TikTok travel trends: The global spots that got most views in 2023
Recent data supplied by TikTok showed some destinations rose above the rest this year to become the app’s most documented—and coveted—escapes. Dubai took the top spot for TikTok’s most popular city of 2023, defeating runner-up Paris by 29 billion views. Mexico is the most popular country hashtag on TikTok this year.
Trip.com taps Edmund Ong as new general manager for Singapore
Trip.com has appointed Edmund Ong as its new general manager (GM) for Singapore. He will begin his duties as GM on 1 January 2024. Ong will succeed Ru Yi, who assumed the Regional Director of Accommodation (Asia Pacific) position. In addition to being GM, Ong will continue his role as Senior Director for Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
New Year's Day travel sees popularity amongst Chinese travelers
Chinese consumers have shown an ever-increasing enthusiasm for traveling during the upcoming New Year's Day holiday, and trips related to hot springs, theme parks, skiing and tropical islands have been particularly popular. Travel agencies have seen robust bookings of group tours of itineraries that combine several destinations in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Trip.com Group and MOTAC forge strategic alliance
Trip.com Group hosted a delegation led by Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing. The visit culminated in the signing of a strategic partnership between Trip.com Group and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture to bolster Malaysia’s position in the Chinese outbound market. Both parties will collaborate extensively to promote Malaysia, utilizing online and offline resources to craft customized outbound marketing campaigns, offer high-quality travel services, and enhance user travel experiences.
Rossiya Airline cancels flights to Beijing, promises alternative arrangements
Russia-based airline ‘Rossiya’, a part of the ‘Aeroflot’ Group, has decided to cancel a number of its flights from these cities to Beijing, China. The information was confirmed by an insider at the Krasnoyarsk airport and another source at the Vladivostok airport. For passengers scheduled to travel on the canceled flights, the airline has assured that they will be rebooked on alternative flights.
Air China launches direct flights to Istanbul before New Year's Eve
Air China is creating a new direct flight service to Istanbul before the new year. This will be the second new connection established from mainland China to Turkey in the past three months. In this context, Air China's direct connection between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Istanbul Airport (IST) will start on December 29. According to information provided by the relevant authorities, an Airbus A330-200 will operate this route three times a week.
Hainan Airlines to increase frequency of flights to Edinburgh
Hainan Airlines is growing its flight schedule between Edinburgh Airport (EDI) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), with the airline returning to the seasonal route with up to four weekly flights. EDI highlighted that Hainan Airline’s growing flight schedule to the Scottish capital demonstrates the city’s attractiveness to international audiences, with the airport being the only one in Scotland to offer direct flights to China.
Boeing hands over first 787 Dreamliner to China since 2019
Boeing on Thursday handed over a 787 Dreamliner directly to a Chinese airline for the first time since November 2019, a milestone that could open up the possibility of deliveries of the manufacturer’s cash cow, the 737 Max. The Boeing 787-9 for privately owned Juneyao Airlines departed from outside of Boeing’s Everett, Washington, factory for Shanghai, Boeing said Thursday.
The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA), Regal Hotels Group and Cosmopolitan International Group announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly explore a strategic partnership in hotel development and management. The MoU aims to establish a non-exclusive framework for cooperation and collaboration between the parties, pooling their expertise and resources to promote green tourism and hospitality projects in Mainland China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong. The MISA partnership was preliminarily estimated at the size of USD 5 billion.
Hotel Okura to manage new luxury property in Suzhou, China
Hotel Okura announced that it has signed an agreement to operate and manage Hotel Okura Suzhou in China from 2027. The agreement with Suzhou Ronghe Real Estate, which is owned by Suzhou Harmony Development Group, Marimo Holdings and Sumitomo Corporation, was signed on December 20.
Meteorological tourism an emerging market in China: report
Meteorological tourism has grown continuously in China in recent years and will maintain a rapid growth trend in the coming years, forming an emerging tourism market, according to a report released at a conference concluded Wednesday in central China's Henan Province. A report said China's meteorological service industry is predicted to exceed 300 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025.
Xinjiang sees record tourist arrivals as security improves: regional chair
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has received a record number of tourists this year thanks to its reputation as a safe tourist destination, said Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government, on Wednesday. The number of tourist trips received by the region reached 260 million this year, up from 48.6 million in 2012, the chair said while addressing an idea- and story-sharing conference on the theme of promoting the high-quality development of the human rights cause in Xinjiang within the Chinese modernization drive.
China endeavors to promote international aviation travel market: official
China's domestic aviation market has shown a faster recovery than the international travel segment, and the Chinese government's efforts to promote international travel will support the recovery of the latter, an official of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) told the Global Times. IATA data showed that China's international travel remains 40 percent below pre-pandemic levels. Regarding international travel to and from the Chinese mainland, Xie Xingquan, regional vice president for IATA North Asia, said that various factors could affect it.
