ASIAN Overland Services (AOS) Tours & Travel and travel trade partners will host the inaugural One Earth Music Festival at Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa from November 11-12.

Featuring regional and Malaysian musical artistes in concert, the festival will have a green theme, with flea markets and workshops on environmentally-friendly practices.

According to AOS group managing director, Anthony Wong, the Frangipani resort has so far implemented 150 eco-friendly measures, including installing its own water filtration pond. “The main objective (of the festival) is to make our life more green and sustainable and to reach out to those with the same thinking,” he said.

A secondary objective for the festival is to provide an extra draw for Langkawi during the non-peak period.

“One has to start at home and with ourself, and we cannot depend on the government all the time. So, it is important that the private sector and community do this event during the quiet season in Langkawi, just before the (Malaysian) school holidays start,” Wong explained.

“The dates November 11 to 12 were chosen deliberately to precede LIMA (the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition to be held from December 6-10) and to help augment the build up to the year-end peak season,” he added.

To be rolled out on an annual basis, the dates for the 2012 edition have already been fixed for November 9-10 next year.

While the inaugural event will start off as a “modest” affair, Wong said: “The plan is to grow the festival into a truly international annual event to rival other major music festivals in the region.”

By N. Nithiyananthan

LAO Airlines has signed a contract with Airbus for the purchase of two new A320 aircraft, to be delivered in October and November. The planes will be used on routes linking Vientiane to key cities in South-east Asia, including Bangkok and Singapore.

The two aircraft will feature two class-seating configurations, with 16 business-class and 126 economy-class seats.

The flag carrier’s president, Somphone Douangdara, said: “The A320 will see Lao Airlines introduce a new level of premium service as we expand our international route network.”

Somphone added that in addition to the highest standards of in-flight comfort, Lao Airlines would also benefit from the relatively low operating costs offered by the fuel-efficient A320s.

THE RITZ-Carlton Hotel Company has signed an agreement with the Shanghai Greenland Group for the development of two new Ritz-Carlton hotels in Wuhan and Dalian.

Scheduled to open in 2017, the 330-room The Ritz-Carlton, Wuhan will be located in the centre of the Wuchang Binjiang central business district. The hotel will offer a heath club, a pool, a spa, and more than 2,500m2 of meeting space.

F&B options at the The Ritz-Carlton, Wuhan will include a 170-seat three-meal restaurant, a 150-seat Chinese restaurant with 12 private dining rooms, a lobby lounge capable of hosting 70 guests, and a 50-seat Ritz-Carlton Bar.

Located in the heart of Dalian’s Donggang CBD, the 300-room The Ritz-Carlton, Dalian will form part of a mixed-use development, and will feature a variety of restaurants bars and other facilities.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company will have 13 properties in China by 2017.

TRANSNUSA Aviation Mandiri has received an air operator’s certificate, transforming the chartered airline management company into a scheduled domestic airline operator.

TransNusa, founded in 2005, previously provided services through tactical cooperation with a number of airlines specialising in Bali and Nusa Tenggara routes.

TransNusa president director and CEO, Juvenile Jodjana, said: “The lack of services connecting the islands in East and West Nusa Tenggara, and the potential traffic growth in the area, has pushed us to turn the company into an operator.”

Jodjana said that with the Bali-Nusa Tenggara Economic Corridor set to focus on tourism development, there was much potential for developing regional routes.

“We will continue to focus on developing connections between Bali and destinations within West and East Nusa Tenggara, like Sumbawa, Bima, Labuan Bajo (Komodo), Ende, Maumere, Kupang and Alor,” he said.

Future expansion will include Timor Leste and Darwin, Australia, he added.

TransNusa now operates three 50-seater Fokker 500s and will add two more by year-end. The airline is planning to operate 10 of these aircraft by end-2012.

Panorama Destination managing director, Rocky Praputranto, said: “The area does need air transportation, even if they are small aircraft. Therefore, I welcome TransNusa’s move, especially now when demand for Komodo Island and Flores is up.”

THE FEDERATION of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is looking to hold an annual Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar (GDTB) in New Delhi, starting with the inaugural edition in August next year.

According to FICCI secretary general, Rajiv Kumar, GDTB will be a platform for state tourism boards and industry stakeholders to congregate and share best practices in domestic tourism.

FICCI Tourism Committee chairperson & The LaLit managing director, Jyotsna Suri, added: “GDTB will also be a platform to mobilize more locals into taking domestic tours to explore various destinations within the country.”

“India’s outbound is growing at 15 per cent annually, while inbound growth is not proportional. Our hotels, airlines and other infrastructure can’t survive only on inbound tourists.”

Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) president, Subhash Verma, said: “(GDTB) is surely a good proposition as the Indian domestic market is estimated at 740 million travellers. Around sixty to 65 per cent of these opt for religious tours.”

FICCI has organized the Great India Travel Bazaar, an annual inbound travel mart, since 2009.

By Anand & Madhura Katti

HILTON Kuching in Sarawak is scheduled to complete its RM20-million (US$7 million) upgrading programme, started in November 2010, by year-end.

Renovation work will be wrapped up by then on the remaining 199 of the 315-room total.

