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Russians fly around sanctions

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SINGAPORE, 18 May 2022: As the traditional routes and hubs for air travel from Russia close due to sanctions, alternatives are emerging, according to the latest data from ForwardKeys.

Responding to enquiries about the changing profile of travel from Russia in the light of sanctions, ForwardKeys VP insights Olivier Ponti commented: “With many routes to and from Russia effectively closed, owing to the imposition of sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, we are seeing air travel via Serbia, Turkey and the UAE surge by over 200% on pre-pandemic levels.

“Looking at tickets issued between 28 February (when sanctions were put in place) and 8 March (the latest available data), the top hubs for people travelling from Russia to Europe were via Turkey, Serbia and UAE.”

Transit hubs for Russian travellers

Via Turkey: The final destination countries in Europe were Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain and Greece.

Via Serbia: The final destinations were Montenegro, Cyprus, France, Switzerland and Italy

Via UAE: Final destinations were Cyprus, Germany, the UK, Italy and France.

Turkey and the UAE also served as hubs to connect Russia with the USA and some Asian destinations.

Ponti noted: “Looking at scheduled flight capacity before the imposition of sanctions (during the week 21 February) compared to the latest available data (during the week 7 March), there has been a 50% increase from Russia to Serbia a 12% increase to Turkey and a 5% increase to the UAE.”

(Source: ForwardKeys)

UNWTO’s Middle East office sets its goals

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MADRID, 17 March 2022: UNWTO and Saudi Arabia have agreed on steps they will jointly take to turn tourism into a driver of growth, opportunity and development across the Middle East.

Less than a year after the official opening of the UNWTO regional office for the Middle East based in Riyadh, key projects have been identified, signalling closer cooperation between UNWTO and Saudi Arabia.

Meeting in Madrid earlier this week, UNWTO secretary-general Pololikashvili and Saudi Minister for Tourism Ahmed Aqeel AlKhateeb agreed to further advance their shared vision and committed to working closely together to fulfil the sector’s potential across the region.

The regional office will introduce UNWTO Global Tourism and Rural Development Programme’s Best Tourism Villages initiative, now in its second year.

In addition, the office will focus on knowledge creation for policy and business practices, training and skills development and technical assistance on the ground, with plans also in place to establish a first Tourism and Rural Development Observatory in Riyadh.

UNWTO will support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to embrace digitalisation with partnerships with the largest technology companies such as Amadeus, Mastercard, Cisco, Telefónica, amongst others already established. The UNWTO Digital Futures Programme aims to provide training on connectivity, e-commerce, big data and analytics, and online payments and security to as many as 20,000 SMEs in 22 countries, including 5,000 in the first year.

Education

A new UNWTO Knowledge Lab will be launched from Riyadh, while the first Observatory on Quality of Tourism Education and Jobs will also be established. Ten new online courses will be made available in Arabic through the UNWTO Tourism Online Academy, and UNWTO will also work with higher education providers from the region through the new Tourism Faculty Development Programme.

Green investments for green transitions

There are plans in place to make the regional office for the Middle East a hub for promoting green investments in the tourism sector, including through projects developed in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and other partners such as the Saudi Tourism Development Fund (TDF) – responding to the UNWTO climate action framework, outlined in the Glasgow Declaration, launched at COP26.

Malaysian states cross-promote tourism

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KOTA KINABALU, 17 March 2022: Sabah and Kedah plan to co-develop new potential products to help both states’ tourism industries to grow.

Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said such engagement is necessary to understand the travel motivations and behaviour of tourists to both states.

“We want to attract as many domestic visitors as possible to Sabah; hence we need to know what Kedah people like so we can tailor a package to their needs, and vice versa.

“Sabah and Kedah are popular among international tourists. So, it makes sense to collaborate with the Kedah Tourism and other relevant parties to find ways of attracting more foreign tourists, especially from Langkawi, to Sabah,” he said.

