Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, in collaboration with JungleWalla Adventures and Wildlife Tours, reports success in its Dollar for Deeds initiative, raising funds for worthy causes through the brand’s CSR programme.
With the introduction of Dollar for Deeds at Anantara Desaru Coast last year, guests were given the option to add five ringgit (US$1.10) per night to their bill, with the property matching the donation ringgit for ringgit. From January to October 2024, guests contributed 74,847 ringgit, an amount matched by the hotel, bringing the total donation to 149,694 ringgit.
Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas’ Dollar for Deeds initiative has seen great success
The funds raised supported Project Rewild Desaru, an ambitious environmental restoration initiative focused on revitalising the terrestrial and marine ecosystems of Desaru Coast. In response to habitat degradation caused by urbanisation, deforestation, and other human activities, the project runs several key programmes, including bird censuses to track local avian species, tree planting to restore damaged landscapes, camera trap installations to monitor the health and diversity of ecosystems, and seed collecting to preserve local flora. Anantara guests have the opportunity to participate in the latter two activities.
Torsten Richter, area general manager, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, said: “We couldn’t have achieved this without the incredible support of our partners from JungleWalla and our wonderful guests. Thanks to their generous donations, Project Rewild Desaru was able to launch hornbill nesting boxes, helping to conserve their populations in areas where tree destruction has made natural nesting impossible.
He added that the remaining funds were used for planting trees, camera trapping, seed collection and building green bridges for wildlife.
Sri Lankan authorities are bringing together all stakeholders in tourism at a conference in January to finalise a nation branding strategy to propel the industry which is enjoying a period of growth, officials said.
The campaign tagline You will come back for more devised some time back, will be discontinued and instead a nation branding strategy developed, Sri Lanka Tourism chairman Buddhika Hewawasam told TTG Asia this week. Hewawasam took over as chairman of the NTO a few weeks after a new government was installed in power following parliamentary elections on November 14.
Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka surged to 1.8 million from January to November 2024
“With input from the industry at this meeting in January, we want to develop one national brand (while) also piggybacking on the success and the popularity of Ceylon tea and Sri Lanka in the cricket field,” he said. In the future, tourism in Sri Lanka will focus on promoting cricket and its tea, two things which Sri Lanka is famous for.
The tagline You will come back for more was developed in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in 2022, both of which affected tourism. Hewawasam noted: “This tagline was created to woo back tourists and is not relevant today as Sri Lanka has won a lot of recognition in recent times internationally. We need to look afresh and come up with a strategy that attracts all markets.”
Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka surged to 1.8 million from January to November 2024, up from 1.3 million last year. With a target of over two million visitors, the country’s top source markets include India, Russia, the UK, Germany, and China.
He added that a PR company will be appointed in January to launch the promotion campaign.
The You will come back for more tagline was developed in 2022 but only launched earlier this year after delays in approval. It was introduced as part of a single campaign, rather than a nation branding effort.
The inclusion of 11 Asian airports in the new OAG Megahubs 2024 report underscores the region’s growing prominence as a global aviation powerhouse and highlights several critical achievements, such as Asia’s strategic importance in facilitating the flow of people and goods, and strong tourism investments post-pandemic, details Mayur Patel, head of Asia at OAG Aviation.
This episode of TTG Conversation: Five Questions video news series continues the aviation development discussion with Patel, where he scrutinises the OAGMegahubs 2024 report to identify Asia’s competitive advantages in travel and tourism.
Among key takeaways are Kuala Lumpur’s rise as an aviation hub, the growing power of secondary airports in the region, things destinations are doing to translate their powerful air hub status into inbound tourism performance, and factors that will shape the list of next top megahubs.
Peach Aviationstarts service from Singapore to Osaka
Peach Aviation became the only Japanese airline to offer services from Changi Airport to Osaka, with its inaugural flight taking off on December 5.
The airline will offer daily seven-hour flights between the two destinations, operated on the Airbus A321LR.
AirAsia
AirAsia adds flights for upcoming Lunar New Year As AirAsia prepares to welcome the Year of the Snake in 2025, the airline will add seasonal flights for Chinese New Year, reconnecting families and friends between Singapore and East Malaysia.
