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Cross-border QR payments ease in Southeast Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 1 February 2022: Cross-border QR Payments between Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are now available, enabling convenient instant payments using just mobile phones.

Further to the joint announcement between central banks of Malaysia and Thailand last year and the joint announcement between the central banks of Malaysia and Indonesia on 27 January 2022, Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) confirmed the payment channels.

• The link with Thailand’s National ITMX has been completed and QR payments are now interoperable between both countries. Travellers between Malaysia and Thailand can opt to make e-payments using their respective home country’s interoperable QRs at participating merchants.

• In partnership with ALTO, ARTAJASA, JALIN & RINTIS, Cross-Border QR payments between Malaysia and Indonesia are now live and interoperable between both countries. Similarly, the link between DuitNow QR and Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) will allow travellers between Malaysia and Indonesia to make instant e-payments at participating merchants.

Paving the way for the Malaysia-Thailand collaboration is Public Bank Berhad, which became the first Malaysian bank together with Razer Merchant Services as the first merchant acquirer provider to participate in the linkage as well as Kasikornbank and Siam Commercial Bank from Thailand.

As for enabling the Malaysia-Indonesia link, among the participating banks are Bank Indonesia, CIMB Niaga, Bank Sinarmas, Bank Central Asia, Bank Mega, Bank Permata, Bank Syariah Indonesia as well as Bank BPD Bali along with Bank Mandiri as the merchant acquirer.

The Malaysia-Indonesia link will also allow payments from eWallets via ShopeePay, Ottocash, DANA, and LinkAja. In the coming months, more banks and merchant acquirers from all three countries respectively are expected to participate.

Malaysians abroad can make payments at participating merchants in Thailand or Indonesia by simply launching their mobile banking or eWallet app to scan the merchants’ QR codes in the respective countries. Conversely, the people from Thailand and Indonesia visiting Malaysia can do the same by scanning DuitNow QR standees to make payments at any participating merchants in Malaysia.

These innovative approaches towards cross border linkage of the financial sector will help establish an international link between merchants and customers in ASEAN countries. This will help accelerate the development of a healthier competitive market and boost regional and international economic activities. With plans of future links with other emerging economies in the ASEAN region, it opens the door for Malaysian industries and businesses to expand beyond our physical borders, contributing to Malaysia’s global trade.

About Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Payments Network Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“PayNet”) is a national payments network and shared central infrastructure for Malaysia financial markets. It is also the operator of MyDebit domestic debit card scheme with over 46 million cards in circulation.

For more information, visit http://www.paynet.my/

(Source: Bernama)

Flight Centre names sustainability officer

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 February 2022: Flight Centre Travel Group, the parent company of FCM Travel, has appointed Michelle Degenhardt as its global sustainability officer.

The appointment is effective immediately and comes as the company, which is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, ramps up its corporate social responsibility efforts.

She is based in FLT’s global head office in Brisbane, Australia. In the newly created role, she will work closely with teams from FLT and its corporate brands across all levels to help ensure the company’s business practices are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

She will collaborate with FLT and its subsidiaries’ various stakeholders including the senior leadership team, employees, leisure and corporate customers, suppliers and partners to further develop and oversee the execution of strategies to deliver on the organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.

“Sustainability is an area that is extremely important to our company, our people and our leisure and corporate customers,” FLT Managing Director Graham Turner said.

“While we have always had a strong commitment to operating sustainability, as evidenced by the vast array of programmes and initiatives that are deeply embedded within our organisational culture, we are committed to enhancing our record in the future. Michelle’s appointment to this newly created role underlines this commitment and follows the release of our first sustainability report earlier this year.”

Berjaya Makati’s sentence eased

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TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, 1 February 2022: The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) has shortened the Berjaya Makati Hotel’s suspension over a Covid-19 rule infraction from three to two months.

The Philippines News Agency report said DOT considered the welfare of hotel staff who would suffer from a lengthy closure.

The hotel was suspended after allowing Gwyneth Chua, a traveller from the US, to leave its premises while still undergoing mandatory quarantine in December last year.

Chua was seen at a bar in Poblacion, Makati and later tested positive for Covid-19.

