New TAT Governor takes office, thanks visitors for their confidence

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) executive Mr. Thawatchai Arunyik, who became the new TAT Governor on 22 December, has issued a broad statement of thanks to all visitors who are presently in Thailand, and all those who are sticking to their travel plans in spite of the present state of political flux.

“I am happy to be taking the helm of TAT at a very important stage of the country’s history,” said Mr. Thawatchai. “I am confident the tourism industry will ride this through. Above all, I would like to thank all the visitors who have retained their confidence in the kingdom and maintained their travel plans. I hope their presence will encourage others to follow suit.”

Mr. Thawatchai will replace Mr. Suraphon Svetasreni, who has completed his four-year term. Born in Phetchaburi province in 1955, Mr. Thawatchai is the 9th Governor of TAT. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the University of the East, Manila, Philippines, he joined TAT in 1983 and has since held a number of positions both in Thailand and abroad, as follows:

Director of the TAT Central Region Office Region 2 (1995 - 2000)

Director of the TAT London Office (2000 - 2003)

Executive Director of the Central Region (2006 - 2007)

Executive Director of Europe Africa and Middle East (2007- 2010)

Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing (2010 – 2013)

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Thawatchai thanked the TAT Board of Directors for entrusting him with the responsibility. He said he looked forward to working with all industry partners, both in the public and private sectors, in Thailand and abroad, to maintain the momentum and help travel and tourism meet its targets.

"Tourism is now well established as a leading driver of jobs, economic growth, income distribution and sustainability," Mr. Thawatchai said. “All my predecessors and the entire staff of TAT have worked tirelessly over the years to build a strong foundation. My job is to build on that and implement the strategies and projects already clearly outlined in the Marketing Action Plan.”

TAT is anticipating visitor arrivals of 26.1 million in 2013, and projecting 28.01 million in 2014. Revenue projections are for 1.1 trillion Baht in 2013 and 1.326 trillion Baht in 2014.

He said he would work on further strengthening alliances with industry partners, boosting cost-effective communications via social media and ensuring that the industry never loses sight of the need for environmental sustainability.

For the latest updates, please visit
www.TATnews.org

Wego's 2013 HotSpots and 2014 Travel Predictions

click to enlarge

Wego, the leading travel metasearch site in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, today shared the hottest travel hotspots in flight search throughout their core regions and predictions of travel trends throughout for 2014.

"We've seen a lot of shifting trends in all our markets this year," said Ross Veitch, Wego CEO and Co-founder. "People are travelling more frequently and seeking new destinations from traditionally popular routes."

"Accessibility is leaping forward dramatically in all our regions and the comfort and security of using Wego's metasearch is clearly reflected in the increasing number of users enjoying our site across all our localised country sites, along with our rapidly growing inventory of airline, hotel and OTA partners, helping them to explore their options to travel anywhere in the world."

Wego has 50 country sites in more than 30 languages and this year appointed six new Market Development Managers covering Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand with established regional offices in Bangalore, Dubai, Jakarta, and moved into new Singapore headquarters in March.

"The Wego team has worked enormously hard this year developing a targeted and very localised user experience with more accessible and advanced technology, tailored to the needs of travellers everywhere which we're all very excited about. Watch this space," Veitch concluded.

Core Market Observations

Australia

"Australia's top ten reflects its proximity to Asian capitals such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, while Bali, Manila and Phuket remain jumping off points for popular holiday resort locations," said Matthew Varley, COO of Wego.

"With the drop in the Australian dollar towards the end of this year, you might expect that Australian's may lean towards more domestic travel. However, popular short haul destinations such as Phuket, Bali, Fiji and New Zealand still resonate with Australians and may develop even further, appreciated as good value for money international choices. The Qantas and Emirates alliance continues to provide connectivity to Dubai, and onwards to Europe, a route that we expect will remain strong in 2014," Varley stated.

Singapore

"Bangkok has long been a top destination for Singaporeans because of its close proximity/short travelling time, plenty of promotions on flights and accommodation for budget conscious travellers, as well as the fact that it is a food/shopping haven and the Singapore dollar has been consistently strong against the Thai Baht," observed Dave Lai, Wego's Market Development Manager for Singapore and Malaysia.

"It's interesting that Taipei and Seoul have been increasing in popularity recently (past three years), and I believe will continue to do so as Singaporeans consider exploring other North Asia destinations aside from Hong Kong."

"There's been an increase in Singaporean holidays to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi also due to its close proximity but also due to active LCC promotions. In recent years, Jetstar added a daily route to Ho Chi Minh and flies to Hanoi four times weekly," Lai added. "Business travel to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi has also increased and Singapore's direct investment in Vietnam has seen the Lion City become the largest foreign investor in Ho Chi Minh in 2013."

