SINGAPORE, 18 December 2023: Australia’s national carrier Qantas has taken delivery of its first new generation A220, becoming the 20th operator of the latest aircraft type.
The aircraft is the first 29 A220s ordered by the Qantas Group for operation by QantasLink, their regional airline that services metropolitan and regional destinations across Australia.
The A220 will gradually replace the existing 717 fleet at QantasLink. Flying twice as far, the A220 can connect any two points across Australia nonstop while bringing a significant 25% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft.
With a total of 137 seats, Qantas’ A220s will be configured in a two-class layout, seating 10 passengers in business and 127 in economy.
Powered by the latest Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines, it can fly up to 3,450 nautical miles or 6,390 kilometres nonstop.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A220 can operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030.
Airbus has received close to 850 orders from 30 customers for the A220, of which over 300 have been delivered worldwide.
BUSAN Korea, 18 December 2023: In 2023, the MICE city of Busan was able to attract and host various global MICE events, allowing it to grow into a world-renowned MICE destination.
For example, the city secured the opportunity to host the Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) Annual Conference 2025 and World Statistics Congress (WSC) 2027, and successfully hosted the 20th International Microscopy Congress (IMC20), in addition to a number of other major MICE events. However, Busan’s efforts to achieve sustainable growth as a MICE city extended beyond just attracting and hosting events.
Choose Busan for MICE Event Success
The BTO CVB spent 2023 attracting new MICE events and preparing to host MICE events scheduled to be held in Busan. The 2023 Human Proteome Organization World Congress (HUPO 2023) and 2023 World Congress on Biosensors, attended by biotechnology professionals from around the world, were held successfully in Busan, cementing the city’s reputation as a top host city for global science and technology events. Busan also hosted the 11th Annual Meeting of the Asian Organization for Crohn’s and Colitis, held in conjunction with the 6th International Meeting on Intestinal Diseases and the Annual Congress of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Disease, the foremost academic exchange on inflammatory bowel disease, attended by over 900 experts from 20 countries, and the 2023 Congress of the International Council on Combustion Engines, attended by over 800 experts from 38 countries. These events made clear the vast potential of Busan as a MICE city that can host a wide range of events in various industries.
Source: Busan Tourism Organization
The BTO CVB actively promoted Busan as a host city at major MICE events held around the world, which is one way it attracts MICE events to the city. As a result, in 2024, the 5th Session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is scheduled to take place in Busan. The event is expected to provide momentum for Busan’s projects in the marine environment sector, including the formation of clusters for resource circulation. The International Geographical Congress 2024, the foremost international conference in the field of geology, will also be held in Busan next year. The event will undoubtedly help the city’s efforts in having Busan National Geopark registered as a UNESCO World Heritage. The 2024 World Volunteer Conference is another international event coming to Busan. It will be an opportunity for Busan to lead a positive change in the global paradigm of goodwill and volunteer work.
With these major global MICE events on tap in Busan for 2024, the BTO CVS is making the necessary preparations. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BTO CVB has made aggressive efforts to attract even more international conferences to Busan. These efforts were able to secure a number of major events, including the Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) Annual Conference 2025, 2027 Korea-Japan Conference on Ferroelectrics, and World Statistics Congress (WSC) 2027.
Play, Work, Live Busan!
Source: Busan Tourism Organization
In addition to its work at attracting and hosting events, the BTO CVB has also made many other efforts to the lay the foundation for Busan’s continued growth as a MICE city. In 2023, the BTO CVB adopted the motto “Play, Work, Live Busan” to impress upon MICE organizers and visitors the indelible image of Busan as a well-rounded, global MICE brand that is ideal for work, vacation, and living. Under the “Play, Work, Live Busan” slogan, promoters emphasized the city’s mountains, sea, and urban area and the ability to get to anywhere within the city in 30 minutes, along with the area’s appeal as a workation destination.
Source: Busan Tourism Organization
In 2023, the BTO CVB participated in large international MICE events, such as ITB-Asia 2023 and IBTM World 2023, to promote Busan as an attractive host city for MICE events, keep up to date with the latest MICE industry trends, and make qualitative improvements to Busan’s MICE industry.
The BTO CVB also worked to bring more incentive tourism to Busan. A fam tour for American incentive travel agencies, the fam tour program “Meet in Busan,” and a host of other fam tours were held this year and attended by MICE professionals from multiple countries. While on their tours, visitors could directly see and experience Busan’s advanced MICE infrastructure and a wide range of tourism and entertainment offerings as a maritime tourism city.
