having the convenience of comparing prices and availability across multiple channels on one interface.

“For customers, price remains the most important booking criterion. In addition, business travellers, in particular, want to book their hotel rooms quickly and with ease – without time-consuming price comparisons or redirection to unknown providers,” added Ragge.

Around 20,000 hotels currently use multisource. HRS plans to gradually convert its entire global hotel portfolio to the new booking procedure.

Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii

It is business as usual for Malaysian agents selling US travel products even as America’s president-elect Donald Trump, known for his harsh stance against Muslims, begins to take over administration of the White House.

Desmond Lee, group managing director of Apple Vacations & Conventions, which has an incentive group of 25 people of mixed religions from Malaysia, including Muslims, travelling to the West coast of the US for nine days later this month, said there are no concerns over safety issues from his clients.

He added that departures for December series tours to the American West Coast and Hawaii continues as normal and there are no worries voiced from his tour members, some of whom belong to the Islamic faith.

Abdul Rahman Mohamed, general manager of Mayflower Holidays, said: “Donald Trump’s speeches about banning Muslims from the US might just be campaign rhetoric with no truth in it. We’ll have to wait and see if the new government (actually puts in place those policies). (For now), it is still too early to predict demand for the first half of 2017.”

He comments that other factors such as currency will play a bigger role. “I think a large part of the decision making will depend on the exchange rate. The US dollar is four times the value of the ringgit which prohibits many from choosing to holiday there. The total cost of travel in the US is also much higher than holidaying within Asia,” he said.

He added, however, that forward bookings may be affected as many Malaysians intending to go to the US for a holiday in the near future will be closely monitoring the political situation in the country for calm before making a concrete decision to travel there.

Tcurkan Iurii

Russia’s travel trade is sharpening its attention on China, reflecting the growing economic as well as tourism ties between the two giants.

The Russian-Chinese Tourism Promoting Association (RCTPA), which was established in May this year, has taken it upon itself to promote the message that Russia is a safe and friendly destination for visitors.

“More Chinese want to visit Russia and Russian businesses are putting their hands out (to welcome them),” said Tcurkan Iurii, chairman of RCTPA. “We are trying to show the world that Russians are friendly and we are doing our best to make visitors feel at home.”

In Russia, the association has set up a visitor helpline manned by English- and Chinese-speaking operators to offer immediate information and support to foreign tourists seeking assistance.

Already, the RCTPA has rendered assistance to more than 200 people in its six months of existence, Iurii said.

The Department of National Policy, Interregional Relations and Tourism of Moscow is currently developing a China-friendly programme in the city, with more than 30 enterprises having received conformity certificates in accordance with the programme, according to a statement.

Likewise, inbound travel agencies in Russia are also stepping up their game to woo Chinese tourists.

For Moscow-based Red October, one of two companies under the Fortuna Managing Company, the focus has since this year shifted to the Asian market, of which Chinese travellers form a large part, according to Laura Lazibnaya, general director of Red October and Fortuna.

This marks a significant change in Red October’s market focus since it began operations 15 years ago to specialise in the the cruise business and the US market.

Explaining its new focus, Lazibnaya said: “Europe is dying and European travellers have no money, while Americans are travelling less. Asia is rising and Asian travellers are now very strong.”

And alongside the growing affluence of the Chinese, Lazibnaya noted a rising number of moneyed Chinese travellers arriving in Russia in small groups.

Despite these encouraging developments, some outbound operators in China expressed concerns that visa application for Russia remains a hassle.

Although the Chinese authorities were reported to have sought a visa-free regime with Russia, for now only tour operators accredited by China and Russia are entitled to bring Chinese groups of between five to 50 pax into Russia without visas.

Iurii added: “We launched a programme that helps Chinese people coming in organised groups (to adhere to and access) the (conditional) visa-free policy between Russia and China. In order to implement this in the correct ways, we put our representatives in every airport of Moscow in very large numbers.”

On the other hand, Lazibnaya does not see visas as an issue for Chinese tourists to Russia. “Even with small groups, we are able to provide them the necessary papers in few days,” she remarked.

According to the Department of National Policy, Interregional Relations and Tourism of Moscow, the number of arrivals from China under visa-free exchange is rapidly growing.

Over 1.1 million Chinese visitors arrived in Russia in 2015, almost 90 thousand more than in 2014.

Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort

Affiliates of Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and KSL Capital Partners have signed a deal for KSL to acquire all 37 of Outrigger’s multi-branded portfolio of hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties.

Outrigger’s current management team will continue to lead the company and it’s headquarters will remain in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“As one of the world’s leading investors in hospitality, KSL has the capital capacity to elevate Outrigger to the next level – infusing additional resources into our current assets and helping to accelerate our long-term growth goals,” said David P. Carey, president and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises Group.

Marty Newburger, partner at KSL added that the well-run, self-owned properties of Outrigger are an enticing investment option for them. “Outrigger owns and operates resorts in truly remarkable destinations and KSL is excited be a part of the next chapter of Outrigger’s extraordinary story,” he said.

Outrigger currently operates or has under development 37 properties with approximately 6,500 rooms located in Hawaii, Guam, Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives.

Shilin Night Market, Taiwan

In a bid by Taiwan to diversify its feeder markets, three Russian buyers were invited to the B2B segment of the Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF Taipei) 2016, held earlier this month, to better understand what the destination offers.

