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Spain: How to explore Seville by bike

If you’ve never been to this city in the south of Spain, now is the time to visit. You’ll fall in love with its incredible monuments like the cathedral (the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world), the Torre del Oro tower and the Real Alcázar palace with its beautiful gardens. If you’ve already been to Seville, we propose you rediscover it in a new way: by bike. Why? Because the capital of Andalusia is among the Spanish cities with the most kilometres of bike lanes per inhabitant: 27.6 km per 100,000 inhabitants, to be exact.

Why Seville?

Discovering the magical city of Seville while exercising is a combination you’re going to love. We also have to mention its climate, which is pleasant all year round, and its location, which is at an average height of only seven metres above sea level. This makes the plan we’re suggesting even more appealing.

Most airlines allow you to travel with your bicycle, so enjoying Seville on two wheels won’t be a problem. The city even has a safe bike station where you can leave it. You can reserve a spot there through the PVerde app or on this website.

However, if you don’t have your bike or you would rather not take it with you on your trip, the Andalusian capital provides a wide range of places where you can hire a bicycle, including a public service run by the city council. You’ll find 250 bike stops open 24 hours daily, with over 2600 bicycles available.

You can buy a long-term or short-term pass, depending on how many days you’ll need to hire a bike. The public rental service also allows you to enjoy the first 30 minutes of cycling completely free of charge. 

So, now you have your bike, how will you explore Seville and its surrounding areas? There are many routes you can take, depending on what interests you.

Seville’s bike lane network

Using an interactive map, you can check out all the bike lanes in the city and nearby towns. Beginning in the old town, specifically in Plaza Nueva square, you can cycle to the cathedral, speed past the Real Alcázar or cross the beautiful María Luisa park. Pick the route you like best.

You can also explore the Pablo de Olavide University campus, pause for a snack in the Macarena district or cross some of the most famous bridges in the city, such as Triana or San Telmo. The bike lanes link almost everywhere in the city, so all you need to do is pedal and let them take you on a journey to enjoy Seville. You can find four tourist routes created to ensure you get all the attractions here.

Route 1: the parks and the river. You’ll pass through 12 of the city’s most emblematic parks as you follow the course of the river.

Route 2: cultural heritage. You’ll get a snapshot view of all the historical monuments in Seville.

Route 3: contemporary architecture. You’ll discover almost 20 modern designs that complement the city’s cultural heritage.

Route 4: the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. You’ll travel around the symbolic creations from the Universal Exposition held in 1929.

For the full story and tips visit.

https://www.spain.info/en/

PG flies oneway to Krabi

BANGKOK, 28 October 2022: Bangkok Airways will offer direct oneway flights from Chiang Mai to Krabi starting on 30 October and to Phuket starting a day later.

According to the airline’s post on its Facebook page earlier this week, it will schedule three weekly flights on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday one way from Chiang Mai to Krabi. PG246 will depart Chiang Mai at 1150 and arrive in Krabi at 1345.

For the return trip, passengers will have to buy two sector tickets routed Krabi-Bangkok and Bangkok-Chiang Mai with a change of plane in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

However, after enjoying Krabi’s beaches, Chiang Mai residents can take a break in Bangkok on the return leg to catch up with friends or do some shopping before they catch the flight home from Bangkok.

The airline quotes a roundtrip fare Chiang Mai – Krabi at THB4660 during October, dropping to THB3,210 in November and THB2,260 in December.

Bangkok Airways will also schedule oneway direct flights (PG248) from Chiang Mai to Phuket four days weekly (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) starting 31 October.

The flight will depart from Chiang Mai at 1435 and arrive in Phuket at 1640.

Bangkok Airways increases frequencies on the Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) – Chiang Mai route to four daily flights starting  30 October.

 Flight Schedule Bangkok – Chiang Mai

– Flight PG215 0800 – 0920 (Daily)

– Flight PG223  0940 – 1100  (Daily)

– Flight PG225  1225 – 1345 (Daily)

– Flight PG219   1735 – 1855 (Daily)

Flight Schedule Chiang Mai – Bangkok

– Flight PG216 1010 – 1135  (Daily)

– Flight PG224 1150 – 1315  (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat)

– Flight PG226  1435 – 1600 (Wed, Fri, Sun)

– Flight PG220  1945 – 2110  (Daily)

Vietjet flies to India

DANANG, 28 October 2022: Vietjet Air introduced flights from Danang, Vietnam’s central coastal gateway, to Mumbai and New Delhi in India earlier this week.

