DUBAI, 24 March 2023: Emirates Airline president Sir Tim Clark will participate in an in-depth discussion on the Global Stage of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will convene at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 1 to 4 May.
Sir Tim will reflect on Emirates’ long-term strategy as it begins to ramp up aircraft deliveries from 2024 while balancing growth and tackling broader issues like climate change.
The news comes amid reports of significant gains across the Middle East’s aviation sector, which saw year-on-year traffic almost double in January 2023, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
This growth is especially evident in the UAE, where Dubai International Airport (DXB) catered to more than 66 million passengers in 2022, a 127% rise compared to the previous year.
Over the longer term, analysts from Mordor Intelligence predict that the Middle East’s aviation market will record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 6% during 2022-27, meaning regional passenger numbers are likely to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
The 30th edition of ATM will feature in-depth sessions dedicated to air travel on day two. Following the conclusion of Emirates Returns to Growth: President of Emirates Airline in Discussion with John Strickland, experts from Boeing, Etihad and SimpliFlying will assemble on ATM’s Global Stage to discuss The Net-Zero Future of the Aviation Industry. A broad range of regional carriers will also be participating in ATM 2023 in addition to Emirates and Etihad, including flydubai, flynas, Saudia Airlines, Saudi Amad for Airport Services and Air Transport, and Cham Wings Airlines.
SINGAPORE, 24 March 2023: Air France is responding to strong travel demand combined with lifting the last remaining travel restrictions with a summer schedule close to levels operated in 2019.
For the 2023 summer season (April – October), Air France will fly up to 835 times daily to 191 destinations in 89 countries.
The summer schedule highlights
New routes to Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Ottawa (Canada) from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and to Belém (Brazil) from Cayenne (French Guiana). Daily flights resuming to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong effective 1 July 2023. 66 seasonal routes in France and Europe. Long-haul: The airline reopens flights to China and more flights to North America and East Africa.
The summer season of 2023 will mark a turning point in Air France’s long-haul flight schedule. The resumption of service to China will spark a return to more flights in Asia. Flying to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong will gradually increase throughout spring to reach one daily flight per destination by 1 July, or 21 flights a week (1).
Air France will continue boosting capacity to Tokyo (Japan), where the airline serves both airports. Up to 11 weekly flights to Tokyo Haneda and three to Tokyo Narita.
More flights are also being added to North America in response to dynamic demand in the region. This summer, Air France will operate up to 180 flights a week to and from 14 US destinations (2) (including two airports in New York: John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty), and 50 flights to 5 Canadian cities (3).
The airline will introduce a new Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle-Ottawa flight on 27 May — five direct weekly flights on Airbus A330-200. Air France will be the only airline operating direct flights between Ottawa and Europe.
Africa
Air France will continue to maintain seat capacities there at above 2019 levels. As of 12 June, the airline will begin flying to Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). Three flights a week on Boeing 787-9 to continue the service to Zanzibar, also a recent Tanzanian destination, inaugurated in 2021. The Boeing 787-9 daily departure to Nairobi (Kenya) will become a direct flight on the same date.
Finally, Air France will inaugurate a new flight in the Caribbean on 5 May 2023, linking Cayenne (French Guiana) and Belém (Brazil) once a week on Airbus A320.
These additions to the schedule will raise Air France’s number of long-haul destinations to 85. France and Europe: 106 destinations and 66 seasonal routes across France and Europe This summer, Air France will fly up to 650 times daily to 106 French and European destinations to further facilitate short- and medium-haul travel for its customers.
Over and above its regular schedule, the airline will operate 66 seasonal routes in France and Europe, taking off from Paris and regional French airports. These flights will make it possible to reach Corsica (from Paris, Bordeaux, Caen, Rennes, Lille, Lyon and Nantes), Greece (from Paris, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse), Algeria (from Paris, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse), Morocco (from Paris and Nice), and Tunisia as well (from Paris, Marseille and Nice).
(1) Subject to government approval
(2)Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, New York Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.
(3) Montreal, Ottawa, Québec, Toronto and Vancouver.
