China will resume the issuance of ordinary visas for Japanese citizens travelling to the country, effective January 29.
This decision was made after Japan had lodged a protest to China over the suspension of visas for Japanese citizens, asking Beijing to reverse the action.
China had stopped issuing visas for Japanese nationals this month in response to Japan’s toughened Covid-19 border control rules for China-outbound travellers entering Japan.
Singapore will host the first-ever G4D Tour (Golf for the Disabled Tour) event in Asia this year, and is the third of eight stops announced for 2023 as part of the tour’s expanded global schedule.
Organised by Vantage Pointe, G4D Tour @ Singapore Classic will take place on February 6 to 7 alongside the DP World Tour’s Singapore Classic at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
Launched in 2022 with an initial seven-event schedule, the G4D Tour sees the world’s leading golfers with a disability compete on the same course, the same week, as professionals on the DP World Tour.
The 2023 season will see additional uplifts to the G4D Tour, including the introduction of a season-long Order of Merit to crown the Number One player.
Teeing off at Laguna National will be four-time winner Kipp Popert from England, and veteran Australian Geoff Nicholas, among others. Golfers making their G4D Tour debut in Singapore include Ireland’s Aiden Grenham and England’s Oliver Hirst-Greenham.
Popert will also lead a clinic with youths from the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore.
Each G4D Tour event is open to amateurs and professional players of all eligible impairments, men and women. The European Tour group pays the expenses of players as they travel around the world, to ensure that the tour is open to all players regardless of their financial circumstances.
Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour group, said: “The G4D Tour has been a tremendous success since it launched earlier this year. We have seen unprecedented numbers of golfers with a disability enquire about playing on the Tour and getting a World Ranking, thanks to the ability for these inspirational players to play Tour level courses next to the best players on the DP World Tour.”
He believes that “golf has the potential to be the most inclusive sport in the world and the G4D Tour is a major step in realising this ambition”.
G4D Tour @ Singapore Classic is not open to the public, however, tickets are required for entry to the Singapore Classic from February 9 to 12 with single sessions priced at S$25 (US$19), and a four-day event pass for S$80.
Singapore Airlines’s (SIA) latest Welcome to World Class campaign follows its cabin crew around top destinations – Singapore, Auckland in New Zealand, Barcelona in Spain, Mumbai in India, and Shanghai in China – as they discover varied and personal experiences with people and cultures.
The new global brand campaign will run on television, print, digital, out-of-home, and social media platforms.
SIA’s executive vice president commercial, Lee Lik Hsin, said: “This campaign highlights our unwavering commitment to deliver a world-class travel experience, no matter the duration of the journey.”
With the success of its first Manta Retreat in October last year, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is launching the second Manta Retreat this March.
In collaboration with the resort-based Manta Trust organisation, guests of the resort will experience the magic of meeting these underwater giants up close while learning and exploring the research on these marine animals and their habitat.
This year’s Manta Retreat will take place from March 9 to 13, during the Maamunagau Manta Season, when young manta rays gather in the resort’s lagoon just a few minutes away from shore.
The fee is US$1,950 for an adult and US$1,350 for children between 10 and 11 years old. Activities included are three manta ray snorkelling trips, house reef night snorkelling experience, sunset dolphin cruise, on-hand educational workshops and excursions to learn more about manta rays, plankton, turtles, coral restoration and more.
Guests participating in the Manta Retreat are eligible for a 25 per cent discount on their stay for bookings of five nights and more.
For more information, visit InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort.
Tom Pieter Van Tuijl is the new general manager of Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne.
With over 20 years of extensive experience in the luxury hotel management industry, he will be responsible for the strategic management and operation of the resort.
Prior to joining Centara Hotels & Resorts, he was general manager of FLC Hotels & Resorts, where he was responsible for FLC SamSon Beach & Golf Resort and FLC Halong Bay Golf Club & Luxury Resort.
Saga, Japan
Saga prefecture has long been an important trading centre thanks to its location on the north-east coast of Kyushu, which has allowed green tea cultivation and pottery manufacturing to flourish.
At Ureshino-Onsen, which is home to Japan’s oldest green tea tree, visitors can soak in that history with a range of green tea experiences, including a tasting on a tower in a tea plantation overlooking Omura Bay, a cycling tour through the tea fields or a workshop with a green tea sommelier.
Unique experiences also abound in porcelain-producing Arita, where it is possible to visit ceramics museums and theme parks, watch potters in their workshops and even throw your own pot.
