SINGAPORE, 10 July 2023: IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched its newest campaign, ‘Meet How You Meet’ to boost meeting bookings with benefits such as complimentary rooms and upgrades at IHG Hotels & Resorts across Southeast Asia.
Event planners can choose from tailored offers based to a minimum spend.
The ‘Meet How You Meet’ campaign delivers 121 custom-built offers from IHG MICE hotels and resorts across Southeast Asia. Booking period: Up to 31 December 2023. Applicable for meetings held until 30 June 2024. Complimentary rooms are linked to the number of paid rooms booked for an event, a minimum threshold that differs with each hotel property.
‘Meet How You Meet’ offers across the following popular destinations:
InterContinental Bangkok Minimum spend: USD6,000
Voco Orchard Singapore Minimum spend: USD10,000
Voco Ma Belle Danang Minimum spend: USD7,500
Crowne Plaza Vinh Yen City Centre Minimum spend: USD5,000
Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay Minimum spend: USD5,000
PHNON PENH, 10 July 2023: Destination Mekong has confirmed the appointment of four directors who join 12 other directors to bring the board up to full strength 16 members to supervise the affairs of the destination management organisation until 2025.
Directors joining the board this month are:
Nikolas Hatz, managing director HatzConsult and Lead Consultant & Tourism Development Export | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ);
Hannah Pearson, founder Pear Anderson and Regional Director Asia Adventure Travel Trade Association;
Phan Thanh Ha, Partnership Officer ASSET – H&C network;
Guido Neil, Director of Special Operations 12Go. (renewal of directorship).
Additionally, new board members representing the most significant financial contributors to Destination Mekong are:
For the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC): Thierry Tea, Vice President;
For the World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Jedsada Taweekan, Regional Illegal Wildlife Trade Program Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong;
For Confluences: Dara N. Van, Business Development & MarCom Manager;
For Control Union: Dilum Wijenayaka, General Manager, Control Union Cambodia;
SYDNEY, 10 July 2023: Jetstar will start direct flights between Melbourne and Fiji (Nadi) on 16 December, before the busy Christmas holiday.
Using an Airbus A321neo LR the airline will operate three weekly flights with capacity to uplift 72,000 customers to the South Pacific nation annually.
Photo credit: Jetstar
It’s the first time a low-cost carrier has offered nonstop flights from Melbourne to Fiji, and kick-off sales Jetstar offered one-way fares from AUD179 for just one day last week.
Jetstar’s Chief Customer Officer, Alan McIntyre, said now Melburnians can access great low fares and nonstop service to Fiji.
“Since relaunching our Sydney to Fiji services, we’ve seen strong demand from Melbourne travellers, and from December, they will be able to fly direct,” said McIntyre. “Fiji is a hugely popular destination for Australians, and with interest continuing to grow, we’re offering more than 70,000 great low fares seats each year between Melbourne and Fiji.”
The announcement comes just days after Jetstar began flying between Sydney and another new South Pacific destination, Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands, using its NEO. The Airbus A321neo LR will also be deployed on the carrier’s existing Sydney to Fiji service starting from 29 October 2023, adding 46 seats per flight compared to the Airbus A320.
To support flying Melbourne to Fiji, the service between Sydney and Fiji will change to three return flights a week from 16 December 2023. The airline will offer six weekly flights from Australia to Fiji between the two services.
Melbourne-Fiji timetable starting 16 December 2023
Last week, Jetstar announced the launch of its fourth weekly return service between Sydney and Seoul, effective 5 February next year. Jetstar started flying between Sydney and the South Korean capital in November 2022 and currently operates three flights a week, carrying more than 60,000 customers a year between the two destinations. The fourth weekly service between Sydney and Seoul adds another 30,000 low fares to the popular route yearly.
Last week the low-cost carrier also announced three new flights every week between Brisbane and Seoul starting on 1 February 2024. It will boost Jetstar’s presence on routes from Australia to Seoul, Korea, to daily flights —Sydney (4) or Brisbane (3) — from next February, raising seat capacity to around 240,000 across the two routes.
Australia-Seoul timetable starting 5 February 2024
HONG KONG, 7 July 2023: Marriott Bonvoy relaunches collaboration with frequent flyer programmes (FFP), Air China PhoenixMiles and China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club.
