Malaysia Hotel News

Free hotel internet the priority for business travellers

2011-12-15T11:55:00.000+08:00

Free hotel internet the priority for business travellers

The majority of hoteliers believe business travellers to their hotels value free Wi-Fi or internet as the best way to enhance their visit, while 60 per cent think a 24-hour security or reception is what their business guests value the most.

The Choice Hotels survey found 90 per cent of hoteliers think free Wi-Fi is the most important amenity for business travellers

The results are revealed in a new survey by Choice Hotels Europe of just under 100 hotel owners, operators and general managers in the UK and across Europe.

Free internet or Wi-Fi

Choice Hotels brand properties have offered business travellers free internet access since 2009 and we’ve known for a while how valued traveller security is to travel managers,” said Duncan Berry, chief executive of Choice Hotels Europe.

The hoteliers who took part in the survey were asked to choose which of eight hotel amenities were the most important to their business guests and 90 per cent chose free internet.

Flexible check-in

The findings revealed that around half (49 per cent) thought flexible check-in or check-out times are the most valued service by corporate guests, meanwhile an on-site restaurant was seen as the most important amenity for business travellers by 37 per cent of the hoteliers.

However, an airport transfer service (18 per cent) or a fitness centre (12 per cent) were seen of less importance by the respondents to the survey.

Earlier this month Best Western hotels revealed bookings made by corporate guests to their hotels had risen 16 per cent in the last six months . The rise was attributed to initiatives such as free Wi-Fi but also a more personal service for business travellers.

The Choice Hotels survey invited hoteliers from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic to respond.

Banyan Tree Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

2011-10-19T06:50:00.001+08:00

Pavilion presents

Banyan Tree - Signatures -

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Hotel ~ Spa ~ Private Residences

Banyan Tree Signatures Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Exclusive Preview by Appointment Only

Tel No 1800 22 8088

www.banyantreeatpavilion.com

The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is slated to open in 2015 as part of the Pavilion project on Jalan Conlay near Bukit Bintang.

Kuala Lumpur: The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts will be the latest luxury hotel brand that will have a presence in Malaysia.

Slated for opening in 2015, Banyan Tree will be a part of the Pavilion project called Banyan Tree Signatures Kuala Lumpur, located on Jalan Conlay near Bukit Bintang.

Banyan Tree did not respond directly to Business Times queries on its opening. So did Kuala Lumpur Pavilion which did not answer any queries.

Both parties are expected to sign a collaboration agreement on October 18 2011, whereby information about the project will be revealed.

While details remain sketchy, industry players and website searches have confirmed that a single 55-storey block will be built to house private residences, serviced residences and a hotel.

Based on "preliminary information" on the project dated May 2011, there will be 441 units of private residences, 51 units of serviced residences and 50 units of hotel.

The fact sheet on the web, which has not been verified by either party, indicates that some 490 units of residences are for sale at an average price of RM2,000 per sq ft. However, sources say almost all units have been sold.

Industry estimates tag the cost of construction, not including land cost, to be around RM800 million.

Pavilion and Banyan Tree's relationship in the project remains unclear.

Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas in Asia Pacific. The group has ownership in niche resorts and hotels.

Singapore Stock Exchange-listed Banyan Tree Holdings website states that it is now involved in some 30 resorts and hotels, over 60 spas and 80 galleries, as well as three golf courses.

Source : Business Times

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysian hotel owners stall global foray

2011-10-04T10:42:00.000+08:00

The owners and brands which have representation abroad continue to be the same players such as Holiday Villa Hotels & Resort, IGB Corp, Sunway, Berjaya, Genting Group and Impiana.

Kuala Lumpur: Over the past decade, there have been fewer number of new Malaysian hotel owners and operators expanding abroad.

With the exception of Tune Hotels, there are no new names venturing abroad and making a mark in a big way, said the President of the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (Maho) Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.

He noted that the owners and brands which have representation abroad continue to be the same players such as Holiday Villa Hotels & Resort, IGB Corp Bhd, Sunway, Berjaya, Genting Group and Impiana.

For example, Holiday Villa owns/manages some 25 hotels here and abroad, while Sunway has hotels in Cambodia, Vietnam and China.

Meanwhile, Tune Hotels, which now has 10 hotels in Malaysia, Indonesia and the UK, has plans for 72 hotels overseas in the next five years.

Owning a hotel usually needs high capital expenditure but the returns could take even up to 10 years to recover, depending on the average room rate.

Abdul Aziz pointed out that growth can be deterred by the lack of connectivity into a destination.

He said that commercial decisions by airlines to cut destinations was not in the best interest of those who may have plans to expand.

Tune Hotel, he said, is a good example of how an airline plays an important role in a hotel operator's expansion.

Maho's executive director Shaharuddin M Saaid said that other factors which discourage brands from going abroad is the lack of confidence and expertise.

"Brand reputation and acceptance is vital for overseas operation which not many local hotel management companies have," he said, citing the need for a strong networking and customer base when venturing abroad

Shaharuddin feels local players would be more encouraged to move in the foreign realm, should there be an assurance or availability of attractive investment policies, financing facilities, high yield and good return on investment.

And it is rare, although not unheard of, for a player to move and build a brand abroad without first establishing a brand here. But, sometimes, growing in Malaysia too can be challenging.

Source : Business Times
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Furama Bukit Bintang Hotel location a plus point

2011-08-15T06:57:00.000+08:00

FURAMA Bukit Bintang, located close to the heart of Kuala Lumpur city centre, has opened its doors for business with the aim of becoming a strong reputable Asian chain of hotels that offers competitive pricing.

Hotel manager Ng Yee Ming said that Furama Bukit Bintang, the first of the brand in Malaysia, is situated in a very strategic location.

“We are close enough to the city centre but away from the traffic congestion as we are located along Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah behind the Berjaya Times Square area,” he said.

Under the Furama Hotels International (FHI), the hotel’s sister brands are Furama Xpress and Furama Xclusive that will hopefully be opened locally within the next couple of years.

“There are plans to open another two hotels here and this may be Furama’s sister brands. FHI aims at adding more hotels to its portfolio with a target of 60 hotels in five years mainly in China, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand,” Ng said.

He added that FHI has a strong presence in the Asian region with more than 7,000 rooms available under the three different brands.

“The different brands has allowed us to capture a bigger and more diversified market segment as we cater to the different needs of guests. Our corporate philosophy asks our associates to strive for better service, product and growth of our people,” he said.

Ng said that other Furama hotels are located in Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Koh Chang), China (Beijing, Shanghai, Xinhua, Suzhou) and Sydney, Australia that is managed by Holiday Inn.
FHI chief executive officer Jason Peck said that Kuala Lumpur offers an excellent opportunity for them.
“Together with Malaysia’s strong tourism drive, there is a positive platform for growth here with plenty of potential,” he said.

Furama Bukit Bintang is a 27-storey four-star business hotel that features 433 guest rooms such as the Superior, Deluxe, Family Room, Executive Club and Executive Suite.

Its facilities include meeting and conference facilities located at the panoramic top floor and a two-storey function room with a view of the city, all-day restaurant, swimming pool with jacuzzi and gymnasium.

The hotel is about five minutes’ walk away from the Imbi Monorail Station and is in close proximity to major expressways and public transport with easy accessibility to major tourist spots.

For more information, visit www.furama.com or call 03-2788 8888.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Google Launches Hotel Search Tool With Room Price Data

2011-07-29T17:55:00.000+08:00

Google has launched Hotel Finder, an experimental search tool, which enables users to define key lodging preferences in hopes of finding the perfect hotel for their travel needs.

Users input their preferred location, dates, price and rating details, and Hotel Finder delivers its top recommendations, in a list or on a Google Map. For the moment, it’s only available in the U.S.

Here’s how Google aims to improve hotel hunting with this tool:

Finding the perfect location. If you’re not a local, it can be difficult to figure out what area of a city you should stay in. Hotel Finder highlights popular areas on the map results. Google calls this the “tourist spotlight,” and it is used to determine an optimal zone for you to stay in. The shape of this area can be adjusted to focus on a smaller area. This is useful if you’ve got a rough destination in mind, such as along the Hudson River or near Times Square.
Getting a good deal: Users can choose a price range to search within, as well as compare that hotel’s historical pricing data to its current listing price. Clicking on a hotel will bring up the cost of a room per night and how that compares to previous prices. Google calculates what percentage the cost is above or below the normal. Bargain hunters, start your engines.
Comparing hotels: Hotel Finder simplifies comparative shopping. When users click on on a hotel, its full details pop up, including photos, Google Places reviews, pricing and other information. You quickly flip through results by using keyboard shortcuts (“J” and “K”) within the list view — a feature also found in Google Reader and Google News.
Making a shortlist: Users can build a shortlist of hotels they’d like to compare further. These results are marked with a red dot in the Google Maps view, and appear at the top of the page in the list view.

Click on the “Book” button in either view and a list of external options are shown. Clicking on a booking option pulls up that site — such as Priceline or Expedia — in a new tab. (Google isn’t getting into the business of booking hotels itself.)

Take a look at Hotel Finder’s features in the gallery below, test it out and let us what you think about the new tool in the comments below. How does it compare to other hotel-shopping methods?

Source : Mashable
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Helicopter Tour Package New Tourist Attraction In Malaysia

2011-07-27T09:55:00.002+08:00

Tourists can now enjoy scenic bird's eye views of the country from a helicopter tour.

Six travel agencies will be offering the high-end tour service initially under the 1Malaysia Helicopter Tour Packages which were launched by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen at the Skypark Business Aviation Centre, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, here.

"The helicopter tour packages are expected to attract more high-yield tourists, which in turn will increase the tourism industry's contribution to our economy," she told reporters after the launch.

She said tourists would get to view the magnificent architectural wonders, historical landmarks, cities, buildings, villages and plantations in Malaysia from above via the helicopter tours.

"The tours range from 15, 30 to 60 minutes and priced from RM1,250 to RM4,950, with the helicopters able to seat three to six people," she added.

The six travel agencies involved in the tour packages include Shajasa Travels & Tour Sdn Bhd, Elite Luxury Vacations (M) Sdn Bhd, Langkawi Helicopter Xtours and Kota Kinabalu Aerial Tour.

Dr Ng said the helicopter pilot should be a good story-teller to explain and promote the country to tourists.

She said the 1Malaysia Helicopter Tour Packages were part of the ministry's initiative to come up with innovative and creative tourism products to cater to diverse tourists' interests and budgets.

Source : bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia To Attract More High Yield International Business Travellers

2011-07-27T09:54:00.002+08:00

Malaysia wants to attract more high yield international business travellers to the country as they spent three times more than leisure tourists, says Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).

In a media briefing here today, Zulkefli said international business tourism visitors spent an average of RM7,418 per trip in Malaysia compared with RM2,257 for leisure visitors.

International business travellers also spent an average of RM1,268 per day compared with RM337 for other travellers.

MyCEB was established by the Ministry of Tourism in 2009 to further strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand and position for the international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market.

Zulkefli said 1,278,014 international business travellers visited Malaysia in 2010, an increase of two per cent from 2009.

They were estimated to have spent RM10.6 billion in 2010 and the economic impact value of their spending was estimated at RM17.6 billion, he said.

Given that the average length of international conventions is 3.9 days, the length of stay for international business tourism visitors including pre- and post-touring is 5.85 days.

An estimated 46 per cent of international delegates extend their stay for pre and post travel providing benefits to regional communities and that an estimated 25 per cent of all international participants have an accompanying partner or spouse with them.

Last year, Malaysia leapt three notches to 28th position in the latest International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) country rankings and the government is pushing for the country to be one of the top five destinations in the world by 2020.

In 2010, MyCEB supported 28 convention bids representing 38,500 delegates and an economic value of RM438 million. It also assisted 124 meetings and conventions, 16 exhibitions and 49 corporate incentive groups, which contributed an estimated economic impact of RM775 million to the country.

Zulkefli said the latest ICCA rankings reflected growth by Malaysia's association meetings business amidst competition from other countries.

Key developments include the expansion of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre by an additional 10,000 sq metres by end-2013, the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre by 2014 and the proposed development of the MATRADE Centre (93,000 sq metres) by 2014.

Other new infrastructure to support the growing industry include the upcoming Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the integrated urban mass rapid transit system and the construction of a series of pedestrian walkways throughout the capital city as part of the Greater Kuala Lumpur plan.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Street Demos Hamper Tour Programmes

2011-07-11T11:24:00.002+08:00

The two street demonstrations held here yesterday forced tour agencies to cancel or shelve city programmes for visiting foreign tourists for fear of their safety.

Sri Sutra Travel Sdn Bhd said it took precautionary measures to avert any inconvenience for tourists under its charge.

Managing director Datuk Syed Mohd Razif Al-Yahya Syed Yassin said the tourists were confined to activities in the vicinity of their hotels yesterday.

He said the street demonstrations would have given the tourists a bad impression of Malaysia and it would take some time for them to pick Malaysia as their travel destination again.

He also said that wide coverage of the street demonstrations by the international media was also bad publicity for the country.

The Association of Bumiputera Travel and Tour Agents (Bumitra), which has more than 300 members, said the closure of several major roads in the city to thwart the demonstrators had jeopardised several tour activities and affected the income of agents.

Its president, Mohd Ayub Hassan, said the association, in keeping with a directive from the Tourism Ministry, had given preference to the safety of tourists and kept them away from the "sensitive" spots during the demonstration.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen had said a week ago that it would take the ministry six months to restore confidence in foreign tourists regarding their safety when in Malaysia.

She had also said that the uncertainty caused by the bad publicity on the street demonstration would slash tourist arrivals and cost national revenue by as much as RM1 billion.

Source :Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia Expects More Tourist Arrivals From Middle East

2011-07-06T11:33:00.000+08:00

Malaysia expects more tourist arrivals from middle eastern countries despite some of then having problems currently countries, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Though the ministry couldn't set any target on the number of arrivals from those countries, she hoped that it would be more than 320,000 arrivals this year.

She said Malaysia recorded 322,000 arrivals from the middle east last year and they each tourist spent around RM7,400 during their visit.

"The middle east tourists tend to spend more, stay longer and do more shopping compared to other tourists," she told a press conference at the Al-Amar Lebanese Restaurant in the Pavilion here Monday.

Dr Ng said overall, the ministry recorded that RM2.36 billion were spent by Arab tourists last year.

"We hope the market will go up. In fact, the ministry is doing lots of promotional programmes for the middle eastern market through advertisements in CNN, websites and the local Arab televisions.

"Apart from advertisements, the ministry is using its tourism directors in Dubai, Jeddah and Iran to promote Malaysia's tourism products," she said.

Earlier, she launched The Arab Ramadan Festival themed "The Blessings Of Ramadan, 1Malaysia" to be held during Ramadan at i-City in Shah Alam.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Marriott plans 2 more hotels in Malaysia

2011-06-16T16:52:00.002+08:00

Hotel management company Marriott International Inc, which operates the Marriott, Renaissance and Ritz Carlton, is scheduled to open two new hotels in Malaysia by the middle of next year, bringing the total number of hotels here to nine.

These two new openings, one in Johor and another in Sarawak, will see the group increase its room inventory in Malaysia by 400 from about 3,000 now.

Area vice-president for India, Malaysia, Maldives and Australia Rajeev Menon said that it will open a 300-room Renaissance in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya in the second quarter of next year.

The group also targets to open a 101-room Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa by mid-2012. This property, previously the Royal Mulu Resort, is located next to the Mulu National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is now undergoing a complete makeover.

The seven operational hotels in Malaysia now are Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Renaissance Kota Baru in Kelantan, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, Renaissance Melaka Hotel, Miri Marriott Resort & Spa and its franchised property, Putrajaya Marriott Hotel.

Meanwhile, chief operating officer for Asia Pacific Craig S Smith said Malaysia is an important market for the group, especially since intra-Asian travel is big.

As more of its hotels open in India, China and the Middle East, more guests are familiar with the brand. Thus, loyalty helps to fill up hotel rooms in other countries too.

He added that its hotels in Malaysia will benefit from the growth in India, China and the Middle East.

The group, which experienced a tough 2009 for its Malaysian hotels, saw revenue per available room grow by a tenth in 2010 compared to the previous year.

"This year has started strong, (our) Kuala Lumpur hotels are doing well but it is too early to say how the situation in the Middle East will reflect in Malaysia this year," Rajeev said.

"We expect similar growth or partially more growth in 2011 compared to 2010," he added.

Source : BTimes
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Grand Hyatt to Open in KL in 2012

2011-06-15T16:57:00.000+08:00

An Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with Bahagia Investment Corporation (Malaysia) to manage the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. The hotel is already under construction and is expected to open in 2012.

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will be part of a mixed use complex. The hotel, occupying floors 17 through 39 of the property, will feature 412 guest rooms, including 42 suites and will offer over 33,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a 228-seat café, a 298-seat specialty restaurant with multiple cuisines, a 74-seat Sky Lobby Lounge, a 102-seat poolside restaurant and bar, a spa with 11 treatment rooms, and a swimming pool.

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will be located in the Golden Triangle area of Kuala Lumpur, in a prime location on Jalan Pinang road close to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (“KLCC”) and the iconic Petronas Towers. It is in close proximity to fashion hubs and business centers, museums, memorials and galleries, and within driving distance of natural preserves.

Kuala Lumpur is an internationally recognized tourist and business destination. With a metropolitan population of approximately 7.2 million, it is the largest city in Malaysia and a key leisure location. Many of Malaysia’s major commercial banks and financial institutions are headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, as are many Malaysian companies, making it an international gateway city.

“In 2010, Malaysia attracted over 24.5 million tourists – rivaling that of countries such as Mexico, Germany and Turkey,” said Willi Martin, area vice president, Southeast Asia, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. “We see Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur as a remarkable opportunity to expand the presence of the Hyatt brand into a principal city in the rapidly emerging Southeast Asia market.”

There are currently 51 Hyatt-branded hotels in Asia Pacific and the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will join the two existing Hyatt-branded hotels in Malaysia: Hyatt Regency Kinabalu and Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort.

There are 16 other Grand Hyatt hotels in the region’s key gateway cities and destination resorts, including Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Jakarta, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Source : AsiaTravelTips
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Ministry Utilises Social Website To Promote Domestic Tourism

2011-06-15T11:18:00.000+08:00

The Tourism Ministry has utilised the social website Facebook to promote domestic tourism among IT-literate Malaysians, especially the youngsters, said its Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit.

He said the ministry had developed six Facebook applications for Tourism Malaysia which cost a total of RM1,758,432 with each page costing RM293,072.

"The pages include product promotions, tourism destinations and activities such as 'Cuti Cuti 1Malaysia', Citrawarna 1Malaysia, 1Malaysia Mega Sales Carnival, Year End Sales Carnival and Fabulous Food 1Malaysia," he said in reply to a question from Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah) who had asked on the justification for the expenditure at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Dawos added that an advertising company, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, was responsible for all advertisements and events of the ministry and Tourism Malaysia or the domestic market for 2011 until 2013.

