INDIA may soon grant travellers from 16 more countries visas on arrival (VoAs) if the Ministry of Tourism’s request to the Ministry of Home Affairs gains approval.

The countries recommended are Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Brazil, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, while South Korea will also be considered at a later date.

In addition, the tourism ministry wants six more airports at Bengaluru, Goa, Kochi, Hyderabad, Trivandrum and Bodhgaya to be allowed to issue VoAs. Currently, India offers 30-day VoAs to citizens of Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Japan, Finland, New Zealand and Luxembourg arriving at New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.

Khadidiatou Thiam Galant, chief of agency, Voyages en Direct France, said: “VoAs open up India as a destination that our clients can travel to at short notice, as French tourists are used to flying without visas to many countries and prefer such freedom.”

Vasco Noronha, head – inbound operations, Akbar Holidays India, said: “We can expect to see a deluge from Europe, (former Soviet) countries and ASEAN. Making VoAs available at 10 Indian airports will be a huge boon for inbound tourism.”

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group’s (IHG) Hotel Indigo will roar to life in Hong Kong in May, set in a building that is said to be at the forefront of environmental design.

Offering 138 guestrooms and suites with sizes ranging 30-63m², Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island is located in the historical neighbourhood of Wan Chai. Wrapping around its exterior is a striking “gold dragon”, which functions as an ecoscreen.

Boasting a glass-bottomed, cantilevered infinity pool on its rooftop and a Skybar on the same level, other amenities include an all-day dining eatery, a 24-hour gym, a library and an eight-seat boardroom for business meetings.

FAMILY-owned Thai hotel group Sukosol Hotels will open the doors of its fifth property, Wave, on Pattaya Bay in April.

The Art Deco boutique hotel is decked out in Miami-inspired décor and offers 21 rooms.

Last year was a busy year for the group, which saw it rebranding to Sukosol Hotels, opening the 39-suite resort The Siam, Bangkok and refurbishing its grande dame, The Sukosol, Bangkok.

With the opening of Wave, Sukosol Hotels now comprises five properties: The Sukosol Bangkok (470 rooms), Siam Bayshore, Pattaya (270 rooms), The Bayview, Pattaya (260 rooms), The Siam, Bangkok (39 suites) and Wave.

CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group and Panorama Group have deepened their collaboration, committing to develop 20 new hotels in Indonesia within seven years under the midscale brands of Radisson and Park Inn by Radisson.

Partners since Carlson Wagonlit Travel Indonesia was set up as a joint venture in 1999, the new company, Carlson Panorama Hospitality, will manage hotels in key cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, Jogjakarta and secondary locations like Manado, Makassar, Palembang and Medan. It will have a representative office in Jakarta.

Marking the re-entry of Carlson’s hotel business into Indonesia after its venture with Salim Group ended in 2003, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s Asia-Pacific president, Simon Barlow, said the timing was right to return to Indonesia as it was booming.

Citing figures from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2012 report, he pointed out that Indonesia was poised to become the world’s seventh largest economy by 2030, with 135 million consumers representing a US$1.38 trillion market opportunity.

Said Barlow: “We saw the first wave of five-star hotels (sweep) across Asia, and in the last four to five years, we have seen the emergence of international three- and four-star hotels, which has now gathered pace.”

As such, Carlson would be focused on importing its midscale brands to capture the growing domestic market, he explained.

Also eyeing the growing number of middle-class travellers, Budi Tirtawisata, group CEO, Panorama Group, remarked that the market was big enough for everyone to get a slice of the pie, adding that he did not see Carlson’s expansion as being in conflict with Panorama’s own line of hotels by PHM Hospitality.

“If we see an opportunity to manage a 400-room hotel, for example, I don’t think (PHM) has the capacity for it and I will leave it to Carlson Panorama. On the other hand, PHM has products that cater to certain markets such as surfers, and such a property would not fit Carlson’s brands,” said Budi.

– Read more about Panorama Group’s emerging businesses in TTG Asia March 8-21, 2013

HILTON Worldwide today signed an agreement with LP Holding to manage Hilton Yangon in Kyauktada Township, the brand’s first-ever property in the country.

The 300-room Hilton Yangon is scheduled to open in 2014. The new hotel is part of Centrepoint Towers, a mixed-use development, which includes high-end retail boutiques and offices.

Amenities include an all-day dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants, a sky bar, lobby lounge, an executive floor, a fitness centre, a business centre, a pool and a spa. Meeting facilities cover 1,400m² of space, including a 850m² ballroom.

In a separate development, the hotel group this week also opened Conrad Beijing, the brand’s flagship property in China’s capital and its fifth hotel in China.

Located close to the CBD and embassies, Conrad Beijing has 289 rooms, including 17 suites, restaurants, lounges, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, a spa and a business centre.