Abid Butt rejoins Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts as CEO

May 31, 2012

Abid Butt

BANYAN Tree Holdings has appointed Abid Butt as CEO of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts (BTHR), the group’s wholly owned hotel management and development subsidiary.

“As BTHR’s aggressive growth strategy propels the company’s portfolio forward, with a significant pipeline of projects in China, the Americas, Europe and South-east Asia, Butt’s knowledge and expertise in hotel operations and infrastructure will be invaluable,” said Banyan Tree Holdings executive chairman, Ho KwonPing.

Butt previously served as the area general manager for Banyan Tree’s flagship resort, Banyan Tree Phuket, over ten years ago, followed by his appointment as the first vice president of operations from 2000 – 2002.

In his most recent role, Butt was the vice president for asset management of Host Hotels & Resorts in the US.

Local airlines and hotels lag behind, say rich Chinese

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

AFFLUENT Chinese travellers do not think highly of domestic hotels and airlines, according to a May 2012 report by CAP Strategic Research.

The market research company conducted personal interviews with 300 ‘super-rich’ Chinese consumers (average annual household income of US$136,000) and 330 ‘affluent’ consumers (average annual household income of US$67,000) across Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to find out more about their travel behaviour and attitudes.

Based on the results, CAP deduced that Chinese hotel chains such as Jinjiang and Hanting were perceived poorly on all aspects of brand equity, with no home-grown brands within the top ten – dominated by international chains such as Shangri-La, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Sheraton.

In addition, very few Chinese luxury travellers expressed a willingness to recommend local hotel brands to their counterparts.

Domestic carriers fared better than local hotel chains in the report, with Chinese airlines such as China Southern, China Eastern and Air China attaining average brand ratings – lagging behind All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Emirates and South African Airways, but ahead of Cathay Pacific, British Airways and United Airlines.

Local airlines scored well in terms of awareness and salience, but their brand quality and customer satisfaction received less favourable ratings among the respondents.

Leveraging new platforms

By TTG Asia

May 30, 2012

More travel firms are growing their online business by launching new-generation websites. Our reporters click their way through these stores to give their reviews

Holiday Tours

www.holidaytours.com.my

Presentation The home-page is visually appealing with attractive images and large headlines. The main banner – a series of rotating photographs each featuring a different promotion – did not change too fast and offered enough time for me to read the package highlights.

The use of big font sizes to separate the different sections were useful in guiding me to what I was looking for. A navigation panel with drop-down menus displays information on additional products and services such as travel insurance.

Content The website offers information on a wide range of products and services, with terms and conditions, special offers and hotel details displayed in a clear, concise manner.

While the booking engine allows the reservation of flights and packages online, users cannot complete the deal immediately as they still have to fill up a supplementary booking form and await further response from the company.

Standout innovation The Abacus-powered flight booking engine is a standout, providing a list of flights and their respective prices to the chosen destination. Another standout is the online chat service. Within two minutes of submitting my name, phone number and address, a customer service representative connected with me online and responded to my queries with precise answers. On exiting the system I was even asked if I would like a transcript of the ‘conversation’.

Ease of use This site is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Transactions can be done online via direct credit card payment or funds transfer to the company’s bank account.

Verdict This website offers diverse products and services, and its well-structured layout is easy to navigate. It could, however, consolidate the number of different sections on the homepage and group them according to clearer-defined themes, such as domestic travel, international travel, international events and domestic events. – N. Nithiyananthan

Guangdong China Travel Service

www.gdcts.com

Presentation The website design is modern and trendy with eye-catching icons and colourful banners. It uses vivid images to illustrate a product, compelling users to click to find out more. The online chat function stays at the top right-hand corner of the browser, hence saving search time should a user require the feature.   Content The site is informative with different service categories – from FIT, to ticketing and cruises – listed on the menu bar. Online transactions are possible through its partnership with Tmall.com, a B2C online shopping platform under the Alibaba Group.

