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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
