KUONI Connect, the unit of Kuoni Destination Management specialising in online distribution, has entered into a distribution agreement with travel technology provider Dolphin Dynamics.

Kuoni Connect’s inventory, comprising over 15,000 two- to five-star hotels in more than 2,000 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Africa, North America and Australia, will now become bookable via Dolphin Dynamics’ reservation platform.

Users will be able to search, book and combine Kuoni Connect’s worldwide product portfolio with other products linked via the Dolphin reservation platform and product database.

THE TRAVEL Corporation has officially launched in Singapore its Inspiring Journeys brand of luxury experiential products based in the Australian outback.

Having received encouraging levels of interest since its preview in July (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 5), Inspiring Journeys will now be rolled out to travel agents in other Asian markets.

Robin Yap, managing director of The Travel Corporation Singapore, said the new brand would target high-end clients who “are highly motivated by options”.

“The client in this target market is time-poor and likes to try new things and take the path less travelled,” he said. “We have built our approach around allowing travellers to discover, explore, learn and relax.”

As with other product lines under The Travel Corporation’s banner, Inspiring Journeys will be sold through travel agents, who will be given a 10 per cent commission.

Yap said: “We see the trade as absolutely integral partners in launching this brand, and we’re committed to working with travel agents and the industry to ensure they receive the relevant training and support to sell our product.”

GROUP buying websites are gaining popularity in Hong Kong and are beginning to offer travel products, causing some agents to become concerned that these are encroaching on their business.

Groupon recently extended its Groupon Getaways with Expedia partnership (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 3) to Hong Kong, launching a local version of its travel deals site offering discounted flight, hotel and cruise packages.

Hong Kong Pass Travel general manager, Samson Chan said: “Group buying has dampened agents’ business given our low profit margins nowadays. These group buying sites should not sell what agents are providing as they don’t hold travel agent licenses.”

According to Hong Kong’s Travel Industry Council (TIC), only those with travel agent licenses are authorised to sell travel products.

TIC executive director, Joseph Tung, said: “If our members want to promote any packages, they have to register with us first. We want to remind agents that they are not allowed to sell special fares without prior agreement from the service providers.”

Wincastle Travel (HK) senior manager marketing and products, Eliza Li, said the impact of group buying on the industry was minimal at the moment.

“Their clientele is different from ours,” she explained. “They are mostly the younger generation who shop around for the lowest deals, as their budget is limited.”

“In the long term, I would be concerned if they venture into package tours, as that would definitely threaten us.”

Meanwhile, agents like Jie Ling Express have begun using group buying sites to complement their existing sales channels.

Jie Ling’s managing director, Hanes Tong, said: “I treat it as an additional advertising channel. The response is okay for exposure’s sake, but we aren’t totally relying on it.

“Since we are putting our company’s name as the contact point, all clients contact us directly for bookings, so the group buying site isn’t technically selling travel products,” he added.

JETSTAR Japan will commence domestic operations by the end of 2012, and expects to fly from Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka (Kansai International).

The new low-cost carrier (LCC) is considering Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa as its next destinations, and shorthaul international services to key Asian cities are also in the works.

The carrier will launch with an initial fleet of three new 180-seat Airbus A320s in a single-class configuration. This will grow to 24 aircraft within its first few years of operation.

The Qantas Group, Japan Airlines (JAL) and Mitsubishi Corporation each hold a one-third share in Jetstar Japan.

JAL president Masaru Onishi said the partnership with Jetstar was a two-airline strategy that would allow the Japanese flag carrier to serve a larger portion of the Japanese market.

“We are confident that Jetstar Japan will broaden the spectrum of travellers as it creates new demand in this market,” he said. “It will encourage even more movement of people within the country, and also increase the number of visitors from Asia to Japan.”

Jetstar, the first LCC to enter Japan in 2007, currently flies longhaul services from both Tokyo and Osaka to Cairns and the Gold Coast in Australia. It also operates shorthaul services from Singapore (via Taipei) to Osaka through Jetstar Asia.

THE PHILIPPINE Department of Tourism (DoT) is courting associations through its Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to grow the destination’s MICE business.

DOT assistant secretary and TPB officer-in-charge, Domingo Enerio III, told TTGmice: “There will be a resurgence in MICE activities (by TPB).”

“We have many strong local associations that are willing to host international events, and we are encouraging them to think about hosting their next convention and exhibition here. Many are responding to the invitation.”

Although securing big-ticket events is the bureau’s priority, Enerio said association events with 150 to 1,000 delegates were being cultivated as well.

International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) regional director for Asia-Pacific, Noor Hamid, pointed out that the Philippines was an attractive destination for business meetings ranging in size from 250 to 499 delegates.

TPB has been actively supplying ICCA with meetings-related statistics in order to boost the destination’s overall ranking.

A number of notable events have been scheduled for the Philippines this year, including the 2011 JCI Asia-Pacific Conference, which brought about 5,000 delegates to Manila in May. The 15,000-pax Lions’ 50th OSEAL Forum will take place in Manila in November.

U HOTELS & Resorts will open its first Indonesian property in Bali by early 2012.

The U Paasha Seminyak Bali will feature 103 suites, a rooftop swimming pool and a fitness centre.

