Tourism Asia Online

Vol. 08 | No: 10. Oct 2012

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India is one of the top destinations of trav-elers from all over the world. This is because of the country’s rich culture, amazing deli-cacies and creative tradition and culture. Over the past six to seven years, many low cost carriers attempted to flatter the Indian flyer with single digit fare rates.

IS LOW COST AIRLINES BUSINESS POSSIBLE IN INDIA?

Tourism Asia | October 2012

Marriott provides a touch of home for Chinese travellers

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Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills Opens

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TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN INDONESIA – NOT ONLY BALI!

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Wares for sale in Batu Ferringhi

contents october

contents october

4 Tourism Asia | October 2012

Mumbai to Host 28th IATO Annual Convention, to Address ‘Challeng-ing Times’

New website start-up targets US medical tourists

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16 24 INIMITABLE HISTORY AND INFLUENTIAL CULTURE

New heritage hotel in the pipeline for Sentosa

Aside from its legendary beaches, stunning vistas, vibrant nightlife and wide array of delectable delights Jamaica is also celebrated for its rich culture.

A NEW website start-up, medisherpa.com, targets US medi-cal tourists with a database of pre-screened medical institu-tions and clinicians i in Asia.

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Foreign airlines can now tap on China market using GDS

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India, Philippines to enhance cooperation in tourism sector

30SLOVENIAGreen. Active. Healthy.

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Managing EditorGroup EditorExecutive EditorPhoto EditorArt EditorSenior CorrespondentSenior Sub EditorEditorial Team

MarketingLegal AdvisorFinancial Controller

From the editor’s desk

All communications to:Tourism AsiaGround Floor, ‘Tower House’, Convent RoadThiruvananthapuram, Kerala, IndiaPhone: +91 471 2470660, Fax: +91 471 2470660Email: [email protected]: www.tourismasiaonline.info

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Edited and Published by:Sreekumara Menon

The news and Advertisements published herein have been collected from

various source, which are considered to be reliable. Readers are however

requested to verify the facts before making business decisions using the same.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the

publisher. All rights reserved. Copyright 2010

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: Sreekumara Menon

: Janeesh Jalaluddin

: Kriebel George

: Madhu Menon

: Dileep

: Subhash Ghosh

: Anish Kumar

: Anu S

: Viji V S

: Suresh Kumar S

: Adv. Preeja K S

: Abhilash S P

Representatives

: Vinod Chandana

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Indians have been known as globe trotters mainly seeking jobs or exploring avenues to do business for ages, ever since the air connectivity across the continents became a reality. But this trend has changed and has now added momentum with the Indians traveling out of their home country for pilgrimage, leisure and pleasure.

Today there is a great demand for destinations like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and many European countries, thanks to the low cost carriers like Air Asia, Tiger Airways, Cebu Pacific Airways. There are no official figures available as yet to gauge the volume but going by the big sharks in the trade and the visible advertising spends it is something that cannot be ignored.

NTO‘s or National Tourist Organizations of many countries have realized India’s potential and slowly making a beeline to impress the country men. Tour operators in other countries have also realized the potential business that can be generated from India and are now constantly seen making marketing calls in India.

Improved connectivity and increasing no. of middle class people with upscale incomes have lead to this sudden blast in nos. Indi-ans habit to splurge in shopping wherever they go makes our tourists a very big source market. The trend is really encouraging and this is bound to scale up more in the years to come.

Are we seeing a momentous shift in the Indian’s taste and travel patterns - the answer is a definite yes.

V.Sreekumara MenonEditor & Publisher

[email protected]+91 9447798108

India has been known for mainly inbound movement for years but slowly it is also turn-ing out to be a fabulous outbound source market. The growing demand and increasing no. of people wanting to travel outside India has shot up tremendously in the last few year.

