BRAND USA will debut at the upcoming ITB Asia in Singapore and work closer with the trade as it launches a consumer advertising campaign in Asian markets in the fourth quarter.

Following the inaugural brand campaign launched in Canada, Japan, and the UK last year, intent to travel from those markets rose from 12 to 14 per cent, according to Brand USA Taiwan and Hong Kong managing director, Reene Ho-Phang, who expects the upcoming campaign to do the same in other Asian markets.

Brand USA is ensuring travel agencies in Asia are not lost in translation. An online training platform educating travel agencies about the US has been set up and “MegaFam” trips for the media and travel trade from markets where Brand USA has international offices will be organised.

MegaFams featured multiple itineraries to unexplored US destinations including the West Coast/California, the Pacific Northwest, the West, the Upper Midwest, the Southeast/Texas, and the Northeast, said Ho-Phang.

In Asia, Brand USA is now represented in Australia, New Zealand, Mainland China, India, Japan, South Korea and, most recently, Taiwan and Hong Kong (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 13, 2013).

Asian market growth projections, along with visa waiver policy or friendlier visa processing, are a fillip for US players, including big brand names such as Las Vegas Sands and Trump Hotel Collection, to look east for new sources.

The Venetian & The Palazzo in Las Vegas is building a dedicated sales team for Asia and has just hired its director for Asia leisure sales, Elizabeth Hanson. Until now, Asian sales was handled by the overall sales team but the property believes that having an Asian who understands Asian markets’ social and cultural nuances better, and who knows the product well, will enable it to “adjust the experience to match the expectations”, said Robert Rippee, The Venetian & The Palazzo’s SVP for marketing. Hanson, Chinese, is based in Las Vegas, where she has been based for almost seven years.

“Having a dedicated Asian sales team gives us a solidified strategy to deepen our relationship with wholesalers and the media in the Asian marketplace,” said Rippee.

Trump Hotel Collection opened its first Asian representative office, in Shanghai in March and, apart from China, is also keen on South-east Asian markets Singapore and Thailand (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 12, 2013).

– Full report in TTG Asia and TTGmice October 2013

THE dissolution of AirAsia Japan, a joint venture company between AirAsia Group and All Nippon Airways (ANA), has led to the creation of ANA-owned Vanilla Air.

AirAsia Japan’s operations are slated for termination by October 31 (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 25, 2013), after which ANA will rebrand the LCC to Vanilla Air.

The rebranded airline plans to launch operations in late December and further details on new routes and sales will be announced in late September.

According to AFP, ‘Vanilla’ was picked from among 200 other names over one-and-a-half months.

Tomonori Ishii, representative director and president of AirAsia Japan, commented in an official press statement: “We will change freshly as Vanilla Air, a visionary LCC to connect mainly between Tokyo-Narita and domestic/international resort destinations from November 1, 2013.

“The simple and sophisticated flavour of vanilla is popular among people worldwide. Besides, the aroma makes people relaxed and satisfied. (In the same way vanilla is enjoyed), we would like people in Japan, Asia and then all over the world to enjoy air travel easily and to have rewarding and happy leisure (travel experiences).”

The carrier would remain based at Narita airport, absorbing the 420-strong staff under AirAsia Japan, and increase the number of aircraft to 10 in 2015, said AFP. Vanilla will lease two passenger planes from ANA to launch operations.

JAPAN’S tourism is well on the recovery path as Singaporeans regain their confidence in Japan, with travel agencies reporting that year-end bookings have returned to pre-3/11 levels.

Last weekend’s NATAS Holidays 2013 saw the re-emergence of Japan as a popular holiday option following its lacklustre performance during the post-tsunami period in 2011.

ASA Holidays’ head of marketing communications, Eileen Oh, hailed Japan as the top performing destination, saying: “Japan performed exceptionally well, and we have managed to reach pre-2011 booking numbers to Japan for this whole year.”

Likewise, Alicia Seah, CTC Travel’s senior vice president of marketing and public relations, reported that Japan had been a hot favourite. She said: “Japan recorded almost double the number of bookings compared to the same time last year, and the sales for Japan (at the 2013 NATAS fair) will even surpass the (sales at the NATAS fair from before the) pre-disaster period.

