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WTCC summit lines up top speakers

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SINGAPORE, 24 November 2022: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) confirms former UK Prime Minister Theresa May as the keynote speaker at its upcoming 22nd Global Summit in Saudi Arabia, alongside former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

The summit takes place from 28 November to 1 December 2022 under the theme “Travel for a Better Future”.

Theresa May served as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019 and the second longest-serving post-war Home Secretary, serving for six years from 2010 to 2016.

Last year, May was appointed chair of the Aldersgate Group, an alliance that drives action for a sustainable economy.

During the Global Summit, industry leaders from a sector worth over 10% of global GDP (before the pandemic) will meet government officials from across the globe in the Saudi capital to continue aligning efforts to support the Travel & Tourism sector’s recovery and address the challenges ahead, to ensure a safer, more resilient, inclusive and sustainable sector.

WTTC president and CEO Julia Simpson said: “Theresa May has a long-standing interest in the environment. As Prime Minister, she launched the ‘25 Year Environmental Plan’ to tackle issues such as plastic waste. In 2019 she formally committed the UK to achieve ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050, making Britain the first major economy to do so.

“Our event will bring together many of the world’s most powerful leaders in our sector to discuss and secure its long-term future, which is critical to economies and jobs worldwide.”

South Korean diplomat Ban Ki-Moon, who served as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016, will also address delegates in person.

(Source: WTTC)

China in no hurry to reopen tourism

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TTR WEEKLY
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VALENCIA, 24 November 2022: As one of the last major hurdles to full global travel recovery, China’s continued absence from the international travel market has left many destinations facing a huge shortfall in tourist arrivals.

ForwardKeys’ China Market Expert, Nan Dai, shares insights on the opportunities with emerging markets in APAC.

Despite international travel to and from China having been restricted since the emergence of Covid-19, domestic travel has been permitted for some time. However, continuous lockdowns on major population centres, like Shanghai and Chengdu, following new coronavirus outbreaks have created a volatile domestic travel landscape. Recovery is fast when restrictions are lifted, but changes are frequent and sudden, and each lockdown has a significant effect on demand.

Given the problems facing China’s domestic travel market and the government’s recent affirmation that it would maintain its cautious approach to Covid-19, the chances of the country reopening to international tourism in the short term appear slim. However, similar policies, including travel bans, were widespread throughout the Asia Pacific until earlier this year. Now that much of the region has reopened, it will be interesting to see whether local markets can keep Covid-19 rates under control. If they can, it may encourage China to reopen gradually in 2023 – as it will become increasingly difficult for the country to keep its borders closed when the rest of the region has returned to normality.

Yet even if China were to reopen next year, the economic challenges currently facing the country – including a property market crisis and issues relating to the pandemic – would result in a slow travel recovery, particularly in the long-haul segment.

Top Outbound APAC Markets to Consider

Until China’s outbound travel market fully reactivates, regional destinations that had developed a dependency on Chinese tourists in the years preceding the pandemic must shift their attention to other important markets.

India shows particular promise among the top five outbound markets in the Asia Pacific before the global health crisis. Although India’s size as an international outbound market is largely attributable to its significant global diaspora, its middle-class population is growing, and the number of outbound leisure travellers from the country is increasing.

Moreover, while India’s intraregional outbound travel market is relatively small, it had experienced more growth (+10.4%) than any of the other major Asia Pacific outbound markets – both international and intraregional – over the five years before the pandemic. Now that the country has fully reopened, ForwardKeys expects its development as an interregional outbound market to accelerate.

The economic situation is also improving in Thailand, allowing more of its residents to travel abroad and thereby making the country an increasingly valuable source market for regional destinations.

Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea, the top-performing outbound markets in the Asia Pacific (excluding China) before Covid-19, have recently reopened to travel and are expected to re-establish themselves as important source markets.

With China’s reopening seemingly still some time off, regional destinations need to adapt to the new environment, identifying markets and travel audiences to fill the gap left by China and contribute towards a long-term, sustainable tourism model.

Download the full Most Visited Destinations report.

(Source: ForwardKeys)

AirAsia X rolls out 5th quarter results

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEPANG, 22 November 2022: AirAsia X, the mid-range affiliate airline of AirAsia Aviation Group, reported its financial results on Tuesday for the Fifth* quarter of 2022, ending 30 September 2022.

The company posted a net profit of MYR25.1 million for the quarter compared to a net loss of MYR652.5 million in the preceding 4th quarter. Revenue was slightly lower at MYR100.1 million compared to MYR107.2 million during the period ending 30 June 2022 (4Q22) due to a reduction in revenue from the freight services segment due to normalised scheduled flight operations.

