Hong Kong: Six Continents says Asia hotels ripe to be bought

(Bluebull) - Six Continents Plc plans to add 25 hotels in Asia in two years, aiming to strike better deals as a slump in demand intensifies after the Bali bomb attack, a top executive said. The owner of Inter-Continental and Holiday Inn hotels expects to have 175 hotels in the region by the end of 2004, compared with 150 now, said Richard Hartman, the London-based company's Asia-Pacific managing director. Most of the expansion will be in China, where demand is strongest, he said.

Global travel hasn't recovered more than a year after the Sept. 11 US terrorist attacks. In Southeast Asia, occupancy and room rates fell again after the bombing of a Bali nightclub last month, with hotel charges in Singapore near two-year lows. The company said it will open six new locations in Asia next year. Three are in India and the rest in Beijing, Dalian and Chongqing in China. It spent USD364 million about a year ago to buy a property that is now the Hotel Inter-Continental Hong Kong. "There will always be groups to go in to bottom fish with assets being cheaper now," said Pieter van Putten, chief executive of Morley Fund Management (Singapore) Ltd, which manages USD2 billion. He added that "China is definitely the growth engine in the region, and in relative terms, growth figures in Asia still look quite OK."

Six Continents said the hotel industry in Bali, where the Oct. 12 bomb blast killed more than 190 people, may recover as quickly as in six to seven months. About 85% of rooms on the resort island, where Six Continents operates an Inter-Continental, are vacant following the attack. "I thought Bali was going to take two years to recover on Oct. 13," Hartman said. "Today, I think it's going to be much faster since I'm beginning to see renewed interest in bookings." The company's shares rose 1.4% at the close of the London stock exchange. Its shares have fallen 20 % in the past year, compared with the 18% drop in the FTSE All-Share Leisure, Entertainment & Hotels Index.

News@PATA

GOLD AWARDS: GOOD PROJECTS NEEDED

December 15, 2002 is the deadline for PATA to receive entries for the 2003 PATA Gold Awards -- the premier awards programme that recognises excellence and innovation in the Pacific Asia travel industry. In order to also attract entries by smaller operators, PATA has introduced awards in new sub-categories such as Government/Destination (National or State/City); Carrier (Regional, International, Domestic); and Industry (Hotel, Car Rental, Attraction, Tour Operator/Travel Agent/DMC/PCO, Distribution Network, Convention/Exhibition Venue, and Credit Card Company). Award recipients will be honoured during a gala luncheon at the 52nd PATA Annual Conference in Bali, Indonesia (April 13-17, 2003). PATA's Gold Awards are sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office. Details and entry forms are available at www.pata.org. For more information, contact PATA Manager-Communications, Ms. Paveena Olansuksakul. Tel: (66-2) 658-2000 ext. 116. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: goldawards@pata.th.com.

NEW MEMBER DIRECTORY ON THE WAY

The 2002/2003 PATA Member Directory will be shipped to PATA members in the 2nd week of December. The Directory comes in a user-friendly CD-ROM format with an upgraded search engine which is able to find PATA members by name, country, city, type of business or key word. Information can also be cut and pasted from the Directory into other applications. The first copy will be free to PATA members (primary contacts), with additional copies US$50 each (available to PATA members only). For further information contact membership@pata.th.com.

PATA CO-SPONSORS PAVILIONS AT IATOS 2003 EXPO

PATA is expanding its cooperation with the IATOS 2003 Expo and World Congress, scheduled February 19-23, 2003 in Chicago. The Association is to co-sponsor the Australasia/South Pacific Pavilion and the Asia Pavilion for the Expo held Feb. 21-23. With PATA’s participation, all PATA members are eligible for a discounted exhibitor rate. IATOS 2003 is dedicated to adventure, eco and sustainable tourism. The event attracts a targeted audience of nearly 20,000 active travellers and retail agents who sell active travel. The Congress, which will take place Feb. 19-21, offers an array of educational sessions and case studies. PATA members are also offered a discounted registration rate as a PATA member benefit. For complete information about exhibiting at IATOS 2003 or attending the World Congress, please visit the Web site at www.iatos.com.

PATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING IN BAHRAIN

PATA will hold its next Board of Directors meeting in Bahrain, January 17-20, 2003 - the first time PATA has held a top-level event in the Middle East. The region is playing an increasingly important role as a source market for Pacific Asia destinations. The meeting will take place at the Gulf Hotel, Manama, Bahrain and is for Board, Committee and Life members only. The event is being hosted by the Department of Tourism, Ministry of Information, the Gulf Hotel, Gulf Air and other industry organisations in Bahrain. Several airlines are offering special air fares for delegates and accompanying persons. For full information and registration online, visit http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=2&ebid=36 or contact PATA Director-Board Relations, Ms. Ratana Poopitakchatkaew. Tel: (66-2) 658-2000 ext. 102. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: ratana@pata.th.com.

BIWEEKLY INSIGHT INTO PACIFIC ASIA AVIATION

PATA Publications is offering Airport & Airline-Asia Pacific, a new report from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Produced fortnightly and distributed internationally, Airport & Airline-Asia Pacific provides up-to-date aviation industry information, devoted to the Pacific Asia region. The report covers airport, airline, tourism and economic news, plus latest airport and airline traffic, financial results, tender opportunities, contracts and airport projects. Annual subscription to the report costs US$445 for PATA members and US$495 for PATA chapters and non-members. For further information e-mail publications@pata.th.com.

PATA STRATEGIC INFORMATION CENTRE WORLDWATCH

** Sri Lanka saw a 5.9 percent increase in visitor arrivals for January-October 2002, over same period last year. With a 108 percent surge, India became Sri Lanka’s number one source market ahead of the UK and Germany.

** Hong Kong SAR leisure travellers are now buying travel insurance, even for short breaks. There has been a 10 percent increase in travel insurance packages for the coming holiday season. Hong Kong SAR travellers are opting more for cold weather winter destinations such as China (PRC), Japan and Korea (ROK).

** Sydney airport handled 749,000 international passengers in October 2002, 11.9 percent up on October 2001. There were significant increases in passengers from the United States and Japan.

** On November 20, United Airlines and SpeechWorks Japan K.K. announced the deployment of a new speech-enabled service which offers United Airlines customers fast access to flight information through a toll-free number in Japan. The system is based on speech recognition technology with both Japanese and US English language capabilities. The application is the first bilingual flight information service available in Japan. United Airlines customers can now call 0120-226688 (toll-free) 24 hours a day and speak naturally in Japanese or English to check the status of any of United's 1,800 daily flights.

Panama hopes tourism will drive economy in 2003

(Reuters) - With an agriculture crisis and services such as banking and shipping in the doldrums, Panama is putting its faith in tourism to help bolster its depressed economy in 2003.

Panama expects tourism revenues to surge almost 20 percent next year, generating $1.15 billion or around 10.5 percent of gross domestic product, Panama's Director of Tourism Liriola Pitti told Reuters in a recent interview.

Driven largely by that rise in tourism revenues, Panama's economy is expected to grow 2 percent in 2003, up from a projected 1 percent growth this year.

The economy grew just 0.3 percent growth in 2001 as traditional earners such as bananas, coffee, shipping and banking slid into recession.

Tourism currently accounts for 8.5 percent of Panama's $11 billion yearly GDP.

"Panama is not just the canal. It has a lot to offer visitors with its Indian cultures, rain forests, beaches and ruins from the Spanish colonial era," Pitti said from her office in Panama City.

The tourism institute IPAT will spend $10 million on promoting Panama in Europe, Latin America and the United States in 2003 with its slogan "Panama, the path less traveled," a reference to Panama's status as a relatively new tourist destination.

Panama hopes to attract 30 percent more visitors to the Central American nation next year, with some 1 million tourists vacationing in a country slightly bigger in size than Ireland but one-hundredth the size of Australia. Panama is bordered by Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east.

The government is targeting wealthier tourists, rather than backpackers, working with U.S airlines such as American, Continental and Delta to promote Panama in the United States.

Around a quarter of Panama's 700,000 visitors in 2001 came from the U.S, according to government data.

Tourism generated just 4 percent of GDP in 1990, as many visitors stayed away from the country rich in birding, deep-sea fishing and scuba diving because of the military dictatorship of General Manuel Noriega, who ruled Panama between 1983 and 1989.

The sector has since boomed, growing at a red hot 7.5 percent rate between 1992 and 2001, Pitti said.

Cruise ships, which began docking in Panama in 2000, are driving tourism growth. Some 135 ships are expected to dock in Panama this year, up from 71 in 2001, bringing over 100,000 visitors, mainly from the U.S.

The visits will inject around $15 million into Panama's economy in 2002, according to Trade Ministry data.

That figure could eventually rise to $300 million as visitor numbers rise, the government says.

