Snapshots at NATAS Holidays 2019

Pictures by : Gan Yung Chyan
                    / KUCINTA SETIA

More Ref : 
Urumqi Air exhibits at NATAS Holidays for the first time
https://kucinta-setia.blogspot.com/2019/08/urumqi-air-exhibits-at-natas-holidays.html

Hotel inspection at YotelAir

Pictures by : Gan Yung Chyan
                    / KUCINTA SETIA

YotelAir is located in Jewel Changi Airport. Room rate is at least 177 SGD per night. The bed in each room can be adjusted, which makes it look like a hospital room.  Room-key deposit is not required. 

There is a connected shower room to each room. Basic toiletries, with the exception of shaving cream and shaver, and free mineral water are provided in the room. No need to bring one's own toiletries.

Request for wake-up call service for YotelAir is very quiet when one sleeps, to avoid miss flight connections.

Foreigners' passports no longer stamped and marked with visas upon entry to Iran

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

According to Mahan Air and Iran's Mehr News Agency on 29 June 2019, the Iranian government announced on the same day that it would impose a visa-free entry policy for Chinese tourists.

Mehr News Agency quoted Vali Teymouri, Deputy Director of Iran's cultural heritage, crafts and tourism organization, who announced on 29 June 2019 that the cabinet has approved a visa-free entry policy for Chinese tourists. 

Vali Teymouri said, "Chinese tourists will no longer need to obtain a visa to travel to Iran.” 

According to the report, under US sanctions, Iran has taken some similar measures to attract more foreign tourists to increase its tourism income. But this is only unilateral, that is, Iranian tourists still need a visa to travel to China.

On 23 June 2019, Iranian President Rohani ordered the Minister of the Interior, Fazli, to stipulate that the visas of foreigners visiting the country will no longer be stamped and will not be marked. The Iranian Ministry of the Interior will cooperate with the Iranian Immigration Service and Customs and will not stamp any Iran records on the passports of foreigners. 

Subsequently, an Iranian cabinet spokesman said, "According to the US economic terrorism plan, the United States is trying to scare foreign tourists from going to Iran. But President Rohani issued an order today (23 June), stipulating that Iran visa stamp will not appear on the passports of visiting foreign tourists. "

According to an analyst of The Tehran Times, Rohani’s decision was considered to be conducive to encouraging foreigners not to worry about US punishment to travel to Iran.

In November 2018, Iran launched a pilot project at its chosen Tehran Khomeini International Airport to issue e-visa for people travelling to the country, without an immigration stamp to promote tourism and respond to US unilateral sanctions. It has achieved good social results. In the same year, Iran welcomed about 7.8 million foreigners, a year-on-year increase of 52.5 per cent.

On 1 July 2019, Chinese passengers onboard Mahan Air's A340-300 aircraft from Shenzhen are the first group of Chinese tourists to arrive in Tehran and benefit from Iran's visa-free policy. Mahan Air launches Shenzhen - Tehran route on this date.

Spring Airlines ventures into the hotel industry with the inauguration of Skybird Hotel

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Image below : Spring Airlines' Head Office at Hangyou Hotel, Shanghai Hongqiao.

On 28 June 2019, Spring Airlines Head Office announced that it has opened a hotel in partnership with famous China express hotel chain group Home Inns on that day. The new hotel is name Skybird Hotel (嘉虹酒店). It is managed by Shanghai Tianyi Hotel Management Co., Ltd., the joint-venture between Spring Airlines and Home Inns in an investment ratio of 40 per cent and 60 per cent. The hotel joint-venture was set up on 24 October 2018. 

Skybird Hotel is located at the premises of Shanghai Hongqiao transportation hub and is converted from an original budget hotel in Shanghai Hongqiao.

Together with the ground handling agents in Shanghai Hongqiao, Skybird Hotel offers express transfers, check-in, check-out lodging and accommodation services to all passengers that arrive in Shanghai Hongqiao. It will offer city sightseeing bus services to its hotel guests.

In Skybird Hotel, Spring Airlines' air hostesses under training will be scheduled every week in future to work as hotel receptionists at Skybird Hotel. They will be named Happy Organizers.

Skybird Hotel aims to launch up to 10 hotel branches in China's airports and nearby speed railway stations in the  next three to four years ahead before venturing abroad, aiming at travelers on budget trips. It will have future presence in Spring Airlines' overseas destinations such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and Kota Kinabalu.

The founder of Spring Airlines, Wang Zheng Hua, said that Spring Airlines decided to venture into the hotel industry in China in partnership with Home Inns based on its subsidiary Spring Japan experience in managing two Spring hotels in Japan in partnership with Spring Tours in Japan.

Spring Airlines is founded and managed by the famous China travel agency Spring Tours as China's first low-cost airline. Together with Spring Japan, the Spring travel agency branches in China, Japan, Thailand, Skybird Hotel and the Spring Japan hotels, the airline, tourism company and hotel group is named Spring Group. 

Readers who would like to know more about Spring Airlines' hotel plans may walk in to the third and fourth levels of Spring Airlines at Hangyou Hotel (航友宾馆).

Thailand plans to impose tourism tax on foreign tourists

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

According to the Bangkok Post, Thailand plans to impose tourism tax on foreign tourists. The tax will be used to repair and improve the construction of local attractions. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said that the Ministry is studying the tourism tax scheme and will find the most secure taxation method to reduce the impact on the country's tourism industry.

The Bangkok Post reported that Thailand’s National Tourism Policy Act was enacted on 15 May 2019, authorizing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to formulate a strategic plan for tourism industry development and to clarify tourism industry standards. The ministry said that the taxation plan is expected to be completed within six months, and the formulation process will fully seek the opinions of all parties concerned. On the one hand, the taxation plan must clarify the amount of taxation and how to collect it. On the other hand, the plan must clarify what the tax is used for.

The Thai media “The Thaiger” speculated that each person would be charged 100 baht ( S$4.34). According to the information disclosed so far, the most important use of tax collection is to repair tourist attractions around Thailand. Part of the tax will be used to build and improve the infrastructure needed to receive tourists, such as the construction of a cruise port to welcome foreign tourists who come by sea from the cruise, especially to attract tourists from the sea to the southern part of Thailand area. In addition, some taxes will be used to cover the insurance costs of foreign tourists.

Tourism is an important source of income for Thailand. Last year, Thailand received more than 38 million overseas visitors and earned more than 2 trillion Baht. This year Thailand is expected to receive 41 million overseas visitors. Prior to this, some Asian tourist destination countries have levied tourist taxes. At the beginning of this year, Japan began to impose a departure tax of 1,000 Yen (S$12.60) per person. Malaysia has recently levied this tax on tourists, with ASEAN tourists paying 5 US Dollars (S$6.90) per person and visitors outside ASEAN paying 10 US Dollars (S$13.80) per person.