02.09.22
Thomas Ney,Divisional Senior Vice President Service Delivery - Emirates, receives a World's Best Economy Class Catering award at The StarTrax Awards, The Langham Hotel, London.
Photo credit: Simon Jacobs/PinPep
DUBAI, 26 September 2022: Emirates has taken home three awards at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022, including World’s Best Economy Class, World’s Best Economy Class Catering, and for the 17th consecutive time, World’s Best Inflight Entertainment.
The awards are a testament to the airline’s commitment to offering the best customer experience in the sky, where travellers in Economy Class can look forward to spacious cabins, carefully crafted menus, an unmatched range of in-flight entertainment choices, thoughtful amenities like kids toys, and much more.
When cost-cutting has become the norm, the airline is making long-term investments to elevate further its product and service strategy in every cabin class.
This latest recognition from Skytrax comes on the heels of the airline’s recent announcement that it is investing over US$ 2 billion to enhance its inflight customer experience. This includes one of the largest retrofit projects in aviation history, spanning 120 aircraft, which will soon sport the airline’s latest interior concepts, a new hospitality-focused service delivery model, and best-in-class product enhancements across all cabins this year. Emirates will also be investing over USD350 million in next-generation inflight entertainment systems with Thales for passengers to experience the airline’s massive library of 5,000 channels on high-definition screens, along with a host of other high-tech features on its incoming fleet of A350 aircraft.
SINGAPORE, 26 September 2022: United Airlines will resume a second daily nonstop flight between Singapore (SIN) and San Francisco (SFO), effective 29 October.
The airline resumed in initial daily service in January 2022.
The newly-introduced schedule between Singapore and San Francisco offers customers an evening departure from Singapore with an evening arrival in San Francisco and a morning departure from San Francisco with an evening arrival in Singapore.
The new frequency will enable United to offer nearly 20 additional one-stop connections to Singapore from destinations throughout North America. Customers in Singapore have access to almost 80 cities throughout the US, including major business markets like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas, via its hub in San Francisco.
In addition, United and Singapore Airlines expanded codeshare arrangements in April 2022 to provide more options and value to customers, making it easier for them to travel to more cities in the US, Southeast Asia, and other destinations in the Asia-Pacific region than before.
United Airlines director of sales for Greater China, Korea and Southeast Asia Walter Dias said: “To meet the increasing customer demand, we’ve decided to resume our twice-daily service, which can provide our customers with greater choices and more options between Singapore and San Francisco and beyond with optimal departure and arrival times. Singapore is an important business and leisure destination for United, and we remain committed to serving the Singapore market.”
The following is the new twice-daily SIN-SFO schedule:
SINGAPORE, 26 September 2022: Expedia reports Japan flight searches doubled following Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s announcement last week that confirms Covid-19 border restrictions will end on 11 October.
According to the PM, Japan will allow individual visitors to enter the country, reinstate visa waivers and end the cap on daily arrivals. It represents a significant policy shift in border controls linked to curbing the spread of Covid-19.
Japan reopened its borders to tourists on guided tours to enter last June, but tourists on nonguided tours still had to book through a registered travel agency. As of 11 October, travellers can book their holidays online without using a registered travel agency.
Japan removed the mandatory pre-arrival PCR tests for fully vaccinated travellers in September.
The new guidelines will open doors to tourists as long as they have been vaccinated three times or submit a negative COVID-19 test ahead of their trip, Kyodo News reported.
Commenting on the announcement, Expedia Group’s head of public relations Asia, Lavinia Rajaram said: “Search demand for travel to Japan on Expedia doubled following Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s announcement to relax border control measures.”
Flight searches to Japan on Expedia almost doubled (+90%) on the day of the announcement (22 September) compared to the last 14-day (8 to 21 September) average. Search demand for hotels in Japan saw an 85% increase on the day of the announcement, compared to the last 14-day (8 to 21 September) average.
For the upcoming year-end holiday season (November – December 2022), intra-Asia destinations are trending strongly, with seven out of the top searched cities found to be within Asia*.
“The reopening of Japan, and easing of quarantine measures in Taiwan position Asia as a strong aviation hub, with Tokyo and Taipei, now reopening as international corridors for long haul flights from the US and across Asia,” said Rajaram.
* Based on flight search data on Expedia.com.sg for trips in November to December.
