Sydney is set to welcome its biggest-ever calendar of music, art, culture and sporting events this spring and summer through to 2023, as it aims to reinforce its status as the number one events destination in the Asia-Pacific.
Attracting visitors from all over the world with a never-before-seen line-up of global events, Sydney will kick off the season with landmark sporting matches such as National Rugby League Grand Final, FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, Sydney Super Cup, UCI Road World Championships, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and Spring Racing Carnival.
In October, international music celebrity Bruno Mars will perform two exclusive Sydney-only concerts at the recently opened Allianz Stadium, while in November, Sydney’s arts and culture will be front and centre with the Opera on Cockatoo Island and the opening of the Art Gallery of NSW’s Sydney Modern.
Sydney will then welcome visitors from across the world for Sydney WorldPride, Vivid Sydney and SXSW Sydney in 2023.
Minister for tourism Ben Franklin said: “Sydney’s summer of major events will bring millions of visitors into our state and deliver over A$500 million (US$333.76 million) of visitor expenditure to the NSW economy.
“Our summer of major events will grow the NSW visitor economy, create jobs and secure a brighter future for our state.”
Sydney’s 2022-2023 event calendar currently includes 84 major events.
As part of the SingapoReimagine campaign, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with Warner Music Singapore and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer Charlie Puth in a creative collaboration to provide a fresh lens on Singapore’s multitude of offerings.
In his first-ever collaboration with a destination, Puth will reimagine Singapore up-close and personal through his musical lens as he converses and shares his experiences, while exploring the different sights and sounds, from iconic spots to hidden gems.
Charlie Puth reimagines the sights and sounds of Singapore in a video that features spots such as the Marina Bay
A video highlighting Puth’s travels around the city in a bid to invite travellers to realise their passion for travel through fresh and innovative experiences in Singapore, will be released in October across STB and Puth’s social media platforms.
Back in Singapore after four years to promote his latest album, CHARLIE, Puth shared: “This is my third time in Singapore, and each time there’s something new to learn and discover. But this visit is extra special, because I’m using the details of everyday life in this city to tell a story through music.
“Singapore is full of colours and unique sounds at every turn. That’s what makes it so fascinating, and that’s what inspires me when I make music.”
His one-week trip included Here Is SG, the latest photo-worthy spot and interactive space at Marina Bay waterfront promenade, and lesser-known locations such as The Projector, a historic movie theatre turned independent creative platform; and more. Puth taps on his musicality to interact with the symphony of sounds unique to each location, as he shares his personal journeys and thoughts on these experiences.
Choo Huei Miin, director, brand, STB, said: “The sights and sounds of our city is a great match with Charlie’s passion and creativity. We were thrilled that Charlie chose Singapore as the only destination in Asia for his album promo, giving us the opportunity to work with Warner Music to showcase our diverse offerings through his talent.
“As international travel recovers, such creative collaborations help us reach a global audience and position Singapore as a must-visit destination that offers unlimited possibilities.”
IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced its Holiday Inn brand’s first urban beachfront resort in Indonesia, Holiday Inn Resort PIK2 White Sand Beach, slated to open in 2024.
The new property is a collaboration with the holding entity Agung Sedayu Group, one of Indonesia’s largest real estate developers, and expands IHG’s brand portfolio to 36 opened and pipeline hotels in Indonesia.
Holiday Inn Resort PIK2 White Sand Beach is the brand’s first urban beachfront resort in Indonesia
A seven-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the 180-key resort will be the anchor hotel at PIK2 North Jakarta, a 2,350-hectare world-class waterfront satellite city in Tangerang district. Billed as the “New Jakarta City”, this smart city will comprise the largest mall in Indonesia, F&B establishments, sports centre and an Islamic financial district.
Holiday Inn Resort PIK2 White Sand Beach will showcase Holiday Inn’s new generation of flexible spaces as well as signature features like KidSuites and Kids Stay & Eat Free programme. Facilities include restaurants, bars, 2,600m² of meeting spaces, gym and pool.
