Monday, April 28, 2025
Home Blog Page 584

The Philippines readies to reopen to tourists

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

MANILA, 1 February 2022: The Philippines will open its tourism door to fully vaccinated travellers starting 10 February, according to a government statement released at the weekend.

Earlier, the country had planned to welcome tourists back in December but delayed the opening when the more contagious Omicron variant gained a footing.

“The (reopening) will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and for businesses that had earlier shut down,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said in a statement on the revised opening date.

Quarantine requirements for Filipinos end today, 1 February. 

Meanwhile, tourism officials in Boracay welcomed the latest update noting foreign tourists have been unable to visit for close to two years. They are speeding up the issue of guidelines and protocols, but it is understood Boracay will still require negative PCR test results and proof of vaccination when visiting the island.

Commenting on recovery prospects, officials conceded it could take up to five years to get back to normal. In the meantime, Boracay did welcome around 33,000 domestic visitors during January.

Emirates restores flights to Africa

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

DUBAI, UAE, 31 January 2022: Emirates resumed passenger operations between Dubai and five African countries 29 January, offering customers improved connectivity to and through Dubai.

The restoration of services includes Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dar El Salaam, Tanzania; Nairobi, Kenya; Harare, Zimbabwe; Emirates’ three South African gateways, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Customers flying in and out of Emirates’ African gateways can safely connect to Dubai and to an array of onwards connections to Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, West Asia and Australasia.

South Africa flights

Daily flights between Dubai and South Africa started from Johannesburg, effective 29 January and double daily services from 1 February. Flights to and from Cape Town and Durban will operate daily from 1 February.

o   Emirates flight EK 761 departs Dubai at 0440, arriving in Johannesburg at 1055. EK 762 departs Johannesburg at 1325, arriving in Dubai at 2345hrs. The second daily flight, EK 763, departs Dubai at 1005, arriving in Johannesburg at 1630. The return flight, EK 764, leaves Johannesburg at 1850, arriving in Dubai at 0505 the next day.

o   EK 772 from Dubai to Cape Town departs at 0355hrs, arriving in Cape Town at 1145hrs. EK 771 leaves Cape Town at 1825, arriving in Dubai at 0555 the next day. EK 775 departs Dubai at 1035, arriving in Durban at 1705, and EK 776 takes off from Durban at 1900, arriving in Dubai at 0515hrs the next day.

Kenya flights

Emirates is now served by 10 weekly flights to Nairobi. EK 719 and 720 will operate on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, taking off from Dubai at 0935 and arriving in Nairobi at 1345, in turn leaving Nairobi at 1530, and landing in Dubai at 2130. EK 721 and 722 will fly on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with EK 721 taking off from Dubai at 0210, arriving in Nairobi at 0620. EK 722 will leave Nairobi at 2355, arriving in Dubai at 0555.

Ethiopia: Emirates flights to Addis Ababa will operate daily started 30 January, with EK 723 taking off from Dubai at 0925, arriving in Addis Ababa at 1240. EK 724 departs Addis Ababa at 1505 and arrives in Dubai at 2015.

Tanzania flights

Emirates flies to Dar Es Salaam five times a week. EK 725 will take off from Dubai at 0930, arriving in Dar Es Salaam at 1355. EK 726 will leave Dar Es Salaam at 1525, landing in Dubai at 2150.

Zimbabwe flights

Emirates flies to Harare with six weekly flights linked to its Lusaka service. EK 713 leaves Dubai at 0920, with a stop in Lusaka, and arrives in Harare at 1700. EK 714 takes off from Harare at 1845, stopping in Lusaka, and continuing on to Dubai to arrive at 0625 the next day.

All passengers travelling from Emirates’ African network with Dubai as their final destination require a 48 hour PCR test. Passengers must present a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code for a test conducted at an approved facility, and validity must be calculated from the time the sample was collected. Upon arrival in Dubai, passengers will undergo an additional Covid-19 PCR test and remain in self-quarantine until the results of the test are received.

Passengers travelling from these destinations and transiting in Dubai are required to follow the rules and requirements of their final destination.

