INDONESIA’s MICE industry should capitalise on the country’s robust economic growth by encouraging the development of domestic MICE, said Anggito Abimanyu, the former head of fiscal analysis at Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance.

While trade- and export-related MICE business might be affected by the ongoing financial turmoil in the US and Europe, the positive results posted by domestic businesses should result in an overall increase in the number of domestic MICE in 2012, explained Abimanyu.

Abimanyu projected that Indonesia’s economy would grow by between six and 6.3 per cent next year, with a low inflation rate of around four per cent.

“Indonesia’s economic fundamentals are better than during the crisis of 2008/2009,” he said. “While the external economic growth is slowing down, Indonesia’s domestic economy is strong.”

“It is a good opportunity to create MICE events.”

SILKAIR, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), will introduce on March 26, 2012 direct air services between Singapore and Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory and the carrier’s first destination in Australia.

Flights will be operated four-weekly, departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with next-day return flights. Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft will be deployed on the route, and will feature both business and economy-class cabins.

The new service will boost SilkAir’s presence in Australia, which is currently being served by SIA via five points: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

“This is a very significant move for us and will complement our parent company’s ongoing efforts to better serve the Australian market,” said SilkAir CEO Marvin Tan.

Meanwhile, reciprocal frequent flyer arrangements between SIA and Virgin Australia, the next stage of a long-term alliance between (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 12) the two carriers, will start from December 10.

The arrangements will enable KrisFlyer members to earn and redeem frequent flyer points on Virgin Australia’s entire network, and Velocity members to earn and redeem frequent flyer points on SIA-operated flights.

The two airlines expect to commence codesharing on each other’s services from early 2012.

KOSMOPOLITO Hotels International (KHI) has completed the sale of Central Park Hotel in Hong Kong for a sum of HK$515 million (US$66 million).

The sale realises a gain of approximately HK$370 million for KHI, which has been appointed by the new owners to manage the property.

“The disposal completion and the managerial appointment continue to demonstrate our group’s ability to execute consistently on our stated strategy,” said Winnie Chiu, KHI’s president & executive director.

“We will use the proceeds to reduce the group’s bank borrowing position and to further invest in other value-accretive hotel opportunities.”

The 142-room Central Park Hotel was converted from an office building and opened in April 2005.

NEXT year’s edition of Cruise Shipping Asia is scheduled to take place from October 17-19 at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in Singapore.

The second annual three-day conference and trade show organised by UBM, which focuses on the cruise industry in Asia-Pacific, will include a full conference programme of panel discussions, a trade fair, as well as business-matching and travel consultant training sessions.

Michael Kazakoff, vice president of UBM Live, said: “As more cruise lines commit to Asia, growth is inevitable, and forums like Cruise Shipping Asia provide an excellent platform for networking and creating business opportunities.”

Rama Rebbapragada, chairman of the Asia Cruise Association, said: “Cruise Shipping Asia has certainly established a strong platform for like-minded cruise industry players and stakeholders for the fruitful discussions and exchange of ideas that are essential in bringing Asian cruising forward into its next phase of development.”

THE MELBOURNE Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has appointed Peter King, currently the chief executive of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales, as it’s new CEO.

In his present role, King has overseen on an annual basis the Royal Easter Show – the largest single event in Australia –and has played a leading role in securing government investment for the new A$65 million (US$66 million), 25,000-seat Main Arena Stadium.

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust chairman, Bob Annells, said: “Peter King brings great insight and a tremendous track record of achievement in venue management and international marketing among many other attributes.”

“With his valuable range of skills, King will be instrumental in providing higher level strategic planning and management input as the MCEC business grows over the coming years.”

King was selected after an extensive public recruitment and executive search process throughout Australia and internationally.

BUSINESS Events Sydney (BESydney) has secured the rights to host the 12th Congress of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement in Sydney in 2013.

This will be the first time the bi-annual congress is held in Australia, and the event is expected to attract over 400 delegates to focus on all aspects of organ and tissue donation and procurement.

BESydney ambassador, Professor Jeremy Chapman, said: “This congress will bring the field’s leading academics, doctors, researchers, government and professional organisations together to debate, discuss and innovate.”

“Securing the event for Sydney is a huge success and I eagerly anticipate the outcomes of the congress for the future of organ donation and transplantation.”

Professor Chapman, a renal physician with a special interest in transplantation, had previously worked with BESydney to secure the 9th International Donor Registry Conference and WMDA Working Group Meetings for Sydney in 2012.

FORMER Emaar Hospitality Group CEO, Patrick Heuze, has been appointed CEO of Sunland Hotels in the Maldives, a newly created position designed to steer the group’s expansion of its Coco Collection in South and South-east Asia, Africa and Europe.

