VETERAN UK tour operator Paul Graham died yesterday after succumbing to cancer.

Graham was a director with Silverbird and, in the past year, a valued member of Chic Locations. In his many years as a tour operator, he had built long-lasting relationships with suppliers from the Far East and specialised in selling destinations such as Hong Kong and Thailand.

Chic Locations’ David Kevan said Graham’s sense of humour never left him as he fought cancer, and that he was still checking on clients’ requests up to his last days.

“We wish him well in his journey now. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him,” said Kevan.

Said The Minor Group Thailand’s Skip Heinecke: “Paul was a real professional and always a gentleman and a pleasure to work with. He will be missed by a great many of us.”

Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, general manager, The Regent Chalet, Regent Beach Cha Am – Hua Hin, added: “It is a shock for me to lose a good friend like Paul who has supported me for over 20 years since I met him. May he rest in peace. He will be missed by all of us.”

AIRASIA group CEO, Tony Fernandes, is planning to raise funds for expansion by listing AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia and Tune Insurance on the Malaysian stock exchange, Bursa Malaysia, next year, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

AirAsia chairman, Abdul Aziz bin Abu Bakar, was quoted by AFP as saying that the triple IPO was slated for launch by early 2013, and that cash generated from the listing would be used to fund future expansion.

An unidentified source familiar with the deal told AFP that the three listings would be worth a combined US$400 million to US$550 million.

The planned IPO is timely given Bursa Malaysia’s growing reputation as a hotbed for successful stock listings. The bourse has seen three of the four largest IPOs in Asia this year, including those of pay-TV broadcaster Astro Malaysia Holdings, palm oil producer Felda Global Ventures Holdings and hospital operator IHH Healthcare.

OUTBOUND tourist traffic from China increased significantly during the recent National Day Golden Week from September 30 to October 7, with some Asian destinations on the receiving end of a bumper crop of arrivals.

A report jointly published by the China Tourism Academy – the research arm of the China National Tourism Administration – and online travel agency Ctrip revealed that the number of travellers heading overseas during the period rose by 50 per cent over last year.

The report attributed the strong outbound demand during the eight-day holiday to the relatively robust Chinese currency, simplified visa requirements and improving air connections.

The top 10 most popular destinations during the period were Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Maldives, the US and Cambodia.

According to Ding Jianmin, assistant general manager, Shanghai CITS International Travel Service, a large share of his clients chose to visit Hong Kong and Macau this year, while business to Europe declined.

Ding said four- and 10-day trips were the most popular, while older travellers tended to spend less than their younger counterparts. Those with a penchant for buying luxury goods probably spent more than RMB10,000 (US$1,592) on average per person, he added.

Data from Shanghai Spring International Travel Service showed that the number of customers travelling to Asia-Pacific rose by 30 per cent, with prices climbing by five per cent year-on-year due to rising airfares and hotel rates. The most popular destinations were Thailand, Russia, East Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Demand for Europe and the US also grew by 10 per cent over the same period last year, with destinations such as France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Guam especially popular.

Reporting by Hong Xu

KARIMUNJAWA, an archipelago of 27 islands off the coast of Indonesia’s Central Java province and situated north of Semarang, is fast gaining popularity among travellers from Singapore and Malaysia thanks to improved accessibility and heavy promotions by provincial tourism stakeholders.

This year, the Central Java Tourism Promotion Board estimates that arrivals to the destination to date are up 20-30 per cent over the same period in 2011.

The board’s director of market development, Marah Indra Madewa, said: “Karimunjawa has been one of our focus for promotions since last year, and it has started to gain recognition among Singaporean and Malaysian travellers who like beach holidays and activities, such as diving and snorkelling, thanks to direct daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Semarang by AirAsia, and from Singapore by Batavia Air.”

The Central Java provincial government is also planning to upgrade Dewa Daru Airport on Kemujan, one of the main islands in the archipelago, to attract more chartered and regular services to the destination.

The airport is capable of handling six- to 12- seater aircraft, and currently serves chartered flights from Semarang.

