Screenshot of CS Travel’s website on March 23

SINGAPORE-BASED CS Travel (CST) has been suspended from carrying on the business of a travel agent from March 18 to April 17, according to an advisory by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

During the period of suspension, CST is required to fulfil its existing contractual obligations to its customers but will not be allowed to accept new travel bookings.

CST has been slapped with the temporary suspension for having contravened provisions under Singapore’s Travel Agents Regulations.

STB stated that they have received 12 consumer complaints since 2013 relating to CST’s lack of professionalism and poor service standards.

According to Ruth Lim, spokesperson for CS Travel, “the agency is currently serving her month long suspension over a complaint case that occurred last year. We are still bringing tour groups out of Singapore and taking in balance payments from our customers, business is as per normal, the only activity we are unable to do during this period is the taking in of new bookings”.

“We have since improved and would like to assure all that this will not occur again,” she added.

AIRPORT taxis will soon be available globally on Amadeus booking solutions in partnership with Dutch-based company Taxi Tender, allowing travellers to pre-arrange taxi pick-ups at airports via travel agents as well as directly from airline and airport websites.

The rates are also discounted using Taxi Tender’s proprietary system which calculates average taxi fares for the route, then auctions the business to local taxi and transfer companies who then bids for the job.

“After a thorough selection process, we opted for Taxi Tender to become one of our providers. Now we can jointly provide all players in the travel industry – worldwide and across all channels – a comprehensive and transparent service offering,” said Peter Altmann, head of Amadeus cars & transfers.

ACCORDING to the annual Economic Impact Report 2016 by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism sector added 7.2 million jobs to the global economy and contributed over US$ 7.2 trillion to worldwide GDP last year, or 9.8 per cent of global GDP.

David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC, noted the sector’s significant 3.7 per cent growth and resilience despite uncertainty in the global economy and challenges to the sector last year, including “terror attacks, disease outbreaks, currency fluctuations and geopolitical challenges”.

He added: “Travel and tourism also supported a total of 284 million jobs in 2015, an increase of 7.2 million, which means it now supports, directly and indirectly, one in 11 jobs on the planet.”

The sector’s direct contribution to GDP growth outpaced overall GDP country growth in 127 of the 184 countries covered by the research. This trend was most marked in countries including Iceland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Uganda.

The growth of the sector has been attributed to a worldwide increase in middle-class households, an ageing population, which tends to travel more, and growing connectivity between destinations, making travel more accessible and affordable.

While all regions of the world showed growth in GDP contribution, South-east Asia was the fastest growing with a 7.9 per cent increase followed by South Asia, which grew 7.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Middle East grew 5.9 per cent, the Caribbean 5.1 per cent, Sub-Saharan Africa 3.3 per cent, North America 3.1 per cent, Europe 2.5 per cent, North-east Asia 2.1 per cent, Latin America 1.5 per cent and North Africa 1.4 per cent.

In 2016, the sector is forecasted to grow by 3.5 per cent in total contribution to GDP, and is again expected to outpace global economic growth for the sixth consecutive year.

INDONESIA has finally decided to grant Australia’s travellers visa-free facilities despite the unlikelihood Indonesian passport holders will get the same treatment from the Australian government.

Australians were previously granted visa-free access into Indonesia, but got dropped from the list because Indonesian law stipulates the rights have to be given on a reciprocal basis.

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism is currently requesting that Australia give its citizens visa-free access since Indonesia is one of the biggest source markets for Australia, with the potential to grow even further.

Even if unsuccessful, the new policy remains a boon for Indonesia’s arrival numbers, according to Arief Yahya, Indonesia’s minister of tourism, who expects some 20 per cent growth in arrivals from Australia with the change.

Citizens from a total of 168 countries are now granted the right to enter Indonesia visa-free for 30 days via selected major entry and exit points in the country.

Exterior of Brussels Airport after the bombing. Credit: @News_Executive

TOURISM organisations worldwide have swiftly shown their support for those affected by the bombings in Brussels yesterday, while at the same time condemning the attack and urging governments to work together to fight the global terrorism threat.

