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Klook on board with Disney Adventure

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SINGAPORE, 11 December 2024: Klook, Asia’s platform for travel experiences, is opening bookings for the Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line’s first ship to homeport in Asia, with its inaugural commercial sailings scheduled from 15 December 2025.

As an ‘Official Travel Distributor’ for the Disney Adventure,Klook will bring travellers from Asia and beyond to Singapore, combining the excitement of the Disney cruise with unforgettable local adventures.

Starting 10 December 2024, 8AM GMT (+8), customers who have previously indicated interest on Klook’s waitlist for the Disney Adventure can book their cruise. They will receive Klook gift vouchers to discover Singapore while at the port.

● From 10-12 December, all waitlisted customers who book a cruise on Klook will receive a USD150 Klook gift voucher for their next purchase (subject to availability).

● From 13 December, subsequent waitlisted customers will receive a USD25 Klook gift voucher for their next purchase (subject to availability).

● Note: Gift vouchers will only be distributed 60 days before sailing.

Klook will also offer travellers add-on stay options, providing hotel stays at a fixed rate, up to 40% off when booked with their Disney Adventure cruise.

From registration of interest for the Disney Adventure, Klook has seen an enthusiastic response from travellers in Singapore, Mainland China and the Philippines, with strong signs across Asia (particularly India) and North America.

Disney Adventure makes Singapore home

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SINGAPORE, 11 December, 2024: Guests will soon be able to book vacations at sea on Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line’s first ship to homeport in Asia. 

The Disney Adventure will sail from Singapore on its maiden voyage on 15 December, 2025. 

Guests can book directly from the Disney Cruise Line website or through the Disney Cruise Line contact centre. Bookings for the first commercial sailings in December 2025 opened on 10 December 2024 for sail dates through to March 2026.

Disney Adventure

Setting sail in 2025, the Disney Adventure will be the first Disney Cruise Line ship to homeport in Asia. Singapore’s strategic location, world-class air connectivity, and port infrastructure make it a thriving Asian cruise hub. As part of a collaborative effort between Disney Cruise Line and the Singapore Tourism Board, the Disney Adventure will operate from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore for at least five years.

About Disney Cruise Line
Since launching in 1998, Disney Cruise Line has expanded with six ships — the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, and Disney Treasure. Seven more ships are coming, including the expanded relationship with Oriental Land Company Ltd to bring Disney cruise vacations to Japan by 2031. The Disney Cruise Line fleet sails to destinations in the Bahamas, Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific, and Australia and New Zealand.

Hungry Hub has an appetite for more

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BANGKOK, 11 December 2024: Hungry Hub, a Thailand-based restaurant and hotel reservations platform, is set to host its inaugural “Hungry Hub Red Table Awards 2024” while announcing a strategic partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). 

This collaboration aims to expand Hungry Hub’s services internationally and spotlight how Singapore’s wide-ranging and innovative gastronomic landscape caters to discerning food enthusiasts and travellers.

Photo credit: STB. The Singapore Tourism Board’s Made in Singapore (MIS) global positioning campaign reinforces Singapore’s culinary capital and food haven status.

Inaugural Hungry Hub Red Table Awards 2024

The ‘Hungry Hub Red Table Awards 2024’ will honour top restaurant and hotel partners’ outstanding contributions throughout the year, featuring over 35 awards across eight specialised categories.

The awards ceremony will showcase excellence in various facets of the culinary and hospitality sectors, including:

● Best Buffet Restaurant for chains maintaining the highest consistent standards;

● Best Rooftop for superior dining experiences with exceptional views

● Best Fine Dining celebrating luxury and attention to detail;

● Rising Star Awards for new partners showing outstanding growth and potential.

The selection process utilises a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation framework, incorporating insights from over 4 million customer reservations processed through the Hungry Hub platform during the previous year. 

Partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board

Hungry Hub has announced a strategic partnership with the STB to leverage Singapore’s diverse food scene and Thai and Malaysian visitors as part of a recently launched F&B campaign to showcase Singapore as a global culinary capital.

Hungry Hub will offer curated dining experiences at various acclaimed restaurants in Singapore starting this month. App users can purchase fixed-price meal packages at select restaurants in Singapore, allowing them to browse and choose what they want from pre-selected menus.

Under the partnership, STB and Hungry Hub will launch joint marketing campaigns on social media to promote F&B experiences in Singapore. 

