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STB launches SingapoRewards

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 8 March 2023: The Singapore Tourism Board has launched SingapoRewards, a new programme offering complimentary Singapore experiences for international visitors.

This programme will run through 2023 and allow visitors to try one of nearly 40 new or “off-the-beaten-path” experiences in Singapore for free.

Starting 7 March 2023, eligible short-term visitors to Singapore can redeem a free experience from a specially selected list of SingapoRewards activities. Many of these experiences will showcase less well-known places of interest or provide access to unique, exclusive experiences. These experiences will offer new perspectives of Singapore – even to returning visitors. Redemptions and bookings can be made on the VisitSingapore app or the SingapoRewards microsite.

Singapore Tourism Board chief executive officer Keith Tan said: “Tourism has returned strongly to Singapore since our borders reopened last year. As more international travellers return, we want to enhance their experience of Singapore by introducing them to hidden gems unique to our country. By focusing on innovative experiences, SingapoRewards provides a platform for local businesses to launch and test new products and offerings. I invite all visitors to explore our city’s diverse offerings through SingapoRewards, and to share their positive experience with others.”

A better way to holiday in Singapore

SingapoRewards was successfully piloted from Oct 2022 to March 2023 in Australia, India and Indonesia. With the full global launch, visitors can look forward to different activities to suit their interests and itineraries. These are curated across various precincts and categories:

• Novelty and excitement: Explore picturesque precincts through unique tours such as Historical Singapore Bike Tours and Bugis, Waterloo and Kampong Gelam Instagram Walking Tour.

• Food and dining: Savour local culinary delights on board the Singapore River Dining Cruise as you explore the island city’s history or discover the origins of Singapore Dry Gin at the Brass Lion Distillery Tour.

• Sustainability: Enjoy eco-friendly activities such as the Pleated Bag Making Workshop, learn about aquatic husbandry and conservation at S.E.A. Aquarium + Behind The Panel Guided Tour, or take an inside look at one of the world’s best airports through the Jewel Connection: Changi Airport & Jewel Changi Walking Tour.

 • Wellness: Find an oasis of calm at the Singapore Flora Heritage Room Diffuser Workshop or get a refreshing workout at the Aqua Spinning Workout Class.

Monster Day Tours founder Suen Tat Yam commented: “We designed The Jewel Connection: Changi Airport & Jewel Changi Walking Tour to offer a rare insider look at one of the world’s best airports.

“Since the SingapoRewards campaign was piloted in October 2022, we’ve received such positive feedback on the tour that we can’t wait to roll it out to more visitors.”

Brass Lion Distillery founder Jamie Koh shared: ” Brass Lion Distillery is Singapore’s first full-fledged micro-distillery producing premium handcrafted spirits. Brass Lion is proud to welcome international visitors into our home. With our Distillery Tour, participants can take a behind-the-scenes look at our process and enjoy a guided-tasting flight of our flagship gins. Brass Lion aspires to put Singapore on the map for gin lovers, so we appreciate the opportunity to share our approach to gin-making and introduce travellers from all over the world to our uniquely Singaporean spirits.”

Sabah welcomes tourists from China

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TTR WEEKLY
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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah welcomes 140 travellers from Guangzhou on 2 March when the first direct flight from China since the pandemic landed at Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

The AirAsia flight was welcomed by Sabah Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment cum Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai was on hand to greet them.

Sabah Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment cum Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai was on hand to greet the Chinese passengers on the flight from Guangzhou.

He was accompanied by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Datuk Sr. Mohd Yusrie Abdullah; Chinese Consul General in Kota Kinabalu Huang Shifang; and STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman.

A day later, on 3 March, AirAsia introduced a second route from Shenzhen, China, to KKIA.

Sabah had anticipated the arrival of Chinese visitors much earlier this year, but a holdup in issuing passports to Chinese citizens delayed the resumption of flights.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Mohd Yusrie Abdullah, Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman and several senior officers were present at the welcoming ceremony.

