SINGAPORE, 23 June 2022: A new passenger ferry service connecting Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal with Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal has gained route approval ahead of its launch on Thursday, 7 July, according to Desaru Coast Destination Resort Malaysia’s largest integrated destination.
The integrated resort issued a media statement together with its appointed ferry service operator, Desaru Link Ferry Services Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Batam Fast Ferry Pte Ltd (Batam Fast), on Wednesday.
Expressing her appreciation to the authorities in Malaysia and Singapore, Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn Bhd managing director and chief executive officer Roslina Arbak said: “We thank all government agencies for supporting and working closely with us to facilitate this new international connectivity, which will make Desaru Coast even more accessible to international travellers.
“This is a game-changer for the destination. It will enable us to unlock new market opportunities in all travel segments and at the same time, position Desaru Coast as an attractive hospitality investment to draw like-minded investors for our next phase of growth.”
During an initial launch period, Batam Fast will operate a single round trip service using a 330-passenger capacity ferry from Thursday to Sunday. The journey time is approximately 90 minutes per sector. Both the frequency of services and ferries capacity will increase as demand increases.
Batam Fast CEO Paul Gannaway said: “We are delighted to be in the position to commence our passenger ferry services to Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal in two weeks.
“Given the popularity of Desaru Coast and the south-eastern Johor region, we are confident the new international connectivity route will give holidaymakers a rewarding experience.”
To celebrate the launch, Desaru Coast will introduce special packages for its hotel stays and golf play & stay, including return ferry tickets when guests purchase directly from www.desarucoast.com.
With this reliable, fast and convenient travel option, guests coming from Singapore can now enjoy the flexibility of spending a few nights at Desaru Coast or making a quick day trip. To cater to day-trippers, Desaru Coast will launch a series of day packages, including return ferry tickets.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia 23 June 2022: Destination Mekong has confirmed its inaugural lineup of executive board members following an election held at its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 3 June 2022.
Destination Mekong (DM) has its operational office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, following its incorporation as a registered company under Singapore’s Business Registration Act in January this year. The election of board members took place at a virtual AGM attended by full members and guests.
Eight candidates gained endorsement from a short-list of 15 candidates to join the Destination Mekong board for a two-year term.
They join five board members already appointed due to their “significant financial contribution” to Destination Mekong and three other board members who comprise the 16-person board.
Financial backers – five board members
Small Luxury Hotels of The World: Senior Vice President Asia Pacific Mark Wong. World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Regional Illegal Wildlife Trade Programme Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong Jedsada Taweekan. Enwoke: Professor at Guilin Tourism University Hailin Zhang. Chameleon Strategies: Managing Director Gerrit Kruger. Sasin School of Management: Director Dr Ian Fenwick.
Eight new board members
Duangmala Phommavong, Co-Founder and Partner EXO Travel Lao. Fréderic Tambon, Founder & CEO, Society and Fred, Expert in international marketing, tourism industry, and education. Guido Neil, Director of Special Operations 12Go. Mark Bibby Jackson, Founder Travel Begins at 40. Melita Koulmandas, CEO/Founder Song Saa Collective. Nguyen Tuan Linh, Owner Linh’s Adventures Travel Company Limited. Sasithara Pichaichannarong, Rector College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Sports, Rangsit University, Thailand RSU Vista Golf Course. Sophea Sok, Regional Programme Manager, Asia-Pacific Planeterra Foundation.
Three ex-officio board members
CEO of Yanna Ventures and outgoing; chairman of the Interim Board of Destination Mekong Willem Niemeijer. Destination Mekong CEO Catherine Germier-Hamel. Founder of Destination Mekong Jens Thraenhart.
SINGAPORE, 22 June 2022: The latest travel advisories warn travellers to give Myanmar a wide berth even though limited airline services have resumed, and travellers can again apply for an eVisa online to visit the country for 30 days.
In the latest update, the Australian travel advisory service warns, “we continue to advise you ‘do not travel’ to Myanmar due to ongoing civil unrest and armed conflict.”
The latest email bulletin advises travellers to remain aware of the security environment, exercise caution and monitor media closely.
