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SmartTravelAsia releases 2025 Best in Travel Poll

HONG KONG, 1 September 2025: Bangkok and destinations across Thailand continued to make a strong showing in the 2025 Best in Travel Poll for SmartTravelAsia released on Monday, 1 September, despite the absence of THAI Airways on the list of the Top 10 Airlines Overall Worldwide and for Business Class. 

Photo credit: SmartTravelAsia. Visit Smart Travel Asia

Bangkok ranked first as the top Holiday Destination (with Bali and Tokyo sharing the second spot). 

Singapore continued to make a strong showing, ranking first for Business & Meetings, with Singapore Airlines ranked No. 1 Overall Worldwide (up two places) and Cabin Service. 

Singapore Changi Airport continued its dominance at No.1 among the World’s Best Airports. 

Hong Kong made a massive comeback after several years in the doldrums. Cathay Pacific Airways ranked No.2 Overall Worldwide (after SQ) and for Cabin Service. The city ranked No. 4 for Meetings and No. 5 for Leisure. 

This year’s awards were dominated by hotels in Bangkok, Bali, Singapore, Vietnam and Tokyo, with Hong Kong making a strong showing.

TOP BRANDS 2025: Singapore Airlines (Best Airline Worldwide, and for Cabin Service); Qatar Airways (Best Business Class Worldwide); AirAsia (Best Budget Airline Asia); Singapore Changi Airport (Best Airport Worldwide); Bangkok (Best Holiday Destination); Singapore (Best City for Meetings); Amanpuri (Best Luxury Hotel Asia); Capella Hanoi (Best Boutique/Lifestyle Hotel, Asia); The Ritz-Carlton Bangkok (Best Business & Meetings Hotel); Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape (Best Sustainable Hotel, Asia); Bulgari Resort Bali (Best Spa Hotel); The Oberoi Udaivilas (Best Wedding Hotel); Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya (Best Family Hotel), Peninsula Manila (Best Hotel for Service); Dusit Thani Bangkok (Best New Hotel).

As a group, Hyatt dominated the Smart Travel Asia lists with 13 positions, followed by Raffles and Ritz (six each), Aman Resorts and Banyan Tree (five each), and Capella, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula and MGM (each with four rankings).

BRAND CONFUSION: One of the biggest takeaways from the 2025 SmartTravelAsia Best in Travel Poll was the growing confusion regarding brands. As many as 48% of readers in ongoing surveys and focus groups reported having a very poor understanding of travel brands today (38% were not really sure) following the mega-mergers and new line rollouts. This year’s votes saw a surge in interest from long-haul regions, including the USA, Australia, and the UK, as well as from regional hubs such as Singapore, India, China, Malaysia, and Thailand. As outbound travel increases again, this was where the search for brand clarity was most keen, judging from the queries received.

WARS, HERITAGE, FAMILY: The continued instability in the Middle East has impacted several prominent airlines, airports, and destinations in the region. Thailand lost some votes as the Cambodia border crisis brewed, but saw a late surge to recover. Japan, too, saw a brief dip in travel from Hong Kong in early July as manga comic Big Quake predictions spread, causing flight cancellations from Hong Kong; however, both Tokyo and Kyoto ultimately attracted the votes. 

Growing interest in culture and heritage has enabled some smaller destinations to maintain their Top 10 rankings despite intense competition. And the surge in demand for fun family hotels boosted a surprising new category of accommodation — casino hotels (with Marina Bay Sands, MGM COTAI, MGM MACAU, Wynn Macau, OKADA Manila and Hyatt City of Dreams Manila emerging on the Top 10 Lists).

GENERATIONAL SPLIT:  What travellers want in 2025 is service and experience — some of this is a response to over-automation. The ‘Best Hotel Service’ category was added in 2024. Interestingly, the highest awardees here are not always luxury properties. Some are older classics or unknowns. Younger travellers welcomed contactless innovation and design minimalism (their offbeat experimentation offering some delightful finds). Still, older baby boomers and Gen-Xers pushed back against any loss of ‘touch points’, favouring traditional spots with familiar faces.

