THE European Commission (EC) has released a proposal for the creation of a new visa that would allow travel within the Schengen area for up to a year, one in a raft of initiatives to draw more arrivals from major outbound markets.

Currently known as the touring visa, it grants visitors passage through the Schengen area for one year with the option of an extension for up to two years, though visitors are disallowed from staying in one member state for more than 90 days within an 180-day period.

The EC has also rolled out a number of proposed changes to Schengen visa rules, noting in its press release that non-EU travellers tended to face “cumbersome, lengthy and costly visa procedures” when applying for short stays.

These include:
–       Reducing the deadline from 15 to 10 days for processing and taking a decision
–       Making it possible to lodge visa applications in other EU countries’ consulates if the member state competent for processing the visa application is neither present nor represented
–       Substantial facilitations for regular travellers including mandatory issuing of multiple-entry visas valid for three years
–       Simplified application form and allowing for online applications
–       Possibility for member states to devise special schemes granting visas at the borders for up to 15 days in one Schengen state
–       Possibility for member states to facilitate the issuing of visa for visitors attending major events

Approvals for the touring visa and reworking of the visa code must be obtained from the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, and are expected in 2015 at the earliest.

Antonio Tajani, European Commission vice president responsible for industry and entrepreneurship, commented: “Our proposal will help (the) European tourism industry at a time when international competition is becoming increasingly fierce with a growing number of countries relying on tourism as a factor for growth. The new visa rules are the answer to this challenge. These changes will help the tourism industry to deal with the expected considerable increase of the flows of tourists visiting Europe. Tourism is Europe´s growth engine and has been the most important stronghold of European economy during the recent crisis.”

A study cited by the EC stated that in 2012, some 6.6 million potential travellers from the six countries with the most travellers (China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Ukraine) were ‘lost’ due to the hassle of applying for a visa.

On the other hand, the report predicted that streamlining visa rules would boost the number of trips to the Schengen region by 30 to 60 per cent from those countries alone, and generate 1.3 million jobs in tourism and related sectors.

MARRIOTT International has launched the 348-room Renaissance Chengdu Hotel in south-west China under a management agreement with Sichuan Master Investment Group.

Located north of the Tianfu Interchange Bridge, the hotel is close to Chengdu’s main commercial, entertainment, and shopping area, and offers easy access to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

It comprises 348 guestrooms including 29 suites, as well as a 29^th floor club lounge for daily buffet breakfast with live cooking stations, afternoon high tea and evening cocktails. Club members can also avail of luxury business services and complimentary usage of an executive meeting room for two hours.

F&B establishments on site include BLD Café featuring buffet and a la carte culinary delights; upscale Wan Li for authentic Cantonese and Sichuanese cuisine; and lobby lounge The R Bar serving coffee, Chinese afternoon tea, wine or a specialty R cocktail in the evenings.

Renaissance Chengdu Hotel also boasts 1,322m² of meeting space across nine rooms that can be configured in various ways, including a grand ballroom with a nearly 7m ceiling. All meeting rooms are equipped with modern audio visual technologies.

Other available amenities are the 24-hour concierge service Navigator, a full-service business centre, 24-hour fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool.

Henry Lee, COO of Greater China for Marriott International, states: “Marriott International’s portfolio in China continues to expand and we’re thrilled to open our first Renaissance Hotel in the heart of Chengdu. Renaissance Hotels is known for embracing the spirit of each destination, making it a perfect fit for travellers visiting this exciting city.”

MORE corporates are turning towards the buoyant LCC sector as a way to keep travel costs down while budget airlines simultaneously evolve to cater to this market.

Speaking at a panel discussion at ACTE Executive Forum Singapore yesterday, Todd Arthur, vice president, sales & account management, Asia Pacific, BCD Travel and also Asia board member of Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), said: “LCCs now account for over 15 per cent of Asia’s fleet which outstrips the growth of full-fledged airlines.

“The bulk of the new aircraft is all coming from the LCCs and these are evolving into hybrid carriers to expand themselves into the corporate market.”

Lisa Akeroyd, vice president, global sales & program management, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, said: “The trend of the LCCs is very real and our clients are starting to have conversations about them and questioning if they have to continue solely supporting the national carrier.

“We see that hybrid carriers, which is a cross between no-frills and full service, are fitting into corporate travel requirements,” she said.

Citing the example of how LCCs are increasingly available on the GDSs, he said: “The GDSs are not stagnant too and we see that every one is making progress in these spheres.”

However, Joana Yap, general manager, HRG Singapore highlighted that while her clients request for an LCC option for price comparison, most still opt for full-fledged airlines. “At the moment, it is not the corporates’ mandate to use LCCs because given the choice, most of them will still prefer a flight that provides everything from baggage to meals.

