Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Home Blog Page 532

Vistara ramps up Thailand flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

NEW DELHI, 11 July 2022: Vistara, India’s full-service carrier, will add a new route to its international network to link Mumbai and Bangkok, starting 5 August 2022.

In a media statement released on 9 July, the airline said it would offer five weekly flights from Mumbai to the Thai capital using an Airbus A320neo aircraft with a three-class cabin configuration.

Vistara UK0123 departs Mumbai at 0745 and arrives in Bangkok at 1335 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. UK 0124 departs Bangkok on the same day at 1450, arriving in Mumbai at 1740.

It will bolster its existing connectivity between India and Thailand to meet the growing demand for Thailand holiday bookings in the Indian travel market. The airline boosted seat capacity on the Delhi to Bangkok route, increasing frequencies to daily flights.

Vistara chief executive officer Vinod Kannan said: “Thailand remains one of the most preferred tourist destinations for Indians, and we are excited to commence flights between Mumbai and Bangkok, in addition to the existing daily connectivity to the city from Delhi. There is huge potential for a full-service carrier like Vistara on this route, and we are confident that travellers will thoroughly appreciate our world-class product and services along with easy and direct access to their favourite destination.”

Bookings for flights between Mumbai and Bangkok are open on all channels, including Vistara’s website, www.airvistara.com, Vistara’s iOS & Android mobile apps and through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and travel agents.

Vistara is India’s highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and it has been the winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards, besides being lauded for cabin cleanliness and safety standards. Vistara has crossed the mark of flying 35 million passengers in seven years since starting operations.

Introductory all-inclusive, round-trip fares between Mumbai and Bangkok are as follows:

RouteEconomyPremium EconomyBusiness
Mumbai-Bangkok-MumbaiINR 22,849INR 31,899INR 54,299
Bangkok-Mumbai-BangkokTHB 10,949THB 12,449THB 30,449

Airbnb destinations target digital nomads

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 8 July 2022: Airbnb will partner with 20 destinations worldwide to attract digital nomads, including Thailand, Bali, Lisbon, and the Caribbean.

Earlier this year, Airbnb launched its ‘Live and Work’ Anywhere initiative to identify some of the most remote worker-friendly destinations in the world and support governments and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) in helping to revive tourism and provide economic support to communities after two-plus years of travel restrictions.

The 20 destinations Airbnb will spotlight

  • Baja California Sur, Mexico
  • Bali, Indonesia
  • Brindisi, Puglia, Italy 
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Caribbean
  • Canary Islands, Spain
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Colombia
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
  • Lisbon, Portugal
  • Malta
  • Mexico City, Mexico
  • Palm Springs, California, USA
  • Queensland, Australia
  • Rural France
  • Salzkammergut, Austria
  • Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
  • Thailand
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Over the next few months, Airbnb will work closely with destination partners ranging from whole countries to smaller, lesser-known towns. They were selected based on their attraction to remote workers and progressiveness in evolving policies for those looking to live and work in a different region and attract a new type of traveller. The initiative builds off work during the pandemic, which saw Airbnb partnering with more than 160 governments and DMOs to specifically support efforts to encourage the return of tourism — including through remote working.

Millions of people are now more flexible about where they live and work. As a result, they’re spreading to thousands of towns and cities, staying for weeks, months, or even entire seasons at a time.

About one in five guests globally said they booked Airbnb to enable them to work remotely while travelling in 2021. That trend has continued into Q1 2022, with long-term stays at an all-time high, doubling in size from Q1 2019. They are essentially “living” on Airbnb as guests have already planned stays in over 72,000 cities and towns* this summer.

Research conducted by the Harvard Business School shows that while it is clear that digital nomads, and remote workers in general, can be a boon to any economy, they also might play a key role in fostering entrepreneurship in the communities where they stay, creating “technology clusters” around the world.

Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer Nathan Blecharczyck said: “In the two years since the pandemic began, a new world of travel has emerged in which many workers are untethered to an office. In collaborating with these destinations, we want to make it easier for workers to enjoy this flexibility and support the return of safe and responsible travel. We know that travel brings significant economic opportunity to local communities and connects people around the world. We’re excited to launch this one-stop-shop for anyone considering joining the millions of workers already enjoying this new trend of working flexibility and travel.”

*Cities and towns expected to have guest check-in between 1 June to 31 August 2022, as of 29 April 2022.

AirAsia drops base fare in the Philippines

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MANILA, 8 July 2022: AirAsia Philippines drops its base fares to as low as PHP77 on bookings made to midnight 10 July as part of its 7.7 Mid-Year Sale Promotion.

The base fare drop is also a bid to sustain the momentum of travel for both its domestic and international flights. As of June 2022, AirAsia Philippines recorded an average month-on-month growth of 31% in domestic passengers. The uptick in passengers was seen following the relaxation of border protocols and the downward trend of daily Covid cases in the country. The reopening of international flights and the gradual increase in flights to international destinations led to average month-on-month growth of 157% from February to June 2022 for AirAsia Philippines’ international routes.

AirAsia Philippines spokesperson and head of communications and public affairs Steve Dailisan commented: “We at AirAsia Philippines are determined to sustain travel momentum notwithstanding market movements such as the rise in fuel surcharge cost. As we remain committed to our DNA of affordable and inclusive flying, we buttress this increase through major promotions such as the 7.7 Mid-Year sale and through regular minor promotions throughout the month.”

Among the domestic destinations covered by the PHP 77 base fare are Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Puerto Princesa and Caticlan.

Filipino globetrotters should check Kota Kinabalu and Singapore, which come with a PHP777 base fare, while Hong Kong and Bangkok lead-in fares pegged at PHP1,377 and PHP1, 777, respectively.

The 7.7 Mid-Year sale booking period ends 10 July 10 for travel from 1 September 2022 to 25 March 2023.

SQ steps up flights for Oct to Mar season

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 8 July 2022: Singapore Airlines will increase services to destinations across Japan and restore its Indian network to pre-pandemic levels in the coming months.

The airline will also add more flights to Los Angeles and Paris by December 2022 and continue with its direct services to Vancouver in response to the strong demand for air travel.

Passengers will enjoy more flexibility and options during the airline’s northern winter operating season (30 October 2022 to 25 March 2023). Together with other adjustments to the SIA and Scoot network, the SIA Group capacity is projected to be at around 81% of pre-pandemic levels by December 2022.

Singapore Airlines senior vice president marketing planning JoAnn Tan

said: “Japan is a key market for the SIA Group, and we will work closely with our partners to meet the demand for air travel as entry requirements gradually ease. Robust demand for travel to and from India to points across the group network supports an increase in our services in this important market.

“By stepping up services into the northern winter season, we give our customers even more flight options as they make their travel plans over the next few months. The SIA Group will closely monitor the demand for air travel and adjust its services accordingly.”

From 24 July 2022, SQ634 to Tokyo (Haneda) and SQ638 to Tokyo (Narita) will become daily services. Together with the daily SQ12 service from Singapore to Los Angeles via Tokyo (Narita), SIA will operate three daily services into Japan’s capital, up from 14 flights per week. The daily SQ636 service to Tokyo (Haneda) will be reinstated from 30 October 2022, bringing Tokyo up to 28 weekly services.

Flight SQ618 from Singapore to Osaka will be reinstated on 30 October 2022, bringing services between Singapore and Osaka to twice daily. The SQ656 service to Fukuoka will increase to three flights per week. With the thrice-weekly service to Nagoya, SIA will operate 62% of its pre-Covid operating capacity to Japan by 30 October 20221.

The airline will progressively operate 17 weekly services to Chennai, up from the current 10 flights per week. Kochi services will go up to 14 times weekly, up from the current seven flights per week. Bengaluru services will go up to 16 times weekly, up from the current seven flights per week. SIA will operate almost 100% of its pre-Covid operating capacity in India by 30 October 20222.

