Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is handing out free tickets for direct bus rides from Hong Kong International Airport in a bid to encourage travellers to Hong Kong to extend their trip to Macau.
The promotion is aimed at international travellers, as well as those from Taiwan, and is expected to spur twin-city tourism to Hong Kong and Macau.
Free bus rides into Macau are offered to international travellers arriving in Hong Kong
Upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, eligible visitors can proceed to the direct bus service counter, present their travel documents and boarding passes, and register for free bus tickets.
Tickets are limited in quantity and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
To communicate this offer, MGTO and its partner bus service operator will roll out a range of online and offline promotions on social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Line and Kakao.
An Amadeus research among 896 senior sustainability decision-makers across nine markets and seven segments of the travel industry to gain insight on ESG ambitions, priorities, and challenges, has revealed optimism towards net zero objectives.
89% of ESG decision-makers believe the industry can reach the UNWTO-proposed goal for net zero by 2050. Of that 89%, 36% believe it is possible to reach without any adjustments, while 53% believe it is possible, but progress needs to be accelerated urgently.
More travel industry are stepping up their ESG pursuits
Key to this is a focus on action. 90% of those surveyed have a step-by-step strategy in place to help them achieve environmental sustainability objectives or are planning to implement one in 2024. 94% of respondents are either currently active or plan to be actively involved in social sustainability initiatives that impact beyond their organisation. This commitment was matched by increased investment, with 46% of respondents anticipating investing more in 2024 than last year.
Despite the optimism, the study identified barriers to delivering on environment, social and governance initiatives:
40% cited cost as the biggest barrier for environmental commitments, followed by lack of technology and knowledge (30%) as well as C-suite buy-in (25%).
For social initiatives, the biggest barriers include lack of technology (32%), cost (31%), lack of knowledge (28%), and C-suite buy-in (27%).
For governance initiatives, the barriers highlighted include lack of knowledge (31%), cost (31%), lack of technology (29%), and C-suite buy-in (25%).
Notably, the study highlighted a clear and recognised role for technology to help the industry reach its ambitions. 92% of respondents indicated technology is important to help organisations achieve environmental sustainability objectives, with 91% saying the same for social objectives.
Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality were particularly important:
33% of respondents highlighted generative AI initiatives as the technology with the highest potential to accelerate environmental sustainability as it can guide travellers to more sustainable options across the traveller journey.
31% said technologies that generate operational efficiency improvements as well as access to data for true personalisation would be important.
38% said they can help to drive social progress by improving access to travel through integrated accessibility technology on public transport, at the airport or on a flight.
Ultimately, there is work still to be done for the industry to deliver on its sustainability ambitions; 37% of ESG decision-makers recognised that more access to technological solutions is needed. Those that felt it was unlikely they would meet their targets within the timeframe set highlighted the need for further collaboration across the industry (33%).
Airlines 54% of airlines are increasing their investment in ESG initiatives. They recognise that technology can play an important role in reaching net zero goals. The top ESG priorities for airlines are:
· Sustainability and social impact of the travel and tourism industry – 33%
· Sustainability education and capacity-building of employees – 30%
· Sustainable food sourcing and food waste – 27%
Technology could also help travellers make better social choices, by providing customers with tools and access to information related to the social impact when booking a flight. For airlines, virtual or augmented reality (37%) and generative AI interfaces (36%) are cited as technologies that could have the biggest impact on accelerating the achievement of environmental objectives. 47% believe technology will improve access to travel through integrated accessibility technology while traveling.
When investing, decarbonisation and reducing environmental impact is a key focus with airlines concentrating on the following areas:
Operational efficiency improvements – 54%
Development of new aircraft technology – 48%
Improvements to existing aircraft technology – 44%
Carbon offsetting and other climate solutions – 37%
Carbon capture and storage technologies – 34%
Sustainable aviation fuel – 28%
Corporations 43% of large companies plan to spend more on meeting ESG objectives than they did in 2022. The top ESG priorities for large companies are:
Creating a sustainability plan / roadmap for the entire company – 22%
Energy reduction – 21%
Health, safety and wellbeing – 21%
Reducing carbon emissions – 20%
Technology is seen by ESG decision makers to have the potential to help the industry meet sustainability targets, especially those that help to transition to low carbon energy (36%), generative AI interfaces that can guide travelers to more sustainable travel options at every stage of the journey (34%), and technologies that help develop more alternative sustainable fuels (30%).