Normally a 4D3N package, the choice of activities in Karimunjawa includes island hopping, snorkelling, diving, swimming with sharks, and night fishing.

Madewa said: “Travellers have a choice to go directly from Semarang by fast boat, or overland from Semarang to Jepara (approximately 80km south-east of Karimunjawa) and visit the wood carving and furniture industry which Jepara is famous for, and (subsequently) take a three-and-a-half-hour speed boat ride to the islands from there.”

“On the way back, they have the option of staying one night in Semarang for shopping,” he added.

EVA Airways started thrice-weekly services between Taipei and Yangon on October 9.

Operated every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday on McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft, the new flights are expected to usher in an influx of North American visitors to Myanmar via Taiwan.

Taiwan’s national carrier, China Airlines, currently operates five flights a week between Taipei and Yangon, which will be boosted to seven flights a week from October 28.

EVA Airways is one of several international airlines, including Qatar Airways (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 5, 2012), Korean Air (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 19, 2012) and Singapore Airlines (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 5, 2012), to have added Yangon to their destination rosters recently.

All Nippon Airways will also offer the first direct link between Japan and Myanmar on October 15, operating three flights a week between Tokyo and Yangon.

Other international carriers preparing to fly to Yangon include Dragon Air, Condor, TransAsia Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways and Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

TO meet the anticipated increase in demand for Subang-Kota Bharu services this coming Hari Raya Haji season, Firefly will mount additional flights on October 25 and 29, 2012.

Firefly CEO, Ignatius Ong, said: “This year, Hari Raya Haji will be falling on a long weekend, therefore we are expecting encouraging response from celebrating Muslims eager to return to their respective hometowns for a reunion with families and friends, as well as those taking advantage of the short break.”

“The historical pattern of this route indicates that demand for flights during the Muslim festive seasons has always been high. Based on our advance sales figures, the demand has been even higher this year.”

The additional flights are available for booking on Firefly’s website, mobile app, call centre, airport and city ticketing offices, as well as travel agency representatives.

DAFAM Hotels & Resorts will mark its entry into Sumatra with the opening of two hotels in Bandar Lampung in 2014.

The 168-room Grand Dafam Lampung will form part of a mixed-use development that offers retail and entertainment space. Facilities will include a restaurant, a spa, a fitness centre and four meeting rooms.

The second property, the 98-room Dafam Luxury Hotel, will be a three-star property featuring a spa, a karaoke lounge and two meeting rooms.

Andhy Irawan, managing director, Dafam Hotels & Resorts, said: “Lampung is a growing destination, especially for business travel. The airline traffic here is really high and average hotel occupancy in the city is 65 per cent.”

He added: “The convenient business licensing, especially in hotel development, also clearly demonstrates the government’s support to businesses.”

According to Meidy Tjahjadi, a board member of the Indonesia Hotel & Restaurant Association’s Lampung chapter, there are 10 hotels in the pipeline in Lampung, including a 300-room Mercure targeted to open next year.

BEST Western International (BWI) will this month open Best Western The Mint Hotel, said to be the first international branded hotel in Angeles City, the Philippines.

Located on Fields Avenue, in the heart of the Balibago tourist district, the hotel will offer 52 rooms equipped with flat-screen HD TVs, minibars, work desks and complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity. Amenities will include a café-restaurant offering complimentary buffet breakfast, a laundry and car rental services.

With the nearby Clark International Airport gradually turning into an international hub, Best Western The Mint Hotel expects to attract a growing number of international and domestic visitors.

Glenn de Souza, vice president international operations-Asia & the Middle East, BWI said: “The potential for Angeles as a destination is enormous and the recent arrival of AirAsia Philippines, as well as the presence of Cebu Pacific, SEAir, AirPhil Express and other international carriers at Clark Airport is testament to the growth of the area.”

BWI currently operates five hotels in the Philippines, but this portfolio is expected to more than double to 12 properties by the beginning of 2014.