Sunday, May 4, 2025
Home Blog Page 563

Busan is SURE? Let’s get ready to go to Busan

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BUSAN, 21 March 2022: 2022 is expected to be the year of high growth for Busan’s MICE industry after two years when the global MICE market stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Busan in South Korea has been preparing for the post-Covid-19 era by introducing an online and hybrid infrastructure and progressing the Haeundae International Conference Complex (HAEVENUE) to the completion stage.

Through the global exhibition held offline, they did not stop operating a PR booth to communicate with people around the world. As a result of pushing through adversity, Busan MICE is confident that it will open up a new horizon by leading the reorganized global MICE cities in 2022, the year with-COVID-19 predicted by people around the world.

Throughout the pandemic, under the slogan of ‘Busan is SURE!’. Busan has organized the entire field of the MICE industry into BleiSURE (International Conference), PleaSURE (Incentive Tourism), and TreaSURE (Unique Venue). The recent completion of HAEVENUE instils confidence in the Busan MICE.

These achievements, which are attracting attention in the global MICE market, came from courageous actions and bold choices (BRAVE, BUSAN MICE). It also can be seen as the result of overcoming the unprecedented crisis of a pandemic.

© Busan Convention Bureau.

Busan pioneered a new path while other global cities went through a chaotic year due to the pandemic last year. In fact, Busan participated in ‘IMEX America 2021’ and ‘IBTM World 2021’, MICE representative global exhibitions held in the hybrid (on-offline parallel) format last year to promote Busan MICE to the world. This is the only achievement among local governments in Korea. In particular, IMEX America 2021 held in Las Vegas in November 2021, was the only city in Korea that participated in an offline event and drew the attention of the world.

© Busan Convention Bureau.

An official of the Busan Convention Bureau said, “Despite the pandemic, Busan laid the foundation for the competitive bidding for the time when the COVID-19 is alleviated by discovering incentive tours and conference information from various countries through participating in online and offline exhibitions.” Busan has developed Smile Holiday, a MICE product linking Jakarta-Hong Kong-Busan, and has succeeded in attracting and discovering a conference for 3,000 people from the Americas.

The spread of the coronavirus is expected to be dampened due to the Omicron variant this year which will be the watershed for the MICE industry in Busan. It will be a busy year. Busan Tourism Organization will participate in seven MICE exhibitions at home and abroad including △IMEX Frankfurt(Frankfurt, Germany, May 31-June 2), △IT&CMA(Bangkok, Thailand, Sep. 20-22) △IMEX America(Las Vegas, USA, Oct. 11-13) △ITB-ASIA (Singapore, Oct. 19-21) △IBTM World (Barcelona, ​​Spain, Nov. 29-Dec. 1).

In particular, it plans to conduct aggressive marketing activities with Busan MICE Alliance (BMA) at various exhibitions. Through consultations and luncheon briefing sessions for buyers from different countries, they will discover and attract new MICE events, as well as promote the MICE city, Busan. In addition, in preparation for the prolonged pandemic, BTO established a plan B: holding a hybrid briefing session to create a new business. By thorough preparation, they have prepared several alternatives.

This year, Busan will prove why Busan is a global TOP MICE city. Busan plans to expand opportunities for local industries to participate in MICE exhibitions, and hold MICE briefing sessions linked to exhibitions more than three times. An outdoor team-building program under the pandemic will be developed. The international conferences that have been postponed for the past two years will be reorganized for full swing by focusing on hosting rather than postponing.

© Korea International Freight Forwarders Association (KIFFA).

The 2022 FIATA World Congress, scheduled to be held in BEXCO from September 13 to 19, is a representative example.

The FIATA World Congress, originally scheduled to be held in Busan in 2020, has been postponed due to COVID-19. For the successful hosting of the 2022 FIATA World Congress, the Korea International Freight Forwarders Association held a meeting of the organizing committee last year and is thoroughly preparing the event. The organizing committee of FIATA World Congress, led by the co-chair of the organizing committee (Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Hyung-Joon and Korea International Freight Forwarders Association Honorary Chairman Kim Byung-Jin) with about 70 members, is established as a cooperative system among industry, academia, research institutes, government organizations. Various events such as various forums, ancillary events, job fairs, and exhibitions will be held for the event, and more than 3,000 logistics experts from 150 countries will participate as an undisputed ‘International Logistics Olympics’.

The brave challenge to instil ‘Busan is SURE!’ into the world has already begun.