However, the RM1.8 million expenditure was questioned by several members of Parliament who claimed that it was a waste.

Loke said it was irrelevant as the social website could be accessed free of charge while Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) asked whether the ministry had set any key performance indicators to monitor the advertising agency's performance.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Indonesia's Budget Airlines - Lion Air flies KL-Jakarta

2011-06-15T11:16:00.000+08:00

Lion Air will begin flying from the KL International Airport to Jakarta daily from June 29.

Its president director Rusdi Kirana said Lion Air would be introducing its new Boeing 737-900ER series with a maximum capacity of 215 economy class seats to ply the route.

“Although Lion Air is a low fare airline, we will operate from the main terminal building of KLIA which will provide aerobridge services to ensure passenger comfort.

“We are also providing free baggage allowance of up to 20kg per passenger for check-ins and 7kg for hand luggage. Passengers can also pre-assign their seats at check-in desk or use our web check-in facility to reserve their seats,'' he told StarBiz.

Lion Air is the largest airline in Indonesia. Its parent company PT Lion Mentari Airlines recently entered into a joint agreement with Berjaya Air Sdn Bhd to operate, manage and develop the business operations of Berjaya Air.

Kirana said the company hoped to capture a big portion of the market here as they offered very attractive fares which start from as low as RM139 nett (one way and inclusive of airport tax and surcharge).

Lion Air has almost 500 departures daily in Indonesia via 150 routes to 61 destinations and the Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta flight would be able to connect passengers with any of its Indonesia domestic flights.

“For now we have only one flight daily with the flight departing from Kuala Lumpur at 1 pm and arriving in Jakarta at 2 pm. The flight will depart from Jakarta at 9.05am and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 12.05 noon,'' he said.

Lion Air senior manager (Sales and Marketing) Chandran Rama Muthy said Lion Air's fares and services were affordable and gave value for money.

He said Lion Air was the first airline in the world to operate the new Boeing 737-900ER series aircraft.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Smoother Traffic Flow At Penang Airport This October

2011-06-15T11:15:00.000+08:00

Visitors to the Penang International Airport will get to enjoy smoother traffic flow when taking and dropping passengers once upgrading work at the arrival and departure zones of the airport is completed this October.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad Project Manager Fazil Ahmad said upgrading work on the affected zones had reached 42 per cent and traffic flow including public transportation would be more orderly when completed.

"The project is to ensure traffic flow at the airport is smoother as the departure zone which used to have only two lanes will be expanded to three lanes while the arrival zone which has four lanes will be increased to seven lanes," he told reporters after presenting a briefing on the progress of the upgrading project to the State Committee for Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Chairman Lim Hock Seng here Monday.

The airport upgrading project which began in June last year costs RM250 million.

It has three main phases and will enable the airport to accommodate up to five million visitors when fully completed in June 2012. The First Phase involves infrastructure and utilities, while Phase Two covers the main terminal building and Phase Three is on upgrading facilities at airport apron.

He said the upgrading project will cover 340.5 hectares of land and that at the end of May, the overall project was 29 per cent completed.

"Despite a slight delay of one per cent, we are confident the overall project will be finished in June 2012," he said. He said the upgrading work was aimed at maximising total passenger flow especially during the peak period from 1,300 to 2,000 passengers per hour and increasing the total number of car parking lots from 1,200 presently to 2,000.

Elaborating further, Fazil said Malaysia Airports was spending RM1.6 million to provide temporary diversions to enable the airport to function at maximum capacity while awaiting the completion of upgrading work at all affected zones.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

MAS Offers 4 Million Seats For 'Global Deals, Dream Getaways'

2011-06-14T10:13:00.003+08:00

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) expects four million seats to be offered at various discounts under the second wave "Global Deals, Dream Getaways" promotional campaign beginning today until June 27.

"We are mounting this second wave campaign to give an opportunity for our passengers to fly onboard the A330-300, to selected international destinations, to fly business class to domestic destinations, as well as, enjoy discounts of up to 75 per cent," said its Regional Senior Vice President, Sales, Azman Ahmad at a media briefing here today.

He was optimistic the four million seats on offer would be taken up during this offer period based on the encouraging response received to the maiden five-day campaign held from May 13, forthcoming holidays, and the longer travel period until May 2012.

One hundred and forty-four destinations are up for grabs under the campaign and potential travellers are expected to chose long-haul destinations compared with regional sectors which were the focus of the first campaign.

Azman said for the second wave campaign, the thrust would be the special, all inclusive promotional economy class fares from Malaysia to Tokyo and Osaka starting from RM693.00 one way.

"MAS was offering flights to Japan as part of its initiative to improve air travel between Malaysia and the land of the rising sun after the North Asian country was impacted by the recent natural calamities. We are also partnering Malaysian tour operators who use there fares to offer very attractive packages from Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Japan," he added.

These deals are offered by all MAS distribution channels such as the website, www.malaysiaairlines.com; flymas.mobi on mobile; MHbuddy on facebook; MAS' ticketing offices and appointed travel agents.

All promotional airfares are for one-way economy or business class journey on MAS during off-peak period and includes airfare, airport tax, fuel surcharge, insurance and administrative fees.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

KL Festival Set To Attract 700,000 Visitors

2011-06-14T10:13:00.000+08:00

The month-long Kuala Lumpur Festival 2011 starting July 1 is expected to attract about 700,000 local and foreign visitors.

Ministry of Information Communication and Culture secretary-general Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf said the targeted turnout could be achieved with the increase of events from 104 at 47 locations last year to 122 at 51 locations this year.

He said the festival with the theme "Where the Arts Come Alive" was in line with the government's effort to lift Kuala Lumpur as the hub of arts and culture internationally.

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Well-being, he said KL Festival attracted the participation of 18 companies and non-governmental organisations, he told a pre-launch news conference at KL Tower here Monday.

Kamaruddin said visitors would be feted to arts, including visual and performing arts, and cultural activities, traditional games, Malaysian cuisine and literary events.

Schedules and details of the events will be posted on the KL Festival website at www.klfestival.org and the facebook-klfest secretariat, he added.

The festival will be launched simultaneously by three ministers -- Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin at the KL Tower's 1Malaysia Cultural Village on June 25.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

MAS: On a wing and prayer

2011-06-11T10:02:00.003+08:00

The short term appears bleak but there are signs that MAS may improve.
The woes of national carrier Malaysia Airlines' are aplenty. They range from an aging core fleet, escalating cost structure, high leasing cost and legacy issues to a network that's not far reaching enough. And these keep coming back to haunt the airline despite its hard-fought efforts to get back on steady ground.
To tackle these issues, it needs nothing less than dynamism. Take for example its recent entry into the much-vaunted oneworld. This should have been done years ago.
It's tough out there factors such as rising oil prices sparked by tensions in the Middle East and the earthquake/tsunami in Japan leave an impact on the global airline industry.
Even so, other airlines are able to report profits. Sadly, MAS once again plunged into the red territory with a RM242mil net loss for the first quarter of the year, shocking many who had thought the worst was over when the carrier reported a RM225mil in net profit for 2010.
“I wish I could say we could have done things differently and the losses had nothing to do with fuel prices but the volatility in fuel prices was a major contributor to our loses,'' says MAS managing director Tengku Datuk Seri Azmil Zahruddin.
To Shukor Yusof, a Singapore-based airline analyst for Standard and Poor's “MAS biggest threat in the last seven to eight years has been AirAsia” and the fact that it is still struggling to overcome legacy issues. “For as long as they do not have a clear vision of where they are headed, they will continue to have issues going forward,'' says Shukor.
The issue is made worse as no one can predict the direction of jet fuel prices. International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani says that “remains a concern.'
A Maybank IB analyst adds that MAS needs to sort out its unresolved fundamental issues. “They are doing it but the pace needs to hasten as the world is not waiting for them.''
The question to ask - after a host of revamps and reforms labelled with acronyms such as WAU (Widespread Asset Unbundling), BTP1 (Business Transformation Programme) and BTP2 - what could the airline possibly do - more?
The red ink
Rising jet fuel prices and high leasing made up 58% of total cost that drove MAS into the red in the first quarter. This sent shockwaves to the analysts fraternity.
Of 18 analysts, 12 have a sell call on the stock. Jet fuel raced to US$113 a barrel during the period. MAS hedges 25% of its fuel requirements at US$93 a barrel. Fuel made up 38% of its total cost in the first quarter, aircraft leases 20%, staff cost about 12%-15% and the rest is for maintenance, landing and parking and others.
Its cost per available seat km (CASK) is 8.25 US cents versus SIA's 7.13, and AirAsia's was 4.2 US cents. Even a single cent change can make a difference during turbulent times. MAS is seeking a 15% CASK reduction by 2015.
The airline also added 11% capacity during the year. Had it not, would things have been better? “Unlikely...the fuel pricing would have hit it anyway,'' says an analyst.
Encouraged by the bullish projections that this will be a good year, MAS has added more seats to its network.
“Had we known it (about the tensions in the Middle East that pushed fuel prices and the earthquake in Japan), we would not have put in so much capacity. About 38% of our cost is fuel and with this kind of volatility, we can mitigate but cannot eliminate,'' Azmil says.
It has been a humbling experience. On June 1, MAS was booted out of the MSCI Malaysia Index.
The counter has lost much ground since it released its results closing Friday at RM1.43. Its archrival on the domestic front, AirAsia has also overtaken it in terms of market value at RM8.8bil versus MAS' RM4.8bil.
So, can it keep to its full year projections despite the first quarter blip? “We are on track,'' Azmil says.
Fleet dilemma
Having older planes are one thing but utilitising them to the maximum is another. But here's one of the roots of MAS' headache.
In the past, MAS has been somewhat slow to replace its fleet whenever there was a new generation aircraft launched.
While its rivals would be the first to hop on and make the orders, MAS would take the “wait and see'' approach.
Furthermore, the fuel and maintenance cost of its aging fleet is high. Some attribute this lack of agility then to its dire financial straits.
But that seems to have changed, with Azmil at the helm. The airline has ordered 35 B737-800 and 15 A330-300, some of which have arrived and the bulk coming the next and the following year.
The shift in strategy from being asset light to having a third leased and a third owned is best to balance its portfolio and hopefully it will drive cost down as these are next generation aircraft that are far more fuel efficient than its existing fleet.
“The old ones are sucking too much fuel and does not help yields. Its direct competitors have the latest generation of planes that are much more fuel efficient. Two of the B737-800 that it took delivery of this year are flying 16 hours. That shows there is better utilisation of its fleet to earn better yields,'' says the Maybank IB analyst.
Azmil says many new aircraft are coming into system. “This year, we will see new aircraft coming in and you will see the difference in the economy class and also the front end of the cabin,'' says Azmil.
Next year, MAS will get its long-awaited A380 aircraft but they come years after rivals SIA, Emirates and Qantas. It will certainly lift MAS portfolio of offerings.
Its recent shift in strategy to focus on front end by expanding its portfolio to more market segments is the way to go as MAS would need to bump that up to match the yields enjoyed by SIA.
The yield gap has been widening over the years and some say this is because MAS has been caught up fending off competition on the local front by trying to be both premium and a low cost airlines.
The realisation has set in that a premium product cannot be low cost. So, it now has a portfolio of products offering premium, value (Firefly turboprops) and low cost (Firefly low cost).
Firefly is managed separately though it is a unit of MAS and even SIA is getting directly into the long-haul low-cost market which is competitive as the low-cost carriers are eating into premium airlines' margins.
“Firefly is a bright spot for MAS and will keep improving when it takes more 737-800s. But the revenue contribution isn't that big to MAS overall bottomline. MAS needs to fly more profitable routes especially with the A380s coming in 2012,'' says Shukor.
The brand of choice
One analyst compared air travel withfast-moving consumer goods where there's no loyalty. In this era, airlines need to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack through right pricing and the soft touch. Also, having a brand new plane gives the perception that it is also safer so that's a factor travellers will consider.
With that, the new planes bode well for MAS. Having the A380, will put MAS in the same ranks as SIA or even Cathay but still, it does not guarantee the loads. With A380, MAS will have to fill over 500 passengers at one go at a time when competition is bursting, not just from the premium carriers but low cost as well which offer business class seats a fraction of the cost.
To address that, the airline is focusing on filling the front end of the cabin.
Although the strategy was crafted recently, the front end loads have picked up, according to MAS senior general manager sales and marketing Datuk Bernard Francis.
The recently launched Global Deals Dream Getaways is showing results and the focus from overdependence on corporate sector has widened.
Internally, the target is 25% which means a RM650mil contribution to earnings. The airline has thus far hit 23%. Average load is about 70% and forward preloads are 18% higher than last year in the second half.
Though MAS flies to many countries, it is hard to match the branding that SIA and Cathay command. This is another issue the national carrier needs to address.
“People rather pay more for the rival planes which are newer, with latest interiors. So, it is a perception of better quality even tough MAS' soft skills are excellent,'' says an analyst.
The change afoot for the airline is not just limited to new aircraft and new seats. It has also started from the first touch point.
MAS is one of the first airlines in the world apart from Delta to use iphones, ipads, Facebook and even Android's as tools to check-in and even buy tickets.
The food offering is changing and it has “chef on call'' for the first class to make sure you get the meal the way you want it. It also offers “ferrero rocher'' which is a premium chocolate as a dessert and it is buying new planes. The only set back - the planes cannot arrive any faster.
The ties that bind
Twelve years and two attempts. That is how long the courtship with oneworld took. MAS was invited 12 years ago but due to technical issues, nothing had materialised.
“The board gave the management up to June to get into an alliance,'' says MAS chairman Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid.
After the first attempt, MAS search continued but its balance sheets did not make it “pretty'' enough to be considered as a member.
What changed this time around was that MAS is looking much better despite its recent quarterly blip. Geographically, it is well located as oneworld needs to get smack into the South-East Asian markets since growth in passenger traffic is expected to be robust in the region.
IATA expects Asia to lead traffic growth. All these had strengthened MAS case. This time, following an invitation, the pact was sealed after a 12-hour meeting over the past weekend. “It is the best fit for us and MAS is the best fit for oneworld,” says Azmil.
The full impact is likely to be felt in 2013.
“But don't expect investors to jump to buy the stock as it will take time before we can see the results. Surely, there will be benefits from ferrying member passengers around and the geographic reach for MAS travellers just gets bigger. More so now, there are more avenues to earn miles for the travellers,'' says an analyst.
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation analyst Brendan Sobie says MAS is going in the right direction as the alliance helps strengthen its position in Asia and widens its reach.
An analyst remarks that the only reason oneworld is losing to SkyTeam and Star Alliance is that they do not have a representative in SEA. “Now, they do with MAS,” he says. The other factor that could boost traffic is Qantas willingness to work with MAS via oneworld to tap into SEA.
Transformation mode
As rightly pointed out by Azmil, MAS is in transformation mode, no longer turnaround .
“Transformation takes long but it will stick with you versus business turnaround, which is for a short time only,'' he says.
An analyst likes the sound of it: “He is going back to the textbooks and this is something which should have been done 12 years ago.”
More crucially, what does that mean for the consumer? “You will see a very different value proposition from MAS from how you buy tickets, whether you use a website, the call centre, the facebook or the androids to the ipad.
It is a different experience when you get to the airport. We are improving the first and business class and looking to improve the economy offering. We are getting new aircraft and modern products.
“At the end of the day, it is not just a transformation, but we are changing the mindset,'' Azmil says.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

AirAsia CEO 'Keen' On Operating New AirAsia Singapore Brand

2011-05-19T13:43:00.000+08:00

AirAsia's chief executive is "keen" to operate in Singapore, and the Malaysian airline will soon base some aircraft there in a move that may presage an AirAsia Singapore unit launch.
Recent advertisements for cabin crew positions at AirAsia Singapore are hoped to be the first step, Tony Fernandes told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview. AirAsia will be "night-stopping" aircraft there, in order to make morning flights out of the Southeast Asian island nation.
There have been rumors that Australia's Qantas is interested in its low-cost unit, Jetstar, making a similar move into Singapore to save on costs by hiring locally.
Fernandes also said that its two, 49% owned units, AirAsia Thailand and AirAsia Indonesia, remain on track for separate initial public offerings later this year. The pair may go public simultaneously, or Thailand may go first and Indonesia second, depending on a number of factors.
The IPOs come at a good time for AirAsia, he said, as the moves will free up the balance sheet and allow the low-cost airline to launch new AirAsia units in Vietnam and the Philippines in the near term. The CEO said Vietnam's new government is "much more receptive" to the company's ideas on branding and its websites, and Vietnam's tourism industry is growing quickly, so Fernandes doesn't anticipate the problems that caused its first foray into that country to fail.
Fernandes said he was pleased by remarks made earlier Tuesday by the Malaysian prime minister at the Invest Malaysia conference at the New York Stock Exchange, in which the prime minister expressed a desire to make Malaysia the economic center of Southeast Asia.
AirAsia doesn't believe it can beat the market, so it doesn't do much hedging against rising oil prices, he said, and it is currently about 10% hedged at a cost of about $120 a barrel. Similarly, it doesn't hedge much against currencies, and noted that many forecasts call for the Malaysian ringgit, which has risen sharply, to hover in the MYR2.90 to MYR2.95 range to the dollar, near current levels.
Its long-haul international unit, AirAsia X, is slated to announce a pact with General Electric Co.'s (GE) aviation unit on Wednesday. Fernandes didn't want to steal the unit's thunder, but hinted that the pact could involve aircraft engines, a new type of Airbus aircraft AirAsia X hasn't purchased before and new routes for AirAsia X to Europe.
GE lost out on a previous contract to supply AirAsia X airplane engines, and has been aggressively courting AirAsia for new business, he said. GE CEO Jeff Immelt has been "a fantastic friend" of AirAsia.
In U.S. dollars, AirAsia has about $3 billion market capitalization, and posted annual revenue of about $2 billion and earnings of about $400 million, which excludes the contributions of the Thailand and Indonesia units, Fernandes said.
"We've proven the model," he said of the airline that has grown from 2 two planes to around 100 planes, and there is "great upside" for AirAsia, even after the marked increase in its share price, as it continues to extract even more "ancillary" revenue from passengers for things like food and insurance. AirAsia now extracts $16 of such revenue per passenger, up from $5 in the past.

Source : Dow Jones
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Ministry Opens Facebook Account To Further Promote Tourism

2011-05-19T13:42:00.000+08:00

The Tourism Ministry created the Facebook account "Citrawarna 1Malaysia" because it is aware of the social networking site's potential to promote popular locations in Malaysia to visitors, said its minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen.

"We know that we are now at this social media era and we have to keep with the times. Our target (in using the application) are young people and we encourage them to go the site and share their experiences with others," she said after launching the "Citrawarna 1Malaysia" Facebook account here Wednesday.

The application created in conjunction with the annual Citrawarna 1Malaysia event which will take place at Dataran Merdeka on Saturday is to enable the public to access the ministry's www.facebook.com/cuticuti1malaysia site and participate in various contests in the form of dance games.

