KUALA LUMPUR, 28 August 2023: Tourism Malaysia completed its second roadshow to India on 26 August, a two-week-long mission that kicked off Amritsar followed by sales and networking sessions in Lucknow, Nagpur, Pune, Goa, and Coachin.
Headed by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, the roadshow consisted of 45 local organisations comprising hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism product owners, visa consultants, Malaysia-based airlines, and representatives from state tourism boards.
It Followed its first successful roadshow to five major cities in India that took place from 30 January to 7 February 2023, as well as its participation in the recent South Asia Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2023 and Travel Wedding Show in Udaipur, Tourism Malaysia aims.
The two-week-long roadshow featured networking programmes, including business-to-business (B2B) sessions and seminars focused on niche segments such as weddings, golf, filming, and shopping. In addition, the roadshow presented the Visit Malaysia Year, scheduled to take place in 2026.
This year, Malaysia targets 16.1 million international tourist arrivals with MYR49.3 billion in tourism receipts. India remains among the top countries contributing tourist arrivals to Malaysia. In 2022, Malaysia welcomed 324,548 Indian tourists, while in the first quarter of 2023, Malaysia received as many as 164,566 Indian tourists compared to 13,370 in the same period last year.
Currently, there are 158 flights with 30,032 seats offered weekly between India and Malaysia through Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, AirAsia and IndiGo. Indian tourists can now apply for Malaysia’s eVISA Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) via https://malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my/evisa/evisa.jsp.
BANGKOK, 28 August 2023: Air Japan, the low-cost airline subsidiary of All Nippon Airways (ANA), announced last week that it has chosen Bangkok as its first international destination from its home base in Narita, Tokyo.
The airline hosted the Thai media at a launch event to confirm the new service starting on 9 February 2024 with six flights weekly every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Photo credit: Air Japan: Air Japan meets Thai media.
Flight schedule
Narita Tokyo to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi NQ1 will depart Narita at 1755 and arrive in Bangkok at 2315.
Bangkok to Narita Tokyo NQ2 will depart at 0015 and arrive in Narita, Tokyo at 0810.
The flights will use a Boeing Dreamliner 787-900 with a one-way fare starting at JPY15,500.
Earlier this year, ANA announced that Air Japan will operate as a low-cost medium-haul carrier servicing flights to and from Southeast Asia starting in February 2024. Bangkok will be the launch destination.
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2023: Finnair is revamping its Finnair Plus loyalty programme in early 2024, switching to Avios loyalty currency based on spend rather than flights flown and distance covered.
Once Finnair adopts Avios in 2024 as its new loyalty currency, members can collect and use loyalty currency across partner airlines. This includes when they shop online with thousands of leading brands via shopping.ba.com and with IAG Loyalty’s growing list of partners around the world that range from BP, Nectar, and Uber in the UK, Areas airport retail, and Cabify in Spain and Bilt in the US.
Avios is the loyalty currency used by Finnair’s oneworld partners’ loyalty programmes – British Airways Executive Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and Iberia Plus.
Starting this autumn, airlines that adopted Avios loyalty currency are tying customers’ mileage earnings to how much money they spend instead of how far they fly. The changes kick in from mid-October. Finnair follows at a yet-to-be-announced date in early 2024,
Award points will be converted to Avios with a 3:2 ratio, and the purchasing power of the current points remains unchanged – Avios prices are also updated with the same 3:2 ratio.
Members can move from one tier to another based on the money spent on Finnair’s flights and travel extras. Tier limits will be revised to reflect the switch to Avios and the new spend-based earn of tier points.
Collecting tier points and loyalty currency on partner flights will continue to be based on the travel class, booking class, and distance flown. However, they will collect based on miles, not kilometres flown.
Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orvér said: “2024 marks the start of a new era with our loyalty programme, with new benefits and improved options for our members to use their earned Avios – both within Finnair and IAG Loyalty’s partner network.“
“The move to a spend-based programme rewards customers directly for their spending, just like many retail loyalty programmes do. These moves allow us to leverage the full potential of our loyalty programme and make it attractive to a wider audience.”
The programme will feature new benefits to enable members to receive extra rewards, such as additional upgrade benefits, when reaching certain point limits within their existing tier.
As part of the changes, Finnair will also increase the number of award seats – the most popular award among members – and guarantee at least four award seats on Finnair flights within Europe and eight on Finnair long-haul flights.
