AFTER more than a 10-year wait, luxury hotel group The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts finally opened a hotel in Delhi on Sunday, realising its ambition of owning a property in India’s capital.

Earlier in 2004, legal complications had forced Leela to drop a plot of land it had acquired from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation in 1997. It later managed to grab a 1.2-hectare plot in Chanakyapuri at a record price of 6.11 billion rupees (US$137.64 million) in 2007.

Described by New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as the city’s new iconic building, The Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi is a premium business hotel with 260 rooms, including 19 suites. Rooms boast of designer upholstery and the latest digital technology. The property also offers banquet and meeting space spread over 3,048m².

Aside from specialty restaurant Jamavar and all-day dining The Qube, Leela will be incorporating franchised restaurants in a hotel for the first time, with international restaurants Megu (Japanese cuisine) and Le Cirque (classic Italian and contemporary French food).

By Anand & Madhura Katti

DUSIT International is accelerating its overseas expansion plans, roping in veteran hotelier Giovanni Angelini as its new vice-chairman, and growing its presence in China by opening two offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Angelini, retired CEO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and presently CEO of Hong Kong-based Angelini Hospitality, will be looking after all overseas expansion of the Thai hotel chain. Dusit now operates and manages 22 properties in four countries and plans to open 10 more hotels in six countries.

In a bid to expand its footprint in China, Dusit will be opening a regional sales office in Shanghai on July 1 and a development office in Hong Kong on May 1, joining its existing regional sales office in Hong Kong. The group has also added Mandarin pages to its website and appointed Mandarin-speaking associates at properties in key locations.

China has been one of Dusit’s fastest growing markets in terms of visitor numbers to its properties in Thailand, Manila and Dubai over the past few years, according to the chain’s sales and marketing vice-president, Jennifer Cronin.

Cronin said Chinese guests at Dusit Thani Dubai accounted for eight per cent of the property’s business in the first quarter of this year, up from one per cent over the same period last year, while Dusit Thani Pattaya saw year-on-year growth of three to six per cent from the same market.

By Sirima Eamtako

EVEN if it may negatively impact tourism, news presenter Richard Quest made a case for media’s responsibility to accurately report what is happening on the ground during disasters.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of PATA’s 60th Anniversary & Conference in Beijing last week, the business travel specialist said: “The tourism industry would rather us shut our eyes to the unpleasantness, but we cannot pretend and wish things were normal. We have a responsibility to be honest.”

He added that the element of realism should prevail. “The travel industry is all about selling dreams and experiences. All too often, however, the industry blinds itself to certain impracticalities and realities.

“Some travellers would say it’s the perfect time to go to Japan, what with bargain flights and all, but honestly, would you want to go on a nice luxury holiday to Japan at the moment? Would you really want to go on a holiday in a country where there is a civil war or disaster?”

Quest also denied that the media often resorts to sensationalisation to attract more viewers.

“When a crisis happens, the expenditure for CNN goes through the roof,” he explained. “We have to fly people and equipment to location. The advertising revenue also goes down due to the increased frequency of breaking news segments.”

Quest, who over the last two decades has covered a variety of stories from Yasser Arafat’s demise to the Lockerbie bombing, said that he treads more carefully when it comes to crisis reporting.

“I ask myself: What is happening in the country at the moment? What is it exactly that I am saying? What are the effects of this is going to be? Could somebody interpret this as not being safe to be here?”

MAJOR outbound operator CTC Travel has started to offer seven-day tours to Hokkaido at almost half the price, and is planning a media fam trip to Japan in a bid to rebuild Singaporeans’ confidence in the disaster-hit country.

There will be four departures in May for these Ganbatte Japan tours, which go for a mere S$1,399 (US$1,129) compared to the usual S$2,388. The packages have reeled in 20 bookings to date, said the agency’s senior vice president (marketing & PR), Alicia Seah.

“It is a good sign, and with Tokyo Disney Resort now reopened, tourists will return to Japan slowly but surely,” she said.

Seah also hoped to organise a fam trip as soon – possibly on May 9 – in order to discourage travellers from cancelling tours booked for the May to July period.

“There are many areas in Japan that are not affected, and we have been getting updates about radiation levels in Japanese cities, some of which are lower than that in Singapore. But the words of the media will carry more weight, so we have partnered other industry players such as airlines to conduct media fam trips to destinations like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kyushu and Hokkaido,” she said.

HONG KONG has been seeing increased interest in its ecotourism offerings since it started promoting green outdoor activities two years ago, with teambuilding and incentive groups especially keen to take advantage of the sector’s diversity.

Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) general manager, MICE and Cruise, Gilly Wong, said the sector had been receiving “much more bookings and enquiries compared to when (it) first started”, with the bulk of interest coming from longhaul source markets like Japan and South Korea.

“When most people think of Hong Kong, they tend to think of luxury, shopping and the city,” she said. “We want to highlight that the green side of Hong Kong is complimentary to these other offerings.”

Wong said that aside from team hiking activities and boat trips, there are also nature excursions to Hong Kong National Geopark and Lantau Island for those who want to take a break from the city life.

Over 50 per cent of Lantau Island consists of national parks, including a large number of well-marked hiking trails. There is also a marine park north of the island, which has been designated to protect Chinese White Dolphins, often called pink dolphins.

