DESPITE visa challenges, a lack of French NTO presence and no direct flights, France’s charms have not worn off for Indonesia as travel consultants report growing demand for the European destination.

Elok Tour managing director, Pauline Suharno, said Paris was “still a favourite” destination for Indonesian travellers.

Genta Tours’ owner, Dharmawan Rahardja, pointed out: “Many travellers, who have visited Paris as part of a Europe tour, come back again, spending a few days just in France to see more of the country…The destination has also attracted incentives.”

Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) managing director, Paul Roll, called Indonesia a discrete market, as it had grown significantly despite obstacles. “Four years ago, we tried to bring a Parisian delegation to Indonesia but we failed (because there was not enough interest from the industry). This year, we came with Parisian companies led by large department stores (Printemps and Galeries Lafayette).”

“Indonesian tour operators and retailers have told us their market (to France) has been growing 20 per cent (in the last couple of years). Value added tax (receipts) has shown double-digit growth and the department stores list Indonesia (as a) top 10 (source market). All this shows that the Indonesian market is growing well,” he explained.

The CVB estimates Indonesians accounted for 65,000 arrivals last year, out of the total 29 million arrivals to Paris.

Asked if the CVB had a target for Indonesian arrivals, Roll said the bureau would focus on quality not quantity. “Paris is a small city and we want to keep the city lively, so we don’t want a city (full of) tourists and no locals. It is a challenge to develop business while at the same time preserving our personality…We want visitors that fit our culture, prices and what we have to offer.”

Meanwhile, Elok Tour’s Pauline said: “The one thing we would like from the French government is to facilitate travellers’ needs by easing the visa application process at the Jakarta embassy.”

CEBU Pacific (CEB) has announced it will commence a new thrice-weekly direct service linking Manila and Phuket on August 16.

Phuket-bound flights depart at 20.00 and arrive at 23.00, while return flights leave Phuket at midnight and arrive in the capital of the Philippines at 05.05.

Phuket will become CEB’s second Thai destination after Bangkok, where CEB operates 12 weekly flights from Manila and twice-weekly flights out of Cebu and Clark.

CEB is also slated to launch Cebu-Masbate flights on June 1, Cebu-Taipei flights on July 5, and its first longhaul service between Manila and Dubai on October 7.

CHINA’S Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels is debuting in the Philippines with two Jin Jiang Inns in prime Metro Manila locations, due to launch by 2014.

The 95-room Jin Jiang Inn Ortigas, located beside Richmonde Hotel in the Ortigas CBD and shopping area, will open this year while the 70-room Jin Jiang Inn Greenbelt will open in late 2014 opposite New World Makati Hotel at the Makati CBD and shopping centre.

Oishi snacks manufacturer Liwayway Group, Injap Investments and Simon Paz Steniel Realty and Development own the two properties.

Oliver Rey-Matias, vice president of Liwayway Group, said the two budget hotels would be marketed to Chinese and domestic travellers as “value-for-money boutique business hotels near the CBD” and noted that guestrooms would not be “the usual Spartan kind”.

“Long-term, we expect tourists from South-east Asia and China. They are getting richer, have (higher) disposable incomes and want to travel often. We see the Philippines as an alternative to Phuket, Hainan and Vietnam,” he added.

Rey-Matias shared that there have been applications from several investors in the provinces of the Philippines to franchise the brand. Local company CSI Hotels is the master franchisor of Jin Jiang Inn in the Philippines.

“Once the Jin Jiang Inns are operational and we feel there is a demand for an upmarket hotel, then we will consider adding a Jin Jiang Hotel,” he said, referring to Jin Jiang’s five-star brand.

Asked why the Chinese hotel company chose to establish in the Philippines, Rey-Matias remarked that it could be because Jin Jiang is familiar with Liwayway Group, which has had snack factories in Shanghai since the early 1990s.

SWISSÔTEL Hotels & Resorts has secured a contract with Shaanxi Puyu Industrial for the management of Swissôtel Xi’an, which will begin welcoming guests in 2016.

The 350-room hotel will be situated in the business area within the Xi’an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base that will boast over 300,000 residences and more than 30 medium to large-scale enterprises when completed.

Guestrooms at Swissôtel Xi’an will range from 40m²-50m² and offer four restaurants, function and banqueting space and recreational facilities, including a Purovel Spa.

“This is a welcome addition to our current portfolio in China, and will complement our upcoming projects in Chengdu, Changsha and Sanya. Xi’an is a strategic step in our plans and puts us on track with our goals to expand in emerging markets,” said Meinhard Huck, president, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts.

THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has appointed Thawatchai Arunyik, TAT’s deputy governor for the domestic market, as the next governor to helm the NTO.

According to The Bangkok Post, Thawatchai will succeed current TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni on December 21.

Thawatchai has pledged to address Thailand’s security issues and update TAT’s online promotions in order to “meet the government’s revenue target of two trillion baht (S$66.6 billion) by 2015”.

He was quoted by The Bangkok Post as saying: “We have to upgrade both content and website to catch up with market trends…The TAT wil open an online travel market for small and medium-sized enterprises as a new channel for them to promote themselves and sell their products.”

The newly-appointed Thawatchai spent a good part of his career with TAT, having served in various posts such as TAT director of the Central Region 2 office, director of the TAT London office, executive director of the Central Region, as well as executive director for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He is currently deputy governor for domestic marketing.

FOR the first time, the Penang MATTA Fair will be organised by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents’ (MATTA) wholly-owned subsidiary and business arm, Micem, instead.

Previous fairs had been planned by MATTA chapter members in Penang, and this year’s edition is scheduled to run from July 5-7 at Times Square, Penang.

Jeffri Sulaiman, vice president for outbound, MATTA, said the departure from tradition would “allow MATTA to concentrate on industry issues for members”.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday morning, he added that Micem’s expertise would be used to market the Penang MATTA Fair and he was confident that all 190 booths would be taken up by a good combination of travel and tour operators, airlines, hotels, resorts and foreign NTOs.

It is understood that Micem will begin taking charge of the respective consumer travel fairs for MATTA’s chapter members, starting with the upcoming Penang MATTA Fair.

Micem has been successfully organising the twice-yearly MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur since 2006.

In another departure from tradition, MATTA members from outside Penang will be able to buy booths and exhibit at the Penang fair. Jeffri said: “The big boys in Kuala Lumpur can compete on packages with the big boys in Penang – that will be good for consumers.”

Before, MATTA members from outside Penang without a local office were not allowed to exhibit and had to sell their packages through Penang Chapter members.

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.