ASCOTT has secured a lease agreement for a 96-unit serviced residence in Bangalore, which it will rebrand as Citadines Richmond Bangalore. The group will operate the property, its first in India, from August 1.

The serviced residence, located along Richmond Road in Bangalore’s central business district, will offer a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Facilities will include a swimming pool and poolside café, a gym, serviced offices and conference facilities.

Ronald Tay, Ascott’s CIO who oversees the company’s business in India, said: “Given the strength of the information technology sector in India, it is timely for us to deepen our presence in Bangalore, which has been touted as the Silicon Valley of India.”

Besides Citadines Richmond Bangalore, Ascott has six properties under development in Ahmadabad, Bangalore (two properties), Chennai (two properties) and Hyderabad. These will add more than 1,300 apartment units at a cost of S$300 million (US$247 million).

Of the six properties, Somerset Greenways Chennai is scheduled to open later this year, while the remaining five are scheduled to open progressively over the next three years.

Lim Ming Yan, Ascott CEO, said: “India is a key market for Ascott, as it has significant demand for serviced residences arising from the fast-growing economy. Many local as well as multinational companies have grown their operations in the country.”

He added: “Besides investment, we are also seeking opportunities for management contracts, or lease agreements such as the Citadines Richmond Bangalore, to grow our network in the country.”

MARINA Bay Sands has launched Singapore’s first Banyan Tree Spa.

Banyan Tree Holdings executive chairman, Ho Kwon Ping, said: “After spending the last 17 years establishing 64 spas in 26 countries, Banyan Tree is finally returning to its roots in Singapore.”

The 1,213m2 spa, located on the 55th floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, is designed based on the Tree of Life. It features 15 rooms with panoramic views, including two royal double spa suites that offer the Tropical Rainmist treatment.

Other facilities include a beauty salon, a tea lounge for post-treatment relaxation, as well as a Banyan Tree Gallery.

All treatment room names are inspired by the orchid – the national flower of Singapore – while the spa’s signature treatment, Harmony Banyan, comprises an orchid scrub, a massage using specially produced orchid massage oil, and a therapeutic orchid bath.

The spa offers 35 different treatments and services. In-room massages are also available for guests staying in the 24 hotel spa suites at Marina Bay Sands.

CATPRO Events & Entertainment has launched India Travel & Information Technology Mart (ITITM), a B2B event focusing on MICE and travel technology.

The inaugural show will be held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre from August 11-13.

Catpro Events & Entertainment managing director, Sagar Pingali, said: “ITITM 2011 is the first edition of the planned annual event for India’s outbound and inbound MICE markets and travel-related information technology. We have partnered with Delhi-based Candid India to handle ITITM.”

Catpro has been handling events for corporates and the government for 16 years, and has been organising annual B2B congresses for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors for the past seven years.

Candid India, on the other hand, represents international travel trade and MICE shows like IMEX, ILTM, ALTM, Blossom Japan and IT&CMA in India.

Grisbi Holidays CEO, Adil Bajirao, said: “There’s no other event that ITITM will be competing with. Earlier attempts at organising such a MICE promotion event in India by others have failed. Hence, their responsibility is even bigger to handle the event well to make it a permanent annual event.”

Two hundred exhibitors, 200 buyers each from India and abroad and 40 media professionals are expected.

– Read more in TTG India, August/September issue

By Anand & Madhura Katti

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) subsidiary MASwings, which operates to 22 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak, will start targeting transnational routes in a repositioning as a regional carrier.

MAS managing director, Azmil Zahruddin, said: “MASwings will be repositioned as a regional community airline for Sabah and Sarawak, as well as for the entire community in Borneo and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippine-East ASEAN Growth Area.”

The airline is awaiting approval to operate from Kota Kinabalu to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei, and from Kuching to Pontianak, from October. It also intends to launch services to Borneo and the Philippines.

“We believe the move will transform MASwings into an international carrier, and also help strengthen Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s position as the gateway for travellers entering the region,” Zahruddin added.

MASwings started operations in 2007 with 450 weekly flights, now expanded to 940 per week. Passenger loads have increased by 170 per cent, from 41,000 passengers per month in 2007, to over 110,500 per month last year.

By Ellen Chen

SRI LANKA is planning to launch a new tourism campaign to provide more visibility in key source markets.

Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) chairman, Nalaka Godahewa, will chair a committee which has been appointed to work on the finer details of the campaign. Committee members include representatives from the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators and SriLankan Airlines.

Godahewa told TTG Asia e-Daily: “This campaign, once drafted by the committee, will be launched within the next few months.” The campaign will run alongside existing marketing efforts by SLT.

According to Godahewa, SLT’s annual marketing budget is 500 million Sri Lankan rupees (about US$4.4 million). About 40 million rupees is spent on sponsoring foreign travel writers, while another 200 million is spent on participation at overseas trade fairs. “That would leave about 200 to 300 million rupees for media advertising or any other activity to be decided by the (new) committee,” he said.

The Sri Lanka-based travel trade has been complaining for the past year that SLT had not been spending enough to promote the country overseas.

Anura Lokuhetty, president of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, said: “There is (some kind) of marketing at the moment, but that is not enough. We need to be more visible in our key markets to tell the world that we are ready for business.”

Meanwhile, a draft for a new tourism policy, including the country’s proposed tourism tagline, Refreshingly Sri Lanka – Wonder of Asia, will be discussed by the Sri Lankan cabinet this week.

ROOM rates in Myanmar’s capital shot upwards as hoteliers cashed in on the high turnout at the Jade, Gems and Pearl Special Sales 2011 show earlier this month.

A gems trader said most hotels in the capital charged double their normal room rates during the event, which attracted 9,300 visitors – including 4,700 foreign traders – from July 1 to 13.

