Asia’s new wonderlands

September 2, 2015

Head’s up kids and the young at heart — the following theme parks will make their debut in the next two years

Planet J, Macau
By Raini Hamdi

Opening date & location Opening this summer, Planet J is located in Sands Cotai Central, Macau.

Target Asian markets China, Taiwan and South-east Asia.

USPs Ever imagined playing a RPG online game physically? Planet J is the world’s first player-centric Live-Action-Role-Play theme park.

“At Planet J you won’t find a roller coaster, but out-of-the-world role-playing games, where players can physically act out the actions of fantasy characters, pursue goals and interact with other adventurers between realistic and virtual settings,” explained a spokesperson.

Connecting the players with the park is a mobile device called Magic Scroll, a personalised mobile gear that connects to over 200 whimsical games. Blending state-of-the-art technology and experiential storytelling, it will take players into a total immersive experience, from exhilarating quests for individuals to dazzling group challenges.

Pricing strategy Price packages range from HK$500 (US$65) to HK$1,000, depending on the number of people sharing one magic scroll. Packages include individual passes – i.e. one person entering the park with a magic scroll – or group passes, e.g. two to three players come as a team and share a scroll.

Shanghai Disney Resort
By Paige Lee Pei Qi

Opening date & location Opening in spring 2016 in Pudong, Shanghai.

Target Asian markets China in particular, plus Asia.

USPs Shanghai Disney Resort will be a world-class family vacation destination that combines classic Disney characters and storytelling with the uniqueness and beauty of China.

The resort’s vision is to build an “authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese” destination with unique architectural features. It also targets to provide unique content and experience to mainland Chinese visitors and international guests by introducing Chinese elements in various aspects like festivities, dining and entertainment.

Pricing strategy To be confirmed.

Movie Animation Park Studios, Perak
By S Puvaneswary

Opening date & location Opening mid-2016 in Perak, Malaysia, Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) will be located along the North-South Expressway and a 20-minute drive from Ipoh city.

Target Asian markets Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China and India.

USPs Poised to be Asia’s first animation theme park, MAPS will be one of the most unique and exciting projects underway in the leisure tourism landscape in Malaysia, according to Darren McLean, co-founder and CEO of MAPS.

There will be more than 40 attractions in six themed zones. Highlights include a car and bike live stunt show, DreamWorks Animation Adventure Zone featuring themed attractions such as Mr Peabody & Sherman, The Croods and Casper The Friendly Ghost; South-east Asia’s first Smurfs live animation attraction; and the world’s first BoBoiBoy animation attraction.

Pricing strategy To be revealed by end 2015.

credit-Resorts-World-Genting

20th Century Fox World, Malaysia
By S Puvaneswary

Opening date & location Opening by end-2016 as part of Resorts World Genting.

Target Asian markets South-east Asia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India.

USPs Chow Wei Heng, vice president of marketing, Resorts World Genting, said: “This will be the world’s first 20th Century Fox World theme park. We are bringing the rich heritage of 20th Century Fox movies and television from the screen to be experienced on the ground.

“We cover a wide range of entertainment of family-themed attractions like Ice Age, sci-fi films such as Alien vs Predator and global blockbusters like Night at the Museum.”

Pricing strategy To be confirmed.

Shanghai Haichang Polar Ocean Park
By Prudence Lui

Opening date & location Scheduled to commence operation in 2017, it will be situated on the north-western side of Dishui Lake in Shanghai. The park is a 30-minute drive from Pudong International Airport and an hour’s drive from downtown Shanghai.

Target Asian markets East Asia.

USPs Haichang Holdings aims to create a world-class marine park with the largest number of marine species on exhibition. It also seeks to display the animals innovatively while providing entertainment through marine animal shows, in addition to having a diverse range of science-themed educational programmes.

Pricing strategy To be confirmed.

IMG Worlds of Adventure, Dubai
By Feizal Samath

Opening date & location Opening end-2015 on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

Target Asian markets The Asian market as a whole, in line with the Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s global strategy.

