WITNESSING its first-ever annual profit since its 2005 opening, Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) saw an 18 per cent growth in revenue for the year ended September 29, 2012.

The park recorded a net profit of HK$109 million (US$14.1 million), bringing total revenue for fiscal year 2012 to HK$4.3 billion.

According to news agency AFP, the number of visitors to HKDL rose by 13 per cent to post 6.7 million, a record high. Visits by Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese grew by 21 and 13 per cent respectively.

Figures in the park’s release stated that locals comprised 33 per cent of HKDL visitors, mainlanders 45 per cent and foreigners 22 per cent.

Hotel occupancy stood at 92 per cent, also a company record, while per capita guest expenditure rose six per cent.

HKDL managing director, Andrew Kam, said: “The opening of Toy Story Land and Grizzly Gulch, together with strong sales and marketing strategies, have been key drivers for our growth.”

The openings in July 2012 contributed to an increase of more than 40 per cent in the number of annual pass holders to 195,000.

Meanwhile, a new themed area, Mystic Point, is scheduled to open in mid-2013, marking the completion of the park’s expansion plans and bringing the total number of attractions and entertainment options to over 100.

SILVERNEEDLE Hospitality has selected Colombo as the location for its second Next Hotel, the group’s new flagship brand designed for the business traveller.

Next will be unveiled on the international stage in 2014, when SilverNeedle launches the rebranded Chifley at Lennons Hotel Brisbane as the first property under the brand (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 20, 2012).

Part of a mixed-use lifestyle centre in the Sri Lankan capital’s CBD, the latest development will include a 200-room Next Hotel, a four-storey lifestyle mall and a 30-storey condominium tower.

SilverNeedle has entered into a joint venture with Sri Lankan conglomerate ABANS Group for the project, which will be managed by SilverNeedle’s development arm, SilverNeedle Hospitality Property. Total investment is said to be in excess of US$100 million.

Iqbal Jumabhoy, managing director and group CEO, SilverNeedle Hospitality, said: “We are delighted to be launching our flagship Next Hotels brand in Sri Lanka. South Asia is a strong priority market for SilverNeedle Hospitality and we look forward to entering the market with ABANS Group as a partner.”

The Next brand will embrace contemporary design, with a focus on efficiency from point of booking through to final departure.

TWO fiercely-competing NTOs, Japan and South Korea, have joined hands to offer a single vacation combining the two destinations.

The initiative, believed to be the first ever between the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), was driven by their directors in the Singapore office.

Together, they have roped in four carriers and 13 local travel agencies to twin the destinations in time for the NATAS Travel Fair from February 22-24.

At least 4,000 passengers are expected to buy the packages, according to JNTO’s executive director Singapore, Motonari Adachi.

“Our aim is more to create the awareness of the short and convenient flight connections between (South) Korea and Japan and offer travellers a wide variety of choices to travel to other cities in both South Korea and Japan,” he said.

“The flight duration between (South) Korea and Japan is around two hours (Incheon to Tokyo) and two hours, 35 minutes (Incheon to Hokkaido),” KTO director Singapore, Steve Yong, pointed out.

The move comes as Japan recovers from the 3/11 tsunami while South Korea’s Gangnam-style rocks. Singapore arrivals to South Korea last year were around 152,000, almost 10,000 more than Singapore arrivals to Japan.

According to JNTO Singapore manager, Susan Ong, a minimum stay of three nights in each country was set, but most of the packages that have been sewn are eight- to 10-day tours. Some agencies are offering experiences such as how to make kimchi and sushi.

Prices are also attractive. “Generally, tour packages to Japan or (South) Korea alone start from about S$2,000 (US$1,615). But for the joint campaign, travellers can visit two destinations in one go at almost the same price,” said Ong.

“(South) Korea and Japan have been the five top-selling destinations at every NATAS fair. We believe this trend will continue. We hope the initiative will motivate agencies to focus more on developing new tours combining these two popular North Asian destinations,” she added.

The partnership between the two NTOs, dubbed the ‘Kimchi and Sushi Project, was two years in the making. It was stalled by the 3/11 tsunami and political issues between North and South Korea in early 2012.

FOR the first time, World Islamic Tourism Mart (WITM) and Malaysia International Tourism Exchange (MITE) will be integrated as a four-day event from June 6-9 at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Jointly organised by Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and My Events International, WITM will focus on Muslim tourism while MITE will feature general tourism.

WITM-MITE 2013 will feature a B2B travel exchange and an international conference – including a half-day meeting between ministers and government representatives to discuss the future of Islamic travel – on June 6 and 7, followed by a consumer fair on June 8. In total, 500 buyers will be invited for the travel exchange and there will be 415 booths.

MATTA president, Mohd Khalid Harun, said: “Having two separate events at separate venues on the same dates last year saw exhibitors having to choose which event to exhibit in as they lacked resources to attend both shows. Buyers from abroad also faced the same problem.

“Tourism minister, Ng Yen Yen, also saw the importance of WITM and MITE, and since both are about travel, she asked us to work with My Events International and have the two events combined. This year, the (combined) impact will be stronger.”

From this year onwards, WITM-MITE will be an integrated event in Malaysia held annually in June, unless WITM is organised outside Malaysia, according to Khalid.

He said: “MATTA owns WITM. We have plans to take it global but this depends on how soon other countries bid to host it. By taking this event overseas, it will give an opportunity for other countries to showcase their tourism offerings and it will also give MATTA a business opportunity.”

Last year, the inaugural WITM was organised by MATTA at Putra World Trade Centre from May 31 to June 2, while the inaugural MITE was organised by My Events International at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang from May 31 to June 3.

