Emirates signs MoU with Sri Lanka Tourism

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March 8, 2022

DUBAI, 8 March 2022: Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau at the Emirates Group Headquarters in Dubai.

The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to Sri Lanka and outlines mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revive the country’s tourism industry and boost trade.

The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & the Indian Ocean, and Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The agreement was signed in the presence of Hon Prasanna Ranatunga, Minister of Tourism, Sri Lanka, H.E. Malraj De Silva, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE, H.E Nalinda Wijerathna, Consul General for Sri Lanka in Dubai and Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, International Affairs.

Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates, said: “Sri Lanka remains a very key market in Emirates’ global network and the agreement signed today underscores our unwavering commitment to the country. We launched operations to Colombo more than 35 years ago, and our partnership continues to grow from strength to strength. We look forward to exploring mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revive the nation’s trade and tourism sectors and provide Emirates with an opportunity to serve market demand.”

Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, stated: “Sri Lanka is a beautiful island destination with esteemed strategic partners such as Emirates; this is a vital aspect to steer Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism industry. Therefore, this partnership is crucial for us to explore and capitalize on opportunities that emerge and to open up many beautiful avenues to establish brand awareness and perceived quality in the global tourism market. Thus, we are excited about this partnership and also grateful for all the support Emirates has extended us during the three decades of a long relationship and especially during the pandemic time. We are hopeful that together we can effectively promote and serve the market.”

Under the agreement, Emirates and Sri Lanka Tourism will benefit from joint activities that will help enhance trade and tourism, including trade shows, trade familiarisation trips, exhibitions, and workshops.

Since the nation safely re-opened to international tourists in February 2021, Emirates has carried more than 80,000 passengers to Colombo. The top inbound markets include UAE, Italy, UK. and Germany. The airline currently operates 28 weekly flights to Colombo and is the only international carrier to serve the country with First Class services – offering passengers world-class products and superior comfort in air and on-ground.

Emirates has safely restarted operations to more than 120 destinations within its global network via Dubai. The airline has led the industry with its innovative products and services, including a comprehensive set of health and safety measures at every step of the journey, contactless technology at Dubai Airport, generous and flexible booking policies, and COVID-19 medical insurance.

www.emirates.com

(Source: Your Stories)

TAT confirms TTM dates

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 8, 2022

BANGKOK, 8 March 2022: Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2022 returns 8 to 10 June hosted for the second time in Phuket.

Phuket hosted the event in 2021 after TAT cancelled the 2020 event due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown nationwide.

Registration opened last week at www.thailandtravelmartplus.com.

As the flagship event promoting the country’s tourism industry, TTM+ 2022 will showcase travel products, services and experiences from around Thailand under the theme of ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022, Amazing New Chapters.

The programme for the TTM+ 2022 features two full days of buyer/seller appointments on Thursday, 9 June and Friday, 10 June, which follow the registration, opening ceremony, TTM Talk, Thailand Product Update, and welcome reception, all scheduled for the first day on Wednesday, 8 June. There will also be a networking dinner for buyers and media, hosted by the Phuket Tourist Association, on the evening of 9 June.

ON Saturday, 11 June, post tours for buyers and media will give them a chance to experience the scenic beauty, welcoming charm, and famous tropical island atmosphere of Phuket.

This year’s edition is expected to attract 700 participants, including buyers from 50 countries, sellers from across all five regions of Thailand, as well as members of domestic and international media.

The TTM+ 2022 will be held at the Angsana Laguna Phuket beachfront resort, which is part of the Laguna Phuket integrated resort complex.

About the TTM+

First held in 2001, the TTM+ has gained a well-earned reputation in visitor source markets the world over, and within Thailand’s tourism industry itself, as a ‘must-attend’ event. This year, the TTM+ 2022 is all set to continue the tradition of providing a valuable platform for sellers and buyers to meet with current and potential business partners and to reinforce relationships with global travel specialists and decision-makers.

