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Hong Kong hosts world-class sports events

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Newsdesk
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HONG KONG, 23 March 2026: Hong Kong presents three major international sporting fixtures — the Hong Kong Sevens, Champions Day, and the 2026 UCI Track World Cup, Hong Kong, China, during April. 

Photo credit: HKTB. Rugby icons and party anthems take centre stage at the Hong Kong Sevens 2026.

Hong Kong Sevens 2026

Rugby icons and party anthems take centre stage at the Hong Kong Sevens 2026, 17–19 April 2026, Kai Tak Stadium

One of the world’s most iconic annual sporting spectacles returns in 2026 as the Hong Kong Sevens celebrates its 50th anniversary. For its second edition at the state-of-the-art Kai Tak Stadium, the tournament promises three days of 72 rugby games between 30 of the world’s top teams, including Hong Kong China Men and Women’s 7s stars who will defend their Melrose Claymores titles.

Cycling fans can witness world-class competition at the 2026 UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong.

2026 UCI Track World Cup, Hong Kong, China

Elite cyclists compete for global ranking points at the 2026 UCI Track World Cup, Hong Kong, China, 17–19 April 2026, Hong Kong Velodrome. 

Cycling fans can witness world-class competition at the 2026 UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong, the second round of the prestigious international track cycling series.  

Held at the Hong Kong Velodrome, the event will bring together elite national teams competing across Olympic track cycling disciplines. As one of the most important events on the international cycling calendar — alongside the World Championships and Olympic Games — the competition offers riders valuable World Ranking points. The Hong Kong round is expected to attract nearly 400 professional cyclists from around 40 countries and regions, promising a thrilling showcase of speed, strategy and endurance.

Champions Day is a standout moment in Hong Kong’s racing calendar.

A day at the races

Champions Day brings world-class horse racing to Sha Tin, 26 April 2026, Sha Tin Racecourse. 

Another standout moment in Hong Kong’s racing calendar is Champions Day, a major international meet that attracts top contenders from across the globe.  

The event features three elite Group 1 races, bringing together world-class horses and jockeys to compete against Hong Kong’s finest thoroughbreds. For racing fans, it offers a rare chance to see hometown champions — including Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble, and Ka Ying Rising — defend their reputations against global challengers on home turf. The combination of elite racing and a charged race-day atmosphere makes Champions Day a can’t-miss spectacle for visitors and locals alike. 

(Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

Centara: Business brokered at ITB Berlin

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Your Stories
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BANGKOK, 20 March 2026: Centara Hotels & Resorts reports a highly successful visit to ITB Berlin 2026, where it met with its travel industry colleagues and revealed updates for the coming year and beyond.

Staged at the Berlin ExpoCenter City, ITB Berlin is the world’s largest travel trade show, attracting more than 100,000 attendees. 

This provided the platform for Centara’s senior executives, including Thirayuth Chirathivat, CEO, and Michael Henssler, Chief Operations Officer, to showcase the group’s latest news, reaffirm progress on its expansion plans, and reconnect with its esteemed industry partners from Europe and around the world.

Centara welcomed its key travel trade partners to an exclusive “Centara Journeys” cocktail evening at KaDeWe.

This year, Centara’s strapline read “Real Thai Hospitality, Shared with the World,” and the concept was brought to life at two “Centara Journeys” cocktail evenings at KaDeWe, the famous luxury department store owned by Central Group, Centara’s parent company. 

On the evenings of 3 and 4 March 2026, guests were greeted with a Thai welcome ritual and treated to locally inspired drinks and light bites amid an enchanting ambience of traditional Thai décor.

Delegates at ITB Berlin learned about Centara’s expansion milestones, including its 2025 openings and the launch of the 42-key Himalayan Hideaway Resort Pokhara, The Centara Collection, in January 2026, marking the group’s debut in Nepal. 

At least four more properties are set to open their doors this year. They comprise: The 300-key Centara Life Namba Hotel Osaka, Japan; the 481-key Centara Hotel & Residences Van Don and the 496-key Crystal Holidays Harbour Van Don, both in Vietnam; and the 110-key Centara Life Hotel Surat Thani, Thailand. 

Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO (top right), brought the group’s unique style of “Real Thai Hospitality” to life as he greeted media at the cocktail reception in Berlin.

