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Singapore removes most travel restrictions

By
TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 28 April 2022: Singapore’s Ministry of Health eased Covid-19 rules earlier this week, ending the restriction on group sizes and social distancing, a change welcomed by the events business.

Easer rules came into effect on 26 April as the country lowered its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) level from orange to yellow.

For Singapore’s business events sector, removing the group-size limit is the welcome news as it will ring in the return of exhibitions and events catering to more than 1,000 participants.

But individual travellers, who are fully vaccinated, will benefit from not having to show a pre-departure Covid-19 negative test result.

However, all non-fully vaccinated travellers age 13 and above must continue to show a negative pre-departure test taken within two days before departure for Singapore. They must also undergo a seven-day stay-home notice period and take an RT-PCR test for Covid-19 at the end of their stay-home notice period.

TraceTogether and SafeEntry vaccination-differentiated safe management measures and workforce vaccination measures end.

Other changes.

Household visits
• No limit on the number of visitors per household.
• Unvaccinated should exercise caution, reduce movement, and stay at home as much as possible. Up to 10 household visitors at any one time.

Mask wearing
• Only required for indoor settings, optional for outdoor settings but encouraged.

Safe distancing
• Not required between individuals or between groups.

Workplace
• All employees may return to the workplace.
• Unmasking is allowed at the workplace if not interacting physically with others and when not in customer-facing areas.

Shopping centre
• Vaccination-differentiated SMMs will be removed from all settings, except for events with 500 participants at any one time, nightlife establishments where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities, F&B establishments, bars and karaoke establishments.

TripAdvisor: Be kind write a review

By
Don Ross
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SINGAPORE, 26 April 2022: TripAdvisor launches Write a Review Day on 3 May to help kick start summer travel and revive the reviewing habit dramatically impacted by two years of restricted travel or lockdowns across Asia.

Its launch media release distributed Tuesday asks us if we have visited a hotel or restaurant or booked a tour or experience in the last year that we haven’t yet reviewed? If so, Tripadvisor is looking to get its community of hundreds of millions of travellers reinspired to write reviews once more.

The inaugural Write a Review Day on 3 May will launch a month-long campaign in May to get travellers back in the habit of writing reviews.

Inspiration and creativity to pen reviews went missing over the last two years due to lockdowns, uncertainty, and conflicting opinions on Covid-19.

Tripadvisor hopes it can now revive our enthusiasm to write a review for a hotel stay or a restaurant experience we enjoyed over the past year. It suggests reviews can vary between good and not so good written with the “intention of giving the still recovering tourism and hospitality industry helpful and constructive feedback”.

Even during the lockdown, there were a couple of examples in Thailand of hotel managers threatening to take reviewers to civil court or have them detained by police to face criminal charges. The thin-skinned hoteliers took umbrage at reviews they claimed were commercially damaging. However, in Thailand, it did put a damper on writing honest reviews of hotels and restaurants for fear of falling foul of draconian laws covering defamation and libel.

Perhaps that prompted TripAdvisor to attach to its Write a Review launch publicity a few tips on what makes a “great and helpful review”, emphasising the importance of being helpful and charitable.

The premise suggests the inspiration to write reviews comes from our desire to be helpful and support the commercial interests of hotels and restaurants. That’s a big ask.

TripAdvisor, in its short tutorial, suggests we have all seen the not-so-helpful reviews – “This place was great!” But why was it great? – “I didn’t like the food?” What did this person order? What didn’t they like about the food?”

Tripadvisor claims that not all reviews are created equal, backed up by findings released in the Power of Reviews study. It indicated Tripadvisor reviews were three times longer than the reviews found on leading online travel agent websites and search engines. That level of detail helps travellers to make informed decisions.

Here are Tripadvisor’s top tips for writing a great review 

Give Context: Be clear and specific in describing your memory. Stick to facts and include as many details as possible allows other travellers like you to get an accurate picture of the business.

Create helpful change: Whether positive or negative, make sure your review is helpful and constructive. Recognise and value what you like and offer options and solutions for this business to improve: this is an opportunity for them to learn.

Be thankful and empathetic: Keep a courteous and friendly tone in mind and use appropriate language. It’s worth considering that there are people who put commitment and passion into what they do behind every business activity.

As part of the Write a Review Day campaign, Tripadvisor will partner with the tourism and hospitality industry associations to launch ‘The Better Review Initiative’. More than 20 associations worldwide, including the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the World Travel Organization (UNWTO), and HotellerieSuisse, have endorsed the initiative to improve travel and hospitality review content online.

