VIENTIANE, Laos 17 August 2023: Heritage Line’s newest riverboat Anouvong completed a cruise trial on the Mekong River last week and is ready to embark on a three-day maiden river trip on 27 August.
The first trip will take invited media and VIPs along the upper Mekong River from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai in northern Laos, which shares the river border with Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province, Thailand.
Photo credit: Heritage Line. Anouvong at its mooring in Luang Prabang.
The introduction of the 10-cabin Anouvong on the Mekong River was delayed by almost three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Once the season starts in October, the riverboat will offer three cruise itineraries: Three-night cruise between the Thai-Lao border town of Huay Xai (or vice versa) in the northwest of Laos to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang. Seven-night downstream cruise from Huay Xai ending in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Nine-night Upstream cruise from Vientiane to Huay Xai with a stop in Luang Prabang.
SINGAPORE, 17 August 2023: Global business travel and events costs are set to climb higher through the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, albeit at a much more moderate pace than the exceptionally steep increases seen in 2022.
That’s the standout observation of the 2024 Global Business Travel Forecast, published earlier this week by CWT, the business travel and meetings specialist, and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel trade organisation.
Photo credi: CWT.
Rising fuel prices, labour shortages, and supply chain challenges, coupled with red-hot demand, caused travel prices to skyrocket in 2022 – far surpassing some of the increases outlined in last year’s forecast.
Lingering economic uncertainty and a gradual easing of supply-side constraints are expected to result in more subdued price increases over the next 12 to 18 months, according to the report, which uses anonymised data generated by CWT and GBTA, with publicly available industry information and econometric and statistical modelling developed by the Avrio Institute.
“A potent combination of demand and supply-side pressures propelled travel prices higher than expected last year,” said CWT chief executive officer Patrick Andersen. “Prices seem to level off with much milder increases projected over the next 12 to 18 months. We could now be looking at the true net cost of travel.”
“As this research outlines, it’s clear that rising costs and pricing pressures will likely continue to be a significant factor in business travel for the foreseeable future. And as we experienced over the past few years, we may also continue to see different pricing fluctuations across industry verticals, business sectors and global regions. While business travel continues to rebound, there will be a continuing balancing act among demand, cost, and ESG concerns,” said GBTA. chief executive officer Suzanne Neufang.
Airline fares
The global average ticket price (ATP) of flights booked for business travel rose dramatically in 2022, experiencing record price increases. The ATP rose by 72.2% YoY to USD749 in 2022, far surpassing 2019 levels (USD670). While demand has recovered strongly, with passenger numbers quickly approaching pre-pandemic levels, driven primarily by pent-up leisure travel demand, airline capacity continues to be constrained by labour shortages and supply chain issues. Looking forward, ATP growth is likely to be more modest at 2.3% in 2023 and 1.8% in 2024, albeit from an already high base. Still, many corporate buyers now have less leverage to negotiate with airlines, as their travel volumes remain below pre-pandemic levels.
At USD855, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region recorded the highest ATP in 2022, compared to other parts of the world. This represents a 31.5% increase from 2021. More modest price increases are expected going forward, with ATPs predicted to rise 2.9% this year and 2.2% in 2024.
However, in terms of year-over-year growth, the ATP in Asia Pacific climbed 148.7% YoY in 2022 to USD567 – the biggest increase seen in any region, despite China’s lack of international travel demand. Key business travel destinations, including Australia and Japan, fully reopened to vaccinated travellers and resumed visa exemption arrangements. Average airfares rose 75.3% for Australia and 79.3% for Japan in 2022, with a sharp rise in the share of long-haul tickets. As airlines in the region – particularly the major carriers from China – continue to add more international route capacity, the increased supply should help ease price pressures in the region, with ATPs forecast to rise 4.8% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2024.
Hotels
Like air travel ATPs, the global average daily rate (ADR) for hotel bookings exceeded earlier predictions, rising 29.8% YoY to USD161 in 2022. Occupancy rates have been high, along with labour, energy and food and beverage costs. Several cities worldwide, including London, Miami, and Singapore, reported their highest ADRs on record in 2022. ADRs are projected to climb a further 4.3% in 2023 to USD168, followed by a 3.6% increase to USD174 in 2024.
