On the heel of its service resumption to Tokyo in December, Hong Kong Airlines has this month returned to Osaka and added a Sunday service to Tokyo.
The Osaka resumption, which came into effect on January 2, 2021, is operated every Thursday and Saturday to Kansai International Airport.
Hong Kong Airlines resumes twice weekly flights to Osaka
The additional Tokyo service was launched on January 1, between Hong Kong and Narita International Airport.
The Airbus A330 aircraft will be deployed for both destinations, to ensure ample cargo space is also available to ferry goods and perishables from these two popular cities.
To offer customers more travel flexibility, rebooking of flights or last-minute change of destination is allowed up to 24 hours before departure without any change fees.
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok and Bangkok Hospital are giving local residents the opportunity to experience the safety and seclusion of their Alternative State Quarantine programme, which combines two weeks of spacious accommodation with world-class medical monitoring, a private home pick-up service, and a wealth of extra amenities.
The programme welcomes all Thai nationals and expats who wish to volunteer a self-quarantine, be it for work, rest or recuperation, in a safe environment away from their family members.
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok and Bangkok Hospital have created a programme for Thai residents desiring quality self-isolation
Set amid lush tropical gardens, with verdant lawns, over 50 different species of plants, towering century-old trees, cascading waterfalls and soothing koi carp ponds, Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok presents an ideal destination for health-conscious guests with a need or desire to self-isolate.
Priced from 64,000 baht (US$2,120) net per person, the Health Watch package includes medical care courtesy of Bangkok Hospital, with daily health monitoring at the hotel under nurse supervision, two Covid-19 tests, immune system enhancing supplements, and access to the hospital’s doctors via TytoCare, the on-demand medical examination service.
Accommodation options range from the 42m2 Superior Rooms to the 164m2 Presidential Suite or Royal Suite. Complimentary Wi-Fi, 55-inch Smart TVs, and access to over 7,000 newspaper and magazine titles via the PressReader app will also ensure that every guest is kept fully connected, while the Paragon Chat & Shop @ ASQ app offers retail therapy with purchases delivered to the hotel on the same day.
Guests are able to order from regularly rotating menus that feature more than 150 nutritious dishes, along with plenty of vegetarian options. The hotel’s room service menu is also accessible, and guests can enjoy a selection of tasty pastries and cakes from Rim Klong Café.
Programme benefits extend beyond check-out. Upon departure, guests will be rewarded with a Health Watch membership card, which grants them discounted F&B, dining and stays in the future.
Six leading sales and marketing experts based in the UK, Germany, France, Russia and Thailand have come together to establish the Worldwide Travel Alliance (WTA) to provide sales, marketing, representation and publicity services to global travel brands looking to regain European markets ahead of the post-Covid recovery.
Worldwide Travel Alliance founders: (top, from left) Anabela Dos Santos, Ken Scott, Andrea Hogg; (bottom, from left) May Kamya, Elena Vetrova and Anchalee Sriwongsa
WTA founders include Andrea Hogg of Wendum Travel Services (UK); May Kamya of Eastern Favourites (German-speaking markets and Scandinavia); Anabela Dos Santos of ADS Consulting (French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese markets); Elena Vetrova of Travel Media (Russia, Ukraine, CIS and Baltic States); and Ken Scott and Anchalee Sriwongsa of ScottAsia Communications (UK and Thailand).
They have intensive in-market expertise in B2B sales, road shows, virtual and physical event representation, media relations, fam trip organisation, publicity, and digital content creation. Each consultancy is well-known and has an extensive network in each market.
Altogether, WTA founders are able to provide hotels and resorts, national and regional tourism boards, DMCs, theme parks, tour operators, cruise lines, medical tourism outlets, travel associations, and more access to all English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese speaking markets in Europe.
Commenting on WTA’s formation, Hogg said: “After the travel industry trauma of 2020, all travel brands are setting new priorities and targets – many are effectively starting over in 2021. This is where WTA can step in and quickly help them create business from important source markets.”
