SINGAPORE will see more than 9,500 delegates from across the globe attending next week’s TravelRave, billed as Asia’s mega travel and tourism festival.

Running from October 15-19, this year’s edition promises to provide an expanded platform for travel business leaders and professionals to network, share insights and discover new business opportunities.

The highlight of TravelRave 2012 will be ITB Asia, a B2B travel trade show and convention that will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre from October 17-19. In partnership with ITB Asia, TTG Asia Media will also be organising the second annual TTG Travel Experts Conference at the same venue on October 18.

Conferences include the Asia Pacific Tourism Destination Investment Conference 2012 and Web In Travel Conference 2012 from October 15-17, Aviation Outlook Asia from October 17-18, and the Hotel Technology Conference 2012 and Asia Travel Leaders Summit on October 16.

Award ceremonies lined up include the Singapore Experience Awards on October 15 and the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony on October 18.

The official TravelRave networking event – Rave On! TravelRave Party – will be hosted by the Singapore Tourism Board at Gardens by the Bay on October 17.

OVOLO Group, a hotel and serviced apartment owner and operator based in Hong Kong, launched today its new flagship hotel, Ovolo 2 Arbuthnot Road (Ovolo 2AR).

Situated in the heart of Central just above Wyndham Street and Soho, Ovolo 2AR offers 42 guest rooms equipped with Apple TVs, high-speed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, complimentary minibars with a selection of drinks and alcohol replenished daily and Nespresso coffee machines.

Other amenities include a 24-hour gym, while F&B options include Cafe O, which serves complimentary daily breakfast, and Lo Lounge, which offers complimentary happy hour drinks from 18.00-20.00 daily.

The standard rack rate at Ovolo 2AR is HK$3,380 (US$436) per night. An introductory rate of HK$2,190 per night is available until further notice.

Meanwhile, Ovolo Group is planning to open a new hotel in Wong Chuk Hang on Hong Kong Island in 3Q2013, and intends to refurbish its existing hotel at 100 Shek Pai Wan in Aberdeen.

The company opened its first international hotel in Melbourne in September (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 20, 2012).

LUXURY cruise line Silversea Cruises has released two new brochures for 2013, showcasing over 200 of its cruise offerings for the coming year.

Available from January through December 2013, Silversea’s lineup for 2013 will cover more than 450 destinations across all seven continents.

Highlights include a 115-day World Cruise, which departs from Los Angeles on January 5 and sails to 52 destinations in 28 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore; the Grand Voyages cruise for an immersive experience over 34 to 54 days; and the 31-day South Pacific Voyage onboard the Silver Spirit, which sets off from Los Angeles on February 1.

Silverseas’ 2013 Voyages details the cruise line-up for Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit, covering worldwide itineraries by region, as well as information on shore excursions, land programmes, deck plans and pricing.

The second brochure, Silversea Expeditions’ 2013 Voyages, highlights 27 expedition cruises to remote destinations onboard the Silver Explorer.

QATAR Airways is to join oneworld, becoming the first of the three major Gulf carriers to sign for a global airline alliance.

Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Alliances are playing an increasingly important role in the airline industry today – and that will continue long into the future. Qatar Airways has carefully reviewed its strategic options and it is clear that joining oneworld is the best way forward for us as we look to strengthen our competitive offering and give passengers more choice.”

British Airways will serve as Qatar Airways’ sponsor during its implementation into the alliance, a process that is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.

The Doha-based carrier will become oneworld’s second member airline based in the Middle East. Royal Jordanian was the first carrier from the region to join a global alliance when it boarded oneworld in 2007.

Qatar Airways’ addition will plug 15 destinations and three countries – Iran, Rwanda and the Seychelles – into the oneworld map, boosting the alliance’s global coverage to 856 destinations in 159 countries and provide routing alternatives across hundreds of city pairs.

Qatar Airways already codeshares with oneworld member designate Malaysia Airlines. Two oneworld member airlines currently serve its Doha home – British Airways from its London hub, and Royal Jordanian from its Amman base – along with member elect SriLankan, from its Colombo hub.

American Airlines’ chairman and chief executive, Tom Horton, chairman of the oneworld governing board, said: “Adding Qatar Airways will significantly improve our connectivity between many of the destinations that are most important to (our) customers, so (the) agreement with Qatar Airways will enable us to offer even more value.”

oneworld CEO, Bruce Ashby, added: “oneworld is delighted to be the first of the global alliances to welcome a member airline from this region, enabling us to be the first to offer consumers the services and benefits offered by both a global alliance and a Gulf carrier.”

MALAYSIA Airlines will introduce double daily Airbus A380 services on its Kuala Lumpur-London (Heathrow) route beginning November 24. The flag carrier will also commence daily A380 operations to Paris effective March 1, 2013, replacing existing daily services with Boeing B777 aircraft.

The move will raise the weekly seat capacity on the Kuala Lumpur-London route from 5,971 to 6,916 seats in each direction, a 16 per cent increase.

MAS group CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, said: “This initiative is part of our efforts to standardise our product offering on (the Kuala Lumpur-London) route for oneworld customers when we join the alliance early next year (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 9, 2012).”

