SINGAPORE, 4 August 2023: ONYX Hospitality Group has confirmed it is now managing ‘Amari Raaya Maldives, effective 1 August. The resort is on a private island in the Raa Atoll, Maldives.
The resort features 187 villas, offering guests private beachfront villas, overwater pool villas, and eight food and beverage outlets.
“We are thrilled to manage the prestigious ‘Amari Raaya Maldives’ on behalf of the esteemed Panchshil Group,” said ONYX Hospitality Group CEO Yuthachai Charanachitta. “The Maldives has become a sought-after destination for global travellers, and we are strategically positioned to cater to discerning tourists from key markets, including Russia, Germany, India, United Kingdom, USA, Korea, and Saudi Arabia.”
To celebrate the grand opening, ONYX Hospitality Group offers a 40% discount on villa rates, complimentary transfers for two, a 30-minute private photo shoot, and a memorable group sunset cruise. The offer is valid for bookings up to 23 December 2023.
BANGKOK, 4 August 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts has confirmed the appointment of Pannarat Tantrativud as assistant vice president – CRM & customer service.
In her new role, Pannarat will lead Centara’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and loyalty strategies and the Customer Contact Centre, ensuring optimal customer service, relationship management, retention and commercial returns.
Before joining Centara, Pannarat graduated with a Master of Marketing degree from Monash University in Australia and held several leadership positions across a diverse, multi-industry background such as finance & insurance, entertainment, retail and digital banking & online marketplace. Most recently, Pannarat held the general manager post at Scale 360 Co Ltd, overseeing the digital banking & online marketplace business, focusing on high-quality customer offerings and global online business expansion opportunities.
Pannarat will report directly to Centara Hotels & Resorts vice president of brand marketing and digital Tom Thrussell, who said: “We are delighted to welcome Pannarat to the Centara family. We are confident that her diverse background and experience will make her a valuable asset to our team and greatly contribute to the success of Centara Hotels & Resorts as we continue to provide truly exceptional and personalised experiences for our guests.”
“It is an honour to join Centara Hotels & Resorts as Assistant Vice President – CRM & Customer Service. I look forward to sharing my years of experience, expertise and multi-industry knowledge with our team and working together to ensure our customers always receive the highest service and hospitality,” commented Pannarat.
Centara continues introducing its distinctive Thai-style hospitality and world-class service to new destinations worldwide. The appointment of Pannarat aligns with the company’s vision of providing world-class service and personalised experiences to every customer and its goal of becoming a top 100 global hotel operator.
KUCHING, 4 August 2023: Kuching Food Festival is live, attracting foodies until 20 August, organised by the Kuching South City Council.
The event opened on 28 July, marking the return of a famous food festival that suffered a long pause during Covid.
The annual event promotes the state’s tourism and food industry and reflects Kuching’s title as the ‘UNESCO City of Gastronomy’.
Every evening starting at 1600, the gates open to a multitude of enthusiastic foodies who have queued to get the first crack at the lineup of food stalls crammed with local and international dishes. By 1800, the festival space is packed with visitors greeted with a maze of food stalls that serve a plethora of cosmopolitan food displayed at 285 booths. The nighttime entertainment extends to music concerts and dance.
Visitors can admire the greenery and capture aesthetic photos under the lights at the Garden Show before proceeding to the indoor trade fair, where various merchandise, exhibitions and galleries are open to shoppers.
Pick a couple of evenings from your holiday stay in Kuching to attend the festival, as one night would not be enough to experience the Kuching Festival 2023 fully. The show ends on 20 August.
GURUGRAM, India, 4 August 2023: Air India will introduce nonstop flights between Delhi and Dhaka to improve connectivity between the capital cities of India and Bangladesh.
Starting 15 September 2023, Air India will fly four times weekly between the two cities using an Airbus A320 aircraft.