The company has about 50 per cent of its products and service items listed online, but these are mainly confined to its signature products and regular itineraries.

Standout innovation As the first travel consultant in Guangdong to set up a website in the mid-1990s, the company has subsequently upgraded its site and added more functions over time, from just basic information in the beginning to providing promotions and consultation services in 2000 and launching online transactions in 2008.

In the next six months, the site will undergo a complete revamp to include a new patented system that will provide must-know information like weather and local emergency contacts. It aims to provide a one-stop experience for users.

Ease of use Its simple layout allows easy access of information, while the live chat function caters to urgent queries – I tried using it and the response time was quick. The website’s default language is Chinese though, and despite the option of switching to English, Japanese or Russian, only the company’s profile page is available in other languages.

Verdict Efficient, and one is spoiled for choice. – Prudence Lui

Asiatravel

www.asiatravel.com

Presentation The homepage is cluttered with numbers and icons, which can be off-putting for some users. The site appears more functional than aesthetic; it was apparently not designed to inspire travel, but rather targeted at individuals who already have a destination or itinerary in mind.

Content Asiatravel.com showcases a comprehensive product range, enabling users to make instant bookings for flights, cruises, coaches, hotels, transfers, attraction tickets and tours. However, there is little to differentiate itself from other standard travel websites due to its lack of travel-related content such as client’s stories, travel news and destination images. Hotel reviews and testimonials from past clients are displayed on the site though.

Even though the homepage can be translated into 11 languages, linked pages will be displayed in English first until users click on the language tab to select their preference. There is also the occasional translation error and not all pages can be displayed in other languages.

Standout innovation A contrast to other Singapore-based travel websites, attraction tickets, tours and transfers can be booked in advance at this site. Itineraries targeting specifically business and MICE travellers are also available for viewing, but unlike the leisure products on offer, they cannot be booked online.

Ease of use The site is easy to navigate, with each section on the homepage divided into various sub-fields. The flight booking engine is a little more complicated to use as one has to be familiar with international airport codes, otherwise one can scroll down a (long) list of destinations to automatically generate codes.

Verdict Despite its broad array of travel products, the website should include more attractive visuals and additional content, such as travel stories by previous clients, to foster greater interest and generate higher traffic. The website design should be simplified to reduce graphical clutter. – Linda Haden

Horizon Travel & Tours

www.horizontravel.ph

Presentation A B2B-B2C hybrid platform, the site is functional enough for its main users – retail sales agents – but not particularly attractive for consumers. It is packed with information for users to follow up with offline enquiries – they seem to encourage it with their office addresses and hotlines prominently displayed. Attempts to interact through social media channels are visible, with links to its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Content This content-rich site allows users to look up cruise promotions, international airline schedules and overseas tour packages, in addition to information on support services like travel insurance and visa application. This is significant considering the number of travel companies in the Philippines who still use their websites primarily for branding. The information provided goes beyond the initial-query types, cutting down on time customers have to spend on phone calls or store visits.

Standout innovation Horizon has clearly anticipated the needs of its different clientele. On the B2B side, Horizon has a separate log-in for retailers to check package rates and conditions before sending in their purchase orders to confirm bookings – few wholesalers offer this service.

Ease of use The horizontal-oriented layout allows users to obtain information quickly. However, the layout is not consistent across the secondary pages: some pages display social media widgets, while others highlight bargain tours.

Direct bookings are not possible as the website does not have a booking engine. An Adobe Acrobat reader is required to access information for overseas tour packages (most are attached as PDF files).

Verdict This website works better for partner agents and bargain-hunting consumers, as well as clients who prefer some kind of human interaction to assure them of service delivery. Package rates are regularly updated, but back-end improvements could be made to allow dynamic updates. Design could also be more appealing. – Marianne Carandang

Hong Thai Travel Services

www.hongthai.com

Presentation Billed as a one-stop travel retail store, Hong Thai’s website reflects its branding fully with a simple, colourful layout and minimal use of distracting flash banner ads. Overall, the design is functional and straightforward, similar to other travel websites.

