Japan’s flag carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) has forged a partnership with Tencent Cloud that will provide the airline with smart transportation solutions in order to capitalise on post-pandemic inbound tourism demand.
Leveraging Tencent’s cloud technology and network to reach a wide audience of travellers, the JAL Weixin Mini Program developed on Tencent Cloud will provide smart travel options for Chinese tourists and more efficient and intelligent services for governments and businesses.
Japan Airlines taps Tencent Cloud to strengthen its presence in the China tourism market
With the JAL Weixin Mini Program, Chinese tourists and those who currently reside in Japan can reserve and purchase flight tickets as well as search flight information directly on Weixin, one of the most widely used communications and social services in China with more than 1.2 billion monthly active users.
Meanwhile, JAL can also leverage Tencent Cloud’s Smart Transportation Solutions including Weixin Official Accounts and social ads to maximise promotional activities targeting Chinese travellers, further expanding its presence in the Chinese tourism market.
Medical and wellness tour packages targeted at foreign travellers have been rolled out in metro Manila and nearby provinces, as part of the Philippine Health and Care Programme launched this week.
Tourism undersecretary Roberto Alabado III said the programme, a collaboration between government agencies and the private sector, is an industry-first that aims “to develop the Philippines into a prime medical travel and wellness tourism destination”.
Philippines aims to become prime health and wellness tourism destination; The Farm at San Benito pictured
While the tour packages are initially limited to Central Luzon, Alabado expected similar packages to be rolled out in Boracay, Mindanao and other parts of Luzon as they continue to market and promote the Filipino brand of caring and nurturing in the domestic and international markets. The packages will be made available until December 21 next year.
The Philippine Health and Wellness Coalition has curated several packages combining tours around Manila with dental procedures and medical services, ranging from heart ailment procedure and kidney operation to cancer treatment and diabetes prevention, among others.
The coalition – composed of carefully screened travel agencies, hotels, hospitals, clinics, and health and wellness providers – underscored the competitive pricing of their packages that already include all taxes, confirmation of appointments and advance submission of medical records.
Cathy Brillantes-Turvill, president of Coalition member Nurture Wellness Village in Tagaytay, said one of their offerings, a workation package combining nature and Zoom, addresses the physical and mental effects caused by the pandemic and that the sector is “all about prevention”.
Another Coalition member, The Farm at San Benito in Lipa, Batangas, has invested more in science-based, evidence-guided and medically-supervised health programmes by highly trained medical doctors and licensed health professionals, said director of sales and marketing Jennifer Sanvictores.
Tourism regional director for Region 3, Caroline Uy, shared that medical tour packages including eye care combined with culinary, heritage, history and adventure tours are on offer in Pampanga, Clark and Subic.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations has spoken out against new blanket restrictions on travel imposed by governments around the world in response to the Omicron variant.
The call echoes the concerns raised by UNWTO members during the recent 24th UNWTO General Assembly, where countries from all global regions expressed their solidarity with Southern African states by calling for the immediate lifting of travel bans imposed on specific countries and for freedom of international travel to be upheld.
Blanket travel restrictions ineffective and discriminatory, says UNWTO; passenger at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand pictured
UNWTO noted the recent declarations of the United Nations secretary-general and the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the unfairness and ineffectiveness of blanket travel bans in respect to the countries of Southern Africa.
In light of recent developments, UNWTO has once again reminded countries that the imposition of blanket restrictions on travel is discriminatory, ineffective and contrary to WHO recommendations. Blanket restrictions may also stigmatise countries or whole regions, it said.
During the UNWTO General Assembly, member states and partners, including voices from international organisations and across the private sector, echoed WHO’s advice that travel restrictions should only be imposed as a very last resort in response to changing circumstances.
Furthermore, it was stressed that if restrictions are introduced, they must be proportionate, transparent, and scientifically-based. They must also only be introduced with a full appreciation of what halting international travel would mean for the most vulnerable, including those developing countries and individuals who depend on tourism for their economies and livelihoods.
Cross Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Tan Thanh Trading & Tourism JSC to develop a mega-project that will see the opening of two new hotels in Vietnam with a combined room count of 716 keys.
In a statement, the hotel group called the signing “one of the biggest greenfield deals in Asia since the start of the global pandemic two years ago”.
Construction for Cross Long Hai and Cross Vibe Long Hai is underway, with an opening set for 4Q2022
Scheduled to open in 4Q2022, Cross Long Hai and Cross Vibe Long Hai will be located in the coastal province of Vung Tau, a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City.
Cross Long Hai will be an all-villa resort; while the twin-tower Cross Vibe Long Hai will be a modern Condotel offering 658 guestrooms, event and meeting facilities, spa, swimming pool and fitness centre.
Across South-east Asia and the Pacific, Cross Hotels & Resorts currently operates a property portfolio that includes more than 21 hotels under five brands, namely, Cross, Cross Vibe, Away, Lumen and Cross Collection.
