SINGAPORE, 8 February 2022: Regent Seven Seas Cruises has
launched Upgrade Your Horizon, where guests can enjoy a Two-Category Suite
Upgrade, up to a Penthouse Suite, when making a booking by 28 February 2022.
The upgrade gives guests additional perks, such as a free
one-night pre-cruise hotel stay when elevated to a Concierge Suite or a
personal butler when staying in a Penthouse Suite.
More than 260 voyages apply, including cruises through April
2024 sailing to Africa, Alaska, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Caribbean,
the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America and more.
Guests from Asia will also benefit from a low 7.5% deposit.
World Cruises, Grand Voyages and sailings aboard Seven Seas
Grandeur are not included in the Upgrade Your Horizon offer.
MUMBAI, 8 February 2022: We are not out of the Covid-19 woods yet, but Indians are displaying strong pent up demand and increasing confidence to book overseas travel again, according to Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its group company, SOTC Travel.
Both companies have launched special inclusive holidays featuring top domestic and international destinations.
They announced this week the relaunch of tours to Europe, Dubai, Maldives, Egypt, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Goa.
Thomas Cook (India) president & country head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Rajeev Kale said: “With the opening of Europe and UK, our customers can once again book Europe-UK holidays for the upcoming school spring break and summer vacations.”
BANGKOK, 8 February 2022: With the recent resumption of the
Test & Go application for arrivals in Bangkok, Emirates is offering special
fares for travels to popular destinations across Europe and the US.
Travellers will be able to enjoy a safe and stress-free
travel with flexible booking options and free multi-risk travel insurance with
COVID-19 cover, as Emirates continues to offer secure travel experiences to
Emirates’ quickly growing global network.
Currently, Emirates has resumed passenger services to over
120 destinations worldwide, with 21 weekly passenger flights from Bangkok to
Dubai and 11 weekly passenger flights from Phuket to Dubai.
Travellers in Thailand can look forward to flight deals to
Europe and the US with return fares starting at only THB 18,280 in Economy
Class and THB 51,895 in Business Class. These special fares are available for
bookings made until 27 February 2022, valid for travel between 10 February 2022
and 30 November 2022.
Featured destinations and starting fares include:
DESTINATION
Economy Class Fares From (THB)
Business Class Fares From(THB)
Zurich
18,280
63,570
Amsterdam
18,760
57,900
Paris
20,025
63,445
Frankfurt
20,755
51,895
London
21,840
68,940
New York
26,745
79,905
Chicago
27,445
89,205
Los Angeles
29,545
96,705
*Terms and conditions apply.
In addition, passengers travelling with Emirates Airlines can be ensured that their health and wellbeing are kept as a top priority, with Emirates comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey. The airline has also been building on its contactless technology offering and has scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers with even more opportunities to utilise the IATA Travel Pass.
Customers are encouraged to check their latest government travel guidelines and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors and residents returning to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/
For more information about Thailand’s Test & Go, Sand Box and related travel requirements, visit https://tp.consular.go.th/
MANILA, 8 February 2021: Following the announcement to open borders to fully vaccinated international travellers, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) advises foreign tourists to prepare all entry requirements to ensure seamless travel.
The advice follows the announcement of new testing and quarantine protocols for foreigners coming from 157 visa-free countries*, starting 10 February.
“The new guidelines are an indication that, while the country has opened its borders to fully vaccinated business and leisure visitors, it is doing so with utmost care and with full regard for the health and safety of both visitors and the general public,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on Monday.
Based on the latest government rulings, all arriving visitors must be able to present the following:
– Acceptable proof of vaccination.
– Negative RT-PCR test was taken within 48 hours before the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous trip to the Philippines, excluding lay-overs for their return journey.
– Valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination not later than 30 days from the date of arrival in the Philippines.
– Ensure passports are valid for a period of at least six months at the time of their arrival to the Philippines.
– Travel insurance for Covid-19 treatment costs from reputed insurers, with a minimum coverage of USD35,000 for the duration of their stay in the Philippines.
Only fully vaccinated foreign visitors will be allowed entry to the country. Children below 12 years old will be exempted if they are travelling with fully vaccinated foreign parents.
Meanwhile, those between 12 to 17 years old must follow the protocols based on their vaccination status and shall be accompanied by their parents during their facility-based quarantine.
An individual is deemed fully vaccinated if he or she received the second dose in a two-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than 14 days before the date and time of departure from the point of origin.
