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Qantas increases flights to Jakarta

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TTR WEEKLY
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JAKARTA, 21 April 2023: Qantas launches another international route out of Melbourne, offering direct flights to Jakarta, Indonesia.

The year-round flights will operate three days per week with an Airbus A330 aircraft and add to Qantas’ existing flights to Jakarta from Sydney. The flights offer customers almost 300,000 seats between Australia and Jakarta annually and the choice of ten flights per week, more than any other airline.

The new service is the fourth international route to be added to the Qantas map out of Melbourne since borders reopened and follow the launch of flights to Delhi and Dallas Fort Worth. Qantas also resumed flights from Melbourne to Tokyo last month, operating for the first time to Haneda Airport, saving passengers nearly two hours of travel to and from downtown Tokyo compared with Narita Airport, which the flight operated to before the pandemic.

The route is also expected to be popular with travellers connecting to and from other major Indonesian cities such as Surabaya and Medan.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the new route would support growing business and government links between Australia and Indonesia.

“We continue to see strong demand for travel to and from Melbourne, so we’re pleased to be expanding our international network with another new route out of Victoria,” said David.

“Jakarta is becoming an increasingly important destination for our corporate travellers. These direct flights offer more choices and make it even easier for them to do business with one of Australia’s closest neighbours.

“The route is also a great opportunity for more Indonesians to explore the best of Victoria or visit family and friends, with the flights launching in time for the Lebaran holiday period.

The Qantas Group operates up to 106 return flights per week from Australia to Indonesia, including Qantas and Jetstar flights from Melbourne to Bali.

(Source: Qantas)

AirAsia SuperApp explains agent status

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 21 April 2023: AirAsia SuperApp, one of the portfolio companies of Capital, says its status as an IATA-accredited travel agency allows it to sell fares of all IATA airlines, including Malaysia Airways.

Reports surfaced last week that suggested the AirAsia booking app was not approved to sell Malaysia Airlines tickets.

In a statement released earlier this week, Airasia SuperApp said was created in October 2020 as an online travel agency to drive tourism in Malaysia and promote new travel options for millions of people in Asia.

“It has developed many product lines, including its OTA platform offering flights from other airlines, hotel & accommodation, ride-hailing, digital travel retail & duty-free, community engagement.”

AirAsia SuperApp acting CEO Mohamad Hafidz Mohd Fadzil said: “We have world-renowned airline brands such as Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Air New Zealand, Citilink, KLM, Air France, Bangkok Airways and many others as our direct airline partners offering their flights on the AirAsia SuperApp OTA platform. Our database of over 72 million, one of the largest of any platform, allows our airline partners to reach a wider audience.

“The AirAsia Super App’s OTA platform holds a Travel Agent License and is also an IATA-accredited agent authorised to sell flights from any airline on its app and website. As an accredited OTA, AirAsia SuperApp’s flight inventories come from established partner aggregators and direct airline partners, a common OTA industry practice.

“Other airlines’ flights contribute a small percentage of our platform’s revenue, and to date, we have sold 1.72 million seats from more than 700 airlines that are available on our channel. As an accredited OTA in the market, we will continue to sell flights from any airline, including those we do not have direct relationships with, through our established partner aggregators and consolidators.

“We would like to clarify that the legal action Malaysia Airlines has taken against us is premised on allegations of potential trademark infringement and passing off and unrelated to the supply of inventory. We continue to call on MAS and other airlines to partner directly with the AirAsia SuperApp to achieve better efficiency and performance, and we will be happy to move our conversation forward on working together to offer Malaysians the best value when it comes to travel and win together.”

Bhutan Airlines signs Amadeus deal

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 21 April 2023: Travel sellers worldwide can now book flights with Bhutan Airlines on the Amadeus Travel Platform.

Operating out of Bhutan’s only international airport in Paro, the airline offers daily flights to Bangkok via Kolkata, India, and three weekly flights to Delhi.