“We are thrilled to have Chinese visitors back, and we hope our industry players will continue to provide exceptional hospitality services to our guests,” said Joniston, adding that China is a key and important market for Sabah.

Sabah anticipates more Chinese tourists will visit the state in the coming months as more direct flights from several cities in China resume. Before the pandemic, China was Sabah’s leading international visitor source, with 598,566 Chinese visitors recorded in 2019.

Visit: www.sabahtourism.com

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

Emirates and PAL ink interline deal

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TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, Philippines, 7 March 2023: Emirates and Philippine Airlines have signed an interline agreement to boost connectivity for passengers of both air carriers to new points on each other’s networks via Manila and Dubai, using a single ticket and one baggage policy.

Emirates passengers gain access to 19 Philippine domestic destinations operated by Philippine Airlines, including Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Cotabato, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo and two Asian regional points via Manila.

Philippine Airlines’ passengers also benefit from access to Emirates’ global network and seamlessly connect to 21 cities operated by Emirates beyond Dubai to European destinations such as London, Rome, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Paris and Kuwait, as well as to Jeddah and other points in the Middle East, Africa and India.

Travel itineraries can be booked on emirates.com, philippineairlines.com, the Emirates and PAL mobile apps, or via both online and offline travel agents.

Emirates’ chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim commented: “The Philippines is one of our strongest consumer markets, and we’re pleased to sign a new interline agreement with the country’s flag carrier. The partnership with Philippine Airlines will help open new links for trade and tourism that will drive more inbound traffic into the market and expand Emirates’ footprint in East Asia. We look forward to serving our partner airline’s customers with additional travel choices to Emirates destinations across the Middle East, Europe and the Americas and to expanding our cooperation with plans to include additional points via Cebu in the coming months.”

Philippine Airlines vice president for ales Bud Britanico commented:  “We are happy to embark on this new interline partnership with Emirates that expands the choices available to Philippine Airlines passengers, who now gain easier access to more destinations across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa via our flights to Dubai.”

Emirates started operations in Manila in 1990 and has since expanded its network to include Cebu and Clark. The airline serves the Philippines with 25 weekly flights to the three gateways.

Emirates operates its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a mix of three-class and two-class configurations on flights to Manila, Cebu and Clark. On Emirates’ three-class Boeing 777 flights, passengers are offered eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. The airline’s two-class Boeing 777 flights offer passengers 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 386 spacious seats in Economy Class. Travellers to and from the Philippines benefit from Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, with regionally-inspired dishes and complimentary beverages and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system, which offers up to 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages, including movies, TV shows, and an extensive musical library along with games, audiobooks and podcasts.

With the addition of its agreement with Philippine Airlines, Emirates takes its interline partners up to 120 air carriers. The airline also has 27 codeshare partners. These partnerships enable Emirates to respond with agility to the dynamic travel industry, meeting the ever-evolving air travel needs of its customer.

About Emirates

From its global hub in Dubai, Emirates serves customers on six continents, providing high-quality air transport services that facilitate tourism and trade. The airline has earned customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky, delivered by a passionate workforce representing over 160 nations. Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of wide-body Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, offering spacious cabins and iconic inflight features such as its A380 Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge and its ice inflight entertainment system available in all seats across its fleet, which has topped “best in sky” awards for 14 consecutive years. Emirates is committed to environmentally-responsible operations and focuses on three areas: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and protecting wildlife and habitats. 

For more information, visit www.emirates.com.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

MATTA spotlight shines on Taiwan

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 March 2023: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents reports Taiwan is on board as Asia’s Featured Destination at the upcoming MATTA Fair, 17 to 19 March.

The 52 edition of the national show will convene at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan Tourism Bureau will occupy 32 booths in MITEC’s international halls (Level 2).

Cynthia Tan Bee Sim (left), VP Outbound MATTA. Abe Chou Shih-Pi, Director, Taiwan Tourism Bureau KL Office.

