HONG KONG, 10 January 2023: Cathay Pacific will more than double its flights to mainland China following the 8 January reopening of borders to tourism.
In a media statement, Cathay Pacific said it welcomed the Hong Kong SAR Government’s latest measures to facilitate quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, as well as lifting transit restrictions, effective 8 January 2023.
The airline will operate 61 return flights per week between Hong Kong and 13 Mainland China cities starting 14 January.
It compares to the 27 flights per week from Hong Kong to the Mainland and 50 flights per week from Mainland China to Hong Kong that the airline is currently operating.
Cathay Pacific is working actively to resume and add more flights progressively between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in the coming weeks, intending to operate over 100 return flights per week by March 2023.
From 8 January 2023, Cathay Pacific increased its flights between Hong Kong and Beijing to 10 pairs per week and between Hong Kong and Shanghai (Pudong) to 21 pairs per week. The airline is also resuming flights to Guangzhou with five return flights per week.
Meanwhile, from 14 January 2023, the airline will increase its flights between Hong Kong and Xiamen to four pairs per week and between Hong Kong and Chengdu to six pairs per week.
The Group remains fully committed to rebuilding the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub. It will operate around 70% of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023, to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024.
BANGKOK, 9 January 2023: Thailand engaged in a trademark backflip late Monday that reversed Covid-19 entry rules introduced just a day earlier.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand started the ball rolling on a bizarre backflip that introduced new rules for airline travellers entering the country effective 9 January and, within a day, rescinded every one of the changes to take us all back to square one.
Photo credit Richard Barrow. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul, corrects the chaos.
Better late than never, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) got into the act during the afternoon of 9 January with its statement that attempted to regain confidence saying, “Thailand continues to welcome all international tourists under the fully-reopen-to-tourism policy that was introduced on 1 October 2022.”
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul, just hours earlier on Monday, ditched the none starter rule change noting, “International travellers arriving in Thailand are not required to show proof of vaccination.”
In addition, foreign tourists are not required to show ATK or RT-PCR test results.
TAT assures travellers that Thailand continues to offer longer stays for visitors. Through 31 March 2023, stays can extend to 45 days (up from 30 days) for tourists from countries entitled to visa exemption and 30 days (up from 15 days) for those eligible for a visa on arrival.
Backflip in motion
The bizarre backflip began when the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand issued a Notice to Airmen at the weekend that identified new entry requirements. Bloomberg news first reported the change on 8 January, saying the new rules would come into play on the following day (9 January) and remain until at least 31 January.
Bloomberg said details of the reintroduced Covid-19 entry requirements for foreigners flying into the country had been posted on the transport minister’s website. Other media referred to a CAAT Notice to Airmen sent to all airlines serving Thailand.
According to the CAAT rule changes, airline travellers arriving in Thailand had to show certification for at least two vaccinations or a recent Covid-19 recovery note from a doctor not older than July 2022.
CAAT’s website and the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s online newsroom, as of midday 9 January, did not refer to any of the changes. The only source appeared to be the Note to Airmen.
Health insurance rule survives
Local media reported the new rule required tourists from countries that currently demand visitors from Thailand to undergo a Covid test to enter needed to show Thai authorities they had health insurance to cover their stay in Thailand. That survives the backflip.
For example, India has reintroduced mandatory Covid-19 tests for travellers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Based on the new CAAT rule, visitors from India arriving in Thailand will need proof that they have health insurance to cover their stay in Thailand, just in case they test positive before they depart for home. China applies the same test requirement for arriving passengers. The health insurance requirement remains after the backflip, but it only applies to travellers returning to countries that require a test-on-arrival. (However, it makes sense to buy travel insurance whenever booking flights to Thailand.)
Consumers and travel industry associations spent Monday pushing back against the changes logging complaints on Facebook pages. The PR Thai Government Facebook post is packed with objections from tourists planning to visit Thailand who said they had cancelled their trips. In addition, travel industry leaders told TTR Weekly the change would be very damaging for inbound tourism to Thailand from around the world and “may have been based on a misunderstanding of some sort.”
The main travel trade associations in Thailand that lobbied for the return to the fully open policy welcoming all tourists included the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Thai Hotels Association (THA) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
(Source: Bloomberg, PR Thai Government Facebook, Richard Barrow Facebook, TAT)
DUBAI, UAE, 9 January 2022: The first Emirates A380 to be completely refurbished under the airline’s USD2 billion retrofit programme has been deployed on the Dubai-London Heathrow route, operating as EK003.
