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Genting Dream to sail to international destinations from July 1

Resorts World Cruises, a new luxury and dynamic lifestyle cruise brand, affiliated with over five decades of global experience in both hospitality and cruising, is pleased to announce that its flagship, the Genting Dream, will sail from Singapore to international destinations, starting from July 1, 2022, onwards. These include sailings to the Bintan and Batam islands in Indonesia, as well as to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson) and Penang in Malaysia. The launch of destination cruises is timely as the Genting Dream undergoes final preparations for her inaugural cruise from her homeport in Singapore on June 15, 2022. “Resorts World Cruises will be the first cruise line from Singapore to resume cruising to Indonesia with the 2-Night Bintan and Batam Weekend Getaway Cruise starting July 1, 2022. On July 3, 2022, we will also sail from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson) and Penang in Malaysia. We will continue to include more popular destinations to Phuket and Krabi in Thailand and North Bali in Indonesia from October 2022 onwards to provide our vacationers with more destination options,” said Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises. “We would also like to thank the Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand governments for their ongoing support in launching destination cruises with Resorts World Cruises,” he added. “We are delighted that Resorts World Cruises has added destinations to their cruises as more ports in the region reopen. This strengthens Singapore’s cruise offerings, giving even more options for domestic and international cruisers. STB will continue to work closely with our regional counterparts to reopen more ports and reinvigorate the cruise industry in Southeast Asia,” said Annie Chang, Director, Cruise, Singapore Tourism Board. “We are looking forward to welcoming Resorts World Cruises and the Genting Dream to the Bintan and Batam islands in Indonesia early July this year. With Resorts World Cruises taking-on a pioneering role to restart destination cruises in Indonesia, we are confident that together, we will rejuvenate the regional cruise tourism industry”, said His Excellency Dr. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia. With the comfort and convenience of the Genting Dream, a “Resort Cruising on High Seas” from Singapore, guests can look forward to the first destination cruise on July 1, 2022, with the 2-Night Bintan and Batam Islands Weekend Getaway Cruise departing on Fridays. Discover wonderful Indonesia and explore these two well-known destinations in the Riau Islands for its jungle-fringed beaches, wildlife-rich mangroves, adrenalin pumping water-sports, spas, local seafood delights and so much more. Beyond Indonesia, visit multiple destinations in Malaysia from Singapore with the 3-Night Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson)-Penang Cruise departing on Sundays from 3 July 2022 onwards and subsequently the 2-Night Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson) Cruise departing on Wednesdays. At Port Dickson, guests can explore the town’s hidden gems, including its famous beaches buzzing with fun-filled activities, local tourist spots and more. Alternatively, from Port Dickson, guests can join the shore excursions to the historic state and UNESCO city of Malacca, famous for its unique Baba and Nyonya heritage and delicious delicacies; or visit the vibrant and colourful city of Kuala Lumpur for the ultimate shopping spree at iconic landmarks with more great food. Sailing up north, enjoy Penang and all its glory, a top culinary destination and another UNESCO World Heritage Site that features Malaysia’s best restored traditional architecture, trade and arts.

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Planning A Road Trip This Summer Vacation? Take A Look At 8 Travel Safety Tips Here

Several parts of India are reeling under heatwaves, particularly the northwest and central regions. Planning a road trip in this heat requires a slug of safety checks not only for yourselves but for your vehicles as well as exposure to intense temperatures can make you fall sick and damage your car. But worry not, here is a list of checks you need to make before leaving for the trip 1. Check the Head-Lamps and Tail Lights Its best to check whether all the lights of your car are in working condition before heading out.It prevents a safety hazard, especially on highways when your headlamps are the only source of illumination. Non-functional or not fully-functioning lights are a risk not only for you but for others on the road as well 2. Check Engine and Fluids Get your engine oil topped up as it helps your car run smoothly. The other option is to drain the engine oil and use a more heat-resistant grade which is made to retain its viscosity, and reduce wear and tear under extreme operating conditions. A good quality coolant is one of the most important fluids for your car to get it through the heat to prevent it from breaking down .Also get the fluid levels of the power steering, brake and transmission units checked, since these could be potential weak links. 3. Check the tyres and air-pressure Good tyre-pressure is necessary on a hot day to prevent your sidewall from getting destroyed since the softer rubber is more prone to damage. On poor roads, this could even result in the tyres bursting. So, during summer, make sure you increase your tyre pressure by 3-5psi and keep a close eye on your tyres. Monitor the condition and air pressure of the spare tyre as well. 4. Check the air-conditioning The most essential facility for a road trip in summers is the air conditioner, if you do not want to be baked in the scorching heat. 5. Check wiper-blades, windshield Test the washers a few days in advance, if they don’t clean your windscreen properly, get them changed as it would prevent you a hard time during unwelcomed weather conditions, if there are any. Patch up the cracked windshield or get it replaced to prevent any damage. For Yourself: 1. Wear Sunscreen and Sunglasses It is important to protect your eyes from the glaring rays of the sun to help you see better while driving. As much important is the sunscreen for prevention against harmful rays of sun that can penetrate through the windows. 2. Pack a Survival Kit In case of any unforeseeable event, it is necessary to have some essentials packed up to plan ahead. Plan for the worst by packing a survival kit complete with: – Water bottles – Non-perishable snacks – First aid kit – Flashlight and spare batteries – Jumper cables – Flares – Tools to change a tire – Cell phone, charger and spare battery 3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep Having truck-loads of excitement is not an excuse to skip complete rest and sleep just the night before you start your journey. It is advisable to start with a fresh mind, drive with attentiveness and enjoy the trip. With this, hopefully, you will be all set-up to start your road journey and be ready to avoid any mishaps on the way.