This new partnership will help Bhutan Airlines gain visibility with travel sellers worldwide, including travel management companies, tour operators, retail travel agencies, and online travel agencies.

The airline is undergoing a digital transformation to improve the traveller experience. It recently launched a brand-new in-flight entertainment system allowing passengers to stream entertainment on their devices. Bhutan Airlines has two A319 aircraft with a seating capacity of 126 passengers each.

“We are excited to be in a partnership with Amadeus, which will significantly enhance the overall travel experience for our passengers,” said Bhutan Airlines chief executive officer Pema Nadik.

Amadeus vice president of airline distribution Asia Pacific, Frederic Saunier, commented: “We are confident that the Amadeus Travel Platform will help Bhutan Airlines reach more travellers with the right offer, and we look forward to supporting the carrier’s growth.”

ForwardKeys monitors China’s outbound market

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 21 April 2023: ForwardKeys, a leading travel analytics firm, announced Thursday ahead of its webinar with Dragon Trail International on 26 April that outbound China travel will grow in Q2 as more seats connect Chinese travellers to the world.

The APAC region currently holds the largest share at 81%, with a recovery rate of 43% in Q2. Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan are the best-connected destinations with China.

Northeast Asian travel destinations Japan and South Korea remain highly popular among Chinese travellers despite travel restrictions on Chinese visitors imposed by these countries earlier in the year, according to the latest consumer survey data from Dragon Trail International.

The April survey polled 1,012 mainland travellers about their plans and preferences for outbound travel. Hong Kong remained the top choice for mainland Chinese travellers in 2023, followed by Macau.

Looking beyond Greater China, Thailand is still the top country that Chinese travellers plan to visit in 2023, followed by Japan and South Korea. Like previous Dragon Trail surveys, France and Australia were the top long-haul destinations for Chinese travellers this year.

“Even though travel restrictions in Japan and South Korea received a lot of attention in January, these destinations are still very attractive to Chinese tourists,” said Dragon Trail market research analyst Yelinuer Kadeerbieke. “The results should be a relief to other destinations concerned about the impact of travel restrictions earlier this year.”

The consumer sentiment is on the money as the latest air ticketing data from ForwardKeys shows the same destinations with the highest travel demand.

Seat Capacity from China

As the airline industry commences its summer season on 26 March, seat capacity for Chinese outbound travel has been enhanced. Africa and the Middle East are set to increase the most, with 75% in Q2, although the market share is small, as only 6% of total international capacity is from China.

The United Arab Emirates is the most well-connected destination in its region, with a 44% share; while the number of seats between China and Kenya has doubled since 2019, driven by Kenya Airways; Egypt has also experienced a 10% growth, both Egypt air and Sichuan airlines in China have increased the seats. These three countries are included in the destination list of the approved group tours and have a close relationship with China through the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative.

“Seat capacity recovery to Europe is driven by Chinese airlines, as European airlines are facing a significant hurdle: far longer flights due to the closure of Russian airspace, while Chinese airlines can still use that airspace. Also, some of the European airlines are having challenges with a shortage of staff, strikes and hub airport constraints,” says  ForwardKeys China market expert Nan Dai

Capacity to the Americas in Q2 is set to recover only 10% of pre-pandemic seats. The United States is a major destination, and many airlines have yet to restore their capacity in the China-US market.

ICN connects Chinese travellers with the world

Due to the absence of direct flights between China and the US, Hong Kong (HKG) and Seoul (ICN) are becoming even more popular for connecting traffic.

Analysing airport hub performance in the China-Europe airline market reveals that the busiest hubs are AMS, DXB, FRA, IST, and ICN. ICN has gained popularity by achieving an impressive 375% increase in connecting travellers compared to 2019 levels.

“Most Chinese passengers who use ICN as a connecting hub are travelling to France and the UK in Europe, as direct capacity from China to these two destinations has decreased by 85% and 58%, respectively,” adds Dai.

What does this mean for the upcoming Labour Day Holiday? What role will domestic tourism have now that the floodgates are open for long-haul travel?

