INFRASTRUCTURE improvements and collaboration between governments and the private sector are key to the successful development of the Maritime Silk Road, one of two ambitious multi-national Silk Road projects envisioned by Chinese president Xi Jinping.

Over 40 tourism officials participated in the third edition of the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau last week, themed Maritime Silk Road – From Macau We Begin.

Unveiled at the forum was a report by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Global Tourism Economy Research Centre on Asian tourism trends.

Xu Jing, regional director for Asia and Pacific, UNWTO, said China is the largest generator of trips in the region and dominates intra-regional travel, especially to countries along the Maritime Silk Road, such as Thailand, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Greece, UAE and France.

“(However), the report notes that tourism along the contemporary Silk Road is becoming a two-way flow. Conventional destinations are now becoming new source markets, such as the Middle East sub-region for China, and the Middle East for Malaysia,” he said.

But in order to realise the potential of the Maritime Silk Road, there needs to be more air links to secondary and tertiary hubs with a special emphasis on LCCs, Xu said.

Public and private sector collaboration was also singled out as an important factor. Examples raised during the forum include Malaysia’s plans to develop cruise tourism and Croatia’s shift away from sun-and-sand offerings to a cultural heritage focus.

The Maritime Silk Road was envisioned by China’s Xi in October 2013, alongside a second new and land-based Silk Road.

EMUTRIP, unveiled by GTA this week at the World Travel Market in London this week, is a free mobile tool that streamlines travel consultant itinerary processes while allowing for more revenue opportunities.

The whitelabel tool gives travel consultants the ability to dynamically package content from GTA’s database and elsewhere to create customer itineraries under the agency’s own brand.

Travel consultants can edit the itineraries with notes, reminders, and additions that provide travellers with recommendations on attractions and excursions, allowing them to more easily up-sell and cross-sell products to travellers even on the go.

Customers can view their Emutrip-generated itineraries on the Emutrip app, available for download on the App Store and Google Play or through the itineraries emailed to them by travel consultants.

Although the mobile tool is available only in English presently, it will be rolled out in other languages in 2015.

Emutrip is currently a free to use solution but will see functionality and content boosted in the future to become an “all-in-one” sales tool with third-party content such as local weather and news, special offers, transfers or destination services.

For more information, visit www.emutrip.com.

PREMIER Inn, the UK’s largest budget hotel chain with over 670 properties globally, is making its Singapore debut with Premier Inn Singapore Beach Road, expected to open in mid-2016.

Located within walking distance to the cultural districts of Haji Lane and Arab Street, and the Marina Bay Sands business district, the 300-room Premier Inn Singapore Beach Road will have 300 rooms starting from 18m².

It will feature amenities like a swimming pool, gym, and meeting room facilities.

Erik van Keulen, senior vice president for development, Asia-Pacific, said: “We want our hotels (in South-east Asia) to be looked upon as three-star properties rather than fully budget ones like our UK properties – which mostly have no additional amenities apart from rooms.”

Keulen said Premier Inn is courting “a good mix” of business and leisure travellers, and expects the initial bulk of traffic to come from the UK and Middle East as these markets are more familiar with the Premier Inn brand.

He said: “Our gameplan now is to establish ourselves well across the South-east Asia market because it is still relatively new.

“Singapore is a vital part in our international expansion strategy because it is an integral part of South-east Asia, and this will support our growth in the region,” he added.

In 2012, Premier Inn launched its inaugural Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore in its bid to expand its regional presence.

The expansion plan will see the group boasting 10,000 new rooms by 2018 in Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Middle East across key cities including Bali, Bogor, Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, Jogjakarta, Bangkok, Chennai, Goa, Mumbai, Dubai, Sharja, Muscat, Doha, and Jeddah.

“Opening new hotels in these three key regions is now part of our long-term strategy to further enhance and develop the Premier Inn brand globally and we are confident it will be well received in these markets by value-conscious travellers,” Keulen added.

HAVING already cultivated a strong base of local guests, Filipino hotel group The Discovery Leisure Company is ready to make waves in international markets as part of its next phase of growth, with plans to adopt a suite of GDS, booking engine, and RFP solutions by 1Q2015.

By then, it would have also signed a hotel representation company to help it drum up awareness abroad, shared group director of sales & marketing, Odette Huang.

Formerly from Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore for nine years, Huang joined Discovery five months ago and has since built up a small digital team, which will support her in the area of e-commerce and marketing, as well as data analytics.