In other segments, recovery across all key metrics significantly improved as scheduled passenger and charter flights and ancillary revenues demonstrated strong recovery compared to the preceding quarter. For 5Q22, the company posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (“EBITDA”) of MYR25.4 million, while profit before tax for the period stood at MYR23.8 million.

Operationally, the company reported a Passenger Load Factor of 73% during the quarter – less than 10 percentage points short of its pre-Covid-19 PLF of 81% in 2019. The company carried  80,385 passengers during the period under review compared to 8,892 passengers from April – June 2022. Seat capacity grew to 110,615 from 27,521 in the preceding quarter as additional markets and frequencies were introduced in 5Q22.

During the period under review, sectors flown increased to 291 from 226  in 4Q22. Following its return to scheduled services in April 2022, it has made notable progress in network recovery – adding Sydney and two new dense-short-haul routes to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to its network in September 2022. AAX increased flights to existing markets in Seoul and Delhi to cater for strong pent-up demand.

In terms of balance sheet and cash flow, the company charted a cash balance of MYR79.5 million for the period ending 30 September 2022 – an increase of beyond 100% as compared to MYR25.1 million in the preceding quarter. This was achieved predominantly on the back of a V-shaped air travel revival supporting the resumption of scheduled passenger flights to many of its most popular and profitable destinations, along with charter and cargo flights.

Commenting on the performance and outlook, AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “AAX is now well on track in its recovery path even as the airline is compelled to operate in a challenging operational environment dictated by high fuel prices and a weakened Malaysian Ringgit against the US Dollar. While we are cautious of the strenuous operating conditions, we remain confident that the company’s recovery is on the horizon, if not already within our reach.

“In the previous quarter, we resumed our scheduled passenger flights to Seoul and Delhi. We are pleased to report that we have also resumed our services to Sydney and introduced additional frequencies to Seoul and Delhi in 5Q22. Due to high demand, AAX had also commenced operations on dense, short-haul routes during the quarter where demand has exceeded currently available aircraft capacity, namely Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. At the beginning of 5Q22, AAX was charting three flights per week, and this surged to 23 flights per week by the end of the period under review.

“In terms of average base fare, we continue to see a healthy trend of MYR625 during the quarter compared to sub-MYR500 pre-Covid-19. Despite a higher fare environment, we are confident of still providing the best-valued fares in our category in the market. We look forward to resuming services to more of our mid-range destinations in the coming months. Recently, we announced popular destinations, including Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Tokyo-Haneda, Hokkaido-Sapporo, Jeddah and Bali-Denpasar. By the end of the year, we expect to be flying over 70 flights per week.

AAX operates a fleet of six A330s, down from nine aircraft. Two A330 aircraft were returned during the quarter under review. To meet strong consumer demand, the airline expects to increase its operating fleet to 13 A330 aircraft by the first half of the calendar year 2023.

AAX currently operates scheduled passenger flights to 11 destinations, namely Seoul, Delhi, Sydney, Auckland, Tokyo-Haneda, Jeddah, Melbourne, Perth, and Sapporo, in addition to several dense short-haul routes – Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Bali-Denpasar. By 2023, the company expects its network to return to most of its pre-Covid-19 markets and frequencies, with additional new routes to be announced soon.

Why a 5th quarter?

*AAX had on 18 August 2022 announced the change of its financial year end to 31 December 2022, covering a period of 18 months. This came on the back of completing its restructuring exercise to enhance the airline’s operations and recovery strategy, on top of recalibrating its focus on the revamped business plan.

Outrigger CEO wins hospitality award

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TTR WEEKLY
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PHUKET, 23 November 2022: Pacific Edge magazine held its annual Business Achievement Awards earlier this month, honouring Outrigger Hospitality Group’s President and CEO, Jeff Wagoner, as the Hospitality Executive of the Year.

The awards focus on the accomplishments of Hawaii-based individuals and businesses. In the hospitality category, it honours an executive whose skill, foresight, agility and vision enabled them to navigate their business or organisation through changing times while contributing positively to Hawaii’s critically important hospitality industry.

Jeff Wagoner (2nd from left) at the Pacific Edge Business Achievements Awards.

Wagoner said: “The key to succeeding in good times and bad is to stay focused, do your absolute best every day – with great service, teams and leadership.”

On receiving the award in Honolulu, Wagoner said he remains optimistic about the future of travel and committed to helping travellers engage in an authentic and meaningful way at some of the world’s most iconic beach destinations: Hawaii, Thailand, Fiji, the Maldives and Mauritius. He received the Pacific Edge accolade as Outrigger celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Wagoner oversees all aspects of Outrigger’s multi-branded, global portfolio of resorts, hotels, vacation condominiums, timeshares and retail operations while steering the direction, growth and strategic priorities for a company on a journey to become the “premier beach resort company in the world”.

