Royal Caribbean International will welcome the third ship into its Icon Class fleet, with Legend of the Seas setting sail on summer adventures from Barcelona in 2026. Its grand debut is set for November 2026, when it will head off on six-night journeys in Western Caribbean and eight-night journeys in Southern Caribbean.
Bookings have opened on February 20.
Royal Caribbean International has named its third Icon Class ship Legend of the Seas
Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, said: “On the heels of celebrating one year of the record-breaking Icon Class and the memories made by vacationers of all ages on Icon, we are thrilled to announce the name of Royal Caribbean’s third Icon Class vacation.
“Legend of the Seas is the next bold step in this exciting era of vacations and the continuation of the Icon Class legacy, and we look forward to bringing the revolutionary lineup of experiences to more families and adventurers across Europe, the Caribbean and beyond.”
Legend of the Seas, which is still under construction in Turku, Finland, will offer eight neighbourhoods onboard, with more than 40 ways to dine and drink, adrenaline-pumping thrills, unrivaled ways to chill, and plenty of ways for holiday-makers to make memories together and on their own, without compromise.
The ship will also be Royal Caribbean International’s fourth ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and feature a proven lineup of industry-leading environmental programmes.
Tourism Malaysia has unveiled its Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign in India along with a target of 1.6 million Indian arrivals. A series of strategic travel trade initiatives will back its campaign ambitions.
The NTO has been actively engaging with the Indian travel trade industry. Earlier this year, Tourism Malaysia participated in the OTM 2025 travel tradeshow in Mumbai, and led a sales mission across key Southern Indian cities including Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kochi. Continuing its engagement, Tourism Malaysia will soon join SATTE 2025 in New Delhi from February 19 to 21.
Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign is launched in India
Ahmad Johanif Mohd Ali, director, Tourism Malaysia New Delhi, told TTG Asia that the NTO’s presence at SATTE 2025 will “create awareness about VM2026”.
“Apart from our mass marketing efforts, we will be focusing on niche segments like golf tourism, weddings and MICE to meet our target of 1.6 million Indian tourist arrivals in 2026,” he added.
To court golf enthusiasts, Tourism Malaysia will organise a series of golf tourism-focused events across five Indian cities from March to December 2025. Key markets like New Delhi and Kolkata have already been identified for these events.
Ahmad Johanif also shared that joint promotions with India-based travel agents will be introduced to promote Malaysia as a golf and wedding destination.
Industry players see strong potential in Malaysia for Indian weddings, but urge additional steps to raise its competitive edge against dominant destinations such as Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, Bali, and Mauritius.
Rachit Jain, director of event management company Rashi Entertainment, suggested measures such as fast-track immigration services for wedding groups as well as tax exemptions and incentive schemes for wedding agencies.
As Tourism Malaysia continues its courtship of Indian travellers, a series of fam trips for Indian travel agents and media representatives will be made available in collaboration with airlines like IndiGo and Air India.
Singapore’s Changi Airport has launched a new attraction called the Fit&Fun Zone, which blends fitness and entertainment into an innovative wellness space for travellers.
Said to be the first of its kind in an airport, the Fit&Fun Zone is designed to combat travel lethargy and provide a quick energy boost for travellers of all ages. It is located at Terminal 2 (Transit) Level 3, just above Dreamscape. It is open all day.
Fit&Fun Zone welcomes all travellers all day
Spanning over 400m2, the attraction features five coloured zones. In each zone, travellers can participate in various activities to connect with their bodies, rejuvenate, and take a break from the rigors of travel.
In the Green Zone, travellers can unwind and relax on six pendulum chairs overlooking the soothing ambiance of Dreamscape. The tranquil zone offers a perfect respite for those seeking peace from the bustling airport environment.
The Orange Zone features Spar Pods – elevated soft punching bags hinged by thin ropes – for travellers to release pent-up energy. In addition, the three-dimensional petals structures on the walls can also be jabbed, providing a fun and safe way to destress before their next flight.
For travellers seeking a strength workout, the Pink Zone is the place to be. Four pull down levers, connected to weights ranging from 2kg to 8kg, are linked to a light ball that changes colour when pulled, adding a dynamic visual element to the exercise.
The Yellow Zone features five trampoline pods that are equipped with sensors that play music when travellers step inside. Energetic travellers are welcomed to bounce, dance, and move to the catchy tunes, adding to the lively and joyful atmosphere.
The Blue Zone is ideal for travellers looking for a touch of adventure. The nature inspired, organically shaped cave comes with a rope maze that is designed to spark curiosity and encourage exploration.
