BANGKOK, 20 October 2022: Thai Vietjet will increase flights on the Taipei – Bangkok route from three times weekly to daily starting from 2 November in response to the easing of quarantine in Taiwan and the resumption of visa-free stays for Thai travellers.
“After a long break from Covid-19, the gradual restoration of the international travel market is a significant sign… there has been great feedback from the market between Thailand and Taiwan since our flight service launch to Taipei last August. With further relaxation of travel restrictions in Taiwan, allowing Thai travellers to enter Taiwan without quarantine and visa-free, we are eager to add more flights during the upcoming peak travel season,” said Thai Vietjet director of commercial Pinyot Pibulsonggram.
Starting 2 November 2, the flights connecting Taipei and Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) will operate daily with an approximate flight time of three hours and 45 minutes.
The airline also offers connections at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Thai domestic destinations, including Phuket, Krabi, and Chiang Mai.
KUALA LUMPUR, 19 October 2022: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has expressed concern over the recent month-long service disruption of Malaysia’s eVISA portal, saying it has resulted in losses of MYR20 to 30 million.
“Apart from ASEAN, India is now the top contributor of foreign arrivals to Malaysia, with 71,481 Indian tourist arrivals between January to June 2022 alone, said MATTA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang in a statement to the media on Tuesday.
MATTA President Datuk KL Tan.
“We understand that, in September, approximately 23,000 Indian tourists opted to travel to Bali instead of Malaysia due to the difficulties in securing a visa to Malaysia,”
MATTA and Tourism Malaysia have organised a series of successful roadshows to India over the last few months. In addition, the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) convention was recently hosted in Kuching to promote Borneo to India’s outbound tourism markets.
Three visa centres were set up in Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai to alleviate the eVisa portal downtime impact.
“Given the vastness of the Indian subcontinent, opening only three visa centres is far from practical,” the MATTA president explained.
“If Malaysia is to remain competitive and attractive in such lucrative outbound markets, we must look at more practical long-term measures. As such, the government must consider the immediate benefits of implementing a direct visa-on-arrival facility for Indian tourists,” Tan added.
Thailand and Indonesia already provide visa-on-arrival facilities to Indian tourists at international airport gateways.
SINGAPORE, 19 October 2022: Travellers will have the opportunity to experience spectacular destinations with Princess Cruises’ 2023-24 Australia and New Zealand season featuring four ships, including two Royal-class ships – Majestic Princess and Royal Princess – as well as Coral Princess and Grand Princess offering 76 itineraries to 68 destinations in total.
The ships will sail from Australia and New Zealand’s homeports, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and Auckland, giving guests varied options on where to embark for their sailing. Each port possesses its own unique culture, lifestyle, and charm. Guests can experience the iconic sights of Sydney, Brisbane’s coastal beauty, Melbourne’s rich culture, the famed wine country of Perth and Auckland, the land of the Māori, and more departures to and from Adelaide than ever before.
In 2023, the season starts from January to April, followed by October to December. In 2024, the season starts from January to April, followed by August to September. Departing on 30 April 2024, from Sydney and on 2 May 2024, from Brisbane, there is also a 110-night world cruise onboard Coral Princess.
“Australia and New Zealand are among the top destinations for our guests in Southeast Asia. We see increased interest for cruises Down Under and Across the Ditch since the border openings. We are blending immersive onboard experiences with epic landscapes, colourful cultures, and laid-back charm to provide memorable cruise vacations,” said Princess Cruises country director for Southeast Asia Farriek Tawfik.
Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Fiordland National Park, immerse themselves in Māori culture, see glowworms twinkle in underground caves outside Auckland, and peek into movie-making magic with The Lord of the Rings tour in Wellington.