The participant with the highest score as of the end of June gets to win an iPad while there will also be 10 consolation winners who will be given vouchers to dine at Saloma Bistro.

Ng added that the Facebook feature was part of the ministry's transformation plans to further improve its delivery system.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

US raises security alert for Americans

2011-05-03T12:06:00.000+08:00

Citing the “uncertainty and volatility of the current situation” following the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, the US Department of State has issued a global alert warning American citizens against a possible outbreak of anti-US violence worldwide.

“The US Department of State alerts US citizens traveling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counterterrorism activity in Pakistan,” the agency’s Bureau of Consular Affairs (BCA) said in a May 1 advisory.

Australia issued a similar warning. In countries with significant Muslim populations, international schools, embassies and other potential targets were putting extra security measures in place in case of reprisals.
Britain confirmed it was taking extra precautions at its embassies around the world and its military bases were on heightened alert.

The global police agency Interpol also called for increased security measures, warning that the death of Bin Laden could provoke reprisal attacks around the world.

Supporters of Bin Laden’s violent campaign took to militant Internet sites to vow revenge.
“The lions will remain lions and will continue moving in the footsteps of Osama. O Allah, America will not enjoy safety and security until we live it in Palestine,” one user wrote on the Shumukh al-Islam forum.
“The celebrations are amusing. Cheer all you want infidel, you only have a limited amount of time in this life in which to do it,” another wrote.

While some experts said that Bin Laden’s death would damage al-Qaida’s brand image, and perhaps lead the organization to fracture still further along geographical lines, most predicted attacks would continue.

“The United States will unfortunately suffer, because jihadists have a tendency to avenge their slain chiefs,” warned Matthieu Guidere, a French academic who specializes in the Arab world.
After the death of the leader of al-Qaida’s group in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarkawi, in April 2006, his successor launched a wave of suicide attacks against US and Iraqi targets, Guidere noted.

And although the figurehead of the operation has died in a plush Pakistani mountain resort and garrison town north of Islamabad, al-Qaida militants in the field have long been acting independently.
“On a tactical level, the death of Bin Laden is not a decisive victory, as for many years he has not been an operational leader and the power has been in the hands of local commanders,” Guidere said.

Lost brand label
Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor at the Sciences-Po school in Paris and author of a book on al-Qaida, said Bin Laden’s death would accelerate the group’s existing division into separate fighting entities.
“Osama bin Laden’s leadership was in truth ideological. He was the only one able to unite all the disparate groups around the world,” said antiterrorist judge Marc Trevidic, saying al-Qaida had lost a brand label.
Nevertheless, Frank Faulkner, a senior lecturer in sociology and terrorism studies at the University of Derby in Britain, said that revenge attacks were inevitable.
“It’s just a case of when and where,” he said.

Extra vigilance
Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble urged “extra vigilance” from “law enforcement authorities to a heightened terror risk from al-Qaida affiliated or al-Qaida inspired terrorists as a result of Bin Laden’s death.”
“The world’s most wanted international terrorist is no more,” Noble said in a statement issued by his office.
“But the death of Bin Laden does not represent the demise of al-Qaida affiliates and those inspired by al-Qaida, who have and will continue to engage in terrorist attacks around the world,” he said.
“We therefore need to remain united and focused in our ongoing cooperation and fight, not only against this global threat but also against terrorism by any group anywhere,” he added.
Noble said Interpol, a global coordinating body based in France that works with national police forces in 188 member states, was “on full alert for acts of retaliation should al-Qaida try to prove they still exist.”

Limit travel, avoid rallies
The BCA strongly urged Americans “in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.”
US citizens should also “stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings … US citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest US embassy or consulate,” said the travel alert, which expires on Aug. 1.
It noted that “media coverage of local events may cause family and friends to become concerned for their loved ones traveling and residing abroad.”
“We urge US citizens to keep in regular contact with family and friends,” said the BCA.
The state department said US embassy operations in affected areas would continue to the extent possible under the constraints of any evolving security situation.
“US government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, US embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to US citizens,” it said.
On Monday, Rebecca B. Thompson, spokesperson of the US embassy in Manila, did not comment on the travel alert.
Instead, Thompson referred the Philippine Daily Inquirer to the BCA website —www.travel.state.gov— which she said “has the most up-to-date information.”

NAIA alert
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has placed four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) under “heightened alert” status following Bin Laden’s death.
In a May 2 memorandum, Vicente Guerzon Jr., MIAA assistant general manager, said the move was necessary “as a precautionary measure to ensure the security and safety of airport users, as well as protect airport infrastructure.”
Guerzon said the following security measures shall be immediately implemented at NAIA Terminals 1 to 4:
• Strict access control procedures for both personnel and vehicles.
• Rigid inspection of airline passengers and cargo at security checkpoints.
• Intensified police visibility as well as K-9 paneling at the terminals.
• Maximized deployment of patrol vehicles at aircraft movement areas and airport perimeter.
• Intensified intelligence and monitoring operations as well as networking with other security units.
Guerzon said “matters that may affect smooth airport operations must be brought to the immediate attention of MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado.”

Source : Inquirer
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Osama revenge fears put world on high alert

2011-05-03T12:04:00.002+08:00

Governments and airlines around the world are bracing for a backlash following the killing in Pakistan of Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces.

Interpol has called for increased security measures by national police forces and several countries have responded with extra security measures spanning airports and other public transport systems.

Japan said its military bases are on full alert in case of revenge attacks by bin Laden’s al-Qaida supporters.

A Qantas spokesman said the airline was “closely monitoring the situation and if the security situation changes then we will take appropriate steps”.

While the county celebrated bin Laden’s death, the U.S. Department of State issued warnings for Americans abroad and is asking travellers to be vigilant. Britain and Australia have issued similar warnings.

“The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him (bin Laden), and we must – and will – remain vigilant and resolute,” said CIA director Leon Panetta.

Authorities in Indonesia are especially wary of reprisals.

Just weeks before Bin Laden’s death, authorities in Pakistan arrested Umar Patek, an Al Qaeda-linked Indonesian militant who for 10 years had been on the run for allegedly helping to build the explosive devices used in the 2002 bombings of nightclubs in Bali that killed 202 people.  

Source : TravelMole
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Sheraton Imperial unveils its RM6mil meeting facility

2011-05-03T12:03:00.002+08:00

THE Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel was abuzz with excitement as all preparations were underway to unveil their latest meeting facility — @M event level recently. Located on the mezzanine level of the 5-star hotel, the newly renovated meeting level took six months to complete at a cost of RM6 million.
Approximately 200 persons were invited to view the new meeting facility as part of the hotel’s launch activities. Divided into lunch and dinner sessions, guests were taken on a personal tour by the hotel’s sales and marketing team members.
Based on an ‘Open House’ concept, the tour revealed the various meeting rooms, set up according to different themes.

Movie theme: Jack Sparrow, Darth Vader, Wolverine and Ronaldo make up part of the theme.

As guests step into the @M meeting room, they were greeted with a Social Network theme where they were introduced to the various social media channels, played various games on Facebook, posted photos on Twitter and had the chance to win exciting prizes.
Next door at Be@M, it was a more informal affair, with the focus being on the 5 Human Truths theme. Guests were shown how the more ‘friendly’ set up play an integral part in the success of any training workshop.
Over at Do@M, there were two themes. In one corner, the movie theme was introduced with ‘Darth Vader’, ‘Jack Sparrow’ and ‘Wolverine’ serving customers. while at the other end of the meeting room, the sports theme was displayed. Tables with golf, badminton and football décor were enhanced with a Wii machine to promote that competitive spirit.
At the foyer area of Ez@M, the hotel’s culinary team took centerstage, featuring their specialities at the main island buffet counter — introducing delicious dishes from the ‘Passion’ cook book — a joint collaboration between Sheraton Imperial KL and The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa.
‘We want to support our customers and help them achieve their objectives.
“This does not only mean providing a new facility equipped with the latest technology but also showcasing unique and creative options, aiding our customers with what’s out there and how they can be different and unique too.
“We believe with this new @M facility, we will be able to embark on the journey with our clients”, said General Manager of the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel Wolfgang Boettcher.
Complementing the new vibrant feel of the @M meeting level was a whole range of sumptuous cuisine – perfectly whipped up by master chefs in each of the meeting rooms. Needless to say, there was networking and ideas plus excitement as guests and associates mingled to show off the new facility.
With the addition of the @M event level, the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel now boasts more than 2219.6 sq metres of function space with a 12 venue options. Measuring 667 sq metres, the elegant Nusantara Ballroom (located on level 2 of the hotel) is the largest function space, catering for 120 persons for a boardroom set-up to 1,000 persons for a theatre set-up.
It can also seat approximately 550 persons for a banquet and 800 persons for a cocktail reception.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

W Hotel makes its mark in KL

2011-04-08T10:57:00.000+08:00

A 150-room hotel will be built in the heart of Kuala Lumpur offering guests a unique dining experience, entertainment and signature spas.

Property developer Dijaya Corporation Berhad has partnered hotel and leisure company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc to develop W Hotel. The brand has 41 hotels worldwide.

The signing ceremony was held at the Tropicana Golf and Country Club recently.

It’s official: (From left) Rohana, Dijaya Corporation Berhad deputy managing director Dickson Tan, Dijaya Corporation group chief executive officer Tan Sri Danny Tan, Ng, Abbott, Starwood Asia Pacific development director Rajit Sukumaran and Dijaya Corporation Berhad managing director Datuk Tong Kien Onn at the signing ceremony to develop W KL.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who attended the event, said the collaboration of the two major brands in the leisure industry to bring in the W brand to Malaysia would boost tourism.

“Although ranking fifth in terms of contribution towards the economy, the tourism industry in Malaysia is growing. Hotel occupancy last year was 66.9% which is a 4.2% increase compared with 2009.

“Looking at this increasing rate, we will still be short of 40,000 rooms in 2020. We welcome every addition and are convinced that W KL will inject a design-led lifestyle in our city,” she said.

Dijaya independent non-executive chairman Datuk Rohana Mahmood said the move underlined the company’s commitment to continued growth.

“Dijaya is looking at the needs of tomorrow’s jet-setters while also addressing a wider range of environmental challenges facing the industry,” said Rohana, adding that Dijaya will also work towards a Green Building Index rating with W KL.

Starwood Asia Pacific regional vice-president (South East Asia) Chuck Abbott said they were delighted with the signing of the W brand in Kuala Lumpur as the city was cosmopolitan a business hub.

“Malaysia has developed a reputation for its standard of hospitality and customer service and we are proud to contribute to the continuing growth of Malaysia as a key business and leisure destination,” he said.

The hotel will feature 1,200 sq m of meeting space, one ballroom and five meeting and function rooms. All guest rooms will be fitted with the signature W Bed. Among the facilities are a fitness centre, food and beverage outlets, a full service spa and a nail bar.

W KL will be located in the Golden Triangle in Jalan Ampang.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

W Hotel to open in Jalan Ampang, KL in 2016

2011-04-06T17:19:00.000+08:00

Dijaya Corporation Bhd is partnering world leading hotel and leisure company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc to develop a W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to be opened in 2016.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is the operator of W hotel.

Dijaya's independent non-executive chairman Datuk Rohana Tan Sri Mahmood said the collaboration was in line with the company's focus to grow with a dynamic presence.

"In continuing our legacy for innovation, Dijaya is looking at the needs of tomorrow's jet-setters while also addressing a wider range of environmental challenges facing this industry," she said in a statement today.

To be situated along Jalan Ampang and across the Petronas Twin Tower, the 150-room hotel would also feature a spacious ballroom as well as five meeting and function rooms.

With 1,025 properties in 100 countries, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's chain of hotels include the Sheraton, Le Meridien and Westin brands.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

More quality hotels needed to draw tourists

2011-04-01T10:33:00.000+08:00

Malaysia needs the right mix of quality hotels to attract high-yield tourists, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said more investments were needed to upgrade hotels in Malaysia to four or five-star rating and, subsequently, increase their supply.

“In moving towards our ambition of growing tourist receipts by three times and tourist arrivals by 1.5 times, we will need more investments to ensure high quality of service,” said Dr Ng, whose speech was read by her deputy Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit at the launch of InterContinental Kuala Lumpur here yesterday.

She said that as at February, there were 1,610 hotels in the country, ranging from three to five-star hotels and budget establishments, offering 161,117 rooms.

“In Kuala Lumpur, there are 236 hotels offering about 30,000 rooms with the average occupancy rate of 66.9% last year. The number of rooms would need to be increased by 50% by 2020 for the Government to achieve its target of 36 million tourist arrivals.”

Source :TheStar
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Expedia-AirAsia union gives birth to Asian web booking business

2011-03-30T09:50:00.000+08:00

THE REGION'S booming online travel market has pushed Expedia, Inc. and AirAsia to join forces and establish a 50:50 joint venture company, said to be the first of its kind between a low-cost carrier and an online travel agent.

Under the agreement announced today, a new company will be formed to operate Expedia-branded businesses in Japan, India, South-east Asia and other East Asian markets, as well as AirAsia's packaging and hotel booking websites, AirAsiaGo and GoRooms.

The joint venture will have the exclusive online third-party distribution rights in the region for AirAsia and AirAsiaX flights and travel packages. In addition, Expedia will also be the exclusive third-party travel provider for AirAsia inventory on its sites worldwide.

At the helm of the Singapore-based company is vice president and managing director of Expedia Asia Pacific, Dan Lynn, who will be relocating from Sydney.

Said the new CEO: “Expedia brings global strength in our supplier relationships, a very strong technology background and an understanding of online marketing. AirAsia complements that with its unique understanding of the Asian markets, its very compelling and unique inventory that is low-price but high-quality and its very deep understanding of social media.”
AirAsia Group CEO, Tony Fernandes, said: “We think we have a 'Rolls-Royce partner' here. (Expedia is) going to take our content around the world, which will help AirAsia and AirAsiaX promote our flights in markets that we haven't reached before. Plus, we'll be able to get new ancillary income.”
When asked if the partnership would cannibalise sales on AirAsia's own website, he said: “Who cares? AirAsia.com is a site that's always trying to cope. Everytime we have a sale, our system falls over even though we double, triple, quadruple the capacity. We can't cope with the demand. That's why I said there's no problem sharing some of that.”

Fernandes explained that the Expedia and AirAsia sites would be branded differently and target separate market segments. For example, Expedia may be more dominant in certain countries like Japan, where it is already established, while AirAsiaGo would be bigger in China.

Calling this new venture Expedia's “Asia organisation”, president of Expedia Worldwide, Scott Durchslag, said: “This is going to offer a much more efficient and effective alternative for consumers to travel, so I think it will have a significant impact on traditional, offline travel agents. This is a big leap forward in terms of what's possible.”

Expedia, which rolled out its Singapore website last month, launched its Malaysia and Thailand products today. It will continue to run a full-service business, offering other airline content.

Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Penang airport records 25% passenger growth rate

2011-03-29T10:09:00.000+08:00

The Penang International Airport registered the highest growth rate among airports in Malaysia last year, recording a 25% increase with some 4.1 million passengers in 2010 compared with 3.3 million the year before.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) senior general manager Datuk Azmi Murad said the increase highlighted the need to expand the airport from its current peak-hour passenger capacity of 1,291 per hour to as many as 2,000 per hour.

The second highest increase among airports was registered by the KL International Airport (KLIA) which saw a passenger volume hike of 14% over the same period.

Azmi said this during a media tour of the Penang airport’s expansion and renovations exercise here over the weekend.
The RM250 million project, implemented through funding from the federal government, would give a new modern iconic facade to the airport. The whole project is expected to be completed in June 2012.

The expansion also entails increasing the terminal capacity to 51,543 sq m from the current 27,526 sq m, while the number of car park bays would be raised from to more than 2,000 from 1,200, Azmi said.
The airport would also have more than 10,000 sq m of commercial space dedicated lounges for their passengers.

MAHB is also considering building an airport hotel and multi-storey car park art the site, but details on these have not been confirmed yet, he added.

A total of 13 commercial passenger airlines and nine cargo airlines currently operate at the Penang Airport, for domestic and regional flights.

Azmi also announced that a key road currently being used for vehicles to drive up to the airport’s present departure lobby will be closed from April 1 till the end of July to facilitate the renovation works.

He said the authorities have planned a temporary loop to be jointly used by vehicles going to the departure and arrival sections, as well as for public transport vehicles. Traffic will be regulated and managed by Rela, the police and airport officials.

Source : The SUN
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

More South Indian Tourists To Land On Malaysian Shores

2011-03-28T10:25:00.000+08:00

South India is poised to become a major source of tourists for Malaysia, with holiday-makers from states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, capitalising on the increasing air accessibility to Southeast Asian capitals.

With India's changing economic topography, plus the availability of cheaper flights, visitors from southern cities are increasingly selecting Malaysia as their value-for-money destination.

"South India is one of our focal points to draw tourists to Malaysia. It is becoming a favourite family destination, mainly due to the accessibility and shorter travel time.

"We are expecting a double digit growth this year from south India," P. Manoharan, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board director for India told Bernama today.

With over 60 weekly flights from South India alone, more Indians from cities like Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad and Tiruchi find it cheaper and convenient to travel to Malaysian tourist spots, compared to domestic holiday travels.

India's thriving outbound travel is forecast to grow at about 13 per cent annually, driven largely by the robust economy, which had boost up disposable income.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation estimates that India's outbound tourists would hit 50 million by 2020, as more Indians eye overseas holidays.

Last year, about 690,000 Indians landed on Malaysian shores. This year, figures are expected to expand by another 17 per cent.

"Friendly environment, cultural similarities and shopping are some elements that continue to attract Indian tourists to Malaysia. It is a potential market," added Manoharan.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

MAS aims to be Asia's No.1

2011-03-25T10:49:00.000+08:00

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS), which is now in its transformation phase, is halfway towards becoming Asia's champion in terms of product offering and quality service. Chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Munir Abdul Majid said the national carrier is already Asia's best airline in terms of service and having the world's best cabin crew.

"Our target is to become the number one airline in Asia, with an average fleet age of 5.2 years," he told reporters from selected local media groups in Subang, Selangor, yesterday.

Munir said the airline now has a good balance sheet, cash position and a team led by a chief executive officer (Tengku Azmil Zahruddin) who is professional, passionate, knows the business well, sound financial management and makes strategic decisions.

He said although the rising oil price is a challenge, MAS now has "a stamina" to expand. The airline is expecting delivery of more aircraft including Boeing 738, Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A330-800.

"MAS is in a good position today. We can take on competition," he said.

Munir also said that subsidiary Firefly will will take over MAS' domestic routes. "But don't ask me when. It depends on market dynamics," he added. Domestic and short-haul routes previously bled MAS as they were deemed unprofitable.

He said MAS is not competing directly with the country's low-cost airline, AirAsia Bhd, but "Firefly is supporting MAS in the low-cost segment to maintain the group's passenger load factor".

According to Munir, market dynamics of supply, demand and price will determine whether MAS will continue to provide domestic full-service flights or reduce its frequency. "People would still want premium service on some routes," he said, pointing out that MASwings, which operates turbo-prop aircraft like Firefly, has a business class.

