BANGKOK, 25 May 2022: AirAsia Super App has recruited Bangkok Airways (PG) for a Super Flash Sale campaign presenting air tickets from 27 to 29 May with discounts of up to 30%.
Travellers can book all Bangkok Airways routes and access promotions using AirAsia Super App, including the AirAsia Super App mobile application available for iOS and Android.
AirAsia Super App (Thailand) country head Varut Vutipongsatorn said: “Bangkok Airways chose our app as a new sales channel, expanding the travel options for users … With AirAsia Super App’s customer base of over 50 million users, we are confident that we can support the carrier’s sales and provide new opportunities while giving our users a larger selection of routes, including Bangkok Airways’ popular Bangkok-Samui and Bangkok-Trat flights.”
Currently, AirAsia Super App partners with over 700 airlines.
Super Flash Sale bookings can be made from 27 to 29 May with discounts up to 30% on offer for travel from 5 September 2022 to 25 March 2023.
BANGKOK, 25 May 2022: Tripseed, a Thailand-based destination management company, launched representation for operators wishing to tap the Thai outbound travel market earlier this week.
Tripseed started in the inbound travel sector in Thailand, offering ground handling services for tour operators based in the UK, USA and Australia. It is now expanding to provide representation for overseas travel content providers interested in tapping the potential of the Thai outbound market.
Tripseed co-founder Narissara Wongmahawan
“The launch of our market representation services is just the natural progression,” said Tripseed co-founder Narissara Wongmahawan.
Tripseed’s new services will include the localisation of sales and marketing to appeal to Thai audiences, consultation on market penetration and product development to align travel packages with market demand, and on-the-ground representation at travel fairs and exhibitions around the country.
“Initially, we’ll focus on extending our partnerships with operators and agents in key long-haul destinations who are already using our services as their ground operator in Thailand,” Narissara explained.
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 May 2022: Klook, a leading travel and leisure e-commerce platform, has launched an all-new workcation initiative that enables its employees to travel and work anywhere.
Klook’s workcation initiative enables its employees to travel and work anywhere for up to 30 business days without tapping into their annual leave.
Photo Credit: Te lensFix on Pexels.
“Many firms are now exploring hybrid working models with a work-from-home and work-at-office arrangement… I’m thrilled to announce our workcation initiative to allow our employees to travel and work anywhere. Employees will not only continue to get their bills paid, but they will experience first-hand again the joys of travelling the world that many have missed the past two years,” said Klook Malaysia general manager Rachel Tan.
Many working professionals, especially millennials, have grown accustomed to remote working and seeking respite for their well-being in the past couple of years.
Based on Klook’s internal data, outbound bookings grew three times in April compared to February, signalling that the travel bug is stronger than ever, with overseas travel back on the table.
Singapore also leads the region in outbound bookings, closely followed by Thailand and South Korea. Users across the region are also looking at destinations like Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
In line with the burgeoning workcation trend, a 2021 study from Google revealed that in the Asia Pacific, the average length of stay has extended significantly since 2019, from three-and-half days to five days (85% of the respondents), with one in four travellers planning to spend over two weeks. Travellers are also hyper-focused and do not want to travel through multiple countries across Southeast Asia like before the pandemic.¹
MANILA, 25 May 2022: The Philippines’ Department of Tourism launches Version Two of the Save Our Spots (SOS) campaign titled ‘Keep the Fun Going’ to encourage tourists to practice eco-friendly travel.
The campaign builds on the gains of the SOS Version Two, launched in 2019 to educate travellers about becoming responsible tourists. The campaign aims to educate and motivate travellers to take part in sustainable tourism practices, mainly through gamified challenges.
“The DOT has been integrating sustainable tourism principles in its projects, programs, and policies, even involving tourists. Through the SOS campaign, we aim to raise awareness about responsible travel and emphasise that every small act goes a long way to ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from and enjoy nature’s abundance,” said Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.
Inspiring tourists to practice sustainable travel, the campaign highlights a gamified experience featuring four eco-friendly ways to travel. Local travel influencers encourage the public to accomplish at least two of the four activities.
The “Certified Foot Soldier Challenge” encourages travellers to walk, hike, or bike more often.
The “Zero-Waste Warrior” inspires travellers to reduce waste by avoiding single-use plastics and bringing reusable water bottles, utensils, and shopping bags.
The “resTOURism Advocate Challenge” encourages tourists to volunteer in restoration efforts of communities, such as planting activities, clean-up drives, and wildlife preservation.
The “Eco-Staycationer Challenge” motivates tourists to book eco-friendly accommodations, such as local homestays or ANAHAW-awardee hotels that take action to promote sustainability.
Marco Polo Davao reopens soon
Meanwhile, tourism officials in Davao City are counting on reopening the city’s Marco Polo hotel to jump-start recovery.
The Philippines News Agency quoted the Department of Tourism Davao region’s director Tanya Rabat-Tan saying the hotel’s reopening would create a ripple effect in the city’s business sector.
“Marco Polo’s reopening also signals Davao’s commitment to tourism recovery. We are delighted that the reopening will also mean job opportunities for our tourism workers, especially those displaced by the pandemic,” she said.
