Overseas travellers bound for Australia will no longer need to provide a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure from April 17.
Fully vaccinated travellers to Australia will no longer need to show a negative Covid test prior to flight; Melbourne pictured
Australian health minister Greg Hunt announced the decision today, saying that such pre-arrival tests are no longer necessary as vaccination and masking requirements remain.
International arrivals will still need to be fully vaccinated to enter Australia while mandatory masking on flights will remain.
According to an ABC News report, Hunt also said restrictions on cruise ships would also lapse on April 17.
Nattinee McMillan has joined Meliá Phuket Mai Khao as director of sales and marketing.
She joins from Dream Phuket Hotel and Spa, where she served as director of sales and assisted with hotel operations.
The Thai national has 15 years of hospitality experience in sales, event management and operational roles. She started her hospitality career in 2006 with the banquet department at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, and rose through the ranks to become an event manager. She also spent time at COMO Point Yamu as its sales and event manager.
Indonesia’s Riau Islands has abolished the Travel Bubble Corridor Arrangement with Singapore and replace it with visa-free entry for all Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents from ASEAN countries from March 22.
To enjoy the visa-free entry, travellers will need a passport with a minimum of six month’s validity, proof of permanent residency in Singapore, return or onward ticket, pre-booked accommodation, insurance and other requirements stipulated by the Covid-19 Task Force.
Singapore citizens and permanent residents from ASEAN countries can now enter Riau Islands visa-free
Valid for 14 days, the free visa is not extendable.
Visa-free entry will be permitted at Batam’s Nongsa Point Marina, Batam Centre, Sekupang, Citra Tri Tunas, and Senimbar Bay Marina, and Bintan’s Bandar Bentan Telani, Lagoi, Bandar Seri Udana Lobam, and Tanjung Pinang through Sri Bintan Pura.
They can depart the country from any point in Indonesia.
At the same time, Singapore citizens and permanent residents from ASEAN and the following countries – Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the Netherlands, the UK and the US – can enjoy visa on arrival (VoA) when travelling to the Riau Islands.
VoAs are priced at 500,000 rupiah (US$35) and valid for 30 days, with possible extension of up to 30 days, explained Amran Aris, director of immigration traffic, directorate general of immigration, ministry of laws and human rights.
As such, Singapore citizens and permanent residents from ASEAN countries may choose to enter the Riau Islands with the VoA facility should they require a longer stay period.
Royal Caribbean is offering cruise deals for Quantum of the Seas sailing currently, and Spectrum of the Seas from April 2022.
For both Quantum of the Seas’ and Spectrum of the Seas’ three-night and four-night Singapore Ocean Getaways, guests can enjoy savings of up to SG$300 (US$221), 50 per cent off every guest, and kids cruise for free when they book by March 29.
Spectrum of the Seas’ Ultimate Family Suite
Quantum’s last sailing is on April 7 before she departs Singapore for good. Spectrum of the Seas will begin cruising from April 11 and boasts brand new attractions such as the Sky Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline adventure; the Ultimate Family Suite, a two-deck, expansive multi-room retreat complete with its own in-suite slide and cinema (also a karaoke stage); and a Suite Enclave, Royal Caribbean’s first and exclusive space for the exquisite Royal Suite Class Star, Sky and Sea accommodation.
Familiar favourites of Royal Caribbean include RipCord by iFly; North Star, a jewel-shaped glass capsule that brings guests 300 feat above sea level; and surfing simulator FlowRider.
Guests can also enjoy an array of Asian-inspired cuisine onboard such as Teppanyaki, Sichuan Red and Hot Pot to replenish their energy after every fun activity on board.
Hoteliers in Thailand have sounded a positive note about bookings ahead of the forthcoming peak Songkran period despite bans on some festive activities due to Covid concerns.
“Revenue for Saii Phi Phi Village is exceeding 2019 numbers with a strong push from the domestic market,” said Jackson Ferguson, vice president of global commerce, S Hotels and Resorts. “Our properties in Samui and Phuket are not performing quite as strong, but the signs are promising.”
Pre-Covid Songkran celebrations were boisterous affairs that brought brisk business for Thai tourism players
“We are certainly a lot more positive about Thailand’s tourism outlook for the coming holidays in April than previous months,” Michael Marshall, chief commercial officer of Minor Hotels, told TTG Asia.
Songkran – or Thai New Year – is one of the country’s most active travel periods, especially with domestic tourists. Pre-pandemic, hotels and resorts around the country reported occupancy rates above 90 per cent.