As a rule, travellers are advised to avoid all public gatherings, protests and areas of known and possible unrest.
Although tour companies and hotels in Myanmar are hoping for a different outcome to allow them to recover business endeavours, the facts on the ground suggest otherwise. Constant threats of violence, including explosions and attacks, can occur anywhere and anytime, including in Yangon, the commercial capital.
Infrastructure, police and military vehicles, and security and administrative personnel have been the main targets. However, civilian institutions such as schools, petrol stations, supermarkets, restaurants, bars and shopping malls have also been targeted.
The advisory concludes: “Exercise caution in townships under martial law as curfews remain in place. There have been widespread arrests, including foreigners who could face the risk of arbitrary detention.”
SINGAPORE, 22 June 2022: Air Canada has confirmed it will fly direct flights from Vancouver to Bangkok starting 1 December, according to the Points Guy a specialised news site for frequent flyers.
Air Canada confirmed Monday it had scheduled seasonal flights from 1 December 2022 to 17 April 2023 from its Vancouver International Airport (YVR) hub to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).
The service will use a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the four times weekly flights. They mark the return of direct Canada – Thailand flights after a gap of more than 20 years.
According to the Points Guy report, the westbound flight, AC65 will depart Vancouver at 2300 and arrive in Bangkok at 0555 two days later (due to local times). The eastbound flight, AC66, will depart Bangkok at 0830. and will arrive at 0635 (same day) in Vancouver. The flight theoretically arrives before it departs due to crossing the International Date Line.
Points Guy said: “The new flight will be a welcome addition for travellers, particularly those loyal to the Star Alliance, looking to get between North America and Thailand.
“Most itineraries between North America and Thailand currently require a stop in East Asia, generally at Incheon International Airport (ICN) near Seoul or at one of Tokyo’s two airports – Narita International Airport (NRT) or Haneda Airport (HND).”
MANILA, 22 June 2022: The Philippines’ TourismPHL campaign is promoting the country’s second-largest province, Isabela inviting international tourists to explore its adventure opportunities.
The campaign promotes a video introducing the adventure travel options at the Ilagan Sanctuary, where tourists can ride a cable car and embark on hiking, trekking and caving. The sanctuary also delivers tree-top adventure, rappelling, horseback riding, and ziplining.
In the blurb introducing the video post on YouTube, travellers are invited to learn more about organic farming ways at Gonzaga Farm. Or they can take a short pilgrimage at Dariuk Hills and go back in time at Balay na Santiago where you can take a peek at the province’s heritage. Then finish off the adventure and try their sticky rice delicacy, Patupat!
According to Wikipedia, Isabela is the second largest province in the Philippines, located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Ilagan. Neighbouring provinces are Cagayan to the north, Kalinga to the northwest, Mountain Province to the central-west, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya to the southwest, Quirino and Aurora to the south, and the Philippine Sea to the east.
Tourism attractions
Since the early 2000s, tourism has grown to become a significant income-generating industry for Isabela. New hotels and resorts have opened, mostly in the cities of Ilagan, Cauayan and Santiago, and the towns of Tumauini, Gamu, Roxas, Alicia, Burgos, Ramon, San Mariano and Cordon.
Top tourist attractions are the centuries-old churches; Magat Dam Tourism Complex, which houses Southeast Asia’s biggest dam; Santa Victoria Caves, Pinzal Falls and Ilagan Sanctuary at Fuyot National Park; the white sand beaches in the coastal municipalities of Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, Dinapigue and islands of coastal Isabela. The world’s biggest wooden lounge chair or butaka resides in Ilagan City. Various festivals and fiestas are celebrated in the province, including the annual Bambanti Festival celebrated every February and the commemoration of the province’s founding during Isabela Day every May.
Airports
There are five airports, but Cauayan Airport is the primary airport in the province serving flights from Manila, Palanan, and Maconacon. Cebu Pacific is the main airline serving the Cauayan-Manila-Cauayan route.
KOTA KINABALU, 22 June 2022: Sabah’s tourism recovery efforts are showing signs of success with a growing number of direct international and domestic flights to the state.
