China’s passenger number down by nearly 70% in April
The decline in all major performance indicators of China’s civil aviation services in April had slowed compared to March. The data released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China…
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HRS obtains Oracle Hospitality support rights in China
HRS Hospitality & Retail Systems continue their global expansion by opening in China, the largest market in the Asia-Pacific region. HRS began its operations reselling Oracle…
Bill Barnett: “The post-COVID traveller is going to be like a baby”
Bill Barnett, the Phuket-based head honcho of C9 Hotelworks, is not someone who needs an introduction to anyone working in the Thai travel industry.
Barnett is a force of nature in…
From CFO to GM: Calvin Xie to accelerate FCM’s organisational transformation in China
Travel management company FCM Travel Solutions has announced the appointment of Calvin Xie as general manager for China.
In his new role, Calvin will drive the company’s business in China…
Chinese overseas travel sentiment grows as first-mover
According to the China Philippines Travel Sentiment Survey, conducted in the first week of May by hospitality consulting group C9 Hotelworks and Delivering Asia Communications, the key…
Wyndham merges China unit into Asia Pacific
Wyndham Hotel Group said in an internal message that it will reorganise its global structure from five regions to three, combining Greater China with Southeast Asia Pacific Rim as Asia…
China tourism revenue drops 60% during first major holiday
Millions of Chinese people kept their spending down during the first major holiday in China since the coronavirus outbreak.
During the May Day holiday, also known as Labour Day…
China National Tourist Office launches Facebook campaign
The China National Tourist Office (CNTO) has launched a social media campaign from its London office via Facebook. The page has a statement in support of the UK government's guidelines…
TUI China relaunches domestic holidays
TUI China has resumed business operations, offering domestic tours for holidaymakers in China. Three months after the subsidiary had to completely stop selling tours, the…
45% of Chinese FITs plan to visit reopened Vietnam this year
Vietnam’s remarkable reopening of its domestic travel sector is expected to be replicated by focusing on short-haul Asian markets in a quest to restore their international tourism…
“The distribution market will never be the same,” Aeronology CEO on long term development contract with TravelSky
Aeronology, a new travel technology based in Melbourne, has announced a global API/GDS distribution relationship with TravelSky, China’s largest airline GDS.
Ray of light: DiDi resumes services in Wuhan, China
On 30 April, DiDi has resumed its ride-hailing services, including taxi-hailing, private-car hailing, Hitch, and Designated Driving, in Wuhan, China.
Travelling after lockdown: What can we learn from China?
Many of us wonder what travelling would be like after the lockdown. It has been over a month since some nations imposed a shutdown that made us live like a recluse and I imagine that our…
China’s domestic air travel capacity shows sign of early recovery
Domestic airline capacity in China is beginning to recover, with over 30% of its domestic capacity returning in the last two months, according to a new analysis from Cirium.
5 Regions winning the battle against COVID-19 and here’s what they’re doing
some other countries appear to have managed to slow down the rate of new cases and now seem to be on a slow and possibly difficult path towards recovery. Here they are:
British Airways adds extra flights a week from China
British Airways is increasing the number of cargo-only flights from China to the UK to 21 a week, up from 13 last week, as demand continues to rise.
From May, 14 flights each week…
Lack of coronavirus cure makes people turn to herbal remedies for COVID-19
The lack of coronavirus cure and rapid increase of reported cases have pushed many countries to turn to herbal medicine as a remedy for the pandemic.
China’s tourism sector in biggest slump in 40 years
The number of tourists and China’s income from tourism may slump about 30% this year compared with 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the sector, according to a new…
Agent Alert: MGTO takes training online for Indian TAs
The Macao Government Tourism Office - India (MGTO), has increased its efforts to educate and inform travel agents about the COVID-19 pandemic with all the latest destination- developments…
BA to ship 770 tonnes of cargo for the NHS including PPE
British Airways is increasing the number of cargo-only flights from China to the UK to 21 a week, up from 13 last week, as demand continues to rise.
From May, 14 flights each week will…
Second outbreak impedes China market
Chinese tourists may not return soon as a second wave of the outbreak is hitting many key areas, while tour agents in Europe are bypassing summer vacations and starting to offer winter…
Lufthansa lands twice daily with protective equipment from China
To do its part in addressing the covid-19 crisis, Lufthansa is currently operating two daily flights carrying protective equipment from China to Munich Airport with Airbus A350…
What hotel GMs can do now to prepare for the return of Chinese travelers post COVID-19
Last week Anita shared a few post COVID-19 trends and ideas on what hotel GMs can do to get ahead of the game to welcome Chinese travelers post COVID-19. Anita decided to elaborate on her…
DiDi’s new strategy puts user value first
Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) has announced its three-year strategic goals that showed a shift from an “all-in-safety” strategy to achieving sustainable, high-quality growth through longer-term…
Thai VietJet plans new China route
Thai Vietjet will launch a new service linking Bangkok and Haikou in China by late October. The new service will feature in the carrier’s winter season plans for 2020/21 subject to…
Finnair to deepen cooperation with Juneyao Air
Finnair and Shanghai-based Juneyao Air have signed a Letter of Intent to deepen their cooperation between China and Europe subject to required regulatory approvals. The aim is to establish a…
90% Chinese travellers prefer domestic itinerary after Covid-19
As China slowly eases lockdown restrictions and life returns to somewhat normal conditions, residents have once again started traveling.