From January 24 to February 5, customers can enjoy late-night flights from Singapore to Kuching, along with limited-time services to Sibu, Miri, and Tawau. With 22 extra flights to selected East Malaysia destinations, AirAsia will operate 43 flights during the festive season, offering over 7,900 seats.
Vietjet Thailand
Vietjet Thailand launches new Mumbai-Bangkok route
Vietjet Thailand has introduced its inaugural Mumbai-Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) service on December 3.
The new service will operate daily in the early stage.
Hong Kong Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines restarts Vancouver service Hong Kong Airlines will be resuming direct flights to Vancouver, Canada from January 18, 2025.
The twice-weekly services will provide additional travel options for passengers travelling between Hong Kong and Vancouver, and those connecting via Hong Kong.
Nikko Style Niseko Hanazono, Japan
Nikko Style Niseko Hanazono is set to open on December 15, and will offer 234 rooms across three categories, from Superior to Studio Suite. A highlight is the Nikko Style Suite, which comes equipped with a hot spring bath, and directly connected to the Rooftop Lounge. Rooms on the seventh and eighth floors are equipped with their own natural hot spring baths.
The L-shaped complex boasts a prime location directly facing the ski slopes of Niseko Hanazono Resort. Facilities include a restaurant, café and bar, club lounge, gym, dry sauna, open-air bath, and more.
dusitD2 Fagu
dusitD2 Fagu, India
dusitD2 Fagu is set amid the majestic Himalayan landscape of Fagu, near Shimla. The property features 80 guestrooms boasting views of the surrounding valleys and mountains.
Located just 80 minutes from Shimla Airport and four-and-a-half hours from Chandigarh Airport, dusitD2 Fagu is also easily accessible from Kalka Railway Station, which provides access to the UNESCO-listed Kalka-Shimla Toy Train. Other nearby attractions include Kufri, Mashobra, Narkanda, and Mahasu Peak.
The hotel will feature a spa, swimming pool, F&B, an amphitheatre, event venues, and an EV charging station.
Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection
Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection, the Maldives
The 50-key private villa Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection is situated on the Kudafunafaru island, just 45 minutes by seaplane ride from Male International Airport.
It features 30 overwater villas and 20 beachfront villas, most of which have a private pool.
Facilities include two restaurants and bars, outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, retail outlet and a diving and water sports centre.
Habyt Kada at Maxwell
Habyt Kada at Maxwell, Singapore
Located at Tanjong Pagar in Singapore, the new Habyt Kada at Maxwell provides guests with flexible accommodation for all lengths of stays in a preserved heritage building dating back to the 1920s colonial period.
Featuring 18 rooms ranging from ensuite to studio, two-bedroom and three-bedroom, each comes with a kitchenette and a view of the city’s urban landscape. Facilities comprise a gym, wellness centre, and a co-working space.
Nearby for guests to explore are Maxwell Food Centre, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Chinatown, and nearby MRT stations for easy access to the rest of the garden city.
As the sale period for Disney Adventure – Disney Cruise Line’s first ship to homeport in Asia – approaches, a study conducted by YouGov Surveys has found strong purchase intentions among Singapore consumers.
The survey, which was conducted in November with a sample size of 1,050 adults in Singapore, found that 43 per cent of Singapore consumers are likely to consider booking the upcoming cruise, with millennials showing the strongest interest – 56 per cent of them expressing intent to book.
Wayfinder Bay is one of the seven uniquely themed areas onboard Disney Adventure
It also noted that while respondents are familiar with the launch of Disney Cruise Line in Singapore, only one in five are very familiar with the details.
For those considering a Disney cruise, dining at themed restaurants is the top attraction, with 53 per cent of respondents citing this feature as their primary draw. Unique onboard activities and entertainment appealed to 52 per cent of respondents. Additionally, relaxing in Disney staterooms and exploring the seven themed areas were equally attractive to 51 per cent of respondents.
Disney characters remain a key draw, with Mickey and Friends being the most popular (at 55 per cent), followed by Disney princesses (45 per cent) and Marvel superheroes (48 per cent). Notably, more than half of respondents (54 per cent) who are likely to book the Disney cruise said they would be more likely to book based on the availability of their favourite Disney characters onboard, a sentiment more pronounced among millennials.