This is reflected in the promo video recently released by the Busan Tourism Organization through the official YouTube channel, VISIT BUSAN. The video expressed the courageous and confident energy of Busan even in a situation of COVID-19. In particular, ‘EyHey Ma Hamo’ which is repeatedly mentioned in the video, means “Don’t worry! It will be fine” in the Busan dialect. It’s the belief that ‘Busan is okay, and Everything will be fine in Busan’. It has the same meaning as ‘Busan is Sure’ and has a similar meaning to ‘Hakuna Matata’ in Swahili or the magic spell, ‘Abracadabra’ You can watch the video by accessing the link below.

An official of the Busan Convention Bureau (CVB) said, “This year, Busan MICE will not be frustrated by the COVID-19 and will move forward bravely and confidently as it has done so far. Please continue to support and pay attention to Busan MICE, which keeps pushing forward.”

For the full report: https://bto.or.kr/cvbeng/CMS/Board/Board.do?mCode=MN040&mode=view&mgr_seq=84&board_seq=2177

For more information on Busan, Please subscribe to the Busan CVB Newsletter!
https://forms.gle/qNk2YKtqgr1b4HuGA

(Your Stories: Busan CVB)

SQ suspends two HK flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HONG KONG, 21 March 2021: Singapore Airlines has suspended flights SQ882 and SQ894, two daily passenger services from Singapore to Hong Kong, until 30 March 2022, to comply with an order from the Hong Kong authorities.

SQ883 and SQ895, the two daily passenger services from Hong Kong to Singapore, are still operating.

Meanwhile, last week, the airline reported February 2022 operating results that showed the SIA Group’s passenger capacity (measured in available seat kilometres) stood at 44% of pre-Covid-191 levels in February 2022, two percentage points below the January 2022 level.

Group passenger load factor declined by 0.9 percentage points to 39.1% (+29.4 percentage points year-on-year). Ticket sales on Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services remained subject to a 50% reduction in arrival quotas in the first half of February. Singapore announced that it would remove the 50% cap and progressively increase the VTL quota for daily arrivals from 5,000 to 15,000 by 4 March 2022.

At the end of February 2022, the Group’s passenger network covered 87 destinations, including Singapore. During the month, Scoot, SIA’s low-cost carrier subsidiary, introduced a new destination, Miri, to its network. There were also several service resumptions, which included Denpasar by SIA and Gold Coast and Hanoi by Scoot. At the end of February, SIA served 63 destinations while Scoot served 37 destinations.

The Singapore Airlines Group will expand its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) network in the coming weeks, bringing it to a total of 66 cities in 27 countries. New VTL services will be added progressively to selected cities in Southeast Asia and India, as well as Athens, effective last week. More non-VTL flights will also be converted to VTL flights for specific destinations.

Based on the current published schedule, the SIA Group expects passenger capacity to reach around 57% of pre-Covid levels by April 2022.

Singaporeans in the mood for Spring trips

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 21 March 2022: After almost two years of lockdowns and restrictions, Singaporeans are once more heading offshore to enjoy Spring break travel, according to the Tripadvisor survey.

The latest seasonal Spring Travel Index identifies the top 10 destinations likely to attract Singaporeans based on search and sentiment data.

Top 10 most popular destinations for Spring bookings

Osaka, Japan
New York City, United States
Dhigurah, Maldives
Tokyo, Japan
Furanafushi Island, Maldives
Bangkok, Thailand
Akasdhoo, Maldives
Fasmendhoo, Maldives
Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives
Baa Atoll, Maldives

Despite rising fuel costs and inflation, the Tripadvisor index claims nearly half of Singaporeans (43%) are planning a holiday this spring (March to May 2022), compared with slightly more than a third (35%) of Singaporeans who travelled in the same period last year.

On top of more trips, Singaporean travellers are also planning to splash more cash. Of those who travelled last year and planned to do so again, more than half (55%) plan to spend more than they did in 2021, with nearly a quarter (23%) planning to spend significantly more. Tripadvisor site data supports this sentiment, as the average spending per booking for Singaporean travellers this spring is up a massive 181% year-on-year.

Nearly half (48%) of Singaporeans said that they’re planning to experience something new on their next trip. When looking at the most popular experiences categories for Singaporeans this Spring 2022, cooking classes, being out on the water and bike tours came out on top.

Data gathered and analysed from two key sources

● A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 5,000 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics. The survey was conducted between 22 February 2022 through 28 February 2022 across six countries – the US, UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.

● Site behavioural data sourced from first-party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform gathered during the week commencing 21 February 2022, for searches made by Singaporean travellers from 1 January 2022 through 22 February 2022 for travel between 1 March 2022 through 31 May 2022.