Some of the highlights include:
5-Day Southern Australia Seacation – 22 & 23 October January 2023
Roundtrip from Melbourne, Australia, on board Grand Princess
Melbourne, Australia | Kangaroo Island, Australia | Adelaide, Australia | Melbourne, Australia
7-Day Tasmania – 10 March 2024
Roundtrip from Melbourne, Australia, onboard Majestic Princess
Melbourne, Australia | Eden, Australia | Great Oyster Bay & Freycinet Peninsula (Scenic Cruising), AU | Port Arthur, Australia | Hobart, Australia | Hobart, Australia | Melbourne, Australia
7-Day Queensland – Nov 24 2023 & Feb 5 2024
Roundtrip from Brisbane, Australia, onboard Coral Princess
Brisbane, Australia | Airlie Beach, Australia | Cairns, Australia | Port Douglas, Australia | Willis Island, Australia | Brisbane, Australia
13-Day New Zealand – 3 January, 2 & 19 November, 2 & 28 December 2023; 5, 10 & 23 January, 5 February and 1 & 18 March 2024
Roundtrip from Sydney, Australia, onboard Majestic or Royal Princess
Sydney, Australia | Bay of Islands, New Zealand | Tauranga, New Zealand | Auckland, New Zealand | Picton, New Zealand | Christchurch (Lyttelton), New Zealand | Dunedin (Port Chalmers), New Zealand | Fiordland National Park (Scenic Cruising) | Sydney, Australia.
Princess Cruises also offers various award-winning excursions and tours that provide unique experiences. For example, bush-walking in the Blue Mountains or visiting the Australian Outback, during which guests can immerse themselves in Aboriginal culture and visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Uluru National Park.
Lucky draw winner
Princess Cruises is also welcoming a special guest onboard – Madam Lee Lay Ngo from Singapore, who is the lucky winner of the online giveaway contest for the prize of an 8-night voyage onboard Majestic Princess. The cruise will depart on 12 November 2022, roundtrip from Sydney, visiting destinations in Tasmania such as Hobart, Great Oyster Bay & Freycinet Peninsula and Eden, as well as Melbourne.
“We were delighted with the response to our online contest, with thousands of entries from residents in Southeast Asia. While there can only be one winner, we hope participants will still book a cruise and join us on one of our incredible voyages,” added Tawfik.
Princess delivers the ultimate in effortless, personalised cruising featuring world-class dining and entertainment, all elevated by the Princess MedallionClass Experience. The Medallion enables everything from expedited, contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need to be delivered directly to them, wherever they are on the ship. In addition, guests can share their favourite cruise moments using MedallionNet, the best WiFi at sea, as well as stay connected with friends and family back home, work remotely anywhere on the ship, quickly post content and stream favourite movies and shows. Princess has offered MedallionPay contactless payment for all onboard purchases on MedallionClass since the Princess MedallionClass Experience debuted in late 2017.
Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor by calling +65 6922 6788 or by visiting the company’s website at http://www.princess.com/.
Opening in July 2023, the 515-key Centara Grand Hotel Osaka will provide an excellent base for guests to explore the city’s spirited entertainment and shopping district. Ideal for business travellers, families, couples and solo explorers, Centara’s debut hotel in Japan offers something exceptional for everyone.
Shigeki has over 20 years of hospitality experience in a highly competitive local market. He started his career in 1999 as the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at Hilton Osaka, where he built his foundation as a hotelier over 11 years by overseeing outlets, banquets and in-room dining operations. He joined The St. Regis Osaka as Director of Food & Beverage in 2010 before taking his first general manager assignment at Moxy Osaka, where he successfully opened the hotel in 2018. The following year, Shigeki advanced his career further as executive assistant manager at ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kobe, where he demonstrated strong leadership and practical management skills in all aspects of hotel operations – even during the challenging times of Covid in 2020 and 2021.
“We have closely witnessed Shigeki’s career growth. He is a very effective leader and manager. We are delighted to have him head up our first Centara hotel to open in Japan,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts chief executive officer Thirayuth Chirathivat.
“I am overjoyed to join such an esteemed international brand as Centara and am grateful for the opportunity to open its first hotel in Japan,” Shigeki Nakagawa commented. “I aim to bring my years of experience, expertise and industry knowledge into every detail of Centara Grand Hotel Osaka to provide the highest level of service to our guests and make this exquisite property a success.”
Centara Grand Hotel Osaka is a 33-storey visual masterpiece towering over the heart of Namba, Osaka’s foremost downtown area. Guests can discover an eclectic selection of world-class bars and restaurants ranging from casual vibrance to remarkably decadent, or enjoy an evening tipple as they watch the city come to life from the spectacular rooftop vista. With modern MICE facilities, grand ballrooms, co-working spaces, and our award-winning SPA Cenvaree, Centara Grand Osaka is the place to be for any occasion.
