Beijing, China (August 22, 2008) /China Newswire/ — 14 August 2008 ,  Frasers Hospitality (Frasers), an international branded serviced residence owner and management company opened the doors of Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing.

The Gold-Standard serviced residence – an investment of US$135 million – is located in Beijing's central business district near the China World Trade Center. It comprises 357 Gold-Standard luxurious serviced residences in a prime 23-storey building including studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments.

"We are delighted to announce the opening of this landmark property," said Mr. Bernard Teo, General Manager, Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing. "Beijing is the key gateway city into China with a dynamic economy and strong support from the authorities in the promotion of services to foreign investors and companies."

Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing is located within 10 minutes of the China World Trade Center, Fortune Center, The Place and other key commercial buildings. Adding further to its convenient location, Subway No. 10 line and Subway No. 1 line also lie just a few minutes away. It will have strong appeal to senior staff within multinational companies and overseas embassies.

There are more than 3,000 enterprises in the Beijing CBD including 500 multinational corporations and 570 foreign representative offices.

Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing was designed by Epstein & Sons International. Inc, a world renowned urban and construction design consulting group that has worked on notable projects such as the Sears Franklin Center and Exchange Center in Texas, USA and the Osaka International Conference Center in Japan.

All 357 apartments at Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing offer the ultimate in comfortable living and a truly home-designed concept. Each apartment features a comprehensive range of amenities and in-apartment technologies including a LCD TV with 5.1 audio system and a DVD player, an iPod dock, washing machine and dryer, wireless and broadband internet access.

The second floor of Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing boasts business and lifestyle wellness facilities including an integrated business center, conference room, massage chairs, café and lounge, fitness club, children's playroom and indoor swimming pool.

Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing offers 24-hour on-site management, reception, concierge, security services as well as the complimentary scheduled shuttle services to the key business and shopping districts in Beijing.

Incorporating sustainable development concepts into its design and construction, Fraser Suites CBD, Beijing, is also one of the new generation of buildings that follows the recent national Design for Energy Conservation of Public Buildings aimed at reducing total energy consumption by 50 percent.

About Frasers Hospitality

Frasers Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Frasers Centrepoint Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraser and Neave, Limited, is a global serviced residence owner and management company with Gold-Standard residences in Bangkok, Beijing, Glasgow, Hanoi, London, Manila, Nanjing, Paris, Seoul, Shenzhen, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. New developments include Bahrain (2008), Bangalore (2009), Chengdu (2010), Dubai (2009), Edinburgh (2009), Guangzhou (2010), Hong Kong (2008), Jakarta (2010), Kuala Lumpur (2009), Leeds (2012), Perth (2009), Shanghai (2008) and Tianjin (2009).

Frasers Hospitality commits to "meeting the unique needs of the executive travellers through continuous innovation", and providing its customers with the space, family and community away from home. Conceived with the lifestyle preferences of today's discerning extended stay executive travelers in mind, Frasers Hospitality has three brand offerings – Fraser Suites, Fraser Place and Fraser Residence.

For more information, visit the website at www.frasershospitality.com

About Frasers Centrepoint Limited

Frasers Centrepoint Limited (FCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraser and Neave, Limited (F&N) is a leading Singapore-based property company with a strong global foothold in property development, property investment, serviced residences and investment funds. Under F&N's stewardship, FCL's business has evolved from a single shopping centre along Orchard Road (The Centrepoint) to an integrated real estate group of shopping centres, real estate asset and fund management, serviced apartments, residential homes and an international property arm developing world-class projects (residential and mixed-use) in UK, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

For more information, visit FCL's website at www.fraserscentrepoint.com

About Fraser and Neave, Limited

Fraser and Neave, Limited (F&N) is a leading Asia Pacific Consumer Group with core expertise and dominant standing in the Food and Beverage, Property, and Printing & Publishing industries.

Leveraging on its strength and expertise, it provides key resources and sets strategic directions for its subsidiary companies across all three industries. Today, F&N owns an impressive array of renowned brands that enjoy market leadership across a mix of beer, dairies, soft drinks and beverages; residential properties; retail malls and serviced residences; as well as publishing and printing services.