Content The site houses a rich array of content under one roof. Apart from standard packages and special offers, there are also destination videos, which were originally broadcasted on mobile advertising platforms on local buses. Transactions for flights, cruises, hotels, tours and even Airport Express train tickets can be made instantly through its online booking system.

Standout innovation Hong Thai was the first travel consultant in Hong Kong to develop its own group-buy platform, allowing clients to enjoy special offers with fantastic discounts within a limited time period. So far, packages rolled out include Macau’s House of Dancing Water, Shenzhen’s OCT East resort, and for destinations such as Taiwan and Singapore. Group-buying offers will be rolled out regularly for different products.

Ease of use Products and services are clearly categorised and colour-coded for easy identification. However, the site is only available in Chinese so this limits its target audience. Also, if you encounter any problem online, there is no live chat feature to provide instant assistance; instead, you have to contact its call centre.

Verdict Functional – you get what you want with a few clicks. – Prudence Lui

Aman Travels

www.bookajourney.com

Presentation The website features an eye-catching colour scheme of blue, green and white. Its clean and crisp layout displays different sections clearly, with an additional sitemap at the bottom of each page for users to home in on information.

Content It offers a wide array of travel products, including domestic flight tickets, domestic and international hotels, domestic and international holiday packages, forex, visa and passport information, and corporate travel solutions. It also has an agent platform to attract B2B clients, while also being connected to major  social networks to reach consumers.

Standout innovation Its listing of domestic and overseas holiday packages on the extreme right column is unlike most Indian travel websites that only highlight their hotel and flight bookings. This site also offers 24/7 customer service support.

Ease of use User-friendly and provides easy access to information and services. For example, its flight booking engine allows users to select a flight easily according to preferences, including choice of airline.

Verdict A website with lots of potential but the quality of English can be improved. – Divya Kaul

This article was first published in TTG Asia, June 1, 2012 issue, on page 12. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

View from the top: Deep Kalra

By Raini Hamdi

May 30, 2012

After his blockbuster IPO on NASDAQ in 2010, MakeMyTrip’s Deep Kalra can look back and say he was resilient, not stubborn. He shares with Raini Hamdi what it takes to make your own trip to riches and stardom

Deep Kalra
Founder & CEO
MakeMyTrip, India

How did you make this trip?
I started with a job in a bank and at the end of two years I knew I was not cut out for banking. In fact I had this morbid fear that I was going to die on my deathbed writing a credit proposal! It was non-stimulating, not non-adventurous and not impactful. Maybe it was early days and I was impatient by nature. But I was wondering, what impact was I making? I was doing corporate banking. The new, exciting young companies were being turned down by the credit department – ABN AMRO, being a Dutch bank, was conservative – and the ones that were there forever got approved, so it was not very exciting.

Then something bizarre came along. An American company, AMF Bowling, which sold 10,000 bowling lanes in China, wanted to expand in India where there was no bowling at the time. I got excited as it was an entrepreneurial job – a one-man army and no rules. I spent four years there and understood the whole business from how you lay lanes to finding investors to buy this equipment and installing it. I had 200 lanes to show for at the end of it, so clearly not a success.

But it gave you entrepreneurial insights?
Yes, the most important was that I would not be scared or deterred to do something when there were no rules.

But it did make me want to join a large company where systems and processes were in place. So I did, with GE Capital, and it was to find new avenues for distributing our consumer finance products and the new avenue was the Internet. So I was working a lot on the Internet and the more I interacted with the medium on a professional and personal level, the more I was convinced that the time was right to jump onto something that I thought would do very well, MakeMyTrip.com.