Air China PhoenixMiles and China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club are China’s most prominent frequent flyer programmes. By collaborating with these two frequent flyer programmes, Marriott Bonvoy members will earn more miles faster.
Benefits
Marriott Bonvoy members can choose to earn Marriott Bonvoy points or the flyer programme miles when making eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. The miles range from one to two miles per USD spent on all qualifying charges across different Marriott Bonvoy brands.
Members can transfer their points to miles for Air China PhoenixMiles or China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club at a conversion rate of 3:1. With every 60,000 points exchanged. Joint members will also receive an additional 5,000 bonus miles.
DUBAI UAE, 7 July 2023: Emirates introduced flights to Montréal on Wednesday, marking the airline’s first passenger service to Québec’s culture capital and its second gateway in Canada.
Emirates flight EK243 carried 340 passengers, including a VIP delegation and media, on the inaugural flight to Montréal, which complements Emirates’ seven weekly services to Toronto and takes the airline’s North American network to 14 destinations and 18 across the Americas.
Photo (from left to right) – David Broz, Vice President of Aeropolitical and Industry Affairs; HE Radha Krishna Panday, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE; Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer; and Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Americas.
The service connects travellers to Canada via Dubai from points such as Lebanon, India, Iran, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa.
Direct services between Dubai and Montréal should meet demand from business and leisure travellers, including those visiting family and friends. With Montréal being home to many world-class universities, the route is expected to become popular amongst students from the Middle East and Asia.
Emirates executives onboard the inaugural flight included: Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer; Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Americas; and David Broz, Vice President of Aeropolitical and Industry Affairs. Present at the airport to bid farewell to the delegation was HE Radha Krishna Panday, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE.
Emirates will operate its three-class Boeing 777-300ER on the route, featuring eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and over 300 spacious seats in Economy Class for the daily service.
For more information and to make bookings visit: www.emirates.com
BANGKOK, 7 July 2023: LifeStyles on 26 at Centara Grand at CentralWorld now offers fitness enthusiasts an opportunity to spice up their exercise routine with a high-energy Zumba session.
Zumba is not just about having a blast, though. It’s proven to tone your legs, arms, and abs while burning up to 600 calories an hour. That’s right; you can burn more calories than running or cycling while enjoying the beat of lively Latin music.
The expert instructors at LifeStyles on 26 are committed to making your Zumba experience the best it can be. With classes three times a week, they will guide you through all the right moves, each targeting a different area of your body.
The fun-filled dance workouts at LifeStyles on 26 are held every Monday from 1900 to 2000. The drop-in price for a one-hour session is THB400. Non-members can save big by purchasing 10 or 20-session bundles at THB3,500 and THB6,000, respectively.
LifeStyles on 26 offers a full range of bodybuilding, body sculpting, body toning, and fat-burning activities to help you achieve your fitness goals. To learn more about the services, visit us or call 02-100-6299.
SINGAPORE, 7 July 2023: Air Astana has opened ticket sales for a new direct flight from Almaty to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, which will commence on 1 October 2023.
Services will initially operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays using an Airbus A321neo aircraft.
Photo credit: Air Astana.
The flight will depart Almaty at 1840 and arrive in Jeddah at 2230, with the return flight leaving at 2330 and arriving in Almaty at 0815. All times are local. The flight time will be six hours 50 minutes outbound and five hours 45 minutes inbound to Almaty.
“Saudi Arabia has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which will be interesting not only for the pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina but also for tourists looking to visit cultural, historical and natural sites on the Red Sea,” said Air Astana vice president marketing and sales Adel Dauletbek. “Passengers travelling to Jeddah are offered convenient connections from other cities in Kazakhstan, as well as from Tashkent, Dushanbe and Bishkek. We also expect tourists from Saudi Arabia to explore Kazakhstan.”
Round-trip economy fares start at USD734 and round-trip business tickets start at USD1584. Ticket sales are now open on the airline’s website, at ticket sales offices, accredited travel agencies, and the airline’s booking and information centre. Citizens of Kazakhstan need to obtain an e-visa before travelling to Saudi Arabia.
L/R: Noredah Othman, CEO, Sabah Tourism Board, Malaysia and Dr Gerald Perez, vice president, Guam Visitors Bureau, USA.
