SINGAPORE, 5 February 2024: Swiss International Air Lines will expand its network in the 2024 summer schedule by adding flights to South Korea’s capital, Seoul.
Alongside the already announced new intercontinental destinations of Washington DC (USA) and Toronto, Canada, SWISS will expand its long-haul network in the east by connecting the South Korean capital of Seoul with Zurich, Switzerland.
Swiss schedules three weekly flights on the Seoul-Zurich route.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, will receive its first-ever SWISS services on 7 May 2024.
“We are delighted to be further growing our network,” says SWISS chief commercial officer Heike Birlenbach. “As well as our new long-haul destinations of Washington, DC and Toronto, which we’ve already announced, we’ll be adding the extremely attractive destination of Seoul. The capital of South Korea has a lot to offer leisure and business travellers alike. And our new Seoul service will help us meet our customers’ needs for nonstop services to and from the world’s key cities.”
SWISS will schedule a three-weekly nonstop service between Zurich and Seoul using an Airbus A340 configured with first, business, premium economy and economy classes. The eastbound flight LX122 will leave Zurich at 1340 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, landing in Seoul at 0825 the following day. The westbound LX123 service will depart from Seoul on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 0955, arriving in Zurich at 1650.
SINGAPORE, 5 February 2024: With the first month of 2024 already wrapped up, digital travel platform Agoda shares data that indicates Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam are leading the pack as the top markets attracting international tourists, followed closely by Malaysia and South Korea.
The findings based on January 2024 Agoda bookings show a robust start to the year for Asian destinations.
Diving deeper into city-specific popularity, Japan’s tourism magnets Tokyo (#1) and Osaka (#3) continue to attract travellers in the new year after already featuring in last year’s top ranks for international tourists.
A perpetual favourite, Bangkok follows Tokyo in second place, Seoul takes the 4th place, and Kuala Lumpur fifth. The data reflects a growing interest in traditional and emerging urban hotspots across Asia.
Agoda chief executive officer Omri Morgenshtern shared: “The exceptional appeal of markets like Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and cities like Tokyo and Bangkok, continues to captivate travellers globally. 2024 could be a great year for travel.”
When comparing the number of accommodation searches between January 2023 and January 2024, India tops the list of biggest risers. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Italy, respectively, have also shown notable leaps compared to last year. This shift underscores the dynamic nature of travel trends and the growing appeal of these diverse destinations.
About Agoda Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and employs more than 6,900 staff in 26 markets, dedicated to leveraging best-in-class technology to make travel even more accessible.
*Data based on Agoda accommodation booking ranks in January 2024 and 2023.
SINGAPORE, 2 February 2024: Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s travel programme, has reactivated a popular global promotion that offers members bonus points and Elite Night Credits each night of their stay.
From 13 February to 29 April, registered members can earn 1,000 bonus points and one bonus Elite Night Credit each night during the promotional earning period. Registration opened on 30 January and runs through 15 April.
Marriott Bonvoy welcomes members to explore its portfolio of over 30 hotel brands and earn up to 76,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and 76 bonus Elite Night Credits. Once members register for the promotion, they can earn twice each night, starting on their first night.
Bonus points can be redeemed through various channels — hotel stays across the portfolio, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy stays and Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
Bonus Elite Night Credits accelerate earning toward elite status, enabling members to reach a higher Marriott Bonvoy membership tier more quickly. For example, a member can achieve Silver Elite status in just five nights instead of 10 with this promotion. With Silver Elite status, members can unlock new benefits such as late check-out and 10% bonus points on eligible future hotel stays.
The promotion earning period runs from 13 February to 29 April 2024. Stays completed before registration are not eligible to earn with this promotion.
SINGAPORE, 2 February 2024: The 2024 edition of Pandaw’s Flotilla News magazine has just been released in print and digital versions.
Packed with comments, news, updates and insightful blogs from the Pandaw team and wider community, the latest edition drops into members’ email boxes and in the mail for those who still prefer the printed page.
In the 2024 edition, Pandaw founder Paul Strachan explains the latest developments at Pandaw and touches on the newest and most in-demand itinerary that explores the iconic Brahmaputra River in Northeast India.
