KOTA KINABALU, 6 June 2023: Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor announced to the Sabah State Assembly that the Aspiring Kinabalu Geopark is now officially designated ‘Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark’ by UNESCO’s executive board, together with 18 sites worldwide raising the Geopark total to 195 parks in 48 countries.
Left to Right: Datuk Sr Hj Mohd Yusrie Abdullah (Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji bin Noor (Chief Minister of Sabah), Datuk Christina Liew (Minister of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah).
The UNESCO Global Geopark label recognises the geological heritage of international significance. Geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation of their significant geological heritage with public outreach and a sustainable approach to development.
This is an outstanding achievement of the Government of Sabah under the “Sabah Maju Jaya” roadmap through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and Sabah Parks.
Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark covers an area of 4,750 km2 and adds significant value to the existing eco-tourism experiences promoted by travel content suppliers in Sabah. It is home to many endemic plants and animals, including 90 orchid species that exist only on Mount Kinabalu, and the crimson-headed partridge bird not found anywhere will bring direct and indirect benefits to the socio-economic of Sabah, particularly to more than 290,000 local communities within the district of Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Ranau.
DUBAI UAE, 6 June 2023: Emirates is unveiling a new closed-loop recycling initiative this month, where millions of onboard items, such as plastic trays, bowls, snack and casserole dishes, will now be recycled in a local facility and remade into fresh, ready-to-use Emirates meal service products.
Marking United Nations World Environment Day on 5 June and the theme of #BeatPlasticPollution, Emirates will introduce the new recycled utensils onboard from June 2023 onwards.
In line with Emirates’ commitment to consuming responsibly, the new initiative is transitioning to the principles of a circular economy, whereby items are reduced, reused, and recycled. Millions of old and damaged meal service items from Economy and Premium Economy Class dining will be collected after flights, washed and checked for damage, and transported to a facility in Dubai to be ground down, reprocessed, and manufactured into new dishes, bowls and trays – before being sent to Emirates Flight Catering to be used again for thousands of meals in the sky.
In partnership with deSter FZE UAE, a leading provider of service ware concepts to the aviation industry and expert in closed-loop manufacturing, Emirates will be reusing plastic materials that have already reached their end of life and would otherwise need to be written off. The new trays, casseroles, snack dishes and bowls, containing at least 25% reused material (recyclate), will be brought back into service on aircraft across the globe, and the proportion will continue to increase over time.
The team at deSter are members of the CE100 network, which includes some of the world’s leading circular economy companies and have also been awarded the ‘Gold’ Sustainability rating from Ecovadis – a globally recognised certification for sustainable practices. Emirates elected to work with deSter once a facility in UAE was ready to facilitate the huge scale of Emirates’ requirement – substantially reducing the carbon footprint of sending the products to another country to be recycled. The deSter factory also incorporates sustainable design principles focusing on solar power, efficient use of water and minimisation of waste.
Emirates’ commitment to reducing plastic waste
Emirates is committed to reducing plastic waste and has already implemented several initiatives in addition to the new closed-loop recycling project.
Emirates has diverted over 150 million single-use plastic items from landfill each year by replacing plastic straws, inflight retail bags, and stirrers with responsibly sourced paper and wooden alternatives.
Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers can get comfortable with soft blankets onboard, where each blanket is manufactured from 28 recycled plastic bottles. Over one year, this initiative saves 88 million plastic bottles from landfill.
Emirates’ current range of inflight toy bags, baby amenity kits and plush toys are made from recycled plastic bottles, and over 8 million plastic bottles were repurposed during 12 months of amenity kit production.
The hygiene covers for bowls on Emirates meal trays, and plastic tumblers are made from 80% recycled plastic (rPET).
Emirates Economy and Premium Economy amenity kits are made from alternative materials such as kraft paper, rice paper and recycled plastic, reducing the consumption of virgin plastic.
