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Hong Kong cuts quarantine days

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 10 August 2022: Just days after Hong Kong announced it would ease its quarantine rules this Friday, the territory’s Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)  said the adjustment should help air traffic to recover.

AAHK is working closely with the airport community to prepare for an expected increase in flights and passengers following the reduction of quarantine days for inbound travellers. However, reducing mandatory hotel quarantine to three days doesn’t go far enough for the territory’s tourism industry mainly because it is followed by “home medical surveillance lasting another four days.

Hong Kong is reducing the mandatory hotel quarantine from seven days to three starting Friday, 12 August, according to a government announcement last Sunday.

After the quarantine, travellers will need to undertake “home medical surveillance” for four days. Still, Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee said he was “striking a balance between risk level as well as our economic activity.”

After completing the hotel quarantine, travellers can stay at home or in a hotel for four days of surveillance. They will be able to leave their residences but cannot enter “places where there is active checking of vaccine passes,” Lee announced.

That eliminates visits to bars, pubs, gyms and beauty parlours. People are also not allowed to visit nursing homes, schools and specified medical premises during the surveillance period.

“They cannot participate in any activities where masks are to be taken off,” Lee added. “If they test negative on a rapid antigen test, they can take public transportation, go to work and enter shopping malls,” he explained. Meanwhile, China shows no sign of backing away from its ‘zero-Covid’ strategy as Asia’s popular destinations come to terms with the possibility there will be no return for Chinese tour groups, possibly until Chinese New Year 2023 at the earliest.

Thai AirAsia boosts Seoul flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 9 August 2022: Thai AirAsia X is increasing flights on its Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Seoul (ICN), South Korea route to 10 flights weekly starting this October.

The airline offers 20% off on all seats* and routes for bookings from 8 to 14 August 2022 for travel from 22 August to 18 April 2023.

Thai AirAsia X acting CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said: “We are mounting more flights for this popular sector in anticipation of a spike in demand towards the final quarter of the year, South Korea’s high season for travel.

“There will be daily flights from Suvarnabhumi to Incheon beginning October, with an additional service every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, making it a total of 10 flights weekly.”

Travellers can now enter South Korea without any quarantine requirement. However, passengers should check out full Information on entry into South Korea by visiting www.k-eta.go.kr.

*Promotion does not apply to long weekends and public holidays. Terms and conditions apply.

‘What About Kuching’ returns in October

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 9 August 2022: Sarawak’s iconic festival ‘What About Kuching’ gained a new lease of life as organisers announced its comeback from 1 to 31 October.

First reported in the New Sarawak Tribune, the online news service confirmed What About Kuching Festival 2022 (WAK2022) returns after a two-year pause caused by Covid-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions.

What About Kuching Facebook

The community-driven festival of the arts, culture and lifestyle focusing on Sarawak’s state capital and its neighbouring districts hosted its third edition back in 2019, supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak.

Throughout October, WAK2022 will feature a multi-genre programme centred in the city of Kuching and radiating outwards towards greater Kuching.

The WAK festival series founding director Donald Tan confirmed at the close of proposal submission on 31 July, WAK2022 received 69 proposals from 59 different collaborators covering 111 events of various genres, including music, theatre, dance, arts and crafts, gastronomy, culture, sporting events and eco-based adventure activities.

“WAK2022 will be your best opportunity to experience and be immersed in our rich culture and heritage,” said Tan during the press launch, “It will satisfy your craving for music, theatre and fine arts as we present both the old and the new. Gastronomy will be a big part of the festival too!”

Find out more about WAK2022 at www.aboutkuching.com. 

(Source: New Sarawak Tribune)

DidaTravel delivers flight bookings

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TTR WEEKLY
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SHENZHEN, China, 9 August 2022: A leading Chinese travel service provider DidaTravel has launched its B2B flight booking multi-GDS portal, featuring access to full-service, low-cost airlines and new distribution capability (NDC) content.

DidaTravel’s 23,000 B2B buyers worldwide (travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, TMCs and event DMCs) can now access flights from 500 plus airlines to fly to more than 20,000 destinations.

In the future, clients can combine flights with accommodation to boost their ancillary revenue thanks to dynamic packaging technology that also includes in-path and post-booking cross-selling tools.

Packaging of flights with accommodation is already available through the company’s new flight booking engine or as an XML / API integration, with dynamic packaging to be integrated at the end of 2022. In addition, currently, there is an option for clients to query flight prices manually.