ABOUT OUTRIGGER

For 75 years, Outrigger has charted a journey of discovery – expanding from Hawaii to premier resort destinations, including Fiji, Mauritius, Thailand and the Maldives. The privately held hospitality company invites guests to ‘Come Be Here’ with authentic signature experiences and the Outrigger DISCOVERY loyalty programme.

Outrigger’s multi-branded portfolio includes Outrigger Resorts, OHANA Hotels by Outrigger, Hawaii Vacation Condos by Outrigger, Kapalua Villas Maui and Honua Kai Resort & Spa Maui, while also managing select properties from top international hotel brands, including Embassy Suites by Hilton, Best Western and Hilton Grand Vacations. Find out more at Outrigger.com or visit @OutriggerResorts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Emirates five times a winner

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 23 November 2022: Emirates won an impressive five global and regional awards from two prestigious travel and aviation ceremonies recently, winning the titles of ‘Best Airline in the World’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East at the ULTRAs 2022 awards, and a further ‘World Class Award’, ‘5 Star Global Official Airline Rating’, and ‘Passenger Choice Award for Best Global Entertainment’ at APEX 2023 awards.

Based on a combination of certified passenger feedback and professional audits, Emirates was honoured with a ‘World Class Award’ for safety, well-being, sustainability, service, and inclusiveness, a ‘5 Star Global Official Airline Rating’ recognising all aspects of the global airline, and a ‘Passenger Choice Award for Best Global Entertainment’ for the best-in-class ice inflight entertainment system, at the recent APEX/IFSA expo in Long Beach, California. APEX is one of the world’s largest international airline associations, hosting an annual industry awards ceremony since 2018.

Emirates Patrick Brannelly – SVP Retail, IFE & Connectivity (left) accepts APEX World Class award 2023.

At the ULTRAs 2022 award ceremony in the Pan Pacific London, Emirates was honoured with two top awards – ‘Best Airline in the World’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East.’ Emirates was highlighted for its industry-leading services, global network, and best-in-class travel experiences. The ULTRA awards are also decided by consumer votes, an international community of two million travellers who have recognised Emirates as the leading airline in the world for luxury travel.

Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark accepts two ULTRAs at the 2022 awards ceremony.

Emirates has safely restarted operations to more than 130 destinations across six continents and currently operates 21 flights per week from Bangkok to Dubai and 14 flights per week from the resort island of Phuket in the South of Thailand to Dubai. 

For more information, visit emirates.com/th. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or online travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates).

Phuket Triathlon is back to winning ways

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TTR WEEKLY
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PHUKET, 23 November 2022: The 28th Laguna Phuket Triathlon attracted 1,200 triathletes competing across three distances as the legendary event returned to its traditional slot in mid-November.

After 28 years, the popularity of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon doesn’t diminish. Mark your calendars for the next edition, which will take place on 19 November 2023

Australian Charlie Quin, this year’s winner, dominated the men’s field, while New Zealander Amelia Watkinson clinched her third Laguna Phuket Triathlon women’s title in what were tough, hot and humid conditions.

Coming second and third in the male division was Swiss triathlete Ruedi Wild (02:33.20), who had the fastest run time on the day, and Italian Massimo Cigana (02:38:35) – both past winners of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon.

Watkinson was pushed hard by Australian Dimity-Lee Duke, who often trains with Z-Coaching in Phuket, coming in second in a time of 02:47:28. Another Australian, Felicity Sheedy-Ryan, grabbed the third spot in 02:51:07.

Top Thai triathlete Jaray Jearanai was looking to defend his title on his home turf and make it 11 wins from 11, and he did. In a blistering performance, Jearanai crossed the line almost six minutes ahead of his closest compatriot and seventh overall.

RCG campaign Save the Waves sails on

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 23 November 2022: Royal Caribbean Group’s Save the Waves campaign celebrates 30 years this month as the founding initiative for the cruise company’s decarbonisation strategy — Destination Net Zero.

“Save the Waves has served as the strong foundation for what we have accomplished and the ambitious sustainability efforts we are committed to at Royal Caribbean Group,” said Royal Caribbean Group’s president and CEO Jason Liberty. “The programme, for decades, has helped us create a culture dedicated to environmental performance and our commitment to protecting our oceans.”

Established in 1992, Save the Waves introduced the industry’s first dedicated onboard environmental officers — to ensure waste standards are met with daily monitoring, testing, and compliance controls.