Offering employees sustainable business travel options is an important objective for corporations, but respondents recognise there are obstacles to overcome, mainly the lack of transparency for employees around travel and expense policies (38%), lack of clarity on sustainability objectives (38%), and the increased costs that may come as a result (36%).
Hotels 52% of hotels have a step-by-step plan in place to achieve targets. The top ESG priorities for hotels:
Energy reduction – 28%
Health, safety and wellbeing – 28%
Responsible water management – 26%
Technology that generates operational efficiencies (36% of respondents selected) and enables access to data to achieve personalisation (30% selected) have the biggest potential to impact environmental sustainability. 34% of ESG decision makers think technology that provides tools to offer travelers the option to make more conscious choices will have the biggest impact on social sustainability.
Hotels are optimistic, but 38% are concerned about meeting specific environmental standards of facilities, and 36% say they need support to meet energy efficiency improvements.
DMOs For DMOs, 47% believe technology will improve access to travel through integrated accessibility technology while traveling.
The top ESG priorities for DMOs are:
Creating a sustainability plan / roadmap for the entire company – 22%
Energy reduction – 21%
Health, safety and wellbeing – 21%
Two fifths (40%) of DMOs ESG decision-makers believe generative AI interfaces to guide travellers to more sustainable options will help to accelerate reaching environmental objectives. One third (33%) said more advanced search capabilities allowing travelers to understand the environmental impact of their travel also has potential to make an impact.
Mobility 84% of mobility providers have seen an increase in demand for more sustainability in their products and services since 2020.
The top ESG priorities for mobility providers are:
Sustainability education and capacity-building of employees – 34%
Sustainability and social impact of the travel and tourism industry – 31%
Community engagement / corporate philanthropy / corporate volunteering – 26%
The key challenges faced by mobility providers include lack of collaboration with other industries to provide more sustainable travel options, and lack of awareness and evidence on environmental and social impact, alongside lack of financial resources and investment in sustainability initiatives.
Airports Airports are increasing focus on ESG, as 47% plan on investing more in ESG initiatives in 2024 than they did in 2022, and a similar number (46%) plan to spend the same. Airports are taking concrete measures to address ESG with nearly half of airports stating they have a step-by-step plan in place with an additional 45% planning to implement one.
98% said technology will play an important role in helping the industry meet sustainability targets. Regarding the technologies that can have the biggest impact:
49% selected technologies that help with more sustainable procurement and sourcing. This is particularly relevant considering the diverse ecosystem in the airport space that ranges from aviation to retail and food and beverage providers.
36% said technologies that generate operational efficiency improvements, reflecting the central role airports play in aviation’s complex operations.
34% selected technologies that help develop more alternative sustainable fuels.
33% said generative AI interfaces that can help guide travelers to more sustainable travel options at every stage of the journey and in destination, reflecting the industry’s interest in innovative technologies.
When it comes to social sustainability, 40% said that travel technology will improve accessibility. Despite the positivity, 44% stated that clarity on financing and budgets as well as the same percentage for C-suite buy-in is needed for airports to meet targets.
Travel sellers 46% of travel sellers have a step-by-step plan in place and 39% plan to implement one. The top ESG priorities for travel sellers are:
Sustainability and social impact of the travel and tourism industry (25%)
Health, safety and wellbeing of employees (24%)
Employee development, learning and growth (21%)
93% of travel seller ESG decision-makers believe technology will be important in achieving their goals.
Generative AI interfaces, access to data to personalise all stages of a journey and advanced search capabilities were selected by 33% as the technologies with the biggest potential to accelerate reaching targets toward environmental sustainability. Within this, business travel agencies were more receptive to generative AI (selected by 37%) than leisure travel agencies (28%). When it comes to social sustainability, 39% said technology will improve access to travel through integrated technology when travelling.
While travel sellers are optimistic, more guidance on standards across regions (selected by 45%), sustainability-related regulations (40%), and carbon emission calculation methodologies (39%) is needed.
A high-level tsunami warning that was issued following a 7.6-magnitude quake that struck off the coast of Noto in Ishikawa, Japan in the afternoon of January 1, has been lowered.
