TTG Asia
Asia/Singapore Monday, 22nd December 2025
Page 420

Spain unveils new tourism travel guide for Muslim travellers

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To expand services that attends to the needs of Muslim travellers in the country, Spain has launched a new one-stop travel guide for Muslim travellers planning to explore its southern region Andalusia.

Andalusia for Muslim Travelers is a guide that provides reference on what to see, what to visit, where to stay, as well as recommendations for Muslim-friendly restaurants.

Spain’s new guide offers Muslim travellers a resource to find options for accommodation, dining, and activities; The Giralda of Seville Cathedral in Spain, pictured (Photo: Turespaña)

Spain’s tourism counsellor in Singapore, Monica Sanchez, said: “We believe it is a promotional tool that we have been missing, especially given Andalusia’s rich Islamic history and heritage.”

Andalusia is a popular destination for Muslim travellers, but its halal offer is still largely unknown in South-east Asia. The guide provides a valuable resource to raise awareness of all the practical elements that make a destination like Andalusia, more appealing to visitors who seek halal travel experiences.

“Our strategy goes beyond simply offering Muslim travellers halal food and places of worship. We recognise and have taken into account their cultural practices, traditions and sensitivities,” shared Sanchez.

The guide is accompanied by a promotional campaign that includes publications on South-east Asian platforms in English and Bahasa Indonesia, social media postings and six videos that will be gradually released in Spain Tourism Board’s official YouTube channel.

Produced by Let’s Go Halal, a Spanish Muslim company specialising in halal tourism, Andalusia for Muslim Travelers features an extensive list of places with halal options in Andalucía, which besides for its food, is also known for its mosques as well as rich Islamic heritage – it is a land of culture, history, fiestas, natural landscapes and outstanding monuments, such as the preserved Moorish architecture, the Alhambra Palace.

DidaTravel boasts strong summer hotel bookings

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DidaTravel’s global hotel bookings for the summer season (June 1 to August 31, 2023) have surpassed 2019 levels by 93 per cent, signalling a strong recovery of the wider hotel sector, including most recently the Asia-Pacific region.

Reservations for August made through DidaTravel’s platform have skyrocketed by 214 per cent year-on-year.

DidaTravel’s global hotel bookings for the summer season have surpassed 2019 levels

Hotel bookings in Europe are up 123 per cent year-on-year for June, July and August, while that in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and the Americas are up 68 per cent, 65 per cent, and 16 per cent respectively.

On a global scale, the average daily rate (ADR) has surpassed 2019 levels by seven per cent. Europe and the Middle East & Africa regions have exceeded 2019 levels, with ADR increases of 29 per cent and 23 per cent respectively year-on-year, while Asia-Pacific and the Americas continues to be shy of 2019’s performance, with year-on-year ADR increases of 55 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

With the relaxation of travel restrictions in Asia-Pacific, travellers are displaying improved confidence to book hotels in advance – from an average of just 10 days ahead of their trip in 2022 to 23 days now. In 2019, the advanced booking window was an average of 21 days.

‌Rikin Wu, CEO of DidaTravel, commented: “As the summer season progresses, the hospitality industry across Asia-Pacific and worldwide has undergone a remarkable recovery. We are excited to witness such incredible growth numbers, even compared to pre-pandemic. With the increasing confidence of travellers and the relaxation of travel restrictions in Asia-Pacific, we expect the positive trend in hotel bookings to continue.”

PAL teams up with Emirates; collaborates with ENGIE for efficiency management

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Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Emirates have expanded their interline agreement, enabling Emirates’ passengers to access domestic points in Philippine Airlines’ network via Cebu and Clark, adding to the current interline connections via Manila.

PAL passengers may also fly via Dubai to connect to destinations on Emirates’ network, such as cities in Europe, Africa, and other parts of the Middle East.

The interline agreement enables Philippine Airlines and Emirates passengers access to both airlines’ networks

Emirates’ passengers can enjoy a convenient booking process to destinations in PAL’s network including Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan De Oro, Davao, Iloilo, Caticlan and Puerto Princesa via Cebu; as well as Cebu, Caticlan and Busuanga via Clark.

PAL passengers can also book Emirates-operated flights to Amman, Birmingham, Cape Town, Dammam, Dublin, Lisbon, Manchester, Muscat, and Riyadh via Dubai.

In addition, PAL has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ENGIE, a global leader in low-carbon energy and services, to help the airline manage its resources more efficiently.

The MoU will specifically address four key areas of exploration and collaboration – energy risk management services, carbon credits procurement and supply, decarbonisation strategies, and decarbonisation projects related to low-carbon mobility, onsite renewable energy production, district cooling infrastructure, energy performance management and the exploration of topics around sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).​

Stanley Ng, president & chief operating officer, PAL, said: “Philippine Airlines is focused strongly on connecting the Philippines to markets around the world via our network of non-stop flights. Having ENGIE as a key partner helps us manage our resources more efficiently and work towards a more sustainable world in air travel, for the benefit of our economy and the traveling public.”

