THE
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP signed a 15-year partnership
agreement with ANA Hotels & Resorts to co-brand hotels in
Japan. Under the agreement, IHG will invest $18.6 million over the
next two years in brand advertising and research, plus another
$13.1 million for technology enhancements. The agreement calls for
IHG and ANA to form a joint venture called IHG ANA Hotels Group
Japan. By 2007, the joint venture will begin rebranding all of
ANA's 13 corporate-owned and leased hotels into three co-brands
created for the Japan market: ANA-InterContinental,
ANA-Crowne-Plaza and ANA-Holiday Inn.
UNDER THE
PLAN, the ANA Hotel Tokyo will be the first to be
rebranded and renamed ANA-InterContinental Tokyo by April 2007. The
other 12 ANA properties would be co-branded over the following 18
months. IHG and ANA intend to hold discussions with the franchisees
or third-party owners of the remaining 18 hotels in ANA's portfolio
with regard to co-branding possibilities. The deal, which is
expected to be completed in December, would give IHG 42 hotels and
12,000 rooms in its Japan portfolio, more than any other
international chain.
HONG
KONG plans to build a cruise facility on part of the
runway at the city's former Kai Tak airport with up to two berths
capable of handling the largest cruise ships afloat. The government
will launch an open tender process in the fourth quarter of 2007
for the development of the new terminal. The government said the
new terminal must be built to keep pace with the cruise industry's
trend of building larger vessels. Commercial, office, retail and
other tourism-related facilities would also be built at the Kai Tak
site, which is located in downtown Kowloon. The successful bidder
is expected to be named in the second quarter of 2008.
AIR NEW
ZEALAND will suspend its Los Angeles-Papeete
(Tahiti)-Rarotonga (Cook Islands) service on April 2 after a review
of what the airline called "route profitability." Instead, the
airline said it will operate weekly service between Los Angeles and
Rarotonga to further develop the link between North America and the
Cook Islands. This service would be increased to twice weekly
during peak travel times. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand said it will
code-share with Air Tahiti Nui four days a week on Air Tahiti Nui's
nonstop Los Angeles-Papeete flights, starting April 2. Each carrier
will also operate twice weekly flights between Auckland, New
Zealand, and Papeete, providing code sharing on each other's
flights.
AMERICAN
AIRLINES VACATIONS is offering packages to Shanghai in
conjunction with its daily nonstop service from Chicago. Hotels
participating in the program are the Westin Shanghai; the St. Regis
Hotel, Shanghai; the Pudong Shangri-La; the Crowne Plaza Shanghai;
and the Rendezvous Merry Hotel. Options include shopping and city
tours, visits to cultural attractions and a Huangpu River cruise.
American is offering AAdvantage members who book Shanghai tickets
or packages by March 31 an additional 10,000 bonus miles. For
information or reservations, visit www.aavacations.com.