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Sabre sights first recovery signs

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MUMBAI, 11 April 2022: Corporate travel is showing strong signs of recovery, according to Thomas Cook (India) Group managing director Madhavan Menon.

He was the first speaker in Sabre’s new virtual insights series. Speaking as part of the Sabre Ascent series, Menon said that for March 2022, Thomas Cook (India) is seeing a domestic corporate travel recovery of around 70% of pre-pandemic levels, with international corporate travel starting to follow the same trajectory. 

His comments mirror the latest figures released by Sabre in its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides updated recovery figures for 1 to 28 March compared to the same period in 2019.

The Sabre filing said: “While domestic and leisure bookings have continued to lead the recovery, international and corporate bookings have improved at an accelerating rate since January 2022. We expect the March 2022 recovery versus the same period for both international and corporate bookings to be at their highest levels since the pandemic started.”

During the first-ever Sabre Ascent session, Menon also told Sabre’a Bengaluru GCC vice president and managing director Jaya Kumar K,

that he expects technology to play a “far greater role” in corporate travel as business travellers expect increased, targeted information to help them navigate travel in a Covid-19 world as well as a much more personalized approach. 

Menon said that Sabre is “leading this crusade of evolving technology in the travel industry, and that is not something which should be underestimated” because his company would not have made so much progress without global distribution technology. 

The webinar also addressed the challenges and opportunities brought about by the pandemic and the evolution of domestic tourism, new trends in personalization, whether sustainability is top of mind moving through the pandemic and the evolving demands of travellers in this new age of travel. 

Looking back at the pandemic,  Menon noted: “What was initially seen as a challenge turned out to be an opportunity. I don’t think any of us had faced a challenge of this kind, but there was a realization you’re not alone, and everybody is facing the same problem. The last two years have given us the opportunity to re-set.”

He said that Thomas Cook (India) had re-sized out of necessity, carried out back-end integration, and upgraded its technology to create a more customer-centric focus. “This journey we are taking at Thomas Cook is moving from telling the customer what he or she should do on his holiday to the point where the customer chooses how he or she wants to go on holiday and how they want to interact with us,” he added. “The experience and access to information should be the same no matter how a customer comes to us.”

You can watch the Sabre Ascent series webinar here to find out more from Thomas Cook and Sabre about: How can the travel ecosystem use personalized travel and customer-centricity more effectively to enable travel 5.0

Centara Grand Hotel Osaka sets opening date

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BANGKOK, 11 April 2022: Centara Hotels & Resorts has confirmed a July 2023 opening date for Centara Grand Hotel Osaka.

The group’s Chief Executive Officer, Thirayuth Chirathivat, was recently in Japan for the project’s topping-off event alongside his business partner counterparts in Taisei Corporation and Kanden Realty & Development and made time to visit the hotel site on Namba street.

Construction is well underway, with the 35-storey structure completed and overall progress nearing its halfway milestone.

When complete, Centara’s debut property in Japan will feature 515 premium accommodations, including rooms with bunk beds and connecting rooms, making it an ideal destination for families, leisure, and business travellers. The hotel will also be home to a unique rooftop dining destination crowning the architectural masterpiece, as well as the first SPA Cenvaree in the country, fitness centre, co-working space, and sophisticated events spaces.

Centara’s foray into Japan highlights the group’s strategic goal of becoming a top 100 global hotel operator within five years with a portfolio of approximately 200 hotels and resorts, up from 89 properties at present.

To learn more about Centara Hotels & Resorts, visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com

Ritz Carlton to open in Goa

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MUMBAI, India, 11 April 2022: Marriott International has signed an agreement with Ceres Hotels Private Limited to bring its St Regis brand to Mobor Beach in Goa.

Slated to open in October 2022, the St Regis Goa Resort will be the ninth Marriott International hotel in Goa, following a strategic conversion of The Leela Goa.

The resort will undergo a complete transformation in phases, starting this year, according to Ceres Hotels Private Limited, the owner of the resort and a subsidiary of Metrod Holdings Berhad listed on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.

“We are delighted to work with Ceres Hotels Private Limited to introduce the St Regis brand to Goa, bringing bespoke experiences curated for discerning travellers to one of the most beautiful and fascinating coastal destinations in India,” said Marriott International. President Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Rajeev Menon.

The 206 room St Regis Goa Resort with five restaurants is located on Mobor Beach, a prime beachfront location in South Goa surrounded by water on three sides and known for dolphin spotting and bird watching.

The resort is located approximately 28 km south of Goa International Airport.

