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Asia/Singapore Monday, 22nd December 2025
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Page 196

Aviation roundup: Korean Air, Hong Kong Airlines and more

By TTG Asia
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Korean Air

Korean Air expands network to Japan and China
Korean Air will resume its Seoul Incheon-Kumamoto service from November 24, as well as introduce a new service from Seoul Incheon to Fuzhou, China from December 28.

The airline will commence daily flights on the Seoul Incheon-Kumamoto route after a 27-year suspension due to the Asian financial crisis in 1997. Korean Air has also increased frequency on the Seoul Incheon to Okayama and Kagoshima routes, while also resuming the Seoul Incheon-Nagasaki route with four weekly flights.

Meanwhile, its new service from Seoul Incheon to Fuzhou will operate three times a week, flying on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Korean Air currently flies daily from Seoul Incheon to Xiamen, and operates four weekly flights to Kunming.

Hong Kong Airlines

Hong Kong Airlines introduces new daily direct service to Chiang Mai
Hong Kong Airlines has inaugurated its new daily direct service to Chiang Mai, Thailand on October 27.

This new route marks the airline’s third destination in Thailand, joining Bangkok and Phuket, with daily flights now available.

The launch coincides perfectly with Thailand’s Loy Krathong (Festival of Light) in November, allowing travellers to experience the vibrant parades and celebrations.

Vietjet

Vietjet launches Danang-Ahmedabad service
Vietjet has commenced its direct service connecting Vietnam’s Danang to Ahmedabad in India.

The new service offers two round-trip flights per week. Travellers from North-east and South-east Asia can now transit through Danang more easily to reach India’s major cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, and now Ahmedabad, via Vietjet’s extensive network.

The airline has plans to launch new routes connecting Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur and Nha Trang to Daegu, as well as resume the Ho Chi Minh City-Tainan route, and increase flight frequencies throughout the region.

Air India and Singapore Airlines; photo by Air India

Air India, Singapore Airlines add 51 new codeshare destinations
Air India and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have expanded their codeshare agreement, adding 11 Indian cities and another 40 international destinations to their network.

From October 27, Air India and SIA will codeshare on each other’s flights between Singapore and the Indian cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, increasing their total weekly scheduled codeshare services between the countries to 56 from 14.

SIA will codeshare on Air India’s domestic flights between Delhi and Amritsar, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Lucknow, and Varanasi, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Thiruvananthapuram, as well as between Kolkata and Guwahati.

Air India customers will be able to access 29 destinations across SIA’s network. These are Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney (Australia), Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Cambodia), Denpasar, Jakarta, Medan, and Surabaya (Indonesia), Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo-Haneda, and Tokyo-Narita (Japan), Busan and Seoul (South Korea), Kuala Lumpur and Penang (Malaysia), Auckland (New Zealand), Cebu and Manila (the Philippines), as well as Danang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). This includes existing codeshare arrangements to Kuala Lumpur.

SIA customers will also be able to connect to Air India’s international services from Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai to 12 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. These are Copenhagen (Denmark), Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany), Milan (Italy), Nairobi (Kenya), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Jeddah and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Colombo (Sri Lanka), as well as Birmingham, London-Gatwick, and London-Heathrow (the UK).

Subject to regulatory approvals, the codeshare flights will be progressively made available for sale through the airlines’ respective booking channels.

WTTC’s Global Summit marks Rome for 2025

By TTG Asia
0

WTTC will gather the world’s travel and tourism leaders and professionals in the Italian capital of Rome for its 2025 WTTC Global Summit – the first time the event will be held in the city.

Scheduled for late 2025, the summit will be staged in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Tourism.

Rome is set to welcome the next WTTC Global Summit

This marks the summit’s return to Europe after six years; the last was in Spain.

Daniela Santanchè, minister of tourism, Italy, said: “This event is recognised as the most important setting for dialogue between governments and the private sector, where leaders shape the future of global travel and tourism. We look forward to welcoming our guests and members of WTTC to Rome, a city rich in history and innovation.”

