AUSTRALIA is seeing increasing numbers of Chinese and Japanese visitors, who are driving steady growth in inbound tourism despite the robust Australian currency and continued economic frailty in key longhaul markets.

According to Australia’s Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, overall arrivals in 1Q2012 grew 4.1 per cent year-on-year. During the quarter, there were nearly 200,000 Chinese visitors to Australia, a 10.7 per cent year-on-year increase, while Japanese arrivals rose 5.8 per cent to 98,000.

Longhaul markets such as the US and UK did not fare too badly either, said Australian Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson.

“A recovery in arrivals is now more evident from the US, which has increased by 3.3 percent and the UK, which rose by 3.1 percent, despite relative weakness in their respective economies,” he was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying.

Meanwhile, the main underperforming markets were Malaysia and Germany.

Ferguson credited improved flight access as a key driver in the growth of inbound tourism. “The Australian government has been in negotiations to continue to expand our airlines’ access to the world and to allow foreign carriers to increase their access to Australia,” he said.

Carriers such as China Southern Airlines, which doubled its Guangzhou-Melbourne services to twice-daily last October, and launched thrice-weekly Beijing-Perth flights a month later, are leading the charge to provide adequate air connectivity for Chinese tourists looking to head Down Under.

SERVICED apartments player Frasers Hospitality has launched a hotel brand, Capri by Fraser, with three hotels to open within the next 12 to 16 months in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City.

The hotel in Singapore, Capri by Fraser @ Changi City, opening in the third quarter, is expected to fetch a rate of between S$250 (US$200) and S$300, Frasers Hospitality CEO, Choe Peng Sum, told TTG Asia e-Daily at the launch of the brand today.

Though pitched at the four-star market, Frasers Hospitality believes the brand will be anything but a typical four-star.

An extensive range of facilities and customised services are offered, along with the convenience of a full-serviced residence such as the option of cooking and doing laundry.

Room size will range from 32sqm to 70sqm in the Singapore property.

The brand is “urban inspired, high-tech and intuitive”, with experiences such as iPad-activated check-in, interactive e-concierge, AirPrint and WiFi e-Print facilities for business, meeting rooms with interactive walls, and a Data Box to charge all digital services.

Choe said: “Capri by Fraser bridges the gap between hotels and serviced residences, to meet the short-term accommodation needs of the 24/7 digital generation, who work and play to a different beat from that of the business travellers of the past.”

“Market feedback has indicated that while regional travel stays are becoming shorter, usually between one to two weeks, they are also becoming more frequent, with professionals working longer, irregular hours across different time zones,” he added.

“Capri by Fraser is focused on enhancing the work-life balance of our guests with the flexibility and freedom to rest, relax and recharge according to their individual lifestyle needs.”

While hotel chains have been making inroads into the lucrative serviced apartments sector with their own residences, few if any serviced apartments players have officially gone into the hotel industry with their own hotel brands.

– Read the full story in TTG Asia, May 18, 2012

MALAYSIAN budget hotel chain, Tune Hotels, will open its inaugural Jakarta property, Tune Hotel Pasar Baru, on July 12.

Mark Lankester, Tune Hotels Group CEO, said: “Jakarta has been on our radar screen for a long time now, with many of our guests consistently asking about our plans there. The wait is over.”

Located in central Jakarta, near Mangga Dua wholesale complex and Kemayoran Expo Centre, Tune Hotel Pasar Baru will offer 117 double, 36 twin, and a single special needs room.

The hotel will be Tune Hotel’s third in Indonesia, joining other properties in Bali’s Kuta and Legian.

Elsewhere, Tune Hotels currently operates eleven hotels in Malaysia, two in London, three in the Philippines, and two in Thailand.

LOOKING to build on momentum gained from the launch of Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) twice-weekly Manila-Bali services in April, Aneka Kartika Tours & Travel Service will embark on its first-ever sales mission to Manila this month.

The Surabaya-based DMC, together with representatives from eight Indonesian hotels and seven Asian airlines serving Indonesia, will jointly participate at Pesta Indonesia in Manila on May 15.

Targeting some 100 travel industry members in the Philippines, the event aims to increase awareness of Indonesia and stimulate interest in sending groups to the destination.

Adjie Wahjono, operations manager, Aneka Kartika Tours & Travel Service said: “We have been working on (the Philippine) market since seven years ago, even before PAL started Manila-Jakarta direct flights, and have seen the market growing well over the past three years.”

“Now, with PAL serving (both) Jakarta and Bali, we feel it is important to bring our hotel partners to meet the travel industry in Manila.”

According to Adjie, Philippine visitors to Indonesia usually consist of FITs, families and corporate incentives. They stay an average of three nights, visiting theme parks, and shopping in Jakarta, Bandung and Bali.

“Many Filipinos have no idea where Jakarta, Bali and Borobudur are yet. We have had requests to combine Jakarta with Borobudur or Bali in one day, which is possible but (over intensive),” he said.

“We hope (the Filipino travel trade) will understand Indonesia better (after the sales mission), and in turn look to increase (outbound) traffic (to Indonesia).”

BEST Western International (BWI) has opened Best Western Wana Riverside Hotel in Malacca, as part of ongoing expansion efforts in Malaysia.

“We hope to be able to help cater for a new wave of business and leisure tourists attracted to this historical city,” said Glenn de Souza, BWI vice president International Operations – Asia & the Middle East.

Located on the banks of the Melaka River, the 170-key Best Western Wana Riverside offers a mix of superior, deluxe, grand deluxe, studio and executive rooms, ranging in size from 29 – 40m². The hotel also features meeting facilities for up to 400 persons, a sports bar, and a riverside café.

BWI is scheduled to operate 15 properties in Malaysia by 1Q2015, offering more than 1,700 rooms across nine cities.

Lionel Yeo

SINGAPORE will have a new tourism head honcho when Lionel Yeo takes over as the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) chief executive from June 1.

Yeo will replace incumbent Aw Kah Peng, who step down on May 31 to pursue personal interests, after more than 20 years in the public sector.

Yeo is currently deputy secretary (Development) in the Public Service Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, and CEO and dean of the Civil Service College.

Before that, he was a director in the Trade Division of the Ministry of Trade & Industry, and a director for taxation policy at the Ministry of Finance.

He had also previously worked on developing cultural and social policies at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts and the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, respectively.

Meanwhile, asked about her next move, Aw said: “As far as my mum is concerned, my interests now concern taking her on a nice holiday (smiles), and as far as my husband is concerned, it now is about learning to cook better (laughs).”

She added: “It has been an amazing journey, working with the tourism industry and with STB. Because it’s all about people with a passion who want to make a difference in helping to grow Singapore’s tourism sector, collaboratively.”

SINGAPORE and Colombia have signed a bilateral Air Services Agreement, which enables airlines of both countries to operate any number of direct passenger services between the two nations.

In addition, the airlines will be able to operate, under certain limitations, up to seven services per week between, and beyond, both countries.

The signing took place on the sidelines of a three-day visit to Singapore by Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos Calderón.