Director of sales, Angela Tan, said: “The makeover to the guest rooms features contemporary furniture, 37-inch LCD TV, fresh wall coverings and carpets, modern lighting, ultra-comfortable beds and refreshed bathrooms.”

According to Tan, the renovation was expected to have little impact on rates “as it (rates) flows with market demand. Inflationary growth is expected.”

Renovation of the hotel’s MICE facilities has been completed.

“The four meeting rooms were refurbished with new wall coverings and carpets as well as up-to-date meeting furnishings. A reception area, ideal for tea breaks and cocktail events, that opens out to the poolside terrace, was added. The business centre was also made over,” Tan said.

“Improvements were also made to the grand ballroom and the prefunction room with lightings, carpet and wall coverings.”

Enhancements at the executive lounge include extension of its floor-to-ceiling windows to the edge of the building to heighten unobstructed views of the Sarawak River and city.

“The lounge also features complimentary computer work stations and WiFi Internet access,” Tan said.

By N. Nithiyananthan

CENTARA Hotels & Resorts has revamped the website used exclusively by its trade partners.

Senior vice president – sales and marketing for Centara Hotels & Resorts, Chris Bailey, said: “We have upgraded and simplified our online information and reservations system for the travel and hospitality industry on the site designed specifically for our trade partners.”

Travel agents, tour operators, events planners and buyers, and other travel industry professionals can now access support services, information, and the latest travel industry rates on www.chr.co.th.

Centara’s new corporate website has been launched simultaneously.

DUE to overwhelming response, the first TTG Travel Agent Conference at ITB Asia is moving to Ballroom 2 at Suntec Singapore, from Ballroom 1 initially, to accommodate a larger audience.

As of 11.00 today (August 26), 341 registrations have been received, with travel agents across Asia signing up, alongside a strong representation from home base Singapore.

To register for the free three-hour conference on October 21, go to www.ttgasia.com/tac. The event is open to all TTG Asia readers and ITB Asia delegates on a first-come-first-served basis, with priority given to travel agents and tour operators.

TTG Asia is also inviting agents to send in any questions they may have for the speakers (see the speaker line-up and programme when you register), so that these queries may be weaved into or addressed at the end of their presentations. Channel your questions to ttgnewsdesk@ttgasia.com. Please indicate whom the questions are for.

One of the many key How To topics is a session by Adrian Caruso, Australia’s top travel agency coach, on How to beat the Internet. Caruso will show agents why their customers are booking on the Internet instead of booking through them, how to reclaim their clients, and why CRM needs to be the “entire focus” of their business.

Said Caruso: “Agents are being beaten by the Internet because they act like the Internet. Agents who act like the Internet are those who provide lots of information, compete on price and are a booking system. They must change the way they think of themselves.”

In another highlight, one of the trade’s most illustrious CEOs, Hans Lerch, vice chairman and CEO of Hotelplan Holdings and board member of Abercrombie & Kent Group, will be put “on the firing line” following his keynote on travel agency survival.

Lerch will be interviewed by two individuals, one from the trade, who understands the workings of the business, and the other a seasoned trade journalist. The Q&A with Lerch will be conducted by Judy Lum, group vice president – sales & marketing, Tour East Group, and Raini Hamdi, group editor – Travel Group, TTG Asia Media.

There will also be several rapid fire sessions of around 20 minutes each, covering topics such as How to retail travel today, How to buy travel today, How to achieve customer service excellence, How to customise the travel experience (see the full programme when you register).

Travel agents will receive immediate confirmation upon registration. Non-travel agents are also welcome to register, but as priority is given to agents, their registration will be on a waitlist; they will be notified by October 11 about whether their places have been confirmed.

TTG Travel Agent Conference at ITB Asia will be held at Suntec Singapore, Ballroom 2, 9.00 to 12.00 on October 21.

SINGAPORE Airlines’ (SIA) new medium- and longhaul low-cost subsidiary (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 26) could possibly be named Scoot Airlines.

According to aviation news website Flightglobal.com, the online domain name scootairlines.com has been registered in Singapore by TBWA Worldwide, SIA’s advertising representative.

Aerospace trade publication Aviation Week also recently reported that SIA had filed an application with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore for rights to the brand name Scoot.

The new LCC is planning to adopt existing SIA Boeing 777-200 aircraft as its fleet mainstay ahead of its commercial launch next year.

CENTARA Hotels & Resorts has taken over the management of the West Sands Phuket and rebranded it as Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas Phuket.

The five-star property located on Mai Khao Beach is set on 47 acres (19 hectares) of land, bordering 500 metres of beach frontage.

The resort features a waterpark with 12 waterslides and a 335-metre lazy river, several F&B outlets including a beachside barbecue and a Thai restaurant, a Spa Cenvaree, a fitness centre, tennis courts, and a kids’ club.

The present accommodation totals 316 rooms built under the first phase, consisting of 115 deluxe rooms, 97 one-bedroom suites, 36 one-bedroom grand suites, 18 two-bedroom grand suites, 12 three-bedroom penthouses and 38 beach and pool villas.

A second phase is to be completed in October next year, and a third phase in October 2013, which will take the total number of keys to 784.