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Routes Asia lands in Chiang Mai

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TTR WEEKLY
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CHIANG MAI, 15 February 2023: After twice rescheduling in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic restrictions, Routes Asia finally arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Tuesday for its 2023 edition, 14 to 16 February.

Routes is a UK-based company that hosts worldwide aviation and airline events. The 19th edition of Routes Asia welcomes 100 airlines, mainly top executives responsible for network planning, who will hold meetings and network with airport and destination partners from around the region.

Thailand won the bid to host Routes Asia in 2020 following the 2019 host Cebu Philippines, but the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 forced the host Airports of Thailand to reschedule twice. Routes Asia 2022 successfully resumed in the region in 2022, hosted by Danang in central Vietnam, when AOT confirmed new dates for Thailand to host the event in 2023.

The Routes Asia 2023 meetings platform features virtual meeting opportunities, enabling airport and tourism delegates to undertake meetings with 13 of China’s leading carriers which, due to travel restrictions, will take part virtually in meetings hosted during the event in Chiang Mai. Virtual meetings will be available with Chinese airlines such as Air China, China Eastern, China Southern Airlines, and more.

Airline decision-makers worldwide will attend networking sessions, while Routes Asia 2023 features over 40 speakers from trade associations, airline boards of directors, airports and government ministries, who will deliver more than 15 hours of actionable insight for delegates across the three days of the event.

The speaker lineup includes

  • Woranate Laprabang, Chief Executive Officer, Thai Vietjet
  • Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, President, Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited
  • Sarun Benjanirat, Deputy Director, The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand
  • Tao Ma, Regional Director of Asia Pacific, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  • Stefano Baronci, Director General, Airports Council International Asia-Pacific (ACI)
  • Subhas Menon, Director General, Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA)
  • Senthil Balan, Chief Commercial Officer, MYAirline
  • Aaron McGarvey, Director of Business Development, Finnair
  • Jay L Lingeswara, Director Commercial, VietJet Air
  • Thiti Arayakhun, Director of Network Planning and Business Development, Thai Smile Airways
  • Dinh Xuan Thuy, Director of Corporate Planning Division, Bamboo Airways
  • Neil Hathi, Marketing Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Boeing
  • Ignacio Bosch Nacenta, Head of Networking and Scheduling, AirAsia Group
  • Pinyot Pibulsonggram, Head of Commercial, Thai Vietjet
  • Krislen Keri, Senior Commercial Manager, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
  • Anthony Chan, Head of Network Planning, HK Express

Routes director Steven Small said: “Asia-Pacific carriers enjoyed a strong and welcome international travel recovery in 2022. The picture for Asia-Pacific’s airlines, airports and destinations is one of real optimism heading into 2023. Routes Asia 2023 comes at the ideal time for the route development community to negotiate new and existing air services that will continue to build on this momentum.”

Emirates celebrates Valentine s Day

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 14 February 2023: Passengers will enjoy sweet treats onboard flights today as Emirates celebrates Valentine’s Day by serving up love-themed desserts in the lounges, exquisite rosé champagne, tempting gift-giving offers, and an array of romantic movies and music.

Throughout February, love is in the air on ice as Emirates passengers can immerse themselves in feel-good movies, such as the 2022 romantic comedy ‘Ticket to Paradise’, starring Hollywood heartthrobs Julia Roberts and George Clooney. There is a selection of more than 70 romantic comedies and dramas available, including new releases ‘Meet Cute’ starring Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson and ‘Ask Me to Dance’, as well as all-time classics ‘When Harry Met Sally’, ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ and ‘The Notebook’.

On Valentine’s Day, onboard passengers in all classes will be treated to luscious brownies or red velvet cupcakes adorned with red and pink hearts in their own Emirates mini gift box while red mood lighting lights up the aircraft. Up until midnight on 15 February, Emirates Lounges worldwide will raise the romance with a beautiful array of themed treats, from chocolate hearts to Valentine’s mud cake and chocolate-covered strawberries.

For the Bangkok lounge, business and first-class passengers can look forward to special menu items, including salmon wellington with a delicious cream cheese and spinach filling, red velvet cream cheese cupcake, and chocolate cupcakes like a shot of love potion right to the heart.

For more information, visit www.emirates.com.

(Your Stories Emirates)

SIA and Vietnam Airlines sign MoU

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 14 February 2023: Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines (SIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this month to establish codeshare flights as part of a wider commercial agreement.

Introducing codeshare flights between Vietnam and Singapore would improve connectivity and give SQ passengers more options when booking flights from Singapore’s Changi airport to key cities in Vietnam. In the long term, the agreement could extend to codeshare flights from SIA’s other destinations

Mr Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, witnessed the exchange of the signed MoU during the Vietnam-Singapore Business Forum on 10 February 2023.

Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines have enjoyed a long-standing partnership for over 20 years. As international border restrictions eased in 2022, both airlines sought opportunities to expand their bilateral cooperation to provide quality service for their customers travelling between Vietnam and Singapore.

Singapore Airlines chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong said: “Singapore Airlines and Vietnam Airlines have well-established networks, which can support one another to strengthen the connectivity between the two ASEAN countries and to key markets around the world. These win-win arrangements will offer more options and greater value for our customers, support economic growth, and bolster initiatives that facilitate tourism activities.”

Hong Kong’s free ticket treat for travellers

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 14 February 2023: The “World of Winners” Tickets Giveaway Campaign sponsored by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) gets underway on 1 March 2023.

Around 500,000 free airline tickets are on offer for travellers as Hong Kong launches global promotions to speed up the recovery of its aviation and tourism industries.

Airports Authority Hong Kong introduces a free ticket campaign due to roll out 1 March.

Most of the 500,000 tickets will be given away in phases by three home-based airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines, through their respective channels in major passenger markets.

The giveaway will start in Southeast Asia markets on 1 March 2023, followed by Northeast Asia and Mainland China markets for around six months. The airlines will introduce marketing and promotions for the free tickets in late February.

Inbound passengers who win the giveaway tickets will also enjoy special offers on hotel accommodation, shopping and entertainment offered by business partners who join the promotional activities.

AAHK chairman Jack So said: “We bought the tickets from the airlines during the most challenging time under the pandemic, and that is a testament to our confidence in the future of Hong Kong’s aviation industry.

“The campaign will generate a multiplier effect on boosting air traffic and enormous publicity for Hong Kong. Since the relaxation of travel restrictions and quarantine requirements for inbound travellers last year, passenger traffic at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has started to pick up, especially in the last quarter. We also have had a good start in 2023 with the resumption of normal travel with the Mainland. HKIA has always been a major international aviation hub. We are confident that passenger traffic will continue to rise.”

“World of Winners” Tickets Giveaway Campaign: https://wow.hongkongairport.com/tickets

THAI restarts flights to China

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 14 February 2023: Thai Airways International will operate 14 weekly flights to five destinations in China following the country’s border reopening last month.

Flights to China resume on 1 March 2023

1. Bangkok – Kunming: twice weekly flights every Friday and Sunday.

2. Bangkok – Guangzhou: three weekly flights every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

3. Bangkok – Chengdu: twice weekly flights every Tuesday and Thursday.

4. Bangkok – Shanghai: four flights per week every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and

Sunday.

5. Bangkok – Beijing: three weekly flights every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Roundtrip fares in economy from Bangkok (SWB)

Bangkok (BKK) to Kunming (KMG)

01/03/2023 – 05/03/2023
Fares start from THB11,545.

Bangkok (BKK) to Guangzhou (CAN)

06/03/2023 – 03/04/2023
Fares start from THB16,405.

Bangkok (BKK) to Chengdu (TFU)

13/04/2023 – 17/04/2023
Fares start from THB11,135.

Bangkok (BKK) to Shanghai (PVG)

15/03/2023 – 02/04/2023
Fares start from THB17,995.

Bangkok (BKK) to Beijing (PEK)

14/03/2023 – 20/03/2023
Fares start from THB21,575.

JLL reports 14 Thai hotels sold in 2022

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 14 February 2023: Data from property consulting firm JLL reveals that Thailand saw 14 investment-grade hotel transactions totalling THB11 billion in 2022, dropping from THB12.3 billion in 2021 due largely to a slippage of some transactions that did not close before the end of 2022.

However, with continued investor interest and availability of investment-grade assets, JLL expects hotel investment activity in Thailand to grow to THB12 billion this year.

JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group executive vice president of investment sales, Asia Pacific Chakkrit Chakrabandhu Na Ayudhya said: “The total hotel investment volume in 2022 could have made a new high post-Covid if several transactions with exchanged contracts had not seen a delay in completion. With a combined value of approximately THB4 billion, these deferred transactions have been rescheduled for completion in the first half of 2023.

“Despite a 10.6% decline, 2022 represents another strong year in terms of hotel investment activity post-Covid, with the total transaction volume seeing a nearly fivefold increase from just THB1.9 billion in 2020 when Thailand’s tourism market started feeling a severe impact of the pandemic,” he added.

The hotel transactions in 2022 spread across Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, Krabi, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai, according to JLL. Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui remained the top three hotel investment destinations accounting for nearly 70% of the countrywide total transaction volume recorded last year. Bangkok led the pack, witnessing two notable hotels sold with a combined transaction value that accounted for nearly 40% of the total volume. These include Oakwood Studios Sukhumvit Bangkok and Grand Mercure Bangkok Windsor, which were sold to Singapore-based Worldwide Hotels Pte Ltd (WWH) and a leading Thai real estate group, Asset World Corporation (AWC), respectively. JLL represented the sellers on both transactions.

