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Red Elephant Reps names sales director

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BANGKOK, 16 March 2022: Red Elephant Reps strengthens its global sales team with the appointment of Elke Menz as director of sales for France based in Nice.

Menz will be responsible for executing sales throughout France to drive business to the firm’s clients, mainly hotels in Asia.

Commenting on the appointment, Red Elephant Reps CEO Ian Paul Woods said: “Elke’s expertise in hotel sales and marketing combined with her strong connections in the travel and hospitality industry in France will be crucial in helping us to grow.”

She has held hotel management and sales and marketing positions in hotels in France, Switzerland, French Polynesia and South Africa. She has also represented luxury hotels in France and Belgium, Italy and Spain.

India doubles up investment in airports

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DELHI, India, 16 March 2022: India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation outlined this week a plan to finance 21 new greenfield airports while improving existing airports over the next five years.

A fund of Rs250,000,000 (USD3,268,910) will support projects linked to existing airports, according to a Press Information Bureau media statement released on Monday.

Based on the substantial growth in airline travel across the country, the Airports Authority of India’s forecast indicates all-India passenger throughput growth continuing over the next three years, requiring a considerable investment in greenfield airport projects to keep pace.

But the authority cautioned the projections are subject to reassessment given the unpredictable nature of the Covid pandemic and the sharp increase in aviation fuel prices.

Airports Authority of India will develop existing airports over the next five years, build new terminals, expand and modify existing terminals, expand and strengthen existing runways, aprons, Airport Navigation Services (ANS) infrastructure and control towers.

Public-Private Partnership airports at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are undertaking major expansion projects costing around Rs300,000,000 (USD3,922,692) by 2025. Additionally, Rs360,000,000 (USD4,707,450) will be invested in new greenfield airports under the PPP model.

The government has approved the setting up of 21 greenfield airports across the country. So far, eight have been identified, namely, Sindhudurg and Shirdi in Maharashtra, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala, Orvakal in Andhra Pradesh, Kalaburagi in Karnataka and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh.

The Ministry of Aviation also confirmed that the Under Regional Connectivity Scheme 405 routes connecting 65 airports (including eight heliports and two water aerodromes) were operational as of 8 March 2022. Also, domestic airline capacity is back to pre-Covid times.

(Source: PIB)

Cathay reports drastic declines in traffic

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 16 March 2022: Cathay Pacific released traffic figures for February 2022 on Monday that showed substantial capacity reductions in response to reduced demand caused by travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in Hong Kong and other markets.

Cathay Pacific carried 31,253 passengers last month, an increase of 47.9% compared to February 2021 and a 98.9% decrease compared to the pre-pandemic level in February 2019.

The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 5.2% year-on-year and were down 99% versus February 2019. Passenger load factor increased by 33.8 percentage points to 47.6%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), decreased by 69.4% year-on-year and decreased by 98.4% compared with February 2019 levels. In the first two months of 2022, passenger traffic increased by 8.6% against a 72.8% decrease in capacity and a 12.5% decrease in RPKs, compared to the same period for 2021.

Travel

Cathay Pacific chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam said: “The operating environment for Cathay Pacific remains very challenging. In February, travel and operational restrictions in place in Hong Kong continued to constrain our ability to operate more passenger flight capacity. We performed below 2% of pre-Covid-19 levels, a reduction of about 28% compared with January 2022.

“We have remained as agile as possible, deploying passenger flight capacity to cater to last-minute demand, on top of ongoing traffic from the Chinese Mainland to long-haul destinations as well as post-Chinese New Year traffic from Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland. We also saw some demand for flights to Australia, notably student traffic from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong. As a result, we carried more passengers in February than in January. Load factor edged up to reach about 48%.

Outlook

“Looking ahead in March, on the travel side, we originally expected that the majority of passenger traffic would continue to come from our Chinese Mainland routes. However, stricter capacity restrictions have since been put in place by the Chinese Mainland authorities as part of their pandemic control measures. These, together with the current restrictions in Hong Kong, mean that we do not foresee significant signs of recovery in passenger travel demand in March.” 

(Source: Cathay Pacific)

Princess Cruises sails to Alaska

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 March 2022: Canada’s recent announcement on the safe resumption of cruising to Canadian ports allows Princess Cruises to launch programmes for a full summer season of 2022 cruises and cruise tours to Alaska, as well as its popular summer and fall Canada & New England programme.

More guests choose Princess in Alaska than any other cruise line, and the 2022 program features six ships, including the line’s newest ship, Discovery Princess. Offerings include 12 unique itineraries, totalling 140 departures and five glacier-viewing experiences, with visits to the Southeast Alaska towns of Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.