A new climate action training programme for destinations has been launched by sustainable tourism non-profit, the Travel Foundation, in partnership with Expedia Group. Destination Climate Champions is the first climate action training course that is free to access for those working in DMOs and NTOs, thanks to generous sponsorship from Expedia Group.
The course aims to equip participants with climate literacy and empower them to lead positive change.
DMOs and NTOs can now access a free training course to gain climate literacy and be empowered to lead positive change
Participants gain essential knowledge on climate change and tourism, a blueprint for action, and access to a network of similar organisations around the world with whom they can share solutions, including through three facilitated peer-to-peer workshops.
The online course is self-paced and has eight modules, covering everything from creating a climate action plan to future proofing a marketing strategy. Each module takes around one to two hours, with additional time needed for applied learning tasks.
The Travel Foundation also offers additional personalised coaching and training sessions as an optional add-on. By the end of the course, destinations should be ready to create their own climate action plan.
The course operates on a first-come-first-served basis.
It has been piloted this year with over forty DMOs, organised in four cohorts: Europe, the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Feedback collected from pilot participants highlighted that the programme equips them with the knowledge and tools needed to develop or improve their organisational climate action plan, breaking down a big, complex topic into manageable, bite sized chunks.
Other benefits include increased confidence in their message when engaging stakeholders in action, ability to strengthen their business case for climate action and justify the need to invest in it, and learning from and building connections with other destinations that are facing similar challenges.
Aditi Mohapatra, vice president of global social impact and sustainability at Expedia Group, shared that 50 more DMOs have begun the course since December, demonstrating strong interest in this offering.
“Adapting to climate change requires a collective effort across the entire travel industry. At Expedia Group, we are committed to advancing our mission that travel is a force for good – this includes our work at the destination, partner, and traveller level. Through the Destinations Climate Champions programme, we are proud to equip DMOs with the resources they need to better support the complex topic of climate and promote responsible tourism.”
Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Travel Foundation said: “The launch of our new Destination Climate Champions training programme comes at a pivotal moment for tourism, with an urgent need for transition to a climate-resilient, low carbon industry that safeguards livelihoods and the future of destinations. DMOs are in a unique position to lead this change by bringing the many tourism stakeholders together, identifying local needs and understanding the key risks to their tourism economy, place and people. This programme supports destination leaders to gain fundamental knowledge and skills related to climate action and helps tourism professionals from organisations of all shapes and sizes to understand how climate change affects their destination and what they need to do about it.”
Preferred Hotels & Resorts has activated a new Travel Advisor Portal to empower travel professionals with a comprehensive suite of tools and resources. Boasting user-friendly interface and advanced features, the portal offers priority access to more than 600 luxury independent hotels, resorts, and residences worldwide, while featuring a seamless, integrated experience for making and managing reservations, preparing rate quotes, submitting commission claims, and more.
The platform also allows for personalised confirmations, room rate details, and included guest amenities, based on agency affiliation.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ new Travel Advisor Portal will streamline travel advisors’ workflow, making it easier for the latter to do business with the hotel company
Another benefit to agents is the ability to track performance metrics through the My Insights section, which offers detailed statistics on active and past reservations, unique hotels booked, total revenue, and total room nights booked.
The tool also features a comprehensive knowledge base for advisors to learn more about Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ global collection of luxury properties, as well as the benefits of client enrolment and the I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty programme. There are helpful links, FAQs, and other related information, including details behind the philanthropic and sustainability initiatives of Preferred Travel Group.
Additionally, Preferred Platinum agents will benefit from a dedicated search page that lists Preferred Platinum hotels and amenities, as well as automatic inclusion of the Preferred Platinum rates when sourcing hotels – further streamlining the booking process for top-tier clients. A new feature, exclusively available to Preferred Platinum travel advisors, is Small Social Group Requests, that is managed through the Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ VIP Desk. This programme allows for immediate confirmation of availability and rates for bookings of up to 15 rooms with no meeting space required at selected participating properties.
Cheryl Williams, chief revenue officer for Preferred Travel Group, said: “We are proud to present this exciting new tool, which underscores our commitment to supporting the travel advisor community and enhancing their ability to provide the most unique and unforgettable travel experiences to their clients.
“We believe this innovative platform will streamline their workflow, making it easier to do business with us by simplifying the process of optimising all that Preferred Hotels & Resorts has to offer – and ultimately drive greater success for their businesses.”
The National Basketball Association (NBA), Sport Singapore (SportSG), and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have entered into a multi-year collaboration to bring NBA events to the city-state.
