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Skål rises again
President Ingo Raeuber.
Pascal Schnyder (left) holds court over
members and guests.
(l-r) Wesley Hayden, (GM Garden Cliff
Resort), Busarakorn Potong, Carl-Fabian Arp, Sandrine Hayden and Greig
Ritchie enjoy cocktails before dinner.
The Election Commissioners Malcolm
and Christina Boden with VP Peter Malhotra.
Young Skålleagues Pattamon and Pongpol with
papa Surat Mekavarakul of the Mike’s Hotels and Shopping Malls. At right
are Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan (Bangkok Hospital Pattaya) and Tony
Malhotra (Pattaya Mail)
(l-r) Neil Maniquez, (BHP) Sue K.(PMTV) Elfi
Seitz, (Pattaya Blatt) Ann Wangviriyaphan, (BHP) Vikrom and Marlowe
Malhotra (Massic Travel).
By Dr Iain Corness
The Skål Club of Pattaya and East Thailand has been reformed,
with some of the tourism industry’s most experienced players at the
helm. With the difficulties facing everyone in the tourism and
hospitality industries, it needs strong associations like the world-wide
Skål International to assist its members on the global scale.
On 26 March at the Garden Cliff Resort & Spa, the local branch of Skål
International had the election of office bearers, resulting in the
confirmation of the following positions: President: Ingo G. Raeuber,
(Pinnacle Resorts & Spa) Vice President: Pratheep ‘Peter’ Malhotra,
(Pattaya Mail Media Group) Secretary: Surat Mekavarakul, (Mike’s Group
of Hotels & Department Stores), Director of Communications and PR: Dr.
Iain Corness, (Pattaya Mail-Bangkok Hospital Pattaya) Director of
Membership Development: Carl-Fabian Arp, (Thaigerline Golf). Other
directors elected were: Thanes Supornsaharungsri, (Sunshine Hotels &
Resorts) Greig Ritchie (Pan Pacific Travel ) and Chookiat
Srivatjanapong, (Asia Hotel, Pattaya).
The President of the Bangkok Skål International, Andrew Wood, expressed
his confidence in the new executives, saying “A terrific line up and a
very strong Exco! Well done Ingo and everyone on signing up over 30
members already.”
The Skål International members are willing to assist anyone in the
related fields, and with the motto of “Doing business amongst friends”,
you can expect positive results for Pattaya’s tourism industry.
Budget increase for
TAT promotions in Malaysia
S Puvaneswary, TTG Asia
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has received a 10 percent budget
increase for marketing and promotions for this year, according to the
director for Malaysia and Brunei, Wiwatchai Boonyapak.
Just last week, TAT launched a six-month advertising campaign in
Malaysia. TAT’s Malaysia office also organized a B2B table talk in Kuala
Lumpur on March 23 to promote the northern region of Thailand.
TAT had revised its visitor arrival targets downwards for its largest
market, Malaysia, from 1.6 million tourists in 2008 to 1.5 million in
2009.
To drive sales, Thai Airways ran an Amazing Thailand Amazing Value
promotion in Malaysia until end-March with three packages to choose
from. Passengers could choose from a free return ticket on a domestic
sector of their choice, a complimentary two-night stay on twin sharing
basis in a Bangkok hotel or a three-day/two-night free and easy stay in
Bangkok.
Thai ecotourism suppliers to benefit from special training project
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
The standards of Thai-based ecotourism and community-based tourism
suppliers will be boosted under the Corporate Social Responsibility and Market
Access Partnership (CSR-MAP), a 236,000 euro training project for the Thai
Sustainable Tourism Supply Chain.
The project will run for 18 months, and started on March 17, under the
collaboration between four key partners: Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel
Association (TEATA), Netherland-based European Centre for Eco and Ago Tourism
(ECEAT), Thailand’s Green Leaf Foundation and Thailand’s Community-based Tourism
Institute.
ECEAT will contribute 75 percent for the total budget, with the balance coming
from TEATA.
TEATA president, Duangkamol Chansuriyawong, said the partners would collaborate
in providing training to around 50 travel agency members of TEATA, and in
allowing the agencies access to ECEAT’s tourism market intelligence and
sustainable tourism practices from 1,300 suppliers in 21 European countries.
