THE RITZ-CARLTON Hotel Company has launched a major expansion and development initiative, which will bring the number of properties in its global portfolio to over 100 by 2016.

The initiative, which will involve 36 hotels and residential projects, represents an investment of more than US$2 billion.

Herve Humler, the company’s president and COO, said: “Throughout the world, especially in Asia and the Middle East, we expect to be the leading top-tier luxury hospitality and lifestyle brand by 2016.”

Properties including The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Singapore are scheduled to debut by end 2011.

Hotel openings in emerging destinations such as Chengdu, and an expansion of The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai are slated for 2012.

By 2013, Ritz-Carlton plans to have a presence in places such as Quy Nhon in Vietnam, and Cairo in Egypt.

2014 wil see Ritz-Carlton opening a resort in Sawangan, Bali. The Residences are also due to open in Bangkok and Similan Beach, while a third Japanese property will be launched in Kyoto.

The company’s plans for 2015 include a second property in Palm Hills, Cairo, and a Residences in Kuala Lumpur.

This will be followed in 2016 by the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Qingdao Green Town.

GOLDEN Tulip Hotels has signed an agreement to manage the Golden Tulip Samudra Hua Hin, which is scheduled to open as a boutique property in August.

Mark van Ogtrop, managing director of Golden Tulip South-east Asia, said: “We are very excited to open this hotel in the resort destination of Hua Hin, as the destination is growing aggressively. The infrastructure is also maturing, and we strongly believe in the future of Hua Hin and Cha-Am as a boutique destination.”

“This hotel will further strengthen the footprint of Golden Tulip in Thailand, being the fourth hotel to open in the country for the group,” he added.

Golden Tulip Samudra will form part of The Samudra beach resort and residences, an integrated resort in Hua Hin, and will offer studios, one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as lofts.

The hotel will have large pools, a modern café/restaurant and a rooftop F&B outlet overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.

VIETNAM Airlines is ramping up flight frequencies and expanding its fleet and route network in Asia-Pacific.

From today, the Vietnamese flag carrier’s Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City-Melbourne services will be boosted from five-weekly to seven-weekly, while its Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney services will be increased from six-weekly to seven-weekly.

From June 16, the carrier will introduce a direct daily flight between Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur, bringing its services between Vietnam and Malaysia to three-daily.

From July 16, the airline will double its Hanoi-Bangkok service from one to two flights per day, and boost its Hanoi-Singapore service from four-weekly to a daily flight.

Vietnam Airlines is also planning to launch later this year a direct service between Vietnam and the UK, starting with four flights per week, and increasing to daily flights by 2014.

The carrier is expanding its fleet from 70 to 115 aircraft by 2015, and is scheduled to receive 34 Airbus A321-200s during this period.

NINE international cruise liners will be making calls at Yangon during the current fiscal year from April 2011 to March 2012, up from six ships during the preceding 12 months.

Thet Lwin Toh, managing director of Myanmar Voyages Travel and Tour, said his company would be handling five of the nine cruise liners, including one mega ship carrying between 1,000 and 2,000 passengers and crew.

The other groundhandlers for international cruise liners in Myanmar include Destination Asia (Tour Mandalay), Diethelm Travel and Sunbird Tours.

A spokesperson from Yangon-based Diethelm Travel said the company had received Germany-based MV Columbus with 300 passengers in April, and was scheduled to handle a visit from German cruise liner MS Europa in March next year.

Most cruise ships dock in Yangon for two nights, allowing passengers to look around the city and visit nearby Bago. In some cases, passengers travel to destinations further afield, such as Bagan.

SINCE the opening of the two integrated resorts, Singapore-based tour operators and travel agents have seen an upswing in the number of mainland Chinese clients to Singapore requesting for luxury accommodation and products.

Alicia Seah, CTC Travel senior vice president (marketing & public relations), told TTG Asia e-Daily: “Chinese inbound tourists are not as price-conscious as they were a few years ago, and they are actually requesting for premium properties including the Marina Bay Sands.”

“Some are even forking out for extra services such as private yacht charters,” she added.

According to Isabella Hon, marketing manager at City DMC, the construction of new attractions and facilities in Singapore over the past two years, such as Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands, has played a prominent role in drawing more affluent Chinese visitors to the country.

”Singapore has a lot to offer as it reinvents itself,” she said. “This is what keeps the well-heeled Chinese coming.”

This spike in high-spending Chinese tourists is reverberating through other segments of Singapore’s tourism industry, such as the MICE sector.

Manuel Ferrer, regional director Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia at Pacific World DMC, said: “For the first time within the Singapore MICE market, I am seeing more Chinese going for upmarket hotels and restaurants.”

“It was a different picture three to four years ago, when they only looked at budget options and there was little interest in MICE.”

SILKAIR will begin four-weekly Singapore-Kolkata services from August 1.

Singapore Airlines (SIA), which already has a presence in Kolkata with four flights a week, will scale down their services on the route to thrice-weekly.

“Together, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines will operate seven flights per week to Kolkata. SilkAir aims to serve both leisure and business travellers alike”, said SilkAir CEO, Marvin Tan.

“Introducing daily flights to Kolkata was our main point of interest. With seven flights a week, travel between Kolkata and Singapore is now convenient for our passengers,” added SIA’s general manager (India), GM Toh.

Mamta Panjani of Mercury Travels, Kolkata said: “SilkAir has announced an excellent introductory fare of 14,999 rupees (US$334) for a round-trip ticket to Singapore.

In comparison, low-cost carrier Air India Express offers a round-trip fare of 18,000 rupees, while an SIA round-trip ticket costs 24,000 rupees.

Seema Ahmed of Kolkata-based Gainwell Travels feels that “passengers are very likely to prefer SilkAir, since it will offer full service on board, compared to Air India Express that offers spartan in-flight service. “Even if SIA stabilises their fares at about 17,000 rupees, the passengers will happily buy,” he said.

By Sirima Eamtako

CRUISE Shipping Asia 2011 will take place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore from November 16 to 18.

Themed the Gateway to Tomorrow’s Marketplace, the inaugural edition of the cruise industry event will combine a trade show highlighting Asia’s potential as an active cruise market with a series of informative conference sessions. There will also be a travel agent training programme, organised by industry leaders to promote cruising as the next holiday option in Asia.

“Cruise Shipping Asia in November is the ideal time and place for the cruise industry to capitalise on the new economic wealth that is being generated in the region, “said Michael Duck, executive vice president of UBM Asia, co-organisers of the event.

“With new terminals, facilities in both Hong Kong and Singapore, combined with the fact that Asia is home to the fastest-growing region in the world, it opens up new possibilities and profit centers for the entire cruise industry.”

Destination management companies, shore excursion and tour operators, port and terminal developers, shipbuilders, design and refurbishment companies, national tourism organisations, ship service and hotel operations providers, food and beverage suppliers, ground handlers, and airlines are being targeted to participate in the event.