SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Travelport, a technology company that powers bookings for travel suppliers worldwide, released on Wednesday trend data highlighting the resurgence of outbound travel from mainland China.
Demand has continued to rise leading up to Chinese u Day (1 May 1), historically one of the most popular times for tourists from mainland China to travel.
Outbound Travel Trends
With quarantine restrictions now lifted, the first quarter of 2023 saw outbound bookings from mainland China increase by 331% compared to last year. However, mainland China is only 21% of its 2019 outbound booking levels. According to OAG, international airline capacity is at 37% of its April 2019 availability.
According to a recent McKinsey survey, pent-up demand for outbound travel from mainland China is massive, with 40% of survey respondents wanting to travel and prioritising international destinations for their next trip.
China outbound 2023: The top five destinations
1 Hong Kong SAR (#4 in 2019)
2 Macau SAR (#9 in 2019)
3 Thailand (#2 in 2019)
4 United States (#5 in 2019)
5 South Korea (#3 in 2019)
One major difference in 2023 travel is that tourists from mainland China take shorter trips, with the percentage of two-day and three to four-day trips increasing. This may explain why closer destinations, such as Hong Kong and Macau, claim the number one and two spots. Additionally, of all the flight options available from mainland China, the majority (71%) are bound for Asia Pacific.
Chinese Labour Day
Labour Day in China is an annual public holiday on 1 May. In recent years, the holiday has been expanded to include a three-day break, making it one of the most popular times of the year to travel. The two-week period from 24 April through to 7 May (the week of Labour Day and the week before) tends to be the ideal period for travellers to get away.
Due to pent-up demand, outbound travel from mainland China during this year’s holiday period has reached a three-year high. Travel bookings for these dates have increased by 470% compared to last year alone.
Additionally, unlike the rest of the year, these dates see a noticeable spike in trips longer than 10 days, which may explain why the top destinations for these travel dates are further afield. Long haul locales such as the UK and Canada have all entered the top 10 for these dates only, and the US claims the number two spot.
BANGKOK, 27 April 2023: Thai Vietjet’s latest one-way fare deal, named ‘Payday Special’ kicks in at THB 599 (including taxes and fees) for travel on the airline’s entire domestic network from 16 May to 31 December 2023.
Bookings must be confirmed before midnight on 30 April.
The promotional fare applies on all Thai Vietjet’s domestic flights network from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai, Surat Thani, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, and Ubon Ratchathani and cross-country routes connecting Phuket to Chiang Mai.
Travellers can book the fare on all the airline’s distribution channels, including the airline’s website and mobile app or via Facebook, authorised travel agencies and the airline’s booking counters.
Thai Vietjet operates flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, and Surat Thani. Plus it offers cross-country flights from Phuket to Chiang Mai. The airline is expanding its international flight network connecting Thailand with Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Japan and Taiwan, and other destinations to be announced shortly.
HONG KONG, 27 April 2023: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) released traffic figures for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for March 2023.
During the month, HKIA handled 2.8 million passengers, more than 28 times the amount recorded in March 2022, and 372,000 tonnes of cargo, representing year-on-year growth of 5.8%. Flight movements in March more than doubled year on year to 20,130.
HKIA was recently awarded Level 4, “Transformation”, in Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme.
Average daily passenger traffic increased steadily over the first three weeks of April. HKIA has handled approximately 100,000 per day, reaching 50% of pre-pandemic levels.
Passenger demand continued to improve in March 2023 after the lifting of travel restrictions. All passenger segments experienced significant growth compared to the same month last year, including a strong performance by Hong Kong residents. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and Japan saw the largest increases.
Cargo remained impacted by global economic uncertainties. Although cargo volume grew year on year in March 2023, this was primarily due to the low base for comparison set during the same month last year following pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. Exports grew by 19% year on year. Traffic to and from key trading regions in North America, the Middle East and Europe saw the most significant increases during the month.
Over the year’s first three months, HKIA handled 7.0 million passengers, nearly 27 times more than in 2022. Flight movements registered a year-on-year increase of 74.2% to 52,650. Cargo volume decreased by 6.3% to 950,000 tonnes.
On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume rose to 12.4 million, representing a 7.7-fold increase over the previous comparable period. Flight movements saw an 11.5% increase to 161,160, while cargo throughput decreased by 16% to 4.1 million tonnes.
In other news, HKIA was recently awarded Level 4, “Transformation”, in Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme, recognising the airport’s firm commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and its achievements in carbon management.
