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HKIA zaps Covid in spray channel

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 28 April 2020: Airport Authority of Hong Kong is applying the latest disinfection technologies, including disinfection channels, antimicrobial coating and autonomous cleaning robots, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to protect passengers from Covid-19 infection.

HKIA is the world’s first airport where “CLeanTech”, a full-body disinfection channel facility, is trialled in live operation. Persons using the facility will have a temperature check before entering an enclosed channel for the 40-second disinfection and sanitizing procedures. The interior surface of the channel is equipped with an antimicrobial coating which can remotely kill viruses and bacteria on human bodies and clothing by using the technologies of photocatalyst and “nanoneedles”. Sanitizing spray is also applied for instant disinfection. The channel is kept under negative pressure to prevent cross-contamination between the outside and inside environment. Currently, the facility is designated for use by staff who take part in public health and quarantine duties at the airport in relation to arriving passengers.

Meanwhile, the AA is conducting a pilot test of applying antimicrobial coating at all passenger facilities. An invisible coating to destroy germs, bacteria and viruses are applied to high-touch surfaces in the terminal, including handles and seats of Automated People Movers and passenger buses, smart check-in kiosks and check-in counters, toilets, seating area in the terminal, baggage trolleys, elevator buttons, and more. After completion of the trial in May, the AA will consider implementing it as a long term disinfection measure.

Autonomous cleaning robots are also deployed to ensure thorough disinfection of public areas and passenger facilities in HKIA. Intelligent Sterilization Robot, equipped with ultraviolet light sterilizer and air sterilizer, is deployed round-the-clock in public toilets and key operating areas in the terminal building. The robot can move around autonomously and sterilize up to 99.99% of bacteria in its vicinity, including both the air and object surfaces, in just 10 minutes.

Hong Kong introduces easier entry rules

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 28 April 2022: Travellers who are non-residents of Hong Kong will be able to visit Hong Kong when the government eases entry rules starting 1 May.

The move also includes relaxing route-specific flight suspension rules to allow airlines to resume services after a two-year pause with some of the region’s strictest limitations on travel to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong said it was relaxing rules in response to the latest development indicating Covid-19 is approaching an epidemic. It also considered the recent volume of inbound passenger flow, the number of imported cases, the city’s capacity to tackle the local epidemic, and overall socio-economic needs.

The government’s Inter-departmental Steering Committee & Command Centre pointed out that there has been an increase in the daily number of inbound travellers since the lifting of the place-specific flight suspension for nine overseas destinations on 1 April.

The daily average number of arrivals rose from fewer than 300 between January and March to about 1,200 since April. At the same time, the proportion of imported cases dropped from 3% in the January-March period to about 1% since April.

From 1 May, non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in overseas places in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter Hong Kong and be subject to the same boarding, quarantine and testing arrangements as Hong Kong residents.

They must comply with all stringent inbound testing and quarantine requirements, including being fully vaccinated, undergoing a pre-departure nucleic acid test with a negative result and the booking designated quarantine hotels (DQHs).

Upon arrival, they will be subject to the test-and-hold arrangement at the airport and then transferred to DQHs by designated transport to undergo compulsory quarantine and multiple testings.

Meanwhile, the triggering thresholds for the route-specific flight suspension mechanism will also be adjusted with effect from May. If there are five or more passengers, or 5% or more of the passengers onboard, test positive for Covid-19 upon arrival (whichever is higher), the airline’s flights on that specific route are banned for five days.

The five-day landing ban will also apply to a passenger flight that has three or more passengers on board who test positive for the virus upon arrival and at least one who fails to comply with the requirements specified under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation.

A bigger and brighter ATM returns to Dubai

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, 28 April 2022: Arabian Travel Market 2022 convenes from 9 to 12 May, with organisers estimating the show will attract more than 1,500 exhibitors, representatives from 112 global destinations, and an anticipated 20,000 attendees.

Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in collaboration with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the 29th edition of ATM will form an essential part of the UAE’s annual Arabian Travel Week. The live show will prelude ATM Virtual, running from 17 to 18 May.