“While companies may look at various ways to keep their travel budget tight, corporate travellers will use the reasoning that full-fledged airlines will promise them and the company good productivity to get away (from LCCs),” Yap added.

PAN Pacific Hotels Group today launched Parkroyal Nay Pyi Taw in the Myanmar capital, marking its second Parkroyal property in the country.

The 180-room hotel is strategically located close to Myanmar International Convention Centre, the official venue of government functions, and opens with 90 rooms available. The remainder is expected to be fully operational by end -2014.

Parkroyal Nay Pyi Taw offers an all-day dining restaurant, spa, gym, swimming pool and a range of meeting facilities (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 11, 2014).

“As an early and successful player in Myanmar’s hotel industry, Pan Pacific Hotels Group is keen to capitalise on business opportunities within the flourishing tourism sector to solidify our position as one of the leading international hotel operators in the country,” says Bernold O Schroeder, CEO, Pan Pacific Hotels Group.

“The opening of Parkroyal Nay Pyi Taw in such a prominent location in the capital will give the brand greater visibility and boost the Group’s Myanmar portfolio.”

Meanwhile, Parkroyal Yangon is also to undergo renovations for refreshed dining spaces, lobby and meeting and entertainment facilities.

In 2013, Pan Pacific entered a joint venture agreement with Myanmar’s Shwe Taung Group to develop the country’s first Pan Pacific hotel (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 30, 2013).

Scheduled to open in 2017, the 348-room Pan Pacific Yangon will be located in the heart of Yangon city centre, opposite the popular Bogyoke Aung San (Scott) Market.

THE Ascott has purchased an operational serviced residence in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island and will rebrand it to Citadines Mercer Hong Kong in 3Q2014.

The 55-unit property is located next to Hong Kong’s central business district, close to Soho and the famous Lan Kwai Fong.

Lee Chee Koon, CEO, said: “One of Ascott’s growth strategies is to look for prime operating serviced residences in gateway cities which will provide us with faster time to market.

“Adding a fourth property to our portfolio in Hong Kong will give us economies of scale and further strengthen Ascott’s leadership position as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in (Greater) China with more than 10,300 apartment units in 57 properties across 20 cities.”

Meanwhile, managing director for North Asia, Kevin Goh, said that demand for serviced residences from expatriates and travellers is strong. He pointed out that Citadines Ashley Hong Kong, the first Citadines property in the SAR, has been seeing occupancy of above 90 per cent since its inception in 2006.

Citadines Mercer Hong Kong will offer one-bedroom apartments featuring a kitchenette, living and work spaces, a residents’ lounge, gym and swimming pool.

The Ascott is scheduled to launch Somerset Victoria Park Hong Kong in the third quarter and rebrand another serviced residence on Connaught Road in 2015.

In a separate development, Ascott today also announced it has partnered James Cook University to offer a direct path to a business degree programme for those studying for a Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications Diploma in Tourism (Accommodation Management) at the Ascott Centre for Excellence.

Appointed by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, the Ascott Centre for Excellence is the first and only continuing education and training centre for the hospitality sector that is run by a hospitality company.

BUDGET carriers AirAsia and AirAsia X have insisted on staying at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang after May 9 despite having been told that Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s (KLIA) low-cost terminal will cease operations following the opening of the klia2 on May 2.

The airlines want issues on safety and security at klia2 as well as the potential rise in airport charges and passenger service charge, which could raise the overall cost of travel, to be addressed before they relocated, The Star reported today.

LCCs currently operate at KLIA’s budget terminal that is scheduled to shut on May 9, one week after the new klia2 airport, which serves only budget airlines, is to open for business.

While the move was described as imminent by Aireen Omar, CEO of AirAsia Malaysia, she was quoted by The Star as having said: “We want to ensure our guests will have a seamless journey, without any disruptions that might potentially be caused by any periodic remedial measures undertaken by klia2.”

Meanwhile, Adam Kamal, general manager of Rakyat Travel said: “This issue has to be quickly resolved as it would cause confusion among travellers. Until this matter is resolved, we cannot confirm point of departure and arrivals for our fixed departures on AirAsia and AirAsia X.”

Ganneesh Ramaa, manager at Luxury Tours Malaysia opined that the AirAsia group should sit down at the table with Malaysia Airports Holdings to resolve issues for the benefit of travellers and the image of the country.

He added: “If it remains at the current low-cost carrier terminal, it would incur extra transportation costs for transit passengers and this runs contrary to the AirAsia’s brandingNow everyone can fly.”

