Dear Travel Partners,

We are pleased to provide you with the following news updates for Vietnam and Indonesia...

Pilgrimage Village - Special rate for Peanut Rooms through Focus Asia

The 5*-Pilgrimage Village Resort in Hue offers a room category below the usual Deluxe Rooms which Focus Asia generally uses as the lead-in room category for this hotel. We are pleased to provide our valued partners with special rates in Peanut Rooms at the Pilgrimage Village Resort in Hue, Vietnam upon request. Please contact your sales manager in charge.

The Peanut Rooms are 30m2 and close to the hotel's pool and main restaurant.

Renovations at The Sailing Bay in Mui Ne

From 10th November until 15th December 2014, the Royal Restaurant at The Sailing Bay Resort will be closed for renovations.  During this time, breakfast will be served for the hotel guests in the Ballroom.  The Ballroom will also be used as the main restaurant for any guests wishing to have lunch or dinner at the hotel also.

Renovations at The Park Hyatt Hotel in Saigon

Park Hyatt has started doing some renovations around the pool and spa area in Saigon.  Noise disruption can be expected from 9am until 5:30pm each day, but the pool and spa are still in use.  All work is scheduled to be completed by 20th December at the latest.

Vietnam Airlines publishes new rules for check-in times

From Dec 01st 2014, Vietnam Airlines will have the new rules for check-in times as following details:

Passengers should ensure to check-in at the airport by the following times: 

Check-in counter Open time

• International flights: counters are opened 3 hours before STD
• Domestic flights: counters are opened 2 hours before STD

Check-in counter Close time

• International flights: counters are closed 50 minutes before STD
• Domestic flights: counters are closed 40 minutes before STD

Boarding gate close time: 15 minutes before STD

More details at: http://www.vietnamairlines.com/wps/portal/en/site/before_you_fly/at_the_airport/check_in_timings/ 

Indonesia waives visa requirements for some countries

Indonesia will waive visa requirements for tourists from China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Russia as well as introduce third-country visas next year.  These regulations have been changed in order to help boost tourism arrivals to Indonesia and achieve 20 million arrivals by 2019; Tourism Minister Arief Yahya is expecting 500,000 arrivals from the five target markets alone as a result of the visa-free facility.

Currently, tourists from China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Russia must obtain visas on arrival to enter Indonesia.  On the third-country visa programme, Indroyono said travellers who have gained entry to Singapore and Malaysia will be granted visa-free access to Indonesia.

 If you have any questions or would like more information regarding any of the topics included in this newsletter, please contact your Sales Manager in charge.

Sincerely,

Your Focus Asia Team