CHIANG RAI, Thailand, 15 March 2022: Veteran hotelier Eric Hallin will lead the management team of the Legend Resort Chiang Rai as its general manager effective 1 May.
Hallin is presently the general manager of the Six Senses
Con Dao in Vietnam.
Photo credit: Six Senses Con Dao.
He replaces Legend’s Wim Fagel who took over as the hotel’s general manager following the death of the former GM Peter Schnyder in 2020.
Hallin is best known for his highly successful 10-year stint managing Bangkok’s Rembrandt Hotel up until late 2018. He subsequently moved to Vietnam to join Norfolk Group and later head the management of the Six Senses Con Dao.
Hallin is no stranger to North Thailand, having served as the GM of the Dusit Chiang Mai and Westin (now Holiday Inn). In a Facebook message last week, he recalled that 27 years ago, he was the general manager of the Dusit Island Resort Chiang Rai (now the Riverie by Katathani) shortly after the property joined the Dusit Group under a franchise agreement.
According to an interview in Scandasia in 2006, the well-travelled and highly respected hotelier acknowledged he would consider returning to North Thailand one day. His wish comes true as he heads to the Legend, a boutique resort nestled on the banks of the Mae Kok River in the centre of Chiang Rai town.
DUBAI, UAE, 15 March 2022: Emirates and Garuda Indonesia launched a codeshare partnership last week to deliver improved connectivity on routes across the Americas, Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Under the new codeshare partnership forged, customers will
be able to enjoy seamless connectivity on 16 routes, including popular European
destinations, in addition to other travel benefits that will introduce
additional levels of convenience.
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by
both airlines in November of last year, regulatory approvals have been secured
to operate routes that are included under the codeshare partnership.
Tickets can be booked immediately on emirates.com, the
Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents, with codeshare
flights open from 16 March. Tickets can also be secured via Garuda’s side
through garuda-indonesia.com, the Fly Garuda app, contact centre at +62 804 1
807 807 or + 6221 2351 9999, as well as travel agents.
Garuda Indonesia will place its code on routes operated by
Emirates, between Jakarta and Dubai, in addition to onwards flights to Paris,
London Heathrow, Manchester, Milan and Barcelona from Emirates’ hub.
Emirates will place its code on Garuda Indonesia operated
flights on ten routes via two of its hubs, both Jakarta and Denpasar. Emirates
passengers can travel to seven additional domestic points in Indonesia, beyond
Jakarta and Bali, and enjoy the convenience of seamless booking, easy
connections, one baggage policy and baggage-check through to the final
destination. Domestic points which Emirates customers can travel to include
Denpasar, Surabaya, Makassar, Balikpapan, Manado, Medan, Padang and Solo from
Jakarta, while, from Denpasar, customers can fly to Jakarta, Surabaya and Makassar.
Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said: “As the travel industry recovers, this is the perfect time to commence our partnership as travellers begin planning leisure and business trips once again and seek the convenience of seamless travel. The codeshare agreement will enable us to expand our reach and allow our customers to use our services and fly to additional domestic points in Indonesia.
“We are also pleased to offer Garuda Indonesia’s customers access to popular destinations beyond Dubai that are visited by Indonesian travellers, along with other benefits. We look forward to developing the relationship further and introducing more added-value benefits in the future that will be felt by customers of both airlines.”
In addition to expanding the breadth of each airline’s
networks with possible add-ons to Indonesian and regional points (subject to
government approval), Emirates and Garuda Indonesia will also explore
opportunities to cooperate on their respective frequent flyer programmes to
enable customers of both airlines to earn and redeem loyalty points for reward
tickets, upgrades and other exclusive benefits.
Emirates currently has codeshare cooperation agreements in place with 23 airline partners and two rail companies around the world. Additionally, Emirates also has interline cooperation agreements with over 115 airlines and rail companies.
Meanwhile, Garuda Indonesia currently has codeshare partnerships with more than 23 airline partners and 70 interline partners which offers Garuda Indonesia’s passengers connectivity to hundreds of destinations worldwide.
GENTING HIGHLANDS, Malaysia, 14 March 2022: Tourism Malaysia
organised a familiarisation tour for a group of media and travel agents from
Indonesia to promote Malaysia as a safe holiday destination as the country
prepares to reopen borders fully starting 1 April.
