SINGAPORE, 30 November 2022: Oceania Cruises, a culinary and destination-focused cruise line, has a Black Friday online sale that offers voyages, including free Pre-Paid Gratuities valued at USD500.
The deals are valid on 64 itineraries in 2023 and 2024, and the sale remains open for bookings until 14 December 2022. Sailing locations include the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, with itineraries ranging from seven to 24 days.
In addition to the limited-time offer, guests will also receive the OLife Choice amenities offer. They can opt for free shore excursions, a free house beverage package or free shipboard credit on top of the free pre-paid gratuities.
“The Black Friday Sale, coupled with our flexible OLife Choice offer and Reduced 50% deposits, gives Asian travellers a chance to take advantage of even greater value when booking their next dream voyage,” said Oceania Cruises SVP & managing director Asia Pacific Steve Odell.
The cruise line’s reduced 50% deposit offer only applied for bookings made during the Black Friday Sale until today, 30 November 2022.
MUMBAI, 30 November 2022: Indian travellers identify the heightened importance of travel insurance post-pandemic, according to a recent survey by leading tour operator Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its group company, SOTC Travel.
The survey covered over 1000 consumers spread across India’s top metros. Travel consumers surveyed were residents in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Patna, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam and Guwahati.
The critical finding suggested that while the pandemic increased the need for travel insurance, the continued demand to include insurance reflects the growing maturity of the Indian market.
Data analysis revealed valuable insights on customer requirements linked to travel insurance:
Strong requirement
86% of respondents identified travel insurance as necessary in the post-pandemic era, compared with 75% highlighting health and safety as the primary concern in the 2020 First Holiday Readiness Travel Report.
80% of Indian travellers are keen to obtain travel insurance for themselves and their families, even if it is not mandatory during their travel or while obtaining visas.
Covid 19 coverage
Covid-19-related cover, including hospitalisation, treatment and quarantine, is essential for 69% of the respondents while planning their travel.
Insurance preference
A significant share of insurance preference is for international destinations (60%), while 38% of respondents are interested in taking out travel insurance for domestic and international destinations compared with less than 1% pre-pandemic to around 20% currently for domestic destinations.
Crucial factors when selecting your travel insurance
Insurance coverage should include cancellation, delay, pre-existing medical conditions, Covid-19 coverage, hotel quarantine, and emergency hotel extensions. They remain a top priority for over 50% of the respondents.
Coverage costs – expenses play a major role when considering travel insurance, as 20% indicated that the insurance pricing should be reasonable.
Insurance company – the name of the insurance company or reputation in the market is considered important by 18%
Additional factors – claim settlement percentage, cashless hospitalisation, flight/trip cancellation, hassle-free reimbursement, delay, lost luggage/theft, and reliability are also important.
Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel president & group head – marketing Abraham Alapatt said: “The pandemic changed several norms in the travel industry with health and protection gaining importance.
“The fact that customers continue to see value in comprehensive travel insurance is less an indicator of continuing concerns about the pandemic and more to do with a more mature customer mindset. This is more akin to customers in mature economies, where travel insurance is seen as a “must have” and not just good to have.”
BANGKOK 30 November 2022: Jono Hotels, a new player in the hotel industry dedicated to the young generation of digital nomads, is making its debut in Bangkok with the launch of Jono Bangkok Asok.
Located in the city’s golden mile tourism district, Jono Bangkok Asok is close to retail malls, such as Terminal 21, EmQuartier and Emporium and the recently reopened Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. Asok BTS Skytrain and Sukhumvit MRT subway stations put the entire city within easy reach.
“With its prime location in Sukhumvit, Jono Bangkok Asok is a great option for business and leisure visitors on short stays who want to feel the buzz of the Thai capital,” said Boutique Corporation PLC senior vice president of hospitality and property operations Björn Richardson.
The boutique hotel’s 65 rooms include 14-square metre Recharge Rooms, 17-square metre RechargeX Rooms and 16-square metre Snooze Blackout Rooms.
The launch of Jono Bangkok Asok follows the opening of the JonoX Phuket Karon last October, the first property in the Jono portfolio.
SAMUI ISLAND, 29 November 2022: Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort completed its opening by unveiling its final complement of 102 rooms last week.
The finishing phase comprised elegant colonial-style rooms with balconies, including 32 inter-connecting pairs of rooms designed for families and small groups of friends.
Following the full opening of the resort in Koh Samui, Outrigger Thailand now has three resorts operational in southern Thailand: Koh Samui, Khao Lak and Phuket.
Outrigger Koh Samui’s all-day dining restaurant, Mala Kitchen, and an additional courtyard swimming pool were also unveiled in the final phase. The 146-room and suite property now has two restaurants, a Coral Kids club, a games room, the Voyager 47 Club lounge, a fitness centre, three massage pavilions and four swimming pools, one with a children’s waterslide adjacent to the beach.
“We have created a superlative beach holiday setting for families and couples to experience,” said the resort’s general manager Leah Matters. “Our resort’s leisure facilities, extensive adult and children activities programmes and dining options are ideal for families with children of all ages. Our Edgewater beach club, already proving popular in the destination, will soon welcome an international DJ five nights a week along with Koh Samui’s famous beach fire show.”
