NATIONAL flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines is aiming to double its fleet and passenger numbers over the next two years, sealing a multi-million dollar agreement with SITA to upgrade its infrastructure.

Kevin John Steele, managing director and CEO, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said: “Over the next two years, we plan to double both our fleet and our passenger numbers, while also improving customer service and significantly reducing our operational costs.

“SITA will help us upgrade our systems architecture, which will enable us to launch new user-friendly products, as well as innovative tools for our staff. In addition, SITA will proactively manage our network infrastructure in line with our specific business objectives, so we can focus on our growing business, while remaining up-to-date with the latest technology.”

The 10-year deal will see SITA provide infrastructure at Biman’s global locations and deploy a new private automatic branch exchange at Biman’s offices in Dhaka, which will be integrated into the airline’s call centre.

SITA will also deliver a suite of applications adapted to the airline’s needs to any device and location as part of its flexible, on-demand IT services and industry software offerings, allowing for the creation of efficiencies across data, servers and applications.

It will equip Biman staff with tablets integrated with business applications to enhance in-flight services.

Separately, Biman has signed an agreement with Dutch-Bangla Bank for the use of the latter’s Nexus Payment Gateway to settle online transactions, thereby allowing cardholders with locally-issued Visa, MasterCard and Nexus Debit Cards issued by Dutch-Bangla Bank to book flights directly through the Biman site.

Dutch-Bangla Bank alone accounts for almost 2.5 million out of the total four million payment cards used in Bangladesh.

MALAYSIA’S PST Travel today unveiled a new dedicated B2B site for local travel consultants, equipped with a booking function for instant confirmation.

Accessible at b2b.pst.com.my, PST is waiving the monthly subscription fee for the use of the site’s Internet booking engine (IBE) during the launch phase between August 5 and 31.

PST Travel’s B2B unit head, Robert Saw, said: “We are confident that most of our existing consultants will see the benefits of using this IBE and that it will give them a positive return on investment.”

PST Travel CEO, Ngiam Foon, said: “We have very attractive fares for travel from points in Malaysia for select destinations in ASEAN and North Asia compared to what the average consultant can obtain from their GDS.”

He said cost savings could run up to 80 per cent on select airlines during the launch phase.

“I hope the savings made will drive consultants to (book through) our IBE instead of just using it for their search convenience…Another very compelling reason to use our IBE is the ease of finding the lowest available fare without much ticketing knowledge,” he added.

Ngiam explained that the new site’s launch was timely and would address current challenges faced by consultants, especially the small and medium-sized agencies, which include a dire shortage of staff with sufficient ticketing knowledge, reluctance to commit more financial resources to fund any increased bank guarantees and a lack of access to attractive fares.

SAME-DAY hotel booking app, HotelQuickly, has expanded into New Zealand where it will take aim at the domestic market.

A media statement released by HotelQuickly stated that the company “believes in the potential of the domestic New Zealand market” as travel trends gradually shifted towards “last-minute, spontaneous bookings”.

Users can now book hotels in Auckland and Rotorua at the eleventh hour, and more cities will be added over the next few weeks.

HotelQuickly also recently upgraded its app to allow multi-night bookings. Sam O’Connor, New Zealand country manager, HotelQuickly, said: “Our customers signalled unmistakably that they want to use HotelQuickly also for longer stays. We conduct a lot of surveys with our users, in order to find out what really counts.”

HotelQuickly was first launched four months ago in six countries across Asia (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 3, 2013) and now offers hotel options in 11 countries.

It joins the growing tide of last-minute booking services available in Asia as the idea catches on across the region, spawning other competitors such as CheckInTonight.asia, which was inaugurated last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 21, 2012).

BRITISH Airways (BA) is set to increase its London-Hyderabad services from six flights per week to daily beginning October 27, on a Boeing 777-200 in a three-class configuration.

The airline had last upped the frequency of the service from five- to six-weekly flights in October last year.

Christopher Fordyce, regional commercial manager, South Asia, BA, said: “It is a joyous moment for us at BA to further enhance our services to India, which is our second-largest market outside the UK.

