BANGKOK, 8 February 2024: Centara Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel operator headquartered in Thailand, announces its latest venture, COSI Vientiane Nam Phu, marking the affordable lifestyle brand’s first foray into the overseas market after the resounding success of its preceding COSI properties in Thailand.
A contemporary hotel and connected city base in Vientiane, Laos, this landmark property is set to open on 1 March 2024, welcoming travellers to explore the city’s vibrant life, heritage, and history.
COSI Vientiane promises an extraordinary guest experience, focusing on freedom, connectivity, and seamless travel at the heart of the action. The property boasts high-tech rooms, an ultra-chill rooftop pool, the vibrant grab-and-go Cafe247, and a buzzing social hub for round-the-clock eating, drinking, game-playing, and meeting up with friends.
In addition to providing a comfortable base for guests to explore Vientiane’s most famous landmarks, including Patuxay – Victory Monument, Pha That Luang Vientiane, and the Vientiane Night Market, this 95-key property boasts three modern room types offering mega-comfy beds and ranging in size from 18 square metres to the 39 square metre COSI Family Room.
To celebrate its opening, COSI Vientiane offers an exclusive 30% discount on all bookings until 30 April 2024 for stays between 1 March and 30 April 2024. In addition to these exceptional savings, up to two guests per room will receive USD3++ in daily food and drink credit plus access to free turbocharged Wi-Fi. With room rates starting from USD58++, CentaraThe1 members will also enjoy an extra 15% on-top discount and the opportunity to earn X3 points to be used and redeemed on their next stay with Centara Hotels & Resorts worldwide.
SINGAPORE, 8 February 2024: Tourism Malaysia concluded a successful, impactful sales mission to North Africa last week to captivate international tourists and position Malaysia as the ultimate value-added travel destination.
The mission started in Algiers, Algeria and concluded on 4 February 2024 in Cairo, Egypt, with a delegation of 14 Malaysian organisations, including seven travel agents, six hotels/resorts and one travel association.
Sales mission delegates participated in travel marts in each country to showcase Malaysia’s diverse tourism products. Additionally, the mission reached out to tourism representatives and media through presentations and conferences, followed by a video screening of “Malaysia Truly Asia.”
Tourism Malaysia director-general Dato Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar expressed enthusiasm about the mission. “It was a crucial step towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026. As we ramp up our strategic engagements and promotions, we aim to create lasting impressions on the North African market, making Malaysia a top choice for discerning travellers.”
In 2024, Malaysia targets 27.3 million international tourists, with tourism receipts exceeding MYR102.7 billion.
Through business-to-business (B2B) sessions, seminars, and networking opportunities, the focus was on promoting segments such as edu-tourism, shopping paradises, and halal food while positioning Malaysia as a premier family-friendly holiday destination.
SINGAPORE, 8 February 2024: Oneworld alliance named airline industry veteran Nathaniel (Nat) Pieper as its new CEO on Tuesday.
Pieper, currently senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines, will join the alliance on 1 April 2024.
As CEO, Pieper will lead oneworld through its 25th anniversary celebration year and focus on strengthening the alliance between its partners and customers to provide a seamless travel experience worldwide. Pieper will report to the alliance’s Governing Board, comprised of the member airline CEOs.
American Airlines Chief Executive Officer and oneworld alliance chairman Robert Isom said: “We welcome Nat Pieper into the CEO role at oneworld and look forward to the alliance continuing its journey of innovation and collaboration under his leadership.”
In his current position at Alaska Airlines, Pieper orchestrated the airline’s entrance into Oneworld, executed aircraft transactions valued over USD 9 billion, and secured access to USD 5 billion in liquidity to ensure Alaska’s viability through the pandemic. Previously, Pieper held executive positions at Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, overseeing international, strategic, alliance and financial functions.
Nat Pieper said, “In my airline career, I have admired from afar and now experienced first-hand the influence and benefits the oneworld alliance brings to an airline and its customers…The future of the oneworld alliance is bright, and I am ready to continue to develop the alliance into its next 25 years.”
SINGAPORE, 8 February 2024: Princess Cruises reports it achieved an all-time high in Alaska bookings for January, surpassing any previous January in the cruise brand’s history by more than 20%.
“With its jaw-dropping landscapes, unspoiled natural beauty and incredible wildlife, Alaska is so much more than a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” said Princess Cruises chief commercial officer Terry Thornton.
“This is our 55th anniversary of taking guests to the great land, and this soaring interest underscores the importance of securing an Alaska adventure for the upcoming summer season while availability remains.”
Princess Cruises is recognised as a leader in Alaska, having a comprehensive list of options to explore the wonders of Alaska in 2024 and 2025, spanning four to 22-day cruises that feature ‘cruisetours’.