BANGKOK, 7 July 2023: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) confirmed the re-appointment of Noredah Othman, CEO of Sabah Tourism Board, Malaysia and the appointment of Dr Gerald Perez, vice president of Guam Visitors Bureau, USA, to the PATA Executive Board for two-year terms effective since 27 June 2023.
With 30 years of experience in Sabah Tourism, Noredah Othman is Sabah Tourism Board’s longest-serving officer. She is responsible for marketing and promotion of the destination.
Dr Gerry Perez currently serves as the vice president of the Guam Visitors Bureau and is a founding member of the Micronesia Cruise Association.
Othman and Perez join the other Executive Board members comprising Peter Semone, Chair PATA; Benjamin Liao, Vice Chair PATA and Chairman, Forte Hotel Group, Chinese Taipei, Singapore; Suman Pandey, Secretary/Treasurer PATA and President, Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure Nepal; Tunku Iskandar Group President Mitra Malaysia Sdn Bhd Malaysia; SanJeet Managing Director DDP Publications Private Ltd India; Luzi Matzig Chairman Asian Trails Ltd Thailand and Dr Fanny Vong, President – Macau Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Macau, China. Non-voting members are Soon-Hwa Wong, CEO AsiaChina Pte Ltd Singapore and Mayur (Mac) Patel, Head of Asia, OAG, Singapore.
The new executive board members were ratified at the PATA Annual General Meeting held online on 27 June 2023.
SINGAPORE, 7 July 2023: Vietjet increases frequencies to 34 flights per week to Australia, starting with an upgrade to daily flights on the routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney and Melbourne, effective this December.
Flights to Brisbane will also increase to three weekly The three Australian cities have been named among the top 10 most liveable cities by Economist Intelligence Unit.
The Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney flights will increase to daily services starting 5 December 2023.
The flight departs Ho Chi Minh City HCM at 1905 and arrives in Sydney at 0805 the following morning (local time). From Sydney, the flight departs at 1115 and lands in Ho Chi Minh City at 1615 (local time).
Effective 1 December 2023, direct flights from HCM to Melbourne also increase to daily. The flight departs HCM at 1050 and arrives in Melbourne at 2335. The return flight departs Melbourne at 0130 and arrives in HCM at 0620 (local time).
The HCM to Brisbane flights increase to three flights per week. Starting 6 December 2023, the flight departs HCM at 1055 and arrives in Brisbane at 2210. The return flight departs Brisbane at 2340 and arrives in HCM at 0505 on the following day.
From now until 15 August 2023, passengers can gain a 50% discount on fares to Australia when entering code SKYBOSSPROMO50 for SkyBoss tickets and code BUSINESSPROMO50 for business tickets.
SINGAPORE, 7 July 2023: IndiGo will introduce a new service linking Mumbai in India with the Indonesian capital Jakarta starting 7 August.
In a press statement released last week, the airline said it would be its 28th international destination and the first service to link India’s financial capital Mumbai with Jakarta.
Photo credit: Indigo Facebook
This week, sales for the new daily flight opened on the airline’s website. The direct service will reduce the flight time between the two countries and encourage an increase in Indian business and leisure travellers to visit Jakarta.
The shortest flight duration on the route Mumbai-Jakara is eight hours and 50 minutes on a one-stop service with a change of plane in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Flying Singapore Airlines with a plane change in Singapore, the flight time extends to 10 hours and 55 minutes. Once Indigo launches a direct service, the flight time will reduce to six hours and 45 minutes with a roundtrip fare starting at USD404.
Jakarta is Southeast Asia’s capital and largest city, while Indonesia is a favourite leisure destination for Indian tourists.
IndiGo head of global sales Vinay Malhotra commented: “We are excited to unveil Jakarta amongst the newest destinations within our expanding international network. As India and Indonesia look at
strengthening bilateral ties and increasing direct connectivity, the opening of this new route will enable easy access and promotion of trade and tourism across the two nations.”
India is one of the top five source markets generating visits to Indonesia. This year Indonesia is targeting 8.5 million foreign tourist visits.”
Flight schedule
About IndiGo
IndiGo has a fleet of over 300 aircraft operating over 1800 daily flights and connecting 78 domestic destinations and will soon further grow its international footprint to 32 international destinations. India by IndiGo.
