PLANS to relocate watersports operators at Penang’s Batu Ferringhi are being hailed as a good move by at least one hotel along the beach, which has long put up with guest complaints about these vendors.

A spokesperson from Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa said the Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang Chapter had been calling for the state government to regulate watersports activities over the last two years, but no action had been taken until Saturday’s incident involving a Chinese tourist who was hit by a water scooter (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 7, 2011).

Malaysia’s The Star reported continued activities along Batu Ferringhi yesterday, despite a temporary ban on watersports.

According to an article published today in another local newspaper New Straits Times, the Penang Island Municipal Council will inform all watersports operators on Friday about relocation plans to safer zones.

Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa’s spokesperson said hotel guests had complained about being harassed by these operators and felt intimidated by their aggressive approach.

“We are worried about the safety of our guests, and having these activities properly regulated and zoned will be good for the tourism industry.”

AIMING to boost connections between Asia and Europe through Doha, Qatar Airways has announced a host of network improvements to be phased in from March, including increasing flights to Kuala Lumpur from 11 a week to twice daily from March 27.

Focusing on Europe for its recent expansion, Qatar launched flights to Brussels, Bucharest and Budapest last month, and will start services to Stuttgart on March 6.

Capacity increases on the continent have also been earmarked: the double-daily Paris route will rise to 16 weekly services from March 27; Geneva capacity will increase to daily following the introduction of two weekly flights from May 2; and the Copenhagen route will go daily with an extra flight a week from March 27.

Two other destinations will also be served more from March 27, with Oman’s Muscat receiving 24 flights a week, up from 21, and Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam receiving 14 flights a week, up from 12.

In addition to these frequency increases, the carrier is deploying new capacity on existing routes. Daily services from to Bengaluru and Barcelona will be upgraded from a narrow-body Airbus A320 aircraft to a wide-body A330 from March 1 and March 27 respectively.

DESPITE recent clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border around the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Preah Vihear Temple, tour operators have not received any cancellations for bookings to both destinations.

Exotissimo Travel Group COO, Hamish Keith, said there were no cancellations, but the many enquiries on the situation prompted the company to issue a statement yesterday.

“The disputed area is an isolated border region, far from any of Thailand’s or Cambodia’s main attractions, and is not an area visited by tourists on either side of the border,” said the statement.

“Exotissimo Travel only operates a one-day excursion to the Preah Vihear Temple. We have no clients in the area or scheduled on the tour, and will not be selling this excursion until further notice.”

Destination Asia (Thailand) managing director Pornthip Hirunkate said bookings remained intact, and February continued to be one of the traditional high-season months for both destinations. Travellers fly directly into Siem Reap, which is located far from the tension area, she said.

Ho Vandy, managing director of Phnom Penh-based World Express Tours and Travel, also noted that the company received no cancellations.

By Sirima Eamtako

AIR MAURITIUS plans to use Malaysia as its hub of operations for future expansion plans in North Asia and South-east Asia, with its newest service being a Mauritius-Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai route that will commence on July 1.

The once-weekly flight uses the Airbus A330-200, which has 24 business-class seats and 251 economy-class seats.

Air Mauritius currently operates twice-weekly services to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and thrice-weekly services to Hong Kong. Shanghai will be Air Mauritius’ fourth destination in Asia.

Air Mauritius regional manager, North-east & South-east Asia, Shiri Prakash Rai, said: “The third frequency to Kuala Lumpur and onward to Shanghai will provide more flexibility to the Malaysian market and is in line with our strategy of growing our frequencies to a daily for Asia.”

Singapore will remain as the airline’s regional office for North Asia and South-east Asia.

– Read more in TTG Asia, February 11

THE FORMER National Business Travel Association (NBTA) rolled out last Thursday its new name and logo, even as it announced impending changes to its member privileges.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) said it would expand its global footprint of networking and educational events, offer free worldwide registration for all GBTA webinars, and provide access to new and improved industry research and resources, among other tweaks.

In addition, it will help members to find the expert they need on any topic, in any global region. This will be coupled with a new website which will allow members to find resources more easily and enable greater collaboration.

Michael McCormick, executive director and COO, said: “Following the initial announcement of our evolution to GBTA last August, we conducted a global membership survey to gain a clear understanding of our members’ needs and expectations. After analysing the feedback, we have reshaped, refined and expanded our organisation’s benefits to best fit our members.”

THE MYANMAR travel trade is gearing up to promote the country at ITB Berlin next month with several first-time participants, in the hope of attracting more European visitors after experiencing positive growth in 2010.

