SINGAPORE, 6 October 2025: Lanson Place announces the appointment of Cecilia Lo as the Area General Manager of Lanson Place Causeway Bay, Hong Kong and Lanson Place Waterfront Suites, Hong Kong.
A seasoned hospitality professional with over two decades of experience across Hong Kong’s luxury hospitality landscape, Cecilia brings an exceptional blend of industry knowledge, strategic acumen, and leadership skills to the role.
Cecilia Lo, Area General Manager of Lanson Place Causeway Bay and Lanson Place Waterfront Suites
Cecilia joins Lanson Place from K11 ARTUS, where she has served as General Manager since 2019. Before that, she spent nearly a decade at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong as Executive Assistant Manager of Sales & Marketing, where she directed a diverse and motivated team through a five-year property-wide renovation while expanding into new markets.
Reflecting on her appointment as Area General Manager, overseeing both Lanson Place Causeway Bay and Lanson Place Waterfront Suites, Cecilia said: “I am honoured to take on this new role with Lanson Place and to lead two properties that embody the brand’s vision of refined comfort and personalised service.”
HONG KONG, 6 October 2025: Every Uber Taxi ride in Hong Kong now helps earn Asia Miles after Uber Taxi and Cathay signed a partnership deal. Here’s how Uber Taxi riders can earn Asia Miles:
Photo credit: Cathay Group.
Daily rides: Earn 20 Asia Miles on every Uber Taxi trip in Hong Kong;
Airport trips: Earn 40 Asia Miles on rides to and from the airport;
Welcome bonus: First-time Uber App users get 500 extra Asia Miles on their first Uber Taxi trip.
“This collaboration gives our members even more ways to earn Asia Miles in their everyday lives. Whether it’s a quick ride across town or a journey to/from the airport, Uber Taxi trips now help our members get closer to their next adventure with added convenience and rewards,” said Cathay Asia Miles General Manager Flora Hui.
Throughout the partnership, Uber Taxi may roll out bonus miles and limited-time offers, giving Cathay members and Uber app users additional ways to earn points.
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 October 2025: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents’ 57th edition of the MATTA Fair, held in September 2025, has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the nation’s largest travel show, with 2,049 booths.
Besides providing a platform to boost the tourism industry in Malaysia, the fair also connected and rewarded visitors through exclusive contests during the event.
Photo credit: MATTA. MATTA Fair names prize winners at 57th show edition.
A crowd favourite at every MATTA Fair, the Buyers’ Contest once again drew great participation with a total number of 6,852 participants, offering visitors who spent a minimum of MYR100 a chance to win prizes including flight tickets, an EV Bike, theme park passes, and hotel stays. This time round, the contest featured 29 main prizes and 92 consolation prizes.
Among the winners during the prize giving ceremony were Nur Zafirah Abdul Aziz, who walked away with the grand prize of a Roundtrip Business Class Ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Paris; Cheah Im Bee, who won a Roundtrip Business Class Ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane both courtesy of Malaysian Aviation Group (MAG); and Punithamalar Mutaragan, who brought home a Solo 1C Blueshark EV Motorbike courtesy of Easy MotorBike.
The “Ride & Reels: Vlog Your Journey” contest encouraged visitors to capture their experiences aboard the complimentary shuttle bus to the MATTA Fair, underscoring MATTA’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. A total of 1,418 participants took part by sharing their creative videos on social media.
Main prize winners: Wong Eng Joo, who received an Insta360 X5; Muhammad Adhar Onn, who won an Insta 360 Go 3s; Siti Nur Shahira Hairul, who won an Apple Watch SE; Nur Fatin Athirah Che Ismail, who received a Fujifilm Instax Wide 400; Farah Dayana Durra Jamil, who won a Fujifilm Instax Mini 41. Additionally, 10 consolation prize winners were each awarded exclusive travel vouchers.
“MATTA Fair was created to give visitors a trusted, worry-free way to discover travel. With the Buyers’ Contest, they can now add more wonders to their journey, thanks to the support of our valued sponsors. MATTA stands its ground to reward our visitors, making each fair more enjoyable,” said MATTA president Nigel Wong.