Visiting the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park, the 6th biggest national park in the US, is one of the must-see destinations offering views of majestic glaciers, mountain peaks, and more than 600 species of wildlife, from brown bears to bald eagles and harbour seals.
Cruises to Alaska include Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and Anchorage through ‘cruisetours’ that feature five exclusive, custom-built Princess Lodges located close to national parks. A direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service also takes Princess guests between the ship in Whittier to the Denali area on the same day.
Voyages depart from homeports in San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier (for Anchorage), and Los Angeles, offering guests attractive air service options. Prices for a 2024 or 2025 Princess Alaska vacation start as low as USD399 for a seven-day vacation.
SHENZHEN, China, 8 February 2024: DidaTravel, a tech-driven global travel distribution company, released data on Wednesday reflecting the growing trend for Chinese outbound travel during the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.
In 2024, the Lunar New Year eight-day holiday starts on Saturday, 10 February and ends on Saturday, 17 February.
DidaTravel sales team at the recent Fitur trade show in Madrid, Spain.
Based on Dida’s booking data for the Chinese New Year season, total outbound hotel bookings reached a three-year high, with an increase of over 310% compared to 2023.
Outbound hotel bookings by Chinese travellers in Singapore increased by 11-fold YoY, while hotel bookings in Malaysia grew by 9-fold and in Thailand by an impressive 243%.
These dramatic increases can be attributed to pent-up demand following the lifting of border restrictions in mainland China and recent visa exemption announcements.
During the Chinese New Year holiday season, the top destinations for mainland Chinese travellers going overseas are Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Australia, the Philippines, Spain, and the US.
In addition, long-haul destinations in Europe, such as France, Italy, UK, and Germany, and in the Americas, Mexico, Brazil, and Canada remain popular with Chinese travellers.
During this holiday, hotel ADR (average daily rate) witnessed a global increase of 32% YoY. This increase is partly attributable to pent-up demand for booking accommodation in higher-standard hotels. Notably, there was a decrease in bookings for one and two-star hotels, dropping from 7% to 2.6%. Additionally, bookings for three to four-star hotels declined from 69.7% to 65.2%. Conversely, there was a notable increase in bookings for five-star hotels, rising from 23.3% to 32.2%. This aligned with the trend for Chinese travellers to select luxury accommodation.
Chinese travellers’ average length of hotel stays increased from 2.8 to 3 days. Malaysia experienced an increase from 2 to 2.5 days, Thailand from 2.5 to 3.1 days, Singapore from 3 to 3.5 days, and the Philippines saw the most significant increase from 2.3 to 4.6 days.
DidaTravel, founder & CEO Rikin Wu said: “We are thrilled to witness the enthusiasm of Chinese travellers to explore international destinations and new experiences, even during this traditional holiday.
“At DidaTravel, we are committed to meeting the dynamic needs of Chinese travellers by providing a diverse range of hotel products worldwide. We believe that this tourism boom not only fuels economic recovery but also boosts public confidence in the power of travel to create unforgettable moments and forge meaningful connections.”
DidaTravel has a portfolio of over 70,000 competitively sourced direct hotel contracts and 1 million hotel products from over 600 global suppliers. Its customer base comprises over 30,000 B2B buyers — including travel agencies, tour operators, OTAs, TMCs and MICE.
About DidaTravel DidaTravel is a tech-driven global travel distribution company founded in 2012. The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with over 500 employees in 13 offices worldwide.
SINGAPORE, 8 February 2024: Cathay Pacific is flying once more from its home base in Hong Kong to Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a three-year pause due to the Covid pandemic.
The first flight arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport on 1 February with 220 passengers onboard, welcomed by airport officials, ground handling staff and a troupe of cultural dancers from Sri Lanka Tourism. Initially, the airline schedules three weekly flights.
Welcome reception at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo.
Flight (CX611) departs Hong Kong at 2005 and arrives in Colombo at 2330 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The return flight (CX610) departs Colombo at 0045 and arrives at 0840 in Hong Kong on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Thai Airways resumes flights Meanwhile, Thai Airways International will resume flights between Bangkok and Colombo, introducing daily flights using an Airbus A320-200 starting 31 March.
TG307 will depart Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2105 and arrive in Colombo 0001 the following morning. The return flight TG308 will depart Colombo at 0120 and arrive in Bangkok at 0730. Flights are open for bookings
JAKARTA, 7 February 2024: Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE) is promoting the country’s destinations in India’s travel markets by attending the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) this week.
The travel show runs from 8 to 10 February 2024 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, with Indonesia’s pavilion, Hall 2 Booth K100, headlining the magnificent Borobudur temple, Prambanan temple, and traditional Javanese decorations as its show theme.
Invitation for Indian travellers to experience an “Indonesian Miniature” through the Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion at OTM 2024.
