Malindo Air’s upcoming services connecting Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Guangzhou, China will alleviate capacity strains during peak periods, said inbound agents.

In the first 10 months of 2016, arrivals from China registered a 27 per cent increase to 1.75 million while those from Saudi Arabia rose 23.5 per cent to 111,248.

The twice-weekly Jeddah route will be launched on February 21 and will go daily from March 26. Daily services to Guangzhou will begin on March 15.

Ally Bhoonee, executive director at World Avenues, said: “The Jeddah route would assist the inbound market especially during the peak season from June to August.

“The largest number of arrivals from the Middle East to Malaysia is from Saudi Arabia. During the summer holidays, there (tends to be) insufficient seats. The greater availability of seats could create more interest in Malaysia,” he added.

Similarly for the new Guangzhou flights, Mint Leong, managing director at Sunflower Holidays, said: “There is usually a shortage of seats during the Chinese New Year period and school holidays in July and August. The direct flights will help the national agenda, which places emphasis on getting more arrivals from China.”

Leong however wished the schedule is better. Flights depart Guangzhou at 03.10 and arrive Kuala Lumpur at 07.30. For business events, this is “not good”.

“Incentive (travel) recipients will regard their organisation as being thoughtless if they were put on this flight,” she said.

Taj Tashi in Bhutan

While other hotel chains keep launching new brands, Taj is doing the opposite, throwing its Vivanta by Taj and Gateway brands out of the window and concentrating everything under a single brand, Taj Hotels, Palaces, Resorts and Safaris.

CEO and managing director Rakesh Sarna said: “The new brand identity honours the renowned legacy of the Taj in a structure that will create greater brand resonance with our guests and also allow for considerable value creation for all our stakeholders. Taj as a brand truly speaks to the nation’s pride and the redesigned architecture is a tangible step in celebrating our heritage while recognising the need to prepare for the bright future of India’s tomorrow.”

Taj Hotels will include lobbies reminiscent of “cosy living rooms”, concierge service, all-day dining, fitness centres, spas and signature Taj cuisine options.

All Taj Palaces will continue to emphasise a regal history and offer royal-styled experiences including themed suites that can be completely personalised to guest preferences and a dedicated butler service for suites.

The design of Taj Resorts will aim to accentuate the surrounding nature. Resorts will also offer complete personalisation for suites, sustainable food menus and signature Jiva Spas inspired by the ancient healing traditions of India.

Taj Safaris will put sustainability principles at its core, operating with lighter carbon footprint and championing local community engagement. Experiences will include adventure trails, breakfast in the woods and other unique dining experiences guided by a farm-to-fork concept.

The transition of all hotels to the new architecture is expected to completed by December.

From left: Peter Henley; Douglas Martell

A leadership transition is occurring at ONYX Hospitality Group with CEO Peter Henley, chief commercial officer Duncan Webb and chief people officer Anand Rao retiring from the Bangkok-based hotel chain effective end-June.

Henley will be succeeded by current COO Douglas Martell who joined ONYX in mid-2014. Webb, who has been with ONYX for 28 years since its early Amari days, is succeeded by Debrah Pescoe who came onboard ONYX in early 2012 as vice president sales, and Rao by Suganya Wiwitwanit who joined in March last year as senior vice president human resources.

Henley counts succession planning, along with building a strong team and culture, as among his biggest achievements in the nine years with the company. “That we have managed to assemble such a strong team and culture, that we have achieved what I said we would back in 2008. That when three senior members the team retire at the same time, we have three fantastic replacements ready to step up,” he said.

Henley grew ONYX to 42 hotels. A second ‘strategic road map’ called Delivering Success, to be led by Martell, targets at least 99 operating properties by 2024 but, beyond numbers, will focus on further growth, operational excellence and owner, guest and employee satisfaction, Henley said.

When asked if he was retiring completely, he said: “I am glad to say yes although I am sure my new boss (his wife) will have certain duties for me to discharge!”

Turkish Airlines will begin four-times-weekly flights between Istanbul and Phuket from July 17, 2017.

The flight will depart Istanbul on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 14.30, and arrive in Phuket at 04.00 the following day.

The return leg will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and will depart from Phuket at 05.30 and land in Istanbul at 12.00.

Shangri-La Group’s newest hotel brand Hotel Jen has unveiled its first experiential programme, Night Light, which will run across all its properties in the Asia-Pacific.

Going live after sunset each day, the interactive Night Light maps use real-time geo-tagged social data from residents in each of the nine Hotel Jen cities – including a select group of local influencers – to highlight hotspots where travellers can go after dark to eat, play and relax like a local.

Guests staying at Hotel Jen can also participate in the weekly Night Light events organised by the hotels. Activities range from salsa dances and rooftop yoga lessons in Singapore to night-time walks atop Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak to aqua Zumba at Puteri Harbour.

Marisa Aranha, vice president of sales and marketing for Hotel Jen, said: “Through this new Night Light programme, we are encouraging our guests to head out and explore the thriving activities that each destination has to offer between sunset and sunrise. There’s more to a city after dark than what is featured in conventional guidebooks and we want to provide a new perspective for busy business travellers, unabashed night owls and curious families through curated insider insights.”