Held Bangkok since its launch in 2001, the TTM+ relocated to Chiang Mai in 2016 and 2017. Pattaya hosted the event in 2018 and again in 2019.

Thai AirAsia wins on-time award

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 8, 2022

BANGKOK, 8 March 2022: Thai AirAsia has been recognised for punctuality, becoming the only Thai airline to be recognised among the Top Three “Most On-Time Low-Cost Carriers.”

Cirium, a leading aviation and travel data analyst, gave the airline an on-time performance average of 97.47%.

AirAsia Thailand CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya pointed out that in Cirium’s evaluation, even amid obstacles brought about by the Covid-19 situation, which included a temporary suspension of flights due to government policies and a scale-back of services, AirAsia continued to maintain high standards, especially in terms of safety, hygiene and on-time performance.

Scoot adds VTL flights

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 8, 2022

SINGAPORE, 8 March 2022: Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, expanded its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services to 11 more cities to support more quarantine-free travel across its network.

The airline has added VTL flights to Singapore from Amritsar, Athens, Coimbatore, Hanoi, Hat Yai, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Penang*, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum, and Visakhapatnam.

Scoot vice president network planning, e-commerce and distribution, Rachel Tan said: “Scoot has seen positive demand for travel since the launch of the VTLs. We look forward to operating more flights that support safe and seamless quarantine-free travels and remains committed to providing travellers with customisable travel options to suit varied needs.”

*However, Scoot’s Singapore-Penang VTL services are still pending regulatory approvals. This means flights TR428 (Singapore-Penang) and TR429 (Penang-Singapore), as well as TR498 (Singapore-Penang) and TR499 (Penang-Singapore), will not be designated as Vaccinated Travel Lane flights on 17 March and 28 March, as earlier reported. These flights will continue to operate three times weekly as non-VTL services until they gain VTL approval.

Scoot’s Vaccinated Travel Lane network

Region	Countries	Cities
Europe	Germany	Berlin
	Greece	Athens (effective 16 March)
	The United Kingdom	London (Gatwick) (effective 22 March)
North Asia	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
North Asia	South Korea	Seoul
Southeast Asia	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur
	Malaysia	Penang (effective 17 March)
	The Philippines	Cebu
		Clark
		Davao
		Manila (effective 11 March)
	Thailand	Bangkok
		Chiang Mai (effective 5 March)
		Hat Yai (effective 2 April)
		Krabi
		Phuket
	Vietnam	Hanoi (effective 19 March)
	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City (effective 16 March)
South West Pacific	Australia	Gold Coast
		Melbourne
		Perth
		Sydney
West Asia and Africa	India	Amritsar (effective 16 March)
		Coimbatore (effective 16 March)
		Tiruchirappalli (effective 15 March)
		Trivandrum (effective 15 March)
		Visakhapatnam (effective 16 March)
	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah

Aeroflot grounds international flights

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 8, 2022

SINGAPORE, 8 March 2022: Limited air space options and the cancellations of ticketing distribution systems has forced Aeroflot to cancel most of its international flights starting today, 8 March.

According to a report in Simple Flying, Aeroflot confirmed it would serve just one international destination Minsk in Belarus, with four daily flights.

In addition to flying to the US (Washington, New York, Miami, Los Angeles), Aeroflot serves destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. All of the services halted today. The airline’s ticket sales have been suspended by three global distribution systems – Amadeus, Travelport and Sabre.

TA Network powers Mayflower bookings

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 8, 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 March 2022: One of Malaysia’s top tour firms, Mayflower Holidays, has strengthened its online hotel direct booking services, focusing on agents, wholesalers and corporates through a collaboration with Trip Affiliates Network.

Trip Affiliates Network is a high-performance distribution system that brings together Asia Pacific’s leading travel wholesalers, operators and destination management companies to share a single open travel ecosystem.

