DESPITE earlier resistance from tourism operators, the Maldivian authorities have begun implementing a new Green Tax at US$6 per tourist bed from November 1.

The Green Tax, imposed through an amendment to the Maldives Tourism Act, is payable by tourists who stay in resorts, hotels and tourist vessels. Maldivians and resident permit holders who stay in such properties are exempted, clarified the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority.

Guesthouses are exempted too.

Earlier in January, tourism minister Ahmed Adheeb said the new tax is aimed at protecting the Maldives’ fragile environment. “Revenue generated from the tax will go into managing the waste from local resorts and other islands,” he told local media.

Tourism operators, who declined to be named, have in the past complained of an over-tax regime since 2014. An airport exit tax of US$25 per person came into effect in July last year. While the Maldives discontinued a US$8 tax per bed per night in November last year, Goods and Services Tax rose from eight to 12 per cent that same month.

In related news, official data has shown a rising demand for mid- and lower-end rooms in the high-end destination. Resort occupancy fell by 3.5 per cent in September 2015 while guesthouse occupancy had risen by 7.2 per cent.

Mohamed Ali, vice president of the Association of Travel Agents, said while arrivals are on track this year, many visitors are opting for new mid- and low-end accommodation like guesthouses.

MELIÁ Hotels International is moving into the Thai market after signing an agreement with one of the kingdom’s leading real estate developers, TCC Land Asset World, a move it hopes will lead to 3,000 to 5,000 rooms in the medium term.

The Spanish chain currently has 40 per cent of its upcoming projects in Asia.

The initial accord with TCC Land Asset World, part of the TCC Group, will cover three hotels in a first phase.

“This will represent a new push for expansion in the region,” said a Meliá spokesperson.

Both entities are existing business partners, having launched their first property in the Vietnamese capital, the Meliá Hanoi.

Their new venture in Thailand will begin with Sol Beach House on Koh Samui. A conversion of the existing Imperial Boat Koh Samui, the property is due to reopen within two years with 209 rooms including 33 boat suites which were originally rice barges.

The sites and sizes of the other two hotels are yet to be decided but one will be a luxury lifestyle hotel under the ME label in Bangkok and the other an upmarket, all-inclusive Paradisus brand in a beach location.

Leading Thai destinations such as Phuket and Pattaya have also been earmarked for expansion, while more hotels will likely emerge in Bangkok and Koh Samui.

Gabriel Escarrer, vice president and CEO of Meliá, said: “We have always gone for an expansion accompanied by leading local partners. Entering a destination of such extraordinary potential as Thailand hand in hand with TCC Land Asset World fulfils all our expectations.

“The incorporation of our first hotels in Thailand – a star destination for markets such as Germany, Russia and Eastern Europe – is a transcendental step in the expansion of our holiday brands.”

THE recent sanction lift has sparked a scramble to open Iran to international visitors, attracted by its ancient Persian history, 17 World Heritage Sites, as well as natural attractions, according to Euromonitor’s WTM Global Trends Report 2015 identifying top emerging travel trends.

Here are the other trends from the report:

The new American dream: work less, play hard
A growing number of American companies are offering unlimited vacation time to create a happier, loyal and motivated staff, which will have an effect on travel bookings.

Smart technology drives travel to UK’s secondary cities
Digitalisation and hi-tech solutions are redefining the tourist offerings of UK urban centres to boost travel outside of London, currently the jewel in the crown of UK tourism.

‘Hipster Holidays’ revolutionise European city break
Young and hip travellers’ interest in alternative city areas opens new business opportunities and helps in diversifying urban attractions in European cities struggling with excessive tourism.

Travel 3.0: the advent of smart travel
Smart technology is transforming the tourism industry with personalised services to create enjoyable experiences suited to a traveller’s individual preferences.

Technology start-ups changing the face of Africa
With technology start-ups flourishing across the continent, Africa is entering a new era of innovation, which will help change the perception to international tourists.

Luxury hotels keeping in with the crowd
Luxury hotels are turning to crowdsourcing and crowdfunding to get their properties financed, rather than relying on traditional sources of investment.

Sharing economy heads to China
After a shaky start, the sharing economy is taking off in China, with the rise of new local players in 2014, a trend boosted by the number of Chinese millennials.

Travel for the Indian unbanked
Travel firms are adopting ‘cash-on-delivery’ payments to cater to the half a billion Indians without a bank account.

GLOBAL travel and event management company ATPI Group has doubled its headcount in Malaysia through the acquisition of DTC Travel, a former partner of the group, and strengthened its Singapore team with enhanced management roles.

ATPI Malaysia, located in Kuala Lumpur, will be led by Karen Salvador who takes on the role of managing director, Malaysia.

In Singapore, the ATPI team welcomes three promotions.

Vivian Choo moves into the role of regional director, strategic sales for the ATPI Group across Asia-Pacific and her remit will cover South-east Asia. Prior to joining the group a year ago, Choo held senior business development roles for various leading international travel management companies.

Matthew Stewart will fill the role of managing director for Singapore. He previously held senior sales and account management roles for Griffin, the international travel company acquired by the ATPI Group in November 2014.

He will be supported by Kelly Jones in the newly created role of regional head of key account management – Far East, with responsibility for the team throughout Asia-Pacific, an expanded remit from her previous role as head of regional key account management.

The Singapore office has also been relocated to larger premises.

Graham Ramsey, ATPI Group CEO, said: “Growing our presence in Asia-Pacific has been a key objective for us in recent years. We believe that our people offer a global perspective, combined with the best regional knowledge, which when united with our global buying power, benefits clients from all industry sectors.”

The ATPI Group now has 22 offices across Asia-Pacific.

CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Goup has launched a Catch the Season promotion where travellers can enjoy a 25 per cent discount off Best Available Rates with bookings from November 2, 2015 to January 31, 2016 for stays by February 29, 2016.

This promotion is valid at Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson as well as Country Inns & Suites by Carlson hotels across Asia Pacific.

Club Carlson loyalty programme members will also earn Double Elite Qualifying Nights during their stays from November 2 till end of the year. Members will also enjoy discounts on F&B purchases and earn points on F&B charged to the room.

Catch the Season bookings can be made either online at www.clubcarlson.com/catch-the-season, all the brand websites, or directly with the hotels.

MELIÁ Hotels International (MHI) has introduced a new programme, PengYou by Meliá, to better cater to its Chinese guests through staff training and adding of new services.

The PengYou initiative, which means ‘friends’ in Chinese, includes a Mandarin language training class for hotel staff, the acceptance of Chinese credits cards from Union Pay, and the availability of Chinese TV programmes and channels in all rooms. Additionally, minibar products and menus will feature items representative of the Chinese region and in-room materials will also be in Mandarin.

PengYou by Meliá will first be implemented in hotels across Asia-Pacific, as well as the Meliá Madrid Princesa and Meliá Barcelona Sarria in Spain, and the Meliá Nassau Beach in the Bahamas. Following which, the programme will extend to 80 other hotels across Europe including Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK.

As well, MHI hopes to achieve the China Outbound Tourism Quality Service Certification for its China-friendly hotels – the only accreditation recognised by the Chinese government and recommended by the Spanish Tourism Office (TURESPAÑA).