HONG KONG, 16 December 2022: Cathay Pacific gave the thumbs up to the Hong Kong SAR Government following the further easing of Covid-19 rules that should encourage Hong Kong’s travel recovery.
The airline underscored the importance of removing the Amber Code restrictions under the Vaccine Pass for inbound persons entering Hong Kong. The new rules came into effect on 14 December.
In its media statement, the airline said the adjustments would help boost travel confidence, especially among inbound visitors, and facilitate the resumption of travel activities, strengthening network connectivity at the Hong Kong aviation hub.
The Cathay Pacific Group, which includes Cathay Pacific and HK Express, has already added about 3,000 passenger flight sectors in the fourth quarter of this year. Cathay Pacific resumed flights to popular destinations such as Tokyo (Haneda), Denpasar (Bali) and Zurich in November, as well as Sapporo, Fukuoka, Penang and Dhaka in December. More popular destinations are set to be resumed in 2023, including Phuket and Nagoya in January.
Meanwhile, HK Express resumed flights to Tokyo (Haneda), Chiang Mai and Danang in December, with services to Jeju and Busan in the pipeline for January.
The group’s media statement reiterated a commitment to rebuild the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub.
“We are on track to achieve our target of operating up to one-third of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels by the end of 2022. We anticipate that we will be operating around 70% of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023, to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024,” the statement concluded.
Latest changes to Covid-19 rules
The latest changes to Covid-19 entry rules see Hong Kong scrap the contact tracing app and movement restrictions for incoming travellers.
Local media confirmed that effective Wednesday, using the LeaveHomeSafe app to enter restaurants, gyms, and other venues is no longer mandatory. Curbs on visitors moving freely around Hong Kong also ended on Wednesday.
Visitors will not be given an amber code that was previously required by the health app. It barred visits to bars and restaurants for the first three days of their stay. However, bars and restaurants will still be required to scan a customer’s vaccination QR code on entry.
Visitors will still take a PCR test on arrival and again on the third day, but mobility restrictions have now been removed.
SINGAPORE, 16 December 2022: The annual ASEAN Tourism Forum and TRAVEX will be held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 2 to 5 February 2023.
Billed as the region’s biggest and oldest B2B travel show, the ASEAN Tourism Forum is hosted alphabetically among the 10 ASEAN member countries.
For the travel industry, the two-day TRAVEX trade fare is the crucial component of the week-long rollout of government meetings leading off with the ASEAN Tourism Ministers summit. Closed-door meetings for ASEAN National Tourist Offices follow the summit. Airlines hold discussions on the sidelines, and hosted media programme brings in close to 100 journalists, bloggers and travel influencers. Around 1,000 delegates, travel buyers and sellers attend the event.
As part of the hosting agreement for the ATF, Yogyakarta’s provincial government funded the renovation of the Jogja Expo Centre, where the TRAVEX travel fair will be hosted. According to local media reports, the renovation will be completed by late December 2022.
Expectations are high, as voiced by the Yogyakarta Regional Tourism Promotion Agency, which sees ATF as a catalyst to revive Yogyakarta as a leading cultural and heritage destination in Southeast Asia. It is also the first major travel event to be hosted in Indonesia after almost three years of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
The annual event established in 1981 involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member states of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The 2022 ATF was hosted by Cambodia.
BANGKOK, 16 December 2022: Bangkok-based tour operator I Asia Thailand is exclusively partnering with Royal Orchid Holidays, the tour arm of Thai Airways International, to provide hospitality services and tour content through the airline’s overseas offices.
ROH and I Asia Thailand launched the new partnership on 14 December. The Bangkok-based tour company will supply hotel bookings, tour packages and activities, and ground transfers to ROH clients.
“Partnering with Royal Orchid Holidays and offering our products is a natural next step for I Asia Thailand,” said I Asia Thailand general manager Nick Critelli.
