KUCHING, 22 September 2023: The Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is stepping up its efforts to make Sarawak a tourism destination of choice for the Indonesian market through its participation in a promotional tour to Jakarta, Balikpapan and Banjarmasin.
The promotional mission that concluded earlier this week was organised by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), Tourism Malaysia Jakarta, and the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA and ASITINDO).
TYT Dato’ Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia commented: “This tour or roadshow has helped strengthen the friendship between these two iconic cities, and we welcome tourists to explore the natural beauty of Sarawak, the land of rich cultural heritage and excellent service friendly.”
Acting chief executive officer of the Sarawak Travel Agency, Yusfida Khalid, said: “Direct promotion between Jakarta, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin and Sarawak is very relevant in encouraging Indonesian tourists to come and visit Sarawak.”
“In addition, the direct connectivity provided by AirAsia facilitates and simplifies the journey of tourists from Indonesia coming to Sarawak to seek health or wellness packages, holidays or recreation, and handicrafts from Sarawak in tourism initiatives in this region,” Yusfida added.
Currently, tourists from Indonesia can enjoy direct flights from Jakarta to Kuching via AirAsia every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Sarawak has recorded rapid growth in visits from Indonesia in the first half of 2023, recording over 200,000 arrivals from all entry points from January to June 2023, compared to over 46,000 in the same time period in 2022.
With upcoming iconic events such as the Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta (27 to 30 October 2023), the Sarawak Regatta (3 to 5 November 2023), and the New Year’s Eve celebration usually held in Kuching every year, STB is confident of welcoming more from Indonesia to Sarawak to enjoy the best offers at this destination.
SINGAPORE, 22 September 2023: TUI Airline has fully implemented the SITA OptiClimb solution across all five airlines as part of the group’s sustainability agenda to reduce airline emissions.
The wider deployment of SITA’s innovative technology follows the success of its partial deployment, saving up to 200 kg of fuel and 600 kg of CO2 per aircraft per day.
Aircraft climb is the most fuel-intensive phase of a flight. SITA OptiClimb® is a predictive analytics solution that uses machine learning to build tail-specific performance models. Fed with 4D weather forecasts and operational flight plan inputs, these models predict fuel burn scenarios. The solution then provides pilots with customised climb speeds and acceleration levels specific to each tail and flight to optimise fuel without compromising flight times.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), fuel represents almost 30% of an airline’s operating costs and is the biggest contributor to aviation emissions. Airlines are adopting innovative digital applications like SITA OptiClimb® to deliver more immediate fuel and emission reductions to complement longer-term strategies like sustainable aviation fuels and fleet renewal.
SITA estimates that if every airline used SITA OptiClimb, it would save approximately 5.6 million tons of carbon annually.
Partially deployed by several TUI airlines in 2022, SITA OptiClimb is now fully deployed across all five airlines in the TUI Group comprising TUI Airways, TUI fly Belgium, TUI fly Germany, TUI fly Netherlands, and TUI fly Nordic. The solution delivered total savings for TUI Airlines of around 4,500 tons of fuel and 14,000 tons of carbon in 2022.
“TUI has committed to 2030 emission reduction targets for its own airlines, cruises, and hotels – emissions from TUI Airline will be reduced by 24%. One of the ways we aim to cut these emissions is through operational measures that improve flight planning and optimise fuel management leveraging innovative technologies like SITA OptiClimb,” said TUI Group chief airline officer Marco Ciomperlik.
About SITA
SITA is an air transport industry IT provider, delivering solutions for airlines, airports, aircraft and governments.
PHUKET, 22 September 2023: Laguna Phuket will host the Laguna Phuket Triathlon, returning for its 29th edition on Sunday, 19 November 2023.
The event is credited with being Asia’s longest-standing triathlon, with race distances comprising a 1.8K swim, a 55K bike ride, and a challenging 12K run. The courses take athletes through the breathtaking tropical landscapes in the Laguna Phuket resort complex and surrounding local communities in the northern part of Phuket Island.
The 29th edition returns with several new features.
