BANGKOK, 15 March 2023: The Thai AirAsia Mega Sale gets off to a good start offering zero fares* for AirAsia members and only THB40 per trip for non-members.
The sale zooms in on Thai AirAsia (FD) flights from Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Buriram, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Krabi, Phuket, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh, Mandalay, Phnom Penh and Yangon.
Heavy discounts apply on Thai AirAsia X (XJ) flights direct from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Melbourne, Sydney, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Shanghai from only THB3,990 one-way.
The promotion also includes a 50% discount for Xtra Carry-On.
Bookings must be made by 19 March via the AirAsia Super App.
The travel period runs from 4 September 2023 to 13 August 2024. On Thai AirAsia X flights, the travel period runs from 4 September 2023 to 9 July 2024.
SINGAPORE, 15 March 2023: Effective Sunday, 26 March, Singapore Airlines will relocate its operations in Chengdu, China, from Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) to Tianfu International Airport Terminal 1.
Flights SQ842 (Singapore to Chengdu) and SQ843 (Chengdu to Singapore) will land at and depart from Tianfu International Airport Terminal 1 on Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Located in the Chengdu Eastern Area, Chengdu’s Tianfu International Airport (TFU) is approximately 50 kilometres from the city’s downtown district.
In its travel alert, SQ says customers can take private or public transport (Chengdu Metro Line 18 Airport or Tianfu ) from Chengud’s downtown district to Tianfu International Airport.
Chengdu’s second airport, TFU opened in 2021 when most domestic airlines transferred their flights. According to Flightradar24, facilities and airline lounges are superior to CTU. There are two drawbacks; the one-hour commute to the airport and the lack of a railway station to allow passengers to continue their journeys to other cities in Sichuan province.
The airline advises passengers to factor in additional travelling time and arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure to allow sufficient time to complete check-in and pass through customs and immigration checkpoints.
Meanwhile, the SIA Group is resuming services to China as this key market opens up to international travel. Currently, SIA and Scoot serve 149 destinations in China compared to 25 points pre-pandemic.
During the northern summer timetable (26 March to 28 October 2023), Scoot will expand services to China by resuming flights to Haikou, Nanning, Ningbo, Shenyang, and Xi’an.
HO CHI MINH CITY, 15 March 2023: Vietjet revives routes to Hong Kong from Danang and Phu Quoc island in Vietnam with zero fares up for grabs until 16 March.
The zero-fare deal, which excludes taxes and fees, is valid for travel up to 20 May, and bookings must be made on the airline’s website or mobile app.
Vietjet is increasing flights on the trunk route between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong and introducing flights to Hong Kong from Danang a coastal city in central Vietnam, and the popular holiday island of Phu Quoc during April.
On 27 April, the airline will introduce three weekly flights from Phu Quoc to Hong Kong every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The flight from Phu Quoc take off at 1335 and lands in Hong Kong at 1720. The return flight from Hong Kong to Phu Quoc will depart at 1820 and arrive in Phu Quoc at 2005. Hong Kong passengers flying to Phu Quoc enjoy visa exemption for a stay limited to just the island.
The Danang to Hong Kong route starts on 28 April with four weekly flights departing Danang at 1435 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) and landing in Hong Kong at 1720. The return flights depart Hong Kong at 1820 and arrive in Danang at1910.
Effective 26 March, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong will increase from four weekly to daily. Flights will depart at 1510 and land in Hong Kong at 1850. The return flights from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City take off at 1950 and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 2130.
KUCHING, 14 March 2023: Sarawak’s top tourism players returned to ITB Berlin 2023 last week, hosting an inaugural stand-alone pavilion to strengthen Sarawak’s presence in the European market and position Sarawak as a leading eco-tourism destination in the ASEAN region.
Participation at ITB Berlin makes Sarawak more visible in the Europe market, positioning itself as a unique and exotic destination.