He said MAS will also focus on the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business. MAS is currently the world's fifth largest provider of third-party MRO.

Munir also rubbished claims that as a government-linked corporation, MAS receives special treatment from the government. "We don't have a seat at the high table as we are a professional lot," he added.

AirAsia X, the long-haul operations of AirAsia, has been seeking rights to routes like Sydney and Jeddah but has not received approval to do so from the government. Munir said MAS' contribution to the country's social and economic development should not be forgotten. The national carrier has also trained and exported many experts in the aviation and MRO industries, he added.

He likened MAS as the first wife, whose contribution to the family has been forgotten, while the AirAsia as the second, younger wife. Describing AirAsia as "a youthful success", Munir said: "They (AirAsia) are wearing red and sitting pretty, while people forget the first wife, who helped raise the children, sending them to school."

On AirAsia X's newly-appointed chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, he said: "I consider her as a friend. But we have to protect our interests."

Last night, Munir, who has been in the corporate sector for about 33 years, received the Brand Laureate Personality Award 2011.

Source : BusinessTimes
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Facebook leads to hotel room revenue

2011-03-24T10:10:00.000+08:00

Facebook is fast becoming more than a customer relationship tool for many independent properties and chains. Many hotels now offer room-booking technology on their Facebook pages, which is leading to incremental sales.

“There is real commerce that is starting to grow on Facebook. Companies like Delta (Airlines) are putting booking engines on Facebook, and Sony just started a deal where consumers can rent movies,” said Michael Hraba, owner of Hraba Hospitality Consulting in San Mateo, California.

Michael Hraba
owner
Hraba Hospitality Consulting

For the independent properties that Hraba Hospitality advises, Facebook booking engines do not yet produce a lot of revenue, but Hraba believes it is necessary to offer the option. “If you are there, you (won’t) miss the ones who do want to book. You are available in every possible way your guests need you,” Hraba said.

Facebook conversions growing
“Over the course of 2009, we saw the volume of direct referrals from Facebook to hotel websites grow. The conversion rate was higher for Facebook than it was for TripAdvisor and other travel review sites,” said Douglas Quinby, senior director of research for PhoCusWright, a travel research firm in Sherman, Connecticut. The conversion rate on direct referrals from traveler review sites to hotel supplier websites ranged from 4% to 6% in 2009, while conversion from Facebook to hotel websites was 8%.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has provided a booking function within a tab on Facebook for all of its brands and properties since it has been on Facebook.

“Conversion on Facebook is smaller but close to conversion on our brand websites. (Starwood’s Facebook fans) start to see other people’s experiences at the properties,” said David Godsman, VP of global Web for Starwood.

While Starwood primarily uses Facebook to “engage” with its guests, the company’s executives realize the valuable e-commerce potential on the global social-networking site. To that end, Westin Hotels & Resorts in January introduced a “Shop” tab on its properties’ Facebook pages. The shopping widget serves as a fully-contained shopping transaction, instead of working as a link from Westin’s website.

“What we are seeing now is an emergence of technology that that we didn’t see six months ago. There is an opportunity for ourselves and other hotel brands to enable these type of transactions within Facebook,” Godsman said.

Facebook booking engines
While most hotel companies have a booking link within Facebook that takes users to their websites to make transactions, Bolongo Bay Beach Resort in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, sports a unique, free-standing booking engine on the social-networking site.

Katarina Doumeng
director of sales,
marketing and Internet
Bolongo Bay

“We had a hotel-and-air booking engine on our website for years, so we asked our Web developer to put that on Facebook. They can click on the Reservations tab on Facebook and book rooms,” said Katarina Doumeng, director of sales, marketing and Internet for Bolongo Bay.

The hotel-and-air engine has proven successful for Bolongo Bay.

“In the last four weeks, for example, we had 207 people on Facebook who either booked or checked rates. That is big, since we are a 62-room property,” Doumeng said. Because the property has made a concerted effort to interact with its guests on Facebook, it has grown its fans from 300 in 2009 to 9,000 this year.

Shopping on social networks
The booking success that hoteliers are experiencing on Facebook makes sense because consumers are using social-media sites much more for travel research and purchases than in the past, according to PhoCusWright. Nearly 13% of social-network users use social networks to shop for travel, according to the firm’s “Traveler Technology Survey 2010.”

In addition, 35% of U.S. online travelers interacted with a travel company on an online social network in the past year. Not only are guests talking with their friends and family about travel on Facebook, but they are also being served travel-related ads, Quinby said.

Given such engagement, other hotels are quickly jumping on the Facebook booking bandwagon. The Hyatt Regency Irvine in Irvine, California, for example, recently became the second Hyatt hotel globally to offer room booking capability on its Facebook page.

“We believe social media is part of the future of how guests will interface with hotels prior to checking in,” said Colleen Kareti, manager of Hyatt Regency Irvine.

Bolongo Bay

While Fairmont Hotels & Resorts does not yet have a booking function on its Facebook pages, executives plan to add the capability soon. “Part of the audience does want and expect to find out about offers. They may feel excluded if they don’t hear about offers,” said David Doucette, executive director of internet marketing for Fairmont.

Fairmont's social-media policy is to have 80% of its information about travel, hotel and its hotel's food and beverages options. Only 20% of Facebook posts have anything to do with travel offers.
Meanwhile, Fairmont’s Swissotel brand in Zurich, Switzerland, is realizing limited success with a booking link on its Facebook page. “We have seen a slight increase in conversions, but it is not dramatic. Their activity on Facebook is not as evolved as Fairmont’s is yet, so we don’t want to use that as a case study for analyzing potential,” Doucette said.

Despite the current and future success with hotels’ e-commerce activities on Facebook, hoteliers still say their primary purpose on social-networking sites is to develop relationships with their guests.

“We didn’t enter this space with a commercialization concept—we entered it to really re-define the relationships we could have with our guests,” Starwood’s Godsman said. “We haven’t tried to get as many fans as possible. Instead, we have a really engaged group of people.”

Source : HNN
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Malaysia Strategises To Woo More Singaporeans To Malaysia

2011-03-24T10:08:00.000+08:00

The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board has lined up strategies to introduce affordable new tourism products and packages to attract more Singaporeans to Malaysia.

Malaysia Tourism Singapore director Zalizam Zakaria said Singapore was a "very big and important market for us".

"It has always been the biggest contributor to our nation's tourism economy," he told Bernama after the launch of the Central Region Seminar and Travel Mart 2011, here.

Zalizam said Malaysia Tourism Singapore contributed nearly 53 per cent of the total tourist arrivals from Singapore to Malaysia, saying: "In 2009, we had about 12 million Singaporeans visiting Malaysia. Last year, the number was up by four per cent to 13 million." This year, he said, although the target set by the Tourism Ministry was only 12 million tourists but "I think we can match the same number or little bit higher than that."

Explaining that Singapore has only five million population and how did Malaysia received 13 million Singaporean tourist arrivals, Zalizam said this was because of repeat visitors. "On the average, at least one Singaporean goes to Malaysia 2.5 times. After two or three times, where do they go, that's why we have to expose new places for them. Our strategy now is to open new places and new products for them," he said.

Citing east coast states (Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang), Perak, Sabah and Sarawak as well as the rest of Malaysia are popular but were getting less visitors.

He said Tourism Malaysia Singapore was aggressively working with various state governments to woo Singaporeans to these places. Zalizam said Tourism Malaysia Singapore initiated this seminar and travel market last year by focusing on region by region.

"We started with the east coast last year and today we are organising the event to promote the central region comprising Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya," he said. He said the seminar and the travel market served as a fitting platform for tourism players from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya to meet Singapore travel and tour agents.

"The objective of organising this session is to allow the states to update their latest tourism development happenings and to introduce these new products and packages in their future travel itineraries," he added.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia in top 5 for medical tourism

2011-03-24T10:07:00.002+08:00

Malaysia is one of the world's top five medical tourism destinations for tourists and foreign investors.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said patients chose to come to Malaysia because they could get the best medical treatment at a lower cost.

She said Malaysia was also known for having internationally-recognised quality standards, extensive diagnostic and therapeutic resources, modern healthcare facilities and trained medical staff.

"The government now wants to spur the growth of the healthcare industry and for healthcare transformation under the 10th Malaysia Plan, we are considering key points where healthcare access, coverage and quality can continue to be improved," she said when launching the Asia Healthcare Operations Summit 2011 yesterday.

She said the government would focus on four areas, including transforming healthcare delivery, increasing the capacity, coverage and quality of healthcare structure, and shifting towards disease prevention.

Source : NST
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Shangri-La in Tokyo Closes Temporarily until END April 2011

2011-03-23T10:15:00.000+08:00

The aftermath of the earthquake has claimed its first luxury hotel casualty in Tokyo: The Shangri-La Hotel, which only opened its doors in Tokyo in March 2010, has said that it is closed until the end of April, at the earliest, as it continues to assess the situation.

Its general manager, Wolfgang Krueger, and about 11 other people from the hotel are now working out of Fukuoka, in southern Japan, according to Maria Kuhn, its spokeswoman in Hong Kong. The Shangri-La Tokyo as 300 full time staff who are currently on paid leave.

“This is not a decision we have made lightly,” Ms. Kuhn said. She added it was too early to assess what sort of financial impact the closure would have on the company’s overall financial performance. “As soon as we feel it is safe and we can run the hotel at our normal standards, we will open again,” she said.

An average room at the Shangri-La costs around 70,000 yen a night ($863.26), and the majority of its visitors are foreigners, primarily from Asia. The hotel is a stone’s throw from Tokyo Station, the main gateway of the capital. With 200 rooms, the hotel takes up the top 11 floors of Marunouchi Trust Tower Main and “provides a luxurious and spacious retreat at the end of a busy day”, according to its website.

Other luxury hotels have also shut down some of their operations. The Mandarin Oriental, long a favorite among foreign tourists, has virtually shut down all of its dining facilities. On its website, it says, “In keeping with the government’s directive to conserve energy, the following restaurants and bars will be closed until further notice: Signature, Sense, Tapas Molecular Bar, Ventaglio, Mandarin Bar and the Gourmet Shop. K’shiki, The Oriental Lounge and the hotel’s in-room dining facilities all remain open and available for guests.”

One thing is clear: potential visitors to Japan are already cancelling visits scheduled for April – the peak of the country’s renowned cherry blossom season – and the tourism industry will take months, if not years, to recover from this catastrophe. This is only the beginning of what’s going to be the biggest challenge ever faced by Japan’s tourism industry.

Source : WSJ
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia recorded 17% year-on-year rise in hotel prices!

2011-03-22T09:58:00.000+08:00

According to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index, the average cost paid for a hotel room night in Malaysia in 2010 was US$118, representing a 17% increase over 2009.

Johan Svanstrom, Vice President and Managing Director for Hotels.com in Asia Pacific, told ADOI, “Even though prices in Asia Pacific fell last year as compared to 2009, the price level in the region is 15% higher than in 2004 when the Hotel Price Index was first launched. We are seeing a varying price landscape in Asia Pacific with some markets recording price declines, but hubs like Malaysia and Singapore are recording healthy growth in room rates thanks to strong bounceback in corporate travel and renewed tourism interest from the rest of the world. The Malaysian government continues to invest in the country as a tourism destination, so it is no surprise that Malaysia is enjoying growing popularity among corporate and leisure travellers alike.”

The city within Malaysia that recorded the highest hotel room prices paid was Langkawi. An average room night on the island cost US$201 in 2010, recording 11% increase over the preceding year. Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, also saw a year-on-year price increase of 15% to US$111 per room night paid in 2010.

Neighbouring country Singapore was the most popular choice, despite soaring hotel room prices. In 2010, Singapore recorded a 33% increase in average hotel room prices paid over 2009. Hong Kong and Tokyo ranked second and third respectively.

London was the most popular non-Asian destination followed by Melbourne and Sydney.

Despite rising prices in Singapore, hotels in other popular destinations among Malaysians such as Bangkok recorded a price decrease of 1% in prices paid, while hotels in Vietnamese city, Ho Chi Minh, registered a 6% decrease.

Johan comments: “Short haul travels are increasingly popular among Malaysians particularly because of the availability of low-cost carriers and the appeal of mid-range hotels. Malaysian travellers should probably maximise the opportunity to travel to the cities with lower room rates now before these destinations too jump on the bandwagon of hotel price increases.”

Source : ADOI
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Refunds for missed flights to Japan

2011-03-22T09:50:00.003+08:00

Airline companies have agreed to refund passengers for the flights to Japan that they had missed following the strong earthquake and tsunami there last week, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
Tour package operators have decided to charge an administrative fee of a maximum RM200 per passenger and return the balance, she added.

Both the airlines and travel operators, she said, arrived at the decision during a meeting with the ministry three days after the disaster struck Japan.

Among those who attended the meeting were representatives from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA).

“Airline companies have agreed to give a full refund without any penalty or customers may convert the charges into credit for their next flight,” she told reporters after attending the FIA Conference Week 2011 at Mandarin Oriental on Monday.

Dr Ng added that the refund was applicable for flights from March 11, the day the massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, until next month but the time period varied according to different airline companies.

On March 16, The Star reported that the ministry would meet the respective operators after receiving several complaints from the public about losing their deposits after purchasing tour packages to Japan.

“We will meet again early next month to discuss the situation in Japan and see if there is a need to extend the time period,” she added.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

All Aircraft Passengers From Japan Screened For Radiation Level At KLIA

2011-03-22T09:50:00.000+08:00

All aircraft passengers coming directly from Japan will have to undergo checks to determine radioactive levels at the main entry points in the country, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri.

He said the inspection on passengers travelling on MAS, AirAsia and Japan Airlines had started since March 16 at the KL International Airport and March 18 at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) which involved the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT).

"Those found to have been exposed to radioactive elements would undergo a decontamination process by an accredited agency, that is the nuclear and atomic power licensing agency, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment with assistance from the security division of Malaysia Airports Berhad," he said after launching the Caring Society Programme (Mayang) at the Community Hall in Pintas, near here today.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia’s tourism appeal drops

2011-03-09T12:13:00.002+08:00

Malaysia has taken a slight dip in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.

The 2011 report, which covers over 139 countries, showed that Malaysia dropped three places to 35th, after being 32nd in 2009. Its closest neighbour, Singapore, maintained its original position, registering at 10th on the index.

Malaysia’s other neighbour, Thailand, was ranked lower on the global travel scale. Thailand had dropped two places to 41st, while Indonesia had improved, rising seven spot to 74th.

The report also showed that Malaysia had one of the highest percentage of budgets when it came to travel and tourism. According to the report, Malaysia seemed to have one of the highest average travel and tourism investment spending as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product) between 2006 and 2010. The country was second only to Egypt in terms of average investment spending as a percentage of total economy investment spending (between 2006 and 2010).

Even so, the large amounts of cash pumped into the tourism industry did not seem to change the country’s travel scene for the better, according to the report’s individual indices. Out of 139 countries, Malaysia was competitive in terms of tourism pricing (third). On the other hand, it was shown to be a rather unsafe place to visit (83rd for safety and security). It also seemed to have problem with health and hygiene (75th), and a lack of tourism infrastructure (74th).

According to the report, other matters also plagued the country such as environmental sustainability (64th), and ICT infrastructure and the availability of qualified labour (50th).

On the other hand, the country scored fairly well in terms of policy rules and regulations (21st), affinity for travel and tourism (17th) and natural resources (22nd).

The report also showed that the only clear edge that Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand had over smaller Singapore was their price competitiveness and natural resources. This may be due to the island nation’s smaller size and higher currency value.

Source : Malaysia Today
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Legoland to boost Malaysian tourism by end 2012

2011-03-03T14:27:00.000+08:00

Malaysia plans to open the first Legoland Theme Park in Asia by the end of next year and hopes it will pull in 1 million regional tourists during its first year.

Costing RM 720 million, Legoland Theme Park in Malaysia is under construction at a site in Iskandar and will represent one of the main attractions of a new city and economic zone located at the southern tip of the country.

The park will feature 40 attractions and rides similar to other Legoland attractions, but unlike the parks in Europe it will remain open year-round.

Legoland Malaysia will have miniature replicas of iconic buildings and structures from across Asia. They include Petronas Twin Towers and India’s Taj Mahal.
According to Legoland Malaysia’s senior director of operations, Siegfried Borst, the theme park will target families with young children aged between two and 12 years old.

Legoland Malaysia Theme Park is the first component in a much bigger Legoland Malaysia Resort that will have a retail mall, themed hotel, business hotel as well as office and residential areas.

The theme park will be linked to Johor Bahru, the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia just across the causeway from Singapore. It will be linked by a 14 km coastal highway and offer two hotels close to the park to accommodate visitors.

The Malaysian project will be the sixth in the world following Legoland Billund in Denmark, Legoland Windsor near London in Britain, two Legoland parks in the US including Legoland California and Legoland Florida, and Legoland Deutschland in Germany.

Last year, there were 24,577,196 tourist arrivals to Malaysia representing an increase of 3.9% from 23,646,191 in 2009, according to Tourism Malaysia’s data.

The biggest supplier was Singapore with more than 6 million visits a year across the causeway to Johor Bahru and on airline shuttles to Kuala Lumpur.

Source: TTR Weekly
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Kuwaitis Often Tag Malaysia As Attractive Destination

2011-03-02T10:07:00.000+08:00

Whenever Malaysia's name crops up at regular Kuwaiti family reunions or 'diwanya', it is with fond reference to interesting stories about the country.

Malaysian Ambassador to Kuwait Datuk Ashaary Sani noted that in lieu of the many initiatives undertaken by Malaysian authorities to lure tourists from Middle Eastern countries, the country's name seems to appear more often at the 'diwaniya'.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's attendance in the 'Invest Malaysia 2011' conference in Abu Dhabi late last month, was a clear demonstration of Malaysia's will to attract investors from the Gulf countries.

The conference saw Malaysia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signing the Framework Agreement on Economic, GCC, Commercial, Investment and Technical Cooperation, which reflects the significant increase in economic relations between Malaysia and the six GCC member states, namely United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Ashaary told Bernama which attended the celebration to commemorate Kuwait's 50th independence anniversary, 20th Liberation Day, and fifth anniversary of the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah's ascension to power, said the visit by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen in May last year also left a significant impact in the mind of the people here about Malaysia.

Noting that the size of Malaysia's trade with Arab countries, particularly Kuwait, was still relatively small, he said the potential to grow rapidly was always there. Ashaary said trade volume between the two countries from January to October last year reached RM1.7 billion, an increase of up to 41.12 per cent as compared to the previous year.

He said the various measures taken by Malaysia, such as promotional tours, development of various infrastructure to meet the needs of Arab tourists, invitation to access investment in Asean countries for the Middle Eastern investors, besides presenting itself as a Muslim country, sent a clear signal about Malaysia's invitation to Kuwait, whether for social or business purposes.

Attractive foreign exchange rates (one Kuwait Dinar is about RM13) also provides many advantages for Kuwaiti visitors.

