SINGAPORE, 29 October 2024: The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has appointed Heejin Cho as the new regional director for the Americas and Head of the New York Office.
Heejin Cho, Regional Director for the Americas and Head of the New York Office (Photo: Business Wire)
With her extensive experience in international marketing and tourism strategy, Cho looks forward to supporting efforts to promote Korea as a destination of choice for US travellers.
Cho has worked in key roles at KTO, including Executive Director of International Tourism Marketing, to draw more international visitors. She also gained valuable experience as a Researcher at the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism).
New York office priorities
Expanding Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with travel partners in the US to develop travel packages that showcase Korea’s cultural offerings through joint promotions and co-branded initiatives.
Promoting Korea’s Luxury Tourism: Offering exclusive experiences, including temple stays with private meditation, VIP performances of traditional arts, fine dining with Michelin-star chefs, and advanced beauty and wellness treatments.
Promoting Special Interest Themes: Learncations, where travellers can combine education with leisure, K-pop dance camps), and catering to niches like vegan travel and workation to meet the traveller preferences.
Leveraging K-Culture: Captivate global audiences, from the worldwide influence of K-pop and K-dramas to the growing fascination with Korean cuisine.
Boosting International Conferences: Providing customised support for academic associations, professional societies, and institutions to host conferences.
Targeted Digital Marketing: Delivering personalised content to specific traveller groups. This approach will help engage diverse audiences, such as younger travellers looking for cultural adventures, luxury tourists seeking premium experiences, and families exploring travel opportunities.
SINGAPORE, 29 October 2024: Booking.com, a global digital travel platform, has announced its AI Trip Planner (Beta) is now available for travellers in Singapore.
The country is the first market in Southeast Asia to launch, following earlier rollouts of the AI Trip Planner in Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK.
Photo Credit: Booking.com
Built upon the foundation of Booking.com’s existing machine learning models, which recommend destinations, accommodation, and attractions to millions of travellers on the platform every day, the AI Trip Planner is also partially powered by large language model (LLM) technology from OpenAI’s ChatGPT API to create a new conversational experience for people to start their trip planning process.
Singaporeans are ready for AI enhanced travel planning
In a recent study conducted by Booking.com*, over half (55%) of Singaporean travellers are inclined to use AI tools for their travel planning and trips. They plan to utilise AI for various purposes, including itinerary planning (57%), activity suggestions (51%), travel tips (49%), destination selection (43%), accommodation suggestions (42%), and restaurant recommendations (40%). Additionally, close to half (48%) of Singaporean travellers are specifically looking for technology amenities and services, such as AI-enabled touchpoints, in their accommodations.
A new way to search and explore on Booking.com
Travellers can ask the AI Trip Planner general travel-related questions, as well as more specific queries to support any stage of their trip planning, including scoping out potential destinations and accommodation options, providing travel inspiration based on the individual’s needs and requirements, as well as creating itineraries for a particular city, country or region.
More tailored and relevant travel recommendations
Travellers can easily chat with the AI Trip Planner to ask questions and refine their search in real-time, with new options surfaced in a matter of seconds. Whether seeking inspiration for a romantic getaway in Bali, curating a list of family-friendly accommodations in Sentosa, or exploring the best attractions in Hokkaido for a winter holiday, the AI Trip Planner makes recommendations in a quick, effortless and conversational way.
Integrated travel planning experience
The AI Trip Planner takes the trip planning process one step further by providing travellers with a visual list of destinations and properties, including Booking.com’s pricing, with links to view more details. Travellers can switch between their chat with the AI Trip Planner and the Booking.com app as they consider trip options. With just a tap on their desired booking type, whether it’s accommodation or attractions, users can easily complete their reservations within the app.
“At Booking.com, our primary goal has always been to harness technology to make it easier for everyone to explore the world. With the exciting advancements in generative AI, we’re enhancing every aspect of the customer experience—from optimising how we present hotel and holiday home options to recommending the most relevant reviews and attractions tailored to the traveller,” said Booking.com Regional Director of Southeast Asia and China Anthony Lu.
“Our AI Trip Planner represents a significant step forward in our mission to deliver greater value and enjoyment to travellers in Singapore, allowing them to plan their trips in a natural, conversational manner and transforming travel planning into a truly personalised experience.”
The AI Trip Planner will be available to all Booking.com users in Singapore, allowing travellers to take advantage of this new travel planning tool. Since its first beta launch in the UK and US in June 2023, the AI Trip Planner has attracted 3.7 million visitors, facilitated 700,000 dialogues, and generated 1.2 million recommendations.
