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International flights return to Sabah

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KOTA KINABALU, 19 April 2022: Singapore will continue to be a key market and an important hub for Sabah following the return of direct international flights between the city-state and Kota Kinabalu.

Sabah’s Kinabalu International Airport welcomed its first international flight with a water cannon salute after an absence of two years. The AirAsia aircraft (Flight AK1794) landed from Singapore on Saturday carrying 119 passengers, of which 30% were Singaporeans.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister cum Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai was on hand to greet them upon their arrival.

“I would like to commend AirAsia for being the first airline to reopen international flights for Sabah…this is a momentous occasion for all involved.

“Singapore is a very important market to Sabah as it has been our focus market for many years now, and it is also a highly important hub for Sabah as it connects out other focus markets around the world into Sabah,” he said.

Noting Singaporeans’ love of nature, diving, and adventure, Joniston said Singaporeans can now look forward to travelling to Sabah and indulging in their passions once more with the reinstatement of the Singapore – Kota Kinabalu route.

Joniston said his ministry, through the Sabah Tourism Board, planned several promotional initiatives to entice Singaporeans to return to Sabah.

From 22 to 28 April, Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah’s tourism industry players will join the Travel Malaysia Digital Fair to kick-start promotions.

“Through this Fair, the Singaporean consumers will be presented with a selection of tourism products and stays. We received strong support from the Sabah industry players as well, whereby they highlight their popular packages such as wildlife, nature, and adventure.

“Looking back to a pre-pandemic time, the fair has managed to attract many Singaporeans to Sabah, and we are confident this trend will return as currently, enquiries from Singapore regarding Sabah tourism packages have already started to pour in,” said Joniston.

The Smart Locals, one of Singapore’s leading online publishers, will link the event’s platform to a Sabah digital campaign to help the state’s tourism players succeed at the Travel Malaysia Digital Fair, he added.

According to Joniston, the low-cost carrier AirAsia has been an important contributor to Sabah’s economy through tourism and hospitality since its presence in 2001.

“I am pleased to learn that AirAsia has expanded its offerings beyond flights and is now home to several thriving e-commerce ventures, namely its one-stop platform, the AirAsia Super App.

“In line with the transition to an endemic phase, I believe that this resumption of international flights comes at the right time for both tourists and locals in Sabah, who have been excitedly anticipating and planning their travels,” he said.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabah received 126,000 passengers through Singapore, with 34,000 Singaporean travellers.

Meanwhile, AirAsia (airlines) chief commercial officer Tan Mai Yin stated that the airline is currently operating thrice-weekly flights between Singapore and Kota Kinabalu, with daily flights beginning on 29 April.

“We are also reviewing direct flights from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia to Kota Kinabalu. We are excited about this, and we will announce a further update,” she said.

Tan added that they expected the direct route from Thailand and the Philippines to begin in the first half of this year, with the rest following in the second half.

Present at the event were the state’s tourism ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Mohd Yusrie Abdullah; Tourism Malaysia Deputy Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Anil Jeet Singh Sandhu; Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman;  and Tourism Malaysia Sabah director Ednie Rahma Ab Rahim, among others.

For more information visit https://www.sabahtourism.com/?locale=en

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

Tourism players support Ukraine

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TTR WEEKLY
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LONDON, 19 April 2022: Travel & tourism businesses worldwide are coming together to support Ukraine with millions of hotel rooms for refugees escaping the conflict, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC members such as Accor, Airbnb, Carnival Corporation, the European Travel Commission, Expedia, Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group, Internova Travel Group, Marriott International, MSC Cruises, Radisson, and Uber, to name just a few, have opened their doors to refugees in neighbouring countries donating rooms, transport, clothing, food, shelter, urgent supplies and financial contributions.

In Ukraine, hotels that remain open are centres for charities and those stranded by the conflict.

Businesses across the global travel & tourism sector, including airports, airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators, are going to extraordinary lengths to help alleviate the suffering of those affected.

This invasion has caused the biggest displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War.

In addition to providing urgently needed accommodation, businesses large and small have made multi-million-pound donations to disaster relief funds which have been supplemented by individual fund-raising initiatives.

WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson said: “There has been an outpouring of support from Travel & Tourism companies across the globe. Hotels have opened their doors to receive refugees, and in Ukraine, teams on the ground are keeping hotels open for aid agencies and those stranded and desperate.