Why an OTA?
For me the epiphany if there was one – though I don’t think it was one moment but gradual – was when I put my wife’s car for sale on a site called automartindia.com and it fetched Rs20,000 (US$368) more than the traditional channel. Then in July 2000, I wanted to take her on a holiday to Phuket. We went online – I think it was asiarooms or asiahotels – and we had the same accommodation at US$70 compared with US$100 a travel consultant offered us.

Today I know with authority that the hotel was working with many consolidators in Thailand and those worked with other consolidators in markets like India, who were working with small travel agencies.

So there were three guys in the line, each making perhaps US$5-US$10 on the booking and by the time you got it, it would be more expensive than if you had gone direct or to one intermediary. I don’t like direct; one intermediary, like online, is a good idea (laughs).

When you launched on April 1, 2000, were there other OTAs?
A host of them came up at the same time, we were the first wave, but all of them perished.

Why hadn’t MakeMyTrip?
I’m just stubborn. I think though there is a fine line between resilience and stubbornness, and my saying is, if it works out, you can give yourself a pat on your back and say you’re resilient.

But at that moment, you were in the zone and you were just saying to yourself, ‘listen, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, the graphs tell you they will intersect, it’ll take a couple of years, stick with it.’

Things were bad – 2001 to 2003 were our darkest hours – because people were not used to buying online and we weren’t getting the promised second funding because of the dotcom bust. So we were pretty much on our own. So either we paid three months and shut shop, or we carried on. The hardship would go on for one, two years and we had to take the biggest cuts.

My two co-founders took massive cuts. For 18 months I didn’t draw a salary. And the team shrunk from 42 to 24 over a weekend because some people thought this was just too risky. But I don’t grudge anyone – each of us has our own personal situations. We decided we wanted to fight it out and today, am I glad we did.

It’s hard to build and create, so if you believe that there is something there, don’t give up on it easily. Especially if you are in your early 30s (he was 30 years old when MakeMyTrip was launched), it’s irrelevant if you have to spend six months more, one year more on it. I’d say, even if there’s a 25 chance you’re successful, go for it.

And the rest, for you, is history.
Yes, the turning point was in 2004/2005 when India started to open up, the low-cost carriers came in and we saw the opportunity to use technology with them. In 2005, we did Rs20 million in gross bookings; it’s 50 times that number today.

But it was inbound in the beginning, right?
Yes, non-resident Indians based in the US coming home. They were used to buying online using Expedia, Travelocity, etc, and they were buying largely air.

Today, almost 90 per cent of bookings are India residents travelling within India and overseas, which are growing at crazy rates.

So what’s next for you, being young still, 42 years?
It’s a great question and I ask myself that. To be honest, when you list a company, you make a conscious choice that you’re not exiting but actually growing the company. What we’ve got now are resources – we’ve raised US$80 million in cash from the IPO and I’m doing a lot of M&As, the first in Singapore and we’re looking in that region still.

So I’m totally fixated now on growing the business and if there is a plan B, I’d definitely like to spend more time on – it’s cliche but true – giving back. That’s going to be my next move, though I don’t know when.

I’m sure I won’t end up doing another for-profit venture. I think I got more than I ever wanted on a monetary scale. So I’m quite content and it’s important we keep taking care of shareholder value, but if we can give back…

We only have one life. Unlike most Hindus, I don’t believe in life after death. I believe there is only one life, so you want to live it well.

What drives you at work now?
Making the company a great place to work. We take pride that for two years in a row now, we’ve been voted among the top three companies to work for in India.

Our culture is transparent and open. Our philosophy is tell people what they need to do, coach and mentor, but don’t tell them how to do it, otherwise you are not going to get good managers.

We also spend a lot of time doing things together. We consciously try not to make the gap become too big between management and other folks. Once a month at least, I have lunch with a batch of 20 guys at the most junior level from the different departments, so I can listen to feedback from them.

