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Top destinations for Muslim travellers

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 2 June 2023: Indonesia and Malaysia have emerged as the top two destinations globally for Muslim travellers in the newly released Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2023.

The annual report, now in its eighth year, analyses data across nearly 140 countries to offer comprehensive insights into which destinations best meet the needs of the increasingly influential Halal travel segment.

The Halal travel demographic is a sizeable market segment globally. According to the GMTI, Muslim international arrivals hit 110 million in 2022 and are forecast to reach 140 million this year. By 2028, Muslim arrivals are expected to hit 230 million, with a projected expenditure of USD225 billion.

Currently, Asia leads the way for arrivals, with more than 31% of all travellers to this region identifying as Muslim.

Indonesia and Malaysia, which scored equally in the index this year, have long been popular destinations for Muslim tourists; Indonesia had previously topped the ranking in the 2019 report, while Malaysia has consistently been at the forefront of the GMTI since 2015. Singapore ranked 12th, making it only one of two countries (along with the United Kingdom) outside the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to rank in the top 20.

The index assesses destinations across four key criteria: Access, Communications, Environment, and Services (ACES). Southeast Asian destinations ranked among the top 10 on all four of these criteria, while in the aggregate, Indonesia and Malaysia both scored 73 (out of a possible 100), Singapore scored 64, Thailand achieved a score of 52, and the Philippines 46.

The report also found that global travel behaviours are impacting trends among Muslim travellers, with the demographic increasingly: incorporating sustainability into their travel; opting for destinations and activities to improve their health and wellness; finding opportunities for immersive experiences and authenticity; incorporating personal development into their travel plans.

“While by no means a monolith, Muslim travellers are often looking for their travel plans to align with certain faith-oriented criteria, such as availability of Halal foods, rooms for prayer, and encouraging communications and messaging from destinations,” said CrescentRating founder and CEO Fazal Bahardeen.

“Over the years we’ve conducted this research, we’ve consistently seen markets that prioritise these requirements perform well among Muslim travellers, and so it is our hope that the 2023 edition offers insights that will allow destinations to garner more understanding, more inclusivity, and ultimately, a closer relationship with this demographic.”

Mastercard division president, Southeast Asia Safdar Khan said: “Mastercard is a longstanding partner of CrescentRating, with both organisations sharing the same commitment in using data and insights to create more relevant solutions and unearth new economic opportunities. With the travel industry already exceeding pre-pandemic levels of growth, the GMTI shows how faith-based travellers have evolved in their needs and how these needs can be better met to create more resilient tourism offerings. Mastercard is confident that the GMTI will help to bolster the ongoing recovery and lay the foundations for future growth in the Muslim travel sector.”

The GMTI has grown considerably since its first iteration in 2011, when it was initially known as the Crescentrating Annual Ranking and assessed only the top 10 Muslim-friendly destinations. Now, the report encompasses 138 destinations globally and offers comprehensive insights into everything from travel document requirements to faith-aligned sustainability practices.

The latest edition of GMTI offers four new tools that offer insights and recommendations regarding this demographic:

Muslim Travel Intent Tracker (MTIT): This metric considers various time frames, from immediate travel plans to those planned over a year in advance, to capture the dynamic and evolving preferences of the Muslim traveller market.

Muslim Traveler Responsible Tourism Framework: Offers a holistic approach to help Muslim travellers make mindful choices that promote sociocultural, socio-economic, and environmental sustainability while upholding the values of the faith.

GMTI Performance Matrix (GPM): By incorporating the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) scores and the percentage of Muslim visitors to overall visitors, the GPM provides a comprehensive overview of destinations’ ability to cater to Muslim travellers and their success in attracting this growing market segment.

Muslim Women Friendly Destinations: Features destinations worldwide that provide a welcoming and comfortable experience for Muslim women travellers, considering factors such as safety, faith restrictions and sustainability within the Environment criteria of the ACES model.

About CrescentRating

CrescentRating is the leading authority on Halal travel and tourism. The company uses insights, industry intelligence, lifestyle, behaviour and research on the needs of the Muslim traveller to deliver authoritative guidance on all aspects of Halal travel to organisations across the globe. Founded in 2008, CrescentRating services are used by every tier of the tourism industry, from government bodies and tourism agencies to hospitality service providers, to serve the needs of the Muslim traveller better.      