The event is expected to showcase Italy’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary tourist offerings to the world’s leading travel executives.

Thailand wants the world to know it has more to offer

By Audrey Ng
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Thailand, on track to achieve its 2024 target of 35 million international tourist arrivals, is already building towards a 39 million target for 2025, shared its tourism and sports minister Sorawong Thienthong.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will launch the Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025 campaign. This will comprise collaboration with tourism partners to offer Grand Festivals, Grand Moments, and Grand Privileges to tourists, as well as the promotion of five must-dos in Thailand – Must Taste (Thai cuisine), Must Try (Muay Thai), Must Buy (Thai fashion and local products), Must Seek (new destinations and experiences), and Must See (Thai festivals). The latter aims to diversify Thailand’s tourism appeal and spotlight lesser-visited regions across the country.

From left: TAT’s Thapanee Kiatphaibool and Sorawong Thienthong

“This concept will create grand, unforgettable experiences for every traveller who visits our beloved kingdom,” said Sorawong.

Sunny Kim, vice president, global sales of Onyx Hospitality Group, which has properties across Thailand, said TAT’s focus on lesser-visited regions creates an opportunity for the hotel group to feature its hotels outside of the city to both domestic and inbound tourists.

While Thailand is already a popular destination, there are still countless hidden gems waiting to be discovered across the country.

“That’s Thailand’s beauty. You’ve been there, you know Thailand, but there are still so many things to discover,” Kim added and cited Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province as an example. Amari The Tide Bang Saen hotel is scheduled to open there next year.

Combining traditions and modern experiences, Thailand aims to enhance its tourism offerings in several ways.

The wide popularity of Thai cuisine provides an opportunity to further promote regional culinary experiences. Since 2017, Thailand has been working with the Michelin Guide to promote gastronomy tourism. Next year, the guide will be expanded to include Chon Buri province.

Another driver of tourism is the entertainment industry. This year, Thailand saw a surge in shorthaul arrivals that reached 65 per cent of overall international tourist numbers. This was driven up by K-pop concerts.

At the same time, screen tourism has gained momentum, added Sorawong. The popularity of Thai movies and series has led many Asian tourists to locations that appeared in shows such as Phuket Old Town and Chiang Mai University.

On the sustainability front, the government is also encouraging businesses to join its Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating programme, which assesses businesses based on their eco-friendly practices. TAT also offers the CF-Hotels, which lists hotel operators’ carbon footprint.

Improved connectivity within the South-east Asia region is another key element of Thailand’s strategy. The kingdom is promoting travel routes with Laos through a new train service that connects the two countries. It is also collaborating with Malaysian tour operator Golden Century Tour and Travel to enhance the southern rail route.

To improve air connectivity, Thailand is working on charter flights and establishing new routes – two new routes launched in 2H2024 include a service between Xi’an and Koh Samui with Tibet Airlines, and a route from Astana to Phuket with Air Astana.

Curated experiences key to winning over luxury travellers

By Meredith Woo
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Destinations around the world are adjusting their offerings to appeal to increasingly discerning high-net-worth individual (HNWIs) travellers for whom exclusivity and authenticity are key.

Franka Gulin, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, noticed a post-lockdown shift in Asian touring behaviours. From previously large groups, a new type of FITs is on the rise, she noted.

Petra can tap into wellness tourism, leveraging Jordan’s strong reputation in medical services; ancient tombs called Loculi in Petra, pictured

“These types of tourists are in need of a curated tailored experience, and this is something that they expect of the premium destination,” she added.

Croatia has capitalised on this trend by offering small, luxury accommodation with rich histories, providing HNWIs with a sense of exclusivity as these are often difficult to book.

Jordan, another rising star in luxury tourism, is leveraging its wealth of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, like Petra. However, historical appeal alone is not enough to attract luxury travellers.

“In Petra, 87 per cent of our tourists in 2023 were from North America and Western Europe and a few other (overseas markets). After the war in Gaza, we lost over 80 per cent of (them). Therefore, we have to look into the diversification of markets and products. Luxury tourism is fundamental to that direction,” said Fares A Braizat, chief commissioner of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority.

