BANGKOK Airways has announced the launch of four new non-stop services from Chiang Mai to Phuket, Udon Thani, as well as Myanmar’s Mandalay and Yangon, effective October 2014.

Ariya Prasarttong-Osoth, vice president – sales of Bangkok Airways, said: “We foresee Chiang Mai is another important hub for Thailand’s tourism industry, a major commercial city in the northern region and also a gateway to Indochina.

“By utilising Chaing Mai International Airport as another hub, it will enhance Bangkok Airways’ ability to support the growing demand for air travel when the AEC takes place in 2015.

“It will also allow us to provide better flight connections for our passengers who wish to continue their travel to the Northeastern and Southern part of Thailand as well as to the neighboring country Myanmar without having to fly back to Suvarnabhumi Airport to connect to those destinations.”

From October 26, there will be two daily flights to Udon Thani via an ATR72-500 aircraft with seat capacity of 70, one daily flight to Phuket via an Airbus A320 aircraft with seat capacity of 162, and three-weekly flights to Mandalay via an ATR72-500 aircraft with seat capacity of 70.

From October 27, Yangon will receive four-weekly flights via an ATR72-500 aircraft with seat capacity of 70.

The airline is currently offering special online promotion fares on the four new routes. Chiang Mai–Phuket (single trip) starts from 2,290 baht (US$71); Chiang Mai-Udon Thani (single trip) starts from 1,590 baht; and Chiang Mai-Mandalay (single trip) starts from 1,445 baht (fares exclude taxes and surcharges).

STAYWELL Hospitality Group has plans to expand its current portfolio with two more brands in the second half of 2015. The new brands will operate in the luxury and lifestyle space.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Simon Wan, the group’s CEO and managing director said: “The deluxe brand can be compared to a Ritz Carlton while the lifestyle brand can be compared to a W.

“The UK and China will be the two markets where we will launch our new brands first before moving to other key markets like India. We see India as a big market for these brands.”

Mumbai and Sri Lanka are currently being considered as the destinations of choice to set up the company’s new brands.

“India, China and South-east Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia will be at the centrestage of our expansion plans. In fact in India where we have signed nine management contracts with two operational hotels, our plan is to sign 30 contracts by 2017,” said Wan.

Rohit Vig, managing director for India of the hotel group, said: “In the next six months, we are opening five more properties in India, two Park Regis in Goa and Jaipur and three Leisure Inn hotels in Thane, Mumbai and Hyderabad.”

StayWell currently operates two brands, mid-scale Leisure Inn and up-scale Park Regis. The company manages 34 properties in markets like Australia, Singapore and Dubai among others and has plans to increase this number to 100 by 2017.

BEST Western International has reached into Malaysia further with the management of the Best Western Premier Ion Delemen, Genting Highlands, currently under construction and will open in 1Q2016.

The 500-room luxury property is nestled amidst jungle-clad hills, and will offer an array of facilities including the Sky Café, a rooftop deck, infinity-edged swimming pool, spa, fitness centre, sauna, multi-purpose events hall, restaurant and children’s playground.

Guests will also be able to enjoy golf and horse riding, as well as retail and entertainment offerings nearby, which will soon include the world’s first 20th Century Fox theme park.

Best Western International currently operates four hotels in Malaysia, and expects to increase its portfolio to at least 16 hotels in the country in the next three years.

MELIÁ Hotels International will open the 249-key Gran Meliá Bintan in 2017, which will comprise a resort and residences.

The hotel company last week signed a contract with owning company Berakit Resorts in Jakarta to operate the property, which will be the first to open in Berakit, eastern Bintan. It marks the second Gran Meliá hotel in Indonesia after Gran Meliá Jakarta that was launched 20 years ago.

Berakit is a new coastal resort enclave, which will see other international brand luxury hotels joining Gran Meliá Bintan in future.

