Minister of Tourism of South Australia, Zoe Bettison (in green), and representatives of Vietjet and Adelaide Airport at the inauguration ceremony
Vietjet has commenced the first-ever direct services connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Perth and Adelaide, further expanding its footprint in Australia.
Minister of Tourism of South Australia, Zoe Bettison (in green), and representatives of Vietjet and Adelaide Airport at the inauguration ceremony
The debut flights make Vietjet the first Vietnamese carrier to fly to South Australia and Western Australia. This will more than double Vietjet’s weekly flights to Australia to 58 times weekly from December 2023, making it the carrier with the largest capacity flying between Vietnam and Australia.
Less than a year after entering the Australian market in April 2023, Vietjet currently flies to five Australian cities, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
After years of closure, the Trans Bhutan Trail has finally reopened
The historic Trans Bhutan Trail has reopened as a trekking route across a nation famous for its stunning Himalayan landscapes.
The 403km route links the community of Haa in the west of the country with Trashigang in the far east, traversing 12 mountain passes and five suspension bridges. It also visits 400 cultural and historic sites, including 21 temples and four dzongs (traditional fortresses).
After years of closure, the Trans Bhutan Trail has finally reopened
Originally a series of routes utilised by pilgrims, traders and armies, the trail was the sole way of travelling across the country until the 1960s. The routes fell into disuse with the construction of modern roads, but have been resurrected in an initiative spearheaded by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Aside from being a unique way of exploring Bhutan’s breathtaking mountains, history and religious landmarks, the trail highlights the Kingdom’s principles on environment and sustainable development.
Hikers are not required to complete the entire route – which typically requires 36 days of hiking and reaches a maximum altitude of nearly 4,000 metres above sea level – and can choose shorter, less challenging stretches. Sections have also been upgraded for mountain biking.
Bhutan’s travel sector is bouncing back from the lows of the global pandemic, buoyed by a multi-pronged promotional strategy and the announcement that the nation’s Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) was being cut by 50 per cent from September 1.
“In addition to the SDF incentives, the tourism department is implementing various marketing strategies to showcase Bhutan and attract more visitors,” said Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism Bhutan.
Dhradhul: enhancing Bhutan’s presence in the global travel industry
“We are doing rigorous branding and carrying out a variety of advertising and promotional campaigns and activities to enhance Bhutan’s presence in the global travel industry,” he told TTG Asia.
Also, Dhradhul remains confident that greater visitor numbers will quickly justify the decision to reduce the SDF from US$200 per person per day to half that figure.
Visitors to Bhutan have been required to pay a daily fee since the country opened to international travellers in 1974 and it remains a key element of the nation’s “high value, low volume” tourism strategy. The travel sector has welcomed the reduction in the SDF and has been further reassured as the new rate will remain in place until August 31, 2027.
“Revenue generated from the SDF is allocated to various sustainability initiatives, including the conservation of the pristine natural environment,” Dhradhul said.
Funds from the SDF will continue to be allocated to measures to offset the carbon footprint of visitors, such as through planting of trees, and assisting the tourism sector by upskilling workers, maintaining trails, reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and electrifying Bhutan’s transportation sector.
Dhradhul added that he anticipates surpassing income earned in 2019 from the SDF before the end of the year at the same time as the country attracts more visitors, thereby ensuring a strong revenue stream from the SDF.
Nearly 16,000 foreign travellers visited Bhutan in October, around 10 per cent higher than the agency’s forecast of 14,287 and putting the nation on target to hit 98,000 visitors for the full calendar year.
Key to further increase in inbound travellers will be greater promotional efforts with international travel partners and key opinion leaders, global media outlets and influencers “to amplify Bhutan’s prominence as a top sustainable travel destination in the world”, Dhradhul noted.
The agency is also keen to promote destinations outside the most commonly visited parts of the country, such as Thimphu, Paro and the Punakha Valley, and encourage them to explore less well-known areas and unique cultural attractions.
