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Russia rises on Dubai’s travel chart

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DUBAI, 2 February 2022: Russia has grown to become the second-largest source market for Dubai’s travel and tourism sector in 2021, climbing from eighth place in last year’s rankings, according to data released before the next edition of the next edition Arabian Travel Market.

The travel trade show will be hosted in the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 9 to 12 May 2022.

Commissioned by Reed Exhibitions (RX), the organisers of ATM 2022, the Colliers report concluded that the UAE is also likely to retain its status as the preferred GCC destination for Russian visitors over the longer term, accounting for more than 90% of inbound arrivals in 2026.

In addition to the volume of inbound visitors to the UAE, the average spend of Russian travellers is expected to grow significantly between 2021 and 2026, increasing by USD85 to reach approximately USD1,280 per person during this period. Consequently, the Russian market is on course to surpass USD1 billion for the Emirates within the next four years.

Arabian Travel Market exhibition director ME Danielle Curtis said: “The latest figures from Colliers demonstrate that visitors from Russia are playing – and will continue to play – an important role for our region’s travel sector, especially when it comes to the UAE.

“The fact that Dubai was among the first destinations to open its borders to Russian travellers without the need to quarantine has no doubt been a significant factor in the sustained levels of visitation, with 296,000 inbound arrivals to the emirate in 2020.

“Encouragingly, 2021 numbers look set to surpass that figure, with Dubai having welcomed 256,000 visitors from Russia as of the third quarter of the year.”

The Russian market’s average length of stay saw a year-on-year uptick of 74.5% in Q4 2020, growing to 8.2 nights from the 4.7 nights recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year.

Colliers researchers predict that drivers such as Expo 2020 Dubai and spillover demand from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will boost inbound from Russia by 170% in the short term. However, a gradual decline in the average length of stay is expected as new regional destinations emerge.

ATM 2022 will have a dedicated seminar on the Russian market organised by Destination of the World News, focusing on the luxury end of the market.

ATM show highlights in 2022 will include destination summits focused on the key source markets of Saudi Arabia, Russia and India.

Travel Forward, the leading global event for travel technology will shine a spotlight on next-generation innovations for tourism and hospitality. ATM buyer forums and speed networking events will take place during the four days of the show.

Bali reopens to all nationalities

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BALI, 2 February 2022: Bali gets the green light to reopen its doors to all international tourists starting 4 February, according to a statement made by the country’s tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno.

He made the announcement on Monday during his virtual weekly press briefing. First reported by Bali Sun online news, the tourism minister confirmed the island would open to all international visitors starting this Friday.

Visa and health insurance requirements will be released by the opening date. Travellers will still need to comply with the current quarantine and testing rules in Bali. Vaccinated travellers need to quarantine for five to seven days.

Other requirements such as reinstating the visa-on-arrival scheme are still pending a government decision. Until the visa and health rules are clarified and a review of quarantine rules takes place, the reopening will have a slow start.

International travellers will be able to enter the island on either direct or connecting flights. Garuda Indonesia has already confirmed it will resume direct flights from Narita Tokyo, Japan to Bali, and travellers will also be able to travel to Jakarta on Garuda and then connect with flights to Bali.

Singapore Airlines says it will resume daily flights to Bali from Singapore on 16 February.

On a limited scale that was not particularly successful, Bali officially reopened to visitors from a shortlist of approved countries last October, but only on direct flights. The list included China, New Zealand, and Japan, but very few flights landed in Bali.

(Source: Bali Sun)

How to navigate Singapore’s health rules

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SINGAPORE, 2 February 2022: The Singapore Tourism Board and five tourism industry associations launched the Safe Itinerary Guide and “Experience Singapore” Compendium last week as Singapore prepares to welcome more international travellers.

The two handbooks will help the industry design and deliver innovative experiences that are in line with new traveller demands. STB partnered with the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), Association of Singapore Attractions (ASA), Singapore Association of Conventions & Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and Society of Tourist Guides Singapore (STGS).

The Safe Itinerary Guide provides strategies to help tourism businesses better understand their consumers so that they can personalise travel itineraries based on traveller profiles. It also outlines how businesses can design safe and engaging visitor journeys while highlighting key capabilities such as data analytics and design thinking, which are needed to respond to future challenges.