Princess sails to and from Vancouver on its popular “Voyage of the Glaciers” seven-day cruises to and from Whittier, Alaska. More than 20 cruise tour options feature an unforgettable land tour visiting the magnificent Denali National Park and Princess Wilderness Lodges and include the “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise. Alaska cruises sailing from Seattle and San Francisco visit Victoria, Canada, along with various ports in Alaska towns dependent upon itinerary.

“The reopening of Canadian ports to the cruise industry is a bold and important move that significantly expands the array of travel opportunities available to guests while boosting the economies of the Canadian and Alaska destinations we visit by generating important revenue and job opportunities,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “We know firsthand how cherished these voyages are to both guests and those destinations following our shortened but successful return to Alaska in 2021 that was made possible with the passing of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act.”

The first Princess cruise ship to visit Canada is Caribbean Princess, sailing on a four-day Pacific Coastal voyage, with a scheduled port stop in Victoria on 6 April, followed by Vancouver on 7 April. For the May through September 2022 season, four convenient west coast homeports – Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., Anchorage (Whittier) and San Francisco – make travelling to Alaska seamless and hassle-free.

The 143,700-ton, 3,660-passenger Discovery Princess, marks her inaugural season as the youngest ship in Alaska departing from Seattle on the popular seven-day Inside Passage itinerary, alongside Crown Princess.

Majestic Princess debuts along with Royal Princess and Grand Princess sailing the top-rated seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary, which features two glacier viewing experiences on every cruise, including Glacier Bay National Park (Vancouver, B.C. to Anchorage [Whittier] or vice versa). Ruby Princess offers 10-day Inside Passage cruises out of San Francisco, featuring the added bonus of the awe-inspiring sail away under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and a port stop in Victoria.

Princess continues to enhance the award-winning North to Alaska program, bringing local Alaskans, culture, and fresh seafood onboard and ashore to immerse guests in all things Alaska. From Cook My Catch to Puppies in the Piazza, to mountain climbers, new offerings for 2022.

On Canada and New England voyages, Princess sails from Quebec and New York visiting popular Canadian ports, including Halifax, Saint John (for the Bay of Fundy), Sydney (Cape Breton Island) and Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island). The 2022 season runs from July through October and features 16 departures and six unique itineraries on Enchanted Princess and Caribbean Princess.

www.princess.com

Vietnam flags a reopening schedule

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TTR WEEKLY
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HO CHI MINH CITY, 16 March 2022: Vietnam took the first official steps to reopen the country to international tourists on Tuesday, but there are still questions on the visa process. Health safety requirements remain under review.

But the government has got the ball rolling, declaring 15 March the starting post to embark on a safe reopening of inbound tourism by air, road and sea, based on recommendations made by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism,

A report posted by the Vietnam News Agency on Monday noted the tourism sector “is eager and confident to serve tourists again, building the image of Vietnam as a safe, friendly, hospitable destination for residents and visitors.”

The reopening phase should be completed by early May when the country hosts the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), which will draw sports enthusiasts from the 10 ASEAN member countries.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said that analytical data from Google Destination Insights shows that international searches for information on Vietnam’s tourism and aviation services began rising from early December.

The volume of international searches for airline travel to Vietnam remained high during January and February.

The 15 March milestone signalling the start of the reopening phase was met with optimism from the travel industry. It even claimed the country could welcome 5 million international tourists this year. The estimate is overly-optimistic as official statistics for January to February suggested only 7,358 visitors entered the country. Without clarity on the visa and health rules, most international travel arrivals will be limited to business or essential leisure travel.

The country’s travel industry is calling for the resumption of visa-free travel or an eVisa facility to be quickly reinstated, but as of 15 March, the country’s immigration website lacked any clear information.

In addition to moves to encourage domestic travel to help destinations, efforts to draw international tourists will focus on Northeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and India.

Vietnam Travel Association president Vu The Binh cited statistics from the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that claimed favourable visa policies would help increase foreign arrivals by five to 25%

“Particularly, tourism visa exemption helps raise travelling demand by 16.6%,” the VNA report claimed.

According to the VNAT, a seminar on reopening the tourism sector will be held in Quang Ninh on 22 March to present guidelines for the tourism recovery phase.

However, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh said the reopening to support the recovery of the tourism economy must go hand-in-hand with Covid-19 prevention controls.

While the vaccine cover in the country is high, it is still necessary to pay attention to the risk that new strains will emerge.

Khanh said VNAT has recommended to the prime minister to reintroduce a visa policy for visitors to Vietnam similar to what was active in early 2020 as it would enhance the country’s competitiveness to attract international tourists.

The VNAT confirmed a decision to continue with the “Live fully in Vietnam” communication campaign, especially on digital platforms, participate in major international tourism fairs.

In HCMC, authorities have certified 13 hotels a mix of three to five-star properties to reopen for international guests again. HCMC is one of the destinations that will figure in the pilot scheme to welcome international visitors to Vietnam.