“Cruise lines and airlines have transported supplies, and across the board, the response has been incredible, and I salute the courage of teams on the ground.

“WTTC and our Members stand for peace and respecting the national sovereignty of every nation, and our hearts go out to all those who are suffering from this brutal invasion.”

Many companies around the world have generously matched their employees’ contributions to support charities providing help through emergency aid and essential supplies.

Temporary accommodation has been arranged thanks to generous travel & tourism employees opening their homes to provide emergency shelter. And Airbnb came up with creative solutions to get money into the hands of local people.

Much needed medical, and hospital supplies have also been provided by businesses’ donations through various charities around the world.

WTTC and the Global travel & tourism sector are united to help those affected by this crisis.

Train to Lao Cai makes a comeback

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TTR WEEKLY
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HANOI, 19 April 2022: Train travel reopens for tourists this week on the route from Hanoi to Lao Cai, the gateway town to Sapa, one of the top attractions in northern Vietnam for adventure travellers.

According to a recent Vietnam News Agency report, Hanoi Railway Transport JSC will resume trains between Hanoi and Lao Cai to support travel during the national holidays from 30 April to 1 May. It will reopen the hilltop resort town of Sapa for domestic travellers after more than a year-long pause.

Photo Credit: VNA, VNAT.

From Hanoi, train SP3 will depart at 2200 on 29 and 30 April, arriving at Lao Cai station at 0605 on the following morning. Visitors can then travel to the high-country resort town of  Sapa by bus or taxi. 

The return train trip SP4 will depart Lao Cai station at 0940 on 2 and 3 May 2, arriving in Hanoi at 1730.

Train service between Hanoi and Lao Cai has been suspended since 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sapa resort is located on a mountain ridge overlooking Lao Cai, which is on the border with China. It is noted for its adventure tourism, treks, and ethnic minority market.

(Source: VNAT and VNA)

Emirates ramps up global operations

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 19 April 2022: Emirates will ramp up its global operations with the restart of services to four destinations, including Bali (1 May), London Stansted (1 August), Rio de Janeiro (2 November), and Buenos Aires (2 November).

The airline has also announced it will boost services to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore to serve market demand. In line with the easing of travel restrictions worldwide, Emirates continues to rebuild and expand its global network to meet travel demand.

Returning to Bali, London Stansted, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires

Starting from 1 May 2022 Emirates will operate five weekly flights to Bali, using a two-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline will also scale up its operations from 1 July 2022 to serve the island destination with a daily service. With its spectacular mountains, picturesque beaches and cultural appeal, Bali is considered to be a world-leading tourist destination.

Starting from 1 August 2022, Emirates will resume flight operations to London Stansted with five weekly flights, using Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with the ‘Game Changer’ first-class product. From 1 September, the airline will introduce a daily flight, and by October 2022, the airline will serve the UK with 110 weekly flights, including six times daily to London Heathrow; double daily A380 service to Gatwick; three times daily to Manchester, including a double daily A380 service (starting 1 October 2022); double daily service to Birmingham; five weekly flights to Newcastle (with the fifth weekly flight starting from 1 July 2022); and a daily service to Glasgow.

Emirates will operate four weekly flights to Buenos Aires via Rio de Janeiro on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from 2 November 2022 – offering customers from Argentina and Brazil direct connectivity to popular business and leisure destinations across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. From 1 February 2023, Emirates will scale up its operations to a daily service, offering customers greater convenience, choice and flexibility while planning their travel.

Boosting operations to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore

The airline will also ramp up its services to Lagos, Nigeria, with 11 weekly flights starting from 1 July 2022 and double daily service starting from 1 September 2022 – taking the airline’s services to pre-pandemic levels. Emirates will also increase its services to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, to offer five weekly flights starting 1 May 2022 and then a daily service from 1 September 2022.

In line with rising demand, the airline will be scaling up flights to Mauritius from daily to nine weekly flights between 9 April 2022 and the end of June 2022 and then moving up to double daily flights from July 2022. Emirates’ second daily flight will provide an important boost to tourism to the Indian Ocean destination, which has now relaxed entry restrictions for travellers. Under the codeshare agreement with Air Mauritius, customers of both airlines can enjoy greater access and seamless connectivity to and from the island nation.

The airline will also increase passenger services to Singapore from seven weekly flights to 14 weekly flights, starting on 23 June 2022. The added service will meet the increased demand for travel since the country safely reopened to international tourists and eased travel restrictions.