But an uptick in domestic sight-seeing doesn’t…
Beijing hotel guests must show negative test results
From now on, travellers arriving in Beijing will be required to provide negative coronavirus test results when they check-in to hotels, under a new measure announced.
Zhou Weimin, a…
China’s hotel industry data show early signs of recovery
Mainland China’s daily hotel occupancy reached an absolute level of 31.8% on 28 March, up from a low of 7.4% during the first week of February, according to preliminary data from STR.…
Togeter we stand! Qingdao in China donates masks to Japanese travel industry
Travel agencies and companies in Qingdao, China, which have close links with Japan, extended their support to neighbouring countries, including Japan, where COVID-19 is widespread.…
Is the world ready for Chinese tourists anytime soon?
This is a follow up article from my last article “Revenge Traveling will happen. The question is when?”
After I published my last article, I got a few people asking me. “Many part of China…
Israeli travel tech startup Hotelmize raises Series B from Alibaba, opens APAC headquarters in Hong Kong
Hotelmize, developer of AI-based price prediction and profit-optimisation technologies for the hotel booking industry, is raising its B round investment largely in the Asia Pacific to…
10 movies to satisfy your thirst for travel during home quarantine
Here are 10 movies you can binge on during quarantine that will tour you around the world on your couch.
Qatar Airways Cargo returns to destinations in China
Qatar Airways Cargo announced it will resume scheduled belly-hold cargo operations to China with the utilisation of wide-body and passenger-configurated aircraft. The additional cargo…
Airbus offers new face mask supplies to support Europe’s fight against COVID-19
Airbus has deployed a new air-bridge flight between Europe and China to deliver additional face mask supplies to France, Germany, Spain and UK health systems in support of the COVID-19…
Radisson to take centrestage in Nanjing’s new CBD
Radisson Hotel Group continues to expand in China’s most dynamic destinations with the signing of its inaugural property in Nanjing, the country’s ancient capital city, the current…
Revenge travelling will happen, the question is WHEN?
Do you know what Chinese are talking now? They are talking about ‘Revenge Spending’ (报复性消费).
The ingenious ways hotels earn during coronavirus outbreak
With countries closing their borders and travel is non-existent nowadays, hotels struggle to fill their rooms.
Japanese drug Avigan is effective for coronavirus treatment, says China
China's ministry of science and technology has announced on late Tuesday that favipiravir, the main ingredient in the influenza drug Avigan, showed "very good clinical results" during…
Trip.com donates one million face masks
Trip.com Group, has announced that it will donate one million surgical masks to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
As of today, and led by the company's co-founder and chairman,James…
Trip.com Group joins Standard Chartered to announce new virtual banking service Mox
Trip.com Group has partnered with Standard Chartered, Hong Kong-based information and communications technology company PCCW and Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) to launch a new virtual banking…
Positive development: Australian researchers claim to find possible ‘cure’ for Coronavirus
In a positive development towards finding a solution to the coronavirus pandemic that shook the world and crippled the global economy and the travel and tourism industry, a team of…
Etihad Airways to move to Daxing Airport in June
Etihad Airways will move its operations in China to the state-of-the-art Beijing Daxing International Airport from June. The move will involve all flights to and from Abu Dhabi and…
Etihad signs MoU with Chinese tech giant
Etihad Airways has announced a major new deal with Chinese multinational and internet big beast Tencent Tencent, owners of China's ubiquitous mobile app WeChat.
The new Memorandum of…
ICCA strengthens footprint in China with Chengdu centre
International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has signed an agreement with Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition (CCPIT Chengdu), MeetingsChina and Chengdu University on a…
Covid-19: UNWTO calls on tourism to be part of recovery plans
In an update on the sector’s response to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) offers a first assessment pointing to a decrease in international…
Kempinski to add 6,000 hotel rooms in Beijing
Switzerland-based luxury hotel company Kempinski announced that it is adding 6,000 rooms in Beijing through a joint venture with the Beijing Tourism Group.
The first 1,200 rooms will…
China pumps investment to cultural tourism projects in virus-hit regions
China’s top economic planner has allocated CNY 5.7 billion (USD 814 million) to support project construction in the cultural tourism industry that has taken a hard hit by the novel…
Three ITB events cancelled so far; ITB Asia to push through
At the heels of ITB Berlin 2020 cancellation, ITB India has been postponed to 2021 due to the ongoing health crisis prompted by the new coronavirus.
