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Asia/Singapore Wednesday, 3rd June 2026
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Qatar Airways to fly Qsuite-fitted A350-1000 on Singapore, Tokyo routes

By TTG Asia
0

Qatar Airways will begin operating the A350-1000, equipped with its luxurious Qsuite, on flights to and from Singapore’s Changi Airport from November 1, 2018. The aircraft will also be introduced daily to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from January 1, 2019.

The two cities will be the first destinations on Qatar Airways’ Far East network to receive the A350-1000.

Qatar's Qsuite
1 of 2

On November 1, 2018, QR944 will depart Doha at 08.15 and arrive in Singapore at 21.15, with the return leg QR945 taking off from Singapore at 02.00 and arriving in Doha at 05.35 the following day.

From December 1, 2018, QR946 will take off from Doha at 01.55 and land in Singapore at 14.55, while the return flight QR947 will depart Singapore at 20.45 and arrive in Doha at 00.2. the following day.

Two of Singapore’s triple-daily A350-900 services will gradually transition to the A350-1000 from November 1, 2018, with the route expected to be served entirely with the A350-1000 by April 2019.

Beginning January 1, 2019 for the Tokyo route, QR812 will depart Doha at 07.05 to arrive in Haneda at 22.30. The Haneda-Doha route, QR813, will take off at 23.50 and land at 06.30 (+1).

The A350-1000 is the latest addition to the Airbus family of twin-aisle, widebody jetliners. It will have 327 seats across two cabins – 46 Qsuite Business Class seats and 281 extra-wide 18-inch seats in Economy Class.

Hertz partners Chailease to drive its brands in Taiwan

By TTG Asia
0
Hertz Asia Pacific's Eoin MacNeill (left), Chailease Group's Andre J.L

The Hertz Corporation has launched a referral partnership with Taiwanese car rental company Chailease Auto Rental.

Through the new alliance, Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty’s customers travelling to Taiwan will now have access to all of Chailease’s rental services in the market. These include a variety of car rental options as well as short- and long-term leasing at more than 19 locations, which will be co-branded with Hertz.

Hertz Asia Pacific’s Eoin MacNeill (left) and Chailease Group’s Andre J.L

Meanwhile, outbound customers of Chailease from Taiwan will be able to access Hertz’s full suite of mobility solutions across the globe.

To celebrate the launch, discounts of up to 30 per cent are available to customers who book online before September 30, 2018 for rentals by November 30, 2018, at participating locations in Taiwan.

Two discount codes can be used during this period: customers renting for three to seven days can quote promotional code (PC#) 204679 to apply a 25 per cent discount; while customers who rent for eight days or more can quote promotional code (PC#) 204680 to apply a 30 per cent discount.

New Novotel coming to Chiang Mai’s Nimman district

By TTG Asia
0
The agreement was signed between (middle two) AccorHotels' Patrick Basset and Boutique Corporation's Prab Thakral

Thai property developer Boutique Corporation has appointed AccorHotels to manage the 200-key Novotel Chiang Mai Nimman Journeyhub when it opens in 2019.

The ceremony was attended by Prab Thakral, president and group CEO of Boutique Corporation, and Patrick Basset, COO of AccorHotels for upper South-east & North-east Asia and the Maldives.

The agreement was signed between (middle two) AccorHotels’ Patrick Basset and Boutique Corporation’s Prab Thakral

“Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s top tourist destination and continues to show an impressive growth in occupancy rates, year-on-year particularly, in the trendy Nimman district,” said Prab, outlining the signing as an opportunity for the company to strengthen its hotel portfolio.

For AccorHotels, the partnership represents “a significant milestone in expanding our reach further in northern Thailand”, said Basset.

Meet Pepper, TUI’s first robotic employee

By TTG Asia
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The latest hire by TUI Nordic is not human, but a humanoid robot named Pepper 2E, which will work as a robot assistant and be a part of the company’s new Data Analytics and Machine Learning team.

Primarily based in TUI’s Stockholm office, Pepper 2E has started his new role since August 14. His main responsibility is to inspire innovation, curiosity and technological pioneering, in addition to helping visitors as well as colleagues and external customers with everyday questions and problems.

TUI Group’s Friedrich Joussen (left) and TUI Nordic’s Alexander Huber say hello to Pepper 

Like any TUI employee, Pepper 2E has a detailed job description as well as set “personal” goals he will be evaluated on. He will report to a manager who will incorporate him into the team’s day-to-day tasks. The robot assistant will also spend the first few months hovering around the office to know the company and his new human colleagues.

