SINGAPORE, 16 October 2025: Following a two-week drydock in Portland, Oregon, Sapphire Princess has set sail, unveiling new guest experiences, including the addition of two popular speciality restaurants – Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill.
Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill will be open for guests starting 16 November 2025.
The 115,875-ton ship, which carries 2,670 guests, underwent general refurbishments and enhancements, highlighted by the transformation of two venues into speciality dining experiences.
Makoto Ocean Sushi by Chef Makoto Okuwa
Following its debut aboard Sun Princess and Star Princess, Makoto Ocean has been added to Sapphire Princess, in place of the former Internet Café located on Deck 7.
The restaurant brings the authentic artistry of Chef Makoto Okuwa’s Edomae-style sushi to sea. Guests can enjoy a premium menu of specialities, including truffle salmon, snow crab temaki, and toro tartare, alongside handcrafted cocktails such as the Genmai Negroni (a refined Japanese twist on the classic) and Kodai No Hana (blending yuzu juice with Doburoku, an ancient sake).
Crown Grill Steakhouse
Another highlight of the drydock is the addition of the award-winning Crown Grill, now occupying the former Savoy Dining Room on Deck 5. The Crown Grill is a longtime guest favourite, serving premium aged beef, chops and fresh seafood. With warm, elegant design and attentive service, the restaurant has been recognised as one of the “Best Cruise Ship Steakhouses at Sea.”
Both dining experiences are priced at USD60 per person and included as a speciality dining option for guests who book the Princess Premier package.
Upcoming Itineraries
Fresh from her revitalisation, Sapphire Princess sets sail to Mexico before repositioning for a season of South America/Antarctica cruises, followed by Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages in spring and summer 2026. In fall 2026, she will sail a series of Canada/New England cruises.
In a historic first for the cruise line, March 2027 will mark the reunion of sister ships Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess in Japan. Both ships — built in Japan — will sail from the Tokyo region for Princess Cruises’ most expansive Japan season ever, running March through December 2027.
About Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world’s most iconic cruise brand, delivering dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships, which offer elite service, personalisation, and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Star Princess, the brand’s newest ship, launched in October 2025 and is a sister ship to Sun Princess, named Condé Nast Traveler Mega Ship of the Year for a second consecutive year. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.
SINGAPORE, 16 October 2025: Ponant names Benoît-Etienne Domenget as Group CEO, effective 3 November 2025. He takes over from Hervé Gastinel, who is leaving the group to pursue new professional projects.
With 25 years of experience in hospitality, luxury, travel, and tourism, Benoît-Etienne Domenget’s remit is to drive the group’s continued international development and strengthen its hospitality excellence.
Photo credit: Ponant. Ponant Explorations Group CEO Benoît-Étienne Domenget.
President of Groupe Artémis, François-Henri Pinault, stated: “I am delighted to welcome Benoît-Etienne Domenget. His extensive and diversified experience and expertise in strategic fields for our company will give him all the assets to make Ponant Explorations Group an ever-stronger and more innovative player in the luxury and responsible cruise sector. He will be able to rely on a highly talented team.”
He added, “We warmly thank Hervé Gastinel for his unwavering commitment to the group. Under his leadership, the fleet has grown from 12 to 20 ships, and Ponant Explorations Group has successfully diversified its activities, in particular by entering river cruises and new formats such as the Spirit of Ponant.”
A graduate of HEC Paris, Benoît-Etienne Domenget began his career with Accor Group, holding various operational roles before being appointed Senior Vice-President Development for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He later led Accor’s Swiss subsidiary and managed the low-cost hotel business across the DACH region, overseeing more than a hundred properties.
He then joined Michel Reybier Hospitality, a group owning prestigious hotels, vineyards, and wellness activities, before being appointed in 2017 as CEO of Sommet Education (Glion, Les Roches, École Ducasse, Indian School of Hospitality, and Invictus Education).
