Club Travel partners Agoda to upgrade platform

February 17, 2023

Club Travel has teamed up with Agoda to upgrade its existing online travel platform and enrich its travel product options.

The new Club Travel Flight and Accommodation Booking Platform (Club Travel Booking Platform) will offer more than two million accommodation options at over a thousand popular destinations worldwide, as well as bookings for more than 200 full-service and low-cost carriers.

(From left) HKT Digital Ventures’ Monita Leung, Agoda’s Jess Ho and HKT Digital Ventures’ Terri Yang

Through this partnership, Club Travel customers will be able to easily search and book great value deals via the platform, and enjoy offers and discounts through Club Travel’s designated business partners for all-round travel essentials, including travel insurance and data roaming services.

In addition, The Club members will be able to earn Clubpoints on the new platform once their booking is confirmed – they can then use these Clubpoints to redeem flights and accommodations.

“We will continue to explore partnerships with various industries to further enhance our e-commerce ecosystem and offer an extraordinary and personalised experience to our Club members,” said Monita Leung, CEO of HKT Digital Ventures.

Agoda’s chief commercial officer Damien Pfirsch added: “As travel returns, we are excited to use our technology know-how and extensive accommodation partner network to create solutions and collaborate with Club Travel to accelerate their own loyalty and growth goals.”

Malaysia’s Langkawi to host Routes Asia 2024

By TTG Asia

February 17, 2023

0

Malaysia Airports Holdings will unite with Tourism Malaysia to host the 20th Routes Asia in Langkawi next year.

The event is held in a different location each year, and brings together airlines, airports and tourism authorities to drive Asia-Pacific’s air service development and continue to fuel the region’s aviation recovery.

Langkawi will be the host destination for Routes Asia 2024

Malaysia had previously hosted the event in 2014.

For the 2024 edition, over 3,000 meetings are expected to take place.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Sallauddin Mat Sah, general manager: aviation marketing & development, Malaysia Airports, said: “Routes Asia 2023 has been a huge success with very strong attendance from both airlines and airports.

“Routes events are incredibly important, as they allow our organisation to meet the decision makers from airlines in the region. Hosting Routes Asia will allow us to showcase not only Langkawi but also the country of Malaysia to carriers from across the region.”

Steven Small, director of Routes, said: “This year’s event brought together over 1,000 decision makers from the route development community. The recovery for this region has really gathered paced in the last year and we are confident that we will see this continue in Langkawi.”

Jason Worth helms as Oceania Cruises’ Asia-Pacific VP sales & GM

By TTG Asia

February 17, 2023

0

Jason Worth has been appointed vice president sales & general manager Asia Pacific of Oceania Cruises.

He will be responsible for the strategic expansion, vision and continued growth of the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific market.

Worth joined Oceania Cruises in 2011 and was most recently vice president sales Australia & New Zealand. Prior to that, he was vice president finance & accounting Asia Pacific at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises names Lisa Pile as VP sales & GM Asia Pacific

By TTG Asia

February 17, 2023

0

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has appointed Lisa Pile as vice president sales & general manager Asia Pacific.

In her new post, she will be responsible for the strategic expansion, vision and continued growth of the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific market, and will lead the local sales team and outbound department across the region.

Pile was previously Regent’s vice president sales for Australia and New Zealand operations and has more than 25 years of senior leadership experience leading and managing both commercial and marketing teams for global luxury hospitality brands across the Asia-Pacific, Africa, China, Europe and the UK.

Thai cabinet approves visitor entry fee

By TTG Asia

February 17, 2023

0

The Thai cabinet on Tuesday approved an entry fee on foreign visitors, with collection to begin this June.

Travellers entering Thailand from June 2023 will have to pay an entry fee

Part of the long-delayed levy will be used to provide health and accidental insurance cover for tourists during their stay in the country, informed tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

Travellers arriving at airports will have to pay 300 baht (S$12) for each trip, while those entering via land borders and seaports will be levied 150 baht each.

The Thai government expects to collect about 3.9 billion baht from the entry fee this year.

Tourism Malaysia promotes its sustainability offers at BIT 2023

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2023

0

Tourism Malaysia participated at the Borsa Internazionale del Turismo (BIT) from February 12-14 in Milan this year, presenting Malaysia’s strong identity as a sustainable destination.

The delegation was led by Mohamad Libra Lee Haniff, director of Tourism Malaysia Paris Office and for the markets of Italy, Spain and Portugal, who also hosted Malaysia Airlines, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, The Taaras Redang, and Lotus Asia Tours as co-exhibitors.

Tourism Malaysia shared at BIT 2023 the new experiences and products that the country has to offer

Participating in BIT 2023 enabled Tourism Malaysia to network with operators and others in the industry to share new experiences and products that the country has to offer in this new era of tourism after the pandemic.

With a well-defined post-Covid strategy focused on nature tourism, sustainable tourism and slow travel for travellers interested to discover this South-east Asian country, Malaysia will showcase highlights to encourage Italian tourists to travel to the destination.

“Malaysia (is) a perfect country for sustainable tourism development. Many regions in the country offer an authentic ecotourism experience, such as the state of Sabah, with the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, Sarawak and Mulu National Park,” said Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, director general of Tourism Malaysia.

He added: “Malaysia is also a country full of culture, where living the community experience with their locals is possible in some areas, thanks to the Malaysia Homestay Programme to support local communities.”

