SINGAPORE, 13 January 2023: Time is running out for travel and hospitality firms keen to tap a discount to attend ITB India as the early bird 15% expires on 15 January.
ITB India 2023, a B2B show focusing on South Asia, will return to its in-person format from 26 to 28 April, at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, India. Messe Berlin Singapore organises the show. It also owns and operates ITB Asia Singapore, scheduled for 25 to 27 October 2023 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
ITB India is co-located with MICE Show India and Travel Tech India, adopting a three-in-one show format that covers the core verticals of leisure travel, business events and travel technology.
Over 500 buyers from MICE (25%), corporate (25%), and leisure (50%) sectors based in India and other South Asia countries will attend the show. Exhibitors can book booth space with prices starting at USD3.060 on the early bird ticket or pay USD3,443 until sales close in March.
Ho Chi Minh City, 13 January 2023: Vietjet will launch its first service between Vietnam and Australia, connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne starting 31 March 2023.
The new route’s announcement ceremony was witnessed by Tim Pallas – Victorian Minister for Trade and Investment, who heads the Victorian delegation on a working visit to Vietnam, and Dinh Viet Phuong, Vietjet managing director in Ho Chi Minh City.
The airline has scheduled three weekly flights but expects to increase to daily flights by December 2024.
An A330 aircraft will be used to launch the service with the full range of ticket classes such as SkyBoss Business, SkyBoss, Deluxe and Eco.
Schedule details
· Flights every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, departing HCMC at 0950 (local time) and landing a Melbourne Airport at 2235 (local time) on the same day.
· Flights every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday depart from Melbourne Airport at 0030 (local time) and arrive in HCMC at 0515 (local time) on the same day.
Victorian Minister for Trade and Investment Tim Pallas welcomed Vietjet’s decision to commence flights connecting Vietnam with Melbourne.
“The arrival of another airline from Southeast Asia is a win for the Victorian economy and local jobs – showing the strength of our tourism and export markets.”
An estimated 123,000 visitors to Australia in 2019 were from Vietnam. Data from Vietnam General Statistics Office reveals that in 2021, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Australia reached a record of USD12.4 billion.
SINGAPORE, 13 January 2023: Nepal has reinstated travel restrictions that require travellers entering Nepal by air or land to submit a certificate showing they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or a negative pre-arrival Covid-19 test result if they are not fully vaccinated.
In a statement posted on its website earlier this week, Nepal Airlines informed passengers they need to present an international vaccination certificate with a barcode or a negate Covid -19 PCR test to board flights to Nepal.
Travellers unable to provide a vaccination certificate must present a negative Covid-19 test report taken within 72 hours of the flight departure to Nepal. The country’s visa-on-arrival service is operating normally.
The Covid-19 entry rule does not apply to children below five years.
The mandatory rule originates from a requirement outlined by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal on 23 December 2022.
Nepal’s tourism-related websites linked to the Ministry of Tourism, Department of Tourism and Nepal Tourism Board make no mention of the ruling leaving it up to the national airline and foreign embassies to get the word out.
Times of India broke the news three days ago, quoting the airline’s website notice and noting that it is now mandatory for international passengers arriving in Nepal to present proof of a Covid-19 international vaccination certificate or Covid-19 PCR negative report.
Nepal locked down travel in March 2020 but gradually reopened on 10 March 2022. It subsequently abolished all pre-arrival testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers to boost the tourism industry.
The Nepal Tourism Board earlier this month noted that India had re-emerged as Nepal’s top inbound tourist market in 2022.
Nepal is responding to rising Covid-19 cases in several countries in Asia, such as China, South Korea, and Japan. Civil aviation authorities said it was a precautionary measure.
But tourism executives see it as a setback. They argue that demanding non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated passengers provide a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test result will deter recovery.
BANGKOK, 13 January 2023: Thailand rolled out the red carpet for the first Chinese tourists arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, just days after China lifted the last remaining travel restrictions.
They arrived on Xiaman Airlines’ flight MF833 from Xiamen on 9 January 2023, less than two weeks before China’s Lunar New Year holiday week gets underway on 22 January.
Photo Credit TAT. Chinese tourist snaps a selfie with Thailand’s minister of tourism.
Disembarking at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, 286 passengers enjoyed a warm welcome from Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Saksayam Chidchob, Minister of Transport and other top government officials including the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn.
