Philippine MICE traffic to Thailand takes a beating

June 9, 2014

PHILIPPINE MICE planners are reporting cancellations for Thailand in the wake of a coup d’état and imposition of martial law, though the lifting of curfews in tourist destinations may help ease concerns.

Maricel Delfin, sales representative for Bangkok-based tour operator Trikaya that deals with Philippine businesses, said: “When the coup took place, our clients disappeared.”

Delfin observed that martial law itself was not a main worry. “What clients are worried about is if the airport in Bangkok will close.”

Maria Michelle Victoria, president, Golden Eagle Travel & Tours, who flew to Phuket via Bangkok in May, said that the situation had since stabilised. “But of course for tourism, it doesn’t look as good, publicity-wise…(and) because the situation isn’t so stable yet, it’s hard to market Thailand.”

However Bong Goyenechea, corporate sales officer at Ark Travel Express, said that even before news of the curfew being lifted had spread widely, he received a booking for 10 pax via KBS Travel last week. “People are still confident about doing business in Bangkok.”

On the other hand, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is beefing up support for planners. Vichaya Soonthomsaratoon, director for meetings, incentives, and conventions department, said that the CVB prepares Letters of Assurance to explain the country’s political situation to planners’ prospective clients and coordinates with tourism and police authorities to assist affected groups.

Vichaya remarked: “Normally we will urge the meeting planner to postpone – not to cancel – or to maybe to change (their activity to) another destination.”

Meanwhile, MICE traffic continues in Thailand with a 6,200-delegate Infinitus China trip in May having pushed through, a 15,000-pax Unicity Global Convention in Bangkok scheduled for October, and an L G Hausys incentive to Phuket for 850 in Dcember.

NATAS elects new executive committee

By TTG Asia

June 6, 2014

A NEW batch of leaders has taken the helm at NATAS for 2014-2016 after its 35^th annual general meeting last month.

Devinder Ohri, director of G C Nanda & Sons, succeeds William Tan as president of NATAS after the latter’s five-term tenure as president. Ohri has accumulated more than 30 years’ experience within the industry, handling inbound tours and corporate travel.

Chung Kek Yoong, managing director of Pacific Arena, was nominated deputy president. He brings more than 15 years of experience within industry and previously served as NATAS’ chairman air transport from 2000 to 2004. He was also a member of Singapore’s WDA’s Industry Skills & Training Council for the tour and travel sector.

The full listing of NATAS’ new executive committee can be viewed on the NATAS Executive Committee webpage.

Myanmar promotes alternative destinations to ease strain

By Greg Lowe

June 6, 2014

MYANMAR is ramping up efforts to develop new destinations within the country as well as promote travel during rainy season in a bid to make its tourism industry more sustainable.

While the plans fall short of offering incentives to hoteliers and travel companies to develop destinations outside of key hubs – namely Yangon, Mandalay, Inle and Bagan – authorities hope they will help resolve some of the capacity issues affecting the industry.

Said Kyi Thein Ko, secretary-general of Myanmar Tourism Federation: “People can arrive in Yangon, spend some time sightseeing then move on to destinations such as Pha-an (in Kayin state), which has lovely hot springs and some unique local hotels. The (tourism) ministry is now also promoting Min Tak in Chin state, which is excellent for trekking.”

Tin Nwe Wynt, marketing manager at the federation, said they are also marketing travel during the so-called “green season”, or rainy season when tourists can enjoy room rates at discounts ranging from 20 to 50 per cent.

The South-east Asian nation has seen its tourism industry boom since international sanctions were lifted two years ago, putting increasing strain on key destinations, especially Yangon which has limited hotel capacity and where room rates are now some of the highest in the region (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 13, 2014).

ASEAN Tourism Forum will be held in Naypyidaw next January, the first time the event has been held in Myanmar. The country hopes to be able to offer visa-free travel to more ASEAN member states by that time, especially neighbouring Thailand.