“Automation, AI and robotics are important elements of TUI’s future,” said Alexander Huber, managing director of TUI Nordic, said to be the first travel company in the world to incorporate robotics in this way. “I hope he sparks curiosity and engagement with all of our TUI Nordic colleagues.”

Elke Eller, HR director of TUI Group and member of the board, said: “Employees like Pepper 2E can support our teams. At the same time they give us an impression of what the work of the future might look like. The ‘hiring’ of Pepper 2E stands for curiosity about the future and openness for new technologies. These are important prerequisites for the success of the digital transformation of TUI.”

A semi-humanoid robot manufactured by SoftBank Robotics, Pepper understands and speaks in numerous languages and can understand human emotions. Pepper’s touch screen increases his capacity to interact and enables him to enhance communication by providing visual information. His entirely programmable platforms offers manifold usage possibilities to enrich the experience.

Andaz Singapore races ahead with F1 packages

By TTG Asia
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Artist impression of the view from Mr Stork

The 342-key Andaz Singapore, which opened its doors last year, has unveiled two Formula 1 promotions in anticipation of the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix that will take place from September 14-16 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The hotel will hold a Race Day Balcony Party at Mr Stork, the rooftop bar located on Level 39, from 17.00 to 01.00 on September 16, with a trio of table packages on offer. Each package is priced at S$500 (US$367; not inclusive of service charge or GST) each for up to six people.

Artist impression of the view from Mr Stork

Revellers can choose from two bottles of house spirits (700ml each); four Andaz Pale Ale Towers (3,000ml each); or three bottles of house wine and one bottle of house champagne (750ml each). All table packages come with a snack platter that includes a variety of bar bites such as mushroom croquettes, buffalo wings, chicken rice arancini and truffle fries.

Alternatively, a stay in the hotel starts from S$540 a night. Prices include complimentary conveniences such as a minibar filled with locally-sourced snacks and non-alcoholic drinks (replenished daily), Wi-Fi, all-day refreshments at Sunroom and Andaz Lounge Hour from 17.00 to 19.00 daily.

For mature cruisers, sail to new skills with Dream Cruises

By TTG Asia
0
Taichi, Chinese martial arts, Teochew embroidery and more will be rolled out to cruises from Singapore

Dream Cruises is extending its Ageless Dreamers Program to Genting Dream, currently homeported in Singapore.

An enrichment series for mature cruisers first launched on World Dream in May 2018, the Ageless Dreamer programme will be rolled out with new elements ranging from Cantonese opera to Chinese embroidery and tai chi.

On designated sailings from Sept 23 to November 11, cruisers will be able to enjoy Cantonese Opera classics such as Di Nü Hua (帝女花), Swallows Fly Apart (分飛燕) and Love and Passion (萬水千山總是情) by Cantonese Opera artists from Guangdong province.

Taichi, Chinese martial arts, Teochew embroidery and more will be rolled out to cruises from Singapore

The artists will also share stories about their professional careers and personal hobbies. In addition, fans will have the chance to don traditional costumes and belt a tune or two under the guidance of professionals, as well as participate in interactive activities such as mask decoration workshops and photo sessions with traditional headgear, makeup and costumes.

Teochew embroidery (chao xiu) master Chuk Shu-Qin will bring her expertise and over 40 years of professional experience to World Dream, where she will teach guests the basics of this ancient craft.

The Tai Chi and Shaolin Wushu Academies at Sea will be back from September onwards. Founded by grandmaster Wang, who also coached e-commerce tycoon Jack Ma, Wang Xian Institute of Researching The Arts of Tai Chi will continue their partnership with Dream Cruises to host the Tai Chi Academy at Sea on every five-night cruise of World Dream, while professional instructors from Hong Kong tai chi Master will conduct a series of tai-chi classes for all two-night cruises.

Ageless Dreamers on Genting Dream may attend complimentary tai chi lessons from three masters in every cruise from October 1 to November 16. Led by Yang Xiaolin from China, who is a tai chi coach certified by the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation, as well as a member of National Registry of Coaches. Yang will be joined by Wendy Yum, who has been teaching in Singapore SoKa Association since 2001, and Teck Ghee C.S.C since 2005.

Shaolin master Zou, who hails from the Shaolin Culture Professional School in Zhengzhou, will host the Shaolin Wushu Academy at Sea on select sailings of World Dream in September and October, where guests will learn shaolin wushu basics such as Shaolin Baduanjin, Five Steps Boxing and Shaolin Yi Jin Jing.

Holistic wellness guru Teressa Siu will speak to guests on how to achieve
“ageless happiness” through sounds and breathing, among other methods said to enrich mind and body.