Cash prizes for aspiring pros
Laguna Phuket Triathlon is breaking the barriers between amateurs and professionals. All Thai and non-Thai athletes who aspire to compete with the pros can now vie for cash prizes for the first time ever. To join this elite league of competitors, simply select the “Elite Category” during the registration process rather than the age group category.
New pre and post-race experiences
Alongside the official bike practice session and clinic on 17 November 2023, athletes can kickstart their LPT journey with an open water practice swim on Saturday, 18 November 2023, hosted by TriHub at 0700.
Beyond the race day excitement, a series of engaging activities for all participants will unfold, including a relaxing recovery yoga session and a breakfast at the farm-to-table restaurant Open Kitchen to an adrenaline-pumping Muay Thai boxing show. The festivities culminate with the Lifestyle Night Market on Saturday, 18 and 25 of November, in the heart of Laguna Phuket.
Race options encompass the full Individual and Team Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon, and Duathlon. When making reservations, participants can book their stay at any of the seven hotels within the Laguna Phuket group at a special rate using code ‘LTP2023’.
SINGAPORE, 22 September 2023: The ICRT India Foundation, with support from Fairfest Media Ltd, organiser of OTM, BLTM & TTF shows, confirmed the winners of the Responsible Tourism Awards 2023.
The awards recognise the winners’ contribution to making tourism sustainable and their efforts to utilise tourism as a means to improve living conditions and preserve natural and cultural heritage.
The winners will be officially recognised at the BLTM – India’s leading trade show on Business + Leisure Travel and MICE, held at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi, at 1600 on 30 September 2023.
Those awarded Gold at the ICRT India Awards 2023 will gain direct entry into the Global Responsible Tourism Awards presented in London in early November.
Responsible Tourism Awards 2023 – Winners
Aura Voyages, New Delhi
Bhasa Sutra – Sustainable Journeys on Wheels – 100 Miles, Kolkata, West Bengal
City Explorer, New Delhi
Department of Tourism, Union Territory of Ladakh
Fagun Tourism, Assam
Fernweh Fair Travel, Chamoli, Uttarakhand
Holidays in Rural India, United Kingdom
IHCL, Mumbai Maharashtra
Kerala RT Mission, Govt. of Kerala
Madla Village Tourism Development Committee – Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Bhopal
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
Meluha – The Fern, Mumbai – Maharashtra
Odisha Eco-Tourism Foundation by Heritage Tours Puri, Odisha
Pashoo Pakshee, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Pench Tree Lodge (Pugdundee Safari), Seoni, Madhya Pradesh
Ranmangli Foundation, Nagpur, Maharashtra
Sabarvani Village Tourism Development Committee – MP Tourism Board, Madhya Pradesh
Winners to be awarded under the following six categories:
– Best for Tackling Plastic Waste
– Best for Meaningful Connections
– Best for Local Sourcing, Craft and Food
– Addressing Climate Change
– Best for Diversity and Inclusion
– Best for Nature-Positive Tourism
The show takes place from 29 to 30 September 2023 at the five-star Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in the heart of Delhi, featuring over 200 exhibitors from Europe, Asia and beyond.
BANGKOK, 22 September 2023: The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office has released its Mekong Voices and Mekong’s Hidden Gems – interviews with local tourism pioneers delivering insights into less travelled ‘hidden’ destinations.
Both initiatives are hosted on the new MekongTourism.org website.
Mekong Voices is a series of Q&A interviews with intrepid travellers, pioneers and changemakers who are leading by example in the travel sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
The dialogues delve into sustainability, resilience and innovation within the travel industry. They offer practical insights and serve as catalysts for transformative change, claims the MTCO press statement.
For example, there are interviews with leaders of charitable travel foundations, community-based tourism operators, hill tribe women, academics, CEOs, and destination marketing organisation executives.
Some 25 interviews are live now. Two more will be added each month.
Mekong’s Hidden Gems highlight lesser-known destinations within the Greater Mekong Subregion. Their more famous counterparts often overshadow these. However, the ‘hidden’ destinations are brimming with potential.
