Credit: Sabre
TRAVEL technology provider Sabre has appointed Fanny Yeung as the new general manager for Sabre Travel Network.
Prior to this, Yeung was the director for product analysis and implementation support for Asia at Travel Innovation Partners. She had also worked for 20 years at Abacus, which was recently acquired by Sabre.
In her new role, Yeung will be in charge of operations, market growth, strategic partnerships and brand advocacy in Hong Kong.
THE upcoming Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) will be held at the Venetian Macao from 12 to 14 October, 2015 under the theme of Belt and Road Initiative – Unleashing the New Dynamics of Cultural Tourism.
Building upon the premise of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road which represents open and inclusive regional and international cooperation, GTEF 2015 will explore subject matters like connectivity, public-private partnership, Chinese consumers behaviour, overseas investment trends and cultural heritage.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Peter Wong, vice chairman of GTEF and the executive chairman of China Chamber of Tourism, said: “China is already well known to be the largest outbound tourism market, and it will grow to be the largest inbound market as well.
“So anything that happens in China is going to deeply affect the world because of its extent and influence,” said Wong.
Pointing out how GTEF stands out from the other tradeshows, he said: “What makes us different is that we are the only platform that feature official channels sharing about the latest China policies, as well as key players from the private sector.”
Programme highlights this year will include direct dialogue sessions between tourism ministers from The Pacific Alliance partners like the nations of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Selected Asian countries and private sector CEOs will also be attending and examining tourism’s role in the area of cross-regional cooperation.
For panel discussions, understanding Chinese consumer behaviour and the impact of cultural tourism will take the spotlight.
Since its launch in 2012, the GTEF has attracted over 3,000 participants from 45 countries and regions. It has also welcomed 49 provincial and municipal delegations from China. Wong said they are looking forward to welcome more than 1,000 international participants in this coming forum.
Credit: Silversea Cruises
SILVERSEA Expeditions has released its 2016 brochure for travellers looking to tour the Arctic, Antarctic and New Zealand Sub-Antarctic.
Named Explore the Polar Realms, the expedition consists of 12 departures spread throughout 2016 with voyages ranging from seven to 18 days aboard the Silver Explorer or Silver Discoverer.
Highlights include navigating the icy and rugged landscapes of Svalbard, spotting Southern elephant seals and king penguins on the shores of South Georgia, experiencing the enormity of Prince Christian Sound with strolls through the lush rata trees and giant ferns of Campbell Island, embarking on Zodiac excursions around magnificent glaciers and encountering the polar bear in its natural habitat.
Fares for the voyages start from US$7,350 per person for a nine-day journey while longer 18-day voyages start from US$17,950 per person.
Fees are inclusive of all guided shore and Zodiac expeditions, accommodation, butler services, meals and complimentary wines, champagne and spirits served throughout the ship.
MALAYSIA’s Ministry of Finance will be reviewing Tourism Malaysia’s promotional and advertising budget, which had been slashed by 25 per cent or RM50 million (US$12 million) from an initial budget of RM200 million earlier this year.
The budget cut was the result of tumbling oil prices which had forced the government to trim its spending and operating expenditure.
According to a report on the Sunday Star, Chua Tee Yong, Malaysia’s deputy finance minister had said: “We will look into the issue, but we need to take into consideration the fiscal demands on the government.”
When contacted by TTG Asia e-Daily, Hamzah Rahmat, president of the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents, said: “When the promotional and advertising budget is cut, it means less tourists will visit Malaysia. As tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner, agencies that bring revenue such as Tourism Malaysia should not have its budget cut.”
Last year, tourism receipts rose by 10 per cent to RM72 billion from RM65.4 billion in 2013. The Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 campaign is expected to help the country achieve the target of 29.4 million arrivals and RM89 billion in tourism receipts this year.
However, with the budget cut as well as dismal 1Q arrival figures for 2015, which saw a drop of 8.6 per cent year-on-year from seven million arrivals in 1Q2014, trade members have expressed doubts that this year’s target will be met.
Mint Leong, secretary-general of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said: “To maximise yield with a reduced budget, Tourism Malaysia should target key markets that can bring revenue to the country, such as China and India. We should implement visa-free travel for tourists from both countries as these are good markets with a big population of middle and high net income individuals.”
Arokia Das, senior manager at Luxury Tours Malaysia advocates Tourism Malaysia to have dialogues with the travel trade on what will sell. “With inputs from industry players, there can be a more holistic approach for promotions going forward,” he said.
Ally Bhoonee, executive director at World Avenues, meanwhile, urges the Malaysian NTO to conduct more B2B roadshows in key markets while adopting a more stringent approach with mega fam trips to optimise funds.
He remarked: “What’s happening now is that agency bosses are extending the invitations to junior staff instead. Some of them do not speak English and they don’t know the product. How will they go back and sell Malaysia? We need to bring in decision makers and product managers who can feature the destination in their brochures and websites.”
GLOBAL research agency GFK and the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) have struck a partnership together to introduce a uniformed reporting currency to the travel industry.
With the agreement in place, participating AFTA members will now contribute to a weekly, consolidated, forward-bookings measurement using the GfK Travelscan business tool.