Launched in 2009, ACA is the only institutionally endorsed global carbon management certification standard for airports. It was established to help the airport industry benefit from shared expertise, achieve lower energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
AAHK general manager, Sustainability Peter Lee said: “We are honoured to receive ACA Level 4 accreditation, which underscores our tireless efforts in carbon management. We pledge to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050, with a midpoint target of 55% in absolute emissions reduction by 2035 from a 2018 baseline.”
SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Turkey, UAE, and Thailand are becoming more important tourist destinations for Russian travellers, while classic European destinations such as Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Greece have seen a significant decrease.
The impact of sanctions on Russians, travel restrictions and the fall of the ruble have combined to drastically reduce the number of travellers and change the destinations Russians visit for holidays.
Mabrian, a leading travel intelligence provider, released a study on the new travel trends in the Russian market on 24 April, confirming that Turkey was the destination that gained the biggest influx of Russian tourists in 2022.
The study is based on an analysis of the hotel demand by Russian travellers and the average hotel room price in more than 700 destinations worldwide during 2022, compared with 2019 trends.
Mabrian used its travel intelligence platform to analyse more than 2 million reviews posted by Russians and the published hotel prices in the main OTA’s (Booking, Expedia and TripAdvisor) over two years.
Tourist destinations in the Middle East and Asia are gaining importance, especially Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand.
As for closer proximity tourism, Georgia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan have become among the top 20 preferred destinations for Russians in 2022.
Meanwhile, the classic European tourist destinations, including Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Greece, have had the most significant negative impact based on the current situation, showing a drastic decrease in Russian tourists.
Important factors that affected those tourist destinations include the impact of sanctions on Russians, the difficulties travelling from Russia to Europe due to the EU and UK visa restrictions and the ban on direct flights between Russia and Europe. The fall of the value of the ruble during the summer of 2022 is another relevant factor to be considered – especially considering that the average hotel price in Italy is, on average 46% higher than the average price in Turkey.
Mabrian director of marketing and sales Carlos Cendra said: “As one of the largest source markets for international tourism over the last 20 years, the Russian market plays a crucial role in the global travel industry, and in recent times it has become essential for destinations and companies to understand their evolving trends and preferences.
“Our study shows the current situation has deeply impacted the Russian travel market, and there is a changing profile indicating tourists are exploring destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and neighbouring countries.”
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 April 2023: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) supports the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living that stated the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), rather than the Consumer Claims Tribunal, should investigate flight grievances.
The ministry recently noted that complaints relating to flight services should be reported to MAVCOM. According to Section 99(1)(c) of the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act 2015 (Act A1498), which was updated by Section 99(1) (ca), any issue relating to airline services is not within the tribunal’s jurisdiction as stated on 1 March 2016.
MATTA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang urges the Consumer Claims Tribunal to dismiss claims regarding flight tickets included in travel packages to be consistent with the ministry’s position.
“Consumers should pursue charges against airlines for failures to provide refunds and related services rather than holding travel agents liable. Travel agents should not become victims of circumstance,” he added.
Travel packages sold by travel agents are classified as services and are subject to the Consumer Protection Act 1999 [Act 599], which necessarily includes airline services. However, since 2016, MAVCOM has administered airline services and complaints.
“This has created difficulties for our industry players when dealing with these problems, notably airline-related issues involving unsatisfied customers who continue to file claims with the Consumer Tribunal for only MYR5 each. How can we defend ourselves while the airlines are subject to a different set of rules?” Tan asks.
This “fundamental flaw” becomes apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period, when the Consumer Claims Tribunal compels travel companies to reimburse tour fares to consumers. Still, airlines use credit payback methods to travel agencies. Such rulings have resulted in severe financial ramifications for travel agencies, including closing their business.
“In the interest of fairness, we suggest that the Consumer Claims Tribunal analyse its past and pending cases to reflect the present business situation. Moving ahead, we expect the Consumer Claims Tribunal to transfer consumer and travel agency issues involving flight tickets to MAVCOM and separate these tour packages from the merchant category,” said Tan.
“Finally, the most recent scenario demonstrated the 4th Schedule of the Tourism Industry Act 1992 is now irrelevant and outdated. We have reached a point of no return since this issue has been highlighted multiple times to the Federal Ministers of Tourism over the years without any positive results. Ministers ask the Secretary General of the Tourism Ministry to table the necessary amendments, but nothing comes of it.” lamented Tan.
HONG KONG, 26 April 2023: The region’s best bar talent will land in Hong Kong on 18 July for Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony to reinforce the city’s status as a leading hub for world-class cocktail experiences.