Website: https://www.crescentrating.com

Singapore ‘Wanderland’ on Roblox

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 2 June 2023: Singapore Tourism Board has launched Singapore ‘Wanderland’ on Roblox [1], marking its first foray into one of the world’s most popular online game platforms. The new game is a whimsical take on Singapore, drawing over two million visits since the beta version launched on 11 May.

Singapore ‘Wanderland’ is part of STB’s efforts to reach new audiences and allows users to experience Singapore as they accomplish various tasks in a virtual world. To reimagine Singapore in the metaverse, STB worked with gaming specialist Publicis Play and Roblox developer Wonder Works Studio to create the immersive experience over five months. Singapore ‘Wanderland’ puts a playful spin on real-life attractions in three mini-games, where players earn magic orchids to transform a garden with STB’s destination mascot Merli. 

Gardens by the Bay, Mandai Wildlife Group and Marina Bay Sands are featured in the mini-games alongside iconic attractions such as the Merlion Park, Singapore Flyer, Adventure Cove Waterpark and The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. The experience is based on popular entertainment formats on Roblox and aims to drive affinity for Singapore by featuring elements inspired by destination icons. For example, users can express themselves through fun personalisation options. They can amass virtual collectables to customise their avatars, such as a Supertree hat, a Singapore Flyer Backpack and a Lotus race car.

Players embark on a scavenger hunt on Finders’ Isle to find items unique to Singapore amidst a town square inspired by Clarke Quay, a shophouse in cultural neighbourhoods and retail icons like Tangs Orchard.

Roblox has over 60 million daily active users worldwide, allowing STB to reach key markets such as India, the US, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

It also offers a new way to reach the family segment, as over half of the users on Roblox are under 18 years old. The aim is to grow Singapore ‘Wanderland’ into a platform where local tourism businesses can experiment and find new audiences in virtual environments.

“STB is constantly exploring creative ways and fresh channels to engage new audiences and connect with potential travellers. Singapore ‘Wanderland’ demonstrates how we push the boundaries of innovation while inspiring travel to Singapore. We welcome visitors to explore Singapore virtually and for tourism partners to collaborate with us in the virtual world to create impact in the real world,” said Singapore Tourism Board assistant chief executive marketing group Kenneth Lim.

[1] Home – Roblox

Visit Singapore Wanderland in Roblox here: http://www.roblox.com/singaporewanderland/

(Source: STB)

New flight links three Mekong Region towns

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TTR WEEKLY
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HANOI, 2 June 2023: Vietnam Airlines will resume a three-country route that links Vietnam’s capital Hanoi with two UNESCO World Heritage towns Luang Prabang in Laos, and Siem Reap in Cambodia, starting 1 July, the Vietnam Government Portal confirmed last week.

It’s an unusual route for a single aircraft to fly between three Mekong Region countries as most airlines fly city pairs linking major cities. However, it will be welcomed by tour operators in Hanoi who can create tour packages featuring the two World Heritage destinations in the two neighbouring countries using the three weekly flights on Vietnam Airlines. It also eases booking logistics for tour operators who sell multiple Mekong Region country tours to international travellers from Europe.

The airline has not posted service details on its Facebook page or website. Still, the VGP report identified a three-weekly frequency on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, possibly increasing to five weekly flights from 30 October, when the peak season starts for European travellers visiting Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The so-called trans-Indochina route was suspended in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. A second trans-Mekong Region route was resumed earlier this year. With a daily flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane, Laos, with a stop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Vietnam Airlines began flights to Siem Reap in 2000 and Luang Prabang in 2006. In 2019 the carrier transported nearly 400,000 passengers on the two trans-Mekong Region routes before Covid-19 locked down air travel for over two years.

Airlines based in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam benefit from an aviation cooperation pact that allows them to establish unlimited multiple-city routes in addition to city pairs covering the four-country grouping.

(Source: VGP)

HAL: Three ships sailing the South Pacific

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 June 2023: Three Holland America Line ships are set to explore Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in the cruise season 2024-2025.

The cruise ship Westerdam will spend the season sailing around Australia, while Koningsdam and Zaandam each offer longer cruises to the South Pacific and Hawaii. 

Photo credit: Holland America Line. Westerdam in Sydney.

