JAKARTA, 21 September 2022: The Tourism Authority of Thailand hosted an Amazing Thailand, Amazing New Chapters Networking Lunch in Jakarta, Indonesia, to revive connections with the country’s outbound tour operators.
Before the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, Thailand was a preferred destination for Indonesian travellers and considered a tourism hub for the ASEAN region.
TAT hosted a Thai networking lunch complete with a Thai cooking demonstration by Indonesian celebrity chef Devina Hermawan (far left).
TAT’s immediate focus is on reviving ASEAN region visitor arrivals from source markets such as Indonesia. Despite easing travel restrictions, the pick-up in travel from key markets such as the Indonesian capital remains sluggish.
TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and South Pacific, Tanes Petsuwan said: “TAT fully recognises the importance of the ASEAN tourist markets, and we are actively working to promote year-round inbound traffic from this region. Amazing Thailand, Amazing New Chapters Networking Lunch to Indonesia 2022 was a key component of our plan to grow Indonesian visitor arrivals and was organised ahead of one of the peak travel periods for that country – the December school holidays.”
Attended by 20 Indonesian outbound tourism operators, Amazing Thailand, Amazing New Chapters Networking Lunch to Indonesia 2022 showcased Thailand’s readiness to welcome back Indonesian tourists while at the same time building awareness of the Amazing Thailand brand and showcasing Thailand’s potential to be a tourism hub connecting the ASEAN region.
LUMUT, Malaysia, 21 September 2022: Hilton announced this week the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Damai Laut Resort, a 294-room beachfront resort that overlooks the Straits of Malacca.
This latest addition to Hilton’s portfolio in Malaysia marks the global hospitality company’s continued expansion in the country, following the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City in July.
“DoubleTree by Hilton Damai Laut Resort is a fantastic addition to our current family of 13 hotels in the country, joining the six DoubleTree by Hilton hotels already in operation. As we continue to expand our presence in Malaysia, including in key secondary markets, we are thrilled to bring our hospitality to Lumut, a coastal town known for its rich heritage. Our guests can experience Perak on an elevated level,” said Hilton area vice president and head of Southeast Asia, Alexandra Murray.
Just minutes from white beaches with views of Pangkor Island, the resort is home to activities such as snorkelling, diving, banana boating and fishing. Guests can play an 18-hole golf course just a five-minute drive away from the resort.
Located on the west coast of Malaysia’s Perak state, which is well known for scenic beaches, DoubleTree by Hilton Damai Laut Resort is 96 kilometres, or about an hour and 45 minutes drive, from Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh and 78 kilometres, or approximately an hour’s drive, from Malaysia’s high-speed railway KTM Batu Gajah station in Perak. Served by the newly completed West Coast Expressway, the hotel is also highly accessible from Perak, Banting, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Dining options include Makan Kitchen, an all-day dining restaurant known for its diverse menu and local specialities, while seafood specialities top the menu at the steamboat restaurant,
To celebrate the hotel’s opening, Honors members will receive 1,000 bonus points with a maximum stay of five nights booked until 30 March 2023 when booking directly with Hilton.
KUALA LUMPUR, 21 September 2022: AirAsia started its comeback strategy on Monday with 5 million free seats, excluding airport taxes and fees, up for grabs until 25 September.
Travellers can snap up the deals for flights across the ASEAN 10-country region and specific destinations beyond. The travel runs from 1 January 2023 to 28 October 2023. Click on the ‘Flights’ icon on the AirAsia Super App or website to book flights.
The free* seats are available now on many popular domestic and international destinations across ASEAN, including Langkawi, Penang, Johor Bahru, Krabi, Phu Quoc and Singapore.
Fares are also on sale on the longer-haul AirAsia sister airlines AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X for flights to South Korea (Seoul), Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Auckland), and India (New Delhi). Economy class seats are on sale from just MYR499 and MYR1,499 for premium flatbed seats for travel between 3 October 2022 and 28 October 2023 (all inclusive of taxes and charges).
AirAsia X also announced new direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah in the Middle East, Tokyo (Haneda), and Sapporo in Japan, launching in November and December this year.
The Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah route will operate six times weekly starting from 14 November with all-in-fares starting from only MYR1,799 economy and MYR2,999 premium flatbed for a travel period between 14 November 2022 to 25 March 2023.
Direct flights to Tokyo (Haneda) and Sapporo are also back. One-way flights are on sale from just MYR599 (inclusive of taxes and fees) for economy class and RM2,599 for premium flatbed for a travel period between 21 November 2022 to 24 March 2023 for Tokyo and 1 December 2022 to 1 February 2023 for Sapporo.