Inbound visa and pre-booked tour services through registered travel firms will resume for tourists from 23 countries, including Australia, the US, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Qatar, Japan, Korea, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and nine countries in ASEAN. This offers Vietnam’s tourism industry an ideal basis to appeal to international tourists in the near future.

Travel companies, such as Saigontourist and Vietravel report a growing interest in resuming tour group travel based on discussions with partners in Europe, Dubai, the US, Japan, and South Korea.

However, it could take up to three to six months for the reopening phase to deliver a marked uptick in international visits. Until the visa rules and health requirements are clearly identified, the reopening phase remains just a declaration of intent.

(Source: VNA, VNAT)

Sabah offers lifeline tourism grants

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TTR WEEKLY
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KOTA KINABALU, 15 March 2022: Sabah government’s special grants have aided 507 tourism projects in the state, most of which are in rural areas.

The MYR10 million grant allocation not only alleviated the burden on local industry players hit hard by the pandemic but has prepared them for tourism revitalisation.

According to the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), the special fund was used to improve tourism facilities in 27 districts and most being in the West Coast division with 248 projects. Other divisions that benefitted from the special fund were the Interior involving 92 tourism projects, Sandakan (82), Kudat (45), and the East Coast (40).

The project components involved signage, walkway, open hall, performance stage, public restroom, jetty, visitor information centre, hiking trail, gabion, landscape beautification, handicraft workshop, and parking area.

Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said ministry officials and the STB team made sure the funding was utilised properly, and all tourism-related improvement projects that have been approved were carried out.

“The grants had proven to be a valuable resource during difficult times, particularly for rural community tourism operators. Many basic tourism facilities have been updated, which is a positive step toward improving our remote destinations.

“The state government, through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment, is dedicated to providing better service and hospitality to our guests, especially international tourists who will make Sabah their next destination once border reopens,” he said.

The state tourism board has assisted in distributing grant support for affected tourism players, with each eligible applicant receiving MYR20,000. Apart from rural community tourism operators, other applicants included tourist non-governmental organisations, cultural villages, tourism associations, lodging providers, tour operators, and government agencies.

For more information visit: http://www.sabahtourism.com/

Centara Grand Mirage Pattaya SHA certified

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TTR WEEKLY
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PATTAYA, Thailand, 15 March 2022: Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya is now certified with SHA Plus and SHA Plus Extra status, offering guests peace of mind and delivering full compliance in health, hygiene and safety.

Nestled on the quiet shore of Pattaya, Centara Grand Mirage offers a wide range of luxury rooms and suites (555 units), all with ocean views from room balconies.

The property’s signature attraction is the water park, a gentle jungle of lazy rivers, waterfalls and 12 slides that twist this way and that, providing excitement for all ages. Adults can take a quiet swim while enjoying a poolside cocktail or escape to SPA Cenvaree.

For the active at heart, the adventurer continues to discover The Lost World Adventure Land. Designed for families of all ages, it is located at the edge of the jungle waterpark. The outdoor play area also features an expansive three-level playground with thrilling fast slides, a trampoline zone and a crafts area.

Resort highlights

  • Water park with lazy river, swimming pools, lap pool, waterslides, cliff jumping and Monsoon Island; water play area
  • Kids’ Clubs with Camp Safari and E-Zone
  • SPA Cenvaree
  • Fitness Centre
  • Water sports
  • Rock climbing
  • Club Lounge & Zulu Family Club
  • Lost World Adventure Land, a new haven for excitement and adventure

“Centara Complete Care” programme includes enhanced measures in health, hygiene, sanitation and social distancing. Read more: https://www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centara-complete-care/

For information and reservations
Email: [email protected] 
Tel. +66(0)3830 1234, +66(0)3805 1200
https://www.facebook.com/Centaragrandmirage
www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centaragrand/cmbr

India tour operators launch roadshows

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MUMBAI, 15 March 2022: To capitalise on pent up travel demand post the third pandemic wave in India, Thomas Cook (India) and its group company, SOTC Travel, have organised India’s first physical consumer roadshows – across 30 cities in India.

The holiday roadshows have been organised over weekends at viable catchment areas of India’s metros, mini-metros like Pune and Tier II markets, including Jaipur, Chandigarh, Hubli, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Indore, Bhopal, Mangaluru, Coimbatore, Kochi, Vijayawada, Surat and Baroda.

On the back of positive announcements on easing restrictions, reopening of borders, vaccine acceptance and reduced infection rates, the two companies’ internal data reveals high pent up travel demand from Indian consumers. With the upcoming long weekends and school spring and summer breaks, over 85% of its customers have expressed keen interest to plan their holidays.

