Travel News

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

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

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

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

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

ITB China, the eagerly awaited marketplace for the travel sector in China, is getting ready for its big live event from September 12–14, 2023. The three-day B2B event seeks to re-establish contact between international travel suppliers and the growing Chinese market thanks to an exceptional lineup of exhibitors covering all travel trade categories. The show has a bright future thanks to the significant demand from business players and the international involvement. Looking ahead, ITB China 2024 will return the following May 27 through May 29. Save the date and join us for another spectacular celebration of the yearly occasion. The exhibition space allotted for ITB China 2023 has been fully occupied, the event’s organiser, Messe Berlin (Shanghai), is happy to report. ITB China will play a key role in reuniting international travel suppliers with the booming Chinese market by providing a wealth of business opportunities through face-to-face meetings on-site and the most up-to-date analysis of Chinese travel trends under the theme “Crossing Barriers • Connecting Markets” this year. The sudden opening of China’s outbound travel market at the beginning of this year has Chinese buyers eagerly anticipating access to foreign resources to rebuild and update their product portfolios, says David Axiotis, General Manager of Messe Berlin (Shanghai). With travel suppliers from Europe (24%), Asia (28%), the Americas (15%), the Middle East (16%), Oceania (10%), and Africa (7%), ITB China 2023 will help to enable this, highlighting the event’s global nature and our role in assisting the revival of the Chinese international travel market. National and regional tourism organisations from Aragón, Andaluca, Berlin, California, Catalonia, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, France, Galicia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Los Angeles, Madrid, Malta, Malaysia, New Zealand, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Scandinavian Tourist Board (Denmark & Norway), Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Tahiti, and Turkey are among those featured in the exhibition, which features a wide range of international destinations. On the ITB China exhibition floor, newcomers from around the world, including Beijing, Bursa, Chengdu, Maldives, NEOM, New York, Raktda, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, will make their debuts. The European Travel Commission (ETC) will again have a strong presence at the event, highlighting the variety and allure of the travel opportunities that Europe has to offer. Many international hotels and lodging establishments will also be present at the exhibition, including this year’s Partner Hotel Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Bintan Resorts, Gloria Hotels & Resorts, INSPIRE Entertainment Resort, Jin Jiang International, Jinling Hotels & Resorts, LN International Hospitality Management, Mayfair Cruises, Meliá Hotels International, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Restel, S.A, Travco Corporation, VinWonders, WebBeds, and many others. Additionally, this year’s show will notably include online travel agents (OTAs) and transport & mobility providers, who will showcase their outstanding goods and services. Trip.com Group, Fliggy, Expedia Group, Avis Budget Group, Bohr Omnibus GmbH, Europcar, Hertz Car Rental, Oceanwide Expeditions, Poseidon Expeditions, Reluxtrans Car Service, and TOPONE Car Service are a few of the well-known companies among them. There are many exhibitors in the return of the travel technology area, including, but not limited to, DerbySoft, DidaTravel, Flightroutes24, Fly Today, Freed Group, HeyTrip, JegoTrip, Miki Travel, Mondee, Shiji Group, TEK TRAVELS DMCC, Yalago, or YunShang Technology. The ITB China show floor is in high demand for exhibitors from tourist destinations, tour companies, and companies that offer specialised travel services, including Bounty Group Bali, Brilliant Africa, Defence Collective Singapore, Designer Safari, Disneyland Paris, EternityX, Hurtigruten group, Beijing Tianxingjian International Travel Service, Benchmark Adventure, Bhutan Land of Happiness Tours, Kuoni Tumlare, Travel The Guianas & Caribean, and Yoyiyo.it. In addition to an incredible 86% of the founders, C-level executives, directors, and senior managers from the top Chinese travel agencies, ITB China is thrilled to host top-tier and hand-selected Chinese buyers. The matchmaking system for the event promotes fruitful encounters and valuable contacts, maximising commercial chances during visitors’ constrained time at the show. The ITB China Conference, which will take place concurrently with the travel trade exhibition, will offer a forum for discussion and information sharing with leading experts and speakers, further enhancing the experience for all attendees. Source- Travel daily

