SINGAPORE, 27 June 2023: OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels will add to investments in its home market of Hawaii with a planned acquisition at Kaua‘i Beach Resort & Spa.
Located in Līhu’e town on the ‘Garden Island’ of Kaua’i, the resort spans 25 lush acres of beachfront property and features 350 guestrooms with unparalleled ocean views. The transaction is expected to be completed and closed on 22 August 2023.
OUTRIGGER Kaua‘i Beach Resort & Spa.
Once acquired, Kaua’i Beach Resort & Spa will represent an important milestone in OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels’ ongoing expansion efforts – offering guests a full-service resort on all four of the major Hawaiian Islands.
“OUTRIGGER’s legacy in Hawaii spans 75 years; we remain committed to being exceptional stewards of this special place and its rich cultural heritage while contributing to the prosperity of the local community,” said OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels President and CEO Jeff Wagoner. “OUTRIGGER managed Kaua’i Beach Resort & Spa in the ’90s, so this transition feels like a welcome home – we look forward to further enhancing the property for our guests and hosts”.
This news comes on last month’s announcement that OUTRIGGER will be the new steward of Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel on Maui. It will be the seventh acquisition the company has made in the last two years here in Hawaii, Thailand and the Maldives.
The OUTRIGGER brand is renowned for its premier beach locations, must-see beach bars, authentic live music, signature experiences and a commitment to conservation.
KUCHING, 27 June 2023: The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) made a spectacular comeback this year, with ticket sales surpassing 2022 figures.
The festival opened last Friday and attracted sell-out crowds nights through to the finale on Sunday evening. Entertainment reached a full crescendo with internationally renowned musicians, ‘Big Mountain’ famous for their song, ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’, closing the festival on Sunday.
This year’s RWMF created a new record for the Malaysia Book of Records for “Most Percussionists in a Music Festival”.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) targeted the record over the three-day RWMF celebration, which involved a massive turnout of percussionists sending a strong message of unity, togetherness and oneness, at the same time elevating international recognition of the iconic RWMF.
Another highlight of day 2 was the launch of the ‘Market @ RWMF 2023’ by the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, YB Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. The market showcased products by over 200 local vendors, including crafts, fashion, lifestyle and wellness-related services, drawing the bulk of the RWMF crowd.
The second day also witnessed the crowd being thrilled by the performance from Grammy Award winner Gipsy Kings Featuring Tonino Baliardo, famous for the hit ‘Bamboleo’.
“The overwhelming response in the first two days of RWMF 2023 has exceeded our expectations and proven the strong appeal of our festival’s content, ‘beyond music’ – with culture, food and overall strong camaraderie among local and international performers and visitors. We continue to advocate Responsible Tourism creating awareness on the importance of planetary health, which has further fuelled a defining zeitgeist movement of sustainability among our audience extending the spirit of RWMF beyond the traditional music-based festival,” according to Sarawak Tourism Board CEO, Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor.
Themed ‘Reflections’, the RWMF’s first full physical experience since the pandemic, was ruminated on the experiences and lessons learned in the last three years of the pandemic and how far the RWMF had evolved since its inception in 1998.
The opening night of Rainforest World Music Festival 2023 saw original performances by Rastak from Iran, At Adau from Sarawak and local Sarawakian international artist Zee Avi.
The Sarawak Cultural Village, home of the RWMF, housed performances at the ‘Jungle Stage’ and the ‘Tree Stage’ and workshops from the Bidayuh, Iban, Chinese and Malay houses. Additional performances also livened the atmosphere throughout the grounds of the festival.
Building on its commitment to Responsible Tourism, the RWMF has been consistently steadfast in its sustainability efforts. This year, the festival has taken further steps to reduce its ecological footprint. One such initiative was the introduction of seed paper for festival tags, a biodegradable material embedded with seeds that grow when planted in soil, reinforcing the festival’s deep connection to nature.
The festival also banned single-use plastics, encouraging attendees to use reusable water bottles and providing on-site water refill stations. Additionally, to alleviate carbon emissions and promote greener transportation, the festival provided a free shuttle bus service from and to the grounds.
