Sunday, May 4, 2025
Home Blog Page 391

Salam Air plans more Thai flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 30 March 2023: Salam Air plans to increase flights to Thailand according to the general sales agency LTU Asia Aviation Services, which handles the airline’s sales in Thailand.

Salam Air, home-based in Oman, Muscat, plans to operate daily flights to Bangkok up from the current four weekly flights from Muscat. The airline is promoting a one-way Muscat – Bangkok fare starting at OMR84. Flight time on the A321 is six hours and 15 minutes, departing Muscat at 2225 and arriving in Bangkok at 0715. The airline also serves Phuket with four weekly flights from Muscat.

Last month, Salam Air introduced weekly flights from Muscat to Mashhad and Almaty to meet the growing medical, business, and leisure tourism demand.

Cambodia Airways flies to Beijing

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

PHNOM PENH, 30 March 2023: Cambodia Airways launched its first flight from Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh to Beijing on Monday, 27 March, the airline announced in a Facebook post.

Flight KR991 departed Phnom Penh at 0750 and landed at Beijing Daxing International Airport at 1330. The return flight KR992 departed from Beijing at 1430 and landed at Phnom Penh International Airport at 1815.

Photo credit: Cambodia Airways

Cambodia Airways distributed gifts to passengers to celebrate the inaugural flight, and Beijing Daxing International Airport welcomed the A320 aircraft with the traditional water salute.

According to the flight schedule, the airline flies to Beijing three times weekly; every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a one-way starting fare of USD199 and a roundtrip fare of USD398.

According to a report in Xinhua, Cambodia Airways commercial director Simon Xu said: “The opening of this new route should strengthen trade, investment, culture and tourism between the two cities”.

(Source: Cambodia Airways)

Philippines tackles visa bottleneck

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MANILA, 29 March 2023: The Philippines’ Department of Tourism works with other government agencies to ease tourist entry from priority source markets such as India and China.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco met with the heads of the Bureau of Immigration, Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Information and Communications Technology agencies to discuss “visa reform” to resolve the tourism bottleneck that slows inbound tourism flows.

Christina Garcia Frasco.

Two core markets for inbound tourists, China and India, were identified as having considerable potential. Based on DOT data, at least 58% of Indian visitors have visited the Philippines more than once.

“We are the only country in Asia that does not provide convenient electronic visas for Indian nationals. This is a huge market that the Philippines has yet to explore,” Frasco said during the meeting.

China delivered more than 1.7 million visitors to the Philippines before the pandemic. Citing airline reports, Frasco said Philippine consular posts in China have issued advisories “limiting the acceptance of visa applications per day from around 60 to 100.”

This is compared to the daily average of 508 visas and a peak of 2,704 visas issued daily to Chinese travellers before the pandemic.

“If we are to hit the most conservative target of 500,000 Chinese, we need to issue 1,704 visas daily, and for a medium scenario of 1 million Chinese, we would need to issue 3,409 visas daily,” Frasco said. “To target 2 million Chinese, we must issue 6,818 visas daily.”

Frasco said revenue losses could reach USD2.51 billion “if we fail to resolve difficulties obtaining visas.”

(Source: PNA)

Emirates flies A380 to NZ cities

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

DUBAI, UAE, 29 March 2023: An Emirates A380 made a landmark touchdown at Christchurch Airport on Monday, marking the resumption of its daily service from Dubai to Christchurch via Sydney after more than three years.

The iconic aircraft taxied through a ceremonial water cannon salute before parking in view of trade, media, and VIP guests at the international terminal at Christchurch Airport.

Outbound EK412 left Dubai at 1015 local time, stopping briefly in Sydney before arriving in Christchurch at 1355 the next day, New Zealand time.

Emirates divisional vice president Australasia Barry Brown said: “Seeing the water cannon salute after we touched down in the first Emirates A380 flight in more than three years is a reminder of how special the aircraft is to Christchurch since its first arrival in 2016. The occasion’s significance was also clear on the faces of the other passengers on board, who understood what this service means for Christchurch and connecting it to the world.”

The resumption of the Dubai to Christchurch route ramps up seating capacity across Emirates’ global network after boosting operations 31% (total ASKMs) since the beginning of its financial year. This operational boost included re-introducing Emirates’ nonstop A380 route from Auckland to Dubai in December last year.