Made up of nine participants (five travel agents and four media from Jakarta and Medan), the eight-day seven-night stay, 4 to 11 March, focused on Langkawi and Genting Highlands. The tour was organised by Tourism Malaysia.
The participants explored Langkawi through a mangrove tour
in Kubang Badak, Langkawi Skycab ride – the world’s steepest cable car, and
explored the largest interactive 3D museum in Malaysia at 3D Art Langkawi. They
also attended a dinner hosted by the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association
(MITA) Kedah Chapter at Goldsands Hotel.
This tour programme also highlighted Resort World Genting,
where participants experienced Genting SkyWorlds, Genting Highlands’ newest
attraction, followed by the Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park, and Awana Skyway, a
gondola lift system,3.4 km long, that can transport 1,600 people per hour. The
group stayed at the Resort World Awana Hotel.
Since 15 November 2021, international tourism has resumed to the gateway Langkawi Island through a pilot travel bubble initiative as a prelude to fully opening tourism across the country. Around 165 Indonesian tourists have visited Langkawi since the scheme started. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia welcomed 3.6 million Indonesian tourists in 2019.
Tourism Malaysia director-general Dato Hj Zainuddin Abdul Wahab said: “We are now ready to welcome fully-vaccinated Indonesian travellers to Malaysia after nearly two years of border closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
HANOI, Vietnam, 14 March: Sun Group announced the launch of
Sun Air, last week the first luxury business aviation service company in
Vietnam to offer aircraft management and private jet charter.
Sun Air operates Gulfstream G650ER and the Gulfstream G700,
which hold the record for the farthest and fastest flight in business aviation
history.
Aside from the business jet fleet, Sun Air also offers
scenic flights by seaplane and helicopter, giving tourists various sightseeing
options in Vietnam.
The launch of the premium charter company takes advantage of
the boom in demand for worldwide private air travel experiences, a trend that
accelerated partly as a reaction to Covid-19 safety and health concerns linked
to commercial aircraft.
Market research by the aviation consulting firm ARGUS
International showed private aviation bounced back faster than many industries,
including the airlines. At this point in time, private air travel is about 15%
larger today than it was in 2019. Furthermore, wealthy travellers are flocking
to private aviation for the perceived health advantages of avoiding crowded
airports and commercial planes.
Two brand new ultra-long-range aircraft, the Gulfstream
G650ER, will be operated by Sun Air in the third quarter of 2022. Additionally,
a Gulfstream G700, a helicopter and two seaplanes will join the expanding fleet
by 2025. Looking further ahead, the large-cabin Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) and
Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), epitomes of luxury and sophistication in business
jets, are also part of Sun Air’s five-year plan.
Sun Group is a leading developer in Vietnam with a track
record in tourism spanning 15 years and seen in its prestigious tourism brands.
They include Sun World’s entertainment parks, Sun World Ba Na Hills and its
world-renowned Golden Bridge and Sun Hospitality Group’s resorts and
hotels.
Alongside this, Sun Group invests heavily in other crucial
transport infrastructures throughout Vietnam, such as Van Don International
Airport, the first privately owned airport in Vietnam, and Halong International
Cruise Port.
GENEVA, 14 March 2022: Air travel recovery slowed in both domestic and international categories during January 2022 when compared with December 2021, the International Air Transport Association reported blaming it on travel restrictions following the emergence of the Omicron variant last November.
Total demand for air travel in January 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was up 82.3% compared to January 2021. However, it was down 4.9% compared to the previous month (December 2021) on a seasonally adjusted basis.
January domestic air travel was up 41.5% compared to the
year-ago period but fell 7.2% compared to December 2021 on a seasonally
adjusted basis.
International RPKs rose 165.6% versus January 2021 but fell
by 2.2% month-on-month between December 2021 and January 2022 on a seasonally
adjusted basis.
“The recovery in air travel continued in January, despite
hitting a speed bump called Omicron. Strengthened border controls did not stop
the spread of the variant. But where population immunity was strong, the public
health systems were not overwhelmed. Many governments are now adjusting
Covid-19 policies to align with those for other endemic viruses. This includes
lifting travel restrictions that have had such a devastating impact on lives,
economies and the freedom to travel,” said IATA’s director-general Willie
Walsh.
