A QUARTER of all Singapore travellers who did not buy travel insurance have regretted their decision, according to a study detailing the top travel mishaps to befall this group.

According to ACE Insurance’s online travel survey conducted with 525 Singaporeans in 4Q2014, 78 per cent of the respondents have experienced a travel mishap, with the top three mishaps being flight delays (54 per cent), falling ill (39 per cent) and baggage loss (19 per cent).

Although over 80 per cent travelled abroad for leisure more than twice a year, nearly one in four have regretted not buying travel insurance for their leisure travel.

While biggest travel worries included being injured in an accident (24 per cent), falling ill (23 per cent) and having valuables or travel documents stolen (15 per cent), the least concern was about political uncertainty and terrorism (nine per cent).

Interestingly, those aged 30 and below are more worried about loss or delay of luggage than those above 40 years old, who are more worried about being injured in an accident.

About 79 per cent of the younger respondents are also not likely to buy travel insurance for short trips, yet they travel more than any other age groups, with 64 per cent travelling more than twice a year.

ACE Singapore country president, Mack Eng, commented: “As more Singaporeans become avid travellers, there is a need to advocate ‘travelling smarter’ and to ensure that they are adequately protected.

“Travel insurance purchase is so convenient these days with the Internet and secured online payment. It is not surprising 65 per cent of respondents from all age groups who buy travel insurance, buy it online.”

The survey involved 525 participants in a study of their travel behaviour.

EVEN as global oil prices continue plummeting to a historic low, airlines are unlikely to benefit immediately due to fuel hedging, which is practised by most major airlines.

Speaking at the opening panel of the Aviation Festival Asia, Shakeel Adam, manging director of international aviation consultancy Aviado Partners, said: “Many airlines cannnot benefit in the short term because they are hedged up to 80 per cent, years in advance. So those who will benefit are often the cash-rich ones.”

According to International Air Transport Association, while fuel costs account for a third of airlines’ operating costs on average, the savings on fuel relative to the oil price decline are not as straightforward.

Sharing similar sentiments, Finnair COO, Juha Järvinen, said: “We are hedged from 60 to 80 per cent so possibly we will see more impact in the second half of the year rather than the first half.”

Adam suggests it is instead more viable for airlines to look at using fuel-efficient aircraft, pointing to Finnair as an example. Last December, the airline announced the additional order of eight A350 XWBs, which would provide at least 25 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.

Järvinen said: “Fuel prices will go up and down. At the end of the day, it is the fuel efficiency savings and the unit cost that is the key.”

Separately, Singapore Airlines (SIA) yesterday announced it will reduce fuel surcharges for tickets issued on or after February 26. The reduction will apply to SIA and SilkAir flights, representing a decrease of US$5 to US$83 per sector, depending on the distance and class of travel.

THE EcoTourism Bohol Programme scheduled for launch later this month is one of the major initiatives to repackage the province as a prime eco-cultural and heritage destination.

Assisted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) the community-focused programme highlights three touristic, non-traditional circuits in Bohol’s west and east coasts, which will be promoted locally and internationally.

Activities include visit to raffia loom weavers, coconut jam makers, organic farms and ancestral homes; ironsmith workshop and mangrove forest adventure; and many other countryside delights.

JICA is also helping to create a tourist-friendly website for the programme while improving road signs and restroom facilities.

Lucas Nunag, chair, Bohol Tourism Council, told TTG Asia e-Daily that the province is moving towards community-based and sustainable ecotourism with the help of many organisations keen on making Bohol rise from the rubble of the 2013 earthquake.

As part of this goal, development partners like JICA, USAID and German development agencies sent Bohol’s tourism stakeholders on a learning journey to Chiang Mai in Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia last year. From Chiang Mai, Bohol learned about the development of community-based tourism projects, including homestays and making quality merchandise as souvenir items.

Using the restructuring of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap as a benchmark, Bohol’s development partners will help the province restore its antique churches and religious arts by providing restoration workshops, training craftsmen and employing out-of-school youths.

Nunag also said as Bohol is unspoiled, resorts and hotels are pushing to retain the province’s clean and green environment by incorporating green initiatives into their business and daily grind.

INCHEON International Airport Corp is in discussions to build an integrated resort (IR) comprising a casino, shopping mall and hotel, benchmarked after Singapore’s Resort World Sentosa (RWS), to draw more visitors from China.

According to a news report by Bloomberg, the new IR aims to tap the growing Chinese middle class and high rollers looking for alternative gaming venues beyond Macau’s amid the government’s crackdown on corruption.

Lim Byung Kee, an official at Incheon International Airport Corp, was quoted as saying: “We don’t want to just focus on high rollers, we also want mass consumers to visit the integrated resort. We want to use the resort to help create more traffic into the airport.”

The same report also stated that the estimated construction cost of the IR would be about six trillion won (US$5.4 billion). It is set to be developed on 327ha of land near the construction site of the airport’s second passenger terminal, 52km away from Seoul.

Meanwhile, three other integrated resorts are in the pipeline, all in the vicinity of Seoul.

MYANMAR’S long-secluded town of Mogok, renowned for ruby mines and gem markets, is emerging as a popular tourist destination as the process of gaining authorisation to visit the town becomes easier.

The mountain town had been off-limits to visitors for decades until the government allowed limited access in the mid-1990s. Permits were difficult to come by until Myanmar’s tourism industry gradually began to open alongside political reforms in 2011, leading to increased tourist numbers to lesser-known destinations.

Said Monlay, an executive for Kinnari Travels, which runs tours to Mogok: “We have certainly seen an increase in visitor numbers in the last two or three years and most visitors go there to trade and buy gems, and to visit some of the scenery around the town.

