BANGKOK, 13 July 2022: Emirates is back with special early bird discounts that allow customers to book advance tickets and plan holidays for travel through 2022 until 31 May 2023.
The special fares apply to travels from Bangkok or Phuket to popular destinations across Emirates’ extensive global network, including Zurich, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Stockholm, London, Munich, Frankfurt, New York and Chicago. Fare deals are valid for travel in both economy and business class. The special early bird return fares are available for booking until 31 July 2022 and are valid for outbound travel from 1 September 2022 until 31 May 2023.
Featured destinations and fares below:
Destinations
Economy Class from (THB)
Business Class from (THB)
Zurich
28,890
118,635
Amsterdam
29,935
112,840
Paris
30,875
117,370
Milan
31,510
118,390
Stockholm
31,875
118,015
London
32,275
126,490
Munich
32,500
117,570
Frankfurt
32,535
106,355
New York
42,290
159,690
Chicago
44,730
168,175
To book flight tickets, please visit www.emirates.com/th or visit your preferred travel agent.
Customers in all classes can enjoy up to 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment on ice with 600 movies, over 200 hours of TV, and thousands of music tracks every month. The aircraft is also equipped with Wi-Fi and Live TV across all classes.
Customers are encouraged to check their latest government travel guidelines and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors and residents returning to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/
BANGKOK, 13 July 2022: Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s project ‘MICE Winnovation’ won the UFI Marketing Award 2022, presented by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.
Three finalists, China, Spain and Thailand, presented projects to vie for the prestigious award.
The TCEB initiative supported the development of innovative technology to organise events during the two years of COVID-19 lockdown and travel restrictions, including strict public health controls.
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau president Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya noted the project was successfully paid off when it won the UFI Marketing Award 2022 at the UFI Award and Competition Programmes event held recently during the UFI European Conference 2022 in Poznan, Poland.
“The UFI Marketing Award 2022 enhances our confidence to support MICE innovation and technology and propel sustainable growth for the industry, create tangible solutions, and stimulate economic recovery.”
The UFI Award and Competition Programmes offer platforms for 812 UFI members from 84 countries to share their best practices and outstanding activities by exhibition professionals.
The MICE Winnovation project led by TCEB involved six partners; National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), National Innovation Agency (Public Organization) or NIA, Thai Exhibition Association (TEA), Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), and Thai International Events and Festivals Trade Association (TIEFA).
In 2021, 26 events applied for technology and innovation support from the MICE Winnovation project. TCEB collected data from 10 events and found that using technology created a value of approximately THB2,384 million while the project budget stood at THB7.12 million.
PHNOM PENH, 13 July 2022: Diethelm Travel Group confirmed the appointment of Om Vothy Rith as Diethelm Travel Cambodia’s new managing director on Monday.
Vothy will further implement Cambodia’s digital workflows and online services, giving agents increased access to the best dynamic rates and individual assistance from the experienced Diethelm Travel team.
With more than 20 years of working in Cambodia’s tourism and hospitality industry, Vothy has a proven track record and brings a wealth of experience to the role.
Before that, Vothy was one of the founding members of Vidotour Travel in Cambodia and, since then, led the team and company’s operations across the country.
“I’m delighted to announce we are entering into a strategic partnership with Vothy, and I welcome him to the Diethelm family,” said Diethelm Travel Group chief executive officer Stephan Roemer in a media statement.
“He brings a wealth of valuable knowledge and expertise to this essential role that will play a vital part in strengthening Diethelm Travel’s leading position in Asia’s inbound tourism industry and further expanding our network across the region.”
CEBU CITY, Philippines, 12 July 2022: Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco is encouraging the DOT regional offices in the Visayas and Mindanao to reach out to local government units and stakeholders to ensure the alignment of tourism development initiatives.
In the first leg of her ‘listening tours’ as tourism chief, Secretary Frasco met with the top officials of DOT Region 6 (Western Visayas), Region 7 (Central Visayas), Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Region 11 (Davao Region), Region 12 (SOCKSARGEN), and Region 13 (CARAGA) at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu, last week.
DOT. Tourism chief Frasco (third from left) tells regional tourism offices to listen to local communities and government units.
“Moving forward, I would want for us, in the same way, that I am reaching out to you, to continuously reach out to our local government officials and local stakeholders because I think that the model for that – which has been Cebu – has proven very successful that even throughout the pandemic, domestic tourism still flourished because DOT Region, the Provincial Government, local government officials, and private stakeholders were all aligned. And it is this alignment that we need across all regions that will spell the success of our endeavours in the Department,” said Secretary Frasco.
