TRAVEL & TOURISM
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Appointment - Amari Airport Hotel

Bangkok Airways to connect Samui- Singapore daily

Emirates offers complimentary nights in Hamburg

Green light for Conrad in Phuket

New five-star property for Phuket

Big expansion at Bangkok Airways

Thai trade fears tourism backlash

Appointment - Amari Airport Hotel

Mark Bulmer

Robert Jaermann, general manager of the Amari Airport Hotel, announces the appointment of Mark Bulmer as executive assistant manager. Bulmer, an Australian citizen holds a B.A. Business (Hospitality Management) from “La trobe” University, Victoria, and has extensive prior experience in rooms division management, gained at various Le Meridien properties in Australia, Vanuatu, Malaysia and Cambodia. He replaces Resident Manager Wouter Hazenbroek who has been promoted to general manager of the Amari Boulevard Hotel.


Bangkok Airways to connect Samui- Singapore daily

Bangkok Airways will fly daily on its Samui-Singapore route starting from April 18, an increase in frequency from its current six times weekly services.
The added flight will serve Koh Samui and Singapore by filling up a Tuesday slot, utilizing a 120-seat Boeing 717-200 aircraft.
Daily flights will depart from Samui at 16.40 hours, arriving in Singapore at 19.20. Return flights leave Singapore at 20.10, arriving in Samui at 20.50.
After March 26, flights from Samui will leave at 16.30 while the arrival time in Singapore remains the same. (TTG Asia)


Emirates offers complimentary nights in Hamburg

In a move that will be music to the ears of many of its customers eyeing travel to Hamburg, Emirates started offering complimentary accommodation and car rental on the launch of its daily services to the German city on 1st of March, 2006.
The offer, valid from 1st March to 31st May, provides travelers flying Emirates First Class to Hamburg with three nights’ complimentary stay at the Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten plus a free day’s rental of a BMW 7 Series car, or a weeks’ car rental in Hamburg. Business Class travelers can enjoy two nights’ stay at the Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten or five days car rental; while Economy Class travelers can avail of one complimentary night’s stay or three days car rental in Hamburg. The car rental option includes an Audi A4 (or similar) with unlimited mileage.

Hamburg will be Emirates’ fourth gateway to Germany. The airline currently flies twice a day to Munich and Frankfurt, with the second daily to Düsseldorf commencing on 1st May. Germany is one of Emirates’ most important markets and its new daily service to Hamburg will further strengthen this position.
As one of the host cities for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Hamburg is gearing up to receive thousands of visitors during the tournament, and Emirates’ new services would no doubt be welcomed by soccer fans around the world seeking convenient travel connections to Germany. This also enhances Emirates’ role in being an Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
Emirates operates its A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration on the Hamburg route, offering 237 seats and 14 tons of belly-hold capacity.
Soonthorn Suree, Emirates’ area manager Thailand and Indochina, said: “Emirates continues to widen its global network, providing convenient travel options between continents, and providing great value with its introductory offers. Our passengers will be delighted to know that our current daily flights between Bangkok and Dubai offer convenient connections to Hamburg.”
From Bangkok to Dubai, Flight EK385 departs Bangkok International Airport daily at 01.20hrs to arrive in Dubai International Airport at 05.00hrs. Flight EK419 departs Bangkok daily at 02.20hrs to arrive in Dubai at 06.00hrs, and flight EK387 departs Bangkok every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 02.55hrs to arrive in Dubai at 06.55hrs.
Flight EK059 will take off daily from Dubai International Airport at 08:55hrs arriving at Hamburg International Airport at 12:55hrs the same day. The return flight, EK060, will depart at 15:35hrs, arriving in Dubai at 00:45hrs the next morning.
On the Dubai - Bangkok return flights, EK384 leaves Dubai daily at 03.15hrs to arrive in Bangkok at 12.05hrs and EK386 leaves Dubai every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 08.10hrs to arrive Bangkok at 17.10hrs.
Soonthorn added: “While transiting through the Dubai International Airport passengers can enjoy the fantastic bargains at the renowned Dubai Duty Free. Moreover, this package also enables our customers to take advantage of Emirates’ Dubai Stopover packages at no additional costs.”
Emirates’ launch offer to Hamburg may be booked via travel agents or directly from the Emirates office on 0-2664-1045.
The offer is applicable to all adult fare paying customers traveling to Hamburg exclusively on flights operated by Emirates. Customers are advised to check terms and conditions with their travel agents.


