SINGAPORE, 10 May 2024: Dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, announced the appointment of Neo Su Yin as the company’s managing director in Singapore.
In her role, Su Yin will oversee dnata’s ground handling and cargo operations at Changi Airport (SIN). She will manage a team of more than 1,500 employees to ensure consistent, high-quality, and safe services for over 50 airline customers.
Neo Su Yin, Managing Director, dnata Singapore.
A Singapore national, Su Yin brings extensive experience in senior executive roles across the aviation and logistics industries with a proven track record of enhancing service quality and customer experience. Most recently, she was Chief Executive Officer, Singapore, Singapore Post Ltd, a leading postal and e-commerce logistics provider in Asia Pacific. Before joining SingPost, Su Yin was General Manager at the Changi Airport Group (CAG), managing ground operations and customer experience within the terminals.
Su Yin will report to Charles Galloway, dnata’s Regional CEO for Asia-Pacific. Her appointment is effective immediately.
Charles Galloway said: “We are delighted to welcome Su Yin to our APAC management team. With an impressive background in the logistics and aviation industries, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to dnata Singapore. Her leadership will play a key role in driving our efforts to enhance our reputation for excellence in the industry.”
A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata operates at over 130 airports globally. In the Asia Pacific region, dnata provides quality and safe ground handling, cargo and catering services in three countries; Australia, Singapore and The Philippines.
KUALA LUMPUR, 10 May 2024: Malaysia is among 12 nations that will continue to enjoy visa-free travel to China until the end of 2025 after the current agreement expires on 24 November 2024.
The 12 countries are France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Photo credit Xinhua: China’s President Xi Jinping addresses the closing session of the Sixth Meeting of the China-France Business Council.
Citizens from the 12 countries can visit China for up to 15 days without applying for a visa for business, sightseeing, transit, or other purposes.
China’s Global Times reported that on 7 May, China’s President Xi Jinping announced the extension of visa-free concession during the closing session of the Sixth Meeting of the China-France Business Council in Paris.
At the end of November 2023, China introduced visa-free travel for citizens of 12 European countries and Malaysia until 30 November 2024.
As China extends the extension for the 12 countries until the end of 2025, Global Times said analysts noted that the measures will significantly boost inbound tourism.
The extension of the short-term visa-free policy until the end of 2025 clearly indicates China’s commitment to fostering international relations and promoting tourism. China Tourism Academy President Dai Bin stated that this “move is expected to further boost confidence and enthusiasm for travelling to China, contributing to the growth of inbound tourism and aiding in the industry’s prosperity.”
China’s appeal as a travel destination is clearly on the rise, as evidenced by the statistics from China’s National Immigration Administration. In the first quarter, international visits to China reached a staggering 13.1 million, marking a 305.25% increase year over year. The number of visa-free foreigners entering China also saw a substantial rise, reaching 1.98 million, up 266.1% from last year.
PATTAYA, Thailand, 9 May 2024: The Royal Cliff Hotels Group hosts two popular tennis tournaments targeting youngsters and seniors — AssetWise Junior Tennis Thailand Championship and the ITF MT-700 Masters Championship.
The two prestigious tennis tournaments occur annually at the resort’s Fitz Club, a luxury fitness centre part of the Royal Cliff Hotels Group. The AssetWise Junior Tennis Thailand Tournament was a runaway success last week, attracting young aspiring tennis players. Fo senior tennis fans the ITF MT-700 Masters Championship 2024 follows in November.
Royal Cliff Hotels Group CEO Vitanart Vathanakul welcomed guests to the AssetWise tournament last week, including the main sponsor AssetWise Chief Human Resources Officer Saraphong Tuwapalangkul, AssetWise Chief Human Resources Officer Kritsana Boonsawat, Tourism Authority of Thailand Deputy Director Pattaya Office Tachawat Klinpakdee and TCEB Representative Rattanachai Suttidechanai.
Marking the second edition of the AssetWise Junior Tennis Thailand Championship, the tournament featured singles and doubles matches for players of all levels aged four to 14. Participants could earn points toward a national ranking. Over 120 young athletes joined the tournament to sharpen their skills and climb the rankings.
