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Vietjet connects HCMC and Chiang Mai

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 5 September  2022; Vietjet resumes direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s business and tourism hub, and Chiang Mai, North Thailand’s largest city.

The thrice-weekly service between Ho Chi Minh City and Chiang Mai operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with a flight time of just two hours. Flights depart Ho Chi Minh City at 1125 and arrive in Chiang Mai at 1330. Return flights take off at 1430 in Chiang Mai and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 1635.

Tickets for the Ho Chi Minh City – Chiang Mai flights are now available from THB 219 (USD6) (excluding taxes and fees) at www.vietjetair.com or Vietjet Air mobile app.

“We are delighted to bring back the only direct service connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Chiang Mai as the travel restrictions have been lifted and travel momentum is picked up,” said Vietjet vice president Nguyen Thanh Son. “The nonstop flights are to serve the increasing travel demand for leisure and pilgrimage during the year-end season while promoting trade between the two countries and regionally. We will keep providing seamless connectivity, affordable fares, and quality services for passengers to enjoy flying with Vietjet.”

At Chiang Mai International Airport, Vietjet’s direct flight VJ891 from Ho Chi Minh City was welcomed by Suladda Sarutilavan, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand Chiang Mai Office; Pacha Rattanaphan, President of Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association; Pallop Sae Jew, Chairman of Chiang Mai Tourism Industry Council; Pinyot Pibulsonggram, Director of Commercial, Thai Vietjet; Weerachote Thirawayamakul, Senior Branch Marketing Manager, Central Chiang Mai; and Siraphop Somphong, Customer Experience Manager, Central Chiang Mai.

Both Vietnam and Thailand have lifted all arrival regulations relating to Covid-19. The Thai government has increased the visa-free stay for tourists from over 50 countries, including Vietnam, from 30 days to 45 days, effective October 2022.

KLM resumes flights in Southeast Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 2 September 2022: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will resume flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta effective during the winter 2022-2023 schedule that starts on 31 October.

For its winter 2022-2023 schedule, it will offer the following flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

From Kuala Lumpur, KLM  will operate four flights weekly to Amsterdam and resume four weekly flights to Jakarta using a Boeing 777-200. The roundtrip fare starts at MYR3,887 in early November.

From Jakarta, KLM offers four weekly flights that stop in Kuala Lumpur and then onwards to Amsterdam. The airline has fifth freedom rights on the Kuala Lumpur – Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur sectors open for local sales.

KLM also offers daily flight options from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta via Singapore in cooperation with its interline partners. 

Until April 2020, when Covid-19 caused global travel lockdowns, KLM offered daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta to Amsterdam.

KLM’s Country Manager for Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand,  Estee Ng commented: “After suspending flights for two and half years due to the Covid crisis, we are delighted to resume direct flights again to Amsterdam from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The resumption means more choice for customers to connect between Europe and Southeast Asia.”

Flight schedule between Kuala Lumpur –Amsterdam / Jakarta – Amsterdam

Valid from 31 October 2022 to March 2023

FLIGHT

NUMBER

ROUTE

DEPARTURE

ARRIVAL

DAYS

AIRCRAFT

KL809

Amsterdam – Kuala Lumpur

20:45

15:45+1

Tue-Thu-

Sat-Sun

B777-200

Kuala Lumpur – Jakarta

17:05

18:10

Mon-Wed-

Fri-Sun

KL810

Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur

19:25

22:30

Kuala Lumpur – Amsterdam

23:50

06:20+1

For more information and bookings visit www.klm.com

Tourism Malaysia teams up with Qatar

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 2 September 2022: Tourism Malaysia has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with Qatar Airways this week to extend promotional opportunities by tapping the airline’s extensive network.

Tourism Malaysia said in a media statement Thursday that working with Qatar Airways would boost travel arrivals from the Middle East via Qatar Airways’ broad network to Malaysia. In addition, it will strengthen Malaysia’s appeal as a preferred travel destination among travellers in Europe and the US.

Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri announces the MoC with Qatar Airways.

Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri,  commented at the press conference: “With the reopening of international borders and an increase in the demand for air travel, we believe the strategic cooperation will increase the awareness of our attractions and more initiatives will take place to help to boost tourist arrivals to Malaysia.

“As we continue to navigate recovery from the pandemic, this MoC works as a platform to increase the choice of flights, wider destinations, and greater flexibility on top of the excellent service hospitality Qatar Airways offers”.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “We are delighted to work closely with Tourism Malaysia to support tourism growth in the popular Southeast Asian country. As an airline, we are moulded strongly by tourism, and we will remain committed to playing our role in supporting Tourism Malaysia through this collaboration. With international borders now open and travel demand returning, Qatar Airways also looks forward to connecting more travellers to Malaysia and the world.”