Nadine Tengco, who co-authored the Century Superbod Abs Plan and the Superbod Abs Diet, will offer weight-loss hacks.

Throughout the promotion period, Ageless Dreamers will enjoy on-board privileges, ranging from retail discounts to complimentary souvenirs. Early-risers may also participate in Walkathon Wonder, where they will start the day with a refreshing walk on the open deck, followed by cool-down at Crystal Life Spa, with complimentary refreshments and a health talk. All walkathon participants will receive a complimentary pedometer to keep track of their progress.

Lombok urges tourists to come back as it begins post-quake recovery

By Tiara Maharani
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Officials say the majority of hotels were not damaged in the earthquakes

As Lombok begins picking up the pieces following the recent string of devastating earthquakes the trade is adamant to show that most parts of the popular tourist island remain unaffected and win back confidence from foreign visitors.

Indonesia president Joko Widodo has issued a number of directives to accelerate reconstruction and rehabilitation of public facilities and infrastructure, housing, social and health services, and economy in Lombok. The government will also see that safety and security, as well as public and government services resume normalcy.

As reconstruction of facilities and infrastructure gets underway, officials say the majority of Lombok hotels remain undamaged

The president has also set a target that facilities for education, health, religious and economic activities to be ready by no later than December this year, with other facilities expected to be rebuilt by December 2019.

Meanwhile, the government has also announced a two-pronged strategy for the tourism sector, which will be led by the West Nusa Tenggara tourism office with supervision from the Ministry of Tourism.

The first one is destination rehabilitation, particularly in the areas directly affected by the disaster including the Gili islands, Senggigi, Senaruand Sembalun, among others.

The second one is the promotional strategy. Promotion will be focused on areas which are not affected by the earthquakes, such as Mataram, Sekotong, Mandalika and Tetebatu.

Fauzan Zakaria, head of West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Promotion Board, said: “The recovery programmes will not solely involve one stakeholder but everyone. The Public Works Agency will rehabilitate and re-establish tourist destinations and attractions, fixing broken infrastructure in these areas, for example.

“Airlines, hotels and other tourism stakeholders will do their part in launching promotions to limit cancellations and build traveller confidence to visit Lombok again.”

Lalu Abdul Hadi Faishal, chairman of Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association West Nusa Tenggara Chapter, said: “On the hotel side, one of the promotional efforts we have launched is to roll out deals where members get one night free with a three-night stay. This is valid until the end of the year.”

Such efforts are intended to show that the hotels in Lombok remain intact, Faishal elaborated.

“There are 83 hotels in Lombok of three-star and above categories, and 763 non-star properties. According to data, only 25 hotels suffered some damages of varying degrees, but none of them collapsed. The rest are intact.”

Fauzan added that these promotions are also key in sending the message to travellers that only some parts of Lombok was affected, as many other tourist areas remain safe for visits.

“Although there are some cancellations, we continue to see arrivals to Lombok. It shows that (well-informed) travellers continue to come,” Fauzan said.

  • Additional reporting by Mimi Hudoyo

Belt and Road Initiative spurs upmarket Chinese travel to novel destinations

By Caroline Boey
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Tourists in Chefchaouen, Morocco

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sparked a surge in Chinese upmarket travellers visiting new destinations like Belarus, Croatia, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Serbia, as visa requirements become easier and more direct flights become available.

According to Chinese luxury travel agents attending ILTM China 2018 and industry observers TTG Asia spoke to, the increase in traditional and non-traditional “media attention” on “new” destinations has been fuelling demand in the last two years.

Tourists in Chefchaouen, Morocco

Bamboo Zhou, CEO and founder of 8 Continents Travel, said: “Experienced Chinese upmarket travellers are looking to explore new places and most now (offer) visa-free or offer visa-on-arrival, to Chinese travellers. Direct, or one-stop, flights now available are also making a difference.

“If new destinations are traveller-friendly, have different culture or something new to offer, our clients are interested as long as they feel safe,” he noted.

Agreeing, Sparkle Tour assistant general manager, Aymeric Naudin, added: “Central Asia and Africa are also opening up and places like Kazakhstan, where a Ritz-Carlton hotel opened in the capital Astana two years ago, are booming.”

Elsewhere, Naudin said direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Quebec are drawing Chinese upmarket travellers on short six- or seven-night trips to visit Montreal, Quebec City and Charlevoix for whale watching, ice festivals and the autumn colours, etc.

“Each season is different and luxury experiences in Eastern Canada are more reasonable (in pricing) compared to other parts of North America and Europe,” he noted.