Rajit Sukumaran, managing director, South East Asia and Korea, IHG said: “(The resort) will be a fantastic anchor hotel for the highly anticipated PIK2 development, located perfectly for families living in, and business travellers visiting, this world-class waterfront city.”
Natalia Kusumo, CEO of commercial and hotels division 2, Agung Sedayu Group (Amantara) said: “Our overall design is for PIK2 to be the new travel destination within the Greater Jakarta area and the best place to work, live and play.”
A 1,000-hectare sustainably-led development featuring commercial, residential and lifestyle concepts, PIK2 will offer world-class facilities and destinations on the four-kilometre beach, including a 60-hectare greenbelt and a mangrove conservatory. The PIK2 Interchange Toll has also been set to open in 4Q2023.
IHG continues to expand in Indonesia with 25 opened hotels across its Six Senses, InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands and has 11 properties in the pipeline, including the brand debut of Kimpton and Regent, both in Bali, and Hotel Indigo in Bintan.
Princess Cruises has unveiled its latest bespoke ship platform, Sun Princess. Set to accommodate over 4,000 guests, the ship is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard and scheduled to debut in early 2024.
The 175,500-ton vessel is the largest Princess ship ever constructed and is one of 11 new ships in the corporate fleet powered by LNG fuel technology.
Sun Princess’ The Dome is a multi-level covered deck inspired by the terraces of Santorini
The inaugural season for Sun Princess will begin in early 2024 with Mediterranean itineraries, followed by Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages out of Port Everglades, Florida in the fall. The ship’s first three voyages are already on sale.
The iconic Piazza spans three stories, forming an architectural feature offering guests a panoramic view of the ocean in every direction. Adjacent to the Piazza Atrium will be a new coffee shop, Coffee Currents, Bellini’s Cocktail Bar, along with Princess favourites like Crooners Bar and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.
Inspired by the terraces of Santorini, The Dome is a multi-level covered deck and first-of-its-kind true glass-enclosed dome ever constructed on a cruise ship. Featuring an indoor/outdoor pool and unique water feature in the day, The Dome transforms into an entertainment venue with a South Beach vibe at night, allowing aerial performances with state-of-the-art lighting effects.
The 21-deck Sun Princess boasts 2,157 staterooms, comprising 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms., and the exclusive Signature Collection of suites. The latter includes access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge, and Signature Sun Deck.
Club Class accommodations onboard Sun Princess, and all Princess ships, will now be called Reserve Collection. Within the Reserve Collection will be Reserve Collection Cabana rooms, resort-style staterooms that include access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant.
In addition, Princess Cruises has announced a second, next-generation Sphere class ship is also on order, slated to be delivered by Fincantieri in spring 2025.
Anantara Layan Phuket Resort launches wellness and fitness retreats specially created for couples, individual travellers and friends. All retreats include accommodation in the Deluxe Layan Suite.
The Wellness Retreat for women aged between 35 and 50 is led by naturopathic physician and homeopath, Benita Perch and yogi, sound healer and art therapist Renata Citrons.
Anantara Layan Phuket Resort’s selection of wellness and fitness retreats cater to couples, individuals and groups
From October 13-16, women will learn how the female cycle and fertility is affected by nutrition and hormonal imbalances, and join in guided sound healing classes, yin and hatha yoga sessions, spine therapy and mandala art therapy to release mental tension.
Guests will receive a complimentary wellness massage treatment at Anantara Spa to enjoy before, after or during the retreat.
The three-day Running Retreat hosted by Erik Bohm from November 25-28 will help runners who are eager to unlearn bad habits and enjoy running socially with others.
Spiritual wellness and well-being consultants Lucia Giovannini and Nicola Riva will bring in the new year with the two-day New Year, New Me Retreat from January 13-15. It will feature an intention-setting Sankalpa ceremony to open the path to transformation, breath work, energy clearings, meditations and a fire ritual to help participants let go and create a whole new life.
