Regent Seven Seas Cruises has unveiled its longest World Cruise to date on board the Seven Seas Mariner sailing January 10, 2026.
Titled The Sense of Adventure, the new World Cruise is a round trip journey embarking from Miami, Florida where guests will cruise three oceans over 154 nights, discovering destinations in the Americas, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Guests will explore 77 ports of call in 41 countries across six continents, with the addition of three new ports of call – Lifou Island, and Maré of the Loyalty Islands in the New Caledonia archipelago, and the wild and rugged Waingapu (Sumba), Indonesia.
Seven Seas Mariner will sail on January 10, 2026 on its longest World Cruise yet
Regent has curated 431 shore excursions and 16 in-port overnight stays for extended exploration in Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Darwin, Australia; and Walvis Bay, Namibia. The itinerary also provides access to 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Monastery of Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve from Praslin, Seychelles; Robben Island from Cape Town, South Africa; and the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, Australia.
Guests will kick-off their round-the-world adventure with a one-night pre-cruise stay in a luxury hotel in vibrant Miami, Florida, and an exclusive pre-cruise gala event before boarding Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all balcony luxury cruise ship featuring four fine-dining restaurants.
Fares for the 154-night voyage start from US$94,999 per guest for a Deluxe Veranda Suite and US$266,499 per guest for the Master Suite. It includes three exclusive shoreside events, US$600 SBC per person, unlimited valet laundry (dry cleaning and pressing), phone time per suite, a commemorative gift, unlimited Wi-Fi, onboard medical services and more.
The 2026 World Cruise opens for reservations on March 23.
Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, Singapore has appointed Daniel Khoo as its resident manager. He will be responsible for overseeing and managing the operational aspects and will support the resort’s general manager, Gavin Weightman.
Khoo brings with him 20 years of luxury hospitality experience from various international hotel chains across several destinations including China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.
Japan is upgrading its air traffic control system to increase flight capacity at its Tokyo hubs in anticipation of inbound tourism growth in excess of pre-pandemic levels in the mid- to long-term.
By spring 2025, the country’s four regional air traffic control centres will be merged into three: one managing high-altitude flights (above 10,000km) and two covering low-altitude flights (one for the east and one for the west). The consolidation will enable the network to manage two million flights annually, an increase of 10 per cent on current capacity.
Haneda International Airport in Tokyo will add flight slots and increase its total capacity
By fiscal 2024, the government will also centralise flight routes, take-off and landing times and other information by creating a digital system based on International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
In tandem, Haneda International Airport in Tokyo and Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture are adding flight slots and plan to increase their total capacity to one million flights per year by 2029, up from 830,000 flights handled in 2020.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, slot expansion at these two airports are among their top priorities to boost tourism and Tokyo’s standing as a major international gateway.
The Japanese government is eager to welcome inbound growth as it strives to reach its target of 60 million international visitors annually by 2030 and prepares for international air passenger numbers to reach pre-Covid levels by 2024, as predicted by The International Air Transport Association.
Indeed, the return of international airline capacity to Japan is growing steadily, with December 2022 figures only 54 per cent down on December 2019. In comparison, calendar 2022 data was 77 per cent down on calendar year 2019, indicating a significant uptick in travellers in the latter part of last year following Japan’s reopening in October 2022.
Accor, together with Trip.com Group and global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, have published a new educational whitepaper on sustainable travel in China.
The path toward eco-friendly travel in China report examines the environmental impact of China’s tourism sector, analyses Chinese travellers’ sentiment towards sustainability and sets out actions key stakeholders in China’s tourism sector need to take to foster sustainable travel.
The report delves into promoting a sustainable future for China’s travel industry
By identifying a series of sustainable changes that ought to be made, from the everyday to the systemic, which can support the travel and hospitality of tomorrow with the intention of becoming an informative industry reference tool for change, the report proposes that by adopting a set of collaborative measures across the industry value chain, from guests to major global providers, China’s tourism sector could move toward a more sustainable future.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, China is expected to have the world’s largest tourism market by 2032 and, prior to the pandemic, was already one of the biggest global markets. Analysis for the whitepaper found the environmental impact of China’s travel industry is substantial: tourism represented approximately six to eight per cent of China’s total carbon emissions in 2019.
Data from McKinsey showed that Chinese travellers are engaged about their environmental impact and are starting to seek out sustainable alternatives, but the report found they may need more help understanding where to look.
Trip.com Group found that 85 per cent of Chinese travellers rate travel sustainability as important or very important, while 60 per cent are concerned about climate change. However, Chinese consumers are not yet used to the idea of paying extra for sustainable travel, so it is important to provide travellers guidance regarding sustainability costs, highlighting the industries’ efforts to improve provision of sustainable offerings.