Opinion (Different): Hospitality marketing during the virus outbreak
On February 28, Messe Berlin announced the iconic ITB Berlin will be cancelled, for the first time in history. Then on my Facebook, LinkedIn, the majority of industry associates were…
COVID-19 cancels more than 200,000 flights to, from and within China
Over 200,000 flights have now been cancelled or proactively removed from schedules to, from and within China due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), according to Cirium.
The figure – which…
Choking travel won’t stop the coronavirus spreading, warns WTTC
Closing borders, blanket travel bans and more extreme government policies will not stop the spread of coronavirus, argues the head of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).…
72% of Chinese travellers will hit the road after the outbreak ends
Chinese travellers and businesses have expressed confidence in the development of the country’s tourism industry, although it was hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. “China's tourism…
Qatar Airways sends 300 tonnes of medical supplies to China
Five Qatar Airways Cargo freighters departed to China carrying approximately 300 tonnes of medical supplies donated by the airline to support Cornavirus relief efforts. The five flights…
China turns to tech firms for apps to monitor health, travel
Chinese government are tapping tech giants to come up with an app to track the health and travel history of millions of citizens that are preparing to go back to work.
Korean Air provides masks for Wuhan residents
Korean Air is providing emergency relief supplies to residents of Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The South Korean flag carrier delivered…
Royal Caribbean deploys two ships for humanitarian efforts
Royal Caribbean Cruises has announced it will dedicate two ships to humanitarian efforts in Australia and California to support some of the people affected by recent crises. Richard…
ITB China postponed as coronavirus battle continues
Organisers at ITB China have confirmed the event will be postponed as the country continues to battle a coronavirus outbreak. The event was scheduled to be held on 13-15 May at the…
January woes: Travel reservations to China plummet 79%
The coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the world economy. The increase in cases throughout China and the uncertainty generated after the international alert declared by the World…
China hotel performance could recover quickly: STR
Amid the current outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), leading market research firm STR analysed historical data for China and found that the country’s hotel performance recovered quickly…
DiDi to launch services in Sydney in March
Ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) has announced that it will launch its ridesharing services in Sydney, New South Wales, on 16 March.
THAI, Toyota Tsusho and Worldwide Logistics transport medical supplies to China
Thai Airways International (THAI) collaborated with Toyota Tsusho and Worldwide Logistics Services in Thailand to provide aid and support for Chinese from the recent outbreak of…
Qatar Airways volunteers free worldwide air cargo transportation of medical supplies donated to China
Qatar Airways has volunteered free air cargo transportation for medical relief aid organised by Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide to fight the coronavirus emergency. The…
Don’t stigmatise Chinese and Asian tourists because of coronavirus, says WTTC
Individual tourists and groups from China and Asia must not be stigmatised because of the latest coronavirus outbreak, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The…
Centara’s enhanced safety measures keep guests and staff well-protected
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s hotel operator, is providing a reassuring hand to travellers with added safety measures and greater flexibility for changing travel plans.
The…
Philippine Airlines ferries stranded passengers due to coronavirus
Philippine Airlines (PAL) made two special flights on its Manila-Xiamen route to ferry passengers stranded because of the travel ban imposed on China due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Car rental market to reach USD 230 billion by 2029
According to Future Market Insights, while North America holds almost half of the car rental market share, East Asia is expected to emerge as the most lucrative for companies in the car…
STB waives licence fees for hotels and travel agents
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has introduced measures to help tourism businesses combat the impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV). STB said it would waive licence fees for hotels,…
Vietjet Thailand disinfects all aircraft and carries donated medical supplies to China
Stepping up measures against coronavirus outbreak, Vietjet Thailand has sprayed disinfectant aboard all its aircraft to prevent the spread of the disease and increase travel confidence…
IT&CM China shifts dates to August
Organisers of IT&CM China 2020 and CTW China 2020 have shifted the event to 3-5 August in response to the on-going crisis caused by the novel coronavirus. Originally, scheduled from…
STR: The initial impact of coronavirus on hotel occupancy in China during CNY
Industry analytics firm STR has released data measuring the initial impact of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on hotel occupancy in Mainland China over the Chinese New Year period, 14-26…
DiDi supports coronavirus relief efforts
Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) is taking new actions to support doctors, communities and drivers as China continues to fight the coronavirus outbreak (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan through the following…
China turns to apps after closures and cancellations
As the feared coronavirus continues to spread at a rapid rate, China is slowly being walled off as governments and airlines are suspending travel to and from the country despite World Health…
False alarm: 7,000 people on Costa Smeralda relieved after suspected passenger doesn’t have coronavirus
Italy health officials have confirmed that the Chinese couple that caused a massive quarantine of everyone on board the Costa Smeralda do not have the feared coronavirus.