STB and Hungry Hub will also engage foodie influencers to visit Singapore and create content around these experiences. They will also include attractions, retail, and leisure events as part of their itineraries to inspire more audiences to discover the destination.

“Dining is important to Singapore’s tourism appeal, showcasing our diverse food culture and heritage. STB has seen a 63% increase in F&B expenditure since the pandemic, indicating an appetite for culinary experiences,” said Singapore Tourism Board Executive Director, Southeast Asia Terrence Voon. “Hungry Hub’s expansion into Singapore presents an exciting opportunity to showcase our city as a premier destination for culinary adventurers, whether at award-winning restaurants or iconic hawker eateries.

About Hungry Hub
Hungry Hub is an online platform that connects diners with promotions and offers from various restaurants and hotels. Hungry Hub currently works with 1,700 restaurant / hotel partners.

Qantas extends distribution accord with Sabre

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SINGAPORE, 11 December 2024: Sabre Corporation, a technology provider that powers the global travel industry, has extended its long-term distribution agreement with Qantas, Australia’s largest airline. 

This multi-year agreement reflects a continued commitment between Sabre and Qantas to deliver the broadest content to travel agencies worldwide with the most flexible options, including comprehensive access to Qantas’ New Distribution Capability (NDC) content.

“At Qantas, we’re focused on enhancing our retailing capabilities to meet the dynamic needs of both travellers and travel agencies,” said  Qantas Executive Manager of Global Sales & Distribution Kathryn Robertson. “Our continuing collaboration with Sabre is central to our distribution strategy, helping ensure our customers can seamlessly shop, book, and service a comprehensive range of Qantas content via NDC. We’re excited to be able to offer agencies more flexibility and choice in the coming months through Sabre’s global marketplace.”

Sabre and Qantas have had a valued, long-standing distribution relationship, with Sabre being among the first global distribution systems to distribute the airline’s NDC offer in 2021. 

Friends Travel Vietnam partners with TA Network

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SINGAPORE, 11 December 2024: Friends Travel Vietnam (FTV), a Hanoi-based tour operator specialising in authentic local experiences, partners with Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) to adopt TA’s Toursuite platform. 

This collaboration aims to enhance operational efficiencies and elevate customer service by integrating innovative travel management functions within a unified system.

Friends Travel Vietnam: (Left) Managing Director Jessica Thao.

TA Networks’ Toursuite solutions offer product creation, pricing, booking, and customer management tools, enabling Friends Travel Vietnam to streamline operations and provide personalised services. 

Real-time updates on availability and pricing empower customers to make informed decisions promptly, while automated booking processes minimise errors and delays. Additionally, the platform’s flexibility allows for creating tailor-made itineraries that cater to specific interests and preferences.

FTV Managing Director Jessica Thao stated: “By adopting Trip Affiliates Network’s B2B solutions, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of Vietnam’s travel industry, ready to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving market. This will only strengthen our operational capabilities and align with our commitment to providing exceptional travel experiences in one of Southeast Asia’s most captivating destinations.”

TA Network Managing partner Josef Foo added: “With digitalisation, FTV can now manage its inventory more efficiently, automate routine tasks, and provide real-time availability and pricing to its clients and partners. Joining TA Networks’ global ecosystem also opens new opportunities for FTV to collaborate with a global network of travel partners. With TA Network’s extensive B2B distribution channels, our partners can now offer their unique travel experiences to a broader audience, including international travel operators.”

This partnership underscores TA Networks’ commitment to building a viable network of partners in Vietnam to drive an expansion in leisure and business travel.

About Friends Travel Vietnam
Friends Travel is a licensed tour operator based in Hanoi that offers daily and private guided tours throughout Vietnam for groups and family tours.

About Trip Affiliates Network
Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, Trip Affiliates Network provides FIT/group inbound and outbound turnkey solutions and add-on direct supplier connectivity services for travel agents, wholesalers and hotels.

Emirates launches audio content via Spotify

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BANGKOK, 9 December 2024: Now live onboard flights to 140 destinations, Emirates has launched a new collaboration with Spotify – the world’s most popular audio-streaming subscription service. Offering customers a wide array of podcasts and playlists in the sky, Spotify can be enjoyed by all customers on their personal inflight entertainment seatback system, ice.