International Passenger Markets
January 2022 (% year-on-year)
World share1
RPK
ASK
PLF (%-pt)2
PLF (level)3
Total Market
100.0%
82.3%
51.8%
10.8%
64.5%
Africa
1.9%
21.3%
10.6%
5.5%
62.3%
Asia Pacific
27.5%
19.4%
15.7%
1.8%
57.6%
Europe
24.9%
161.4%
106.7%
14.3%
68.2%
Latin America
6.5%
80.5%
59.2%
9.2%
78.2%
Middle East
6.5%
128.1%
64.8%
16.4%
59.1%
North America
32.7%
109.7%
59.0%
16.0%
66.3%
1% of industry RPKs in 2021 2year-on-year change in load
factor 3Load Factor Level
European carriers’ January international traffic rose 225.1% versus January 2021, which was up slightly compared to a 223.3% increase in December 2021 versus the same month in 2020. Capacity rose 129.9%, and load factor climbed 19.4 percentage points to 66.4%.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw their January international traffic climb 124.4% compared to January 2021, down significantly from the 138.5% gain registered in December 2021 versus December 2020. Capacity rose 54.4%, and the load factor was up 14.7 percentage points to 47.0%, still the lowest among regions.
Middle Eastern airlines had a 145.0% demand rise in January compared to January 2021, well down compared to the 178.2% increase in December 2021 versus the same month in 2020. January capacity rose 71.7% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 17.5 percentage points to 58.6%.
North American carriers experienced a 148.8% traffic rise in January versus the 2021 period, significantly decreased versus the 185.4% rise in December 2021 compared to December 2020. Capacity rose 78.0%, and load factor climbed 17.0 percentage points to 59.9%.
Latin Americanairlines saw a 157.0% rise in January traffic, compared to the same month in 2021, an upturn over the 150.8% rise in December 2021 compared to December 2020. January capacity rose 91.2%, and the load factor increased 19.4 percentage points to 75.7%, which easily was the highest load factor among the regions for the 16th consecutive month.
African airlines’ traffic rose 17.9% in January 2022 versus a year ago, a slowdown compared to the 26.3% year-over-year increase recorded in December 2021. January 2022 capacity was up 6.3%, and load factor climbed 6.0 percentage points to 60.5%.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
January figures do not include any impact from the Russia-Ukraine
conflict, which began at the end of February. The resulting sanctions and
airspace closures are expected to have a negative impact on travel, primarily
among neighbouring countries.
The Ukraine market accounted for 3.3% of European passenger traffic and 0.8% of global traffic in 2021.
The Russian international market represented 5.7% of European traffic (excluding the Russian domestic market) and 1.3% of global traffic in 2021.
Airspace closures have led to rerouting or cancellations of flights on some routes, mostly in Europe-Asia but also in the Asia-North America market. This impact is mitigated owing to greatly diminished flight activity since borders in Asia were largely closed owing to COVID-19. In 2021, RPKs flown between Asia-North America and Asia-Europe accounted for 3.0%, and 4.5%, respectively, of global international RPKs.
In addition to these disruptions, the sudden spike in fuel
prices is putting pressure on airline costs. “When we made our most recent
industry financial forecast last autumn, we expected the airline industry to
lose USD11.6 billion in 2022 with jet fuel at USD78/barrel and fuel accounting
for 20% of costs. As of 4 March, jet fuel is trading at over USD140/barrel.
Absorbing such a massive hit on costs, just as the industry is struggling to
cut losses as it emerges from the two-year Covid-19 crisis, is a huge
challenge. If the jet fuel price stays that high, then over time, it is
reasonable to expect that it will be reflected in airline yields,” said
Walsh.
The Bottom Line
“The past few weeks have seen a dramatic shift by many
governments around the world to ease or remove Covid-19-related travel
restrictions and requirements as the disease enters its endemic phase. It’s
vital that this process continue and even accelerate to more quickly restore
damaged global supply chains and enable people to resume their lives. One step
to encourage a return to normality is to remove mask mandates for air travel. It
makes no sense to continue to require masks on commercial aircraft when they
are no longer being required in shopping malls, theatres or offices. Aircraft
are equipped with highly sophisticated hospital quality filtration systems and
have much higher airflow and air exchange rates than most other indoor
environments where mask mandates already have been removed,” said Walsh.