From Fukuoka International Airport there are express buses to Ureshino and Arita. It is also possible to travel by train from Hakata Station, riding the bullet train from Takeo-Onsen to Ureshino-Onsen on the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, which opened in September 2022. – Kathryn Wortley
Quang Nam, Vietnam
While the Central Vietnamese province of Quang Nam is famous as home to the ancient city of Hoi An and coastal resort of Danang, there is plenty more to enjoy. The year 2022 has seen authorities promote the area as a leading eco-tourism destination, full of immersive experiences that give a glimpse into local life.
For example, Bay Mau coconut forest close to Hoi An gives visitors the chance to set sail on a traditional basket boat to explore the lush coconut forest. At Tra Que vegetable village, also close to Hoi An, visitors can meet an agricultural community and learn first-hand about their livelihood.
Further afield, deep in the heart of Truong San mountain range, about a two-hour drive from Danang, indigenous community-based tourism is emerging.
Home to the Cotu ethnic people, the area offers the chance to check-in at a homestay before spending the day learning about the mountain forest people’s unique way of life. – Marissa Carruthers
Pulau Tuba, Malaysia
Pulau Tuba is the third biggest island in the 99 island chain of Langkawi. It is located just 15 minutes by water taxi from Kuah Jetty on the main island of Langkawi.
Home to some 3,500 people, the idyllic island charms with traditional kampong houses, vast expanse of paddy fields, and assorted farm animals including buffaloes and cows lazing on the roads or cooling in mud holes. The vibe harkens back to simpler times, three decades ago.
People on Pulau Tuba are primarily involved in fishing and farming. The fishermen will also occasionally go to the forest to gather herbs, medicinal plants, wild fruits and honey to sell.
Tourism on the island is new as it is only recently that water taxis with scheduled departures from Kuah Jetty have been made available.
Plans are underway to make the island Malaysia’s first low carbon destination. As most residents own motorcycles, the state government intends to replace combustion-engine motorcycles with electric ones.
At the same time, Friends of Langkawi Geopark (FLAG), a non governmental organisation, has implemented various projects to help improve the quality of life for the island community.
For instance, working with other non-profit organisations and institutions, FLAG organised a workshop last year to upgrade the services provided by 13 homestay operators on the island. FLAG hoped that the expertise provided would empower the operators and build their resilience and confidence.
Another project undertaken by FLAG in 2022 was the training of specialised Tuba and Geopark guides who were given further knowledge and understanding of the Geopark and the art of storytelling about attractions on the island. – S Puvaneswary
Camiguin, the Philippines
Camiguin is as exotic as it sounds. Dubbed the Island Born of Fire, this laidback coastal province in northern Mindanao was literally formed by volcanic eruptions.
Picturesque islands ringed by white beaches and seas teeming with marine life aside, Camiguin has seven volcanoes, natural hot and cold springs, waterfalls and forests waiting to be explored. Old Guiob Church Ruins and Sunken Cemetery literally under water were caused by volcanic eruptions.
Volcanic soil makes lazones (or longkong) fruit sweeter, giving birth to the tourist magnet lanzones festival during the September to November harvest season.
Bernadette de Leon, general manager of Amiable Intertours, agreed with guest reviews in giving the newest resort in town, 150-key Nouveau Resort Camiguin, high marks for aesthetics, cleanliness, food, service, facilities, location and view.
“Camiguin is a peaceful, compact destination with everything in there (so) we don’t want it to be very commercial” in expanding its airport and marine port and adopting a new tourism branding next year, said governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo. – Rosa Ocampo
Jember, Indonesia
Jember, a regency in the south-eastern part of East Java, is working its way to gain recognition as a destination from the national and international market.
The destination is a gateway to Meru Betiri National Park (the other gateway is Banyuwangi), popular among adventure travellers for its pristine jungles and beaches. The Sukamade Beach, for example, is known to have four of six turtle species in Indonesia.
Jember is also a producer of coffee, cocoa and tobacco, particularly the Na-Oogst type that is used for cigars. In fact, Jember is the top producer of this type of tobacco in Indonesia – between 8,000 and 9,000 tonnes are produced annually, and 90 per cent of which is exported. Data from BIN Cigar, one of the four cigar producers in the area, shows that Indonesia is the second world player after Cuba in the cigar market, with an export value of 1.5 trillion rupiah (US$98 million) per year.
So, it is no surprise that Jember offers Museum Tembakau, where travellers can learn about the plant and the cigar-making process.
