SIA restarts flights between Munich and Singapore
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has resumed operating thrice-weekly flights between Singapore and the Munich hub, marking the German city’s first link to Asia since the pandemic started.
The airline operated its first flight from Singapore to Munich yesterday (January 20). Using an Airbus A350-900, flights from Singapore will take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while those from Munich will depart on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Sek Eng Lee, SIA regional vice president for Europe, said that the development “affirms our confidence of incipient market recovery”.
Jost Lammers, Munich Airport CEO, added: “Resuming the non-stop link between Munich and Singapore sends a very important signal, especially in these challenging times. Providing a well-established connection for business travellers and an efficient route for cargo, the Singapore Airlines flights will help to bring back some semblance of normality.”
SIA, Collinson trial Covid-19 pre-departure testing
All Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers flying outbound from Singapore and Indonesia (bound for Singapore) will be able to book pre-departure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology tests as part of a trial service.
The pre-departure test service – conducted in partnership with Collinson – is currently available to Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers departing from Singapore, Jakarta and Medan, as part of its pilot test phase. The pilot will run until mid-March, and there are plans to expand this service to more cities in the SIA and SilkAir network over the next few months if it is successful.
With pre-departure testing becoming a mandatory requirement for more countries, this new service allows SIA customers to book their test appointments on an online booking portal after making their flight bookings.
Customers can make an appointment for a pre-departure test with their preferred in-city clinic from a given list of testing facilities. Upon completion of their test, customers will automatically receive notification of their test results within 36 hours through the same portal, which if negative, can be presented upon check-in at the airport.
These test results will come with a QR code that enables airport check-in staff and Singapore immigration authorities to verify under the new digital health verification process that SIA is piloting with the International Air Transport Association. The portal will also be able to house digital Covid-19 status.
Todd Handcock, Asia-Pacific president of Collinson Group, said this will enable the safe reopening of key routes for travellers.
“While there’s optimism that the roll-out of vaccines will help bring an end to the pandemic, there remains a complex road ahead. In order to restore confidence in travel, the implementation of safe and robust testing protocols remains key,” he added.
A Hotel Indigo will rise atop Sydney’s City Tattersalls
InterContinental Hotels Group has signed an agreement with City Tattersalls Club (CTC) to open a Hotel Indigo in Sydney, as part of a 49-story mixed-use tower that will be perched atop the club’s premises.
The tower, which is currently being constructed, will also include restaurants, event space, an exclusive business lounge, retail outlets, as well as health and wellbeing facilities.
Scheduled to open in 2025, Hotel Indigo Sydney Centre will feature a neighbourhood story concept inspired by the 125-year history of CTC, one of the oldest community clubs in Sydney.
Amenities will include a café, bar and gym. Hotel guests will also benefit from access to the facilities within the broader development, including meeting and event space, and the exclusive lounge.
Hotel Indigo Sydney Centre will be located within the Pitt Street frontage, just a stone’s throw away from Pitt Street Mall, the heart of Sydney CBD, and the city’s premier shopping, food and entertainment precincts.
Emirates to trial IATA Travel Pass in April
Emirates has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to trial the IATA Travel Pass – a mobile app to help passengers securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for Covid-19 testing or vaccine information.
The app enables Emirates passengers to create a ‘digital passport’ to verify that their pre-travel test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination. They will also be able to share the test and vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. Travellers will also be able to manage their travel documentation digitally on the app.
Prior to a full roll-out, Emirates will implement phase one in Dubai for the validation of Covid-19 PCR tests before departure. In this initial phase, expected to begin in April, Emirates customers travelling from Dubai will be able to share their Covid-19 test status directly with the airline before reaching the airport through the app, which will then auto-populate the details on the check-in system.
Within the app, the integrated registry of travel requirements will also enable passengers to find accurate information on travel and entry requirements for all destinations regardless of where they are travelling from.
It will also include a registry of testing and eventually vaccination centres – making it more convenient for passengers to find testing centres and labs at their departure location which meet the standards for testing and vaccination requirements of their destination. The platform will then enable authorised labs and test centres to securely send test results or vaccination certificates to passengers.
Nick Careen, IATA senior vice president for airport, passenger, cargo and security, said: “This is the first step in making international travel during the pandemic as convenient as possible giving people the confidence that they are meeting all Covid-19 entry requirements by governments.
“As borders re-open, IATA Travel Pass will be further enhanced with more capabilities to meet all governments testing or vaccination verification requirements and Emirates customers will be among the first to have these services.”
