Starfish Travel Corporation Team

With effect from 15 August 2023, holders of UK passports may enter Vietnam without a visa for a maximum of 45 days, a threefold extension of the previous maximum of 15 days. Currently, British citizens do not need to apply for a visa to enter Vietnam for up to 15 days for transit, business, or tourism (but not for paid or volunteer work). Instead of the previous maximum of 30 days, British visitors staying longer can now apply for an e-visa using the internet portal and stay for up to 90 days.  In addition, the extended e-visa is now good for numerous entries rather than just one. Vietnam requires travellers to apply for a pre-approved visa letter through a travel/visa agency in order to get the visa stamp upon arrival, in contrast to other nearby nations like Cambodia and Thailand, where visas can be obtained upon landing at border gates.  The planned improvements to visa-free travel and e-visas will greatly increase the flexibility of travel for British visitors to Vietnam and other nations in the diverse region of Southeast Asia, according to a representative for Vietnam Airlines. British tourists with several destinations will be able to visit Vietnam, continue to other countries, and then come back if they want to see more of our stunning country.  With our nonstop flights from London Heathrow to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as our broad network of direct connections to other important cities within Vietnam, Asia, and Australia, Vietnam Airlines will be there for them every step of the way. Source- Travel daily

National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) data recently revealed that passenger enplanements on US-international air traffic totaled 22.719 million in June 2023 – up 19.0% from June 2022, with enplanements reaching 95.4% of pre-pandemic June 2019 volume. Air Travel Non-Stop Starting in June 2023  In June 2023, there were 4.227 million non-citizen air passengers who arrived in the United States from other nations, an increase of 19.7% from June 2022. o This is 80.2% of the June 2019 volume prior to the epidemic. In related news, 2.55 million foreign visitors arrived in the United States in June 2023, surpassing 1.0 million for the twentieth consecutive month. The volume of international arrivals in June decreased from 73.6% in May 2023 to 73.2% of pre-pandemic June 2019 levels.  The number of American citizens who flew out of the country to other nations in June 2023 was 7.541 million, up 18.5% from June 2022 and 9.5% more than in June 2019. Highlights from the global region for June 2023 (APIS/I-92 arrivals and departures) • In terms of overall air passenger traffic (arrivals and departures), Mexico (3.336 million), Canada (2.647 million), the United Kingdom (2.060 million), Germany (1.054 million), and the Dominican Republic (998,000) were in first and second place, respectively. International regional air travel to/from the United States: 7.424 million passengers travelled from/to Europe, up 15.9% from June 2022 and only down (-7.0%) from June 2019. o The population of South, Central, and the Caribbean was 5.303 million, up 3.8% from June 2019 and growing 13.5% from June 2022. 2.165 million people travelled through Asia, up 103.0% from June 2022 but down (-35.2%) from June 2019.  Top foreign ports serving U.S. locations include London Heathrow (LHR), Cancun (CUN), Toronto (YYZ), Paris (CDG), 825,000, and Frankfurt (FRA). Top U.S. ports serving international locations include New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Newark (EWR), and San Francisco (SFO).  Source- Travel daily

Canada has begun granting open work permits for H1-B visa holders from the US in an effort to draw in highly educated professionals. Indians, who make up about 75% of H1-B visa holders in the US, stand to gain from this. Holders of US H1-B visas will be able to enter Canada and work there for three years with the help of the authorization. It also enables the family members of accepted applicants to pursue education or employment opportunities in the nation. The new project will run for a year, or until 10,000 applications are received by the Canadian government. Many of the thousands of workers in high-tech disciplines employed by multinational corporations with significant operations in both Canada and the US have H-1B specialist occupation visas. The Canadian government stated in a release earlier this month that US citizens with H-1B specialty occupation visas and their accompanying immediate family members will be able to seek to travel to Canada as of July 16, 2023. Source- Travel biz