For more information, visit F&N's website at www.fraserandneave.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Philip Liu
  Newell Public Relations
  T: 65810096 ext 222
  E: philipl@newell.com

  Eleanor Liu
  Newell Public Relations
  T: 65810096 ext 234
  E: eleanorl@newell.com
  

Technorati Tags:
Fraser Suites CBD | New Opening

Singapore (August 20, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Driven by convergence in networks, devices and media, telecom services are entering the next generation driven by greater network flexibility to rollout new services and provide an enriched user experience. A common business trend for the established telecom providers is to embark on a next-generation network (NGN) transformation with a completely new architecture to enable the delivery of enhanced applications and new services such as IPTV, interactivity and fixed-mobile convergence. The key driver of NGN rollouts is also to gain cost savings by moving to an IP-centric architecture and removal of various stove-pipe systems.

Asia Pacific which is home to the largest internet user base today is at an interesting stage with various countries at different states of maturity in terms of the broadband infrastructure. At one end are the mature markets like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and Singapore which have high broadband and mobile penetration where the focus is on enabling convergent and ubiquitous services. These markets have already embarked on a NGN transformation.

Then there are transition markets like Malaysia where the government is playing a leading role in creating a nationwide broadband network and even mobile operators are aggressively pushing wireless broadband. The emerging markets face challenges due to limited fixed line infrastructure and low average revenue per user (ARPUs) to justify a complete NGN rollout but lot of operators are already thinking in that direction especially in certain key cities.

Jayesh Easwaramony, Director, ICT Consulting, Frost & Sullivan says, "Although a NGN rollout for cost savings and service agility is the step in the right direction for all incumbent and integrated telcos, there are still multiple issues that telcos face like the business case for new services, the right architecture from a rollout perspective and the transition time for migration into a full-fledged NGN infrastructure.

"Thus there is no size fits all when it comes to transformation initiatives and each operator has to define his vision of his next generation and accordingly shape his business and network strategy," adds Mr. Easwaramony

Frost & Sullivan's exclusive Executive MindXchange summit on Next Generation Telecom will map the broadband landscape in the region and evaluate the best practices in the region and drill down to the key pain points and issues that operators face in this transformation. The two day summit will be held at the Raffles City Convention Center from 28 – 29 August 2008.

Designed to be highly interactive, the summit will feature end-user case studies, panel discussions as well as opportunities for networking and sharing best practices. Speakers include key level executives from SK Telecom, Nokia Siemens Networks, BT, Cable & Wireless, Pacnet, TIME Broadband, BT Teleconsult, NTT, Soundbuzz, while attending delegates comprise CIOs and other IT heads from the government and private sectors.

Nokia Siemens Networks and BT are the sponsors for the summit and Telecom Asia, Wireless Asia, Business Today, China Tech News, Global Telecom Directory and ZDNet Asia are the official media partners.

For more information/registration details, please visit www.frost-ngt.com. Media passes are available to the press. To register for the summit, you may also send an email to Neethiya Sadagopal, Corporate Communications at neethiya.sadagopal@frost.com with your full name, media/company name, title, telephone number, fax number and email.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Surbhi Dedhia
  Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
  P: +65.6890.0926
  E: sdedhia@frost.com

  Neethiya Sadagopal
  Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
  P: +65.6890.0966
  E: neethiya.sadagopal@frost.com

Technorati Tags:
Frost & Sullivan | Telecom 2008 Summit

Shenzhen, China (August 19, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen, a new five-star, US$200 million, flagship Shangri-La hotel, has opened in the heart of Futian, the bustling business district of Shenzhen, one of the largest and busiest cities in southern China.

With a population of more than eight million, Shenzhen is located adjacent to the international city of Hong Kong. The hotel itself is a mere stone's throw away from thriving retail areas and office towers and just a few minutes’ walk from Shenzhen's mass transit railway system, which links directly to Hong Kong via the Huanggang border crossing and Futian port. It also offers easy access to Shenzhen International Bao’an Airport, the Shekou ferry terminal and the city's major tourist attractions, making it ideal for both business and leisure travellers.

The new hotel, which adds a 40-storey luxury building to the city's impressive skyline, offers 498 guestrooms, 50 suites and 53 serviced apartments, as well as two ballrooms, an auditorium, function rooms, a health club, spa facilities, a business centre, wireless Internet access that is available in all public areas, including the lobby, and a wide range of restaurants and bars.

Guests at Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen will find a lively yet relaxed atmosphere that is guaranteed to make the hotel the talk of the town and ensure that guests feel just as comfortable in a tuxedo as they do in jeans. International interior design company BBG-BBGM was responsible for the hotel's strikingly modern, contemporary decor.

