Northstar

TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA O F F I C I A L D A I L I E S www.travelweekly-asia.com 20 26 October 2017 along the 17-kilometre beachfront facing the South China Seaare "We are working with local tourism drivers like Tourism Malaysia and MyCeb to promote Desaru Coast in Malaysia, regionally and globally," said Muhammad Zainal Ashikin, executive director & chief executive officer, Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn Bhd. Poised to position Malaysia as an international leisure and business destination hub, the integrated development boasts of hospitality brands including The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas and Aman Resort & Villas. Adding to the resort's hospitality offerings are Desaru Coast Riverside, a 23-acre retail development, as well as Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, one of the world's largest. The development will also host the Desaru Coast Conference Centre, a fully equipped multi-purpose venue with a banquet area and exhibition DESARU COAST GEARS UP FOR OPENING P lans to promote Desaru Coasta 3,900-acre integrated developme nt JNTO TARGETS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS Following a successful partnership with ITB Asia last year, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is returning with a stronger presence at ITB Asia 2017. It will have 12 co-exhibitors at its pavilion, including convention bureaus from Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Sapporo, who are coming to ITB Asia for the first time. This reflects Japan's goal of boosting MICE arrivals to the country. "There is a fair share of regions represented in our Japan Booth this year, of which all have great potential, with new convention centres as well as new hotels to accommodate the rising demand," said Susan Maria Ong, MICE Director Asia Pacific, JNTO. "We want to maintain Japan's position as the top country in Asia Pacific for hosted association meetings. According to International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) statistics, Japan led the region with 410 meetings held in 2016. Japan welcomed a record 24 million tourists in 2016, and is set to exceed that number this year. The country is targeting 40 million visitor arrivals by 2020, when it will host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Tourico Holidays is making headway in Asian markets such as India and China, and plans to extend its supply network in markets such as Thailand. The wholesale travel brokerage company has seen a 97% increase in hotel bookings in India compared to the same period last year, fuelled by travellers from the European Union and Asia Pacific making 109% and 53% more bookings respectively. Madhuri Khanna, regional director of product development, Southeast Asia, Tourico Holidays TOURICO HOLIDAYS THRIVES IN ASIA "A relaxed e-visa regime and an emphasis on bolstering tourism has India primed to become a major global destination," said Madhuri Khanna, regional director of product development, Southeast Asia, Tourico Holidays. Another key growth area was the active outbound market Chinese market, where confirmed gross revenue leapt by 121% between reservation years 2016 and 2017, added Khanna. She also shared that the company has set its sights on expanding in Thailand, with plans to "increase the total inventory of hotels and contract more ExclusiveDeals (or pre-buys)". Tourico Holidays, having officially joined Hotelbeds Group in June, will be progressively integrated with GTA, the group's latest addition, to enable sharing across their complete range of services, products and technology solutions. Muhammad Zainal Ashikin, executive director & chief executive officer, Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn Bhd. PHOT0 CREDIT TORICO HOLIDAYS DOT to continue with 'clustering' strategy The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Philippines will continue adopting a cluster approach to its destination development strategy. Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. said the agency's development strategy calls for "the implementation of complementing programmes involving transport networks, infrastructure projects, accommodation and recreational facilities, human resource development, and marketing plans, all directed to support the development of tourism destinations in the country." He said clustering involves linking several Tourism Development Areas (TDAs) into a logical grouping of transport networks, natural and cultural tourism sites, as well as urban service centres that provide facilities and amenities, all serviced by at least a primary gateway. Under its six-year National Tourism Development Program (NTDP), DOT said the industry will need investments in infrastructure and facilities of almost US$60 billion. Bengzon said that while the government pursues its airport development programme, it is equally important to fast-track tourism economic zone projects such as planned integrated resort complexes, heritage and cultural theme parks, and ecotourism destinations to provide "a more diverse tourism experience." Susan Ong, MICE director, JNTO NEWS BY BING J JALECO, CATHARINE NICOL, NAOMI NEOH AND BROOE THIO Chinese arrivals keep it high season in Thailand Phuket and Koh Samui welcomes Chinese visitors who are filling in the gaps between high seasons, with some hoteliers reporting there are no low seasons any more. C otelworks,a hospitality consultancy based in Phuket, reports that the destination's top five source markets are ong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Mainland China and the nited Kingdom. It remains a popular wedding destination with these markets. The average cost of a wedding is close to US$15,000 (500,000 Thai Baht). In Chiang Mai, the surge in Chinese visitors is due to the media exposure by the movie "Lost in Thailand" and in part to increasing access to low-cost carriers, with over 5,000 flights from Greater China in 2016. Total arrival numbers tallied at 4.6 million. Swapping the beach for culture, visitors are appreciating the mix of art, new boutique hotels and restaurants and authentic Millennial- friendly experiences. Koh Samui's S2.8-million (1-billion baht) airport upgrade should start this year to help receive the increase in flights (30% last year). Hotel openings such as the The it-Carlton Koh Samui, ust opened October 3, will provide the inventory to meet demand. space for up to 1,000. ramping up ahead of its anticipated opening in stages from end June 2018 onwards. The resort's The Els Club Desaru Coast was the development's first opening when its 18-hole Valley Course officially opened for play March this year while its 27-hole Ocean Course was launched in September 2016.

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