In response to this, the report provides guidance on the actions that travellers can take to travel sustainably and to empower their own consumer decisions, including booking sustainable travel options with certified service providers, spending more time in one destination, and cultivating sustainable habits. Traveller behaviour is just the first consideration the report highlights. Long-term sustainability will be achieved in tandem with initiatives from tourism providers, who hold a responsibility to inspire travellers’ mindset.
The whitepaper sets out a series of suggestions for the hospitality industry to support the Chinese traveller in their understanding of sustainable travel, including recommendations like using technology platforms to make sustainable travel options more visible online, using labelling to ensure travellers are informed on the environmental impact of their actions, providing incentives to encourage sustainable behaviour, and training employees to adopt a sustainability mindset.
The report states lasting sustainability improvements require collective industry-wide effort and concludes as a call to action for the hospitality industry to work together hand-in-hand to achieve sustainable transformation in China.
Sébastien Bazin, chairman & CEO, Accor, said: “When it comes to sustainability there are no individuals, only collectives, and this paper represents a major step forward for this collaborative industry approach.
“Impactful change cannot be made alone; transformation happens together.”
Trip.com Group and Mastercard Asia-Pacific have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance travel experiences and offerings for customers.
The collaboration will see both parties design and launch joint marketing events to offer travellers a comprehensive range of products, services, member privileges and benefits when they book their trips with Trip.com Group and Mastercard payment options.
The collaboration will see both parties offering travellers a range of products, services, privileges and benefits
Examples of travel-related services and premium privileges include access to airport VIP lounges, hotel room upgrades, early check-in, late check-out and priority bookings.
Both parties will also launch joint promotions on Trip.com Group’s Global Shopping Platform, through which Mastercard cardholders from mainland China may enjoy instant discounts and offline spending promotions.
“With the reopening of China’s borders, we have seen a significant increase in outbound travel-related bookings and searches in the past two months,” said Bo Sun, chief marketing officer, Trip.com Group. “We look forward to collaborating with Mastercard to create new opportunities, value-adds and unique experiences for our customers who are ready to rediscover the world.”
Yunsok Chang, executive vice president of market development, Mastercard Asia-Pacific, said: “The pandemic has accelerated not just the pace of digitalisation but also consumers’ expectations for digitalised, trusted, and frictionless experiences. Together with Trip.com Group, we are looking forward to innovating and reimagining the travel landscape enabled by data-driven insights.”
Emirates has plans to boost operations by restarting routes and adding services to established ones.
From March 26, the airline will relaunch its daily direct flight between Singapore and Melbourne; restart daily services to Christchurch, New Zealand from Dubai via Sydney; and add a third daily service to Melbourne via Singapore.
Emirates will ramp up operations with the resumption of routes and adding services to established ones
Emirates will add a daily non-stop flight to Hong Kong from March 29.
For Tokyo (Haneda), daily services will resume from April 2.
From May 1, a third daily non-stop service will be added to Sydney, while an additional daily service to Brisbane will operate from June 1.
A third daily service to Kuala Lumpur will also commence from June 1.
Starting August 1, Bangkok will see a fifth daily service added.
A second daily service to Beijing will be added from September 1.
Westin Hotels & Resorts is encouraging travellers to prioritise having a good night’s rest with the brand’s collection of Sleep Well products and programmes across Asia-Pacific.
The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort offers a seven-day well-being programme which comprises one workout session per day, a sauna and steam room experience, sports activities such as snorkelling, yoga, volleyball, and a wide variety of spa treatments for complete relaxation.
Travellers can pamper themselves with a spa treatment at The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, pictured
Yoga classes led by certified instructors are now offered at The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, and travellers can pamper themselves with a Wish Heavenly Package at the spa.
The Sleep Well Ritual at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali includes a 90-minute massage and a tea ritual.
The Westin Tokyo features a Sleep Well Spa Retreat Stay package that comprises accommodation, a 15-minute head massage therapy, a 60-minute body or facial spa treatment, and complimentary access to Aqua Area for its steam bath facilities.
The Westin Singapore offers a variety of fitness activities like a group exercise classes at the hotel lobby, and a five-km running route through iconic landmarks such as the Merlion statue, Gardens by the Bay, and Marina Bay.
The Westin Nanjing Resort & Spa’s Sleep Well experience package provides amenities like rain showers, extra-large bath sheets and plush bathrobes to help guests feel rejuvenated.
Available at all Westin Hotels and Resorts around the world are the Westin Heavenly Bed, the sleep-enhancing Sleep Well Menu, and refreshing amenities including the Sleep Well Lavender Balm.
Goco Hospitality has named Nicholas Clayton as its president. In this newly created role, Clayton will support and guide the expansion of Goco projects.