Travel rises above crisis and pandemic

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BERLIN, 21 March 2022: Considering the continuing uncertainties of the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine, a leading trend survey concludes there remains a keen demand for holidays over the coming months.

That was a key takeaway of the latest ITB Berlin IPK International’s World Travel Monitor survey on worldwide outbound travel trends in 2021 and travel intentions for 2022.

In 2021, despite lockdowns and tight travel restrictions, outbound travel increased worldwide, while solid growth in travel in the second half of the year delivered an upturn in international tourism.

However, around the world and in the individual travel segments, trends varied. Outbound travel for Americans and Europeans saw double-digit growth last year, but in Asia, outbound travel continued to decline.

Travel prospects in 2022

Even when taking into account the continuing uncertainties presented by the Covid-19 pandemic now in its third year and the war in Ukraine, current survey results reflect keen demand for holidays and points to strong growth and clear recovery over the coming months.

The latest surveys conducted by IPK around the world show an ongoing strong interest (80%) in outbound travel this year, despite Omicron. In Europe, outbound travel intentions have remained stable, at almost 90% of pre-pandemic levels, while in America, they have reached now almost 75% and in Asia 66%. Globally, source markets with a high potential for outbound travel are mainly Germany, the UK, the USA, France and the Netherlands.

Preferred destinations in 2022

Around the world, this year’s preferred destinations are Italy, Spain and Germany, followed by France and the USA in fourth and fifth place. Although destinations on the same continent continue to be the favourites, overseas travel to Europe is in demand, especially among Americans and Asians.

Sun and beach holidays remain popular

While holiday trips continue to be in high demand, interest in business travel over the coming months is stable too. In terms of holiday types, people are planning, sun and beach holidays remain by far the most popular this year, followed by city breaks (on an upward trend), round trips and holidays close to nature.

Recovery from the crisis this year

Global surveys conducted by IPK International show that in 2022 a big step forward can be made towards international tourism recovering. Globally, outbound travel could already reach 50 to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year. By 2024, outbound travel volumes should be back to the levels seen in 2019.

About IPK International

As part of the long-standing collaboration between ITB and IPK, ITB is again presenting the latest findings of the World Travel Monitor on international travel trends. The World Travel Monitor is based on information from more than 60 countries and takes over 90% of the global demand for outbound travel into account.

Additional information on IPK International can be found at www.ipkinternational.com.

AirAsia X completes restructuring

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SEPANG, Malaysia, 18 March 2022: AirAsia X (AAX) lodged the Sanction Order on Wednesday for its debt restructuring with the Registrar of Companies have completed the formalities of restructuring.

The debt restructuring proposal was approved by its creditors on 12 November 2021 and by the High Court of Malaya on 16 December 2021.

The lodgement of the Sanction Order means that the financial effects can be recognised in the financial statements of the company and, as a result, AAX will be able to reverse MYR33 billion of liabilities and provisions for liabilities that have been waived under the scheme. The full effects on the income statement and balance sheet of the company will be reflected in the next quarterly Bursa announcement.

The lodgement of the Sanction Order will now pave the way for the completion of the proposed fundraising.

AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail noted: ”This is another significant step in rebuilding AAX, post-pandemic. We are returning to the skies in a robust position where we can once again offer the best value fares and customer service excellence that our customers deserve.

“Cargo has been a strong lifeline for AAX, and our recovery is already underway as a combination carrier with equal emphasis on cargo and passenger revenues.

“We look forward to offering more value for money services across our core network in tandem with cargo and consumer demand. In the next two months, we will recommence passenger services to several more international destinations in line with borders reopening with exciting offerings for guests and particularly to customers who have travel credits with us.”

Vietnam brings back visa-exempt travel

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HANOI, 18 March 2022: Vietnam has resumed its visa exemption policy for citizens from 13 countries, the Vietnam Government Portal confirmed earlier this week.

Resuming visa exemptions for citizens of 13 countries comes after more than a two-year break when borders shut down to all but essential travel due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Visa exemption list 

Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus.

Under the policy, citizens of the 13countries do not need to apply for visa if the duration of their stay does not exceed 15 days from the date of arrival.

Visa exemption started 15 March and concludes 14 March 2025  when an extension will be considered.

Vietnam closed its borders to foreign tourists in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The VGP announcement said the latest move was possible due to a successful implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign launched on 8 March 2021. Vietnam switched from a zero-tolerance Covid policy to learning to live with the virus to aid economic recovery. Inbound tourism slowly resumed last November but with strict rules such as booking through registered tour operators. That rule no longer applies.