Green light for Conrad in Phuket

Conrad Phuket Resort and Spa is slated to open in 2007 after a two-year delay. It was scheduled to open in the middle of last year.
The property’s owner, Resort Holdings, commissioned Hilton International in 2003 to re-brand and renovate the former Panwaburi Resort and Spa with a US$15-million budget (Bt.600 million).
The resort is located on Cape Panwa Bay. It will have 107 rooms and villas in four categories, each is built on the hillside and commands a sweeping view of the sea. (TTG Asia)


New five-star property for Phuket

Pearl Village Resort in Phuket has been closed for a major renovation that will see it emerge as a five-star property under a new brand.
The 20-year-old four-star resort on Nai Yang Beach will be reopened as the Indigo Pearl following the 800 million baht (US$20.4 million) renovation. It is slated to recommence operations on October 15.
The Indigo Pearl will have 290 rooms in five different styles. Room sizes will range from 56m2 to 120m2.
Facilities will include eight bars and restaurants, three swimming pools, a cooking school, tennis courts, spa services, a children’s club, a fitness centre and meditation pavilion, as well as a driving school.
The resort expects to attract younger quests once the makeover is completed. (TTG Asia)


Big expansion at Bangkok Airways

Bangkok Airways plans to introduce three new direct international services from Bangkok to Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City and Nagoya this year.
Bangkok Airways spokesman, Nandhika Varavarn, told TTG Asia ITB Daily the airline had already received landing rights from Laos, Vietnam and Japan. “The route network expansion to Laos and Vietnam is part of our plan to become the feeder airline of the Greater Mekong sub region,” she said.
The airline plans to operate one flight daily on the Bangkok-Vientiane and Bangkok-Ho Chi Minh City routes by the middle of the year, using two new Boeing 717 aircraft - each with 125 seats. It plans to offer three flights a week to Nagoya on board a new aircraft - either an A330 or Boeing 737 - with at least 200 seats by the third quarter of this year. (TTG Asia)


Thai trade fears tourism backlash

The travel trade has acknowledged security concerns exist following caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s decision to dissolve parliament and call a snap election in the face of public pressure for his resignation.
The political unrest has resulted in the British government issuing a travel advisory warning its citizens in Thailand to avoid “large crowds and public gatherings, as there is the risk of public disorder”.
Posted on its Foreign & Commonwealth Office website, the advisory states the number of political demonstrations in both Bangkok and provincial towns this year are expected to continue in the coming weeks.
A snap election has been called for April 2. But with the opposition parties’ decision to boycott the poll, peaceful protests demanding that Thaksin step down are expected to intensify.
LTU Asia Tours Managing Director, Christoph Mueller, said some hotels had experienced a drop in corporate and incentive business as a result of the unrest.
Diethelm Travel Thailand Managing Director, Richard Brouwer, played down the threat of violence and said the British government had gone too far by issuing the travel advisory. However, he admitted Diethelm was monitoring the situation closely.
Meanwhile, a decision on whether the Thailand Travel Mart (TTM) will take place this year has yet to be reached despite the March 1 meeting called by industry figures to decide its fate.
Association of Thai Travel Agents President, Apichart Sankary, said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) did not confirm if the event would be staged as it would depend on the new Minister of Tourism and Sports.
Speaking on behalf of the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations, which comprises five Thai-registered tourism-related associations, Apichart said the federation would continue to press for the event to be staged in September.
He said TAT had confirmed it had pushed forward for a budget allocation. “Once all is confirmed, TAT will officially announce the future of TTM,” he said. (TTG Asia)