AVERAGE load factors on Tigerair’s India routes remain strong and the airline is looking to increase frequencies on the Hyderabad sector, even as it breaks off an interline agreement with SpiceJet.

The budget carrier, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, is recording an average load factor of 80 per cent on Indian routes.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily about the termination of the carrier’s interline agreement with SpiceJet, Teh Yikchuan, director, sales and marketing, Tigerair, said: “We see a low number of connecting passengers from our interline agreement with Spicejet, which is why the agreement is not continued.

“Currently nothing is on regarding any new interline arrangement in India. Our Hyderabad flight is going from five to six times come end-April, and we are looking at consolidating our position and strengthening our sales on our present capacity for the coming year.”

“Apart from (Hyderabad) we don’t have any plans to increase frequency or add any new destination in our network in India,” he added.

Tigerair offers daily flights from Bengaluru, nine times a week from Chennai, four times a week from Cochin and 12 flights from Trichi.

PREFERRED Hotel Group (PHG) has introduced a collection of villas, bungalows, condominiums at established hotels and resorts, specifically to cater to luxury consumers who cannot decide between a residence of hotel for their next trip.

“Preferred Residences allows us to satisfy a growing demand from our guests who want access to the private residence experience but are also resistant to relinquishing the convenience of staying in a luxury hotel or having to subscribe to a membership-based service,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, president and CEO, PHG.

Preferred Residences properties feature expansive living spaces, state-of-the-art kitchens and custom furnishings. Some will also offer spacious outdoor areas, private pools and free benefits such as resort car services.

Guests will enjoy priority access and privileges at each Preferred Residence property, such as reservations for prime tables at Michelin-starred restaurants.

A team of expert concierges will also support guests in matching their needs to a suitable residence and in coordinating events. Guests may also get additional benefits through the iPrefer guest loyalty programme.

The collection currently comprises 18 hotels and resorts all of which are existing members of PHG’s Preferred Hotels & Resorts or Preferred Boutique brands, including Alpina Gstaad inSwitzerland; Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic; Castello di Casole in Italy; and Essque Zalu Zanzibar in Tanzania, among others.

ARRIVALS to Macau leapt 7.5 per cent year-on-year to surpass 31.5 million in total visitor arrivals for last year, announced the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO).

Revealing last year’s figures at the annual press conference at Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre, director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes also outlined MGTO’s strategies for 2015.

 She said that in order for Macau to become a “world centre of tourism and leisure”, the NTO would continue to invest efforts in scientific planning, destination marketing, product development and service enhancement.

With the Lunar New Year holidays just ahead, Macau expects to welcome five per cent more visitors or 105 million, in a span of seven days.

However, Macau recently made international headlines after its gambling revenue was reported to have fallen more than 15 per cent year-on-year in January, the eighth consecutive month of decline, reported Reuters.

Chinese high rollers are said to have been scared off as the government clamps down on corruption.

DUSIT International announced yesterday it has secured a management agreement with Myanmar JP Asset for the 300-key DusitD2 Residence Yangon.

DusitD2 Residence Yangon was designed based on the concept of “feeling calm Asian winds and enjoying heartfelt hospitality”, reflected in its multi-storey vertical sky gardens and large windows on the ground floor.

Marking Dusit’s debut in Myanmar when it opens in 2017, the property is situated between the city centre and Yangon’s international airport.

Facilities include a specialty dining outlet, bar, business lounge, gym and swimming pool.

FAIRMONT Hotels and Resorts aims to double its portfolio from its current strength of 114 properties within the next five years – with the spotlight largely on Asia-Pacific and particularly China.

According to Wayne Buckingham, senior vice president Asia of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), the company has 39 new projects underway, of which 23 are in Asia.

China, he said, continues to be a key growth market for the luxury hotel brand, with a number of developments scheduled to open in the coming years, including Chengdu (2015), Changsha (2017), Hangzhou (2018), Suzhou (2018), Taiyuan (2019) and Nanning (2019).

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Jennifer Fox, president, FRHI International and Fairmont brand, said: “We are seeing rapid growth in the Chinese market and every other hotel is going in because there are huge opportunities there.

“Although there are so many of us (hotels in China), there is an equal amount of demand there so it works out very well for the market.”

Admitting that the issue of manpower is a challenge, she said: “We are always looking out for talent and training them but the problem comes with retention because we need to ensure that they will continue to stay with us.

“We have to ensure an attractive working environment and we have one of the lowest turnover rates among hotels (anyway).”

Apart from Asia-Pacific, she said FRHI is accelerating expansion in the Middle East. In addition to a Raffles property that opened in Istanbul last year, FRHI is planning a Raffles property in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Fairmont properties in Riyadh, Istanbul, Amman, Jeddah and Fujairah and Ajman in the UAE; and two Swissôtel properties in Bodrum, Turkey and more properties in Jeddah and Dubai.