During the three-day show, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and its trade partners managed to clinch 52 new leads to promote Sarawak. STB projects the leads will result in 20% growth in sales from Europe. Three days of intensive sales at the world’s largest travel trade show should generate an estimated MYR10.5 million in revenue during 2023 and beyond.
Visitors to ITB Berlin tasted Sarawak’s unique plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals, opening new leads and creating strong interest in Sarawak. The pavilion also showcased various aspects of Sarawak’s multi-ethnic communities, natural ecosystems, and diverse flora and fauna to ensure continuous ‘Discovery of Sarawak’.
A significant agenda for Sarawak at ITB Berlin was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Tischler Reisen AG as a collaborative effort to boost Sarawak’s visibility towards becoming a preferred destination among the people of Germany and surrounding European markets both offline and online with the best travel agencies, involving some 600 agencies in Germany.
Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the Sarawak Pavilion reflected the state’s passion for driving tourism as one of the key contributors to securing economic growth in Sarawak.
The Minister shared: “This year, Sarawak has returned stronger – targeting 3 million visitor arrivals. Sarawak’s tourism industry has established its image as a cultural destination, and tourism continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. It was an optimistic comeback for Sarawak, with more than 800% growth in tourism receipts.”
“Events and festivals are key to growing further. One such event is our internationally renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) which will be held from 23 to 25 June this year. Recognising that festivals have a massive carbon footprint and that waste generated represents one of the most prominent environmental impacts, proactive measures have been taken towards creating and implementing a sustainable, eco-friendly festival,” added the Minister.
Another significant highlight for Sarawak at ITB Berlin was the unveiling of its new destination video, “Sarawak…Now More Than Ever”, as well as video presentations on Sarawak’s adventure products such as cycling, trekking caving activities and promotion of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2023.
As the biggest state in Malaysia with a low-density population of 2.9 million people, Sarawak is very proud of its natural inheritance of pristine rainforests, endemic flora and fauna, and its diverse peoples. Located in Borneo, the third largest island in the world, the rich land of Sarawak is host to a kaleidoscope of cultures made up of 31 ethnic groups, with a rich and diverse ecosystem for adventurers to explore.
As world travellers become more conscious of responsible travel, Sarawak has embraced this philosophy, taking bolder steps towards the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). STB plays a role in advocating for responsible businesses and governments to maximise economic and social benefits.
Taking environmental issues seriously, Sarawak tourism players incorporate elements of sustainable waste management, energy conservation and environmental education in their tours to ensure travellers contribute to conserving Sarawak’s attractions for generations to come.
Sarawak tourism players adopt eco-friendly practices in their tourism products, such as encouraging bicycle rides in rural areas or enjoying bird-watching in Sarawak’s lush rainforests. Tourism players promote homestays, encourage local food consumption, and highlight local handicrafts and arts in their effort to sustain the local way of life. Travellers can find community-based tourism in areas such as Nanga Sumpa in Batang Ai, where travellers can gain insights into the lifestyle of the various tribes of Sarawak. These efforts can generate an economy for its residents, especially those from lower-income groups.
Sarawak’s renowned Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, 20 km from Kuching City, is Sarawak’s biggest orangutan rehabilitation centre. Currently, the centre serves as a habitat for the orangutans and a place for visitors to learn about this endangered species.
Supporting Sarawak Tourism Board’s (‘STB’) efforts in Berlin were its key strategic partners – Authentic Borneo Tours, Borneo Adventure, Business Events Sarawak (Sarawak Convention Bureau), CPH Travel Agencies (Sarawak), Greatown Travel, Happy Trails Borneo Tours, Hemisphere Hospitality, Paradesa Borneo, Smart Leisure & Travels and Tropical Adventure to work together to enhance Sarawak’s visibility on the global pedestal.
KOTA KINABALU, 14 March 2023: Sabah’s diverse tourism experiences continue to entice vacationers from Western and European countries, Sabah Tourism Board reported at the close of last week’s ITB Berlin.
Travel and tour agents attending the world’s largest travel trade show told the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) they were optimistic that tours to Sabah, North Borneo, would grow dramatically as airline flight schedules are reinstated to Southeast Asia.