Catering to Emirates’ global customer base, the curated content from Spotify will include a range of popular music playlists and top podcasts in English, Portuguese, Tagalog and German, with more languages, including Spanish and Hindi, to be added in 2025. New podcasts and music will be added regularly to complement Emirates’ existing library of more than 3500 hours of global music and thought-provoking conversations.

Access to top Spotify podcasts

Emirates’ customers can now explore Spotify’s diverse podcast library with over 140 episodes of business, sports, entertainment and true crime, featuring voices of renowned personalities such as What Now? with Trevor Noah – as the comedian has candid conversations with celebrities and thought leaders, The Bill Simmons Podcast – sports and pop culture discussions with notable guests like Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and Larry David, Case 63—an acclaimed scripted podcast known for its immersive storytelling, and The Journal -a dedicated podcast about money, business, and power, from Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.

Spotify’s signature playlists for Emirates

Ensuring Emirates’ customers have a personalised travel experience, there’s a playlist for fans of every music genre and era. Spotify’s most popular playlists are presented in the form of mixtapes curated by Spotify’s editorial experts, like the RapCaviar Mixtape – featuring the latest hip-hop, the vibrant Viva Latino Mixtape, throwback All Out 90s Mixtape and the popular Arabic Classics Mixtape and Jazz Classics Mixtape.

Spotify is the latest addition to Emirates’ renowned and multi-award-winning inflight entertainment system ice. With more than 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment in more than 40 languages – there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Customers can access more than 4,000 hours of movies and TV channels, up to 3,500 hours of music and podcasts, more than 2,000 Hollywood and internationally acclaimed movies, 250 dedicated kids and family channels and hundreds of TV series and full box sets including the latest shows from Paramount+, HBO Max, Discovery+, BBC, Bloomberg Originals and Shahid. Emirates is also regularly lauded for its inflight connectivity experience, where all customers can access some form of free Wi-Fi inflight, as Emirates Skywards members.

See what’s on ice

Centara redefines family travel in the Maldives 

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BANGKOK, 9 December 2024: Centara Hotels & Resorts is bringing its prowess in family travel to the Maldives through its Mirage brand following its success in Thailand, Vietnam and Dubai. 

Situated on a multi-island destination called The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts, Mirage will be joined by Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives when it opens early next year, forming a two-island, one-destination experience.

Just opened, Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives is an underwater world-themed resort with unique facilities and concepts, including a large water park and the country’s longest lazy river. The opening marks the first phase of The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts and broadens the appeal of a destination more known for honeymoon retreats than family fun.

The results of a consumer survey of family travel preferences, commissioned by Centara, support the timing of the family-travel specialists’ expansion in the market, revealing that while there is a strong desire to travel to the Maldives as a family destination, it is perceived as high-cost and lacking in facilities.

Conducted by UK-based market research and polling company Survation (¹), the Family Travel in the Maldives survey found that the Maldives has many attractive factors for visitors, most notably the appeal of a “Once in a Lifetime” Experience (50%), the chance to Stay in Overwater or Beachfront Villas (38%), and Experience Local Culture (35%). Unfortunately, the majority of respondents (55%) said they were unlikely to consider the Maldives for their family vacation due to its perceived High Cost (67%), the Feeling of Being “Trapped” on a Small Island (20%), and concerns about Children Getting Bored (14%).

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives will endeavour to fill this gap by meeting guests’ requests for Warm, Family-friendly Hospitality (47%) and Water Parks (26%). The resort offers lagoon pools, mini atolls, slides and splash zones, where Uncle Octopus uses his tentacles to create the current for the 284-metre-long lazy river which traverses the length and breadth of the island. Survey respondents also called for Family-style Accommodation (37%), and the resort’s 145 beachfront or overwater rooms and villas are spacious and filled with tailored amenities, including outdoor terraces and bunk beds in every family room.

The resort is a wonderland for kids, serving up fantastical experiences designed to spark the imagination, thrill children, and delight their parents. Journey into a Stingray-themed playground, take a trip into the Nurture Zone featuring a wild orchid garden, dive into the sweet treats of the Willy Wonka-inspired Candy Spa for kids massages and teen treatments, or join Mr & Mrs Jellyfish at a choice of six restaurants and bars. All corners of the resort are designed to induce a Feeling of Relaxation (desired by 73% of respondents), Let Kids Learn About Different Cultures & Try New Cuisines (50%), and Bring the Family Closer Together (41%).