ForwardKeys will share more insights to answer questions on outbound China travel next Wednesday, 26 April, in a joint webinar with Dragon Trail International. Registration is free, and webinar attendees will receive a copy of the complete consumer report following the presentation. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wFv-yVZZTiWfeBeF1UNZUA#/registration

Airbnb monitors boost in solo travel

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 21 April 2023: New data from Airbnb shows the return and evolution of travel in Southeast Asia presents fresh opportunities for communities across the region.

Nights booked across Southeast Asia on Airbnb doubled in 2022, up from 2020, according to new internal data from the platform. This is an encouraging sign of ongoing recovery in the region, as travel continued to climb back to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

The US ranked as the #1 country of origin for international Airbnb guests visiting Southeast Asia in 2022, followed by Australia, the UK, Germany and South Korea.

Intra-Southeast Asia travel remained popular with avid travellers visiting neighbouring countries close by. Notably, Singaporeans flocked to Airbnb to book their getaways, with Singapore-Malaysia emerging as the top intra-Southeast Asia travel route on Airbnb, followed by Singapore-Thailand and Singapore-Indonesia.

  • Group travel gains
  • With a big focus from many travellers on connecting and reconnecting with loved ones, group travel in Southeast Asia more than tripled year-on-year in 2022. This comes as family travel on the platform increased by 60% in 2022 globally compared to pre-pandemic, with more families booking Airbnb stays for their value and space.
  • Solo travel on the rise
    Solo travel in the region also grew by more than 2.6x, up from the year before.
  • Travellers stay longer
  • Many travellers across Southeast Asia are staying for longer and more deeply engaging with local communities. In 2022, long-term stays of over 28 days in the region grew by more than 2.5x year-on-year.

Ahead and during holidays and festivals throughout the region, there is strong travel momentum amongst Airbnb guests to travel within Southeast Asia. Guest searches for the March-April summer travel season in the Philippines surged almost 400%. This Ramadan, guest searches increased by almost 600% in Malaysia and over 500%  in Indonesia.

Sun Princess to sail the Caribbean in 2024

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TTR WEEKLY
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Sun Princess

SINGAPORE, 20 April 2023: Princess Cruises’ largest ship – Sun Princess – will make her US debut in October 2024, sailing to Caribbean destinations on seven- and 14-day itineraries out of Ft Lauderdale.

The ship is the first in the line’s new Sphere class and will homeport at Port Everglades for the winter, following a season of Mediterranean and Europe cruises when she launches in February 2024.

Highlights of the Sun Princess Caribbean season, on sale 19 April 2023

5-day Caribbean Getaway kicks off the Caribbean season with visits to Amber Cove and Grand Turk.

7-day Eastern Caribbean with St. Thomas, including a late night in San Juan and a visit to our private island resort Princess Cays.

7-day Eastern Caribbean with Bahamas visiting Amber Cove, Grand Turk and a visit to our private island resort Princess Cays.

7-day Western Caribbean with Mexico, including Cozumel, Belize City and Roatan stops.

Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the 175,500-ton, 4,300-guest Sun Princess will offer new dining, entertainment and activity offerings, staterooms, and suites across a broad spectrum of categories.

Inaugural 2024 Sun Princess cruises to the Mediterranean and Europe are currently on sale, and Caribbean voyages opened for bookings on 19 April 2023.

Langkawi celebrates Earth Day

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TTR WEEKLY
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LANGKAWI, 20 April 2023: Lankawi’s Earth Day celebrations on Earth Day, 25 April, will focus on increasing environmental awareness and appreciation for its UNESCO Global Geopark.

On the centre stage, Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark will organise a Geotalk on the environment featuring local and leading academic experts who will discuss the challenges and opportunities the island faces to green its tourism and the importance of conserving nature.

Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark delivers the heritage and beauty of Langkawi’s spectacular unspoilt landscapes and breathtaking beaches, allowing travellers to explore the captivating mangrove forests and jungle vistas on a journey back in time. Geological time. Not hundreds, thousands, or millions, but hundreds of millions of years.

