HONG KONG, 28 March 2023: JLL takes on the role of exclusive sales agent for the Sheraton & Four Points by Sheraton Tung Chung Hotel in Hong Kong.
Opened in late 2020, the property marks Marriott’s first dual-branded project in Hong Kong, and with over 1,200 keys, it’s the second-largest hotel in the territory as measured by room inventory.
The hotel features 3,400 sqm of indoor and outdoor meeting space to meet the diverse needs of both MICE and wedding clients, including one of the largest ballrooms in Hong Kong.
According to JLL, the sale will include T-Bay, Tung Chung’s newest community hub of restaurants, bars and shops.
The property is a 10-minute drive from Hong Kong International Airport and AsiaWorld-Expo, attracting aircrew, corporate guests and leisure travellers.
The hotel is close to the Hong Kong Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, the Shenzhen border-crossing and local attractions, which include designer shopping in Citygate Malls, The Big Buddha, Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and Hong Kong Disneyland.
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group senior vice president Ling Wei Tan
said, “Hong Kong’s hotel industry is on the cusp of full recovery in 2023, fuelled by the recent reopening of China’s borders and the dropping of the last Covid-19 measures.”
Hong Kong has historically been a well-sought-after investment market, with an average hotel transaction volume of USD1 billion between 2007 and 2022. JLL expects hotel deal volume to increase by 24% in 2023, boosted by a return of investors’ confidence in this resurgent market.
About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of USD20.9 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 103,000 as of 31 December 2022. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated.
BRISBANE, Australia, 28 March 2023: Queensland Minister For Tourism, Innovation and Sport, Stirling Hinchliffe, has announced a major sponsorship for the third annual Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Conference in Asia-Pacific (AITCAP 2023).
The Minister says: “More and more people with a disability and their families are looking for travel options that cater to their needs. We want this year to be the transformation that creates an enduring legacy for Queensland as an inclusive, world-class visitor destination. Queensland’s great lifestyle and world-class visitor experiences are too good not to be enjoyed by everyone.”
Well timed to help meet the objectives of the Year of Accessible Tourism, AITCAP 2023 will engage tourism operators and destinations on how to meet best the needs of the 20% of travellers that have a disability and allow them to connect with various organisations around the region who are working toward a common goal of making travel more accessible for everybody.
The hybrid event comprises a one-day in-person conference on 28 April in Queensland, a one-day virtual conference on 11 May, and events on the sidelines.
GetAboutAble is proud to partner with the Queensland Government. It has demonstrated a commitment to being a world-leading accessible & inclusive destination through initiatives like the Accessible Tourism Toolkit, the Accessible Tourism in Queensland project and declaring 2023 Year of Accessible Tourism with associated funding.
The event agenda
28 April 2023 – a one-day in-person event at Sea World Resort Conference Centre, Gold Coast, Australia. 11 May 2023 – a one-day virtual event, Dedicated AITCAP Platform
SINGAPORE, 28 March 2023: Air Astana has switched to a spring-summer operating schedule effective from 26 March to 29 October 2023, when it will increase international flights.
The airline confirms it will continue to operate direct daily flights to Thailand, with flights from Almaty to Bangkok three times a week and four times to Phuket.
More international flights
Services from Almaty to Antalya (Turkey) will increase to 10 flights a week, while those from Astana will increase to seven services weekly.
Almaty to Tbilisi (Georgia) services will increase by seven flights a week, and those from Astana to Tbilisi will increase by three flights a week.
Almaty to Tashkent (Uzbekistan) jumps to 14 flights a week, and Astana-Tashkent to five flights weekly. The Almaty to London service will increase to five flights weekly, and Almaty to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) to nine flights.
In addition to a weekly flight to Chengdu, Air Astana will serve Beijing daily from Almaty and up to twice a week from Astana. The Almaty to Istanbul route will be served by 11 flights a week, from Astana up to seven flights a week, and from Atyrau three flights a week.