What also drives me is making every customer a brand ambassador of MakeMyTrip. It’s easy if you are an expensive brand like Apple or a luxury brand like Oberoi, but not so easy when you are a value brand.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, June 1, 2012 issue, on page 8. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

A Tokyo revival

By Raini Hamdi

May 30, 2012

Premium quality, new luxury attractions and emerging markets are bringing back the well-heeled to city

A night view of the city from Conrad Tokyo

LUXURY hotels in Tokyo are hopeful that this year will see a revival of the high-end leisure travel market, now that Japan is more or less off the headlines with the 3/11 earthquake tragedy.

The months of March and April kept their hope afloat as hotels in the city saw bookings materialising at short notice, bumping up occupancies unexpectedly.

Said Malcolm Thompson, general manager of The Peninsula Tokyo: “You might open the month with, say, 35 per cent occupancy on the books but see that double within the month.”

He added: “We were really on a roll until January/February last year, with forward bookings for the cherry blossom season last year looking very good. Then came the tragedy in March, which saw all the bookings cancelled. I think people still wanted to come to Japan and were waiting for a trigger. Easter this year was the trigger. We had families from the US, who were planning to visit last year, visiting this year.”

Fears of holidaying in Japan have abated. In fact, what may stand in the way of revival is not so much safety consideration, but the European debt crisis and the strong yen, which is now about ¥78-¥80 to the US dollar, compared to ¥150 pre-Lehman.This derails Japan’s effort to position itself as not an abnormally expensive destination.

But industry players believe the luxury market is resilient and discerning about the real value of a Japan holiday, which is premium and aspirational.

Said Gregor Andreewitch, general manager, Conrad Tokyo: “Of course it is difficult for Tokyo to compete on price. Thailand or Indonesia has fantastic properties at half the price. But there comes a point when a client must decide what suits his needs.

“Japan has many unique things to offer. It’s a different planet here. The people are so polite. If you buy something, they wrap it so beautifully you don’t want to ever open it again. The quality you get is simply unrivalled.”

Jesper Koll, head of Japanese Equity Research, JP Morgan, speaking from a panel at the recent WTTC Summit in Tokyo, refuted Japan was expensive.

“Easter this year was the trigger. We had families from the US, who were planning to visit last year, visiting this year.”

Malcolm Thompson
General manager, The Peninsula Tokyo

“When I arrived 26 years ago, yes, Japan was mega-expensive. But in the last 20 years, there has been an adjustment and disinflation. I urge you to go to the convenience store here in Tokyo and compare, like for like, the price of milk, orange, etc, to the price in New York or London. Prices in Tokyo are more or less the same; the city is no longer super expensive,” he said.

Kazuko Abe, general manager inbound travel sales and marketing division of Kinki Nippon Tourist, said the US and Asian luxury travel markets “are not so affected by the exchange rate” and are “gradually returning”. Europe, however, is still “not so good” due to the debt crisis.

Many inbound players have thus ventured into Eastern European markets such as Poland and the Czech Republic, and Asian markets such as Indonesia, whose economy is booming.

This fact is also not lost on Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), which is seeking the Indonesian government’s nod to open an office in Jakarta (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 28, 2012). Motonari Adachi, JNTO’s executive director in Singapore, expects the office to open by next year. He said Indonesia, along with the Philippines and Vietnam, were added as priority markets this year.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government also went on a roadshow in South-east Asia earlier this year to highlight new attractions in the city.

This includes the 290-room Palace Hotel Tokyo, which opened on May 17 in the Marunouchi district, where The Peninsula Tokyo is also located (see Checking In below).

Part of a ¥90 billion mixed-use development, The Palace Hotel Tokyo replaces the former Hotel Teito and Palace Hotel that occupied the same site – a moatside location beside the Imperial Palace.

Said Palace Hotel Tokyo president, Takashi Kobayashi: “This hotel is Japanese through and through, from its ownership and management, to its service protocols and its picture-perfect location by the Imperial Palace gardens and moats.

