HONG Thai Travel Service Hong Kong is working with Hong Kong Baptist University’s School of Continuing Education (SCE) to offer industry input for the university’s new diploma in Travel Agency Service, a rare course in the country.

The travel agency’s general manager, Jason Wong, said: “This is a specialised course focusing on agency operations, which is not common in the market. Target audience also includes the travel trade, particularly those who rose from the frontline to management level without higher academic qualifications.”

Wong explained: “We advise SCE on programme design and content structure…Veteran travel experts will be invited to share their experience in classes.”

The school will accept up to 20 students for the first 200-hour course, with fees at HK$18,000 (US$2,321).

The dearth of manpower in the travel and tourism industry has given rise to a number of courses in Hong Kong, including the vocational degrees offered by Vocational Training Council’s (VTC) Technological & Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. It offers bachelor’s degrees in Chinese Culinary Arts and Management, as well as Hotel Operations Management (September) and Public Relations (2015) programmes.

Plans to bring VTC’s popular Professional Butlers Training Programme – taught by professionals including Patricia Paskins, who trained butlers at the UK’s Buckingham Palace – overseas are also in the pipeline.

SINGAPORE tourism performed within the forecasted range in 2013 according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), who said better air connections had driven strong growth from East Asia.

The Lion City welcomed 15.5 million international visitors last year, up from 14.5 million (6.9 per cent) in 2012, while tourism receipts totalled S$23.5 billion (US$18.6 billion), a 1.6 per cent year-on-year rise.

STB had earlier forecast 14.8-15.5 million arrivals and tourism receipts of S$23.5-24.5 billion for full-year 2013 (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 14, 2013).

This year’s forecast figures will be revealed at a later date, said Oliver Chong, director of communications, STB.

Indonesia (2.3 million arrivals), China (1.9 million), Malaysia (910,000), Australia (842,000) and India (703,000) were Singapore’s top five international visitor-generating markets. The strongest year-on-year growth in arrivals came from China (26 per cent), Hong Kong (17 per cent) and Taiwan (29 per cent).

Said Chong: “The large growth from these three countries was boosted by the increase in air capacity, and higher twinning traffic with Malaysia as well.”

China also registered the biggest jump in tourism expenditure, spending S$2.4 million or 26 per cent more year-on-year, with shopping making up the bulk of expenditure at 46 per cent.

On industry efforts, Chong said the ongoing travel consultant manpower study launched in December 2013 will help STB understand pertinent issues like the labour crunch so it can help develop initiatives to address them.

When asked about the possibility of raising the barriers to entry for aspiring travel agencies to protect consumers against sudden closures as with Five Stars Tours in January (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 12, 2013), STB’s chief executive Lionel Yeo, said: “We are currently seeking industry opinion on this.”

PATA’S annual travel tradeshow will be held in Phnom Penh this year, marking a number of firsts for the travel association.

From September 17 to 19, buyers and sellers will converge on the Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh for the event, hosted by the Ministry of Tourism.

Besides being the first time Cambodia is hosting PATA Travel Mart (PTM), this year will also see PATA set up its inaugural Responsible Travel Pavilion.

A business platform dedicated to responsible and sustainable travel, the association is inviting PATA members and industry stakeholders to exhibit under the Responsible Travel Pavilion.

Martin Craigs, CEO of PATA, commented: “There is a palpable spirit of optimism in Cambodia…I’m confident that spirit will be apparent on the PTM show floor in Phnom Penh. It will be the right time and place to new business.”

PATAmPower statistics report that Cambodia’s visitor arrivals for 2013 grew eight per cent to over 3.7 million, and tourism contributes US$2.5 billion or 16 per cent of the country’s total GDP.

VIRGIN Atlantic is weaving in the use of wearable technology such as the Google Glass and Sony Smartwatch technology to its concierge service at London Heathrow airport in a six-week test.

The airline has equipped each concierge staff member in its Upper Class Wing with either a Google Glass or Sony Smartwatch 2 that will display the individual passenger’s information via an integrated, purpose-built dispatch app developed by SITA and Virgin Atlantic. The app manages all task allocation and concierge availability.

This allows concierge staff to greet passengers by name and begin the check-in process once they arrive at the airport, as well as provide them with their latest flight information, weather and local events at their destination.

In future, the service could extend to displaying information about a passenger’s dietary and refreshment preferences.

Dave Bulman, director of IT, Virgin Atlantic, said in a media release: “While it’s fantastic that more people can now fly than ever before, the fact that air travel has become so accessible has led to some of the sheen being lost for many passengers. Our wearable technology pilot with SITA makes us the first in the industry to test how Google Glass and other wearable technology can improve the customer experience.”