See this timelapse video of the retrofit work done on A6-EVM, the first of 120 Emirates aircraft to have completed its refurbishment.
See this timelapse video of the retrofit work done on A6-EVM, the first of 120 Emirates aircraft to have completed its refurbishment.
Emirates Airline president Sir Tim Clark said: “Customers will notice the difference when they step onboard – the spacious A380 will look and feel even more impressive and comfortable. With our latest interiors and products, this newly refurbished aircraft elevates our inflight experience in all classes of travel and enables us to offer more Premium Economy seats to meet customer demand. I’m particularly proud that this refurbishment work was designed, conducted and completed in-house at our facilities in Dubai, to the highest quality and safety standards. It reflects the world-class aviation capabilities and infrastructure within Emirates and in the UAE.”
The fully refreshed A380 features Emirates’ latest products and interiors across all cabins, including 56 Premium Economy class seats on the main deck, and new colour palettes evident in the carpeting and wall panels. On the upper deck, First and Business Class seats sport Emirates’ latest cream-coloured leather upholstery and lighter-toned wood finishing, similar to the airline’s game-changer product. Emirates’ signature ghaf tree motif also features prominently throughout the interiors, including hand-stencilled panels in the First Class Shower Spa.
The next Emirates A380 aircraft lined up for its make-over is A6-EUW, and work is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
As the program progresses, engineers will work simultaneously on 2 aircraft. This means that one aircraft in the fleet will be withdrawn from service every eight days and transferred to Emirates Engineering facilities. By 2024, all 67 A380s assigned for refurbishment will have returned to service. Emirates will then begin work on its 53 Boeing 777s earmarked for this project. The airline expects to complete the programme in 2025.
To deliver the largest known aircraft refurbishment program in aviation history, Emirates recruited 190 new project personnel, working with 48 major partners and suppliers who have also hired hundreds of skilled workers.
Teams of engineers and technicians have worked round the clock, taking apart the entire interior of the A380 and refitting the parts again in a carefully planned and tested sequence.
BANGKOK, 9 January 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is getting ready to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of its historic Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, home of the original Railway Hotel Hua Hin, with a month of spectacular events, exhibitions and entertainment lined up at the stunning seaside retreat.
Festivities began during the New Year with the “Centenary Celebration: 100 Years of Memories” at the Grand Old Lady of Hua Hin.
Events continue into January, highlights of which include the Silpakorn University String Orchestra, the return of the resort’s renowned French Buffet with a live performance by French tenor Yves Baron, and an art exhibition featuring the Railway Hotel throughout its history.
To commemorate this remarkable occasion, Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin is introducing a special logo inspired by the original Railway Hotel Hua Hin. The logo represents the seamless blend of the rich history and modern-day sophistication of the property. It features design elements from the wooden bed and mirror frames in the guest rooms, which are still visible in some areas of the resort’s Railway Wing.
“It is with great pride that we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. This historic property offers a look into Thailand’s rich past while also showcasing the modern sophistication and hospitality that Centara has come to represent around the world. We are excited to welcome guests from Thailand and abroad to join us in celebrating and showing our appreciation for a century of support,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat.
JAKARTA, 9 January 2023: Batik Air, a member of Lion Air Group, has launched daily direct flights from Denpasar, Bali, to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.
Flights on the Bali to Sydney and Melbourne routes will use Boeing 737-800NG aircraft with 12 business class and 150 economy class seats.
The first flight departed Sydney on 5 January with 138 passengers on board, while on the Melbourne to Bali flight, the airline carried 140 passengers.
Travellers flying to Bali on the new service can book onward travel to Bandung, Jakarta, Kupang, Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Solo, Surakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta Kulonprogo, Semarang, Balikpapan, Bima, Ende, Maumere, Tambolaka and Waingapu.
SINGAPORE, 9 January 2023: British Airways and British Airways Holidays have launched a sale that offers fare deals on more than 100 destinations worldwide
The sale is open to customers booking flights before 31 January 2023.
Top savings include return flights to New York from UKP342 and seven-night beach holiday packages in Europe starting at UKP199.