Local news media said this was the first time that Japan had issued such a high-level tsunami alert since the 2011 earthquake.
Buildings and roads in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture are impacted by the January 1 quake; photo by NHK
While authorities warned that tsunami waves could reach heights of 5m, waves that eventually crashed into the Ishikawa coastline along the Sea of Japan that day were no more than a metre high.
However, major damage to infrastructure, including house, power poles and expressways, has been reported. The latest NHK news update stated that injuries were reported across multiple prefectures including Niigata, Fukui, Toyama, and Gifu.
The national meteorological agency has warned of continued aftershocks in affected areas for the coming days.
Positive adjectives are showing up in Asian tourism leaders’ 2024 outlook, with most expecting the new year to bring continued strength in industry improvement and growth.
Melissa Ow, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, believes that the city-state’s continued investment in new products and experiences as well as industry players’ ability to respond to emerging travel trends will place Singapore in a strong position to compete for leisure travellers.
Clockwise from top left: Singapore Tourism Board’s Melissa Ow; Indonesia Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy’s Sandiaga Uno; Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Dane Cheng; Japan National Tourism Organization’s Atsumi Gamo; Tourism Malaysia’s Ammar Abd Ghapar; and Macao Government Tourism Office’s Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes
“Key development projects such as the Mandai Rejuvenation Project, Bay East Garden and the rejuvenation of Orchard Road are underway, further enhancing Singapore’s attractiveness as a leading destination,” Ow detailed.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia minister of tourism and creative economy, said the country’s tourism and travel industry players “are well prepared and more optimistic about facing the year 2024”.
Industry confidence is boosted by healthy business in 2023. According to data available at press time, Indonesia’s 2023 arrival target of 8.5 million was achieved in September; 2023 is expected to conclude with 11 million visitors.
Despite being one of the last countries in Asia-Pacific to reopen to the world, Hong Kong has established strong tourism recovery momentum, opined Dane Cheng, executive director, Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Cheng expects to see a stronger return of travellers from the US and Europe in 2024, as long-haul air capacity to Asia scales up further.
“US president Joe Biden and Chinese president Xi Jinping have committed to increasing scheduled passenger flights in 2024. That’s very good news,” he remarked.
Optimism continues across the sea from Hong Kong. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macao Government Tourism Office, told TTG Asia that “a good start to the new year” is expected, as the destination has been been “doing a lot of promotions as well as investments in diversifying our tourism offerings”.
“Not only did the recovery rate of visitor arrivals increase steadily each month, from 40 per cent in January 2023 to 90 per cent in November 2023 (against 2019 numbers), visitors are also staying longer and spending more,” she said.
Commenting on what travel and tourism operators must do to thrive in 2024, Ammar Abd Ghapar, director-general, Tourism Malaysia, urged his community to prioritise safety and health, integrate technology to enhance customer experiences, and diversify their offerings.
Meanwhile, the Japan National Tourism Organization will support the industry on a sustainability transformation. Its president, Atsumi Gamo, said sustainable tourism is one of the key pillars in the government’s Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism Nation. A goal is set for 100 regions to be sustainable by 2025, with half of that being recognised by international bodies; in 2023, 10 regions were listed in the Top 100 Green Destinations, and four were named Best Tourism Villages by the UNWTO.
Singapore-based Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) has entered the final lap of its research project to redesign key roles in hotel operations, conducted as part of the nation-wide Job Transformation Map (JTM) for the Hotel Industry programme led by the Singapore Tourism Board and Workforce Singapore.
PPHG’s three-year job transformation project involves human resource experts, Mercer, which was awarded the contract in January 2023 after two rounds of tender evaluations jointly performed by Singapore Tourism Board, Workforce Singapore, and PPHG on four tenderers. The three parties are jointly funding the project.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s ongoing study of eight critical jobs in hotel operations will help to transform Singapore’s hotel industry for efficiency
In an earlier interview with TTG Asia, PPHG CEO Choe Peng Sum had described the project as “a million-dollar exercise” to develop “a vision of the hotel of the future” through a practical redesign of jobs across various functions.
While the hotel industry-wide programme has identified 40 jobs ripe for various extent of redesign, such as sales coordinator, reservations officer and engineers, PPHG itself has marked out eight roles for scrutiny under its own job transformation undertaking. These roles are in front office, bell, concierge, housekeeping, central reservations, F&B, and security, according to Kung Teong Wah, general manager at Parkroyal Collection Pickering, one of three PPHG properties involved in the study.
