TTR Weekly

Singapore gains liveable points

SINGAPORE, 18 August 2017: For the first time Singapore overhauled Hong Kong in the Economist Intelligence Unit 2017 Global Liveability Ranking released Wednesday. Singapore jumped 11 places to 35th in the annual survey that assigns scores for 140 cities based on 30 criteria covering stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Hong Kong slipped two places...

Sports to support tourism

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports is confident that sports tourism will boom in eastern seaboard provinces to generate added revenue for local communities. Tourism and Sports Minister, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, said for the first half of this year tourism revenue for the so-called eastern seaboard cluster grew 9.1% generating over THB43,400 million i Chonbu...

QF bargains to Australia and NZ

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Qantas launches its latest promotional fares for travel to selected destinations in Australia and New Zealand. Bookings must be made by 26 August for travel from 17 August to 14 November this year. The promotion offers a roundtrip fare, inclusive of taxes, fees and carrier charges, ex-Bangkok, starting at THB16,890 to Perth. Other fares to Australia: THB21,095 ...

Thai Smile suspends Sabah link

BANGKOK, 17 August 2017: Technically all the indicators, including media statements, suggest Thai Smile flies to Kota Kinabalu from its Suvarnabhumi airport home-base here in Bangkok. It is even an option on the airline’s its website where travellers can select travel to three Malaysian destinations; Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu the state capital of Sabah. But that is where th...

Thailand introduces 10-year visa

BANGKOK — Foreigners from 14 designated countries are now eligible for a 10-year retirement visa according to Thailand’s Immigration Bureau. The Thai government announced the new visa last November, but it only became available last week. The extended 10-year retirement visa is a an option in addition to the standard one-year visa for retirees who must have funds in the bank of THB8...

Many shades of Asia

SINGAPORE, 17 August 2017: Asia Pacific recognised as the world’s largest travel market, mainly due to the presence of China, presents the greatest opportunities for the global tourism industry to expand according to the latest Amadeus Journey of Me Insights study. Considering that in China, the world’s leading outbound market, less than 9% of the population own a passport, this makes th...

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News

Singapore gains liveable points

Sports to support tourism

Hotelier on the move

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has appointed Michel Checoury as its new chief financial officer (CFO). He joins the Mövenpick leadership team from Aman Resorts where he was CFO since 2014, responsible for the finances at 31 properties in 19 countries. He will be responsible for aligning strategic planning, the ongoing implementation... [Read full story]

China sales go tabletop

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Thai Hotels Association is inviting members to join a Hotels Meet Local Agents Chinese Speaking Marketplace, 1330 to 1930, 22 September. The sales event will be held at Chaturathit and Parichart rooms, Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok. THA is cooperating with the Association of Thai Travel Agents to organise the programme,... [Read full story]

Sofitel back in KL

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 August 2017: The doors of Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara, opened for business recently, the brand’s first hotel in Malaysia. Located in the heart of affluent Damansara Heights, the 312-room Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara is part of an 8.5-acre integrated development by GuocoLand, comprising two luxury condominium blocks, two corporate... [Read full story]

Emirates supports Haji travel

DUBAI, UAE, 18 August 2017 – Emirates will slot in extra flights to Jeddah to support thousands of pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Emirates will offer 45 additional flights to Jeddah and 12 additional flights to Medina effective 17 August until 11 September to help serve the 2 million pilgrims expected to travel... [Read full story]

Air Berlin on the brink

FRANKFURT, 18 August 2017: Air Berlin is in talks with three competitors about buying up its assets, the insolvent airline’s boss said, Thursday, warning that not all jobs would be saved. “Aside from Lufthansa, we are in contact with two other interested parties from the aviation industry,” Air Berlin chief executive Thomas Winkelmann... [Read full story]

Tourism: Too much of a good thing

BARCELONA, 18 August 2017: “Never again a summer like this”: Exasperated with the hordes of visitors they blame for making their city unliveable, Barcelona residents have risen in protest. The hugely popular Catalan metropolis has become the latest European hotspot to eye tourism with hostility. From the romantic canals of Venice to the... [Read full story]

Terrorist attack in Barcelona

BARCELONA, 18 August 2017: Victims of a van rampage in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and around 100 others injured were of at least 18 different nationalities, Spain’s civil protection agency said Friday. A spokesman said that among the victims in the popular seaside city were nationals from France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Argentina,... [Read full story]

Saudis open border for pilgrims

RIYADH, 18 August 2017: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered the reopening of the border with Qatar to Hajj pilgrims, state media said Thursday, despite a major diplomatic crisis roiling the region. The Salwa border crossing has been closed since 5 June when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic and trade... [Read full story]