SINGAPORE, 14 March 2022: After more than four years,
Jetstar Asia resumed its Singapore to Perth flights last Friday.
Perth becomes the third Australian destination in the
airline’s network following the relaunch of flights from Singapore to Darwin
and Melbourne.
Jetstar Asia flight 3K133 departs Singapore’s Changi Airport at 1605 and arrives in Perth at 2130. The return flight 3K134, a designated Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) service, departs at 2230, arriving back in Singapore at 0350. The airline operates four weekly services to the Western Australian capital.
Jetstar Asia’s CEO Bara Pasupathi noted that before the
pandemic, Singapore made up one of the largest source markets for visitors to
Perth and now quarantine-free travel was back on the menu, they expected the
route to be as popular as ever.
“With family ties, education and business interests, not to
mention the incredible places to visit in Western Australia from Fremantle,
Rottnest Island and Monkey Mia to the stunning Margaret River region, we know
this destination is high of people’s list of places to visit,” Pasupathi said.
“While we have operated a handful of services over the past
two years to support business needs in Perth, Jetstar Asia is very excited to
officially add Perth back into our schedule.
“We know our customers are eager to reunite with friends and
families, as well as enjoy the incredible beaches, vineyards and natural
wonders WA has to offer, so I’m sure they will welcome Jetstar Asia’s low fares
as well as the recent easing of quarantine requirements and the move from PCR
tests to ART.
“And in return, we can’t wait to welcome Western
Australians back to the Lion City while providing them access to services
operated by Jetstar’s global network of codeshare and interline partners, as
well as Jetstar Asia’s Southeast Asian network.”
To celebrate the restart of the Singapore – Perth service,
Jetstar Asia offers one-way fares to Perth starting from SGD185.
BANGKOK, 14 March 2022: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has revealed its recent business performance, expansion plans and strategic direction for the future, including multiple new hotels, fresh destinations and new brand concepts.
This exciting era of growth will help the group reach its
long-term goal of becoming a top 100 global hotel operator within five years –
a vision that will see it reach a total of 200 hotels and resorts by 2026, up
from 88 properties at present and with approximately half of that growth coming
from destinations outside of its native Thailand.
Centara has just confirmed that it achieved total revenues
of almost THB 1.09 billion (USD 33 million) in Q4 2021, an increase of 54%
year-on-year, despite the continued impact of the pandemic. The growth is
expected to gain more momentum in 2022 with the acceleration of the global
travel and hospitality recovery, which will be supported by the further
relaxing of travel restrictions into Thailand, and is buoyed by the resilience
and strong performance of Centara’s key international destinations such as the
Middle East and the Maldives.
Centara will open eight new hotels & resorts in 2022,
including Centara Hotel Korat
It’s not just Centara’s existing portfolio that will enjoy
the continued tourism rebound in 2022, as the group has announced its intention
to open eight new hotels and resorts this year, comprising 1,066 keys. These
properties will span Thailand, with openings in Bangkok, Korat and Ubon, and
international destinations including Laos, Oman and Qatar.
The group also revealed a core component of its growth strategy
would involve collaboration with a strong development partner, specifically to
launch new projects within Thailand, under both existing and new brands, and
commencing this year. The luxurious Centara Reserve concept, which was launched
in December 2021 with the debut of Centara Reserve Samui, will be enhanced with
additional property in Krabi, and the group is also considering projects in
up-and-coming Thai markets such as Koh Lanta and Cha-Am. Centara is also
exploring a new opportunity in the Medical Wellness segment with an established
operator from Europe, and Koh Tao and Samui are the potential locations under
discussion.
Internationally, Centara has been given the green light to
develop two new upscale resorts in the Maldives, following successful
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for three idyllic islands in the Indian
Ocean. These resorts are slated to open in 2024 and 2025, doubling Centara’s
presence in the Maldives to four properties. In Japan, a landmark high-rise
hotel is currently under construction in Osaka, a joint venture between
Centara, Taisei Corporation and Kanden Realty & Development, which will
start welcoming guests in mid-2023, and in Vietnam, COSI Phu Yen Hotel is
scheduled to open in 2023, marking this cutting-edge, affordable lifestyle
concept’s first location outside Thailand.
