ACCOR will add 10 new properties to its current crop of four in Malaysia by 2014, the majority of which will belong to its Ibis brand—which is making its debut in the country.

The Ibis properties slated to open include the 500-key Ibis Styles Fraser Business Park Kuala Lumpur (2012), 156-key Ibis Styles Cheras (2012), 179-key Ibis Styles Johor Bahru (2013), 165-key Ibis Styles Kota Kinabalu (2013), 108-key Ibis Styles Lahad Datu (2013) and 118-key Ibis Styles Ipoh (2013).

Other properties on the cards include the 513-key Pullman Kuala Lumpur (2012), 318-key Pullman Port Dickson (2014), 320-key Novotel Melaka (2013) and 187-key Novotel Klang (2013).

Accor’s existing portfolio in Malaysia includes Pullman Putrajaya, Pullman Kuching, Novotel Kuala Lumpur and Novotel Kota Kinabalu.

Malaysia tourism minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen, welcomed Accor’s expansion plans.

“Malaysia still needs more high-end hotel rooms to cope with the current influx of tourists into the country,” she said.

“While we have 87 five-star hotels and 135 four-star hotels, they are usually fully booked during peak travel seasons.”

Meanwhile, Accor has also launched its own Destination Malaysia website.

“This is to provide a platform for online visitors and customers to learn more about our network in Malaysia,” said Gerard Guillouet, vice president for Accor Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

“Accor will collaborate with Tourism Malaysia through content syndication and by linking partnership activities.”

By N. Nithiyananthan

TRAVELPORT has introduced a new hotel booking programme that gives Travelport GDS-connected travel agents guaranteed access to the lowest publicly available rates from a wide range of international hotel groups.

Agents booking via Travelport’s Lowest Public Rate Programme have the ability to source and book the lowest public rate of the day offered anywhere by the participating property, including pre-paid rates and special promotional offers, regardless of whether the rate is flexible or has restrictions.

“By offering complete rate parity, hotels participating in ‘Lowest Public Rate’ stand to boost their brand awareness and loyalty among travel agents, many of whom prefer booking through the GDS channel,” said Niklas Andreen, group vice president, Hospitality & Partner Marketing, Travelport.

“This is a win-win partnership that enables our hotel partners to expand their sales opportunities, while giving agents confidence that they have secured the lowest rate of the day.”

Launched recently on both the Galileo and Worldspan GDS, the programme has already roped in more than 40 participating hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotels Group, Preferred Hotel Group, Leading Hotels of the World and Marriott International, with other chains expected to join by year-end.

The introduction of the programme follows the launch in July of Travelport Rooms and More (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 29), a hotel booking engine that allows agents to compare deals and commissions across multiple aggregators.

THE MALAYSIA Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has embraced a new brand identity, Asia’s Business Events Hub, which will position the country as an entry point for international organisations wanting to engage with Asian businesses and professionals through events.

A revamped standalone website showcasing MyCEB’s new branding, as well as a Quick Response (QR) code which directs smartphone users to the website when scanned with a QR reader, were unveiled at a launch event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Ho Yoke Ping, general manager-sales & marketing, MyCEB, told TTG Asia e-Daily that the new branding and website would enable the bureau to clearly demarcate its role, and distinguish its efforts from Malaysia’s broader tourism promotion initiatives.

“The focus of this major branding exercise is to communicate our value proposition to the market, and to give MyCEB and Malaysia a competitive edge,” she said.

“Our ultimate goal is to position Malaysia as one of the top five destinations in Asia-Pacific for international meetings, and to hit a target of 2.9 million business arrivals by 2020.”

Ho added that the website would be constantly updated to inform meeting planners of Malaysia’s latest MICE-related service and facility offerings, and would be linked to a customer relationship management (CRM) system developed in partnership with Simpleview, a US-based CRM solutions provider.

Other MICE initiatives due to be rolled out include an Association Ambassador Programme, which will enable MyCEB to identify and train potential local hosts for international conventions, and a certification programme for Malaysia’s MICE industry stakeholders, which is still under development.

