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Where next? AI comes to the rescue

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 17 May 2024: Harnessing the power of AI and its flight search database of more than 18 million flight routes, global travel app Skyscanner has launched its app-exclusive Savvy Search tool. 

Savvy Search is an update to Skyscanner’s AI tool, initially introduced last year in beta as ‘Dream and Discover with AI’. Following a successful testing phase, it has now been released exclusively as an app feature.

Powered by Open AI’s Chat GPT technology, travellers are empowered to communicate their desired trip preferences to Savvy Search – ranging from common queries like a ‘budget-friendly European getaway in October‘ to more nuanced requests like ‘a 30th birthday trip featuring vibrant nightlife and a great food scene’. 

Subsequently, the app identifies the most ideal spots and generates up to three curated destination recommendations. Savvy Search differentiates itself from other AI-inspired travel tools and chatbots through its combination of imagery and detailed destination descriptions, a feature refined through extensive traveller testing. This approach highlights the unique characteristics of each recommendation. Upon selecting a destination, travellers are directed to Skyscanner’s flight search funnel to compare prices and select their ideal flight option. 

Skyscanner Chief Product Officer Piero Sierra commented: “We’re now seeing AI being adopted to help in this travel inspiration space, and according to our research, 22% of travellers globally are using AI to help them plan and research travel. But its use varies a lot depending on the market. 45% of Indian travellers, for example, are already using AI on their phones compared to just 5% in Japan. The next logical step is to use the AI technologies now available to us to help these travellers in the discovery phase of their travel planning journey.”

To support the launch of the Savvy Search tool, Skyscanner’s data experts examined the usage data collected during its beta phase to reveal some of the favourite queries so far.

1. Somewhere to get lost and forget about all my life’s worries

Santorini, Greece, emerged as one of the top destinations for people looking for a temporary escape from the hustle and bustle of life in Singapore. Skyscanner’s Savvy Search recommends the destination, famous for its charming, white-washed architecture with iconic blue domes overlooking the Aegean Sea. With flight prices starting from SGD 828, travellers can enjoy fresh seafood while watching the sunset over Oia or embark on invigorating hikes along the caldera, promising magnificent views at every turn.

2. Somewhere to propose

For travellers looking for destinations within Asia, Skyscanner’s Savvy Search recommends Bali, Indonesia, known for its stunning beaches and lush greenery; Kyoto, Japan, renowned for its traditional architecture and serene gardens; and Siem Reap, Cambodia, offering an unforgettable proposal opportunity amidst the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. There are plenty of picturesque spots to pop the question — a private dinner under the stars along Bali’s beaches, the Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto, or watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3. Astrophotography

Skyscanner’s Savvy Search recommends visiting Norway in Northern Europe for travellers from India to witness the spectacular Northern Lights. In the winter months, travellers can marvel at the beauty of the night sky and capture breathtaking images of the aurora borealis. Airfares start at INR50,680 from Mumbai.

4. Warm holiday where I can skateboard

Skyscanner’s Savvy Search recommends Barcelona, Spain, for travellers from Singapore. This is a burgeoning destination for skateboarders due to its vibrant skateparks and diverse street skating scenes. With flight prices starting from SGD715, the city also enchants travellers with its stunning architecture and delicious culinary offerings.

5. Super relaxing with a good coworking atmosphere

For Australians, Skyscanner’s Savvy Search recommends going to Chiang Mai, Thailand. This popular destination among digital nomads is known for its affordable cost of living and vibrant coworking scene. Starting at AUD480, travellers are encouraged to secure the best flight deals by booking early. This ensures they can indulge in this city’s relaxed vibe, ideal for getting work done without sacrificing the enjoyment of the surroundings.
Find out more on the Skyscanner app to get inspired, and for more information on the new tool, check out this handy step-by-step guide here.

China adds cities to the IVS list

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 17 May 2024: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) welcomes the central government’s announcement to add eight mainland cities to the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). 

The expansion of the IVS is expected to strengthen air connections between Hong Kong and the eight cities, further boosting air traffic and passenger volume at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

Hong Kong’s Midfield Concourse.

Four of the eight additional cities under the IVS have direct flight connections with HKIA. They are Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, Lanzhou in Gansu Province, Yinchuan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Urumqi in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 

With a keen eye on the future, airlines plan to start scheduled flights to and from Harbin in Heilongjiang Province and add more flights to and from Urumqi in June 2024. 

Airlines are expected to increase direct flights connecting Hong Kong to those cities as ties are strengthened and economic activities increased.

The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) is a programme the Chinese government implements that allows residents of certain mainland Chinese cities to visit Hong Kong and Macau independently. Before the IVS, mainland residents could only travel to these regions on business visas or as part of organised group tours.