Joniston, who chairs the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), stated that the board is also collaborating with other states to promote each other’s destinations, adding they are open to sharing expertise and ideas to reinvigorate the industry.

Last Friday, STB represented by chief marketing officer Tay Shu Lan hosted a dinner for a delegation from the Kedah State Economic Planning Division and Kedah Tourism.

The delegation of 15 officers met with the STB team led by chief financial officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit earlier for a discussion and idea exchange.

Kedah State Economic Planning Division deputy director (sectoral) Faisal Rizal Mohammad said the objective of their visit was to gain an in-depth understanding of STB strategic management.

“In the discussion, we talked about doing engagement with Sabah Tourism to develop new products for both states and doing crossover product promotion.

“For instance, Kedah is well-known for its rice cultivation, while Sabah is famous for its beautiful seas. This type of product interchange is essential for attracting each other’s visitors.

“In addition, we are developing community-based tourism (CoBT) on the Kedah islands of Sonsong, Telur, and Bidan. These three islands feature beautiful corals.

“It is the goal of the Kedah government to assist the community in managing the islands so they can generate sustainable income through the CoBT concept,” he said.

Faisal added they sought to gain knowledge from STB’s achievement in building CoBT and boosting tourism on protected islands.

Visit: www.sabahtourism.com

(Your Stories: STB)

Bali leads the recovery phase

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JAKARTA, 17 March 2022: Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said on Tuesday he intends to bolster tourism recovery in Bali by promoting “a new economic approach post-pandemic.”

Quoted by Antara news service, the minister said a “new economic approach would involve the advancement of digital technology and focus on preventive health as well as cleanliness and sustainability aspects.”

Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy. Photo: Instagram/@sandiuno

He made the comments during a webinar hosted by the Indonesia Marketing Association (IMA) in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Since 7 March, the government has been conducting a zero-quarantine trial for foreign tourists arriving in Bali Island, and the minister claimed the province had seen no Covid-19 upsurge since the trial started.

Based on the Bali experience, he confidently talked of implementing the same policy nationwide.

As part of the Bali experiment aimed at kick-starting tourism recovery, the island’s authorities reinstated the visa-on-arrival scheme available for foreign tourists from 23 countries.

The minister confirmed that the scheme would be extended to tourists from more countries, such as China and India, although the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in China will keep the outbound travel gateway shut for some time to come. Travel from India is more likely since the country is opening for international flights and easing Covid-19 rules.

“To date, tourists have been waiting for the visa-on-arrival scheme reinstatement that will ease their immigration process while arriving in Bali. This is one issue that we need to promptly address,” Uno noted.

Antara reported that ministry data indicated around 5,0000  overseas travellers arriving in Bali from 3 February to 12 March 12 of which 76% were foreigners.

(Source: Antara)

Agoda identifies easy entry destinations

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SINGAPORE, 17 March 2022: Agoda’s recent ‘India-genous Travel’ survey shows 39% of Indians anticipate travelling internationally in 2022, while Agoda’s Return to Travel survey found that their biggest concern remains understanding restrictions and health requirements

As Omicron starts to subside, countries are taking tentative steps to reopen borders, easing their entry restrictions and opening their doors to international tourists, including Indians.

Fully vaccinated passengers flying to these select countries are no longer required to present a negative RT-PCR test upon arrival at the airport. 

Agoda has put together a list of destinations that will come in handy when planning itineraries that start with easier entry, vaccine and quarantine rules.

Egypt

Travellers vaccinated with Covishield, or AstraZeneca can now fly to Egypt without an RT-PCR test. All you need to do is fill out a health declaration form, and you’re all set. While visiting the land of the Great Pyramid of Giza, don’t forget to also check out the Mediterranean and the Red Sea and the famous Khan el-Khalili market. Sailing down the Nile River on a felluca, a traditional wooden sailboat, and the hot air balloon ride at Luxor are also must-do trips. Travellers can also visit the Sahara el Beyda, the white desert national park, or travel to Hurghada to experience Egypt’s expansive underwater marine life – you can take a submarine ride or even opt to go scuba diving. If you want to soak in some of the intricate cultures of the country, you should definitely visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. 