Operated by Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt. Ltd., is expanding its itinerary to include significant ports in West Asia. Jurgen Bailom, President & CEO of Waterways Leisure Tourism, said that the cruise line will now include ports in Oman, UAE, the entire Gulf region, Qatar, and Bahrain from Mumbai after beginning international sailings from Chennai to three coasts in Sri Lanka. By providing three, four, five, and seven-night packages for journeys from Mumbai to West Asia in addition to the five-night package currently offered to Sri Lanka, Cordelia Cruises hopes to provide Indian tourists additional options. These packages would cost between INR 11,000 to INR 13,000 per person per day. By choosing to run foreign routes, Bailom demonstrated the organization’s long-term vision and commitment to advancing India’s maritime tourist sector. Over 400,000 individuals have taken cruises on Cordelia Cruises since September 2021, he observed, and the number of Indian tourists has been rising since the cruise line’s start. This contains 70,000 annual East Coast visitors and 130,000 West Coast passengers. The CEO also said that pre-pandemic levels of travel around the world had been surpassed, and that India and Southeast Asia have strong tourist potential. In order to take advantage of this growth potential, Cordelia Cruises aims to buy a few ships that are bigger than Cordelia in the near future. Each ship is expected to cost roughly INR 500 crore, and the money will come from internal accruals. Source- Travel biz

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) continues to restructure the company’s and THAI Smile Airways’ aviation business operations. Effective improvements have been made to the aircraft utilisation and fleet efficiency. To meet rising travel demand, the airline route network has also been expanded.  Beginning on July 16, 2023, THAI will use Airbus A320 aircraft to fly on the following routes: Bangkok – Yangon v.v., which was previously served by THAI Smile Airways; and Bangkok – Dhaka v.v. 1. The Bangkok-Yangon direct flight will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, offering Silk Class (specially available on A320-operated routes) with a selection of food and beverages to satisfy all passengers’ travel needs and comfort throughout their journey) and Economy Class along with options for in-flight entertainment like e-Reading and short films. 14 flights will be operated each week. Bangkok and Myanmar The TG301 flight leaves Bangkok at 09:35 and lands in Yangon at 10:35 (local time). TG303 arrives in Yangon around 18:00 local time after leaving Bangkok at 17:05. Bangkok – Yangon TG302 leaves Yangon at 11:25 and arrives in Bangkok at 13:25 (local time). TG304 leaves Yangon at 19:00 and arrives in Bangkok at 21:00 (local time).Airbus A320 aircraft will operate the Bangkok-Dhaka direct route (TG339/340), increasing the number of weekly flights from three to seven and adding Economy Class service. THAI will entirely operate twice-daily flights from Bangkok to Dhaka using the TG321/322 aircraft, with the following details: Beijing to Dhaka B777-200ER aircraft are used for flight TG321, which leaves Bangkok at 10:35 and lands in Dhaka at 12:10 (local time). TG339, a flight operated by an A320, leaves Bangkok at 23:50 and lands in Dhaka at 01:25 (local time). Flight TG322 from Dhaka to Bangkok takes off at 13:35 local time from Dhaka and lands at 17:00 local time in Bangkok. TG340, a flight operated by an A320, leaves Dhaka at 02:45 local time and lands in Bangkok at 06:15 local time. Currently, THAI also uses B777-200ER and A320 aircraft to fly to Delhi, Mumbai, and Dhaka. Source- travel daily