In addition, two of Centara’s most popular Thai resorts will be transformed in 2026: Centara Grand Beach Resort Hua Hin and Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi. The latter will re-emerge as Centara Reserve Krabi — the world’s second Centara Reserve.

Centara also discussed how the adoption of smart technology will drive its global growth. Central to this strategy is the Centara Data Warehouse, which will support advanced analytics and enable hyper-personalisation. A new customised booking engine has been designed for seamless connectivity and future AI integration, and the Centara App has already exceeded 100,000 downloads since its launch in December 2025.

Another important talking point was sustainability, which is woven throughout Centara’s business. It became the first Thai hotel group to achieve full Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification in 2025, reduced its energy use by 26%, water consumption by 33%, waste-to-landfill by 23% and overall emissions by 24%, while also generating three times more solar power. Overall, Centara has set itself the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Centara hosted its media friends at the Thai-inspired “Centara Journeys” cocktail reception.

“ITB Berlin is one of the world’s most important travel trade events, so we were delighted to return to Germany again this year to meet with our esteemed industry colleagues and media friends. Despite global headwinds, Centara has enjoyed a highly productive last 12 months, as we opened new hotels and introduced our authentic, family‑centric hospitality to even more guests from around the globe. We look forward to working closely with all our trade partners and media friends in 2026, as we strive to become ‘The Place to Be’ for the world’s travellers,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat.

With a growing global portfolio of exceptional hotels and resorts under six inspiring brands, including locations in Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Nepal, the Middle East, and four distinct resorts in the Maldives, Centara is moving confidently towards its goal of becoming one of the world’s top 100 hotel operators by 2027.

For more information about Centara Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com. 

(Source: Your Stories — Centara Hotels & Resorts)

Tourism Australia: Green is our Gold

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Newsdesk
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SYDNEY, 20 March 2026: Tourism Australia has launched a new sustainability initiative, Green is Our Gold, to rally the Australian tourism industry around a shared promise to protect and strengthen Australia’s natural environments, cultures and communities.

Tourism Australia launched the sustainability initiative at its annual conference, Destination Australia, earlier this week in Melbourne, which welcomed over 800 tourism industry professionals.

Photo credit: Tourism Australia.

The Green is Our Gold campaign responds to growing demand for tourism experiences that deliver positive social and environmental impact.

Tourism Australia’s Consumer Demand Project shows that sustainability is increasingly important to travellers, both in their everyday lives (77%) and in the way they choose to travel (70%).

There is also continued demand for sustainable practices among business events decision-makers, with three out of four incentive decision-makers (76%) ranking sustainability credentials as a significant driver of destination choice.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Robin Mack, said: “Australia has a strong track record of sustainable growth in tourism, and many businesses have already embraced sustainability — delivering world-class experiences that are sensitive to our natural environments, our cultures and our communities.”

Green is Our Gold builds on the National Sustainability Framework for the Visitor Economy and the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit, launched by the Australian Government in 2023 alongside the State and Territory Tourism Ministers, and which is a key action under the national long-term visitor economy strategy, THRIVE 2030.

(Source: Tourism Australia)

Visa surveys digital payment adoption in Thamel

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Newsdesk
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KATHMANDU, 20 March 2026: Visa is bankrolling a survey to demonstrate the level of digital payment adoption in the city’s popular Thamel district, which is visited by 80% of all tourists to the Nepalese capital.

Visa and its project partner, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter, launched the baseline survey phase of the ‘Cross-Border (XB) Acceptance in Thamel’ initiative earlier this week.

Photo credit: PATA Chapter Nepal.

PATA Nepal Chapter has engaged 30 tourism and hospitality students from its educational member institutions to conduct a survey assessing how small and medium enterprises in Thamel are meeting the challenges of adopting digital payment systems and participating in cross-border commerce.

The study has the backing and support of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), and the Thamel Tourism Development Council (TTDC).

Survey objectives will focus on measuring the current status of digital payment usage, merchant readiness, challenges, and knowledge gaps among SMEs operating in Thamel. 

PATA Nepal Chapter CEO Suresh Singh Budal said: “At PATA Nepal, we are committed to enabling our tourism SMEs to thrive in a digital-first global economy, with Thamel serving as a model destination. We sincerely thank Visa, NTB, TTDC, and CNI for their collaboration and support in this initiative.”

The project will later implement training programs, merchant engagement activities, and capacity-building initiatives to create a replicable model for SME digital transformation in other tourism destinations across Nepal.

