A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippine island of Luzon today, sending strong tremors through the capital, Manila.
According to news reports, a hospital in Abra province was evacuated after the building partially collapsed following the quake, and houses have been damaged. Strong aftershocks are expected to follow.
Tremors in Manila have halted the city’s metro rail systems.
In response to capacity adjustments at London’s Heathrow Airport, Emirates will increase the frequency of its services to and from London’s Gatwick Airport between July 27 and August 3, with the addition of a third daily flight.
This is expected to help cater to the high demand from customers travelling to and from London this summer.
Emirates’ customers impacted by capacity adjustments at Heathrow Airport will be contacted directly by the airline or their travel agent. Emirates is working closely with its travel partners to re-accommodate any impacted bookings and ensure smooth onward flight connections for customers to reach their planned destination.
Emirates will continue to operate its six daily flights to and from Heathrow Airport during this period, and is set to restart daily services to London’s Stansted Airport on August 1.
Silversea Cruises is inviting guests on its Controtempo World Cruise for 2025, covering 59 destinations in 30 countries across four continents on the Silver Dawn – the first time a Muse-class ship will host a World Cruise.
The 136-day Controtempo World Cruise will depart Tokyo for New York on January 13, 2025, unlocking some of the world’s most iconic and off-the-beaten-path destinations during unconventional seasons, with immersive experiences that introduce local people and the most compelling stories.
The voyage on the 596-guest Silver Dawn starts in Tokyo with an optional pre-cruise overland programme spotlighting some of Japan’s most iconic landmarks, experiences, and traditions – including the famous Japanese snow monkeys of the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, riding Japan’s bullet train in first class, and more.
The entire journey is divided into 10 segments: Tokyo to Hong Kong; then Singapore to Mumbai; from Istanbul to Naples; Lisbon to Southhampton; Stockholm to Reykjavik; finally ending in New York.
The pre-sale for the Controtempo World Cruise 2025 for all Venetian Society members is already open for booking. Public sales will open on August 2, 2022.
For more information, visit Silver Seas Controtempo World Cruise 2025.
Swire Hotels is collaborating with Tokyu Group and L Catterton Real Estate (LCRE) for a new luxury hotel in Shibuya, Tokyo under The House Collective brand. The yet-to-be-named House is set to open in 2027 and will be the first of its brand to open outside of China.
The new House, set on the site of the iconic flagship Tokyu Department Store, will offer travellers a respite from city life. In addition, this project aims to meet the sustainability goals of the Tokyu Group and LCRE through international certifications.
Swire Hotel’s deputy chairman Toby Smith said: “Witnessing the growth of The House Collective is an extremely proud moment for us as we look to expand into new cities throughout the Asia-Pacific region.”
According to newly released Airbnb data, travellers are increasingly looking to Thailand as a travel destination as restrictions continue to ease, and tend to be staying longer to explore the country.
Searches for Airbnb stays in Thailand grew by more than 180 per cent year-over-year from 1Q2021 to 1Q2022 – with long-term stays emerging due to the remote work trend and the rise of the digital nomads.
Travellers from the US, the UK and Germany are leading the searches for travel to Thailand. These travellers are not only visiting popular destinations like Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Samui, but are also exploring lesser-known places such as Ko Lanta, Trat, Pai and Cha-am.
Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s general manager of South-east Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said: “It is heartening to see that Airbnb guests from around the world are looking to revisit Thailand – as well as explore it for the first time – which bodes well for the sector’s ongoing recovery and for our local community of hosts.
“The blurring lines between travel and living has also led to many travellers continuing to embrace their newfound flexibility. They’re jumping at the opportunity to base themselves amid the picturesque destinations in Thailand – both the favourites and some uncharted parts of the country – looking to live and work remotely.”
Bajaj added that Airbnb is currently working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand on a range of initiatives that will showcase Thailand to the world and attract more remote workers, allowing local communities to take advantage of the travel revolution.
Over the past year, Airbnb has unveiled platform upgrades to make it easier for locals across Thailand to become hosts, with search tools like ‘I’m Flexible’ and the new Categories and Split Stays features that encourage guests to explore new destinations.
Mobility fintech firm Moove has partnered with Uber to launch in India as a part of its global expansion, a move that is set to improve ride-hailing options and contribute to job creation in the destination.
Moove will work closely with the Uber India team to roll out 5,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles within the first year, starting in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. This will scale up to 30,000 vehicles in other cities over the next five years.
In addition to creating jobs in India, Moove is also committed to ensuring that 60 per cent of the vehicles it finances globally are hybrid or electric. This is in line with India’s goal to improve renewable energy uptake and reduce harmful emissions by 2030.
According to the press release, there are over 600,000 drivers on Uber in India.
Abhilekh Kumar, director, business development, Uber India South Asia, added: “We are excited to partner with Moove and work together to unlock growth as we witness a resurgent post-pandemic demand in India. The addition of new cars will help provide superior customer experience to riders while creating sustainable earning opportunities for drivers on the Uber platform.”
UK-headquarated hotel group Yotel has unveiled its first property in Japan, Yotel Tokyo, slated to open in 2024.
The 244-key hotel will showcase the brand’s signature robotic concierge YOBOT, motorised SmartBeds, and fully integrated technologies enabling a complete touchless guest experience from reservation up to check-out.