One opportunity that Petra could capture would be wellness tourism, he shared, highlighting how Jordan is highly regarded for its medical services and medical industry.

Over in Japan, overcrowding in key cities has been an issue. One strategy is to focus on regenerative tourism, especially to combat overtourism in certain areas, as well as to heighten travellers’ emotional involvement while increasing revenue, said Naomi Mano, president and CEO of Luxurique.

Mano added that working with municipalities, unique temples and destinations to curate exclusive experiences can channel tourist dollars to the local community.

“We are almost customising the emotional involvement that these travellers have with these destinations – because when you’re donating to something you believe in, or you’re donating your time to what you believe in, it gives a further emotional involvement to that destination,” she said.

Chinese travellers fuel global hotel bookings, DidaTravel reveals

By TTG Asia
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DidaTravel has shared key hotel booking trends from China’s Golden Week holiday period, with hotel bookings for trips abroad showing impressive growth.

According to DidaTravel’s latest data, during the Golden Week holiday, when many Chinese travellers take a seven-day break from October 1 to October 7, hotel bookings surged across various regions compared to last year: up by 190% in the Americas, 78% in Europe, 77% in Asia-Pacific, and 106% in the Middle East.

Japan is now the number one international destination for Chinese travellers, followed by Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia

The average hotel stay duration for international travellers remained stable at around two nights, consistent with pre-pandemic trends. While average daily rates (ADR) showed a slight increase in the Middle East, they were marginally lower in other regions compared to last year.

As of October 8, the top 20 most popular international destinations for Chinese travellers during the Golden Week holiday were Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, the US, Italy, Vietnam, the UAE, the UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Iceland, the Philippines, and New Zealand.

Among international cities, the most booked destinations were Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Pattaya, Kyoto, Kota Kinabalu, Jeju, Karon, Dubai, Paris, Patong, Phuket, Abu Dhabi, Chiang Mai, Rome, Milan, and London.

For domestic travel, top destinations included Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Macau. These destinations provide a wide variety of experiences, ranging from natural landscapes to vibrant cultural heritage, world-class events, gourmet dining, and shopping.

Stone Fan, president of DidaTravel, commented: “The evolving preferences of Chinese travellers signal a new era for the global travel industry.”

Klook, Wild Welfare renew partnership to enhance animal welfare in tourism

By TTG Asia
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Klook has renewed its collaboration with Wild Welfare, an international animal welfare charity, to bolster animal welfare standards within the tourism sector.

This renewed partnership aims to promote responsible and ethical tourism practices, elevating animal welfare standards globally and improving the care of animals involved in tourism activities.

The partnership encourages travelers to choose responsible wildlife encounters over practices like elephant rides; photo by Wild Welfare

As part of this collaboration, Wild Welfare will provide educational resources, including webinars, to help Klook employees better understand animal welfare best practices. The online programme will train participants to identify situations where good animal welfare principles may be compromised in tourism settings.

The partnership will also actively promote welfare-friendly tourism initiatives on Klook’s global platform, encouraging travellers to make informed choices about their activities and their impact on animal welfare. This includes supporting responsible wildlife encounters and shifting away from traditional practices like elephant rides.

Additionally, Klook and Wild Welfare will push for stronger animal welfare regulations within the tourism industry, such as collaborating with governments and associations to promote ethical practices and encouraging other travel agencies to adopt similar approaches, fostering a broader shift toward sustainable options for travellers.

An evaluation process for partner activities on the Klook platform will also be developed, with guidelines developed by Wild Welfare. The assessments aim to highlight potential welfare concerns at listed facilities in alignment with Klook’s animal protection policy, reassuring customers that partner locations and tours adhere to ethical standards.

Simon Marsh, director of Wild Welfare, remarked, “This partnership presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of animal welfare issues in the tourism industry and drive meaningful change. Together, we can make a tangible difference for animals affected by tourism activities worldwide.”

