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LADA lifts tourism trophy

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TTR WEEKLY
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LANGKAWI, 23 March 2023: The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) bagged an award at the Asian Tourism and Hospitality (ATH) Awards 2022-23, as it was crowned ‘Leading Government Tourism Board of the Year”.

Hosted at Le Méridien, Kuala Lumpur, earlier this week, the awards honoured LADA for its efforts in establishing Langkawi as a renowned world-class tourism destination.

LADA oversees Langkawi’s economic development and advancement, with tourism and hospitality figuring high on its agenda.

“We are extremely pleased to have been granted this prestigious award. Being acknowledged in front of our peers and fellow industry players will motivate us to keep pushing on to elevate Langkawi to greater heights. We believe we are on the right track to ensuring Langkawi is established as a top tourist destination globally. As a team fully focused on our goals, we are more motivated than ever to capitalise on the limitless opportunities to accelerate tourism growth in Langkawi. We hope there are many more special nights like tonight on the horizon for LADA,” said LADA’s deputy chief executive officer Wan Kamarul Faisal Wan Kamardin.

LADA will look forward to the future as numerous business and tourism development opportunities as more events head for Langkawi.

The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2023) is set to be held from 23 to 27 May 2023 on the island. LADA will also host the next edition of Routes Asia 2024 in February 2024. Both these events will facilitate conversations between industry players for business development and catalyse economic recovery on the island.

The first edition of the Asian Tourism and Hospitality Awards was organised by TIN Media together with AHHRA (Asia Hospitality Human Resource Association).

About Langkawi Development Authority (LADA)

The federal government set up Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) to plan, promote and implement development on the island of Langkawi. It was officially established on 15 March 1990 under the Langkawi Development Authority Act 1990 (Act 423) and placed under the authority of the Ministry of Finance. Ultimately, the organisation’s goal is to position Langkawi as a world-renowned tourism destination.

For more information on LADA, visit https://www.lada.gov.my/en/ or https://naturallylangkawi.my

(Your Stories: LADA)

Sarawak promotes festivals at MATTA Fair

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 23 March 2023: Sarawak Tourism Board launched its campaign to promote upcoming festivals to travel consumers visiting last week’s MATTA Fair.

STB estimated more than 10,000 fairgoers visited the board’s pavilion that fielded travel experiences, tours and hospitality offerings from 13 participating partners who joined the STB pavilion at the MATTA FAIR 2023 hosted for the first time at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) Kuala Lumpur.

The state’s pavilion showcased various attractions linked to culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals. STB used the MATTA show to promote the Rainforest World Music Festival, which will be held from 23 to 25 June at Sarawak Cultural Village. Sarawak has taken bold steps to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly RWMF that is the model used for all other events and festivals, including the Borneo Jazz Festival.

STB is also promoting the Sarawak Regatta, an annual event showcasing a series of boat races with participation from various government agencies, private sectors, and participants from Indonesia and Brunei. The dragon-boat regatta plays out on a 1.3 km stretch of the Sarawak River in the centre of Kuching town, usually in late October.

Photo credit: STB

Teams from villages around Sarawak make the event a grand affair, making it a great excuse for families living outside Kuching to visit the city. The blue-ribbon event is the coveted ‘Raja Sungai’ (King of the River) title in the ‘bidar’ category. Each longboat carries thirty paddlers, and the competition for this category is always closely contested.

For more information on Sarawak Tourism Board, visit www.sarawaktourism.com.

DidaTravel appoints CMO

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TTR WEEKLY
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SHENZHEN, China, 23 March 2023: DidaTravel, a global hotel wholesaler and tech-driven travel distribution service provider, confirms its latest senior appointment, Gareth Matthews, who joins as chief marketing officer.

Effective 3 April 2023, he will head the development of the company’s brand positioning, digital marketing capabilities and PR and media presence worldwide.

A marketing executive with over 22 years of experience in the travel and technology sectors, he has held senior marketing leadership roles in both TUI Group and Hotelbeds, where he led multi-disciplinary, international marketing teams to help position brands worldwide that have since gone on to become leaders in their sector.

DidaTravel’s founder and CEO, Rikin Wu, comments: “We are pleased to have Gareth, an experienced marketing professional, join DidaTravel at this pivotal moment in our success story. I am confident that his experience and creativity will be a great asset”.

Hyatt names GM for Danang resort

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TTR WEEKLY
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DANANG 23 March 2023: Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa has named Adrian Pulido its general manager of the 360-room oceanfront resort.

The property stands on Non Nuoc Beach, between Danang town and the UNESCO-listed Hoi An.

