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.
KUCHING, 26 August 2024: Sarawaj grabbed the spotlight with an impressive delegation of business event entrepreneurs attending Malaysia’s inaugural EventXpo 2024, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 19 to 21 August.
Organised by MACEOS and co-organised by Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau MyCEB, the three-day event was the newest component of the annual Malaysia Business Events Week.
Team Sarawak comprised 14 business events specialist companies and organisations. They delivered their sales pitch at the inaugural EventXpo 2024, headlining the importance of this new specialised show established to position Malaysia as the premier business events destination in the region.
BESarawak team at EventXpo 2024
1. Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) 2. Business Events Sarawak 3. The Official Page of Grand Margherita Hotel Kuching 4. Hilton Kuching 5. Imperial Hotel, Miri – New Wing 6. Deckworks Events & Entertainment 7. Place Borneo 8. Pullman Kuching 9. Pullman Miri Waterfront 10. RH Hotel Sibu Sarawak 11. The Official Page of Riverside Majestic Hotel Kuching 12. Sheraton Kuching Hotel 13. Techno Expo 14. The Waterfront Hotel
In a video interview, the EventXpo 2024 chair, Francia Lee, recognised the role of Myceb and MACEOS in bringing 50 hosted business event buyers and establishing the show with 100 exhibitors and between 200 to 300 delegates who attended a two-day conference on the sidelines of the main event.
BESarawak commented: “EventXpo 2024 provides a new platform for business event players in Malaysia to connect and explore new business markets. MACEOS President Datuk Dr M Gandhi and his team visited the Sarawak pavilion to meet with the 14 exhibitors from Sarawak supporting the inaugural event. Congratulations to MACEOS for organising the first EventXpo. We are so proud to be part of it.”
The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) was established in 1990 to develop and raise the standards of the business events industry nationwide. MACEOS organised EventXpo 2024 to provide a new platform for business event players in Malaysia to connect and explore new markets.
MACEOS president Datuk Dr M Gandhi told Bernama news agency the association is encouraging its members to focus on bringing in relevant technologies and exhibitors from abroad, ensuring these contributions align with Malaysia’s economic and nation-building goals.
“We need to bring the right exhibitors from overseas and introduce technologies relevant to Malaysia, such as in the electric and electronics, aerospace and service industries.
“By fostering strategic international collaborations, MACEOS aims to elevate the local industry while driving sustainable economic growth,” he concluded.
SINGAPORE, 26 August 2024: As the mid-year holiday season winds down, Singaporean travellers embrace the chance to plan a quick getaway during the shoulder-peak travel period.
According to Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook, released last week, intra-Asia trips remain top-of-mind for travellers. Flight searches for destinations like Tokyo, Bangkok, and Seoul are up by 15%, and average ticket prices for Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou are down 20% or more compared to the summer season.
For budget-minded travellers, autumn is the prime season for deals, as airfares historically drop 20% compared to summer.
For many destinations, it’s “shoulder season,” the sweet spot between tourist high season and seasonal low season when the crowds have dispersed and hotel rates are more wallet-friendly.
Tips and trends from Fall Travel Outlook
• Top fall destinations for Singapore travellers include Tokyo, Bangkok and Seoul, while Chinese cities like Shanghai (+15%), Chengdu (+73%) and Guangzhou (32%) are among the season’s top trending hotspots.2
• For the best deals, travellers should target the week of 15 October, when average international ticket prices (ATP) are the lowest, shaping up to be nearly SGD100 cheaper than during the peak of summer.
“The fall season is one of the best times to travel as the weather cools, seasons change, and travel expenses reduce,” says Expedia Group Brands travel expert for AsiaLavinia Rajaram. “Regardless of the destination, many Singaporeans who want to view the fall foliage should take this opportunity to book a getaway when prices are the lowest during the low-peak travel season.”