The airline uses an Airbus A320 on both routes. It flies three times weekly to Mumbai (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and four times weekly to New Delhi (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).

Flying to the two Indian cities will enhance Danang’s role as a tourism gateway to Southeast Asia for visitors from India while opening Indian tourist destinations for Vietnamese residents in the central coastal region of Vietnam.

VietJet Air also plans to open a direct flight from Danang to Ahmedabad in India this December.

Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines will increase services to Bangkok, Thailand starting 30 October to three daily flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. 

The airline has also introduced an online check-in service at Buon Ma Thuot Airport this week, making it the 20th airport to offer online check-in for Vietnam Airlines passengers.

Buon Ma Thuot Airport is located near the provincial capital Buon Ma Thuot in Vietnam’s Dak Lak province in the central highlands, 500 km from Danang. The area is famed for its coffee plantations.

By implementing the check-in online service at Buon Ma Thuot Airport, Vietnam Airlines has increased airports offering online check-in service to 20 out of 22 served by its network, both domestic and international.

Passengers can save time by self-check-in via the website www.vietnamairlines.com or Vietnam Airlines app on smartphones in between 24 hours and one hour before the scheduled departure time.

(Source: VNAT/TITC)

Emirates celebrates Mauritius flights

DUBAI, UAE, 27 October 2022: Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to Mauritius on its 20th anniversary of operations in the Indian Ocean nation.

Clark said Emirates was proud to support Mauritius’ economy and tourism agenda by helping to bring visitors from all continents to the island. “With the pandemic crisis behind us, I believe the future is bright for Mauritius and Emirates”, he said.

This year, Emirates celebrates 20 years of flying to Mauritius and a winning partnership that has seen more than 6.5 million passengers carried on the Dubai-Mauritius route since 2002.

Visit www.emirates.com

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Asian airlines chase recovery goals

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 October 2022: Preliminary September 2022 traffic figures released Wednesday by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed international passenger demand sustained its strong upward momentum despite a worsening global economic outlook.

The significant easing of border restrictions across most of the region’s economies continued to unleash a robust return of business and leisure passenger traffic.

In September, international passengers carried by the region’s airlines reached 11.7 million, up from the 1.4 million registered in the same month in 2021. However, recovery has some ways to go, as passenger traffic volumes averaged 39% compared with September 2019.

Demand in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms increased by 575.1% year-on-year, reflecting the strength of regional travel markets. After accounting for a 189.6% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor jumped by 44.6 percentage points to 78% for the month, just 0.6 percentage points shy of corresponding pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

On the other hand, international air cargo markets remained under pressure, as export activity was hampered by depressed business and consumer confidence levels amid a deterioration in global macroeconomic conditions.

As a result, international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), recorded a double-digit decline of 10.4% year-on-year in September. Meanwhile, offered freight capacity continued to expand by 5.9% for the month, leading to an 11.6 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor to 64.0%.

Commenting on the results, AAPA director general Subhas Menon said: “Asian airlines are seeing encouraging recovery in international travel demand and achieving load factors close to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, the number of international passengers carried grew by 448.7% during the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period in 2021.”

He added: “On the other hand, a 4.4% decline in air cargo demand was registered in the same period. The outlook for the cargo market remains subdued in the near term. Overall, the region’s airlines continue to face a challenging operating environment, with operating costs under pressure due to high fuel prices and weak local currencies.

“The resilience of the industry is shining through. The healthy upswing in passenger markets this year provides an encouraging backdrop to the 66th AAPA Assembly of Presidents in Bangkok (November), where Asia Pacific airlines’ leaders will meet in person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Topics to be discussed include sustainability, the state of the industry, future growth opportunities and various regulatory challenges,” he explained.

MITEC hosts Michelin Guide debut

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 October 2022: The Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) hosted The Michelin Guide’s debut announcement at MITEC last week, highlighting food specialities from Malaysia’s 13 states and three federal territories – Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya.

Various food selections like Sticky Sushi using glutinous rice with Harum Manis flown from Perlis for the occasion, Lobster Brioche using chunks of lobster and pomelos from Tambun, Perak, Baked Scallops using scallops from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah with mashed cauliflower and toast butter crust. Snow White Putrajaya comprises Banana Brulee, olive oil snow, and yoghurt crisp. The Nasi Lemak Royale Kedah Ice-Cream was a favourite amongst guests, served with in-house coconut gelato, sweet strawberry sambal, and caramelised anchovies.