Kamya added: “While a lot depends on the vaccine roll-out, at WTA we expect travel bookings to surge from January 2021. People who have been denied international travel for 10 months are ready to act on their bucket list.”
Domestic travel across Malaysia will be prohibited from January 13 to 26 in a bid to arrest the rising number of Covid-19 infections, with potential for extension subject to risk assessments before the ban expires.
Besides a ban on interstate travel, social activities involving mass gatherings will also not be allowed in all states except for Sarawak and Perlis – two states that have recorded fewer number of new infections. Social gatherings in the two states will be subjected to strict standard operating procedures.
Majority of Malaysian states as well as the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya will return to a lockdown as new infections surge
Face-to-face business events will be temporarily impacted too.
Residents of Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and Sabah as well as the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya will face further inter-district travel restrictions as these regions are regarded as “high risk states” and healthcare services are almost stretched to their limits.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) enforced on these states and the Federal Territories will be similar to the strict conditions imposed from March 18 to May 4, 2020, where residents were only allowed to move within 10km of their home and only two people were allowed to travel to purchase groceries.
In a televised address to the nation, Malaysia prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government had decided to take these strict measures to break the chain of transmission of Covid-19 infection, thus reducing the number of daily positive cases to a more manageable level.
He said that the country’s healthcare system was “at breaking point”.
“In the Klang Valley, the rate of ICU bed use for Covid-19 patients at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital and the University of Malaya Medical Centre had reached 100 per cent while at the Sungai Buloh Hospital it has reached 83 per cent. The rate of use of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients in Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Terengganu and Sarawak has exceeded 70 per cent,” he elaborated.
Malaysia reported 2,232 new Covid-19 infections on January 11, 2021, and four fatalities, bringing the death toll nationwide to 555.
While travel and tourism leaders expressed understanding for the need to curb infections, they also urged the government to appreciate the resulting impact on an already distressed industry.
Malaysian Association of Hotels CEO, Yap Lip Seng, said: “We need to stress on the need for the government to make the right decision in balancing lives (and) livelihood. With the…MCO implementations, businesses are again expected to lose all revenue streams.
“The government must support the industry and its people. With little or no revenue, businesses will not be able to retain its people, will not be able to pay salaries, and will have no option but to let go of its employees.”
Yap underlined the urgent need for a wage subsidy structure of 50 per cent for employees within a pay structure of RM4,000 (US$988) and 30 per cent for those earning up to RM8,000.
Malaysia Budget Hotel Association national deputy president, Sri Ganesh Michiel, also urged government understanding and assistance.
Meanwhile, Uzaidi Udanis, president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, advised members to adapt to the new situation, pivot their businesses towards digitalisation, and step up on hygiene procedures to rebuild customer confidence.
Santiburi Koh Samui, a beachfront resort in Thailand, is offering local residents a 50 per cent discount on a wide range of suites and villas, plus an array of extras, for reservations made before March 31, 2021.
Under the Blissful Vacay promotion, applicable for stays before June 30, 2021, guests will enjoy rates as low as 3,900 baht (US$129), including daily breakfast for two, afternoon tea, in-room fresh fruit, early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability).
The Grand Reserve Pool Villa at Santiburi Koh Samui offers 250m² of indoor and outdoor space
For active guests, the resort is also offering unlimited use of non-motorised water sports equipment, complimentary tennis court hire, and shuttle services to the Santiburi Samui Country Club, which features an 18-hole championship golf course.
Complimentary roundtrip transfers to and from the airport is also available for those who book a three-night stay or longer. Additionally, the resort is offering 25 per cent discounts on all F&B and spa treatments on-site.
For family groups, up to two children aged 13 and below can stay, play, and dine for free.
The Blissful Vacay promotion can be used in combination with discounts offered under the government-sponsored We Travel Together campaign, for stays made before April 29, 2021. All bookings are flexible and can be changed up until 48 hours prior to check-in.