Berjaya’s PHP13,200 fine for violation of health and safety protocols remains. The hotel management has since implemented stricter measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future, the report stated.

(Source: PNA)

ASEAN adopts new logo

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 February 2022: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) introduced recently a new logo and a tagline, “A Destination For Every Dream”.

The new promotional collateral came from the US branding experts ELMNTL, a full-service marketing and communications agency.

The new logo and tagline replace the first generation “Southeast Asia Feel the warmth” logo that had a long career dating back to its launch in 2010. It was coupled with the introduction of a supporting website www.southeastAsia.org. At the time, USAID funds got the website up and running with the aim of driving direct bookings from travel consumers to member countries. Then a decade later in 2020 at the ATF in Brunei, it was refreshed marketing-wise with Mastercard stepping in to drive a two-year consumer campaign that expired in December 2021.

Finally, last month, ASEAN unveiled a branding replacement. The new logo features 10 “spokes”, each representing member states, to form the sun in a harmonious balance. The contemporary take of the sun symbolises vitality and renewal and conveys a “propelling” movement that speaks of the future-facing aspirations of Southeast Asia or so the designers argued.

The tagline “A Destination For Every Dream” embodies the concept of diversity and possibilities in travel in this region. With a panoply of historical sights, cuisines, adventures, cultures, natural landscapes, and modern metropolis, everyone can be sure of having their travel dreams fulfilled with a visit to Southeast Asia.

“The Southeast Asia region is beautifully diverse in so many ways, from culture and cuisine to natural landscapes and people, and we want to share all these with the wider world. This new creative direction for ASEAN is timely as we emerge from the pandemic with a renewed purpose to market Southeast Asia to those looking for their next dream holiday,” said the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Partnership Working Group chair and Singapore Tourism Board’s executive director, international Group HQ and Oceania Oliver Chong,

Expedia tops LGBTQ equality score

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEATTLE, 1 February 2022: Human Rights Campaign (HRC) awarded Expedia Group a top score of 100 on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

The results of the 2022 CEI showcase how 1,271 U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the US and helping to advance the cause of LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplaces abroad.

“I am proud of the work Expedia Group has done to earn a top score on the Corporate Equality Index for the sixth year in a row,” said Expedia Group chief inclusion and diversity officer Michael Davis Velasco. “There’s still plenty of work to do and progress to make, and we remain focused on playing a role in building a more inclusive world.”

In support of furthering inclusivity, Expedia Group signed HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. In collaboration with the Expedia Group’s Inclusion and Diversity team, the company’s Pride Employee Resource Group and Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Inclusion Advisory Council engage in critical work every day to elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts internally and help rebuild travel in a way that helps everyone feel invited to explore the world.

Now in its 20th year, the Corporate Equality Index raised the bar to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere. The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million US workers and an additional 18 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid-to-large-sized companies.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

  • Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
  • Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
  • Supporting an inclusive culture;
  • Corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

(Source: Expedia)

The Philippines readies to reopen to tourists

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TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, 1 February 2022: The Philippines will open its tourism door to fully vaccinated travellers starting 10 February, according to a government statement released at the weekend.

Earlier, the country had planned to welcome tourists back in December but delayed the opening when the more contagious Omicron variant gained a footing.

“The (reopening) will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and for businesses that had earlier shut down,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said in a statement on the revised opening date.

Quarantine requirements for Filipinos end today, 1 February. 

Meanwhile, tourism officials in Boracay welcomed the latest update noting foreign tourists have been unable to visit for close to two years. They are speeding up the issue of guidelines and protocols, but it is understood Boracay will still require negative PCR test results and proof of vaccination when visiting the island.

Commenting on recovery prospects, officials conceded it could take up to five years to get back to normal. In the meantime, Boracay did welcome around 33,000 domestic visitors during January.

Emirates restores flights to Africa

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE, 31 January 2022: Emirates resumed passenger operations between Dubai and five African countries 29 January, offering customers improved connectivity to and through Dubai.

The restoration of services includes Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dar El Salaam, Tanzania; Nairobi, Kenya; Harare, Zimbabwe; Emirates’ three South African gateways, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Customers flying in and out of Emirates’ African gateways can safely connect to Dubai and to an array of onwards connections to Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, West Asia and Australasia.