In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘The future of international travel and tourism’, ATM 2022 will roll out sessions that enable industry professionals from around the world to discuss current trends and explore long-term opportunities within the fields of travel, transportation, tourism, hospitality, events and attractions.

Kerry Prince, Chief Growth Officer, RX said: “Business travel expenditure in the Middle East is forecast to rise by 32% this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and these figures underscore the positive sentiment that we’ve experienced throughout the region.

“This naturally bodes well for yet another successful edition of ATM, providing a catalyst to put our industry firmly on the path to a robust and sustainable recovery, alongside our partners the DET and of course, the DWTC.”

The show floor at this year’s edition will be over 85% larger than at ATM 2022 thanks to the expansion of several sectors- and region-specific zones, including Travel Tech (380%); hotels (71%); the Middle East (57%); Africa (56%); Asia (50%); and Europe (49%).

Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) Chief Executive Officer Issam Kazim commented: “Since reopening to the global market in July 2020, Dubai has never looked back. We have been able to build on this momentum year on year, leading to a hugely successful Expo 2020 Dubai. And ATM comes at a time when the rest of the world wants to be a part of this remarkable journey with Dubai.”

One of many show highlights, the revamped and rebranded ATM Travel Tech event, previously called Travel Forward, has undergone a year-on-year expansion of almost 400%. In addition to the latest travel technology products and services, the ATM Travel Tech Stage will host a series of seminars, debates and presentations focused on the long-term trajectory of tourism in the Middle East.

Arabian Travel Market exhibition director ME Danielle Curtis added: “As a globally recognised tech hub, Dubai offers an unparalleled environment for entrepreneurs and start-ups working to drive advancements within travel, tourism and hospitality”. “Indeed, the effective development and implementation of technology are essential to our industry’s day-to-day operations as well as its long-term sustainability and success.”

The inaugural ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition has generated significant buzz since its launch earlier this year. Held in conjunction with AladdinB2B and Draper Associates, the initiative will see 15 travel, tourism and hospitality start-ups pitch for USD500,000 of funding.

Building on the success of ATM’s hybrid approach during the global pandemic, this year’s in-person event will be followed by the third instalment of ATM Virtual, which will take place from Tuesday, 17 to Wednesday, 18 May 2022. This component will offer industry professionals the opportunity to showcase their destinations to a global audience of travel buyers and provide a platform for travel professionals to continue their all-important one-to-one meetings and view on-demand sessions conducted during the in-person show from the comfort of their homes and offices.

Emirates lines up extra holiday flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE 28 April 2022: With Eid Al Fitr approaching and more travellers planning to take to the skies, Emirates is responding by offering more flights across seven cities in the GCC and the Middle East.

The airline is stepping up its schedule by adding 23 flights and layering additional seats with the deployment of both A380s and Boeing 777s between 28 April and 8 May to the four cities it serves in Saudi Arabia, as well as to Kuwait, Beirut, and Amman.

In Saudi Arabia, Emirates will be layering on two additional flights on 2 and 8  May to serve demand in and out of Riyadh. In Jeddah, the airline will add five flights served by its Boeing 777 and will be upgrading one of its existing flights to an A380 to become an all A380 operation. Medina will also be served with four additional flights during this time, and travellers from Dammam will also have the option of one extra flight on 28 April as they start their holidays. This year, Emirates customers in Saudi Arabia will be venturing to Dubai for their Eid Al Fitr celebrations and the Maldives, Paris, Bangkok, Mauritius, Manila, and Los Angeles in the US.

This year’s popular destinations for Kuwaiti travellers include Dubai, the Maldives, Manila, Bangkok, London, Mauritius and Paris, and Emirates will be operating eight additional flights served by its Boeing 777 during Eid.

Emirates will be layering on three flights served by its Boeing 777s to the airline’s existing Beirut schedule to accommodate more travellers as they head home to visit friends and relatives. Amman flights served by the Boeing 777 will also be upgraded with higher seat capacities.

Travellers can also book special Emirates Holidays packages, with curated experiences, hotel stays and more to suit every preference and taste.

