QANTAS is offering two-to-go round trip fares between Hong Kong and Australia starting from HK$3,980 (US$513) per person.
Airfares for trips from Hong Kong to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Cairns are for sale until March 13.
Tickets are valid for three months from date of departure and good for travel from now to March 27, between April 1 to July 3, and from August 4 to November 30 inclusive.
To purchase companion fares, a minimum of two passengers must travel together.
BEGINNING today, guests who stay at Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts’ participating properties will receive the value of one night’s credit for every two nights booked.
The credits can be spent in the hotel on F&B, spa treatments or at the gallery retail outlet, and are cumulative – guests notch up more credits the longer the stay.
Valid for bookings made between March 1 to 31 for a minimum of two consecutive nights at best available rates, the promotion is good for stays from March 1 to May 31.
FOR the first time in history, travel and tourism now supports one in 11 of all jobs in the world, with more than 10 per cent of all new jobs created last year coming from the industry.
According to 2012 statistics by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry outperformed the global economy, increasing its total contribution to global GDP by three per cent and number of jobs to 260 million, up five million.
The trade’s economic contribution – taking into account its direct, indirect and induced impacts – was US$6.6 trillion in GDP, US$765 billion in investments and US$1.2 trillion in exports, at 2012 prices.
These figures represent nine per cent of total GDP, five per cent of total investment and five per cent of world exports.
Among the 20 largest global economies, South Korea (10 per cent), China (seven per cent), South Africa (seven per cent) and Indonesia (six per cent) performed best, offsetting abysmal growth of less than one and two per cent in Europe and the US respectively.
WTTC predicts that the industry will up its total contribution to GDP to 3.2 per cent this year, faster than the 2.4 per cent estimated for global economic growth. The industry is expected to support nearly 266 million jobs in 2013.
The tourism body also anticipated that China would overtake the US to be the world’s biggest travel economy by 2023.
David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC, said: “(This last year) demonstrated again just how resilient the travel and tourism industry is.
“Our industry is responsible for creating jobs, lifting people out of poverty, and broadening horizons. But we need international institutions and governments to recognise its strength, to remove restrictive visa and tax regimes and to work with the private sector to stimulate that growth.”
WTTC has summarised its findings in an animated clip that can be viewed below.
Do you like to travel? from WTTC on Vimeo.
HONG Kong’s financial secretary, John C Tsang, yesterday outlined the territory’s plan to strengthen tourism, which includes increasing hotel room supply, building new attractions at Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as boosting the city’s capabilities as a cruise hub.
“To sustain the healthy development of the tourism industry, we need to devote more efforts to enhancing tourism infrastructure, hotel supply, market promotion, service support (and so on),” he said.
Tsang reported that measures were being taken to increase the number of hotel rooms in the city, such as providing “hotel only” sites. As of end-2012, the Lands Department had approved 13 applications for redevelopment or conversion of industrial buildings, he said, revealing that some 10,000 new rooms would come on stream over the next two years.
In addition, some HK$2.3 billion (US$296.5 million) will be loaned to Ocean Park for early commencement of the all-weather Water World project at Tai Shue Wan, while Disneyland will launch a new night parade and a first-of-its-kind themed area featuring Marvel heroes in the coming years.
With the opening of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in mid-2013, Tsang added that the authorities were working with Hong Kong Tourism Board, neighbouring ports and the travel trade to develop new itineraries and attract more high-spending cruise trip visitors.
Feeling the heat from neighbouring cities, Hong Kong would also “take the initiative to seek to host more mega events”, said the financial secretary, while continuing to sponsor major international events, such as the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival and the Hong Kong Open Championship golf tournament, through the Mega Event Fund. Large-scale events hosted by local non-profit organisations will also be subsidised.
SOUTH-east Asia’s LCCs could raise as much as US$750 million in total through initial public offerings (IPOs) this year, predicted Malayan Banking’s investment bank.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Thai Airways International-backed Nok Air, Bangkok Airways, Indonesia AirAsia and AirAsia X are preparing to be listed on the market.
Maybank Kim Eng’s CEO, Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, made the estimate in an email to the news agency, marking the biggest year for IPO deals since 2010.
He said LCCs were the “biggest beneficiaries of the growth in air travel” and “tend to enjoy premium valuations when compared to legacy full-service carriers”.
“Asia is the fastest growing market for air travel globally,” he added. “Airlines in Asia are seen as offering better returns, and hence investors across the globe have a strong appetite for listings out of Asia.”
The same Bloomberg report stated that carriers were betting growth potential in Asia would be enough to convince investors to overlook share declines by other LCCs that have gone public.
Tiger Airways and Cebu Air sold shares in 2010, only to lose steam and share price over time – Tiger shares have tumbled 51 per cent since its January listing in Singapore that year, while Cebu has dropped 47 per cent since its Manila debut in October 2010.
LEADING DMC Pacific World has established a strategic partnership with a local inbound expert, Kims Travel, to expand into the growing MICE destination of South Korea.
The move is part of Pacific World’s strategic thrust to increase presence in emerging MICE markets.
In 2011, UIA statistics ranked South Korea as the sixth most popular country and Seoul the fifth most popular city for international meetings, topping cities like Berlin and Tokyo.
Founded in 1991, Kims Travel specialises in the arrangement of ground services for large congresses and conferences.
Harsha Krishnan, strategic development director, Pacific World, said: “South Korea is a top-class meetings and incentives destination, and with the expansion of Pacific World into South Korea, we are now able to deliver outstanding experiences to our clients in this new destination.”