Kung shared that research work has been intensive, with the team considering factors such as customer touch points, opportunities for change, and potential technology that could simplify jobs and improve staff capability. A time motion study was also conducted to better understand processes and identify necessary training.
Elaborating on the efforts taken to rethink the housekeeping role, Kung said the team “looked at the full range of necessary tasks and identified possible ones that a Singaporean could and would do” as well as how work could be simplified, and staff could be incentivised to perform faster and better.
Currently, room attendants are all foreigners, as “Singaporeans are not willing and able to do this job – for example, they are not able to carry heavy 46kg mattresses”, stated Kung.
By separating tasks that foreigners and Singaporeans could and would do, the hotel is able to move a percentage of local staff to housekeeping, which in turn eases the dependency on foreign hires and makes hotel jobs more palatable to the local workforce.
Kung’s team is also developing an incentive system that awards housekeepers extra pay should they complete more rooms within their normal working hours. To ensure that speed does not compromise quality of housekeeping, rooms are inspected and the incentive value is adjusted according to assessment.
“In the space of housekeeping alone, we have devised 16 action plans for this transformation journey. By implementing these plans, we have seen improvement in productivity,” Kung told TTG Asia.
“Another positive outcome of job transformation is the ability to expand staff capability. An assistant housekeeper, for example, is almost a managerial role. These individuals can articulate in English, are generally smarter, and can do service well. During peak hours, they could support operations at the executive lounge. Just by having them perform a high value job for two hours a day, their capability rises and they gain a wider set of work experience. Of course, everything comes with additional salary,” added Kung.
When asked if redesigned jobs would benefit mature workers, Kung said the employability of mature staff was one of the motivations of the project.
“We want our mature workers – whom we term young seniors – to remain employable for a longer time, especially as the retirement age rises and the population ages. Upgrading their skillsets is one way,” he said.
Kung said the project harnesses the talents of “non-traditional specialists”, like data scientists “to help us do our work better”.
“Our methods are all very scientific. For example, to transform the F&B job, we measured the number of steps staff would take each day on their eight-hour shift to see if they were spending more time serving a guest or walking. How do we get them to walk just 7km every day instead of 11.3km? To do that, we need to redesign the flow of their work and the layout of the restaurant and stations,” he explained.
While the study is almost complete at press time, Kung said there is still a long way to the end. Study findings will lead to action plans, proof of concept, trials, and eventually a playbook that will benefit Singapore’s hotel industry.
When asked for a timeline, Kung said action plans are “quite comprehensive and could take one or two years to be done”; many also involve “a lot of capital expenditure, as some of the changes require product design from scratch”.
Even though hotel companies can be guided by a playbook, Kung warned that job transformation success requires top management buy-in and an understanding that productivity gains must translate into better staff benefits.
“Companies must see savings and staff must see wage increases. Any extra task must come with a wage increase. Many companies fail their job transformation because they do not pay staff more. The gain sharing model is critical,” Kung concluded.
Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled new voyages for autumn and winter of 2025 and 2026, featuring several ships making their debut in new destinations, such as Norwegian Sun visiting new ports in Asia for the first time, including Kyoto (Kobe), Japan; the all-new Norwegian Viva, homeporting for the first time in Galveston, Texas, for a series of Caribbean voyages; and more.
In Asia, Norwegian Sun will kick of its season in Japan on November 3, 2025 on an 11-day open-jaw sailing starting from Tokyo to Incheon, South Korea, calling at Jeju, South Korea and Kyoto (Kobe), Japan. From December 2025 through March 2026, Norwegian Sun will offer a selection of cruises between 11- and 15-days sailing through South-east Asia.
Explore Australia and New Zealand with Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Spirit will explore Australia and New Zealand with open-jaw sailings to and from Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, between December 2025 and March 2026.
Over in Africa, Norwegian Dawn will take travellers to mulitiple ports including Cape Town, South Africa; Port Louis, Mauritius; and Doha, Qatar from November 2025 through March 2026. Due to popular demand for more open-jaw voyages to start and end in Cape Town, South Africa and Port Louis, Mauritius, the cruise line is offering four 12-day sailings calling to the popular ports of Antsiranana, and Nosy Be, Madagascar, as well as an overnight stay in Richard’s Bay, South Africa, where guests can opt to explore the local wildlife by a safari tour, learn about South African history or enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the Aklantstrand Beach.
