Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Home Blog Page 450

Oceania’s Riviera heads for Asia

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 30 January 2023: Oceania Cruises will deploy the rejuvenated Riviera for voyages in Asia during the 2023 to 2024 cruise season,

The 1,238-guest ship will, for the first time, visit Cochin, India; Yangon, Myanmar; Busan, South Korea; Phuket and Bangkok in Thailand, offering 25 voyages ranging from 10 to 82 days.

The decision to move Riviera to Asia for the 2023 to 2024 season follows the stem-to-stern rejuvenation of all staterooms, suites, public spaces, restaurants and bars.

The ship’s planned visit to Yangon in Myanmar could raise eyebrows as the country is heavily sanctioned after Myanmar’s military junta ousted the legitimately elected government in February 2021. Travel advisories issued by the US, Europe and Australia warn nationals against visiting the country.

Sample Voyages

The 14-day Empires of Asia voyage will sail from Tokyo, Japan, to Hong Kong, China, in October 2023. Itinerary highlights include overnight calls in Kyoto (Kobe), Japan; Shanghai and Hong Kong, China; plus visits to Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Japanese ports, including Kagoshima and Hiroshima.

The 72-day Epic Eastern Explorer itinerary, departing in early January 2024, will sail from Mumbai, India, to Tokyo, Japan. Overnight calls are scheduled for Male, Maldives; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Singapore, Singapore; Hanoi (Ha Long Bay), Vietnam; Shanghai, China; Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam; Seoul, South Korea; Kyoto (Kobe) and Tokyo, Japan. Two-night stays are scheduled in Yangon, Myanmar; Bangkok, Thailand; and Hong Kong, China. Other voyage highlights include Manila, Philippines; Hue and Nha Trang in Vietnam; Phuket, Thailand; and Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The 12-day Land of the Rising Sun roundtrip from Tokyo offers an exploration of Japan in March and April of 2024. Ports of call include Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Beppu, Hiroshima and an overnight stay in Kyoto (Kobe).

Headquartered in Miami, Oceania Cruises is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which includes Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

AirAsiaX relaunch gains momentum

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SEPANG, 30 January 2023: AirAsia X Berhad (AirAsia X) released its latest operating statistics at the weekend, covering the sixth quarter of 2022 (6Q22) and the 18-month full financial year ending 31 December 2022.

In 6Q22, passengers carried stood at 337,638, demonstrating an over quadruple boost compared to the preceding quarter in which 79,557 passengers were carried between July – September 2022 as the travel recovery gained momentum in tandem with the peak travel season.

Seat capacity and Available Seats per Kilometre (ASK) capacity stood at 427,384 and 1,700 million, respectively, as more aircraft were returned to service with a dedicated focus on flying the most popular and profitable routes first as a priority post-pandemic.

During the period under review, the company posted a healthy Passenger Load Factor (PLF) of 79%, up by six percentage points from 73% in 5Q22. The PLF this quarter is already close to emulating the PLF recorded pre-pandemic between October – December 2019, which stood at 81%.

During the quarter under review, AirAsia X launched flights to Melbourne, Perth, Tokyo-Haneda, Sapporo, Taipei, Jeddah and Bali-Denpasar, on top of introducing an all-new Sydney-Auckland route. On the back of significant pent-up demand for great value medium haul travel since the inauguration and following the pandemic,  additional frequencies have been incorporated into several top-tier routes, namely Seoul, Sydney, Sydney-Auckland, Melbourne, Perth and Sapporo, particularly between November – December 2022. As of the end of December 2022, AirAsia X served daily flights to key markets, including Seoul, Sydney, Sydney-Auckland, Melbourne and Bali-Denpasar.

On a full financial year basis, AirAsia X carried 417,195 passengers with a total of 536,491 seat capacity, while ASK capacity stood at 2,072 million. PLF during the year stood at 78%. By the end of December 2022, AirAsia X was operating flights to 13 destinations, including Seoul and Delhi, two of its most popular destinations that were launched in the prior quarter.