TAT deputy governor for domestic marketing, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, commented on her Facebook page that welcoming the first tour group would build confidence to “drive the tourism sector to achieve recovery from the damage of COVID-19 inflicted on the economy.”
It has undoubtedly fuelled optimism in the senior ranks of the TAT as officials are now suggesting the country is on track to host approximately 7 to 10 million Chinese tourists this year. In 2019 before Covid-19 locked down global tourism, Thailand welcomed just short of 12 million Chinese visitors.
If that is the case, then TAT’s deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and the South Pacific, Tanes Petsuwan, could be spot on when he says 2023 could close with between 20 to 25 million visits which would give the country around half of the 40 million visits recorded in 2019 before Covid closed down travel. TAT recorded 11.8 million visitor arrivals in 2022, mostly business and family travel, until late October, when leisure travel picked up from international markets.
DUBAI, 12 January 2022: From its UK origins in 2014, the concept of ‘Veganuary’, a month-long initiative promoting the vegan diet, has continued to garner interest amongst the general population.
Emirates has noted a 154% increase in vegan meals served onboard between 2021 and 2022, with over 280,000 plant-based meals consumed in the past year.
Currently, Emirates offers more than 180 recipes catering to vegan passengers or those looking for a healthy meal onboard and has been serving vegan meals since the 1990s. Initially, vegan requirements were focused on specific routes such as Addis Ababa, where vegan meals are required during certain times of the year by those practising the Ethiopian Orthodox faith or across the Indian subcontinent, where multiple faiths encourage a plant-based diet. Over recent years however, vegan dishes have been rapidly gaining popularity on US, Australian, some European and UK routes, with Emirates noting a sizeable increase in interest in vegan dishes over the last decade. Routes showing increasing interest in vegan meals include Beirut, Cairo, and Taiwan.
Current vegan meal favourites in economy class include a creamy spinach and avocado mousseline with marinated tofu, blanched snow peas, radish, asparagus, pomegranate seeds, courgette ribbon and sriracha oil; multicoloured quinoa with succulent caramelised pear and celeriac purée, roasted cauliflower, glazed carrots, sautéed kale and lovage pesto; and the hearty flavours of barley risotto with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, buttered chestnuts, blanched broccolini and toasted pumpkin seeds.
A brand-new gourmet vegan menu was also introduced in 2022 to first and business class, including chef-curated dishes like pan-roasted king oyster mushrooms, jackfruit biryani, sliced kohlrabi and burnt orange, chocolate truffle cake with hazelnut, pistachio and gold leaf, and green grape tart with candied rose petals, vanilla custard and berry compote glistening with yuzu pearls. Notably, over 195,000 vegan desserts were served in 2022 across all classes of travel, including tempting choices such as a dark chocolate custard cake balanced by fresh, juicy strawberries, zesty lemon tart lightly laced with coconut cream and rich chocolate tofu cheesecake complemented by a sweet strawberry compote.
Vegan options are available to order and pre-order onboard, as well as in Emirates Lounges. Customers can request vegan meals on all Emirates flights and across all classes of travel up to 24 hours before departure. However, on high-demand routes, plant-based meals are also provided as part of the main menu options.
Already consistently rated as the best airline for vegan travellers by many dedicated website polls, including VegNews, Emirates invested in developing a new first and business-class vegan menu in 2022 to rival acclaimed restaurants. It spent a year in development in Emirates Flight Catering, an expansive facility based at Dubai International airport, which is home to 11,000 employees and serves up to 225,000 meals daily, the largest flight catering facility in the world with international chefs of 69 different nationalities. A panel of highly skilled and experienced Emirates Flight Catering chefs worked closely with nutritionists to identify ingredients from existing popular dishes which can be adapted to a vegan offering without compromising on flavour. They also focused on fusing flavours and ingredients from around the world to create a menu that will appeal to all passengers across the network, not just vegan customers. The menu was the focus of multiple presentations and tastings, featuring contributions from diverse cuisine specialists like Chinese, Indian and Arabic speciality chefs, to create a wide range of flavours and textures. The tasting panels included vegan and non-vegan chefs and team members to ensure an inclusive approach.
BANGKOK, 12 January 2022: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is celebrating the first anniversary of Centara Reserve Samui, which introduced a new era of personalised, design-led hospitality to Thailand – and the world – when it opened in December 2021.
The inaugural edition of the new Centara Reserve luxury brand, Centara Reserve Samui, is nestled in a stunning seafront setting at the tranquil end of Chaweng Beach. Crafted for discerning travellers who crave meaningful escapes in exclusive settings, this flagship resort is characterised by bespoke experiences that tell the story of their destination.