South Africa flights

Daily flights between Dubai and South Africa started from Johannesburg, effective 29 January and double daily services from 1 February. Flights to and from Cape Town and Durban will operate daily from 1 February.

o   Emirates flight EK 761 departs Dubai at 0440, arriving in Johannesburg at 1055. EK 762 departs Johannesburg at 1325, arriving in Dubai at 2345hrs. The second daily flight, EK 763, departs Dubai at 1005, arriving in Johannesburg at 1630. The return flight, EK 764, leaves Johannesburg at 1850, arriving in Dubai at 0505 the next day.

o   EK 772 from Dubai to Cape Town departs at 0355hrs, arriving in Cape Town at 1145hrs. EK 771 leaves Cape Town at 1825, arriving in Dubai at 0555 the next day. EK 775 departs Dubai at 1035, arriving in Durban at 1705, and EK 776 takes off from Durban at 1900, arriving in Dubai at 0515hrs the next day.

Kenya flights

Emirates is now served by 10 weekly flights to Nairobi. EK 719 and 720 will operate on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, taking off from Dubai at 0935 and arriving in Nairobi at 1345, in turn leaving Nairobi at 1530, and landing in Dubai at 2130. EK 721 and 722 will fly on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with EK 721 taking off from Dubai at 0210, arriving in Nairobi at 0620. EK 722 will leave Nairobi at 2355, arriving in Dubai at 0555.

Ethiopia: Emirates flights to Addis Ababa will operate daily started 30 January, with EK 723 taking off from Dubai at 0925, arriving in Addis Ababa at 1240. EK 724 departs Addis Ababa at 1505 and arrives in Dubai at 2015.

Tanzania flights

Emirates flies to Dar Es Salaam five times a week. EK 725 will take off from Dubai at 0930, arriving in Dar Es Salaam at 1355. EK 726 will leave Dar Es Salaam at 1525, landing in Dubai at 2150.

Zimbabwe flights

Emirates flies to Harare with six weekly flights linked to its Lusaka service. EK 713 leaves Dubai at 0920, with a stop in Lusaka, and arrives in Harare at 1700. EK 714 takes off from Harare at 1845, stopping in Lusaka, and continuing on to Dubai to arrive at 0625 the next day.

All passengers travelling from Emirates’ African network with Dubai as their final destination require a 48 hour PCR test. Passengers must present a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code for a test conducted at an approved facility, and validity must be calculated from the time the sample was collected. Upon arrival in Dubai, passengers will undergo an additional Covid-19 PCR test and remain in self-quarantine until the results of the test are received.

Passengers travelling from these destinations and transiting in Dubai are required to follow the rules and requirements of their final destination.

For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai visit: – https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/tourists/

All flights can be booked on emirates.com, with OTAs and via travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Tip of Borneo temporarily closed

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TTR WEEKLY
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KOTA KINABALU, 31 January 2022: One of Kudat’s main tourist attractions, the Tip of Borneo Tanjung Simpang Mengayau is closed for upgrading and renovation works that got underway on 28 January.

Popular among the locals, Tip of Borneo was also promoted by Sabah Tourism through international events such as the Sunset Music Fest and the Music & Surf Festival. Kudat became well-known for its beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear turquoise water. The locals also favour Kudat for its fresh seafood and cultural attractions such as the Sumangkap Gong Village, Tinangol Handicraft Village, Walai Tobilung and the Bavanggazo longhouse.

 “We proposed to upgrade the Tip of Borneo area to enhance and improve the facilities there. We have already obtained funding approval under the State Project Development RMK12,” said YB Datuk Jafry Ariffin, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah.

“Once completed, visitors will expect upgraded facilities such as resting huts, walkways, toilets, viewing platform, souvenir shop and a reception & information centre,” Jafry added.

March last year, the Tun Mustapha Museum, Kudat’s very own museum, was completed under the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK11) while MYR1 million has been allocated to develop Balambangan Cave, another attraction just an hour boat ride from Kudat Marina jetty.

In 2018, the 11-hectare Tip of Borneo was gazetted for community purposes and put under the care of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah.