For its 2023 edition, the annual awards partner with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to bring the event to the city for the first time.
“We are delighted to host this year’s edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in July, one of the region’s most significant celebrations of hospitality, further affirming Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s main hub for cocktail experiences. We look forward to inspiring the region’s best bar talent with what Hong Kong has to offer,” said Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman Pang Yiu-kai.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars director of content, Mark Sansom, says: “We are very excited to host the awards in Hong Kong this year. The city has one of Asia’s most dynamic and diverse bar scenes. Despite tight border controls in the last three years, it continues to lead with amazingly innovative bar experiences. By bringing the biggest event on Asia’s bar calendar to Hong Kong, we hope to shine the spotlight on the city’s vibrant nightlife and contribute to driving travel and tourism.”
Hong Kong is a breeding ground for cocktail-making talent, and eight Hong Kong bars were featured in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022. In the top three, two bars were born and bred in Hong Kong; the Mexican-inspired bar COA in the No 1 spot and Argo, known for its cocktails using Asian-sourced ingredients.
DUBAI, 26 April 2023: Emirates announced Monday it will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Montréal starting 5 July.
Montréal becomes Emirates’ second gateway in Canada, complementing its passenger services to Toronto, which has been operating since 2007.
The launch of services to Montréal comes as the UAE and Canada aim to expand economic cooperation between the two nations, stimulating benefits to the aviation and tourism sectors and enhancing trade flows and commercial links. The daily flights to the new destination will help cater to the huge demand for direct flights between Dubai and Canada, particularly to its two largest metropolitan hubs, and provide more travel choices when flying to Canada.
Passengers from Montréal can enjoy the airline’s award-winning services to and through Dubai and connect safely, seamlessly and efficiently to Emirates’ global network of over 130 destinations in over 70 countries and territories.
The daily flights between Dubai and Montréal will operate as EK243/244 with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering a premium travel experience across its cabins. Passengers can enjoy Emirates’ award-winning travel experience aboard its wide-body aircraft with eight first-class suites, 42 lie-flat seats in business class and 304 seats in economy class.
Tickets to Montréal go on sale today for flights starting 5 July and can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via travel agents.
The flights will operate with timings as follows (all times are local):
Dates
Flight
Departure
Arrival
From 5 July 2023
EK243 (DXB/YUL)
02:30
08:00
EK244 (YUL/DXB)
10:20
06:30 (next day)
From 5 November 2023
EK243 (DXB/YUL)
02:30
07:15
EK244 (YUL/DXB)
09:30
06:40 (next day)
From 10 March 2024
EK243 (DXB/YUL)
02:30
08:00
EK244 (YUL/DXB)
10:20
06:30 (next day)
“Emirates is excited to launch our second gateway into Canada as we expand our reach with direct services from our hub in Dubai. As a major metropolitan centre and Canada’s second-largest city, we are pleased to add Montréal to our growing global network of over 130 destinations and strengthen our coverage in the Americas to reach 18 points served by our services from Dubai,” said Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim.
“We have been serving customers with passenger and cargo services to Toronto for over 15 years. When we begin services to Montréal in July, customers will have more choices when planning their travel, whether for business, leisure, education or for visiting family and friends. We want to thank the UAE and Canadian authorities for the enhanced agreements which have made this new destination possible. With our expanded reach into the country, we look forward to facilitating new trade lanes, which will bring a host of benefits to Canadian businesses and exporters in addition to promoting tourism into more cities and generating more jobs across all sectors, including those directly serving the aviation industry,” continued Kazim.
Emirates Network and Air Canada partnership
Customers of Emirates and Air Canada have access to an expansive network of destinations thanks to the codeshare partnership between the two airlines. In addition to over 130 destinations that Emirates flies to, its customers can access 19 Canadian destinations beyond Toronto through the partnership. In contrast, Air Canada customers can fly on Emirates to Dubai and access 17 cities in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East and Asia. Additionally, Emirates passengers can choose from over 140 routes operated by Air Canada on an interline basis, including 27 points in Canada and 94 routes between Canada and the US and South America.
Through an enhanced interline arrangement between both airlines, Emirates passengers can now choose from 68 points from Montréal, including the US, Mexico, South America and the Caribbean, while enjoying conveniences such as the simplicity of flight itineraries on a single ticket and smooth connections. Popular domestic points in Canada via Montréal include Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, and Halifax. Emirates Skywards members can earn Miles on all eligible Air Canada flights and redeem Miles for reward tickets across Air Canada’s network.