Paddle event raises funds for turtles

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 27 April 2022: What began as a challenge resulted in five friends embarking on stand-up paddling for two days to promote water sports activities and marine wildlife conservation.

In the Paddle For Turtle event, the group paddleboarded from the Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort to the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort, covering 35 km of coastline waters.

One of the paddlers, Mitch Cini, said that they started the awareness campaign to get people interested in sustainable water sports and to raise funds for the Marine Research Foundation’s turtle conservation project.

“The water sports activity in Sabah is transitioning at the moment. The state has its traditional water sports activities that include popular scuba diving and eye-catching parasailing and jet skiing.

“Now we are moving towards a more sustainable activity that does not significantly impact the environment,” said the founder of Waterfly Borneo.

Such sustainable activities are paddle boarding and e-foiling to replace jet skiing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing.

Mitch, an Australian residing in Sabah, stated that these activities had seen a surge in popularity in the last three years, not only for tourism purposes but also for recreational purposes, with people doing it for fitness.

In their latest project, the group left Shangri-La Rasa Ria on Saturday. They made their way to Pulau Sepanggar and Pulau Gaya, where they spent time teaching the islanders how to paddleboard and raising marine protection awareness. They arrived at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru at 1300 on Sunday. The Sabah Tourism Board is one of participating partners in the event.

Meanwhile, Sabah Tourism chief executive officer Noredah Othman said the state is strong in marine protection efforts, which benefits tourism by allowing tourists to participate in conservation programmes.

“It is essential for us to promote products or activities that enhance the experience of tourists visiting Sabah,” she explained. “Sabah has the most beautiful ocean, beaches, and islands. Our goal is to promote the state water sports activities to visitors while encouraging them to conserve the marine environment”.

For more details on Sabah’s tourist attractions visit: https://www.sabahtourism.com/?locale=en

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

CWT makes changes at the top

By
TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 April 2022: CWT, a global travel B2B management platform, confirmed this week that the company’s CEO, Michelle McKinney Frymire will step down this week.

She makes way for the president and chief commercial officer Patrick Andersen to take over the role of president and chief executive officer effective 1 May 2022. He will also serve on the company’s board of directors.

“Leading CWT through such a critical phase in its evolution has been a great honour,” said Frymire. “We have made substantial achievements during extraordinary times, and I am grateful to our global team and customers for their trust and supportive partnership. Now, with a strong financial foundation in place, CWT is positioned to accelerate its growth plan, and I’m pleased to pass the baton to Patrick.”

Before taking on the role of president and chief commercial officer,  Andersen served as chief strategy officer and, before that, president of the Americas.

Since joining the company in 2008, he has managed and overseen several industry-defining initiatives, including the launch of myCWT China, expanding RoomIt by CWT, and developing innovative long-term GDS technology partnership agreements.

Thai AirAsia X returns to the skies

By
TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 27 April 2022: Thai AirAsia X, a low fare medium-to-long haul carrier, announces it is ready to resume services by transferring operations to Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The move should allow the airline to revive its business growth by establishing more travel connections to medium-to-long haul international destinations.

The airline will return to the skies starting 1 June on two South Korea and Japan routes.

On the route  Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – Seoul (ICN), South Korea AirAsia X will fly three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays commencing 1 June 2022,

On the route Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – Narita (NRT) Japan, the airline will fly four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays commencing  5 June 2022.

Thai AirAsia X is celebrating its return with a special promotion offering members flights to Seoul from THB2,990 per trip (or from THB3,030 for non-members) and Tokyo Narita from only THB3,290 THB per trip (or from THB3,330 per trip for non-members).

The deal comes with unlimited flight changes and no flight change fee. Guests may be subject to a fare difference. They should book early to secure the best value deals with all AirAsia. The special promotional is open for sales until 1 May 2022 for travel from 1 June to 30 October 2022 via the AirAsia Super App.

Thai AirAsia X CEO Patima Jeerapaet said: “As International borders are now gradually reopening, we are excited to be or service again to our guests. They can now prepare to fly again to some of the most popular international destinations and as always, at the best value fares.

“This is an incredible milestone. With Thailand officially reopening and the Covid-19 situation now under control thanks to widespread vaccination, we are thrilled that Thai AirAsia X is finally returning to the skies commencing with two routes to Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo Narita, Japan, both departing from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Thailand.