Services from Almaty to Baku (Azerbaijan) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan) will be increased to four weekly flights.
The spring-summer operating schedule also includes the relaunch of seasonal services between Almaty to Bodrum (Turkey) and Heraklion (Greece), as well as those from Almaty and Astana to Podgorica (Montenegro), operating three times a week and from Almaty to Batumi (Georgia) operating five times a week.
Air Astana will also continue operating direct daily flights to Thailand, with flights from Almaty to Bangkok three times a week and four times to Phuket.
About Air Astana Group
Air Astana commenced operations in May 2002 as a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s national wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, and BAE Systems, with respective shares of 51% and 49%. The airline is a full-service international and domestic carrier with its low-cost division, FlyArystan.
DELHI, India, 28 March 2023: Air India Express will introduce direct flights from Indore to Sharjah and Dubai starting 30 March 2023.
Indore is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The airline’s starting fares
Indore to Sharjah at INR9727 Sharjah to Indore at AED399
Indore to Dubai at INR10,777 Dubai to Indore at AED439
The airline also introduced on its Facebook page this week @AirIndiaX, a new home for travel deals and online bookings.
Air India Express is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. It is operated by Air India Charters Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian flag carrier Air India. It delivers around 649 flights per week to 33 destinations, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
“Air India Express parent Tata Sons acquired AirAsia Aviation Group’s remaining 16.33% shareholding in AirAsia India last year, making the low-cost carrier a 100% owned Tata subsidiary. Shortly after the acquisition, AirAsia India was rebranded AIX Connect as the first step in a previously announced merger with Air India Express,” according to the latest report by ch-aviation.com.
BANGKOK, 28 March 2023: Thai Smile increases services from its home base at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to five Mekong Region cities during its summer timetable, effective from 26 March to 28 October.
The airline posted its summer schedule at the weekend through an assortment of Thai language graphics on its Facebook page without even a translation of city names.
An airline that cannot be bothered translating a city name? It’s Yangon.
Flights to five major destinations in the Mekong region increase to twice daily, up from daily flights.
According to the summer schedule presentation, the airline has no immediate plans to resume flights to Siem Reap in Cambodia and Luang Prabang in Laos. A check of the airline’s booking website returns the message “not available” as far forward as September 2023. It suggests it is unlikely flights to the two UNESCO World Heritage destinations will resume until the winter timetable begins November 2023, when the peak travel season begins for Europeans heading for the region.
More flights to Mekong Region cities
Phnom Penh: Two daily flights now serve Cambodia’s capital.
An early morning flight (WE587) departs Bangkok at 0735, arriving in Phnom Penh at 0850. A second flight (WE583 departs Bangkok at 1815, arriving in Phnom Penh at 1935
Vientiane: Twice-daily flights to the Lao capital
WE570 departs Bangkok at 1125, arriving in Vientiane at 1240. WE574 departs Bangkok at 1825, arriving in Vientiane at 1945.
Yangon;
Myanmar’s commercial gateway city gets two daily flights.
WE301 departs Bangkok at 0930, arriving in Yangon at 1030. WE303 departs Bangkok at 1705, arriving in Yangon at 1800.
Ho Chi Minh City: Twice-daily flights now serve Vietnam’s southern gateway.
WE550 departs Bangkok at 0735, arriving in HCMC at 0905. WE556 departs Bangkok at 1735, arriving in HCMC at 1905.
HANOI: Viertnam’s capital gets twice daily flights.
WE560 departs Bangkok at 0745, arriving in Hanoi at 0935. WE564 departs Bangkok at 1750, arriving in Hanoi at 1940.
Discounted 10 to 15% fares are valid on routes from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Vientiane, Laos; Yangon, Myanmar; and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam. (The discount for bookings made on 28 March is 15%, and 10% for bookings made on 29 March, the final day of the promotion.) Travel is valid up to midnight on 31 May 2023. Bookings must be made on the airline’s website or via the call centre and airport customer service centre.
