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AI a bright shining light?

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 17 January 2024: AI emerged as the hot topic at the 13th Thailand Tourism Forum 2024 (TTF), hosted at InterContinental Bangkok on Monday, with around 1,000 tourism and hospitality executives attending the three-hour afternoon presentations.

C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett founded the annual TTF as a leading travel and tourism discussion platform. Industry leaders from the private sector come together each January to gain insights and indicators for the sector’s future trends.

From left: Bill Barnett, Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks and TTF Founder; Mark Weingard, Founder, Iniala Group; Patrick Both, Regional General Manager – Luxury and Lifestyle Thailand, IHG Hotels & Resorts; and Jesper Palmqvist, Senior Director Asia Pacific – STR, a CoStar Group company.

“Every tourism outfit and hotel are AI companies whether they realise it or not,” said Barnett. “With the lightening development of AI, this is a call to action for hospitality to return to its roots of a service culture as technology frees up human resources and allows our industry to focus on what is important – people. AI is not a shadow cast over hospitality; it’s a bright shining light.”

The myth that AI creates a less personable industry was busted by keynote speaker Google Thailand’s industry head of strategic partnerships, Aditip Panupong.

“With travellers spending more time planning, businesses can leverage AI to simplify their journey and make their experiences more personalised and seamless than ever before,” Aditip commented.

Thailand’s tourism journey is a 50-plus year story, but its evolution emphasises experience, reflecting changing tastes and aspirations.  

“With its long tourism history, entrepreneurial spirit, design interest and attraction from investors, it makes sense that this segment is growing in Thailand. Naturally, we see more hotels coming up, primarily in Bangkok and Phuket. Still, there is also an interest in smaller markets across the country when you look at the hotel pipeline,” said STR, a CoStar Group company, senior director Asia Pacific Jesper Palmqvist.

The 13th edition of TTF 2024 was supported by leading industry partners InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, STR, Horwath HTL, JLL Hotels and Hospitality, QUO, AMCHAM Thailand, Delivering Asia Communications, Creative Concept AV, Phuket Hotels Association and host venue InterContinental Bangkok.

Fare deals on flights to Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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SYDNEY, 17 January 2024: AirAsia X welcomes 2024 with a two-week super sale featuring low fares on sale from Australia to Asian destinations, starting from as low as AUD135.  

The first sale commenced on 15 January and runs until 21 January, followed by a second low-fare sale from 22 to 28 January 2024 for a travel period from 15 January to 16 June 2024. 

The travel deals apply on routes from Australia to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, South Korea, China and Taiwan.

The airline’s fare offers apply to FlyThru services, connecting passengers to key destinations in  Malaysia and Thailand to many popular destinations.

Bookings can be made through the AirAsia super app or website with additional offers on hotels and airport transfers.

Fares are on sale
Booking period from 15 to 21 January 2024:

AirAsia X (AAX flight code D7)
Melbourne – Kuala Lumpur from AUD256*
Sydney – Kuala Lumpur from AUD255*
Gold Coast – Kuala Lumpur from AUD242*
Perth – Kuala Lumpur from AUD172* 

Thai AirAsia X (TAAX flight code XJ)
Sydney – Bangkok from AUD295*
Premium Flatbeds on sale on AAX and TAAX starting from AUD609*

AirAsia Malaysia (AK)
Kuala Lumpur – Perth from AUD269*

Indonesia AirAsia (IAA flight code QZ)
Perth – Jakarta from AUD135*
Perth – Bali from AUD142*

A second low-fare sale on fares to and from Australia commences from 22 January to 28 January 2024. 
*Fares listed are all-inclusive, including base fare and all taxes and charges. 

Sabre names MD India and South Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 January 2024: Sabre Corporation, a technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced this week the appointment of Samual Machado as managing director to oversee Sabre’s agency business across India and South Asia. 

Machado returns to Sabre, having worked at Sabre Hospitality Solutions in 2011 as head of account management in India before moving to Singapore to drive sales for the Asia Pacific region. 

He began his career in travel and hospitality with renowned brands such as Jet Airways and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, now part of Marriott International. 

“We’re delighted that Sam is re-joining our Sabre family,” said Sabre Corporation’s vice president of travel solutions, agency sales, Asia Pacific Brett Thorstad. “India is one of the world’s fastest-growing travel markets and customers. We’re paving the way for accelerated growth across India and South Asia. Sam’s strategic vision and relentless focus on customer success and innovative technology solutions will differentiate Sabre in the marketplace.” 