Cathay Pacific enhances wellness dining with plant-based menu

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Cathay Pacific, together with Hong Kong-based plant-forward restaurant, VEDA by Ovolo, has introduced a new contemporary range of plant-based dishes for passengers.

From now to June 2024, passengers travelling in Premium Economy and Economy class on selected longhaul flights departing from Hong Kong can enjoy a variety of curated plant-forward options that focus on nutrition and flavour, with a rotating selection of dishes throughout the year.

Cathay Pacific has introduced a new contemporary range of plant-based dishes for passengers

The collaboration aligns with VEDA’s and Ovolo Hotels’ ongoing Plant’d pledge to ethical eating, conscious cuisine and innovative vegetarian dishes.

Highlights of the menu for Premium Economy passengers include Bombay carrot salad with cashews, raisins and cherry tomatoes, Kerala-style coconut curry with mushrooms, red bell peppers and cumin rice, Panang dry curry tofu with cashews and coconut rice, and more.

For Economy passengers, the selection comprises the purple quinoa tabbouleh, Mediterranean potato salad, Khao soi – Northern Thai-style coconut curry noodles with mixed vegetables, vegetable masala with green pulao rice, to name a few.

Vivian Lo, general manager customer experience and design, Cathay Pacific, shared: “Drawing inspiration from the breadth and variety of VEDA’s dishes, we have collaborated with VEDA and Ovolo Hotels executive chef Raul Tronco to develop a reimagined selection of plant-forward creations that reflect our brand values of thoughtful and progressive, and go beyond the norms of airline vegetarian meals.”

Ovolo Hotels’ founder and executive chairman Girish Jhunjhnuwala added: “We want to ensure we are doing our bit to help preserve our environment, promote healthy eating and enhance the image of amazing vegetarian and plant-based dining. Our collaboration with Cathay Pacific aligns perfectly with this mantra and our Plant’d pledge, and our wider ‘Do Good. Feel Good’ sustainability commitment.”

TIA Wellness Resort introduces wellness tours in Vietnam

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TIA Wellness Resort, situated along Danang’s coastline, has unveiled curated experiences drawn from its four core wellness pillars: Nourish, Flow, Breathe, Create to reimagine excursions to local sites, bringing in a wellness twist.

For Breathe, guests leave early for a relaxing exploration of Linh Ung Pagoda, have a guided meditation session in the grounds with a focus on the breath, then ending at the main Lady Buddha statue before returning to the resort. The whole experience takes place from 06.00 to 08.30.

For the Nourish experience, participants select ingredients for a hands-on cooking class at TIA Wellness Resort

The Flow experience brings guests on a hike up a 200-step stone staircase to the Marble Mountains, a sacred spot peppered with pagodas and shrines, ancient statues and deep, lofty caves. Once at the top, the TIA guide will lead guests in a Tai Chi practice, before heading back down the mountain. The two-hour excursion is held from 06.30 to 08.30.

The 3.5-hour Nourish experience starts with a trip to Tra Que Village to learn about local agriculture and the Vietnamese herbs and spices that make the cuisine so distinct. Guests pick out the ingredients that will later be used to make Wellness Spring Rolls and Wellness Banh Xeo (Vietnamese-style savoury pancake) in a hands-on cooking class held at the resort.

TIA builds on the creativity focus with a traditional Vietnamese calligraphy session in the afternoons, which comprises a visit to a calligraphy museum and chat with a calligraphy master. Guests will get to keep their creation as a reminder of the experience.

Each TIA tour starts from 1,500,000 dong (US$62.50) per person and are offered daily, subject to availability.

For more information, visit TIA Wellness Resort.

 

Japan trade eagerly awaits the return of Chinese groups

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China’s move to permit the resumption of group tours to Japan, which had been banned since January 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, is cause for celebration even amid the chronic personnel shortage in travel and hospitality, says Japan’s tourism industry.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, Chinese visitors to Japan totalled 9.59 million in 2019, accounting for 30 per cent of all inbound arrivals that year and making them a vital market in the country’s tourism recovery. Moreover, their 2019 spending totalled 1.77 trillion yen (US$12 billion), equivalent to 36.8 per cent of total inbound visitor spending.

Japan is ready to welcome Chinese tour groups to the destination, which will help boost travel trade

Although Chinese individuals have been permitted to travel to Japan since January, only 590,000 did so in 1H2023, equating to 13 per cent of inbound visitors. Japan’s travel trade has therefore been eagerly awaiting the return of Chinese groups, which made up 30.3 per cent of all Chinese arrivals in 2019 according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

Koji Shibata, president of ANA Holdings, the parent company of All Nippon Airways, said the return of Chinese group tours “will spur an increase in visitors to Japanese businesses and invigorate the economy”.

