Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok, Thailand, December 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / To drum up hype prior to the Michelin Star Revelation and the release of The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket & Phang-Nga 2022 publication, slated for 16 December, Michelin today unveiled the 2022 Bib Gourmand selection, whereby 133 restaurants and street food establishments are featured. Out of the total number, 71 are located in Bangkok, 23 in Chiang Mai, 29 in Phuket & Phang-Nga, and 10 in Ayutthaya – Thailand’s historic city to be covered for the first time in the fifth edition of The Michelin Guide in Thailand.

• Discover gastronomy destination Thailand and the Asia’s Best Fine Dining Restaurants at Top25Restaurants.com

Spanning a mix of restaurants, street food venues and hawker stalls, the 2022 Bib Gourmand selection highlights 33 first-time entries (9 in Bangkok, 10 in Ayutthaya, 6 in Chiang Mai, and 8 in Phuket & Phang-Nga), plus 6 promoted entries (2 in Bangkok, 2 in Chiang Mai, and 2 in Phuket & Phang-Nga). Notably, the number of Bib Gourmand eateries under the “Street Food” category outnumbers that of those under the “Restaurant” category in Bangkok (39 street food establishments vs. 32 restaurants) and Ayutthaya (6 street food establishments vs. 4 restaurants).

The Bib Gourmand distinction, symbolized by the famed ‘Bibendum’ or ‘Michelin Man’ licking his lips, is awarded to eateries that offer quality cuisine carefully prepared and reasonably priced with very good value-for-money at a maximum of THB 1,000 (a three-course meal: starter, main course, and dessert – exclusive of beverage).

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of Michelin Guides, revealed: “This year’s Bib Gourmand selection enjoys having Ayutthaya as an additional gastronomic city of focus that reflects Thailand’s vibrant culinary scene. This charming city made its grand debut, with 10 Bib Gourmand recipients – 4 of which are restaurants and 6 are street food venues. The outnumbering of Bib Gourmand entries in the street food versus the restaurant category in Ayutthaya, as well as in Bangkok, signifies that both cities – the former and the current capital cities of today’s Thailand – are perfect destinations for good-value street food.”

The 33 new additions to the 2022 Bib Gourmand list include:
Bangkok: Kaeng Pa (Loong Sa-Nga), a restaurant featuring game meats prominently with the generous use of herbs and spices of the forest as seasoning – such as the succulent stir-fried deer with cumin leaves, and the jungle curry soup with hand-minced fish; Koa Chun Huad, a restaurant on the Thonburi side that has been around for five decades, serving classic Thai-Chinese dishes – such as the boiled pork slices complemented by soybean sauce, and the Chinese vegetable stew with an alluring amalgam of sweet and bitter natural flavors; Thien Duong, a Vietnamese restaurant serving authentic, nicely crafted Vietnamese dishes – such as the skewered minced prawns with sugarcane and the grilled pork sausage that are a mouthful of juicy flavors and complex textures; and Ket O Cha, a street food establishment that specializes in aromatic noodle soup with a peppery fragrance and mild sweet and salty taste, plus a fantastic choice of tender slow-cooked beef, juicy blanched beef slices, and bouncy homemade beef balls.

Ayutthaya: Baan Ta-Koh-Rai, a restaurant serving delectable dishes made with ingredients carefully selected from produce grown within the community and fish from nearby rivers as the catch of the day – such as the herb-scented fish cakes and the stir-fried Chinese kale with deep fried salted fish; Baan Ton Sai, a restaurant serving tasty Thai-Chinese dishes infused with herbs and spices, using fresh, quality ingredients; Here Kae Pork Satay, a street food eatery offering charcoal-grilled pork satay, well-marinated and aromatic from nine spices, with the accompanying rich peanut sauce; and Roti Sai Mai Abeedeen-Pranom Sangaroon, a popular street food venue for the same flawless plain pandan rotis with fluffy candy floss that has been a family business for 70 years.

Chiang Mai: Krua Lawng Khao, a Northern Thai restaurant, offering fresh and flavorful dishes – including the Northern Thai spicy pork salad, and the Northern Thai hot and spicy soup with fish and morning glory; Tune in Garden, a restaurant serving a fixed-price menu for first-timers, and special dishes from the owner’s cookbook – including highly recommended dishes like the roasted pork ribs with cabbage and the fermented pork with fermented bean curd relish; and Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom, a street food eatery serving Northern Thai-style curry noodle soup – including its famous Beef Khao Soi – for over 40 years.

