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Grab tips for a business trip

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 May 2023: Business travel is back, which means packing a suitcase, 0500 rides to the airport, back-to-back meetings and jet lag.

Global Business Travel Association (GNTA) predicts that global business travel spending will be just under USD1.2 trillion in 2023, a 24.2% increase year-on-year for 2023. That suggests business travel recovery is well underway. And while this is exciting for business travellers, it can be stressful.

Some things haven’t changed. For example, planning the trip carefully helps. Travel restrictions, vaccine requirements, and arrival and exit forms requirements might differ from the last time you travelled, and they still get updated all the time. And investing in refundable and flexible flight and hotel bookings is always a good idea.

If your work brings you to Southeast Asia soon, here’s how to make the travel experience more seamless and hassle-free. Grab identifies some tips and tricks to look out for when travelling for work.

1. Keep track of your expenses seamlessly: A major pain point while travelling on business is often keeping track of and then filing reimbursement claims for the expenses you undertake during your business trip. Don’t forget to download apps that can help you. Particularly, if your work brings you to Southeast Asia, you can use the super app Grab to keep track of your car/taxi rides by switching your ‘personal’ profile to a ‘business’ profile. Moreover, all your business travel invoices are consolidated and sent to your work email, so you no longer have to hold on to those tedious receipts. You can also check your business profile with expense systems like Concur, Expensify, and Chrome River for an even more seamless experience. And if you are curious, yes, this feature also works even if your company is not a Grab business client.

2. Enjoy food like a local, even if you are travelling on business: Yes, the work will probably keep you mostly occupied. Don’t forget to try the local cuisine and dishes, even if it means ordering them to your hotel room. By the second half of this year, Grab will also provide translated merchant menus into English in key cities across Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

3. Navigate the airports like a pro. If you travel on business, you probably need to find the quickest way to the taxi stand. Book your car through Grab; the app will also give you turn-by-turn directions to help you find your way through the busy, unfamiliar airport to get to the right pick-up point for your ride. And don’t forget to try the GrabUnlimited subscription that gives subscribers access to discounted airport rides at more than 90 airports across Southeast Asia.

WYSE boosts hosted buyers programme

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TTR WEEKLY
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AMSTERDAM, 16 May 2023: WYSE Travel Confederation, the global not-for-profit membership organisation promoting opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry, has announced that the budget allocated to the hosted buyer programme of its flagship event, WYSTC, has been doubled.

The World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 12 to 15 September 2023, marking 32 years of bringing together over 600 international sellers, buyers and service providers operating within the youth and student travel industry.

Following a challenging two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the global travel and tourism industry face ever-changing travel restrictions, border closures and visa backlogs, WYSE Travel Confederation is redoubling its efforts to support the attendance of new buyers looking to build new connections and establish themselves within the industry.

The expanded budget allocated to the hosted buyer programme will also allow suppliers to create business partnerships with new buyers.

“The hosted buyer programme is an integral part of WYSTC,” said WYSE Travel Confederation director general David Chapman. “Although we are seeing clear signs of recovery in the travel and tourism industry, the hangover of the pandemic still lingers. By doubling the budget of the 2023 hosted buyer programme, we can offer opportunities to new buyers entering the market, startups or underrepresented small businesses that need a global platform to establish and nurture partnerships.”

Over three days, WYSTC delegates can schedule up to 48 one-to-one business appointments with C-suite executives, engage in an educational programme of keynotes, seminars and workshops led by more than 30 top speakers, and attend multiple networking and social events.

To apply to be a buyer at WYSTC, complete the form here.

For all other enquiries regarding WYSTC, contact [email protected].

About WYSTC

The World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) is the leading trade event for the global youth, student and educational travel industry. Since its inception in 1992 as the annual event of WYSE Travel Confederation, youth and student travel professionals have been gathering annually to trade, network and participate in seminars and workshops. The 2023 edition will be held in Lisbon on 12 to 15 September. For more information, click here.

About WYSE Travel Confederation

The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is a global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry. WYSTC is an annual event of WYSE Travel Confederation.

China powers hotel recovery in APAC

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 May 2023: Travel across the Asia Pacific region is well on its way to recovery, with growing travel demand across all markets as the industry approaches the year’s second half.