BANGKOK, 24 March 2023: As travel continues to recover post-pandemic, nights booked in Thailand on Airbnb more than doubled last year from 2020*, with international travel leading the way and Bangkok emerging as a top destination of choice for global travellers on Airbnb.
The popular capital city emerged as the top trending destination globally for Airbnb guests in Q3 last year and fifth on Airbnb’s list of top trending global travel spots in 2023**.
Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan (left) and Kwan Synsatayakul, Airbnb’s Territory Manager for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. (right).
This comes as Thailand recently forecasted that 25 to 30 million travellers would visit this year – a strong indication of tourism recovery in the country, up from 11 million international visitors last year.
Bangkok was the top most-booked Thai destination on Airbnb in 2022, closely followed by Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Driving this strong momentum are travellers from the US, which ranks as the top country of origin for Airbnb guests visiting Thailand in 2022. Other top countries and regions of origin were the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia Pacific, including South Korea, Australia, and China*.
China guests are driving inbound travel
The resurgence in China outbound travel from Q4 last year has been instrumental to the rebound in international travellers in Thailand and continues to be a bright spot for the country this year. Within 24 hours of the government’s announcement on 26 December 2022 to lift inbound quarantine requirements, Thailand ranked as the top most searched outbound destination amongst guests from China on Airbnb.***
Group travel is on the rise
As more people travel to reconnect with loved ones, group travel in Thailand on Airbnb surged over 300% year-on-year in 2022*. This comes as family travel on the global platform increased by 60% in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic, with more families booking Airbnb stays for their value and space. Nearly 90% of Airbnb stays have kitchens; one-quarter have three bedrooms or more, and more than a million have cribs for small children.****
Travellers are staying for longer
Airbnb also attracts guests who stay longer as more global travellers enjoy greater flexibility in work and travel. In 2022 the average stay on the platform in Thailand was approximately five nights, and long-term stays of over 28 days more than tripled year-over-year*.
The K-wave is leading the way for Thai travel overseas
While domestic travel remains popular, Thais’ appetite for outbound travel has returned, with more looking to explore popular hotspots. Thais’ top five overseas destinations on Airbnb in 2022 were South Korea, the US, the UK, France and Japan, with their most booked cities being Seoul, London, Paris, Melbourne and New York*.
This Songkran, let the travel adventures begin
After years of muted celebrations during the pandemic, Songkran travel is back in full swing, with Airbnb guest searches for the festive period clocking a more than 310% year-on-year increase. Bangkok is the most-searched destination amongst international guests for this period, followed by Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phuket. Thai travellers are looking to resort destinations, with Pattaya ranking top in guest searches for Airbnb stays*****.
Notably, Australia ranks the top country of origin for international guests this Thai New Year, followed by the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Closer to home, the top origins of international guests include Singapore, South Korea, China and Malaysia. Notably, over 20% of China guest searches for Thailand stays for spring travel this year were for the Songkran period.******
“With Songkran just around the corner, we are delighted to see the significant resurgence in international travel to Thailand on Airbnb. The growing excitement amongst global travellers to experience the country’s scenic natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, delicious local cuisine and world-class Thai hospitality is extremely encouraging and signals strong tourism recovery. In line with our efforts to promote inclusive and responsible tourism in the country, we remain committed to working closely with the government and relevant stakeholders to accelerate travel recovery and futureproof the tourism industry in Thailand,” said Airbnb’s general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Bajaj.
Notes:
*Based on internal Airbnb data for 2022. **Based on searches made in Q1-Q3 2022 for check-ins in 2022 vs the same period in 2021. ***Based on China guest searches on Airbnb, made on 27 December 2022 (one day after the government announced the planned lifting of inbound quarantine requirements). ****According to internal Airbnb data looking at family travel, defined as a check-in with at least one child between 1 January and 31 December 2022. *****Based on 2022 guest searches made for check-ins in Thailand from 13-15 April 2023 vs the same period in 2022. ******Based on China users’ search data in Q4 2022 for Airbnb stays in Thailand during April-May spring travel.
About Airbnb
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed 1.4 billion guest arrivals in almost every country globally. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities more authentically.