Associate AirAsia X Thailand carried 212,523 passengers in 6Q22 with a strong PLF of 92%, reflective of the business recovery trajectory within the country. Seat capacity and ASK capacity charted at 230,961 and 1,031 million, respectively, as more aircraft were returned to service during the quarter, with additional frequencies set in motion to select routes to cater to the year-end peak travel season. During the period under review, AirAsia X Thailand launched flights to Osaka and Sapporo in Japan and Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.

Between January and December 2022, AirAsia X Thailand carried a 279,707 passengers, and seat capacity was recorded at 318,132, while ASK capacity stood at 1,383 million. Overall, AirAsia X Thailand recorded a healthy PLF of 88% during this period as it began relaunching flights in June 2022, beginning with Seoul, followed by Tokyo Narita, followed by  Osaka, Sapporo, Sydney and Melbourne.

The total fleet size for AirAsia X stood at 14 A330s as of the end of December 2022, with seven aircraft activated and operational, while AirAsia X Thailand’s total fleet size was eight A330s as at the end of December 2022, with five aircraft activated and operational.

(1) Number of earned seats flown. Earned seats comprise seats sold to passengers (including no-shows) and seats provided for promotional purposes.
(2) Number of seats flown.
(3) Passengers Carried / Capacity.
(4) Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) measures an airline’s passenger capacity. Total seats flown multiplied by the number of kilometres flow.(5) Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) measures the volume of passengers carried by an airline. The number of passengers multiplied by the number of kilometres these passengers have flown.
(6) Number of flights flown, *excluding charter and cargo flights.

(7) Fleet for AirAsia X Malaysia.

Radisson ready to tap travel rebound

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 30 January 2023: Radisson Hotel Group will strengthen its foothold in Asia Pacific in 2023 after doubling the signings last year.

During 2022, the hospitality sector in the Asia Pacific region reported USD8.4 billion in hotel transactions from Q1 to Q3 [1]. The tourism industry has signalled a better-than-expected recovery, with visitor numbers surpassing forecasts with international tourism arrivals poised to rise by 30% in 2023 [2] compared to 2022. The World Travel & Tourism Council also predicted that travel revenue would contribute to overall economic growth by 71%. [3]

“The APAC region is poised for domestic and international tourism recovery and primed for hospitality development in 2023. With our strategic plans for the region in full swing, Radisson Hotel Group is ready to capture the rebound of travel and realise significant regional growth over the next year,” commented Radisson’s chief development officer, Asia Pacific Ramzy Fenianos.

2022 KEY HIGHLIGHTS

South Asia

In 2022, Radisson Hotel Group continued to establish its presence in India, with 80% of the new deals signed marking the entry to new leisure destinations with flagship properties signed in locations such as Goa, Jim Corbett, Nainital, Palampur, and Kasauli.

India: New brands and extensions

· Radisson Individuals Retreats – Since its launch in April 2022, the group has signed three hotels across India and opened its first property, Rakkh Resort, a member of Radisson Individuals Retreats in December 2022, located in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh,

· Park Inn & Suites by Radisson – The launch of a new midscale brand, Park Inn & Suites by Radisson, will fuel the group’s next growth phase in tier 2 to 5 markets. A strategic partnership has been signed with Ruptub Solutions Private Limited to add 150 hotels over the next decade. The first hotel has been signed in Guruvayur, Kerala, and is slated to open by 2024. Looking ahead, the group will expand the Park Inn & Suites by the Radisson brand through the master franchise, collaboration, and brand development agreements.

Southeast Asia & Pacific

In 2022, Radisson Hotel Group strengthened its operations in five key markets. It established local business units in Jakarta, Sydney, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, which will drive its in-market development strategy while increasing the close collaboration with its local owners and partners.

New signings and openings

· Thailand – The group signed five hotels under the Radisson Individuals and Radisson brands, including flagship properties in top leisure destinations such as Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, and Bangkok. This includes the 179-room Radisson Resort & Suites Phuket, set on the west coast of Thailand’s leading island destination..

· Vietnam – The group expanded its presence in Vietnam by opening Radisson Hotel Danang and Radisson Resort Phan Thiet. It also announced the signing of the 128-key Radisson Resort Mui Ne on Suoi Nuoc Beach, a popular beachside destination on the country’s southeastern coast.

· Sri Lanka – 2022 marked the entry of Radisson Hotel Group into Sri Lanka with the signing and opening of three hotels. This includes the launch of the Radisson Blu resort in Galle, and two upscale Radisson hotels in Colombo, located in both the capital city and Kandy, the island’s cultural heart.

· Papua New Guinea – The group entered Papua New Guinea by opening the 156-key Grand Papua Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals, centrally located in Port Moresby.

· China – In China, Radisson Hotel Group continues to expand rapidly through organic and master franchise agreements. The company signed and opened over 80 hotels in China under the brands Radisson RED, Park Inn by Radisson, Park Plaza, and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson.

Qatar extends Avios partnership

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 30 January 2023: Members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club (QRPC) can collect and spend Avios at almost 200 outlets at Hamad International Airport (HIA) in partnership with Qatar Duty-Free (QDF).

Avios is the reward currency of Qatar Airways Privilege Club and the preferred currency of the airline offering its most regular flyers extraordinary payment products. Avios can be used in conjunction with cash offering a part payment option. Avios are collected when members or their nominated family members fly with Qatar Airways, oneworld airlines, plus QR’s airline partners. Avios can also be collected with more than 100 global partners and co-branded payment cards.

In another innovation, passengers at all departure points will be rewarded with Avios points upon check-in, which will be credited up to 120 minutes before a flight departure.

This will allow Qatar Airways Privilege Club members to collect and spend Avios at the World’s Best Airport as part of their journey. 

Qatar Airways flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, currently named the ‘Best Airport in the World” by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022.

MATTA moves fair to a new venue

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 January 2023: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) will move the upcoming MATTA Fair, Malaysia’s largest consumer travel fair, to a new venue, Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.

Scheduled for 17 to 19 March, the organisers said the event would not only be larger than previous years, but it would also feature more destinations.

The new venue is a game changer in the business events industry, giving Malaysia the capability to compete and meet the demand in new growing markets, including regional and international exhibitions, in particular the market for “mega-exhibitions,” which will attract over 100,000 visitors and conferences or conventions with between 200 and 20,000 delegates.

Comprising over 52,000 square metres of exhibition space and triple volume display halls enables the MITEC sales team to position the venue as the largest trade and exposition centre in Malaysia and the third largest MICE venue in Southeast Asia.

MICE stand for “meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.

MATTA FAIR @ MITEC

The tourism and leisure business has been one of the most severely impacted by the tourism impacts of COVID-19 and is among the most affected industries on a global scale. It was estimated that the leisure and domestic tourism sectors lost a total of USD 2.86 trillion.

Last September, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTC) hosted the relaunch of the MATTA Fair in the post-Covid-19 transitional period.

However, MATTA says it could not expand its WTC floor space to fulfil the needs of members and exhibitors, forcing the organisers to shift the venue for the 52nd fair to MITEC.

The show will expand to cover 37,000 sqm, setting a new record for its sheer size to accommodate new exhibiting destinations and increased space bookings by exhibitors joining the MATTA Fair annually.

MATTA quotes the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which forecasts a global travel and tourism recovery in 2023 to the levels they were at before the pandemic.

It is anticipated that the industry will achieve an annual average growth rate of 5.8% between 2022 and 2032, compared to the expansion of 2.7% in the global GDP, and create 126 million new jobs globally.

WHAT’S NEW @ MATTA FAIR

Saudi Arabia is the up-and-coming player and has been named a featured destination for the MATTA Fair.

Destination partners

· Tourism Philippines as Gold Sponsor

· Tourism Perak as Malaysia’s Featured Destination

· Taiwan Tourism as Asia’s Featured Destination

Other partners

· Malaysia Aviation Group as Official Airlines Partner

· Royal Caribbean International as Cruise Partner

· AmLeisure Media as Media Partner

MITEC’s ground floor will house domestic tourism content and services from Malaysia’s attractions, hotels, resorts, cottages, airlines and travel services, plus all state tourism organisations. Perak will lead by occupying one-fifth of the floor area, making it the largest exhibitor in the domestic section hall. Other states such as Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Sarawak, and Sabah are also on this floor along with Tourism Malaysia.