“We had to pay an extra US$100 a night just to put another bed in the double room we booked,” he said. “That was on top of the US$150 a night for the deluxe room that is normally available for US$65 a night.”

Most hotels in Nay Pyi Taw run at an average occupancy of 55 per cent to 65 per cent. Their clientele consists mainly of business travellers, NGO staff and foreign government officials.

However, during the annual gem emporiums in March, July and November, hotels run at peak occupancy to full house (TTG Asia e-Daily, December 13, 2010).

There are currently 20 hotels in Nay Pyi Taw’s Hotel Zone One. Another 19 properties are being developed in Hotel Zone Two.

THE MACAU Government Tourist Office (MGTO) is targeting 220,000 arrivals from Indonesia by 2012, a 5.7 per cent increase over last year’s 208,000 visitors.

Cecilia Tse, MGTO head of promotion & marketing department, said: “Indonesia is an important market for us. It is one of our top 10 markets despite the lack of direct air access.”

MGTO Indonesia is busy trying to persuade airlines to launch direct services between the two destinations.

David Harsamto, director of Intrarep, MGTO’s representative in Indonesia, said: “We are talking to Lion Air, as well as Mandala Airlines, which is preparing to operate again with new investors, to consider adding Macau as one of their destinations.”

Viva Macau used to provide direct connections between Jakarta and Macau until the airline’s operating license was terminated in March 2010. Mandala took on the abandoned route a few months before it ceased operations due to financial difficulties (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 13).

Besides the efforts to establish direct air links, MGTO is also working with Indonesia-based outbound agents to create leisure and incentive travel packages.

Besides sales missions to bring the Macau trade to meet their Indonesian counterparts and update them on products, MGTO also recently organised a joint promotional trip to Indonesia, together with Hong Kong Tourist Association and representatives from various China provincial tourist offices.

Tse said: “With the help of the agents here, we will hopefully be able to increase travel demand, so that Indonesian airlines will be interested to fly to Macau.”

Currently, Cathay Pacific and Garuda Indonesia fly from Jakarta to Hong Kong, where travellers can catch a ferry to Macau.

EXPECTATIONS that turmoil in the Arab world would roil Middle East outbound travel have proven largely unfounded, with opportunities remaining aplenty as the market enters its peak travel season, traditionally from end-June to mid-October.

“We initially thought we would be seeing sluggish growth in arrivals from the Middle East (due to the recent anti-government protests from Yemen to Egypt). In contrast, the market is growing,” said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor for international marketing-Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

Thailand looks set to surpass the 600,000 mark in Middle East arrivals this year, having recorded an 18 per cent year-on-year growth in the first six months to 299,000 visitors.

Over in the Philippines, latest available statistics from January to April also show a strong 13.2 per cent growth from the Middle East markets to 16,196 arrivals, compared to the same period last year.

“Contrary to what people might expect, we’ve actually seen an increase in arrivals. I realise people might find this surprising,” said Alex Stutely, general manager of Blue Horizons Travel and Tours.

Stutely credits this to the effort of the Philippine Department of Tourism, which appointed its first representative in the Middle East in April, and kept growing its presence at the Arabian Travel Market over the past four years.

– Read more in TTG Asia, July 22 issue

Additional reporting by Sirima Eamtako

THE PHILIPPINES’ top markets – South Korea, Japan and China – will receive the bulk of this year’s tourism promotional budget of US$10.3 million, while its other key market, the US, will largely be served by a new campaign targeting overseas Filipinos.

Fam trips and roadshows will be the focus for its biggest markets. There will also be investments into the emerging markets of India, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia, said Department of Tourism (DoT) undersecretary, tourism planning and promotions, Daniel Corpuz.

He said that DoT was also aiming to launch a new country brand by next January, having set aside some US$280,000 just for the slogan. Bidding by agencies will begin this month.

Its previous Pilipinas Kay Ganda campaign was withdrawn disgracefully days after its launch last November.

Said Corpuz: “The media campaign will be worked out with the (new) branding council and stakeholders of the tourism industry.”

In the interim, the Philippine Tour Operators Association will use its own slogan, Your Best Friend in Asia, said president Cesar Cruz.

– Read more in TTG Asia, July 22 issue

TTG ASIA Media will launch Friday the digital version of TTG Asia, Asia’s most established and leading travel trade title. This move allows print copies of the publication to be accessed via email, significantly boosting the readership of the 37-year-old newspaper.

Over 25,000 travel agents and suppliers will receive an email with a link to TTG Asia DIGITAL. This is an additional 10,500 readers, due to the fact that both TTG Asia print and e-Daily subscribers are recipients of the digital publication.

Powered by DigitalDM, TTG Asia DIGITAL can be read in three different ways: through a web browser (online), downloaded onto a personal computer or laptop for offline viewing (desktop), or using a mobile device such as an Apple iPhone or Android smartphone (mobile). TTG Asia DIGITAL can also be accessed from the TTG Asia website (www.ttgasia.com).

Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media, said: “TTG Asia has always been at the forefront in offering the most relevant and insightful news to the regional travel trade. The launch of TTG Asia DIGITAL enables us to reach the global industry and provide even more travel agents with Asia-Pacific industry news analysis and insight – wherever they are.”

“Our increased readership will also benefit our advertising partners, who gain additional exposure at no added cost. With online distribution, the physical barriers that limited readership no longer apply, and this allows for a global audience that is keen to understand the issues affecting the travel industry in the Asia-Pacific region.”

TTG Asia Media’s other print publications, including TTG China, TTG India, TTGmice, TTG-BTmice China as well as TTG tradeshow dailies, will also have digital versions by end-2011.