Air India currently schedules three weekly flights between Kolkata and Dhaka. However, adding the new route between the two capitals will help meet the demand for business travel to and from Dhaka on the back of Bangladesh’s rapid economic growth and overall development.
Air India’s flight AI237 will depart Delhi at 1755, arriving in Dhaka at 2045. The return flight AI238 will leave Dhaka at 2145, arriving in Delhi at 2350. Bookings for the Delhi – Dhaka flights opened on Air India’s website earlier this week.
With four additional weekly flights from Delhi, Air India offers enhanced frequency to Dhaka, enabling connections via Delhi from 14 destinations in India and its Star Alliance partner airlines 14 destinations in North America, the UK, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia.
ABU DHABI, 4 August 2023: Etihad Airways will add a new destination in the US to its network by introducing four weekly flights to Boston starting 31 March 2024.
“We are delighted to introduce flights to Boston, which opens up Abu Dhabi to visitors from the American Northeast and across the United States,” said Etihad Airways chief executive officer Antonoaldo Neves.
Photo credit: Etihad. Boston on the airline’s 2024 schedule.
Expanding US Gateways
This will be Etihad’s fourth US gateway city, complementing Chicago, New York, and Washington services. There are also flights to Toronto in Canada. The addition of Boston further solidifies Etihad’s commitment to providing passengers with enhanced connectivity between North America and Abu Dhabi.
In addition to providing nonstop access to the Boston market, Etihad will offer convenient connections to cities throughout North America through its partnership with JetBlue.
The new Boston route presents exciting opportunities for American travellers to explore Abu Dhabi’s cultural treasures and experience its renowned hospitality.
Etihad will operate flights to Boston four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, fitted out with Business Studios and Economy Smart seats.
Bookings and ticket sales are open for the new route on the airline’s website.
JAKARTA, 4 August 2023: Tourism Malaysia embarked on a sales mission to Indonesia this week, visiting three major cities, Jakarta, Medan and Balikpapan, to present the latest tourism products and packages.
From 30 July to 5 August, Malaysian and Indonesian tourism industry players met for a series of business-to-business sessions in collaboration with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA). Key players in the sales mission included the Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), Sepang International Circuit (SIC), representatives of the Malaysian company My Second Home (MM2H), the Malaysian Homestay Entrepreneurs Association, 15 tourism companies, three product operators, six hotel operators and the Batik Air airline.
The sales mission to Jakarta saw the launch of the Sepang MotoGP campaign that presented travel packages focusing on motorsport action at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) to specialised outbound travel agents in the Indonesian capital.
Sepang MotoGP package prices start at MYR1,717 (IDR5,900,000) for a two-day, one-night trip or MYR2,328 (IDR7,200,000) for four nights. Last year, TX Travel, a partner of Tourism Malaysia since 2018, successfully sold 1,500 motorsports tour packages to Indonesian fans. The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia will be hosted at the Sepang circuit from 10 to 12 November.
In addition to B2B sessions, the sales mission hosted a dinner party attended by representatives of Indonesia’s travel associations, such as the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (ASTINDO), the Association of Indonesian Travel Companies (ASITA) and the Association of Indonesian Tourism Actors (ASPPI).
The tourism sales mission to Indonesia began in Balikpapan before the Malaysian delegation left for Jakarta and was followed by a meeting with industry players in Medan.
Tourism Malaysia director genera Dato Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar described the sales mission as very significant as Indonesia remains one of the most important markets for the tourism sector in Malaysia.
“In 2022, Malaysia recorded 1.481 million tourists from Indonesia, the second highest after Singapore. This position is consistent with present arrival trends for 2023, as we have welcomed 704,147 Indonesian tourists during the first quarter of this year,” he concluded.
MANILA, 4 August 2023: The 2023 Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) is set to take place from 1 to 3 September at the SMX Convention Centre in Pasay City.
With ASEAN integration on the agenda, the travel mart will also present tour packages focusing on Southeast Asian countries that enjoy easy airline access from the Philippines, such as Bali, Siem Reap, and Ho Chi Minh.