Tibet shuts all tourist spots over virus concerns
Southwest China’s Tibet autonomous region has temporarily suspended the operation of all its scenic attractions to tourists over concerns regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus.…
Coronavirus: Trip.com chairman comments on outbreak
In the usually joyous Chinese New Year holiday season of 2020, anxiety was the mood as the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic spread across the nation. Wuhan and various surrounding cities…
The light at the end of the tunnel for the coronavirus outbreak
I understand that much of the anxiety stems from the fear of the unknown – the carrier of the virus has not been identified and the lack of cure or vaccine. Moreover, the death toll is…
Finnair suspends Nanjing and Beijing Daxing routes until March end
Due to the recent suspension of all group travel from China, Finnair will cancel its three weekly flights between Helsinki and Beijing Daxing International Airport between 5 February and…
China’s travel ban hits Thai tourism industry hard
As the coronavirus outbreak reverberates through China, the Thai tourism sector has been badly hit. Thai hotels are preparing for another slump in bookings as the Chinese government’s…
5 things travellers should do in the midst of coronavirus outbreak
The 2019-nCoV coronavirus is the biggest threat in the travel industry affecting various sectors such as transportation, aviation, tourism and attractions and tours. The fear of the…
Here’s why the new 2019-nCoV coronavirus a big threat on travel
The new strain of coronavirus, tentatively-known as the 2019-nCoV, is spreading at an alarming rate. In China, the tally jumped to 2,700 cases and the number of deaths climbed to at least…
US confirms five cases of deadly virus from China
As the fear of a new pandemic rise, the US has confirmed five new cases of the Coronavirus from China.
Singapore ranked global leader in mobile payment usage among Chinese tourists
Nielsen and Alipay have jointly released a new report on the latest trends in Chinese outbound tourism and the consumption habits of Chinese travellers for the third consecutive year.…
Hilton rings in Lunar New Year with release of ‘Room 702’ episode focused on education in China
Timed to coincide with the Lunar New Year 2020 on 25 January, Hilton has released the latest instalment of its acclaimed ‘Room 702’ video docuseries, profiling Nick Li, manager of safety…
Travel to and from Wuhan banned amid Chinese New Year rush
Local authorities in Wuhan, China have put the city on lockdown in attempt to contain the new strain of coronavirus that sickened hundreds of people and killed 17 so far.
DoubleTree by Hilton Fuzhou South Hotel opens in China
Hilton has announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Fuzhou South, a 17-storey, 242-room new-build hotel that will welcome business and leisure travellers visiting Fuzhou, the…
Thailand, Japan and Singapore top Hotelbeds’ Chinese New Year travel ranking
Hotelbeds, the bed bank company, has revealed the top international destinations for Chinese travellers during the seven-day Chinese New Year holiday period starting on 24 January.…
Budapest strengthens Chinese connection
Just six months after its inaugural service with Shanghai Airlines took off, Budapest Airport has announced the addition of two other Chinese destinations on its route map. Following…
Trip.com Group collaborates with British Airways and Iberia on NDC standard
Chinese provider of travel services, Trip.com Group, has strengthened its partnership with British Airways and Iberia by connecting to the New Distribution Capability (NDC).
The NDC…
TAT’s announces Year of the Rat and 60th anniversary celebrations
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is inviting all to join in its unique Chinese New Year (CNY) 2020 celebrations organised in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket to ring in the ‘Year of the…
Mysterious illness dampens CNY travel as disease spreads in Japan, Thailand
The mysterious illness that caused an outbreak in Wuhan, China continues to harbour fear in Asia over the cross-border spread.
Hotelbeds inks deal with citizenM Shanghai Hongqiao
Hotelbeds, the bedbank company, has announced a strategic partnership with citizenM Shanghai Hongqiao, a Shanghai based property of the Netherlands-based hotel chain citizenM. The deal…
CWT debuts with replatformed digital offering in China
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the global travel management specialist, has announced the launch of its flagship platform, myCWT, in China – marking the latest milestone in its journey…
OYO lays off 1800 employees in India, China and it’s just the start
OYO has scaled back its growth and has fired around 600 of its 12,000 China employees and 1,200 India employees.
ITB China ties up with CBEF to boost buyer attendance
ITB China, the largest B2B exclusive travel trade show in China, has announced a partnership with the China Business Exhibition Federation (CBEF) to strengthen the participation of…
China’s hotel markets remain strong amidst US trade war
Global analytics and benchmarking company STR has reported that China's hotel markets are projected to grow in 2020 despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
AirAsia takes flight to Chengdu
Travellers flying out of Malaysia’s northern hub Penang can now enjoy another destination option as AirAsia launches new flights to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China.…
Chinese mainland has 38,433 travel agencies
The Chinese mainland had 38,433 travel agencies at the end of September 2019, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The travel agencies received 4.86 million overseas…
Chinese traveller from Wuhan discharged from Thai quarantine
Thailand's Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health has discharged one of the four travellers who were kept in quarantine after they reported having a fever shortly after…
JAL signs new codeshare with Shanghai Airlines
Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced it's new codeshare agreement with Shanghai Airlines to expand the carrier`s international network in China. Reservations and ticket sales begin on January…
Chinese travellers willing to pay more for quality experience
China’s tourism industry is heading toward high-quality development amid diversifying and expanding market demand, said an industry report.
