Category: Asia

Hong Kong Disneyland will shut down again on Wednesday because of an uptick in coronavirus cases, less than a month after it reopened, Disney said on Monday. According to the company, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open but with reduced services. The theme park first closed in January and then reopened on June 18. Hong Kong’s Department of Health has reported a spike in coronavirus cases in recent days. The department reported 28 confirmed cases on Saturday and an additional 38 cases on Sunday, to take the total number of cases to over 1,470. In contrast Orange County, Florida, ... Read more

Philippines speaker Alan Peter Cayetano wants the government to ramp up testing among tourism frontliners as the country prepares for reviving domestic tourism. Cayetano cited the need to include tourism in the government’s plan to expand its testing strategy to cover nonmedical frontliners, who are not showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). He also urged the Department of Tourism (DoT) to work with the Task Force Test, Trace, Treat and the private sector to accelerate the plan to conduct Covid-19 testing for the workers in key tourist destinations, Manila Times has reported. “An aggressive and sustained Covid-19 testing ... Read more

Hyatt says all of its hotels in the Asia Pacific region have completed the first phase of its new cleanliness programme, Business Traveller reports. All 149 hotels in the region have hired “hygiene and wellbeing leaders”, a measure that is part of the hotel group’s Global Care and Cleanliness Commitment, which was announced in early May to restore confidence in travel. Other hygiene and safety measures introduced in phase one include providing alcohol wipes at restaurants and as part of in-room amenities, knock-and-go room service, “increased frequency” of cleaning air filters, implementation of a new wellness policy for colleagues, and ... Read more

Marriott has expanded its AC Hotels brand to Japan, with the opening of the 296-room AC Hotel by Marriott Tokyo Ginza. Located in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district, the hotel’s modern glass and stone façade makes it a standout landmark in the heart of the capital’s luxury shopping, culinary and fashion scene. “We are thrilled to be bringing AC Hotels by Marriott to Ginza – one of Tokyo’s most esteemed neighbourhoods,” said Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International. “This represents a milestone in the expansion of our European-inspired lifestyle hotel brand in this region, and further compliments Marriott ... Read more

Japan Airlines and Malaysia Airlines are looking to launch a joint business partnership on July 25, through which the two national carriers will co-operate commercially on flights between the two countries. Malaysia Airlines is resuming flights to Japan this month, and the two airlines combined will then offer four weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo Narita in July and August, says Japan Airlines (JAL). JAL says the airlines will “take on new challenges to further enhance convenience between Japan and Malaysia and allow customers to benefit from more flight choices”. “This initiative will enable Malaysian Airlines and JAL to enhance their capabilities, and leverage on each other’s ... Read more

The Russian tourism industry has lost 187 billion euros over the past six months due to coronavirus, and it will take at least a year and a half to restore the industry to pre-crisis levels, president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Andrei Ignatiev said, citing data from the Federal Tourism Agency. However, Ignatiev said that the situation has begun to change for the better. He said about 2.5 million people work in the tourism industry in Russia and 5-6 million people work in related industries. Tourism has already begun in the region, he noted, and expressed hope that ... Read more

Leisure tourists who would like to visit Thailand during a soft reopening may have to spend at least 14 days within designated areas, though a negative test for Covid-19 after two weeks would free them to go anywhere in the country, Bangkok Post has reported. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, said his ministry has talked with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha about creating a travel bubble for tourists, requiring them to plan a trip with a minimum 14-day stay. Instead of being kept in quarantine, tourists could still travel within five designated areas: Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket ... Read more

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes on Thursday said the low-cost airline can bounce back to profitability next year, but that it will look to raise 2 billion ringgit ($469 million) in the next six months to be in a “very comfortable” position. In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Fernandes expressed confidence that AirAsia can overcome heavy losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Malaysia-based company said earlier on Thursday that it was working to raise more than 1 billion ringgit ($234 million). Air Asia gave details of its plans after its shares fell sharply on Wednesday following a ... Read more

The Maldives President has sacked the country’s Tourism Minister Ali Waheed, after female employees in his office accused him of sexual offences, news agency Associated Press reported on Thursday. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had called for the resignation of Ali Waheed and then sacked him after he failed to step down on his own, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Hood said. Police confirmed receiving complaints of sexual misconduct by Waheed. An archipelago state in the Indian Ocean, Maldives is known for its luxury tourist resort islands.  The development has come at a time, when Maldives is preparing to reopen to international visitors ... Read more

Bali, the Indonesian tourism hotspot, will reopen its borders to international tourists from September 11. Terming it “New Era of Life Order Protocol”, Bali will roll out a three-phased plan to restore the island’s economy, which begins this week. From July 9, the local administration will allow some businesses to operate. These include health services, fishing, restaurants, modern markets and finance. Tourism activities begin in phase 2 from July 31, when Indonesians will be allowed to visit. The final and third phase, when the island opens to international visitors, will start from 11 September. However, it is yet to release details on ... Read more

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Tourism has announced that the government has taken a slew of measures to provide relief to stakeholders in the tourism industry. The Ministry, together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), is taking steps to sustain the lives of employees directly involved in the tourism industry and other establishments registered with the SLTDA. Following relief measures have been approved with implementation mechanisms, the Ministry of Tourism said in a media release. Provide a loan at 4% to accommodation providers and destination management companies (DMCs) registered under SLTDA to pay salaries through Bank of Ceylon (BOC) ... Read more

The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) has announced that the Tourism EXPO Japan (TEJ) will be organized at the Okinawa Convention Centre from October 29 to November 1 this year as originally scheduled.  The event will be organized by following the public health guidelines drawn by Japan Exhibition Association and in line with the Okinawa Prefecture’s action plan ‘Okinawa Tour Style With Corona.’  The event will be downsized from 600 booths originally to 450 booths, probably 80 international booths to avoid congestion, and the deadline of applications for the exhibition has been extended by July 31, 2020. Under the ... Read more

Bali’s provincial government has announced plans to open the island to tourism for domestic Indonesian tourists from July 31. The plan will be executed as long as Bali’s reopening scheme for local residents, starting July 9, runs effectively. Tourist attractions will be selectively opened to avoid new sources of virus transmission, says Indonesia Expat in a report. The Indonesian island of Bali where 70% of the population depend on tourism, has seen extensive jobs losses since closing its borders in April. The economic impact so far has been greater than that of the Bali bombings of 2002, with losses of around 9.7 trillion ... Read more

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is considering extending the current visa amnesty for foreigners stranded in Thailand. The Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesperson made the announcement at the s daily Covid-19 briefing by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The Cabinet’s last resolution was to grant an automatic visa extension for foreigners stranded here to stay until July 30, The Thaiger has reported. The deputy spokesperson asked for patience and said the bureau’s decision on the subject will be announced soon. In April, the Cabinet granted a second automatic visa extension for foreigners for 3 months. The extended amnesty was a bid to prevent long ... Read more

Even though the European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday that South Korea was on a list of 14 countries allowed to travel there, international travel still looks difficult. Anyone arriving in South Korea from overseas is required to undergo a strict two-week quarantine, either at home or at a government-run facility. They cannot leave their homes and are monitored by government officials, while those in hotels pay about US$100 per night, and there are no visits to cafés, bars, gyms or gardens. With few South Koreans spending more than one week on vacation, the burden of a two-week quarantine on ... Read more