TRIPADVISOR has integrated Uber functionality into its app and mobile site, giving travellers a transport option to reach their desired locations.

The travel company yesterday introduced the ‘Ride there with Uber’ button, which shows users an estimate of Uber car fares and wait times for pick up when viewing restaurants, attractions, or hotel options. Users then tap the button to obtain Uber transport.

Both iOS and Android versions of the TripAdvisor app offer the feature, but only in English and Italian so far.

“TripAdvisor’s integration with Uber’s new public API puts requesting an Uber in context, right inside the TripAdvisor app,” said Jeff Holden, chief product officer at Uber.

“That’s a big deal, because it saves people time and simplifies their lives: instead of having to exit the TripAdvisor app, run the Uber app and enter the destination address, your Uber is on its way with just a tap, ready to whisk you off to the venue you were looking at.”

However, users will need to registered with Uber to use the function and this can be done on the Uber mobile site.

Adam Medros, senior vice president of global product, TripAdvisor, commented: “Millions of travellers rely on the TripAdvisor app to help them plan and have the perfect trip during all parts of their journey, and our partnership with the popular technology platform makes our app an even more powerful travel-planning resource.”

ROYAL Caribbean International and Princess Cruises have announced itineraries for their ships’ upcoming Singapore homeport seasons.

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas will return for a new Singapore season between June and November 2015 to sail a variety of three- to 10-night itineraries across the Asia-Pacific.

Itineraries on offer include:
–       A three-night night voyage to Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) in June
–       A three- or five-night cruise to Penang, Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Bangkok (Laem Chabang), and Koh Samui during the September school holidays
–       Two 10-night cruises Koh Samui, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (overnight), Sihanoukville, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My)
–       Three 10-night one-way cruises to Koh Samui, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Sihanoukville, Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Nha Trang, Hue/Danang (Chan May), and Hong Kong
–       Two 10-night one-way cruises from Hong Kong to Taipei (Keelung), Manila, Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Kota Kinabalu, Bandar Seri Begawan (Muara), and Singapore

Legend of the Seas will also sail two consecutive 14-night itineraries in September, one south-bound voyage from Singapore to Perth (Fremantle), stopping at Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Langkawi, Phuket, Bali (Benoa), Lombok, Broome and Geraldton on the way, and the return north-bound journey to Singapore.

The ship underwent a US$50 million refurbishment in Singapore last year, and sister shipMariner of the Seas will also sail from Singapore in the winter season of 2015/16, marking the first time Royal Caribbean offers year-round sailings from Singapore.

Princess Cruises is placing a greater emphasis on the Indonesian market for its upcoming season beginning November 2014 (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 12, 2013).

The cruise line is extending the season to end in March 2015 instead of February 2015.Sapphire Princess will add a 17-day Grand Asia tour featuring calls at Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Busan and Beijing in March.

New cruise itineraries have also been segmented from the current planned sailings in December in order to target Indonesian families for the school holiday period.

These itineraries include a six-night cruise from Singapore to Bali and Kuala Lumpur, and a four-night cruise from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Phuket and Singapore.

“We are witnessing tremendous growth and demand in the market for our homeporting seasons in the region,” said Farriek Tawfik, director for South-east Asia, Princess Cruises. “We are very excited about bringing Sapphire Princess to Indonesia where it will visit Bali, Lombok and Komodo Island”.

Furthermore, Sapphire Princess is also offering newly launched chocolate-themed products on board, such as chocolate spa treatments and desserts, in addition to new luxury boutiques and brands.

MACAU Government Tourist Office (MGTO) is shoring up Hong Kong arrivals with its Surprise Macau campaign, launched last week.

Stanley Mok, general manager of MGTO, remarked that the influx of Chinese visitors in recent times has rendered Macau less attractive to visitors from Hong Kong, as the latter prefers less crowded destinations.

From January to July, the total number of visitors to Macau rose eight per cent to 15.3 million. Travellers to Macau via Hong Kong also rose by 17.1 per cent or 2.9 million, with the majority of visitors coming from China. Meanwhile Hong Kong arrivals dropped 6.1 per cent.