Ashaary said Kuwaitis usually preferred a destination that provided everything, from a theme park, beautiful beaches, green forests, shopping paradise, to comfort for a variety of businesses. And, Malaysia provides these and much more.

The fact that the number of Kuwaiti tourists who visited Malaysia rose 15 per cent last year as compared to previous years, proved that the country's tourism sector has vast potential to develop.

In terms of business, Ashaary said Kuwait provided access for the entrepreneur to explore open markets in Iraq. He said investors could develop a base in Kuwait to enter neighbouring Iraq, the country which is currently under active development in the post-Gulf War era. Meanwhile, the prosperity of the Kuwaiti can also be a plus factor for anyone interested to visit an Arab country, to make a visit here.

Ashaary said the Malaysian community of about 200 people here, comprising students and professionals, enjoyed close relationship and always cared for one another.
He said the Malaysian Kuwait Association often held gatherings to bring families closer.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

MATTA Targets 80,000 Visitors To Exhibition

2011-03-02T10:06:00.000+08:00

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is targeting 80,000 visitors with a turnover of about RM100 million during its three-day fair and exhibition at the Putra World Trade Centre, here, starting March 11.

Organising committee chairman John Tan said more than 350 tourism organisations including foreign tourism offices, travel agencies, hotels, airlines and other related companies would be displaying their products at 978 booths occupying a total space of 23,200 sq metres.

"We are looking a lot of quality visitors," he told reporters here Tuesday.

Tan said among the major exhibitors are Five Stars Travel Sdn Bhd which took up 36 booths, Tourism Australia, and Culture and Tourism Ministry of Indonesia (20 booths each), Langkawi Development Board, Sabah Tourism Board and Terengganu State Secretariat (12 booths each).

Check out MATTA FAIR 2011!

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

MAS Launches MHbuddy On Facebook

2011-03-01T14:23:00.002+08:00

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) passengers can now book and check-in for a flight while sharing their trip details with their friends with the launch of MHbuddy, an application on Facebook.

In a statement Monday, MAS said the introduction of MHbddy today would take flight bookings to another level.

"Besides opening up another distribution channel for ticket sales, our customers can also experience amazing convenience now.

"At the same time, they can stay connected with their friends," it said.

Its executive vice president (commercial strategy), Dr Amir Khan, said a few airlines were already selling tickets on Facebook.

"However, no other airline allows its customers to integrate their travels so deeply into the Facebook social graph. Neither do they allow customers to check-in via Facebook," he said.

He said MHbuddy would also allow passengers to select their seats.

"During seat selection, they will also be able to view the seats of their friends who are travelling on the same flight," he said.

MHbuddy is developed by SITA Lab.

Source :Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Yahoo! lists Penang among world’s top 10

2011-02-21T12:14:00.000+08:00

An online travel guide has picked Penang as one of the top 10 islands in the world “you must see before you die.”

Yahoo! Travel writer Gary McKechnie ranks Penang eighth on the list of the “must visit” places.
Other islands listed are Bali, Vieques in Puerto Rico, Easter Island in Chile, Ischia in the bay of Naples (Italy), Chiloe in Chile, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Key West in the Conch Republic, Galapagos in Ecuador and Palm Islands in Dubai.

These destinations offered something that could not be found anywhere else, said McKechnie in his article ‘10 Islands to Explore Before You Die’ (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-37926474).
He praised Penang as Malaysia’s food capital and suggested that visitors did their “food crawl” along George Town’s street stalls.

He recommended that foodies head to the area adjacent to the Kek Lok Si Temple in Ayer Itam to feast on delicious food of rice, noodles, fish, shellfish, chicken, pork and vegetables. He also suggested visitors try out lor bak, lok-lok and ikan bakar.

On the local architecture, he described Penang as having a range of modern high-rise buildings to 19th-century British architecture.

He also pointed out a mix of beach resorts, preserved mangroves, fishing villages, temples, mosques and churches.
“Kek Lok Si was the best example as the largest Buddhist temple in South-East Asia,” he said.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

KL Convention Centre Expands

2011-02-16T10:27:00.000+08:00

THE KUALA Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) has finally been given the green light to expand its facilities after a four-year wait, giving the centre a 10,000m² boost that is expected to generate a 40 per cent increase in revenue when completed by end-2013.

General manager Peter Brokenshire said the centre would now be able to host events with over 6,000 delegates and grow its conference business from a 25 per cent share of all events to 30 to 40 per cent.

Construction plans will be finalised in April and works are likely to begin in the last quarter this year.

KLCC's expansion is part of the Malaysian government's Greater Kuala Lumpur Development Plan, which will see the construction of a 2km pedestrian walkway linking major places of interest, hotels and KLCC, as well as the addition of rooms in the city. Projects include new properties such as the 450-key The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and hotel expansions like the one by 322-key Impiana Hotel to add 180 rooms.

Phase one, a 142m elevated and air-conditioned walkway linking KLCC to Impiana Hotel, has been completed. The second phase will extend the walkway from the junction of Jalan Pinang/Kia Peng to Jalan Raja Chulan, stretching 42km.

Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Egypt turmoil sends Saudi holidaymakers to Malaysia

2011-02-16T10:25:00.002+08:00

A large number of Saudis are, according to the Kingdom’s travel and air industry, heading to Malaysia for their holidays and steering clear of turmoil-hit Egypt.

The Malaysian Consulate in Jeddah has confirmed an increase in Saudi visitors to the country. “There has been a 12.6 percent increase since 2009. A large number of Saudis traveled to Malaysia during the short break this year because of cheap airline tickets available online,” he added.

Malaysian Airlines estimated the number of passengers traveling from Jeddah and Riyadh to Malaysia to be around 1,500 during the first 10 days of February.

According to an official spokesman for Malaysian Airlines in Jeddah, a growing number of people from the Kingdom are opting to travel to Malaysia rather than Egypt and Lebanon. Malaysia was one of the top sought-after holiday destinations this season, he said, adding that “cost is also a factor.”

Malaysia is the preferred choice among many Saudis because of its relaxed and cultured Muslim background. “It has the best cultural mix of Islam and modernism,” said Marwa Hussein, a frequent traveler to Malaysia. “We get halal food everywhere and there is a lot to do for families. The beaches, parks and urban infrastructure make it a top destination for tourists.”

Many expatriates are also worried about traveling to Egypt. “I would not risk going to Egypt because of the political instability. Safety comes first,” said Lujain Ahmed, a Lebanese national who canceled a recent trip to the country.
Asked when she will travel to Egypt, she said, “Not anytime soon or in the next three months. Even Lebanon is not safe right now. We prefer to travel abroad for our short break. Most of our friends suggest Malaysia or Dubai, which is similar to the Kingdom and so you're at home away from home but with a lot more to do.”

Another visitor to Malaysia said the country is “progressive” in nature. He added that people find a wide variety of activities available in Malaysia attractive and that many people want to get away from the Gulf to experience a change of atmosphere. “You feel like you are in the Gulf because of the Islamic atmosphere but you know you have opportunities to discover life out of the Gulf, which is a great change,” he added.

“Tourist traffic to Egypt may only pick up after three months when things return to normal. The dialogue, decisions and implementation of the political verdict directly influences travel,” said a travel agent in Jeddah.

Travel agencies say people feel attracted to Malaysia because of the weather, the open-minded environment and wide choice of things to do. “Most Saudis see Malaysia as modern yet traditional,” he added.

Saudis traveling from the Kingdom to Malaysia can acquire visas on their arrival.

Source : ArabNews
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia smashes arrivals record

2011-02-16T10:24:00.002+08:00

MALAYSIA registered 24.6 million international arrivals and tourism receipts of RM56.5 billion (US$18.5 billion) last year, the highest numbers recorded to-date, surpassing the government's 2010 targets of 24 million arrivals and RM55 billion in tourism revenue.

Arrivals from India registered the highest growth over 2009 at 17.1 per cent, followed by South Korea (16.2 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (16 per cent), Iran (14.3 per cent) and Cambodia (12.7 per cent).
China was the only non-South-east Asian country in the top five arrival markets with 1.13 million visitors, an increase of 10.8 per cent over 2009.

Singapore maintained its position as the largest tourist-generating market for Malaysia with 13.04 million arrivals, followed by Indonesia (2.51 million), Thailand (1.46 million), China and Brunei (1.12 million).

This year, the Malaysian tourism ministry is targeting 25 million arrivals and RM60 billion in tourism receipts.

Source : TTG
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

InterContinental comes to KL - 1 February 2011

2011-02-07T12:14:00.000+08:00

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) has opened its first InterContinental brand hotel in Malaysia.

IHG is replacing the management of the hotel owned by MTJ Development Sdn Bhd. Japan's Nikko Hotel operated the hotel for 15 years.

The hotel will undergo enhancements that will see it transformed by the end of this year.

General manager Adam McDonald, in an interview with Business Times, said Nikko was already a great product to start with and IHG will now build on that foundation.

As a luxury brand, The InterContinental will initiate some makeovers that will create the feel of the brand and work on providing service standards associated with the hotel.

While admitting that it will be challenge to change the work culture of 400-odd employees who have been under another brand, McDonald was quick to point out that the task was not an impossible one.

"It's all about walking in the guests shoes," he said, explaining how the staff will be trained.

McDonald plans to adapt some of the service culture initiatives that were seen in his previous position as the resort manager of InterContinental Bali.

This will include him interacting more with the hotel guests as he did at the resort in Bali as he hopes the current city hotel will have a good balance of corporate and leisure business.

McDonald also would like to implement changes in the hotel atmosphere right from lighting to staff uniform that changes from day to night.

As the hotel was renovated only four years ago, this time around some 180 rooms from its 473-room inventory and public area will be upgraded.

Rooms will be enhanced with InterContinental toiletries and amenities and improved in terms of touch and feel, McDonald said.

The lobby will also be upgraded to improve the arrival experience where the doorman will set the tone. The lobby will provide a feeling of safe, comfort and a sense of being looked after.

The InterContinental hotel's concierge service keeps its guests in the know by facilitating authentic and enriching experiences beyond the usual attractions.

"The concierge can get you in a restaurant, which is usually not easy to get in," McDonald said.

The Japanese and Chinese restaurants will also undergo a makeover.

IHG has signed a 15-year management contract with the owners.

In terms of performance, McDonald said that one of the measures it uses is to compare itself among its competitive set. In Kuala Lumpur, it compares itself to Mandarin Oriental, The Westin, Shangri-La, Hilton and Sheraton.

And within this competitive set, InterContinental will work on getting its share of the market.

In Malaysia, other IHG hotels include Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur, Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie, Holiday Inn Resort Penang and Holiday Inn Malacca. A Holiday Inn Express is also scheduled to open in Kota Kinabalu.

Source : Business Times
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia woos luxury hotel brands

2011-02-07T12:11:00.000+08:00

Bulgari, Armani and Versace may no longer be just luxury retail brands found in Malaysian malls, as property developers think about bringing in their hotel brands too.

With brands like Grand Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons already here while St Regis and Raffles have confirmed openings, developers are eyeing fresh and popular hotel brands.

"Developers are now beginning to look at Waldorf Astoria and also various designer-linked brands like Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Palazzo Versace, Armani Hotels & Resorts," vice president of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Ivo Nekvapil told Business Times in an interview recently.

If these brands make their way to our shores, they are likely to be located either in Kuala Lumpur or on Langkawi island.

Nevertheless, Nekvapil feels that sub-brands or brands that come under their more familiar parent company name should be considered as they have potential in Malaysia.

These would include brands like All Seasons and Ibis which are Accor brand hotels and Hilton Garden Inn, a Hilton group brand.

He explained that these brands have international recognition and as such Malaysia too needs these brands to give the country world recognition.

Meanwhile, when asked about the hotel scene in Klang Valley this year, Nekvapil said that there could be an addition of some 2,000 rooms in the four- and five-star hotel/serviced residence category.

Additional rooms this year will come from the opening of Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur, Best Western KL Sentral, Park Regis Kuala Lumpur and Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar.

On occupancy and rates in the Klang Valley, Nekvapil said that 2011 could end with an average room rate (ARR) of RM360 for lower end five-star hotels and about RM500 for higher end five-star category hotels. Occupancy this year could finish at about 68 per cent.

Mandarin Oriental still leads the pack, and is now drawing an ARR of around RM700.

Last year, occupancy ended at around 65 per cent and ARR of between RM200 to RM320 per night.

Malaysia had its highest occupancy of over 70 per cent in 2007.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

IATA Statistics Show Increased Demand For Air Travel

2011-02-07T12:06:00.000+08:00

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said demand statistics last year for international scheduled air traffic showed an 8.2 per cent increase in the passenger business and a 20.6 per cent increase in freight.

Demand growth outstripped capacity increases of 4.4 per cent for passenger and 8.9 per cent for cargo, IATA said in a statement here Wednesday.

Average passenger load factor for the year was 78.4 per cent, which was a 2.7 percentage improvement from 2009, while a 5.2 percentage point improvement to 53.8 per cent was recorded on the freight load factor.

"Compared to the pre-recession levels of early 2008, December air travel volumes were four per cent higher.

"Air freight was one per cent higher than pre-recession level, however, volumes have fallen five per cent since the peak of the post-recession inventory re-stocking boom in early 2010," IATA said.

Its Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Giovanni Bisignani said airlines ended the year slightly ahead of early 2008 with only 2.7 per cent profit margin.

"After the biggest demand decline in the history of aviation in 2009, people started to travel and do business again in 2010. The challenge is to turn the demand for mobility into sustainable profit," he said.

It was estimated that the severe weather Europe and North America in December would shaved one per cent off of total traffic demand for the months.

The hardest hit was Europe, which saw December passenger demand growth slow to 3.3 per cent.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

New tourism slogan for Negri Sembilan

2011-02-07T12:04:00.002+08:00

Return to Nature will be the tourism slogan for Negri Sembilan this year in line with other tourism packages of the state which are mostly nature-related.
State executive councillor for Tourism Datuk Mohamad Razi Kail said the slogan was aimed at enhancing the tourism sector in the state.

"The new slogan will be used to promote Negri Sembilan as an eco-tourism destination. This is because about 90 per cent of the state's tourism products is nature-related.
"We have beautiful beaches, mountains and forests hundreds of years old to explore. "It would be a shame if these bounties of nature were not promoted as an increasing number of tourists love eco-tourism packages," he said at a recent briefing session at the Tourism Malaysia office here.
Among the popular nature-related tourism products in the state are the Edu Eco-tourism Centre at the Sungai Menyala Forest Reserve in Port Dickson, Sungai Linggi in Rembau, Taman Alam Liar and Gunung Besar Hantu in Jelebu, and Gunung Angsi and Bukit Putus in Kuala Pilah.

There is also the popular Raptor Watch in Port Dickson, Scientific Expedition and Kenaboi International River Challenge at the Kenaboi Forest Reserve in Jelebu, and the Port Dickson International Triathlon.

Razi said it was time for the state to upgrade its tourism sector based on the numerous tourist spots in the state. He said tourists who selected tourism packages will also be introduced to the state's culture through the penginapan desa programme, which allows them to appreciate nature while getting a feel of kampung life.

To further enhance the eco-tourism sector products, he said the Tourism Ministry had allocated RM16.2 million under the Tenth Malaysia Plan for various projects.

These are to extend the Teluk Kemang beach front in Port Dickson, as well as upgrade the Ulu Bendol Recreational Park in Kuala Pilah and the Seremban Orchid Park.

He said RM12.6 million has been spent on past eco-tourism products in the state.

A total of 2.2 million tourists visited the state last year. The tourism target for this year is 2.4 million visitors.

He said the old slogan, Unique Culture, Popular Destination, will continue to be used for all state tourism products as it reflected the uniqueness of the state's adat perpatih practises

Source : NST
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Ministry Targets 25 Million Tourist Arrivals This Year

2011-02-07T12:03:00.003+08:00

The Tourism Ministry is targeting an increase of 25 million tourists visiting the country this year, compared with 24 million last year, with a projected tourism revenue of RM60 billion.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said in order to achieve the target, her ministry would continue efforts to woo more visitors to visit Malaysia.

She said the efforts included continuing discussions with local and foreign airlines to provide more direct flights to major towns in the country.

"We may be able to meet the target by increasing the number of flights from abroad to the major towns like Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang or Melaka," she told reporters after attending a Chinese New year programme organised by the Tourism Ministry at the Dataran Raub, here Saturday night.

Dr Ng, who is also the Member of Parliament for Raub, hoped that this year there would be more tourists who would be staying up to 10 days, thus spending more in the country.

She said the ministry was targeting to woo more tourists from Russia, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland and the Middle East.

Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Ministry aiming for RM61bil spending target

2011-02-07T12:03:00.000+08:00

The Tourism Ministry will work to increase direct flights from more countries as it pushes to meet its tourist spending target of RM61bil this year, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Dr Ng said her ministry had exceeded the RM55bil tourist spending target set under its Key Performance Indicator (KPI) last year and would be coming up with various strategies to meet the RM61bil set for it this year.

She said the ministry would work to expand existing markets and open new ones to meet the target but one of the problems it faced was the lack of accessibility.

“There is a big wave of tourists from Britain, Australia and New Zealand that we can tap but we still do not have direct flights by their national carriers.

“We need to do something to strengthen the accessibility (from these destinations),” she told reporters after attending the MCA Chinese New Year open house here yesterday.

Dr Ng said the ministry would also be focusing on attracting long stay visitors especially from Europe and for this it would come up with events that would help draw them to Malaysia.

She said the Cabinet had agreed to waive the need for visas for Taiwanese visitors to help attract more tourists from that country while the number of tourists from China was expected to continue to grow this year.

Dr Ng said the Egyptian unrest would have little impact on tourism as tourist arrivals from the country was low.
The main markets for Malaysia in the Middle East were Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, she added.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysian homestay reservation portal goes live

2011-01-11T10:05:00.002+08:00

MALAYSIA Homestay Cooperative and Malaysia Homestay Association have jointly launched an online portal, MalaysiaHomestays.com, which allows individual and group travellers to book and receive instant confirmation of their reservations.

The portal, which went live January 2, is in line with Malaysia tourism ministry and stakeholder plans this year to extend promotions beyond Asia, and reach out to long-haul markets such as the Netherlands, UK and Germany in Europe and Australia.

Tourism Malaysia will start promoting the homestay packages at international travel markets such as ITB Berlin and World Travel Market this year.

MalaysiaHomestays.com

Source : TTG

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Hotel to promote Kuching as tourist and conference destination

2011-01-10T10:37:00.002+08:00

PULLMAN Kuching will do its part to promote the state capital as a tourist and conference destination
“Kuching is a peaceful and interesting city with plenty of attractions to offer visitors,” says new general manager Eric Tan.
“We can help increase the tourism industry here in time to come. Part and parcel of my job will be to sell this destination and the hotel to the corporate and international markets,” he said at a cocktail reception and handover ceremony on Wednesday.

Over to you: Mini (left) offering best wishes to his successor Tan at a cocktail reception.