To support customers, Thomas Cook and SOTC’s holiday roadshows in over 30 Indian cities. Weekends have been selected to offer families the convenience to walk in at leisure and plan their holidays together with the companies’ experts present on-ground to guide/assist them on travel and health and safety-related queries. The companies’ product range includes Indian and international favourites and a diversity of options for consumer segments such as multigenerational families, millennials/young professionals and couples/honeymooners. In addition to special group tours (accompanied by an experienced tour manager), the holiday portfolio includes personalised tours for a group of friends/extended family, individual/solo trips and customised options especially designed based on the customer’s unique preferences.

Special offers

• Buy one get one – companion free across select India and International holidays.

• Early bird offer on select tours.

• Holiday now, pay on return benefit.

• Risk-free holidays (zero cancellation charges, easy & free rescheduling, safety programme in association with Apollo Clinics, comprehensive travel insurance, on-ground teams and expert tour managers).

Range of holiday options

• Domestic favourites: Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Andamans, Goa, Rajasthan, Leh-Ladakh, the North East, and domestic cruises.

• International: Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Maldives, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, USA (for visa holding customers), Egypt, Mauritius, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

• Outdoor adventure activities like biking, trekking, hiking, wildlife/safaris, and more.

• Wellness/spiritual programmes.

• Group gours/ customised holidays.

Thomas Cook (India) president and country head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale said: “With customer confidence in travel being at an all-time high, we are witnessing a significant uptick in demand. In addition to our omnichannel network offering customers the convenience of selecting their preferred mode of contacting us, our multi-city holiday roadshow is aimed at personalised service at the customer’s doorstep. Our holiday experts at each venue will assist, reassure and guide customers in planning their weekend breaks, special celebrations/occasions and the much-awaited spring/summer school vacations.”

SOTC Travel president and country head Daniel D’souza added: “Indian customers have always preferred human interactions, more so given the complexities of travel in the Covid-era. And so to help our customers plan and co-curate their dream vacation, our multi-city holiday roadshows have been conveniently organised on weekdays, offering the personalised service of our holiday experts.”

India reopens international flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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DELHI, 15 March 2022: India has reviewed its indefinite suspension of international commercial flights to and from the country, allowing all international services to resume starting 27 March 2022.

The resumption of international commercial services coincides with the start of the traditional summer schedule timetable that airlines adopt, covering the period from March to the end of October.

The latest ruling issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation brings to a close an indefinite suspension of international commercial flights effective at 2359, on 26 March 2022. However, last week, a Press Information Bureau of India said all international flights to and from India would still be subject to strict measures outlined by India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare last updated 10 March 2022.

An earlier DGCA circular, released 28 February 2022, noted that the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services would be extended until further notice. That has now been rescinded and replaced by an order allowing all international commercial flights to resume to and from India starting 27 March.

The news was welcomed by tour operators in India. Commenting on the announcement, SOTC Travel’s managing director, Vishal Suri said: “The opening of India’s skies is a critical pivot in the industry’s road to recovery. The recent announcement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services 27 March  will provide much-needed relief for the sector, more so as it comes during India’s key booking season for the spring and summer school vacations.”

Meanwhile, the Press Information Bureau of India confirmed the country’s Ministry of Tourism had invited final comments on the draft report that will govern the establishment of the National Digital Tourism Mission.

According to the 9 March announcement, the Ministry of Tourism will undertake consultations with the tourism industry and domain experts to define the context, mission, vision, objectives, and overall scope of the National Digital Tourism Mission.

The draft report takes note of the fact that the tourism sector is highly fragmented. Subsectors of tourism such as transport, accommodation, restaurants and catering, and personal services are all subject to very different challenges and opportunities.

As a result, the tourism ecosystem is unable to harvest the combinatorial benefits of information exchange. Data systems currently don’t interact with each other using a common language, thereby curtailing data analytics and resultant policymaking.

The vision of the National Digital Tourism Mission would resolve that shortcoming and bridge the existing information gap amongst different stakeholders of the tourism ecosystem through a digital highway.

The report and notification documents have been uploaded on the Ministry of Tourism website: tourism.gov.in for comments/suggestions of the stakeholders and the general public.

(Source: Press Information Bureau of India)

The Philippines readies for April reopening

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TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, 15 March 2022: The Philippines’ Department of Tourism is confident the country will fully reopen borders to welcome international tourists by April of this year.

Currently, only fully vaccinated foreign leisure travellers from 157 visa-free countries can enter the Philippines.

Commenting on moving forward to a full reopening, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said: “Right now, (the Philippines is) only for 157 visa-free countries, but we are hoping that by April, we will be open to all foreigners,”

Quoted by the Philippines News Agency, she said the initial recommendation to limit leisure travellers from countries with visa-free eligibility and the easing of restriction that started last 10 February came from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

From 10 February to 8 March, the DOT has recorded 73,178 tourists, mainly from South Korea, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Vietnam, and Japan. In 2019 the country welcomed 8.28 million tourist arrivals.

(Source: PNA)

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