The IVS was launched in July 2003 and has been credited with boosting the economies of Hong Kong and Macau through tourism spending. However, the programme has also been controversial, with some residents of these regions expressing concerns about overcrowding and the impact on local resources.

The latest additions to the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) are expected to impact tourism in Hong Kong and Macau positively.

Increased visitor numbers:  Adding new cities to the program means more mainland Chinese residents are eligible for independent travel. This should increase overall visitor numbers, benefiting sectors like hotels, restaurants, and retail.

Boost for specific demographics:  The expansion is expected to attract more mid-market and higher-end visitors who travel independently rather than in tour groups. This could benefit businesses catering to these demographics.

Spread the benefits: By including new cities, the scheme can encourage visitors to explore a wider range of destinations within Hong Kong and Macau, not just the usual tourist hotspots. This can distribute the economic benefits more evenly.

Potential challenges

Infrastructure strain: A visitor surge could pressure public transportation and other infrastructure, requiring adjustments and improvements.

Air travel capacity: Increased visitors will add pressure to match demand with more flights between the newly added mainland cities and Hong Kong and Macau airports. 

Lao Air debuts a Pakse – Guangzhou flight

By
TTR WEEKLY
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VIENTIANE, Laos, 17 May 2024: Lao Airlines will introduce a direct weekly service from Pakse in central Laos to Guangzhou in China effective 19 May, the airline announced on its Facebook post earlier this week.

The new route is scheduled to fly once a week on Sunday from Pakse to Guangzhou. The airline will deploy a 158-seat A320-200 on the route.

Flight QV888 departs Pakse at 2315 on Sunday and arrives in Guangzhou at 0205 plus a day.
Flight QV889 will depart from Guangzhou at 0305 on Monday and arrive in Pakse at 0405.

A Skyscanner check for fares and booking status came back negative – the same response from Google Flights and, surprisingly, even the airline’s booking website. However, the airline’s Facebook promotion pegs the starting one-way fare on the route at LAK2,888,000 (USD136), rising to around LAK3,000,000 (USD140) in June.  

Pakse Airport (PKZ) is located next to the Mekong River and just a few 3km from Pakse town in southern Laos. The airport is served exclusively by Lao Airlines. There are 17 weekly flights between Pakse and Vientiane the Lao capital. There are three weekly flights to Luang Prabang, three weekly flights to Siem Reap in Cambodia and three weekly flights to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Guangzhou, China, will be Pakse’s third international destination.

Sailing through Laos with Pandaw

By
TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 16 May 2024: Pandaw, a river cruise specialist in the Mekong Region and India, has added new dates for its popular Laos Mekong expedition to accommodate a spike in demand for river boat cruising. 

Travellers keen to explore Laos and get close to communities living on the banks of the Mekong River can join a captivating 10-night journey along the serene waters of the Mekong River through the heart of Laos. With its pristine river valleys, fascinating local cultures, and abundance of wildlife, Laos is one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in Asia, with natural attractions and culture at the heart of the travel experience. 

Discover the true hidden gems of Laos with Pandaw by exploring parts of the country completely inaccessible by other means of transport than the river. The memorable trip unfolds as you journey on Pandaw’s locally hand-built small vessels, which provide unparalleled elegance and comfort. Featuring 10 or 14 staterooms per ship, an expedition with Pandaw in Laos is an intimate and immersive experience.

Here are some reasons why booking a river cruise on the Mekong River in Laos is an amazing travel experience.

  • Unparalleled access: The Mekong carves through remote areas inaccessible by land. Your cruise lets you witness the untouched beauty of Laos, from verdant jungles to dramatic limestone cliffs, all while gliding comfortably on the water.
  • Immerse yourself in Lao culture: Many cruises stop at riverside villages, offering a glimpse into the traditional Lao way of life. You can meet locals, witness their customs, and even visit vibrant floating markets where vendors sell their wares directly from boats.
  • Relaxation and scenic wonder: Cruising provides a smooth journey to unwind and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Imagine waking up to misty mornings on the river, spotting exotic birds in the lush foliage, or watching the vibrant sunset paint the sky.
  • A convenient way to explore: Cruises take care of transportation, meals, and often even accommodation, allowing you to relax and focus on enjoying the sights and experiences. This eliminates the hassle of planning logistics and navigating unfamiliar territory.
  • Unique cultural experiences: Many cruises offer special experiences, such as alms-giving ceremonies, visits to ancient temples like the Pak Ou Caves, or even lectures about the Mekong’s ecology and history.

Book your adventure in Laos with Pandaw today by visiting pandaw.com, or contacting the sales team at [email protected]. 