The ITF MT-700 Masters Championship will draw 200 players worldwide, competing in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The event accepts players between 35 and 75 years of age of all skill levels and nationalities.
The ITF MT-700 Masters Championship is regarded as a top-level tournament on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour calendar and offers an opportunity to earn points toward a global ranking. Royal Cliff consistently contributes positively to its communities and aims to enhance the recreational experiences of the senior demographic. This is achieved through fostering friendly competitions that bolster physical and mental health through sports.
“We were delighted to host the second edition of the AssetWise Junior Tennis Championship and look forward to hosting the ITF Masters, now in its seventh edition. We are proud to help make an impact and showcase Pattaya City’s sports scene by attracting players worldwide. As an award-winning family resort, we intend to create more events to uplift Pattaya’s image as a leading sports and family destination,” said Vitanart.
Fitz Club – Racquets, Health & Fitness, an elite sports centre under the Royal Cliff banner, has been a preferred choice for renowned ATP players such as Paradorn Srichaphan, Danai Udomchoke, Nikolay Davydenko, Mikhail Youzhny, Dmitry Tursunov, Denis Istomin, among others. These players have previously conducted tennis camps at this facility. With tennis courts on par with those at the Australian Open, Fitz Club is a go-to for top-tier players aiming to acclimate themselves to grand slam tournament conditions. Besides tennis, the club boasts a rich history of hosting various sports events, encompassing both Junior and Senior Tennis contests, Squash championships, and Table Tennis duels.
BANGKOK Thailand, 9 May 2024: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, the hotel arm of Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has signed an agreement with Pearl Atoll Pvt Ltd to manage dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives – a 125-key lifestyle resort on a private island near the main island of Malé.
Currently under construction and slated to open in 4Q 2024, the new resort will operate under Dusit’s upscale dusitD2 brand and will be the company’s first ‘all-inclusive’ property. In addition to spacious overwater villas and family suites ranging from 77 – 319 sq m, the lifestyle-driven resort will boast a kids club, multiple food and beverage outlets, a fully equipped gym, and a signature Namm Spa offering a wide range of Thai massage therapies and beauty treatments. Guests will find three main private beaches to relax on, plus a smaller ‘picnic beach’ for memorable meals on the sands.
Leveraging the resort’s proximity to Malé International Airport, which is only five minutes away by speedboat, the resort’s developers also plan to open a resort-based entertainment hub and small convention centre, catering to guests beyond the core resort experience. These will be announced at a later date and will also be managed by Dusit. Meticulous attention will be paid to ensure all resort elements seamlessly blend with the surrounding environment. Dusit’s group-wide sustainability programme, Tree of Life, will further solidify this commitment by implementing processes and systems that minimise environmental impact.
DusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives will be Dusit’s second resort in the Maldives. The company also operates Dusit Thani Maldives, an award-winning luxury resort on Mudhdhoo Island in Baa Atoll, the Maldives’ first UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
“We are delighted to be expanding our presence in the Maldives with dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, our first all-inclusive resort concept,” said Dusit International COO Gilles Cretallaz. “The Maldives is a strategic market for us, and this exciting addition complements our presence in the luxury segment by offering a distinct lifestyle experience for families and young couples seeking an unforgettable and accessible Maldivian escape. We are committed to exceeding guest expectations with innovative offerings and exceptional service, and dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives will be a shining example of this unwavering dedication.”
Pearl Atoll Pvt Ltd Managing Director Fan Jianglin said: “We are thrilled to partner with Dusit International to manage our first resort in the Maldives. We were particularly drawn to Dusit’s unique Thai-inspired gracious hospitality, renowned worldwide for its warmth and attentiveness, and its proven success in the Maldives. dusitD2 Feydhoo’s prime location near Malé International Airport makes it incredibly convenient for guests, and we are confident that under Dusit’s experienced guidance, the resort will be a resounding success.”
Dusit’s portfolio of hotels, resorts, and luxury villas includes approximately 300 properties under eight brands across 18 countries worldwide.