The DOT regional office has been organising training sessions for industry players, including indigenous communities, to prepare for Davao City’s full recovery.
“Even in a crisis, we continue to find opportunities on how we can rethink and reshape a more resilient tourism for the future,” Tan said.
The City Tourism Operations Office confirmed that the city’s first five-star Marco Polo hotel has promised to reopen this year.
“It is very welcome news. Marco Polo is an icon in Davao City. To have it reopen signifies that the management is confident with the city’s economic outlook and its ability to bounce back after the pandemic,” the city’s tourism chief Generose Tecson told Philippine News Agency.
BANGKOK, 24 May 2022: Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya has been ranked 13 in the Top 25 Hotels for Families – Asia – Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for 2022 “Best of the Best”.
The beachside property has received the Travellers’ Choice Award Winner from Tripadvisor 12 years in a row.
“It is always an honour and a privilege to be awarded this level of recognition from TripAdvisor,” said Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya’s area general manager Wayne Duberly.
Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya is Thailand’s first theme hotel, built to a Lost World theme and featuring a jungled water park with pools, waterfalls, water slides, a lazy river, and direct access to the beach. The Kids’ Club has separate zones for the young ones and the teens.
For information and reservations, please contact us email to [email protected] or Tel.+66 (038) 301 234
DUBAI UAE, May 24 2022: Emirates is back for its 10th consecutive year as the Official Airline and Premium Partner of Roland-Garros 2022. The premier clay-court tennis event opened on May 22 and concludes on June 5 2022, at Stade Roland Garros.
This year, Emirates will also be celebrating a significant milestone in France as the airline marks 30 years of operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Emirates divisional senior vice president corporate communications, marketing & brand Boutros Boutros said: “We are very proud to be marking our tenth year at Roland-Garros 2022. Roland-Garros is one of the four Grand Slams and one of the most highly followed tournaments in the world. We are thrilled to be using our platform to engage with tennis fans worldwide, bring communities together, and offer our customers exclusive access and experiences.
“It’s also an important year for us in France, as we’ll celebrate 30 years of operations. Over the past three decades, customers have truly experienced what it means to fly better with Emirates. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with our world-class products, exceptional services, and extensive network of more than 130 destinations via Dubai.”
Emirates and Roland-Garros
Emirates’ partnership with Roland-Garros started in 2013, and the airline became a Premium Partner of the Grand Slam in 2018. Under the agreement, Emirates enjoys a significant presence throughout the tournament, including branding on the Philippe-Chatrier centre court, Suzanne-Lenglen court and Simonne-Mathieu Court.
Emirates is also a sponsor of Trophée des Légendes, which takes place from May 31 to June 5 at Roland-Garros. This year, the airline will partner with a local organisation to offer children with mobility challenges an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the stadium and a chance to meet world-renowned tennis legends on May 30.
Emirates is the Official Airline and Premier Partner of the ATP World Tour. The airline’s tennis portfolio includes some of the highest-profile events in the world, including three of the four Grand Slams and 60 other tournaments across the year.
Emirates and France
In July, Emirates will be marking 30 years of operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Since 1992, the airline has played a pivotal role in providing global connectivity for business and leisure travellers to and through Dubai. The airline’s extensive network of 130 destinations offers French customers access to an array of onward connections to Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia.
Emirates currently operates three daily flights to Paris – including a double daily A380 service, four weekly flights to Lyon and four weekly flights to Nice. French customers can look forward to another distinctive Emirates travel experience as the airline has announced the sale of its Premium Economy cabin on the Paris to Dubai route from June 1 2022. The new cabin class will offer luxurious seats, more legroom, and service to rival many airlines’ business offerings. For more information, visit emirates.com.
BANGKOK, 24 May 2022: Encouraged by the ongoing India-Thailand air travel bubble and the easing of entry rules, more Indians are heading for Thailand.
The latest YouGov research commissioned by Airbnb reveals that more than 70% of Indians polled said they were excited about being able to travel internationally, and almost 50% are considering travelling to Asia Pacific destinations. Thailand is one of the most searched destinations.
Indians are ready to travel internationally again, with 75% of those surveyed claiming they would book a trip in the foreseeable future.
More than a third are planning to do this within the next six months. Almost three-quarters of working Indians say they’d consider combining work and travel, underscoring the fundamental changes in how people are living and working since the pandemic.
“As border restrictions gradually ease across many countries in the region, we’re seeing a lot of enthusiasm for cross-border travel. After being unable to travel abroad for so long, travellers are excited to take that long-awaited overseas trip – something we’ve seen reflected in searches on Airbnb,” said Airbnb general manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Bajaj.
“Thailand has always been one of the most popular destinations for Indians. The Thai Government’s recent lifting of all testing requirements pre-travel and on arrival is great news for both Indian travellers and Thai tourism.”
Airbnb’s promotions to Indian travellers recommend luxury villa getaways, treehouses and eco-friendly resorts in popular tourist destinations such as Phuket, Samui, Krabi, Pha Ngan Island in Surat Thani and Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai provinces in North Thailand.