The BTO CVB also made great strides in ESG management as part of its efforts for the sustainable growth of Busan’s MICE industry. The BTO CVB diligently supported training programs to raise ESG awareness and conducted ESG networking to create solidarity within Busan’s MICE industry to further ESG activities, which are increasingly being prioritized worldwide.
Over the last 10 years, Busan’s MICE industry has experienced explosive growth highlighted by hosting 100,000 events while drawing over 55 million visitors. Many spots in Busan make it an ideal city for tourism and MICE events, including BEXCO, BPEX, the area’s hotels that also double as great MICE venues, and the officially designated 23 Busan Unique Venues. The city also boasts an ideal workation environment. Leveraging its distinctive advantages and successful hosting experiences in global MICE events, Busan is poised for further growth in 2024.
BHUTAN, 18 December 2023: In a groundbreaking initiative, Zhiwa Ling Heritage Hotel in Paro, Bhutan, hosted the first-ever Trashion Show recently, transforming trash into wearable art, emphasising sustainable practices and utilising renewable Bhutanese resources.
Divided into 10 groups, participants created designs that promoted eco-friendly fashion and fostered teamwork, communication, and leadership.
Zhiwa Ling managing director Brent Hyde expressed his pride in the team’s efforts, highlighting how the event evolved from a simple project into a powerful symbol of sustainability. Ten teams took place, with participants embarking on a unique journey, creating designs that promoted eco-friendly fashion.
Ten teams took place with participants embarking on a unique journey, creating designs that promoted eco-friendly fashion.
“The Trashion Show became a vehicle to unite people and develop cooperation, communication, and collaboration skills uniquely,” said Hyde. “Team members collaborated beyond their usual roles, fostering a greater understanding of each other’s skills and ideas. Leaders emerged from unexpected quarters, gaining valuable experience in guiding teams and enhancing communication skills,” he said.
Zhiwa Ling Hotel’s commitment to showcasing creativity and passion was evident as each team presented a short documentary capturing their journey from project inception to completion. This event promotes sustainable fashion and aligns with Bhutan’s leadership in ecotourism and sustainability, emphasising happiness and the protection of the country from the damage of over-tourism.
In a world where environmental consciousness is paramount, Zhiwa Ling’s Trashion Show inspires a new younger generation, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
About the Zhiwa Ling Hotel Located in Paro, Bhutan, the Zhiwa Ling Heritage Hotel is surrounded by breathtaking views of the Paro Valley and the majestic Himalayan peaks.
SINGAPORE, 18 December 2023: Lufthansa Group Airlines plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv starting 8 January 8, 2024, with 20 flights weekly.
Meanwhile, flights to Beirut (Lebanon) resumed on 15 December. Both the Tel Aviv and Beirut flights by the group airlines will use A320s.
Lufthansa Group Fahnen LAC
In the first phase, Lufthansa Airlines will initially offer four weekly flights from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv and three weekly flights from Munich.
Austrian Airlines is planning eight weekly connections and SWISS five weekly flights. This will give the Lufthansa Group airlines 20 weekly connections to and from Tel Aviv, corresponding to around 30% of the regular flight schedule.
This flight schedule offers convenient transfer connections from Israel to North America via the Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Zurich hubs. The schedule will be published on Monday, 18 December, when bookings will open for all flights.
Lufthansa Group Airlines suspended its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv on 9 October 2023. The flights to Beirut (Lebanon), which have also been suspended, were resumed last week by Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings.
PHUKET, 18 December 2023: Global economic recovery have prompted soaring inbound migration to Phuket, creating one of Asia’s most dynamic and diverse international communities, according to C9 Hotelworks’ latest comprehensive investment report on the Phuket economy.
“With a fast-moving tourism and property market, we are now witnessing a rapid diversification of the economy into areas such as international education, health and wellness, retail, and marine industries,” said C9 Hotelworks’ managing director Bill Barnett.
The report covers key island economic data, including tourism, hotels, real estate, key demand generators, and infrastructure. It features key metrics and looks at the potential shift in Phuket’s development.
Phuket has experienced a remarkably sustained tourism growth trajectory over the past 40 years. Since the emergence of Asia’s tiger economies in the 1980s, its strategic geographic location and the rise of Thailand as one of the world’s major tourism destinations have created a strong service sector.
