KUALA LUMPUR, 22 March 2022: Malaysian Association of Tour
and Travel Agents is bringing back its travel fair 9 to 10 April after a
two-year break.
MATTA officially announced the return of its consumer travel
fair last week at a press conference noting that entrance will be limited to
fully vaccinated visitors who will have to wear masks during their visits to
the travel exhibition.
Around 15,000 consumers are expected to attend mainly to grab travel bargains and cheap airfares. The Ramadan fasting month starts 1 April which could have an impact on the fair’s footfall
The show is hosted biannually in the Spring and Autumn, targetting Malaysian outbound travellers keen to book overseas holiday bargains and snatch up cheap airfares or cruise packages. The next national MATTA Fair will be scheduled from 2 to 4 September in Kuala Lumpur.
MATTA Fair will run from 0900 to 1900 on the 9th and 10th
April at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, MATTA says
the reopening of borders starting 1 April is a crucial step for the tourism
industry.
“We can finally start rebuilding the tourism sector and
contributing to Malaysia’s economic recovery,” said MATTA President Datuk Tan
Kok Liang.
Malaysia has one of the highest vaccination rates in the
world, with close to 80% of the total population fully vaccinated, and of
these, 99% are fully vaccinated, adults. More than half of the population have
already received their third dose.
“It makes sense to open our borders while maintaining
updated SOPs to ensure public health safety.”
International border closures and restrictions have resulted
in Malaysia losing about MYR90 billion in tourism receipts in 2020, increasing
in 2021 to MYR165 billion.
DELHI, 22 March 2022: Airports Authority of India is financing
the expansion of Pune Airport with a brand new terminal scheduled to open by
August 2023.
In its latest update, AAI confirmed the new terminal would
extend Pune Airport’s total terminal floor space to 7,50,000 sq ft and increase
its handling capacity to 16 million passengers per annum.
The existing terminal building has the capacity to handle 7
million passengers per annum.
The project will enhance capacity and add world-class
facilities and reduce congestion during peak hours.
AAI is underwriting the construction of the new terminal building at a cost of INR475 crores (USD62,403,505).
More than 55% of the work has been completed, and
construction of the new building will likely be completed by August 2023.
Once completed, the airport will have 10 passenger boarding
bridges, 72 check-in counters and an in-line baggage handling system.
The addition of a new airport terminal is part of a broader
project to upgrade infrastructure and transport facilities in Pune City, which
is an expanding hub for education, research & development, IT and the car
industry.
Pune International Airport at Lohagaon is credited with
being one of the busiest airports in India. Operated by the Airports Authority
of India, it has domestic flights to all major Indian cities and direct
international flights to Dubai. The airport is around 149 km southeast of
Mumbai.
SINGAPORE, 22 March 2022: Jetstar Asia will operate
Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights to Singapore from Penang, Danang, Ho Chi
Minh City, and Denpasar, expanding Jetstar’s VTL services to 13 destinations.
Seat sales for the new VTL services have already opened.
With Vietnam, Malaysia and Bali now allowing quarantine-free
entry for vaccinated travellers, customers can enjoy two-way quarantine-free
travel from Singapore to these destinations.
Jetstar Asia’s CEO, Bara Pasupathi, said this was another
exciting step forward as Singapore reopens and makes international travel more
accessible.
“With the gradual and safe easing of quarantine
requirements, combined with replacing PCR tests with the less-costly ART, we
are slowly removing the barriers to international travel, which in turn is
helping restore consumer confidence,” Pasupathi explained.
“We’re confident the safe relaxation of border
measures, combined with our incredibly low fares, will ensure international
travel will once again be back on our customers’ radars.”
To celebrate the return of two-way quarantine-free travel
between Singapore and Penang, Denpasar, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, Jetstar
Asia has special one-way fares at Jetstar.com starting from:
• Singapore to Penang from SGD76 (three flights weekly
starting 29 March).
• Singapore to Denpasar from SGD103 (three flights weekly
starting 27 March.)
• Singapore to Ho Chi Minh from SGD105 ( five flights weekly
starting 27 March.)
• Singapore to Danang from SGD143 ( Two flights weekly
starting 10 April.)
In line with local government requirements, only fully
vaccinated passengers (exemptions apply to passengers 12 years and below) who
meet all the necessary VTL conditions can travel on designated VTL flights.
Customers who book a Jetstar Asia (3K) flight on jetstar.com
before 30 April 2022 for travel before 31 August 2023, will be given one ‘fee
free’ date change as part of Jetstar’s Fly Flexible policy#.