Tan, who took over from Fabrice Mini, said Pullman was working closely with the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) for this purpose.
“We’ll see how we can maximise our linkage to sell this location to visitors.”
He added that he would also continue to improve Pullman and present the hotel in a more strategic manner.
“We want to provide good value for our future clients in terms of services and the quality of our product.”
Tan joined Pullman Kuching six months ago after four years at Sofitel Vietnam. Both hotels are under the Accor Group.
Earlier, Mini thanked Pullman staff and tourism industry players for their support during his 20-month tenure.
“It’s been a challenging time but everything was possible because I believe in teamwork and recruiting the right people,” he said, adding that he hoped to visit Sarawak again in future.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia Hotel Ghosts

2011-01-10T10:36:00.000+08:00

Seasoned travellers share a tale or two about things that go bump in the night.

MELISSA Wong sank into her bed at a five-star hotel in Kensington, London. It was winter and darkness fell early. The 28-year-old air stewardess with a Middle Eastern airline was exhausted from a 12-hour flight. Sleep overcame her with ease.

Some time in the night, a gentle triing triing of the phone being dialled woke her up. It was the 1990s and the phones were still old-fashioned ones with round dials. Wong groggily picked up the handset. There was only a dial tone. She went back to sleep.

But there came the sound again. Wong opened her eyes sleepily. Panic seized her. For a dark figure was standing silently by the window. A crack of light through the curtains revealed that he was clutching a knife.

Room service: Imagine waking up to an unidentifiable creature nibbling on your toes! Now is that a worse thing to encounter in the middle of the night than a ghostly figure?

Wong leapt out of bed. She banged frantically at a colleague’s door and fell into the room hysterically. Both women made their way to the leading stewardess’ room, where the terrified pair stayed till dawn before heading downstairs.

“The duty manager just dismissed the incident,” recalls Wong.

“Later, a young receptionist told us that a man had committed suicide in the hotel years ago. I wasn’t harmed but that was the last thing you’d want to see in your room in the middle of the night!”

Uninvited guests
While hotels commonly deny the presence of paranormal patrons, spooky sightings and unexplainable encounters are rife among frequent travellers.

An entire airline crew at one of Tokyo Narita Airport’s hotels last year was kept awake by what they described as a banshee wailing over the air-conditioner ducts.

Along the dimly lit corridors of many hotels and resorts around the world, spirits are lurking, confused and seeking for answers to their sudden demise. A veteran hotel manager says it’s common to have such spirits in every hotel regardless how many stars it has.

“It didn’t surprise us because our rooms were located in the vicinity of a room that had been left with its door opened and a red tape strung across it,” recalls one of the crew members.
Insurance agent Mary-Jo Thomas, 38, felt an eerie sensation upon stepping inside her room at a popular Taipei hotel.

“I can’t explain it, but I just felt a chill,” Mary recalls.

“We’d just come in from a long-haul flight and we were beat. The room was oddly angled. The small window partially faced a courtyard wall so little sunlight penetrated the room. It felt cold and musty. I was tired so I ignored my instincts. Plus my luggage had been sent up.”

Mary slept till 5pm and went out for dinner. She returned at 9pm and watched television. As she leaned back on her pillow against the headrest of the bed, she felt a presence doing likewise by her side. The pillow next to her was conspicuously sunken in.
Mary started breathing fast. But she refused to budge.

“I’d heard that restless spirits visit when we’re drained physically, emotionally or spiritually. Whatever it was, I refused to give in or they’d probably visit me more often! Plus, it didn’t feel sinister. I started swearing as I heard that spirits are turned off by bad language. After 20 minutes, I saw the pillow puffing up again as if the weight that was on it had been lifted.”

Paranormal activities sometimes manifest physically.
Fashion buyer Syarina Yusof, 25, took a nap before dinner after checking in at the same Taipei hotel. She woke up to find her cosmetics scattered all over the dressing table and floor. Perplexed, Syarina recalled a colleague who’d spoken of Taipei’s constant earthquake tremors, and assumed it must have happened while she was asleep.

After dinner, Syarina returned to her room and called it a day. But the stillness of the night was punctuated by a distinctive click of a lipstick tube opening in the dark.

She quickly flicked on the lights. Again, her make-up and skincare were scattered all over the dressing table when she’d earlier lined them up neatly for her morning routine. And she had not felt any tremor. The next morning, a fellow guest said he’d seen a little girl sitting alone in the lobby at midnight, which he’d found odd, as nobody else had seen her.

Syarina’s encounter wasn’t an isolated incident as frequent travellers have related numerous experiences in the same hotel, leading to rumours of the site being a former burial ground. With stories of haunted hotels so rife, it can be difficult to sift fact from fiction, reality from imagination, or urban legends from truth.

Former air stewardess Yvonne Lee, who related her hilarious experiences in her book The Sky Is Crazy! recalls: “I was watching television at an old hotel in Sydney when I heard the kettle gurgling. The mirror behind the mini-bar was fogging up with vapour. I started praying! Now I rationalise that perhaps the kettle was on auto-timer.”

But Lee could not explain the incident at the infamous Taipei hotel.

“The dimly lit rooms are creepy with lots of dark mahogany wood,” she recalls. “In the morning I was wakened by a colleague. She was concerned why my door had been left open. I remember locking it! But my experience wasn’t as bad as a colleague’s; she went to bed and woke up on the floor by the door at an Ipoh hotel. And no, she hadn’t been drinking!”

Lee laughs, adding: “All of us have heard so much about ghosts in hotels that we subconsciously anticipate an encounter at some point. Sometimes I think it could be jet lag, exhaustion, poor lighting or just bad hotel design that made us ‘see’ things.

“For example, I was at a Narita Airport hotel in Tokyo that had long stretches of dark corridors. I was walking alone to my room at an isolated annexed building in the middle of the night. A loud ‘crashing’ sound made me jump. When I calmed down, I realised it was just the ice-making machine!

“Another time, I woke up to a shrill sound in the night. I was terrified. Then I realised it was coming from the air-conditioning vent. The fan or some wires were loose inside.”

Laura Pennace, lead investigator for the New York Paranormal Society, explains in an e-mail interview, that over a century ago, wealthy families in the West commonly leave the cities where they lived and worked, to holiday at hotels for the summer.

“Many families would return to the same hotels year after year, and develop an attachment to the area. Some hotels are haunted because although departed guests do return to their own homes, some spirits linger where they were the happiest,” she says.

Tom Cooney from the Foundation for the Study of Paranormal Phenomena, adds that the existence of ghosts cannot be proven from a purely scientific point of view.

“In order to prove anything scientifically, it must be studied in a controlled setting and should be possible to be duplicated at will. This cannot happen since spirits will not allow themselves to be studied in a lab. Still, there are mountains of evidence that point to the probability of ghosts existing. There are simply too many examples to ignore. Ask anyone who has seen one,” he says on his website.
Sightings on our shores
Shanthini R. was on the graveyard shift at a luxury resort in Langkawi last November when she caught sight of a “white misty figure” floating past the reception.

“I was frozen to the spot and my blood ran cold. At that moment I knew what that phrase meant,” she recalls. “I knew what I saw. But I couldn’t reason what it was.

“Several colleagues have seen the same thing. Another time we got calls from the spa in the early morning although the building was locked up. When we picked up the phone, all we heard was a humming tone. But the truth is all hotels and resorts have ghostly beings. It’s common knowledge within the industry. After all, we never know what the land was or who inhabited it before it was developed. A resort spreads over acres of land and we know that spirits dwell in trees, rocks, streams, even on the land. Why should we expect them to leave just because a hotel was built?

“Guests are never informed whenever we call in a trusted bomoh to appease these patrons. They are dressed like anyone else, except that they are here to quietly conduct their rituals.”

Joyce Lee, another hotel employee, recalls an incident at another beach resort in Langkawi.
A teenager was taking a bath in the outdoor shower of her seaside villa while her parents were watching television in the living room. Suddenly the girl’s screams rang through the villa, sending her parents sprinting to the outdoor shower, which was a small, walled-in garden extending from the bathroom.

“She was still hysterical when security arrived, but managed to report what appeared to be a man standing by the wall staring at her while she was showering,” says Lee.

“We didn’t know how to assure her. The walls are 8ft (2.4m) high without ledges or niches. There was no way anyone could have climbed over it. But that means it was a different kind of visitor, which was worse! Security found no footprints on the sand around the wall or any sign of human disturbance. We upgraded the family to a bigger villa but the girl freaked out upon seeing the outdoor shower. So we put them in a standard room on the second floor of the main building.”

Thomas Lian, a seasoned air steward, recalls: “I was checking out at a hotel in Johor Baru one morning when another stewardess queued behind me. She was pale and uncharacteristically quiet. She related that she hadn’t slept all night. She was watching television when from the corner of her eye, she saw a vague white mist gliding from her bathroom into the closet.

“Moments later, her closet began rattling. She was too scared to go outside as it meant having to pass the closet.”

The story didn’t end there.
After the crew checked into their Penang hotel, the phone interrupted Lian’s sleep.

“It was the same colleague,” he says. “She was screaming, ‘come to my room, come now!’ My legs were trembling as I hurried to her room. When she opened the door, she was distraught and crying. All she kept repeating was, ‘she is here’.

“I didn’t dare to enter her room so I coaxed her out to the corridor. We ran to my room and I called our captain. He is a devout Muslim known for strictly adhering to his prayer times. He came immediately and started quietly reciting prayers. Then he looked up and calmly said: Dia dekat pintu (She/he is by the door).
“I went, Oh my God! This is terrible; there was no way I was going to sleep in my room now. Our captain arranged for my colleague to be sent home as she was quite shaken. I stayed at another colleague’s room. That incident six years ago changed my travel pattern. Previously I slept in total darkness. Now, I must have two lights and the television on.”

In the 1980s, at a Terengganu beach resort, Shaheen Burhanuddin, a retired sales trainer, recalls being awakened in the night by something biting her legs. She flung back the duvet. To her horror she found herself staring into a pair of gleaming bloodshot eyes belonging to a small “gremlin-like creature”.

“It was about five to six inches (12.7-15.2cm) tall. I kicked at it and it scurried off from my room, shrieking. My Malay colleagues explained that it was a toyol, a goblin-like creature that performed secretive tasks for its owner. The locals said they were common throughout the island.”

“I think I would prefer to have met a ghost.”
The names of the airline crew and sales personnel have been changed.

Do you have a personal, unexplained bizarre experience in a hotel? Tell us about it! E-mail startwo@thestar.com.my.

Related Stories:
Nothing to fear
It happened in a hotel

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Firefly eyes one million passengers at KLIA

2011-01-06T09:57:00.003+08:00

Fly Firefly Sdn Bhd,a unit of Malaysia Airlines, which will begin its operations at KL International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 15, aims to fly one million passengers in and out of the airport this year. Managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the target was achievable as this year would be an interesting year for the company; there was a clear sign of economic recovery, compared to last year when things were a bit dicey.

“Apart from that, our newly launched airport ticketing counter at the main terminal building of KLIA will help to reach the growth target and, at the same time, to better serve and offer greater convenience to passengers,” he said yesterday after the opening of the counter. Leong said opening a ticket counter was in line with its decision to base its new Boeing 737-800 operations at KLIA and would focus on offering unbeatable value at the lowest fares.

“This is made possible with our decision to use the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a capacity of 189 seats, which has allowed us to achieve among the lowest costs of available seat per kilometre among our competitors,” he said.

He also said passenger growth at the Skypark Terminal in Subang was expected to surpass two million this year after growing to 1.5 million last year.

He said the group planned to expand its services around this region in the third quarter of next year.

“Obviously, ASEAN will be the main focus for us and we are looking at it very carefully as we are now going through slot approvals,” he said, but did not disclose the specific cities Firefly planned to fly to. Firefly would begin its operations in KLIA on Jan 15 to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu twice daily and, from Jan 24, four times daily and three times daily respectively.

Firefly's new airport ticketing counter opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm and sells tickets for all Firefly routes, add-on products such as in-flight meals, check-in baggage allowances and standard and premium sets of services. Come Jan 15, the counter's operating hours would be from 5.30am to 10pm.

Source : TheStar
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

http://www.shoppingnsales.com/2011/01/06/11-13-march-2011-matta-fair-2011/

2011-01-06T09:57:00.000+08:00

Travel-related expenditure like purchase of airline tickets and accommodation is the top online spend category for Malaysian Internet users, according to a Visa consumer survey.

The 2010 Visa e-Commerce Consumer Monitor found that 82% of Malaysian respondents bought airline tickets over the Internet, and 72% purchased travel accommodation online over the past 12 months.

The survey was based on 3,516 online interviews with regular Internet users in six growing e-commerce markets – China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.

Respondents from Malaysia reported spending an average of RM6,297 online in the past 12 months. Of this, an average of RM865 was for online purchase of airline tickets, RM473 on travel accommodation and RM456 with online travel agents.

Malaysia Visa country manager Stuart Tomlinson said online booking for air tickets, purchase of financial services or electrical appliances are getting more common and many Malaysian online shoppers feel it is more convenient to shop on the Internet as they can compare prices easily and shop at a time that is convenient to them from home.

"From the survey, we also know that 35% of Malaysian respondents rated payment security as the most important factor when transacting online. Visa provides cardholders with an added layer of security with Verified by Visa with one-time passwords.

"Consumers can make online purchases with their Visa card, with the reassurance that their data will be processed securely, regardless of whether they shop at local or overseas websites," Tomlinson said.

Malaysia is ranked No 3 in online shopping with the average amount spent online in the past 12 months at US$2,006, behind Taiwan and China at US$4,041 and US$2,557, respectively, among the six countries surveyed.

Source : TheSun
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Hilton Settles Spy Suit with Starwood

2010-12-23T09:56:00.000+08:00

Hilton Worldwide Inc. will be banned for two years from creating a luxury "lifestyle" hotel chain under an agreement to settle a corporate-espionage lawsuit.

The settlement stems from a suit filed last year by rival Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, which accused Hilton officials of stealing confidential Starwood documents to develop a new boutique-style chain that would appeal to modern tastes.

Terms of the settlement continue a court order that Hilton cease development of its Denizen lifestyle chain. Now, Hilton can never develop its Denizen lifestyle brand and can't start developing a similar brand for two years. Hilton also must allow a court-appointed monitor to review its marketing and branding materials to make sure they don't benefit from the information obtained from Starwood documents.

The deal also includes an unspecified payment to Starwood, according to the court documents.

The dispute between the two chains shocked the hotel world. Starwood is known for brands such as Sheraton, W and Westin. Hilton is a storied chain with a 90-year history and is now owned by private-equity investors Blackstone Group LP, which purchased the company for $26 billion in 2007.

The allegations had placed a cloud over Hilton, observers said, and taken up considerable time from Chief Executive Chris Nasetta and other managers. "It's important to put this type of situation behind them," said Bjorn Hanson, dean of New York University's Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management.

The lawsuit alleged that Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, two former Starwood executives who had joined Hilton, took more than 100,000 documents to recreate the success of Starwood's W Hotel. Neither man could be reached for comment; both left Hilton after the suit was filed. Starwood said it discovered Hilton had the documents only after Hilton return them to Starwood. Hilton officials said they returned the documents out of "an abundance of caution.

Hilton's delay in developing a lifestyle hotel came at a convenient time given that new hotel construction is at its lowest level in years. In the future, the two-year delay could become a problem as the industry emerges from the recession, industry observers said Wednesday. It leaves a hole in Hilton's marketing to younger travelers seeking a high dollar hotel option.

Hilton's Mr. Nasetta said in a statement Wednesday that the company is "committed to fair, ethical and robust competition in the marketplace." The hotel chain "regrets the circumstances surrounding the dispute with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and is pleased to bring an end to this prolonged litigation," his statement continued.

The settlement specifies that a criminal complaint from the U.S. attorney for Manhattan continues. A person close to the matter said Hilton has received indication from the U.S. attorney that it does not intend to file charges, although the company continues to cooperate with the investigation.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice declined to comment.

Source : WSJ
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malacca records RM84mil in tourist expenditure every week

2010-12-14T12:08:00.000+08:00

Despite a lack in natural resources, the state’s booming tourism industry is seen by the Tourism Ministry as one of the most important contributors to the nation’s economic development.

Tourism minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said although Malacca has no significant contributions in the agriculture or major technology industries, Malacca has a very successful tourism industry with a record of RM84mil in tourist expenditure every week.

“Last year, the tourism sector contributed 8.2% to the nation’s overall GDP with 75% of its revenue coming from the industry here,” she said at the Malacca Hokkien Associations 209th anniversary dinner here recently. Dr Ng said the state had also set the foundation for the political development for the Chinese community in the country.

Later, during her official visit here, she took a Malacca river cruise and a walkabout around the waterfront with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam. She lauded the state’s efforts and creativity in turning the historic city into the country’s top tourist destination with over eight million tourist arrivals.

To further enhance this status, she said the ministry has allocated a sum of RM157.2mil to the state for tourism-related projects which will be disbursed in a two-year period under the 10th Malaysia Plan. The allocation represented 46% of the total allocation of RM340mil under the tourism implementation programme.

Dr Ng added that five main projects under the programme included the upgrading of facilities at the Botanical Garden in Ayer Keroh that would cost RM30mil, developing the Tasik Chin Chin area in Jasin (RM25mil) and a cable car service in Banda Hilir (RM49mil).

Two other projects include the monorail phase two project along the Malacca river (RM13.2mil) and development of the Hang Tuah Village along the Duyong River (RM40mil). Other than the listed projects, she said the ministry has plans to make Botanical Garden as the first ‘Night Flower Garden’ in Malaysia with a bird centre.

Dr Ng later also pledged RM30,000 to Jonker Walk Committee for its annual carnival and decoration fund with another RM10,000 for the associations annual activity fund.

Source : TheStar
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia Among Top Islamic Tourist Destinations

2010-12-14T12:07:00.002+08:00

Malaysia is now among the top Islamic destinations of tourists, especially Muslims, because the country offers various services and halal products.

In relation to this, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Zainuddin Abdul Wahab said the centre was focusing on providing information and facilities sought by the Muslim community.

"There is much potential in Islamic tourism in Malaysia due to contributing factors such as its liberal policies which offer comfort in various aspects, including food, beverages, personal needs and facilities," he told reporters here Monday.

Zainuddin said, based on studies, tourists, especially Muslims, chose Malaysia because of the convenience of obtaining halal food, prayer houses, health-based tourism, variety of cultures and heritage and peaceful environment.

The ITC is recognised by the tourism ministry and Tourism Malaysia, as well as supported by the Bumiputera Adventure and Travel Companies and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents

Source : Bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Malaysia re-allocates promotion budget

2010-12-13T17:55:00.000+08:00

TOURISM Malaysia will change how it spends its money next year due to rising costs. This includes scaling back its presence at some international trade shows and reducing the amount spent on print advertising.

The NTO's annual advertising and promotion budget has been capped at RM200 million (US$63.8 million) since 2001 without any adjustments for inflation. This was even reduced to RM150 million this year as part of a government cost-cutting drive.