The island’s tourism journey has continued, starting with budget travellers and European snowbirds escaping the winter and onwards to market maturity. Throughout this time, Phuket witnessed the birth of iconic tropical pool resorts and was the starting point for two global luxury brands: Aman Resorts and Banyan Tree.
Within close proximity to two of Asia’s leading financial markets, Hong Kong and Singapore, Phuket’s hotel, tourism, and real estate sectors have accumulated considerable direct foreign investment over the years. Its strong and successful track record has continued to attract Thai institutional capital and overseas private equity, family offices, and publicly listed investors.
Moving through the global pandemic, the Phuket Sandbox was the starting point for Thailand’s international reopening, and Phuket was the first Southeast Asian resort market to welcome global visitors. Covid-19 also led to a boom in the island’s luxury real estate sector, as domestic and foreign high-net-worth buyers opted for a new lifestyle. “We conclude that the island is entering a noteworthy new era of development that will create a platform for one of the region’s most desirable international destinations,” said Barnett.
To download and read The Phuket Report – Economy In Transition CLICK
SINGAPORE, 18 December 2023. Hahn Air reports it is back on a successful business track as a leading provider of ticketing services for travel agents, having integrated 23 new airlines into its partner network.
The global system is headquartered in Germany, services the ticketing requirements of 350 carriers, and supplies more than 100,000 travel agencies in 190 markets that can process bookings for flights of Hahn Air’s partners through their Global Distribution Systems (GDS).
“We are very pleased with this year’s business results”, reports Hahn Air CEO Kirsten Rehmann: “It is fantastic to see the travel industry finally recovering, with ticket sales reaching almost 2019 levels. Now, we are looking forward to next year, which will mark the 25th anniversary of our ticketing business.”
Eleven airlines entered an interline agreement with Hahn Air, while twelve partners expanded their distribution reach with one of Hahn Air’s sister companies, Hahn Air Systems and Hahn Air Technologies.
Travel agents can book and ticket all partners by choosing Hahn Air as the validating carrier. For the interline partners, this includes markets where the airlines are not participating in local settlement systems (BSPs or ARC), do not grant ticketing authority, or do not accept the preferred payment method.
The new Hahn Air partners 2023 are: (Available under their own two-letter-code)
Air Connect (KS), Romania (GDS: Amadeus, Sabre)
Air Tanzania (TC), Tanzania (GDS: Abacus, Amadeus, Galileo, Infini, Sabre, Travelsky)
Air Transat (TS), Canada (GDS: Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan, Travelport)
Air Premia (YP), South Korea (GDS: Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Abacus)
About Hahn Air Hahn Air is a German scheduled and executive charter airline. Since 1999, it has offered indirect distribution services to other airlines and thus provides ticketing solutions to 100,000 travel agencies in 190 markets. With more than 20 years of experience, the company has established itself as the market leader. Today, Hahn Air’s partner network encompasses more than 350 partner airlines. Hahn Air offers its distribution services exclusively to transportation companies and ticketing solutions to travel agents only. Hahn Air is 100% owned by the Hahn Air Group, an international corporation based in Dreieich near Frankfurt, Germany.
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 December 2023: Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) took the coveted World’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre 2023 award at the recent World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2023 in Dubai.
MITEC Head of Marketing & Sales, Cemone Chua, and Senior Food & Beverage Manager Mohan Vasanthathevan received the award MITEC was nominated alongside 18 major players in the international business events industry, including past winners of the WTA, such as Las Vegas Convention Centre, ExCeL London, Qatar National Convention Centre, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and The Convention Centre Dublin,
Photo credit: MITEC.
MITEC became the first Malaysian purpose-built venue for meetings, conferences, exhibitions and lifestyle events to win a WTA World Award since the inception of the award in 1993. MITEC is Malaysia’s only venue to win the WTA World and WTA Asia Awards for Leading Meetings and Conference Centre in the same year.
With 52,000 sqm of exhibition and convention space, MITEC is the largest trade and exhibition centre in Malaysia. 2023 has been the busiest year for the centre since its reopening post Covid-19, hosting over 160 events with over 3 million visitors in 2023. participants.
The exchange of goods, services, and ideas within this dynamic environment stimulates economic activity, fostering collaboration and business development.
Since its opening in 2017, MITEC has contributed an estimated RM1 billion in economic impact to Malaysia.” in demand for skilled professionals, creating jobs that span event management, hospitality,
KUCHING 15 December 2024: Sarawak will host the ASIACRAFT Expo & Conference 6 to 8 December 2024 at the Borneo Convention Centre, in Kuching.