When asked where he would personally recommend visitors explore, Dhradhul was quick to name the natural hot springs of Gasa, particularly for anyone who has undertaken a trek through Bhutan’s stunning natural environment and wishes to ease their aching muscles.
What changes have you seen in Japan’s adventure travel landscape
We’ve been working in the adventure travel space in Japan since 2005. In those early days, adventure travel was less well understood and considered niche. Now, the potential of adventure travel to bring beneficial changes to the inbound travel landscape has become so substantial that it is a pillar for the Japan National Tourism Organization’s promotions.
Why is adventure travel important for Japan?
Globally, national and local governments are battling the struggle against overtourism by renewing their focus on adventure travel, which typically takes guests into the regions. Japan is recognising the role adventure travel can play in filtering tourists out of areas at risk of overtourism and introducing areas that can benefit from greater attention. With natural capacity caps created by the available accommodations, the integrity of these regions is maintained.
Moreover, adventure travellers leave more of their travel yen in Japan and with local suppliers. They also have a higher per capita spend than other kinds of inbound travellers.
What is Oku Japan’s approach?
We combine activity with community and tourism that tells a story about Japan. Our tours on the pilgrimage routes of the Kumano Kodo and the Shikoku 88 Temples, for example, are not only great hikes but also provide insights into Japan’s spirituality. The Michinoku Coastal Trail, which stretches the east coast of Tohoku from Fukushima Prefecture to Aomori Prefecture, tells the story of reconstruction and resilience following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Guided tour groups tend to have more opportunities to interact with local people due to their bilingual guide. This is an important aspect of travel for many people so we introduced fureai (interactions) on some of our self-guided tours. These interactions provide moments of connection between the visitors and members of the local community. Sometimes the group may sit over a cup of coffee and learn about life in the area or go and see where fields are being restored and farmed.
Why is that approach important?
We have a strong commitment to the communities where we operate. All of our self-guided hiking tours and many of our small group guided tours, feature hiking in rural areas of Japan. Many of these hikes are linear hikes, taking walkers from village to village or shrine to shrine, allowing our visitors to stay in locally owned and operated accommodations, and dine at local establishments along the way. We also support local traditions, such as shamisen (traditional stringed instrument) practice, by incorporating performances and workshops into our small group guided tours.
Oku Japan also participates in trail clean-ups and local festivals in the areas we operate, and has branch offices on both the Kumano Kodo and Nakasendo trails, to help us pass on our success to the local communities that we work with.
What demand is Oku Japan seeing?
There is extremely high pent-up demand for adventure travel in the country. This year, accommodations on our most popular walking routes filled up many months earlier than they normally do, and we are already seeing issues with availability for spring 2024 as people book ahead so as not to miss out. Smart travellers are booking now for next summer or autumn.
How do you envision the future of adventure tourism in Japan and why?
I think adventure tourism will grow in Japan as more travellers are aware of the opportunity to integrate adventure into their visit to Japan. Already we are seeing that the government views adventure tourism as a means to distribute the benefits of tourism more evenly around the country. Visitors to Japan, meanwhile, are realising they can engage in adventurous pursuits while also having a cultural experience.
Adventure travel can mean many different things: active pursuits, cultural activities or experiential travel. Japan is in a unique position when it comes to inbound visitors because it has such an incredibly long and rich history that is oftentimes completely intertwined with the “adventure” elements of adventure travel. For example, guests can hike along historic trails and pilgrimage routes or in geoparks that tell a story of Japan and its people, in addition to offering a great hiking experience.
Accor has partnered with National Australia Bank (NAB) to bring enhanced benefits to members of its Accor Live Limitless (ALL) loyalty programme.
Members of ALL can now link their ALL accounts to their NAB Rewards credit cards to earn points on eligible purchases made with their cards.
The collaboration will bring enhanced benefits to ALL members when they use their NAB Rewards credit cards
This collaboration will make it easier for members to accumulate points and redeem them for a range of exclusive experiences and rewards across Accor’s portfolio of more than 5,400 hotels, resorts, and residences in 110 countries.