• Transfer and transit passengers are not allowed to travel
on designated VTL services between Singapore and Malaysia (Penang and Kuala
Lumpur).
• Travelers are encouraged to check entry and departure
requirements for each destination and are reminded that restrictions may apply,
including vaccinations, testing and other requirements.
BANGKOK, 21 March 2022: Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved on Friday the lifting of the pre-travel testing requirement for international arrivals starting 1 April.
It is part of a four-phase plan that will further ease
travel rules before downgrading the
Covid-19 pandemic to the status of an endemic disease by July this year.
According to TAT’s Newsroom, the latest revision is scheduled to be introduced on 1 April once announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette. For more details, visit www.tatnews.org
Eligible travellers
International arrivals under any of the current three entry
schemes – Test & Go, Sandbox, and Alternative Quarantine (AQ) – will be
allowed to enter Thailand without the need to show proof of a negative RT-PCR
test within 72 hours of their airline departure.
SINGAPORE, 21 March 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, announced Friday that world-famous pop icon and “American Idol” judge Katy Perry would serve as the godmother to its record-breaking and innovative newest ship, Norwegian Prima, debuting August 2022.
As godmother, Perry will not only fulfil the
longstanding maritime tradition of blessing and officially naming Norwegian
Prima, the first of six vessels in the Prima Class, but she will perform during the christening ceremony before Norwegian
Prima sets sail on its inaugural voyages from Reykjavík, Iceland, where the
vessel will be the first major cruise ship christened in the Icelandic capital.
To commemorate this exciting partnership and celebrate other entertainment
headliners that will be featured on Norwegian Prima, NCL has also specially
curated a celebratory Spotify playlist.
A vital and familiar element of any ship launch
and dating back centuries, the highly regarded tradition of appointing a ship’s
godmother is a fundamental nautical custom during which the selected godmother
officiates a ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle on the ship’s bow to bid
the vessel and its travellers’ good fortune.
“We are so excited to welcome Katy Perry, a
one-of-a-kind artist and worldwide sensation, as godmother of Norwegian Prima,”
said Harry Sommer, President and CEO of NCL.
“We are so incredibly proud that she will be part of the Norwegian Cruise Line
family and look forward to launching our beautiful, innovative ship with her in
August.”
“My favourite way to vacation with
my family is on the water. Every morning that you wake up, you get to
experience an incredible new view,” said Katy Perry. “I love that I get to
christen her with my good vibrations, and I’m so excited for this new,
beautiful, high-end, high-tech ship to take the seas and provide
once-in-a-lifetime vacations for so many families.”
Norwegian Prima is the company’s most in-demand vessel ever launched, delivering world-class service,
thoughtful design, unforgettable itineraries, and an unrivalled guest
experience.
While onboard, guests can escape to Ocean Boulevard, featuring multiple infinity pools and Oceanwalk glass bridges with breathtaking ocean and destination views, visit Indulge, the Brand’s first-ever upscale international dining open-air marketplace or relax on The Concourse, featuring an outdoor sculpture garden boasting “Instagrammable” installations by famed artists David Harber and Alexander Krivosheiw. Designed by the master architects at Piero Lissoni, the ship’s revamped luxurious centralised suite complex, The Haven By Norwegian, will feature 107 staterooms spanning eight decks with a stunning new infinity pool overlooking the ship’s wake and a new outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna and cold room. Most recently, NCL unveiled its remaining culinary and beverage offerings available on Norwegian Prima and Viva, including the Brand’s first sustainably-focused lounge, The Metropolitan and its ultra-upscale Mediterranean seafood speciality restaurant Palomar.
Launching August 2022, Norwegian Prima will offer inaugural voyages to Northern Europe from Southampton, England; Amsterdam; and Reykjavík, Iceland beginning 12 August; Bermuda sailings from New York City beginning 6 October; and Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, Texas and Miami beginning 27 October.
For more information about the company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call NCL Hong Kong on +852 2165 6000 / Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.
About Katy Perry
Katy Perry has racked up a cumulative 50 billion streams alongside worldwide sales of over 48 million adjusted albums and 135 million tracks. She boasts an impressive 40 million + monthly listeners on Spotify with over 20 million followers on the platform. Her 2019 single, “Never Really Over,” off her latest album SMILE, is certified PLATINUM and was the biggest streaming launch of Katy’s musical career.
YANGON, 21 March 2022: Myanmar will reopen to international
tourists 17 April, the junta government announced at the weekend after a
two-year shut-down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
AFP was the first news agency to report the junta’s
announcement that lacked details on visa entry rules or the airlines intending
to serve Yangon’s international airport.