Indonesia

"It's interesting that Bangkok has overtaken Kuala Lumpur this year," commented Graham Hills, Managing Director, Wego Indonesia. "Europe is clearly hitting the travel radar for Indonesians with three cities in the top ten compared to only two in 2012. Most notably Amsterdam has moved into the top five and London into the top ten in 2013."

"Even though the Rupiah has fallen more than 20 percent against the US dollar in the last six months, Wego Indonesia saw an increase of 58 percent in international searches during 2013, (38 percent overall in 2013 compared to 24 percent in 2012)," added Hills.

"In 2014 more Indonesians will be accessing travel websites from mobile devices than desktops before the year end," predicts Hills. "China will overtake Malaysia and become the number two international destination on Wego for Indonesian users, and I believe that Indonesians travelling to Europe will outpace travel to Asia in terms of growth."

"Given the decline in the Rupiah value during 2013 we expect growth to international destinations to slow down in 2014 with more Indonesians holidaying at home. Indonesia will remain a very affordable international destination for regional travellers so we expect to see growth in inbound travel from markets like Singapore, Malaysia and Australia," concluded Hills.

Middle East & North Africa

"Travel between the Middle East and Asia continues to grow with more flight options between both regions," said Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, Managing Director, Wego Middle East and North Africa. "Intra-regional traffic tops the volume in 2013 due to big expatriate communities working in the Arabian Gulf."

"Key tourism destinations such as Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok continue to lead the search results from the MENA region."

"In 2014 as the EU works to further relax visa requirements for Gulf Nationals, more travellers will select Europe for their summer holiday destinations. The UK's removal of visa requirements for UAE nationals will change the rankings of top destinations for Emiratis, and help to increase the number of holiday and business trips."

"An increased surge in the number of online travel agencies over the past few months may place additional pressure on offline businesses, and in 2014 we will see a further increase in competition for the online travel space," added Masri.

"We will see more advanced bookings for summer holidays driven by special offers and promotions that will be rolled out earlier in the market, and we can expect new Asian destinations to be added to the travel menu, with lots of new tourism products from legacy destinations," he concluded.

India

"Given the falling rupee, 2013 saw many Indians preferring domestic travel destinations and weekend getaways over international options overall," said Jackson Fernandez, Managing Director, Wego India. "However, the flash sales offered by airline companies fuelled a rise in preference for SEA destinations for international travel."

"In 2014 we'll see the emergence of the niche traveller, once referred to as backpackers, although in today's parlance could be termed 'well-informed individual travellers'," predicted Jackson Fernandez, Managing Director for Wego India.

"This is where social media and Wego's convenient metasearch come into play even stronger, empowering these travellers the freedom to make and live by their own travel plans with little or no assistance from other sources. As a result there'll be a growth in the travel gadgets industry providing many new opportunities."

"Value for money will be top of mind for travellers and expectations will be higher than ever before. Given the rupee depreciation Indian travellers chose India for the majority of 2013 which has given rise to newer locales to sprout and scale standards to match other holiday destinations."

"The mobile travel market will boom in 2014 and the B2C channel of communication is key to reaching larger audiences through apps, mobile site versions and games. Social networking will continue to become integral marketing channels for travel companies as the most effective method in growing brand awareness and engagement with customers," he continued. "Wego's social platform connects with more than 1.5 million fans globally and continues to grow, and will remain a priority in our communication network."

The Ritz-Carlton Opens in Israel, a New Market Ready for a Globally-Branded Luxury Hotel

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. unveiled its first hotel in Israel today, with the much anticipated official opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya.

Spectacularly located overlooking the Mediterranean, the property is a first-of-its-kind industry leader for Israel’s luxury hotel market and the country’s first true 21st century "Urban Resort".

“It is a privilege to bring The Ritz-Carlton legendary service to Israel at this beautiful seafront location in the greater Tel Aviv area” said Herve Humler, President and Chief Operations Officer, The Ritz-Carlton.  “The Ritz-Carlton service philosophy will be brought to life by a committed team of Israeli Ladies and Gentlemen at our 85^th hotel”.

Herzliya is Tel Aviv’s water-front leisure destination, with pristine beaches and an exclusive residential area. Adjacent to Israel’s “Silicon Valley”, Herzliya is a destination for both business and leisure travellers close to the historic cultural sights, Bauhaus architecture and the dynamic café and restaurant culture of Tel Aviv.