They are willing to pay more for cultural…
China Airlines to grow Southeast Asia network
Due to the strong outlook of the Southeast Asia travel market, China Airlines is following up on the launch of its first Cebu service in March by adding four weekly direct flights to…
No travel ban as China’s mysterious virus strikes down 59
Travel in and out of China is business as usual even though the local government in Wuhan, a major industrial and commercial city in Central China, has confirmed 59 cases of the mysterious…
The perfect match: Vistajet offers Japanese adventure holidays to celebrate Chinese New Year
To celebrate the coming Year of the Rat, VistaJet, the global private aviation company, is unveiling a one-of-a-kind Japanese adventure as part of VistaJet World – its comprehensive…
“Superior comfort and excellent service”: Hyatt Regency Hengqin launches in Zuhai
Hyatt Hotels announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Hengqin in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, last week.
With 493 rooms, six dining outlets, and 40,440 square feet (3,757 square meters) of…
Huazhu completes Deutsche Hospitality deal
Huazhu Group, a leading and fast-growing hotel group, has announced the closing of the acquisition of all shares in Steigenberger Hotels Aktiengesellschaft, Germany or popularly called…
Mysterious viral illness in China sows fear in Asia
Airports in Asia are on heightened alert following the outbreak of a mysterious illness in Wuhan, China.
China’s tourism market generates USD 890 billion
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently announced at its fourth quarter press conference that 560,000 cultural enterprises in China generated CNY 6218.7 billion (USD 890 billion)…
Turkish Airlines expands flight network in China
Turkish Airlines has announced the addition of Xi’an, the Chinese city with 3,000 years of history, to its flight network. Xi’an has become the flag carrier’s fourth destination in…
JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay debuts on China’s holiday island
JW Marriott has welcomed the opening of JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay, located on the Haitang Bay, China. The property marks the group's second resort on Hainan and eighteenth hotel in…
Visa-free entry to see 7% growth in tourist arrivals from India and China to Malaysia
In conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY2020), Tourism Malaysia is looking at tourist arrivals from China and India to increase by about 7%. This was revealed by Musa Yusof,…
Enter the Dragon: Trip.com and World Tourism Alliance reveals China inbound tourism report
The number of tourists to China saw a steady growth this year and the number of inbound trips in the first three quarters this year stood at 108.76 million, up 4.7% from the same period…
Passenger traffic rise in APAC and Middle East
Passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East recorded growth in October at 1.1% and 5.2% respectively, according to Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific.
China’s…
Bonanza 2020: Malaysia extends 15-day visa free travel for China and India
The Malaysian government has gazetted two orders permitting a 15-day visa exemption for tourists, particularly from China and India in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020.
For…
PATA Travel Mart 2020 heads to Leshan in Sichuan, China
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is set to organise PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2020 in Leshan, Sichuan, China from 3-6 September. The event will be hosted by the Leshan Culture,…
Abu Dhabi and Beijing strengthen tourism ties
The Department of Culture and Tourism from Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) welcomed the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau to the UAE capital, where the bureau was hosting the ‘Abu…
7 most ‘Instagrammed’ attractions around the world
As we move into a new decade, InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts has uncovered the Most Instagrammed Sights Of 2019, as part of their InterContinental ICons campaign.
Trip.com invests in business lounge operator DragonPass
DragonPass, a Chinese company operating high-end business lounges at airports and high-speed railway stations, announced it has obtained an undisclosed sum of funding from Ocean Link as…
Jiangxi seduces Mexico with beauty, culture and history
China's Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism held the 2019
"Beautiful Jiangxi Scenery" Cultural Tourism (Mexico) Promotion Conference in Mexico City on December 13. The…
Alibaba’s Fliggy ropes in 15,000 hotels
Alibaba Group Holding’s online travel agency Fliggy has established an alliance with 15,000 lodging service providers to help China’s independent hotels find more clients. The alliance,…
TravelFlan completes USD 7 million funding
TravelFlan, a Hong Kong-based chatbot provider for the travel industry, has recently received USD 7 million in its A round of financing. SPK AI Travel Tech Fund, founded by Lazard Korea,…
Thai hospitality comes to Shuangyue Bay in China
Thailand-based global hospitality company Dusit International, represented in China by Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts, has opened Dusit Thani Sandalwoods Resort Shuangyue Bay Huizhou,…
Hot hotel openings: The best of 2020
In this week's special edition of hot hotel openings, we look forward to the year ahead and visit some of the latest and most anticipated properties from around the world.
After numerous scandals, Mafengwo to lay off 40% of staff
Rumours are circulating that Chinese OTA Mafengwo may be laying off 40% of its employees following several scandals involving the company.
IATA welcomes Cebu Pacific as its newest member
Filipino carrier Cebu Pacific has joined the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), the trade association for the global airline industry. CEB is IATA’s largest member among…
ITB China, The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence promote MICE and corporate travel
ITB China and The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) announced their strategic partnership for the upcoming travel trade show set to take place from 13 to 15 May 2020 in…
Hot hotel openings: Club Med opens on its own private island and more
This week on hot hotel openings, we've got four of the best hotels and resorts from around the world — from Shenzhen's east coast to the archipelago of Seychelles off East Africa and more.