Itineraries up to 58 days include explorations of South Pacific islands and a circumnavigation of Australia.

In October 2024, Westerdam sails a westwardly South Pacific crossing, followed by the iconic Australia Circumnavigation. From December 2024 through March 2025, the ship will offer 14-day departures roundtrip from Sydney, Australia, or between Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney.

Zaandam’s “Tales of the South Pacific” in September 2024 is from Vancouver, Canada, to San Diego, California, or roundtrip to San Diego, while Koningsdam’s “Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas” in February 2025 is roundtrip from San Diego.

Beginning fares for 2025 Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific cruises range from USD2,449 to USD10,999 per person, double occupancy, depending on the length of the trips. Taxes, fees and port expenses are additional.

Langkawi showcases scuba diving trips

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TTR WEEKLY
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LANGKAWI, 1 June 2023: Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) led a team of specialist water sports providers to present the island’s marine attractions and leisure activities at the Malaysia International Dive Expo held in Kuala Lumpur last week.

The show, hosted at the city’s premier venue, the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, attracted more than 70 specialised dive companies and government agencies representing state tourism activities. Over the three days, 26 to 28 May, more than 15,000 travel consumers visited the event.  

Langkawi’s dive tour team welcome visitors to the LADA pavilion.

LADA recruited a team of representatives from the island dive community and providers of other sea-based tourism products. At the close of the event, the government agency reported companies participating at the Langkawi pavilion generated an estimated MYR74,847.00 in sales over the three days. LADA said it was the first time the island had fielded a team and presented its dive packages at the annual show.

During the expo, His Majesty the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin and his son visited the LADA booth at MIDE 2023.

Langkawi joins Tioman, Perhentian, and Sabah as a top dive destination making an impact with both dive tour operators in the domestic market and dive enthusiasts who book scuba diving activities directly through online channels and social media.

For more information: Langkawi

(Source: LADA)

Emirates embraces AI technology

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI UAE, 31 May 2023: The Emirates Group is embarking on a futuristic, immersive digital journey to transform its employee experiences – a first for the industry – by collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Both organisations have agreed to develop an immersive Extended Reality (iXR) platform and capability for the Emirates Group’s cabin crew, new joiners, and the wider industry partner community. 3D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulated experiences – all this and infinitely more are in the offing as the Group adds ground-breaking features and technology to the platform.

iXR, powered by AWS spatial computing and artificial intelligence, will deliver technical capabilities with photorealistic experiences. iXR experiences will be available across next-gen wearables and hand-held devices, including tablets and mobiles, with a consistent, high-fidelity experience streamed from the cloud.

In the first phase, iXR will have three distinct capabilities – a collaborative hub and social space, cabin crew training, and employee onboarding. An Emirates Virtual Hub will welcome employees to engaging and interactive brand experiences. iXR will introduce an unparalleled 3D interactive experience to the airline’s award-winning cabin crew by leveraging advanced technology to create a truly immersive environment. Here, the crew will be transported into a meticulously constructed digital universe with virtual classrooms, engage with and learn from seasoned facilitators and peers, and navigate the intricate interiors of the airline’s flagship A380s and Boeing 777s. The environment will feature cabin service trainers, photorealistic avatars, and spatial audio for an authentic sensory experience that enhances Emirates’ hospitality ethos.

The hyperreal virtual world will enable the Emirates Group’s recruits to quickly and visually learn more about the organisation and its extensive business, people and culture, roles, and living in Dubai. Embedded support services will create a seamless onboarding experience for successful candidates.

Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said: “The Emirates Group is synonymous with innovation and for always setting the bar high in the aviation industry. We aim to build a meaningful, practical, rewarding XR capability that utilises AI’s evolution.

“We are using scalable XR capability that spans the breadth of our Group’s brands and businesses. In the first phase, iXR will help cabin crew interact and familiarise themselves with the platform in an interactive, high-fidelity 3D environment which they can explore at their convenience, leading to greater knowledge transfer and employee satisfaction. During this phase, we will develop our employee experience using iXR to seamlessly assimilate our people within the Group’s business, community and culture.

“iXR, which is on track for launch later in the year, will establish us as the first and only airline with an embedded extended reality platform connecting its operations. It reflects our commitment to spearhead and entrench innovation and cutting-edge technologies in aviation to benefit our customers, communities and the industry.”