The Laos Mekong
VIENTIANE TO CHIANG KHONG
10 nights
FROM USD4,316 per person

More about the cruise

Emirate extends retrofit project

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 16 May, 2024: Emirates will refurbish another 43 A380s and 28 Boeing 777 aircraft, expanding its retrofit programme to 191 aircraft.

The original plan called for 120 aircraft – 67 A380s and 53 777s to undergo full refurbishment. The Boeing 777 remains the backbone of the Emirates fleet, and the A380 is the airline’s flagship customer favourite. The expansion of the refurbishment programme ensures Emirates continues to provide customers with an unparalleled travel experience. 

Emirates has retrofitted 22 A380 aircraft so far, and in July of this year, the first Boeing 777 will undergo an interior refresh. Each Boeing 777 aircraft will take approximately two weeks to refurbish before entering service. Plans include refurbishing the First-Class cabin, all new Business Class seats making a debut on the aircraft in an updated 1-2-1 seating configuration, and 24 of the latest Premium Economy seats, giving customers more premium options to choose from.

Along with the addition of the Premium Economy cabin, the Emirates Boeing 777 will be configured with 332 seats in four classes, featuring eight first class suites, 40 business class seats, and 260 economy class seats. To make room for Emirates’ new premium economy cabin, 50 economy seats will be removed.

Refurbishment work for the Emirates fleet is completely being managed and executed in-house at the airline’s Engineering Centre. Over 250 project personnel are currently working round the clock, supported by 31 major partners and suppliers who have set up workshops both in the facility and offsite to deliver the refreshed cabins.

Once the last aircraft rolls out of the retrofit programme and the project is fully complete, the airline will have installed 8,104 next-generation premium economy seats, 1,894 refreshed first-class suites, 11,182 upgraded business class seats, and 21,814 economy class seats.  

Emirates currently operates its refurbished A380 aircraft fitted with Premium Economy to New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Sao Paulo, and Dubai. The airline will boost services with the new cabin to Osaka in early June.

The airline will be serving 42 cities with Premium Economy by February 2025, with the A350 entering its fleet in September of this year. The newly refurbished Boeing 777s will also begin serving more cities with the highly sought-after cabin later this summer.

For bookings and flight information, visit www.emirates.com

CX peps up rewards when visiting Thailand

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK 16 May 2024: Overseas Cathay members travelling to Thailand can now convert between ONESIAM Coins and Asia Miles to enjoy even more rewards on the ground and in the air. 

Members from selected countries can also enjoy points conversion from outside of Thailand. Previously available to members in Thailand only, the partnership was first launched by Cathay and Siam Piwat Group in August 2023.

The partnership with Siam Piwat spans four popular shopping malls in Thailand under the Siam Piwat Group: ICONSIAM, Siam Paragon, Siam Centre and Siam Discovery. Cathay members can enjoy:

Two-way points conversion

Exclusive mall benefits and ONESIAM SuperApp privileges, including discount codes and bonus points (until 31 July 2024 or for the first 10,000 redemptions)

Exclusive tourist privileges, including gift cards and special offers from more than 100 participating stores (until 31 July 2024).

In addition to shopping and dining at these malls, ONESIAM Members can convert their ONESIAM Coins to Asia Miles and use their miles for flights, hotel stays, and many more exciting lifestyle and travel rewards from Cathay’s extensive network of more than 800 partners worldwide.

Cathay Regional General Manager for Southeast Asia Dominic Perret said: “As a premium travel lifestyle brand, we are constantly looking for opportunities to enhance our offerings and add value to the lives of our Cathay members. This partnership will give them the convenience and flexibility of two-way points conversion that offers the best of both worlds – whether it is exclusive benefits tailored to them while in Bangkok or Cathay’s array of curated products and experiences which our members may access wherever they are in the world.”

In addition to its partnership with Siam Piwat Group, Cathay has tie-ups with other shopping partners worldwide. This allows members to enjoy local and cross-border use of Asia Miles through shopping, travelling, and various point conversion opportunities. These include partnerships with Mitsui Outlet Park in Taiwan, China, and Japan, Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Taichung in Taiwan, China, Shinsegae Duty-Free in South Korea, and The Bicester Collection in Europe and the Chinese Mainland.

Korean Air’s menus fly high

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEOUL, 16 May 2024: Korean Air wins recognition for its food and beverage service from Global Traveler as part of its 2024 Leisure and Lifestyle Travel Awards.

The carrier won the best Airline Onboard Menu for its first-class cabin, chalking up another win for its catering programme. The airline previously won best airline cuisine, among other awards, in Global Traveler’s 2023 Tested Reader Survey awards.

Depending upon the route and season, the airline offers menu choices such as roasted Chilean sea bass with vermouth sauce, spicy beef short rib stew, spicy buckwheat noodles, and traditional Korean bibimbap.