For example, tourism businesses are encouraged to explore cross-sector partnerships with healthcare providers to give travellers added assurance during their travels or gamify their offerings to keep travellers engaged.

Key information from the guide will also be shared with overseas travel businesses and partners.

Meanwhile, the “Experience Singapore” Compendium consists of tourism and lifestyle offerings for leisure and business travellers across various price points and interests. This was also developed in partnership with the five tourism associations. They engaged their members to design and curate experiences for various customer segments.

For example, visitors looking to satisfy their wanderlust can take part in an aviation experiential workshop or explore landscapes around the world with a virtual reality flight simulator. Art enthusiasts can interact with art pieces by renowned artists through augmented reality, while those seeking a more exclusive experience can take part in back-of-house tours. Some of these experiences have already been incorporated by the providers into itineraries for visitors coming to Singapore on the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs). The compendium even provides travel intermediaries with helpful information on healthcare services, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and telemedicine consultation services.

Singapore Tourism Board director, travel agents and tourist guides Kenneth Lim said: “As international tourism gradually resumes, consumers will have to navigate various health and safety requirements when planning their travels. STB has worked closely with our tourism partners to put these resources together so that they can design travel itineraries that add value and reduce friction for their customers. We hope that these resources will be useful as Singapore progressively reopens our borders.”

“Covid-19 has changed the way people live and travel, and we hope to encourage tourism businesses to develop creative and compelling offerings while providing a safe experience for visitors. We also hope the launch of the Experience Singapore Compendium will encourage and pave the way for greater collaboration across the tourism sector,” said NATAS secretary-general and chairman of the Experience Singapore! Committee Charles Tan.

The Safe Itinerary Guide and “Experience Singapore.” The Compendium can be downloaded from the Travel Related Users’ System (TRUST) website (https://trust.stb.gov.sg).

AAHK extends airport fee waivers

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HONG KONG, 2 February 2022: The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has extended its relief package by two months to the end of March 2022 to continue support for airlines and airport service providers against the prolonged impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry.

The extension up to March 2022 includes the following:
Full waiver of parking charges for idle passenger aircraft and airbridge fees;
Reduction of passenger aircraft landing charges;
Fee reduction related to ramp handling, maintenance and airside vehicles;
Rental reduction for terminal tenants covering lounges and offices; Fees wavier for terminal licensees including ancillary passenger services, commercial services counters and cross-border transport operators; Concessions on fees for aviation support services such as into-plane fuelling, aircraft maintenance and inflight catering services.

The rental relief for retail and catering tenants will also continue. Most of the shops and restaurants in the terminal have suspended business, and rentals were waived. The base rent is also waived for those that remain open to provide essential services.

IATA: Accelerate easing of travel restrictions

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GENEVA, 2 February 2022: Governments must accelerate the easing of travel restrictions as Covid-19 continues to evolve from a pandemic to endemic stage, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urges in its latest press statement. 

“With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence, and opinion opposing the targeting of travellers with restrictions and country bans to control the spread of Covid-19. The measures have not worked,” said IATA’s director general Willie Walsh.

“Today, Omicron is present in all parts of the world. That’s why travel, with very few exceptions, does not increase the risk to general populations. The billions spent testing travellers would be far more effective if allocated to vaccine distribution or strengthening health care systems.” 

IATA recommendations

  • Remove all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine.
  • Enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result.
  • Remove travel bans, and
  • Accelerate the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travellers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population.

A recently published study by Oxera and Edge Health demonstrated the extremely limited impact of travel restrictions on controlling the spread of Omicron.

Study takeaways

If the UK’s extra measures with respect to Omicron had been in place from the beginning of November (prior to the identification of the variant), the peak of the Omicron wave would have been delayed by just five days with 3% fewer cases.

The absence of any testing measures for travellers would have seen the Omicron wave peak seven days earlier with an overall 8% increase in cases.

Now that Omicron is highly prevalent in the UK, if all travel testing requirements were removed, there would be no impact on Omicron case numbers or hospitalisations in the UK.

“While the study is specific to the UK, it is clear that travel restrictions in any part of the world have had little impact on the spread of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant. The UK, France and Switzerland have recognised this and are among the first to begin removing travel measures. More governments need to follow their lead. Accelerating the removal of travel restrictions will be a major step towards living with the virus,” said Walsh.

