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Klook and STB power-up campaigns

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 November 2023: Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Klook, Asia’s leading travel and experiences platform, are scaling up efforts to drive inbound travel to Singapore, jointly investing over SGD2 million in marketing initiatives as part of their partnership.

Launched on 15 November, the marketing and tactical partnership between STB and Klook in Southeast Asia will focus on digital content powered by Klook’s network of Klook Kreators (micro and nano content creators and affiliates) to drive engagement and conversion.

The latest initiative builds on a two-year Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed in April 2023.

Singapore’s tourism industry has seen continued recovery, with more than 11 million visitor arrivals as of 31 October 2023, and Klook’s recent Travel Pulse survey showed that 1 in 3 Millennial and Gen Z travellers in Southeast Asia are looking to travel within the region, indicating a healthy appetite for exploration and discovery closer to home.

Klook general manager of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore Sarah Wan said: “Singapore has been a key destination leading travel recovery within Southeast Asia, and we’re excited to partner with STB again. We aim to inspire travellers by highlighting how Singapore makes unexpected, diverse and unique experiences possible. The resurgence of global events has fuelled higher travel demand, which will be an area we’re doubling down on. Our deep understanding of the next generation of travellers driving social travel will also guide these new efforts in showcasing the best of what Singapore can offer.”

STB executive director, Southeast Asia Terrence Voon added: “We are delighted to team up with Klook to strengthen Singapore’s position as a compelling travel destination and leading events hub in Southeast Asia. Our new initiatives aim to drive tourism recovery and highlight distinctive experiences that make each journey to Singapore memorable. They will also complement STB’s new Made in Singapore campaign, which showcases how our city transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences.”

Klook’s Travel Pulse survey also indicates that 87% of travellers in Southeast Asia are willing to spend on distinctive experiences during their holidays. 

Launched in October 2023, the Live in Singapore – Epic Events in the Lion City campaign features family, culture, sports, and entertainment events that showcase the richness of Singapore’s events scene. 

These include theatrical musicals, concerts, Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium, Jumptopia, ZoukOut, and Singapore Comic Con. 

For upcoming theatrical musicals in Singapore, Klook users can look forward to front-row seats sold exclusively on Klook for Matilda and tickets for Hamilton, where Klook was also the priority presale partner.

To complement the robust line-up of events, Klook is introducing product bundles to enhance the overall experience and facilitate further discovery of Singapore by offering activities, accommodation, and transportation options in its multi-vertical bundles.

Another Klook’s Travel Pulse Survey finding shows that 97% of Millennials and Gen Z travellers in Southeast Asia rely on social media to find travel inspiration and holiday recommendations, making this an important platform for discovery. 

(Source: Klook)

Oceania revises its 2024 Med cruises

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 15 November 2023: Oceania Cruises has revised its 2024 Mediterranean schedule to replace sightseeing visits in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan with more ports of call in the Mediterranean, specifically the Greek islands. 

The 42 revised itineraries range from 10 to 58 days and concentrate on the Mediterranean’s so-called ‘best-loved ports’.   

Photo credit: Oceania.

Sample 2024 Mediterranean Itineraries

21 April: 10 days from Valletta to Trieste aboard Vista
Sails the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Adriatic seas with visits to Valletta, Heraklion, Athens, Dubrovnik and Venice. 

13 May: 24 days from Dubai to Barcelona aboard Insignia
Highlights Athens, Valletta, Dubrovnik, Rome and Barcelona, and the Santorini, Capri and Monte Carlo resorts. 

14 May: 15 days from Dubai to Trieste aboard Riviera
Cruises the Arabian, Red, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. Highlights include Argostoli and Corfu in Greece, Montenegro, Dubrovnik, and Split, Croatia. 

18 May: 14 days from Barcelona to Rome aboard Marina
Visits Barcelona, Athens, and Rome, plus the resorts of Palma de Mallorca, Corfu, Santorini and Sorrento, the gateway to Capri.

21 May: 11 days from Rome to Trieste aboard Vista
The cruise visits mainland ports in Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Also explores the islands of Sicily, Malta, Corfu, and Montenegro.  

29 May: 12 days from Trieste to Barcelona aboard Rivier
This new itinerary features ports along the Dalmatian Coast, Montenegro, Corfu, Malta and Sicily islands, Pompeii, Rome, Florence, and St Tropez. 

