Travel News

On September 1, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) made public Lim Kean Bon’s appointment as Area Director for Africa, South Asia, and India. In Raymond Lim’s place, he would head STB’s promotion efforts and initiatives to engage the travel industry in Northern and Eastern India to maintain and expand leisure travelers’ affinity for Singapore. He will be located in New Delhi. In addition, Kean Bon will be in charge of business development initiatives to attract cruise and meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) visitors from throughout India to Singapore. Additionally, he will guide his group in interacting with customers in other local marketplaces, such as Bangladesh and South Africa. We extend a warm welcome to Kean Bon as he joins our vibrant team, said GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia & Africa (IMESA), in response to this appointment for Singapore Tourism Board (STB). In my opinion, Kean Bon is well-suited to fill this position at STB New Delhi given his experience leading experience development for a leisure precinct and his previous employment with the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB), especially at this crucial time when Singapore is firmly established as the top leisure and business destination for Indian tourists. As an urban planner with Singapore’s city planning body, Kean Bon began his career in the public sector there. In order to advance the planning of MICE infrastructure, he joined the STB infrastructure planning and management division in 2015. After moving on to the SECB team in 2017, where he managed destination bids and account servicing activities for sizable business meetings and conventions organized by international associations. From 2020 to 2023, Kean Bon served as the team head of STB’s Lifestyle zone Development, where he established the direction for numerous initiatives to maintain the attraction of Orchard Road, Singapore’s premier lifestyle zone. Kean Bon remarked, “I am eager to join the STB IMESA team and look forward to building on the excellent work and solid relationships built by my predecessor Raymond. The sheer variety of colorful experiences the city has to offer for tourists and business travelers will continue to inspire the Indian audience as my team and I work together in New Delhi to promote Singapore. Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/singapore-tourism-board-appoints-lim-kean-bon-as-the-area-director-india-south-asia-and-africa/

The Cross-Border Tourism with Neighbors event was held in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, from August 26 to 30, 2023. It was organized by the Bangladesh Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in cooperation with the Bangladesh Tourism Board, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, and all tourism-related associations. Over 250 public and commercial sector participants from Nepal, India, and Bangladesh attended the event, which aimed to promote tourism in Bangladesh and encourage cross-border travel between neighboring nations. On the invitation of Mr. Shahid Hamid FIH, Chairman of PATA Bangladesh Chapter, thirteen Nepalese delegates, led by Mr. Bibhu Thakur, Chairman of PATA Nepal Chapter, and sixteen Indian tourism entrepreneurs, led by Mr. Samrat Sanyal, General Secretary of Siliguri, India-based Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN), took part as foreign delegates. M. Mahbub Ali, Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, graciously opened the five-day event at the Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort in Nikunja, Dhaka, on August 26, 2023. The event included B2B interaction sessions between foreign delegates and local tourism entrepreneurs and stakeholders in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and facilitated FAM tours for foreign participants, showcasing promising tourist delights of Bangladesh. In order to promote cross-border travel, the organizing team from Bangladesh and representatives from Nepal and India have mutually decided to step up their engagement and advocacy efforts by streamlining travel procedures and incorporating travel-related products and services into their individual businesses. The Bangladesh Tourism Board, Visa, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Tourist Police Bangladesh, PATA Nepal Chapter, HHTDN, Novo Air, US Bangla Airlines, Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort, Best Western Plus Maya, DBC News, Convoy Service, Silver Wave Tours Ltd., Intercontinental Dhaka, Riverain Tours, Saint Martin Travels, Green Holidays, Hotel Kollol, Bengal Inn, Securex, PAT, and PAT Bangladesh Chapter all provided support Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/pata-chapters-of-nepal-and-bangladesh-along-with-hhtdn-collaborate-to-boost-regional-tourism/

