DONALD J Trump has today announced collaboration plans with Indian luxury real estate developer Lodha Group to launch Trump Tower Mumbai, marking the American billionaire’s first investment in the city.

“It has been my desire for many years to be involved in a great project in Mumbai, and it is my honour to bring the Trump lifestyles to the citizens of this truly global metropolis with the launch of Trump Tower Mumbai, said Donald J Trump, chairman and president, The Trump Organization.

Abhishek Lodha, managing director of Lodha Group, said: “Our collaboration on Trump Tower Mumbai not only raises the bar in every sense for luxury and services, but sets a new benchmark for luxury living in India – creating a tower that redefines the Mumbai skyline.”

Set in The Park at Worli, the 75-storey Trump Tower Mumbai features ultra-luxurious three- and four-bedroom residences with interiors designed by HBA Singapore, with amenities such as German Poggenpohl kitchens, five-fixture master bathrooms, indoor Jacuzzis, built-in TVs and elite seven-level security.

The project will offer residents a host of exclusive lifestyle privileges, including a 24-hour resident manager and white-glove services, access to global Trump luxury properties and a fractional membership to private jet service exclusively for Trump residents in India.

Besides Mumbai, other Trump projects have been earmarked for development in Vancouver, Istanbul, Panama and Manila.

MAJOR inbound operator Uni-Orient Travel has launched a B2B online reservation system, which will offer content ranging from Philippine hotels and tours to activities and transfers.

U-xplor, accessible at www.u-xplor.com, was soft launched in June at a selling mission to Russia and for Philippine operators in early July, according to Pedro B Young, Uni-Orient consultant for tourism services.

On the inbound side, the platform targets major markets like Russia and China, as well as Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia, said Young.

The system currently carries 500 Philippine hotels in its database, and will soon add land arrangements, transfers and destination-specific activities across the Philippines for the FIT segment.

“We will also be adding tour programmes in the next two weeks,” he added. “We offer special rates for those using our system as it streamlines some of the work that we do.”

Young said that U-Xplor offerings for the Boracay-bound market in particular would reduce the need to source “activity outfitters” for land-based or water sports activities, and give partner operators options to add premium add-ons like daily pocket Wi-Fi service.

Likewise, tour programmes that can bring Boracay visitors to luxury spots like Carabao Island, Romblon or cultural tours on the island itself are in the works, he said.

Philippine outbound agencies would also be able to use the system for international bookings.

ASIAN travellers are most addicted to mobile technology and are least likely to disconnect while on vacation, according to the new Disconnect to Reconnect survey from Hotels.com.

Examining digital vacationing habits across 28 countries worldwide, the global survey found out that travellers from Thailand were the least prepared to give up their mobile devices, with a staggering 85 per cent of Thai travellers saying they would be unwilling to do so. South Korea took second place (78 per cent), followed by Japan (69 per cent), China (67 per cent) and Singapore (60 per cent).

On the other end of the spectrum was India with a mere 20 per cent of participants saying they would be unable to abandon their mobile devices or laptops, followed by Argentina at 22 per cent. Elsewhere in North America, only 35 per cent of Americans, 27 per cent of Canadians and 28 per cent of Mexican travellers said they would be unwilling to do so.

“Going away on vacation should be a time to unwind, whether you’re lying on a beach in Cancun or snowboarding down a mountain in Vail,” said Taylor L Cole, APR, travel expert at Hotels.com. “While smartphones are useful for checking the weather or viewing maps, travellers would benefit from switching off their emails to disconnect and restore a little more of the all-important work-life balance.”

As for bragging rights and countries most likely to exaggerate their vacation experiences, China comes in on top with 67 per cent of respondents likely to lie to friends and family when returning home. Germany is close behind in second place with 64 per cent, and South Korea is third place with just under half (48 per cent) admitting they would embellish a travel story to impress others. Travellers from the US are less likely to exaggerate their experiences (24 per cent).

When it comes to American travel habits, two-thirds of Americans (66 per cent) say they spend at least some time using social media while on vacation, with 28 per cent saying they spend an hour or more each day. The majority of Americans also admit to spending some time checking or responding to work emails while on vacation (56 per cent), but most say they spend less than an hour a day (36 per cent), while 44 percent say they spend no time at all.

The Hotels.com study also revealed the top 10 most important travel items for Americans. Smartphones were the most important travel item after passports, while travel insurance was the least important of all.