To bring this market back, Surprise Macau will disseminate information on the latest statistics, hotels and development projects, major events, trails and summer highlights in the territory.

The NTO will focus on promoting new projects, especially those on the Cotai Strip. Scheduled for completion in mid-2015 are The Ritz-Carlton’s first all-suite hotel, the world’s largest JW Marriott as well as retail space for high-end boutiques, and meeting and convention space at Galaxy Macau; the boutique Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel sporting 1950s décor; and Las Vegas Sands’ The Parisian Macau hotel featuring an Eiffel Tower at half the height of the original.

Projects due for completion by 2016 include MGM Cotai’s rooms and gaming facilities; Wynn Palace’s rooms, restaurants, recreational, 3.2 ha lagoon, gaming and meeting facilities; as well as Louis XIII Holdings’ duplex suites, villas, invitation-only Atelier and Michelin three-star L’Ambroisie.

At Fisherman’s Wharf, three brand new hotels, Harbourview Hotel, Legend Palace and Legendale Hotel, will commence operations between 2014 and 2016. Its existing dinosaur exhibition, hotels and fine dining restaurants will also be revamped.

Article by Yvonne Chang. Translated by Ong Yanchun from TTG China e-Daily, August 18, 2014.

GOOGLE is now allowing anyone to add pins and markers to Google Maps, an opportunity for industry members to highlight local attractions, businesses and places of interest, pointed out tourism research company MyTravelResearch.com.

Before this, only businesses with a Google My Business page or companies that Google had picked up from other listings were added to Google Maps.

Google Maps’ free-for-all approach now allows destinations, regional tourism entities and local governments to post geo-specific information online for travellers.

“In one stroke, Google has liberated Google Maps,” said Bronwyn White, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com. “It is now a highly effective way for businesses to attract customers – and for local governments, visitor bureaus and regional tourism offices to stimulate their local visitor economies.”

After pinning, Google’s internal verification process takes approximately a week to check the legitimacy of the pin before it goes live.

White explained that Google expects more searches to be done on mobile devices than on desktops by end-2014. The more red pins and markers displaying hotels, restaurants, museums, attractions and activity centres, the more travellers will stay and spend.

“Businesses need to realise that Google Maps are an increasingly useful sign post on the path to purchase,” said White.

Google has so far liberalised Google Maps for Australia but will roll out the function to other countries in the near future.

MyTravelResearch has posted a video to guide travel businesses on how they can add pins and markers to Google Maps available below or at this website.

DESCRIBED as an “Airbnb for boating”, Boatbay was launched yesterday as the first boat rental marketplace based in the region with the intention to exclusively build boat and yacht supply listings across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Tim Gundry, co-founder of Boatbay, observed: “We are seeing an increasing amount of people taking to the water for a growing variety of reasons, such as hosting a corporate event or birthday party, fishing, water skiing, recreation and family holidays.”

“We are building a peer-to-peer driven community which empowers people to write and post user reviews of boat owners, yacht charter companies, and those who rent or charter boats,” he added. “Boatbay is the Airbnb for boating, yachting and people who want to experience a social activity on the water”.

The peer-to-peer website (www.boatbay.com) allows boat owners as well as boat charter companies to list their vessels for free, adding photos, contact information and pricing.

Owners can rent the boat alone, charter the boat with themselves as captain, select a captain of choice, or rent to consumers with a boat licence.

Most boat owners utilise their yachts 15 days a year on average, but must pay annual storage and maintenance fees. With successful bookings, owners pay Boatbay a commission for its service and earn the rest.

Said Gundry: “The expenses really add up. The advantage of using Boatbay is that you can offset these expenditures while still enjoying boat ownership”.

“A wide variety of watercraft can be found on Boatbay…Boat renters can search and rent a luxury motor yacht in Sydney, a sports fishing boat in Dubai, a 1906 Danish built sailing yacht in Phuket or even a submarine in Bali.”