MALAYSIA Airlines’ flight MH370 weighed heavily on the minds of aviation industry leaders at an IATA conference today, with the association announcing the formation of a task force for global aircraft tracking and passenger data to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

Tony Tyler, director general and CEO, said at the opening of the IATA OPS Conference in Kuala Lumpur that MH370 had proven the airline industry has two clear challenges that need to be overcome – aircraft tracking and passenger data.

“In a world where our every move seems to be tracked, there is disbelief both that an aircraft could simply disappear and that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders are so difficult to recover…We cannot let another aircraft simply vanish,” he said.

“IATA will convene an expert task force that will include ICAO participation to ensure that the work is well-coordinated. This group will examine all of the options available for tracking commercial aircraft against the parameters of implementation, investment, time and complexity to achieve the desired coverage. The group will report its conclusions by December 2014, reflecting the need for urgent action and careful analysis,” Tyler explained.

Meanwhile, he urged governments to review processes for vetting and using passenger data, as well as to standardise passenger data collected on ICAO criteria; eliminate collection of data in paper; and create a single harmonised window through which airlines can submit electronic data to governments.

Tyler shared that IATA has set up the Global Aviation Data Management project as a comprehensive safety data warehouse, collecting analysis reports on accidents, incidents, ground damage, maintenance and audits. It also covers data from over 1.8 million flights in the last 15 months

The association also released its commercial aviation safety performance report for 2013 today.

According to the report there were 210 fatalities from accidents in 2013, down from 414 in 2012. In 2013, 81 accidents took place. This is up from 75 in 2012 but below the five-year average of 86 per year.

Sixteen of these accidents in 2013 were fatal, higher than the 15 in 2012 and below the five-year average of 19.

Accidents occurring during aircraft departure from a runway on landing or takeoff were the most common type of accident, making up 23 per cent of all accidents in the last five years, though chances of survival in such cases were high.

– Read Painful lessons from MH370

DMC Khiri Travel is extending an upscale option for passengers travelling on the train between Luang Prabang and Hanoi via its luxury carriage.

The public train service was restarted in June last year and carries passengers on part of the former Indochinese colonial rail network.

While demand from budget travellers has been healthy, Western clients are also keen to travel this route in more comfort, said Willem Niemeijer, CEO of Khiri Travel.

The DMC has thus added a six-pax luxury carriage that comes with air-conditioned sleeper cabins, a lounge with F&B service and enlarged windows for better views. The overnight journeys ends in the destination in the mid-morning the next day.

Departures leave Laos’ Luang Prabang on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, with the return leg leaving Hanoi on Thursdays and Mondays.

The first departure leaves today and rides are fully booked until mid-May. “We have been very impressed by the demand from western European travellers seeking an authentic Mekong travel experience,” said Niemeijer.

Travel tariffs for the trips depend on the season. Travel consultants can email luxtrain@khiri.com and quote booking code, “Midnight Express”, for more information.

*There’s no Midnight Express. Happy April Fools’! 

HYATT Hotels & Resorts today opened the doors of its first Hyatt Regency in Shanghai, which is also the first international upscale resort on Chongming Island.

Located on the retreat destination of Chongming Island, the hotel is 90 minutes away from downtown Shanghai and linked to the mainland by a tunnel and bridge. It is situated beside the Dongtan Wetlands Park and a migratory bird reserve.

Christopher Koehler, vice president of operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, China, said: “Hyatt has already established a strong brand presence with four hotels in Shanghai, and we are excited to further expand our brand presence in this important market with the introduction of the Hyatt Regency brand. Hyatt Regency Chongming demonstrates our commitment to thoughtful and harmonious growth in China by bringing convenience and hospitality to a previously untapped nature-based lifestyle destination.”

The 235-key hotel comprises of five buildings connected by a covered Chinese-style walkway and extensive landscaped gardens. Rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi access and mini bar, MP3 player docking stations and private balconies or courtyards with ocean or garden views.

Furthermore, it will also be the first pet-friendly Hyatt hotel in China with 25 dedicated dog-friendly rooms with enclosed outdoor courtyards and “special canine comforts”.

The Regency Club is housed separately and offers Regency Club guests free breakfast, all-day refreshments, evening cocktails, use of the boardroom and outdoor terrace.

Guests can dine at any of five F&B outlets on site, including Pin Yue for Chongming and Shanghai cuisine and the Tea House for Chinese snacks.

The hotel is also the first Hyatt property to introduce The Campus meetings and events concept in China, which aims to evoke the nostalgia of university life. The Campus comprises a Lecture Hall, three Classrooms, a versatile space called the Cafeteria and six Song & Games rooms totalling 1,440m² in space. There is also a 630m² Regency Ballroom opening out to a walled garden, five salons and boardrooms and a Regency Lawn for larger al fresco events.