The creation of the 184-room and pool-suite property was overseen by AvroKO, the acclaimed architecture and interior design studio which previously worked on projects such as 1 Hotel Central Park in New York, The Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, and The Temple House in Chengdu. It settled on a concept that pulled inspiration from both the colonial aesthetic and the traditional craft of Thai wood carving whilst blending it with contemporary style and grace.
From the moment of arrival in the inviting light-filled lobby, which is crowned with a unique wooden sculpted chandelier, to the soothing suites and pool villas, which feature soft white tones, white-washed oak, antique bronze metalwork and carved wooden screens, every aspect of this elegant resort exudes originality and sophistication. Outdoors, strategically placed pavilions, and alfresco living areas help to frame views of the sparkling sea.
Surrounded by swaying palm trees, the saltwater swimming pool is a spectacular setting to cool off.
With five dramatic dining and social venues such as Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen, with its 1,750 pieces of bamboo décor that represent waves, ocean-inspired tableware, and Vitamin Sea, the island’s most talked-about Sunday Brunch, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga pavilion, children’s zone, the world’s first Reserve Spa Cenvaree, and spaces to stage glamorous events and one-of-a-kind weddings, Centara Reserve Samui has taken its place alongside Thailand’s finest hotels.
It is not only the design and facilities that set it apart from the crowd, however; it is the resort’s ability to inspire travellers through storytelling. At Centara Reserve Samui – and all future Centara Reserve properties worldwide – guests will be able to write new chapters in their life story that reflect the heart and soul of their destination through original activities, authentic encounters and memorable moments.
Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen is adorned with hanging bamboo to represent the ocean waves.
The success of Centara Reserve Samui is reflected by the honours and accolades it has received in its first 12 months of operations. This flagship hotel was named the “Best New Luxury Resort” in the Luxury Lifestyle Awards and was a finalist in the “Best Luxury Guest Rooms” category in the Gold Key Awards.
“The opening of Centara Reserve Samui in December 2021 marked an important milestone for our company. We have hosted many wonderful visitors in the last 12 months, and their feedback has been excellent. In fact, our internal data shows that guest satisfaction has been continuously positive and reached its highest score in recent months. December marks the start of Thailand’s first full high season without any travel restrictions, so we look forward to welcoming many more experience-seeking travellers to Koh Samui in the coming weeks and months,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat.
SINGAPORE, 12 January 2023: OAG, a data platform for the global travel industry, has revealed the most punctual airlines and airports in the world as part of its Punctuality League 2023.
Among the Top 20 Mega Airlines in the world, Japan takes the top spot, with All Nippon Airways ranked first with an on-time performance (OTP) of 88.79%, followed by Japan Airlines in second place (OTP 88.07%). LATAM Airlines ranked third (OTP 85.03%), and Azul Airlines ranked fourth (OTP 84.87%).
Thai AirAsia ranked second in LCC category.
Five European carriers ranked among the Top 20 Mega Airlines. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines ranked the highest in 11th place (OTP 73.06%).
Among the Top 20 Low-Cost Carriers in the world, Germany’s Eurowings ranked first (OTP 95.26%), followed by Thai AirAsia ranked second (OTP 92.33%) and Jeju Air third (OTP 91.84%).
Among the Top 20 Mega Airports in the world, Tokyo Haneda took the first spot with an OTP of 88.06%.
SINGAPORE, 12 January 2023: Etihad Airways starts the year with its annual ‘Global Sale’ offering low fares to travellers looking to explore new destinations and visit friends and family.
Travellers can take advantage of special sale fares to select Etihad destinations, with the ‘Global Sale’ running until 17 January 2023, for travel until 31 October 2023. They can fly to some of the world’s top destinations, including Abu Dhabi, Paris, Rome, New York City and more, with fares starting as low as SGD641 in economy and SGD2,631 in business. Economy fares to Zurich start at SGD1,044, and to London, fares start at SGD1,271.
Abu Dhabi is well known as a world-class tourist destination, a city with rich culture and heritage that allows travellers to experience a variety of museums, mosques, islands, stunning clear beaches, entertainment, theme parks, adventures in the desert and shopping experiences in the city.
Travellers wishing to travel to Abu Dhabi in Etihad’s business class can take advantage of the sale with a starting fare of SGD2,631 or travel in economy from SGD641.
