SANYA, China, 4 January 2024: The 5th Hainan International Film Festival hosted in Sanya in Hainan, China, last December attracted a record turnout of domestic and international tourists.
“Our hotel room occupancy reached 90% in November, and in December, as several large-scale events such as the Hainan International Film Festival opened, the room occupancy averaged 96.8% during December, and weekends were full,” said InterContinental Sanya Haitang Bay Resort marketing and sales director Cai Liwei.
In recent years, Sanya has organised various cultural and tourism competition events and activities, effectively activating the vitality of the cultural tourism consumer market. In 2023, Sanya’s tourism and accommodation facilities received more than 25 million overnight tourists, with overnight tourism revenue of 89.34 billion yuan, an increase of 7.48% and 47.83%, respectively, compared with 2019.
Damao Yuanyang Eco Village is a must-visit destination that offers a wide range of activities such as jungle adventure, RV camping, greenway cycling, and orchard picking. As the village creates its rural tourism brand and innovates on “agriculture+” tourism, education, sports, and multi-industry integration, it has boosted the income of local farmers.
According to the Publicity Department of Sanya Municipal Party Committee, for the next step, Sanya City will continue to focus on fashion consumption, cruises and yachts, cultural relics and arts.
(Your Stories: Publicity Department of Sanya Municipal Party)
SINGAPORE, 4 January 2024: Club Med has opened the Club Med Kiroro Grand in the heart of Hokkaido’s Kiroro region, renowned for its record-breaking 21-metre snowfall and an extended 160-day winter holiday experience.
The project, completely overhauled and reborn in less than one year, is a part of Club Med’s commitment to Hokkaido ski destination, where the brand has been present since 1986, with its first Mountain Resort, Club Med Kiroro.
It was fully booked for festive weeks, thanks to vacationers from Asia Pacific, particularly Japanese, who have been loyal to the brand since it debuted in Japan in 1979.
Club Med president Henri Giscard d’Estaing emphasised the significance of Club Med Kiroro Grand in snow vacations, particularly in the beautiful region of Hokkaido, Japan, a perennial favourite among Asia Pacific travellers.
“The addition of Club Med Kiroro Grand marks a strategic milestone for our expanding portfolio in the world’s most desired travel destinations. We are excited to include another property within the region while keeping it distinctive from others. Following a record-breaking performance in 2023 driven by remarkable demand for our mountain Resorts, we are confident that Club Med Kiroro Grand will further reinforce our leadership in snow and summer mountain experiences,” he said at the opening ceremony of Club Med Kiroro Grand.
The 266-room Club Med Kiroro Grand has access to an immaculate ski domain, boasting 23 diverse courses catering to skiers of all levels, with pristine off-piste slopes spanning the Asari and Nagamine mountains.
Ski and lift passes will be ready on arrival, ensuring guests can spend every possible moment enjoying the ski slopes. Guests can participate in group ski and snowboard lessons tailored for all ages and skill levels, overseen by dedicated professional ski instructors.
Pre-registration for the Winter 2025 holidays commenced on 3 January 2024, and booking channels will officially open on 30 January 2024. During this period, early birds can enjoy up to 30% discounts* on bookings for Club Med’s four resorts in Japan.
BANGKOK, 4 January 2024: Thai Smile, the daughter company of Thai Airways International, ended all flights on 31 December following months of phasing out international flights and later handing over all its domestic routes to the parent airline.
Thai Smile’s last flights included a round-trip Bangkok-Krabi, Bangkok-Khon Kaen, Bangkok-Chiang Rai and Bangkok-Hat Yai. All Thai Smile flights ended on 31 December 2023, with the last flight departing Hat Yai in southern Thailand to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Photo credit: Thai Smile. Final flight farewell 31 December 2023.
Closing down the subsidiary airline was part of THAI’s Rehabilitation Plan that should see the national airline achieving a complete restoration under the country’s bankruptcy court ruling.
As part of the business restructuring, Thai Smile was required to transfer all flight operations and services to Thai Airways, effective 1 January 2024.
Thai Smile Airways launched in 2012 as a subsidiary of Thai Airways International, focusing on regional and domestic Thai routes.
It aimed to offer a low-cost fare alternative to Thai Airways International with a younger and more casual brand image.
However, success eluded its management, and due to heavy losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided to phase out Thai Smile as part of the airline group’s rehabilitation plan supervised by the bankruptcy court.
As a subsidiary, Thai Smile’s financial performance was consolidated into Thai Airways’ books, affecting its bottom line.
Local news reports quoted by Khaosod English suggested that the cumulative loss from its inception in 2012 until the merger was just short of THB16 billion(approximately USD460 million). In 2021 alone, Thai Smile reported a loss of THB4.24 billion (approximately USD122 million).
Existing bookings on Thai Smile have now been transferred to Thai Airways International flights. On domestic routes, THAI has maintained flight schedules using the Thai Smile’s A320 fleet, but it has deployed larger aircraft on some key routes, such as Phuket and Chiang Mai. However, it did drop one flight on the Bangkok – Chiang Rai route, offering just morning and late afternoon flights between the capital and the far north town. The local travel and hospitality sectors called the loss of the third daily flight to Chiang Rai a setback.
