SINGAPORE, 17 December 2024: Aircalin, the international airline of the South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia, has confirmed an order with Airbus for two long-range A350-900 aircraft.
Currently, the airline’s widebody fleet comprises two A330neo aircraft. The airline plans to configure its A350s in a three-class premium layout offering accommodation for more than 320 passengers. This would include an enlarged business class and represent an increase in capacity of 15% compared with the A330neo.
Photo credit: Airbus. Aircalin orders two A350-900s.
“As a continuation of our long-standing partnership with Airbus, we have selected the A350-900 to join our fleet in the coming years. These aircraft are essential for operating our recently inaugurated Nouméa-Paris via Bangkok route. They will open the doors to very long-haul flights and enable Aircalin to pursue its development strategy,” said Aircalin CEO Georges Selefen
The A350’s clean sheet design includes new generation engines and the use of lightweight materials, bringing a 25% advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and carbon dioxide (CO ₂) emissions compared to previous generation competitor aircraft.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A350 can operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims to have its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030.
BANGKOK, 17 December 2024: As the holiday season approaches, hoteliers are preparing for a surge of travellers seeking warmer climates this year.
Amadeus’ forward-looking business intelligence data reveals the destinations currently recording the top hotel occupancy rates for Christmas and New Year’s (22 December to 4 January), showing year-on-year growth in some major markets worldwide.
According to Amadeus Demand360 data as of 2 December 2024, global hotel occupancy is up 4% from 2023. The top destinations for holiday travel are:
1. Lihue, Hawaii 93%
2. Montego Bay, Jamaica 91%
3. Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam 88%
4. Aruba 86%
5. Queenstown, New Zealand 86%
6. Macau, China 86%
7. La Romana, Dominican Republic 85%
8. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 85%
9. Bridgetown, Barbados 84%
10. Cebu, Philippines 84%
While the popularity of the Caribbean and Asia Pacific (APAC) remains consistent, the top 10 list of countries is very different to last year’s. China is a new addition to the list, and most of these top destinations have individually seen substantial growth from last year. For example, Lihue in Hawaii has seen a 13% increase from 2023 in hotel occupancy, from 82% to 93%. Cebu, a waterfront city in the Philippines, has seen a 20% increase from 70% to 84% from last year.
The data also highlights significant growth in hotel occupancy at a regional level across Europe (13%), China (10%), Latin America (8%), Asia (9%) and the Caribbean (5%) from last year. Comparatively, growth in hotel average daily rate (ADR) is also seen across these markets, with the Caribbean up 15% and Latin America 9% on 2023 prices.
“The growth we are seeing this year in hotel occupancy in the international markets is positive news for hoteliers worldwide. Warm weather climates are very popular during the holiday season, and it’s interesting to see the shift towards exploring new destinations. The data highlights the continued, growing enthusiasm for travel and presents a real opportunity for hoteliers to understand what is going on in their markets and launch marketing campaigns to tap into this demand. By having access to these forward-looking insights, hoteliers can also better prepare their staff for peaks in occupancy and optimise their revenue strategies,” says Amadeus Vice President of Data Partnerships Hospitality, Katie Moro.
About Amadeus Amadeus technology powers the travel and tourism industry. An IBEX 35 company listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange (under AMS.MC), the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has recognised Amadeus for the last 11 years.
DOHA, 17 December 2024: Qatar Airways will relaunch daily flights to Canberra, the capital city of Australia, via Melbourne, effective December 2025.
Flying from its home base, Hamad International Airport, in Doha, the airline will deploy a Boeing 777 aircraft featuring a Q-suite business class cabin and complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi for all passengers. Flights for the new service are already on sale.
Photo credit: Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways ceased flights to Canberra during the global Covid-19 pandemic.
ACT Chief Minister, Andrew Barr said the announcement that Qatar will resume international flights out of Canberra (via Melbourne) is great news going into a big five years for tourism.
He said: “It’s a timely boost to our local tourism industry with aviation access being the biggest driver to growth in the sector and it’s great news for Canberrans wanting to travel overseas, particularly to Europe, the UK and the Middle East.
“Qatar Airways’ return will benefit the whole Canberra region, providing tourism, trade, investment and a range of business opportunities. It will also make an important contribution towards the Government’s goal of growing our tourism economy to AUD5 billion in visitor expenditure by 2030.”