Phuket & Phang-Nga: Krua Tonfon, a roadside restaurant serving authentic Southern Thai recipes with local ingredients – including stir-fried pork with shrimp paste and bitter bean, and curry with crab legs and betel leaves; Mook Manee, a restaurant famous for fresh seafood menu with highlights such as the steamed blue swimming crab, the Phuket lobster and spicy dip, and the stir-fried mantis shrimps with garlic and chilli; Pathongko Mae Pranee, a street food stall that satisfies its customers for years with Pathongko (deep-fried dough sticks) and Salapao Tod (deep-fried buns), among other treats.

The 6 entries promoted to the 2022 Bib Gourmand list are: Bangkok: Por. Pochaya, a street food eatery, offering unwavering quality and rare dishes for over 30 years, with its crab omelette and stir-fried beef with cumin leaves as its top-sellers; and Sri Trat, a restaurant that brings the coastal province of Trat’s famed cuisine to Bangkok via the owner’s family recipes and expertly crafted dishes; Chiang Mai: Baan Landai, a restaurant serving pan-Thai dishes such as flavorful pork ribs with red wine sauce, that can be paired with flower tea, mocktails or cocktails of choice; and Magnolia Café, a restaurant that offers tasty, well-presented fare from across Thailand, distinguished by its vivid and gutsy flavors, with a complimentary pandan pudding in lieu of a dessert menu; Phuket & Phang-Nga: Krua Kao Kuk, a restaurant serving notable dishes among the homely authentic Paranakan-style offerings – such as the lemongrass soup with sweet clams, the dry stir-fried minced pork with holy basil, and the fried kingfish with soy sauce; and Kha Mu Boran (Kathu), a 3-decade-old street food eatery that serves above-the-average version of rice with pork legs, braised until falling off the bones, with Thai kale and pickled mustard greens, plus sipping broth that comes with meaty bones and innards of choice.

• Discover gastronomy destination Thailand and the Asia’s Best Fine Dining Restaurants at Top25Restaurants.com

“During these challenging times for the restaurant industry, support and encouragement are very important. We hope that the Bib Gourmand distinction will help strengthen the soul of restaurant entrepreneurs, food stall vendors, and all workers in the industry, to adapt and increase their resilience to overcome all the challenges. For foodies, we hope the Bib Gourmand selection inspires them to discover or rediscover the pleasure of dining high-quality food at budget-friendly prices, which – on the other hand – serves as a great encouragement for those in the restaurant industry,” concluded Mr. Poullennec.

Bangkok, Thailand, December 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Reinforcing its position as the thought leader, Siam Piwat Company Limited, a leading retail and real estate developer, the owner and operator of Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, and one of the joint owners of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, is unveiling the ONESIAM SuperApp – the Universe of Extraordinary Experiences, which brings together experiences beyond expectations into a single platform. In conjunction, the company is also advancing its Co-creation initiatives by joining forces with innovative organizations, partners, retailers, and brands from across the world to create a premium global ecosystem that connects to powerful customer bases both locally and internationally, thus opening up a new world of business that can expand beyond all boundaries.

– Siam Piwat is launching a groundbreaking premium world-class business ecosystem that homes in on over 7 million affluent customers in Thailand and reaches powerful customer bases around the globe.
– Advancing its Co-creation initiatives, Siam Piwat is joining forces with leading partners across various sectors as well as over 1,000 premium and luxury brands from Thailand and around the world, onboarding them into its ecosystem of success, which links together platforms for content, loyalty programs, and digital assets.
– Siam Piwat is unveiling the ONESIAM SuperApp: the Universe of Extraordinary Experiences, which merges four universes of experiences into one, and introducing an all-new loyalty program that offers more rewards through VIZ COINS.

Ms. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Group, said, “Ten years ago, Siam Piwat completely overhauled its business strategies. We were the first to announce that our shopping centers would no longer be just places that sold products and services but would be venues that delivered fresh and unparalleled experiences across all dimensions that sought to inspire and offer endless value to people’s lives. Our business success was no longer measured in profit but rather by the ability to win the hearts of Thai and international customers. Since then, we have successfully transcended domestic competition and become the winner of numerous global accolades, making history and establishing strong customer bases both locally and internationally. Our success today is owed to the long-standing collaboration with our retailers and business partners, who are ready to move forward with us to revolutionize the industry and introduce novelty. The growth and success that we have been able to achieve together thanks to our mutual support is something we truly take pride in.”

