Oceania Cruises unveils 2026 around the world voyage on Vista
Oceania Cruises welcomes guests on board its newest ship, Vista, for its inaugural 180-day 2026 Around the World voyage, which will visit 101 ports across 43 countries. Booking officially open on March 13.
The 2026 Around the World journey comprises a line-up of destinations, attractions and encounters. Starting with a sweeping six-week exploration of South America, fully charting the continent’s western coast before continuing to Mexico and California, Vista will then island-hop in the South Pacific and call on unique Australian ports such as the Whitsunday Islands. Travelling after that to South-east Asia and across India, the ship will also call at coastal villages and iconic cities throughout the Mediterranean, British Isles and Nordic region before crossing back over to the US.
This epic voyage features over 80 UNESCO World Heritage sites across 101 destinations, with 11 overnight stays and a series of curated complimentary special onshore events and optional multi-day overland programmes.
Starting at US$59,699 per person, the 180-day world cruise boasts an array of included amenities such as free laundry services, free Internet, free pre-paid gratuities and a free US$1,000 Shipboard Credit per stateroom, as well as inclusive simply MORE amenities including a shore excursion credit of US$8,800 per stateroom and a comprehensive beverage package available during lunch and dinner.
In addition to Vista’s Around the World in 180 days cruise, Oceania Cruises is offering Global Wanderlust, a 120-day voyage from San Diego to Miami, as well as World Odyssey, a 197-day cruise from Los Angeles to Miami.
For more information, visit Oceania Cruises.
TFE Hotels appoints GMs across ANZ network
TFE Hotels has made key general manager appointments across their Australian and New Zealand network.
Christian Price has been named general manager for TFE Hotels’ five brands – The Interlude, Adina Apartment Hotels Melbourne Pentridge, North & Common, Olivine and Chapter Place events – at the redeveloped Pentridge lifestyle precinct.
Lucy Ockleston is now cluster hotel general manager supporting Adina Apartment Hotel, Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront, and the Travelodge in Australia’s Top End.
Additionally, Nigel Maxey is the new general manager of Vibe Hotel Melbourne Docklands; Emma Sutherland is now general manager at Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour; Sid Bhatia is Vibe Hotel Gold Coast’s new hotel general manager; Diana Quinones-Silva helms at Hotel Kurrajong Canberra; Ben Saxton will lead the team at A by Adina Canberra; Andrew Edwards has moved to Quincy Hotel Melbourne; and Jolanta Prusek will head the team at Adina Apartment Hotel Surry Hills.
Goa looks to promote experiences beyond sun, sand, and beaches
India’s popular beach destination, Goa is looking to showcase its diverse tourism products beyond its existing popularity as a beach destination.
“We want to step beyond our image as just a beach destination. We want to promote our rich offerings in history, culture, heritage, unique festivals, culinary delights, rural and sustainable tourism practices in both domestic and international markets,” said Rohan Khaunte, Goa’s minister for tourism.
Goa recently became the first Indian state to come-up with a ‘regenerative tourism’ model under which it has launched the Ekadasha Teertha (11 spiritual sites) campaign.
“The campaign is centred around local communities, especially involving women and the youth to offer employment opportunities and promote these eleven places of spiritual importance,” added Khaunte.
In order to project Goa as a vibrant, year-round tourism destination, extending beyond allure of sun, sand, and beaches, the Goa Department of Tourism last month entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MakeMyTrip, one of India’s leading OTAs.
As per the MoU, MakeMyTrip will showcase unexplored facets of Goa like its various festivals, inland cultural richness and culinary traditions.
Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said: “We will be curating unique travel itineraries for Goa besides promoting homestay penetration across the interiors of Goa and collaboratively nurture a sustainable tourism ecosystem.”
In collaboration with the Government of Goa, MakeMyTrip will use over 500,000 single-use plastic bottles to construct a public art display that serves as a symbol of environmental preservation and a reminder of the importance of sustainable practices in tourism.
Kyoto to ban tourists from Gion’s private alleys
Frustrations with overtourism has forced Kyoto authorities to ban tourists from entering the private alleys in the city’s Gion geisha district, with the new regulation likely to be enforced in April.
News reports say Gion’s city council is under pressure from local residents since December 2023 to take action following a spike in post-lockdown international tourists as well as cases of bad behaviour among tourists.
Geiko and maiko traditional entertainers have endured curious visitors who chased them down with smartphones for photos and videos.
This is despite signs around the area warning against photography on private roads and fines of up to 10,000 yen (US$67).
Gion’s main Hanamikoji Street, which is public, will remain open to tourists.
Maldives reaffirms commitment to responsible, inclusive tourism development
The Maldives’ government has reaffirmed its commitment to responsible and inclusive tourism development, as well as meeting evolving traveller needs, said Fathmath Thaufeeq, CEO and managing director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC), while speaking at the Maldives Media Meet on the sidelines of ITB Berlin 2024.
She shared that MMPRC is actively introducing initiatives to promote new tourism segments, such as cultural, sports, and medical tourism, catering to a wider range of interests and fostering a more diverse tourism landscape. At the same time, MMPRC is also working to strengthen existing segments like nautical tourism, ensuring the Maldives remains a premier destination for various travel styles.
The Maldives has surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2023 with over 1.8 million visitors, and this year’s February marked the highest monthly and daily arrivals in the country’s tourism history.
Speaking further, Thaufeeq noted that the government plans to facilitate more transit hotels in Male and Hulhumale to cater specifically to short-stay travellers and stopovers, offering new and unique experiences within the vibrant city communities. This initiative will also open doors for more unique products and experiences targeted towards short-stay and stopover tourists, including those travelling for working holidays, she said.
