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The long way round to Gaya

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 8 December 2023: Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines is confident it can persuade Thai Buddhist pilgrims to take a detour to Paro on the way to Bodh Gaya in India.

It’s a long shot, but the Bhutan Department of Tourism is spicing up the offer with a free two-hour guide to the capital city’s ancient Kyichu Lhakhang an ancient Bhutanese temple dating back to the 7th century, located in the picturesque Paro valley.

Drukair passengers booked on the Bangkok-Paro-Gaya package can engage in meditation and light butter lamps during their temple visit while waiting for the connecting flight to Gaya. DOT also throws in a transit visa and promises to resolve red tape to make it a seamless travel experience to Gaya. 

Drukair flies daily to Bangkok, but the travel package to Gaya is an option only on Wednesday and Sunday when a one-hour and 10-minute flight leaves Paro at 1130 and arrives in Gaya at 1210, twice weekly. 

From Bangkok, Thai pilgrims board the flight to Paro at 0500 on a Wednesday or Sunday and arrive in Bhutan at 0715 (flight time three hours and 15 minutes). That leaves ample time to explore Paro’s heritage and catch the flight to Gaya. The stop in Paro adds a new dimension for Buddhist pilgrims heading for Bodh Gaya in India, and the Department of Tourism hopes it will encourage more Thai travellers to return to Bhutan for a more extended stay in the future.

The guessing game begins when you search for a package price or even a Bangkok-Paro-Gaya fare. They are not jumping off the web page. The airline doesn’t identify an option for website browsers to fly through to Gaya with a transit stop in Paro (change of planes). You are left guessing that the diversion to Paro could raise the USD300 fare quoted for a direct BKK-GAY flight to USD400 or more. The Paro-Gaya Transit sidetrip is available from December 2023 to 31 January, 2024.

We give top marks to the Drukair team for creativity but not for clarity on price or how to book. If you are ready to make a diversion to enjoy a temple tour in Paro, Bhutan, and get a free transit visa to boot, the Drukair website is short of bottom-line details — how much will it cost?TTR Weekly asked the airline’s anonymous sales team about the package price without success. 

Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines, describes the experience as a “spiritual journey, a unique pilgrimage package, guiding Thai pilgrims from Thailand to India (Bodh Gaya) via the enchanting destination of Paro, Bhutan.” 

Its Facebook page clearly announces the “offer covers the Immigration Transit Visa and associated fees, facilitated by Drukair as an all-in package, for passengers opting for the complimentary tour. Grab your chance to glimpse Bhutan on your Journey to Bodh Gaya, the cradle of Buddhism.”  OK, share with us the price?

Photo credit: Drukair. 

Gaya
Gaya attracts thousands of international visitors annually, especially during the peak season for pilgrimage tours from December to February. Surrounded by hills, Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar and is home to religious heritage monuments revered by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

Transit visa
A transit visa is mandatory to participate in the tour at Paro, valued at NU5,000 per person (transit visa fee). Drukair pays the transit visa fee and will facilitate the application for the transit visa, requiring a minimum of six working days before travel to Paro.

Banyan Tree opens in Dubai

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 December 2023: Banyan Tree opened its first property in Dubai on 2 December to coincide with the UAE’s 52nd Union Day.

Banyan Tree Dubai fronts the shoreline of Bluewaters Dubai – a lifestyle destination by Dubai Holding that offers a mix of residential, retail, hospitality and entertainment venues.

Photo credit: Banyan Tree Dubai.

Situated amongst the buildings of the Dubai Marina, the 178-room Banyan Tree Dubai occupies a 500-metre stretch of private beach boasting uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf and the iconic Ain Dubai observation wheel.

In addition to the resort with its three heated swimming pools and seven restaurants, Banyan Tree Residences Dubai boasts 96 fully furnished private apartments in one, two, three- and four-bedroom configurations.

“Due to its central location, Banyan Tree Dubai will appeal to both leisure and business travellers, as well as wedding couples looking for iconic backdrops for their nuptials and honeymoons,” said Banyan Tree Group senior vice president and head of regional operations (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa) Peter Hechler.

