Tag: Travel

Singapore – Online travel provider Trip.com has selected Thailand as its first country destination that will be featured on their ‘Trip.Best’ list, which enables its global users to choose from the best hotel experiences the country has to offer.

The new Trip.com feature for users exclusively curates an extensive range of hotels to provide them with the best options available to make the best of their trips – faster and easier. ‘Trip.Best’ will be rolled out to include the most popular destinations around the world but has begun by taking on Thailand to showcase its ease of use.

The ‘Trip.List’ for Thailand introduces the country’s top hotels to Trip.com’s global users from the country’s four most popular tourism destinations of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Samui. They are also arranged into eight specially chosen themes – luxury, upscale, family, Instagram-worthy, scenic, local experience, villas, and gourmet & shopping.

“As one of the world’s favourite holiday hotspots, exotic and beautiful Thailand has recovered rapidly since the country eased its travel restrictions earlier this year and Trip.com data shows there is soaring demand from its users wanting to travel to it for family holidays and trips for couples,” Trip.com said in a press statement.

Meanwhile, Schubert Lou, chief operating officer at Trip.com, commented, “We want everyone to get the very best from Trip.com, which is why our new ‘Trip.Best’ feature will focus on Thailand – a world-renowned destination. We’re confident this will provide the best places to go, where to stay and what to experience throughout Thailand for all Trip.com users – and we look forward to making this feature a firm favourite for many more top destinations around the world.”

Among the top hotels included in the new ‘Trip.Best’ feature include The Peninsula Bangkok, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort, the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, and the exclusive Sinae Phuket Luxury Hotel in Phuket.

Singapore — New preferences are surfacing as travellers start to emerge from the thick of the COVID pandemic over the past two years. Outbound bookings grew four times in May in APAC compared to earlier this year, signalling that the travel bug is stronger than ever, with overseas travel firmly back on the table, according to a report by travel and leisure e-commerce platform, Klook.

According to the latest traveller trends research, users in APAC prefer travelling with friends, with only 30% expressing interest in taking a spontaneous solo vacation. This is a far cry from pre-pandemic days when 79% of millennials polled were more eager to embark on a solo trip. The insights reveal that travellers are craving shared experiences, especially after the pandemic.

The insights also showed that users in the region want to be pampered. 60% would rather indulge in a luxurious trip than embark on a backpacking holiday. Concurrently, they are also keen on taking slower vacations. 7 in 10 seek a laid-back trip over a rugged budget adventure – Singapore users come in above this average at 80%.

The pandemic has undoubtedly challenged many people, and travellers increasingly seek travel moments that help them unwind and relax to the fullest. In Singapore, 60% of users expressed their preference to relax in the most pampered way possible – starting off with breakfast in bed followed by a relaxing spa day.

Locally in Singapore, research also shows that 60% of users are seeking to escape the sweltering heat with a preference for visiting a cooler destination, compared to the 40% of users who said they prefer a tropical one for their next vacation. Interestingly, Klook’s insights also reveal that 6 out of 10 Singapore users also have a preference to splurge and indulge in luxury.

Sarah Wan, GM of Klook Singapore, said, “Travelling now is more than just taking a mental break. It’s about discovering what brings them joy and reconnecting with loved ones. With travel back on everyone’s agenda, we are excited to bring back the wonders of travel through our wide variety of experiences anytime, anywhere.”

Malaysia – Touch ‘n Go Group, via TNG Digital, owner and operator of Touch ‘n Go eWallet, together with AIA Malaysia, an insurance firm, has launched SafeTrip, a travel insurance plan for both domestic and international travel and covers travel inconveniences, medical expenses, personal accidents, and comes with extra COVID-19 protection. 

SafeTrip also gives international travelers an option to top-up their coverage for medical expenses related to Covid-19 to up to US$57,200 (RM250,000) in total, enabling them to satisfy the travel requirements of their destination country.

The company said SafeTrip costs just US$0.68 (RM3) per day for domestic trips and US$2.29 (RM10) per day for short trips in most Asian countries. Besides enjoying a rebate of up to 25% on their premiums for domestic plans and selected international destinations, Touch ‘n Go eWallet users will also receive an additional premium discount of 5% if they travel in a group of five and more.

Effendy Shahul Hamid, group chief executive officer (CEO) of Touch ‘n Go Group, said in celebration of the Hari Raya festival, the introduction of this second insurance product is timely as they expect to see more Malaysians making plans to make up for the lost time to reunite with their loved ones domestically and internationally. 

“SafeTrip is affordable and convenient to sign up for and it offers Touch ‘n Go, eWallet users, a rebate of up to 25% on domestic and international plans. Using technology and innovation effectively, we are excited to expand our services with AIA and offer this travel insurance to all our users,” Hamid said.