“We’re delighted to be working with AFTA to introduce a new travel industry market currency to Australia”, said Gwenno Hopkin, general manager of Gfk Australia. “The Gfk Travelscan product is already established in Europe and is being rolled-out throughout APAC,” added Hopkin.
Jayson Westbury, CEO of AFTA, believes that “as the travel agency community becomes more self-sufficient and less reliant on government in this industry-regulated environment”, travel data will be important to help sustain and establish good travel agents across Australia.
“I encourage all travel agency owners to get involved in this industry-wide initiative and to be part of sharing data with Gfk”, he said.
Credit: Wanda Realm Taian
WANDA Hotels & Resorts has opened Wanda Realm Taian in Shandong, which marks the company’s 77th property worldwide and 30th Wanda Realm hotel in China.
Located in Taian’s CBD, the hotel forms part of the Wanda Plaza Complex, next to the Taishan International Conference & Exhibition Centre, and is a 10 minutes’ drive from the Taian railway station as well as to the entrance to Mount Tai.
The hotel offers 283 guest rooms and suites housed between the building’s 25th to 37th floors with room sizes starting at 40m², featuring bathrooms outfitted with rain shower, standing bathtub and luxury toiletries.
Amenities include a fitness centre, indoor heated swimming pool and executive lounge.
For dining options, Zhen Chinese Restaurant offers a combination of Cantonese and local Shandong cuisine; Chilli & Pepper features authentic Sichuan cuisine; and the Lobby Lounge offers coffee, tea and evening cocktails alongside light refreshments.
The hotel also caters to events with the grand ballroom offering 1,200m² of pillar-free space and a 85m² LED screen. For smaller meetings, there are seven separate private meeting rooms equipped with multimedia facilities and free high-speed Internet.
To celebrate the launch, the hotel is offering special introductory rates from now until December 31, 2015, where Deluxe Room rates are priced at RMB 598 (US$93.90) per night.
Credit: Frasers Hospitality
FRASERS Hospitality has acquired a serviced residence property in Dalian for RMB481.4 million (US$71 million), which will open in 2017 as Frasers Suites Dalian.
Gearing towards its global target of 30,000 keys by 2018/19, the acquisition is one of 16 new properties the company will be establishing in China. This will bring Frasers portfolio in China to over 30 properties with over 7,000 keys, including Changsha, Dalian, Hefei, Nanchang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wuxi, Xiamen, Chengdu and Shanghai.
Residence types at the 259-unit Fraser Suites Dalian range from contemporary studios to luxurious three-bedroom apartments and facilities include a gym, swimming pool and meeting spaces.
Choe Peng Sum, CEO of Frasers Hospitality, said: “With a growth rate of seven per cent per annum, one cannot ignore the strength of China’s position as the world’s second largest economy and a strong magnet for foreign direct investment.
“Investing in Dalian, one of the country’s top 10 fastest growing cities, is our investment in the future of China. The 16 new additions not only strengthen our network in China but also place us strategically in one the country’s most thriving cities.”
Credit: Pan Pacific Perth
PAN Pacific Perth has launched a new premier tier of rooms after a multi-million dollar makeover which saw 124 rooms and suites being completely remodelled.
Together with design company Hassell, the hotel refurbished the rooms in order to better suit modern travellers.
Each premium room is equipped with new technology like interactive LED TVs and iPhone docking stations while the marble bathrooms are decked out with new lighting facilities as well as designer fittings and amenities. Rooms also include an appointed workspace with improved WiFi connectivity.
Credit: Pan Pacific Perth
In addition, Pan Pacific Perth is renovating the hotel lobby to include a new water feature and upgraded, pod-style check-in counters.
PASSENGERS travelling from Beijing to Mumbai can now avoid transfer flights following the introduction of Air China’s new service, set to commence on October 15, 2015.
The new Beijing-Mumbai flights will be operating four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, requiring seven hours to make the journey.
Air China is also slated to soon introduce direct flights from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa.
THE industry has given a mixed welcome to plans by the Thai government to bring in national standards for tour guides and operators.
Draft legislation had already received approval this past week. “The draft covers several issues including the guidelines for granting the tour guide licence, protective measures for travellers on cancellation policy and the suspension of licenses when regulations have been violated by tour operators,” stated a government website.
One of the suggested reforms receiving a welcome was the idea of travellers needing to have insurance.
“I think the insurance is a good thing,” Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, vice president, budget and planning of the Tourism Council of Thailand told TTG Asia e-Daily, pointing out that most developed countries have it anyway.
Where there was less agreement was how to go about raising standards.
“I don’t know about minimum standards. There are too many things that need to be considered for the profession,” said Wirot Titaprasertnand, president of Thailand’s Professional Guides Association.
Wirot added that not all guides are active, which complicates things. Work depends on the season, the market and sometimes the languages spoken or needed.
More frequent licensing might also not be the way to go.
“It’s not the way to solve the problem,” said Thanet, pointing out that requiring licenses more often creates work the government might not be able to finish fast enough. There are some 50,000 guides currently registered with the Department of Tourism.
Another issue is the need for the Thai government to consult the industry, something all sources contacted said.
A proposal for national rather than optional company uniforms was suggested in June, but has seemingly been dropped after heated trade debate.
