SINGAPORE, 28 August 2024: If searches are the criteria, Thailand’s Pattaya Beach is ahead of Phuket by just one place, according to Agoda’s latest reckoning.
Pattaya was ranked fourth among the top 10 most searched beach destinations in Asia, while Phuket was one place behind in fifth place.
There were no surprises when Bali took the top spot, followed by Okinawa, Japan, in second place. The ever-popular Danang in central Vietnam came in third, and Nha Trang logged sixth place. Malaysia’s Penang took the eighth spot. The Philippines’ stalwarts of popular beach rankings saw Boracay Island in the ninth spot and Cebu rounding off the chart in 10th place.
Digital travel platform Agoda unveiled the top beach destinations in Asia based on accommodation searches ahead of International Beach Day, celebrated on 1 September.
The top 10 most searched beach destinations in Asia, according to Agoda
Bali, Indonesia
Okinawa, Japan
Da Nang, Vietnam
Pattaya, Thailand
Phuket, Thailand
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Jeju, South Korea
Penang, Malaysia
Boracay Island, Philippines
Cebu, Philippines
The list, based on accommodation searches made on Agoda for September and October, highlights the most sought-after coastal getaways.
Agoda’s platform provides travellers access to over 4.5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities.
SINGAPORE, 28 August 2024: Air Astana and Japan Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement allowing both airlines to place their respective codes on a new Almaty to Tokyo service scheduled to be launched in the spring of 2026.
This agreement enhances connectivity between Kazakhstan and Japan for business and leisure travellers and more widely fosters the movement of people and goods between the two countries. Diplomatic relations between Japan and Kazakhstan were established in 1992.
Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster remarked: “Our collaboration with Japan Airlines is an exciting development that will enrich our international network and offer more travel options for our customers. We look forward to delivering a seamless travel experience between Kazakhstan and Japan passengers.”
Japan Airlines Group CEO Mitsuko Tottori stated: “We are delighted to cooperate with such a distinguished partner as Air Astana. Through developing passenger and cargo traffic, we will contribute to further enhancing the over 30 years of diplomatic relationship between Japan and Kazakhstan.”
SINGAPORE, 28 August 2024: Japan Airlines (JAL) and Liverpool Football Club (LFC) have opened the Japan Airlines Lounge at Anfield Stadium, marking a key milestone in their new multi-year partnership announced earlier this year.
The Japan Airlines Lounge is accessible through purchased hospitality packages with a three-course menu and additional matchday services.
The lounge opened a few hours before LFC’s first home match on 25 August and offers a fresh experience that blends Japanese hospitality with the excitement of English football.
Reflecting JAL’s renowned service culture, the lounge design was inspired by Japanese nature and architectural elements. This is seen in timbers, soft lighting, clean lines, and modern contemporary furnishings. The Japan Airlines Lounge, occupying the former 1892 hospitality space, will be open during Liverpool FC home matches.
Japan Airlines Deputy Vice President Customer Experience Junko Sakihara noted: “We are thrilled to launch the Japan Airlines Lounge at Anfield, marking an initial key step in our multi-year partnership with Liverpool FC. This lounge uniquely blends Japanese hospitality with football, uniting two cultures that value tradition, excellence, and community. We look forward to building a strong connection between our brands.”
The lounge unveiling is part of a broader partnership between Japan Airlines and Liverpool FC, united by a shared commitment to caring for people and communities. Additional collaborations will include joint efforts through the LFC Foundation, which started with a youth soccer clinic in Philadelphia during LFC’s US pre-season tour. Additional programmes are planned for Thailand and other countries to strengthen ties between the two global brands.
SINGAPORE, 27 August 2024: Trip.com Group Chief Marketing Officer Bo Sun has been named ‘Marketing Professional of the Year’ at the 2024 CMO Asia Awards for Excellence in Branding & Marketing.
