US-BASED Sabre Travel Network is building the world’s first B2B application store for the travel industry.

The Sabre Red App Centre will be an online marketplace pulling third-party developers worldwide to create B2B travel apps using a Sabre Red App Developer Toolkit. The apps will then be sold to Sabre-connected consultants globally.

Sabre Travel Network president, Greg Webb, interviewed in Singapore, said he was expecting “a couple of hundred” apps.

“To start, we’re putting a significant number of Sabre-based apps (e.g. TripCase) to feed the store, and we’re also working with about 100 third-party developers,” he said.

The store and selected apps, called ‘Red Apps’, will become part of the consultant’s workspace, which is now the Sabre Red Workspace, launched last year.

So far, Sabre has converted 90 per cent of its agencies to this new workspace, and Webb expects Abacus International to get to the same conversion levels in Asia within the next six months.

“Abacus has taken our underlying infrastructure and released the Abacus WorkSpace, which is the same thing (as the Red Workspace), and the app store will roll out to both. We’re talking to Abacus about the roll-out plans, but first we’ll launch it in Sabre markets some time next year,” Webb said.

– How many apps do you need? For more, read TTG Asia, December 2 issue

INDONESIA is set to host the ASEAN Film Festival in a bid to promote the country as a filmmaking destination, and to heighten international awareness of its cultural and tourism products.

The festival, which will take place in Bali from November 16-17, will showcase one film from each of the 10 ASEAN member countries.

Indonesia Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Eka Pangestu said: “Indonesia would like to broaden co-operation and share information about the potential the country has to offer as a venue for filmmaking.”

She added: “More than just being a venue, Indonesia wants to participate more in developing films, which in turn will develop tourism. A new film studio, the biggest in South-east Asia, has just opened in Batam, providing space for indoor, outdoor and beach film locations. A school for stuntmen is also in the works.

“We hope that international film producers will partner with Indonesian filmmakers to produce their films in Indonesia.”

Indonesia has seen recent success in its efforts to promote the country’s tourism products through international films, with Bali gaining in popularity following the filming of the Hollywood movie Eat, Pray, Love there last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 10).

This year alone, there are 99 international film producers making their films in Indonesia, three of which are movies—The Philosopher, Java Hits and Alex Cross, according to Pangestu.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs director general of ASEAN, Djauhari Oratmangun, said: “Promoting film locations for tourism is part of our programme. We are planning to invite ambassadors from friendly countries on a tour to Belitung, Wakatobi and Maluku, where Indonesian films have been made.”

Some of these films such as Denias, Senandung di atas Awan (Denias, a Song from the Sky) and Laskar Pelangi have been promoted overseas at various international film festivals.

OVERSEAS tour operators can help keep Thais afloat by getting their facts right before cancelling, according to Bill Heinecke, head honcho of the Minor Group.

“Many are basing their decisions on the recommendations of their local Foreign Office and without properly investigating the situation, taking the dramatic images that have been aired on news channels around the world to mean that the whole of Bangkok is under water,” he lamented.

“However, in reality, for most of the tourist centre of Bangkok – the Grand Palace, the main shopping centres, other key tourist attractions, plus the majority of hotels, it is business as usual.

“Pictures went around the world of Bangkok’s second airport – Don Muang – under water. However, this is a domestic airport with a much lower volume of flights, and the main airport – Suvarnabhumi – is operating as usual,” Heinecke said.

“International flights are coming in and out as usual and passengers transiting through Suvarnabhumi to other destinations either in Thailand or elsewhere in Asia are still able to do so. The airport, plus the roads and trains between the city and the airport are all functioning normally.”

Even though Anantara Bangkok Riverside has seen a “significant” number of cancellations in recent weeks, the hotel continues to welcome guests for stays in the city. The brand has also put its belief in Thailand by launching on November 1 two new Anantara hotels during this challenging period – Anantara Bangkok Riverside on the Chao Phraya River and Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan.

Heinecke said: “When tour operators cancel trips, this has a knock-on effect as the floods have already negatively impacted so many businesses and families, and so many people rely on tourism for their livelihoods.

“The key thing is they should do their research before acting too hastily, and not make decisions solely based on what they’ve seen on the news. The central plains and areas surrounding Bangkok are suffering from the floods. However, they are going to be suffering for some time to come with the volume of tourists that have now cancelled their trips, given how many people rely on tourism for their incomes.”

