Japan’s government is planning to further ease border restrictions by removing the tourist visa requirements from some countries. This would also allow individual travellers to visit Japan without travel agency bookings.
Previously, Japan did not require tourist visas for 68 countries and regions. The lifting of these restrictions is a bid to entice visitors to the country, particularly with the weaker yen.
Japan may soon remove the tourist visa requirements from some countries; Tokyo pictured
Incoming travellers will still be need to have received three vaccine doses or submit a pre-arrival test to enter the country.
In addition, the country may scrap a daily cap on arrivals by October, having recently raised from 20,000 to 50,000 last week.
Prime minister Fumio Kishida will announce his decision over the next few days.
Vietjet now flies from Phu Quoc to New Delhi and Mumbai – the maiden flights took off on September 8 and September 9 respectively.
The airline is currently operating the most services between Vietnam and India with six direct routes from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc to New Delhi and Mumbai.
Vietjet has launched direct flights from Phu Quoc to New Delhi and Mumbai
Vietjet’s Indian footprints will expand to 17 direct routes by end of the year, connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Phu Quoc with the five largest cities of the South Asian country including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.
Jumeirah Bali has launched a new stay package to celebrate the tropical romance of Bali and presents activities for couples to help them create memories and rekindle their romance.
The Romantic Getaway package includes a two-night stay in a luxury villa, daily in-villa floating breakfast experience, airport concierge service, welcome gift from Talise Spa, daily 60-minute Tantra Yoga session, romantic dinner, couples’ spa treatment and more.
Rekindle the romance with Jumeirah Bali’s Romantic Getaway package
Jumeirah Bali’s Romantic Getaway package starts at US$1,100 per night and is valid for bookings till December 22, 2023 for stays till December 22, 2023.
Six top-performing wholesale product managers from Australia, a key source market for Singapore, went on a five-day action-packed fam trip around the Lion City recently in a programme crafted by WebBeds and the Singapore Tourism Board.
For many of the participants, it was their first chance to explore Singapore since the removal of travel restrictions, and the immersive itinerary allowed them to discover new wonders of the destination. Some of the highlights included a powerboat adventure; a culture trip to Kampong Gelam, Singapore’s Malay-Arab quarters; and a VIP tour of the Singapore Night Safari.
From January to July 2022, 193,750 Australians travelled to Singapore. Prior to the global pandemic in 2019, Singapore welcomed 1.14 million Australians.
WebBeds noted that the travel trade plays a “pivotal role” in the travel rebound – its data shows a 15 per cent jump in business from Australia compared to the same period pre-pandemic.
The Singapore fam trip marked the latest phase of WebBeds’ mission to boost global travel and encourage cross-border collaboration.
Takashi Hoshino is the new general manager of Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach, bringing with him over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry.
He has rich experience in launching new hotels with Okura Nikko Hotels, having joined several pre-opening offices where he set up a sales channel and IT system for Room Division such as OTA, wholesaler, metasearch, PMS, and more.
Anjali Masih is the new director of human resources at Kuramathi Maldives. She brings over two decades of experience in several hospitality brands and owning companies in the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to joining Kuramathi, she was the director of human resources & training in The Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah.
In her new role, she will champion an inclusive culture of growth and create a sustainable workforce by emphasising team building, colleague development, succession planning and improving overall employee welfare.
The Association of the Travel Agencies in Indonesia (ASTINDO) held its ASTINDO Hybrid Travel Fair 2022 in partnership with Bank BCA in early September, joining other travel-related businesses in Indonesia racing to capture the country’s pent-up demand for outbound travel.
Bank BCA had also partnered with Singapore Airlines for a travel fair earlier this year, while Kompas Daily and Bank Mandiri organised a similar fair last weekend. Just last week, Garuda Indonesia also offered Super Deals 9.9 on its popular domestic and regional routes through its website and official distribution channels.
The four-day ASTINDO Hybrid Travel Fair 2022 yielded total sales of more than 69 billion rupiah
At the opening of the hybrid fair, Pauline Suharno, president of ASTINDO said: “While borders have opened and travel restrictions relaxed, we have been facing the challenge of seat capacity, expensive airfares, longer visa applications, not to mention the pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war that have resulted in the (monetary) inflation around the world.
“However, the Global Rescue Summer 2022 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey showed 79 per cent (of) travellers around the world said that the (increased) airfares and tour prices did not affect their desire to travel. Some 20 per cent of respondents chose to adjust their budget.”
Andini Tirtawisata, head of leisure, Panorama JTB Tours told TTG Asia: “After being unable to travel overseas for two years, people’s interest to travel have come back strongly. Many of our clients who have visited us at travel fairs already know where they want to spend their holidays. They visited the fair to find what tour programmes and offers are available.”
The various discounts available coupled with banks offering cashback, plus instalments with zero interest for credit card payments on-the-spot have attracted travellers to buy products on the spot, according to Pauline.
The 25 participating travel companies at ASTINDO Hybrid Travel Fair 2022 managed to yield total sales of more than 69 billion rupiah (US$4.7 million) during the four-day show, according to the ASTINDO report.
Top on the list of travellers’ choices are Europe, Turkey and the US.
Andini commented that in terms of Covid-19 restrictions, although Turkey has been the easiest destination to travel to and is a favourite destination, Europe is still the top destination.
She shared that despite the longer visa application process, lack of seats and the Summer holiday chaos at some European airports, these issues did not deter travellers’ plans and instead taught travellers to plan ahead.
