FIREFLY will ramp up its flight operations during the upcoming Hari Raya festive season in anticipation of heightened demand.

The carrier will operate five additional flights to Kota Bharu, three additional flights to Pekanbaru, and two additional flights to Medan from its central hub of Subang. From its northern Penang hub, one extra flight to Langkawi will be added.

These supplementary return flights are scheduled to depart on August 16, 17, 18, 25 and 26.

Ignatius Ong, Firefly CEO, said: “ Historically, the demand for flights on these routes during the Hari Raya period has always been high, but this year the demand has been even more so. Based on our advance sales figures, we can see that most of the flights on the key festive dates are (already) averaging 65 to 70 percent full.”

This year, the Hari Raya holiday in Malaysia falls on August 19-20, resulting in a long weekend, while the Malaysian National Day public holiday falls on a Friday just 11 days later.

“With two long weekends within weeks of each other, which also coincide with the one-week school holidays, we had anticipated higher demand from both Muslims looking to go for a short break as well as non-Muslim holiday-makers, and the sales numbers thus far prove this,” said Ong.

BORNEO Highlands Resort, a golfing haven located an hour’s drive southwest of Sarawak’s capital, Kuching, is widening its marketing efforts to tap government and corporate travellers interested in health and wellness programmes.

Since opening in 2000, the 30-key resort has mainly catered to golfing clientele. The property features an 18-hole golf course surrounded by greenery, two meeting rooms that can each accommodate 50 pax in a theatre setting, and cool temperatures ranging from 21-28 degrees Celsius.

Resort manager Zakaria Ismail told TTG Asia e-Daily that plans to branch into the wellness segment and to market beyond Sarawak were aimed at increasing average room occupancy – which rose from 20 per cent last year to 35 per cent this year.

According to Zakaria, traditional Chinese treatments and Ayurvedic offerings were in the pipeline, while a sales representative would be based in Kuala Lumpur to ramp up marketing efforts in key cities across Peninsular Malaysia. Beginning this year, the resort will also increasingly target overseas markets such as Singapore, Brunei, Japan and South Korea, he added.

“We have key elements to make this new (marketing) venture a success – fresh air and a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by nature, organic food in the restaurant and traditional massage treatments all make for healthy living. The resort and its surroundings are also Important Bird Areas,” said Zakaria.

The average room rate at the Borneo Highlands Resort is RM200++ (US$63++), inclusive of a one-day meeting package, meals, accommodation based on quad share, and return transfers from the foothills.

BATAM Fast Ferry and Penguin Ferry Services, previously the only operators of passenger ferry services between Singapore (HarbourFront) and Sekupang and Batam Centre, have been fined by the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) for engaging in anti-competitive practices.

Hit with fines of S$172,906 (US$138,000) and S$113,860 respectively, the two ferry operators were found to have infringed Section 34 of Singapore’s Competition Act, which prohibits, among other things, agreements and/or concerted practices which prevent, restrict or distort competition.

Following up on a complaint by a member of the public in October 2009, CCS discovered that Batam Fast Ferry and Penguin Ferry Services had exchanged sensitive and confidential information relating to ferry ticket pricing, including quotations to clients.

There were instances of emails which were blind copied from one ferry operator to another in relation to confidential price information sent to clients, and instances of mutual price verification when clients requested for quotes for the purchase of ferry tickets.

The unlawful conduct involved ferry tickets sold to corporate clients and travel consultants, but excluded ferry tickets sold over the counter at published rates.

The duration of the infringing conduct for ferry tickets sold to corporate clients was from November 9, 2007 to November 17, 2009. For ferry tickets sold to travel consultants, the duration was from June 17, 2008 to May 20, 2009.

ASCENDAS Hospitality Trust has reduced the size of its planned initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore.

According to a Reuters report, Ascendas delisted the Pullman Ambassador Changwon Hotel in South Korea from its initial portfolio, slashing the IPO size from US$350 million to US$304 million – a 13 per cent drop.

