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IATA: Accelerate easing of travel restrictions

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TTR WEEKLY
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GENEVA, 2 February 2022: Governments must accelerate the easing of travel restrictions as Covid-19 continues to evolve from a pandemic to endemic stage, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urges in its latest press statement. 

“With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence, and opinion opposing the targeting of travellers with restrictions and country bans to control the spread of Covid-19. The measures have not worked,” said IATA’s director general Willie Walsh.

“Today, Omicron is present in all parts of the world. That’s why travel, with very few exceptions, does not increase the risk to general populations. The billions spent testing travellers would be far more effective if allocated to vaccine distribution or strengthening health care systems.” 

IATA recommendations

  • Remove all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine.
  • Enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result.
  • Remove travel bans, and
  • Accelerate the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travellers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population.

A recently published study by Oxera and Edge Health demonstrated the extremely limited impact of travel restrictions on controlling the spread of Omicron.

Study takeaways

If the UK’s extra measures with respect to Omicron had been in place from the beginning of November (prior to the identification of the variant), the peak of the Omicron wave would have been delayed by just five days with 3% fewer cases.

The absence of any testing measures for travellers would have seen the Omicron wave peak seven days earlier with an overall 8% increase in cases.

Now that Omicron is highly prevalent in the UK, if all travel testing requirements were removed, there would be no impact on Omicron case numbers or hospitalisations in the UK.

“While the study is specific to the UK, it is clear that travel restrictions in any part of the world have had little impact on the spread of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant. The UK, France and Switzerland have recognised this and are among the first to begin removing travel measures. More governments need to follow their lead. Accelerating the removal of travel restrictions will be a major step towards living with the virus,” said Walsh.

Covid-19 becomes endemic?

All indications point to Covid-19 becoming an endemic condition — one that humankind now has the tools (including vaccination and therapeutics) to live and travel with, bolstered by growing population immunity.

This aligns with the advice from public health experts to shift the policy focus from an individual’s health status towards policies focusing on population-wide protection. It is important that governments and the travel industry are well-prepared for the transition and ready to remove the burden of measures that disrupt travel, IATA concluded.

“The current situation of travel restrictions is a mess. There is one problem – Covid-19. But there seem to be more unique solutions to managing travel and Covid-19 than there are countries to travel to. Indeed research from the Migration Policy Institute has counted more than 100,000 travel measures around the world that create complexity for passengers, airlines and governments to manage. We have two years of experience to guide us on a simplified and coordinated path to normal travel when Covid-19 is endemic. That normality must recognise that travellers, with very few exceptions, will present no greater risk than exists in the general population. And that’s why travellers should not be subject to any greater restrictions than are applied to the general community,” said Walsh.

(Source: IATA)

STB cultivates responsible tourism culture

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 2 February 2022: To cultivate a culture of responsible tourism in Sarawak Divisional Offices, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) recently organised a virtual workshop for their Divisional Tourism Task Group (DTTG).

The workshop, entitled Design Thinking for Responsible Tourism, was managed by the Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE) and gathered 20 participants from DTTGs in Kuching and Southern Sarawak region.

Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board in her welcoming remarks during the workshop, said Sarawak Tourism Board is determined to make Responsible Tourism an integral part of all tourism practices and to cultivate a forward-thinking culture to be a step ahead.

“Sarawak is blessed with bountiful green treasures waiting to be explored, and it is indeed our duty to continue to protect and conserve its diverse Sarawak’s Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 ecosystem, so we can preserve it for future generations to come,” Sharzede said.

“This workshop will not only empower us to face future concerns but also help to embrace an experimental attitude so we are able to quickly identify what is needed to develop effective strategies and innovations that will benefit the entire ecosystem,” she added.

The workshop, helmed by an advisor for Center for Technical Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), Dr Valdew Singh, is designed to embed Responsible Tourism as a collective effort and shared responsibility among the various key stakeholders, such as government ministries & agencies, tourism-related companies and the local communities in transforming Sarawak into an eco-tourism destination.

“By embracing useful and viable design-thinking methods to address problems in tourism practices with a user-centric mindset, it will help build an environment that will help accelerate Sarawak to become a preferred leading eco-tourism destination,” he said.

At the end of the workshop, the participants are divided into groups to complete and present a project on exploring and identifying problems of tourism products in their division, define the “how we might help” solutions and present their proposal in a sharing session. 

