BANGKOK, 27 February 2023: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) announces the resignation of Liz Ortiguera as its chief executive officer with immediate effect.
PATA releases the news just days before its chairman and leading board members travel to ITB Berlin to reinstate the association’s presence at the annual trade show after more than a two-year pause.
Speculation surfaced in January regarding the business relationship between PATA and its first female CEO, suggesting a parting of ways was being discussed. Both parties declined to comment, saying an announcement would be made shortly.
She has worked for the association for one year and 10 months of a three-year contract signed with the US-registered non-profit organisation in May 2021.
Regarding the resignation notification, PATA vice chair Benjamin Liao said: “Liz served PATA with distinction as the first Asian female CEO* in the organisation’s 72-year history. On behalf of PATA, I would like to thank her for her leadership of the association during a difficult period for the industry.
“We recognise her many accomplishments as PATA CEO, including new agreements with the Singapore Tourism Board, the Saudi Tourism Authority and Trip.com, and the expanded partnerships with Visa, MasterCard, and Airbnb.
“New projects included PATA’s first Annual Summit in the Middle East, the PATA-Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) APAC Travel Summit, PATA-World Bank Government Recovery Insights Forum Series, the Tourism Destination Resilience Program launch and the ongoing Weekly Asia-Pacific Destination Recovery Dashboard.”
Commenting on her tenure at PATA, Ortiguera said: “It was a true honour to have served as PATA’s CEO. I am confident that PATA, with its diverse member base of industry leaders, can continue to support and lead our industry’s recovery and growth. PATA is even more critical as a business community today to support new partnerships, innovation, and adopting sustainable business practices.
“I am handing back the reins with thanks to PATA Members for the opportunity to lead at this critical time of global industry recovery. I had the opportunity to work with some deeply committed, hard-working and talented individuals within the PATA team and our valued members and partners. They embody the heart and the spirit of what PATA could be in everything they do,” Ortiguera added.
In response to Ortiguera’s departure, PATA chair Peter Semone stated: “the Executive Board has established five Expert Task Forces or ETFs to review critical elements of PATA’s development strategy, including Brand and Voice, Events, Membership Engagement, Organisational Design and Digital Readiness. The recommendations of these ETFs will help define PATA’s new direction strategically and operationally.”
He didn’t elaborate on the timetable set for recruiting a new CEO. Based on past procedures, the association is expected to make public its recruitment requirements and identify a committee assigned to shortlist candidates for the association’s executive board.
However, he did say the top priority was to conduct a “thorough internal evaluation of our direction and leadership needs,” which could delay the CEO recruitment timeframe. “I suspect the second half of 2023,” the chairman concluded.
Fact check
*Liz Ortiguera was the first female CEO at PATA. However, there have been at least two Asian females appointed as vice presidents in the organisation. Ortiguera is a US national with a Philippines heritage.
DUBAI UAE, 24 February 2023: Emirates has recycled more than 500,000 kg of plastic and glass throughout 2022 by collecting discarded bottles onboard for repurposing.
500,000 kg, or more than 550 tons, is almost the same weight as a fully loaded Emirates flagship A380 aircraft.
The cabin crew onboard every flight arriving in Dubai quickly separate glass and plastic bottles for recycling at a plant in Dubai.
The glass is separated by colour and crushed. This ‘cullet’ or recycled glass ready to be re-melted is then sent to glass manufacturers in the UAE to include in their batch mix for new bottles. The plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products. As a result, Emirates and Emirates Flight Catering divert thousands of kilograms of glass and plastic away from landfill each year.
The glass and plastic recycling initiative onboard was suggested by the environmentally conscious Emirates cabin crew in 2019 as part of regular webinars and events where they are given a platform to share feedback and encouraged to share innovative ideas with key departments. The proposal was well-received and implemented within weeks.