US-based Global Traveler conducts annual surveys in which its online and offline subscribers vote for the best companies in travel-related categories. This is the 12th year it has conducted its leisure travel survey.

Korean Air’s continued recognition can be attributed to its ongoing investment and focus on service enhancements. Last year, the airline introduced vegan options based on traditional Korean temple cuisine. It also has a diverse selection of pre-order meals, including vegetarian, glucose-free, and children’s meals.

The airline also refined its wine programme with the guidance of internationally renowned sommelier Marc Almert and introduced more than 50 new wines to its award-winning collection.

Last year, the airline was awarded a Skytrax five-star airline rating for the second consecutive time, an APEX 5-star global airline rating for the seventh consecutive year, and named Best Business and First Class Airline in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

Sydney hotels report April gains

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TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 16 May 2024: Sydney’s hotel industry recorded year-over-year increases in the three key performance metrics, according to April preliminary data from CoStar. 

CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information, and analytics in the property markets. 

April 2024 (year-over-year % change)

  • Occupancy: 72.6% (+7.1%)
  • Average daily rate (ADR): AUD247.70 (+0.2%)
  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR): AUD179.86 (+7.3%)

The market’s highest daily occupancy levels were seen on the night of the first IMA MEAPAC Summit held in Sydney (Wednesday, 10 April: 86.7%), closely followed by the night before the Summit (Tuesday, 9 April: 86.1%). The market’s occupancy remained above the 60.0% mark throughout the month except for four days. 

In addition to the market’s current growth trend, April benefited from a cleaner calendar with Easter and Anzac Day separated, thereby providing clear business weeks, which was not true in 2023. Sydney’s ADR and RevPAR levels peaked on Saturday, 6 April, at AUD297.10 and AUD244.99, respectively.

Looking ahead, forward occupancy on the books continues to run ahead of the 2023 pace for May and June, with 53% and 31% booked as of 6 May. 

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.costargroup.com

Vietjet flies to Hiroshima

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TTR WEEKLY
-

HO CHI MINH CITY, 16 May 2025: Vietnam’s low-cost airline, Vietjet, launched twice-weekly direct flights on the Hanoi – Hiroshima route effective 12 May.

The airline posted details of the new service on its Facebook page, confirming the Hanoi and Hiroshima service marks the eighth route between Vietnam and Japan.

Photo credit: Vietjet. The inaugural celebrations in Hiroshima.

Roundtrip flights using an A320 with 179 seats depart on Sunday and Thursday. It’s the only airline offering direct flights between the Vietnamese capital and Hiroshima. Flight time is four hours and 30 minutes.

Flight VJ952 departs Hanoi (HAN) at 0600 and arrives in Hiroshima (HIJ) at 1230.
Flight VJ953 departs Hiroshima (HIJ) at 1330 and arrives in Hanoi (HAN) at 1620.

Skyscanner quotes a roundtrip fare of USD249 for travel during May.

Hiroshima is home to UNESCO World Heritage sites including the serene Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the mystical Itsukushima Shrine, with its iconic Torii gate floating over the Seto Sea.

Sales open for Norwegian Sun’s debut season

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TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 16 May 2024: Norwegian Cruise Line has released itineraries for Norwegian Sun’s inaugural debut in the region for the 2025 season – including several brand-first voyages and ports.

Norwegian Sun will make her Australian debut in December, arriving in Brisbane and Melbourne on the 18 and 21 December 2024. This follows an 18-day French Polynesia and South Pacific sailing scheduled to depart Papeete in December and featuring visits to 10 ports.

The new collection of voyages includes three brand-new itineraries to the Great Barrier Reef and South Pacific between Cairns and Lautoka, Australia, which is also NCL’s first turnaround in both ports; three island-hopping French Polynesia cruises between Fiji and Tahiti; and two Asia sailings.

Norwegian Sun’s inaugural season includes debut visits to Port Douglas and Townsville in Australia, Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, and Suva, Fiji. 

It will also be the first time that Norwegian Sun visits several other ports, including Mystery Island and Port Vila in Vanuatu, Dravuni, Fiji, Noumea, New Caledonia, and the port of Kushiro, known for some of the most unspoiled scenery and wildlife habitats in Japan.

Highlighted cruises

The 14-day Lombok, Komodo & Great Barrier Reef, Bali to Cairns will set sail from Bali on 9 April 2025 and features two overnight stays, including Bali, and the first ever at the idyllic island of Lembark, Lombok and a full day at Komodo, home of the famed Komodo Dragon. The voyage continues to destinations in Northern Australia.

Additional itineraries include a 12-night Southeast Asia voyage between Singapore and Bali, departing on 28 March 2025,

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