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Category: General

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest General Retail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Tourism recovery can take off alongside flights resumption

    Tourism recovery can take off alongside flights resumption

    Tourism companies see a proposed plan to gradually resume international flights as a necessary first step for their sector to recover from the pandemic-inflicted slump. Nguyen Minh Man, head of marketing at the HCMC-based TST Tourist Co., said that a slow and careful reopening of Vietnam’s borders can form a strong foundation to resume tourism activities.

    “This is a golden time for the tourism industry to prepare their human resources and products to recover and achieve a breakthrough next year,” he added.

    Nguyen Cong Hoan, deputy director of Hanoi Redtours, said that although the flight resumption won’t be able to “save” Vietnamese tourism this year, it will be a necessary first step for recovery.

    International flights will first help resume trade and business activities, which will boost demand for niche tourism segments such as golf and luxury tourism, and after that, other popular segments will start to recover, he said.

    “If vaccinated passengers can enter the country in September, that would be an ideal time to travel to Vietnam’s warm beaches or visit terraced fields during the harvest.”

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) is considering the resumption of international flights starting July, with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan the first destinations, each side operating four flights a week.

    All passengers will be quarantined upon arrival as per the Health Ministry protocol. It is expected that around 6,000 to 7,000 passengers would enter the country each week from the three Asian destinations.

    The CAAV has proposed that starting September, vaccinated foreign passengers into the country are allowed into the country without requiring centralized quarantine.

    Vietnamese carriers are eagerly awaiting the government’s green light to take to the skies again.

    Budget airline Vietjet resumes regular flights to Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan this month, serving Vietnamese citizens wishing to study and work abroad, as well as stranded foreigners wanting to return home.

    On return trips, the carrier will only carry Vietnamese citizens being repatriated or foreign experts with permission to enter the country as per government regulations.

    Meanwhile, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has said it will reopen international commercial flights connecting Hanoi and HCMC with several Asian destinations including South Korea, Japan, and Australia this month.

    However, tourism companies are not too optimistic about a quick recovery. Hoan of Hanoi Redtours said that for this year and the next, domestic travel will be the main revenue source for his company, and prospects for international travel will only look up in 2023 as the earliest.

    “We are seeing rising numbers of individual and company trips bookings domestically, and this will be our main focus for the time being. Until the Covid-19 situation is well under control globally, we should not pin our hopes on international travel.”

    Vietnam closed its national borders and canceled all international flights in March 2020. Since then, only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts, and highly-skilled workers are being allowed in under strict conditions.

    The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam in the first quarter fell 98.7 percent year-on-year to 48,000 with travel restrictions in place to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19.

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  • Vietnam allows Boeing 737 Max to enter its airspace again

    Vietnam allows Boeing 737 Max to enter its airspace again

    Vietnam’s Transport Ministry has allowed the Boeing 737 Max aircraft to pass through the country’s airspace after two years.

    The decision was taken following a proposal made by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) last month, citing Boeing’s efforts to address technical issues of the aircraft and assessments by aviation authorities in the U.S. and Europe.

    However, the ministry has ordered CAAV to continue monitoring related issues and updating itself with information from peers in China, Australia, and Russia, countries that have not yet opened up their airspace for this aircraft model.

    The ministry also said that after these countries lift their respective bans on the aircraft and if it meets Vietnamese regulations, the CAAV can report it for the ministry to consider permission for the aircraft to operate in and be imported into Vietnam.

    The U.S. allowed the Boeing 737 Max to resume operations in December and Europe did so in January.

    The Boeing 737 Max aircraft was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after 346 people were killed in two crashes in the space of a few months in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

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  • Updated Gmail for Android now includes animated swipe action

    Updated Gmail for Android now includes animated swipe action

    After reading your email on the Android Gmail app, users can use “Mail swipe actions” to delete, archive, mark as read/mark as unread, snooze, mark as, and move to messages. Each swipe is a different color. Each action is accompanied by a different color, but to make it even easier to tell the different gesture actions apart, Google has added some animation. For example, mark as read will show the fold of an envelope closing. Delete an email and the trash can lid rises, and snoozing an email will spin the clock.