WITH an eye on China’s burgeoning outbound tourism, Hotelbeds has acquired JBS, a US-based company dedicated to the Chinese accommodation wholesaler market.

Established in 2001 by Chinese-born US residents Juliann Meng, Barbara Ansel and Sarah Gao, JBS works with China-based tour operators and travel consultants as well as DMCs active in incoming tourism from China.

Hotelbeds and JBS will build on relationships with tour operators and travel distributors in China to drive more business to all destinations in the US, including maximising and increasing the partnerships both companies have with hotels and destination services providers.

Javier Arevalo, regional managing director, Hotelbeds Americas, said: “JBS is a well-respected company that has built up a strong position in the ‘China to US’ market. We are delighted that they are now working with us to maximise the opportunities between both markets.”

Juliann Meng of JBS Group added: “The Chinese market is growing rapidly, and many destinations in the US will see the benefit from this as the market grows and matures.”

The US has become an increasingly important destination for Chinese travellers, which currently represent about five per cent of total US inbound tourist expenditure and is expected to grow at a rate of over 25 per cent per year in the next five years.

HOLIDAY Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central has opened its doors, marking the brand’s first property on Phuket and second in Thailand following the launch of Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 20, 2012).

“Today’s savvy traveller is looking for quality accommodation in a prime location, and Holiday Inn Express offers the most important elements guests look for in a hotel without the frills”, said Jonathan Mills, head of operations, Holiday Inn Express and IHG Shared Services Asia Australasia.

He added: “This is the formula of the brand’s success across the world and we are confident that the Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central is well-poised to meet the demands of this growing segment in one of Thailand’s most popular leisure destinations.”

Located on Patong Beach, the 277-room hotel features guestrooms equipped with a three-head massage showerhead, high-quality bedding with 200-thread count sheets and duvet, a choice of soft and firm pillows, a 32-inch LCD TV, as well as in-room work space.

Hotel facilities include a compact meeting room, a self-service business centre, a 24-hour fitness room, a swimming pool, a self-service laundry room, vending machines and takeaway services. All guests are entitled to offerings such as free breakfast buffet and Wi-Fi Internet throughout the property.

To celebrate its launch, Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central is offering a special opening rate from 1,999++ baht (US$67++) per night for stays until October 31, 2013.

ONLINE luxury travel flash sales site ImpulseFlyer has launched the ImpulseFlyer Collection, a selection of luxury and boutique hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, bookable by members all year round.

The members-only site plans to offer over 100 properties by the end of the quarter.

ImpulseFlyer has also introduced VIP membership, which allows premium members exclusive access to perks and benefits at the properties in the Collection, and also private flash sales.

To obtain VIP membership, ImpulseFlyer members must either make a booking at one of the Collection hotels or be invited to the site by an existing VIP member.

CEO, Steven Gong, said: “ImpulseFlyer helps to connect the most discerning travellers with hand-picked luxury hotels and resorts in the region. With a focus on curating only the most amazing hotels, we take out the research and guesswork needed by luxury travellers when deciding where they want to stay on holiday, at the same time giving hotels reach to their target markets.”

PATIENTS from neighbouring Asian countries now make up the top five nationalities of medical tourists in Singapore instead of Americans and Britons, as growth in their home economies outstrip developments in healthcare.

According to local broadsheet The Straits Times, the number of foreign patients seeking medical treatment is on the rise again after waning in 2009 due to the global financial crisis.

According to statistics from Singapore’s Ministry of Health and the Singapore Tourism Board, a total of 35,959 medical tourists visited the city-state in 2011 and spent almost S$1 billion (US$806.9 million), an increase over the two previous years.

Indonesians accounted for 47.2 per cent of these tourists, with Malaysians a distant second at 11.5 per cent, followed by Bangladeshis (five per cent), Vietnamese (4.1 per cent) and Myanmar nationals (2.7 per cent).

The majority of medical tourists opt for treatment at private hospitals, where procedures can be less costly as foreigners are not subsidised at public ones, said The Straits Times. Statistics show most tourists come for general surgery.

Healthcare experts interviewed by the paper said that while US and UK citizens used to travel to Singapore for cheap medical services, lower prices in Thailand, Malaysia and India are now posing strong competition.

A FOUR Points by Sheraton survey has found Asia’s road warriors are the friendliest, with Indian and Chinese business travellers more likely to share a flight with a co-worker, keep in touch with a contact made on the road and hang out with colleagues in their free time.

According to the study, the majority of business travellers (61.1 per cent) globally preferred not to share a flight with their colleague, compared to 50.5 per cent among the Chinese. Some 70 per cent of Chinese business travellers also stay in touch with someone they have met on the road, compared to the overall figure of 64.4 per cent.

Indian business travellers are the most likely to hang out with colleagues at a bar or restaurant (61.1 per cent), and were also inclined to catching up with friends who live in town (52.6 per cent).

Overall, 42.9 per cent of business travellers polled said that aside from sleeping, socialising with colleagues at a bar or restaurant during their free time was the activity that took up most of their time in a hotel. In comparison, 39 per cent sweat it out at the gym, 37.5 per cent unwind at the spa and 34.2 per cent indulge in retail therapy.

“Business travellers have a real need to connect on the road – both virtually and in person,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide’s senior vice president, specialty select brands.

“Our survey results reveal that road warriors are social, preferring to network or to relax in the company of colleagues rather than just enjoying solitary pursuits.”

The 2012 hotel business travel study commissioned by Four Points surveyed 6,000 business travellers from the US, the UK, China, India, Germany and Brazil.