A typical guestroom at Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen measures an average of 45 square metres, and has a feel that is both classic and contemporary, while also being warm and comfortable, with the hotel's six-star quality expressed through the design, colour and textures used. The rooms also feature cutting-edge electronic equipment that is placed alongside discreet touches of Chinese inspiration that remind guests that they are in southern China. Among the facilities available are an iPod dock, a 37-inch LCD television in the room with a 15-inch version in the bathroom, wired and wireless Internet connectivity, and DVD and CD players.

The hotel's suites are particularly comfortable and measure between 96 and 288 square metres. In addition to being warm, elegant and inviting, each suite offers a large entry foyer with marble floors. Bedrooms feature a large work area with a desk, a multi-purpose fax machine and wired and wireless Internet access. The living area has comfortable seating, a wall-mounted 40-inch LCD television and DVD player with a stereo sound system. The spacious bathroom has a separate toilet and bidet, a whirlpool bath, two hand basins and a 15-inch LCD television.

In addition to the guestrooms, Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen has 53 serviced apartments located on levels six to 11 with a separate entrance, entrance lobby and lifts. The apartments, which are available in one, two and three-bedroom versions, as well as a two-bedroom apartment with a study room, offer a contemporary and elegant layout with a residential feel, yet with all the services and facilities of the hotel immediately to hand. Guests of the serviced apartments have access to the hotel's restaurants, health club, spa, indoor swimming pool and outdoor tennis court.

Food lovers throughout the city will be particularly excited about the opening of Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen, which promises to set the standard for fine dining in Shenzhen.

The hotel's all-day dining outlet on level one is a fun and comfortable restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night supper. Here, diners enjoy both buffet and a la carte options, as well as live cooking stations serving specialties and local favourites typically found in Hong Kong's well known dai pai dong street stalls and cafes, including Dim Sum, Peking Duck, Congee, Noodles and a variety of healthy double-boiled soups. Diners have the choice of eating inside this charming restaurant or, in good weather, alfresco style on the terrace.

The hotel's Italian restaurant offers diners a warm and rustic ambience, along with authentic, traditional Italian cuisine and an extensive wine wall of some 750 wines. Diners can choose from the main dining room, one of two private rooms or the outdoor terrace seating area in which to enjoy their tasty yet simple meal.

On the ground floor of the hotel is the bar, where guests can revel in the club-like, chic and elegant atmosphere that is also warm and comfortable as the enjoy drinks and antipasti. This area also features LCD televisions on two walls to offer guests an eclectic mix of news, entertainment, sports and music throughout the evening.

The hotel's lobby lounge is open all day, offering snacks, pastries and desserts, as well as high tea in the afternoons, in an international ambience. Nightly entertainment includes a pianist or Chinese instrumentalist in the early evening, followed by professional bands playing a wide range of music, from light jazz, R&B and contemporary favourites to Latin fusions and ballads.

On level two, the hotel's Chinese restaurant, Fook Lam Moon, entices diners from all over the city with its authentic and delicious Cantonese cuisine. Open for both lunch and dinner, Fook Lam Moon also features nine private dining rooms offering a lounge-style seating area, a private bathroom and an LCD television, making this the ideal choice for both top-notch business events and warm, cosy family gatherings.

For event organisers, Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen offers a 1,800-square-metre grand ballroom with a high ceiling of 9.5 metres and a hydraulic built-in stage, as well as direct access to a huge lift that makes the ballroom ideal for car launches and similar events. Also available is an auditorium, a junior ballroom, a boardroom and a range of 10 function rooms that can meet all requirements, as well as video conferencing facilities and simultaneous translation services. A professional team of event specialists are on hand to ensure that all events are a success. In addition, the hotel is located adjacent to the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre and the city's Civic Centre, offering both organisers and delegates supreme convenience as well as access to an even wider range of events and facilities.

For extra special events, the hotel has an exclusive function venue, the Chairman's Room. Located on the top floor, the Chairman's Room offers guests spectacular views over the city and comes complete with a kitchen, making it the ideal place for small-scale private entertaining.

Guests travelling on business will find that the hotel offers a fully equipped business centre staffed by a professional team that is able to handle all requirements, including photocopying, secretarial, translation and courier services, and business information and advice. The business centre also offers three meeting rooms and four offices that are available for rent.