Sri Lankan tourism officials are optimistic that inbound tourist arrivals for next year will bounce back to 50 per cent of 2018 numbers – the year where the country recorded the highest international arrivals to date – even as the Omicron variant threatens to hinder the sector’s recovery.
Kimarli Fernando, Sri Lanka Tourism chairperson, told a conference on Tuesday (December 7) that she is confident the country would record an average 100,000 arrivals per month next year, amounting to 1.2 million arrivals for the entire year – approximately half of the 2.3 million arrivals recorded in 2018.
Sri Lanka targets 1.2 million tourist arrivals for 2022 despite Omicron threat
While arrivals started as a trickle following the reopening of the country’s main international airport in mid-January 2021 after a 10-month pandemic closure, there has been a steady increase, with 44,294 arrivals recorded in November.
However, that is still a far cry from pre-pandemic figures. Arrivals from January to November 2021 totalled a mere 104,989. In comparison, there were 507,311 arrivals in the three months from January to March 2020, before the closure of the airport.
Currently, Sri Lanka is open to tourists across the world except visitors from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe who have been banned since November 27 due to the Omicron variant.
All vaccinated travellers entering the country are only required to present a pre-departure negative PCR test result, with no quarantine requirement.
Meanwhile, outbound travel from Sri Lanka hasn’t picked up to pre-pandemic levels, with Omicron being a deterrent due to uncertainty over the possibility of sudden border closures imposed by countries.
The ever-changing travel restrictions have made people unsure about travelling out of the country, Mackinnons Travels CEO Trevor Rajaratnam said, adding that outbound group travel has completely stopped.
Still, travel agents in the country have been actively promoting overseas group tours to normally attractive locations like Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok.
Rajaratnam shared that most Sri Lankans were travelling to Dubai, said to have the easiest on-arrival travel requirements; while some individuals and even families were heading to Singapore and Thailand, but not on group packages due to a greater reluctance to make advanced travel bookings.
Star Cruises is set to become the first cruise line to resume operations in Malaysia, with Star Pisces offering domestic cruises from Penang starting December 22.
Parent company Genting Cruise Lines (GCL), together with Penang Port Commission and Penang Port, have been granted approval by the Malaysian government to restart cruises from Penang.
Star Pisces to offer safe cruises from Penang starting December 22
Star Pisces will have five departures every week, offering a series of roundtrip itineraries from Penang, including a two-night Langkawi Escape and a one-night Straits of Malacca cruise itinerary.
GCL also plans to launch more ships under the Star Cruises fleet.
Star Pisces will initially operate at a reduced passenger capacity of 50 per cent with strict enhanced safety and preventive measures. All individuals on board must be fully vaccinated for Covid-19. In addition, all embarking guests are required to present a negative test result after completing the mandatory pre-boarding antigen rapid test, which will be conducted at the cruise terminal on the day of the departure.
GCL president Kent Zhu said: “We hope to call on to more Malaysian destinations and to expand our itineraries with the inclusion of regional destinations like Phuket in the near future to spur the cruise tourism industry.
“We are also actively pursuing with the various port authorities to create a ‘Harmonize Cruising Standards’ for the region in the hope of gradually reopening international cruising in a controlled and safe manner, which will also bring inbound tourists to Malaysia, especially from our ship in Singapore.”
Star Pisces bookings will be open in mid-December and available to all Malaysian citizens, foreigners with valid Malaysian long-term visit passes, as well as international tourists who have completed and passed the quarantine and home surveillance order by the Malaysian authorities.
Since July 2020, GCL was the first international cruise company in the world to pioneer and successfully restart operations with Dream Cruises, starting in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Far East Hospitality has launched a series of staycation packages with themed experiences, ranging from a cultural culinary class to wellness treatments and a Christmas-styled picnic at Southern Islands.
At The Clan Hotel Singapore, locals are invited to immerse themselves in a heritage experience with The Clan Uncovers: The Exuberant Edition package, priced from S$1888 (US$1,383) nett for a three-day, two-night stay.
The Clan Hotel Singapore’s Grand Premier Room
The package includes accommodation in a Master Series Grand Premier Room; and an evening trishaw ride along Chinatown, followed by a bumboat cruise along the iconic Singapore River.
Guests can also cook up a heritage feast at The Food Playground and learn the stories behind age-old family recipes of dishes such as laksa, curry chicken, and char kway teow. Also included is a six-course festive feast at QĪN Restaurant and Bar, complete with free-flowing cocktails.
Meanwhile, the Barracks Hotel Sentosa has pushed out the Exquisite Barracks Christmas package, priced from S$4,588 nett for a three-day, two-night stay.
The package includes accommodation in a Premier Room, a Eurasian Christmas-themed patio dining experience with free-flow of premium cocktails, a private morning sail to the Southern Islands with a festive-themed picnic, and a cable car dinner experience for two at Mount Faber.