The airline’s summer timetable graphic indicates it will fly daily from Bangkok to Kathmandu, Nepal and Penang, Malaysia. It will also offer four weekly flights to Jaipur, India.
SINGAPORE, 27 March 2023: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced “Beetlejuice” The Musical as the headline production aboard its newest groundbreaking ship, Norwegian Viva, along with the ship’s full lineup of onboard entertainment offerings debuting August 2023.
Marking the first time the Tony Award®-nominated musical will be performed at sea, the 90-minute Broadway adaptation of Tim Burton’s iconic 1988 film narrates the story of the Deetz family as they attempt to remodel an uproariously haunted house. The musical’s paranormal antics will be heightened by NCL’s three-story multi-purpose Viva Theatre & Club and its immersive special effects, cutting-edge lighting, and audio.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s incoming president David J Herrera said: “NCL has a history of pioneering the cruise experience and delivering the high-calibre entertainment programming our guests expect. We are dedicated to pushing the envelope, delivering on those expectations, and putting our guests first as we elevate our onboard offerings for the ultimate vacation at sea. This summer, I cannot wait to bring the fun and nostalgia of ‘Beetlejuice’ to our all-new Norwegian Viva.”
NCL’s senior vice president of entertainment and cruise programming, Richard Ambrose, added: “We pride ourselves on not only delivering amazing performances for theatre fans but introducing guests to Broadway and West End-calibre shows, which are made even more special by the incredible setting of the Viva Theatre & Club that seamlessly transforms from a best-in-class theatre experience to an expansive nightclub.”
The elaborate “Beetlejuice” production will charm and captivate guests as performers dance and sing along to show tune classics, including “Day-O” and “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora),” while also revelling in the nostalgia from the pop culture classic film. Michelle D’Amico, a cast member of the Broadway production of “Beetlejuice” will join Norwegian Viva playing the role of “Lydia” for the first-at-sea rendition.
Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its unwavering commitment to bringing world-class productions to the high seas, having debuted shows including “Six,” “Jersey Boys,” “Footloose”, and more across its current 18–ship fleet. This announcement also comes on the heels of the wildly popular debut of “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” aboard Norwegian Prima, which featured a show-stopping performance from “American Idol” season two finalist Kimberley Locke during its 2022 inaugural season.
After the successful debut of one of the world’s most iconic game shows, “The Price is Right LIVE,” aboard Norwegian Prima last year, Norwegian Viva will also offer a live game show experience with the cruise industry’s first “Press Your Luck LIVE” at-sea. The immersive experience invites the audience to be part of the classic show and win incredible grand prizes.
The palatial Viva Theatre & Club features sophisticated special effects, a multi-story video wall, a show-stopping chandelier and VIP lounge seating, making it the ideal venue for Vegas-style night club events, such as “Ocean Music Fest,” the ultimate jam session where multiple musicians merge their talents on one stage for a world-class immersive concert.
Norwegian Viva will also feature returning guest favourites, including “Improv @ Sea” Comedy Club; “Syd Norman’s Pour House,” which features rock-and-roll tributes to Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, and other legendary artists of the Classic Rock genre; and more.
Norwegian Viva is the second of six vessels in the Cruise Line’s highly anticipated Prima Class, the Brand’s first new class of ships in nearly ten years. The elevated offerings of the Prima Class prioritise guest experience and raise the bar on cruising through world-class cuisine, the Brand’s most spacious design yet, and stellar onboard activities, including the Viva Speedway—the three-level racetrack. Boasting nine new dining and beverage options, guests can sample cuisines worldwide by visiting Indulge Food Hall, the upscale food market exhibiting 11 unique eateries, or enjoy the elevated menus at Hudson’s, the complimentary restaurant overlooking 270 degrees of ocean views. Norwegian Viva also features the fastest slides at sea, The Drop and Rush, and NCL’s industry-exclusive sustainable cocktail bar with Metropolitan Bar. Debuting in August 2023, Norwegian Viva will sail a selection of bucket-list-worthy Greek Isles and Mediterranean voyages through November before homeporting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in December for a season of Caribbean itineraries.