The bombings, which ISIS has claimed responsibility for, had resulted in at least 34 dead and more than 200 injured. Citizens of the US, Spain, and Sweden are among the injured.

Transportation hubs in Brussels were the targets in this attack, with Brussels Airport in Zaventem and Maelbeek station in the city center hit.

Two bombs first struck the airport at around 8.00 local time, killing 11. Both went off in the departure hall area, shattering window glass and sending ceiling tiles falling to the ground. The airport was shut down immediately and remains closed today, with flights either being cancelled or diverted.

After the attack on the airport, a third bomb later exploded at Maelbeek metro station at around 9.10, killing more than 20. Trains will remain running but at reduced frequencies.

The UNWTO expressed in an official statement its condolences to the families and friends of the victims soon after news of the attack, saying they are in “full solidarity with the people and the government of Belgium”.

Taleb Rifai, UNWTO secretary-general, added: “This is not an attack on Belgium, it is an attack on us all and sadly these tragic events remind us again that we are facing a global threat that needs to be addressed globally.”

David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC, also expressed his condolences, and went on to urge governments worldwide to work more closely to combat terrorism, to increase security measures on the ground, and to expand intelligence sharing.

“Enhancing security does not mean closing down borders. We encourage governments to make policy decisions that balance safety of their citizens with continuing to facilitate travel for business and leisure purposes,” he pointed out.

As well, Greeley Koch, executive director, Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), conveyed his sympathies, adding that “the best way to fight fear and intimidation is through duty of care programmes that protect and reassure travellers in proximity to senseless acts of terror.”

According to him, ACTE members, which consist of travel managers, in Europe and around the world, activated security programmes that located travellers and provided them with information critical to their safety as soon as they realised the danger.

Meanwhile, travel booking platforms such as Cologne-headquartered HRS have announced free cancellations for booked trips to Brussels as a service to their clients.

The situation in Brussels remain tense with the Belgian government having raised the security threat level in the country to its maximum. The US embassy in Brussels has also urged US citizens to avoid public places and mass transportation there, while warning of further attacks in Europe.

A perpetrator of the attack remain on the loose but local authorities have identified the man as 25-year-old Najim Laachraoui, and are on the hunt for him. Two other attackers seem to have committed suicide attacks.

SHANGRI-LA International in partnership with Malaysia’s Concorde Arch will be developing the first Hotel Jen in Kuala Lumpur, the second property under the brand to open in Malaysia following the signing of Hotel Jen Kota Kinabalu in September 2015.

Opening in 2019, the 200-room Hotel Jen Kuala Lumpur will be strategically located in Kuala Lumpur at the intersection of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan P Ramlee, 800 metres from the city’s landmark Petronas Twin Towers and 300 metres from the KL Tower.

The hotel will cater to both business and leisure travellers, being in close proximity to the central business district and Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), as well as being close to shopping malls, street markets and a range of restaurants and entertainment options.

Facilities at the 36-stories tall property include all-day dining restaurant Jen’s Kitchen, the Rooftop Sky Bar, an infinity lap pool, various meeting rooms and a club lounge.

The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

ICONIC Italian automotive company Ferrari has announced plans to build a branded theme park in China.

According to a statement released by Ferrari last week, they have entered into a non-binding MoU with Beijing Automotive Group and BAIC Eternaland Property “for the licensing of the design, construction and operation of a new Ferrari theme park to be located in one of the primary cities in mainland China.” No other details were given.

This isn’t the first Ferrari-branded theme park in the world. The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, located on Yas Island in the UAE, has been in operation since November 2010 and is currently the only Ferrari theme park worldwide.

Fiorano GT Challenge

The amusement park in Abu Dhabi features rides for both adults and children. Highlights include the world’s fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa; a duelling roller coaster, the Fiorano GT Challenge; and a Driving Experience where you get to drive around in an actual Ferrari sports car.