“Pre-Covid, we welcomed a lot of Chinese groups so we’re preparing for a rapid increase in requests,” said Mariko Iwata, a travel guide based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture.

Accommodations are trying to fill staff vacancies ahead of Chinese group arrivals for the autumn leaves, a popular option for Chinese groups pre-pandemic.

A “surge” in Chinese visitors can also be expected over from October 1 to 7, or China’s “National Day Golden Week”, according to Sojern.

“We’re short-staffed so we’re a bit under pressure, but it’ll be great to see the return of Chinese groups, which were so important to our business before Covid,” shared Yasunari Saito, owner of a ryokan in Hyogo Prefecture.

AAPA pushes for aviation sustainability

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The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) is calling for greater “government legislation” and “incentives” to address the global issue of aviation sustainability to bring down the industry’s carbon emission rate of 2.5 per cent.

While decisions have been taken by the Air Transport Action Group, IATA, and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) among others, AAPA director general Subhas Menon expressed the need for the “government to come up with measures” and “to set incentives to encourage suppliers of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), in particular start-ups”.

The AAPA is pushing for the government to address the global issue of aviation sustainability

According to newly-appointed AAPA technical head Roshan Joshi, SAF costs between two and four times higher compared to fossil fuel.

Menon, speaking at an informal Singapore media round-table, said it was necessary to harmonise standards of accounting, transportation, storage and for an established supply chain to be in place.

To meet net zero carbon emission targets, flights cannot be sustainable from Europe to Asia but are not from Asia to Europe, he quipped.

Menon continued: “Aviation has very few alternatives (when it comes to renewable energy) and it should be prioritised with IMF (International Monetary Fund) reporting that travel was boosting GDP.”

At the same time, he cautioned against “over-regulation and protectionism” – what he called a “Covid hangover” – citing what was put in place during the pandemic.

Joshi noted the technology to develop new aircraft engines to reduce carbon emissions was still some years away.

Meanwhile, he commented that “different levels of SAF had no level of deterioration” on aircraft engines as reported by manufacturers during routine maintenance.

With Asia-Pacific being the last to open up after the pandemic, Menon predicted the region would be fully “up and running” by 1H2024.

Membership in AAPA has remained consistent at 14 airlines over the last three years, and Air India was the latest to be co-opted in 2022.

Australia’s travel sector reforms with new association

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The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has been replaced with the launch of a new peak industry body, Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), on August 15.

Created to accurately reflect the existing membership of travel agents, corporate agents, tour operators, wholesalers and ITOs, ATIA was developed after two years of extensive review of members of AFTA and a significant review and public consultation of the peak body’s constitution and operations.

From left: ATIA’s Richard Taylor, Dean Long, James Kavanagh, Shelley Beasley, Tom Manwaring, Roy Merricks, Christian Hunter, Danielle Russom, and David Greenland

Reforms announced so far include a new fairer and more balanced voting structure and new objectives for ATIA which reaffirm its commitment to all participants and principles of the Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS).

An independent ATAS Advisory Committee will be established with representation of the full ATIA membership base to provide independent governance.

ATIA chair Tom Manwaring shared: “ATIA represents a combined powerhouse of travel agents, tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers. The world of travel has transformed since AFTA was created in 1957 and to better reflect who we are and what we do, we have created ATIA – one voice, one future.”

In response to three specific membership segments expressing their wish to have dedicated engagement platforms to network and also provide advice on advocacy activities, ATIA will establish an initial three caucuses to create formal consultation processes in addition to those channels already in place.

The caucus structure has been chosen as a platform because it does not have a formal hierarchy. It will allow for the members of each caucus to collaborate, network, define advocacy objectives within their specific areas. The three caucuses are Independent Travel Agents, Independent Contractors (home-based), and Tour Operators/Wholesalers.

An ATIA Individual Membership option will now be available for AUD$10 (US$6) a month which will provide access to several ATIA advantages, including access to a new online platform and travel exchange with a host of resources.

More details on benefits will be released soon.

PAL to restart services between Manila and Tuguegarao

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Philippine Airlines (PAL) will resume regular services between Manila and Tuguegarao with daily flights beginning October 29.

The Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila daily services will fly in the mornings, and will be operated on Airbus A320 aircraft.

Philippine Airlines will resume daily services between Manila and Tuguegarao

PAL also offers twice daily flights between Manila and Laoag City in the Ilocos Region; three weekly flights between Cebu and Baguio City; and daily flights between Manila and Basco, Batanes.

Emirates to scale up London Heathrow flights

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Emirates will operate an additional five-a-week service between Dubai and London Heathrow to meet demand and offer customers more travel choices this winter season.

Starting from October 31, 2023 and March 30, 2024, the airline will operate temporary services on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays on top of its current six daily A380 flights.

Emirates will operate an additional five-a-week service between Dubai and London Heathrow between October 31, 2023 and March 30, 2024

These additional flights will be operated on Emirates’ wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.