Getting Your Restaurant Ready For The Holiday Season

Written By:  Richard D. Williams & Matthew Williams   HVS International

With the approach of the holiday season, most restaurant managers know that they should stock up on popular menu items, and if located in a snowy climate, they also stock up on snow melt, snow shovels, and discuss snow removal responsibilities with staff. However, the holiday season is not only about stringing up garland and spreading holiday cheer. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, now is a good time for restaurant owners and operators to refresh employee training on liquor and sex harassment policies.

For many restaurants, the month of December is the busiest month of the year. In addition to usual restaurant business, many restaurants are able to fully book party rooms or large tables with employer-sponsored holiday parties. These parties present the opportunity to sell food and liquor to those who may not frequent the restaurant on a regular basis, and as such, if a good job is done, may result in capturing the guest’s business at other times of the year.  Because many guests at holiday parties consume large quantities of alcohol, restaurant owners, managers and servers should be on the lookout for guests who are at or beyond their capacity.  In addition, many restaurants host holiday parties for their own employees.

Typically, the employer hosting the party is also concerned about the consequences of an employee drinking too much. Under the law of many states, the employer will not be liable for injuries caused by intoxication, as long as the party is not held on the employer’s premises, the party is voluntary, and the employee is driving his or her own vehicle; the employer, nevertheless, should take steps to reduce the likelihood of being found to have had a duty to supervise alcohol consumption. In booking a party, the owner or manager can discuss these concerns with the employer sponsor, and suggest various ideas for controlling alcohol consumption.

Typical ideas include drink tickets, limiting alcohol to wine and beer, well brands rather than premium brands of hard liquor, and not allowing shots. All of these have their disadvantages, and all can be defeated by a guest who is interested in over-imbibing. Some employers make announcements either before the party or at the party about drinking responsibly, and state that taxi vouchers will be available on an as-needed basis. Some employers may even offer hotel rooms nearby so that employees can avoid driving home altogether. However, all too frequently, the taxi vouchers or hotel rooms go unused.  As a result, the onus is on the restaurant managers and servers who are working the party to keep an eye on alcohol consumption. It can be awkward to cut off a guest at a party, but the restaurant manager or server can enlist the assistance of the employer sponsor representative in handling the situation.

Knowing when and how to “say when” to a customer is one of the hardest calls to make, because nine out of ten times you are going to lose the customer for life if you do it wrong.  Some suggestions are:

1.       Have the most amiable manager talk to the customer.

2.       Never reverse your decision.

3.       Never try to rationalize with an intoxicated customer.

4.       Once you have cut off the customer and the customer understands that he or she has been cut off, change the subject immediately; remember the customer is intoxicated, use it to your advantage.  Wrap a negative between two positives.

5.       Lastly, tell the customer that you are going to buy him or her a drink the next time he or she comes into the restaurant and write it on the back of your business card (“effective tomorrow”), but no more tonight.

Another issue which arises during holiday parties is sex harassment. The employer sponsors of holiday parties are frequently concerned that holiday parties will result in instances of sex harassment, usually resulting from over-consumption of alcohol. Restaurant management also may be concerned that their servers will be harassed by guests. Consequently, this can be a good time to refresh employee training on handling instances of sex harassment, both by guests and by other restaurant employees.

Management has the responsibility to: prevent sex harassment from occurring in the first place; stop sex harassment if and when it occurs; keep sex harassment from reoccurring, once it has been stopped; and prevent reprisals.

Companies should either distribute, or include in an employee handbook, a policy prohibiting unlawful harassment; this includes not only a prohibition on sex harassment but also includes a broader prohibition against discrimination in violation of federal law.

With regard to sex harassment, employees should be informed that they are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and businesslike manner at all times. It can be helpful to do role-playing training so that servers learn tactics for handling individuals who are attempting to harass them. Common tactics include learning preventive assertions, so that the guest is given the benefit of the doubt and a climate of good will is maintained. For example, saying, in a neutral tone of voice, that the behavior is making the server uncomfortable. Another common tactic is verbal aikido, in which the server can deliberately ignore the behavior, or can agree with the guest but ask for a change of behavior. 

All too frequently, the number of sex harassment incidents actually increases after training sessions. Management needs to be firm and resolute, especially if they witness employees jokingly harass each other. Employees who perceive that management is lackadaisical about sexual harassment issues are far less likely to report any incidents. A suggestion is to have managers conduct individual interviews with each staff member and discuss sex harassment. The tone and content of the interviews will make it clear to staff that the topic is important to management.