Other food items served included the Baked BBQ Chicken Bun with inspiration from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Ceviche (Umai), Chilli Satay, Beef Bone & Marrow Kerutup, Spicy Chili Crab, Spicy Otak-Otak, Fire Baked Seafood Rice Biryani, ‘Hae Mee’ Bisque Penang, Crispy Stuffed Chicken Wings with Stuffed Rice, Coconut Pana Cotta, and Chendol Durian.

The food menu was featured on 13 digital panels that also showed the state of origin for each featured dish, the ingredients used and a map showing the state’s tourist attractions.

Commenting on hosting the event and the array of dishes served, MITEC chief executive officer Mala Dorasamy said: “We are delighted to organise such a prestigious event like The Michelin Guide Debut Announcement at MITEC. We are proud of the MITEC team who worked tirelessly to conceptualise the theme “Road to Malaysia”.

The Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) covers 75.5 acres of the KL Metropolis within Kuala Lumpur’s International Trade and Exhibition District.

It is one of the largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) venues in Southeast Asia, offering over 51,000 sqm of exhibition space.

(Source: MITEC).

JLL nails multiple HICAP awards

SINGAPORE, 27 October 2022: JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group won three awards at the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) event held in Singapore last week.

The firm was recognised for the Single Asset Transaction of the Year for the Hilton Sydney, Merger & Acquisition (M&A) of the Year for W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, and the Rising Star of the Year for Calvin Li, Executive Vice President, Head of Transaction Advisory Services, Asia Pacific at JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group.

JLL advised on the marquee Hilton Sydney transaction earlier in 2022. The hotel was acquired by Barings Private Equity (BPEA) for circa AUD530 million (USD338 million) and featured 587 rooms. JLL was exclusively appointed to manage a discrete sale process on behalf of the seller Glory Property for this landmark recently refurbished luxury property. Significantly, this is the largest ever single hotel asset transaction closed in Australia.

The acquisition of W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa by an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners from Universal Enterprises and Marriott International closed in June 2022 for an undisclosed amount. JLL advised on the deal, which represents one of the largest open-market transactions in the Maldives, reinforcing the country’s position as a major destination for institutional capital. The resorts are on their own private islands and offer a combination of overwater villas and beach villas.

“Investment in the Asia Pacific hospitality space has made substantial strides in 2022. The flurry of capital allocation into the sector reinforces our conviction that the growth trajectory will continue into 2023. We are delighted to receive recognition for our deep commitment to our clients from HICAP and gratefully share these leading industry awards with all our partners involved in these two landmark transactions,” said JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group senior vice president and head of investment sales Asia Pacific Nihat Ercan

Calvin Li’s recognition as HICAP’s Rising Star for 2022 caps his well-established reputation as one of the leading members of the new generation of hotel advisors in Asia Pacific. He joined JLL in January 2012 as an analyst in Singapore in the Hotels & Hospitality team. After serving in various roles, he was appointed Head of Transaction Advisory in 2018.

For over 30 years, HICAP has been an important annual gathering place for Asia Pacific’s hotel investment community, attracting influential owners, developers, lenders, executives, and professional advisors worldwide.

Hyatt Centric arrives in Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE, 27 October 2022: Hyatt Hotels Corporation has opened Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, which marks the debut of Hyatt’s rapidly growing lifestyle brand in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

The 222-room hotel is located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, the coastal capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state on the island of Borneo.

“We are delighted to introduce Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu as Hyatt’s first Hyatt Centric hotel in Southeast Asia, setting a new milestone for our expanding lifestyle brand,” said Hyatt Group president Asia-Pacific David Udell.

The 23-story hotel is close to the shopping hotspots and the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, from which guests can take a short 20-minute boat trip to nearby islands to enjoy white sandy beaches and underwater activities.

It is also close to the  Sabah International Convention Centre, a sports complex and a university. Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) is a 15-minute drive away.

General manager Ruben Schrijver leads the Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu’s management team.

For more information on the Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, please visit www.hyattcentrickotakinabalu.com.

Philippines to end Covid-19 protocols

MANILA, 27 October 2022: The Philippines’ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr has approved removing the Covid-19 test requirements for incoming visitors and lifting the mask-wearing mandate for indoor settings.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco announced the changes at a press briefing held at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, following the Cabinet meeting with the President.

Photo credit: Department of Tourism Philippines.