While foreign visitors will not be required to undergo facility-based quarantine, Romulo-Puyat reminded arriving travellers that they should continue self-monitoring and report to the local government unit of their destination should they exhibit any Covid-19 symptoms.
“The opening of our borders to eligible foreign visitors and the rebound of the tourism industry can only mean the restoration of the livelihood of millions of Filipinos working in tourism-related establishments and businesses who have been displaced by the pandemic. It will contribute greatly to the eventual revival of the Philippine economy,” Romulo-Puyat said.
SINGAPORE 8 February 2022: Cruise Critic, the world’s leading cruise reviews site and a subsidiary of Tripadvisor, announced a partnership with travel search engine KAYAK to jumpstart the company’s return to offering cruises in its search results.
Now, travellers in the US searching for a cruise on KAYAK will have access to Cruise Critic’s vast network of cruise itineraries and reviews.
As the cruise industry continues to rebound and move toward pre-pandemic levels, interest from travellers looking to book a cruise remains strong. To support this demand – particularly among KAYAK travellers – the two market leaders partner to drive bookings further and assist those looking to return to ocean cruising.
Thanks to the new partnership, KAYAK users can search and shop for a cruise by destination, cruise line and/or departure month directly on KAYAK.com. Once that search is initiated, the user is sent to a Cruise Critic-powered experience which leverages Cruise Critic’s in-depth reviews and wide range of bookable cruises to help travellers find the cruise that best fits their needs.
“Teaming up with KAYAK to bring our vast inventory of cruise ships and reviews to their audience of travellers is an exciting opportunity,” said Cruise Critic, senior director of sales Mark Patscher. “As demand continues to rise across the wider travel market, we’re thrilled to be able to make it easier for KAYAK to more effectively deliver a high-quality cruise experience to their extensive network of users.”
About Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic® is an online cruise guide offering a comprehensive resource for cruise travellers, from first-time cruisers to avid cruise enthusiasts. The site features more than 650,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world’s largest online cruise community, where travellers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers. Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet, launched in October 1995 by The Independent Traveler Inc, a subsidiary of Tripadvisor Inc.
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 February 2022: Three airlines under AirAsia
Aviation Limited’s banner have again been awarded for upholding the highest
levels of safety and operational integrity with a 7/7 rating from the experts
at airlineratings.com.
This follows a similar rating awarded at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
AirAsia Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines gained
recognition for their robust and comprehensive Covid-19 mitigation plans in an
announcement by airlineratings.com released at the weekend.
The airline group was also named as one of the top 20 safest
low-cost airlines for 2022 by the same panel of experts at airlineratings.com.
The airline group was also amongst the first to achieve the
highest Covid safety ratings from airlineratings.com in 2020 for all the
innovations introduced to make flying safer and more hygienic than ever in the
new world of air travel.
AirAsia Aviation Limited is a subsidiary of Capital A Berhad
(formerly known as AirAsia Group Berhad).
AirAsia Aviation Limited Group CEO Bo Lingam said:
“Safety is the number one determining factor for air travellers, and this
is more important than ever now that we have started living with the virus.
This is a fantastic achievement for our airline Group and I thank the experts
at airlineratings.com for understanding and recognising the amount of work we
have put into making sure our airlines are not only safe and affordable, but
more contactless and hygienic than ever in the new world of travel.
Airlineratings.com editor in chief and founder Geoffrey
Thomas said: “The airlines in the AirAsia Group which we have acknowledged have
continued to pass the major International Air Transport Association Operation
(IATA Safety Audit – IOSA) which covers more than 1,060 parameters.”
BANGKOK, 7 February: Diethelm-Keller Group,
founders of Diethelm Travel, Thailand’s oldest destination management company,
have sold their remaining shares in the company to Tourasia’s Stefan Roemer and
two partners, according to a Diethelm Travel statement released last Friday.
Roemer, who currently heads Diethelm Travel as its CEO is joined by partners Thomas Maurer (Arcothai International, an exhibition, party entertainment service founded 2016) and a Swiss IT and private equity investor Gonpo Tsering. Together they have taken over the remaining shares in Diethelm Travel, a company established in 1957 that today commands a network of 13 offices in Asia.
Gonpo Tsering ( Photo Credit: Vereign.Com)
In 2017, Diethelm Travel Holdings and
Tourasia Roemer AG – the largest tour operator in Switzerland specializing in
travel to Asia – merged their Asian destination management operations.
