Qifeng Ning of Wanda will be part of the delegation

A delegation of travel industry leaders from China is set to make their way to Sri Lanka later this month as the South Asian nation seeks interest from foreign investors to build up its tourism attractions and infrastructure.

Facilitated by the Centre of Asia Hotel Forum, the delegation comprises the likes of Haibo Bai, chairman and president of HNA Hospitality Group; Yun Cai, secretary-general of China Real Estate Association Commercial & Tourism Estate Committee; Qifeng Ning, senior vice president of Wanda Commercial Properties; and many others.

During their seven-day trip, they will be introduced to Sri Lanka’s themed tourism development zones as well as attend the inaugural Asia Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (AHTIC), taking place from November 27-29 at the Hilton Colombo, and organised by Bench Events and the Sri Lanka Tourism Club.

At AHTIC, the Chinese delegates will also meet with the Sri Lankan president, prime minister and minister of tourism for further discussions.

Sri Lanka Tourism Club chairman Prabath Ukwatte said: “We will be working with government ministries to deliver themed international tourism and family entertainment zones, and to open them up for foreign investment. The conference will be an ideal opportunity to explain what we will be doing and to attract international finance.”

Besides the Chinese delegation, AHTIC will also be hosting international leaders of the hospitality industry to Sri Lanka to take part in three days of high-level discussions, forums, speeches and networking sessions.

A study conducted by medical and security specialists International SOS and Control Risks indicated that 72 per cent of over 1,000 corporate travel decision-makers perceive travel risk to have increased this year.

Despite the rise in perceived risk in travel, 44 per cent reported an increase in business travel activity in 2016 and more than 50 per cent expect further increase in 2017.

“Events of 2016 have resulted in a sense of increasing challenges in travel to places once thought secure. While risks are changing, organisations must ensure their actions to mitigate those changes are proportionate, and based on reality and not perception,” said Rob Walker, security specialist at International SOS and Control Risks.

“Issues like healthcare provision and road safety, which account for over 70 per cent of the assistance services we have provided in the past year, can often be obscured by more prominent, but less likely issues. With many organisations increasing their business travel activity, it is essential for decision-makers to be able to communicate that objective advice to their people, including in an actual crisis.”

The report further revealed that 80 per cent of organisations surveyed have modified their travel itineraries in the past year due to health and security concerns.

Meanwhile, 48 per cent of respondents state that their investment in travel risk mitigation has increased over the past year, and 47 per cent believe this will increase further in the coming year.

“Travellers are much less likely to encounter unexpected or avoidable problems if they plan ahead. Using objective advice to prepare travellers, and by staying up to date on any changes and how they might affect plans, will further reduce, both the likelihood of people experiencing problems, and the extent of the impact,” added Walker.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is offering those in the travel trade a special industry rate for bookings at Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road.

From now till December 15, bookings and stays by travel professionals start from about 3,000 baht (US$84) per night for its entry level superior rooms, compared to more than the 3,500 baht usually charged for rooms of the same category.

Prices are inclusive of breakfast and a staff ID is required upon check-in for verification.

Ascott has achieved record-breaking growth this year by securing more than 10,000 apartment units in 51 properties, bringing the company’s portfolio to more than 52,000 units globally.

Said Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s CEO: “Of these new units, 90 per cent are located in gateway cities across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.”

Half of the new inventory are contracts in South-east Asia. And according to an Ascott statement, Vietnam is one of its best performing countries and largest market in South-east Asia with the most number of properties. The company seeks to achieve 7,000 units there by 2020.

“This year, Ascott has also opened 20 properties with more than 3,700 units, our fastest pace ever. As more of the newly signed properties come into operation, we can expect a further boost to our management fee income,” Lee added.

Ascott’s latest additions are 10 new management contracts in Hanoi, Halong City, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Manila and Cebu.

The travel trade in Cebu are hoping that the US will lift its travel advisory levied against the region’s southern territories despite businesses being unaffected.

The US issued the warning two weeks ago due to risk of kidnappings in Dalaguete, Santander and at the popular tourist haunt of Sumilon Island.

