CHIANG MAI, 22 November 2022: AirAsia will add a new route, ‘Chiang Mai-Singapore’, effective 1 February 2023, flying every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The latest route brings even more options to the already popular city of Chiang Mai, where both domestic and international routes are resuming. AirAsia will deploy four aircraft to its Chiang Mai hub to meet strong travel demand growth during December and into the first quarter of 2023.
AirAsia Thailand chief executive officer Santisuk Klongchaiya confirmed in the airline’s announcement, “travel demand is increasing, and AirAsia is introducing a variety of new routes, focusing on international journeys to help boost the economy. Our latest addition, Chiang Mai-Singapore, will make AirAsia the provider of convenient travel to Singapore as it will be flying Don Mueang-Singapore three times daily, Phuket-Singapore once daily, and Chiang Mai-Singapore four times a week.”
Marking the introduction of Chiang Mai-Singapore, AirAsia is offering the “Endless Colors of Singapore” promotion. AirAsia members can fly the route for only THB3,390 one-way, while non-members will pay THB 3,430. Bookings for the special fare are open until 4 December 2022 for travel from 1 February 2023 only through the AirAsia Super App.
AirAsia’s Chiang Mai flight base will see its fleet grow to four aircraft this December, nearing its size before the Covid-19 pandemic. The base currently serves eight domestic routes from Chiang Mai to Bangkok (Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi), Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai, Surat Thani, Khon Kaen and Hua Hin, and five international routes from Chiang Mai to Hanoi and Danang, in Vietnam, Taipei, Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the latest addition Singapore.
SINGAPORE, 22 November 2022: Expedia has unveiled 2023 travel trends across Expedia and the broader travel industry sourced from the company’s first-party data and research of thousands of travellers and industry professionals across 17 countries.
The trends prove there will be no “one-size-fits-all” travel in 2023. Instead, these trends point to a year defined by the “no-normal.”
Edinburgh, Scotland.
“When we look at Expedia data, we see a detailed and robust picture of travel into 2023,” said Expedia Brands president Jon Gieselman
“We’re seeing a surge in trips to culture capitals and TV shows playing a role in tourism — not a new normal but people branching out to unexpected trends in what we’re calling the ‘no normal.”
Unexpected Travel Trends in 2023
Set-Jetters
Booking a trip after binging a popular new series will become serious business in 2023. Expedia research confirms that streaming movies and TV shows have influenced Singaporeans’ travel decision-making, with 35% admitting that the influence had increased in the last 12 months.
Nearly one in four (23%) say that watching a series or movie is most likely to pique their interest in travelling to that destination – more than social media influencers (16%).
In Singapore, more than three-quarters (76%) of travellers considered visiting a destination after seeing it on a show or movie on a streaming platform, and one in two made a booking.
Shows or movies set in outdoor destinations with mind-blowing landscapes (41%) and beach destinations (40%) were found to impact Singaporeans’ travel destination decisions the most.
Japan (40%) and South Korea (39%) are the top two destinations Singaporeans consider visiting with the influence of popular Asian series and movies featured in the scenic destinations.
Culture Capitals
National parks and rural retreats had big moments in the past two years. Now, it’s time for cities to see a comeback. Based on traveller demand, most destinations seeing the largest increases are all culture-rich cities where art and culture festivities are getting back to full swing.
Top city choices
Edinburgh, Scotland
Lisbon, Portugal
Tokyo, Japan
Dublin, Ireland
New York, USA
Sydney, Australia
Dubai, UAE
Montreal, Canada
Munich, Germany
Bangkok, Thailand
With Singapore travellers drawing inspiration from their favourite streamed content, culture capitals that feature the backdrop of popular streamed TV shows and movies top the list of popular destinations Singaporeans are looking towards for travel in 2023.
Top 10 Popular Destinations for Travel in 2023
Bangkok, Thailand
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, South Korea
Bali, Indonesia
Maldives
Hokkaido, Japan
Phuket, Thailand
London, United Kingdom
Paris, France
Johor, Malaysia
For travellers looking beyond the small screens for inspiration, consider the following trending destinations for travel in 2023:
Top 10 Trending Destinations for Singapore Travellers
Danang, Vietnam
Pahang, Malaysia
Lucerne, Switzerland
Langkawi, Malaysia
Brisbane, Australia
Perth, Australia
Hanoi, Vietnam
Krabi, Thailand
Busan, South Korea
Jeju Island, South Korea
For the full industry report on insights and actions for travel partners, download the Traveller Value Index 2023.