CHIANG MAI, 6 October 2025: Thai AirAsia will introduce a new cross-country domestic route linking Chiang Mai in North Thailand and Udon Thani in the country’s northeast region (Isan) starting 1 December.
Offering four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, the service is the only direct route between Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, and Udon Thani in the northeast of the country, located approximately 80 km south of the border with central Laos and its capital, Vientiane. Domestic fares start at THB999, one-way. The promotional fare is on sale until 31 October 2025 for flights operating from 1 December 2025 to 28 March 2026.
Photo credit: Thai AirAsia.
AirAsia’s Chiang Mai Station Manager Suraphan Homkachon said: “The year-end season is a prime time for travel across Thailand. Chiang Mai and Udon Thani are popular destinations for both Thai and international travellers. By launching this new Chiang Mai–Udon Thani route, AirAsia offers a valuable and efficient option, utilising our Airbus A320 aircraft with 180 seats.
“For those in Chiang Mai, this is a golden opportunity for easier access to Udon Thani or onward to Laos via Vientiane. From Udon Thani, travellers can now visit Chiang Mai directly during the peak travel season.”
Currently, AirAsia operates nine domestic direct routes from Chiang Mai, including Bangkok (both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang), Khon Kaen, Hua Hin, Krabi, Phuket, Hat Yai, Surat Thani, and now Udon Thani. The airline also schedules three international routes from Chiang Mai: Hanoi, Taipei, and Sapporo (via Taipei).
SINGAPORE, 3 October 2025: Cathay Pacific has unveiled “Tripment”, a new tongue-in-cheek campaign that sheds light on the overworking and under-vacationing woes of working Singaporeans.
The campaign runs until 31 October 2025 and aims to tackle Singapore’s workaholic culture by inspiring vacation-deprived individuals to reclaim their vacation days and rediscover the joy of travel with special promotion flight deals.
According to Expedia’s 2023 report on Global Vacation Deprivation, Singapore is one of the most overworked cities in the world, with a staggering 58% of Singaporeans admitting that they rarely use all their vacation days in a year.
Through a unique and interactive real-time “teleconsult” experience, users can engage with an AI-powered “Vacation Deprivation Specialist, Dr Teck MC” to discuss their work-related symptoms and diagnoses, and receive tailor-made “tripments” to rejuvenate their spirits. Tongue-in-cheek diagnoses highlight relatable work woes, including “Hot Desk Depression”, “Corporate Jargon-xiety”,
“This-could-have-been-an-email-itis”, while “tripments” are presented in the form of “Vacation Certificates”, complete with a recommended travel destination for users.
In addition to the “Vacation Certificate”, users will also receive a promo code to kick-start their next great escape with Cathay Pacific.
To receive the offer, visit http://cathaypacific.com/sg/tripment until 31 October 2025 to schedule a “teleconsult” with Dr Teck MC and receive a “Vacation Certificate” with a promo code, valid until 16 November 2025.
KUCHING, 3 October 2025: As a follow-up to the highly acclaimed Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2025 held earlier this year, the organisers announced two lucky winners of the RWMF 2025 Skills Contest Prize Giving.
Diamond Sponsors and Official Airline Partners, Malaysia Airlines and Firefly, along with Platinum Sponsor Proton, presented prizes.
The winners were selected based on creativity, authenticity, originality, and integration of CANFF (Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food, Festivals).
The 2025 winner, Lau Hui Hua from Sarikei, walked away with the grand prize: return flight tickets for two to Paris with Malaysia Airlines, while the grand prize of a Proton X70 was presented to Nur Farah Ain binti Kamshul of Kuching.
Together, the two winners embodied the spirit of RWMF, where culture, creativity, and personal milestones connect to create lasting memories.
“The RWMF 2025 Skills Contests extended the excitement of the festival far beyond June, showcasing creativity that reflects Sarawak’s diversity and innovation. By judging based on authenticity and originality, we ensured that the winners truly embody the spirit of Sarawak’s Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food, and Festivals. We are proud to partner with Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and Proton, whose support makes RWMF more than just a festival; it is a global stage for connections, cultural pride, and sustainability,” said Sarawak Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor.