From 30 November 2022, SQ36 will operate as a daily non-stop flight to Los Angeles. This is in addition to the current daily SQ38 service. The airline will operate 21 weekly services to Los Angeles, including the daily one-stop service through Tokyo (Narita), up from the current 17 flights per week.

From 1 December 2022, SQ332 will operate five times weekly from Singapore to Paris, up from its current three times weekly service and complementing the current daily SQ336 service to the city. Paris will be served with 12 weekly flights, up from seven flights per week. SIA will continue its thrice-weekly SQ48 direct service to Vancouver in the Northern Winter operating season to cater to the growing travel demand.       

For the full details of flight schedules check the link to Annex A: https://www.singaporeair.com/saar5/pdf/media-centre/220705ne0622annexea.pdf                        

My Go Go Sabah 2.0 back on the air

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 8 July 2022: Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is collaborating with MY Sabah, a Malaysian-Chinese language radio station managed by Astro Radio Sdn. Bhd, through the My Go Go Sabah 2.0 campaign.

The first campaign, My Go Go Sabah, showcased MY Sabah radio announcers visiting Kudat, Kundasang and Kota Belud. The video series was uploaded in October 2021 on their Facebook page (@myfmsabah) and garnered more than 71.2K views.

My Go Go Sabah 2.0 is back again this year featuring three more Sabah destinations; Semporna, Tambunan-Keningau-Tenom and Tuaran-Tamparuli-Kiulu. The video series is scheduled to be on their Facebook page this week.

In addition to the Facebook promotion, MY Sabah will be promoting the campaign on-air. To further entice their listeners, a contest will be conducted on their radio platform from 25 to 29 July with a chance to win five travel vouchers worth MYR500 each sponsored by Sabah Tourism Board.

STB CEO Noredah Othman said that the campaign produced in the Chinese language features a good combination of tourism ideas, including Community Based Tourism.

“We use many media platforms to reach different audiences, and a combination of radio and social media is equally effective. Sabah will also be featured this weekend at MITM Kuala Lumpur, Mid Valley.” She added.

For more information on Sabah visit: www.sabahtourism.com.

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

Outrigger Maldives wins best hideaway title

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MALE, MALDIVES, 8 July 2022: Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort has earned the title of “Best Luxury Hideaway Resort in the Maldives, 2022” in this year’s Luxury Lifestyle Awards.

The visually stunning property comprises a collection of 81 luxury villas in five categories, including beach, pool and duplex accommodations, as well as coveted overwater bungalows.

“Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru sparkles with breathtakingly beautiful nature alongside elegant accommodations. We are so proud that our delightful hideaway has already been recognised by the experts from Luxury Lifestyle Awards,” said John Allanson, General Manager of the property.

“The Outrigger Way commitment to authentically caring for our guests, alongside the bewitching allure of our setting, has been apparent to patrons and judges alike,” he said.

Known for its uninterrupted views of white sandy beaches and a seemingly endless turquoise lagoon, Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort recently underwent extensive modernisation. It is now poised to be among the Maldives’ most sought-after vacation experiences.

Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru has all of the amenities high-end guests expect: private seaplane transfers, a diverse array of quality food and beverage outlets, plush full-spa service, a chic retail boutique, vow renewals, PADI dive centre, abundant watersports, and more.

Marine conservation and awareness building are a key part of the resort operations, which align with Outrigger’s ZONE (OZONE), the company’s long-established global marine conservation and environmental care initiative.

The resort’s marine biologist, Lynn Kessler, leads guests on snorkel and scuba trips each day. She collects data on manta rays, whale sharks and turtles, which helps Maldives-based NGOs in their marine conservation work. She also gives marine wildlife presentations to Outrigger guests twice a week and is connected with a coral planting program.

