If the Travel Industry Bill gets passed, Hong Kong would see the establishment of a new travel industry statutory body charged with policing the industry with more stringent penalties.

When established, the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) will take over the licensing and trade regulatory roles from the Travel Agents Registry and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC).

New regulations set to be introduced include the mandatory deposit of HK$500,000 (US$64,472) for new agents, which comes in addition of the required paid-up capital of not less than HK$500,000. This measure is meant to safeguard against the closure of agencies before they pay off financial penalties with the TIA.

Agents will also bear stronger responsibility for cases of misconduct. Existing agents that reach a specified threshold of penalties or frequency of non-compliance will be required to immediately deposit a sum of HK$250,000. If the next level of non-compliance is reached, they will be further required to deposit HK$250,000.

Commented Hong Kong Inbound Tour Operators Association (HKITOA), president, Charles Ng: “It’s not a big amount as transactions involve millions and the initial barriers are low.”

Pan Asia Tourist & Study Tour International, managing director, Danny Wong added that Hong Kong’s industry had for years been lagging behind neighbouring countries like China and Taiwan in raising the barriers to entry. The new measures could deter malpractice on some levels, he opined.

But some regulations may come with drawbacks involving a stricter business environment and necessary adjustment period. “For instance, tour escorts must renew their license on an annual basis by passing an exam. Currently, they only renew every three years without assessment,” he elaborated.

Meanwhile, Blue Sky Travel’s managing director Angela Ng expects the stricter rules to likely affect inbound agents specialising in mainland Chinese groups.

While not entirely opposed to the new regulations, HKITOA’s Ng hopes for the scrapping of certain obsolete regulations implemented under TIC, such as having to register inbound Chinese tours 48 hours in advance.

TIA will comprise 30 members but only 13 of them will be trade members to be appointed by the chief executive. This is meant to represent greater impartiality compared with the TIC.

The bill will be brought to the legislative council in the first half of the year.

(From left) Centara Hotels and Resorts’ (CHR) Dan Chinsupakul, Suparat Chirathivat, Thirayuth Chirathivat and Suthikiati Chirathivat; Nakheel’s Ali Rashid Ahmed Lootah and Thorsten Ries; and CHR’s Ronnachit Mahattanapreut and David Robert Good

Centara Hotels and Resorts has come together with UAE developer Nakheel in a joint venture to create a 550-room beachfront resort with waterpark at Deira Islands, Dubai.

The first Centara establishment in the UAE, the upscale resort will be located at Nakheel’s new 15.3km² tourism, leisure, retail and entertainment hub – a prime stretch of beach on Deira Islands.

“This partnership is a groundbreaking move for Centara as we continue to extend our upscale resort portfolio internationally. This is Centara’s first hotel in Dubai, and the UAE, and represents our arrival in a key gateway city in the Middle East,” said Suthikiati Chirathivat, chairman of Centara Hotels and Resorts.

The 30ha resort will open in two phases, with a soft opening in 2019 and a grand opening in 2020. It will feature a waterpark, dining facilities, business centre, kids’ club, spa and fitness centre.

Nakheel’s partnership with Centara is its second international joint venture for Deira Islands, where it has already invested more than AED3 billion (US$817 million) on development works. The first, an 800-room AED900 million all-inclusive resort and waterpark with Spain’s RIU Hotels and Resorts, was confirmed in February 2016.

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.