Travellers looking to fly across the Atlantic are being offered return flights to New York from London Gatwick from UKP342 and London Heathrow to Los Angeles and Chicago from UKP399.
European city breaks are on offer flying Club Europe (short-haul business class), highlighting Paris from UKP217 or Rome from UKP258 return. For those who’d like to cross the Atlantic in luxury, return Club World (business class) flights include London Heathrow to New York from UKP1,953 and Boston from UKP2,015.
Holiday packages include 23kg of baggage per person and can be secured with deposits from UKP60pp, with the final balance due up to four weeks before travel. Executive Club Members can earn double tier points on flights taken as a package holiday, extending the offer until 31 December 2023.
BALI, 9 January 2023: As global tourism recovers, Bali Hotels Association says 2023 will bring substantial business growth for member hotels.
“Despite the challenges we have experienced over the past few years, we are pressing on towards greater achievements in the future,” commented Bali Hotels Association executive director Diah Ajung during the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The AGM reviewed hotel performance during 2022 and elected a new chair for 2023.
Ajung said: “It’s not easy to summarise the accomplishments of 2022 as actions were reactive and, at times, chaotic… We are still recovering, but we look to the future with renewed optimism. Our focus continues to be on creating a sustainable, thriving industry and a consistent recovery with our partners and stakeholders.”
Fransiska Handoko Reelected chair for 2023
At the close of the AGM, Bali Hotels Association announced the reelection of Fransiska Handoko, general manager of Risata Bali Resort & Spa, as the Association’s chairwoman for a second term. Fransiska Handoko took over the chair 1 January 1, 2023, for a one-year term.
“I feel very privileged to receive the trust of our member hotels to continue serving Bali Hotels Association as the chairwoman for a second term. This is an exciting time for our industry. The successful G20 meetings are the pinnacle of Bali’s tourism in 2022 and further reassure the world that Bali is ready to welcome travellers back to the island,” she concluded.
She heads an association with 157 members from star-rated hotels and resorts in Bali, representing 25,825 rooms and 30,474 employees,
Sustainability tops the agenda
BHA envisions 2023 as the new era of Bali tourism, which focuses on quality tourism, and thus continues to advocate service excellency and sustainability practices to the industry.
“Sustainability remains on top of our agenda during 2023. We will support member hotels to manage their waste, energy, and water better and continue encouraging members and partners to adopt sustainable business practices,” said BHA vice chairman and sustainability director of Kevin Girard.
BHA updates website
To drive BHA’s vision for 2023, the association has completed several upgrades on its website – balihotelsassociation.com. The upgrade will leverage the current website to BHA members and partners and continue to provide a trusted voice for future guests coming to Bali.
A new, more comprehensive BHA Career section will allow member hotels to advertise their job openings and talented candidates to apply directly on the platform, thus reducing the hiring process time.
“The tourism outlook for 2023 in Bali remains positive. Said the incoming chairwoman Fransiska Handoko.
2023 BHA Board of Directors
Fransiska Handoko, General Manager, Risata Bali Resort & Spa
Chairwoman, Government & Organization Relations Director
Kevin Girard, General Manager, Conrad Bali
Vice Chairman & Sustainability Director
Joel Bartlett, General Manager, Mamaka by Ovolo
Finance & Business Development Director
Simona Chimenti, General Manager, The Pavilions Bali
Marketing & Media Relations Director
Franklyn Kocek, General Manager, The Stones Hotel – Legian Bali, Autograph Collection
Security & Safety Director
I Wayan Warta, General Manager, Amadea Resort & Villas
Scholarship, Education & Training Director
Koen Vangrysperre, General Manager, Sudamala Suites & Villas Bali
Community Relations & Charity Director
Laurens Kritzinger, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Bali Seminyak
KUALA LUMPUR, 9 January 8, 2023: The Malaysian Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (MATTA) reports ‘Umrah’ pilgrims will face sharp increases in hotel prices in Mecca and Medina, badly impacting pilgrimage package prices.
A spike in bookings for hotels, especially in the city of Medina, followed the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions as nations reviewed health regulations.
“It’s not just hotel prices that are increasing, but transport and flight ticket prices are also becoming more burdensome, especially during the peak season,” said MATTA Haji and Umrah vice president, Haji Mohd Azri bin Abd Razak. “ It resulted in a call to lower the rates for Umrah packages to maintain the prices offered by authorised travel agencies,”
Travel agencies are also facing difficulties obtaining confirmation of the booking even though the full payment has been forwarded to hotels. The sudden rate increase by hotels forced travel agencies to raise package prices for Umrah pilgrims.