Thamel is an iconic district in Kathmandu, famed for its maze of lanes and alleys packed with shops, restaurants and rooftop bars. The longest street in Thamel is known as Thamel Marg, a hive of jewellery shops, trekking stores, and souvenir shops. Chaksibari Street, also one of the longest streets in Thamel, is famous for trekking gear stores, travel agents, and book shops.

(Source: PATA Chapter Nepal)

Arrival 360 lands in Valencia

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Newsdesk
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VALENCIA, Spain, 20 March 2026: Arival, a global leader in insights and events for the tours, activities, attractions, and experiences sector, has announced the full speaker lineup and expanded programme for Arival 360 Valencia, taking place at the Centre de Congressos from April 27–29, 2026.  

This year’s theme, “The Tomorrow Operator: Europe & the Future of Tours & Experiences,” sets the stage for a forward‑looking programme designed to help operators navigate a rapidly evolving landscape.

Photo credit: Arrival.

In a period defined by rising demand, disruptive technology, overtourism pressures, and shifting traveller expectations, Arival 360 Valencia will provide operators with the insights, tools, and connections they need to build resilient, future‑ready businesses. The event will feature original Arival research, executive perspectives, hands‑on workshops, and peer‑to‑peer learning, all tailored to the realities of running and scaling an experiences business in 2026.

“The experiences sector is at a turning point,” said Arival, CEO and co-founder Douglas Quinby. “From the rise of AI to the challenges of overtourism and the shifting expectations of travellers, operators must rethink how they deliver, distribute, and grow. This year’s Arival 360 in Valencia is about equipping the industry with the insights and connections to thrive in this new era.”

Arival 360 Valencia brings together more than 60 speakers from across the global experiences ecosystem – including operators, OTAs, technology innovators, culinary experts, multi‑day specialists, and destination voices. The speaker lineup includes:

  • Doug Weiss, Airbnb
  • Guillermo Oxangoiti, TUI Musement
  • Josh Carr, Intrepid Travel
  • Kristin Dorsett, Viator
  • Matt Jones, Klook
  • Dan Christian, Travel Trends Podcast
  • Andrès Spitzer, Civitatis
  • Brennen Bliss, Propellic
  • Sam Jefferies, Bókun (Tripadvisor)
  • Christian Watts, Magpie Travel
  • Roisin O’Sullivan, Walks
  • Travis Pittman, TourRadar
  • Robin Harnish, OCTO
  • Sean Finelli, The Tour Guy

This year’s event introduces several new programme elements designed to reflect the sector’s most dynamic areas of growth, and there will be three dedicated Experience Streams – AI for Experience Creators, Multi‑Day Experiences, and Culinary Experiences.  

Arival 360 Valencia will also be more accessible than ever, with sessions delivered in both English and Spanish and AI‑powered translation available in more than 15 languages. 

Valencia provides an ideal backdrop for a conference focused on the future of experiences. The city blends rich cultural heritage with a thriving culinary scene, innovative urban development, and a strong commitment to sustainability. From its historic old town and iconic City of Arts and Sciences to its Mediterranean coastline and renowned gastronomy, Valencia reflects the spirit of the experiences that inspire travellers worldwide.

(Source: Arival)

Agoda recognises Gold Circle Awards winners

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Newsdesk
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SINGAPORE, 20 March 2026: Digital travel platform Agoda announced the winners of its 2025 Gold Circle Awards this week, recognising over 3,000 top-performing hotel partners globally for operational excellence within Agoda’s ecosystem. 

Now in its 17th edition, Agoda’s Gold Circle Awards celebrate properties that consistently deliver high guest standards, maintain strong digital engagement and stay adaptable. 

Copilot generates AI image.

Taiwan’s standout performance marks a milestone: 2025 is the first time it has led the ranking and placed in the top five markets by winner count, underscoring the consistency and agility of hotel partners in the market.

This year’s national ranking highlights excellence across the hospitality sector, led by Taiwan in first place and Vietnam in second. Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia shared third place, followed by a tie between the Philippines and India in fourth, with Australia in fifth.

Regional travel demand remains dynamic, with intra-Asia travel continuing to shape travel patterns across the region according to Agoda’s recent ‘Tailored to Win’ report. 

As traveller profiles diversify and expectations for seamless digital experiences continue to rise, the Gold Circle Awards commend hotel partners that have maintained strong operational fundamentals and refined how they engage and convert travellers through Agoda’s platform at scale.

