Budget Tour Packages: December 2010

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Arno Nicolussi Moretto joins Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara as AGM

Arno Nicolussi Moretto has been appointed as Area General Manager of Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara.

With extensive knowledge of the Middle East, Arno joins Anantara?s flagship property in the region as General Manager and is tasked with driving strategic growth and the continued success of the property in its second year. He takes over from Didier Tourneboeuf who recently announced his retirement.

Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara is located in the renowned Empty Quarter ? a vast expanse of towering sand dunes stretching from the southern reaches of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia across into Oman and the UAE ? the hotel?s design reflects the simple grandeur of an old desert fortress.

Arno?s role will also include Area Manager responsibilities for Anantara?s sister property in the UAE, the Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, located on Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

As a graduate of the Hotel College Schloss Klessheim, Arno, an Austrian, spent a number of years working with InterContinental Hotels Group across the globe, including Dubai, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and finally Malaysia where he held the position of Regional Director of Food and Beverage.

Arno came to Dubai as Executive Assistant Manager of the opening team for the Jumeirah Beach Hotel before his career path saw him move on to manage properties for the luxury Swissotel group in Egypt and China and The Ritz in Taiwan.

Having firmly established himself as an expert in luxury hotel and resort openings, Arno returned to InterContinental Hotels Group as General Manager for the Olympic City InterContinental and then the Shanghai InterContinental.

?I am delighted to welcome Arno to the Anantara team. Given his breadth of experience, successful track record spanning almost 25 years, combined with his solid understanding of the region?s hospitality business, Arno is the ideal General Manager to drive Anantara?s continued growth in the UAE,? said Peter Carmichael, Senior VP of Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas.

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Visitor Arrivals to Asia Pacific in July 2010

According to preliminary data from PATA, international visitor arrivals to Asia Pacific in July 2010 grew 15% year-on-year. For the first seven months of 2010, international visitor arrivals to the region grew by 12% year-on-year.

Arrivals to the Northeast Asia sub-region (excluding Mongolia) expanded by 15% for the month, slightly slower than the robust growth of 19% seen in May and June. Japan led the way for the sub-region, with arrivals growth of 39% for the month.

The revival of inbound tourism to Japan has been impressive, following a year-to-date expansion of 36% for the first seven months of the year. This robust growth has helped the destination to inch closer to the pre-recession level of 2008, and Japan could come very close to equalling the year-to-date peak in either August or September of this year.

Strong demand growth was also seen for Hong Kong SAR (+32%), Korea ROK (+24%), Chinese Taipei (+23%), and Macau SAR (+23%). China saw its overall arrivals, including traffic from Hong Kong and Macau , grow by 7% in July, with foreign arrivals growing much more strongly at 19%. Overall, international visitor arrivals to Northeast Asia recorded a growth of 12% for the first seven months of 2010.

Growth in international arrivals to Southeast Asia (excluding Laos and the Philippines) also remained strong at 15% in July, boosted by double-digit growth in arrivals to Vietnam (+51%), Singapore (+24%), Thailand (+14%) and Indonesia (+11%). Significantly for Thailand , this was the first month of positive growth in arrivals for three consecutive months and heralds a positive scenario as it heads into the traditionally ?high? season. The smaller destinations of Myanmar (+40%) and Cambodia (+22%) also recorded significant growth in July. For the first seven months of the year, arrivals to the Southeast Asia bloc increased by 13% year-on-year.

Arrivals to the destinations that make up South Asia (excluding Bhutan and Pakistan) grew by 11% for the month of July, comparatively slower than the average 15% growth seen in the first six months of the year but strong nevertheless. International arrivals to India grew only slowly at four per cent, however, arrivals to Sri Lanka , the Maldives and Nepal continued to record impressive growth rates of 50%, 29% and 26% respectively. During the January-to-July 2010 period, international visitor arrivals to the sub-region rose by 14%.

In the Pacific (excluding Fiji, Niue, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), international arrivals continued to gain momentum after suffering through the ash cloud related slumps of April. Following a strong 10% expansion in June, arrivals to the sub-region posted double-digit growth of 10% in July. Australia , with 11% growth for the month, led the sub-region?s strong performance. While weak economic sentiment continues to negatively impact travel from Europe and the Americas to Australia , arrivals from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia picked up strongly. Growth in arrivals to New Zealand was moderate at 4% while most of the smaller destinations showed positive growth in July. Overall, the sub-region recorded an average growth rate of 5% for the first seven months of the year.

