MALAYSIA-based Genting Group is expanding its global operations to Florida with the development of Resorts World Miami, part of its plan to grow its international leisure, hospitality and entertainment business.

“Resorts World Miami will be a landmark mixed-use development for Miami, Florida, and the United States,” said Genting Group chairman and chief executive, Lim Kok Thay.

Having recently purchased a 13.9-acre (5.6-hectare) land parcel from US-based The McClatchy Company for US$236-million, Genting’s masterplan for Resorts World Miami includes a mixed-use development comprising a hotel, residences, and convention, entertainment, restaurant, retail and commercial facilities.

Located in downtown Miami and linked to the South Beach, Resorts World Miami will be located near the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, as well as the upcoming Museum Park development comprising the Miami Art Museum and Miami Science Museum.

Resorts World Miami will be Genting’s second venture in the United States, after Resorts World New York at the Aqueduct Racetrack in New York.

By Ellen Chen

GO VACATION Thailand, based in Bangkok, has chosen Dubai-based Illusions Online to be its one-stop travel technology solutions provider, replacing its four in-house software systems for B2B transactions, accounting, contracting and website.

Go Vacation Thailand managing director, Christoph Mueller, said that while the cost of the switch was “many times” more than what travel technology providers in Thailand would charge, he believed that the investment was worth it.

“We are expecting a 20 per cent increase in business after the first year of operating under this new travel technology,” he said.

Go Vacation Thailand’s new system is expected to go live in November.

Bali-based Go Vacation Indonesia has also signed up to implement Illusion Online’s system, which is scheduled to be fully operational in May next year.

A decision has yet to be made on whether the system will be implemented at Colombo-based Go Vacation Sri Lanka.

– Read the full report in TTG Asia, June 24 issue

By Sirima Eamtako

THOMAS Cook India (TCI) is expanding its presence beyond India to the rest of South Asia, and is actively advancing its B2B, MICE, e-business and luxury travel operations.

TCI COO Leisure Travel (inbound), Vishal Suri, told TTG Asia e-daily: “We want to expand beyond India into South Asia. We opened our office in Nepal five months ago, and we’ll open Sri Lanka and Mauritius offices before the winter high season.”

According to Suri, TCI is planning to widen its B2B distribution network to 20 source markets within the next two to three years, through the establishment of 10 self-owned and 10 representative offices. The DMC currently has seven offices abroad, and recently created a small, dedicated team to handle its growing e-business segment. Asia, the Middle East and South America are its emerging markets.

Intending to triple its MICE business from the current eight per cent of total revenue, TCI will triple the size of its MICE team to 28 staff.

TCI is also working to enhance its lucrative luxury business segment with more attractive and personalised offerings, like the option for fast-track immigration.

By Anand & Madhura Katti

SRI Lanka Tourism is planning to launch a five-year tourism master plan to help achieve its ambitious target of 2.5 million visitors by 2016.

Nalaka Godahewa, Sri Lanka Tourism chairman, said that the plan would outline the next development stage of the Sri Lankan travel industry.

“It will be a collective set of ideas, visions and goals put forward by industry members, academics and other parties who share an interest in the local tourism industry. We have reviewed (the input), analysed it and put forward a vision that will guide us over the next five years,” Godahewa was quoted by the Colombo-based Daily News as saying.

Godahewa said that in order for Sri Lanka to become one of the most popular destinations in the world, it would be necessary to concentrate on developing its service standards and quality of products on offer.

Sri Lanka received 278,959 visitors from January to April, up 41 per cent over the same period last year. This year, Sri Lanka is targeting 800,000 arrivals, up from 650,000 in 2010.

THE INDONESIAN Airline Ticketing Agencies Association (ASTINDO) has inquired about the refund procedure for its members’ deposits in Mandala Airlines after the airline resumes operations following fresh investment.

ASTINDO also raised questions about its members’ share in the company after the airline is revamped, with Indonesia’s Saratoga Group set to take a 51 per cent majority; Tiger Airways, 33 per cent; and Mandala’s creditors, including ASTINDO, 16 per cent.

ASTINDO’s head of ticketing division, Pauline Suharno, said: “ASTINDO members’ portion is considered part of the 16 per cent shares belonging to all 345 of Mandala’s creditors. What will our composition be like?”

She said ASTINDO had never approved the conversion of the airline’s debt into shares. “We want the airline to refund our members in cash rather than shares, especially when the share value is not clear.”

Suharno claimed that the agents’ deposits and claims totalled 42 billion rupiah (US$4.9 million), and that the entry of new investors would not benefit creditors.

“Saratoga has been given low prices to be able to acquire the majority of shares,” she explained. “The value is not equal to the price creditors have to pay to convert the airline’s debt into shares.”

AUSTRALIA-based low-cost carrier Jetstar will implement a 100 per cent self-service check-in system for travellers in Australia and New Zealand starting November 1. The traditional method of checking in at the airport counter will be charged accordingly.

From now till then, however, passengers flying across Jetstar’s 18-port domestic network will be afforded the option of checking-in via the web or self-service kiosks at the airport, and receiving a boarding pass via SMS or email 24 hours before a flight.