Emirates Cabin Crew segregate glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting about 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass from landfill in 2022.
SINGAPORE, 6 June 2023: Unruly passenger incidents are rising, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is calling on nations to prosecute offenders under the Montreal Protocol 2014.
IATA released its latest data during its AGM in Istanbul last week, which showed unruly passenger incidents increased in 2022 compared to 2021 at a rate of one unruly incident for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021.
The most common incidents in 2022 were non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication. Physical abuse incidents remain rare, but these had an alarming increase of 61% over 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights.
“While our professional crews are well-trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persistent minority of passengers. There is no excuse for not following the crew’s instructions,” said IATA’s deputy director general Conrad Clifford.
Although non-compliance incidents initially fell after the mask mandates were removed on most flights, the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year some 37% up compared to 2021.
Behaving badly: Common examples
Smoking of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes and puff devices in the cabin or lavatories
Failure to fasten seatbelts when instructed
Exceeding the carry-on baggage allowance or failing to store baggage when required
Consumption of own alcohol on board
Two-pillar strategy
A two-pillar strategy is in place for the zero-tolerance approach to unruly behaviour.
Regulation: Ensure governments have the legal authority to prosecute unruly passengers, regardless of their state of origin, and to have a range of enforcement measures that reflect the severity of the incident. Such powers exist in the Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14), and IATA urges all states to ratify this as soon as possible. To date, some 45 nations comprising 33% of international passenger traffic have ratified MP14.
Guidance to prevent and de-escalate incidents: Prevent incidents through collaboration with industry partners on the ground (such as airports, bars and restaurants and duty-free shops), including, for example, awareness campaigns on the consequences of unruly behaviour. Additionally, sharing best practices, including training, for the crew to de-escalate incidents when they occur. A new guidance document was published at the beginning of 2022, gathering best practices for airlines and providing practical solutions to governments on public awareness, spot fines, and fixing jurisdiction gaps.
“In the face of rising unruly incident numbers, governments and the industry are taking more serious measures to prevent unruly passenger incidents. States are ratifying MP14 and reviewing enforcement measures, sending a clear message of deterrence by showing they are ready to prosecute unruly behaviour. For the industry’s part, there is greater collaboration. For example, as the vast majority of intoxication incidents occur from alcohol consumed before the flight, the support of airport bars and restaurants to ensure the responsible consumption of alcohol is particularly important.
“No one wants to stop people from having a good time when they go on holiday—but we all have a responsibility to behave with respect for other passengers and the crew. For the sake of the majority, we make no apology for seeking to crack down on the bad behaviour of a few travellers who can make a flight very uncomfortable for everyone else,” said Clifford.
SINGAPORE, 6 June 2023: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns that an increase in countries blocking the repatriation of airline revenue threatens airline connectivity in the affected markets.
The industry’s blocked funds have increased by 47% to USD2.27 billion in April 2023 from USD1.55 billion in April 2022.
“Airlines cannot continue to offer services in markets where they cannot repatriate the revenues arising from their commercial activities in those markets. Governments need to work with industry to resolve this situation so airlines can continue to provide the connectivity vital to driving economic activity and job creation,” said IATA’s director-general Willie Walsh
IATA names the main culprits, five countries accounting for 68.0% of all blocked funds worldwide
Nigeria (USD812.2 million)
Bangladesh (USD214.1 million)
Algeria (USD196.3 million)
Pakistan (USD188.2 million)
Lebanon (USD141.2 million)
IATA urged governments to abide by international agreements and treaty obligations to enable airlines to repatriate funds earned from the sale of tickets, cargo space, and other activities.
YANGON, 6 June 2023: Myanmar Airways International (8M) and SriLankan Airlines (UL) have announced a codeshare agreement for flights to Colombo from Bangkok and Singapore.
It will also mean that SriLankan passengers can book flights conveniently onward from Bangkok and Singapore to Yangon and Mandalay using MAI services.