For example, there are destination insights into lesser-known remote waterfalls, cultural museums and hidden beaches. More destinations will be uploaded each month.
MTCO executive director Suvimol Thanasarakij commented on the two initiatives: “Mekong Voices brings together inspiring people who share their wisdom. They are creating a better future for travel in the region.”
On Mekong’s Hidden Gems, she added: “We aim to shine a light on these hidden treasures and help to distribute tourist traffic away from crowded areas equitably. In these authentic, equally deserving destinations, a little tourism money will go a long way to help the local community.”
Find out more about Mekong Voices here and Mekong’s Hidden Gems here
BANGKOK, 22 September 2023: Responding to growing domestic travel demand, Thai Vietjet will increase flights between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Surat Thani to schedule three flights daily, effective 12 October.
In addition to the current operations, Thai Vietjet will add an early morning daily flight between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Surat Thani. All three daily flights will operate with A320s. Flight time is one hour and 15 minutes.
Surat Thani is home to the the nearest mainland airport to Samui Island. Passengers commute from the airport by minivan or tour bus to the nearest ferry ports serving Samui. Bangkok Airways owns and operates an airport on Samui Island that is used exclusively by the privately owned airline. Other Thai airlines fly to Surat Thani.
“The flight increment between Bangkok and Surat Thani emphasises Thai Vietjet’s leading position as a major player in Thailand’s domestic market. Over the past four years, we have remained proactive in developing domestic network and expanding flight capacity to facilitate travel demand, particularly for tourism recovery post-Covid,” said Thai Vietjet head of commercial Pinyot Pibulsonggram.
Thai Vietjet is the only airline offering flights from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Surat Thani International Airport. The airline commenced the inaugural flight between the two airports in November 2020.
Meanwhile, Thai Vietjet has also confirmed it will increase flights to and from Phuket from its Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport hub by 60%.
SINGAPORE, 21 September 2023: Hospitality and lifestyle brand Aman Group has secured further investment of USD360 million from strategic partners to support the company’s ongoing global expansion.
They include Mubadala Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, and Alpha Wave Ventures, a private equity growth fund co-managed by Alpha Wave Global and Chimera Capital.
This follows an investment of USD900 million from two additional partners – Public Investment Fund and Cain International – and sees the company valued at USD3 billion. The future commitments from this strategic group of investors will support the company’s ongoing global expansion, securing future Aman and Janu projects and new brand development.
The investment further confirms the success of the Aman Group’s business strategy. Aman’s brand proposition and premium quality have positioned the business as a world leader in ultra-luxury hospitality and real estate. The company’s value is demonstrated through its market-leading premiums secured for average daily rates and the unrivalled price per square foot of its Aman Branded Residences.
Speaking on the investment, Aman Group owner, chairman and CEO Vlad Doronin said: “My long-term strategic vision has been to create ecosystems which centre on the complete Aman lifestyle both in urban destinations and resort settings. The proven success of this model, while always retaining the brand’s DNA, has resulted in a diverse pipeline, enabling us to continue to create unparalleled experiences for our guests and owners. The validation of Aman’s strategy by prominent investors in regions where we have considerable expansion planned enables us to leverage the extraordinary potential of the Aman brand and accelerate the pipeline to deliver sustainable growth.”
Aman is a collection of 34 hotels across 20 countries, 12 of which include Aman Branded Residences, with a robust pipeline of further hotels and residence projects under construction in countries including the US, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and several European destinations.
Aman Group’s sister brand, Janu, will launch its flagship destination, Janu Tokyo, this winter, seeing the company tap into a different audience demographic with the ambition to encourage meaningful connections between like-minded guests.
Vlad Doronin remains the majority shareholder, and previous investors, The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Cain International (Cain), have also retained their existing stake in the business.
BANGKOK, 21 September 2023: Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the expansion of its hotel brand lineup with the launch of two new brands: Dusit Collection and Devarana – Dusit Retreats.