Today, Save the Waves serves as a catalyst for the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework unveiled in this year’s Sustainability Report.

The ESG framework focuses on five distinct ways to deliver great vacation experiences responsibly: 

Champion communities and the environment; provide unforgettable cruise experiences; foster human rights and be an employer of choice; advance net zero innovation; and govern responsibly.

Royal Caribbean Group is made up of cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises, and it is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Merlion stars in a virtual adventure

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 23 November 2022: Singapore Tourism Board and homegrown hospitality group Millennium Hotels and Resorts have jointly launched Merlion on Vacation, a virtual adventure that enables players to explore Singapore in the metaverse, win prizes and enjoy a Merlion 50th Birthday-themed room package at M Social Singapore.

Players will search for clues to locate the Merlion as he is teleported to Decentraland, a 3D virtual world platform, for a vacation to mark his 50th birthday. Singapore’s Merlion, located at Merlion Park, turned 50 on 15 September this year.

The Merlion (centre) stands at the entrance of M Social Decentraland with his friends, familiar Singapore icons (L-R), the hawker assistant, the bird watcher, and the otter.

Apart from discovering M Social Decentraland – a virtual hotel with glass exteriors and neon pink accents – players can engage in mini-games featuring Singapore landmarks such as Orchard Road, Sungei Buloh, Gardens by the Bay, and Maxwell Food Centre. Those who complete the games will enter a raffle for the grand prize of a one-night-stay at M Social Singapore, hotel and F&B vouchers and other merchandise.

M Social Singapore has also launched a Merlion 50th Birthday Package to mark the Singapore icon’s jubilee, allowing guests to experience Merlion-themed cocktail-mixing and perfume-making workshops.

The virtual adventure Merlion on Vacation builds on the opening of M Social Decentraland in May this year, which marked MHR as the world’s first hotel group to operate a hotel in the metaverse. M Social Decentraland occupies prime real estate in Decentraland as it is one tram stop from Genesis Plaza, the starting point for all visitors to the virtual platform.

“M Social Decentraland may be in the virtual world, but the campaign is grounded in real-time reaching new customers and generating new revenue sources with the metaverse as the platform. Our partnership with STB on Merlion’s virtual vacation is an example. By getting local and international guests to participate in this campaign, we are promoting destination Singapore and the M Social brand while sweetening the pot with rewards for stays and dining that can be used at our physical hotel, M Social Singapore,” said Millennium Hotels and Resorts group senior vice president, commercial, Saurabh Prakash.

“Stepping into the metaverse creates opportunities for STB to engage new audiences and connect with travellers in a novel and creative way. The tourism landscape is evolving, and to remain relevant, we must embrace emerging technologies to inspire travel to Singapore and push the boundaries of marketing innovation.

“STB is excited to collaborate with hospitality stalwart Millennium Hotels and Resorts on this metaverse pilot to reimagine our tourism offerings, and we welcome everyone to join us in exploring Singapore virtually,” said Singapore Tourism Board assistant chief executive, marketing group Chang Chee Pey.

Access to M Social Decentraland is free of charge. Players can engage in M Social Decentraland activities from https://www.msocial.com/merlion-in-metaverse.

 An open call to “cover” for Merlion while he is on vacation is ongoing until 12 December 2022. You can stand in for the beloved icon through filters available on VisitSingapore and MHR Instagram accounts by using the hashtag #MerlionOnVacation.

The world was introduced to the M Social brand in 2016, starting with M Social Singapore, and has since expanded with other physical outposts in Paris, New York and Auckland. M Social Decentraland marks the first virtual location in the metaverse. MHR plans to grow the brand in more physical locations, including Suzhou, Phuket, London, Sunnyvale and key cities in the Middle East, with strong characters to capture diverse stories in vibrant and creative communities.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) is the global brand of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Limited (M&C), a hotel company which owns, manages and operates over 145 hotels across some 80 locations.

Maldives approves tax hikes

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TTR WEEKLY
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MALE, 23 November 2023: Leaders in the Maldives travel and hospitality sectors lost their battle to prevent an increase in the country’s Tourism Goods and Service Tax earlier this week as the parliament approved an amendment bill that raises the tax effective January 2023.

The government had earlier proposed an increase in the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST) from 12% to 16%, along with an increase in the GST from 6% to 8%.

Photo credit: Creative Travel India

The Tourism Goods and Service Tax will go up from 12% to 16% effective 1 January 2023 and applies to all goods and services sold at a resort.