To lead this new venture, Jason Guan – who joined DidaTravel last year – has now been appointed as flight business unit general manager, reporting directly to Rikin Wu, DidaTravel Founder & CEO.

DidaTravel’s founder & CEO Rikin Wu comments: “Following years of partners asking for flight products, during Covid we put aside the time and resources to prepare for this properly, and I’m excited that we are now ready to launch. Given our network of 23,000 B2B travel sellers globally and our dynamic packaging capabilities, I feel confident that we will be able to grow and scale our flight business under the leadership of Jason.”

About DidaTravel

DidaTravel is a tech-driven integrated travel service provider founded in 2012 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China. It has over 300 staff in eight offices globally. The company works with over 23,000 travel buying clients worldwide. It has a portfolio of over 51,500 competitively sourced direct hotel contracts, as well as 700,000 hotel products provided by 600+ global suppliers, covering more than 200 countries/regions. Before the pandemic, in 2019, DidaTravel sold hotel bookings in the China & APAC region worth over USD700 million.

Emirates sells summer fare deals

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 9 August 2022: Travellers looking for a getaway can gear up for their next holiday with Emirates’ summer-exclusive offerings starting this month.

For a limited time, travellers from Singapore can enjoy special fares to over 100 destinations across Emirates’ extensive network, with all-inclusive economy class fares starting at SGD689. Business class fares start at SGD2,979, and first class fares at SGD10,119.

Fares are available for bookings from 8 to 28 August 2022 and valid for travel from 1 September 2022 to 31 May 2023.

Promotional fares for featured destinations include:

DestinationsEconomy Class Fares From (SGD)Business Class Fares From (SGD)First Class Fares From (SGD)
Dubai6892,97910,119
London1,2094,87911,829
Paris1,3594,71911,669
Amsterdam1,3795,17915,539
Barcelona1,2995,14916,639
Rome1,4096,67917,809
Milan1,3395,15912,109
Zurich1,5295,08913,829
Istanbul1,2594,46915,509
USA1,8797,23916,339

Increased Connectivity to Dubai

Just four months after introducing its second daily flight, Emirates will increase its frequency between Singapore and Dubai with a third daily flight starting on 30 October 2022. EK349 will depart at 1010 local time, and passengers will touch down in Dubai just in time to enjoy the city’s nightlife.

With 21 flights a week from Singapore to Dubai, travellers can enjoy enhanced connectivity through Emirates’ Dubai hub. Emirates’ daily flights between Singapore and Dubai – EK354 and EK355 – feature flat-bed seats in business class and private suites in first class.

Travellers can enjoy savings during their holidays in Dubai and across the UAE with My Emirates Pass until 30 September 2022.

Travelling with Emirates

Emirates works to provide an incredible inflight experience and a seamless journey on the ground, offering award-winning services to customers in all classes of travel. From check-in to boarding, travelling with family is now much more convenient with Emirates’ priority boarding and over 100 channels of content for children on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

Emirates continues to offer stellar and safe travel experiences to Dubai and the rest of its global network. The airline has also been building on its contactless technology offerings to provide even more convenient options to fast-track through airport formalities.

Customers are encouraged to check the latest government travel guidelines and ensure that they meet the travel requirements of their destination. For a consolidated overview of travel requirements by destination, travellers can visit https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/travel-requirements-by-destination/.

For more information, including how to book flights and a complete list of terms and conditions, customers are advised to contact their travel agent or visit https://www.emirates.com/sg

JLL closes hotel sale in Sydney

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TTR WEEKLY
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SYDNEY, 9 August 2022: JLL (NYSE: JLL) Hotels & Hospitality Group has negotiated the transaction of the Hilton Sydney Hotel, the largest single asset hotel deal ever closed in Australia.

The hotel was acquired by Barings Private Equity Asia (“BPEA”) for approximately AUD530 million (USD370 million), and the transaction was advised by members of JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group’s Asia Pacific and Australia teams. 

The Hilton Sydney Hotel offers 587 guest rooms & suites together with a lobby cafe, restaurant, two bars and approximately 4,000 sqm of conference and meeting space. Further amenities include a swimming pool and a large gymnasium operated by Fitness First.

“This transaction is emblematic of the confidence in Sydney’s rapidly recovering hospitality sector and its longer-term investment fundamentals,” said JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, Australia managing director, investment sales Mark Durran.