Emirates has several other initiatives which focus on repurposing plastic or using sustainable materials where possible;
Emirates blankets made from recycled plastic
Emirates has offered cosy sustainable blankets made from recycled plastic bottles to Economy passengers on long-haul flights for the last six years. The soft and warm blankets are made from 28 recycled plastic bottles. The bottles are shredded into plastic chips before turning into a yarn, creating a fleece material. The fine thread is then woven into soft blankets. Over the 6 years since the initiative was introduced, Emirates blankets have prevented more than 95 million plastic bottles from going to landfill. As the largest sustainable blanket programme on board in the airline industry, the manufacturing process of using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) also reduces energy emissions by around 70%.
Prioritising responsible sourcing
Emirates has embedded an environmental requirement in the supplier code of conduct and considers the entire lifecycle of products from the design stage. For example, wooden tea and coffee stirrers, paper straws and inflight retail bags are made using wood and paper from responsibly managed forests.
Emirates reusable onboard amenity kits
Emirates’ Premium Economy and Economy Class range of amenity kits are complimentary for customers on long-haul flights and feature designs that represent the four essential elements of nature – fire, water, earth, and air. The pouches are reusable and made from washable kraft paper with bespoke art printed in non-toxic soy-based ink. The contents include a selection of durable travel essentials made from environmentally friendly materials. The toothbrush is made from a combination of wheat straw and plastic, and the socks and eyeshades are made from recycled plastic, in this case, rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate). The packaging used for the dental kit, socks and eyeshades is made from 90 per cent rice paper.
SINGAPORE, 24 February 2023: New research on publicly listed companies revealed that the leisure industry faces a major diversity disparity, with only 7% of the top spots held by women, a stark contrast to the 50-50 gender balance of the overall workforce.
The first report of the series, “The numbers behind women in leadership: Leisure”, which was carried out by private advisory firm Aptamind Partners and is supported by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), drew on publicly available data from the world’s largest hotel groups, casinos and entertainment companies, shows that the gender gap widens the higher up the career ladder you climb.
From a 50% overall balance across the leisure industry’s workforce, the percentage of women drops to 42% in mid-level management and 33% in senior management.
The casino and entertainment industry outshines hotels with three female CEOs and four female chairs.
A marginal improvement in the percentage of female executives in the hotel sector has failed to translate into more women in leadership and senior roles. Alison Brittain, the sole female representative in the CEO group at the time of this report, left her position in January 2023, leaving major PLC hotel chains with zero women holding the top CEO and chair spots.
However, the report shows that change is possible and can be clearly seen in the percentage of women on the boards of leisure companies, which has grown from 17% in 2007 to 28% in 2022.
More recently, the number of female chairs of the boards of casino and entertainment companies has grown from 6% to 12% between 2019 and 2021 ‒ and the number of female CEOs in that group increased from 3% to 9% over the same period.
Aptamind Partners CEO and author of the report, Aradhana Khowala says: “While some progress has been made in the last two years, there is still a vast amount of work to be done. We need a wholesale shift in how we think about gender and leadership. And we need to go beyond well-meaning initiatives and box-ticking exercises and start taking concrete steps to redress the current imbalance.
“One of the major barriers to improving gender diversity is the lack of insightful and robust data in the public domain. We cannot wait any longer for the arc of history to bend the right way on its own. We need to benchmark where we are to push forward together with concerted, collective action.”
WTTC president & CEO Julia Simpson added: “This issue goes beyond equity and fairness. Companies need to hold themselves accountable to guarantee progress is made over time. Putting women on the centre stage of Travel & Tourism will ensure a better future for the sector.”
The report offers six steps the leisure industry can take to get more women into leadership positions, including better disclosure and regular reporting, independent regulation and verification, and incentivising and holding leadership accountable for progress on gender diversity.
The report is the first of a series of four publications which analyse the female presence at high-level roles within different Travel & Tourism industries, such as leisure, aviation, cruise and OTAs, and food and beverage.
TOKY0, 24 February 2023: Dusit International officially marked the debut of Dusit Hotels and Resorts in Japan with a preview of its two upcoming properties.
ASAI Kyoto Shijo will open in June, followed by Dusit Thani Kyoto in September 2023.