Digital technology plays a critical role in business today as it has altered the business ecosystem and brought opportunities for digital systems to become interconnected. As such, a retail business no longer has to confine itself to the conventional limits of the industry and can now expand towards new business models through partnerships as well as integrate customer bases in such a way that will maximize benefits and deliver an astonishingly diverse range of experiences to customers through a single platform. Siam Piwat recognized this opportunity and thus began developing a premium Global Ecosystem that will connect its partners from around the world, so that every party can achieve mutual growth on the digital platform, all of which is all rooted in Siam Piwat’s business philosophy of Share Values and Co-creation for greater and more sustainable success.

Ms. Chadatip added, “Today, we are ready to launch into a new world where business can expand without boundaries and introduce the Universe of Extraordinary Experiences. In only 13 months, we revised our strategies and developed a brand new application with capabilities to connect to various types of platforms of our partners in the ecosystem. Under the guidance of Mr. Ariya Banomyong, Acting Chief Innovation Officer of Siam Piwat and CEO and Founder of Transformational, and our Chief Digital Officer Mr. Axel Winter, and with state-of-the-art innovations from various premier organizations overseas, Siam Piwat has invested over 300 million baht in the development of this application along with big data, with the primary goal of supporting the business of the retailers in our four shopping centers as well as over 1,000 local and international partners that we have invited to join this Global Ecosystem, forming the first-ever synergy of such scale. We are very pleased to introduce the ONESIAM SuperApp as a platform that enables businesses across 13 industries to engage customers, essentially placing them firmly into the daily life of the customers as insightful companions. The vision behind the development of the ONESIAM SuperApp that will enable the partners in this business ecosystem to fulfill the lifestyle needs of affluent customers are as follows:

1. Sharing Economy: Siam Piwat believes in the power that comes with the sharing of benefits to every party in the supply chain. The ONESIAM SuperApp, therefore, has been designed to bring benefits to all involved, including:

– Global customers: The ONESIAM SuperApp not only delivers the Universe of Extraordinary Experiences but also maximizes what customers gain out of each spending by transforming existing Loyalty Programs into a value creation system through which customers receive VIZ COIN in return under the specified terms and conditions. In addition, Siam Piwat also has plans to expand towards digital asset services in the first quarter next year in collaboration with various business partners.
– Participating retailers and stores from the four shopping centers: Siam Piwat has positioned the ONESIAM SuperApp as an Earn & Burn destination in order to boost sales, support brand building, promote spending, as well as foster steady growth for the participating retailers and stores.
– Business partners: The ONESIAM SuperApp will be a single unified platform that all the partners in the Global Ecosystem can utilize to advance their business and develop new digital products. It will also serve as a hub for VIZ COIN conversion and spending as well as a vast range of privileges and benefits, enabling all the partners to expand their customer bases on the platform without limits or boundaries.

2. Co-creation: Siam Piwat has joined hands with innovative organizations, partners, retailers, and brands from around the globe to kick off an exciting large-scale content development initiative in collaboration with world-class content makers as well as to create marketing campaigns, promotional activities, and loyalty programs. Members in the ecosystem can also co-create communities around customer interests. In 2022, the ONESIAM SuperApp will also be developed further as a space where customers can have fun and co-create content in each community.

3. Collaborate to Win: This marks the first time ever that platforms across such a diverse range of business types, including fintech, S-commerce, E-commerce, NFT, cryptocurrency/benefits, and metaverse platforms, are connected into a unified ecosystem in order to give Siam Piwat’s customers and partners access to all types of transactions in a single platform strengthen the platform. In addition, Siam Piwat’s partners can always think up and co-develop new digital businesses on the ONESIAM SuperApp.

4. Sustainable Growth for All: Siam Piwat’s mission is to ensure mutual growth for all members on the ONESIAM SuperApp platform, which will open up a new world of digital business that breaks down every limitations, leading to meteoric business growth, the mutual expansion of customer bases among partners, and the co-development of new digital businesses without limits. The platform will also help expand customer bases towards global citizens for sustainable growth.

Siam Piwat is among only a handful of real estate developers in the world to invest in developing their own platform for their customers and partners to bring benefits to all involved. This initiative is built upon the vision of Siam Piwat and its partners in the Global Ecosystem, who will come together and co-create digital experiences beyond expectations on the single platform. Siam Piwat approach for the experience management is customer-centric, which enables the profound understanding of customer behavior and needs, injects inspiration and delivers the unrivalled experiences while fostering the mental values and serving the consumers’ consumption demand in all dimensions with the ultimate services.