Centara’s international growth focus will be centred on
Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, Japan, China, and the Middle East primarily,
including Saudi Arabia, following the recent normalisation of the country’s
diplomatic relations with Thailand. The group is also considering options in
Europe.
Centara will evolve its business strategy to focus on
emerging trends and market dynamics in the coming years. Within Thailand, the
group is seeing rising demand for more experiential travel as well as
“workations”, as guests escape the office and work remotely for a few
days or longer, especially in beach destinations. It also foresees a strong
rebound in international long-haul and leisure business in Thailand due to the
country’s reopening strategy and vaccination programme, but was quick to
reiterate that it feels the remaining restrictions need to be removed
imminently for the required potential to be reached.
At an operational level, Centara will continue to invest in
the latest technology following the recent overhaul of its technology
architecture. The group has recently revamped its entire website, booking,
property management and reservation platforms and is currently concluding the
rollout of its industry-leading Customer Relationship Management solution, all
of which will serve to drive greater distribution, guest management, a seamless
guest experience across all touchpoints and a superior and highly personalised
guest experience. The group is also focusing on talent development through
effective staff training programmes and is further emphasising its focus on
sustainable solutions, with a target of reducing energy and water usage by 20%
within 10 years and certifying 100% of its portfolio with respected
environmental accreditation bodies by 2025.
“As the world emerges from the global pandemic and travel
restrictions start to ease, we are highly optimistic that the hospitality
industry will rebound rapidly. Despite the challenges of the last two years,
Centara can reflect on its performance with pride. Now, as we enter 2022, we
are delighted to reveal our expansion strategy for the months and years ahead.
With multiple new hotels and resorts set to open in many dynamic markets, both
in Thailand and overseas, including innovative brands, this is an exciting time
for our company as we strive to become a top 100 global hotel operator,” said
Centara Hotels & Resorts CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat.
PALMA, Spain, 14 March 2022: Hotelbeds has cancelled all
bookings to Russia and Belarus for an initial three months and is waiving all
cancellation fees.
Hotelbeds CEO Nicolas Huss made the statement on Friday as
companies worldwide boycott or withdraw their business operations in Russia.
“As the situation in Ukraine becomes more devastating by the
day, our thoughts first and foremost are with our employees, their families and
friends, and with all our partners in Ukraine and beyond who are affected by
this devastating conflict.
“From a business perspective, it is becoming
increasingly complex to operate in the region, and so today (Friday), we have
announced that we are ceasing all commercial activities in Russia and Belarus
with immediate effect.
“We are continuing to provide as much support as we can to
them, as well as to the humanitarian efforts of the International Committee of
the Red Cross – ICRC.
“The human tragedy that is unfolding in Ukraine is
impossible to imagine for most of us, and so we join everyone in appealing for
a swift and peaceful end to this conflict.”
Hotelbeds is one of the world’s leading bed banks with a
portfolio of over 180,000 hotel properties that gain access to a network of
more than 60,000 B2B travel buyers such as tour operators, retail travel
agents, airline websites, and loyalty schemes in over 140 source markets
worldwide.
In addition to accommodation, Hotelbeds is also the world’s
largest B2B seller of travel ancillaries, offering 25,000 transfer routes and
18,000 activities, as well as attractions, tickets and car hire.
SINGAPORE, 9 March 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), reveals additional details regarding its elevated culinary and beverage offerings for its highly-anticipated Prima Class vessels, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva.
The first two of six vessels within this cutting-edge class
will push the boundaries of traditional cruise cuisine with nine new dining and
beverage venues, including Metropolitan Bar, NCL’s first sustainably focused
bar. The Cruise Line also announced its first three-level atrium, the Penrose
Atrium, in addition to major F&B updates, including the launch of its
revamped main dining menu set to roll out on Norwegian Prima, the enhancement
to Norwegian’s guest-favourite culinary staples Le Bistro, Cagney’s Steakhouse
and the Food Republic, as well as NCL’s coveted Observation Lounge.
