SINGAPORE, 15 March 2024: Seabourn, an expedition travel specialist and luxury cruise line has named Mike Fulkerson vice president and chief marketing officer.
He will oversee overall marketing strategy, brand management and performance, and public relations and communications. Fulkerson brings more than 20 years of hospitality, wellness, and consumer marketing experience. He will report to Seabourn president Natalya Leahy.
Most recently, he was the chief marketing officer for Canyon Ranch, where he led the marketing strategy to position Canyon Ranch as a luxury travel brand. Before that appointment, he worked for Marriott International as the Asia Pacific vice president of marketing based in Hong Kong.
BANGKOK, 15 March 2024: Lifestyles on 26 at Centara Grand at CentralWorld announced its newest wellness initiative, a 90-minute revitalising Yoga programme designed to combat office work strains.
The first session will take place from 1800 to 1930 on 19 March 2024, under the expert guidance of Kru Nam, a seasoned Yoga professional and Crystal Singing Bowl maestro. The programme is tailored to address and alleviate the symptoms commonly associated with office syndrome.
Participants can indulge in a unique combination of Yoga practices merged seamlessly with the resonant sounds of Crystal Singing Bowls. This innovative approach not only aims to relieve the physical discomforts such as stiffness and back pain caused by prolonged periods of desk work but also to reduce stress and anxiety levels significantly.
The 90-minute programme, priced at THB400 for members and THB 800 for hotel guests and non-members, is meticulously crafted to promote deep relaxation, enhance mental clarity, and improve emotional stability.
By integrating the therapeutic properties of sound healing with traditional Yoga postures, Kru Nam provides a sanctuary for those seeking solace from the high demands of office life.
Lifestyles on 26 is situated on the 26th floor of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld. It offers a serene escape with panoramic views of the bustling city. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure an optimal wellness experience.
The Yoga for Office Syndrome and Crystal Singing Bowl sessions are now open for registration. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or new to the world of Yoga, this programme is designed to cater to all levels of experience. Here is an opportunity to embrace the journey towards a more balanced and harmonious state of being at Lifestyles on 26.
06 MAR 2024, BERLIN/GERMANY:
Emirates Airlines, ITB Berlin
IMAGE: 20240306-01
RIGHTS OF USE: Unlimited rights of use in all media (print and online) of Emirates AIrline and the right to transmit this rights to third parties.
DUBAI, 15 March 2024: Reinforcing Dubai’s status as a hub for cruise tourism, Emirates has renewed its partnership with TUI Cruises for the upcoming two cruise seasons.
The renewed partnership with TUI Cruises underscores the airline’s commitment to working with like-minded partners to offer seamless travel experiences in the air and on the ground through its dedicated cruise terminal check-in areas and with the collaborative support of its partners in Dubai.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Airline deputy president and chief commercial officer (third from right) and Wybcke Meier, TUI Cruises’ CEO (fourth from right), signed the MoU with TUI Cruises.
Emirates will work closely with TUI Cruises to offer dedicated flight options that align with upcoming cruise schedules, ensuring a smooth transition from air to sea for its customers.
The airline will also explore enhanced transportation solutions between Dubai International (DXB) and Port Rashid, leverage insights to improve ground services and provide dedicated support teams for cruise passengers. Currently, the port’s Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, the world’s largest single-covered cruise terminal facility, can handle 14,000 passengers daily.
In addition to coordinated operations and exploring marketing synergies, the partnership will focus on developing exclusive luxury packages and experiences that showcase the best of Dubai and the region’s TUI Cruise programmes.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Airline deputy president and chief commercial officer, and Wybcke Meier, TUI Cruises’ CEO, signed the MoU with TUI Cruises.
Last year, Emirates transported nearly 400,000 cruise passengers to Dubai. The city welcomed over 166 ships during the last cruise season, making it the region’s biggest port of embarkation and most popular call for cruise liners. The city expects an increase of 23% more cruise passengers for the upcoming season.For more information on the airline and to make bookings visit www.emirates.com.