Diethelm Travel’s statement says Stefan
Roemer, CEO of Diethelm Travel and founder of Tourasia, has been investing in
Diethelm Travel Holding AG for several years and is pleased that DK Travel
Holding AG, has agreed to sell its last shares to him and his new partners.
Details and conditions of the deal were not disclosed.
“I am excited to assume full ownership of
Diethelm Travel together with my new partners and would like to thank Diethelm
Keller Travel Holding for the great partnership over the years as well as their
trust in us to lead the business into the future successfully. I am confident
that Diethelm Travel is well-positioned to take advantage of the travel
industry taking off again in 2022,” said Roemer.
Thomas Maurer (Photo Credit:Travelnews CH)
According to Roemer, he and his partners
will take Diethelm Travel to “the new era of travel empowered with advance IT
system while staying true to our DNA as your trusted DMC in Asia.”
Backstory
Travelnews, a Swiss travel news publication,
presented the backstory that showed the Diethelm Keller Group set a course to
exit the travel industry back in 2018.
“As part of that decision, there were soon
changes in the portfolio within the group’s own travel arm DK Travel Group. In
2020, as a result of the pandemic, STA Travel went bankrupt, and Globetrotter
was repurchased by its founder. Explorer Fernreisen was also sold. As the
former head of DK Travel Group, Casper Urhammer explained to Travelnews in
December 2020 that a buyer for the shares in Diethelm Travel Group, one of the
largest Asian destination management companies, has since been sought. The
process was already underway.”
Stefan Roemer (Photo Credit: Travelnews CH)
The Swiss Asia specialist Tourasia has been
participating in an investment process since late 2017, when Tourasia founder
Stephan Roemer became CEO of the Diethelm Travel Group.
“In December 2020, Roemer told Travelnews
that he was “interested in principle” in taking over the Diethelm
Travel Group himself. Because of the pandemic, however, he was not willing to
take major financial risks at the time.
“But in 2021 the final pieces fell into
place. Even though a negotiated right of first refusal had expired, Roemer was
able to secure the entire Diethelm Travel Group by the end of December,”
according to Travelnews.
“Three investors jointly took over the DTG
shares of the Diethelm Keller Group. In addition to Tourasia Roemer AG, it
included Arcothai International Ltd, the holding company of Thomas Maurer, a
veteran Swiss tour specialist based in Bangkok. He had earlier sold his DMC
Travel Center Asia to the Diethelm Travel Group. After that development, he was
associated with the company in an advisory capacity. He is now stepping up to
the role of a co-investor.
“The third investor is Gonpo Tsering, who
according to “Bilanz” is one of the 300 richest Swiss nationals and
is credited with being the brains behind the IPOs of DKSH Holding AG and On
Shoes.
“Tsering is not only known for large IPOs
but also as a ‘deep tech investor’. For example, as an investor in companies
with innovative technology, that is probably an indication Diethelm Travel is
now taking the next step in terms of technology,” Travelnews reported.
Details of the deal, such as the price paid
for the remaining shares, the shareholding breakdown or other considerations
such as debt write-off, remain confidential.
Travelnews noted that “Roemer himself
stated he does not hold “a majority” in Diethelm Travel, but that the
three investors hold equal shares.
According to Travelnews, Roemer added:
“It was crucial for me to find partners who are willing to support the
ongoing transformation of Diethelm Travel to become a dynamic DMC.”
Roemer informed his own Tourasia management
team in Wallisellen Switzerland, about the deal on 3 February.
TravelNews concluded: “In a letter to
business partners, Roemer explains that together with the new investors,
Diethelm Travel wants to move forward “with the groove of a startup”.
Watch this space
Could that hint of an IPO brewing further down the track and a major shift in direction involving cutting edge travel technology?
The intervention of private equity investor Gonpo Tsering offers a glimpse of the path the restructured Diethelm Travel could take over the next three years. Both Roemer and Maurer are career tour operators or DMC specialists. In contrast, Gonpo Tsering brings to the table experience in IT, marketing, finance M&A, and managing large projects. He was on the DKSH executive board for over a decade. Also, he has served as vice-chairman of security printer Orell Füssli and chairman of luxury watchmakers Maurice Lacroix and Bovet. He currently sits on several company boards, including Cysec, the Go AG, Anapaya, Vereign and Dizmo. More to the point, he is also a significant private equity investor known for identifying promising tech startups in Europe and Asia.
Born again?
Diethelm Travel Group should enjoy the luxury of starting 2022 with a clean slate and a substantial war chest to navigate a new path in travel technology that will surprise competitors — a born again travel firm?