Fly better to more than 130 destinations with Emirates

With the resumption of services to four more destinations, Emirates’ network will span more than 130 destinations across six continents. The airline continues to place top priority on safe travel with the implementation of a comprehensive set of measures on the ground throughout all touchpoints and onboard to provide its passengers with the highest safety and hygiene standards at every step of the journey. Customers travelling from Dubai can also take advantage of state of the art contactless technology to ease their journey through the airport.

Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

Easy entry rules boost Philippine arrivals

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TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, 19 April 2022: Tourist arrivals to the Philippines reached 202,700 as of last week, according to the Department of Tourism’s latest count.

Based on the data generated from the One Health Pass that contains passenger and flight details, foreign arrivals from the US topped the list with 43,744 visitors since the country reopened its borders to foreign leisure tourists in February.

Canada followed with 9,618; the UK with 9,315; South Korea with 8,440; and Australia with 8,212 tourists.

DOT Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said the latest figures, following the sustained reopening of borders and loosening of travel restrictions, are a good measure of the industry’s success in its preparations under the new normal.

“Our high vaccination rate among tourism workers and low reported cases around the country have helped restore the confidence of travellers to visit the Philippines during the summer season,” Puyat said in a media statement released last Friday.

“This continued growth shall aid our stakeholders, as well as the economy, in recovering from the effects caused by the pandemic,” she added.

The Philippines still has one of the simplest and most relaxed travel restrictions, according to Puyat, following the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) move to allow the use of rapid antigen tests as entry requirements for travellers on the condition that this should be administered and certified by a health care professional in a health care facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishments for purposes of entry, testing, and quarantine protocols.

Puyat likewise lauded the IATF-EID’s decision to expand the list of accepted and recognized national Covid-19 vaccination certificates, which now includes Bangladesh, Mexico, Pakistan, and the Slovak Republic.

(Source: Philippines News Agency)

FCM announces first Th!nk event

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 18 April 2022: A leading travel management company FCM is inviting industry colleagues to join the inaugural Th!nk event – a first-of-its-kind hybrid forum on 10 May.

Positioned as the antidote to the typical industry conference, Th!nk promises to apply a very different lens to the big topics shaping the future of business travel through lively debate and interactive discussion. An original and thought-provoking programme of carefully curated exclusive content will be co-hosted by top-notch guests from around the world. And to accommodate different time zones, live components will anchor the event and be broadcast over a period of 24 hours. 

“Over the past two years, the global travel landscape has irrevocably changed, and so have the challenges our industry is facing too. It’s time to adjust the dialogue to what’s resonating with our customers, the buyer community and industry colleagues and collectively address the big issues now with a nod to the future,” said FCM Global managing director Marcus Eklund.

FCM has assembled an exciting line-up of pioneering business leaders, innovators and disruptors from inside and outside the industry to address wide-ranging themes, such as the role of tech in travel innovation and understanding what the Metaverse means for the industry and much more. FCM’s Consulting arm will unpack insights and data garnered from the company’s global operations, while industry body GBTA will share its latest research findings through a series of exclusive sessions.

Th!nk is both global and local too. As a worldwide business with a formidable presence that stretches over 100 countries, FCM has tapped into decades of industry expertise, strong partner relationships and deep knowledge to develop region-specific segments from across EMEA, the Americas, Asia, Australia and New Zealand that reflect topics resonating in these markets too.  

“An industry first global event, it will be supported by Asia-specific content. Attendees outside of Asia will have the opportunity to learn about what’s happening in diverse Asia as well as market-specific content on China and Japan… The business travel community in Asia will have the chance to interact and learn more about noteworthy topics across the globe. It’s an exciting glocal event that will have something for everyone,” said FCM Travel managing director, Asia, Bertrand Saillet. 

For more programme details and to book your free  place at Th!nk, register at: FCM Th!nk

Cruise art a sell-out success

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE 18 April 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line hosted its NCL NFT marketplace on 14 April allowing global travellers and NCL aficionados to own a piece of history with their win or purchase of NFTs, which showcase the art and inspiration for NCL’s newest vessels, Norwegian Prima and Viva.

It took just 20 minutes to sell the art collection created by Manuel Di Rita, who is widely known as “Peeta”. The Italian artist designed the hull art on the record-breaking Norwegian Prima and her sister vessel Norwegian Viva. The collection of six pieces sold to the highest bidders can be viewed at https://nft.ncl.com. 