(Source: VGP)

Catch Sarawak’s best travel deals

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUCHING, 18 March 2022: Sia Sitok Sarawak Travel Fair 2022, in conjunction with its Sia Sitok Sarawak 3.0 campaign, opens today, 18 March, packed with travel deals and prizes.

Organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board, the consumer travel show is open 1000 to 2100 18 to 20 March concurrently in Kuching and Miri.

With 30 new tourism products added to the latest campaign, visitors can now choose from over 88 attractive tour packages offered by participating travel agents and travel operators at discounted prices up to 50%. The event is happening concurrently at Boulevard Shopping Mall in Kuching and Bintang Megamall Miri.

Sarawakians and non-Sarawakians residing in Sarawak with work permits can enjoy Kuching Sunset Night Cycling rides which cover 85% of Kuching’s “sights” as listed by the Lonely Planet, explore  Bung Jagoi Heritage, an old Bidayuh village established 175 years ago, or be awed by Borneo’s only red haematic paintings at the Painted Caves at the Niah National Park, believed to be at least a thousand years old.

If you are looking to experience Sarawak’s beautiful countryside at Central Sarawak, you can have a getaway at Central Coastal’s Villages Exploration in Bruit, Daro and Matu, 3D/2N Bakun getaway, or visit Sibu and Mukah via The Melanau Heritage Trail (4D3N) package.

For the Northern Sarawak region, new attractions include a 2D1N freshwater prawns fishing at Kampung Sepupok Niah in Miri, while golfers can tee off at Miri’s Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club for its exciting packages. Alternatively, hikers can challenge themselves by climbing Mount Murud in Limbang or experiencing Lun Bawang Heritage in Lawas.

STB CEO Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor said the Sarawak Travel Fair 2022 continues the promotion of Sarawak’s tourism products to local Sarawakians and permanent residents.

“In 2022, domestic tourism continues to be one of our focus markets. It is timely since Maswings has increased their flights to cities and towns such as Bintulu, Miri, Limbang, Lawas, Mukah and Sibu”, she said.

“Ultimately, this is a golden opportunity for Sarawakians and permanent residents to uncover and re-discover the vast travel gems in their own backyards,” she added.

Visitors to the travel fair can take part in games such as Wheel of Fortune and Rubic Word Puzzle and pose for photos at the Sarawak-inspired photobooths. Those who would like to know more about the packages offered are welcomed to engage with participating tour operators through designated talk sessions at the booths at Boulevard Shopping Mall on Saturday 19 March 2022 at 1200, 1600 and 1800, respectively.

They can also engage with participating tour operators through designated talk sessions that will take place at the booths at both venues also at the same times throughout the travel fair days,

The Sia Sitok Sarawak (SSS) 3.0 campaign offers packages for tours and activities throughout Sarawak, which includes day trips and multi-day trips. 

Meanwhile, the SSSA 2.0 campaign will offer attractive staycation packages at local hotels and resorts.

The booking period for both deals continues until 30 April 2022, while the travelling period runs until 31 May 2022.

For more information on Sia Sitok Sarawak and Sia Sitok Sarawak Accommodation visit: https://siasitok.sarawaktourism.com/ (Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

(Your Stories: STB)

Coral Princess returns to Australia

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE 18 March  2022: Princess Cruises is planning a return to service in Australia with Coral Princess starting in June 2022 following indications authorities are becoming more comfortable with a return to service in the region.

Princess Cruises also announced new deployment plans for the United States with a return to homeport cruising in Galveston, Texas, starting in December 2022 and San Diego starting in September 2022.

A Return to Cruising in Australia Planned – Coral Princess

In anticipation that Australian Federal and State Governments will soon welcome the return of cruising, we are announcing plans for Coral Princess’s return to service in June 2022, with roundtrip Brisbane itineraries ranging from three- to 12-days in length and calling to destinations in Queensland and New South Wales. In August, Coral Princess will position to Sydney and depart on a new 12-day voyage calling to Queensland and the Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea before resuming the previously announced Australia & New Zealand program for the 2022/2023 season. Additionally, Majestic Princess will sail roundtrip from Sydney on a new Queensland voyage in February 2023 at the end of her already published season. The Australia cruises will go on sale on 23 March  2022.

Cruises from San Diego – Diamond Princess

From September 2022 through February 2023, cruising in California expands with a return to San Diego. Diamond Princess will be joining the fleet of west coast-based ships with a series of brand-new cruise itineraries ranging from five to 16 days and calling at ports along the Mexican Riviera, California Coast, and the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, the ship will sail a unique 20-day cruise to Central America, roundtrip from San Diego, in November 2022. The on-sale date for these cruises is 24 March  2022.