“Every year, what stands out to me is how much effort happens behind the scenes to make a stay feel effortless for the guest,” said Agoda Senior Vice President, Supply, Andrew Smith. “Over the years, we have seen different markets rise through the rankings, which is a healthy sign for the industry. It shows hotels across the region are learning quickly, adapting to new guest needs and raising their standards in ways travellers can feel. Across Asia, our winners have stayed agile and digitally strong, and we will keep investing in tools and support that help them keep performing as traveller needs evolve.”

This year’s results also point to a continued appetite for distinctive stays, alongside trusted hospitality standards. Over 50% of this year’s Gold Circle Awards went to independent properties, representing an 11% increase from the previous year and underscoring growing appreciation for more unique, personalised guest experiences. Additionally, this year’s awards reflect renewed momentum within the hospitality industry, recognising 2,200 unique winners, including properties receiving a Gold Circle Award for the first time and those returning to the program since 2020. 

(Source: Agoda)

JLL leads Southeast Asia’s advisory market

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Newsdesk
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SINGAPORE, 20 March 2026: JLL has achieved a dominant position in investment advisory services across emerging Southeast Asian markets throughout 2025, solidifying its role as the region’s leading advisor for institutional and private capital deployment.

According to MSCI Real Assets data, JLL captured an unprecedented 50.5% combined market share across Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia in 2025.

Photo credit: JLL.

Individually, JLL achieved 50.5% market share in Thailand, 53.9% in the Philippines, 89.9% in Indonesia, 94% in Vietnam, and 34.7% in Malaysia, based on sell-side sales volume.

JLL’s capital markets team facilitated USD703.4 million in sell-side cross-border transactions across these five high-growth markets during 2025, representing a significant portion of institutional investment activity in these rapidly developing economies. The firm’s integrated platform connected global investors with high-quality opportunities in logistics, residential, office, and mixed-use developments as emerging Southeast Asia markets continued their post-pandemic growth trajectory.

(Source: JLL)

Shockwaves in Asia: War, oil and the future of tourism

By
Andrew Wood
-

BANGKOK, 20 March 2026: The global power shifts do not remain confined to geopolitics. They travel quickly, and often invisibly, through economic systems. 

For Asia, and particularly for Thailand, the consequences of the Gulf War are immediate. The most direct transmission channel is energy.

Image generated by Gemini AI.

Any sustained disruption in Middle Eastern supply routes pushes oil prices higher. This feeds directly into aviation fuel costs, which in turn drives airfares upward. The result is predictable. Long-haul travel demand weakens, particularly from Europe, where consumers are already sensitive to economic uncertainty.

For Thailand, where tourism remains a central pillar of the economy, this creates a series of cascading risks.

The first is long-haul softness. European travellers may delay decisions, shorten stays, or opt for closer destinations. Even marginal declines in arrivals can have a disproportionate impact on high-value segments.

The second is airline behaviour. Carriers respond quickly to rising costs and operational risk. Routes may be adjusted, frequencies reduced, and fares increased. Airspace constraints linked to Middle Eastern instability can further complicate scheduling, adding time and cost to long-haul journeys.

The third is psychological. War involving major powers alters traveller sentiment. Even when destinations such as Thailand remain entirely safe, perception often overrides reality. The result is hesitation.

For Thailand, the danger is not the war itself but the hesitation it creates in travellers’ minds. Yet the outlook is not uniformly negative.

Asia’s intra-regional travel market provides a buffer. Demand from China, India, and ASEAN is structurally stronger and less exposed to disruption in the Middle East. Short-haul travel can partially offset long-haul weakness, particularly if supported by targeted government stimulus and competitive pricing.

Thailand also benefits from a diversified base of source markets and a deeply embedded reputation for hospitality and value. These strengths have historically enabled rapid recovery following external shocks, from financial crises to pandemics.

However, timing is critical. The longer uncertainty persists, the more likely temporary softness becomes structural weakness.

Airlines, tour operators and hoteliers will need to remain agile. Pricing strategies, market diversification and regional focus will be key to maintaining momentum.

At a broader level, this moment highlights a deeper truth. Global conflicts no longer remain contained within their regions. Their effects ripple outward through energy markets, transport systems and consumer behaviour, reaching destinations thousands of miles away.