Heuze, who previously oversaw the development of Emaar’s luxury projects in key global cities and worked closely on expanding The Address brand, is now in charge of Sunland Hotels’ assets and spearheading Coco Collection’s rebranding and strategic development.

In an email interview with TTG Asia e-Daily, Heuze explained that Coco Collection would be “a house of brands” incorporating resorts, retreats and hotels associated as five-star and above properties. A new brand for four-star properties is also in the works.

Primary countries being targeted for expansion are Zanzibar, Kenya, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The common denominators for these destinations include natural beauty, seclusion, rich cultural and historical heritage, and that they offer “holistic” and “lifestyle” choices, said Heuze.

“There is space for a brand that delivers a new offering and level of services in a market which is presently either covered by a large brand or individually owned properties,” he said.

“The timing of this expansion is based on the emergence and continued growth of new feeder markets such as China, Brazil, India and Russia, and the anticipated growth of Africa as a leisure and corporate destination.”

When queried about what was driving the expansion, Heuze said: “Opportunities are ripe for evaluating distress assets, but also (as a result of) the recent trend for developers and owners to consider alternative brands instead of relying on the big brands.”

– Full report in TTG Asia, January 27 issue, 2012

SRILANKAN Airlines will boost the frequency on its Colombo-Chennai route to four-daily starting December 23.

The airline operates a mix of Airbus A320s and A330s on the route, which caters to a mix of leisure, business and student travellers from Colombo, as well as transit traffic from the Far East and Europe.

SriLankan Airlines CMO G. T. Jeyaseelan said: “We are developing Colombo into a hub for the South Asian region, and it is vitally important that we provide the best service for our connecting passengers to South India and other parts of India.”

“While we are planning to expand our operations into India with more destinations, we are also consolidating our presence in the sub-continent, with enhanced frequencies.”

SriLankan Airlines regional manager for India, Lalith De Silva, added: “India is one of SriLankan Airlines’ best markets, and tourist arrivals from India are on the increase.”

“There is a heavy demand for additional flights, and better frequencies will facilitate us selling more out of the Far East and Europe via Colombo to India.”

SriLankan operates direct flights to seven destinations in India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Trivandrum, Cochin and Trichy.

HOTEL transaction volumes in Thailand have risen and even surpassed yearly average rates following the devastating flood crisis that affected the country, according to the latest figures from HotelClub.

“Now that the Thai flood situation has stabilised with cleanup well underway and all tourist attractions open for business, our on-the-ground hotel experts are seeing a significant increase in market confidence and foreign visitors,” said Chaminda Ranasinghe, commercial director, HotelClub.

Hotel transaction volumes in Thailand have risen sharply in the past five weeks for HotelClub. The week commencing November 8 produced a 400 per cent increase in transaction volume compared to the week commencing October 24, when volumes plummeted due to worsening flood conditions.

Year-on-year transactions are increasing as well, with transaction volumes during the week commencing November 28 up by 15 per cent compared to the same period last year.

For Bangkok specifically, hotel volumes increased 40 per cent during the week commencing November 28 compared to the week prior – resulting in a return to pre-flood average weekly transaction levels.

Meanwhile, to encourage inbound traffic further, HotelClub will be launching a Thailand – Still Amazing campaign on December 12.

As part of the initiative, HotelClub will donate AUD$5 (US$5) from every transaction at participating hotels to the Thai Red Cross Society. Selected Thai hotels will also be offering discounts of up to 60 per cent off regular rates.

For more information on the campaign and how to contribute, visit www.hotelclub.com/promo/thailandstillamazing

AIRASIA X, the longhaul affiliate of Malaysia-based LCC AirAsia, has launched four-weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to Osaka, the carrier’s second destination in Japan after Tokyo and sixteenth overall.

Speaking at the official launch ceremony, Azran Osman-Rani, CEO, AirAsia X, said: “Brand affinity for the AirAsia X brand remains at an all time high, with demand also returning to pre-tsunami levels.”

“The route would be a strong feeder for our guests intending to connect onwards either domestically or internationally from Osaka.”

“Similarly, guests from Japan and surrounding regions would be able to fly into Kuala Lumpur and connect onwards to AirAsia’s network of over 165 routes in South-east Asia and beyond,” he added.

To coincide with the launch, AirAsia X is offering special introductory all-in fares from as low as RM199 (US$63) for a one-way Kuala Lumpur-Osaka ticket. The offer is valid for online bookings made from now till December 11, for immediate travel from now till March 31, 2012.