In one of its most comprehensive offerings to date, Journey Beyond has combined not one, but two legendary rail journeys—The Ghan and the Indian Pacific—with a cruise provided by ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises. The 28-day Ultimate West by Land and Sea itinerary circles half of Australia in an unusual way. With just one departure scheduled for 2024, this special offering is an exceptional chance. In search of the ultimate adventure and breathtaking scenery, the Silversea Kimberley cruise from Perth to Darwin combines the best of both worlds by travelling across the Nullarbor to Perth and along Western Australia’s coast. Visitors will travel to a variety of Australia’s most famous locations, from the bustling cities of Sydney and Perth to the untamed Kimberley and on through The Red Centre to Australia’s spiritual centre. David Donald, Executive General Manager of Rail Expeditions at Journey Beyond, claims that “this incredible experience explores the most remote reaches of Australia.”  The Ghan and Indian Pacific are two legendary voyages, and combining them with Silversea’s luxury cruising ensures that our visitors will have an authentic Australian experience that will give them a fresh perspective on some of the most remote areas of the nation. It’s a really unique odyssey. Leading ultra-luxury expedition cruise line Silversea Cruises is famous for its all-inclusive offerings and unrivalled repertoire. The tiny ships offered by Silversea are made for travellers who enjoy luxury travel and the thrill of exploration. All ships provide roomy suites with ocean views and butler service, and the majority of them have private verandas so that guests can enjoy champagne on their deck while taking in the scenery. According to Adam Radwanski, managing director of Silversea Cruises Asia-Pacific, “Silversea Cruises offers adventures to the world’s amazing destinations, and the Kimberley is a tremendously popular destination. We are excited to work with Journey Beyond to provide this unique and unusual adventure for discriminating tourists looking for an immersive and genuine experience of Australia. Highlights of the Ultimate West by Land and Sea adventure include:         3-nights on the all-inclusive Indian Pacific traversing the Nullarbor from Sydney to Perth, including comprehensive off-train experiences in Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook, and Rawlinna One night in the vivacious Perth From Perth to Darwin, take a 17-night luxury cruise that is all-inclusive on the Silver Cloud of Silversea. Onboard Silver Cloud, individualised luxury with butler service is offered. Visiting the Buccaneer Archipelago and Mitchell Falls, two of the Kimberley’s most beautiful locations Accommodations for three nights in Darwin Taking a sail around Darwin Harbour at dusk to see the stunning Territory sunset 3-nights on the all-inclusive Ghan Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide, with stops in Katherine, Alice Springs, and Coober Pedy as part of the Off Train Experiences. Source- Travel daily

