GOOGLE is now allowing anyone to add pins and markers to Google Maps, an opportunity for industry members to highlight local attractions, businesses and places of interest, pointed out tourism research company MyTravelResearch.com.

Before this, only businesses with a Google My Business page or companies that Google had picked up from other listings were added to Google Maps.

Google Maps’ free-for-all approach now allows destinations, regional tourism entities and local governments to post geo-specific information online for travellers.

“In one stroke, Google has liberated Google Maps,” said Bronwyn White, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com. “It is now a highly effective way for businesses to attract customers – and for local governments, visitor bureaus and regional tourism offices to stimulate their local visitor economies.”

After pinning, Google’s internal verification process takes approximately a week to check the legitimacy of the pin before it goes live.

White explained that Google expects more searches to be done on mobile devices than on desktops by end-2014. The more red pins and markers displaying hotels, restaurants, museums, attractions and activity centres, the more travellers will stay and spend.

“Businesses need to realise that Google Maps are an increasingly useful sign post on the path to purchase,” said White.

Google has so far liberalised Google Maps for Australia but will roll out the function to other countries in the near future.

MyTravelResearch has posted a video to guide travel businesses on how they can add pins and markers to Google Maps available below or at this website.

DESCRIBED as an “Airbnb for boating”, Boatbay was launched yesterday as the first boat rental marketplace based in the region with the intention to exclusively build boat and yacht supply listings across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Tim Gundry, co-founder of Boatbay, observed: “We are seeing an increasing amount of people taking to the water for a growing variety of reasons, such as hosting a corporate event or birthday party, fishing, water skiing, recreation and family holidays.”

“We are building a peer-to-peer driven community which empowers people to write and post user reviews of boat owners, yacht charter companies, and those who rent or charter boats,” he added. “Boatbay is the Airbnb for boating, yachting and people who want to experience a social activity on the water”.

The peer-to-peer website (www.boatbay.com) allows boat owners as well as boat charter companies to list their vessels for free, adding photos, contact information and pricing.

Owners can rent the boat alone, charter the boat with themselves as captain, select a captain of choice, or rent to consumers with a boat licence.

Most boat owners utilise their yachts 15 days a year on average, but must pay annual storage and maintenance fees. With successful bookings, owners pay Boatbay a commission for its service and earn the rest.

Said Gundry: “The expenses really add up. The advantage of using Boatbay is that you can offset these expenditures while still enjoying boat ownership”.

“A wide variety of watercraft can be found on Boatbay…Boat renters can search and rent a luxury motor yacht in Sydney, a sports fishing boat in Dubai, a 1906 Danish built sailing yacht in Phuket or even a submarine in Bali.”

INDONESIA is stepping up its courtship of the Indian weddings market, with marketing efforts going beyond major cities and now extending to B2C.

“We have embarked on B2B initiatives during our sales missions, which will continue, but we will also introduce a B2C interface to garner a larger number of visitors from India,” said Iyunu Masruroh, deputy director of international tourism promotion for Asia, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Indonesia.

Trade initiatives include taking roadshows beyond metropolises to Tier 1 cities, fam trips, and offering links to DMCs who can offer ground and logistic services for groups and weddings.

Iyunu said Indonesia is also working with Indian outbound tour group operators and wedding planners to that end.

Alok Teng, director of LH Travels Bali, commented: “Currently Indonesia hosts about 30 Indian weddings (mostly in Bali), but more than half originate from the Indian expatriate community residing in the Middle East, Hong Kong or the UK. We are looking at attracting more wedding groups from India.”

TTG Asia e-Daily understands that Indonesia will focus on promoting Bali for such destination weddings, as it is populated mostly by Hindus, making it a more suitable destination.

Indian arrivals grew 18.9 per cent year-on-year in 1H2014, according to the tourism ministry.

On the leisure front, Iyunu said: “We are trying to promote itineraries other than Bali, like Jakarta-Bandung and Bali-Jogjakarta-Solo for the Indian FIT.”

Mahesh K Saharia, honorary consul of the Republic of Indonesia, added: “It is imperative that Garuda Indonesia should start a flight to New Delhi in 2015, not only to promote tourism but also to encourage trade between the two countries.”

MINOR Hotel Group (MHG) announced yesterday a strategic tie-up with Sun International to own and operate eight properties across five African countries.

Under the terms of the new agreement, the Bangkok-based hotel operator is investing US$63.9 million to own a 50 per cent stake in two properties in Zambia – the 173-key Royal Livingstone Hotel and 212-key Zambezi Sun.

For that sum it will also hold stakes of between 37.5-80 per cent in six further properties: the 196-key Gaborone Sun in Botswana; the 158-key Lesotho Sun and 105-key Maseru Sun in Lesotho; the 149-key Royal Swazi and the 202-key Ezulwini Sun in Swaziland; and the 173-key Kalahari Sands in Namibia.

Seven of the eight properties will be rebranded to MHG’s upscale Avani brand, except the renown Royal Livingstone Hotel.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, said: “MHG is strategically expanding its hospitality business into many regions and Africa is a key focus where we have seen substantial growth potential. We are excited to be partnering with Sun International with their vast experience on the continent and this latest acquisition significantly strengthens MHG’s position in Africa.

“Starting with these existing African properties, it is the intention of this new partnership to explore together other hotel and gaming opportunities that may arise in Africa and Asia, where MHG would manage the hotel component and Sun International would manage the casino component”.

The collaboration with Sun dovetails with MHG’s ongoing strategy to increase its presence in Africa, where it has existing partnerships for the ownership of Elewana Collection, eight luxury safari lodges and resorts in Kenya and Tanzania, and for five hotels in Mozambique.

Sun International’s chief executive, Graeme Stephens, remarked: “With MHG now taking the bulk of management responsibility for these properties, this allows Sun International and its management team to increase their focus on the core casino assets that are driving its financial performance and strategy. In addition, Sun International will remain as 20-50 per cent shareholder in the partnership and will continue to benefit in the future growth of these properties.”

MHG operates over 100 hotels, resorts, and serviced suites across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and Africa.

WORLD Bank Group member International Finance Corporation (IFC) has pumped US$21 million into India’s Samhi Hotels in its maiden investment in the country’s hotel sector.

The funds come in the form of convertible debentures and will enable Samhi to expand its portfolio in the mid-market segment through developing greenfield hotels and acquisitions in first- and second-tier cities.

Ashish Jakhanwala, managing director and CEO, Samhi Hotels, said: “This investment is an effort to strengthen the tourism infrastructure in India. Besides providing long-term financing, IFC will help us formulate environmental and social standards, and adopt green building design principles.”

Samhi is a privately owned hotel asset company specialising in the development, acquisition and ownership of branded hotels, having partnered with international hotel operators such as Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Accor and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.

It has seven operational hotels in Greater Noida, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune.

Last month, India’s Ministry of Tourism announced a tie-up with IFC to roll out a five-year strategy to rejuvenate the Buddhist heritage circuit across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 18, 2014).

India’s potential for the mid-market sector is well-known and, according to HVS’ 2013 Hotels in India Trends & Opportunities report, budget and mid-market hotels account for nearly half of all hotel rooms in the country.