Meanwhile, the new Norwegian Viva will homeport in Galveston, Texas, for the first time from December 2025 through April 2026, following Norwegian Prima‘s footsteps, which recently kicked off its inaugural season in the destination on December 15, 2023. During Norwegian Viva’s winter season, the vessel will offer guests seven-day roundtrip Western Caribbean itineraries. Norwegian Viva will also sail a 14-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary on January 10 and 24, 2026.
Between November 2025 and April 2026, Norwegian Escape will homeport in New Orleans and offer a series of seven-day roundtrip Western Caribbean voyages as well as two 14-day Southern Caribbean cruises on February 1 and 22, 2026, where the ship will visit for the first time Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Colon, Panama; and Cartagena, Colombia.
Homeporting for a second season in La Romana, Dominican Republic, Norwegian Sky will sail a selection of seven, nine and 12-day roundtrip Southern Caribbean itineraries from December 2025 through April 2026, calling to a variety of picturesque ports, including Oranjestad, Aruba; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Willemstad, Curaçao of the ABC islands and more.
Norwegian Star offers travellers an opportunity to see South America through sailing from November 20, 2025, with a transatlantic crossing from Lisbon, Portugal to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Later, it will offer a 17-day cruise from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 4, 2025 as well as 14-day roundtrip sailings from Buenos Aires, Argentina between December 21, 2025 through February 15, 2026.
From October 2025 through April 2026, Norwegian Jade will offer cruises that traverse the Panama Canal, with a variety of embarkation and disembarkation ports including Callao for the first time.
Etihad Airways and Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, have established a strategic bilateral interline partnership that will allow travellers easier access to 16 airports in the Maldives beyond the main island of Malé.
Etihad customers can access destinations on Maldivian’s network, which serves many popular islands, via Velana International Airport, Malé, including: Dharavandhoo Island, Faresmathoda Airport, Funadhoo Airport, Fuvahmulak Island Airport, Gan Island Airport, Kooddoo Island, Hanimaadhoo Island Airport, Kulhudhuffushi Airport, Hoarafushi Airport, Kaadedhdhoo Island Airport, Kadhdhoo Island, Madivaru Airport, Maafaru International Airport, Maavarulu Airport, Thimarafushi Airport, and Ifuru.
The Maldives is made more accessible through Etihad and Maldivian’s new interline agreement
Etihad’s chief revenue officer, Arik De, said: “Facilitated by smooth connections from Malé, Etihad customers can easily transition to Maldivian’s services, reaching a wide range of domestic destinations to begin their idyllic island retreat.”
Maldivian’s general manager commercial, Ibrahim Hamdhan Mohamed, believes that the agreement “will open exciting opportunities for our valued customers to connect and travel seamlessly within our strong and growing route network of destinations across the Maldives”.
Meanwhile, since January 1, 2024, Etihad has increased the frequency of its flights to Malé from 10 to 14 a week.
Saudi Arabia is a relatively new travel destination, having opened to international tourism as recently as 2019, but the country has ambitious plans to become one of the most visited places in the world by committing US$800 billion to develop tourism nationwide within the next decade.
Tourism is a core component of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a government programme designed to develop a modern and diversified economy. The country’s Ministry of Tourism, which was founded in 2020, aims to leverage tourism to create one million jobs, enable accelerated and sustainable economic growth, host 70 million international tourists by 2030 (or 150 million including domestic tourists), and amplify the tourism sector’s GDP contribution from the current three per cent to 10.
Night views of AlUla’s historical structures at night
Saudi Arabia welcomed 16.6 million tourists in 2022, indicating a long way to go in the coming seven years, but its fledgling industry is enjoying rapid growth. The country jumped 12 places to be ranked 13th globally in international tourist arrivals in 2022. In the same year, it ranked 11th globally in international tourism receipts, up 16 places since 2019, according to the UNWTO’s World Tourism Barometer.
