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Middle East tourism readies for recovery

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 March 2022: New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals travel & tourism sector earnings in the Middle East could reach USD246 billion this year, just 8.9% behind pre-pandemic levels.

In 2019, before the pandemic struck and began to devastate economies worldwide, the travel & tourism sector in the Middle East was booming, generating USD270 billion to the region’s economy.

However, in 2020, when Covid-19 brought international travel to an almost complete standstill, its contribution more than halved, plummeting 51.1%, suffering a brutal loss of more than USD138 billion.

The latest research from WTTC shows that as the region continues to recover from the pandemic, with major markets reopening borders and easing restrictions to travel, the sector’s contribution to employment could almost reach pre-pandemic levels this year.

WTTC noted that if countries continue to roll out the inoculation programme at pace this year and international travel restrictions are eased around the world – 6.8m people could be employed in the sector by the end of 2022, just 40,000 behind pre-pandemic levels.

WTTC president and CEO Julia Simpson said: “The Covid-19 pandemic caused significant losses to the Middle East’s Travel & Tourism sector, but we now have a reason for real optimism.

“Since the start of the pandemic, governments across the Middle East have shown a real commitment to travel and tourism. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has shown strong leadership throughout the crisis and is making a major investment in travel & tourism.”

To reach close to pre-pandemic levels this year, WTTC says governments around the world must continue focusing on the vaccine rollout and allowing fully vaccinated travellers to move freely.

The global tourism body also urges governments in the Middle East and around the world to ditch the patchwork of restrictions and enable international travel using digital solutions that allow travellers to prove their status in a fast, simple and secure way.

Jetstar back in Bali’s skies

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 March 2022: Jetstar Asia has resumed its Singapore to Denpasar services last Friday, after more than a two-year absence on the route.

Flight 3K243 departed Singapore at 0655 and arrived in Bali at 0955 on 4 March. The turnaround flight, 3K244 returned to Singapore at 1325.

Jetstar Asia is the first airline in the Jetstar Group to recommence flights to the ever-popular holiday destination, with Jetstar Airways scheduled to start operations from Melbourne and Sydney to Bali on 14 and 15 March, respectively.

The arriving flight was welcomed with a water cannon celebration, and our Bali-based Jetstar crew were on hand to greet passengers as they entered the airport.

Jetstar Asia CEO Bara Pasupathi said it was fantastic to be back in Bali, one of the most popular destinations in the Jetstar network.

“Bali has always been a customer favourite, with its beautiful beaches, amazing food and incredible culture,” Pasupathi commented.

“We’ve recently welcomed the news regarding the easing of quarantine requirements and the move from PCR tests to the less-costly ART, which have been a significant barrier to travel for many of our customers.

To mark the return to Bali, Jetstar Asia is offering one-way fares at Jetstar.com starting from just SGD98.

Under Jetstar’s Fly Flexible policies, customers can change the date of their travel if their plans change (a fare difference may apply). Customers affected by changes to border restrictions can get a credit voucher to the full value of their booking.

Singapore expands VTL options

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 March 2022: Vaccinated air travellers will be able to enter Singapore from more cities in Malaysia, Indonesia and India without undergoing quarantine.

The VTL scheme allows fully vaccinated travellers to enter Singapore without quarantine. Travellers must test Covid-19 negative before departure for Singapore and take another test within 24 hours of their arrival.

Malaysia

From 16 March, the VTL for Malaysia will be extended beyond Kuala Lumpur to include Penang, starting with four daily flights each way between Singapore and Penang. 

For entry into Penang under Malaysia’s vaccinated travel lane scheme, short-term visitors do not need to apply for a pass, unlike Singapore’s VTL scheme. But they will have to fulfil other requirements like taking a pre-departure PCR test and getting travel insurance with a minimum coverage of MYR100,000 (USD32,500).

Indonesia

On the same day, the VTL for Indonesia will be extended beyond Jakarta to include Denpasar in Bali, starting with two daily flights from Denpasar to Singapore.

As Indonesia plans to launch a trial to allow vaccinated travellers to enter Bali from mid-March, this will facilitate two-way quarantine-free travel between Singapore and Bali. Under Bali’s reopening trial, fully vaccinated travellers will have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on arrival and have to stay inside their pre-booked accommodation while waiting for the test result. The trial is set to start on 14 March but could be brought forward.

