LAO Airlines has signalled its intention to tap into the rest of the world with its latest expansion: thrice-weekly Vientiane-Singapore services that started yesterday.

Timed to arrive and depart Singapore in the evening to facilitate connections from Europe and Australasia, the flights – operated on an Airbus A320 with 16 business-class and 126 economy-class seats – offer regional and longhaul travellers an alternative to Bangkok, which has served as the primary gateway to Laos for many years.

“Prior to this, the need to connect in Bangkok resulted in a minimal number of Singapore-based travellers to Laos compared to other Asians,” said Universal Travel Corporation’s managing director, Khoo Boo Liat.

Lao Airlines’ sales manager for Singapore, Lester Song, said: “Forward bookings on our thrice-weekly services are looking good and our first flights are all going out full or nearly full. We are working with tour operators, expatriate associations and various special interest groups to promote travel to Laos.”

Khoo added: “Within six weeks of our sales effort taking off, we had more than 200 bookings and these continue to grow. The numbers are promising and encouraging.”

With this new link to Vientiane, Singapore Changi International Airport now offers direct air connections to all nine countries in the ASEAN grouping.

HONG Kong will finally have its own homegrown low-cost carrier (LCC) when Hong Kong Express Airways – part of the Hainan Airlines group – adopts a low-cost model in mid-2012.

The yet-to-be-renamed carrier will operate a fleet of 15 Airbus A320 aircraft over the next three to four years, while its existing group of Boeing B737-800 planes will be transferred to Hong Kong Airlines.

The LCC is planning to operate to destinations such as Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Hong Kong International Airport is already served by about a dozen foreign LCCs including Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways, AirAsia, Spring Airlines, Jin Air and Cebu Pacific.

The new airline is currently looking to hire a CEO with previous LCC experience in Europe.

Hong Kong’s previous attempt at operating an LCC failed when Hong Kong Oasis Airlines ceased operations in 2008, after having served London (Gatwick) and Vancouver using B747-400 aircraft.

THOMAS Cook is seemingly headed for a financial overhaul after one of the banks with which it is engaged in ongoing discussions indicated it was keen for an expedited resolution of the tour operator’s debt crisis, according to a report in The Financial Times.

The UK-based travel firm’s share price nosedived 75.2 per cent to close at 10.2 pence (US$0.16) on London’s FTSE 250 shares index on Tuesday, after the company announced it was seeking a new £100 million loan from a conglomerate of 17 banks, just a month after the same group had extended it a £100 million lifeline.

The share plunge left Thomas Cook valued at just £89.25 million.

“As a result of deterioration of trading in some areas of the business in the current quarter, and of its cash and liquidity position since year-end, the company is in discussions with its principal lending banks with regard to its facilities during the seasonal low period of cash in the business,” Thomas Cook said in a statement.

The travel firm added that it would have to delay the release of its full-year results, which were originally due to be published today, pending the conclusion of the bank discussions.

Europe’s second-largest travel company after TUI Travel has suffered a calamitous year, with one setback after the next leading to the resignation of its CEO Manny Fontenla-Novoa in August (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 3).

Meanwhile, according to a report in UK’s The Sunday Times, Thomas Cook is planning to close about 200 of its travel outlets and reduce its aircraft fleet by six planes.

THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) is planning to reintroduce a tourist visa fee waiver scheme for China, India, Russia and Taiwan nationals, as part of a wider stimulus initiative to boost inbound traffic and help local tourism operators affected by the floods.

The exemption of tourist visa fees for certain nationalities, first introduced in 2009 following the closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport the previous December, had seen several extensions over the ensuing two years, before finally being discontinued in March (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 3).

According to TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni, a proposal to reinstate the tourist-friendly policy has already been tabled to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, along with a request for funding to help beleaguered Thai tourism operators, and to kick-start the Miracle Thailand campaign—put on hold since the start of the floods in October.

In the immediate term, Suraphon said the country’s long-running Amazing Thailand, Always Amazes You marketing campaign would remain as the key message throughout efforts to restore visitors’ confidence, with the NTO having scheduled fam trips for foreign media and travel experts starting December 13.

Asian market representatives are scheduled to visit tourist attractions in Bangkok and Ayuthaya—inundated by floods but now back to normalcy, before moving on to other unaffected destinations. As for the European market representatives, the trips will focus on special interest itineraries encompassing elements such as ecotourism.

Meanwhile, TAT is predicting that even if the flood situation is resolved by the end of the month, the country’s international tourism targets for the year are expected to fall short of about 220,000 arrivals and US$275 million in revenue.

Before the flood crisis started, Thailand was anticipating 19.5 million overseas visitors and 746 billion baht (US$23.8 billion) in tourism receipts.

By Sirima Eamtako

THE HONG Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has boosted its ongoing Hong Kong Rewards incentive programme for MICE groups with two new features.

Available only to corporate meetings and incentives groups from South-east Asia, the two add-ons are a one-day Mass Transit Railway (MTR) pass and a See Hong Kong single tour pass, which are valid till June 2012.