But as high season approaches and with no incidents involving tourists since then, local businesses hope the advisory can be removed so that things can go back to normal.

Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort had to issue an official statement to assure the public that “the island remains safe from any threat”. The resort said that apart from its own security detail, the Philippine Coast Guard also maintains a detachment on the island.

The Philippine National Police has added personnel in tourist areas as well, while working with their counterparts in the armed forces, navy and airforce to further intensify security protocols.

Operators such as Southwind Travel and Tours have not received booking cancellations on pre-booked tours due to the US travel advisory, but needed to take extra precautionary measures, according to its general manager Syrah Queblatin.

Two days after the advisory was made, a group of 10 bikers from Switzerland decided to go ahead with their sojourn to Siquijor, including spending two nights in Oslob and Badian, both located in southern Cebu.

Queblatin said she had to communicate with the hotel and local security forces in southern Cebu to ensure their safety, but was worth doing so to make sure nothing untoward happens.

A group of five South Koreans also went on a day tour to Badian with Southwind and returned safe and sound.

Rajah Tours sales officer Carla Molina reported that there were no tour cancellations for them as well, and that the demand for destinations like Oslob and Badian were not affected. She added that two US clients have just spent a day in Badian fully aware of the travel advisory.

Australia-based Fly365.com has become the first OTA in Asia-Pacific to utilise Travelport’s Rich Content & Branding technology, empowering the online platform with the same rich format tools and conveniences available to offline agencies.

This means that users of Fly365.com can get direct access to Travelport’s branded fares and ancillaries without going through a GDS smartpoint. The only other OTAs to implement this solution are UK-based Skylord Travel and Russia’s OneTwoTrip.

“Up till now, OTAs have had to create and manage their own content. This not only creates a lot of work for them but there is also a risk that the content is not actually reflective of what airlines want to say,” said Damian Hickey, vice president Asia Pacific and global sales strategy, air commerce at Travelport.

“Rich Content & Branding solves those problems for OTAs. They connect directly with Travelport as they normally would (via an API) and also allow the airlines to control and update the images, messaging descriptions, fare families and so on,” he explained.

At the same time, the OTAs retain autonomy in terms of deciding how the inventory is to be displayed to their end-user since the user experience and interface is wholly controlled by them.

While Hickey can’t reveal which OTAs are set to take on Rich Content & Branding next, he said that the solution is especially compelling to those they already have a partnership with. “It only makes their website better,” he said.
Fly365.com COO Scott Mayne adds that they have seen an increase in their margins and sales since rolling out Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding merchandising technology.

“Fly365.com is the only OTA in Australia that can offer Flexible Fare options, giving our customers more choice and a more transparent view on what is included in each fare category,” he said.

The European Commission is proposing to implement tighter border controls for visa-free travellers within the Schengen zone.

The proposed European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) application process, expected to take no more than ten minutes and be valid for 5 years upon approval, is being introduced to strengthen pre-arrival security checks, according to the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA).

This will affect visitors from Europe’s largest, well-established markets including the US and Japan, added the ETOA.

“Schengen is a success story which has transformed the visitor economy in Europe. With a single visa it has facilitated trouble-free cross-border travel within the zone. It is an example of a civilising influence that has brought great commercial and cultural benefit,” said Tom Jenkins, ETOA’s chief executive.

“The reappearance of temporary controls reminds us that we cannot take this for granted. ETIAS will be successful only if it improves the arrivals process for ETIAS holders in European gateways. It will require careful consultation and implementation.”

He added that several factors will be taken into account, including keeping cost minimal, making application processes user-friendly, and ensuring hassle is reduced for successful applicants.

“The introduction of the ESTA regime for US-bound travellers caused an immediate drop-off in volume; we must avoid this with ETIAS. If it increases the number of origin markets on Schengen’s visa-free list, then this will be a long overdue and welcome development,” he added.

The European Commission further assured that the ETIAS authorisation will not be as strict as a visa and that nationals of visa liberalisation countries will still be able to travel visa-free.