The first outcome of this collaboration is a multi-day immersive basketball and entertainment festival in Singapore this June, which will culminate in the first annual NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the league’s first regional high-school basketball tournament featuring boys’ and girls’ teams from 10 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific. Teams will compete at the Kallang Alive Precinct from June 25 to June 29, 2025.
Singapore’s collaboration with the National Basketball Association will bring more basketball events to the country and foster a richer basketball environment in Asia-Pacific
Operated by the event agencies of NBA Singapore, the NBA Rising Stars Invitational will be a five-day tournament. Selected markets will host local qualifying events to determine the representatives for the invitational. Additionally, top individual performers from the event will have the opportunity to attend future NBA basketball development camps, showcases and programmes.
“SportSG is excited to partner with the NBA to create an immersive festival of basketball for all during the June holidays,” said SportSG CEO Alan Goh.
“Held at the Kallang Alive Precinct and at various locations in our community, this two-week festival will rally the basketball fraternity and create opportunities for all to enjoy the sport that they love. Fans can look forward to a vibrant calendar featuring activities like exclusive clinics by NBA legends and coaches for our ActiveSG Basketball Academy participants, meet and greet sessions with renowned basketball players, and fan experiences at various locations around the island for all to enjoy.”
“The NBA’s presence in Singapore enriches our city’s dynamic offerings and solidifies our standing as a premier sporting destination,” said Melissa Ow, chief executive, STB.
The basketball and entertainment festival will be headlined by a line-up of current and former NBA and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players, who will be announced ahead of the event. The festival will also feature a range of activities for fans of all ages, including community outreach initiatives, open courts, photo opportunities with authentic NBA memorabilia – such as The Larry O’Brien Trophy – player appearances and meet-and-greet sessions, exclusive clinics, as well as entertainment and interactive experiences.
“The NBA Rising Stars Invitational will help accelerate and elevate the basketball ecosystem in Asia-Pacific while serving as a viable pathway for players to receive additional basketball training. We look forward to working with SportSG and STB to bring NBA Rising Stars Invitational and other exciting events to Singapore,” said NBA Asia managing director Wayne Chang.
The Alchemist Travel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Alchemist Travel travel curators, will begin sponsoring a series training programmes at the hospitality school managed by the Sumba Hospitality Foundation (SHF) in Indonesia. The first group of hospitality specialists will begin their six-week stint this month.
The initiative aligns with Alchemist Travel’s mission to support and fund projects that promote responsible tourism, community empowerment, and environmental stewardship. Alchemist Travel Foundation donates two per cent of all of its profits to grassroots projects and initiatives that drive and support sustainable tourism.
From left: Independent F&B and hospitality consultant Sophie Larrouture and Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva’s Martial Facchinetti will contribute to the training programme at Sumba Hospitality Foundation on Alchemist Travel Foundation’s sponsorship
Jo Hendry-Prior, co-founder at Alchemist Travel, told TTG Asia: “We are fundamentally passionate about changing the way people think about travel on every level, and believe that education is key to this. Hence, we have always been particularly inspired by the work that the SHF do.”
SHF provides underprivileged youth in Sumba with world-class hospitality training, equipping them with skills in luxury service, sustainability, and tourism management. The foundation’s on-site school offers hands-on learning through the operation of Maringi Sumba, a sustainable eco-resort that embraces renewable energy, water recycling, and responsible hospitality practices, as well as its restaurant, Makan Dulu.
The Alchemist Travel Foundation’s initial training contribution to SHF involves Sophie Larrouture, an independent F&B and hospitality consultant and Martial Facchinetti, banquet chef at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva. Facchinetti is also a member of Goutatoo Association, which promotes good cuisine in Switzerland.
Larrouture and Facchinetti will remain in Sumba for six weeks to impart their experience in sustainability efforts, such as menu development with local ingredients, food waste reduction, and staff training.
When asked why they were chosen for this training sponsorship, Hendry-Prior said: “They are experts in the F&B industry and will bring different expertise to Sumba. Both are passionate about helping to improve F&B offerings, and are personally driven in initiatives for sustainable growth and F&B management. Having worked together before, they are inspired by the work that SHF is doing…to help end the poverty cycle on the island of Sumba through education.”
While training has yet to begin, the Alchemist Travel Foundation is already planning further support for SHF.
Hendry-Prior said: “We will definitely continue working with SHF, along other initiatives that we, as a team, feel passionate about. We have started speaking to other experts about running more training programmes with SHF, and have other projects in the planning stages as well.
“Alchemist Travel has been working in the luxury travel industry for over 20 years, so we have an amazing network of experts who can…impart valuable expertise to smaller hotels and businesses in the industry.”