EaseMyTrip.com is pleased to announce a groundbreaking cooperative effort in collaboration with CzechTourism. By highlighting the fascinating landscapes and cultural assets of the Czech Republic, this dynamic cooperation seeks to redefine the parameters of luxury travel experiences. This interactive campaign, which will begin today and last for an exciting six months, will herald in a new era of adventure that perfectly combines leisure with tradition. The main goal of this collaboration is to open a new travel chapter that honors the Czech Republic’s diverse array of customs, alluring landscapes, and historical wonders. In addition to introducing visitors to the compelling Czech cultural legacy, the cooperation would also pique their curiosity and spirit of adventure, motivating them to set off on life-changing excursions. This innovative campaign develops as a symphony of teamwork, fusing the extensive experience of EaseMyTrip with the rich tradition of CzechTourism. The team’s persistent efforts will help travelers better comprehend the wide range of experiences that the Czech Republic has to offer while also creating a thorough tapestry of destination awareness. Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip, said, “We embark on this adventure with CzechTourism with tremendous enthusiasm. “Our joint goal is to present the Czech Republic as a treasure trove of tradition and authenticity, giving visitors the opportunity to fully experience the nation’s rich history. This advertising campaign perfectly captures our dedication to provide our clients out-of-the-ordinary experiences. ”CzechTourism is resuming its efforts in India after a temporary interruption,” stated Frantiek Reismüller, Director of Marketing and Foreign Offices. For its Indian audience, CzechTourism wants to ardently promote and raise awareness about the destination. Their top objective is to establish a direct flight that will allow travelers to reach Prague quickly from India. Czechia is a beautiful country, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Indian tourists to experience the continent’s interior. Travelers may anticipate a number of engrossing storylines that will uncover the country’s hidden histories and cultural gems throughout the ensuing six months. EaseMyTrip and CzechTourism hope to rethink travel, improve destination awareness, and create enduring connections between visitors and the country’s rich cultural heritage with this joint venture. Travelers can expect a torrent of exclusive deals, moving narratives, and illuminating tales as the campaign develops, all of which together will weave a vibrant tapestry of the appeal of the Czechia. EaseMyTrip and CzechTourism hope to redefine luxury travel, increase traveler awareness of the destination, and create treasured memories with this cooperative project. Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/easemytrip-and-czechtourism-collaborates-to-promote-tourism-in-the-country/

Zimmerleuten for his most recent gold medal Neeraj Chopra, a javelin athlete from India, just won gold in the 2023 World Athletics Championship. The World Champion was welcomed by Switzerland Tourism and Zurich Tourism at Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten with friends, family, and teams from Switzerland Tourism and Zurich Tourism in attendance to celebrate and honor his accomplishments. Neeraj Chopra is a sporting legend in India, and we are honored and excited to honor him. Neeraj is setting the bar high and motivating a whole generation. We at Switzerland Tourism are overjoyed to have Neeraj represent us as our “Friendship Ambassador” in India. The head of international partnerships at Switzerland Tourism, Pascal Prinz, expressed his company’s sincere congratulations on the athlete’s victory at the world championship and best wishes for his future endeavors. “We are incredibly happy to have Neeraj as our ambassador since he has made India proud and is a true Indian icon. Through Neeraj’s experiences, we hope to introduce young Indians to the outdoorsy and adventurous side of Switzerland, said Ritu Sharma, Deputy Director and Marketing Head-India at Switzerland Tourism. Neeraj has been sharing his love of Switzerland’s picturesque, active, and adventurous outdoors with fans and followers. He has discussed his experiences participating in well-known adventure sports in Switzerland, such as skydiving, canyon leaping, jetboating in Interlaken, paragliding, and helicopter tours of the Zermatt region. He also went river rafting and had a special jogging tour of Geneva. Neeraj is currently taking use of Zurich’s many features and attractions. Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/switzerland-tourism-felicitates-neeraj-chopra-at-zunfthaus-zur-zimmerleuten-on-his-recent-gold-win/

The legendary Hilltop Night Music Festival by Blisstronic, which will be held at Barasti Beach in Dubai, will include DJs Ace Ventura, Imagine Mars, and Starling as its headliners. Prepare yourself for a magnificent display coming right from the Psytrance capital of Dubai. HillTop Goa, a famed PsyTrance event producer alongside Blisstronic, has created the first party ever for Dubai. It promises to be the greatest event the city has ever seen, and we can’t wait to share the atmosphere and the tribe with you! The iconic HillTop Goa Music Festival is going to enliven the desert sands of Dubai with its electric rhythms, and the stage is set and the beats are ready to drop. Where for a 9-hour event unlike any other, world-famous DJs will dominate the Arabian Sea’s brilliant blue color and Dubai’s soaring skyscrapers with music frequency. This will be the biggest festival the city has ever seen, according to Blisstronic. As HillTop Goa Music Festival delivers its distinctive fusion of culture, music, and essence to this international city on the grounds of a lively bar atmosphere and delectable cuisine @Barasti Beach Bar, the people are set to embark on a transforming musical trip. Barasti, which is on the seashore, attracts many of vivacious partygoers who get the dance floor pumping with its breathtaking view. The social scene in Dubai is flourishing thanks to this award-winning pub. A celebration of music as a language that can communicate across all barriers and unite people’s spirits will take place that evening. The purpose of the event is to present a diverse roster of psytrance DJs. Attendees may anticipate an unforgettable audio trip from Goa Vibes to Dubai Lands.“Our vision for the Dubai edition of HillTop Night is to create an unforgettable festival experience that bridges diverse cultures through music as it transcendence in the desert,” said the founders of Blisstronic and HillTop Goa Music Festival. “This would represent our commitment to fostering unity and growth in the global PsyTrance/electronic music community.”Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/djs-ace-ventura-imagine-mars-starling-to-star-the-night-music-festival-by-blisstronic/