Rates for a January 2024 stay start at AED3,362 (USD918 per night).

Cambodia beyond Angkor

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 December 2023: Siem Reap’s travel experience shifts up a gear following the recent opening of the brand new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI).

Last October, travellers welcomed the opening of the new, larger airport for Siem Reap in Cambodia, home of the famous Temples of Angkor. It enables airlines to increase flights and operate larger aircraft, meaning more choices for travellers seeking to experience this ancient kingdom and beyond.

To celebrate the opening, Pandaw, a specialised river cruise operator in Southeast Asia and India, releases special offers for its Cambodia cruises between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap with a 10% discount and no single supplement available for sailings on select dates in early 2024.

While the temples of Angkor themselves top the must-visit list, there is much more to be discovered beyond the ruins. The Tonle Sap Lake is a marvel of nature with its alternating water flow, and the local villagers who still inhabit the floodplains are genuine and welcoming.

There are a host of craftspeople producing fine silks and traditional ‘Krama’ scarves, and authentic river villages are still practically untouched by the effects of tourism. This is in addition to the nature reserves located in the rich mountains and idyllic island escapes that rival Thailand’s best.

Visit pandaw.com for more details or email
[email protected].

PHNOM PENH TO SIEM REAP
Three or four nights
FROM USD1,745.00

For more details.

Langkawi on a mission in Medan

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TTR WEEKLY
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MEDAN Indonesia, 7 December 2023: Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is initiating B2B partnerships in Medan and Jakarta, Indonesia, to boost visitor arrivals from Indonesia and offer airlines incentives to launch direct flights to Langkawi.

Networking sessions were hosted this week to strengthen ties with travel curators in the two Indonesian cities. Over 40 hotel and travel agency stakeholders from Langkawi island joined the mission supported by Tourism Malaysia (Medan), Tourism Malaysia (Jakarta), and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).

First direct flights from Medan to Langkawi launch 2 March.

Over the two-day visits to Medan and Jakarta, Team Langkawi engaged with tour operators and travel influencers in business networking sessions to create new tours to Langkawi and encourage more direct flights between Medan and Malaysia’s most popular island destination.

The latest mission follows a similar event held last September organised by LADA with the cooperation of Tourism Malaysia Medan that targeted travel agencies from the Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies of North Sumatra (ASITA SUMUT), as part of LADA’s efforts to promote Langkawi to the Indonesian outbound travel market. 

ASITA SUMUT has 6,500 travel agency member companies in Indonesia, and the objective was to encourage them to create attractive Langkawi and Medan tour packages. 

These initiatives are part of LADA’s ongoing efforts to position Langkawi as a go-to destination for international travellers, specifically from Medan and Jakarta. The outreach to the Indonesian travel trade is boosting Langkawi’s tourism and economy. It is part of a collaboration with AirAsia to introduce direct flights from Medan, Indonesia, to Langkawi starting 2 March 2024.

LADA tourism manager Dr Azmil Munif bin Mohd Bukhari expressed his enthusiasm: “We are excited to work closely with Tourism Malaysia and our partners in Medan and Jakarta to encourage B2B partnerships across both parties. Langkawi is not just a destination;

it’s an experience – and we look forward to welcoming our Indonesian partners and travellers to experience all this beautiful island offers.”

LADA is now offering incentives tailored for MICE activities to boost the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. LADA has also introduced an incentive scheme ‘Charter Flight and Schedule Inaugural Flight, for 2024 that provides grants of USD10,000 to support the introduction of a new direct flight.

These efforts come alongside LADA’s latest partnership with Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) to launch the eagerly awaited ‘MyTriple E’ incentive offer under the Meet In Malaysia campaign. With this partnership, LADA, Tourism Malaysia, and MyCEB join forces to facilitate the ‘MyTriple E’ venture, which aims to impact the business events industry by enticing Indonesian corporations and associations to explore the myriad opportunities available in Malaysia. All these initiatives underscore LADA’s commitment to strengthening the ties between Indonesia and Langkawi, fostering an environment ripe for new business ventures, enriching travel experiences, and lasting partnerships.