In a press launch on Thursday, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) President Fe Abling-Yu was quoted by the Philippines News Agency saying: “This year’s travel fair would focus on promoting popular and emerging tourist destinations in the country.”
The annual event, now in its 34th edition, attracts around 300 exhibitors from 17 regions of the Philippines, including hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism offices.
PHILTOA is optimistic that footfall at the travel show will exceed last year’s count of 60,000 visitors.
Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Nograles, in the same event, recognised the role of events such as PTM in boosting economic growth, according to the PNA report.
“The PTM has unlocked the potential of our globally acclaimed and emerging destinations, providing greater investment and business opportunities for our tourism stakeholders,” she said.
“The TPB is fully committed to innovating and expanding our tourism portfolio, making travelling more exciting, inclusive and sustainable for both locals and tourists alike,” she added.
PTM has strong backing from the Department of Tourism and the TPB.
HANOI, 4 August 2023: The first direct charter flight linking Seoul, Korea and Hue in central Vietnam landed last week, welcomed by tourism and local government leaders at a ceremony hosted by Hue’s Phu Bai International Airport.
Vietjet operated the first-ever charter between the two cities, using an A321 aircraft that arrived on 1 August with 151 passengers, according to the Tourism Information Technology Center (TITC) report.
Representatives of the Hue Department of Tourism welcome Korean visitors (Photo credit: baothuathienhue.vn).
Passengers had purchased a three-night stay in Hue, including hotel stay, sightseeing and airfare from selected Seoul-based tour operators collaborating with Vietjet’s charter sales department.
Some members of the first tour group booked a round of golf at the Laguna Lang Co Resort and participated in an exchange tournament with members from the local Thua Thien Hue Golf Club.
Based on the outcome of the first charter flight, Vietjet is considering follow-up charters from Korea to Thua Thien Hue. Vietjet’s Seoul-Hue charter is the second international route operated by Vietjet to Terminal T2, Phu Bai International Airport, the other being a similar flight operated from Kunming (China) and Hue that took place earlier in the year.
Vietjet executives said the airline would coordinate with the province and Phu Bai International Airport to organise more flights to push tourism to Hue.
SINGAPORE, 3 August 2023: With solo cruising on the rise, luxury and ultra-luxury cruise retailer Panache Cruises advises solo travellers on making the most of their cruise holiday.
As the popularity of solo cruising continues to rise, cruise lines are responding to demand by fitting more single cabins to new and existing ships, making cruise holidays more accessible for solo travellers.
Photo Credit: Pexels.
Whether new to solo travelling or an experienced adventurer, cruising offers safety, abundant amenities, flexibility, and a stress-free break to enjoy alone or with fellow cruisers.
Embarking on a solo trip can be daunting for many, so putting your trust in a luxury cruise line is the best way to ensure your trip will be smooth, safe, and stress-free.
Advice includes choosing a smaller luxury line, making the most of group excursions, choosing flexible dining options and making the most of the ship’s amenities.
People wishing to cruise on their own should also look out for special itineraries where the dreaded ‘single supplements are waived or kept to an absolute minimum. This enables solo travellers to stay in a twin or double cabin on their own for the price of a single cabin.
Panache Cruises founder and managing director James Cole said: “We have seen that solo and single cruises bookings have boomed since Covid, with travellers looking for new ways to explore the world alone.
“Solo travelling can be daunting for many, with safety concerns and what could go wrong when booking alone.
“Choosing a smaller, luxury line ship is always advantageous, especially when booking a solo trip. The smaller the ship, the more at-home guests will feel. With fewer passengers, the staff and crew will quickly adapt to your wants and needs to ensure your trip is as pleasant as possible.
“Small things can go wrong when travelling alone, but cruising takes away a lot of the stress and pressure of booking a trip, allowing you to visit off-the-beaten-track destinations.
