Thursday, May 15, 2025
Home Blog Page 489

Korean Air brings back Asia flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 6 September 2022: Korean Air resumes flights to Dubai, Phuket and Chiang Mai on 1 October, followed by a new route to Budapest from its home base in Seoul Incheon.

Korean Air will launch its inaugural flight to Budapest, Hungary, on 3 October using a 269-seat Boeing 787-900 for a once-a-week flight on Monday, departing  Seoul Incheon at 1125 and landing in Budapest at 1705. The return flight will leave 1915 and arrive in Seoul Incheon one day later at 1250. Flights will increase to twice weekly on 31 October (Monday and Saturday).

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a rich history and beautiful landscapes. The city is famous for its night view and major tourist attractions such as Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda Castle and the Hungarian Parliament Building.

Dubai flights

Korean Air will restore its Middle East network by resuming services to Dubai three times a week. The Incheon-Dubai route will be served by an A330-300 departing from Seoul Incheon every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Flights depart at 1320 and arrive in Dubai at 1855. The return flight will depart at 2300 and arrive in Seoul Incheon at 1240 on the following day.

Phuket and Chiang Mai

The airline will also resume services to Phuket on 1 October, a popular honeymoon destination in Thailand. The flights will depart from Seoul Incheon on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1755 and land in Phuket at 2200. Return flights leave Phuket at 2320 and arrive in Seoul Incheon at 0755 the following day.

Flights to Chiang Mai also resume on 1 October using a Boeing 737-800. The airline will offer four weekly flights on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday – departing from Seoul Incheon at 1755 and arriving in Chiang Mai at 2130. The return flights leave Chiang Mai at 2300 and arrive in Seoul Incheon at 0625 the following day.

Norwegian Cruise Line partners with Coca-Cola

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 6 September 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, announced Monday a beverage partnership with global iconic drink brand Coca-Cola following Norwegian Prima’s christening voyage from Reykjavik, Iceland.

With the historic debut of Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Cruise Line continues to push boundaries across every element of the guest experience, so it’s perfectly fitting that we are unveiling and bringing on board a fresh, new beverage partnership with Coca-Cola during the christening of Norwegian Prima. As a company rooted in history, Norwegian Cruise Line is honored to align with a fellow beloved brand, Coca-Cola, and we look forward to leveraging this relationship to continue to enhance our guest experience.

Harry Sommer, President and Chief Executive Officer Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Prima will be the first vessel in NCL’s 18-ship fleet to carry Coca-Cola as its official soft drink, with the remaining NCL ships to carry Coca-Cola by the end of December 2022. In celebration of the new partnership and the christening of Norwegian Prima, the first major cruise ship to be christened in the Icelandic Capital, Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line and Coca-Cola’s famous polar bear, toasted to the momentous occasion with a refreshing Coca-Cola beverage at the Penrose Atrium.

“With the historic debut of Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Cruise Line continues to push boundaries across every element of the guest experience, so it’s perfectly fitting that we are unveiling and bringing on board a fresh, new beverage partnership with Coca-Cola during the christening of Norwegian Prima,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “As a company rooted in history, Norwegian Cruise Line is honoured to align with a fellow beloved brand, Coca-Cola, and we look forward to leveraging this relationship to continue to enhance our guest experience.”

As the first of six vessels in the new Prima class, the Brand’s first new class of ships in nearly ten years, Norwegian Prima debuted on 27 August from Reykjavik, Iceland, to more than 2,500 guests in a larger-than-life christening celebration with an unforgettable performance by Katy Perry, global superstar and godmother of the ship.

Built in Marghera, Italy, by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, Norwegian Prima is 965 feet long, 143,535 gross tons, and can accommodate 3,100 guests at double occupancy. Norwegian Prima offers guests exciting itineraries, the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise categories, and brand-first experiences with Ocean Boulevard, Indulge Food Hall, The Concourse, Infinity Beach, and Oceanwalk. Norwegian Prima also features multiple first-at-sea innovations, including a three-story transformational theatre-nightclub, the Prima Theater & Club; its three-level racetrack with the Prima Speedway; the fastest slides at sea, The Drop and Rush; and the cruise industry’s first sustainable cocktail bar with The Metropolitan Bar.

For more information about NCL’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call Hong Kong on +852 2165 6000 and Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.

Emirates sets up aid airbridge to Pakistan

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

DUBAI, UAE, 6 September 2022: Emirates SkyCargo has set up an airbridge between Dubai and Pakistan to offer cargo capacity free of charge on flights to transport relief aid to people grappling with the damage caused by the devastating floods.

Starting last Friday, cargo capacity on all Emirates’ passenger flights to Pakistan has been available to organisations based at the world’s largest humanitarian hub, International Humanitarian City (IHC), to transport critical equipment and supplies, food and other emergency relief goods directly to the five airports – Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot.

Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said: “Emirates is deeply connected and committed to Pakistan. From our first flight in 1985 to Karachi until today, we’ve steadily grown the mutually beneficial air links that facilitate business, tourism and trade between the UAE and Pakistan. HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, have directed urgent aid to Pakistan, mobilising people and businesses across the UAE, and Emirates is ready to play our part.”