Some benefits include earning up to 30,000 ALL Reward points on a new NAB Rewards Signature credit card; earning up to 20,000 ALL Reward points on a new NAB Rewards Platinum credit card; auto redemption; 10 per cent off the flexible rate at participating hotels in the Pacific; and more.
Onyx Hospitality Group is expanding its presence in South-east Asia with the signing of Amari Vientiane in Laos.
Just 4.8km from Wattay International Airport, Amari Vientiane will be the group’s second Amari brand property in the country, complementing Amari Vang Vieng.
Amari Vientiane is Onyx Hospitality Group’s second Amari brand property in the country and will open in 2024
Scheduled to open in 2024, Amari Vientiane will boast 248 guestrooms, a rooftop executive lounge, a specialty rooftop restaurant, rooftop bar, banqueting facilities including a ballroom and meeting rooms, gym, spa, pool, children’s pool, kids’ club, and parking spaces.
Yuthachai Charanachitta, CEO of Onyx Hospitality Group, said: “We remain dedicated to creating exceptional hospitality experiences for our guests, and this new property underlines our commitment to that mission. As we continue to expand our footprint in South-east Asia, our aim is to provide diverse and captivating destinations for travellers to explore.”
Onyx Hospitality Group continues to expand its portfolio of hotels, resorts and serviced apartments across South-east Asia, and is poised to operate over 50 properties by 2025.
InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping, Thailand
Surrounded by Chiang Mai’s iconic landscapes and draped in greenery, InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping boasts 240 rooms and suites facing the old town or Doi Suthep mountain.
At its doorstep are a host of iconic landmarks such as Chiang Mai’s walking streets, the night bazaar and the historic Tha-Pae Gate dating back to the 13th century.
The hotel features restaurants and bars, spa, fitness centre, outdoor pool, and event venues.
Jawakara Islands Maldives
Jawakara Islands Maldives, the Maldives
Jawakara Islands Maldives is a 290-villa property offering restaurants, three bars, two spas, two infinity pools, a kids’ club, fitness centre, nine-hole golf course.
The resort is just 40 minutes by speedboat from Madivaru domestic airport in Lhaviyani Atoll or 35 minutes by seaplane from Malé International Airport.
Available activities include surfing, diving, motorised and non-motorised water sports, such as kite-surfing, kayaking, snorkelling and more.
Hyatt Place Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall
Hyatt Place Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall, Malaysia
The 202-room Hyatt Place Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall is attached to Paradigm Mall, the largest shopping mall in the Malaysian city, and offers F&B options, a fitness centre, and event venues.
The hotel is a 15-minute drive from Senai International airport, a 20-minute drive to Tuas Checkpoint Singapore, and a 25-minute drive to Woodlands checkpoint in Singapore.
Nearby are attractions like Legoland Malaysia, Johor Premium Outlets and the newly-built Stadium Sultan Ibrahim, home to the Johor Southern Tigers football team.
The Bus Collective
The Bus Collective, Singapore
Nestled in the heart of Changi Village in Singapore, The Bus Collective is South-east Asia’s first resort hotel using repurposed buses, which are retired public buses transformed into 20 elegant and eco-conscious luxury suites, boasting features like composite lamination, marble tops, invigorating rain showers, sumptuous beds, and lavish bathtubs.
The Bus Collective allows guests access to attractions such as the Changi East Boardwalk and Changi Chapel & Museum, as well as experiences and tours that look at the history and geography of Changi.
Guests can also savour the rich culinary heritage of the area at nearby restaurants recommended by The Bus Collective staff.
TIA Wellness Resort is embracing nourishing raw food cuisine, detox therapies, and holistic wellbeing practices from sound healing to private yoga sessions in its new retreat package Body & Mind Cleanse.
The four-night or seven-night offering draws from different healing modalities so guests can detox and release toxins from the body, while also improving vitality through letting go of what’s holding them back on a mental level.