DELHI, India, 19 October 2022: Club Vistara, the loyalty programme of Vistara, a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, launches a campaign for CV members that offers curated getaways.
In its first phase, the programme offers Club Vistara members an assortment of tailored itineraries, such as a nomadic getaway to Ladakh and a captivating view of the Everest Summit.
Members can participate via an Instagram contest or a raffle draw. The winners will become the faces of Club Vistara Escapades. They will be accompanied on their all-expenses paid trips by a professional production crew who will help them create exciting content for their and Club Vistara’s social media handles.
Commenting on the announcement, Vistara’s chief commercial officer Deepak Rajawat said: “Club Vistara has redefined the boundaries of a frequent flyer programme with a more meaningful lifestyle offering.
Club Vistara Escapades is our way of encouraging our loyal customers to do more of what they love. We are delighted to invite Club Vistara members to participate in this unique programme, specially designed to provide extraordinary experiences they will love sharing with the world and us.”
Members need to log into their Club Vistara account, select Escapades on the dashboard, and participate through the dedicated microsite by selecting the experience that resonates most with their individual lifestyle preferences.
Club Vistara is a holistic lifestyle programme spanning travel and lifestyle choice touchpoints, including but not limited to flights, hotels, credit cards and retail. There are four tiers of membership of Club Vistara – CV Base, CV Silver, CV Gold and the highest tier, CV Platinum. Members can redeem their points for Vistara Award Flights or Upgrades Awards. CV members can also enjoy accruals and redemption on Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, SilkAir, Japan Airlines and United Airlines.
About Vistara (TATA SIA Airlines Limited): TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA).
SEPANG, Malaysia 19 October 2022: The AirAsia X Group announced Tuesday it is increasing its Malaysia AirAsia X (D7) flights to 44 weekly across 10 routes and is expanding its Thai AirAsia X (XJ) operations to fly 22 weekly services across five routes in the next two months.
Recently, AAX launched direct services from Kuala Lumpur to South Korea (Seoul-Incheon) and India (New Delhi) and announced the resumption of services to Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth), New Zealand (Auckland), Japan (Tokyo-Haneda and Sapporo-Chitose), with latest confirmed new routes to Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) and Taipei starting November.
Thai AirAsia X has launched services from Bangkok to Japan (Osaka and Tokyo-Narita) and South Korea (Seoul-Incheon). It is preparing to launch new direct routes to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) and Japan (Sapporo-Chitose) in early December.
As it returns to the skies, AAX remains committed to recalling all furlough pilots and cabin crew. AAX today confirmed that all furloughed pilots and retrenched cabin crew would have the opportunity to be back in the sky by December this year. Since the pandemic, AAX has already reactivated 175 pilots and 285 cabin crew, including rehiring 131 cabin crew who were retrenched during the pandemic.
Acting Group CEO of AAX Tony Fernandes said: “AAX is well and truly back with a focus on returning to our most popular and profitable medium-haul destinations first in the short term, which are historically proven.
“This strategy ensures that the AAX Group can operate at an optimal frequency on our core routes to keep our costs down and deliver the best fares in the market for consumers while, at the same time, maximising our revenues to ensure a successful and viable airline for the future.
“However, the most important thing for me is that we can confirm today that we are bringing back our staff whom we had to let go during Covid. I had committed, and it thrills me that we can honour that in two and a half years as we return to the skies stronger than ever.
“Many pilots and cabin crew are already back in service, but as we continue to grow in line with huge pent-up demand, all of our AAX pilots who are still on furlough will return to the flight deck, together with the retrenched cabin crew by December this year. We are retraining the third batch of rehired cabin crew ahead of strong forecast demand for medium-haul air travel.
“While medium-haul is our priority, we remain focused on launching certain longer-haul destinations like London, Dubai and Istanbul, which we will announce shortly.”
Malaysia AAX CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “Finally, the world borders are reopening, and we are ready to fly high again. Currently, we are operating with four widebody A330 aircraft. As we continue to grow, we expect to operate up to 13 aircraft by the first quarter of 2023 to meet the strong and growing demand for the best value, medium-haul flights.
