ROYAL Brunei Airlines (RBA) plans to resume services to Ho Chi Minh City with four-weekly flights commencing October 17.

The service, previously terminated in October 2011, will be operated by an Airbus A319 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Sundays, an Airbus A320 will be utilised.

In a press statement, RBA’s deputy chairman, Dermot Mannion, said: “In our commercial team’s latest studies, Ho Chi Minh City has emerged a frontrunner in providing connections for key markets from Melbourne, Dubai and London, and for regional destinations like Kota Kinabalu.

“We are delighted to include this exciting holiday and business destination into our network.”

CARLSON Wagonlit Travel (CWT) and GBTA Foundation have jointly launched 2015 Global Travel Price Outlook, which indicates that there is upward pressure on rates, particularly in high-demand travel markets.

Driving this is demand from emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil as well as improved economic growth in advanced economies, combined with limited advances in travel supply.

For Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets, key findings for 2015 include:

• APAC is expected to see the smallest increases in airfares around the world (0.5 per cent) compared with the global average of 2.2 per cent;

• Actual airfare increases for 2014 were lower than forecast, given that low-cost carriers (LCCs) have added a lot of capacity and are increasingly targeting the corporate travel market. LCCs now account for close to 26 per cent of total capacity in APAC;

• Air price growth in India is expected to be the strongest (at 4.4 per cent), driven by recent elections and prospects for market reforms that could lead to greater levels of business activity and a higher volume of business travel;

• Hotel prices are expected to grow 2.7 per cent – a moderate rate compared to the rest of the world; and

• India is expected to experience hotel price growth for the first time in several years (at 4.4 per cent), driven by higher levels of business confidence following this year’s elections, while in China, travellers can expect to see a minor increase in hotel prices.

Joseph Bates, GBTA Foundation vice president of research, said: “The study reveals that travel managers expect price increases next year across the board on travel categories including airfares, hotel room rates and rental car rates.

“Risks to the forecast including the escalating Ukrainian crisis; declining European inflation; burgeoning debt in China and oil price shocks could potentially have a negative influence on travel demand and pricing however, so travel managers are advised to consider contingencies for these risks in their planning.”

To view the full report for results worldwide, visit http://www.carlsonwagonlit.com/en/global/insights/global-forecast-2015/index.html.

AIR Seychelles is looking to start thrice-weekly direct flights between Mumbai and Seychelles by the end of this year, according to Seychelles Tourism and Culture minister, Alain St Ange, who was in New Delhi last week.

Pending approval by India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, the airline is expected to use Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

“India’s outbound tourism potential is unparalleled and we are here to claim a share of this growing market. Presently, Indian travellers can reach Seychelles via Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Colombo.

“Indian filmmakers will also have an opportunity to gain access to the stunning and unexplored filming locations of Seychelles through direct flights,” said Ange.

He also revealed that there were talks to include India’s Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organisation that includes Comoros, La Reunion, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mayotte, the Seychelles and Sri Lanka as member islands.

A first-ever Seychelles roadshow was held in New Delhi and Mumbai last week gathering trade members from both countries.

Lubaina Sheerazi, head, Blue Square Consultants, which represents Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “We are targeting honeymoon, luxury, adventure and experiential travellers, and leveraging various media to reach out to and engage with them.

“We will also be conducting roadshows and destination trainings, participating in trade fairs, investing in marketing activities and scheduling fam trips as a part of our strategy.”

DONALD J Trump has today announced collaboration plans with Indian luxury real estate developer Lodha Group to launch Trump Tower Mumbai, marking the American billionaire’s first investment in the city.

“It has been my desire for many years to be involved in a great project in Mumbai, and it is my honour to bring the Trump lifestyles to the citizens of this truly global metropolis with the launch of Trump Tower Mumbai, said Donald J Trump, chairman and president, The Trump Organization.