Users simply need to be signed in to their Booking.com account and have their language settings set to English, with the country set to Singapore to access the features of the new tool.
SINGAPORE, 29 October 2024: SriLankan Airlines will launch a new daytime flight between Bangalore and Colombo starting 31 October 2024.
It raises the total number of flights between the two cities to 10 weekly. The timing of the additional flight is ideal for Indian holidaymakers and business event attendees travelling to Sri Lanka for short weekend escapes.
SriLankan Airlines is launching a new daytime flight between Bangalore and Colombo starting 31 October 2024.
Flight UL1174 will depart from Bangalore to Colombo at 0940 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, arriving in Colombo at 1110. The corresponding return flight, UL1173, will leave Colombo at 0720 and reach Bangalore at 0840, also every Thursday through Saturday.
The new service’s schedule is designed to offer a more flexible travel experience for Bengalureans planning trips to Sri Lanka, whether for a vacation or a workstation. It provides more daytime hours on the island while being conveniently scheduled closer to the weekend. This allows travellers to pack more into their itinerary, make the most of their visit, and return home in time for the start of a new week, making it the most convenient flight option for weekend travel to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s popularity as a holiday and MICE destination in the Indian outbound travel market continues to rise, thanks in part to the two countries’ geographic and cultural proximity. Most Indians are likely to find the comforting familiarity of home in Sri Lanka that is not found in other parts of the world.
Additionally, the island’s compactness, coupled with the new flight schedule, enables Indians to enjoy a range of diverse experiences in just a few days, from the stunning southern shores and the historical kovils of the north to the cool climes of the central province, topped off with some shopping and rejuvenating wellness treatments in Colombo.
Travellers who are members of the airline’s frequent flyer programme, FlySmiLes, can earn 1,174 miles and 1,173 miles when they travel on UL1174 and UL1173, respectively.
Aside from the new additions, SriLankan Airlines will continue to operate its daily service between Bangalore and Colombo. India is the only country to have nine of its cities featured in SriLankan Airlines’ network, comprising Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Trivandrum, Chennai, Trichy and Madurai, and the latest addition, Bangalore. Altogether, SriLankan operates 90 flights every week between India and Sri Lanka.
DUBAI, UAE, 29 October 2024: From 10 November 2024, Flydubai will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Bhairahawa in Siddharthanagar, Nepal.
Flights will operate from Terminal 2 at Dubai International (DXB), offering customers a convenient travel option to the new gateway airport in Lumbini province, Nepal. Flydubai’s daily service to Bhairahawa Airport, also known as Gautam Buddha International Airport (BWA), will return to Dubai via Kathmandu supporting the growing demand for travel between Dubai and Nepal.
Bhairahawa in Siddharthanagar Nepal.
Flydubai’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) Sudhir Sreedharan said: “Bhairahawa Airport is Nepal’s second international airport and is located in Siddharthanagar, serving the Lumbini Province, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. We are pleased to continue to serve Nepal with the addition of our new daily service, underscoring our commitment to offer reliable and convenient travel options via Dubai’s aviation hub.”
The carrier started operating to Nepal with the launch of direct flights to Kathmandu in 2009, carrying more than 3 million passengers and stimulating free flows of trade and tourism between Nepal and the UAE.
Flydubai recently started operations to Basel in Switzerland, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan and Kerman and Kish Island in Iran, growing its network to 126 destinations in 55 countries across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC and the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Flight details
Flights to Gautam Buddha International Airport (BWA) will operate daily from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) from 10 November 2024. Emirates will codeshare on this route, offering passengers more options for connections through Dubai’s international aviation hub.
Return Business Class fares from DXB to BWA start from AED3,600 and Economy Class Lite fares start from AED1,800. Return Business Class fares from BWA to DXB start from NPR145,000 and Economy Class Lite fares start from NPR70,000.
Beauty beach and limestone rocks, focus on the boats
BANGKOK, 29 October 2024: Thailand recorded 26,088,855 visits, from January to September 2024, a 30.09% improvement over the 20,054,665 trips recorded during the same nine-month period in 2023.
China led the five top source markets, delivering more than a million visits each, totalling 5,254,764 trips, an increase of 110.73% over the same period in 2023. Malaysia, in second place, delivered 3,742,474 visits, up 12.12. India was the third-highest supplier, with 1,536,196 visits, up 32.17%. South Korea was fourth with 1,382,785 visits, up 15.91%, and Russia was in fifth place, with 1,159,758 visits, up 16.94%.
