GE13: Polls uncertainty affecting hotels

Hotel bookings have been affected due to uncertainty over when the 13th general election will be held.




According to hoteliers, this has not only affected room reservations but also seminars, meetings and weddings.



1881 Chong Pian Cultural Hotel director Seah Kok Heng said it has not received many bookings from locals even though it is the school holidays.



“We only have 40% to 50% occupancy this month.



“Usually, our hotel would be at least 80% full during school holidays,” he said.



Seah added that this could be due to uncertainty over the GE date, while some may be tightening their belts after Chinese New Year.



Empire Hotel group general manager Ricky Ho said bookings for seminar meetings have slowed down this week.



“Corporations would prefer to hold them after the elections,” he said.



Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners executive director Shaharuddin M. Saaid said many people have put on hold their travel plans, business deals and even weddings due to the elections.



“They are waiting for the GE to take place,” he added.



However, Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Christina Toh said bookings were picking up as many people believe the GE will not take place this month.



“They are confident it will be after the school holidays,” she said in a phone interview yesterday.



In the last few days, hotels nationwide have been receiving last-minute bookings, she said.



Toh, who is also Dorsett Regency Kuala Lumpur's general manager, added that the domestic market contributes about 20% to 30% of hotel stays.



Many Malaysians met during the MATTA Fair held earlier this month said they were putting their vacation plans on hold until after the elections
Source : STAR

No one will be very surprised that I have picked Malaysia as one of the most exciting hotel destinations around the world. It was the ninth most visited country during 2011 with 24.7 million tourist arrivals, and it likely will have remained in the top 10 during 2012 when new data is released by the United Nation World Tourism Organization.

David Grossniklaus

Economic growth fueled by trade agreements with neighboring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region combined with a young and dynamic workforce offers some of the ingredients for long-term growth. While the global economy might show signs of contraction and increased inflation, real gross domestic product in Malaysia is expected to grow at almost 5% per annum until 2020, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Looking at the big picture
Malaysia’s GDP growth is expected to have reached 5.2% in 2012, according to the EIU.  According to a World Travel and Tourism Council report, travel and tourism directly contributed 6.7% to the country’s total GDP in 2011 and is expected to contribute 4% during 2012. The travel and tourism sector provided direct employment to more than 750,000 people during 2011 and indirectly contributed to more than 1.5 million jobs across Malaysia. The WTTC data suggest that travel and tourism will continue to benefit employment growth by 2.8% per annum until 2022.

Supporting Malaysia’s economic travel industry growth, the airline industry plays a key role in the pace of hotel development. New airplane orders can be translated to new supply not only in capital Kuala Lumpur but also in the more remote regions such as Sabah or Sarawak.

Joining the OneWorld alliance earlier this year, Malaysian Airlines will be able to benefit particularly from partner airlines on some strategic routes to Europe and Australia. Improved connection with key source markets certainly will be beneficial for the hotel industry. This is particularly true as Tourism Malaysia reported tourist arrivals during 2012 declined for those coming from Australia (-9%), United Kingdom (-0.4%) and New Zealand (-19.2%).

Malaysia and China recently signed an economic agreement that will boost economic exchanges between both countries. Arrivals from China should increase in the long run, building off the 12.4% increase recorded during 2012, according to Tourism Malaysia.

Hotel performance

Hotels in Malaysia during 2012 experienced mixed results in the three key performance metrics tracked by STR Global, sister company of HotelNewsNow.com.

Occupancy decreased 0.6% to 66.7%, average daily rate was up 3% to 340.96 Malaysian ringgits ($110.07) and revenue per available room increased 2.3% to 227.36 ringgits ($73.40).

Hotel supply is expected to increase 7% by 2014, according to STR Global.

Kuala Lumpur

Hotel occupancy in Kuala Lumpur increased 1.4% to 74.3% during 2012 while ADR grew 4.5% in local currency to 354.52 ringgits ($114.45), according to STR Global.

Despite the addition of two large hotels that opened at the end of 2012—the Grand Hyatt (455 rooms) and the Majestic Hotel (300 rooms)—and the 482-room Aloft, which will open this year, hotel performance is expected to remain unchanged in 2013, according to Horwath HTL’s “Hotel yearbook 2013: Scenarios for the year ahead.”

Looking forward, STR Global hotel pipeline data shows that the city’s hotel inventory will to continue to grow by 5.5% through 2014. Brand such as Regent Hotels & Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have projects expected to open during 2015.

The regions

Penang looks to continue a period of strong demand growth, with an uptick in supply during the next three years to accommodate an increase in tourist arrivals, according to the Horwath HTL report. 