More Chinese to travel overseas on Spring Festival holiday in 2020, says Trip.com
China’s online travel agency Trip.com has revealed that Chinese tourists will travel more to overseas destinations for the Spring Festival holiday in 2020.
6 must-visit destinations in December
The festive season is here and Cathay Pacific has revealed the six must-visit destinations this month where travellers can fully enjoy the holiday season.
Chinese tourists will be taught how to behave in Malaysia
“We will educate our tourists to behave properly in Malaysia,” says China’s ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian. China has acknowledged that the embassy had received numerous complaints…
Shopping is chief out-going of Chinese tourists
Trip.com Group and UnionPay International have published the “2019 Chinese Outbound Travel Consumption Report”. The report provides insights into the cross-border travel consumption trends…
China adds Xian, Ningbo, and Chongqing in 144-hour visa-free travel ports
Travellers will have more options gaining entry in China as the country added Xian, Ningbo, and Chongqing to its growing list of 144-hour visa-free travel ports.
Hong Kong’s local elections: Are the nation’s travel woes finally over?
Is the long-awaited indication of triumph finally here? The semi-independent Hong Kong held its local elections amid the protests that could be a key on how things will end.
Ride Tesla or Mercedes cars with Didi Chuxing’s Japan premium service
China’s Didi Chuxing will trial a premium ride-hailing service in Japan offering luxurious vehicles like Tesla, Lexus and Mercedes Benz vehicles.
Accor and Alibaba form alliance to improve ‘consumer experience’
Accor and Alibaba Group have announced a strategic collaboration to develop a series of digital applications and loyalty programs to improve the consumer and traveller experience over the…
Too trippy: Mega collaboration sees the introduction of TripAdvisor China
Trip.com and TripAdvisor have released news that the two online giants have come together in a strategic partnership which they hope will push the brands' global presence even further, by…
“Safety does not have to be serious or boring”: K-Pop stars create new safety vid
Korean Air has unveiled global K-pop supergroup, SuperM as the stars of its new safety video.
A collaboration between the airline and SM Entertainment, the video was aired for the…
Centara Hotels & Resorts reveals global expansion plans
Thailand's Centara Hotels & Resorts has announced a strategic five-year development plan that will see its global portfolio grow to over 130 hotels in more than 50 countries by the end…
Shanghai tops winter capacity growth from Gatwick
Shanghai tops the list of the ten fastest growing destinations served from Gatwick this winter. The airport’s fastest-growing route list is headed by China’s global financial centre,…
“A perfect match”: Pullman Huizhou Kaisa opens for business
Accor subsidiary Pullman has announced the opening of Pullman Huizhou Kaisa as its 38th hotel in Greater China.
Huizhou is a central city in the Pearl River Delta and enjoys benefits from…
ITB China backs tourism forum
More than 3,000 delegates from 26 countries attended the 2019 World Culture and Tourism Forum in Chanba, Xi’an, China. The conference hosted by Xi’an Municipal People’s Government and…
Ctrip is now Trip.com
The recently concluded 2019 annual general meeting of shareholders adopted the resolution to change the name of the company from Ctrip.com International to Trip.com Group.
Ctrip.com…
ATM events focus on Saudi, India, China outbound
The upcoming Arabian Travel Market 2020 (ATM) in Dubai, UAE has launched a new series of buyer forums and networking events focused on India, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia’s growing…
BA becomes first international airline to serve new Beijing Daxing
British Airways (BA) became the first international carrier to operate into state-of-the-art Beijing Daxing airport which covers 18 square miles of land since it opened last month. The…
Chinese travellers take 31 million trips via tour packages
Chinese mainland tourists made a total of nearly 31 million outbound trips through tour packages organised by travel agencies in the first half of 2019, said a report unveiled by the…
Indians and Chinese no longer require visas to visit Brazil: President
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said the South American nation will drop its requirement that visiting Chinese and Indian tourists or businesspeople obtain visa. Bolsonaro, came…
Iberia signs codeshare deal with Hainan Airlines
China and Spain are better connected by air now, owing to the recent codeshare agreement between Iberia and Hainan Airlines. Iberia customers can now fly direct from Madrid to Shenzhen…
India witnesses spurt in Chinese travellers
Data from Ctrip has revealed that the number of visits made by the Chinese travellers to India surged by over 70% during the January-September period, with over 60% of the travellers in…
Capturing the Chinese consumer
1.4 billion people strong, the Chinese make up a large percentage of APAC travellers. Capturing Chinese travellers is like netting a big fish. They travel in throngs and have money to spend.
Virgin Atlantic unveils plans for China Eastern joint venture
Virgin Atlantic has announced its intention to enter into a joint venture with China Eastern and Air France-KLM. The move is designed to provide customers with increased choice and…
RwandAir: We’re delighted by the initial response from customers
Confident and ambitious African airline RwandAir has declared that its new Kigali to Guangzhou service is performing better than it had expected.