Regions Include (unless noted otherwise)

Northeast Asia = China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Korea (ROK), Macau SAR and Mongolia
Southeast Asia = Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
South Asia = Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
The Pacific = Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

Some areas are excluded from the statistics as no data was available at time of reporting.

See also: Singapore Visitor Arrivals in July 2010 and Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals in July 2010

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Pegasus Solutions Signs Advertising Deal with Amadeus

Pegasus Solutions has extended its marketing capabilities to include travel agency advertising through a new agreement with Amadeus.

As a result, Pegasus reservations services customers and those using the company?s representation services, including Utell Hotels & Resorts and Utell Connect, will gain access to advertising on the Amadeus Media Platform.

Advertising through global distribution systems allows hotels to generate incremental revenue and increase market share by raising brand and promotion awareness at the point of travel agent purchase. Through the Amadeus system, Pegasus and Utell customers will have the opportunity to reach 90,000 travel agency points of sale in more than 190 countries worldwide.

?Our primary objective for hotel customers is to help them generate bookings ? whether by ensuring they are visible on the distribution systems as reservation services customers, or by promoting them to travel agents and consortia as Utell customers,? said Ric Leutwyler, chief operating officer of Pegasus Solutions and president of Utell Hotels & Resorts. ?Our new agreement with Amadeus represents yet another opportunity for these hotels to effectively reach agents as part of their comprehensive distribution and marketing campaigns through established and proven Pegasus and Utell relationships.?

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ONYX Hospitality Acquires Shama

ONYX Hospitality, a Thailand-based hotel management company, has acquired Shama, one of Asia?s leading, luxury, boutique serviced apartment providers.

The acquisition illustrates the commitment from ONYX to stretch its operations beyond the Thai domestic market and swell its capabilities into the serviced apartment sector - a sector experiencing rapid growth in Asia.

Shama is a strong brand concentrated solely in the serviced apartment market. Founded in 1996 the company now operates 13 properties across prime commercial and residential districts in gateway cities in Greater China and Thailand.

Shama will continue to trade under its brand name following the acquisition, and will become a brand offering within the ONYX portfolio which includes; hotels and resorts brand, Amari; its new select service, Ozo; and the luxury property portfolio, Saffron.

Peter Henley, Chief Executive Officer, ONYX, commented on the acquisition, ?This marks the further development and expansion of the ONYX brand following ONYX?s growth in India which was our first step in expansion. This acquisition also marks the strengthening of our ability to operate across markets, across sectors and across the quality spectrum from value-orientated products through mid-scale and luxury hospitality offerings. ONYX will also add to its serviced apartment capabilities with this acquisition.?

Elaine Young, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Shama, added, ?Shama is a lifestyle provider that epitomises lifestyle, comfort and luxurious design. It is a high performing brand that we believe will fit perfectly into and compliment the ONYX brand portfolio. Shama?s current operations will continue unchanged post acquisition and our commitment to expanding in the Greater China Region remains, along with tailoring our offering to meet market needs. I will continue to be heavily involved in developing Shama but will also be responsible for developing and operating all ONYX brands in North Asia, including Amari, Ozo and Saffron, as well as becoming a member of the ONYX senior management committee.?

?The requirement for quality serviced apartments has never been greater, especially in second tier Chinese cities such as Chengdu, Dalian, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Tianjin which are showing the most growth potential. As a brand we will continue to lead the luxury boutique serviced apartment market in Greater China and we look forward to only strengthening our position under ONYX,? Young concluded.

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Hertz New Zealand Adds Hybrid Toyota Camry Sedans to Fleet

Hertz New Zealand is to introduce hybrid-powered Toyota Camry sedans from 25 October 2010 at key corporate rental locations in Auckland and Wellington.

The new Camrys continue a commitment by Hertz to maximise environment-friendly practices in New Zealand. They also address increasing demand from Hertz corporate customers, who are seeking ways to reduce both the cost of travel and the impact on the environment.