Double digit falls in most Asian hotel rates last year
Average global hotel prices fell by 12 percent in 2008, according to the latest
Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com.
The Asia Pacific region recorded its first year-on-year drop in hotel room
prices in five years, with rates in some major cities down by more than 30
percent. The Hotel Price Index tracks real prices paid per hotel room rather
than advertised rates.
According to the Index, the most significant drops in the fourth quarter of 2008
took place in Manila (32 percent), Queenstown (35 percent), Sydney (22 percent)
and Melbourne (23 percent). Rates in Singapore and Beijing were down 14 and 13
percent respectively; Taipei, 11 percent; Seoul, 20 percent; Hong Kong, eight
percent; and Tokyo, six percent.
Outside the region, hotel prices in North America and Europe fell by an average
of more than 10 percent while world class destinations such as New York, London,
Las Vegas, Venice and Barcelona all showed decreases of more than 20 percent.
In global terms, average hotel prices today are only one percent higher than
where they stood five years ago. (TTG ASIA)
No blues for THA members
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
The Thai Hotels Association (THA) is introducing a series of marketing
campaigns under a Blue Smile Hotels tagline to boost domestic bookings for the
April to October low season.
“Blue” has been chosen by the Thai authorities when promoting low-price products
including street-stall food, household goods and taxis.
THA’s first marketing activity was the Hotel Mega Sales 2009, held between March
26 and 29 in Bangkok with 113 hotels nationwide participating, and offering up
to 50 percent discounts for stays made before October 31.
THA is also planning a table-top sale initiative to boost demand from government
meetings and conferences from government agencies and is meeting officials from
departments under the Ministry of Commerce.
THA president, Prakit Chinamourphong, said the marketing activities would help
cushion the impact from the global economic crisis and enable members to run at
an average occupancy of around 50 percent this year.
He said THA would be participating in overseas road shows with Thailand’s
Department of Export Promotion, in addition to those organized by the Tourism
Authority of Thailand.
Bangkok gets Shenzhen connection
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
Shenzhen Airlines launched a thrice-weekly Shenzhen-Bangkok service on
March 31 and will double the frequency of its weekly Shenzhen-Phuket charter
from May 1 to September 30. The new Shenzhen-Bangkok service will turn daily in
September. The airline will operate 160-seat Boeing 747-800 aircraft on both
routes.
Executive vice-president, Li Qiang, said tourists from China’s southern
provinces are expected to account for two-thirds of traffic on the two routes.
He said Shenzhen Airlines recorded an average cabin factor of 85 percent on
forward bookings for April alone and this healthy scenario is expected to
continue throughout the year.
Shenzhen-based Classic Vacation International Travel (Hong Kong) will oversee
the sales and marketing for travel packages on these routes. Director, Wong Hon,
said they are promoting a five-day/six-night package at 15,000 baht per person,
about half the price of a similar tour program to Japan and 30 percent cheaper
than a trip to Singapore.
Thai government offers SMEs soft loans
Sirima Eamtako, TTG Asia
Thai tourism operators that suffered losses from late last year’s
closure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports can now apply for soft loans
under the government’s five billion baht stimulus.
Tourism and sports minister, Chumpol Silpa-archa, said the loan aid, in which
the government would shoulder two percent and participating banks one percent of
the minimum loan rate (MLR), was part of several tourism recovery measures
launched to heal the wounded Thai tourism industry.
However, the loan is only available for small- and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) that possess fixed business assets of less than 200 million baht. They
must also have proof of business losses as a result of the airport closure.
Universal Travel Link and Services managing director, Suwadee Pachariyangkun,
said she agreed with the government on the strict lending rules, as well as the
request for all loan applicants to present a detailed plan of how the loan would
be spent.
She said her company had documented how it suffered a loss of about three to
four million baht during the airport closure and was applying for the loan.
“When calculating the three percent MLR to be shouldered by the government and
bank, the interest rate will be about 3.25 to four percent, which is the best
lending rate under the current crisis.”
However, the industry said the total financial aid was not enough, given the
overwhelming number of small hotels, tour operators and restaurants seeking
help.
Chumpol said the ministry would seek a second funding should applications for
the first exceed the limit.
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