Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Home Blog Page 215

British Airways returns to KUL and BKK

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 7 March 2024: British Airways flights from London to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur will return in October and November, respectively, as the airline strengthens its Asia network, the airline confirmed in a media statement released on 5 March.

Flights between London and Bangkok paused in 2020, while British Airways suspended its service to Kuala Lumpur in 2022.

Photo credit: British Airways.

The airline will operate daily flights between the Malaysian capital city and London Heathrow using a 787-9 aircraft. Three flights weekly are scheduled between the Thai capital and London Gatwick using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. 

British Airways is also returning to Abu Dhabi on 20 April. It will start flights to Agadir in Morrocco on 31 March 31 and will add Izmir in Turkey to its network on 18 May. Reservations opened for both the Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur services on 5 March.

BKK flights

Bangkok flights are scheduled three times weekly on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, starting 28 October through the end of the winter timetable in March 2025. 

Flight BA2231 will depart from London Gatwick at 2100 and arrive in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi at 1555 plus one day.
Flight BA2230 will depart Bangkok at 2255 and arrive in London Gatwick at 0530 plus one day.  

The Boeing 777-200 ER has a three-class cabin configuration: 32 Club, 48 World Traveller Plus, and 252 World Traveller (economy).

KUL flights

The London Heathrow – Kuala Lumpur daily flights will commence on 10 November.

Flight BA033 will depart London Heathrow at 2045  and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 1730 plus one day.
Flight BA034 will depart Kuala Lumpur at 2315 and arrive in London Heathrow at 0520 plus one day.

The Boeing Dreamliner 787-900 has a four-class configuration; eight in first class, 42 Club, 39 World Traveller Plus, and 127 World Traveller.

Agents refresh their Sabah content

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 6 March 2024: Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore, hosted a familiarisation trip to Sabah, presenting Malaysian Borneo as an exciting and value-for-money travel destination.

The six-day/five-night fam trip started with a product briefing held at the Sabah International Convention Centre, where 20 travel agents from Singapore could connect with 18 local representatives, including travel agents, tourism product owners, and hoteliers from Sabah. 

Photo credit: Sabah Tourism Board. Batu Luang. Nestled in Kuala Penyu, this beach boasts captivating rock formations and caves, perfect for that Insta-worthy shot.

The fam trip enaabled Singapore’s outbound tour operators to explore Sabah’s tourism offerings and gain first-hand information on the state’s sustainable and responsible tourism products focusing on cultural heritage, nature, islands, and diverse cuisine.

It was part of an ongoing marketing initiative hosting presentations for Singapore tour operators, launched in 2022 and tagged the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme. A brainchild of the Tourism Malaysia Singapore office, it fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing between Malaysian tourism industry players and their Singapore counterparts, encouraging the creation of new business partnerships, contract renewals, product updates, and the development of attractive travel packages specifically designed for tourists from Singapore.

Since its inception in Johor Bahru, subsequent sessions have been hosted in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan; the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme has generated enthusiastic participation, creating 157 diverse travel packages.

Visit Malaysia Year 2026

Tourism Malaysia described the programme as a “valuable avenue to create more high-quality travel experiences in attracting visitors to Sabah and Malaysia as the country gears up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”

The ASEAN market has predominantly been the primary contributor to Malaysia’s tourism sector, with Singapore ranking as the top source of tourist-generating markets, contributing significantly to the 8.3 million arrivals in 2023.

Malaysia aims to welcome 27.3 million tourists in 2024, generating MYR102.7 billion in revenue. The forthcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026 has set an ambitious target of 35.6 million foreign tourist arrivals, with a target receipt of MYR147.1 billion.

For more information on Sabah, visit www.sabahtourism.com.

Emirates bargains up for grabs

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 6 March 2024: Emirates’ annual Travel Fair in Bangkok kicks off on 7 March at the city’s popular shopping mall, Siam Paragon. 

The four-day super sale hosted at the mall’s Fashion Hall (1st floor) concludes at 2100 on 10 March. 

Locals and foreign residents can snatch up some of the year’s best savings on fares in all travel classes for flights to numerous destinations across Emirates’ global network, including Hong Kong, Dubai, Istanbul, Zurich, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Milan, New York, Boston and Cairo.