The award, which highlights pioneering individuals and best practices in marketing, was presented to Sun in recognition of his crucial role in conceptualising and realising Trip.com Group’s industry-leading innovations in marketing.
Trip.com chief marketing officer Bo Sun.
The selection committee noted Sun’s role during the pandemic in spearheading the leading online travel services provider’s pivot to content marketing and consumption. This strategy has brought together partners from across the industry to revitalise, revamp, and rethink the travel experience.
In accepting the award, Sun expressed his appreciation for the selection committee’s nomination: “At Trip.com Group, our guiding mission is ‘to pursue the perfect trip for a better world’, and we are always working towards that goal, concerning all aspects and stages of the travel experience. Having our work recognised alongside such an esteemed company is an honour. We hope our peers will continue to join us on our journey towards the perfect trip, and we look forward to celebrating those shared achievements together.”
SINGAPORE, 27 August 2024: Cruiseline.com and Shipmate have released the results of the 2024 Member Survey, which studies participants’ intent to cruise in the coming year and their travel booking preferences.
Over 7,000 travellers responded to the survey, and 96.1% reported having a cruise booked for 2024 or 2025.
Just 3.1% reported being undecided about cruising in the coming year, and 0.8% said they did not intend to take a cruise vacation.
Number of Cruises Booked
57.1% report multiple cruises booked for 2024-2025, while 42.9% report only one booked.
Which Cruise Line(s) Are You Sailing? 35.1% of travellers intend to sail with Royal Caribbean, 28.9% with Carnival Cruise Line, 18% with Norwegian Cruise Line or Celebrity Cruises, and 16.6% with Princess Cruises. MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, Viking Cruises, Virgin Voyages, and Oceania Cruises came in just behind these lines for top lines booked to sail.
Where Will You Cruise?
63.9% plan to cruise in the Caribbean, 15.8% in Europe (Mediterranean), 11.9% in Alaska, 10% in Mexico (Pacific Coast), 8.7% to cruise in Northern Europe, and 8.6% will take a Transatlantic cruise.
Length of Cruises Booked?
46.7% of travellers will cruise on a seven-night voyage, 31.4% indicated booking 10 to 14-day cruises, 30.1% will take five to seven-night cruises, and 16.5% intend to take 15+ night cruises. Short cruises of three days or less accounted for 12.6% of future cruises booked.
“Cruise demand continues to be strong, with travellers overwhelmingly reporting that they have one or more cruises booked for 2024 or 2025. Many also report they intend to make even more bookings for the coming year,” said Cruiseline.com and Shipmate general manager Jamie Cash. “This strong demand reflects the adventure, relaxation, and freedom that cruise vacations offer. While many of our community members intend to take longer cruises, the interest in shorter sailings is gaining traction as travellers seek quick getaways with lower costs. The Caribbean remains the top destination choice for travellers, with rising interest in European cruises for the upcoming year as well.”
More information about the 2024 Cruiseline.com and Shipmate Member Survey can be found here.
MANILA, 27 August 2024: Philippine Airlines has signed a year-long partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to promote travel to Singapore.
The partnership will line up activities highlighting PAL’s flying experience and experiences travellers can explore in Singapore.
A team effort by PAL and STB presents Singapore to Filipino travellers.
Activities include a campaign featuring content creators Laureen Uy and husband Miggy Cruz, lifestyle blogger, and fashion designer Camille Co, complemented by a limited-time seat sale. With special deals on airfare bundled with accommodation and experiences, travellers are in for a treat.
In 2023, the Philippines ranked Singapore’s 6th largest source market for tourism, with nearly 700,000 visitor arrivals, marking an 84% recovery from 2019 visitor arrival numbers. As of June 2024, Singapore has welcomed close to 390,000 Filipino visitors.