TRIPS AND EARNINGS DIP: Readers on average took 12 air trips (down from 16) in the past year (with 12% taking 31-40 air trips and 3% over 50 trips). They earned an average USD152,000 per annum (household income; down from USD172,000 in 2024).

ENGAGEMENT RISES: Key interests were broadly similar to those in 2024, but were pursued more actively — dining and nightlife (74%); culture, heritage, and history (69%); shopping (69%); spas and wellness (68%); and adventure and nature (58%). These were followed by child-friendly resorts (58%); conferences and meetings (46%); resort weddings (36%); golf (24%); casinos (23%); cruises (21%); and diving (15%).

The 2025 Best in Travel Poll for SmartTravelAsia.com readers (June to late August) will be released on Monday, 1 September. See Results of the Smart Travel Asia Best in Travel Poll 2025

OVER 20 YEARS: SmartTravelAsia launched in February 2003 as the region’s first fully online publication. Many readers from its former print magazines migrated to the online publication. Over 60% visit the magazine directly via bookmarks, referrals, monthly e-newsletters, social media and newspaper and magazine reprints, as well as through diverse search engines including Bing, Duck Duck Go, Baidu, Yandex, Naver, Kagi, SwissCows, ChatGPT and new AI platforms.

STB suspends land transport firm

SINGAPORE, 1 September 2025: The Singapore Tourism Board announced last week that Mesa Travels (S) Pte Ltd (travel agent licence number 03659) has been suspended from conducting travel agent activities with effect from 28 August 2025, in accordance with the Travel Agents Act 1975.

The suspension is a result of the company’s late submission of its audited statement of accounts (AA) and Annual Business Profile Returns (ABPR), as well as the corresponding failure to pay the financial penalty in lieu of suspension or revocation that was imposed for the contraventions. 

Photo credit: TRUST

Under the Travel Agents Regulations 2017, a licensee is required to submit its AA and ABPR returns within six months after the close of its

financial year. The suspension will remain in effect until Mesa Travels pays the outstanding financial penalty, or until its licence expiry date of 6 November 2025. 

During the period of suspension, Mesa Travels will be required to fulfil its existing obligations to its customers but will not be allowed to accept new travel bookings.

An online search indicated that Mesa Travels (S) Pte Ltd primarily operates as a travel and transportation company in Singapore, providing private and group transportation services. 

Services, now suspended, included group and private charters using a fleet of maxi cabs, minibuses, and coaches. It specialised in family excursions, corporate events, wedding charters, airport transfers, cross-border trips to destinations in Malaysia and sightseeing tours of Singapore.

In its statement, STB said it “takes a serious view against errant travel agents and will not hesitate to take necessary actions to protect the reputation of Singapore’s travel industry. 
For the most up-to-date list of licensed travel agents in Singapore, visit the TravelRelated Users’ System (“TRUST”) website, TRUST.

Vietjet lifts Singapore – Vietnam flights

SINGAPORE, 1 September 2025: Vietjet is expanding its Vietnam services from Singapore with additional flights to both Phu Quoc and Da Nang, offering Singapore-based travellers more convenient options to explore Vietnam’s top destinations. 

Starting 23 December 2025, the Singapore–Phu Quoc service will increase from four weekly to daily flights, while the Singapore–Da Nang service will increase from daily to twice daily starting 21 November 2025. 

Photo credit: Vietjet.

This expansion brings the airline’s total number of weekly flights connecting Singapore and Vietnam’s Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc to 49 round-trip flights, offering greater flexibility and convenience for both leisure and business travellers during the busy year-end and New Year holiday season. (However, schedules show the Singapore- Ho Chi Minh flights will increase from twice daily to three daily during December to meet peak season holiday demand, which would increase the total flights between Singapore and Vietnam to 56 per week.)