News & Events

Just last week, the shortage of low cost airports were once again attributed to India, this time, it was by the operators of IndiGo and Spice Jet. These two companies have asked the government’s affirmation regarding their decision to move away from Delhi’s T3 to domestic terminal 1D. There reason behind this sudden change is because both companies could not afford the higher cost of operations in T3. Obviously, there was no reason to say no. Why should low cost carriers operate in higher cost operation terminals? IndiGo has about 24 per cent market share and is the largest LCC in the Indian market as of the latest updates. Furthermore, SpiceJet has a market share of 18.5. IndiGo has an average of 8 flights per week going to various places in Asia like Singapore, Dubai,

Bangkok and Kathmandu from Delhi. While Spicejet flies to Kathmandu from Delhi and is on its way to booking flights from Delhi to Dubai. The least that the government could do is to make sure that these airlines are not being forced to operate in terminals which are too expensive. A PTI report stated that the estimate overhead charges to operations that low cost airlines like IndiGo and Spice-Jet from terminals like T3 are roughly 300 per cent more than domestic operations. In addition to this, they have no choice but to park in 2 differ-ent places along side engineering facilities and ground handling staff. Synergy will also come into play if operations are made possible in just one location. The end outcome – passengers will be satisfied because of lower fare rates.


IS LOW COST AIRLINES BUSINESS POSSIBLE IN INDIA?IS LOW COST AIRLINES BUSINESS POSSIBLE IN INDIA?India is one of the top destinations of travelers from all over the world. This is because of the country’s rich culture, amazing delicacies and creative tradi-tion and culture. Over the past six to seven years, many low cost carriers attempted to flatter the Indian flyer with single digit fare rates. However, many people have heard from confer-ences and media briefings that there is no such thing as low-cost fare when it comes to India. As an explanation, the statement meant to communicate that India does not have the infrastructure to make low cost airline models possible. Therefore, low cost fares are not real. The low-cost part was actually still high in cost for the airline concerned. Until today, this serves everyone true. One of the biggest complaint was that India does not even have just a single low cost airport. For example, if a trav-eler is to fly from Milan to London via Ryanair which is a low cost airline in Dublin, he won’t be boarding the flight at Malpensa or Heathrow, instead, he will be at the low cost Milan’s Bergamo airport to London Stansted which has basic facilities, internet access plus a prayer room. The two mentioned airports are operating in low costs. Their main marketing strategy is to look at all possible angles and how they can cut costs on each one. Thus, their tickets are cheap but the quality of flights and commodities are not jeopardized.

News & Views

TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN INDONESIA – NOT ONLY BALI!

Tourism Asia | October 2012 10

Minister of the Indonesian Tourism Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu said that a shift in the perceptions of people from all over the globe regarding Indonesia must be changed. The said perceptions are mainly due to terrorism and tsunamis as repeatedly reported in international news. The news zeroed in on Bali which is the main tourism point of the country as Jakarta globe reported Friday. Mrs. Pangestu said that pushing more positive news about Indonesia will surely promote tourism. The poor global perception regarding Indonesia is on top of its lack of infrastructure is what is hindering tourists from foreign countries to consider the country as a great vaca-tion sport. She even noted that when you search for Indonesia in Google, you will see its flag, the Garude and the Borobu-dor Temple. Comparisons on this point of view was made with Cambodi which when searched on Google has many images that will drive foreign tourism towards it such as the renowned Hindi temple complex. The ministry aims to gain 10 million tour-ists by 2014 but all the stated facts just seems to make it impossible. Minister Pangetsu has an annual goal of at least 1 million foreign tourists each year. 2011’s numbers showed 7.6 million and hope-fully 2012 will reach 8 million. By the time the calendar hits 2014, Mrs. Pangetsu is hoping for 10 million which is “still half of Malaysia’s foreign tourists.”

Furthermore, the minister wants to make sure that people visiting are quality tour-ists. Indonesia wants tourists to stay longer and spend more time in the coun-try if possible. The tourism sector created an income of 8.6 billion US dollars last year which is 13 percent increase from the previous year. Pangetsu then hopes that it reaches 9.5 billion this year and 11 billion US dollars by 2014. The minister added that the tourism sector, the domestic sector in specific, is growing as proven by the 125 million tourists that generated 15 trillion Rupiah or around 1.6 billion US dollar for 2011. The minister is solid on her decision on promoting tourism. She stresses on the fact that Indonesia is so much more than Bali. In fact, there are 80 more destina-tions in Indonesia that they are sure foreign tourists will enjoy. Among them is Lake Toba in North Sumara, Bunaken Island and Komodo islands.