Operating under Dusit’s flagship Dusit Thani brand, the 150-room Dusit Thani Kyoto is located in the city’s Hanganji Monzen-machi district, only 850 metres from Kyoto Station and close to Nishi Honganji Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Operating under Dusit’s lifestyle brand, ASAI Hotels, the new 114-key ASAI Kyoto Shijo is located in Shijo-Karasuma, near the famous Nishiki Market in the city’s downtown district.
“Our journey in the hotel segment begins in June with the opening of the lifestyle-oriented ASAI Kyoto Shijo, followed by the grand opening of the luxurious Dusit Thani Kyoto in September, and we eagerly await this exciting new chapter for our hotel business,” said Dusit International Group CEO Suphajee Suthumpun.
Dusit International spans 16 countries and comprises 48 hotels operating under Dusit Hotels and Resorts (six brands) and more than 300 villas under Elite Havens. More than 60 Dusit Hotels and Resorts are in the pipeline worldwide.
SINGAPORE, 24 February 2023: ForwardKeys’ latest air ticketing data reflects a better year for travel retailers and airports as post-covid consumer preferences shift up a gear to the luxury sector.
Despite the economic slowdown, business travel continues. As airlines and airports scramble to rebuild air connectivity with Asia, some Eastern European airports have positioned themselves as credible gateways to Europe and North America.
Business travel shows resilience in 2023
Despite the economic slowdown, business travel is on an upward trend. This is great news for travel retailers, duty-free operators, and brands. Business travellers are a crucial audience for airport luxury goods.
Intraregional Europe business travel came back in 2022, and now it is time for APAC business travel to recover fully.
Business travel from Japan is stronger than its leisure equivalent. Europe is attracting the business crowd from Japan through Frankfurt, Paris, London and Istanbul. Istanbul Airport is in a strong position in this market, up 13% in Q1 of 2023. More than 90% of those tickets booked are for transfers to Italy, Germany, France, and Spain.
“What is aiding this hot trend are two things. Seat Capacity is above 74% of the 2019 levels and the lower fares cost when compared to flights from Japan to Germany or France,” says ForwardKeys VP Insights Olivier Ponti.
With travel restrictions now eased in China and Southeast Asia, new opportunities have opened. According to bookings for travel in Q1, the share of single Chinese travellers travelling abroad has increased from 25% in 2019 to 40%, and the share of passengers flying in premium class has increased from 10% to 17%.
Changing airport gateways per source market
Returning to pre-pandemic levels, or even growing, does not mean getting back to the situation as it was in 2019. Traveller behaviours have changed, and global air connectivity is very different, as can be seen with the examples of travel from the US to Europe and outbound travel from India.
In Q1, US travellers are flying and increasing the number of travellers to Lisbon (+106% vs 2019), Copenhagen (+68%) and Istanbul (+62%). Moreover, they are staying longer and increasingly taking multi-destination holidays. The top destination pairs from the US remain the UK & France, and France & Italy, but new pairs are emerging, like Denmark & Sweden (+127%), Portugal & Spain (+116%) and Turkey & Greece, +32%.
As India’s long-haul travel resumes, residents dare to test new itineraries. For example, the new air connectivity between India and Warsaw Airport means that Warsaw Airport has witnessed an unprecedented triple-digit growth versus the pre-pandemic period from Indian travellers heading towards the US or key destinations in Europe.
More good news for duty-free and travel retailers
A simple reason why 2023 has the potential to be a decisive profit-making year for airport retailers and brands is that people spend more time at the airports when they transfer. The share of short transfers (meaning less than two hours) has decreased from 44% in 2019 to 37% in 2023. This means travellers have more time to shop now that airport operations are running more smoothly. Besides, many also tend to plan more time at the airport before departure to avoid bad surprises.
PHUKET, 24 February 2023: The Phuket Hotels Association, representing 82 of the island’s top hotels and resorts, joins forces with the EHL Hospitality Business School to award online educational scholarships to three exceptional young candidates.
As part of its commitment to developing local talent, the association will financially support associates from three of its member hotels in Phuket to take five-week courses in leadership, finance and revenue.