For more information on LADA, visit https://www.lada.gov.my/en/  and www.naturallylangkawi.my 

(Source: Langkawi Development Authority)

Philippines wins four global awards

By
TTR WEEKLY
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Aerial view of Puka beach in Boracay Island, Western Visayas, Philippines.

MANILA, 7 December 2023: The Philippines adds four global accolades to its 2023 tourism awards list, having bagged four top accolades at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2023 held in Dubai on 1 December.

For the first time, the Philippines won the Global Tourism Resilience Award for demonstrating “global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity. 

Photo credit: DOT Philippines.

As one of only five countries cited for this inaugural award, the Philippines and other “inaugural winners will serve as benchmarks for best practices in tourism resilience,” according to the World Travel Awards.

The Philippines also took home the World’s Leading Dive Destination, the World’s Leading Beach Destination and the World’s Leading City Destination for its capital, Manila.

Established in 1993, the 30th annual World Travel Awards acknowledge excellence across all the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco commented on the country’s victories at the World Travel Awards: “ These accolades are a source of pride as they are a testament to the enormous contribution of tourism to the Philippine economy and global standing.”

Etihad and TAP Air team up with codeshares

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 December 2023: Etihad Airways and TAP Air Portugal are rolling out codeshare flights that deliver connectivity for passengers of both airlines to a raft of destinations in each other’s networks.

The partnership provides Etihad’s customers easy one-stop access to destinations across the TAP network. These include cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil and San Francisco and Miami in the USA.

Photo credit: Etihad Airways.

Additionally, the enchanting African resort island of São Tomé is among the picturesque locations available through this collaboration, and customers can also connect with Madeira, Malaga, Seville, and Valencia in Europe, as well as Marrakech and Dakar in Africa.

The codeshare lets guests streamline their journeys by making a single booking with one check-in process at the start and the added convenience of transferring their baggage to their final destination.

Etihad’s chief revenue officer Arik De said: “This collaboration provides our guests with convenient one-stop access to 26 of TAP’s fantastic leisure and business destinations.

“Equally, it expands the choices available to TAP customers travelling from Europe to Abu Dhabi, allowing them to explore our home’s inviting hospitality and rich culture and seamlessly connect to a selection of our destinations in the GCC and Seychelles.

The agreement follows the start of Etihad’s non-stop services to Lisbon earlier this year. It enables both Etihad and TAP customers to connect to each other’s network through Frankfurt and London Heathrow.

As well as connecting customers to Etihad’s network, it will make it even easier for visitors to visit Abu Dhabi with its enthralling array of attractions, ranging from the Louvre Abu Dhabi architectural masterpiece to adrenaline-filled adventures at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

The new codeshare came into effect on 5 December 2023.

MH launches Ahmedabad flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 December 2023: Malaysia Airlines introduced flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) in Ahmedabad, India, with a send-off ceremony at KLIA on 1 December. 

Flight MH106 took off on its maiden journey to AMD at 1850 local time. The airline schedules four weekly flights departing on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Photo credit: Malaysia Airlines.

The send-off event was attended by Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, Chief Operating Officer of Malaysia Airlines; Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines (MAG); together with senior officials from MAG and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB). 

With the addition of this new route, Malaysia Airlines now offers point-to-point connectivity from Kuala Lumpur to nine key destinations in India, providing passengers with increased options for travel between the two countries. 

The airline already operates direct flights to New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar and Trivandrum. In addition, the airline also recently announced that beginning 15 January 2024, it will be increasing its frequency to Amritsar from two times weekly to four times weekly following strong demands and load factor performance.

Flight schedule

Türkiye and Vietnam Ink air partnership

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, 7 December 2023: Turkish Airlines signed a Letter of Intent with Vietnam Airlines in Ankara on Tuesday, adding yet another new partnership to its portfolio of global collaborations. 