In the meantime, MAI has increased services to Singapore from Yangon to 12 weekly flights with one-way fares starting at USD139. The airline added flights on Monday and Wednesday to Singapore, effective 29 May.
MAI will fly to Bangkok DMZ five times weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday starting 15 June. The routes are Yangon – Bangkok DMZ – MandalayandMandalay – Bangkok DMZ – Yangon. The airline already flies daily to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Flight 8M362 will depart Mandalay at 1450 and arrive in Bangkok Don Mueang Airport at 1710. The return flight (8M363) departs DMZ at 1810 and arrives in Yangon at 1900.
8M360 departs Yangon at 0940 and arrives in Bangkok Don Mueang Airport at 1130. The return flight 8M361 departs Bangkok DMZ 1220 and arrives in Mandalay at 1340.
BANGKOK, 6 June 2023: Thai Vietjet is flying a daily roundtrip between Bangkok and Yangon on behalf of Myanmar National Airlines until 20 June.
The daily charter flight VZ8700 departs from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport at 1030 and arrives in Yangon at 1135. The return flight VZ8701 departs Yangon at 1220 and arrives at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at 1410.
Myanmar National Airlines announced the temporary arrangement on 1 June on its website, saying it involved the airline’s scheduled service from Yangon – Bangkok (UB-019) and Bangkok – Yangon (UB-020), which would be substituted with Thai Vietjet flights VZ-8701 and VZ-8700 respectively from 1 to 20 June. The average flight time from Bangkok to Yangon is 58 minutes for a flight distance of just 611 km using an Airbus A320.
Myanmar National Airlines made its maiden flight in 1948 as UBA – Union of Burma Airways. It was one of the oldest airlines in Asia. In 2014 it rebranded Myanmar National Airlines, first flying domestic services and later opening international flights to capital cities in Southeast Asia to compete with Myanmar Airways International.
BANGKOK, 2 June 2023: Thailand is on the cusp of a new era of tourism prosperity in 2025, the Tourism Authority of Thailand confidently predicted in its latest forecast delivered at the country’s annual travel trade show TTM+ on Thursday.
Based on the country’s tourism performance since 2022, after Covid-19 travel restrictions eased, TAT predicts full tourism recovery will be achieved by the end of 2024. The benchmark remains 2019’s tourist arrivals that closed at 39.92 million, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down global travel in March 2020. Thailand is now forecast to reach around 40 million tourist arrivals by the close of 2024, but the country will have lost four years to the pandemic, losses that cannot be recouped.
Market plan
TAT is currently fine-tuning its 2024 marketing plan for release to the travel industry at the close of its weeklong MAP2024 marketing activity plan meeting in June. The comprehensive marketing strategy aims to shatter the 2019 record in visitor arrivals and tourism receipts to declare business is back on track but with some differences. TAT’s marketing plan will focus on sustainability, high-value tourism, and meaningful travel.
Eye on a new government
As the country is going through a government transition following the elections in May, TAT stated that its plan would need to be flexible and adaptable to align with the new administration’s policies.
Despite the lack of a clear direction from a political standpoint, TAT deputy governor for international marketing – Asia and the South Pacific, Tanes Petsuwan, affirms the authority has made preparations and stands ready to address the tourism situation and engage in discussions regarding the future direction with the incoming Cabinet.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya.
“With 63 years of establishment, the TAT has worked with administrations from various political parties. Professionally, the organisation has been following a strategic direction and has accomplished goals with the resources allocated.”
In the meantime, Tanes added that the TAT was closely monitoring the formation of the new government, acknowledging that at least two key points in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the eight coalition parties align with the authority’s focus on sustainability and revenue distribution.
TTR Weekly asked TAT deputy governor for marketing communications, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, during the TTM’s opening media briefing what would be the key areas that the authority would stress are critical to success as the country’s new administration prepares to take the helm.