Building on the strength of Dusit’s existing portfolio, which encompasses Dusit Thani (luxury), Dusit Suites (upper upscale), dusitD2 (upscale), Dusit Princess (upper midscale), ASAI Hotels (midscale lifestyle), and Elite Havens (luxury villa rentals), the new brands extend Dusit’s reach across the lodging spectrum to deliver fresh and immersive experiences for guests. They also open new avenues for Dusit to enter untapped markets, furthering its global expansion objectives.
Serving as a soft brand that can be applied to distinctive, standalone properties with unique stories to tell, Dusit Collection directly taps into rising global demand for unique and authentic travel experiences and represents a sophisticated and personalised approach to property development, service, and guest engagement.
Focusing on the upper upscale and luxury segments, Dusit Collection has been envisaged to comprise a thoughtfully curated selection of captivating hotels in iconic destinations, each distinguished by their unique architecture, tasteful design, and distinctive locales brimming with profound and memorable moments.
The Dusit Collection concept also allows owners of iconic properties to safeguard the individuality and charm of their establishments while seamlessly integrating into the Dusit family, all without the complexities of rebranding or extensive renovations typically associated with Dusit’s established core brands.
“This streamlined, cost-effective model has numerous benefits for all stakeholders,” said Dusit InternationalCOO Giles Cretallaz. “Owners immediately gain access to our robust commercial support and seasoned management expertise while maintaining the distinct look and feel of their properties. Dusit benefits from an agile market entry strategy and can cultivate substantial value from properties that don’t precisely fit our core brands. Most importantly, our guests benefit from new opportunities to forge deep bonds with destinations at distinctive properties steeped in history and character.”
From former palaces in historic cities to boutique seaside sanctuaries, from Asia to the Middle East to Europe and beyond, Dusit is actively exploring multiple opportunities for luxurious Dusit Collection properties, and with strong interest from various parties, the company expects to announce its first official signings soon.
The second new brand Dusit has introduced is a reimagining of its former luxury brand, Devarana, which has been renamed Devarana – Dusit Retreats and enhanced to deliver enriching and transformational stay experiences in the ultra-luxury segment.
Fully embracing the success of Dusit’s renowned group-wide wellness concept, Devarana Wellness, which uniquely weaves well-being elements throughout the entire guest experience at Dusit Hotels and Resorts worldwide, Devarana – Dusit Retreats aims to take this holistic approach even further by delivering bespoke healing experiences at private sanctuaries in exclusive destinations around the globe.
Inspired by traditional Thai wellness principles and fully embracing sustainable and regenerative travel, Devarana – Dusit Retreats will focus on meeting the aspirational needs of guests and deliver a unique synergy of nature, community, ancient healing principles, regenerative spaces, impressive architecture and design, and curated activities and wellness programmes that delight discerning travellers on a deeply personal level.
Lounge at our Devarana Wellness Spa Lobby.
The first property under Devarana – Dusit Retreats, a rebranding of one of Dusit’s existing properties in China, is slated to open this October. Based on current interest in the brand, Cretallaz expects Dusit to sign multiple Devarana – Dusit Retreats before the end of the year.
“The response to Devarana – Dusit Retreats from potential partners has been fantastic, and discussions are already underway to formalise agreements for properties in Europe, the Middle East, and several locations in China,” he said. “The global pandemic propelled wellness into the mainstream, and the wellness industry is projected to sustain its remarkable growth far into the future. Capitalising on our expertise and optimising our know-how in this area, we are ideally positioned to deliver a hotel product that puts well-being and transformative experiences at its core, ensuring enduring value for all stakeholders involved.”
Dusit’s portfolio currently comprises 55 properties operating under Dusit Hotels and Resorts, and over 230 luxury villas under Elite Havens, across 19 countries. More than 60 Dusit Hotels and Resorts are in the pipeline, and 22 additional signings are targeted this year.