MATTA says hotel rates in both Madinah and Mecca have increased substantially. The association will meet with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to discuss the issue of rising hotel and flight costs that are now impacting the Umrah pilgrimage packages.
SINGAPORE, 9 January 2023: Thailand is the only Asian destination to feature in the 2023 Annual Global Retirement Index’s top 10.
It crept into the top chart sharing the 9th position with Italy, while Portugal was the star performer taking the first place.
Now in its 30th year, Living International claims its retirement index is the most in-depth survey of its kind based on seven categories – housing, cost of living, visa/benefits, affinity rating, governance, climate and healthcare.
Portugal topped the score line with an average of 87.43, and Columbia, in 10th place, averaged 73.57.
Mexico, in second place, averaged 84.14, followed by Panama in third place with a score of 84.00. Ecuador ranked fourth with 85.57, and Costa Rica fifth with 79.14.
Three European destinations – Spain, Greece and France – took the sixth, seven and eighth slots. Thailand and Italy shared the ninth slot, and Columbia took the 10th place.
In its favour, Thailand topped the cost-of-living category with a score of 96, while France was the most expensive (56), but it shed points in four categories; housing (62), visas (58), climate (58) and health care (76) to a smaller degree.
Living International estimated a couple could enjoy retirement in Thailand on a budget of USD2,500. At the top end of the chart, retirees could live in Portugal on a budget between USD2,000 and USD3,000.
Street view with Triumphal Arch during the sunrise in Montpellier city in Occitanie region of France
SINGAPORE, 6 January 2023: British Airways’ Gatwick-based subsidiary, BA Euroflyer, has added Montpellier, Corfu, Mykonos and Innsbruck to its short-haul route network in addition to a new summer Salzburg service.
Montpellier, in the south of France, is a new addition to British Airways’ network, operating three times a week in the summer from 27 May 2023.
The service to Mykonos bolsters the existing summer routes from London Heathrow and London City, while Corfu is in addition to the existing London Heathrow service. Innsbruck sees the addition of eight new weekly flights in the winter season, which complements the current six-times weekly service from London Heathrow.
BA Euroflyer’s summer service to Salzburg will complement the existing winter services from London Gatwick and London Heathrow.
The airline has also put its short-haul Gatwick winter schedule on sale today, offering 21 destinations to customers looking to book winter holidays and city breaks. Ski hotspots include Geneva and Turin, while winter sun destinations include Tenerife and Lanzarote.
Flying to nearly 40 destinations throughout the year, British Airways is the only airline at Gatwick to offer business and economy cabins on all short-haul flights.
Flights are on sale now
Start date
Flight number
Departing LGW
Arriving at destination
Flight number
Departing destination
Arriving LGW
London Gatwick (LGW) to Montpellier (MPL): Summer 2023
27 May 2023
Three per week
BA2620
Tue: 0720
Thu: 0715
Sat: 1350
Tue: 1005
Thu: 1000
Sat: 1635
BA2621
Tue: 1210
Thu: 1205
Sat: 1735
Tue: 1255
Thu: 1250
Sat: 1820
London Gatwick (LGW) to Corfu (CFU): Summer 2023
30 May 2023
Three per week
BA2812
Tue: 0715
Wed: 0835
Sat: 1700
Tue: 1230
Wed: 1350
Sat: 2215
BA2813
Tue: 1325
Wed: 1445
Sat: 2315
Tue: 1440
Wed: 1600
Sat: 0030
London Gatwick (LGW) to Mykonos (JMK): Summer 2023
10 June 2023
One per week
BA2814
Sat: 0820
Sat: 1420
BA2815
Sat: 1520
Sat: 1725
London Gatwick (LGW) to Salzburg (SZG): Summer 2023
28 March 2023
Three per week
BA2618
Tue: 1115
Thu: 1640
Sat: 0930
Tue: 1410
Thu: 1935
Sat: 1225
BA2619
Tue: 1505
Wed: 2025
Sat: 1400
Tue: 1610
Wed: 2130
Sat: 1505
London Gatwick (LGW) to Innsbruck (INN): Winter 2023