“The full confidence and recovery to travel back to Japan is evident from February 2013 onwards, especially after the yen started depreciating against the strong Singapore dollar (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 20, 2013),” she said.

Seah added that Central Japan was making a strong comeback and many travellers were heading back to Tokyo.

Eva Wu, marketing and communications manager of SA Tours, also ranked Japan among their top three selling destinations, with the other two being China and South Korea.

According to NATAS, the top five most popular destinations at NATAS Holidays 2013 were Europe, Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan respectively.

Anita Tan, COO of NATAS, also highlighted the growing appeal of exotic destinations such as Finland, Turkey, Iran, South Africa, Columbia and Peru. “Singaporeans are extremely well-travelled, and they are starting to look beyond the tried-and-tested destinations for something to excite them and trigger their wanderlust.”

The three-day show, which featured 1125 booths and 160 exhibitors, welcomed a total of 62,744 visitors, and NATAS estimated the overall sales to be between S$95 (US$75) and S$100 million.

While this registered a slight dip from last year’s 65,822 visitors and sales of S$108 million, Anita Tan, COO of NATAS, was “very pleased” with the turnout.

ACCOR has launched the Novotel Danang Premier Han River in the Central Vietnam city of Danang, where the property is the tallest building in the city.

Located on the western bank of the Han River in Danang’s central business district and offering 360º views of its surroundings, the hotel is a 10-minute drive from Danang International Airport and one kilometre away from Danang Railway Station.

Novotel Danang Premier Han River has 323 guestrooms and suites, each coming with either a balcony or terrace.

F&B options at the property include The Square, serving local and international food either buffet or a la carte; Splash Pool Bar for wine; and Pier 36 Lobby Lounge. Other facilities include fitness and wellness centre In|Balance, a sauna, spa and an outdoor swimming pool.

The hotel’s premises also come with more than 800m² of flexible meeting space across a pillarless ballroom and function rooms, VIP rooms and boardrooms. Meeting facilities can accommodate up to 830 guests and feature state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment.

To mark the launch of Novotel Danang Premier Han River, the hotel has rolled out special room rates starting from US$119++ for Superior, Deluxe and Executive rooms and suites. The package includes accommodation, a welcome drink, dinner, daily breakfast and late check-out until 16.00, subject to availability.

AS THE number of Indian travellers to Japan continues to rise yearly, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is stepping up efforts to penetrate the market.

According to JNTO statistics, Japan welcomed 38,900 Indian travellers in 1H2013, a 12.7 per cent year-on-year rise. Having received 59,354 travellers in 2011 and 68,914 in 2012, Japan predicts 80,000 Indians will visit this year.

Hideki Manabe, executive director, JNTO Singapore Office, said: “The Kanagawa area is seeing significant growth (in arrivals) due to an increase in visitors to Yokohama and Hakone. Other destinations gaining in popularity are Shizuoka, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima, Chiba, Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo.”

He also said that JNTO was “very optimistic” about the Indian market and there was “considerable focus on exploring marketing activities and achieving significant growth rate in 2013”.

The NTO intends to participate in travel events such as SATTE and liaise with Indian trade players through travel seminars and roadshows, as well as identify and promote suitable destinations for filming to attract more Bollywood filmmakers to shoot on location in Japan.

Susrita Banerjee, managing director, Fly Faraway, commented: “Indians are very attracted to Japanese culture and greater flight connectivity to the Far East is fuelling the opportunity to travel to Japan.

“Many tourists are stopping over for a few days on their way to destinations on the US west coast. The onsen (hot springs) are becoming popular for their therapeutic properties,” he added.

However, Koushik Goswami, general manager-outbound, Travelcorp, shared: “We facilitated location-hunting for shoots in Japan as well as the recruitment of bilingual technicians, line producers and camera persons for the film, which was challenging. Flights, hotels and ground handling were a cakewalk by comparison.”

MALAYSIA-BASED carrier Eaglexpress Air Charter has locked on to the Philippine Muslim pilgrimage market, with plans to open a Davao office on November 5 and begin flights to the Middle East.

The airline, which has had a GSA and Manila office since 1H2013, hopes to launch flights from Davao to Jeddah and/or Medina in January 2014 once it attains clearance from the Civil Aeronautics Board and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Flights will come with two halal meals, baggage allowance for holy water and will be served by Muslim staff.

