Business travel

Curated By: Shahrukh ShahLast Updated: December 17, 2023, 14:50 ISTAir India Express. (File photo)The historic moment was marked by the Air India Express's MD Aloke Singh, who handed over the first boarding pass of the flight to one of the passengers at the airport.The largest budget airline Air India Express, which has been receiving an overwhelming response from flyers lately, became the first carrier to operate from the newly integrated international terminal in Surat, connecting Dubai.Air India Express Surat-Dubai…

In a survey last year, Chinese travelers said that they were most interested in visiting Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea.But that's not where they're going — at least not yet.Flight restrictions, visa issues and entrance rules aimed only at them are complicating matters for Chinese residents who are ready to travel abroad. Chinese travelers favored Southeast Asia for trips during the Lunar New Year holidays, which ended in early February, according to Trip.com Group's Chinese language booking website,…

Hong Kong's new global promotional campaign will "kickstart" the city's reopening to international travelers, the Hong Kong Tourism Board told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday. As part of the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign, which was launched on Thursday, 500,000 air tickets will be given away over the next six months, starting in March.The tickets will be given out through three Hong Kong's carriers — Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines. The free tickets are part of the HK$2 billion ($255 milion) relief…

BEIJING — China's consumption recovery from zero-Covid is getting off to a solid start – after a depressing fourth quarter.When Michelin-starred restaurant Rêver reopened Thursday from a Lunar New Year break, it was fully booked, said Edward Suen, chief operating officer of the Guangzhou venue. Reservations for the next three days were near capacity, he said.He's hopeful business improves this year – and allows Rêver to recoup the roughly 35% in revenue it lost last year. Guangzhou city was one of the hardest hit by…

People said the pandemic made them want to travel more responsibly in the future.Now new data indicates they're actually doing it.According to a report published in January by the World Travel & Tourism Council and Trip.com Group:Nearly 60% of travelers have chosen more sustainable travel options in the last couple of years.Nearly 70% are actively seeking sustainable travel options.But finding companies that are serious about sustainability isn't easy, said James Thornton, CEO of tour company Intrepid Travel.  "You…

Singapore is welcoming them back, but a full return of Chinese tourists isn't likely in 2023, Singapore Tourism Board executives said at a press conference Tuesday.Singapore Tourism Board's CEO Keith Tan cited limited flight capacity and the speed of China's border reopening as some of the reasons a full recovery from Chinese tourists isn't expected this year.Tan told CNBC that travel recovery from China is unlikely to exceed 60% of pre-Covid levels by year-end."We are hoping to get, for the whole year 2023, between 30%…

From catching Covid-19 to getting caught in a blizzard, traveling can be risky business these days.But just how risky often depends on the destination — and how you define the risks.Safest cities: people's perceptionsA report published by the U.K.-based insurance company William Russell ranked the "safest cities in the world," according to people's perceptions.On this list, which relied on perceived crime rates on the crowdsourced global database Numbeo, Asia and Europe dominated the rankings of "safest" cities.Taiwan's…

Singapore's Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung told Parliament Monday that the government is not imposing new restrictions on travelers from China because limited flight capacity, combined with its current border policies, have resulted in few imported cases — and even fewer severe cases — coming from China.Ong said the government is "acutely aware" that some Singaporeans are worried that an influx of visitors from China could lead to a rise in infections.But he said travel volumes between Singapore and China are "very low"…

Travel restrictions launched in the wake of China's border reopening may be affecting where people there are booking trips.But it's not out of spite, said several Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC.It's because some countries aren't letting them in, they said.'I think it's unfair'Reactions from Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC were varied, ranging from indifference to confusion to anger."Of course, I think it's unfair," said one citizen, who asked to be called Bonnie. "But at the same time, we understand what's going…

Travelers have a host of pathogens to dodge this winter, including the "tripledemic" of infections caused by Covid-19, flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).But there are steps people can take to reduce their chances of getting sick, say health specialists at Spain's SHA Wellness Clinic.The key is to develop "a resilient immune system that can defend itself from attack by viruses and bacteria," said Dr. Vicente Mera, SHA's head of genomic medicine.What to eat"The most important thing is nutrition," Mera said.But…