Wednesday, October 28, 2026
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Isan Project’s music video lands in Talu Island

By
Andrew Wood
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BANGKOK, 12 October 2026: British producer and songwriter Will Robinson, creative force behind The Isan Project, launches a new music video that blends his love of music with his longstanding affection for Thailand.

Robinson’s latest video venture, “I Love My Life in the Sun”, features London-based singer Luke White’s distinctive vocals and was filmed on Koh Talu, a small island in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on the Gulf of Thailand, 300 km south of Bangkok.

Will Robinson (right) with Luke White on Koh Talu in southern Thailand.

“I Love My Life in the Sun”, featuring the distinctive vocals of London-based singer Luke White, was filmed on Koh Talu, where white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and tropical scenery create a fitting backdrop for a song celebrating life’s simple pleasures in the sunshine.

I first met Will through connections surrounding the extraordinary Tham Luang cave rescue in Chiang Rai in 2018, when 12 young footballers and their coach were trapped deep in a mountain cave system. 

His musical tributes to those involved reflected a quality I have come to admire: an ability to connect with people and tell their stories with warmth and respect.

Since then, I have followed his regular music and video releases. 

His latest project shines a spotlight on Koh Talu, where natural beauty sits alongside an important conservation story. Hawksbill turtles come ashore to nest on the island’s quiet beaches, while its sanctuary cares for young turtles as they develop before being released into the sea.

The island setting gives the video an appeal beyond its sunny soundtrack. It introduces audiences to a corner of Thailand where beaches, marine life and conservation are closely connected.

For more than a decade, Robinson has shared Thailand’s beauty and culture with international audiences through The Isan Project. The project’s popular “Amazing Thailand” song has recorded more than 10 million audio plays across Meta platforms. A catalogue of around 20 songs has provided the foundation for his continuing musical exploration of the Kingdom.

Will Robinson and Daniel Ryan wrote “I Love My Life in the Sun”, co-produced by Robinson and Rob Cass and mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road Studios in London.

For me, the appeal of Will’s work lies in the way he combines music with a personal connection to Thailand. This latest release continues that journey, inviting viewers to discover Koh Talu through a song with sunshine at its heart.

About the Author

Andrew J Wood is a British-born travel writer, tourism commentator and former hotelier based in Thailand since 1991. CEO of A&P Media, he brings more than four decades of hospitality experience in Asia and Europe.

A member of Skål International since 1992, he has served as a Director and President at the association’s Asia levels, including two terms in Bangkok. He also serves on the Board of the South African-Thai Chamber of Commerce (SATCC). His writing covers tourism, aviation, hospitality and sustainable destination development.

(The views expressed are the author’s own and do not represent those of any association, chamber or committee with which he is involved).

Philippines a winner at World Travel Awards

By
Newsdesk
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MANILA, 12 October 2026: The Philippines marked its eighth consecutive year as Asia’s leading dive destination at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2026, held recently in the Maldives.

The country secured five other major wins, including Asia’s Leading Beach Destination 2026 for the ninth time and Asia’s Leading Island Destination 2026 for the third consecutive year.

Photo credit: Department of Tourism Philippines.

Boracay retained its title as Asia’s Leading Luxury Island Destination 2026 for the third straight year, while the Department of Tourism (DOT) was named Asia’s Leading Tourist Board 2026 for the fourth time.

The City of San Fernando, Pampanga earned the title of Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2026, marking the Philippines’ first win in the said category. The recognition highlights the city’s rich heritage, traditions, crafts, culinary offerings, and festivals, including the Giant Lantern Festival.

“With the momentum from these recognitions, we want to further establish diving as one of the Philippines’ key tourism products in 2027. Our goal is to make diving and other water-based activities safer, more accessible, and easier for travellers to experience, supported by more efficient services and better-connected destinations,” Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said.

Philippine tourism industry players also brought home nine Asia-level awards, led by the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines, named Asia’s Leading Cultural Airline. Savoy Hotel Manila was recognised as Asia’s Leading Airport Hotel, while Amanpulo and Discovery Primea were named Asia’s Leading Private Island Resort and Asia’s Leading Business Hotel, respectively. 

Other Philippine winners were Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery, Asia’s Leading Design Hotel; Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila, Asia’s Leading Serviced Apartments; City of Dreams Manila, Asia’s Leading Casino Resort; Fili Hotel Bridgetowne, Asia’s Leading New Luxury Hotel Development Project; and Okada Manila, Asia’s Leading Entertainment Resort.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards recognises excellence across the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industries through regional and global awards. Regional winners advance to the WTA Grand Final, where they compete with winners from other regional heats for the World categories.