?The new hybrid Toyota Camry meets both of these requirements, consuming substantially less fuel and creating much lower emissions than comparable conventionally-powered vehicles,? said Greg King, Hertz Regional Manager Operations New Zealand. ?We have very strong green credentials in New Zealand and last year achieved an Enviro Bronze rating from Qualmark New Zealand in recognition of our commitment to green practices... Many of our corporate customers also give preference to green products or business partners who act to minimise their impact on the environment, and our addition of the hybrid Camry addresses this increasing trend in business.?

The hybrid Camry is alternately powered by a 2.4 litre, four cylinder petrol engine and a powerful electric motor, which is activated when the vehicle decelerates or is stationary, minimising fuel burn and exhaust emissions.

Typical fuel consumption is estimated in the low 6 litre range for every 100 kilometres driven in the hybrid Camry ? approximately 30% less than similar-size vehicles powered by conventional petrol engines.

The hybrid Camry also complies with the strict Euro 4 emission standard, while Land Transport New Zealand has rated the car 5 out of 6 for fuel economy. Typical CO2 emissions are just 142 grams per kilometre driven. Even the air conditioner in the hybrid Camry has an ?ECO? mode.

But green attributes are not the only favourable features of the new Camry. Its spacious cabin seats five passengers comfortably, while offering a 6-disc in-dash CD and MP3 player, enabling the driver or passengers to enjoy their own music while renting from Hertz.

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Preferred's Tokyo Hotels launch Haneda Promotions

With the highly anticipated opening of Haneda Airport's new international terminal in late October, Preferred Hotel Group's seven hotels in Tokyo are commemorating the occasion by offering special deals.

The convenience of the new terminal will significantly reduce travel time to most parts of Tokyo, and six of the Preferred Hotel Group properties will be reachable in less than 30 minutes by car. Furthermore, all hotels are conveniently serviced by the airport limousine from Haneda Airport.

Within walking distance to four subway stations for easy access to key commercial areas, Hotel New Otani is 17 km from Haneda Airport. The hotel is offering 10% off the best available rate, including early check-in and late check-out. Valid from 2 October 2010 through 31 March 2011.

Opening on 22 October 2010, The Capitol Hotel Tokyu is located in the downtown Tokyo district of Akasaka and is just 15 km from Haneda Airport. The hotel is offering rates starting at JPY 35,000 / US$428 per night, including late check-out until 4 p.m. Valid from 1 November 2010 through 28 February 2011.

Overlooking Tokyo Bay on Daiba Island, Grand Pacific Le Daiba is 7 km from Haneda Airport. Rates start at JPY 16,000 / US$195, including breakfast and late check-out until 9 p.m., for a minimum three-night stay. Valid from 21 October 2010 through 28 February 2011.

Located in the vibrant Shinjuku shopping and entertainment district, Keio Plaza Hotel is 35 km from Haneda Airport. The hotel is offering 25% off the best available rate, including breakfast and shopping coupons, with a minimum four-night stay. Valid from 1 November 2010 through 13 March 2011.

Located near Marunouchi and Otemachi business districts, Royal Park Hotel is 19 km from Haneda Airport. Rates start at JPY 23,000 / US$281, including Internet access, for a minimum three-night stay. Valid from 1 November 2010 through 30 April 2011.

Overlooking Yokohama Bay Bridge and Mount Fuji, Yokohama Royal Park is located 18 km from Haneda Airport. Rates start at JPY 14,400 / US$176, including service charges and taxes, with a minimum three-night stay. Valid from 31 October 2010 through 31 March 2011.

Located in the Shiodome business district, Royal Park Shiodome is 16 km from Haneda Airport. The hotel is offering a complimentary breakfast voucher when you book at the best available rate and present an international boarding pass for Haneda Airport upon check-in. Valid from 1 November 2010 through 31 January 2011.

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Eleven Female Travel Industry Professionals in Asia Chosen for Scholarship

Eleven women have been offered full scholarships to pursue the Postgraduate Diploma of Business Administration from U21Global, one of the world?s premier online graduate schools.

The eleven are recipients of the MasterCard-U21Global scholarship program for women professionals in the travel and tourism industry.

Indian professionals top the list of recipients, with four women from the country being awarded the scholarship, followed by the Philippines, with three recipients. Other recipients of the scholarship this year come from China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Thailand.

