THE Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Committee (YPTDC), keen to expand direct international air connectivity to the province, has met SilkAir to discuss the possibility of starting flights to a second international gateway there.

YPTDC, part of a trade delegation to Singapore last month, would like the Singapore-based regional carrier to consider adding direct flights between Singapore and Lijiang International Airport, in addition to the current four-weekly flights to regional capital Kunming.

Oliver Huang, marketing division director of YPTDC, said: “There are now 12 airports in Yunnan with another four under construction and being planned, making it the province with the most number of airports in China.”

“We want more direct international flights,” said Huang, noting the first intercontinental direct flight was launched between Kunming and Paris in December 2014, while flights between Kunming and Vancouver via Shanghai started in June this year.

However, a SilkAir spokesman has told TTG Asia e-Daily that there are currently no plans for direct flights to Lijiang.

“Nevertheless, we continue to seek opportunities to enhance our network and are constantly reviewing potential new destinations to fly to,” said the airline spokesperson.

JUMEIRAH Group has signed an agreement with Oxley Malaysia to operate the new Jumeirah Kuala Lumpur Hotel and to brand the Jumeirah Living Kuala Lumpur residences. Construction is expected to start in 2016 and complete in 2021.

Both properties will be housed in the same tower located near the Petronas Twin Towers, Maxis Tower and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The 190-key hotel will occupy the upper floors of the tower with amenities including an all-day dining venue, a fine dining restaurant, a lounge and bar, spa, fitness club and swimming pool. The residences will take up the lower floors of the tower.

Jumeirah Group’s agreement with Oxley Malaysia marks the company’s entry into the Malaysian market. It currently operates 23 hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with another 25 in the pipeline. Of those projects, 11 of them are being developed in Indonesia, China and India.

LUFTHANSA and Austrian Airlines has joined Swiss and Brussels Airlines to complete Lufthansa Group’s (LHG) implementation of Amadeus Fare Families to launch the group’s new branded fares consistently across direct and indirect channels.

As such, Amadeus subscribers will now be able to book Lufthansa and Austrian Airline’s new Light, Classic and Flex fares for flights departing as of October 1.

By branding and separating products and services, LHG will be able to show the full value of each fare family and offer greater transparency on product characteristics as well as terms and conditions.

Travel planners will then be able to advise their customers throughout the booking flow, or choose to upsell from one fare family to the next based on individual needs and preferences.

Holger Taubmann, senior vice president of distribution at Amadeus, said: “Through Amadeus Fare Families, airlines can reshape the way they package, display and upsell their branded fares to travel experts and consumers.”

Taubmann added that travellers will profit from the increased transparency, greater travel customisation through the channel of their choice and the capacity to only pay for the services they will use.

THOMAS Cook India has signed an agreement to acquire Kuoni Group’s travel businesses in India and Hong Kong for an estimated US$84.2 million, as party of its strategy to beef up its global travel portfolio.

Thomas Cook India will run Kuoni’s businesses in India and Hong Kong independently and take on the 1,800 employees in both locations.

With the acquisition, travel brands like SOTC and SITA will come under the umbrella of Thomas Cook, which has just acquired Sri Lanka-based DMC Luxe Asia.

Prem Watsa, chairman and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Thomas Cook India, said: “Our acquisition of Kuoni’s tour operating and retailing businesses in India and Hong Kong as well as the Indian inbound business reaffirms our belief in the country’s market potential, as also our strategic intent to explore viable geographies, including the larger Asia opportunity,” he added.

Peter Meier, CEO, Kuoni Group, said: “With the sale of the tour operating activities in India and Hong Kong, we have completed the sale of the outbound business. I’m very pleased that we found forward-looking solutions for the units in India and Hong Kong.”

Kuoni has announced earlier this year that it was seeking buyers for its outbound units.

FOLLOWING the recent inclusion of China, India will be extending its e-Tourist Visa (ETV) initiative to 36 more countries, bringing the total number of countries under the scheme to 113.

New to the list are Malaysia and Taiwan as well as important European source markets like the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden, among others.

The Indian government is also rolling out the ETV facility at seven more airports – Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur, Lucknow, Trichy and Varanasi. With this addition, 16 designated airports in India will offer ETV services.

Sarab Jit Singh, senior vice president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said: “We are trying to convince the government to increase the validity of ETVs from 30 days to 60 days…and increase the 30-day advance booking for ETVs from the present 30 days to six months.”

LANGHAM Hospitality Group will introduce its first property under its new upscale Cordis brand when Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong is rebranded to Cordis, Hong Kong on August 26.

The recently renovated Cordis, Hong Kong will offer 664 guest rooms with a choice of 19 room types, ranging from a 26m2 superior room to the 158m2 chairman suite. All rooms are outfitted with bathtubs.

Other room facilities include a coffeemaker and a 3G-enabled smartphone with unlimited local and international calls to Australia, China, Singapore, the UK and the US, along with 3G data connectivity and Wi-Fi tethering anywhere in the city.

Amenities in the hotel include a rooftop swimming pool, Jacuzzi, fitness studio, spa and 24-hour room service.

For F&B options, there is Ming Court, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant; Alibi, a European-inspired shared-plates restaurant and bar; The Place, an international buffet restaurant; and The Backyard, an al fresco terrace lounge.

There are also 16 meeting and events spaces equipped with projectors and portable touchscreens. The main ballroom also features a high-definition LED screen.