Abhishek Lodha, managing director of Lodha Group, said: “Our collaboration on Trump Tower Mumbai not only raises the bar in every sense for luxury and services, but sets a new benchmark for luxury living in India – creating a tower that redefines the Mumbai skyline.”

Set in The Park at Worli, the 75-storey Trump Tower Mumbai features ultra-luxurious three- and four-bedroom residences with interiors designed by HBA Singapore, with amenities such as German Poggenpohl kitchens, five-fixture master bathrooms, indoor Jacuzzis, built-in TVs and elite seven-level security.

The project will offer residents a host of exclusive lifestyle privileges, including a 24-hour resident manager and white-glove services, access to global Trump luxury properties and a fractional membership to private jet service exclusively for Trump residents in India.

Besides Mumbai, other Trump projects have been earmarked for development in Vancouver, Istanbul, Panama and Manila.

MAJOR inbound operator Uni-Orient Travel has launched a B2B online reservation system, which will offer content ranging from Philippine hotels and tours to activities and transfers.

U-xplor, accessible at www.u-xplor.com, was soft launched in June at a selling mission to Russia and for Philippine operators in early July, according to Pedro B Young, Uni-Orient consultant for tourism services.

On the inbound side, the platform targets major markets like Russia and China, as well as Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia, said Young.

The system currently carries 500 Philippine hotels in its database, and will soon add land arrangements, transfers and destination-specific activities across the Philippines for the FIT segment.

“We will also be adding tour programmes in the next two weeks,” he added. “We offer special rates for those using our system as it streamlines some of the work that we do.”

Young said that U-Xplor offerings for the Boracay-bound market in particular would reduce the need to source “activity outfitters” for land-based or water sports activities, and give partner operators options to add premium add-ons like daily pocket Wi-Fi service.

Likewise, tour programmes that can bring Boracay visitors to luxury spots like Carabao Island, Romblon or cultural tours on the island itself are in the works, he said.

Philippine outbound agencies would also be able to use the system for international bookings.

ASIAN travellers are most addicted to mobile technology and are least likely to disconnect while on vacation, according to the new Disconnect to Reconnect survey from Hotels.com.

Examining digital vacationing habits across 28 countries worldwide, the global survey found out that travellers from Thailand were the least prepared to give up their mobile devices, with a staggering 85 per cent of Thai travellers saying they would be unwilling to do so. South Korea took second place (78 per cent), followed by Japan (69 per cent), China (67 per cent) and Singapore (60 per cent).

On the other end of the spectrum was India with a mere 20 per cent of participants saying they would be unable to abandon their mobile devices or laptops, followed by Argentina at 22 per cent. Elsewhere in North America, only 35 per cent of Americans, 27 per cent of Canadians and 28 per cent of Mexican travellers said they would be unwilling to do so.

“Going away on vacation should be a time to unwind, whether you’re lying on a beach in Cancun or snowboarding down a mountain in Vail,” said Taylor L Cole, APR, travel expert at Hotels.com. “While smartphones are useful for checking the weather or viewing maps, travellers would benefit from switching off their emails to disconnect and restore a little more of the all-important work-life balance.”

As for bragging rights and countries most likely to exaggerate their vacation experiences, China comes in on top with 67 per cent of respondents likely to lie to friends and family when returning home. Germany is close behind in second place with 64 per cent, and South Korea is third place with just under half (48 per cent) admitting they would embellish a travel story to impress others. Travellers from the US are less likely to exaggerate their experiences (24 per cent).

When it comes to American travel habits, two-thirds of Americans (66 per cent) say they spend at least some time using social media while on vacation, with 28 per cent saying they spend an hour or more each day. The majority of Americans also admit to spending some time checking or responding to work emails while on vacation (56 per cent), but most say they spend less than an hour a day (36 per cent), while 44 percent say they spend no time at all.

The Hotels.com study also revealed the top 10 most important travel items for Americans. Smartphones were the most important travel item after passports, while travel insurance was the least important of all.