He replied: “Tourism is already a crucial part of the economy, so the agency (TAT) needs reaffirmation from the new government that it will continue to support the tourism industry across all areas, including marketing, brand building, and tourism development, placing the tourism industry high up as possible on the economy.”
TTM+ took place from 31 May to 2 June.
TTM+ revives confidence
TAT directors updated the progress of the Thai tourism industry during the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+), which took place from 31 May to 2 June at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for the first time since the complex underwent a major remake.
TTM+ attracted 374 international buyers from 50 countries, of which 42% were new buyers. This year’s buyer count reflects an increase of 35.5% compared to the 276 buyers who attended the event in Phuket last year.
In addition to the sellers, TAT also extended invitations to more than 20 trade visitors from Saudi Arabia, providing them with a firsthand experience of Thai tourism products and services, the first opportunity since the two countries restored full diplomatic and trade ties earlier this year.
TTM seller turnout
On the supply side, TTM+ delivered 435 sellers, mainly in the hotel and resort categories. This year’s sellers also included Cambodia and Myanmar’s national tourism organisations. The count marks an increase of 60.7% compared to the 264 sellers present last year. TAT noted that the B2B platform would generate 11,760 buyer/seller appointments as part of the effort to drive the recovery of tourism to achieve 80% of the revenue from the international market recorded during the pre-pandemic, or a target of THB1.5 trillion by the end of this year.
Festival time: ‘Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters.’
Post-pandemic path
In the post-pandemic period, TAT set its targets to recover 50% in 2022, 80% in 2023 and 100% in 2024. The recovery of the flight capacity is one of the critical factors. According to TAT, the overall percentage of flight resumption to Thailand is 70% compared to the year before the pandemic. From China alone, flights in June reached 90% compared to 2019.
This year, TAT targets a possible ‘base case scenario’ of 25 million visitor arrivals. From 1 January to 27 May, Thailand welcomed 10,378,457 international arrivals generating THB428 billion. The top five tourism markets were Malaysia (1,606,373), China (1,098,604), Russia (734,995), South Korea (627,760), and India (583,319).
To achieve the year-end target, TAT will continue implementing activities aligned with the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters’ communication theme. The TTM+ is expected to serve as a platform to enhance performance in the year’s second half. This year’s edition of TTM+ continues to showcase and emphasise the ongoing efforts of the Thai tourism industry in promoting meaningful travel experiences.
Satellite activities
TAT organised satellite activities alongside the TTM+ for the first time. These activities included a domestic travel fair promoting travel across various regions. It also introduced Amazing Thailand Culinary City to enhance gastronomy tourism by bringing together food tourism suppliers to showcase their products and services to international buyers and consumers.
Chattan said, “TAT is illustrating Thailand as offering meaningful-driven travel to improve visitors’ experience. Encompassing discovery, transformation, fulfilment, and engagement between people, cultures, and nature, this underscores TAT’s direction to make a destination for protecting the country’s vast natural and scenic beauty and instigating a range of environmental initiatives.”
SINGAPORE, 2 June 2023: Around 31.5 million people are expected to go on a cruise this year*, and with cruise demand finally back, new research identifies the top 10 cruise destinations experiencing the biggest increase in popularity.
Two Asian destinations, Vietnam and Japan, are among the top 10 cruise destinations with the biggest increase in Google search volume. Vietnam placed 4th in the chart registering a 174% year-on-year change in Google searches 2022-2023, and Japan, in sixth place, scored 174%.
The team atSlingo have analysed Google search data, Tiktok views, Instagram posts and cruise reviews to reveal the most popular cruise destinations. The research has also revealed the most and least expensive cruise lines.
The Atlantic Islands have been crowned the cruise destination with the biggest increase in popularity, with Google searches surging 250% between 2022-2023. The Atlantic is home to a vast array of gorgeous island destinations – and a cruise is a perfect way to sample many of them in a single outing.
