Omicron disrupts Malaysia’s nascent travel revival
Growing fears over the emerging Omicron variant is threatening the budding recovery of outbound travel in Malaysia, as countries around the world rush to impose fresh travel restrictions amid global alarm.
Cooper Huang, CEO, Malaysian Harmony Tours and Travel, said the agency has postponed indefinitely the launch of new tours to Thailand this month as he monitors developments of the Omicron variant, which has been deemed to be potentially more contagious than prior variants.
He noted that the tightening of border restrictions by countries in response to Omicron and the unpredictability of changing policies are putting the brakes on leisure travel. He cited the example of Japan, which joined Israel in shutting its borders to foreigners on Monday (November 29) to guard against the variant.
Angelica Chan, country market manager, Traveloka, shared that outbound travel demand in Malaysia had been weak to begin with, and the Omicron variant has only added to the fears of travellers. She said that as little is known about the new variant at this stage, many people are adopting a wait-and-see attitude before planning overseas holidays.
She said Malaysians making bookings on Traveloka are mainly those travelling to visit family overseas, rather than for leisure purposes.
According to a European airline source, people are travelling for essential reasons, and not for leisure or holidays. The continent is currently battling a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections and countries such as Austria has extended their lockdown to December 11.
South Korea ends quarantine exemptions to fend off Omicron
South Korea will scrap quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated travellers for two weeks from Friday (December 3), as the country moves to tighten travel restrictions after detecting its first five cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant on Wednesday.
A fully vaccinated couple tested positive for the variant after arriving last week from Nigeria, followed by two of their family members and a friend, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
As part of tightened border measures, all travellers entering the country will be tested for the new variant.
From Friday, all inbound travellers will have to serve a 10-day quarantine, halting exemptions previously given to fully vaccinated travellers. The measure will be in place for two weeks.
South Korea has also announced a suspension of direct flights from Ethiopia for two weeks starting Saturday.
In addition, the government is also barring arrivals from eight African countries, with Nigeria added to that list on Wednesday.
South Korea has an established vaccinated travel lane with Singapore. According to a report by The Straits Times, a check with KDCA showed that no decision has been made yet about whether VTL travellers will be subject to the mandatory quarantine.
The KDCA reported 5,266 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, a day after the daily tally rose above 5,000 for the first time, with the number of severe cases reaching a record 733. The new cases bring South Korea’s total to 457,612, with 3,705 deaths.
Report highlights most visited destinations by travellers from at-risk African countries
Qatar, the UAE, the UK and Ethiopia were the destinations most visited between November 1-23 by travellers from the eight southern African countries currently designated as most at risk due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19, according to air ticketing data from ForwardKeys.
The eight African countries are: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The data supports calls from many people objecting to immediate travel restrictions imposed on travel to and from these African countries.
Based on arrival numbers, the countries most visited are Qatar and the UAE, each with 12 per cent of travellers from the at-risk countries. The UK and Ethiopia are next, each with seven per cent.
The top ten airport hubs most used by those travellers were Doha, with 22 per cent; Addis Ababa, 15 per cent; Dubai, 13 per cent; Lusaka, six per cent; Johannesburg, six per cent; Nairobi, six per cent; Frankfurt, four per cent; Amsterdam, three per cent; Paris, three per cent; and London Heathrow, two per cent.
ForwardKeys said that such flight data could reduce the need for Omicron travel bans. Insights vice president, Olivier Ponti, said: “We are acutely aware of the dreadful damage done by Covid-19 to people’s health, but also of the damage done to countries’ economies by the measures governments have felt compelled to take in response to it.
“We believe that the best policies to control the spread of the virus should be based on facts, not fear; and if blanket bans on travel can be avoided, that must be a preferable strategy. Fortunately, travel data can help by telling policy makers exactly where people from the at-risk areas went and where they connected.”
Indian hoteliers brace for Omicron impact on bookings as international, state restrictions set in
Changes to India’s border regulations arising from Omicron fears are worrying hoteliers, who have only recently begun to see a pick up in business.
While Leisure Hotels Group has yet to see any Omicron impact on bookings and reservations, director Vibhas Prasad said the new travel restrictions “will definitely affect traveller sentiment and that may have an impact on demand”.
A New Delhi-based hotelier who requested anonymity, told TTG Asia that his hotel has seen a few bookings being postponed to a later date.
Indian hoteliers are also concerned about latest state border restrictions. As of December 1, foreigners are barred from entering Sikkim state in northeast India. The state government of Maharashtra has also made it mandatory for all travellers to carry an RT-PCR test report 48 hours prior to departure, irrespective of their vaccination status.
MRG Group’s group general manager – hospitality, Akshay Shetty, said these state travel curbs could eventually dampen demand from domestic tourism markets.
IHG hires Adeline Phua as development director for SE Asia and Korea
IHG Hotels & Resorts has appointed Adeline Phua as director, development for the South-east Asia and Korea region.
In this newly-created role, Phua will be supporting the strategic growth of IHG brands in South-east Asia, focusing on its luxury and lifestyle portfolio, and establishing a China desk to facilitate cross border investments and cooperation for the region.
Phua brings 16 years of global experience in hospitality strategy, planning, development, ideation and concept creation, feasibility, valuation, investment and asset management across China, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.
Based in China for the last 13 years, she joins IHG from an Asia practice of a Swiss cross border real estate investment and hospitality advisory firm based in Shanghai where she was founder and partner. Prior to that, she was senior director at Starwood’s Greater China development team and partner at HVS in Asia Pacific, first based in Singapore and then moving to Shanghai in 2009 to establish their China practice.
India tightens border rules for some countries over Omicron concerns
India has reimposed Covid-19 restrictions for international travellers arriving from “at-risk” nations including Singapore from Wednesday (December 1), due to concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant.