HONG KONG, 4 January 2024: Vietjet has inaugurated the direct route connecting Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi, to Hong Kong, marking the airline’s fourth route between Hong Kong and Vietnam.
The thrice-weekly service will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
After connecting Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and Phu Quoc, Vietjet welcomes passengers to its fourth service from Hong Kong to Hanoi. Travellers from Hong Kong now have easier access to the northern, central, and southern regions of Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
Hanoi is renowned for its ancient architecture, culinary delights, temples, and art. Visitors can explore numerous well-preserved historical buildings, such as the Hanoi Old City Gate and several ancient temples in the Hoàn Kiếm District. The Temple of Literature and Quán Sứ Temple are notable examples, with the former being Vietnam’s oldest university and an important symbol of Confucianism. Additionally, Hanoi is home to several prominent tourist attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, West Lake, and the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. These places offer insights into Vietnam’s history and culture while showcasing traditional art performances.
Hong Kong residents can connect with flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to destinations in India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad).
BANGKOK, 4 January 2024: Thai Airways International will resume flights to Oslo in Norway and Milan in Italy during its summer timetable that kicks off on 31 March 2024.
According to its advance timetable from late March to the end of October 2024, the airline will increase flights to Sydney (SYD) and Taipei (TPE).
DUBAI, 4 January 2024: Beond, a premium-only leisure airline home-based in the Maldives, will launch flights from Malé to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport starting 7 July 2024.
Initially, it will fly twice weekly, departing Malé (flight B4580) at 1645 and arriving at Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport (DMK) at 2300 on Thursday and Sunday.
Photo credit: Beond. A319 fitted out for 44 passengers.
The return flight (B4581) will depart DMK at 0655 and arrive in Malé at 0915 on Friday and Monday.
Beond’s chief commercial officer, Sascha Feuerherd commented on the new route: “Our travel agent partners in Thailand are strong supporters of the Beond premium offer, and so we believe the Beond experience will resonate with customers. We anticipate this will be our first origin city in Asia.”
Established in November 2022, the airline began commercial operations a year later in November 2023, flying to the Maldives from Munich, Zurich, and Riyadh using an Airbus A319 aircraft fitted with 44 lay-flat seats.
Beond says it will acquire 32 aircraft and serve 60 destinations over the next five years, mainly in Asia, Australia and Europe. It previously announced routes from Munich, Zurich, Riyadh, Milan and Dubai.
Unlike other airlines, it flies with a business-class cabin fitted out to deliver a “luxurious and hassle-free flying experience.”
It’s a joint venture between Emirati investment firm Arabesque and Maldivian hospitality company SIMDI Group and claims to be the “world’s first premium leisure airline.”
SINGAPORE, 3 January 2024: Jetstar Asia launched flights from Singapore to Wuxi during December’s festive season as demand for China holidays recovers in Singapore’s outbound travel market.
The new flight from Changi Airport marks the start of the Singapore low-cost carrier’s second direct route to mainland China.
The flight to Wuxi’s Sunan Shuofang International Airport makes Jetstar Asia the only airline serving the Chinese city from Singapore. Wuxi is historically, culturally, and commercially an important gateway city in China’s southern Jiangsu province.
Using an Airbus A320, the airline started with two weekly flights and will increase to four weekly services from 15 January 2024 to meet growing demand. The airline will offer more than 70,000 low-fare seats annually between the two destinations, Wuxi and Singapore.
Jetstar Asia CEO Barathan Pasupathi commented: “China is a critical market for Jetstar, so it’s great to start flying to Wuxi, our second Chinese port following the successful launch of flights to Haikou early in 2023.”
Wuxi is located in the southern Jiangsu province, just over 100 km from Shanghai and sits on the banks of Lake Taihu.
Wuxi attractions
Lingshan Grand Buddha: This colossal bronze statue, the tallest in China, offers panoramic views and serene Buddhist rituals.
Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle): Explore this scenic island park adorned with gardens, pavilions, and a charming Ferris wheel.
Huishan Old Town: Stroll through this ancient district, boasting historic bridges, temples, and traditional architecture.Lake Taihu: Cruise the vast freshwater lake, a photographer’s paradise, and enjoy water sports like boating or cycling its shoreline paths.
BANGKOK, 3 January 2024: TAT suffered a memory lapse when it posted what was supposed to be Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index, placing Bangkok at the top of the pile with 22.78 million visitors in 2023.
It turned out to be a rerun of the Mastercard’s index for 2019, covering data collected in 2018. The Tourism Authority of Thailand correctly posted the Mastercard index findings on its news website on 10 September 2019. So how did the same index findings get resurrected in December 2023 and floated on the TAT Facebook page masquerading as the gospel truth? Has something gone wrong with TAT’s newsroom’s fact-checking?
