IN a bid to accelerate its expansion in mainland China, Ascott has partnered with Dongfu Investment Development – a real estate subsidiary of China’s largest state-owned construction and infrastructure builder, China State Construction Engineering Company.

Kevin Goh, Ascott’s managing director for North Asia, said: “Mainland China is Ascott’s largest market. We have recorded three consecutive years of expansive growth in the country with more than 2,000 units added year-on-year.”

He added that demand for quality serviced residences in mainland China is likely to grow, riding on the growing popularity of domestic travel especially to first and second tier cities.

Kicking off the Ascott-Dongfu Investment partnership is a management contract for the 148-unit Citadines Guoxitai Xi’an, slated to open in 2018.

This adds to Ascott’s portfolio of more than 14,000 units in 24 cities owned and operated by them in mainland China.

Ascott has further plans to leverage the partnership and expand in cities such as Shanghai and Jinan as it advances towards its target of 20,000 units in the country by 2020, Goh added.

EMPLOYMENT in Asia-Pacific’s travel and hospitality industry is expected to remain healthy this year, bucking the trend forecasted in most other sectors, according to a study conducted by ACI HR Solutions.

The ACI HR Solutions 2016 Travel and Hospitality Industry Salary and Employment Trends Report indicates that 44 per cent of hiring managers surveyed expected new headcounts in 2016, albeit with more modest volumes compared to previous years.

Andrew Chan, founder and CEO, ACI HR Solutions, said: “As in the previous surveys we have conducted since 2012, salary continues to be an important factor for candidates. A total of 41 per cent indicated they would need to see 11 to 22 per cent salary increase when considering a new job.”

He added: “Notwithstanding, the importance of career development was also similar to recent results with a total of 69 per cent of all respondents indicating that career progression was either ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’ and only five per cent saying career progression was unimportant.”

In a worrying trend, 30 per cent of respondents felt career prospects with their present employer were ‘poor’ or ‘zero’, compared to 26 per cent from last year’s survey. This percentage has been increasing for the third year running.

Compounding on this is 47 per cent of employed respondents indicating that they would change employers in 2016, with a further 12 per cent contemplating leaving the industry altogether.

And while 77 per cent of respondents indicated that they have received a pay increase in the past 12 months, it appears that salary gains in some countries are slowing, with Singaporean and Indonesian respondents experiencing a 15 per cent and 30 per cent decline in pay raise respectively.

Modest increments were seen in Thailand (12 per cent), Malaysia (8 per cent) and Hong Kong (4 per cent) in this year’s report, with the highest average annual salaries once again belonging to Macau (US$109,621) and Hong Kong (US$85,596). Indonesia posted the survey’s lowest average salary at US$44,492.

DETERMINED to strengthen its position as a cruising destination, the Philippines will implement this year a development strategy put together by Sydney-based Chart Management Consultants and funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

It includes plans to upgrade Philippine’s ports, of which four were identified as priorities: Manila, Boracay, Subic and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, said undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism, Benito Bengzon Jr.

Shore excursions in all destinations will have to be improved and marketing stepped up, Bengzon said during the sidelines of the PATA Philippine Chapter’s first general assembly last Thursday.

He added that promotional efforts are already in motion with the country’s participation in major cruise events in Miami and the Asia-Pacific, and with the publication of the first ever Philippine Cruise Guide in 2014.

Cruise passengers have been growing at an average rate of 50 per cent over the past three years, from 19,313 in 2013 to 32,382 in 2014 and to 35,236 in 2015. The target this year is 65,000.

As of press time, 21 cruise ships are expected to make 59 ports of call in the Philippines this year, with more to be expected. In 2015, 22 cruise ships made 70 ports of call in the country.

Song Hoi-see (fifth from right), founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group and Teo Chew Hoon (fourth from right), senior vice president, airside concessions division of Changi Airport Group, jointly officiated the grand opening of Aerotel Singapore last week alongside other VIP guests

The ‘M’ sized room at Aerotel Singapore

The world’s first swimming pool located within an airport

The Aerotel Library Lounge

Read more about Aerotel Singapore in our preview article here.

AN agreement to increase flights between the US and Haneda International Airport in Tokyo was reached between the US and Japan last week.

“(US representatives) have worked diligently with their counterparts in Japan to find a way to provide business and leisure travellers more options to conveniently fly between Tokyo and the US,” said Brian Schatz, the US Senator for Hawaii.

“Adding more options into Haneda complements Japan’s desire to expand international flights, supports consumers, and aligns with tourism goals of the US.”

According to a statement from Schatz’s office, the agreement results in two new flight slots between the US and Haneda while also converting the four existing nighttime flights into daytime flights.

Air carriers will be able to bid for the new flight slots in the coming months.

INDUSTRY players in Sri Lanka are elated that SriLankan Airlines will not be scrapping all flights to Europe, a move earlier considered due to losses made from the routes.

The national carrier had considered pulling out of Europe, with the exception of London, to cut losses while consolidating on profitable routes like India and the Middle East.

“We are delighted. This is a very positive move and shows the government is listening to the industry,” said Hiran Cooray, president of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).

SriLankan Airlines last week announced that it will still discontinue flights to Rome but continue flying to London, Paris and Frankfurt, adding that flight capacity to the Middle East will be increased.

Ajit Dias, chairman, SriLankan Airlines said these frequencies will continue for awhile and there are no more plans to reduce frequencies. “We are also talking to several other airlines on code sharing arrangements (to cover sectors that the airline doesn’t fly to),” he said.

S. Paramanathan, managing director of Atlas Lanka Travels, said arrivals are rising even though it’s the shoulder season and hence not the time to reduce flights to European destinations.