For the full consumer report on The No-Normal; Unexpected Travel Trends in 2023, visit here.
DELHI, 22 November 2022: India’s Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia inaugurated the Gwalior-Mumbai-Gwalior flights last week
He said the direct route from Mumbai to Gwalior would “enhance connectivity and promote trade, commerce, and tourism between the two cities.”
Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia
He described Gwalior as a “storehouse of history and culture”, noting the inauguration of direct flights from the commercial capital of Mumbai would support the Prime Minister’s vision of connecting every corner of the country through air services.
In addition to its historical and cultural attractions, Gwalior can develop into an industrial hub in its own right. The minister explained that the new air route will provide a time-saving travel option to citizens and promote new employment opportunities.
IndiGo and SpiceJet provide nonstop flights from Mumbai with a flight time of two hours and five minutes.
In addition, there are flights to Gwalior from Bengaluru on SpiceJet with a flight time of three hours and from Delhi on IndiGo with a flight time of one hour.
Gwalior is a city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It’s known for its palaces and temples, including the Sas Bahu Ka Mandir intricately carved Hindu temple. Ancient Gwalior Fort occupies a sandstone plateau overlooking the city and is accessed via a winding road lined with sacred Jain statues. Within the fort’s high walls is the 15th-century Gujari Mahal Palace, now an archaeological museum.
The best time to visit the city is from October to March, when the temperature ranges from a maximum of 21 degrees Celsius to a minimum of 4 degrees Celsius.
The flights will operate under the following schedule:
HONG KONG, 22 November 2022: Following the Hong Kong SAR Government’s lifting of quarantine requirements for arrivals entering Hong Kong at the end of September, travel sentiment out of Hong Kong improved significantly in October, according to Cathay Pacific’s traffic figures for October 2022.
The airline’s chief customer and commercial officer, Ronald Lam said: “Demand for the first half of October mainly stemmed from flights to Bangkok, Singapore and Seoul. We then saw a surge in demand for travel to Japan when its quarantine requirements for arrivals were relaxed on 11 October.
Looking ahead at the remainder of 2022, Lam noted that the airline group has already announced the addition of about 3,000 passenger flight sectors from October until the end of December this year and is on track to achieve its target of operating up to one-third of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels by the end of 2022. Travel demand for the rest of 2022 continues to improve and is promising for the Christmas holiday season.
Cathay Pacific released its traffic figures for October 2022 at the end of last week. The airline carried 400,909 passengers last month, an increase of 424.5% compared with October 2021 but an 85.4% decrease compared with the pre-pandemic level in October 2019. The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 416.6% year-on-year but were down 80.1% versus October 2019. Passenger load factor increased by 44 percentage points to 73.6%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 108% year-on-year but decreased by 79% compared with October 2019 levels. In the first 10 months of 2022, passengers carried increased by 166% against a 20.4% increase in capacity and a 167.8% increase in RPKs, compared with the same period for 2021.
Travel trends
Lam noted that demand during the first half of October was driven mainly by flights to Bangkok, Singapore and Seoul, followed by a surge in demand for travel to Japan when its quarantine requirements for arrivals relaxed on 11 October.
“We increased our regional flight frequencies, particularly to Japan destinations, in October. Last month, we also resumed services to Madrid, Milan, Bengaluru, Dubai and Kathmandu. More destinations and increased flight frequencies meant more choices and better connectivity for our customers at the Hong Kong aviation hub.
“Overall, in October, passenger flight capacity increased 32% compared with September, and we operated 21% of our pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels. Passenger numbers increased to nearly 13,000 per day, up from over 8,800 in September, and the load factor reached about 74%.
“Earlier this year, we said that we were targeting to be operating cash generative from August onwards. Since then, Hong Kong has made further adjustments to travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. As such, our expectation is that the second half of 2022 will be operating cash generative overall.
“At the same time, our second-half 2022 results for our airlines and subsidiaries are expected to see a marked improvement over our first-half 2022 results, although still a loss overall for the full year of 2022. “
Looking further ahead, Lam said: “Earlier this week, the group – comprising passenger airlines Cathay Pacific and HK Express – announced that it anticipates it will be operating around 70% of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023, to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, ahead of the Asia-Pacific traffic forecast issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).”
BUSAN, 21 November 2022: Busan, a global city known for its excellent MICE infrastructure and abundant tourism resources, continues to double down on its efforts to win the right to host the World Expo 2030, scheduled to be held from May 1 to October 31, 2030.