Caption (from left to right): Kris Atienza from The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket; Thunchanok Kusolvititkul of Amanpuri; and Parichart Patchoo from Andara Resort & Villas.
Each programme is donated by EHL Hospitality Business School, recognised as a top hospitality management university with campuses in Switzerland and Singapore.
Following an application and evaluation process that received more than 30 entries from eligible professionals across Phuket, the scholarships were awarded to three young hoteliers last week.
Thunchanok Kusolvititkul from Amanpuri will take the leadership course.
Kris Atienza from The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Phuket, will embark on the finance programme.
Parichart Patchoo from Andara Resort & Villas takes the revenue training.
After completing their respective courses, the three young executives will be awarded EHL Hospitality Business School certificates, which are recognised by top employers worldwide.
These scholarships form part of the association’s focus on education, one of its four strategic pillars. Talent retention and development have emerged as critical issues worldwide during the post-pandemic era.
EHL was founded in 1893 as the world’s first hotel management school. Close to 130 years later, it has become an international education group with around 4 000 students, 30 000 alumni and educational programmes ranging from apprenticeships to master’s degrees, as well as professional short courses and executive education.
SINGAPORE, 24 February 2023: Singapore Airlines will introduce supplementary flights to Barcelona, Frankfurt, and Rome during the 2023 summer timetable, the airline reports in the group’s financial performance report for the nine months ending December 2022.
Released earlier this week, the report confirms services to Busan will resume in August 2023. SIA will suspend services in October to Vancouver, the only route the airline operates to Canada, as the group adjusts its capacity in response to demand.
SIA reports capacity is projected to reach an average of around 77% of pre-Covid-19 levels in the fourth quarter of FY2022/23 (January to March 2023).
SIA is expected to take delivery of one Airbus A350-900 and one Boeing 787-10 in the fourth quarter, with the aircraft joining the operating fleet in the next financial year, 2023/2024, which commences 1 April 2023.
As of 31 December 2022, SIA’s operating fleet comprised 133 passenger aircraft and seven freighters with an average age of six years and six months.
Financial highlights
The SIA Grouo posted record quarterly and nine-month profits driven by strong travel demand post-Covid according to the group’s financial report for Q3 and the nine months of the fiscal year 2022/2024.
Performance highlights identified record passenger load factors for the SIA Group and strong momentum in forward passenger sales for the fourth quarter, January to March 2023.
The group’s financial performance report covering the nine months ending December 2022 showed robust demand for air travel continued into the third quarter of FY2022/23 (October to December), building on the momentum that began after Singapore relaxed its border restrictions in April 2022.
The group’s passenger capacity reached 80% of pre-Covid-19 levels in December 2022, higher than the average of 51%2 for the Asia-Pacific region.
SIA and Scoot carried 7.4 million passengers in the third quarter, up 17% from the second quarter. The group carried 18.8 million passengers during the nine months that ended 31 December 2022, up nine-fold from a year before. Passenger load factors for the group improved 0.8 percentage points to 87.4%, the highest for any quarter, on the back of record load factors for both SIA (87.3%) and Scoot (87.8%).
Q3 profit
Group revenue for the three months to 31 December rose SGD358 million (+8.0%) quarter-on-quarter to SGD4,846 million, a record quarterly revenue for the group. Passenger-flown revenue increased by SGD463 million (+14.0%) to SGD3,767 million as traffic grew 12.2% for the quarter, outpacing the 11.1% expansion in capacity.
Revenue per available seat-kilometre (RASK) was 10.6 cents, the highest quarterly RASK in the group’s history.
The group posted an operating profit of SGD755 million for the third quarter, up SGD77 million (+11.4%) from the previous quarter.
The operating profit for SIA was SGD48 million (-7.0%), lower quarter-on-quarter at SGD636 million.
Scoot achieved a record quarterly operating profit of SGD135 million, up SGD123 million or more than 11-fold from the previous quarter.
Nine months profit
Revenues rose SGD8,120 million (+157.9%) year-on-year to SGD13,263 million, the highest nine-month revenue for the SIA Group.
