SCOOT will introduce daily flights to two new destinations, Tokyo and Taipei, from October.

The low-cost medium and longhaul carrier will operate the Singapore-Tokyo and Singapore-Taipei services using the Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

Scoot’s maiden flight to Sydney yesterday was delayed by about 90 minutes due to a technical fault in the plane’s cockpit.

Other destinations already marked out by Scoot include Gold Coast in Australia, Tianjin in China, and Bangkok.

The carrier’s Gold Coast and Tianjin services are scheduled to start on June 12 and August 23, respectively.

SINGAPORE’S Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C) has signed 10 hotels in Saudi Arabia, as it seeks to boost its portfolio in the Middle East.

Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, president & CEO, M&C Middle East, Africa and Indian Subcontinent, said: “We are very excited about the Saudi market, where we see huge potential for our brands. It is clear our investors agree with us too, as six of our hotels were signed with the same owner.”

Together, the 10 properties will account for more than 4,000 rooms across Saudi Arabia. The largest hotel will add 1,500 rooms to the group’s inventory in Mecca once it opens in 2015, while another hotel in Riyadh will offer 650 rooms. Other cities that have been earmarked include Medina, Al Bahah, Ha’il, Jazan and Tabouk.

The first M&C hotels in Saudi Arabia are scheduled to open later this year, with further openings over the next three years.

Elsewhere in the region, M&C has more than 34 hotels and hotel apartment properties in the pipeline across the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and South Africa.

PHILIPPINES’ AirAsia has shelved its plan to launch daily flights between Clark and Macau.

The LCC’s Macau service, envisioned as an additional connection for the Philippines to tap the Chinese outbound market, was originally scheduled to begin on July 1, 2012.

However, the prolonged territorial dispute between Beijing and Manila has severely dampened Chinese demand for the destination.

Philippines’ AirAsia CEO, Marianne Hontiveros, said the carrier had not yet fixed a new date for the launch of Macau services, but was still planning to introduce daily flights to Hong Kong in July.

Philippines’ AirAsia is not the first airline to be affected by the dispute. Philippine Airlines axed its Hong Kong-Kalibo flights in May, while China Southern Airlines halved its twice-daily Guangzhou-Manila services from May 26 – June 30.

THE EGYPTIAN Tourist Authority will shortly unveil an aggressive tourism campaign to attract more Malaysian travellers to the country.

The campaign in Malaysia will involve road shows, advertisements in various print and digital media, art and cultural performances, and partnerships with the local travel trade.

Egypt’s Deputy Tourism Minister, Samy Mahmoud, said: “We see a huge potential in Malaysia’s (outbound) market, and as such, we are looking at ways to strategically attract more Malaysians to visit Egypt.”

Malaysia ranked seventh among Egypt’s Asian source markets in 2010, contributing 34,000 visitors – behind Japan, India, China, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud downplayed the ongoing incidents of street violence in downtown Cairo after the Arab Spring, and affirmed that the country’s security was generally good.

“Egypt is safe, especially for Malaysians,” he insisted. “We are now a new Egypt, especially after the revolution. The Egyptians are now friendlier, more open-minded and more honoured to welcome tourists.”

In 2010, Egypt received 14.7 million visitors, generating US$12.5 billion in tourism receipts. Due to the political upheaval, only 9.8 million tourists visited the country last year, while revenue dropped to US$8.8 billion.

HILTON Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Daiman Landmark Hotel to operate the DoubleTree by Hilton, Johor Bahru, the hotel chain’s third DoubleTree by Hilton-branded property in Malaysia.

Scheduled to open around mid-2014, the 365-room hotel will be located along Jalan Ngee Heng, within the CBD of Johor Bahru and adjacent to the border crossing between Malaysia and Singapore.

Rob Palleschi, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, said: “The DoubleTree by Hilton, Johor Bahru is our third DoubleTree by Hilton-branded property in Malaysia following Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, and will be an exciting addition to our hospitality offerings across the Asia Pacific region.”

The 30-storey DoubleTree by Hilton, Johor Bahru will offer 350 guest rooms and 15 serviced apartment units, and will have an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a deli café, a lounge and two bars.

The hotel will also feature a business centre, a fitness centre, an outdoor swimming pool, a 400m2 ballroom and three meeting rooms.

Hilton Worldwide currently manages five properties in Malaysia, including Hilton Kuala Lumpur, DoubleTree by Hilton, Kuala Lumpur, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Hilton Kuching and Batang Ai Longhouse Resort, Managed by Hilton.

FRASERS Hospitality will add three more properties in Oman and Saudi Arabia by next year. This follows the grand opening of its third Middle East property, Fraser Suites Doha, in Qatar yesterday.

Located on the Doha Corniche waterfront, Fraser Suites Doha offers 138 serviced apartments. The property has registered an average occupancy rate of more than 90 per cent since its soft opening last November.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Fraser Suites has already opened the Fraser Suites Dubai and Fraser Suites Seef, Bahrain.

“With arrivals expected to hit 149 million in the region by 2030 according to UNWTO, the Middle East will continue to be a key growth area for Frasers,” said Choe Peng Sum, CEO, Frasers Hospitality.

“Qatar, with its strategic location and aggressive plans for economic development, is an important piece of that Middle East puzzle. Already the regional hub for conferences and exhibitions, it is expected to be a further catalyst for growth, particularly now with government structures becoming more open and progressive,” Choe added.

Frasers Hospitality’s upcoming properties in the Middle East include Fraser Place Suhar, Oman, Fraser Suites Edafah, Al Riyadh and Fraser Suites Edafah, Al Khobar.