Said Kyi Thein Ko: “(Thailand and Myanmar) have agreed on it at a government-to-government level, but there are some difficulties. Thailand only wants to grant visa-free travel through its airports, but our government wants to include visa-free travel via the borders too, so they are currently discussing this point.”

Buyers pull out of TTM Plus, Thailand slashes arrivals target for 2014

By Greg Lowe

June 6, 2014

THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has cut its arrivals target for this year by 2.6 million with a corresponding 96 billion baht (US$2.9 billion) drop in revenue projected due to the country’s protracted political crisis.

Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said the NTO was forced to revise down its original target of 28 million arrivals and revenue of 1.4 trillion baht, but remained bullish that tourism would bounce back. He said: “We are planning a number of special festivals and events to attract tourists.”

Thawatchai said TAT has arranged for a major international singer to perform in Thailand, is bringing 1,000 top travel buyers for a major fam trip, and pushing for an additional undisclosed marketing budget that should help it net 25.9 million arrivals.

The governor will also work with local specialist groundhandlers to strengthen ties with China. He was unfazed by a group of 20 buyers pulling out of Thailand Travel Mart Plus at the last minute. “I’m not too bothered by that; we’ll be looking for higher quality buyers and also hold talks at a government-to-government level,” he told TTG Asia e-Daily.

Plans to develop an insurance fund for tourists are also underway.

On the trade front, DMCs said it was still too early to assess the full extent of the damage to the tourism industry caused by the political crisis.

Tobias Fischer, business development manager at Go Vacation Thailand said: “Until there’s some sort of end in sight to the current situation there’s no point in investing much in (hotel) promotions.Tourists need to feel confident about coming to Thailand again.”

“Also, hotel promotions or discounts alone won’t work, they would need to be supported by promotions from airlines as well.”

Wasinee Kunlawat, group sales manage for Asia and Africa at Exotissimo Travel said she was offering some promotions for the Middle East market but explained that it was “not a special promotion to win tourists back because of the political situation”.

“The best we can do on that front is to send out regular updates on the situation to clients,” she said.

*The article originally quoted Tobias Fischer, business development manager at Go Vacation Thailand, as saying “there’s no point in investing much in promotions or marketing”, which was inaccurate and has since been edited for clarity.

Back-to-back events on luxury, cruise tourism to debut in KL

By S Puvaneswary

June 6, 2014

KUALA Lumpur will host the inaugural Malaysia Premium Travel Fair 2014 and Global Cruise Tourism Conference 2014 this August.

Organised by WiTMevents, both events are endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia. They will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, with the Global Cruise Tourism Conference slated to run from August 7 to 8, followed by the Malaysia Premium Travel Fair from August 8 to 10.

Malaysia Premium Travel Fair 2014 and a Global Cruise Tourism Conference 2014 are set to become annual events in Malaysia.

Mohd Khalid Harun, organising chairman and on WiTMevents’ board of directors, said: “There is a great demand for premium packages and products as well as cruise and river tourism. Premium travel and cruise tourism are two niche, high-ROI sectors that we believe will be the leading market earners for the travel and tourism industry in the near future and as such it is the right time now to venture into premium tourism and cruise tourism.”

Malaysia Premium Travel Fair 2014 is the first travel fair in Malaysia targeted at the luxury segment, and will feature B2B and B2C components.

Fair exhibitors are both local and international players, and include premium and boutique airlines, cruise liners and yacht clubs, helicopter tour service providers, luxury hotels and resorts, NTOs and MICE event organisers, among others.

Khalid is targeting 220 booths and between 500 to 1,000 trade buyers. Booth sales will start today.

Malaysia Premium Travel Fair 2014 and a Global Cruise Tourism Conference 2014 will be held a month prior to the MATTA consumer travel fair in Kuala Lumpur, to run from September 5-7.

MATTA president, Hamzah Rahmat, does not believe the new challenger will affect exhibitor interest and booth take-up for the MATTA Fair. He said: “MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur is almost 30 years old. On average we get about 30,000 visitors per day. For exhibitors, where do you think their ROI will be?”