For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai visit: – https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/tourists/

All flights can be booked on emirates.com, with OTAs and via travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Tip of Borneo temporarily closed

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 31 January 2022: One of Kudat’s main tourist attractions, the Tip of Borneo Tanjung Simpang Mengayau is closed for upgrading and renovation works that got underway on 28 January.

Popular among the locals, Tip of Borneo was also promoted by Sabah Tourism through international events such as the Sunset Music Fest and the Music & Surf Festival. Kudat became well-known for its beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear turquoise water. The locals also favour Kudat for its fresh seafood and cultural attractions such as the Sumangkap Gong Village, Tinangol Handicraft Village, Walai Tobilung and the Bavanggazo longhouse.

 “We proposed to upgrade the Tip of Borneo area to enhance and improve the facilities there. We have already obtained funding approval under the State Project Development RMK12,” said YB Datuk Jafry Ariffin, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah.

“Once completed, visitors will expect upgraded facilities such as resting huts, walkways, toilets, viewing platform, souvenir shop and a reception & information centre,” Jafry added.

March last year, the Tun Mustapha Museum, Kudat’s very own museum, was completed under the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK11) while MYR1 million has been allocated to develop Balambangan Cave, another attraction just an hour boat ride from Kudat Marina jetty.

In 2018, the 11-hectare Tip of Borneo was gazetted for community purposes and put under the care of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah.

Website | www.sabahtourism.com

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

AirAsia Group is now Capital A

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 January 2022: AirAsia Group Berhad has changed its name to Capital A Berhad to reflect the push into non-airline activities.

The change reflects the group’s evolving business strategy as an investment holding company with a portfolio of synergistic travel and lifestyle businesses, which have rapidly transformed the AirAsia brand into much more than just an airline.

(Second from left)  Colin Currie, President (Commercial) of Capital A and CEO, AirAsia Digital Sdn Bhd; Bo Lingam, President (Aviation) and Group CEO, AirAsia Aviation Limited; Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A.

Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes explained: “This is not just about unveiling a new logo. It’s a significant milestone that marks a new era for the group. Today’s announcement reinforces we are not just an airline anymore.

“While the airline will always underpin the AirAsia brand, it has long been my firm intention, well before Covid hit, to leverage the strong data we have built up over 20 years and incorporate industry-leading new technologies to offer a broad range of products and services, over and above selling just airfares. The pandemic has allowed us to accelerate that strategy.”

He called Capital A “essentially an investment company with a broad portfolio of businesses delivering more products and services under one umbrella than any other brand in ASEAN and with access to over 700 million people in the region.”

The group has 16 products and services under the AirAsia Super App and claims to be one of the top three online travel agents (OTAs) in the ASEAN region.

“We already have over 50 million monthly unique visitors on our super app, which has been recognised as a tech unicorn in under two years, our fintech business BigPay, has been given a significant injection of USD100million from South Korea conglomerate SK Group and overall we have raised over MYR2.5 billion to date through our fundraising strategy.”

On the airline, he stressed: “While Capital A will be the new group holding company name, one thing that isn’t changing is the AirAsia brand name for our airlines. It’s one of the strongest brands in Asia and provides a solid platform for all of our other products and services to leverage from each other. 

The new holding company name, Capital A, is immediately effective following the successful registration of the name by the Companies Commission of Malaysia announced on 3 January and the subsequent formal approvals received last week.

The name change from AirAsia Group Berhad to Capital A Berhad will not affect the company’s ongoing operations. The AirAsia stock name on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad will change with immediate effect to reflect the new company name.

The website address: capitala.airasia.com

Scoot rebuilds Southeast Asian routes

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 31 January 2022: Scoot is resuming flights to Vietnam following the country’s decision to reopen to international travellers. 

Late last week, it started four weekly roundtrip flights between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City and planned to return to Hanoi with a twice-weekly service beginning 22 February.

Lead-in fares on the Singapore – Ho Chi Minh City route start at SGD111(VND1,175,474) all-inclusive, one-way, and lead-in fares for Singapore – Hanoi start at SGD150 (VND 1,735,474).

In addition to Scoot’s current network in Malaysia, the airline will launch two weekly flights between Singapore and Miri from 23 February 2022. It is the second city the airline serves in Sarawak, following flights to the state capital, Kuching. Lead-in one-way fares on the Singapore – Miri route start at SGD100 (MYR185.