The free* seat promotion is available exclusively on the AirAsia Super App and website until 25 September 2022.
*All-in fare from MYR23 for domestic flights. *All-in fare from MYR54 for flights within ASEAN (Includes airport taxes, MAVCOM fee, fuel surcharges and other applicable fees). *T&Cs apply.
SINGAPORE, 21 September 2022: The countdown to World Tourism Day celebrations on 27 September is underway, with the UNWTO calling it a day to “rethink tourism”. According to UNWTO, World Tourism Day will focus on re-imagining the sector’s growth in size and relevance.
The Republic of Indonesia will host the official day (27 September). However, all UNWTO member states and non-members and stakeholders from the private sector are invited to host their celebrations and promote the day and its central theme.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The potential of tourism is enormous, and we have a shared responsibility to ensure it is fully realised. On World Tourism Day 2022, UNWTO calls on everyone, from tourism workers to tourists themselves, as well as small businesses, large corporations and governments, to reflect and rethink what we do and how we do it.”
World Tourism Day has been held on 27 September each year since 1980. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the Organization in 1970, paving the way for the establishment of UNWTO five years later. However, the special day’s celebrations are not known for delivering even a mood for change or adopting measures that will correct the pre-Covid-19 blight of ‘overtourism to develop an industry that puts local communities first.
What UNWTO expects to achieve by a day of “rethinking tourism” remains unclear due to the absence of a mission statement. For the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “rethinking the tourism model involves improving the tourist’s experience, better managing the impacts of tourism, and encouraging positive spillover effects in the broader economy. Tourism policy should ensure that it contributes to economic growth that is shared broadly across society and improves the well-being of citizens.”
Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in the world economy, and its potential remains very strong. In OECD countries, tourism contributes on average 4.1% of GDP, 5.9% of employment and 21.3% of service exports.
But from the outside, tourism is perceived as a top-heavy enterprise that benefits mega corporations, global hotel groups and the aviation industry at the expense of small local communities. Even in the travel technology space, despite its promise of levelling up, giant global booking systems inevitably gobble up small independent travel tech start-ups, reducing healthy competition.
Critics warn that the UNWTO and tourism leaders of its member states could be guilty of paying lip service to the call for a tourism rethink when they should be introducing sustainable practices that ensure travel benefits communities. Instead, tourism is essentially a money spinner for governments and corporations. Top-down tourism policies turn local communities into losers when they should be the lead stakeholders. UNWTO flies a standard declaring it is ready to rethink tourism, but its actions will speak louder than words. It should start by championing the conversation to rethink tourism to give local communities a seat at the top table.
MOSCOW, 20 September 2022: Tourism Malaysia concludes a nine-day roadshow that began in Moscow in Russia and ends today in Istanbul in Turkey.
The sales promotion was put together by Tourism Malaysia’s overseas offices in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey, focusing on the outbound tourism markets in Moscow, Tashkent, Almaty, and Istanbul.
Tourism Malaysia’s acting deputy director general (planning) Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof led the group of travel operators, hoteliers, state tourism bodies, and educational tourism industry players.
The roadshow provided a platform for both Malaysian sellers and local buyers to participate in business-to-business (B2B) sessions and product presentations to revive, reconnect and create new partnerships in enhancing opportunities to boost tourist arrivals to Malaysia.
“One of the biggest draws is Malaysia’s racial and cultural diversity, resulting in a mixed yet harmonious legacy that manifests itself in our festivals, architecture, clothing, language, cuisine, and other aspects of daily life,” said Iskandar Mirza, during the opening session in Moscow.
“While the past two years have been tremendously challenging for us, we are glad to share that Malaysia has surpassed our initial target of 2 million international tourist arrivals since reopening our international borders.
“We have since revised our target of welcoming 9.2 million international tourist arrivals with MYR26.8 billion in tourism receipts for this year,” he added.
Malaysia has relaxed the entry procedures for fully-vaccinated travellers without requiring quarantine or pre-departure and on-arrival Covid-19 tests. Travel insurance is also not a prerequisite for foreigners entering Malaysia, and inbound travellers no longer need to fill in the Traveler’s Card on the country’s contact tracing app, MySejahtera.
SINGAPORE, 20 September 2022: Coral Princess arrived at Melbourne’s Station Pier Cruise Ship Terminal late last week for her maiden visit, emblazoned with a “We Love Melbourne” banner proudly displayed across its bow.
It’s the first cruise ship to visit Melbourne in more than two years.
The ship was on a six-day sail from Sydney along the coast of southeastern Australia. After departing Melbourne, it sailed to Adelaide, which will also be marking the return of cruising to South Australia.
