TO CAPTURE a larger slice of the Muslim travel market, Malaysia needs to innovate more, tour operators were told at the fifth International Conference on Muslim Tourism, Hajj and Umrah 2011 in Kuala Lumpur.

“There much potential in Islamic tourism in Malaysia due to contributing factors, such asour liberal policies comfort in food, beverages, personal needs and facilities,” Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, director-general of the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), which is organising the second International Islamic Tourism Conference and Travel Mart in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 13 to 16.

“Islamic tourism has long been defined as merely Umrah and Hajj tours, when there are many avenues to expand on, such as halal food trails, historical and cultural journeys and modern Muslim cities,” Wahab added.

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) past president and group president of the Mitra group, Tunku Iskandar Abdullah, said Malaysia is “barely scratching the surface”.

“The Muslim market is far larger than what we think. We should not just focus on the Arabian and Middle East, but also the huge North Africa and China market,” he said.

Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tengku Abdullah, managing director of Two One Holidays Malaysia, added that Malaysia needs to upgrade its existing tourism products and introduce new attractions.

“Many Middle Easterners vacation with their families. They seldom travel alone. As far as family entertainment goes, we are already losing out to Singapore’s Sentosa Island, which has been aggressively introducing interesting products,” he said.

MATTA president Dato Mohd Khalid Harunpointed out Malaysian operators do not have the license to sell to overseas agents. “That is Tourism Malaysia’s job,” he said.

By Ellen Chen

BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL recently opened its first Best Western Plus hotel in Asia Pacific, the Best Western Plus @20 Sukhumvit, in Bangkok.

“The new Best Western Plus is positioned towards a growing segment of trendy yet value-conscious travellers who are increasingly sophisticated and want hotels offering a lifestyle along with the traditional bed-and-breakfast element,” said Best Western International’s vice president for operations Asia and the Middle East, Glenn de Souza.

Located on Sukhumvit Soi 20 in Bangkok, the hotel is near Sukhumvit Road, and is just walking distance from the Asok Skytrain and Sukhumvit MRT underground stations.

The hotel has 78 guest rooms. Facilities include a rooftop Jacuzzi, concierge, business services, tour arrangements and valet parking, among others.

BANGKOK AIRWAYS is offering a special return airfare priced at 4,300 baht nett (US$144) on the Bangkok-Koh Samui route to help restore confidence on the island, as news of recent rainstorms have continued to affect bookings.

The fare will be effective from May 12 to July 31, with the promotion available for 250 seats per day per sector. The airline will launch the promotion at its Ultimate Destination fair to be held at Siam Paragon in Bangkok from May 12 to 20.

The airline’s corporate communications vice-president, Nandhika Varavarn, said the fare would be available to all markets, as well as to agents and hotels that want to offer attractive packages to entice bookings.

“More special airfares will be launched in the coming months,” Varavarn said.

Hotels in Koh Samui have been running at 30-35 per cent occupancy after the rainstorms and floods hit the island from March 26 to 29, according to the island’s travel trade interviewed by TTG Asia e-Daily, during the Samui Big Cleaning Day on April 24.

According to the trade, hotels normally run at 80-85 per cent occupancy in March and April.

– Read more in TTG Asia, April 29

By Sirima Eamtako

THE NEWEST player set to join Singapore’s serviced residences scene in July is 8 on Claymore.

The 85-unit residence on 8 Claymore Hill is adjacent to the Royal Plaza on Scotts hotel, which manages the property. It is also the first serviced residence project under Summit Residences of the Preferred Hotel Group.

“The opportunity was there. The potential is there. There are a lot of apartments for rent (in Singapore), but serviced apartments are few,” said Royal Plaza on Scotts general manager, Patrick Fiat, when asked about the venture.

In addition to its prime location near the Orchard Road area, what will distinguish 8 on Claymore from competitors are amenities, like the fastest Internet connection on the island and the award-winning service that Royal Plaza on Scotts is known for, Fiat said.

– Read more in TTG Asia, April 29

By Amee Enriquez

LION AIR received its newest Boeing 737-900ER aircraft yesterday, with 14 more units to be delivered this year.

The aircraft was the 43rd out of the total 178 aircraft it ordered, to be delivered until 2017. It is the 47th Boeing 737-900ER aircraft in Lion Air’s fleet.

In welcoming the new arrival in Jakarta, Lion Air general affairs director Edward Sirait said: “Lion Air will continue to add aircraft with the new Boeing Sky Interior, the first to be used by an Indonesian airline.”

The airline is investing US$8.9 billion in its new fleet, which will enable it to expand its domestic and international network. Sirait added that new routes and additional frequencies will be announced.

Lion Air recently opened Jakarta-Medina twice-weekly services.

INBOUND agents from India are experiencing double-digit growth in business, slightly over a year after AirAsia began direct daily services between Kuala Lumpur and Kochi in November 2009. AirAsia is currently the only carrier servicing this route.

With direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kerala’s commercial capital, three inbound agents agreed that it was easier to promote Kerala to the Malaysian market as a complete mono-holiday destination.

Indus Travel Company director, Punit Bhasin, said that without direct flights, Kerala only used to be part of a tour programme combining Chennai or Mumbai. Length of a typical stay used to be two nights, but has now increased to five nights.

He added that the direct flights had grown his business from the Malaysian market to Kerala by 50 per cent.

Go India Journeys manager, Australasia & Far East market, Kumar Guru, said his inbound business from Malaysia to Kerala has improved by at least 75 per cent.

He said AirAsia’s flights out of Kuala Lumpur to Kochi had also attracted traffic from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, The Philippines and Thailand to use Kuala Lumpur to connect to Kochi.