In addition, visitors can enjoy a glimpse of the full Emirates experience, with a dedicated lounge zone, along with a team of Emirates international cabin crew and friendly pilot mascot on standby to make everyone welcome. Visitors can buy fares using cards from partner banks, including KTC and SCB, plus other participating cards.

Emirates connects over 140 destinations in 83 countries and territories. The airline operates 35 weekly flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Dubai with its iconic double-decker Airbus A380 aircraft. The airline also operates 14 weekly flights from Phuket to Dubai International Airport using its Boeing 777-300ER. From Bangkok, Emirates also offers a daily service to Hong Kong.
For more information and to make bookings, visit www.emirates.com.

Yalago reports bookings surge in 2024

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

DUBAI UAE, 6 March 2024: Yalago, part of the Emirates Group, has announced a record high in hotel bookings from its global travellers in January and February 2024 since its inception in 2017.

Yalago sources leading rates for hotels worldwide, offering significant savings for trade partners and travellers. Compared to January and February 2023, hotel bookings through Yalago have grown 25% for the first two months of 2024.

Overall, Yalago’s highest hotel bookings in 2024 have been made across the UAE, Thailand, USA, Maldives, and Spain. The largest growth destinations trending for 2024 are the USA, Maldives, Greece, Mexico, and Hong Kong, with bookings up more than 100% compared to 2023.

The largest source markets for travel include the UK, USA, Thailand, Australia, and Italy – with record numbers of travellers from these countries booking hotel stays this year. Trends with global travellers include a longer lead time for bookings, expanding by seven days compared to previous years. The global average for 2024 is three-and-a-half months to make a hotel booking ahead of the travel date.

Yalago’s global, direct hotel portfolio has grown 15% since 2023, and this year, its team is focused on expanding this further across markets in trend. This includes across the USA and Asia – with Bali and Thailand as an example, trending due to the affordability of world-class accommodation options.

Yalago head of sales Europe Maria Del Pozo commented: “Travel demand is high, and travellers are seeking to secure their ideal accommodation and better value further in advance of their journey. Yalago can support global travellers with affordable rates across the world’s leading destinations and hotels – and our portfolio only continues to grow.”  

Yalago is attending ITB Berlin this week to share its products more extensively across Europe and extend its global reach by offering market-leading hotel rates.

This year, the Yalago team will attend major trade events, such as ITB Berlin, ATM Dubai, IPW Los Angeles, ITB China, WTM Latin America, FIT Argentina and WTM London.

Norwegian Joy restored

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 6 March 2024: Norwegian Cruise Line introduces refreshed offerings aboard Norwegian Joy, including a new Thermal Suite in the Mandara Spa and Salon, redesigned three-bedroom The Haven Premier Owner’s Suites, an expanded Vibe Beach Club and 24 new balcony staterooms, following a three-week dry dock.

Among the notable updates to Norwegian Joy is the addition of the brand-new spacious Thermal Suite at the Mandara Spa and Salon, now the largest in the Breakaway-Plus class ships. 

Complete with reinvigorating offerings such as the brand-new four senses loungers, a sauna, an ice room, and a steam room, Norwegian Joy guests will enjoy more amenities as a part of NCL’s renowned Mandara Spa experience. 

Norwegian Joy’s The Haven Premier Owner’s Suites have been expanded to three bedrooms. The two new suites include three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms; a fully renovated living room, a master bedroom and outdoor balcony furniture.

Vibe Beach Club also underwent an expansion and now boasts a similar layout to the Vibe Beach Club available on Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss.

In addition to the ship’s new offerings, Norwegian Joy boasts 21 bars, lounges, and 16 speciality restaurants. 

Norwegian Joy emerged from her three-week dry dock in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 11 February before embarking on an 11-day Transatlantic voyage from Southampton, UK, to Miami in the US. The newly revitalised ship offers seven-day, round-trip Caribbean voyages from Miami before sailing to New York in the summer of 2024.

Trip Affiliates Network signs Thai resort

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 6 March 2024: Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) partners with Baan Samui Resort to increase direct bookings and reduce its network of OTAs using advanced automation. 

Ban Samui Resort, located on Samui Island’s  Chawaeng Bay in southern Thailand, will deploy TA Networks’ advanced systems to broaden its online distribution channels and efficiently increase direct bookings with its preferred agents, wholesalers, and corporates.