Organisers of the show and the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Sarawak, announced details of the 2024 event at a press conference earlier this week, saying the objective is to become Malaysia’s Premier International Craft and Creative Industry event.
Photo credit: Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak.
In the long run, the expo will support the craft industry and expand markets worldwide through digital transformation through online channels.
Chairing the ASIACRAFT 2024 Organising Committee is YB Datuk Snowdan anak Lawan, Deputy Minister (Creative Industry and Performing Arts), Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts.
“In addition to the opening up of new markets and assisting the craft and creative arts industry in adopting digital technologies, including ‘onboarding’ e-commerce platforms, ASIACRAFT 2024 will incorporate both B2B and B2C elements to provide exhibitors the opportunity to meet both trade buyers and sell to consumers,” the deputy minister explained.
YB Datuk Snowdan cautioned that promoting crafts and the creative industry depends on the adoption of digital tools to reach worldwide markets, prompting the committee to adopt the 2024 Expo theme: “Transformation of the Craft and Creative Industry in the Digital Economy”.
ASIACRAFT 2024 Expo and Conference, which is expected to attract 200 exhibiting companies from Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand, will highlight Sarawak’s rich heritage of traditional crafts, arts and housewares and promote its products in the international markets.
ASIACRAFT 2024 will present B2B and B2C channels during the three-day event, firstly for business and trade visitors, on Friday, 6 December. Consumers and international visitors will join the event on 7 and 8 December to buy handicrafts or to appreciate the artistic and creative works of artisans demonstrating their skills during the show.
BANGKOK, 15 December 2023: Central Pattana, a global real estate developer, together with Centara Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel operator headquartered in Thailand, are introducing a pet-friendly initiative that removes a weight restriction on pets.
The new initiative applies to their Korat, Ubon, Udon, and soon-to-be-open Ayutthaya hotels while also launching pet-friendly cafés and restaurants at these same properties in Thailand’s Northeast and North Bangkok regions.
Kevin Deydier De Pierrefeu, Centara area general manager overseeing Centara Udon, Ubon and Korat, expressed enthusiasm: “We’re thrilled to become a part of the pet parent community. As a devoted pet owner myself, I understand the boundless affection we hold for our furry companions. By eliminating weight restrictions, we lead as the first hotels in Thailand’s Northeast and North Bangkok regions to wholeheartedly support pet owners, championing our belief that companionship transcends weight or breed. Our mission is seamless travel for all pet owners and their beloved fur babies, allowing guests to experience Thailand’s exotic beauty with the ones they love”.
Centara will introduce a minimal surcharge of THB500 per one pet or THB600 per two pets per night, with a maximum of two pets per room across all four Centara hotels in Korat, Ubon, Udon and the upcoming Ayutthaya location, with the goal enabling pet owners to relish their holidays, free from concerns or cost-prohibitive fees.
Each property also launches indoor and outdoor pet-friendly cafés and restaurants, warmly welcoming local pet owners. Menus specially crafted for animals, featuring the Best Friend’s Beef Bowl, Grilled Chicken & Liver Pasta, Cheese, and Tuna Sweetcorn Mayo with Butter have also been introduced.
SINGAPORE, 15 December 2023: Marriott International and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have improved member benefits, including a status match and a fast track to obtain a higher elite status.
The latest improvements, in addition to the two-way points and miles transfer benefits for members of both programmes that kicked in during January 2023, allow eligible members to convert their Marriott Bonvoy points to KrisFlyer miles and vice versa.
The latest benefits
• Status Match: Members can enjoy elite status matches according to the elite tiers of both programmes. Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members will receive a status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold. In contrast, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador members will receive a KrisFlyer Elite Silver tier status match.
Marriott Bonvoy Elite status benefits may include room upgrades, late check-outs, bonus points and welcome gifts. KrisFlyer Elite status benefits may include bonus miles, complimentary seat selection for customers flying with Singapore Airlines, complimentary lounge access, priority check-in and boarding and additional baggage allowance.
• Accelerated Pathways to higher tiers: Eligible Marriott Bonvoy members can accelerate the upgrade of their KrisFlyer membership to higher tiers by completing two to four flights with SIA within six months. Similarly, eligible KrisFlyer members can achieve accelerated status matches with Marriott Bonvoy by staying three to 10 nights at any participating Marriott Bonvoy hotel for six months.
● Access to Exclusive Promotions: Marriott Bonvoy and KrisFlyer will periodically launch campaigns where members can earn miles and points through their hotel stay and flights.