USPs According to Lennard Otto, general manager, IMG Worlds of Adventure: “As the world’s largest indoor temperature-controlled theme park at 140,000m2, we will offer guests a year-round attraction that is insulated from the Gulf’s typically very hot and humid summer months.

“Partnerships with globally renowned brands such as Marvel and Cartoon Network will result in a unique mix of exciting themed rides and attractions catering to a wide range of ages and nationalities.”

Pricing strategy Prices will be revealed closer to the opening date.

Dubai Parks & Resorts
By Feizal Samath

Opening date & location October 2016. The 232ha destination is located on Sheikh Zayed Road close to the Palm Jebel Ali.

Target Asian markets China, Hong Kong, India and South-east Asia.

USPs Vinit Shah, chief destination management officer, said: “Dubai Parks & Resorts will comprise three separate theme parks: Motiongate Dubai, a Hollywood-inspired theme park concept; Legoland Dubai, the first Legoland theme park in the Middle East; and Bollywood Parks Dubai, a first-of-its-kind entertainment destination that will showcase the Bollywood movie experience.”

The multi-themed complex will also feature Lapita Hotel, a Polynesian-themed hotel operated by the Marriott Group, and Riverland Dubai, a waterfront entertainment, retail and dining destination connecting the theme parks.

Pricing strategy The theme parks will adopt an entrance-fee approach where the majority of the rides and attractions will be free. Entrance to Riverland Dubai will be free of charge.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, August 7, 2015 issue, on page 18. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Additional reporting from Paige Lee Pei Qi, S Puvaneswary, Prudence Lui, and Feizal Samath

Opening doors wider

By Rohit Kaul

September 2, 2015

India’s new online visa facility has won plaudits from tourists, but the trade wants the scheme to be further refined and properly marketed to achieve greater results

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is among the airports in India to be implemented with the e-Tourist Visa facility

India’s new e-Tourist Visa (eTV) facility, which enables visitors to arrive at nine Indian airports after applying for the visa online, has fallen short of the expectations to raise international tourist arrivals to the country.

Launched on November 27 last year for citizens of 43 countries – including the US, Germany, Australia, Japan and  Singapore – the eTV scheme was recently extended to China, Macau and Hong Kong, widening the programme to 76 countries.

“We could have recorded significant international tourist arrivals if the facility was extended to major traffic generating countries like the UK, Italy, Spain and Sweden,” said Subhash Goyal, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators.

“Also, the eTV is valid with one entry, this facility does not provide double- or multi-entry visa. Most tourists who visit India like to add neighbouring countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan to the itinerary; they do not take India-only holiday packages. We have been pleading since its introduction to have a double-entry visa,” he added.

Added Simone Wan, CEO and managing director, StayWell Hospitality Group: “Traditionally, getting a business visa for India is a difficult process but the Indian government has taken a step in the right direction with the eTV. However, there is a need to educate travellers and overseas tour operators that such a scheme exists.”

Arun Anand, managing director of Midtown Travels, agreed: “It is also important that the ministry of tourism creates awareness in countries which have been extended the scheme, instead of just adding more countries.”

According to India’s ministry of tourism, a total of 110,657 tourists arrived on the eTV from January to May 2015, up 1,024.4 per cent from 9,841 during the same period last year. However, this growth may be attributed to the introduction of the eTV for 76 countries, compared with the visa-on-arrival scheme that was extended to 12 countries.

Anand said: “The best way to gauge the success of the eTV is to compare total tourist arrivals from the markets that have been provided with the facility to the number of tourists arriving from these markets on eTVs.”

About 2.8 million foreign tourists visited India between January and April 2015, a mere increase of 2.7 per cent from the previous year, according to statistics from India’s Ministry of Tourism (MOT). Foreign tourist arrivals in May 2015 was about 500,000, a growth of 9.2 per cent year-on-year.

“Since the facility was launched at the end of the last year, we have to give it some time before its success can be measured,” urged Lalit Panwar, secretary of MOT.