Travelling to Montréal
Located on an island between the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, Montréal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest in Canada. Also known as the capital of French Canada and the nation’s cultural capital, the city is famous for its festivals and vibrant food and arts culture while also being an important centre of commerce, tourism, and design and business hub for industries including aerospace, transport, finance, pharmaceuticals and technology, to name a few. In addition to its appeal to visitors for its unique geographical location, Montréal is also home to some of the world’s top-ranked universities, earning the city a reputation as a student-friendly and world-class study destination sought by international students.
The flight timings from Montréal will offer Canadian travellers convenient access to major leisure destinations beyond Dubai, such as Thailand, Lebanon, India, and Bali and French-speaking Indian Ocean destinations, such as Seychelles. The new service also opens a new route for convenient inbound connections to Montréal for a mix of leisure and corporate travellers and visiting family and friends from Dubai, India, Lebanon and, Singapore, other Southeast Asian and African countries, in addition to international students pursuing higher education in the country.
Emirates has been operating in Toronto since 2007, and its flagship A380 service on the Dubai-Toronto route since 2009. From 20 April, Emirates will serve Toronto with a daily A380 service. With the addition of Montréal to its expansive network, the airline will provide a choice of two points for travellers planning trips to and from Canada. This will also grow Emirates’ network across the Americas to two points in Canada, 12 US cities, and four destinations across Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Whether travelling to or through Dubai, travellers can enjoy sun-soaked beaches, heritage activities, world-class hospitality and leisure facilities, and various world-class experiences.
Trade between UAE and Canada
The UAE is Canada’s largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2022, bilateral trade between Canada and the UAE exceeded C$2.6 billion, growing 53% over the last five years. According to Statistics Canada, it is estimated the UAE’s foreign direct investments stock in Canada was valued at C$1.3 billion in 2021.
Canada features in Dubai’s top 20 source markets for inbound tourism, with 158,000 Canadian visitors in 2022, more than doubled in 2021. (Source: Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism).
SINGAPORE, 26 April 2023: Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) released its ‘15th annual Seastainability Report’ on Monday, providing an update on its corporate responsibility strategy and performance across its three wholly owned brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
2022 marked a watershed moment in the company’s advancement of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts. Defining events include the 30th anniversary of the company’s first environmental programme, Save the Waves, and the first Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report, published with the ‘2022 Seastainability Report’.
The targets and strategies laid out in the annual report highlight Royal Caribbean Group’s progress to reduce emissions and promote the safety and well-being of its guests and employees, including its commitments to sustainable tourism, protecting the oceans it sails and inspiring and empowering the communities it visits.
Report Highlights – Asia Pacific
“Surrender Your Shell” initiative, a collaboration between Royal Caribbean Group’s Australian team, WWF Australia and the Australian Museum Research Institute. As part of the initiative, the Australian government changed the federal policy for six months, allowing Australians to send historically purchased tortoiseshell products to WWF Australia without the risk of prosecution. This information helped create a “ShellBank” database to identify vulnerable turtle populations and partner with local communities, governments and the tourism industry on turtle protection initiatives.
As part of the Blue Green Promise to protect oceans, Royal Caribbean Group partnered with WWF to help protect and gather information on local whale sharks in the Philippines. Travellers worldwide can go to the small town of Donsol in the Philippines to see these endangered species. Since the start of the programme, the ocean region surrounding Donsol has been protected by new regulations, helping protect the whale shark population. Tourism has flourished, boosting the economy and quality of life for locals.
Renewing its partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and committing an additional USD5 million to preserve ocean health
Royal Caribbean Group is building on a robust portfolio of technologies that improve energy efficiency, water treatment, and waste management; it has worked to introduce environmentally friendly ships that move the company closer to achieving Destinations Net Zero, the company’s vision for net zero emissions by 2050.
HONG KONG, 26 April 2023: Hong Kong has one of the most influential pop cultures among Asian cities, especially its pervasive Cantopop and movies from the 1980s to the 1990s, which gave birth to many superstars who were well-known internationally.
The timeless influence of those masterpieces can still be found in the pop culture of Hong Kong and even the rest of Asia.
Movie Tram (Photo credit: Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023)
The first-ever “Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival”, launched in April, presents over 20 events scheduled throughout the rest of the year. An array of experiences await visitors to relive the golden age of Hong Kong superstars, including Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, who reigned in the music and movie industries.
Here are recommended experiences for visitors to savour and reminisce about the old days, paying tribute to the legends.
Passing on the Legend with a Brand New Interpretation Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of Leslie Cheung (“Gor-gor”) this year, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum has organised an exhibition with Cheung’s close friends Florence Chan, William Chang and Wing Shya as guest curators. The exhibition presents Cheung’s legendary achievements in music and film and his influence on popular culture.