Passenger-flown revenue increased SGD8,160 million (+514.5%) as traffic grew seven-fold, outpacing the 108.9% expansion in capacity. RASK reached 10.1 cents (+197.1%), a record nine-month figure for the group.
The group recorded an operating profit of SGD1,989 million for the nine months to December 2022 versus the SGD543 million loss a year before (+SGD2,532 million).
Net profits rose to a record SGD1,555 million, reversing the SGD752 million loss in the previous year (+SGD2,307 million).
Preparing for the future
SIA and Tata Sons (Tata) reached an agreement in November 2022 to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA investing a further SGD360 million in Air India as part of the transaction. When completed, it will reinforce SIA’s partnership with Tata and give it a 25.1% stake in the enlarged Air India group. The merged entity will be four to five times larger in scale compared to Vistara, with a strong presence in all key airline segments in India. The proposed merger will bolster SIA’s presence in India, strengthen its multi-hub strategy, and allow it to continue participating directly in this large and fast-growing aviation market.
From now on, deeper collaboration with like-minded airlines is an integral part of the SIA Group’s partnerships strategy. Last November, Virgin Australia resumed selling codeshare flights to 42 destinations in 23 countries and territories across SIA’s network, enabling more seamless travel for customers between Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In December 2022, Thai Airways International (THAI) and SIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen their commercial collaboration.
In the initial phase, THAI and SIA will codeshare on their respective flights between Singapore and Bangkok. THAI will also put its code on SIA’s flights to destinations in South Africa and the Americas in 2023, subject to regulatory approval.
Earlier this month, Vietnam Airlines and SIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the commercial cooperation between the two airlines, including exploring codeshare arrangements between Singapore and Vietnam and potentially other destinations in the SIA network.
Q4 outlook
The demand for air travel is expected to be robust in the fourth quarter, supported by the recovery in East Asia as travel restrictions ease across China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. Forward sales remain strong across all markets for both leisure and business travel, as well as all cabin classes.
SINGAPORE, 24 February 2023: Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, will progressively reintroduce flights to China from this month to the end of June 2023.
Scoot will also ramp up flight frequencies across its network, particularly to popular destinations for summer travels in Australia, Greece, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia.
Since travel restrictions were lifted globally in 2022, Scoot has resumed most of its pre-Covid routes, increased flight frequencies and expanded its network with the launch of new destinations such as Jeju, Lombok, Makassar, Miri and Yogyakarta.
China
From now until the end of the Northern Winter timetable 2022/2023 ( ends 25 March), Scoot will progressively increase flights to China from 14 weekly to 26 weekly. It involves stepping up flight frequencies to seven of its existing destinations; Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Tianjin and Zhengzhou.
The pace of resumption will continue through the Northern Summer timetable (26 March to 28 October 2023). Scoot will resume flights to Haikou, Ningbo and Xi’an in April 2023, bringing the total weekly flights to China to 42 by the end of April 2023.
With services to Nanning and Shenyang resuming in May 2023, the low-cost airline will offer 57 weekly flights to China by the end of June 2023.
Other network updates
Flights to the Gold Coast, Australia, will be suspended after 17 July (the last flight out of the Gold Coast).
Scoot will increase flight frequencies to popular warm-weather destinations.
Flights to Athens will increase from two to four weekly.
Perth will increase from 10 to 12 weekly flights.
Sapporo through Taipei will increase from three to four weekly.
Taipei will increase from 10 to 12 weekly.
Closer to Singapore, flights to Langkawi will increase from four to seven weekly.
Manado will increase from three to four weekly.
New Schedules for Pokémon
Pokémon Air Adventures, a partnership with The Pokémon Company, continues to be well sought-after by Pokémon fans and others looking for unique experiences. In February 2023, Scoot launched these inaugural themed flights on the Pikachu Jet to Bangkok. In March 2023, the Pikachu Jet will make its way to Taiwan. Customers can choose from eight scheduled flights in March 2023 and six scheduled flights in April 2023.
Due to prevailing travel restrictions, Scoot offers 59 destinations for booking as of February 2023 out of a full network encompassing 71 destinations across 15 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.