About Ponant Explorations Group For 35 years, Ponant Explorations Group has been offering luxury exploration cruises through its brands: Ponant Explorations, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Aqua Expeditions, and Ponant Yachting. The group operates 20 ships (from six to 165 staterooms and suites). Ponant Explorations Group has been owned since 2015 by Artémis, the Pinault family’s investment company.
SINGAPORE, 16 October 2025: “The future of travel is curated, considered and cleverer than ever before,” Skyscanner, a global leader in travel, has unveiled its Travel Trends 2026 report.
Looking forward, Skyscanner’s Travel Trends forecast for 2026 notes that 81% of the survey audience intend to go abroad as much, or more, in 2026 when compared with 2025. Travellers will be stretching their budgets to make room for richer, more rewarding experiences.
AI is set to shift from an assistant to an agentic role, where multiple systems work together to solve complex traveller needs, from trip inspiration to in-the-moment support. It’s not just an evolution – it’s a whole new operating system for travel.
Social and search are now the go-to tools for inspiration, research and planning. As search grows smarter, social platforms are reshaping the inspiration phase by surfacing trending spots, niche experiences and recommendations in a way that feels personal and fun.
Skyscanner points to the growing number of travellers who intend to dodge the crowds and peak seasons, as over-tourism is felt in many parts of the world.
Still, old habits linger. Three in five travellers (60%) revisit the same destinations for at least 20% of their holidays, often because they don’t know where else to go.
Released earlier this week, the report identifies seven key trends which will define travellers’ behaviour in the coming year and outlines the significant trends shaping the future of travel.
2026: Seven travel trends to keep an eye on
Glowmads (The Beauty Trend): Beauty rituals will shape how — not just where — we travel.
Shelf Discovery (The Food Trend): Culinary tourism is swapping restaurant reservations for supermarket safaris.
Altitude Shift (The Mountain Trend): From snow to stillness, travellers are chasing year-round alpine escapes.
Bookbound (The Literature Trend): Writing new chapters on how to escape, reconnect and restore.
Catching Flights and Feelings (The Solo Trend): Meeting matches, mates and maybes on the move.
Family Miles (The Family Trend): Multi-gen trips and family memory-making are on the rise.
Destination Check-in (The Hotel Trend): Hotels are the main event, shaping where and why we travel.
Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Trends report combines Skyscanner’s own data with global consumer research and insights from renowned brands including Reddit, Malin and Goetz, All Trails and Penguin Books to identify the seven trends shaping travel in 2026.
2026: Best value destinations
The report also reveals the top trending and best value destinations for the coming year. Of the total of over 20,000 respondents across the globe, 7,000 respondents were surveyed across APAC Countries — Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
Skyscanner CEO Bryan Batista said: “Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Trends report shows how travel is about to get more personal than ever. Whether it’s building a trip around a must-stay ‘destination hotel’, getting lost in a new favourite book on a reading retreat, incorporating a beauty routine into their travel itinerary or bringing the whole family along for the journey, travel will become more curated, grounded and unique.”
About Skyscanner Skyscanner is a leading global travel app that helps travellers plan and book their trips with ease and confidence. Every month, Skyscanner connects millions of travellers across 180 countries and 37 languages to more than 1200 travel partners. Founded in 2003, Skyscanner has offices worldwide, in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.
DELHI, 16 October 2025: IndiGo, a leading low-cost airline in India, will launch direct flights between Vijayawada and Singapore starting 15 November 2025.
The international route will be served by IndiGo’s Airbus A320 aircraft, operating three times weekly and marks a significant milestone in enhancing international connectivity from Andhra Pradesh.
Photo credit: IndiGo. Singapore skyline.
As Vijayawada continues to establish itself as a commercial and cultural hub, the route to Singapore will support the expansion of trade, tourism, and investment opportunities between the region and Southeast Asia.
With Singapore serving as a vital gateway to Asia and beyond, the launch of these flights will offer travellers from Vijayawada convenient access to explore global destinations, pursue international business and educational opportunities, and experience diverse cultures.