There will also be two F&B outlets including an all-day dining venue featuring Mediterranean cuisine, and a New York-style lounge bar.

The resort will offer U’s distinctive service concept: checkouts available till the same time as when the guests checked in, and breakfast whenever/wherever.

Bangkok-based Absolute Hotel Services owns the U Hotels & Resorts brand.

THE TWIN debt crises in the US and Europe that is causing havoc in Asian stock markets has so far left the region’s incentive and corporate meeting business segment unscathed.

BCD Travel Singapore head of MICE and corporate leisure, Desmond Lim, told TTGmice that enquiries and bookings for meetings and incentives were still coming in.

“Things are still proceeding as normal now, and we are seeing a 70 per cent materialisation for enquiries. There are no signs of slowing down,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur-based Feature Tour owner, ET Quah, believes that Asian economies will not feel the full impact of the debt crises in the US and Europe till later.

He also pointed out that the region’s meetings and incentives industry was “still secure”, at least till the end of the year. “Many of this year’s events were planned and confirmed much earlier, and clients are going ahead as planned. None of my clients are reacting negatively yet,” he explained.

However, Quah said it was difficult to predict how the first quarter of next year would turn out. “Planning for 2012 will start this October, and we will be able to see how clients’ budgets will move,” he said.

On the corporate travel front, HRG managing director Asia-Pacific, Greg Treasure, expects some short-term reduction in customer expenditure due to ongoing economic uncertainty, but retains a positive outlook in the long run.

“Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region in the world, and as we have seen with similar events in the past, things bounce back very quickly when sentiment turns positive,” he said.

THAILAND’S Department of Disease Control has identified exposure to insecticide as the likely cause of death of five tourists and a Thai tour guide who stayed at the Downtown Inn Hotel in Chiang Mai.

The department’s five-month investigation covered the six deaths, as well as illness in three other individuals in Chiang Mai between January 11 and February 19.

Investigators concluded that the cause of death was likely exposure to chemicals commonly found in pesticides, based on blood and biological test results. Another indicator was the proximity of the rooms the guests were staying in.

An independent probe by New Zealand’s 60 Minutes revealed earlier that rooms at the Downtown Inn were being sprayed with a potentially lethal toxin called pyrophus – which is banned from indoor use in many countries.

Local police initially dismissed the deaths as food poisoning cases. Most of the victims had similar symptoms, including inflammation of the heart, believed to have been caused by food or water contamination.

Thai health authorities said a panel would be established to introduce stricter measures for the use of chemicals – including pesticides – in hotels and public areas.

INDIA-based OTA MakeMyTrip reported strong financial and operating performance for its fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2011, with stellar results in particular from its air ticketing and hotels & packages segments.

The OTA’s gross bookings for air ticketing and hotels & packages increased by US$89.5 million to US$264.1 million, a 51.2 per cent year-on-year jump. The number of transactions for the same segments increased 54.4 per cent year-on-year.

Deep Kalra, MakeMyTrip chairman and CEO, said: “Our strategic marketing investment this quarter has resulted in very robust growth in transactions and expansion of margins in our hotels & packages business, as we worked to further differentiate ourselves from our competitors.”

Group revenue rose 54.3 per cent year-on-year to US$52 million, while revenue less service costs increased 52.3 per cent year-on-year to US$21.1 million. Net revenue margin for air ticketing and hotels & packages increased to 7.7 per cent year-on-year.

Profits from operating activities improved year-on-year to US$1.8 million, an increase of US$0.5 million over the previous year’s fiscal first quarter. Adjusted operating profit improved to US$1.6 million, versus US$1.4 million previously.

Profit for the period was US$0.8 million, versus US$1.3 million in the previous year’s fiscal first quarter. Adjusted net income was US$1.5 million versus US$1.7 million previously.

Meanwhile, MakeMyTrip entered into a share purchase agreement in July to acquire 19.9 per cent of Gurgaon-based Le Travenues Technology, which owns and operates www.ixigo.com, an online travel metasearch engine.

The OTA will pay US$4.8 million for the purchase of new and existing shares, while SAIF, MakeMyTrip’s largest shareholder, will acquire 56.7 per cent of Le Travenues for US$13.7 million.

MakeMyTrip is expecting to complete the deal this month.

THE PHILIPPINE Department of Tourism (DoT) has decided to try reviving group and FIT traffic from Hong Kong, which plunged in the aftermath of the tour bus hostage incident in Manila a year ago (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 23, 2010).

DoT has appointed JJ Explorer Tours as its marketing representative for Hong Kong and Macau. Former regional director for Tourism Queensland, David Leung, will lead the outfit.

According to Leung, the renewed drive to woo the Hong Kong market will involve fam trips for media, monthly travel trade seminars starting mid-September, as well as a new website.

Leung said: “It’s a good time (after one year) to do something, especially after (the Philippine) government implemented various measures to rebuild tourists’ confidence, such as deploying police to guard key attractions.”

“Apart from traditional leaders, I will be looking for new agents because they may have their own source of clientele.”

Leung added that upcoming destinations like Palawan, Davao and Bohol would be highlighted as part of the initiative. “We will also be pushing FIT packages as the Philippines offers flexibility and convenience with its short flight time,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has yet to downgrade its black travel warning to the Philippines, and has given no indication as to when it will be lifted.