Despite the lukewarm response from the trade, some tour operators have seen a spike in growth since the facility was introduced last year, enabling them to tap segments like luxury and weekend travellers.

“The eTV has allowed for spontaneous travel decisions. The difficult visa regime in the past resulted in many international tourists opting for other destinations,” said Amal Purandare, head India operations, Arzoo.com. “Its real success can only be gauged in the coming years when there is a significant increase in international tourist arrivals.”

Prashant Narayan, COO and head leisure travel inbound business, Thomas Cook India, said: “With the new government’s pro-tourism intent and introduction of eTV, India has been placed on the tourist radar for both the leisure and MICE segments. (We) have seen 10 to 12 per cent year-on-year growth in booking for inbound tourism.”

This article was first published in TTG Asia, August 7, 2015 issue, on page 23. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Barclay goes into the wild as Wildlife Reserves Singapore CEO

By TTG Asia

September 1, 2015

WILDLIFE Reserves Singapore (WRS) has appointed Mike Barclay as its new CEO with effect from October 1.

Before joining WRS, Barclay was the CEO at Sentosa Development Corporation since August 2008. Prior to that, he spent 16 years with Singapore Airlines, attaining the position of CEO of SilkAir in 2004.

WRS manages Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo.

Credit: Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Evon Ler joins Insight Vacations as Asia president

By TTG Asia

September 1, 2015

INSIGHT Vacations has appointed Evon Ler as president of its Asia operations, taking over from outgoing president Sheryl Lim.

In her new role, Ler is tasked with building sales growth in the Asia markets, creating innovative marketing campaigns to further build brand awareness across the region and working closely with B2B trade partners in Singapore.

Credit: Insight Vacations

Ler recently relocated back to Singapore from Hong Kong, where she was director of sales, South-east Asia for Travelzoo.

She brings with her a wealth of knowledge about local regional markets and the travel industry from her time at Miki Travel, Hutchison-Priceline and Ananda among others.

Thai AirAsia links China to Pattaya with two new routes

By TTG Asia

September 1, 2015

(From left) Pachuen Phornmonkol, consul-general of Royal Thai Consulate-General, Xiamen; Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia; and Huang zhaochun, deputy general manager of Jiangxi Airport Group. Credit: Thai AirAsia

THAI AirAsia has launched new direct flights to China’s Nanning and Nanchang from its fifth and newest flight base, U-Tapao International Airport in Rayong Province.

The airline will operate four flights per week to Nanning and thrice-weekly flights to Nanchang, providing the two Chinese cities a direct connection to the popular Thai beach city of Pattaya.

Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, said: “We believe that tourism in the east (of Thailand) and Pattaya is growing very rapidly and that U-Tapao Airport is absolutely ready to accommodate regular flights. These beliefs led us to creating our latest flight base and we chose the two Chinese cities of Nanchang and Nanning as its first routes.”

As part of its expansion strategy, the airline plans to acquire two Airbus A320s for the fleet at U-Tapao, revealed Tassapon.

To celebrate the launch, Thai AirAsia is offering all-in promotional fares starting at 990 baht (US$28). Bookings are available from today until September 6, 2015 for travel to Nanning from September 25, 2015 to August 31, 2016, and to Nanchang from September 26, 2015 to August 31, 2016.

Watson powers up Trails of Indochina for next stage of growth

By Raini Hamdi

September 1, 2015

NEW CEO of Trails of Indochina (TOI) John Watson has made a slew of new hires and is consolidating the DMC’s three office locations in Ho Chi Minh City into one this month as part of his strategy to transit the company into the next stage of growth.

Watson, who took charge last April, said he is taking TOI to the next level by tapping new source markets, expanding the DMC’s coverage in the region, raising the quality of operational service to clients, launching new products and embarking on new technological developments.

New senior management appointments include Dan Walsh as vice president North America, Lindy Andrews as director of sales and marketing for Australia and Vincent Esnoul as marketing communications manager.