If you would like more information on HVS Food & Beverage Services, please contact Richard Williams at rwilliams@hvsinternational.com. 

Contact:

Richard D. Williams
Matthew Williams
HVS Food & Beverage Services

Growing Numbers of International Hotel Chains Opening Shops in China

Peoples Daily  -  A growing number of luxury world-class international hotel chains are arriving in Beijing as the business travel market continues its boom.

The Beijing Best Western hotel is set to open soon, and the Park Hyatt, a luxury brand in the Hyatt Group will follow soon. Ritz Carlton has already chosen a site downtown for its first hotel in Beijing.

Whether it be in eastern coastal cities like Shanghai metropolis and Ningbo, or southwestern cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, business people have a wide-ranging choice of international hotels.

"Following 20 years of development, China's hotel business is nearly at the same level of those overseas. That's why we chose to come here now. We believe that through franchise management, the brand hotels will become increasingly popular across China," said William W. M. Dong, chief representative of Best Western International China.

Best Western now owns more than 4,000 hotels worldwide. Over the past few months, it signed contracts with five Chinese hotels in Xiamen, Beijing, Wuhan and other cities.

Shangri-La opened its first hotel or the first international hotel in the scenic capital city of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province. It currently has 16 hotels in China and plans to build a top-quality resort hotel in Sanya, another prestigious seaside city in southern Hainan island province.

"China is one of the fastest-growing economies and is set to be a world player within the hospitality industry. The growth of trade and economy has brought a huge influx of customers. We are now concerned that many of our hotels are constantly booked," said Giovanni Angelini, Shangri-La's chief executive officer and managing director.

Qian Jin, vice-president of Starwood, shared the same view. "China's hotel business has entered a golden period. Our sales goal here is expected to grow 25 percent over that of last year," he said.

Starwood, known for its Westin, St. Regis and Sheraton brands, is quite optimistic about development in China.

Qian said, "foreigners have agreed that these hotels are well-equipped and can offer very good service. We should now innovate based on the Chinese culture and foreign management experience." 

Top US and UK Hotel and Resort Management Companies Form Trans-Atlantic Marketing Alliance  

/PRNewswire/ -- Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R), the second largest hotel management company in the country, announced the formation of the Distinctive Experience Alliance, a marketing alliance with United Kingdom-based De Vere Group PLC, a company that manages a similar class of upscale and luxury hotels and resorts. The partnership with De Vere Hotels, widely-recognized for its service-oriented hospitality, will provide consumers with over 45 hotels of comparable service and quality in the United States, England, Ireland and Scotland-all offering 'distinct experiences in unique destinations.'

The partnership between DH&R and De Vere will allow both companies to cross-market their properties, offering customers and travel planners a larger portfolio of properties including over 30 golf courses and more than 10 spas.

By creating an alliance with a U.K.-based hotel management company with properties that have similar brand positioning and quality of customer service to our own, we will better serve our customers by offering a wider range of destination options, says Brian Windle, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Destination Hotels & Resorts. The partnership with De Vere will also enable DH&R to increase its exposure across the Atlantic in an extremely cost-effective manner.

It was important for us to choose a comparable North American partner to complement our distinct portfolio, said Nick Turner, Director of Sales, Distribution & Revenue Management for De Vere Group PLC. We look forward to working together to leverage a number of tactical sales and marketing initiatives, sure to lead to increased sales and exposure of all our properties.

The Distinctive Experience Alliance enhances the marketing channels for both companies. Reciprocal distribution of collateral materials, Web site links, shared trade show representation, exchanged customer lists, cooperative public relations opportunities and sharing of sales and marketing best practices are among the strategic benefits of the new partnership.

In addition to marketing opportunities, sales of both companies' properties are expected to increase. Both sales forces will be able to cross- sell via a lead referral program; especially on the meetings and conventions side since both companies' portfolios have many properties with state-of-the- art meeting facilities.

While DH&R and De Vere have aligned business goals, the companies also share a mutual culture that places a premium on offering a high-level of service across the range of their properties while maintaining the unique appeal of each hotel or destination.

Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R), a privately held company located in Englewood, Colorado is one of the largest independent lodging management companies in the United States operating 27 independent, luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and golf clubs in the United States. Destination Hotels & Resorts' portfolio features more than 7,000 guest rooms, 16 golf courses and eight full-service spas. Each distinctive, well-situated Destination Hotels & Resorts managed property offers exceptional recreational, business travel and conference facilities.