The three times weekly service, which…
Aerotel launches ‘one-of-a-kind’ brand in Beijing
Aerotel has opened its latest set of accommodations at Beijing Daxing International Airport, the first hotel of its kind in China.
Song Hoi-see, founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group…
“The South-East Asia market is a primary focus” Ctrip to partner with Thai tourism body
Ctrip Group CMO Sun Bo and the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn, met today to discuss a potential partnership between the two organisations, to…
Tencent collaborates with YESMILANO to boost Milan tourism from China
Tencent, a leading provider of internet value added services in China, has announced its collaboration with YESMILANO, the official promotional agency of Milan, to launch a WeChat…
Dubai offers instant VAT refunds for Chinese tourists
Chinese tourists to Dubai can now get instant VAT refunds at Dubai Airports via the We Tax Refund on the WeChat Mini Programme, launched by Chinese tech giant, Tencent and international…
ITB China lands pioneering partnership with Meituan
Riding on the success of three years, ITB China, the largest B2B exclusive travel trade show in China, has announced its milestone partnership with China’s leading e-commerce platform…
China sees sharp increase in National Day travel
Transportation company headquartered in Beijing, Didi Chuxing, has released a summary of the travel data for the 2019 National Day holiday that commemorated the 70th anniversary of the…
Hong Kong protests cause collapse in visitors from mainland China
A study by ForwardKeys, the travel analytics firm, has revealed that the number of mainland Chinese visitors coming to Hong Kong by air has dropped by 53.3% from 1 July until 23…
World’s largest cruise ship to sail from Shanghai in 2021
Royal Caribbean's president and CEO, Michael Bayley, has revealed at a cruise conference in Shanghai, the company's fifth Oasis Class ship, Wonder of the Seas.
Hot hotel openings: Re-interpreting history through a modern lens
This week on our platter of hot hotel openings, we’re serving you the freshest properties from St Regis, Pullman, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and more.
Chinese tourists increase by 33% in Cambodia
Cambodia attracted 1.7 million Chinese tourists during the first eight months of 2019, up 33% over the same period last year, according to its Tourism Ministry’s latest report. The…
Alternative accommodation for community living
We talk to Tony Chisholm, COO at GCP Hospitality
Cruise news: First floating cabanas in the Bahamas and more
This week in the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean introduces the first floating cabanas in the Bahamas, Windstar announces its 2021 Alaska season and more.
The dragon power: China’s outbound travel expenditure tops USD 127.5 billion
The outbound travel expenditure of Chinese travellers reached USD 127.5 billion in the first half of 2019, more than half of which was spent in Asian destinations, according to the…
West Air flies to Phuket
China’s West Air will launch its first service to Phuket from its home base of Chongqing. Starting from 22 November, the airline will offer a four-weekly service from Chongqing on…
Cross Hotels on the road: “We are excited to have penetrated this market for the first time”
Bangkok based firm, Cross Hotels and Resorts, showed its ambitions within the thriving, and ultra-competitive, Chinese travel market this week, when it hosted a series of roadshows in three…
Merlin plans to build the world’s largest Legoland in China
Merlin Entertainments, the second-largest theme park operator in the world, announced that it plans to build Legoland Sichuan in China, the largest Legoland in the world. The company has…
Kerala first state to partner with China Ready programme
In a bid to increase the tourist footfall from China, Kerala has become the first Indian state to partner with the China Ready programme, which has already been conducted in 48…
Themed travel fast-growing trend among Chinese
Research by Mintel finds that three in five urban Chinese respondents (of 3000 surveyed online aged 20-49) say they are motivated to try themed travel because it would make a suitable…
The rise of the Asian passport
Asia’s dominance appears to be unfaltering in the passport power stakes as Singapore and Japan share the top spots. Entering into the final quarter of 2019, Japan and Singapore continue…
Korean Air launches new routes into China and the Philippines
Korean Air has announced a tranche of new routes this week, including flights to Clark, in the Philippines; Nanjing, in China on 27 October. As well as, both, Zhangjiajie and Hangzhou,…
Dusit continues China expansion with third hotel in Changzhou
The highly anticipated Dusit Thani Wujin Changzhou hotel has opened to the public in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, offering 230 well-appointed guest rooms and suites. The third…
China to make 800 million domestic trips on national holiday
Chinese tourists will make nearly 800 million domestic trips and another 7.5 million overseas trips during the upcoming week-long National Day holiday, according to a report by Ctrip.…
Unstoppable: Global hotel pipeline soars to new heights
Provider of global hotel intelligence Lodging Econometrics (LE) has compiled construction pipeline counts for every country and market, revealing a record high of rooms around the world.
Travellanda bets big on China and LATAM
Travellanda, the wholesale travel company in the UK, has appointed two new sales and business development managers to help it expand into the Chinese and Latin American (LATAM) markets.…
Hong Kong hotel prices slump to USD 9 per night!