“We advise all users to ensure that they meet all travel requirements of their destination country to have a worry-free trip, as many countries mandate a certain amount of insurance coverage, especially on Covid-19 protection,” Hamid added.

Touch ‘n Go has been expanding its value-added services and has now included travel insurance as well, where users can buy this product directly from their Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

Users can select their travel destination, travel date, and the number of travelers to get a quotation instantly. Once payment is completed via the eWallet, users will be covered the moment their trip starts. 

Users can also submit a claim easier and faster as the entire process from claims submission to instant claims payout is performed online.

Ben Ng, CEO of AIA Bhd, commented, “Following the success of our first product collaboration, WalletSafe, the company is bringing yet another innovative and personalised solution to benefit Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s over 16 million users. SafeTrip could not have come at a more appropriate time as many are looking to resume travel plans with the reopening of borders.”

“We believe this product is set to provide our partner’s users with the much-needed peace of mind when they go on their trips, in line with AIA’s purpose of helping people live healthier, longer and better,” Ng adds. 

Since July 2021, TNG Digital and AIA had a long-term strategic partnership, paving the way for AIA to provide digital insurance solutions to users of Touch ‘n Go eWallet. 

Singapore – International one-stop travel service provider Trip.com will be hosting its #TripLiveShow 5.5 Super Saver Sale x LEGOLAND® livestream on 5 May 2022 on Facebook, specifically for its Singapore and Malaysia users, where it will be offering deals from participating hotels and attractions in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The upcoming livestream will feature offers from destinations brands which include LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, Royal Plaza on Scotts, and Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam, as well as Thistle Johor Bahru and Universal Studios Singapore.

Ru Yi, regional general manager of Trip.com, commented that it has been a challenging period for the tourism industry in the past two years during which domestic travellers have played a key role in supporting many tourism businesses. 

“Following the reopening of borders by many governments in recent months, we have seen strong demand for travel in the region – with particularly strong interest in destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. We are delighted to collaborate with various partners in the region, including LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, on our upcoming 5.5 Super Saver Sale campaigns in Singapore and Malaysia which are part of our ongoing journey towards the revival and recovery of tourism in Southeast Asia,” said Ru Yi. 

The platform said that the current sale, in particular partnership with LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, follows its successful livestream session in Bangkok earlier this month. It shared that the regional livestream events are part of its concerted efforts in partnership with various industry partners, to rejuvenate the travel and tourism industry across Southeast Asia. 

Thila Munusamy, director of sales & marketing at LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, said, “Since 2020, Trip.com has been actively identifying innovative and exciting approaches in engaging its users including livestream sessions while, at the same time, stimulating demand for tourism products. We are extremely excited to collaborate with Trip.com on the #TripLiveShow 5.5 Super Saver Sale x LEGOLAND® livestream. This timely travel showcase will allow us to present our offerings to travellers around the region and also inspire them to visit various Southeast Asian destinations as well. We look forward to collaborating with Trip.com and welcoming the world back to Malaysia.”

Viewers in Singapore and Malaysia will stand a chance to win exclusive prizes, including stays at LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi, The Peninsula Bangkok and Sheraton Towers Singapore. For both Singapore and Malaysia viewers, daily flash sales on a number of destinations will be taking place at specified times from 5 – 9 May on the livestream on Facebook. 

For users in Singapore, they can also enjoy limited exclusive bank promo codes and S$55 coupons which can be used to offset hotel packages with a minimum spend of S$150. The top spender on Tours & Tickets (T&T) products will also walk away with a Sky-High Bento Cable Car dining experience (worth S$153). Apart from hotel and T&T packages, Trip.com’s 5.5 Super Saver Sale campaign will also include special flight fares. 

Meanwhile in Malaysia, flash sales will include those from Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel & Residences, Prescott Hotel Kuala Lumpur Medan Tuanku, Sunway Hotel Georgetown, Sunway Lagoon, Lost World of Tambun, and Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park. They will also be able to enjoy discounts on Malaysia Airlines and Firefly flights as well as on T&T products. 

Singapore – Travel technology platform, Bakuun.com, has now rebranded to Bakuun. This rebranding strategy reflects both the evolution of the platform as well as its vision for the future. 

Along with this change in the company name, Bakuun has also launched new brand elements such as a logo refresh, a sleeker and cleaner typeface, and an updated primary and secondary colour palette, as well as a new website with a fresh look, featuring a new design and improved user interface. 

Marco Bacchilega, Bakuun’s CEO, shared that along with other major strategy changes, it has been in their plan to re-brand Bakuun and drop ‘.com’ from its name to make its branding catchier and easier to remember. 

