Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia minister of tourism and creative economy, has installed Vinsensius Jemadu as his new deputy minister for tourism products and events on January 30.
Vincensius, who was deputy of destination development and infrastructure, takes over from Rizki Handayani, who now leads as deputy for industry and investment.
Four other officials were also installed yesterday.
ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2023, held from February 2 to 5, is expected to trigger the acceleration of the region’s tourism recovery post-lockdown.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia minister of tourism and creative economy (MoTCE) said in a media briefing: “(South-east Asia’s) recovery is the slowest compared to Europe and the US. Although (tourism) in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are growing, the growth is not equivalent to that of the rest of the world.
“As the biggest event in South-east Asia, ATF can trigger the acceleration of the region’s recovery. Therefore, let’s make this event more than merely ceremonial but one that will forge collaborations. We are ready for competitions (among members) but there are many opportunities to collaborate.”
This is in line with ATF’s theme of ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations which represents the hope of the tourism sector in the development of regional and international primary markets, as well as strengthen the position of South-east Asia as an accelerator of economic growth and creator of jobs, according to Sandiaga.
Apart from the main events of government meetings and Travex, ATF 2023 in Yogyakarta will also feature the Ministers’ Breakfast Meeting by US-ABC, Ministers’ Lunch by CNN, ASEAN Tourism Awards Ceremony, Global Modest Fashion Week, and a B2C exhibition featuring Indonesian creative economic products.
To date, ATF Travex has attracted 207 seller companies to occupy 159 booths, ready to conduct businesses with 136 buyers from 29 countries.
South Korea is one of the top destinations for Filipinos, yet many travellers who already have flight or hotel bookings are unable to secure their visas on time, due to the drastic changes in the application process.
As a result, tour packages from the Philippines to South Korea are being pulled out and cancelled. Instead, outbound travellers are now switching to other destinations for their holidays.
Since January 3, the Republic of Korea embassy in the Philippines has abolished the accreditation of 36 travel agencies, which were exclusively authorised to submit visa applications on behalf of individual applicants.
South Korea’s embassy in Manila is inundated with complaints from travellers. It did not explain why it resorted to visa application measures and did not heed dialogues requested by certain travel agencies.
While all travel agencies can now submit visa applications, all applications (including individual) must be channelled solely to the Online Visa Appointment System.
Even then, there is only one day available – the last Thursday of the month – to get a slot for the following month, and with tens of thousands racing to get a slot for that one day, this resulted in the online system either crashing, hanging or timing out.
Some agencies, like Luxury Vacation Holidays and Tours, were forced to pull out their South Korea tour packages. Its general manager, Kane Malvin Hui, said airlines like Cebu Pacific are not providing refunds, but allow rebooking of flights.
Hui said those who wish to travel to South Korea can opt for Jeju and Yang Yang, which do not require a visa, unlike Seoul.
He added that outbound travellers are now heading to Japan instead, which has simpler visa requirements. Other choice destinations include Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Europe and Turkey.
Asiareps Travel Services, general manager, Ritchie Tuano also said that travel agents are diverting traffic to destinations that do not require a visa or where the visa can be easily obtained.
“Even travellers who DIY are having second thoughts (about) considering South Korea as a destination due to the difficulty in getting (an) appointment slot,” he added.
The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is set to debut The Crest Collection in Singapore, China and Vietnam, with more properties in the pipeline in destinations such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka and London.
An exclusive curation of hotels and serviced residences, The Crest Collection provides guests with a unique storied and luxurious experience drawn from the distinct heritage of each property and its location.
Slated for launch by end 2023, the current Riverside Hotel Robertson Quay in Singapore will be rebranded to The Robertson House by The Crest Collection. Featuring 336 refurbished guest rooms and suites, the property is situated along the Singapore River, and will include the signature restaurant and destination bar.
In China, Yuexiu Hotel Guangzhou by The Crest Collection is expected to operate by 4Q2023. Located in the heart of Yuexiu district, the 196-key hotel will offer a living cultural expression through its furnishings and artwork displays. It is easily accessible via the train stations and is surrounded by offices and shopping malls.
Opening in 2024 is The Crest Collection in Tay Ho, Hanoi. The property overlooks the West Lake, and will be part of the largest serviced residence integrated development in Vietnam. Its 28 suites will be designed to bring guests back in time to appreciate the history and operatic arts of yesteryear Hanoi.
Tan Bee Leng, managing director for brand & marketing, Ascott, said: “No two properties or stay experiences will be the same. The Crest Collection brand meets the growing demand for one-of-a-kind experiential stays and allows our guests to immerse themselves in the history and culture of the destination.”
She added that The Crest Collection “serves the growing demand from independent and boutique hotel owners seeking the flexibility of a distinctive high-end positioning with the power of a global chain”.
With the recent opening of Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Tajima Yabu on January 24, Fairfield by Marriott has six more anticipated openings in Japan lined up for 2023.