Moreover, the country received 7.8 million international tourists in 1Q2023, a 64 per cent increase over the same period in 2019, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Europe and North America are among the key tourism markets globally for Saudi Arabia, but Asia-Pacific is “pivotal” for the country’s growth as an international tourist destination, Alhasan Aldabbagh, president of Asia Pacific markets at the Saudi Tourism Authority, told TTG Asia.
As of September, arrivals from Asia-Pacific markets were up 11 per cent year-on-year, with calendar 2023 numbers expected to exceed 2019 numbers by 15 per cent. The largest contributor to growth has been Umrah, the pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims to renew their faith, followed by trips for leisure and to visit family or friends, according to Aldabbagh.
Looking ahead, he is eyeing India to provide two million visitors in 2023 and seven million by 2030 to enjoy “leisure, culture and heritage, and adventure experiences.”
In 2022, 900,000 Indian tourists visited Saudi Arabia, spending more than any other source country, making them an important target market.
Pakistan, China and Bangladesh are the other top source markets, with Saudi Arabia targeting 3.5 million, three million and 2.6 million visitors respectively from these countries annually by 2030.
Riyadh’s sparkling, modern cityscape
To reach its core markets, Saudi Arabia has opened offices in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
Globally, the Saudi Tourism Authority is targeting each market according to seven prime segments across two categories: leisure and Umrah.
Among the efforts to grow tourism are 14 giga projects under development. The largest, sized at 10,200 square miles, is Neom. One of its islands, Sindhala, will open in 2024, offering “a year-long vibrant destination, a gateway to the Red Sea,” said Aldabbagh, adding that it will include a marina and yacht club, beach club, spa, luxury hotels and golf courses.
The country’s ancient history will also appeal, he said, giving the example of AlUla, “a living museum of preserved tombs, sandstone outcrops and historic dwellings that hold 200,000 years of largely unexplored history”.
“What was once a country known almost exclusively for being the birthplace of Islam, now offers an unrivalled tourist experience like no other,” he concluded.
Edmund Ong has been appointed as the new general manager of Trip.com, succeeding Ru Yi, who will assume the position of regional director, accommodation (Asia-Pacific).
Both appointments are effective January 1, 2024.
Having joined the company in 2014, Ong will strategise and drive Trip.com’s overall business operations in Singapore in his new role, and will continue in his role as senior director for Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Thailand, the world’s fourth most favoured travel destination for international tourists according to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study last year, is loved for many things. However, gourmet draws may well be the one common magnet for almost all loyal fans of the destination.
Making a move on foodies, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched in May the Amazing Thailand Culinary City project to further develop and promote Thailand as a world-class gastronomy tourism destination.
Pru Jampa Farm takes pride in organic farming methods
But the most interesting gastronomy push may well be in Phuket, which was recognised by UNESCO as Gastronomy City of the World in 2015.
Overall, Phuket is experiencing a remarkable transformation in its dining scene – one that’s increasingly focused on sustainability and eco-consciousness.
Phuket’s fine dining establishments are at the forefront of this wave. Restaurants like Pru at Trisara (reopening in November), Jampa at Tri Vananda, and Hom at Intercontinental Phuket are setting new standards for sustainable gastronomy on the island.
Pru holds one Michelin star and earned a Michelin Green Star this year. Jampa, which also shares Trisara’s owner Montara Hospitality Group, earned a Michelin Green Star earlier this year for its zero-waste, plant-based food. Both restaurants source from Montara’s Pru Jampa organic farm, which also supplies herbs, vegetables, fruits and eggs to Trisara’s kitchens.
Pru Jampa is working to share its accomplishments in sustainable farming, and will host Local Roots by Jampa community market on November 4, during which sustainable produce from local farmers and hospitality providers will be showcased. Visitors can pair their sustainable shopping with a low impact meal at Hideaway at Jampa, a rustic restaurant tucked away in a serene and scenic part of the farm and helmed by Jampa’s chef Rick Dingen.
Björn Courage, general manager of Intercontinental Phuket and president of the Phuket Hotels Association, said: “We’d love to see sustainable dining at the Michelin level expanded for Phuket.”
His hotel has hired Portuguese chef Ricardo Nunes – formerly from Bo.lan in Bangkok, a one Michelin-star that shut down in 2021 – to head the new fine-dining establishment Hom.
Nunes’ 10-moment tasting menu is rooted in locavorism, seasonality and creative fermentation of lesser-known local ingredients such as stinky beans or jungle berries.