Noor Mohammad, head, Europe department, Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, said increased capacity on the Kuala Lumpur-London route would help alleviate the shortage of seats during the peak British travel season in November and December.

“However, whether it will lead to a significant increase in (inbound) tourists is still too early to tell, as it will also depend on airfares,” he added.

Abdul Rahman Mohamed, deputy general manager channel management, Mayflower Acme Tours, said: “MAS has the inventory, but whether it will stir the market depends on its fare pricing. Will it be as competitive as Middle East carriers, especially during the peak season?”

MAS’ move to boost capacity to Europe comes at the expense of planned A380 services to Sydney (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 13, 2012) and Melbourne. The carrier was orginally due to deploy the A380 on its daily Sydney-Kuala Lumpur flights from November 26, with Melbourne expected to follow from March 2013.

THE Jetstar Group yesterday launched its first Indonesian retail outlet in Kelapa Gading, the southernmost subdistrict of North Jakarta, to reach out to an extended customer base in the country.

Operated in collaboration with Holiday Tours & Travel, Qantas Group’s GSA for Indonesia, the outlet is expected to make it more convenient for Indonesian consumers to book and pay for fares across the entire Jetstar network.

Barathan Pasupathi, CEO, Jetstar Asia and Valuair, explained: “While credit card payments make up between 80 and 90 per cent (of overall transactions) in places such as Singapore, in Indonesia it is around 25 to 30 per cent. Many customers here still like to talk to people when planning a trip and prefer cash payments.”

He added: “Our Indonesian services are now running at around 80 per cent load factor and there is still room to grow. (The new retail outlet) will also make it more convenient for group bookings.”

Pasupathi told TTG Asia e-Daily that the group was planning to open additional retail outlets in Jakarta and other Jetstar destinations in Indonesia, while travel products including hotels and travel insurance would soon be available.

The Jetstar Group currently operates 80 flights a week from Australia and Singapore to Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Medan.

UBM Asia and RajaMICE have joined hands to launch SATTE Indonesia, with the first edition scheduled to take place in Bali from June 12-14, 2013.

An offshoot of the B2B travel tradeshow held annually in New Delhi, the introduction of SATTE Indonesia recognises the growing importance of Indonesia as a travel destination.

Christopher Eve, senior vice president, UBM Asia, said: “The growth of Indonesia’s economic importance in the South-east Asia region and around the world means that there are huge opportunities for both inbound and outbound travel operators and suppliers.”

“On the inbound side, Indonesia’s rich diversity of tourism offerings, as well as its rapidly increasing business travel (segment), offer huge potential. Meanwhile, the vast population and burgeoning middle class mean that there are enormous opportunities for outbound and domestic travel.”

SATTE Indonesia 2013 is expected to bring together over 300 domestic and international sellers and more than 250 domestic and international buyers. There will be three days of pre-allocated appointments for buyers and sellers as well as a four-day travel mart.

I B Lolec, country manager, Pacific World Indonesia, said: “This could be a great international tourism marketplace for Indonesia, especially Bali, which will be ready with more rooms and better infrastructure in 2013, in particular the new airport. This event would be absolutely great if SATTE Indonesia can bring quality overseas buyers.”

Asnawi Bahar, president, Indonesian Association of Tour & Travel Agencies, said: “Our members with a total of 7,000 travel agencies all over Indonesia should be able to become actively involved at SATTE Indonesia 2013.”

THAILAND, Indonesia and the Maldives are currently the hottest hotel investment markets in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

“We are seeing fantastic potential coming out of Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives, backed by rising RevPAR, healthy investor interest and solid travel demand,” said Tom Oakden, executive vice president, investment sales, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

“While hotel transactions in Asia and globally have slowed in the last year, investor sentiment remains strong for the right prospects, and these markets are showing the greatest opportunity for capital value growth.”

In Thailand, RevPAR is climbing in Bangkok despite new hotel supply, while resort markets such as Phuket are exhibiting stronger income growth potential. Whereas domestic players once dominated the market, overseas investors are increasingly coming into the picture – with greater liquidity as a result. Thailand has seen five major hotel deals in the last 18 months – including the Mövenpick Phuket, which was the country’s largest open market hotel transaction to date.

In Indonesia, Bali and Jakarta have traditionally dominated foreign investor interest, but this is diversifying to other regions. Lack of new stock is a challenge, although latest Jones Lang LaSalle research indicates that investors are preparing to sharpen yield expectations. Coupled with exceptional year-to-date RevPAR growth, this may help close the gap between the pricing expectations of buyers.

The Maldives has broadened its appeal beyond honeymooners with a healthy influx of Chinese visitors in the last three years. From an investment perspective, the Maldives commands one of the highest ADRs globally and guest capture for food, beverage and ancillary income sources is high. Government policies on foreign investment have also relaxed, allowing leases to be extended for 50-year terms. While RevPAR growth was affected by negative publicity in 1H2012, the destination has rebounded strongly with August showing double-digit RevPAR growth.