“The reality is that the success or failure of our industry rests in the success or failure of our regions because this is where our tourist destinations are,” she stressed.
To recall, Frasco announced that she would embark on “listening tours” to hear for herself the challenges and problems that besiege the various regions and tourism stakeholders. Additionally, through the conduct of the tour, the Secretary hopes to start the process of assessing the contemporary challenges in the tourism sector. Fund availability and utilisation, tourism infrastructure and transportation were among the issues raised during the discussions with the regional offices.
Frasco has enjoined the consolidation and review of work and financial plans of the Department’s regional offices for the efficient utilisation of the Department’s budget.
Pursuing her direction towards promoting better access to tourism destinations, Frasco also assessed the possibility of developing more air and seaports and additional routes to create more convenient connections for domestic and international visitors.
“I’m hopeful as well that you would be open to the innovations we wish to introduce to the Department if only to fulfil our President’s vision to equalise opportunities for tourism promotion and development across the Philippines. On the one hand, to maximise the potential of our already well-known tourist sites and, on the other hand, to further develop areas that have not necessarily been given equal attention”, the tourism chief enthused.
All officials who attended the meeting expressed their appreciation for the consultation process initiated by Frasco. “We are optimistic under this administration, seeing that our Secretary is paying close attention to the concerns on the ground. We can feel that she is serious and sincere about improving tourism governance and continuing collaboration with the LGUs,” DOT-Region 10 Director Marie Elaine Unchuan added.
“We are ecstatic about this transition because we have a Secretary who listens. It is important for us to have a Secretary who supports and understands the issues faced by the regions,” said Director Tanya Virginia Rabat-Tan of DOT-Region 11.
TOKYO, 12 July 2022: Wyndham Destinations Japan has signed off on an agreement to manage Wyndham Garden Sapporo Odori, making it the second Wyndham Garden hotel to open in Japan after the hotel group opened the 95-room Wyndham Garden Nagaizumi in 2020.
Wyndham Destinations Japan is managing the 132-room property in a partnership with the building owner, JR West Real Estate & Development Company and lessee, FP Sapporo GK, Sapporo Hotel Management GK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wyndham Destinations Japan Ltd.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which owns the Wyndham Garden brand, has named Wyndham Destinations Japan as its preferred hotel operator in Japan. Under this partnership, Wyndham Destinations Japan will provide management services to Wyndham Garden Sapporo. Wyndham Destinations and its subsidiaries currently oversee the management of approximately 70 hotels and resorts across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Europe and Southeast Asia.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, JR West and FP Sapporo GK to open this Wyndham Garden hotel in Sapporo,” said Wyndham Destinations, president and managing director, international operations, Barry Robinson.
HANOI, 12 July 2022: The train travel between the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and Hai Phong moved up a few notches in service and facility standards with the introduction last week of a “high-quality carriage” on the popular route.
Operated by the Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company (Haraco), the brand new carriage comes with a free WI-FI service, drinks service and cold towels for passengers.
Operating since 6 July, the improved carriages can be booked at stations and through train ticket agents as well as online ticket services, via the hotline 1900109 or through the websites dsvn.vn and vetauonline.vn as well as mobile wallet apps like Viettel Pay, VnPay, Momo and Vimo.
According to a report by Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnam Railways Corporation confirmed passenger traffic on Hanoi-Hai Phong route had increased remarkably following the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions last May.
SANDAKAN, Sabah, 12 July 2022: Tourism Malaysia Sabah partnered with the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club to introduce the latest birdwatching guide for Sabah in conjunction with the upcoming Borneo Bird Festival 2022, which will take place at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Sandakan, this October.
This fun birdwatching guide highlights all the popular birding locations around Sabah, including the world heritage site Kinabalu Park, Kinabatangan Floodplains, Danum Valley, Tabin and Sepilok forests. It also provides information about each of the sites, the birds that can be seen there, trails, accommodations and how to get there.
Tourism Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia Sabah director Ednie Rahma Ab Rahim (left) during the launch at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok, Sandakan.
Sabah is one of the top birding destinations in Malaysia. Over the years, the tourism board and local community have developed an excellent infrastructure that caters to nature lovers, birders and photographers.
The highlight for many birdwatching enthusiasts is none other than the 66 endemic species found only on the Borneo island, such as Bornean Bristlehead, Blue-Headed Pitta, Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, and Crimson-Headed Wood-Partridge.