For travellers who have dreamt of “hobnobbing” with rugby legends, reliving the journey of New Zealand’s first discoverer, or getting lost in the fantastical world of cinematic magic, a trio of new experiences launched by Tourism New Zealand for 2021 is set to spark their wanderlust.
At the All Blacks Experience, visitors can join the All Blacks legends in a Haka
All Blacks Experience: Pay homage to the world’s rugby legends
Located at Auckland’s SkyCity, the All Blacks Experience will appeal to visitors who have always wondered what it takes to be the world’s greatest rugby players. Featuring four interactive hands-on zones, visitors can test their rugby skills and discover if they are born to kick, pass and train like the legends of the All Blacks, Blacks Ferns, and others who wore the reputable black jersey.
For rugby fans who’ve always wondered how it feels to be on the receiving end of the iconic Haka, watching the All Blacks perform right before one’s eyes is the ultimate way to feel the passion of these rugby greats and appreciate the role that this traditional war dance plays in mentally and physically preparing the team as they go into battle on the rugby field.
Manea Footprints of Kupe: Explore the history of Aotearoa
Twenty years in the making, Manea Footprints of Kupe, an interactive Cultural, Heritage, Tourism and Education Centre, immerses visitors in the history of New Zealand or Aotearoa. The attraction is housed in Opononi, Hokianga, which is the place Kupe, the country’s first discoverer, called home for four decades. Manea aims to communicate Kupe’s journeys across New Zealand, as well as the Māori story.
Through a 75-minute interactive guided tour led by Kupe’s descendants, history lovers will be exposed to an authentic cultural engagement that includes protocols, pōwhiri (welcome ceremony), storytelling, waiata (song) and karakia (prayers). A 20-minute 4D movie and live theatre performance that bring to life Kupe’s journeys wrap up the cultural jaunt.
Weta Workshop Unleashed: Explore film-making and celebrate creativity
Weta Workshop Unleashed is a visual feast that invites guests of all ages to step into a fantastical film effects facility, inspired by Wellington’s Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop. Located at Federal Street in Auckland, this attraction is not for the faint-hearted. Think resident creatures, one hyper realistic giant and a galactic robot.
A 90-minute guided tour led by the Unleashed crew promises to take visitors into the worlds of three original movie projects of the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres. This newest attraction is a celebration of creativity and making – from conceptual design to creature sculpting, weapons-making to world-building, and everything else in between.
Crystal Endeavor, the German-built vessel for Crystal Expedition Cruises, is on track to debut this summer, following the resumption of work on the vessel at the MV Werften shipyard in Germany.
The luxury expedition ship’s original launch date last August was pushed back after the global pandemic forced a shutdown of the shipyard.
Production for Crystal Endeavor has resumed as Crystal looks ahead to new destinations and experiences for cruisers
Currently, Crystal is reviewing the ship’s published summer itineraries, with planned destinations including the Norwegian Fjords and Scottish Isles, France, Spain and Portugal, the Atlantic Isles and Western Africa, Brazil and Argentina, and Antarctica.
Set to navigate some of the world’s most remote areas, Crystal Endeavor will offer three categories of exploration: Remote Expedition, visiting far-flung destinations and uninhabited locales; Cultural Discovery, with a focus on the region and its people; and Destination Exploration, highlighting the natural wonders and beauty of the destinations.
The 20,000 gross-registered-tons vessel will accommodate 200 guests with all-suite guestrooms; six dining venues; a salon and spa, and fitness centre. Expedition-specific amenities and spaces will include enrichment areas, mud rooms, a helicopter lounge and a seven-person submersible, allowing for deep-water explorations up to 980 feet in several areas of the world.
Crystal has cancelled Crystal Endeavor voyages through May 1, 2021.
A second wave of Covid-19 has put the brakes on the recent budding recovery in air travel demand in Thailand, with domestic air travel plunging by 60 per cent since the start of 2021, reported the Bangkok Post.