Marriott International currently operates 129 hotels and resorts in India, spanning 16 brands that include St Regis Hotels & Resorts, Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, W Hotels, Luxury Collection, Westin, Marriott Hotels,  Sheraton, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Le Méridien, Aloft, Tribute Portfolio, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, and Fairfield by Marriott.

(Source: Marriott International)

Sabah vidoes a reel success

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TTR WEEKLY
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KOTA KINABALU, 11 April 2022: The Sabah Tourism Board applauds local filmmakers for their efforts to promote the state and its rural destinations in their work.

Last week, a group led by film producer Chester Pang met with Sabah Tourism chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai to discuss the state’s film tourism potential.

Datuk Joniston Bangkuai receiving ‘Craze Below The Wind’ promotional merchandise from Chester Pang.

They also discussed their plans to showcase Sabah’s charms through movies and the making of a promotional video that would spark the public’s interest in the state.

A video clip ‘Discover Kiulu’ and a feature-length Mandarin comedy film ‘Craze Below The Wind’ are among the works.

“This is a good effort to raise awareness of Sabah’s numerous attractions and stimulate people’s curiosity about them,” said Joniston, who is also Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment.

“Kiulu, for example, has been chosen by the state government as a model for rural tourism, alongside Kadamaian. Kiulu will soon have a tourism information centre, where a video clip like this one can be displayed to showcase what Kiulu has to offer.

“We also hope to see other places featured in film production works. While most rural products are identical, local film producers must also find new attractions to focus on,” he added.

As a part of Borneo, Joniston said Sabah needs to distinguish itself from Sarawak and Kalimantan, where construction of the country’s future capital Nusantara is ongoing.

He added that Sabah Tourism is delighted to work with film producers to promote the distinctive features and aspects of Sabah.

Present at the meeting were Froggy Planet producer and director Katak Chua, Kiulu Tourism Association deputy president Lasmen Lopog, Pro-Merge Vision representative, and local film director Ramli Carlo.

The filming for ‘Discover Kiulu’ should be done by the end of the month, said Chester, who is a producer from Can Bah Production.

He said the 90-second promotional video would also be displayed at the Sabah International Convention Center.

As for the 90-minute ‘Craze Below The Wind’, it will be released in May.

Produced by Can Bah Production, the ‘Craze Below The Wind’ tells a story of two siblings who get into mischief and are forced to journey across Sabah with a mysterious suitcase.

Chester stated that the film, which release had been postponed since 2020 due to the pandemic, will be screened in 53 cinemas, including in Brunei.

Meanwhile, Katak said the film garnered a positive response during its test showing, with seven out of 10 respondents expressing an interest in visiting Sabah.

“We have engaged 52 crew, and 80 per cent of them are Sabahans. We want to promote tourism through the filming industry as it can provide job opportunities to the locals.

“We hope the Sabah Tourism can work with filmmakers to make the film tourism industry in the state a success,” said the film director.

 For more information visit: www.sabahtourism.com

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

THAI invests in three-class 777s

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BANGKOK, 11 April 2022: Thai Airways International confirmed the delivery of two new Boeing 777-300ERs aircraft fitted out with first-class cabins.

A third aircraft also featuring the return of a Royal First Class cabin will complete the lease transaction later this month. The contract for the three Boeing 777-300ERs was signed in 2018 with the lease fee being calculated by what THAI calls a “Power-by-the-Hour” approach for the first term of the contract. A lease fee agreement is due to kick in later according to the contract terms negotiated to comply with the company’s rehabilitation plan framework.

The leased Boeing 777-300ER can accommodate 303 passengers. There are eight seats in Royal First Class, 40 seats in Royal Silk Class, and 255 seats in economy class. 

The airline noted that introducing the latest version of the  B777-300ER aircraft meets the requirement to reduce aircraft types to just fou in accordance with the rehabilitation plan to ensure maintenance, spare parts and support are streamlined to reduce operational costs.

THAI plans to use the three Boeing 777-300ERs for operations on the high-yield Bangkok-London route starting at the end of this month.

Jetstar and IndiGo ink partnership

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE: 11 April 2022: Jetstar Group and IndiGo last week confirmed a new Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) interline partnership to enable Jetstar customers to book connections and flights on IndiGo services through its Jetstar Connect platform.

Launching at the end of this April, the virtual interline partnership between the two LCCs is made possible by a technology company and flight search engine, Dohop.

The integrated booking engine allows customers to select flights and purchase both bundled and unbundled ancillary products, with customers connecting between international flights provided with seamless passenger and baggage transfer.

Jetstar’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Alan McIntyre, welcomed the partnership and said as the world reopens, it was great to offer Jetstar customers in Asia and Australia opportunities to travel to exciting new destinations in India through its partnership with IndiGo.

