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Sarawak woos Singapore’s foodies

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 October 2022: Sarawak Tourism Board has launched its latest tourism campaign, “SARAWAK Look, See… Chiak, Makan” targeting Singaporeans who want to explore Sarawak’s diverse food culture.

The campaign extends to 15 December 2022, and is a collaborative effort between Sarawak Tourism Board and participating tour operators to build awareness about Sarawak’s tourism products and destinations to highlight its diverse gastronomy that is one of Sarawak five tourism pillars, Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF).

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said people are making up for lost time and holidays after the easing of travel restrictions, and these revenge travellers are just eager and itching to travel.

“The launching of the ‘Sarawak Look See… Chiak Makan’ campaign comes in timely to attract Singaporeans who we know have a soft spot for gastronomy delights and are looking for a quick but memorable getaway. We hope that they will enjoy exploring Kuching, Malaysia’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, and Sarawak’s other destinations like Miri city,” he said.

Throughout this campaign, participating tour operators will bring their Singaporean package buyers to any restaurant or hawker stalls and to include the Sarawak Laksa or Kolok Mee eatery outlets in the tour packages.

YB Abdul Karim also stated more Singaporeans are visiting Sarawak, with Singapore ranking third in the charts with 16,819 visitors from March to September ever since the resumption of direct flights from Singapore to Sarawak in February 2022.  

“While numbers are good indicators, we must seize this opportunity to creatively rethink and re-strategise how the pandemic has changed the tourism industry,” he added.

Those interested in finding out more about the “SARAWAK Look, See… Chiak, Makan” travel campaign can check out more at the campaign’s designated website https://lookseechiak.sarawaktourism.com.

STB also signed an MOU  with Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) and the Singapore Scout Association (SSA), which recognises SSA as Sarawak’s ambassador and partner in creating programmes to educate Singaporean youth, families and individuals about Sarawak’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

Centara partners with Qatar’s FFP

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 26 October 2022: Centara Hotels & Resorts announces a partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club, a frequent flyer programme from Qatar’s state-owned flag carrier. The new partnership offers Privilege Club members the opportunity to collect 300 Avios Reward Points for every 5,000 CentaraThe1 points transferred for use on flights to over 150 international destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.

The partnership is the latest addition to Centara’s growing airline network, which already includes Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Vietjet and Vistara Airways.

“With international travel continuing to rebound, we are excited to launch this timely partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club to offer exclusive privileges to their customer network through our CentaraThe1 loyalty platform. With 49 operating hotels and resorts across six unique brands, and even more properties scheduled to open over the next year, Centara is The Place to Be for travellers around the world. Qatar Airways is one of the world’s leading airlines for taking them there,” said Tom Thrussell, Vice President – Brand, Marketing & Digital of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

“At Qatar Airways, we always seek opportunities to expand our partnerships with leading brands and reward our members with additional benefits. This collaboration means our Privilege Club members will be rewarded every time they stay at a Centara Hotel, making it even easier to travel to any of our 150 global destinations. We are certain that our members will enjoy the benefits of this partnership enhancement in some of the most renowned hotel brands in Asia and the Middle East,” said Qatar Airways regional manager – Indochina, Bennet Stephens.

Under the Centara x Qatar Airways Privilege Club promotion, Privilege Club members can convert 5000 CentaraThe1 points in exchange for 300 Avios from now until 1 May 2024. To take advantage of this offer, members need only transfer the desired number of points from their CentaraThe1 Card member account to their Privilege Club membership account after logging in at centaraThe1.com.

With properties in destinations across Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Middle East, Centara makes it easy for CentaraThe1 members to collect points. Every THB 30 (USD$ 1) spent on eligible hotel and resort stays, F&B, laundry services, or treatments at its award-winning SPA Cenvaree earns 5 points, which can now be converted into Avios by those who are both CentaraThe1 and Privilege Club members.

To learn more about the CentaraThe1 and Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers, visit https://centara1card.com/qatarairways

(Your Stories: Centara Hotels & Resorts)

TAL and Qantas sign GSA accord

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 October 2022: TAL Aviation Group has been appointed general sales agent for Qantas in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

The agreement will see TAL Aviation and Qantas expand their collaboration in the three key markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland while providing sales and distribution services to additional European markets.