The branding “Wonderful Indonesia” does not seem to help again, because of the lack in infrastructure and connectivity. In addition to that, direct flights to possi-bly great tourism destinations are still lacking. What makes matters worse is the fact that the airports and seaports were overcapacity. The help of the Public Works Ministry is highly needed along with the State Enterprises Ministry and the Transporta-tion Ministry. With these three depart-ments hand in hand, improvements can be done. The ministry has divided the tourism destinations into seven categories: Sports tourism (diving, golf ); eco tour-ism; cruise ship tourism; spa and medical tourism; culture and heritage tourism; culinary and shopping tourism; and MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences and events) tourism.


a booking – guests will receive their reser-vation confirmation letter or email in Mandarin.

Upon arrival at the hotel, a Mandarin-speaking hotel associate will greet the guests, and assign auspicious room and floor numbers containing the numerals “6” or “8”.

With regards to in-room amenities, a variety of Chinese programmes will be featured on television, and guests will have a choice of Chinese-language news-papers. Chinese tea will be provided as a complimentary beverage selection, while Chinese cuisine will be featured exten-sively in restaurants and on in-room dining menus

News & Views

Marriott provides a touch of home for Chinese travellersMARRIOTT International unveiled yester-day its Li Yu welcome programme that features a suite of amenities and services tailor-made for Chinese outbound travel-lers.

Li Yu, which means “serve with courtesy” in Mandarin, will be rolled out across all JW Marriott, Renaissance, Marriott and Courtyard hotels in Asia by early next year, as well as select international hotels in key gateway cities.

“Chinese travellers are visiting interna-tional markets in record numbers, and China will be the largest source of outbound travellers worldwide in the coming years,” said Simon Cooper, presi-dent & managing director, Marriott Inter-national, Asia.

“We want our Chinese guests to know that

they will be well taken care of and welcomed at our hotels in key gateway cities glob-ally,” he added.

Marriott's Li Yu hospitality experience kicks off the moment a Chinese customer makes


News & Views

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills Opens

C arlson Rezidor Hotel Group, oneof the world’s largest and most

dynamic hotel groups, announced theopening of Radisson Blu Hotel Nagpurin India. This is the �rst Radisson Bluhotel to be established in Nagpur, thelargest city in central India. RadissonBlu Hotel Nagpur is Carlson Rezidor’s53rd hotel in India.

“Carlson Rezidor has beenoperating in India for 14 years and ithas been growing from strength tostrength in this emerging economy. By2015, we will have 100 operating hotelsin India which reinforces our positionas the largest international hoteloperator in India based on the numberof hotels. Our success in this market isin part due to the strong relationshipthat we have with hotel owners. Wehave just signed a strategic partnershipwith Bestech Hospitalities to developour Park Inn by Radisson brand innorth and central India, and the newly

Radisson Blue EstablishesPresence in Nagpur, Central India

Carlson Rezidor’s first Radisson Bluhotel in Hyderabad Banjara Hillsopens. Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel

Hyderabad Banjara Hills to the portfolio,Carlson Rezidor has 54 operationalhotels in India.

“Carlson Rezidor has been achievingremarkable growth in India. Our currentportfolio of close to 100 operating andpipeline hotels places us in a strong positionin maintaining our leadership position asthe largest international hotel group in India.We will continue to boost our presence inkey cities in north and south India to caterto the growing domestic travel,” said SimonC Barlow, president, Asia Pacific, CarlsonRezidor Hotel Group.

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel HyderabadBanjara Hills has 142 rooms and 13suites. It is close to the Rajiv GandhiInternational Airport and the HyderabadInternational Convention Centre. Withthe scenic Banjara Hills as a backdrop,the hotel is minutes from the center ofHyderabad’s commercial hub. The hotelis ideal as a meeting place with its 3,500square feet of function space that can

opened Radisson Blu Hotel Nagpurwill be the �fth property that we aremanaging for Bestech,” said Simon C.Barlow, president, Carlson RezidorHotel Group, Asia Paci�c.