AWS vice president of professional services Al Opher said: “Extended Reality (XR) is a rapidly emerging technology that will propel the aviation industry into the future. It will profoundly impact training, design, and innovative service propositions in safe environments that are immersive, performance-oriented, and efficient. This collaboration will further equip Emirates employees to deliver unique, consistent end-customer experiences.”

iXR will feature advanced technologies, including Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, the world’s most open and advanced 3D tool, offering developers flexible, scalable, secure, and reliable real-time capabilities on AWS’ cloud.

 Dubai and the UAE are blazing the way in the digital economy with a clear vision supported by practical policies and regulatory frameworks across virtual assets, AI, and data protection.

The Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 is being repurposed as a hub to develop cutting-edge future experiences aligned with the UAE’s vision for the digital economy. The Emirates Group continues to engage with industry partners on its Web3 strategy and recruit talent for projects in its pipeline.

Emirates pioneered web virtual reality (VR) technology on emirates.com and its app more than six years ago, offering an immersive 3D, 360-degree view of its aircraft cabin interiors. Emirates also has its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users accurate, life-size and interactive cabin interior experiences onboard Emirates’ flagship A380s and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.

For more information on the airline and bookings, visit www.emirates.com.

Vietjet expands flights to Indonesia

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TTR WEEKLY
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HO CHI MINH CITY, 1 June 2023: Vietjet Air will open a new route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta (Indonesia) with daily flights starting 5 August.

Flight VT855 will depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 0935 am and land at 1230 at Jakarta’sSoekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK).

Photo credit: Vietjet

The return flight VT854 will depart Jakarta at 1330 and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 1640. The flight time using an A320 is around three hours.

The airline already flies daily direct services to Bali, Indonesia, from both Hanoi (daily) and Ho Chi Minh City (three daily).

On the Ho Chi Minh City – Jakarta route Viejet quoting a low fare of USD150 will compete head-on with AirAsia Indonesia (return fare around USD292) and Vietnam Airlines (USD422).

Checking Vietjet’s booking website during August, there are very few days when a customer can grab the lowest fare. They will probably have to settle for USD252 to get a seat.

Tourism Malaysia adopts strong role at PATA summit

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TTR WEEKLY
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PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia 1 June 2023: Tourism Malaysia is heading Malaysia’s participation at the Asia Pacific’s premier thought leadership event, which for the first time, combines a travel mart component under the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit and Adventure Mart 2023 hosted in Pokhara, Nepal this week.

Chairman of the PATA Malaysia Chapter since 2019, Datuk Musa Hj Yusof, who is also deputy director-general (promotion) of Tourism Malaysia and a PATA board member, is representing Malaysia at PATA Board Meeting and Government Meeting and joining 32 other country members in PATA Chapter Congress today.

Datuk Musa is one of the panellists to address the topic of “Managing Crises and Challenges in the Post-Pandemic World” by sharing the best practices for tourism businesses and destinations in responding to the effective crisis management and communication for a safe reopening and the recovery of tourism.

Held alongside the summit’s conference themed “Sustainability through Tourism”, PATA Youth Symposium, on the other hand, provides opportunities for young people to engage with current industry leaders under the Mentorship Session, and Tourism Malaysia is represented by Mr Zaidi Kassim, Senior Assistant Director from Corporate Communications Division.

PATA has been actively promoting travel and tourism in the Asia and Pacific region by supporting the growth of its members’ businesses in both the public and private sectors to expand their networks regionally and globally. Besides being the targeted channel for brand exposure, PATA also helps to strengthen the tourism industry through trade events, industry research and professional development programmes.

Datuk Musa said: “Tourism Malaysia’s active participation in PATA augurs well to strengthening its primary role as the leading agency for promoting national tourism at both international and domestic levels. Meanwhile, the added value from

strategic collaborations and the sharing of the latest trends by experts in the tourism industry is also driving preparations towards the success of Visit Malaysia Year 2025.”

Tourism Malaysia has been a PATA Government Member for 64 years since 1959 and hosted the PATA Adventure Travel Conference and Mart (ATCM) in 2020 at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

The upcoming PATA Destination Experience Forum and Mart (PDFM) 2023 will be held in Kuching, Sarawak, from 21 to 23 June and hosted by Sarawak Tourism Board.