In order to cover the country’s public sector pay increase, the taxes and health surcharge paid by visa applicants from all over the world, including Indians, will “significantly” increase, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Sunak confirmed a general increase of between 5 and 7 percent. He emphasised that this, however, would not be addressed with increased government borrowing out of concern for further igniting high inflation, and that the costs would have to be found somewhere else. Sunak told reporters at a Downing Street press conference: “If we’re going to prioritise paying public sector workers more, that money has to come from somewhere else because I’m not prepared to put people’s taxes up and I don’t think it would be responsible or right to borrow more because that would just make inflation worse.” “So, to find this money, we’ve done two things. The first is that we will raise the fees we charge foreign nationals who enter this country for visas and for something known as the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is a fee they must pay to use the NHS’, he said. “All of those fees are going to increase, and that will raise more than GBP 1 billion,” he continued. “Therefore, visa application fees will increase significantly across the board, and similarly for the IHS.” Sunak emphasised that this was “entirely right” because the fees had not previously been raised and because the government thought it was necessary given that the costs had increased since the previous increase. The second measure is to ask government agencies to “reprioritise” in order to reduce the nation’s rising salary expense. He stressed that this would not entail service and job layoffs but rather a shift in priorities. The IHS, which is charged to long-term immigrants to the UK and has a reduced rate for students, ranges from about GBP 470 for a year to thousands of GBP for applications for multiple-year visas. The UK Home Office is anticipated to announce all the specifics of which visa categories will see increases and when the new, higher rates will go into effect in the upcoming months. Source- travel biz

Rex Airlines received the Skytrax Best Regional Airline title once more and had the best on-time record of any significant Australian airline. Rex is advancing technology in many ways behind the scenes, and they recently started adopting the most recent web-based Aviator revenue management system. Rex needs a fully featured revenue management system to effectively manage their inventory and deliver the best outcomes for the airline with a vast network serving 58 destinations with 67 aircraft. Key Australian metropolitan routes are served by the Rex 737 aircraft, while regional centres in all Australian states are reached by the Saab fleet. Rex can provide great throughfares between regional areas by linking through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast thanks to this extensive network.A leading international provider of IT services to the airline sector, Maxamation offers cloud-based revenue management. Aviator gives airlines the tools they need to optimise flight income with a strong, reliable system that is simple to use and has a track record of generating cash. The headquarters of Maxamation are in Sydney, Australia, and it has support facilities and knowledgeable Revenue Management specialists throughout South Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. The business was started in 1997. With the cloud-enabled system now being implemented across all 40 of Maxamation’s current customers, Aviator has continuously improved and now provides the revenue management solution with cutting-edge technology. Rex is an established airline that operates in six Australian states. To directly compete with Qantas and Virgin on the busiest routes, REX has increased the number of B737s in its fleet. Rex Airlines commenced by using turboprop aircraft to fly between its bases on flights between Melbourne and Sydney in March 2021 after originally providing regional flights from a number of locations across Australia. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, and Adelaide are the current domestic flying destinations; flights to Hobart will start in August 2023. Rex has a solid reputation for providing amiable service and places a high value on punctuality. Source- Travel daily

Through a variety of stay/play possibilities, Vietnam Golf Coast (VGC) clubs are displaying the wide appeal of Central Vietnam. The best courses in Asia include layouts like Laguna Golf Lăng Cô, a Sir Nick Faldo Signature Design, and Ba Na Hills Golf Club, which Luke Donald, a British current Ryder Cup captain, designed over rolling foothills. Courses created by notable architects like Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie, Robert Trent Jones Jr., and Jack Nicklaus are among the other highlights for players. Additionally, their accommodations rival the best that Vietnam has to offer, thus increasing their attractiveness to both golfers and non-golfers. According to Adam Calver, Director of Golf & Destination Marketing at Laguna Lăng Cô and one of the driving forces behind the VGC, a recently relaunched destination marketing organisation that connects the best signature golf layouts in the area, “Central Vietnam’s emergence as one of the finest golf destinations in Asia is attributable to several factors.” We also have a focused selection of championship golf courses that can compete with any. However, the region is also blessed with excellent lodging choices to meet a variety of needs and budgets. The Sir Nick Faldo Signature Design at Laguna Golf Lăng Cô at Laguna Lăng Cô is complemented with resorts such the Angsana Lăng Cô and Banyan Tree Lăng Cô, both of which have won awards, and the Laguna Parkside Residences Lăng Cô, which line the 18th fairway of the course. The latter homes serve as the lodging portion of a unique “Dream Golf Vacation” package that provides significant savings for a stay/play combo. Golfers and their families can unwind in luxury at a variety of enticing resorts and hotels in and around Danang after crossing the Hai Van pass from Lang Co. The Mercure French Village Ba Na Hills is a few lusty long iron shots from Ba Na Hills Golf Club. The property serves as the focal point of the Sun World Ba Na Hills complex and provides both convenient access to the Luke Donald layout and a cool refuge in the hills. The beachfront Premier Village Danang, with its ultra-modern villas offering a home away from home while in the area, is another alternative that is conveniently close to Ba Na Hills Golf Club. The Novotel Danang Premier Hotel is located in the heart of Danang, directly on the famous Han River. For those seeking seclusion and elegance, there is the exquisite Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, which is located on the Son Tra Peninsula and was created by renowned resort architect Bill Bensley. Central Vietnam is the main golf tourism destination in Vietnam since it offers top-notch golf along with amazing beaches and five-star resorts. It offers a variety of attractions, including the historic sites in Hoi An and the Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills, a pedestrian bridge that is 150 meters long and one of Asia’s most famous sights. According to Gary Dixon, general manager of Ba Na Hills Golf Club, “We have a range of stay/play combinations that cater to every type of golfer.” “Central Vietnam is a truly world-class golf hub, with luxury and family-friendly resorts complementing the area’s courses and off-course attractions.” Source-Travel daily