By leveraging TA Network’s innovative technology solutions, BSR will streamline hotel inventory management processes and establish direct communication with their traditionally offline contractors. Issues, including rate parity disparity, cumbersome manual processes, and indirect booking costs from OTAs, will be reduced through automation.

TA Network’s latest automation technology efficiently eliminates the requirement for parties to manually receive booking confirmations and update their booking inventories through automated process services. This mitigates the overbooking/under-booking difficulties related to room allotments and effectively reduces the likelihood of human error while managing hotel contracts.

“Our partnership with Baan Samui Resort expands the number of hotels in our travel ecosystem and paves the way for expansion in Asia Pacific,” says TA Network managing partner Josef Foo. “Through our partnership, BSR can increase direct reservations with traditional offline partners and channels. TA Network offers them, as well as other potential hotel partners in the location, excellent services and automated booking experiences through our fully integrated platform during this cooperation.”

About Trip Affiliates Network
Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, Trip Affiliates Network provides FIT/group inbound and outbound turnkey solutions and add-on direct supplier connectivity services for travel agents, wholesalers and hotels.

Jetstar to fly to Krabi and Clark

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 6 March 2024: Jetstar Asia (3K) has confirmed the launch of two direct routes to Krabi, Thailand, and Clark, Philippines, with fares on sale effective Tuesday for flights due to start this June.

Commencing 7 June 2024, the Singapore-based low-cost carrier will fly six weekly services to Krabi on the Andaman Sea coast in South Thailand. The low-cost airline says it will offer over 60,000 low fares between Singapore and the popular holiday destination each year.

Flights to Clark will take off from Singapore’s Changi International Airport on 16 June 2024, initially offering four weekly services before increasing to five weekly on 18 October 2024. The airline says it will serve more than  45,000 customers on the Clark route by the end of 2024.

Krabi in Thailand is renowned for its stunning beaches and limestone cliffs, while Clark in the Philippines is a gateway to the country’s vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes. Jetstar will deploy A320s with 180 seats to serve the two new destinations.

Jetstar Asia CEO John Simeone said the move reinforced Jetstar Asia’s commitment to expanding its Southeast Asian network and providing enhanced connectivity and a wide range of travel options for its customers.

“Our services to Clark are back by popular demand, not only for holidaymakers but those wanting to visit family and friends,”  Simeone said. “Krabi is an exciting new addition for Jetstar Asia, less than two hours away; it’s the perfect holiday destination for those wanting to enjoy stunning white beaches, world-class rock-climbing experiences, marine parks, rainforests and outdoor activities.”

Flight schedule*

* Flights commence on 7 June 2024 for Krabi and 16 June 2024 for Clark, subject to government and regulatory approval.

The Philippines’ biggest delegation joins ITB

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MANILA, 6 March 2026: The Philippines is fielding its biggest-ever delegation at this week’s ITB Berlin, a three-day trade show that opened on Tuesday, 5 March and concludes Thursday evening.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, led 60 delegates representing hotel and resort enterprises, destination management companies, and travel and tour agencies. Government agencies joining the team include the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the local government units of Bohol, Camiguin, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, and  Sipalay.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco leads the Philippine delegation, assisted by TPB Chief Operating Officer Margarita M Nograles. 

“Our presence at ITB Berlin underscores our unwavering commitment to introducing an enhanced Philippine experience to the world and highlighting the unparalleled beauty of our vast natural resources while advocating sustainable tourism,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

In addition to showcasing the country’s various destinations and products, participating properties are expected to offer one-of-a-kind Philippine packages supporting sustainable and environmental initiatives.

“We recognise the importance of increasing tourism numbers and revenue, but it is also essential to strike a balance by offering experiences that benefit the long-term preservation of our culture and environment,” stated TPB chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles. “While we continue to promote our country globally, sustainability remains our guiding principle.”

The sustainability drive of the Philippines is highlighted by the City of Sipalay being nominated at the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards. 

Sipalay’s “Lakbayon Project”, an initiative by the Sipalay City Council for women and the Sipalay City government that led to the transformation of Poblacion Beach from a former wasteland to a cleaner beach with a conservation area for sea turtles and a mangrove forest, is expected to take home an award during a ceremony that will be held during the second day of ITB Berlin.

ITB Berlin, known as the world’s largest tourism trade fair, is taking place from 5 to 7 March at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds and is expected to welcome 24,000 attendees.

