INDONESIA’S state-owned airport operator, PT Angkasa Pura I, has inked a Memorandum of Cooperation with IT solutions firm SITA, aimed at providing the best in passenger services.

The cooperation will start with the new international terminal at the Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, which has the most foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia. The Surabaya and Balikpapan airports will also be early beneficiaries.

Tommy Soetomo, president director of PT Angkasa Pura 1, said: “ By partnering with SITA, PT Angkasa Pura 1 and its Indonesian airports will have world-class systems providing the best in passenger services with minimal CAPEX investment,”

“As we looked at how we should develop Indonesian airports, we realised that SITA has the capability to provide all the information technology systems required for airport management and operations and the flexibility to share our risk by charging on a per passenger basis.”

Damian Hickey, SITA regional vice president, South Asia and India, added: “With this Memorandum of Cooperation, SITA will bring our Intelligent Airport vision to Indonesia, providing the latest airport technology using real-time information. Passengers will enjoy improved flight information displays, check-in, baggage reconciliation and overall, a seamless journey and better airport experience.”

Airports in Indonesia will be among the first to experience the Intelligent Airport, with the implementation of all of the SITA systems that are planned to be completed at Ngurah Rai Airport before Indonesia hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Bali in 2013.

ASIA EXPERIENCE TOURS’ online B2B portal, OneAsia.travel, will extend its offerings to include instant confirmation for bookings made online from early May.

“Our agents can start booking online with instant confirmation for the whole of Asia from May 9,” said Asia Experience Tours CEO, Ngiam Foon.

The portal features hotel offerings in Asia, covering over 20 countries and 260 destinations.

Ngiam said: “With this latest development, we expect to see more than a 30 per cent increase in online sales and this couldn’t come at a more timely manner, with the Malaysian ringgit at its strongest. We anticipate more outbound travel this year.”

OneAsia.travel will also be promoting their complete Asia offering at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai from May 2 to 5. The portal went live more than a year ago.

THAILAND-based hotel chains are entering Vietnam, where visitor arrivals grew 34.8 per cent year-on-year to five million last year, and rose 11.9 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 1.5 million between January and March.

Centara Hotels and Resorts brought the 36-villa Chen La Resort and Spa Phu Quoc into its Centara Boutique Collection, renaming it as Chen Sea Resort and Spa Phu Quoc, in March.

Its president, Gerd Steeb, said: “We believe Vietnam holds immense tourism potential for the future.”

Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas is making its first entry with the rebranding of L’Anmien Resort and Spa as Anantara Mui Ne Resort and Spa in July. The 90-key resort is located 200km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City.

Absolute Hotel Services, another Thai-based hotel management company, has lined up openings of four properties �?? U GTC Hanoi, U Hang Choiu Hanoi, U Ho Chi Minh and Thuy Tu Hotel Danang �?? within the next few years. It is also slated to sign management contracts for three more properties.

The three companies followed Six Senses Resorts and Spas, which opened its third property in Vietnam, the 50-villa Six Senses Con Dao in December last year. This joined the 58-pool villa Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and the 91-key Evason Ana Mandara-Nha Trang.

RELAIS & CHATEAUX is going into tour operating and will start conceiving and selling tours this year.

The hotel representation company has already sealed a joint venture with Paris-based travel agent Voyageurs du Monde to handle Europe tours, and is now seeking a JV partner in Asia for regional itineraries.

President International and chairman of the Board, Jaume Tapies, in an interview in Singapore yesterday, said 25 per cent of bookings by clients involved a string of hotels, while a survey done by Relais & Chateaux showed all clients expected itinerary planning assistance.

Another reason why it is going into tour operating is a rise in Internet bookings. With the Internet, the Relais & Chateaux website can be “a one-stop shop”.

“Agents are also able to book these tours and earn their commissions,” Tapies said.

The ideal Asian partner it seeks is “a top tour operator which does a la carte, tailor-made tours, as every client wants something different”.

“We don’t want to be just hotels and restaurants. We want to be able to put together the links between them. After all, our origins were (centred) on ‘the road to happiness’,” he said.

