NEW hotels are sprouting up in the vicinity of the newly opened Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) while old ones have embarked on renovation in anticipation of a surge in MICE visitors, mostly from China.

Located in the Dongdaemun shopping district, Dongdaemun Design Plaza commenced operations in March as part of the Seoul metropolitan government’s MICE Master Plan initiated in 2013 (TTGmice e-Weekly, November 8, 2013).

Exuding futuristic, eco-friendly vibes, DDP is located at Seoul’s fashion core of Dongdaemun. The 8,500m2 DDP encompasses recreational functions and flexible MICE spaces including a museum, a learning centre, and a conference and exhibition centre.

DDP’s establishment has attracted fashion and design-related conferences and exhibitions to Dongdaemun, and also bolstered the hospitality sector.

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul commenced operations last December; The Shilla Seoul completed its renovation last August; and Grand Ambassador Seoul Associated Pullman Hotel’s renovation is due to complete in three years’ time.

The main drive for hotels in DDP’s vicinity to increase their capacities is understood to have stemmed from the China market, for whom Dongdaemun is a must-visit area in Seoul.

Last year, 4.3 million visitors from China travelled to Seoul. Seoul’s tourism authority estimates Chinese arrivals will exceed five million in 2014 and 10 million in subsequent years.

Targeted at the China market, DDP’s film and drama serial exhibitions such as Transformers and My Love from the Star reflects the China market’s impact on Seoul’s tourist attractions.

The influence of the China market is akin to the Japanese market’s previous impact on Seoul, observe industry players, and the rapid growth of the China market has propelled Seoul’s economic development and fuelled alterations to the city’s landscape.

Article by Nadia Chung. Translated by Ong Yanchun, from the original TTG China e-Daily, August 15, 2014.

CAMBODIA today launches a new website for e-visa applications and has announced that visa prices will be raised on October 1 for both leisure and business travellers.

Both announcements were made in a series of statements issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation last week.

From today, e-visa applications will be hosted at www.evisa.gov.kh, in place of the previous https://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh.

A single-entry e-visa with three months’ validity for a 30-day stay now costs US$20, with a mandatory US$7 charge for processing. From October 1, an e-visa will cost US$30 instead.

Similarly, foreigners can expect to pay US$30 upon arrival, while business travellers will have to shell out US$35 from October 1.

The Phnom Penh Post quoted tourism minister Thong Khon saying that the increase was justified by the rising cost of visas in neighbouring countries, and that Cambodia’s entry fees have not been revised since 1997.

Thong Khon said he believed the increase would not impact tourist numbers, and that the Cambodian government is still looking to extend visa-free entry to more countries.

RUSSIAN outbound to Asia has suffered marginal damage even as the Russian economy absorbs the impact of US and Europe sanctions over the country’s role in the annexation of Crimea and political unrest in Ukraine.

Travel consultants in the Philippines and India have reported drops in arrivals from Russia. TTG Asia e-Daily understands a number of major Russian tour operators such as Labirint have gone bankrupt, leaving Russian travellers stranded in destinations and unable to return.

Russian arrivals to the Philippines for the period January to June this year fell 6.6 per cent year-on-year to 17,719 after five months of continuous decline.

Ala Enache, sales executive in charge of the Russian source market, Blue Horizons Travel and Tours, predicted: “I think Russian arrivals (to the Philippines and Asia) will continue to drop this year. The Russians don’t want to travel. They prefer to stay in the country. We really do our best but there are some situations that we cannot change”.

Felise Cruz, marketing manager, Trips Travel, confirmed: “We’re expecting less Russian visitors this year due to the combined effects of the political issues in Ukraine, and the earthquake and super typhoon in Visayas late last year.”

Many Russians visitors were stranded in Boracay after Typhoon Haiyan (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 8, 2014).

India’s beach destination Goa, popular among Russian tourists, has also seen some impact.

Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com, said: “Russian tourists account for a large chunk of Goa’s inbound tourism business but due to recent political turbulence, their numbers have definitely started to wane. Over the last couple of months, we have seen a decrease of around 12 -15 per cent year-on-year in the number of Russian tourists to Goa.”

However, Martin Joseph, chairman of Indian Association of Tour Operator, Goa chapter, said: “We are seeing no fall in the arrivals from Russian market. In fact we are expecting an increase of at least 10 per cent in tourist arrivals from Goa in the inbound season starting October.”

Elsewhere in South-east Asia, figures tell a different story. Russian arrivals to Thailand between January and June grew 8.7 per cent from 893,297 to 971,127 visitors, while Cambodia welcomed 72,353 Russians during 1H2014, compared to 68,940 during the same time last year, an increase of five per cent.

SHANGRI-LA Hotels and Resorts has made first landfall on what is known as the Hawaii of China, with the opening of Shangri-La’s Sanya Resort & Spa.

The resort spans 18.2ha and comes with 340 guestrooms, eight two-storey villas with views of the sea and mountains, and a 300m white-sand beachfront.

Located at the southern-most tip of Hainan, the resort is a 40-minute drive from Sanya International Airport.

Shangri-La’s Sanya Resort & Spa is accepting reservations for stays from September 28 at an introductory rate of 988 yuan (US$161) per night, not inclusive of an additional 15 per cent service charge.

The opening offer includes accommodation in a Superior Room, breakfast for two, and triple points for Golden Circle Members, plus such Shangri-La benefits as free Wi-Fi, unlimited use of recreational facilities and access to the kid’s Adventure Zone. The deal is available until December 31, 2014.