Based on its first seven reviews on TripAdvisor, Outrigger Koh Samui already has a 5.0 “excellent” rating.
The 146-key property on Lamai beach in the southeast of the island is a 30-minute car transfer from Samui International Airport.
Like all Outrigger properties, live music – from either a DJ or a band – will be a crucial feature at the resort, as well as private romantic dining and vow renewal options for couples. Guests hail primarily from the UK, Germany, Australia and Israel.
Apart from day trips to the spectacular Angthong marine national park and assorted waterfalls around the island, visits to the Haven Elephant sanctuary for rescued elephants are also proving popular.
Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort is putting its new facilities to good use this Christmas and New Year. The resort has arranged festive dining, drinks, entertainment and fun for families and couples on 24, 25 and 31 December. The full festive programme details are here.
Outrigger has opened four properties in Asia in the last 11 months: the Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort, the Outrigger Khao Lak Beach Resort, the Outrigger Surin Beach Resort in Phuket and the Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort.
Further information and bookings, including special cyber sale offers, are available at outrigger.com.
ABOUT OUTRIGGER KOH SAMUI BEACH RESORT
The 146-key Outrigger Koh Samui is located on the quiet sands of Lamai Beach on the east coast of Thailand’s second-largest island, which is a 70-minute flight from Bangkok and 55 minutes from Phuket. Further information here
KUCHING, 29 November 2022: Last week Sarawak Tourism Board hosted the Sarawak Tourism Carnival to promote the state as a preferred destination for leisure, adventure, health and education tourism in Sarawak for the Indonesian market.
Visitors to the carnival, held from 25 to 27 November at Ayani Mall in Pontianak, could book exciting tour packages offered by participating travel agents and tour operators featuring Sarawak’s top destinations.
The Governor of West Kalimantan Sutarmidji (6th from right) at the Sarawak Tourism Carnival. Also present was the Malaysian Consul in Pontianak Azizul Zekri Abd Rahim (7th from right) and Barbara Benjamain Atan from STB (4th from left).
In her welcoming remarks read by STB Director of Marketing (ASEAN & Domestic) Barbara Benjamin Atan, STB CEO Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor said that being Sarawak’s closest neighbour, both Sarawak and Pontianak has enjoyed mutual benefits from border tourism.
“Through border tourism, both sectors in each nation have helped generate employment opportunities, enhance local economies, raise the standard of living of the local communities across borders and improve investment opportunities in new businesses in the region,” she added.
The Governor of West Kalimantan, H Sutarmidji SH M Hum, visited STB’s carnival and took part in the joint celebration of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia at Sarawak’s booth.
Sarawak’s participating tourism partners at the carnival included the Malaysian Health Travel Council (MHTC), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Borneo Medical Centre Kuching, Great Leap Tours Travel Sdn Bhd, Innosar Holiday Sdn Bhd, Khaimal Borneo Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, Al Fateh Worldwide Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, KPJ Kuching Specialist Hospital, Pullman Kuching & Pullman Miri Waterfront, Normah Medical Specialist Centre, Timberland Medical Centre, Penview Hotel Kuching and Damai Beach Resort.
Sarawak is a popular destination for health and wellness tourism supported by affordable and high-quality health services offered by 13 established private medical institutions and hospitals in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu. Over 53,000 people visited the state in 2019 before the pandemic caused lockdowns worldwide.
Among the activities held at the carnival were a poster design competition for primary and secondary school students; and a painting demonstration by UNIMAS lecturer Sylvester Wielding Jussem.
SINGAPORE, 29 November 2022 : Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced a new Premium Solution Partnership with Trava last week to help automate post-booking processes for travel sellers.
Trava is the latest company to partner with Sabre on the Premium Solution Partnership, joining its network and enabling Sabre-connected travel agencies to find and utilise partner solutions to support their specific business needs and requirements.
With this partnership, Trava will deliver its solutions and preferential commercial terms to Sabre customers in North America and EMEA. Trava provides travel companies with a GDS-agnostic ‘no-code’ process automation solution, allowing Sabre customers to create and manage sophisticated post-booking workflows seamlessly. Trava solutions deliver enhanced efficiency and scalability, typically reducing manual time by +70% while increasing profit by around USD5 per PNR.
Trava’s solution automates post-booking processes such as queue management, travel disruptions, refunds, exchanges, unused tickets and ticketing – all supported by powerful revenue-boosting and client communication tools and self-service features.
KOTA KINABALU, 29 November 2022: The World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2022, organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Sabah State Government opened in Sabah’s state capital on 28 November.
Hosted at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, the two-day event is in its 6th edition attracting around 1,000 delegates from more than 60 countries to reconnect and reassess tourism’s recovery in the aftermath of the worldwide pandemic.
Alongside UNWTO officials, the conference features some 30 expert speakers comprising government policymakers, industry leaders and leading academicians in championing thought leadership on tourism futures and strategies driving tourism’s recovery and resilience in a post-pandemic world.