He said the biggest attractions for the Far East market to Kerala are Ayurveda treatments and cruising the backwaters in houseboats, also known as Kettuvalloms.

Pioneer Personalized Holidays director, Ranju Joseph, said the Malaysian traffic he received were mainly FIT travelers and this segment had grown by some 30 per cent.

He said: “This is also a price-sensitive market. Customer expectations of hotel properties do not match their perception of value, and this is our biggest challenge. We are now identifying better properties for the budget segment.”

Bhasin also agreed that the Malaysian market is price sensitive. He said his challenge is to create experiences with a small budget. “I believe more affluent travelers will start travelling to Kerala, as Ayurveda treatments become increasingly popular. It will then become easier to promote the destination, and people will be willing to spend more for their holiday experiences,” he said.

THE THAILAND Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is aiming to boost Indonesian meeting and incentive arrivals by 13 per cent this year, as it introduces new destinations and targets new source markets for its Believe in Thailand campaign.

At a TCEB roadshow in Jakarta yesterday, acting director, Meetings & Incentives, Puripan Bunnag, said: “Indonesia is an important market for us. Despite the political situation in Thailand last year, the market performed positively. The figure has been on the increase, but it is still small compared to the leisure market.”

In 2010, Indonesian MICE arrivals totalled 18,730, contributing a revenue of 1.17 billion baht (US$39.12 million). This year, TCEB projects that the number should increase to 21,247 arrivals with 1.33 billion baht in spending.

“Destination-wise, we are promoting Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and introducing new destinations like Hua Hin, Hat Yai and Samui. In terms of source markets, we are starting to look at Medan and Surabaya,” said Bunnag.

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin director of sales and marketing Maria Sitanggang said: “Very few Indonesians know Hua Hin, which is actually only two-and-a-half hours from Bangkok. It is a family as well as a golfing destination with 12 golf courses. I’m here to try and attract both these markets.”

Multi Holiday managing director Rudy Techrisna said: “I’m going to ask Garuda Indonesia, who is increasing Jakarta-Bangkok services (from daily to double daily) in June, to do a familiarisation trip to Hua Hin and see how we can promote golfing (for leisure and incentive) there.”

WITH North Korea’s national carrier Air Koryo launching its twice-weekly flights from Pyongyang to Kuala Lumpur this week, tour operators in the Malaysian capital are expecting the new air link to drive demand to the reclusive nation.

Mayflower Travel’s group director/general manager, Chin Ten Hoy, said: “When Malaysian Airlines organised a visit there some time ago, places were completely taken up. So with Air Koryo offering direct flights to Pyongyang, we can most certainly expect demand.”

“Many people want to go to North Korea because this country has been closed off for decades, so everyone is wondering what it is like,” said Chin. “People are curious to see how different it is from South Korea, what its people, the food, and the way of life are like.”

Air Koryo, the first airline to offer direct scheduled flights between Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang, will be operating this route on Mondays and Thursdays, with the 142-seater TU-204 Next Generation Tupolev aircraft.

Air Koryo’s network also covers Beijing and Shenyang in China, Vladivostok and Moscow in Russia, as well as Bangkok in Thailand.

By Ellen Chen

CHIANG MAI’s travel trade will be launching a Chiang Mai Grand Sale campaign, with different discounts on offer, to boost business during the May to October low season.

Sarawut Saetiao, president of the Chiangmai Tourism Business Association (CTBA), said he hoped the six-month campaign would fill 50 per cent of available hotel rooms, which normally run at about 20 to 30 per cent occupancy during the period.

The campaign will kick off with the third Chiang Mai Golf Festival from May 1 to June 30. An 800-baht (US$27) daily green fee will be offered at 14 golf courses in Chiang Mai and nearby Chiang Rai and Lamphun provinces.

Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Chiang Mai office director, Chalermsak Suranant, said the number of participants and revenue generated from the festival are expected to grow by 15 per cent this year, up from 45,000 golfers and more than 120 million baht last year.

The local travel trade is also preparing to stage a food fair in July, a spa festival in August and two other events in September and October.

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai is set to participate in TAT’s nationwide Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2011 from June 15 to August 15. During this period, tourist attractions, shopping malls, shops, spas, hotels and restaurants in seven participating cities – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Samui, Phuket, and Had Yai – will be offering discounts from 10 to 80 per cent.

By Sirima Eamtako

CARLSON has inked four new hotel management deals in China, bringing the group’s portfolio there to 25 hotels. Ten are in operation and 15 are under development.

Carlson’s president and CEO, Hubert Joly, said: “We see strong growth potential in China. Today’s four hotel signings are well aligned with Carlson’s Ambition 2015 plan to have more than 1,500 hotels in operation globally by 2015.”

The 300-room The Radisson Blu Resort Baoting, Carlson’s third property in Hainan, will be developed within the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Park. It will open its doors in the third quarter of 2013.

The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hangzhou Xiaoshan will be in the newly established Xiaoshan area of Hangzhou. The hotel, scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2015, will offer 23 suites and 207 rooms, a ballroom and 10 meeting rooms.

The Park Plaza Ordos, with 10 suites and 240 rooms, will be built at the Yixing International Commercial and Trade City in Dongshen district. The hotel, part of a mixed-use development comprising high-end residences, offices, commercial facilities, a golf course and an entertainment complex, is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2014.

The Park Plaza Shenyang Hunnan will be in Shenyang’s central business district, near the Shenyang exhibition center and sports stadium. The property, a mixed-use development comprising the hotel, a cinema and a gaming centre, will feature 18 suites, 344 rooms and 24 meeting rooms. It will be ready by the second quarter of 2013.