Myanmar first closed the country in March 2020 to international tourists to tackle a surge in Covid-19 cases. However, since 1 February 2021, when a military coup swept aside the country’s legitimate government, Myanmar has descended into chaos and civil unrest, which has seen more than 1,600 civilians killed and an estimated 11,000 arrested and imprisoned.
The military junta announced that international tourists
effective 17 April can enter the country, but official websites, including
immigration and the country tourism ministry, have yet to clarify the visa
requirements or whether the eVisa and visa-on-arrival facilities will be
reinstated.
There are no details on which airlines will serve Yangon’s
international airport that is currently open only to repatriation flights for
Myanmar citizens and those entering the country on official business with the
junta.
As of 17 April, entry will be limited to just fully vaccinated
travellers who must undergo two PCR tests during a week-long quarantine in
Yangon on arrival.
Airline booking websites that offered up to 30 foreign flights to Yangon daily from cities around Asia pre-Covid-19 flagged travel suspension notices for flights throughout April suggesting no commercial scheduled flights are in the pipeline.
It is too early to identify airlines that might consider flying to Yangon, with the exception of Myanmar Airways International, which continues to offer repatriation flights from Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur to Yangon. Thai Airways International flies ad hoc services from Bangkok.
Earlier in the year, Myanmar’s Ministry of Immigration
posted a notice on its website that said the ban on international travel and
the issue of visas would continue until 31 March 2022.
Even if Myanmar opens a visa-on-arrival or eVisa facility for international tourists, travel firms are not optimistic they will see any bookings. There are strong sentiments against visiting the country. Travellers will be wary of the security risks and are likely to support a boycott of the country. As long as a military junta that usurped power from a democratically appointed government runs the country travellers will go elsewhere.
Just last week, the Burma Campaign UK added 28 companies
from 12 countries to its “Dirty List”, accused of feathering the nest
of the military junta through commercial ventures. There are 116 companies on
the Dirty List. It has added eight companies from Japan, eight from Vietnam,
three from the US and one each from Russia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, China,
Canada, UAE, Turkey and Thailand.
Myanmar Airways International confirms that it will operate repatriation services to 10 destinations in Asia and Dubai UAE during April through its own or codeshare flights with airline partners. The flights are for Myanmar citizens and residents seeking
to leave the country.
It notes in Facebook posts that for passengers leaving Myanmar, they must make a booking six working days before departure, in line with the requirement from the Myanmar authorities. All passengers must present a mandatory PCR test negative result not more than 72 hours before their departure.
BUSAN, 21 March 2022: 2022 is expected to be the year of high growth for Busan’s MICE industry after two years when the global MICE market stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Busan in South Korea has been preparing for the post-Covid-19 era by introducing an online and hybrid infrastructure and progressing the Haeundae International Conference Complex (HAEVENUE) to the completion stage.
Through the global exhibition held offline, they did not stop operating a PR booth to communicate with people around the world. As a result of pushing through adversity, Busan MICE is confident that it will open up a new horizon by leading the reorganized global MICE cities in 2022, the year with-COVID-19 predicted by people around the world.
Throughout the pandemic, under the slogan of ‘Busan is SURE!’. Busan has organized the entire field of the MICE industry into BleiSURE (International Conference), PleaSURE (Incentive Tourism), and TreaSURE (Unique Venue). The recent completion of HAEVENUE instils confidence in the Busan MICE.
These achievements, which are attracting attention in the global MICE
market, came from courageous actions and bold choices (BRAVE, BUSAN MICE). It
also can be seen as the result of overcoming the unprecedented crisis of a
pandemic.
Busan pioneered a new path while other global cities went through a
chaotic year due to the pandemic last year. In fact, Busan participated in ‘IMEX
America 2021’ and ‘IBTM World 2021’, MICE representative global exhibitions held in the hybrid (on-offline
parallel) format last year to promote Busan MICE to the world. This is the only
achievement among local governments in Korea. In particular, IMEX America 2021
held in Las Vegas in November 2021, was the only city in Korea that participated
in an offline event and drew the attention of the world.
An official of the Busan Convention Bureau said, “Despite
the pandemic, Busan laid the foundation for the competitive bidding for the
time when the COVID-19 is alleviated by discovering incentive tours and
conference information from various countries through participating in online
and offline exhibitions.” Busan has developed Smile Holiday, a MICE product
linking Jakarta-Hong Kong-Busan, and has succeeded in attracting and
discovering a conference for 3,000 people from the Americas.