Data from Amadeus’ Demand360® shows that in the first quarter of 2023 (January-March), the region saw a hotel occupancy growth trajectory of 61.7%, surpassing 2019 levels by 3%, thanks to the recent reopening of Greater China’s border.

Greater China is leading APAC’s recovery growth, with Q1 2023 hotel occupancy in APAC outpacing pre-pandemic levels by 5% compared to Q1 2019. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) have the highest hotel occupancy level in APAC for Q1, trending from 64.5% in January 2023 to 76.5% in March 2023.

Hotel occupancy levels in major APAC markets improved throughout Q1 2023. Tokyo is one of several markets with a strong performance as hotel occupancy rates reached more than 80% and exceeded records from mid-March to April 2023 during the cherry blossom season. Additionally, Sydney hotels averaged 85% occupancy from February to March 2023. Singapore hotels outperformed prior record highs in 2019 by 2-3% in February and March 2023. Seoul hotel occupancy from January to March 2023 was 7% higher than the 2019 performance for the same period.

Notably, the major markets experiencing the highest regional hotel occupancies in Q1 are Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, and Beijing, with rates higher than 70% during the Easter week from 7 to 10 April 2023.

Amadeus head of commercial Asia Pacific hospitality, Maria Taylor, concludes, “We are beyond thrilled by the hospitality resurgence currently taking place across Asia Pacific compared to pre-pandemic levels. This is a hopeful sign that APAC-based hoteliers may expect a substantial rebound in the long run as travel has picked up domestically and internationally.”

AirAsia ramps up China flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 16 May 2023: AirAsia announces the addition of three new routes from Kuala Lumpur to the southern regions of China due to start in June and July.

New services to Quanzhou and Guilin, operated by AirAsia Malaysia (AK) and to Chengdu (Tianfu), operated by AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) are now part of a network of 15 routes with over 129 flights weekly between China and Malaysia.

Flights to Quanzhou will recommence twice weekly and start operating on 18 June. Flights to/from Guilin will restart on 18 July, offering three weekly services and flights to Chengdu (Tianfu) will start twice weekly on 1 July and increase to three weekly from 4 July 2023.

Recently, AirAsia Malaysia (AK) also resumed daily services from Kota Kinabalu to Wuhan, further strengthening its position as the Malaysian carrier with the most connections and capacity in China.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “Following the recent opening of China to the world and strong pent-up demand, our rapid expansion into China continues, and we are proud to connect millions of guests not only to major destinations but also to underserved second-tier cities and launch unique routes such as Quanzhou and Guilin. China remains a key market for our future growth, and we will continue to review several other potential Chinese routes that we hope to be in a position to announce soon.”

AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail added: “China has historically been one of our core destinations for medium-haul air travel, and our newest route to Chengdu (Tianfu) is the foundation for more AirAsia X flights to China shortly, which will significantly boost our North Asia network. As China is rapidly bouncing back, we expect to launch even more flights to/from the country and increase frequency on our network’s most popular and profitable routes in the short to medium term.”

To support the new routes, AirAsia is offering fares 20% off on all flights* across its 130 destinations, including all flights to and from China. Deals are available for flights to and from Malaysia, China, Australia, Indochina, India, South Korea, Japan and more. The promotion is available for booking until 21 May 2023 for travel between 1 June and 14 December 2023.

AirAsia Malaysia (AK) will fly 11 routes to and from China with over 118 flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Guilin, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Nanning, and Shantou; Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan; and Johor Bahru to Guangzhou.

AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) will fly four routes to and from China with over 11 flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu (Tianfu), Beijing (Daxing), Shanghai, and Hangzhou.

Flight schedule between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Quanzhou (JJN):

Flight schedule between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Guilin (KWL):

Flight schedule between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Chengdu (Tianfu)(CTU):

(Source: AirAsia)

Jakarta hotel rates rise

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 May 2023: Jakarta’s hotel industry posted its highest monthly average daily rate (ADR) since August 2018, according to preliminary April 2023 data from STR.

