Chinese tourists get visa-free entry to Thailand in busy season
>> Thailand will waive visa requirements for travelers from China and Kazakhstan in the busy holiday season as the tourism-reliant nation turns to the travel industry to prop up Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Chinese and Kazakh tourists can enter Thailand without a visa between Sept. 25 and Feb. 29, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The temporary waiver is expected to attract 5 million additional visitors, according to tourism minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol.
Trip.com chairman: China's shrinking population threatens its innovation capacity
>> China's declining and aging population may undermine its innovation capacity. Trip.com Group's founder chairman James Liang argues innovation is closely tied to population size and China's innovation leadership is at risk. He advocates increased fiscal support for young families and social innovations to encourage childbearing. Experts say innovation depends more on talent development, and China's innovation prospects hinge on extending older workers' employment.
China’s C919 jet to come in different sizes, and AI will help optimize design
>> COMAC, the maker of China's C919 passenger jet, plans to build an expanded series of the narrowbody airliner in different lengths, with seating ranging from 130 to 240, compared to 156-192 seats currently. Additionally, 5G, big data, new energy and AI will be used to optimize the planes technologically, according to Comac chairman He Dongfeng. However, no timetable was provided for the upgrades.
Chinese tourists opting for unique experiences
>> Travel patterns of Chinese tourists are gradually changing as they attach greater importance to safety, uniqueness and sustainability amid a post-pandemic recovery in the global tourism industry, said the top executive of Trip.com, China's largest online travel agency. They are now more willing to form smaller groups with families and close friends rather than enroll in a group made up of 50 strangers, a pattern more widely seen before the virus outbreak.
Cathay Pacific to resume Chennai service after 4 years with a Boeing 777
>> As Cathay Pacific continues to grow and re-establish flights in a post-COVID recovery phase, it has added one more destination to its India network – Chennai. The airline last operated its Chennai service four years ago and will fly to the South Indian city again from early next year. The service will resume on February 2nd, 2024.
>> Hong Kong Competition Commission has decided to close the investigation into a proposed business agreement between Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines after the two airlines scrapped the idea. The competition watchdog said it had ended its probe after both airlines had decided not to proceed with the plan to share revenue and costs, on a given route regardless of which airline is operating the actual flight.
Go City launches its official Weixin Mini Program
>> Go City has launched its first official Weixin Mini Program for a sightseeing pass company, allowing Chinese travelers to seamlessly browse, purchase and redeem Go City passes to top destinations worldwide. The launch comes as Go City has surpassed its 2019 revenue from Mainland Chinese customers. The mini program covers over 30 global cities and their top attractions.