According to the Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC), the Myanmar booth at ITB Berlin will see 18 representatives from tour companies, hotels and airlines, including new faces such as Unique Asia executive director Lynn Zaw who will be looking out for new business contacts.

Air Mandalay business development manager Edwin Briels said the show was also an ideal platform for the airline to update international tour operators about travel possibilities to Myanmar.

Briels said: “2010 saw a steep increase of foreign tourists, and I think this uptrend will continue in 2011.”

Directorate of Hotels and Tourism director-general Htay Aung said the country also planned to attend ITB Asia in Singapore this October.

HANOI-based Luxury Travel Vietnam is strengthening marketing activities to draw more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) travellers, and will be promoting the country as an emerging destination for this market at ITB Berlin next month.

The tour operator launched initiatives to woo the affluent gay and lesbian market last year (TTG Asia, September 3-9, 2010).

Sales and marketing manager David Nguyen said: “Thailand is a well-established destination for LGBT travellers…(but) quietly, Vietnam has become a popular niche market for gay tourists.”

Asian Trails Vietnam managing director Bui Viet Thuy Tien said LGBT visitor numbers had been increasing in South-east Asia, though there was a common misperception that the market looked for specific products.

As DINKs (double income, no kids), many LGBT travellers would fit comfortably in the upmarket segment where privacy was as important as luxury and pampering in a holiday, she said.

ICS Travel Vietnam country manager Marc de Swart, however, was unsure if locals were ready for such tourists. He said being gay might be accepted in Thailand and in southern Vietnam, but this was still frowned upon in central and northern Vietnam.

By Luat Tran

JAPANESE hotel group, Okura Hotels & Resorts, is making its debut in the kingdom with a newly-created five-star Okura Prestige brand.

Working with Thailand’s TCC Hotels Group, the latter is investing three billion baht (US$97.43 million) to develop the 242-room Okura Prestige Bangkok, which will be situated on the 23rd through 34th floors of the mix-used Park Ventures – The Ecoplex on Wireless Road. Its 22-storey office space is slated to open in September while the hotel will welcome guests in March 2012.

Hotel Okura president Toshihiro Ogita said the hotel would be the launch property of the new Okura Prestige collection, which would be positioned amid luxury international five-star hotel brands. The aim is for 20 hotels worldwide within five years.

Hotel Okura now manages and operates 23 Okura hotels globally, including three under development in Macau, Taipei and Bangkok. Together with its affiliated JAL Hotels, it has a portfolio of more than 80 properties.

TCC vice president for local hotels – international brand Georges Baurin said Okura Prestige Bangkok would join the group’s stable of new projects, including a Hilton hotel and a Doubletree by Hilton in Bangkok as well as a Starwood Luxury Collection resort in Koh Samui.

By Sirima Eamtako

INBOUND tour operators are calling for watersports certification in the wake of an accident on Saturday which saw a Chinese tourist being rammed by a water scooter while walking along Penang’s Batu Ferringhi beach.

Responding to the case, the state government immediately ordered a temporary ban on watersports activities on Batu Ferringhi.

Malaysian Tourism Minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen, has also urged the Penang state government to come up with regulations involving safety procedures, zones for watersports activities and insurance claims.

She said seven beach accidents had been recorded in Penang over the last three months with three people sustaining serious injuries.

DiscoveryMICE CEO/president Lee Choon Loong said: “A temporary ban on watersports activities in Penang is not an effective solution because it does not address the core issue of safety. Certification will ensure that all operators know how to handle the equipment professionally.”

Anthony Wong, group managing director, Asian Overland Services Tourism & Hospitality Group, added that the government should introduce certification nationwide.

“Those who are not certified should be banned from operating and working in watersports centres,” he said.

FACING possible elimination of Komodo National Park from the New7Wonders of Nature nomination (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 1, 2011), Indonesia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik claimed the problem arose because Indonesia declined to host the official declaration ceremony.

He said: “When the foundation offered Indonesia to be host, we were interested, but then the requirement was tough. We had to pay US$10 million as soon as we said ‘yes’, and to organise the event we would need to pay another US$35 million.

“It was hard when we weighed the amount of money we needed to host the event even though Komodo might or might not be a winner.”

Meanwhile, New7Wonders said in a media announcement that it contracted with the private sector, not the government.

New7Wonders spokesman Eamonn Fitzgerald said: “The fact remains that there is a legally-binding contract between New7Wonders and a private consortium in Indonesia, and this contract is not being honoured. Unless the contract is honoured or another group takes over the contractual obligations, or the government and private sector decide to work together to resolve this, then New7Wonders cannot operate legally safely in Indonesia, and is forced to withdraw all its activities.”