The partnership involves familiarisation trips to Malaysia, marketing promotional activities, and advertising campaigns to feature Malaysia as a preferred holiday destination.

(Source: Tourism Malaysia)

Sabah woos domestic travellers at MATTA fair

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 2 September: Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is leading a delegation of 30 co-exhibitors to showcase the state’s holiday packages to travel consumers visiting the  MATTA Fair Kuala Lumpur from 2 to 4 September. The delegation comprises 26 tour operators, a dive operator, and three hotels.

Photo Credit: MATTA

“As one of the biggest consumer fairs in Malaysia, it is crucial for Sabah Tourism to be present. Sabah is known for its nature and adventure attractions, which is why our booth represents these two elements,” said STB Chief Executive Officer Noredah Othman. “Now that the MATTA Fair KL covers three days, we are confident we can reach out to more people, and visitors can have more time to come discover deals in time for the year-end holiday.”

Watch video: Adventure travel experience

ATV Borneo Adventure Promote

Sabah Tourism attended and supported several other MATTA shows this year; MATTA Kelantan in March, MATTA Fair in April, MATTA Bazaar at Sunway Velocity in June and MATTA fairs in Johor and Penang in August.

“Sabah gained much traction from visitors at all these shows. We commend Sabah’s local tour operators, hotels and product owners for their continuous participation in these tourism consumer fairs to capture the domestic market and provide attractive Sabah travel packages,” STB’s CEO noted.

Sabah is presenting its travel content at booths 5096 to 5113 at the World Trade Centre (WTC), Hall 5, from 1000 to 2100. Boost e-wallet users have the opportunity to redeem the MansauSabahBoostku MYR100 e-voucher, which applies to all of the fair’s packages in booths 5096 to 5113.

There are also MYR50 Sabah vouchers up for grabs using the scan QR code located in AEON Mall Klang Valley. The Sabah voucher may be used as an additional discount to purchase Sabah travel packages at the fair.

“Physical events are gaining momentum in Sabah, and we welcome travellers to be part of the Borneo Bird Festival from 21 to 23 October in Sandakan and the World Tourism Conference from 28 November to 30 November 2022,” Noredah concluded.

Watch video: Nature attractions

For more information visit: www.sabahtourism.com

(Your Stories: STB)

Emirates flies 10 million summer passengers

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE, 2 September 2022: Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, carried more than 10 million passengers on nearly 35,000 flights to 130 destinations this summer.

Having anticipated the strong return of travel demand, Emirates worked closely with its airport partners to operate as scheduled, minimise travel disruptions, and take customers to their planned holidays and trips to see friends and family worldwide over the summer.

The airline also ramped up operations to serve customer demand during this busy period, reinstating daily services to London Stansted. It increased flights to 33 cities on popular routes across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and to favourite holiday spots like the Seychelles, Maldives, Mexico and Miami.

In June, Emirates added Tel Aviv to its global network. In July, it added a third daily flight to London Gatwick to serve travellers impacted by capacity cuts at Heathrow.

The iconic Emirates A380, the world’s largest commercial jet, was also deployed to serve high customer demand in over 30 cities around its network.

On the ground, the airline re-opened and was operating 32 signature Emirates Lounges, including 25 dedicated lounges at major airports across its network, to provide frequent flyers and premium travellers with a comfortable haven to rest and refresh during their journey. The airline had also reinstated its trademark complimentary Chauffeur Drive airport transfers for First and Business Class customers in nearly all cities it serves.

Dubai International (DXB) is the world’s busiest international airport. With millions of Emirates customers arriving, departing, and transiting through DXB each month, the airline ensures smooth operations at its 24/7 hub with close coordination and additional resources deployed throughout the airport eco-system.

Travellers benefited from the airline’s investments in services and digital initiatives to reduce downtime at the airport between connecting flights and facilitate a smooth flow for customers to complete their formalities and get to where they are going.

During the summer months, over 3.8 million travellers across the network conveniently checked in online via emirates.com and the Emirates App.

Over 500,000 travellers used the 22 self-service check-in kiosks and 38 baggage drop facilities in Dubai Terminal 3.

Over 11,000 travellers used Emirates’ home check-in services, which are complimentary for first-class passengers departing Dubai, skipping the airport check-in queue and proceeding straight to immigration.

Emirates continues to rebuild its network and capacity as travel restrictions ease. It currently operates at 74% of its pre-pandemic network/capacity and plans to increase that to 80% by year-end. The airline is also commencing a US$2 billion retrofit programme to equip 120 aircraft with its latest onboard products in November.