TAL Aviation’s vice president of commercial, Nissim Sagis, commented: “We are excited to continue our collaboration with Qantas by expanding into additional European markets.  The growth of Qantas’ distribution platform into additional markets, combined with the region’s strong demand in air travel, will enable agents and travellers to have a more personalized customer service experience.” 

TAL Aviation’s German team, headed by managing director Sven Meyer will actively provide sales, marketing, and additional services to support the travel trade and potential customers.

Qantas has made numerous network updates over recent months, including adding services in existing markets and providing corporate and leisure travellers additional connections and travel opportunities.

AirAsia links Bali and Penang

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TTR WEEKLY
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GEORGE TOWN, Penang, 26 October 2022: AirAsia will boost regional inbound tourism to Penang after establishing a new direct route from Bali last week.

AirAsia now flies between Penang and Bali twice weekly under the flight codes AK1234 and AK1235. The airline currently serves Penang with 156 flights per week, making Penang the airline’s second biggest hub in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur.

Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE ) YB Yeoh Soon Hin said: “We are thrilled that AirAsia has introduced these new direct Penang – Bali services. This will be the first new direct route connecting the region after the pandemic. We believe this will be another key international route from Penang, and we applaud AirAsia’s continued effort to make Penang a destination of choice for many regional travellers.:

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat noted:  “These new services mark the first time we have flown this route. As the largest carrier serving Penang with a market share of 50% as a group, (this latest development) bodes well for AirAsia’s regional expansion opening up new markets to and from Penang. Not only will this new direct route to Bali offer a seamless journey, but it will also provide a welcome boost to regional inbound tourism and support the local economies in both countries.”

PATA appoints ecotourism expert

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 26 October 2022: The Pacific Asia Travel Association has recruited thought leader and ecotourism industry expert Megan Epler Wood as its special advisor on sustainable tourism development for destinations, businesses, and civil society.

“We are honoured to have Megan as PATA’s special advisor. Destination leaders across the Asia Pacific region have a keen interest in advancing their resilience and sustainability while engaging in the positive social, cultural and economic benefits delivered through travel,” said PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera.  “Megan’s knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to driving progress towards a more resilient and sustainable Asia Pacific travel ecosystem. We look forward to partnering with her to support our network and the industry in this journey.”

Megan Epler Wood.

Wood has dedicated her professional career of over 30 years towards creating professional guidelines, tools, policies, and educational resources focusing on sustainable tourism development. In 1990, she began to make her mark in ecotourism by founding the world’s first sustainable tourism NGO, The International Ecotourism Society.

After founding her NGO, she began leading her international consulting practice, EplerWood International, in 2003. There she has worked with her team on over a dozen projects in more than 35 countries fostering sustainable development, along with world-renowned organisations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank Group, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), and the Inter-American Development Bank. She has consulted national governments in Latin America, Asia, and Africa on policies for sustainable tourism development. She is responsible for fostering small-scale enterprise development in rural and biodiverse areas. 

Wood commented on the appointment: “I am thrilled to be working with PATA at this pivotal time in the management of sustainable tourism. The Asia Pacific region is in an important position to take leadership by adopting the most up-to-date, data-oriented systems for sustainable destination and business management that lowers impacts and benefits both visitors and local people.”

She is currently the managing director of the Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program (STAMP) at Cornell University’s Centre for Sustainable Global Enterprise and the SC Johnson College of Business, a role she has held since 2017.

Along with the STAMP programme, which supports research on the sustainable management of tourism, she was also appointed as a lead faculty member of the Cornell On-Line Course, Sustainable Tourism Destination Management, in 2022.

Radisson fast tracks rewards

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 October 2022: Radisson Hotel Group launched its new Radisson Rewards loyalty programme on Tuesday, enabling guests to tap exclusive benefits faster, with VIP members advancing to the highest tier twice as fast as before.

Benefits can be accessed from day one and are available across the entire member journey from inspiration to booking. This includes in-stay privileges such as complimentary upgrades, F&B discounts and other experiences, as well as post-stay benefits such as the option to make a stay carbon-neutral.