Tourism Malaysia would still have a big presence at major shows such as the Arabian Travel Market and World Travel Market, but would be represented by its overseas tourism officers at others, said deputy director-general (marketing) Amirrudin Abu.

Amirrudin said it was "important to maintain a presence as a show of confidence to the market" but the NTO had to also stretch the budget.

He added that Tourism Malaysia was increasing its spending on Internet and social media marketing, as print advertising was getting more costly.

Source : TTG

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

AirAsia X to launch Japan route on Thursday

2010-12-13T10:16:00.002+08:00

Malaysian long-haul budget airline AirAsia X is to launch regular flights between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo starting on Thursday, airport officials said.

Its inauguration flight is scheduled to depart from Tokyo's Haneda airport at 11:45 pm (1445 GMT). The carrier plans three flights a week connecting the Malaysian capital with the Tokyo airport, the officials said.

It will be the first foreign budget airline authorised to use Haneda, which began handling an expanded array of international flights in October when it opened a fourth runway and a new terminal. Haneda is considered more practical than its sister airport Narita as it is located only 30 minutes from Tokyo, roughly half the amount of time it takes to travel to Narita, which is 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the capital.

AirAsia X plans to sell a one-way ticket for 5,000 yen (60 dollars) for an economy seat from Japan as an opening discount, compared with economy fares of more than 200,000 yen offered by current route operators.
AirAsia's entry into the Japanese market is expected to further boost competition in a space that is set to become increasingly crowded as more budget carriers enter the fray.

In September Japan's All Nippon Airways said it will establish a low-cost carrier by the end of the year that will eventually operate international and domestic short-haul routes, anticipating booming Asian demand. Debt-hit Japan Airlines has also said it is also looking into the possibility of launching a low-cost carrier.

Japan's existing cheaper domestic carriers such as Skymark and Air Do have been unable to offer the kind of heavily discounted fares associated with budget airlines in the United States and Europe due to higher operating costs.
Qantas Airways' budget Jetstar airline already flies between Australia and Japan from Osaka and Narita.

Source : MSNNews
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia poised to become luxury goods haven

2010-12-13T10:15:00.002+08:00

Malaysia is carving a niche as the destination for luxury goods shopping, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said retailers had much to look forward to as Malaysia would be a duty free haven for most luxurious goods, including watches and jewellery, effective Jan 1.

“It is important to ensure an enabling environment for the industry. Last year, we received RM10bil from shopping tourism. Our target is to have 36 million tourists and RM168bil in tourism receipt by 2020, and we are expecting 35% to be from shopping receipts,” she said in her speech at the ‘A Journey Through Time IV - Watch of the Year Awards 2010 Gala Night’ held at the Starhill Gallery yesterday.

Also present was YTL Corp Bhd group managing director and organiser Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh and Tourism Malaysia ambassador Datuk Jimmy Choo.

Dr Ng said duty-free shopping was part of the steps being taken to create a conducive environment for such shoppers. “The 6km walkway to be built in the Bukit Bintang area will help encourage shopping and boost sales,’’ she added.

Yeoh said duty-free shopping would create a snowball effect on luxury retail and the tourism industry overall.
An extensive array of exclusive timepieces from many watch houses, some of which have stand-alone boutiques in Starhill Gallery, were paraded in a week-long event themed “Time to Love.”

Dr Ng presented the Tourism Malaysia Most Revered Award to the Richard Mille brand for its RM010 Sepang F1 model watch.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia Top Choice Of Affluent Travellers From Singapore, US And UK

2010-10-01T10:51:00.002+08:00

Singapore, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) emerged as the top tourism source market for affluent travellers considering visiting Malaysia in the next two years.

This was revealed by the Visa-Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Asia Pacific Travel Intentions Survey 2010 conducted online in May which asked 6,714 respondents from 13 key Asia-Pacific travel source markets including Hong Kong, New Zealand and South Korea about past and future travel plans.

Visa Malaysia Country Manager Stuart Tomlinson said among affluent travelers looking to head to Malaysia, 22 pe rcent were from Singapore, 17 per cent from the US and 16 per cent from the UK.

"This fact marks a bright spot for the (tourism) industry. Malaysia is blessed with a unique blend of culture and heritage, great food and dining, important historical sites and some of the best natural sceneries in the world," he said in a statement distributed during the one-day National Tourism Seminar 2010 "Tourism Futures:Evolving Towards High Income Tourism" organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) here Thursday.

The seminar was opened by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Tomlinson said the survey's findings highlight the ministry's fine work in promoting Malaysia as a unique travel destination. "Visa is committed to supporting Malaysia's ambitions to draw more affluent travellers to the country and we will work with the Tourism Ministry to help attract this segment," he said.

He said the survey also revealed the profile of this affluent traveller groups with most of them in it being professionals, managers, executive or businessmen, aged 40 years old and married. They are most attracted to destinations with natural sceneries (88 percent), new places (82 percent), good food (81 percent), sunshine and beaches and good weather (80 percent), he said.

Tomlinson said 34 per cent of the affluent respondents also said they were attracted to destinations with outdoor sports and activities with golf (33 per cent) positioned at the top of the list. "For those who have previously visited Malaysia, 69 per cent of respondents said they would be drawn to visit again due to the good food and dining," he added.

Source : Bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

It's duty-free at Tasik Kenyir

2010-10-01T10:50:00.001+08:00

Tasik Kenyir has been accorded duty-free status, joining the ranks of the islands of Labuan, Langkawi and Tioman.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said the state government's application for duty-free status had been approved by the Finance Ministry, which had informed them of the decision last week. He said with this, the largest man-made lake in Southeast Asia would now be developed as a premier eco-tourism destination.

Ahmad, since taking over as menteri besar two years ago, has been aggressively promoting Tasik Kenyir as an alternative to Terengganu's famed Perhentian, Redang and Kapas islands.
Ahmad thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for approving the state's request. "We reapplied for the duty-free status some four months ago and I've been trying to convince the prime minister since then that Kenyir has the potential to be a top tourist destination."

Kenyir was created in 1985 by the damming of Sungai Kenyir to create the Sultan Mahmud Power Station. The lake covers 260 sq km and contains 340 small islands, once the tops of hills and highlands, more than 14 waterfalls, numerous rapids and rivers.

However, other than fishing enthusiasts and nature lovers, the area had not been aggressively promoted until the past few years.

Ahmad said plans for a duty-free complex, to be situated in Pulau Bayas, would begin soon and was expected to be completed next year. The state government has already set aside an initial budget of RM100 million for basic infrastructure and amenities such as electricity supply, communications and jetties.

The integrated development plan include the development of five-star, four-star and three-star resorts on some of the 340 islands in Kenyir. Others include a cable car ride from Pengkalan Gawi, houseboat cruises, water theme parks and golf courses. All these were expected to be operational by April 2012, said Ahmad.

"Kenyir has been neglected for almost 30 years. It is time the people got to know of its natural wonder. Making Kenyir duty-free will help boost tourist arrivals and receipts,"

Terengganu recorded almost 3.5 million tourist arrivals for the past two years, although many head to the islands, which the state government fear would end up damaging their precious coral reefs. This has forced the state government to only allow luxury resorts on the islands in the future, and to promote other nature-based destinations such as Kenyir.

Source : NST

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Royal Jordanian and MH sign free sale code-share agreement

2010-09-28T08:42:00.000+08:00

Royal Jordanian and Malaysia Airline (MH), the national carrier of Malaysia, signed a unilateral free sale code-share agreement, whereby MH is the marketing carrier, placing its code on RJ flights operated on Amman-Kuala Lumpur-Amman sector.

The agreement has been effective since September 1, 2010.

RJ President/CEO Hussein Dabbas, who signed the agreement with MH Managing Director Tengku Dato' Azmil Zaharuddin, said: "The code-share agreement between RJ and MH is a free flow agreement whereby MH may sell unlimited seats on each Amman-Kuala Lumpur-Amman flight.”

Dabbas added: “After resuming its regular flights to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on June 2, after a 7-year suspension in operations between the two countries due to the weak economic feasibility of the route over the past years, this move comes as a result of the economic revival and the growth of commercial activity and tourism between the two countries.

“This will offer new opportunities for passengers and will boost the tourism sector as Malaysia is considered a gateway to Southeast Asia, particularly in the economic field where it will serve the traffic of businessmen and students.”

Royal Jordanian operates three flights a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, using its recently introduced Airbus A330s.

Dabbas added that RJ is also preparing to transform a code-share agreement from bilateral to unilateral with British Airways; it comes after having implemented the Amadeus system in October 2010. Next year, RJ is planning to increase the number of code-share agreements with its oneworld partners.

Currently, Royal Jordanian has marketing alliances, through code sharing, with several international airlines: American Airlines, British Airways, US Airways, Iberia, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Siberia airlines (S7), Tarom, Gulf Air, Syrian Airlines and Yemen Airways.

Zaharuddin expressed satisfaction with the agreement with Royal Jordanian:

“RJ is a highly appreciated airline, and thus clients will enjoy the high-class services RJ offers them on board its aircraft.

“MH guests will enjoy the same services as those provided to the RJ passengers. Crown Class passengers will have the opportunity to benefit from the extended services provided by the operating carrier.”

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

New Visit Packages At Petronas Twin Towers

2010-09-28T08:41:00.000+08:00

The Petronas Twin Towers will be offering new visit packages from Oct 1 to give the public an enhanced and more exciting experience when they tour Malaysia's popular tourist spot.

In a statement Monday, Petronas said the packages to be introduced, in addition to the existing Skybridge tour on Level 41, will include a visit to an observation deck on a top floor of Tower 2 and a meal at the Malaysian Petroleum Club (MPC) within Tower 2.

Fees for the packages will start from as low as RM3 per person for the basic Skybridge tour to RM350 per person for the premium package, it said, adding that the premium package will also include a fine dining experience at the exclusive, members-only MPC, almost half-way up the world's tallest twin towers.

The packages were introduced in support of the government's aspiration to realise the tourism potential of the Petronas Twin Towers and the attractions within their vicinity, such as the Suria KLCC Shopping Complex, the KLCC Park, Petrosains, Gallery Petronas, Aquaria and the Malaysian Philharmonic Petronas, the statement said.

These attractions would help position the towers as a premier tourism attraction enjoyed by other iconic buildings around the world, it added.

Petronas has plans to enhance the tour experiences of the buildings in the near future, including extending the visit operation hours, providing a more spacious viewing deck, and enhancing the Visitors Centre, ticketing facilities and other related visitor amenities.

Source : Bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Malaysia targets MICE market

2010-09-24T10:56:00.001+08:00

Tourism Malaysia is targeting the meeting, incentive, conference and events market after recording consistent growth in MICE visitor numbers in recent years. There were an estimated 1.18 million MICE arrivals in 2009, a 150% increase since the opening on the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in 2005.

For Australians, Malaysia’s state of the art facilities, value for money, close proximity and stability make it a popular choice. In the first six months of 2010, 2.7% of short term departures from Australia to Malaysia travelled for a conference or meeting, which was stable compared to the same period the previous year.

Kuala Lumpur has also recently leaped five spots to the 22nd position in the latest ICCA International Congress and Convention Association city rankings while Malaysia moved up one position to 32nd in the country rankings.

With a booming industry, product development in Malaysia has been significant. In 2010 no less than five new luxury resort developments will open with a total of 270 rooms. An additional 14 new resorts are planned before 2014.

Shahrin Mokhtar, director Tourism Malaysia Sydney says that Malaysia has maintained its position as a premier MICE destination in what was a challenging time for the overall industry. “Malaysia has been able to capitalise on conference organisers looking for destinations that offer value for money, are close to Australia and still offer attractions with a point of difference,” he said.

Malaysia is consistently ranked as one of the world’s best value for money destinations. This year Malaysia was listed as one of the best value destinations in the world by Lonely Planet and in 2009 Malaysia ranked as the 4th most price competitive country in the world according to the Travel and Tourism Competitive index by the World Economic Forum.

Malaysia has a growing number of venue options for small to large conventions including two well developed conference hubs in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre opened in 2005 and the Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching opened in 2009.

“Malaysia’s conference hubs are conveniently located in areas with plenty of air capacity and also within easy reach of Malaysia’s amazing tourism attractions. Malaysia offers a huge variety of pre and post touring options. From climbing South East Asia’s tallest mountain in the UNESCO World Heritage Kinabalu National Park, taking the head hunters trail through beautiful Borneo, volunteering in an orang utang or turtle sanctuary or just relaxing in five star luxury along Malaysia beautiful beaches,” said Shahrin.

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism Malaysia Makes Strong Pitch In Frankfurt For MM2H Programme

2010-09-23T10:56:00.002+08:00

Tourism Malaysia, which is making a big push for its Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Programme to Europeans, made a strong pitch at a seminar in Frankfurt Monday night for the MM2H programme before a large German audience that included not only retired pensioners but also business entrepreneurs, government officials, professionals and others under 50, some of whom had come from as far as Switzerland.

Tourism Malaysia's Frankfurt-based director Syed Yahya Syed Othman explained the merits of the MM2H programme and its special appeal for Germans. He said this was the first seminar of its kind to be held in Germany. Syed Yahya played up Malaysia as an attractive destination, pointing out that it had been voted as the best long-stay destination in the top 20 list of retirement destinations by International Living.com magazine.

The reasons for this distinction include its value-for-money factor, location in Asia, tropical climate, well-developed infrastructure, wide use of English, educational and healthcare facilities, security, and variety of housing options available.

"Germany is the second largest source of participants, after the United Kingdom, in the MM2H programme," Syed Yahya said in an interview with Bernama as he highlighted the significance of Germany for the MM2H programme.

According to data from Tourism Malaysia, the total number of participants from around the globe in the MM2H programme is currently 14,358. The UK, with 1,750 participants, was the leading source of participants in the programme, followed by second-ranking Germany (192 participants), the Netherlands (182), France (108), Switzerland ((77) and Belgium (31).

Syed Yahya was supported by a group that had arrived from the Kuala Lumpur headquarters to answer MM2H-related questions. Dayang Balkis Ramli, the assistant director from the MM2H Centre at the Tourism Malaysia headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, was accompanied by two licensed agents, Hosanna MM2H Sdn Bhd of Petaling Jaya, and Optimal Home International of Kuala Lumpur, that offer specialised services to participants in the MM2H programme. "By licensing such agents whose performance is reviewed each year, the Malaysian Government becomes actively involved and thus ensures that the MM2H participants get the right services for which they pay," Dayang Balkis told Bernama.

However, some of the Germans seemed unsure of whether the MM2H provided them with adequate safeguards in their old age when participants want a hassle-free retirement devoid of any red-tape entanglement. The 10-year validity of the social pass that each MM2H participant would be getting seemed to dampen the spirits of some Germans who preferred, instead, to have a permanent resident status, as granted by some countries.

"The MM2H assumes that the 10-year life of the pass would satisfy the participants, many of whom find it restrictive. I have visited Malaysia and am impressed by its scenic beauty and level of development. I believe that Malaysia would benefit even more if it issued, instead, a permanent resident status to MM2H participants. After all, the Malaysian Government is, basically, interested in attracting capital from Germany and other countries, even though this will be deposited in Malaysian banks," an elderly German participant told Bernama.

The permanent resident status would, also, attract business people and others with professional skills who would help Malaysia's future development and catapult it to become Southeast Asia's leading economic power.

Keeping this in mind, Tourism Malaysia in Frankfurt sought the assistance of the Frankfurt-based German-Asian Business Circle, whose president Bodo Krueger was also present at the seminar, and the Japanese-German Business Group. Both these organisations had urged their members to participate in the seminar which was well-attended. According to Syed Yahya, there are some 300 German companies present in Malaysia, of which 70 operate plants.

Dayang Balkis said she discerned some "serious enquiries" from the participants in Frankfurt. "Many of the people said they would like to go to Malaysia and see for themselves the facilities available there. Indeed, I have been asked by some of the participants to organise a similar seminar in their company premises for those who are about to retire," she claimed.

The delegation, along with some staff members of Tourism Malaysia in Frankfurt, departed Tuesday for Stuttgart where they are organising a similar seminar.

Source : Bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

AirAsia X optimistic over Tokyo route in December

2010-09-23T10:56:00.001+08:00

Long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X will fly to Japan in December, with three non-stop flights a week from KL International Airport to Haneda in Tokyo.

Chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani said considering its status as the world’s largest metropolitan city, Tokyo was an important feeder market for the airline to move into the growing international network.

“The three weekly flights will strengthen our historic business and tourism links with Japan’s commercial centre,” he said.

Azran said he estimated that more than 60% of the passengers between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo would be first-time visitors, adding that new market segments could be created from the tourism growth.

To mark its new destination, Air Asia X is offering promotional fares for a one-way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo from as low as RM99. The tickets will be available from Sept 23 to Sept 26 for travel period Dec 9 to Jul 31, 2011.

The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and tickets are only available online via www.airasia.com and mobile.airasia.com.

Passengers will travel in a brand new A330 aircraft with standard business class “Premium Flat Bed” seats that feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities, such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen.

AirASia X currently flies to destinations in Australia, India, Taiwan, China, Europe and Korea.

Source : STAR

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Tourism industry to raise GNI to RM104bil by 2020

2010-09-23T10:55:00.000+08:00

The tourism industry aims to raise its contribution to the Gross National Income (GNI) to RM104bil by 2020 through 12 entry point projects (EPPs) and new business opportunities.

This would require the sector to raise its annual contribution by RM67bil, tripling its GNI from RM37bil in 2009.

At the Economic Transformation Programme Open Day, the National Key Economic Area laboratory on tourism disclosed the 12 EPPs which are expected to deliver RM28.4bil and three business opportunities that would deliver RM28.6bil in incremental GNI.

Declaring Malaysia as a global biodiversity hub and positioning the country as a duty-free shopping destination for tourist goods are among the EPPs expected to deliver significant results in the industry within a 10-year time frame.

The other EPPs are developing the world’s first eco-nature integrated resort in Sabah, designating KLCC-Bukit Bintang as a vibrant shopping precinct and establishing three new premium outlets in Malaysia.

There are also plans to create a Straits Riviera, targeting more international events, establishing dedicated entertainment zones, developing local expertise and better regulating the spa industry, establishing Malaysia as a leading business tourism destination, improving rates, mix and quality of hotels and enhancing connectivity to priority medium-haul markets.

A total of RM204bil in funding would be required over the next 10 years to achieve these aspirations. Of this funding, only 2% is expected to come from the public sector.

Malaysia’s growth in tourism has mostly relied on growth in arrivals rather than yield: 75% of growth has been from increased arrivals and 25% from increased yield.

The laboratory on retail also proposed the setting up of 21 1Malaysia malls in emerging markets overseas by 2020, starting with Vietnam, to expand local retailers abroad

Source : STAR

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Malaysia International Gourmet Festival back in town for 10th time

2010-09-17T11:25:00.000+08:00

The Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) to start on Oct 1, will feature an excotic variety of local and international cuisine from Malaysia and other countries.