It also reflects IndiGo’s continued efforts to expand international connectivity from India, giving wings to India’s aspirations.
Bookings are now open on the IndiGo website, the airline’s mobile app, and through authorised travel partners.
Vijayawada plays a dual and significant role in both tourism and as a growing aviation hub, particularly for the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Tourist attractions
Religious & Pilgrim Tourism: It is home to the highly revered Kanaka Durga Temple on the Indrakeeladri Hill, a major Hindu pilgrimage site that attracts millions of devotees. The city is also a ritual host for the Krishna Pushkaram (river worshipping ritual).
Heritage & Historical Tourism: The city and its surrounding areas feature significant historical sites, including:
Undavalli Caves: Ancient rock-cut caves, a prime example of Indian rock-cut architecture.
Kondapalli Fort: A hill-top fort known for its history, and the nearby village is famous for its unique wooden Kondapalli toys.
Nature & Leisure Tourism: Situated on the banks of the Krishna River, the city offers scenic spots like Bhavani Island, one of the largest river islands, offering water sports and recreational activities. Prakasam Barrage is an iconic modern engineering structure across the Krishna River that is also a popular viewing spot.
Vijayawada serves as a regional aviation hub with its airport rapidly emerging as a critical aviation hub for the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and the coastal districts:
Vijayawada International Airport (VGA) is located at Gannavaram. It has been granted international status and is undergoing major expansion with the construction of a new integrated terminal building to handle increasing passenger traffic.
The airport offers connectivity to major cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad) and is actively expanding its international routes, with the latest addition to Singapore confirmed last week.
ABU DHABI, 16 October 2025: Etihad Airways carried 1.9 million passengers in September 2025, marking a 21% increase compared with the same month last year.
The growth reflects continued demand across the airline’s expanding global network and strong operational performance through the end of the summer season.
Photo credit: Etihad.
Passenger load factor averaged 89% across the month, up one percentage point from September last year, demonstrating efficient use of added capacity.
In the first nine months of 2025, Etihad has flown 16.1 million passengers, up 18% compared with the same period last year.
Etihad’s operating fleet stood at 115 aircraft at the end of September, serving 82 passenger destinations worldwide.
Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said: “September delivered another strong month for Etihad, with demand remaining high as we entered the post-summer period. Year-on-year growth continues across all key metrics, reflecting the strength of our network and Abu Dhabi’s growing position as a global destination.
“We’re expanding with discipline, keeping our load factors high and operations reliable. These results show clear momentum and focused execution – exactly what we set out to achieve in 2025.”
Performance highlights
Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has concluded a landmark week of global growth, celebrating four new routes in one week from Abu Dhabi hub — Sumatra (Medan, Indonesia), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Krabi in southern Thailand.
This October milestone marks an exceptional period of network expansion for the airline as it continues to accelerate its global connectivity and strengthen its position as a leading carrier in the region.
Etihad Airways has reached 31 new destinations announced in the last 12 months, with recent news of Kabul launching in December, as well as Damascus, Palma de Mallorca, and Zanzibar, which will all begin operating in the first half of 2026.
The addition of Etihad’s brand-new Airbus A321LR to its young yet growing fleet has facilitated this rapid network expansion, unlocking access to exciting, underserved markets across Asia and further enabling Etihad’s ambitious growth strategy.
The three launches across Southeast Asia (Sumatra, Phnom Penh and Krabi) are all operated by the fuel-efficient aircraft, offering greater flexibility to serve emerging markets with the right capacity and the airline’s signature service.
SINGAPORE, 15 Oct 2025: Emirates has opened a new world-class facility in Dubai to provide a luxurious training experience to almost 25,000 cabin crew, focused on the art of hospitality excellence.
The USD8 million learning zone and programme features a sprawling restaurant and lounge for up to 170 guests, elegant presentation kitchens and eight tech-enabled classrooms. More than 10,000 Emirates cabin crew will be trained in the new facility by the end of the year.
The Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence is home to a myriad of elevated service trainings, modelled on Michelin star standards, including fine dining protocols, premium guest engagement and table service finesse. In 2020, Emirates began a collaboration with one of the world’s top hospitality management schools – the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland to establish a new elevated hospitality strategy, which was a resounding success. The Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence now stands as the emblem of this very strategy, inspiring cabin crew to deliver Emirates’ four pillars of hospitality in the sky – excellence, attentiveness, innovation and passion.
Emirates’ DSVP of Service Delivery Thomas Ney remarked: ‘Emirates continues to uplift the ‘fly better’ experience for our valued customers. We have invested in the highest levels of luxury hospitality training for our cabin crew, enabling them to genuinely connect with the customers they serve and create unforgettable signature moments. We are delighted to provide our crew with immersive training, allowing them to personally sample the cuisine, the beverages, the ambience and ultimately, the hospitality Emirates is renowned for. This is how we empower world-class cabin crew.’
Photo credit: Emirates. Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence is home to service training, modelled on Michelin star standards.
Taking hospitality to new heights, the Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence offers a wide range of training and facilities for cabin crew engagement. Newly recruited Emirates cabin crew will be trained in the facility, as well as experienced crew, who receive refresher and upgrade training many times throughout their career.
Immersive fine dining experiences for Emirates cabin crew
A testament to the level of investment and detail invoked in Emirates’ cabin crew training, the Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence offers a unique opportunity for cabin crew to dine as guests and experience a gourmet 4-course gastronomy lunch. The fine dining experience is curated by Emirates’ master chefs, serving some of Emirates’ most celebrated First and Business Class dishes and signature meals. The cabin crew is personally served their meal by Emirates’ elite training team, showcasing the best of Emirates’ own seven-star hospitality, led by example and modelling best practices to the cabin crew. Emirates’ seven-star hospitality goals focus on enhanced coaching for cabin crew to infuse their customer interactions with authenticity, personality, and connection.
Bespoke culinary sessions with Emirates Master Chefs
In the culinary hub of Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence, a purpose-built training kitchen has been designed as a fusion between a professional restaurant kitchen and an airline galley. In this area, Emirates cabin crew learn the art of plating from a team of experienced chef trainers. Balancing textures, colours and shape, cabin crew know how to produce dishes that look like works of art on the plate, adding to the sensory exploration of dining with Emirates.
The Art of Service training
The Art of Service course is a communication-focused course that goes beyond refined techniques, introducing cabin crew to the deeper meaning behind fine dining. Beyond the impeccable handling of silverware, attractive plating and wine service, fine dining is a dialogue between the host and guest. This course encourages cabin crew to go beyond the basic service steps and tune into subtle cues, listen with intention, anticipate needs, and adapt their approach to create personalised experiences. It also focuses on developing their savoir-être – the art of presence, poise, and emotional intelligence, essential for engaging with Emirates’ diverse customers. This training is custom-built by the Emirates’ team from extensive research and exploration across a variety of Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hospitality globally.
L’art du Vin Wine Training
Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence will also host wine tastings and dedicated events led by expert wine trainers and sommeliers, building on the success of L’art du vin, Emirates’ wine learning experience for cabin crew.
The L’art du vin programme was launched in mid-2024 at Emirates Cabin Crew Training Centre, Dubai, taking place in a classroom that replicates a high-end lounge and offering three intensive wine courses tailored to varying levels of knowledge – L’art du vin Introduction, L’art du vin – Business Class and L’art du vin – First Class. For each level of the course, Emirates cabin crew are invited to taste the spectacular Emirates onboard selection for themselves, while learning about the heritage of the wines, as well as how to recommend food pairings to customers expertly.