Since the launch of Radisson Rewards, Radisson Hotel Group has delivered complimentary upgrades and exclusive experiences to its members. Now, the new loyalty programme has been simplified to become the most streamlined with just three tiers (Club, Premium, and VIP). It offers members the fastest route to elevate their status, earn and redeem more loyalty points, and unlock a host of VIP benefits. The new discount booster for future reservations will allow members to boost their discount by reducing the number of points they earn.

The currency model has been enhanced, with members now able to book any room type in any hotel making it easier to book an Award Night with the new dynamic redemption model, plus offering more ways to earn and redeem.

For professional bookers and planners, Radisson Rewards will also be fully integrated to allow them to earn and redeem points when they book for others and on personal travel.

Radisson Rewards members can now make their hotel stays carbon-neutral by redeeming just 325 points per day to offset their stay’s carbon footprint reliably and seamlessly. Radisson Rewards is one of the few loyalty programmes to offer this option in points and as an integral part of the stay, making green stays easy.

Ethiopian expands Swiss flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 October 2022: Ethiopian Airlines will add Zürich to its expanding global network with thrice-weekly flights from Addis Ababa. The first flight to Zürich will take off on 31 October 2022, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Zürich will be Ethiopian Airlines’ second destination in Switzerland after Geneva and its 19th gateway to Europe. Zürich is Switzerland’s financial and industrial centre and hosts the headquarters of various international organisations, including football’s governing body FIFA.

Commenting on the launch of the new flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said: “We are glad to open a new route connecting Zürich with over 130 destinations of Ethiopian Airlines via Africa’s political capital, Addis Ababa. The new flight will expand our presence in Switzerland and Europe and provide enhanced air connectivity between Switzerland and Ethiopia.”

Ethiopian Airlines flies to Geneva three times a week, increasing to four weekly flights by the end of this month. With the launch of services to Zürich, Ethiopian Airlines flights to Switzerland will increase to seven per week.

Sabah bags six tourism awards

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 25 October 2022: Sabah bags six awards in the Malaysia Tourism Council Gold Awards 2022.

The lineup of the award recipients from Sabah with Puan Noredah Othman, CEO of Sabah Tourism Board. From left to right: Leslie Hiew of Amazing Borneo, Alexander Yee of Trekkers Lodge Sdn Bhd, Puan Noredah Othman of Sabah Tourism Board, Datuk Robert Lo of Sipadan Mabul Resort, Jeff Yee and Sophia Sie of Mataking Reef Resort, Julie Wong of WB Shun Shun Water Bungalow.

Winners

1. Gold Award MICE Group Serviced: Amazing Borneo Tours & Events Sdn Bhd.

2. Gold Award Family Attraction: Rumah Terbalik (Trekkers Lodge Sdn Bhd).

3. Gold Award Island Resort Experience: WB Shun Shun Water Bungalows Resort.

4. Gold Award Island Family Resort: Sipadan Mabul Resort.

5. Gold Award Conservation Destination: Walai Penyu Conservation Park. Libaran (Trekkers Lodge Sdn Bhd).

6. Gold Award Private Built-in Luxury Island Resort: Mataking Reef Resort.

For more information on Sabah, visit www.sabahtourism.com.

(Source: Sabah Tourism Board)

Jayakarta Hotels partners with Netral Port

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 25 October 2022: Jayakarta Hotels and Resorts (JKHR) has signed a partnership agreement with Netral Port (NTP) for its online direct booking services for agents, wholesalers and corporates within the Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) ecosystem.

Powered by TA Network, which links Asia Pacific’s leading travel wholesalers, operators and destination management companies on a single platform, NTP provides digitalisation solutions for the Indonesian hospitality market to improve their direct connectivity and automate inventory management processes with their traditional offline contractors.

Services would otherwise require both parties to update their booking inventory and retrieve booking confirmations manually. This also eliminates overbooking and under-booking issues associated with room allotments and potential human errors in manually maintaining hotel contracts.

In addition, TA Network’s digital payment solutions will enable hotel clients with virtual cards or virtual bank account services to process payments from their global contractors, designed to minimise cross-border and FX fees.

Based in Indonesia with over four decades of operations,  Jayakarta Hotels and Resorts is a well-respected four-star hospitality establishment, managing nine hotels, two boutiques suites and one residential condominium representing over 1300 daily room nights in operation.