Travellers from Singapore can now enjoy easier access to two of Vietnam’s most popular tourism destinations, including Phu Quoc, which Channel News Asia named as one of Southeast Asia’s must-visit destinations in 2025. Key attractions include its idyllic beaches, Bai Sao, Bai Truong, and Bai Khem, as well as the island’s national park, vibrant fishing villages, and world-class resorts.

Meanwhile, Da Nang offers long sandy beaches, a vibrant nightlife, and easy access to UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and the Imperial City of Hue. With attractions ranging from the iconic Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills to its thriving culinary scene, Da Nang is an ideal destination for both leisure and business travellers.

AirAsia activates fifth freedom on LPQ-HAN route

BANGKOK, 1 September 2025: AirAsia has activated its fifth-freedom rights for yet another popular tourism duo; Luang Prabang in Laos and Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

AirAsia is ready to provide service on the route “Don Mueang-Luang Prabang-Hanoi” from 1 December 2025 onwards. Reservations opened on 28 August through the AirAsia MOVE website and various channels. A 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft will be deployed on the route. 

Photo credit: Thai AirAsia.

Linking two destinations in Southeast Asia will be welcomed by tour operators. The new route is a round-trip between Bangkok (DMK) and Luang Prabang (LPQ) and Hanoi (HAN), utilising the airline’s Fifth-Freedom rights, which enable local sales with a stopover in Luang Prabang, Laos, with the flight turning around in Hanoi. 

The goal is to create business opportunities for the tourist group on the Luang Prabang-Hanoi round-trip route, which has a high volume of international tourist travel. It is confident that it will be well-received, given its outstanding value and world-class service standards. It’s the fifth service that takes advantage of fifth freedom rights in Asia and represents a departure from its core business model, which focuses exclusively on offering direct point-to-point airline services.

Thai AirAsia, Chief Executive Officer Santisuk Klongchaiya said: “We are excited to launch this new route, utilising our Fifth Freedom privilege, with Luang Prabang serving as our first passenger drop-off point. This enables us to expand into new markets, particularly with our daily direct flight from Luang Prabang to Hanoi. We are confident this route will appeal to international travellers who prefer connecting between major tourist destinations. Both Hanoi and Luang Prabang are highlighted destinations with continued growth, and the year-end launch is a prime tourist season not to be missed.”

“Our Fifth Freedom route has been well-received on all four of our previous routes, all of which have been to tourist destinations in Japan, with stops in Taiwan or Hong Kong. This marks our fifth route to penetrate a new market, with our first stop in Luang Prabang, Laos, and another in Hanoi, Vietnam. This will further support growth in the international market,” said Santisuk.

AirAsia currently operates five routes using fifth-freedom rights with local sales in each destination for sector or end-to-end travel:

Bangkok Don Mueang-Taipei-Okinawa 

Bangkok Don Mueang-Kaohsiung-Tokyo

Bangkok Don Mueang-Hong Kong-Okinawa

Bangkok Don Mueang-Luang Prabang-Hanoi (new) begins flying on 1 December 2025.

Chiang Mai-Taipei-Sapporo

Sarawak steps up academic events

KUCHING, Sarawak, 29 August 2025: Business Events Sarawak’s (BESarawak) month-long Academia Malaysia Advocacy Programme has positioned Sarawak as a leader in legacy-driven academic conferences, with Malaysia’s top universities expressing strong interest in hosting events that deliver long-term impact.

The programme introduced Sarawak’s legacy impact framework to the academic community, showcasing how conferences and exhibitions can shape public policy, improve community well-being, advance sustainability, and inspire the next generation of researchers and professionals. 

Donny Tan, Senior Manager for Convention & Exhibition Business Development (centre), sits with Anak Sarawak Awards’ first Sarawak Legacy Award winner, Dr Noor Zaitun Yahaya from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (centre right).

“Universities want more than just an academic gathering. They want platforms that generate lasting change. As Malaysia’s Legacy Capital for business events, Sarawak delivers on that promise,” said BESarawak CEO Amelia Roziman.

A key outcome from the programme was the commitment from institutions to align future academic gatherings with Sarawak’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) and UNSDGs. “Embedding legacy principles into events makes research more relevant, fosters collaboration across sectors, attracts strategic funding, and enhances institutional reputation, ensuring benefits that last long after the event ends,” she added.