AirAsia links Sabah and Seoul

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 6 March 2024: AirAsia Malaysia (AK) celebrates another milestone at its second-biggest hub in Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu, with the inaugural flight departing for Seoul, South Korea, on Monday.

Commencing operations on 4 March with daily flights, the new route marks the airline’s continued expansion in Sabah with 18 routes and 282 weekly flights to and from Kota Kinabalu.

This direct flight makes travel between these two destinations more accessible and affordable for Sabahans with the opportunity to explore Seoul’s rich cultural offerings, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Cheonggyecheon Stream; iconic landmarks, including Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky Observatory, as well as diverse culinary experiences at Mangwon Market and many others.

A lively send-off ceremony by AirAsia and the Korea Tourism Organisation with mascot appearance and merchandise giveaways for guests on board marked the inaugural flight celebration.

AirAsia Aviation Group CEO Bo Lingam said: “With approximately 150,000 arrivals recorded from South Korea to Sabah in 2023, we look forward to flying even more travellers into Sabah this year. As we continue to grow our East Malaysia hub, this expansion reinforces Kota Kinabalu’s position as a dynamic aviation base, boasting nine domestic and nine international destinations. As South Korea has been one of Sabah’s top three tourist market sources, introducing this route will boost the state’s tourism and trade sectors and strengthen the cultural and economic ties between South Korea and Sabah.”

AirAsia offers special promotional fares starting from MYR389 all-in* one-way for Sabahans to discover Seoul. The promotional fare is available for booking until 17 March 2024 for travel through to 26 October 2024 on airasia.com and the AirAsia MOVE app.

All nationals from visa-free countries/regions, including Malaysia, must obtain K-ETA before entering South Korea.

Land of One Million Elephants

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 5 March 2024: Luang Prabang, nestled in northern Laos’s lush, mountainous landscape, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a jewel of Southeast Asia. This charming town, situated at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, is renowned for its well-preserved architecture, rich cultural heritage, and serene atmosphere.

Luang Prabang served as the capital of the Kingdom of Laos for centuries. Its historical importance is reflected in the many temples and palaces that adorn the city. The town has numerous ornate temples and monasteries, each showcasing Laotian religious and artistic traditions.

Luang Prabang’s recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has spurred efforts to preserve its unique cultural and architectural heritage. Strict building regulations ensure that new constructions adhere to traditional styles, keeping the town’s charm.

You can visit Luang Prabang during Pandaw’s 10-night Laos Mekong expedition, which takes intrepid travellers along some of the most remote parts of the Mekong River. Sailing between Vientiane, the Laotian capital and Chiang Khong on the Thailand side of the border, the 10-night adventure stops for three nights in Luang Prabang, providing plenty of time to discover the history and charm of the former capital.

Luang Prabang’s nickname, “One Million Elephants,” traces its roots to the ancient Lan Xang Kingdom, which translates to “Land of a Million Elephants.” Established in the 14th century by King Fa Ngum, this powerful kingdom was pivotal in shaping the region’s history. The symbol of the elephant has endured, reflecting strength, resilience, and prosperity.

Originally known as Muang Sua, Luang Prabang became the first capital of Laos in the 14th century. The city got its current name when Cambodia gave a gold Buddha image called the Phra Bang as a gift. This image became the city’s symbol and is displayed in a museum. Over the years, the city faced various rulers and changes until it became the capital of the independent Luang Prabang Kingdom in 1707.

When France took over Laos, Luang Prabang was recognised as the royal residence. After Laos gained independence, Luang Prabang’s king, Sisavang Vong, became the head of state. During the Franco-Thai War, Thailand occupied part of the province, but after the Washington Accord of 1946, the annexed territories were returned to Laos.

Today, Luang Prabang stands as a historical and cultural gem, showcasing the resilience and enduring spirit of the city through centuries of change.

Read more about one of Asia’s most well-kept secrets and how you can visit it during Pandaw’s awe-inspiring 10-night Laos Mekong expedition by reading the latest Pandaw blog.

The Laos Mekong
CHIANG KHONG TO VIENTIANE
10 nights
FROM USD4,360 PP

To learn more about the trip itinerary, visit: https://www.pandaw.com/expeditions/laos-mekong?utm_source=pandaw&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=laos-blog-feb-2024. 

1...214215216...600Page 215 of 600

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.