Thomas Cook India targets luxury cruisers with Arctic and Antarctica expeditions
Thomas Cook India and its group company, SOTC Travel, have launched luxury cruise holidays to the polar extremes of the Arctic and Antarctica, targeting India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) and HNWI segments.
The new venture seeks to tap growing demand for exclusive and immersive travel experiences away from crowds during the Covid-19 era. The cruises offer natural vistas, wildlife encounters, relatively untouched terrain, with a glimpse into the lives of local cultures living in extreme environments.
Each sailing offers a bucket list of experiences, such as crossing the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Convergence, a glimpse of the penguin colonies in South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, and a visit to the home of the Polar Bear in Watkins Fjord.
On board the Ponant Cruise or the Sea Spirit, guests can expect a range of international cuisines, entertainment and live shows, sports and leisure activities, spas, and scenic views from their private balconies. Optional activities include kayaking, camping, hiking and polar region photography.
The 14-day Antarctic Peninsula includes: two-night stay at the Buenos Aires Marriott or similar, one-night stay at the Arakur Hotel in Ushuaia, and 10-night stay in Deluxe Suite on board the Sea Spirit. Guests can also expect encounters with whales, penguins and other marine wildlife using a fleet of Zodiac crafts. Bookings made before January 31, 2021 can enjoy a free upgrade to Premium Suite.
The 17-day Arctic Cruise includes: two-night stay at the Novotel Tour Eiffel in Paris or similar; 14-night stay in Prestige Stateroom on board the Ponant Cruise; unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on board the cruise; as well as flights from Paris to Longyearbeyn (Svalbard), and from Kanergerlussuaq (Greenland) to Paris.
Guests can also experience the magnificent landscape of Greenland, interact with local Inuit tribes at traditional villages, and partake in activities such as hiking and visit to the lava caves in Jan Mayen. The cruise will also sail along the Prins Christian Sund, a 100km long passage that winds its way through cliffs and glaciers.
Philippines bets on dive tourism as sector struggles to stay afloat
The Philippines, an archipelago home to more than 300 dive sites, is banking on marine and diving tourism to be a lifeline to save a tourism sector sinking under fresh waves of coronavirus.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) highlighted that dive tourism is among the country’s most bankable tourism products, buoyed by its diverse offerings, according to a report by The Philippine Star.
Speaking at the Dive Philippines webinar series, tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat was quoted by the report as saying: “The Philippines, as an archipelago at the centre of the coral triangle, is home to biological diverse marine and aquatic resources.
“With this, the department sees dive tourism as one of the key areas for positive industry growth, including increased visitor count, extended length of stay and higher tourism revenues.”
She was also quoted by the Manila Bulletin as saying that “diving and marine sports are considered one of our country’s top tourism products and attractions. Most of the flourishing tourism activities available in the country today are water-based – from adventure to eco-tourism activities such as snorkelling, diving, and surfing.”
Among the country’s top diving spots include Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro; Malapascua Island in Cebu; Anilao in Batangas; and the Verde Island Passage in Puerto Galera.
Last year, the Philippines beat out the Maldives and Fiji to emerge as the world’s leading dive destination at the 27th World Travel Awards.
Covid third wave hits tourism recovery in Japan
Tourism businesses in Japan have hit another speed bump in their road to recovery from coronavirus, following a further suspension of the government’s Go To Travel subsidy scheme, as the country enters a second state of emergency in response to a virus resurgence.
Eleven prefectures – Tokyo and neighbouring Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama; Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo in the Kansai area; and Aichi, Gifu, Tochigi and Fukuoka – were placed under the declaration until February 7.
The Japanese government has urged residents in the 11 prefectures under its state of emergency to refrain from going out or travelling between prefectures unless essential, following insufficient changes in public behaviour since the emergency declaration.
As well, the suspension of the Go To Travel subsidy programme has been extended until the same date, adding further strain to the tourism industry.
Restaurants and bars have been asked to close by 20.00, which has resulted in a 60 per cent drop in the number of diners at eateries since the declaration, according to online reservation firm Toreta.
With borders shut to leisure foreign tourists, Makarim “Mac” Salman, founder and lead guide of Maction Planet, swiftly pivoted in spring 2020 to cater to the domestic market. Many visitors joined his range of Tokyo tours under the subsidy scheme launched in July 2020, which covered 50 per cent of travellers’ costs. Most were retirees, hailing from northern Japan, and cited an interest in practicing English and seeing Japan from a foreigner’s perspective as reasons for joining his tours.
“People could afford to stay longer than usual (due to the programme) so I had looked forward to developing (my offerings) further, but the cessation of Go To Travel has reduced the number of tourists coming to Tokyo,” he said.