Sarawak’s success in academic events is driven by the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan 2023–2025, and supported by the AI-powered “AI.LEGACY” Intelligent Impact Management System for precise measurement and enhancement of event outcomes.

Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak (centre), meets with Universiti Utara Malaysia Kedah as one of the target universities of the Academia Malaysia Advocacy Programme.

Looking ahead, Sarawak’s hosting appeal is expected to grow with the launch of Airborneo, a region-owned airline that will enhance domestic and international access, as well as the expansion of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) to accommodate up to 14,500 delegates. These advancements will further strengthen Sarawak’s position as the destination where academic research transforms into enduring societal, environmental, and economic legacies.

For more information: https://businesseventssarawak.com/

Centara Mirage launches 4th Kids’ Candy Spa

BANGKOK, 29 August 2025: For kids, family vacations mean more than just time away from home — they are chances to make new friends, discover different cultures, try exciting activities, and feel more special. 

Now, following the opening of the world’s fourth Candy Spa at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives, young guests can take their first little steps into a whimsical world of wellness.

Centara Mirage, the vibrant themed resort concept from Centara Hotels & Resorts, is dedicated to sprinkling magic on family holidays and helping young explorers to make everlasting memories. And no aspect of the resort experience is as wondrous as Candy Spa. Now available at all four Centara Mirage resorts worldwide, nestled on prime stretches of beach in Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai, and the Maldives, this unique concept immerses young guests in a colourful, sweet-scented sanctuary of personal beauty and pampering.

Crafted for the under-10s*, each spa feels like stepping into the pages of a fairytale, with oversized lollipops, chocolate boxes, and candy canes, cosy treatment areas, and all sorts of accessories. Friendly therapists are ready and waiting with a warm welcome and a broad smile to create the perfect atmosphere for fun-filled afternoons.

The beauty of Candy Spa is that moms and dads can unwind and find their own “me time” – including soothing therapies at the separate, adults-only Spa Cenvaree – while also enjoying the peace of mind that their little angels are being cared for professionally. For truly heartfelt moments, every spa can be hired out for a birthday party or special occasion, offering a range of fun activities and sweet treats.

At Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, the award-winning Lost World-themed family playground and water park, just an hour drive from Bangkok, Thailand’s original Candy Spa is a haven of tranquillity where little princesses and princes can come and relax with playful facials, artistic manicures, and perfect pedicures.


Another Candy Spa can be found on Vietnam’s sun-soaked southeast coast at Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne, an “Explorer’s Playground” where children can make a splash in the water park and enjoy fun days in the kids’ clubs and play areas. At Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai, inspired by Thai and Arabian adventures, girls and boys can feel like divas or rock stars with dazzling nail art, hair braiding, magical makeovers, and more.
 
The world’s newest Candy Spa is now open at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives, the all-new underwater-themed family paradise in the Indian Ocean. Within this bright, multi-sensory world of comfy cushions and cosy treatment areas, little ones can enjoy edible treats and nail art, making every child feel special and included.

Every Centara Mirage resort has been thoughtfully designed to cater to the needs of families, featuring world-class water parks, fun slides, lazy rivers, family rooms with bunk beds, kids’ clubs, special menus at the restaurants, and much more. For young explorers seeking exciting and inspiring new experiences, Candy Spa lets them feel as if they have fallen into a fairytale.

For more information about Centara, please visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com.

* Candy Spa at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya is available for kids up to 15 years of age.

Trip.com presents AI Trip.Planner

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 August 2025: Trip.com introduces Trip.Planner, a one-stop travel planning hub, powered by AI to transform complex itineraries into effortless, personalised journeys.

Trip.Planner acts as an AI-powered travel concierge, assisting you in creating personalised itineraries tailored to your travel style. With real-time transport integration, flexible planning features, and access to over 20 million geo-tagged global points of interest, travellers can plan their next Trip using the unified intelligence hub.