Phuket showed off its accomplishments in responsible dining at Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism conference in September. On display were canapés, kombucha and ice cream crafted from Veya Pharm’s organic produce grown onsite at Banyan Tree Phuket.
Tipaporn Phianthong, head chef of Banyan Tree Phuket’s Saffron Restaurant, gravitates towards ingredients from local farms because the reliance on natural farming processes without chemicals elevates the taste of produce.
Phuket’s sustainable dining movement is going deeper with the help of the Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation, which leads the Food (Before) Waste programme. The initiative repurposes leftover food from hotel buffets and surplus supermarket items and gets culinary students to prepare hygienic meals that are offered under a pay-as-you-wish model at the foundation’s Metta Kitchen.
However, Bill Barnett, founder of C9 Hotelworks, believes that Phuket’s hospitality sector still has a long way to go in achieving dining sustainability.
“Broadly, over 50 per cent of food in hotels goes to waste and the real numbers are in larger, volume-oriented hotels,” he said.
As Phuket’s tourism market makes a strong comeback, he believes that travellers speaking out about their willingness to adopt the green premium could also help to foster change.
Having joined the company in 2014, Ong will strategise and drive Trip.com’s overall business operations in Singapore in his new role, and will continue in his role as senior director for Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled new voyages for autumn and winter of 2025 and 2026, featuring several ships making their debut in new destinations, such as Norwegian Sun visiting new ports in Asia for the first time, including Kyoto (Kobe), Japan; the all-new Norwegian Viva, homeporting for the first time in Galveston, Texas, for a series of Caribbean voyages; and more.
In Asia, Norwegian Sun will kick of its season in Japan on November 3, 2025 on an 11-day open-jaw sailing starting from Tokyo to Incheon, South Korea, calling at Jeju, South Korea and Kyoto (Kobe), Japan. From December 2025 through March 2026, Norwegian Sun will offer a selection of cruises between 11- and 15-days sailing through South-east Asia.
Norwegian Spirit will explore Australia and New Zealand with open-jaw sailings to and from Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, between December 2025 and March 2026.
Over in Africa, Norwegian Dawn will take travellers to mulitiple ports including Cape Town, South Africa; Port Louis, Mauritius; and Doha, Qatar from November 2025 through March 2026. Due to popular demand for more open-jaw voyages to start and end in Cape Town, South Africa and Port Louis, Mauritius, the cruise line is offering four 12-day sailings calling to the popular ports of Antsiranana, and Nosy Be, Madagascar, as well as an overnight stay in Richard’s Bay, South Africa, where guests can opt to explore the local wildlife by a safari tour, learn about South African history or enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the Aklantstrand Beach.
Meanwhile, the new Norwegian Viva will homeport in Galveston, Texas, for the first time from December 2025 through April 2026, following Norwegian Prima‘s footsteps, which recently kicked off its inaugural season in the destination on December 15, 2023. During Norwegian Viva’s winter season, the vessel will offer guests seven-day roundtrip Western Caribbean itineraries. Norwegian Viva will also sail a 14-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary on January 10 and 24, 2026.
Between November 2025 and April 2026, Norwegian Escape will homeport in New Orleans and offer a series of seven-day roundtrip Western Caribbean voyages as well as two 14-day Southern Caribbean cruises on February 1 and 22, 2026, where the ship will visit for the first time Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Colon, Panama; and Cartagena, Colombia.
Homeporting for a second season in La Romana, Dominican Republic, Norwegian Sky will sail a selection of seven, nine and 12-day roundtrip Southern Caribbean itineraries from December 2025 through April 2026, calling to a variety of picturesque ports, including Oranjestad, Aruba; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Willemstad, Curaçao of the ABC islands and more.
Norwegian Star offers travellers an opportunity to see South America through sailing from November 20, 2025, with a transatlantic crossing from Lisbon, Portugal to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Later, it will offer a 17-day cruise from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 4, 2025 as well as 14-day roundtrip sailings from Buenos Aires, Argentina between December 21, 2025 through February 15, 2026.
From October 2025 through April 2026, Norwegian Jade will offer cruises that traverse the Panama Canal, with a variety of embarkation and disembarkation ports including Callao for the first time.
For more information, visit www.ncl.com.