MyCEB will also be increasing its sales representation in Europe, followed by North America, Australia and key markets in Asia. The move will strengthen MyCEB’s bidding activities, promotions, lead generation process and marketing programmes in these markets.

The Ministry of Tourism has allocated a budget of RM50 million (US$16 million) to MyCEB for 2012, half of which will be channelled into the bureau’s existing subvention programme.

GARUDA Indonesia posted revenue of 6.9 trillion rupiah (US$775 million) for the third quarter, a 40 per cent jump over the same period in 2010.

The airline’s heightened earnings resulted in correspondingly healthier profits of 437 billion rupiah during the interval, a massive 472 per cent jump over last year’s 127.6 billion rupiah loss.

Growth in Garuda’s domestic and international flight frequencies—boosted in the third quarter by 24.8 per cent to 33,613 flights, as well as a healthier average load factor—up by 1.81 per cent to 78.25 per cent, contributed to the gains.

Between January and July, domestic air traffic in Indonesia saw a 15 per cent increase, while international air traffic was up by 14 per cent. Garuda’s domestic and international passenger numbers saw a 39 per cent and 32 per cent hike during the same period, respectively.

Garuda spokesperson Pujobroto noted: “These achievements mean a lot (to the airline) as it took place amid the global economic situation, the political situation in the Middle East, the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, and increasing fuel prices.

Meanwhile, Garuda will continue to boost its aircraft numbers through the five-year Quantum Leap expansion programme first announced in 2009.

The flag carrier will grow its fleet from the current 89 aircraft to 154 aircraft by 2015. The new planes will consist of B737-800NG aircraft for domestic and regional services, A330-300 and 200 planes for mediumhaul routes, and B777-300ERs for longhaul flights.

INDIA has started cracking down on excessive baggage charges being imposed by international airlines on its US- and Europe-bound travellers.

The country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked international carriers operating services between the US/Europe and India to halt the practice of charging economy-class passengers for the second bag – an extra US$75-150 for a one-way trip – and revert to the original allowance of two pieces of luggage, within the weight limit of 23 kilos each.

The international carriers adopted the ancillary fees to increase revenue during the start of the global economic slowdown in 2008-2009. In comparison, Indian carriers still allow two free checked-in bags of 23 kilos each for flights between the US/Europe and India.

“Most Indian tourists go to the US for two to four weeks and carry heavy warm clothes for themselves. They also shop for themselves and their families, which necessitates carrying of a second bag,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman – east India, Travel Agents Federation of India.

“Reverting to a free second bag will positively impact tourist traffic to North America and Canada.”

The DGCA has requested an affirmation of compliance within one month.

THE MALDIVES has adopted a new tourism branding, Maldives – Always Natural, replacing The Sunny Side of Life, which it has used for the past 11 years.

The state-owned Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) launched the environmentally themed slogan and logo after a year-long consultation, research and design process involving industry and government representatives.

MMPRC chairperson Thoyyib Mohamed said in a statement: “The slogan and logo are designed to underscore the outstanding natural beauty of the Maldives, which tourists from all segments of the market consistently rate as one of their main reasons for visiting the country.”

Shafraz Fazley, managing director of Male-based Viluxur Holidays, said the new branding would draw extra attention to the conservational efforts of the Maldives over the next 10 years, especially with travellers showing growing interest in eco-friendly destinations.

Michelle Flake, contracting & marketing manager at Scaevola Travel, agreed there was a need to protect the Maldives and its natural beauty.

“I hope with this new slogan, Always Natural, we can bring more awareness to the tourists and show them how committed we are to protecting something so special,” she said.

MYANMAR Airways International (MAI) will expand its services to Cambodia from today, with its twice-weekly Yangon-Siem Reap flights launched on February 23 (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 15) being extended to serve Phnom Penh.

The adjusted Yangon-Siem Reap-Phnom Penh service will be operated using MAI’s new 220-seat Airbus A321 aircraft, which was delivered on October 25.

Foreigners arriving on MAI’s flights from Cambodia to Yangon will be eligible for a visa-on-arrival (VOA).

MAI marketing and commercial executive, Aye Mra Tha, said the airline was expecting to attract more passengers on the extended route, since Phnom Penh was the business centre of Cambodia.