The annual festival held since 2001 is aimed at promoting Malaysia's fine dining on the world food tourism map and participated by 30 local restaurants located in five-star hotels and stand alone restaurants in the city.

Apart from authentic local cuisine, various international cuisines including Lebanese, Japanese, Swiss, Chinese, Italian, French, Thai, Indian, European and continental food would also be served.

Before the launch of the MIGF, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and a group of chefs were flown in by five helicopters, courtesy of Eurocopter, and landed at Dataran Merdeka before proceeding to Restaurant Warisan, the venue of the launch.

During the festival, each restaurant will serve special menus at special prices, besides offering other promotions.

Speaking to reporters after the launch, Dr Ng said MIGF which is part of the ministry's three tier "Fabulous Food 1Malaysia" initiative, is hoped to elevate and popularize Malaysian cuisine at the international stage.

Apart from fabulous beaches, shopping complexes, authentic food from the various races in the country is also seen as a tourism product with the potential to attract tourists.

"The Ministry wants to raise the status of Malaysian cuisine because we want Malaysian food to be served at exclusive restaurants to attract tourists," she said.

She said last year tourists spent RM1 billion in a week and hoped tourists would spend more through the launching of MIGF.

Among the participants of this year's festival are The Olive from Maxims Genting, Seasonal Tastes from the Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, restaurants like Al-Amar, Celadon, China Treasures, Neo Tamarind, Tamarind Springs, High Tidem Nerovivo and Vansh.

Also in the list are Chynna, Iketeru and Senses from Hilton KL, Lai Po Heen and Mandarin Grill (Mandarin Oriental), Lafite, Shang Palace, Zipangu (Shangri-la), Dynasty, Med@Marche-Live, Sagano (Renaissance), Sheraton Imperial's Villa Danielli, Equatorial's Chalet, Grand Millennium's Zing, The Royal Chulan's Bunga Emas and L'Heritage, Holiday Inn Glenmarie's Fu-Rin, The Club at The Saujana's The Restaurant, Doubletree's Makan Kitchen have also joined the MIGF.

Source : MalayMail

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

AirAsia X opens tickets to Tokyo from next week

2010-09-17T11:24:00.000+08:00

Airline will be first foreign low-cost carrier serving Haneda airport from Dec 9

AirAsia X will begin flights to Haneda airport in Tokyo on Dec 9 and open ticket sales for the sector next week.

The airline plans to mount three weekly flights and it will be the first foreign low-cost carrier serving the airport that is expected to open for international flights in late October.

Asashi newspaper in Japan reported that AirAsia X was expected to price fares far lower than those charged for existing services between the capitals of Japan and Malaysia offered by Japan Airlines and Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani declined to reveal any pricing when contacted yesterday by StarBiz. But the market is abuzz with talk that the introductory price could range from RM99 to RM199.

Azran said that flying to Tokyo would be “super exciting as finally people will have choices and low fares to go to great places.’’

Three flights per week may be too few for AirAsia X but for now the airline does not have much of a choice.

It is learnt that the Japanese authorities had accorded seven rights and the Malaysian authorities awarded three each to AirAsia X and MAS, and one to Transmile.

“Japan is a high fixed cost city and with so few flights it would be difficult to make the sector sustainable so we will have to convince the authorities to grant us daily flights,” Azran said.

MAS will introduce three flights a week between Kota Kinabalu and Haneda from Nov 15.

Haneda airport is the main domestic hub for Tokyo but due to congestion in Narita, it will start receiving international flights next month. Haneda is just a 20-minute monorail or cab ride from downtown Tokyo whereas Narita is at least an hour’s train ride, and the trip can take over two hours by car on clogged roads.

To beat potential competition from six foreign low-cost carriers from China and South-East Asia, both Japanese carriers – Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA) – want to set up low-cost airlines.

ANA has inked a deal with Hong Kong’s First Eastern Investment Group to set up a new airline that will start operations in the second half of 2011. ANA will own 39% in the venture and Far Eastern 33%. The balance equity will be sold to other investors.

Source : Star

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Floating Hotel With Naval Museum Another Attraction For Lumut

2010-09-17T11:21:00.001+08:00

A RM160 million floating hotel equipped with a naval museum will be another tourist attraction here.

The four-star hotel will be built by Plus Asia Jaya Sdn Bhd (PAJ) on a 1.99ha site next to the Lumut Waterfront Public Park here, said PAJ chairman Datuk Abdul Wahab Azizul Hassan.

He said a decommissioned frigate, Ex-Rahmad would be restored and turned into a naval museum as part of the hotel complex.

"The ship had ended its mission after serving the Royal Malaysian Navy for 22 years and was handed over to the Perak government on Jan 22," he told reporters here Thursday.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir is expected to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony of the 25-storey hotel on Saturday.

Abdul Wahab, who is also Orang Besar Jajahan Manjung, said the hotel, which would have 310 rooms, would be completed in two years' time.

He said the facilities include the biggest banquet hall in the state which could accommodate 1,500 people for banquet and 2,500 for conferences, a two-storey floating restaurant, 45 shops, three floors of offices and an underground parking area.

It will also provide Sungai Dinding and mangrove swamps boat tours for guests, he added.

Source : Bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Growth In Negeri Sembilan's Tourism Industry

2010-09-17T11:20:00.000+08:00

Negeri Sembilan recorded 2,103,837 in tourists arrivals last year, State Tourism, Unity, Culture, Arts, Heritage and Malay Customs committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Razi Kail said.

He said about RM546 million was spent by tourists in the state last year.

"Studies show that each foreign tourist spend an average of RM351.20 a day, while domestic tourists spend RM210.72," he added.

Source : Bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

InterContinental may be Nikko's new management

2010-09-17T11:08:00.001+08:00

THE management of Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur may change hands after 15 years, sources say.

Japan-based Nikko Hotels International's management of the hotel in Jalan Ampang may not be extended when the management contract comes to an end in February next year.

Instead, it is understood that owner MTJ Development Sdn Bhd may bring in InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) - which operates brands like InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn - to operate the hotel.

A source told Business Times that the new brand is likely to be the five-star InterContinental.

According to sources, hotel staff were briefed on August 27 by the owner's representative. They were assured that they would be able to keep their jobs when InterContinental comes on board.

It is learnt that the hotel has some 400 employees.

Nikko general manager Michael Borostyan, when contacted, said: "Hotel Nikko will be undergoing changes in 2011. However, at this point in time, the board members have not officially signed a new management company agreement for the hotel."

A quick check with Japan Airlines' (JAL) Hotels Co Ltd website for Hotel Nikko showed that there were no more rooms available for booking from March 1 next year.

IHG vice-president of communications for Asia Pacific, Eric Lee, responding to questions on whether IHG will manage the hotel from next year, said that it did not have any news to announce at this time.

However, there is talk in the market that InterContinental has started to conduct interviews for placements at the hotel.

The 473-room five-star hotel has been managed by Nikko since July 1995.

Early last month, JAL announced the sale of a 79.6 per cent stake in JAL hotels to Hotel Okura.

The Japanese airline, however, was planning to retain an 11.1 per cent stake in the hotels as well as the brand names of the hotel chain it owns, including Hotel Nikko.

IHG hotels in Malaysia currently include Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur (563 rooms), Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie (260 rooms), Holiday Inn Melaka (275 rooms) and Holiday Inn Resort Penang (358 rooms).

Source : BTimes

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Singapore Hotel Rooms Most Expensive in Asia

2010-09-15T15:44:00.002+08:00

Singapore is the most expensive city in the Asia-Pacific region for hotel rooms, according to a survey of hotel prices in major destinations across the world.

A Singapore hotel room cost an average of S$230 (RM716) per night in the second quarter this year, up 22 per cent from the same period last year, according to a survey by online hotel booking operator Hotels.com.

Tokyo was the second-most expensive at US$156.80 per night, but was down 6 per cent year-on-year, while Sydney was the third at US$148.50 and up 16 per cent.

“We are definitely on a trend up in Asia. When you have more money, travelling quickly becomes an interest and that is going to be reflected in prices in the near future,” Johan Svanstrom, Hotels.com managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, said in an interview.

“The majority of the Asians travel within Asia. China is clearly going to be a very big driving factor for hotels anywhere in Asia,” he added.

Svanstrom cited a recent report by the China Tourism Academy which estimated that 54 million Chinese travellers would go abroad this year.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, this number would nearly double to 100 million by 2020.

Source : TMI
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Ritz-Carlton launches loyalty program

2010-09-15T08:39:00.000+08:00

Beginning September 15, 2010, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. will introduce its highly-anticipated luxury frequent guest stay program – The Ritz-Carlton Rewards. Creation of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards is based on strong customer feedback and demand for a world-class loyalty program that goes far beyond providing complimentary stays and airline flights, and recognizes its members with a broad selection of unique travel experiences.

“No other luxury hotel company comes close to providing such a full range of opportunities to earn and redeem points and experience some truly exceptional and exotic adventures,” said Herve Humler, president and chief operating officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “We have already brought together some of the most exclusive names in travel and retail including world class travel provider Abercrombie and Kent; fashion icon, Vera Wang; National Geographic Expeditions photography workshops; and Neiman Marcus, one of the top luxury retailers in the U.S. This is just the beginning. We will continue to add global partners offering our members the very best in customized and one-of-a-kind memorable experiences.”

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards’ partners offer unique access available only to members, including Abercrombie & Kent members-only tours in locations such as China, Turkey and Egypt; special customer events and a half-day personal shopping experience with fashion experts at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman featuring a private consultation, fashion presentation, lunch, facial and make-up application and the opportunity to redeem points toward wedding gowns and other select products from the world of celebrated designer Vera Wang. Another special opportunity for members will be four-day photography workshops with National Geographic’s renowned photographers at Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts in locations such as San Francisco and Miami. Members will also be able to redeem points for flights on 30 of the world’s major airlines and luxury cruise lines, including Crystal Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn and Silversea.

Membership will be complimentary and guests are invited to enroll by going online at ritzcarltonrewards.com; visiting any Ritz-Carlton hotel front desk; calling toll free reservation at 1.800.241.3333, or, by contacting The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Guest Services at 1.866.922.6882.

As the premier luxury brand in the Marriott International, Inc. (MAR:NYSE) portfolio, The Ritz-Carlton Hotels will lead the high-end luxury hotel segment by offering a rewards program that enables guests to access benefits at more than 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts, plus enjoy the full portfolio of Marriott brands worldwide – nearly 3,300 properties.

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards will partner with the award-winning Marriott Rewards program, whose members will now be able to earn Marriott Rewards points at The Ritz-Carlton hotels. Elite Marriott Rewards members will also receive special benefits when staying at The Ritz-Carlton’s properties.
For complete program details, visit www.ritzcarltonrewards.com.

Source : HNN
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Hyatt Hotels and iPads

2010-09-14T14:59:00.002+08:00

Enhancing guest services globally with iPad.

For over 50 years, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts have aimed to make guests feel more than welcome by providing amenities and services that meet their needs as quickly and directly as possible. With iPad, Hyatt now has the ideal platform to deliver the kind of seamless guest services the company prides itself on — not to mention a powerful, portable business tool for executives in Hyatt’s corporate headquarters.

“We’re all about home away from home,” says John Prusnick, Director of IT Innovation & Strategy for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “We’re also all about ‘high touch,’ meaning the interaction with the guest. We’re enabling that with iPad. The combination of the two has been very powerful for us to reach that operational vision.”

From Hyatt’s Chicago headquarters to individual properties throughout the world, iPad is changing the way this hotel empire does business. Features like instant-on power, fast Internet access, and a large, easy-to-use onscreen keyboard make iPad a valuable contributor in meetings — and many Hyatt executives now take iPads on business trips in place of laptops.

With iPad, Hyatt managers have an immediate, full-size view of their email, contacts, calendars, financial data, and other business resources wherever they are. “You can write up notes during a meeting, automatically make a PDF, and email it,” says John Wallis, Hyatt Hotels Corporation's Global Head, Marketing & Brand Strategy. “In our office, iPad has already become part and parcel of the way we do business.”

“I don’t carry my diary anymore,” adds Harmit Singh, Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer. “I don’t carry a calculator. I used to subscribe to all the journals: the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times. That’s all disappeared. It’s all on iPad."

Boardroom to Guest Room

With hundreds of iPads already in employees’ hands and thousands more in the works, Hyatt keeps finding new ways to use iPad to streamline operations. Plans are now underway to deploy iPad throughout the organization, enhancing everything from registration to in-room services.

“We’re looking at ways to make things simpler for business travelers,” Singh says. “Making check-in easier after a flight or a long day’s work, making it easy to access the Internet.”
When guests walk into Hyatt’s boutique-style Andaz hotels, they’ll be greeted by hotel staff with iPads. “We can swipe your credit card, capture your signature, and check you into the hotel,” Prusnick explains. “We even have the ability on iPad to encode your key so you can go directly into your room.”

Hyatt is also developing iPad-accessible apps that allow guests to order room service, view hotel amenities, review charges, and check out. “Business travelers are bringing their own iPads on trips,” says Prusnick. “We want to enhance their experience and allow them to manage their stay, leveraging iPad.”

Guest Services Go Mobile

The portability, large screen, and long battery life of iPad make it uniquely suited to the round-the-clock, perpetual-motion world of hospitality. “Imagine a large convention center hotel where there are 1000 people wanting to check out,” says Prusnick. “Now we’re able to empower hotel staff with iPads and allow them to quickly and easily check out guests.”

iPad is also a natural fit for the concierge staff, he notes: “They’re showing guests how to get to restaurants or the theater, and showing them the capabilities of the hotel. If guests want to see what the spa looks like or book a golf tee time, they use iPad.”

And for Hyatt’s sales team, iPad has been transformative. Rather than carrying bulky portfolios, they can show potential clients crisp digital images on iPad, or even display videos of property highlights. “It’s a great tool to sell the hotel,” Wallis says. “Especially in this industry, where you’ve got to show bedrooms, banquet space, all the things we have to offer guests.”
Secure and Simple

For the IT staff, supporting iPad has been a straightforward process requiring no formal user training. Using the same infrastructure and messaging platform Hyatt has already established for iPhone, users simply enter their account information and immediately begin using the device.
“We use Lotus Traveler as the core platform to integrate with our messaging collaboration system, Lotus Notes — and users have full access to our VPN infrastructure,” says Prusnick.

“Through the Exchange ActiveSync technology enabled within iPad, we’re able to get instant synchronization of mail, contacts, and calendars without any IT involvement.”

Another non-issue is security. “Hyatt is confident that iPad meets security requirements,” Prusnick states. “It’s fast, it’s secure, and it’s easy to use. iPad has integrated Cisco IPsec, so we can securely authenticate users into the environment.”

Up and Running

Once the devices are activated, users can expand the capabilities of their iPads by downloading business apps such as Keynote, Documents To Go, and Dropbox from the App Store. “With the App Store and the iOS platform, users can find and implement their own solutions without IT intervention,” says Prusnick.

From Hyatt’s headquarters to individual properties throughout the world, iPad is changing the way this company does business. “With iPad, the interaction between the guest and ourselves is now seamless,” Wallis says. “iPad has changed our world forever.”

Source : Apple.com

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

MAS to boost its sales with innovative services

2010-09-14T09:16:00.001+08:00

NATIONAL carrier Malaysia Airlines is relying on new technological devices such as iPhones, iPads, android and blackberry phones to ramp up its marketing efforts and rake in more sales.

Its senior general manager of commercial strategy Dr Amin Khan said the airline was using innovation to make travel easier and to offer good value.

MAS recently embarked on a three-phased upgrade of its passenger service system (PSS) for a total investment value of RM480 million. MAS' decision to upgrade its PSS, now in the final phase and to be completed in 2013, is to cut cost and drive revenue.

The traditional distribution channels for the airline are travel agents, other airlines and ticketing outlets. However, it has expanded the reach of its distribution by utilising call centres, Internet, mobile and iPad kiosks.

"Instead of just focusing on the marketplace, we are moving into the market space using e-commerce," Dr Amin said. He said the market space will allow the airline to recognise its customers as individuals and give them choices at their own convenience.

With 45 per cent of airline bookings done on the Web (based on an Airline Business report in June), MAS is focused on addressing three basic needs on the Web: giving information, getting a transaction done and providing help.

The airline is also using social networking sites such as Facebook and Flickr to generate news of its offers. Aside from this, Dr Amin said that MAS was the first airline in the world to introduce MHmobile with a complete suite of products.

The airline is also using augmented reality for iPhone users, through the global positioning system (GPS), for its offers on fares.

Among other services it has adopted are the introduction of iPad kiosks for booking and purchasing of tickets.

The airline plans to improve its call centre services by increasing its capacity through cloud computing. It will also introduce Web chat services to guide customers who book tickets online.

In line with innovative services, MAS is also looking at a similar model operated by low-cost carriers, such as unbundling its product offering. Dr Amin said that MAS was considering unbundling its low fares, more so for the MHlow category.

"The unbundling will probably happen for services at the ground level, like, if a customer chooses to select a seat." MAS will not look to unbundling meals, or comfort items like pillows and blankets, he said.

Source : Business Times

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

China Is Third Largest Tourist Market For Malaysia

2010-09-14T09:14:00.002+08:00

Strong cooperation and friendship between Malaysia and China has paid dividends in the form of continued growth in trade and tourism.

This has led China to overtake Thailand into becoming the third largest tourist market for Malaysia, after Singapore and Indonesia.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said, last year alone, a million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia, an increase by 7.4 per cent as compared to the previous year.

"Malaysia attracted 23.6 million tourists to Malaysia last year, and we are now placed ninth in the world tourism branding.

"The China market is important to us for its quantity and quality...We are targeting 1.2 million Chinese tourists this year.

"Tourism Malaysia has changed its strategy accordingly, to attract high- yield Chinese tourists who will stay for five days or more, and those who visit frequently," she said, adding that as China had become more prosperous, Chinese tourists were now eyeing quality and luxury vacations overseas.

She was speaking to the media after officiating Malaysia Pavillion Day Celebration at the Shanghai EXPO Centre here Sunday.

Dr Ng was representing Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak at the event.

She said the ministry was in the midst of introducing focus packaging and do away with general sight-seeing tour packages which include Singapore and Thailand.

Tour packages have been re-designed and re-packaged to suit the Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia for shopping, delicious food, cultural heritage and adventure.

"China's tour operators are asked to develop focus products, such as to attract clans and associations and companies to hold annual gatherings and conventions in Malaysia, under the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions concept for tourism," said the minister.

Apart from famous Malaysian pop singer Michael Wong (Guang Liang), renowned Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Datuk Ooi Chean See has also been appointed Tourism Goodwill Ambassador for Germany and Europe to lure tourists, she added.

Ooi works with the equally-renowned Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, having put together a unique orchestral performance at the Shanghai Concert Hall, in conjunction with Malaysia's 53rd independence anniversary celebrations here Sunday night.

Source : bernama

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]