“Being environmentally responsible and leading by example is key to The Outrigger Way – caring for our hosts, our guests and our place,” said Mr Allanson.

Expert judges at Luxury Lifestyle Awards took these factors, and more, into consideration before giving the award.

ABOUT OUTRIGGER MALDIVES MAAFUSHIVARU RESORT

Discover a unique Island Experience in the Indian Ocean, offering small island charm with contemporary architecture and bespoke finishing touches. In the pristine South Ari Atoll, the 5-star Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort is a 25-minute seaplane journey from Male. It offers 81 villas in five distinct styles plus four restaurants, bars and cafes, a spa, a library lounge, a boutique, an airport lounge and transfers. More at Outrigger.com

(Your Stories: Outrigger Hospitality Group)

NCL brands end pre-cruise testing

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MIAMI, 8 July 06, 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line will no longer require guests to complete pre-cruise COVID-19 testing unless required by local regulations, effective 1 August 2022.

The announcement covers Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

However, pre-embarkation testing requirements will remain in place for guests currently travelling on voyages departing from destinations with local testing regulations, including but not limited to the US, Canada, Greece and Bermuda.

The relaxation of the testing policy is in line with the rest of the travel, leisure and hospitality industry worldwide as society continues to adapt and return to a state of normalcy. NCL recommends that all guests be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience before travel.

All voyages across the company’s three brands continue to operate under its robust science-backed SailSAFE health and safety programme, which will evolve along with the public health environment. Cruises will also follow applicable local protocols at the ports and destinations visited.

www.ncl.com

HK airport releases 2021 annual report

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HONG KONG, 8 July 2022: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) released its Annual Report 2021/22 earlier this week for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2022.

As Covid-19 continued to impact international travel, passenger traffic and flight movements of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, at 1.4 million and 144,505, respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 70.4% and 13.1%. Cargo throughput rebounded to the pre-pandemic level, increasing by 7.1% to 4.9 million tonnes. HKIA was again the world’s busiest cargo airport in 2021.

Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, AAHK continued to take forward various development projects under the Airport City blueprint. The Three-runway System project reached another major milestone as the third runway was on schedule for commissioning in 2022.

SKYCITY, the centrepiece of Airport City, continued to make progress. The Regala Skycity Hotel opened in December 2021. Adjacent to the new hotel is 11 SKIES, Hong Kong’s largest retail, dining and entertainment complex. The three grade A office towers of 11 SKIES opened in July 2022. On the other hand, AAHK continued the planning for AsiaWorld-Expo’s (AWE) phase 2 development, which will feature Hong Kong’s largest indoor multipurpose entertainment arena and new facilities for conventions and exhibitions. During the year, AAHK became AWE’s sole shareholder after the Hong Kong Government transferred all of its interest in AWE to AAHK.

In parallel, AAHK is actively preparing for passenger traffic recovery through continuous enhancement in airport facilities and services, including renovation of boarding gates and the East Hall luxury shopping zone, adding new retail and food and beverage choices, among others.

AAHK has also been actively applying technology to provide passengers with a brand-new airport experience. Flight Token has been launched this year to enable departing passengers to use their faces as identification – from check-in and bag drop to security checks and aircraft boarding – without having to present their travel document and boarding pass at every checkpoint. During the year, 5G mobile service was extended to the entire Terminal 1. In the coming year, the high-speed network will cover the airfield and other outdoor areas.

Meanwhile, AAHK and its major business partners have pledged to achieve net-zero carbon at the airport by 2050, with a midpoint target of a 55% reduction of absolute emissions by 2035 from a 2018 baseline. To achieve the target, AAHK is taking measures to reduce direct emissions, including electrification of airside vehicles and ground services equipment, energy-efficient installations and innovative energy management systems. These measures will help HKIA secure its leadership in sustainable development.