Bahrain

This island country situated on the Persian Gulf is now allowing tourists to enter without a pre-departure PCR test irrespective of their vaccination status. 

There are so many exciting things for travellers to see and do in Bahrain. Visit the famous and ancient Al Jasra House and Al Bahrain site museum to indulge in the rich history and civilisation of this place, wander through Manama Souq for some amazing spices, souvenirs, and delicious sweets, and try out traditional Bahraini cuisines such as Machboos, meat or fish served with fragrant rice cooked in a spicy broth or Muhammar sweet rice with dates, across the island. Do spare some time to dive into the world’s largest underwater theme park, Dive Bahrain, and for kayaking and other water sports at Nurana islands.

Lebanon

Fully vaccinated travellers do not require a pre-departure PCR test to fly to Lebanon if they received their second jab at least six months before travelling. All you need to do is upload your vaccination certificate on the Ministry of Health’s website. 

Lebanon has so much to offer with its geographically diverse country that offers you mesmerising panoramas, rich history and architecture, and delectable cuisine that will make your trip a truly memorable one. Explore one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman temples, Baalbek – the temple of Bacchus, the famous cedars of Lebanon in the Chouf, on Mount Barouk, and the Beiteddine Palace that dates back to the eighteenth century. Go on a boat tour at Byblos to enjoy the sunset in the birthplace of the Phoenician civilisation, hike the beautiful QADISHA valley to explore old churches and monasteries and separate yourself from the outside world. Don’t miss the Batara Gorge waterfall that drops 255 metres down into the Balaa Pothole, a cave of Jurassic limestone.

France

France decided to scrap the requirement of the RT-PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers last month. While visiting one of the most romantic destinations in the world, you will without a doubt visit the Eiffel Tower, go cruising down the Seine River, pilgrim to Mont-Saint-Michel, or wander around the Old Quarters of Paris. However, there is so much to experience in France beyond this. Run across the Lavender fields in Provence, take a helicopter ride over French Alps, take a stroll in Dijon – a walking city where cars are not allowed, explore vineyards in Burgundy, taste exquisite Champagne in Champagne, and explore Lyon city, recognised for its delightful cuisine.

Turkey

People vaccinated are welcomed in Turkey without an RT-PCR test. Travellers only need to fill out a health form 72 hours prior to their arrival. Turkey is the perfect destination to resume your travel post-pandemic. It has the right blend of cultural influences from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East paired with unforgettable natural wonders throughout the Turkish landscapes. Relax at the Thermal pools of Pamukkale lake, the pure white travertine terraces cascade down the slope looking like an out-of-place snowfield amid the green landscape; explore one of the oldest cities of the world, Konya, which has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC, and Kaymakli – an underground city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey; take a hot air balloon ride to experience the surreal, swooping rock valleys of Cappadocia; and unwind with a traditional Hamam (Turkish bath) experience.

Norway

Travellers vaccinated within nine months of their arrival do not need an RT-PCR test to enter Norway. In case the final dose has exceeded the period, you will need a booster shot. If you’re planning a trip to Norway, chasing the Northern Lights and seeing the Arctic circle will definitely be at the top of your itinerary. Apart from this spectacular sight in the skies, this Scandinavian country houses majestic mountains, glaciers, museums, and a whole bunch of activities to do on your travel. Travellers can hike to Mount Floyen, a 399-meter summit which will get you the best view of the city, explore the Geirangerfjord region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its icy Norwegian scenery, marvel at the beautiful architecture of the Arctic Cathedral, and even visit the world’s most powerful whirlpool, Saltstraumen Maelstrom. 