For more information, visit: www.emirates.com.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Pan Pacific recasts senior players

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 2 September 2022: Pan Pacific Hotels Group, a member of Singapore-listed UOL Group Limited, rejigs its senior management team as it expands its global portfolio spanning Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. The new operational leadership team reports directly to Pan Pacific Hotels Group CEO Choe Peng Sum.

There are now five regional clusters, each headed by a seasoned vice president of operations.

Jeremy Aniere is now vice president of operations for  Singapore and general manager of Pan Pacific Singapore. Excluding the yet-to-open Pan Pacific Orchard, he will head operations at eight Singapore properties under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group.

Marcel Holman takes over as vice president of operations for China, Indonesia and Japan. He is also the pre-opening general manager of the Pan Pacific Orchard, which is due to open in the first half of 2023. Across Indonesia, China and Japan, he will oversee 13 properties under the group, including those under development.

Richard Tan becomes vice president of operations for Dhaka, Indochina, Malaysia and Nairobi. This is in addition to his current purview over properties in Malaysia and Indochina (Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia).

Margaret Paul is vice president of pre-opening and operations for Oceania. Starting 1 October 2022, she will head global launches, overseeing a growing pipeline of hotels, resorts and serviced suites, plus six properties currently operating in Australia.

Anne Golden has been named vice president of operations for the UK and North America, overseeing six properties. She is also the general manager of Pan Pacific London.

Jetstar recruits regional GM

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 2 September 2022: Jetstar has appointed sales and commercial veteran Xu Haibing as the Jetstar Group’s regional general manager, Greater China & Southeast Asia, effective immediately.

Xu brings more than 20 years of aviation industry knowledge and significant leadership, sales and commercial experience, which will be critical as travel demand recovers to pre- Covid levels across Asia.

Previously based in Hong Kong and Shanghai,  Xu has been part of the Jetstar Group’s commercial leadership team since 2012 and has recently relocated to Singapore.

Jetstar Asia CEO Bara Pasupathi said: “We are thrilled Haibing has accepted this leadership role based in Singapore to help drive sales initiatives and build strategic relationships for Jetstar in China and across the region.”

“Haibing has extensive and in-depth knowledge of the China market, and he joins us at a very exciting time, as China begins to relax travel restrictions and Covid measures gradually.

“There is an enormous opportunity for Jetstar to reclaim our pre-Covid foothold in China and rebuild our business in this vital market, making travel more accessible to more people once again.”

He has previously held senior management positions in Accenture, Roland Berger and China Eastern Airlines.

Pre-pandemic, Jetstar operated over 80 weekly flights from Singapore to six Greater China destinations, including Haikou, Hong Kong, Sanya, Shantou, Taiwan and Xuzhou.

Lao travel: Better safe than sorry

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TTR WEEKLY
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VIENTIANE, Laos 2 September 2022: As the end of the monsoon season draws near, more travel operators in Laos are applying to certify tour guides and drivers to cope with an anticipated influx of tourists in October.

Over 710 tour guides and 270 drivers have achieved LaoSafe certification so far. The certification teaches frontline travel staff the latest health, safety and cleanliness skills and knowledge.

Laos reopened its borders to international tourists on 9 May, dropping all testing and quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers. Since then, interest in the country grew, with a 50% increase in visitors by June. It’s an encouraging signal supported by an uptick in consumer demand for organised tours during the upcoming high season.

“LaoSafe is a great standard and important during the new normal. The LaoSafe training that our guides received helped them prioritise safety and cleanliness. As a tour operator, I want travellers to know that Laos has safety standards to travel with peace of mind and confidence. All operators in Laos should apply for LaoSafe certification,” said EXO Travel Laos managing director Duangmala Phommavong.

LaoSafe is a nationwide initiative designed to create a world-class health and hygiene system within the tourism and hospitality industry, implemented by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and approved by the Lao PDR’s Ministry of Health.

Sector-specific standards have been developed for accommodation, food and beverage, tour guides, and drivers to raise the benchmark of hygiene provision throughout the country and build international confidence in Laos as a safe tourist destination.

“As a DMC, it is important for us to be able to offer our customers a safe and quality experience. As Covid-19 has changed our world and our way of living, it was important for us to adapt as well. Thanks to the LaoSafe initiative, this has been possible,” says Asian Trails Laos product and Inbound officer Julie Beaufrère.

“This initiative allows us to reassure our customers concerned about safety and hygiene measures in Laos. We will continue to support by training our guides and drivers through LaoSafe,” she commented.

Tourist arrivals to Laos are unlikely to return to pre-Covid levels in 2023. However, removing entry restrictions gives the tourism and hospitality industry a welcome boost. As long as Covid-19 infections fluctuate worldwide, protecting against infection is still a concern for many, particularly when they travel from Europe on long-haul flights. LaoSafe certification goes a long way to restoring confidence.