Thirteen cruise ships will be visiting or home porting in Melbourne during the upcoming summer cruise season. Between them, they will make 70 calls — including nine overnight stays — and 11 calls to Phillip Island.
The Coral Princess is the vanguard for multiple Carnival Australia cruise lines basing ships in Melbourne or having ships call during the remainder of this year and in 2023. Beginning in November, three brands — P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Cunard — will homeport ships in Melbourne for cruise seasons.
Princess Cruises senior vice president Asia Pacific Stuart Allison said was exciting for Coral Princess to be the first ship to return to Melbourne following the cruise industry’s restart and being the first ‘smart ship’ MedallionClass vessel to visit the city.
“Princess Cruises is committed to the Australian cruise market for the long term, and we value our loyal guests for whom cruising from Melbourne is their holiday choice, and they will have opportunities for this during Grand Princess’s dedicated Melbourne cruise season,” Allison said.
SINGAPORE, 20 September 2022: Changi Airport will increase its Passenger Service and Security Fee (PSSF) and the Aviation Levy (AL) effective 1 November.
The fees and levies will go towards Changi Airport Group (CAG)’s operation and current infrastructure upgrading of terminals and future development plans, and the air hub development and regulatory functions of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
In 2020 passengers departing from Changi Airport paid SGD35.40, but it was scheduled to increase to SGD37.90 in 2021 and SGD40.40 in 2022.
However, the planned increases were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic The OD PSSF* has been subsequently pegged at SGD35.40 since 1 April 2020.
Effective 1 November, all that changes with the OD PSSF rising to SGD40.40. It will again increase to SGD43.40 on 1 April 2023 and to SGD46.40 on 1 April 2024.
The Landing, Parking and Aerobridge (LPA) charges for all flights operating at Changi Airport will increase by 2% on 1 November 2022 and increase by another 1% each year on 1 April 2023 and 1 April 2024.
From 1 November 2022, the Aviation Levy (AL) for passengers departing from Changi Airport will increase SGD1.90, from SGD6.10 to SGD8 during 2023 and 2024. The AL will continue to apply to passengers departing from Changi Airport only. Passengers arriving at Changi Airport, as well as transfer and transit passengers, do not pay the AL.
The AL funds the air hub development and regulatory functions of the CAAS, which are expected to grow as CAAS works to rebuild Singapore’s position as a global air hub post-pandemic. This is the first adjustment to the AL, which was introduced 13 years ago in 2009 at SGD6.10.
With the increases in PSSF and AL, the total fees and levies paid by OD passengers for tickets issued on or after 1 November 2022 will increase from SGD52.30 currently to SGD59.20 for those travelling from 1 November 2022 to 31 March 2023. Subsequently, it will increase to SGD62.20 for those travelling from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 and SGD65.20 for those travelling from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
Passengers whose air tickets have already been issued before 1 November 2022 will not pay the higher fees and levies.
*OD PSSF: Origin Destination Passenger Service and Security Fee.
An Origin-Destination (OD) passenger is a passenger who departs from Changi Airport to another destination.
Summary of Charges Payable by Passengers at Changi Airport from 1 November 2022
[1] An Origin-Destination (OD) passenger refers to a passenger who departs from Changi Airport to another destination.
DUBAI, 20 September 2022: To celebrate the world-renowned German festival Oktoberfest, Emirates will serve Bavarian treats onboard flights to Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt, as well as the respective airport lounges, until 2 October.
Serving its cosmopolitan customer base, Emirates celebrates many multicultural occasions on board, such as Diwali, Christmas, and Lunar New Year. The special celebration of Oktoberfest sees passengers enjoy a traditionally German main course and dessert in the economy, business and first class, bistro bites in the iconic onboard A380 lounge, and a variety of classic Oktoberfest dishes in the world-class airport lounges.
Passengers in economy class can feast on roasted chicken with paprika, served with creamy mustard sauce, potato wedges and braised red cabbage, followed by a Bienenstich- a signature German cream cake with almonds and honey, served with fruit compote. Business and first-class passengers enjoy braised veal shank, roasted seasonal vegetables and moreish bread dumplings, and first-class passengers indulge in Dampfnudel for dessert – a traditional sweet, steamed bun with a caramelised bottom and soft pillowy top, drizzled with vanilla sauce and whipped cream.
Tasty Oktoberfest sandwiches and snacks available on board include Leberwurst sausage sandwich with sweet mustard, an Austrian roll with Emmental cheese and gherkin, and the ultimate German savoury snack – pretzels. Before landing, passengers will be given a parting gift of individually wrapped gingerbread hearts.