Pre-Covid Thailand would count 10 country markets delivering a million or more visits each, an indicator that the country’s trajectory to recovery requires a Q4 boost if it is to reach its targeted 35 to 37 million visits in 2024.
Thailand’s trip tally APAC and SEA
Source: MOTS
While overland travel from Malaysia is motoring along mainly on travel by train and road to southern Thailand destinations, trips from Cambodia are negative, counting 414,920, a decline of 3.50%. Visits from Laos increased by 34.36% to 899,576 trips, and Myanmar, bogged down by civil war, delivered 399,548 visits, up 12.12%.
Pre-Covid era Singapore and Vietnam were robust Southeast Asian markets for Thailand. From January to September, Singaporean trips dropped by 1.82% to 697,886, and Vietnamese visits declined by 4.93% to 786,032.
Region-wise, most visits to Thailand are sourced in Asia-Pacific markets, with 19,430,322, an increase of 33.34% over 14,572,177 trips registered from January to September 2023. Europe represents another 4,967,374 visits, up 22.50% compared to 4,055,033 last year.
The two regions, Asia Pacific and Europe, have a combined total of 24.4 million trips, just 1.7 million short of the 26 million mark.
More needs to be done in the Americas to lift US trips in the fourth quarter. The region delivered 707,104, a 9.95% improvement during the nine months of 2024. Canada is the other robust market in the Americas, and with new Air Canada flights to Bangkok, arrivals should increase. For the first nine months, Canadians made 172,521 trips to Thailand, up 17.50%.
BANGKOK, 28 October 2024: Bangkok has been featured in National Geographic’s Best of the World 2025 list, The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reported last week.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool commented: “We are honoured that Bangkok has been included in National Geographic’s much-anticipated annual list of awe-inspiring destinations. Bangkok’s inclusion reflects its vibrant atmosphere, world-renowned street food, majestic temples, and bustling markets, making it a unique city for visitors seeking adventure and relaxation.”
This accolade joins numerous awards Thailand has received over the years, reinforcing the country’s reputation as a leading global travel destination.
According to National Geographic, following a rigorous nomination, research, and reporting process, Bangkok was selected as one of the Best of the World 2025 by National Geographic’s travel experts and Nat Geo Traveller’s international editorial teams.
In its official announcement at NatGeo.com/BestOfTheWorld, titled “The 25 Best Places in the World to Travel to in 2025,” which went public on 22 October 2024, National Geographic highlighted Bangkok as a must-visit destination to “explore a temple reborn.”
The feature praised Bangkok as “an intoxicating blend of old and new,” where glittering skyscrapers intermingle with luxury shopping malls. The city is also lauded for its growing status as an art and design hotspot, with cultural events like the Bangkok Art Biennale and the Bangkok International Film Festival, particularly in the Bang Rak neighbourhood.
National Geographic also emphasised Bangkok’s significance as a gateway to Thailand’s rich cultural heritage, drawing attention to Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a 17th-century Buddhist temple just outside the city. Located in Ayutthaya and described as one of Thailand’s most important monuments, the temple has been undergoing extensive restoration after suffering damage from flooding in 2011. Recent efforts, including 3D laser scanning and constructing a flood wall, aim to preserve the temple and transform it into an educational site highlighting Thailand’s cultural heritage.
BANGKOK, 28 October 2024: Best Western Hotels & Resorts, an iconic hotel company in the BWH Hotels global hospitality enterprise, has been recognised as the “Best Midscale Hotel Chain” at the Travel Weekly Asia Readers’ Choice Awards.
This recognition continues its impressive winning streak at the region’s top travel industry awards. Presented at a gala ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday, 15 October 2024, this accolade marks the 10th consecutive year the company has won this prestigious title, setting a new milestone for Best Western Hotels & Resorts.
The annual Travel Weekly Asia Readers’ Choice Awards are dedicated to recognising outstanding contributions within the travel industry. This year, 36 awards across seven categories were presented to organisations that have demonstrated ground-breaking developments and unwavering commitment to service, innovation, and excellence over the past year.
Travel Weekly Asia’s readership voted for the Readers’ Choice Awards winners, including many of the region’s top travel agents and industry professionals. This demonstrates how BWH Hotels and its iconic brands remain the top choice for the travel trade in the Asia Pacific region.
“We are delighted that Best Western Hotels & Resorts has been honoured in the Travel Weekly Asia Readers’ Choice Awards once again in 2024. With over 75 years of heritage, our company has a long and proud history in the midscale market segment. I would like to thank our respected travel industry partners for their continued confidence in Best Western Hotels & Resorts and our entire team for their passion, dedication and commitment to excellence,” said BWH Hotels Vice President – APAC Olivier Berrivin.