Ground transport
Car rental supply has been constricted as companies sold vehicles during the pandemic when demand collapsed. As business returned, vehicles were not replaced at pace due to supply chain issues, largely due to a worldwide shortage of vehicle semiconductors, leading to inflated vehicle prices. These factors have contributed to prices rising by 9.8% YoY in 2022, with a further 6.7% increase forecast this year. Pricing growth is expected to cool to 2.1% in 2024.
Meetings and events
In-person meetings and events have rebounded more robustly than many had expected. Client acquisition and relationship building are key business goals that are not easily executed virtually. There has also been a robust demand for incentive trips as companies seek to motivate and reward employees. CWT Meetings & Events has observed these trips becoming longer and more frequent and expects the trend to continue.
The average daily cost per attendee was USD160 in 2022. This is expected to increase to USD169 in 2023 and then USD174 in 2024.
Lead times for events remain short in this post-pandemic world. However, organisers should now look at 2024 with a 12-month planning cycle if they want to keep prices reasonable. At the same time, consolidating transient travel and M&E spending can give buyers more leverage when it comes to negotiating pricing.
For more detailed information, including regional breakdowns and in-depth insights and analysis on these pricing trends, please view the full report online or download a PDF version here.
About the 2024 Global Business Travel Forecast
The figures in this report are based on data from more than 70 million ticketed flights, over 125 million hotel room night bookings and more than 30 million car hires covering data from 2018 to the present.
About GBTA
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organisation headquartered in Washington DC, serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 7,600+ members represent and advocate for the USD1.158 trillion* global business travel and meetings industry.
About CWT
CWT is a global business travel and meetings specialist owned through funds managed by leading global financial institutions, including Barings, MacKay Shields, and Monarch Alternative Capital.
SYDNEY, 17 August 2023: The Australian travel industry has a new peak industry body representing travel agents and advisors, tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers, replacing the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) that was established in 1957.
The biggest reform ever for Australia’s travel sector was unveiled as the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) was officially launched earlier this week.
ATIA has been created to accurately reflect the existing membership of travel agents, corporate agents, tour operators, wholesalers and ITOs.
ATIA has been developed after two years of extensive review of members of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) and a significant review and public consultation of the peak body’s constitution and operations.
Reforms announced so far include a new fairer and more balanced voting structure and new objectives for the association, which reaffirm commitment to all participants and principles of the Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS).
An independent ATAS Advisory Committee will be established to represent the full ATIA membership base to provide independent governance.
Members are at the heart of ATIA, and as part of the two-year review process, three specific membership segments expressed their wish to have dedicated engagement platforms to network and provide advice on advocacy activities.
In response, ATIA will establish an initial three caucuses to create formal consultation processes in addition to existing channels. The caucus structure has been chosen as a platform because it does not have a formal hierarchy. It will allow the members of each caucus to collaborate, network, and define advocacy objectives within their specific areas.
The three caucuses are: Independent Travel Agents, Independent Contractors (Home-based) and Tour Operators / Wholesalers.
An ATIA Individual Membership option will now be available for AUD10 a month, which will provide access to several ATIA advantages (while not having voting rights which sit with ATAS businesses). This will include access to a new online platform, Travel Exchange, with various resources.
ATIA chair Tom Manwaring commented: “ATIA represents a combined powerhouse of travel agents, tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers.
“In reviewing where we were, it became fundamentally apparent that our name no longer was fit for purpose. Of our 1200 members, including travel agents, corporate agents, and OTAs, we also have 200 tour operators, wholesalers, and ITOs. Of our 1000 travel agency members, only 14 were marketing or promoting their businesses as travel agents or agencies.
“The world of Travel has transformed since AFTA was created in 1957, and to reflect better who we are and what we do, we have created ATIA. One voice, one future.”
“We must ensure that travellers and government recognize the full reality of Australia’s vibrant Travel eco-system and that when you choose an ATAS travel business, you are choosing the highest quality of service and professionalism.”
“It’s not been an easy process to get here. It’s taken two long years and countless honest discussions. We’ve sought and listened to feedback from existing members, potential members, and others in and across the Travel Industry and the business sector more widely.”
HANOI, 17 August 2023: Vietnam has relaxed its e-visa requirements opening the service to citizens of all countries and territories effective 15 August 2023, with the stay extended from 30 to 90 days.
According to a news bulletin from the Tourism Information Technology Centre, posted on the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism website, the Vietnam government approved a resolution dated 14 August 2023 that opens the electronic visa (e-visa) process to all nationalities and extends the stay to 90 days while also allowing multiple entries during the 90-day stay. In the past, it was valid for just 30 days and only for a single entry.