BANGKOK, 7 February 2022: The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon
will be the Standard brand’s flagship hotel in Asia and the latest addition to
its growing global portfolio once it opens on 11 May.
The company launch announcement confirms the hotel opened
reservations on 4 February.
Located in Bangkok’s central business district between the
Sathorn and Silom roads, the hotel is located in the landmark King Power
Mahanakhon Building, a 78-story mixed-use building that is one of the tallest
in Thailand.
Standard International executive chairman Amar Lalvani said: “We couldn’t be more proud to partner with King Power to open our flagship for the region in this awe-inspiring building.”
With 155-rooms, the Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon joins the
group’s portfolio that includes Standard High Line and Standard in London,
waterside retreats in Miami, the Maldives, and Hua Hin, and the Standard in
Ibiza, due to open this Spring.
Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon offers a pre-opening 25% discount off the best available rate, including breakfast for two persons. The offer is open on bookings made until 31 July for stays booked between 11 May and 28 February 2023. Including the 25% discount, the hotel’s website shows a nightly rate of THB6,174, including tax and service for a 9 July reservation without identifying the benchmark best available rate.
MANILA, 7 February 2022: The country’s tourism industry will
welcome fully vaccinated international travellers starting 10 February, the
Department of Tourism (DOT) reported last week.
According to The Philippines News Agency report, Tourism
Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the sector had been preparing for this
development since the borders were closed in 2020.
“While this will be the first time the Philippines is
opening its doors for foreign leisure travellers since the start of the
pandemic, the tourism industry has prepared for this development for close to
two years,” she said in a text message. “We look forward to welcoming
foreign visitors once again, especially with Metro Manila, the country’s main
international gateway, placed under Alert Level 2.”
She confirmed that health and safety protocols would remain
in place.
“Tourism workers have been vaccinated, and the
observance of health and safety protocols at every destination remains to be a
priority. The DOT will be focusing its efforts on the visa-free countries under
EO 408 that are identified as our key, strategic, and opportunity
markets,” she said.
Travellers must be fully vaccinated and arriving from
countries that are on the visa-free list. They must present a negative RT-PCR
test taken within 48 hours before their departure from the country of origin.
At the latest count, 157 countries enjoy visa-free entry
privileges to the Philippines. They include top tourist markets such as South
Korea, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, US and Germany.
Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) chief-operating-officer Ma.
Anthonette Velasco-Allones noted the country had established 79 tourism
circuits, consisting of travel-ready places in different regions.
“It is safe to say that they are ready. They are more
than ready,” she said, adding that the TPB is also working with the
DOT-National Capital Region to “refresh” visitor arrival areas in
Metro Manila.
The government is also eyeing to further streamline travel
rules in destinations to make travel more convenient, especially for foreign
tourists.
With the Philippines finally reopening its gates to leisure
travellers, Velasco-Allones expressed optimism about the Philippines’ tourism
industry in 2022.
“Our outlook for the tourism industry in 2022 is quite
optimistic. Imagine the first major global summit will happen in the
Philippines in April,” she said, referring to the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC) Global Summit.
She added that the government would continue to promote and
develop the Philippines as a top international MICE-destination.
Aside from the WTTC Global Summit, one of the events slated
in the coming months is the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
“Our MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) team is also in talks with several professional associations like medical groups wellness groups because there are professional and corporate events already in our calendar,” Velasco-Allones said.
SINGAPORE, 7 February 2022: Carnival Cruise Line has changed
its fleet deployment plan, including two ships leaving the fleet, as it
implements a restart of cruises in the US and adjusts for the continued
uncertainty in Australia.
Carnival announced the following updates:
Jacksonville: As previously announced, Carnival Spirit will replace Carnival Ecstasy in Jacksonville. While that will happen for departures from 7 March to. 9 April 2022, the next two cruises are cancelled. A new ship will be assigned from the Carnival fleet to Jacksonville for the Ecstasy itineraries, effective 23 April 2022.
Mobile: Carnival Ecstasy will reposition to Mobile for departures from 5 March through 10 October 2022. Cruises from Mobile planned for Carnival Sensation from 15 October 2022 through 30 September 2023 are cancelled.
Australia: Carnival is cancelling Carnival Splendor sailings from 10 June through 26 September 2022 and Carnival Spirit sailings from 5 June 2022 to 5 October 2023.
As part of this deployment plan, Carnival Sensation will not
restart operations, and Carnival Ecstasy’s last cruise will depart on 10 October 2022 from Mobile. Both ships will
leave the Carnival fleet.