Meanwhile, Wong said HKTB would soon be embarking on an advertising blitz via print and online channels to highlight MICE activities and offerings in Hong Kong. According to Wong, the campaign will revolve around four topics: themed attractions, wine and dine, MICE cruise charters and Lantau Island.

AN OVERSUPPLY of hotel rooms has caused a price war among hotels in Jaipur, with rates in three- to five-star categories dropping by 20 to 25 per cent over the last three years, according to Le Passage to India Tours & Travels executive director Khalid Khan.

Golden Tulip Jaipur general manager Shailesh Joshi explained that three- and four-star properties were forced to reduce rates whenever five-star properties dropped their prices.

Joshi said he was sustaining rack rates at his hotel (about US$50 to US$75) by targeting more corporate business, which is year-round, compared to leisure business, which tends to be seasonal.

While the better prices benefit the consumer, Khan said rates in Jaipur and India as a whole were still relatively high compared to countries such as Thailand, Singapore and China, which offer similar category hotels at lower rates, and where destination marketing is better.

According to Khan, staying in a standard four-star property in Jaipur costs around US$150 to US$200 per night, whereas staying in a four-star property in Singapore sets you back around US$70 to US$90 per night.

Over the next 18 months, Jaipur’s inventory is expected to increase by another 2,500 rooms, with the opening of eight new hotels. The destination is also gearing up for more MICE business, as some of the new properties will be equipped with MICE facilities. A large, new convention centre that can accommodate up to 5,000 delegates at Sitapura Industrial area in Jaipur will also be ready by 2013.

Inbound agents are split over the potential impact of these new developments on hotel rates.

Sita general manager Rajasthan Sanjay Sharma was of the opinion that rates would drop further. “Business will improve, but rates are uncertain to go up. The MICE business cannot be counted on 365 days,” he said.

Khan, however, said the international hotels opening in the near future would be conducting their own destination marketing, creating more awareness and resulting in an inflow of business, which would in turn result in higher rates.

Creative Travel senior manager Lalit Bhatt said: “I am optimistic business will come back. By winter 2012, provided there are no calamities in India, rates in Jaipur will go back to pre-recession levels.”

NOVOTEL Bangkok IMPACT has been chalking up good business since its February soft opening, recording just below 30 per cent occupancy in the first month of operations, and more than 30 per cent last month.

The hotel’s general manager, David Baldwin, said that while business has been slow this month due to the Thai Songkran holiday, occupancy was starting to pick up again, and he expected it to soar over the next couple of months.

He added that about 80 per cent of the hotel’s business originates from events at the adjoining IMPACT Muang Thong Thani MICE complex, with the remaining coming from nearby corporate and government agencies.

The 10-storey, 380-room Novotel Bangkok IMPACT is scheduled to open its spa, indoor swimming pool, fitness centre and an Italian restaurant next month, and a rooftop wine bar in the last quarter.

IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, located in greater Bangkok, hosted more than 800 events last year.

By Sirima Eamtako

GARUDA Indonesia’s ongoing fleet expansion (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 13) has allowed the carrier to increase frequencies and launch new services on both domestic and international routes.

Garuda president and CEO, Emirsyah Satar, said: “Garuda received 24 new aircraft last year, comprising B737-800NGs and Airbus A330-200s.”

“This year, we will add a total of 11 new aircraft, comprising nine B737-800NGs and two A330-200s, which will enable us to further expand our services.”

On June 1, Garuda will hike its Denpasar-Seoul services from three to five times weekly, and double its Jakarta-Bangkok flights to twice daily. The carrier is planning to start Jakarta-Taipei services in November.

On the domestic front, the airline is increasing services on its Jakarta-Surabaya route from 15 to 16 flights daily, Surabaya-Denpasar from three to four flights daily, and Jogjakarta-Denpasar from two to three flights daily.

Additional domestic routes slated to launch this year are Balikpapan-Surabaya and Makassar-Jogjakarta.

The airline is also planning to open Makassar as its third hub after Jakarta and Bali. Its opening as a hub will see additional routes from Makassar to cities in the eastern part of Indonesia, as well as Jakarta and Bali.

US-based Carlson plans to grow its mid-tier Country Inns & Suites By Carlson portfolio in India from 11 to over 50 over the next decade, with a new version of the brand developed specifically for the market.

Five hotels are scheduled to open this year, and future developments will be based on the next generation of the brand, which will include significant design nuances catering to an Indian clientele.

This expansion will be managed through Country Development and Management Services (CDMS), a joint venture between Carlson and Chanakya Hotels.

“The midscale market in India represents a significant opportunity, and Carlson is pleased to be able to grow its Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand in this market through its strategic partnership in CDMS,” said KB Kachru, executive vice president, Carlson Hotels, South Asia.

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson targets both business and leisure travellers, and features a residential design and a “friends hosting friends” culture.

UNITED Nations organisations monitoring the effects of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant have issued a statement to clarify that current radiation levels pose no travel risk to Japan.

These agencies are the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Tourism Organization and the International Labour Organization.

“Radiation monitoring around airports and seaports in Japan continues to confirm that levels remain well within safe limits,” according to a UN statement.

The global body added that the screening of radiation for health and safety purposes is currently considered unnecessary at airports and seaports around the world. It explained that the monitoring of passengers, crew and cargo from Japan in some countries did not suggest any health or safety risks.