STB’s Director of Product & Corporate Relations (PCR) Division, Maurice Balang said from the deliverables by the participants STB is looking forward to future collaborations with the DTTG members to pursue their RT initiatives in their respective divisions.

“With such collaborations, we hope that all divisional offices in Sarawak are fully on-board with STB’s RT agenda, which is in alignment with the state’s Post-Covid Development Strategy 2030.

One of the workshop participants, Louis Andria Barieng from Samarahan Resident Office, said he appreciates STB’s collective effort in placing sustainability value at its forefront.

“The workshop has enabled my team to identify, define and resolve challenges in the Responsible Tourism space and allow us to consider the concerns from the perspective of others, which facilitates a better understanding of Responsible Tourism. It has also taught us how to apply the design thinking concept finding solutions to overcome those challenges with sustainability as a foundation,” he said.

The next Design Thinking for Responsible Tourism workshops will also be organised for the DTTGs in Miri (northern region) and Sibu (central region), respectively. 

For more information on Sarawak visit: www.sarawaktourism.com

Thai Vietjet resumes Phnom Penh flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 2 February 2022: Thai Vietjet will resume flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to the Cambodian capital city Phnom Penh, starting 16 March 2022.

The airline will operate three flights weekly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with the following flight schedule:

Flight Number OriginDestination Departure Arrival
VZ720 Bangkok Phnom Penh 08:30 09:40
VZ721 Phnom Penh Bangkok 10:30 11:45

Thai Vietjet chief executive officer Woranate Laprabang commented: “We are delighted to connect Thailand with Cambodia… The service between the two destinations will contribute to the countries’ economic recovery while meeting the increasing travel demand of people in the region.”

To promote the service, the airline has introduced a USD5* New Route, New Experience fare excluding taxes, fees, surcharges, and add-on services for booking made through to 14 February. The travel period runs from 16 March to 31 May 2022. 

In addition, Thai Vietjet has added service between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam up from two to five flights per week.

Recently, the airline announced its new Thailand cross-country services connecting Phuket in southern Thailand to Udon Thani in the northeast of the country close to Thailand’s border with Laos.

Discovery Princess ready for April sailings

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SINGAPORE 1 February 2022: The newest cruise ship in the Princess Cruises fleet – Discovery Princess – was delivered during an official handover at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Discovery Princess expands the Princess Cruises fleet to 15 MedallionClass vessels and features an evolution of the design platform used for the cruise line’s previous Royal-Class ships. The Discovery Princess handover was attended by John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises, Captain Gennaro Arma, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ships Division of Fincantieri.

“Today marks a significant milestone for Princess Cruises as we officially take ownership of the spectacular Discovery Princess,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “We extend our immense gratitude to our long-time and trusted partners at Fincantieri, the shipbuilders of all six of our Royal-Class vessels with Discovery Princess and look forward to welcoming our first guests to experience the beauty of the ship when they embark in just a few weeks.”

The 3,660-guest Discovery Princess is the sixth and final Royal-Class newbuild and shares all of her sister ships’ spectacular style and luxury – Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess and Royal Princess. With an array of innovative new experiences, guests will enjoy 270-degree sweeping views from the largest balconies at sea in the Sky Suites, unwind in ultimate comfort at The Sanctuary and indulge the senses with world-class dining options. Plus, Princess live entertainment presents mesmerizing new Broadway-style production shows that can only be seen in the state-of-the-art Princess Theater. Discovery Princess uses the latest technologies to reduce fuel consumption, treat wastewater, and support our environmental compliance efforts.

In addition, Discovery Princess is the newest ship to join the fleet offering Princess MedallionClass Vacations which begins with the Medallion™ wearable, a quarter-sized device that enables everything from expedited contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need, delivered directly to them, wherever they are on the ship. In addition, guests can share their favourite cruise moments using MedallionNet, the best WiFi at sea, as well as stay connected with friends and family back home, work remotely anywhere on the ship, quickly post content and stream favourite movies and shows.

Discovery Princess will depart Italy and make her way to the Port of Los Angeles to sail on a series of Mexican Riviera and California Coast voyages from 27 March – 24 April 2022, before heading up the Pacific coast to begin a season of seven-day Alaska cruises from Seattle.