April 2023 (year-over-year % change)

  • Occupancy: 45.0% (-1.7%)
  • Average daily rate (ADR): IDR1,015,991.89 (+32.9%)
  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR): IDR456,808.80 (+30.6%)

When looking at daily data, Jakarta hotels reported their highest occupancy level on Wednesday, 12 April (at 59.4%). Overall, the market’s daily occupancy levels fluctuated between 30-60% throughout the month, with only one day falling below the 30% mark – Wednesday, 19 April (at 29.7%).

More of STR’s industry analysis can be found here

(Source: STR)

Seabourn starts second Arctic season

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 15 May 2023: Seabourn Venture, the cruise line’s first purpose-built expedition ship, set sail and embarks on its second expedition season in the Arctic this week, later this month.

Following cruises around the British Isles starting from Greenwich, London, the ship embarks on its second season in the Arctic with 14 and 15-day voyages to Greenland and Iceland. Between June and August 2023, the ship will visit remote destinations such as Scoresby Sound, Greenland, home to the world’s largest and longest fjord system; Pond Inlet Nunavut, an Inuit community near the eastern entry to the Northwest Passage.

On 27 August 2023, Seabourn Venture will embark on the line’s first-ever voyage through the Northwest Passage with a 23-day adventure from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, to Nome, Alaska, that includes a pre- and post-cruise hotel stays in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Anchorage, Alaska.

Following the Northwest Passage voyage, the ship will head down the West Coast of the Americas before reaching Antarctica, where it will explore the “White Continent” between November 2023 and February 2024. In late February 2024, Seabourn Venture will make a once-in-a-lifetime crossing of the Atlantic, encompassing the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension Island. In March and April, the ship will take two sailings up the West Coast of Africa and Europe to be in position for the 2024 Arctic season.

Launched in July 2022, Seabourn Venture was purpose-built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and adopts a brand-new innovative design created specifically for the luxury expedition traveller.

The ship is equipped with eight double kayaks and enough Zodiacs to transport every guest on expeditions at once, as well as two custom-built submarines, each with a capacity for six and the capability of exploring the natural wonders under the sea in comfort.

(Source: Seabourn, Carnival)

Dusit footprint expands to Nairobi

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 15 May 2023: Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has continued its global expansion with the opening of Dusit Princess Hotel Residences Nairobi, a unique hybrid property featuring 100 spacious deluxe hotel rooms and apartments in the Kenyan capital’s cosmopolitan Westlands neighbourhood.

The new upper-midscale property is designed to meet the needs of business and leisure travellers and deliver high levels of comfort and convenience for short or extended stays in a prime location only 5km from the central business district.

Having soft opened in March 2023, the property will introduce its full inventory in the year’s second half. Alongside 14 deluxe hotel rooms, 30 studio apartments, and 56 one-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes, the deluxe property features a convenient grab-and-go shop, a modern Italian-inspired all-day dining outlet called The Olive Restaurant, and a stylish rooftop bar named The Aviary Lounge. Guests can enjoy cocktails and creative bar snacks while soaking up stunning city views.

The property also boasts an ultra-modern rooftop gym, a heated swimming pool, well-equipped meeting rooms, and easy access to the numerous shopping centres and restaurants for which the Westlands neighbourhood is renowned.

The Nairobi National Park – the only national park in the world within a capital city – is just a 45-minute drive from the property, and the hotel’s team is on hand to help guests arrange day trips for the chance to spot lions, buffaloes, leopards, rhinos, and other big game.

“We are delighted to officially open the doors of Dusit Princess Hotel Residences Nairobi and welcome guests and residents to experience our distinctive brand of Thai-inspired gracious hospitality,” said the property’s general manager, Daniel Chao. “From our prime location to our spacious rooms and apartments to our vibrant restaurant and chic rooftop bar, our unique hybrid property has all the elements in place to deliver high levels of convenience, experience, and value for business and leisure travellers alike. Fully embracing the four pillars of Dusit Graciousness – Personalised Service, Locality, Well-being, and Sustainability – we look forward to bringing long-term, sustainable value to our broader community too.”

Dusit’s property portfolio spans 17 countries and comprises 49 hotels operating under Dusit Hotels and Resorts and more than 300 luxury villas under Elite Havens. More than 60 Dusit Hotels and Resorts are in the pipeline worldwide.

