The new codeshare offering will launch during the summer timetable in 2027, subject to regulatory approval. It will cover selected destinations in Europe, Asia, and Oceania, giving passengers on both airlines a wider range of connections and greater convenience when travelling. 

Robert Ludera, Board Member and Chief Commercial Officer at LOT Polish Airlines, and Kittiphong Sansomboon, THAI’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), signed the MoU. 

The MoU signing coincided with the launch of LOT’s Warsaw–Bangkok route, opening new opportunities to develop cooperation between the two carriers.

LOT Polish Airlines and Thai Airways intend to develop travel options between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The partnership is designed to give passengers access to additional destinations while enabling both carriers to reach new groups of travellers. Another key objective is to support tourism and business in both directions: travel from Poland and Europe to Thailand and other countries in the region, and visits to Poland and Europe by passengers travelling from Asia and Oceania.

(Source: LOT Polish)

The post LOT and TG ink codeshare agreement appeared first on TTR Weekly.

Lufthansa will initially acquire a minority stake in the Portuguese national airline while “pursuing a clear strategic agenda: to support TAP Air Portugal’s growth, preserve its national identity and strengthen Portugal’s connectivity, particularly with North and Latin America.”

Deutsche Lufthansa AG Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Carsten Spohr stated in the group’s press release released Wednesday: “With today’s decision, the Portuguese government has paved the way for TAP Air Portugal to continue this success story together with Lufthansa Group. 

“At the same time, this allows us to consistently pursue our internationalisation strategy and sustainably strengthen our position in the South Atlantic market. Lufthansa Group welcomes today’s announcement by the Portuguese government to initiate the process for the full privatisation of TAP Air Portugal”.

Lufthansa Group has offered a purchase price of EUR1.025 billion for the minority stake in TAP Air Portugal. This amount could rise to EUR1.2 billion for a 49.9% stake, due to up to 5% of shares initially offered to employees, as well as a ticking fee.

In the long term, BigGo Finance, an online market intelligence platform, suggests the “structure allows Lufthansa to pursue a majority buyout (potentially raising total investment to around EUR2.55 billion) once regulatory approvals clear and financial integration benchmarks are met.”

The Lufthansa Group’s airlines currently offer 353 weekly flights to six destinations in Portugal, representing a 75% increase in capacity compared with 2019. More than 500 skilled professionals currently work for Lufthansa Group companies in Portugal. With the construction of the new Lufthansa Technik site in Santa Maria da Feira near Porto, where ground was broken in June, this number is expected to increase to more than 1,000 direct jobs by 2030.

Lufthansa Group is working with the Portuguese government and Parpública to finalise the transaction documents and expects to sign the acquisition agreements shortly. The acquisition remains subject to approval by the relevant authorities.

(Source: Lufthansa)

The post Lufthansa Group’s offer for TAP Air Portugal gains green light appeared first on TTR Weekly.

Australians made 588,490 trips to Vietnam through August 2026, up 17.4%. In August alone, trips jumped 30.3%.

China and Japan are also surging. Trips to China rose 13.1% to 750,870, and Japan is now just shy of one million Australian visitors. Together with Vietnam, they added almost 250,000 trips over the year.

Australians took 12.77 million overseas trips in total, up 3.2%.

The findings come from the ATIA October 2026 Travel Trends Report, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics overseas arrivals and departures data analysed by ATIA. (Reporting period: overseas departures to August 2026). 

Asia climbs the rankings

Australians made 750,870 trips to China in the year to August, up 13.1%. 

India has also increased in popularity as a destination with 622,820 Australian visitors, up 5.3%.

Vietnam was the fastest-growing major destination, up 17.4% to 588,490 visitors. That leaves it just 60 trips short of the UK, on 588,550.

Favourites hold firm

Indonesia remains Australians’ most popular destination, with 1.81 million trips, up 3.2%. New Zealand follows with 1.50 million, up 5.6%.

Japan ranks third, with 989,240 Australian visitors, up 8.1%.

Classic favourites still in demand

The US and UK remain two of the most popular long-haul destinations for Australians, with 678,390 and 588,550 Australian visitors respectively in the year to August. Both eased on last year, while Asia saw the strongest growth.

Seven of Australia’s top ten destinations grew year on year.

August standouts

Australians made 986,230 overseas trips in August, up 1.5% on the same month last year.