Photo credit: VNAT. Vietnam’s e-visa welcome extends to all nationalities for 90 days and multiple visits within stay dates.
Offering multiple entries ensures the 90-day e-visa fits the bill for tour operators who organise tours that visit neighbouring countries using Vietnam as a base. Travellers frequently re-enter Vietnam when exploring neighbouring countries from Vietnam’s gateway cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang. In the past, the e-visa allowed just a single entry.
Lua Viet Travel, based in Ho Chi Minh City, commented in a statement to TTR Weekly: “This will create a breakthrough for tourism development in increasing the opportunity for foreign visitors to enjoy their time in Vietnam on a more personal schedule than ever before.”
Recognising the importance of the liberal changes to the e-visa setup, the travel firm added: “The e-visa was only valid for 30 days and was only valid for entry and exit to Vietnam once. It caused inconvenience in some cases when foreigners needed to visit Vietnam for business or leisure and then needed to make frequent trips to other countries.
“With this new regulation, it is more convenient for foreigners who regularly work and have long-term holiday plans in Vietnam. It greatly reduces the cost and time of procedures for international tourists and Vietnam’s immigration authorities.”
The new regulation took immediate effect on 15 August 2023.
SINGAPORE, 16 August 2023: Seabourn Pursuit, the second expedition ship bearing the Seabourn flag, embarked on its first voyage and welcomed its first guests on board on Saturday, 12 August 2023.
The ship started its maiden year with an eight-day voyage from Valletta, Malta, to Rome. Seabourn Pursuit is the second of two new expedition vessels built for Seabourn during the past two years.
Seabourn Pursuit Exterior.
“For 10 years, we have offered expedition experiences, and now we have two purpose-built, ultra-luxury, state-of-the-art expedition ships: Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit,” said Seabourn president. Natalya Leahy.
Seabourn Pursuit offers the same luxurious “yacht-like” small ship experience enhanced by world-class equipment. It allows the line to offer its most comprehensive range of expedition activities led by an expert 24-person expedition team of scientists, scholars and naturalists.
The ship is designed and built for remote, diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and includes modern hardware and technology that extends the ship’s global deployment and capabilities.
Seabourn Pursuit will sail five voyages in the Mediterranean and two across the Atlantic and the Caribbean between August and October.
On 10 October 2023, the ship will arrive in Barbados to begin its expedition journeys, taking guests to remote corners of the globe. Seabourn Pursuit will head south to explore coastal South America, the Amazon, and Antarctica into late March 2024.
Following its inaugural Antarctic season, the ship will head across the islands of the South Pacific and eventually to Australia, which will be the start of the line’s first exploration of the Kimberley region in the Northern Territory and Western Australia between June and August 2024. In addition to the Kimberley, Seabourn Pursuit will visit Papua New Guinea, West Papua, and Indonesia and sail across the South Pacific between Chile and Melanesia between March and October 2024.
SINGAPORE 16 August 2023: Spain launches a new one-stop travel guide for Muslim Travellers planning to explore its southern region, Andalusia, making it easier to find references on what to see, what to visit, where to stay, as well recommendations of Muslim-friendly restaurants.
The initiative is a part of Spain’s goal to reinforce awareness of its efforts to expand services that attends to the needs of Muslim travellers in the country.
“We are very excited about the Guide,” said Spain’s Tourism Counsellor in Singapore, Monica Sanchez. “We believe it is a promotional tool we have been missing, especially given Andalusia’s rich Islamic history and heritage. Andalusia is a popular destination for Muslim travellers, but its halal offer is still largely unknown in South East Asia.
The guide provides a valuable resource to raise awareness of all the practical elements that make a destination like Andalusia more appealing to visitors who seek halal travel experiences.
Our strategy goes beyond simply offering Muslim travellers halal food and places of worship. We recognise and have considered their cultural practices, traditions and sensitivities.
The guide’s content has been produced by Let’s Go Halal, a Spanish Muslim company specialising in Halal Tourism and manager of the online platform www.letsgohalal.com.
The guide is accompanied by a promotional campaign that includes publications on Southeast Asian platforms in English and Bahasa Indonesia, social media postings and six videos that will be gradually released on Spain Tourism Board’s official YouTube channel.
