A RISE in trips to and from Europe is expected in 2013, according to the findings of the latest ITB World Travel Trends Report.

The report discovered that Europeans increasingly favour faraway destinations: longhaul travel rose by around four per cent. The main beneficiaries of this trend were the Americas and Asia-Pacific, where inbound tourism rose by two per cent and eight per cent respectively.

However, economic uncertainty in a number of European countries is impacting travel patterns.

Italy reported a five per cent drop in outbound trips and Spain, a two per cent decline. By contrast, the figures for Switzerland and Norway were good. These countries benefited from high exchange rates and reported 10 and six per cent increases in outbound travel respectively. Conversely, despite a flourishing economy, Germany’s figures stagnated, while UK grew marginally.

Despite the economic tensions in Europe, forecasts for 2013 are cautiously optimistic. Overall, the report predicts a moderate increase in European outbound travel of around one to two per cent. Only one-third of Europeans said the recession would affect their travel plans in 2013.

Russian outbound tourism is expected to rise by nine per cent, and UK and German outbound numbers by five per cent and three per cent respectively. Some 28 per cent of Europeans said they wanted to travel more in 2013; 21 per cent said they would be travelling less.

Martin Buck, director of the Competence Center Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin, said: “The report’s findings illustrate the wide-ranging impact of economic developments on European tourism forecasts. All the same, the outlook for next year is mostly positive.”

INSIGHT Vacations wants to grow its Asian market from 10 to 15 per cent by 2014. Currently, its top three sources in Asia are Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Its CEO/ president, John Boulding, sees the three markets maintaining their top three positions, with Indonesia showing a bigger growth percentage.

To grow the Asian market further, Boulding said: “We will build more products to suit Asian travellers. The seasonality has to be right, the duration has to be right and the destination has to be right.”

He said Asians tended to take shorter holidays of nine or 10 days on average compared to their US and European counterparts. He added that the popular destinations among Asian travellers were Italy, Poland, Spain and Portugal, Eastern Europe and Switzerland.

He described Asian travellers as “sophisticated” and looked for itineraries that were off the beaten track such as visiting Dracula’s Castle in Romania and the country road series in Scotland.

Thaddeus Foo, managing director of Corporate Information Travel, Insight Vacations’ recently appointed GSA for Malaysia (excluding Penang), noted that his company had received more than 40 bookings from individuals for travel to Europe and US for Winter 2012. He said: “This is a good time to travel as the euro and US dollar have depreciated.”

Boulding said average prices of Insight Vacations’ European programmes in 2013 were 10 to 15 per cent lower compared with 2012.

SEYCHELLES’ tourism players are stepping up efforts to court Chinese travellers, following the announcement earlier this month of a new Air Seychelles thrice-weekly connection between Seychelles and Hong Kong from February 2013.

Last week, Air Seychelles and Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) held the first jointly organised workshop in Hong Kong, bringing together nearly 80 local travel consultants and nine inbound operators from the Seychelles.

Tour operator Select-Seychelles is intending to open the market by introducing the first-ever B2B platform in January 2013, offering products from land arrangement to hotels. A B2C model is also being considered.

STB CEO, Elsia Grandcourt, said the country was eyeing Chinese high-end FITs and MICE, and is looking to establish its presence in Hong Kong. It has already said it will open another office in Shanghai, adding to its existing office in Beijing.

She said: “Unlike our core markets from Europe who enjoy beaches and sunshine, the Chinese tend to enjoy more activities. That’s why we are developing various choices (of activities), from diving, hiking, fishing and golf.”

Cramer Ball, CEO of Air Seychelles, said the new flight would enable passengers to continue their journey on the same airplane after a one-and-half-hour stop in Abu Dhabi to refuel. “Leaving Hong Kong at 18.00, (the flight) arrives in Seychelles at 07.00, while return flights depart at 15.30 and reach Hong Kong at 08.00. Such convenient timings facilitate easy transit traffic to China and other Asian destinations,” he said.

The Walshe Group has been appointed the airline’s GSA for Hong Kong and Macau, though it is still looking for a groundhandling agent. The company is also in talks with Cathay Pacific Airways and Hong Kong Airlines for connecting flights and discount packages.

