Travelport and Etihad Airways have renewed and expanded their content distribution agreement which will include New Distribution Capability (NDC) content and servicing.
The agreement deepens the partnership between Travelport and Etihad Airways, as the companies will collaborate on the delivery of NDC content and servicing for Travelport-connected agencies.
Etihad Airways has renewed its content distribution agreement with Travelport
As part of this multi-year deal, Travelport customers will have continued access to Etihad Airways’ extensive and growing global travel network through the Travelport+ platform.
Additionally, Etihad will continue its participation in Travelport’s rich content and branding programme and digital media marketing product solutions, such as sponsored flights.
“Our collaboration with Travelport will bring more offers to travel agencies and more choice to travellers across our growing worldwide network,” said Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer, Etihad Airways. “With this renewed deal, we will continue to provide our agency partners access to our complete range of content and fares, as well as upcoming products and services, which will further enhance our guests’ travel experience.”
“Our new long-term agreement with Etihad Airways offers our customers using Travelport+ a complete solution that makes it easy for them to search, sell and service Etihad Airways content from any source,” said Jason Clarke, chief commercial officer, travel partners at Travelport.
Agoda insights revealed that Bangkok has surpassed Dubai as the most popular city destination among Indian travellers – other cities that followed include Pattaya, Singapore, and Bali.
The five most popular outbound markets are Thailand, the UAE, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Bangkok is the top city destination for Indian travellers
The updated popularity rank is based on Agoda’s booking data since November 10, 2023, the date on which Thailand started offering visa-free travel to Indian tourists.
The decision by Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia’s governments to relax their visa policies for Indian travellers appears to have positively influenced the booking trends, with South-east Asian markets and city destinations solidifying their position and even moving up the top booked destination ranking. More markets are opening their borders to Indian tourists, who now enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries, including several in South-east Asia.
The relaxation of visa restrictions is not just benefiting Indians travellers; different markets across Asia-Pacific recently announced changes to their policies or are said to be considering further relaxations. Some of the most eye-catching changes were announced by China, which recently announced a visa-free corridor with Thailand, as well as visa-free travel windows for visitors from France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Switzerland, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Krishna Rathi, country director India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives, Agoda, stated: “The relaxation of visa norms seems to be an accelerator for India’s outbound travel landscape. More and more destinations are recognising India’s potential as a key source market.
“With Bangkok now leading over Dubai, and Pattaya rising in the ranks, it’s clear that South-east Asia’s allure is growing stronger. The fact that many of these destinations can now be visited without having to worry about the paperwork will likely encourage even more Indian travellers to go abroad and explore.”
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Axe Management Partners to launch its new midscale conversion brand Garner in Japan this year.
The partnership will see Garner make its Japan debut in 2H2024 with three conversion hotels in Osaka, adding more than 500 rooms to IHG’s growing Japan estate.
IHG will launch Garner in Japan later this year
The three properties in Osaka will undergo refurbishment before rebranding as Garner. Located in the centre of Osaka, just moments away from the famous Midosuji shopping street and Dotonbori, the three hotels are nearby Honmachi Station, and just an hour away from Kansai International and Itami airports.
In addition, guests at the three hotels will be able to enjoy all the perks of IHG One Rewards loyalty programme.
Launched in August last year, IHG expects Garner to reach an estate of over 500 hotels over the next 10 years and 1,000 hotels over the next 20 years. The world’s first Garner hotel opened in Seattle less than three months after the brand’s launch and, now, the Japan announcement is the first LOI for the brand outside of North America.
Elie Maalouf, CEO, IHG Hotels. & Resorts, commented: “The first Garner LOI signing outside of North America is a significant milestone for the brand, and one we are very excited about. Japan is well-known for its high-quality domestic midscale hotels, and we think Garner is the perfect brand to help take them to a global stage with IHG’s powerful systems, world-class technology, market leading operations support and award-winning IHG One Rewards loyalty programme.”
“We have great confidence in the Garner brand and are determined to deliver an experience that will truly impress domestic and international travellers,” added Gary Kwok, founder and CEO, Axe Management Partners.
IHG currently has 54 open or pipeline hotels across Japan, with plans to further expand its portfolio.
In response to the ongoing industry demand, Luxury Escapes will launch a new industry booking portal from March for Australian travel agents.
The portal will be used for tens of thousands of travel agents around Australia, benefitting millions of Australians who can now book exclusive Luxury Escapes travel deals via their travel agent of choice.
Australian travel agents will now be able to access commissionable rates for Luxury Escapes’ Limited Time Exclusive offers through the platform
Agents are finally able to access commissionable rates for Luxury Escapes’ Limited Time Exclusive offers, where previously they had to purchase Luxury Escapes limited time packages and sell to customers for zero commission. They also get access to bespoke tours and cruise products.
Adam Schwab, co-founder and CEO, Luxury Escapes, commented: “The launch of our new industry portal allows us to give access to agents to our very best product and importantly, pay agents for the incredible work they do helping customers every single day.”