Leading Korean companies and citizens have joined Busan’s efforts to win the bid and demonstrate the city’s capabilities as an expo host. If Busan is selected as the venue for the World Expo 2030, the city will use the slogan “Transforming the world, navigating toward a better future” to promote achievements in science and technology and other industries, present a new vision for the future, and introduce the diverse attractions of Busan on the international stage.
Busan’s Bid to Host the World Expo 2030
The World Expo, an event accredited by the Bureau International des Expositions, serves as an arena for global dialogue promoting collaboration between nations and companies. Likened to an “Olympics of economy and culture,” the event celebrates humanity’s achievements in industry, education, science, and technology while showcasing the merits of the host country. World expos are categorized based on their theme and duration as a “Registered (Comprehensive) Exposition” or a “Recognized (Specialized) Exposition.” Korea has already hosted a Recognized Exposition, which must be held under a specific theme for up to three months, in Yeosu and Daejeon.
A Registered Exposition is a large-scale event held every five years and features exhibitions with a wide range of themes representing diverse fields, which in turn contribute to the advancement of humankind around the world. If Busan is selected as the host of the World Expo 2030, it will create an opportunity for people from all over the world to gather together in Busan, experience and spread K-contents through cultural exchanges, and showcase the potential of the Korean people.
Source: Busan Tourism Organization
Should Busan be selected as the host of the World Expo 2030, approximately 50.5 million visitors from more than 200 countries are expected to flock to the city, creating a large and enduring ripple effect that will surely change the future of Busan. In fact, many other cities have been reborn as global economic powerhouses following the successful hosting of a World Expo. For example, after hosting the World Expo 2020, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates became even more widely recognized than the nation’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Through the bidding process, and hopefully, through the hosting of the expo, Busan will similarly be able to fortify its position as a global maritime city and secure immense economic growth.
Efforts Being Made for World Expo 2030
Source: Busan Metropolitan City, Busan Tourism Organization
In recent years, Korea has been passionately working hard to win its bid as the host of the World Expo 2030. The Korean government designated the campaign to win the World Expo bid as a national project and has been providing active support for campaign activities at the government level. The global K-Pop group, BTS, was appointed as the official ambassador for World Expo 2030 Busan, and they held a concert last October in Busan as a part of their promotional activities. Fans from all corners of the world gathered in Busan, stirring up heated enthusiasm for the expo bid. Active efforts are being made not only in Korea but also abroad. LG is playing promotional videos supporting Busan’s bid to host the World Expo on billboards in New York Times Square and Piccadilly Square in the UK. During the London Royal Docks Festival, the Korea Tourism Organization set up a PR booth where they distributed brochures and devoted their focus to helping Busan win its bid as a host.
The Busan Tourism Organization has also been making every effort to support Busan’s campaign for expo host. During the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly 2022 and other MICE events, the BTO placed posters to inform international attendees about the bid, drawing favourable responses. Additionally, the organization placed banners and placards around Taejongdae Resort Park and made decorative magnets using Busan’s mascot, “Boogi,” which were given to MICE event participants and key decision makers, as part of the organization’s dedicated support of promoting Busan as the host of the World Expo 2030.
If Busan is selected as the host of World Expo 2030, the expo will be the first Registered Exposition to ever take place in Korea. Many Koreans nationwide are hopeful that Busan will be able to win the bid, bringing people from all over the world together in Korea’s top maritime city. As a result, many exchanges are expected to be made for the realization of a sustainable future that will go far beyond impacting Busan to positively influencing the whole of humanity.
BANGKOK, 21 November 2022: Emirates multi-award-winning inflight entertainment system ice won’t be letting football fans down this winter, as all FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ matches will be aired live on Sport 24 onboard the aircraft, as well as in the A380 onboard lounges, and across dedicated Emirates airport lounges – ensuring fans don’t miss a moment of the action.
The FIFA World Cup kicked off on 20 November, with the final scheduled for 18 December.
More than 200 Emirates aircraft are equipped with live TV, featuring dedicated sports channels – Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra. Kicking off on 20 November, Emirates passengers will be able to watch all FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Sport 24 via ice, including the highly anticipated final on 18 December.
On Sport 24, fans can also watch live matches from the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and the Asian Football Championship. Sport 24 also airs top international sporting events, including the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, the Olympic Games, National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), major golf championships, tennis grand slams plus sailing, horse-racing, and motorsports. Passengers can view full match schedules in advance and plan their viewing at https://www.emirates.com
HONG KONG, 21 November 2022: AirAsia will increase flights from cities in Southeast Asia to Hong Kong starting in December, despite some Covid-19 travel rules that still deter leisure travel.
Flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok (Don Mueang) will be increased to four times weekly starting from 15 December, while the Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong – Manila routes will be served by three weekly fights each.
Fares from Hong Kong to popular destinations in Southeast Asia start as low as HKD672/MYR395, via AirAsia’s network to holiday destinations such as Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Singapore, Bali and many more.
The special promotion is valid until 27 November 2022, with the travel period open from 1 January until 30 April 2023.
As the AirAsia Group increases its services to Hong Kong, guests with AirAsia flight bookings to and from Hong Kong for the period up until 17 December 2022 will be able to change their flights at no charge via the AirAsia Super App and website. New flight dates can be selected until 31 December 2022, providing greater flexibility and convenience.
Since 26 September, travellers entering Hong Kong are not required to undergo compulsory quarantine but under medical surveillance for three days, subject to Amber Code restrictions under Vaccine Pass. Guests are advised to check the conditions and requirements imposed by the authorities before departing.
SINGAPORE, 21 November 2022: Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider powering the global travel industry, is partnering with Girls Who Code (GWC), an international non-profit organisation dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology and changing the image of what a programmer looks like and does.
Sabre’s sponsorship will help empower a generation of change-makers by supporting Girls Who Code after-school clubs for third to 12th graders, which seek to educate, engage and connect girls with technology in their communities. At the collegiate level, the GWC alumni program helps women develop skills, build confidence, and connect with women in technology.
Through Sabre’s Women In Tech resource group, Sabre team members will have the opportunity to actively engage in Girls Who Code events, community-building activities and recruitment opportunities for Sabre internships and careers.
Sabre is committed to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging and values the diversity of our employees worldwide. Sabre’s inclusion groups, including Women In Technology and Women’s Career Network, foster an environment where employees can bring their full selves to work and belong. In addition, Sabre’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme has a rich history of giving back to our communities worldwide, including supporting organisations that educate and empower underrepresented and underserved groups. Full-time team members are also given one paid day every quarter to give time to causes and organisations they choose.
BANGKOK, 21 November 2022: PETA “monkeys” dressed in prison suits will chain themselves to a giant inflatable coconut milk carton outside the Theppadungporn Coconut Co headquarters on Monday as part of its campaign to end monkey labour in Thailand’s coconut trade.
PETA’s action on Monday comes on the heels of PETA’s third investigation that alleges monkeys continue to be mistreated and forced to pick coconuts despite Thai officials’ assertions that using monkeys to harvest coconut has ended.
PETA, in its pre-protest announcement widely circulated to regional media, claimed it had conducted a comprehensive investigation covering nine provinces in Thailand, including the top coconut-producing ones. It alleged monkeys are used across the industry and still “linked to brands that claim to be monkey-free.”
“Condemned to a hard and bleak life picking coconuts around the clock, these sensitive monkeys never once get to spend time with family or experience joy,” says PETA senior vice president Jason Baker. “PETA calls on everyone to avoid buying coconut milk and cream manufactured in Thailand until the industry agrees to break these chains.”
PETA investigations claim “monkeys used in the coconut milk industry “are reportedly abducted from their natural habitat as babies, and their teeth may be removed if they try to defend themselves. When not being forced to pick coconuts or perform in circus-style shows for tourists, PETA’s investigations have found that the animals are chained in flooded land or rubbish-strewn patches of dirt.”
HO CHI MINH CITY, 21 November 2022: Wink Hotels, Vietnam’s first homegrown lifestyle hotel brand, opened Wink Hotel Danang Centre last week.
Located in the heart of Danang City’s entertainment district, the 244-room Wink Hotel Danang Centre offers four accommodation categories; standard, twin, family and a two-bedroom suite.
The action takes place in the Wink Space on the 19th floor with a sky lobby where guests can self-check in, enjoy a drink at the 24/7 Wink Bar and stock up on snacks, drinks and supplies at convenience store prices in the Grab & Go area.
Wink Hotel Danang Centre is destinated to become a community hub steps away from the iconic Han Market – the commercial heart of the busy city. It connects guests to the best of Danang City in partnership with establishments like Blush Beach Club, The Montgomerie Links Golf Club and Danang365 Helicopter Tours.
The group opened its first hotel, Wink Hotel Saigon Centre, in March 2021 and will open a third property Wink Hotel Danang Riverside, during Q2, 2023. Under construction on Tran Hung Dao Street, the third property will feature 357 rooms, three floors of retail, bars, coffee shops and restaurants, and a rooftop swimming pool and bar.