The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts also plays host to Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives, a first-class resort experience defined by a true sense of space, tranquillity and privacy, which remains true to the sophisticated elegance of the brand and builds deep guest connections through a series of curated, personalised experiences. This includes the serenity of the SPA Cenvaree Retreat, sea-to-plate gastronomy and peaceful days simply spent relaxing by the pool or enjoying sports and marine activities. 

Michael Henssler, Centara’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Family travel is a core part of Centara’s DNA and has underpinned our style of Thai-inspired, heartfelt hospitality for more than 40 years. With the launch of Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives, we are offering families an opportunity to experience family travel in this idyllic archipelago like never before. With our ‘two islands, one destination’ model, The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts will be accessible and inspiring, creating an exciting new offering for the Maldivian tourism industry that meets the needs of holiday-makers.”

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives builds upon the award-winning Centara Mirage family resort concept, as well as Centara’s commitment to accessible hospitality. The world’s three other Centara Mirage resorts, located in Pattaya (Thailand), Mui Ne (Vietnam) and Dubai (UAE) – each of which is centred around a water park and tells its own story of adventure – have become hugely popular for their immersive concepts and intuitive amenities, which enable parents to unwind while their kids enjoy unforgettable experiences.

The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts, located in the North Malé Atoll, 30 minutes by speedboat from the newly expanded Velana International Airport, will complement Centara’s two existing properties in the country: the nature-inspired Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives and the adult-only Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives.

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives is offering the ultimate family wonderland experience, with complimentary stays and meals for up to two children aged 15 and under, as well as free roundtrip speedboat transfers to and from Velana International Airport. An exclusive opening offer starts from THB 15,669 per room per night, and Centara is offering a complimentary return stay for guests who stay by 20 December 2024 for the same duration next year. An exclusive opening offer for the high-end Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives rates start from THB 33,516 per room per night. Rates quoted include service and taxes and may be subject to change.

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

(¹) Conducted for Centara by Survation, the UK-based market research and polling company, the “Family Travel in the Maldives” study was conducted from 25 – 28 October 2024.

TTF 2025: A candid catch-up on future trends

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 9 December 2024: The 14th edition of the Thailand Tourism Forum, Thailand’s largest hospitality event, will convene on 13 January 2025, attracting close to 1,000 influential travel and hospitality executives. 

This year’s theme, “Seizing Potential,” offers a fast-paced, candid look at the future of Thailand’s hospitality sector. Explore emerging trends, disruptive innovations, and key strategies shaping the industry.

Organised by C9 Hotelworks, this forum provides fresh insights and actionable strategies for industry professionals. The programme will dive into critical topics, including social media’s role in driving travel demand, decoding Thailand’s hotel investment landscape, managing lifestyle versus traditional brands, alternative accommodations and exploring the travel preferences of the young generation. This is your opportunity to gain a timely start-of-the-year report card on Thai tourism and shape the industry’s future.

Register now

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thailand-tourism-forum-2025-ttf-2025-14th-annual-edition-tickets-1015841799167?aff=oddtdtcreator

Date: Monday, 13 January 2025
Venue: InterContinental  Bangkok
Organiser: C9 Hotelworks Hospitality Consulting Group
Host Event Partner: IHG Hotels & Resorts
Event Partners: Horwath HTL, STR, JLL Hotels and Hospitality, QUO, Delivering Asia, AMCHAM Thailand, Phuket Hotels Association

2025 Event Programme

1400 onwards: Registration Open

1500 to 1550: Bar, Restaurants and Concepts (BRAC)
(Moderator) Sumi Soorian, Restaurant & Bar Consultant, Mrs B Bar & Table

Episode 1: Time to Evolve
Phillip Pond, Founder @Atelier Pond

Episode 2: F&B in the Digital World
Piyada “Pam” Punnakitikasem, Entrepreneur & Owner of Food Instagram page “ppgallery”

Episode 3: The Rise and Fall – Food Outlets
Shane Jameson, Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing @ Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok

Episode 4: Hot Off the Press
Nigel Oakins, Co-Founder and Executive Chair Serendipity Media Ltd & NJ Media Ltd, and MediaMagination Ltd (TimeOut & Koktail Thailand Magazines)

Episode 5: Restaurants, Outlets, Dining – Eat, Drink, Love
Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn, Chef & Restauranteur @ Le Du

Episode 6: Concepts – Picture Perfect
Romain Dupuy, Strategist, Head of Branding @ Threaded Creatives & Founder and Creative Director @ The Syllusionist

