Southeast Asia travel tips

Blame it on my sleeve tattoos and pasty Eastern European roots, but I am fanatical about sun protection. My husband jokingly calls me a “beach goth” because I’m the only person he knows who covers themselves head-to-toe in the Caribbean or anywhere else with intense heat and sun. My commitment goes beyond sunscreen though; I also wear UV-blocking makeup, wide-brim hats, and full-coverage swim gear, some of which I discovered while living abroad in super-sunny Southeast Asia. My 17-month-old toddler, Julian, is just as ghostly as I am, so I go to great measures to protect him as well. What follows are an array of sun-shielding products that have served my vampiric family well in recent years, in case you too are on the hunt for more ways to protect your skin from the sun.

Capital A has announced an agreement for the divestment of its airline business and the acquisition of AirAsia X, forming a unified AirAsia Group.

AirAsia Move is serious about an IPO – but first the timing and the business mix needs to be right.

Taylor Swift may be singing, “You Need to Calm Down,” but fans in Asia aren’t listening. The singer’s highly anticipated Singapore tour in March is stirring up a travel storm in Southeast Asia. 

Its translucent teal waters, neatly terraced rice fields and ancient Shinto shrines make Iki Island an unforgettable place. But like so many resorts in Asia, it's easy to overlook this out-of-the-way destination — and a five-star hotel like the Iki Retreat by Onko Chishin.

Indian travelers prioritize value when choosing holiday destinations, with choices significantly influenced by flight costs and attraction expenses. But they will also book business class or first class tickets.

A Palestinian delegation was at ITB Asia tourism trade show in Singapore, despite the war and humanitarian crisis at home. “Palestine is a tourism destination and a political state with a significant historical background,” said Majed Ishaq, director general of marketing for Palestinian ministry of tourism. “Come to our country through Palestinian tour operators. Spend money in Palestine and help to contribute towards our economy.”Ishaq told Skift that the ministry had previously decided to attend the trade show and didn’t want to back out. “We had already booked a space and paid for the construction of the stand, making it impossible to cancel our participation.”

Deepak Ohri has stepped down as CEO of Bangkok-based Lebua Hotels, and now, for the first time, is sharing with Skift what’s next: An entrepreneurial venture that will debut in Napa Valley in the U.S.

Bookings have surged for Klook, one of Asia’s leading online marketplaces for travel experiences.

Tripla, which provides a booking engine to hotels in Japan and Southeast Asia, has acquired a travel tech company in Indonesia.

Air India has entered into an interline partnership with Bangkok Airways that will allow the Tata Group-owned airline’s passengers connections to 10 Southeast Asian destinations beyond the Thai capital. 

Southeast Asia’s tourist economies are set to be leading beneficiaries of China‘s scrapping of travel bans as they have steered clear of the COVID-19 tests before entry that Europe, Japan and the United States have imposed on Chinese visitors.

Capital A Berhad, the parent of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia, reported a narrower third-quarter operating loss on Wednesday, buoyed by a strong rebound in travel demand and the easing of pandemic-related restrictions in Southeast Asia.

Much of the travel industry is continuing to recover after the pandemic and despite growing anxieties about the economy, with some metrics better than ever last year. 

Japanese airline company All Nippon Airways (ANA) is preparing to launch its new airline Air Japan in February 2024, unveiling a brand positioning of affordability, comfort and diversity for its cabin crew. 

Cambodia is upending the lives of thousands of people to preserve the temple complex Angkor Wat and improve its visitor experience. Locals that have built businesses and resided there for years will be cut out of the temple’s tourism economy.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, March 20. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, March 30. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Tens of thousands of revellers, including hordes of foreign tourists sporting floral shirts and plastic water guns, descended on the streets of Bangkok on Thursday for the biggest traditional new year gathering since the pandemic.

Zuzu Hospitality Solutions, a Singapore-headquartered revenue platform provider for independent hotels, announced the completion of a $9 million Series-B round of funding.

The Philippines on Tuesday unveiled its new tourism campaign, “Love the Philippines,” marking a departure from its decade-long slogan, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.”

Indian tourists are streaming into Southeast Asia, cementing the world’s most populous country’s position as a key growth market for a travel and tourism sector that is feeling the pinch of China’s slower-than-expected re-opening.