“While all the hotels sold in 2022 belonged to Thai corporations or families, 80% of the investment capital was from domestic investors. This marks a major shift from 2021 when foreign capital accounted for 60% of the total hotel investment volume in Thailand,” commented Chakkrit.

AWC was the most active buyer in Thailand’s hotel investment market last year, according to JLL. Apart from Grand Mercure Bangkok Windsor, the group also acquired Westin Siray Bay in Phuket for approximately THB2.5 billion and dusitD2 Chiang Mai. The latter exchanged contracts in 2021, but it was not until last year that the transaction was complete.

“Looking ahead, we expect 2023 to be a bullish year for hotel investment activities in Thailand. Continued investor interest and a strong pipeline of ongoing hotel investment deals are likely to push hotel investment volume this year to THB12 billion, the pre-COVID annual average volume witnessed between 2010 and 2019,” said Chakkrit.

Supporting Chakkrit’s forecast JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group senior vice president of advisory & asset management Rathawat Kuvijitrsuwan

noted: “There are factors that will drive investment activity in Thailand’s hotel market this year. Many owners have struggled to hold their hotel assets over the past three to four years. Whilst some of these owners are experiencing more challenges, including lenders’ less compromising credit terms and interest rate hikes, the clear path to full recovery of Thailand’s tourism, supported by the reopening of China, is giving them confidence that they are now in a better position to dispose of their hotels.

“On the demand side, we have continued to see strong interest from local and foreign investors in investment-grade hotels in Thailand. Findings from JLL’s Investors’ Sentiment Survey 2H2022 show that Thailand ranked the third most attractive hotel investment destination in the Asia Pacific, after Japan and Australia/New Zealand,” Rathawat concluded.

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm specialising in real estate and investment management. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of USD19.4 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 102,000 as of 30 September 2022. For further information, visit jll.co.th.

AirAsia accelerates the return of China flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEPANG, 14 February 2023: AirAsia resumes flights from its Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu hubs to Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Kunming, starting with 10 flights weekly.

The airline plans to increase frequencies to 27 flights weekly as early as this March.

AirAsia celebrated the resumption of service to/from China with the inaugural flight from Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur on 11 February 2023.  

The first flight to and from China recommenced on 10 February 2023 on the route to Guangzhou.

Complementing the resumption of the short-haul destinations, AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) will reconnect Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu with 10 weekly flights starting 1 March 2023.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “China is an integral market for AirAsia Aviation Group, where we were the largest international low-cost carrier by capacity pre-pandemic. Based on the impressive load factor of our inaugural flight to and from Guangzhou, the restart of our services will provide greater value and accessibility to essential travellers from Malaysia and tourists from China.”

AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail added: “China will be our next primary market focus as we resume our growth strategy flying our most popular and profitable routes. In the past, we witnessed tremendous success with our services to China, where we carried over 1.8 million guests to/from China in 2019 alone.”

As entry to China is limited to certain visas, guests are advised to check the travel requirements before booking flights. For the travel requirements to China, please refer here.

AirAsia Malaysia (AK) is offering all-in* one-way fare for essential travellers from MYR151/MYR223 from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu to Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Kunming.

Starting one-way fares on AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu are MYR899/MYR1,088 in economy class or MYR2,199/MYR3,288 for Premium Flatbed.

*Promotional all-in fare inclusive of airport taxes, MAVCOM fee, fuel surcharges and other applicable fees. Other terms and conditions apply. The booking period is open until 19 February 2023 for a travel period ending 26 March 2023.

CentaraThe1 celebrates 10th anniversary

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 13 February 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, announces the CentaraThe1 10th Anniversary offer, a limited-time promotion where its 7 million loyalty programme members can redeem 10 points in exchange for THB 100 vouchers to use toward hotel stays and other Centara privileges, as well the opportunity to earn X10 CentaraThe1 points when making a reservation at any Centara hotel or resort around the world.

CentaraThe1 members are invited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the CentaraThe1 Loyalty Programme on 14February 2023. For one day only, members who book a stay at any Centara Hotels & Resorts property from 1 March to 31 December 2023 will receive X10 points, one of the programme’s largest-ever point booster offers for members.

As another one-day-only privilege, members can exchange 10 CentaraThe1 points for a THB100 e-cash voucher (normally valued at 1,200 points) for hotel stays and spa treatments at Centara’s award-winning SPA Cenvaree branches, SPA Cenvaree products, Centara gift cards and dining privileges.