“The return of Thai AirAsia X is a fascinating development. Our move to Suvarnabhumi International Airport makes us the first Thai low-cost, long haul carrier to operate from Bangkok’s main airport. The move has provided us with opportunities to enhance travel and our cargo business,” Patima noted.

South Korea has relaxed travel requirements to allow entry without quarantine. Guests should visit www.k-eta.go.kr and cov19ent.kdca.go.kr  for more information. For entering Japan, updated travel requirements can be found at www.mofa.go.jp/ca/cp/page22e_000925.html

Thailand also has recently eased travel requirements for tourists including the removal of pre-departure tests and replacement of RT-PCR tests to the ATK, and no quarantine requirement.

Further information can be found at Thailand lifts RT-PCR testing requirement for international arrivals from 1 May 2022.

(Source: Thai AirAsia X)

Vietjet Air plans direct flights to India

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HANOI, 27 April 2022: Vietjet Air builds a competitive edge over other airline players in Vietnam with a substantial expansion of services to India during May and June.

On Monday, Vietnam’s low-cost airline confirmed new routes from three destinations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the island of Phu Quoc) to Delhi and Mumbai in India, two key outbound travel markets.

Photo Credit: Vietjet Air. Launch celebrations for India flights.

Details of the flights were released just two weeks after the announcement confirming approval for direct flights made by Vietnamese and Indian officials.

The expansion to India starts on 2 June with a four-weekly service on the Hanoi to Mumbai route, followed a day later by three flights weekly from Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai.

Flights from Vietnam’s holiday island Phu Quoc which lies in the Gulf of Thailand bordering Cambodia, will start later in September. The airline will fly three weekly services from Phu Quoc to Mumbai on 8 September, followed by a day later with three flights weekly from Phu Quoc to Delhi.

The two services from Phu Quoc to Mumbai and New Delhi will significantly increase travel arrivals from India to the island resort and ensure it can compete with its nearest revival Phuket Island in South Thailand.

Before the two-year pause in travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India was a marginal market for Vietnam, limited in scope because of the lack of direct flights. Vietjet addresses that drawback by linking city and holiday island destinations in Vietnam with the key outbound travel markets Mumbai and Delhi in India. 

A Hanoi Times report posted on the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s website noted that VietJet Air has flown limited commercial flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to New Delhi. It has also organised charter flights from Vietnam to Bodh Gaya, an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in northern India. In the meantime, the airline will introduce ad hoc  Hanoi-New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City-New Delhi flights on 29 and 30 April and follow on with more flights in May, raising frequencies in early June.

In 2019, India’s IndiGo operated direct flights from Kolkata City to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to establish the first direct flights between Vietnam and India. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Indian visitors to Vietnam grew by 28% in 2019, mainly due to direct flights.

(Source: VNAT with background Hanoi Times).

Club Med Bali names reopening date

By
TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 April 2022: Club Med confirmed Tuesday the reopening of Club Med Bali on 28 May after a two-year pause.

Located in Nusa Dua on Bali island, a 30-minute car drive from Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, the Club Med Bali property spans over half a mile on the Nusa Dua beachfront.

“Following the announcement on the streamlining of Bali’s quarantine-free arrival measures – which includes no longer requiring fully vaccinated travellers to undergo Polymerase Chain Reaction tests on arrival in Bali Club Med Bali has experienced a surge in booking requests from travellers worldwide,”  said Club Med chief executive officer, East and South Asia & Pacific Markets, Rachael Harding.

Club Med’s commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture will deliver a new menu that will incorporate pesticide-free produce freshly grown by the families of Bukit Mesari Farmers Group under the Green Farmers programme in partnership with NGO Agrisud, an initiative supported by Club Med Bali since 2014.

Club Med has developed Safe Together, a guest assurance programme with the support of Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, to ensure optimal health and safety for travellers.

India launches traditional medicine centre

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MUMBAI, 27 April 2022: Thomas Cook (India) Limited staged the end-to-end delivery of the recent groundbreaking ceremony and event for the world’s first World Health Organization (WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The groundbreaking ceremony and launch of the new WHO global centre for traditional medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India, took place on 21 April.

Thomas Cook India was hired as the exclusive event management agency to launch the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. This global project will focus on data, innovation, and sustainability while optimising the use of traditional medicine in healthcare and wellness. Funded by India, the project’s investment stands at around USD250 million.

Around 80% of the world’s population is estimated to use traditional medicine, and about 170 of the 194 WHO member states have reported the use of traditional medicine. Their governments asked for WHO’s support to create a body of reliable evidence and data on traditional medicine practices and products worldwide.