That figure was drawn from 20 airports, which are under the purview of the Department of Airports (DoA) nationwide, said the report, quoting Apirat Chaiwongnoi, acting director-general of the department.
Resurgence of the coronavirus has caused domestic air travel in Thailand to fall 60%; domestic travellers checking in at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand last November pictured
The number of domestic passengers passing through the 20 airports also dropped from an average 30,000 a day before the New Year to 12,000, he said.
After the long New Year weekend, the number of daily flights operated into and out of the 20 airports was down 40 per cent to 100 on average, compared to the 160 flights on average pre-holiday.
Airlines have scaled back their flights in the face of declining demand, with some asking the DoA to extend remedial measures, including landing fee discounts, which expired on December 31, according to the report. Apirat said discussions to support the sector will take place soon, it added.
The report also quoted a source from the Transport Ministry as saying that heavy cancellations of flights had begun to be lodged with authorities from January 6.
Renewed attention has been cast on Indonesia’s air safety standards, after a Sriwijaya Air plane carrying 62 people crashed into the Java Sea on Saturday, shortly after taking off from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on a domestic flight.
The Boeing 737-500 jet’s last contact with air-traffic controllers was at around 14.40 local time, four minutes into its 90-minute journey to Pontianak, capital of West Kalimantan province. It had on board 12 crew and 50 passengers, including seven children and three infants. All were Indonesian nationals.
Sriwijaya Air crash prompts renewed scrutiny on Indonesia’s aviation safety standards
Indonesia’s transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi told a press conference that the SJ 182 plane crashed around Male Island and Lancang Island, part of the Thousand Islands chain, situated 11 nautical miles from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The registered aircraft crashed when it was about to climb to an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.
Indonesian authorities on Sunday have found the plane’s black boxes and have pulled other wreckage and body parts from the crash site. However, the search appears to offer no hope of finding any survivors.
Following the accident, the travel trade has called for the tightening of the regulatory framework concerning aviation safety.
Budijanto Ardiansjah, director of My Duta Tour, said that the government must scale up safety requirements. “The aircraft’s eligibility test also needs to be tightened, one of which is by limiting the life of the aircraft. The government must have zero tolerance regarding maintenance (lapses) because this (concerns) the lives of passengers,” he added.
Meanwhile, Adjie Wahjono, operation manager of Aneka Kartika Tours, fears that the accident will further dent demand for air travel, already a shunned mode of transport due to virus fears amid Covid-19.
To beef up confidence among the flying public, Adjie urged the government to improve transportation safety and infrastructure as well as implement stronger regulation of maintenance facilities and procedures.
A resurgence of Covid-19 has not thwarted the travel plans of India’s super-rich, who are escaping the pandemic-ravaged region by flocking to the Maldives, with India emerging as the island country’s biggest source market last year.
Last year, 62,905 Indian tourists holidayed in the Maldives, accounting for 11.3 per cent of the total market share, according to the Indian High Commission in Male.
Wealthy Indian travellers are flocking into the Maldives’ waiting lap of luxury amidst the pandemic; an Indian couple strolling along a beach in the Maldives in December 2020 pictured
In second place was Russia, followed by the UK. For many years, China has been the mainstay of the Maldives’ tourism economy, but Chinese visitorship dropped sharply in 2020 as China put in place outbound travel restrictions to stem the Covid spread.
Incoming travellers from India to the Maldives largely comprise Bollywood celebrities and luxury jet-setters opting for stays at high-end resorts.
Five Indian cities have flights to the country’s capital city of Male, with five airlines operating there, under the air travel bubble established between the two countries, according to a Times of India report.
As one of the few countries which remains open to foreign tourists amid the pandemic, the Maldives has seen a steady climb in international arrivals since its reopening last July after a four-month closure. The island nation initially reopened with no testing or quarantine mandates, but changed tack in September to require all incoming travellers to present negative Covid-19 test results and complete an online health declaration form.
