South Korean airlines cut China flights as demand drops, tensions rise
>> South Korean airlines including Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines will temporarily suspend some international services to China’s mainland as strained diplomatic relationships have been souring. Yonhap News Agency reported that Korean Air Lines will halt its Gimpo to Beijing route effective August 1st and through to October 28th.
Tourism Australia launches campaign to woo Chinese visitors back
>> A delegation led by Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison will launch a marketing campaign and meet airlines and travel service providers in China this week in a bid to attract Chinese tourists. Later this week at an event in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Tourism Australia will formally launch its Come and Say G'day Campaign, featuring mascot Ruby the Roo, according to News Corp Australia.
Air China to expand tourism from home base into Africa
>> Having reopened its Johannesburg office in March, Air China is confident of its chances of cornering the tourism market in the near future. “China’s economic growth and increasing disposable incomes have led to more Chinese tourists traveling abroad,” the company said in an e-mail interview with The Citizen.
Chinese aviation trade body calls for government support to continue through 2024
>> The Chinese government should maintain the policy support introduced during the pandemic until the end of next year, as carriers are still losing money, an industry group that represents China’s airlines has suggested. China should give financial and fiscal policy support to the industry, actively extend special emergency loans for civil aviation, and issue RMB 200 billion (USD 27.8 billion) of bonds, the China Air Transport Association said, as the nation’s air transport firms still face immense pressure.
Cathay Pacific sees first half-year profit in three years on travel rebound
>> Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways on Friday forecast its first half-year profit in three years, buoyed by a strong rebound in travel demand and one-off gain from a stake sale in Air China.
Cathay Pacific flight incident injures 11 in Hong Kong
>> Eleven people were injured on Cathay Pacific's flight CX880 at Hong Kong's international airport early on Saturday after the carrier aborted takeoff due to a technical issue, Cathay said in a statement.
Alipay and Mastercard offer international travelers ways to make cashless payments in China
>> With the resumption of travel and tourism to China in full swing, Mastercard and Alipay, China’s digital open platform under Ant Group, announced the launch of a new payment option that provides international arrivals to China with another simple and secure way to go cashless when visiting the country.
China’s iQiyi takes metaverse tourism a step further with launch of Luoyang VR
>> iQiyi is set to kick off its all-immersive Luoyang virtual reality project in Shanghai, after two months of trial operations, as the Chinese video platform continues to push the boundaries of metaverse tourism.