PATA: Hurdles remain on path to recovery

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 1 June 2023: Updated forecasts for 39 Asia Pacific destinations, released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Wednesday, show a robust increase in aggregate international visitor arrivals (IVAs) under each of three scenarios in 2023, with strong annual growth continuing to the end of 2025.

Sponsored by Visa and with data and insights from Euromonitor International, this suite of reports builds on the current forecasts by delving deeper into the changing dynamics of travel and tourism into and across the Asia Pacific region at the single destination level facilitating the development of appropriate strategies over the next three years.

Predicted international arrivals in 2023 range from 705 million under the mild scenario to 516 million under the medium scenario, and almost 390 million under the severe scenario, equating to visitor numbers in 2023 that exceed that of pre-pandemic 2019 by 3.3% under the mild scenario, but still nearly 25% short of it under the medium scenario, and some 43% behind it under the severe scenario.

By the end of 2024, the 2019 benchmark level of international visitor arrivals (IVAs) will be exceeded even further under the mild scenario and by 6.7% under the medium scenario, with both positions increasing in strength to 2025. Under the severe scenario, however, IVAs in 2025 is still predicted to fall short of the 2019 level by some 10%.

In this just-released series of the ‘Asia Pacific Destination Forecasts 2023-2025’, PATA covers each of 39 destinations in much greater detail, focusing on source markets and air capacity changes in each case. One source market of particular interest, of course, is mainland China. These most recent forecasts indicate strong annual growth rates are expected in 2023 under each of the three scenarios but not passing the 2019 volumes until 2024 under the mild and medium scenarios.

Despite strong annual increases in arrivals from mainland China to Asia Pacific destinations, under the severe scenario, that number is still expected to lag the 2019 peak by around 6% by the end of 2025.

Pacific Asia Travel Association chair Peter Semone points out: “While these forecasts are extremely encouraging, hurdles remain, and the travel and tourism sector will require ongoing vigilance and operational flexibility as these issues present themselves over the coming years. Even though Covid-19 outbreaks are no longer at the global pandemic stage, for example, it has not disappeared entirely, and we must come to grips with living with it for some time.”

He adds: “In addition, the conflict in Ukraine, a softening global economic outlook with rising inflation and the increased costs of international travel will all have to be dealt with in ways that satisfy the increasingly diverse demands of the traveller of both today and tomorrow.”

Visa head of cross-border & sales excellence, Asia Pacific David Fowler said: “Many headwinds lie ahead as traveller habits and preferences have changed substantially in a post-pandemic and hyper-digitalised world. Building data capabilities will continue to be a key investment area for the travel ecosystem as it navigates the shifts in travel patterns through data insights and, in turn, respond with data-backed customer engagement strategies.”

The PATA Asia Pacific Destination Forecasts 2023-2025 are now available on the PATA website at www.PATA.org/catalog.

How to choose a booking system

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 1 June 2023: Arival, a global leader in the tour and activities industry, launched a new guide this week aimed at helping tour operators choose a booking system.

This new report comes ahead of the Arival Activate event in Bangkok from 12 to 14 June. The report will be presented to delegates with educational sessions about the importance of tech and connectivity to grow their business.

The report follows a recent study by Arival, which found that nearly half of the surveyed tour operators were not using a booking system to secure customers. And 57% of these operators were small companies versus large companies (7%). However, 71% of small agencies wanted to grow their online bookings.

Arival CEO Douglas Quinby said: “Every tour, activity and attraction operator, no matter how small or large, should use an online booking system. The right technology saves companies time and money by helping them automate the routine tasks of running a tour or experiences business, so they can focus on what makes their operation special. Small agencies and tour operators are disadvantaged by not using booking systems because they can’t capture reservations online or manage their capacity in real-time as effectively as larger players. Our research shows that many smaller companies want to grow their online bookings but don’t know where to start when choosing a booking system. This guide provides an actionable roadmap and advice on making informed decisions about which system is right for them.”

The ‘How To Choose A Booking System’ report includes why every operator needs a booking system and what factors should be considered when evaluating different systems. It also details how to start the evaluation process and outlines key questions businesses should ask themselves before selecting a solution.

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