The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya is a contemporary resort situated above the Marina with accommodations including 115 rooms and 82 suites and residences. Contemporary interiors inspired by the colours of the Mediterranean coastline combine with the sweeping sea views to create a spacious relaxed ambience in each of the rooms and suites. An exciting collection of artwork throughout the hotel is centred on an original video-art piece by Ayal Landseman, specially commissioned for the lobby area.

Celebrated Israeli Chef Yonathan Roshfeld has partnered with the hotel to create the kosher Samuel Herbert Restaurant at the hotel. Chef Roshfeld, renowned for fresh Mediterranean cuisine, brings his creative talent to kosher cuisine for the first time, using local produce to deliver a memorable dining experience at The Ritz-Carlton.

The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya introduces two new bars and lounges to the city with a Lobby Lounge and rooftop al fresco cocktail lounge for the evening. The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Fitness Centre and rooftop pool bring an unrivalled array of leisure facilities to complement the resort’s beachfront location.

Located atop the hotel is the pool, enveloped by a 360 degree view of the Mediterranean coast and the sandy beaches of Herzliya. The rooftop location transforms into a sophisticated cocktail lounge bar as the sun goes down and becomes the summer venue for evening drinks. The Ritz-Carlton Spa offers a haven for pampering with an outdoor terrace for relaxation, couples treatment rooms and a Turkish Hammam. This urban oasis has a full range of beauty and body therapies including Ritz-Carlton signature therapies and Shiseido treatments created exclusively for the hotel.

Perfectly suited for intimate business meetings, grand celebrations and gatherings of every kind, business facilities at the hotel include the ballroom, located at the lobby level, with natural light and views out over the Mediterranean and two boardrooms.

Hospitality Icon takes the Reins at New Zealand Luxury Lodges

Southpark Corporation today announced that Louis de Bievre has been appointed General Manager of both The Kinloch Club (Taupō, New Zealand) and Treetops Lodge & Estate (Rotorua, New Zealand).

Louis has a long-standing career in hospitality in New Zealand, having spent more than 20 years in a variety of roles, most recently as General Manager of globally renowned luxury property, Huka Lodge.

Louis de Bievre,
GM Southpark Lodges

"I'm excited about combining my passion for golf, world-class hospitality, and the raw and natural beauty of New Zealand in this new role," says Louis.

Situated in the Lake Taupō region of central New Zealand, The Kinloch Club is the only Jack Nicklaus signature designed course in this country. It is an 18 hole Championship par 72 golf course, offering luxury lodge style accommodation and restaurant facilities.

"Now ranked by Golf Digest Magazine in the Top 100 golf courses in the world outside the US, The Kinloch Club has become a must visit golf experience for travelling golfers and local New Zealand golfers alike," says Louis.

Treetops Lodge in Rotorua offers the ultimate in world-class luxury accommodation in the heart of a unique forest and thermal wonderland. In 2012, Treetops was recognised as New Zealand’s leading luxury lodge in the World Travel Awards, and offers both outdoor recreation and spa facilities, as well as reclusive and exclusive accommodation options.

"Treetops is unique in both location and offering, and is a great complement to The Kinloch Club," says Louis.

"I'm looking forward to bringing my years of lodge experience to these properties," says Louis, "and by sharing my enthusiasm, I will ensure that every guest has an outstanding experience. I hope that under my management, both will continue to be recognised as New Zealand’s best."

India still on track to cross one million visitor arrivals to Thailand

Indian arrivals to Thailand are set to cross the one million mark again this year, thanks to a continued flow of tourists in December, news reports about the political demonstrations notwithstanding.

“Despite what travellers may have recently read or heard in some of the international media, they can be confident that Thailand is still a welcoming tourist destination,” said Ms. Runjuan Tongrut, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New Delhi Office.

In January – November 2013, Indian visitors to Thailand totalled 958,921 up 4.07% over the same period of 2012. She voiced confidence they will cross the 1,015,865 arrivals figure achieved in 2012.

According to Mrs Runjuan, “Indian travellers are used to political demonstrations that come with living in a vibrant democracy. They are also smart and savvy users of social media and are well informed about the reality on the ground.

“By and large, Indian visitors are maintaining their travel plans, especially those heading for festive season celebrations in Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Ko Samui, and Chiang Mai.”

Numerous Indian Weddings are due to be held in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, Krabi, Koh Samui, Khao Lak, Rayong, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai between December 2013- June 2014.

In a major vote of confidence for Thailand, a convention-cum-incentive of 600 dealers and salespersons from Amway India proceeded normally between 4-6 December, 2013, with no interruptions or disruptions.