Travellers with mobility impairment will now discover greater ease in planning their trip to Tropical North Queensland, now that an Accessibility Hub has been added to the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef destination website.
The Accessibility Hub lists experiences and accommodation that are accessible to all travellers.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is an accessible tourism experience (photo by Dane Cross, Spinal Life Australia)
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said the team had worked closely with Spinal Life Australia and Out There Travel Care to put together content showcasing accessible products, such as wheelchair-friendly beaches and rainforest boardwalks that are wheelchair-friendly.
“People needing to consider accessibility can now easily find accommodation options from specialised providers like Spinal Life’s Healthy Living Centre which has personal support workers, to traditional hotels with accessible rooms such as the Cairns Novotel Oasis Resort,” Olsen added.
Disabled Mission Beach journalist Imogen Kars has trialled a selection of accessible accommodation and tours, and has produced a series of blogs on travel options in Cairns, Palm Cove, the Cassowary Coast, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands.
The launch of the Accessibility Hub coincided with a Making Tourism More Accessible Workshop at the Spinal Life Healthy Living Centre. The event was attended by operators keen on learning about opportunities in the accessible tourism market, accessing business case studies, and hearing from people with physical disabilities about what they are looking for in a destination
Senior advisor access and advocacy for Spinal Life Australia, Dane Cross, said the accessible tourism market represented a largely untapped opportunity for tourism operators.
‘It’s been great to work with Tourism Tropical North Queensland on this project – and in our view, this is the best accessibility information available for any region in Australia,” said Cross.
‘Often, tourism operators don’t know where to begin on their journey towards better accessibility – this workshop enables people to ask simple questions and find out more about where to begin. We’d love to help tourism operators understand how to be more accessible and to secure a larger part of this market.”
Olsen said accessible tourism had enormous potential and could be woven into many existing tourism offerings.
“Research by Tourism Australia has shown that accessible tourism can be a game changer for destinations that will assist with post-pandemic recovery by building industry resilience,” Olsen stated.
“Treating accessibility as a competitive advantage that improves customer service and enhances quality of life for all is the key to tapping into the ageing, but still adventurous, Baby Boomers who have the time and resources to travel.”
Banyan Tree Group kicks off this year’s anniversary celebrations with its inaugural Live Well, Travel Well campaign, offering guests 33 per cent savings on stays and spa journeys, and exclusive deals across its portfolio of hotels, resorts, spas, and gallery outlets in 23 countries.
Guests can enjoy longer stays with 33 per cent off the best available rate at Banyan Tree, Angsana, Cassia, Dhawa, Escape, Garrya, Homm and Veya properties – the same discount applies for a la carte body treatments at spas.
Cassia Bintan
They can also support artisan communities with purchase of indigenous crafts and decor pieces from the Gallery available at Banyan Tree and Angsana properties.
In addition, receive a complimentary Thai Chamanard gift set worth US$59 with a minimum spend of US$150, and double points for every US$1 spent on Essentials purchases.
The Live Well, Travel Well campaign runs from now to October 4, 2022 for stays up to September 30, 2023.
Central Beach Bazaar has officially launched on September 15, featuring a day-to-night carnival beach experience of immersive new sights, scents and sounds at the heart of Sentosa’s beaches.
F&B vouchers are available for purchase via Mount Faber Leisure Group’s website, and can be redeemed across the kiosks at the International Food Street. Each S$5 (US$3.55) voucher comes with a complimentary entry to the Sentosa Musical Fountain & Sentosa SkyJet main viewing gallery.
Emirates and United have signed an agreement that will enhance each airline’s network and give customers easier access to new destinations within the US and around the world.
From November, Emirates customers flying into Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston will be able to easily connect onto United flights to and from nearly 200 cities across the Americas. Customers of both airlines will be able to book these connecting flights on a single ticket – making check-in and luggage transfer faster and easier.
A new agreement between Emirates and United will benefit travellers and loyalty programme members
Both airlines will have an interline arrangement in place at the other eight US airports served by Emirates – Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC.