“We’ve already built a solid reputation and an array of offerings across Thailand. We now look forward to providing Royal Orchid Holidays with our products and services throughout Asia and then the world. I believe working with Royal Orchid Holidays, a strong brand under Thai Airways International, will strengthen our companies in the future.”
Part of Thai Airways International, Royal Orchid Holidays boasts a long history of industry-leading creativity, reliable service delivery and customised travel solutions, he said.
Commenting on the partnership, Royal Orchid Holidays team leader Panida Indrambarya added: “We’re pleased to now connect with I Asia Thailand and its existing products and services. On the launch day (14 December), we offered 1000 deals for hotels Pay Two get One night free for ROP members with added discounted attractions.”
HONG KONG, 16 December 2022: Cathay Pacific released its traffic figures for November 2022 on Wednesday, which reflect the first signs of recovery for the airline and the Hong Kong international aviation hub.
The airline carried 526,827 passengers last month, an increase of 652.1% compared with November 2021 but a 79.9% decrease compared with the pre-pandemic level in November 2019.
CX brings first class back
The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 565.5% year-on-year but were down 73.7% versus November 2019. The passenger load factor increased by 51.7 percentage points to 78.5%. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 127.2% year-on-year but decreased by 73.1% compared with November 2019 levels.
In the first 11 months of 2022, passengers carried increased by 220.5% against a 33.9% increase in capacity and a 211.9% increase in RPKs, compared with the same period for 2021.
Chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam said: “We continue to see positive signs for our travel business. Sentiment and demand for travel out of Hong Kong continued to improve in November. We also saw increased visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic into Hong Kong, particularly from long-haul origins such as North America, Europe and the South West Pacific. Transit traffic via the Hong Kong hub also improved as we grew our network of destinations.
“On average, we carried about 17,600 passengers daily in November, up from around 13,000 in October. Passenger flight capacity increased by about 16% versus the previous month. Overall, we operated 27% of pre-pandemic capacity levels in November.
“We continued to add more flights to more destinations last month, in particular to and from popular places in Japan as well as Southeast Asia, which saw huge demand from Hong Kong. As expected, Japan was our top destination regarding passenger numbers, while the load factor on these flights stayed at 86%. November also saw the resumption of passenger flights to Denpasar (Bali), Tokyo (Haneda) and Zurich.”
Outlook
Cathay Pacific welcomes the Hong Kong SAR Government’s latest measures to facilitate travel to Hong Kong, particularly the decision to remove the Amber Code restrictions under the Vaccine Pass for inbound persons entering Hong Kong effective last Wednesday.
Lam said: “As we approach the festive Christmas and New Year holiday period, travel demand continues to improve. We are further increasing our passenger flight capacity and resuming more destinations, including Sapporo, Fukuoka, Penang and Dhaka in December and Phuket and Nagoya in January next year. We expect short-haul routes to leisure destinations such as Japan and Southeast Asia will remain strong, continuing into the Chinese New Year holiday peak as well.”
Premium First class service resumes on prime routes such as London Heathrow, specifically on the CX251/CX252 roundtrip flight. First class travel will also return to Paris (CX261/CX260) from 18 January 2023 and on the Tokyo (Haneda) route (CX548/CX549) from 1 February.
SINGAPORE, 15 December 2022: Emirates ensures passengers get the festive feel for the whole month of December, with magical moments sprinkled upon journeys from start to finish.
Wishing all passengers a Merry Christmas around the world, Emirates will have festivities and celebrations at check-in desks, across international lounges, and onboard – ensuring the 1.4 million passengers booked to travel this December are immersed in the merry mood.
Season’s greetings at Emirates lounges
It’s beginning to look like Christmas as a spread of delectable festive fare awaits passengers at Emirates Lounges everywhere. In Singapore, just for this festive season, passengers can enjoy traditional festive highlights of slow cooked oven roasted turkey breast, stuffing with sage, shallots and chestnuts complemented with breadcrumbs, and a selection of roasted root vegetables to fill up before their flights. There’s even Christmas log cake, a must-have for Christmas celebrations and a favourite for those with a sweet tooth!