“Any traveller considering a visit to Thailand does not need to worry, as tourists have not been targeted in the political protests”, Mrs Runjuan said.

December is one of the most exciting months for tourists in Thailand with many exciting events and shopping extravaganzas taking place nationwide.

The Amazing Thailand Countdown 2014 will be organised as planned in seven major cities – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya), Songkhla (Hat Yai), Phuket, Khon Kaen and Chiang Rai from 25 December, 2013 to 1 January, 2014.

“The TAT New Delhi Team would like to thank all its travel trade partners, media and travellers for their support. We wish them all a prosperous New Year,” Mrs. Runjuan said.

Viking Cruises keel-laying for new ocean line

 

Keel Laid for Viking Star, Company's First Ocean Ship

Viking Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com.au) today announced the keel was laid for its first ocean cruise vessel, Viking Star, marking the next construction phase of the company's first-ever ocean product. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 18, at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard outside Venice, Italy. Viking Star is scheduled to be delivered in early 2015.

                "Our new ocean itineraries are selling at an unprecedented rate, and the enthusiasm we have seen from guests is truly remarkable," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. "There is undoubtedly interest in an ocean cruise experience that returns the focus to the destination, and Viking is actively planning to meet that demand."

                Steel was first cut for Viking Star in June 2013, and the laying of the keel is a formal recognition of the start of construction. The 930-passenger Viking Star features state-of-the-art design from experienced nautical architects and engineers. The company will also launch a record-breaking 14 new river vessels – Viking Longships® – in March 2014.

                Viking's ocean itineraries will include Viking Star's maiden voyages in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. Classified by Cruise Critic as a "small ship," the all-veranda custom-designed vessel allows travellers to get closer than ever to their destinations with maximum time in ports, while highlighting history, art and local culture through privileged-access excursions and onboard experiences that are truly designed for the experienced traveler.

For additional details, contact Viking Cruises toll-free at 1800 131 744 (Australia) 0800 447 913 (New Zealand).

 
About Viking Cruises

Viking Cruises offers destination-centric river and ocean cruising designed for experienced travellers with an interest in geography, culture and history. Featuring onboard cultural enrichment and included shore excursions, Viking's journeys are competitively priced for genuine value. Debuting its maiden season of ocean cruising in 2015, the sophisticated state-of-the-art Viking Star will host 930 guests on itineraries in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. As the world's leading river cruise line, since its 1997 inception the company has grown to a fleet of 35 river vessels (in 2013) offering scenic cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China, and Southeast Asia. Viking has been honoured multiple times in Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards and Condé Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized by the editors of Cruise Critic as "Best River Cruise Line," with the entire Viking Longships fleet being named "Best New River Ships of 2012" in the website's Editors' Picks Awards. The travel trade has ranked Viking as the "Best River Cruise Line" by Travel Weekly, Recommend and Travel Agent magazines, "Best Cruise Line for Luxury River Cruises" at the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence and as "Best Overall Cruise Line for River Cruising" and "Best River Cruise Line for Travel Agent Support" in TravelAge West's WAVE Awards. For additional information, contact Viking Cruises at 1800 131 744 (Australia) 0800 447 913 (New Zealand) or visit www.vikingrivercruises.com.au.

Visit USA Organisation Australia Announces 2014 Expo Dates

Want to meet and mingle with more than 55 travel and tourism representatives from the U.S.?

The Visit USA Expo series, the largest event of its kind in the county, is back for another year, with events to be held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from February 20 to 25, 2014.

The events provide a forum for some 2,000 Australian travel agents and planners to meet with more than 55 visiting American representatives from tourism bureaus and travel/tourism providers, make new contacts and stay up to date with the latest news and developments in the American tourism industry.

The Expos have been running in Australia for more than 20 years and are a fundamental resource in driving tourism to the United States, no doubt contributing the record figure of more than 1.2 million Australians visiting the country in 2012.

As an added bonus, there will be major prize giveaways and entertainment on the night.

"We're delighted to have so many new Visit USA members attending the Expos this year," said Visit USA President Geoffrey Hutton. "The events have always been hugely successful, and we look forward to continuing the tradition."


DATES
Melbourne: Thursday 20 February 2014 @ Plaza Ballroom, Regent Theatre from 5pm
Sydney: Monday 24 February 2014 @ The Star Event Centre from 5pm
Brisbane: Tuesday 25 February 2014 @ Pullman Brisbane from 5pm

To register to be part of an Expo in your city, visit www.visitusa.org.au/events

For additional information or queries, contact visitusa@bigpond.com

www.visitusa.org.au

www.facebook.com/VisitUSAAustralia