About Dusit International Established in 1948, Dusit International or Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT) is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations comprise five distinct yet complementary business units: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Dusit Hospitality Education, Dusit Foods, Dusit Estate, and Hospitality-Related Services.
Dusit International’s diversified investments in real estate development, hospitality-related services, and the food sector are part of its long-term strategy for sustainable growth, which focuses on three key areas: balance, expansion and diversification.
About Pearl Atoll Pvt Ltd Registered in the Maldives in 2016, Pearl Atoll Pvt Ltd is an investment company focused on investing and developing hospitality property in the Maldives. Its founder, Fan Jianglin, is from China. Over the past 20 years, he has successfully managed his private business in international trading, real estate development, and venture investment.
HOI AN Vietnam, 9 May 2024: The Wafaifo Hoi An Resort in the World Heritage town of Hoi An, central Vietnam, will open its doors to guests on 1 September.
Bookings are now open on the hotel’s Wafaifo.com website for the phase 1 opening. The hotel will ultimately offer 134 rooms and suites and dining and lifestyle outlets just a 10-minute walk from Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage coastal village, 28km south of Danang.
Analysts forecast visitor arrivals will once more match 2019 record-breaking levels by the end of 2024.
The old quarter of Hoi An, located on the banks of a river estuary, is known for its maze of tiny streets lined with old shop houses many of them converted into museums, night market shops, restaurants and bars.
From 1 September, the new downtown resort property will feature rooms with balcony options, king-sized or twin beds, and high-speed WiFi. It will also open a swimming pool, a wellness spa, a gym and beauty and health options. In October, the resort will open meeting facilities and by 2025 luxury suites and a signature Vietnamese fine dining outlet.
Vietnam’s Tourism Arrivals
According to Statista.com,* Vietnam attracted 12.6 million international tourists in 2023, up from 3.6 million in 2022. Analysts at the resort’s in-house tourism intelligence unit predict that Vietnam has a chance to match its 2019 all-time high figure of 18 million visitors by year-end 2024. Domestic tourism is already a robust and increasingly important market for hotels in central Vietnam
TOKYO, 9 May 2024: The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) renewed its official website (https://www.asean.or.jp/), providing access to data on ASEAN trade, investment and tourism.
The top page of the website shows the AJC’s new tagline: “Building Bridges, Connecting Heart to Heart.” Illustrations showcase the diversity and spirit of cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
In addition to reporting on the AJC’s activities, the new website also features infographics, ‘ASEAN-Japan Basic Information at a Glance’, an ASEAN database that provides access to data on ASEAN trade and investment, including basic economic indicators and the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, as well as tourism-related data such as an overview of the number of visitors to the region.
The website relaunch is the first in almost six years. The AJC has taken the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in 2023 as a new starting point.
Based on the vision statement “Trusted Partners” adopted by the leaders of the ASEAN member states and Japan at the Commemorative Summit, the AJC aims to deepen the “heart-to-heart” relationship between ASEAN and Japan and build a peaceful, sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous society together.
For more than 40 years since its establishment in 1981, the AJC has contributed to building relations between the two regions through trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
DOHA, 9 May 2024: Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty programme inks a partnership with Cardless Inc, a San Francisco-based leader in financial technology, to redefine travel rewards on everyday spending for its members in the US with the launch of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Credit Cards.
Powered by Visa, these credit cards are now available for members to apply for and mark the debut of Qatar Airways Privilege Club in the US credit card space. Cardholders can collect Avios – the rewards currency of Qatar Airways Privilege Club – on their everyday purchases and enjoy many exciting benefits.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, which has an annual fee of USD499, has a matte metal design and offers industry-leading rewards. For every USD1 spent with this credit card, cardholders will earn five Avios on Qatar Airways, three Avios on restaurant spending and one Avios on all other spends. Cardholders can also benefit from 24/7 concierge assistance, airport benefits, special upgrades at Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection properties, travel coverage, built-in purchase protection and much more. With only a select few Visa Infinite cards available within the US, Qatar Airways Privilege Club is the first international airline loyalty programme to offer a Visa Infinite credit card in the US market.