The new ONESIAM SuperApp will be launched on December 9, and membership is free and open to all. The ONESIAM SuperApp curates a selection of products and services based on each user’s interest and is capable of recognizing patterns in user behavior thanks to AI-based technology. In addition, as part of hyper-personalized marketing, the application can analyze purchasing behavior and predicts each customer’s next purchase, which in turn improves Siam Piwat’s merchandise management and creation of campaigns that truly meet customer needs as well as enhances the integrated experience for customers who are seeking an insightful companion.

Mr. Panthep Nilasinthop, Chief Customer Officer of Siam Piwat Company Limited, stated, “The ONESIAM SuperApp will be a portal to Siam Piwat’s ecosystem that will empower its members more fully than ever. Today, retail is no longer just a matter of transactions, but is also about building experiences that will maximize satisfaction for customers, which will in turn reinforce Siam Piwat’s unique innovative retail leadership.”

The ONESIAM SuperApp brings together extraordinary elements through the four universes of experiences below:

1. Universe of Shopping Experiences: Over 1,000 premium and luxury brands have accepted the invitation to become part of the ONESIAM SuperApp in early 2022. These world-class brands will be participating by offering their products on the platform, contributing exciting content, and developing loyalty platforms. Siam Piwat believes the integration of the partners and retailers into this ecosystem will mark an important milestone for Siam Piwat in delivering fresh experiences and rewarding privileges beyond expectations once again. In addition, Siam Piwat is also catering specifically to luxury customers, with dedicated features such as separate content, products, and services windows for them.

2. Universe of Co-Created Communities: Siam Piwat is collaborating with thought leaders, new generations, partners, and retailers to co-create an online community platform that delivers a diverse range of content around customer interests to drive engagement and inject inspiration into their daily life. Each month, customers will have access to over 3,000 pieces of curated content on latest trends from five main communities: Style (fashion and accessories), Glow (health, wellness, beauty, skincare), Feast (food, beverages, celebration), Travel (travel, art, culture, design), and Fun (sport, games, gadgets).

3. Universe of Infinite Rewards: In collaboration with its partners and retailers, Siam Piwat is launching a new revolutionary loyalty program that uses the VIZ COIN – each coin equivalent to one baht – to elevate the shopping experience at participating stores both in the shopping centers and online. Siam Piwat is also working with the loyalty programs of its partners to empower users with the ability to convert the points in their credit cards and member cards into VIZ COIN, so that they can shop in a more rewarding and convenient way. The more they shop, the more VIZ COIN they can earn and immediately spend. Furthermore, Siam Piwat is shaping the ONESIAM SuperApp into an Earn & Burn destination for the retailers and partners in its global ecosystem.

4. Universe of Unlimited Experiences: Starting from early 2022, members will be able to carry out digital transactions related to digital assets and digital utility through the ONESIAM SuperApp. In the first phase that aims at delivering experiences that go beyond the global retail, Siam Piwat has announced its collaboration with KASIKORN X or KX as its first partner to establish Coral – Super Simple NFT Marketplace (CORALWORLD.CO) to support and drive advancements in art, culture, and lifestyle, both offline and online, by Thai and regional artists, and a partnership with ZIPMEX for the redemption of exclusive collections with ZIPMEX Tokens (ZMT). These initiatives will pave the way for the second phase, in which Siam Piwat will be working with leading partners, such as X Spring and J Ventures, to deliver a comprehensive array of digital experience within next year. Furthermore, Siam Piwat is also preparing to expand its capabilities to connect the real and virtual worlds on a metaverse by joining hands with experts overseas so that customers can avail themselves of a diverse range of benefits through a single source, with more business development and digital activities in the pipeline for the ONESIAM SuperApp.

For the development of the ONESIAM SuperApp, Siam Piwat has partnered with various leading tech companies, such as Transformational and Perx Technologies, to create unprecedented digital experiences beneficial to both retailers and partners. At the same time, the customers will be able to avail themselves of a full range of privileges through a new Loyalty Program that replaces traditional points collection with the VIZ COIN, which can be earned and spent with greater ease and excitement thanks to the gamified experience. The Company has also joined hands with Adobe, who will be overseeing content management and personalization, and Huawei Technologies, who provides cloud services, with plans to partner with more leading companies to develop the platform towards fintech and digital assets in the future. Siam Piwat expects to garner 500,000 downloads for the ONESIAM SuperApp in the first three months and 5,000,000 downloads by the end of 2022.