“Despite the current headwinds, landmark hotel assets remain highly sought after by global investors. Established hotel assets of this scale and calibre that offer clear asset enhancement opportunities rarely come to market and consistently attract strong global and local investor interest.”

The hotel underwent a multi-million major refurbishment in 2019/2020, which has further increased its prestigious standing and is expected to improve its performance in the tightly-held Sydney 5-star market. Notable works include expanding room count from 579 to 587, along with upgrades to all guest rooms, significantly enhancing the overall guest offering.

This landmark luxury 5-star Sydney CBD hotel features dual street frontages to both George Street and Pitt Street and is located within the Midtown Office Precinct of the Sydney CBD, close to the retail heart of Sydney, as well as a large number of major corporate offices and leisure attractions including the Darling Harbour convention and entertainment precincts.

JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group has completed three of the four largest major hotel sales in Sydney’s CBD since the onset of the pandemic. The Hilton Sydney Hotel transaction follows the recent sales of Primus Sydney for AUD131.5 million (USD92 million) and Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Central Park for AUD146 million (USD102 million).

The closing of the Hilton Sydney transaction has now more than doubled total settled transaction volumes year-to-date in Australia to approximately AUD750 million. According to the latest STR data, Sydney’s revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the first half of 2021 is up 49.9% compared to last year.

Former MTCO director steps into a new role

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 9 August 2022: The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office’s former acting executive director Nattakorn Asunee Na Ayudhaya (Ton) joined the social impact organisation Steps as its communications manager last month.

Nattakorn Asunee Na Ayudhaya (Ton).

He worked at the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) as its operations manager from 2017 until 2021 and acting executive director from October 2021 until March 2022. He served more than five years at the MTCO promoting tourism to the six member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Last March, the six countries confirmed the appointment of Suvimol Thanasarakij as the MTCO’s permanent executive director, following almost six months of intense discussions. That decision ended Ton’s role as acting executive director.

In July, he joined Steps, a social impact organisation in Thailand, as a communications manager. Steps Thailand’s website says it provides access to a meaningful transition to employment pathways for the neurodivergent community. It models inclusive and sustainable businesses such as coffee shops, retail shops, business outsourcing services, and bakeries.

Nattakorn holds a Master’s in Innovation and Sustainability from Thammasart University Thailand and a Bachelor’s degree in Ecotourism and Hospitality Management from the Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand.

Expats live well in Southeast Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 9 August 2022: Four popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia – Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore – reached the top 10 country list for the best places for expatriates to reside.

The Expat Insider 2022 survey by InterNations reveals the best and worst destinations for expatriates living and working abroad. Mexico topped the 10 best destinations chart, closely followed by Indonesia in second place. Vietnam took the seventh spot, Thailand (eighth) and Singapore (10th).

InterNations Expat Insider 2022

Other destinations in the top 10: Taiwan in third place. Portugal (fourth) and Spain (fifth). UAE registered sixth and Australia ninth.

The survey covers in-depth information on expats’ satisfaction with the Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, and Personal Finance in their respective countries of residence. For the first time, the 2022 ranking also includes the new Expat Essentials Index, which covers digital life, admin topics, housing, and language.

Mexico (1), Indonesia (2), and Taiwan (3) rank very well in the Ease of Settling In and Personal Finance Indices.

At the foot of the table, the Expat Insider Survey identifies what it calls the worst destinations for expatriates. The losers were: Kuwait (52), followed by New Zealand (51), Hong Kong (50), Cyprus (49), Luxembourg (48), Japan (47), South Africa (46), Turkey (45), Italy (44), and Malta (43).

Kuwait, New Zealand, and Hong Kong all perform poorly in personal finances for expatriates. Kuwait ranks the worst destination worldwide for all factors, while expatriates in New Zealand struggle with their careers and those in Hong Kong are unhappy with the local environment.

Now in its ninth edition, InterNations’ Expat Insider Survey polls 12,000 respondents about living and working abroad, providing insights into expatriate life in 52 destinations.

Emirates recruits cabin crew

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 8 August 2022: Emirates is looking for candidates to join its multinational cabin crew team with an “INVITE ONLY” assessment day planned on 20 August 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Dubai-based airline is looking for individuals passionate about delivering simple yet personalised and impeccable hospitality while creating memorable moments for its customers. Safety being one of Emirates’ highest priorities, the ideal candidate will lead confidently and take control when managing aircraft services, security, and safety procedures. All Emirates crew will receive a world-class learning experience at the airline’s state-of-the-art facility in Dubai. 