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are single, unified geographical areas recognised by UNESCO to have a rich archaeological and biological heritage managed according to a global concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

In 2007, Langkawi was awarded UNESCO Global Geopark status, the first Global Geopark in Southeast Asia, and is one of only 147 worldwide to date.

Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark comprises Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park, Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park, and Kubang BadakBioGeo Trail.

Each of these geoforest parks showcases significant geological, biological and cultural heritage. With abundant natural wonders, from ancient rock formations and dramatic mountain peaks to a wealth of flora and fauna, the Geopark experience is not to be missed. So keep your eyes open and your camera ready!

The Langkawi archipelago boasts the region’s oldest and most complete Palaeozoic (540 million to 250 million years ago) geological record. Tectonic episodes, through uplift, brought Langkawi to the surface from beneath the ocean, resulting in the rocks undergoing continuous erosion, creating the unique geological landscape we see today.

Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark Discovery Centre (GDC)

This centre officially opened to the public in January 2020. The GDC will let you delve deep into its half-billion years old past, offering an educational and entertaining collection of exhibitions, displays, photography, digital and interactive media and more. Conveniently located at our conservation area, Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, this centre has eight zones.

Zone 1

INTRODUCTION AND SOCIOCULTURE
Take a geological and historical exploration of Langkawi and witness its nature and beauty through 3D animations showcasing the island’s formation and development through era, epoch and age!

Zone 2

MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Langkawi is a land full of myths and legends. Langkawi Island’s tales have become part of the Langkawi mystique, starting with the heroin Langkawi, Mahsuri and other famous tales.

Zone 3

MANGROVE FOREST
Over 70% of the world’s true mangrove species are present in Langkawi. Langkawi’s mangrove forests are one of the park’s “Jewels in the crown”.

Zone 4
THEME EXHIBITION AREA
Enjoy a first-hand experience studying rocks, fossils and other fascinating geological ecosystems.

Zone 5
UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK
Learn more about Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark, which are among the 177 geoparks from 46 countries across the globe.

Zone 6

INTERACTIVE GAMES
Make your visit to GDC even more exciting and engaging when you experience the fun and excitement of the interactive game zone.

Zone 7

LIBRARY
Take a break by getting extra knowledge from various genres of books available here. A must-visit area for book lovers.

Zone 8

AMPHITHEATRE HALL
Enjoy watching a short video about the formation of Langkawi Island 550 million years ago and the whole elements that make up the diversity of Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark.

For more information visit https://langkawigeopark.com.my/geopark-discovery-centre/

(Your Stories: LADA)

Emirates add flights for Eid Al Fitr

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE, 20 April 2023: Emirates will expand its schedule this week to offer 38 additional flights across six cities in the GCC and Middle East to meet a significant demand for Eid Al Fitr holiday travel.

This year, more than 110,000 travellers are expected to board Emirates flights during Eid Al Fitr across the region, with additional flights planned for Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina, Kuwait and Beirut.

In Saudi Arabia, Emirates will add four extra flights between 19 to 29 April to and from Riyadh to cater to Saudi travellers looking to venture to Dubai and beyond. In Jeddah, the airline will operate three daily A380s. It will additionally layer on six flights operated by its Boeing 777 to serve the peak travel holiday period from the city between 20 to 25 April.

Emirates will boost its flights to Dammam from 18 to 21 weekly, starting from 20 April until 31 May, with additional flights scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays to connect travellers to their favourite holiday getaways. Travellers from Medina will have the choice of an additional 16 flights in April to accommodate those travelling inbound for Umrah and travellers looking to start their holidays earlier.

This year, Emirates customers in KSA will be venturing to Dubai for their Eid Al Fitr celebrations and the Maldives, London, Phuket, Mauritius, Manila and Paris.

In Kuwait, Emirates will operate an additional eight flights for Eid with its Boeing 777 from 20 to 27 April. This year’s popular destinations for Kuwaiti travellers include Dubai, Maldives, Phuket, Bangkok, London, Mauritius and Milan.

