MYANMAR needs the experience and expertise of international organisations in order to develop community-based tourism systematically, said Myanmar’s minister of hotels and tourism, Htay Aung.

Speaking at the official opening of the second Myanmar Hospitality and Tourism Conference today at Traders Hotel in Yangon, Htay Aung said community-based tourism was a suitable way for locals to participate in the tourism economy in rural areas.

He cited hill tribes near Kyaing Tong in Shan state, the local villages of Kalaw, Aung Bann, Nyaung Shwe and Inle Lake as potential sites.

Myanmar has also developed a Policy on Community Involvement in Tourism which will ensure tourism stakeholders take active responsibility in addressing sustainable development.

“In this context, we need the experience and expertise from the international organisations,” said Htay Aung.

Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing said Myanmar still faces challenges in infrastructure, tourism knowledge and awareness of the positive and negative impacts of tourism.

“Community-based tourism in Myanmar is still in an embryonic stage. We are still trying to break new ground. Local people in rural regions should be able to manage tourism activities, operate the business and share the benefits from those tourism activities equitably,” he said.

CZECHTOURISM is on a drive to attract more visitors from Asia-Pacific with workshops planned for the trade in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia; fam trips; tradeshow participation at ITE Hong Kong; and a roadshow in Australia.

Overseeing the markets of South China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, Jan Urban, said: “Apart from traditional hotspots like Prague, Kutná Hora, etc, we will promote Valtice, a romantic garden area with vineyards, castles and wine cellars in caves. We will target FIT travellers in 2014 as it’s (an important) travel trend for the next three to five years.”

Asian traffic accounts for less than one per cent of total arrivals to the Czech Republic. Europe contributes the most visitors, with Germany at the top, averaging five million arrivals per year.

“But it’s risky to concentrate on only one area. That’s why our head office is eyeing the Far East,” added Urban.

China is the country’s largest source market from Asia. Taiwan sends about 70,000 visitors and Hong Kong, one-third of that.

CzechTourism opened an office in Shanghai in 2012 and Seoul in 2013.

PREFERRED Hotel Group has struck out into Myanmar, Vietnam, Kunming and Bintan in a tie-up with Keppel Land Hospitality Management.

This grows the group’s Asian portfolio to 108 properties strong.

Through the collaboration, Preferred Hotel Group will take over representation of Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City, Sedona Hotel Mandalay, Ria Bintan Golf Club, Sedona Hotel Yangon and Spring City Golf & Lake Resort Kunming . The first three will be members of Sterling Hotels, while the last two, members of Summit Hotels & Resorts.

Josephine Lim, regional director, South-east Asia, Preferred Hotel Group, said: “This partnership with Keppel Land Hospitality Management is a pivotal turning point as we strive to achieve our goal of strategically expanding our brands in emerging markets across Asia-Pacific.”

“There has been increasing demand among both leisure and business travellers for new options in these destinations, in particular Vietnam and Myanmar, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership supporting the growth of both companies across Indochina.”

MALDIVIAN tour operators have expressed concern following the return of a bed tax that was meant to have been laid to rest in 2013.

The US$8 tax per bed per night, which was allowed to lapse in December, was restored last month and will be discontinued only in November 2014, when national GST rates rise from eight to 12 per cent (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 13, 2013).

Shafraz Fazley, managing director of Viluxor Holidays, said ad hoc tax changes cause a lot of operational issues, as brochures have been printed at considerable cost, particularly for UK and China clients.

Mohamed Ali, secretary general of the Maldives Association of Yacht Agents, said operators with two- or three-year contracts have been put in a spot, as they had planned rates sans bed tax.

But Maldives Association of Tourism Industry’s secretary general, Ahmed Nazeer, said hoteliers were in agreement with restoration of the taxes, pointing out that they were required to continue social welfare schemes in the Maldives.

David Kevan, of UK-based Chic Locations, noted that the four percentage point increase in GST in November will add about 125 pounds (US$210) to a seven-night holiday, which most clients will find easy to absorb, particularly in the winter season.

MYANMAR Airways International (MAI) signed last Friday an MoU to set up Myanmar Airways International Japan with Hama Inc, a Japanese company that handles a range of businesses including tours and travel.

Aye Mra Tha, marketing and public relations manager for MAI, said the collaboration was mainly to attract the increasing number of Japanese travellers to Myanmar.

“Under this agreement, we will open an office in Osaka and another in Tokyo later. Those offices will offer different services (from MAI in Myanmar) such as charter flights to Myanmar and ticketing,” she elaborated.

Aye Mra Tha added: “We also expect to launch direct flights between Yangon and Tokyo by June this year. So this agreement would also be aiming to (support and encourage plans for more) daily scheduled Japan-Myanmar flights.”

MAI’s direct services to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh would make it convenient for Japanese travellers coming to Myanmar to also swing by Cambodia.

MAI currently operates only charter flights to Japan. Other destinations in its network include Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Gaya, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Japanese visitors to Myanmar numbered 66,772 last year, making it the second largest Asian source market after Thailand (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 14, 2014).

TRAVEL solutions provider Abacus today rolled out a new digital service to give travel companies information and advice in the face of a crisis – Abacus TripAlert.

According to an Abacus media release, the service will align early warning data on natural disasters, health pandemics or terrorist attacks with bookings made via Abacus systems by monitoring participating travel agencies’ passenger name records two days ahead of depature and for the duration of travel.

Users will then be offered a list of “actionable insights” and event summaries, among others, to share with clients and ensure traveller safety.

The service was jointly developed with AidCom, a Norway-based technology and media company.

Said Martin Symes, chief marketing officer at Abacus: “The timing of the alert is vital, to give travel professionals a window to reschedule. We’ve partnered with a specialist to ensure Abacus has the edge on early detection, with AidCom providing a stream of reliable data pinpointing the hotspots where travellers may be vulnerable. Our travel (consultants) can then quickly identify the nearest airports and available seats out.”

Abacus users can sign up for a trial period and monthly subscription, including a licence to repackage the technology as a service offering to contracted corporate accounts.

HYATT Hotels & Resorts will open its first Andaz resort in Bali come 2016, marking the arrival of the luxury boutique brand to South-east Asia.

The hotel company yesterday signed an agreement with Wynncor Bali for the management of the 144-key Andaz Bali.

Designed by international architecture firm Tierra Design and Japanese interior design firm Spin Design Studio, the resort will be comprised of low-rise clusters and pavilions set amid dramatic landscaping.

Guests can choose to stay in guestrooms or villas, and make use of the resort’s intimate meeting facilities, multiple F&B options, fitness centre, outdoor swimming pools and spa.

“Andaz will complement the existing Grand Hyatt Bali and Bali Hyatt, which will be rebranded as Hyatt Regency subsequent to an ongoing extensive renovation programme,” said Ratnesh Verma, senior vice president, real estate and development, Asia-Pacific for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.

“Located in one of Asia’s premier leisure destinations, Andaz Bali will be a great addition to the company’s resort portfolio.”

JETSTAR Asia will begin flying daily from Singapore to Fukuoka via Bangkok on June 26, making the southern city the carrier’s third Japanese destination.

“Japan remains a popular destination for travellers in our region and it also represents a market where low-cost travel is growing enormously,” said Bara Pasupathi, CEO of Jetstar Asia.

“This new route will give our Japanese customers two new and highly popular destinations that currently are not served by any of the region’s LCCs (from Fukuoka).”

The service will be operated with an 180-seat Airbus A320 and fares will be available for purchase from tomorrow.

Fukuoka is Jetstar’s third Japanese destination after Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka.