MANILA, 28 October 2022: Philippine Airlines confirmed Wednesday it would reintroduce flights between Baguio and Cebu starting 16 December.
The Philippines News Agency quoted PAL president Stanley Ng saying: “This will be PAL’s comeback to the very first destination we served nearly 82 years ago, so we are happy to be flying back to where it all started,”
Starting with four weekly flights on the Cebu-Baguio route, PR 2230 will depart Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0850, arriving at Baguio Loakan Airport at 1050. The return flight PR 2231 will depart Baguio at 1110 and arrive in Cebu at 1300. PAL will deploy a 9–seat De Havilland Dash 8 Series 400 aircraft on the route.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific introduced self-bag drop counters in its domestic operations starting Wednesday making it the first local carrier to use the new technology in Clark International Airport.
“We believe this state-of-the-art contactless solution will make our services move faster and more efficiently in Clark,” said Cebu Pacific customer services vice president Lei Apostol.
CEB currently offers six weekly between Clark and Cebu but will increase to daily flights this December.
SINGAPORE, 28 October 2022: Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan launched the Hotel Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025 earlier this week at the opening ceremony of the international tradeshow FHA-HoReCa (Food & Hotel Asia-Hotel, Restaurant, Café) at Singapore Expo.
The Hotel ITM 2025 was developed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in partnership with the Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), industry players and other government agencies. It was endorsed by the Future Economy Council (FEC)1 earlier this year.
The Hotel ITM 2025 roadmap lays out strategies to achieve real value-added growth of 5.9% from 2020 to 2025 and create good jobs in emerging areas such as wellness, sustainability, and technology.
Since the launch of the first Hotel ITM in 2016, the hotel industry has posted strong growth. It recorded a high average occupancy of 87% and a workforce of close to 35,000 in 2019.
A key strategy of the Hotel ITM 2025 builds on the success of the first ITM while capturing demand with fresh hotel concepts.
During the pandemic, many hotels used the downtime to launch compelling and differentiated concepts, such as Oasia Resort Sentosa, Far East Hospitality’s first foray into the resort and spa category, which was launched in September 2021. The emphasis on anchoring novel and attractive hotel concepts will continue with several distinctive hotels opening shortly, including renowned design hotel brand The Singapore EDITION, eco-resort Banyan Tree Mandai, Artyzen Singapore, and Singapore’s first villa-only hotel Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa Singapore.
STB will also continue to work with Enterprise Singapore (Enterprise SG) to help local hotel chains expand internationally and with the Economic Development Board (EDB) to encourage more global hotel brands to set up regional headquarters in Singapore.
Under Hotel ITM 2025, STB aims to increase the adoption of proven and impactful technology solutions such as STB’s E-Visitor Authentication (EVA)3 system* – which uses facial recognition technology to match passport images to that of guests. When integrated with a hotel’s self-check-in solution, EVA creates a fully contactless check-in experience. Currently, close to 50 hotels use EVA. To encourage greater adoption, STB recently launched the EVA-Ready Programme to match hotels with technology partners with proven solutions that can be integrated with the EVA system.
“A strong and growing tourism sector needs a vibrant hotel industry. Singapore’s hotels are amongst the best in the world, but they can continue to transform and grow so that Singapore’s tourism sector can capture the next phase of growth. The Hotel ITM 2025 charts a clear vision, and we look forward to working closely with our industry partners on this journey,” said Singapore Tourism Board chief executive Keith Tan.
* E-Visitor Authentication (EVA) software automates checking guests’ stay validity in Singapore as required by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). EVA is integrated with hotels’ facial recognition-enabled self-check-in solutions to send guest data to ICA to verify the validity of guest stays.
If you’ve never been to this city in the south of Spain, now is the time to visit. You’ll fall in love with its incredible monuments like the cathedral (the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world), the Torre del Oro tower and the Real Alcázar palace with its beautiful gardens. If you’ve already been to Seville, we propose you rediscover it in a new way: by bike. Why? Because the capital of Andalusia is among the Spanish cities with the most kilometres of bike lanes per inhabitant: 27.6 km per 100,000 inhabitants, to be exact.
Why Seville?
Discovering the magical city of Seville while exercising is a combination you’re going to love. We also have to mention its climate, which is pleasant all year round, and its location, which is at an average height of only seven metres above sea level. This makes the plan we’re suggesting even more appealing.
Most airlines allow you to travel with your bicycle, so enjoying Seville on two wheels won’t be a problem. The city even has a safe bike station where you can leave it. You can reserve a spot there through the PVerde app or on this website.
However, if you don’t have your bike or you would rather not take it with you on your trip, the Andalusian capital provides a wide range of places where you can hire a bicycle, including a public service run by the city council. You’ll find 250 bike stops open 24 hours daily, with over 2600 bicycles available.
You can buy a long-term or short-term pass, depending on how many days you’ll need to hire a bike. The public rental service also allows you to enjoy the first 30 minutes of cycling completely free of charge.
So, now you have your bike, how will you explore Seville and its surrounding areas? There are many routes you can take, depending on what interests you.
Seville’s bike lane network
Using an interactive map, you can check out all the bike lanes in the city and nearby towns. Beginning in the old town, specifically in Plaza Nueva square, you can cycle to the cathedral, speed past the Real Alcázar or cross the beautiful María Luisa park. Pick the route you like best.
You can also explore the Pablo de Olavide University campus, pause for a snack in the Macarena district or cross some of the most famous bridges in the city, such as Triana or San Telmo. The bike lanes link almost everywhere in the city, so all you need to do is pedal and let them take you on a journey to enjoy Seville. You can find four tourist routes created to ensure you get all the attractions here.
Route 1: the parks and the river. You’ll pass through 12 of the city’s most emblematic parks as you follow the course of the river.
Route 2: cultural heritage. You’ll get a snapshot view of all the historical monuments in Seville.
Route 3: contemporary architecture. You’ll discover almost 20 modern designs that complement the city’s cultural heritage.
Route 4: the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. You’ll travel around the symbolic creations from the Universal Exposition held in 1929.
Castles of Andalusia, Alcazaba de Alcalá de Guadaíra in Seville.Sierra Norte de Sevilla.
BANGKOK, 28 October 2022: Bangkok Airways will offer direct oneway flights from Chiang Mai to Krabi starting on 30 October and to Phuket starting a day later.
According to the airline’s post on its Facebook page earlier this week, it will schedule three weekly flights on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday one way from Chiang Mai to Krabi. PG246 will depart Chiang Mai at 1150 and arrive in Krabi at 1345.
For the return trip, passengers will have to buy two sector tickets routed Krabi-Bangkok and Bangkok-Chiang Mai with a change of plane in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
However, after enjoying Krabi’s beaches, Chiang Mai residents can take a break in Bangkok on the return leg to catch up with friends or do some shopping before they catch the flight home from Bangkok.
The airline quotes a roundtrip fare Chiang Mai – Krabi at THB4660 during October, dropping to THB3,210 in November and THB2,260 in December.
Bangkok Airways will also schedule oneway direct flights (PG248) from Chiang Mai to Phuket four days weekly (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) starting 31 October.
The flight will depart from Chiang Mai at 1435 and arrive in Phuket at 1640.
Bangkok Airways increases frequencies on the Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) – Chiang Mai route to four daily flights starting 30 October.
DANANG, 28 October 2022: Vietjet Air introduced flights from Danang, Vietnam’s central coastal gateway, to Mumbai and New Delhi in India earlier this week.
The airline uses an Airbus A320 on both routes. It flies three times weekly to Mumbai (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and four times weekly to New Delhi (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).
Flying to the two Indian cities will enhance Danang’s role as a tourism gateway to Southeast Asia for visitors from India while opening Indian tourist destinations for Vietnamese residents in the central coastal region of Vietnam.
VietJet Air also plans to open a direct flight from Danang to Ahmedabad in India this December.
Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines will increase services to Bangkok, Thailand starting 30 October to three daily flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
The airline has also introduced an online check-in service at Buon Ma Thuot Airport this week, making it the 20th airport to offer online check-in for Vietnam Airlines passengers.
Buon Ma Thuot Airport is located near the provincial capital Buon Ma Thuot in Vietnam’s Dak Lak province in the central highlands, 500 km from Danang. The area is famed for its coffee plantations.
By implementing the check-in online service at Buon Ma Thuot Airport, Vietnam Airlines has increased airports offering online check-in service to 20 out of 22 served by its network, both domestic and international.
Passengers can save time by self-check-in via the website www.vietnamairlines.com or Vietnam Airlines app on smartphones in between 24 hours and one hour before the scheduled departure time.
DUBAI, UAE, 27 October 2022: Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to Mauritius on its 20th anniversary of operations in the Indian Ocean nation.
Clark said Emirates was proud to support Mauritius’ economy and tourism agenda by helping to bring visitors from all continents to the island. “With the pandemic crisis behind us, I believe the future is bright for Mauritius and Emirates”, he said.
This year, Emirates celebrates 20 years of flying to Mauritius and a winning partnership that has seen more than 6.5 million passengers carried on the Dubai-Mauritius route since 2002.
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 October 2022: Preliminary September 2022 traffic figures released Wednesday by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed international passenger demand sustained its strong upward momentum despite a worsening global economic outlook.
The significant easing of border restrictions across most of the region’s economies continued to unleash a robust return of business and leisure passenger traffic.
In September, international passengers carried by the region’s airlines reached 11.7 million, up from the 1.4 million registered in the same month in 2021. However, recovery has some ways to go, as passenger traffic volumes averaged 39% compared with September 2019.
Demand in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms increased by 575.1% year-on-year, reflecting the strength of regional travel markets. After accounting for a 189.6% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor jumped by 44.6 percentage points to 78% for the month, just 0.6 percentage points shy of corresponding pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
On the other hand, international air cargo markets remained under pressure, as export activity was hampered by depressed business and consumer confidence levels amid a deterioration in global macroeconomic conditions.
As a result, international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), recorded a double-digit decline of 10.4% year-on-year in September. Meanwhile, offered freight capacity continued to expand by 5.9% for the month, leading to an 11.6 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor to 64.0%.
Commenting on the results, AAPA director general Subhas Menon said: “Asian airlines are seeing encouraging recovery in international travel demand and achieving load factors close to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, the number of international passengers carried grew by 448.7% during the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period in 2021.”
He added: “On the other hand, a 4.4% decline in air cargo demand was registered in the same period. The outlook for the cargo market remains subdued in the near term. Overall, the region’s airlines continue to face a challenging operating environment, with operating costs under pressure due to high fuel prices and weak local currencies.
“The resilience of the industry is shining through. The healthy upswing in passenger markets this year provides an encouraging backdrop to the 66th AAPA Assembly of Presidents in Bangkok (November), where Asia Pacific airlines’ leaders will meet in person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Topics to be discussed include sustainability, the state of the industry, future growth opportunities and various regulatory challenges,” he explained.
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 October 2022: The Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) hosted The Michelin Guide’s debut announcement at MITEC last week, highlighting food specialities from Malaysia’s 13 states and three federal territories – Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya.
Various food selections like Sticky Sushi using glutinous rice with Harum Manis flown from Perlis for the occasion, Lobster Brioche using chunks of lobster and pomelos from Tambun, Perak, Baked Scallops using scallops from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah with mashed cauliflower and toast butter crust. Snow White Putrajaya comprises Banana Brulee, olive oil snow, and yoghurt crisp. The Nasi Lemak Royale Kedah Ice-Cream was a favourite amongst guests, served with in-house coconut gelato, sweet strawberry sambal, and caramelised anchovies.
Other food items served included the Baked BBQ Chicken Bun with inspiration from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Ceviche (Umai), Chilli Satay, Beef Bone & Marrow Kerutup, Spicy Chili Crab, Spicy Otak-Otak, Fire Baked Seafood Rice Biryani, ‘Hae Mee’ Bisque Penang, Crispy Stuffed Chicken Wings with Stuffed Rice, Coconut Pana Cotta, and Chendol Durian.
The food menu was featured on 13 digital panels that also showed the state of origin for each featured dish, the ingredients used and a map showing the state’s tourist attractions.
Commenting on hosting the event and the array of dishes served, MITEC chief executive officer Mala Dorasamy said: “We are delighted to organise such a prestigious event like The Michelin Guide Debut Announcement at MITEC. We are proud of the MITEC team who worked tirelessly to conceptualise the theme “Road to Malaysia”.
The Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) covers 75.5 acres of the KL Metropolis within Kuala Lumpur’s International Trade and Exhibition District.
It is one of the largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) venues in Southeast Asia, offering over 51,000 sqm of exhibition space.
SINGAPORE, 27 October 2022: JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group won three awards at the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) event held in Singapore last week.
The firm was recognised for the Single Asset Transaction of the Year for the Hilton Sydney, Merger & Acquisition (M&A) of the Year for W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, and the Rising Star of the Year for Calvin Li, Executive Vice President, Head of Transaction Advisory Services, Asia Pacific at JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group.
JLL advised on the marquee Hilton Sydney transaction earlier in 2022. The hotel was acquired by Barings Private Equity (BPEA) for circa AUD530 million (USD338 million) and featured 587 rooms. JLL was exclusively appointed to manage a discrete sale process on behalf of the seller Glory Property for this landmark recently refurbished luxury property. Significantly, this is the largest ever single hotel asset transaction closed in Australia.
The acquisition of W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa by an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners from Universal Enterprises and Marriott International closed in June 2022 for an undisclosed amount. JLL advised on the deal, which represents one of the largest open-market transactions in the Maldives, reinforcing the country’s position as a major destination for institutional capital. The resorts are on their own private islands and offer a combination of overwater villas and beach villas.
“Investment in the Asia Pacific hospitality space has made substantial strides in 2022. The flurry of capital allocation into the sector reinforces our conviction that the growth trajectory will continue into 2023. We are delighted to receive recognition for our deep commitment to our clients from HICAP and gratefully share these leading industry awards with all our partners involved in these two landmark transactions,” said JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group senior vice president and head of investment sales Asia Pacific Nihat Ercan
Calvin Li’s recognition as HICAP’s Rising Star for 2022 caps his well-established reputation as one of the leading members of the new generation of hotel advisors in Asia Pacific. He joined JLL in January 2012 as an analyst in Singapore in the Hotels & Hospitality team. After serving in various roles, he was appointed Head of Transaction Advisory in 2018.
For over 30 years, HICAP has been an important annual gathering place for Asia Pacific’s hotel investment community, attracting influential owners, developers, lenders, executives, and professional advisors worldwide.
SINGAPORE, 27 October 2022: Hyatt Hotels Corporation has opened Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, which marks the debut of Hyatt’s rapidly growing lifestyle brand in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
The 222-room hotel is located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, the coastal capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state on the island of Borneo.
“We are delighted to introduce Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu as Hyatt’s first Hyatt Centric hotel in Southeast Asia, setting a new milestone for our expanding lifestyle brand,” said Hyatt Group president Asia-Pacific David Udell.
The 23-story hotel is close to the shopping hotspots and the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, from which guests can take a short 20-minute boat trip to nearby islands to enjoy white sandy beaches and underwater activities.
It is also close to the Sabah International Convention Centre, a sports complex and a university. Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) is a 15-minute drive away.
General manager Ruben Schrijver leads the Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu’s management team.