While domestic flight connectivity is back in full swing, Sabah’s Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said international connectivity is also making great strides to make Sabah accessible within the Southeast Asia region.
“I am pleased to inform you that our domestic connection is expanding, with 389 weekly flights now available since the interstate travel was lifted late last year and the international border reopened in April this year. There used to be 445 weekly flights before the pandemic.
“To date, Sabah has welcomed five direct international flights, and we will receive two more direct flights from Incheon, South Korea, to Kota Kinabalu next week.
“We are also expecting a Bangkok-Kota Kinabalu direct flight to resume soon. This is indeed an extremely positive scene for the Sabah tourism industry,” he said at the launching of Bazaar MATTA 2022 at the Sunway Velocity Mall last week.
Present at the launching were Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) President Datuk Tan Kok Liang; Tourism Malaysia’s Senior Director of Domestic and Events Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof; and Sabah Tourism Board Chief Marketing Officer Tay Shu Lan, among others.
The airlines that currently operate direct international flights to Kota Kinabalu are Air Asia (via Manila and Singapore), Scoot (via Singapore), Royal Brunei Airlines (via Brunei), and Jin Air (via Incheon).
For domestic travel, Kota Kinabalu has direct flights from Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Penang, Johor Bahru, and Kuala Lumpur. Both Sandakan and Tawau are also easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur.
Additionally, there has been a progressive growth in domestic and foreign visitors to Sabah, with preliminary figures showing an estimated 408,530 arrivals between January and April this year.
Compiled by the Sabah Tourism Board, the estimated figure includes 392,968 domestic and 15,562 international tourists.
“This estimate represents a 412% increase over the same period last year. For us, this is already a promising indicator of people’s desire to return to Sabah, to travel and discover new places,” said Joniston, who also chairs Sabah Tourism Board.
He also commended the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) for hosting the Bazaar MATTA event, particularly for spotlighting Sabah and bringing it to the fore.
“Even though the Bazaar MATTA is a smaller travel fair compared to the usual MATTA fair, the fact that 30-based travel agents are taking part this weekend is a good sign that the event is just as important.
“Sabah packages were in high demand at recent travel exhibitions… On that note, Sabah Tourism Board encourages potential visitors to always use licensed travel agents when booking and arranging a vacation to ensure safety,” added Joniston.
Sabah promoted a wide range of domestic travel and tourism packages, with attractive prizes to be won, including flight tickets to Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, and Sandakan during the two-day Bazaar MATTA.
Visitors are also entitled to MYR100 Boost vouchers to be used for travel with several participating agents.
Meanwhile, Tan said the Bazaar was MATTA’s first pilot project, adding they would highlight other states by bringing in respective travel agents as part of their initiative to boost domestic travel.
“We have chosen to highlight Sabah first because tourism is one of their key sectors. There has been an increasing demand for Sabah and its rural destinations,” he said.
DOHA, 22 June 2022: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for governments to urgently put in place large-scale incentives to rapidly expand the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as aviation pursues its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
To fulfil aviation’s net-zero commitment, current estimates are for SAF to account for 65% of aviation’s carbon mitigation in 2050. That would require an annual production capacity of 449 billion litres. Investments are in place to expand SAF annual production from the current 125 million litres to 5 billion by 2025. With effective government incentives, production could reach 30 billion litres by 2030, which would be a tipping point for SAF production and utilisation.
“Governments don’t need to invent a playbook. Incentives to transition electricity production to renewable sources worked. As a result, clean energy solutions are now cheap and widely available. With similar incentives for SAF, we could see 30 billion litres available by 2030. Though still far from where we need to be, it would be a clear tipping point towards our net-zero ambition of ample SAF quantities at affordable prices,” said IATA’s director general Willie Walsh at the 78th IATA Annual General Meeting in Doha, Qatar.
In 2021, irrespective of price (SAF is between two and four times the price of conventional jet fuel), airlines have purchased every drop of the 125 million litres of SAF that was available. And already, more than 38 countries have SAF-specific policies that clear the way for the market to develop. Taking their cue from these policy measures, airlines have entered into USD17 billion of forward-purchasing agreements for SAF.
Incentives to Ramp-up Production
Further investment in production needs support from the right policies. This would boost supply and drive down costs.