MELBOURNE, 15 March 2024: Melbourne, Australia, will host the 2025 UFI Asia Pacific (AP) Conference following its successful bid confirmed at the 2024 UFI AP conference held in Macau.
UFI is the global association of the exhibition industry with a membership of over 850 organisations in 87 countries representing more than 50,000 exhibition industry professionals.
MCEC’s Senior Manager, Event & Venue Operations Yolanda La Porta, announcing MCEC as the host of the 2025 UFI Asia Pacific Conference.
This year’s UFI AP Conference, hosted from 7 to 8 March in Macau, attracted nearly 300 industry leaders from 22 countries.
The 2025 UFI AP Conference will be held in Melbourne from 13 to 14 February, immediately following the globally renowned Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), which will also be held at MCEC from 10 to 12 February 2025.
The 2026 UFI AP Conference will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention and Centre.
SINGAPORE, 15 March 2024: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises announces a brand-new Super Ship, the SS Emilie, set to debut in Europe in 2026.
The ship will be a new build inspired by renowned Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and named after his life partner and muse, Emilie Flöge.
“We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new ship to our fleet in 2026, just in time to celebrate Uniworld’s 50th anniversary,” says Uniworld Boutique River Cruises president and CEO Ellen Bettridge.
The SS Emilie joins other new ships, such as the SS Victoria, which will debut on the Rhine and Moselle rivers this summer, and the SS Elisabeth, sailing the Rhine in 2025. Uniworld has added five other ships to its fleet since 2020, including the Mekong Jewel on the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia; Aria Amazon on the Maranon and Ucayali rivers in Peru; SS São Gabriel on the Douro in Portugal; SS La Venezia on the Venetian Lagoon; and SS Sphinx on the Nile in Egypt.
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 March 2024: AirAsia X (AAX) launched a direct flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, marking its debut in Central Asia.
This historic milestone marks AAX as the first Southeast Asian airline to establish a direct air link to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s commercial and cultural epicentre.
The introduction of the route highlights AAX’s commitment to expanding its network strategically and provides convenient access to emerging markets while catering to the growing demand for seamless and affordable travel between Southeast Asia and Central Asia.
The inaugural flight using an A300-300 aircraft took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Terminal 2) with 283 passengers following a celebration led by YB Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport Malaysia, Bulat Sugurbayev, Kazakhstan Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Executive Chairman of Capital A; Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X and other dignitaries and industry partners.
AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail commented: “The launch of our direct flight to Almaty marks a significant leap forward for AirAsia X as we venture to the heart of Central Asia. We are confident that our entry into the Kazakh market will not only enhance tourism between both countries but also foster closer ties regionally as we can connect the people in the largest country in Central Asia to 130 destinations from Kuala Lumpur.”
AAX flies four weekly services to Almaty, offering more than 95,000 seats annually and competitive fares from MYR599 or USD169 all-in* one-way. The promotional fares are available for booking made until 21 March 2024 for the travel period ending 17 June 2025 on airasia.com and the AirAsia MOVE app, previously known as ‘airasia Superapp’.
*The promotional all-in fares quoted are for one-way travel, including taxes, fuel surcharge, and other relevant fees. Other terms and conditions apply.
SINGAPORE, 15 March 2024: China’s 2024 Spring Festival travel rush lasted some 40 days and officially closed on 5 March, after delivering a business bonanza according to statistics released by China Eastern Airlines Group
The parent airline, China Eastern Airlines, and subsidiaries — Shanghai Airlines and China United Airlines — operated 106,800 passenger flights, transporting nearly 16.5 million passengers, with an average load factor exceeding 82%.
According to statistics released by China Eastern Airlines, the airline carried an average of more than 412,400 passengers daily during the Spring Festival travel rush. The peak period occurred from 14 to 16 February, during which the daily passenger volume exceeded 480,000 for each of those three days.
As the largest home-based airline in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines facilitated over 44,000 arriving and departing flights at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport during the Spring Festival travel rush. The airline served over 6.85 million passengers, including more than 530,000 transit passengers and over 4,000 unaccompanied minors.
