Byron Bay, a coastal town in New South Wales

GOVERNMENT state agency Destination NSW has signed a contract with Sichuan Airlines in a bid to lure more visitors from western China to Sydney and the New South Wales region.

While the value and duration of the partnership remains undisclosed, it will see direct flights and travel packages from Chongqing to Sydney promoted via Alitrip and Ctrip.

Although the state is already in partnership with Ctrip as part of a two-year MoU signed in August 2015, the new move will see Destination NSW becoming Australia’s first state tourism body to partner with Alitrip, according to CEO of Destination NSW, Sandra Chipchase.

“Destination NSW is focused on increasing our marketing programmes into more geographic source markets in China,” she said.

“Working in partnership with Sichuan Airlines provides us with a targeted opportunity to increase visitation from western China to Sydney and regional New South Wales via direct flights from Chongqing.”

In addition to marketing programmes, the partnership with Sichuan Airlines also includes education and training for agents.

Approximately 567,000 Chinese visited the state last year, spending a record A$2.3 billion (US$1.7 billion).

Average international passenger load factor fell by 1.5 percentage points 

THERE has been continued growth in international air passenger demand for Asia-Pacific carriers, but airlines are not maximising capacity as much as they had before, according to a report by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

Preliminary traffic figures for March showed that international passenger volume increased 4.5 per cent to 24.4 million compared to the same period last year.

In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger demand registered a corresponding 4.7 per cent growth.

However, flights are operating with greater surplus capacity than before. When combined with the 6.7 per cent expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor fell by 1.5 percentage points to 77.4 per cent in March.

This is despite an increase in international passenger numbers by 7.5 per cent to an aggregate total of 72.8 million for the first quarter of 2016.

Commenting on the numbers, Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general, said: “Overall, the growth in demand for air passenger travel remains quite robust, supported by low oil prices and the widespread availability of affordable airfares.

“Some concerns remain over the global economic outlook, but the region’s airlines are continuing to invest in new aircraft, and products and services to meet the projected growth in consumer demand,” he assured.

The Dhauli Peace Temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha

ODISHA’s Department of Tourism (DoT) hopes to lure more South-east Asian arrivals by promoting its Buddhist sites, especially the Ratnagiri-Lalitgiri-Udayagiri-Langudi-Dhauli circuit.

“Odisha is home to about 10 important Buddhist sites. Buddhist destinations like Bodh Gaya (in Bihar state) receive a good number of foreign tourists, (hence we are trying to promote) Odisha’s Buddhist heritage to the South-east Asian market. At present, we only get a small number of tourists from these markets,” said UK Pati, deputy director, Odisha Tourism.

Pati adds that promotional efforts will include roadshows in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam taking place after May. Fam trips for travel agents are also in the works.

However, the lack of direct flights has been a stumbling block. Currently, the DoT is negotiating with airlines like SilkAir, Tigerair and AirAsia to begin services from South-east Asia to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Odisha’s state capital Bhubaneswar.

“If we can get direct connectivity, say from Bhubaneswar to Bangkok, it will be a game changer. We are also open to connectivity via other Indian cities such as Kolkata or Hyderabad. For example, IndiGo flies direct from Kolkata to Bangkok. (Perhaps) they can have a stopover at Bhubaneswar as well,” added RK Patnayak, tourist officer, Odisha Tourism.

In 2015, Odisha recorded about 74,000 international arrivals, a growth of 6.5 per cent over the previous year. A record growth of eight per cent in expected this year.

New Halal section at Manila Marriott Hotel 

MANILA Marriott Hotel has become the first hotel in the Philippines to achieve a certification from CrescentRating, a leading authority on halal-friendly travel.

The property achieved a rating of five – the highest possible rating being seven – for its services and facilities that cater to a Muslim clientele, such as a halal food section at its F&B outlet Marriott Café.

Granting hotels in the Philippines a CrescentRating is part of a recent initiative by The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDoT) to diversify its visitor arrivals by attracting Muslim visitors from neighbouring South-east Asia and the Middle East.

The PDoT has also partnered with CrescentRating on a series of activities to increase the awareness of the availability of halal food and mosques in the Philippines.

“Our Philippine Halal Tourism project has broken real ground and set very realistic targets to begin the important work of making halal a real industry in the Philippines,” said tourism secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.

“It is important because it is a given in the Filipino culture that our best and most important welcome to any visitor is with food. And if we are not halal, there is a segment of society in the world that we are not extending a proper welcome to.”

Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating said that more hotels in the Philippines will soon get halal certified by them.

According to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2016 report, the Muslim travel market is recognised as a key growth tourism sector projected to be worth more than US$200 billion by 2020.

The Philippines currently ranks 46th on the GMTI list.

Wickremesinghe: The government will absorb the airline’s losses and debts

THE Sri Lankan government is looking for suitable partners to manage its ailing national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, which has an accumulated debt of US$3.5 billion.

A top government source told TTG Asia e-Daily that expressions of interest from interested investors will be called in two weeks. Further details were not given at press time.

Earlier on Tuesday this week, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters that the government would absorb the airline’s losses and debts. Promising to retain the airline’s 7,800 workforce, the government has also said that it will finance and manage the airline until October this year when a viable partner is found.

He said: “If we don’t solve the issue of debt in SriLankan Airlines now, the airline will go bankrupt and our tourism sector will also collapse. This should not be allowed to happen.”

Wickremesinghe added that an order for four new A350 aircraft has also been cancelled in the first cost-cutting step, halting its fleet renewal plans announced earlier this year.

The cabinet of ministers have also agreed to enter into a partnership to manage the airline. This is similar to an earlier arrangement with Emirates, before the Dubai-based carrier exited in 2008, which had a 43.6 per cent stake plus management.

A meeting between Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al Baker and Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo in January 2016 had triggered speculation that the Doha-based carrier may be eyeing SriLankan Airlines.

According to its last 2014/15 annual report, SriLankan Airlines suffered a loss of 16.3 billion rupees (US$111.8 million), while assets stood at 78.2 billion rupees.

The airline has been struggling since 2008 due to political interference in operations, mismanagement, previously high oil prices and competition, particularly from the Gulf carriers on the lucrative Middle Eastern routes.

Paul Richardson, newly-appointed executive vice president and COO of the Outrigger Enterprises group

OUTRIGGER Enterprises group has appointed Paul Richardson as its executive vice president and COO.

Based in Hawaii, Richardson will be responsible for the company’s global operations spanning the Asia-Pacific, Oceania and Indian Ocean regions, provide guidance on key topics and issues affecting the company, and oversee and direct strategic operational leadership.

Prior to joining Outrigger, he was based in Shanghai as COO Greater China for AccorHotels. Richardson had also held senior management positions with Starwood Hotels and Resorts over the 10 years that he was with them.