Last week Scoot confirmed it was resuming flights between Singapore and the Gold Coast, Australia, and with flights to Miri, Scoot’s network encompasses 71 destinations across 17 countries and territories.

Flight Schedule for Singapore- Ho Chi Minh services (26 January – 21 February 2022)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency
Singapore (SIN) – Ho Chi Minh (SGN) TR302 1610 1715 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Ho Chi Minh (SGN) – Singapore (SIN) TR303 1755 2105 Daily

All times are local. Schedules are subject to changes and regulatory approval.

Flight Schedule for Singapore- Hanoi services (22 February – 26 March 2022)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency
Singapore (SIN) – Hanoi (HAN) TR300 0800 1030 Tuesday, Saturday
Hanoi (HAN) – Singapore (SIN) TR301 1110 1545 Tuesday, Saturday

Flight Schedule for Singapore- Hanoi services (22 February – 26 March 2022)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency
Singapore (SIN) – Hanoi (HAN) TR300 0800 1030 Tuesday, Saturday
Hanoi (HAN) – Singapore (SIN) TR301 1110 1545 Tuesday, Saturday

(Source: Scoot)

PG goes double daily to Phnom Penh

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 31 January 2022: Bangkok Airways will increase direct service between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) to twice-daily starting 1 February as travel between the two cities begins to recover. 

Bangkok Airways adds services between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) using an Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft. The outbound flight PG935 departs Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi International airport) at 1720 and arrives at Phnom Penh International Airport at 1835. The inbound flight PG936 leaves Phnom Penh International airport at 1925 and arrives in Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi International airport) at 2040.

The timetable shows roundtrip flights between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) – Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

Route

Flight

Departure

Arrival

BKK – PNH

PG931

08.50

10.05

PG935

17.20

18.35

 PNH – BKK

PG932

10.55

12.10

PG936

19.25

20.40

The airline also offers an extra 10 kg baggage allowance for all passengers on Bangkok–Phnom Penh flights. It gives economy passengers a 30-kg baggage allowance and business class passengers  50 kg until 26 March 2022.

Bamboo Airways flies to Frankfurt

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HANOI, 31 January 2022: Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways will launch a new nonstop service to Frankfurt starting 25 February.

According to the airline’s press statement, it plans twice-weekly flights initially from Ho Chi Minh City using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Ticket sales opened on 24 January on the airline’s website, mobile applications at ticket offices and authorised travel agents nationwide.

The airline management said it is also considering expanding the German flights to either Munich or Berlin but stressed it depends on how well the Frankfurt flight performs commercially.

In a related move, the airline has appointed Aviareps Germany as its international General Sales Agent covering representation, marketing and communications in Europe.

The Frankfurt route is the first of a planned expansion that will see the airline add other services in Europe.

The expansion will continue with Ho Chi Minh City services to Melbourne, Australia 19 February and from Hanoi to London starting 22 March.

Since January this year, the airline has operated scheduled flights to Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand and is planning to launch flights to Laos, Cambodia and the US.

(Source: Tourism Information Technology Center)

Middle East hotels eye recovery

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

LONDON, 31 January 2022: The Middle East hotel industry reports revenue per available room (RevPAR) reaching 85.6% of the pre-pandemic comparable, the highest among the global regions according to year-end 2021 data from STR.

“Year-end data displays the significant variance in recovery by region, stemming from different levels of pandemic restrictions around the world,” said Robin Rossmann, managing director at STR.

“The Middle East has been a leader in both opening to international arrivals as well as hosting large events, such as Expo 2020, which has driven hotel performance in Dubai. On the other side of the spectrum, there are areas, such as Europe, where recovery has stalled due to the reimplementation of COVID restrictions. As we get further into 2022 and subsequent lockdowns phase out, we expect recovery to resume.”