China’s outbound travel boomed during the Spring Festival, and favourable factors, such as the implementation of visa-free policies, sparked a surge in bookings on flights to Southeast Asia, the most popular region for China’s travellers, followed by Italy. In particular, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand saw a large influx of passengers after introducing visa-free policies.
In the first two months of this year, China Eastern Airlines flights to Malaysia had an average load factor of 82.7%. Meanwhile, the passenger volume on flights between China and Italy increased by 62% year-over-year.
China Eastern Airlines continues to capitalize on the popularity of Southeast Asian destinations in the lead-up to the Easter holiday season, which starts on 29 March. The airline introduces daily flights from Kunming to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, starting on 16 March.
Flight MU9629 will depart Kunming (KMG) at 1725 and arrive in Kuala Lumpur (KUL) at 2140. Flight MU9630 will depart Kuala Lumpur (KUL) at 2240 and arrive in Kunming (KMG) at 0155 (plus a day)
A 180-seat A320 flies the route daily with a flight time of four hours and five minutes. The roundtrip fare starts at USD535.
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 March 2024: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) announced 12 March revisions to the Passenger Service Charges (PSC) effective from 1 June 2024 to 31 December 2026.
MAVCOM, in its announcement introducing the revised rates, said they were “designed to support the aviation sector’s recovery and adaptability in the post-Covid-19 pandemic environment.”
Table 1 indicates the newly revised PSC rates set by MAVCOM payable by passengers departing from and transferring through Malaysia. The rates include a charge for providing security services at airports.
The following are the main highlights of the revised rates.
Domestic PSC The domestic PSC remains unchanged at MYR11 except for Senai International Airport (JHB), which increases to MYR16.
MAVCOM said in its official announcement on its website that the domestic PSC was “retained to ensure affordability and spur local travel,” adding that it recognised the crucial role of domestic air travel in connecting Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak.
PSC at KLIA1 All passengers will pay MYR73 instead of the tiered tax levels for ASEAN and beyond-ASEAN travel. Currently, passengers flying to ASEAN destinations pay a PSC of MYR35, (increases 1 June by MYR38 to MYR73) while those embarking on flights to non-ASEAN destinations continue to pay MYR73.
PSC at KLIA2 For KLIA Terminal 2 and other airports, which predominantly cater to short-haul flights, the international PSC is set at MYR50, lower than the MYR73 charged at KLIA1. However, the MYR35 tax deal on travel within ASEAN will be replaced by the MYR50 PSC — one price for all.
MAVCOM justified the differences between KLIA1 and KLIA2, saying factors influencing the decision include the higher price elasticity associated with short-haul routes, purchasing behaviours favouring low-cost carrier models, and a more price-sensitive demographic compared to passengers at KUL Terminal 1.”
Single unified International PSC With the new PSC rates, the ASEAN and beyond ASEAN PSC have been unified into a single international PSC of MY73 for KUL Terminal 1 and MY50 for KUL Terminal 2, as well as other airports. The PSC domestic transfer fee stands at MYR7 and for international transfers MYR29 (KLIA2) and MYR42 (KLIA1).
PSC at other airports MAVCOM allowed other airports that are not operated by subsidiaries of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) [Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn. Bhd. and Malaysia Airports Sdn. Bhd.], namely JHB, Kerteh Airport (KTE), and Tanjung Manis Airport (TGC), to propose tariffs to the Commission.
This allowance is based on a market power assessment conducted by the Commission, which determined that these airports either lack market power or the capability to exercise it. Both KTE and TGC have opted to adopt the rates recommended by the Commission. Meanwhile, JHB has opted to implement a separate rate structure, with the approved rates outlined in Table 2.
BANGKOK, 14 March 2024: Emirates scores its fourth “Grand Slam” as the airline announces a multi-year partnership with one of the most prestigious tennis events in the world: The Championships, Wimbledon.