“We’ve been innovators in the food and beverage space
for more than three decades, becoming the first cruise line to offer speciality
dining and the first to introduce our ‘Freestyle Cruising’ concept that allows
our guests to vacation their way by giving them a choice to decide when and
where they dine,” said Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and
chief executive officer. “Our latest food and beverage offerings take our
Norwegian Prima food and beverage experience to another level, one that travels
well beyond the guest expectation to provide elevated gastronomical experiences
featuring a sophisticated design, masterful mixology and cuisine that delivers
full-throttle flavour.”
Sustainably Focused
and Handcrafted Libations
The Metropolitan Bar will premiere under NCL’s Sail and
Sustain program featuring responsibly crafted zero-waste cocktails prepared
with surplus ingredients while offering a fully sustainable spirits menu and
biodynamic wines. Working with “The Drinks Business” Green Awards 2020
recipient Gerard Bertrand, NCL’s Metropolitan Bar will showcase more than 20
biodynamic wines produced using organic farming methods such as employing
compost as fertiliser and avoiding most pesticides. Norwegian once again
partnered with James Beard Award-nominee and Bar-Lab founder, Gabe Orta, to
pair elevated libation with sustainably focused practices. The Metropolitan
Bar’s signature sustainably made cocktail, the “Primadonna”, takes a play on an
Old Fashioned, crafted using surplus banana peels with Flor De Cana rum that is
produced with 100% renewable energy. Norwegian collaborated with Bodegas
Hidalgo La Gitana to introduce and produce responsibly sourced botanical gins
specifically for NCL and made using 100% recyclable glass and wood for the
bottle’s design. Other new bar and lounge options on Norwegian Prima and Viva
include The Belvedere Bar, a contemporary cocktail lounge featuring crafted
cocktails with a modern, fresh take on classic drinks.
The Prima Class
Penrose Atrium
Designed by Miami-based Studio Dado to evoke the sense of
wonder felt by the ocean’s earliest explorers, NCL’s first three-story,
glass-walled PenroseAtrium spanning Decks six, seven and eight will be one of
the focal points on Norwegian Prima and Viva. The grand space will vaunt
futuristic architecture, including a large-scale chandelier custom built by the
renowned Czech lighting design firm Lasvit. The installation was inspired by
constellations and featured moving light fixtures weighing more than 7,300
pounds (3,311 kgs). Lining the Penrose Atrium will be a three-deck-high light
feature that will convey the feeling of the sun rising on the horizon and
surround a three-level wall art piece that will resemble a topographic map.
Retail spaces and high-end luxury shops will also be located
throughout the Penrose Atrium’s three levels, including NCL’s newest Starbucks
Coffee. Penrose will also be home to the decanter-inspired Whiskey Bar offering
guests a curated selection of drinks and the Prima Casino and The Penrose Bar
featuring video poker machines.
Elevated Eateries
Meant to take guests on a global culinary journey, the seven new dining venues onboard Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva will take first-time and returning travellers on an epicurean adventure featuring tantalising fare matched with thoughtfully curated design. Making its debut on Norwegian Prima, the all-new Mediterranean seafood speciality restaurant Palomar, set in a relaxing atmosphere, features high-end Mediterranean cuisine made with simple yet sophisticated ingredients. Hasuki, NCL’s new elevated take on the traditional “hibachi-style”, will boast an intimate space featuring design elements that invite guests into the artisanship of Japanese influence through minimalist decor, handcrafted pottery and featured Japanese artwork. NCL’s new contemporary sushi house Nama will offer guests elevated sushi dishes prepared by master chefs who will create upscale sushi and sashimi masterpieces. The venue is set among a whimsical Japanese backdrop inspired by the restaurant’s menu items, including a marble sushi bar reflective of the marbling in the high-quality sashimi and subtle orange ambient lightning representing the colour of masago (fish roe).
Main Dining
Modernisation
Located in the aft of the ship, guests will be able to take
in stunning 270-degree views overlooking the stern, and sample mouthwatering
menu items in the elevated new main dining room at Hudson’s or opt for upscale
cuisine set in comfortable yet refined surroundings at The Commodore Room. Both
locations will boast a revamped extensive fixed menu that offers guests more
variety to sample global dishes, from Spanish Paella and Italian mussels
prepared in white wine sauce to fully vegetarian options such as mushroom
risotto and cauliflower piccata. In addition to offering travellers consistent,
high-quality dishes, the new menu will also boast a build-your-own-pasta
section where guests can request a tailormade Italian classic pasta dish by
selecting their choice of pasta, sauce, and topping, providing more than 24
meal combinations. The menu will also include a “Specialties” section
where cruisers can select a dish from one of the ship’s speciality dining
eateries. The revamped menu will debut on Norwegian Prima and will roll out to
the rest of NCL’s 17-ship fleet through 2023.