New Attractions in Singapore
• Bird Paradise, a wildlife park with over 400 species of birds
• illumi, the world’s largest multimedia illumination event (September 2024)
• Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, an interactive art experience (Q4 2024)
• Minion Land in Universal Studios Singapore (Q1 2025)
SINGAPORE, 27 August 2024: Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has green-lighted a free visa concession for 35 nationalities effective 1 October 2024 for six months ending 31 March 2025.
The deal waives the fee for visitors who enter the country on a 30-day visa-on-arrival. It will help reduce queues at the airport following the suspension of the eVisa authorisation online service that VFS Global offered until earlier this month.
The concession makes the visa gratis, but it should not be confused with visa-free entry, as immigration officials still issue a visa on arrival stamped in passports. Fees remain in place for other visa categories issued at embassies or through the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Colombo.
Thirty-five countries on the list
India, China, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, the US, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and New Zealand.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the concession last Wednesday following the recommendation of an expert committee that studied free visa schemes in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The latest decision to suspend the visa fee follows a pilot project that offered a visa fee waiver to visitors from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand since late last year.
MANILA, 27 August 2024: Cebu Pacific relaunched flights from Manila to Kaohsiung in Taiwan last week with a festive ceremony at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
CEB flies three weekly flights on the Manila-Kaohsiung route every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday using a 179-seat A320. It competes head-on with China Airlines and AirAsia on the route.
China Airlines flies the route four weekly and AirAsia three weekly, deploying Boeing 737-800 and an A320, respectively, with a similar seating capacity to CEB. The average fare on the route is USD220.
In his speech during the launch ceremony, CEB Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Michael Ivan Shau said the Manila-Kaohsiung route marks an exciting chapter in the airline’s journey as it expands its network and enhances connectivity across Asia.
“The relaunch of this route is more than just restoring a connection between two cities. It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to bringing people together, fostering closer ties, and promoting mutual growth and development,” Shau added.
Initially, from 16 to 25 August, the airline offered fares as low as PHP1,288 one-way, exclusive of fees and surcharges, with a travel period open until 31 January 2025
Flight 5J344 departs Manila (MNL) at 1715 and arrives in Kaohsiung (KHN) at 1915 Flight 5J345 departs Kaohsiung at 2000 and arrives in Manila at 2005.
CEB operates in 35 domestic and 26 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
SINGAPORE, 27 August 2024: Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has confirmed it will add Phuket to its seasonal destinations, making it the second city in Thailand to join its network, following the capital, Bangkok.
This expansion aligns with Saudia’s strategic objective to broaden its international flight network and bring the world to Saudi Arabia, leveraging its young fleet and enhancing its global competitive advantage.
Saudia will commence flights to Phuket on 2 December 2024, scheduling six weekly from Riyadh and Jeddah to Phuket (three flights from each city in Saudi Arabia). Bookings will be available through Saudia’s website and mobile app.
The airline will deploy a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the two routes linking Riyadh and Jeddah to Phuket, a famous holiday island in southern Thailand.
Jeddah – Phuket
Flight SV850 will depart Jeddah (JED) 0145 and arrive in Phuket (HKT) at 1345 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flight SV853 will depart Phuket at 2345 and arrive in Jeddah at 0445, plus a day.
Riyadh – Phuket
Flight SV852 will depart Riyadh (RUH) at 1125 and arrive in Phuket (HKT) at 2230 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Flight SV851 will depart Phuket at 1520 and arrive in Riyadh at 1925.
DUBAI UAE, 26 Aug 2024: Emirates is currently operating one of the busiest periods for its Unaccompanied Minors Service, as many children return to Dubai from summers spent abroad to start the new school year. In the coming week alone, Emirates will welcome more than 900 children flying alone using the acclaimed family-friendly service.
Over the past five years, more than 120,000 children have availed of Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors and Young Passenger services. Most children travelling alone in Emirates care are 11 years or younger. The families currently using the service are British, then Indian, followed by American, Filipino and French. When children are flying without their families, Emirates is there every step of the way. For those aged between 5 and 11 years old, Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors Service ensures young people enjoy a supervised and safe trip from check‑in to destination, with plenty of fun and memorable moments along the way.