Results of the six-week pilot test will be evaluated before the service is rolled out elsewhere in future.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic is also partnering with SITA to test iBeacon, a low-powered Bluetooth transmitter than can notify nearby Apple devices of services, discounts and updates on their flight boarding schedules, also for Upper Class passengers at Heathrow.

MALAYSIA-BASED YTL Hotels has unveiled three newly refurbished Vistana Hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan and Penang with better offerings for the business traveller.

The facelift included the full reworking of guestrooms and public spaces, with new facilities such as 24-hour gyms, grab-and-go Barista coffee bars and business solutions centre HUB247.

Guests can also make use of the free Wi-Fi throughout the hotels.

Mark Yeoh, executive director of YTL Hotels, said: “Our endeavour comes at a timely moment, in hand with Tourism Malaysia’s Visit Malaysia 2014 (campaign).”

The company will be expanding the Vistana Hotels brand throughout Malaysia and the region in the next few years, it said in a media statement.

ADI Sumarmo International Airport Solo and Adisucipto International Airport will reopen tomorrow, the last two airports in Java to resume regular operations since last Friday.

Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang and Abdul Rahman Saleh Airport in Malang opened during the weekend.

Thick layers of ash from a volcanic eruption descended on East and Central Java late last week, resulting in flight cancellations and attraction closures (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 14, 2014).

Angkasa Pura I Airport Authority spokesperson, Handy Heryudhityawan told the media that Jogjakarta and Solo had been the worst affected, so it took time to clean the airports of the ash.

Garuda Indonesia cancelled a total of 129 flights last Friday and 127 on Saturday, while LCC Citilink scrapped 50 flights on Friday and Saturday. Lion Air cancelled 90 per cent of services to affected airports on Friday.

In the meantime, iconic tourist attractions like Borobudur and the Prambanan Temples will remain closed for 10 days for cleaning, according to Borobudur, Prambanan, Ratu Boko Park Authority president director, Laily Prihatiningtyas in a statement.

*Our article originally stated that Adi Sumarmo International Airport would reopen on February 17, which was correct as press time. Following an update issued by the relevant authorities, TTG Asia e-Daily has amended the reopening date in the copy to February 18.

NEW DMC A Touch of Asia has started selling customised itineraries to individual and group travellers from Phnom Penh, with a second office in Siem Reap already on the way.

Currently catering to FITs, group travellers, MICE, ad hoc groups and school groups, A Touch of Asia is looking to provide similar services in other South-east Asian destinations in the near future.

The new DMC was founded by three travel professionals. General manager Steve Lidgey comes from a background of sales and products that began in the UK; Sothy Math worked at another top DMC as a senior reservations manager; and Hong Sok Heng worked over a decade at Sofitel Luxury Hotels as director of sales for the two Cambodian properties incorporating the Phokeethra Country Club in Siem Reap.

Lidgey commented: “Year on year, travel to Cambodia is increasing from all markets. With an increase of flight options into Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, numbers will continue to increase in the coming years. The challenge is to manage the higher numbers at temples such as Angkor Wat. However, with careful planning the masses can still be avoided. Product development has included family cooking classes, combined cycle and kayak tours for beginners and authentic village experiences for visitors of all ages.”

A Touch of Asia’s website is available at www.atouchofasia.travel

MYANMAR has busted its tourism target for 2013 and will aim for three million visitors in 2014, reported the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

Beween January and December 2013, some two million foreign visitors entered the country via air transport (885,476), water routes (6,086) and through overland checkpoints (1.2 million).

Yangon remains the top gateway to Myanmar as 803,014 travellers, representing a 44.8 per cent year-on-year increase, came through the city. Out of this number, over half hailed from Asia while 157,840 flew in from Europe.

Thailand still accounts for the top source market with 116,126 arrivals, followed by Japan (66,772), South Korea (54,599) and China (54,325). France is the top inbound European country with 33,250 visitors, while the UK takes second place (31,172 ) and Germany, third (25,565).

The number of travellers entering with business visas jumped 32.3 per cent to 151,320, group tours increased 8.3 per cent to total 114,456 tourists, while FIT arrivals rose 25 per cent to 293,648.

Travel professionals are anticipating a 40 per cent rise in tourist arrivals between 2014 and 2015.

However, Aung Myat Kyaw, managing director of Orchestra Travel in Yangon, expressed hope to see a balance in demand and supply (in tourism) and the sustainable development of the industry in the future.

Myanmar began allowing Philippine nationals to enter the country visa-free for up to 14 days on January 4 (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 8, 2014), and entered a mutual visa waiver with Cambodia in December 2013.