OUTRIGGER Resorts, the beachfront resort brand of Outrigger Enterprises Group, has joined Global Hotel Alliance’s (GHA) global network of 33 independent brands and over 550 properties, and will soon gain access to millions of customers in GHA’s loyalty programme and distribution network.

The alliance is expanding its footprint in new markets, including Outrigger’s home base of Hawaii, plus Fiji, Guam and Mauritius, while strengthening its presence in the Maldives and Thailand, adding a total of nine resorts to its portfolio.

The integration of Outrigger Resorts into GHA will be completed by early fall, at which time members of GHA’s Discovery loyalty programme will be recognised and rewarded across the Outrigger Resorts portfolio.

(From left) Steve Scarr, Shane Hunter and Annette DeSimoni of Corporate Traveller, and Paul Wilsher, general manager, Oakwood Apartments Brisbane

OAKWOOD Asia Pacific has opened the 162-unit Oakwood Apartments Brisbane, the very first Oakwood-branded property in Australia.

The property is located between Brisbane’s CBD and Fortitude Valley, and is a walking distance from many retail and F&B options in the city.

Facilities include a tennis court, outdoor pool and spa, sauna, gymnasium, as well as Alto Restaurant and Bar which opens daily for breakfast and dinner.

Four conference rooms are also available that can accommodate up to 220 guests.

To celebrate its opening, Oakwood Apartments Brisbane is offering guests a special rate of A$130 (US$100) per night with a choice of studio, one- or two-bedroom apartments for the month of April.

It is also offering a conference package – A$65 per day per delegate – for the months of April and May, inclusive of Wi-Fi, parking and choice of hot or cold lunch.

Songkran in Koh Samui, Thailand

THAI authorities are strongly urging locals and tourists alike to focus on culture and tradition rather than partake in drinking and massive water fights during this year’s Songkran Festival which kicks off today.

Songkran, or Thailand’s traditional New Year, is being celebrated from April 13-15 this year, and is usually a raucous affair where people splash each other with water.

But due to ongoing droughts, the worst the country has seen in decades, the government is calling for restraint on the injudicious use of water.

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said: “TAT is following the government’s water-saving policy which encourages people to use water more conservatively when celebrating Songkran.”

“Songkran is the most important festival in the Thai calendar and is celebrated in different ways up and down the country. We want travellers to discover more about this unique Thai event and to get a taste of the huge range of distinct local festivals,” added Yuthasak, as he aims to focus this year’s celebrations on the more cultural aspects of Songkran.

Traditionally, this was the time when agricultural work would come to a halt for a few days so that Thais can pay respects to their ancestors and to senior family members by sprinkling their hands with scented water. It is also a time to visit temples and to bathe Buddhist statues in a symbolic gesture of purification.

Many celebratory events, such as Thai Beverage’s Water Festival 2016, will be featuring cultural activities as a result.

“I am very pleased to extend our support to Thai Beverage or any private organisations who’ve stepped forward to assist us in the preservation and promotion of Thai culture and, of course, the traditional way of celebrating Songkran,” commented Yuthasak.

The government also plans to restrict alcohol and behavior it considers improper this year.

“I would like to urge all Songkran revellers to use water sparingly while engaging in a Thai tradition that has been around for generations,” said Prayuth Chan-o-cha, prime minister of Thailand, during a national television broadcast, adding that improper attire and excessive alcohol consumption were “embarrassing, in particular for many foreigners.”

However, this has not stopped people from engaging in water gun fights and partying on the streets as the celebrations broke out in many parts of the country earlier this week.

Tourists are also still expected to flock to Thailand during this festive period with an expected 10 per cent increase in revenues from last year.

Youssef El Khomri, general manager, Mercure and ibis Erawan, says his properties are “running at high occupancy” and he is expecting a full house during the period.

THE Macau Government Tourism Office has entered into a marketing partnership with Travelport to raise awareness and to drive traffic from the Middle East and African regions to Macau.

Under the agreement, the office will leverage on Digital Media Solutions delivered via Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform to target relevant travel agencies.

There will be an online competition, as part of a promotional campaign, to incentivise travel agents to generate interest in Macau as a destination.

Betty Fok, head of destination marketing department, Macau Government Tourism Office, says the partnership will be beneficial in acquiring business from the Middle East and Africa which are new focus regions for Macau tourism.