Emirates will offer an additional flight on 23 April on the airline’s existing Beirut schedule to accommodate more travellers heading home to visit friends and relatives.

Upholding Eid traditions and keeping in with its proud Middle Eastern heritage, the airline will be serving a specially crafted Eid menu for customers from 21 to 24 April for flights departing from Dubai. Favourites like chicken mandi, mansaf, samka harra, samak matfi, madfoon, and Gulf style braised lamb will be served onboard, among other moreish dishes.

All Emirates customers connecting in Dubai and travelling onwards during this time will be treated to delicious sweets and desserts, like warm date pudding in First Class, a fluffy vanilla sponge cake with white chocolate and hibiscus cream in Business and Premium Economy Class, and Batheetha – a saffron date crumble, or a sweet pumpkin Asseda, topped with roasted cashew nuts in Economy Class. All passengers will also receive an additional mini treat of ashta sfouf with their meal wishing them ‘Eid Mubarak’.

Customers entering Emirates’ First Class lounges on the first day of Eid will be welcomed with Arabic coffee, traditional jallab and kamarrudin juices, mezze, lamb or Emirati ouzi, followed by regional favourites kunafa and baklava ice cream. Special Eid mocktails will also be served across both First and Business Class lounges. Business Class lounges will also serve special Eid dishes and desserts during this time.

For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Offices, via travel agents or online travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Thai Vietjet is back with zero fares

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 20 April  2023: Thai Vietjet launches its ‘Summer Super Sale’ promotion as temperatures in Thailand sizzle at around 40 degrees centigrade and the airline’s best offer dips to zero, excluding taxes and fees.

The pick-up on zero-fare travel is available for bookings on the airline’s entire network until 22 April 2023 for domestic services and April 18-25, 2023 for international services. The domestic and international flight travel period runs from 1 June to 31 December 2023 (excluding public holidays).

The special promotional tickets are applied to Thai Vietjet’s entire domestic flight 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, as well as Thai Vietjet’s international network from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Japan and Taipei.

The promotional fares are also available on all distribution channels, including the airline’s website, mobile app and travel agencies. P

Thai Vietjet operates the top 10 Thailand domestic routes, including flights from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, and Surat Thani, cross-regional flights including from Phuket to Chiang Mai. The airline is also actively expanding its international flight network to many destinations across Asia-pacific, connecting Thailand with Vietnam, Singapore, Phnom Penh, Japan, Taiwan and other top destinations.

Korean incentives flock to the Philippines

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TTR WEEKLY
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LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu, 20 April 2023: The Philippines Department of Tourism welcomed a record 1400 delegates on an incentive holiday series from Korea last week, claiming Koreans are once more the top travellers visiting the country.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco welcomed the first batch of 300 visitors travelling on an incentive series at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Photo credit: DOT. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco welcomes the incentive series from Korea.

The incentive travel series was organised by UNICITY, a direct sales company distributing health foods, cosmetics and household items.

Rewarding top agents, sellers, and distributors with an all-expenses paid holiday overseas, UNICITY-Korea is well known for delivering big volume incentive groups to Southeast Asian countries annually. This year’s incentive holiday series focuses on the Philippines, with 1,400 sales reps and agents visiting Cebu during April.

DOT Secretary Frasco noted during the welcome reception that travellers from Korea are again the top travellers to the Philippines. Tourism data showed a significant pick up in Korean arrivals last year, with 428,014 or a 16.13% share of the country’s arrivals received from 10 February 2022 (when the country eased its borders for leisure travellers) to 31 December 2022.

“The good news is that as of today, we have over 1.5 million tourist arrivals to the Philippines, and our number one source is Korea. So we’re very grateful to our friends from Korea for continuing to show their love for the Philippines,” Secretary Frasco said.

Before the pandemic, Korea ranked number one in visitor arrivals to the Philippines, with 1,989,322 or 24.08% of the country’s arrivals for 2019.

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