LANGKAWI, 23 March 2023: The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) bagged an award at the Asian Tourism and Hospitality (ATH) Awards 2022-23, as it was crowned ‘Leading Government Tourism Board of the Year”.
Hosted at Le Méridien, Kuala Lumpur, earlier this week, the awards honoured LADA for its efforts in establishing Langkawi as a renowned world-class tourism destination.
LADA oversees Langkawi’s economic development and advancement, with tourism and hospitality figuring high on its agenda.
“We are extremely pleased to have been granted this prestigious award. Being acknowledged in front of our peers and fellow industry players will motivate us to keep pushing on to elevate Langkawi to greater heights. We believe we are on the right track to ensuring Langkawi is established as a top tourist destination globally. As a team fully focused on our goals, we are more motivated than ever to capitalise on the limitless opportunities to accelerate tourism growth in Langkawi. We hope there are many more special nights like tonight on the horizon for LADA,” said LADA’s deputy chief executive officer Wan Kamarul Faisal Wan Kamardin.
LADA will look forward to the future as numerous business and tourism development opportunities as more events head for Langkawi.
The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2023) is set to be held from 23 to 27 May 2023 on the island. LADA will also host the next edition of Routes Asia 2024 in February 2024. Both these events will facilitate conversations between industry players for business development and catalyse economic recovery on the island.
The first edition of the Asian Tourism and Hospitality Awards was organised by TIN Media together with AHHRA (Asia Hospitality Human Resource Association).
About Langkawi Development Authority (LADA)
The federal government set up Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) to plan, promote and implement development on the island of Langkawi. It was officially established on 15 March 1990 under the Langkawi Development Authority Act 1990 (Act 423) and placed under the authority of the Ministry of Finance. Ultimately, the organisation’s goal is to position Langkawi as a world-renowned tourism destination.
KUCHING, 23 March 2023: Sarawak Tourism Board launched its campaign to promote upcoming festivals to travel consumers visiting last week’s MATTA Fair.
STB estimated more than 10,000 fairgoers visited the board’s pavilion that fielded travel experiences, tours and hospitality offerings from 13 participating partners who joined the STB pavilion at the MATTA FAIR 2023 hosted for the first time at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) Kuala Lumpur.
The state’s pavilion showcased various attractions linked to culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals. STB used the MATTA show to promote the Rainforest World Music Festival, which will be held from 23 to 25 June at Sarawak Cultural Village. Sarawak has taken bold steps to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly RWMF that is the model used for all other events and festivals, including the Borneo Jazz Festival.
STB is also promoting the Sarawak Regatta, an annual event showcasing a series of boat races with participation from various government agencies, private sectors, and participants from Indonesia and Brunei. The dragon-boat regatta plays out on a 1.3 km stretch of the Sarawak River in the centre of Kuching town, usually in late October.
Photo credit: STB
Teams from villages around Sarawak make the event a grand affair, making it a great excuse for families living outside Kuching to visit the city. The blue-ribbon event is the coveted ‘Raja Sungai’ (King of the River) title in the ‘bidar’ category. Each longboat carries thirty paddlers, and the competition for this category is always closely contested.
SHENZHEN, China, 23 March 2023: DidaTravel, a global hotel wholesaler and tech-driven travel distribution service provider, confirms its latest senior appointment, Gareth Matthews, who joins as chief marketing officer.
Effective 3 April 2023, he will head the development of the company’s brand positioning, digital marketing capabilities and PR and media presence worldwide.
A marketing executive with over 22 years of experience in the travel and technology sectors, he has held senior marketing leadership roles in both TUI Group and Hotelbeds, where he led multi-disciplinary, international marketing teams to help position brands worldwide that have since gone on to become leaders in their sector.
DidaTravel’s founder and CEO, Rikin Wu, comments: “We are pleased to have Gareth, an experienced marketing professional, join DidaTravel at this pivotal moment in our success story. I am confident that his experience and creativity will be a great asset”.
DANANG 23 March 2023: Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa has named Adrian Pulido its general manager of the 360-room oceanfront resort.
The property stands on Non Nuoc Beach, between Danang town and the UNESCO-listed Hoi An.
