Weekly Hotel Industry News Roundup from Asia Pacific
JAL To Increase Flight Frequency On China & Vietnam Routes
Japanese Airlines (JAL) has decided to increase the number of flights it operates on China and Vietnam routes from May 2007 responding to strong business and leisure passenger demand to these high growth markets. JAL will increase flight frequency between Tokyo (Narita) and both Guangzhou and Beijing from May and June 2007, respectively. Additional flight frequency increases include the routes of Nagoya-Tianjin and Tokyo-Ho Chi Minh City. The Osaka-based JAL also plans to increase flight frequency on its Hanoi route in May 2007 and on routes serving the Chinese cities of Dalian, Hangzhou and Qingdao in July 2007.
Thailand Still Tops Asian Tourism Destination Despite Civil Unrest
Thailand remains the top destination in Asia-Pacific for travelers despite civil unrest in the country, according to an online survey conducted by VISA Asia Pacific and PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association. Of the 5,050 respondents in 10 countries, 20 percent named Thailand as their most likely destination. About two-thirds of those surveyed had already visited Asia, and 47 percent of those had been to Thailand. Thailand was again rated as the number one destination on travelers holiday lists, followed by Japan and China, the statement said. The survey found that of those intending to make an international trip in the next two years, 52 percent are considering Asia as their next travel destination, a nine percent increase from 2006.
Budget Hotel Chain Opens In Korea
A Korean hotel chain officially began business in April 2007, with hotels offering rooms at about one-third the cost of rooms in luxury hotels. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Office (KTO) will jointly operate BENIKEA, an acronym of "Best Night in Korea". Foreigners have complained about Seoul's high accommodation prices. As part of its efforts to boost tourism, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said earlier in 2007 that it would convert a number of motels or other budget hotels to tourist hotels tailored for foreign travellers charging US$32 to US$53 per night. Municipal officials planned 300 of these hotels by 2010, with the top-end among these properties being converted to a BENIKEA hotel or franchised by foreign budget hotel chains such as Ibis.
St Regis To Debut In Jakarta, 2011
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has announced an agreement with Duta Anggada Realty Tbk to manage a St Regis Hotel and Residences in Jakarta, Indonesia. Located along Jalan Jendral Sudirman, Jakarta's "Wall Street", the hotel will offer convenient access to both the business district centred around Jalan MH Thamrin and the upscale residential district of Kebayoran Baru upon opening in 2011. As part of a hotel, residence and office mixed-use development, the St Regis Hotel and Residences will offer 176 guestrooms, 284 serviced residence units and more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
Singapore's Tanjong Pagar Reserve Hotel Site Attracts US$40 Million Bid
A committed bid of US$40 million has been received for a hotel site on the Government Land Sales (GLS) reserve list at Tanjong Pagar Road/Tras Street, Singapore. The site will now be put up for public tender in about two weeks time. Based on the committed bid price, the 30,844-square feet site, which has a plot ratio of 5.6 and a maximum gross floor area (GFA) of 172,728 square feet, works out to cost US$231 per square foot per plot ratio. This is the second hotel site on the reserve list to be put up for tender this year. The first was in Tanjong Pagar Road/Gopeng Street in March 2007, when the trigger price was US$243 per square foot per plot ratio.
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