The Annual Report 2021/22, with information on financial performance, can be viewed at http://www.hongkongairport.com/en/airport-authority/publications/annual-interim-reports/annual2021

Singapore welcomes first port calls

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 7 July 2022: Southeast Asia welcomed its first cruise port call in over two years when Royal Caribbean’s (RCI) Spectrum of the Seas arrived at Malaysia’s Port Klang on 1 July.

It was followed closely by Resorts World Cruises’ Genting Dream, which will call at Indonesia’s Batam and Bintan on 2 July. Both cruise ships are based out of Singapore.

Spectrum of the Seas at Port Klang in Malaysia, taken on 1 July 2022.

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are the first Southeast Asian countries to resume port calls since cruising was halted in March 2020. Coupled with positive discussions to resume similar calls in more ports and the alignment of health protocols across the region, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) predicts the cruise industry in Singapore to return to pre-pandemic levels between 2023 and 2024.

“The resumption of port calls is an important milestone for Singapore and the region,” said STB chief executive Keith Tan. “It has been made possible by the strong partnership and collective commitment in ASEAN to grow the cruise industry. Singapore will continue to work with our counterparts to strengthen the region’s attractiveness as a cruising destination and source market.”

Sailing towards a strong recovery

Prior to COVID-19, Singapore’s cruise industry enjoyed robust growth while over 400 cruise ships across 30 cruise brands made the destination a port of call in 2019, with year-on-year growth in passenger throughput of more than 1.8 million that year.

Singapore is now rebuilding its strong pipeline of cruise ship deployments and working with cruise lines to expand their customer base – from regional markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia to mid and long-haul markets such as India, Australia, Germany, the UK and the US.

Since Singapore restarted cruising in November 2020, over half a million passengers have sailed on nearly 370 ‘cruise to nowhere’ sailings. As more ships offer varied itineraries for cruising out of Southeast Asia, these new cruisers are expected to support a strong rebound for the industry.

“We are committed to Singapore’s vision to be a premier cruise hub in Asia. Together with STB, we look forward to growing the cruise sector, including the fly-cruise segment; and to making Singapore and Southeast Asia one of the largest year-round cruise destinations in the world,” said Resorts World Cruises president Michael Goh.

A flying start to cruise

The fly-cruise segment is also a key growth area that is expected to rebound strongly, given Singapore’s reopening to all vaccinated travellers and the resumption of port calls. Prior to Covid-19, 70% of Singapore’s cruise passengers were international visitors travelling to Singapore to take a cruise to explore Southeast Asia. The strong demand for fly-cruise will add to Singapore’s appeal as a homeport for cruise lines.

STB continues to offer the Cruise Development Fund to encourage cruise lines to homeport in Singapore. Cruise agents can tap the grant to develop and market cruise packages.

(Source: STB)

CTM acquires 1000 Mile Travel Group

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 7 July 2022: Corporate Travel Management has completed the acquisition of 1000 Mile Travel Group Ltd, expanding its interest in the business travel market.

Founded in 2015, 1000 Mile Travel is a network of independent travel experts specialising in SME business travel services across Australia and the UK, offering high-touch travel management expertise.

Their business model supports a growing workforce of travel experts who desire to manage their customer portfolio. The heightened demand for travel expertise to support the rapidly rebounding travel market makes this an attractive opportunity for CTM.

CTM founder and Managing Director Jamie Pherous said the acquisition is an exciting and complementary extension to CTM’s corporate travel services and offers 1000 Mile Travel’s agents and customers the benefits of CTM’s scale, buying power, and access to content.

“1000 Mile Travel Group is a highly successful business that has crafted a unique value proposition for those agents wanting to not only manage their own SME portfolio from home but also grow that portfolio and provide services demanded by corporate clients,” he explained.

CTM partnered with 1000 Mile Travel for nearly a year by offering a link to ‘Lightning’ online booking technology.

CTM intends to grow 1000 Mile Travel, particularly in the UK and USA.

1...531532533...622Page 532 of 622

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.