On Tuesday, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the amendment bill to increase the tax rates. Travel firms quoting holiday package prices worldwide will need to revise prices effective from 1 January.

In a report by the Maldives news channel PSM, Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer claimed the country’s inflation rate would remain low compared to other countries despite the tax hikes.

He estimated the tax increase would be just one of many factors raising inflation from around 3% this year to 5.4% in 2023, noting it was still well below the 11% inflation rate in the EU and the 10.4% rate in the UK.

The government expects to generate USD63 million from GST and USD136 million from TGST by next year. Therefore, the tax changes are expected to generate revenue of USD195 million.

(Source: PSM Public Service Media)

AirAsia launches Sibu flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 21 November 2022: AirAsia unveiled its latest route from Singapore direct to Sibu in Sarawak, Malaysia, during the inaugural Sarawak Fair, organised by the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) at Suntec City earlier this week.

Starting initially with four weekly flights, this is the third route by AirAsia connecting Singapore and Sarawak after successfully launching Singapore-Kuching and Singapore-Miri earlier last April.

The Sarawak Fair, organised by the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) at Suntec City opened on 21 November.

The Singapore to Sibu direct flight will start on 16 December, just in time for the year-end holiday and the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations.

Promotional fares from as low as SGD74 all-in for a one-way Singapore-Sibu trip are available for booking on the AirAsia Super App and website from now until 27 November 2022. Meanwhile, the return Sibu to Singapore promo fares start from only MYR99 all-in. The travel period for the promo is from 16 December 2022 up until 28 March 2023. 

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat commented on the new route: ” This is a much-awaited route for the business people, and we are very glad to be working closely with STATOS as well as the Ministry of Transport Sarawak, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak, Sarawak Tourism Board and all other stakeholders and tourism partners in Sarawak and Singapore to make this route a success.

The airline also confirmed it would increase Singapore-Kuching flights to 11 weekly and Singapore-Miri to five weekly from December.

“Together with the four weekly Singapore-Sibu flights, we are the airline with the largest connectivity between Singapore and Sarawak. We are very happy to further to facilitate trade and commerce, travel and tourism, and reconnect families between the two regions.” 

STATOS CEO Chew Chang Guan added: “We are extremely excited that AirAsia has come aboard to work closely with STATOS in realising our vision to be the main gateway for Sarawak trade, investment and tourism with Singapore and beyond, linking the State to the global market. The introduction of the Singapore-Sibu route by AirAsia cannot be at a better time as we are working hard with all stakeholders to strategise in making Sarawak the preferred destination for tourism and business. I am sure AirAsia’s presence by unveiling its Singapore-Sibu flights at our maiden Sarawak Fair here at Suntec City marks the beginning of more strategic collaborations between us in the future.”

The largest port and commercial centre in Sarawak’s Rejang basin, Sibu is a thriving modern town rich in historical and cultural heritage, vibrant food scenes and beautiful waterfront life. Sibu is the main gateway to the Central Region of Sarawak, with convenient land and river transport access to many surrounding towns and commercial centres like Sarikei, Bintangor, Kapit and Mukah. Adventurers can explore the many nature and riverine activities up the Rejang river and experience the unique longhouse living culture.

Known as Swan City, Sibu is famous for its authentic Foochow dishes such as Kampua noodles, Mee Sua or Longevity noodles, and many other varieties of noodle dishes unique to Sibu. Its Kompia buns are much sought after, as well as its “pulut panggang” (grilled glutinous rice rolls in banana leaf) have become among the must-buy items for visitors to Sibu.

Sibu can also satisfy your craving for fresh, scrumptious seafood without burning a hole in your pocket. Sibu’s Central Market is the largest of its kind in Malaysia and is a wonderland of fresh produce and exotic foodstuffs, including the sago worms that can be eaten alive or cooked – definitely not for the faint-hearted! The ’empurau’ fish, touted to be the most expensive and ‘unforgettable’ fish, is also readily available at restaurants in and around Sibu.

The seven-day Sarawak Fair by STATOS started on 21 November and runs until 27 November 2022, featuring 31 exhibitors from Sarawak’s tourism and business sectors, aimed at promoting the State as an investment and tourism destination generating sustained interest in its products and services amongst Singaporeans.

Visitors purchasing a tour package to Sarawak during the event can ‘Spin the Wheel’ for sponsored prizes worth around SGD40,000, including 16 return air tickets with AirAsia to Sibu, Kuching and Miri. Also up for grabs are resort and hotel vouchers, discount vouchers for holiday packages and sample products, including Sarawak’s world-famous bird’s nest and black pepper.

Singapore-Sibu  Flight Schedule

(Source: AirAsia)

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