For more information about NCL’s award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, contact a travel professional, call Hong Kong on +852 800 901 951 and Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com
KUCHING, 27 March 2023: Sarawak welcomed back its first cruise ship this year from Singapore, reinstating cruise arrivals in Sarawak after a three-year hiatus.
Star Breeze anchored at Sim Kheng Hong Port on Thursday, 23 March 2023, bringing 201 passengers for a brief visit to Sarawak before heading for Hong Kong.
The passengers, mostly from the US, UK, Europe, Australia and ASEAN countries, were given a warm traditional garlanding welcome before visiting Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Sarawak Cultural Village and around Kuching for the Kuching Heritage tour.
Sarawak Tourism Board’s (STB) director of stakeholder relations Maurice Balang said the arrival of “Star Breeze” marks the reinstatement of cruise arrivals into Sarawak after a three-year hiatus, with another cruise ship expected to arrive in Sarawak in November 2023.
“Kuching needs a deep-sea port to make Sarawak a viable cruise destination in the future to accommodate mega cruise ships with the capacity of more than 3,000 passengers”, he added.
Star Breeze left Kuching in the late evening of the same day, sailing to its next destination in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Other destinations on the cruise include several islands in the Philippines before arriving in Hong Kong on 4 April 2023. Star Breeze is owned by Windstar Cruises, based in the USA.
SINGAPORE, 27 March 2023: A merger is being considered by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and GREEN Hospitality (Pangaia Solutions Limited) to combine GREEN Hospitality’s reach and experience in the Asia-Pacific with the alliance’s expertise and global network.
Meetings have occurred between the directors of both organisations, and the next steps will conclude due diligence reviews. A merger would enable the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to establish a formal presence in Asia-Pacific, with GREEN Hospitality headquartered in Hong Kong.
Both organisations are committed to supporting and enabling sustainability in the hospitality industry. The alliance now represents over 50,000 properties and 7 million rooms globally.
GREEN Hospitality’s vision is to advance research, incubate innovations, and foster activities that enable the industry to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in the interest of the planet, people, and prosperity.
Sustainable Hospitality Alliance CEO, Glenn Mandziuk, said: “We are excited to be exploring a potential merger with GREEN Hospitality, an organisation we admire and align within, driving joined-up action on sustainability in the industry. Being in Hong Kong, a merger with GREEN Hospitality would enable the alliance to better serve the hotels and organisations in the region, supporting them on the path to net positive hospitality”.
GREEN Hospitality executive director Lucia Loposova added: “We are delighted to explore this potential merger with a mission-aligned organisation, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. The synergy of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s expertise in creating global partnerships and building movements and GREEN Hospitality’s on-the-ground knowledge and connection to hospitality practitioners, sustainability experts, civil society organisations, and government agencies in Hong Kong and Asia has great potential to turn the industry into a catalyst for sustainability.”
Due diligence is underway, and an update on the merger’s progress will be available later in the year.
About the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance brings together the hospitality industry and strategic partners to address key challenges affecting the planet, its people, local destinations and communities.
Members represent over 50,000 hotels – totalling 7 million rooms – and include world-leading companies, including Choice Hotels International, Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, BWH Hotel Group and Radisson Hotel Group, as well as regional brands. Visit: www.sustainablehospitalityalliance.org
About GREEN Hospitality
GREEN Hospitality is a non-profit-making organisation that sees hospitality and tourism as catalysts for sustainability by advancing Sustainable Development Goals in the interest of the planet, people, and prosperity. For more information, visit: https://www.greenhospitality.io/
SINGAPORE, 27 March 2023: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Centre have unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the total water usage of the global Travel & Tourism sector.