The recipients come from a wide variety of organizations ranging from national tourism councils to hotels, airlines and travel agencies. The majority of them are in senior to mid-level positions.

Launched in 2006, the U21Global Postgraduate Diploma of Business Administration aims to empower women executives through the development of their skills in the management and marketing fields of the travel and hospitality industry. The program consists of core management subjects such as Organizational Behavior, Finance, Marketing Management and Strategic Management, valuable knowledge they can apply within their respective professional fields.

One winner, Sherry Padda, Assistant Front Office Manager in Taj President, Mumbai, said ?The course will help me to adopt a global perspective in dealing with key issues, an added advantage considering my company?s global expansion. I believe the program will be an excellent complement to my existing qualifications. I look forward to using this platform to share my learning and experiences as well.?

Jennifer Rosal Jayme, Reservations Supervisor at Lagen Island Resort in the Philippines added, ?Being awarded the MasterCard Worldwide - U21Global Scholarship is truly a privilege and a blessing. I expect to learn more about the tourism industry on a global level through interaction with my fellow professionals around the world. The unique way of learning at my own pace is even more exciting, and the benefits of learning are limitless as I will not be the only one gaining from the experience, but my company as well, because the knowledge will be cascaded to my co-employees.?

The curriculum was designed by U21Global in collaboration with Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, a component of the University of Nottingham. Graduates of the diploma can qualify for their Masters of Science in Tourism and Travel Management at the University, renowned for its quality graduate online education for working executives and professionals.

Nick Hutton, CEO of U21Global said, ?I am very encouraged to see the impressive array of applicants who displayed great enthusiasm to further their education this year. This is the fifth year of our collaboration with MasterCard Worldwide and it has been an exceptional success - bringing our unique brand of online higher education to the regions and enabling these individuals to prepare themselves for the future. The ongoing interest in the program is in line with the growth of the travel and tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region - I wish all the scholarship winners a successful and stimulating experience on the program.?

Some eighty women have been awarded the MasterCard-U21 Global scholarship in the last four years. This year?s scholarship recipients will begin their first class in October.

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Abacus Showcases Travel Solutions and Services @ Conference in Vietnam

Abacus unveiled its Next Generation Point-of-Sale (POS) at the 7th Abacus International Conference in Vietnam.

The new desktop workspace operates on a fast, future-ready open platform that offers greater dependability and flexibility to simplify complex operations and allow for faster start-up times. Its new features will both significantly optimise agents? workflow and increase productivity during reservation and ticketing.

?The enhanced release has the added capability to shop by fares, flight or total price both in a graphical or emulator mode. In addition, the individualised scripting tool ensures consistent and error-free input, allowing increased agent productivity and improved business efficiencies. Managing customer needs and expectations will become easier with a feature-rich profile system,? said Vice President of Marketing Abacus International, Brett Henry.

Around 500 participants from Asia?s most influential travel organisations attended the three-day conference in Ho Chi Minh City where they were able to view Abacus? mobile, productivity tools and online solutions such as Abacus WebStart for mobile, Abacus Mobile, Abacus VirtuallyThere and TripCase.

?With the increase in mobile usage for travel, we are pleased to offer a range of solutions to travel agents that are more convenient, innovative, reliable and efficient, ahead of the innovation curve to improve the way the travel industry works,? Mr. Henry added.

Abacus WebStart's Internet booking engine is another solution that helps Abacus? customers to capture new revenue opportunities online.

?As the travel industry continues to move at an accelerated pace, agencies will need to proactively retool their businesses to gain a competitive edge in the market. Abacus solutions will provide them with a good head start,? said Mr. Henry.

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Jeju Air to launch Seoul - Hong Kong Flights

Korea?s Jeju Air is to launch flights between Seoul and Hong Kong on 27 October 2010.

To celebrate the launch, the low cost airline is offering an inaugural round-trip fare from HK$900++ (exclusive of tax and fuel surcharges).

Jeju Air will fly between Hong Kong and Incheon 3 days weekly, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, deploying a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with 160 economy class seats.

Flight 7C2110 departs Hong Kong at 13:55 and arrives at Seoul at 18:15; the return flight 7C2109 departs Seoul at 10:05 and returns Hong Kong at 12:55.

