THIS year’s instalment of IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is set to be the biggest yet, with delegate numbers expected to cross the 2,800 mark.

Bringing together Asia-Pacific’s MICE and corporate travel suppliers, with an added luxury travel dimension, the world’s only doublebill event will run from October 1 to 3 in Bangkok.

To-date, more than 700 MICE, corporate travel, luxury travel, association and corporate buyers have completed registration, which ends on August 23.

Returning buyer Ben Gosman, managing director, Netherlands-based Free Style, said: “I look forward to discussing and exploring new experiences and business opportunities each time I listen. The promise of new exhibitors, like with this year’s show, and the ease of touching base with existing partners justify why IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is a must-attend event for me.”

Furthermore, exhibitors at this year’s IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific will be comprised of 35 per cent first-time exhibitors. Debuting CVBs include India Tourism, Fukuoka CVB, Sapporo CVB and Tourism New Zealand, while first-time corporates include Fujita Kanko, Meliá Hotels International and Sentosa Leisure Management, among others.

A survey conducted in April 2013 stated that US$45 million in sales was confirmed as a result of the 2012 event, with the aggregate procurement value estimated at US$120 million.

A number of features will also make their debut at this year’s show, including an online diary, an Association Day & Performance Improvement Forum, and a luxury post-show tour (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 6, 2013).

HYATT Hotels Corporation yesterday announced that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a management agreement with Kamala Bay Ventures for the Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, the first Hyatt-brand resort in the popular Thai beach destination.

Slated to open in late 2013, the 202-room property joins two existing Hyatt-brand hotels in the country, namely Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok and Hyatt Regency Hua Hin.

Ratnesh Verma, senior vice president, real estate and development, Asia-Pacific for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, said: “Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort will follow the opening of Park Hyatt Siem Reap and Park Hyatt Changbaishan this year, and the addition of these hotels is indicative of Hyatt’s commitment to build brand loyalty through exciting leisure offerings.”

The resort will be located on the west coast of Phuket, along the upscale Millionaire’s Mile, overlooking Kamala Bay and the Andaman Sea.

Besides its 202 guestrooms, the property also boasts 4,300m² of meeting facilities, three F&B outlets, a club lounge, fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool and spa.

REGIONAL carrier SilkAir has announced its schedule for the Northern Winter season between October 27, 2013 and March 29, 2014 for flights out of its base in Singapore.

SilkAir will add one more service to each of the following routes: Kuching, to four-weekly flights; Siem Reap, to 11; and Visakhapatnam in India, to four-weekly flights, subject to regulatory approval.

For its Vietnamese routes, flights to Danang will become a daily service, and Hanoi will be served four times a week.

In the Philippines, Cebu services will increase to eight times a week, while flights to Davao will be run six times a week.

Meanwhile, some services will see a reduction in frequencies. Flights to Solo and Phuket will be trimmed to twice weekly and 30 times weekly, respectively.

TOURISM Malaysia has found a way to the hearts of Hong Kong travellers through durian tour packages.

The 4D3N Deluxe Durian Tour Package jointly offered by Tourism Malaysia and EGL Tours Hong Kong has sold up to 800 packages, recording sales revenue of RM1.3 million (US$406,758) for 15 group departures to Penang scheduled in June and July.

The third year Tourism Malaysia has partnered EGL Tours to offer such tours, the package includes durian sampling and buffets, along with a tour of Penang’s popular heritage sites.

Durian tours were first introduced in Hong Kong in 2011, when 340 of such packages were sold. In 2012, 700 packages were sold.

Baizuri Baharum, director, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Hong Kong Office), said: “We’ve been promoting Malaysia through durian packages for the past three years, knowing how much (Hong Kong travellers) love good durians.

“This year’s durian tour promotion is extra special as it is also an opportunity to create awareness about the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 campaign. It’s a memorable way to remind the locals of Malaysia whenever they taste or smell the durian.”

PRIVATE investment firm Battery Ventures has acquired IHS, parent company of hotel group Worldhotels and CRS provider Trust International.

All of the group’s shares were bought over by Battery Ventures from London-based Kings Park Capital.

A media release issued by Trust International said: “The transaction will enable IHS and its brands to build upon its customer-centric focus, drive organic growth, and pursue acquisition opportunities.”

Besides Worldhotels and Trust International, IHS also operates business units Nexus World Services, a sales management solutions provider, and IFH Institute for Hospitality Management, a training and benchmarking specialist.

