THE SICHUAN capital of Chengdu will welcome its first Mandarin Oriental hotel come 2015.

Part of a prestigious mixed-used development on a prime riverfront site, the 320-room Mandarin Oriental, Chengdu will offer a 1,200-seat grand ballroom, a 500-seat junior ballroom, a variety of function rooms, various F&B options including a Sichuan restaurant, a rooftop bar and tea lounge and a 10-room spa.

The hotel is part of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s ongoing expansion in China, which includes upcoming properties in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai Pudong.

THAILAND has heightened its focus on promoting its niche tourism offerings in view of dampened demand from longhaul markets affected by the global economic slowdown.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor, Suraphon Svetasreni, said: “ This year, TAT is refocusing our strategies to attract a greater number of niche-market visitors seeking holidays and experiences more in tune with their personal preferences and lifestyles. Four of the key niche markets that offer considerable potential are golf, weddings & honeymoons, ecotourism, and health & wellness.”

“The weddings and honeymoons category alone offers tremendous opportunities for Thai tourism operators – at present, India, South Korea, Japan, France, the US and the UAE are rapidly-growing source markets for those who want to get married or celebrate their union in Thailand.”

Suraphon added: “Niche markets are the way of the future. They provide many new opportunities for doing business with the growing number of specialist travel (consultants), while also feeding business to the increasing number of Thai product suppliers in each of these niche markets.”

Andrew Jacka, director, Spa Origins and president, Thai Spa Association, said: “Thailand, with its traditionally strong family units and long history of nurturing and caring, is well suited to be a player in the health and wellness industry.”

“The country offers both preventive and curative therapies and treatments; and when all is said and done, Thailand is the perfect place for post-treatment convalescence and recovery.”

Chananya Phataraprasit, executive director of Asian Oasis, a lodging and cruise operator in Thailand and Laos, said: “Ecotourism opens up a whole new dimension of possibilities for tourists looking for something really different from their trip to Thailand.”

“These possibilities include getting closer to nature and the local environment, first-hand cultural experiences, deepening their understanding of Thai communities, or actually working to give something back to the communities they visit.”

DESPITE the push for high-yield visitors at this year’s Thailand Travel Mart Plus, the backpacker and student travel markets are still a top priority for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

TAT trade marketing manager, Chris Lee, insisted that backpackers and students were integral to industry growth. “Quality tourism does not only mean luxury tourism. It is about how much money the tourists are going to spend, and their average length of stay,” he said.

“The average spend per day of the student and backpacker markets may not be a lot, but if you look at the (total) amount of money they spend while they are (in Thailand), it is pretty good, because they are here for so long,” he added.

According to Lee, students and backpackers helped drive up the average length of stay by UK travellers in Thailand to 17.5 days last year, an increase of 1.5 days compared to the year before.

“The average length of stay for the normal tourist is two weeks, so what’s making (up) the difference from 14 days to 17.5 days are the backpackers, who are obviously staying a lot longer,” he explained.

This increase in average length of stay has contributed to the growing value of the mature UK market, which is seeing limited growth in absolute terms, but significant growth in revenues generated. The market registered a 1.5-per cent year-on-year increase in arrivals in 2011, with receipts up by 17 per cent over the same period.

Lee attributes some of Thailand’s success in tapping the student and backpacker markets to a campaign launched last year in conjunction with STA Travel Singapore. TAT invested 22,000 pounds (US$34,000) in the Thai for Two campaign, which incentivised student travellers to return to Thailand with a friend.

Run from end-May to mid-June 2011, the campaign achieved a 3,690-pax jump in student arrivals compared to the previous year.

“This was the most successful campaign we’d ever run, and the most successful campaign they (STA Travel) had ever run,” said Lee, who is overseeing a similar promotion this year.

Reporting by Timothy France

CHINESE authorities have banned foreigners from travelling to Tibet after two Tibetans set themselves on fire at a festival, according to local travel consultants.

A spokesperson from Tibet China International Tour Service confirmed the travel ban for foreign visitors to the region.

“We received the notice from the local tourism authority around five days ago, so it is impossible for us to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit for foreigners. We have no idea when we can resume business again,” the spokesperson said.

However, China International Travel Service (CITS) Integrated Management Department general manager, He Shengkang, said his company had not received any such notice.