Covid-19 becomes endemic?

All indications point to Covid-19 becoming an endemic condition — one that humankind now has the tools (including vaccination and therapeutics) to live and travel with, bolstered by growing population immunity.

This aligns with the advice from public health experts to shift the policy focus from an individual’s health status towards policies focusing on population-wide protection. It is important that governments and the travel industry are well-prepared for the transition and ready to remove the burden of measures that disrupt travel, IATA concluded.

“The current situation of travel restrictions is a mess. There is one problem – Covid-19. But there seem to be more unique solutions to managing travel and Covid-19 than there are countries to travel to. Indeed research from the Migration Policy Institute has counted more than 100,000 travel measures around the world that create complexity for passengers, airlines and governments to manage. We have two years of experience to guide us on a simplified and coordinated path to normal travel when Covid-19 is endemic. That normality must recognise that travellers, with very few exceptions, will present no greater risk than exists in the general population. And that’s why travellers should not be subject to any greater restrictions than are applied to the general community,” said Walsh.

(Source: IATA)

STB cultivates responsible tourism culture

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 2 February 2022: To cultivate a culture of responsible tourism in Sarawak Divisional Offices, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) recently organised a virtual workshop for their Divisional Tourism Task Group (DTTG).

The workshop, entitled Design Thinking for Responsible Tourism, was managed by the Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE) and gathered 20 participants from DTTGs in Kuching and Southern Sarawak region.

Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board in her welcoming remarks during the workshop, said Sarawak Tourism Board is determined to make Responsible Tourism an integral part of all tourism practices and to cultivate a forward-thinking culture to be a step ahead.

“Sarawak is blessed with bountiful green treasures waiting to be explored, and it is indeed our duty to continue to protect and conserve its diverse Sarawak’s Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 ecosystem, so we can preserve it for future generations to come,” Sharzede said.

“This workshop will not only empower us to face future concerns but also help to embrace an experimental attitude so we are able to quickly identify what is needed to develop effective strategies and innovations that will benefit the entire ecosystem,” she added.

The workshop, helmed by an advisor for Center for Technical Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), Dr Valdew Singh, is designed to embed Responsible Tourism as a collective effort and shared responsibility among the various key stakeholders, such as government ministries & agencies, tourism-related companies and the local communities in transforming Sarawak into an eco-tourism destination.

“By embracing useful and viable design-thinking methods to address problems in tourism practices with a user-centric mindset, it will help build an environment that will help accelerate Sarawak to become a preferred leading eco-tourism destination,” he said.

At the end of the workshop, the participants are divided into groups to complete and present a project on exploring and identifying problems of tourism products in their division, define the “how we might help” solutions and present their proposal in a sharing session. 

STB’s Director of Product & Corporate Relations (PCR) Division, Maurice Balang said from the deliverables by the participants STB is looking forward to future collaborations with the DTTG members to pursue their RT initiatives in their respective divisions.

“With such collaborations, we hope that all divisional offices in Sarawak are fully on-board with STB’s RT agenda, which is in alignment with the state’s Post-Covid Development Strategy 2030.

One of the workshop participants, Louis Andria Barieng from Samarahan Resident Office, said he appreciates STB’s collective effort in placing sustainability value at its forefront.

“The workshop has enabled my team to identify, define and resolve challenges in the Responsible Tourism space and allow us to consider the concerns from the perspective of others, which facilitates a better understanding of Responsible Tourism. It has also taught us how to apply the design thinking concept finding solutions to overcome those challenges with sustainability as a foundation,” he said.

The next Design Thinking for Responsible Tourism workshops will also be organised for the DTTGs in Miri (northern region) and Sibu (central region), respectively. 

For more information on Sarawak visit: www.sarawaktourism.com

Thai Vietjet resumes Phnom Penh flights

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BANGKOK, 2 February 2022: Thai Vietjet will resume flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to the Cambodian capital city Phnom Penh, starting 16 March 2022.

The airline will operate three flights weekly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with the following flight schedule:

Flight Number OriginDestination Departure Arrival
VZ720 Bangkok Phnom Penh 08:30 09:40
VZ721 Phnom Penh Bangkok 10:30 11:45

Thai Vietjet chief executive officer Woranate Laprabang commented: “We are delighted to connect Thailand with Cambodia… The service between the two destinations will contribute to the countries’ economic recovery while meeting the increasing travel demand of people in the region.”