“Commencing December, we will not only be adding more destinations but also increasing our flight frequencies on popular routes, such as moving to daily services between Kuala Lumpur and Seoul (Incheon) to fly 53 flights weekly. This signals that medium-haul air travel is fast recovering, and we intend to leverage this opportunity to drive sustainable growth for AAX, providing consumers with greater value and choice.
“We are already seeing strong forward bookings for the routes we have restarted post-pandemic, and we will be resuming more services in our core markets such as Auckland, Melbourne, Perth, Jeddah, Taipei, Tokyo (Haneda) and Sapporo in the next two months to cater for the growing travel demand. Our forward-booking trends remain very encouraging across all key metrics, with higher year-on-year load factors and average fares through the first quarter of 2023.
HANOI, 19 October 2022: Bamboo Airways gears up for global expansion by selecting Amadeus’ Altéa Passenger Service System and solutions for revenue management and digital marketing.
The carrier will join a community of over 200 airlines using Amadeus PSS technology worldwide, enabling Bamboo Airways to deliver efficient reservation services for front-line employees to aid customers in purchasing, changing, and using services from the airline.
Bamboo Airways will also implement Amadeus’ Network Revenue Management solution, powered with Artificial Intelligence capabilities. This technology will enable the carrier to boost revenues across its network as it builds routes through connecting hubs, codeshares, and partnerships.
It will ensure Bamboo Airways can forecast passenger demand and willingness to pay while helping to react quickly to changing market conditions.
Additionally, the carrier will implement a modern front-end solution, Amadeus Reference Experience, for booking, self-service check-in, and self-re-accommodation workflows. This technology will enable the airline to create a seamless customer experience on the Bamboo Airways website and other digital channels.
Bamboo Airways CEO Nguyen Manh Quan said:“Cooperating with a critical partner like Amadeus is the first step in the digital transformation of Bamboo Airways to improve the technology systems and leverage customer experiences. Our adoption of the Altéa PSS and other digital solutions marks a crucial breakthrough in our business strategy, thus creating a launch pad to thrive in international markets, join the world’s major airline alliance down the line, and affirm our global status.”
Bamboo Airways currently operates nearly 170 flights per day and has a growing fleet of 30 aircraft, including the ultra-modern Boeing 787 wide-body, the narrow-body Airbus A321, and the regional Embraer 190.
KUALA LUMPUR, 19 October 2022: For the third consecutive edition, Asia Pacific tourism boards dominate the top 10 rankings of the report, How Online Ready Are NTOs for Muslim Travellers in 2022?
They took 62% of the top spots and widened the gap between themselves and their European peers.
The 2022 report involved research collaboration between the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an entity under the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture tasked to develop the Islamic tourism segment, and Pear Anderson, a consultancy specialising in the Southeast Asian tourism industry and the Muslim friendly travel market.
It was launched in conjunction with the 3rd World Islamic Tourism Conference (WITC) held at World Trade Centre from 17 to 19 October.
The annual conference, organised by ITC, shares insights on the Muslim tourist market and its impact on the socioeconomy.
The study examines the online resources of national tourist offices representing the top 50 most visited non-Muslim (non-OIC) destinations worldwide. Out of the 50 destinations studied, 54% of them now have some level of Muslim-friendly travel information, compared to just 36% in 2019’s inaugural report, and up from 46% in 2020, a signal of the continued importance destinations are placing on Muslim travellers to boost tourism recovery.
In the 2022 edition, Korea and Taiwan share first place, with Japan and Hong Kong jointly in second place and Singapore in third place.
ITC director general Dato’ Dr Mohmed Razip Hasan said: “It’s clear that there’s a big move among destinations to attract Muslim tourists. Online information, clear communication and branding are important in gaining the attention and interest of this market. We hope this report will provide insights to help destinations make the right decisions and action plans.”
“APAC destinations are keeping up their impressive lead when creating online Muslim-friendly travel resources,” Pear Anderson director Hannah Pearson said. “Korea and Taiwan are world leaders in innovative Muslim friendly traveller formats and content which, at the heart of it, ensure that Muslim travellers feel welcomed and included in their destinations.”
The report also features a case study from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and industry best practices for online Muslim-friendly tourism resources.
Muslim travel spending is a significant and fast-growing sector, set to grow to USD189 billion by 2025, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2022.