Rebecca Keiller, senior manager of sustainability at Klook, stated, “Renewing our partnership with Wild Welfare reaffirms our commitment to responsible and ethical tourism. We look forward to collaborating to create a more sustainable and compassionate future for wildlife.”

Hilton to expand Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands in Asia-Pacific

By TTG Asia
0

Hilton has announced plans to double its focused service presence in Asia-Pacific, aiming to exceed 1,000 mid-market hotels in the coming years. The company currently has 483 focused service properties operating under the Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands, with an additional 594 properties in development.

Hilton’s portfolio of focused service brands, comprising of Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton and Spark by Hilton, has been boosted by recent openings in key tourism hotspots including Hilton Garden Inn Bangkok Riverside, Hilton Garden Inn Rayong and Hilton Garden Inn Guilin Yangshuo.

Hilton continues to expand across Asia-Pacific; Hilton Garden Inn Rayong, pictured

The pace of Hilton Garden Inn signings is also picking up steadily, with the most recent signings being Hilton Garden Inn Hoi An Tra Que Village (Vietnam), Hilton Garden Inn Nusa Dua (Bali) and Hilton Garden Inn Kota Kinabalu Tuaran (Malaysia).

Hampton by Hilton continues to expand across key Chinese gateway locations, most recently with Hampton by Hilton Beijing Zhongguancun Industrial Park, Hampton by Hilton Tianjin Binhai Sanda Avenue and Hampton by Hilton Guangzhou Tianhe Smart City.

Hilton recently launched Hilton Garden Inn Gen A, the brand’s new regional prototype for Greater China, to deliver innovative upscale accommodations with today’s travellers in mind. In 2025, Hilton will be looking at opportunities to expand the presence of Hilton Garden Inn by continuing to regionalise the brand and expanding franchising in India, China, Australia and Thailand. Hilton will also be looking to regionalise Hampton by Hilton across the region, as well as its other focused service brands, Tru by Hilton and Spark by Hilton.

Additionally, an expanding middle class in Asia-Pacific is showing sustained demand for intra-regional travel for both business and leisure and, as a result, record investments into hospitality assets and airline capacity.

“With more than 100 million Asians joining the middle class every year and intra-Asian travel now making up 60 per cent of international tourism arrivals in the region, we see continued demand for our focused service brands,” said Clarence Tan, senior vice president, development, Asia-Pacific, Hilton.

“As Asia’s burgeoning middle class hits the road in greater numbers, travellers in this segment are expected to be more value-driven and price conscious. Our owners are showing confidence in our efficient prototypes and kit-of-parts approach to focused service development that maximises time and investment for both owners and customers.”

Singapore shines in OneRepublic’s new musical tribute

By TTG Asia
0

OneRepublic, in collaboration with Universal Music Singapore (UMSG) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), have released a behind-the-scenes video which shines a light on the inspiration behind their new song Singapore.

Filmed during the band’s visit at the recent Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2024, this video features frontman and lead singer Ryan Tedder and keyboardist Brian Willett exploring the city while offering a glimpse of how the city state’s architecture and experiences had influenced the track. The video features the duo in a mix of locations such as Marina One, Peranakan Museum, Armenian Street, and the Old Hill Street Police Station.

OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and Brian Willett in Singapore; photo by Universal Music Singapore

OneRepublic shared that when writing the track, the band was “inspired by the colourful juxtaposition of the modern and heritage buildings set in this cultural melting pot”.

The video is available across OneRepublic, UMSG and STB’s social media platforms. The song Singapore is available on all major music platforms and is featured on the album Artificial Paradise. OneRepublic will also be releasing an official visualiser video for the Singapore track, shot entirely in Singapore.

“The first time I heard Singapore fully mixed, I could see buildings shooting up from the ocean, the streets, the tapestry of creativity,” remarked Tedder.

Choo Huei Miin, executive director, brand, STB, said: “The Singapore track beautifully pays homage to our city’s essence – a harmonious blend of heritage and modernity.”