There are also insights from the Pandaw team about ongoing work and the commitment to improving the highest service levels. Plus, there are plans for new and exciting itineraries to keep eager Pandaw Members’ desire for adventure satisfied as the 2024 sailing seasons get underway.
Read the 2024 Flotilla magazine online now or request a hard copy to be delivered to your home address. The Flotilla Magazine will also be available onboard Pandaw’s fleet of small river ships for a leisurely read on the sundeck as Pandaw gently takes its guests on an exploration of the rivers of Asia.
LANGKAWI, 2 February 2024: Langkawi’s Tanjung Rhu Beach welcomes nature lovers for the annual Sandbar Walk, 11 to 12 February, a popular occurrence highlighting what locals call the Sandbar phenomenon.
This captivating natural marvel materialises as the sea level drops to a minimum of 0.0m, unveiling a sandbar that links Tanjung Rhu Beach with Chabang and Kelam Baya Island.
Photo credit: Langkawi Development Authority.
The sandbank, stretching nearly 1km from Tanjung Rhu Beach to Chabang and Kelam Baya Island, stands out as one of Langkawi’s hidden gems and a natural phenomenon.
As the sea level retreats, the Sandbar emerges as a picturesque bridge between land and sea. It unveils a hidden world, inviting explorers to venture across its sandy expanse and discover the marine life thriving in the shallow pools formed along its route.
Sandbars, recognised as offshore bars or wave-washed ridges, emerge as a configuration of sand and sediment just off the shoreline. Their creation is influenced by ocean waves, resulting in formations that may be partly submerged or entirely visible, contingent upon the tide’s ebb and flow.
The Sandbar Walk on Tanjung Rhu Beach is an attraction worth experiencing scheduled this year from 11 to 12 February.
SINGAPORE, 2 February 2024: India’s full-service carrier, Vistara, has won two accolades in the ch-aviation Youngest Aircraft Fleet Awards 2024.
The airline was recognised as the World’s 4th Youngest Aircraft Fleet and Asia’s 2nd Youngest Aircraft Fleet by ch-aviation, a Swiss-based airline intelligence provider and research company.
Vistara chief executive officer Vinod Kannan commented: These accolades at the ch-aviation Youngest Aircraft Fleet Awards 2024 acknowledge our continued investment in maintaining a young and modern fleet to keep our CO2 emissions at their lowest.”
Vistara’s current fleet, with an average age of 2.94 years, consists of A320neo, A321neo, and B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, all powered by cutting-edge technologies and advanced systems that result in a reduction in engine noise as well as nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions.
In March 2023, Vistara achieved an important milestone of operating a wide-body aircraft for a long-haul international flight using a 30% SAF blend, reducing 150,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. Extending this success, Vistara also operated a commercial domestic flight on a wide-body aircraft using SAF, another industry-first initiative. The flight, which used a blend of 17% SAF and 83% conventional jet fuel, reduced approximately 10,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions. Vistara also became the first airline in India to implement Aerowash, an automated aircraft exterior washing and cleaning solution. The airline also deploys SITA eWAS and SITA OptiClimb solutions for optimising flight planning and operations, aiming for a yearly reduction of 15,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Vistara (TATA SIA Airlines Limited) TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA).
SINGAPORE, 31 JAN 2024: AirAsia MOVE (former AirAsia Superapp) has partnered with Coras, a prominent global ticket distribution platform, to introduce MOVETIX, a brand new and innovative ticketing platform.
MOVETIX offers over 10,000 global events and activities complemented by flights, hotels and rides through one app.
MOVETIX is spearheaded by Hassan Choudhury, an entertainment industry professional who will continue as CEO of RedRecords, a joint venture between AirAsia and Universal Music. Coras powers the MOVETIX platform on the AirAsia MOVE app.
To kickstart the launch, StarHub and World Football Legends announced the appointment of MOVETIX as the official ticketing partner of the upcoming StarHub Football Festival from 20 to 21 April 2024 in Our Tampines Hub, Singapore.
