IN THE latest move in its expansion drive, JTB Group has reached an agreement with Holiday Tours & Travel for the sale of the latter’s stake in Tour East Group entities.

JTB will take over the interest in Tour East Group entities in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia when the transaction is complete.

Meanwhile, the Japan-based tour operator is in discussions for the acquisition of Tour East Thailand as well.

The completion of the sale is subject to regulatory clearance and will only take effect once the transaction is finished.

In a media release, Tour East said: “The agreed acquisition with JTB would put Tour East on the road to further expansion and growth, as JTB’s strong brand will enable Tour East to enhance its business proposition to customers through enhanced global reach, technology, and more comprehensive products and service offerings.”

JTB Group earlier this year bought over Singapore-based Dynasty Travel and appointed Dennis Law as global inbound general manager.

AIRFARES on Indonesian airlines are poised to increase when the Ministry of Transportation raises the price ceiling for economy class tickets by 10 per cent next month to help local carriers cope with fuel costs.

With the new regulation in place, the upper limit of a Jakarta-Bali ticket will increase from Rp1.4 million (US$115) to Rp1.5 million, based on an aviation turbine fuel cost of Rp13,000 per litre at the exchange rate of Rp12,000 for every US dollar.

The increase is a revision to the limits on fare prices imposed by the government in 2010, and comes in response to a request by the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA), which had sought government support to ease the burden on the aviation industry from the depreciation of the rupiah.

Chairman Arif Wibowo said the association had appealed to the government to hike the price ceiling by 25 per cent, but expressed satisfaction at the 10 per cent increase.

Arif noted that the revised price ceiling did not automatically and uniformly bump up economy tickets prices, as market forces would continue to have a hand in price determination.

“Airlines will not sell tickets at maximum price when it is low season or at certain hours of (the day or week). But when demand is high, we need to have more room to increase the price so that airlines will be able to continue to be operational in the face of the high fuel costs,” he said.

NOVOTEL Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa will open on October 15 on Karon Beach, with a special promotion to mark its opening.

The 224-key new build features 16 Plunge Pool Suites, 20 Suites, 56 Deluxe rooms, 30 Deluxe Family rooms, nine Superior Plunge Pool rooms, 45 Superior rooms and 48 Standard rooms that include amenities such as flatscreen TVs and Wi-Fi connection.

“Phuket continues to be the destination of choice for many regional and international tourists,” said Fraser Ross, general manager of Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa.

“Phuket’s allure is magnetic and appears to be growing from strength to strength. We therefore see this as a great opportunity to launch this special promotion to entice travellers to experience our exciting new resort and stay longer.”

Dining choices on the property include The Horizon all-day-dining restaurant, with its show kitchen, the Tai Restaurant serving Thai and pan-Asian cuisines, the poolside Joe Kool’s Pool Bar and Grill, and The Champions Sports Bar.

The resort also comes with two pools, a Kids Club Pool, a Kids Club, a spa and a fitness centre.

To celebrate its opening, Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa is offering a Stay 3, Pay 2 promotion, with free breakfast for two persons during the period. This promotion is available from October 15 to December 19.

Visit www.novotelphuketkaron.com for bookings.

SHILLA Stay Yeoksam opened its doors this week as the first of Hotel Shilla’s second hotel under the business-focused Shilla Stay brand.

Located near bustling Teheranno Boulevard in business centre Gangnam, Shilla Stay Yeoksam was designed by renowned Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni.

The property offers 306 guestrooms, including three grand rooms, buffet restaurant Café, a bar, fitness centre, free Wi-Fi and meeting rooms.

Hotel Shilla will continue the roll-out of its business hotels in Jeju, Seodaemun, Ulsan, Mapo, Guro, Gwanghwamun, Cheonan and Seocho.

Shilla Stay Dongtan opened in November last year.

IMPLEMENTATION of a 30-year National Transport Development Master Plan for Myanmar is expected to commence by year-end.

Current chairman of the ASEAN Air Transport Working Group and director general of Myanmar’s Department of Civil Aviation, Win Swe Tun, said: “The presentation of the drafted master plan was given last week. Officials from all transport sectors, not just aviation, are happy with the plan drawn up by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“This is an important master plan that links not only ASEAN member countries but also India and China via air, land or marine corridors.” Win Swe Tun was speaking on the sidelines of the 30^th ASEAN Air Transport Working Group Meeting held at Chatrium hotel in Yangon from September 22-26.

However, JICA representatives contacted by TTG Asia e-Daily gave no details of what the plan would involve. It would only say its survey report on national transport development will be available by the end of this month.

Myanmar’s transport industry industry, particularly aviation, looks set for growth in the coming years as an increasing number of international airlines eye opportunities in a market buoyed by a growing tourism market and a government intent on attracting increased investment.

Josep Niubo, director of Yangon-based travel agency Lotus Bonita, said: “Yangon now has better connections internationally, and other destinations, namely Mandalay and Naypyidaw, are also better connected.”

He noted that with the increasing number of airlines coming in, a corresponding rise in the new connections to international destinations is likely.

Elaborating, Niubo said: “We know that there are many Burmese living in the US, and we have a lot of bookings to and from San Francisco. So I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw increased connections to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, so people can connect onwards to the US.”

SRI Lankan hospitality group LOLC Leisure will rebrand to Browns Hotels and Resorts, as it aggressively works towards building its portfolio to 1,000 rooms.

The four-year old company currently has 308 rooms across three hotels: the 158-key Eden Resort & Spa and Dickwella Resort & Spa, both on the south coast, and Green Paradise, Dambulla in north-east Sri Lanka.

Under construction are a 363-room, five-star hotel at Beruwala that is scheduled to be completed in 2016; a 172-room five-star property at Kosgoda to be finished in 1H2015; and a 71-room, four-star hotel in Passikudah scheduled to open later this year.

There are also plans to build hotels in other locations where it owns properties, as well as one in the capital of Colombo.

Rimoe Saldin, managing director and CEO, Browns Investments, owning company of Browns Hotels and Resorts, said that the group has expanded its footprint in the leisure sector and made a number of significant acquisitions.

“This increased interest will lead us to soon be one of the largest hotel operators in Sri Lanka,” said Saldin.

BOUTIQUE travel agency Wellness Vietnam Holidays is organising a cultural and wellness tour programme to Myanmar for the first time, with the opportunity for guests to practice tai chi and meditation.

Programme director for the Ho Chi Minh City-based company, Thuy M Do, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “We have organised a variety of wellness programmes mainly to Vietnam. I had mulled organising one in Myanmar for some time since having personally visited the country twice. The country and its people, beautiful temples and landscapes are deeply spiritual, making it an ideal wellness destination for such programmes as yoga, tai chi and meditation.”

The 12-day Tai Chi in Mystical Myanmar programme from March 1-12, 2015 will comprise tai chi, meditation and qi-boosting sessions and will coincide with Myanmar’s largest pagoda festival taking place at the sacred Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.

The itinerary will include the Shan region, with a three-night stay at Inle Lake offering insights into hill tribe culture and the local life surrounding the lake; the former royal capital of Mandalay, with visits to the Royal Palace and a leading teaching monastery; and Bagan, with its many temples.

“Depending on the feedback for this tour, we may organise additional trips to Myanmar in the future. However, hotel availability and services are limited there. The cost is higher than that of neighbouring countries, which makes it a challenge to promote (the tour) even though people are interested,” Thuy added.

She said the company’s clients are from Europe, America, New Zealand and Australia.

Open to all, including beginners of tai chi, prices start from US$4,850 (sharing) for an all-inclusive, in-country programme. Travellers can save US$600 on early bookings by December 15.