The spread of the coronavirus is expected to be dampened due to the Omicron variant this year which will be the watershed for the MICE industry in Busan. It will be a busy year. Busan Tourism Organization will participate in seven MICE exhibitions at home and abroad including △IMEX Frankfurt(Frankfurt, Germany, May 31-June 2), △IT&CMA(Bangkok, Thailand, Sep. 20-22) △IMEX America(Las Vegas, USA, Oct. 11-13) △ITB-ASIA (Singapore, Oct. 19-21) △IBTM World (Barcelona, Spain, Nov. 29-Dec. 1).
In particular, it plans to conduct aggressive marketing activities with
Busan MICE Alliance (BMA) at various exhibitions. Through consultations and
luncheon briefing sessions for buyers from different countries, they will
discover and attract new MICE events, as well as promote the MICE city, Busan.
In addition, in preparation for the prolonged pandemic, BTO established a plan
B: holding a hybrid briefing session to create a new business. By thorough
preparation, they have prepared several alternatives.
This year, Busan will prove why Busan is a global TOP MICE city. Busan
plans to expand opportunities for local industries to participate in MICE
exhibitions, and hold MICE briefing sessions linked to exhibitions more than
three times. An outdoor team-building program under the pandemic will be
developed. The international conferences that have been postponed for the past
two years will be reorganized for full swing by focusing on hosting rather than
postponing.
The 2022 FIATA World Congress, scheduled to be held in BEXCO from
September 13 to 19, is a representative example.
The FIATA World Congress, originally scheduled to be held in Busan in
2020, has been postponed due to COVID-19. For the successful hosting of the
2022 FIATA World Congress, the Korea International Freight Forwarders
Association held a meeting of the organizing committee last year and is
thoroughly preparing the event. The organizing committee of FIATA World
Congress, led by the co-chair of the organizing committee (Busan Metropolitan
City Mayor Park Hyung-Joon and Korea International Freight Forwarders
Association Honorary Chairman Kim Byung-Jin) with about 70 members, is
established as a cooperative system among industry, academia, research
institutes, government organizations. Various events such as various forums,
ancillary events, job fairs, and exhibitions will be held for the event, and
more than 3,000 logistics experts from 150 countries will participate as an
undisputed ‘International Logistics Olympics’.
The brave challenge to instil ‘Busan is SURE!’ into the world has already begun.
This is reflected in the promo video recently released by the Busan Tourism Organization through the official YouTube channel, VISIT BUSAN. The video expressed the courageous and confident energy of Busan even in a situation of COVID-19. In particular, ‘EyHey Ma Hamo’ which is repeatedly mentioned in the video, means “Don’t worry! It will be fine” in the Busan dialect. It’s the belief that ‘Busan is okay, and Everything will be fine in Busan’. It has the same meaning as ‘Busan is Sure’ and has a similar meaning to ‘Hakuna Matata’ in Swahili or the magic spell, ‘Abracadabra’ You can watch the video by accessing the link below.
An official of the Busan Convention Bureau (CVB) said, “This year, Busan MICE will not be frustrated by the COVID-19 and will move forward bravely and confidently as it has done so far. Please continue to support and pay attention to Busan MICE, which keeps pushing forward.”
HONG KONG, 21 March 2021: Singapore Airlines has suspended
flights SQ882 and SQ894, two daily passenger services from Singapore to Hong
Kong, until 30 March 2022, to comply with an order from the Hong Kong
authorities.
SQ883 and SQ895, the two daily passenger services from Hong
Kong to Singapore, are still operating.
Meanwhile, last week, the airline reported February 2022 operating results that showed the SIA Group’s passenger capacity (measured in available seat kilometres) stood at 44% of pre-Covid-191 levels in February 2022, two percentage points below the January 2022 level.
Group passenger load factor declined by 0.9 percentage
points to 39.1% (+29.4 percentage points year-on-year). Ticket sales on
Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services remained subject to a 50% reduction in
arrival quotas in the first half of February. Singapore announced that it would
remove the 50% cap and progressively increase the VTL quota for daily arrivals
from 5,000 to 15,000 by 4 March 2022.
At the end of February 2022, the Group’s passenger network covered 87 destinations, including Singapore. During the month, Scoot, SIA’s low-cost carrier subsidiary, introduced a new destination, Miri, to its network. There were also several service resumptions, which included Denpasar by SIA and Gold Coast and Hanoi by Scoot. At the end of February, SIA served 63 destinations while Scoot served 37 destinations.