The announcement, made on 15 December 2024 comes on top of the launch of sales of Virgin Australia’s new services from Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne** to over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, operated on Qatar Airways aircraft.
The Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia partnership, pending final regulatory approval, positions Virgin Australia to strongly compete in the international travel market, delivering increased competition, improved connectivity, and enhanced customer choice.
SINGAPORE, 17 December 2024: Emirates has taken home multiple gongs at the World Travel Awards 2024, including ‘World’s Leading Airline – First Class,’ ‘World’s Leading Airline – Brand,’ ‘World’s Leading Airline – Inflight Entertainment’ and ‘World’s Leading Airline – Rewards Programme.’
The airline was also recognised as ‘Best Airline App Worldwide’ and ‘Best Airline App in the Middle East’ at the World Travel Tech Awards 2024.
The ceremony was held at the Savoy Palace in Madeira, Portugal.
Emirates’ Country Manager in Portugal, David Quinto, accepted the awards for the airline. The World Travel Awards (WTA) is one of the industry’s most prestigious events – acknowledging, rewarding and celebrating excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. The World Travel Tech Awards recognises and celebrates excellence in travel technology.
Emirates is focused on consistently delivering the best service, continually investing to elevate the onboard experience, and launching industry-first concepts to expand the ecosystem of loyalty, including:
Rolling out 36 fully refurbished aircraft (26 A380s and 10 Boeing 777s) with new interiors that include highly lauded Premium Economy as part of its multi-billion dollar retrofit programme.
Emirates’ First-Class experience continues to set the industry benchmark for excellence with fully enclosed private suites, ‘dine on demand’ service, and A380 Shower Spa. The airline recently enhanced its wine in the sky experience with the launch of ‘L’art du vin’ – a bespoke wine course for cabin crew to serve customers even better with acclaimed wines and rare vintages.
Emirates recently expanded its already vast inflight entertainment catalogue, collaborating with Spotify – the world’s most popular audio-streaming subscription service – to offer customers a wide array of podcasts and playlists in the sky.
Emirates Skywards’ 33 million members worldwide ‘earn better’ and ‘spend better’ with more than 200 brand partnerships, ranging from airlines, hotels, and car rentals to financial, leisure and lifestyle brands. Skywards attracts more than 120,000 new members every month who redeem Miles on a range of fantastic rewards, including flight tickets and upgrades on Emirates, flights with partner airlines, hotel stays, gift cards, hospitality at sporting and cultural events, tours, and money can’t buy experiences.
Emirates continues to enhance its digital experiences and integrate new technologies to make the travel experience even more seamless for customers. Recognised for offering the best functionality, user experience and a range of features – the Emirates app offers customers real-time flight updates, baggage tracking, an airport map guide, a chance to explore all fleet cabins in 3D, and the option to create bespoke playlists ahead of the flight. Earlier this year, Emirates was ranked in the top three in an independent benchmarking report of airline websites by Catchpoint, where Emirates.com was recognised as the only website to fall within the recommended page load time (total time for a page to fully display to a visitor) of under 5 seconds.
For more information or to book tickets, visitemirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.
DELHI, 17 December 2024: Air India Express confirms it will launch a twice-weekly service between Mangalore, India and Singapore in mid-January 2025, making it the first flight from Mangalore to a Southeast Asian destination.
Online timetable information schedules a twice-weekly flight on Tuesday and Friday using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The first flight will take off on 21 January 2025, departing Mangalow for Singapore.
Photo credit: Air India Express.
Bookings on the airline’s website opened this week.
Flight schedule
Flight IX862 departs Mangalore (IXE) at 0555 and arrives in Singapore (SIN) at 1325. (Tuesday and Friday). Flight IX861 departs Singapore (SIN) at 1425 and arrives in Mangalore (IXE) at 1655.
Flight time between Mangalore and Singapore is five hours.
Mangalore, a coastal city in Karnataka, India, offers tourist attractions catering to various interests — temples, heritage and beaches. There is a growing demand for air travel between Mangalore and Singapore, driven by business, tourism, and the large Indian diaspora in Singapore. Airlines have previously attempted to operate this route but discontinued services due to low passenger demand, which will remain a challenge for Air India Express.
