INDONESIA and Myanmar have reached an agreement to allow reciprocal 30-day, visa-free travel for citizens of both countries, with the new policy expected to be effective this month.

The visa exemption agreement was signed between Indonesian minister of foreign affairs Marty Natalegawa and his Myanmar counterpart Wunna Muang Lwin on the sidelines of the 24th ASEAN Summit in Naypyidaw.

In a media announcement, Marty said: “The agreement is expected to tighten the connectivity between the two countries in the tourism sector, people-to-people contact, and the economic and investment cooperation.”

Wunna Muang Lwin also expected the agreement to grow bilateral trade between Indonesia and Myanmar to a target of US$1 billion by 2016.

The visa waiver policy reflects ASEAN’s plans to introduce a common visa for the whole region with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 21, 2014).

Myanmar has already signed visa-free agreements with Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and is currently in talks with Malaysia and Singapore.

INDIA’S Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week granted AirAsia India its air operator permit, paving way for the new carrier to commence flights soon and increase competition in the country’s aviation sector.

Having started its aircraft acquisition, the Chennai-based airline is expected to begin flights by 4Q2014, with its first scheduled domestic routes likely to be announced in the coming weeks.

The entry of AirAsia India has received opposition from existing Indian carriers against the government’s liberalisation policy for foreign carriers (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 14, 2014) and concerns that the new entrant’s low-cost pricing policy will wreak havoc in a market already squeezed by high fuel prices and taxes.

AirAsia India’s earlier plans to commence flights in October 2013 were delayed (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 4, 2013), despite having received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board of India in April 2013 and a no-objection certificate from DGCA in September 2013.

Meanwhile, IATA Agents Association of India’s director-eastern region, Rajendra Churiwala, said that “consumers will benefit from AirAsia India’s truly low-cost model”.

TTG Asia e-Daily will be taking a break tomorrow, May 13, for the Vesak Day public holiday.

Here’s wishing all Buddhist readers a happy Vesak Day!

SENTOSA HarbourFront Business Association (SHBA) has closed the curtains on the first The Great Egg-Venture at Sentosa HarbourFront, with plans to make the event an annual calendar highlight.

The Great Egg-Venture at Sentosa HarbourFront, the association’s first event, ran from April 18 to May 11.

Participants registered for the hunt via Facebook and tracked down hand-painted giant eggs scattered throughout the HarbourFront precinct. Egg hunters had to scan the unique QR code on each giant egg found and the participant with the most eggs would bag the top prize of S$5,000 (US$4,000).

The event drew participation from 1,600 people, bringing a six per cent increase in visitorship for Sentosa Island, Resorts World Sentosa attractions, Mount Faber, VivoCity Shopping Mall and HarbourFront Centre during April 18 to May 11 compared to the same period last year.

Goh Chye Boon, chairman of SHBA as well as chairman and executive vice president of resort operations, Resorts World Sentosa, said: “The encouraging outcome has reaffirmed the association’s commitment to grow this event, and attract more visitors to the precinct – both local residents and tourists, and establish the event as a must-visit signature festival on Singapore’s tourism calendar.”

Besides the three-week long egg hunt that covered Sentosa Island, St James Power Station, Singapore Cruise Centre, HarbourFront Centre and Vivocity, and The Jewel Box on Mount Faber, the event also included special discounts for services such as yacht rentals and spa services, and F&B deals.

SHBA members who offered Easter brunches saw an increase of up to 50 per cent in reservations during the long Easter weekend, while Sentosa attractions also enjoyed a rise in footfall.

Danny Luke, general manager, Skyline Luge Sentosa, said: “Due to the Great Egg-Venture, we were able to leverage the influx of visitors who came to the precinct to enjoy the many activities available. Our attraction saw a 50 per cent increase in visitorship over the first Easter weekend compared to a usual weekend.

“The complementing activities and promotions managed by each individual member of the SHBA made the event more attractive to our guests as it provided them with greater leisure options to choose from,” he said.