USD constant currency, 2021 (percentage change from 2019):

Europe

  • Occupancy: 43.3% (-40.0%)
  • Average daily rate (ADR): US$125.54 (-6.9%)
  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$54.35 (-44.2%)

Asia

  • Occupancy: 48.8% (-28.9%)
  • ADR: US$73.31 (-24.1%)
  • RevPAR: US$35.78 (-46.0%)

Australia & Oceania

  • Occupancy: 47.2% (-36.3%)
  • ADR: US$142.60 (-2.4%)
  • RevPAR: US$67.24 (-37.8%)

Middle East

  • Occupancy: 56.5% (-14.1%)
  • ADR: US$141.16 (-0.3%)
  • RevPAR: US$79.77 (-14.4%)

Africa

  • Occupancy: 40.1% (-34.0%)
  • ADR: US$102.64 (-0.6%)
  • RevPAR: US$41.12 (-34.4%)

North America

  • Occupancy: 56.6% (-14.0%)
  • ADR: US$124.08 (-4.8%)
  • RevPAR: US$70.17 (-18.2%)

South America

  • Occupancy: 40.6% (-30.5%)
  • ADR: US$65.92 (-4.2%)
  • RevPAR: US$26.79 (-33.4%)

(Source: STR)

Danang tops tourism index

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

DANANG, 28 January 2022: Danang, a popular gateway city to Vietnam’s central region, gained the top spot in the Vietnam Tourism Competitiveness index (VTCI), Vietnam News Agency reported Thursday.

City officials attributed its success to high-quality transport and tourism service infrastructure, a readiness to apply advanced information and technology as well as environmental sustainability.

Released on 18 January, the National Tourism Advisory Board and the Private Economic Development Research Board’s rankings appraised 15 tourist destinations across Vietnam based on the business environment, infrastructure, sustainable development, natural and cultural resources.

Danang gained an overall score of 4.7 points, followed by Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, and Thua Thien-Hue with 4.68, 4.56, 4.55 and 4.52 points, respectively. Hanoi was ranked sixth and Ho Chi Minh City eighth.

Hanoi ranked first in cultural resources, while Lam Dong and Quang Nam earned the highest scores in natural resources and price competitiveness.

VTCI is funded by the European Union Delegation and supported by the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board. It aims to promote the tourism competitiveness of each locality and contribute to developing the economy.

(Source: VNA)

TAT India offices launch online training

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 28 January 2022: The Tourism Authority of Thailand Mumbai and New Delhi Offices have launched the ‘Thailand Specialist Programme’, an industry-focused online training course for Indian travel advisors and operators to update themselves on existing and new attractions and offerings in Thailand.

TAT Mumbai Office director Cholada Siddhivarn said: “This online training course provides advisors with the inspiration, knowledge, and confidence to create unforgettable itineraries to sell (and upsell) clients for their trips to the Land of Smiles. On completion of the ‘Thailand Specialist Programme’, our trade partners will not only expand their knowledge and expertise of the country, including discovering off-the-beaten-track attractions, but they will also be kept up to date with the latest news and information from TAT.”

The ‘Thailand Specialist Programme’ helps those promoting and selling Thailand’s travel packages to better understand the destination through a range of topics from history and food to culture and events.

Eight training modules

1) What makes Thailand Amazing;
2) Central Thailand;
3) Northern & Northeastern Thailand;
4) Eastern Thailand;
5) Southern Thailand: Andaman Sea;
6) Southern Thailand: Gulf of Thailand;
7) Discover Thailand: Communities & Local Experiences;
8) Matching your clients’ needs with the right products.

Upon successful completion of the eight modules, participants will receive a TAT-accredited travel specialist certificate they can display.

TAT New Delhi Office director Vachirachai Sirisumpan added: “Thailand is one of the favourite destinations for Indian tourists, and many travel agents are well aware and know Thailand very well. Therefore, as Thailand is gradually reopening the country for fully vaccinated international tourists, including those from India, the ‘Thailand Specialist Programme would be a tool kit for travel agents both front-line, products, and marketing teams to further update themselves about Thailand on both popular and upcoming products and services in various destinations across the kingdom.”

Travel advisors, operators and trade partners can sign up for the ‘Thailand Specialist programme’ at https://tourismthailand.in/thailand-specialist-programme/

For the latest Thailand’s tourism information and some useful tips for visitors to the kingdom visit: www.tatnews.org.

(Your Stories: TAT)

1...583584585...597Page 584 of 597

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.