These initiatives are part of the festival’s broader strategy to promote sustainability, demonstrating that the festival’s commitment to the environment extends far beyond the stage. Through these initiatives, RWMF continued to harmonise the celebration of world music and cultures with the overall protection and sustainability of planetary health.
RWMF 2023 was supported by sponsors, namely Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia Ride, TV Sarawak, Carlsberg, PEPSI, Plaza Merdeka & Waterfront Hotel, Spin Sportwear, Petroleum Sarawak Berhad, SACOFA, Midvalley Megamall Kuala Lumpur, Hornbill Skyways, Sarawak Timber Associations and ATS Global Travel & Chapter Sdn Bhd.
HONG KONG, 27 June 2023: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) reports the growth in traffic figures at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) during May stalled, maintaining the same pace as recorded in April.
During May, HKIA handled 3.1 million passengers, about the same as April’s throughput, while flight movements increased month-on-month by 3% to 22,200.
For year-on-year comparisons, the passenger volume and flight movements in May represent increases of over 17 times and 113% due to the low base last year.
Separately, cargo throughput in May dropped 4% to 350,000 tonnes compared to last year. Cargo volume continued to be impacted by global economic uncertainties. Overall cargo volume declined in May, with imports decreasing by 30% compared to last year. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Japan significantly reduced during the month.
Over the first five months of the year, the airport handled 13.2 million passengers and 96,410 flight movements, marking an increase of over 23 times and 89%, respectively, from the low base in the same period of 2022. Cargo volume declined year-on-year by 6.1% to 1.6 million tonnes.
On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume at HKIA increased year-on-year by more than 10 times to 18.3 million, while flight movements rose by 27.9% to 184,170. Cargo throughput saw a decrease of 16.0% to 4.1 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, HKIA has won the Gold Award in the “Over 35 million passengers per annum” category of the Green Airports Recognition 2023. Established by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific, the programme recognises airports with outstanding accomplishments in sustainability projects.
AAHK general manager of sustainability Peter Lee said: “We are honoured to receive this recognition, which reflects our dedication and commitment to developing HKIA into the world’s greenest airport. We will continue to work closely with the airport community to minimise our environmental footprint, strengthen waste management initiatives and expand the scale of our recycling efforts.”
HONG KONG, 27 June 2023: Cathay Pacific rebuilds flight connectivity at the Hong Kong international aviation hub, reflected in positive traffic figures recorded in May.
The airline released details of its traffic figures for May 2023 at the weekend, which recorded 1,417,906 passengers last month, an increase of 2,345% compared with May 2022.
The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased by 1,664% year on year. Passenger load factor increased by 24.7 percentage points to 85.1%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 1,152% year on year. In the first five months of 2023, the number of passengers carried increased by 3,281% against a 1,786% increase in capacity and a 3,062% increase in RPKs, compared with the same period for 2022.
The airline carried 109,834 tonnes of cargo last month, an increase of 18.8% compared with May 2022, when cargo capacity was significantly reduced due to stricter aircrew quarantine measures. The month’s cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) increased 73.4% yearly. The cargo load factor decreased by 14.2 percentage points to 61.5%, while capacity, measured in available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs), increased by 113.6% yearly. In the first five months of 2023, the tonnage rose by 28.2% against a 154.6% increase in capacity and a 107.2% increase in RFTKs, compared to the same period for 2022.
Travel
Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “May was another good month for our travel business. We continued progressively increasing our passenger flight capacity to popular destinations in the US, South Asia and Japan.
“Although demand reduced temporarily following the Easter holiday peak, it picked up again over the Lord Buddha’s Birthday holiday weekend towards the end of May, with travel to Japan and Thailand, particularly popular. Transit traffic via the Hong Kong hub was also encouraging, with considerable demand to and from the Chinese Mainland.”
Outlook
The airline forecasts a positive outcome in traffic figures during the summer, driven by a boost in students returning to Hong Kong after the school term ends.