On the timing and choice of destination, Meliá Hotels International CEO, Gabriel Escarrer, said: “(While) Indonesia has a lot of potential as a high-end destination among destinations worldwide, to have a Gran Meliá there is not something easy because you need to find the right location with ready infrastructure, and the right partner. We have found both now.

“Bintan has a lot to offer. It has the proximity to Singapore, Malaysia, China, some the key feeder markets, and the potential to grow the European arrivals is there.”

Michael Yong, COO of Berakit Resorts, said: “A new Berakit Ferry Terminal is under construction near the property and will open in 2016 for direct services from Singapore.

“Bintan’s airport is also under construction and will open in 2016. The airport will be able to accommodate Boeing 747 aircraft and the terminal will be able to accommodate 3.5 million passengers a year.

“(By the time the hotel opens), Bintan will be more accessible to domestic and international travellers,” he added.

Escarrer said Meliá is accustomed to opening up properties in new destinations such as the opening of Melia Bali 30 years ago in Nusa Dua, the first five-star international hotel in the area.

“Customers and tour operators are always looking for new destinations and I am sure Bintan will be on the radar in the next three years as a top luxury destination,” Escarrer said.

Apart from the Bintan property, Meliá International will also manage the 131-room Sol Legian, 300-room Meliá Surabaya, 258-room Innside Yogyakarta and 130-room Innside Makassar, all to open in 2016.

Escarrer said the company’s next priority was to manage a property in Lombok.

THE Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is lobbying the government to implement an immediate short-term visa exemption for Chinese visitors during next year’s Lunar New Year period, in order to shore up arrivals from the market.

Hamzah Rahmat, president of MATTA, said in a statement: “Visa waivers and exemptions are an effective way of encouraging tourists to visit and spend time in a particular location.

“An immediate six-month visa exemption for China tourists, especially with the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, will help boost tourist arrivals and provide much needed stimulus to the local economy. We must not miss this opportunity.”

He raised the examples of Japan and Thailand, which both saw tourism arrivals increase substantially after visa regulations were scrapped.

According to Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s minister of tourism and culture, arrivals from China shrank by 11.8 per cent from January to July following the loss of Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines MH370 and kidnappings in Sabah.

Reactions from the trade to MATTA’s call have been mixed.

Yap Sook Ling, managing director, Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel welcomed the move and predicted it would stimulate the Chinese leisure market to Malaysia.

“Future bookings are soft, we cannot just wait and hope clients will come. This will entice Chinese travellers to come to Malaysia,” she said.

However, Adam Kamal, deputy president 2, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said: “I don’t know if this will make a big improvement in arrivals as many Chinese travellers would already have made their holiday plans for the Lunar New Year period.”

DUETTO, which specialises in hotel profit optimisation software, has opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, appointing Patrick Andres and Amanda See as regional vice president and vice president of sales respectively.

Lee Pillsbury, Duetto board member, founder of Thayer Ventures and Thayer Lodging, said: “Duetto’s entry into the Asia-Pacific markets could not be better timed, or more urgently needed.

“As hotel owners in the region continue to build out their business operations and create pricing strategies, they are interested in adopting best-in-class solutions in revenue strategy and related areas of marketing and distribution. Duetto’s breakthrough technologies will accelerate this process and help hotels keep up with the urgent need for innovation and forward-looking solutions,” Pillsbury added.

Duetto announced the opening of its EMEA headquarters office in London last week and its expansion into key markets around the globe with a US$21 million funding led by Accel Partners.

Andres brings with him extensive knowledge of the Asia-Pacific hospitality technology space and was last with Travelport as Asia-Pacific vice president and managing director. Prior to that, Andres built and ran regional operations for Sabre Hospitality Solutions.

Amanda See has almost two decades of experience in channel distribution, marketing, revenue strategy, event and conference sales and hotel operations and will lead business development intiatives in the Asia-Pacific region.

She was previously senior director of business development for Sabre and worked with Andres to propel the growth of the company’s regional operations as well as to maintain customer relationships and partnerships.