The ceremony also looked forward to the next edition of the music festival. RWMF 2026 will take place from 26 to 28 June 2026 at the Sarawak Cultural Village under the theme “Regenerations: Roots & Rhythms”, a celebration of traditions passed on and reimagined through modern creativity.
With over 200 performers from 20 countries featured at RWMF 2025 and the Skills Contests inspiring online audiences worldwide, Sarawak Tourism Board continues to strengthen Sarawak’s position as a destination of culture, nature, creativity, and sustainability.
SINGAPORE, 3 October 2025: Emirates is unlocking more opportunities for travel with the addition of six weekly flights to its London Heathrow schedule, starting 26 October 2025.
The boosted schedule for the winter season follows record growth and demand, providing more convenience and departure time choices for travellers journeying to and from London Heathrow, and is well-timed to serve the year-end travel peak.
Emirates already flies six times a day to and from London Heathrow, and its flagship Airbus A380 serves all flights. The additional flights will operate on all days except Fridays during the winter period, utilising the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER, which offers over 350 seats in a three-class configuration, split between First, Business, and Economy classes.
Strategically timed overnight departures from London Heathrow to Dubai offer convenient onward connections to destinations such as Durban, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Jakarta. Flights to London Heathrow offer well-timed connectivity for travellers coming from cities across West Asia, such as Ahmedabad, Lahore, the Maldives, Hyderabad, and Chennai, as well as Beijing and Shanghai on the Chinese mainland, and several points within the Middle East, including Bahrain, Dammam, and Riyadh.
Flight EK41 will depart Dubai on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 1340, arriving in London Heathrow at 1740. The return flight, EK42, departs London Heathrow at 2235 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, arriving in Dubai at 0935 the next day. The return flight, EK42, departs London Heathrow at 2120 on Tuesday and Saturday, arriving in Dubai at 0820 the next day. On Thursdays, EK41 will depart Dubai at 1255, arriving in London Heathrow at 1655. The return flight, EK42, departs from London Heathrow at 2120, arriving in Dubai at 0820 the next day. All times are local.
For more information or to book tickets, customers can visit emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates retail stores, Emirates contact centres, or via travel agents.
Including both London Heathrow and London Gatwick, the airline’s total weekly services will increase to 90 flights by early next year. Last month, Emirates announced a fourth daily flight to London Gatwick, starting from 8 February 2026, operating on the airline’s newest aircraft, the Airbus A350.
By February 2026, Emirates will operate 146 weekly flights to the UK, serving its three London airports, as well as its regional gateways, including Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
All customers travelling with Emirates can expect to enjoy a best-in-class onboard experience with exceptional levels of comfort and hospitality. The airline offers its customers an unmatched culinary experience in the skies with regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs, complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.
Customers can also enjoy more than 6,500 channels of the best global entertainment content on Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. This includes a vast selection of movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks and more.
BANGKOK, 3 October 2025:The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sustainability across the country’s tourism supply chain through 17 Sustainable Tourism Goals (STGs) and the Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating (STAR).
In a media statement posted on its website, TAT said it is working with local partners, global organisations, and communities to ensure that travel to Thailand creates long-term value for people, planet, and prosperity.
Photo credit: TAT.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said: “Sustainability is not an option but a pledge. Through our very own Sustainable Tourism Goals and STAR initiative, we are equipping our industry with clear standards while empowering communities and entrepreneurs to adopt responsible practices. Our role at TAT is to connect these efforts to the global stage, so travellers see Thailand not just as a beautiful destination, but as a country where tourism actively preserves culture, protects nature, and uplifts people.”
Since 2023, TAT has applied four dimensions based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals — good governance, socio-economic impact, cultural preservation, and environmental responsibility.
To hone these objectives on the ground, the STAR initiative benchmarks tourism operators nationwide, awarding three to five stars based on their sustainability achievements. As of August 2025, more than 2,300 businesses have joined STAR, reflecting the industry’s collective commitment.
Alongside STAR, flagship certifications such as the Thailand Tourism Awards and CF–Hotels are raising standards across the sector, encouraging operators to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt clean energy solutions. The recently launched Trusted Thailand Stamp further complements these initiatives by assuring travellers of safety, accessibility, and service excellence, thereby boosting global confidence in Thailand as a quality destination.