Radisson Blu Hotel Nagpur hasover 10,000 square feet of event space,which can accommodate up to 1,000people. Recreational facilities includea spa, a �tness centre and an outdoorswimming pool. The hotel also o�ersa variety of dining options such asEthyl Bar and Lounge, Cakewalk Tealounge and Pastry Shop, The CreativeKitchen, Ni Hao and Indya Oye.

To celebrate Radisson Blu HotelNagpur’s opening, the hotel is o�eringa special Grand Opening packagestarting from INR 3,999/-. This o�er isvalid until October 31, 2012. For moreinformation or booking enquiries,please visit: www.radissonblu.com/hotel-nagpur

Toll-free : 1 800 1800 333

accommodate up to 350 guests.All guests can enjoycomplimentary broadbandaccess in the hotel and in thehotel’s limousines. To rest andrelax, guests can make use ofthe business class lounge andits library, a gym, a spa and anoutdoor swimming pool. Foodand beverage options includeBar 41 Lobby Lounge and Bar,Movida Tapas Bar and Lounge,Chill – an all-day dining restaurant and acontemporary Pan-Asian restaurant, HolyBasil . In addition, the hotel wil l beintroducing India’s first Dilmah Tea Bar,showcasing more than 26 varieties of itsfinest tea flavors as well as a range of tea-infused beverages.

“Carlson Rezidor’s first class RadissonBlu hotel brand enjoys recognition for itsupscale appeal and we expect it to enjoycontinued growth in India. Not only is theRadisson Blu brand capable of deliveringa great guest experience, it also deliversgreat returns for our owners. We areconfident that the hotel will be an

outstanding hotel in Hyderabad,” said K.B.Kachru, executive vice president, SouthAsia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

“We chose to partner with CarlsonRezidor as it is the number one internationalhotel operator in India and has a solid trackrecord of managing successful hotels.Carlson Rezidor is our hotel partner ofchoice and we are happy to be workingwith their team of dedicated professionals,who are as passionate about deliveringworld-class hospitality as we are,” said B SSahney, Chairman of DAAJ hotels & Resorts,which owns Radisson Blu Plaza HotelHyderabad Banjara Hills.

Radisson Blu Plaza-Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills pool.

Sofitel Hotels in AsiaPacific Launch TravelTrade PromotionSo�tel Hotels in Asia Paci�c launched a newselection of industry and preferred partner ratesfor bookings and stays until 31 December 2012.So�tel’s exclusive rate o�er is available toeligible industry partners, conference plannersand travel consultants.“Our special rates provide an opportunity forindustry friends to experience the world ofSo�tel luxury and take the chance to pamperthemselves by a good night’s sleep sinkinginto a sublime MyBed for a personal encounterwith the So�tel brand,” said Vice President ofSales, Pricing, Distribution and RevenueManagement for So�tel Asia Paci�c, StephaneLaguette. “Travellers can choose from amazinglocations like Bora Bora and Beijing or excitingnew hotel o�erings such as the So�tel SoBangkok, So�tel Mumbai BKC and So�telAuckland Viaduct Harbour in New Zealand.Whether you prefer the city or the sea, ourdestinations are as diverse as our individualguests might be.”Travel industry partners can book to stay at theSo�tel of their choice through either So�tel’s HostProgramme or Partner Programme forthemselves, friends or family.


News & Views

New website start-up targets US medical tourists

website currently features over 300,000 medical institutions and professionals from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Australia.

Ruggles hopes to seal similar arrange-ments with leading healthcare providers

in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa by the end of the year. The company is also working with part-ners to develop packages for medical tourists. Plans are also in the works to build the site's Traditional Chinese Medi-cine (TCM) category to expand its appeal to the Singaporean, Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese markets, and to link the site to hotel and airline booking engines.

Medisherpa.com will be free to users, with revenue deriving mainly from display advertisements on the website, and a tiered membership scheme for healthcare professionals who want to be listed on the site.

To date, the website has received approximately 20,000 unique visitors a month, a figure expected to increase five-fold in the coming months as the start-up firm's online marketing cam-paigns unroll

A NEW website start-up, medisherpa.com, targets US medical tourists with a database of pre-screened medical institutions and clinicians i in Asia.

