High-impact incidents such as extreme weather events, medical outbreaks and sociopolitical volatility are the top emerging risks for Singaporean travellers over the next 12 months, according to data and forecasts by AIG Asia Pacific Insurance.

Compared with three years ago, the insurance company has seen an 85 per cent increase in travel claims made for high-impact incidents, with natural disasters being the costliest with an average claim amount of S$2,610 (US$1,872).

AIG predicts that these trends will continue throughout 2017 and result in a 10 per cent rise in demand for premium travel products offering a greater amount of cover.

Vice-president and head of group personal insurance, Ignatius Chng, said: “As Singaporeans continue to be savvy and frequent travellers, their global mobility and increased awareness of travel insurance will see them taking a proactive approach and insuring themselves against unforeseen circumstances.”

AIG further notes that travel insurance claims relating to sociopolitical volatility have more than doubled in the last three years, with travel disruption resulting from political instability, coup d’état, increased border security and terrorist attacks.

Chng observed: “Singapore travellers are demanding greater levels of coverage… especially since the global security environment has become increasingly volatile in recent years and high-impact incidents are more prevalent.”

Meanwhile, to meet growing demand for a more seamless claims and risk management process, AIG expects travel insurance providers to expand their digital capabilities.

“We have seen an increase in customers making direct purchases digitally, but technology does not stop at distribution. The next step would be for them to embrace disruption and move more service offerings towards the digital,” Chng said.

Crystal Bus, a 47-seater double-decker bus, has been launched in Hong Kong to offer sightseeing tours around the city while travellers dine on Michelin-star dishes.

Day tours last 2.5 hours and take place twice daily. The tour visits attractions such as the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, Lantau Link View Point and Hong Kong Space Museum, where travellers also have an opportunity to alight for photos.

Costing HK$380 (US$49) per person, day tour tickets include a Michelin-star dim sum set. Also included in the price are audio guide devices that provide guests with a history of each attraction in Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Meanwhile, night tours are only available for entire bus book-outs. This five-hour tour will offer a customised attraction route, while Michelin-star meals include seafood, Chinese or Western cuisine.

The booking fee from Monday to Thursday costs HK$8,800, and on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and on the eve of public holidays will cost HK$12,800, including drinks and snacks. Additional charges for extra dishes or drinks apply.

Beijing-based Zhonghong Zhuoye Group, a diversified holding company in the leisure, tourism and real estate sectors, will acquire Blackstone’s 21 per cent stake in SeaWorld Entertainment at about US$23 per share.

As part of the deal, SeaWorld will advise Zhonghong exclusively on the concept development and design of theme parks, water parks and family entertainment centres that will be operated by Zhonghong Holding – an affiliate of the group – in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

SeaWorld San Diego

The Chinese company has entered into a stockholders agreement with SeaWorld to increase the size of its board to 11, which will include Yoshikazu Maruyama, president of Zhonghong Group’s American operation, and Yongli Wang, chief strategy officer of Zhonghong Group.

The agreement also places restrictions on Zhonghong Group’s ability to sell its interest in SeaWorld for two years and on its ability to acquire more than 24.9 per cent of SeaWorld’s outstanding shares without the approval of the independent directors of SeaWorld’s board.

When the deal closes in 2Q2017, Blackstone and its affiliates will no longer hold any interests in SeaWorld or have seats on SeaWorld’s board.

Jakarta will get its first Park Hyatt hotel when the Park Hyatt Jakarta opens at MNC Center, Kebon Sirih in 1H2018.

Hyatt Hotels will work with Indonesian property developer MNC Land to develop the hotel on the top 20 floors in the latter’s 39-floor, mixed-use project. The hotel is expected to house five F&B outlets.

Park Hyatt Jakarta will join the four existing Hyatt-branded hotels in Indonesia: Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Grand Hyatt Bali, Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta and Hyatt Regency Bali, which is currently undergoing renovation.

Emirates has redeployed the Airbus A380 on its Dubai-Narita route since last Sunday to replace the smaller Boeing B777-300ER, in response to “the healthy demand for travel between Japan and Dubai”.

The airline previously operated the route with the superjumbo from 2012 to 2013.

On top of seating up to 515 passengers across three classes and two decks, the aircraft also offers the industry’s only onboard shower spa, 2,500 inflight entertainment channels, Wi-Fi and an onboard lounge for first- and business-class passengers serving canapés and cocktails.

Flight EK318 departs Dubai daily at 02.40 and arrives in Narita at 17.35. On the return, EK319 departs Narita at 22.00 on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and arrives in Dubai at 04.15 the next day. On Tuesday and Wednesday, it leaves Narita at 21.20 and arrives in Dubai at 03.35 the following day.

The A380 was also deployed on Emirates’ Casablanca and Sao Paulo services on Sunday.