SPANISH travel group Barceló Viajes may have acquired its rival, Orizonia, but the buyout will not include any of its former Asian outbound operations.

Speaking to TTG Asia, Barceló’s marketing director, Mar Fernández, said Orizonia’s Asian business had been carried out mainly under the Kirunna and Iberojet brands.

Barceló has its own longhaul brand, La Cuarta Isla, set up in January 2012 to handle Asian business.

While Barceló could not give figures on the extent of Orizonia’s business in Asia, a market analyst said it had “been fast disappearing with the rest of its business in the last few years”.

Queries to Orizonia have gone unanswered.

At the height of the Spanish outbound market in the early 2000s, Orizonia had been among the top four Spanish operators in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Japan.

Under the new agreement, Barceló will take over parts of Orizonia’s charter airline business, Orbest, and the Vibo travel agency chain, Last December, Orizonia sold its hotel chain Luabay to Globalia travel group, owner of Air Europia.

KOREAN Air yesterday made an official bid for a 44 per cent stake in the wholly government-owned Czech Airlines (CSA).

Czech daily DNES reported that the Asian carrier intends to acquire a 44 per cent stake for “a few million dollars”. Ernst & Young auditors have estimated the stake to be worth 148 million koruna (US$7.5 million).

The same paper said that Qatar Airways had previously expressed interest in the stake, but would not take part in the bidding.

The Czech Republic has offered 96 per cent of its troubled flagship carrier to European investors, but non-European companies are only allowed to own minority stakes in strategic companies as per European Union regulations, stated AFP.

In 2011, CSA recorded a loss of 241 million koruna.

ITB Berlin will open tomorrow with Indonesia as the official partner country for this year’s show, the first time a South-east Asian country has held the position.

Through the theme of Heart Matters, Indonesia will showcase the hospitality of its people and highlight the country’s culinary and cultural icons. Its pavilions in Hall 26A, 16 and 4.1 will feature the country’s latest products, especially for the 16 tourism destinations and seven special interest segments it is focusing on for development.

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will officiate the opening ceremony alongside German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Meanwhile, Accor has been appointed official partner for Indonesia at the show. Accor’s booths and its annual gala dinner for top buyers and VIPs will bear elements of Indonesian arts and culture.

Accor Indonesia’s president director, Gerard Guillouet, said the timing was perfect for Indonesia to do large-scale promotions.

“Indonesia has suffered in terms of image in the past, but in the last 15 years or so, a lot of effort has been made by the government to put Indonesia on the international map.

“Today Indonesia enjoys an exceptional reputation overseas and is improving more and more, and now we have the opportunity in Europe to (invite travellers) to come to this wonderful country.”

– Look out for our ITB Berlin Daily from March 6-8, 2013

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) and Virgin America are building on their codeshare agreement with a new frequent flyer programme partnership.

Under the tie-up, SIA’s PPS Club and KrisFlyer members can earn miles when travelling on all Virgin America flights and redeem miles for travel on all routes operated by the partner carrier.

Similarly, members of Virgin America’s Elevate programme are able to earn and redeem points on SIA flights.

INBOUND travel into Sabah is holding up despite the ongoing standoff between Filipino followers of the sultan of Sulu and Malaysian police forces.

Inbound operators TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to said there had been no cancellations as yet.

Andy Muniandy, director of sales and business development at Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, said requests for FIT quotations were still coming in.

However, Andy Soo, general manager, Mayflower Acme Tours, said there were concerns, especially from Chinese agencies with FITs going to Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. To ease fears, travellers are escorted to and from Danum Valley by park rangers. Soo added that he was in contact with Sabah Tourism Board for updates on the situation.

Likewise, Asia Experience Tours’ head of sales, Clement Ho, who has an FIT booking to Manukan Island this month, said: “We pass on the travel advisories we receive from Sabah Tourism Board to all our (consultants) with interests in Sabah.”

Ng Yen Yen, Malaysia’s tourism minister, said yesterday that Sabah was safe for tourists despite the latest attacks. She added that the ministry was monitoring the situation closely and would ensure the safety of tourists.

INDIA’S Ministry of Civil Aviation is initiating negotiations with the governments of Singapore and Sri Lanka for additional flights, even as the country’s capacity to Japan is set to increase soon.

According to Ajit Singh, India’s civil aviation minister, current seat entitlements between India and the two countries are almost exhausted.

Tiger Airways is in talks with SpiceJet and Indigo for an alliance to route passengers from smaller cities to Hyderabad for onward travel to Singapore. Passenger traffic between Singapore and India grew 10.4 per cent last year.

Out of Sri Lanka, carriers such as Mihin Lanka are also seeking flying rights to more Indian destinations after the launch of services to New Delhi, Varanasi and Gaya in February. India is Sri Lanka’s largest source market, comprising 23,500 one-way seats a week or 25 per cent of flight capacity out of Colombo.

Anil Punjabi, chairman ­– east, Travel Agents Federation of India, said: “There is a persistent demand for flights to cities like Colombo and Singapore from Indian carriers. Given the low yield on most domestic sectors, Indian carriers should be allowed to fly to as many international destinations as our air service agreements will permit.”

Meanwhile, Japanese carrier ANA is planning to quadruple Mumbai-Tokyo Narita flights to four daily flights. The airline will also introduce thrice weekly flights to Bengaluru and four weekly flights to Chennai within this year.

Most Indians travelling to the US transit in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong, and ANA is set to make Tokyo the fourth gateway on this route.

Kenji Sugino, general manager India, ANA, said the Indian market was “crucial” for the airline.

ANA has also strategically introduced flights at Mineta San José International Airport, which reduces travel time for passengers going to Silicon Valley as compared to landing at San Francisco International Airport.

SPANISH hotel chain Meliá Hotels International will be opening its first Innside hotel in Asia in Jogjakarta.

The 258-room The Innside Yogyakarta will become the largest of all Innside by Meliá hotels when it opens in 2015 on Palagan Tentara Pelajar Street. Meliá runs Innside properties in Germany and Spain, with some in the pipeline for Denmark and the UK.

The property will feature flexible meeting and event space, a restaurant and lobby bar.

The group currently operates eight hotels in South-east Asia, having doubled its regional portfolio in the last two years while also boosting its corporate team and sales force.