Adrian Pulido, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa
Having commenced his career with Hyatt, he moved to JW Marriott in Mexico City and Banyan Tree in the UAE and Shanghai before returning to Hyatt in 2016. Following spells at Park Hyatt St. Kitts and Park Hyatt Seoul, he achieved his first general manager’s role with Hyatt Regency Koh Samui in 2020.
Nestled on Vietnam’s central coast, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa the resort, is undergoing upgrades that will extend a beachside venue, introduce a rebranded Italian restaurant and a brand-new Camp Hyatt kids’ club with five play zones.
VIENTIANE, 23 March 2023: Lao Airlines will resume flights from Vientiane to Guangzhou in China effective 15 April.
Releasing details on its Facebook page, the airline will introduce three weekly flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, using an Airbus A320 with 158 seats.
The flight time is two hours. Google Flights quotes a one-way fare of THB9,170, while the roundtrip fare is THB17,939. Fare information and bookings were inactive on the Lao Airlines website on 22 March. The drop-down menu does not show Guangzhou. It displays Kunming as the sole active Chinese destination for bookings.
Flight schedule
Vientiane – Guangzhou
QV881 (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
Departs Vientiane at 1310 and arrives in Guangzhou at 1610
Guangzhou – Vientiane
QV882 (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
Departs Guangzhou at 1710 and arrives in Vientiane at 1840
BANGKOK, 23 March 2023: Founding CEO of Nok Air, Patee Sarasin returns to Thailand’s aviation business to found his second airline project, Really Cool Airlines, the country’s latest airline startup.
“We are thrilled to introduce Really Cool Airlines and look forward to providing travellers with an exceptional flying experience,” said the full-service airline’s founder and CEO during the 22 March press launch.
“Our team of experts has worked tirelessly to create a new standard for the aviation industry, and we’re excited to unveil what we have in store in the coming months.”
Patee said Really Cool Airlines would announce aircraft types, destinations and its route network in the coming months, with operations expected to commence by the end of 2023.
Success will depend on how fast Thailand’s tourism industry recovers. On the optimistic side, the messaging from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts 30 million tourist arrivals in 2023 or approximately 80% of the 39 million tourist arrivals recorded in 2019.
To achieve this ambitious target, the TAT has also gone on record saying the country needs to increase the number of airlines and flights serving its popular tourist destinations. But it’s a risky business, and the country’s domestic airlines are still suffering from losses incurred during the Covid-19 lockdown that lasted two years.
YANGON, 23 March 2023: US-headquartered Airbnb has suspended hosting of all lodgings in Myanmar, possibly the first international accommodation booking site to do so since the 1 February 2021 military coup.
Last week, Airbnb sent out email notices to hosts in Myanmar informing them their listings and reservations are no longer available. It told hosts that their listing would no longer show up on Airbnb.
Airbnb’s accommodation options in Myanmar go offline to guests visiting the booking site.
However, hosts would still have listing details of “past reservations and payment transaction history.”
Airbnb is not a significant player in Myanmar’s hospitality booking scene due to strict laws that prohibit foreigners from staying in lodgings that are not registered as hotels and guests houses under the Myanmar Hotel and Tourism Law
TTRW asked Airbnb for comment. The global booking service responded: “Airbnb has suspended hosting in Myanmar. Guests will not be able to make any reservations for stays in Myanmar until further notice. Airbnb’s local business in Myanmar most recently consisted of a very small number of active listings.”
Due to the strict laws on where foreigners can stay, Airbnb’s pool of potential hosts is limited to registered hotels or guesthouses. Under Myanmar’s strict laws, hotels and guesthouses must present every evening a list of foreign guests with passport details to the local police or immigration offices.
Myanmar is one of just a few countries with laws prohibiting short-term letting. There are by-laws written in the country’s 1947 Immigration Act that stipulate foreign visitors on a tourist visa must stay in a hotel or registered guest houses.
Other booking services such as Agoda, Expedia and Booking.com continue to feature Myanmar hotels with online payments possible using international credit cards such as Visa or Mastercard.