According to the health ministry, the countries categorised as “at-risk” are the European countries including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
Under the latest guidelines, travellers arriving from these countries are required to submit a self-declaration form and their travel history for the previous 14 days, as well as a negative PCR test result taken 72 hours prior to departure, on the Air Suvidha portal before their journey.
Travellers from “at-risk” countries will also need to take a Covid-19 PCR test upon arrival at the airport, and will have to wait for the result.
Those who test negative will have to undergo home quarantine for seven days and then self-monitor for another seven days, in addition to a test on the eighth day of arrival.
All positive samples will be sent for genome sequencing at designated INSACOG labs to identify the variant, and passengers will be admitted into isolation facilities.
Stay at Meliá Chiang Mai for half price
Meliá Chiang Mai is offering a 50 per cent discount on accommodation from when the urban hotel opens its doors in February next year.
Under that special opening promotion, room rates start at 2,500 baht (US$75) nett per night for a lead-in Meliá Room. The offer is available to book from now until December 31, 2021 for stays from February until December 31, 2022. Bookings on melia.com also come with a 20 per cent discount on food and drinks.
Towering over the Ping River in the heart of Chiang Mai, Meliá Chiang Mai comprises a 22-floor tower fronted by an adjoining seven-floor podium building and is home to 260 rooms and suites.
Hotel facilities include signature restaurant Mai Restaurant & Bar, a 360-degree rooftop bar, a spa, fitness centre, swimming pool, poolside bar, alongside a ballroom and four additional meeting spaces.
Thailand has allowed fully vaccinated travellers from 63 low-risk countries to enter the kingdom without quarantine since November 1.
YouTrip raises US$30m to target B2B market
YouTrip, a South-east Asian multi-currency neobank, has raised US$30 million in its latest Series A round, driven by returning investors from major Asian family offices and prominent financial technology investors.
With this, the company has now raised over US$60 million funding in total since launch.
The new capital will supercharge the company’s technological capabilities to bolster its suite of payment products, in particular, entering the adjacent B2B payments space, as well as accelerating its entrance into the wider South-east Asia.
To date, YouTrip has processed over US$800 million card spend globally, with almost 20 million transactions and over 1.5 million app downloads.
YouTrip’s transaction volume has also rebounded to pre-Covid levels, driven by strong traction in cross-border e-commerce transactions and progressive return of travel spending, said the company in a press release.
It added that with the opening of more vaccinated travel lanes in Singapore, transaction volume is forecast to accelerate rapidly, especially given upcoming holiday seasons and revenge travel.
To advance its growth, YouTrip has set its sights on the B2B payments ecosystem with an upcoming corporate credit card, YouBiz, catering to businesses with a global footprint. The product offers higher spending limits while transacting at the best exchange rates in more than 150 currencies.
Arthur Mak, YouTrip’s co-founder, said: “We’re very excited about the B2B payments opportunity. It is a segment with a deep market, as companies increasingly operate in a distributed and borderless manner and we expect their cross-border payment needs to go up.
“By incorporating our company’s core strengths of offering the best exchange rates and an extremely easy-to-use interface into YouBiz, we help businesses save time and cost, so that they can focus their energy and efforts in finding growth.”
Registration for interest in the product’s beta launch has received more than 1,000 sign-ups to date, according to YouTrip.
YouBiz will be rolled out in Singapore in 1Q2022, with plans to bring it to five other South-east Asia countries in the next twelve months.
Airbnb helps Singapore hotels tap into remote work boom
Airbnb has launched the Discover the Travel Revolution initiative which provides Singaporeans with a limited-time offer of S$50 (US$37) off any Airbnb stay listed by its partners via airbnb.com/travelrevo.
A minimum booking spend of S$150 is required, and each user can redeem the coupon code only once.
The initiative aims to encourage Singaporeans to embark on local workations and staycations, as well as to help Singapore’s tourism sector capitalise on the digital nomad trend.
Participating partners include Far East Organisation, Ascott Group, Hmlet and ST Signature. Guests can select from a range of hotels and serviced apartments listed on Airbnb, including Ascott Orchard Singapore, Hmlet Cantonment, lyf Funan Singapore, Parkroyal Serviced Suites, KeSa House, Wanderlust Hotel, and ST Residences Novena.
Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said: “The world is undergoing a revolution in how we live and work, and this increasing desire among travellers for flexible travel has created exciting new opportunities for Singapore’s tourism sector.
“As a global destination for professionals and business travellers, Singapore is uniquely positioned for both short and longer-term stays, especially for digital nomads looking to anchor themselves in an exciting destination for months at a time. This new initiative will not only encourage Singaporeans to explore their own backyard in creative new ways, but also help the city hone its offering to digital nomads from around the world.”
Thailand’s prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has confirmed the cabinet’s decision to maintain the RT-PCR Covid-19 testing for international arrivals under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme, reversing an earlier approved plan to allow travellers to take an antigen test, as part of measures to control the spread of the new Omicron variant.
The relaxed requirements, which were supposed to kick in on December 16, would have applied to travellers from 63 countries and territories who are allowed to enter under the test-and-go scheme, according to a report from the Bangkok Post.
The report quoted deputy public health minister, Sathit Pitutecha, as saying on Monday that “RT-PCR tests are more accurate than ATK tests, which is important to help prevent an Omicron outbreak in Thailand.”
Since December 1, foreign travellers from eight countries in southern Africa, namely, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, have been barred from entering to keep the variant out of Thailand, according to Apisamai Srirangson, assistant spokeswoman of the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Thais arriving from those countries will still be allowed to enter, but they will have to serve a 14-day quarantine.