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Meet Centara’s guru to craft events

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 2 November 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts, a leading Thailand-based hotel operator, launches a one-stop approach to organising events, New Agenda: Meetings Redesigned, delivering unforgettable experiences that engage and inspire. 

As the MICE market makes a triumphant return, Centara stands at the forefront, ready to welcome both domestic and international clients with an array of creative meeting, culinary and team-building concepts, complemented by sustainable venues in awe-inspiring locations, from convenient city-centre hotels to stunning heritage sites and world-class beach destinations.

With its recently refreshed approach, New Agenda: Meetings Redesigned sets a new standard for MICE gatherings across four key pillars. It all starts with Centara’s One-Stop Meeting Guru service, personalised end-to-end event management with a single point of contact to ensure seamless communication, planning, coordination and execution onsite.

In addition, Centara’s in-house F&B team designs unique and immersive Creative Catering and dining experiences to reinforce and strengthen participation, with tailored ideas that can include a sensory-driven “Dinner in the Dark”, a power lunch on a Maldivian submarine, casual beach barbecues, a Thai food stall journey, MasterChef-inspired cooking challenges, and a create-your-own cocktail bar, amongst others.

Team-building Redefined sees teamwork reach new heights as Centara partners with globally renowned training provider, Asia Ability to develop bespoke team-building programmes that foster resourcefulness, knowledge-sharing, and active participation through workshops, community outreach activities and beyond.

Last but by no means least, Centara promises to Lead the Way in Sustainability, offering greener meeting options combining sustainability, convenience and eco-conscious amenities into one package with the use of LED and natural lighting, low-flow taps, waste separation, eco-friendly materials and locally sourced produce to reduce carbon emissions throughout its award-winning venues. Centara also offers Earth Care Activities, including the ‘Plastics Only, Please’ beach clean-up campaign, to empower teams to give back and reaffirm the brand’s environmental commitment.

“New Agenda: Meetings Redesigned reinforces Centara’s commitment to delivering outstanding MICE events tailored to the ever-evolving needs of our clients,” said David Good, Executive Vice President – Hotel Operations of Centara Hotels & Resorts. “With innovation at our core, we are proud to offer venues and experiences that not only inspire but also contribute to a more conscious and sustainable future”.

For more information on hosting a MICE event at Centara Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide, visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com/corporate-events.

(Source: Centara Hotels & Resorts)

Langkawi makes ready for Routes Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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LANGKAWI, 2 November 2023: Asia’s aviation experts and airline executives can expect the red carpet welcome, according to Langkawi Development Authority’s latest update on hosting Routes Asia 2024 from 27 to 29 February 2024. 

That was the message from LADA to delegates attending the mega Routes World event hosted in Istanbul in mid-October.

Photo credit: Routes. Langkawi welcomes the Asian edition Feb 2024.

Route Asia is the premier event for airlines, airports, tourism authorities and other aviation stakeholders to come together and develop network strategies to shape the region’s air services. 

It’s the only route development event in the Asia Pacific region, and pre-event information indicates that more than 600 air service providers looking for exclusive industry insights and networking opportunities in Asia will head to Langkawi, Malaysia, for the 20th edition.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, Tourism Malaysia and LADA co-host the event. Malaysia last hosted the event almost 10 years ago, in 2014. Chiang Mai, Thailand, hosted Routes Asia 2023. 

An island rich in legendary beauty and natural wonders, Langkawi is drawing visitors from all over the world not only for tourism but also for international conventions and exhibitions. This gem of Malaysia combines world-class facilities, professional expertise, strategic location, easy accessibility, and security. A premier MICE destination in Asia, Langkawi will be the ideal host destination for the 2024 edition of the event.

Chance to win a Princess cruise

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 2 November 2023: Princess Cruises celebrates its 10th anniversary in Singapore along with the upcoming launch of its newest ship, Sun Princess, marking the occasion with an “All You Love” lucky draw.  

Effective from 30 October until 31 December 2023, travel lovers in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia can enter the lucky draw by completing a simple form on www.princesscruiseslove2023.com.    

