BANGKOK, 19 February 2025: TCEB introduced its business events campaign “Meet Well at AIME 2025” in Melbourne, Australia, from 10 to 12 February.
The initiative focused on increasing business events with a wellness theme geared to delivering mindful and meaningful MICE encounters.
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) headed a group of 12 Thai exhibitors from Bangkok and Phuket who pitched for business leads from potential buyers attending AIME 2025.
TCEB president Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya stated that the “bureau crafted the campaign to deliver professional collaboration and industry expertise in Thailand to ensure clients holding events in Thailand can achieve mindful and meaningful MICE journeys, making Thailand a truly high-value-added destination.”
The campaign capitalizes on Thailand’s world-renowned medical treatment and wealth of luxury wellness products and services, which adopt a holistic or mind-focused approach. These can be featured in pre- or post-tours and workshops for event delegates.
SINGAPORE, 19 February 2025: Air Astana will launch direct flights from Atyrau in Westen Kazakhstan to Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, on 27 May 2025.
The service will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays using Airbus family aircraft.
Photo credit: Air Astana.
The airline currently offers flights from Atyrau to Istanbul, Dubai and Amsterdam.
With a flying time of one hour and 50 minutes between Atyrau and Tbilisi, flight KC125 will depart Atyrau at 0800 and arrive in Tbilisi at 0850. The return flight, KC126, will depart Tbilisi and arrive in Atyrau at 1240. All times are local.
Round-trip fares, inclusive of all taxes and fees, start from USD213 in economy class and from USD587 in business class.
Tickets are available on the airline’s website or through authorised travel agencies.
Summer schedule frequencies to Tbilisi will total 15 weekly services, with departures from three cities in Kazakhstan: Nine flights per week from Almaty and three weekly flights each from Astana and Atyrau. Kazakhstan citizens can stay in Georgia visa-free for up to one year.
Air Astana continues to enhance international connectivity from other regional cities, including scheduled flights from Shymkent to Jeddah and Medina and charter flights to Doha.
SINGAPORE, 19 February 2025: Jetstar Asia confirms it will resume its Singapore – Broome Western Australia flights for a second season starting 1 April 2025.
It follows a successful inaugural season for the direct flights launched in June 2024 and pitched at Singaporean leisure travellers looking for off-the-beaten-track destinations to explore
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm celebrates Broome’s pearling heritage.
Available from 1 April to 25 October 2025, the new season will cater to the high demand for travel to Western Australia, delivering 10,800 inbound seats, representing a 67% increase compared to last year.
Using Jetstar Asia’s A320s with 180 seats, the flight time between Singapore and Broome is four hours and 10 minutes. Departures from Singapore are twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The demand increase reflects Western Australia’s popularity as a destination for Singaporeans. The International Visitor Survey June & September 2024 results revealed Western Australia to be the most popular travel destination within Australia for Singaporeans, attracting 105,000 visitors by September 2024.
Broome is quickly becoming a sought-after destination, with new tours and activities catering to international visitors.
Jetstar Asia (3K) launched the first direct flights from Singapore to Broome, Western Australia, on 25 June 2024.
It made Jetstar Asia the only airline to operate international flights to regional Western Australia. Significantly, it marked the first time scheduled services have been established between the two destinations. The airline said it intended to deliver season two in April 2025.
For travellers from Singapore, Broome is the gateway to the Kimberley region. It is famous for its breathtaking natural beauty, including the white sands of Cable Beach, the dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point, and whale watching in the Indian Ocean.
The route also provides a direct link for residents from Australia’s Northwest to Singapore, opening up new international travel opportunities with easy access to Jetstar Asia’s extensive network and many partner airlines through Changi Airport. As a destination in its own right, Singapore offers an incredible shopping and dining scene as well as exciting nightlife.
Roundtrip fares during season one averaged between USD258 to USD249.
Flight schedule April 2025
3K161 departs Singapore (SIN) at 0950 and arrives in Broome (BRM) at 1400 on Tuesday. 3K167 departs Singapore (SIN) at 1215 and arrives in Broome (BRM) at 1635 on Saturday.
3K162 departs Broome (BRM) at 1500 and arrives in Singapore (SIN) at 1910 on Tuesday. 3K168 departs Broome (BRM) at 1725 and arrives in Singapore (SIN) at 2135 on Saturday.
