DELEGATES of IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific this year can expect Site as the upcoming show’s supporting association providing customised educational content as well as a pool of industry experts to share insider perspectives.

Site has partnered IT&CM Events, which will leverage on Site’s expertise for educational programmes, publicity, and editorial and delegate support for the show taking place from September 30 to October 2.

Besides developing and delivering customised content for IT&CM Events’ educational forums, the supporting association will also be bringing on board MICE buyers comprising Site members from various disciplines, such as incentive companies, corporate planners, DMCs, convention/tourism authorities, hospitality, and travel suppliers.

Earlier this April, Site speakers were featured at IT&CM China’s tailored Corporate Performance forum in Shanghai, as part of its inaugural involvement as supporting association.

Kevin Hinton, Site’s chief staff officer, said: “Partnering with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is a great way for Site to meet the needs of its global Chapter members, as well as its potential members. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to align the Site brand with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific as the leading association in the region, combining what we do best with what they do best in bringing together buyers and sellers.

“We see this as another step in our relationship with IT&CM Events, whom we have partnered with in the past, and are excited about this new expansion of our relationship.”

MALAYSIA and the Asia-Pacific can expect four more Pacific Regency Hotel Group (PRHG) properties by end-2014, following the launch of the group’s first Pacific Express Hotel in June.

“Extending our global brand presence by having a name that will be associated with our hotels and properties is a key step in our focus of generating enhanced revenue,” said PRHG managing director, Don Lim, in a press statement.

The group plans to invest in three properties every three years, including the acquisition of new properties in the region, refurbishment of hotels, and customer relationship management tools, according to its executive director KC Lim.

It is also investing in training to develop future leaders for managerial roles in the industry.

A property is planned for opening in Shenyang, China, this year.

ASIA World Indonesia has exclusively teamed up with US-based TravelQuest International, a specialist tour operator in solar eclipse travel, to organise special tours highlighting the solar eclipse in 2016.

A total solar eclipse will take place on March 9, 2016, when the moon will completely cover the sun for about two minutes and 45 seconds.

Renato Domini, managing director of Asia World Indonesia, revealed to TTG e-Daily that the DMC is targeting to attract 400 travellers to visit Indonesia for the stellar phenomenon.

Starting in Bali, the 10D/8N Solar Eclipse programme will feature prominently the island’s cultural and scenic beauty as it coincides with the days leading up to the Balinese New Year, Nyepi (Day of Silence), before taking guests to witness the event in Palu, Central Sulawesi, one of the best eclipse-viewing locations along the entire 2016 track.

“This trip is different from holidays most people take as it brings guests to the right place – Palu – at the right time, on the right day, to actually stand in the Moon’s shadow over the earth,” said Renato. “They will also be part of an amazing community of eclipse-chasing travellers to share this extraordinary travel experience with.”

Complementing the eclipse adventure are five special add-on tours, including the pre-eclipse 4D/3N Borobudur-Prambanan-Yogyakarta, as well as the 4D/3N Komodo Dragon Adventure, 4D/3N Orang Utan & Wildlife Explorer Kalimantan, 6D/5N Komodo Dragon Adventure and 6D/5N Orang Utan Wildlife Explorer Kalimantan which are scheduled after the natural event.

THE Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) will provide a larger space dedicated for domestic tour products at the upcoming MATTA consumer fair, to be held from September 5 to 7 at Putra World Trade Centre.

The reason for assigning a larger space was due to increased demand from members over the last few fairs. According to MATTA president Hamzah Rahmat, the committee had to turn down requests for booths from many members who made last-minute bookings due to the lack of exhibition space.

“It is also in line with MATTA’s objective to grow domestic tourism and support Visit Malaysia Year,” said Hamzah.

Previously, just over 100 exhibitors of domestic tours and products shared Hall 3 with exhibitors of regional tours. He said this time Hall 4 will be dedicated to domestic tours and products, which can accommodate a total of 200 booths.

Hamzah said in the event not all the domestic exhibitors could fit into Hall 4, the spillover would go to Hall 3, which will showcase the regional tours.

MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur is held twice yearly, every March and September. In the last fair, there were a total of 1,269 booths spread across five halls.

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) will allow passengers to check in a maximum of two pieces of baggage within the 30-, 40- and 50kg free baggage allowance for travel on economy, business and first class respectively, effective May 28.

Guests travelling economy class are limited to one piece of cabin baggage up to a maximum of 7kg, while first and business class passengers are allowed two pieces of cabin baggage with a maximum weight of 7kg each.

As of tomorrow too, new rates will apply for excess baggage charges: RM45 (US$14) per 5kg block of excess weight for flights within Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, and RM55 for flights crossing between the peninsula and Sabah or Sarawak.