Taiwan’s tourism delegation will deliver various travel package discounts and bargains to draw bargain hunters and travel aficionados. Taiwan was nominated for the ‘Asia’s Featured Destination award’ over the past four MATTA Fairs, including the MATTA Fair in March 2019, MATTA Fair in March 2017, MATTA Fair in September 2017, and MATTA Fair in September 2018.

Around 530,000 Malaysian visitors visited Taiwan in 2019, more than any other Southeast Asian country. Because 60% of Malaysia’s population is Muslim, Taiwan has the potential to attract a large Muslim demographic. In 2019, there were 382,916 Taiwanese visitors to Malaysia.

MATTA expects that two-way tourist flow between the two nations will increase over time. The significance of this partnership is to facilitate the sharing of travel information and showcase the extraordinary experiences that travellers may have.

The relationship between MATTA Fair and Taiwan Tourism contributes greatly to the latter’s promotional efforts. The expo is an excellent venue for showcasing Taiwan’s culture and breathtaking places to Malaysian tourists.

Entrance to the fair is free. It is open from 1000 to 2100 for three days, Friday to Sunday, 17 to 19 March.

Turkish turns a 2022 profit

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 March 2023: Turkish Airlines closed 2022 with USD2.7 billion net profit standing out from its competition thanks to its operational agility, wide flight network and highly skilled workforce it maintained during the pandemic.

It marks its sixth quarter, declaring a net profit despite the difficult operating environment that has persisted since 2020.

Total revenue in 2022 stood at USD18.4 billion, surpassing 2019 by 39%, a record high. Constituting 20% of total income, cargo earnings at USD3.7 billion increased by 120% compared to the same period in 2019.

Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and executive committee, Ahmet Bolat, stated: ” With the responsibility and awareness of being the flag carrier, we stand with our nation just as we did during previous crises. In the aftermath of the earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February, we utilised our resources to operate over 2,400 flights to transport 433,000 (personnel working in) search and rescue teams and 16 thousand tons of aid materials to the region while evacuating 430,000 people to date.

Turkish Airlines carried around 72 million passengers recording load factors of 85.8% for domestic and 80.1% for international routes. Despite global inflationary pressures, the flag carrier lowered its unit expenses, excluding fuel, by 2% compared to 2019. As a result, EBITAR (earnings before interest, taxes, amortisation and rent) demonstrates the company’s cash generation potential realised USD5.4 billion.

AAPA: Passenger demand strong in January

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 March 2023: Preliminary January 2023 traffic figures released last week by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed steady growth in international passenger traffic on the back of strong travel demand with the easing of border restrictions, notably in North Asia.

Overall, the region’s airlines carried 17.2 million international passengers in January, more than seven times the volumes recorded in the same month last year, when travel restrictions across the region still dampened demand. Traffic as measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) jumped 466.9%, underpinned by robust regional travel demand. Available seat capacity also expanded markedly, but by a comparatively slower 195.0% year-on-year. As a result, the average international passenger load factor increased significantly, by 39.1 percentage points to 81.5% for the month, returning to levels seen only before the onset of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, subdued global economic conditions continued to hold back export markets in January, leading to a significant 20.5% year-on-year decline in international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK). The international freight load factor fell by 9.7 percentage points to an average of 59.2% for the month.

Commenting on the results, AAPA director general Subhas Menon said: “International passenger markets enjoyed a strong start to the year in 2023. Strong demand buoyed by an increase in leisure travellers during the Lunar New Year holidays in the region, saw passengers carried by Asia Pacific carriers in January rise to 52.1% of pre-pandemic traffic levels in 2019.”

“But cargo volumes came under pressure due to multiple headwinds. Higher inflation levels across various economies and the persistently strong US Dollar have added to the price pressures for imported commodities and merchandise in local currency terms.”

