Monday, June 16, 2025
Home Blog Page 420

MATTA names MAG official airline partner

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 March 2023: Malaysia Aviation Group joins the upcoming MATTA Fair as the official Airline, according to the latest announcement from the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA).

Official Airline status goes to all three airlines within the group; Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings.

(from left to right): Rocky Kho, MATTA Fair Organising Chairman; Nigel Wong, MATTA Fair Organising Committee; Ahmad Luqman B. Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer, Airlines Business, Malaysia Aviation Group;Roslan B. Ismail, Head Airlines Global Sales, Malaysia Aviation Group.

Southeast Asia’s largest travel show will be held from 17 to 19 March at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur.

Located at foyer Level 1, Malaysia Airlines has snapped up 28 booths for this year’s fair to promote destinations and fare deals on domestic and international routes.

With Malaysia Airlines onboard during the MATTA Fair, visitors can plan their next holidays and source bargains from various domestic and international packages.

The Airline offers up to 45% off selected domestic and international routes, and there is an opportunity to win one of the 37 return tickets in the “Buyers Contest”.

Firefly will offer fares starting from MYR69 all-in one-way to domestic destinations and MYR99 all-in one-way to international destinations onboard its ATR 72-500 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

MASwings will offer all-in one-way fares starting from MYR131, valid from 16 to 24 March 2023, via the physical MATTA Fair event and the airlines’ online platforms, for travel from now to 30 November 2023. Enrich members will also earn 50% Bonus Enrich Points during this period.

MAG’s chief executive officer of airlines business, Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi said: “We are delighted to be part of Malaysia’s biggest travel fair as the official airlines for MATTA Fair 2023 through sister companies Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings. This reinforces our commitment to providing more value, convenience and options through great deals and travel experiences for our customers while also playing our unique role in supporting the recovery of Malaysia’s aviation and tourism sector.

On top of the great discounts offered on airfares, customers will also get to enjoy other deals beyond air travel, including on MHholidays, Journify, and travel add-ons.

“It’s all part of MAG’s wider aspirations of becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group focused on delivering customised, end-to-end travel solutions in line with our Long-Term Business Plan 2.0. As the appetite for travel regains momentum, we invite everyone to take advantage of the great offers available during MATTA Fair and on the airlines’ website to enjoy the best deals for their upcoming travels,” the CEO explained.

MAG airlines will give away 37 tickets in the Buyers’ Contest, including Malaysia Airlines’ business class return tickets to London, Sydney and Haneda and economy class return tickets to Osaka, Melbourne, Perth, Seoul Denpasar, Singapore, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Langkawi. 

Firefly and MASwings will offer five and 12 return tickets to the winners’ destinations of choice within the airline network.

MATTA Fair will open from 1000 to 2100 for three days, Friday to Sunday, 17 to 19 March. Admission is free.

Jetstar ready for T4 switch

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 15 March 2023: Jetstar Asia will move to Changi Airport’s Terminal 4 on 22 March after completing orientation flights last week on the Bangkok – Singapore route.

Jetstar Asia’s head of flight operations, Geof Lui commented: “The focus of this second round of orientation flights was to evaluate the process and validate the efficiency with which passengers and luggage transferred between terminals to meet onward connections seamlessly.

“Following the initial orientation flights, we’ve worked with our airline partners to increase the frequency of shuttle services, both airside and landside, to ensure customers can quickly transfer between terminals from our new home at T4.

Jetstar Asia will initially operate more than 230 weekly services in and out of T4, to and from key destinations in Southeast Asia, including Bali (Denpasar), Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Phnom Penh.

Jetstar Airways will also operate six weekly flights from T4 to Melbourne, Australia using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Zero fares figure in AirAsia’s Mega sale

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

* Additional charges apply, such as tax and fees.

SQ relocates Chengdu flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

(Source: SIA)

Vietjet ramps up flights to Hong Kong

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

(Source: Vietjet)

Sarawak revives travel agency ties

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

For more information about Sarawak, visit https://www.sarawaktourism.com/

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

Sabah’s new tagline gains clicks

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

 Visit: www.sabahtourism.com.

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

High fares fail to deter China recovery

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

(Source: Sabre)

S Hotels & Resorts wins Green Globe

By
TTR WEEKLY
-
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.”

MNA teams up with Logi Plus

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

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.

1...419420421...621Page 420 of 621

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.