Three Indian airlines serve Mangalore Airport — Air India, IndiGo and Air India Express. They serve domestic routes and flights to gateway cities in the Middle East, such as Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Muscat. Singapore is the first destination in Asia to be served out of Mangalore Airport.
BANGKOK, Thailand, 16 December 2024: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has announced the issuance of its first Sustainability-Linked Bond (SLB), marking a major milestone in the company’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) excellence.
The THB1 billion five-year bond, arranged by UOB, links financing costs directly to Centara’s performance on two key sustainability performance targets (SPTs):
Reducing water consumption intensity across its properties;
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity in its hotel operations.
This innovative bond issuance reflects Centara’s dedication to integrating sustainability into its business practices while actively contributing to the global push toward a low-carbon future.
“Our first sustainability-linked bond reinforces our commitment to a more sustainable hospitality industry,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration, Gun Srisompong. “By embedding ESG principles into our financing framework, we’re not only accelerating our efforts to reduce our environmental impact but also setting measurable goals that drive accountability and progress.”
Centara’s SLB aligns with the company’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes eliminating single-use plastics across all properties, achieving Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification for every property by 2025, reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions by 40% by 2029, with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The bond, which will be issued on 11 December 2024, is offered to institutional investors (II) and high-net-worth individuals (HNW), reflecting strong market confidence in Centara’s sustainability-driven vision. Aligned with the Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles (SLBP) set by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), this issuance ensures adherence to global standards for sustainable finance.
Centara’s commitment to sustainability underscores its goals of becoming a leader in sustainable hospitality and a Top 100 Global Hotel Operator by 2027.
KUCHING, Sarawak, Malaysia, 16 December 2024: In a significant step toward strengthening cross-border tourism, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) partnered with AirAsia to host the Sarawak Gateway to Borneo Roadshow in Jakarta and Balikpapan last week.
The initiative strengthened ties with Indonesia, reflecting a shared commitment to creating seamless travel experiences for visitors from both destinations.
Sarawak Tourism Board delegates with local media during the Media Gathering Dinner at Penang Bistro, Central Park Mall, Jakarta.
The roadshow underscores Sarawak’s strategic positioning as the Gateway to Borneo — a launch pad for travellers to explore the entire Borneo Island, including Kalimantan, Sabah, and Brunei.
As the main entryway to Borneo, Sarawak offers a blend of travel experiences, from cultural heritage and natural wonders to adventure and business tourism. This collaboration highlights the importance of enhancing connectivity and tourism partnerships to boost regional travel.
Participants during the Sarawak Gateway to Borneo Roadshow in Balikpapan, Indonesia.
Indonesia consistently ranks among Sarawak’s top three source markets for visitor arrivals, making it a vital tourism partner. With the increased frequency of AirAsia flights from Jakarta to Kuching — from three times weekly to daily — travel between the two destinations has become more accessible and convenient.
Additionally, cross-border connectivity from Kalimantan Barat via land checkpoints further strengthens Sarawak’s accessibility, enabling Indonesian travellers from neighbouring provinces to explore Sarawak by road and vice versa. This expanded connectivity cements Sarawak’s role as a central hub for Indonesian travellers eager to experience Borneo’s diverse cultural and ecological landscapes.
The roadshow highlighted Sarawak’s appeal as a multi-faceted destination offering authentic cultural experiences, breathtaking nature, and meaningful community interactions.
Representatives from AirAsia, the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA), Tourism Malaysia Jakarta, and the Indonesian Travel Agents Association (ASTINDO) collaborated with Sarawak’s tourism, hospitality, and event stakeholders to spotlight its diverse travel offerings.
Key Sarawak partners participating in the roadshow included travel agents and tour operators such as Cat City Holidays, Ping Sing Travel & Tours, and Great Leap Tours. Hotel representatives from Hemisphere Corporation and Imperial Hotel showcased premium accommodations with thoughtful services tailored to travellers’ comfort and convenience.
Business Events Sarawak also participated in, presenting Sarawak’s rising profile as a sought-after destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).
Sarawak’s travel ecosystem offers personalised itineraries that balance cultural discovery, adventure, and relaxation. Visitors can explore iconic attractions such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Mulu National Park and the newly designated Niah National Park. Additionally, the Sarawak Delta Geopark, recognised as Malaysia’s sixth national geopark in 2022, is on track to achieving UNESCO Global Geopark status by 2026, offering immersive nature-based experiences close to home for Indonesian travellers.