Despite its French origin, name and brand that conjure European country houses or manors, Relais & Chateaux is rapidly growing in Asia. There are currently 51 members in Asia-Pacific. In five years, their goal is 200 members.

Tapies said the way for Relais & Chateaux to have a slice of Asia’s bursting outbound market for all its 500 members was to have more Asians travelling within Asia and staying at Relais & Chateaux members. This makes Asia top priority for more new members.

Europe currently contributes 60 per cent of business to Relais & Chateaux members, and North America, 20 per cent, with others accounting for the rest.

Apart from going into tour operating, Tapies also unveiled other new initiatives for this year, including producing books such as Chefs at Home featuring its grand chefs, and launching niche marketing centring on food and wine events/experiences, celebrations, romantic escapes, special interests and rest-and-relax.

– Read more in TTG Asia, Guide to Hotels – Marketing Representation, May 27

WITH the ringgit strengthening against the US dollar, outbound travel from Malaysia is expected to pick up, especially to destinations tied to the greenback (See related story).

The ringgit has been steadily appreciating against the greenback and is currently pegged at RM2.99 to the dollar.

“As the US dollar is used by many suppliers, including cruises to the Baltic and Mediterranean, this bodes well for us, as our products are very attractively priced,” said Jebsen Travel & Tours Services managing director Lim Chee Tong, who is expecting a 20 per cent rise in cruise bookings.

“America has not been so popular over the years because of the strict visa restrictions, but due to changes, plus the currency depreciation and also the Middle East unrest, we will probably see a rise of travel here,” said Apple Vacations & Conventions managing director Koh Yock Heng.

“Europe continues to be hugely popular due to the lower euro, which is now around RM4.30.”

Malaysian Harmony Tour and Travel chief executive officer Cooper Huang is certain that there would be a gradual impact. “The growth in our travel segment has been rising progressively due to the falling dollar.”

INBOUND agents in Malaysia are anticipating that the strengthening of the ringgit against the US dollar will make the destination more expensive (See related story).

The ringgit reached a 13-year high of 2.99 against the dollar on Monday, and is expected to continue to rally higher in the short-term.

Yap Sook Ling, managing director of Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, believes that the pinch would be felt in the next contracting season in November. This is the period when the company would also have to add a buffer for exchange rate fluctuations, as well as an increase in the cost of living, which will result in ground arrangements becoming more expensive.

She anticipates that package prices would increase by 15 to 20 per cent for the next season. She said: “That’s a lot. To price sensitive markets such as longhaul markets, outbound agents’ main concern will be the higher prices. It will make the destination become more expensive, compared to regional destinations such as Thailand, Bali and Vietnam.”

Red Apple Travel & Tours is a major player in the Indian inbound market. Managing director, Arokia Das Anthony, said: “Our margins are already low, as India inbound is a volume market. We have to bite the bullet for whatever has been quoted and guaranteed.

“For the next contracting season, we will work on a different rate of exchange, bearing in mind that we will also have to ensure the destination remains competitive.”

To minimise risk of losses due to currency fluctuations, Tina Travel & Agencies managing director, Adam Kamal, has included a clause in the confidential tariff given to partner agents, where rates are subjected to change upon confirmation of bookings.

MORE companies in Indonesia are looking to organise MICE events at home, as awareness of domestic MICE facilities is growing.

Bank Danamon Indonesia American Express (Amex) Corporate Cards head, Silvy Widyaningrum, said: “We have seen growing corporate card members organising MICE events in Indonesia (rather) than overseas in the last couple of years. In 2010, the use of Amex Corporate Cards for MICE events increased by 60 per cent.”

In her evaluation of the Indonesia MICE and Corporate Travel Mart (IMCTM), which Amex Bank Danamon has been co-organising with RajaMICE.com for the past three years, Widyaningrum said that the show has increased the awareness of MICE facilities available in the country.

