Thursday, September 4, 2008 [ philstar.com ]
Given tourism’s changing face with high-end business and leisure travellers demanding utmost luxury, leading IT solutions provider and systems integrator DFNN is responding and hoping to capitalize on the tourism growth in Asia.
In a press briefing yesterday, DFNN chief executive officer Ramon Garcia said the company, through Singapore-based technology unit Avensis Leisure Pte. Ltd., is venturing into the sophisticated high-end tourism business via a joint venture with Japanese firm Asian Elite Club Co. Ltd.
Asian Elite Club provides a full range of exclusive business service and other special tour planning services for jet-setting business travellers and wealthy tourists from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Asian countries where the company has extensive networks.
While relatively a new company, Asian Elite Club is upping the tourism ante with the services and products it offers which include private commercial aircraft and executive ground transport.
Garcia said a joint venture company (JVC) will be formed to serve as the corporate vehicle for this project whose ownership shall be shared equally by Avensis Leisure and Asian Elite Club. The JVC will offer niche travel services to high net worth individuals in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines, he said.
“We’re glad that Asian Elite Club sees growth in tourism in Singapore and the Philippines as an opportunuty to provide new destinations and offerings to this select clientele,” Garcia said.
Asian Elite Club chief executive officer Makoto Honda, for his part, said the joint venture shows the company’s strong confidence in the Philippines which has been actively promoting itself as a high-end tourist destination with the opening of major entertainment and gaming resorts.
Honda said the Philippines would be Asian Elite Club’s “perfect partner for the concierge and dedicated type services that the Japanese firm would like to offer to clients who have gone to Japan and are now looking for other destinations in Asia.”
“We are confident in the recognized growth of tourism in Asia and want to be the leader in the market for our highly sepcialized services to our discerning clientele,” Honda said.
Among the major tourist attractions that the group will offer to high-end tourists include the Amanpulo, El Nido Resort in Palawan, Panglao Island in Bohol, Discovery Shores in Boracay, Pagudpod in Ilocos Norte and Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu.
Honda said tour packages range from $10,000 to $300,000 per person. The package is usually good for four to seven days. “The rates would depend on the individual needs and requests of clients,” he said.
The Department of Tourism expects tourist spending to hit $5.8 billion at the end of the year and is eyeing to maintain an eight to 10 percent growth in arrivals for this year, or as much as 3.4 million tourists.
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