To celebrate its grand opening, Dusit Princess Hotel Residences Nairobi offers a special room package starting at only USD3,500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment and USD120 per night for a deluxe room with breakfast. The offer is inclusive of all taxes and valid now through 31 May 2023.

For more information, please visit www.dusit.com/dusitprincess-hotelresidencesnairobi

(Source: Dusit International)

About Dusit International

Dusit International, or Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT), is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations comprise five distinct yet complementary business units: hotels and resorts, hospitality education, food, property development, and hospitality-related services.

The group’s portfolio of hotels, resorts and luxury villas includes more than 300 properties operating under seven brands (Dusit Thani, Dusit Devarana, dusitD2, Dusit Princess, Dusit Suites, ASAI Hotels, and Elite Havens) across 17 countries worldwide. The group also operates culinary schools and hospitality colleges in Thailand, plus catering companies for the education sector in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

For more information, please visit dusit-international.com.

Emirates Group announces 2022-23 results

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 15 May 2023: The Emirates Group released its 2022-23 Annual Report last week, reporting its most profitable year ever on the back of strong demand across its businesses.

For the financial year ended 31 March 2023, the Emirates Group posted a record profit of AED10.9 billion (USD3.0 billion) compared with an AED 3.8 billion (USD1 billion) loss last year.

The group’s revenue was AED119.8 billion (USD32.6 billion), an increase of 81% over last year’s results. The group’s cash balance was AED42.5 billion (USD11.6 billion), the highest ever reported, up 65% from last year, mainly due to strong demand across its core business divisions and markets. 

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, of Emirates airline and Group, said: “I’m proud of the Emirates Group’s performance for 2022-23 and our contribution to the restoration of air transport and tourism across the markets we serve, including Dubai’s astounding 97% year-on-year growth in international visitors for 2022.”

Sheikh Ahmed commented on the group’s 2022-23 turnaround performance: “We had anticipated the strong return of travel, and as the last travel restrictions lifted and triggered a tide of demand, we were ready to expand our operations quickly and safely to serve our customers. Our ongoing investments in our brand and in our products and services helped drive customer preference and position us favourably in the market. As a result, we have delivered a record financial performance and cash balance for our financial year 2022-23.”

Sheikh Ahmed added: “We go into 2023-24 with a strong positive outlook and expect the group to remain profitable. We will work hard to hit our targets while closely monitoring inflation, high fuel prices, and political and economic uncertainty.”

Emirates performance

Emirates’ total passenger and cargo capacity increased by 32% to 48.2 billion ATKMs in 2022-23 as the airline continued to reinstate passenger services across its network in line with the lifting of pandemic-related flight and travel restrictions.

In addition to launching services to Tel Aviv, Emirates relaunched flights to six destinations and increased operations to 62 cities across its network throughout the year to serve strong customer demand. By 31 March 2023, the Emirates network comprised 150 destinations across six continents, including nine cities served by its freighter fleet only.

Emirates also deployed its flagship A380 aircraft to more cities during the year, bringing its A380 network to 43 destinations as of 31 March 2023.

Emirates’ order book stands at 200 aircraft, including five additional Boeing 777-300ER freighter orders announced during 2022-23. 

With significantly enhanced capacity deployment across most markets, Emirates’ total revenue for the financial year increased 81% to AED107.4 billion (USD29.3 billion). 

Total operating costs increased by 57% from the last financial year. Cost of ownership (depreciation and amortisation) and fuel cost were the two biggest cost components for the airline in 2022-23, followed by employee cost. Fuel accounted for 36% of operating costs compared to 23% in 2021-22. The airline’s fuel bill increased by 143% to AED 33.7 billion (USD9.2 billion) compared to the previous year due to a higher uplift of 49% in line with capacity expansion and a higher average fuel price by 48%.

With the removal of pandemic-related travel restrictions globally, the airline substantially improved its financial results and reported a record profit of AED10.6 billion (USD2.9 billion) after last year’s AED 3.9 billion (USD1.1 billion) loss, and an exceptional profit margin of 9.9%, reflecting the best performance in the airline’s history.