For Asia’s tourism economies, resilience will depend not only on demand but on adaptability. Because in this new global environment, stability is no longer guaranteed. It must be managed.

And for Thailand, success will depend on how quickly it can respond, reassure and reposition itself in a world where uncertainty has become the norm.

About the author
Andrew J Wood is a Bangkok-based travel writer and former hotel executive specialising in Asian tourism.

Cathay Pacific pauses flights to the Gulf

By
Newsdesk
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HONG KONG, 20 March 2026: In response to the current situation in the Middle East, Cathay Pacific has suspended all passenger and cargo flights to Dubai and Riyadh up to and including 30 April 2026, the airline group’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Lavinia Lau, reported on Wednesday. 

“As customers prioritise alternative travel routes due to airspace closures in the Middle East, we have added extra flights to London and provided additional capacity to Zurich in March to cater for a surge in demand for Europe.

Photo credit: Cathay Group.

We are monitoring the situation closely and will remain agile in our response,” Lau explained as part of the group’s Traffic Performance Statement for February 2026.

Cathay Group delivered a positive performance during the first two months of 2026, with the solid momentum seen in January continuing into February, driven by the Lunar New Year travel peak. 

“In addition to setting a new single-day passenger record by carrying around 128,000 passengers as a Group on 14 February, our passenger airlines Cathay Pacific and HK Express together carried more than 3.2 million passengers during the month, up 24% from the same period last year.”

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific carried 24% more passengers in February 2026 compared with February 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 16%. In the first two months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 17% compared with the same period in 2025.

Lau said: “During the Lunar New Year holidays, we saw particularly strong outbound travel demand from Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area, with short-haul destinations being the most popular. Meanwhile, inbound traffic to Hong Kong also recorded healthy growth, supported by demand from long-haul markets and the Chinese Mainland.

Business travel rebounded quickly towards the end of the month, resulting in robust load factors in our premium cabins.

“Looking ahead, bookings remain robust for the rest of March, driven by leisure travel across Asia. We also look forward to launching our new five-times-weekly Seattle service on 30 March, further strengthening the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub.” ​

Cathay Cargo

Cathay Cargo carried 7% more cargo in February 2026 than in February 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 4%. ​ In the first two months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by 6% compared with the same period in 2025.

Cargo tonnage in February declined against the previous month due to the Lunar New Year holidays. We saw a pre-holiday rush across our home market and the wider Greater Bay Area, followed by softer demand later in the month. 

“Turning to March, overall air cargo demand is expected to improve as we ramp up our scheduled freighter frequencies in preparation for the quarter end.”

HK Express

HK Express carried more than 730,000 passengers in February 2026, an increase of 25% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) grew by 14%. ​ In the first two months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 16% compared with the same period in 2025.

Buoyed by Lunar New Year traffic, HK Express achieved a load factor of 86% in February, with its South Korea routes the most popular. The low-cost airline also saw a significant increase in demand to Malaysia and the Chinese Mainland, which outpaced capacity growth. Looking ahead, bookings remain healthy in March, with demand outpacing capacity increase compared with last year.

Passenger traffic performance February 2026

(Source: Cathay Group)

ITA schedules repatriation flights

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Newsdesk
-

DELHI, 20 March 2026: ITA Airways has scheduled two additional frequencies between Rome Fiumicino and Delhi on 24 and 25 March.

The Italian airline says its decision follows reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which identified a large number of Italian nationals temporarily stranded in India due to the conflict in the Middle East’s airspace and the closure of airport hubs.

Photo credit: ITA Airways.

Flights from Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to Delhi (DEL)

The first flight on 24 March will depart at 1740 (Italian time) and land in the Indian capital at 0555 (local time).
The second flight on 25 March will depart at 1735 (Italian time) and land in the Indian capital at 0535 (local time).

Flights from Delhi (DEL) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO)

The first flight on 25 March will depart from DEL at 0825 (local time) and land at FCO at 1300 (Italian time).
The second flight on 26 March will depart from DEL at 0735 (local time) and land at FCO at 1155 (Italian time).

Tickets for these flights are on sale on the airline’s website, the ITA Airways app and through the airline’s official sales channels.

Subject to developments in the geopolitical situation, ITA Airways will continue to operate direct services to Asia and is also assessing opportunities to strengthen its flight schedule to facilitate the return of Italian nationals currently in the region.

(Source: ITA Airways).

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