Joniston meeting with Matt Midworth of National Geographic Traveller at the ITB Berlin 2023.
During ITB, 7 to 9 March, the Sabah Tourism team met with 33 travel agencies from Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the US, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Australia.
STB chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said most agents he met assured him that Sabah remained a promising holiday destination and that the STB’s new tagline, ‘Feel Sabah, North Borneo,’ would help Sabah stand out as a unique and appealing destination on Borneo island.
“They like how the new tagline highlights the experiential aspect of visiting Sabah. I believe that having people live the experience of travelling while they are at their destination is an effective call to action,” said Joniston.
He said STB was inspired to make important changes in the promotional strategy to ensure visitors would experience Sabah, North Borneo, personally and meaningfully.
Sabah’s new tourism destination tagline was unveiled at the ITB Berlin on 7 March in the presence of Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew, who led a 10-member delegation.
Joniston also said Sabah’s diverse tourism offerings had remained a pulling force, especially for Western and European tourists who appreciate adventure and exploring off the usual track.
“Sabah is the ideal getaway for them since it has everything they enjoy – sea, sun, wildlife, and nature. These are the tourists we want to keep pursuing,” said Joniston.
In addition, he mentioned that most travel agencies have indicated that Sabah is marketable since it connects to the rest of the world via Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, major transportation hubs in Southeast Asia.
Sabah industry players present at the ITB Berlin were Borneo Eco Tours; Borneo Nature Tours; Borneo Trails; Rustic Borneo; Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure; and Tabin Wildlife Resort.
SINGAPORE, 14 March 2023: With more than 166 million international trips booked by Chinese travellers in 2019, contributing over USD245 billion to global tourism, it is no wonder that the world has been watching and waiting for China to reopen its borders after nearly three years of Covid-19 closure.
Now that China is easing travel restrictions, Sabre has sifted through its shopping and booking data to examine the impact of the reopening through 9 February 2023 on tourism in China and globally.
Key findings following reopening announcements on 26 December, 8 January, and 20 January
• A significant spike in shopping queries and requests, particularly for the outbound tourism industry;
• Strong demand among Chinese travellers for trips despite high airfares, with fares peaking at more than two times in January and one and half times in February when compared to pre-pandemic prices;
• Demand is outstripping supply, with Chinese airlines leading capacity growth;
• New booking habits suggest long-term travel confidence.
A surge in search and booking requests
Sabre’s shopping insights revealed that interest in inbound and outbound China routes surged in the week of 26 December, when China first announced plans to drop quarantine for overseas visitors, and again when mainland China reopened sea and land crossings with Hong Kong on 8 January.
Weekly searches for China-related routes (including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau) have been increasing steadily after the announcements, and average weekly searches in the first five weeks of 2023 through to 5 February 2023 have been 78% higher compared to the average weekly searches in Q4 2022.
Strong outbound bookings
The reopening of China is already proving to be a key win for tourism recovery and potentially providing economic growth within the Asia Pacific region. Outbound travel has generally rebounded faster than inbound travel to the region. Sabre data shows outbound bookings making up 43.5% of 2023 overall travel through 9 February 9, compared to 37% for the same period in 2019.
As of 9 February, Japan, Thailand, and Korea became the top three destinations for Chinese outbound travel in 2023, with Korea rising to the third spot from the 5th at the same time in 2019. Bookings for the UK, Thailand and Philippines have bounced back the fastest versus bookings made in the same period in 2019. Indonesia, a top outbound destination in 2019, lost its spot in the top 10 to the Philippines.
Top outbound destinations
It was reported that Indonesia slowed down on promoting their destination to China travellers during the pandemic, possibly impacting Indonesia’s position in the list. Australia’s fall to 9th place may have been impacted by measures implemented on travel inbound from China.
However, while outbound travel is enjoying a strong rebound, restrictions for inbound travel appear to limit inbound travel recovery.