Passengers transiting Dubai will enjoy festive treats at the Emirates Lounges in Dubai. Business Class Lounges will be serving warm and crumbly mince pies dashed with cream, traditional Stollen cake, soaked and spiced lady fingers with a Christmas dulce-whipped ganache, roasted chestnut and biscuit cake with a pop of lime and lemon sable. First Class Lounges will also have the flavoursome winter favourites – gingerbread profiteroles, dark chocolate salted caramel tarts and cinnamon baba au orange. Those dreaming of a white Christmas can enjoy gingerbread ice cream and Perrier’s winter white cosmo – festively flavoured water. For those who seek a warm and cosy feeling, savour the aromatic flavours of a cinnamon cortado, toffee nut oat latte, gingerbread mocha, or relax with a special festive tea brew by Dilmah- Charming magic or Christmas Holly Jolly. Around the globe, Emirates Lounges will be offering festive treats, too, with local favourites taking centre stage.
A December to remember
For the entire month of December, ’tis the season to be jolly onboard Emirates with festive meals and snacks in all cabins on select routes, with green and red Christmas lights aglow. First and Business Class passengers can indulge in all the classic Christmas dishes, from lemon and herb marinated king prawns with fennel salad and marie rose sauce, to cured salmon gravadlax with mustard crème fraiche to start, also enjoyed in Premium Economy Class. A full festive main course with all the trimmings will be available in all three classes– roasted turkey with cranberry compote, chestnut stuffing, pumpkin with honey and thyme, potato wedges and crunchy brussels sprouts peppered with turkey bacon. Desserts include a variety of delectable dishes – Christmas pudding with a generous dollop of crème anglaise, festive ginger cake smothered in dark chocolate ganache, or a vibrant redcurrant chocolate mousse cake in the shape of Santa. Economy Class passengers will also have a moreish Christmas meal featuring roasted turkey with chestnut roulade, pommes Parisienne, a medley of parsnip, carrots, and green peas, followed by a sumptuous gingerbread cake doused with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon sauce.
In the onboard A380 Lounge amidst festive florals, passengers departing Dubai can relax with some fragrantly spiced mulled wine, mince pies, panettone, gingerbread ice cream, and Christmas-themed pastries.
From 24 to 26 December, the Emirates cabin crew will be offering mini gifts of cinnamon cream profiteroles, chocolate truffles and gingerbread Christmas trees and snowmen to all passengers onboard.
The season of giving
Treat the ones you love to a gift from Dubai Duty-Free EmiratesRED onboard retail magazine, including exclusive jewellery, perfumes, and cult-favourite cosmetics on your next flight. The EmiratesRED.com pre-order service is also available on most flights, where passengers can shop from 21 days up to 40 hours before their flight and browse a wide range of exclusive products – some of which are unavailable onboard. Passengers must provide their flight details during checkout, and the orders are delivered by cabin crew directly to the passenger’s seat.
Get the yuletide yays’ and gift some last minute décor, don a festive outfit, or grab a Christmas keepsake with Emirates Official Store, where the 2022 Christmas collection features exclusive Emirates branded Christmas baubles and decorations, mugs, stockings, Christmas jumpers, Babygro’s and matching couples pyjamas. Passengers can also use Skywards Miles to make purchases at the online store.
Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and give back with Emirates Airline Foundation, an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children -with a simple donation onboard or from home. Passengers can donate in any currency on any flight using the envelope in the seat pocket or via credit card, cheque, or bank transfer. The foundation also accepts Skywards Miles in lieu of money, and 95% of donations go directly to assisting children living in extreme poverty and significantly impacting their well-being in the areas of food, health, housing, and education.
SAMUI Thailand, 15 December 2022: Centara Hotels & Resorts invites guests to celebrate the holiday season amidst sophisticated tropical splendour at the first resort in Centara’s curated luxury collection of refined hotels, Centara Reserve Samui. It’s the most magical time of year, and Centara Reserve Samui has the recipe to make this a season to remember.
