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Holland America bumps up Asia cruises

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 9 June 2023: Holland America Line’s 2024-2025 cruise season is set to explore Asia with departures from Hong Kong, China; Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan; and Singapore to cities across 10 countries, with a strong focus on Japan.

HAL’s cruise ship Noordam will sail nine different 14-day itineraries that travel around Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Photo credit: Holland American Line. Noordam.

The cruises showcase the diversity of the countries while celebrating their distinct histories. Late departures and overnight ports allow extra time for sampling the region’s nightlife, cuisine and culture.

“The demand for Asia remains strong as cruisers seek experiences to exotic and off-the-beaten-path locales that give them unique travel moments,” said Holland America Line’s chief commercial officer Beth Bodensteiner. “By offering three departure cities, we can diversify our itineraries and showcase an incredibly robust season. With 24 ports in Japan alone and two dozen more spread among several countries, our guests are in for an immersive Asia adventure.”

The cruise ship Westerdam also heads to Asia on a new 53-day “Majestic Japan” Legendary Voyage roundtrip from Seattle. Travellers can visit Asia with a convenient North American flight, easy embarkation and jetlag-free journey spanning several time zones.

Two Legendary voyages

53 or 52-Day “Majestic Japan” aboard Westerdam will depart on 1 or 2 September 2024, either roundtrip to Seattle, Washington, or between Vancouver, Canada, and Seattle. Featuring 21 total ports, 13 calls throughout Japan and overnights at Yokohama (Tokyo) and Kobe, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

28-Day “Coral Triangle, Volcanoes and The Great Barrier Reef” departing  5 January 2025, roundtrip from Singapore aboard Noordam explores 10 ports in five countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, with scenic cruising in the famed Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait, and past the Kumba and Krakatau volcanoes.

Highlights of the 2024-2025 Asia Season

The cruises visit 49 ports in the region, including 24 in Japan. Noordam will explore Asia from September 2024 through April 2025. Overnight calls include Yokohama (Tokyo) and Kobe (Osaka); Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand; and Danang, Vietnam.

Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines — 14 days between Yokohama and Singapore. Calls at Osaka (overnight), Naha and Ishigaki, Japan; Keelung (Taipei) and Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Manila, Boracay and Puerto Princesa, Philippines.

Far East Discovery — 14 days between Hong Kong and Singapore. Calls at Halong Bay, Da Nang (Hue), Nha Trang and Phu My, Vietnam; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; and Laem Chabang (Bangkok, overnight) and Nathon (Koh Samui), Thailand.

Far East Discovery Holiday — 14 days roundtrip from Singapore. Thailand: Nathon (Samui) and Laem Chabang (Bangkok, overnight). Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Phu My, Halong Bay and Danang (overnight).

Indonesian Discovery — 14 days roundtrip from Singapore. All calls are in Indonesia, including Probolinggo and Semarang, Java; Celukan Bawang and Benoa (Denpasar), Bali; Komodo Island; Lembar, Lombok; and Tanjung Priok, Jakarta and scenic cruising by the active Krakatau Volcano.

Japan and Taiwan — 14 days roundtrip from Yokohama. Japan: Amami (Naze), Naha, Ishigaki Island, Nagasaki, Abruatsu, Kochi and Kobe. Taiwan: Hualien and Keelung (Taipei).

Japan and South Korea Discovery — 14 days roundtrip from Yokohama. Japan: Kobe (overnight), Kochi, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kagoshima. South Korea: Sokocho, Busan, Jeju City (Cheju) and Incheon (Seoul).

Beginning fares for 2024-25 Asia cruises range from USD1,699 to USD10,999 per person, double occupancy, depending on length. Taxes, fees and port expenses are additional.

Ticket sales open for RWMF 2023

By
TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 9 June 2023: Ticket sales have opened for music lovers planning to visit the Sarawak Tourism Board’s Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF).

The official launch of the 2023 ticket sales blitz takes place at Vivacity Megamall Kuching, Plaza Merdeka Kuching and Bintang Megamall Miri 1000 to 2200 from 9 to 11 June 2023.

Come and grab Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2023 tickets at
Sarawak Tourism Board’s sales blitz at Vivacity Megamall Kuching, Plaza Merdeka Kuching & Bintang Megamall Miri this weekend.

Those who buy their tickets at these locations can join a lucky draw to win an extra ticket to the festival. (Terms and conditions apply).

