Tourism Malaysia steps up trade initiatives in India

April 25, 2022

Tourism Malaysia is intensifying destination promotions in India, starting with a series of roadshows across the country this month.

The series kicked off in New Delhi on April 18, and followed through at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

Periasamy: Malaysia is shortlisting Indian travel agents to undergo joint promotions

Apart from senior officials of Tourism Malaysia, the roadshows also featured three Malaysia-based airlines, 22 travel agents, four hoteliers, and four product owners.

Manoharan Periasamy, senior director of the international promotion division, Asia/Africa, said Tourism Malaysia is eager to let Indian trade partners know that Malaysia is ready to welcome back tourists.

“We are already seeing strong demand from the Indian market, with a 500 pax wedding group showing interest in travelling to Malaysia and a 150 pax incentive group considering Malaysia for their trip,” shared Periasamy.

The NTO is now shortlisting Indian travel agents to undergo joint promotions, and is planning a number of fam trips for travel agents, media, and corporate buyers between June and August.

“Apart from already popular destinations like Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands, we are looking to promote other destinations like Sabah and Desaru in India. We expect demand to be on track beginning May to June when a number of airlines will increase flight frequencies between the two countries,” said Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, senior deputy director, international promotion division, Asia/Africa.

Periasamy added that Malaysia is also keen on promoting eco-tourism and wellness travel to Indian travellers.

Malaysia has recorded more than 2,700 Indian tourists since reopening her borders on April 1. India is among Malaysia’s top four international source markets.

UNWTO kicks off second Awake Tourism Challenge

By TTG Asia

April 25, 2022

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UNWTO has flagged off the second edition of its Awake Tourism Challenge, calling on innovators who can help with tourism recovery and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 2022 challenge will focus on six areas: community involvement, green and blue economies, ecological and sustainable capital creation, tourism technology, tourism education, and women empowerment.

UNWTO kicks off second Awake Tourism Challenge

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashviki said: “UNWTO is calling on start-ups everywhere to put forward their ideas for meeting the biggest challenges our sector is facing and for making tourism a champion of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

From now till June 31, 2022, start-ups are encouraged to apply to one of six challenges and showcase their SDGs – the criteria includes scalability, being sustainability-driven, innovative and provide value-added solutions, among other considerations.

The 12 most disruptive start-ups (two for each of the challenges) will be given support to scale-up. UNWTO will present the best ideas to its Member States, Affiliate Members and investors, providing them with a unique networking opportunity.

Participants will also have the opportunity to pitch at a special UNWTO Demo Day and access technological support and the UNWTO Innovation network, as well as a curated mentorship programme.

Accor takes Mercure to Takayama, Japan

By TTG Asia

April 25, 2022

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Accor has signed on the management of Mercure Hida Takayama – the brand’s entry into the scenic Japanese region.

The hotel, slated to open in November 2022, is located a four-minute walk from Takayama JR Station. It will take in 161 rooms, two dining concepts, as well as indoor and outdoor onsens on the top floor.

Mercure Hida Takayama is the first of its brand in the scenic region

“Accor remains positive in Japan’s strong tourism potential and we are delighted to expand our network in the country to offer unique and authentic hotel experiences for local and international travellers,” said Garth Simmons, chief executive officer, Accor South-east Asia, Japan and South Korea.

“Mercure Hida Takayama will be a great showcase for a locally-inspired hotel, where the decorative design is rooted in authentic values… (and) will offer travellers yet another breath-taking base to explore the beautiful experiences the city has to offer.”

A city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture, Takayama is home to the Sanmachi Historic District which will transport travellers back to the Edo Period with its preserved wooden merchant houses and small museums. The famous Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are within convenient access by bus.

Avani+ Khao Lak Resort beckons cyclists with L’Étape Thailand deals

By TTG Asia

April 25, 2022

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As the official hotel partner for the third L’Étape Thailand by Tour de France Phang Nga this May 2022, Avani+ Khao Lak Resort is welcoming guests with the L’Étape Thailand 2022 VIP Edition package, which features everything from kit delivery, start line transfers, and nutritious breakfast boxes.

The package comes with accommodation and daily breakfast for two, airport transfer, early check-in and late checkout, and hotel discounts.

Avani+ Khao Lak Resort is offering L’Étape Thailand deals to cyclists

For race participants, the hotel will provide a VIP ticket with race kit and jersey, a special breakfast box on race day, and transport to the event venue.

Package prices start from 9,800 baht (US$296) per room and is available for reservation until May 15 for all stays from May 11 to 16, 2022. Fans and supporters can also benefit from an exclusive rate of 3,000 baht per room per night if they book by April 30, 2022.

Contact avaniplus.khaolak@avanihotels.com for more information.

Hong Kong eases barriers to non-residents

By TTG Asia

April 25, 2022

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Foreigners who are non-residents of Hong Kong will finally be allowed to enter the special administrative region of China from next month.

They will be subject to the same arrival procedure as residents, which calls for a quarantine of seven days.

