VISITBRITAIN has facilitated the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between leading travel associations of the UK and India, a move the NTO expects will significantly bolster Indian arrivals.

The MoUs were signed last week at SATTE 2014 by The European Tour Operators Association with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Travel Agents Federation of India, and between Outbound Tour Operators Association of India and UKinbound.

“Working with the travel trade is key to our strategy as 80 per cent of the visits from India to the UK are booked through the travel trade. We expect to create a more positive business environment and drive more inbound to the country through this initiative,” said Sandie Dawe, chief executive of VisitBritain.

“We will be able to now work through the leading trade associations on effective communication about the visa process and product offerings. At present the Indian market to the UK is London centric. About 68 per cent of Indian visitors are coming to just London and we want to convey the message that there is more to the UK than just London,” she added.

“The signings of MoUs will boost tourism ties between the two countries as all these associations have a strong member base,” said Iqbal Mulla, President, TAAI.

India is the UK’s 15^th largest source market, with over 300,000 arrivals in 2013 or a nine per cent increase. VisitBritain expects to surpass its aim of 425,000 Indian arrivals by 2016.

INDIA is now offering Maldivian nationals free 90-day visas for medical tourism in a reversal of last year’s tightening of visa regulations for this segment.

Medical visa holders will no longer be required to report to the Foreign Regional Registration Office for visas with under 180 days’ validity.

Parvez Dewan, secretary at the Ministry of Tourism said: “It is a major visa liberalisation measure for Maldivian nationals. Only two other countries, Nepal and Bhutan, are provided free visas.

“We expect the move will benefit south Indian cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Trivandrum the most, because of the robust medical facilities available there and because the region is known for Ayurveda (wellness treatments).”

Relations between the two countries soured after the Maldives prematurely terminated the contract with India’s GMR Group for the management of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

India retaliated by tightening visa restrictions on the Maldives’ medical tourists (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 9, 2013).

Mohamed Nasser, Maldivian ambassador to India, remarked: “There are more than 20,000 Maldivians living in south India. Even last year, though we had visa issues, it didn’t deter Maldivians from travelling to India. However, with the help of this new visa regime, the number of Maldivians arriving in India will certainly increae as most of the Maldivians travelling to India are medical tourists.”

India registered 40,000 Maldivian arrivals in 2013.

DRUKAIR – Royal Bhutan Airlines is set to launch the only direct flights between Paro and Mumbai on May 1.

The twice-weekly service will run on Thursdays and Sundays, offering 16 business class and 102 economy class seats.

Damcho Rinzin, international trvel, trade & PR officer of the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB), expects the number of Indian and expat travellers to Bhutan to soar as a result of being able to transit at Mumbai for a direct flight.

Mitesh Dani, managing director of Mumbai-based Parul Tours & Travels, said: “Bhutan is perceived as a high-end luxury destination and connectivity was an issue. Many clients preferred to charter aircraft. Now with a direct flight from Mumbai, Bhutan will be the flavour for travellers in the next holiday season. We expect increased bookings from now on as luxury hotel rooms are limited in Bhutan.”

GRAND Park Orchard Singapore will provide guests with unlimited local and international calls through the introduction of a ‘handy’ smartphone service on March 3.

The free smartphone service, which comes as an in-room amenity, offers guests unlimited international and local calls, unlimited 3G data and Wi-Fi tethering capabilities, as well as a comprehensive city guide.

Darren Ware, general manager of Grand Park Orchard, said: “For today’s traveller, staying connected is important and if you will, at the top of anyone’s travel checklist.”

Created by Tink Labs Singapore, the handy mobile solution is pre-loaded with travel apps including news services, a currency converter, MRT maps as well as a digital location-based city guide.

Ware said: “This is best suited for those who, when travelling, would like to keep to their daily routine, whether it is keeping in touch, staying on top of the news or sharing their travel experiences and photos through social media.”

According to Ware, the hotel has invested close to S$300,000 (US$235,000) on the project. “It is more than just a numbers (cost) game – when the intangible benefits add up, (handy is) aligned with our service philosophy of providing loving hospitality at our hotel.”

The guest’s browsing history, personal information and any additional applications are completely deleted from the device when the handy is reset to factory settings upon check-out.

Ware added that Park Hotel Group is targeting the roll-out of this handy solution to its other two Singapore properties – Grand Park City Hall and Park Hotel Clarke Quay ­– within the year.

THE Kerala government has announced major tax concessions and a budget of US$33.2 million for the tourism sector this year.

This was announced in the state budget by Kerala’s finance minister K M Mani last week, who said the luxury tax on hotels and resorts will be reduced from 12.5 per cent to five per cent during the low season of June to August.