Established in 1960, Mayflower Holidays is a leading travel service specialist in Malaysia, catering to both individuals and corporate clients and mustering a global network of over 57 client nations. MFH will use the TA Network to expand its wholesale travel business.

TA Network’s managing partner Ho Siang Twang commented, “We are excited that MFH has chosen to adopt TA Network Hotel B2B Direct Booking services, and we look forward to working closely with MFH to broaden and deepen their direct booking partnerships with their preferred hotels and enhance their product offering to their agents and corporates”.

Head of Business, Mayflower Holidays, Jean Tung added: “We are pleased to expand our partnership with TA Network which will enable MFH to increase direct booking of dynamic rates with our hotel partners, as well as give us easy and quick access to hotels who have engaged TA Network for their B2B direct booking services and completed their relevant system mapping with TA Network.”

THAI starts bubble flights to India

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 8, 2022

BANGKOK, 8 March 2022: Following the approval of the Air Travel Bubble between Thailand and India, Thai Airways International is operating direct flights to and from four cities in India.

Flights are now in place to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

• Bangkok – Delhi: five flights per week every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

• Bangkok – Mumbai: three flights per week every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Bangkok – Chennai: three flights per week every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

• Bangkok – Bengaluru: twice-weekly flights every Wednesday and Saturday.

THAI also strictly complies with the COVID-19 preventive measures issued by the Ministry of Public Health, the Centre for COVID- 19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) for flight operations.

Three GDS shut down Aeroflot sales

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 7, 2022

SINGAPORE, 7 March 2022: Three of the world’s leading fare distribution systems – Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus – have removed Aeroflot’s fares and booking content, a step that isolates the Russian government-owned airline from the online travel agency market worldwide.

Sabre Corporation was the first to announce it was terminating its distribution agreement with Aeroflot. In the press statement, it said it had taken “immediate steps to remove Aeroflot flight content from its global distribution system (GDS), a marketplace used by travel agencies, travel websites and corporations around the world to shop, book and service flight reservations.”

Sabre’s CEO Sean Menke said: “Sabre has been monitoring the evolving situation in Ukraine…We are taking a stand against this military conflict complying, and will continue to comply, with sanctions imposed against Russia.”

The termination means Aeroflot flights no longer appear on Global Distribution System screens in travel agencies, online travel agencies, travel management companies and other wholesale and retail ticket sales outlets worldwide.

To help support the humanitarian programme in the region, Sabre, which has approximately 1,500 team members in Poland, has donated USD1 million to the Polish Red Cross to purchase food, hygiene products and sleeping bags and will support the provision of medical assistance to those seeking shelter in Poland.

In a press statement posted on its website newsroom, Amadeus, a Spanish headquartered GDS, confirmed effective 3 March it ended any new planned commercial projects in Russia.

“We will not sign any new contracts in Russia, and we continue to evaluate our existing portfolio of work in Russia in parallel, the statement read.

“We can confirm that we have begun suspending the distribution of Aeroflot fares in our systems. At the same time, we continue to assess and evaluate the potential impact of international sanctions imposed on Russia and any counter-measures by Russia.”

Phocuswire.com reported at the weekend that Travelport, a global distribution system headquartered in the UK, had also suspended Aeroflot’s fare and bookings content. A Travelport released an official statement on 7 March.

It read: “Like most companies and the world at large, Travelport has been closely monitoring the developing situation in Ukraine. We have been shocked and saddened by the events taking place, and our first priority continues to be the safety and security of our employees and our partners in the region. We have been diligently working alongside global governments to continue to uphold the sanctions imposed against Russia. Additionally, we have taken the decision to immediately suspend Aeroflot sales from the platform.”

(Sources: Sabre, Amadeus,Phocuswire, Travelport)

Bangkok hotel prices survive Covid

By

Sawapat Pimchaichon

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March 7, 2022

BANGKOK, 7 March 2022: Hotel property value held up in Bangkok during 2021 while Phuket registered heftier discounts in hotel property sales.