The winner will receive a prize valued at SGD9,000, including roundtrip economy air tickets from their home country for two and two cruise tickets for a balcony stateroom onboard Sun Princess as the ship sails its inaugural season in Europe. The two guests will embark on a seven-night voyage to various historic locales of Europe along the Mediterranean coastline, visiting destinations in Italy, Greece, Spain and Montenegro.

The winner will enjoy premium stateroom accommodation, world-class dining, immersive entertainment and an array of activities such as acrobatic performances in The Dome, new production shows in the technologically advanced Princess Arena, the engaging Park19 family activity zone and the exclusive Princess MedallionClass experience.  

To celebrate its 10th anniversary in Southeast Asia, Diamond Princess will return to Singapore for 10 to 14-day regional cruises from December 2023 until March 2024, including repositioning cruises covering Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.  

Another significant milestone is introducing the MedallionClass vacation experience in this region as offered by Diamond Princess, which includes extensive WiFi coverage on board to allow you to work remotely anywhere on the ship, quickly post content and stream favourite movies and shows.  

After its Singapore season, Diamond Princess will return to Japan from March through August 2024. Sailing roundtrip from Yokohama to 35 destinations in three countries, the cruise line features 31 unique itineraries and 36 departure dates. 

In addition, the Royal Princess will debut in Japan in 2024, marking the first Royal-Class ship to sail in the region. The series of longer-duration cruises offer many opportunities to view the magnificent spring flowers, as well as four breathtaking summer festivals.  

Air Astana expands Asia flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 2 November 2023: Air Astana switched to its winter schedule on 29 October 2023, resuming services from Almaty and Astana on seasonal routes and increasing frequencies to popular destinations in Asia and the Gulf.

During the winter schedule, Air Astana will operate five flights weekly on the Almaty-Maldives route and four charter flights weekly on the Almaty-Sri Lanka route.

Flights from Almaty to Bangkok will increase from three to seven weekly, while flights from Almaty to Phuket will increase from four to 11 weekly. Kazakhstan citizens can travel to Thailand visa-free until the end of February 2024.

Flights to Dubai from Almaty will increase from seven to 12 weekly and from Astana from six to 10 weekly. There will also be charter flights from Almaty and Astana to Doha in Qatar once a week.   

On the Almaty-Delhi route, the number of flights will increase to 11 weekly and on the Almaty-Jeddah route, three weekly.

About Air Astana Group

Air Astana commenced operations in May 2002 as a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s national wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, and BAE Systems, with respective shares of 51% and 49%. 

The airline is a full-service international and domestic carrier, with its low-cost division, FlyArystan, rapidly growing in regional and domestic markets since launching in 2019. 

The Air Astana Group operates a fleet of 48 aircraft, comprising 40 Airbus A320/A321 family aircraft, three Boeing 767 and five Embraer E2. 

Passenger traffic recovery gathers pace

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 2 November 2023: Preliminary September 2023 traffic figures released Monday by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed solid expansion in international passenger markets, led by a steady rebound in tourist arrivals across the region. 

Further revival in demand on routes connecting China provided additional momentum to the travel recovery.

Overall, Asia Pacific airlines recorded a 111.0% year-on-year increase in international passengers carried to a combined total of 23.7 million in September. This brings demand to 79% of the corresponding month in 2019, a marked improvement compared to 52.9% in January. Demand, as measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), increased by 90.9% year-on-year, while available seat capacity expanded by 86.1%, leading to a 2.0 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 79.7% for the month. 

Meanwhile, following 18 consecutive months of decline since March 2022, the region’s carriers recorded an upswing in international air cargo demand in September, with a 3.2% year-on-year growth as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK). While the increase was partly attributable to comparisons with depressed levels recorded last year, the start of the high-demand season leading to the year-end festive period also contributed to growth. The international freight load factor fell by 3.3 percentage points to an average of 60.6% for the month after accounting for an 8.8% year-on-year expansion in offered freight capacity.