Last week, Asian Trail’s CEO Luzi Matzig also urged overseas tour operators to think twice and consult their handlers for an accurate picture on the ground before cancelling trips to Thailand (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 9), after a New York-based client axed two groups in a row without seeking its opinion.

THE MALAYSIAN Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) launched on Friday the MATTA Academy, with the aim of providing skills-based and vocational training for members and their employees, as well as for the tourism industry as a whole.

“This is in line with the government’s aim to increase the skill sets of its population and become a high-income nation,” said MATTA Academy board of directors’ chairman, Ngiam Foon.

The new academy, with an investment of RM1.5 million (US$0.5 million) in the building and facilities, is a rebranding and restructuring of the MATTA School of Hospitality.

MATTA president Khalid Harun said: “There have been numerous occasions where the training and courses provided by tourism institutions do not meet the requirements of the travel consultants and tour operators.”

“MATTA knows what is needed by the industry and is well placed to provide the courses suitable for them,” Ngiam said. “The trainers will be practitioners from industry with the expertise and a willingness to share their knowledge.”

One of the training programmes the academy will offer is the Travel & Tours Enhancement Course (TTEC), a yet-to-be-implemented compulsory two-day training stint introduced by the country’s Tourism Ministry for staff of all travel consultancies and tour operators, as a condition for license renewal.

“The TTEC is part of the government’s efforts to ensure quality in the industry,” said Ngiam, adding that the TTEC would be rolled out in December or January.

Going forward, the academy will work with industry members to determine which other training topics are relevant. Topics already highlighted included e-commerce and the use of social networking for business.

Courses will be open to any interested party at market rates. “MATTA members will enjoy a special rate, making it affordable for them,” said Ngiam.

By N. Nithiyananthan

TO ACHIEVE its target of establishing the country as one of the top five convention destinations in the world, the South Korean government has declared the upcoming year as the 2012 Korea Convention Year.

Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization in cooperation with seven MICE Alliances in regional convention destinations, the campaign, which will overlap with the final year of the Visit Korea Year 2010-2012, will see government support and incentives for events held in the country increase up to twofold for qualified meetings, conventions and incentive tours.

Convention centres and hotels will offer discounts of up to 30 per cent off the published rates for meetings venues, while hotels will offer up to 40 per cent discount on rooms, complimentary room upgrade and welcome amenities for designated guests.

Complimentary site inspection trips may be arranged for qualifying organisations, and special discounts for the organiser of the meetings and conventions as well as their participants are available on Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

Incentives like tickets for traditional performances, souvenirs and tour programmes may also be provided for qualified events.

In addition, the programme has joined forces with the Korea MICE Alliance, so that each city’s unique incentive plans are maximised for participants in any of the nine convention destinations across the country. On a national level, Korea Tourism Organization will increase financial subsidies to the organisers of MICE events.

To qualify for the Korea Convention Year’s incentive programme, conventions should meet the Union of International Associations meeting standards, while incentive tours and corporate meetings should have more than 100 participants.

The event, which may take place in South Korea anytime between 2012 and 2015, must be confirmed by end-2012. Events with more than 500 participants from the Asian region, or those with more than 1,000 international participants, may qualify for airline discounts.

AMERICAN Express Global Business Travel will begin rolling out in the second quarter of 2012 a new web-based tool for companies to maintain enhanced mobile communications with their employees on overseas business trips.

Mobile Communications Manager (MCM), touted as a timely product that will help clients in times of crisis, especially in the wake of recent political riots, natural disasters and strikes around the globe, will be released in markets worldwide in a phased approach.

MCM, using information residing within the GDS, is able to keep tabs on the number of travellers on the road and their locations – with information broken down into regions, countries, cities and even nationality.

The tool is able to reveal contact details, including hotel contacts and all types of bookings made by individual travellers.

A two-way messaging facility leveraging on travellers’ mobile devices is also able to establish direct contact in times of crisis.

Marriott Suzhou director of sales, Litchi Su, was hesitant about the tool’s application in pinpointing the exact location of travellers, as such compliance may not be readily acceptable in the mainland Chinese market.

“The system is very convenient for companies and travellers especially in times of crisis, but some company staff will be concerned with providing very personal information,” she said.