“The ability to partner with other LCCs through Dohop has opened a new world of possibilities, helping customers enjoy more seamless connectivity throughout the region,” McIntyre said.

“This new partnership enables Jetstar to offer our customers more destinations, more frequency and better connectivity, by combining our expanding network with IndiGo’s, all at the click of a button, fulfilling our vision to make more travel affordable.

“Jetstar Connect on jetstar.com provides more options for customers to access Jetstar’s great value fares and an expanded number of low-cost connections.

“This partnership opens up new services to Jetstar customers to incredible destinations such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi through Jetstar’s hub in Singapore.”

 Changi Airport Group’s managing director for Air Hub Development Lim Ching Kiat said India was a key market for Changi Airport.

“In 2019, Singapore attracted over 1.4 million visitors from India to Singapore, and with the relaxation of border policies, India has ranked among the top three countries at Changi in recent months.”

“Jetstar and Indigo are strategic partners of Changi Airport Group, and we welcome this new interline partnership as it will offer travellers more flight options at Changi Airport.”

This is the second virtual interline partnership for the Jetstar Group, following the Jetstar Group’s interline with Tiger Taiwan in December 2019

Passenger recovery accelerates in February

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GENEVA, 8 April 2022: Air travel posted a strong rebound in February 2022 compared to January 2022, as Omicron-related impacts moderated outside of Asia, the International Air Transport Association reported this week.

IATA claimed the war in Ukraine, which began on 24 February, did not significantly impact traffic levels during the remaining days of the month.

  • Total traffic in February 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was 115.9% compared to February 2021. That is an improvement from January 2022, up 83.1% compared to January 2021. Compared to February 2019, however, traffic was down 45.5%. 
  • February 2022 domestic traffic was up 60.7% compared to the year-ago period, building on a 42.6% increase in January 2022 compared to January 2021. There was wide variation in markets tracked by IATA. Domestic traffic in February was 21.8% below the volumes of February 2019.
  • International RPKs rose 256.8% versus February 2021, improving from a 165.5% year-over-year increase in January 2022 versus the year-earlier period. All regions improved their performance compared to the prior month. In February 2022, international RPKs were down 59.6% compared to the same month in 2019.

“The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions. States that persist in attempting to lock out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that restoration of international connectivity will bring,” said IATA’s director-general Willie Walsh.

International Passenger Markets

European carriers saw theirFebruarytraffic rise 380.6% versus February 2021, improved over the 224.3% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Capacity rose 174.8%, and load factor climbed 30.3 percentage points to 70.9%.

Asia-Pacific airlines had a 144.4% rise in February traffic compared to February 2021, up somewhat over the 125.8% gain registered in January 2022 versus January 2021. Capacity rose 60.8%, and the load factor was up 16.1 percentage points to 47.0%, the lowest among regions.

Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose215.3% in February compared to February 2021, well up compared to the 145.0% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. February capacity rose 89.5% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 64.7%.

North American carriers experienced a 236.7% traffic rise in February versus the 2021 period, significantly increased compared to the 149.0% rise in January 2022 over January 2021. Capacity rose 91.7%, and load factor climbed 27.4 percentage points to 63.6%.

Latin American airlines’ February traffic rose 242.7% compared to the same month in 2021, well up over the 155.2% rise in January 2022 compared to January 2021. February capacity rose 146.3%, and the load factor increased 21.7 percentage points to 77.0%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 17th consecutive month.

African airlines had a 69.5% rise in February RPKs versus a year ago, a large improvement compared to the 20.5% year-over-year increase recorded in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. February 2022 capacity was up 34.7%, and load factor climbed 12.9 percentage points to 63.0%.

Emirates ramps up services

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE, 8 April 2022: Emirates has announced it will ramp up global operations with the restart of services to four destinations; Bali (1 May), London Stansted (1 August), Rio de Janeiro (2 November), and Buenos Aires (2 November).

The airline has also announced it will boost services to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore to serve market demand. In line with the easing of travel restrictions worldwide, Emirates continues to rebuild and expand its global network to meet travel demand.

Emirates returns to Bali, London Stansted, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires

Starting from 1 May, Emirates will operate five weekly flights to Bali, utilising a two-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline will also scale up its operations from 1 July 2022 to serve the island destination with a daily service. With its spectacular mountains, picturesque beaches and cultural appeal, Bali is considered to be a world-leading tourist destination.