The Singapore Airlines Group will expand its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) network in the coming weeks, bringing it to a total of 66 cities in 27 countries. New VTL services will be added progressively to selected cities in Southeast Asia and India, as well as Athens, effective last week. More non-VTL flights will also be converted to VTL flights for specific destinations.
Based on the current published schedule, the SIA Group
expects passenger capacity to reach around 57% of pre-Covid levels by April
2022.
SINGAPORE, 21 March 2022: After almost two years of
lockdowns and restrictions, Singaporeans are once more heading offshore to
enjoy Spring break travel, according to the Tripadvisor survey.
The latest seasonal Spring Travel Index identifies the top
10 destinations likely to attract Singaporeans based on search and sentiment
data.
Top 10 most popular destinations for Spring bookings
Osaka, Japan New York City, United States Dhigurah, Maldives Tokyo, Japan Furanafushi Island, Maldives Bangkok, Thailand Akasdhoo, Maldives Fasmendhoo, Maldives Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives Baa Atoll, Maldives
Despite rising fuel costs and inflation, the Tripadvisor
index claims nearly half of Singaporeans (43%) are planning a holiday this
spring (March to May 2022), compared with slightly more than a third (35%) of
Singaporeans who travelled in the same period last year.
On top of more trips, Singaporean travellers are also
planning to splash more cash. Of those who travelled last year and planned to
do so again, more than half (55%) plan to spend more than they did in 2021,
with nearly a quarter (23%) planning to spend significantly more. Tripadvisor
site data supports this sentiment, as the average spending per booking for
Singaporean travellers this spring is up a massive 181% year-on-year.
Nearly half (48%) of Singaporeans said that they’re planning
to experience something new on their next trip. When looking at the most
popular experiences categories for Singaporeans this Spring 2022, cooking
classes, being out on the water and bike tours came out on top.
Data gathered and analysed from two key sources
● A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 5,000 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics. The survey was conducted between 22 February 2022 through 28 February 2022 across six countries – the US, UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.
● Site behavioural data sourced from first-party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform gathered during the week commencing 21 February 2022, for searches made by Singaporean travellers from 1 January 2022 through 22 February 2022 for travel between 1 March 2022 through 31 May 2022.
BERLIN, 21 March 2022: Considering the continuing uncertainties of the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine, a leading trend survey concludes there remains a keen demand for holidays over the coming months.
That was a key takeaway of the latest ITB Berlin IPK International’s
World Travel Monitor survey on worldwide outbound travel trends in 2021 and
travel intentions for 2022.
In 2021, despite lockdowns and tight travel restrictions,
outbound travel increased worldwide, while solid growth in travel in the second
half of the year delivered an upturn in international tourism.
However, around the world and in the individual travel
segments, trends varied. Outbound travel for Americans and Europeans saw
double-digit growth last year, but in Asia, outbound travel continued to
decline.
Travel prospects in 2022
Even when taking into account the continuing uncertainties
presented by the Covid-19 pandemic now in its third year and the war in
Ukraine, current survey results reflect keen demand for holidays and points to
strong growth and clear recovery over the coming months.
The latest surveys conducted by IPK around the world show an
ongoing strong interest (80%) in outbound travel this year, despite Omicron. In
Europe, outbound travel intentions have remained stable, at almost 90% of
pre-pandemic levels, while in America, they have reached now almost 75% and in
Asia 66%. Globally, source markets with a high potential for outbound travel
are mainly Germany, the UK, the USA, France and the Netherlands.
Preferred destinations in 2022
Around the world, this year’s preferred destinations are
Italy, Spain and Germany, followed by France and the USA in fourth and fifth
place. Although destinations on the same continent continue to be the
favourites, overseas travel to Europe is in demand, especially among Americans
and Asians.
Sun and beach holidays remain popular
While holiday trips continue to be in high demand, interest
in business travel over the coming months is stable too. In terms of holiday
types, people are planning, sun and beach holidays remain by far the most
popular this year, followed by city breaks (on an upward trend), round trips
and holidays close to nature.
Recovery from the crisis this year
Global surveys conducted by IPK International show that in
2022 a big step forward can be made towards international tourism recovering.
Globally, outbound travel could already reach 50 to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic
levels this year. By 2024, outbound travel volumes should be back to the levels
seen in 2019.
About IPK International
As part of the long-standing collaboration between ITB and IPK, ITB is again presenting the latest findings of the World Travel Monitor on international travel trends. The World Travel Monitor is based on information from more than 60 countries and takes over 90% of the global demand for outbound travel into account.