Emerging Muslim-friendly attractions further enhance Sarawak’s appeal with thoughtfully designed amenities, prayer facilities, and culturally enriching experiences tailored for Muslim travellers.
As close neighbours, Indonesia and Sarawak share a deep cultural bond that transcends borders,” said STB’s ASEAN and Domestic Marketing Director Barbara Benjamin Atan. “With daily direct flights, cross-border connectivity, and a shared heritage, Indonesian travellers can easily explore Sarawak’s breathtaking landscapes, unique culture, and warm hospitality in a familiar travel environment yet offers something new and exciting. We look forward to building stronger partnerships that create rewarding travel experiences for both destinations.”
SINGAPORE, 16 December 2024: Oceania Cruises will usher in 2025 with more than 100 global voyages in 2025 and 2026 with deals on amenities.
On bookings through 31 January 2025, travellers will receive up to a four-category stateroom upgrade, plus the choice of one amenity: free or reduced air, a premium drinks package (unlimited wine, beer and spirits) or a shipboard credit of up to USD1,000 per stateroom. The extra amenity and the stateroom upgrade are available for 105 global sailings — 79 in 2025 and 26 in 2026.
Photo credit: Oceania Cruises.
The New Year Sale features a wide array of sailings worldwide on voyages ranging from six to 30 days.
Featured sailings in Asia
Indian Ocean Opus: 24 Days from Cape Town to Singapore aboard Sirena®, departing 2 December 2025. Begins in South Africa before journeying to remote Indian Ocean islands, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.
Outback to Verdant Bali: 14 Days from Sydney to Bali aboard Riviera, departing 8 February 2026. Visit Australia’s eastern shores, where the vast Great Barrier Reef invites exploration, before journeying to Indonesia’s Bali.
A Shogun’s Welcome: 12 Days roundtrip from Tokyo aboard Regatta®, departing 22 March, 2026. Experience Japanese life in off-the-beaten-path destinations in both Honshu, Japan’s multifaceted mainland and Hokkaido, its island neighbour to the north.
SINGAPORE, 16 December 2024: Fusion Resort & Villas Da Nang has now fully opened by introducing the new flagship Maia Spa, one of the largest of its kind in Vietnam, boasting specialised facilities, including a heated indoor pool, a fully equipped fitness centre and a dedicated yoga studio.
The property has appointed Mario Mendis as its general manager, a seasoned international hotelier with a wealth of expertise spanning more than 25 years managing properties in Australia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bermuda, Thailand, and Vietnam. Most recently, he served as general manager of the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
Set against the backdrop of Non Nuoc Beach, Fusion Resort & Villas Da Nang features 85 private villas ranging from one to five bedrooms and a 157-room tower, which includes 29 rooms with private sky pools.
The resort is located between Danang, the gateway city to beach resorts in central Vietnam and the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An, just 15km from Danang International Airport. The property is close to two golf courses and the popular attractions of Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills, making it a retreat for leisure travellers and wellness enthusiasts.
SINGAPORE, 16 December 2024: Bangkok leads Agoda’s tally of its top five international flight destinations during 2024 based on bookings sold on the digital travel platform.
Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok (two airports — DMK and BKK), topped the list for international flight destination bookings transacted via Agoda. Singapore followed with Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo in third to fifth place. Tokyo is a new entry, replacing Ho Chi Minh City compared to last year’s list.
Photo credit: Airports of Thailand — Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).
Agoda bookings: 2024 most popular international flight destinations
1. Bangkok, Thailand 2. Singapore 3. Seoul, South Korea 4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 5. Tokyo, Japan
Agoda also reports that in 2024, most international passengers booking flights through its platform originated from Singapore, followed by Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia. These outbound travel markets demonstrate a keen interest in exploring global destinations, adding to the dynamic travel landscape within the Asia-Pacific region.
Agoda’s top outbound travel markets for flight sales
1. Singapore 2. Thailand 3. South Korea 4. Japan 5. Indonesia
Agoda Senior Vice President, Supply Andrew Smith commented: “Each of the top flight destinations has a special charm that draws people. These destinations continue to attract visitors with their unique blend of modern attractions and cultural heritage.
Agoda delivers booking sales on an inventory of 4.5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities.