Top destinations based on flight searches
• Expedia’s search data highlights nearby Asian countries, such as Tokyo, Bangkok, and Seoul, as the most popular destinations overall for autumn travel. Chinese cities like Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou are also a big draw, as the off-peak season promises lighter crowds frequenting the tourist attractions and lower airfare and hotel prices.
Top for autumn travel
1. Tokyo 2. Bangkok 3. Seoul 4. Taipei 5. Osaka 6. Kuala Lumpur 7. London 8. Hong Kong 9. Shanghai 10. Sapporo
Best and busiest times to travel
• Busiest Travel Dates: The week of 19 November is the busiest, just before the December school holidays.
• Lightest Travel Dates: The week of 24 September is the week of the national examinations, which marks the start of the end-of-school-year assessments.
Shoulder season steals
International destinations with average ticket prices down 20% or more compared to summer include Chengdu, Broome, and Shanghai.
In addition, depart on the week of 15 October to save around 20% compared to the week of 19 November.
To maximise savings when travelling to Thailand, Japan, Malaysia or Korea, book your trip before 30 August 2024 to save up to 25% or more.
ROME, 26 August 2024: Pope Francis will fly to Indonesia on the evening of 2 September on a special ITA Airways flight departing Rome Fiumicino Airport and arriving at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to begin a four-day state visit to the world’s largest Muslin nation.
ITA Airways will deploy an Airbus A330neo to transport Pope Francis on his state visit to Indonesia. Equipped with innovative technologies, this Airbus is lighter, more efficient and quieter, facilitating a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per passenger compared to aircraft from the previous generation.
The logo for Pope Francis’s Sept. 3-6, 2024, visit to Indonesia and its capital, Jakarta (CNS/Holy See Press Office).
Commander Massimiliano Marselli, with 18,000 flight hours of experience, will be the flight supervisor. The entire crew will consist of 13 people, including three pilots and 10 flight attendants, joined by the ITA Airways team dedicated to special flights. As is customary, Italian and international press representatives will travel with Pope Francis in addition to the Papal entourage.
ITA Airways has prepared a flight plan that includes efficient operational procedures, the use of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) for an amount equal to 0.5% of the refuelling needed for flights, and the full offsetting of emissions that cannot be eliminated through participation in a Gold Standard certified CO2 reduction project.
Papal visit starts in Jakarta
Meanwhile, the Nationa Catholic Reporter confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore in September on a 12-day Asian tour. This is the longest trip of his papacy and only the third papal trip to Indonesia, the other two being in 1970 and 1989.
He will visit Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, from 3 to 6 September; Port Moresby and Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, from 6 to 9 September; Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, from 9 to 11 September; and Singapore from 11 to 13 September.
“The visit will focus on encounters with people on the peripheries of nations. He will meet with the elderly, the ill, “street children,” the disabled and all those who minister to them, as well as leaders of government and civil society,” the National Catholic Reporter stated.
With 281.5 million people, Indonesia has the world’s fourth-largest population and has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, according to the CIA’s World Factbook. About 87.4% are Muslim, 7.5% are Protestant, 3.1% are Catholic, and 1.7% are Hindu.
The island nation of Papua New Guinea in Oceania is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. It is the world’s third-largest island country and home to at least 10 million people. It is considered the most linguistically diverse country in the world, with about 840 known Indigenous languages. According to the World Factbook, about 70% of the population are Christians, 26% are Catholic, and 1.4% belong to a non-Christian religion.
Internationally recognised as an independent state in 2002, Timor-Leste had been under Portuguese and Indonesian rule for decades. After years of conflict and instability, Timor-Leste is still one of the world’s poorest nations. Of the country’s 1.5 million people, 97.6% are Catholic, 2% are Protestant or evangelical Christians, and 0.2% are Muslims.
A former British trading colony, Singapore is today one of the world’s most prosperous countries. With a population of 6 million people, 31.1% are Buddhist, 18.9% are Christian (37.1% identify as Catholic) 15.6% are Muslim, 8.8% are Taoist, 5% are Hindu, and 20% identify with no religion.