By Patricia Wee

HONG Kong-listed Kosmopolito Hotels International Limited (KHI) has placed the MICE segment high on its business agenda and strategy, and is making moves to include event facilities in all six of its upcoming properties.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, KHI senior vice president sales & marketing, Philip Schaetz, said the six hotels – all under the upper four-star Dorsett Regency banner – would offer generous dedicated meeting spaces.

“Today, with the exception of the Dorsett Regency Kuala Lumpur, which has function rooms and draws a lot of events, and Yue Shanghai Hotel, most of our existing hotels (17 in Hong Kong, China and Malaysia) have limited event spaces. That will change with the new hotels,” he said.

Due to open next year are the 371-key Dorsett Regency Hotel Kwun Tong and 506-key Dorsett Regency Hotel Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong, and the 547-key Dorsett Regency Hotel Chengdu in China. The property in Chengdu will sit in a mixed-used complex that will be the provincial capital’s tallest building.

Two more properties are scheduled to open in 2013 – the 285-room Dorsett Regency Hotel on New Bridge, Singapore and the 416-room Dorsett Regency Hotel, Zhongshan in China.

The sixth opening will materialise in 2014 in London, near the popular Westfield London shopping centre. The property is KHI’s first venture outside of Asia, and Schaetz believes its location will attract Asian travellers who enjoy shopping, as well as corporate travellers doing business in London.

Meanwhile, KHI’s new generation of meeting-friendly hardware will be matched by strategic efforts that include building up brand awareness among MICE buyers, an increased presence at trade shows to connect with MICE planners, and providing information on MICE facilities via the individual hotel websites.

TOURISM New Zealand has decided to base its newly appointed regional manager South-east Asia and India in Singapore, in a bid to enhance existing partnerships with airlines and travel trade partners in the region.

Mischa Mannix, currently Tourism New Zealand business development manager based in Auckland, will replace Kiran Nambiar, the former incumbent based in Mumbai, in December.

Staff at the NTO’s offices in Mumbai and Bangkok will report to Mannix.

Mark Frood, general manager Asia Markets, Tourism New Zealand, said the NTO’s decision to move its regional manager to Singapore “was not a strategic one”.

“More airlines, including low-cost carriers, now offer flights and greater capacity to New Zealand from India and South-east Asia. We thought that it was the right time to centralise our marketing activities (for South-east Asia and India) in Singapore, which is the region’s prime aviation hub, alongside Bangkok,” he explained.

“It was the most sensible course of action to take, as we wanted to be closer to both our trade and airline partners.”

The NTO is looking to expand the team in Singapore before long, with a marketing & communications hire the first priority.

Meanwhile, Tourism New Zealand is in the midst of carving out its marketing plan for 2012-13.

While Frood declined to elaborate on future plans, he did reveal that the NTO would focus on marketing its niche products, such as wine, gastronomy, boat trips and self-drive tours, to South-east Asians and Indians in the coming year.

According to Frood, visitor arrivals from India and Malaysia are growing strongly, while the Singapore market, which was flat a few years before, is starting to pick up again.

OUTRIGGER Hotels and Resorts will manage the Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort & Spa as its third hotel property in Thailand.

The resort will continue to operate under its current name until November 1 next year, when it will be rebranded as Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort & Spa.

Outrigger has already assumed full sales & marketing functions at the resort, which currently offers 112 villas, four restaurants, two bars, a spa, a fitness centre, and a dive and activity centre.

A US$1.7 million refurbishment will take place before the rebranding, with thirty-eight new villas to be added to the property.

SHANGHAI-based DMCs who have been complaining for the longest time about the lack of large venues in downtown Puxi, will welcome the new Sofitel that will open on West Beijing Road by end-2012.

The Sofitel Shanghai Jing An Huamin, located a short walk away from the main shopping thoroughfare of West Nanjing Road, will have six meeting rooms, and a 1,310m2 grand ballroom with capacity for up to 760 pax banquet-style or 1,500 pax cocktail-style.

Most ballrooms in downtown hotels, in comparison, seat below 500 pax.

Sofitel Shanghai Jing An Huamin’s director of sales & marketing, Andrew Hartley, said: “Already, I have serious interest coming from groups and incentives.”

Besides the MICE facilities, the property will also feature three restaurants and two bars, an indoor heated swimming pool, and a fitness centre.

There will be 503 guestrooms at the hotel, including 74 junior/prestige suites and one imperial suite. The minimum room size will be 45m2.

By Patricia Wee