PALAWAN and its private tourism sector, together with Rajah Travel Corp, Department of Tourism and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will be unveiling cultural heritage-oriented tour programmes for Puerto Princesa to boost tourist arrivals.

Developed by Rajah Travel, the first of these tour programmes, A Salute to Valor: Palawan – 70 Years of Freedom, commemorates the World War II invasion of Palawan and the fight between the US and the Japanese in 1945, and will be inaugurated in Puerto Princesa City from April 21 to 23.

“We need to increase the number of optional tours, the more the better,” said Aileen Clemente, Rajah Travel president, who is also a consultant with the USAID Compete programme.

“We will sell the programme, but it is also open for other operators – once they become familiar with it – to sell. It’s part of Rajah’s advocacy (efforts),” said Clemente, adding efforts to develop other historical tours for Palawan will continue for the next five years.

Palawan Tourism Council president, Debbie Tan, said: “The province aims to expand Puerto Princesa’s attractions, which currently highlight ecotourism through Puerto Princesa Underground River, Tubbataha Reef, and Honda Bay island, all of which are vulnerable to climate change.”

In fact travel operators have said the seasonality of these attractions, and the fact that the Underground River is usually visited only once, mean the city should look to develop other attractions.

The effort would also prop up sagging arrival figures for Palawan, which only grew six per cent from 2013 to 2014 with 735,000 visitors, and has seen a decrease in flights, including Puerto Princesa’s only international link to Kota Kinabalu via MASwings.

On a positive note, however, Philippine Airlines will launch a Taipei-Puerto Princesa charter on February 13, while Puerto Princesa is expecting completion of its new international airport in 30 months, said Matthew Mendoza, Puerto Princesa councilor and chair of the city’s tourism committee.

Tan added that Puerto Princesa meanwhile has enjoyed a surge in cruise ship maiden calls, and has 23 international ship visits scheduled in 2015.

MINOR Hotel Group (MHG) and Destination Resorts & Hotels (DRH) have inked an agreement to co-develop a luxury resort and residences under the Anantara brand in Malaysia.

Under the agreement, both parties will identify a suitable location for the Anantara resort.

Dillip Rajakarier, group COO, Minor International and CEO, MHG, said in a release: “Following our first hotel management project in Malaysia in 2013, now operating as Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort, we are proud to announce our first investment plan in the country under our core luxury Anantara brand.”

Additional information on the development will be announced later this year.

DRH was established in 2010 by the Malaysian Government’s investment arm, Khazanah Nasional.

FORMERLY Crowne Plaza Lijiang Ancient Town, the newly rebranded and renovated InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort started welcoming guests last week.

The property is situated beside the UNESCO Heritage site of Lijiang Ancient Town. Its 274 rooms are spread across a 51,000m² sub-tropical garden.

The Executive rooms have been modernised with new technology and furniture while the lobby area now includes a Club Lounge for Executive room guests. Other facilities include a ballroom for up to 500 guests and the InterContinental Spa.

F&B options include the Basil Leaf Restaurant, which serves international cuisine; the Seven Colors Chinese Restaurant, which has Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangdong specialties; and the Green Tea Lounge.

MYANMAR’S archaeological zone of Mrauk U in Rakhine State is preparing to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Culture.

Mrauk U contains some 200 Buddhist monuments such as temples, stupas and monasteries mostly built in the 15^th and 16^th centuries AD. It is also known for its old temples with wall paintings of Indian influence.

Said Kyaw Lwin Oo, director general of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library under the ministry: “We are working on GIS database and digital mapping in Mrauk U. Nandaw Yar Gone will be converted into an archaeological park.

“We will also maintain the first, second and third brick walls of Nandaw Yar Gone, as well as the north wall of Shi Thaung Stupa. Maintenance works funded by Rakhine state have started.”

He added: “These are important steps to be taken ahead before we try to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ministry is also collecting important information on all of Myanmar heritage sites, preserving and producing the map of archaeological sites, and inviting UNESCO experts to jointly discuss further steps.”

Yangon-based travel consultants support the move. Myo Thwin, managing director, Sweet Memory Travel, said: “If Mrauk U indeed joins the list, tourist arrivals will increase. However, we will need to develop our infrastructure further and provide more accommodation in the city to cater to the influx.”

Wunna San Maung, managing director, Hamsa Travel and Tour, also believes the move will be a positive impact on tourist numbers. Although so far tourists mostly go to Bagan, he pointed out: “Mrauk U is different – its temples and pagodas boast unique architecture with Hindu cultural influence. There are so many things to see, including some Chin villages nearby.”

Myanmar first joined the UNESCO World Heritage List last June with the inscription of itsPyu Ancient Cities.

LUXURY hotel group ITC Hotels continues to assure security for female guests with the ITC Grand Bharat, which opened late last year with 100 suites, becoming the latest property to offer its Eva programme.

The group’s COO, Dipak Haksar, said: “Eva rooms have come a long way, from being just a room category to become a category with a dedicated wing and floor within ITC’s hotels across India.

“What started as a concept is today a value proposition at ITC hotels, entailing female butlers and security guards, an all-ladies-only access floor, cocktail hours within the privacy of the floor and video phones.”

On average about 10 per cent of the rooms in each of the 11 ITC hotels in India is dedicated to the Eva programme.

“In the event that the rest of the hotel is experiencing high occupancy rate, the Eva rooms are still kept available for potential female guests” said Haksar, adding that with 57 per cent of women likely to travel alone today, he has seen an increased in demand for these rooms, especially in recent years.

SRI Lanka’s hospitality brand Jetwing and Japan’s Bansei Securities have jointly opened the doors of Bansei by Hotel J in Hikkaduwa.

Located in in the southern coast of Sri Lanka, the budget hotel is within walking distance from Hikkaduwa Central Bus Station and the southern railway line.

It offers 30 rooms – 14 standard, 14 deluxe and 2 super-deluxe – each with free Wi-Fi and versatile showers; a swimming pool and a lobby bar.

Tilak de Zoysa, chairman of Bansei Royal Resorts Hikkaduwa, said: “Bansei by Hotel J has been modelled on the Jetwing concept, a uniquely designed no-frills hotel which we are excited to launch in Sri Lanka with our Japanese partners.”

Jetwing Hotels had in 2013 launched in Sri Lanka Hotel J, Negombo.

WITH an aim to help Myanmar’s tourism service providers create new and innovative products in order to compete with other destinations, the UK-funded Business Innovation Facility (BIF), with the support of Union of Myanmar Travel Association, recently held a seminar in Yangon offering related training and funding.

Two key activities required to enhance the competitiveness of the sector in Myanmar were announced at the seminar.

The first was a training programme in innovative product development that BIF will offer in May, covering innovative product design, marketing, finance and pricing, conflict sensitivity results management.

The second announcement pertained to a funding opportunity – up to US$450,000 over 2015 and 2016 – through the Package and Product Innovation Competition scheduled for June and July.

Companies can apply for up to US$20,000 to be spent within the tourist seasons, with the maximum award up to half the project cost for a new product that meets BIF’s criteria.

Winners will be expected to continue to offer and expand the product on a commercial basis following the piloting, and to provide sufficient information for BIF to be able to stimulate the market for others to develop innovative products.