The world authority on expenditure optimisation, Emburse, has released the results of its most recent study on British business travellers’ views on sustainability. As trip volumes reach pre-pandemic levels, the Censuswide poll of 1,003 employees and 254 employers sought to understand where sustainability fits within the business travel agenda.  The findings revealed that while many businesses and their travelling staff are concerned about the environment, the majority have not yet taken real steps to implement sustainable travel and are instead putting the onus on the other party to do so. The report states that 71% of organisations have official sustainability policies or standards in place, and 38% of businesses reported increasing their investment in sustainability. However, just 37% of these companies really apply these rules when making reservations and approving travel expenses. When planning travel arrangements, only one out of every six employees named sustainability as their top concern, far below both cost and traveller convenience. While 71% of business travellers believe their employer should do more to promote sustainable travel, environmental concerns still rank low on their list of priorities when making travel arrangements. The majority of workers (76%) also concurred that if financial incentives or sustainability initiatives were offered, they would choose a more sustainable form of transportation. Employee desire for incentive programmes for sustainable travel has increased by 19% since Emburse’s 2021 survey on sustainable business travel post-pandemic. Only one in nine (11%) firms have named sustainability as a crucial consideration when making travel arrangements for work, according to the data from 2021. Two years later, both employers and employees still prioritise cost when making travel arrangements for business. Key conclusions Currently, 71% of businesses have sustainability policies that offer advice on sustainable travel. 38% of which have a written policy in place, while 33% have a set of guidelines. While only 37% of companies actively enforce policies to promote sustainable travel for both commuting and business purposes, 43% are considering doing so. These initiatives and incentives include travel budget incentives, cycle to work programmes, and remote training. o 25% of companies don’t have a sustainable business travel policy. When travelling, 38% of businesses have raised their investment in sustainability, whereas 6% do not intend to do so. Due to rising corporate costs, more than a quarter (27%) have cut down on sustainability investments. o   When booking business travel, 31% of business travellers prioritise cost-effectiveness, followed by: Accessibility and convenience (27%) Loyalty and rewards programmes (21%) Environment (16%) o   Meanwhile, only 26% would proactively cut down on travel to reduce their carbon footprint Employee appetite for sustainable travel o   71% of employees want their employer to do more to enable sustainable travel A small minority (7%) of employees do not want employers to do more to enable sustainable travel o   76% of employees would choose a more sustainable mode of transport if their employer provided programmes or financial incentives Employee demand for incentivised sustainable travel has increased by 19% since 2021, according to previous Emburse findings o   74% employees believe it is their organisation’s responsibility to do more to enable sustainable business travel, regardless of cost Jeroen van Velzen, SVP Travel & Mobility at Emburse, commented: “Business travel has defied expectations by seeing an almost complete return to pre-pandemic levels. But we can’t just go back to business as usual when it comes to emissions. Businesses and travellers both need to work on reducing their carbon footprint. It’s promising that more organisations are putting sustainability guidelines and policies into place, but this data shows we still have a long way to go until it becomes a priority.” “Whilst travel managers could strictly enforce their companies’ policies to help achieve carbon goals, this heavy-handed approach risks alienating travelling employees. Educating travellers about the impact of their trips in easy-to-understand terms – like how many houses could be powered by the energy used on a trip – can lead to much higher levels of compliance. Employers need to provide employees with tools to make smarter decisions, and employees need to use that insight to make more environmentally friendly travel plans. We need to move beyond paying lip service to environmental issues and turn good intent into meaningful action.” Source- Travel daily

This year, Americans are ready, willing, and certain that they will travel. The importance of taking an annual vacation is highlighted by the 15th annual Allianz Partners USA’s Vacation Confidence Index*. Americans continue to place a high value on leisure travel time, and more people have already taken vacations this year than at any other time in the survey’s history. According to the most recent survey from the travel insurance and assistance provider, 62% of Americans have travelled recently, up five points from the previous year and up from 48% in pre-pandemic 2019. A quarter of respondents (25%) said they were travelling for retribution, and two in five (41%) Americans said they had extra money saved up for travel. This number rises to half (51%) for households with incomes of $100,000 or more, but both overall figures show statistical declines year over year. In order to make up for any lost travel time, many Americans were successful, as 23% of respondents said they had already taken a vacation in the three months prior to the survey this year, which is the second-highest number since the study’s inception in 2009. The 18-34 age group continues to lead the way, with these first-to-travel measures tracking somewhat higher than they did last year: 30% of this age group have already travelled this year, compared to 21% of 35-54 year-olds and 19% of 55 year-olds. Since the pandemic, people have given vacations a newfound importance. According to the Vacation Confidence Index, annual vacations are now ranked higher in importance (74%), and people are more confident (66%) about taking a vacation this year than they were in the past. These record-high scores indicate that people’s attitudes towards vacations are beginning to change. Who is most assured about going on vacation? With 72% of 18-34-year-olds and 68% of 35-54-year-olds expressing confidence compared to 59% of those 55 and older, households earning over $100,000 are more likely to do so (79% versus 65% and 52%, respectively), as are households earning between $50,000 and $100,000. Source- Travel daily

On July 12, travel industry professionals gathered at the residence of the Chilean ambassador in London to appreciate Chile’s wildlife and natural beauty. Visitors were greeted with Chilean wines and regional canapes by the Chilean Embassy, Chile Travel, BirdsChile, Antarctica21, Tierra Hotels, Wines of Chile, and Pro Chile. Those present learned about the enormous and amazing natural world, fauna, and outdoor settings in Chile and Antarctica. Chile and the UK have had diplomatic ties for 200 years as of this year. In order to strengthen ties between the UK and Chile in the areas of diplomacy, economics, finance, commerce, business, and defence, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren met on May 22 in Santiago. Source- Travel daily