ULM, Germany, 26 September 2022: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) has just concluded its roadshow tour in Germany to promote Sarawak in four major cities; Freiburg, Stuttgart, Ulm and Regensburg.
Scheduled from 19 to 24 September, the roadshow was hosted in collaboration with Tischler Reisen AG, a local wholesale agent that has extensive experience with the German market for more than 45 years in handling large tourist groups and creative long-distance travel offers.
In attendance at the roadshow were eight tourism players from several countries, including the Ministry of Heritage & Tourism Oman, Bahrain Tourism, Abu Dhabi, Anantara Iko Mauritius, Beachcomber, Tourism Shizouka, Herget Representation & Networking GmbH and Thailand Tourism. Some players had their representatives present, including Tourism Oman represented by Gulf Air in the Frankfurt office and Tourism Shizouka.
The programme included presentations for travel trade partners in Germany and a networking session about current tourism product updates in Sarawak. The roadshow with Tischler Reisen AG marked the first in-person event for STB in Europe since the pandemic.
Speaking at the event, STB’s assistant manager for Europe and Oceania market, Pauline Lim stated: “We feel glad to be closer to our industry partners to highlight Sarawak tourism experience and to talk about the new updates from Sarawak and other key attractions to over 100 travel trade partners in Germany. We anticipate a good season in the coming years in Sarawak, together with the increased airlifts, in what we call Sarawak has more to discover”.
Before the pandemic, Sarawak recorded more than 6,500 visitors from Germany in 2019. During the pandemic years, the number of visitors from European countries dropped tremendously but has shown an increase since May this year.
STB, during the event, presented its five key pillars in tourism attractions; Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival (CANFF), highlighting longhouse experience, adventure caving in Mulu UNESCO sites, wildlife experience in Bako National Park, cycling adventure as well as leisure activities in the Old Kuching Smart Heritage sites. Those are among the top interest of the German market.
HONG KONG, 22 September 2022: Cathay Pacific has signed an offtake agreement with Aemetis to supply 38 million US gallons of blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to be delivered over seven years in 2025 from San Francisco International Airport.
The SAF purchased can reduce more than 80,000 tonnes of lifecycle carbon emissions, equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by more than 1.3 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years.
The agreement is also part of the joint procurement initiative for SAF by the Oneworld alliance, of which Cathay Pacific is a founding member.
Cathay Pacific chief executive officer Augustus Tang said: “Cathay Pacific continues to reaffirm its commitment to addressing climate change despite these challenging times. In the past few years, we have announced our carbon net-zero by 2050 target and our goal of achieving 10% use of SAF by 2030. In doing this, we have built a robust SAF procurement strategy to help meet our goals. We are pleased that this agreement with Aemetis will contribute to that effort, and we hope it will also send the right signal to the SAF industry to encourage the much-needed investment and to scale up of its supply chain.”
The blended SAF to be supplied under this agreement is 40% SAF and 60% Petroleum Jet A-1 fuel to meet international blending standards.
The SAF will be produced at the Aemetis Carbon Zero plant currently under development in Riverbank, California. The facility will use waste wood to produce cellulosic hydrogen and combine it with wastes and non-edible sustainable oils. It will then be converted into SAF using carbon-neutral hydroelectricity. It is scheduled to begin deliveries to Cathay Pacific in 2025.
SAF provides significant environmental benefits compared to petroleum jet fuel, including up to 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis, depending on the technology used. It is a vital solution in the decarbonisation of aviation over the next few decades, especially for long-haul flights.
PHUKET, 22 September 2022: Banyan Tree Group, one of the leading independent hospitality groups, has launched a brand extension with its first wellness-centred resort, Banyan Tree Veya Phuket.
Taken from the root word “to weave”, Veya is mindful that wellbeing is a lifelong journey, and each path is different. This inspired the resort brand to curate personalised and bespoke experiences for guests built on Banyan Tree’s proprietary eight pillars of wellbeing; Sleep & Rest, Dietary Awareness, Bonding & Connection, Physical Vitality, Cultivate the Mind, Learning & Development, and Harmony with Nature and Sustained Practices.