India

The VTL for India will extend beyond Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai to include all Indian cities. Budget carrier Scoot said on Friday that it will progressively operate VTL flights from the other cities from 15 March.

Meanwhile, vaccinated travellers from Greece and Vietnam who are looking to enter Singapore under the VTL can do so from 16 March. Greece is already open to vaccinated travellers from Singapore, while Vietnam has announced plans to reopen its borders to international tourists from 15 March.

Europe

From 16 March, travellers who have been in any country in the European Economic Area within the last seven days prior to departure for Singapore will be allowed to enter under the VTL. As the European Economic Area allows free movement of people among its countries, this essentially opens up quarantine-free travel to the 30 states in the area. For example, a Singaporean can now travel to Iceland via London and return without having to quarantine.

Travel history requirements will be eased as well for travellers entering Singapore from Europe under the VTL scheme. This means travellers with recent travel history to the European Economic Area  – which comprises 27 European Union member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway – will be able to enter Singapore. With the addition of the VTL with Greece, Singapore has established two-way quarantine-free travel with all countries in Europe that have direct flights to Singapore.

Since 8 September last year, Singapore has established VTLs with 30 countries/regions. More than 450,000 VTL travellers have entered Singapore. 

Malaysia’s newest VTL routes
Meanwhile, the Malaysian transport ministry has announced new Vaccinated Travel Lanes with Thailand and Cambodia will start by 15 March.
Thailand: Malaysia and Thailand had agreed to allocate up to six flights daily on the Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok route and up to four flights daily for the Kuala Lumpur-Phuket route.
Cambodia: Two daily flights will begin on 15 March on the Kuala Lumpur-Phnom Penh route.

(Source: The Straits Times)

For the full story, see:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/singapore-to-expand-vtl-scheme-to-bali-penang-vietnam-greece-and-all-cities-in-india

Will UNWTO suspend Russia’s membership?

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TTR WEEKLY
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MADRID, 4 March 2022: The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will convene an emergency session of its Executive Council to consider calls for the Russian Federation’s membership to be suspended following the invasion of Ukraine.

The in-person council session will be held on 8 March in Madrid. It was scheduled after representatives of Guatemala, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Ukraine called for the suspension of the Russian Federation last Thursday.

 A media statement from the UNWTO confirmed the UNWTO Secretary-General has called for an emergency session of the Executive Council to address the matter, in accordance with Rule 3.4 of the council’s rules of procedure.

UNWTO said it was the first time in the organisation’s 47 years that member states have asked the executive council to consider a country suspension.

Article 3 of the UNWTO Statutes states that the fundamental principles of the organisation are the “promotion and development of tourism to contribute to economic development, international understanding, peace, prosperity and universal respect for, and observance of, human rights”.

UNWTO has unequivocally condemned the actions of the Russian Federation, noting that they are a clear breach of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and UNWTO Statutes.

Bamboo Airways flies to Sydney

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TTR WEEKLY
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HO CHI MINH CITY, 4 March 2022: Bamboo Airways confirmed this week in statements to local media it will launch a new weekly service from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney, Australia, starting 29 March.

According to a Sydney Airport media release, the airline hopes to increase flights on the route to four per week by the year-end.

Credit: Bamboo Airways

Last month the airline launched a weekly flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne, Australia. It plans to start a weekly service from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, to Melbourne on 28 March.

Bamboo Airways uses Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft for its long-haul flights to Europe, and Australia, configured with 26 business class seats, 21 in premium economy and 247 in economy class.

Bamboo Airways is the first international airline to commence services to Sydney Airport following the re-opening of international borders.

Hotelbeds taps IHG wholesale rates

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TTR WEEKLY
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PALMA, Spain, 4 March 2022: Hotelbeds has signed a preferred partner deal with IHG Hotels & Resorts to distribute wholesale rates for IHG  hotels in Europe and Greater China.

Hotelbeds’ network reaches thousands of B2B travel buyers, such as offline tour operators, retail travel agents, airlines and company employee loyalty programmes, across more than 140 source markets worldwide.