Emirates operates 53 scheduled passenger flights per week to Pakistan, where recent heavy rainfall has caused catastrophic flash flooding across the country, tragically leaving over 1,100 people dead and millions homeless.

Any of the humanitarian organisations at IHC wishing to use the free cargo capacity to transport humanitarian relief from Dubai to Pakistan should contact Emirates SkyCargo’s centralised crisis relief desk at [email protected] and [email protected].

Supreme Committee for the Supervision of IHC, Chairman, His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani said: “Times of crisis are a true test of spirit, and once again, we are working with Emirates to respond to a devastating humanitarian crisis, this time in Pakistan, where floods have caused unimaginable losses and damages. We are grateful for the long-standing support of Emirates to the IHC community and its honourable commitment to alleviate the suffering of the victims of these extraordinary floods. Together, we are proud to deliver this vital support to the people of Pakistan.”

In May 2021, Emirates SkyCargo flew relief materials free of charge from Dubai to India over three weeks to support the Indian community in managing the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the Emirates India Humanitarian Airbridge, Emirates donated cargo capacity to transport essential supplies such as relief tents and thousands of oxygen cylinders and concentrators free of charge on flights to Indian destinations.

After the Port of Beirut explosions in August 2020 devastated many parts of Lebanon’s capital city, Emirates SkyCargo ramped up its freighter operations to Lebanon by dedicating over 50 flights to deliver critical emergency relief and aid to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the blasts.

www.emirates.com

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Taipei gears up regional promotions

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

TAIPEI, Taiwan, 6 September 2022: Taipei’s Department of Information and Tourism (DOIT) launched the latest version of its Come Explore Taipei campaign at the MATTA Travel Fair in Kuala Lumpur from 2 to 4 September.

DOIT resumed sales in Southeast Asia last month after a two-hiatus during the Covid-19 crisis.

During the MATTA Fair, Taipei stressed its second-place ranking in the 2021 Global Muslim Travel Index, an accolade that gained traction with Malay travel consumers at the three-day fair. Taipei has as many as 70 Muslim-friendly attractions, and it has launched a robust campaign to certify numerous Muslim-friendly restaurants and mosques. The well-known Muslim actor and Internet celebrity Yana Samsudin, followed on social media by over a million fans, visited the exhibition and shared her Taipei travel experiences during a tour of the Taipei Pavilion.

The Taiwan Lantern Festival will return to Taipei on 5 February 2023 after a 23-year absence when it was hosted in other cities in Taiwan.

(Source: Bernama)

Finnair links Nordic cities to Qatar hub

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 6 September 2022: Finnair will launch daily services from Nordic capitals to Doha through a partnership with Qatar Airways.

Finnair and Oneworld partner Qatar Airways agreed last week to establish daily flights from Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen to Doha.

Finnair. New AirLounge seat.

These services will be supported by a comprehensive codeshare agreement allowing shared passenger and cargo capacity.

Passengers from the three Nordic cities will benefit from seamless connections via Doha to Qatar Airways’ extensive network of around 100 destinations across Australasia, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The services should start between November and December 2022, with Finnair’s Airbus A330 aircraft featuring the airline’s new long-haul cabins, including industry-leading Air Lounge business class seats, a brand-new premium economy travel class and refreshed economy class.

The flights to Doha will be sold and marketed by both Finnair and Qatar Airways. In the pipeline are roundtrip daily flights to Doha from Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

“We are delighted to expand our collaboration with our Oneworld partner Qatar Airways, offering new connections between Doha and the three Nordic capitals”, said Finnair CEO Topi Manner. “The role of Doha as an international hub is growing, and Qatar Airways has extensive connections from Doha onwards to Australasia, the Middle East and Africa.”

Meanwhile, Finnair confirmed the roll of its new renewed cabins on its New York, Phuket, Singapore and Tokyo routes. The new cabins will also be on all Finnair flights to Bangkok from 25 November.

The improvements deliver a new Premium Economy travel class, a renewed Business Class and a refreshed Economy Class and are already available on selected long-haul routes. The full cabin renewal will extend to all aircraft in the long-haul fleet of Airbus A350s and A330s before the end of 2023.

Airlines increase flights to Phuket

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

PHUKET, 6 September 2022: Vietnam Airlines returns to Phuket Island with twice-weekly flights following last week’s inaugural welcome by the island’s travel industry leaders.

The flights scheduled for Thursday and Saturday should boost leisure travel from Ho Chi Minh City after a two-year break. Flight VN9624 departs HCMC at 1000 and arrives in Phuket one hour later.

The return of flights from the southern Vietnamese city followed shortly after Malaysia’s FireFly resumed flights from Penang to Phuket in late August. The first flight FY3600 from Penang International Airport to Phuket International Airport arrived on 26 August. Using a Boeing 737 on the route, the airline offers direct flights from Penang to Phuket four times weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

More airlines are serving Phuket, as confirmed by the Airports of Thailand’s flight schedules for September. Batik Air resumed direct flights from Kuala-Lumpur to Phuket in early August. AOT said the return of Batik Air was a “good sign of economic recovery in tourism that will mark recovery for Phuket”. Batik Air, previously branded Malindo Air, is a low-cost airline based in Malaysia.