Even as countries worldwide battle a virus resurgence, the Maldives recorded 96,411 tourist arrivals in December 2020 – a drop from the 171,348 recorded in the same period in 2019, but still a creditable showing in the midst of the pandemic, according to industry officials. December’s figures were more than double that of November arrivals of 35,200.
In fact, the surge in tourist arrivals caught some Maldivian resorts and guesthouses unprepared. “The industry didn’t anticipate such a rush and some resorts reported a shortage of some consumables including liquor and some choice wines,” said the head of a destination marketing company. “There was no stockpiling of goods as resorts didn’t want to overstock, not expecting such a rush.”
The country recorded a total of 555,399 arrivals in 2020, lower than the 1.7 million in 2019, but much higher than the targeted 500,000 for the year. For 2021, the authorities are targeting 1.5 million arrivals.
“Despite the pandemic, Maldives tourism has done well. We expected a good last quarter for tourism, but the results were beyond expectations in December,” noted Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation managing director Thoyyib Mohamed.
According to the former president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, Abdulla Ghiyas, resorts ran at almost full occupancy at 60-70 per cent, given than a portion (ranging from 10 to 20 per cent) of the room inventory has to remain closed and kept for health and Covid-19 emergencies. “Some resorts have allocated a higher portion for health use,” he said, adding that while December was a good month for the country’s tourism, January is also turning out to be positive with 20,000 arrivals in the first week alone.
The Maldives has reported 14,040 Covid-19 cases and 48 deaths, with most of the cases confined to Male, isolated from resort islands, where a few cases have been recorded.
Domestic travel across Malaysia will be prohibited from January 13 to 26 in a bid to arrest the rising number of Covid-19 infections, with potential for extension subject to risk assessments before the ban expires.
Besides a ban on interstate travel, social activities involving mass gatherings will also not be allowed in all states except for Sarawak and Perlis – two states that have recorded fewer number of new infections. Social gatherings in the two states will be subjected to strict standard operating procedures.
Face-to-face business events will be temporarily impacted too.
Residents of Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and Sabah as well as the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya will face further inter-district travel restrictions as these regions are regarded as “high risk states” and healthcare services are almost stretched to their limits.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) enforced on these states and the Federal Territories will be similar to the strict conditions imposed from March 18 to May 4, 2020, where residents were only allowed to move within 10km of their home and only two people were allowed to travel to purchase groceries.
In a televised address to the nation, Malaysia prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government had decided to take these strict measures to break the chain of transmission of Covid-19 infection, thus reducing the number of daily positive cases to a more manageable level.
He said that the country’s healthcare system was “at breaking point”.
“In the Klang Valley, the rate of ICU bed use for Covid-19 patients at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital and the University of Malaya Medical Centre had reached 100 per cent while at the Sungai Buloh Hospital it has reached 83 per cent. The rate of use of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients in Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Terengganu and Sarawak has exceeded 70 per cent,” he elaborated.
Malaysia reported 2,232 new Covid-19 infections on January 11, 2021, and four fatalities, bringing the death toll nationwide to 555.
While travel and tourism leaders expressed understanding for the need to curb infections, they also urged the government to appreciate the resulting impact on an already distressed industry.
Malaysian Association of Hotels CEO, Yap Lip Seng, said: “We need to stress on the need for the government to make the right decision in balancing lives (and) livelihood. With the…MCO implementations, businesses are again expected to lose all revenue streams.
“The government must support the industry and its people. With little or no revenue, businesses will not be able to retain its people, will not be able to pay salaries, and will have no option but to let go of its employees.”
Yap underlined the urgent need for a wage subsidy structure of 50 per cent for employees within a pay structure of RM4,000 (US$988) and 30 per cent for those earning up to RM8,000.
Malaysia Budget Hotel Association national deputy president, Sri Ganesh Michiel, also urged government understanding and assistance.
Meanwhile, Uzaidi Udanis, president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, advised members to adapt to the new situation, pivot their businesses towards digitalisation, and step up on hygiene procedures to rebuild customer confidence.