Convention centres that charge a daily rent exceeding US$320.20 will see the existing 20 per cent tax dropped to 10 per cent, provided the meetings and conventions have been approved by Kerala Tourism.

President of the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry, EM Najeeb, said: “High taxation in segments like MICE and hotels have been a bottleneck in the growth of the tourism sector. We welcome the government’s decision to earmark US$33.2 million for the sector and their decision to reduce luxury tax on hotels and convention facilities.”

Arun Anand, managing director of Midtown Travels, said the high taxes had deterred companies interested in holding conferences in Kerala. “However, now we can expect an increase in the number of international conferences taking place in the state.”

Kerala has allocated US$8 million to develop destinations such as Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Fort Kochi, Munnar, Wayanad and Vagamon; US$161,000 towards a rural tourism project in Idukki; and US$79,715 for a sea life leisure park in the beach destination of Varkala.

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) has deferred investing in a joint venture airline that would have been the second full-service carrier to be based in Cambodia, confirmed PAL president Ramon S Ang.

TTG Asia e-Daily understands that the decision took into account the current political uncertainties in the country.

Under the joint venture deal inked last April, PAL was to invest US$10 million for a 49 per cent equity in the setting up of Cambodia Airlines, with the majority stake going to tycoon Neak Oknha Kith Meng who helms the Royal Group of Cambodia.

Had the joint venture pushed through, PAL was to use its expertise to help Cambodia Airlines build domestic and regional flights.

There are 23 foreign airlines flying to Cambodia, in addition to national flag carrier Cambodia Angkor Air.

MERPATI Nusantara Airlines has finally bowed under the weight of its debts and halted operations until the end of the month.

In an internal memo issued over the weekend, Merpati’s operations director, Daryanto, said the airline had suspended all flights between February 1 and 5, while the airline’s route permits were suspended until the end of February.

“(With) the decreasing cash-in per day plus the decreasing trust from customers/travel (consultants), we have come to a point where we cannot afford to conduct operational activities,” he said.

“However, as soon as (Merpati) is ready and the situation in the field is conducive, we will serve the routes again.”

The domestic airline has scaled down its fleet and route network since January 27, but it still has to meet payments for insurance premiums, a US$13.8 million tab for state-owned oil company Pertamina, staff salaries owed since October 2013, and now, refunds for the cancelled flights.

The news did not come as a surprise to Indonesian travel companies. The Association of Air Ticketing Companies in Indonesia’s executive director, Pauline Suharno, said: “We have reminded our members to be cautious and not to top up (their ticket sales deposit) too much.”

Incito Tour’s managing director, Ng Sebastian, said his company, which operates in eastern Indonesia, “used to rely on Merpati alone in this area many years ago” but switched to others as carriers such as Wings Air, Susi Air and Garuda Indonesia began entering the destinations.

Sebastian said as an archipelagic country, Indonesia needs a state-owned airline like Merpati to serve pioneering routes.

“Indonesian buying power is increasing and more people can afford to fly. Merpati needs to be saved but the company’s corporate culture needs to change to meet today’s customer demand,” he said.

However, Merpati’s vice president corporate secretary and legal, Riswanto, yesterday issued a statement denying that the airline has stopped operations. According to Riswanto, Merpati is in the process of restructuring and revitalisation and therefore has to reduce flights, but he did not mention which routes were still operational.

THAILAND’S Minor Hotel Group (MHG) has signed an agreement with local partner Hemas Holdings for Sri Lanka’s second Anantara resort, part of an influx of new hotels into the country’s south.

Construction of the US$35 million project in the southern coastal town of Kalutara will commence this month and the resort is expected to open in mid-2015 with 141 rooms.

MHG and Hemas last September announced plans for the first Anantara property in Sri Lanka ­– a five-star, 154-room resort in Tangalle, also in the south.

Both resorts will offer luxury rooms and villas with private plunge pools, two swimming pools, three restaurants and a purpose-built spa each.

Hemas currently operates two Avani resorts in Sri Lanka under its subsidiary Serendib Leisure (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 6, 2012).

Separately, Centara Hotels & Resorts is scheduled to soft open the 165-key Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka, the group’s second property in the country, in spring this year.

Located on the Bentota Peninsula, two hours away from Colombo and 100km from the international airport, the resort will offer three F&B outlets, a spa, a fitness centre, an oceanfront swimming pool, a children’s pool, a water sports centre and a kid’s club.

Jetwing Hotels last week debuted its latest property – the 80-room Jetwing Yala – near the country’s biggest wildlife park on the south coast.

Sri Lanka is boosting room capacity nation-wide as it aims to reach 2.5 million tourist arrivals in 2016, from just under 500,000 in 2008.