IN its bid to become a regional cruise hub, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is negotiating with three international ships to include the port in their travel itineraries, according to chairman and administrator, Roberto Garcia.

Garcia said Subic Bay had “a very good start” when the London-based MV Spirit of Adventure became the first cruise ship to dock at the port in February with 378 passengers, most of whom were Europeans. The liner also called at Palawan, Cebu and Manila as part of its South-east Asia itinerary.

He said Subic has the potential to become a cruise hub. “In addition to having a deep natural harbour that can accommodate all types of vessels at the same time, Subic Bay provides convenient quayside disembarkation and boarding.

“Its location along major shipping lanes and proximity to favourite Asian cruise destinations, as well as the inclusion of SBMA as a founding member of the Asian Cruise Terminals Association, gives Subic Bay a distinct edge and position to capture a share of the fast-growing Asian cruise market.”

Major tourist attractions such as theme parks, ecotourism sights and shopping districts are also situated within a few minutes’ drive from the passenger terminal.

CAMBODIA’S Ministry of Tourism and travel operators are shining the spotlight on ecotourism in the north-eastern province of Mondulkiri, after seeing an impressive increase in visitors to the region in recent years.

Tourist arrivals to Mondulkiri and its surroundings rose 17.2 per cent year-on-year to 18,288 in 1Q 2012, based on statistics from the ministry.

“We are planning to sell more packages to Mondulkiri,” said Theng Sam Dam, manager of Siem Reap-based Cambodia Tours. “Its main appeal is the scenery and trekking, which foreign tourists find particularly attractive.”

However, an undersupply of accommodation and lack of accessibility still hinder tourism development on a larger scale in the region, Theng Sam Dam said.

“People don’t want to spend a long time travelling on roads [from major tourist hubs], especially foreigners,” he added. “However, (Mondulkiri) is always very popular with domestic tourists and nearly all hotels are full during national holidays.”

Cambodian Association of Travel Agents advisor, Mohan Gunti, believes that the key to the recent rise in tourist figures is the completion of a new road linking Phnom Penh to the provincial capital of Sen Monorom.

“In addition to the road from Phnom Penh, we are going to see increased connectivity from other destinations to these new developments emerging in the region,” he said. “It’s promising to see more international tourists visit the area. People will start to visit the kingdom, not only for beach and temple tourism, but also to take advantage of our growing ecotourism sector.”

JAPAN Airlines (JAL) and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) have expanded their respective networks through a new codeshare agreement between the member and member-elect of the oneworld airline alliance, effective July 1.

Beginning June 12, JAL will start marketing MAS-operated flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka (Kansai), and to other Malaysian points including Kota Kinabalu, Kota Tinggi, Penang, Langkawi, Kuching and Kuantan.

JAL will also market MAS-operated flights to regional destinations such as Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi in India, and Male, the capital of the Maldives.

Conversely, MAS will place its flight indicator on JAL-operated flights connecting Tokyo (Narita) to Fukuoka, Nagoya and Sapporo in Japan, and to nine international cities including Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul, resort destinations such as Guam and Honolulu, and Boston, Chicago and New York in the US.

“(This codeshare partnership with JAL) gives us an excellent opportunity to expand our reach without having to mount our own flights to cities in Japan and beyond in North Asia and the US,” said MAS group CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.

“We hope to enter more codeshare relationships with other oneworld partners progressively in the coming months,” he added.

SRILANKAN Airlines will join the oneworld airline alliance late next year.

The Sri Lankan flag carrier’s election as a oneworld member designate was unveiled this morning on the sidelines of the IATA 68th AGM & World Air Transport Summit in Beijing.

Cathay Pacific will serve as SriLankan’s sponsor, supporting the airline through the alliance implementation process.

SriLankan Airlines CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, said: “ With the world airline industry increasingly focused on alliances, SriLankan has carried out an in-depth analysis of the options available to us, and oneworld is clearly the best option. Joining the alliance will help put SriLankan firmly on the global aviation map and improve Sri Lanka’s connections with the rest of the world.”

SriLankan’s addition to oneworld will bring three new destinations on to the alliance’s network, all in Southern India – Kochi, Tiruchirapalli and Thiruvananthapuram. This will expand oneworld’s reach to roughly 850 destinations in more than 150 countries.

Once SriLankan is fully integrated, the 200,000 members of its FlySmiLes frequent flyer programme will be able to earn and redeem rewards, and avail of alliance fares on any of oneworld’s other carriers.

Oneworld member airlines currently serving Sri Lanka include Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong daily, and Royal Jordanian from Amman three times a week. The country’s capital, Colombo, is also on the network of oneworld member elect Malaysia Airlines.

Meanwhile, SriLankan has agreed in principle to codeshare with oneworld members Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines, an airline based in Ob, Novosibirsk Oblast in Russia.

Operating a fleet of 21 aircraft, SriLankan ferried 3.5 million passengers last year between Colombo and 34 destinations across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

LANGKAWI is set for a tourism boost with the implementation of initiatives aimed at developing luxury accommodation, improving connectivity through an incentive programme and creating a tourism academy.

The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) has been tasked to lead the three initiatives, which are part of the Langkawi Blueprint launched last December by the Malaysian prime minister to make the island a world-renowned destination.

The first initiative is geared towards the development of more elite accommodation options and commercial zones, according to Redza Rafiq, NCIA chief executive. It will yield a 268-room luxury property that will be managed by Ri-Yaz Hotels and Resorts by 2015, and five five-star properties by government-investment company Khazanah Nasional.