“At present, foreigners can still sign up for tours to Tibet, but there must be more than five people of the same nationality,” said another CITS employee.

An estimated 38 Tibetans have self-immolated since February 2009 to protest against Chinese rule.

CHINA Southern Airlines started thrice-weekly flights from Guangzhou (Baiyun) to London (Heathrow) on June 6, 2012.

Operated using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, this is the first-ever direct connection between Guangzhou and London, and China Southern’s third non-stop European service after Paris and Amsterdam.

The new route is expected to foster greater economic and cultural exchange between the two cities, and provide a convenient flight option for Chinese sports fans wanting to watch the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Last October, China Southern doubled its Guangzhou-Melbourne services to twice-daily.

Si Xianming, president of China Southern Air Holding Company, said: “When flying between Europe and Australia or New Zealand, Guangzhou is as good a transit point as Hong Kong or Singapore.”

“Launching the Guangzhou-London route enables us to transfer more (European) passengers (onward via Guangzhou) to Australia and New Zealand. It is an important part of China Southern’s global expansion strategy.”

Si added that China Southern was planning to establish additional routes to Australia and New Zealand, such as Guangzhou-Cairns and Guangzhou-Adelaide, as well as flights to South America, Africa and other emerging markets.

Reporting by Hong Xu

FRESH from a US$7-million investment by Singapore’s Tiger Airways, Philippine carrier Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAir) is embarking on a domestic expansion spree with the launch of seven new routes from Manila.

Starting July 1, SEAir will operate thrice-daily flights on the Manila-Cebu route. On August 1, the carrier will start daily services between Manila and Tacloban. Daily flights between Manila and Iloilo will commence on August 2, followed by daily services between Manila and Puerto Princesa on August 3.

On August 4, daily services will begin on the Manila-Kalibo route. Two more routes linking Manila to Davao (twice-daily) and Bacolod (daily) will be launched on August 18 and 20, respectively.

To facilitate its growth, SEAir will add one new Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet within the next fortnight, with another two planes expected to join the fleet in July.

HONG Kong will welcome a new travel industry body, the Hong Kong Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (HKAAPA), in mid-July.

Paul Pei, sales & marketing executive director of Ocean Park Hong Kong, will head the association as founding president, while Lo Bing-chung, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort VP of public affairs, will take on the role of vice president.

Nine founding members have been confirmed so far, including Ocean Park Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Ngong Ping 360, Noah’s Ark Hong Kong, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Peak Tramway, AsiaWorld-Expo, sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, and DHL Hong Kong Balloon.

Other attractions will be invited to join the association’s ranks once it is formally established, while Hong Kong Tourism Board will be invited to sit in during meetings to facilitate discussions on marketing and promotions.

HKAAPA is expected to provide an avenue for greater collboration with academic and vocational institutions in nurturing manpower, as well as to jointly promote Hong Kong’s attractions in overseas markets.

In the long term, the new association will also study the feasibility of a “super annual pass” allowing entry to multiple attractions.

Josephine Lam, sky100 managing director, said: “We are glad to see Hong Kong attractions join forces to establish HKAPPA. Each founding member has its own uniqueness that complements one another, and together we can make contributions to Hong Kong tourism.”

HOTELS along Myanmar’s Chaung Tha Beach, a popular weekend getaway situated about five hours’ drive from Yangon, are offering discounted rates to attract visitors during the monsoon season from June to September.

According to U Min Kyaw Oo, secretary of the Chaungtha Zone Hoteliers Association, the hotels are offering discounts ranging from 10 – 40 per cent. Visitors will be able to secure a two nights’ stay during the monsoon season, for the price of one night in the summer.

U Min Kyaw Oo added that the 43-km highway connecting Yangon to Chaung Tha had recently been repaired.

IATA has deferred the implementation of its weekly remittance system in India until November 1, 2012.

The association had earlier scheduled the change in the remittance frequency in the Indian billing and settlement plan for June 1.

Biji Eapen, IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) president, said: “After careful discussions and deliberations, IATA Geneva concluded that the weekly remittance cannot be administered at this time without exposing IATA and its members to unacceptable risks.”

Guldeep Singh Sahni, managing director of Weldon Tours & Travels New Delhi, welcomed the deferment as it would bring “temporary relief” for small- and medium-sized travel agencies. “The delay in the implementation provides an opportunity for us to sort out this mess,” he said.

Reporting by Divya Kaul