JLL Hotels & Hospitality GroupExecutive Vice President, Chakkrit Chakrabandhu Na Ayudhya, made the assessment and offered key statistics during the Thailand Tourism Forum 2022, attended by 500 delegates last week.

Speaking on ‘Thailand’s Hotel Transactions – How to Make A Deal Work’, Chakkrit said JLL saw 17 transactions, with 23 hotel properties sold in 2021. The combined transaction value reached 13.2 billion baht.

“When looking at the 17 transactions last year, it was almost seven times more than the previous year. Compared to the 10-year average, which spans from 2010-to 2019, it was above the 10-year average by 10%.”

The three main markets for hotels sales remained Bangkok, Phuket, and Samui, representing 80% of the overall volume.

Findings from JLL show that 76% of Bangkok hotels up for sale managed to find buyers last year, with prices discounted no more than 5% from the pre-Covid-19 level.

In Samui, 57% of hotels are sold at a 15 to 20% discount. For the rest, 25% of the deals had an up to 5% discount tag, and 13% were sold at a 30% or more discount.

The total value of hotel sale transactions in Samui last year reached THB5.8 billion, while Phuket witnessed only THB1.5 billion in volume transacted last year, as up to 78% of the deals were made at a 30% or more discount.

Outside of these three destinations, 63% of the deals were closed at a more than 30% discount, 20% had a medium discount of 15 to 20%, while 17% of the deals were sold at up to a 5% discount.

Meanwhile, according to a survey conducted by JLL, out of 175 APAC respondents, Thailand ranks second after Japan in terms of preferred choice for hotel investment in APAC. The research also found that Thai investors are still keen on investing domestically and 75% of them hope to complete a purchase this year.

Sabah woos airlines with hub proposal

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TTR WEEKLY

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March 7, 2022

KOTA KINABALU, 7 March 2022: Sabah invites airline companies to make the state their operational base as Malaysia anticipates reopening its border soon.

Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said that given Sabah’s past success and prospects, all stakeholders should collaborate to identify and seize new possibilities to revitalise the international tourism industry.

“Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabah was accessible via direct flights from 20 major international cities with over 220 flights weekly, especially from the North Asia region.

“On top of that, there are more than 400 domestic flights connecting 10 destinations in Malaysia. As many nations are opening their borders starting March, we believe Malaysia will soon follow suit.

“In this respect, I invite all airlines to consider Sabah to be your next hub of the operation,” he said during a dinner with Airline Operators Committee hosted by the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) here on Friday.

Joniston, who chairs STB, expressed optimism that the international travel business would recover, albeit not in the same way as it had been previously.

He added airlines’ participation and support are essential to help promote the state and to re-establish collaboration on new access into Sabah.

Present at the dinner were representatives from both local and international airline companies.

Meanwhile, Airline Operators Committee chairman Mohamad Azri Mohammad Rashad stated that the Air Asia, Malindo Air, and MAS flights for the Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu route recorded high loads.

“For the past few weeks, most of the flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu have 70-80% loads. It’s quite a high number.

“In fact, there are three to four flights for Sabah in a day as compared to Johor Bahru, Alor Setar, Kota Bharu, and Terengganu. So, I feel honoured to be here, and at the same time, we want to continue stimulating the economy,” he said.

Mohamad further stated that the border is expected to open soon, noting that the committee team was involved in planning and implementing standard operating procedures with the assistance of Malaysia Airports, the Ministry of Health, and Tourism Malaysia on 26 February.

This is Airline Operators Committee’s second visit to Sabah, which was initially scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.

For more information visit: www.sabahtourism.com

Emirates signs MoU with Sri Lanka Tourism

TAT confirms TTM dates

Thai AirAsia wins on-time award

Scoot adds VTL flights

Aeroflot grounds international flights

TA Network powers Mayflower bookings

THAI starts bubble flights to India

Three GDS shut down Aeroflot sales

Bangkok hotel prices survive Covid

Sabah woos airlines with hub proposal

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