ACCOR has launched its second Grand Mercure hotel in Beijing, the Grand Mercure Beijing Dongcheng.

Located next to Beixiqiao Station of Metro Line 5 and offering easy access to Dongzhimen Airport Express Station, the hotel provides a convenient base for guests to visit local sights such as the Forbidden City and the Yonghe Lama Temple, as well as business areas including Wangfujing and China International Exhibition Center.

Grand Mercure Beijing Dongcheng features 202 guestrooms and suites, equipped with flatscreen LED Tvs, mini bars, and high-speed Internet access. Guests will be treated to slivers of Chinese culture throughout their stay: from being greeted by front-line staff wearing traditional qipao to partaking in traditional tea ceremonies and daily taichi exercises.

Dining options within Grand Mercure Beijing Dongcheng include the 101 All Day Dining Restaurant serving an international buffet, an a la carte menu, and a 24-hour congee menu, Chinese Restaurant for classic Chinese cuisines and seafood, and the Lobby Bar.

Other hotel facilities include an Executive Business Lounge, a fully-equipped gym, and sauna.

For meetings and events, the hotel boasts a 300-pax pillarless ballroom with an 8m high ceiling and 18m² LED screen, seven multi-purpose function rooms with natural lighting, and a dedicated in-house events support team.

To mark its opening, Grand Mercure Beijing Dongcheng is dangling a special promotion. Guests who stay two consecutive nights between now and November 30, 2014 pay 688 yuan (US$112) per night, including breakfast.

For bookings and inquiries, call (86-10) 8403 1188.

A TOURIST boat ferrying Indonesian and international passengers from Lombok to Komodo sank in a storm on Friday night, with 23 rescued as of Monday morning.

According to news agency AFP, the boat went down close to Sangeang, a small island in east Indonesia and home to an active volcano, after sustaining damage to its hull during the storm.

Ten foreign passengers from New Zealand, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and France were saved on Sunday.

A further eight foreigners, five Indonesians, four boat crew members and a tour guide were picked up this morning having survived in a lifeboat too small to fit all the boat’s passengers or floating in their life jackets.

Two more foreign passengers remain unaccounted for, but Lombok’s search and rescue agency head told AFP that search operations are continuing with assistance from the military and police forces.

As a massive archipelago, Indonesia relies on boats to connect its over 17,000 islands. AFP reported that last month alone two vessels sank in different parts of the country, leaving 36 dead.

HILTON Worldwide will open its second hotel in Jaipur under its mid-market brand Garden Inn, following the launch of the 179-key Hilton Hotels & Resorts Jaipur in May this year.

The hotel chain has signed an agreement with real estate developer Goverdhandham Estate for the 125-room greenfield project, and is expected to be operational by end-2015, said Daniel Welk, vice-president, operations-India, Hilton Worldwide.

India features prominently in the group’s expansion plans, where it has 13 properties operational with five more to come by 2015, including the first Conrad hotel and a DoubleTree in Agra.

This year alone, Hilton added DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore and Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks.

Hilton currently has four out of its 11 brands in India, but aims to introduce its other luxury brand, Waldorf Astoria.

“We are talking to a number of partners to introduce some of our other brands in India,” added Welk.

SWITZERLAND Tourism has mapped out The Grand Tour of Switzerland, a marketing effort to position the country as a single destination rather than just a stop on a European trip for most overseas clients.

Just as Australia has the Great Ocean Road and California the Pacific Coast Highway, Switzerland Tourism is encouraging tour operators and travel agencies to woo more FITs with deeper and more immersive tours through its grand tour route, which connects 44 highlights in one journey.

Fifteen of the highlights are nature attractions; 10 traditional/historical; eight art, culture and architecture; 11 are boutique towns; and 12 are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The whole route covers 1,600km and is designed to make it convenient for the trade to promote self-drive or train journeys, not just through the entire tour but segments of it that fit clients’ duration or specific interest.

With it, the trade can easily flesh out a tailored itinerary for clients, with rental car or Swiss train pass and hotel vouchers included, said Urs Eberhard, Switzerland Tourism’s executive vice president markets & meetings.

Eberhard, together with Swiss partners, will be in Singapore on August 26 to launch the grand tour, and the 150th anniversary of winter sports, to South-east Asian tour operators.

“Our market research also shows that those days when you travel for two weeks and stay put in one place, especially among Europeans, are declining. Exploring and touring are making a comeback. Asian groups, for example, typically have eight days and we want to make sure they understand that they can spend them here, that Switzerland may be small, but it has so many highlights and each region has its own attractions,” said Eberhard.

The grand tour idea is also an attempt to spread the international markets to new areas other than tried-and-tested landmarks such as Jungfrau and Lucerne. This comes at a time when Asian markets, “especially the drivers China and South-east Asia, seem hungry for new products and destinations”, added Simon Bosshart, Switzerland Tourism’s director global accounts and director Asia Pacific.

Said Bosshart: “In these still growing and maturing markets, the past strategy of simply being cheaper than the competitor doesn’t work anymore, and the travel trade has to be creative and come up with new and deeper products in order to satisfy the customer demand. While our big landmarks such as Jungfrau and Lucerne are still the most demanded spots, lesser known destinations such as the Valais, Ticino or Eastern Switzerland have shown substantial growth in the recent years.”

– Read more in TTG Asia’s Longhaul report, September 12