Tourism Malaysia Sabah Director Ednie Rahma Ab Rahim commented at the Sunday launch ceremony: “The development of this fun map is timely as this will be useful for bird enthusiasts taking part in the festival to refer to. The birding segment is very niche, but it yields high tourism revenues, which will further boost the economy of Sabah.”
With this new birdwatching guide, birders and nature lovers can easily plan which areas they would like to visit. The guide was supported by members of the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club (SBBC), Tourism Malaysia Sabah and written by a local birdwatcher – Alexander John.
BANGKOK, 12 July 2022: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in partnership with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) will host the first-ever PATA & GBTA APAC Travel Summit from 8 to 12 December at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
The joint event will address sustainability and best practices in tourism, MICE, and corporate travel. Themed “Defining a Responsible, Sustainable Future for Business, Tourism and MICE”, will target regional and global travel suppliers, including top airlines, hotel and ground/car rental brands, and MICE and corporate travel decision-makers.
“We are delighted to be working with GBTA in bringing together both of our industry networks to share insights and discuss opportunities and best practices for the responsible and sustainable growth of the travel and tourism industry,” said PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is a business travel trade organisation with a network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. Headquartered in the Washington DC area with operations on six continents, GBTA’s members manage more than USD345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually.
“The path to recovery for the global travel industry continues for tourism and business travel. However, there’s also the opportunity and need to create a better, more sustainable way forward to serve the industry and the planet. We are pleased to join forces with PATA to bring to event attendees the important insights, learnings and discussions on what a sustainable future might look like and the actions that we can take in the region and across the globe to get there,” said GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang.
HO CHI MINH CITY 12 July 2022: Vietjet is expanding international flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Danang to Busan in South Korea later this month.
The airline confirmed it would launch direct flights to Busan, a popular beach city destination in South Korea, starting on 20 July from Ho Chi Minh City and on 25 July from Danang.
Photo Credit: Vietjet. Vietnam’s low-cost airline adds flights to Busan in South Korea.
In a media statement released at the weekend, the airline said it would operate one daily direct flight on each route. Flight time to Busan is just less than five hours.
On 1 July, Vietjet introduced daily flights on the Hanoi – Busan route and will resume flights from Nha Trang to Busan on 21 July.
Travellers can book tickets on flights from Vietnam’s main cities to Busan with fares starting at VND7,700/one-way (*) at www.vietjetair.com, or Vietjet Air App for the travel period 15 August 15, 2022, to 26 March 2023. (**).
Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thanh Son said: “New routes from Danang, Nha Trang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Busan will increase Vietjet’s routes between the two countries increase to 10, offering cost-saving fares for Korean travellers visiting Vietnam’s main tourist cities and Danang a popular golf and beach destination.
In addition to the four direct routes to Busan, Vietjet currently operates six routes from Vietnam to Seoul. The Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang to Seoul routes have increased to twice daily on each of the routes. Daily services are also scheduled from Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Hai Phong to Seoul.
While South Korea has resumed the issue of short-term travel visas for Southeast Asian nationals, Korean travellers can enjoy visa exemption for a stay of up to 15 days in Vietnam.
(*) Excluding taxes and fees (**) Excluding public holidays and Tet
SINGAPORE, 12 July 2022: Resorts World Cruises will be the first cruise line to add a Kuala Lumpur homeport (via Port Klang) for the Genting Dream starting on 18 July, in addition to the Singapore homeport, which commenced on 15 June.
With the dual homeport options, travellers can now choose to embark from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. The two-night cruises from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore will depart on Thursdays and Saturdays, and the three-night cruises from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and Singapore will depart on Mondays, with prices starting at MYR 688 and MYR988, respectively.
Departure days from Singapore will remain the same on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and from 22 July onwards, Friday cruises will re-introduce the two-night High Seas Weekend Getaway cruises.
The dual homeport caters to the demand for round-trip cruises, targeting the 10 million population residing in central Peninsular Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca) who live within a short drive of Port Klang, the embarkation port. With the international gateway of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport also located nearby, international travellers will now have greater flexibility in choosing airlines and fares.
Resorts World Cruises will also offer one-way cruises that will become an alternative to air and land travel for the millions of travellers between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, including Penang. Travel agents will now have a wider portfolio to offer for their popular Malaysia and Singapore holiday packages with one-way and round-trip cruises from either port of embarkation.
With each sailing, all crew and cruising guests are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 to safeguard and provide peace of mind for all onboard. In addition, cruising guests will also have to undergo a self-paid pre-cruise Antigen Rapid Test (ART) for Covid-19 one day before departure.