(Source: Department of Tourism Philippines)

Brand USA names interim chief

By
Newsdesk
-

SINGAPORE, 12 October 2026: Brand USA, the destination marketing organisation for US tourism, has announced the appointment of Caroline Beteta as Interim President & CEO, effective 9 November. 

Brand USA’s Board of Directors appointed Beteta, who retired in September after nearly three decades as President & CEO of Visit California, and who brings extensive tourism leadership experience and a longstanding connection to Brand USA, including previous service as Chair of its Board of Directors and Acting CEO.

Caroline Beteta, Interim President & CEO of Brand USA.

“On behalf of the board, we congratulate Caroline and welcome her back to Brand USA,” said Brand USA Board of Directors Chair Todd Davidson. “Caroline has led this organisation before; she knows our partners and our mission, and she built Visit California into one of the most respected destination marketing organisations in the world.” 

Beteta led Visit California as President & CEO from January 1998 until her retirement in September 2026, while also serving the state as Deputy Secretary for Tourism and later as a strategic advisor to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. 

During her tenure, Visit California established the nation’s first statewide tourism assessment program, opened international offices, launched global marketing campaigns, and led the industry’s recovery from wildfires, recessions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, helping make California one of the world’s most sought-after destinations. According to Visit California, the state’s tourism industry now directly supports 1.2 million jobs and generates more than USD150 billion in annual visitor spending.

Her ties to Brand USA go back to its founding. As national chair of the US Travel Association, she helped unite the Travel Industry Association and the Travel Business Roundtable and helped lay the groundwork for Brand USA’s creation. She later served Brand USA as Vice Chair of Operations, then as Chair of its Board of Directors, and as Acting CEO. 

Beteta succeeds Fred Dixon, who will depart Brand USA on 13 November after more than two years as President & CEO. He returns to New York City as President & CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions on 1 December.

(Source: Brand USA)

Under-the-radar Autumn destinations

By
Newsdesk
-

SINGAPORE, 12 October 2026: Autumn leaf-watching is one of Asia’s oldest travel rituals, but it’s become more urgent—warmer, less predictable seasons mean a good colour week is something to catch rather than take for granted, and famous spots now fill up fast. 

Digital travel platform Agoda highlights five places where the colour is just as loud, but the crowds are not.

Lake Towada and Oirase Gorge, Japan

A quieter option than Kyoto, this river gorge in Aomori runs through dense beech and maple in the country’s north. The valley reaches full colour in late October, and the walking trail beside the rapids makes leaf-viewing, or momiji-gari, best experienced on foot.

Andong, South Korea

Two hours southeast of Seoul, Andong is known for its riverside Hahoe folk village, a UNESCO-listed site of thatched houses and Confucian academies. Spend a few slow days between late October and early November, when gold and red settle over the old town and harvest-season stillness takes hold.

Taipingshan, Taiwan

Yilan’s mountain forest is a quieter alternative to Alishan. Through November, its maples and native Taiwan beech flush copper and red along former logging trails and hot-spring paths, often above a misty cloud layer.

Pahalgam & Srinagar, Kashmir, India

Kashmir’s chinar trees carry the season, their broad leaves turning deep red through late October and November across the Mughal gardens and valley orchards. The window overlaps with Diwali on 8 November, when the evenings fill with light against the last of the colour.

Pokhara, Nepal

Autumn is Nepal’s most reliable season for clear Annapurna views, dry trails and terraces turning gold. It also coincides with Tihar, the festival of lights, which brings marigolds and oil lamps through town in early November, pairing crisp mountain air with real celebration.

“Autumn colour gives travellers a reason to go somewhere new and slow down once they’re there,” said Agoda Regional Director, North Asia Jay Lee. “It can take you from a misty mountain trail to a village guesthouse, or from a quiet riverside town to a festival in full swing. Agoda is helping travellers find the stays and destinations where the season itself can be the reason to visit.”

(Source: Agoda)

Turkish reports September results

By
Newsdesk
-

SINGAPORE, 12 October 2026: Turkish Airlines reported it carried 9 million passengers in September 2026, according to the airline’s September 2026 traffic results. 

The international load factor was 86.6%, while the domestic load factor was 88.2%.

Photo credit: Turkish Airlines.

