Following a four-year hiatus, Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific will return next month from October 24 to 26 at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong.
Themed Rebuilding Asia Cruising Together, the event will feature panels, workshops and presentations addressing relevant regional trends, threats and opportunities, with each session led by a panel of cruising’s most influential leaders and experts. The conference programme will be headlined by the State of the Asian Cruise Industry session, diving into major industry updates, current trends and outlook for the region’s future.
Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific will return in October to Hong Kong
The dedicated Supplier Showcase Zone will feature exhibitors including ports, destinations and service providers from across the region showcasing their latest facilities and products. Attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with colleagues through a variety of networking receptions hosted throughout the three days.
“Seatrade has been engaged with cruising in the Asia-Pacific region for 40 years, bringing cruise communities together to support the development of this emerging market,” said Chiara Giorgi, global brand and event director for Seatrade Cruise.
“Cruise operations are gradually restarting in this region with some markets returning strongly to near pre-pandemic levels. With several cruise lines already operating in the region and new players on the horizon, Seatrade is excited to be back in Hong Kong to continue supporting the recovery of the Asian cruise market.”
voco hotels has a new adventure for animal-loving guests with its exclusive Find Your Flock package.
Guests who book the Find Your Flock package will enjoy early bird check-in and complimentary breakfast. They can even borrow binoculars to help find nearby feathered friends during their stay, and children’s binoculars are also available upon request for the entire family to enjoy a relaxing bird-watching stroll.
voco hotels has launched a new package for bird enthusiasts, just in time for the migratory season
Bookings are open from now to September 30 for stays between September 1 and October 15 – just in time for the migratory season!
This offering is available across select hotels in the US and Singapore.
ASITA Pariwisata, the association of Indonesia’s tour and travel companies, launched its first travel fair, in partnership with BRI Bank, last week.
Ensued by the B2B ASITA Jakarta Travel Mart (AJTM) events in the last few years, which were organised by the Jakarta Chapter, ASITA Pariwisata chairman Artha Hanif shared that the B2C ASITA Tour Travel Fair will provide a larger platform for members to market their products and boost their sales.
ASITA Pariwisata’s travel fair aims to provide a larger platform for members to market their products and boost their sales (Photo: Dhini Oktavianti)
The aim of the fair was to highlight the variety of products that association members – comprising inbound, outbound, domestic travel companies, as well as Umrah and Haj travel companies – offered, noted organising committee chairman Hasiyanna Ashadi.
She said: “By holding this travel fair, we are connecting members with customers (particularly BRI bank account holders who were given 15 per cent discount on sales). We are also encouraging members to be more creative with their products to attract customers, who expect to find new and interesting products.”
For example, Thayiba Tora Tour and Travel offered a bonus 3D2N trip to West Sumatra (Padang Bukittinggi and Solok), inclusive of accommodation and flights, to attendees who bought Umrah and Haj packages during the ASITA Tour Travel Fair.
Meanwhile, Buttonscarves Travel offered a Haj and Umrah package which comprised all pilgrimage necessities such as the ihram cloth, prayer mats, and even suitcases.
The Indonesian immigration office also set up a booth to serve passport applicants, making the show a one-stop shop for travellers.
During his opening speech, Triawan Munaf, tourism and creative economy deputy chairman of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, said: “ASITA is like a supermarket (whose members) do not only sell destinations, but need to be skilful to package and promote their products.”
He remarked such B2C events are important platforms for travel companies to market and sell their products, but it was also important to have a quality show and not merely focus on the quantity.
Indonesian Paradise Property (Paradise Indonesia), a major developer of lifestyle properties of hotels, shopping centres, and apartments in Indonesia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vacances (Club Med) to build and manage five new resorts in Indonesia.
These mega projects will mark Club Med’s expanding presence in the country after the openings of Club Med Bali and Club Med Bintan which opened in 1984 and 1997 respectively.
From left: Paradise Indonesia’s Anthony Prabowo Susilo and Boyke Gozali, and Club Med’s Henri Giscard D’Estaing and Rachael Harding
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in Jakarta on August 25, Anthony Prabowo Susilo, president director of Indonesian Paradise Property, shared that the management contract will span a 30-year period.
He said: “Club Med and Paradise Indonesia share the same vision, to create holiday experiences in exotic destinations throughout Indonesia. With this collaboration, we aim to become the leader of premium all-inclusive and experimental vacations in exotic locations.”
Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of Club Med, stated: “Indonesia is the main focus for Club Med because it is projected to be one of the markets with the fastest growth by 2039.”
The project will take place over several phases. The first phase of development will focus on building three resorts in the next five years in North Sulawesi, West Java and Bali. The construction of the other two resorts, or the second phase, will be carried out after the first three are complete, with locations to be announced.