“When in port, avoid wandering off alone and getting lost or failing to make it back in time to the ship for the departure time. By joining a group excursion organised by the cruise line, they guarantee that the ship will wait for you should something happen which makes you late. These can be a great way to make new friends and explore safely in a guided group.”
More tips for solo cruising
Planning
Choosing a smaller, luxury cruise ship with fewer passengers is often preferable for solo cruisers. These ships cater to a few hundred guests instead of a mass market resort with thousands of passengers. Fewer passengers mean a higher guest-to-crew ratio, making you feel more cared for while on board. The camaraderie between guests is also much greater on a small ship, as you will become more familiar with the same faces around the ship.
Excursions
Unlike mainstream cruise lines, many shore excursions are included in the standard fare when cruising with luxury and ultra-luxury cruise lines, which is great for ‘new to cruise’ customers. Nonetheless, it is still essential to research and book in advance. Making the most of your cruise line’s portfolio of excursions is a great way to explore new destinations with newfound friends.
Group excursions can be the best way to stay safe when travelling alone. Guided tours can help you explore beautiful destinations without being concerned about where you are or how to return to the ship.
Make the most of the amenities
Luxury and ultra-luxury ships offer some of the most exclusive and indulgent passenger facilities. Travelling solo allows you to personalise your trip and make the most of amenities that suit you best.
Enjoy top-of-the-range spa/fitness facilities, gourmet cooking classes, shopping in boutique stores or gambling in the casino. Many luxury cruise lines will also provide art classes, lecture programmes with a range of specialist subjects and a full entertainment program. Those seeking a quieter venue can retreat to the ship’s library (commonly found on cruise lines such as Oceania Cruises).
Dining options
Some cruise lines ask passengers to choose early or late seating times for dinner and ask them to eat at the same table with the same people each night. Solo cruisers should instead opt for cruise lines with open seating and flexible timing so you can either dine solo or make impromptu plans with passengers you meet in the daytime. Never feel obliged to sit at the same table with the same people every night; ask the Maître d’ if you can change your table and sitting time. The buffet restaurants on board will always be free-seated and offer total flexibility.
SINGAPORE, 3 August 2023: Purposeful shopping is the dominant loyalty driver, more than price, for younger generational consumers, according to new research from American Express conducted in the UK.
Gen Z and Millennial shoppers continue to prioritise retailers’ reputation and brand credentials when choosing where to spend, even when facing a challenging economic and high inflation environment.
Photo credit: American Express.
Their parents’ generation is far more price-motivated regarding loyalty.
The study of 2,000 UK shoppers explored the current drivers of brand loyalty and how retailers can attract and keep customers in the current landscape.
One-third (33%) of 18-34-year-olds (including the Gen Z and Millennial age cohort) said they are more loyal to brands with a positive corporate reputation and values that align with their own, compared to just one in seven shoppers over 55.
As further evidence of their commitment to purposeful shopping, Gen Z and Millennial shoppers were also the most likely to donate their points or cashback earned from loyalty programmes to charitable causes.
The research reveals a distinct ‘loyalty divide’, highlighting the differences in generational attitudes on what increases loyalty towards a retailer.
While an attractive price tag was cited as a loyalty driver for the vast majority (86%) of those over 55, Gen Z and Millennial shoppers were the least likely generational group to consider price as a loyalty driver (49%).
The older generation is less tolerant of poor customer service, too, with almost two-thirds (63%) of shoppers over 55 confirming a poor in-store experience would make them less loyal, compared to under one-third (29%) of younger shoppers.s
The research did reveal some common ground between younger and older generations. A similar proportion of 18-34-year-olds and over 55’s (64% and 54% respectively) said the cost of living pressures meant they are now considering using a loyalty scheme for the first time to help save money. The data revealed that shoppers in both groups signed up for an average of four loyalty schemes.
Opinium Research conducted the research amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults between 9 to 12 May, 2023.