Pre-sale tickets are available in a range of categories: Adult 1-Day Pass Fri/Sun (MYR230), Adult 1-Day Pass Sat (MYR260), Adult 2-Day Pass Fri + Sat / Sat + Sun (MYR440), Adult 3-Day Pass (MYR590), and Child 1-Day Pass Fri/Sat/Sun (MYR80) are up for grabs as a limited-period offer. 

RWMF 2023, the festival’s 26th edition, will feature a diverse range of performers of music genres, including Grammy Awards winner Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Baliardo from France of such hits as ‘Djobi Djoba’ and ‘Bamboleo’ set to enthral visitors with their pop-oriented music, distantly derived from traditional flamenco and rumba genres.

Other international performers include Big Mountain from Jamaica and the USA, best known for their hit song ‘Baby I Love Your Way’, Safi Theatre from Tanzania, Rastak from Iran, Fasylive from Maldives, Afriquoi from the United Kingdom, Chatusram from India, Rizal Hadi & Folk from Indonesia and Ethno Thai Fusion Sound Band from Thailand. The line-up will also include performers from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

RWMF2023 will also highlight Malaysian local talents from East and West Malaysia, which include Zee Avi, Suk Binie, Aseana Percussion Unit, Nadir, Steve Thornton & Afroasia, Sada Borneo, Tuku Kame, Nading Rhapsody, Geng Wak Long, Buloh Bekocak, At Adau, Meruked, and Orang Orang Drum Theatre.

Themed ‘Reflections’, RWMF 2023, the festival runs from 23 to 25 June at the Sarawak Cultural Village complex in Kuching. Now in its 26th edition, it offers festival-goers an opportunity to engage with world music and reflect on the connection with nature.

More info on the musical line-up and ticketing can be found on Rainforest World Music Festivals’ official website at www.rwmf.net.

Emirates’ A380 makes history in Bali

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI 9 June 2023 – Emirates’ flagship A380 achieved a milestone last week when it touched down at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to become the first-ever scheduled A380 service to Indonesia.

The world’s largest passenger aircraft was showered with a water cannon salute as it taxied smoothly to the terminal amidst passengers’ and spectators’ cheers and excitement.

Photo credit: Emirates. A380 showered with a water cannon salute.

Emirates Country Manager for Indonesia, Mohammad Al Attar said: “The deployment of our iconic A380 aircraft on flights to Denpasar will significantly contribute to serving the increased customer demand. We’re pleased to achieve this milestone that will greatly strengthen our operations in Indonesia and future commercial plans for the market.”

Emirates’ A380 serving Bali is configured with a two-class cabin offering 58 lie-flat seats in business class and 557 in economy class.

Emirates launched a direct daily service from Dubai to Bali in 2015, adding to its scheduled flights to Jakarta which began in 1992. The airline currently serves Indonesia with 28 weekly flights to Bali and Jakarta. It offers increased connectivity to 29 more domestic cities via the two gateways through its partnership agreements with Garuda Indonesia and Batik Air.

In addition to introducing its flagship A380, Emirates continues to show its long-standing commitment to Indonesia’s travel and tourism sector through other initiatives.

In early May, Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to continue promoting Indonesia as a preferred travel destination through joint marketing campaigns and programmes.

Passengers from Indonesia can look forward to enjoying the A380’s spacious and comfortable cabins, signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky, like the Onboard Lounge and an award-winning inflight entertainment system that includes more than 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment.

The Emirates A380 is currently deployed to 46 destinations, including Dubai, and is likely to expand to nearly 50 destinations by the end of the summer.

Visit this page to learn more about the Emirates A380 Experience.

Tickets can be purchased at www.emirates.com.

GOL hires AVIAREPS to boost sales

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 9 June 2023: Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas has named AVIAREPS its general sales agent in 18 countries worldwide, including Malaysia and the UAE.

AVIAREPS is a global leader in aviation and hospitality representation with 67 offices in 61 countries worldwide. It will support the airline with sales and ticketing services in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, the Nordics, the UK, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Panama.

Photo credit: AVIAREPS

GOL is a Brazilian carrier based in Sao Paulo with hubs in Sao Paulo. Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Fortaleza.

Established in 2001, GOL has become one of the largest carriers in Latin America, with a fleet of 144 aircraft operating around 700 flights daily to destinations in Latin America, North America and the Caribbean.

The collaboration with AVIAREPS will enhance GOL’s presence, expand its sales in crucial global markets, and drive additional travel and tourism through sales teams based in local offices in 61 countries worldwide,

AVIAREPS COO Aviation Marcelo Kaiser commented: “We are thrilled about the appointment as GSA for GOL Airline. This partnership marks a significant milestone for both companies as we join forces to enhance GOL’s global presence and strengthen its position as a leading carrier to destinations within Brazil and beyond.”