The Surfside Café and Surfside Grill located on Deck 17 will
feature a diverse menu, with casual self-serve dining and items prepared
“a la minute” upon guest request.
Returning Favourites
In addition to unveiling new dining, lounge and public
spaces, Norwegian Prima and Viva will also feature enhanced speciality
guest-favourite eateries. NCL’s signature steakhouse, Cagney’s Steakhouse, will
boast a refreshed design featuring new décor celebrating the 20th-century
modernist architecture of Chicago. Capturing the French flair of the Palace of
Mirrors in Versailles, the embellished Le Bistro French speciality restaurant
will showcase fine French fare and sophisticated décor boasting three
floor-to-ceiling chandeliers and coffered ceilings. Food Republic, the
Asian-fusion speciality venue, also returns on the first two Prima Class
vessels with elevated décor, a larger restaurant space and stunning views. The
popular Observation Lounge, a multi-use refuge with different areas designated
for lounging and socialising, will be back on Norwegian Prima and Viva on Deck
17 with a cosier, homey ambience featuring alcoves separated by elegant screens
and partitions. Designed to let the outside in with expansive views, the
enhanced Observation Lounge will offer telescopes for guests to better see
ports of call upon arrival. The Humidor Cigar Lounge will continue to serve as
NCL’s premiere cigar shop and cigar lounge.
Previously
revealed food and beverage venues on Norwegian Prima and Viva included NCL’s
first-ever food hall Indulge Food Hall featuring 11 different eateries, Onda by
Scarpetta, Los Lobos, The Local Bar & Grill, Vibe Beach Club, Waves Pool
Bar, and the Prima Speedway Bar. Both ships will feature a total variety of 35
dining and lounge options for guests.
For more information about the Company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call NCL Hong Kong on +852 2165 6000 / Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.
DUBAI, 11 March 2022: Registration is now live and free to
attend the Arabian Travel Mart due to take place 9 to 12 May 2022 at the Dubai
World Trade Centre.
Following more than two years of lockdowns travel restrictions that postponed trade events, ATM will reunite buyers, exhibitors and travel trade professionals from all over the world for four days of networking and business sourcing.
Last month the Arabian Travel Mart team released details of
a commissioned report undertaken by STR, a data and hotel analytic specialist.
The report, compiled at the end of 2021, showed hotel development in prime GCC
tourism destinations growing at six times the global average.
It highlighted massive hotel development plans in Makkah,
Doha, Riyadh, Medina, Muscat and Dubai despite the pandemic headwinds that the global
hospitality industry must contend with over the past two years.
Makkah and Doha are both expanding their hotel room
inventory by 76%, followed by Riyadh, Medina and Muscat with 66%, 60% and 59%
growth respectively.
The trend in hotel expansion indicates ATM 2022 organisers
can expect a significant presence at the show’s live event with hotel
participants from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and UAE.
In Dubai, rooms growth stands at 26%, which is still
extraordinary, considering its existing base and following years of continuous
hotel development – it is still more than double the global average.
Arabian Travel Market Exhibition Director ME Danielle Curtis
said, “With the global average sitting at 12%, we are witnessing multiple
GCC destinations growing at six times those rates.”
“These figures coupled with the ongoing relaxation in
travel restrictions will undoubtedly encourage travel professionals throughout
the Middle East and further afield. As such, we are expecting a substantial
increase in the number of participants at the ATM live event this year,
especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the UAE,” she added.
Dubai’s Expo 2020 in Dubai will close on 31 March. The mega event has been the catalyst for accelerated hotel room growth in the UAE, with almost 50,000 rooms still to open across the Emirates. Following closely behind is Doha, with final preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022 now being put in place. Doha is on track to deliver 23,000 hotel rooms pre-and post-World Cup 2022, adding to the country’s burgeoning hotel property portfolio.