Both North and South Island customers will now have direct access to daily Emirates A380 services ( Auckland and Christchurch), providing greater levels of flexibility and choice when making travel plans and providing seamless connectivity and reduced transit time when travelling to other destinations across the airline’s global network, including destinations in Europe and the Middle East. Travellers looking to venture beyond the airline’s gateways will also have more connection opportunities to 55 cities across Australia and New Zealand through Emirates’ long-standing partnership with Qantas.

Restart of Christchurch via Sydney

The A380 flight operates as EK 412 and EK 413. Emirates flight EK 412 departs Dubai at 1015, arriving in Sydney at 0700. The flight will then continue, taking off from Sydney at 0845 and arriving in Christchurch at 1355. EK 413 will depart Christchurch at 1820, arriving in Sydney at 1940. The final leg of EK 413 will depart for Dubai at 2145, arriving at 0515h local time.

Emirates has been flying to New Zealand for 20 years, a sign of its ongoing commitment to the market. Throughout the pandemic, Emirates continued to serve the country, connecting New Zealand and the world with daily flights, as well as its SkyCargo services bringing essential goods in and out of the nation.

Currently, Emirates’ A380 is deployed to almost 40 global destinations, with more routes to be announced in the near future.

Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Sarawak’s Santubong National Park reopens

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUCHING, 29 March 2023: Sarawak’s Santubong National Park (SNP) and Matang Wildlife Centre (MWC) will reopen on 1 April after being closed during the monsoon season, Sarawak Forestry Corporation announced earlier this week on its Facebook page.

SFC said it welcomed nature enthusiasts, wildlife lovers, and all those who appreciate the beauty of Sarawak’s natural habitats after a long closure due to heavy monsoon conditions.

Photo credit: SFC

However, it did warn that if weather conditions in the park deteriorated, making it unsafe for visitors, the authorities would close the park. But as April’s weather forecast looks good, forestry officials invited travellers to mark their calendars and plan a trip to explore the beauty of Santubong National Park and Matang Wildlife Centre starting 1 April.

Meanwhile, the SFC confirms it has streamlined the  Visitor Self-Registration Portal registration process for Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Bako National Park, Fairy Cave Nature Reserve and Wind Cave Nature Reserve.

For more information, visit www.sarawakforestry.com.

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

MarketHub Europe welcomes tourism leaders

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 29 March 2023: Europe’s leading names in travel and tourism gather in Amsterdam this week for the MarketHub Europe.

Organised by Hotelbeds, the event combines a conference and trade show at the nhow Amsterdam RAI, making it the first time that Hotelbeds has brought its flagship event to The Netherlands.

More than 400 local and international executives join the event from 28 to 31 March to hear some of the biggest names in tourism and tech speak. These include NH Hotels (part of Minor), easyJet holidays, Google, Telefonica and The World Travel and Tourism Council.

“We’re thrilled that the MarketHub is back for the first time since 2019 and in this vibrant city of Amsterdam, where we have been so warmly welcomed,” said Hotelbeds chief commercial officer Carlos Muñoz Capllonch. “Our theme for this year is ‘Where Next?’ and I’m sure we’re going to have some insightful and lively discussion focused on the traveller of tomorrow and what they expect the industry to deliver.”

The conference programme will cover a diverse range of topics, including; how travel can become a force for good; the power of personalised service; how innovation and tech can shape travel; and the generation of disruption.

Additional speakers include Morgan Stanley, Experience Kissimmee, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Discover Puerto Rico, Rixos Hotels, the Clermont Hotel Group and Accor Hotels.

MarketHub Europe is an invitation-only event attended by the most important Hotelbeds partners from all the key source markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Hotelbeds hosts three annual MarketHub events in the Americas (9 to 12 May 2023), Europe and Asia. The dates and host country of the Asian event have not been announced for 2023. The Asian show was last held in 2019 in Bali, Indonesia.

For more information, visit http://www.themarkethub.com/europe/.

Klook teams up with TAT

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 29 March 2023: Klook, a popular travel and experiences platform, forecasts a robust recovery in Thailand with significant growth that has more than doubled for three consecutive quarters.