The signing ceremony held at the Presidential Complex on Tuesday was witnessed by Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of Türkiye and Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Vietnam. At the signing, Turkish Airlines was represented by chief executive officer Bilal Ekşi and chief cargo officer Turhan Özen. Vietnam Airlines was represented by Vietnam Airlines’ chairman of the Board of Directors Dang Ngoc Hoa.

The signing ceremony at the Presidential Complex witnessed by Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of Türkiye and Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Vietnam.

The agreement sets the foundation for a collaboration between the two airlines, starting with cargo. A subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo is assessing collaboration opportunities in Asia, a continent of strategic importance and high potential. 

Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi commented: “Asia is one of our key markets at Turkish Airlines. Our efforts to increase our presence on this prominent continent continue unabated with our competent teams and R&D activities. These efforts are even more meaningful in an era where global aviation is shifting from West to East. I hope our collaboration with Vietnam Airlines will be beneficial and fruitful for both countries and flag carriers.”

The partnership will initially focus on air cargo operations of both flag carriers to explore different commercial dimensions in the near future. 

About Turkish Airlines

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 437 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 345 worldwide destinations (292 international and 53 domestic) in 129 countries. 

Jetstar Asia wings to Okinawa

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 December 2023: Jetstar Asia has resumed direct flights from Singapore to Okinawa, becoming the only airline to fly nonstop between Singapore and Japan’s stunning island holiday destination.

Using an A320 aircraft, the airline serves the route with three weekly flights departing Changi Airport at 0218 (SGT), and arriving in Naha Airport just after 0830 (JST). The resumption of Jetstar Asia’s second Japanese route follows the relaunch of services to Osaka a week earlier.

The Singapore low-cost carrier offers more than 54,000 low fares between popular destinations each year, responding to increasing demand and helping revitalise travel between Singapore and Japan.

Jetstar Asia CEO Barathan Pasupathi commented: “Japan remains high on the wish list for many travellers, and we are committed to expanding our network, enhancing connectivity, supporting tourism and helping our customers create incredible memories”.

Okinawa Prefectural Government Singapore Representative Office, Director Heat Ikehara welcomed Jetstar back to Okinawa, saying, 

“Okinawa is the closest part of Japan to Singapore and offers a unique mix of various cultures and untouched nature, such as the World Natural Heritage Site of Yanbaru and Iriomote Island, which is surrounded by crystal-clear blue sea.”

Japan National Tourism Organisation Singapore Representative Office executive director Takuya Shiraishi said the long-awaited flight connectivity between Singapore and Okinawa was a strong start. 

“We believe that more and more visitors from Singapore will be able to discover the charms of Okinawa and the hidden gems of Japan,” Shiraishi added.  

New JW Resort underway in Bohol

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MANILA, 6 December 2023: The Philippines Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco visited Panglao earlier this week for the groundbreaking of the JW Marriott Panglao Island Resort and Residences in Bohol Province.

The secretary’s visit coincided with Bohol being declared the country’s first-ever UNESCO Global Geopark.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco congratulates hotel developer Apple One.

“On behalf of the Department of Tourism, I congratulate this beautiful island province of Bohol, JW Marriott, and Apple One on this milestone. The groundbreaking signals confidence in the Philippines and its continued resurgence in global tourism,” the tourism chief said in her address. 

She stressed that the government’s vision is not just for the country to recover after the devastating effects of the pandemic but to transform and elevate the quality of tourism offerings for the Philippines and to push for investments to come to the country.

She cited the JW Marriott Resort and Residence under development in Bohol province as a signal “that the country is ready to take its place as Asia’s next tourism powerhouse.”

She also assured local stakeholders that the current administration will continue to strengthen the foundation for tourism by investing in infrastructure, connectivity, and digitalisation and introducing innovation to the country’s tourism portfolio. 

Colliers reported earlier in November that AppleOne Group, the developer of  Bohol’s newest hotel property, has signed a management with Marriott International for the JW Marriott Residences in Panglao Island, Bohol, which is located on a seven-hectare site with views of Maribojoc Bay.

Construction of the first five-star hotel development in Bohol should begin during the first quarter of 2023.

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