They include the State Minister, Ministry of Tourism Maldives, Dr Ahmed Salih; Regional General Manager, Tourism Australia, Brent Anderson; Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA, Prof Jafar Jafari; Co-founder of Traveloka, Indonesia, and representatives from tourism-related companies such as Skift, Tripadvisor, TUI Group and Intrepid Travel.
Local Malaysian experts making an appearance on the exclusive WTC 2022 stage include Prof Dr Amran Hamzah of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; HC Chan, CEO of Sunway Malls & Theme Parks; Lau Yin May, Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Malaysia Airlines; Yusno Yunos, CEO of Evenesis and two local Sabahans from Kota Kinabalu – Dr Maklarin Lakim, Director of Sabah Parks; and Jessica Yew, Founder and Director of Sticky Rice Travel.
In her welcoming address, Datuk Hajah Saraya Arbi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, acknowledged the tremendous impact of the worldwide pandemic and multiple crises which continue to disrupt the tourism sector’s growth trajectory.
“However, there is also a great window of opportunity for us to rethink and reimagine tourism for the future, which is more sustainable, inclusive and less susceptible to shocks,” she said.
Despite challenging headwinds to the global economy in 2023 and beyond, experts have great expectations for the tourism sector, predicting continued pent-up demand alongside new growth opportunities and emerging niche markets arising from the pandemic. For instance, as tourism recovery gets underway, the boundaries between work, home, leisure and travel become increasingly blurred, requiring greater cross-collaboration between tourism and transport, health, security, cities and urban systems.
“These are just some exciting new prospects being explored during the two-day conference. Therefore, I hope the chosen theme of “Tourism Futures Reimagined” will inspire deep insights on the challenges, opportunities, trends and forecasts shaping the industry’s future,” Saraya concluded.
BANGKOK, 29 November 2022: Oman’s SalamAir will introduce a direct flight between Muscat and Bangkok, with three weekly services starting 18 December 2022.
Flights from Muscat will depart on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday, while the return flights from Bangkok are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Bangkok is SalamAir’s second destination in Thailand after Phuket. With the introduction of Bangkok, travellers can book a flight to Phuket and return from Bangkok or vice versa, extending their stay in Thailand to two destinations.
The new destination in its network marks the airline’s further expansion into Southeast Asia. For people living in Oman and those wanting to take connecting flights to destinations in Thailand and neighbouring countries, the new service will cater to leisure and medical tourism travellers.
SalamAir CEO Captain Mohamed Ahmed said: “Bangkok remains one of the most preferred tourist destinations for Omanis and ex-pats. We are delighted to commence flights between Muscat and Bangkok … The flights will boost tourism, economic relations, and business opportunities between Oman and Thailand. Flight time between Muscat and Bangkok is around six hours.
The carrier’s fleet consists of six A320neo and four A321neo. SalamAir commenced its commercial operations in 2017.
Since then, it has built a route network of domestic destinations, including Muscat, Salalah, and Suhar, Duqm, Masirah.
International destinations include Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sarajevo, Istanbul, Trabzon, Bursa, Kathmandu, Baku, Bangkok, Phuket, Prague, Shiraz, Tehran, Alexandria, Khartoum, Multan, Sialkot, Karachi, Dhaka, Chattogram, Jaipur, Trivandrum, and Lucknow.
SINGAPORE, 29 November 2022: Pandaw is introducing a new river expedition that commences sailings in October 2023, exploring the Mekong Delta in more detail and venturing further to Northeast Cambodia’s Kratie, home to the famous Mekong River dolphins.
In its launch announcement, Pandaw called the new cruise a “pioneering route that provides a fresh and exciting new opportunity for intrepid travellers to explore much more of the waterways between Vietnam and Cambodia.”
The company will deploy Mekong Pandaw, a vessel that launched and pioneered Mekong River sailings in 2002. Historically the 2002 cruises opened the river border between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Mekong Pandaw is fitted out with 24 staterooms and just completed a refit that introduces a spa, library and gym on board. The most spacious of all Pandaw’s ships, it features broad promenades running around each deck and a vast sun deck of over 600 square metres.
The new 10-night itinerary launches on 15 October 2023 with rates starting at USD4,800 per person. Members get the first crack at the launch price for the first sailing.
SEPANG, 29 November 2022: AirAsia is celebrating 21 years of flying with an all-in-one-way fare on sale starting at MYR21 ‒ less than the cost of movie tickets and dining in.
The sale opened on Monday, running until 4 December, with a travel period from 1 March 2023 to 30 March 2024, providing the flexibility of 12 months of travel options.
For a starting fare of MYR21, value seekers can bag a bargain to many leisure favourites such as Langkawi, Penang, Krabi, Terengganu, Singapore, and Phu Quoc, among a line-up of short-haul destinations.
On long-haul flights, AirAsia X flies to popular leisure destinations such as Perth, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Melbourne and Auckland. On sale during the promo period for travel from 28 November to 30 April 2023, fares on long-haul routes start at MYR399 in economy class and from MYR1499 for a premium flatbed.
Group Chief Commercial Officer (Airlines) Karen Chan, commented on the anniversary: “Many millions of our guests have been first-time travellers who couldn’t afford to fly before AirAsia took to the skies on 8 December 2001.”