Pandaw launches new offers

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 January 2024: Pandaw releases its latest cruise offers for the 2024/25 season this week with popular incentives such as ‘no single’ supplement dates plus early-bird ‘Discovery Discount’ dates. 

The offers are available for a limited time only. Check out booking information on the new Pandaw Offers Page offers while they last, and join Pandaw for your next adventure on the waterways of Asia.

Visit pandaw.com, or email [email protected].

For more details on the luxury cruises, check out.

For over 25 years, Pandaw has been the leader in Asian River Cruising and operates 17 ships exploring the rivers of six amazing Asian countries.

Pandaw operates luxury small-ship river cruise expeditions on the Mekong River, exploring the famous delta region in Vietnam and upstream to Tonle Sap and Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Other river cruises operate on the Red River and Halong Bay in northern Vietnam. In Laos and North Thailand, cruises explore the upper Mekong River. In Myanmar, cruises explore the iconic Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers. A river cruise pioneer in India, Pandaw sails the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.

Check out Bangkok Chinatown ASAI

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 16 January 2024: Dusit Internation explains the ASAI brand with a new video that playfully teases us with images served up at the brand’s property — Bangkok Chinatown ASAI Hotel.

Posted on the Dusit International Facebook page, the video lifts the lid on the vibrant neighbourhood that blends rich Chinese heritage and lively street markets.

The message clearly targets couples and young travellers who make  Bangkok Chinatown ASAI their holiday base, flagging the hotel as the “perfect location” to explore a trending district in the Thai capital. To book a stay at Bangkok Chinatown ASAI Hotel.

Bangkok Chinatown ASAI Hotel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asaihotels

Give more than you take alliance

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 January 2024: Amadeus joins the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to bring its travel expertise to support a more responsible hospitality sector. 

Amadeus says it “sees great potential to work alongside and connect with hospitality industry stakeholders and contribute to the alliance’s goal of Net Positive Hospitality – ensuring the industry gives back to destinations more than it takes.”

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, with donor members including 27 world-leading hotel companies with a combined reach of over 50,000 properties, brings together hospitality companies and the wider hospitality value chain, such as owners, investors, and suppliers to address key challenges affecting people and places around the world related to hospitality. 

As part of its membership, Amadeus will hold a permanent position on the senior advisory council, which was established to provide strategic advice, create a network of influential leaders, and drive change towards Net-Positive Hospitality. Key areas of focus for Amadeus include education, accessibility and helping travellers and guests make informed decisions.  

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance CEO Glenn Mandziuk says: “Having Amadeus’ broad, global travel expertise in discussion with the alliance is a game changer and onboarding Amadeus to our senior advisory council is an important step in tackling the challenges the hospitality industry faces. 

Amadeus’s president of hospitality, Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, adds: ” Thanks to our position as a global travel technology provider, we look forward to making a meaningful contribution to the alliance. By sharing insights and experiences based on our best practices across all travel sectors, we aspire to help accelerate the advancement of the industry’s goals toward net-positive hospitality.”

Saudia on the top 10 OTP chart

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TTR WEEKLY
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JEDDAH, 16 January 2024: Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, ranked 9th among global airlines in the On-Time Performance for the year 2023, according to the annual report by the independent aviation monitoring website Cirium. 

This follows outstanding performances throughout 2023, in which Saudia has secured a place in the top 10 for six consecutive months.

Saudi Arabia’s exceptional performance in the global OTP rankings is driven by the Saudi Aviation Strategy objectives, which aim to turn Saudi Arabia into a leader in the global industry by enhancing the customer experience. 

The strategy aligns with Saudi Arabia’s expansion goals, targeting 150 million visitors by 2030. (According to the Middle East Economy online news, the 2030 target for Saudi Arabia’s total annual tourist trips, including domestic and international travellers, was revised upward to 150 million from the initial goal of 100 million.) 

Saudia Group has played a significant role in improving operational efficiency and securing its global position by continuously ranking as one of the top-performing airlines. The integration of digital systems has been a key driver in enhancing this outstanding performance, coupled with the strategic development of King Abdulaziz International Airport, positioning it as a pivotal hub. Furthermore, it reflects the dedicated efforts of the Saudia Flight Operations Centre, housing the largest Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) in the Middle East, enabling the airline to achieve global records in flight punctuality.