Embrace the festive spirit with exquisite gourmet feasts! Indulge in a special Christmas Eve dinner featuring the best of seasonal cuisine, wake up to a delightful brunch buffet on Christmas Day, and ring in the New Year with an extensive New Year’s Eve countdown buffet on the Resort Green Lawn, complete with magnificent views and unforgettable entertainment.
Celebrations continue after dinner with a Countdown Party at Salt Society that promises a spectacular extravaganza of live music, entertainment and festivities. At the same time, a delectable Special Beginnings Vitamin Sea Brunch will be ready to greet hungry holidaymakers on New Year’s Day. Treat your loved ones to the finest dining experiences this festive season.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town on 24 December
Christmas Family Night Out, enjoy soulful live music during dinner, create your memories with an exciting cinema feature and activities for the little ones and sip a cheerful Christmas welcome cocktail at Salt Society from 1200to 2230. Indulge in special festive dishes and drinks from 22 – 30 December 2022
At Act 5, dishes take centre stage as each masterpiece is presented with a theatrical flair for a romantic four-course Christmas dinner at THB3,500++ per person (food only) or THB 5,900++ per person, including wine pairing from 1800 to 2230.
Merry Christmas to All on 25 December
Salt Society will be serving some of the most exceptional gastronomy on the island – Christmas Vitamin SEA Brunch that feels the Christmas spirit with soulful live music and a DJ, including surprise gifts for children presented by Santa Claus from 1230 to 1600. Prices start from THB2,299++ per person.
New Year’s Extravaganza on 31 December
Ring in the New Year with a magnificent festive buffet at THB12,999++ per person at the Resort Green Lawn from 1900 to 2300. Delight in various exciting entertainment, including a Visual Poi display, a Neon and Laser Dance, Chalong Chai Thai Drum, live performances and win prizes with a surprise Lucky Draw.
Cheers to the New Year with high-octane entertainment, including a fire show, live performances, a DJ and fireworks from 2230 to 0200 at Salt Society. Partygoer Package at THB8,000++ for four persons, including one bottle of premium spirits.
New Year’s Day: Start of Something Great
Create a memorable impression on the first day of the year with a Special Beginnings Vitamin SEA Brunch and relax with soulful live music and a DJ at Salt Society from 1230 to 1600. Prices start from THB2,299++ per person, including carbonated drinks.
For more information and reservations, call +66 (0) 77 230 500, email: [email protected], or visit
KOTA KINABALU, 15 December 2022: Sabah is encouraging rural tourism operators to transform their tourist sites into destinations that can draw long-stay and high-spending visitors.
Sabah’s Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said their efforts and involvement need to be in line with the Sabah Tourism Board and the Federation of Rural Tourism Association’s strategic plan to turn Sabah into a world-class rural tourism destination by 2030.
Hong Kong travellers explore Sabah’s rural tourism options. The first group of 13 travellers from Hong Kong visited Sabah on Royal Brunei Airlines, which flies five weekly services to Kota Kinabalu.
“In some countries like China, tourists are willing to fork out more money to discover and experience off-the-beaten areas where nature is most breathtaking. We have to emulate this.
“The Sabah Maju Jaya development plan places a strong emphasis on tourism. Thus, we must position ourselves as a renowned rural tourism destination with first-rate facilities that are prepared to host curious visitors and entice them to stay longer,” he said.
Joniston, who is also chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board, said rural tourism players have a responsibility to improve the appeal of their communities and make extra efforts to meet the 2030 strategic plan’s objectives.
This entails the need for operators and rural communities to exercise creativity and go beyond just creating sub-par tourist attractions, he said.
“We need to shift toward capitalising on our strengths by offering high-end travel experience. The Sabah Tourism Board and the state government will continue to assess the needs and determine how best we can work together to achieve the world-class goal,” he added.