Vietnam led the month, up 30.3% to 45,630 trips. Fiji rose 13.7% to 41,950, Indonesia climbed 10.6% to 178,830, and New Zealand grew 6.6% to 120,830.

Travellers can find an ATIA-accredited travel agent or tour operator at traveltick.com.au.

ATIA Director of Compliance and Membership Nina Hedges commented: “Australians’ appetite for travel keeps growing. Australians took 12.77 million overseas trips over the past year, up 3.2%, with almost 400,000 more journeys than the year before. That’s a strong vote of confidence in travel.

“Asia has become the region Australians can’t get enough of. Travel to China is up more than 13% on last year, and Japan is sitting just shy of one million Australian visitors. That’s a remarkable shift in a short space of time.

“Vietnam is the one to watch. It’s growing faster than any other major destination and sits just 60 trips behind the UK. On current trends, it won’t stay behind for long.

“The US and UK are still important markets, with more than half a million Australians visiting each of them every year. Wherever people are heading, an ATIA-accredited travel agent or tour operator can help them plan with confidence and book with a business that meets the industry’s standards.”

(Source: ATIA www.atia.travel)

The post Asia: Top spots for Australian travellers appeared first on TTR Weekly.

For the first time, holidaymakers can explore Europe year-round on Rhapsody of the Seas, from summer adventures with overnight stays in Egypt to winter getaways to the Canary Islands. 

Throughout the season, travellers can discover sought-after destinations across Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, and Northern Europe, including Royal Caribbean’s return to Copenhagen and Stockholm, on seven- to 12-night holidays. 

Bookings for the European 2028-29 season are now open as of 15 October.

Europe 2028-29 Highlights

Rhapsody of the Seas — From Athens (Piraeus), Barcelona, and Lisbon, Portugal. 

Rhapsody will kick off Royal Caribbean’s year-round Europe season with seven- to 12-night holidays from Athens (Piraeus), Barcelona and Lisbon. 

Explorer of the Seas — From Ravenna (Venice).

From May to October 2028, Explorer will offer seven-night Mediterranean holidays to the Greek Isles and Croatia, with longer stays in Santorini to soak up the island’s iconic caldera views, whitewashed villages, and spectacular sunsets, plus Royal Beach Club Santorini. 

Jewel of the Seas — From Copenhagen and Stockholm.

Returning to Copenhagen, Stockholm, and the Baltic, Jewel will sail from May to August 2028 on seven- to 11-night adventures visiting Helsinki; Visby, Sweden; Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland; and Klaipeda, Lithuania, with itineraries highlighting Scandinavia’s striking coastlines and centuries of Nordic history and culture. 

Liberty of the Seas — From Barcelona, Athens (Piraeus), and Rome (Civitavecchia).

From May to October 2028, Liberty will take holidaymakers on seven- and eight-night getaways to the Greek Isles, plus Mediterranean adventures to Provence (Marseille), France, Sicily (Palermo), Italy, and Cagliari, Sardinia. 

Mariner of the Seas — From Barcelona, Lisbon, Athens (Piraeus), and Ravenna (Venice).

Returning to the Mediterranean, Mariner will deliver seven-night holidays exploring some of the region’s most sought-after destinations, including Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Porto (Leixoes), Portugal, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. 

Odyssey of the Seas — From Rome (Civitavecchia).

From April to October 2028, Odyssey will return to Rome (Civitavecchia) for seven-night adventures through the Greek Isles, including visits to destinations like Ephesus, Turkey, and Mykonos, Greece. 

(Source: Royal Caribbean)

The post Royal Caribbean: Explore Europe year-round appeared first on TTR Weekly.

The appointments support Hilton’s continued brand expansion across the region, where its portfolio now spans more than 1,367 hotels, with significant growth opportunities in India, China and Southeast Asia.

With more than seven years at Hilton, Ling will oversee brand strategy, growth, brand stewardship and performance across the Focused Service & All Suites portfolio, comprising Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Spark by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton. 

His appointment comes as Hilton accelerates its expansion in key markets, including plans for 150 Spark by Hilton and 200 Hampton by Hilton hotels in India.

Alex Shockley, who brings almost a decade of international experience with Hilton, will lead the Lifestyle & Collection Brands portfolio across Asia Pacific, including Canopy Hotels, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Tempo by Hilton and Motto by Hilton. 

As Hilton introduces these brands to new markets across Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Hong Kong, and looks to double its lifestyle hotel presence in China, Shockly will focus on strengthening brand presence and delivering distinctive, locally relevant guest experiences.