“The direction of the Marcos Administration is to lift the remainder of travel restrictions into the Philippines, which includes easing our mask mandates to allow our country to be at par with our ASEAN neighbours who have long liberalised their mask mandates,” said Secretary Frasco.

“In addition to this, it was also discussed that the remainder of stringent protocols, such as the requirement of pre-departure testing into the Philippines, should also be removed,” added the DOT Chief.

Indoor mask-wearing will still be required on public transport, medical transport, and medical facilities.

The Tourism Secretary also announced that President Marcos Jr. would issue an Executive Order allowing fully-vaccinated visitors to the Philippines to enter the country without the Covid-19 test requirement. Meanwhile, unvaccinated guests will be given the option to take an antigen test 24 hours before travel or upon arrival in the Philippines. This policy will supersede the stringent Covid-19 test and quarantine requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors.

Earlier, the government announced the removal of the One Health Pass (OHP) to make way for the more traveller-friendly eArrival cards, a joint undertaking of the Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in coordination with the DOT and the Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT). The electronic arrival portal aims to simplify entry procedures for travellers.

Secretary Frasco clarified that according to the President’s direction, registration through the eArrival cards should not be mandatory before boarding. Additionally, special lanes will be provided in the airport for those who are unable to complete the registration process.

“Twenty questions that used to be in place have now been reduced to ten, specifically those that are tourism-related. And as agreed during the meeting, it was clarified that the filling out of the eArrival card would not be made mandatory as a prerequisite to boarding. In other words, you will be able to fill out the eArrival card at your convenience before departure or upon arrival,” said Secretary Frasco.

“The overarching direction of the Marcos Administration is to allow our country to convey an openness and a readiness to the world to receive tourists and investments so that we would give our fellow Filipinos an opportunity to regain all the livelihood and losses that were incurred during the pandemic. We are optimistic that with all of these restrictions being lifted by the Marcos Administration, this can only redound to the benefit of the lives of millions of Filipinos as well as the reinvigoration of the tourism industry. In the end, we cannot go on in a pandemic perspective because we have to allow our country to thrive while maintaining basic health protocol on the one hand and safeguarding and protecting livelihood and the economy on the other,” the tourism chief explained.

As of 24 October  2022, the DOT has recorded 1,827,603 visitor arrivals exceeding the 1.7 million forecast for the current year. The biggest bulk of tourists came from the US at 346,806 or 18.98%, South Korea with 250,021 or 13.68%, and Australia with 85,986 or 4.70%. Canada comes next with 78,366 or 4.29% and the UK with 69,482 or 3.80% arrivals.

(Source: Department of Tourism Philippines)

AirAsia platform recruits ASEAN hotels

SINGAPORE, 27 October 2022: A signing ceremony for over 50 key hotel groups from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines took place on Wednesday, a step up for AirAsia Super App’s ambitions to become the region’s fastest-growing travel & lifestyle super app platform.

The massive boost of room inventories to “AirAsia hotels” gives app users an extensive selection of hotel options to choose from according to their budget via the AirAsia Super App, adding further convenience and value.

AirAsia recruits hotels for its super app booking platform.

The symbolic event held at De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan @ The Linc KL,  reiterates the value that AirAsia Super App’s hotel booking platform brings to direct hotel partners, a daily active user database of 1.25 million who are scouring for travel deals and competitive rates.

The AirAsia Super App has support teams in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines to assist hotel partners to create the right strategy with relevant data and travel trends.

AirAsia Super App offers consumers a choice of over 700,000 hotels worldwide, the ability to earn and redeem AirAsia points, and even to pair their flights and hotel bookings in one seamless transaction via SNAP.  The hotel booking platform will guarantee the best hotel prices through a ‘Best Price Guaranteed’ scheme due to launch soon.

Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes commented: “When the travel industry was in full force, we were flying 100 million guests just on the AirAsia network alone, which translates into a valuable customer base. This customer base is something that no other online travel agent (OTA) can offer aside from the AirAsia Super App because we are the only travel super app that also owns an airline group. With the revival of travel now and the capability of the AirAsia Super App’s strength as an online travel agent (OTA) – reinforcing our hotel booking platform is crucial to capture and fulfilling market demand.”

Currently, the AirAsia Super App’s hotel booking platform has over 700,000 hotels listed, with at least 3,000 direct hotel partners focusing on the ASEAN region.

To mark this milestone, AirAsia Super App relaunched its SUPER Travel Fest offering travel deals with discounts of up to 50% effective from 26 to 28 October 2022.