Hotelbeds Chief Commercial Officer Carlos Muñoz commented: “Thanks to this collaboration, our client partners worldwide will have access to a leading product portfolio which is fantastic news coming off the back of some very challenging years.”

IHG Hotels & Resorts has 17 brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express and last year joined Hotelbeds’ Green Hotel Programme to further strengthen its commitment to sustainable tourism.

The Green Hotels Programme is a turn-key solution to bring Hotelbeds and its partners into the green economy and accelerate the transition of the travel industry towards sustainability – a topic whose importance has increased dramatically in light of the Covid pandemic.

Russian outbound travel stalls

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 4 March 2022: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine launched on 24 February prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia, according to the latest data from ForwardKeys.

On 25 February, the day after the start of the invasion, every booking that was made for travel to Russia was outweighed by six cancellations of pre-existing bookings. The source markets exhibiting the highest cancellation rates, in order of volume, were Germany 773%, France 472%, Italy 152%, the UK 254%, India 285% and Turkey 116%.

The invasion also triggered a collapse in the market for Russian outbound travel. Destinations that suffered the highest immediate cancellation rates, from 24 to 26 February, were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).

Before the outbreak of war, Russian outbound flight bookings for March, April and May, had recovered to 32% of pre-pandemic levels, with some holiday hotspots doing exceptionally well.

Mexico led the way with flight bookings 427% ahead of 2019 levels. It was followed by Seychelles 279%, Egypt 192% and the Maldives 115% ahead of 2019 levels.

The outlook for travel was significantly stronger during July and August, as flight bookings stood at 46% of 2019 levels, with destinations like the Maldives 78% ahead, Seychelles 275% ahead, and Egypt 216% ahead.

For some of the countries mentioned above, such as the Seychelles, Maldives and Cyprus, Russian arrivals represent a high percentage of all international arrivals; so, a collapse in Russian travel will have damaging consequences on their tourism-dependent economies.

The countries that currently stand to suffer the most include Armenia, which depends on Russia for 47% of all visitors, Azerbaijan 44%, Uzbekistan 34%, Bulgaria 18%, the Seychelles 16%, the Maldives 15% and Cyprus 13%.

Before the outbreak of war, the top 20 destinations most booked by Russian travellers in March, April and May were, in order of total bookings, Turkey, the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan.

Coinciding with the collapse in international air travel, a strong recovery in domestic air travel immediately stalled. Up to 23 February, Russian domestic flight bookings for March, April and May were running 25% ahead of pre-pandemic levels. However, new bookings fell 77%, analysed on a week-on-week basis.

ForwardKeys, vice president insights Olivier Ponti said: “The outbreak of war always has a hugely damaging impact on the travel industry; and that is what we see here, with mass cancellations in flight bookings to and from Russia.

“The Russian tourism economy was beginning to revive from the pandemic, and it will now experience another substantial blow. There will also be serious impacts on destinations that depend heavily on Russian visitors. The current data does not yet contain the impact of sanctions, which is bound to make the picture worse. Of course, should there be a cease-fire and successful peace talks, the outlook for travel should improve. However, while the economic damage already looks set to be dreadful, it is nothing compared to the human suffering experienced by the people in Ukraine.”

About ForwardKeys

Founded in 2010, ForwardKeys delivers data and insights to tourism organisations, hotels, and retailers keen to understand who is travelling where, when, and for how long.

Agoda to showcase Singapore

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 4 March 2022: Digital travel platform Agoda has signed a partnership agreement with the Singapore Tourism Board to drive a marketing campaign that will boost travel from Southeast Asia to Singapore. 

The partnership will tap Agoda’s technology and travel expertise, data insights and integrated marketing capabilities to showcase Singapore’s travel experiences.

The agreement was signed 3 March in the presence of Enric Casals, Director and Board Member of Agoda; Olalla Rey, Senior Director, Strategic partnerships, Agoda, and dignitaries from the Singapore Tourism Board, including John Gregory Conceicao, Executive Director, Southeast Asia; and Nicholas Lim, Manager, Market Planning, International Group. 