He has decades of experience in leadership roles at luxury global hotel groups, and previously managed the operations of multiple hotel properties within the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Ayu in the Wild, Sri Lanka
Founded by avid travellers and husband-and-wife team, Chamintha and Rajindra Jayasinghe, destination curator Ayu in the Wild sets out with a single aim: to showcase the beauty of life in biodiverse Sri Lanka while ensuring that tourism dollars are filtered down to where they matter most – the local people.
“Ayu means life in Sanskrit,” explained co-founder Chamintha Jayasinghe. “There are so many layers to life in Sri Lanka. When a traveller understands what life is really like in a country, he will appreciate it a lot more.”
With Ayu in the Wild carrying its commitment in its name, its travel designers curate trips across the country that deliver authentic experiences led by community-based guides and local topical experts who know the destination like the back of their hand.
“They are village heads, teachers, farmers, housewives, poets, architects and wildlife photographers – everyone we knew through our travels or are our friends for many years. They convey their experience growing up and living in Sri Lanka,” she said.
While travellers benefit from local tales and insights, these experience hosts earn supplementary income without being solely dependent on tourism.
Ayu in the Wild also takes pride in offering naturalists as destination guides. “Because Sri Lanka is a biodiversity hotspot, we found it necessary to also have a naturalist lead our trips. Naturalists have a wider knowledge of culture, heritage, ecology, wildlife and way of life of our people,” remarked Jayasinghe.
From left: Rajindra and Chamintha Jayasinghe, founders of Ayu in the Wild
The company’s focus on introducing the road less travelled to its customers also helps to spread tourism earnings deeper into the country.
Ayu in the Wild crafts local journeys for every client, and is able to deliver on niché requests, such as an architecture tour of Sri Lanka to see Geoffrey Bawa’s legacies, or to learn about Sri Lanka’s archaeology, nature and conservation, or culture and heritage.
To ensure that tourism is truly beneficial to the local people, Ayu in the Wild channels earnings to a number of community projects it founded, such as Classroom in the Wild, which funds English classes for the children in a farming village in a remote part of Sigiriya; a dance therapy initiative for special needs children in Galle and a nearby orphanage; Ayu Blue Carbon Initiative, a seagrass restoration project; and the Ayu Scholarship Fund which finances further studies for needy children. – Karen Yue
Going Places Tours, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur-based Going Places Tours is backed by guiding veterans – Stevie Chan, who is also the managing director, Jane Rai, his business partner, and two tour guides Raja Shaharil and Marie Gerardine Teo. Each of them have 15 years of guiding experience, and are well versed in the art of storytelling.
The four veteran tour guides leading the journeys designed by Free Walk Kuala Lumpur Unscripted
Going Places Tours offers two tip-supported heritage walks every Saturday and Sunday under its Free Walk Kuala Lumpur Unscripted brand.
The East-West Connection walk conveys tales of the early settlements, trade and structural developments that took place close to the confluence of the Klang River and the Gombak River that ran through the city.
The Chinatown Cultural Walk takes participants on a walking tour to the early Chinese settlements in and around Petaling Street.
The four experienced guides handling these tours make their narratives interactive by interjecting it with thought-provoking questions, riddles and clues and humour.
Jane said: “The art of storytelling lies in the delivery. We engage participants through the five senses and we arouse their curiosity by asking some pointed questions and throwing in a little bit of suspense here and there, and we also show them things that they would otherwise, not expect.
“We have also developed personal relations with the traders and they are tourist-friendly. They are more than willing to interact with our guests, often revealing details of their trade and sharing stories of their families, past and present.”
As some of these local traders and artisans are third and fourth generations working in the trade, interactions are especially precious. – S Puvaneswary
Indie Singapore Tours
First established in 2015 to provide free and immersive walking tours around Singapore to backpackers, Indie Singapore Tours was eventually led down the bespoke walking tour route at the insistence of fans.
Numerous positive reviews left on social media sites gave Indie Singapore Tours the opportunity to expand beyond backpackers, the initial target as Thiam Wei Toh, founder and chief storyteller, hoped to encourage these budget-conscious travellers to fall in love with his country.
Thiam Wei Toh, founder and chief storyteller of Indie Singapore Tours
When the pandemic rolled in, Indie Singapore Tours hit a turning point that proved to be a positive milestone. In the absence of foreign visitors, Indie Singapore Tours had to conduct tours differently to reel in the locals. So, it created the Whimsical Walk through the Blair Plain Conservation Area tour, a 2.5-hour exploration of a hidden gem in modern Singapore. It pointed out conserved architecture, old school eats, gorgeous contemporary art, and beautiful hole-in-the-wall cafés.