Real-time transport, accommodation and attraction options are suggested directly.

All-in-one integration

Flights, trains, hotels, restaurants, and attractions are all integrated into your itinerary, providing real-time availability. Travellers can plan and book everything directly from their itinerary view, eliminating the need to switch between platforms.

Real-time transport, accommodation and attraction options are suggested directly.

Trip.Planner includes expert-vetted recommendations available via the in-app AI chat.

Built for Trust

Moreover, users can benefit from trusted, real-time travel data. You can view prices, availability and detailed descriptions for travel options. The AI also recommends attractions that are open, seasonally relevant, and accessible, utilising officially verified opening hours, typical visit durations, and transportation estimates for a smooth and realistic plan.

Recommendations are practically tailored to your destination — for example, suggesting relevant airport transfers, car rentals in remote areas, or day tours in urban spots.

Tailored itineraries

Trip.Planner adapts to your personal travel style, whether you’re a culture buff, a first-time visitor, or on an intergenerational excursion. 

You can select from user preferences such as:

· Family-Friendly: Kid-friendly options, like theme parks and wildlife encounters.

· Classic: Iconic sights and must-see highlights, ideal for first-time visitors.

· Elderly-Friendly: Lower-intensity activities with easy access and relaxed pace.

· Cultural: Museums, performances, or experiences that reflect local arts.

· Cityscape: Urban-focused —shopping, dining, nightlife and city walks.

· Nature: Outdoor and scenic spots like parks, beaches, and reserves.

· Historical: Significant landmarks, traditional districts and heritage sites.

Planning starts with just three questions: destination, trip duration, and your travel style. From there, Trip.The planner generates an itinerary for you. You can preview it within the in-platform map and easily visualise routes for your travels.

If you have prior bookings on the Trip.com platform, you can easily import them into your itinerary or adjust plans using the canvas-style editing feature. It allows you to rename, reorder attractions, replace and delete activities and add on notes. A floating AI button stays active at all times, offering real-time, on-demand suggestions as users edit their trips.

Trip.Planner is currently available on English-language Trip.com sites in select regions*, with access expanding progressively to users in the coming months.

*Full list of supported regions: United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Belgium, Ireland and general English-language markets.

Scoot signals new KrisFlyer chart

SINGAPORE, 29 August 2025: Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), has introduced a new KrisFlyer award chart, allowing members to redeem Scoot flights with miles at attractive rates. 

The award chart offers greater rewards and benefits, with one-way flight redemptions starting from as low as 1,500 KrisFlyer miles for economy class base fares.

Since joining the KrisFlyer Rewards programme in 2015, Scoot has been working to expand its offerings to KrisFlyer members, including the launch of a newly updated award chart that allows members to redeem their miles for flights to popular destinations such as Bangkok, Hangzhou, Ipoh, Jeju, Taipei, and Vienna.

The award chart offers one-way flight redemptions at attractive rates, starting from as low as 1,500 KrisFlyer miles for Scoot economy class base fares.

KrisFlyer members can now redeem Scoot Saver or Scoot Advantage seats in economy class, available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

KrisFlyer miles can be used to redeem Scoot Economy Class base fares only. Similar to taxes, additional addons can be paid separately via other payment methods, providing members with more flexibility and choices to tailor their travel journeys. 

Members may also earn KrisFlyer miles at a rate of 1 mile per SGD1 on Scoot-operated flights for their purchased add-ons; terms and conditions apply.

While members can already pay for their flight bookings either fully or partially with KrisFlyer miles, this latest initiative reinforces Scoot’s commitment to enhancing member benefits by enabling flight redemptions at fixed rates according to the award chart. At the same time, PPS Club, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, and KrisFlyer Elite Silver members will continue to enjoy their benefits when flying with Scoot.

These include an additional 5kg baggage upgrade with the purchase of a minimum of 20kg baggage online, complimentary standard seat selection and priority boarding. PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can additionally enjoy a one-time flight change fee waiver.