Keeping with Eid traditions and providing a touch of Middle Eastern hospitality, the airline will be serving a specially crafted Eid menu for customers between 2 to 5 May for all GCC, the Middle East and North Africa flights departing from and arriving in Dubai.

Customers across all classes can expect to tuck into succulent Chicken Gabuli or Prawn Biryani to start their celebrations. Emirates will also be serving decadent desserts like saffron and pistachio cakes for First and Business Class customers. Economy class customers can also enjoy the chicken and prawn options and indulge their sweet tooth with soft and crumbly pistachio namoura or saffron cake to round off their meal. Customers travelling on the A380 in First and Business Class will also enjoy a curated selection of Emirati Eid pastries and chocolates in the Onboard Lounge.

Emirates First and Business Class Dubai lounges will be offering customers Arabic Coffee, dates, traditional Eid sweets and two new flavours of ice cream, cinnamon baklava and Arabic coffee with dates. Customers at Emirates’ dedicated Cairo and Singapore lounges will also be offered special sweets and savoury dishes.

Customers can sit back and relax with up to 5,000 channels of carefully curated entertainment featuring over 100 Arabic movies, including new releases Al Kameen, Al Shanta, and Khan Tiuola; over 45 popular Arabic TV series; 400 channels of Arabic music, including Pop, Classics, Khaleeji, Maghrebi and Arabic Fusion; 13 channels of Arabic podcasts and audiobooks; The Holy Qu’ran and more with ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

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

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Cathay adds more London flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 28 April 2022: Cathay Pacific Airways is gradually increasing flights on its Hong Kong – London route during May as Hong Kong eases entry rules to allow non-residents to visit the territory.

In addition to a weekly flight every Monday and Friday during May, the airline offers date-specific flights on Tuesday 10 and 24 May, Wednesday 4 and 18 May, Thursday 12 and 26 May, Saturday 7,14 and 21 May, and Sunday 1, 15 22 29 May.

That will see the airline increase from a low of just two flights a month to London during Hong Kong’s extended Covid-19 lockdown to 21 flights during May.

Cathay is also resuming flights from Hong Kong to Manchester during May with date-specific flights on Monday 23 May, Tuesday 17 May, Saturday 7 and 28 May and Sunday 1 May.

From 5 to 30 June, the airline schedules daily flights to London. In addition, it will schedule two flights daily on 5, 15, 16, 25 and 26 June.

It could take up to a year for the airline to return to the five daily London flights that Cathay Pacific had on its books in 2019 before Covid-19 caused two years of restrictions and lockdowns.

Singapore removes most travel restrictions

By
TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 28 April 2022: Singapore’s Ministry of Health eased Covid-19 rules earlier this week, ending the restriction on group sizes and social distancing, a change welcomed by the events business.

Easer rules came into effect on 26 April as the country lowered its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) level from orange to yellow.

For Singapore’s business events sector, removing the group-size limit is the welcome news as it will ring in the return of exhibitions and events catering to more than 1,000 participants.

But individual travellers, who are fully vaccinated, will benefit from not having to show a pre-departure Covid-19 negative test result.

However, all non-fully vaccinated travellers age 13 and above must continue to show a negative pre-departure test taken within two days before departure for Singapore. They must also undergo a seven-day stay-home notice period and take an RT-PCR test for Covid-19 at the end of their stay-home notice period.

TraceTogether and SafeEntry vaccination-differentiated safe management measures and workforce vaccination measures end.

Other changes.

Household visits
• No limit on the number of visitors per household.
• Unvaccinated should exercise caution, reduce movement, and stay at home as much as possible. Up to 10 household visitors at any one time.

Mask wearing
• Only required for indoor settings, optional for outdoor settings but encouraged.

Safe distancing
• Not required between individuals or between groups.

Workplace
• All employees may return to the workplace.
• Unmasking is allowed at the workplace if not interacting physically with others and when not in customer-facing areas.

Shopping centre
• Vaccination-differentiated SMMs will be removed from all settings, except for events with 500 participants at any one time, nightlife establishments where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities, F&B establishments, bars and karaoke establishments.