Disney Adventure will open for bookings on December 10 from 08.00 Singapore time via the Disney Cruise Line website, contact centre, and travel agents. Tickets will be on sale for sailings starting December 15, 2025 through March 2026. Three- and four-night voyages are available, with the programme designed for dedicated days at sea so that guests can fully enjoy the Disney experience onboard.
As Disney Cruise Line builds up to the sale period starting next week, it also unveiled a collaboration with United Overseas Bank (UOB) to offer UOB cardholders across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam special benefits when booking Disney Adventure vacations.
Demand for luxury travel among Filipinos is on the rise, driving the introduction of new, exclusive offerings such as expedition cruises, off-the-beaten-path destinations, and lavish rail journeys.
Shan Dioquino David, CEO and president of the newly-launched CITTI Elite, highlighted their recent partnerships and product launches, including Four Seasons Yachts, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Ponant, and Scenic Luxury Cruises.
Filipino travellers are redefining luxury, seeking exclusive experiences from private yacht cruises to off-the-beaten-path adventures; Four Seasons Yachts, pictured
David noted that high-net-worth individuals are increasingly willing to spend upwards of US$100,000 for the ultimate in exclusivity and luxury. These travellers expect premium experiences, such as hotel suites of at least 70m², Mercedes vehicles for overland tours, Evian water, and meticulous attention to detail. They also prefer smaller ships with a one-to-one guest-to-staff ratio.
Rajah Travel Corp. has also expanded its luxury offerings to include more unique destinations, such as mountaineering across the Canadian Rockies, scenic train journeys through Switzerland on the Glacier Express, specialised tours in the Amazon, and river cruises in India.
Aileen Clemente, chair and president of Rajah Travel, observed: “Well-travelled people who have gone to the typical tourist places now tend to be selective and go to off-beat destinations.”
Clemente shared that some travellers have a particular goal, such as visiting all UNESCO World Heritage and UN heritage sites. “But there’s often a trade-off,” she said, adding that in seeking out these unique destinations, luxury sometimes takes a backseat.
CITTI Elite’s ultra-luxury itineraries are tapping into these evolving preferences, offering destinations like the Galapagos, Latin America, Rovaniemi-Polar Arctic Circle, and South Africa, while opulent train journeys through Europe are also gaining popularity among Filipino travellers.
Amadeus’ Travel Trends for 2025 report has highlighted five trends poised to shape the future of global travel, with Asia playing a pivotal role in driving innovation and growth in the tourism sector.
The report was created in collaboration with the travel forecasting agency Globetrender.
Travellers are embarking on journeys driven by nostalgia, and living out their childhood dreams, like a Polly Pocket-inspired Airbnb rental, pictured
Asia set to lead global tourism revival
After years of restricted travel, travellers are excited to rediscover Asia’s cultural treasures. China is opening its doors to millions by expanding visa-free travel, while Thailand’s new digital nomad visas and broader visa-free programme for 93 countries are set to attract a global audience. Pop culture is also driving interest, with the upcoming season of The White Lotus set in Thailand, Squid Game season two expected to boost travel to South Korea, and renewed curiosity about Japan’s history inspired by the TV series Shōgun. Adding to this momentum, Iberia has recently launched direct flights between Madrid and Tokyo, making it easier than ever for travellers to explore Japan.
Over the next 15 years, IATA predicts that Asia-Pacific will record the fastest rise in passenger numbers and contribute to more than half of the net increase in global passenger numbers by 2043. Amadeus data reflects this momentum as outbound travel from Chengdu, China, surged 66% to 35.2 million passengers from 2016 to 2023, while Guangzhou grew 20%. Delhi also saw a 31% rise with over 30 million outbound passengers in 2023.
New heydays
Nostalgia is fuelling the rise of “new heydays,” with the past taking centre stage. From the comeback of 90s films and CDs to Gen Z’s love for digital cameras, culture is embracing the retro everywhere you look.
In travel, adults are seeking to relive gap years, distant honeymoons and childhood dreams – for example, Airbnb listed a Polly Pocket-inspired rental – and travellers from the US are flocking back to Miami, a Miami Vice era hotspot.
As millennials enter middle age, we will see the revival of the classic caravan and camping holiday. Eurocamp is seeing a huge rise in bookings, with 2024 shaping up to be its best year in five decades. In the US, adult summer camps are also booming, with Club Getaway reporting a 9% jump in revenue from its adult segments in 2024 compared to 2023.