Chun C Kim, CEO of Kims Travel and advisor to Pacific World South Korea, commented: “South Korea has become a much-coveted destination for international conferences, meetings and incentive solutions in recent years for its versatility. South Korea is a perfect venue for both small and large functions due to its cutting-edge IT technology, historical and cultural sites of many thousands years and last but not least, K-pop culture spreading like wildfire.”
DISPELLING reports of a hold-up due to security concerns, JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity is set to open in April 2013, with its eye trained on MICE business.
Balan Paravantavida, general manager of the 523-room JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity, shot down reports that hotel projects in the district were facing delays pending clearance from civil aviation authorities (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 15, 2013), saying that the hotel was “on track” for an April opening.
“Aerocity will become a destination in itself. The 11 hotel projects will offer 5,500 additional hotel rooms, which is going to be a plus point not only for New Delhi but for India as well. We can now compete with Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or any other city,” he said.
The property has been booked for a number of big conferences and conventions in April and May. “We will be targeting US, European, Japanese and South Korean markets as far as MICE is concerned,” Balan shared.
JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity will have one of the largest meeting and conference facilities in the region, offering 2,302m2 in meeting space, including the 1,210m2 Grand Crystal Ballroom and eight meeting rooms spread across two levels.
The ballroom and meeting rooms are fitted with state-of-the-art technology, a 41.8m2 pre-function area and a professional event planning team, Balan added.
Apart from MICE, the property will also target FIT and leisure segments, banking on its F&B offerings as another USP. The property will house an all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge, bar, poolside bar, Japanese restaurant, bakery and patisserie.
AUSTRALIA-based Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) is planning to open four hotel management schools in India.
Two schools will be rolled out by 2Q2014 as part of the first phase, with two more to come later. Although the location and opening date for the first school has not been confirmed, industry sources say the schools may be built in New Delhi, Chandigargh, Pune or Mumbai.
The schools will offer two-and-a-half-year bachelor’s and two-year master’s degree programmes in hotel management, with majors in hotel and resort management, and also international event management.
Guy Bentley, CEO, BMIHMS, said: “Students from India constitute 10-12 per cent of the total number of students at our schools. We see it as a great opportunity to launch our schools in India.
“In addition, the growing Indian hospitality industry shows a lot of career avenues for students. The various hospitality courses that our schools offer not only ensure a successful career, but at the same time, bridge the human resources gap in the hospitality industry.”
Currently, BMIHMS runs courses in Australia, Chile, China, Japan, Latin America, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand.
C Nagendra Prasad, chairman, Travel Express said: “There is a severe dearth of well-trained manpower in India’s hospitality sector and the whole tourism industry in general. Considering that tourism is likely to be India’s largest employment generating sector, it is imperative that reputed management schools like BMIHMS open campuses in India and grow the pool of skilled labour.”
WANGARATTA in north-east Victoria is looking to lure more business events to the city and its surroundings, having launched its first Conference and Event Planner Guide four months ago.
Detailing venues, accommodation options, activities, attractions, dining and catering solutions and event support services, the book is a dedicated planner guide to drum up interest for the city – which sits two-and-a-half hours from Melbourne by car – as well as its neighbouring regions of Milawa Gourmet Region, King Valley, Glenrowan, Boorahman and El Dorado.
To showcase the area’s offerings, the city participated in AIME 2013 and was one of the featured destinations for AIME 2013’s pre-show familiarisation tours. While Wangaratta did not have its own dedicated booth at AIME, it was represented by Tourism Victoria.
Emma Keith, business events & tourism development coordinator with the Rural City of Wangaratta, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the destination was last featured at AIME in 2009 when they had “no destination materials for MICE”.
Annalee Humphry, managing director of Nolan Media and Events Australia, said: “I see great potential in Wangaratta (and its surroundings) as a destination for business events, as it is an easy drive from Melbourne and there is available infrastructure for meetings and incentives.
“This region is great for food and wine, and is loved for its pristine environment. Clients can leverage Wangaratta’s nature to enhance the event’s experience.”
Katrina Pizzini, who runs the Pizzini Wines vineyard and A Travola cooking school in the King Valley with her family, is also hoping to draw more corporate bookings.
“We have been popular with family events for a while now, but we would like to see more corporate clients. Perhaps with the new planner guide we may start to see more corporate interest,” she said.
– Read more about the incentive options in Wangaratta and its surroundings in TTGmice April issue
THE International Maritime Exposition (Pacific), held every year at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, will remain in the Australian city even when the venue is shut for major redevelopment of the Darling Harbour precinct (TTGmice e-Weekly, September 27, 2012).
Ian Honnery, board member and chief executive of Maritime Australia, the organisation behind Pacific, told TTGmice e-Weekly: “It is my understanding the interim Glebe Island Expo will be a waterfront site, which is just perfect for Pacific.
“Therefore we will not be moving out of Sydney when the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre closes for those few years.”
Glebe Island Expo is expected to be up and ready by the time the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Sydney Entertainment Centre close for construction of the new facilities in December.
Meanwhile, Honnery said Pacific, which typically occurs in February, would be postponed to October 7 to 8 this year to coincide with centenary celebrations of the Royal Australian Navy fleet’s first entry into Sydney.
“Pacific 2013 will tie in with Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review, which will be spectacular,” he explained.
The Navy International Fleet Review will include formation fly-pasts, naval gun salutes, military band performances, naval demonstrations and a fireworks display in the evening.