TAT has also set a clear long-term direction through The New Thailand Vision 2026, which redefines the country’s tourism development model towards quality, value-driven growth, and meaningful experiences. This is closely aligned with the STGs 2030 roadmap, where TAT and 20 key partners from the public and private sectors have pledged to accelerate sustainable practices nationwide. Together, these frameworks ensure that Thailand’s tourism future is both competitive and responsible.
Through initiatives such as the Meaningful Thailand programme with Tourism Cares, a leading non-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability within the tourism industry, TAT has already featured 45 of Thailand’s sustainable products and services on the global Meaningful Travel Map, while deepening engagement with international operators and networks. These partnerships reinforce Thailand’s credibility in priority markets and strengthen confidence in its ability to deliver meaningful travel experiences that meet global sustainability standards.
Thapanee concluded: “Our partnerships with international networks strengthen confidence in Thailand as a preferred destination for meaningful travel. They demonstrate not only our readiness but also our determination to inspire the industry to adopt sustainability as a shared responsibility.”
SINGAPORE, 3 October 2025: Accor Plus launched its new premium global subscription, ALL Accor+ Explorer, earlier this week for an annual fee of USD229.
The paid annual travel membership offers travellers access to elevated benefits, recognition and distinct experiences with Accor.
Accor Plus CEO Emilie Couton. Pay up-front annual subscriptions, the key to discounts, benefits and perks.
From day one, members are instantly upgraded to ALL Accor Gold status or higher in Accor’s free global loyalty programme with elite hotel privileges.
The subscription itself includes two free nights each year, up to half priced stays, and generous dining and beverage discounts in the Asia Pacific.
For the first time, members receive a guaranteed 15% off room rates worldwide, available across more than 4,500 hotels and over 30 brands.
The Explorer community gains access to a calendar of travel experiences that span dining, wellness, and local adventures across the region.
“Today’s frequent discerning travellers are looking for more than just perks from their loyalty memberships,” said Accor Plus CEO Emilie Couton. “Our insights and extensive member research pointed to a shift towards more substantial value, better recognition and deeper, more meaningful experiences.”
Building on a strong 30-year legacy of loyalty innovation that started in Australia, ALL Accor+Explorer is the next evolution of the Accor Plus programme, with over 450,000 members across the Asia Pacific region.
With the subscription market expected to reach USD2 trillion over the next eight years, the hotel group anticipates paid travel subscriptions will become a defining trend for the next generation of travellers.
The annual subscription sells worldwide for USD229. Members gain an average of USD712 in value back from their subscription within a year, through savings and benefits.
SINGAPORE, 3 October 2025: British Airways will introduce St. Louis as its latest destination, with four weekly direct flights scheduled to commence in April 2026.
The latest British Airways’ route network adds the airline’s 27th US destination. The return fares start from UKP529.
British Airways will be the only UK airline to offer direct flights to St Louis. Flights will begin on 19 April 2026 and operate four times per week throughout the summer season.
St Louis is home to Forest Park – one of the largest urban parks in the US, a range of free museums, and a thriving craft beer scene. The city also boasts a proud sporting legacy, with teams including the St. Louis Cardinals (Major League Baseball), Blues (National Hockey League) and City Soccer Club (Major League Soccer), earning “the title of ‘Ultima’ e Sports City” by ESPN The Magazine.
British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, Neil Chernoff, said: “St. Louis is a fantastic addition to our network — it’s a destination in itself as a city with a rich history and a vibrant cultural scene, as well as a gateway to exciting destinations beyond this. As the only direct route from the UK, this service will open up exciting new opportunities for our customers and further strengthen ties between the UK and the US Midwest.”
The launch of St. Louis flights and British Airways’ recent frequency increases to popular US destinations. From Summer 2026, the airline will reintroduce its double-daily service to Miami and daily flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, increase flights to Las Vegas from 10 to 13 per week, and operate 14 flights per week to both San Diego and Austin. New York (JFK) will operate exclusively from London Heathrow, with nine daily flights, including a new service operated by the airline’s 777-200 fleet, featuring First and Club Suite – offering a more premium experience for every customer travelling on its flagship route.