Raudah Travel Philippines, Eaglexpress’ GSA in the Philippines, will facilitate tours, accommodation, food and the acquisition of hajj and umrah visas.

Edmund T Thelmo, president of Raudah Travel Philippines, said Eaglexpress’ flights saved travellers US$300-$400 by flying from Davao, eliminating additional travel time from Manila.

“Most of the (Philippine) Muslim population is in Mindanao. Davao is the only airport (in the region) that can handle international flights, specifically a Boeing 747,” he said, ruling out operations from the General Santos City airport. TTG Asia e-Daily understands that the airport in question lacks the customs, immigration and quarantine facilities needed for international operations.

Raudah is planning to work with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and the Magbassa Kita Foundation to attract local business.

Thelmo added: “We’re a wholesaler, so we’re open to partnerships with other travel agencies (in the Philippines).”

Established in 2011, Eaglexpress currently has operations in Malaysia, Indonesia and Africa servicing Muslim pilgrims for hajj and umrah trips.

MANDARIN Oriental Hotel Group has clinched management rights for a luxury hotel in Shenzhen, Southern China.

Due to open in 2017, the Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen will form part of Shum Yip’s UpperHills mixed-use project – comprising offices, residences, retail and outdoor space and parkland – located minutes away from Futian Central Business District and close to the main customs and immigration checkpoint to Hong Kong.

The hotel will feature 190 guestrooms including 17 suites, offering views of the city and the surrounding city parks.

Guests will have access to an exclusive executive club lounge and enjoy F&B outlets such as a rooftop specialty restaurant and bar, a Chinese restaurant with extensive private dining rooms, an all-day dining venue, lobby lounge and a signature Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop.

A 1,200m² Spa at Mandarin Oriental with six treatment suites, and fitness facilities including a heated indoor swimming pool will also be available.

Meeting spaces at Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen include a 1,000m² grand ballroom, 830m² junior ballroom and a variety of multi-purpose function spaces.

CENTARA Hotels & Resorts has signed a management contract with Adler Group for Centra Bangtao Resort Phuket, which is slated for an August 2016 opening.

The new-build project is the hotel group’s eighth property in Phuket and second Centra value brand hotel – the first being Centara Ashlee Hotel Patong – and will be built within the Laguna resort complex.

Centara’s senior vice president for sales and marketing, Chris Bailey, said the hotel company had a strategic expansion plan for Phuket, where the group currently had four different brands to cater for specific market segments.

Said Bailey: “We have at present properties in Patong, Karon Beach, Kata Beach, and Mai Khao Beach…We also have a resort at Khao Lak, and two in Krabi.

When completed, the hotel will have 150 guestrooms, a swimming pool, a sundeck, a restaurant, a Cense by Spa Cenvaree, a mini-gym, a business corner and a kids’ corner.

*The earlier version of this article reported that Centara Hotels & Resorts was to open the Centra Laguna Resort Phuket in 2016, as per information from the hotel group. This has found to be inaccurate and corrections have been made to reflect the latest information.

BLUE Sky Group last week opened its third property in Indonesia – the Blue Sky Hotel Petamburan Jakarta.

The hotel has 96 guestrooms across five categories: Single, Superior, Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Executive Suite.

Facilities include Golden Palace Suki & Oriental Restaurant, a lobby lounge, a fitness centre and a swimming pool. The hotel’s three meeting rooms each accommodate between 12 and 100 pax.

The first Blue Sky property, Blue Sky Hotel Balikpapan is situated in East Kalimantan while the second, Blue Sky Pandurata, is also located in Jakarta.

THIS year’s Shanghai Tourism Festival will light up the streets of the Chinese city between September 14 to October 6, with a parade, music festival and markdowns at Shanghai’s attractions.

For the duration of the festival, Shanghai’s tourism suppliers will offer a range of discounts for customers, with 51 of the city’s most-visited attractions, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Wild Animals Park and Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, cutting admission prices by half between September 14 to 18.

New events joining the lineup of festivities include the Shanghai W-Bank Music Festival, which will be held from October 1 to 3 at Xuhui Riverside Lawn.

Shanghai Tourism Festival’s float parade makes a return featuring performers from Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and the Bahamas for the first time. In total, 29 troupes and 20 floats from 25 countries will take to the streets.

The English version of the festival’s website is due to be launched soon.