Saudia has invested heavily in upgrading its aircraft and operates one of the youngest fleets. The airline serves a global route network covering around 100 destinations across four continents, including all 28 domestic airports in Saudi Arabia. Adding new aircraft to its fleet has significantly contributed to this major achievement, reflecting Saudia’s commitment to contribute to the goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030.

The OTP 2023 top 10 airlines

Graphic: Cirium OTP Review

For more news on OTP from Cirium visit https://www.cirium.com/thoughtcloud/most-on-time-airlines-airports-of-2023-unveiled-by-cirium/

Thailand tops Airbnb search rankings

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 16 January 2024: A bilateral agreement between China and Thailand to open visa-free travel between the two countries starting 1 March could power Thailand towards its goal of 40 million international arrivals this year.

Thailand reached 39.8 million in 2019, with 11.1 million Chinese visitors driving that phenomenal result. In 2023, it welcomed 3.5 million Chinese visitors and a total of 27.25 million. Tourism officials remain confident that Thailand will again be the preferred destination among Chinese travellers once two-way visa-free travel is established between the two countries. It will act as a catalyst, pushing arrivals to the 40 million mark.

Data from Airbnb raises the confidence level in Thailand’s travel community. It shows Thailand tops the ranking for outbound search destinations for Airbnb guests from China this winter season*.

The top 10 most searched countries by Chinese guests on the platform this winter from December 2023 to February 2024 are*:

1. Thailand
2. Japan
3. New Zealand
4. Australia
5. United States of America
6. Malaysia
7. Indonesia
8. United Kingdom
9. Norway
10. South Korea

Notably, there are five Thai destinations amongst the 20 most searched cities and towns by Chinese guests on Airbnb this winter, namely Phuket (1), Bangkok (2), Chiang Mai (7), Koh Samui (10) and Pattaya (12).

Driving greater tourism growth

Since the reopening of cross-border travel in China last year, Airbnb has seen a surge in outbound travel by Chinese guests to various destinations. This is underscored by a year-over-year increase in outbound travel searches of over 14-fold by Airbnb users in China for the upcoming Chinese New Year period**.

Last year, searches for Airbnb trips to Asia Pacific destinations during the Golden Week Holiday period increased approximately 17-fold year-over-year.*** . In November-December 2023 alone, Airbnb saw an approximately 88% spike in searches for Thailand by Chinese travellers.****

Group travel (three or more guests) is also on the rise amongst Chinese travellers with searches for group travel stays increasing faster than solo/ duo travel searches. Interestingly, a large proportion of first-time bookers on Airbnb are group travellers.*****

Based on a Kantar survey commissioned by Airbnb last June, Chinese travellers’ top five accommodation priorities are reliability (89%), amenities (84%), customer service and support (80%), uniqueness (80%) and convenient location (56%).******

Airbnb’s general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Amanpreet Bajaj said: “Thailand has been a popular destination among Chinese guests on Airbnb. We are thrilled with the Thai government’s announcement of a permanent visa waiver for citizens of both countries, further boosting inbound tourism to Thailand. We believe this policy will (cause) visitor numbers to surge and significantly fuel Thailand’s tourism resurgence post-pandemic.”

As part of its efforts to continue attracting more Chinese travellers to the region, Airbnb last year launched a once-in-a-lifetime Southeast Asia island hopping getaway for Chinese travellers, which featured Koh Samui, Thailand, amongst other islands in Malaysia and Indonesia. One winner and their four special guests got to experience Airbnb Superhost stays and local experiences showcasing the island’s vibrant community, hospitality and scenic beauty.

*Based on Airbnb mainland China users’ search data from 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2023 for winter outbound stays with check-in dates between 22 December 2023 and 29 February 2024.

**Based on Airbnb mainland China users’ search data from 1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023 for check-in dates between 8 February and 28 February 2024. 

***Based on Airbnb mainland China users’ search data from 1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023 for Golden Week outbound stays with check-in dates between 28 September 2023 and 5 October 2023.

****Based on internal Airbnb data on inbound China guest searches for stays in Thailand in October 2023 vs check-in in November 2023.