Long-awaited reunions
Sabre’s booking data shows that the largest sources of inbound travel for China in 2023 are Taiwan, the US, Thailand, Korea, the United Kingdom and Canada, with Thailand, the UK, and Canada bouncing back the fastest.
Long-term: New booking habits
Although there is still some way to go before all travel restrictions are lifted for travel to and from China, Sabre data indicates the potential for long-term travel confidence. Booking windows can be a key confidence metric, as travellers are often happier to book further out if they feel confident about their plans.
As of 5 February, 33% of all inbound bookings and 43% of all outbound bookings were made more than two months in advance, showing that there was a likely expectation that travel restrictions may ease further in the next two months and beyond. Only 21% of outbound and 14% of inbound bookings were made for travel within two weeks, versus 37% and 30% in the same period in 2019.
Travellers appear to be planning further ahead compared to 2019, when there were more last-minute bookings. This may be due to new booking habits learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, where travellers have gotten used to pre-planning instead of impromptu trips, or the capacity for China routes has yet to recover pre-pandemic levels, and there are fewer available for last-minute bookings.
Bookings are also slowly recovering to what was evident pre-pandemic, with outbound travel bookings made by 9 February for travel in the first week of April reaching 70% of passenger bookings made by 9 February in 2019.
SAii Phi Phi Island Village recently released 25 bamboo sharks into the sea following a successful breeding programme.
BANGKOK, 14 March 2023: Four properties under the branding of S Hotels and Resorts PCL, a hospitality company owned by Singha Estate PCL, have been awarded Green Globe Certification recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Certificates name SAii Laguna Phuket and SAii Phi Phi Island Village, Santiburi Koh Samui and Crossroads Maldives for operating sustainably, protecting the environment and empowering communities.
S Hotels & Resorts CEO Dirk De Cuyper said: “At S Hotels & Resorts and Singha Estate, we have a vision of sustainable development that is aligned with the UN’s SDGs, nine of which hold special importance, especially SDG6 ‘Clean Water & Sanitation,’ SDG13 ‘Climate Action’ and SDG14 ‘Life Below Water.’ We are delighted, therefore, to have achieved Green GlobeTM Certification in Thailand and the Maldives. These important certificates show that we are on the right track.”
YANGON, 14 March 2023: Myanmar National Airlines appointed Logi Plus Thailand last week as its general sales agent covering the Thai outbound travel market.
Myanmar National Airlines CEO Captain Khup Khan Mung hosted the opening ceremony and party for Bangkok-based travel agents at Logi Plus’ new office suite at Novotel Bangkok.
Third from the left: MNA CEO Captain Khup Khan Mung.
The evening cocktail reception was joined by mainly outbound travel agents and representatives of Myanmar National Airlines.
MNA’s CEO said opening the GSA office in Bangkok would improve customer services and support business travel ticket sales as well as Thai tour group packages.
Myanmar National Airlines is a government airline and national flag carrier of Myanmar under the control of the military junta by default. Under various branding, the airline has been in business for over 65 years, first as Union of Burma Airways and later as MNA.
The airline flies to 27 domestic points and recently reintroduced a three-weekly service to Chiang Mai from its home base in Yangon.
It flies twice daily to Bangkok and daily to Singapore. Before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 and the subsequent military coup in February 2021, it also served Hong Kong.
HONG KONG, 14 March 2023: Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary HK Express will operate about 70% of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by December 2023, returning to pre-pandemic levels by the close of 2024, the airline group reported in its performance figures for 2022.
The group’s airlines added about 3,000 passenger flights during the fourth quarter of 2022. At the close of the year, the group operated one-third of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity, representing approximately eight times the average capacity the airlines together operated in the first half of the year. Cathay Pacific ended the year operating passenger flights to 58 destinations, double the 29 destinations the airline flew to in January 2022.
Financial Results
The Cathay Pacific Group, including airlines, subsidiaries and associates, reported an attributable loss of HKD6,548 million in 2022 (2021: loss of HKD5,527 million). The loss per ordinary share in 2022 was HK111.3 cents (2021: loss per ordinary share of HK95.1 cents).