TripAdvisor: Be kind write a review

By
Don Ross
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SINGAPORE, 26 April 2022: TripAdvisor launches Write a Review Day on 3 May to help kick start summer travel and revive the reviewing habit dramatically impacted by two years of restricted travel or lockdowns across Asia.

Its launch media release distributed Tuesday asks us if we have visited a hotel or restaurant or booked a tour or experience in the last year that we haven’t yet reviewed? If so, Tripadvisor is looking to get its community of hundreds of millions of travellers reinspired to write reviews once more.

The inaugural Write a Review Day on 3 May will launch a month-long campaign in May to get travellers back in the habit of writing reviews.

Inspiration and creativity to pen reviews went missing over the last two years due to lockdowns, uncertainty, and conflicting opinions on Covid-19.

Tripadvisor hopes it can now revive our enthusiasm to write a review for a hotel stay or a restaurant experience we enjoyed over the past year. It suggests reviews can vary between good and not so good written with the “intention of giving the still recovering tourism and hospitality industry helpful and constructive feedback”.

Even during the lockdown, there were a couple of examples in Thailand of hotel managers threatening to take reviewers to civil court or have them detained by police to face criminal charges. The thin-skinned hoteliers took umbrage at reviews they claimed were commercially damaging. However, in Thailand, it did put a damper on writing honest reviews of hotels and restaurants for fear of falling foul of draconian laws covering defamation and libel.

Perhaps that prompted TripAdvisor to attach to its Write a Review launch publicity a few tips on what makes a “great and helpful review”, emphasising the importance of being helpful and charitable.

The premise suggests the inspiration to write reviews comes from our desire to be helpful and support the commercial interests of hotels and restaurants. That’s a big ask.

TripAdvisor, in its short tutorial, suggests we have all seen the not-so-helpful reviews – “This place was great!” But why was it great? – “I didn’t like the food?” What did this person order? What didn’t they like about the food?”

Tripadvisor claims that not all reviews are created equal, backed up by findings released in the Power of Reviews study. It indicated Tripadvisor reviews were three times longer than the reviews found on leading online travel agent websites and search engines. That level of detail helps travellers to make informed decisions.

Here are Tripadvisor’s top tips for writing a great review 

Give Context: Be clear and specific in describing your memory. Stick to facts and include as many details as possible allows other travellers like you to get an accurate picture of the business.

Create helpful change: Whether positive or negative, make sure your review is helpful and constructive. Recognise and value what you like and offer options and solutions for this business to improve: this is an opportunity for them to learn.

Be thankful and empathetic: Keep a courteous and friendly tone in mind and use appropriate language. It’s worth considering that there are people who put commitment and passion into what they do behind every business activity.

As part of the Write a Review Day campaign, Tripadvisor will partner with the tourism and hospitality industry associations to launch ‘The Better Review Initiative’. More than 20 associations worldwide, including the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the World Travel Organization (UNWTO), and HotellerieSuisse, have endorsed the initiative to improve travel and hospitality review content online.

Paddle event raises funds for turtles

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 27 April 2022: What began as a challenge resulted in five friends embarking on stand-up paddling for two days to promote water sports activities and marine wildlife conservation.

In the Paddle For Turtle event, the group paddleboarded from the Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort to the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort, covering 35 km of coastline waters.

One of the paddlers, Mitch Cini, said that they started the awareness campaign to get people interested in sustainable water sports and to raise funds for the Marine Research Foundation’s turtle conservation project.

“The water sports activity in Sabah is transitioning at the moment. The state has its traditional water sports activities that include popular scuba diving and eye-catching parasailing and jet skiing.

“Now we are moving towards a more sustainable activity that does not significantly impact the environment,” said the founder of Waterfly Borneo.

Such sustainable activities are paddle boarding and e-foiling to replace jet skiing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing.

Mitch, an Australian residing in Sabah, stated that these activities had seen a surge in popularity in the last three years, not only for tourism purposes but also for recreational purposes, with people doing it for fitness.

