AS PART of a plan to attract more tourists, South Korea will approve the construction of two more casino resorts and 5,000 new hotel rooms this year.

According to Reuters, the South Korean government is aiming to increase tourism investment by some 3.5 trillion won or US$3.3 billion.

The integrated resorts and their foreigner-only casinos and will be run by government-appointed operators, each to inject one trillion won each into the resorts by 2H2015.

This is in line with South Korea’s three-year economic plan, said the Reuters report.

Two consortia – comprising Caesars Entertainment and Lippo, and a joint venture of South Korean company Paradise and Japan’s Sega Sammy Holdings respectively – have been given the go-ahead.

SINGAPOREANS are making use of the long Lunar New Year weekend to travel abroad, with travel consultants anticipating a 20 per cent increase in travel bookings.

The first two days of Singapore’s Lunar New Year, which are public holidays, fall on February 19 and 20, a Thursday and Friday. Travellers are combining this with the weekend to take four-day breaks.

According to local travel agencies, popular destinations at the moment include China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.

Jane Chang, head of marketing communications, Chan Brothers Travel, said: “We have received bookings for this period from as early as September last year and (sales are) currently 10 per cent higher than for the same time in 2014. We expect to easily surpass 2014’s figures by at least 20 per cent.

“Singaporeans are avid travellers and some religiously plan their holidays in advance, taking into account upcoming long weekends and public holidays,” she said.

NATAS spokesperson, Alvin Lim, predicted a lower level of growth. “We expect outbound travel over the festive period this year to be higher than last year’s by five to 10 per cent. Most long weekends tend to see a surge in travel interest, especially shorthaul trips from three to five days.”

Dynasty Travel director of marketing communications, Alicia Seah, who is expecting bookings to go up by 20 per cent, pointed out that some Singaporeans are taking another three days of leave before the New Year for an even longer holiday.

Seah attributed the rise in travel demand to the strong Singapore dollar as well. As such, she highlighted Europe as a popular longhaul destination Singaporeans are headed for this festive season.

RAMADA Dua Sentral has begun welcoming guests in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur after Wyndham Hotel Group clinched a management agreement for the property.

Owned by Trinidad Dua Sentral, the hotel was formerly known as Best Western Premier Dua Sentral and reopened on January 1, 2015 as Ramada.

Facilities within the property include four F&B outlets – Grill 582, Kembali Kitchen, Hugo’s On 6 and the Punch Bar & Lounge– as well as nine meeting rooms, Avana Spa Luxe, a fitness centre and a swimming pool.

The 33-storey hotel is a short walk from the Kuala Lumpur’s integrated rail transportation centre and close to the city’s main business and tourist hub. It is also a 50-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Ramada Dua Sentral will add to Wyndham Hotel Group’s portfolio of more than 30 South-east Asia and Pacific Rim Ramada hotels. It joins Ramada Plaza Melaka as Malaysia’s second Ramada hotel, and both are eligible for participation in the company’s guest loyalty programme, Wyndham Rewards.

TOKYO will get a new luxury hotel in summer 2016, although analysts warn that the Japanese capital is still short of high-end accommodation.

Seibu Holdings has announced plans to open the Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioi-cho hotel on the site of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka in the city’s Chiyoda Ward. The 250-room hotel will occupy the top six floors of a 36-storey building, which will also house offices, retail outlets and residential units.

The most luxurious property in the Seibu group’s hotel portfolio, rates are reportedly significantly above the 20,000 yen (US$170.73) per night average in a Tokyo hotel.

That is unlikely to put visitors off, however, as Tokyo faces a shortage of rooms at all price points.

A study conducted by CBRE in November determined that if inbound tourism continues growing as anticipated and meets the government’s target of 20 million visitors in 2020 – when Tokyo will host the Olympic Games – there will 14,000 people without accommodation in the city every night of the year.

The shortage of hotel beds is slightly less acute in Osaka where the shortfall is around 7,000 people per night.

“Whenever we interview investors and hotel brands, the number one market where they want to be in Asia is Tokyo, and the city is in the top five in the world,” said Arthur Buser, executive managing director of CBRE.

“We believe that anyone who can build a hotel in Tokyo should go ahead and do so and that they will do fairly well.”

New luxury hotels that have recently debuted in Tokyo include the 329-key Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel and the 84-unit Aman Tokyo.

TRAVEL consultants attending South Beach’s last North Asian roadshow pit stop in Hong Kong yesterday welcomed the leisure complex’s launch in April, saying it provided one more option for customers going to Singapore.

The showcase had travelled to Beijing, Taiwan and Hong Kong and will continue on through South-east Asia for the rest of the month, to be followed by India, Australia and the UK later on.

Wing On Travel, deputy general manager for South-east Asia and longhaul operations, Simon Ma, said his clients tend to stay in five-star hotels when in Singapore and South Beach is a new option. “Singapore is home to a range of hotels, from heritage hotel and integrated resorts to this new (development). It’s good to have something different.”

Lotus Tours, general manager, sales for corporate, whole and retail, David Law, said: “This creates more noise for the destination. Apart from business travellers, South Beach can also tap travellers who want an individualised place and premium experience.”