Fanny Liao, director of Letravels, observed an uptick in interest to visit North Korea among Chinese upmarket travellers in their 40s and 50s at the beginning of this year.

Liao said: “We organised trips in March and June and we have requests to go to Pyongyang during the September 9 Independence Day celebrations to participate in the parade, experience local life, take a helicopter tour and play golf. Unfortunately, hotels there are not taking any bookings and we have to postpone the trip.”

Meanwhile, Minjuan Deng-Westphal, head of research at China Outbound Travel Research Institute (COTRI), said China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism is forecasting that 150 million Chinese visits to BRI region destinations will take place and generate US$200 billion in spending between 2016 and 2020.

COTRI has updated its 2018 forecast from 154 million to 160 million, and further projects the figure will reach 200 million in 2022, 300 million in 2027 and 400 million by 2030.

ILTM China 2018 will be held in Shanghai from October 30 to November 2.

Keeping the passion for local culture alive

By Prudence Lui
0

Four years ago when Ho Ho Go Experience was launched to offer in-depth local cultural tours, traditional operators were sceptical about the niche product.

It did not help that founder Ling Ho was an outsider without any trade network and experience. Unlike ordinary tours, Ho’s involve a fair bit of walking – and sometimes sweating too.

Yet this was just the kind of tours that Hong Kong needed, Ho said.

Ho Ho Go Experience offers walks as well as foodie, lifestyle and private tours that bring participants closer to local life.

“From the start in 2015 I found the city’s tour product development at a crossroads and lacking high quality and personalised tours. Having enjoyed various insightful tours overseas, I decided to establish one here in Hong Kong,” she recounted.

“Tourism is a window to a city, and Hong Kong abounds in local neighborhood experiences and resources that not many tourists ever see.”

Ho’s company prides itself on employing passionate guides with in-depth local knowledge and insights.

Once, a Taiwanese girl chose a Yau Ma Tei tour but turned out to be the sole participant. Rather than follow customary business practice and cancelling the tour, Ho decided to proceed with the one-person tour.

“I later found out she had earlier joined a similar tour for free but the guide hardly answered her questions. That’s why she didn’t mind to pay and learn about the neighborhood,” Ho recounted.

“I always treat clients as friends as they come all the way from other parts of the world and are willing to spare few hours on our tours. Therefore, we must give them back something good. I hope international visitors remember such cultural characteristics even when they are back home and know that Hong Kong has a soul.”

Ho opined that new ideas tend to get copied swiftly. Rather than simply following trends, she continues to seek out local flavour and the “soul” of Hong Kong at the heart of tours, all the while adding new, unusual stops in her programmes.

When it comes to the eat and play theme, for example, she takes participants on a six-hour journey comprising a hiking route to Lai Chi Wo in Taipo with abandoned villages along the way.

For the two-hour Choi Hung Public Housing Estate, participants are brought close to the pulse of everyday life in Hong Kong, visiting areas enjoyed by locals.

Ho said: “Today, even traditional tour companies offer cultural tours. Two years ago I asked the Hong Kong Tourism Board how many tour operators there were like Ho Ho Go and the answer was two. Today, there are many agents claiming to provide such experiences.”

With more tour companies offering cultural tours, Ho says a priority is to stay away from crowds and keep tours intimate. Ho Ho Go Experience’s downtown tour takes a maximum of 15 people, and a student helper is assigned for every five participants.

UNWTO highlights reveal world’s top travel markets and destinations

By TTG Asia
0
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Japan entered the world’s top 10 destinations in terms of tourism earnings in 2017, among the highlights in UNWTO’s most recent report.

International tourist arrivals grew 7% in 2017, the highest increase since 2010, UNWTO’s Tourism Highlights shows. Growth in arrivals was mirrored by a strong increase in exports generated by tourism, which reached US$1.6 trillion in 2017, making tourism the world’s third-largest export sector.

China leads outbound travel spend, while Russians re-enter the ranking of top 10 spenders

Among the top markets and destinations in the world, Spain rose to become the world’s second most-visited destination in terms of international arrivals, after France.

In terms of tourism earnings, Japan entered the top 10 in 10th place after six straight years of double-digit growth. Meanwhile, Russia re-entered the top 10 of world spenders at eighth place.

The new Tourism Highlights report also illustrates that China continues to lead global outbound travel, having spent US$258 billion on international tourism in 2017. This is almost one-fifth of the world’s total tourism spending in 2017, which stood at US$1.3 trillion, some US$94 billion more than in 2016.

Available data for early 2018 has since confirmed international tourism’s continued strong growth, with a year-on-year increase of 6% in arrivals between January and April.

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