Tripfez founder and CEO, Faeez Fadhlillah

TRIPFEZ, a new B2C travel booking engine dedicated to the Muslim travel market, was launched last week at ITB Berlin.

“Tripfez is a virtual shop window showcasing halal-friendly travel solutions to a captive but underserved audience of 108 million Muslim travellers,” explained founder & CEO, Faeez Fadhlillah.

“These travellers already represent at least 10 per cent of the entire travel economy and are increasingly making travel purchasing decisions based on their religious beliefs.”

The portal allows suppliers to register their Muslim-friendly tours and manage their allocations, inventory and pricing.

At present, Tripfez features more than 200,000 halal-friendly hotels globally, at least 10,000 of which are certified by Salam Standard – a hotel reference system for Muslim travellers launched by Fadhlillah last year.

Similarly, agents who register their Muslim-focused tours with Tripfez will be asked to meet certain criteria before they are distributed through the website.

Tripfez will also be showcased at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM), held in Dubai from April 25 to 28.

Yuthasak Supasorn, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor

THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is scheduled to open an office in the Czech Republic capital of Prague in August, adding to the current network of 35 offices in Thailand and 27 offices overseas.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn first announced the plan to open the TAT Prague Office at ITB Berlin 2016, which concluded last week.

“The German and European markets remain very important to us because they have the highest length of stay, more than twice the overall average,” said Yuthasak Supasorn.

“We have seen the prospective sign and a strong growth in Eastern Europe. So, the office in Prague has been established to specifically oversee this growing market in order to uphold Thailand as a quality getaway to tourists in this region,” he added, referring to plans to better reach the markets of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine through the Prague outpost.

Last year, visitor arrivals from Eastern Europe totalled more than 364 thousand. This amounted to more than 636 million euros (US$705 million) in tourism receipts, a year-on-year increase of 9.7 per cent.

Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourim & Sports of Thailand

PLANS by the Thai government to introduce extra public holidays in May and July this year have been welcomed enthusiastically by the travel trade.

According to tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the additional holidays will fall on May 6, a Friday, the day after Thailand’s Coronation Day, and July 18, a Monday, the day before the Asarnha Bucha festival.

This will place two new long weekends in Thailand’s calendar and is designed in part to promote domestic tourism.

“Whenever we have more long weekends, there will surely be more travelling, both domestic and outbound,” said Surapong Techaruvichit, president of the Thai Hotels Association, adding that he expects more than 90 per cent of tourists to be travelling domestically.

“It will be very good for hotels and destinations all over Thailand. I do not have any figures to support this, but hotel occupancies over long weekends are always higher than normal weekends,” he added.

Boracay Airport can only handle low-capacity aircrafts at present

INCREASED capacity, better accessibility and reduced airfares to some of the world’s most popular beaches are expected when an expanded Boracay Airport debuts in the Caticlan region in 1Q2017.

According to Cesar Chiong, general manager, Boracay Airport, the airport is currently capable of handling 72-seater turboprop aircrafts only, but will be getting an extended runway that can handle bigger aircraft. It will also boast increased passenger capacity, from the current one million to five million.

Paul So, managing director, Great Sights Travel and Tours, said the opening of the expanded Boracay Airport will also reduce airfares as more airlines operate routes there and compete for market share.

With greater connectivity and improved safety features, the upgraded airport will be a boon for corporates and MICE travellers as well, says Kat Cruz, team leader, meetings and events, American Express Transnational.

Cruz noted that when she brought an incentive group of 340 to Boracay last month, they had to take several flights because Caticlan airport can only handle small, low capacity planes.

THE Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) is on its fourth sales mission to South-east Asia with 18 participating exhibitors, the largest delegation to date, a sign of the potential that the region’s markets hold despite a global economic slowdown.

This is also the first time the roadshow was extended to Singapore, besides the traditional cities of Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok.

Clement Laloux, director of marketing, PCVB, who was in Kuala Lumpur on March 14, said: “Singapore is an (airline) hub in South-east Asia. With a small population base, it may not have the volume, but there are quality tourists whom we want to reach out to, people who will spend a lot.”

Laloux described 2015 as a “good year” with a 5 to 10 per cent visitor growth from South-east Asia compared to the previous year, a majority of whom travelled for leisure.

He further characterised incentive travel from Asia to Paris as “developing quickly”, especially from China. Laloux cited Amway China as an example, who had recently sent 1,400 delegates on a seven-night programme to Paris.

Even though incentive groups from South-east Asia are far smaller than from China, with an average of 50 to 200 people per group, they are just as important, said Laloux.

He added that the South-east Asian markets have evolved over the last five years with a growing number of FIT visitors staying in Paris to feel the pulse of the city, rather than be in the outskirts to save on accommodation costs.

Asked for his forecast in 2016, he said: “I hope we will see the same growth, but it is too early in the year to tell.”

Hambantota Resort & Spa by Shangri-La, Sri Lanka

SHANGRI-LA’s Hambantota Resort & Spa, opening on June 1, will be the first internationally-branded luxury resort to be built in developing Hambantota, located on Sri Lanka’s southern coastline.

With the town of Hambantota a distance away from Colombo International Airport, Shangri-La provides a 25-seater private luxury coach transfer. Guests can also choose to arrive at the closer Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport – located 35km from the resort – via Fly Dubai, and Rotana Jet, as well as domestically via Cinnamon Air and Sri Lankan Airlines.

Spanning over 18ha, the 300-key beachfront Hambantota Resort & Spa, inclusive of 26 suites, features lush tropical gardens, an 18-hole golf course, an artisan village and a variety of adventure options.

F&B outlets include all-day diner Bojun Hala, hawker-style eateries Sera, oceanfront Beach Grill restaurant, as well as lounge spots Giman Hala, 19th Hole Bar and the Lobby Lounge.

For facilities, Shangri-La’s signature CHI Spa is available, highlighting the region’s famed Ayurvedic treatments, as well as a gym, dive centre, 30-metre lap pool, freeform pool, tennis court and retail offerings.

Also on site is a multi-purpose events space spanning over 2,525m², designed for hosting conferences, meetings, and weddings, while a variety of smaller function rooms and outdoor pavilions cater to a range of events requirements.

Hambantota Resort & Spa is the first of two Shangri-La hotels under development in Sri Lanka and the group’s third resort in the Indian Ocean. The second hotel – Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo – is slated to open in 2017.