For international flights, fees for excess baggage vary from RM70 within ASEAN; RM100 for South Asia and Greater China; RM115 for North Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East; and RM170 for Europe.

These revisions will apply to all tickets on both domestic and international MAS flights, including MASwings, irrespective of issuance dates for travel from May 28 onwards, according to the national carrier in its media release yesterday. It, however, does not cover codeshare flights operated by other airlines.

Meanwhile, infant baggage allowance of one piece at 10kg remains unchanged across all cabin classes.

Passengers performing the Umrah and Hajj will have a special allowance of 10kg for bottles of Zam-Zam water on flights from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur and onward connecting destinations.

Enrich and Oneworld members are entitled to the additional baggage allowance according to their membership status.

FOLLOWING the debut of Indonesia’s first Alana in Surabaya, Archipelago International is gearing up to introduce three more Alana properties as well as other hotels under its brands in Jogjakarta, Solo and Sentul.

Launching in Jogjakarta this September, The Alana Yogyakarta Hotel & Residence will feature 269 rooms and suites, in addition to seven meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a lounge, an outdoor swimming pool, a spa and gym, and a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,600 pax. The hotel is located in the heart of Mataram City, near convention centres and lifestyle malls.

Set to open its doors in mid-2015, The Alana Adi Sucipto – Solo hotel will boast 248 rooms and suites, plus five meeting rooms, a coffee shop, two pools, a gym, a spa and an 800-pax ballroom. The hotel is located on Jalan Adi Sucipto, between the Adi Sumarmo International airport and the city centre, and within close proximity to Solo Grand Mall and Park Superblock Mall.

The 271-key Alana Ah Poong Sentul will include eight meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a swimming pool, gym and spa as well as a 500-pax ballroom. The hotel will be situated in Sentul City in Bogor, close to Jungleland Adventurer Theme Park, Sentul Highlands Golf Club and Pasar Ah Poong floating food court.

“We are so confident about the future of tourism and conference demand in Jogyakarta, Solo and Sentul that we are adding more of our brands to these burgeoning cities,” said Norbert Vas, Archipelago International’s vice president sales & marketing.

“Harper Mangkubumi will open in Jogjakarta later this year, while Sentul City will see the opening of both the Aston Sentul Lake Resort & Convention Center as well as Quest Hotel Sentul.”

AIRASIA X has signed a commercial marketing agreement with Air Busan, offering passengers connecting flights to Jeju Island from Busan.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X, said: “This collaboration would further strengthen our commitment to South Korea from Kuala Lumpur, and provide our guests greater connectivity between Busan and Jeju Island.”

He added: “Our flights to Busan, which started in July 2013 (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 17, 2013), have recorded strong growth with an average of 88 per cent passenger load to date. With this commercial agreement, we hope to further boost traffic growth between South Korea and the ASEAN region.”

To mark the collaboration, AirAsia X is offering promotional fares to Busan from RM349 (US$109) on economy class and RM699 on premium class from Kuala Lumpur. Bookings are available until May 31 for travel from now through October 25, 2014.

Air Busan is also offering discounted fares of up to 50 per cent for AirAsia X’s passengers travelling onwards from Busan to Jeju Island. Guests will be directed to a special landing page to access Air Busan’s fares.

SENTOSA has launched its latest brand campaign and tagline, The State of Fun, in a move to position the resort destination as the capital of fun for everyone.

“While our brand positioning as Asia’s Favourite Playground has served us well since 2008, it is time for us to refresh our brand image to better project the more vibrant and dynamic Sentosa Island, which is now well-placed to become more than a leading leisure destination in the region”, said Susan Ang, divisional director, island investment and branding, Sentosa Development Corporation.

“The portrayal of Sentosa as a ‘State’ where all visitors are its ‘citizens’ with the ‘freedom of right’ to have fun, is a playful proposition that speaks to an increasingly open local and international target audience who can appreciate humour with a cheeky spin. This light-hearted brand approach projects Sentosa’s new personality as one that is fun, yet bold, unconventional and witty”, she added.

The State of Fun campaign, which is expected to run for three years, will focus on reaching out to Singaporeans and local residents in the first year, with plans for the extension of the campaign in key overseas markets in the subsequent years.

Welcoming the new brand campaign, Ben Bousnina, general manager, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Singapore, said: “The launch of this brand campaign signals a new state of collaboration between Sentosa Development Corporation and its business partners…It is therefore very good to have a brand campaign that aims to involve as many island operators as possible because together, we are what makes Sentosa fun.”

A launch party to celebrate the new brand campaign is planned on June 7, which will also mark the start of six months of free island admission via the Sentosa Boardwalk on weekends and public holidays.