As the Official Airline Partner of The Championships, Wimbledon, Emirates will take the world of tennis to new heights with exciting on-ground activities. The Championships will take place from 1 to 14 July 2024 at The All England Lawn Tennis Club. The airline is now a proud partner of all four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis.
Official Airline Partner Wimbledon
Through the partnership, Emirates will enjoy a wide range of benefits, including on-court branding in Centre Court and No1 Court; on-site activations to engage with tennis fans; marketing, digital, and social media rights; hospitality tickets; and an opportunity for the airline to join the popular ‘Wimbleworld’ on the metaverse platform, Roblox, with Emirates’ branded tennis courts and obstacle courses.
Championing “Force for Good” initiatives
Emirates and Wimbledon will also join forces to support social impact initiatives across the UK. Under the partnership, a multimillion-pound “Force for Good” fund will be created to support and promote initiatives that positively impact society and support local communities. Further details on this fund will be announced later this year.
Proud sponsor of four Grand Slams
Emirates has been the official airline of the ATP Tour since 2013 and has been a premier partner since 2016. The airline’s portfolio includes some of the most high-profile events on the ATP and WTA tours. In addition to all four Grand Slam tournaments, comprising the US Open (since 2012), Roland-Garros (since 2013), Australian Open (since 2015), and The Championships, Wimbledon (announced 2024). The airline also supports 60 other tournaments across the year. Emirates has also supported the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships since its inception in 1993.
The airline’s sponsorship portfolio also includes other top global sports, such as golf, horse racing, and sailing. In the UK, the airline sponsors Arsenal, the Emirates FA Cup, the Lancashire Cricket Club, and Emirates Old Trafford. For more information on flights and to make a booking visit www.emirates.com.
KUCHING, Sarawak, 14 March 2024: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak officially launched the Quick Facts Book 2023, the Calendar of Events (COE) 2024, the 9th Sarawak Hornbill Tourism Awards (2019-2023), and the Official Website at an event hosted 11 March.
The launch ceremony was presided over by the Honorable Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak and the Minister for Youth, Sport, and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak, Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, at the Sheraton Hotel, Kuching, in conjunction with the State Tourism Steering Committee (STSC) Meeting 2024.
Photo credit: Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak.
The meeting and the launching ceremony were also attended by Deputy Minister for Creative Industry and Performing Arts, YB Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, Chairman of Sarawak Tourism Board, YB Dato Dennis Ngau, Residents and Heads of State and Federal Government Departments.
The Sarawak Tourism Quick Facts Book is produced as an annual compilation of all facts, figures, and information from various sources that show the performance of Sarawak Tourism throughout the year 2023.
Meanwhile, in the Calendar of Tourism Events 2024 (CoE2024), this year features 88 events across Sarawak, including our iconic events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival, the Sarawak International Dragon Boat Race, the Kuching Marathon, and the Borneo Jazz Festival.
The Sarawak Hornbill Tourism Awards (SHTA) are a platform to recognise excellence and innovation in the tourism industry. The 9th SHTA, organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak in partnership with the Sarawak Tourism Federation, will recognise outstanding achievements and contributions within the Sarawak tourism sector from 2019 to 2023.
The event will feature eight main award categories and 28 sub-categories, with new categories introduced, including Spa and Wellness, Education and Medical Tourism, SMM2H, Best Community-Based Tourism Initiative, and Special Award for Sustainability.
The 9th SHTA official website will provide comprehensive information and resources and be a valuable hub for industry professionals, potential nominees, and stakeholders to engage with the awards programme.
The dedicated website will showcase the background & history of SHTA as well as the past winners’s information. The latest award information, which includes the nomination process, criteria, and nomination form, can be accessed online at https://shta.com.my/
All individuals and organisations from all corners of the tourism industry are encouraged to nominate themselves or others for the present and new categories. The nomination period will begin on 25 March and end on 30 April 2024, and nomination forms can be submitted online or offline. The winner of the 9th SHTA received prize money, a trophy, media recognition, and an awards certificate.