Commenting on the results, AAPA director general Subhas Menon said: “During the first nine months of the year, Asian airlines in aggregate carried 194 million international passengers, 212% more than the same period last year, reflecting a very strong post-pandemic recovery in demand. Air cargo demand turned positive for the first time in 2023 in September, which helped to moderate the decline for the year to date to 6.4%. It is a welcome relief to have both passenger and cargo demand on a positive footing. However, the fall in export orders seen across major economies still signals challenging market conditions.”

Looking ahead 

As for the next few months and into 2024, Menon forecasts: “The outlook for the region’s travel markets is broadly positive going into the final quarter of this year, with continued expansion in air passenger demand supported by resilient growth in the Asian economies. Airlines are facing increasing headwinds, marked by sharply higher fuel costs in recent months. Nevertheless, the region’s carriers are buoyed by the strong recovery of air travel and are looking forward to the growth continuing into 2024.”

Qantas confirms Perth to Paris flight

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TTR WEEKLY
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SYDNEY, 2 November 2023: Qantas will add another direct service between Australia and Europe with the launch of a new route between Perth and Paris, just in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and European summer.

Following the success of its direct flights from Perth to London and Rome, the new year-round route will see Qantas operate to the French capital for the first time in nearly two decades, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time from Perth to Paris.

From 12 July 2024, the 17-hour Perth-Paris flights will initially operate four flights weekly during the peak European summer with the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will be reduced to three weekly from mid-August 2024.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the airline was thrilled to put Paris back on the Qantas map with a direct link for Australians to the French capital for the first time.

“This route has been on our wish list for a while, and we think customers will be as pleased as we are to see it go on sale,” Hudson said.

“We’re the only airline offering these direct flights rather than going through a mid-point because the key market we serve is Australia. Our in-flight service is designed with long-haul travel in mind.

The schedule will add over 75,000 seats between Australia and Europe each year. We’ll be working with Tourism WA to help make the most of the opportunity to bring tourists here, knowing that direct flights are a big factor in people deciding where to travel.”

The arrival of new aircraft in recent months and recent increases in flying will see the Qantas Group’s international capacity increase to above 90% of pre-Covid levels by the end of the year and return to 100% by the middle of next year.

WA Premier Roger Cook said he was proud to have secured the new direct flight, strengthening the State’s global reputation as the Western Gateway to Australia.

The Paris service will also offer customers another option for connecting to more than 70 regional destinations, including Barcelona, Munich, Frankfurt and Athens, and 12 destinations in France through Qantas’ network of partners.

A “circle fare” allows Qantas customers to fly to Paris and return to Australia from London or Rome on the same ticket. Initially, fares from Perth were on offer at AUD1,899.

Qantas flights to Europe

Customers travelling from around Australia can connect seamlessly to Qantas’ flights to Europe.

QF9/QF10 Perth-London (787)

QF5/QF6 Perth-Rome (787)

QF33/QF34 Perth-Paris (787) (customers can book and fly from Sydney)

QF1/QF2 Sydney-Singapore-London (A380)

Qantas customers can also travel to Europe on Emirates flights via Dubai and with four other partner airlines.

Research points to Phuket’s full recovery

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TTR WEEKLY
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PHUKET, 2 November 2023: Phuket hotels experienced promising momentum for the first half of 2023, which has set an optimistic path for the remainder of the year, according to research from C9 Hotelworks presented in its latest Phuket Hotel Market Update report.

At the mid-year juncture, international and domestic flight volume was already up 75% over total flights in 2022. 

Amora Beach Resort Phuket has undergone a THB500 million makeover and will re-open in December 2023.

Russia and China led the way as the two top tourism source markets in the first six months of the year, followed by India, Australia and Kazakhstan. 

Half-year market-wide hotel occupancy surpassed the 70% threshold, but the real boost for hotel owners was the sustained post-pandemic trend in higher room rates. While business is back to normal for over 2,000 Phuket registered accommodation establishments encompassing 106,000 rooms, hotel owners and operators have been plagued by recurring staff shortages. 

With Phuket’s hotel market roaring back this year and year-end forecasts likely to exceed pre-Covid levels, there is mounting concern over the resort island’s failing infrastructure. A surge in full and part-time residents – driven by a sharp uptick in tourism, an overheating property market and wholesale return of development activity – has created massive traffic issues that threaten long-term growth. 

