INSIGHT Vacations has appointed Corporate Information Travel as its GSA for Malaysia, excluding Penang, effective October 1.

Corporate Information Travel will be responsible for sales and marketing as well as reservations and operations for Insight Vacations on both a B2B and B2C basis.

“Forging this strong relationship with Corporate Information Travel is timely, as we intend to increase sales in the Malaysian market by 30 per cent within the next two years,” said Sheryl Lim, regional director of Asia, Insight Vacations.

“We are confident that Corporate Information Travel’s experience and network in Malaysia, particularly their expertise in the business travel and MICE sectors, will be invaluable to our growth strategy in Asia,” she added.

Corporate Information Travel’s managing director, Thaddeus Foo, told TTG Asia e-Daily that he was planning to boost sales by leveraging on the company’s travel partners to distribute Insight Vacation’s tour packages throughout Malaysia.

Foo said he would also work with banks and corporations to roll out special promotions for their clients, with airlines on packages that need the airfare component and also come up with special deals for his own database of corporate customers.

Insight Vacations’ sales and marketing operations in Penang will continue to be administered by Nam Ho Travel Service (Malaysia).

THE Micronesian Cruise Association (MCA) is reaching out to major cruise line operators including Royal Caribbean Cruises and Carnival Corporation, as well as niche players such as Orion Expeditions and SeaDream Yacht Club, to bolster cruising options within the region.

Cruise vessels already visit Micronesia on an ad hoc basis with Cunard, Princess, Hapag-Lloyd and several Japanese lines making around 10 calls to the region a year.

“Our realistic goal is to increase the number of cruise ship passengers from around 10,000 a year today to around 50,000 in three years,” said Ernie Galito, director, business development, Baldyga Group and secretariat for the MCA.

According to Galito, local governments and private enterprises on individual islands within Micronesia were investing in cruise tourism infrastructure to put the region “on the (global) cruising map”.

He highlighted that Guam, Saipan and Palau were ideal ports of call for large ships sailing from Australia, North Asia and South-east Asia.

“Marshall Islands, Chuuk and Pohnpei, which have more limited port infrastructure, are perfect for smaller vessels. These islands offer a lot of potential as they are relatively unknown – making them ideal stops for cruise lines that cater to niche markets,” he added.

The MCA is also looking to engage cruise lines to develop “fly in and cruise out” itineraries. “This will bolster tourism while minimising congestion at ports,” said Galito.

When asked about the viability of Micronesia as a cruise destination, Holland America Line’s vice president of international planning, marketing & sales, Joseph Slattery, said that current demand was insufficient to warrant sailing there on a more regular or permanent basis.

“Some of our world and Pacific cruises already make stops in Micronesia and this works for us for now. Naturally, we evaluate our itineraries from time to time, and if the demand is there, we will up capacity (to Micronesia),” he said.

TOURISM stakeholders were urged to adopt sustainability and collaborative partnerships as their core principles at the inaugural Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) in Macau last week.

“The number of cross-border tourists is increasing dramatically, which demands cooperation between the countries on a much deeper and wider scale. It transcends borders, cultures, and social differences. It breaks down barriers, allowing us to grow beyond where we are and what we are,” said Pansy Ho, vice chairman & secretary-general of GTEF.

Anthony Wong, managing director, Asian Overland Services & Travel group, which also runs resorts, said real partnerships must be forged between the public and private sectors to ensure that a destination is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable in the long run.

“(For example), when working with a destination (to develop resorts), I work with multiple disciplines, from biologists, chemists, architects and even engineers in order to understand sustainability,” he said.

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Group director & president, Liu Pingchun, pointed out that the company’s latest theme park project was the first resort in the city to emphasise ecotourism and environmental sustainability.

“Our new resort encompasses a medium-sized convention centre, three hotels, a service apartment, a spa and a club house, together with entertainment such as water shows. We keep the coastal wetland system under good condition,” said Liu.

“In the past, the city (Shenzhen) was perceived as a leisure destination only, but it now strikes a balance between an urbanised city and nature. It’s vital to protect our environment and engage using nature for long-term sustainability.”

W HOTELS Worldwide has officially opened its first W Hotel in Singapore, W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, and The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove.