Founded in Germany in 1994, the global airline representation firm is headquartered in Munich.

IATA and UNEP tackle plastic pollution

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 9 June 2023: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to address sustainability challenges in the aviation industry. 

Reduction of single-use plastics products (SUPP) and improving the circularity in the use of plastics by the industry is the initial focus of the partnership as UNEP leads global efforts to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by the end of 2024.

Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice-president (Sustainability) and chief economist. PICTURE: www.iata.org

Making aircraft cabins more sustainable is a priority for airlines and their passengers. The complex and asymmetrical regulatory environment, however, often poses an obstacle by preventing circular economy best practices. In the absence of a global approach, differing regulations at both ends of a journey severely limit the actions that airlines can take.

IATA advocates for a simplified and harmonised regulatory environment that would enable a reduction in plastic utilisation and greater reuse and recycling of cabin waste, including plastics, where they are needed. To this end, the partnership will step-up IATA’s engagement with UNEP to ensure that aviation’s challenges and opportunities are represented in the upcoming international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.

IATA and UNEP are already working on joint guidance on Re-thinking Plastics in Aviation. This comprehensive resource will encompass an overview of regulations, guidance on SUPP replacement, and recommended best practices for both industry and regulators.

“World Environment Day reminds us that sustainability is our global challenge. Formalizing IATA’s longstanding collaboration with UNEP will help airlines move even faster on improving the sustainability of the aircraft cabin. It’s critical that we achieve a harmonised global regulatory framework to enable airlines to implement more comprehensive and common circular economic solutions in all markets, said IATA senior vice president sustainability and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen.

“For example, currently, our hands are tied with outdated regulations focused on incineration rather than reuse and recycling. Modernising that will be a big step forward for sustainability,”

More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, only 9% is recycled, with the pollution it generates making it extremely urgent that global action is taken.

(Source: IATA)

AirAsia resumes PEN – HKG route

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TTR WEEKLY
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PENANG, 9 June 2023: AirAsia continues to expand in Asia with a new route to Hong Kong from Penang starting 10 August 2023.

This route marks the airline’s seventh direct international route from Penang, now the airline’s third-largest hub. Flying to Hong Kong will further boost regional inbound tourism to the state, bolstering an already thriving state tourism industry.

The three weekly flights will give Penang 217 flights to domestic and international destinations.

The route was announced on 7 June by YB Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE); Ooi Chok Yan, CEO of Penang Global Tourism (PGT); and Kenneth Tan, Director, Government Relations (Northern Region) at AirAsia at Komtar, Penang.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “We are excited to reconnect Penang to Hong Kong after launching it for the first time in 2009. We are also thrilled to be the only low-cost carrier connecting both islands directly, providing more value and greater accessibility to our guests. This is an exciting historical route for AirAsia, and we anticipate a remarkable response from both leisure and business travellers alike.

“AirAsia Group has the largest international connectivity from Penang with a market share of 40%. This expansion strengthens AirAsia’s foothold beyond Asean and reinforces our commitment to fostering economic growth through tourism. We look forward to working closely with the state government to support the tourism industry and stimulate air travel to the Pearl of the Orient.”

In celebration of the route announcement, the airline is offering incredible promotional fares starting from MYR299 all-in one-way for travel from 10 August 2023 to 26 October 2024.

AirAsia Group operates 217 flights weekly via 10 routes to Penang from Kuala Lumpur (67x weekly), Johor Bahru (28x weekly), and Langkawi (21x weekly) as well as Singapore (35x weekly), Ho Chi Minh City (7x weekly), Jakarta (11x weekly), Bangkok (14x weekly), Medan (28x weekly), Surabaya (3x weekly), and Hong Kong (3x weekly).

Flight schedule from Penang (PEN) to Hong Kong (HKG):

Business travel recovery speeds up

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 9 June 2023: The recovery in global business travel will overtake leisure in July, according to the latest research from ForwardKeys, based on the most recent flight ticketing data available.

ForwardKeys vice president insights Olivier Ponti explained: “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, business travel flight bookings have been slower to recover than leisure, and that trend continues. However, that situation now looks likely to change.”

ForwardKeys points to 30 May as a tipping point that indicates advance booking data trends may monitor a recovery in business travel overtaking leisure booking recovery in July.