Andalusia, for Muslim Travellers, features an extensive list of places with halal options in Andalucía, which besides its food, is also known for its mosques and rich Islamic heritage. This is a land of culture, history, fiestas, natural landscapes and outstanding monuments such as the beautifully preserved Moorish architecture, the Alhambra Palace.
Discover the splendour of Al-Andalus and take inspiration from Andalusia’s unparalleled Islamic heritage and beauty. Bookmark this new Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide now!
(Source: Spain Tourism Board – Southeast Asia, Australia & New Zealand)
LANGKAWI, Malaysia, 16 August 2023: Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) continues strengthening ties with Singapore’s tourism agencies, the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), through the Tourism Malaysia Singapore office.
Earlier this month, the latest round of meetings focused on building strategic cooperation involving LADA planning a ‘Tourism Business Meet at Langkawi 2024’ specially for Singapore’s tourism agencies under the NATAS umbrella.
Photo credit: LADA. Planning an Eco-Geo promotion in Singapore.
The initiative will strengthen tourism relations and boost tourism to Langakawi from ASEAN countries, promoting Langkawi as a popular Eco-Geo destination in Asia. The initial efforts will establish the island’s credentials as an Eco-Geo destination in the Singapore outbound travel market through promotions and partnerships with NATAS members supported by Tourism Malaysia’s Singapore office. Visit https://www.lada.gov.my/en/
SINGAPORE, 16 August 2023: Carnival Cruise Line has named the senior officers who will take the helm of its newest ship, Carnival Jubilee, due to sail this December..
The ship is being built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and will operate its first cruise from its homeport of Galveston, Texas. on 23 December 2023.
Carnival has appointed Captain Andrea Catalani, Chief Engineer Vittorino Perasole and Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri as the ship’s senior officers. They will lead a crew of 1,700 who will sail on Carnival Jubilee.
Carnival Jubilee joins sister ships Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras as the third ship in the fleet powered by a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion system.
The ship will also debut ocean-themed experiences in two entertainment zones named Currents and The Shores while featuring other features already popular on board her sister ships. They include BOLT, the Ultimate Sea Coaster, and a transformational three-deck atrium that offers expansive views during the day. It doubles as an entertainment venue at night with movable LED screens and theatrical lighting.
SINGAPORE, 16 August 2023: Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider for the global travel industry, confirms the availability of Lodging AI, marking the introduction of its Sabre Travel AI capabilities in the lodging sector.
Lodging AI can help travel agencies improve hotel attachment rates, creating additional revenue opportunities and providing travellers with more personalised lodging options. Using Sabre Travel AI machine learning models, the new lodging capability analyses property attributes, customer trip segmentation, and traveller and agency preferences to generate custom lodging options and serve up properties most likely to be booked. The first two micro-services of Lodging AI are now available.
Alternate properties: During the shopping phase, if a specifically requested property is not available, this micro-service of Lodging AI facilitates lodging bookings by presenting up to 20 relevant options with similar characteristics. Cross-sell: This micro-service identifies appropriate air bookings or itineraries without lodging attached and presents suitable lodging options to complete the trip.
Available via Content Services for Lodging APIs and Sabre Red 360, Lodging AI will help Sabre customers increase traveller value by offering relevant lodging options to accompany the air travel booking and help drive profitability. Part of a 10-year strategic partnership with Google. Sabre Travel AI leverages Google’s state-of-the-art AI technology and advanced machine-learning capabilities.
BANGKOK, 16 August 2023: Thai Airways International deployed its new Airbus A320 aircraft to resume twice-daily flights from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
The twice-daily flights started on 15 August and take over from the low-cost THAI Smile Airways, which is relinquishing all of its regional routes to its parent airline. Ultimately Thai Smile will merge with the parent airline as a cost-saving measure, possibly in 2024, but it may still serve some domestic flights.
Thai Airways International will serve the Bangkok – Phnom Penh route, scheduling 14 weekly flights (twice daily).
Bangkok – Phnom Penh TG586 departs from Bangkok at 0735 and arrives in Phnom Penh at 0850 (local time). TG584 departs from Bangkok at 1835 and arrives in Phnom Penh at 19:55 (local time).
Phnom Penh – Bangkok TG587 departs from Phnom Penh at 0940 (local time) and arrives in Bangkok at 1100. TG585 departs from Phnom Penh at 2115 (local time) and arrives in Bangkok at 2230.