In one of the largest research projects of its kind, WTTC can, for the first time, accurately report and track the sector’s impact on the environment.
The findings were launched today at the United Nations in New York at the UN 2023 Water Conference.
Direct Water Use
Speaking at the UN Headquarters, WTTC director of sustainability Chris Imbsen revealed that Travel & Tourism’s entire water footprint is just 0.6% of the global water use according to the latest figures (2021).
In 2019, when the sector peaked, its total water footprint was only 50% higher, but still less than 1% of the global total at 0.9%.
Travel & Tourism’s direct water use is significantly lower – in 2019, it was 0.2% of the global total and has fallen by half to just 0.1%.
Much of the sector’s water use is indirect, through its supply chain, with agriculture and food production accounting for two-thirds of Travel & Tourism’s entire water footprint.
Between 2010 and 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector in Europe and Africa reduced direct water use. In Europe, direct water use fell by 8%, and in Africa, direct water use by the sector fell by 6%.
WTTC President & CEO, Julia Simpson said: “This groundbreaking new data reveals our sector’s water consumption for the first time, revealing that Travel & Tourism uses less than 1% of the water used around the world, with the overwhelming majority of that usage coming from the sector’s supply chain.
“The data also shows that whilst the sector has grown economically around the world, its direct-use water intensity has decreased.
“The data is the most in-depth study of the sector’s water use. Like the world-first climate footprint data we released at our Global Summit in Riyadh last year, we can also reveal individual countries’ Travel & Tourism sector’s water footprints. This will enable governments to work with the sector to reduce water usage further.”
Water Intensity
The water intensity of Travel & Tourism per unit of GDP has also fallen since 2010 across both direct and indirect use.
In 2010, the sector used 0.57m³ of water for every USD1 contributed to the global economy.
In 2019 this fell by 19% to reach 0.46m³ of water for every USD1 contributed to the global economy.
In a world first, this comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with revised figures.
This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than USD186 billion of investment in the green economy.
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, 27 March: Participants from Taiwan’s food & beverage company, WOW Prime Corporation, make Malaysia its preferred destination with support from Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
The incentive trip comes in a staggered arrival from 26 March until 28 September 2023, with 3,000 participants on trips that will generate an estimated economic impact of MYR57.9 million for Malaysia’s economy.
The participants of WOWprime Corporation Company Incentive Trip 2023 will be treated to a five-star resort stay at Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson. They will enjoy various travel experiences such as a Melaka historical tour, visiting the cultural heritage sites and experiencing the night market at Alor Street.
An array of shopping experiences await them at the duty-free Genting Premium Outlets and Genting Sky Avenue Complex, followed by local chocolate product shopping and various photoshoot sessions at the Chinatown, Kwai Chai Hong, Saloma Link bridge, KLCC and National Palace.
“Thanks to the support of our Taiwanese participants, MyCEB is honoured to announce that we are the proud host to 3,000 participants of WOWprime. This is a great motivation for us to further prepare and welcome our participants in the best capacity! We hope to get more Taiwan business visitors to make Malaysia your preferred business events and corporate incentive destination,” said MyCEB chief executive officer Dato’ Sri Dr Abdul Khani Daud.
“Having WOWprime augurs well with our target in welcoming 114,000 corporate meetings and incentive participants for 2023, and we will continuously provide the support to meet your requirements so that each participant who visits Malaysia will be inspired by the destination and its endless experience from our distinctive uniqueness in each location,” he continued.
As an English-speaking yet multilingual country with a vibrant, emerging economy, Malaysia is recognised as one of the world’s friendliest nations and a great value-for-money destination.
MyCEB’s strong support, proven capabilities and creativity have paved the way for local Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) to bring in even more corporate incentive groups in the future, the CEO concluded.
(Source: Bernama – Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau).