FRHI Hotels & Resorts has enhanced its Famous Agents training programme to further travel consultants’ understanding of its three distinctive hotel brands and unique guest experiences each offers.

Famous Agents Academy is developed in conjunction with and accredited by Travel Agent University (TAU), moderator of online courses for travel consultants.

Upon successfully passing each module, member consultants will receive both course credit with TAU as well as Famous Agent bonus points.

The number of credits and points earned will vary from course to course.

As an additional incentive, members can earn 15 bonus points for completing the first module. They can choose from a variety of courses and material can be covered at their own pace.

Courses will be updated on an ongoing basis to ensure material is current and engaging, so members are encouraged to “check-in” to refresh their FRHI knowledge.

To enroll, travel consultants can sign in at famousagents.frhi.com and follow the Famous Agents Academy link on the homepage.

SINGAPORE’S National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) recommendation on minimum fees for tour guides, announced last month, is too simplistic and not practical, several inbound travel consultants told TTG Asia e-Daily.

NTUC Tour Guide Chapter’s new guideline recommends a minimum fee of S$150 (US$120) for a four-hour, half-day tour, and S$250 for a full-day one. There are no penalties for not following the recommendations.

Tour East group vice president of sales and marketing, Judy Lum, said: “The steep increase as recommended by NTUC is not realistic for our business.

“I acknowledge that the increase in guide fees is a reasonable consideration just as an employer would increase the salary of the staff to help offset inflation, but it has to be within reasonable range and viable for a tour agency to continue operating these tours.”

An inbound operator who declined to be named said: “There are many types of tours and they all vary quite widely in terms of the time, effort, language and service required of the tour guides. Hence, a one-size-fits-all guideline may not be that practical.

“Each company will have to decide for itself how best to compensate its own tour guides according to market needs.”

National Association of Travel Agents Singapore acting CEO, Patricia Auyeong, concurred, adding: “Such guidelines can be disruptive…it can also be anti-competitive so it is best left to market forces to determine the fees.”

GTMC Travel CEO, Samson Tan, said: “Guidelines are good for the industry and if business goes down, it is up to the industry to negotiate among themselves.

“It must be a win-win situation where both the agencies and tour guides benefit for a long-term perspective.”

Likewise, Lum said: “Discussion on such matters should have the objective of a solution where both sides benefit; it is very simplistic to assume that tour agencies laugh to the bank by not paying the guides what they deserve.”

According to local broadsheet The Straits Times, as of December 2013, there were 2,360 licensed tour guides in Singapore employed by travel consultants. They charge from S$10 an hour, or up to S$180 per hour if they offer specialised knowledge or speak multiple languages.

THE 12-year-old Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, which first opened its doors in December 2001, has completed a comprehensive makeover last month to boast an entirely new look and feel.

The remodel started in 2010 with the overhaul of the Regency Club rooms and suites, and continued in 2012 with the restoration of the Presidential Villas.

Activity then ceased until earlier this year, when construction began on the refurbishment of 79 Hyatt Guestrooms and the establishment of 50 Deluxe Rooms, a new room category at the 213-room seaside resort.

The Deluxe Rooms are located on the ground floor and select areas of the second floor. Each comes with an enclosed balcony that makes for a spacious living area, a comfortable sofa bed and a “buy one get one” treatment at the hotel’s residential spa, The Barai.

“A lot of time and effort went into this programme,” said Sammy Carolus, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. “But it was absolutely necessary in order to meet the desires of today’s travellers.

“This overhaul reaffirms our commitment to providing guests with quality products and services,” he added.

The hotel is also a founding member of It’s in Hua Hin, a destination marketing organisation (DMO) launched in 2010 to promote the world-class accommodations and activities available in and around Hua Hin.

Other members of the DMO include Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Banyan Golf Club, Banyan Resort and Hua Hin Hills Vineyard.

HSMAI Asia Pacific’s annual learning and networking event for hospitality sales, marketing and revenue management professionals, Asia Connect, will take place this year at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Center on September 3.

Asia Connect 2014 will focus on topics including The New Sales Professional, Game Changing Consumer Trends, Real-time Marketing Solutions and Digital Customer Engagement.

Keynote speaker Ani Bhalekar, mobility solutions expert at Accenture Digital, will touch on Tapping the Growth of the Mobility Marketplace, while Bob Gilbert, president and CEO of HSMAI, will present key findings of an upcoming HSMAI Foundation Special Report,Evolving Reality of the Modern Sales Professional.