Wellness junkies can pamper themselves with the Christmas Retreat package, priced from S$3,988 nett for a three-day, two-night stay at the Oasia Resort Sentosa.
The package comprises of accommodation in a Junior Suite, as well as a three-hour body ritual that includes a 30-minute body scrub, 90-minute massage and a 60-min private body care workshop.
Guests also enjoy four hours’ worth of relaxation therapy, including a two-hour guided forest bathing experience, 90-minute facial and 30-minute scalp massage. The stay comes with a S$300 dining credit at Bedrock Origin.
For families who want a short getaway, Orchard Rendezvous Hotel is presenting the Family Rendezvous x Cath Kidston package, priced at S$2,188 nett for a three-day, two-night weekday stay and S$2,288 for a three-day, two-night weekend stay.
Cath Kidston Family Room at Orchard Rendezvous Hotel features Cath Kidston prints
The package includes Peranakan lunch at Indocafe – The White House; and accommodation in the Cath Kidston Family Room, a botanical-accented room with bunk beds for kids, complemented by Cath Kidston prints.
Other inclusions are an open-top coach tour of Christmas lights along Orchard Road, dim sum lunch at Tung Lok Signatures, tickets to National Orchid Garden, and dinner at The Halia at Botanic Gardens. Guests can also bring home Cath Kidston mementos including the classic cosmetic case, square pencil case, a small book bag and strappy carryall.
These festive packages are valid to book and stay from now until January 1, 2022.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) is redefining the loyalty game with the revamped Pan Pacific Discovery, as part of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA)’s reimagination of the Discovery loyalty programme.
With this elevation, members of Pan Pacific Discovery can now savour more benefits with a new easy-to-use digital rewards currency, Discovery Dollars (D$); enjoy additional discounts on room rates, dining experiences and more; move up with faster tier progression; as well as earn and spend D$ on premium hotel amenities and experiences, including all PPHG-owned dining outlets across its global portfolio.
Pan Pacific Discovery now offers four tiers of membership: Silver, Gold, Platinum (above), and Titanium
The overhaul of Pan Pacific Discovery marks a significant shift from the previous programme, which provided member recognition based on stays and accumulated room nights.
Cinn Tan, chief sales & marketing officer, PPHG, said: “The new Pan Pacific Discovery is built around the evolving expectations of our customers, who told us that they would like a rewards-based loyalty programme.”
Under the revamp, Pan Pacific Discovery has rolled out new rewards currency Discovery Dollars, or D$. At check-out, D$ earned on previous stays can be used towards the hotel room, room upgrades, dining, spa treatments, and more. The percentage earned on eligible spend increases with membership tier status, starting at four per cent and rising to seven per cent.
Pan Pacific Discovery now offers an expanded four tiers of membership: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium. New members achieve Silver status upon joining the programme and are entitled to benefits from their first stay. Tier progression can be achieved more easily and faster through three ways: number of stays, spend across eligible purchases, and number of GHA hotel brands stayed in.
Additionally, Titanium members can now benefit from status sharing, with the option to gift their tier to a friend or family member each year. All members are eligible for additional room rate savings of 10 per cent or more.
Oakwood will be making its entry into Bangladesh with the signing of Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dhaka, scheduled to open in April 2022.
Located on Gulshan Avenue within Dhaka’s affluent precinct, Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dhaka will feature a collection of 89 hotel rooms and serviced apartments, from studios to two-bedroom units.
Illustration of guestroom at Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dhaka
The property will offer a range of F&B outlets, including a split-level rooftop bar, all-day restaurant, lobby lounge-café and cigar divan bar; as well as meeting and event facilities.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Dhaka will add to Oakwood’s enlarging footprint across South Asia in support of its goal to double the global portfolio of managed properties by 2025.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations has spoken out against new blanket restrictions on travel imposed by governments around the world in response to the Omicron variant.
The call echoes the concerns raised by UNWTO members during the recent 24th UNWTO General Assembly, where countries from all global regions expressed their solidarity with Southern African states by calling for the immediate lifting of travel bans imposed on specific countries and for freedom of international travel to be upheld.
UNWTO noted the recent declarations of the United Nations secretary-general and the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the unfairness and ineffectiveness of blanket travel bans in respect to the countries of Southern Africa.
In light of recent developments, UNWTO has once again reminded countries that the imposition of blanket restrictions on travel is discriminatory, ineffective and contrary to WHO recommendations. Blanket restrictions may also stigmatise countries or whole regions, it said.
During the UNWTO General Assembly, member states and partners, including voices from international organisations and across the private sector, echoed WHO’s advice that travel restrictions should only be imposed as a very last resort in response to changing circumstances.
Furthermore, it was stressed that if restrictions are introduced, they must be proportionate, transparent, and scientifically-based. They must also only be introduced with a full appreciation of what halting international travel would mean for the most vulnerable, including those developing countries and individuals who depend on tourism for their economies and livelihoods.