As pro-democracy protests never seem to cease, Hong Kong hotels raised the white flag and asked appealed to the government for support as hotel rates slid down to USD 9 a night on weekdays.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts unveils growth plans at first global conference
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, with approximately 9,200 hotels across more than 80 countries, has outlined growth plans to advance its position during its first global conference as an…
China Eastern unveils 5G travel system at Beijing airport
China Eastern Airlines, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have joined forces to launch a 5G smart travel service system at the new Beijing Daxing International Airport. 5G enabled…
Hunan tourism festival takes centre stage
The 2019 Hunan International Culture & Tourism Festival opened with the showcase of many diverse opportunities for tourism the Hunan Province is able to offer.
This year also…
China Southern signs pact with Qatar Airways
China Southern Airlines has signed a code share agreement with Qatar Airways, effective from 15 January 2020 subject to governmental approval. As the first step to strengthen the…
Beijing’s Universal theme park to open in 2021
The Universal Beijing Resort has announced the park will open in 2021, bringing China another major international theme park. The park will be the largest Universal theme park in the…
China’s online hotel reservation industry continues to rise
According to the latest report from mobile Internet big data monitoring platform Trustdata, China's online hotel reservation market continues to rise.
Mandarin Oriental announces luxury hotel in Nanjing
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will manage a luxury hotel in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province in China, scheduled to open in 2022. Mandarin Oriental, Nanjing…
Shenzhen airport sees jump in passenger traffic as Hong Kong declines
The Shenzhen airport in southern China reported significant rises in both passenger and cargo traffic, presenting a stark contrast to the airport in neighbouring Hong Kong. The disparity…
First-ever Business Travel MICE procurement event strengthens ITB China’s positioning
The recently organised Business Travel MICE Procurement Conference 2019 - Shanghai Station, jointly hosted by China BT MICE and ITB China, attracted 300 senior industry attendees from…
More Chinese opt for travel during family reunion festival
An ever-increasing number of Chinese celebrated the mid-autumn festival, a traditional holiday for family get-together by travelling. This was revealed by data from online travel agency…
Survey Result: Young Chinese Travelers Journey
China outbound is a very fragmented market but young Chinese travelers is always a very important segment for overseas tourism operators. It is because in general, this is the segment that…
Hot hotel openings: Rosewood’s new “mansion in the sky” and more
On this week’s round-up of hot hotel openings, we’re taking a look at Rosewood’s sky-high property in Guangzhou, a luxury lodge in the Arctic Circle and more.
Ctrip to develop tourism in Morocco
Online travel agency Ctrip has signed a strategic co-operation agreement with Morocco’s National Tourism Office to boost Chinese tourism to Morocco.
Spanning over three years, the…
Radisson Blu debuts in Hangzhou
Radisson Blu has expanded its portfolio in China with the opening of its first hotel in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province. Radisson Blu Hangzhou Xintiandi is located in the…
Alipay and Fliggy join hands to grow Chinese tourism to San Diego
Alipay, digital payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group (Alibaba Group) and Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel services platform, announced a collaboration with Brand USA and the…
Airbus deepens China commitment with AVIC deal
Airbus has reaffirmed its commitment to a long-term strategic partnership with China’s aviation industry. As part of the move, the company has signed a new agreement with Aviation…
Marriott’s Na Lotus Hotel opens in China
Marriott has opened a new hotel under its Luxury Collection brand, in the capital of Guangxi Province, Nanning. The new opening marks the brand’s eighth property in China.
Na Lotus…
Shandong Airlines-Sabre deal to drive intelligent retailing in China and across Asia
Sabre Corporation announced that China-based carrier Shandong Airlines is the latest to select several intelligent retailing solutions from the Sabre Commercial Platform. Under this…
The big league: Stellar line up of industry giants will headline ITB Asia 2019 keynote sessions
ITB Asia is set to deliver a series of keynote presentations over the event’s 16-18 October dates, in line with 2019’s conference theme, ‘Bold Thoughts, Bold Moves.’ The keynote sessions…
TAT’s ‘happy shopping’ campaign jazzes up tourism offering in Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) together with key public-private sector partners are jointly launching a ‘Happy Shopping’ campaign to stimulate inbound travel and tourist…
China sees 735 million railway trips this summer
An ever-increasing number of Chinese travellers have been travelling in rail this summer. A total of 735 million railway trips in China were made from 1 July to 31 August, up by 10.4%…
“Quarter of rooms under construction in APAC carry a Hilton flag”: Matt Fry, Hilton
In August Hilton announced that by the middle of 2019 the company has signed up 120 new hotels in APAC Keen to discover more I spoke to the Hilton's SVP of development in Asia, Matt Fry to…
Asia’s top ten cities for meetings & events
CWT M&E, CWT’s MICE division, has unveiled its top ten of the best locations for holding meetings and events in the Asia Pacific, ahead of the publication of WT’s 2020 Meetings &…
Passenger numbers up 2.1% in APAC
Passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East recorded growth in June at 2.1% and 8.1% respectively. According to a report by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific, in…