“We have long had huge demand from travel agents wanting to book our packages and are thrilled to now be able to offer industry access to the Luxury Escapes platform and product. We appreciate many Australian consumers have existing travel agent relationships and look forward to offering our amazing deals to a wider audience by way of travel agents across the country,” said Chris Brandon, senior manager – agency distribution, Luxury Escapes.
Anantara Chiang Mai Resort has elevated its luxury river sailings with two boats and four different itineraries, each departing daily from the resort’s private pier on the banks of the Mae Ping River.
The JAO Ping River Cruise offers daily cruises for both individuals and groups, guests and visitors, on two hand-carved teak boats – the Nam Jai, a scorpion-tail for up to eight passengers, and the Nam Jit, a larger pontoon complete with a bar, dining area and dedicated facilities on board to host up to 24 seated passengers or 40 passengers on a private charter.
Enjoy afternoon tea on the Nam Jit river cruise
The Nam Jai cruises brings passengers in the morning to the nearby Wat Ket Karam, one of Chiang Mai’s oldest communities. It also drifts through the city at twilight, under iconic bridges, past small temples and into lush green, all while allowing passengers to enjoy free-flow canapés and cocktails.
Nam Jit cruises offers the signature Anantara experience on board with afternoon tea, taking classic English and adding a hint of the tropics. The dinner cruise is a sumptuous affair, with four courses of royal Thai cuisine served by starlight, along with a free flow of drinks.
Daily sail timings are at 09.00, 14.30, 17.00 and 18.00, depending on weather conditions.
Prices start from 990 baht (US$28) per person, with private charters also available.
Bryan Batista has been appointed as Skyscanner’s new chief operating officer.
He was previously senior vice president of international at Gopuff, and was Booking.com’s senior vice president Trips and CEO of Rentalcars.com before that.
In his new role, Batista will lead Skyscanner’s teams focussed on developing the company’s long-term strategic vision, business operations as well as non-flight verticals such as accommodation, car rental and future travel options.
This Valentine’s Day, Sofitel Singapore City Centre extends a beary warm welcome to all singles to celebrate the season of romance even if they are celebrating the special day alone with limited-time cocktails, a special dinner, or a luxurious overnight retreat package.
Available only on February 14, A Table for One is a five-course Valentine’s Day dinner where individuals can choose to share the evening with one of the hotel’s iconic lobby Ambearssadors. This dining experience is priced a S$98 (US$73) per person, inclusive of a welcome glass of prosecco.
Singles can indulge in a Valentine’s dinner with one of the hotel’s Ambearssadors
The Fun & Flirty Cocktails at 1864 will serve up a limited-time menu from February 1 to 14, featuring two cocktails (S$19++) and two mocktails (S$12++).
For couples, the Celebrate Love the French Way room package is priced from S$530 and includes a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve Champagne, in-room breakfast for two, welcome amenities, and access to the hotel’s swimming pool and fitness centre. Bookings are open now for stays till December 31.
Thailand has announced the launch of a new visa for foreigners looking to train in the country’s famous indigenous martial art, Muay Thai.
The development comes as the country pulls out all the stops to encourage increased arrivals to support a creaky economy heavily reliant on tourism.
Thailand hopes to attract more inbound visitors by launching a new Muay Thai visa
Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin announced in his X (formerly Twitter) post that the new 90-day Muay Thai education visa is ready to be rolled out to tourists interested in studying the sport in its home country. The announcement follows a move to promote Thailand’s soft power as lawmakers decided to go all in on a drive for cultural tourism in the Kingdom under five main interests: film, food, festivals, fashion and fighting.
There has been some pushback in the travel community in Thailand, with several professionals citing an existing Muay Thai visa as a reason why the new credential is superfluous and that the government is becoming desperate in its tourism strategy. However, the current Muay Thai visa only runs for 60 days and is notoriously hard to obtain.
Lek Nawat, a freelance travel agent operating in Bangkok, is keen for the Muay Thai visa and the push towards putting cultural experiences front and centre as reasons to visit.
“I am glad to see this kind of campaign from the new government. The culture of Thailand is often overlooked (beyond food) as a reason to come here. Tourists sometimes just see Thailand as a place to party, but there is so much to discover here beyond the nightlife and beaches – though they are wonderful, too,” she remarked.
“There are no hard dates for when the Muay Thai visa begins, but once they do, I am sure I’ll be able to create exciting packages to entice tourists who want to dig more into Thai traditions and learn about our way of life.”
Answering accusations of governmental desperation, Lek believes they should be desperate and welcomes any ideas they have. “Tourism is so important to Thailand, and a sense of urgency to get back to previous levels is exactly what I want to see in our leaders.”
At the other end of the scale, one tour manager in Chiang Mai and a veteran of the hospitality industry in the region is concerned about how easily the visa can be misused. “I wonder if it will be like the Thai language visa, where people come to study but then spend more time having a good time and hanging about in bars than studying.”
The government, however, has already declared that those who apply for the scheme must demonstrate they have already begun Muay Thai training and will have to live and stay at gymnasiums and training camps certified by the Sports Authority of Thailand for the full duration of the stay.
A new government website, Now Muay Thai, has already gone live, providing information on the best places to train in Thailand to support the campaign.