“With our hyper-stimulated modern life, our nervous systems cannot truly relax and, therefore, rest; chronic stress erodes our natural immunity and regenerative capacity. Our ethos #OwnYourPresence guides our mission of inspiring individuals to travel inwards and become conscious of how their daily actions, thoughts, and emotions interact with their physical being,” says Banyan Tree Group Senior Vice President, Brand and Commercial Ho Ren Yung.
Banyan Tree Veya marked its debut with the recent opening of Banyan Tree Veya Phuket and with upcoming resorts planned in Vabbinfaru, Maldives and Ilha Caldeira, Mozambique.
Banyan Tree Veya Phuket is a 23-villa resort offering a serene enclave within Laguna Phuket, a distinct and tranquil location within the Banyan Tree Phuket resort and a few minutes’ walk from Bangtao Beach.
Veya guests can enjoy exclusive access to a Wellbeing Centre featuring Thailand’s first-ever White Room for sensory detox and meditative practice and a traditional herb farm-pharmacy workshop options for spa, private classes, dining and retail products. A journey reflection consultation is offered before departure, followed by personalised programmes and lifestyle practices to continue their wellbeing journey in their daily lives.
Three Step Wellbeing Experience
The journey at Veya is led by certified multidisciplinary wellbeing hosts, who are certified and trained in eastern medicine, naturopathy and coaching, around a three-step protocol of Awareness, Discovery and Sustenance.
Before arrival, guests will have a private consultation with the wellbeing hosts to determine their needs and priorities. After assessing the brand’s codified wellbeing approach, a personalised itinerary is created to align with the needs and priorities, centring on embodiment therapies and somatic practices allowing guests to centre the mind and body.
Mindfulness practices at Veya include classes such as Ocean Breath and Conscious Grounding, which aim to raise sensory awareness through breathwork, sound therapy and guided imagery meditation techniques in natural environments. The somatic movement consists of intuitive forms of dance, yoga and classes such as Balance and Stability that focus on the internal experience of movement to release chronic tension patterns and calm the nervous system. While weightless, a new range of signature therapies unique to Veya, combines rehabilitative floatation with body stretch massage techniques and meditational sound therapy into a restorative sensory experience. Lifestyle learning is a series of workshops to introduce wellbeing rituals into daily life, including creative therapies, integrative nutrition, and classes such as Positive Resilience to help guests bring the retreat experience home.
A stay at Banyan Tree Veya includes accommodation in the Veya Pool Villas, well-designed for rest and restoration, a private wellbeing assessment before the arrival with mapping and consultation, a bespoke wellbeing itinerary from the curated group wellbeing activity calendar, daily rituals, and mindful practices. Flexible Veya credits allow guests to choose the preferred private sessions, spa treatments, retail purchases and outlet dining, end-of-stay reflection and consultation, allowing guests to weave new learnings and practices and continue the path of wellbeing upon returning home as well as a personalised guide to take home to support personal practice.
Banyan Tree Veya caters to guests 13 years and above. For more information and reservations, visit www.veya.banyantree.com
MALE, Maldives, 22 September 2022: Decisions stakeholders make today will define the next era of Maldives tourism, said QUO CEO David Keen during the keynote address at the sixth annual Hotelier Maldives GM Forum.
He defined the Maldives as a global icon and benchmark for tourism worldwide, suggesting it was time to form a road map to sustain its pre-eminent role.
QUO CEO David Keen during the keynote address at the sixth annual Hotelier Maldives GM Forum.
This year’s forum marked the 50th anniversary of Maldives tourism. In looking to the future, Keen urged attendees to remember how the Maldives arrived at the present, noting an “absolute correlation between where we sit and where we’re going”.
“The Maldives is the benchmark for global tourism,” Keen told the audience that included the Minister of Tourism, Dr Abdulla Mausoom.
Keen shared candidly that the country was at a turning point from which it had to form a road map to the future.
He noted that the Maldives’ reputation as an icon of glamour and luxury would be tested by economic headwinds and arrivals growth, which he summarised as trade-offs between exclusivity and accessibility. A key challenge would be developing strategies for the two to coexist.
Commenting on the early days of Maldives’ tourism industry — when the nation’s isolation and pristine nature fuelled a sense of adventure in visitors — he said the future of tourism would be defined by decisions industry stakeholders made today.
“Following the current market, forces could lead to short-term growth at the expense of perception.”