Yuko Inamasu, founder of cultural experiences curator Toki, has also seen further losses in business as infection levels have risen. “We had some customers come in fall, but as soon as Covid started becoming a threat (again) around late November, we experienced cancellations,” she said.
In response to the continued slump in travel, Central Japan Railway Co is to cancel more than 1,500 bullet train services on the Tokaido Shinkanen between Osaka and Tokyo from January 26 to end-February.
Many industry experts have expressed uncertainty as to whether Go To Travel can be restarted given Japan’s third wave, which has raised the nationwide number of infections to around 6,000 per day.
WTTC projects over 100m tourism jobs recovered in 2021
Strong summer holiday bookings on the back of global vaccination rollout and widespread pre-departure testing could see more than 100 million jobs return to the global travel and tourism sector this year, according to an optimistic projection by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
As the sector begins its road to post-pandemic recovery from late March onwards, a strong summer of travel is expected, with many major travel companies reporting a significant rise in forward bookings.
The sector’s revival is backed by WTTC’s latest economic forecast. Last year, during the height of the pandemic, WTTC warned 174 million global travel and tourism jobs were at risk. However, in its latest analysis, WTTC’s most optimistic scenario predicts as many as 111 million jobs could be revived – but this would still be 17 per cent below 2019 figures, accounting for 54 million fewer jobs.
This best-case scenario, with travel recovery starting from late March, factors in widespread vaccination programmes and a swift adoption of comprehensive test-and-trace regimes, together with continual, strong international coordination from the private and public sectors.
A more conservative projection would still see a return of 84 million jobs, but this would be 25 per cent below 2019 levels, with 82 million fewer jobs recovered.
Under this scenario, the recovery of international travel is pushed to 2H2021. Vaccines would be rolled out more gradually, slowing down the removal of worldwide travel barriers and restrictions currently in place, while depressing demand to travel and reducing consumer confidence.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC president & CEO, said: “We are looking forward to a strong summer of travel, thanks to a combination of mask-wearing, the global vaccination rollout and testing on departure unlocking the door to international travel once more.
“Our latest research supports this and shows there is definitely hope on the horizon for the global travel and tourism sector in the year ahead, with the possible recovery of up to 111 million jobs.
“This projected outcome will come as a huge relief and be welcomed as the beginning of the long-awaited recovery, for a sector which has for so long suffered the brunt of hugely damaging travel restrictions.”
The new research also revealed that in the best-case scenario, travel and tourism’s contribution to global GDP will fall 17 per cent compared to 2019 figures, to US$7.4 trillion.
And in the more conservative outcome, with a slower recovery, the sector’s contribution will drop by more than one quarter (27 per cent), to US$6.5 trillion.
CNY 2021 sees uplift in domestic hotel searches in Singapore
Domestic travel will lead the way in Asia-Pacific over the upcoming Lunar New Year (LNY) period, according to a recent Sojern report analysing travel intent within Asia-Pacific.
Sojern analysed the travel trends and insights looking at countries within Asia-Pacific that typically have the strongest Lunar New Year seasonality – Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Upcoming travel trends for Asia-Pacific and Lunar New Year
Sojern found that the demand for travel is predominantly domestically-driven, with the exception of Hong Kong where more than 50 per cent are looking at exploring international travel between February 11-14, coinciding with the LNY dates – whether it translates into actual bookings will depend on the status of travel restrictions.
At least 40 per cent of travellers started to search a month prior to LNY, with the exceptions of Japan, Thailand and Malaysia – all of which are seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases, with lockdowns and state of emergencies having been declared. In Hong Kong, more than 10 per cent of travellers are looking to book trips of at least four days. As such, Sojern advises travel marketers to start planning to target Asia-Pacific travellers now, and again two weeks prior to LNY, to capitalise on the demand.
Inter-country travel between Hong Kong and Singapore is showing a peak in demand between LNY and the March 2021 school holidays.
Hong Kong inbound flight searches from Singapore
A look at Singapore’s domestic trends shows that pre-planning has started for LNY, Valentine’s Day and the March school holidays. Sojern’s data shows that the domestic hotel search demand has improved drastically with a 73 per cent year-over-year (YoY) uplift.
Domestic hotel searches and future dates in Singapore
Domestic travel intent for Australia and New Zealand
Domestic flight bookings for Australia and New Zealand indicate that domestic travel trends continue to peak in both countries. Travel within Australia saw a 300 per cent increase at the end of November and into December 2020.