In the airport lounges of Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt, an array of dishes are available for customers, including veal Weisswurst with parsley and mustard- a traditional Bavarian sausage. Guests can choose a light bite of Obazda and pretzel- a cheese delicacy, or indulge in some flavoursome chicken with parsley, classic potato salad and Käsepätzle – the German version of mac and cheese, made with egg noodles and Emmental.
Emirates currently offers three daily flights from Dubai to Frankfurt, double daily connections to Munich, and daily flights to Dusseldorf and Hamburg. Responding to the upsurge in passenger demand, the winter flight schedule will see additional flight operations planned on these routes from 1 October onwards.
SINGAPORE, 20 September 2022: Resorts World Cruises has launched thematic cruises on the Genting Dream that will provide guests every month with new and refreshing vacation experiences at sea.
In September, the Light Meets Night thematic cruise set sail, presenting a spectacular installation of colourful and glow-in-the-dark interactive displays.
Thematic cruises await guests in the following months, including the Clowning Around Halloween cruise, a Special Diwali Celebration, and the Sensational Voyage focusing on wellness; and in time for the year-end festive and school holidays, have yourself a Jelilo Christmas, featuring the creations of one of Singapore’s famous art and toy creators from gagatree.
In addition, the cruise line offers Sail-Away Celebration Parties, which are available at the start of each week for Genting Dream’s Sunday departures.
“At Resorts World Cruises, we are taking the celebration up a notch by introducing unique themes that will be refreshed every month for our guests’ pleasure. Each thematic cruise promises to be different, and guests can look forward to a one-of-a-kind experience at sea, complementing the extensive onboard offerings, cuisines and shore excursions readily available,” said Resorts World Cruises president Michael Goh.
CHIANG RAI, 20 September 2022: Mekong River cruises in far north Thailand are making a comeback after a two-year pause caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tourism Authority of Thailand director for Chiang Rai and Phayao, Wisut Buachum, posted the good news on his Facebook page on Monday, confirming the return of sunset cruises operated by Mae Khong Delta, a local travel company based in the riverside town of Chiang Saen.
Wisut Buachum TAT director Chiang Rai and Phayao.
“The cruises are coming back offering contrasting ambiences such as nature, community life on the river banks and the man-made construction of the gigantic Roman Kings project on the facing river bank in Laos.”
The sunset cruise departs daily at 1700 and returns to the small river port in Chiang Saen at 2000. Other cruises will be launched in November when international tour groups from Europe are expected to return to Chiang Rai province.
For the time being, the province’s tourism business is surviving on domestic tourists, who were the chief lifeline during the Covid-19 pandemic that saw hundreds of resorts and attractions close their doors.
Tourism officials say September bookings are the lowest on record. However, historically, September is always the poorest performer for domestic and international tourist visits. But they are hopeful that an uptick in bookings during October and November will allow resorts and attractions to kickstart recovery.
Chiang Rai’s tourism usually capitalises on having two international borders skirting Myanmar and Laos. Travellers in pre-Covid-19 days could travel to these countries as part of itineraries that explored two or three countries in the Mekong Region. Today the borders remain closed for international travellers and, to some degree, even local traders and tourists.
Kham Kong Run starting line – the run that crosses the Mekong.
But the TAT director is confident changes are in the pipeline, starting with the reopening of the river ferry crossing between the town centre ports of Chiang Khong and Huay Xai in Laos, which is more convenient for Thai and Lao nationals than the roundabout route via the friendship bridge.
According to the deputy governor of Bokeo, cross-river travel between the two ports was due to reopen on 19 September, in addition to the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge that reopened earlier for both cars and cargo trucks.
There are reports that travellers from ASEAN countries have crossed the bridge, having been granted a 21-day visa-exemption stay in Laos. Other reports say that only Thai and Lao citizens can cross the bridge without a visa. Reliable sources in Chiang Khong say other nationalities can cross the bridge if they have a tourist visa to enter Laos and that costs around USD45.
Last weekend, hundreds of joggers joined the revived Kham Kong Run between the two riverside towns. They set out from the starting line in Chiang Khong near the friendship bridge and were welcomed by the deputy governor of Bokeo at the Huai Xai market in Lao PDR. Instead of jogging back across the bridge, commuter vans picked runners up for the return trip. Despite the last-minute change in the logistics, it was heralded as a new start for the community projects that the two riverside towns share. The close links between Chiang Khong and Huay Xai were reflected in the name of the event, ‘Kham Kong’ which means ‘Cross the Mekong,’ but tourists wishing to do the same find the directions are about as clear as the muddy flood water of the Mekong River.
