SRI Lanka’s hotels are gearing up for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in the country from November 8 to 17, an event expected to provide a tremendous boost to Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.

So far more than 4,000 rooms have been booked for the summit, which will see 52 heads of state including Britain’s Prince Charles, their delegations and up to 1,000 journalists in attendance.

The summit will be the largest gathering of world leaders in Sri Lanka since the Non Aligned Summit in 1976 in Colombo, attended by leaders of 86 countries.

Colombo City Hotels Association president, K Shanthikumar, said delegates would stay an average of six to seven nights in the country. Hotels to host top dignitaries and attendees include Hilton Colombo, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, The Kingsbury, and Hotel Galadari. City hotels such as Ramada Colombo, Taj Samudra Colombo and Galle Face Hotel are also receiving a quick makeover, while sections of these hotels will be opened specially for the summit.

The summit will take place at Sri Lanka’s largest conference venue, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, currently under renovation but due to open in time for the meeting.

During the summit, related business, youth and civil society meetings will take place simultaneously at different venues, generating revenue and publicity for the country, said Vipula Wanigasekera, general manager of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau. Side events are also scheduled for Hambantota and Hikkaduwa in south Sri Lanka.

“The presence of such a large number of international media alone gives us a great opportunity to profile Sri Lanka at its doorstep,” he said.

Journalists covering the week-long event will be also taken on short fam trips to the popular tourist areas of Galle and Kandy.

Shanthikumar said this was a boost not only for tourism but also other investments.

“Fifty-two leaders can see the country and (its products) for themselves and word-of-mouth publicity is much better than any other promotion,” he added.

EMIRATES is boosting capacity between Dubai and Bangkok by adding a second daily Airbus A380 service and upsizing its aircraft on existing operations.

The airline will begin its second daily A380 service on October 27 and upgrade its regular Bangkok-Dubai route from an A330-200 to a Boeing 777-300ER, starting September 1.

Jabr Al-Azeeby, area manager for Thailand and Indochina, Emirates, said: “The latest A380 service addition and the upgrade for Bangkok-Dubai flights reinforce the significance of Bangkok to Emirates’ operations in the region.

“Given the outstandingly high demand for this route, adding the second daily A380 service will not only allow our passengers heightened flexibility but also support the country’s growing tourism industry.”

LOCAL developer Kepong Industrial Park (KIP) Group is expanding into the hospitality space, with the Group’s first hotel KIP Hotel scheduled for completion in mid-2015.

Valerie Ong, director of KIP Group of Companies, said the property would be located in the commercial district of Sri Utara in Kuala Lumpur and operated by The Lexis Hotel Group, whose management portfolio includes Grand Lexis Port Dickson and Lexis Port Dickson.

Said Ong: “KIP Hotel will boast 199 rooms and will be positioned as a premier three-star hotel with four-star service. The ARR is RM180++ (US$55) per night.”

Hotel amenities will include a rooftop bar, show kitchen café, business centre, banquet hall, infinity pool, fitness centre and conference facilities.

In the meantime, two more three-star hotels are in the pipeline – the 250-key KIP Sentral in Sepang and another property to be located in Malacca that is still being planned, according to Ong.

Yap Boon Teck, CEO, KIP Group of Companies, revealed that KIP Sentral is aiming to open by 2016 and will be located approximately a 10-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

KIP Group’s portfolio includes property investment and development as well as as shopping mall and hypermarket management.

Tourism Malaysia’s deputy director-general (planning), Azizan Noordin, said more accommodation facilities are needed around the country in line with the tourism ministry’s aim of attracting 36 million international tourists by 2020.

Presently, Malaysia has 100,000 hotel rooms across all star categories.

SINGAPORE Tourism Board (STB) yesterday in Mumbai launched the In Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE), a rewards programme for Indian outbound MICE groups.

Produced in partnership with Singapore’s major tourism players such as Changi Airport Group, Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa Leisure Group, among others, INSPIRE categorises and rewards incentive groups according to three tiers – basic, value and premium.

To qualify for INSPIRE’s basic tier, groups must travel to Singapore before December 31, 2014 and book a minimum of 1,000 room nights. Value and premium tier require 1,500 and 1,800 room nights respectively.

Groups accepted into the INSPIRE programme will receive a S$20 (US$16) Singapore Changi Airport shopping voucher per visitor. Other rewards include a guided tour to the Singapore Turf Club Parade Ring and a trackside marquee dinner, a New York Street Party dinner at Universal Studios Singapore, a specially chartered zoo tram expedition at the Night Safari, reserved seating at Jurong Bird Park’s new High Flyer show, and premium seating for Sentosa’s Songs of the Sea show.

STB welcomes applications from now until July 31, 2014.

STB executive director for South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Chee Pey Chang, explained that Indians were increasingly seeking unique experiences while on business travel.

“INSPIRE was created to appeal to this growing segment by developing a selection of personalised programmes and exclusive offerings,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NTO, in collaboration with the Asia Cruise Association, has also been conducting training sessions for travel consultants in Mumbai and New Delhi on how to market cruises effectively or become Cruise Lines International Association-certified cruise counsellors.