Pauline said: “Instead of changing their plans to travel to Europe due to the obstacles, travellers choose to adapt.”
She added that travellers even pack extra clothing and medication in their hand-carry bags in anticipation of the possible chaos at the airport.
“They buy their holidays now to give themselves ample time to apply for the visa and to secure their seats for the year-end holidays.”
Airlines have also helped to educate the market and enticed travellers to book early by offering them interesting promotion fares for 2023 at the fairs, said Andini.
In celebration of Hong Kong Disneyland’s 17th anniversary as well as the 100th year since the founding of The Walt Disney Company, the themed attraction in Hong Kong will roll out a new line-up of exciting events.
Among the highlights is the launch of the long-awaited and first-ever World of Frozen, set to open 2H2023. Guests will be able to visit the kingdom of Arendelle in this highly immersive Frozen-themed land that is only available in Hong Kong. The World of Frozen will feature the world’s first Frozen-themed coaster, Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, and Frozen Ever After where guests can step into Elsa’s Ice Palace and meet all their beloved Frozen characters.
The first-ever World of Frozen will open 2H2023 at Hong Kong Disneyland
In celebration of The Walt Disney Company’s centenary, the Hong Kong theme park will have events all year, from Lunar New Year to Halloween. Guests can look forward to appearances by Mickey Mouse and friends in all-new 100th anniversary outfits. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will also make his debut in the park.
Other celebratory happenings include a brand-new immersive Duffy and Friends-themed experience; Heroic Encounters with Marvel characters; new Disney and Pixar friends, and more. For some spooky excitement, there will be a delightful line-up of Disney Villains during Halloween in October.
Accor will introduce its first dual-branded hotel to Japan with Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba, slated to open on December 1 this year.
In partnership with Japanese real estate company Tokyu Resorts & Stays, the property will offer the best of both companies – Accor’s global reach and international loyalty programme Accor Live Limitless (ALL), and Tokyu Stays’ domestic network and hotel facilities.
Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba is slated to open on December 1, 2022
The 288 guestrooms are ideal for short-stay and long-stay guests, with a portion of guestrooms offering washer-dryers and kitchenettes, one of the signature features of Tokyu Stay properties. There is also an all-day Italian dining restaurant on site.
The hotel is within a four-minute walk from Namba station which offers a direct train line to Kansai International Airport. Local landmarks like Shinsaibashi shopping district and “America Town” are also easily accessible.
Garth Simmons, CEO, Accor Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea said: “This property offers the perfect setting for local and international visitors to explore the local scene whether they are in town for business or leisure, and enjoy the warm hospitality that is unique to this region.”
“(The hotel’s location) will continue to attract attention as a sightseeing base for Kansai in the future. We anticipate that guests will discover a new charm of Osaka Namba at this sophisticated dual-branded hotel,” said Toshihiro Awatsuji, president & CEO, Tokyu Resorts & Stays.
Hotel Telegraph is the new name given to a 95-year-old building that once belonged to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company. Located in Singapore’s Central Business District area, the luxury hotel will officially open on September 28.
The building was bought over by Viva Land Group for S$240 million (US$171.5 million) and the hotel will be operated by heritage hotel specialist, Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI). It will be part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World community.
Hotel Telegraph will be part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World community
Built in 1927, the iconic building was first established as the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company building – the new name celebrates its history and pays tribute to the key role it played in Singapore’s progress as a global business hub.
The 134-room five-star hotel was also previously known as the Cable and Wireless Building, the Telecommunications Authority of Singapore in 1995, and the Ogilvy Centre in 2001.
Anthony Chua, deputy CEO, Viva Land Group said: “The building played an important role in Singapore’s coming of age as an international business hub. Renaming it the Hotel Telegraph is a direct tribute to its rich history and our ambitions for history to repeat itself.”
On working on its first Singapore project, ICMI spokesperson Norbert Lieder commented: “The Hotel Telegraph building, in itself, is already an icon. What we aim to do is to further enhance the hotel’s offerings, combining exquisite service with an impeccable setting to deliver the ultimate in a luxury heritage experience.”
Viva Land Group and ICMI will work closely to position the hotel to complement the CBD area through events and activities, with the aim of restoring the building’s status as one of the mainstays of the district.
Hotel Telegraph is easily accessible with MRT stations within walking distance. It is surrounded by business hubs, restaurants and nightlife. It is also just across from Lau Pa Sat, another one of Singapore’s heritage icons.
He has rich experience in launching new hotels with Okura Nikko Hotels, having joined several pre-opening offices where he set up a sales channel and IT system for Room Division such as OTA, wholesaler, metasearch, PMS, and more.
In her new role, she will champion an inclusive culture of growth and create a sustainable workforce by emphasising team building, colleague development, succession planning and improving overall employee welfare.
For many of the participants, it was their first chance to explore Singapore since the removal of travel restrictions, and the immersive itinerary allowed them to discover new wonders of the destination. Some of the highlights included a powerboat adventure; a culture trip to Kampong Gelam, Singapore’s Malay-Arab quarters; and a VIP tour of the Singapore Night Safari.
From January to July 2022, 193,750 Australians travelled to Singapore. Prior to the global pandemic in 2019, Singapore welcomed 1.14 million Australians.
WebBeds noted that the travel trade plays a “pivotal role” in the travel rebound – its data shows a 15 per cent jump in business from Australia compared to the same period pre-pandemic.
The Singapore fam trip marked the latest phase of WebBeds’ mission to boost global travel and encourage cross-border collaboration.