Available seat kilometres (ASK) increased by 2.5% to 24.6 billion in September 2026, up from 24 billion in September 2025. Cargo/Mail carried in September 2026 rose 13% to 205.7 thousand tons from 2025.

According to the January-September 2026 traffic results, passengers flown increased by 5.2% to 73 million compared to the same period of 2025. Total load factor reached 85%. The international load factor was 84.8%, while the domestic load factor was 86.7%.

Available seat kilometres (ASK) increased by 4.4% to 212.2 billion from 203.3 billion for the same period in 2025.
Cargo/Mail carried during this period increased by 10.6% to 1.8 million tons from 1.6 million tons in the same period of 2025.
By the end of September 2026, the fleet totalled 567 aircraft.

The traffic results are consolidated and include data from TurkishAirlines’’ main brand and AJet.

(Source: Turkish Airlines)

EgyptAir speeds up Sitecore AI adoption

By
Newsdesk
-

SINGAPORE, 12 October 2026: EgyptAir has chosen Sitecore’s AI-powered platform to transform its digital customer experiences and support more personalised engagement across channels.

The investment in Sitecore is foundational to EgyptAir’s strategy to expand its fleet and to support increased passenger travel to Egypt, as part of a wider push to advance the country’s Vision 2030 and grow its tourism sector.

The airline will use Sitecore AI, a unified, cloud-native digital experience platform (DXP) that integrates AI tools, data, and content management to streamline marketing operations in one place. The platform supports omnichannel personalisation, enabling brands to plan, create, personalise, and deliver content across digital channels, from the website to the application and social media. Agentic AI can help the team generate content, adapt messaging across different languages and channels, and optimise campaign performance.

“We live in a world where our passengers demand real-time information, no matter the channel, and our goal is to ensure that we provide them with this information in a way that feels personal to them,” said EgyptAir Chairman and CEO Ahmed Adel. Sitecore AI will help us deliver our digital front end, powering the main website, country sites, and app content. We will be, in short, moving the passenger experience into the era of AI, and making their journeys on EgyptAir more enjoyable and engaging.”

(Source: EgyptAir)

LOT returns to Bangkok after 26-year hiatus

By
Newsdesk
-

BANGKOK, 12 October 2026: LOT Polish Airlines reintroduced direct scheduled flights from Warsaw, Poland, to Bangkok on 7 October after a 26-year gap, serving cities in Southeast Asia.

The inaugural flight lasting 10 hours and 20 minutes was operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Bangkok is the latest long-haul Asian destination in LOT Polish Airlines’ route network flying from its home base at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport.

For years, Bangkok has remained one of Asia’s most attractive and promising destinations and has been served by seasonal ad hoc charter flights since the airline ended scheduled flights in 2000. The launch of direct flights from Warsaw marks another step in strengthening LOT’s presence in Southeast Asia, offering a new connection that will help deepen ties between Poland and Thailand.

LO65 departs Warsaw for Bangkok on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 1545  

Photo credit: LOT Polish.

LO66 from Bangkok to Warsaw will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 0905. 

With the start of the winter season on 26 October, flights will increase to five times a week, and from 2 November, flights to Bangkok will operate six times a week (no flight on Fridays). During this period, the departure time from Warsaw will also change from 1545 to 1445. 

Return flights to Warsaw will depart daily at 0905, except on Saturdays. For the summer season — 28 March to 28 October 2027 — the airline will maintain three flights weekly to the Thai capital.

The return of flights to Bangkok marks a new chapter in this route’s history, which dates back to 1977, when LOT Polish Airlines launched its first scheduled service to the Far East, connecting Warsaw with Bangkok. Initially, flights included stopovers, with the Warsaw–Dubai–Mumbai–Bangkok route operated using Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft. As the fleet expanded and LOT introduced Boeing 767 aircraft, it launched direct flights to Thailand but suspended regular service from Warsaw in March 2000 to allow route expansion in North America.

(Source: LOT Polish)

Air Astana launches direct flights to Oman

By
Newsdesk
-

SINGAPORE, 12 October 2026: Air Astana will launch direct services from Almaty and Astana to Salalah, Oman, on 23 and 24 October 2026, respectively. 

Air Astana will operate both routes once weekly with an Airbus A320.

Flights from Almaty will operate on Fridays, departing at 1005 and arriving in Salalah at 1515.
The return flight departs at 1625 and arrives in Almaty at 2255. 

From 30 October, the departure time from Almaty changes to 0730, arriving in Salalah at 1240. The return flight departs Salalah at 1350 and arrives in Almaty at 2020.