Hong Kong will allow non-residents in, but with a seven-day quarantine condition attached

The government also said in a statement on April 22 that airlines carrying infected Covid-19 patients will face a shorter suspension of five days, down from the current seven.

Hong Kong’s borders have been tightly shut since the pandemic hit in 2020, and her reopening stance has remained cautious even as the rest of Asia moved to resume international travel.

The latest revisions are part of Hong Kong’s progressive reopening which started on April 1, 2022.

Thailand scraps on-arrival PCR tests, lowers Covid insurance coverage

By TTG Asia

April 23, 2022

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Thailand is further lowering entry barriers for international travellers, with on-arrival PCR tests being scrapped and minimum Covid insurance coverage being cut from US$20,000 to US$10,000.

The latest round of changes will come into effect on May 1.

Thailand to remove on-arrival PCR test and proof of negative pre-arrival PCR test for vaccinated travellers from May 1

However, international travellers will still be required to register for a Thailand Pass with a Certificate of Covid-19 Vaccination and proof of insurance coverage. With this, they will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the Kingdom.

International travellers who are unvaccinated or are not fully vaccinated will also no longer need to show proof of a pre-arrival negative PCR test nor undergo an arrival test.

They are required to register for a Thailand Pass with a five-day hotel booking and an insurance policy with coverage of no less than US$10,000
– reduced from US$20,000.

Upon arrival in Thailand, they must be quarantined for five days and take a PCR test on the fifth day of their stay.

Exception is made for unvaccinated travellers who are able to upload proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travel via the Thailand Pass system. With this, they will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in Thailand.

The latest measures follow the removal in March of a pre-departure test requirement.

Lively Golden Week travel peak finally arrives for Japan after two bleak years

By Kathryn Wortley

April 22, 2022

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Japan’s tourism suppliers are gearing up for what is expected to be their busiest Golden Week since the onset of the pandemic, but the ailing industry continues to struggle, with domestic travel yet to return to pre-pandemic levels and international arrivals still locked out.

Some 16 million people are expected to travel domestically in Japan between April 25 and May 5 this year – the Golden Week period that includes a series of national holidays, according to a survey carried out in March by JTB Corporation.

Japan’s domestic travel has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels while international arrivals are still locked out

The figure marks a 168 per cent increase year-on-year, largely due to last year’s national state of emergency that encouraged people in Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures to stay home over the holiday period.

In fact, Japan had two bleak years of Golden Week, as the holiday period in 2020 was also disrupted by a nationwide state of emergency.

The industry welcomes the expected uptick in travellers, even noting that the volume could be larger as the survey was carried out in March when 36 prefectures were under special measures to curb the spread of Omicron, which have since been lifted. Even so, visitorship is down 33 per cent on Golden Week 2019 data.

Among those respondents who will travel, the trend will be for trips that are longer, with a four per cent rise in two-night stays, and further afield.

Last year, most travel was made within prefectures or to neighbouring prefectures but now rural regions as well as Tokyo and Osaka are very popular.

Private car use and rental is down year-on-year, while Shinkansen and air travel are expected to rise.

As of April 14, the Japan Railways Group has reported 1.34 million reservations on Shinkansen and other trains over the April 28 to May 8 period, up from 66 per cent year-on-year.

Japan Airlines has scheduled 98 extra flights in its domestic network over April 28 to May 9, despite having culled 1,745 domestic flights over the rest of April and 619 flights for the rest of May.

Respondents reported no change in planned travel spending, but 37 per cent said they want to reduce their travel expenditure over the next 12 months amid economic uncertainty, in another possible blow to domestic tourism.

Travel and tourism to grow massive job appetite in next decade

By TTG Asia

April 22, 2022

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WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) revealed the travel and tourism sector is expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade.

The optimistic forecast also showed the sector will be a driving force of the global economic recovery, creating one in three of all new jobs.

Julia Simpson: The recovery in 2021 was slower than expected due in part to the impact of the Omicron variant

Travel and tourism GDP is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 5.8% annually between 2022-2032, outstripping the 2.7% growth rate for global economy, to reach US$14.6 trillion (11.3% of the total global economy).

The report also showed global travel and tourism GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023 – just 0.1% below 2019 levels. The sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow a massive 43.7% to almost US$8.4 trillion by the end of 2022, amounting to 8.5% of the total global economic GDP – just 13.3% behind 2019 levels.

This will be matched by a boost in travel and tourism employment, which is expected to approach 2019 levels in 2023, only 2.7% below.

Looking back a year, the report found that 2021 witnessed the beginning of the recovery for the global travel and tourism sector.

Julia Simpson, president & CEO, WTTC, said: “The recovery in 2021 was slower than expected due in part to the impact of the Omicron variant but mainly due to an uncoordinated approach by governments who rejected the advice of the World Health Organization, which maintained that closing borders would not stop the spread of the virus but would only serve to damage economies and livelihoods.”