Emirates carried 43.6 million passengers (up 123%) in 2022-23, with seat capacity up by 78%. The airline reports a Passenger Seat Factor of 79.5%, compared with last year’s passenger seat factor of 58.6%. 

Emirates continued to invest in delivering ever-better customer experiences. During the year, it launched its full Premium Economy experience to hugely positive customer feedback, brought into service the first six of its newly retrofitted A380s with completely refreshed cabin interiors, and opened ‘Emirates World’ – a modern concept retail store which will gradually be introduced to other key markets. It also announced a US$ 350 million investment in new-generation inflight entertainment systems for its A350 fleet.

The full 2022-23 Annual Report of the Emirates Group – comprising Emirates, dnata and their subsidiaries – is available at: www.theemiratesgroup.com/annualreport

www.emirates.com

 (Source: Emirates)

Air Arabia adds Bangkok to its network

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 15 May 2023: Low-cost airline Air Arabia announced at the weekend the launch of direct flights to Bangkok from Sharjah, the third largest city in UAE after Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The new flights between Sharjah International Airport and Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok will operate daily starting 30 June using an Airbus A321.

Schedule to Bangkok, effective 30 June 2023 (all times local):

FlightDepartureTimeArrivalTimeAircraftFrequency
G9 901Sharjah22:25Bangkok07:50Airbus 321Daily
G9 902Bangkok09:00Sharjah12:25Airbus 321Daily

Air Arabia group chief executive officer Adel Al Ali said: “We are confident that this new route will further contribute to the trade and tourism ties between both countries while providing our customer base with the opportunity to travel direct between both cities.”

Air Arabia Group operates a fleet of 68 Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft.

Customers can now book direct flights from Sharjah to Bangkok by visiting Air Arabia’s website, calling the call centre, or through travel agencies.

(Source: Air Arabia)

THAI reports revenue boost in Q1

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 15 May 2023: Thai Airways International and its subsidiaries reported a strong upswing in revenue during the first quarter of 2023 due to rising airfares and a surge in leisure travel.  

The airline reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand total Q1 revenue stood at THB41,507 million baht, higher than last year, which closed at THB11,181 million. It represented a 271.2% improvement in revenue due to a robust increase in passenger demand following the resumption of international flights.

The airline identified substantial increases in flights to destinations such as Japan and Korea and the restart of flights serving some key destinations in China effective 1 March 2023. 

THAI subsidiaries reported Q1 expenses stood at THB28,473 million, higher than Q1 2022, which recorded  THB14,348 million, partly caused by a higher fuel bill up 9.7% compared to Q1 2022. 

THAI reported an operating profit, before financial costs and excluding one-time transactions, at THB13,034 million, significantly improved from that in Q1/2022, which recorded an operating loss of THB3,167 million. 

THAI’s financial costs stood at THB3,549 million, which included one-time items mainly due to gain on debt restructuring and foreign exchange rates with a profit of sale on assets resulting in total revenue of THB2,987 million. 

Consequently, THAI reported a net profit of THB12,523 million, while in the same period last year, it reported a net loss of THB3,243 million. Profit attributable to the parent company was THB12,514 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) after cash paid for aircraft lease payment, including Power by the Hour, amounted to THB14,054 million. 

THAI Smile Airways’ operating loss, excluding one-time transactions, was THB172 million. However, it had a net profit of THB82 million due to one-time items of THB517 million resulting from the reversal of expenses.

As of 31 March 2023, THAI had 65 operational aircraft with average aircraft utilisation of 12.3 hours daily. Traffic production (ASK) increased by 121.4%, while passenger traffic (RPK) increased by 469.2%, affecting an average cabin factor of 83.5%, higher than the previous year’s 32.5%.

Passengers carried stood at 3.52 million, an increase of 245.1%. Total assets were THB208,445 million, an increase of THB10,267 million (5.2%) from 31 December 2022. Total liabilities were THB266,948 million, a decrease of THB2,254 million (0.8%) from 31 December 2022. The shareholders’ equity of THAI and its subsidiaries amounted to THB-58,503 million, a negative decrease from 31 December 2022 by THB12,521 million.

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