More information about Discovery Princess can be found at https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/xp-discovery-princess/

AirAsia X back on Sydney route

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEPANG, 1 February 2022: Following its restructuring, AirAsia X is resuming its commercial service post-pandemic between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney starting 14 February.

The airline will make full redemptions for its passengers affected by the restructuring a priority so AAX guests can reinstate their flight booking and use their credit account to book flights.

Initially, it will fly every Sunday from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and return on Monday through to 22 March 2022. Schedules for the autumn and winter sessions will be announced in mid-February.

Fares start from MYR1,399 one way all-inclusive* (economy) and from MYR3,999 when booking premium flatbed. From Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, fares start from AUD399 and AUD1,299 one way all-inclusive* respectively.

AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “Without any domestic routes, AAX was significantly affected by the pandemic. We now see the light at the end of this long tunnel, and we are working hard to operate again in all of our key markets. Starting with flights to and from Sydney, we will progressively continue to honour outstanding bookings and Credit Accounts for our guests and creditors in other markets as soon as possible.

“As we anticipate the gradual reopening of international borders around the world in 2022, we are delighted to return to Australia first, as one of our most popular markets.”

AirAsia X return flight schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney.

Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, international students and eligible visa holders can travel to and from Australia without applying for a travel exemption. For complete entry requirements into Australia, please visit this page.

*All-inclusive of check-in baggage, one meal and one drink

(Source: AirAsia)

Cross-border QR payments ease in Southeast Asia

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 1 February 2022: Cross-border QR Payments between Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are now available, enabling convenient instant payments using just mobile phones.

Further to the joint announcement between central banks of Malaysia and Thailand last year and the joint announcement between the central banks of Malaysia and Indonesia on 27 January 2022, Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) confirmed the payment channels.

• The link with Thailand’s National ITMX has been completed and QR payments are now interoperable between both countries. Travellers between Malaysia and Thailand can opt to make e-payments using their respective home country’s interoperable QRs at participating merchants.

• In partnership with ALTO, ARTAJASA, JALIN & RINTIS, Cross-Border QR payments between Malaysia and Indonesia are now live and interoperable between both countries. Similarly, the link between DuitNow QR and Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) will allow travellers between Malaysia and Indonesia to make instant e-payments at participating merchants.

Paving the way for the Malaysia-Thailand collaboration is Public Bank Berhad, which became the first Malaysian bank together with Razer Merchant Services as the first merchant acquirer provider to participate in the linkage as well as Kasikornbank and Siam Commercial Bank from Thailand.

As for enabling the Malaysia-Indonesia link, among the participating banks are Bank Indonesia, CIMB Niaga, Bank Sinarmas, Bank Central Asia, Bank Mega, Bank Permata, Bank Syariah Indonesia as well as Bank BPD Bali along with Bank Mandiri as the merchant acquirer.

The Malaysia-Indonesia link will also allow payments from eWallets via ShopeePay, Ottocash, DANA, and LinkAja. In the coming months, more banks and merchant acquirers from all three countries respectively are expected to participate.

Malaysians abroad can make payments at participating merchants in Thailand or Indonesia by simply launching their mobile banking or eWallet app to scan the merchants’ QR codes in the respective countries. Conversely, the people from Thailand and Indonesia visiting Malaysia can do the same by scanning DuitNow QR standees to make payments at any participating merchants in Malaysia.

These innovative approaches towards cross border linkage of the financial sector will help establish an international link between merchants and customers in ASEAN countries. This will help accelerate the development of a healthier competitive market and boost regional and international economic activities. With plans of future links with other emerging economies in the ASEAN region, it opens the door for Malaysian industries and businesses to expand beyond our physical borders, contributing to Malaysia’s global trade.

About Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Payments Network Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“PayNet”) is a national payments network and shared central infrastructure for Malaysia financial markets. It is also the operator of MyDebit domestic debit card scheme with over 46 million cards in circulation.

For more information, visit http://www.paynet.my/

(Source: Bernama)

Flight Centre names sustainability officer

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 February 2022: Flight Centre Travel Group, the parent company of FCM Travel, has appointed Michelle Degenhardt as its global sustainability officer.

The appointment is effective immediately and comes as the company, which is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, ramps up its corporate social responsibility efforts.