The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer reveals that international tourism is expected to underpin a full recovery by the end of 2024.
International tourism was at 88% of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals at the end of 2023, according to the report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the sector’s performance in 2023, tracking recovery by global region, sub-region and destination.
UNWTO is expecting international tourism to fully recover by end-2024
The Middle East led recovery in relative terms as the only region to overcome pre-pandemic levels with arrivals 22% above 2019, while Europe reached 94% of 2019 levels, supported by intra-regional demand and travel from the US. As for Africa and the Americas, they recovered 96% and 90% of pre-pandemic visitors, respectively.
Asia and the Pacific reached 65% of pre-pandemic levels following the reopening of several markets and destinations. However, performance is mixed, with South Asia already recovering 87% of 2019 levels and North-east Asia around 55%.
International tourism hit US$1.4 trillion in 2023 The latest UNWTO data also highlights the economic impact of recovery.
International tourism receipts reached US$1.4 trillion in 2023 according to preliminary estimates, about 93% of the US$1.5 trillion earned by destinations in 2019.
Total export revenues from tourism (including passenger transport) are estimated at U$1.6 trillion in 2023, almost 95% of the US$1.7 trillion recorded in 2019.
Preliminary estimates on the economic contribution of tourism, measured in tourism direct gross domestic product (TDGDP) point to US$3.3 trillion in 2023, or 3% of global GDP. This indicates a recovery of pre-pandemic TDGDP driven by strong domestic and international tourism.
Several destinations reported strong growth in international tourism receipts during the first 10 to 12 months of 2023, exceeding in some cases growth in arrivals. Strong demand for outbound travel was also reported by several large source markets this period, with many exceeding 2019 levels.
The sustained recovery is also reflected in the performance of industry indicators. According to the UNWTO Tourism Recovery Tracker, both international air capacity and passenger demand recovered about 90% of pre-pandemic levels through October 2023 (according to IATA). Global occupancy rates in accommodation establishments reached 64% in November, slightly above 62% in September 2022 (based on STR data).
Looking ahead to 2024 International tourism is expected to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with initial estimates pointing to 2% growth above 2019 levels. This central forecast by UNWTO remains subject to the pace of recovery in Asia and to the evolution of existing economic and geopolitical downside risks.
The positive outlook is reflected in the latest UNWTO Tourism Confidence Index survey, with 67% of tourism professionals indicating better or much better prospects for 2024 compared to 2023. Some 28% expect similar performance, while only 6% expect tourism performance in 2024 to be worse than last year.
There is still significant room for recovery across Asia. The reopening of several source markets and destinations will boost recovery in the region and globally.
Chinese outbound and inbound tourism is expected to accelerate in 2024, due to visa facilitation and improved air capacity. China is applying visa-free travel for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia for a year to November 30.
Visa and travel facilitation measures will promote travel to and around the Middle East and Africa with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to implement a unified tourist visa, similar to the Schengen visa, and measures to facilitate intra-African travel in Kenya and Rwanda.
Europe is expected to drive results again in 2024, with Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area of free movement from March, and Paris hosting the Summer Olympics in July and August.
Strong travel from the US, backed by a strong US dollar, will continue to benefit destinations in the Americas and beyond. As in 2023, robust source markets in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, will continue to fuel tourism flows and spending around the world.
Economic and geopolitical headwinds continue to pose significant challenges to the sustained recovery of international tourism and confidence levels. Persisting inflation, high interest rates, volatile oil prices and disruptions to trade can continue to impact transport and accommodations costs in 2024.
Against this backdrop, tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home. Sustainable practices and adaptability will also play an increasing role in consumer choice.
Staff shortages remain a critical issue, as tourism businesses face a shortfall in labour to cope with high demand.
In addition, the evolution of the Hamas-Israel conflict may disrupt travel in the Middle East and impact traveller confidence. Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine as well as other mounting geopolitical tensions, continue to weigh on confidence.
The Rig has launched its ambitious masterplan that will redefine adventure tourism in Saudi Arabia.
Catering to extreme sports enthusiasts and adventure seekers, The Rig is inspired by the design of offshore oil platforms and will span over 300,000m². It is located 40km from the coastline, near Al Juraid Island and Berri Oil Field in the Arabian Gulf.
The Rig will host a wider variety of attractions once opened
Developed by the Oil Park Development Company, The Rig aims to attract over 900,000 annual visitors by 2032, appealing to a wide range of domestic, regional and international audiences, including adrenaline seekers, explorers, balanced holiday makers, and relaxation seekers. The attraction will comprise three hotels totalling 800 rooms, 11 restaurants, an extreme sports and adventure park, a marina, and helipads.
Aside from offering a wide variety of water activities, including a diving centre, The Rid will also feature an amusement park, splash park, an E-sports centre, an immersive theatre and multi-purpose arena.
The Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) entertainment project is in line with the company’s strategy and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives of contributing to the growth of the tourism sector, directly and indirectly contributing to employment opportunities, and diversifying the economy.
In his new role, Batista will lead Skyscanner’s teams focussed on developing the company’s long-term strategic vision, business operations as well as non-flight verticals such as accommodation, car rental and future travel options.