Meanwhile, Langkawi, an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia, is hurting. The region has seen its own building boom in recent years, which, when coupled with broader economic challenges, has dampened hotel performance. Langkawi saw occupancy decline 9.2% to 58.9% during 2012. ADR in local currency dropped 7.9% to 620.66 ringgits ($200.74), according to STR Global.

The good news is new hotel supply on the island is expected to remain practically unchanged (+0.3%) until 2014, which should help stabilize rate and occupancy, according to STR Global.

Developers are getting their shovels ready in other regions as well, such as Johor, where a Sheraton and Amanresort are planned, according to the Horwath HTL report.

Looking at the main economic drivers and the prospect of growth in the travel and tourism industry, I have placed Malaysia on my watch list of destinations that will see a significant transformation in the coming years.

David can be contacted on david.grossniklaus@ehl.ch Follow him on Twitter @dgrossniklaus.

Source

Starwood set to open Aloft hotel in KL

The Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, located at the KL Sentral here, will open on March 22.

Paolo Campillo, General Manager of Aloft Kuala Lumpur, said the 482-room hotel, will be the first Aloft hotel in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

"It will also be the largest Aloft hotel in the world," he told Bernama. 

The announcement on the Aloft was made by Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President of Starwood Southeast Asia, at the recent "Starwood Asia Pacific Social Networking" event. 

Campillo said two Aloft hotels will be built in Indonesia next and added that the brand is targeted at the Gen-Y segment. 

Starwood has nine hotel brands globally. In Malaysia, Starwood has at present five hotel brands, the Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Westin, Four Points, and Sheraton. 

Campillo said two other Starwood brands, the St Regis and W Hotels, will start operations in Malaysia in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The ninth Starwood brand is the "Element". 

Meanwhile, when asked how Malaysia can enhance its tourism and hospitality industry, Abbott said Malaysia is known for its natural beauty and beaches. 

"The key is also to get more direct flights into Malaysia and have better connectivity to other areas, whether by train, bus, or plane," he noted. 

He said it is important for Malaysia to be competitive, since it is vying for the tourism traffic with Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. 

Abbott said it is also important for Malaysia to improve infrastructure to ensure sustainable growth in the hospitality and tourism industry alongside other related industries. 

Commenting on the social networking event held in conjunction with Starwood Asia Pacific's Recruitment Day, he said the event was aimed at attracting talent in the industry to fill 5,000 jobs. 

The vacancies have surfaced as a result of the Starwood expansion project that will last until 2016. 

He said the event was a unique recruitment drive as the company wanted to set itself apart from other hotel groups

Source

Construction jobs for Harrods Hotel in KL awarded in H2 this year

The construction contracts for the Harrods Hotel here are expected to be awarded in the third or fourth quarter of 2013.

Estimated cost for hotel for the hotel and the integrated development is expected to be RM2bil.

In July 2012, StarBiz reported Malaysia could be home to the world's first Harrods Hotel under a RM2bil collaboration between Qatar Holding LLCand Jerantas Sdn Bhd.

The project, located on a 5.48-acre land between Jalan Raja Chulan and Jalan Conlay, would be one of the world's first three Harrods Hotel chain to be built. The other two on the drawing board would be in London and Italy.

The development would be a one-structure building housing the seven-star hotel, serviced apartments and some retail space. The hotel is designed to have 250 to 300 rooms but the capacity of the serviced apartment has not been decided.

Both Qatar Holding and Jerantas will fund the project evenly, with construction work slated to commence a year from now. Jerantas would be the sole developer.

Source

New Majestic Hotel returned to its former glory

The Majestic Hotel – YTL Hotels & Properties Sdn Bhd’s latest addition. The old wing has been refurbished and a new wing added.

EVERY day is a good day. But today, Dec 8, is an extra special day for the Lims, formerly owners of Hotel Majestic, and the Yeohs of the YTL group. To a greater extent, it is also a special day for Victoria Institution (VI), Kuala Lumpur former students.

The paths of the Lim and Yeoh families crossed at the Hotel Majestic in Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Kuala Lumpur. That hotel will be officially reopened for business today, after a long span of 28 years.

Lim Heng Suan is the son of the former managing director of the hotel, Lim Thye Hee, a VI old boy.

Heng Suan's late father used to run the family hotel business and before him, his father. The Lims were the owners of the hotel which started with 51 rooms as Kuala Lumpur's premier hotel. It was built by the late Datuk Loke Wan Tho (1915-1964), a film magnate, in 1932. Loke was the ninth of 11 children of Loke Yew (1845-1917), a Chinese-born business magnate who made good in Kuala Lumpur. Loke Yew was one of the founders of VI and a prominent member of the Chinese community. Wan Tho himself was educated at VI.

The hotel also played an important part in the lives of former students as the Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association used to hold its annual dinner and dance on the rooftop balcony of the Majestic Hotel.