The second-half 2022 results for the group’s airlines and subsidiaries saw a marked improvement over the first-half 2022 results, reporting an attributable profit of HKD2,261 million in the second half of 2022 but an attributable loss of HKD255 million for the entire year of 2022.
However, the results from associates (the majority of which are recognised three months in arrears) reflected a significant loss of HKD6,293 million (2021: loss of HKD1,710 million). As a result, the group’s attributable loss in the second half of 2022 was HKD1,549 million (2022 first half: loss of HKD4,999 million; 2021 second half: profit of HKD2,038 million).
In the Chair’s Statement, Patrick Healy noted available unrestricted liquidity stood at HKD27.2 billion as of 31 December 2022. The government has also extended the drawdown period for an HKD7.8 billion bridge loan facility for 12 months to 8 June 2023.
In 2022, Cathay Pacific’s passenger revenue increased by 214.9% to HK$13,686 million compared with 2021. Passenger flight capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 51.6%, while traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), increased by 258.3%. The airline carried 2.8 million passengers in 2022, an average of 7,682 per day, 291.1% more than in 2021. The load factor was 73.6% compared with 31.1% in 2021.
Key Developments
While 2022 was a challenging year, the airline group achieved important milestones. It took delivery of five new aircraft and reactivated 24 aircraft parked overseas to build back flight capacity.
Expanding on the introduction in 2021 of its new premium travel lifestyle brand, Cathay, 2022 saw the introduction of an elevated membership experience that merged the best of the Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles under one Cathay membership programme that has more than 13 million members.
“We are reconnecting Cathay Pacific with Hong Kong and Hong Kong with the world. To achieve this, we are doing more than simply returning to where we were before the pandemic. We are rebuilding a better Cathay Pacific than before,” said the group’s chief executive officer Ronald Lam.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel
The group has set a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050 and pledges that SAF will account for around 10% of its total fuel consumption by 2030.
“In 2022, we launched the Cathay Pacific Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Programme, the first of its kind in Asia, and SAF was uplifted and used at Hong Kong International Airport for the first time as part of the programme, and we will continue to make major strides towards our sustainable development goals.”
In line with key performance indicators (KPI) related to climate change, Cathay Pacific secured its first sustainability-linked aircraft financing in 2022 for a new Airbus A321neo aircraft.
“As global travel resumes and Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong international aviation hub rebuild, we are eager
to welcome visitors to our home city… The past few years have been challenging, but we are taking forward lessons to be the Cathay Pacific for the future,” Lam concluded.
SINGAPORE, 14 March 2023: One of Yangon’s iconic hotels, Sedona Yangon, owned by Keppel Land Ltd, has been sold for USD57.4 million to a little-known group called Spring Blossom Ventures Pte Ltd.
First reported in Nikkei Asia, the sale was confirmed by Keppel Corporation. The Singapore parent group said Keppel Land Ltd and its wholly-owned subsidiary Double Peak Holdings Ltd are divesting 100% of the share capital of Greenfield Development Pte Ltd to Spring Blossom Ventures Pte Ltd.
Photo Credit: Sedona Yangon.
GDPL holds 100% of the issued share capital of Straits Greenfield Limited (SGL), which has the right to build and operate a hotel in Myanmar.
The divestment is expected to be completed by the first half of 2023, when GDPL and SGL will cease to be company subsidiaries. Spring Blossom will pay for the shares in three tranches.
According to the Nikkei Asia report, divestment will allow Sedona “to unlock capital which can be channelled toward new growth opportunities.”
Sedona Yangon opened in Yangon in 1996 with 318 rooms making it the largest five-star property in Myanmar’s commercial capital. By 2015 the property had extended with the addition of the 431-room Inya Wing. The property closed during Covid-19 and has not reopened for bookings so far. When it was still open, just before the Covid-19 lockdown, the hotel’s website quoted a lead-in rate of USD95.