1 June: 11 days from Trieste to Athens aboard Vista
From Trieste, the ship heads for the Adriatic coastal resorts of Zadar, Dubrovnik, Kotor, and Bari before visiting ports in Turkey and Greece. 

7 July: 10 days from Athens to Istanbul aboard Riviera
The itinerary highlights historic sites in Greece and Turkey, including UNESCO-protected Ephesus and the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, plus Crete. 

24 July: 10 days from Athens to Barcelona aboard Riviera
This voyage visits Athens, Rome, Florence, and Barcelona, as well as Greek islands, Sicily and resorts along the Amalfi Coast and French Riviera.

13 August: 12 days from Rome to Rome aboard Riviera
The cruise explores Rome, Athens and Pompeii, plus the Amalfi Coast and the Mediterranean islands of Malta, Mykonos, Santorini, Sicily and Crete. 

28 September: 10 days from Athens to Istanbul aboard Riviera
This cruise combines the Croatian city of Dubrovnik and remote Kotor with Mykonos and Santorini, Athens, Crete, and Ephesus.

2 October: 14 days from Barcelona to Valletta aboard Marina
Explores the Mediterranean and Aegean seas with visits to Barcelona, Florence, Rome, and Dubrovnik, the resorts of Toulon, Portofino and Capri, and the islands of  Corsica, Sicily, Corfu, and Malta. 

16 October: 10 days from Valletta to Rome aboard Marina
The islands of Malta, Montenegro, Corfu and Sicily are the historical attractions, plus the itinerary features Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia; Katakolon, Greece; and Bari, Naples and Rome, Italy. 

20 October: 10 days from Athens to Rome aboard Vista
Athens, Gythoin, Argostoli and Corfu in Greece, the Dalmatian coastal treasures of Kotor and Dubrovnik, and the island of Malta are complemented by calls at Messina, Salerno and Rome in Italy. 

30 October: 12 days from Rome to Athens aboard Vista
Visits Mykonos and Corfu in Greece, Montenegro, legendary Sicily, and Malta. Calls in at Rome, Cinque Terre, Toulon, Dubrovnik and Athens. 

11 November: 9 days from Athens to Rome aboard Vista
The cruise visits Athens, Gythion and Argostoli in Greece, the islands of Montenegro, Malta and Sicily, plus Dubrovnik, Salerno and Rome.  

24 November: 18 days from Istanbul to Dubai aboard Riviera
Sails from Istanbul for Mykonos, Athens, the walled city of Dubrovnik, and the lesser-known resorts of Kotor and Argostoli. 

Emirates leads airshow parade

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, 15 November 2023: Flying the flag for UAE aviation, the stunning opening flypast at Dubai Airshow 2023 on 13 November showcased the nation’s capabilities, with Emirates headlining the commercial aerial formation.

The iconic Emirates A380, the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft, was first in the aerial formation, followed by the UAE’s air display team, Al Fursan, flying in V formation and trailed by their signature red, green and black smoke trails. An Emirates Boeing 777 was next in formation, followed by an Etihad Airbus 350, an Air Arabia Airbus 320 and a flydubai Boeing 737, soaring through the skies and delighting spectators and passionate aviation enthusiasts.

Soaring over the Dubai World Central (DWC) runway, the Emirates A380 flew at an altitude of just 100 meters, which is almost equal to the wingspan of the legendary double-decker jet. The Emirates Boeing 777 followed at an altitude of 160 meters. Both aircraft carried Emirates’ new signature livery, providing an in-motion view of the modern and dynamic branding.

A fleet of military aircraft and helicopters also joined the formation.

Teams across the aviation ecosystem coordinated the aerial display. The Flight Operations team overseeing the Emirates part of the aerial display included Captain Michael Schreiber, the airline’s Chief Pilot of Technical Operations, and Captain Khalid Akram, Deputy Chief Pilot of Boeing. At the head of the formation flying the A380 were Captain Mubarak Al Mheiri, Captain Chris Gauchi and Captain Khalid Binsultan, while Captain Dave Kilian, Captain Ali Almarzooqi and Captain Ali Alyafei, commanded the Boeing 777.