Finnair is investing in new lounge premises on the Schengen side of Helsinki Airport, Finnair’s home hub, featuring a dedicated area for top-tier members.
The Finnair Plus loyalty programme has over 4 million members worldwide and was first launched in 1992.
About Avios
Avios is the global loyalty currency of the British Airways Executive Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub and Vueling Club. More than 35 million members are worldwide, collecting more than 3000 Avios every second.
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2023: Pandaw, a river cruise specialist in Asia, is offering guests an opportunity to view the Irrawaddy Dolphins in Cambodia’s Kratie province as part of a post-tour tagged on to the Classic Mekong seven-day cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap.
A two-night overland post-tour will be a firm favourite as reports confirm the dolphin population in Kampi district near Kratie has stabilised in recent years due to the efforts of the Cambodian government, environmental organisations and local communities.
In a preview of its upcoming winter sailings focusing on the Mekong River in southern Vietnam and Cambodia, Pandaw is promoting a trip to view the dolphins that can be tagged to the end of the seven-day Classic Mekong River Cruise. Depending on the water level in the Mekong River, the trip to Kratie is either by the Pandaw cruise boat (Sep to Oct) or tour bus during the remainder of the season.
Pandaw reports that introducing sustainable tourism increases awareness and support for conservation efforts to ensure the increase in the dolphin population grows and is sustainable once again.
Pandaw collaborates with local communities in Cambodia’s Kratie province to offer travellers a chance to witness the dolphins in their natural environment and contribute to their preservation.
“During the high-water months of September and October, our low-draft vessels will take advantage of the water levels and sail up to Kratie, the only overnight passenger vessel to do so, and bookings are still open for sailings during September and October 2023,” Pandaw said in an email statement.
For those looking to travel later in the season, Pandaw offers an overland option, including two nights’ accommodation and a full-day trip to the dolphin grounds that can be added pre or post-cruise.
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2023: The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2023 Global Trends Report, released earlier this week, identifies an encouraging resurgence in Travel & Tourism investment, overcoming pandemic setbacks and signalling a strong return to growth.
From 2010 to 2019, investment grew steadily at 4.3% CAGR, growing from USD754.6BN in 2010 to USD1.1TN in 2019, or 4.5% of all economy-wide investments. Covid-19 hit hard, leading to a 24% decline in 2020 and a further 8% in 2021.
2022: a turning point
Spurred by the global pent-up demand, Travel & Tourism investment surged to USD856 billion, up 11.1% from the previous year. Although this was 22.5% short of 2019 levels, it was still 53% higher in 2022 than in 2000.
In regions like Asia-Pacific and Africa, 2022 investment was 161% higher than in 2000, while Europe and the Middle East have shown more restrained growth. The pandemic has undone much of the significant growth in these regions in the last two decades.
Nevertheless, Travel & Tourism investment in these regions in 2022 stayed above the levels seen in 2000.
The US leads the top 10n markets in terms of absolute investment in the sector in 2022 with USD213 billion, showing a sector ready to thrive once again. China trails with a USD146 billion investment in 2022, with Saudi Arabia rounding out the top three with a total investment of USD42 billion in the same year.
Island destinations lead the top spots for Travel & Tourism investment as a total percentage share of their economies in 2022. The US Virgin Islands lead the way, channelling 35% of total economic investment into Travel & Tourism, followed closely by Antigua & Barbuda at 34% and Aruba at almost 32%.
Private investment in new aircraft, hotels, and car fleets is essential for boosting the sector’s capacity. Public investment complements this growth, and the combined investments create a powerful synergy. The ripple effect is more jobs, bigger economies, and stronger communities.
WTTC president & CEO Julia Simpson said: “Investment in Travel & Tourism is not just a numbers game; it is the heartbeat of global connectivity and economic revival. Despite the setbacks from the pandemic, 2022’s growth is a promising sign of what’s to come.
“Investment in Travel & Tourism is integral to the world’s recovery and growth. The sector’s resilience and potential for innovation continue to drive us forward. We remain confident, yet vigilant, in our pursuit of a brighter, more connected global future.”
Future gazing
WTTC forecasts robust 11.5% growth in investment in 2023, amounting to $955BN, with a return to pre-pandemic levels anticipated by 2025. By 2033, WTTC forecasts a promising 6.1% average annual growth globally, with the strongest annualised growth rates projected to be in Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean.
