OUTBOUND Chinese travellers are splurging on skiing holiday overseas, driven by the higher prices at home.

According to a report on outbound ski travel, entrance fees for China’s ski resorts are higher than those in Europe despite featuring gentler slopes, smaller parks and fewer cable cars.

Hidden China Beijing Office head, Christoph Mueller, explained that as skiing is a relatively pricey sport in China, outbound travellers, who have higher purchasing power, are willing to spend RMB25,000 (US$4,063) to RMB35,000 per trip on average.

Skiing is usually one highlight out of a typical 10-day itinerary that also includes sightseeing and shopping.

Neighbouring Japan is the most popular skiing destination for the Chinese while Canada, with its strong commercial and ethnic ties with China, comes in second. Europe has yet to feature as a top skiing destination.

Industry players interested in wooing the China market should offer holistic packages for non-FITs, and for a fixed price include basic services such as airport pick-ups, guided tours in Mandarin, and 10-day itineraries detailing three days of skiing, three days of sightseeing, and two days of shopping and spa treatments.

Pandering to visual and aesthetic considerations, publicity materials for China’s outbound ski vacation market could feature smiley faces, scenery and gentle skiing slopes, as China’s skiers are novices particularly concerned about safety.

According to the same report, China’s skiing population numbers closer to 15 million than the officially reported 20 million, with the majority being novice skiers rather than experts.

Sales reports also note the sale of 100,000 pairs of skis annually, implying an estimated 20,0000 to 30,0000 outbound travellers genuinely motivated by skiing.

Article by Nadia Chung. Translated by Ong Yanchun from the original TTG China e-Daily, August 21, 2014.

THE UAE’S amended visa rules have allowed travellers from India, Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States, South Africa, and Brazil to obtain multiple-entry cruise or medical tourism visas since August 1.

The 200 dirham (US$54) cruise visas permit cruise passengers to sail out of the emirate’s Port Rashid and return on the same visa. Re-entry was not permissible previously.

Tariq Abdullah Al Hashimi, senior executive congress development, Dubai Convention Bureau, said: “The multiple-entry visa will allow conference delegates to go on post-tours to neighbouring countries and re-enter Dubai before departing. Incentive groups on cruises are very popular so land extensions will be added upon re-entry.”

Meanwhile, Dubai has announced that medical tourism visas will cost 550 dirhams for entry and 1,400 dirhams for a multiple-entry permit, with costs applicable to the patient’s companions.

Visa renewal is priced at 500 dirhams for the patient and 600 dirhams for companions.

Sunny Augustine, managing director of White Sands Tours & Travel Dubai, explained the appeal of Dubai as a medical tourism hub: “Since Dubai is a shorter flight than South-east Asia or India and has more leisure options, medical tourism is booming. The facilities are state-of-the-art too.”

Sanjay Kothari, managing director, Just Holidays Kolkata, said: “The multiple-entry visa frees up many logistical problems when designing and executing land-cruise itineraries involving the UAE. Besides the cost, it is the convenience that will encourage tourists to visit the region more. Medical tourism facilities on Sadiyat Island will attract medical tourists from Russia and Western Europe.”

THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Moscow Office and 13 major tour operators in Russia are rolling out promotions and new charter flights next month to bring high-end Russian travellers into the South-east Asian nation for the winter season.

Thawatchai Arunyik, TAT governor, said in a press release: “We expect that these special winter charter flights and a range of exciting winter promotions that will be launched and promoted in September, will help to encourage travellers from Russia and countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to make a trip to Thailand. Russia and CIS are one of the largest markets to Thailand.”

The NTO is introducing some 3,240 charters from 35 cities across Russia and the CIS, including Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev, Almaty and Astana, to take tourists to a range of Thai cities such as Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi.

Despite US- and Europe-imposed sanctions on Russia for its role in the political unrest in Ukraine, Russian arrivals to Thailand have not wavered (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 18, 2014).

Russian arrivals totalled one million from January to July 2014, a 6.5 per cent year-on-year increase, but posted 32.7 per cent growth for full-year 2013 with 1.7 million arrivals.

Said Thawatchai: “For the entire 2014, TAT expects the number of visitor arrivals from Russia to total 1.9 million, or a 9.8 per cent increase over 2013.”

HELICOPTERS could be a new option for tourists travelling in Myanmar if Airbus proceeds with plans to roll out helicopter rental services.

Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff, vice president and commercial director of Airbus Helicopters Southeast Asia, said Airbus is aiming to bring in a number of helicopters to Myanmar to begin rentals by end-2014.

“Our first target (in importing helicopters) was Myanmar’s rapidly growing oil and gas industry. But now we hope that soon a few helicopters will come for tourism as well,” he said to TTG Asia e-Daily.

“If passengers want to go to a place which is quite far or difficult to get to, they can fly over or stop somewhere to enjoy a picnic or an excursion. This type of service is only offered by hot air balloons with limited capabilities right now in Myanmar. So we would like to develop these services but with helicopters instead.”

“The idea for tourism is that visitors can book helicopters through the hotel or travel agencies, and take a helicopter to their desired destinations.”

Sinai-Sinelnikoff said an official announcement would be made in future.

IMPERIAL Samui Beach Resort will be converted to Sheraton Samui Resort, Koh Samui by the end of this year, expanding the Sheraton footprint in Thailand.

Starwood’s newest convert in Thailand is a 15-minute drive from Samui International Airport and situated on Chaweng Noi Beach on the east coast of Koh Samui, a short distance away from shopping and entertainment area Chaweng town.