Supporting promotions at the Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion are 25 Indonesian travel and hospitality companies representing agents/tour operators, DMC, hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions.
India is one of the top potential markets for Indonesia, accounting for 606.439 visits in 2023, with a growth of 125.8% from the previous year. India ranks 6th as the highest number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia and second in Bali in 2023.
MoTCE deputy minister for Marketing Ni Made Ayu Marthini said Indonesia, especially Bali, has become top-of-mind for Indian tourists for the family, honeymoon, wedding, MICE and luxury segments. So, apart from that, the MoTCE is now promoting other Indonesian destinations to Indian travellers and offering these destinations as filming locations for the Indian film industry.
“We know that the Indian film industry is huge, and Indonesia has various destinations with beautiful landscapes and unique cultures that will be very interesting to display for the Indian film audience. We have recently launched a filming location ecosystem platform called the Indonesia Film Facilitation (IFFa) www.iffa.id, as convenient access for international filmmakers to various beautiful film locations in Indonesia. Promoting destinations through film can introduce more Indonesian tourism destinations and encourage more Indian travellers to visit Indonesia.”
KUALA LUMPUR, 7 February 2024: Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and AirAsia are developing the framework for a strategic partnership that will propel Sabah’s tourism industry to new heights.
The initiative stems from discussions between a delegation from STB led by its chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, and AirAsia’s management team led by chief executive officer Bo Lingam held at AirAsia’s corporate headquarters in Sepang on Monday.
Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai presenting a souvenir gift to AirAsia Group chief executive officer Bo Lingam. Also from L-R, Paul Carroll, Datuk Chester Boo Chee Soon, Karen Chan, Julinus Jeffrey Jimit, Datuk Tan Kok Liang, Tay Shu Lan, and Zarinah Amiludin.
Both sides agreed on a comprehensive five-year master plan with the proposed Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) to be formalised after the Chinese New Year. Core elements of the plan focus on a collaborative effort to promote Sabah and lure more international tourists to the state. A team of senior officials from both sides has been tasked to work on the proposed MoC.
One of the priorities is to expand international routes and develop Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s Terminal 2 to meet a potential surge in demand.
The latest partnership moves between the airline and the state’s tourism board follow recent discussions between Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and AirAsia’s co-founders Datuk Kamaruddin Meranun and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
Present at the latest round of talks were STB Board of Directors member Datuk Tan Kok Liang, STB’s newly-appointed chief executive officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit; STB deputy chief executive officer Tay Shu Lan, and marketing manager Zarinah Amiludin.
AirAsia representatives attending the discussions included deputy group chief executive officer Datuk Chester Boo Chee Soon, group chief commercial officer Karen Chan, and chief revenue management and network planning officer Paul Carroll.
During the meeting, Joniston and Bo emphasised the importance of ensuring that any agreements reached would be mutually beneficial and achievable.
“The focus is on creating a partnership that uplifts the tourism sector and fosters a positive and sustainable relationship between Sabah and AirAsia,” said Joniston. “This will ensure whatever partnership we establish can deliver tangible benefits for Sabah’s tourism industry while also aligning with AirAsia’s strategic objectives.”
On upcoming development, AirAsia shared plans to launch eight new routes into Sabah this year. The routes include Jakarta, Denpasar, Manado, Shanghai, Osaka, and Incheon.
Throughout 2023, Bo said AirAsia has flown over 2 million passengers to Sabah. He expressed AirAsia’s willingness to collaborate closely with Sabah and reiterated AirAsia’s readiness to support initiatives aligned with Sabah’s interests as well as its priorities.
Currently, AirAsia has 12 domestic and nine international routes. The international routes are Singapore, Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Beijing, and Hangzhou.
In December 2023, the low-cost airline operated an impressive schedule of 51 weekly international flights and over 280 weekly domestic flights.
DUBAI, UAE, 7 February 2024: Emirates has recently experienced its busiest winter for baggage handling in the last three years. The winter period statistics from September 2023 to January 2024 show that while handling an average of 2.7 million bags each month from Dubai to 140 global destinations, Emirates maintains a 99.9% success rate.
Emirates has an excellent statistical record for baggage handling, where 99.9% of all baggage coming from Dubai or transferring through reaches its owner on time at the correct destination. On an average Emirates journey, a customer’s luggage goes on a trip of its own. It interacts with many of the Emirates team, from a porter’s trolley to a check-in agent and baggage belt to the ‘Boss Room’ where baggage is scanned with high-tech security, then loaded into dnata baggage containers and onto the moveable dollies bound for Emirates aircraft, before it travels across the world, to meet the baggage handlers at a new destination.