The impressive aerial feat follows months of thorough and cross-functional planning between stakeholders, including multiple teams at Emirates and the other UAE carriers, the UAE Ministry of Defence, UAE Military, Emirates pilots, Flight Operation Managers and Air Traffic Controllers working together with the Dubai Air Show Flying Control Committee and both aviation authorities (DCAA and GCAA). 

The Dubai Airshow is open until the evening of 17 November.

For bookings and airline information, visit www.emirates.com. 

Pandaw creates a combo adventure

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 15 November 2023: Pandaw introduces its latest combo adventure this week, a 21-night one-off river cruise that embarks on a journey along all navigable stretches of the Mekong River in October 2024.

The 21-night expedition is a grand tour of Indochina, covering Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand and is only possible thanks to Pandaw’s ultra-shallow draft vessels. 

The distinctive river ship cruise delivers the rich culture, history and nature of Indochina in one all-encompassing river adventure, which includes flights and accommodation between cruises. 

Sailing in October 2024, this one-off special departure delivers an exclusive Pandaw in-depth exploration of the Mekong River from South to North. It combines two 10-night Mekong expeditions through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The four-country expedition sails all of the navigable stretches. Guests who join the cruise will learn about how one river supports a vast and diverse group of peoples and cultures as locally crafted Pandaw vessels navigate one of Asia’s mighty river systems.

This combo cruise includes a flight from Saigon to Vientiane and a one-night stay in Vientiane between cruises covered in the price.

The Full Mekong, Four Country 21-Night Combo Cruise
SIEM REAP – CHIANG KHONG
21 nights
FROM USD9,596.00

Book your place today by visiting pandaw.com or contacting Pandaw at [email protected].

For full details of the combination cruise.

Thai AirAsia reports Q3 results

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 15 November 2023: Asia Aviation Plc, the sole shareholder of Thai AirAsia, announces its operational results for the third quarter of 2023 with total revenue reaching THB9,898.7 million, increasing 102% year-on-year (YoY) while controlling operational costs effectively. 

Excluding fuel costs, the company’s cost per unit (CASK ex-fuel) decreased by 33% from the same period last year. EBITDA for the period was positive at THB389.1 million, bouncing from a loss of THB601.3 million the previous year. 

Depreciation of the Thai baht towards the end of the quarter resulted in an unrealised loss from exchange rates of THB813.5 million, mostly an accounting loss with no impact on the company’s liquidity. Overall, the company saw a loss in the quarter of THB1,694.7 million, significantly improving from a loss of THB4,050.2 million in the same period last year.

“Thai AirAsia continued to perform robustly compared to the same quarter last year despite being significantly impacted by fuel costs, which rose 61% YoY and 19% QoQ, partly due to a hike in the fuel excise tax for domestic flights. Coupled with the Thai Baht that considerably weakened during the period, these two uncontrollable factors have directly affected earnings for the quarter,” said Asia Aviation Plc and Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Santisuk Klongchaiya.

“Despite the loss this quarter, the company will experience improved performance in the last quarter when we enter the high travel season. The last quarter will also benefit from state policies supporting tourism, such as visa-free schemes for visitors from China, Kazakhstan, India and Taiwan, and more efforts to bolster confidence in Thai tourism. Greater clarity in an appropriate fuel excise tax is also expected soon.”

As for its 2023 targets, the company remains confident it will carry 20 million passengers for the full year, having flown 13.8 million guests in the first nine months. This is on top of an average load factor of 87%, a 90% t on-time performance rate with 50 aircraft out of its 54 fleet in operation by the year’s end. For 4Q2023, Thai AirAsia will adjust its strategy and increase domestic flights by 20% from the previous quarter while adding international routes to Gaya, Guwahati and Ahmedabad in India and Shantou in China to capitalise on international travel growth opportunities.

Vistara top of regional league

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TTR WEEKLY
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GURUGRAM, 15 November 2023: Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, won two recognitions at the recent APEX Awards 2024. 

Vistara took home the award for ‘2024 Best Overall Airline in Central/Southern Asia’ and was rated a ‘2024 Five-Star Major Airline’ at the award ceremony at the FTE APEX Asia EXPO in Singapore. 

Photo credit: Vistara: Airline wins two APEX accolades.