CEO Güliz ztürk was presented with the Executive Leadership: Europe award at the Airline Strategy Awards ceremony, which was held in collaboration with the supplier of human capital solutions Korn Ferry.  In recognition of her strong leadership of the airline, which has been reflected in impressive financial results and operational efficiency, her work to advance diversity and gender equality within the organisation, and initiatives supporting sustainability goals within the broader aviation industry, Güliz ztürk was given the award at the ceremony held in London.  This year, there were nine distinct categories for the Airline Strategy Awards, which are given to top executives or airline teams who have excelled at developing and implementing plans over the past 12 months.  The “Executive Leadership: Europe” award was given to Güliz ztürk, CEO of Pegasus Airlines, in recognition of Pegasus’ flexible capacity management, competitive pricing, ancillary income development, robust digitization, and other outstanding ESG initiatives. Source- Travel daily

AI-driven strategy to empower passengers  — A number of improved services were revealed today by Trip.com Group, a top travel service provider, with the goal of empowering travellers with AI-driven capabilities and information. James Liang, co-founder and executive chairman of the board of Trip.com Group, remarked at a press conference on the company’s AI-driven strategy: “Tourism will continue to be a key industry in a smart society, since it satisfies people’s intrinsic need to travel and explore. This experience cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence, but it can develop it. To enhance the travel process and experience overall, Trip.com Group will actively embrace technological growth and utilise cutting-edge AI-driven services. Trip.com Group has introduced a number of AI-enhanced curated lists to offer a flawless and trouble-free booking experience for its users. These lists, such as “Trip.Trends,” “Trip.Best,” and “Trip.Deals,” satisfy the various demands and tastes of users by gathering up-to-the-minute data on the best hotels, airlines, and attractions as well as the most affordable pricing. Each list concentrates on a distinct customer demographic and market niche.  Travellers from all over the world can use “Trip.Best” to choose the top activities a location has to offer, including flights, lodging, and attractions, as well as lifestyle options including dining establishments, nightclubs, pubs, and shows. Only the top 1% of products from a review of various travel products on Trip.com and algorithmic grading are listed on the list. “Trip.Deals” is intended for frugal consumers seeking the best offers on lodging, transportation, and trip locales.  The list is chosen based on a number of variables, including past and anticipated price fluctuations as well as current travel costs. Based on user queries across numerous platforms, including Trip.com, leading internet search engines, and social media, “Trip.Trends” records the most popular travel topics and events in various areas. This feature gives visitors access to the most recent information about the most exciting and happening activities and events both globally and locally. Source- travel daily