Adrian Pulido, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa

Having commenced his career with Hyatt, he moved to JW Marriott in Mexico City and Banyan Tree in the UAE and Shanghai before returning to Hyatt in 2016. Following spells at Park Hyatt St. Kitts and Park Hyatt Seoul, he achieved his first general manager’s role with Hyatt Regency Koh Samui in 2020.

Nestled on Vietnam’s central coast, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa the resort, is undergoing upgrades that will extend a beachside venue, introduce a rebranded Italian restaurant and a brand-new Camp Hyatt kids’ club with five play zones.

Lao Airlines adds China flight

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TTR WEEKLY
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VIENTIANE, 23 March 2023: Lao Airlines will resume flights from Vientiane to Guangzhou in China effective 15 April.

Releasing details on its Facebook page, the airline will introduce three weekly flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, using an Airbus A320 with 158 seats.

The flight time is two hours. Google Flights quotes a one-way fare of THB9,170, while the roundtrip fare is THB17,939. Fare information and bookings were inactive on the Lao Airlines website on 22 March. The drop-down menu does not show Guangzhou. It displays Kunming as the sole active Chinese destination for bookings.

Flight schedule

Vientiane – Guangzhou

QV881 (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)

Departs Vientiane at 1310 and arrives in Guangzhou at 1610

Guangzhou – Vientiane

QV882  (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)

Departs Guangzhou at 1710 and arrives in Vientiane at 1840

Really Cool: Thailand’s latest airline startup

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 23 March 2023: Founding CEO of Nok Air, Patee Sarasin returns to Thailand’s aviation business to found his second airline project, Really Cool Airlines, the country’s latest airline startup.

“We are thrilled to introduce Really Cool Airlines and look forward to providing travellers with an exceptional flying experience,” said the full-service airline’s founder and CEO during the 22 March press launch.

“Our team of experts has worked tirelessly to create a new standard for the aviation industry, and we’re excited to unveil what we have in store in the coming months.”

Patee said Really Cool Airlines would announce aircraft types, destinations and its route network in the coming months, with operations expected to commence by the end of 2023.

Success will depend on how fast Thailand’s tourism industry recovers. On the optimistic side, the messaging from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts 30 million tourist arrivals in 2023 or approximately 80% of the 39 million tourist arrivals recorded in 2019.

To achieve this ambitious target, the TAT has also gone on record saying the country needs to increase the number of airlines and flights serving its popular tourist destinations. But it’s a risky business, and the country’s domestic airlines are still suffering from losses incurred during the Covid-19 lockdown that lasted two years.

Airbnb suspends Myanmar bookings

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TTR WEEKLY
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YANGON, 23 March 2023: US-headquartered Airbnb has suspended hosting of all lodgings in Myanmar, possibly the first international accommodation booking site to do so since the 1 February 2021 military coup.

Last week, Airbnb sent out email notices to hosts in Myanmar informing them their listings and reservations are no longer available. It told hosts that their listing would no longer show up on Airbnb.

Airbnb’s accommodation options in Myanmar go offline to guests visiting the booking site.

However, hosts would still have listing details of “past reservations and payment transaction history.”

Airbnb is not a significant player in Myanmar’s hospitality booking scene due to strict laws that prohibit foreigners from staying in lodgings that are not registered as hotels and guests houses under the Myanmar Hotel and Tourism Law

TTRW asked Airbnb for comment. The global booking service responded: “Airbnb has suspended hosting in Myanmar. Guests will not be able to make any reservations for stays in Myanmar until further notice. Airbnb’s local business in Myanmar most recently consisted of a very small number of active listings.”

Due to the strict laws on where foreigners can stay, Airbnb’s pool of potential hosts is limited to registered hotels or guesthouses. Under Myanmar’s strict laws, hotels and guesthouses must present every evening a list of foreign guests with passport details to the local police or immigration offices.

Myanmar is one of just a few countries with laws prohibiting short-term letting. There are by-laws written in the country’s 1947 Immigration Act that stipulate foreign visitors on a tourist visa must stay in a hotel or registered guest houses.

Other booking services such as Agoda, Expedia and Booking.com continue to feature Myanmar hotels with online payments possible using international credit cards such as Visa or Mastercard.

Sabah tourism wins award

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 22 March 2023: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) won the award for being the most outstanding tourism board in 2022 at the inaugural Asian Tourism and Hospitality Awards held last week.

The award was presented during the ATHA 2022-2023 event co-organised by TIN MEDIA (Malaysia’s First Independent Travel Trade Media) and Asia Hospitality Human Resource Association (AHHRA) in Kuala Lumpur on 17 March 17.

Sabah Tourism Board received the accolade Leading State Tourism Board of the Year 2022 at the first-ever Asian Tourism and Hospitality Awards in Kuala Lumpur on 17 March.