Destination Hotels & Resorts' managed properties include the Hotel del Coronado near San Diego; Algonquin Hotel in New York City; NINE ZERO in Boston; Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston; Vail Cascade Resort & Spa in Vail; Royal Palms Hotel and Spa in Phoenix; Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon; and The Argent Hotel in San Francisco. You can visit Destination Hotels & Resorts online at www.destinationhotels.com. Travel professionals can access Destination Hotels & Resorts' properties on the global distribution system via the company's chain code, DN.

De Vere Hotels is a distinctive collection of 21 of the finest four- and five-star hotels in the British Isles and features 3,300 rooms. These include nine of the country's leading golf resorts, such as the world famous The De Vere Belfry, North Warwickshire, recent host venue to the 34th Ryder Cup matches, now the World's third largest televised sporting event. De Vere also has an impressive string of south coast hotels including The De Vere Grand, Brighton as well as outstanding destinations such as the De Vere Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond, Scotland. The hotels are positioned to serve the conference as well as the upper short breaks market where De Vere has considerable strength

The De Vere brand is highly regarded for delivering excellent service in hotels that have maintained their individuality. There is also a growing network of 12 independently owned Associate Hotels, which participate in the Group's marketing program. De Vere Hotels also operate 126 5-star timeshare lodges in three of its golf resort properties (De Vere Resort Ownership - DVRO).

South African  tourism booms despite Bali bombing

Sunday Independent  -  Tourist arrivals in South Africa continue to boom, and the Bali bombings look unlikely to change the perception that South Africa is one of the world's safest destinations when it comes to international terrorism.

In the context of a world trend towards "cocooning" after the September 11 attacks on the United States last year, foreign tourist arrivals in South Africa for the first nine months of the year have increased by 13,9 percent compared with the same period last year - confirming the country's status as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world.

There are fears, however, that criminal attacks on tourists, such as this week's horrific gang rape of a British visitor in Mpumalanga, and the recent murder of another in the same province, will hurt tourism, although not to the extent that many other destinations have been hit by fears of international terrorism.

Speaking at a tourism conference in Polokwane this week, Mohammed Valli Moosa, the environmental affairs and tourism minister, announced that the number of tourists from the European market had shown a growth of 18,4 percent in the first nine months of this year, and tourism from Britain - South Africa's number one source market - had increased by 19,9 percent. The Asian market increased by 13,4 percent during this period. This number was expected to experience "dramatic growth" over the next year, Moosa said, since China bestowed Approved Destination Status on South Africa last week.

While the US saw a substantial drop in tourists travelling out of that country after the September 11 attacks, the number of American tourists travelling to South Africa increased by 3,3 percent in the first nine months of this year compared with last year's figures for the same period.

Travel and tourism elsewhere have hit a bad slump. The Travel Industry Association of America reported that domestic air travel had fallen 7,3 percent since September last year, and international air travel by 10 percent.

In Australia, international tourist arrivals had fallen 11 percent in September this year compared with the previous year, according to that country's Bureau of Tourism Research.

Thompsons South Africa, the inbound division of tour operator Thompsons Tours, said this week that it had experienced "phenomenal growth resulting in the employment of one new staff member a week, on average, over the past two years."

Elizabeth Edwards, the general manager of Thompsons Tours, said she doubted that the Bali bombings would have an effect: "It's been a bumper high season for us."

Bookings in September had been "unprecedented," she said, "and there has certainly been no slacking off since Bali. There's a definite perception that South Africa is a safe travel destination."

Lyndsay Lowe, the general manager of the Guest House Association of South Africa, said she was "quite shocked at the number of people coming from overseas and expecting to find accommodation anywhere in South Africa".

Many foreign tourists arrived in Cape Town expecting to find accommodation along the Garden Route without having booked, or "expecting just to pitch up at Sabi Sabi".

Lowe said she had been "strongly recommending that they pre-book before they get here. We are very busy; there is no doubt about that."

26 Chinese Hotels Chosen as 'Asia's Best'

Some 26 hotels on China's mainland were selected as "Asia's Best Hotels", according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

Some 23 of the 26 hotels are in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Beijing is home to twelve. Twenty-three five-star, two four-star and one two-star hotels made the list.

"Asia's Best Hotels" was one of the categories in a customer survey in which some 183 hotels were selected from 162 countries on the basis of hotel price, facilities, dining environment and hospitality. The awards represent a milestone for China's hotel industry, which has gained wide recognition from international travelers.

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