TOKYO, 12 July 2022: Wyndham Destinations Japan has signed off on an agreement to manage Wyndham Garden Sapporo Odori, making it the second Wyndham Garden hotel to open in Japan after the hotel group opened the 95-room Wyndham Garden Nagaizumi in 2020.
Wyndham Destinations Japan is managing the 132-room property in a partnership with the building owner, JR West Real Estate & Development Company and lessee, FP Sapporo GK, Sapporo Hotel Management GK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wyndham Destinations Japan Ltd.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which owns the Wyndham Garden brand, has named Wyndham Destinations Japan as its preferred hotel operator in Japan. Under this partnership, Wyndham Destinations Japan will provide management services to Wyndham Garden Sapporo. Wyndham Destinations and its subsidiaries currently oversee the management of approximately 70 hotels and resorts across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Europe and Southeast Asia.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, JR West and FP Sapporo GK to open this Wyndham Garden hotel in Sapporo,” said Wyndham Destinations, president and managing director, international operations, Barry Robinson.
HANOI, 12 July 2022: The train travel between the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and Hai Phong moved up a few notches in service and facility standards with the introduction last week of a “high-quality carriage” on the popular route.
Operated by the Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company (Haraco), the brand new carriage comes with a free WI-FI service, drinks service and cold towels for passengers.
Operating since 6 July, the improved carriages can be booked at stations and through train ticket agents as well as online ticket services, via the hotline 1900109 or through the websites dsvn.vn and vetauonline.vn as well as mobile wallet apps like Viettel Pay, VnPay, Momo and Vimo.
According to a report by Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnam Railways Corporation confirmed passenger traffic on Hanoi-Hai Phong route had increased remarkably following the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions last May.
SANDAKAN, Sabah, 12 July 2022: Tourism Malaysia Sabah partnered with the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club to introduce the latest birdwatching guide for Sabah in conjunction with the upcoming Borneo Bird Festival 2022, which will take place at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Sandakan, this October.
This fun birdwatching guide highlights all the popular birding locations around Sabah, including the world heritage site Kinabalu Park, Kinabatangan Floodplains, Danum Valley, Tabin and Sepilok forests. It also provides information about each of the sites, the birds that can be seen there, trails, accommodations and how to get there.
Tourism Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia Sabah director Ednie Rahma Ab Rahim (left) during the launch at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok, Sandakan.
Sabah is one of the top birding destinations in Malaysia. Over the years, the tourism board and local community have developed an excellent infrastructure that caters to nature lovers, birders and photographers.
The highlight for many birdwatching enthusiasts is none other than the 66 endemic species found only on the Borneo island, such as Bornean Bristlehead, Blue-Headed Pitta, Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, and Crimson-Headed Wood-Partridge.
Tourism Malaysia Sabah Director Ednie Rahma Ab Rahim commented at the Sunday launch ceremony: “The development of this fun map is timely as this will be useful for bird enthusiasts taking part in the festival to refer to. The birding segment is very niche, but it yields high tourism revenues, which will further boost the economy of Sabah.”
With this new birdwatching guide, birders and nature lovers can easily plan which areas they would like to visit. The guide was supported by members of the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club (SBBC), Tourism Malaysia Sabah and written by a local birdwatcher – Alexander John.
BANGKOK, 12 July 2022: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in partnership with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) will host the first-ever PATA & GBTA APAC Travel Summit from 8 to 12 December at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
The joint event will address sustainability and best practices in tourism, MICE, and corporate travel. Themed “Defining a Responsible, Sustainable Future for Business, Tourism and MICE”, will target regional and global travel suppliers, including top airlines, hotel and ground/car rental brands, and MICE and corporate travel decision-makers.
“We are delighted to be working with GBTA in bringing together both of our industry networks to share insights and discuss opportunities and best practices for the responsible and sustainable growth of the travel and tourism industry,” said PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is a business travel trade organisation with a network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. Headquartered in the Washington DC area with operations on six continents, GBTA’s members manage more than USD345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually.
“The path to recovery for the global travel industry continues for tourism and business travel. However, there’s also the opportunity and need to create a better, more sustainable way forward to serve the industry and the planet. We are pleased to join forces with PATA to bring to event attendees the important insights, learnings and discussions on what a sustainable future might look like and the actions that we can take in the region and across the globe to get there,” said GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang.
HO CHI MINH CITY 12 July 2022: Vietjet is expanding international flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Danang to Busan in South Korea later this month.
The airline confirmed it would launch direct flights to Busan, a popular beach city destination in South Korea, starting on 20 July from Ho Chi Minh City and on 25 July from Danang.
Photo Credit: Vietjet. Vietnam’s low-cost airline adds flights to Busan in South Korea.
In a media statement released at the weekend, the airline said it would operate one daily direct flight on each route. Flight time to Busan is just less than five hours.
On 1 July, Vietjet introduced daily flights on the Hanoi – Busan route and will resume flights from Nha Trang to Busan on 21 July.
Travellers can book tickets on flights from Vietnam’s main cities to Busan with fares starting at VND7,700/one-way (*) at www.vietjetair.com, or Vietjet Air App for the travel period 15 August 15, 2022, to 26 March 2023. (**).
Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thanh Son said: “New routes from Danang, Nha Trang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Busan will increase Vietjet’s routes between the two countries increase to 10, offering cost-saving fares for Korean travellers visiting Vietnam’s main tourist cities and Danang a popular golf and beach destination.
In addition to the four direct routes to Busan, Vietjet currently operates six routes from Vietnam to Seoul. The Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang to Seoul routes have increased to twice daily on each of the routes. Daily services are also scheduled from Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Hai Phong to Seoul.
While South Korea has resumed the issue of short-term travel visas for Southeast Asian nationals, Korean travellers can enjoy visa exemption for a stay of up to 15 days in Vietnam.
(*) Excluding taxes and fees (**) Excluding public holidays and Tet
SINGAPORE, 12 July 2022: Resorts World Cruises will be the first cruise line to add a Kuala Lumpur homeport (via Port Klang) for the Genting Dream starting on 18 July, in addition to the Singapore homeport, which commenced on 15 June.
With the dual homeport options, travellers can now choose to embark from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. The two-night cruises from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore will depart on Thursdays and Saturdays, and the three-night cruises from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and Singapore will depart on Mondays, with prices starting at MYR 688 and MYR988, respectively.
Departure days from Singapore will remain the same on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and from 22 July onwards, Friday cruises will re-introduce the two-night High Seas Weekend Getaway cruises.
The dual homeport caters to the demand for round-trip cruises, targeting the 10 million population residing in central Peninsular Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca) who live within a short drive of Port Klang, the embarkation port. With the international gateway of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport also located nearby, international travellers will now have greater flexibility in choosing airlines and fares.
Resorts World Cruises will also offer one-way cruises that will become an alternative to air and land travel for the millions of travellers between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, including Penang. Travel agents will now have a wider portfolio to offer for their popular Malaysia and Singapore holiday packages with one-way and round-trip cruises from either port of embarkation.
With each sailing, all crew and cruising guests are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 to safeguard and provide peace of mind for all onboard. In addition, cruising guests will also have to undergo a self-paid pre-cruise Antigen Rapid Test (ART) for Covid-19 one day before departure.
KOTA KINABALU, 11 July 2022: Philippines AirAsia will introduce more direct flights to Sabah and is considering establishing a hub in Sandakan as part of its expansion ambitions.
The airline is currently studying the potential for direct routes to Kota Kinabalu from Puerto Princesa and Davao in the Philippines. A possible connection between Zamboanga and Sandakan is also on the list of possible direct routes, according to an assessment in a media statement released by the Sabah Tourism Board.
Datuk Jafry Ariffin receiveS a souvenir from Philippines AirAsia chief executive officer Ricky Isla.
State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said Sabah welcomed the plan, which would help both countries in terms of economic spillover.
“One of the Sabah Maju Jaya plans is to ensure Sandakan Airport is upgraded to the international airport. We should explore additional direct routes into the state.
“Tawau, being a gateway to Semporna, might potentially serve as an operational hub too. So, whether it’s Sandakan or Tawau, we’ll let them study the viability,” he said.
Jafry was speaking at a recent press conference on the joint collaboration between the Philippines AirAsia and Sabah Tourism Board (STB)
Also present were Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister cum STB chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of State Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Sr Yusrie Abdullah; STB deputy chairman Datuk Dr Jelani Hamdan; STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman; Philippines AirAsia chief executive officer Ricky Isla; and Philippines AirAsia SuperApp managing director Ray Berja.
The press conference was in conjunction with the familiarisation trip to Sabah for the Philippines media.
Speaking on the strategic partnership between STB and Air Asia, Jafry said the board is now finalising a collaborative technical campaign to encourage Filipinos to visit Kota Kinabalu.
Ricky stated that Philippines Air Asia now flies twice weekly from Manila to Sabah, with plans to expand frequency.
“We want to sustain the travel momentum, and for Sabah, we are not just looking at beaches but eco-tourism and agro-tourism, which are educational.
“We are looking into the prospect of opening a new destination in Sandakan, which has one of the highest Filipino populations in Sabah, as part of our expansion plan,” he said
Meanwhile, STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman said Manila has the potential to serve as another hub to attract international visitors and also to attract expatriates living in the Philippines.
Although having certain similarities, she said Sabah and the Philippines each have unique contrasts that both sides should explore.
Pre-pandemic, Noredah said the state of Sabah received 4.2 million visitors in 2019, with a promising rise in arrivals since the reopening of borders after two-year hiatus. Chinese visitors contributed the most arrivals in 2019, followed by South Koreans and Europeans.
KUALA LUMPUR, 11 July 2022: The Malaysia International Travel Mart convened for its 19th edition in Kuala Lumpur at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC) at the weekend after an absence of two years.