“The trend is set to reverse in July, with the recovery in business travel overtaking the recovery in leisure – as business flight bookings are 14% behind pre-pandemic (2019) levels and leisure are 16% behind,” explained Ponti.

“Furthermore, the gap will probably widen in the autumn, as business bookings for September are just 1% behind 2019, whereas leisure is 8% behind. The trend of leisure leading the recovery could continue if there is a late surge in summer holiday bookings. Still, the rise in inflation, including the price of hospitality and airline tickets, makes that unlikely.”

About ForwardKeys

Founded in 2010, ForwardKeys has pioneered the way forward for tourism organisations, hotels, and retailers keen to understand who travels where, when, and for how long.

Hong Kong Airlines flies to Nagoya

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 9 June 2023: Hong Kong Airlines continues to expand its route network to six destinations in Japan by adding a four-weekly service from Hong Kong to Nagoya starting 8 July 2023. 

Flights on the new route are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until August, when they will increase to daily. Flight HX664 will depart Hong Kong at 0930 and arrive in Nagoya at 1425. On the return leg, HX665 will depart Nagoya at 1525 and arrive in Hong Kong at 1830

Photo credit: Hong Kong Airlines.

In addition to the new flight to Nagoya, the airline serves Tokyo Narita (NRT), Osaka (KIX), Fukuoka (FUK), Okinawa (OKA) and Sapporo (CTS).

Commenting on the new service to Nagoya, the airline said in a press statement it represents a continued effort to provide travellers with more options to explore Japan. Nagoya is the capital city of Aichi Prefecture and home to 2.3 million people. As the transportation hub of Japan, it is an important gateway for travellers to connect to different popular attractions easily. From the magnificent Nagoya Castle, which has a significant place in Japanese history, to the scenic countryside of Shirakawagō, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, Nagoya is an excellent destination for those looking to experience the rich history and vibrant culture of Japan.

Hong Kong Airlines continues to add flights to meet an increase in demand for summer travel between Hong Kong and Japan. Later this month, it will increase flights to twice daily to both Osaka and Okinawa and offer three weekly flights to Sapporo. On the Tokyo (Narita) route, the airline will increase flights to three daily effective 25 June. Daily flights will serve routes to Fukuoka and Nagoya during June and August.

Scott Dunn tops T+L travel agency awards

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 8 June 2023: Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023 announced its top five travel agency specialists winners in its region-wide categories this week, led by Scott Dunn, headquartered in the UK with a regional office in Singapore.

Based on readers’ votes, Scott Dunn took the top spot for its luxury adventure tours and distinctive holiday experiences in capital cities and remote villages across the Asia-Pacific. Story updated 9 June with a quote from Scott Dunn. See below.

Photo credit: Scott Dunn. Singapore skyline.

The other four winners have their head offices in Bangkok. Second-placed Smiling Albino designs luxury tours to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar. Trails of Indochina ranked third, followed by Remote Lands (4th) and Khiri Travel (5th).  

Commenting on winning recognition from T+L editors and readers, a Scott Dunn spokesperson told TTR Weekly: “We are humbled and grateful to be named the top Travel Agents Specialists in the T+L Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023, as voted by the publication’s discerning readers. We are ever grateful for our guests’ support and vote of confidence. Our team of travel specialists’ unwavering dedication to crafting exceptional travel experiences has earned us this top spot.”
Visit Scott Dunn at: https://www.scottdunn.com/us.

More accolades for Outrigger Khao Lak

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 8 June 2023: Outrigger Khao Lak Beach Resort has gathered three leading guest satisfaction accolades in the last few weeks.

Tourists travelling with HolidayCheck have praised the resort, which has earned the accolade “Recommended on HolidayCheck 2023”.

HolidayCheck enables package travel reviews and bookings in Germany, Austria and Switzerland under the HolidayCheck brand.

Booking.com has also awarded the resort 9 out of 10 in its Traveller Review Awards 2023.

The resort also earned a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Winner Award in 2023.

“Our hosts work hard to make guests feel special,” said Outrigger Khao Lak Beach Resort resort manager Sujittra Rongmuang. “When visiting families and couples experience our Outrigger Way service standards and our wonderful beach location, it makes for a great holiday — as many reviews now show.”

The 158-key garden resort stands in a delightful beachfront location on peaceful Bang Sak beach, a 90-minute car drive north of Phuket International Airport.
Travellers can find out more about Outrigger Khao Lak Beach Resort and book on OUTRIGGER.com.

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