Movie Tram – Tales Told by Cinematic Storytellers ** Tickets available online for registration
A quintessential Hong Kong symbol on the move, the tram is a vessel of the city’s unique scenery and memories, making it an ideal backdrop for many Hong Kong movies. The Festival will present “Movie Tram” tours, in which the participants will take a walking tour around film locations in Central & Western District before hopping onto a tram, where famous filmmakers, including Stanley Kwan and Kearen Pang, will share behind-the-scenes stories and inspirations for cinematic creativity, uncovering the gems of the city’s moving pictures.
In the Mood for Qipao – A Showcase of the Flourishing Era of Hong Kong Cinema Cinderella and Her Qipao Exhibition
The qipao (cheongsam) is a fashion symbol of Chinese culture and a key styling element for female leads in many Hong Kong movies. This exhibition, organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive, with over 30 qipaos from a selection of films spanning different eras will be on display, recreating the cultural landscapes of the past with pieces worn by iconic actresses such as Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin.
Out of Thin Air: Hong Kong Film Arts & Costumes Exhibition
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Hong Kong Film Arts Association will jointly present the exhibition. By displaying iconic costumes, props, sets, paraphernalia and workshop scenes, the exhibition will take visitors behind the scenes to explore the nature of Hong Kong’s film culture and the highly adaptable professionalism and creative inclusiveness of the film industry workers.
More riveting activities will debut soon. Make these experiences part of your itinerary and embark on a distinctive pop culture journey in the footsteps of legendary Hong Kong superstars.
For more information about the “Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival”, please visit https://www.pcf.gov.hk/en/.
SINGAPORE, 26 April 2023: As companies strive to reduce their carbon footprint, they are implementing strategies to decarbonise employee travel.
But which practices effectively drive change and ultimately empower organisations to continue leveraging business travel while reducing their climate impact?
A new benchmarking study released Monday, “Managing Emissions From Business Travel Programs: Overview of Corporate Best Practices,” sheds light on how companies decarbonise their travel programmes.
Compiled by the GBTA Foundation, the report provides a valuable snapshot of companies that are mitigating their business travel emissions.
Released during Earth Month, the study examines which measures are most effective in reducing the climate impact of Scope 3 emissions from business travel and key considerations for implementation and success.
“One of the biggest challenges for achieving more sustainable business travel is knowing how to build the path and the program to get there. We went to companies and leaders in sustainability to bring forth best practices and insights that can help any company seeking to travel greener and better,” said GBTA Foundation managing director Delphine Millot.
Millot added that tackling Scope 3.6 emissions needs to be a joint effort across the entire global business travel value chain and relies on common ownership and shared responsibility between the suppliers and users of travel services.
The report lays the building blocks for companies to create a more climate-conscious travel programme – from starting with measures requiring less effort and funding to advancing with more ambitious strategies, activities, and outcomes.
Developing a sustainable travel programme involves a combination of measures at different levels and working with various stakeholders.
The report outlines measures across four critical categories: travel decisions, emissions tracking, supplier engagement, and decarbonisation.
Additionally, it provides a toolbox of action areas to efficiently reduce emissions while aligning to organisation budgets, available time, company culture, and other factors.
Six key points for success in reducing business travel emissions
Lowering the impact of business travel on the environment is an iterative process. The report identifies commonalities among interviewees, emphasising the integral elements necessary to reduce emissions from business travel effectively:
No One Size Fits All: Evaluate needs and return on investment before drawing from the toolbox.
Make a Demand Signal: Corporate travel managers have a key role in signalling a growing demand for greener travel options.
Start Today: Strive to improve emissions data − but don’t let perfection halt progress.
Go “Glocal”: Global strategies should be localised to consider infrastructure and cultural differences.
Future Proof: Combine quick wins with longer-term investments.
Collaboration is Key: Sustainability is a shared effort between corporate travel managers, procurement, sustainability, and employee travellers.
Additional topics covered in the report include integrating climate considerations into corporate travel policies, measuring travel program emissions, greening the procurement process, and navigating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) opportunities toward decarbonising air travel.
Methodology
The report’s benchmarking methodology consisted of interviews with a dozen sustainability leaders from global companies that rely on business travel to conduct their business successfully. Participants included the GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Corporate Advisory Board (CAB) members, collaborating with the GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC).
The GBTA Foundation is the non-profit, cause-led arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s business travel and meetings trade organisation serving 7,600+ members. GBTAFoundation.org.