ACEH has the potential to become a bigger tourism destination but must first improve service levels and accessibility, said tourism stakeholders attending Indonesia Tourism Mart and Expo (TIME) 2014 in Banda Aceh over the weekend.

Ben Gosman, managing director of Free Incentives, the Netherlands, said: “The people have been helpful, friendly and they accept differences, which is different from the perception of Aceh being a (strict) Muslim area.”

He said that Aceh could appeal to the Dutch market with its cultural and nature attractions. “We cater to travellers who want an off-the-beaten-track market, and Aceh is exactly that.” Gosman also noted that Aceh has better land infrastructure than some destinations in the country.

Sellers at TIME 2014 noted that the special interest travellers have been making their way to Aceh. Pulau Weh Dive Resort owner and director, Vincent Chong, said: “We received divers from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China. It took a lot of effort to get them to come to Aceh, but once they do, they come back.”

Anas Zulham Almansur, owner of Balrose Holiday, said: “We recently hosted a group of 12 golfers from Taiwan (to Aceh).”

The Indonesian province has been the subject of negative press over the decades – from the Free Aceh Movement between 1976 and 2005, to the Boxing Day tsunami and earthquake in 2004, and most recently, sharia law.

Rahmadhani, director of programming and planning, Aceh Culture and Tourism Office, said Aceh welcomes guests “regardless of their religious practices”. “If female travellers want to wear a scarf over their head while they are here, they are welcome to, but if not, that is okay too as long as they are dressed properly.”

Aceh is creating more events to attract visitors to come and experience the destination for themselves, said Rahmadhani. But restrictions still exist, such as the prohibition of alcohol consumption.

Buyers, however, pointed out there was still work to be done. “What Aceh and the Indonesian government need to do is promote Aceh internationally,” Gosman said, adding that improving air accessibility is also necessary.

Riek Vogler, director of Asia Way Amsterdam, said: “Hospitality is new to the destination, so locals still need to learn how to serve international travellers,” she said.

THE Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF) is establishing Tourism Bank Public Company to provide small- and medium-size businesses with financial assistance to operate in the travel and tourism industry.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Hilton Hotel Nay Pyi Taw recently, minister for hotels and tourism Htay Aung, said that the bank will be used to improve the business prospects of companies.

A representative from MTF told TTG Asia e-Daily that detailed plans of the bank have not yet been established.

According to local reports, the privately owned bank will comprise about two dozen members of the federation – which includes hotel owners and businessmen in the tourism industry – and has been granted permission to operate by the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), which appraises proposed investments in Myanmar.

It is now awaiting a licence from DICA.

Thet Zin, director of travel agency Living Irrawaddy Travel Services, said that she was sceptical that the loans would help.

“I don’t think that financial help is the main issue that we need (as a travel company),” she said.

“After all, our main product is offering a service, so we only need a small investment to start a company. The main challenges are human resources, training and education. Maybe loans will be useful for starting up restaurants or souvenir shops,” she added.

TOURISM has been designated as a stand-alone ministry in the Working Cabinet line-up of Indonesia’s new president, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), heralding a shift in the mindset towards the industry.

Announced yesterday, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will now become the Ministry of Tourism. Arief Yahya, CEO of state-owned telecommunication company Telekomunasi Indonesia (Telkom), has been appointed to spearhead the ministry.

Arief graduated from Bandung Institute of Technology where he studied electronic technology, and obtained a master degree in telematics from Surrey University, UK. He subsequently built his career at Telkom.

Indonesia’s Cabinet ministers are sworn in today and will conduct their first meeting right after that, where Jokowi will outline the tasks and goals of each ministry for the next five years.

Speaking with local broadcast media after the announcement, Arief said that part of his assignment is to improve and expand Indonesian tourism marketing, especially through online media.

Tourism has never had a single ministry to itself, starting off as a directorate general in the 1970s and becoming the Department of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications in 1983. It changed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1998, State Ministry of Tourism and Art in 1999, and Ministry of Culture and Tourism in again in 2000, before it became the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in 2011.