Travellers with luggage can scan their SMS boarding pass at the self-service kiosk, collect their boarding passes and bag tags, and drop their luggage at the bag drop before boarding the flight. Customers without bags can bypass the check-in area and head straight to their boarding gate.

Jetstar Group CEO, Bruce Buchanan, said: “The airport experience is rapidly changing, and in an era of more frequent, low-fare travel, our customers are seeking more speed, control and ease when flying. The full implementation of our self-service initiatives is anticipated to boost uptake of self-service options closer to 100 per cent across our network.”

“Delivering a 100 per cent self-service platform will enable more of our customer service team at airports to focus on the customer,” he added. “Our new SMS boarding passes, kiosks and automated check-in options are delivering practical and innovative solutions that will add greater control and save time at increasingly busy airports.”

There are currently no plans to introduce this service on international routes, as mandatory verification of passports and identification documents have to be factored in.

The cost of checking-in at the counter will be announced at a later date.

By Faith Chang

MALAYSIA is anticipating the launch of its first Amanresort in 2014, to be located in Penang.

The new Amancrag resort will be developed on the site of the existing colonial-era Crag Hotel that was built on Penang Hill in 1929.

The Penang state government awarded the 37-million-ringgit (US$12.3 million) redevelopment project to local company Sri Nisuh. “Amanresorts International will be handling the management and marketing of the hotel on a long-term contract tenure,” said Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng.

Located at an elevation of 833m and covering seven acres (2.8 hectares) of land, Amancrag will offer 20 double-storey villas, each with sweeping views of the island and surrounding greenery. Some villas will have private infinity pools spilling over the hillside.

Project architect, Heah Hock Seng, said: “The original main building will be preserved for its historical and architectural values and will be turned into a lounge bar and restaurant. There will also be an international-class health and spa facility on site.”

The presence of Amancrag is expected to raise Penang’s profile as a luxury destination to woo high-value tourists.

By Ellen Chen

THAILAND is expecting the resumption of turnaround visits by international cruise liners next year, after a few seasons of absence due to political instability in the country.

According to Jumpol Chadavadh, managing director of Princess Cruises’ local ground handler, Regale International Travel, the cruise liner has scheduled its Diamond Princess for turnarounds in Thailand in October and November next year. The other cruise liners are also intending to make turnarounds in Thailand.

“Bangkok is the hub due to direct air access with all geographic regions,” said Jumpol, adding that over the past few years, international cruise liners were forced to re-route their turnaround visits to neighbouring countries, due to Bangkok’s airport closure in end-2008 and political turmoil last May.

However, cruise liners either retained or increased their callings at Thai ports, which explained the double-digit growth in the number of cruise passengers handled by Regale during this year and last (TTG Asia e-Daily, 29 March 2011).

Cruise turnaround visits are significant, as each consists of both a pre- and post-passenger boarding of one- to three-nights stay in the country. The majority of clients for turnaround cruises in Thailand are from Europe, Australia and the US.

– Read the full report in TTG Asia, June 24 issue

By Sirima Eamtako

SRI LANKA will withdraw the visa-on-arrival (VOA) facility currently extended to citizens of 79 countries, including India, starting September 30. An online visa application process, to be availed prior to departure, will replace the VOA.

The VOA will continue to be extended to countries that offer a reciprocal privilege to Sri Lankan nationals, like Singapore and the Maldives.

“We really hope the government will not introduce this scheme,” said Hiran Cooray, chairman of Jetwing and PATA. “If they do, we have to make it as hassle-free as possible, so that the impact is minimised.”

To promote tourism, Sri Lanka has been granting a 30-day VOA to Western tourists, as well as those from developed nations, since the 1970s. The scheme was extended to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations in the mid-90s to tap the region’s potential.

Initially mooted in August last year, the VOA withdrawal was put on hold because of large-scale representations by the Sri Lankan tourism and hospitality industry, which feared a drop in tourist arrivals.

Chulananda Perera, Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration controller-general, said the new online visa application system would be implemented in about 80 days. After submission of application and payment of fees, visitors would get their visas within one to three days.

Perera insisted that Sri Lanka’s tourism industry would not be affected by the new system, and that the switch would in fact make it easier for tourists.

Nagsri Prasad Sashidhar of Mumbai-based Mercury Travels was less optimistic. “ Sri Lanka was very attractive for us given the VOA facility. We would recommend it as a good option to tourists who were going to Maldives,” he said. “The withdrawal will cause numbers to fall and make the destination less appealing to our clients.”

OMAN Air will boost its Muscat-Colombo service from five-weekly to daily from June 1 to meet increasing demand, according to the airline’s country manager, Gihan Karunaratne.

Having commenced four-weekly flights to Colombo as its 32nd international destination in November 2009, Oman Air’s load factor surged from 50 per cent to 80 per cent within a year, said Karunaratne.

The airline flies mainly from Europe (Germany, Paris and the UK) and the Middle East to Colombo, with some passengers flying onward to Male in the Maldives.