Emirates World Class Cabin Crew Training
The Centre of Hospitality Excellence is the latest addition to Emirates’ suite of state-of-the-art training facilities for cabin crew. Earlier in the year, Emirates also opened a new Crew Zone in Emirates Group Headquarters, Dubai – a dedicated 24/7 space for cabin crew. The Crew Zone offers a range of services, including educational workshops, tech zones, around-the-clock staff support, a beauty and wellbeing hub, an interactive lounge area, and more, all designed to assist cabin crew.
Recruited from over 140 countries and speaking more than 70 languages, Emirates is proud of the exceptional service, safety and hospitality delivered by its cabin crew. Currently, Emirates employs almost 25,000 cabin crew, all of whom have been trained at the esteemed Emirates Crew Training Centre in Dubai. The initial eight-week course covers all aspects of the role, including Corporate Onboarding, Safety & Emergency Procedures, Crew Resource Management, Group Medical, Aviation Security, Image and Uniform Standards, and Service & Hospitality Training.
Within the impressive facilities, cabin crew take part in both theoretical classroom sessions and practical experiences, many of which are in full motion simulators of all Emirates’ aircraft types. Throughout their career with Emirates, cabin crew receive ongoing training and a myriad of opportunities to upskill and advance their careers.
Emirates is recruiting cabin crew worldwide. For aspiring Emirates cabin crew, visit www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/cabin-crew to find details and open day schedules in your city or country.
KUCHING, 15 October 2025: The inaugural Legacy Event Advocacy Policy (LEAP) Summit concluded last week with the landmark adoption of the Borneo Legacy Declaration.
This pivotal document is set to redefine the global business events industry by establishing a universal yet locally adaptable framework for measuring and advocating for long-term, positive legacy impact beyond just economic returns.
Policy makers and industry leaders will collaborate to strengthen the impact of business events.
Organised by The Iceberg, presented by the Joint Meetings Industry Council and powered by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the LEAP Summit brought together government leaders, international policymakers, and industry captains from around the world to address how business events can be strategically leveraged to drive progress in social, economic, and environmental areas.
A new benchmark for global impact
The Borneo Legacy Declaration is the culmination of these discussions, formalising a shared global commitment to placing legacy at the core of event planning and delivery. Its key aims include:
Advocacy for Legacy: To elevate the conversation around business events from transactional revenue generation to strategic, long-term national and global development tools
Universal Standard: To adopt a common framework that is adaptable and practical for destinations and organisations to measure impact.
Policy Integration: To encourage governments and industry bodies to integrate legacy-driven criteria into their funding, procurement, and policy-making for business events.
Datu Hii Chang Kee chaired the LEAP Summit.
“Measurement must evolve, sustainability must be mandatory, and business events must be recognised as instruments of policy that drive skills, collaboration, investment, and national transformation,” stated Datu Hii Chang Kee, Deputy Sarawak State Secretary (Operation), Acting Chairman of BESarawak, and Chairman of the LEAP Summit. “The successful conclusion of the LEAP Summit and the subsequent declaration reinforce Sarawak’s position as the legacy capital of business events in Malaysia and Borneo, championing a model of growth that is both prosperous and profoundly responsible.”
“Sarawak intends to witness the transformation of the business events sector and to demonstrate its importance across all industries,” said Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak. “By creating and supporting the LEAP Summit, we are sharing a bigger vision with the world — one that encourages collaboration and amplifies impact. The more we come together, the stronger the global business events community becomes.”
“Transformation cannot happen without the right policy framework. The government’s support is essential in embedding legacy and sustainability into the DNA of business events. We are glad to see the industry taking this forward, championing initiatives that reflect both national goals and global impact,” said Gary Grimmer, Executive Chairman of GainingEdge and summit moderator.
The Iceberg founder and producer, and co-moderator of the summit, James Latham, stated that “The LEAP Summit was a powerful platform for dialogue and unity. The declaration stands as proof that when government and industry leaders collaborate, we can chart a clear, shared path towards a more resilient and purpose-driven future.”
The Declaration’s principles are closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and are designed to complement local development strategies. The Declaration also calls for business events to be recognised as a full-fledged industry sector.