As the official ticketing partner for the event, MOVETIX sells tickets at SGD60 h for adults, SGD30 for senior citizens (above the age of 60) and children (below the age of 12), and a family package for SGD150, which covers admission for two children and two adults exclusively on the AirAsia MOVE.
AirAsia MOVE CEO Nadia Omer commented: “Entertainment is an essential part of travel. Hassan’s role in RedRecords and MOVETIX aligns perfectly with our commitment to deliver the best value in travel and develop talents in ASEAN.
“Teaming up with Coras on our AirAsia MOVE platform will elevate our customers’ experience, while staying true to our brand proposition. With MOVETIX, our app users can now book their entire trip seamlessly, including flights, hotels, land transport (through AirAsia ride), and meals via the dine-in option, all within one cohesive ecosystem.”
AirAsia MOVE has a customer base of over 15 million monthly active users who can now buy tickets for sports, live music, theatre performances and attractions across 67 cities and 20 countries.
SINGAPORE, 2 February 2024: Etihad Airways is adding more flights to key destinations across the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent in March and June following an earlier announcement on new destinations and flight increases.
The latest increase means the airline offers almost 27% more weekly departures than last summer.
The airline is increasing flights to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Amman in Jordan, Beirut in Lebanon, Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Kolkata and Bangalore in India.
The enhancements boost Abu Dhabi’s global reach, offering more flexible travel options.
Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De commented: “These latest flight increases aligned with our seamless and practical connections at Abu Dhabi, and our growing global network offers our guests more opportunities to fly where they want to at a time that suits them.”
The latest announcement in increases: Middle East and South Asia
Flights from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh and Jeddah will increase on 15 March, followed by additional flights to Amman and Beirut on 15 June. Additional flights to Colombo, Sri Lanka and two destinations in India; Kolkata and Bangalore, are also scheduled for 15 June.
Earlier announcement
Flights to Bangkok from Abu Dhabi will increase from 14 to 17 per week, effective 22 February 2024.
SINGAPORE, 2 February 2024: Air travel recovery continued last December, ensuring 2023’s air traffic performance edged even closer to matching pre-pandemic demand, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported earlier this week.
Total traffic in 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 36.9% compared to 2022. Globally, in the full year 2023, traffic was at 94.1% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels.
December 2023 total traffic rose 25.3% compared to December 2022, reaching 97.5% of the December 2019 level. Fourth quarter traffic was at 98.2% of 2019, reflecting the strong recovery towards the end of the year.
International traffic in 2023 climbed 41.6% versus 2022 and reached 88.6% of 2019 levels. December 2023 international traffic climbed 24.2% over December 2022, reaching 94.7% of the level in December 2019. Fourth quarter traffic was at 94.5% of 2019.
Domestic traffic for 2023 rose 30.4% to close the year 3.9% above the full-year 2019 level. December 2023 domestic traffic was up 27.0% over the year-earlier period and 2.3% above December 2019 traffic. Fourth-quarter traffic was 4.4% higher than the same quarter in 2019.
“The strong post-pandemic rebound continued in 2023. December traffic stood just 2.5% below 2019 levels, with a strong performance in Q4, teeing up airlines for a return to normal growth patterns in 2024,” said IATA’s director general Willie Walsh.
“The recovery in travel is good news. The restoration of connectivity is powering the global economy as people travel to do business, further their educations, take hard-earned vacations and much more.”
Walsh cautioned governments that to “maximise the benefits of air travel in the post-pandemic world, governments must incentivise Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production to meet net zero carbon emission goal by 2050 and adopt regulations that deliver a clear cost-benefit.
“Completing the recovery must not be an excuse for governments to forget the critical role of aviation in increasing the prosperity and well-being of people and businesses worldwide.”
International Passenger Markets
Asia-Pacific airlines posted a126.1% rise infull-year international 2023 traffic compared to 2022, maintaining the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 101.8%, and the load factor climbed 9.0 percentage points to 83.1%. In December 2023, traffic rose 56.9% compared to December 2022.
European carriers’ full-year traffic climbed 22.0% versus 2022. Capacity increased 17.5%, and load factor rose 3.1 percentage points to 83.8%. Demand climbed 13.6% in December compared to the same month in 2022. December traffic was higher than the corresponding month in 2019 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Middle Eastern airlines saw a 33.3% traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased by 26%, and load factor climbed by 4.4 percentage points to 80.1%. December demand climbed 16.6% compared to the same month in 2022.