However, the global hike in interest rates creates challenges for future investment. With central banks increasing interest rates to combat rising inflation, the cost of borrowing and products increases.
Higher interest rates could present a risk to future investment in the sector, so the public and private sectors must work together to innovate to ensure the continual strengthening of this vital sector.
To purchase the Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2023 Global Trends Report, please visit wttc.org
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2023: A celebratory cheer welcomed 4,000 Royal Caribbean guests as they arrived in Phu My, Vietnam, on Spectrum of the Seas’ earlier this week for the first of a series of 12-night cruises in Southeast Asia, highlighting Vietnam’s coastal destinations.
Throughout the 12-night cruise, guests explored top Asian destinations, including Tokyo, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima in Japan, Hong Kong, and Nha Trang in Vietnam. Following the port of call in Phu My, Vietnam, the cruise sailed to Singapore.
Caption: (L-to-R) – Spectrum of the Seas’ Captain Wu Huimin, U.S. Consulate General HCMC Deputy Principal Officer Anne Benjaminson, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International Angie Stephen, Chairman of People’s Committee of Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province Nguyen Van Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh and Royal Caribbean International Government Relations (Asia), Regional Vice President Wendy Yamazaki at the Welcome Ceremony earlier this week in Phu My.
Royal Caribbean International vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific Angie Stephen, Spectrum of the Seas’ Captain Wu Huimin, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province Nguyen Van Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh, and the US Consulate General HCMC Deputy Principal Officer Anne Benjaminson exchanged gifts in a welcome ceremony onboard Spectrum of the Seas, after which they were given a tour of the ship.
“Vietnam is a popular travel destination for both Singaporeans as well as our guests from across the world, so we are thrilled to be able to celebrate our sailings to Phu My with key government and cruise industry stakeholders onboard,” said Royal Caribbean International vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific Angie Stephen.
“The onboard event also coincided with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership. Guests explored nearby sights, onshore excursions including exploring Buddhist temples, taking in the Bay of Boats and enjoying guided tours of Ho Chi Minh City, which will all offer an economic benefit to the already thriving tourism industry,” she explained.
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2023: Smiling Albino has hired veteran travel specialist Tim Russell as its new head of marketing communications based out of the regional company’s Bangkok office.
His immediate assignment is to tell Smiling Albino’s stories digitally and in person and shape the company’s marketing tech into a smooth-running machine.
Photo credit: Smiling Albino. Tim Russell
Originally from the UK, he has been in the tourism industry since the pre-email days of the early 90s and first came to Southeast Asia in 2003 residing in Vietnam, where he founded ‘Come and Go Vietnam’ in 2009. After a decade in Ho Chi Minh City, he moved to Bangkok in 2012 as marketing director of Remote Lands from 2012 to 2015.
Most recently, until June 2023, he worked at Khiri Travel as its group marketing manager and before that for Go Real Asia as its COO.
“My first encounter with Smiling Albino was during the Mekong Tourism Forum in Siem Reap in 2010,” says Russell, who added it “became immediately clear that this wasn’t your typical travel business.”
Now, he is convinced it is more different than he initially thought. “I look forward to helping shape the company’s future and introducing a different side to Southeast Asia to our guests and agents.”
Smiling Albino founder Daniel Fraser added: “We are delighted to have Tim on board. He gets what Smiling Albino is all about and has the kind of passion for the region – and experiencing it differently – that will help us to tell our story in a compelling, exciting and head-turning way.”
BANGKOK, 25 August 2023: Thai Vietjet reports a 103.63% growth in revenue and 10.12% growth in passenger traffic during the first half of 2023.
In a press statement released Wednesday, the airline said its business and operation performances for the first half of 2023 reinforced its operational stability and helped to drive network expansion.
Thai Vietjet maintained positive on-time performance (OTP), one of the most crucial indicators for an airline’s successful flight operation. In Q2/2023, the airline’s OTP reached 82%, while the average OTP of Q4/2022 and Q1/2023 were 59% and 68% respectively. Its technical reliability rate stood at 99.68%.
The airline saw significant growth in passenger traffic, with 10.12% growth compared with H1/2022, recording 3.04 million passengers, of which 729,000 were international. By the end of June 2023, the airline had served 21.54 million passengers since its first commercial flight on 29 March 2015.
