AUSTRALIAN tour operator Scenic Tours has rebranded to Scenic following an extensive 12-month project to more adequately reflect its current offering.

The company started operations with coach tours in 1986 and has evolved to doing five-star cruises and tours.

“Today, we’re a global company, with a unique perspective on all-inclusive luxury travel,” explained chairman Glen Moroney.

“In addition, we’re also specialists in river cruising, and we’re able to use our global travel know-how in ways that weren’t even possible just a few years ago.”

Scenic will roll out its new branding across Asia in the coming months, with the assistance of GSAs Allesia International in Taiwan and Pacific World Travel in Kuala Lumpur.

“Scenic’s international department is fully supporting the GSAs in educating the consumer with guidance, marketing and sales materials, and near daily communication,” said Scenic’s international business development manager, Paola Zuber Guzman.

“The process of transitioning to a new market always takes some time so we see this as a steady growth effort, well planned and executed.”

Next year will be a big year for Scenic in Asia with two new luxury ships to set sail on the Mekong: the Scenic Sprit in January and another, yet to be named, in September. A third is also earmarked for the Irrawaddy River with a name and date to be confirmed.

MOHEGAN Tribal Gaming Authority and Incheon International Airport have inked an MoU to develop an integrated resort with entertainment and gaming features in Incheon.

The development, designed to be a gateway entertainment city in South Korea, will come up on the grounds of Incheon Airport, according to a press release.

The as-yet unnamed integrated resort will feature a two-tower luxury hotel complex with 300 six-star rooms and 700 five-star rooms, a private jet terminal, over 18,500m² of retail, food, art and entertainment experiences, more than 60 luxury brand boutiques, and a Korean cosmetics and beauty hub.

World-class performances will take place in an entertainment space for up to 20,000 pax, in addition to an indoor-outdoor amusement park and a casino spanning 18,500m² with 250 tables and 1,500 slot machines.

The MoU aims to see both parties finalise a concept agreement by June 30, 2015.

Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority operates gaming and entertainment facility Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania and the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

BUILDING strong collaborative ties with Chinese counterparts and raising awareness about Estonia were the two main aims of the Estonian Tourist Board’s nine-day sales mission this week.

The NTO’s market manager for Asia, Helina Andruškevitšus, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “As we don’t know what the Chinese are interested in doing in Estonia, we came up with a diverse range of activities from bear-watching to handicraft workshops. Once we’ve gathered all the travel consultant feedback, we can develop niche products for the market. We can’t take millions of arrivals, so we hope to target specific market, especially nature lovers.”

Visiting Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong earlier this week, the Estonian Tourist Board was joined by seven trade partners including hotels, city tourism boards and travel agencies.

Tallinn-based Baltic Travel Group’s head of group department, Anne Kurgpold, suggested first-time Asian travellers could join group tours. “It gives a better idea of what the destination offers before coming back as FITs as (Estonians) speak English.

“However, the Chinese market hasn’t taken off yet.”

Estonia has planned fam trips for travel consultants this summer and will introduce a new tourism website in two weeks’ time.

The Baltic state welcomed three million tourists in 2014, out of which Chinese travellers accounted for only 12,000, improving 50 per cent year-on-year from the previous year.

MINOR Hotel Group (MHG) is rolling the Avani brand into Down Under with the planned launch of two new properties in Perth.

Representing an investment of more than A$110 million (US$84.6 million), the Avani hotel and residence will open as part of the A$5 billion Perth City Link project, according to a press release.

This puts both the hotel and residence adjacent to the Perth Arena, and within waking distance of a new bus terminal and other public transport options.

The high-end Avani Hotel, slated to open in 4Q2017, will offer over 250 keys, while the Avani Residences will have more than 200 units of serviced one- and two-bedroom apartments for sale.

Avani Hotel will have a rooftop bar open to the public, alongside al fresco bars and restaurants, as well as a public space for events.

MHG currently has an existing portfolio of 50 Oaks Hotels and Resorts in Australia.

AIRASIA Group has announced plans to launch an IPO for its affiliate Indonesia AirAsia in 1H2016.

Group chief executive Tony Fernandes told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Jakarta that AirAsia is aiming to raise about US$300 million from the exercise by selling off a 30 per cent stake in the airline.

More information about the offering will become available in the next couple of months, said Fernandes.

Indonesia AirAsia captured headlines in December after one of its planes, flying from Surabaya to Singapore, crashed in bad weather.

The same Bloomberg report quoted Fernades as saying that the airline has not resumed Surabaya-Singapore flights.

However, AirAsia Group is looking to start its Japan venture in early 2016.

MAHARASHTRA Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has thrown together big plans and even bigger funding for developing tourism attractions.

One such product is coal mine tours in regions like Wani in Yavatmal, Nagpur and Chandrapur, where visitors venture into operational coal mines led by accredited tour guides to learn about the process.

Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia, managing director, MTDC, said the tours will be launched “very soon” and required clearance from government ministries is on the way.

Travel agencies that TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to were optimistic about the potential of mining tourism, but highlighted the need for publicity.

Sudhir Patil, director, Veena World, said: “The mining tourism product (shows that) the state is thinking out of the box. We can achieve good (visitor) numbers, but it should be promoted in the right way by giving prominence to safety and security measures.”

Director of Grisbi Holidays, Alpa Gadoya, pointed out: “Tourism authorities must work to promote mining tourism as an experiential tourism product by clubbing together various other activities.”

Maharashtra also intends to push its other attractions with US$8.6 million allocated for the integrated development, conservation and preservation of 10 forts in the state, while an Eco-Tourism Promotion Board is being established.

Other initiatives in the pipeline include beach tourism promotion, the development of a botanical garden in Ballarpur, and the launch of safari-style attractions modeled on Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and Gorewada Zoological Park & Rescue Center.