ITALIAN flag carrier Alitalia is now working on a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways that will see it give up 49 per cent of shares in exchange for cash.

An Alitalia press release dated last Friday stated: “The board of directors of Alitalia – Compagnia Aerea Italian, chaired by Roberto Colaninno, met today in Rome to approve the proposal presented by Etihad Airways for a partnership between Alitalia and Etihad Airways. The board delegated the mandate to negotiate the contract to the president and chief executive officer.”

The New York Times reported that Etihad’s offer included an initial investment of 560 million euros (US$759.7 million) in exchange for a writedown of several hundred million euros in debt and the termination of 2,200 jobs. This makes up 15 per cent of the Italian carrier’s workforce.

Alitalia remains on the brink of bankruptcy after racking up 840 million in net losses after it was pulled back from the edge and privatised in 2009, according to the same New York Times report.

THE improved version of Travelport Mobile Agent (TMA) is set to be released on July 30, giving users access to a range of new features.

TMA, developed in partnership with Travelport Developer Network member TTS, lets travel consultants make customer bookings from their mobile devices and was first launched in 2011.

Significant features in TMA 3.0 include
– Improved, user-friendly interface and graphics for easier navigation and quicker access
– Enhanced content with improved data and access to more detailed information
– Faster travel platform response to command entries
– Customisable quick keys, PKeys, history and passenger name record stored in cloud, allowing the information to be synchronised across multiple devices
– Integration with Travelport’s Travelport ViewTrip itinerary tool
– Newsfeed with relevant travel articles

These come on top of the original TMA including full integration with Apollo, Galileo and Worldspan platforms.

TMA 3.0 will be available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play beginning July 30.

BEST Western International has secured a second property in Cambodia, having taken over the management of a hotel now branded the Best Western River Palace Hotel, Phnom Penh.

The 59-key hotel is situated on the banks of the Tonle Sap River.

Glenn de Souza, vice president of international operations for Asia and Middle East, Best Western International, said: “This exciting city is fast becoming a regional hub for business and leisure travel, and the position of the Best Western River Palace Hotel means we are now at the very heart of Phnom Penh’s growth.

“Combined with our existing hotel in Siem Reap, this opening also means Best Western is now present in Cambodia’s two leading destinations,” he added.

Best Western River Palace Hotel features two F&B outlets: Palace Seafood Restaurant for Khmer and Western cuisine, and the Riviera Lounge Bar. It also comes with a fitness centre, a spa offering Cambodia’s only Turkish hammam, meeting space and VIP rooms, and a business centre.

Guestrooms overlook the river and feature free Wi-Fi and walk-in showers, among other amenities.

ARRIVALS to Malaysia are on the rise with 10 per cent year-on-year growth recorded for 1Q2014 at 7.1 million, over 6.5 million for the same period last year.

According to statistics from the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Singapore remains Malaysia’s largest source market by a large margin with 3.5 million arrivals in Q1.

In contrast, Malaysia’s second-largest source market, Indonesia, sent 676,328 arrivals. China takes third (520,466), followed by Thailand (333,131), Brunei (296,119), India (172,899), Australia (156,662), Japan (149,859), the Philippines (144,932), and the UK (125,814).

Malaysia’s growth comes in the face of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH370, which led to a suspension of Visit Malaysia Year promotions in China (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 28, 2014).

Unsurprisingly, South-east Asian countries accounted for 72.1 per cent or 5.1 million arrivals. Vietnam took tops for the highest growth of 30.1 per cent.

On the medium-haul front, South Korea saw the highest growth rate with 37.1 per cent. Medium-haul markets provided 20.1 per cent of arrivals or 1.4 million tourists.

Longhaul markets sent 0.5 million tourists or 7.9 per cent of total arrivals. The number of arrivals from Russia grew the fastest at a rate of 25.3 per cent.

CEBU Pacific Air (CEB) will tap the Filipino expatriate market with the introduction of its routes to Kuwait and Sydney that will begin this September.

Beginning September 2, CEB will operate the only direct service between Manila and Kuwait thrice a week.

On September 9, the LCC will commence four-times-weekly services from Manila to Sydney. Airbus A330-300 aircraft will be deployed on both routes.

“Our trademark low fares will allow our kababayans abroad, the global Filipinos, to visit home more often, as we had done in other destinations before, and at the same time attract Australian tourists into our shores,” said CEB president and CEO, Lance Gokongwei.

The airline is running an introductory offer from today until June 19 to mark the launch of these routes, for travel until December 31 this year.

Fares from Manila to Sydney start from 4,999 pesos (US$114), including fare, fuel surcharge and other fees but excluding the Philippine Travel Tax. Meanwhile, tickets to Kuwait start from one peso, exclusive of all other charges.

Visit www.cebupacificair.com for more information.

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is set to launch the Four Points by Sheraton Puchong and Le Méridien Putrajaya by 2015, having signed a management agreement with IOI Properties Group for both.

“Malaysia’s strong economic growth and healthy tourism arrivals present us with a very exciting growth opportunity,” said Matthew Fry, senior vice president, acquisition & development, Asia-Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

“Starwood’s development in the fast-growing districts of Puchong and Putrajaya will enable us to cater to Malaysia’s growing middle class and the increased number of business and leisure travellers in the market.”

Four Points by Sheraton Puchong, scheduled to open in 4Q2014, is located within Puchong in Selangor. Situated in the town’s new business district, the hotel is 32km from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and a 20-minute drive to the Kuala Lumpur city centre.

The 249-key hotel will feature 1,100m2 of meeting space, a swimming pool, two F&B venues including the signature The Eatery, a fitness centre, free Wi-Fi, free bottled water and free coffee, among others.

Le Méridien Putrajaya is slated for a 2015 opening and will provide 350 guestrooms, two restaurant concepts, a fitness centre, spa facilities, a swimming pool and over 1,630m2 in events space.

It allows guests easy access to the city’s commercial and retail areas, including the IOI City Mall that will open later in 2014.

INDIA’S Ministry of Tourism is convening a high-level meeting and rolling out an international PR campaign to dispel the country’s negative image as a female-traveller-unfriendly destination and restore confidence among foreign tourists.

First in this two-prong strategy is a meeting that will gather the country’s tourism ministers and private sector delegates to discuss measures to improve the safety of foreign tourists. According to a ministry source, the meeting will take place within the next two months.

The ministry is joining hands with public-private partnership body, Experience India Society, to revamp India’s international image through a PR campaign that will be launched in the UK, Germany, Japan and the US for starters.

Speaking at a meeting with the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) last week, tourism minister Shripad Yesso Naik said: “I am aware that the tourism industry in India is concerned about the safety and security of tourists, especially women. It is one of our topmost priorities to address this concern. We will soon work out a PR strategy to create a positive image of the country.”

The campaign blueprint will be finalised today and TTG Asia e-Daily understands that it will include fam trips for media and single female travellers, and advertising, among others.

However, Rajan Sehgal, managing director, Arrivals Air Services, felt more remains to be done. “A mere PR plan won’t help the cause. We need to have all hotels having women-only floors, and to sensitise our taxi drivers and tour guides towards respecting women travellers. Apart from male security personnel, we also need female security personnel so that female travellers feel comfortable.”

Sarab Jit Singh, senior vice president, IATO, emphasised the importance of timing, saying: “Half-baked and half-hearted approaches will not yield any result…It is important that the PR plan is approved on time and that there are no delays.”