Thai Vietjet expanded its operational capacity in the first half of 2023, raising its fleet strength to 18 aircraft, a mix of A320 and A321 aircraft. It operated 547 domestic and 190 international flights weekly during the year’s first half. The average domestic load factor was 85% and 77% for international flights.
Since January 2023, Thai Vietjet and the parent Vietjet Group based in Vietnam operated over 4,200 flights between Thailand and Vietnam and transported over 683,000 passengers.
The two airlines operated flights from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Phu Quoc, and Hanoi. In addition, they served the Phuket – Hanoi and Chiang Mai – Ho Chi Minh City routes.
Thai Vietjet’s total revenue grew 103.63% YoY compared to H1/2022. The total revenue was sourced from air tickets (73.20%) and ancillary and in-flight services at 26.72%.
Thai Vietjet continued to expand its route network during the first half of 2023 following network expansion in 2022, resulting in new international services from Bangkok to Singapore, Fukuoka, Taipei, Phnom Penh, Phu Quoc and Danang. In addition, it started four weekly flights between Chiang Mai and Osaka.
Looking forward
The second half of 2023 will continue to see digital service and operational enhancement as the airline’s most important focus to draw more passengers. It will also focus on international expansion studying opportunities to launch new international routes across the Asia-Pacific region.
In terms of fleet expansion, Thai Vietjet will add two more aircraft to its fleet, giving it 20 A320 and A321 aircraft to support its expanding network.
By the end of 2023, Thai Vietjet targets 72% growth in revenue and 9% in passengers. It expects to close the year, having served 6.31 million passengers.
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2023: The Qantas Group has posted its first full-year statutory profit since FY19 and will share the benefits by rewarding employees, reinvesting for customers and returning capital to shareholders.
For FY23, the group achieved an Underlying Profit Before Tax of AUD2.47 billion and a Statutory After Tax Profit of AUD1.74 billion. This compares with AUD7 billion in accumulated statutory losses over three prior years.
Photo credit: Qantas. Soaring back to profitable horizons.
Underpinning the profit, the group’s completed AUD1 billion recovery programme (launched in the first year of those losses) delivered a 132% increase in flying compared with FY22 and strong travel demand, driving significantly higher revenue.
Operational performance improved considerably during the year after a challenging ramp-up. Qantas achieved the best on-time performance of the major domestic airlines for 11 months out of 12, and Jetstar returned to pre-Covid levels.
CEO reports robust travel demand
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “These results show a substantial turnaround in our finances and service over the past year.
“Flight delays and cancellations have largely returned to pre-Covid levels, and we’ve shifted from heavy losses to a strong profit and pipeline of investment worth billions of dollars.
“We safely flew almost 70 billion more seat kilometres and doubled the number of people we carried to 46 million compared to the year before. Travel demand is incredibly robust, and we’ve taken delivery of more aircraft and opened up new routes to help meet it.
“The data shows customer satisfaction has improved significantly, and we’re constantly working to deliver great travel experiences.
“It’s because we’re in a strong financial position that we’re able to invest in new aircraft, new destinations and new training facilities – all things that will make us better.
“Our people have done a superb job under very difficult circumstances. Today’s result means more than 21,000 non-executive staff will receive up to AUD6,000 worth of Qantas shares as a thank-you for our recovery, plus another AUD500 staff travel credit. This is in addition to an AUD5,000 cash payment to eligible employees as new enterprise agreements are finalised.”
International performance
The return to service of seven refurbished Airbus A380s during the year, plus delivery of two new Boeing 787s and eight new A321LRs, helped group international (Qantas and Jetstar) increase flying from 54% of pre-Covid levels to 81% over the period.
This activity and strong demand, particularly in premium cabins, helped drive an underlying EBIT of AUD1.1 billion. Passenger loads averaged above 85% for both Qantas and Jetstar.
Shareholder returns
As of 30 June 2023, the group had liquidity sources of around AUD10 billion, including AUD4.4 billion in cash and undrawn facilities and AUD5.6 billion in unencumbered assets.
Net debt fell to AUD2.89 billion – well below the AUD3.7 billion to AUD4.6 billion target range and the FY19 level of AUD4.7 billion. This exceptional balance sheet strength and cashflows from a structurally enhanced business are expected to underpin future aircraft deliveries and shareholder returns.