“In response to the profound impact of the global pandemic, we recognised the importance of refining our brand portfolio to resonate with evolving market demands and help drive expansion in the post-pandemic world,” said Cretallaz. “Over the past few years, we have meticulously enhanced each of our brands to deliver additional convenience, experience, and value for our guests. Today, with the introduction of Dusit Collection and Devarana – Dusit Retreats, we are delighted to expand our offerings even further across the lodging spectrum, delivering an entire ecosystem of brands from boutique lifestyle to luxury wellness, all united by our signature Thai-inspired gracious hospitality. With this strong foundation in place, we are well-positioned to energise our future and look forward to many exciting openings to come.”
DUBAI, 21 Sep 2023: After the successful launch of the Emirates inflight meal pre-ordering initiative on UK routes and the positive feedback received from passengers, the service is now being extended across routes to and from European cities.
The list of destinations includes Warsaw, Venice, Rome, Bologna, Prague, Vienna, Moscow, Istanbul, Dublin, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Brussels and Madrid, and to and from Seychelles and Mauritius.
The initiative will be rolled out across more global routes in the coming months. The new service allows passengers in Business Class to preselect their main course between 14 days and 24 hours before their flight departure, ensuring they get their preferred choice every time and helping to reduce food wastage.
Inviting Emirates passengers to enjoy a fine dining experience in the sky, passengers can browse the onboard menu on Emirates.com or on the Emirates app to choose from a selection of regionally inspired dishes with locally sourced ingredients up to a fortnight before a flight. Business Class meals include a choice of chef-crafted dishes such as chocolate hazelnut pancakes with apricot compote and ricotta sour cream for breakfast, beef tenderloin with thyme jus, roasted potato wedges and steamed vegetables for lunch, and pan-fried salmon trout with saffron cream, blanched green beans, braised beetroot and polenta with spring onions for dinner.
Once onboard the aircraft, the cabin crew will use digital devices to view the pre-ordered selection and serve the passenger their choice of dish. Meal pre-ordering is an addition to the existing suite of AI-enabled customer preference tracking data and cabin crew reports onboard Emirates, facilitating menu planning, optimal food loading and waste minimisation.
Digitally enabled journeys and innovation are a core focus at Emirates. The pre-ordering meal service is complemented by website check-in and app check-in, the option of digital boarding passes and itinerary management, access to digital inflight menus, easy sign-up to Skywards to immediately access free Wi-Fi messaging onboard, and ice inflight entertainmentplaylist curation in advance of a flight.
HONG KONG, 21 September 2023: Cathay Pacific released on Wednesday traffic figures for August 2023, showing the airline surpassed the milestone of carrying more than 10 million passengers in the first eight months of 2023.
Cathay Pacific carried 1,784,980 passengers last month, an increase of 603% compared with August 2022. The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 342.8% year-on-year. Passenger load factor increased by 19.4 percentage points to 88%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 244.9% year on year. In the first eight months of 2023, the number of passengers carried increased by 1,302% against a 633.1% increase in capacity and an 876.7% increase in RPKs, as compared with the same period for 2022.
Commenting on the passenger traffic performance, the airline’s chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said: “Travel demand remained strong as we entered the second month of the traditional peak summer season in August. We continued to increase our flight frequencies to cater for the strong demand. Our newly resumed flights serving Johannesburg received a positive response, particularly among business and leisure travellers flying to Hong Kong and beyond.
“In the first half of the month, we saw consistently high demand for leisure travel from Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area to various short-haul destinations. We also saw increased demand for outbound travel from Japan to Hong Kong and onward destinations in Asia and Europe in mid-August, coinciding with the Obon holiday period in Japan. Meanwhile, in the latter part of the month, there was a notable increase in student travel to Canada, the US and the UK from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland ahead of the start of the new school year.
Outlook
Looking ahead, there is continued demand for student travel to the UK, which will provide a good boost in September, while overall, the outlook for the rest of 2023 looks promising.
“We continue to add more flights for our customers, particularly to and from the Chinese Mainland, where we currently operate about 170 return flights per week to 16 airports in 15 cities. We were also excited to announce earlier this month that our Colombo and Chennai services will resume in February 2024 as we continue to bring back more destinations for our customers,” said Lau.