One of the art pieces had an auction starting price of USD2,500, with the remaining NFTs sold for prices starting at USD250. The auction winner was also awarded a balcony stateroom on one of Norwegian Prima’s inaugural voyages in the US, setting sail from Miami.

(An NFT or non-fungible token, is a digital asset. It can be anything, a drawing, a doodle, a piece of music, text – as long as it is digital. In fact, most of the excitement around NFTs is about collecting NFT artworks.)*

All proceeds from the NFT auction and sales will be donated to Teach For America. Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a network of leaders who expand opportunities for children.

Launching in August 2022, Norwegian Prima will offer voyages to Northern Europe from Amsterdam; and Copenhagen, Denmark beginning 3 September; and Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, Texas, Miami and Orlando, Florida, beginning 27 October.

For more information about the company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call NCL Hong Kong at +852 800 901 951 or visit www.ncl.com.

*For more information on NFTs see Forbes report: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/nft-non-fungible-token/ 

Sarawak’s rainforest music fest returns

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 18 APRIL 2022: The most awaited music festival in Malaysia’s, famed Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), is back once again, celebrating its 25th anniversary from 17 to 19 June 2022.

Fo the first time since its founding in 1998, the festival will convene as a hybrid event adopting the theme  “Legendary Rainforest Celebration”. The physical concert takes place at Sarawak Cultural Village, while viewers can also Livestream it to their homes via an online viewing platform.

With the objective of bringing the world back together with music, RWMF will welcome back a host of international performers from Canada, India, USA, Finland,  Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, China, Bhutan and South Korea among others, with Majlis Seni Sarawak mixing traditional Sarawakian music with international flavours opening the three-day show in a first-time musical collaboration with Sarawak Tourism Board. 

The announcement of Sarawak’s iconic event was made last week by Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, along with Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board and Capt Nasaruddin A Bakar, Chief Operating Officer of MASWings representing the Malaysia Aviation Group.

Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said: “I’m very proud of how far our homegrown product has come. From around 300 spectators for its first-ever concert back in 1998 to becoming the first hybrid festival of its kind in Malaysia. Concertgoers who miss the feel of the physical concert can come together in mutual appreciation of world music, and those around the world can enjoy world music live from the comfort of their own homes.” 

Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor added: “Every year, we strive to make Rainforest World Music Festival better than the year before. Last year’s Virtual Experience gave us invaluable feedback on how we could work towards combining the best of both worlds – physical and the digital – to create RWMF’s first hybrid edition this year. We hope that creating this unique precedent for the 25th edition of the festival will become a keystone for the next 25 years for the festival, bridging the past with the future and sustaining and reinventing our musical heritage and its traditions for many years to come.”

An Early Bird ticket sale starts today, 18 April, for both the physical and virtual concerts on rwmf.net. For the physical concert, festival-goers can buy tickets in various categories – Adult One-Day Pass (MYR150), Adult Three-Day Pass (MYR375),  Child One-Day Pass (MYR80), Child Three-Day Pass (MYR155) and the One-Day Family Package Pass- two Adult and two children (MYR400). Meanwhile, virtual tickets are priced at MYR 25.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines has been named the official airline partner of the Rainforest World Music Festival. The collaboration, which is also a continuation of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG)’s partnership with STB will see Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and Journify offering unbeatable deals comprising flights and three-day event pass to drive visitors and drive footfall to Sarawak.

Malaysia Airlines and Firefly will have early birds deals that offer customers up to 15% and 10% off discounts on flights on selected Malaysia Airlines, including from London, Australia and some ASEAN destinations as well as the recently launched Firefly’s jet operations from Penang to Kuching. The sales start from 25 April 2022 until 14 May 2022 for travel from 1 June until 30 June 2022. These tickets are available exclusively for those who purchase the three-day pass through the airline’s respective websites, and they are required to include a unique promo code to enjoy the great discounts on air tickets. 

Customers will also have the option to purchase “value-for-flights” deals, exclusively available on Journify that offers MHflypass plus a 3-day pass to RWMF event at a fixed attractive price, giving them full flexibility convenience, and control over their spending for the flights. Early birds can buy an MHFlypass low as MYR1774 for Zone 2 and MYR1974 for Zone 3, with flights valid for one year. Multiple payment options are available for customers, including an instalment plan or Buy Now Pay Later.