While BWH Hotels has grown into a global hospitality network comprising 19 distinct brands, ranging from economy to luxury, the fact that Best Western Hotels & Resorts achieved the “Best Midscale Hotel Chain” award reflects how it has retained its strong reputation as the industry’s most trusted and respected provider of midscale hospitality.
SINGAPORE, 28 October 2024: Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and STIC Travel Group (STIC) are partnering in a one-year project to enhance Sentosa’s standing as a sustainable destination in the Indian outbound travel market.
A core component of the MOU signed during last week’s ITB Asia will present educational experiences for students in India, highlighting Sentosa’s sustainable practices and diverse ecosystems.
The MoU Signing Ceremony was held during ITB Asia 2024 last week. Michael Ma, Assistant Chief Executive, SDC (seated, left); Isha Goyal, CEO & Executive Director, STIC Travel Group (seated, right). The signing ceremony was witnessed by Chew Tiong Heng, Divisional Director (Business & Experience Development) SDC (standing, left); Anshul Gupta, Manager Product and Operation, STIC Travel Group (standing, right).
Sentosa becomes a distinctive classroom environment that fosters a deeper understanding of the importance of sustainability and emphasises critical concepts such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, carbon footprint reduction, and biodiversity conservation.
This partnership builds on STIC’s broader efforts to boost educational tourism in Singapore by offering Indian students an opportunity to visit the country to explore its heritage, engage in sustainable development initiatives, and engage in interactive learning experiences.
Sustainability learning tour
Central to the Sentosa-STIC partnership is the launch of the “Unchartered Sentosa” tour, designed for overseas students to provide a real-time workshop that advocates for positive environmental change.
Slated to roll out in November 2024, Unchartered Sentosa offers Indian students a hands-on exploration of sustainability principles:
● Intertidal exploration of the Southern Shores to learn about marine conservation and coastal ecology;
● Guided nature walks along Serapong and Imbiah Trail to discover native flora and fauna in Sentosa;
● Amazing Race adventure on Sentosa and St John’s Island to educate participants on the importance and relevance of responsible consumption;
● Interactive workshops that equip participants with ocean survival skills at Lazarus Island;
● Visits to Sentosa’s sustainable attractions, such as the Cable Car and Skyline Luge;
● Eco Tour of Siloso Beach Resort demonstrating real-world applications of sustainable design and green technology.
“Our partnership with SDC aligns perfectly with STIC’s mission to offer meaningful travel experiences,” commented STIC Travel Group CEO Isha Goyal. “By combining our expertise in educational tourism with Sentosa’s sustainable practices, we create a distinct offering for Indian students to equip them with practical knowledge about sustainability that they can take back to their communities.”
The MoU’s objectives start with establishing Sentosa as an educational hub for sustainability. It will strengthen Sentosa’s positioning as a sustainable leisure, business, and education destination.
As the first island destination in Asia to be conferred the Global Sustainable Tourism Council – For Destinations certificate, Sentosa is committed to creating robust eco-conscious tourism experiences. SDC’s comprehensive sustainability approach integrates eco-friendly practices across all visitor touchpoints – leisure activities, accommodation, transport and dining – minimising environmental impact while engaging guests in sustainable initiatives throughout their Sentosa journey.
“This partnership with STIC represents a significant milestone in our efforts to promote sustainable tourism through education,” said SDC CEO Thien Kwee Eng. “By leveraging Sentosa’s ecological diversity, we’re creating a platform for students to gain hands-on experience in environmental stewardship.
The project should help boost tourist arrivals from India, Sentosa’s top source market, particularly from India’s educational travel segment.
SINGAPORE, 28 October 2024: ITB Asia, a three-in-one show, generated 45,000 business appointments, engaged 18,500 attendees, 1,950 exhibitors, and 1,400 buyers, and made the 17th edition a runaway success by any point of reference.
It also featured a 75% increase in African exhibitors and 25% growth from Europe, indicating a post-Covid solid global footprint.
Strong turnout at the 17th edition of ITB Asia.
This year, attendees gained insights from 160 expert speakers and 100 sessions across three conference tracks, all centred on the theme “Innovating for Tomorrow: Strengthening Future Resilience in Travel and Tourism.”
Co-located with MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia, ITB Asia lived up to its tagline ‘Asia’s leading travel trade show’ at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 23 to 25 October.