Speaking on the choice of destinations, Anthony said: “To build these resort areas, we are preparing around 300 hectares of land per project with a target of construction starting no later than 2025.”
He added that each project would amount to at least 500 billion rupiah (US$33 million).
Paradise Indonesia currently owns 13 hotels in Jakarta, Bali, Batam, Yogyakarta.
With the success of the The One for Nature initiative in 2020, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has unveiled The 2nd The One for Nature project in its continuous efforts to promote responsible tourism in Thailand.
The 2020 project embodied the concept of Travel with Responsibility in Thailand, and aimed to spotlight Thailand’s sustainable tourism and safeguard the nation’s abundant natural resources.
Responsible tourism activities have been initiated in renowned destinations, such as the Walking Streets in Chiang Mai, pictured
The resurgence of this project offers travellers the opportunity to immerse themselves in more abundant natural surroundings once again after natural sights across Thailand have rejuvenated and restored their natural beauty.
TAT aims to promote responsible tourism under the brand Amazing Thailand, encouraging environmentally-conscious travellers from all over the world to participate in activities via the online channel which will elevate awareness and cooperation among international travellers and also foster responsible tourism practices in Thailand through international influencers.
In addition, some of the on-ground responsible tourism activities have been initiated in renowned destinations, such as Pattaya, Chon Buri, and Walking Streets in Chiang Mai and Phuket to strengthen awareness and encourage active participation from travellers across the country.
This summer was one of Emirates’ busiest with over 14 million passengers with average seat load factors exceeding 80 per cent across its global network between June and August.
Looking at the coming months, Emirates’ booking trends show demand for international travel across its network.
Emirates anticipates a strong demand for international travel across its network in the coming months
Destination Dubai remained popular among travellers with two million customers travelling to the airline’s hub.
Top inbound markets to Dubai on Emirates during this period included the UK, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt and Kuwait. Over 35 per cent of visitors to Dubai travelling on Emirates were families, staying an average of over two weeks to experience the city’s sites and attractions.
This winter season, the airline anticipates another spike in demand for travel to Dubai as the city runs a packed calendar of global conferences, sporting events and more. The city has already welcomed more than 8.5 million international visitors in the first six months of 2023, registering more than a million more visitors during the same time last year.
Emirates’ chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said: “Travel demand across our network has been strong and resilient despite rising cost-of-living pressures in many markets. It shows the value that people place on travel – whether for work, play, study, or visiting loved ones; and how essential international air connectivity is to communities.”
From June to August, Emirates operated nearly 50,000 flights to and from 140 cities, carrying over 14 million passengers.
Emirates offers travellers convenient and extended access beyond its own global network, to over 800 cities in 100 countries – thanks to its 157 airline and rail partners.
Highlights this summer include launching daily flights to Montreal, Canada; additional services to 12 cities (Athens, Brisbane, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Budapest, Bologna, Medina, Jeddah, Entebbe, Venice and Shanghai); resuming daily services to Birmingham, Nice, Taipei and Shanghai; introducing new service to Bali; introducing its latest four-class A380 aircraft to Singapore, Los Angeles and Houston; as well as the new interline and expanded codeshare arrangements with Kenya Airways, Air Canada and Philippine Airlines.
Macau Pass S.A. (Macau Pass), together with Alipay+, will expand the coverage of the cross-border payment business of mPay to more than 40 countries overseas later this year.
These include the UAE, the UK, Switzerland, European Economic Area countries (such as France, Germany and Italy), Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the US.
Macau resident users can now easily make payments at more than 40 countries overseas; tourist in Prague, Czech Republic, pictured
Macau resident users can simply switch to the Alipay+ overseas payment code on mPay to access the cross-border payment function when they see the Alipay+ logo at the merchants in these countries.
Sun Ho, chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, said that the change in consumer culture and modern technology goes hand in hand in the new era, and demand for electronic payments, especially cross-border mobile payments, is also booming rapidly. mPay and Alipay+ strive to create a smart e-wallet that facilitates Macau residents to travel globally,which helps solve the issues they encounter with payment while travelling overseas.
mPay will continue to expand electronic payment, lifestyle services and marketing technology services to develop more open and diversified intelligent payment business scenarios.
In celebration of its second anniversary, Oasia Resort Sentosa presents a three-day-two-night Anniversary Package for guests to indulge in a rejuvenating stay experience.