Currently running on a beta version, the website is scheduled to officially launch on Oct 31.

Michael Ruggles, co-founder of Singapore-based medisherpa.com said: "There is no denying that the medical tourism market in Asia is seeing unprec-edented market growth. We are building a platform to facilitate this influx of medi-cal travellers and there is no better place to do that from than the citystate of Singapore that serves as the gatekeeper to a region synonymous with world-class healthcare, all at low treatment costs."

Targeted chiefly at North Americans, the

Tourism Asia | october 2012 18

News & Views

Mumbai to Host 28th IATO AnnualConvention, to Address ‘Challenging Times’

Moving Forward in ChallengingTimes – Together – How very appropriatetheme. “We believe that as an industrywe need to stop chasing yesterday’squestions, for in doing that we will misstomorrow’s answers. The world we livein is going through major economictransformations and those changes aretouching each and every one of us in thetourism industry. Where we get ourbusiness from is changing.

Who is giving us business ischanging. When we get our business ischanging. We wanted to be in a city thatexempli�es the spirit of a vibrant andprogressive India. We wanted toshowcase a destination that could showus the future of how we can market ourproducts,” shared Subhash Goyal,President, IATO. And no other citydemonstrates all this better thanMumbai.

This year’s convention promises tobe di�erent from the past. “We willhave a greater focus on interactivity,

on learning and on building skills. Youwill see a greater attention being paidto how you can grow your businessand to learning about new productsacross the country.

That is why this year’s theme isvery apt – “Moving Forward inChallenging Times – Together”, for webelieve that we as a collective industry

will overcome all the challengesthrown up by the global turbulenceand we will emerge stronger andbetter,” said Rajeev Kohli, VicePresident, IATO, who is also theConvention Chairman for this year’sconvention. There are also some greatpost trips planned across the state fromSeptember 2, onwards.

TRADE SHOWS / FESTIVALS


News & Views

Slovenia acts as an inspirationfor many seekers of the sort ofactive lifestyle that ensures goodhealth and wellbeing. Whereveryou turn, everything is green.Wherever you go, expect arapidly changing landscape thathas few rivals anywhere in theworld. In addition, Slovenia islaced throughout with rivers,making it among the richestEuropean countries per capitain this regard.

Slovenia: Green with ExtraordinaryStocks of Natural Water

To a majority of Slovenia’s visitorsthe options for outdoor activityrepresent a genuine discovery in themost diverse, but always unmistakeablygreen, landscapes. Slovenia is a greencountry. With forest expanses, theluxury of pure waters, the preservationof extraordinary biotic diversity and thecommitment to sustainable tourism, itis destined to remain the green gem ofEurope. O�ering wonderfulpossibilities for sports and recreation,it has been a desirable destination for

hikers, cyclists and lovers of variouswater sports for decades.

In terms of the quantity of river waterper capita, Slovenia is among the richestEuropean countries. Picturesquemountain streams, intermittent naturalsources and mighty waterfalls are tofound throughout the land. Many ofthese sources are easily accessible viamarked paths; the emerald Soca andbeautiful Savinja present particularhighlights. The forests, which slowlygive way to snow-covered peaks aboveBled, re�ect beautifully in the water ofthe lake - often considered one of themost beautiful in the world.

Active in Slovenia. Where?Everything is easily accessible from

the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana.It is only 50 kilometres away from the

splendours of the Karst with itsluxurious underground caves and thevery special traditions of the Lipicastud farm. In another direction, it isonly two hours drive to the natural andethnographic peculiarities of thePannonia basin and vineyard hills inthe country’s east. On your way there,spend some time in Ptuj, the country’smost historic city, or in Maribor, it’ssecond largest which is a EuropeanCapital of Culture in 2012. The rapidlychanging terrain o�ers manyrecreational options. Arguably theKarst only appears in all its true glorywhen observed from the back of a horse,Maribor when seen from a river raft,and Ptuj from the picturesque golfcourses.