It marks the first direct partnership between STB and Agoda globally headquartered in Singapore to boost travel demand as border restrictions lift in the region.

“With this partnership, we are glad to lend our insights and innovative marketing to help STB optimise footfall to our home base,” said Agoda director Enric Casals.

Singapore Tourism Board executive director John Gregory Conceicao added: “Through this partnership, and with the insights and knowledge that each partner brings to the table, we can reach a wider audience and invite them to rediscover Singapore and our vibrant neighbourhoods, variety of delicious food and unique attractions.”

About Agoda

From its beginnings as an e-commerce start-up based in Singapore in 2005, digital travel platform Agoda has grown to offer a global network of over 2.5 million properties in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and employs over 4,000 staff in 30 countries.

Australians head west to Perth

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TTR WEEKLY
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SYDNEY, 4 March 2022: Thousands of travellers boarded Qantas and Jetstar flights following the reopening of Western Australia’s domestic border, on 2 March, allowing visitors quarantine free entry for the first time in almost two years.

After a false start in February, more than 23,000 passengers booked to travel this week on Qantas and Jetstar flights to and from Perth.

Several of the 31 Qantas and Jetstar flights on day one (2 March) were fully booked with Australians rushing to reunite with friends and family or get back to business in Western Australia. WA was the last Australian state to reopen to visitors.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce welcomed the border reopening saying, “Australia is now finally back together…It’s a terrific boost to West Australian tourism operators and businesses who will once again benefit from the influx of visitors from the east coast and beyond.

“We had to cancel thousands of flights when the border reopening was cancelled in February, and tens of thousands of travellers had their plans ruined, but while the reopening has been complicated, it’s great that Aussies can now travel freely again.”

Qantas and Jetstar have added around 60 return interstate flights each week in March – representing around 40% of the group’s pre-Covid capacity. This ramps up in April, particularly around the school holiday period as travel demand recovers.

Flights have been added from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin.

Quarantine-free travel lane to Dubai

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE 4 March 2022: Vaccinated travellers from Singapore can visit Dubai on the recently introduced Vaccinated Travel Lane without quarantine when they return to Singapore.

Singapore’s VTL scheme in late February extended to include Dubai in the UAE. Currently, Emirates operate four flights a week under the VTL scheme between Dubai and Singapore.

Flight Number Days of Operation Departure from Dubai (local time) Arrival in Singapore (local time)
EK352 Tuesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10:00AM 9:25PM

Note: All other flights between Dubai and Singapore are non-VTL flights

In addition, with the Dubai Expo still open, there is no better time to visit the city and catch what’s been dubbed the “world’s largest showcase of brilliance and achievement”. Travellers on Emirates will be able to redeem a complimentary Season Pass with every ticket booked with the airline.

Expo 2020 Dubai

With just a month to go before it closes, the remarkable showcase that is Expo 2020 is a must-visit. Themed Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, the Expo showcases the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world.

Health and wellbeing: Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology and scaled up its digital verification capabilities.

Travel Assurance: Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. The airline has taken its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible booking policies and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status. In addition, COVID‑19 medical travel insurance automatically applies to tickets purchased for flights between 1 December 2021 and 31 March 2022.

PCR Testing: To make travel planning easier, Emirates has partnered with medical groups in Singapore to extend special rates on Covid-19 PCR tests. Emirates passengers will benefit from a discounted rate on Covid-19 PCR tests at select clinics simply by making an appointment and presenting their Emirates E-tickets at the clinic. Partner medical groups include Healthway Medical, which has 34 clinics and Fullerton Health which has seven clinics that provide discounted PCR testing. Tests should be taken not more than 72 hours before the flight.

For Healthway Medical, passengers can view available PCR test slots and book an appointment via their portal prior to walking in. For Fullerton Health, passengers are to call the Fullerton Health Call Centre at 6333 3636 or [email protected] and indicate “PRE-TRAVEL PCR TEST” to make an appointment. At the clinic, they will need show their Emirates e-tickets to enjoy these special rates.

Customers are encouraged to check the latest government travel restrictions and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/

VTL Travel Requirements

Travellers from Singapore can visit https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/requirements-and-process for the full list of VTL eligibility conditions and requirements.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

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