Priced from S$700 (US$515), the package comprises accommodation in a Premier Room, unlimited activities and workshop in Oasia Wellness Calendar, a Sleep Well Kit, and a choice of one experience for two persons – a 30-minute SpaRitual Scalp Massage at Oasia Spa, PURE Fitness Introductory three-visit Trial Pack, or a nutritious lunch set at Bedrock Origin.
Oasia Resort Sentosa celebrates its second anniversary with a special three-day-two-night package
The anniversary package is available for booking till September 30 for stays till December 31.
Australians are leading the pack as spenders in post-lockdown travel, with spending expected to exceed A$7,700 (US$4,979) on their getaways this year, more than six other countries surveyed.
Instagrammable food and a romantic Netflix show have also been cited as the main motivators for travel and choice of destinations for Aussies, according to the American Express 2023 Global Travel Trends report.
Most Australian travellers are inspired to visit a destination after seeing it featured in a TV show or movie; a tourist in Paris, pictured
Participating in the survey were 1,000 travellers from Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, and the UK, as well as 2,000 travellers in the US. The survey set out to determine the primary motivators behind recent travel patterns and what they signal for the future of the industry.
It found that 45 per cent of Aussies are motivated to travel this year to visit a destination that will look great in photos or videos while 22 per cent of Aussies said they have been inspired to travel this year by the Netflix TV series Emily in Paris.
“Following the pandemic, we have built up quite the appetite for travel. We found that 76 per cent of Aussies see leisure travel as an important budget priority for the year while 97 per cent planned on taking at least one trip in 2023,” said Nicola Tan, director, product and portfolio management at American Express.
Adult travellers aged between 18 and 34 years were also found to be the most enthusiastic age category for travel plans. They were more likely to increase their spending budget compared to last year, and were now preferring extended weeklong trips.
“This age group responded with 82 per cent more likely (to plan) vacations to better their mental, physical, and emotional health in 2023. Interestingly, Australian adults who are a little older, aged 35-44, are more likely to want to save money by using their credit card points to put towards travel costs compared to other age brackets,” said Tan.
Tan: Aussies see leisure travel as an important budget priority for the year
Unsurprisingly, Tan noted the report also found that social and environmental mindfulness is top of mind for the Aussie traveller more so now than ever, with 81 per cent interested in holidays with minimal environmental impact. One in two are also prioritising personal wellness in their travel plans.
The trends are expected to continue with the majority of travellers choosing a European adventure and preferring new destinations and experiences.
Tan also noted that social media and pop culture are also playing an increasing role in shaping travel trends: “A great example of this is the popularity that San Domenico Palace, Taormina, a Four Seasons hotel, is having off the back of the White Lotus season two premiere. This is all down to the rising and powerful trend of ‘set jetting’, where travellers flock to places that have captivated them on-screen.
“Our research found that 70 per cent of Gen-Z and millennial respondents (globally) agree that they have been inspired to visit a destination after seeing it featured in a TV show, news sources, or movies.”
Tan believes these trends represent an opportunity for the travel industry to tailor offerings to travellers and find new ways to deepen their engagement through more unique and off-the-beaten-path experiences, such as living life as a local for a day.
To celebrate Warner Bros Studio’s 100th anniversary in 2023, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) are deepening their partnership with new initiatives to spotlight Singapore and the global media entertainment company’s beloved characters and stories.
This is part of a multi-year partnership that WBD and STB inked in 2022 to collaborate on entertainment and lifestyle content, as well as marketing activities, to spotlight and inspire travel to Singapore.
The campaign will take place from November 10 to 26 to celebrate Warner Bros Studio’s 100th anniversary
The global centennial campaign, Celebrating Every Story, will take place from November 10 to 26 and will be the only large-scale event in South-east Asia to feature 100 years of Warner Bros franchises.
The WB100 family festival, in partnership with Sentosa, will feature a host of free and interactive experiences.
The campaign will also see characters Tom and Jerry star in a brand-new Singapore-inspired Tom and Jerry series launching later this year on Cartoon Network. The seven-part production represents the franchise’s first-ever localised series, with each episode inspired by unique sights, places of interest, and destination highlights of Singapore. Merli, a character inspired by Singapore’s iconic Merlion, will also make a special appearance.
Clement Schwebig, president and managing director, India, Southeast Asia and Korea, WBD, shared: “Tom and Jerry have been delighting audiences of all ages around the world for generations, and we’re very proud that its first-ever localised adaptation will come with a Singapore twist. The WB100 celebration at Sentosa will showcase some of the highlights from a century of Warner Bros content, and we look forward to welcoming both families from Singapore and those visiting.”
Melissa Ow, chief executive, STB, remarked that the new series and WB100 family festival will “showcase Singapore in a fun and creative way” and set Singapore apart as “a vibrant and exciting city for both visitors and locals”.