Electricity production through solar or wind power faced similar hurdles as these technologies replaced fossil fuels. With effective policy incentives, both are now affordable and widely available.
By applying similar incentive-based policies to SAF, governments can support global SAF production to reach 30 billion litres by the decade’s end. This would be a tipping point as it would signal to the market that SAF is playing its intended long-term role in aviation’s decarbonisation and encourage investments to drive up production and drive down the price.
The market for SAF needs stimulation on the production side. The United States is setting an example for others to follow. Its SAF production is expected to reach 11 billion litres in 2030 due to heavy government incentives.
Europe, on the other hand, is the example not to follow. Under its Fit for 55 initiative, the EU is planning to mandate that airlines uplift 5% SAF at every European airport by 2030. Decentralising production will delay the development of economies of scale. And forcing the land transport of SAF will reduce the environmental benefit of using SAF.
Other Propulsion Technologies
Hydrogen and electrically powered aircraft are part of aviation’s plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, but they are likely to be limited to short-haul routes. SAF is the proven solution for long-haul flying.
“Hydrogen and/or electric propulsion systems will most likely be available for short-haul commercial flights by 2035, but the majority of emissions come from long-haul widebody flights and to tackle these emissions, SAF is the only proven solution. We know it works, and we need to double down our efforts to get all actors of the industry on board, including governments, to increase production, availability, and uptake,” said Sebastian Mikosz, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Environment and Sustainability.
Net Zero and Long-Term Aspirational Goal
In October 2021, IATA member airlines came together and took the monumental decision to commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This commitment brings the industry in line with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. Climate change is the greatest threat facing our societies and achieving net-zero emissions will be a huge challenge as the expected scale of the industry in 2050 will require the mitigation of 1.8 gigatons of carbon.
To provide the right set of consistent policies and long-term stability needed for investments, the aviation industry is calling on all governments to support the adoption of a long-term climate goal for air transport at the 41st Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) this September, aligned with industry commitments. This climate goal is critical to back up the industry’s decarbonisation ambitions and would provide a global multilateral framework for action without distorting competition.
BANGKOK, 22 June 2022: Thai Airways International will introduce flights on the Bangkok-Jeddah route starting from 19 August 2022 in response to the recent mending of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
In a media statement introducing the new service, the airline said it would “help enhance tourism between the countries, and Saudi Arabia is a major connecting hub in the Middle East for travellers heading for Indochina, Australia, and Southeast Asia.”
Starting on 19 August, THAI will operate four weekly flights between Bangkok-Jeddah every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with the following flight details:
-Flight TG503 Bangkok-Jeddah will depart from Bangkok at 1845 and arrive in Jeddah at 2240 (local time);
-Flight TG504 Jeddah-Bangkok will depart from Jeddah at 0040 (local time) and arrive in Bangkok at 1310.
The service will connect with regional flights to Southeast Asian cities and Australia.
BANGKOK, 22 June 2022: AirAsia Thailand (FD) has launched its first international flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport, becoming the only low-fare airline to fly direct from Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malaysia.
The Thai airline serves the route with two flights daily, while AirAsia Malaysia flies a daily service from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Kuala Lumpur.
AirAsia Thailand CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya said: “AirAsia currently operates three routes from the airport, flying to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi. Starting in June, AirAsia is, for the first time, flying internationally from its base at Suvarnabhumi airport to Kuala Lumpur, which is an important economic hub that offers both business and leisure.”
He said the move was part of AirAsia Thailand’s strategy to revive tourism by offering connections with the airline’s flights to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi for Malaysian and other international travellers.
AirAsia now offers two choices for flights between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. A Don Mueang-Kuala Lumpur flight operates daily, served by AirAsia Berhad (AK), and two daily flights operate on the Suvarnabhumi-Kuala Lumpur route served by Thai AirAsia (FD).
SINGAPORE, 21 June 2022: Europ Assistance announced Tuesday the international findings of its 21st edition of the Holiday Barometer.
Travel expectations are increasing significantly compared to last year, with levels higher than in 2019. In Southeast Asia, the study shows that 69% of Thais intend to travel from June to September, which represents a 25 percentage point increase compared to 2021.