For guests more inclined to relax, the health club at Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen is designed to be a retreat that offers a relaxing yet revitalising combination of exercise and spa facilities and treatments. The fully equipped gymnasium features the latest cardiovascular equipment and an assessment room, while the spa offers guests five single and three double deluxe treatment suites, a steam room, a sauna, a whirlpool and a wide range of services, including massages, facials and other specialist treatments. For the more active
guest, the hotel also features an indoor swimming pool with a whirlpool area, and an outdoor tennis court.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 55 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The group has over 50 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles,
Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information or reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Meanne Dizerens-Lau
  Director of Communications
  Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen
  Tel: (86 755) 8828 4088
  Fax: (86 755) 8828 4388
  E-mail: meanne.dizerenslau@shangri-la.com
  

Technorati Tags:
Futian Shangri-La | New Opening

Beijing, China (June 4, 2008) /China Newswire/ — SriLankan Airlines has launched the latest catalogue for Serendib Treasures, its on-board duty free collection which features a wide range of exciting new products.

The collection features 170 products from the Serendib Treasures range of fragrances, cosmetics, liquor, tobacco, watches, jewellery, pens, gifts, toys, and souvenirs of Sri Lanka.

The tempting new range includes the latest from the world's leading fashion houses such as Cartier, Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Paco Rabanne, Christian Dior, Carolina Herrera, Emporio Armani, Elizabeth Arden, DKNY, Estee Lauder, and L'Oreal. Also popular are spirits from Johnnie Walker, Camus, Chivas Regal, and Ballantines.

Jehan Karunaratne, Manager Inflight Service Support, said: "The latest catalogue has been produced in a very attractive, user-friendly form, which will be very helpful for travellers choosing products from our extensive range."

Passengers on board SriLankan flights can go through the catalogue at their leisure, give their orders to the cabin staff, and collect their items from the extensive selection carried on board. The airline's helpful inflight crew, who have won many accolades including the award for being the World's Friendliest Cabin Staff, are always ready to assist.

"Passengers should also watch out for the special offers that we frequently have, which include discounts and gifts," said Mr. Karunaratne.

SriLankan's Serendib Treasures collection is very competitively priced, and payment can be made by cash or credit card. SriLankan accepts six major credit cards and 16 currencies – U.S. Dollar, Australian Dollar, Bahraini Dinar, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, European Euro, Hong Kong Dollar, Japanese Yen, Kuwaiti Dinar, Omani Riyal, Qatari Riyal, Saudi Arabian Riyal, Singaporean Dollar, Swedish Krona, Swiss Franc and UAE Dirham.

Passengers can also choose to pre-order what they want prior to their flights on-line at www.srilankan.aero/dutyfree, in order to ensure that it will be reserved for them in the stock on board their respective flights. Orders should be made 72 hours for flights out of Colombo, and 120 hours for flights originating at other points in the airline's global network

For more information on the Serendib Treasures collection, phone: +94 (0)19733 2485/2498, e-mail: dutyfree@srilankan.aero, or visit www.srilankan.aero/dutyfree

Technorati Tags:
SriLankan Airlines | On Board Duty Free Catalogue

Singapore (May 6, 2008) /China Newswire/ — The Asia Pacific Corporate Social Responsibility 2008 Conference is the capital event for any organization involved in corporate social responsible. The Conference, which will be held on the 9th–11th of July 2008 in Singapore, will be a perfect platform for all CSR involved professionals to meet, discuss and learn from other world leading companies who has blazed the trail for CSR practices.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a bigger priority to organizations in Asia Pacific. While CSR is not a new concept or practice, it's initiatives in the region is still comparatively young. However, it's now recognized as one of the best ways to enhance a company's position and value and many companies are now increasing their CSR initiatives.

Today's CSR priorities are determined through ethical reasoning rather than governmental or legal requirements. CSR can also be used as a strong risk management tool against shareholder and consumer dissatisfaction. It's now clearly entwined in many multinational organizations' strategic planning process. In fact, 54% of today's business school requires a course in CSR which is a significant jump against 2001's 34%.

Salvo's Asia Pacific Corporate Social Responsibility is specifically designed to meet CSR professional demands to better their initiatives, strengthen their commitments and balance their investments. This event will address project selection, resource allocations, and impact measurements. We have gathered the best CSR practitioners and experts to help you adopt world class CSR initiatives.