The company also observed a 30% increase in average traveller spending for experiences in 2023 compared to pre-Covid times, signalling that travellers are willing to spend more for authentic and meaningful experiences in Thailand.

“Klook’s exceptional growth in Thailand reflects the importance of travel and the value it delivers to the Thai economy,” said Klook COO & co-founder Eric Gnock Fah.

Klook says a multi-market partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand aims to drive more visitors from seven markets comprising Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan.

Klook also promotes TAT’s ‘Let Your Journey Be Thai campaign’. The regional campaign focuses on outbound travel markets such as Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan.

About Klook

Founded in 2014, Klook curates quality experiences such as attractions, tours, local transport and accommodation worldwide.

Accor expands MGallery in the Philippines

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BOHOL, Philippines, 29 March 2023: Accor continues its expansion in the Philippines by signing South Palms Resort Panglao Bohol – MGallery.

The resort joins a strong pipeline of 16 committed projects across the country and will become the first resort-style property for MGallery in the Philippines.

Scheduled to open in 2024, the 188-key South Palms Resort Panglao Bohol – MGallery stands on a 6.4-hectare site, surrounded by palm trees and overlooking Panglao’s south coast. The property is a 10-minute drive from Bohol-Panglao International Airport, which offers direct flights to and from Manila and other cities in the Philippines.

South Palms Resort Panglao Bohol – MGallery is being developed by Alturas Group of Companies (AGC) with support from Bill Barnett, managing director of Asian hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks.

Qantas starts Haneda flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 29 March 2023: Qantas resumed direct flights between Melbourne and Tokyo earlier this week for the first time in more than three years.

The new service is the first nonstop flight between Melbourne and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport by any airline, saving passengers nearly two hours of travel to downtown Tokyo compared with Narita Airport, which the flight operated to before the pandemic.

The year-round flights will operate four days per week with an Airbus A330 aircraft and add to Qantas’ existing flights from Sydney and Brisbane to Haneda Airport. These flights offer customers more than 420,000 seats between Australia and Japan annually and the choice of double daily flights to Tokyo.

Qantas has this week announced a multi-million dollar investment in new menus, larger meals and premium produce across all cabins in its regional, domestic and international network, including flights to Tokyo. The new menu changes will roll out on 29 March.

The Melbourne-Tokyo (Haneda) route launch will be soon followed by the national carrier’s new Melbourne-Jakarta service, which is set to commence in mid-April.

The Qantas Group operates up to 35 return flights per week from Australia to Japan. This includes Qantas’ flights from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Haneda and Jetstar’s flights from Cairns to Narita and Osaka and Gold Coast to Narita.

T’way Air flies double daily to Bangkok

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 29 March 2023: T’way Air, a leading South Korean low-cost airline in South Korea, was one of the first to resume flights to Bangkok when Covid-19 rules eased last year and has introduced changes in its summer timetable effective 27 March 2023.

Flying from Seoul-Incheon and Daegu 168 km southeast of Seoul to the Thai capital, T’way Air offers double daily flights to Bangkok to tap strong two-way leisure traffic between South Korea and Thailand.    

Photo credit: T’way Air.

Double daily to Bangkok

TW101 ICN-BKK 1955/2355
TW102 BKK-ICN 0125/0855 (next day).
The flights use an Airbus A300 aircraft with 12 business class seats (flatbed) and 323 in economy class. Total: 335 seats on the route Incheon – Bangkok.

TW105 TAE-BKK 2130/0140 (next day)
TW106 BKK-TAE 0235/0935
The flight uses a single-class 189-seat B737-800 on the Daegu (TAE) – Bangkok route.

Commenting on expansion plans, the general sales agency, Buy Now Co Ltd, confirmed the airline intends to offer additional flights from Incheon (ICN) and Cheoungju (CJJ) to Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport (DMK). Suvarnabhumi airport’s ground handling services are stretched due to workforce shortages post Covid-19 leading to a T’way Air decision to fly to both airports.

The airline intends to fly a B737-800 daily between ICN and DMK. There are also plans to add a second daily flight to DMK from Cheoungju (CJJ), the largest city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea, possibly as early as 28 April. The exact launch dates and timetable details for the two DMK flights have still to be confirmed. For more information on the general sales agency Buynow, visit https://www.buynoww.com/.

1...390391392...600Page 391 of 600

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.