Looking ahead, Menon noted: “Notwithstanding the challenges brought on by the global economic uncertainty, growth prospects for passenger markets look positive for the year ahead. The desire to travel remains strong, with the latest forward booking trends pointing to sustained high demand. Nevertheless, cost pressures represent a key challenge to airline financial performance, driven by the elevated fuel prices and inflationary pressures on operating expenditure, including labour and maintenance. Overall, Asia Pacific airlines remain vigilant in striving for cost efficiencies whilst restoring flights in the COVID-19 recovery period.”

(Source: AAPA)

AirAsia X restarts Shanghai flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEPANG, 7 March 2023: AirAsia X (AAX) has resumed services to Shanghai, China, with four weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur, which commenced on 2 March 2023.

The inaugural post-pandemic flight from Kuala Lumpur departed with an encouraging passenger load. The return flight from Shanghai was almost 373 guests, signalling significant outbound travel demand from the Chinese market.

Amid encouraging demand and easing inbound travel restrictions to China, AAX plans to ramp up capacity and increase the frequency of services to Shanghai with 11 weekly flights by the second quarter this year, akin to its pre-pandemic frequency.

AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “Our first inaugural flight to Shanghai was a decade ago. Today, we are thrilled to be back in China and celebrate the resumption of this historically very popular destination. In addition, we have also restarted our weekly flight to/from Hangzhou recently with a 97% passenger load to Kuala Lumpur.

“China is one of the world’s major economies, and the reopening of flights to China is a positive sign for AAX and the tourism industry in general. As China has only just started to reopen, this is only the beginning of the recovery process. We remain optimistic that travel demand to China will quickly return to pre-pandemic levels shortly.”

Essential travellers to Shanghai can book the flight on AirAsia Super App or airasia.com from MYR799 all-in* one way for economy seats or from MYR2,299 on Premium Flatbed for travel from now until 29 October 2023.

Flight Schedule between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Shanghai (PVG):

WebBeds promises hotels rate parity

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 March 2023: WebBeds, a global marketplace for the travel trade to book hotels and travel products, launched on the eve of ITB Berlin, 7 March, the first phase of a programme that will reduce rate parity discrepancies to zero.

WebBeds has launched a new online tool for their hotel partners, called “Parity Monitor”, as the first phase of a major initiative within the company to streamline internal processes and improve the speed of resolving parity issues.

This new tool will establish the foundations for future automated solutions, aiming to achieve zero BRG (best rate guarantee) discrepancies through the WebBeds marketplace.

The Parity Monitor tool will initially serve as a global hub where hotels submit parity discrepancies to WebBeds. This new tool will be the front end for the newly streamlined internal processes that will track, monitor, report back and quickly resolve rate discrepancies for hotel partners.

A simple dashboard will consolidate and display the status of any submissions, providing clarity and better management reporting for hotels. WebBeds has created a new centralised team dedicated to resolving parity issues raised via the Parity Monitor.

Future developments of the Parity Monitor will include incorporating technology solutions to prevent parity integrity issues from occurring in the first place, proactive scanning of the market for rate discrepancies, automated identification and rectification of parity issues, enforcing minimum selling price and tracing opaque rates with buyers across all sales channels.

WebBeds CEO Daryl Lee said: “WebBeds is very aware of the frustrations that our hotel partners experience when there are rate parity discrepancies in the market. Hotels want rate parity to be strong and consistent, particularly given the strategic priorities within their business ecosystem. This new tool is just the start of a work programme to develop automated technology solutions to proactively prevent, detect and resolve rate parity issues in real time. Achieving zero rate parity discrepancies is an incredibly challenging goal. Still, we want this aspiration to serve as our “north star” internally, to provide focus and drive excellence from our teams. Anything less than this would fall short of expectations our hotel partners have of us.”

About WebBeds

Launched in 2013, WebBeds aggregates and merchandises accommodation and destination services from travel suppliers, distributing them to a global network of travel trade buyers who sell to the travelling public.