Flights from Astana will operate on Saturdays, departing at 0835 and arriving in Salalah at 1440. The return flight departs at 1600 and arrives in Astana at 2325. All times are local.

Return fares from Almaty start at USD536 in economy class and USD1391 in business class. From Astana, return fares start at USD596 in economy class and USD1371 in business class.

Tickets are available on the airline’s website and mobile app as well as accredited travel agents.

(Source: Air Astana).

WTTC: Europe’s travel outpaces global economy outlook

By
Newsdesk
-

SINGAPORE, 9 October 2026: Travel & Tourism is forecast to grow 3.1% across Europe in 2026, continuing to outperform the wider economy and exceeding the sector’s 2.6% growth recorded last year, according to the latest research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), released at WTTC’s 26th Global Summit hosted in Valletta, Malta, 7 to 9 October.

The findings were presented to 1,000 delegates, including more than 200 travel and tourism CEOs and government leaders, attending WTTC’s annual summit.

Photo credit: WTTC. WTTC’s Global Summit opening press conference, 7 October.

WTTC’s latest outlook shows that, despite geopolitical and economic uncertainty, global travel and tourism is expected to grow by 2.5% in 2026, outpacing the wider global economy. Europe is forecast to perform even more strongly, with international visitor spending projected to increase by 5.8%, while leisure and business travel spending are expected to grow by 3.1% and 4.2%, respectively.

Travel & Tourism remains one of Europe’s most important economic sectors, supporting around one in 10 jobs across the region and creating opportunities for communities, businesses and destinations.

Globally, the sector contributed USD11.6 trillion to the economy last year, representing 9.8% of global GDP, and supported 366 million jobs – nearly one in every nine jobs worldwide. 

Despite significant geopolitical challenges, WTTC expects the sector to grow 2.5% this year, outpacing the global economy.

In Europe, the outlook is even stronger, with Travel & Tourism forecast to grow 3.1% in 2026. This is a sector that is ready to invest and innovate, but governments must create the right conditions – enabling seamless travel, strengthening connectivity, developing talent and supporting sustainable growth. The choices made today will determine how much of this opportunity Europe captures.

(Source: WTTC)

Marriott expands in Thailand

By
Newsdesk
-

BANGKOK, 9 October 2026: Marriott International Inc signs an agreement with FICO Corporation to add seven hotels (1,200 keys) to the hotel group’s Thailand portfolio.  

The portfolio deal, covering hotels in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket, expands the JW Marriott brand and will introduce citizenM, Four Points by Sheraton, and Series by Marriott to Thailand for the first time.

Rendering of JW Marriott Bangkok Sathorn.

Bangkok

JW Marriott Bangkok Sathorn – expected to feature 288 keys, the luxury hotel is slated to bring together refined hospitality and urban living, with enhanced well-being experiences offered through diverse sports and fitness facilities and a vibrant lifestyle hub, creating a welcoming environment where guests can recharge, reconnect and experience the energy of Bangkok.

CitizenM Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 will mark the brand’s debut in Thailand with 147 keys. Reflecting citizenM’s signature approach to modern hospitality, the hotel is expected to combine intuitive technology, bold contemporary design, genuine service and an exciting food and beverage venue in the heart of Bangkok’s Sukhumvit district.

Four Points Flex by Sheraton – three properties set to mark the brand’s entry in Thailand, strategically located across Bangkok. Four Points Flex by Sheraton Bangkok Sukhumvit 8 (162 keys), Four Points Flex by Sheraton Bangkok Sukhumvit 14 (130 keys), and Four Points Flex by Sheraton Bangkok Surawong (201 keys) are all located close to the city’s BTS skytrain network. 

Pattaya and Phuket

Marriott’s newest collection brand, Series by Marriott, is designed to deliver comfortable, approachable stays that celebrate each destination’s character while offering the reliability and consistency travellers value. Set to make its debut in Thailand, the brand is coming to two of the country’s most popular resort destinations with the 192-key Easy Planet North Pattaya, Series by Marriott, and the 142-key Easy Planet Phuket Patong, Series by Marriott.

This multi-property agreement builds on Marriott’s existing relationship with FICO Corporation, which spans four hotels in Bangkok under four distinct brands: Hotel Muse Bangkok, Autograph Collection; Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok Townhall Sukhumvit; Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Ploenchit Sukhumvit; and Metropole Bangkok, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.  

(Source: Marriott International)

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