“For BA, Hyderabad is truly a key market in our South Asian network. We have witnessed tremendous growth in the market since 2008, resulting in concerted growth in the outbound business and leisure tourism.”

According to VisitBritain, some 339,000 Indian nationals travelled to the UK in 2012.

Subhash Goyal, chairman, STIC Travel Group, commented: “The frequency enhancement to Hyderabad will help to meet the growing demand of business as well as the leisure segment, while providing them more connectivity options.”

BA presently operates 46 flights a week from London to five Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru.

ACCOR is strengthening its presence in Manila with the addition of two new hotels to the Philippine capital city next year – the Mercure Manila Ortigas and Novotel Manila Araneta.

The two properties will join the existing Sofitel Manila Plaza.

Said Patrick Basset, senior vice president, Accor Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia Laos and the Philippines: “Accor is well in place to expand our network into other key business and leisure areas such as Cebu and Davao.”

Basset added that Accor was “actively seeking more development opportunities in key cities and secondary cities” as the Philippines continues to enjoy economic growth and political stability.

The stronger demand from the domestic market for international standard accommodations, especially in the midscale and economy segments, also presented additional opportunities for expansion.

Basset is aiming to introduce other Accor brands in the Philippines, such as the higher-end Sofitel So, Pullman, MGallery, and the economy ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget “to cater to different markets, from economy to luxury”.

Set for launch in 1H2014, the 150-key Mecure Manila Ortigas is located in the heart of the emerging central business district of Ortigas centre, and will offer meeting rooms, an all-day dining restaurant and gym.

On the other hand, Novotel Manila Araneta will become the only branded hotel in Cubao, Quezon City when it opens its 401 rooms and suites in 2H2014. The property will offer conference facilities including a 1,000m² pillarless ballroom, F&B outlets, a swimming pool and gym.

BEST Western International will take over the management of two hotels in Tasmania formerly operated by Accor, and relaunch them as Best Western Hobart and Best Western Plus Launceston.

Both properties bring Best Western’s total number of Tasmanian hotels to seven and are undergoing refurbishments to their facilities.

Rob Anderson, chief executive, Best Western Australasia, observed: “For the year ending March 2013, there were 931,000 visitors to Tasmania, up 10 per cent from 845,800 for the previous year.

“If these numbers are any indication, then people will need more quality hotel options to choose from when travelling around Tasmania.”

He said the 140-room Best Western Hobart’s rooms and meeting spaces were undergoing a soft refurbishment that would be completed in 2H2013, while the 116-key Best Western Plus Launceston would receive new in-room furnishings and amenities.

“Both hotels already have modern amenities and facilities so we will look to mainly improve the current on-site restaurants and dining areas; update the conference facilities and ensure the most up-to-date Wi-Fi services and in-room services are available in both hotels,” explained Anderson.

Best Western Hobart offers eight event spaces, including the 300-pax The Goulburn Room, Embers Restaurant and Embers Cocktail Bar & Lounge.

Located 15 minutes from Launceston Airport, Best Western Plus Launceston features Snappers Restaurant for Tasmanian produce and wine, Tram Bar, two 150-pax conference rooms and five categories of guestrooms.

SOUTH Africa Tourism (SAT) will make its debut at the NATAS fair this month and pair up with the local travel trade in a bid to reel in more Singapore travellers.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Hazel Ngubeni, high commissioner of the Singapore South African High Commission, said: “South Africa is too under-marketed in Singapore, so it is our mandate to make sure we make progress with promotions here.”

She added that more had to be done to educate the industry, and hence SAT will hold a seminar for 80 outbound travel consultants this month.

According to Ngubeni, more than 7,000 Singaporeans holidayed in South Africa last year, a number the commission aims to double for 2013. “Singaporeans are very well-travelled, but there is this gap with South Africa,” she lamented.

Ngubeni said that South Africa’s nine provinces including Gauteng, Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal offered wildlife, adventure, beach, luxury and retail attractions, the last of which she expected would appeal to the Singaporean traveller.