Dubai UAE, 23 February 2023: A kelp water carrier – or rikawa, known to Palawa, Tasmanian Aboriginal people – has returned to Australia after 230 years overseas.
Having been identified in 2019 in at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, the rikawa, on loan for two years, is now on display in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG)’s new exhibition, taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country.
The rikawa was made in the late 18th century from bull kelp, wooden skewers and plant fibre ties. These vessels were used by Palawa people to hold and carry water, a life-sustaining resource. This item was collected from near Recherche Bay in 1792 by the expedition party of Bruni d’Entrecasteaux. Records of its existence in a private collection date to the 1820s when it was illustrated in a catalogue. After that, it entered the French public collections, was displayed in the Louvre, and then progressively mislabelled over the years, incorrectly describing its materials and country of origin, before ending up misplaced in various museum collections in Paris.
It is one of only two historic rikawa known in existence, with the second rikawa, which was taken about 1850 and displayed in the Great Exhibition of London in 1851 before being donated with other Tasmanian Aboriginal objects to the British Museum. This is also now on display at TMAG as part of the exhibition.
In 2019, this rikawa was re-discovered, mislabelled, in the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac‘s African collection. Dr Gaye Sculthorpe, a Palawa woman and experienced museum curator working at the British Museum researching her family history, came across a drawing of it done when it was on display in the 1890s in the Ethnographic Museum of the Louvre in Paris.
Dr Gaye Sculthorpe, Professor, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Deakin University, says: “It is one of the most significant Aboriginal items in any museum collection and incredibly important for Palawa people to be able to see it in their country once again. I congratulate all involved who have made this happen.”
The journey home to lutruwita/Tasmania
As a proud sponsor of the exhibition at TMAG, Emirates transported the rare and valuable rikawa under the care and supervision of curators from Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. The rikawa checked in at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, stopping at the airline’s hub Dubai International Airport, before continuing to Melbourne, Australia. It continued its journey on a codeshare flight with Qantas to Hobart Airport.
Before leaving Paris, the rikawa was checked by condition report, a detailed physical assessment of the object’s condition, before being placed into a specially designed and climate-controlled case for the journey. Curators escorting the rikawa could undertake checks throughout the flight and at borders to ensure it was secure. Throughout the journey, curators had direct contact with Emirates Cabin Crew to assist with the smooth journey of the rikawa. Upon arrival in Tasmania, the rikawa again underwent an intricate condition report, which confirmed there had been no damage before it was placed in a specially designed and climate-controlled display case.
Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel and Frédérique Servain-Riviale were amongst an entourage which travelled to Tasmania as part of the rikawa’s journey home.
Speaking of the experience, Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel, Curator of Pacific Collections, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, says, “It is astonishing to think that 230 years ago, a French expedition was here on these shores, and they took the rikawa, and brought it across oceans. Here we are centuries later in the same place as part of its return home. This kelp water carrier is a national treasure to France and a cultural treasure to the people of Tasmania. Who would have thought this small artefact could unite so many people from opposite parts of the world in such a remote place of Tasmania.”
Flying with Emirates
Emirates has extensive experience transporting valuable items and precious objects onboard, including coveted sports trophies like the FA Cup, the Web Ellis Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup, and other historical artefacts, moving them across the world with care.
Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President of Australasia for Emirates, says, “It is our distinct privilege to be involved in the process of reconnecting this piece of Tasmanian Aboriginal history from one corner of the world to another, with the utmost care, and to ensure this invaluable kelp water carrier was reunited with its traditional owners. We are committed to reuniting Australians worldwide, whether with a place, people or cultural objects that hold a strong meaning and significance to them.”
Emirates has been flying to Australia since 1996 and has transported over 40 million passengers on routes to and from Australia. The airline has been a longstanding supporter of arts, cultural and sporting institutions during this period, investing over $100 million in initiatives, including the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.
taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country
TMAG opened its new temporary exhibition taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country on Saturday 1 October 2022 to facilitate the Tasmanian Aboriginal community’s reconnection with historical, cultural objects held in institutions worldwide.