Photo credit: Khaosod English
‘Home for human stories’ Medium.com was apparently the first culprit to resurrect the 2019 index data to an imaginary 2023 Mastercard index release. TAT then appears to have picked it up without fact-checking or even looking back through its own newsroom archives, where it would have discovered it had successfully covered the story four years earlier.
The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index dropped out of sight since the 2019 edition for obvious reasons — the pandemic and its devastating aftermath. But in the good times, Mastercard typically releases the new index sometime in the first half of the calendar year, usually between April and June.
We can expect Mastercard to return with its destination cities index in mid-2024. For the record, the 2019 index is shown below.
SINGAPORE, 3 January 2024: Singapore Airlines will introduce direct flights between Singapore and London’s Gatwick Airport on 21 June 2024, operating five weekly services using the long-haul variant of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Together with its current four-times daily services to London’s Heathrow Airport, this will raise flights to the UK capital to 33 weekly services, up from the present 28 weekly services. SIA also operates five weekly services to Manchester Airport.
Gatwick schedule
Flight SQ310 will operate on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, departing Singapore for Gatwick Airport at 2355 and arriving in London at 0625 the following morning.
The return flight, SQ309, will operate from Gatwick Airport to Singapore on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, departing at 1015 and arriving in Singapore at 0620 the following morning. The early morning arrival will offer customers connections to SIA and Scoot flights to destinations across Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
SIA’s long-haul A350-900s feature 253 seats in three cabin classes: 42 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy Class, and 187 in Economy Class.
The addition of Gatwick increases European destinations in the SIA network to 141*, reflecting its firm commitment to enhancing its connectivity to this key region.
Tickets for SIA’s flights to London’s Gatwick Airport have been on sale through various distribution channels since 19 December 2023.
* The 14 destinations are Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London (Heathrow), London (Gatwick), Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, and Zurich.
VIENTIANE, 3 January 2024: Laos returns to familiar campaign ground, introducing a rehashed “Visit Laos Year 2024” campaign, confident it will help the country reach a targetted 2.7 million visitor arrivals.
The country has a long history of employing Visit Laos Year campaigns to boost tourist arrivals since 1999. Similar initiatives followed in 2004, 2011 and 2018, adopting different themes linked to popular national festivals, mostly linked to Buddhist ceremonies.
The official launch of Visit Laos Year 2024.
The latest version of the Visit Laos 2024 campaign invites tourists to “safely explore a paradise of nature, history and culture through 79 cultural events including national festivals in the annual calendar.
During the recent launch ceremony, Director General of the Tourism Marketing Department, Khom Douangchantha, expressed confidence that the Visit Laos 2024 campaign will stand out on the global stage.
“While hosting several high-profile events, this tourism campaign holds significant importance as a crucial step towards revitalising our economy and boosting the tourism industry,” he told the audience.
“Embodying the essence of the well-known Lao phrase ‘Sabai Sabai,’ which encourages visitors to feel comfortable and take it easy, this campaign extends a warm invitation to all travellers to make themselves at home as they explore our cultural, natural, and historical paradise.”
However, there are ambitious goals for the tourism industry, such as the benchmark that aims to attract over 2.7 million international tourists in 2024 and generate over USD400 million in revenue while setting the stage to welcome 2.9 million visitors in 2025.
At a launch ceremony held at Vientiane Capital’s That Luang Esplanade, Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket said: “Tourism plays a key role in Laos’ economy and growth. In 2022, our service sector was the fastest-growing in the country, accounting for 37% of GDP.”
To ensure success, the Lao government is pulling out all the stops, with plans underway to enhance infrastructure, diversify tourism products, and elevate service quality. A focal point of these efforts is the promotion of Visit Laos Year 2024 through various media channels and international tourism exhibitions.
In addition to the Visit Laos Year festivities, Laos assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in January 2024. This will involve hosting significant events, such as the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, the ASEAN Tourism Forum( late January) and various other ASEAN-related meetings during the year.
Must-visit festivals
Bolaven Coffee-Tea Festival: Held in Champasak province on 19 February, this festival celebrates the region’s renowned coffee and tea production with tastings, workshops, and cultural performances. It’s a delight for coffee and tea enthusiasts.
Wat Phou Festival: From 22 to 24 February in and around the ancient pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features traditional dance, music, and light displays, revealing a captivating mix of history and culture.
Lao New Year Festival (Pi Mai Lao): Nationwide from 14 to 16 April and in Luang Prabang from 11 to 20 April. This vibrant festival celebrates the Lao New Year with water splashing, street processions, traditional games, and religious ceremonies.
Boun OK Phansa: Marking the end of the Buddhist Lent, the festival runs from 17 to 18 October. Celebrations in Vientiane include the popular traditional boat races on the Mekong River that flows through the capital, Vientiane. The boat races in Luang Prabang will be held earlier on 2 September.
That Luang Festival: Held 11 to 15 November around the iconic That Luang temple in Vientiane, this grand festival features religious ceremonies, parades, and cultural performances. It’s a showcase of Lao history and heritage.