To qualify for these incentives, groups must have between 20 to 300 delegates staying at least two consecutive nights in Hong Kong. Interested event planners are required to complete an application form, and requests will be answered within 14 working days.

According to Linda Tan, HKTB marketing manger, the one-day MTR pass and See Hong Kong single tour pass offer business delegates a chance to explore Hong Kong’s sights and attractions at their own pace.

“We have only just introduced these and the response from event planners has been very strong,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tan noted that Singapore arrivals to Hong Kong have been growing year-on-year. The destination welcomed 590,000 Singaporean visitors from January to September, an 11.5 per cent jump over the same period in 2010.

Tan said leisure travellers were still the dominant segment from Singapore, and that Hong Kong would continue to leverage on mega events such as the Hong Kong WinterFest, which kicks off tomorrow and ends January 1, 2012, to increase footfalls.

“There are a lot of programmes and activities involved in mega events, which offer value to leisure travellers who visit Hong Kong,” she explained. “Hong Kong WinterFest, for instance, will feature the first outdoor ice skating rink in Hong Kong.”

INDIA’s Jet Airways will introduce new direct daily flights on its Mumbai–Riyadh and Mumbai–Bangkok routes starting December 14.

With the flight additions, the carrier’s Mumbai-Riyadh and Mumbai-Bangkok services will be boosted to twice-daily and thrice-daily, respectively.

The airline will deploy a Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the routes, offering 16 Premiere and 138 economy-class seats.

Sudheer Raghavan, COO, Jet Airways, said: “Jet Airways has decided to enhance capacity on these sectors to meet the growing demand. These services will offer seamless connections to several destinations to our guests across the network through our Mumbai gateway.”

Meanwhile, Jet Airways and New York-based JetBlue Airways have entered into an interline agreement that will offer guests travel options from India to JetBlue destinations in the US.

Travelling via Jet Airways’ daily non-stop services from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai to Brussels, customers may transfer to non-stop Jet Airways flights bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy and Newark Airports, and onward to destinations including Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

RESORTS World Manila (RWM) has opened the Remington Hotel, the latest addition to the integrated resort’s lodging brands.

Remington Hotel offers 623 standard rooms, each with an average room size of 21m2, and 89 serviced apartment units.

Published rates for the standard room and serviced apartment units are 3,900 pesos (US$89) and 4,900 pesos, respectively. The rates are inclusive of service charge and taxes, but not daily breakfast.

RWM’s other lodging options are the 172-key Maxims Tower and the 342-key Marriott Hotel Manila.

ASCOTT has clinched management contracts for two serviced residences in Foshan and Hong Kong.

The 186-unit Ascott M-City Foshan, which is the group’s first serviced residence in Foshan, is slated to open in 2016. The 71-unit Somerset Victoria Park Hongkong will be Ascott’s second serviced residence in Hong Kong when it opens in 2013. Ascott currently owns and operates Citadines Ashley Hongkong, which is located in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Lim Ming Yan, Ascott’s CEO, said: “China is one of Ascott’s fastest growing markets. We entered Macau earlier this year, and the addition of Foshan will enable us to further grow our scale in the Pearl River Delta region.”

Located in the city’s newly developed central business district—Dongping New Town, Ascott M-City Foshan will offer apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. Facilities include a swimming pool, a gym, a yoga room, a reading room, a business centre, a conference room and a breakfast lounge.

Situated close to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Somerset Victoria Park Hongkong will offer a range of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments.

With the two additions, Ascott has strengthened its position as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in China, with over 7,000 apartment units in 40 properties across 17 cities.

Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s managing director for North Asia, said: “With our latest properties in Foshan and Hong Kong, Ascott has secured over 870 apartment units in six serviced residences in China so far this year. We also opened new properties in Shenzhen and Xian and are excited to open our exclusive Ascott IFC Guangzhou next year. Ascott is on track to almost double its China portfolio to 12,000 apartment units by 2015.”

SINGAPORE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has released a statement saying it no longer advises Singaporeans to consider deferring non-essential travel to Bangkok.

The lifting of the travel advisory comes after the Thai government recently announced that inner Bangkok would be safe from floods as measures to stem the flooding had been successful (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 21).

Nevertheless, the MFA advised Singaporeans already in or who are planning to visit the Thai capital to avoid flood-affected areas.

The ministry added that concerns remain about the possibility of outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as leptospirosis, which is caused by exposure to Leptospira bacteria found in fresh water contaminated by animal urine.

TRANSASIA Airways signed last week a NT$5.5 billion (US$181 million) syndicated loan agreement for the purchase of two new Airbus A330 aircraft.

The A330s, first ordered by TransAsia last year, will be used to expand its network of Asian services. Delivery is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.

In addition, the airline also has orders for six new A321 aircraft which will be delivered starting quarter four 2012, and six A321Neos planes which will be delivered by 2020. The airline reserves the right to order an additional six A321Neos.

TransAsia has been actively developing its network in Asia, with the launching of Taipei–Singapore daily services in June, and another four new routes added this month, including Kaohsiung–Hanoi, Taoyuan–Xuzhou, Kaohsiung–Hefei and Kaohsiung–Nanning.