In 2021, the sector’s contribution to GDP climbed an impressive 21.7% year-on-year, to reach more than US$5.8 trillion, as compared to 10.3% (US$9.6 trillion) in 2019, falling to 5.3% (nearly US$4.8 trillion) in 2020 when the pandemic was at its height, which represented a staggering 50% loss.

The sector also saw a recovery of more than 18 million global travel and tourism jobs, representing a positive 6.7% rise in 2021.

If not for the Omicron variant, which led to many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions, the sector’s contribution to the global economy and employment would have been higher.

WTTC’s 2022 EIR report showed that Travel & Tourism sector across Asia Pacific is set to rebound significantly and is estimated to create almost 77 million new jobs over the next decade, with contribution towards GDP to grow at an average annual rate of 8.5% between 2022 and 2032, more than double the 4% growth rate for the region’s overall economy.

Last year, the sector’s contribution to GDP rose 16% to US$1.58 trillion after collapsing by 58.8% in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, job creation in the region last year was boosted by 6.2%, accounting for 8.6% of all jobs after falling 18.9% the previous year.

Vietjet stretches out wings in India

By TTG Asia

April 22, 2022

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Vietjet has announced four new services linking India and Vietnam to mark the airline’s post-pandemic return and continued expansion in the country. The services include Mumbai-Hanoi, Mumbai-Ho Chi Minh City, New Delhi-Phu Quoc and Mumbai-Phu Quoc.

The direct services from Mumbai to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi will commence on June 3 and June 4, with a frequency of four weekly return flights and three weekly return flights respectively.

From September 9, the Mumbai to Phu Quoc route will operate four round trips per week while the New Delhi to Phu Quoc route will operate with a frequency of three round trips per week.

Prior to the pandemic, Vietjet had operated two direct routes linking New Delhi with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in addition to charter flights from Vietnam to Bodh Gaya. The two existing services between New Delhi to both Vietnam destinations will resume on April 29 and April 30 respectively, with a frequency of three weekly return flights on each route.

“We are thrilled to continue connecting Vietnam with India, the country of 1.4 billion population, via six direct routes, and re-energise our operations right in the post pandemic environment,” said Dinh Viet Phuong, managing director, Vietjet.

He added: “Vietjet’s renewed and increased connectivity between Vietnam and India will create many more trade and tourism opportunities between the two countries, helping to boost the economies of both. The expansion of Vietjet’s flight network into India also reaffirms the airline’s ongoing commitment to continuously help travellers save on cost and time. Passengers can enjoy flying on our new and modern aircraft, and taking transit flights to famous destinations in South-east Asia, such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and many other countries, thanks to Vietjet’s extensive flight network in the Asia Pacific region.”

Oceania Cruises to cast whole new look for Riviera and Marina

By TTG Asia

April 22, 2022

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Oceania Cruises’ 1,210-guest ships Riviera and Marina will get a stem-to-stern re-inspiration that will gift both vessels with refreshed staterooms, suites and public spaces.

Debuting in December 2022 and November 2023 respectively, Riviera and Marina will become better-than-new ships, sporting new colours, luxurious textures, engaging artworks, and designer residential furnishings.

Oceania Cruises’ Riviera, one of the ships to get refreshed staterooms, suites and public spaces

The all-new staterooms and suites promise a lighter and brighter stay with more lavish fittings and furnishing. Guests can expect modern and functional improvements, such as an abundance of outlets and USB ports always within reach. Bathrooms will also be more spacious than ever before, featuring generous, oversized showers.

On the dining front, existing venues will boast new settings and there will be more alfresco dining options and new experiences, such as Trattoria, which will feature an array of wood-fired pizzas and grilled Italian specialties.

Howard Sherman, president & CEO of Oceania Cruises, said in a press statement: “At Oceania Cruises, we continue to raise the bar and elevate the guest experience at every opportunity. Whether it’s innovative new culinary concepts, immersive new destination experiences, or presenting our guests with ships that are not just better, but better than new, Oceania Cruises sets the standard by which others are judged.”

The re-inspired Riviera will debut on December 7, 2022, on a 16-day Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Caribbean cruise from Rome to Miami. From there, Riviera will reprise her popular seven- to 14-day Caribbean sailings for one final season before returning to Europe in late March 2023. She will then commence an inaugural Far East exploration from late 2023 to early 2024.

Marina will debut on November 13, 2023, on a seven-day cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon. Thereafter, she will head to will Miami for her annual South America season on December 3, 2023.

Tourism Malaysia steps up trade initiatives in India

UNWTO kicks off second Awake Tourism Challenge

Accor takes Mercure to Takayama, Japan

Avani+ Khao Lak Resort beckons cyclists with L’Étape Thailand deals

Hong Kong eases barriers to non-residents

Thailand scraps on-arrival PCR tests, lowers Covid insurance coverage

Lively Golden Week travel peak finally arrives for Japan after two bleak years

Travel and tourism to grow massive job appetite in next decade

Vietjet stretches out wings in India

Oceania Cruises to cast whole new look for Riviera and Marina

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