To promote the service, the airline has introduced a USD5* New Route, New Experience fare excluding taxes, fees, surcharges, and add-on services for booking made through to 14 February. The travel period runs from 16 March to 31 May 2022. 

In addition, Thai Vietjet has added service between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam up from two to five flights per week.

Recently, the airline announced its new Thailand cross-country services connecting Phuket in southern Thailand to Udon Thani in the northeast of the country close to Thailand’s border with Laos.

Discovery Princess ready for April sailings

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SINGAPORE 1 February 2022: The newest cruise ship in the Princess Cruises fleet – Discovery Princess – was delivered during an official handover at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Discovery Princess expands the Princess Cruises fleet to 15 MedallionClass vessels and features an evolution of the design platform used for the cruise line’s previous Royal-Class ships. The Discovery Princess handover was attended by John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises, Captain Gennaro Arma, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ships Division of Fincantieri.

“Today marks a significant milestone for Princess Cruises as we officially take ownership of the spectacular Discovery Princess,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “We extend our immense gratitude to our long-time and trusted partners at Fincantieri, the shipbuilders of all six of our Royal-Class vessels with Discovery Princess and look forward to welcoming our first guests to experience the beauty of the ship when they embark in just a few weeks.”

The 3,660-guest Discovery Princess is the sixth and final Royal-Class newbuild and shares all of her sister ships’ spectacular style and luxury – Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess and Royal Princess. With an array of innovative new experiences, guests will enjoy 270-degree sweeping views from the largest balconies at sea in the Sky Suites, unwind in ultimate comfort at The Sanctuary and indulge the senses with world-class dining options. Plus, Princess live entertainment presents mesmerizing new Broadway-style production shows that can only be seen in the state-of-the-art Princess Theater. Discovery Princess uses the latest technologies to reduce fuel consumption, treat wastewater, and support our environmental compliance efforts.

In addition, Discovery Princess is the newest ship to join the fleet offering Princess MedallionClass Vacations which begins with the Medallion™ wearable, a quarter-sized device that enables everything from expedited contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need, delivered directly to them, wherever they are on the ship. In addition, guests can share their favourite cruise moments using MedallionNet, the best WiFi at sea, as well as stay connected with friends and family back home, work remotely anywhere on the ship, quickly post content and stream favourite movies and shows.

Discovery Princess will depart Italy and make her way to the Port of Los Angeles to sail on a series of Mexican Riviera and California Coast voyages from 27 March – 24 April 2022, before heading up the Pacific coast to begin a season of seven-day Alaska cruises from Seattle.

More information about Discovery Princess can be found at https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/xp-discovery-princess/

AirAsia X back on Sydney route

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SEPANG, 1 February 2022: Following its restructuring, AirAsia X is resuming its commercial service post-pandemic between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney starting 14 February.

The airline will make full redemptions for its passengers affected by the restructuring a priority so AAX guests can reinstate their flight booking and use their credit account to book flights.

Initially, it will fly every Sunday from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and return on Monday through to 22 March 2022. Schedules for the autumn and winter sessions will be announced in mid-February.

Fares start from MYR1,399 one way all-inclusive* (economy) and from MYR3,999 when booking premium flatbed. From Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, fares start from AUD399 and AUD1,299 one way all-inclusive* respectively.

AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “Without any domestic routes, AAX was significantly affected by the pandemic. We now see the light at the end of this long tunnel, and we are working hard to operate again in all of our key markets. Starting with flights to and from Sydney, we will progressively continue to honour outstanding bookings and Credit Accounts for our guests and creditors in other markets as soon as possible.

“As we anticipate the gradual reopening of international borders around the world in 2022, we are delighted to return to Australia first, as one of our most popular markets.”

AirAsia X return flight schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney.

Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, international students and eligible visa holders can travel to and from Australia without applying for a travel exemption. For complete entry requirements into Australia, please visit this page.

*All-inclusive of check-in baggage, one meal and one drink

(Source: AirAsia)

Cross-border QR payments ease in Southeast Asia

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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)

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