STB chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and chief executive officer Noredah Othman attended the event to receive the award.

“This is a boost for a state government agency recognised as the best among the many contenders, including those from other nations.

“The state government has emphasised tourism, the importance of having exceptional management and team players within STB,” said Joniston, who is also the state’s Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment.

“This will not only assist in achieving the state’s development goal, but it will also ensure that the government has the best agency working towards targeted objectives,” he added.

Meanwhile, Noredah said winning the award would motivate the STB team to continue doing their best in pushing state tourism to new heights.

“This demonstrates STB’s commitment to the industry, as well as the dedication of the staff to their work in it. To further establish Sabah as a preferred travel destination, Sabah Tourism will continue to explore new avenues for promotion and cooperation,” she said.

The event also saw four travel and tour companies from Sabah receiving awards. They comprised Amazing Borneo Tours and Events (Leading Tour Operator – Inbound Borneo);  Borneo Calling Tour and Travel (Leading Adventure Tour Operator); D’Seven Travel and Tours (Leading Travel Agency – Outbound Religious Pilgrimage); and Nadi Borneo Tours (Leading Tourism Transport Company – Land).

Visit: www.sabahtoursm.com.

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

NCL announces executive leadership changes

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 22 March 2023: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) announced the appointment of David J Herrera as NCL’S new president effective 1 April 2023, as Harry J Sommer transitions to be the next president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH) effective 1 July 2023.

NCLH is the parent company for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, effective 1 July 2023.

David J Herrera.

Herrera, who currently serves as NCL’s chief consumer sales and marketing officer, has been with the company since 2015, after first joining as a senior advisor to the chief executive officer and chairman of Prestige Holdings in 2012. 

Throughout his tenure, Herrera has successfully held various senior leadership roles within the organisation, including SVP brand finance, strategy and consumer research; SVP corporate development for NCLH; and president of NCLH China. As part of the company’s senior leadership, he has played an integral role in positioning NCL as one of the world’s leading cruise lines.

“David and I have worked closely together for almost a decade expanding NCL’s global presence and shaping its future,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer elect of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. 

Harry J Sommer.

“With over 25 years of robust business experience and strong financial, sales, marketing and business development background, David is a key contributor to NCL’s success. He will continue to guide the NCL brand on an accelerated path forward.”

In this new role, Herrera will be responsible for the overall strategic vision and business plan execution for NCL, as well as expand his reporting line to now include revenue management, guest services, brand finance, international sales, and the recently formed Experiences at Sea division which provides one of a kind, immersive events at sea for a range of passionate affinity communities.

“I am honoured and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead the passionate and incredible team at NCL, as well as to continue to work alongside Harry and our stellar leadership team to build on our strong momentum,” said David Herrera, the next President of Norwegian Cruise Line. “It will be another milestone year for us as we continue the Prima Class rollout, and I look forward to leading our team and guests along this exciting journey.”

Herrera has led the sales and marketing teams to record results in his current role. In November 2022, NCL succeeded in having its best-booked month ever and ended 2022 at record booking levels for 2023, starting this year in a better-booked position than ever before. 

With Herrera’s appointment as NCL President, Adam Malone, who currently oversees consumer and integrated marketing, will assume the role of chief marketing officer, and 15-year NCL veteran Michael Tomoleoni, who currently manages the consumer sales division, will now serve as the chief consumer sales officer.  Jason Krimmel will assume the newly created role of chief international sales and marketing officer, working closely with Herrera to further expand the Brand’s international footprint.

For more information about NCL’s award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call Hong Kong on +852 800 901 951 and Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.

(Yours Stories: NCL)

Klook bags brand award

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 22 March 2023: Klook, a leading travel experience platform, wins recognition as Asia’s top booking experience platform brand by Influential Brands.

“We’re thrilled to be able to receive this award, which is a testament to our commitment to providing travellers with unforgettable experiences,” said Klook’s vice president of global marketing, Marcus Yong. “Travel is certainly back, and we’re excited to see millennials and Gen Zs driving this tremendous demand as they seek out new adventures and create meaningful memories.”

Outbound travel bookings tripled in Q4 2022 compared to the previous quarter, indicating strong recovery and even growth in Asia’s travel sector. A survey by Klook showed that over 80% of travellers in Asia are eager to travel in 2023 despite economic uncertainties, driving this growth. Experiences are also increasingly sought out, with 58% of travellers open to booking new adventures to discover and create more meaningful moments whenever they travel.

About Klook

Founded in 2014, Klook is a leading travel and experiences platform in Asia that sells travel experiences ranging from attractions and tours to local transport and accommodation worldwide.

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