Plans are to beef up the event with more activities and promotions, and to market the event overseas through travel agencies for inclusion in itineraries.

Chang Yeng Cheong, chairman of the SHBA’s events sub-committee, revealed that the number of eggs would be increased and the association is mulling the possibility of launching a competition to encourage more participation by artists. Eggs could also be themed on Singapore, which turns 50 next year.

The closing ceremony for the event yesterday also marked the launch of the Sentosa HarbourFront guide and map produced by TTG Asia Media. The guide map provides guests with details of the precinct’s offerings through recommendations on the lifestyle, F&B and retail options available in the precinct.

SHBA is a five-month old association launched in January this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 6, 2014) comprising 14 businesses and stakeholders in the southern precinct of Sentosa and HarbourFront that aim to leverage the area’s tourism and leisure assets.

THE escalating number of fatalities from the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) has set alarm bells ringing through the tourism community in the Middle East, with Muslim travellers performing the haj a concern.

As of Sunday night, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 133 deaths out of the 493 cases. MERS has reared its head mostly in Saudi Arabian cities including Jeddah, Medina and Makkah, but also in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

However, WHO concluded after a five-day mission in Saudi Arabia recently that there has not been a “significant change in the transmissibility of the virus”. The majority of human-to-human infections had happened in healthcare facilities and a quarter of the newly afflicted were healthcare workers, WHO elaborated.

WHO stated in a media release: “WHO does not advise any special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it currently recommend the application of any trade or travel restrictions including for upcoming pilgrimage travel to Saudi Arabia.”

Another WHO team is currently in UAE to assess and assist with the health situation here.

Moiz Joher, managing director, Dubai-based Joher Travel & Tourism, said: “With our past experiences of avian flu and SARS, a close wait-and-watch approach is necessary. No one is hitting the panic button yet, but such situations can spiral into an epidemic and cause long-term havoc in the travel and tourism canvas in the region.”

JUMEIRAH Group has announced massive expansion plans to build 4,300 hotel rooms spread over 11 countries globally by 2017, with a dedicated warchest of eight billion Emirati dirhams (US$2.2 billion).

The group revealed at a press conference in Dubai that hotels currently under construction include hotels and resorts in Guangzhou, Sanya, Hangzhou (two properties) and Macau (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 13, 2012); Mumbai; Bali; and Bangkok.

In the Middle East and North Africa region, hotels to be commissioned soon include Jumeirah Dubai Towers in Doha, Qatar; Jumeirah Marrakech Golf and Polo Resort in Morocco; and Jumeirah Gamsha Bay Resort, Egypt.

The company will also wrap up Madinat Jumeirah’s final phase of expansion by 2016. Overlooking the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, the project comprises a five-star hotel, F&B outlets and a shopping mall.

Jumeirah has also signed an agreement to manage a luxury hotel in Saint Petersburg in Russia, housed within Wavelberg House, which was built in 1912.

Gerald Lawless, president and CEO of Jumeirah Group, said: “Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts in Dubai have always been so popular with Russian visitors that we are delighted now to be able to bring the brand to Russia itself.”

SRILANKAN Airlines is extending its presence to south-west China with the launch of scheduled charter flights to and from Chongqing in Sichuan province.

From July 1, the airline will be operating a weekly flight to and from Colombo, through Bangkok. The charter is in collaboration with Beijing-based travel operator Chongqing Huapont International Travel Service.

An agreement between the Chinese firm and SriLankan Airlines was signed in Colombo on May 8, said airline officials.

The national carrier currently operates a total of 15 weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong in China, and Hong Kong.

China is a growing source market for Sri Lanka with 54,288 visitors in 2013, and numbers are expected to double this year. Between January and April 2014, Chinese visitors numbered 36,803 or a 135.9 per cent increase over the same period last year.

However, India and the UK are still Sri Lanka’s biggest source markets.

SriLankan Airlines joined the Oneworld alliance on May 1 (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 10, 2014).