Following in second place is the Norwegian Fjords, with searches for the destination increasing by 235%. This is a popular option for those wishing to glimpse the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and experience unique landscapes.
The cruise destination with the third highest increase in popularity is the Italian Riviera, with Google searches having nearly doubled in the last year. The crescent-shaped stretch of the Mediterranean has breathtaking cliff views, shimmering turquoise coves, quaint fishing villages, and some resort areas.
Research highlights
Tiktok’s most popular cruise destination is the Caribbean, with 63.6 million views as of May 2023. The Caribbean has also been crowned Instagram’s most popular cruise destination, with 147,976 posts on the app.
Ponant Cruises is the most expensive cruise line, costing an average of UKP9,063 per person. The second-most expensive cruise line is Scenic Ocean Cruises, costing UKP8,989 per person, whilst the Silversea Cruises’ average cost of UKP8,645 per person makes it the third-most expensive cruise line.
Princess Cruises is the most affordable cruise line, with the average cost of their cruises around UKP1,204 per person. This is over UKP100 cheaper than the second most affordable cruise line, Celestyal Cruises, with an average cruise cost of UKP1,336.
AmaWaterways is the cruise line with the highest average rating, scoring 4.6 out of 5. They are known for their short excursion heavy cruises and wine-themed cruises. While activities vary from ship to ship, they offer around12 activities.
The top 10 cruise destinations with the biggest increase in Google search volume:
BANGKOK, 2 June 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts is marking this year’s World Environment Day (5 June) and Ocean Day (8 June) events with the revival of its highly successful 2019 ‘Plastics Only, Please’ (P-O-P) campaign to raise awareness and take action against plastic waste.
As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, all Centara’s properties will feature POP sculptures – wire sea life creations – that serve as bins for plastic waste found on or around the beach from 5 to 30 June 2023.
This initiative encourages guests and staff to collect plastic refuse and “feed” it to the hungry P-O-P creatures. At the end of each week, Centara’s waste management teams will remove the contents, weigh the trash, and prepare it for sorting and delivery to local recycling facilities. In 2019, these ‘plastic-eating’ sculptures collected over 400 kilograms of plastic waste, reducing the plastic burden in local landfills and ensuring reusable plastic materials were recycled and reused properly rather than thrown away.
“At Centara, we are deeply committed to sustainability and believe in doing our part to raise awareness about environmental issues and put those ideas into action. After the success of our ‘Plastics Only, Please’ campaign in 2019, we are looking forward to achieving even greater results this year with a new range of P-O-P sculptures to be featured at our incredible beachfront properties. We encourage guests, staff and anyone who happens upon plastic waste to help support our initiative and #BeatPlasticPollution together,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts EVP hotel operations David Good.
World Environment Day: Solutions to Plastic Pollution #BeatPlasticPollution and World Ocean Day campaigns are part of the growing worldwide plastic reduction movement that has gained significant traction recently. By 2025, Centara aims to have 100% of its properties certified as sustainable by accredited certification bodies as a key element of the organisation’s long-term sustainability objectives and eliminate single-use plastic items, including drinking straws, laundry bags, takeaway food containers, fitness centre and poolside plastic bottles, and plastic guest room amenities, to minimise environmental impact across the entire guest journey.
SINGAPORE, 2 June 2023: Travellers flying to and from Singapore can now enjoy the luxurious and meticulously customised Premium Economy experience on Emirates, the world’s largest international airline.
The product officially launched in Singapore Thursday with one of Emirates’ upgraded four-class A380 aircraft, deployed on flights EK354 and EK355 between Singapore and Dubai.