The destination also organises the annual Jember the Cigar City of Indonesia (JKCI) festival, which comprises a tobacco and cigar mart for the local and international cigar trade community. The fourth edition of the festival was held in 2022.
The regency is also known for its Jember Fashion Carnaval (JFCC), a street carnival combining arts, fashion, culture, dance and music, since 2003. The event has won both national and international accolades.
Jember is currently accessible by car or train (3.5 hours) from Surabaya. Come January 2023, a twice-daily regular chartered flight will be available on that route, partly subsidised by the regency government. It is hoped that commercial airlines would follow suit when they see traffic flowing into the destination.
Plans for an airport runway extension to accommodate larger aircraft are in discussion.
Data from the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association Jember Chapter shows there are around 2,500 rooms of all categories in the destination. Top brands include Dafam Fortuna, Aston and Java Lotus. – Mimi Hudoyo
Northern Tasmania, Australia
Blending nature, culture, history and cuisine, this northern part of Australia’s southmost location is a haven for the wild at heart.
Its towns are rich in Convict-era history, dotted with a trail of world-class wineries and waterways to explore. Visitors can also hike in a dramatic gorge, sled a river or fly between tall trees.
If that wasn’t enough, Northern Tasmania will more than satisfy foodies with Launceston, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy – one of only 36 world cities owning the title.
Traditionally recognised for its unique paddock-to-plate culture, Northern Tasmania offers a selection of dining venues, experiences like cooking workshops, vineyards, and the Cradle to Coast food trail – a popular gastronomic experience among visitors.
It also has Australia’s only floating wood-fired sauna and Tasmania’s first wabi-sabi-inspired stay, aptly named Sabi. This luxurious designer cabin opened in mid-2022.
Lucky ones can even catch the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis, especially in winter.
Visitors will need to travel via a connecting flight from a major Australian city into Launceston Airport or via the Spirit of Tasmania ferry that sails from Geelong (near Melbourne) to Devonport, where a new Novotel hotel has just opened. – Adelaine Ng
Continued improvement in travel business performance in the final quarter of 2022 has set an optimistic tone for the new year, with most industry players expecting strong travel intentions to hold firm despite recession concerns.
In Expedia Group’s 3Q2022 earnings call on November 3, vice chairman and CEO Peter Maxwell Kern said the company has put in “another record quarter of results”, where revenue hit US$3.6 billion, adjusted EBITDA exceeded US$1 billion for the first time in the company’s history; the number of active loyalty members rose to an all-time high; app usage peaked, with quarterly numbers rising nearly 40 per cent against 2019’s figures; and a host of new product features, such as price tracking, trip boards and smart shopping, were pushed out.
A month later, Michael Dykes, vice president of market management, Asia-Pacific, told TTG Asia that travel demand has continued to remain strong and ADR stayed substantially elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels.
“Looking ahead, we’re cautiously optimistic that the travel sector will continue its upwards trajectory as travellers look towards returning to the skies,” remarked Dykes.
Greg Webb, CEO, Travelport is similarly upbeat about 2023. “We started 2022 at about 50 per cent recovered and I expect we will exit this year on a strong pace, at about 70 per cent or so compared to 2019,” he told TTG Asia in an interview at end-November.
Webb saw demand outstripping supply in 2022, inverting the demand and supply curve “for the first time in a very long time”. Shopping data as of November 2022 was “well over 100 per cent of 2019’s”, he shared.
Accor expects continued momentum moving into 2023 for South-east Asia, Japan, South Korea and the Pacific. Strong pent-up demand has resulted in healthy forward bookings throughout 2022 and abundant interest in popular destinations across the regions.
Garth Simmons, CEO for Accor Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, said: “We have always anticipated strong pent-up demand and this has certainly been released as gathering restrictions were eased across the region.”
Globally, Accor’s RevPAR was up 14 per cent overall in 3Q2022 versus 3Q2019. Although RevPAR for South-east Asia was down 21 per cent in 3Q2022 versus 3Q2019, it was an improvement on 2Q2022’s performance when RevPAR was down 31 per cent versus 2Q2019.
Simmons expects RevPAR to show continued improvement as flight capacities and connectivity continues to ramp up across the region.
Simmons said: “This is a resilient industry and we have always been confident that demand would not only return to pre-pandemic levels, but exceed what we have ever witnessed before.”
Accor Pacific CEO, Sarah Derry, is optimistic too, her faith fuelled by healthy leisure and corporate business.