A large part of Slovenia isdesignated as protected. Fantasticexperiences are possible even onthe edges of Triglav National Park, oneof the oldest such parks in Europe, oron the edge of Solcavsko with theLogarska dolina Landscape Park.Both regions have been awardedEuropean Destination of Excellence(EDEN) status.

SLOVENIAGreen. Active. Healthy.

Logarska valley(Archive: Slovenian Tourist Board;

Photo by: Tomo Jesenicnik)


News & Views

Slovenia is the Land of HealthAlong the coast, relax and regain

your strength thanks to theMediterranean climate and the richesof the Adriatic Sea or, alternatively,revive your spirit in one of the manyspa and wellness centres throughoutthe country. The basis for our spas,which o�er medical prevention,remedial and numerous attractivealternative programmes for thepreservation of wellbeing, is theabundance of natural thermal springs.

• With around 60% of its surface covered inforest, Slovenia is the second mostforested country in Europe.

• A full 36% of Slovenia’s surface area isincluded in the Natura 2000 network.

• A fifth of Slovenia’s coastline is protectedarea.

• In quantity of river water per inhabitant,Slovenia is one of the richest countries inEurope.

• Its more than 22,000 animal and plantspecies rank Slovenia among the mostnature-wealthy countries in Europe.

• Drinking water in Slovenia is among thepurest in Europe and even in the world.

• In this country, virgin forest can be foundjust 60 kilometres from the capital city,Ljubljana.

Green Facts

(Archive: Slovenian Tourist Board; Photo by: Matej Vranic)

Soca, the emerald river .

Ptuj, the ancient town of Slovenia.

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Krizna cave is one of the numerouswonders of slovenian underground.

(Archive: Slovenian Tourist Board;Photo by: Tomo Jesenicnik)




News & Views

Bob Marley MuseumThe King of Reggae music and still to thisday the most in�uential musician to comeout of Jamaica is the legend, Bob Marleyand a trip to Kingston is not completewithout a visit to Bob Marley Museum. Themuseum is located on the site of thelegendary musician’s home, which hepurchased in 1975. This house, featuring19th-century architecture, was Marley’shome until his death in 1981. It wasconverted into a museum six years later byhis wife, Mrs Rita Marley. Brilliant red,green and yellow colours decorate theexterior of the creaky wooden house on 56Hope Road where the museum is located.The main museum displays the life andachievements of this phenomenal musicianthrough artifacts, memorabilia, numerouswritings, photographs and other head-turning mementos. The property alsofeatures a well-equipped 80-seat theatre, aphotographic gallery, and a gift shop sellingT-shirts, posters and CDs and other BobMarley memorabilia as well as items fromJamaica. You can also tickle your palate withsumptuous meals from the Legend Cafe.The venue allows you to see every aspect ofthe life of the legend.

Fort Charles MaritimeMuseum, Port RoyalOnce known as the ‘Wickedest City onEarth,’ Jamaica’s famed Port Royal isundoubtedly one of the island’s most

captivating historical sites still standingand during the late 17th century was oneof the largest towns in the English colonies.The marvelous Fort Charles MaritimeMuseum now stands in the courtyard theold British naval headquarters tracingJamaica’s relationship with the sea fromthe time of the indigenous Tainos to thedevelopment of Jamaican maritimehistory. It contains a miscellany of thingsnautical from the heyday of the Royal Navyincluding a scale model of the fort andmodels of ships of past eras. The museumis open from 10 am to 4 pm daily.

The National Gallery ofJamaica, KingstonThe National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) isthe island’s premier art collection. It islocated on 12 Ocean Boulevard, acommercial and cultural center on theKingston harbour. Established in 1974, it isthe oldest and largest public art gallery inthe Anglophone Caribbean. It has acomprehensive collection of early, modernand contemporary art from Jamaica alongwith smaller Caribbean and internationalholdings. The NGJ also has an activeexhibition programme, which includesretrospectives of work by major Jamaicanartists, thematic exhibitions, guest-curatedexhibitions, touring exhibitions thatoriginate outside of the island, and, its tworecurrent national exhibitions, the NationalBiennial and the annual National Visual

Arts Exhibition and Competition. The NGJo�ers a range of educational services,including guided tours, lectures and paneldiscussions, and children’s art programmesand also operates a gift shop and co�ee shop.