The First Peoples Art and Culture team of TMAG work collaboratively with Tasmanian Aboriginal people in the development and delivery of artistic and cultural exhibitions and projects.
Former Senior Curator of First Peoples Art and Culture at TMAG and Palawa woman, Zoe Rimmer, welcomed the rikawa home. Her artwork on display at the exhibition, rikawa niyakara (Bull Kelp Dreaming), created with Palawa woman Theresa Sainty, is a cry for both rikawa to come home, rest and reconnect.
Zoe Rimmer says, “The rikawa are more than museum objects; they carry ancestral knowledge and presence. To bring the rikawa and other ancestral cultural materials home to lutruwita is an incredible opportunity for reconnection, healing and cultural revitalisation. Equally, this is an opportunity to build respectful and collaborative relationships between the Palawa community and the international institutions that hold our cultural belongings.”
TMAG Director Mary Mulcahy says the museum is delighted the rikawa has returned to lutruwita, where it joins 12 other objects from the United Kingdom that have also returned as part of taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country. The exhibition continues until 7 May 2023, however, the objects are on loan for two years, during which the community will be able to access them.
“It is unusual for an institution such as TMAG to be loaned an object for a period of two years, and we are glad the Tasmanian Aboriginal community will finally have time to reconnect with the rikawa and the other important Ancestral objects on loan,” Mary says.
“Of course, there are major costs involved in bringing these Ancestral objects back to lutruwita. The cost of transporting museum objects internationally is consistently expensive due to the logistics involved, and this has also been impacted by recent global events such as Covid-19 and the rising cost of fuel. We are therefore very grateful to Emirates for their assistance which has allowed us to bring the rikawa back to lutruwita.”
KUCHING, 23 February 2023: More travellers are shifting their attention to sustainable travel experiences, and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) has taken bold steps towards promoting responsible tourism.
Such steps include introducing homestays in rural areas to sustainable waste management practices, which include recycling and reusing waste materials to create additional products and skills to earn side income.
To date, STB’s waste management workshops have covered 46 registered homestays since it began in 2020, benefiting 11,779 households with a total of 82,688 beneficiaries to provide food for local wildlife while creating a buffer zone for coastal areas.
Recognising that festivals have massive carbon footprints and the fact that waste generated has one of the most prominent environmental impacts, proactive measures were taken towards creating and implementing a sustainable, eco-friendly festival for the renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Kuching and Borneo Jazz (BJ) in Miri.
RWMF & BJ can now be recognised as the benchmark for STB’s Responsible Tourism initiatives reflecting our commitment towards the three United Nations (UN) SDG goals – SDG 4 (Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities); SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production); SDG 17 (Global Partnerships).
The initiatives include:
Cutting Plastic Footprint – putting in place water-refill stations, encouraging reusable water bottles and making single-use plastic, bottled water unavailable at RWMF.
Sustainable Procurement – sourcing alternative, eco-friendly products, including biodegradable tableware, procured locally to support local businesses, reduce carbon footprint and save energy.
Waste Management – proper disposal management of recyclables containers provided by a locally based waste management company.
Fashionable recycling – to make recycling fun and impactful, collaborative efforts with the local creative community resulted in eye-catching waste bin designs.
Food Composting – collaborative efforts with local social enterprises to collect and channel leftover organic waste into compost bins for worm farms to make bio-protein and for composting.
Traditional tree planting – the planting of thousands of mangrove trees since 2011 at the ecologically sensitive Kuching Wetlands National Park, a Ramsar Site, to create a buffer zone for the coastal areas.
Volunteer & Green Ambassadors – local university students and volunteers among social enterprises, termed “The Eco-warriors”, helped spread recycling and food waste composting messages.
Alleviating Carbon Emissions and upcycling – shuttle busses were made available to ferry festival-goers to alleviate carbon emissions and prevent congestion.
Far beyond accolades and recognition, what matters the most is that STB’s collective efforts result in the positive perception that “Sarawak has been made a better place for people to live and a better destination for people to visit”. This is the STB benchmark of success in showcasing the Sarawak Responsible Tourism Story.