The hotels will debut in 2025 in Troms, Norway, and 2026 in Aarhus, Denmark, and are already in Scandic’s pipeline. The company’s Signature Collection, which strives to satisfy demand from the expanding leisure market, will now include the two properties. Today, Scandic has five hallmark hotels in Stockholm, Helsinki, Bergen, and Oslo that are designed to appeal to travelers from over the world who, regardless of the reason for a vacation, view the hotel stay as the destination. In order to highlight each hotel’s unique personality and satisfy guests for whom the hotel stay and experience are the main attraction of a vacation, Scandic has created the Signature Collection. They are intended to serve as social hubs for both locals and tourists. It’s wonderful to be expanding our Signature Collection to Troms and Aarhus given the growing interest in experiences where the hotel serves as the actual destination. The continuing urban development projects in each city are heavily reliant on its hotels, which will increase tourism in both areas. Thérèse Cedercreutz, Chief Commercial Officer at Scandic Hotels Group, states that we are simultaneously enhancing Scandic’s hotel offering to both domestic and foreign visitors in both Norway and Denmark. Both hotels will have social areas where guests may gather to enjoy food and drinks, rooftop bars, and fitness centers in addition to wellness sections. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the official ecolabel in the Nordic countries, will certify that each hotel’s activities are environmentally friendly. The hotels will be constructed with sustainability in mind. International leisure travelers find Troms to be a desirable hotel market, and this market segment is anticipated to grow over time as a result of the expansion of Troms Airport. Along with Northern Lights and mountain tourism, it is a desirable location for cruises. With a combined 390 hotel rooms, Scandic already runs two hotels in Troms. The new hotel will feature 305 rooms and be situated in the new Vervet neighborhood. With around 330,000 residents, Aarhus, which is situated on the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, ranks as the second-largest city in the nation. Both domestic and foreign visitors may easily access the city because of its excellent connections and infrastructure. The new signature hotel will enable Scandic to further solidify its position as the area’s top hotel operator. Scandic now manages three hotels in Aarhus with a combined capacity of 541 hotel rooms. There will be 342 rooms in the new hotel. Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/scandic-to-expand-signature-collection-in-norway-and-denmark/

Recently, Laguna Golf Group, known for managing top-notch golf facilities in three distinct nations (Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam), has joined the constantly growing roster of customers of 59club Asia. The Laguna Golf Group is dedicated to upholding a very high level of service in accordance with its own high standards. It is known as Asia’s first integrated golf resorts, offering not just golf but also excellent lifestyle amenities like spas, restaurants, bars, boutique shops, and sports activities. The resorts may guarantee continuing improvements in offering service excellence to both members and guests by utilizing the sector-leading services offered by 59club Asia, such as customer service analytics and unrivaled training platforms. The resorts are committed to improving every part of operation in order to improve the customer experience. Customer Service Analysis, Staff Training Programs, Surveys for Members & Visitors, and Mystery Shopper Audits are just a few of the industry-leading assessment tools offered by 59club Asia. The management teams in the hospitality industry can benefit from this information as they work to enhance their methods in sales and customer service. We’re excited to announce our partnership with 59club Asia, renowned experts in people development with a track record of managing top-tier golf courses in Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, said Paul Wilson, AVP & Group Golf Director of Laguna Golf, with great enthusiasm. With 59club Asia, this cooperation aims to improve our golf courses and offerings. Among the notable golf facilities we have chosen as participants are Laguna Golf Phuket, Laguna Golf Bintan, and Laguna Lang Co. in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. We’re committed to reaching our common objectives with 59club Asia. Araya Singhsuwan, Operations Director, 59club Asia, expressed optimism after gaining the partnership with Laguna Golf Group: “Laguna Golf Group stands out as a prime destination for golfers in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The management team’s commitment to improving client experiences makes their partnership with 59club Asia even more valuable. They are obtaining crucial information through mystery shopper audits and member and visitor surveys to raise their already high standards and give everyone a remarkable experience. The leading supplier of cutting-edge software and thorough evaluation standards to the Asian golf market is 59club Asia. The Bangkok-based company is leading the way in the region’s golf clubs, leisure, and hotel industries by revolutionizing customer service analysis and training. Golf clubs are given the ability to improve the quality of their services through the use of cutting-edge technology and customized evaluation criteria by 59club Asia, which eventually results in higher customer satisfaction. Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/59club-asia-signs-laguna-golf-group-to-its-partnership-portfolio/