Starting from 1 August 2022, Emirates will resume flight operations to London Stansted with five weekly flights, utilising Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with the ‘Game Changer’ First Class product. From 1 September, the airline will increase its services to offer a daily flight. By October 2022, the airline will be serving the UK with 110 weekly flights, including six times daily to London Heathrow; a double daily A380 service to Gatwick; three times daily to Manchester, including a double daily A380 service (starting 1 October 2022); double daily service to Birmingham; five weekly flights to Newcastle (with the fifth weekly flight starting from 1 July 2022); and a daily service to Glasgow.

Emirates will operate four weekly flights to Buenos Aires via Rio de Janeiro on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from 2 November 2022 – offering customers from Argentina and Brazil direct connectivity to popular business and leisure destinations across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. From 1 February 2023, Emirates will scale up its operations to a daily service, offering customers greater convenience, choice and flexibility while planning their travel.

Boosting operations to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore

Emirates is ramping up its services to Lagos with 11 weekly flights, starting from 1 July 2022. The airline will ramp up its operations to the Nigerian city to offer a double daily service starting from 1 September 2022 – taking the airline’s services to pre-pandemic levels. Emirates will also increase its services to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, to offer five weekly flights starting 1 May 2022 and then a daily service from 1 September 2022.

In line with rising demand, the airline will be scaling up flights to Mauritius from daily to nine weekly flights between 9 April 2022 and the end of June 2022 and then moving up to double daily flights from July 2022. Emirates’ second daily flight will provide an important boost to tourism to the Indian Ocean destination, which has now relaxed entry restrictions for travellers. Under the codeshare agreement with Air Mauritius, customers of both airlines can enjoy greater access and seamless connectivity to and from the island nation.

The airline will also increase passenger services to Singapore from seven weekly flights to 14 weekly flights, starting on 23 June 2022. The added service will meet the increased demand for travel since the country safely reopened to international tourists and eased travel restrictions.

For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

BWH names new chief for international ops

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SINGAPORE 8 April 2022: BWH Hotel Group has promoted Ron Pohl to serve as the company’s president of international operations BWH Hotel Group and president of WorldHotels.

Pohl joined the organisation in 2007 and previously served as senior vice president and chief operations officer. In his new role, Pohl will be responsible for strengthening the organisation’s presence worldwide.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to take on this new and expanded role aimed at further growing and strengthening our brand across the globe,” said Pohl. “We have made tremendous progress in recent years, diversifying our portfolio and offering new and exciting brands that exceed developer and guest expectations. I look forward to working collaboratively with our hoteliers, global partners, company leadership and corporate staff to build upon our track record of success.”

NCL releases hull art

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SINGAPORE, 8 April 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) confirms this week it will sail into the Metaverse with the launch of the cruise industry’s first collection of NFTs, adding to the cruise line’s legacy of pioneering firsts.

NCL will open for auction and sale a collection of six NFTs to celebrate the launch of the Company’s cutting-edge Norwegian Prima Class on Wednesday, 13 April 2022, at 0900  ET / 2100 SGT on NCL’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace. The NFT art pieces were created by Manuel Di Rita, widely known as “Peeta,” the Italian artist who designed the hull art on the record-breaking Norwegian Prima and her sister vessel Norwegian Viva. 

The first of the six art pieces will be auctioned at the starting rate of USD$2,500, with the remaining NFTs sold for prices beginning at USD250. The winner of the auction will also be awarded a balcony stateroom on one of Norwegian Prima’s inaugural voyages in the United States, setting sail from NCL’s beautiful new PortMiami terminal located in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World.

“We are so excited to partner with Peeta on this first for our brand and for the industry,” said NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer. “Peeta is a talented artist who has brought the magic and beauty of the ocean to our ships, so we are happy to share this with our guests and to donate the proceeds of this new venture to Teach For America, an organisation and a cause very near and dear to our hearts.”

The first piece in the NFT collection resembles the captivating hull art of Norwegian Prima and provides the buyer with an opportunity to own a piece of the beautiful Norwegian Prima for years to come. The additional five NFT pieces showcase some of the innovative 3-D designs often depicted in Peeta’s works and will be featured aboard Norwegian Prima, including the ship’s three-level Penrose Atrium.

All proceeds from the NFT auction and sales will be donated to Teach For America. Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a network of leaders who expand opportunities for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate.

Launching in August 2022, Norwegian Prima’s Christening voyage will depart from Reykjavík, Iceland and will feature a performance from the newly announced godmother, global pop star Katy Perry. Norwegian Prima will offer voyages to Northern Europe from Amsterdam and Copenhagen, Denmark, beginning 3 September, and Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, Texas, Miami and Orlando, Florida, starting 27 October.

For more information about the Company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call NCL Hong Kong on +852 2165 6000 / Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.

(Your Stories: NCL)

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