    You should soon have the latest version of Gmail for Android installed on your phone. Google has been adding little things here and there in order to improve the app. For example, in February Google added confirmatory vibration feedback so that users don’t make an accidental swipe on the wrong spot. To make sure that your Gmail app is completely up to date, your Android phone should be running version 2021.03.07 which was released just last week. It is important for you to understand that the animations are not available on the iOS version of the app.

    Google is adding animation and other swipe action to its Gmail for Android app.

    You can find the Gmail for Android app in the Google Play Store. These are small things that might not seem like a big deal but they are important to users.

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  • Google Play Music’s last update helps users get rid of the Android app

    Google Play Music’s last update helps users get rid of the Android app

    Google’s Play Music service is officially dead, but it seems that the Android app needed one last update that will allow users to completely get rid of it. Even those who have already migrated to YouTube Music are required to download the update since this is the only way to permanently hide the app.

    Most likely the last update for the Play Music app enables users to hide the app and all data associated with it. Many Android smartphones come preinstalled with the Play Music app and Google still hasn’t found a way to let people uninstall it, even though the service has been discontinued.

    If you don’t own a smartphone that doesn’t allow you to uninstall the Play Music, then this update is of no use since you probably already removed the app after switching to YouTube Music. The rest of you who can’t do that though should update the Play Music app and then tap the “Hide app” and/or “Delete all local data” options.

    Once both options are selected, the Play Music app should no longer appear in the app drawer. On top of that, you will no longer be able to run the app on your Android phone.

  • CU opens first store in Malaysia in collaboration with MyNews

    CU opens first store in Malaysia in collaboration with MyNews

    CU has opened the doors of its first store in Malaysia, signaling a full-fledged entry into the country. CU is one of the big three convenience store chains in South Korea in terms of the number of stores, and the chain is owned by South Korean company BGF Retail Co Ltd.

    CU announced today that it opened its first store in Kuala Lumpur, making Malaysia the second foreign market the convenience store chain made an entry into after entering Mongolia in 2018. Malaysia’s first CU store has opened inside a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur’s middle-class neighborhood. The store is large-sized, measuring approximately 165 square meters.

    The opening ceremony of the store was attended by prominent individuals such as Lim Hyung-geun, head of BGF Retail’s overseas business department, myNEWS Holdings Bhd CEO Dang Tai Luk, South Korean Ambassador to Malaysia Lee Chi-beom, and Kwon Young-jin, a director at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

    CU used BGF’s global system exclusively for overseas business for the first time in making the entrance into the Malaysian market. The South Korean convenience store chain is aiming to be the first of its industry to not only bring South Korea’s convenience store model built on decades of knowledge and experiences but also South Korean IT technologies to overseas markets.

    CU’s entry into Malaysia marks the first attempt to introduce a South Korean convenience store’s brand and system to a foreign company that operates local brands of its region. It is also an instance where a company in the retail and distribution industry was able to bear fruit from its pursuit of establishing a business in the Southeast Asian region. CU’s entrance into Malaysia is also quite significant in that the move throws a challenge to 7-Eleven, a powerhouse in the traditional convenience store business.

    With about 2,400 stores under its belt in Malaysia, 7-Eleven is the No. 1 company in its industry in Malaysia. In second place is myNEWS Holdings, a partner company of BGF, with 530 stores across the country. Japanese convenience chain FamilyMart is ranked third with about 200 stores in the country.

    CU has set a goal to open 50 new stores within a year and aspires to become No. 1 in the industry in the mid- to long-term by adding more than 500 stores over the next five years.

    CU is gearing up to expand the number of its new store openings following the opening of its first store in Malaysia, and at the same time, it is preparing to gradually convert existing myNEWS.com stores into CU stores. As a result, it is expected that CU’s stores and Japanese convenience stores will be duking it out for market share of the Malaysian convenience store market in the future.