Today's party will be of a different sort. It will officially introduce the new owners, YTL Hotels and Properties Sdn Bhd and the Yeoh family. It will also be a walk down memory lane for those who worked, lived and partied there during its heydays, particularly the Lims.

Says Datuk Mark Yeoh Seok Kah, executive director of YTL Hotels andYTL Corp Bhd: “We invited Lim (Heng Suan) to be the guest of honour. He is really so excited about coming back to the restored Hotel Majestic.”

An image from the National Archives showing the Hotel Majestic Kuala Lumpur in January 1977. The old Majestic Hotel is a precious relic of Malaysian history that was built in 1935, and is now being refurbished into a heritage hotel by YTL Group after being left vacant for many years.

The hotel was closed in 1984 in order to house the National Art Gallery. The move was not without resistance, however, as many did not agree to the hotel making way for an art gallery.

In 1995, the Government, Syarikat Tanah dan Harta Sdn Bhd (a Finance Ministry Inc company) and YTL Corp Bhd signed an agreement to privatise the National Art Gallery building project.

The YTL group built and completed the new art gallery, which is located in Jalan Termeloh, off Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur in 1998 in exchange for Hotel Majestic, which was gazetted as a heritage building. But it was not until 2008 that the group received approval to refurbish and develop the hotel.

Says Yeoh: “Kuala Lumpur needs a classic hotel.”

That hotel is the nation's pride and an important remnant of the country's colonial heritage. There are reports that the new hotel was an investment of about RM250mil but Yeoh is reluctant to put any figure to it.

There is much history and nostalgia in that part of town for those who grew up in Kuala Lumpur. The Majestic Wing, which has about 50 rooms, fronts the KTM railway station, and is among Kuala Lumpur's most famous buildings. That structure, described as Neo-Moorish/Mughal or Persian style, was designed by British architect Arthur Benison Hubback (1871-1948), who was also a brigadier-general in WWI. He designed the Rail Way Administrative Building, Masjid Jamek, Carcosa Seri Negara, which at one time, was a 13-room hotel located in the Lake Gardens, now known as Taman Tasik Perdana, and the extension of the Royal Selangor Club of Kuala Lumpur. Hubback also designed other buildings in Ipoh and Seremban.

While the Majestic Wing faces the KTM station, the YTL group has added a new wing, known as the Tower Wing fronting the Sulaiman Building, an Art Deco treasure from the 1930s. It formerly housed the Syariah Courts. That is another structure that is robust with character with its thick walls and arches.

These buildings, together with the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which is a bit further away and which fronts Dataran Merdaka, add to the rich tapestry of Hotel Majestic.

Mark Yeoh in the orchid conservatory of Majestic Hotel.

As the city grew, the nucleus eventually moved to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) area and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, but this older part of Kuala Lumpur continues to hold its own.

Says Yeoh: “Hotel Majestic is the only hotel in Kuala Lumpur to be included in the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) luxury collection.”

Other hotels in the listing are The Ritz London, The Pierre in New York City, Hotel le Bristol in Paris, and Villa d'Este in Lake Como, Italy.

Philip Ho, Asia Pacific vice-president, Leading Hotels of The World describes the new hotel as “a masterpiece that is truly one of a kind.”

A third structure, known as The Smokehouse, has been added for smokers along with an orchid conservatory known as The Orchid Room which showcases a variety of species.

Much of the structure in the main wing has been retained, included the dome in The Colonial Cafe.

Says Yeoh of the group's latest hotel: “We did a survey. More meeting rooms and a huge banquet would help boost the hotel.”

Up to RM1mil worth of business, particularly for wedding receptions and dinners, has been booked until next March.

On the group's hospitality business, Yeoh says the company plans to add more hotels to its stable. Besides Hotel Majestic, the group's other latest hospitality acquisitions include three Marriott in Australia, and a hotel in Bath, UK. It also launched Gaya Island Resort in Sabah recently.

Yeoh's first hotel was Pangkor Laut Resort, probably one of Pangkor Island's most luxurious and world renowed resorts today. It did not have this accolade when he first took over.

“When I took over that hotel, we were offering it as RM50 per head a day. We were brought in as contractors.”

On the group's successful hospitality business, he says: “I may seem to be ahead of the game today but that is because I made more mistakes than the others.

“The hotel business is a brutal business. And I am grateful that after 10-20 years, my management has remained with me. That is my biggest joy. It is easy to bring in the hardware. It is the software, the people who greet and look after guests, which makes the difference. They are the frontliners. Imagine an inverted triangle. I am at the bottom,” says Yeoh.

Source

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.

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

Banyan Tree Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

• http://www.facebook.com/CutiCuti1Malaysia
• Citrawarna

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

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

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

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]