TIA Wellness Resort’s new wellness package comes in four- or seven-night options
A key element of the new package is intermittent fasting, a practice where all the food consumed in a day is eaten during an eight-hour window. When the fast is broken, guests follow a plant-based raw food meal plan, designed to give them more energy, vitality and nutrients.
The carefully-crafted meal plan is paired with a full schedule of healthy activities each day, such as a private yoga lesson, wellness treatments, private breathwork session, and more.
In addition, there is an optional creativity workshop which takes an artistic approach to self-healing; followed by the Detox Hydrotherapy Circuit or Sound Healing Therapy, and then in the evening, a 30-minute Tai Chi session before a two-course raw dinner. The day ends with a treatment of the guest’s choice from a broad array, ranging from facials to massages.
For guests who opt for the seven-night option, day three starts early with a trip to the Marble Mountains, five karsts named for the five elements.
Available year-round, The Body & Mind Cleanse is priced from US$2,694 per person for the four-night stay and US$4,221 for the seven-night option.
Fifty travel agents from across Hong Kong joined a Cruise Holiday Selling Workshop last week, which gave them detailed insight into the cruise sector’s latest developments and opportunities offered in Asian markets.
The specialist training workshop was jointly organised by Worldwide Cruise Terminals, the Travel Industry Council Hong Kong and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Travel agents from across Hong Kong gained insight into the cruise sector’s latest developments and opportunities offered in Asian markets during the Cruise Holiday Selling Workshop last week
The agents were also able to take a ship inspection aboard Celebrity Solstice during its inaugural visit to Hong Kong and enjoyed a lunch inside the city’s Kai Tak Terminal.
CLIA Australasia head of international training and development Peter Kollar said the event was designed to help participants boost their cruise knowledge and maximise their selling opportunities.
“Cruising is going through a resurgence worldwide and this means new opportunities for Hong Kong travel agents,” he shared. “Education is the key to benefitting from the growing interest in cruising, and we’ve seen a fantastic level of engagement from Hong Kong travel agents who are keen to stand out as cruise specialists.”
Kollar added that the day’s programme outlined many of the industry’s latest developments, while providing detailed product information and practical sales techniques to help agents match the right cruise to their clients.
The workshop coincides with the opening of CLIA’s 2024 Asian Membership programme, which offers extensive benefits to support travel agents, including CLIA’s education and training opportunities.
Immersive destinations and experiences creator, Miral, has announced a 16,900m² expansion to Yas Island’s Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi.
Set for construction completion in 2025, the expansion will see the addition of slide sections and an expected 20 per cent growth in guest capacity through the addition of 18 new rides and attractions, taking the park total to more than 60 rides and experiences.
The expansion to Yas Island’s Yas Waterworld is set to complete in 2025
Once open, the park will include the UAE’s highest slide, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council’s first amusement ride in a water park, that is integrated within a waterslide complex.
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, group CEO of Miral, commented: “This expansion marks another addition to our world-class attractions and experiences on Yas Island, and a testament to achieving our vision of positioning it as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure.”
For the last decade, Yas Waterworld has immersed guests in the coolest rides and attractions as well as shopping and dining options – the new expansion will enable guests to embark on a journey to discover hidden treasures and secret passages, intertwined with fun attractions.
Features of the new expansion include a swim up bar, a high-thrill boat ride, racing and tube slides, family raft rides, and a duelling master blaster. Mini thrill seekers can look forward to smaller scaled versions of Yas Waterworld’s most iconic rides, such as a mini-Dawwama, which will be the region’s only kids’ mini blaster fusion ride with two blaster sections and a thrilling rattler end section, as well as a mini-Boomerango to give little guests that big ride sensation minus the fear.
Yas Waterworld is part of the wider offering of Yas Island that includes attractions such as Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, CLYMB Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Watan, Yas Bay Waterfront which is home to the UAE’s largest indoor multi-purpose venue Etihad Arena, the world’s first-ever Warner Bros themed hotel, and the newly opened SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
What changes have you seen in Japan’s adventure travel landscape