On the aviation front, IATA expects a return to profitability for the global airline industry this year, with a small net profit of US$4.7 billion – a 0.6 per cent net profit margin as compared to US$26.4 billion (3.1 per cent net profit margin) in 2019. IATA also projects passenger demand to reach 85.5 per cent of 2019 levels over the course of 2023, and passenger numbers to surpass the four billion mark for the first time since 2019, with 4.2 billion travellers expected to fly.
This outlook takes into account a gradual reopening of China to international traffic and the easing of domestic Covid-19 restrictions progressively from the second half of 2023. With China’s move to scrap quarantine for arriving foreign travellers from January 8, 2023 amid spikes in local infections in major Chinese cities, it remains to be seen how IATA’s projection will pan out.
Travellers’ wish-list
Results from Expedia Group’s Traveler Value Index 2023 study backs Dykes’ optimism. Nearly half (46 per cent) of consumers surveyed said travel is more important to them now than it was pre-pandemic. And nearly as many (43 per cent) are setting aside a fatter travel budget for the year ahead.
These consumer insights “reveal the highest levels of travel optimism since 2020”, said Dykes.
“In fact, most professionals are expecting leisure (71 per cent) and business (70 per cent) travel to return to pre-2020 levels within two years, according to our Traveler Value Index 2023,” he added.
Another study by Expedia Group unveils new travel motivations and claims that 2023 is The Year of the No-Normal. Findings from The No-Normal; Unexpected Travel Trends in 2023 study point to a preference for culture capitals where local fares and cultural festivities are returning in full swing, with Edinburgh, Scotland; Lisbon, Portugal; and Tokyo, Japan topping the top 10 global hit list.
TV programmes are turning out to be big holiday influencers. Two-thirds of global travellers have considered and 39 per cent have booked trips to destinations after seeing them on streamed shows or movies. Advice from friends and family topped streaming services by only two per cent as the most influential source of travel inspiration.
In a study focusing on Asian travel sentiments, Klook discovered that inflation and rising costs are not stopping travellers from packing their bags. The study, published in December 2022, stated that the majority (81 per cent) are eager to travel internationally in 2023, with one third planning to take at least two to four trips. To cope with inflationary pressures, 35 per cent of respondents intend to travel shorthaul or during off-peak seasons, while 34 per cent are willing to cut back on other expenses to have more for trips. Asian respondents are most likely to take trips of three to five days (45 per cent), followed by six to nine days (34 per cent), then 10 or more days (25 per cent).
Marcus Yong, vice president, global marketing at Klook shared that 2023 is the year of “travelsilience” – travel and resilience, where “travellers pursue travel to create new memorable experiences, despite all struggles and any headwinds”.
Asian DMCs told TTG Asia that the new year also brings new motivations for slow tourism, fuelled by consumers’ growing awareness of sustainability issues.
“Staying longer in locations reduces the amount of regional flights, creates more job opportunities as travellers stay longer in one location and makes for a better travel experience,” said Willem Niemeijer, CEO of YANNA Ventures.
He added that taking the train over flying is another way to see and experience more of a country. And as inter-regional rail connections grow, there is great opportunity.
“This is in particular an opportunity for Laos, where the new high-speed train now makes travel to otherwise remote sites easy and low-cost.”
Guilhem Cavaille, head of travel and experiences at Asia DMC, said the company recently returned from a sales trip to Europe and he believes for DMCs opportunities lie in the will of tour operators to “finally blow some fresh air over a production that remains very traditional”.
He added: “Innovation, proposing something different, will be a key to attract the European market. We also found product and sales managers to be more sensitive to CSR questions, and our new line of engine-free tours found some great echo.”
Watch the potholes
As with all business outlooks, industry players know that challenges are par for course. Manpower woes, flight capacity constraints that have pushed up airfares, rising costs alongside a poor economic outlook, and threat of new Covid strains are in their line of sight.
When asked how pent-up travel demand would hold up against recession in the new year, Webb said: “Even if we were to see some recessionary type of activity in 2023, we doubt it would have a big impact on recovery.
“Signs of recession will show in the prices, be it hotel rates or air fares. You will know when you see prices drop. (Despite warnings of inflation and recession this year,) every sector has been able to hold prices the past year or so because consumers are willing to pay more to get back to travel.”
On the aviation front, airlines have to deal with constricted fuel supply, rising oil prices, strengthening US dollar due to periodic interest hikes by the Federal Reserve, and increasing cost of business operations, detailed Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.
However, the vista is not all bleak, as a strong greenback “also means that we are likely to import more visitors to Asia”, he added.