The last two Songkrans, though, have been rather sad affairs. In April 2020, provinces around the nation were in hard lockdown. Last year, the period coincided with the start of Thailand’s third – and most serious – Covid-19 wave.
This year, the government has banned some of the festive activities for which Songkran is renowned. Water fights, powder paint throwing, and alcohol consumption in some zones will be forbidden.
However, the government is intent on declaring Covid endemic by summer, and the widely vaccinated Thai public seems willing to live with the virus despite relatively high case numbers. Therefore, hoteliers are predicting a solid holiday season.
Despite the optimism, Thai tourism industry players have reiterated calls for the country’s government to remove all travel restrictions and ditch its convoluted Test & Go system.
Sauter: people are worried about testing positive on arrival and being stuck in quarantine for 10 days
Thailand has dropped the requirement for international travellers to show proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure. But, with other nations in South-east Asia dropping almost all requirements, many believe that Thailand is self-sabotaging by not following suit immediately.
“The removal of the pre-departure PCR test is a plus,” said Claude Sauter, general manager, The Slate Phuket. “But in my opinion, they should have removed the one on arrival. People might be worried about travelling, testing positive when they arrive and being in lockdown for 10 days. Thailand needs to move faster in removing travel restrictions and scrapping the complicated Test and Go system.”
The Board of Directors of Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has appointed Suvimol Thanasarakij as its new executive director, effective March 15, 2022.
The appointment was officially agreed by the NTOs of the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries at the Special MTCO Board Meeting.
Suvimol is a planning and coordination expert with 23 years’ of experience delivering high-level multilateral programmes and events for institutions such as the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and the US Department of State.
Prior to joining MTCO, she worked for Strategic Capacity Group, where she implemented multilateral programmes on behalf of the US government across South-east Asia. She spent more than eight years managing tourism marketing projects for ASEAN. She also worked for PATA, Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok and Centara Hotels & Resorts.
“We are happy to welcome Suvimol to our GMS tourism family, particularly as she is the first female executive director, and the first one with GMS nationality in MTCO’s 16-year history,” said Somxay Sipaseuth, deputy director general of Tourism Development Department from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism Lao PDR, which is also Chair of the upcoming 49th GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting.
He added: “Suvimol brings to MCTO her extensive experience in tourism industry and an in-depth expertise in international cooperation and project management. With her proven capacity to build strategic international partnerships and bolster support for various programmes, we are confident that she will be a force in driving GMS tourism cooperation forward in this exciting, but also challenging time.”
Suvimol succeeds Jens Thraenhart, who exited MTCO in June 2021.
“I look forward to working closely with the MTCO Board, international organisations, development partners, other travel and tourism stakeholders in promoting GMS countries as a single destination and supporting regional tourism development for a sustainable and inclusive recovery,” she said on her appointment.
Slicing into my poached egg, out flowed a runny yolk as well as a teaser from Leslie Danker, the resident historian at Raffles Hotel Singapore. We were having breakfast at the Tiffin Room ahead of our Golden Jubilee Guided Tour, with Danker as my guide.
“Have you heard about the tiger that was shot dead in the storage space under the original Bar and Billard Room?” he asked.
I have never, which gave him the chance to relate the tale of the unfortunate big cat that escaped from a nearby circus and chose the underbelly of the Bar and Billard Room to rest for the night. It was the half-drunk headmaster of Raffles Institution from across the road who stepped in at the behest of terrified hotel staff and shot the tiger dead.
That was in 1902, long before Danker was born, long before he joined the hotel as a maintenance supervisor. It was Danker’s fascination with the hotel – first with the external colonial architecture when he was a young boy and later with the interior and storied history of the hotel when he was 18 years old and went in for the first time for a beer – that led him to seek a job with the hotel, study the hotel’s past and pay rapt attention to every aspect of the hotel.
His keen observation and understanding of the hotel’s past and present made him a valuable contributor to Raffles Hotel’s first major renovation and conservation project in 1989.
And now, he is sharing his stories with anyone who is keen to listen through the limited edition Golden Jubilee Guided Tours by Leslie Danker, created to honour his 50 years of service with the hotel.
Why
Raffles Hotel Singapore needs little introduction, and is regarded as one of Singapore’s must-see landmarks for most travellers. Its majestic architecture has attracted both staying and non-staying guests to wander around within and question its history. Throughout the years, such impromptu queries were often directed to Danker, who is recognised among his colleagues as a walking hotel archive.
Recognising the value of preserving the many stories of the hotel’s past, which bring the hotel stay to life, Danker was made the official resident historian. Since then, he has led many walking history tours through the hotel grounds for curious guests.