South Beach Consortium CEO, Aloysius Lee, commented: “The integrated resorts (Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands) have been up for five years and hotels in town are quite full, especially for luxury hotels, which enjoy 85 per cent occupancy.

“It’s difficult for consultants to make bookings there so our property comes at the right time. It will coincide with Singapore celebrating its 50^th anniversary of nationbuilding, so there will be a lot of promotions (for the travel industry).”

South Beach also held a roadshow in Tokyo earlier this month to entice the Japanese market.

CAPITALAND-OWNED serviced residence operator The Ascott Limited last week launched another handful of new properties and has plans to further its regional footprint.

Ascott has opened the 203-unit Citadines DPulze Cyberjaya, its first property in Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor; the 136-unit Citadines Grand Central Sri Racha in Thailand that is also the group’s 10^th property in Thailand; and Somerset Central TD Hai Phong City in Vietnam, the ninth Ascott in the country.

Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s CEO, said: “Last year, we opened 17 properties and added 28 with over 4,800 apartment units to our global portfolio. Besides expanding through acquisitions, management contracts and leases, we secured our first franchises in Vientiane and Bali. We also formed strategic alliances in China and Australia to accelerate Ascott’s growth.

“In 2015, there will be no let-up in our expansion. We are on track to achieve our target of 40,000 apartment units worldwide by the end of this year and aim to have 80,000 units by 2020.”

Ascott intends to continue building its portfolio in cities in Asia, Europe and the Gulf region.

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) will operate the 268-room Holiday Inn Busan Seomyun, the first IHG hotel in South Korea’s second-largest city of Busan.

Located in the city’s CBD Seomyun, the hotel is a short drive from the international airport, city hall and the Busan International Finance Centre.

When it opens in 2017, Holiday Inn Busan Seomyun will feature a fitness centre, a rooftop swimming pool, meeting rooms and a business centre, a lobby lounge and all-day dining restaurant on the 20^th floor.

The hotel is owned by SiLee and will be managed by IHG. Karin Sheppard, COO, Australasia, Japan and Korea and AMEA franchising, said: “There is thriving tourism across South Korea’s major cities and as its second-largest city Busan is also one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country.

“We’ve identified a number of opportunities for growth and are especially pleased to be entering Busan with one of our most well-loved brands, Holiday Inn.”

There are also plans for the redevelopment of the area surrounding the hotel to convert it into a lifestyle hub including Busan Central Park and SSH Boulevard Park.

IHG currently operates eight hotels and resorts in South Korea under its InterContinental and Holiday Inn brands.

GENTING Jeju Casino officially opened its doors yesterday as Genting Hong Kong’s first gaming facility in South Korea.

Located in the Hyatt Regency Jeju Hotel, Genting Jeju Casino is equipped with world-class gaming facilities that include 29 gaming tables and 16 slot machines.

The gaming facility is jointly owned by Landing International and Genting Hong Kong in a 50-50 split.

The casino is Landing International’s pioneer casino project.

Yang Zhihui, chairman of Landing International, said: “The opening of Genting Jeju Casino marks a big step forward on the company’s development of integrated resort and tourism properties in the global markets.

“As one of the most striking landmarks in Jeju, Genting Jeju Casino is expected to drive tourism and retail growth in the city, further enhancing Jeju’s leading position in South Korea’s tourism.”

SRILANKAN Airlines has halted all flights through the country’s secondary airport to “rationalise” scheduled operations, part of a wave of changes sweeping the Sri Lanka after a government overhaul earlier this month.

A statement issued by the airline said it would be able to save US$18 million by adjusting services to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) – increasing Middle East flights while cutting “underperforming routes such as Moscow”.

Following incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s failed bid to secure an unprecedented third term, ceding his post to opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lanka has seen an immediate shake-up in government and a probe on corruption.

Built in his hometown and taking Rajapaksa’s name, the airport has ended up generating a colossal loss. “(SriLankan) was losing massive amounts of money by operating flights to this airport (which was) built at a cost of nearly 27 billion Sri Lankan rupees (US$205.5 million) in an area of 2,000ha,” an aviation ministry official said, declining to be named.

Industry officials, who also refused to be named, said that Mihin Lanka, Flydubai and Rotana Jet are the other carriers using MRIA. “But this will stop now that SriLankan is not flying,” one official predicted.

With airlines set to stop using MRIA, officials said the facility could be converted into a flying school and used for capacity building in the aviation sector.

NORTH America is Myanmar’s next big target and the Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF) last Saturday inked a three-year contract with US-based marketing agency, Solimar International, to attract more tourists.

Both parties will work to position the South-east Asian nation as an undiscovered destination for North American travellers and draw high-value, low-impact tourists to ensure tourism in Myanmar remains sustainable over the long term.

To achieve this, Solimar’s task is five-fold, said Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, joint secretary-general of MTF and chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing.

Solimar will run the recently launched MTF office in Washington DC to field inquiries from tourists, trade and media; promote Myanmar in the media and organise press trips for US media; develop strong relationships between Myanmar and North American travel operators; create an online presence for MTF; and attend trade events in North America on MTF’s behalf.

The contract is the first time Myanmar is promoting itself with support from an international tourism marketing agency, said Phyoe Wai Yar Zar.