*****Based on Airbnb mainland China users’ search data from 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2023.

******Based on a survey of 900 Chinese outbound travellers commissioned by Airbnb and conducted by Kantar in June 2023.

Qatar expands European network

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 January 2024: Travellers can start planning their 2024 summer travels following Qatar Airways’ decision to resume flights to Venice, Italy, on 12 June and introduce flights to Hamburg, Germany, to its network on 1 July.

Daily flights to Venice should be popular with residents of Japan, China and Australia, while daily flights to Hamburg will be popular with residents of South Africa, Thailand and the Philippines.

The decision to add two more European destinations to the network followed the recent expansion to the airline’s winter schedule. Flights increased to Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Belgrade and Miami, connecting via Hamad International Airport in Doha.

Resuming flights to Venice  
Daily flights on the Doha-Venice route start on 12 June 2024.
Outbound flights depart Doha at 0900 and arrive in Venice at 1420.
Return flights depart Venice at 1650 and arrive in Doha at 2310. 

New desrination: Hamburg 
Departure times for four weekly flights starting 1 July.
Outbound flights depart Doha at 0815 and arrive in Hamburg at 1410 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Return flights depart Hamburg at 1540 and arrive in Doha at 2240 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Departure times for three weekly flights starting 1 July.
Outbound flights depart Doha at 0215 and arrive in Hamburg at 0750 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Return flights depart Hamburg at 0920 and arrive in Doha at 1620 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Bengaluru to Bhutan charters

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 January 2024: Bhutan is fast gaining popularity with Indian tourists, with Thomas Cook India reporting a 25% surge in booking demand compared with last year.

Responding to the trending destination’s popularity, Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its group company, SOTC Travel, are launching exclusive charter flights to Paro (Bhutan) from Bengaluru, India, starting in April 2024.

South India represents a key source market for Thomas Cook & SOTC Travel, already contributing over 45% of the bookings to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and growing. 

However, the lack of direct flights from India’s southern region to Bhutan adds approximately 15% to travel costs. Travellers face the inconvenience of multiple flights, changing airports/terminals, multiple check-ins and baggage drop/collection. 

The travel group is responding with the launch of special charters to Bhutan from Bengaluru, a gateway city for Indian travellers resident in Karnataka, the wider southern region. 

The Thomas Cook and SOTC Bhutan charters will target multigenerational families, groups of friends, couples, honeymooners and the youth travel market.

Bhutan is known for its dramatic scenic vistas, distinctive monasteries, romantic hotspots, nature reserves, Himalayan terrain and lush green valleys. The travel experiences include rejuvenating hot-stone baths, unique culture, and welcoming people.

Unique Experiences

Thomas Cook and SOTC’s  Bhutan charter product includes visits to Bhutan’s most sought-after monasteries- Taktsang Palphug, Rinpung Dzong, the ancient Punakha Dzong; exploring the weekend market in Thimphu; learning archery; hot stone therapy at natural hot springs; sightseeing near Bhutan’s oldest walking suspension bridge – the Punakha Suspension Bridge. The tour also includes local Bhutanese meals, lunch at a farmhouse, beer tasting with snacks at Paro, and a local Bhutanese guide throughout the tour.

Outdoor/adventure and nature enthusiasts get to experience the adrenalin rush of white water rafting at Po Chu and Moochu confluence or kayaking at Wang Chhu; a trek to the Taktsang Palphug Monastery (Tiger’s Nest Monastery); bird watching to witness over 600 species of rare birds.

Tour Highlights

Charter departures: April and May 2024.
Duration of tour: eight days.
Destinations: Thimpu, Punakha and Paro.
Special discount: INR10,000.00 per person.

Thomas Cook (India) president & country head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale said: “Innovation is in our DNA, and the launch of our exclusive charters from Bengaluru is a smart strategy to leverage the growing interest towards the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. South India has contributed the largest share to Bhutan and is a significant and growing market that we intend to tap via the launch of our charter departures. We have designed a unique portfolio of products offering Bhutan’s best to inspire customers from this high-growth market. Bengaluru was chosen due to its central location and ease of connectivity across key source markets of South India.

SOTC Travel Limited president & country head – holidays Daniel D’souza added: “2024 marks the 75th anniversary of SOTC, and our announcement of charter departures to Bhutan is a first mover to capitalise on the uptick in demand. Our newly launched charter departures to Bhutan with Bengaluru as the gateway, offering our travellers from South India the benefits of ease and convenience with direct and exclusive flights to the destination.”

(SOURCE: Thomas Cook and SOTC)

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