Danker takes tour participants through a new museum showcase and the hotel's Hall of Fame
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The Hall of Fame displays photographs of past rich and famous guests (photo credit: Karen Yue)
The new museum showcase displays Danker's personal collection of hotel artefacts (photo credit: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
What
The Golden Jubilee Guided Tours by Leslie Danker is created along with the launch of the hotel’s new museum showcase, sited within the serene Library. This museum showcase features never-before-seen memorabilia from Danker’s private collection, such as a room rate card from back in 1985, a menu from a time when fancy set dinners were priced at S$5 (US$3.70), and his ‘black book’ of meticulous notes on the hotel.
The tour, offered free to staying guests and at a fee of S$25 for the public, includes a walking tour led by Danker, a visit to the new museum showcase and a walk through the Hall of Fame gallery where photos of past rich and famous guests are displayed. For paying participants, the tour includes an exclusive Golden Jubilee cocktail, the Danker 1972, at Long Bar as well as a S$10 Raffles Boutique credit.
The tours are conducted every Thursday of the month of March and April.
After this period, the tour and museum showcase will be restricted to staying guests, with tours led by either Danker or other resident historians of the hotel.
Verdict
Danker is a great storyteller and has an answer for everything you ask him about the hotel. He is 82 years old, but his steps are brisk and his mind is rich. He will gladly tell you about his 50-year love affair with and loyalty to Raffles Hotel Singapore. At the end of the tour you leave with a better appreciation for the iconic building as well as tips for living a long and happy life.
Rate: S$25 (US$18.40) Dates: March 17 to April 22, 2022 Website: www.rafflesarcade.com.sg/product/golden-jubilee-guided-tour-by-leslie-danker-resident-historian
Singapore will remove most travel restrictions in a determined move to rebuild the economy, with ART on arrival, Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) and daily arrival quotas being the items to be struck off border regulations from April 1.
All Covid-19 vaccinated travellers to Singapore, including children aged 12 and below, will no longer be required to take an antigen rapid test (ART) within 24 hours of arrival from 23.59 on March 31.
Capacity limits for larger events and settings, with more than 1,000 attendees, will be increased to 75 per cent, while live performances at all venues will be allowed from March 29. Photo Credit: Karen Yue
VTL flights will be retired along with daily arrival quotas, while travellers will no longer need to apply for a vaccinated entry pass.
However, pre-departure tests taken two or three days prior to departure for Singapore will be retained for the time being, and travellers will still need to obtain a negative test result to fly.
The government will monitor the situation over the coming weeks, and changes will be made accordingly.
Separately, non-fully vaccinated long-term pass holders and short-term visitors aged 13 and above are generally not allowed to enter Singapore. Exemptions will be made for long-term pass holders who are medically ineligible for vaccines, long-term pass holders aged 13 to 17, and long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with other valid entry approvals.
Such visitors must take a pre-departure test within two days before departure for Singapore, undergo a seven-day stay-home notice (SHN) quarantine, and take a PCR test at the end of their SHN period.
Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce also announced several other changes impacting air and airport crew.
Air crew will also be allowed to resume normal activities in Singapore or overseas. They will be subject to similar testing requirements as vaccinated travellers.
Airport workers will only need to put on surgical masks, except for those in higher-risk roles who will be required to wear face shields and gloves. They will no longer be required to undergo regular Covid-19 testings.
Singapore’s airport will no longer be segregated into zones, allowing travellers to move freely in the transit area.
Social restrictions will also be eased from March 29, facilitating tourist activities. This includes expanding group size and dining out limits from five to 10, removal of mandatory mask-wearing in outdoor settings, removal of restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol after 22.30, resumption of live performances at all venues, and expansion of capacity limits for larger events and settings, with more than 1,000 attendees, to 75 per cent.
However, it is still mandatory to mask up indoors.
Speaking at a press conference, health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who co-chairs Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce, said: “Today’s announcements marks a pivoting, not a dismantling of our Covid-19-related measures. We cannot abruptly dismantle all our measures because that means letting down our guard, and that will result in the virus coming back to impact us and hurt us.”
The authorities are considering the safe resumption of nightlife businesses, such as bars and discotheques, stated the Ministry of Health.
The conclusion of the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia – the first MotoGP race for the country in 25 years – is regarded as a success among local tourism players, as it drew a five-fold spike in arrivals and a high hotel occupancy rate.
Also known as MotoGP Mandalika 2022, the event was held from March 18 to 20 at the new Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.