Broome in 2025
Many destinations claim to be a cultural melting pot, but Broome / Rubibi, the western gateway to the Kimberley, is a vibrant mix. The town dates back to the pearling settlements of the 1800s, with the Aboriginal culture and landscape dating back millennia. Today, Broome is one of the world’s finest Australian South Sea Pearls producers, rich in Aboriginal culture and Asian heritage. Broome has launched several new experiences for visitors to enjoy.
Discover the Beauty of Broome Pearls
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm will celebrate Broome’s pearling heritage as part of Pearls and Plates, a series of exclusive culinary and cultural events hosted by two Western Australian pearling families.
From 30 May to 31 May, enjoy a curated menu of pearl meat and foraged foods created alongside the local Bardi Jawi people of the Dampier Peninsula, and admire the Australian South Sea pearls grown at the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.
Explore Aboriginal Culture
Experience Broome’s unique Aboriginal culture on a tour with Mabu Buru Tours. Binba Mayi is a new coastal foraging experience which includes a half-day 4WD tour along Broome’s mudflats and mangroves. Guests will learn traditional foraging techniques from an Aboriginal guide and enjoy a conventional bush barbecue.
Adventure in Broome
Broome Adventure Cruises has cruising adventures that take you through the blissful scenery of Roebuck Bay and its secluded bays, stopping to find perfectly preserved 120 million-year-old dinosaur footprints. Broome is one of the best paleontological sites in the world for discovering preserved dinosaur footprints.
Breweries and beach clubs
The Spinifex Brewery Cable Beach and Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa are ideal locations to relax in comfort and style, serving up delicious food and top-tier ambience.
Spinifex Brewery is known for its fresh, straight-from-tank-to-tap beer, brewed at its onsite 6HL brewery. Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa offers not only luxury accommodations but also a variety of restaurants serving different cuisines, with Sunset Grill the ideal location to take in a golden Broome sunset over Cable Beach.
2025 Season of Staircase to the Moon
Astrotourism WA has announced the 2025 dates for the breathtaking natural phenomenon ‘Staircase to the Moon’. Witness the magic over Broome’s Roebuck Bay as the full moon rises across the exposed tidal flats, creating the impression of a staircase leading to the moon. Staircase to the Moon Markets in Broome are also held on full moon nights from April to October.
Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), the Philippines’ leading carrier, is set to launch direct flights between Iloilo and Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, offering travellers from the City of Love a faster and more affordable way to explore Thailand.
Starting 31 March, CEB will operate flights between Iloilo and Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport (DMK) three times weekly — every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
This will make CEB the only airline that offers nonstop flights between Iloilo and Bangkok.
In addition to direct flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong and Singapore, Bangkok is the third international destination that CEB will serve from Iloilo.
“We are thrilled to offer more travellers the opportunity to explore the majestic city of Bangkok. Strengthening our Iloilo hub allows us to connect even more passengers from the Western Visayas region to exciting destinations across our international network,” said CEB President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao
The airline introduced the new route Iloilo—Bangkok with a fare promotion from 12 to 16 February. The promotion pegged the one-way fare, excluding taxes and fees, at PHP1 for travel from 31 March to 25 October 2025.
CEB currently flies to 37 domestic and 26 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
ABU DHABI, 19 February 2025: Etihad Airways will launch flights to Sochi, the gateway city to the northeast coast of the Black Sea, starting 29 May.
The route debuts this summer, providing guests with nonstop access to the Krasnodar Krai region, home to stunning summer beaches and mountains, as well as winter skiing and snowboarding in the nearby Caucasus Mountains, made famous by the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Photo credit: Etihad.
Etihad will fly three weekly services* between Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Sochi International Airport (AER).
The Russian Riviera offers a mix of natural beauty and cultural history and will become a popular choice for guests seeking relaxation and adventure. This new route further underlines Etihad’s commitment to providing exceptional travel experiences and expanding access to exciting new markets.
The flights are on sale now and will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays using one of the airline’s A320 family aircraft. There are eight seats in business and 150 in economy.
The announcement is the latest new route unveiled by Etihad and is the 14th new destination the airline is adding to its network this year.
Etihad will also commence flights to Atlanta, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Taipei, as well as to the European capitals of Prague and Warsaw. Expanding its network across North Africa, Etihad will begin flying to Algiers, Tunis and Al Alamein.
Additionally, Etihad will bolster its network across Southeast Asia, with new connections directly to Chiang Mai and Krabi in Thailand, Medan on the island of Sumatra and the cultural city of Phnom Penh. These join existing popular destinations across Southeast Asia, including Phuket and Bangkok.