Passengers can also benefit from Etihad’s stopover programme, with free hotel stays at select three and four-star hotels or discounts of up to 40% off Abu Dhabi’s premium four and five-star hotels.
Meanwhile, the airline will introduce twice-daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok starting 31 March 2023.
SINGAPORE, 9 January 2023: that the Air travel recovery continued through November 2022, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Reporting earlier this week on November’s airline performance, IATA said traffic in November 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 41.3% compared to November 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 75.3% of November 2019 levels.
International traffic rose 85.2% versus November 2021. The Asia-Pacific continued to report the strongest year-over-year results, with all regions showing improvement compared to the prior year. November 2022, international RPKs reached 73.7% of November 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for November 2022 was up 3.4% compared to November 2021, with travel restrictions in China continuing to dampen the global result.
“Traffic results in November reinforce that consumers thoroughly enjoy the freedom to travel. Unfortunately, the reactions to China’s reopening of international travel in January remind us that many governments are still playing science politics regarding Covid-19 and travel. Epidemiologists, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and others have said that the reintroduction of testing for travellers from China can do little to contain a virus already present worldwide,” said IATA’s director general Willie Walsh.
“China’s objections to these policy measures are compromised by its pre-departure testing requirements for people travelling to China. Governments should focus on using available tools to manage Covid-19 effectively—including improved therapeutics and vaccinations—rather than repeating policies that have failed repeatedly over the last three years.”
International Passenger Markets
Asia-Pacific airlines had a 373.9% rise in November traffic compared to November 2021, the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 159.2%, and the load factor was up 35.9 percentage points to 79.2%.
European carriers’ November traffic climbed 45.3% versus November 2021. Capacity increased by 25.1%, and the load factor increased 11.6 percentage points to 83.6%, the highest among the regions.
Middle Eastern airlines saw an 84.6% traffic rise in November compared to November 2021. November capacity increased 45.4% versus the year-ago period, and the load factor climbed 16.5 percentage points to 77.7%.
North American carriers experienced a 69.9% traffic rise in November versus the 2021 period. Capacity increased by 45.5%, and the load factor climbed 11.6 percentage points to 81.0%.
Latin American airlines’ November traffic rose 59.2% compared to the same month in 2021. November capacity climbed 55.6%, and the load factor increased 1.9 percentage points to 82.9%.
African airlines had an 83.5% rise in November RPKs versus a year ago. November 2022 capacity was up 48.4%, and the load factor climbed 14.2 percentage points to 74.3%, the lowest among regions.
BANGKOK, 11 January 2023: Tripseed, a Thailand-based ground operator and travel specialist that focuses on sustainable and ethically-led tourism, has announced that they have become the newest member of the Global Collective for Travel.
The Global Collective for Travel is a collaboration between locally owned and operated DMCs worldwide to drive transformational change within the travel industry. The goal is to promote a more ethical model for tourism and provide industry partners worldwide access to a less extractive and more sustainable supply chain that ensures more revenue reaches the destinations that travellers are visiting.
“We are very excited to join the Global Collective for Travel,” says Narissara Wongmahawan, co-founder of Tripseed. “Since our earliest discussions, it became clear that we all share very similar philosophies and values for our businesses. We all align strongly on the high levels of service excellence that we believe our partners and their travellers should receive at all times. Delivering distinctive travel experiences and a more authentic window into our destinations.”
With the addition of Tripseed, the Global Collective for Travel is now present in 10 destinations worldwide, comprising Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, Cyprus, India and the Himalayas, Morocco, Costa Rica, Spain, and Portugal.
The Global Collective for Travel members work directly with the travel trade ‘boots-on-the-ground’ in their respective destinations, delivering innovative tours and experiences to keep market offerings fresh and exhilarating – a far cry from the standard mass-market fare. They enable travellers booked with partner agencies to forge authentic local connections inside a destination. They promote equality and empowerment for local employees, casual workers such as Tour Guides and Drivers, and other local suppliers.
“Meeting with the Tripseed founders, learning about their work and what they aspire to become tells us there are many people like us who want similar things. Responsible travel, equity for the local community, amazing holidays, and genuine connection with the places you’re visiting. Most importantly, the things they do every day matter and those whose lives they impact matter,” said Tuan Pham, one of the founding members of the collective.
Tripseed is a ground operator and tailor-made holiday specialist based in Thailand. Founded in 2021 by three veterans of destination management in Asia, with over two decades of combined experience designing and operating travel for some of the world’s leading travel agents and tour operators.