(Source: Agoda)

Emirates sets a date for Tel Aviv launch

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SINGAPORE, 17 March 2022: Emirates has confirmed it will start daily flights to Tel Aviv on 23 June 2022.

The airline will serve the Dubai-Tel Aviv route with a three-class Boeing 777-300ER on the route, featuring eight private suites in first class, 42 lie-flat seats in business class and 304 seats in economy class.

Emirates Airline chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said: “We look forward to finally welcoming customers onboard our flights to and from Tel Aviv this summer and offer them substantial connectivity to and through our Dubai hub as Covid travel restrictions continue to ease around the world and more borders open up. In addition to unlocking tremendous pent-up demand, Emirates’ debut into Israel will mean more choice for travellers as they return to the skies and more opportunities for businesses to visit Dubai and beyond to our network of almost 130 destinations, alongside our signature hospitality and award-winning onboard experience.”

EK931 will depart Dubai at 1550 and arrive at Ben Gurion Airport at 1800 local time. The return flight EK 932 will depart Tel Aviv at 1955, arriving in Dubai at 2359. Flight schedules have been timed to provide convenient optimum connecting times in Dubai for flights to Thailand, India, the Philippines, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Travellers from the United States and Brazil can opt to stop for the Dubai Stop Over package before they continue their journey to Tel Aviv, which includes stays at some of the world’s best hotels, sightseeing at the newest landmarks the city has to offer, among an abundance of other activities.

In 2021, Israel was ranked as one of Dubai’s top 20 source markets, according to the Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism. That ranking is set to build up even further as the city continues to welcome more visitors in 2022 with its ever-expanding list of experiences and diverse offerings.

Emirates Holidays, the tour operating arm of the airline, will also provide Israeli travellers with personalised holidays to Dubai and across the Emirates network, with travel consultants that handpick hotels and experiences to suit the diverse needs of Israeli customers. Packages also include reassurance at every step, value for money on combined flights and hotel, meals and extras, low deposits, flexible booking policies, and 24/7 support. In addition, Emirates Skywards members can enjoy 20% Skywards bonus miles on their next booking with Emirates Holidays.

Emirates has an extensive Middle East network and currently flies to 12 cities across the region from Dubai. 

Visit: www.emirates.com

(Source: Emirates)

Travellers learn to live with Covid

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SINGAPORE, 17 March 2022: Expedia Group Media Solutions recently published the Travel Recovery Trend Report for Q4, detailing the latest insights on the industry’s continued recovery from the pandemic.

Based on Expedia Group’s exclusive first-party data, the group’s media solutions insights and planning team identify the latest findings for 2022 and beyond.

Resilient and travel-ready 

The findings from the Q4 2021 Travel Recovery Trends Report indicate resilience in global travellers who continued to travel, particularly over the holiday period, despite the challenges posed by the Omicron variant.

Early Q1 has also seen great momentum in search volume for both domestic and international travel. For example, global searches for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) destinations for January 2022 were almost 60% up over December and over 170% year-over-year. North American (NORAM), Latin America (LATAM), and Asia Pacific (APAC) destinations also saw strong Januarys: up year-over-year by around 50%, 80%, and more than 30%, respectively.

Travel search volumes climb 

While restrictions have limited travellers over the past two years, Expedia data has shown that many have learned to live with Covid and continued creating experiences. Restrictions have only encouraged committed travellers to adapt: through domestic trips, seeking rural escapes, or swapping hotels for vacation rentals. They have also been inspired by and attracted to destinations open during the pandemic they might not have previously considered, foregoing those places they wanted to visit but which were closed to tourism. 

Q4 was, in many ways, the epitome of this resilience. Despite the Omicron challenge, overall search volume remained flat quarter-over-quarter compared to Q3 and was up 70% year-over-year. In Expedia’s Traveler Value Index research, data shows 81% are planning a leisure trip in the next six months, and one in five plan on taking three or more trips. 