The new hotels will be located along national roadside rest areas in the prefectures of Hyogo, Kagoshima, Okayama, Saga, Kumamoto, and Fukuoka in the southern region of Japan.
The Fairfield by Marriott “Michi-no-Eki” project aims to facilitate access to many of Japan’s off-the-beaten-path attractions, offering a comforting hotel experience along the country’s expressways.
The six new Fairfield by Marriott hotels to open this year include Fairfield by Marriott Kagoshima Tarumizu and Fairfield by Marriott Okayama Tsuyama opening in spring; Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Awaji Higashiura, Fairfield by Marriott Saga Ureshino Onsen and Fairfield by Marriott Fukuoka Ukiha, opening in summer; and Fairfield by Marriott Kumamoto Aso, opening later in autumn.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has appointed Patrick Finn as vice president, development for South-east Asia and Korea.
Based in Singapore, Finn will join the South-east Asia and Korea Leadership Team to spearhead strategic growth initiatives and oversee the expansion of the group’s brands in the region.
He brings more than 20 years’ hotel development experience to his new role. Most recently, Finn worked for Hyatt Hotels Corporation and was responsible for leading the company’s development function across Asia-Pacific.
Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight took off from Dubai International Airport and flew for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline.
The demonstration flight aids collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100 per cent SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives and its commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change and other issues related to sustainability.
As the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100 per cent SAF, the flight supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF. The flights will also assist to refine the playbook for future SAF demonstrations, and support future certification where 100 per cent drop-in SAF fuel is approved for aircraft.
SAF is currently approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50 per cent with conventional jet fuel.
Adel Al Redha, chief operating officer, Emirates Airline said: “This flight is a milestone moment for Emirates and a positive step for our industry as we work collectively to address one of our biggest challenges – reducing our carbon footprint. It has been a long journey to finally see this demonstration 100 per cent SAF flight take off.
“We hope that landmark demonstrations flights like this one, will help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain and make it more available and accessible across geographies, and most importantly, affordable for broader industry adoption in the future.”
Jonathan Wood, vice president EMEA, renewable aviation, Neste said: “Sustainable aviation fuel plays a crucial role in reducing the emissions of air travel but to fully leverage its decarbonisation potential, we need to enable 100 per cent SAF use. Test flights like this Emirates flight with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel are an important step towards 100 per cent SAF certification.”
Emirates runs a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that actively investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions, wherever it is operationally feasible.
Some of the programme’s most significant initiatives include the operation of “flex tracks”, or flexible routings – partnering with air navigation service providers to create the most efficient flight plan for each flight. These efforts have been ongoing since 2003, and Emirates has been working with IATA to extend this routing system across the world as a standard operating procedure where possible.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has rolled out complimentary unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi for all Business Class customers, as well as its PPS Club members and PPS Club supplementary card holders.
This makes SIA one of the first airlines to offer complimentary unlimited Wi-Fi across its passenger network for its Suites, First Class, and Business Class customers, as well as PPS Club members.
In addition, KrisFlyer members now enjoy free three-hour Wi-Fi plans when travelling in Premium Economy Class, and free two-hour Wi-Fi plans when travelling in Economy Class.
Customers who are not KrisFlyer members, and members who may have consumed their complimentary plans, can choose from SIA’s new Wi-Fi price plans ranging from US$3.99 for one hour, to US$15.99 for the entire flight.
Previously, Business Class customers and PPS Club members enjoyed 100MB worth of complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi. KrisFlyer members travelling in Premium Economy Class and Economy Class were offered a two-hour complimentary inflight Wi-Fi plan that was optimised for text-only messaging services.
Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort has appointed Michael Robinson as general manager.
In his new role, Michael will oversee all operations of the property, including accommodation, F&B, river cruise, spa, as well as meeting and event facilities.
The New Zealand national joins Anantara Riverside Bangkok from FCC Angkor by Avani in Siem Reap, where he worked as general manager from 2020.
Preliminary traffic results for 2022 released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed robust recovery in international passenger markets after more than two years of prolonged lockdowns and strict border control measures that severely crippled demand.
In 2022, Asia-Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 105.4 million international passengers, compared to the 17.4 million passengers recorded in 2021. By December, international passengers carried climbed to 47.5% of pre-pandemic levels, a significant improvement from the 7% recorded in January.
Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms, international passenger demand rose by a strong 439% for the year. After accounting for a 144% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor jumped 39.9 percentage points higher to average 72.8% in 2022.
Subhas Menon, director general, AAPA, commented: “The release of pent-up travel demand drove a 507% annual increase in the number of passengers carried for the year. However, demand in 2022 averaged just 27% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, underscoring the significant progress still required towards full recovery.”
Looking ahead, Menon said: “The outlook for 2023 is broadly positive, notably for passenger travel. The recovery of passenger demand is expected to progress further in the coming months, driven by strong appetite for travel.
“In particular, the recent easing of travel restrictions in China will further fuel demand, although the re-imposition of testing requirements for inbound travellers by some governments may somewhat slow down recovery in the shorter term.”