“We are excited to introduce our shortened company name – Bakuun –because it reflects our evolution and adaptability in the current time,” said Bacchilega.

Bakuun said that it will be focusing on delivering end-to-end distribution solutions to increase automation, improve efficiency, and make sure that they remain commercially relevant.

Bangkok, Thailand – As more international borders are starting up to open up again to boost tourism, many foreigners are now searching for their next travel destination. And for this year, the Asian country of Thailand emerged as the most-searched global destination foreigners want to travel to, according to the latest data from digital travel platform Agoda.

According to the data, Japan, the United States and Singapore are the markets most keen to head back to Thailand following the local government’s efforts to revitalise international tourism with initiatives such as Thailand Pass and the Sandbox programme.

Other markets interested in visiting Thailand include the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland, as well as South Korea, Maldives, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Damien Pfirsch, chief commercial officer at Agoda, said, “While the government has made great efforts to help streamline the booking experience for travellers gearing to get back out there, with Test & Go, Sandbox and Thailand Pass, it can be daunting and time consuming for international travellers to keep track of these requirements, and the processes needed.” 

Pfrisch added that they have worked on integrating its booking data seamlessly to the Thailand Pass platform in order to help travellers upload booking details automatically, reducing the room for human error.

To aid with this anticipated influx of travellers, Agoda has collaborated with Finema, the technology company responsible for the development of Thailand Pass on behalf of the Department of Consular Affairs, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“At Agoda, we want to make the customer travel experience as hassle-free as possible. We understand that the new world of travel is going to come with its fair share of challenges and want to help make it easier with our tech expertise. With this partnership, and many others we are working on in the region, we hope to help our customers through their pre-departure journeys,” Pfrisch concluded.

Singapore – Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and digital travel platform Agoda, have collaborated on a joint marketing campaign to bring more visitors from Southeast Asia into Singapore.

Through the partnership, Agoda’s technology and travel expertise, data insights and integrated marketing capabilities will be utilised to showcase Singapore’s travel experiences. This marks the first direct partnership between STB and Agoda to better capture travel demand as border restrictions begin to lift in the region. 

Enric Casals, director of Agoda, said, “Globally headquartered in Singapore across our 16 years of operation, our biggest focus has always been in bringing ease to the world of travel. Singapore is a bustling city centre at the heart of Asia with so much to offer its visitors from the region. With this partnership, we are glad to lend our insights and innovative marketing to help STB optimise footfall to our home base.”

He added, “Agoda strives to be a supportive partner to the governments and communities we operate in, and we hope this will be the first in a longstanding partnership with the Singapore government, towards stimulating the tourism economy,”

Meanwhile, John Gregory Conceicao, executive director of Singapore Tourism Board, shared, “As borders gradually re-open, it is important for the industry to collaborate and drive our travel sector forward. That is why we are delighted to collaborate with Agoda in Southeast Asia, which is a significant market that will play a key role in tourism recovery. Here in Singapore, we are reimagining the visitor experience to make each trip a meaningful exploration of our island.” 

“Through this partnership, and with the insights and knowledge that each partner brings to the table, we can reach a wider audience and invite them to rediscover Singapore and our vibrant neighbourhoods, variety of delicious food and unique attractions,” Conceicao added.

Vietnam – VietJet Air, Vietnam’s international low-cost airline, has been named as one of the top 10 safest low-cost airlines for 2022. This is based on evaluation from AirlineRatings, a content hub for relevant airline and travel information.

In the second half of 2021, the airline was also named by the media hub as the Best Ultra Low-Cost Airline in 2021. 

For the current 2022 list, VietJet Air is joined by airlines Allegiant Air, easyJet, Frontier Airlines, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Ryanair, and Volaris, as well as Westjet and Wizz Air, which is unveiled as a collective list rather than with particular rankings.

According to AirlineRatings, it monitored a total of 385 global airlines for the top list. AirlineRatings uses a 7-star point system where 7 indicates optimum safety level for a particular airline. Airlines are evaluated against a list of criteria such as incident records over two years, crash records over five years, fleet age, results of audits conducted by the governing body of aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and other aviation authorities.

VietJet Managing Director Dinh Viet Phuong commented, “We are proud to keep up with the top safety ranking in the global aviation industry. We have committed to carrying out reliable flight operation while expanding our flight network and diversifying services to provide the best flying experiences to our passengers in the coming time.”

AirlineRatings Editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas commented that while the airline is extremely clever in its marketing, it has a very smart and serious business plan that “brings affordable travel to millions.” 

