JET Asia Airways has taken another step into scheduled flight territory with the recent launch of twice-weekly charter services between Bangkok and Tokyo.

Flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport depart every Sunday and Tuesday at 00.45 to arrive at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport at 09.15. Return flights leave Tokyo every Wednesday and Friday at 14.00 and touch down in Bangkok at 18.30 the same day.

“The recent waiver for Thais travelling to Japan has sparked an influx of Thais travelling to Japan and is the driving force of our service to Narita,” said Veerawat Singhamany, marketing manager at Jet Asia Airways in a press release.

The Bangkok-based carrier is increasingly moving away from a traditional model reliant on charter flights towards scheduled services (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 27, 2013), and intends to launch fully scheduled flights by 2014.

VISAYAS must undergo a rehabilitation programme before promotions and marketing for the area as a tourist destination can start again, said Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) president, John Paul Cabalza.

Super typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Yolanda, has already rendered millions homeless and is feared to have claimed more than 10,000 lives.

According to PTAA’s check on their partners, counterparts and tourist destinations in the affected areas, Boracay is now accessible as the airports in Kalibo and Caticlan have reopened.

In Palawan, Coron has been wrecked but Puerto Princesa remains intact. Bantayan and Camotes in Cebu were battered by the typhoon, while towns in Leyte and Samar have been levelled.

Given the massive destruction wrought, Cabalza pointed out: “The affected destinations would have a hard time, at this point, to promote their areas. It’s already a given (as) it’s difficult to go there.”

He said ensuring the safety of travellers and kickstarting a rehabilitation programme for infrastructure are therefore paramount. “If the airport is not usable, if road networks are not passable, if electricity and communication lines are not working…it will be difficult to promote (the area to tourists).”

On how PTAA will be assisting in relief efforts, Cabalza said: “Once we are given the ‘go’ signal, the best way for us in PTAA really is to assist in terms of coordinating with tourism offices in their respective provinces in the needed sales, marketing and endorsement efforts.”

Wanda Teo, president of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies, said: “We can still encourage tourists to come to our country as there are other tourist spots that were not devastated by the typhoon.”

HILTON Worldwide yesterday signed an agreement with Pekah Hotels to manage the Hilton Kota Kinabalu, which will open in 2015.

The fifth Hilton Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel in the country is situated in Kota Kinabalu’s central business district along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Offering 313 guestrooms, including 17 suites, Hilton Kota Kinabalu will also feature an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty rooftop restaurant adjacent to the rooftop pool and lounge bar, a business centre, a health club and a spa.

Event space at the hotel spans 2,500m², including a 1,000m² ballroom.

Hilton Kota Kinabalu is the ninth Hilton property in Malaysia.

THE Westin Singapore rolled out the red carpet to guests this morning, marking the brand’s comeback to the city-state following a decade-long absence  (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 23, 2013).

Occupying the 32^nd to 46^th floors of the new Asia Square Tower Two development, the 305-key hotel which overlooks Marina Bay comes with floor-to-ceiling windows in all rooms for unobstructed views of the city.

With its claim as the highest hotel lobby in Singapore at level 32, the Westin is also the first integrated upscale hotel to be located within an office building in Singapore.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Lance J Ourednik, general manager of the Westin Singapore, said: “With our ideal location in the heart of Singapore’s financial district, we are definitely looking at attracting the corporates.”

Ourednik said about 85 to 90 per cent of guests will likely be business travellers, largely from countries in Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. “Travellers spend a lot of time commuting from one country to another such that when they are on the ground they will want to minimise the amount of travelling between where they meet and stay.”

The Westin Singapore will welcome an 80-pax global corporate group this weekend, helping to bump up occupancy to 40 per cent – a “very encouraging” number given that the hotel is the latest kid on the block.

While the year-end period is normally a quieter season for business, Ourednik said meeting spaces in November have been taken up “very quickly” for one-day corporate meetings.

When asked to compare between the new and old Westin, Ourednik said: “In all fairness, you cannot make a comparison given that they are two generations apart. The brand has since evolved and it now has quite a different look and feel in today’s world.”

The hotel features a range of F&B venues, including the signature Seasonal Tastes offering five interactive kitchens and lunch and dinner buffets, and gastro pub Cook & Brew. Other facilities include a spa, a fitness studio and an outdoor infinity pool on level 35.

For business meetings and events, The Westin Singapore has 10 individual meeting rooms spanning 1,350m² of space.

THE ancient temple of Preah Vihear has been declared as belonging to Cambodia in a ruling by the International Court of Justice yesterday.

According to the ruling, which was an interpretation of an older 1962 court ruling that awarded Cambodia ownership of the temple, the promontory falls under Cambodia’s jurisdiction and Thailand must withdraw military forces from the area.

The decision is final and cannot be subject to appeal.

Dating back to the ninth century, Preah Vihear temple is situated on a promontory of the same name in the eastern part of the Dangrek range of mountains, in an area contested by both Thailand and Cambodia.

Preah Vihear promontory and its surrounding lands were the scene of bloody clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces in 2009 and 2011 in a territorial dispute.

SOLUTIONS provider Amadeus today launched its Consulting Services initiative in Asia-Pacific, aiming to help travel consultants improve their services and boost their bottom line.

Amadeus Consulting Services is made up of two components – the Amadeus Discovery Workshop and Project Management Services.

Travel agencies that take the Discovery Workshop will have Amadeus engineers conduct an on-site assessment of its workflow tools and operations, to come up with a list of recommendations on how to maximise business and operations.

Project Management Services provides travel consultants with on-site support in managing complex technology developments or migrations. Amadeus experts can also manage the project on the consultant’s behalf.

Bruno des Fontaines, vice president, customer solutions group, Amadeus said: “Asia-Pacific is a vast region, but our customers here all face similar issues – they need to improve productivity, but they don’t always know the right way to go about it.

“Amadeus Consulting Services makes personalised, manageable recommendations that really reduce the stress of changing business processes. So, ultimately our team can do the hard work on behalf of our customers.”

BETTER known for its shopping and culinary delights, Hong Kong is holding the fifth edition of the Great Outdoors Hong Kong campaign to raise awareness of the city’s natural attractions, featuring new elements such as guided cycling tours.

The campaign kicked off yesterday and is scheduled to run from now until February 21, 2014, offering 10 guided tours along six themed hiking trails available for visitors on weekends. Previously five weeks long, this year’s promotional period will last about three and a half months.

In addition, organiser Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has introduced guided cycling tours spanning 16km between Shatin to Tai Po. Held in collaboration with a local cycling group, cycling tours take place once a month and give tourists a new way to enjoy Hong Kong’s scenery.

HKTB has also published a new Great Outdoors Hong Kong activity guide that details hiking trails, cycling tracks, outlying islands and guided tours for the traveller.

The guides will be available at major ports of entry, HKTB visitor centres and hotel concierges for the duration of the campaign.