The ONESIAM SuperApp is ready to team up with global privilege partners and retailers to deliver a universe of experiences that match customer needs with products and services more precisely. Thanks to the confidence and trust that the Company has earned from its partners through the years, over 50 companies across 13 industries have accepted the invitation to join Siam Piwat in co-creating this premium world-class business ecosystem. A preliminary list of the partners who have joined the ecosystem is as follows:

• Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
• Financial and banking institutions: BANGKOK BANK, Krungthai Bank, Bank of Ayudhya PCL., KRUNGSRI CREDIT CARD, Krungsri First Choice Visa Platinum, KASIKORNBANK, Krungthai Card, CITIBANK, TMBThanachart Bank, SIAM COMMERCIAL BANK, United Overseas Bank (Thai), Government Saving Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Thai), Visa International (Thailand) Ltd.
• Insurance: Bangkok Life Assurance Public Company Limited , Dhipaya Insurance Public Company Limited, Howden Maxi Insurance Broker Company Limited
• Information technology and telecommunications: True Corporation Public Company Limited, Total Access Communication Public Company Limited, Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited
• Real estate development: Sansiri Public Company Limited
• Hospitals: Bangkok Hospital, BDMS Wellness Clinic Company Limited,
Bumrungrad International Hospital, RAKxa Fully Integrative Wellness & Medical Retreat
• Airlines: Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, Bangkok Airways,
airasia Super App
• Automotive: Millennium Group Corporation (Asia) Limited
• Media and entertainment: Kantana Group Public Company Limited, Plan B Media Public Company Limited, VGI Public Company Limited
• Tourism and hospitality: Banyan Tree Bangkok, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
• Digital assets: J Ventures Company Limited, ERX Company Limited, XSpring Capital Public Company Limited, KASIKORN X, Zipmex
• Technology: Transformational, Perx Technologies, Adobe, Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., inCart by Muze Innovation
• Advertisement and content creation: Ogilvy (Thailand), D-production, And Friends ,Pentu-Penta Boutique Agency and Production House, Ease Creative and Production House, Team Jinto

Enjoy extraordinary experiences in the parallel world today at your fingertips today through the ONESIAM SuperApp, available for download on the App Store (iOS) and Play Store (Android).

Madrid, Spain, December 12, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Over the course of three days, the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly underscored global tourism’s commitment to restarting around the shared pillars of sustainability, innovation and solidarity.

Representatives of 131 UNWTO Member States, including 59 Ministers and Vice-Ministers of Tourism, attended the Assembly in the Spanish capital, Madrid (30 November – 3 December). Alongside the participation of Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Ms. Reyes Maroto, the political support to UNWTO from the Spanish government was underlined with the presence of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares. On the eve of the General Assembly, the King of Spain Felipe VI expressed his recognition of tourism’s socio-economic relevance and appreciation of the role of UNWTO.

Unprecedented reach and recognition

UNWTO presented its accomplishments over the past two years since the last General Assembly, most notably guiding tourism through the biggest crisis in the history of the sector. Against this backdrop. members endorsed the Programme of Work for the coming biennium and voted strongly (77%) in favour of the Secretary-General serving a second term (2022- 2025). United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, as well as the leaders of key UN agencies UNWTO has been working with throughout the pandemic – WHO, ICAO and UNCTAD – delivered dedicated messages to UNWTO.
Power of youth and private sector

The General Assembly united Member States and Affiliate Members around a shared vision for the future of tourism and UNWTO itself. Members endorsed a landmark International Code for the Protection of Tourists, making clear the responsibilities every part of the sector has in assisting tourists in crisis situations and so helping restore trust in international travel.

Sustainable, inclusive future

Away from the Plenary Sessions for Members, the General Assembly also saw UNWTO bring Tourism Ministers and representatives from international organizations and the private sector together for a special Thematic Session on “Building for the Future: Innovation, Education and Rural Development”. Here, the winners of the UNWTO Global Rural Tourism Competition were announced, as was the first list of Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO, recognizing the power of new ideas to create opportunities outside of big cities and those destinations that are already leading the way in harnessing the power of tourism as a driver of recovery and sustainable development.

At the same time, the best young talent was also celebrated with the winners of the UNWTO Students’ League sharing their ideas alongside established sector leaders. And the role of UNWTO’s Affiliate Members in putting plans into action the ground was also emphasized. New Affiliate Members were welcomed and examples of effective public-private partnerships singled out, for helping tourism adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Members voted to hold the 25th Session of the General Assembly in 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Before then, as also endorsed by Members, Bali in Indonesia will host World Tourism Day 2022, to be held around the timely theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be the host country for World Tourism Day 2023, to be held around the theme of ‘Tourism for Green Investment’.