In the Q3 report, advanced holiday bookings surged, with triple-digit year-over-year bookings for Thanksgiving and the Christmas period. Despite Omicron’s challenges, resilient travellers saw their advanced holiday plans through and remained committed to travel.

For example, Expedia Group cancellations were flat during Q4, and according to STR, Christmas Day occupancy in the US. was the highest on record, at 47.4%. Travellers respond well to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday events, sparking a 10% week-over-week lift in US domestic searches. 

Landmark reopenings

The Traveler Value Index revealed that more than 50% of cruise travellers said border openings and government-led initiatives have a strong impact on their likelihood to travel, illustrating just how influential restrictions and changes are on traveller decision-making. As with previous reports, travellers respond immediately to border reopenings and news of reopenings. The reopening of the US borders to 33 countries worldwide led to increasing inbound and outbound travel and represented what could be considered a landmark in the travel industry’s recovery from Covid-19 after almost 20 months closed to the world.

Looking specifically at search volume from German travellers to the US, the market increased 300%  from October to December, and the US jumped from the 43rd most-searched destination to 13th during Q4.

Overall, in Q4 2021, cruise searches increased 50% year-over-year and bookings were up an impressive 500% compared to 2020.

The APAC region finally saw good news, too. Overall search volumes were up nearly 35% over Q3, driven by additional travel green lanes and international border reopenings in various countries, including Australia, Singapore, and Fiji. Australia’s reopening, which was announced in early October, proved significant to the wider region and led to a 25% week-over-week increase in international searches for APAC.

Looking Ahead

The US reopening has inevitably led to growing confidence in Americans to travel further afield. Expedia’s Traveler Value Index discovered that 68% of Americans are planning to go big on their next trip, and many are eyeing intercontinental destinations like Rome, Bali, London, and Paris in 2022.

This sentiment was reflected in lengthening search windows detected in Q4. Travellers switch to making their plans on a more short-term basis—typically in the 0- to 21-day search window—as they’ve responded to ever-changing pandemic conditions. 

However, in Q4, the share of searches in this short-term window decreased, while searches for 31+ days increased by 15% to 40% of total searches. This indicates that travellers were feeling more confident to travel internationally, and with loosening international restrictions, starting to dream about or plan trips further out – often to long-haul or bucket-list destinations. 

It is evident that traveller expectations have changed over the past two years. They are adapting to new ways of travelling. However, at the beginning of 2022, and reflecting on a stable Q4 of 2021, the data points to optimism and resilience in committed travellers who are more than ready to get back to seeing the world and creating memorable experiences.

To find out about the trends covered here in more detail, download the Q4 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report.

(Source: Richard Kocher Expedia Group Media Solutions)

Hotelbeds hires retail business boss

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PALMA, Spain, 17 March 2022: Hotelbeds named Bertrand Sava as its new general manager for the retail arm of its business.

The appointment signals Hotelbeds’ intention to take its retail business to the next level to become more digitally focused and provide highly tailored products and services to its network of more than 60,000 travel trade buyers. Hotelbeds has a portfolio of more than 300,000 hotels.

A French national Sava joins the bedbank from one of the payment industry leaders, Worldline Global, and brings with him extensive experience in the technology and services industries.

Hotelbeds and retail brand Bedsonline chief commercial officer Carlos Muñoz commented: “Having Bertrand, together with a dedicated team behind our plans for Retail, is great news not only for our clients but also for our hotelier partners who will benefit strongly as a result of the momentum we will build with this new phase.”

Meanwhile, Hotelbeds confirmed the appointment of marketing and digital presence director Léo Moulinas earlier this week. He brings to Team Hotelbeds a successful track record leading full digital transformations within commercial environments that focus on B2B and B2C segments.