The LaoSafe Programme is supported by the Skills for Tourism Project, co-financed by the Lao PDR government, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland. It is managed by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

For further information, visit www.laosafe.gov.la.

Virtual Vio Travel goes live

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 31 August 2022: The travel industry’s newest B2B wholesaler, Vio Travel, claims it is the first virtual Destination Management Company in the Asia-Pacific, designed for travel agents, wholesalers, and retailers globally.

Defined by its first-class software application and booking engine, Vio Travel simplifies itinerary management with an easy-to-use data-driven dashboard to create a customer’s dream holiday in minutes. 

Co-founders Michael Lynden-Bell and Dominik Schaufler have hand-picked a collection of the best travel experiences, accommodation, private villas, and travel packages across the Asia-Pacific, offering the region’s most competitive rates.

In a media release Vio Travel says it is “a one-stop shop offering a wide selection of travel products accessible through a single dashboard. The technology behind the platform is second to none. Vio Travel makes itinerary management simple for complex trip planning, a short trip itinerary, or a multi-day, multi-location package.”

The start-up company will prioritise local suppliers and allow users to create packages by combining different suppliers into one itinerary. Bookings can be amended, managed, and cancelled through the account portal.

In addition, Vio Travel’s white label formatting allows agents to forward proposals to clients directly from the platform, branded with the travel agency’s logo.

Vio co-founder Dominik Schaufler said: “We contract directly with hundreds of hand-picked local suppliers that meet our service standards. Likewise, we promote those suppliers to our global partner network … which means lower prices for the customer and greater margins for agents”.

“Vio Travel is service-oriented at its core with reliable 24/7 customer support that can assist with any request or concern before, during, and after the sale,” co-founder Michael Lynden-Bell commented.

“We see this as a crucial offering as the travel industry emerges from a devastating few years, while consumer confidence slowly rebuilds”.

The travel firm will cover 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, offering more than 1,500 directly contracted tour options and over 400 tour and transfer suppliers. Vio Travel will maintain offices in Bangkok, Sydney, and Hong Kong. 

It is already booking guests for holidays in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

To find out more, visit www.vio.travel, or email an enquiry to [email protected].

Agoda and GSTC sponsor hotel training

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 September 2022: Agoda is partnering with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to support hotels develop sustainable tourism practices.

The Singapore-headquartered digital travel platform launches the partnership with GSTC in Singapore by sponsoring 50 Singapore hotel professionals to attend a “Sustainable Hotels” course that will equip them with the knowledge and skills to accelerate their sustainability transformation.

Agoda vice president of global partner services Jamil Liyana said: “We are confident this course will go some way to help speed up the hotels’ adoption of the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap. Agoda is constantly looking for ways to collaborate with public and private organisations to raise awareness of sustainable tourism and help our customers and partners make more sustainable choices. And as is Agoda’s culture, we will test and measure the success of this initiative as we look to explore similar programs in other key markets.”

Agoda and GSTC’s sustainable tourism course aims to support hotel participants on their journey to meet their sustainability targets through in-depth content provided by GSTC.

The GSTC Criteria presents a study course in global standards for sustainable travel and tourism. It includes best practices from destinations, tour operators and accommodation providers worldwide. The course will enable hotel professionals to understand the intent and indicators of the GSTC Criteria and prepare individuals to develop and implement viable and actionable sustainable tourism policies and practices for their organisation or the destination they serve.

After completing the course, participants will receive a certificate of training completion from the GSTC featuring both the GSTC and Agoda logos. They will be eligible to take an optional official exam to receive the GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism. Training through the course and the optional certificate would also contribute to the staff engagement criteria in the GSTC Criteria for Hotels.

Commenting on the partnership, Singapore Hotels Association president Kwee Wei Lin noted: “Agoda’s partnership with GSTC will support Singapore’s hotel industry in realising our target to achieve internationally recognised hotel sustainability certification. The course will not only build sustainability capabilities within each organisation but also support hotels with a structured framework to implement greener practices.”

In March 2022, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) jointly launched the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap, setting out clear sustainability goals for hotels as part of Singapore’s ambition to become a top sustainable urban destination. These include a target for at least 60% of Singapore’s hotel room stock to achieve internationally recognised hotel sustainability certification by 2025 and to commence tracking emissions by 2023. The move by Agoda to help hotels meet the requirements for sustainability certification is welcomed by both SHA and STB.

The GSTC and Agoda course is a flexible learning online course of four 90 min sessions over four weeks. The course runs from 6 October to  3 November 2022.

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