The second initiative will see NCIA, Malaysia Airports and the Ministry of Tourism coming together to develop the Langkawi Charter Flight Incentive Programme, which seeks to improve direct connectivity to the island by rewarding airlines and travel trade players for bringing in higher arrivals.

The third initiative is aimed at developing human capital.

Redza said: “The NCIA is working closely with the Ministry of Higher Education to launch a tourism academy to enhance the availability of industry-relevant skill sets in Langkawi.”

While Andy Muniandy, Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel director of sales, applauded the creation of a tourism academy, he was “not convinced” by the luxury hotel initiative.

“The island has enough five-star hotels. These properties are struggling as (bookings from) Europe – their target market – have dropped by 20 to 30 per cent. What is needed are more affordable four-star hotels,” he said.

Reporting by N. Nithiyananthan

A PARTNERSHIP between Indonesia’s BIMC Hospital Group and Courtyard by Marriott Bali has given birth to a range of medical tourism packages and services aimed at tourists in Bali.

These products comprise medical services such as advanced dialysis treatments, surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures and dental care offered at the new BIMC Hospital, and aftercare services, including visits by nurses, at the hotel.

Jeff Tyler, general manager, Courtyard by Marriott Bali, said planning and staff training were executed ahead of the hospital’s opening, so as to provide “the best comfort and care the moment the guest returns to the resort from (his/her) medical procedure”.

Tyler said the hotel had “carefully looked at services that aid recuperation such as special diet and nutrition, and unique spa and wellness programmes”, and had ensured that the property was wheelchair friendly.

BIMC Hospital Group founder and CEO, Craig Beveridge, said: “The resort is conveniently located nearby. It offers complementing services and standards, (and is) an ideal spot for pre- and post-procedure rest and relaxation.”

Courtyard by Marriott Bali is said to be the first property in Indonesia to provide such specialised aftercare services.

ARRIVALS to Indonesia crossed the 2.5 million mark in 1Q2012, registering a 8.9 per cent growth over the same period last year which is higher than the world’s average of five per cent.

Indonesia Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, is pleased with the growth that came against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, and has projected a continuous climb till the end of the year, allowing the destination to achieve its goal of eight million tourist arrival.

According to the Central Board of Statistics, arrivals from China saw the largest improvement. Chinese arrivals during the January-April period leapt 42.6 per cent over the same period last year, while Bahrain follows with a 39.3 per cent growth, Egypt with 35.2 per cent, Saudi Arabia with 21.5 per cent and Thailand and Hong Kong with 24.6 per cent each.

Pangestu said: “However, we are not only targeting numbers but quality too, which means increasing the length of stay, spend and tourism sustainability.”

With more countries focusing on tourism, the minister said Indonesia must have better strategies to “win the market”.

GLOBAL Internet company Travelzoo Asia Pacific has launched its Local Deals series in China, following its successful entry into Australia, Hong Kong and Japan last year which generated over US$11.6 million in sales.

The service extends Travelzoo’s offerings in China and brings more quality lifestyle and entertainment deals that are relevant to the market. The first trial by China’s Travelzoo Local Deals, known as Travelzoo Lv You Zu in the market, was a success. The deal, which featured a deluxe two-night stay at the Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai hotel for US$236, garnered 800 buyers in four days.

Jason Yap, CEO for Travelzoo Asia Pacific, said: “Our ongoing expansion comes at an opportune time. Chinese consumers are more eager to find quality and value-for-money offerings from trusted sources.”

Vivian Hong, president of Travelzoo Lv You Zu, added that Travelzoo’s global network would provide the Chinese arm of Local Deals “a unique advantage to offer the best deals from quality merchants worldwide”.

THE SICHUAN capital of Chengdu will welcome its first Mandarin Oriental hotel come 2015.

Part of a prestigious mixed-used development on a prime riverfront site, the 320-room Mandarin Oriental, Chengdu will offer a 1,200-seat grand ballroom, a 500-seat junior ballroom, a variety of function rooms, various F&B options including a Sichuan restaurant, a rooftop bar and tea lounge and a 10-room spa.

The hotel is part of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s ongoing expansion in China, which includes upcoming properties in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai Pudong.

THAILAND has heightened its focus on promoting its niche tourism offerings in view of dampened demand from longhaul markets affected by the global economic slowdown.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor, Suraphon Svetasreni, said: “ This year, TAT is refocusing our strategies to attract a greater number of niche-market visitors seeking holidays and experiences more in tune with their personal preferences and lifestyles. Four of the key niche markets that offer considerable potential are golf, weddings & honeymoons, ecotourism, and health & wellness.”

“The weddings and honeymoons category alone offers tremendous opportunities for Thai tourism operators – at present, India, South Korea, Japan, France, the US and the UAE are rapidly-growing source markets for those who want to get married or celebrate their union in Thailand.”

Suraphon added: “Niche markets are the way of the future. They provide many new opportunities for doing business with the growing number of specialist travel (consultants), while also feeding business to the increasing number of Thai product suppliers in each of these niche markets.”

Andrew Jacka, director, Spa Origins and president, Thai Spa Association, said: “Thailand, with its traditionally strong family units and long history of nurturing and caring, is well suited to be a player in the health and wellness industry.”

“The country offers both preventive and curative therapies and treatments; and when all is said and done, Thailand is the perfect place for post-treatment convalescence and recovery.”

Chananya Phataraprasit, executive director of Asian Oasis, a lodging and cruise operator in Thailand and Laos, said: “Ecotourism opens up a whole new dimension of possibilities for tourists looking for something really different from their trip to Thailand.”

“These possibilities include getting closer to nature and the local environment, first-hand cultural experiences, deepening their understanding of Thai communities, or actually working to give something back to the communities they visit.”