Development efforts are also extending to the southernmost areas of the Maldives as efforts that are not only economically beneficial but will also positively impact local communities in the south of the Maldives.
In addition, Visit Maldives initiated work on this front with the introduction of Visit Maldives’ Atolls website segment, solely for the promotion of the variety of diverse stay options, services and experiences unique to each atoll.
Thaufeeq also highlighted that the destination is working on a special programme aimed at increasing the number of women employed in the tourism sector.
“We are confident in the future of Maldivian tourism and its potential to create a lasting impact on the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere,” she said.
Santika makes stronger sustainability moves
Sustainability considerations rank high in the development plans for five hotels that Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts will open this year, as the company seeks to deepen its commitment to responsible development.
Sudarsana, general manager, business development of Santika Indonesia Hotels and Resorts, said the new properties will feature open lobbies that allow natural wind to sweep through, thus avoiding the need for air-conditioning; rely on solar panels for electricity; and prioritise waste management and the use of environmentally-friendly materials.
The new openings. according to Sudarsana, will adopt Kampi, Santika and Amaris brands and be located in different parts of Indonesia.
When asked if existing properties in the portfolio were also being renovated to include more sustainable features, Sudarsana said such moves were challenging and expensive.
However, to fulfil its sustainability obligations, Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts has replaced guest amenities with low-waste options, established water and waste recycling systems, created guest communications to convey the property’s sustainability efforts, and provided staff with sustainability education.
As retrofitting projects require support from owners, Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts is also working hard to impress upon its partners the importance of making the green shift.
“Many owners are very supportive, but the high costs of changes are a concern for some,” he noted.
“However, sustainability is the only way forward. Guests, especially those from Europe, are increasingly expecting hotels and resorts to be sustainable,” he noted.
Norwegian Cruise Line unveils Norwegian Joy’s new offerings
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has revealed new and expanded offerings aboard Norwegian Joy, including a new Thermal Suite in the Mandara Spa and Salon, redesigned Three-Bedroom The Haven Premier Owner’s Suites, an expanded Vibe Beach Club and 24 new balcony staterooms, following a three-week dry dock.
The Thermal Suite at the Mandara Spa and Salon, which is now the largest within the Breakaway-Plus class ships, comes complete with four senses loungers, sauna, ice room, and steam room.
Additionally, The Haven by Norwegian Premier Owner’s Suites now have two new suites that offer three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, living room, master bedroom and outdoor balcony furniture, as well as a new separate dining room overlooking the forward-facing The Haven Horizon Lounge.
The adults-only Vibe Beach Club also underwent an expansion and now boasts a similar layout to the Vibe Beach Club available on Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss, with new private luxe cabanas.
Norwegian Joy emerged from her three-week dry dock in Rotterdam, Netherlands on February 11 before embarking on an 11-day Transatlantic voyage from Southampton, the UK to Miami. The newly-revitalised ship is currently offering seven-day, round-trip Caribbean voyages from Miami before sailing to New York in the summer of 2024, offering cruises to Bermuda with overnights in the island.
DidaTravel, Visit Oman to boost China outbound to Oman
DidaTravel has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with national travel operator Visit Oman to drive demand from China to Oman.
This announcement was made during ITB Berlin 2024, and will help promote Oman to DidaTravel’s network of 25,000+ travel trade partners in China.
The MoU will see DidaTravel offering Visit Oman’s varied portfolio of contracted properties, transfers, and experiences to their extensive B2B network through API integration, while Visit Oman will be able to access DidaTravel’s portfolio of high value, yet hard to reach, Chinese travel trade customers. The two companies will embark on joint marketing initiatives to increase brand awareness and drive travel demand from China to Oman.
Jinyan Li, vice president, global account management at DidaTravel commented that this collaboration “holds immense potential to foster cultural exchange and strengthen ties between our nations”.
Regional telcos launch first cross-border rewards programme for travellers
Telcos in Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia are joining forces to form an alliance and launch a cross-border rewards programme, which aims to deliver greater value to eligible customers when they travel to these destinations.
The Travel Rewards Alliance telcos include HKT, AIS, Globe, Optus, Singtel, Taiwan Mobile and Telkomsel, respectively.
The programme is set to be progressively rolled out in the 2H2024 and will allow eligible travellers to enjoy special offers and redeem vouchers for transport, dining, merchandise, services and other incentives from the relevant telcos’ apps conveniently when they visit any of these markets. They can also access customer support from their telco via calls or online while overseas for free.
Eligible subscribers will be able enjoy privileges across the telcos in the alliance, such as loyal programme rewards, cross-border perks, experiences, local data plans, airport transfers, and more.
Marriott International has signed an agreement with Victoria Park Hotels to launch The Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection in early 2025.
The Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection is expected to have 820 guestrooms and is part of a 28-story mixed-use development with retail outlets on the ground and first floors. Other facilities comprise an executive lounge, three dining venues and over 1,700m² of event spaces as well as recreational facilities. Guestrooms will boast views of Victoria Harbour, Victoria Park, or the city.
The new hotel will be located on Gloucester Road in Causeway Bay, home to Victoria Park, Hong Kong Island’s largest public park. The hotel will be within a five-minute walk to Causeway Bay Metro Station and within 10 minutes’ walk to major corporate venues such as the Lee Garden and World Trade Center. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center and Hong Kong’s key business district, Central, are only a five-minute drive from the property, and Hong Kong International Airport is a 35-minute drive away.
Marriott International currently operates 13 hotels in Hong Kong spanning cross 10 brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Le Meridien, Renaissance, Courtyard, and Four Points by Sheraton.