Jayakarta Hotels & Resorts marketing director – revenue and digital distribution Cecep Supriatna added: “TA Network/NTP solutions has enabled JKHR to manage the conservative wholesale contract digitally with the full functionality of lead time, booking windows or stay pattern promotion, making our B2B faster. We can manage dynamic rates with great efficiency to work with dynamic wholesalers. Additionally, we are excited to be working with Asia’s first true open travel ecosystem with TA Network providing instant access to all the major channels integrated within the TA Network.”

SiteMinder tracks travel appetite

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 25 October 2022: A survey of more than 8,000 travellers globally, including 2,461 travellers in China, Indonesia and Thailand, reveals a growing appetite for overseas travel as countries reopen while rising living costs haven’t dampened that.

Across the three countries polled in the Asia Pacific, 71% of travellers in China and 56% in Indonesia and Thailand said that inflation had “no impact” to “moderate impact” on their decision when planning and evaluating the cost of travel. Respondents who cite a “moderate impact” also stated that cheap accommodation rates are not the most important factor when booking their travel.

The annual Changing Traveller Report 2022 by SiteMinder (ASX:SDR), the world’s leading hotel commerce platform, also found that about half of respondents – 48% of travellers in China and Thailand and 52% of travellers in Indonesia – intend to travel “internationally or domestically” over the next 12 months. Millennials (aged 26 to 41) form the largest segment who plan to travel, accounting for 58% of travellers in Indonesia, followed by 56% in China and 52% in Thailand.

As the largest accommodation-specific traveller survey globally, insights from SiteMinder’s 2022 Changing Traveller Report showed that:

  • Gen Z (age 18-25) are also the most likely to be influenced by the social media presence of the property they book, compared to other age groups. Thai travellers are the most influenced by social media, with 78% of respondents saying they are “very influenced” or “influenced” by the property’s social media presence in their booking decision, followed by 75% in China and 74% in Indonesia. Respondents in every age group agree they are all influenced by the social media accounts of the accommodation they book.
  • Bleisure continues to be a growing trend, with 49% of Gen Z global travellers most likely to take a working holiday, followed by 46% of Millennials. 65% of Thai travellers, almost two in every three, are the leaders in bleisure travel, followed by 62% of Indonesian and 47% of Chinese travellers. A quarter or more of travellers from every country surveyed in the report will be bleisure travellers on their next trip.
  • Travellers are likely to change their perception of the accommodation provider if they have a negative customer experience when accessing and using the accommodation provider’s website, for example, if the website is slow or the payment process is not secure. A high proportion of travellers – 89% in China, 72% in Indonesia and 75% in Thailand – said they are “very likely” or “likely” to change their perception when the accommodation provider is not using technology effectively.
  • The use of AI and robots by accommodation providers to replace hospitality professionals is also well accepted, with 86% of travellers in China, 85% of travellers in Thailand and 76% of travellers in Indonesia saying they are “very supportive” or “supportive” of accommodation providers using AI and robots to automate previous human work processes.

SiteMinder, managing director and CEO Sankar Narayan said: “We can see that optimism is returning from travellers to the tourism sector, and there is demand for travel as travel restrictions and health concerns abate worldwide. Despite inflation and rising costs, travellers report they are undeterred and do not intend to cancel their travel plans, which is a positive sign for the accommodation industry’s resilience and global travel, particularly in Asia.

“The long-awaited recovery of travel has also emerged with a new type of traveller, who has higher expectations from hotels and their travel experiences than ever. We can see that, more than ever, travellers now have ambitions to book, travel, work, connect, and experience the world with the greatest flexibility and security possible.”

The extensive report also extensively uncovers five key travel trends set to inform and inspire the accommodation and tourism industry:

  1. The Macro-Travel Trend: The urge to travel is stronger than rising inflation
  2. The Digital Influence Trend: Right now, travellers are the most winnable consumers on earth
  3. The Bleisure Trend: Working travellers want the future hotel, today
  4. The Trust Trend: Every digital touchpoint matters for the new trust-critical traveller
  5. The Human Connection Trend: Tech-enabled travellers are unwilling to compromise on human connection

Explore SiteMinder’s interactive hotel experience to gain more insights and to read the full report.

(Source: MediaOutReach Newswire https://www.media-outreach.com/)

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