Harmony Hall, Ocho RiosLocated 4 miles (6.4 km) from Ocho Rioson the main road to Oracabessa and PortAntonio, renovated historical architecturemeets modern �ne art in this gallery-cum-restaurant at Harmony Hall. Built in themid-19th century as a Methodist manse itis one of Jamaica’s most beautifulbuildings. Opened in 1981 after a year’srestoration, it has since receivedinternational acclaim as an art and craftgallery. There are regular exhibitionsduring the winter season, featuring theworks of Jamaica’s �nest painters andsculptors, and over 100 artists and craftspeople are represented. The gift shopincludes a range of prints, ceramics, books,fragrances and the ever-popularAnnabella Boxes. All are welcome tobrowse, relax and enjoy the atmosphereor the award-winning cuisine atToscanini’s authentic Italian restaurant.,ensuring a tranquil, hassle-free experience.The gallery is open daily from 10:00am to6:00pm, and admission is free.

Institute of Jamaica, KingstonLocated at 10-16 East Street Kingston theInstitute of Jamaica (IOJ) is the storehouseof Jamaica’s natural history. Establishedin 1879 by then Governor, Sir AnthonyMusgrave the IOJ was the �rst organisationof its kind in the Caribbean. Over the yearsit has developed into the most signi�cantcultural, artistic and scienti�c organisationin Jamaica. The IOJ’s mandate is “For theencouragement of literature, science andart in Jamaica.” Among the items ondisplay are fauna and �ora indigenous tothe island. The IOJ is open to the publicbetween 8:30AM to 5:00PM Mondays toThursdays and up to 4:00PM on Fridays,with a minimal entry fee.

Once you leave, you'll never losethe lasting in�uence of Jamaica'smultifaceted culture.

5 Must Visit Museums And Galleries In Jamaica

INIMITABLEHISTORY ANDINFLUENTIALCULTUREAside from its legendary beaches, stunning vistas, vibrant nightlife and wide array ofdelectable delights Jamaica is also celebrated for its rich culture. The island has numerousrepositories of artistic treasures that display everything from exuberant folk art, prints,paintings, and sculptures to Bob Marley’s famous music studio – there’s no better way toimmerse yourself in Jamaican culture than on a visit to one of the many museums andgalleries. For the traveler interested in seeing this side of the island, here is a list of 5 MustVisit Museums and Galleries in Jamaica:

Fort Charles Maritime Museum, Port Royal The National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ), Kingston

Harmony Hall, Ocho Rios

CAMBODIA

CHINA

HOLYLAND TOURS

HONG KONG

INDIA

JAPAN

KENYA

MACAU

MALAYSIA

MALDIVES

MAURITIUS

PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE

SRI LANKA

THAILAND

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

UNITED KINGDOM

U.S.A

VIETNAM

COMBO TOURS

News & Events

Sentosa will boast 14 hotels with a total inventory of 3,134 rooms after W Singapore - Sentosa Cove opens this month (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 7, 2012), followed by the Mövenpick Hotel’s new Heritage Wing in November (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 3, 2012).

Other developments planned include an 860m cableway to transport 1,600 passengers hourly from the Merlion Plaza to Siloso Point and new pedes-trian walkways linking the Sentosa Boardwalk to the beach.


New heritage hotel in the pipeline for Sentosa SINGAPORE’S Sentosa will welcome a new heritage hotel by 2015, as the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has earmarked a 4.2-hectare area for hotel development.

Sitting between Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa and Mövenpick Heri-tage Hotel Sentosa, the former British military barracks – including six blocks and a parade square – can potentially house up to 550 rooms. SDC will put up a public tender later this month, and the successful bidder will be able to lease the site for 60 years.

SDC CEO, Mike Barclay, said: “Previ-ously, we looked at transforming the site into a restaurant and lifestyle quar-ter along the lines of Dempsey, but according to food operators, it would have been difficult to achieve this due to space constraints. We also looked at retail (options) but decided against it, as the area is just too remote.