THE transport minister of Malaysia has put to rest fears of an increase in airline ticket prices due to a proposed increase in fee charges by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) on airlines, scheduled to be implemented this Friday, April 15.

Transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said during a press conference yesterday: “I do not think ticket fees are involved. What is affected is only the cost of administration, implementation and such. I think it is not true it will cause a heavy cost for airlines.”

Justifying the need for a fee hike, he said the DCA was upgrading itself into a Civil Aviation Authority, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will be conducting an audit on the DCA next month.

“To set up a Civil Aviation Authority, you have to show ICAO that you are self-sustainable and that the income from your fees are able to handle the transformation process. That is the reason we have to implement these adjustments,” said Liow in The Star newspaper.

Earlier, the DCA had proposed a revision of charges to meet its operating costs, and at the same time have a reasonable return on assets in order to upgrade and to serve the industry better.

At present, the department spends 250 million ringgit (US$64.2 million) a year with income standing at only 50 million ringgit, and receives funding from the transport ministry to meet operational costs.

The fee increase will cover everything from air traffic facilities to pilot licences, and is the first fee review by the DCA in 40 years.

Air navigation flight charges will rise from five sen per nautical mile to 50 sen for lightweight aircraft.

For bigger planes (the A320/A330 and B737/B777), the cost will rise from 10-25 sen per nautical mile to 1-2.50 ringgit, while the super jumbo A380 will see charges swelling to 3 ringgit from 30 sen. The minimum charges will be raised from 5 ringgit to 50 ringgit per nautical mile.

Meanwhile, Air Operator Certificate approval fees will rise from 400 ringgit to 80,000 ringgit for mid-sized aircraft with annual renewals costing 30,000 ringgit, rising from the current 400 ringgit.

ARRIVALS to France were down 10 per cent in January and February this year due to the attacks in Brussels and Paris as well as macroeconomic difficulties in source countries.

As a result, the destination has launched an initiative called Grand Tour, an 18-month plan to enliven tourism. Apart from offering a 10 to 20 per cent discount on some components of the Grand Tour from January to July 2016 and the whole of 2017, it will also highlight 50 meeting points in France that range from culture and architecture to gastronomy and festivals.

Also available at France’s 150 embassies around the world are “passports” that come in 80 languages, which will help tourists in their travels around the country, said Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, the ambassador in charge of France’s cultural appeal.

He also added that they are working on a number of programmes, such as the opening of new cultural sites and museums in Paris and its surrounds.

d’Arvor said: “We have been hit strongly by terrorists and it has been very tough”, at the same time assuring tourists that “things are still running”.

Pierre Schapira, president of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, said they also want to get the message across that France is a safe destination.

“Security is ensured, safety measures are being taken, all necessary precautions are in place and things are looking normal and serene,” said Schapira.

Officials expect destination numbers to rebound this month or next.

Francois Navarro, CEO of Paris-Ile-de-France Regional Tourism Board, said that they have plans next year to market France in South-east Asia. He opined that it is a small market, but it has opportunities for growth from the emerging middle class.

France’s goal is to increase its arrivals to 100 million by 2020, up from 85 million last year.

THE governing body of the European Union (EU) has put forward a proposal yesterday to suspend Schengen visa waivers for all citizens of the US and Canada.

According to a statement by the European Commission, the proposal was considered due to non-reciprocity of visa waivers between the US and the nations of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania.

The EU had 24 months ago issued a formal notice to the US State department asking for a reconsideration of their position with regards to the five member states, and that notice period has now expired.

Mario Bodini, chairman of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), said: “There should be reciprocity… and reciprocity is a principal widely ignored in visa circles. (Still), Europeans enjoy far more freedom to travel around the world than the world enjoys coming to Europe.”

Bodini states that while he understands the European Commission’s move, it is important that the European economy does not falter as US and Canadian visitors invariably travel less to Europe due to a lack of visa-free facilities. “Millions of jobs are dependent on it,” he adds.

He also expects leisure travel to fall by 30 per cent from the US and Canada source markets should the proposal go into effect.

Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA, commented: “The US and Canada are two of our most important and longstanding origin markets. At a time of difficulty for the tourism industry in Europe, this does not project the necessary welcome.”