Qatar Airways boosts in-flight connectivity with Starlink

By TTG Asia
0

Qatar Airways has operated its first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 aircraft from Doha to London on October 22, making the airline the largest and first carrier in the MENA region to offer passengers Starlink ultra-high-speed, low-latency internet.

Starlink is free to all passengers and operates from gate to gate.

The Starlink-equipped aircraft will operate on select routes as Qatar Airways pushes forward its roll-out plans

The national carrier is also set to exceed its initial target of three Starlink-equipped aircraft by introducing 12 Boeing 777-300s upgraded with this service by the end of 2024. Qatar Airways has further committed to rolling out the technology on its entire Boeing 777 fleet in 2025 – one year ahead of schedule – with the Airbus A350 fleet following in the summer of 2025.

Engineered by SpaceX, Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit that will provide passengers reliable, high-speed internet so they can stay connected with friends and family, stream entertainment, watch live sports, play online games, or work efficiently while in the air – all for free and with a simple one-click-access.

Qatar Airways’ group CEO, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “By providing Starlink reliable, seamless internet on board, we are connecting people to the things they love the most even at 35,000 feet, making every journey with us a memorable one.”

Marriott International’s study dives into the power of food in shaping tourism appetite

By Meredith Woo
0

The idea of hopping onto a plane just to savour a plate of nasi goreng kampung (Indonesian fried rice) in Bali may have sounded absurd a decade ago, but today, well-heeled travellers are increasingly planning their itineraries around local dishes and produce – especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Hot on the heels of its New Luxe Landscapes Report published in July – which found gastronomy a key driver of destination choice – the Luxury Group by Marriott International launched The Future of Food 2025 report on October 8. This new report draws insights from research and in-depth interviews with more than 30 pioneering chefs, mixologists, and industry insiders from across the region to uncover 10 key culinary trends.

The Future of Food 2025 report details the changing culinary landscape

“The Future of Food 2025 report highlights Asia-Pacific’s pivotal role in shaping global culinary landscapes. This report demonstrates our commitment to culinary excellence across all our Luxury Group brands. We will continue to evolve our gastronomy landscape alongside the F&B industry, providing our guests with dining experiences that highlight the region’s rich heritage, flavours, and techniques,” said Oriol Montal, managing director of luxury for Asia-Pacific excluding China, Marriott International.

Last year, Asia-Pacific commanded the lion’s share of 37.8 per cent of the total global culinary tourism revenue of US$1.1 trillion, noted the report. Within the next decade, this figure is projected to increase to US$6.2 trillion.

Haute cuisine is also being redefined with hyperlocal, lesser-known regional cuisines. This can be experienced in Loka Rasa, a parade of 10 Indonesian dishes served in Marriott Bonvoy restaurants across the nation till December 31 – one of which is the quintessential rustic fried rice by chef Wisnu Adiyatma from Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa.

The revival of forgotten ingredients and traditions such as foraging for Hisalu berries in the Himalayan foothills is another trend to watch. The sourcing of these ingredients can be combined with social impact. IGNIV head chef and pastry chef, Arne Riehn, from The St. Regis Bangkok gets coffee blossoms direct from the farmers, creating additional revenue for them, while also playfully repurposing them.

This mindfulness is also critical to the trends of conscious cuisine and sustainability. Even as travellers flock to Asia-Pacific to unearth gastronomic gems, the industry needs to consider hot-button issues such as the water crisis, scarcity, and emerging farming techniques.

Said Petr Raba, vice president food & beverage, Marriott International APEC: “We’re not just observing these trends; we are actively contributing to their creation and influence. We’re investing in immersive food experiences, sustainable practices, and innovative technologies to enhance our restaurant and bar offerings in the region.”

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGssociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTG Asia | Cross Hotels to develop Bali Uluwatu Resort
TTG Asia | Hilton teams up with Explora Journeys to expand loyalty programme to luxury ocean voyages
TTG Asia | PATA Singapore Chapter debuts industry dialogue on hot issues