Addressing the situation, C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett said: “High season 2023/2024 is likely to see a traffic gridlock scenario that will have a profound impact on tourists and residents alike. The absolute failure to bring transportation infrastructure projects from paper to reality over the past decade will have long-term repercussions. 

“Key projects that have not found their way forward include the Patong-Kathu tunnel, cross-island expressway and light-rail (LRT). While the current government has made all the right noise about making these projects a priority, there is no public sector funding capacity at present. This effectively means that a series of public-private partnerships or BOT (build-operate-transfer) projects are needed to move these to the execution stage. This includes the much-needed Andaman International Airport.”

Looking towards the coming winter peak period, C9’s market research reveals that both hotels and tourism businesses remain deeply concerned over the slow return of Chinese travellers. Thailand’s image has been damaged in this enormous market, and travel sentiment to the kingdom is muted despite a visa-free initiative. With China’s recovery a work in progress, most hotels are looking to strong demand from Russia, Kazakhstan and India, along with traditional ‘snowbird’ seasonal travellers. 

Despite strong underlying fundamentals for Phuket hotels, C9’s  Barnett points out, “the first-aid, band-aid approach by the public sector to tourism simply won’t work in a mature international destination that Phuket has evolved into. For nearly two decades, the island’s private sector has outgrown antiquated provincial infrastructure. What is desperately needed is a master plan and strategy that can fast-track an ailing infrastructure backbone.”

Read and download C9 Hotelworks Phuket Hotel Market Update

About C9 Hotelworks 

C9 Hotelworks is led by founder and managing director Bill Barnett, who brings over 30 years of experience in the Asian hospitality and real estate sectors. Before founding C9 in 2003, he held senior executive roles in hotel operations, development and asset management. For more information contact www.c9hotelworks.com 

BeMyGuest streamlines Sentosa ticket sales

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 November 2023: BeMyGuest makes it easier for tourists to book Sentosa activities and attractions following its appointment as channel manager for the Sentosa Development Corporation’s website.

Coinciding with ITB Asia last week, BeMyGuest, a B2B distribution platform and booking system headquartered in Singapore, announced it had assumed the role of channel manager service provider for Sentosa Development Corporation.

Photo credit: BeMyGuest

The partnership seamlessly integrates key theme parks and activity providers on Sentosa Island while preserving their existing commercial relationships with Sentosa. Participating establishments include Mega Adventure Park, Royal Albatross, iFly Singapore, Ola Beach Club, Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett, Madame Tussauds Singapore, Singapore Cable Car, Resorts World Sentosa (encompassing Universal Studios Singapore, SEA. Aquarium, Adventure Cove Waterpark),  Sentosa 4D Adventureland, HeadRock VR, Scentopia, Trick Eye Museum, GoGreen Holdings, and many others.

Through BeMyGuest’s channel manager services, Sentosa’s attractions and activities will gain access to third-party booking systems such as Accesso, Galaxy, Viva Ticket, and VGS. Additionally, BeMyGuest brings its proprietary booking system, Xplore, to the table, which enables attractions to deliver a digital-first experience to their customers.

Customers who purchase through the Sentosa website will benefit from the convenience of online direct-entry electronic tickets, instantaneous booking confirmation, real-time availability checks, and the elimination of cumbersome processes, such as the need for voucher exchanges at conventional ticket counters.

About BeMyGuest

BeMyGuest is a B2B distribution and booking platform facilitating the digital sales of attractions, tours, and activities. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore, BeMyGuest connects multiple global booking systems to an extensive network of travel brands across APAC, the Middle East, India, Europe, and the US. It also offers consolidated management of operators’ online, over-the-counter, and B2B sales channels through its modular booking system, Xplore.

Emirates codeshares with Batik Air

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 1 November 2023: Emirates and Batik Air Malaysia today announced a codeshare agreement, allowing Emirates’ customers to access five domestic Malaysian cities and three regional South East Asia points operated by Batik Air via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The Minister of Transport Malaysia, YB Tuan Anthony Loke, graced the launch and lauded the strategic partnership between Emirates and Batik Air, emphasising the numerous opportunities it offers to travellers worldwide.