With an annual fee of USD99, Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card offers exclusive benefits along with generous rewards. Members will earn four Avios on Qatar Airways spends, two Avios on restaurant spends, and one Avios on all other spends of every US$1 with this credit card.
Both credit cards offer bonus and tier fast-track with Qatar Airways Privilege Club. With the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, cardholders can collect up to 50,000 Avios and 150 Qpoints as a sign-up bonus with minimum spend and a fast-track to Gold tier with Privilege Club.
With the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card, members can collect up to 40,000 bonus Avios with minimum spend and a fast-track to Silver tier with Privilege Club. Cardholders will enjoy enhanced privileges, including tier bonus, complimentary lounge access, extra baggage allowance, priority stand-by, priority check-in, priority boarding, and complimentary ‘meet and assist’ service from Al Maha Services when travelling through Hamad International Airport in Doha.
SHENZHEN, 9 May 2024: DidaTravel, a global online travel wholesaler, announced impressive year-to-date 205% TTV* sales growth in hotel bookings for US destinations.
The growth in hotel bookings for US destinations has been generated from Dida’s global client portfolio, which features more than 35,000 travel trade clients, including tour operators, travel agents and airlines, distributing to the 125 source markets in which DidaTravel is active.
The current top five markets driving the fastest growth to the US via Dida’s platform are China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), the UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).
The most popular US cities booked on Dida’s platform are New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The company has expanded rapidly across all key US destinations, with a 60% year-on-year increase in the size of Dida’s directly contracted US portfolio, which now stands at 10,000 properties and continues to grow, many of them contracted under unique or differentiated conditions.
The year-on-year average daily rate increases in the US by +21%, which completes the positive picture for DidaTravel’s hotel partners.
DidaTravel Director of International Chains Suman Khan commented: “As one of the most visited countries in the world, offering such iconic destinations, the US is clearly of key strategic importance to a global travel wholesaler like DidaTravel. We are therefore delighted that we continue to go from strength to strength and register such rapid sales growth across US destinations.
For our hotel partners, Dida’s global B2B reach and distribution capability, fully aligned and complementary to their direct marketing strategies, helps them effectively meet their occupancy targets while attracting high-value guests from hard-to-reach markets.”
*TTV = Total Transaction Value **ADR = Average Daily Rate
All data is based on bookings made via DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels and compares the full-year performance up to 15 April 2024, versus the prior 12 months.
About DidaTravel The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and has over 600 employees in eight offices globally. It works with over 35,000 travel-buying clients worldwide, including travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers, OTAs, travel management companies (TMCs), and airlines.
Additionally, the company has a portfolio of over 75,000 competitively sourced direct hotel contracts and more than 1.5 million accommodation products provided by 600+ global suppliers, covering more than 200 countries/regions.
ABU DHABI, 9 May 2024: Etihad Airways and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) launched a free Abu Dhabi Stopover stay promotion on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market this week.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s Director General for Tourism, His Excellency Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, and Etihad’s CEO Antonoaldo Neves signed a Memorandum of Understanding to mark the campaign’s official launch at the airline’s ATM pavilion.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s Director General for Tourism, His Excellency Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, and Etihad’s CEO Antonoaldo Neves signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding for the free stopover stays.
The Abu Dhabi Stopover, exclusive to Etihad Airways, invites guests flying through Abu Dhabi to turn their free stopover hotel stay into a holiday.
When booking flights with Etihad, travellers can add a stopover and select a complimentary hotel as part of the online booking process. Guests can choose a free stay for one or two nights in a range of premier hotels across the city. Stopover packages are only available when booking directly on the airline’s website.
Experience Abu Dhabi
The UAE capital boasts diverse landscapes, from the towering dunes home to desert safari adventures or the soft-sand, turtle-nesting beaches of Saadiyat Island.
Travellers seeking culture can check out the city’s architectural highlights, including the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi with its unique landmark dome designed by Jean Nouvel, and the Qasr Al Watan presidential palace.
Families can head to Yas Island to enjoy fun rides at theme parks such as Ferrari World, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, and Yas Waterworld.
Yas Island is also home to Yas Marina Circuit, host of the famous Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the racetrack is open to visitors for walking, running and cycling, as well as go-karting most of the year.