According to Aye, the flag carrier is also trying to persuade authorities to extend the VOA to arrivals from other destinations, including Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. “We are still waiting for an approval,” she said.

Meanwhile, MAI is planning to operate five charter flights to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj pilgrimage this month, as well as an additional flight, up from two-weekly, to Gaya in India during the Bodhgaya pilgrimage season.

The airline will also operate five charter flights to Palembang in Indonesia during the upcoming South-east Asian Games, and 14 flights from Guangzhou to Yangon during the gem emporium in Nay Pyi Taw.

TRAFALGAR is looking to set itself apart from the competition through a new range of guided holidays promising ‘unique experiences, moments and insights that (guests) would never be able to discover on their own’.

The group’s new The Insider range of products comprises three key elements: Be My Guest dining experiences where customers are taken to family-run or unique establishments, using Local Experts to conduct tours, and a Hidden Treasures programme—where customers are led off the beaten track to places only locals know.

One of the new products to be introduced under The Insider banner is At Leisure, a collection of flexible trips targeted at customers who desire more time and freedom to explore destinations. First started in North America and Australia this year, At Leisure will be rolled out worldwide in 2012.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily at the launch of Trafalgar’s regional headquarters in Singapore, Trafalgar CEO Gavin Tollman said: “We developed a brand preposition which is not just a marketing message, and have restructured how we deliver our products, giving clients more immersive experiences, and offering individuals the opportunity to discover a lot more about a destination than what they can gain travelling on their own.”

With the establishment of its Singapore office, Trafalgar intends to nurture direct relationships with new travel agents and tour operators in Asia, while strengthening existing ties.

Singapore and Malaysia are its strongest source markets, but there is “huge potential throughout Asia”, according to Tollman.

“I am optimistic about Asia,” he said. “Growth in Asia, even though this is still a small market for us, has been exponential. It has been greater than that in Europe and the US, where growth has stabilised.”

Italy, France and the UK are the three-top selling destinations for Trafalgar’s Asian clientele, said Tollman, who hinted that Trafalgar was looking to add other Asian destinations in the future.

“I’ve just visited Japan and Hong Kong. But you will have to wait until May or June next year to find out exactly what’s on the cards in 2013,” he said.

HONG KONG agents have finally reached a consensus with airlines over IATA’s plan to increase the remittance and reporting frequency of the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) (TTG Asia e-Daily, December 14, 2010).

Originally scheduled to start from 2012, the new agreement, which will boost the BSP frequency from bi-weekly to weekly, will now be introduced in two phases from mid-2013 onwards.

Starting July 2013, the reporting frequency will be hiked from bi-weekly to weekly. Remittance will follow suit beginning January 2015.

The new measures were adopted by agent representatives to the Agency Programme Joint Council (APJC) in August, and were approved at the IATA Passenger Agency Conference in Geneva last month.

Newly elected APJC chairman, Tommy Tam, said: “It was the best result we could get…what we have negotiated is the ultimate deadline and agents have to prepare for it.”

LUXURY Travel Vietnam (LTV) and The Cape Club (TCC), a division of Australia’s More Collection, have established a joint venture, Cape Lux Travels, to provide fully escorted travel concierge services across Indochina, Thailand and Myanmar.

LTV will function as the tour operator while TCC will operate as the tour manager in this relationship.

LTV founder and CEO Pham Ha said the joint venture would not only allow LTV to expand its services in South-east Asia, but also widen its market coverage in Australia, on top of heightened exposure through sales offices in California, Paris and Melbourne.

Some tour products already on the drawing board include: Revive, Restore – Re-awaken Escapes, Golfing, Meet the Photographer Tours, Cookery and Wine Tasting Across South-east Asia, Art and Antique Appreciation Tours, High-end Rail Journeys, The Makeover & Pamper Girls-only Trip, A Concierge for the Connoisseur, and Retracing French Colonial Charms, among others.

Jean Wethmar, TCC co-founder, said Cape Lux Travels would kick off its first tour series with a 15-day Reawaken Senses Tour in Vietnam from March 1-15, covering top-notch products in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi and Halong Bay.

By Sirima Eamtako