MANILA, 19 February 2025: Philippine Airlines introduces nonstop flights between Cebu and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), offering the first direct air service linking Central Visayas and Vietnam’s leading economic and commercial city.
The new PAL Cebu-Ho Chi Minh City route will commence on 2 May 2025, with an initial schedule of three weekly flights. The route will cater to the growing demand by Filipinos to visit Vietnam, which recorded approximately 216,000 Filipino travellers in 2024 and ranks as the 9th most visited destination among Filipinos.
The Philippine flag carrier is also increasing its Manila-Hanoi-Manila flights to a daily service, up from five weekly, starting 2 April 2025. This will provide more convenient access between Manila and Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, known for its rich history and cultural treasures.
“We are pleased to expand Philippine Airlines’ footprint in Vietnam, our next-door neighbour and fellow ASEAN member country, through our new service linking Ho Chi Minh City to Cebu for the first time,” said PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Stanley K. Ng. “We look forward to boosting tourism, strengthening Cebu’s position as the nation’s emerging business and leisure gateway, and building on the strong and friendly relations between Vietnam and the Philippines. We are excited to invite Vietnamese tourists and business people to take the short hop to Cebu to discover our islands’ wonders and enjoy our people’s warm hospitality.”
The Cebu-Ho Chi Minh City flights depart from Mactan-Cebu International Airport every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The return PAL service departs from Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
PAL will deploy an Airbus A321 with 199 seats configured with business and economy class.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is a vibrant, tourist-friendly destination famous for its Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Opera House and the colourful Bến Thành Market. Saigon’s street cafes offer hearty portions of the famous bánh mì, southern-style savoury pancakes (bánh xèo) and broken rice (cơm tấm), all of which pair perfectly with a glass of iced milk coffee (cà phê sữa đá).
Cebu offers a cosmopolitan lifestyle set amidst natural beauty. Its 200-km coastline, surrounded by coral reefs and luxury resorts, allows visitors to go boating and scuba diving. PAL is supporting the Department of Tourism (DoT) and the local travel community in attracting more Vietnamese tourists to the country, of whom 58,000 visited the Philippines in 2024.
The early morning arrival in Cebu allows passengers to connect smoothly to PAL’s domestic destinations and nonstop flights Cebu-Osaka and Cebu-Tokyo Narita, making Mactan-Cebu a convenient transfer hub for Vietnamese travellers.
PAL’s new Cebu-HCMC route and increased Manila-Hanoi services complement the eight weekly PAL flights between Manila and Ho Chi Minh City.
SCHEDULE FOR THE NEW CEBU- HCMC (SGN)
• PR 587 Cebu-Ho Chi Minh City – every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, departing Mactan-Cebu at 2255 and arriving in HCMC (SGN) at 0055. • PR 588 Ho Chi Minh City-Cebu – every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, departing HCMC (SGN) at 0155, arriving in Mactan-Cebu at 0605H.
BANGKOK, 18 February 2025: Emirates has announced the reinstatement of its third daily flight between Dubai and Rome, starting 1 June 2025.
This additional service will add more than 2,530 weekly seats between the two cities, catering to growing demand and offering greater flexibility for travellers to plan their journeys.
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Operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, Emirates’ flight EK099 will depart Dubai at 0330 and arrive in Rome at 0740. Emirates’ return flight EK100 will depart Rome at 1130 and arrive in Dubai at 1920. All times are local.
Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents.
The additional flight is timed to provide travellers with better connection times to popular destinations across Emirates’ network, including Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Mumbai, Karachi, and other key points across Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Emirates’ third daily Dubai-Rome flight will offer travellers eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. Travellers can enjoy Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, as well as regionally inspired dishes such as seafood antipasti, chicken with fregola pomodoro and Italian-style affogato al caffe. The airline’s ice inflight entertainment system offers over 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages, including popular Italian movies and documentaries, Hollywood movies and TV shows with Italian subtitles, and more.
Emirates has been serving Italy for over three decades since it launched services to Rome in 1992. Today, the airline also operates to Milan, Venice, and Bologna. Emirates currently operates 42 weekly flights between Dubai and these major Italian cities, with a mix of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s and a nonstop connection between Milan and New York. JFK operates with the Airbus A380. Emirates will also welcome its latest Airbus A350 on flights to Bologna in the coming months. Beyond its operations, the airline has been a proud sponsor of AC Milan since 2007, fostering connections between Rossoneri fans worldwide and their favourite team.