Last Sunday, Joniston launched the opening of the eco-tourism open hall at Kampung Malangang Lama in Kiulu, which, along with Kadamaian in Kota Belud, serves as the model for rural tourism in Sabah.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Kiulu tourism operators’ total revenue was more than MYR5 million, with white water rafting as the primary attraction. While Kadamaian tourism operators generated over MYR2.5 million, indicating significant untapped potential.
SINGAPORE, 15 December 2022: Pandaw Cruises’ sales team reports that UK nationals are once more eligible to apply for India’s tourist online eVisa, making it easier for them to visit India during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
India had earlier suspended the eVisa during the Covid-19 crisis, a move that forced thousands of UK holidaymakers to cancel trips.
Click here to apply for your Indian E-visa via the official E-visa portal.
To mark the return of the eVisa for UK citizens and the resumption of, Pandaw’s river sailings in India, the specialised cruise company is offering a 10% discount on bookings for its end-of-season sailings in 2023.
HOI AN, Vietnam, 15 December 2022: Wafaifo, a new international hospitality company, will open its first hotel in Vietnam in the World Heritage coastal village of Hoi An in central Vietnam.
The 134-key Wafaifo Resort Hoi An is scheduled to open during Q1 2024 as part of a real estate development that includes a new mall, a hospitality asset management service, and other tourism-related projects.
Directors of Wafaifo: (L to R) Mikkel Krantz, Uyen Ngo, Pieter van der Hoeven
Based in Hoi An, Wafaifo’s owners intend to offer hospitality project consultancy across Indochina, drawing on the hotel industry expertise of its co-founders, managing director Pieter van der Hoeven and commercial director Mikkel Krantz. Wafaifo deputy managing director Uyen Ngo, who owns various resorts in central Vietnam, supports the project.
“We see a gap in the market for Wafaifo Resort Hoi An to establish itself as a proud and uniquely Vietnamese hospitality experience,” said van der Hoeven. He has held senior executive roles in Raffles, Six Senses, Minor and Peninsula Hotels.
“Wafaifo Resort Hoi An will be our showcase property. It will offer a modern Vietnamese aesthetic and mind-blowing gastronomic and spa experiences for international and domestic travellers,” he explained.
While Vietnam’s tourism performance, like other Asian destinations, is still behind 2019 levels, the emerging trend draws higher-quality tourists. Vietnam National Administration for Tourism reports that while visitors to Vietnam are only 20% of 2019 levels, revenue during 2022 reached VND456.7 trillion (US$19 billion), around 70% of the 2019 financial performance.
Year to date, South Koreans are Vietnam’s main source of tourists, with around 763,900 arrivals, followed by the US at 266,000.
“With the rebound in the travel sector, the timing is right for the launch of Wafaifo as a consolidated tourism concern,” said Krantz. “Our analysis shows that we can expect to see robust tourism and investment growth in Vietnam and the Indochina region over the next five years,” he concluded.
KOTA KINABALU, 15 December 2022: AirAsia resumed its direct route from Kota Kinabalu to Taipei on 10 December.
Flight AK1511 from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) landed at KKIA and was greeted with a welcoming ceremony and a water cannon salute to celebrate the return of a popular service.
Ednie Rahma, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Noredah Othman, CEO of Sabah Tourism Board and Jefry Ramli, Senior Airport Manager of Malaysian Airports Holdings, welcome AirAsia’s flight AK1511.
It follows Taipei’s recent decision to reopen borders to international travellers and lift mandatory Covid-19 quarantine restrictions for arrivals. The airline will initially serve the route twice weekly.
Sabah Tourism Board CEO Noredah Othman said: “We’re delighted to announce that we’ve exceeded our target for arrivals this year, but we’re still far from being done! With this reinstatement, we hope to welcome more frequent independent travellers (FITs) and incentive group travellers from Taipei. The increasing demand for flights between Taipei and Kota Kinabalu clearly reflects Sabah’s growing popularity as a preferred destination for North Asian travellers.”
With the reinstatement of the Kota Kinabalu-Taipei route, AirAsia now serves Kota Kinabalu with direct flights from four cities around Asia; Taipei, Singapore, Manila and Bangkok.