It is important to note that members must be logged in to their CentaraThe1 account when making a reservation to receive X10 points. E-cash vouchers must be used by 30 June 2023 and are limited to one voucher per member, with a limit of 1,000 total vouchers available during the 24-hour offer period.

Those not yet members can still take advantage of this extraordinary celebratory offer by signing up now! The CentaraThe1 loyalty programme can be joined for free at www.centarathe1.com. It takes less than one minute, and members can immediately start earning points for stays, dining, and spa experiences at Centara Hotels & Resorts properties in Thailand, the Maldives, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Japan. Members enjoy 15% off hotel rates and exclusive access to special privileges and offers.

For more details, visit centara1card.com/promotion/10th-anniversary

(Your Stories: Centara Hotels & Resorts)

Off the Grid in Kuching

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 13 February 2023: Being free was what Korean celebrity Yoo Seung Ho needed most during his break. Yearning to disconnect from the public’s eye with no strings attached, he decided to challenge himself by joining the Discovery Channel’s “Off the Grid” series.

He travelled to Kuching, Sarawak, where he could play a ‘stranger’ role in a foreign land, unbeknownst to the locals.

One YouTube viewer commented: I didn’t realise it was the Korean actor Yoo Seung Ho when YouTube recommended me this video… I literally thought he was a Korean vlogger until I saw his smile… That smile…I’m so happy to see my favourite actor come to my hometown.”

You can join Yoo Seung Ho on his immersive healing journey in Kuching, where he makes priceless memories and shares new connections with the locals as he discovers the beauty of the capital city of Sarawak, including downtown Kuching, Bako. National Park, Semenggoh Wildlife Center and more!

Off The Grid Yoo Seung Hoo In Kuching, Sarawak full Preview & Interview part 1

Sarawak Kolo Mee was featured on Discovery Channel Korea’s “Off the Grid” programme during the recent visit of celebrity Yoo Seung Ho to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak state, where he hosted the full episode.

The ‘Off the Grid-Yoo Seung Ho’ will feature two episodes on his journey of self-discovery in Kuching, Sarawak. It will be broadcast on Discovery SEA, Discovery India, Discovery Korea, Discovery Taiwan, and Discovery Japan, so watch out for these episodes in your local listings. The first broadcast of ‘Off the Grid – Yoo Seung Ho’ aired on 29 December 2022 in South Korea.

https://sarawakgo.com/yoo-seung-ho-fullfilled-his-off-the-grid-dream-in-kuching-sarawak

Off the Grid Yoo Seung Hoo in Kuching part 2 (1 February 2023)

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

AirAsia offers 5 million free seats

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TTR WEEKLY
-

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 February 2023: AirAsia pledged 5 million free seats last week to boost travel recovery across the 10 ASEAN countries.

ASEAN’s top low-cost airline announced it was releasing the free seats* at a joint tourism briefing held with the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, YB Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing, on 10 February.

According to the airline, 5 million free seats are available to travellers booking domestic and international flights linking in the 10 ASEAN countries; Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Travellers can fly to Penang, Langkawi, Kuching, Sibu, Kota Kinabalu and more from MYR23* and to international destinations, including Bali, Krabi, Jakarta, Macao, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and more from MYR60*.

For those seeking to adventure out further, AirAsia X offers flights to Gold Coast, Busan, Taipei, Tokyo and more with all-in low fares from MYR329* one-way economy. The fares are available for bookings until 19 February 2023, with the travel period from 1 March 2023 to 10 December 2023.

Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture YB Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing, said: “The tourism sector is a major economic driver for Malaysia, accounting for almost 15% of our gross domestic product (GDP), and air connectivity is the backbone of our tourism sector. As we target to receive 15.6 million tourist arrivals with MYR47.6 billion in tourism receipts for 2023, we would like to commend AirAsia for outlining its plan to revitalise the tourism industry and play an integral part in achieving this outcome.”

AirAsia has carried close to 800 million guests in the past two decades. Pre-pandemic in 2019 alone, the airline carried over 25 million guests to Malaysia, more than 40 million guests to the ASEAN region, and 17 million guests to North Asia.

Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said: “As they say, size matters. When it comes to airlines, bigger is always better so we can leverage economies of scale and pass on to our guests in the form of lower fares and deliver more value and choice. AirAsia has been a major contributor to Malaysia and Asean’s GDP. AirAsia alone contributes to more than 2% of Malaysia’s GDP. You may think 2% is a small number, but for a big country like Malaysia, with a GDP worth more than MYR1.5 trillion, 2% is a sizable contribution.”

* The FREE SEATS exclude airport tax, MAVCOM fee, fuel surcharge and other applicable fees. Terms and Conditions apply.

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