Owned by an affiliate of Singapore-based real estate developer City Developments, the W Singapore and 288-key The Residences at W Singapore –Sentosa Cove are situated in the heart of Sentosa, adjacent to Quayside Isle, a retail complex featuring waterfront restaurants and shops.

Stephen Ho, president, Asia-Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, said: “The arrival of a design-led hotel brand like W Hotels to Singapore comes at the right time as Singapore has emerged as South-east Asia’s lifestyle and creative hub.

W Singapore – Sentosa Cove offers 240 guest rooms and suites, two signature restaurants, a destination bar, the W Lounge experience, a poolside deck and bar, an Away Spa, a fitness centre and an outdoor pool.

The hotel also features more than 1,500m2 of meeting and event space, including a 732m2 Great Room, seven meeting rooms, and an outdoor space outfitted with adaptable conference furniture.

The opening of W Singapore – Sentosa Cove marks the W brand’s 43rd hotel worldwide, and the seventh W Hotel in Asia-Pacific.

KOREAN Air kicked off four-weekly services between Seoul (Incheon) and Yangon on September 13.

Operated every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday using a 138-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the flight will depart from Seoul at 18.40 and arrive in Yangon at 22.15. The return flight will leave Yangon at 23.45 and reach Seoul at 8.05 the next day.

Roundtrip tickets on the route cost around US$900 per pax, while a one-way ticket costs more than US$800.

Other international carriers that will make their debut in Myanmar from October include Cathay Pacific Airways, EVA Airways, All Nippon Airways and Qatar Airways.

In addition, German leisure carrier Condor Flugdienst – flying from Frankfurt –Biman Bangladesh Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines are also scheduled to launch Myanmar services before year-end.

THE flag carrier of the Maldives, Maldivian, is planning to introduce thrice-weekly flights between Male and Mumbai from November 15, and will ramp up the frequency of the service to five times a week this winter.

The airline currently operates to Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), and also plans to start flights to New Delhi by March 2013.

Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor, Maldives’ minister of tourism, arts & culture, said: “Lack of direct connectivity from Mumbai to Male has been a deterrent factor in (Indians) choosing Maldives as a destination. With the introduction of direct flights, travel time (between Mumbai and Male) will come down to about two-and-a-half hours.”

According to Abdul Gafoor, a roundtrip ticket from Mumbai to Male, inclusive of all taxes, will cost around Rs20,000 (US$364).

Veneeta Rawat, director, Amazing Vacations Mumbai said: “The new flight will add large numbers from Western India to the Maldives, starting immediately. (Future) frequency increase is a foregone conclusion due to the high demand.”

TRAVEL consultants play a vital role in growing cruise tourism within the Asia-Pacific region, but more needs to be done in order to address their lack of knowledge about cruising.

“Travel (consultants) are an indispensable channel for the promotion of cruising as a holiday alternative. They are the main contact point through which cruise lines can reach out to potential customers in Asia-Pacific who have never taken a cruise before,” said Roberto Giorgi, president, V.Ships.

“That is why it is essential for the cruise industry to come together to garner their support and to educate them.”

Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Cruises, explained that the cruise line constantly engages with travel consultants to convince them of the benefits of selling cruises.

“We are on the right track in this respect, but there’s still a lot do. (Travel consultants) have to be persuaded as to why they should sell cruises over other holiday types. This can be a challenge as cruising is still in its infancy in Asia, and hence, there’s a limited number of destinations ships can call on, which in turn undermines the sector’s cost competitiveness,” he said.

In response to the industry’s call to tackle knowledge gaps with regards to the value of cruising and types of products available, the Asia Cruise Association (ACA) is looking to launch scheduled standalone training courses for travel consultants.

Kevin Leung, ACA general manager, said: “Although we’ve initiated training programmes during key travel tradeshows such as ITB Asia and Cruise Shipping Asia, ACA identified a need to have a regular offering of training sessions to ensure that travel (consultants) are able to sell cruises as a viable option.”

A manager at WTS Travel & Tours Singapore, Cynthia Kho, welcomed the idea of more training for travel consultants. “Although cruise lines have been engaging with individual travel (consultants), dedicated training sessions will help to raise the profile of cruising, owing to the wider exposure,” she said.