The interactive conference will also feature panel discussions such as Hoteliers of a New Generation, Voice of the Customer and research findings from the HSMAI-CNI Pulse of the Industry Survey.

To take the survey, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hsmaiap2014. For conference registration, visit https://hsmaiasiaconnect.eventbrite.com.au.

SKYJET Airlines is launching new scheduled flights from Manila to Kalibo and Baler on August 15 and 17 respectively.

Skyjet’s three-times weekly, 45-minute flights will land in Kalibo, Boracay, instead of Caticlan, as previously planned.

On the other hand, the 20-minute flight to Baler in Aurora province, east Central Luzon, operates three times weekly, and is a ground-breaking commercial route previously only served by charters.

Interest in Baler has increased because of improved roads, rising popularity as a surfing destination and the recent opening of upscale 106-room resort Costa Pacifica at Sabang Beach.

“Costa Pacifica is starting to attract more tourists, but there are no flights there,” said Dino Reyes-Chua, Skyjet president.

“Our mission is to serve the unserved, discover the undiscovered,” he added, singling out the carrier’s routes to the remote islands of Batanes (currently also served by PAL Express) – its flagship route – and Busuanga in Coron, both flying three times weekly.

Skyjet has also disclosed plans to launch commercial flights to Naga, replacing a previous route to Virac, Catanduanes; Vigan, a finalist in the New7Wonders Cities of the Worldcampaign; and Siargao, another surfing destination in northern Mindanao.

Meanwhile, three-times weekly Taipei-Kalibo charters are in the works, as well as a brand new Boracay-Coron charter.

“The problem for South Korea, China, and other European markets is it would be tiring for them to fly from Coron to Manila, and from Manila again to Boracay,” said Reyes-Chua.

Skyjet has also taken note of growing interest in the Boracay-Coron route from a traveller exit survey conducted by the Coron municipality.

Coron flights during the peak season starting September or October might increase to a daily frequency, Reyes-Chua added.

MYANMAR is witnessing the emergence of new tourism destinations as tour operators strive to cater to visitors looking for experiences beyond the Big Four of Bagan, Yangon, Inle Lake and Mandalay.

Khiri Travel, for example, will offer from October a new tour linking Bagan and Mrauk U. Located in the restive Rakhine State, Mrauk U is home to hundreds of temples and pagodas, but attracts small tourist numbers, as most travellers will need to fly to Sittwe, then take a boat to Mrauk U.

“Southern Chin State and Mrauk U are beautiful areas, and it’s certainly an area that can use more economic development,” said Edwin Briels, general manager of Khiri Travel Myanmar.

Despite security issues in Rakhine State, Briels believes Mrauk U remains a safe place to travel to. “Khiri Travel carefully follows the advice of the Myanmar government, who considers Mrauk U safe for travellers. The destination feels very peaceful and quiet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Remote Lands too has introduced a tour to Loikaw, a remote town in Kayah State with attractions including the 11th century Taungkwe pagoda, the weekend market and remote tribes that live a few hours’ drive away from the main town.

“Our clients are always looking to explore new areas that aren’t as heavily touristed as Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake,” Jay Tindall, co-founder of Remote Lands told TTG Asia e-Daily, adding that Myanmar Airways’ recent addition of direct Yangon-Loikaw flights makes Loikaw more accessible.

On the announcement that three Pyu city states have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Tindall commented: “We definitely expect the UNESCO status of the Pyu cities to raise interest in the area and will be promoting it more actively.”

Other destinations gaining interest include Pyin Oo Lwin and the trekking destination of Hsipaw in Northern Shan State.

AIRASIA Group has launched a product called Premium Flex designed to entice corporate road warriors.

Passengers will enjoy the flexibility of changing their flight without being charged a fee. However, they will have to pay the fare difference, if any.

Premium Flex offers a maximum of two changes to flight date or time, complimentary 20kg baggage allowance, complimentary seat selection, express boarding and express baggage at the airport carousel.

The product is available for all AirAsia flights (except for Sri Lanka). Flight change is available up to two hours before the scheduled departure time of the original flight and must be at least three hours before the departure time of the new AirAsia flight and at least four hours before the departure time of the new AirAsia X flight.

The change can be performed via web, mobile and all AirAsia official offline booking channels.

In conjunction with this new product launch, AirAsia is offering a 20 per cent discount on all flights throughout its route network until August 17. The discount also applies to AirAsia X flights for travel up to December 14, 2014.