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European aviation set to recover to pre-Covid levels in 2024

European aviation body Eurocontrol is forecasting air traffic across the continent to reach 9.5 million flights this year, which would be 85 per cent of 2019 levels. This is a slight downgrade on Eurocontrol’s previous forecast of 2022 flights reaching 89 per cent of pre-Covid numbers. This drop was due to the impact of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on air travel during the early months of this year. Eurocontrol does not expect European flights to return to 2019 levels until 2024, with the number of flights set to reach 10.6 million in 2023, which would still be 5 per cent lower than in 2019. Although full recovery for the aviation sector could be further delayed until 2027 due to possible “downside risks”, such as the spread of new Covid variants and the economic impact of high inflation on passenger demand. Eurocontrol highlights “wide variation” in recovery rates across Europe with some countries in the south of the continent already expected to reach 2019 flight levels before the end of 2022. “The invasion of Ukraine is having a limited impact at European level but the re-routings to avoid closed airspaces are affecting the number of overflights in various countries,” added Eurocontrol.

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Portugal sees rebound in tourism, return to prepandemic record unlikely

Tourism is rebounding more quickly in Portugal than in some parts of Europe, but the number of foreign visitors this year is still expected to lag the pre-pandemic record of 2019, the country’s hotel association AHP said on Monday. The number of tourists visiting Portugal recovered to 5.9 million in 2021, a year after plunging to 3.9 million, its worst results since the mid-1980s and far off the record 16.4 million in 2019. The Chief Executive of Portugal’s hotel association AHP, Cristina Siza Vieira, said that demand was set to increase “immensely” during the summer season, with hotels expecting to reach pre-pandemic levels over that period. Bernardo Trindade, AHP’s President, said that recovery of tourism in Portugal was happening faster than in other European countries, mostly thanks to its location, far from the war ravaging Ukraine, and people’s perceptions of it as a safe place to visit. But when looking at 2022 as a whole hoteliers are not as optimistic, Siza Vieira told. “Possibly, when we close the year in December, we could get close to 2019 levels but not at the same level yet,” she said. There are two big challenges the sector is facing: staffing shortages and rampant inflation, Siza Vieira explained. According to Portugal’s statistics office INE, hotels and restaurants employed 266,600 people in the first quarter of 2022, 45,200 more than in the same period last year, but 33,200 less than in the first three months of 2019. Portugal’s tourism sector accounted for almost 15 per cent of gross domestic product before the pandemic and was one of the main drivers of its recovery from the 2010-14 economic and debt crisis

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Jawa-Yezdi to offer free service assistance to select riders travelling to Ladakh

Classic Legends, the parent company of Jawa and Yezdi Motorcycles, has kickstarted a service initiative for its Kommuniti members. As part of this initiative, the company will offer free service assistance to select riders on the way to Ladakh. Classic Legends has launched a ‘Service is on Us’ program that will offer free service assistance to select riders travelling to Ladakh spanning the major access routes to the region from key parts of the country. Under this initiative, the Jawa-Yezdi service centres situated in major cities along the route will provide necessary service support to the riders. Moreover, the labour charges for periodic service and running repairs will be complimentary and free of charge. The riders will also be able to avail of a complimentary 26-point general check-up at the Leh service station, where an expert technician will be equipped with essential tools and spares. Classic Legenda also adds that the RSA policyholders will be eligible for en-route breakdown assistance as per RSA policy guidelines while the non-RSA policyholders will be able to do so on a paid basis. With this initiative, the company aims to offer a comprehensive service cover to riders setting out from almost every corner of the country merging in the NCR to take the two popular routes to Ladakh; one via Chandigarh and Manali and the other via Jammu, Srinagar and Kargil. Commenting on the announcement, Ashish Singh Joshi, CEO – Classic Legends, said, “A ride to one’s dream destination takes a lot of planning, and with this ‘Service is on Us’ initiative, riders from our Kommuniti will have one thing less to worry about – service support throughout the way. This initiative is dedicated to the free-spiritedness of Jawa & Yezdi riders and their quest to explore, and it is our aim to offer them complete peace of mind in terms of service assistance while they are at it.”

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Visit Astanmarg, Srinagar’s new adventure paragliding destination

Summer is upon us and people everywhere are looking for an escape, a break from this heat. Look no further, because there’s a new kid in town for fun adventure paragliding, and that is Astanmarg, one of the most beautiful places to visit in Srinagar. The Kashmir tourism department, in association with a private paragliding firm, has launched adventure paragliding in Srinagar’s Astanmarg. Located on the outskirts of Srinagar, approximately 27.5 km from the city centre, Astanmarg is a lush green meadow on the Zabarwaan range. The paragliding will begin from Astanmarg top and on to Chandpora ground. With a vertical drop of 2000 ft, if this does not excite the adventurous you, we don’t know what will. One can make online bookings for the paragliding session. As a pre-flight ritual, experts present there will brief the gliders about the gear and give all important safety information. After this the gliders can take their flight that will be of approximately 12-15 minutes. That’s 12-15 minutes of free flight and stunning views of the valley down below, which includes the snow covered mountain ranges, Dal Lake, Dachigam National Park, Mahadev Peak and Mughal Gardens. The landing spot is Chandpora, located at about 5330 ft, in Srinagar. Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir, never runs out of ways to keep visitors hooked and excited. Once you are done with paragliding, you can visit Dal and Anchar lakes, or even head out to Gulmarg, which is another stunning place you should not miss when in Srinagar.

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