(Source: Hilton)

The post Hilton announces two key appointments appeared first on TTR Weekly.

The route will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, using an Airbus A330-900.

The decision to launch the new flight followed close cooperation with the relevant authorities, including the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Italy.

This institutional dialogue helped create the conditions to re-establish a direct, strategic air link between the two countries, as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by ITA Airways Chief Executive Officer Joerg Eberhart and the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Italy, H.E. Maria Elena Uzzo Giannattasio.

The Rome Fiumicino–Caracas route is important to Italy’s national interests: it strengthens the country’s connectivity with a key Latin American market, fosters economic and trade relations, and supports Italian companies operating in Venezuela by offering new mobility opportunities for people, goods, and business. 

(Source: ITA Airways)

The post ITA launches Rome Fiumicino–Caracas flights appeared first on TTR Weekly.

‘Aussie Specialist’ travel agents came from 17 tourism source markets, including China, the US and Canada, the UK and Europe, India, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and New Zealand to participate in the three-day event.

Designed to expand agents’ knowledge, skills and confidence in selling Australia, the event brought Aussie Specialist certified travel agents together for face-to-face meetings with Australian tourism businesses, with opportunities to see Australia firsthand during pre- or post-event familiarisations across the country, supported by all States and Territories.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Robin Mack, commented: “We’re extremely proud to deliver this event in partnership with the Northern Territory, home to stunning wilderness areas and National Parks including Uluru: iconic, instantly recognisable to visitors and culturally significant for our First Nations peoples.

“The Aussie Specialist Program is Tourism Australia’s signature training program with 40,000 qualified travel agents selling Australia to the world through their exceptional knowledge of Australia’s tourism offering.

“Together with our airline partners, we are bringing around 300 Aussie Specialist agents to Darwin, with more than half of them visiting Australia for the first time. Before and after the event, they will travel around the country to personally experience what Australia has to offer and increase their ability to encourage visitors to plan and book an unforgettable trip.”

Tourism and Events NT CEO, Suzana Bishop, added: “With 26 sellers showcasing their products and more than 130 Territory businesses providing services and experiences, G’day Australia is creating opportunities right across our visitor economy, from accommodation and dining to transport, retail and tours. 

“These businesses will benefit from immediate spending while helping show international travel agents what makes a Territory holiday exceptional. That firsthand experience can translate into stronger recommendations, future bookings and lasting benefits for our industry.”

In total, G’day Australia welcomed over 500 attendees, including 122 Australian tourism businesses nationwide, with support from Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events NT staff on the ground. 

Tourism Australia delivered G’day Australia 2026 in partnership with Tourism and Events NT and its official airline partner, Singapore Airlines.

(Source: Tourism Australia)

The post Aussie Specialists convene in Darwin appeared first on TTR Weekly.

The new voyages, made possible by the ship’s anticipated early delivery, offer guests their first chance to sail aboard Norwegian Aura, NCL’s newest and largest ship, beginning 2 May 2027.

Norwegian Aura’s inaugural Mediterranean sailings include a 10-day voyage from Trieste, Italy, to Athens (Piraeus), Greece, departing 2 May 2027, and a nine-day voyage from Athens (Piraeus), Greece, to Trieste, Italy, departing 12 May 2027. 

The 10-day itinerary will call at Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia; Bar, Montenegro; and Corfu, Santorini, and Mykonos, Greece, while the nine-day sailing will visit Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, and Corfu, Greece; Bar, Montenegro; and Split and Zadar, Croatia. Together, the newly released voyages let travellers be among the first to experience Norwegian Aura during her inaugural season while visiting bucket-list Mediterranean ports.

Norwegian Aura will be NCL’s largest and longest ship to date, measuring nearly 1,130 feet long and weighing approximately 170,000 gross tons. The ship will be 10% larger than Norwegian Aqua® and Norwegian Luna® and will feature Ocean Heights, a first-in-the-fleet outdoor activities complex spanning decks 18 through 21. 

After two inaugural Mediterranean sailings, Norwegian Aura will sail an additional seven-day Mediterranean voyage from Trieste, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain, on 21 May 2027, calling at Valletta, Malta; Salerno, Italy; and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. 

The ship will then sail a 13-day transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to Miami before beginning seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises from Miami from June through October 2027, with calls to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island destination. 

In winter 2027/28, Norwegian Aura will offer seven-day Western Caribbean voyages to Roatan (Islas de la Bahía), Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Harvest Caye, NCL’s resort-style destination in Belize.