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, the WHO centre will be designed to engage and benefit all world regions, while Jamnagar, India, will become a traditional medicine hub for Asia.

Traditional medicine is also increasingly prominent in the world of modern science. Some 40% of approved pharmaceutical products today derive from natural substances, highlighting the vital importance of conserving biodiversity and sustainability. For example, the discovery of aspirin drew on traditional medicine formulations using the bark of the willow tree; the contraceptive pill was developed from the roots of wild yam plants and child cancer treatments have been based on the rosy periwinkle. Nobel-prize winning research on artemisinin for malaria control started with a review of ancient Chinese medicine texts.

India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus led the groundbreaking ceremony at the landmark event attended by more than 2,000 VIPs. Thomas Cook India managed the event for the WHO and Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.

(Wikipedia: The Ministry of Ayush, a ministry of the Government of India, is responsible for developing education, research and propagation of indigenous and alternative medicine systems in India. Ayush is derived from the names of the alternative healthcare systems covered by the ministry: Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy)

In addition to the event, Thomas Cook was also responsible for managing public relations and media outreach for the government’s prestigious Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar.

Thomas Cook (India) Limited President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale commented: “We were honoured to be selected as the exclusive event management agency for the Ministry of Ayush’s groundbreaking ceremony for the world’s first World Health Organization (WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.”

(Source: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd)

Same entry rules for all Indonesia’s gateways

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

JAKARTA, 26 April 2022: Indonesia has confirmed its latest Covid-19 entry regulations that ease border checks for international travellers at all of the country’s international gateways, travel firms reported on Monday.

Panorama Destination, a leading tour operator, headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, tweeted Monday: “Now the no quarantine regulation for fully-vaccinated travellers is available at every international arrival point in Indonesia.

Latest requirements for tourists entering Indonesia

  • Valid passport with six-month minimum validity.
  • E-visa or apply for Visa on Arrival (VOA) upon arrival.
  • Show full vaccination certificate with the last jab, not less than 14 days prior to the arrival in Indonesia.
  • Provide a PCR negative-tested result taken not more than 48 hours before the flight departure.
  • Pay in advance for a minimum hotel stay of four days in CHSE certified hotels.
  • Covid-19 health insurance with a minimum coverage of USD 25.000.
  • Install PeduliLindungi and Karantina Presisi apps from either playstore or app store.

List of countries approved for Visa on Arrival

South Africa, USA, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Dutch, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Hungary. India, UK, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, France, Poland, Qatar, New Zealand, Seychelles, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, China, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE.

Visa-free countries

Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

(Source: Panorama Destination)

PAL and STB partner travel campaigns

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MANILA, 26 April 2022: Philippine Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to promote travel to Singapore.

The agreement signed last week will initially feature well-loved PAL in-flight voice Inka Magnaye. Inka will take her first overseas trip outside of the Philippines, visiting Singapore to discover the vibrant destination first-hand. As part of STB’s SingapoReimagine campaign, Inka’s trip will reignite Filipinos’ passion for travel by showcasing how Singapore has reimagined itself through fresh and innovative experiences.

Apart from this joint campaign, passengers of PAL will also be entitled to exclusive Boarding Pass privileges that provide special deals and promotions across a wide range of tourism establishments in Singapore, including the Museum of Ice Cream and Mandai Wildlife Reserve, establishments on Sentosa.

PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley Ng said: “With two daily PAL flights to Singapore and drawing from over eight decades of service in being part of the journeys of countless Filipinos, PAL is excited to explore and create unique opportunities for Filipino travellers to experience Singapore.”

PAL is now offering base fares to Singapore for as low as USD160 round trip. With PAL’s extensive domestic network, travellers throughout the Philippines can book daily flights from most domestic points to PAL’s Manila hub for easy connections to Singapore.

STB Chief Executive Keith Tan added: “As we welcome more Filipino travellers back to Singapore, Philippine Airlines is an ideal partner for STB to launch attractive promotions and campaigns. Now that fully-vaccinated travellers can visit Singapore easily, this partnership is timely and important for our tourism recovery efforts. We have an exciting lineup of new experiences and events that await our friends from the Philippines, and we look forward to seeing them in Singapore soon.”

Since 1 April 2022, vaccinated travellers to Singapore enjoy a streamlined travel process requiring only proof of vaccination, a pre-departure Covid-19 test, and a simple SG Arrival Card.

(Source: STB)

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