Hester Vanacker, director, SHF, expressed his gratitude to Alchemist Travel in a press statement. “Direct access to industry experts provides invaluable experience for our students, equipping them with the skills and confidence to build successful careers in sustainable hospitality,” he said.
Home to towering mountains in the north and surrounded by water to its east, west and south, Taiwan’s southernmost county of Pingtung offers a variety of scenery for avid travellers.
With this in mind, the Pingtung County Government has launched eight uniquely themed travel routes that highlight the county’s nature and cultural diversity through a series of leisure activities.
Taiwan’s Pingtung County Government has developed eight exploration routes that present the best of the destination’s natural wonders and culture
The eight routes have themes such as experiencing Taiwan’s aboriginal culture in Pingdong, an ecological tour at Dapeng Bay, participating in local cultural activities, a food tour, family-friendly experiences, a water grassland exploration at Dongyuan, and a combined mountain and sea itinerary at Hengchun.
These itineraries are available for booking on online platforms such as KKday and Tripadvisor.
With the slogan of Let’s roll in Pingtung Taiwan, the campaign symbolises Pingtung’s open and warm invitation to travellers from around the world.
Huang Guowei, director at the Pingtung County Government’s department of transportation and tourism, said: “We hope that Pingtung will become the top choice for international travellers visiting Taiwan (and these routes) allow them to easily enjoy the beauty that Pingtung has to offer.”
From left: MCEC’s Natalie O Brien; Tourism Australia’s Robin Mack and Philippa Harrison; Talk2 Media & Events Matt Pearce; Melbourne Convention Bureau’s Julia Swanson; and AIME event director Silke Cader
AIME has announced it has once again broken records for show attendance in 2025 and is curating groundbreaking initiatives that both evolve with and reshape business events.
Held once again at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, AIME 2025 has an expanded show floor, with over 675 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries, including first-time pavilions from Thailand and Singapore.
From left: MCEC’s Natalie O Brien; Tourism Australia’s Robin Mack and Philippa Harrison; Talk2 Media & Events Matt Pearce; Melbourne Convention Bureau’s Julia Swanson; and AIME event director Silke Cader
More than 200 exhibitors are new to the show, which will welcome more than 4,500 attendees over three days.
Significantly, of the 170 international buyers and more than 470 domestic buyers, three in four hosted buyers are attending the show for the first time.
“In an environment where there are new (regional) entrants, this growth is testimony to AIME’s track record in delivering the business,” said Matt Pearce, CEO of Talk2 Media & Events. He also highlighted the estimated A$330 million (US$207.3 million) in business conducted last year.
This year will also see AIME partner with AIPC – the International Association of Convention Centres to host a half-day summit on February 12, focused on convention center executives worldwide.
Also for the first time, the Global Exhibition Association UFI will co-locate its 2025 Asia Pacific conference with AIME, immediately following the tradeshow. This will be held from February 13 to 14.
AIME Leaders Forum will be hosted on February 13.
Meanwhile, the Knowledge Program, a regular and popular feature at AIME, will field notable personalities as keynote speakers. They include former chief technology officer of Lonely Planet Gus Balbotin, and Kristy Goodwin. There will also be 20 breakout sessions covering topics ranging from emerging talent and AI to creativity and consumer experience, as well as a new panel discussion, Global Insights and Business Outlook for 2025, featuring leaders from IMEX Group, ICCA, Grip, and AIPC.
Julia Swanson, CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau, emphasised Melbourne’s emerging status as a global leader in business events.
“Last year, a new benchmark was set, and we’re really delighted to see the growth again,” she said, noting 114 business events have been confirmed in Melbourne valued at A$613 million until 2028.
Swanson also announced the launch of the Melbourne Convention Bureau’s Positive Impact Guide, which outlines the impact of business events on the Victorian state.
AIME kicks off today with its evening Welcome Event, themed AIMalfi FESTA, at il Mercato Centrale, with over 2,000 attendees expected.
AIME is owned by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) and managed by Talk2 Media & Events.
Air New Zealand has joined the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) today with immediate effect.
Air New Zealand makes AAPA’s 18th airline member
Subhas Menon, director general of AAPA, said: “Air New Zealand’s important role in connecting New Zealand to the world and its strong international outlook will reinforce the collective advocacy of airlines in the Asia-Pacific region in areas such as sustainability, supply chain recovery and smooth cross border travel.”
Greg Foran, chief executive officer of Air New Zealand, added that joining the AAPA membership would allow his airline to “share learnings with our regional counterparts, to ensure a thriving Asia-Pacific aviation industry into the future”.
AAPA has 18 members today, including Air New Zealand. It also recently welcomed Qantas Airways in January.