“On rebuilding our network, we will bring back the seasonal Christchurch service from 16 December 2023 to 29 February 2024 with three return flights per week, following the earlier announcement of service resumption to Johannesburg and Chicago from August and October 2023, respectively,” said Lau.
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 June 2023: The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) announces the appointment of Captain Roshan Joshi as its new Technical Head.
Captain Joshi joins the Association after a 40-year aviation career, having served in various senior management roles in flight operations within the Singapore Airlines Group, notably Singapore Airlines and Vistara Airlines.
With his experience in fleet management, corporate safety, security and quality, Joshi is a highly-respected industry professional with the necessary expertise to lead the Association’s Technical Department and manage multiple stakeholder relationships in technical areas.
Welcoming Joshi to his new role, AAPA director general Subhas Menon said: “AAPA is privileged to have someone of Roshan’s calibre join the Association. His extensive experience in key technical areas, such as safety, security, flight operations and aviation sustainability, are well aligned with AAPA’s priorities and very timely after the retirement of his predecessor Martin Eran-Tasker in 2020. We look forward to working with Captain Joshi to further the mission and work of the Association in serving its members.”
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 June 2023: Batik Air Malaysia will boost flights to Taiwan and Japan during the northern winter timetable from 1 November 2023 to 31 March 2024.
Formerly branded Malindo Air, the airline is home based at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Photo credit: Batik Air.
According to the airline’s advance timetable, flights from Kuala Lumpur will stop in Taipei, Taiwan, before flying to Japan – Nagoya, Osaka Kansai and Tokyo Narita. All flights use Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft configured with 12 business class seats and 150 in economy class.
In addition, the airline will start a twice-weekly service to Okinawa’s capital city of Naha on 16 August 2023, increasing to four weekly flights effective 1 November. The flight will make a stop in Taipei.
Japan: 1 November to 31 March schedule
Kuala Lumpur – Taipei Taoyuan – Nagoya three weekly.
Kuala Lumpur – Taipei Taoyuan – Okinawa four weekly.
Kuala Lumpur – Taipei Taoyuan – Osaka Kansai daily.
Kuala Lumpur – Taipei Taoyuan – Tokyo Narita daily.
Meanwhile, last month, Batik Air resumed flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from Kuala Lumpur.
The airline launched six weekly direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to the Maldives last week with 121 passengers on board the 737 Max 8 aircraft. Concierge Group Maldives has been appointed GSA for ticketing sales.
On 23 June, Batik Air introduced its first flight to Seoul, Korea.
It will launch flights from Medan, Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Chennai in India in mid-August.
It is also planning to start flights to Auckland, New Zealand, with a stop in Perth, Australia, effective 24 August from its base in KLIA.
SHANGHAI,27 June 2023: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Macau, Tokyo and Singapore were the most popular destinations for Chinese travellers booking overseas trips during last week’s three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, 22 to 24 June, according to a Ctrip report.
Owned by leading travel service provider Trip.com Group, Ctrip released their Chinese mainland outbound and domestic Dragon Boat Festival travel trends Monday, with outbound bookings for the three-day festival increasing more than 12 times year-over-year.
Photo Credit: HKTB. Hong Kong is the top destination during Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
Global Times estimated overall outbound travel during the festival week increased by 32.3% generating 12.8% more trips than recorded pre-Covid. Notably, the average cost of outbound travel reduced for a one-way air ticket by 6%, compared to the May Day holiday. The primary groups engaged in outbound travel from Mainland China were individuals born in the post-80s (37%) and post-90s (36%) generations who preferred leisurely holidays.
Hong Kong, Bangkok, Macau, Tokyo and Singapore were the most popular destinations, with post-80s and post-90s spending an average of RMB2,981 (USD415) per hotel booking.
Hong Kong was the most popular option for Chinese Mainland travellers, with hotel bookings from the Chinese Mainland to Hong Kong increasing more than 18 times year-over-year. Many travellers chose to take the high-speed rail to Hong Kong, with orders for high-speed rail on Ctrip’s platform rising by more than 60% compared to last month.