Chiang Mai in northern Thailand will be one of the popular destinations for redeeming KrisFlyer miles for a holiday during the winter timetable 2025-2026. The airline is scheduling an increase in flights from Singapore from daily to 11 flights weekly, starting on 27 October. Flights will then increase to 14 per week, effective 3 December. Flights will use an Airbus A321neo on the route.

Qantas brings back double points offer

SINGAPORE, 29 August 2025: Qantas Frequent Flyers can fast-track their status or boost their points balance with the return of the popular Double Status Credits or Qantas Points offer that is up and running until 4 September.  

Members who book any Qantas-marketed and operated regional, domestic or international flight can choose to earn either double Status Credits or Qantas Points. Double points can also be earned on Qantas Hotel and Holiday bookings during the same period.  

Photo credit: Qantas. https://www.qantas.com/th/en.html

Members can register for the offer via the Qantas App and make unlimited bookings for travel between 4 September 2025 and 22 August 2026.  

Qantas Loyalty CEO Andrew Glance said hundreds of thousands of members participated in the last offer, introduced in March 2025.  

“This is one of our most highly anticipated offers of the year and an excellent way for members to unlock the travel benefits that they value most. They may want to fast-track their annual status to access hundreds of lounges, or boost their points balance to book their next reward seat or upgrade. This offer helps them get there sooner.  

“Across the programme more broadly, we’re focused on making the programme more rewarding for members. We’ve added millions more reward seats, partnered with flagship program partners, and helped members book a record number of trips using their points. In fact, more than 15,000 reward seats are booked each day, including 1,000 Classic seats in premium cabins to international destinations.” 

Double Status Credits help frequent flyers advance through Qantas’ annual status tiers more quickly (Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One), unlocking benefits such as access to over 650 Qantas and partner lounges, priority check-in and boarding, and additional baggage allowances. 

Frequent flyers can use double Qantas Points to boost their points balance and book reward seats, request flight upgrades, book hotel stays or make purchases on the Qantas Marketplace or with Ticketek. 

During the last offer in March, two-thirds of participating members opted for double Status Credits, while one-third opted for double Qantas Points.  

Today, Qantas is also thanking all active frequent flyers for their continued loyalty and gifting bonus Status Credits to members who have engaged in the program in the last 18 months. The number of Status Credits will vary by tier and will be added to members’ counts automatically in September. 

Royal Orchid Holidays returns to South Africa

BANGKOK, 29 August 2025: Bangkok-based destination management company IAsia Thailand and Royal Orchid Holidays, a division of Thai Airways International, will reintroduce the iconic Royal Orchid Holidays brand to the South African market, effective 1 September 2025.

Under this strategic alliance, IAsia Thailand will supply Royal Orchid Holidays South Africa with its full suite of travel services, including hotels, tours, activities, packages, and ground transfers, which will be distributed by Simply Nexus’ extensive network across South Africa. 

IAsia Thailand General Manager Nick Critelli (left) and Royal Orchid Holidays Team Lead Panida Indrambarya (centre).

“Partnering with Simply Nexus on behalf of Royal Orchid Holidays is a natural next step for IAsia Thailand,” said IAsia Thailand General Manager Nick Critelli. “We’ve established a strong reputation and presence in both Thailand and South Africa, and we’re excited to bring our full product range to Royal Orchid Holidays as we help reintroduce this respected brand back into the South African market.”

The first website for tours is now live at https://royalorchidholidays.co.za/ 

Royal Orchid Holidays Team Lead Panida Indrambarya noted: “At Royal Orchid Holidays, we take pride not only in curating unforgettable travel experiences but also in the strong relationships we’ve nurtured over the years — with service partners, local guides, and our valued guests. We are delighted to collaborate with Simply Nexus to reestablish our footprint in South Africa.”

Christopher Simonsen of Simply Nexus added: “The return of Royal Orchid Holidays brings South African travellers more than just access to great hotels — it offers a suite of exclusive experiences, on-the-ground services, and valuable benefits that set this brand apart. We’re thrilled to help reintroduce a name that South Africans already know and trust.”