WebBeds operates globally through four geographic regions – Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA (Middle East and Africa) and Americas – with over 1,500 travel professionals working in 120 cities across 50 countries worldwide.

It also operates specialist brands JacTravel DMC and Umrah Holidays International. JacTravel DMC provides tailor-made travel arrangements for offline FIT and groups travelling to the UK, Ireland and key mainland European destinations to the international travel trade. Umrah Holidays International is a pioneer in providing online pilgrimage travel services to travel agencies worldwide. 

Vietnam visitor arrivals start to climb

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TTR WEEKLY
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HANOI, 3 March 2023: Vietnam recorded 933,000 international visitors in February, an increase of 7.1% compared with the previous month, the country’s Tourism Information Technology Centre reported on Wednesday.

Quoting GSO data for January to February 2023, TITC noted the country attracted 1.8 million visitor arrivals during the first two months of the year.

The General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO) serves under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, independent of the tourism ministry and promotional agencies.

Figure 1. International visitors by month in 2022 and 2023 (thousand arrivals)

Source: Compiled from GSO’s data

South Korea remained the largest source market in the first two months, with 560,000 visitor arrivals, followed by the US (148,000). Thailand ranked third with 97,000 arrivals.

In the top 10 markets, Northeast Asia led with South Korea (560,000), Taiwan (90,000), Japan (71,000) and China (71,000). Southeast Asia led with Thailand (97,000); Malaysia (72,000), and Cambodia (70,000).

Figure 2. Top source markets in the first two months of 2023 (thousand arrivals)

Source: Compiled from GSO’s data

2023: February arrivals

In February, there was significant growth in arrivals from markets in Northeast Asia. The notable standouts were South Korea (+16.4% compared to January 2023) and Taiwan (+87.7%).

The Chinese market reached 55,000 arrivals, 40,000 more than the previous month (+246.6%). Arrivals from Laos at 14.400 doubled when compared to the previous month. However, some other markets in Asia recorded much slower growth rates: Japan (+6.4%), and Cambodia (+5.1%).

European markets continued to maintain positive increases, such as France (+15.3%), England (+5.2%) and Germany (+2.9%).

Figure 3. Increase/decrease of some markets in the first two months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019 (%)

Source: Compiled from GSO’s data

2023: Arrivals January and February

For the first two months of 2023, visitor arrivals from Cambodia increased by 201% compared to the same period in  2019 (pre-Covid-19). Visits from India increased 129%, Thailand +22%, Singapore +16% and Laos +16%.

The markets delivering visits on par or close to 2019 levels included the US (-7%), Australia (-11%), and Indonesia (-12%). Markets demonstrating a slower recovery included Germany (-23%), Malaysia (-21%), England (-27%), Korea (-27%), and France (-35%).

(Source: Tourism Information Technology Centre; GSO data)

Fireworks brighten Danang’s tourism path

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TTR WEEKLY
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DANANG, 3 March 2023: Danang’s tourism recovery campaign will light up the sky as the city revives the Danang International Fireworks Festival 2023 (DIFF 2023) following a three-year hiatus.

Scheduled for 3 June to 8 July, Danang City People’s Committee joins Sun Group to invite seven international teams to compete with the host team representing Vietnam and Danang. The seven international teams hail from England, Italy, Poland, France, Australia, Canada, and Finland.

Now in its 11th year, the festival adopts the theme “World without distance”. In local promotions, DIFF 2023 presents the campaign tagline “WOW Danang”, derived from the tourism promotion “WOW Vietnam” initiated by Sun Group nationwide.

The fireworks displays will get underway on a floating stage on the Han River as the eight teams take turns presenting a 20-minute fireworks spectacular.

Sun Group commented on the return of DIFF after a three-year pause saying the festival would be an immediate success acting as a “magnet” to attract visitors worldwide to Danang. It’s just one of many festivals planned this year that should crown Danang as Asia’s leading festival destination.

(Source TITC and Sun Group)

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