With a collection of five hotels and resorts spanning mid- to upscale, Discovery caters for both regular and extended stays. In Manila, it has the 220-room Discovery Suites in Ortigas and will open the 140-key Discovery Primea in Makati early next year.

Discovery’s three other properties are also new or undergoing renovation – the B&B-style, seven-key Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay near Manila will reopen next month, the 88-key Discovery Shores Boracay is adding 12 villas, and the 55-key Club Paradise in Coron, Palawan was acquired last September, with the island destination undergoing refurbishment in stages.

“Without proper distribution we would be dependent on wholesale travel. But now we know that places like Boracay and Palawan are becoming repeat destinations. Many have booked their initial trips through wholesalers but afterwards, they are more than happy to book on their own,” explained Huang, adding that almost a quarter of Discovery’s guests are repeats.

About 30-40 per cent of Discovery’s resort bookings come from wholesale, although she sees this share shifting in future. A loyalty programme for consumers was also launched in June.

“(With all these new initiatives), we’re looking at 20 per cent growth in revenue for 2015, and that’s modest. This year, we grew 12 per cent,” she said.

While nearly half of resort business is local, overseas markets that are coming include Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, the US, and Europe.

BHUTAN will see the launch of the first Best Western International property in the country by mid-2015 with the opening of a Best Western Plus hotel in Thimphu.

Best Western has signed an agreement to manage the new-build, 41-room hotel. Key facilities will include a fitness centre, spa, bar, conference room with meeting facilities, and a terrace lounge looking out on to the capital’s low-rise skyline.

Guests can choose between the hotel’s two restaurants including a traditional Bhutanese option with outdoor seating.

Best Western has been entering new markets under its Asian expansion strategy in the last couple of years. The hotel management company made its Myanmar debut last year andopened in Sri Lanka this year.

MALAYSIAN DMC Red Apple Travel & Tours is taking on the challenge of promoting Sabah and Sarawak to the Indian market – a task many have attempted but few have succeeded in – by targeting the luxury and youth markets.

Suneet Goenka, group managing director of Red Apple Travel & Tours, said to TTG Asia e-Daily: “Being of Indian descent, I know the needs and wants of the Indian traveller. They do not like to walk too much and they are not adventurous, being more inclined towards sightseeing, cruises, island-hopping, and spas.

“The youth segment is more adventurous and are willing to try local cuisine and experiences, but they have a lower disposable income. Thus, for this price-sensitive segment, we promote Kuala Lumpur as a transit to continue their journeys on to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.”

Red Apple soft launched its tour products into Kuching and Kota Kinabalu late last year to its partners in India including Cox & Kings, Thomas Cook India, Kesari Tours, and TUI India, and has received over 200 bookings to date.

Suneet said the company aims to bring 1,500 visitors into Sabah and Sarawak.

Other Malaysian inbound tour operators based in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu said the main challenge in promoting the destinations on Borneo Island to India is the lack of destination awareness.

Samuel Chung, managing director of inbound agency Straits Central Travel & Tour Agencies Kuching, commented: “(Indian travellers) don’t know that hotel rates in Kuching are generally lower compared to other Malaysian destinations like Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, and Langkawi. The rate of a five-star international branded hotel in Kuching is about RM300 (US$92) per night for twin-share with breakfast.

“There are also Indian restaurants in Kuching, so food is not an issue,” he added.

THE Munich Tourist Office is intensifying efforts to promote the Bavarian capital as a destination of choice in Europe to the markets of South-east Asia and China and attract more visitors.

Karin Baedeker, marketing, trade and media relations for Asia and Australia, Munich Tourist Office, said both South-east Asia and China are among the top 10 arrivals markets for the city and they have potential for futher growth.

Last year, South-east Asian arrivals grew more than 18 per cent in overnight stays for a total of 236,000 visitors. Chinese tourist numbers rose 13 per cent year-on-year in 2013 with 208,000 overnight stays.

The tourism body will promote Munich as a gateway for daytrips to surrounding areas including Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Salzburg and Innsbruck, thus generating longer stays for Munich where the average length of stay is two days.

Said Baedeker: “We want to increase the length of stay to three or four days in the next few years.”

The Munich Tourist Office will also promote Munich as a City of Culture and Traditions. It is working with cultural partners to promote orchestra music, ballet, and theatre.

Besides inviting travel consultants and media on fam tours to Munich, the tourism authority is promoting the city’s cultural offerings overseas.

In January 2015, Gärtnerplatz-Theater will be performing Sleeping Beauty in Beijing and Shanghai and press conferences will be organised to promote both the show and the destination, said Baedeker.