The LEAP Summit brought together policymakers, influencers, and industry leaders from Australia, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia.
DELHI, 15 October 2025: Air India Express has unveiled one of the Indian aviation industry’s most extensive brand campaigns — ‘Xplore More, Xpress More’.
The campaign comes at a defining moment for the airline, which now connects 60 destinations across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia, with a fleet of 115 aircraft, including 50 new planes.
Photo credit: Air India Express.
Conceptualised in collaboration with the Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG) and directed by filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, the campaign reflects Air India Express’ evolving brand narrative, which is rooted in the warmth of Indian hospitality and meaningful travel.
At the heart of the campaign is a film that follows a free-spirited traveller exploring diverse destinations within India and beyond. Immersing herself in local cultures, gestures and flavours, she embodies the spirit of every curious explorer, spontaneous flyer, and seeker of stories. The protagonist represents a growing tribe of individuals seeking to discover and define themselves through their travel and experiences. Through her eyes, Air India Express steps beyond facilitating transportation, towards emerging as an enabler of experiences and meaningful connections between people, places and cultures.
The campaign, launched in leading newspapers across India, will run across TV, cinema, and digital platforms, as well as magazines and outdoor advertising in airports and major cities across the country. Content collaborations across social media will also support it.
For more on the campaign, visit www.youtube.com/@AirIndiaX
NEW YORK, 15 October 2025: Ponant Explorations Group and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a global ocean science organisation, have announced a three-year partnership advancing ocean research and education.
The partnership marks the first of its kind for WHOI. It underscores Ponant Explorations Group’s ongoing commitment to providing scientists with access to the most remote parts of the planet, while giving guests a front-row seat to scientific research and innovation.
Photo credit: Ponant Explorations. Meaningful sailings support research.
Since 2021, Ponant Explorations Group has hosted more than 230 scientists across its fleet. Through this new alliance, WHOI scientists will now join select Ponant Explorations expeditions — many aboard the luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot — to conduct fieldwork, test emerging technologies, and share their expertise through interactive guest programming. The company will also provide grant funding to support WHOI’s polar science work and launch educational campaigns, including a soon-to-be-announced symposium at sea that highlights the importance of ocean conservation.
“We’re committed to advancing knowledge of the oceans and scientific research as part of our broader mission to explore responsibly and travel with care,” said Ponant Explorations Group Americas CEO Samuel Chamberlain. “By empowering scientists with access to some of the world’s most remote regions, we’re helping to deepen understanding of the planet we all share. This partnership with WHOI reflects our shared commitment to ocean science and sustainability, creating meaningful impact at sea and beyond. We’re proud to provide a platform for innovation and education that will accelerate lasting change and global awareness in ocean conservation.”
The first expedition under the new partnership will begin on 31 October 2025, a voyage to study the Emperor Penguins of the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica.
On the sailing will be two WHOI-MIT Joint Programme graduate students, Caroline Needell and Bailey Fluegel, guided by WHOI glaciologist Dr Catherine Walker, an Associate Scientist renowned for her research on ice-ocean interactions, Antarctic coastal change, and ice shelf rifting processes and iceberg calving.
Aboard the world’s only passenger ship with Polar Class 2 (PC-2) certification — capable of navigating shifting glaciers and uncharted ice floes — Needell and Fluegel will deploy LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to model the breakup rate of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, the first time this technology will be used on the ship. LiDAR is a remote sensing application that can collect measurements of ice cliffs, the edges of glaciers and ice streams that reach the ocean and whose geometry and shape are highly linked to stability. Such data is difficult or impossible to gather by satellite or other means, but essential to understanding ice sheet evolution and its rate of change.
Throughout the voyage, guests will have the opportunity to observe the research process firsthand, visit the ship’s wet and dry laboratories, and participate in educational presentations about Antarctica’s geological history, global climate significance, and fragile ecosystems.
