Kempinski Hotels goes live with Shiji Distribution Solutions’ WeChat booking platform
>> Shiji announced that with the expertise of Shiji Distribution Solutions, Kempinski Hotels in China are now live on the WeChat Booking Platform, which will power direct hotel bookings for Kempinski’s portfolio of luxury hotels. With the WeChat solution, guests in China will be able to use WeChat to book and pay for rooms at Kempinski properties around the world.
National Day Golden Week tourism flight data in Hainan
>> A total of 764,135 tourists (836,734 in 2020, YoY -8.68%) from mainland China went to Hainan island by air, and a total of 721,739 passengers (818,924 in 2020, YoY -11.87%) left Hainan by air, according to joint data from Beijing Hangju (a wholly-owned subsidiary of TravelSky Technology Limited) and Jessica’s Secret.
Chinese airlines looking at another year in the red
>> This year's National Day holidays could be regarded as the last profitable small peak window for airlines. Observers believe that airline performance over the last three months of this year is heavily dependent on last week's National Day holidays, but there have been few optimistic voices across the industry so far.
Macau gaming revenue forecasts revised down amid concerns China border restrictions
>> Brokerage Sanford C Bernstein has revised down its Macau gaming forecasts for 2021 and 2022, predicting gross gaming revenues will only reach around 59% of 2019 levels next year before exhibiting a stronger rebound from 2023 onwards. The reason for the slower than previously anticipated recovery has much to do with the pace of China’s reopening.
Cebu Pacific extends free Test Before Boarding for Hong Kong-bound passengers
>> Cebu Pacific extends until October 31 its free Test Before Boarding (TBB) program for passengers bound for Hong Kong, as part of the airline’s multi-layered approach to ensure customers could fly safely.
Mandatory lockdown ordered in Ghulja amid COVID surge in northern Xinjiang
>> Authorities in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region have implemented comprehensive coronavirus prevention measures and a mandatory lockdown of residents in Ghulja in response to a new outbreak during a peak tourism period.
Google’s latest virtual tour lets you walk the Great Wall of China
>> Google’s Arts & Culture team launched a new online experience that lets users virtually walk the Great Wall of China. The “Walk the Great Wall of China” experience includes an exclusive 360-degree virtual tour of one of the wall’s best-preserved sections, including 370 images of the Great Wall in total and 35 stories that go into architectural details about the landmark.