Applicants hoping to give their careers an epic take-off must submit an online application with an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) in English and a recent photograph.

Further information about the requirements for the selection process can be found here.

Candidates will need to come prepared to spend the full day at the venue. The “INVITE ONLY” recruitment day is open to aspiring cabin crew candidates who apply online and receive an invitation to the recruitment event.

Emirates’ truly global cabin crew team represents 160 nationalities, reflecting its customer mix and international operations in over 130 cities on six continents, utilising a modern fleet of over 200 all-wide-body aircraft. The airline is the largest global operator of the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380 aircraft.

Emirates offers candidates outstanding career opportunities, with excellent training facilities and a broad range of development programmes for its employees. Emirates crews are based in Dubai and enjoy an attractive employment package with various benefits such as a tax-free salary, free company-provided accommodation, free transport to and from work, medical cover, and discounts on shopping and leisure activities in Dubai.

Emirates has been flying to Thailand for over 32 years and currently offers 21 weekly flights from Bangkok to Dubai and seven weekly flights from Phuket to Dubai as a hub to other international destinations worldwide.

For more information visit: www.emirates.com

Carnival rolls out energy-saving technology

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 8 August 2022: Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company, has announced the rollout of comprehensive technology upgrades called Service Power Packages across its global fleet to improve energy savings and reduce fuel consumption.

The upgrades include ongoing installations through 2023 on ships from the company’s nine cruise line brands – Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

Carnival Corporation’s Service Power upgrade program delivers an average of 5-10% fuel savings per ship and is expected to reduce fleetwide greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500,000 metric tons each year. In addition to the environmental benefits, the programme, upon completion, is expected to generate over USD150 million in annual fuel cost savings.

Developed over the past six years, the company’s Service Power program delivers significant efficiency upgrades across the fleet, including air conditioning upgrades to the cabin and public areas and major enhancements to cooling, lighting and automation systems. Adjusting for variations in ship design, size and equipment, the company customises the Service Power Package for each ship, which combines the synergies from multiple upgrades with new operational efficiencies, all effectively supporting Carnival Corporation’s energy savings and decarbonisation strategies.

The Carnival Corporation Service Power Packages include the following elements designed to work together to reduce each ship’s overall service load – the energy required to support all onboard hotel systems – and as a result, significantly reduce both fuel usage and emissions:

Comprehensive upgrades to each ship’s hotel HVAC systems account for 25% of a ship’s energy consumption to improve hotel ventilation efficiency using sophisticated variable speed drives and on-demand systems throughout public areas, cabins and galleys. Additionally, indoor air quality is continuously monitored and maintained to the highest standards at sea, using industry-leading air filtration and ultraviolet-C treatment throughout the ship.

Technical systems upgrades on each ship using variable speed drives and on-demand automated control systems for engine room ventilation, main air conditioning chillers and cooling pumps, dramatically lowering the energy needed to deliver cooling around the ship.

State-of-the-art LED lighting systems are installed throughout each ship to reduce both power consumption and heat load generation – creating a dual benefit from lower air conditioning demand.

Remote monitoring and maintenance improvements maximise benefits from the upgrade packages, including improved instrumentation and automated management systems, with nonstop ship-to-shore connectivity. Expanded remote monitoring and analysis of each ship’s energy performance and technical status ensure peak efficiency and minimal downtimes.

The fleetwide enhancements are part of Carnival Corporation’s ongoing energy efficiency investment program and efforts to reduce fuel consumption, including over USD350 million invested in energy efficiency improvements since 2016, along with the company’s fleet optimisation strategy and design of more efficient itineraries. Together, these ongoing efforts are expected to drive a 10% reduction in fuel consumption per available lower berth day (ALBD) in the company’s first full year of guest cruise operations compared to 2019, along with a 9% reduction in carbon emissions per lower berth distance travelled.

As part of its longer-term sustainability plan and vision, Carnival Corporation has committed to significant investments to achieve its 2030 goals and 2050 aspirations, which incorporate six critical sustainability focus areas. These areas include climate action; circular economy; sustainable tourism; good health and well-being, diversity, equity and inclusion, and biodiversity and conservation.

Among these priorities, the company has committed to reducing carbon emission intensity by 20% from its 2019 baseline by 2030, supporting its efforts and aspirations to achieve net carbon-neutral ship operations by 2050.

(Your Stories: Princess Cruises)

For more information on Princess Cruises, visit www.princess.com.

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