The Ponant Explorations Group-WHOI programme comes at a time when access to remote areas such as polar regions has been challenged by cuts to science funding, and research space aboard funded vessels is shrinking.
“Access to these polar regions remains critical to furthering our understanding of ice sheet evolution, its rate of change, and implications for future sea level rise,” Walker said. “Getting close to glacier fronts is really one of the only ways to collect this information at a large enough scale to constrain processes and improve modelling observationally.
Ponant Explorations Group regularly hosts scientists on Le Commandant Charcot throughout the year, as well as on select sailings aboard other ships. This is made possible by its many partnerships and initiatives, including the financing of two PhD students. To date, the company has earned 10 citations in peer-reviewed publications for its support in data collection and research.
About Ponant Explorations Group Renowned for their expertise in exploration cruises, Ponant Explorations, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Aqua Expeditions, and Ponant Yachting operate ships (ranging from four to 165 staterooms and suites), offering a refined, authentic, and inspiring experience.
Artémis, the holding company of the Pinault family, owns Ponant Explorations Group.
About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organisation on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Founded in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean, its interactions with the Earth, and its role in a changing global environment.
SANYA, China 15 October 2025: Sanya witnessed a rapid expansion of its international air routes last week, as a Belavia Airlines flight landed at Sanya Phoenix International Airport, marking the inaugural flight on the route Sanya-Minsk (capital: Belarus).
Subsequently, two more international routes have been established — Ulaanbaatar – Sanya – Ulan-Ude (East Siberia, Russia) and Sanya – Kuala Lumpur.
Photo credit: Sanya Tourism Board. Routes from Europe and Mongolia bring tourists to Sanya.
The launch of these three international routes, all within four days, marks a strategic move by Sanya to expand its reach into Central Asian, European, and Southeast Asian markets.
To date, Sanya has launched 38 international flight routes, connecting the city to destinations such as Bangkok, Frankfurt, Seoul, and St. Petersburg, covering 29 overseas cities in total.
Cashing in on fifth freedom traffic rights, the flights link the Hainan Free Trade zone and port with Europe, while Sanya collaborates with top aviation influencers to create travel content. The launch campaign achieved viral success, garnering over 10 million impressions by August and trending worldwide on social media platforms. This is not the only example of drawing visitors with air routes.
Focusing on the “Sanya-Minsk” route, Sanya has participated in tourism promotional events and travel shows held in Minsk to showcase its tourism offerings to the Belarusian market, thereby enhancing Sanya’s global visibility.
Thanks to the strategy that drives route expansion through destination marketing, Sanya is fast emerging as a world-class tourist destination. According to official statistics, Sanya received over 700,000 international overnight visitors in the first three quarters of this year, setting a new historical record for the same period.
Sanya has developed customised marketing strategies for each flight region, targeting the domestic market. It has also collaborated with China’s leading e-commerce platform, Meituan, to launch tourism promotion campaigns, offering thousands of discounted travel packages and achieving more than 500 million online impressions.
For Hong Kong, China, tailor-made tourism products such as “1.5 Hours to Paradise” have been launched on the Klook platform, driving a year-on-year increase of 87.47% in the number of Hong Kong visitors during the first seven months.
For South Korea, travel agencies, media, and associations are invited to visit Sanya to pinpoint tourists’ preferences.
For Cambodia, an MoU was signed in early September in this Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025 between the Sanya Tourism Board and the Cambodia Tourism Board, a move that will establish a long-term collaboration.”
Tourism momentum has directly fueled spending growth. In the first three quarters of 2025, overnight international visitors spent more than USD600 million in Sanya. In addition to the core advantages of duty-free shopping, details such as multilingual services and fusion cuisines also make visitors’ journeys smooth and pleasant.
At present, Sanya Phoenix International Airport is accelerating the third-phase expansion, due to be completed by year-end, to boost annual passenger capacity to 30 million.
According to an official of the Sanya Tourism Board, the city will introduce more diverse tourism products and experiences to accommodate the requirements of global visitors.