The APEX ‘Best In Airline’ Awards are based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback, and insights gathered through APEX’s partnership with TripIt from Concur, the world’s highest-rated travel-organizing app. For the 2024 Awards, nearly 1 million flights were rated by passengers across more than 600 airlines worldwide using a five-star scale. The APEX ‘Best In Airline’ Awards are independently certified by a professional external auditing company.

Commenting on the achievement, Vistara chief executive officer Vinod Kannan said: “This award is a strong endorsement of our intuitively thoughtful approach to customer service. It is also a testament to Vistara setting benchmarks for excellence in operations and service delivery in India and global markets.” 

The APEX Five Star (and APEX Four Star) Airline Awards, formally the APEX Official Airline Ratings, are the first airline rating programme based solely on certified passenger feedback.  

THAI’s financial picture turns brighter

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 15 November 2023: Thai Airways International forecasts rising travel demand during Q4 2023 and Q1 2024, traditionally the high season for travel to and from Thailand.

But it warns the aviation industry remains highly competitive as airlines resume services and redeploy aircraft to increase seat capacity to reach pre-pandemic levels. This can be seen in the resumption of a Bangkok-Copenhagen service by SAS for the winter timetable to tap what is popularly called the snowflake market as Europeans escape the severe winter weather for warmer climates. Lufthansa has scheduled the return of its A380 on the Bangkok-Munich route for the winter season.

In the look-forward notes attached to its financial results for Q3 2023, the airline points to the slow recovery of Chinese tourists mainly due to the country’s economic recess, rising fuel prices, and costs of overseas ground customer services. They remain a challenge for THAI in managing yield, optimising expenses, and implementing the organisational transformation plan to complete the debt and capital restructuring processes under the rehabilitation plan’s timeframe. 

THAI reported its operational performance results for the third quarter of 2023 (July to September) earlier this week, confirming total revenue, excluding one-time transactions, reached THB37,008 million, higher than last year, which stood at THB32,860 million. 

Passengers carried reached 3.27 million, 2.19 million by THAI and 1.08 million by THAI Smile Airways, an airline subsidiary due to be phased out by the end of 2023. THAI’s overall average cabin factor stood at 77.3% (THAI: 77.1% and THAI Smile Airways 80.9%), up just three percentage points from the same period last year, which was 77%.

THAI and its subsidiaries reported the total expenses, excluding one-time transactions, at THB29,289 million, higher than the previous year, which was THB28,940 million due to an increase in variable costs and fuel expenses, which was THB11,995 million. 

However, THAI and its subsidiaries reported a net profit of THB1,546 million compared to a net loss of THB4,780 million in Q3 2022. 

In the first nine months of 2023, THAI and its subsidiaries reported revenue, excluding one-time transactions, at THB115,897 million, higher than last year’s THB65,567 million. Total expenses, excluding past transactions, stood at THB86,567 million.

For the full nine months, Q1 to Q3, the airline reported an operating profit of THB29,330 million, up from an operating loss of THB548 million in 2022. The airline reported a net profit of THB16,342 million for the first nine months of 2023. 

MBS taps TA Network’s B2B channels

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 15 November 2023: Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has announced an enhanced integration with Trip Affiliates Network, enabling real-time B2B connectivity with TA Network’s global ecosystem of partners through the hotel group’s distribution platforms.

TA Network will work closely with MBS on distribution-focused channels through its ecosystem, participating agencies, and B2B travel operators. This will support MBS and enhance connectivity to its unique distribution network of agents, wholesalers and corporates within the TA Network ecosystem.

Photo credit: Marina Bay Sands.

This latest partnership will extend MBS’s direct bookings across a wide range of global travel businesses.

TA Network’s turnkey solutions and connectivities unite Asia Pacific’s leading travel wholesalers, operators and destination management companies onto a single platform. TA Network focuses on customer value, direct supplier contracting, real-time connections, improved inventory management, and software integration services.

TA Network’s managing partner, Josef Foo, adds: “We are thrilled to have finalised integration and real-time B2B distribution connectivity with a world-class partner like MBS. Integrating with the existing legacy system has been a challenge. We look forward to working closely with MBS to broaden and deepen their direct booking partnerships with their preferred traditional channel operators, B2B agents and corporates.