Major Middle East airlines with global networks – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar – serve Phuket with direct flights out of hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Singapore Airlines increases flights to three daily services starting this month. Other notable players include AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Thai Vietjet, Jetstar Asia, Scoot, IndiGo, Air Astana and Malaysia Airlines.

Ethiopian renews Travelport agreement

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

ADDIS ABABA, 5 September 2022: Ethiopian Airlines and Travelport, which powers travel bookings worldwide, renewed an agreement including distribution on the Travelport+ platform and New Distribution Capability (NDC) content.

The agreement expands travel retailing and distribution contracts between Travelport and Ethiopian Airlines. Both companies are developing a strategic plan to provide agents access to NDC content and functionality from Ethiopian Airlines in the Travelport+ platform.

As part of the agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will also become a new participant in Travelport’s Rich Content & Branding (RC&B) programme.

“As we are now investing in our ability to meet the high demand for travel following the pandemic, we must deepen our partnership with Travelport as they understand our need to efficiently deliver simplified access to our growing content,” said Ethiopian Airlines’ chief commercial officer  Lemma Yadecha.

“Travelport’s enhanced multi-sourced content capabilities within the Travelport+ platform will help us to provide agents and their travellers with quick, easy access to highly relevant offers and more choices to fit their needs. Our expanded agreement with Travelport and Rich Content & Branding will further enable us to drive more value for our travellers through today’s modern travel retailing environment.”

Hilton opens Hiroshima hotel

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HIROSHIMA, Japan, 5 September 2022: Hilton Hiroshima debuts as the newest addition to the brand’s portfolio in Japan.

The newly opened 420-room hotel offers convenient access to popular UNESCO World Heritage sites in Hiroshima and boasts the largest hotel meeting facilities in the Chugoku and Shikoku region.

With Japan set to host the G7 summit in Hiroshima next year, the hotel looks forward to a steady increase in international and domestic guests.

The 420 rooms and suites on the seventh to 22nd floor offer guests cityscape views as well as the Seto Inland Sea and beautiful mountains in the distance.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts marks its continued global growth by reaching its 600th property with Hilton Hiroshima and Hilton Dubai Palm openings. In addition to the latest milestone openings, the brand recently grew its footprint in Mexico with the opening of Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort and Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort. Hilton Hotels & Resorts also debuted its largest hotel in the Asia Pacific with the opening of Hilton Singapore Orchard.

Sarawak paints travel stories at MATTA fair

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUCHING, 5 September 2022: Sarawak featured its famous street art murals incorporating elements of culture, heritage, people and nature at the MATTA Fair KL 2022 held at the weekend.

“In Sarawak, street art is a growing trend which tells interesting stories of the people, culture, history and what makes them unique and diverse. We hope that showcasing this creative art will inspire more Malaysians to visit Sarawak and discover its culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals. Essentially, this also reminds us of how important it is to practice responsible tourism for long-term sustainability and conservation to preserve its heritage,” said  Sarawak Tourism Board deputy chief executive officer for integrated marketing communications  Suriya Charles Buas.

“Sarawak tourism is on the right track to recovery with the growing confidence of visitor arrivals. We welcomed 703,891 visitor arrivals between January and July this year. To boost domestic tourism, we invite our friends from West Malaysia to come and experience Sarawak’s beautiful offerings first-hand. After all, Sarawak is just a stone’s throw away“, he explained.

At the fair, STB’s delegation was joined by eight tour agencies that offered fair visitors a wide range of tour packages encompassing Sarawak’s culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals.

Tour packages included village cultural experiences such as exploring an Iban longhouse tour with its unique culture and tradition. Travel firms also promoted trips to Bengoh Dam, known as the “Jurassic Park” of Kuching, and the renowned Mulu National Park, a UNESCO Heritage site.

For more information on Sarawak, find out more at www.sarawaktravel.com.

(Your Stories: STB)

LADA puts on a show at MATTA fair

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUALA LUMPUR, 5 September 2022: Langkawi Development Authority was named the official partner of the MATTA KL 2022 Fair hosed at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur last weekend.

The 51st edition of Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur targeted domestic travellers in peninsular Malaysia. Langkawi’s travel industry had 16 booths under the banner of LADA, representing 20 companies, hotels and agencies.

After a two-year pause, the travel fair returned to promote the country’s top destinations mainly to domestic travellers.

Langkawi highlighted its premier travel attraction, the first UNESCO Geopark in Southeast Asia, comprised of a collection of 99 tropical islands. It was one of the first destinations in Malaysia to reopen to tourism earlier this year, acting as a pilot project that led up to the phasing out of all travel restrictions in May.

LADA will lead roadshows to states across Peninsula Malaysia, including Penang, Ipoh and the Klang Valley, as part of the recovery plan that is also targeting international travellers from regional markets such as Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

LADA’s data collection shows that the destination has welcomed 1.17 million visitors this year, mainly via Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Kota Baru, Johor Baru and Singapore.

More information: https://naturallylangkawi.my/

1...488489490...605Page 489 of 605

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.