Most millennials opted for destinations based on proximity, visa and flight convenience, with many selecting routes within a three-hour flight time. Shanghai-Osaka, Shanghai- Jeju Island, Beijing-Seoul, and Beijing-Tokyo were among the most popular outbound routes.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a brief national holiday in the Chinese mainland, prompting many individuals to travel less domestically.
Nearby, cross-provincial routes were the mainstay for travellers on vacation, selecting a radius of 300 kilometres or less. The Top 10 popular domestic city destinations were Hangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Qinhuangdao and Shenzhen.
The price of domestic hotels per night decreased compared to the May Day holiday. Xi’an, famously known for the Terracotta warriors, saw hotel prices fall by 29%, compared to May, with Nanjing and Guangzhou hotel prices down 22% and 19%, respectively.
Ctrip’s latest data show bookings are growing for summer vacations, with search data rising 50% over 2022.
Families are eager to explore and make memories together this summer. As of 14 June, Ctrip has seen a surge in bookings for parent-child tours, making up over 30% of all summer bookings and more than seven times compared to last year.
With growing supply capacity, it is clear that Chinese travellers have newfound confidence, with many families welcoming in trips this summer season and a positive indication of travel recovery.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, Qunar and TrainPal. The group was founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 202. Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.
GOA, India, 26 June 2023: In a historic first, the world’s two leading Travel & Tourism organisations representing the global public and private sectors have agreed to work together to achieve key objectives such as job creation and talent development.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed last week by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations (UNWTO) at the G20 Ministerial meeting (Goa, India), focused on advancing public-private sector cooperation at the global level whilst promoting job creation, talent development and business opportunities around the world.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson after signing the historic MoU.
Together, WTTC and UNWTO will promote tourism in the global and national agendas while working to progress skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient Travel & Tourism sector.
The two parties will also foster community empowerment and inclusion and collaborate around crisis preparedness, management, and recovery, building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson said: “Through signing a historic new MOU, WTTC and UNWTO embark on a new chapter of collaboration, uniting our expertise to pave the way for a prosperous future for the Travel & Tourism sector.
“Together, we can create a powerful synergy that will shape the global landscape, opening doors to endless opportunities and benefiting travellers, businesses, and destinations alike.”
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili added: “We are only stronger if we work together to respond to the interconnected challenges facing our sector. Strong public-private partnerships are the foundation to transform tourism and build resilience, and consolidating our partnership with WTTC will achieve what we need – joining efforts to build a better future through tourism.”
The MOU was signed by WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, alongside representatives of the public and private sectors.
BANGKOK, 26 June 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travellers’ Choice award winner for 31 of its hotels and resorts worldwide. The coveted award celebrates accommodations, attractions and restaurants that have consistently received great traveller reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months, placing these winners among the 10% of all listings on Tripadvisor globally.
This year, Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok and Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai received the Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award, an honour bestowed upon the top 1% of all listings on Tripadvisor, representing the most exceptional, highest-rated properties around the world.
Centara’s seaside and beachfront properties in resort destinations across Thailand also remained favourites this year, with 19 properties in Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, Krabi, Pattaya, and Koh Chang receiving awards, including Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket; Centara Reserve Samui; Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin; Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi; Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya; Centra by Centara Maris Resort Jomtien, and Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort.
The group’s global hotels and resorts also fared well, with awards given to properties in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Middle East, including Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne; Centara Ceysands Resort Sri Lanka; Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives; Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives; and Centara Muscat Hotel Oman.
“We are humbled and grateful to have received such overwhelming recognition from our valued guests, whose feedback and reviews have reaffirmed our commitment to delivering excellence in hospitality. The Travellers’ Choice Awards acknowledge the exceptional quality and experiences provided by our hotels and resorts, and we couldn’t be prouder of this achievement,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts. “This would not have been possible without the collective hard work and passion of every member of the Centara family and their commitment to delivering genuine Thai hospitality and gracious personalised service to our guests.”
Overall, a total of 31 Centara hotels were recognised at the Traveller’s Choice Awards 2023, an outstanding achievement for the Thailand-based international hotel group and proof that the travel market across Asia and around the world is bouncing back.