KAL plans festive season flights to DMK

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 15 November 2023: Korean Air will introduce seasonal flights from Incheon Airport (ICN) Seoul, South Korea, to Don Mueang Airport (DMK) Bangkok from 3 January to 24 February 2024 to meet growing leisure travel demand for holidays in Thailand.

The airline has scheduled two flights weekly with late evening departures from Incheon on Wednesday and Saturday using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The return flights from Don Mueang Airport Bangkok are scheduled for early morning on Thursday and Sunday. 

The flights are in addition to scheduled services between South Korea and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Flight Schedule
Flight KE677 departs ICN in 2005  and arrives in DMK 0015 on Wednesday and Saturday.
Flight KE678 departs DMK at 0145 and arrives in ICN at 0915 on Thursday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Korean Air will resume scheduled services to Komatsu and Aomori in Japan from Seoul Incheon in December 2023 and January 2024, respectively. The resumption will see the airline fully restore its Japan network to pre-pandemic levels.

The Seoul Incheon-Komatsu route will resume operations on 28 December. The flight departs from Seoul Incheon at 0735 and arrives in Komatsu at 0920. The return flight will depart at 1115 am and arrive at Seoul Incheon at 1325.

Korean Air will also resume its Seoul Incheon-Aomori service on 20 January 2024. The flight will depart from Seoul Incheon at 1030 and arrive in Aomori at 1250. The return flight departs at 1355 from Aomori to land at Seoul Incheon at 1555. Both routes will operate thrice weekly, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Located in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture, Komatsu offers convenient access to the area’s renowned Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, making it an attractive destination for mountain lovers. Visitors can enjoy breathtaking seaside views while driving along the coastal roads. The city is also renowned for its heavy winter snowfall, attracting winter sports enthusiasts and traditional Japanese crafts, including pottery and lacquerware, with a history and heritage dating back to the 17th century.

Referred to as Japan’s hidden gem, Aomori is an attractive region to explore with its stunning nature. The city features UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Shirakami Mountains and the scenic Sanriku Fukko National Park. Visitors can also enjoy cultural festivals, fresh local produce such as Aori apples and relaxing hot springs.

With the resumption to Komatsu and Aomori, Korean Air is restoring its pre-pandemic Japan network out of Seoul Incheon to the following 12 destinations: Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Niigata, Okayama, Kagoshima, Okinawa, Komatsu and Aomori.

Australian travel firms honoured

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TTR WEEKLY
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SYDNEY, 14 November 2023: A record 12,000 Australians have nominated their favourite ATAS accredited Travel Brand in this year’s National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) People’s Choice Award, supported by News Corp Australia’s leading travel media brand Escape.

The People’s Choice Award at the NTIAs celebrates the travel brands that have impacted Australian travellers’ hearts. Considering the best skills and solutions provided by Australian Travel Brands, five finalists have now been named. 

People’s Choice Award Finalists:
Abercrombie & Kent
Capricorn Travel, WA
Clean Cruising Company, QLD
Dream Maker Travel, QLD
Trafalgar

The national competition winner will be announced later this week on 18 November at the 2023 NTIAs.

The collaboration with Escape is an important ATIA initiative to reinforce the importance of choosing ATAS-accredited travel businesses.

The free-to-enter digital competition asked readers to nominate their favourite ATAS-accredited travel brand in 50 words or less to win these incredible prizes:

Major Prize 
Two return Economy Class tickets on Singapore Airlines (SIA) for travel from any Australian city served by SIA to any European or UK city served by SIA. 
12-day Best of Germany tour experience for two people, courtesy of Trafalgar. 

First Runner Up 
Two nights accommodation (twin share) at Sails in the Desert – Ayers Rock Resort, including buffet breakfast and airport transfers.
AUD500 TravelPay Mastercard Gift Card. 

Second Runner Up
One night’s stay in a Deluxe Room at Crown Towers Melbourne, including breakfast for two people at the Conservatory.
AUD500 TravelPay Mastercard Gift Card.  

ATIA CEO commented: “We’re proud of and congratulate the People’s Choice Finalists who have displayed a commitment to excellence, ensuring every holiday is incredible and unforgettable.”

“This year, the competition was expanded to include cruise lines, ATAS Accredited Travel Agencies and ATAS Accredited Tour Operators so that the wide spectrum of Australian travel could be represented in the People’s Choice.”

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