Khalid, who is also immediate past president of MATTA, highlighted the differences between the events, saying Malaysia Premium Travel Fair 2014 and Global Cruise Tourism Conference 2014 will benefit luxury travel players while MATTA Fair is organised for members to promote and sell their products and services to the public.

Vana Nava water park to make a splash in Hua Hin

By Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

June 6, 2014

VANA Nava Hua Hin Jungle water park will debut in Hua Hin come end-October, hot on the heels of the Cartoon Network Amazone water park that is due to launch in July in Pattaya.

“We decided to open a water park in Hua Hin because the attractions are not diverse enough in this leisure destination,” said Usa Boonchalakulkosol, director of sales and marketing at Vana Hua Hin.

The one billion baht (US$30.7 million) integrated development is split into three phases, with the water park marked for the first phase while an InterContinental Hotels Group property and a 400-room residential condo are slated for the second.

Located in Hua Hin city centre near InterContinental Hua Hin Resort and Cicada Market, the 3.2ha jungle-themed water park boasts over 19 attractions designed by Canadian water park specialist, WhiteWater West.

Highlights include Thailand’s first Abyss slide, a surf shack with a surf simulator, a 1,600m2 wave pool, a multi-level aqua course, a 345m lazy river and an events plaza. Other facilities include an open-air concert venue, F&B outlets, massage pavilions, souvenir shops and lounges.

Besides catering to families and leisure vacationers, the water park can also be used as a corporate teambuilding and events venue, with the Tree Top Lounge and VIP Event and Meeting rooms available for private rental.

When asked about the similar product coming up in Pattaya, Usa pointed out the different strengths in each attraction. She said: “Hua Hin and Pattaya attract different market clientele, and we also view more water parks in Thailand as healthy competition.”

While pricing details are still not available at press time, Usa affirmed that the attraction’s management is already devising plans to package the destination with Hua Hin hotels and offer incentives for travel consultants, in addition to organising media/trade fam trips and participating in travel trade shows to drum up awareness of the new attraction.

Coming soon: visa-free travel for Malaysians to the US

By S Puvaneswary

June 6, 2014

VISA-free travel to the US may become a reality for Malaysian citizens in 18 months’ time or less.

Malaysian daily The Star today reported home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi saying he was confident that the immigration department will be able to meet the conditions necessary for Malaysia to qualify for the US visa waiver programme (VWP) “sooner than expected”.

Travellers from countries under the VWP can enter and remain in the US for up to 90 days for tours or business.

Desmond Lee, group managing director of Apple Vacations & Conventions, said: “Getting a US visa currently takes four to five working days. But waiting for one’s turn at the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to get called for a face-to-face interview can take between two to three hours. This part is a hassle for many.”

He added that applicants have to pay close to RM580 (US$180) for a visa, which is non-refundable even for a rejected application.

Anticipating stronger interest among Malaysians for holidays in the US once visa-free travel is introduced, Lee said his company will create more awareness of destinations on US coast at the upcoming MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur this September.

This is a new destination for the company, which has always promoted west coast cities s such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Separately, Brand USA is gearing up to launch an all-new culinary campaign in Asia. The NTO will bank on the US’ gastronomic offerings to entice Asian travellers to visit (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 5, 2014).

Banyan Tree branches into serviced apartment space with Cassia

By TTG Asia

June 6, 2014

BANYAN Tree Hotels & Resorts yesterday raised the curtain on Cassia, a new brand of extended stay accommodation with properties already in development in five destinations.

Cassia signals the hospitality group’s foray into the serviced apartments sector, where the brand is meant to straddle the niche sector in between hotel and apartment.

Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Group, said: “Cassia merges three of the group’s strengths – hospitality, design and real estate – to set the stage for hotel residences of the future.”

“The extended stay segment has been overlooked in recent years so we took the opportunity to innovate and create a hospitality product that meets the demands and needs of today’s travellers.”