BANGKOK, 24 May 2022: Following the initial release of the Tourism Destination Resilience (TDR) Programme last December, the Pacific Asia Travel Association launched the Tourism Destination Resilience courses on Tuesday.
The courses are in five languages; English, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, Khmer, Mandarin and Chinese, with Thai to be released in the coming weeks.
The TDR Programme, which is implemented by PATA with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), consists of tools and resources available on PATA’s Crisis Resource Centre website to help build a more resilient tourism industry.
It assists tourism destinations and businesses in their Covid-19 recovery and helps them prepare for future crises and challenges.
“PATA’s Tourism Destination Resilience Programme was developed to support destinations in establishing a strong foundation for sustainability, minimising the risk of crises and identifying capacity-building opportunities. It serves as a holistic education for destination management critical for all government tourism bureaus at the national, provincial and local level.,” said PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera. “TDR allows our industry to develop resilience and mitigate future challenges. With resilience, we move ever closer to sustainable development”.
The negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on destinations, businesses, communities and environments have been unprecedented, and no destination manager or tourism business was prepared for a crisis of this scale. For this reason, preparing for challenges, changes, crises, and emergencies should be an essential element in tourism planning and management.
Over the last year, PATA’s independent experts have been carefully researching, designing, and developing the TDR programme. It will provide tourism professionals with the most relevant and updated information, strategies, tools, materials, and resources on building a destination’s resilience.
The TDR Programme includes the TDR Course, which consists of 10 modules covering all the necessary steps towards building resilience. Subjects covered include risk assessment, destination risk management, emergency and post-crisis planning, training and capacity building, developing resilient infrastructure, local and regional market supply and demand, tourism offers diversification, and sustainability as a competitive advantage.
Participants who take the open-sourced online course will receive a certificate after completing each module and also for completing the entire course if they achieve the minimum required score in the final quiz.
SINGAPORE, 24 May 2022: Changi Airport Group confirmed this week that Terminal 2 would resume operations on 29 May 2022 as the airport prepares to meet an expected increase in passenger traffic in the months ahead.
Closed for upgrading works since May 2020, T2’s phased reopening will augment Changi’s capacity. When completed by 2024, the expansion works will raise the terminal’s capacity by 5 million to 28 million passenger movements per year.
Passenger clearing immigration at upgraded Changi Airport Terminal 2.
In this first phase of T2’s progressive reopening, key touchpoints such as arrival immigration, baggage claim belts and contact gates at the southern wing of the terminal will be ready for flight operations. T2 will host mainly peak-hour arrival flights of airlines operating in Terminal 3 (T3). A small number of T3 departure flights may use boarding gates at T2, although passengers on these flights will continue to check-in and clear departure immigration at T3.
Those coming to Changi to receive passengers are advised to check which terminal an arriving flight has been assigned to. The information will be available on the Changi Airport website (www.changiairport.com) and the iChangi app two hours before the flight’s arrival.
More automated lanes at immigration
The expanded T2 will see a larger Arrival Immigration Hall with more automated immigration lanes and special assistance lanes. The automated immigration lanes will serve Singaporeans and residents who have registered their iris and facial biometrics with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and eligible foreign visitors who have done the same upon their arrival in Singapore.
Additional automated immigration lanes will open as more passengers enrol. As for the special assistance lanes, these feature a wider width than conventional lanes, allowing passengers with mobility aids and big family groups to clear immigration more easily.
CAG’s executive vice president of airport management Tan Lye Teck noted, “CAG is encouraged to see the strong pickup in travel demand and has worked closely with our partners to bring forward the progressive reopening of T2 ahead of the June travel peak to meet this demand. The start of flight operations at T2 will provide more capacity to support our airline partners, who are also gearing up to serve more passengers in the months ahead. T2 will reopen in phases over the next two years to support Changi’s recovery as a regional air hub.”
SINGAPORE, 24 May 2022: In response to Indonesia’s decision to end pre-flight and on arrival testing requirements, Jetstar Asia will increase flights from Singapore to key Indonesian destinations to meet pent-up travel demand.
Jetstar Asia welcomed the news that Indonesia has removed pre-departure COVID-19 testing for vaccinated travellers entering Indonesia.
Visitors to Indonesia no longer need to show a negative RT or PCR test result if they are free of any Covid-19 symptoms and have a normal body temperature. Travellers must still show their vaccination certificates and download Indonesia’s tracing application.
Jetstar Asia currently operates up to 23 services from Singapore to Jakarta, Denpasar and Surabaya but will revise its schedule to operate up to 27 services in the coming weeks.
It will offer up to three daily services to Jakarta, daily services to Denpasar and up to five weekly services to Surabaya. These increases are subject to regulatory approval.
Jetstar Asia CEO Bara Pasupathi commented: “Before the pandemic and travel restrictions, Singaporeans rated as one of the top three nationalities visiting Indonesia every year. With 92% of Singaporeans now fully vaccinated, the announcement is welcome news, as one of the final barriers to cross-border travel between Singapore and Indonesia is removed.”
One-way sale fares from Singapore to Jakarta start from SGD87, Surabaya from SGD121 and Denpasar from SGD183.