Instead, Keen urged attendees to take charge and curate the coming era by diversifying product offerings, integrating experiences between islands and pioneering new experiences for guests. The result would be long-term growth, greater cultural distinction and an emboldened Brand Maldives.
Hotelier Maldives managing editor Mohamed Mamduh said at the close of the event: “Keen’s keynote and the Q&A with the pioneers placed the challenges facing the Maldives in a global context. It will certainly catalyse the destination, giving policymakers and tourism entrepreneurs plenty to think about as they strategise for the next 50 years.”
The forum was organised by Hotelier Maldives and hosted at Kurumba Maldives, the archipelago’s first resort.
BANGKOK, 22 September 2022: Skål International Bangkok, led by the club’s president James Thurlby, recently organised a cocktail reception for its members to welcome Bill Haswell, Skål International Kuala Lumpur, on his trip to visit Thailand.
Novotel Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 20 hosted the event that was also attended by students from Assumption University who are studying tourism hospitality.
From left Andrew J. Wood, President of Skål International Asia. Bill Haswell, President of Skål International Kuala Lumpur. Earth Saisawang, President of Hotel’s Public Relations Club of Thailand. James Thurlby, President of Skål International Bangkok. Kanokros Wongvekin, Director of Public Relations of Skål International Bangkok and former President of Hotel’s Public Relations Association of Thailand. Marvin Bemand, Vice President of Skål International Bangkok.
BANGKOK, 22 September 2022: It took days for the news announcing a THB300 discount on all domestic airline flights to trickle down to social media and news outlets. It should have been much faster.
Six airlines that are members of the Thailand Airline Association joined the Tourism Authority of Thailand to launch the AMXTH300 deal on domestic fares last week.
There was a considerable delay in the publicity drive which finally clicked in when the airlines posted the deal on their Facebook accounts yesterday. Domestic travellers can grab the THB300 discount on bookings until midnight on 10 October. Fights are valid from 1 November through to 31 December.
Officially the campaign, supported by the TAT, is called “Discounts All Over the Sky, Fly All Over Thailand,” but more importantly, to get the discounts, you need to tap in the AMZTH300 code to activate the deal on airline booking sites.
TAA members supporting the discount are Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai Smile, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai VietJet. The seventh TAA member, Thai AirAsia X, only serves international medium to long-haul routes.
Discounts apply on 500,000 seats across the six participating airlines, valid for travel until 31 December. Relying almost entirely on domestic travellers to revive tourism earnings, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn believes the discount will help the country reach its domestic revenue goal. Airline services are increasing, but the domestic fare deal is unavailable in the international space as far as booking opportunities go. By design, it caters exclusively for Thais and expatriate residents.
TAA president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth claims the six airlines should regain their 2019 booking levels by the fourth quarter of 2023. That is remarkably optimistic. Bangkok Airways is struggling to resume lucrative codeshare deals that represented a substantial part of its revenue during 2019 before the Covid 19 lockdown. The airlines suspended codeshare agreements during the pandemic. Around 70% of the airline’s international bookings come from codeshare flights, mostly European airlines that use Bangkok Airways flights on domestic sectors or to destinations in neighbouring countries. Even if the codeshare agreements resume in 2023, most aviation experts say full recovery could take longer, possibly by 2024. China’s schedule leading up to the reopening of outbound leisure travel remains crucial for Southeast Asia’s airlines. It could be as early as Chinese New Year in January 202s or much later in the year. There are still no hints on the timetable.
SINGAPORE, 22 September 2022: Pandaw is back sailing the rivers of the Mekong region after a two and half year hiatus.
This week, RV Angkor Pandaw, which has 16 rooms on two decks, completed its first 10-night expedition of the season along Vietnam’s Red River with an overnight visit to Halong Bay.
Tourists booked on the inaugural Pandaw cruise embarked at Halong on 9 September and completed the cruise 10 days later. They were welcomed on board by the crew of RV Angkor Pandaw, including Purser Myo, who has been with Pandaw for decades. A native of Myanmar, he is now ensuring the ‘Pandaw Spirit’ is maintained on river cruises elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
The two Vietnam cruise itineraries are the first to resume with commercial passengers. Sailings on the Mekong River in Laos, Cambodia, and India should resume in October. In Myanmar, where the fleet is still in drydock, the outlook remains grim, and it is unlikely river boat sailings will return in 2023.