North American carriers reporteda 28.3% annual traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 22.4%, and load factor climbed 3.9 percentage points to 84.6%. In December 2023, traffic rose 13.5% compared to the year-ago period.
Latin American airlines posted a 28.6% traffic rise in 2023 over 2022. Annual capacity climbed 25.4%, and the load factor increased 2.1 percentage points to 84.7% — the region’s highest. December demand climbed 26.5% compared to December 2022.
African airlines’ annual traffic rose38.7% in 2023 versus the prior year. The full-year 2023 capacity was up 38.3%, and the load factor climbed 0.2 percentage points to 71.9%, the lowest among regions. December 2023, traffic for African airlines rose 9.5% over December 2022.
SINGAPORE, 2 February 2024: Singapore’s tourism sector recovered strongly and demonstrated resilience with a solid performance in 2023, the Singapore Tourist Board reported in its annual review.
International visitor arrivals (IVA) reached 13.6 million in 2023 (~71% of 2019 IVA), meeting STB’s forecast of between 12 and 14 million visitors. Tourism receipts (TR) are estimated to reach SGD24.5 to SGD26.0 billion (~88-94% of 2019 TR), surpassing STB’s forecast of SGD18 to SGD21 billion set out in 2023.
Singapore Tourism Board chief executive Melissa Ow said: “The robust performance in 2023 signals a promising recovery for tourism, in line with increasing flight capacity and growth in international travel demand.
“Our strategy to attract a healthy and diverse visitor portfolio, comprising long and short haul markets, has significantly contributed to our overall visitor arrivals, longer length of stay and growth in tourism receipts.”
2023 Tourism Performance
Visitor arrivals were driven by strong demand from a mix of Singapore’s key markets, led by Indonesia (2.3 million), China (1.4 million) and Malaysia (1.1 million). Other key markets that posted buoyant recovery included Australia, South Korea and the US.
Tourism receipts
Tourism receipts (TR) reached SGD20.1 billion between January and September 2023. Full-year tourism receipts are expected to register between SGD24.5 and SGD26 billion. From January to September 2023, tourism receipts across all spending categories exceeded or recovered close to pre-pandemic levels compared with the same period in 2019.
For the first nine months of 2023, the top TR-generating markets were China, Indonesia and Australia. They contributed SGD2.3 billion, SGD2.2 billion, and SGD1.5 billion (excluding sightseeing, entertainment and gaming revenue).
Length of stay
Visitors also spent more time in Singapore compared to before the pandemic. The average length of stay in 2023 was approximately 3.8 days compared to 3.4 days for the same period in 2019.
Hotel Industry Performance
Singapore’s hotel industry performance in 2023 was encouraging, driven by stronger demand for leisure and business travel. In 2023, the Average Room Rate (ARR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) surpassed 2019 levels, reaching SGD282 (~128% of 2019 ARR) and SGD226 (~118% of 2019 RevPAR), respectively. Average
Occupancy Rate (AOR) was 80.1% in 2023, compared to 86.9% in the same period in 2019.
An addition of 3,210 new hotel rooms entered the hotel market with the unveiling of new establishments such as Pan Pacific Orchard, Mondrian Singapore Duxton, Artyzen Singapore, and The Singapore EDITION.
Cruise Industry Performance
Singapore’s position as a regional cruise hub strengthened in 2023 with a record 2 million passenger throughput received from more than 340 ship calls since the opening of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.
In 2023, Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas and Resorts World Cruises’ Genting Dream continued its year-round homeport at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore. TUI Cruises, Marella Cruises and Silversea Cruises continued their seasonal homeport while Virgin Voyages, Resilient Lady and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge made several maiden port calls. The healthy number of ship calls demonstrates the industry’s commitment to realise the strong potential of cruising in Singapore and the region.
In addition, STB and Disney Cruise Line signed a MOU to collaborate on the exclusive five-year year-round homeporting of Disney Adventure in Singapore from 2025.
