EVEN as Expedia’s business continues to bank heavily on the hotel and flight segments, they are making clear their “serious intention” in capturing a slice of the tours and activities pie.

While the travel giant had always offered tours and activities on their platform, it has recently introduced new investments as testament to its commitment to the sector.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of a panel discussion during Expedia’s global media tour last week, Brian Keffeler, principal global product manager, local expert and ground transportation, Expedia, said: “We recognise that activities are such a fundamental part of travel and it is not enough for us to just take our customers and send them somewhere with a flight. We want to help them build the entire trip.”

To leverage on the rise in mobile device usage, Keffeler pointed out that Expedia’s smartphone app now allows travellers to book tours immediately. To raise awareness of this, Expedia has spent an estimated US$6.4 million on national TV advertising in the US last September to promote the more than 11,000 tours and activities bookable through the app.

According to Keffeler, the tours and activities category has been expanding well across the US and Europe, but there is still a “huge growth area” present in Asia.

Last December, Expedia also announced its API for in-destination tours which would allow local activity suppliers to integrate reservation systems directly with the Expedia ecosystem.

When asked about competition posed by similar suppliers like Viator, Keffeler said: “There is a lot of space to go around and we do not focus too hard on the competitor.

“For Expedia, we are already offering the opportunities for people to buy a flight, a hotel and it makes sense for us to offer rental cars and activities. We want to provide customers with a one-stop place and not (have any) missed opportunities,” he explained.

THE Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is looking at doubling air navigation facility charges instead of a massive 10-fold hike proposed a week ago.

According to reports, the drastic decrease is a result of Malaysia’s transport minister Liow Tiong Lai’s belief that the much smaller hike will not then cause a rise in consumer airfare prices, a contentious point in the ongoing saga.

This comes in the wake of seven of Malaysia’s major carriers banding together in an effort to form a new airline association, the Association of Malaysian Air Carriers (AMAC), to leverage their bargaining power against the DCA.

The proposed fee increase is the first review by the DCA in 40 years, and is meant to help meet its increasing operating costs while at the same time have a reasonable return on assets in order improve and to serve the industry better.

Liow had also earlier said that 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 vet the department.

A unit at the Metropole Bangkok, set to open in June

ASCOTT has unveiled The Crest Collection, a selection of some of the serviced residence provider’s managed properties that will retain the owner’s branding.

The debut collection comprises the soon-to-open 116-unit Metropole Bangkok and three of Ascott’s renamed Citadines Suites properties in Paris, now known as the La Clef Champs-Élysées Paris (70 keys, opening 2018), La Clef Louvre Paris (51 keys) and La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris (112 keys).

“The Crest Collection opens up more opportunities for us to work with property owners who want Ascott to manage their property while maintaining its unique features,” said Ascott’s CEO Lee Chee Koon.

Elaborating on the direction of the collection, Alfred Ong, Ascott’s managing director for Europe, said: “The Crest Collection is created to distinguish Ascott’s exclusive collection of unique luxury serviced residences that are designed with elegant and classic European flair. It caters to corporate and leisure travellers looking for a quintessential lifestyle in a homely space.”

“To greater differentiate our Citadines properties and The Crest Collection in France, we are renaming the Citadines Suites properties to La Clef, which represents ‘The key’ to a memorable experience through the art of luxury living,” explained Ong.

As one of the strongest economies in the Eurozone and a top tourist destination with over 84 million arrivals in 2015, France is a key market for Ascott and is the company’s largest market, home to its largest portfolio outside of Asia.

The Ascott is based in Singapore and operates over 27,000 serviced residences in 100 cities across 27 countries.

SEVEN Malaysian carriers have joined forces to form the Association of Malaysian Air Carriers (AMAC), in the wake of a sudden 10-fold hike in operator fees by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) proposed earlier this week.

If approved by the respective airline boards and the Registrar of Societies, the founding airlines of AMAC will comprise Malaysia Airlines, MASwings, Firefly, AirAsia, AirAsia X, Malindo Air and Berjaya Air. Membership is open to all Malaysian air carriers.

According to a joint statement released by the airlines, the purpose of AMAC is to provide a common platform for discussion of issues affecting the aviation industry.

With all the main operators represented, the association also hopes to provide a singular voice for the airlines while at the same time represent common industry interests among institutions such as the Ministry of Transport, DCA and the Malaysian Aviation Commission.

The statement further adds that AMAC will engage in subjects such as enhanced air traffic control services, aeropolitical concerns, safety and security standards in airports and other related issues.

It concludes that by joining forces, the airlines will be in a better position to promote growth for the industry and to create jobs for the sector and for the broader aviation ecosystem.

The Costa Concordia when it was sinking near the island of Giglio in 2012

THE Spanish Supreme Court has awarded 22 passengers who were aboard the Costa Concordia cruise liner when it sank in 2012 moral damages amounting to 12,000 euros (US$13,500).

They were among 177 Spanish citizens who were rescued from the ship when it ran into rocks near the Italian island of Giglio during the night, resulting in the loss of 32 lives.

The Association of Spaniards Affected by Concordia 2012 was consequently formed by the 177 rescued Spaniards to seek a much higher compensation than that offered by the ship’s operators, Costa Crociere, for their physical and moral suffering.

They had asked for 60,000 euros in compensation each, but the Spanish Supreme Court, the highest appeal court in Spain, upheld a lower court decision to award just 1,000 euros more than Costa Crociere’s offer of 11,000 euros per passenger.

In a statement, the appeal judge said the lower court had been correct in deciding that all passengers should be treated equally in compensation for moral damages.

However, 17 of the rescued will receive varying additional levels of compensation for physical injuries suffered while escaping the sinking ship, as verified by medical reports prepared by Costa Crociere’s doctors.

The Italian captain of the Costa Concordia was given a jail sentence of 16 years for manslaughter in February 2015, after acknowledging he steered the ship too close to the island.