Centara welcomes guests to experience genuine warm Thai hospitality, world-class service and personalised details that have made the group a preferred choice for travellers. As the brand grows, Centara remains committed to raising the bar and setting new benchmarks in the hospitality industry, ensuring an unparalleled stay at each of its properties worldwide.
Winners of this year’s annual Travellers’ Choice Awards were calculated based on the quality and quantity of reviews, opinions and ratings collected on the world’s largest travel platform.
DUBAI, 26 June 2023: Emirates has further solidified its commitment to supporting arts and culture in Australia by extending its 21-year partnership with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra until 2025.
A cornerstone of its ongoing support of music and arts worldwide, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is the airline’s longest-running non-sports partnership.
Emirates’ support of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will help deliver world-class entertainment experiences to customers in Australia, connecting music lovers across the globe to the symphony’s innovative digital concert series. The partnership will also deliver the classical masterwork of one of the world’s finest orchestras to millions of Emirates passengers through the airline’s in-flight entertainment system, ice. The sponsorship will continue to offer ticket and hospitality experiences, presenting partner opportunities for the symphony’s popular concert series, as well as branding and promotional opportunities, among other benefits.
Over the two decades of partnership, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has performed to over 4 million people across almost 3,000 live performances. Emirates’ renewed partnership comes as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra enters a new artistic period, highlighted by its return to a reopened Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in July 2022 under the direction of Simone Young, the Orchestra’s internationally renowned Chief Conductor.
Emirates divisional vice president Australasia Barry Brown says: “Like air travel, music can lift our spirits, broaden our horizons and open up the world around us. We’re proud to continue supporting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which is home to exceptional standards of performance, outstanding musicians and is regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras. Emirates is well-known for sponsoring the best in sports, but we’re also passionate about growing global music, arts and culture to enrich the lives of the communities we serve. Our Sydney Symphony partnership, now well into its second decade, is Emirates’ longest-running non-sports sponsorship, and we look forward to continuing our great work together.”
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has been present during many of Emirates’ key milestones and initiatives over the years, including the launch of the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft in Australia and, more recently, its new Premium Economy cabin in Sydney. Performing over 150 concerts a year to a live audience of more than 350,000 people, the Sydney Symphony will work with Emirates to expand the global audience through the Orchestra’s Sydney Symphony on Demand digital platform, which features full-length concert experiences. The platform also presents special chamber music recordings with the finest musicians making new Australian work available to audiences worldwide. The platform, launched in partnership with Emirates in 2020, provides free access to a catalogue of great performances.
The partnership will also continue to offer ticket and hospitality experiences, Presenting Partner positioning for the Orchestra’s popular Emirates Master Series, and branding and promotional opportunities, among other benefits.
Music is a big part of the content offered on Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system, with over 6,500 channels that include diverse genres like classical, opera, and jazz.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra chief executive officer Craig Whitehead adds: “We thank Emirates for its continued support and sharing the Sydney Symphony’s vision for creating musical experiences that are amongst the world’s finest. Emirates has been a significant partner in the Orchestra’s long history of bringing the greatest artists and extraordinary musical experiences to the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Emirates’ support has also allowed us to continue an ambitious program of commissioning and recording new work by Australian composers. We are looking forward to sharing our performances on the Emirate’s global platform, where the unique nature of our performances will be available to audiences around the world.”
With sponsorships spanning literature, film, art, culinary, and music festivals and globally renowned orchestras, Emirates is dedicated to supporting the growth and reach of cultural activities in Australia and worldwide.
Within Australia, Emirates also proudly sponsors the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, including its recent exhibition, taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country. The partnership saw Emirates transport a precious Aboriginal object from Paris to Tasmania, 230 years after it was first removed. The artefact, a rikawa (kelp water carrier), is only one of two known to be in existence, and its new home at the museum will allow the Tasmanian Aboriginal community to reconnect with their cultural history. Emirates also has a longstanding sponsorship with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, now approaching 20 years.
For information on flights and bookings, visit www.emirates.com.