Flight Number
Departure
Local Time (hrs)
Arrival
Local Time (hrs)
EK0354
Dubai
0305
Singapore
1500
EK0355
Singapore
2140
Dubai
0050
Emirates’ country manager in Singapore & Brunei Rashid Al Ardha said: “We are excited to introduce our travellers from Singapore to our industry-leading Premium Economy offering, a signature experience that will enable them to keep flying better with Emirates. The deployment of our newest product marks a significant milestone for our operations in Singapore, as it solidifies our strong commitment to providing customer-centric and future-forward inflight experiences for travellers. We’re confident that our new cabin will cater to the requirements of both corporate and leisure travellers, offering them a world-class product that’s exceptional.”
Since Emirates launched its Premium Economy Class last year, customer response has been overwhelmingly positive, with demand exceeding expectations. The product is deployed in seven destinations worldwide, including London Heathrow, New York JFK, and Houston.
On a four-class Emirates A380, the Premium Economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck with 56 seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration. In the cabin, every inch of space anticipates customer needs with a generous seat pitch and width for working and relaxing and customised features that offer function and convenience, like in-seat charging points and a side cocktail table. The experience is rounded off with expertly curated in-flight amenities, an inventive menu, and extensive beverage options.
Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, the Emirates App, at Emirates sales offices, and via online and offline travel agents. Travellers must also check the Emirates website for the latest travel requirements.
Key features Premium Economy
Dedicated airport experience: Customers can look forward to a dedicated check-in area for Premium Economy at Dubai International Airport or utilise one of the many convenient self-service check-in kiosks in the hall to avoid queues.
Luxurious seats: Once onboard, customers will immediately notice the quiet luxury in the Emirates Premium Economy cabin. A wood panel finish similar to Business Class sets the cabin’s mood, and each seat is designed to provide optimal comfort and support with 6-way adjustable headrests.
The cream-coloured leather seats have a generous pitch of up to 40 inches, are 19.5 inches wide, and recline 8 inches into a comfortable cradle position with ample room to stretch out. Calf rests and footrests for additional comfort, as well as many other thoughtful touches such as easily accessible in-seat charging points and a side cocktail table, make the journey all the more pleasant.
Comfort: Customers can get comfortable under soft, sustainable blankets made from recycled plastic bottles and snuggle into the generously sized pillow, designed specifically for Premium Economy. They can refresh themselves with the complimentary amenity kits, which come in reusable, sustainable bags, and contain items made with recycled or sustainable materials.
Dining experience: Incorporating elements inspired by Business Class, customers will be welcomed onboard with a welcome drink in fine glassware. During meal service, generous meals made with seasonal ingredients and regional influences will be served on chinaware, accompanied by stainless steel cutlery wrapped in linen napkins. The drinks menu will include a selection of beverages, including premium wines and a sparkling Chandon wine exclusive to Emirates Premium Economy customers. There are also liqueurs available after meals, with chocolates.
Unmatched entertainment at 40,000 feet: Each seat has a 13.3” screen, one of the largest in its class, to enjoy the unmatched array of up to 6,500 channels of music, movies, TV, news, and other content on Emirates’ award-winning ice.
Global exclusive – Chandon Vintage Brut 2016.
In addition to luxurious seats, generous legroom, sophisticated cabin design, and world-class inflight entertainment, Emirates Premium Economy offers passengers an elevated food and beverage experience. As part of a robust beverage selection, the airline has procured an outstanding Australian sparkling wine, the Chandon Vintage Brut 2016, as a global exclusive.
The Chandon Vintage Brut 2016 is a premium sparkling wine with vibrant flavours and subtle complexity, made via traditional methods for elegance and depth. From the pristine Strathbogie and King Valley vineyards in the Victorian Mountains, the grapes are grown in rich loamy soils and flourish in the mild summer weather. The wine is then crafted with precision by experienced winemakers, who focus on climate and fruit potential to achieve the perfect acidity and freshness with a distinctive style that reflects the locale in which it is made. The result is a remarkable sparkling wine effervescent with freshness and energy, aged six years on lees which adds a touch of refinement – and a luxurious wine completely exclusive to Emirates Premium Economy passengers.