FRHI Hotels & Resorts has enhanced its Famous Agents training programme to further travel consultants’ understanding of its three distinctive hotel brands and unique guest experiences each offers.

Famous Agents Academy is developed in conjunction with and accredited by Travel Agent University (TAU), moderator of online courses for travel consultants.

Upon successfully passing each module, member consultants will receive both course credit with TAU as well as Famous Agent bonus points.

The number of credits and points earned will vary from course to course.

As an additional incentive, members can earn 15 bonus points for completing the first module. They can choose from a variety of courses and material can be covered at their own pace.

Courses will be updated on an ongoing basis to ensure material is current and engaging, so members are encouraged to “check-in” to refresh their FRHI knowledge.

To enroll, travel consultants can sign in at famousagents.frhi.com and follow the Famous Agents Academy link on the homepage.

SINGAPORE’S National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) recommendation on minimum fees for tour guides, announced last month, is too simplistic and not practical, several inbound travel consultants told TTG Asia e-Daily.

NTUC Tour Guide Chapter’s new guideline recommends a minimum fee of S$150 (US$120) for a four-hour, half-day tour, and S$250 for a full-day one. There are no penalties for not following the recommendations.

Tour East group vice president of sales and marketing, Judy Lum, said: “The steep increase as recommended by NTUC is not realistic for our business.

“I acknowledge that the increase in guide fees is a reasonable consideration just as an employer would increase the salary of the staff to help offset inflation, but it has to be within reasonable range and viable for a tour agency to continue operating these tours.”

An inbound operator who declined to be named said: “There are many types of tours and they all vary quite widely in terms of the time, effort, language and service required of the tour guides. Hence, a one-size-fits-all guideline may not be that practical.

“Each company will have to decide for itself how best to compensate its own tour guides according to market needs.”

National Association of Travel Agents Singapore acting CEO, Patricia Auyeong, concurred, adding: “Such guidelines can be disruptive…it can also be anti-competitive so it is best left to market forces to determine the fees.”

GTMC Travel CEO, Samson Tan, said: “Guidelines are good for the industry and if business goes down, it is up to the industry to negotiate among themselves.

“It must be a win-win situation where both the agencies and tour guides benefit for a long-term perspective.”

Likewise, Lum said: “Discussion on such matters should have the objective of a solution where both sides benefit; it is very simplistic to assume that tour agencies laugh to the bank by not paying the guides what they deserve.”

According to local broadsheet The Straits Times, as of December 2013, there were 2,360 licensed tour guides in Singapore employed by travel consultants. They charge from S$10 an hour, or up to S$180 per hour if they offer specialised knowledge or speak multiple languages.

THE 12-year-old Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, which first opened its doors in December 2001, has completed a comprehensive makeover last month to boast an entirely new look and feel.

The remodel started in 2010 with the overhaul of the Regency Club rooms and suites, and continued in 2012 with the restoration of the Presidential Villas.

Activity then ceased until earlier this year, when construction began on the refurbishment of 79 Hyatt Guestrooms and the establishment of 50 Deluxe Rooms, a new room category at the 213-room seaside resort.

The Deluxe Rooms are located on the ground floor and select areas of the second floor. Each comes with an enclosed balcony that makes for a spacious living area, a comfortable sofa bed and a “buy one get one” treatment at the hotel’s residential spa, The Barai.

“A lot of time and effort went into this programme,” said Sammy Carolus, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. “But it was absolutely necessary in order to meet the desires of today’s travellers.

“This overhaul reaffirms our commitment to providing guests with quality products and services,” he added.

The hotel is also a founding member of It’s in Hua Hin, a destination marketing organisation (DMO) launched in 2010 to promote the world-class accommodations and activities available in and around Hua Hin.

Other members of the DMO include Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Banyan Golf Club, Banyan Resort and Hua Hin Hills Vineyard.