“For domestic and international travellers alike, whether they are with us for business or leisure, we hope they will walk away saying, to have stayed at Palace Hotel Tokyo is to have experienced the very essence of Japanese hospitality.”

Another new attraction is the Tokyo Skytree, which opened on May 22 as the highest tower in the world now at 634m. It is located in the Sumida Ward, where the Edo culture remains to this day. Its glass-covered observatory and air corridor offer visitors the sensation of walking on air and it bills itself as the new sightseeing spot and landmark from which to view Tokyo’s skyline.

STR Global’s latest available figures show Tokyo registering the largest occupancy increase in Asia in March, rising 47.6 per cent to 84.7 per cent over March 2011. The city also experienced a RevPAR increase of 58 per cent to US$148.

High-end hotels are encouraged, saying they need to build up ARR and can only do that if there is a healthy balance between corporate and leisure travel.

Both The Peninsula and Conrad Tokyo will be rolling up their sleeves again at ILTM Asia in Shanghai this month, as they did last year after the disaster, to put Japan firmly back on the radar of the luxury travel market.

Said Peninsula’s Thompson: “Actually, by the end of last year, at ILTM (in Cannes), all the Virtuoso (luxury travel) agencies we spoke to were already very positive about Japan. They said people would forget and they would return because they love Japan.”

This article was first published in TTG Asia, June 1, 2012 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Illegal tour guides pose threat to Singapore’s image

By Linda Haden

May 30, 2012

AS SINGAPORE continues to receive record numbers of overseas visitors, the emergence of illegal tour guides is fast becoming a bugbear in the country.

Licensed tour guides accuse their illegal counterparts of sullying the destination’s image, relaying incorrect information to tourists, and infringing on their business.

The issue came to the fore recently when local media reported about the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) cautioning a local tour operator, Singapore Ducktours, for its use of illegal guides over the past five years.

According to Jean Wang, chairman of the 400-member Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore), the problem has always existed, but is now gaining prominence due to the tourism boom.

“Sad to say, tour companies from neighbouring countries – such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia – are apt to avoid using local (Singapore) guides. A number depend on tour leaders or guides from home to impart information (about Singapore), which can be wrong and misleading at times,” she said.

“Often, the decision to use illegal guides boils down to cost. It is cheaper to rely on hires from home rather than pay a local firm to engage a licensed (Singapore-based) guide.”

Wang added that these imposters tend to ply their trade at free attractions such as Merlion Park and Chinatown, where it is easier to evade detection.

“Unfortunately, when we inform STB about illegal guides, it takes time to send an inspector down. Often, these so-called guides manage to get away just in the nick of time,” she said.

“Moreover, it is impossible for STB to observe or control what tour leaders or guides say to passengers on coaches, and hence, wrong messages about Singapore are being transmitted.”

In an email reply to TTG Asia e-Daily’s queries, STB said it was trying to nip the problem in the bud by conducting several enforcement operations this month. Last year, the NTO carried out 200 such enforcement drives, double its efforts in 2010. It has also introduced a larger, watermarked license card for tour guides starting this month.

“Besides stepping up enforcement operations and educating the travel industry about the need to use licensed travel guides, STB is always mindful that the tourism landscape is dynamic, and that the needs of all parties, from travel (consultants) and tourist guides to our visitors, are rapidly changing. Hence, the board conducts regular reviews of the Travel Agents Act & Regulations to ensure relevancy,” the NTO added.

Thai AirAsia mulls relocation to Don Mueang

By TTG Asia

May 30, 2012

THAI AirAsia (TAA) is considering shifting its base of operations from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Mueang Airport, a decision that is expected to shake up the domestic LCC sector.

Airports of Thailand (AOT), which operates both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, is currently in advanced negotiations with TAA, according to Brian Sinclair Thompson, president, Board of Airline Representatives in Thailand.