This summer, explore a world full of flavor and pleasure at The Fountains at Yas Mall. The exciting environment will keep your family entertained whether you are a foodie or an adventure seeker. What your family can anticipate this summer is as follows: 1) At Bosporus, start your day with an authentic Turkish breakfast. From 10am to 12:30pm, for AED 129, a selection of delectable options, including fresh juices, mixed cheeses, freshly cooked eggs, vegetable platters, dried fruits, and more, are available. 2) Al Fanar’s new summer smoothies will help you stay cool this season. A variety of smoothies created to order with fresh fruits and vegetables are available on the limited-edition menu. Enjoy a genuine Emirati dining experience at Al Fanar while choosing from a variety of traditional dishes, breakfast favorites, and grilled meats. 3) This summer, take your family on a trip to the Amazon with Rainforest Café and let the kids explore an interactive, fun-filled jungle. Enjoy their colorful cuisine while you travel, including the mixed seafood grill and ‘Taste Of The Islands,’ a seafood feast for only AED 134 that includes coconut shrimp, shrimp scallops, and tilapia with mango salsa served with seasonal veggies and Caribbean rice. 4) Cool yourself with one of Berry Bang’s endless gelato flavors. In the blazing summer heat, Berry Bang’s gelato is the ideal way to cool off. For the ideal summer experience, explore their unique frozen yogurts, smoothies, and juices. 5) Visit Menchie’s to reward yourself with a customized yoghurt dish. Your kids will be enticed to return for more with the wide selection of toppings, syrups, and fresh fruit available. Source- Travel daily

Conferma Pay and Inlogik have teamed up to introduce a new solution for business travelers that uses virtual card technology to streamline and automate the reconciliation of hotel bills. Businesses using this new service will have all of their workers’ hotel bills recorded and converted so that they are ready for tax and audit. Corporate travelers and their companies save a lot of time thanks to this simplified method, which also gives better monitoring and more control over spending budgets. Inlogik’s ExpenseMe/ProMaster Expense Management System has been connected with Conferma Pay’s virtual card solution to streamline the frequently time-consuming expense process. Both companies recognize the need for payments to be efficient, quick, and safe. This increases compliance, lowers purposeful and unintentional fraud, and raises employee happiness. The virtual cards make it possible to collect and classify line item lodging folio data with GST removed. Now that organizations have simple access to the invoice detail, they are able to claim the GST. Travel is a crucial component of conducting business, says Jason Lalor, CEO of Conferma Pay. The accompanying expenses, however, can be extremely difficult to manage, not only for those who are keeping track of their spending but also for enterprises who waste time on ineffective expense management techniques. This new approach, which is based on our extensive knowledge of the hotel and travel sectors, gives businesses what they most need: more time and better visibility. The service is built on Conferma’s snap+ solution, which gathers bills and extracts pertinent data, revealing the breakdown of the overall cost of stay, including the hotel fee and extras like parking, meals, and laundry. Using their financial coding across the data, Inlogik uses this information to automatically produce the expense entries, providing the gross, net, and tax amounts related to each line item. According to Richard Eskell, CEO of Inlogik, “Businesses can have greater visibility over the detail of their travel expenses because to the granular level of data this technology delivers. This important understanding is essential for providing organizations with insights and understanding of their operations at all levels as corporate travel continues to increase. Source- Travel dailyLink- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/conferma-pay-and-inlogik-launch-hotel-expense-automation/

Following a recent discussion and directive between the Thai Airlines Association and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Thai Vietjet announced that it would increase the number of flights to/from Phuket to 204 flights weekly by the end of the year, beginning in October 2023, an increase of 61%. CEO of Thai Vietjet , Woranate Laprabang As a Thai airline and an active member of the Thai Airline Association, Woranate Laprabang, CEO of Thai Vietjet, said, “Thai Vietjet was honored to discuss and present our proposal to our Prime Minister. We all agreed that tourism is one of Thailand’s main sources of sustainable income, therefore it’s critical that we advance and improve policies to support the sector in the long run, such as the free-visa rule for visitors from countries like China and India. Thai Vietjet will increase its flight capacity to Phuket, one of the most popular destinations in Thailand, from 126 to 204 per week starting in October in response to those open policies, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to aiding in the recovery and sustainability of the travel sector. Thai Vietjet will begin operating 204 flights weekly to/from Phuket International Airport starting in October 2023, including flights to/from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, which will resume on October 29 with 4 flights per week on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The airline will soon announce its expanding services to various destinations in China, India, South East Asia, and possibly Australia for international services from Phuket, in addition to the current flights connecting with Ho Chi Minh City. Thai Vietjet has been actively boosting its capacity to accommodate growing passenger demand and to support the tourist sector’s recovery. Additionally, it has been increasing its flight network both domestically and internationally to diversify its travel services and give its customers more possibilities to fly for less money. Source- Travel daily