THE MALAYSIAN government has advised Malaysians against travelling to southern Thailand in the aftermath of car bombings in Hat Yai and Yala last weekend, while Firefly has postponed the launch of inaugural flights to the region.

The Star quoted Malaysian foreign minister Anifah Aman as saying that those who intended to visit the area should only do so for urgent matters, and should inform the Malaysian consulate in Songkhla as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Firefly has deferred the launch of its newest route between Subang and Hat Yai originally scheduled for May 2.

Ignatius Ong, Malaysia Airlines/Firefly COO shorthaul said: “We will postpone commencement of these flights until we think it is safe to fly. We will make an announcement of a new commencement date when the situation in Hat Yai is back to normal.”

Albert Tan, managing director, Tongyan Travel & Tours Penang said: “Outbound travel to southern Thailand will be seriously affected for at least three months due to safety concerns.”

“However, I still expect to see Thais travelling from the south into Malaysia for leisure. This will not be affected to the same extent.”

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also urged Singaporeans to postpone all non-essential travel to the region.

TAUZIA Hotel Management launched last weekend the Harris Hotel & Residence Sunset Road, the group’s fourth Harris-branded property in Bali and 11th in Indonesia.

Located at the crossroads of Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak and Denpasar on Sunset Road, the hotel, which soft-opened last December, offers 186 rooms and suites, a Harris Cafe, a juice bar, a spa, a kids’ club, and complimentary Internet access in all rooms and public areas.

MICE facilities include a ballroom with overall capacity for up to 500 pax, but divisible into five different meeting room configurations, with capacity ranging from 30-400 pax, theatre-style.

Hengky Tambayong, general manager, Harris Hotel & Residence Sunset Road said: “With a total area of 5,500m2, the hotel will continue to develop. We will have a dedicated spa area (a converted room currently functions as the treatment area), another ballroom with capacity for 1,800 people, and a landscaped garden.”

Launched with a room price starting from 555,000 rupiah (US$60) per night, Tambayong is targeting an average occupancy of 60-70 per cent this year, with a mix of clientele from the leisure, family, business and MICE segments.

Commenting on whether Bali was becoming oversaturated with room inventory, Tauzia Hotel Management president director, Marc Steinmeyer, said: “Some areas of Bali already have too many hotels, I agree, and we will not have any new Harris hotel projects (in these areas).”

“There is still, however, room in the north of Bali for budget properties, and we will have one POP! Hotel (opening) in Singaraja.”

TAMAN Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan dan Ratu Boko (TWCBP&RB), which manages the Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko temple complexes in Yogjakarta, is looking to hike the access fee to the summit of Borobudur to around US$20 per person, starting June 1.

The management has been charging US$15 per international visitor, and between 12,500 rupiah (US$1.40) and 25,000 rupiah per domestic visitor to climb the temple, depending on seasonality.

TWCBP&RB marketing director Agus Canny said: “We are still working on (implementing) the (new) pricing. With Ankor Wat as (our) benchmark, we are looking at around US$20 (per climb), which will give visitors access to the top of the temple.”

“A smaller entrance fee will be introduced for access to the temple complex and information centre,” he added. “(Visitors) can still enjoy the temple, take pictures and get information on Borobudur, but will not be allowed to climb the temple.”

Discounted student group pricing will still be available once the changes take effect, but only on a single student-designated day each week, compared to everyday currently.

According to Canny, the new pricing policy was a result of a two-year study on how TWCBP&RB could better manage the UNESCO World Heritage site, and keep within its maximum load capacity of between 5,000-10,000 pax at any one time.

“We also received complaints from international travellers on the different pricing, as if we are discriminating against them,” he said.

Canny acknowledged that Borobudur might see a drop in arrivals, especially from the domestic market in the beginning.

THOMAS Cook Group, which put its 77.1 per cent stake in Thomas Cook India up for sale in February, has received several offers from companies ranging from conglomerates and private equity firms to travel agencies.

Credit Suisse Group, entrusted with conducting the sale, has shortlisted five of the nine offers received so far, which were in the range of Rs50-60 (US$0.99-1.18) per share. Thomas Cook India shares are currently hovering around the Rs65 mark.

Tata Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, has offered to buy the stake through its finance arm, Tata Capital.

Other expressions of interest are from private equity companies such as Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts, Fairbridge Capital and Carlyle, foreign exchange business Travelex, and the Japan Travel Bureau.

Fresh bids have been invited from those already short-listed, and are to be submitted by mid-April, after which the best offer will be chosen.

The sale is expected to be completed by June 2012.

SWISSOTEL Hotels & Resorts has taken over the management of the Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Kamala Beach, effective April 1.

Rebranded as Swissôtel Resort Phuket, the property is the group’s third Thai property after Swissôtel Nai Lert Park and Swissôtel Le Concorde in Bangkok, and its first resort property in Asia.

“Phuket is one of the most visited regions in Thailand, and after operating two hotels in Bangkok for years, we (have) finally opened our first resort property in Asia. This project will strengthen our presence and complement our expansion strategies within the region,” said Meinhard Huck, president of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.

Located on the western side of the island, Swissôtel Resort Phuket offers 180 one- to three-bedroom suites, a pool, a spa, a fitness centre, and an adventure club.

MICE facilities at the resort include 450m2 of meeting space, with eight function rooms and a pre-function area able to hold up to 150 pax.

CELEBRITY Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium cruise ship will offer a second consecutive Asia season in November 2013, with sailings between Singapore and Hong Kong, and calls at Bali, Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo.

Celebrity Millennium will kick-off the upcoming Asia season with a 17-night cruise from Sydney to Singapore in November, offering overnight stays in Cairns (Yorkey’s Knob), Australia and Singapore.

From there, the ship will offer several 14-night cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong. Two 14-night roundtrip cruises from Singapore to Indonesia will be offered in January 2014.

All these sailings will feature multiple in-port overnight stays in destinations such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi (Halong Bay), Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo.

Celebrity Cruises’ Asia itineraries will available for booking from April 18, 2012.