ITB Asia and MICE Show Asia, spanning three massive halls, showcased a diverse range of exhibitors from destinations, attractions, airlines, hotels, cruises, and the MICE industry. Meanwhile, Travel Tech Asia hosted the latest travel technology suppliers and startups in an additional hall dedicated to Travel Technology.
Singapore’s Minister of State Ministry of Trade and Industry, Alwin Tan, presided over the opening event last Wednesday, joined by Singapore Tourism Board Chief Executive Melissa Ow, Messe Berlin CEO Mario Tobias and Messe Berlin Senior Vice President David Ruetz.
“ITB Asia has grown beyond just a marketplace; it’s now a global hub for travel innovation and industry development,” said Messe Berlin CEO Mario Tobias. “The increased presence on the exhibition floor mirrors the industry’s confidence and the rising travel demand.”
This year’s exhibition proved to be the largest and most diverse yet, with participation from key tourism authorities such as the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman, Visit Norway, Tourism Armenia, Visit Jordan, Ministry of Tourism Government of India, and many others.
Asia and Oceania accounted for 56% of exhibitors, while Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East contributed 44%.
Exhibitors spanned the entire tourism supply chain, including Tourism Promotion Boards (28%), Tour Operators & Attractions (34%), Accommodation (27%), and Transportation & Travel Tech (11%).
Tourism bureaus make a strong showing
Eighty-five participating Tourism Organisations and Convention Bureaus, representing the full spectrum of the global travel industry, included Bangladesh Tourism Board, Business Events Perth, Czech Tourism, Guam Visitors Bureau, Ho Chi Minh Tourism Promotion Centre, Hokkaido Tourism Organisation, Johor Tourism Board, Malta Tourism Authority, Marianas Visitors Authority, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of Tourism Government of India, Penang Tourism Board, Philippines Tourism Board, Sabah Tourism Board, Sapporo Convention Bureau, Sarawak Tourism Board, Seoul Tourism Organisation, Singapore Tourism Board, Taiwan Tourism Administration, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Armenia, Visit Almaty, Visit Anchorage, VisitBerlin, Visit Finland, Visit Iceland, Visit Jordan, Visit Rovaniemi, Visit Sarajevo, Zagreb Tourist Board.
Industry leaders unveiled next-gen strategies
ITB Asia 2024 saw strong support and participation from several new and established industry partners, including the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the China Business Event Industry Committee (CBEIC), the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the Global MICE Collaborative, the Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Economics, and the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).
Running parallel with the trade show, the ITB Asia Conference conference programme delivered a staggering 4,000 minutes of industry content from 160 expert speakers across 100 sessions.
The show organiser identified three dedicated conference tracks — Knowledge Theatre, MICE Show Asia, and Travel Tech Asia that delivered sessions focused on “Innovating for Tomorrow: Strengthening Future Resilience in Travel and Tourism.”
The 18th edition of ITB Asia will take place on 15–17 October 2025 in Singapore. Exhibitors can register at itb-asia.com/exhibiting by 31 October 2024 to tap Super Early Bird rates.
SINGAPORE, 28 October 2024: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Expedia Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost tourist arrivals while promoting Singapore’s tourism experiences across key international markets.
In a private ceremony, STB’s Assistant Chief Executive, International Group, Juliana Kua, and Expedia Group’s Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer, exchanged MoU documents to bolster STB’s forecast of 15 to 16.5 million tourist arrivals and SGD27.5 to SGD29 billion in tourist spending.
Photo credit: STB: (From left) Singapore Tourism Board Assistant Chief Executive, International Group Juliana Kua and Expedia Group CCO Greg Schulze.
The multi-year partnership will see both organisations collaborating on three strategic initiatives:
Joint marketing campaign: Both parties will embark on an Expedia Group Media Solutions global marketing campaign.
Leveraging Expedia Group’s technology: STB will partner with Expedia Group to spearhead innovative approaches to engaging travellers and enriching their Singapore experience.
Supporting Singapore’s Travel Industry: Both parties will explore ways to enhance Singapore’s distribution and marketing through collaboration with tourism partners and initiatives to share knowledge and resources.
“Expedia Group is proud to once again join forces with the Singapore Tourism Board in our mutual goal of enhancing travel experiences for both new and returning visitors to Singapore. This partnership allows us to leverage our industry-leading travel media network backed by our robust first-party data to bring the world to Singapore,” said Expedia Group CCO Greg Schulze.
Singapore Tourism Board Assistant Chief Executive, International Group Juliana Kua responded: “Our combined marketing initiatives will strengthen our engagement with travellers and increase destination mindshare, which will drive visitor arrivals and spending”.