Our key speakers will come from the following world class organizations:
University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Boeing International, UAE
Coca-Cola, India
Malaysian Airlines, Malaysia
New Britain Plantation Services, Singapore
PepsiCo International, Thailand
ST Microelectronics, Singapore
Timberland, Singapore
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Information on Asia Pacific Corporate Social Responsibility Conference program can be found at www.apac-csr.com. Do check out this site regularly for the latest updates.

Salvo is a CSR supportive company. The management strongly believes in building a responsible and compassionate company who gives back to the society. As the company grows and prospers, we're happy to contribute a portion of our profits to the community. While our initiatives are much in its infancy level, Salvo has been making monthly immediate impact monetary contributions to causes of choice as of Q3 2007. Salvo hopes to be able to sustain and increase their CSR efforts for larger impact projects in the near future.

Salvo provides cutting edge business knowledge and strategic networking through events like training and Conferences. We organize mainly public corporate event, the attendees are generally senior decision-maker (C-Level, Directors, GMs, Senior Managers, etc) from the larger companies (MNCs or local companies) in the Asia Pacific. Salvo covers Production, Promotion and Delivery of events. Our competences are our acumens in identifying the right topics, our network of Asia-Pacific companies and their decision makers, and our high quality customer service before, during and after events. Visit www.salvoglobal.com for more information.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Ms. Vivian Ho
  Salvo Global
  Tel: 65 6297 8545
  Fax: 65 6336 1716
  Email: vivian@salvoglobal.com

Technorati Tags:
The Asia Pacific Corporate Social Responsibility 2008 Conference | Salvo

MARITIM Hotel U-Town Beijing is located near east second ring road, next to Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, in Beijing's commercial district, and just a 30-minutes drive away from the airport. With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shopping site of Yue Show Fashion Market, Worker's Stadium and famous historical site Dongyue Temple, it is perfectly suited for both business and leisure.

Built to international 5-star standards, the hotel features 362 guestrooms and suites, including 3 floors of the Executive Club Rooms, poolside café and snack bar. Food & Beverage outlets include a German Restaurant and all-day international dining restaurant.

Facilities for the meetings and events market include a ballroom/banquet hall for up to 1,000 guests, fully equipped with international standard conference assistance and facilities to handle meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.

Meeting and conference facilities are supplemented by a modern Business Centre offering a full range of business support services and Internet services.

Based on site in Beijing, Dick van Beuzekom is in charge of managing the day-to-day operations of the property as well as overseeing staff in areas of human resource, finance, sales and marketing. A Dutch national, Dick van Beuzekom is fluent in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Indonesian and had over 30 years experience working in hotel projects worldwide.

Dick van Beuzekom's extensive work experience has seen him working throughout Europe and Asia. He brings with him a wealth of experience, having worked in many locations across the world. It took him to 7 hotels in 5 countries throughout Europe. He has worked in Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China and Australia . He was previously the General Manager at MARITIM Airport Hotel in Hannover, Germany in 1998 where he was responsible for the World Expo 2000 for nine consecutive years. The hotel was awarded the best Maritim Hotel in Germany 7 years in a role (2001-2007), and was also awarded for the best Cost Control and HR Quality in 2001.

Assisting Dick Van Beuzekom in areas of Sales and Marketing is Ms Dorrothy Kam, Director of Sales & Marketing. In her role as Director of Sales and Marketing, Ms Kam will oversee the direct sales and client relations in this market. A hospitality industry professional for the past 20 years, Ms.Kam's portfolio includes being involved in five hotel pre-openings; as well as a career that has seen her working in Malaysia, Vietnam and China.

"Dorrothy Kam brings with her a significant experience in the hospitality industry and she will play a lead role in introducing the MARITIM brand to companies and embassies in Beijing," says Dick Van Beuzekom.

The new hotel is the focal point of a shopping complex and luxury apartments. Scheduled to open in July, the 20 storey residence will provide over 280 rooms.

MARITIM Hotels was founded in 1969 which also manages and owns 51 other prestigious hotels in Germany, Beijing/China, Sharm el Sheikh & Luxor/Egypt, Malta, Mauritius, Riga/Latvia, Mallorca, Tenerife & Estepona/Spain, Hammamet/Tunisia, Alanya & Belek & Marmaris/Turkey. A subsidiary of MARITIM Hotels, HMS International is based from a regional headquarters in Cologne, Germany, which currently manages 12 properties in China, Egypt, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.

"We invite guests to come stay with us in Beijing and experience the MARITIM difference," says Dick Van Beuzekom.