AOT is focusing its pitch to the LCC on an incentive package which includes concessions and political backing for a long-term move.

Tassapon Bijleveld, TAA chief executive, said: “We are currently looking into the pros and cons of moving to Don Mueang Airport, including the conveniences and connectivity offered to passengers who will depart and arrive in Don Mueang.”

“There are still many details that need to be studied, including the incentive packages, the available facilities and the capacity of the place.”

If the move goes through, other budget carriers are likely to follow suit. Thai Airways International (THAI) has already stated it is considering moving its low-cost subsidiary, THAI Smile Air, to Don Mueang in the future. THAI Smile is scheduled to launch operations from Suvarnabhumi this July.

In February, the Thai government unveiled plans to redevelop Don Mueang into an LCC hub to ease congestion at Suvarnabhumi, which is expected to process 52 millon passengers this year – beyond its annual passenger capacity of 45 million.

Dragonair to mount Hong Kong-Kolkata flights

By Shekhar Niyogi

May 30, 2012

DRAGONAIR will commence four weekly flights between Hong Kong and Kolkata in October, using an Airbus A320 aircraft, once the new airport terminal in Kolkata takes off.

Patrick Yeung, CEO, Dragonair, said: “The launch of a new service to Kolkata marks an important step in building Dragonair’s presence in India, following the launch of flights to Bangalore in 2008.”

The trade is confident that the new Dragonair route will boost outbound travel to greater China, as Indians are able to avail of visas-on-arrival in Hong Kong.

Sanjay Maniar, director, Travelaid Kolkata, said: “Hong Kong and Macau are hot destinations (for travellers) from eastern India, and a direct flight is sure to increase numbers by at least 20 per cent. We also expect greater demand for China, as Dragonair offers connections to 19 Chinese cities.”

Anil Punjabi, chairman – east, Travel Agents Federation of India, said: “Added international flights augur well for outbound and inbound business to eastern India. More flights are needed to fill the gaps left by Kingfisher Airlines and Air India’s (service withdrawals).”

“Hong Kong is a popular destination, and (the new flights) will help the trade to book groups with confidence,” he added.

Dusit spreads wings to India

By TTG Asia

May 30, 2012

DUSIT International is set to mark its foray into India through Dusit Bird Hotels (DBH), a joint venture with India’s Bird Hospitality Services.

DBH will launch Dusit Devarana New Delhi by year-end. DusitD2 New Delhi, the first dusitD2 hotel outside of Thailand, is also in the works.

Sunil Mathur, regional VP, Dusit Bird Hotels, said: “We are looking to expand in a very big way and introduce all the brands under Dusit International in the Indian hospitality market, which is filled with Western brands.”

“It is high time that we had a leading Asian hospitality brand in India.”

Besides New Delhi, DBH is planning to open a Dusit Deverana each in Jaipur and Rishikesh, and a Dusit Thani in Goa, within the next three years.

Apart from the owner-operator model, Mathur said DBH was also considering management deals, as many local hotel developers had shown an interest in working with the group.

Maldives heightens promotion efforts to hasten comeback

By Feizal Samath

May 30, 2012

THE MALDIVES is ramping up its tourism marketing initiatives targeted at overseas markets to build on signs of recovery in April from political unrest earlier in the year.

Following roadshows in Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Hangzhou in April, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) will organise roadshows in Singapore and South Korea next month.

MMPRC is also planning fam tours for journalists from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Lebanon.

Last month, arrival numbers to the Maldives fell by 0.8 per cent year-on-year to 79,288, compared to 5.3-per cent and 4.7-per cent drops in February and March, respectively.

German visitor numbers grew by 8.1 per cent to 10,145. The UK, once the largest inbound market, declined 20 per cent to 8,934.

The most significant recovery came from China – arrivals rose 3.5 per cent year-on-year to 10,523, after tumbling 28.4 per cent in March and 34.8 per cent in February.