What does Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors Service include?
A safe place to chill out and play – Emirates Unaccompanied Minors Lounge
When parents and guardians bring their young flyers to Dubai International Airport (DXB), they can go straight to the Unaccompanied Minors Lounge near the check‑in area. Proof of identification must be provided to Emirates by the person dropping off the child, and the guardian must sign a permission form. Children will be swiftly checked in and can relax with video games, free Wi‑Fi, and comfortable sofas. In the dedicated and private space supervised by the Emirates team, kids can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while they wait for their flight and use the children’s bathrooms.
Support and supervision from a trained Emirates specialist for the whole journey
At the airport, a specialist member of the Emirates team will meet the child at the check‑in desk for the unaccompanied minors. The Emirates specialist stays with the child through the airport, taking care of them and carrying their passport for safety. The specialist helps them through security and immigration, facilitating priority boarding so the child has time to settle on their flight before introducing them to the cabin crew at the aircraft door for the next stage. While in the air,Emiratescabin crew are on hand to ensure the young flyer has a comfortable and memorable journey. Parents and guardians can request any special dietary requirements in advance and advise whether the child would like to sit by the window or the aisle or seat siblings together. Emirates cabin crew regularly check on the child to ensure they are enjoying their trip, are eating their meals and whether they need any support in adjusting their seat or inflight entertainment system.
Fun onboard with Emirates Cabin Crew
Children onboard Emirates can pass the time with free Wi-Fi when they sign up to Emirates Skysurfers, complimentary toys and giveaways, more than 100 video games, and a huge array of children’s content on the award-winning inflight entertainment ice, including new releases, movies, Disney Classics, Marvel Studios, and Star Wars collections, and the complete Harry Potter movies series, CBeebies, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network.
If it’s the child’s birthday, parents and guardians can order a cake 48 hours before the flight and Emirates cabin crew will celebrate the special occasion. Special memories are captured with a Polaroid camera so children have a keepsake of their travels.
Once children land at their destination, a specialist member of the Emirates team will be at the aircraft door to welcome them. The child will be accompanied through the airport until they meet their parent or guardian upon arrival, and the person collecting the child must provide Emirates with proof of identification.
Support for Older Children and Teens
Children 12 to 15 are permitted to fly alone without using Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors Service at parents’ and guardians’ discretion. However, parents and guardians who would like some extra support and supervision for their solo travellers aged between 12 and 15 can request this service. For an additional fee of USD50 for each leg of the journey, support will be provided for children 12- 15, which includes all aspects of the Unaccompanied Minors Service.
Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minor Service for Connecting Customers
The safety and security of children is of the utmost importance to Emirates – a family-friendly airline. Some terms and conditions are in place to protect children from an uncomfortable journey. If the child transfers from an Emirates flight to another at Dubai International (DXB), the maximum connection time allowed is 8 hours. If the connection time is above 8 hours, this will be subject to approval from Emirates. Children on connecting flights will be brought to an Unaccompanied Minors Lounge to rest and wait before being brought to their flight and handed over to the cabin crew. If they need to go to the airport for a meal, they will be accompanied by an Emirates specialist. A young passenger is only permitted to stay overnight at their connecting airport if an adult guardian is arranged to meet and care for them at the transit point, and this is subject to Emirates approval.
Fares and Booking for the Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors Service
To fly alone, children aged 5 to 11 years old must travel on an adult fare to receive the Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors Service. Children aged 5 to 11 can also travel in a different cabin class from their parent or guardian on the same flight, but they will be charged an adult’s fare. The child will be considered ‘accompanied’ and won’t have access to the Unaccompanied Minors Lounge and special services. The Unaccompanied Minors Service can be booked up to 12 hours before departure through Emirates LiveChat, by calling 00971600555555 or any local Emirates office.