For further information or reservations, please log on to www.Maritim.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Kam Dorrothy
  Director of Sales & Marketing
  MARITIM Hotel U-Town Beijing
  E: dkam@pek-maritim.com.cn
  T: +86(0) 10 8561 2627 Ext 1044

Technorati Tags:
MARITIM Hotels | MARITIM Hotel U-Town Beijing | New Opening

Seoul, Korea (April 22, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Entering the summer season in the northern hemisphere, Korean Air is gearing up for another busy season by resuming suspended flights and operating charter flights to popular summer destinations.

Between July 24 and August 31, Korean Air provides two-weekly charters to the port city of Danang, Vietnam (DAD), on the coast of the South China Sea, leaving Incheon International Airport on Thursdays and Sundays. Da Nang is one of major cities of Viet Nam located near UNESCO World Heritage sites including the Hué Mountains, Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary.

Korean Air will also offer 12 charter flights to the tropical city of Cairns, Australia (CNS). Flights will operate on Mondays and Fridays between July 24 and August 25, using an Airbus 330 aircraft. The city's proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, makes it a popular destination. The city contains hundreds of hotels, resorts, motels and backpackers hostels. Activities in the region include golf, white water rafting, snorkeling, diving and hiking.

Resumed charter flights to Tuxin, China (TXN) will connect travelers to the Huangshan Mountains, which was the scene of the Oscar-winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Huangshan has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990 for its exceptional natural beauty and its role as a habitat for rare and threatened species. A Boeing 737 aircraft will be used to fly twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays from April 25 to October. Korean Air will also operate another Chinese city, Mudanjiang (MDG) every Saturday beginning in May.

The Siberian city of Irkutsk, Russia (IKT), famous for Lake Baykal, the deepest lake in the world also known as the “Blue Eye of Siberia,” will be available to passengers in July and August, through seven charter flights in cooperation with Siberian Airlines (S7) using a Boeing 737.

In addition to these charters, in April, Korean Air will resume scheduled flights to Urumqi, China (URC) and St. Petersburg, Russia (LED) that had been suspended during the slow winter season.

Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, was an important town on the northern route of the Silk Road and is currently a major industrial, cultural and economic center of western China. Resumed flights will connect Urumqi and Incheon three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from April 24 to October 25 using a Boeing 737 aircraft.

Korean Air was the first airline to operate St. Petersburg, the second largest city of Russia. Beginning April 26, it will resume thrice-weekly flights (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) with an Airbus 330. A major transport hub, Saint Petersburg is sometimes referred to in Russia as "the Northern Capital" and is known as the city of palaces. The White Nights Festival, an annual international cultural event, and the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest museums in the world, lure travelers to this northern city.

Focused on providing service that meets the ever-changing needs of its customers, Korean Air's network is continuously growing, for passengers to enjoy more options and greater flexibility when traveling.

About Korean Air
Korean Air was named the Best First/Business Class Airline and the Best Frequent Flyer Program in TIME Readers' Travel Choice Awards 2006. In April and July 2007 respectively, the carrier was named the Best Economy Class in the OAG Airline of the Year Awards and the Skytrax 2006/7 World Airline Awards. In September 2007, Korean Air won top honors in the World Airline Entertainment Association's (WAEA) 2007 Avion Awards. It has been named Best Airline in Asia and Best Transpacific Business Class by Business Traveler magazine's readers in the publication's 2007 Readers' Choice Travel Survey. In addition, the readers of PAX International magazine honored Korean Air with the Global Travel Catering Distinction Award.

Korean Air, with a fleet of 126 aircraft, is one of the world's top 20 airlines, and operates almost 400 passenger flights per day to 115 cities in 37 countries. It is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airlines alliance - partnering Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, CSA Czech Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM and Northwest Airlines to provide customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. More on Korean Air's programs, routes, frequency and partners is available at www.koreanair.com.

Technorati Tags:
Korean Air | Increases Flights To Summer Destinations

MilesGoogle Map Search to find hotels
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Five day weather forecast for every destination

Hong Kong, China (April 21, 2008) /China Newswire/ — WORLDHOTELS has launched a new website to cater for the many and varied information needs of today's traveller. Worldhotels.com has been completely redesigned and now features a hassle-free booking process, videos, hotel reviews, weather forecasts, and maps to help customers find their dream hotel from almost 500 hotels in more than 300 destinations and 70 countries worldwide. WORLDHOTELS is currently developing both Chinese and Japanese versions of the new website, due to be launched later in 2008, to meet growing customer demands in these areas.