(Source: Norwegian Cruise Line)

The post Sales open for Norwegian Aura’s sailings appeared first on TTR Weekly.

As Malaysia welcomes visitors for Visit Malaysia 2026–2027, the partnership merges Tourism Malaysia’s destination marketing with Alipay+’s global wallet ecosystem and AI capabilities. It aims to create a highly intelligent digital journey, connecting international travellers directly with local operators as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), strategically distributing visitor spending beyond major hubs to support the broader economic goals of VM2026–2027.

The MoU builds on Alipay+’s significant momentum within Malaysia’s digital commerce ecosystem. In the first half of 2026, over 600,000 merchants, primarily SMEs, received payments from Alipay+ partner wallets and bank apps, marking a year-on-year increase of over 70%. Furthermore, traveller spending via DuitNow surged by more than 60%, establishing Alipay+ as the largest contributor to inbound QR transactions nationwide. Alipay+ currently connects over 2 billion user accounts with 150 million merchants across 210 destinations and operates through major national schemes like PayNet.

A core component of the collaboration is Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel agent embedded within travellers’ digital wallets. Alipay+ Voyager will surface Tourism Malaysia-verified cultural, culinary, and experiential offerings tailored to individual interests, creating a new digital channel to reach international customers at the moment of discovery. 

Benefits for Malaysian businesses

Direct access to global travellers — Tourism Malaysia and Malaysian businesses become visible directly within leading global e-wallets in the Alipay+ ecosystem.

From payments to active engagement — AI agent Alipay+ Voyager surfaces verified offerings, connecting travellers with businesses beyond major hubs and with personalised deals across the travel journey, driving higher-intent engagements.

SME growth engine — Exclusive campaign with 20% savings via PayNet’s DuitNow encourages discovery and transactions at small local shops.

(Source: Ant International)

The post Tourism Malaysia and Alipay+ share wallets appeared first on TTR Weekly.

The popular island destination in northern Malaysia presents the Naturally Langkawi story to four key cities, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Wuxi, and Jinan, from 12 to 19 October 2026.

The roadshow also spotlighted the launch of LADA’s official Naturally Langkawi presence on Xiaohongshu (Rednote), one of China’s leading lifestyle and travel discovery platforms.

The tie-up with Xiaohongshu (Rednote) extends Langkawi’s digital engagement with Chinese travellers and introduces them to Langkawi’s natural landscapes, cultural character and distinctive island experiences. 

Samuel Lee Thai Hung, Deputy Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Waffa Wahida binti Zainol, Tourism Manager of LADA, and the Malaysian Inbound Chinese Association (MICA) President Datuk Dr Angie Ng jointly officiated at the launch in Beijing.

LADA’s participation in the four-city roadshow reflects its continued commitment to strengthening relationships with the China travel trade and increasing awareness of Langkawi among Chinese travellers. Through a combination of B2B engagement and digital storytelling, the initiative aims to present Langkawi through a broader lens – one that goes beyond the traditional sun-and-sea holiday.

At the heart of this approach is “Feel Again”, Naturally Langkawi’s emotional invitation to experience the island through moments of wonder, connection, indulgence and possibility. From its ancient landscapes and UNESCO Global Geopark heritage to its beaches, wildlife and local experiences, Langkawi offers travellers space to slow down, reconnect with nature and experience something different.

“China remains an important market for Langkawi, and this roadshow provides a valuable opportunity for us to strengthen our relationships with the travel trade across key cities while bringing the Naturally Langkawi story directly to Chinese travellers,” said Waffa, Tourism Manager of LADA.

“Through Xiaohongshu, we can share Langkawi in a way that reflects how today’s travellers discover and experience places – through visual stories, authentic recommendations and experiences worth remembering. We want Chinese travellers to see that Langkawi is more than a beautiful island. It is a place where they can reconnect with nature, discover new experiences and, ultimately, feel again.”

Naturally, Langkawi on Xiaohongshu 

As part of its digital engagement in China, LADA will use the Xiaohongshu (Rednote) platform to showcase a selection of experiences that reflect the different ways travellers can discover and connect with Langkawi. Chinese travellers can now follow the official Naturally Langkawi account on Xiaohongshu (Rednote) for travel inspiration, curated experiences and stories from across the island.

(Source: Your Stories — LADA)

The post Xiaohongshu Rednote spotlights Langkawi appeared first on TTR Weekly.