FLIGHT Centre opens its fourth outlet in Singapore today as the company strengthens its foothold in Asia (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 21, 2013).

Also Flight Centre’s flagship store in Singapore, the new outlet brandishes digital boards at the shopfront to flash latest airfares and destination videos.

Flight Centre managing director Singapore, Suyin Lee, said: “We want to be as engaging and interactive as possible to lure in customers and static posters are not going to work.”

According to Lee, the introduction of the Flight Centre brand to Singapore since over two years ago has been well received because it fills a “niche in the local market for specialist leisure travel services and products at globally competitive rates”.

She said: “We have very experienced and well-travelled consultants…they would have travelled to at least two continents before to ensure they can deliver specialist advice.

“We are also committed to introducing exclusive leisure products to Singapore, like our Red Label airfares and MyTime vacation packages,” she said.

These products promise “greater value” elements such as lowest fares, express check-in, late check-out and welcome cocktails. Lee said the bulk of Flight Centre’s customers are young professionals like singles, couples and young families who are “time-poor” and will hence see the value of Flight Centre’s exclusive products.

While Flight Centre is growing its footprint through Asia in countries such as China, Hong Kong and India, its key focus is now Singapore.

She said: “We have seen the greatest success here and we have a five-year plan which targets to have at least 15 outlets across Singapore by 2017.”

BEST Western International has inked an agreement with Maple Leaf Hotel & Resorts to manage a new Best Western Plus hotel beside the Dhaka airport when it opens in 2Q2014.

Located adjacent to Bangladesh’s main international gateway of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the 56-room property is Best Western’s second hotel in Dhaka after the 51-room Best Western La Vinci Hotel.

Currently under construction, the hotel will feature an all-day restaurant serving local and international dishes, a rooftop barbecue outlet, a bar, a fitness centre, a sauna, a steam room and spa.

Free Wi-Fi will also be available in guestrooms.

Glenn de Souza, vice president of international operations for Asia and the Middle East, said the new hotel is perfectly positioned to cater for Bangladesh’s rising number of inbound and outbound travellers.

“With a population of more than 160 million people – the eighth largest in the world – and a fast-growing manufacturing industry, Bangladesh is becoming an increasingly important regional and global player,” Mr. de Souza said.

Best Western expects to expand further across Bangladesh in future, with plans for at least three more hotels in the coastal destination of Cox’s Bazar.

TRAFALGAR has forayed into South Korea for the first time through the appointment of Holiday Tours Korea as its GSA partner in the country.

Nicholas Lim, president of Trafalgar (Asia), commented: “We have witnessed (South Koreans’) appetite for new travel experiences, and we feel this partnership with Holiday Tours Korea is a good match.”

The partnership marks Trafalgar’s first venture into the South Korean FIT outbound market.  

Holiday Tours & Travel (Korea) was established in 2002 and is part of the Holiday Tours Group in Asia with its head office located in Singapore.

LANGHAM Hospitality Group yesterday announced it will open its maiden hotel in Indonesia – the Langham, Jakarta – in 2017.

The hotel is owned by Agung Sedayu Group and sits in the District 8 complex in the Sudirman Central Business District.

Designed by the Singapore office of Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart, the Langham, Jakarta will feature 170 guestrooms and 30 suites starting from 42m², with elegant and contemporary interiors reflecting the brand’s heritage as one of Europe’s premier grand hotels.

F&B outlets at the property include Palm Court for signature afternoon tea modelled on The Langham, London’s offering; T’ang Court for Cantonese cuisine; a sake and sushi bar; a 120-seat, all-day dining restaurant serving international fare; the Sky Bar and Lounge; a poolside bar; and a Club Lounge.

Guests can also enjoy the Chuan Spa, use of a fitness centre and indoor swimming pool, and 2,100m² of flexible space for events and meetings, including a 900m² ballroom and 11 meeting rooms.

“The Indonesian capital has long been a key aspiration for Langham Hospitality Group and we have waited a long time to find the perfect opportunity to add to The Langham collection,” said Brett Butcher, CEO of Langham Hospitality Group.

Complementing the hotel will be The Langham Residences with 57 apartments set over 19 floors in the same tower.

MARCO Polo Hotels (MPH) has announced it will roll out a new sub-brand to draw sophisticated young travellers and launch nine more hotels between 2014 and 2017, mostly in China.

MPH president, Eric Waldburger, shared: “We are creating a premium brand linked with the mothership, Wharf Holdings, which also owns stylish Lane Crawford. It will be attractive, upscale, classy and luxurious to draw those who have taste and money, and are hardworking and young at heart.”

“We recruited an outsider to handle this new sub-brand. MPH’s advantage is always in the scale of development with a maximum of 250 rooms per property and (placing the new hotel) in the mixed-use developments funded by Wharf, which can easily draw a volume of people from offices and retail,” he explained.

The first hotels to come under the new sub-brand will be located in Chinese cities including Chengdu (233 rooms, 2014), Wuxi (222 rooms, 2015), Chongqing (218 rooms, 2015), Suzhou (98 rooms, 2017) and Changhsha (242 rooms, 2017) .

The other four hotels will debut in destinations including Ortigas in Manila (2014), Guiyang (300 keys, 2015), Tianjin (335 rooms, 2015), and Changzhou (271 rooms, 2014).

MPH will launch a new website with a new booking system next year. Last week, Wharf Holdings subsidiary Harbour Centre development won a tender to convert former government office building, the Murray Building, into a hotel.

THE Globus family of brands has seen a year-on-year increase of over 50 per cent in business from Malaysia, making the country its second largest market in Asia after the Philippines.

The brands are Globus, for first-class guided tours; Cosmos, for value guided tours; Monograms, for independent travellers; and Avalon Waterways, which sells river cruise vacations.

Raymond Smith, GSA business development manager for the Globus family of brands, said the profile of the brands had grown since Sedunia Travel Services took over as GSA for Malaysia in November 2012.

He noted: “Previous marketing efforts in Malaysia had not been as strong.”

Sedunia Travel Services’ executive director, Teoh Leng Lan, said the Globus family of brands appeals to the Malaysian FIT and family segment.

According to Teoh, next year’s marketing strategy would target consumers from big cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching through the company’s network of travel consultants and direct mailers.

Sedunia also plans to further tap the corporate segment, especially for incentives.

Avalon Waterways saw over 100 per cent year-on-year growth for the Malaysian market, albeit starting from a small base. Teoh said river cruising is still a new product among Malaysians and has strong potential for growth particularly among seniors, ocean cruise regulars and those wanting to experience cruising for the first time.

Sedunia will continue to push popular itineraries such as the 13-day The Blue Danube Discovery Cruise from Budapest to Prague, the eight-day Romantic Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, as well as new itineraries such as cruises down the Mississippi and Amazon rivers.

Well-received Cosmos tours include the 10-day European Jewels itinerary, covering Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France; as well as the eight-day Six Countries, Venice and Paris, featuring Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France. Globus’ eight-day European Highlights, touring France, Switzerland and Italy, is also popular among Malaysians.

CITY Developments Limited (CDL) is making its foray into integrated developments with South Beach, which will see a 654-room designer hotel conceptualised by Philippe Starck, luxury residences, offices, a private club and shops coming up at the former Beach Road Camp and NCO Club in Singapore.

To be unveiled in early 2015, London-based Foster + Partners is the lead architect for South Beach, consisting of two high-rise towers and four heritage buildings sitting close to the ground. This is a joint venture with Malaysia’s IOI Corporation.