Banyan Tree’s new brand of serviced apartments are already in development in Phuket, Bintan, Beruwala (Sri Lanka), Gold Coast and Lijiang. Another seven are slated to come up in Brisbane, New York, Japan, the Seychelles, Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Lang Co (Vietnam).

Cassia will offer one- and two-bedroom units that come with flexible living and dining areas, ranging in size from 35m2 to 55m2. Public spaces will encourage interaction through activities, games and a daily social hour while the residents can unwind at the Chill Chill Spa.

Other facilities include a pool, gym, activity room, bar, convenience mart, laundry and home delivery options.

Units are also open for purchase with prices starting at S$180,000 (US$143,668) for a 35m2 one-bedroom apartment.

Cassia is the third brand under the Group after Banyan Tree and Angsana.

Reliance branches into AMC work

By Raini Hamdi

June 5, 2014

RELIANCE Conventions & Events Malaysia has started to branch into the AMC business with Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council as its first client.

General manager KC Fu said many associations in Malaysia are “maturing” and need to focus on strategy rather than day-to-day management in order to add value to the organisation.

“Membership in associations is dwindling and the younger members do not want to see an archaic association structure. A lot of young medical doctors, for example, are visionary and dare to speak up. An old-school association is not appealing for them. The older members are becoming more receptive to the forces of change; they know if they can’t attract the younger members, their association will face a natural death.

“In terms of our AMC services, we don’t get into these strategic aspects, but we aim to take away the administrative and non-critical workload, so that the association is free to focus on strategy,” Fu said.

Among the services offered in its two-year contract with Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council are managing the association’s membership database, automating billing of membership fees and renewals, and website content and social media management.

In a profit-sharing model with the council, Reliance is re-engineering the website so that its content will engage anyone seeking information on the oil and gas industry and not just the association’s members. The wider audience will then enable Reliance and the association to create advertising opportunities in the portal, thus giving the council a new revenue stream, said Reliance’s director of operations, Rahul Bharadwaj.

“If they were to do this themselves, it would involve a huge investment in technology, aside from the need to have the expertise/knowledge,” Bharadwaj pointed out.

“By appointing us, they save money as there is no longer the need to hire 10 to 20 administrators to run the association, they have a new revenue stream and they have the opportunity to build better content to share with their members as well as to attract a newer crowd.”

However, Fu said the PCO business is actually more lucrative than the AMC business. “That said, if you are working so closely with an association, you have the first right of refusal for managing its conferences or events. An AMC is like an extended arm of the association – we would know the people, the culture, the politics, etc, so it is easier to manage the expectations, unlike a PCO who comes in from the cold. By the time it understands the association, it’s close to conference time.

“So while it’s not as lucrative as PCO business, an AMC is a long-term, strategic move that will in the end reap benefits,” said Fu.

Meanwhile, the latest study by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers shows 44 per cent of its members are already offering AMC services.

Thai MICE industry urges action from NTOs

By Greg Lowe

June 5, 2014

MICE specialists are calling on relevant authorities to do more to restore confidence in Thailand as a meetings destination after the country’s recent coup d’etat devastated the sector.

Incentive travel has been hit hardest and although the previously nationwide curfew has been eased in key tourist destinations Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui, trade sources are reporting cancellation rates as high as 50 per cent with new bookings falling off the cliff.

Stephen McEvoy, managing director of Asia World Enterprise, called on the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to take substantive measures to restore confidence in the nation.

“With past disasters TCEB has always come up with an initiative to market the destination,” he said.

“This normally involves a major fam trip which brings over top buyers from around the world… It really works. We get to do what we do best and show that the destination is safe.”

Thanwa Phongpreeda, product manager at Discovery Holidays, said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) needs to do more to promote the country as a MICE destination to complement efforts made by TCEB.

He said: “When I travel overseas I’m shocked to discover than many buyers still don’t see Thailand as a MICE destination. They know about Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, but they still don’t know about us. TAT must do more.”

TCEB has a number of ongoing promotions targeting the MICE market, but currently has no plans to hold an ad hoc fam trip. Its major corporate and media event, Connections+, has been postponed from mid-year to October.