“Consequently, for this particular site, a hotel makes a lot of sense because on both sides of it there are already hotels that integrate heritage buildings alongside new builds. It fits in perfectly with our strategy of clustering,” he added.

T S Low, deputy CEO of SDC, told TTG Asia e-Daily that several hospitality chains and boutique hotel operators

have already expressed interest in the project.

He added: “We are not looking for a specific class of hotel, but for a devel-oper who would restore the heritage buildings on the site sympathetically, while adhering to the conservation guidelines laid out by the Urban Rede-velopment Authority.”

A change in the Civil Aviation Administra-tion of China (CAAC) Computerised Reservation System (CRS) regulation means that for the first time, foreign airlines will have the choice of using global distribution systems to distribute air fare to travel agents in China. However, airlines in China will not have this option. The new regulation sets in on October 1, 2012. Speaking about the market open-ing, David Brett, president, Amadeus Asia Pacific said, “The new regulations are an important step in bringing positive change to the current travel landscape in China. The regulations will enable a new technology infrastructure that will allow for a more dynamic travel booking market with more travel products on offer that will greatly benefit the Chinese travel industry and Chinese travellers.” Amadeus provides access to over 420 bookable airlines, 110,000+ hotels, 30 car


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rental companies, 50+ cruise and ferry lines, 24+ insurance provider groups. Ama-deus provides IT to 142 airlines around the world, including 75 per cent of oneworld, 64 per cent of Star Alliance and 53 per cent of Skyteam airlines. This includes provid-ing e-commerce technologies that power the international websites of Chinese airlines such as Air China, China Southern and Hainan Airlines. Its entry into the Chinese travel industry will enable travel agents to adopt cutting edge technology that will eliminate the need to memorise lengthy commands for booking flights and will help to ensure booking quality by issuing point-to-point market and GDS fare tickets.

Foreign airlines can now tap on China market using GDS


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India, Philippines to enhance cooperation in tourism sector

parts.In his welcome address Khwaja said, "The meeting would be useful in enhancing tourism cooperation between the two-countries. This meeting will take tourism cooperation between the two countries to the next level and will produce concrete results."

Maria in her address appreciated the friendly relations between the two coun-tries and emphasised upon the impor-tance of pursuing a closer relationship based on the emerging potential in the tourism sector in the two countries.

An agreement on tourism cooperation was signed between India and the Philip-pines on February 04, 2006. The first meeting of the Joint Working Group set up in this regard was held on July 04, 2008 in Manila. The third meeting of the Joint Working Group will be held next year in the Philippines.

A second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Tourism Cooperation was held on Saturday between India and Philip-pines. The Indian delegation was led by R.H. Khwaja, Union Secretary for Tourism and the Philippines delegation by Maria Victoria V. Jasmin, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Philippines.

It was decided in the meeting that both the countries will identify areas for work-ing together and explore new opportuni-ties in the Tourism Sector especially in the field of Research and Development, Education and Training, Promotion and Marketing and destination development and management.

Both sides gave an overview of the Tour-ism Sector in their respective countries and re-emphasised on its potential for employment generation and economic growth. It was also agreed that increased in the tourist traffic between the two countries could strengthen the bilateral relations.

Views for establishing mechanism to encourage exchange of information and data related to tourist arrivals and tour-ism resources to understand the dynam-ics of tourism sector in each others’ country were also exchanged. It was also agreed to continue to exchange tourism data and information at regular intervals.

India and the Philippines emphasised upon the need of exchange of visits of tour operators, media persons related to tourism and opinion makers to promote tourism between the two countries. The importance of interaction between the

tour operators and destination managers of the two countries was stressed upon.

It was agreed that the tourism stake-holders from two sides may meet at regular intervals for exchange of views to promote two-way traffic between the two countries.

Both the countries agreed that growing opportunities in tourism sector should be showcased to attract investments from the private stake-holders of the two countries. It was also agreed to assist each others’ country in carrying out promotion and marketing activities to increase the tourist traffic between the two. They will also continue to participate in travel fares held in each country, as-well-as regional events such as ASEAN Tourism Forum to showcase its diverse tourism products and destina-tions as-well-as allow private sector to interact and network with their counter

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