MHFlypass offers two convenient options for passengers travelling for RWMF based on their destination origin, allowing them to choose the zone that matches their travel needs best. Zone 2 offers passengers the opportunity to fly between Kuala Lumpur and destinations in Sabah and Sarawak. Meanwhile, Zone 3 allows passengers to fly from Sabah and Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia destinations, with a connecting flight at Kuala Lumpur.

For more information and to book flights for your next getaway, visit the official Malaysia Airlines and Firefly website, and download their apps for easy access anytime, anywhere! Sign up to become an Enrich member to start earning Enrich Points today. To enjoy a great experience on Journify, visit myjournify.com or download the Journify app on iOS & Android to get the latest information and grab many other exciting deals!

https://sarawaktourism.com/

Hong Kong’s airport traffic improves

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HONG KONG, 18 April 2022: Despite Hong Kong’s strict Covid-19 rules limiting entry to just residents, passenger traffic during March reached a year on year increase of 61.3% at Hong Kong International Airport, according to the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK).

However, passenger traffic continued to remain significantly lower than the pre-pandemic level in 2019. Meanwhile, cargo throughput and flight movements recorded during the month were 352,000 tonnes and 9,870, respectively, representing year-on-year decreases of 11.4% and 7.3%, respectively.

The growth in passenger throughput was mainly attributed to the growth in Hong Kong residents’ travel. During the month, departure passengers to Southeast Asia and Mainland China experienced the most significant increases.

Cargo throughput has declined due to flight reductions since the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Exports and imports experienced double-digit year-on-year declines compared to the same month last year. Overall cargo to and from North America and Europe experienced the most significant decreases during the month.

Over the first three months, passenger volume increased 41.7% to 251,000. Cargo throughput and flight movements dropped by 9.2% and 1.0% to 1 million and 30,210, respectively.

On a 12-month rolling basis, the airport handled 1.4 million passengers and 144,505 flight movements, recording a growth of 70.4% and 13.1%, respectively. Cargo throughput rose 7.1% to 4.9 million tonnes.

The HKSAR Government lifted restrictions on arrival flights from nine countries on 1 April. From 1 to 13 April, 251 flights carrying passengers operated at HKIA, representing an increase of 77 passenger flights from the 19 to 31 March period.

Meanwhile, HKIA was ranked the World’s Busiest Cargo Airport in 2021 by Airports Council International. HKIA handled 5 million tonnes of cargo, representing a 12.5% growth compared to 2020.

AAHK executive director commercial Cissy Chan said: “We are delighted that HKIA maintained its leading position as the World’s Busiest Cargo Airport in 2021. The pandemic has had a serious impact on flight operations globally, but it has also generated high demand for e-commerce and transportation of medical supplies. With the airport’s extensive freighter network, high efficiency and dedicated cargo operators, we saw double-digit growth in cargo throughput during 2021. AAHK is confident in the long-term development of HKIA’s air cargo business and will continue to work closely with our business partners to enhance our performance.”

(Source: AAHK)

AirAsia inks deal with Trip.com

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 18 APRIL 2022: The AirAsia Super App is partnering with Trip.com, one of the world’s leading online travel agents, a move that will give AirAsia Super App access to over 1.2 million additional hotels in 200 countries.

To mark the inking of the partnership, the AirAsia Super App is offering 10% off all hotels across all countries by using the promo code AATRIP10 from today until 17 April 2022. Travellers should click on the ‘Hotels’ icon on the AirAsia Super App to access the additional inventory. 

Commenting on the partnership AirAsia Super App CEO Amanda Woo said: “Through this partnership, our capabilities as an OTA have been significantly expanded with Trip.com’s strength in technology innovation in the travel industry, enabling us to offer customers greater choice, convenience and seamlessness while we continue to leverage on the strength of the data we have built over the past two decades which allows us to understand our users better.”

Trip.com Group Flights Business Unit CEO Yudong Tan commented: “We are excited to expand our partnership with AirAsia and work together on supporting the growth of the travel market across the region. Through the combination of AirAsia and Trip.com’s technological prowess and vast audience, we are now able to provide travellers with over 1.2 million additional accommodation options through the AirAsia Super App channel. Trip.com is proud to embark on the next stage of this partnership and will continue to seek to connect travellers and products around the world.”

The AirAsia Super App has recently announced partnerships with MG Group, WebBeds, and Travelport.

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