New San Francisco Hometown Ship – Royal Princess

Royal Princess moves to San Francisco for the West Coast 2022/2023 season, with roundtrip cruises to Hawaii, Mexico, and the California Coast. Arriving in September 2022, after completing the Alaska season, Royal Princess will initially sail from San Francisco along with Ruby Princess. In December 2022, Ruby Princess relocates to Galveston and Royal Princess becomes the official hometown ship of San Francisco for the remainder of the 2022/2023 season. These cruises go on sale on 7 April 2022.

Princess Returns to Galveston – Ruby Princess

After six years, Princess returns to homeport cruising from Texas. Ruby Princess will sail from December 2022 to April 2023 on a series of cruises from Galveston ranging from five to 11 days, calling mainly to destinations in the Western Caribbean. The ship will also sail through the Panama Canal on two 16-day ocean-to-ocean transits between Galveston and San Francisco. Cruises will be on sale on 7 April 2022.

As a result of these changes, previously published itineraries through April 2023 on Diamond Princess and Royal Princess to Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, as well as two Ruby Princess Panama Canal sailings in February 2023 and select voyages on Majestic Princess in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific from February 2023 to May 2023 will be cancelled. Guests affected by these cancellations will be notified.

Princess Cruises delivers the ultimate in effortless, personalized cruising featuring the world-class dining and entertainment the cruise line is renowned for, all elevated with the Princess MedallionClass Experience. On all ships in the Princess fleet, it begins with the Medallion®, a quarter-sized, wearable device that enables everything from expedited contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need delivered directly to them, wherever they are on the ship. In addition, guests can share their favourite cruise moments using MedallionNet®, the best WiFi at sea, as well as stay connected with friends and family back home, work remotely anywhere on the ship, quickly post content and stream favourite movies and shows.

Visit: www.princess.com

(Your Stories: Princess Cruises)

OTM Mumbai closes on a high note

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MUMBAI, 18 March 2022: OTM Mumbai India’s first major international travel trade show to promote tourism post-Covid pandemic concluded 16 March, having attracted over 600 travel exhibitors from 20 countries.

The three-day event hosted at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai showcased both domestic and outbound travel content at a time when the country is reopening for international flights and easing Covid-19 health rules.

Photo credit: OTM Facebook. Opening ceremony at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, 14 March.

Claiming India is emerging from the shadow of the Covid pandemic, show organisers emphasised India would soon be back on track to deliver 29 million outbound trips by 2025.

“The beginning of the end of the pandemic seems to be already visible, and international travel is likely to rebound in the latter part of 2022, if not before,” the organisers claimed on the closing day of the show.

On the sidelines of the exhibition hall, networking and sales pitches tourism leaders, including India’s tourism minister, addressed conference sessions 14 and 15 March under the theme, ‘Reconnect, Revive and Rejuvenate the Global Travel & Tourism Economy’.

OTM convenes biannually. The next edition is scheduled for 14 to 16 September at JIO World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

Thai Vietjet inaugurates Phnom Penh flight

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 18 March  2022: Thai VietJet, a low-cost airline based at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, successfully commenced a new international service between Bangkok and Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

Flight VZ720 from Bangkok was warmly welcomed by HE Gen Mao Havanall, Minister in Charge of State Secretariat of Civil Aviation; HE Panyarak Poolthup, Thailand’s Ambassador to Cambodia; Alain Brun, Chief Executive Officer of Cambodia Airports and Sao Wathana, Director of Phnom Penh International Airport.

Thai VietJet chief executive officer Woranate Laprabang said: “After a long market’s service disruption, Thai VietJet is delighted to spread our wings with the international flight network expansion once more. By connecting the two Southeast Asian economic, cultural hubs, the successful launch of Thai VietJet’s new Phnom Penh – Bangkok service is yet another milestone in the airline’s regional connectivity efforts.”

The airline will operate three flights weekly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with a flight time of one hour and 10 minutes. Services will increase subject to market demand.

Flight Number Origin Destination Departure Arrival
VZ720 Bangkok Phnom Penh 08:30 09:40
VZ721 Phnom Penh Bangkok 10:30 11:45

In addition, Thai Vietjet has resumed scheduled service between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), offering up to five flights weekly. There are plans to expand the international flight network to more destinations in the Asia-pacific region, such as Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan.

1...562563564...600Page 563 of 600

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


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

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.