Various scenarios might have occurred on the rare occasion that baggage is delayed. Sometimes baggage tags containing essential information are accidentally torn off, or occasionally, a bag could fall off the underground baggage belt as it rounds a corner at a fast pace – which is captured on camera and can be rectified immediately. A transfer flight may be unavoidably delayed due to weather or a sick passenger, making it impossible to remove and reload the bag onto the passenger’s transfer flight in time. In this case, the customer’s bag is immediately loaded onto the next flight. This is done automatically by a combination of multiple complex systems: Baggage Handling System by Dubai Airport, Baggage Reconciliation System by dnata, and Emirates Bag Connect — an Emirates product that offers a comprehensive view of the baggage journey with timely baggage status tracking, available on the Emirates app and website.
Overall, Emirates’ rate of baggage mishandling – defined as delayed, lost or misplaced baggage- is minimal at 1.3 in 1000 at the Dubai hub- almost 30 times lower than some other providers. Of the bags that are unavoidably delayed even globally – 91% are reunited with their owners within 72 hours. This rate is also significant globally because Emirates primarily manages international and international transfer baggage, so luggage often goes on long and complex journeys requiring more attention than domestic travel.
Emirates attributes its best-in-class baggage handling to robust and high-tech procedures, including a multimillion-dollar investment into software that Emirates has tailored to specific needs, providing full visibility of entire journeys. Emirates’ commitment to innovation and excellence ensures that a world-class team has consistently improved all systems and operations over the last two decades. Emirates team is also regularly trained to the highest standards in Dubai and across the globe, with ground handlers and other operational staff participating in virtual and manual training on systems, processes, standards and best practices, and introductions to new products and services. As the world’s largest international airline, flying to 140 destinations from one of the world’s busiest airports, a seamless collaboration between Emirates and dnata, Siemens technology, and Dubai Airports ensures that Emirates customers and their luggage ‘fly better’.
For more information and to make bookings, visit www.emirates.com.
SHANGHAI, 7 February 2024: In the lead-up to the Chinese New Year holiday season, international travel from China has risen 10 times, fuelled by more relaxed visa policies, particularly to Asian destinations Trip.com reported earlier this week.
Assessing the state of play in China’s outbound and inbound travel markets during one of its busiest travel seasons of the year, Trip.com forecasts the festive month will deliver a record 9 billion inter-regional movements, with 8 February — the eve of Reunion Day — the busiest travel day of the season.
Photo credit Xinhua: Adora Magic City at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in east China’s Shanghai.
A surge in travel across Asia
Booking trends indicate China’s outbound travellers favour short-haul routes, with Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea emerging as their preferred choices. Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand are popular destinations.
Relaxed visa requirements have largely fueled the surge in bookings for trips in the Asia Pacific region. Since July last year, China has announced bilateral visa-free arrangements for more than 10 countries. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have seen a spike in search volume following the announcement of mutual visa exemptions for 30-day visits. For instance, searches for Singapore tourism products increased more than 30% month-on-month shortly after the visa-free announcement between Singapore and China. Similarly, Thailand saw searches for flights and hotels rise more than six times after signing the mutual visa exemption agreement on 28 January.
Amid the global travel surge, travel to the Middle East is also on the rise, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) emerging as a focal point due to favourable visa policies and convenient arrival procedures. Dubai and Qatar are popular destinations, with the United Arab Emirates recording one of the highest volumes of guided tours.
Family travel leads
Furthermore, family-centric travel has taken centre stage during the Spring Festival, constituting 47% of all travellers this year – a 5% increase from the previous year. This shift underscores the growing significance of family-focused journeys during the holiday season. Families make the most of their holidays by embracing various travel preferences by renting cars for flexibility, opting for customised tours to cater to their unique needs, and hiring local guides to curate personalised and memorable experiences.
Spring Festival attractions
The top Spring Festival attractions differ between Asia and Europe, with theme parks in Asia’s spotlight. Europe beckons travellers with its rich cultural heritage and history, predominantly showcasing museums, historical landmarks, and city sites.
For tourists exploring Asia, iconic names like Universal Studios Singapore, Warner Bros Harry Potter Tokyo, Tokyo DisneySea, and South Korea’s Everland are the star attractions. These attractions are top-rated among tourists from Malaysia, Thailand, China, South Korea, and Japan. In contrast, European destinations favoured by Asian tourists are museums and enchanting cityscapes, where landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Palace of Versailles, and Musee d’Orsay are preferred.
Cruises more popular
Cruise tourism, too, emerged as a major draw during the Spring Festival, with sold-out schedules for cruise ships sailing from Shanghai and strong demand in Hong Kong and Singapore. The famous Italian cruise line Costa Serena and RWS’ Genting Dream depart from Hong Kong and Singapore. The two ports are nearly at total capacity with limited availability remaining. This year, the average window for bookings is 35 days earlier than in 2019, indicating a substantial increase in early cruise reservations and growing demand.
About Trip.com Group Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar.