1600 to 1800: Main Event – Thailand Tourism Forum 2025

Introduction
Bill Barnett, Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks

Hotel Market Insights
Jesper Palmqvist, Regional Vice President Asia Pacific, STR

Managing Lifestyle vs. Traditional Brands
Siradej Donavanik, Vice President of Development, Dusit Hotels & Resorts
David Johnson, CEO, Delivering Asia                                                   

Social Media Power: Inducing Travel Demand
Paul Keen, Director of Project Management, QUO

Decoding Thailand’s Hotel Landscape
Orn Yomchinda, Senior Vice President, Investment Sales – Asia, JLL
Rathawat Kuvijitrsuwan, Senior Vice President, Advisory & Asset Management – Asia, JLL

The New Explorers: Young Generation Travel Trends
Viona Zhang, Deputy Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks
Dusit Thani College Students

Beyond Ordinary: Dope Accommodation Alternatives
Koko Tang, Founder, Colourful Earth
Beverly Chen, Co-Founder, Cloud Collective
Willem Niemeijer, CEO, YAANA Ventures
(Moderator) Matt Gebbie, Director, Pacific Asia, Horwath HTL

Green Minute: Sustainability in Tourism
Eric Ricaurte, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greenview
Bjorn Courage, President, Phuket Hotels Association

1800 onwards: Networking Cocktails
Compliments of IHG Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Bangkok

THAI lops 30% off New Year fares

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 9 December 2024: Thai Airways is offering a 30% discount to domestic travellers on bookings made between 26 December 2024 and 5 January 2025 in response to a Ministry of Transportation ruling that more affordable airline travel should be available during the New Year holiday season.

The airline calls the 30% discount a New Year 2568 gift for Thai citizens planning to reunite with their families during the holiday.

The deal applies to 8,000 seats on domestic routes flown mainly by 160-seat A320s. Travellers must show their Thai national ID cards to reserve seats or present their Thai passports at the Thai Airways sales office or the THAI Contact Centre. 

Flights valid for the discount scheme

For some of the above flights, the airline confirms it intends to upgrade aircraft from the Airbus A320 to Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 787-9 or Airbus A330-300 on specific roundtrip routes such as Bangkok – Phuket, Bangkok – Chiang Mai and Bangkok – Krabi. The change will increase seat capacity on the specified routes to 24,786 to accommodate the surge in festive season travel.

IATA: Solid growth in October passenger demand

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SINGAPORE, 9 December 2024: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for October 2024 global passenger demand, showing total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was up 7.1% compared to October 2023. 

Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), was up 6.1% year-on-year. The October load factor was 83.9% (+0.8ppt compared to October 2023).

International demand rose 9.5% compared to October 2023. Capacity was up 8.6% year-on-year, and the load factor rose to 83.5% (+0.6ppt compared to October 2023).

Domestic demand rose 3.5% compared to October 2023. Capacity was up 2.0% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.5% (+1.2ppt compared to October 2023).

“Continued strong and stable demand is good news, but just as important is the steady improvement in load factors. It shows what a great job the industry is doing in flying people more efficiently,” said  IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh. 

“Average seat factors have risen from around 67% in the 1990s to over 83% today. Politicians considering taxing passengers off planes to reduce emissions would do well to note this. Even if fewer people fly because taxes make it too expensive, it doesn’t automatically mean reduced emissions because the planes will still fly, just with fewer passengers. That would reverse decades of hard-won progress. We need to see the planes full to generate the economic and social benefits of travel with the most minimal emissions possible.” 

Regional Breakdown – International Passenger Markets

All regions showed growth for international passenger markets in October 2024 compared to October 2023. Europe had the highest load factors, and Africa showed a sharp increase, but the Americas and the Middle East suffered falls. 

Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 17.5% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 17.2% year-on-year, and the load factor was 82.9% (+0.3ppt compared to October 2023). 

European carriers had an 8.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 7.3% year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.7% (+1.1ppt compared to October 2023).

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 2.2% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 2.5% year-on-year, and the load factor was 80.2% (-0.2ppt compared to October 2023).

North American carriers saw a 3.2% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 2.9% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.2% (+0.3ppt compared to October 2023).

Latin American airlines saw a 10.9% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 11.6% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.3% (-0.6ppt compared to October 2023).

African airlines saw a 10.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 5.3% year-on-year. The load factor rose to 73.2% (+3.4ppt compared to October 2023).

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