Both MITEC’s levels II and III, will house the international section (Outbound), leading off with national tourism offices (NTO) such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Korea, and the Maldives.

An UMRAH section will take up space on Level II, where travel consumers can interact with Umrah operators who have been granted a license by the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture (MOTAC) and will be selling Umrah and Hajj packages in addition to the other tours and services that are available.

MATTA FAIR will open from 1000 to 2100 on Friday, 17 March, to Sunday

19 March 2023. Admission is free. Website: www.matta.org.my.

TikTok your way to Langkawi

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

LANGKAWI 27 January 2022: Are you ready to start the year right and win some exciting prizes? Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) presents an exciting competition for travellers who have recently visited the “99 Magical Islands in the Sun.”

What’s not to love about this perfect tropical holiday spot? Shimmering waters, amazing beaches, mysterious forests, exotic flavours and super-friendly locals, it is truly Langkawi Best Wey! And now, even the memories you create on this beautiful island can help you win big too.

Travellers who have visited Langkawi since 15 December 2022 are challenged to upload a TikTok video encapsulating their best experience in Langkawi with the hashtag #LangkawiBestWey.

Users are required to highlight two different aspects of Langkawi in this video (For example, choose two themes from the local food scene, pristine beaches, hidden cafes, and adventure activities). The video can be uploaded on any social media page, including Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.

To be eligible, contestants must tag the relevant Naturally Langkawi page. Following the closing date for the competition, 15 February 2023, 20 winners will be selected to win a range of cool prizes that will leave you with the urge to return to this beautiful island once more.

Regarding this limited-time-only contest, LADA’s chief executive officer

Nasaruddin bin Abdul Muttalib said: “We appreciate all the tourists for visiting our adored island and choosing Langkawi as their holiday destination of choice. To thank them, we have decided to run this contest and give these tourists an opportunity to use the memories they have created on the island to win big.”

He added, “In this digital age, travellers love to document their travels through smartphones. We have decided to leverage this and award those most creative with their captures to keep up with the modern-day trends. We will filter through every submission and ensure that we reward those who can capture Langkawi in the most beautiful way possible.”

Guidelines

Langkawi is loaded with breathtaking experiences, and there is just so much to do. Given that, travellers will have opportunities to create exciting videos of their travels. Winners will be chosen based on their skills and creativity in shooting, editing and finessing the video. Judging will be entirely based on the creativity and quality of the video, with participants allowed to submit as many videos as they like. However, all videos submitted must be tasteful and not offend any religious, racial, national, ethical, or moral standards and sensibilities. Offensive language and nudity are also not permitted. Any content featuring any of the above will be automatically rejected.

Prizes for the winners

The grand prize winner will walk away with two Sky Cab Langkawi tickets, a three-day/two-night stay at Tanjung Rhu Resort inclusive of breakfast, two tickets to the Langkawi Sunset Party Cruise, two tickets to Splash Out Langkawi as well as a Langkawi 99 Magical Islands Jacket and LangkawiBestWey T-Shirt. Twenty runners-up will receive a variety of other amazing prizes.

For more information regarding the prizes, you may click on this link.

For tourists seeking the ultimate tropical escape, Langkawi has to be the standout option, and even more so now with the #LangkawiBestWey competition. Already an enticing holiday destination, Langkawi’s allure just got that little bit bigger with this contest. What are you waiting for? TikTok, time is running out.

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

(Your Stories: LADA)

Emirates ramps up European flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

Dubai, UAE, 27 January 2023: Emirates will scale up its A380 operations with the iconic double-decker returning to Glasgow and Birmingham in the UK and Nice in France during the first half of 2023.