United will launch a new direct flight between Newark and Dubai starting in March 2023 where customers will be able to travel on Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 cities.
Emirates Skywards members can soon earn miles when travelling on United-operated flights, while United Mileage Plus members flying on United’s New York/Newark to Dubai flight will be able to earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond on Emirates and flydubai.
Eligible customers travelling on codeshare flights will also soon enjoy access to Emirates and United lounges.
More details on frequent flyer awards and lounge sharing benefits will be released at a later date.
The Food School Bangkok, created by ALMA Culinary Institute, TSUJI Culinary Institute, and Dusit Thani College alongside food business incubation facilities and services, will begin offering specialised short courses and master classes in October 2022, with full professional certificate courses following in January 2023.
Master Classes, taught by celebrated chefs or food industry masters, provide intensive specialised training over two days, making them ideal for experienced learners seeking to further their studies in a particular area. One-day Short Courses taught by the partner institutes are also available, with options for all skill levels.
The Food School Bangkok will start offering its specialised short courses and master classes in October
Three levels of certificate courses – Essential, Intermediate, and Advanced will be available when they launch next year.
The Food School Bangkok’s partners are renowned in their respective fields. ALMA, one of the world’s leading international educational and training centres for Italian cuisine, is stepping out of Europe to South-east Asia for the first time as part of the project.
TSUJI, one of the most prominent culinary schools in Asia, will channel more than 60 years of experience developing epicurean talent at its Osaka, Tokyo, and Lyon campuses to deliver expert tuition in Japanese cuisine.
Dusit Thani College, a leading provider of hospitality education since 1993, will offer specialised Thai cuisine training – including special courses tailored specifically for those who would like to gain compact and in-depth knowledge about Thai food heritage in less than a year.
The Food School Bangkok will also integrate sustainability concepts into its programme, such as zero-waste cooking practices and farm-to-table partnerships and operations.
Siradej Donavanik, vice president – development global, Dusit Thani Public Company, said: “The global hospitality industry creates tonnes of food waste daily, which is a major contributor to climate change through the greenhouse gases it produces, so it’s important that we actively address this at The Food School Bangkok.
“The most straightforward sustainability approach for businesses is simply reducing energy consumption. However, The Food School Bangkok goes beyond business as usual. I am very proud to say that every aspect is embedded with sustainability practices, including construction materials used, waste management practices followed, and curriculums offered.”
Laurent Casteret leads as school director at The Food School Bangkok.
The Food School Bangkok has a vision to create a community of food enthusiasts, and its facilities have been designed to accomplish this. The
the ground floor serves as a commercial space for culinary experimentation and enjoyment, with a coffee shop serving fresh pastries and specialty roasts. Here, pop-up kitchens from local partner restaurants offer a wide range of dishes to eat on site or take away.
The Test Kitchen, positioned as a unique business incubator space, offers fully equipped kitchens that entrepreneurs and The Food School Bangkok’s graduates can rent to trial, develop, and hone their own unique food concepts.
Banyan Tree Group kicks off this year’s anniversary celebrations with its inaugural Live Well, Travel Well campaign, offering guests 33 per cent savings on stays and spa journeys, and exclusive deals across its portfolio of hotels, resorts, spas, and gallery outlets in 23 countries.
Guests can enjoy longer stays with 33 per cent off the best available rate at Banyan Tree, Angsana, Cassia, Dhawa, Escape, Garrya, Homm and Veya properties – the same discount applies for a la carte body treatments at spas.
They can also support artisan communities with purchase of indigenous crafts and decor pieces from the Gallery available at Banyan Tree and Angsana properties.
In addition, receive a complimentary Thai Chamanard gift set worth US$59 with a minimum spend of US$150, and double points for every US$1 spent on Essentials purchases.
The Live Well, Travel Well campaign runs from now to October 4, 2022 for stays up to September 30, 2023.
For more information, visit Banyan Tree.