Watson said: “TOI has always been very strong in North America and Spanish-speaking markets – that will continue. We have, however, been under-performing in some key European markets and will rectify this. We also see other markets such as Africa as a growing source and recently entered into a partnership in Kenya.

“We haven’t put down any firm expectations of passenger numbers from ‘new’ markets at this stage. Our strategy is to rifle-shot high quality B2B partners around the globe and progress slowly but surely.”

To service an anticipated growth of passenger numbers, new country managers will be introduced in two integral operational destinations: Helmut Krause starts his role as country manager Thailand this month, while William Meyrick has been appointed as country manager Cambodia. Moira Lategan has joined as inside sales and reservations manager.

On expanding TOI’s DMC coverage in the region, Thailand remains a destination with “enormous potential” despite the recent bomb blast, he reckoned. TOI has been operating in Thailand since 2007 “but we are relatively small there and will expand as that is what our customers are asking us to do”.

TOI recently opened a new office in Chiang Mai in response to the demand.

“Having lived and worked through the tsunami and several coups, I know how very resilient Thai tourism is. So, recent events have not changed our plans in any way,” said Watson, who was former CEO of Diethelm Travel Group.

TOI has over 180 staff who will operate from one central flagship office from this month. The company has also invested in a new fleet of vehicles due for delivery by November, along with the development of training programmes for staff and guides.

In the fourth quarter, TOI plans XML feeds to key B2B partner sites, along with a new collection of products “to reinforce the brand’s positioning as a provider of high-end experiences to agencies and their clients worldwide”, said Watson.

Switzerland grows SE Asian arrivals despite strong Swiss franc

By TTG Asia

September 1, 2015

SWITZERLAND continues to witness a strong growth in visitor arrivals from South-east Asia for the past six months, despite the revaluation of the Swiss franc earlier this year when the Swiss National Bank abandoned the currency cap with the euro.

It was expected that tourist arrivals would take a hit due to the steep rise in prices of food, accommodation and transport within the country. However, latest figures from Switzerland Tourism show otherwise.

According to Ivan Breiter, director of South-east Asia at Switzerland Tourism, the first half of 2015 saw an increase in visitors from Thailand and Indonesia at 35 per cent and 34.3 per cent respectively. Another promising market is the Philippines, which has shown a consistent 20 per cent annual growth.

In total, Switzerland has logged roughly half a million overnight stays from main markets in South-east Asia in the past year, Breiter added.

Visitors from Malaysia and Singapore, the two biggest South-east Asian markets for Switzerland, experienced a slight drop of eight per cent. However, Breiter attributed the fall to “several record years and over-proportional growth rates (of around 50 per cent annually from both countries) in the last few years”.

He added: “Based on several independent studies and research, we expect to continue with annual growth rates of above 10 per cent for the remainder of the decade.”

By Samuel Ng

Seats for TTG media engagement workshop at ITB Asia going fast

By TTG Asia

September 1, 2015

TTG Asia Media is inaugurating a media engagement workshop at ITB Asia in Singapore and this year’s focus will be: ‘With the next headline-grabbing disaster just around the corner, can you handle the media and the buyers?’

As the industry gets hit by one crisis after another, the workshop will field top journalists and media practitioners giving their views on how to engage the media constructively and creatively, and how crisis management must progress beyond the SOP like media fam trips and using social media.

CEOs from recent disaster-hit destinations will give a reliable account of recovery progress to date and share their thoughts on the media and buyers’ role in rebuilding efforts.

Data-crunchers will pinpoint the common patterns or trends that stand out again and again when a crisis hits – how traffic redirects itself, the role data and intelligence play in crisis management, and how affected destinations can adjust their sales and marketing efforts.

The two-hour, not-for-profit workshop will be held on October 21, 11.00-13.00 at Marina Bay Sands, Sands Convention Centre, Basement 2 Hall D-F. This is within the ITB Asia travel mart and is free for all ITB Asia delegates. Arrangements have also been made for a visitor pass at discounted rates.