"The new WORLDHOTELS website has been developed so it is not only extremely easy to navigate but offers guests all the information they may require when choosing a travel destination and hotel from locations across the globe" said Roland Jegge, Vice President, Asia-Pacific for WORLDHOTELS.

WORLDHOTELS' website provides a wide range of search options designed to make it easy and fun for users to find what they are looking for: the Quick Reservation Form, for guests who already know where and when to go, has search options by price-range, facilities and type of hotel; the Map Search allows guests to view all WORLDHOTELS properties at their chosen destination; "Get Inspired" asks shoppers to choose their preferred temperature, cuisine & style, culture & nightlife, recreation & wellness as well as activities & adventures they are looking for and then matches their personal choices with the relevant hotel offers; and the WORLDHOTELS Hotel Directory allows guests to browse the hotel portfolio by region and country.

A five day weather report for every WORLDHOTELS destination provides details on temperature, humidity, winds, rainfall and a climate profile for the entire year. This allows users to choose their destination by searching for their preferred climate. Market-leading map software from Google shows the exact map location of all WORLDHOTELS properties. The maps also provide directions to the hotel and to landmarks in some key destinations. To give customers balanced information and complete transparency, hotel reviews from the leading travel website TripAdvisor are also included on worldhotels.com.

For corporate customers there is a dedicated Business Traveller section at Travel Needs. The section contains information on special corporate rates, accreditation to collect miles from 18 different frequent-flyer programmes and 20% discounts on AVIS rental cars. It also details the availability of business traveller services at each hotel such as meeting facilities, wireless internet and laundry services.

As an extra incentive to use the new site, WORLDHOTELS has launched a competition in which two travellers can win a holiday for two staying seven nights at a WORLDHOTELS property of choice. The prize includes 500,000 Miles and More Award Miles to be used on the Star Alliance partner airlines. This could be used for a first class return trip from Australia to Europe (240,000 Lufthansa Miles and More Award Miles per person) or for several business class return trips. To enter, users should register online and name their preferred WORLDHOTELS property.

WORLDHOTELS is the largest and most established Europe based global hotel group for independent hotels and regional hotel brands. The company's strong emphasis is on properties with character and distinction.

Under the banner "Bringing Unique Hotels and People Together", WORLDHOTELS offers business and leisure travelers a wide choice of individualistic accommodation options in three distinct collections – Deluxe, First Class, and Comfort. WORLDHOTELS' guests also benefit from an extensive portfolio of partnerships, including frequent flyer programs from 18 of the world's leading international airlines, including Air China, All Nippon Airways and Thai Airways.

To its member hotels, WORLDHOTELS provides a wide range of sales, marketing, distribution and related services. The company has about 500 member properties in more than 300 destinations and 70 countries worldwide. For more information, visit worldhotels.com.

ASIA
Australia Toll free: 1-800-55 35 49 For groups: 61-2-9006 1088
China (North) Toll free: 10-800-650-8221 For groups: 10-800-6 50 00 87
China (South) Toll free: 10-800-2 65 82 21 For groups: 10-800-2 65 00 87
Hong Kong Toll free: 800-96 85 63 For groups: 800-90 85 95
India Toll free: 000-800-6 50 11 60 For groups: 65- 62 27 55 35
Indonesia Toll free: 001-803-65 73 25
Japan Toll free: 0120-55 75 37 For groups: 81-3-52 14 71 77
Malaysia Toll free: 1-800-80 11 84 For groups: 1-800-80 15 86
New Zealand Toll free: 0-800-44 75 55 For groups: 61-2-9006 1088
Philippines Toll free: 1-800-16 51 01 67
Singapore Toll free: 1-800-2 27 66 26 For groups: 65- 62 27 55 35
South Korea Toll free: 080-747-10 00 For groups: 82-2-756 90 00
Taiwan Toll free: 00801-65 10 95 For Groups: 00801 651 423
Thailand Toll free: 001-800-65 66 04

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Grebstad Hicks Communications
  Ms Luci Pickett / Ms Carol Kong
  Tel: 852 2810 0532
  E-mail: luci.pickett@ghcasia.com / carol.kong@ghcasia.com

  WORLDHOTELS
  Mr Roland Jegge
  Tel: 65 6227 5535
  E-mail: rjegge@worldhotels.com

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