Ascendas Hospitality Trust’s portfolio now comprises 10 hotels with 3,482 rooms. Seven of the properties are in Australia, constituting 67 per cent of the trust’s value; one hotel in Japan contributes another 24 per cent; while two hotels in China make up the remaining nine per cent.

Based on its preliminary prospectus, Ascendas Hospitality Trust has managed to secure three cornerstone investors for its IPO, including hospitality chain Accor Asia Pacific, Splendid Asia Macro Fund and Lianhe Investments.

The IPO was due to launch today and close on July 24, with its debut on the Singapore stock exchange scheduled for July 27.

SINGAPORE’s Changi International Airport is planning to boost its current 1,350-ha size by almost 75 per cent in the future. The expansion is aimed at catering to steadily increasing air passenger traffic and countering rival airport developments in the region.

Singapore’s Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Josephine Teo, who chairs the Changi 2036 Steering Committee established in March to map out Changi International Airport’s future development, unveiled the growth strategy earlier this week.

The 1,000-ha plot of land earmarked for the airport’s enhancement is situated between runway two and runway three, and also includes a section of Changi Coast Road.

According to Teo, the committee will finalise plans to open the third runway – currently reserved for military use – for civil aviation operations by the end of this year. Also under consideration are future terminals, including a potential Terminal 5 and Terminal 6, and when they will be rolled out.

Terminal 1, which recently completed a four-year US$390m revamp that boosted its floor space by 22,000m² to 308,000m², will undergo an additional round of upgrades starting next April (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 18, 2012). The arrival hall will be expanded to raise capacity from 21 million to 24 million passengers per annum, while dedicated facilities to support fly-cruise and fly-coach options will be added.

Once the Budget Terminal makes way for the new Terminal 4 – scheduled to open in 2017 (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 1, 2012), Changi International Airport will be able to handle 85 million passengers per annum, compared to the current 73 million.

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group has launched the Crowne Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, the company’s inaugural Crowne Plaza resort in Asia.

Located in Makham Bay in Cape Panwa, Phuket, Crowne Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach Resort offers a total of 224 rooms in nine different categories.

The two-storey 100m2 Andaman Loft Pool Suites (13 units) each boast a private living area, dining space and a terrace that allows guests to step directly into a beachfront lap pool. The second level features a bedroom with sea views and a personal Jacuzzi.

Spread across the resort are five dining establishments, including a bakery-café, a pool bar and beach barbecue, a lobby lounge, an Italian eatery, and an all-day dining venue serving Thai, pan-Asian and European cuisine.

Facilities include a Thann Spa & Sanctuary with seven treatment rooms – including a Thai massage room, and four couple’s rooms with Jacuzzis and private outdoor showers.

With a private 200m stretch of beach, the resort is also equipped with a water sports centre offering activities such as ocean kayaking and windsurfing, and a Kids Club.

THAILAND has introduced a new campaign to stimulate domestic tourism and mitigate fluctuations in international arrivals.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor, Suraphon Svetasreni, said: “The importance of domestic tourism is growing because it less vulnerable to seasonality fluctuations and is also the first to make a comeback after any unexpected crisis, such as floods.”

The authority has targeted 107.4 million intra-Thailand trips in 2013, and six percent growth in domestic tourism revenues to 453 million Thai baht (US$14.3 million).

To achieve this target, TAT aims to generate demand in a way that provides a steady flow of visitors all year; highlight the unique identity of different regions; create networking opportunities for domestic tourism businesses; and spin travel as an education experience rather than a recreational activity.

The new campaign, which will run through the remainder of 2012 into 2013, promotes travel and tourism as a necessary part of life for Thai nationals and expatriates.

The marketing slogan “New Thinking, New Perspectives -Travel in Thailand Can Yield More Than You Think” is aimed particularly at young Thais and intended to inspire national pride.