In conjunction with the investment, Battery executive in residence, Steve Rowley, joins IHS as chairman and CEO. Dave Tabors and Morad Elhafed, also from Battery, will join IHS’ board of directors.

Rowley said: “Having Battery as a strategic and financial partner will help accelerate growth and continue to deliver high-quality, innovative solutions to customers worldwide. This is a large and strategic market and I look forward to working with the team to fuel both organic growth and to aggressively pursue acquisitions to expand the value we can deliver to customers.”

ENCOURAGED by growing demand from South Korea and Japan, the Philippine’s Department of Tourism (DoT) is leading the charge in tapping the English as Second Language (ESL) niche market.

The NTO is ramping up its marketing efforts by forging connections with more overseas partners, aiding foreign travel agencies in coming up with more tour packages including ESL components, and wooing students from the China, Vietnam and Russia markets.

DoT is looking to promote its ESL programme through mainland travel fairs in said countries, and last week led a sales mission to Russia.

Renee Marie Reyes, division chief for ESL niche marketing, DoT, said that the new push should help secure 30,000 Japanese, 6,000 South Korean, 3,000 mainland China and 1,200 Vietnamese students.

According to ESL schools and DoT officials interviewed, the Philippines was a prime choice for Asian ESL students due to its proximity, reasonable tuition fees, quality instruction and modules varying in length and group size.

South Korea remains the biggest market, but Reyes observed that Japan was fast gaining ground. The number of travel agencies selling ESL programmes in Japan has shot to 21, from just five four years ago.

A spokesperson from a major Japanese travel agency said the company was looking to tie up with more ESL schools and believes that Japan’s elderly population was a fertile ESL market.

However, Philippine-based travel agencies are finding it hard to tap this market. Nelya Schneider, sales and marketing planning manager for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Blue Horizons Travel & Tours, said a key problem was that ESL schools “rarely cooperate”.

“We’re not trying to get the business from them. We just need to help develop these products,” she emphasised. “They cannot get volume business without us.”

There are 34 DoT-accredited ESL schools in the Philippines, but a cursory check in Manila showed that many do not have tie-ups with travel agencies, operating their own accommodations and school trips.

DESPITE the choking smoke haze that enshrouded Singapore in June, passenger traffic at Singapore Changi Airport recorded 4.7 million arrivals, the highest number in 2013 so far.

According to Changi, June’s traffic movements measured a 6.1 per cent increase year-on-year. In terms of flight movements, there were 28,300 aircraft landings and take-offs.

Singapore’s tourism sector was affected, however, with the haze hitting record highs last month and a number of attractions shuttering temporarily to protect their employees (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 21, 2013).

Yet, at least one travel agency said it had seen a slew of last-minute bookings as Singaporeans attempted to escape the bad weather (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 21, 2013), while LCCs jumped at the opportunity by offering snap getaway deals.

June’s performance brings the total number of passengers managed by Changi to 26.2 million for the first half of 2013, a five per cent rise over the corresponding period in 2012.

Meanwhile, aircraft movements for January to June grew 4.6 per cent to 166,800. Among cities with at least 250,000 passengers during this period, Yangon, Taipei and Bangkok posted strongest growth to register 27 per cent, 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.

SHUN Tak Holdings has raised the curtains on the group’s first branded hotel management company, Artyzen Hospitality Group (AHG).

According to a media statement from Shun Tak, AHG will develop a collection of its own luxury hotel brands catering to different lifestyles and offer management solutions to hotel owners and developers, including Shun Tak’s own properties.

AHG will be led by Rogier Verhoeven, executive director of Shun Tak Holdings, who will be supported by Robbert van der Maas, president of AHG and Jerry Huang, president of AHG Greater China.

Shun Tak managing director, Pansy Ho, had confirmed that the group was working on establishing its own management company in an interview with TTG Asia e-Daily earlier this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 20, 2013).

Said Ho in the statement: “The (tourism) market is gaining sophistication at such a dazzling speed that established multinational hotel brands have difficulty keeping pace. This has created a window of opportunity for us, as we have accumulated a wealth of experience in the region and insights on the consumption patterns of Chinese travellers.

“Creating our own hotel brands now makes sense as it naturally complements our existing businesses, with the various real estate and hotel investments in our pipeline.”

Shun Tak has also since come onboard as an equal-share investor in Jetstar Hong Kong, joining Qantas Group and China Eastern Airlines (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 7, 2013).