Europ Assistance Group Head of International Travel Julia Ricks says, “This year’s travel intentions reflect a real excitement for travel, overpassing pre-pandemics levels. Compared to 2021, we observe a significant return to international travel and higher average holiday budgets, supported by a significant decrease in Covid-19 related issues favouring air trips and destinations like cities.”
“Ongoing inflation hasn’t stopped but contained this travel enthusiasm after two years of restrictions, but inflation is the most significant travel concern this year. Booking anticipations and the importance of being more covered with trip insurance appear as new habits of holidaymakers that could become durable,” Ricks added.
The average holiday budget should be higher than in 2021, but this increase is limited by the inflation context.
Holidaymakers report a higher travel budget this year than they did in 2021: Americans intend to spend an additional USD440 for a global budget of around USD2,760 (+19% vs 2021). In Europe, the expected holiday budget is around EUR1,800 (+220€, +14% vs 2021). And for the holiday budget, Thais intend to spend strongly with an increase vs 2021 of 18% (THB62,800).
Concerns about inflation and prices increases are much present in peoples’ minds in 2022 and impact the desire to travel this year: it is the case for 69% of Europeans, 62% of Americans, 70% of Canadians, 63% of Australians and 77% of Thais, who say being impacted by this issue. Moreover, financial considerations are mentioned as one of the main reasons not to travel by 41% of Europeans who won’t be going on a trip from June to September (+14pts vs 2021), 45% of Americans (+9pts) and 34% of Thais (+10pts).
While Covid-19 is still a consideration for travellers, it has receded as a concern.
Overall, the global level of concerns regarding all covid-19 related topics is decreasing compared to last year, especially on travel and leisure plans. For 53% of Europeans and 46% of Americans, COVID-19 has an impact on their enthusiasm regarding travel. It is still exceptionally high among the Canadians or the Aussies (60%) and even more among the Thai population (81%).
When they think about their next trip, health issues have still the greatest impact on the Thai respondents’ enthusiasm, followed closely by inflation, even though the level of concern regarding Covid-19-related topics is decreasing. When travelling, Thais are still cautiously picking their destination by avoiding certain countries and favouring destinations nearby.
When thinking about their next trip, for example, Thai respondents still felt concerned about issues related to the health and the Covid crisis, but to a lesser extent than last year. The desire to travel internationally drove the will to get vaccinated.
In almost all countries, the average levels of booking anticipation rose, with far more people booking their holidays sooner than last year than people doing it later. Holidaymakers from Thailand are among the most organized, as more than 50% have already secured at least part of their trip
Covid-19 may also have impacted durably travel insurance habits, as being more covered with travel insurance is the travel habit that appears to be the most durable in almost all countries surveyed. These levels are especially high in the Asia Pacific (Thailand 75%, Australia 54%), in the UK (49%) or in southern Europe (Spain 50%, Italy and Portugal 45%).
Above all, a return to international travel is observed in all the countries: 48% (+13pts) of Europeans, 36% (+11pts) of Americans and 56% (+7pts) of Thais intend to travel abroad from June to September. It is mainly the case in the countries where holidaymakers are more used to travelling abroad: British (+24 pts), Swiss (+7pts) and Belgians (+7pts) will be less homey and will travel more internationally.
When choosing to travel abroad, Thai holidaymakers mostly opt for neighbouring countries, with favourite destinations being Japan followed by South Korea and Singapore. Weather and already knowing the destination are the most important criteria in choosing the destination for Thai respondents. They also plan to choose their destination according to the health risk, including coronavirus infection.
As international travel increases, holidaymakers adjust their mode of transportation. Overall, the two favourite means remain the plane and the car (46% and 45% of Thais prefer these two modes of transportation).
Back to normal?
When asked about the return to “normal conditions” of travel, perceptions vary a lot from one country to another. Australians, Austrians and Thais are the most pessimistic, with half of them thinking the situation will come back to normal in 2024, after, or even never. On the contrary, Poles, Czech and Swiss are the most optimistic, with nearly four out of 10 saying it is already possible.
