AUSTRALIA: Dual Branded Accor Hotel Operating Under The Novotel And Ibis Styles’ Brands To Open 2021

Construction of a brand-new hotel at Melbourne Airport has commenced.

The 464-room hotel, created to serve Melbourne’s burgeoning conference and tourism markets, will be conveniently located steps from Terminal 4 within a new precinct known as The Hive.

The ten-storey hotel will be dual-branded operating under the Novotel and ibis Styles’ brands rated four and three stars respectively, offering guests gym and pool facilities, a café, bar and restaurant plus conference room facilities.

Melbourne Airport chief of property, Linc Horton, said the project represents the airport’s latest milestone in supporting the state as it moves toward becoming Australia’s biggest city.

It is really exciting to bring such a great new hotel concept to one of the great travel destinations in Australia – Melbourne, giving travellers more choice and amenity, said Horton.

We believe this new development will bring a much-needed social hub to our space bringing visitors and business colleagues together on the doorstep of the airport with access to more than 650 flights per day.

Importantly, it will also open up around 120 job opportunities for hospitality and tourism staff – a huge boost for the City of Hume.

The dual-branded hotel will open in 2021.

The hotel is the first major development to kick-start the airport’s Hive precinct, which will also feature a childcare facility to cater to the airport’s 20,000 strong workforce as well as office space ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 square metres.

Simon McGrath, Accor, chief operating officer Pacific, said, Worldwide, Accor is an airport hotel specialist and we continue to innovate and lead in this sector.

We are excited to be working with Melbourne Airport on this significant development and thrilled to be embarking on another dual-branded hotel complex with our internationally recognised Novotel and ibis Styles brands.

This newest member of the Accor Group is a vibrant airport precinct development, which captures the essence of Melbourne through its interiors and warm welcome to guests.

Tourism Observer

CHINA: Beijing Capital Airlines targets UK, Australia

Beijing Capital Airlines, the Chinese airline that recently entered the long-haul market, is planning to launch its first flights to the UK and Australia.

According to a statement on the website of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the airline has applied for the permission to launch scheduled services to Birmingham and Melbourne next year.

If approved, the Birmingham service will commence in April 2016, operating twice a week – once from Beijing and once from Hangzhou. The Melbourne route meanwhile, would operate three times a week direct from Qingdao, a port city in Shandong province. All three routes are new city pairs.

Beijing Capital Airlines plans to deploy its 222-seat Airbus A330 aircraft on the routes, configured with 36 seats in business class and 186 in economy.

Previously a domestic and short-haul airline, Beijing Capital launched its first ever long-haul services to Copenhagen in September 2015, connecting the Danish capital with Beijing and Hangzhou. It is also planning to fly to Madrid in December.

The carrier, which is owned by the HNA Group, will take delivery of over 30 new twin-aisle aircraft by end of 2020.

AUSTRALIA: Tourism Industry Affected By Higher Passport New Airport Fee

Australian passports will rise in price by $20 from January 1, 2017.

TOURISM will generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Federal Government through a range of budget initiatives that have disappointed industry members.

Although there are some positives for the “supergrowth sector” such as tax cuts for small business operators, tourism officials lamented the lack of measures to foster growth.

In a series of blows for the industry:

— the cost of an Australian passport will jump $20 from January 1, 2017 to $274 raising $173 million over four years

— trial visa arrangements for certain countries including a user-pays fast track service will raise $1.5 million over four years

— backpackers will pay 32.5 cents on every dollar earned in Australia from July 1

— airport operators will be charged a commercial fee to provide “premium border clearance services” for international air passengers, initially at Sydney, Melbourne and Perth Airports

— Tourism Australia’s funding trimmed to $140 million from $144 million

Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director Peter Shelley said they were very disappointed the planned backpacker tax had not been wound back.

“We’ve been working with government to try to reduce the percentage (from 32.5) and we’ve seen no response to that in this budget,” said Mr Shelley.

“It’s not competitive with other countries and makes a working holiday in Australia much less attractive.”

Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said she hoped successive budgets delivered an increase to Tourism Australia’s funding.

“We’re pretty disappointed there’s been no action on the Tourist Refund Scheme and the backpacker tax, and we will be pushing those arguments during the election campaign,” said Ms Osmond.

“Any increase in taxes on airports is not good news either but the concept of premium processing is a good one.”

On the upside, $26.2 million has been earmarked over four years to establish permanent border clearance services at Townsville and Sunshine Coast airports in Queensland.

The move should allow for regular international services out of the airports, that currently operate seasonal flights into either Bali or Auckland.

There is also $115.1 million over two years for works at the Western Sydney Airport site at Badgerys Creek.

The sum includes $26.2 million to “undertake concept design for the provision of rail services

through the site”.

Three states can also look forward to more money for projects that encourage tourists to visit a destination, such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground rooftop walk.

Almost a third of the $15.2 million “demand driver infrastructure fund” will go to New South Wales ($4.8 million), Queensland will score $2.9 million and Victoria $2.8 million.

Allocations for other states and territories will remain unchanged.