Website | www.sabahtourism.com

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

AirAsia Group is now Capital A

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 31 January 2022: AirAsia Group Berhad has changed its name to Capital A Berhad to reflect the push into non-airline activities.

The change reflects the group’s evolving business strategy as an investment holding company with a portfolio of synergistic travel and lifestyle businesses, which have rapidly transformed the AirAsia brand into much more than just an airline.

(Second from left)  Colin Currie, President (Commercial) of Capital A and CEO, AirAsia Digital Sdn Bhd; Bo Lingam, President (Aviation) and Group CEO, AirAsia Aviation Limited; Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A.

Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes explained: “This is not just about unveiling a new logo. It’s a significant milestone that marks a new era for the group. Today’s announcement reinforces we are not just an airline anymore.

“While the airline will always underpin the AirAsia brand, it has long been my firm intention, well before Covid hit, to leverage the strong data we have built up over 20 years and incorporate industry-leading new technologies to offer a broad range of products and services, over and above selling just airfares. The pandemic has allowed us to accelerate that strategy.”

He called Capital A “essentially an investment company with a broad portfolio of businesses delivering more products and services under one umbrella than any other brand in ASEAN and with access to over 700 million people in the region.”

The group has 16 products and services under the AirAsia Super App and claims to be one of the top three online travel agents (OTAs) in the ASEAN region.

“We already have over 50 million monthly unique visitors on our super app, which has been recognised as a tech unicorn in under two years, our fintech business BigPay, has been given a significant injection of USD100million from South Korea conglomerate SK Group and overall we have raised over MYR2.5 billion to date through our fundraising strategy.”

On the airline, he stressed: “While Capital A will be the new group holding company name, one thing that isn’t changing is the AirAsia brand name for our airlines. It’s one of the strongest brands in Asia and provides a solid platform for all of our other products and services to leverage from each other. 

The new holding company name, Capital A, is immediately effective following the successful registration of the name by the Companies Commission of Malaysia announced on 3 January and the subsequent formal approvals received last week.

The name change from AirAsia Group Berhad to Capital A Berhad will not affect the company’s ongoing operations. The AirAsia stock name on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad will change with immediate effect to reflect the new company name.

The website address: capitala.airasia.com

Scoot rebuilds Southeast Asian routes

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 31 January 2022: Scoot is resuming flights to Vietnam following the country’s decision to reopen to international travellers. 

Late last week, it started four weekly roundtrip flights between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City and planned to return to Hanoi with a twice-weekly service beginning 22 February.

Lead-in fares on the Singapore – Ho Chi Minh City route start at SGD111(VND1,175,474) all-inclusive, one-way, and lead-in fares for Singapore – Hanoi start at SGD150 (VND 1,735,474).

In addition to Scoot’s current network in Malaysia, the airline will launch two weekly flights between Singapore and Miri from 23 February 2022. It is the second city the airline serves in Sarawak, following flights to the state capital, Kuching. Lead-in one-way fares on the Singapore – Miri route start at SGD100 (MYR185.

Last week Scoot confirmed it was resuming flights between Singapore and the Gold Coast, Australia, and with flights to Miri, Scoot’s network encompasses 71 destinations across 17 countries and territories.

Flight Schedule for Singapore- Ho Chi Minh services (26 January – 21 February 2022)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency
Singapore (SIN) – Ho Chi Minh (SGN) TR302 1610 1715 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Ho Chi Minh (SGN) – Singapore (SIN) TR303 1755 2105 Daily

All times are local. Schedules are subject to changes and regulatory approval.

Flight Schedule for Singapore- Hanoi services (22 February – 26 March 2022)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency
Singapore (SIN) – Hanoi (HAN) TR300 0800 1030 Tuesday, Saturday
Hanoi (HAN) – Singapore (SIN) TR301 1110 1545 Tuesday, Saturday

Flight Schedule for Singapore- Hanoi services (22 February – 26 March 2022)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency
Singapore (SIN) – Hanoi (HAN) TR300 0800 1030 Tuesday, Saturday
Hanoi (HAN) – Singapore (SIN) TR301 1110 1545 Tuesday, Saturday

(Source: Scoot)

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