SRI Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is stepping up marketing efforts to India with the planned opening of three offices in India, beginning with a Mumbai launch in July.

“Currently, 33 per cent of India’s outbound to Sri Lanka is from Mumbai alone,” said Bhashwara Gunarathna, chairman, SLTPB.

The bureau will follow the Mumbai launch with the opening of its New Delhi and Bengaluru offices by end-2013, in a bid to expand market share, develop revenue and tap into newer, Tier Two Indian markets, while also allowing partners to develop and establish business growth in India.

The bureau presently relies on its consulate or partners in India to generate business.

In 2012, India accounted for 18 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total tourist arrivals or 170,000 visitors. Sri Lanka is aiming for 200,000 arrivals from India this year and 400,000 by 2016.

To tap this market, the SLTPB recently announced MICE booking incentives and all-inclusive tours with Thomas Cook India’s general sales agent, Sparklink Travels. It also reiterated that visa fees for all SAARC countries, on arrival or via ETA, were reduced to U$15 in 2012.

Rumy Jauffer, managing director, SLTPB, said: “Sri Lanka makes an ideal destination for Indian travellers due to its close proximity and easy visa access.

“Sri Lanka’s second international airport at Hambantota will also be fully operational in the next few months, improving connectivity to the south and south-east parts of the country.”

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport first opened on March 18 (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 7, 2013).

National carrier SriLankan Airlines currently flies direct to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Tiruchirapalli and Trivandrum. Including Jet Airways, Air India and SpiceJet, about 100 flights operate between India and Sri Lanka weekly.

By Renuka Vijay Kumar

AHMS Collection, a hotel development firm, will expand its operations beyond Thailand in early 2015 with the opening of its luxury private island resort in Cambodia targeting the high-end medical, beauty and wellness-focused tourism sectors.

Akaryn Koh Krabeay Retreat & Spa is located a 15-minute boat ride away from the resort-town of Sihanoukville.

Anchalika Kijkanakorn, founder and owner of Akaryn Hospitality Management Services (AHMS), said: “Unlike many other resorts we won’t be just selling the accommodation; it’s about the whole holistic experience, the seclusion, the villas, the technology (of the spa treatments), everything.

“We’re targeting guests who want to stay for seven to 14 days. Part of that is due to the location, which is quite out of the way, but mostly it will be down to the experience they can have there.”

The resort, which is being built at a cost of 700-900 million baht (US$20.9-26.8 million), will feature 40 pool villas ranging from 120-150m², a medical spa and a meditation cave, among other facilities. Room rates will start from US$1,000 per night.

AHMS will work with travel consultants specialising in medical, meditation and anti-ageing tourism to tap established and emerging markets. “The world has become so small that I can’t say we’ll be focusing on the European markets as there’s so much opportunity from emerging markets in Asia,” she said.

“The UAE will also be one of our key targets as Arabs are very big on medical tourism these days.”

Anchalika explained that corporate fam trips would be key in educating consultants about the property and helping them convince clients that Cambodia can support such high-end products.

Connectivity will have improved by the first quarter of 2015, when the resort is scheduled to open, as AirAsia and Lion Air will have increased their capacity by then, she said.

RESORTS World Sentosa (RWS) has rolled out new products for travellers looking for a different experience, including getting up-close with marine life and unwinding at the spa.

RWS’ Marine Life Park began introducing three new programmes yesterday, beginning with the Open Ocean Dive, which allows certified divers to explore the S.E.A Aquarium’s Open Ocean habitat through a designated dive route, led by dive masters.

The 150-minute programme takes place once a day at 10.30, with four slots open only to divers aged 15 or above, and costs S$1,280 (US$1,010).

For travellers without diving certification or swimming skills, the once-daily Sea Trek Adventure is a one-hour long programme that climaxes with a 20-minute underwater helmet diving experience. Five participants are allowed each day for the Sea Trek programme, which begins June 30 at S$238.

The new Shark Encounter programme is slated to begin June 15 at the Shark Seas habitat, where guests can descend inside a cylindrical acrylic enclosure to get close to the 200 sharks inhabiting therein. Lasting 30 minutes, the event happens thrice-daily and will accept two guests each time. Ticket price is S$88.

Earlier, ESPA at RWS also unveiled a range of spa holidays coupling stays at RWS’ latest hotels – the Equarius Hotel and Beach Villas – with a personalised programme that includes ESPA spa treatments, fitness activities, spa cuisine and use of ESPA’s facilities such as hot and cool pools, the gym and the lounge.

Guests can choose an additional goal for the retreat, from getting fit and weight-managing to detoxing and de-stressing.

ESPA at RWS’s Lifestyle Retreats packages start from S$718 for a one-night retreat for one person, inclusive of room, spa treatments and three meals.

MELIÁ Hotels International and China’s Greenland Group have launched Qube Frankfurt as part of a pact to target inbound Chinese travellers to Europe.

Formerly run under Meliá’s Tryp brand, the 177-room, four-star Qube Frankfurt was launched on May 14, marking the first joint-venture hotel between Meliá and Greenland.

Situated in the centre of Germany’s financial capital, alongside the city’s international exhibition centre, the hotel was refitted to cater for Chinese travellers, with services including Mandarin-speaking staff and Chinese cuisine.

Meliá plans to open hotels in major European cities with air connections to China. Although no calendar has been drawn up, potential cities include Munich, Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona. “The intention is to continue with the Qube brand,” said a Meliá spokeswoman.

Greenland Group president, Zhang Yu Liang, has touched on possible openings in Spain to help attract more Chinese.

But the agreement – signed last December – also leaves room for opening five-star properties under Greenland’s Primus brand or “to operate jointly with Meliá brands”.

At the same time, Greenland-owned, Meliá-managed hotels will be rolled out in China, with the first to launch in Jinan this October and another in Tianjin in 1H2014.

Zhang said that Meliá’s decision to expand in China would influence the Chinese tourist’s decisions when he travels to Europe or other destinations and “have a major effect on the brand”.

Greenland Group already boasts some 60 properties in its hotel portfolio, including projects in Australia and South Korea, with plans to reach 100 hotels in the next three years.