Personalised flying
In 2025, air travel will reach new heights of personalisation, blending smart tech with customised in-flight experiences. Although many passengers consume content on their own devices, airlines are upping the ante by combining algorithmic entertainment with hyper-personalised in-flight systems that deliver box-fresh content – from movies and TV series to advertisements and things to buy – that are tailored to the individual flyer, based on their historic preferences (as loyalty scheme members). With high-speed Wi-Fi from providers like SpaceX’s Starlink now available, passengers can stream their favourite content mid-flight just as effortlessly as they would at home. We may also see airlines increasingly loaning VR headsets to passengers in first and business class – in 2024, premium airline start-up Beond began handing out Apple Vision Pros to people flying its Maldives route.
Trailblazer hotels
In 2025, hotels are set to make headlines by evolving into destinations in their own right, such as immersing guests in the local culture, history, and natural beauty of their surroundings. In Asia-Pacific, trailblazing properties like Capella Ubud in Bali, with its rainforest luxury tents, and The Temple House in Chengdu, which fuses Qing dynasty architecture with modern design, are leading the way. Hoshinoya Tokyo reinterprets the traditional Japanese ryokan experience with tatami rooms and tea ceremonies, while heritage gems like Neemrana Fort Palace in India, a 15th-century fortress turned luxury retreat and the colonial Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, Malaysia offer authentic cultural and historical experiences in breath-taking settings. These unique stays are redefining what it means to travel.
Real-life connections
Facing digital fatigue, travellers are closing their apps and opening their passports, using travel to make new friends and even find romance in real life. According to Amadeus booking data, solo leisure travel soared by 15.6% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a further 9.2% rise so far in 2024.
The 2025 trends report predicts a wave of group and solo adventures designed to spark genuine connections. This is prompting the rise of apps such as Hello Strangers, which organises dinners with five strangers, carefully selected through personality-matching algorithms, and PlateCulture, which offers travellers the chance to savour authentic local cuisine in the homes of local hosts.
Festival tourism is on the rise in Asia-Pacific, offering travellers opportunities to connect over shared cultural and social interests. Events like the Bali Arts Festival in Indonesia and the Holi Festival in India attract both locals and international visitors, fostering communal experiences and cultural exchange.
Daniel Batchelor, vice president, global corporate marketing and communications at Amadeus, commented: “Asia is set for a tourism revival, while we are also seeing a rise in spontaneous solo travel, as people seek more off-screen, authentic experiences.
“Asia isn’t just recovering; it’s redefining itself. Travellers are drawn to the region’s unique ability to balance timeless cultural traditions with modern innovation. In 2025, Asia won’t just be a destination; it will be a global trendsetter. After a year where change has become the backdrop to daily life, travellers are seeking a deeper connection to people and places more than ever.”
BWH Hotels is introducing its Best Western brand to the heart of Vietnam’s largest metropolis and commercial capital, Ho Chi Minh City, with the signing of Best Western Central Home Saigon, a new mid-scale hotel under construction situated next to Binh Loi Bridge and Pham Van Dong Boulevard in District 13.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the 126-key hotel is easily accessible from the city and Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It is also a short distance from District 1, the home of Ho Chi Minh City’s most iconic attractions, such as Independence Palace, Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral, and more.
Best Western Central Home Saigon is set to open in 2026
BWH Hotels currently operates five hotels and resorts in Vietnam and its portfolio is set to grow with multiple new projects in the pipeline.
“Complementing Caravelle Hotel, a member of WorldHotels Elite and legendary downtown five-star hotel, Best Western Central Home Saigon will enable BWH Hotels to cater to all business and leisure travellers in this major metropolis,” said Olivier Berrivin, vice president – APAC, BWH Hotels.
Srikant Kodali has been named the new director of sales & marketing of JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru. He will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing team to achieve the hotel’s revenue goals, while further enhancing the brand’s presence and reputation.
With over 13 years of diverse experience in the hospitality industry, he brings extensive expertise across sales, marketing, and event operations. Prior to joining JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, Kodali held key leadership roles at various properties within Marriott International.
With over 13 years of diverse experience in the hospitality industry, he brings extensive expertise across sales, marketing, and event operations. Prior to joining JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, Kodali held key leadership roles at various properties within Marriott International.