“But in order to go there, visitors need to get a permit from the Ministry (of Hotels and Tourism) and that takes about a week.”

Marcus Allender, founder of Go-Myanmar.com, also said foreigners can only access Mogok currently by private car with a permit, and “clearly this limits Mogok’s development as a tourist destination”.

Calling for greater liberalisation, he said: “If Mogok were to be freely accessible, then it clearly has potential as a tourism destination.”

The town is freely accessible by road from more established destinations such as Mandalay and Hsipaw, he highlighted.

ACCOR has launched the 211-room ibis Styles Jakarta Mangga Dua Square in northern Jakarta, located within Mangga Dua Square mall, next to Novotel Jakarta Mangga Dua Square.

Adi Satria, vice president for sales, marketing and distribution, Accor Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, said: “The multi-branded combo concept hotel is one of Accor’s strategy to expand its network in Indonesia.

“At the same time, it is to anticipate the demand of domestic and international guests looking for different types of hotels within a specific location. The multi-branded concept combines two or more hotels within the same locations with different Accor brands.”

The hotels at Mangga Dua Square mall area is Accor’s fourth multi-branded concept in Indonesia after Novotel and ibis Solo, Novotel and ibis Balikpapan, as well as ibis Budget Semarang and Novotel Semarang.

Coming up soon is the 400-room ibis Budget Jakarta Airport, which will complement the existing 251-room ibis Style Jakarta Airport.

“We will see more multi-branded concept properties, which are now being planned in Jogjakarta, Samarinda, Bandung, Surabaya, Pekanbaru, Bekasi and Jakarta,” Adi said.

Antonius Chandra, COO of Mangga Dua Square, said: “Mangga Dua Square is a mixed-use area. Having more than one hotel with different categories is part of our strategy to attract different crowds and markets to the area.”

Apart from the two Accor properties, there is an Amaris hotel – Santika Indonesia’s budget brand – in the same location.

Fabrice Mini, general manager of Novotel and ibis Style Jakarta Mangga Dua Square, said: “One of the advantages of having this (combo properties) is it gives us flexibility to meet corporate clients’ needs and budget, be it accommodation for their guests or MICE events.”

Ibis Style Mangga Dua Square has one 196-seat restaurant, three meeting rooms, a ballroom for up to 300 people, fitness centre, spa and kids’ club.

ALTHOUGH 2014 visitor arrivals hit a record 60 million with 12 per cent growth, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is not optimistic about this year given negative factors such as the impact of Occupy Central, depreciation of the Russian rouble and the uncertain global economy.

HKTB chairman Peter Lam said: “For sure, Occupy Central has affected tourism, and the recent street protests against Chinese visitors will continue to dampen tourists’ desire to come. The unprecedented drop (0.2 per cent) in 2014’s retail sales was a consequence and hoteliers have already cut rates to maintain occupancy.

“Therefore, we project 6.4 per cent growth for total visitor arrivals with only single-digit growth for China, shorthaul and new markets, while negative performance can be expected for longhaul markets.”

Hong Kong-based China Travel Services suffered a 20 per cent drop in profit from China MICE last year. Its general manager of business travel and MICE, George Kai, expects 2015 will be a challenging year from the lingering impact of Occupy Central.

“Some events in January were cancelled and what makes it worse is the sentiment against Chinese visitors by some local groups, which has tarnished the city’s image. To maintain business, we have shifted some of our business in outbound MICE from Hong Kong given the appreciation of the US dollar.”

However, ATI Travel managing director, Richard Woss, said: “We didn’t receive any cancellations during the Occupy Central, and though HKTB has forecast a drop in longhaul markets, I am positive about the German market.

“Still, I will leverage on the board’s waiver of travel consultants’ fee in overseas tradeshows this year. I used to do two shows but now intend to double them, because this means saving HK$200,000 (US$25,792).”

LAND tour operator Luxus Pacific Travel and Tours in Makati City is planning to launch charter flights for China groups and FITs in July as China softens the embargo on travel to the Philippines.

Observing signs that the latest China travel advisory on the Philippines is easing, the company’s senior vice president for tourism business planning and development, Alex Stutely, said: “We were hoping to start operating charter flights from China to the Philippines at the end of last year, but due to the travel ‘ban’ and the political situation, we had to delay the launch.”

During the period the plan was deferred, and Luxus Pacific, subisidiary of the Hong Kong-headquartered Luen Thai Enterprises, served more China FITs.

“Up until last month and early this month, there had been very tight control over sending groups…but now it seems the China National Tourism Administration and the China government are easing up on the restrictions,” Stutely continued, adding that Luen Thai has brought 100,000 China tourists to Saipan, and the company “has plans in the region of 200,000 (visitors)” eventually.

“It’s a phased expansion. We’ll start with one source city in China, one source destination in the Philippines, add more, and expand over the course of two, three years,” he said.

After operating Hong Kong and China outbound tours for about 11 years and investing three years into expansions in Saipan where it operates three hotels as well as Guam, where it operates one, Luen Thai is now widening its Pacific island operations to Hawaii, Palau, and the Philippines, where it will also serve luxury clients.

Charter services for four- to five-day group and FIT vacationers will be hired from both source and destination carriers, Stutely said. Boracay is still the most popular destination, followed by Bohol and Palawan.

The three destinations are also the top recommendations for luxury clients, who will be offered vacations in El Nido and exclusive flight services from boutique inter-island carriers.

“The ongoing Chinese government crackdown on corruption and gambling will not have any significant impact on our plans,” Stutely emphasised. “Our focus is primarily on offering high-quality beach holidays for couples and families, not on selling gaming or casino-related packages.”