“VietJet is especially recognized for massive investment into new fleet, system upgrade, and technology adoption to ensure safety in operation and meet passengers’ evolving and convenient flight demand,” said Thomas.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand was hailed as the world’s safest airline for 2022. This was followed by global airlines from the Middle East, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, while air carriers from APAC such as Singapore Airlines, Qantas, EVA Air, and Virgin Australia, and Cathay Pacific Airways, also entered the main list.

Singapore – Global hospitality campaign Hilton has launched its newest campaign, ‘Travel The World’, which aims to inspire consumers to explore the wonders of their home countries, and discover local alternatives that match the experiences at some of their favorite international destinations.

The campaign reflects the hotel chain’s understanding of sentiment among consumers who are eager to explore something new, yet feel more comfortable traveling closer to home. In addition, the new campaign aims to showcase how domestic travel offers a wealth of similarly wonderful experiences that are a lot more accessible.

“[The] ‘Travel the World’ [campaign] highlights the endless options for international-inspired travel accessible from many Hilton hotels in Australia, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia. There is no shortage of culture, nature, adventure, and food and wine in these countries and the campaign celebrates them all, highlighting the best travel experiences across the region,” Hilton said in a press statement.

Hilton features a lot of destinations and experiences in this campaign, ranging from experiencing the wine bordeaux region in Australia, exploring water canals in Bangkok, Thailand, or snacking on ‘takoyaki’ on the streets of Osaka, Japan.

Speaking about the campaign, Ben George, senior vice president and commercial director for Asia-Pacific at Hilton stated that they understand that there is a significant pent-up demand to travel or reconnect with loved ones, adding that they continue to adapt to meet the evolving needs of their guests.

“With 500 hotels across Asia Pacific, Hilton has the breadth and depth of properties across 11 trusted brands for travelers to connect with these local experiences, all of which deliver the exceptional hospitality that we are known for. Our latest marketing campaign, ‘Travel the World,’ inspires and connects consumers in large domestic travel markets Japan, Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand to experiences they can have in their home countries that satisfy their international travel ambitions,” George stated.

He also cited an internal study they have made on proprietary consumer research in Asia-Pacific, and found that on average, 34% of families are now more actively looking to book domestic travel versus pre-pandemic.

Live now until 31 January 2022, ‘Travel the World’ is a predominately digital campaign running across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, leveraging a number of digital advertising partners. The campaign includes use of hyper-personalized videos delivered to dozens of unique audiences in real-time through the power of Google’s digital marketing engine. 

In addition, the campaign features both social and digital content including videos, social media, and display advertising with the creative concept and key assets developed by regional advertising agency KVUR, which is based in Singapore.

Singapore – Beer brand Heineken in Singapore has launched a special campaign that lets you share your dream holiday and actually gives you a chance to win it and experience it–the closest to reality.

Done in partnership with travel and leisure booking platform Klook, the ‘Heineken Festive Cheers’ campaign involves a brief quiz to match you to your dream holiday. Heineken lets you be carefree with how you envision your dream vacation–and then matches you with something close within the bounds of the beauty of Singapore.

Prompts include where you wish to go, if whether you’d like to escape or explore the city, and what your sighted R & R involves such as a festive party or a scrumptious spread. 

At the heart of the campaign is a special microsite. From 26 November to 24 December 2021, consumers can head to the ‘Heineken Festive Cheers’ site to wing the quiz and be matched to any of the campaign’s prepared holiday packages in Singapore. In the end, participants will be given an exclusive Klook Promo Code for a chance to win it.

With the focus on local tourism, Gerald Yeo, the marketing director of Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore, Heineken’s parent company, said celebrating the holidays doesn’t need necessarily mean traveling somewhere new and that it’s about making time to meet family and friends.

“We look forward to Heineken being at the heart of many celebrations right here in Singapore this season, giving us even more reasons to celebrate with those who matter,” said Yeo. 

Meanwhile, Sarah Wan, Klook’s general manager for Singapore, commented, “Klook is delighted to partner with Heineken to spread festive cheer and joy this year-end. We have made it our mission to uncover hidden gems, feature local merchants, and to pioneer unique experiences here in Singapore. We are confident that this campaign will help bring more awareness to local merchants and shed light on how much Singapore has to offer.” 

Some of the leisure packages that can be won include a staycation for two at Lloyd’s Inn, a staycation at KēSa House, The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood for two, and a guided hike around Keppel by X-Trekkers, among many others. 

Of course, Heineken will be with celebrators at every step of the way. With each leisure package comes a Heineken Blade and a compact 8-liter countertop draught set-up to make sure winners are able to enjoy their Heineken beer as they revel in the holidays. 

In addition to winning experiences, fans could walk away with special Heineken packages such as a six-pack of Heineken or a six-month supply of Heineken.