Suraphon said: “Domestic travel has an emotional element because people feel they are helping their fellow citizens, not just travelling for the sake of fun or recreation. Hence, it comes from the heart and is a part of life for all Thai citizens.”

TAT is encouraging businesses in Thailand to offer domestic getaways as performance incentives, and hold meetings, seminars, and teambuilding exercises at new destinations around the country.

“In addition to school trips and corporate incentives, one of the most important areas is facilitating travel for elderly people, people with disabilities and other such vulnerable groups. They, too, need to enjoy the privilege of travelling as a part of life,” said Suraphon.

“We are glad to see significant improvements in the ability of Thai tourism products and services to cater to such groups.”

Reporting by Timothy France

FOR the second consecutive year, Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) will be held in Bandar Lampung, the capital of Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra.

Lampung Culture & Tourism Office head, Gatot Hudi Utomo, said: “TIME 2011 was the first international event that Lampung ever held (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 13, 2011) and therefore, there were things we had to learn. Based on the mistakes we made in 2011, we will improve and put up a better show for buyers, sellers and media this year.”

“We will organise a pre-event tour which will include a tour to Mount Anak Krakatau, and a trip to watch the Lampung Cultural & Tapis (woven cloth) Carnival, the biggest cultural parade participated by all regencies in Lampung,” he added.

According to Utomo, the regional government will also be more selective in inviting local stakeholders to participate as sellers. “We will only invite those who do inbound and have a variety of products. We will also help them to maximise their participation at the show,” he said.

According to organising committee chairman Meity Robot, TIME 2012 is set to take place from October 9-12, and a total of 78 sellers and 80 buyers are being targeted. PACTO Convex has been appointed as the PCO for the show.

PACTO Convex managing director, Ketut Salam, said: “With the growing demand from Asia, and longhaul markets still affected by the economic crisis, we will be focusing on inviting buyers from ASEAN countries, and those with strong economies such as China, India and Australia.

Last year, TIME attracted 84 sellers from 10 provinces and 77 buyers from 27 countries, with total transactions hitting an estimated US$15.7 million.

THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) has unveiled a series of strategies designed to maintain the country’s brand image, marketing profile and visitor arrivals going into 2013.

Announced yesterday after the conclusion of TAT’s annual action plan meeting, the NTO has set a 2013 target of 22.22 million international tourist arrivals and 966 billion baht (US$30.62 billion) in revenue.

The core theme of the Action Plan 2013 is “Higher Revenue through Thainess”. TAT is hoping to attract tourists using the Charm of Thainess – which includes Thai Experience, Thai Way of Life, and Thai Culture.

A “Discover The Other You” campaign will be launched to promote experiential travel. The marketing messages involved will emphasise creative tourism, where tourists can participate in unique Thai experiences – such as Thai boxing, Thai massage, Thai cooking, and Thai classical dancing. Thai food and Thai local wisdom will also be used as unique selling propositions.

Some key aspects of Thai lifestyle including rice farming, massage and meditation techniques will also be emphasised. For the first time, images of visitors participating in a rice harvest and ploughing the fields behind a water buffalo will be used in marketing campaigns.

TAT will ramp up efforts to increase the number of first-time and high-spending visitors. Four niche products used to attract high-spenders will be golf, health & wellness, wedding & honeymoon, and green tourism.

The NTO will also attempt to increase charter and low-cost carrier flights to destinations where there is no direct access, while LCC’s will be used to broaden the base for mainstream tourists.

A Partner on Demand strategy will be implemented to grow strategic alliances and enhance the add-on impact of marketing efforts. Trade shows and roadshows will be used extensively in both existing and potential markets.

Digital media marketing will be a special focus of attention. Partnerships will also be forged with hotel partners to produce special interest videos such as those highlighting weddings and honeymoons.

Lastly, TAT will place emphasis on establishing a tourism intelligence unit and crisis management centre. These will be designed to identify emerging trends and opportunities, and also aid the NTO in reacting promptly to the increasing number of global crises.