MotoGP Mandalika 2022 attracted 65,000 spectators (Photo credit: Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia)
Flights were full with fans who came from all over the country and abroad to catch the race live. Lombok International Airport processed a total of 72,000 passengers for the period of March 17 to 22, a five-fold increase over the daily average.
Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) reported a 95 per cent hotel occupancy rate during the event, while homestays, glamping sites and other type of accommodation across the destination have also benefitted from the race.
According to Pertamina, the race’s main sponsor, MotoGP Mandalika 2022 attracted 65,000 spectators and is estimated to have generated more than US$209 million in economic value for NTB.
Ni Ketut Wolini, chairman of IHRA NTB chapter, said MotoGP Mandalika 2022 brought a business revival to the destination. Of the total 20,607 rooms available in Lombok, 18,200 were booked for the event. Hotels in Mataram City, Central and West Lombok also welcomed race spectators, while those further from the circuit in Sembalun area and the three Gilis saw some bookings.
Comparing the hotel performance during MotoGP Mandalika 2022 with the Superbike World Championship last November, Wolini said hotels “were completely empty” during the sports event last year.
Sahlan M Saleh, chairman of NTB chapter of the Association of the Indonesian Travel Agents (ASTINDO), told TTG Asia that interest in MotoGP Mandalika 2022 was stronger than expected.
“Some 4,000 tour packages were sold, exceeding our target of around 2,000 to 3,000. In fact, many ASTINDO members continued to receive reservations for the post-MotoGP period,” said Sahlan.
He said the NTB tourism community is optimistic that the race would spur continued improvements in domestic and international visitor arrivals.
“Now, we are building on this momentum by intensifying our destination marketing,” he said, adding that he hopes to see a more fruitful post-Lebaran (in May) travel season.
“The target is for an increase of 40 to 50 per cent in arrivals every month,” said Sahlan.
To maintain the positive impact of MotoGP Mandalika 2022, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is preparing various other sporting events in Mandalika. One of them is the Motor Cross Grand Prix, which will be held in June this year.
“Currently, many sport event organisers are interested in organising racing events at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit. We are still evaluating which ones can be held, but there will be several motorbike and car events (of local and international scale),” revealed Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy.
Siyam World, Maldives
Siyam World, Maldives has opened at the Noonu Atoll, offering a five-star, all-inclusive resort for couples, friends and families.
Siyam World offers 21 accommodation categories overlooking the Maldivian waters, such as Pool Beach Villas, Beach Suites, Beach Residences, and Over-Water Villas that come with water slides.
The resort is a 40 minutes’ direct seaplane ride from Velana International Airport, and is located close to some of the region’s best dive sites. Families can look forward to excursions, water sports, and more, with a dedicated Little Explorers kids club for children aged three to 11.
Artotel Casa Hangtuah
Artotel Casa Hangtuah, Jakarta, Indonesia
Artotel Group has expanded its portfolio with the opening of Artotel Casa Hangtuah, a boutique residence concept in Jakarta.
Located on Jalan Hang Tuah, South Jakarta, the hotel has a colonial classic ambiance featuring 17 keys with two room categories. Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, and a compact meeting room.
Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins
Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins, Melbourne, Australia
The new Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins is a 312-key design-led hotel that puts guests within easy access to the city’s best shopping, dining and cultural attractions.
Guestrooms are designed to offer a seamless and comfortable stay, with special touches such as a study nook, speedy Wi-Fi, walk-in power shower, and an Express Recharge zone designed to deliver a comfortable and restful overnight boost with premium bedding, choice of firm and soft pillows and black-out blinds.
As part of the brand’s signature perks, guests can kick start their day with a complimentary Express Start Breakfast that includes hot and cold options. For those in a rush, the Express Start Breakfast Grab & Go option is best.
Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins is committed to reducing plastic and has phased out single-use plastics with Zip Taps located throughout the hotel.
JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa, Bengaluru, India
The 301-room JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa has opened within the tranquil Nandi Hills region of Bengaluru, once an ancient hill fortress and the summer retreat of Indian royalty.
It is nestled in the rolling greens of the award-winning Prestige Golfshire course and luxury residential development, and within a 20-minute drive from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. The interiors feature a lobby with panoramic views of Nandi Hills and stunning landscaping.
Guestrooms and villas with private swimming pools and lawns are offered, along with six dining options, Spa by JW, and an exclusive Kids’ Club offering fun activities.
The highlight at the hotel is the JW Garden, which features a calming space for guests to connect with nature, as well as fresh herbs and seasonal vegetables that guests can harvest and enjoy as part of their culinary journey on property.
JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa also has a large convention centre and ballroom.
Why