GURUGRAM, India, 26 August 2024: Air India will temporarily operate additional flights to Kolkata from four Indian cities to meet greater travel demand during the upcoming Durga Puja festivities.
Durga Puja is celebrated for 10 days during the seventh month of the Hindu calendar, typically between September and October.
Starting 20 September 2024, Air India will operate daily, nonstop flights to Kolkata from Bengaluru and Hyderabad for nearly a month. The airline has also increased flights to Kolkata from Delhi effective 15 August and from Mumbai effective 25 September. With these additions, Air India will increase flights on the Delhi-Kolkata route from 28 weekly to 35 weekly and on the Mumbai-Kolkata route from 21 to 28 weekly.
Air India’s flights to and from Kolkata are also timed to enable seamless connections via its Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru hubs to and from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and several European and Southeast Asian countries.
*Scheduled time of departure on Sundays is 1155 Hrs
Bookings for the new flights are being progressively opened on all channels, including Air India’s website, mobile app, and through travel agents.
SINGAPORE, 26 August 2024: There’s a strong appetite for ‘destination weddings’ in the Asia Pacific, with Indians heading the list of nationalities keen to tie the knot at popular overseas destinations.
A leading global travel app, Skyscanner, recently partnered with OnePoll to conduct a survey targeting adults planning or having already had their weddings. Findings showed that 68% of APAC adults interested in weddings want to, or have already done, a destination wedding, with Indians topping the leaderboard ahead of Singaporeans, Koreans and Australians. For more information, visit https://www.skyscanner.com.sg/mobile.html
Top takeaways
• A significant portion of APAC adults, around 30%, are willing to invest 26-50% more in a destination wedding compared to a traditional hometown ceremony.
• When it comes to selecting locations, APAC adults are prioritising regions close to home, with respondents from India, Singapore, and South Korea favouring Asia and those from Australia opting for Oceania as their top choice.
• In terms of planning tools, about one-third of respondents reported using social media to assist with their destination wedding plans. Additionally, over 20% of respondents from each market are considering the use of online travel agents, while a smaller percentage are turning to travel meta-search engines and AI-powered search tools.
The survey sampled 2,000 respondents from Australia, 2,000 from India, 1,000 from Singapore, and 1,000 from South Korea, all aged 18 and over. About three in four of the respondents from India had attended a destination wedding before. On the other hand, two-thirds of South Koreans have not attended one before, and more than half of Australian respondents have not.
Cost matters in APAC
Parental approval is the top consideration for Indians, while in Australia, Singapore, and South Korea, cost and budget considerations are the top priorities for over 75% of those interested in weddings when choosing a destination. In contrast, while cost/budget is the third most important factor in India (41%), parental approval (50%) and tradition/culture hold greater significance (44%).
MANILA, 26 August 2024: The Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco calls for 24/7 tourist courts to speed up the resolution of tourist cases.
She proposed the matter during a recent meeting with President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr in Malacañang, during which the President agreed that the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) should work alongside the DOT to investigate and prosecute crimes related to tourists.
Photo credit: DOT. Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
“We are now working with the DOJ, and we will be collaborating with the judiciary department for the establishment of a 24-hour tourist court to resolve crimes related to our tourists,” the Secretary said during a briefing for the proposed budget of the DOT for the 2025 fiscal year held at the House of Representatives in Quezon City last week.
The DOT is also beefing up police forces across strategic locations of the country, primarily in areas with a high concentration of tourists. Over 8,000 police personnel have already been trained under the Department’s Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP) Programme.
The tourism chief emphasised that the DOT is also working with the Department of National Defense (DND) to strengthen the strategic development of tourism, especially in key areas of the country.
As of 19 August 2024, the Philippines welcomed 3,860,730 international visitors, of which 92.05% or 3,553,720 are foreigners, while the remaining 7.95%, 307,010, are overseas Filipinos. The top 10 source markets are South Korea, the United States of America, Japan, China, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.