In their latest project, the group left Shangri-La Rasa Ria on Saturday. They made their way to Pulau Sepanggar and Pulau Gaya, where they spent time teaching the islanders how to paddleboard and raising marine protection awareness. They arrived at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru at 1300 on Sunday. The Sabah Tourism Board is one of participating partners in the event.

Meanwhile, Sabah Tourism chief executive officer Noredah Othman said the state is strong in marine protection efforts, which benefits tourism by allowing tourists to participate in conservation programmes.

“It is essential for us to promote products or activities that enhance the experience of tourists visiting Sabah,” she explained. “Sabah has the most beautiful ocean, beaches, and islands. Our goal is to promote the state water sports activities to visitors while encouraging them to conserve the marine environment”.

For more details on Sabah’s tourist attractions visit: https://www.sabahtourism.com/?locale=en

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

CWT makes changes at the top

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 27 April 2022: CWT, a global travel B2B management platform, confirmed this week that the company’s CEO, Michelle McKinney Frymire will step down this week.

She makes way for the president and chief commercial officer Patrick Andersen to take over the role of president and chief executive officer effective 1 May 2022. He will also serve on the company’s board of directors.

“Leading CWT through such a critical phase in its evolution has been a great honour,” said Frymire. “We have made substantial achievements during extraordinary times, and I am grateful to our global team and customers for their trust and supportive partnership. Now, with a strong financial foundation in place, CWT is positioned to accelerate its growth plan, and I’m pleased to pass the baton to Patrick.”

Before taking on the role of president and chief commercial officer,  Andersen served as chief strategy officer and, before that, president of the Americas.

Since joining the company in 2008, he has managed and overseen several industry-defining initiatives, including the launch of myCWT China, expanding RoomIt by CWT, and developing innovative long-term GDS technology partnership agreements.

Thai AirAsia X returns to the skies

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 27 April 2022: Thai AirAsia X, a low fare medium-to-long haul carrier, announces it is ready to resume services by transferring operations to Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The move should allow the airline to revive its business growth by establishing more travel connections to medium-to-long haul international destinations.

The airline will return to the skies starting 1 June on two South Korea and Japan routes.

On the route  Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – Seoul (ICN), South Korea AirAsia X will fly three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays commencing 1 June 2022,

On the route Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – Narita (NRT) Japan, the airline will fly four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays commencing  5 June 2022.

Thai AirAsia X is celebrating its return with a special promotion offering members flights to Seoul from THB2,990 per trip (or from THB3,030 for non-members) and Tokyo Narita from only THB3,290 THB per trip (or from THB3,330 per trip for non-members).

The deal comes with unlimited flight changes and no flight change fee. Guests may be subject to a fare difference. They should book early to secure the best value deals with all AirAsia. The special promotional is open for sales until 1 May 2022 for travel from 1 June to 30 October 2022 via the AirAsia Super App.

Thai AirAsia X CEO Patima Jeerapaet said: “As International borders are now gradually reopening, we are excited to be or service again to our guests. They can now prepare to fly again to some of the most popular international destinations and as always, at the best value fares.

“This is an incredible milestone. With Thailand officially reopening and the Covid-19 situation now under control thanks to widespread vaccination, we are thrilled that Thai AirAsia X is finally returning to the skies commencing with two routes to Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo Narita, Japan, both departing from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Thailand.

“The return of Thai AirAsia X is a fascinating development. Our move to Suvarnabhumi International Airport makes us the first Thai low-cost, long haul carrier to operate from Bangkok’s main airport. The move has provided us with opportunities to enhance travel and our cargo business,” Patima noted.

South Korea has relaxed travel requirements to allow entry without quarantine. Guests should visit www.k-eta.go.kr and cov19ent.kdca.go.kr  for more information. For entering Japan, updated travel requirements can be found at www.mofa.go.jp/ca/cp/page22e_000925.html

Thailand also has recently eased travel requirements for tourists including the removal of pre-departure tests and replacement of RT-PCR tests to the ATK, and no quarantine requirement.

Further information can be found at Thailand lifts RT-PCR testing requirement for international arrivals from 1 May 2022.

(Source: Thai AirAsia X)

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