Etihad’s boarding pass also doubles as the Abu Dhabi pass, which offers discounts at many of the city’s leading attractions and dining experiences.
Interline deals
Leading up to the ATM from 6 to 9 May, Etihad Airways announced it had signed reciprocal interline agreements with five new airline partners: Kam Air in Afghanistan, SKY Express in Greece, Rex Airlines in Australia, Jeju Air in Korea, and Myanmar Airways International.
The interline agreements give customers of all airlines involved enhanced connectivity to destinations across each other’s networks, enabling guests to book their entire journey on a single ticket and have their baggage checked through seamlessly to their end destination.
DUBAI, 9 May 2024: Visitors from the GCC region* spent 1,297,256 room nights in Germany during 2023, a 15% increase over the 1,128,341 overnight stays recorded in 2022, according to the latest data presented by the German National Tourist Board during this week’s Arabian Travel Market.
The announcement was made while addressing Middle East travel professionals during a press conference at the ATM.
German National Tourist GCC Office, an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), director Yamina Sofo commented: “In 2023, we witnessed a considerable increase of 168,915 overnight stays compared with the previous year.
“The increase in overnight stays in 2023 underscores Germany’s enduring appeal among GCC travellers, which is a testament to the continuous efforts of GNTO in its ongoing marketing campaigns across both B2B and B2C channels. We are delighted to witness our destination maintaining its position as a top choice for travellers from this region,” she added.
“As the region’s largest travel and tourism event, participating in ATM is an integral part of our marketing strategy. We are confident of a significant increase in overnight stays, exceeding our pre-pandemic figure of 1,604,753 overnight stays.”
Germany ranks the GCC region in the top three incoming markets, behind the US and China. In 2022, the GCC region was Germany’s top-performing inbound source market in Asia and Australasia, with more than 404,000 arrivals, representing an increase of over 117%, compared with the same period in 2021.
GCC guests also generated EUR2.1 billion in 2022, a 110% increase over the previous year, averaging 4,443 euros per trip/guest.
“These figures underscore Germany’s increasing post-pandemic popularity with GCC visitors and bodes well for 2024. This year, we want to capitalise on Euro 2024 to encourage longer stays and showcase Germany as an all-year-round holiday destination.
Increased flight availability will support those ambitions, with more than 207 direct weekly flights between the GCC and Germany, compared with 201 in 2022.
There are direct flights from the GCC to five German international airports — Munich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Berlin, and Hamburg.
New flights are being added this year, with services from Doha to Hamburg by Qatar Airways and from Manama to Munich by Gulf Air, both opening on 1 July. Eurowings will launch new routes in November from Jeddah to Cologne and Berlin. Additionally, Flynas will offer flights from Jeddah to Berlin starting from 4 September.
In addition to connectivity, GNTB has a marketing strategy that it believes will achieve those numbers in the short and long term. Its slogan is ‘Germany, simply inspiring’.
Germany now boasts 52 World Heritage sites and over 6,000 museums, offering a wealth of interesting places of cultural and historical significance for GCC tourists to visit. This includes Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture for 2025, located in the country’s Saxony region.
The GNTB’s ‘Simply Feel Good’ – Sustainable Travel in Germany campaign also underscores Germany’s rural natural landscapes and activity holidays, raising awareness of the fragility of ecosystems.
Germany has 20 sustainably certified regions and cities, and in terms of accommodation, it has over 1,540 sustainably certified establishments and 350 spa and health resorts. The GNTB focuses on the sustainability-related aspects of health tourism, including preserving traditional treatment methods, location-specific treatments and remedies as drivers of regional prosperity, and examples of sustainable energy management.
Clearly, the standout sporting event of the year in Europe will be the Euro 2024 football tournament, which will take place in Germany between 14 June and 14 July.
“The GNTB’s strategy is to promote the ten host cities (Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart) and surrounding areas to encourage tourists to stay longer and explore other regions throughout Germany. This also has the added benefit of reducing the overall carbon footprint per travel day,” added Sofo.
*The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. (Wikipedia).