Jeju Air is an airline based in Jeju City, Jeju-do, South Korea. In 2005, Jeju Air was established as a joint venture between Aekyung Group and the Jeju Special Self Governing Province.

Its domestic connections consist of the Gimpo-Jeju and Busan-Jeju routes. Internationally, it also flies from Incheon to Nagoya, Osaka and Kitakyushu in Japan, as well as Bangkok in Thailand.

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Latest HD Videos

The HD videos ASIA Travel Tips.com features includes interviews with leading personalities within the travel industry, press conferences, events, travel trade show coverage, traveller's insights into destinations, visual guides to run along with reviews and other articles, stock footage, and of course, a few just for the sheer fun of it. Most of the videos will be serious, others less so, but we hope that the majority will be of use and/or interest to at least a few people.

All the videos are shot using High Definition (HD) 1920 x 1080 (or greater) video recorders and many of the HD videos are also contained within articles featured here on ASIA Travel Tips.com

Tips on how best to watch the videos are at the bottom of the page. There are many more videos on Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9 and Page 10. We also have HD Videos from the ATF 2010, HD Videos from the Singapore Airshow 2010, HD Videos from the Hua Hun Kiteboarding World Cup 2010, HD Videos from Hua Hin in August 2010, HD Videos from the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2010 and HD Videos from the 2010 Bintan Triathlon with much more on its way.

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Executive Loft at the Studio M Hotel in Singapore.

Social Media and Utell / Pegasus Solutions COO Interview - HD.

Qatar Tourism Authority - Interview with Soha Moussa - HD.

Interview with Pieter Idenburg CEO of Suntec International - HD.

Pegasus Solutions / Utell COO Interview Ric Leutwyler - HD.

Pop! Hotels If you have never heard of this new Indonesia-based budget hotel brand, then make a note of it, as it is going to get big, very big. Pop! Hotels is the brain child of Mr. Marc Steinmeyer and is one of three hotel brand under the Tauzia Hotel Management Umbrella.

Interview with Pieter Idenburg - CEO of Suntec Singapore.

Interview with Gillian Taylor, Business Events Manager - Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

Interview with Mr. Lee Tabler, CEO of Abu Dhabi's TDIC.

Interview with Mr. Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and Chairman of Six Senses Resorts & Spas.

Interview with Dennis Pinto, MD of Micato Safaris.

A Fairmont Room at the Fairmont Singapore. This room on the 25th floor is one of what the hotel classifies as "renovated". All the rooms from the 18th floor and above are renovated.

Dr. Martin Buck of Messe Berlin shares some stats from ITB Asia 2010

Sharjah Press Conference @ ITB Asia 2010.

Scent and Sound Technology - Interview with Mr. Simon Faure-Field, CEO of Singapore-based Equal Strategy.

Horizon Premier Garden View Room @ Marina Bay Sands.

Interview with Ms. Esther Wai General Manager of Studio M Hotel in Singapore.

Interview with Mr. Craig Thomas, Manager of Etihad Airways - Thailand and the Mekong Region. The video has been cut into two parts with the first part at the top.

Madame Bangkok Tussauds will open in Bangkok soon. Listen to what the General Manager, Mr. Paul Williams, has to say about the Madame Tussauds Bangkok.

One of Thailand's best kept villa secrets. Just four, exclusive villas yards away from the first tee at the Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin. Interview with Mr. Stacey Walton, General Manager.

Thailand's best kept golf villa secret. With just four stunning villas at the Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand, exclusivity is guaranteed. Imagine sleeping in the utmost luxury, the first tee just yards away...

Plus: There are many more videos on Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9 and Page 10. We also have HD Videos from the ATF 2010, HD Videos from the Singapore Airshow 2010, HD Videos from the Hua Hun Kiteboarding World Cup 2010, HD Videos from Hua Hin in August 2010, HD Videos from the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2010 and HD Videos from the 2010 Bintan Triathlon with much more on its way.

To watch the video, simply click play. If you are not on a fast connection, we suggest you click play, then pause immediately after, so that the video can be downloading as you do other things. Then, once complete (the red bar is all the way across), simply return to this page (without closing the browser window) and watch the video smoothly. If you prefer to watch the video in HD just click the HD button.

If you have any requests for videos on a particular topic, then please do let us know and we will be happy to consider it. To do this, simply send us an email: Contact Us.

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