The A380 resumes flights to Glasgow on 26 March, Nice on 1 June and Birmingham on 1 July. The airline has also announced it will resume its second daily service to Stansted (UK) starting from 1 May, using its wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with its renowned ‘game changer’ first-class product. With the return of the second daily flight to Stansted, Emirates will ramp up its operations to London to 11 daily flights.

Emirates currently deploys its flagship A380 to 40 destinations worldwide. By the end of this summer, the popular aircraft will be serving almost 50 destinations, restoring close to 90% of the airline’s pre-pandemic A380 network.

Emirates is the largest operator of Airbus A380, with more than 80 aircraft currently in active service. The airline launched A380 services to Birmingham in 2016, Nice in 2017, and Glasgow in 2019.

For more information on flight schedules, visit emirates.com.

Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office or via travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

JLL expands regional team

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 27 January 2023: JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group has named two hires in Australia and Japan that will bolster its regional client coverage.

Gus Moors joins JLL as managing director and head of New South Wales Investment Sales. Based in Sydney, he will be responsible for managing JLL’s hotel sales platform in Australia’s most populated state, managing a team of investment professionals and providing advisory services to domestic and international clients. 

He joins JLL from Colliers International, where he was most recently Head of Hotels, Australia.

James Abe comes to JLL as managing director and head of Investment Sales for Hotels & Hospitality Group, Japan. He will be responsible for leading a diverse team of market-leading hospitality investment professionals in Japan, as well as partnering with members of the global and regional hotels business to further connect investors with opportunities in one of the world’s most sought-after hospitality markets.

He brings experience from Westmont, where he led their hotel business in Japan. In this role, he was responsible for the sourcing and acquisition, disposition and asset management for Westmont’s hotel portfolio in Japan. 

Ethiopian to fly to Copenhagen

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 27 January 2023: Ethiopian Airlines will launch a new passenger flight from Addis Ababa to Copenhagen, Denmark, on 22 May 2023.

The new flight will operate five times weekly – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

 Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew commented: “We are glad to open a new route to Copenhagen, Denmark, which will be our 21st destination in Europe. With the flight launch, Copenhagen will become a crucial gateway for Ethiopian Airlines in northern Europe and southern Scandinavia.

“Thanks to the wide network of Ethiopian Airlines across Africa, the new flight will enhance the air connectivity between Europe and Africa, thereby facilitating trade, tourism and diplomatic relations of the two regions.”

Copenhagen Airport chief executive officer Thomas Woldbye welcomed the news saying It had been a long-term objective to improve connections between Copenhagen and Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines will deploy Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the route, with 315 seat arrangement. The airline started serving Copenhagen in November 1999, but the flight was suspended about four years later.

Singapore hosts aviation safety summit

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 27 January 2023: Around 300 government and industry leaders from countries in the Asia Pacific will gather in Singapore from 22 to 24 March for an inaugural summit on aviation safety as the aviation sector recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has added unprecedented challenges to aviation safety. They include the availability and proficiency of skilled personnel, the airworthiness of aircraft returning to service from storage and familiarity with new procedures and safety regimes as aviation companies face financial pressure to ramp up service.

Disruptive shifts in the aviation sector and the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and remotely controlled aircraft systems, while creating exciting new opportunities, also pose unique safety risks.

Keynote speakers at the three-day event include prominent international aviation experts such as Stephen Creamer, director of the Air Navigation Bureau at the International Civil Aviation Organisation; Christopher Hart, former US National Transportation Safety Board chairman and Patrick Ky, executive director of European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The inaugural summit, organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), will be held in Singapore at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, from 22 to 24 March 2023.

CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan said: “Singapore is privileged and honoured to launch and co-organise this region-wide summit with the Flight Safety Foundation. While countries have their own national regimes, aviation is cross-border, and airlines operate across national boundaries; region-wide cooperation is necessary to assure aviation safety.”

For more information on the event programme and to register, visit https://flightsafety.org/ap-sas2023/

OR visit  www.flightsafety.org.

(SOURCE: Flight Safety Foundation)

1...449450451...629Page 450 of 629

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.