The resort offers 141 guestrooms and when rebranding is finished, will offer a gym, Kids’ Club, the all-day dining Feast eatery, Sky Light Lounge, Tara Restaurant, a freshwater swimming pool and saltwater swimming pool with views of the Gulf of Thailand.

The property is owned by TCC Hotels Group, and Sheraton Samui Resort will be the seventh project Starwood is managing for the group.

Matthew Fry, senior vice president of acquisitions & development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia-Pacific, said: “Starwood has developed a conversion-friendly strategy for existing hotels to meet the demands of owners and guests. With our powerful platforms, we are able to help our partners reposition existing assets in a cost-effective manner.

“Given that many are well-located but under-branded hotels, they present untapped opportunities for Starwood and is another channel for our growth. Thailand has already seen three conversions in the past few years.”

DUBAI is emphasising its shopping, culinary and family-friendly offerings to South-east Asian markets, part of the emirate’s efforts to boost arrivals from the region under its Tourism Vision 2020 target.

Launched one year ago, Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020 target is focused on branding itself as a family destination to move from being just a renowned stopover hub, according to Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, director of overseas offices, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

South-east Asia last year contributed 245,000 arrivals to Dubai’s total 11 million visitors, and the emirate is aiming for a 10-11 per cent growth in arrivals by 2025.

“This is quite small compared to the potential. From Indonesia, for example, we received 50,000 arrivals last year. The potential to grow is still huge. The family market is big here and the mid-range hotels give them an option,” said Saud Mohammed Saeed Hareb, senior executive – Europe region overseas offices, DTCM.

He told TTG Asia e-Daily: “Travellers from South-east Asia usually travel with families and enjoy shopping and gastronomy.”

Hareb was speaking in Jakarta last week, one of three countries in which DTCM was holding roadshows to highlight Dubai’s products and explore partnerships with local travel consultants. Roadshows were also held in Malaysia and Singapore.

The emirate will also welcome 20,000-30,000 new hotel rooms to the existing 85,000 by 2016. “Dubai has so many five-star and luxury properties and going forward, we are encouraging investors to develop the mid-market hotel segment by offering some incentives,” said Hareb.

On the newest developments in Dubai, Hareb shared: “We recently opened the Dubai City Walk in the downtown area from Burj Khalifa, with shops and restaurants where tourists can go and relax. The Walk, the beach at JBR, is also a new facility, with retail shops and cafes on the beach itself.”

New attractions such as Dubai Tram, Dubai Safari projects and the 14km Jumeirah Corniche will open by year-end while Wire World, the largest man-made adventure park, will open in November.

ALL watering holes within Kerala will be shut down by April 1, 2015 with only the bars in five-star hotels allowed to continue, announced the government of the state that boasts the highest national per capita consumption of alcohol.

Kerala’s government has ruled that the 418 bars that have failed to upgrade to local two-star standards will not receive renewed alcohol licences, and Kerala’s 318 existing bars will not be able to obtain new ones after March 31, 2015. It is exploring the possibility of terminating such licences earlier.

However, 23 five-star hotels will be allowed to continue running their bars.

Nothing has ben said yet about the fate of 111 bars selling only beer and wine, but industry sources believe they will be shut eventually.

Beverage Corporation’s 334 retail outlets selling alcoholic beverages will be closed in phases of 10 per cent every year, for a total prohibition on liquor sales by 2024.

Kerala has existing “dry” days on the first of every month when alcohol sale is prohibited, which it will extend to include Sundays, bringing the total number of liquor holidays to 52 days annually.

Riaz Ahmed, chairman, Abad Hotels and Resorts, said: “The absence of bars will bring down occupancy rates in four- and three-star hotels as well as negatively affect the hotels’ revenue yield with profits from F&B very significantly reduced.”

WITH its eyes set on China’s burgeoning, high-yield middle class, Tourism Australia is partnering a selected group of Chinese travel agencies for joint marketing initiatives.

The NTO announced this morning that it has invited 31 specialist China-based travel consultants to join its Key Distribution Partner (KDP) programme for China.

The Chinese KDP, a programme Tourism Australia has similarly launched in other markets such as Singapore, will be based mainly in top-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as secondary cities including Nanjing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Chengdu and Chongqing.

John O’Sullivan, managing director of Tourism Australia, said KDP forms a key tenet of Australia’s China strategy towards attracting more independent, higher spending Chinese visitors.

“The consultants we have selected already have a solid understanding of the Australian tourism market, as well as established relationships with exactly the type of high-yield consumer we want to engage with as part of our Chinese marketing activities. Under this new programme, we’ll be developing joint marketing activities with these consultants and strongly encouraging them to develop new and innovative Australian tourism products which will appeal to higher-yield Chinese travellers.”

Under the programme, Tourism Austalia will increase advertising spend, and develop new itineraries and programmes, all targeted at the high-yield middle class.

“The vast majority of international travel out of China is still booked through travel agencies, and under this programme we believe we’ve identified the best of the best, who have the commitment and capability to help us engage with this new breed of more sophisticated Chinese traveller seeking to build a much richer and higher quality holiday experience,” said O’Sullivan.

He added that Tourism Australia will encourage Australian tour operators to engage with these selected Chinese travel agencies as well.

China forms a key source market for Australia, with almost 760,000 arrivals spending over A$5 billion (US$4.7 billion) in the last 12 months.