Seats are on a first-come, first-served basis as the room can accommodate only 150 pax. To date, a steady stream of registrations has been received. Whether you are the media, PR practitioner, seller, buyer or NTO official, TTG Asia Media welcomes you to the workshop.

Secure a seat on the website or contact Stephanie Toh at (+65) 6395-7531 or stephanie.toh@ttgasia.com

Journalists and media practitioners speaking at the workshop include Kannan Chandran, founder and publisher of E-Quill News Media and Six-Six News; Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire; and Ken Scott, former journalist and now PR practitioner of Scott Asia Communications.

Listen also to the real experiences and recovery updates from direct sources including Marcus Cotton, managing director of Tiger Mountain Nepal, and Jamili Nais, director of Sabah Parks, who was personally involved in the search, rescue and now rebuilding of Kota Kinabalu mountain trails.

Data-driven analysts include Stewart Hunter, director Asia-Pacific of Sojern, and Todd Arthur, managing director Asia-Pacific of HRS.

Get the updates, listen to the media, hear the facts – register now.

Sri Lanka’s Hayleys ventures into Maldives in latest bout of expansion

By Feizal Samath

September 1, 2015

HAYLEYS Leisure, part of Sri Lanka’s conglomerate Hayleys Group, is investing in a new US$65 million property in the Maldives and a cluster of leisure properties in Sri Lanka.

Lalin Samarawickrama, managing director of Hayleys Leisure, said the proposed five-star hotel in the Maldives will comprise 150 villas and is located within a 30-minute drive from the airport. Construction is expected to commence in January with an opening scheduled for 2018.

This is Hayleys’ first venture into the Maldives, putting it in direct competition with the likes of Aitken Spence Hotels and John Keells Holdings, Sri Lanka’s two largest conglomerates with sizable investments in the island chain.

In addition, Hayleys is investing in six tea plantation bungalows in Sri Lanka’s central hills while another hotel is being developed in the central town of Nuwara Eliya at a cost of 2.5 billion Sri Lankan rupees (US$18 million). Work on the hotel begins early next year.

Hayleys also plans to add 160 rooms to the 229-key The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo and will manage a new 66-unit apartment complex in the capital city in October 2015.

Japan visitor numbers soar to new monthly record in July

By Julian Ryall

September 1, 2015

Credit: 123rf

A RECORD 1.9 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan in July, marking a staggering 51 per cent jump from the same period in 2014.

Government data also shows that the cumulative total arrivals for the first seven months surpassed 11 million, up nearly 47 per cent from the same period a year earlier.

The positive figures indicate that Japan is on course to meet the target of 20 million arrivals in 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympic and Paralympic games.

“We feel we have done pretty well in the first half of the year,” Susan Ong, deputy director of the Japan National Tourism Organisation’s office in Singapore, told TTG Asia e-Daily.

“There have been a combination of factors behind these impressive figures, including the low yen rate, which has made holidays in Japan much more affordable for people from South-east Asia, in particular,” she said.

Another major factor has been the relaxed visa regulations for tourists from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Ong said she hopes that the shift from single-entry visas to multiple-entry versions can be completed for citizens of Vietnam and the Philippines in the near future.

Inbound tourism to Japan has also been boosted by increased flights by budget airlines such as AirAsia. The Malaysia-based carrier already flies to Tokyo and Osaka and will launch direct services to Sapporo in October.

“I also think that the Japanese travel sector has become more receptive to overseas visitors, such as catering for Muslim travellers by providing prayer rooms in airports and halal meals in hotels and restaurants,” Ong said.

Operators are similarly reporting increased interest in Japan as a destination. Halley Trujillo, senior travel consultant at Inside Japan Tours, said: “We feel there are a number of reasons behind the renewed interest in Japan as a destination, with Japanese TV shows appearing more in Europe and the US, while flights are also becoming more reasonable.

“We have also felt the benefit of the weaker yen and Qantas and Jetstar increasing flights to Japan for Australian travellers,” Trujillo added.