Bookings, however, are not available at the moment though Air Seychelles has already received approval for the timeslots.

UK ECONOMY hotel brand Premier Inn is making its Indonesian debut with Premier Inn Bali Jimbaran, expected to open in the second half of 2013.

The company made the announcement in a statement yesterday, barely five months after setting up shop in Singapore as part of expansion plans in South-east Asia. Premier Inn Bali Jimbaran is the first of several developments Premier Inn is working on across the region.

Erik van Keulen, senior vice president for development, Asia-Pacific, said: “Premier Inn appeals to the fast-growing low-cost business and leisure travel market. We will continue to seek like-minded partners from the region who see this as a strong investment proposition.”

The hotel will be built in partnership with Alda Bali Indotel and feature a swimming pool, restaurant and bar.

BANYAN Tree Hotels and Resorts will launch Banyan Tree Kerala in the first quarter of 2013 instead of December, marking the group’s debut in India.

Located on the private island of Nediyathuruthu in the Alleppey district of Kerala, Banyan Tree Kerala is an hour south of Kochi International Airport and a 10-minute boat ride from the resort’s private jetty in nearby Vaduthala.

The 59-villa resort will also feature the group’s first dedicated Ayurvedic Centre,  which will offer personalised consultations by qualified Ayurvedic doctors who will recommend tailored treatments based on individual needs.

Additionally, the resort can hold small- to medium-size meetings and events. A boardroom and two meeting rooms are available, while its banquet hall can accommodate up to 150 guests.

THE Malaysian Association of Hotels Training and Education Center (MAHTEC) will take its training and educational expertise to Vientiane, Laos.

In collaboration with the Lao Hotel & Restaurant Association and its training partner, V Serve, MAHTEC will offer the Bartender Management Certificate Programme to employees in the hospitality industry. The programme will begin in mid-December with a maximum of 25 students.

“This is the first time MAHTEC is offering its training abroad, and there are plans in 2013 to also offer diploma programmes in hospitality management to Lao Hotel & Restaurant Association and to other hotel associations within ASEAN,” said Reginald Pereira, CEO, MAHTEC.

He added that this was to upgrade the skills of the region’s hospitality industry and to help reduce the sector’s shortage of skilled workers.

Meanwhile, MAHTEC recently signed an MoU with NetAcademy in Kuala Lumpur to offer the Applied Bachelor of Hospitality Management Programme to industry employees in Malaysia who want to obtain an internationally recognised qualification from the University of Ballarat, Australia. NetAcademy is the university’s global e-learning partner.

It is MAHTEC’s first degree programme, commencing in March 2013 with approximately 25 students, said Pereira. It uses a blended learning methodology, combining face-to-face

FOLLOWING the series of differentiated marketing campaigns launched in China, Australia and India, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has unveiled its latest Only in Singapore, Right Now!campaign in Jakarta to target Indonesian tourists.

“Through years of engagement in the market and research into consumer needs and behaviour, we have learned much about the Indonesian tourist. The Only in Singapore, Right Now! campaign leverages such valuable insights to deepen our engagement with this important market, said Sophia Ng, assistant chief executive, marketing group, STB.

According to research, most Indonesian visitors to Singapore are FIT travellers; the majority of them have visited Singapore in the past three years; and social media is the biggest source of information sharing.

Ng added: “No longer will Indonesians have to browse through many different websites and platforms to get the necessary information. The YourSingapore Live website provides the Indonesian market a one-stop platform to the latest happenings in Singapore, as well as the ease of booking flights and event tickets.”

Besides marketing on traditional and social media fronts, the STB campaign also incorporates strategic collaborations with partners like AirAsia Indonesia and Standard Chartered Indonesia to co-create offers.

Said AirAsia Indonesia CEO, Dharmadi: “Singapore is one of the favourite destinations for our guests. Currently we fly Indonesians to Singapore from four big cities, such as Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Bali. Therefore, it is a great opportunity for us to partner with STB. Together we will continue to provide the best service at the lowest fares to visit Singapore.”

The use of Standard Chartered credit cards in Singapore will also entitle Indonesian visitors to a variety of discounts and rewards in more than 1,000 establishments in the country.