Photo credit: Emirates.

“We are pleased with the partnership, which has the potential to strengthen Malaysia’s role as a prime gateway to the region. We hope to see an increase in KLIA traffic, especially to facilitate connectivity to regional destinations.”

The enhanced cooperation was introduced by Emirates senior vice president, commercial operations (Far East) Orhan Abbas and Batik Air group strategic director Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy.

Also present at the launch event were  Emirates senior vice president of revenue optimisation and airline partnerships Anand Lakshminarayanan and Emirates country manager Malaysia Saeed Mubarak.

In line with the agreement, Emirates will place its code on Batik Air-operated flights to Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Denpasar, Jakarta and Singapore, offering customers a seamless travel experience as they connect to new destinations using a single ticket, and convenient baggage policy.

Emirates’ customers will also have the option to stop in Kuala Lumpur before proceeding to their final destinations. The airline will gain access to eight additional destinations operated by Batik Air via Kuala Lumpur for interline transfers.

Orhan Abbas commented on this partnership: “Malaysia is an important market in our Far East network. We’re pleased to offer increased connectivity and more options for our customers to new and exciting destinations. Through this partnership, we’ll expand our network reach to more than 1,490 cities worldwide. We look forward to working closely with our partner Batik Air on offering even better choices and more convenient experiences for travellers.”

Emirates has been flying to Malaysia since 1996 and currently operates 21 weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur using a mix of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, serving passengers with its world-class products and services. The airline currently has 30 codeshare, 11 Intermodal and 118 interline partners, including a longstanding partnership with the Jakarta-based Lion Air Group and its subsidiaries Batik Air Indonesia and Batik Air Malaysia.

Tickets can be booked on www.emirates.com, online travel agencies (OTA’s) and via travel agents for travel commencing from 1 November 2023.

(Source: Emirates)

Pandaw adds Mekong expedition dates

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 November 2023: Following the completion of Pandaw’s inaugural 10-night ‘Deeper and Further on The Mekong’ sailing last week, Pandaw confirms the release of new dates for this distinctive expedition in late 2024. 

Sailing further beyond the often-visited areas of the Mekong Delta and waterways of Cambodia than any other passenger river ship, this in-depth exploration is the ideal itinerary for those who want to take a deeper dive into river life and its communities than is possible on the standard Mekong cruise.

The cruise goes deeper to explore remoter areas of the Mekong Delta and further up the main Mekong River than any other river cruise. This pioneering route targets Pandaw club members who seek more immersive experiences in the countries Pandaw ships ply. The first departure last week was exclusively for members.

The river ship of choice for this expedition is the expedition-proven Mekong Pandaw, the first ship to pioneer the river in 2002 and historically open the river border between Vietnam and Cambodia. 

With 24 staterooms, she has been refitted with a spa, library and gym. Constructed in Burma (Myanmar) from golden teak, this is the most spacious of all Pandaw’s 19 ships, with broad promenades running around each deck and a spacious sun deck of over 600 square metres on top. With a draft of only one metre, the Mekong Pandaw can go further upstream than other river ships, and the lower air draft means the vessel can pass under the many new bridges that prevent other ships on the Mekong from exploring tributaries in the more remote sections of the river.

For more cruise details, visit:

To celebrate the launch of the new 10-night dates, Pandaw has put together two special combo cruises that can be joined to this Mekong expedition – the Red River & Halong Bay itinerary and the Upper Mekong cruise. 

Grand Vietnam and Cambodia 21-Night Combo Cruise – 30 September 2024. A full Vietnam and Cambodia adventure from North to South View More

HALONG BAY – SIEM REAP
21 nights
FROM USD8,560.00

The Full Mekong – Four Country, 21-Night Combo Cruise – 22 October 2024. A complete sailing of the navigable Mekong taking in four countries View More

SIEM REAP – CHIANG KHONG
21 nights
FROM USD9,596.00

Book your place today by visiting pandaw.com or contact us at [email protected].

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