IMCTM brings Indonesian MICE suppliers and top Amex Corporate Card national and multi-national members in Indonesia under one roof. The annual show is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The ministry’s MICE director, Nia Niscaya, said: “With the buyers comprising Amex members, the result is easy to monitor. Last year’s event produced some 50 billion rupiah (US$5.6 million) in corporate and incentive business.

“However, we need to expand the show. Now that the show is entering the fourth year, we will also invite regional and international buyers, those we met at international MICE shows and road shows, who have an interest in Indonesia.”

This year’s IMCTM will take place in Manado, North Sulawesi from May 17 to 22.

RajaMICE.com CEO, Panca Sarungu, said 100 MICE suppliers will be selling their products to 130 buyers during the table-top business sessions.

Apart from the mart, delegates will be participating in a familiarisation trip of Manado and the surrounding areas.

RESORTS World Genting is on track to cater to the Indian market, with the availability of more rooms after renovations were completed at many hotels.

The market experienced room shortage during last year’s summer peak travel season.

Red Apple Travel & Tours managing director, Arokia Das Anthony, said it was easy to confirm bookings for the Indian summer season, which is from mid-April until the first week of July.

He said: “With room availability at Resorts World Genting, it makes it easier for us to promote the destination to meeting and incentive groups from India. The Indian MICE movements usually take place from July onwards.”

Anthony has already confirmed six meeting and incentive groups from India for July. Each group will have over 100 people.

Last year, the resort had about 5,000 guests during this period. For this year, Red Apple forecasts a 30 per cent increase in FITs and groups.

BANGKOK-based Asian Trails has issued a press release saying that the conflict along the Thailand-Cambodia border has not affected its itineraries so far.

In a joint statement, Asian Trails Thailand managing director Roger Haumueller and Asian Trails Cambodia managing director Jacques Guichadut said: “We would like to point out that the itineraries of Asian Trails in Thailand and in Cambodia do not pass by, (are) not even nearby, these fighting areas. No amendments to any of our tours and itineraries are necessary. Please note that the Angkor temples in Cambodia are located some 230 kilometres south-west of the disputed area.”

Major news outlets have reported that the conflict along the border of the two countries has resulted in at least 12 dead and thousands being evacuated.

The tension concerns the Ta Krabei and Ta Muan temples, about 47km west of the O’Smach Border Pass between Thailand and Cambodia, and also about 250km west of the disputed Khao Prah Viharn/Preah Vihear Temple.

According to Asian Trails, scheduled flights between Thailand and Cambodia “operate as normal and the border crossing at Aranyaprathet/Poipet is also open without any restrictions”.

SHANGRI-LA has secured several tax concessions from the Sri Lankan government to build a multi-purpose leisure complex and resorts in the country.

The Asian hotel chain is planning two developments, in Colombo and the southern city of Hambantota. It has set up two subsidiary companies to handle the projects.

According to a gazette notification issued by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who handles the tourism portfolio, Shangri-La Hotels Lanka is building an “upmarket hotel, high-quality residencies and a high-end shopping mall” on four hectares of land in Colombo, near Sri Lanka’s army headquarters.

This project will enjoy a 10-year corporate tax holiday, a 10-year exemption on dividend income and a five-year exemption on income tax for a maximum of 20 expatriate staff, among others.

The Colombo project involves an estimated investment of US$283 million.

The notification issued by the minister, under provisions available for tax concessions in strategic development projects, provides similar concessions to Shangri-La Investments Lanka, which is building a luxury hotel and residential villas in Hambantota, totalling an estimated US$109 million.

This company has already spent around US$3.5 million to purchase the land there.

The tax breaks, according to the minister, who is the younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, have been provided, as “the projects are of national interest and likely to (bring) economic and social benefits to the country, and also change the landscape of the country”.

PATA chairman Hiran Cooray, who is also chairman of Sri Lankan Jetwing Hotels, welcomed the special concessions for Shangri-La, saying such high-class hotels would elevate the hotel industry there.

“I have stayed in Shangri-La hotels overseas, and the service is fantastic. We can learn from them,” he said.