Aviation key to Sarawak success

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KUCHING, 16 March 2022: The Sarawak state government has launched the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) plans to see Malaysia’s largest state doubling its economic pie with a forecast GDP of RM282 billion by 2030 from just RM136 billion in 2019.

While the state government has put in place a strategic roadmap to achieve its plan in the next 10 years, Pankaj Kumar, an investment and economic analyst, says it is even more crucial for Sarawak to step up on its aviation industry, which plays a key role to not only drive the tourism industry but businesses as well.

“More than 5.95 million vaccine doses have been administered to individuals across Sarawak, with the state also recording the highest vaccination rate of children aged five to 11 years in the country. With the economy opening up, it is time for Sarawak to strategise and bring in more tourist arrivals.

“Unlike Sabah, which has only the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), Sarawak has two international airports, the Kuching International Airport (KIA) and the Miri International Airport (MIA).

“However, Sabah’s KKIA has direct flights to more international destinations, and this includes those to Bandar Sri Begawan, Tokyo (seasonal), Manila, Singapore, Busan, Seoul, and Taipei. For KIA, the only direct flights available are those from Bandar Sri Begawan, Singapore, while for MIA, Scoot Tigerair is currently the only airline that offers two direct flights from Singapore to Miri per week, despite the city’s international airport status.”

“Being the largest state in Malaysia, Sarawak is well-positioned to be a tourism hub in Borneo as we have seen the data that shows it has tremendous growth potential in terms of tourist arrivals.”

In terms of infrastructure, Sarawak has spent substantially on airport infrastructure, especially with the new airports in Mukah (in June 2021) and various other expansions in other airports. However, Pankaj opines that the two main airports, KIA and MIA need further investments as both have outlived their present capacity.

“KIA handled some 5.96 million passengers, while MIA served 2.43 million passengers in 2019 while the design capacity of both of these airports is at 5 million and 2 million respectively. The federal government will need to fund the expansion of these two airports, especially concerning the baggage handling system, airline check-in counters, additional immigration counters, and larger departure areas, plus increasing boarding gates.

“Sarawak, which accounts for about 9.5% of the nation’s GDP in 2020, has tremendous potential, especially concerning its tourism industry. However, the state and federal governments need to work together to bring Sarawak to the next level with better connectivity, improved airport capabilities, and make Sarawak a true frontier Malaysian state,” Pankaj concluded.

STB opens tenders on Jurong Lake project

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SINGAPORE, 16 March 2022: Singapore Tourism Board has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to build and operate an integrated tourism complex at Jurong Lake District.

In 2019, STB announced plans to develop a 6.8ha site next to Jurong Lake to become a key lifestyle and tourism hub in Singapore’s largest business district outside of the CBD. With the launch of the RFP now, STB expects the tourism development to be completed by 2028.

STB expects the new lifestyle and tourism hub to comprise high-quality accommodation and a mix of attractions, retail, F&B and entertainment offerings – all with an emphasis on technology, “edutainment” and sustainability. It should complement existing nearby attractions such as the Jurong Lake Gardens and the new Science Centre. It will be well-integrated with the Jurong Lake District through a seamless network of pedestrian-friendly streets and well-designed public spaces.

Singapore Tourism Board chief executive Keith Tan said: “Despite Covid-19, Singapore remains a very attractive destination for business and leisure travellers. While we refresh and rejuvenate existing tourism offerings, we must also create opportunities for investments in new tourism products. The launch of this RFP signals our intent to press ahead with our medium-term plans so that we can build better for the future.”

Investors must submit tenders by 18 October 2022. Companies that indicated their interest during an Expression of Interest exercise for the site in 2019 will also be invited to participate in the tender. Upon the tender award, the entire site will be leased to the successful developer for 60 years.

For more information on Jurong Lake District and the Land Parcel, please see: Annex A  Annex B

For information on the RFP process and the submission of proposals, visit http://go.gov.sg/jldtourismdev or contact [email protected].

(Source; Singapore Tourism Board)

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