Further emphasising the conflicting conditions between the macro environment and state of aviation business, Subhas said: “We are going into recession in a ‘job-full’ market, where unemployment rate is at its lowest and job vacancies are very high. So, people are gainfully employed during the coming recession. However, with interest rates going up, people are generally incentivised to save and that could impact travel.”
California-based Princess Cruises is set to restart Japan cruises and cruise-tours in March, with 22 voyages available on 32 departure days between March 13 and November 9.
The relaunch follows the Japanese government’s decision in mid-November to allow overseas-registered cruise ships to use Japanese ports from spring 2023 in an attempt to restart the country’s battered international cruise market after a docking ban of more than two years.
John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, has described the reopening of Japanese ports to the international cruise industry as “an important and welcome development that not only vastly expands the vacation opportunities available to guests but also helps to significantly strengthen the Japanese tourism economy”.
Princess Cruises’ 2023 voyages will span Okinawa to Hokkaido and “offer guests the opportunity to discover the culture, history, cuisine and natural wonders of Japan”, according to the company.
The second-largest cruise line globally by net revenue in 2021 will also restart multi-country voyages.
Diamond Princess, which was quarantined for weeks at the Port of Yokohama in March 2020, will return for the summer and autumn to operate 57 voyages. The Japan-built vessel will depart from Yokohama and Kobe, calling at 38 destinations in four countries on 43 itineraries.
This season will also see the launch of Princess Cruises’ Medallion system on Diamond Princess. The small device, which can be worn or carried by passengers, offers contactless check-in, keyless stateroom entry, location-tracking of companions on board and delivery of food and drink, among other services.
Such capabilities are likely to offer even greater peace of mind to travellers with Covid-19 concerns, according to Japanese travel experts.
In addition, Japan’s industry associations have consolidated pandemic lessons to produce robust anti-infection guidelines ahead of the international cruise restart, which include the requirement for more than 95 per cent of passengers to be vaccinated at least twice.
SITA has teamed up with Zamna Technologies to strengthen its airline, airport, and border solutions.
Zamna will use a decentralised blockchain-based model to transform how passenger data, such as passport, visa, and health information, is verified and handled, bringing security, ease, and efficiency benefits for travellers, airlines, airports and governments.
The first deployment will be focused on Arab Air Carriers’ Organization’s 30-plus airlines.
Passengers will no longer need to present travel documents repeatedly at every touch point – Zamna’s ability to verify and securely persist such data will provide SITA customers with ongoing automation enhancements, while ensuring their data is managed in a safe, private, and decentralised manner.
For airlines and airports, processing times will be reduced and less infrastructure is needed to process passengers. Border agencies will experience fewer exception cases and fewer passengers requiring on-site processing as the border checks are completed pre-departure.
Airlines, airports, and governments can drive operational savings by having confidence in the accuracy and timeliness of traveller data. Verified traveller data will be securely shared throughout the journey, eliminating duplicate processes, increasing trust, and improving the passenger experience.
This approach is a paradigm shift to fundamentally change data management within the aviation industry, ensuring that the individual traveller has minimal impact and that their documents are read and verified once and put to work many times.
David Lavorel, CEO, SITA, said: “The partnership with Zamna Technologies powers the next step in the journey to SITA’s vision of enabling a truly connected and digital travel experience along with all the benefits it will deliver: efficiency, improved passenger experience, and increased security.”
Irra Ariella Khi, CEO, Zamna Technologies, added: “SITA has already made great strides into making seamless travel possible with their innovative digital travel solutions. Together we will leverage Zamna’s digitisation of travel documents and processes through Identity Rails, to make travel significantly more efficient, and deliver secure travel identity for all – through airports and across borders.”
The 30th Travel Tour Expo 2023 and the eighth International Travel Trade Expo 2023 will be held on February 3-5 at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City, the Philippines.
Organised by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), the event will benefit travellers who seek bigger and better deals for their travel needs, with as much as 70 per cent discount on air fares and more.
Under the theme A Better and Stronger Future of Travel is Here, the upcoming three-day expo is expected to further invigorate and push the tourism activities of Filipino travellers in their domestic and international trips with exclusive deals and discounts. New destinations will be unveiled, with a wide choice of affordable tours, transportation options, and accommodation, as well as different payment options available.
Held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay, the venue will accommodate more than 300 participating exhibitors with 700 booths, with an anticipated attendance of about 80,000 to 100,000.
Entrance tickets are priced at 70 pesos (US$1.30) for general admission and 50 pesos for seniors.