Key takeaways
62% of the top 10 NTOs are from Asia Pacific (60% in 2020)
54% of the top 50 most visited destinations now have some form of online resource available for Muslim travellers (36% in 2019, 46% in 2020)
40% of the top 10 most visited non-Muslim majority destinations in the world now have online Muslim-friendly travel resources (50% in 2020)
Korea and Taiwan came in the joint first place, and Japan and Hong Kong jointly in second place. There is just one point’s difference between first and second place
New entrants to the top 10 included Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hungary, Philippines, Russia and Vietnam
Ireland crashed out of the top 10, scoring zero points in the 2022 edition
Korea and Singapore saw significant increases in points vs 2020
PUTRAJAYA, 18 October 2022: The Malaysian tourism industry gained international recognition at this year’s PATA Gold Awards, organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
Malaysia won three of 23 Gold Award categories: Travel Video, Culture, and Travel Photograph.
Sarawak Tourism Board landed two Gold Awards from the Travel Video and Culture categories. Its promotional video titled “A Journey Awaits” by Faithworks Studios won the Travel Video Gold Award, which invites travellers to Sarawak through its portrayal of the state’s enchanting beauty, culture, heritage, and natural wonders. Watch the full video here
The virtual experience of the 2021 Rainforest World Music Festival, organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board, also won the Culture Gold Award. This creative twist allowed music lovers to enjoy the festival from the comfort of their homes during the pandemic. The festival brought forward Sarawak’s traditional music and culture on a virtual, no-entrance-fee-required festival for all to enjoy.
Tourism Malaysia bagged the Travel Photograph Gold Award through its photo entry of a man flying a Wau, Malaysia’s traditional kite, by the coast of Terengganu. Capturing one of the most recognisable symbols of Malaysian culture, flying a Wau is both a cultural icon and a valuable part of the country’s cultural heritage.
The objective of the award-winning photo is also to capture the unique craft of a Wau. From witnessing its creation to watching it soar through the air would be an awe-inspiring and one-of-a-kind experience. Even in modern times, it is common to see people in Kelantan and Terengganu flying kites, mainly when it is harvest time.
MALDIVES, 18 October 2022: Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort has announced details of its Christmas and New Year programme, which runs from 19 December to 1 January.
A diverse and creative range of activities has been designed for guests who love to eat, drink, keep fit – physically and spiritually – chill or dance to music, learn about marine life such as manta rays and whale sharks and see them in the wild.
Guests who love to eat and drink can enjoy chef Christopher Long’s Christmas market and sign up for hands-on classes on making sushi, Vietnamese hand rolls, seafood curing, cake decoration, and chocolate and wine pairing. There will also be mojito madness and margarita mash-up sessions.
Ideal for couples, guests can request private sunset dinners on the beach and a floating breakfast in their pool villa, which can be over water or on the beach, depending on guest preference.
Surrounded by immaculately clear tropical waters, Outrigger guests can enjoy sunset cruises, big game fishing (catch & release), kayaking around the island, snorkelling safaris and guided scuba dives.
Apart from leading marine trips, the resort’s resident marine biologist, Lynn Jula Kessler, will give presentations on Outrigger’s ZONE – OZONE – its global nature conservation initiative.
A key feature of the festive period on the island will be physical and spiritual fitness. Outrigger’s resident yoga and fitness instructor Ajay Sharma has created a thoughtful and holistic regime of sunrise and sunset hatha yoga, balance and strength sessions, pilates classes, core training, flow yoga, and cross fit.
On New Year’s Eve, management cocktails early evening will be followed by an around-the-globe gourmet journey and then a DJ session from 2230 onwards for guests to dance their way into 2023.
The resort will also run a festive Instagram contest. Guests who post images with certain hashtags could win a traditional dhoni sailing boat sunset cocktail for two, a 60-minute couples’ massage, or a beach dinner for two.
The full list of optional Christmas and New Year guest activities is available here.
Only 25 minutes seaplane flight from the modern and efficient seaplane terminal at Male international airport, the newly refurbished Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort has been designed to regale guests with 81 bright and well-appointed opulent villas and five engaging dining outlets – the foundation of a luxury lifestyle holiday, all with the friendly touch that Outrigger is known for.
For further information and to book Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort, visit outrigger.com or contact your preferred travel agent.