BANGKOK, 18 February 2025: Dusit Thani Kyoto, a luxury urban oasis operated by Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has built on its recent One Michelin Key recognition by earning a 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Award—further cementing its reputation as one of Kyoto’s most exceptional hotels.
Founded in the US in 1958, Forbes Travel Guide (formerly known as Mobil Travel Guide) is a globally respected authority in luxury hospitality, renowned for pioneering the five-star rating system in 1960. Its anonymous inspectors evaluate hotels based on more than 900 objective standards, ensuring a trusted benchmark of excellence in the travel industry.
The Four-Star rating is awarded to properties with exceptional service and outstanding facilities. Dusit Thani Kyoto earned this distinction through rigorous, undercover assessments by Forbes Travel Guide’s inspectors, who experienced the hotel just as a typical guest would—paying their own way to ensure impartiality.
Opened in September 2023, Dusit Thani Kyoto is set in the peaceful Hongwanji Monzen-machi district, 850 metres from the city’s bustling Kyoto Station. Operating under Dusit’s luxury Dusit Thani brand, the hotel seamlessly blends Thai-inspired gracious hospitality with Japan’s deep-rooted culture of ‘omotenashi’ (wholeheartedly looking after guests). It features 147 meticulously designed guest rooms that balance timeless elegance with contemporary comfort.
The hotel also serves as a hub of gourmet dining experiences. Guests can embark on an interactive omakase journey at Kōyō, which showcases Kyoto’s 24 micro-seasons through the finest ingredients. Den Kyoto elevates mixology with handcrafted cocktails infused with Thai herbs, while Ayatana, the hotel’s signature Thai fine-dining restaurant, delivers an exquisite celebration of Thai flavours and culinary artistry. Committed to sustainability, Ayatana sources premium seasonal ingredients from the Kansai region, including fresh herbs and vegetables from Ohara Farm and organic tea leaves from its own tea farm in Wazuka.
Alongside versatile event spaces that accommodate up to 240 guests, the hotel also boasts a signature Devarana Wellness Centre, where expert therapists blend ancient Thai massage therapies with traditional Japanese healing rituals, ensuring a truly restorative experience.
“Receiving Forbes Travel Guide’s distinguished Four-Star Award just over a year after our opening is a remarkable achievement and a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, heartfelt service, and creating truly memorable experiences for our guests,” said Makoto Yamashita, Cluster General Manager, Dusit Thani Kyoto and ASAI Kyoto Shijo. “Inspired by this accolade and our One Michelin Key status, we remain committed to raising the bar, delivering exceptional service, and ensuring our hotel continues to be a place of warmth, elegance, and meaningful connections for all who visit.”
BANGKOK, 18 February 2024: Bangkok is on the radar in recent Airbnb research, which ranked the Thai capital in the top 12 of Airbnb’s top trending destinations globally for solo travellers.
For last week’s Valentine’s Day, Airbnb reported a 190% growth in searches for the long weekend that started Friday, 14 February.
Couples are also increasingly looking to Thailand for their romantic getaways, with searches by duo travellers surging over 70% for Valentine’s Day weekend this year compared to Valentine’s Day weekend last year.
Amongst travellers living in Thailand’s provinces, Bangkok was the top trending destination for solo travellers, with a whopping 654% increase in searches for Valentine’s Day weekend this year compared to Valentine’s Day weekend last year. Couples who are residents of Thailand also prioritised Japan’s Tokyo and Osaka when searching for overseas destinations.
SINGAPORE, 18 February 2025: Disney Cruise Line unveiled a series of new experiences this week that will feature on its latest ship, Disney Adventure, due to homeport in Singapore starting in December 2025.
The ship will include several firsts for the fleet as Disney stories and characters come to life on the Disney Adventure through Marvel Style Studio that makes its Disney Cruise Line debut, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and Royal Society for Friendship and Tea.
Photo credit: Disney Cruise Line. Disney Adventure.
In another first for the fleet, Duffy and Friends will appear onboard through retail and entertainment experiences, including the brand-new show “Duffy and The Friend Ship.”
The Disney Adventure will sail on its maiden voyage from Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre on 15 December 2025. Bookings are open for new sail dates between April and September 2026 directly from the Disney Cruise Line website, through the Disney Cruise Line contact centre, or with their preferred travel agents.