The board approved a return to shareholders of up to AUD500 million via an on-market share buy-back, which will commence in September 2023. This follows a return of AUD1 billion during FY23 via share buy-backs at an average price of AUD6.19.
Fleet expansion
The group announced a firm order for 24 widebody aircraft, consisting of 12 Boeing 787s and 12 Airbus A350s. With deliveries starting in FY27 and continuing into the next decade, these aircraft will replace the bulk of the current A330 fleet, with purchase right options stretching out until at least FY37 to provide flexibility for future growth and, ultimately, replacement of the A380 fleet.
This order secures delivery slots for sought-after widebody aircraft with pricing that represents an excellent opportunity for the group. It is in addition to the order for 12 specially modified A350s to operate Project Sunrise flights, arriving in FY26.
The group’s fleet plan has significant flexibility, allowing for adjustments depending on market conditions and its financial framework.
Fares
Fares peaked in the second quarter of FY23 after increasing due to strong demand and industry-wide supply chain constraints.
Additional capacity, moderating fuel costs and a stronger Australian dollar applied downward pressure in the second half, with fares falling by around 12%. In inflation-adjusted terms, domestic fares are now 4% higher than pre-Covid levels, and international fares are 10% higher.
Employee bonuses
Around AUD340 million has been set aside in bonuses for more than 21,000 people, including pilots, cabin crew, engineers and head office staff. This was originally flagged in September 2021 in response to the challenges and hardships employees faced in dealing with the Covid crisis and to incentivise the turnaround.
These bonuses include up to 1,000 Qantas shares (valued at around AUD6,000) that will now vest and an AUD5,000 ‘recovery boost’ that eligible employees receive as enterprise agreements are finalised – around AUD11,000 each. All non-executive employees have today been awarded another AUD500 staff travel credit in addition to AUD500 given earlier this calendar year, valued at AUD20 million.
DUBAI, UAE 24 August 2023: Emirates marks one of its busiest summers ever, carrying over 14 million passengers with average seat load factors exceeding 80% across its global network between June and August.
Looking at the coming months, Emirates’ booking trends show unabated demand for international travel across its network. Destination Dubai remained popular amongst travellers, even during the summer, with two million customers travelling to the airline’s hub to enjoy its year-round attractions and events. During this period, top inbound markets to Dubai (flying Emirates) included the UK, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt and Kuwait. Over 35% of visitors to Dubai travelling on Emirates were families, staying an average of over two weeks to experience the city’s incredible sites and attractions.
This winter season, the airline anticipates another spike in demand for travel to Dubai as the city runs a packed calendar of global conferences, world-class sporting events and more. The city has already welcomed more than 8.5 million international visitors in the first six months of 2023, registering more than a million more visitors during the same time last year.
Emirates’ chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said: “Travel demand across our network has been strong and resilient despite rising cost-of-living pressures in many markets. It shows the value people place on travel – whether for work, play, study, or visiting loved ones; and how essential international air connectivity is to communities.”
He added: “As an early mover in restoring our flying schedules, Emirates worked closely with our industry partners to ensure our readiness to serve customer demand as well as attract visitors through building on the appeal of our home and hub, Dubai. We’re happy to see strong customer preference for our product in all cabin classes, especially in our premium cabins. Emirates will continue to ensure we are delivering the best value for money to our customers by investing in our products and services and in operating an efficient global network.”
From June to August, Emirates operated nearly 50,000 flights to and from 140 cities, carrying over 14 million passengers.
Due to links with 157 airline and rail partners, Emirates offers travellers access beyond its own global network to over 800 cities in 100 countries.
Emirates’ summer highlights
Launched daily flights to a new destination in its network – Montreal, Canada.
Layered on additional flights to serve summer demand to 12 cities: Athens, Brisbane, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Budapest, Bologna, Medina, Jeddah, Entebbe, Venice and Shanghai.
Brought back daily A380 services to Birmingham, Nice, Taipei and Shanghai.
Introduced a new A380 service to Bali, becoming the first operation of its kind in Indonesia.
Introduced its latest four-class A380 aircraft offering Premium Economy seats to Singapore, Los Angeles and Houston.
Announced new interline and expanded codeshare arrangements with Kenya Airways, Air Canada and Philippine Airlines.