Tourism Malaysia’s promotion campaign will continue to boost inbound tourism and aims to achieve 15.6 million international tourist arrivals with 47.6 billion ringgit (US$10.8 billion) in tourism receipts for 2023.

As of October 2022, Malaysia has received 14,998 visitors from Italy.

Routes Asia Awards 2023 dishes out accolades

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2023

0

Celebrating the outstanding achievements of the Asia community in restoring global air connectivity, Routes Asia Awards has announced this year’s winners at its Routes Asia Networking Evening held on February 15 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The awards recognise marketing services in the aviation industry that support new and existing air services, as well as excellence and innovation in the route development community.

Singapore Changi Airport was named the Overall Winner of this year’s Routes Asia Awards. The air hub increased its traffic to 32.2 million passenger movements, from just 3.1 million passenger movements in 2021; it also recovered 47 per cent of its passenger traffic compared with 2019 and is currently ranked the seventh busiest international airport in the world.

In addition, Singapore Changi Airport welcomed 11 new passenger airlines in the last two years: Aircalin, Air Premia, Bamboo Airways, Cambodia Airways, Citilink, Gulf Air, Hong Kong Express, Starlux Airlines, Thai VietJet, T’Way Air, and ZIPAIR.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport won the Under 5 Million Passenger Category for its two-pronged approach to route development – creating supply and destination marketing to ensure the sustainability of its airline partners and addressing the demand for air services.

Perth Airport was declared the winner for the 5-10 Million Passenger Category, where VFR and leisure markets have rebounded strongly for the airport and produced impressive recovery results.

The Philippine Department of Tourism was named the winner in the Destination category for its persistent efforts in partnering with airports and airlines to reinstate discontinued routes and secure new air services.

AirAsia Group secured the Airline Award as the largest low-cost carrier in Asia providing extensive connectivity throughout the region.

Vietjet to launch direct flights to Australia

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2023

0

Vietjet will be starting two new direct routes in April, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne and Sydney.

From April 8, the Ho Chi Minh City-Melbourne (Tullamarine Airport) service will operate six times per week, departing Ho Chi Minh City every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and from Melbourne every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Vietjet will fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney from April 12; Sydney Opera House pictured

The Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney service will also operate six flights per week from April 12. Flights will depart from Ho Chi Minh City every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while flights from Sydney will take off every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Air Astana resumes flights to Beijing

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2023

0

Air Astana will resume flights from Astana to Beijing from March 18.

The twice-weekly service will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with plans to add more flights for the summer season.

Air Astana will operate twice weekly flights from Astana to Beijing

The airline will also increase the frequency of flights from Almaty to Beijing to four times a week, with plans to increase this to daily flights during the summer season.

New hotels: Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui, The Peninsula Istanbul and more

By TTG Asia

February 16, 2023

0

Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui, Thailand
Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui offers 82 suites and villas set within gardens on a hillside, and 74 suites and villas with an outdoor bath, and in a range of family-friendly configurations.

Facilities include a kids’ club, F&B options, spa, exercise room, two swimming pools, and a 24-hour co-working space.

The property is located 15 minutes by car from Samui International Airport, and is nearby dining venues and scenic sites, such as Fisherman’s Village and the nearby Chaweng Beach.

The Peninsula Istanbul, Turkey
The Peninsula Istanbul, Turkey is a waterfront property with three of its four buildings being protected historical landmarks dating to the early 1900s.

The property offers 177 rooms, including The Peninsula Suite which comes with its own hammam (Turkish bath), gym, and rooftop swimming pool. Available on-site are a rooftop restaurant and bar, lobby restaurant, wellness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, Turkish steam rooms, and event venues.

Located within Galataport, a new waterfront revitalisation project featuring museums, restaurants, and boutiques in the harbour district of Karaköy, the hotel is within walking distance to Galata Tower, Galata Bridge, The Hagia Sophia Mosque, The Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace.

Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach, Thailand
The 204-key Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach is an oceanfront sanctuary on Tawanron Beach, located nearby the fishing village of Bang Saray.

The resort boasts six restaurants and bars, three outdoor swimming pools, kids’ club, spa, fitness centre, yoga room, and event spaces.

Just a 10-minute drive to most of Pattaya’s hotspots, the resort is less than two hours by car from Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The Anam Mui Ne, Vietnam
The Anam Mui Ne is situated in southern Vietnam’s popular beach town Mui Ne, just a 2.5-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City via the new expressway.

Overlooking Mui Ne’s white sand beach, the resort offers 127 rooms and suites, as well as an all-day dining restaurant and grill, beachside restaurant and bar, spa, two swimming pools, water sports centre, fitness centre, yoga room, kid’s club and event venues.

The resort has also implemented an array of measures to reduce its carbon footprint with solar power and locally-sourced ingredients, and features its own water filtration plant which supplies drinking water in recycled glass bottles.

Club Travel partners Agoda to upgrade platform

Malaysia’s Langkawi to host Routes Asia 2024

Jason Worth helms as Oceania Cruises’ Asia-Pacific VP sales & GM

Regent Seven Seas Cruises names Lisa Pile as VP sales & GM Asia Pacific

Thai cabinet approves visitor entry fee

Tourism Malaysia promotes its sustainability offers at BIT 2023

Routes Asia Awards 2023 dishes out accolades

Vietjet to launch direct flights to Australia

Air Astana resumes flights to Beijing

New hotels: Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui, The Peninsula Istanbul and more

Tried and Tested

Disney Adventure

What to Buy Now

New hotels: voco Scenia Bay Nha Trang by IHG, Varel Singapore...