Said Chee: “Given the recent rupee devaluation, Indians will find cruise vacations a great, cost-effective, all-inclusive vacation.”

Faraway Places Mumbai managing director, Arvind Tandon, said: “Cruise tourism has gained huge popularity over the last two to three years and although Singapore remains the prime hub for Indian outbound cruise enthusiasts, cruises in Europe and Alaska are also becoming popular. We have seen 20 per cent (year-on-year) growth in the segment.”

TO FACILITATE the arrivals and departures of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) CEO Summit delegates, Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport will be shut during certain hours of the day on October 6, 8 and 9.

The airport will be closed from 10.00 to 20.00 on October 6, 13.00 to 20.00 on October 8, and 07.00 to 14.00 on October 9.

Indonesia’s Antara news agency quoted APEC national committee member, Ahmed Kurnia, as saying: “There will be three temporary airport closures during the arrival and departure periods to secure the safety of the head of states and the conference delegates.”

He said the national committee had informed the airport authorities and airlines – both domestic and international – that operate flights to and through the facility.

Travellers who have made reservations or hold tickets to travel through the airport during the closure period are advised to reschedule with airlines or travel consultants.

“(In the meantime), travellers who wish to leave the island during the period can use land and sea transportation (instead),” Kurnia said.

The APEC CEO Summit will take place in Bali from October 1 to 8.

TOURISM Malaysia will cease operations at its Phuket office on September 1 after 13 years in the Thai destination.

Tourism Malaysia deputy director general, Chong Yoke Har, said promotional activities for the whole of Thailand would be consolidated at the NTO’s Bangkok office instead.

She elaborated: “Besides traditional marketing efforts through print and broadcast media, we will also use more social media tools and online technologies to touch base with the trade and consumers, just like what other NTOs are doing.

“A series of programmes and strategies will be implemented in stages to draw more Thais to Malaysia next year, in line with Visit Malaysia Year 2014.”

Tourism Malaysia has set its arrivals targets for Thailand at 1.6 million in 2013 and 1.7 million in 2014, up from the 1.3 million Thais welcomed last year.

THE Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) is spearheading a US$5.8 million redevelopment of Roxas Boulevard, the major gateway to the city of Manila and one the country’s most important and historic thoroughfares.

The DoT proposal covers the 10.1km spanning Bonifacio Drive in the heart of the city all the way to Airport Road near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It will include cleaning the debris from previous developments, streetscape improvements, soil replacement and planting of greeneries.

Paved pedestrian walkways and bike lanes will be constructed while a segment of the road will be transformed into an events venue, a strip of night cafes, and commercial and shopping areas.

Ramon Jimenez Jr, tourism secretary, DoT, said Roxas Boulevard’s redevelopment is more than a beautification project. “This programme will re-establish the importance of Manila as a capital city and enhance the value of properties all over the district that it crosses. This is a business plan aimed at restoring and enhancing Manila as a viable capital for tourism and business.”

The local government and private sector would also hammer out solutions to potential problems relating to security, traffic management, billboards and illegal and ambulant vendors in the area.

President of Narra Hospitality and the Association of Human Resources Managers in the Hospitality Industry, Vic Alcuaz, said: “This is the best project the DoT can undertake in the Manila Bay area. Creating a new, world-class bay walk will benefit both local and foreign tourists and therefore make it easier for the government to reach its 10 million tourist goal by 2016.”

Inscribe Tours manager, Celia Soliman, added: “Aside from the famous Manila Bay sunset, people, especially tourists, will have a greater reason to visit the place.”

While lauding the redevelopment plan, CCT 168 Travel & Tours general manager, Ine Faustino, said commercial developments should not obstruct Manila Bay and its famed sunset, and suggested that activities be limited to the right side of Roxas Boulevard, away from the Bay.

LONGHAUL LCC AirAsia X yesterday announced it would increase the number of services from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to double daily for each pair.

The news comes after a revision of a bilateral agreement between the Australian and Malaysian governments.

The airline’s current 12 weekly Sydney and Melbourne flights will be increased to 14 flights a week from October 1, while the Perth service will see the number of flights rise from nine weekly to 14 times a week beginning November 25.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO, AirAsia X, said in a media release: “Overall, the airline has carried over 3.4 million passengers to and from its Australian routes since it began operations in Australia in 2007. Australia contributes over 40 per cent of the airline’s total revenue, with an average of 83 per cent passenger load in the first half of 2013.”

He added that the new double-daily services would help to meet “increasing demand” on these routes as well as “provide guests with a greater choice of travel times and enable us to offer improved flight connections across our network”.

AirAsia X has rolled out a “Buy 1, Fly 2” promotion in conjunction with the new frequencies, available for booking until September 1. The deal is applicable for departures from Kuala Lumpur between October 1, 2013 and August 5, 2014, and departures from Perth and Sydney between November 25, 2013 and August 5, 2014.

Under the deal, two travellers can fly from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Melbourne or Perth from RM599 (US$180), one-way.