Domestic flight booking – Australia and New Zealand
When analysing the future dates of hotel searches domestically in Australia and New Zealand, Sojern sees that the lead time is short with travellers looking to book hotels from now until the start of the second quarter of the year, up until April 2021. It is clear that travellers are dreaming of future travel and hotel holiday stays.
Domestic hotel searches and future dates – Australia and New Zealand
Travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand were among the first countries in Asia-Pacific to open up international travel (Trans-Tasman, but one-way from New Zealand to Australia). The Australian government announced a Safe Travel Zone with New Zealand, allowing travellers from New Zealand to enter the country quarantine-free. However, upon their return, New Zealanders have to quarantine and bear the financial cost. Contrary to reports, when looking at our data from December 2020 onwards, we see that New Zealand travellers were looking to travel to Australia in February (24.2 per cent increase) up until May (almost 10 per cent).
Subsequently, Australia to New Zealand is also seeing some traction. Last year in December 2020 (53.8 per cent) and now in January 2021 (30.2 per cent), Sojern notes an increase in flight bookings.
Flight booking and future dates – Australia and New Zealand travel bubble
JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, Australia
Located close to the Gold Coast’s golden beaches and unspoilt hinterlands, the resort is home to 223 guestrooms and suites, along with six F&B venues. Signature Japanese restaurant Misono features an Izakaya sushi bar, tearoom and whisky bar; while all-day diner, Citrique, boasts a show kitchen where guests can enjoy live cooking presentations. Forming part of Citrique, JW Market, the hotel’s café and provedore, serves freshly ground coffee and grab-and-go bites. Located in the lobby, Chapter & Verse is a lounge by day and a bar in the evenings, where guests can sip on handcrafted cocktails. As well, the resort’s very own JW Garden offers farm-to-table dining experiences, cooking classes and specialty drinks.
A tropical aquatic area, a resort highlight, includes both a saltwater lagoon and a freshwater pool, with private cabanas lining the lagoon edge. A poolside cocktail delivery from the Pool Bar is available, as are light meals, snacks and other refreshments. For an indulgent experience, Spa by JW offers customised treatments, while Family by JW programmes engage young guests in fun and creative experiences during their stay. Guests can also participate in a series of five- to 10-minute relaxation rituals and activities daily, such as guided meditation sessions.
Located minutes from the beach, the resort offers a coastal venue for weddings, meetings and events with 2,000m2 of function space, featuring ten scalable spaces. The pillarless 715m2 JW Ballroom allows vehicle access, geared for large-scale exhibitions and product launches; while the junior ballroom provides a space for creative meetings and events.
Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort, Philippines
Owned by Donggwang Clark Corporation, the 308-key Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort is located in the Clark Freeport Zone, and is a 12-minute drive from Clark International Airport. For relaxation, there is a fitness centre, an outdoor pool, walking and jogging path, and a soon-to-open wellness centre. The resort has three F&B outlets: all-day diner, Olive, serves international buffet and a la carte options from open kitchens; Cantonese restaurant XI offers private dining options; while Treat is a coffee shop by day and a cocktail and wine bar by night.
Featuring over 1,800m2 of meetings space, the resort is ready to play host to meetings, weddings and social gatherings. The pillarless Grand Ballroom, measuring 1,010m2, can accommodate up to 1,200 guests in theatre-style seating. In addition, there are seven flexible meeting rooms for events, ranging from business meetings to team-building sessions.
Holiday Inn Express Kota Kinabalu City Centre, Malaysia
Situated in the heart of Sabah’s capital city, Holiday Inn Express Kota Kinabalu City Centre is a 13-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport. The 250-room hotel comprises of queen and twin-bedded rooms, with the option of rooms with a sofa bed that can house up to three guests. Amenities include a 24-hour fitness centre, a self-service business centre and laundry room, and meeting room that seats up to 12 persons.
Hyatt opens first five UrCove hotels in China
UrCove, the new hospitality brand developed under a joint venture between Hyatt and BTG Homeinns Hotel Group affiliates, has opened its first five properties across China. All UrCove hotels are located in the heart of bustling cities. They are: UrCove Shanghai Jing’an, UrCove Shanghai Lujiazui Expo, UrCove Shanghai Wujiaochang, UrCove Chengdu City Center and UrCove Nanjing South Railway Station. Each hotel features an all-day dining restaurant, a 24-hour gym, a self-service laundry room and meeting rooms. New smart service facilities support self-service check-in and checkout, and all hotels feature the signature UrCove Space, which offers guests a multi-functional space for business and social gatherings.