“There was nothing like that when we started, so the tour gained a lot of attention from both customers and the media,” Toh recalled fondly.
Unusual spins on city tours continue to be a central focus, and Toh told TTG Asia that he often finds his sparks at kopitiams – local coffee houses in the neighbourhoods.
“I’d drink with the old folks and they will share their growing up stories. These tales inspire tour ideas and give us unique content,” he said.
Toh also makes it a habit to visit local businesses and talk to the owners about potential collaboration.
“Tours have to evolve to be more immersive and experiential. Collaboration with varied businesses will help to add depth to the tour experience, and this is something that has become so important during Covid,” he stated.
Conversations with business owners have led to the creation of even more fancy tours. One of them is the Whis-Kueh tour, which takes guests through some of the oldest traditional pastry shops in Chinatown, and concludes with a craft whisky-pairing experience at Furama City Centre hotel. – Karen Yue
Kouprey Adventures, Cambodia
Kouprey Adventures scours all corners of Cambodia to craft innovative itineraries that scratch way beneath the surface. The boutique tour operator does not deliver standard packages. Instead, it personalises each itinerary based on customers’ individual preferences. Managing director Richard Casswell said the company prides itself on being “Cambodia specialists that are guest-centric”.
Kouprey Adventures’ Richard Casswell
In 2022, the product and operations team visited more than 100 destinations in Cambodia, in addition to hotels, activities and experiences. The team has travelled across the entire country using all modes of transport – car, train, motorcycle, bicycle and helicopter.
“For the adventurous, we have first-hand knowledge of emerging destinations where we promote community-based tourism and bring travellers to have authentic experiences,” Casswell said. “From helicopter visits to waterfalls deep in the jungle to champagne breakfasts at remote temples, a private show by Cambodia’s top performance artists and high tea with royalty, we pride ourselves on creating unique thematic experiences.” – Marissa Carruthers
Maika Tours, Vietnam
Maika Tours’ team of Vietnamese tour guides come with heaps of on-the-ground knowledge about the destinations it taps into. Founder and owner Giang Vu believes it is this deep knowledge of the guides that enable the company to deliver immersive tours that steer way off the well-trodden path.
Maika Tours’ Giang Vu
For example, its Ho Chi Minh City walking tour may only take in 2.4 kilometres, but Maika’s guides have scoured the city’s back streets to hand-pick some of the tastiest and most authentic vendors and eateries that would usually remain off tourists’ radar.
In addition, Maika Tours has designed itineraries that are tailored towards the LGBTQ community. It also has tour guides who are trained in sign language and know how to run accessible tours that cater for the needs of people with disabilities. All of its spacious transport vehicles are able to carry electric wheelchairs. – Marissa Carruthers
Rajah Travel Corp, the Philippines
Rajah Travel Corp goes to great lengths in curating 24 itineraries each year “to convey the importance of Philippine culture, not only in history and heritage, but also in the food served and other geographical uniqueness”, said chairman and president Aileen Clemente.
Rajah Travel Corp’s Aileen Clemente
At the 2015 launch of the Liberation of Palawan under its Salute to Valor Programme, for instance, the company coordinated with the Philippine Historical Commission to renovate and put markers on historical sites and formed a government and private sector task force to ensure maintenance. It commissioned an original Filipino music score for the programme and awarded the World War II veterans.
For its mango-themed Kulinarya of Zambales and Guimaras, highlights included in-depth learning of the mango industry from local experts and how this tropical fruit is intertwined in the Filipino culture; learning to pick and cut the right fruit directly from trees; tales of the provinces and legends of this heart-shaped fruit from historians; and a visit to the National Mango Research and Development Center. – Rosa Ocampo
The Hidden Japan
For Derek Yamashita, co-founder of Tohoku-based travel agency The Hidden Japan, tours are about offering travellers deep, culturally immersive Japan experiences alongside local masters with a passion for preserving these traditions.
The Hidden Japan’s Derek Yamashita
One of the company’s experiences involves guests getting special access into the workshops of master blacksmiths to make their own Japanese knives and learn how to sharpen and maintain them. They then use their new knives to fillet fish at culinary workshops, after buying fresh fish in the local market or catching it themselves. Similarly, guests make a sake cup under the guidance of an artisan and then go bar hopping around local inns that will serve them drinks in their new vessels.
“The appeal of this programme is with the people they meet and experiences they have with their own hands,” said Yamashita, adding that this tour is extra special because even after returning home, “every time they pick up the knife or cup they will remember their journey in hidden Japan”. – Kathryn Wortley
Khoo brings with him 20 years of luxury hospitality experience from various international hotel chains across several destinations including China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.
He has decades of experience in leadership roles at luxury global hotel groups, and previously managed the operations of multiple hotel properties within the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
