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.

AIRASIA X will expand its network in China come February, when the airline launches flights to Shanghai from its base in Kuala Lumpur, making the city AirAsia’s 14^th destination in China.

The airline will operate six weekly flights to Shanghai Pudong International Airport from February 19 and step up frequency to offer daily services from May 1.

Guests may also purchase Fly-Thru flights from Shanghai to AirAsia’s destinations in Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore, which joins two flight sectors via the Malaysian capital.

Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai flights beginning February 19 will depart Kuala Lumpur every day from Tuesday to Sunday at 19.35 to reach Shanghai at 00.45.

Flights on the Shanghai-Kuala Lumpur leg depart every day from Wednesday to Monday at 01.45, touching down in Malaysia at 06.55.

The service will be retimed effective May 1, with daily Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai flights to take off at 18.35 and arrive at 23.45. Return flights will also operate every day, departing Shanghai at 01.05 and 06.15.

The route will be served by the A330-300 with a configuration of 12 premium flatbed seats and 365 economy seats.

“With a 23 million-strong population in Shanghai city, we foresee strong demand for the route where guests may take the opportunity to visit Malaysia and use AirAsia X as a gateway to the many exotic and exciting destinations across the region through our strong group network,” said Azran Osman-Rani, CEO, AirAsia X.

THE Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) will organise the first Philippine Tourism Convention in May next year as the country gears up for the expected influx of 10 million foreign tourists by 2016.

To be held in a yet-to-be specified venue in Manila, the convention will be open to all tourism stakeholders including local government officials, hoteliers, travel consultants, schools as well as professionals engaged in various travel segments such as adventure travel and agro-tourism.

Among the highlights of this upcoming annual event is the private sector’s role in helping local government units improve their understanding of tourism, develop tourism criteria and put in place infrastructure to handle the forecasted growth in inbound traffic.

According to PHILTOA president Cesar Cruz, forum topics will include defining Filipino service and preparing for the 2015 implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on tourism professionals, which paves the way for higher competency standards and greater mobility within the regional bloc.

THE ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) TRAVEX 2013, which will take place in Vientiane’s Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre from January 22-24, boasts the highest number of corporate booths achieved by the event thus far, while more than half of buyers attending are new.

Into its 32nd edition, the ATF TRAVEX 2013, will welcome over 1,000 exhibitors and 460 booths, with new exhibitors comprising 35 per cent. The exhibition will feature 75 corporate booths.

Host country Laos is fielding its largest-ever contingent at ATF.

Saly Phimpinith, director-general of tourism marketing department in the Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, said: “Laos is constantly improving its service standards in the tourism industry. We have begun to classify hotels and guesthouses and are actively promoting community-based tourism in order to improve the standard of living in remote areas. We are happy to give ATF TRAVEX delegates a glimpse into the beauty of Laos through the pre-show city tours and post-show tours.”

ATF 2013 attracted close to 1,100 buyer registrations, out of which only 380 quality buyers will be hosted. More than 50 non-hosted buyers will also be participating. The forum is seeing buyers from new countries such as Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Ireland, Israel, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.

International media registrations have also reached the 170 mark.

WITH the launch of India’s first Holiday Inn Express in Ahmedabad last week, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is ramping up its focus on India and West Asia to grow its Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

In the next five years, India will see 31 hotels opening under the two brands, while West Asia will get seven. Both brands are expected to launch 682 new hotels globally by 2017, adding to its current 3,414 properties.

Baby Thomas, managing partner, Princy Travels, said: “Holiday Inn Express is a very suitable brand for the Indian market as it offers good-quality accommodation at no-frills cost, attracting a large segment of travellers in smaller cities and towns. This segment is largely unfulfilled in India, and the Holiday Inn brand carries high credibility to ensure customer patronage.”