She is based in FLT’s global head office in Brisbane, Australia. In the newly created role, she will work closely with teams from FLT and its corporate brands across all levels to help ensure the company’s business practices are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

She will collaborate with FLT and its subsidiaries’ various stakeholders including the senior leadership team, employees, leisure and corporate customers, suppliers and partners to further develop and oversee the execution of strategies to deliver on the organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.

“Sustainability is an area that is extremely important to our company, our people and our leisure and corporate customers,” FLT Managing Director Graham Turner said.

“While we have always had a strong commitment to operating sustainability, as evidenced by the vast array of programmes and initiatives that are deeply embedded within our organisational culture, we are committed to enhancing our record in the future. Michelle’s appointment to this newly created role underlines this commitment and follows the release of our first sustainability report earlier this year.”

Berjaya Makati’s sentence eased

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TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, 1 February 2022: The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) has shortened the Berjaya Makati Hotel’s suspension over a Covid-19 rule infraction from three to two months.

The Philippines News Agency report said DOT considered the welfare of hotel staff who would suffer from a lengthy closure.

The hotel was suspended after allowing Gwyneth Chua, a traveller from the US, to leave its premises while still undergoing mandatory quarantine in December last year.

Chua was seen at a bar in Poblacion, Makati and later tested positive for Covid-19.

Berjaya’s PHP13,200 fine for violation of health and safety protocols remains. The hotel management has since implemented stricter measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future, the report stated.

(Source: PNA)

ASEAN adopts new logo

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 1 February 2022: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) introduced recently a new logo and a tagline, “A Destination For Every Dream”.

The new promotional collateral came from the US branding experts ELMNTL, a full-service marketing and communications agency.

The new logo and tagline replace the first generation “Southeast Asia Feel the warmth” logo that had a long career dating back to its launch in 2010. It was coupled with the introduction of a supporting website www.southeastAsia.org. At the time, USAID funds got the website up and running with the aim of driving direct bookings from travel consumers to member countries. Then a decade later in 2020 at the ATF in Brunei, it was refreshed marketing-wise with Mastercard stepping in to drive a two-year consumer campaign that expired in December 2021.

Finally, last month, ASEAN unveiled a branding replacement. The new logo features 10 “spokes”, each representing member states, to form the sun in a harmonious balance. The contemporary take of the sun symbolises vitality and renewal and conveys a “propelling” movement that speaks of the future-facing aspirations of Southeast Asia or so the designers argued.

The tagline “A Destination For Every Dream” embodies the concept of diversity and possibilities in travel in this region. With a panoply of historical sights, cuisines, adventures, cultures, natural landscapes, and modern metropolis, everyone can be sure of having their travel dreams fulfilled with a visit to Southeast Asia.

“The Southeast Asia region is beautifully diverse in so many ways, from culture and cuisine to natural landscapes and people, and we want to share all these with the wider world. This new creative direction for ASEAN is timely as we emerge from the pandemic with a renewed purpose to market Southeast Asia to those looking for their next dream holiday,” said the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Partnership Working Group chair and Singapore Tourism Board’s executive director, international Group HQ and Oceania Oliver Chong,

Expedia tops LGBTQ equality score

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TTR WEEKLY
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SEATTLE, 1 February 2022: Human Rights Campaign (HRC) awarded Expedia Group a top score of 100 on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

The results of the 2022 CEI showcase how 1,271 U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the US and helping to advance the cause of LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplaces abroad.

“I am proud of the work Expedia Group has done to earn a top score on the Corporate Equality Index for the sixth year in a row,” said Expedia Group chief inclusion and diversity officer Michael Davis Velasco. “There’s still plenty of work to do and progress to make, and we remain focused on playing a role in building a more inclusive world.”

In support of furthering inclusivity, Expedia Group signed HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. In collaboration with the Expedia Group’s Inclusion and Diversity team, the company’s Pride Employee Resource Group and Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Inclusion Advisory Council engage in critical work every day to elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts internally and help rebuild travel in a way that helps everyone feel invited to explore the world.

Now in its 20th year, the Corporate Equality Index raised the bar to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere. The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million US workers and an additional 18 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid-to-large-sized companies.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

  • Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
  • Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
  • Supporting an inclusive culture;
  • Corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

(Source: Expedia)

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