Acknowledging that some still perceived South Africa to be an unsafe and undeveloped country, she said: “I want to remind them that we were the host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and during that preparation phase we had lifted the standards of everything, from safety to amenities and infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, Chan Brothers Travel marketing and communications manager, Michelle Yin, said the agency had registered consistent year-on-year growth of 10 to 15 per cent in the sales of their South Africa packages. Chan Brothers offers both nine- and 12-day options.

SAT, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Changi Airport Group signed an agreement in June this year to collectively invest S$1 million (US$800,154) to promote travel to South Africa. SIA currently operates daily flights to Johannesburg and four-weekly flights to Cape Town.

THE impact of last Saturday’s oil spill off Koh Samet (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 30, 2013) has been limited to the island’s northern beach, and the Thai government is taking action to assist local businesses affected by the situation, according to the country’s NTO.

According to an update released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), only 10 per cent of the original spill remains on the sole affected area of the island, Ao Phrao. TAT estimates that the remaining sludge will be removed within one or two days. While slick has been found on other northern areas on Koh Samet, these areas are not open for beach activities.

Some 500 personnel of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, navy personnel and volunteers had facilitated a rapid clean-up effort, it said.

Swimming can still be done on the eastern shores of the island, including the beaches of Had Sai Kaew, Ao Wong Duean, Ao Phai, Ao Kio and Ao Karang.

Furthermore, the size of the oil film has shrunk from 9km² on July 31 to 5km² and the density of the spill, thinned “considerably”. The nearby Plateen Island, Kham Island and Kudee Island also remain totally unaffected.

The update reported that Thailand’s minister of tourism and sports, Somsak Pureesrisak, was in Koh Samet and would be meeting local tourism operators to deal with the fall-out of the oil spill.

Initiatives including tax cuts and marketing efforts are on the table, and local banks are also ready to assist, allege local news reports.

The minister has also been quoted as saying the Thai cabinet is all for PTT Global Chemical, the company responsible for the spill, compensating hotels for lost business due to last-minute cancellations.

TWO hotels in Singapore have changed hands recently, with Grand Park Orchard and Gallery Hotel going to new owners.

According to local paper The Business Times, Park Hotel Group has closed its second sale in Singapore within the year, selling the Grand Park Orchard including retail podium Knightsbridge.

Chinese group Bright Ruby Resources bought the property for S$1.2 billion (US$900.9 million).

In a deal believed to have been brokered by Jones Lang LaSalle, Park Hotel Group will continue to run the 309-room hotel on popular shopping belt Orchard Road.

Park Hotel Group had in March sold off Park Hotel Clarke Quay to Ascendas Hospitality Trust (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 9, 2013).

Also reported in The Business Times today, Robertson Quay Investment has sold the freehold Gallery Hotel to RB Capital for S$230 million in a deal allegedly brokered by Knight Frank.

RB Capital last year purchased 16 ground-floor retail units at The Quayside building adjacent to the 223-key hotel.

The Gallery Hotel is the company’s latest hotel acquisition. RB’s portfolio also includes Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay, Park Hotel Farrer Park and Holiday Inn Express Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, all of which are under development and expected to open within the next two years.

ASIATRAVEL has inked a deal with Beijing-based augmented reality technology player, Senscape Technologies, to provide travel content and transaction processes for Senscape’s mobile application.

The company’s latest mobile application, Senscape Tour, will carry Asiatravel’s inventory of over 110,000 hotels, 400 airlines and 600,000 attractions, theme parks and tour products worldwide.

Users will thus be able to purchase any product on the mobile application with instant confirmation.

Senscape Tour, which offers the traveller on-the-go travel, instant bookings and a digital diary synced with the user’s various social media accounts, is set to be a featured application for a leading smartphone manufacturer’s product to be launched later in the year.

Asiatravel’s executive chairman and CEO, Boh Tuang Poh, said: “As technology is very much a part of everyone’s lifestyle, we believe a mobile application like Senscape Tour will further enrich travellers’ experience and ease their buying process.

“Travellers need information of all the travel products but in today’s context, this information has to be ready for the traveller to access, at his own convenience, before and during the trip. Senscape Tour, in our opinion, has all these to cater for today’s independent traveller.”