London, United Kingdom, December 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “If the government insists on testing individuals two days before arrival in the UK, it makes no sense to ban entry from whole countries. The World Health Organisation has said closing frontiers does not stop the virus but it does cause real economic harm.

“The cost of reimposing restrictions will cost the UK £5.3 billion and 180,000 people across the UK Travel & Tourism sector could lose their jobs.

“With so much at stake, we can’t afford to waste three weeks waiting for another government update. We know international travel can continue safely without any more cumbersome and destructive measures. The government needs to act fast.”

Montréal, Canada, December 10, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / This International Civil Aviation Day, the UN Aviation and World Tourism organizations (ICAO/UNWTO) have issued a joint call for efforts to reconnect the world to be accelerated. The COVID-19 pandemic brought global air mobility and tourism to an abrupt halt. It also pressed pause on trillions of dollars worth of economic activity. Millions of livelihoods and businesses have been placed at risk. And while increasing vaccination rates are helping to kickstart the return of international aviation and restart tourism, much more still needs to be done.

We therefore add our organizations’ voices to those of the G7, G20, and the many countries who have called for borders to be opened to fully vaccinated travelers, travelers with acceptable proof of recovery from previous infection, and travelers holding mutually recognized and ICAO VDS-secured personal health certificates.

We also jointly stress that restrictions on travel considered in response to new variants of the COVID-19 virus must be only used as a very last resort. Such restrictions are discriminatory, ineffective and against the guidance of the World Health Organization.

ICAO and UNWTO also call for equal access to vaccines, and for efforts towards vaccine equity to be intensified and accelerated. This is especially critical for developing countries still bearing the brunt of the pandemic and least able to cope with its economic and social impacts.

With pent up travel and tourism demand now clearly evident in every global region, and with better mitigation strategies and greater international coordination in place, our organizations believe that our sectors can be drivers for economic recovery, both in the developed and the developing worlds.

However, as the restart of international civil aviation and tourism does get underway, ICAO and UNWTO recognize that a return to ‘business as usual’ would be a dereliction of responsibility in a post-pandemic world facing a climate crisis and ongoing economic inequality.

To build greater resilience to future health emergencies within our respective sectors, our agencies will work with governments to improve travel and tourism crisis response coordination, and to rethink and modernize every step of the passenger journey, with a focus on safety and security. Air travelers must be able to expect a safe, secure and healthy travel experience from check in to arriving at their destination.

To ensure the sustainability of air tourism in the face of the climate crisis, we will also take every opportunity to facilitate and accelerate the pace of innovation. In particular, we will advance progress towards the use of renewable energy, sustainable fuels, and other emissions reduction and elimination solutions, while continuously encouraging countries and the industry itself to meet or surpass their commitments.

And, as global air connectivity continues to expand, and to connect more of us to each other and to our natural environments, we must ensure that it does so on a progressively greener and more sustainable basis. Countries must set aggressive targets through our agencies so that international and domestic commitments progress together and so effectively address the impacts of travel and tourism.

The outcome of our shared efforts will play a critical role in assuring the most basic capability of many countries to invest toward and realize the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and all objectives to build-back-better in global air connectivity and tourism must be reviewed and fine-tuned in support of the 2030 Agenda and Our Common Agenda objectives.

Bangkok, Thailand, December 13, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel is marking the start of the holiday shopping season with a new afternoon tea experience that is fit for a fashionista and the perfect glamorous refreshment after a day of stylish shopping.

Served in the luxury hotel’s magnificent lobby and comprising couture cakes in eyepopping colours served on custom designed crockery in equally dazzling designs, the new House of Glamour afternoon tea set was conceptualised and designed by Tube Gallery by Phisit Jongnarangsin and Saxit Pisalasupongs, the Bangkok edgy Tube Gallery fashion house, collaboration with renowned pop art artist Christian Develter.

Anantara Siam’s Executive Pastry Chef, winner of the Eat List Star television show search for the next big culinary personality and co-presenter of the McDang television cooking show, Anupong Nualchawee, designed the sweet and savoury nibbles selection – highlights include chocolate chunk scone with caramel ginger spread; golden praline ganache infused with cinnamon; salmon mousse curry with nori cracker; and duck sous vide crispy sandwich.

Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel’s House of Glamour afternoon tea is served daily in the Lobby from 14h00 until 18h00 and costs THB 1,950++ per set for two people, including a selection of Mariage Frères teas and exotic mocktails.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel on 02 126 8866.

Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam, December 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Injecting a healthy dose of festive cheer into Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry, Cross Hotels & Resorts has signed a major agreement with Tan Thanh Trading & Tourism JSC to develop a mega-project that will see the opening of two new hotels in Vietnam with a combined room count of 716 keys. In one of the biggest greenfield deals in Asia since the start of the global pandemic two years ago, Cross Long Hai and Cross Vibe Long Hai are located in the stunning coastal province of Vung Tau, a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City.

With construction already underway and an opening set for Q4 2022, Cross Long Hai is a striking, all-villa resort that will add a touch of panache to the popular seaside town. The boutique style property introduces Cross Hotels luxury by design concept to the flourishing Vietnamese travel market. In addition, the twin-tower Cross Vibe Long Hai is a modern Condotel offering 658 guest rooms that provide the latest amenities, MICE facilities, spa, swimming pool and fitness centre.

“As Cross Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its footprint and brands across Southeast Asia, we believe relationships are key to complementing each other’s success. Hence, this is why I am ecstatic to be entering into this partnership with Tan Thanh Trading and Tourism JSC. I look forward to introducing our luxury and lifestyle brands to the city’s hospitality landscape. Our luxury by design approach will capture the imagination of people seeking a fresh travel experience,” said Harry Thaliwal, CEO of Cross Hotels & Resorts.

Commenting on the agreement, Tran Duy Kieu, General Director of Tan Thanh Trading & Tourism JSC, added, “We are thrilled to start this journey with Cross Hotels & Resorts and together we will transform the hospitality in Vung Tau and beyond with these unique brands. The fact that the company’s global distribution is backed by Flight Centre Travel Group speak volumes. With this partnership, Cross Long Hai and Cross Vibe Long Hai will set a new benchmark for creativity and innovation in the local hospitality industry.”

As one of the region’s most dynamic hospitality enterprises, Cross Hotels & Resorts continues to buck industry trends with its energy and ambition. Constantly at the vanguard of inspired hospitality solutions, the Cross brand’s global appeal is spearheaded by its gateway properties in top-tier destinations of the world’s vacation playgrounds.

Across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Cross Hotels & Resorts currently operates a diverse property portfolio that includes more than 21 hotels under five distinct brands, namely Cross, Cross Vibe, Away, Lumen and Cross Collection.

About Cross Hotels & Resorts
Cross Hotels & Resorts is an international hotel management company wholly owned by the ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG). FCTG is one of the world’s largest and progressive travel companies, incorporating diverse worldwide distribution, in destination travel experiences such as transport and touring as well as hotel management solutions. Cross Hotels & Resorts also delivers owner services all the way from the very early sourcing and planning stages of a development, through technical services during build, to pre-opening services and finally professional ongoing hotel management.

Chiang Rai, Thailand, December 8, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / In 2019, Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Northern Thailand introduced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for travellers to spend the night observing majestic elephants in their natural habitat while staying in unique transparent Jungle Bubbles. Now the luxury resort is giving families and small groups of friends the inimitable opportunity to revel in this bucket list experience together, from the comfort of a brand-new two-bedroom Jungle Bubble Lodge.

Located in a lush jungle on the banks of the Ruak River, the Jungle Bubble Lodge accommodates up to four guests in 150 square metres of indoors and outdoors living space and is perched on a raised wooden deck offering uninterrupted views of rescued elephants and stargazing at night.

At a glance:
– Guests at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort can purchase the Jungle Bubble Lodge experience as an optional activity and spend the night from dusk till dawn, returning to the hotel in the morning.
– The fully climate-controlled Jungle Bubble Lodge consists of two bedrooms under a transparent roof, each with a king bed and an enclosed nontransparent en-suite shower and vanity; and a living room under a transparent roof with comfortable lounge furnishings, a minibar, and tea and coffee making facilities. Outside an 80 square meters wooden deck offers ample space for quality family and elephant viewing times with separate al fresco lounging and dining areas and plunge pool.
– Guests spending the night in the Jungle Bubble Lodge can participate in unique optional elephant experiences, including waking up in the early morning mist and joining the elephants on their morning walk through the jungle to the banks of the Ruak River, where the frolics and fun of a river bath demonstrate just how cheeky these graceful animals can be.

Madrid, Spain, December 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations calls out against the introduction of blanket restrictions on travel, as witnessed in recent days. This call echoes the concerns raised by UNWTO Members during the 24th UNWTO General Assembly (30 November–3 December). Countries from all global regionsexpressed their solidarity with Southern African states, calling for the immediate lifting of travel bans imposed on specific countries and for freedom of international travel to be upheld.