Yotel Tokyo will also feature a 24/7 fitness centre, a Grab-and-Go café where guests can take away locally-sourced food and drink options, a meeting space and an outdoor terrace.
“Japan’s focus on technology and innovation has been an important source of inspiration for Yotel ever since our inception. We are immensely proud and excited to announce our first hotel in Tokyo. A flagship for our group, Yotel Tokyo will also be a stepping stone to roll out our brand across Japan, a market of strategic importance for Yotel,” said Hubert Viriot, CEO of Yotel.
Yotel Tokyo will stand in Ginza, the city’s most popular dining and shopping destination. The hotel is also only a fifteen-minute walk from Tokyo station, providing access to most parts of Japan, including the Narita Express that connects to Narita International Airport.
Yotel Tokyo is part of the group’s wider expansion strategy to expand across key cities in Japan including Sapporo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, as well as to launch YOTELAir – the group’s transit hotel concept – at key gateway airports and train stations.
To help individuals unwind and slow down from the stresses of everyday life, Virgin Active and Sofitel Singapore City Centre have collaborated on a three-day, two-night BreakAway wellness retreat from October 14 to 16, 2022.
Guests can look forward to a refreshing and rejuvenating getaway over the weekend while immersed in Virgin Active’s selection of wellness activities, such as a Dynamic Flow Yoga class, Bootcamp Circuit, Sound Bath Therapy, and Sleep Meditation sessions.
All meals are also taken care of by the hotel with curated meals throughout the stay – from dinner at 1864, breakfast at French restaurant Racine, and all other meals at the Chinese restaurant.
The package is priced at S$800 (US$577) for two adults, and includes 48-hour accommodation, access to BreakAway activities, all meals, L’Occitane Verbena Body Salt Scrub, plus a complimentary three-day pass to Virgin Active to experience its studio workouts and facilities.
For more information, visit Sofitel Singapore City Centre.
The New South Wales (NSW) government and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to rebuild visitation to Sydney and NSW.
The new agreement, which was sealed through the NSW government’s A$60 million (US$41.8 million) Aviation Attraction Fund, will facilitate marketing activities across Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, UK, Germany and France to stimulate demand and drive visitation to NSW.
The NSW government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, will collaborate with SIA on initiatives including advertising, marketing campaigns and fam programmes.
Minister for enterprise, investment and trade, minister for tourism and sport and minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the agreement with Singapore Airlines was critical to reigniting the NSW visitor economy and helping to restore visitation to pre-pandemic levels.
SIA currently operates four daily flights to Sydney, and this MoU is estimated to deliver over A$231 in visitor expenditure to NSW until July 2023 and support some 1,200 jobs.
“In 2019, NSW welcomed more than 126,000 Singaporean visitors, who stayed more than one million nights and added A$232 million to the NSW visitor economy. Singapore is also a high-traffic hub for passengers from around the globe travelling to NSW,” added Ayres.
The Aviation Attraction Fund forms part of the NSW government’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan. It aims to build aviation capacity across NSW by supporting airlines to return to the state’s airports.
Applications for the Aviation Attraction Fund are open until June 30, 2023, and are being managed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW government.
Dorsett Hospitality International is focusing on local communities, economies, the environment, and travellers’ well-being in its sustainability strategy and efforts to deliver even more positive experiences post-lockdown to guests by understanding them better.
Natalie Ip, head of sustainability, told TTG Asia that green practices can be a boon to the bottomline and even speed up tourism recovery.
Ip said the pandemic has presented many learning opportunities towards sustainable operations. For example, when hotel guests under quarantine in Hong Kong raised concerns over the use of plastic utensils, Dorsett Hospitality International promptly replaced those items with reusable options provided at check-in.
The small change allowed the group to divert 63 sets of utensils from the landfill for every guest on a 21-day quarantine.
Observing how the quarantine period took a toll on the mental health of guests, Dorsett Hospitality International partnered with Artificial Intelligence-powered mental health app, Clara, as well as organised wine tasting and fitness classes via zoom to lift the spirits of guests in isolation.
Dorsett Hospitality International’s closeness to local markets has resulted in meaningful partnerships that are helpful for the local economy and community, and for the creation of unique local experiences for guests.
For Earth Day last year, the group partnered with Green Monday to offer vegetarian meals to champion low carbon footprint diets among guests. The non-profit organisation promotes a healthier diet and a reduced carbon footprint by advocating for meatless Mondays.
Meanwhile, in a move to support local businesses, hotel guests were served Hong Kong egg tarts – a well-loved local nibble – for their afternoon tea snacks.
Ip, who will be speaking on sustainable tourism at the upcoming Digital Travel APAC 2022 from August 23 to 25, 2022, added: “By making sustainability a mission for your business, it helps drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the community, thereby creating more investment and job opportunities for your region.”
To this end, the group utilises its hotels as a platform to showcase local talents by sponsoring student talent innovation projects.
Ip believes that tourism businesses with a long-term sustainability plan will be rewarded with lower costs in the long run. Small actions can set off a chain reaction – switching out plastic water bottles and incorporating water filtration systems will not only cut costs but will also reduce the size of housekeeping carts, manpower for delivering water bottles, as well as waste generation.
She added: “Being part of the tourism industry, we believe in creating positive impacts within our local communities and advocate for travel experiences with fair labour practices and invest in the preservation of the local biodiversity.”