“Taiwan is a new destination for us. Many Russians have been to China but they do not really know Taiwan,” said Elen Zhuravskaia, director of OrientExpress, who is in Taiwan for the first time.

“Though we don’t have tours to Taiwan yet, we will start preparing a five-day itinerary after returning home. Frankly, it’s a bit far away and no direct flights are available yet. We may have to transit through China and airfare is pretty expensive, but Taiwanese food and hotels are not.”

Meanwhile, Khabarovsk-based Amur Voyage’s director Diakova Elena highlighted challenges with visa applications. Currently, only Taiwan’s representative office in Moscow handles visa applications within Russia.

“This means we have to send our passports there which is translated into a seven-hour flight and it would take 1-2 weeks to process the visa,” she said, adding, however, that she is still interested to offer Taiwan to her clients.

“Russians like to vacation for at least two weeks. They combine sightseeing and relaxation and we try to organise some cultural programmes followed by beaches. There is a possibility to package twin destinations but as interest for Taiwan is growing, we hope to offer in-depth mono-destination experiences.”

According to a spokesman at Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s international affairs division, efforts have increasingly been made to push into the Russian market, such as with annual participation in Russian travel fairs, frequent dialogue with agents to pack Taiwan into their products as well as to increase the number of Russian buyers to three at ITF Taipei 2016.

A total of 5,672 Russians visited Taiwan so far this year between the January-September period.

Tourists at Sensō-ji temple in Tokyo

The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan broke through the 20 million barrier before the end of October, a new record and up more than 24 per cent over the same period last year, according to the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA).

While the trade is celebrating well ahead of the target set for 2020, operators say results could have been better.

“We have seen the growth in the number of visitors from China has not been as strong as previously, for a number of reasons,” said Pankaj Pradhan, managing director of Tokyo-based Beauty of Japan.

“The yen has been stronger this year, the Chinese economy has been weaker and other countries are offering cheaper packages for travellers, including to destinations in Europe and North America, which has given Chinese travellers more choices,” he told TTG Asia.

Another factor that caused the growth to be halved from the 47 per cent increase logged in the whole of calendar 2015 included major earthquakes in central Kyushu in April, the JTA stated.

Hasmik Papazyan, of the Inbound Sales Department of Okinawa-based Jumbo Tours, said Chinese visitors “definitely” make up the majority of inbound visitors to the prefecture, but pointed to a shift in the market.

“The overall Chinese economy has been growing, so we are seeing an increase in number of wealthy tourists in comparison with previous years,” she said.

Despite the decline in the pace of growth in the first 10 months of 2016, travel agencies say the figure keeps them optimistic for the immediate future.

“Tokyo will host the Olympic Games in 2020 and I think that will have an impact on tourist numbers in the years leading up to that,” said Beauty of Japan’s Papazyan, adding that it could mean more Western tourists becoming more interested in Japan too.

Pradhan pointed out that easier visa requirements had made Japan more accessible as well, particularly for visitors from other parts of Asia.

Come January 11, 2017, Hong Kong Disneyland is leveraging superhero power with the launch of the long-awaited Iron Man Experience, the first Disney theme park to make use of the company’s Marvel licence since acquiring it in 2009.

The main attraction is a 4D ride featuring Tony Stark as Iron Man battling villains across Hong Kong’s streets and sights. Visitors can also look forward to Iron Man-themed retail shops, restaurants and an exhibition showcasing Iron Man suits.
According to Travis Zhu, associate business development manager at Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL), the travel trade has been kept in the loop regarding the opening of the new attraction zone. Industry feedback has been good too, he shared.

While the famed Disney princesses always held a natural allure for families and females, Zhu is confident that the superhero attraction zone can attract an untapped traveller segment – millennial males.

“We are also seeing about 90 per cent of our visitors being FIT travellers. Tour groups don’t favour theme parks as much,” he added.

A special preview of the ride is set to take place on December 23. Fam trips for the media and trade is likely to take place in January, revealed Zhu.

Adding to recent debuts such as Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, the Iron Man Experience’s launch comes at an opportune time for HKDL and is expected to bring back some of the spotlight stolen by the new Shanghai Disneyland.

Campaign partners join hands for Visit ASEAN@50 2017 campaign press conference at CITM

As part of the Visit ASEAN@50 2017 campaign, 50 South-east Asia travel packages will be rolled out to highlight the region’s diversity and promote multi-destination travel targeting markets including China.

Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, the campaign chairperson, said: “Together, all 10 ASEAN member states selected 50 cross-border experiences that are accessible to mainstream tourists, culturally respectful and represented core themes that the NTOs are pleased to be associated with.”

The campaign is geared towards such goals as boosting arrivals into South-east Asia from 109 million in 2015 to 121 million by 2017, raising tourism receipts to US$83 billion and increasing visitors’ average length of stay from six to seven days.

China is deemed an important market as ASEAN strives towards these objectives, with ASEAN China Centre’s (ACC) director Kong Roatlomang pointing out that Chinese arrivals into South-east Asia surged 50 per cent to 17 million in 2015.

Elaborating on ACC’s efforts in promoting the region to Chinese tourists, Roatlomang said: “We have produced tourism documentaries focusing on the natural beauty and culture of all South-east Asian countries, translated tourism materials into Chinese and worked with ASEAN member states to organise capacity building programmes on the Chinese outbound market.”

The Visit ASEAN@50 campaign will be officially launched at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Singapore next January, with TTG as the media partner.