UNWTO takes note of the recent declarations of the United Nations Secretary-General and the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the unfairness and ineffectiveness of blanket travel in respect to the countries of Southern Africa.

Restrictions ineffective and discriminatory

In light of recent developments, UNWTO has once again reminded countries that the imposition of blanket restrictions on travel is discriminatory, ineffective and contrary to WHO recommendations. Blanket restrictions may also stigmatize countries or whole regions.

During the UNWTO General Assembly, Members States and partners, including voices from international organizations and across the private sector, echoed WHO’s advice that travel restrictions should only be imposed as a very last resort in response to changing circumstances. Furthermore, it was stressed that if restrictions are introduced, they must be proportionate, transparent, and scientifically based. They must also only be introduced with a full appreciation of what halting international travel would mean for the most vulnerable, including those developing countries and individuals who depend on tourism for their economies and livelihoods.

Coordination not discrimination

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNWTO has called for coordinated and evidence-based approaches to balancing public health concerns with keeping the lifeline of tourism intact. Over recent months, such an approach has been shown to be the most effective way forward.

UNWTO notes that travel and vaccination levels are closely connected, as the emergence of new variants facilitated by low levels of vaccination has shown. As such, UNWTO calls on all countries to act in solidarity to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all, to recognize all WHO approved vaccines for the purpose of international travel and to facilitate access to patents for local production of vaccines.

Raa Atoll, Maldives, December 8, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Cora Cora Maldives, the hottest new opening in the destination is thrilled to announce the appointment of Justin Swart as General Manager of the new, luxury all-inclusive property situated in the Raa Atoll. Born in South Africa, Justin Swart has over 15 years of experience in the luxury hotel industry, including being part of the team at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, STAY Wellbeing & Lifestyle Resort, and Royal President Hotel & Kingston Suites Hotel, part of the Kingston Hotel Group.

Justin began his career in the hospitality industry as a Sports and Leisure Manager and quickly gained experience as a Pre-Opening Sales Director and Hotel and Wellness Manager in resorts across Thailand. His dedication to ensuring customer satisfaction, knowledge of traditional Asian culture, and impressive experience in hotel and wellness management make Justin the perfect addition to the Cora Cora Maldives family. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and will ensure Cora Maldives’ Freedom ethos continues to be celebrated and embraced by all. Fluent in Afrikaans (Dutch) Justin can also speak excellent English and Thai.

Cora Cora Maldives Resort motto “It’s Freedom Time” speaks from the heart of Justin: “Freedom for me means choosing where to spend your time and choosing who to spend it with. Cora Cora Maldives Resort with its’ 250 employees from over 30 countries is the perfect workplace for me because they have created such a diverse multicultural environment allowing me to spend more time at work doing what I love – interacting with people! I heard the call of freedom, and I followed it straight to the Maldives!”

“We are thrilled to have Justin join our remarkable team. His down-to-earth and friendly nature combined with his passion for the industry will, no doubt, add to our reputation of being the resort where both our team and our guests are overjoyed to embrace the Cora Cora Mission of – It’s Freedom Time.” Enthuses Martin van der Reijden, Managing Director for Cora Cora Maldives & HMM Pvt Ltd.

Cora Cora Maldives offers its guests a one-of-a-kind Maldivian cultural, experiential, and culinary experience. When guests are not snorkelling or diving in the island’s coral-rich waters, they can relax in one of the 100 villas, four restaurants, and two bars delighting in the exemplary cuisine. The stunning accommodation embodies the free Maldivian spirit with the perfect combination of contemporary and fresh interiors. With an extensive spa, watersports centre, gym, yoga pavilion, outdoor cinema, kids’ club, and museum, Cora Cora Maldives is the ultimate idyllic, island escape where guests will never run out of things to do.

Located in the pristine Raa Atoll, Cora Cora Maldives is just 45 minutes by seaplane from Velana International Airport or 30 minutes by domestic flight, followed by a 20-minute speedboat journey.

About Cora Cora Maldives
Cora Cora Maldives is owned and operated by Trinitas Holdings Maldives Pvt. Ltd. A privately-owned company, established in 2017. Created for families, friends, and couples with a wide variety of contemporary designed suites and villas, Cora Cora Maldives embraces a unique freedom concept whilst incorporating the cultural heritage of the Maldives. With a variety of premium dining options many of which encompass Cora Cora Maldives’ wellness ethos as well as an extensive spa, the luxury five-star resort opened on the 1st of October 2021.