The touring travel mart that focuses on two major urban areas in Malaysia (Penang and Kuala Lumpur) to rustle up domestic tour bookings launched the revived series of fairs in Penang earlier this month,
Photo credit: MITM
For the MITM round in Kuala Lumpur, a team of seven tour agencies that are also members of the MTCA Sabah Chapter and the Sabah Tourism Board presented the state’s tourism message and travel experience tapping the vast potential for holiday bookings from West Malaysia and beyond. Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association organises the travel fair series claiming each venue generates around MYR70 million in booking turnover. At the latest count, Malaysia’s domestic tourism market stands at around 16.9 million potential travellers.
Sabah’s Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said: “We are really happy to see travellers returning to Sabah either as first-timers or returning visitors. In addition, there is the positive support received by the public in our attendance at consumer shows such as MITM.
“We hope with the participation in current and future travel fairs by tourism associations, agencies and support from the state’s tourism board we will boost Sabah to be the first choice destination for both domestic and international travellers.”
This year’s MITM Fair in Kuala Lumpur attracted 58 exhibitors with 250 exhibition booths. Earlier this month, Sabah Tourism Board, led by its Marketing Manager Puan Zarinah Amiludin along with four travel agents, participated in the recently concluded Penang MITM Fair from 2 to 3 July 2022.
DUBAI, UAE, 11 July 2022: In celebration of Eid Al Adha from 9 to 12 July, Emirates serves traditional and much-loved Eid dishes across all cabins.
Eid meals are being served on more than 60 routes departing Dubai; to the Gulf and Middle East region, Africa, UK and Europe, the Far East, and India.
The economy class selection includes Chicken Biryani or Lamb Gabuli for the main course, followed by the iconic Aseeda Eid pudding or classic date cake for dessert.
First and Business Class passengers enjoy Hamour Machbous, Chicken Biryani, or Lamb Gabuli, followed by decadent Baklava cheesecake or a fragrant cardamom cake.
A380 onboard lounges are also serving a selection of special Emirati-style pastries.
Eid al-Adha translates as the ‘Holiday of the Sacrifice’ and is the second and biggest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam. It is just one of the many multicultural occasions celebrated onboard Emirates with cosmopolitan customers, including Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Orthodox festivals.
Passengers travelling over the busy Eid period are reminded to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight departure. They can streamline their boarding by using online and remote check-in options, self-check-in kiosks and ‘smart’ gates.
SINGAPORE, 11 July 2022: Global passenger data for May 2022 shows the recovery in air travel accelerated heading into the busy northern hemisphere summer travel season, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported at the weekend.
IATA’s performance update for Mays showed total traffic in May 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 83.1% compared to May 2021, primarily driven by the strong recovery in international traffic.
International traffic rose 325.8% versus May 2021. The easing of travel restrictions in most parts of Asia is accelerating the recovery of international travel. May 2022 international RPKs reached 64.1% of May 2019 levels.
Overall global traffic is now at 68.7% of pre-crisis levels achieved in 2019.
Domestic traffic for May 2022 was up 0.2% compared to the year-ago period. Significant improvements in many markets were masked by a 73.2% year-on-year decline in the Chinese domestic market due to Covid-19-related restrictions. May 2022 domestic traffic was 76.7% of May 2019.
“The travel recovery continues to gather momentum. People need to travel. And when governments remove COVID-19 restrictions, they do. Many major international route areas – including within Europe and the Middle East-North America routes – are already exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels,” said IATA’s director general Willie Walsh.
“Completely removing all COVID-19 restrictions is the way forward, with Australia being the latest to do so this week (8 July). The major exception to the optimism of this rebound in travel is China, which saw a dramatic 73.2% fall in domestic travel compared to the previous year. Its continuing zero-COVID policy is out-of-step with the rest of the world, and it shows in the dramatically slower recovery of China-related travel.”
International Passenger Markets
European carriers’ Maytraffic rose 412.3% versus May 2021. Capacity rose 221.3%, and load factor climbed 30.1 percentage points to 80.6%. The impact of the war in Ukraine remained limited to areas directly impacted.
Asia-Pacific airlines had a 453.3% rise inMay traffic compared to May 2021. This is significantly higher than the 295.3% year-on-year gain registered in April 2022. Capacity rose 118.8%, and the load factor was up 43.6 percentage points to 72.1%. Improvements in the region are being driven by reduced restrictions in most of the region’s markets, except China.
Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose317.2% in May compared to May 2021. May capacity rose 115.7% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 37.1 percentage points to 76.8%. The progressive re-opening of Asian markets is boosting traffic through Gulf hubs.
North American carriers experienceda 203.4% traffic rise in May versus the 2021 period. Capacity rose 101.1%, and load factor climbed 27.1 percentage points to 80.3%. With most restrictions removed for travellers from this region, tourism and a high willingness to travel continue to foster the international recovery as several other route areas are now outperforming 2019 results.
Latin American airlines’ May traffic rose 180.5% compared to the same month in 2021. May capacity rose 135.3%, and load factor increased 13.5 percentage points to 83.4%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 20th consecutive month. Some routes, including those from Central America to Europe and to North America, are outperforming 2019 levels.
African airlines had a134.9% rise in May RPKs versus a year ago. May 2022 capacity was up 78.5%, and load factor climbed 16.4 percentage points to 68.4%, the lowest among regions.