  • Why you shouldn’t stop wearing a mask after vaccination

    Why you shouldn’t stop wearing a mask after vaccination

    The emergence of vaccines for Covid-19 has received massive acceptance all over the world. People have anticipated it for a very long time and the emergence has brought hope to people. We all want to do away with the item we were forced to adapt to protect ourselves from the virus, the face masks, but the question is, when is life going back to normal and does the emergence of vaccines mean face masks shouldn’t be worn again?

    Reasons to still wear a face mask after you have been vaccinated

    The excitement of getting vaccinated against Covid-19 comes with the obvious urge to do away with face masks for good. However, health experts have opined that the usage of masks should continue for a little while, especially in public settings, at least until we achieve herd immunity.

    Herd immunity, also known as community immunity, means that a large population of people in an area are immune to a specific disease. When this happens, the disease cannot be easily transmitted, since most people are immune to it and so infection rates drop as the disease peters out. To reach herd immunity, about 50%-80% of a population needs to be vaccinated, and for Covid-19, this might take a while. While the emergence of vaccines is a massive step in the right direction, it is advisable to exercise a little more patience before doing away with masks.

    Indeed, various reasons push health professionals to declare that face masks should be worn after vaccination.

    Time is required before the vaccine kicks in

    The vaccine does not fully kick in until two weeks after taking your second dose. After the first dose, you get some level of immune response, but this does not mean you are instantly protected from the virus.

    It takes some time before you can be termed “fully vaccinated” which means you still have to wear your mask.

    Vaccinated people may be asymptomatic spreaders

    It has been established that the vaccines prevent illness, but there is uncertainty as to whether they also prevent the transmission. Experts are worried that vaccinated people can get infected again without showing symptoms, and infect others who have not been vaccinated.

    Based on this, vaccinated people need to continue to wear their face masks to reduce virus transmissions to others.

    The vaccines do not offer 100% protection

    Although the vaccines have proven to be very effective, they offer between 94% – 95% protection. This means there are some people out there who do not respond to the vaccines and are still at risk of being infected.

    Those with compromised immune systems need to be protected

    Those with underlying health conditions react severely to Covid-19 and they need to be protected. The degree of effectiveness of the vaccines on such people has not been fully established. Thus, they need to be protected.

    Also, there are certain people who react negatively to certain ingredients in the vaccines, this means they can’t get them. Such people also need to be protected.

    There are still limited doses compared to those who need them

    This means that there are still a lot of people yet to be vaccinated. Surely, we can’t do away with the masks as though the virus were in extinction. We still need to be careful and safe in our daily lives.

    How to continue to protect yourself

    Seeing that vaccination does not automatically translate to doing away with face masks, we have a responsibility to continually protect ourselves.

    This protection is nothing different from what you did before the vaccines came on board:

    • Ensure you have your masks and your face shields on in public places.
    • Continually maintain social distancing.
    • Wash your hands as frequently as possible.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as you can (especially when you do not remember where your hands have been).

    Things may start to change when more people are vaccinated and when fewer cases are discovered, but until then you still have to stay safe and cautious.      

     

     

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  • New Year fails to help retail sales in Singapore

    New Year fails to help retail sales in Singapore

    Retail sales grew by 5.2 percent year-on-year in February, a reversal from the 6.1 percent decline recorded in January. This improvement was mainly associated with Chinese New Year celebrations in February, said the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) on Monday (Apr 5). Chinese New Year was in January last year.

    Comparing the performance for the January to February two-month period of the festivities, retail sales fell 1.2 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales increased 7.7 percent in February, compared to the 8.4 percent decline in January. On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales decreased 1.6 percent in February compared to the previous month. Excluding motor vehicles, seasonally adjusted sales fell 1.2 percent.

    The estimated total retail sales value for February was about S$3.3 billion. Online retail sales made up about 10.1 percent of this, similar to the 10.2 percent recorded in January, said SingStat.

    Online retail sales made up 44.3 percent of total receipts in the computer and telecommunications equipment industry, 26 percent of sales in furniture and household equipment and 10.7 percent of sales in supermarkets and hypermarkets.

    While most retail industries recorded improved year-on-year sales in February due to the Chinese New Year boost, on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, the watches and jewelry, petrol service stations, and computer and telecommunications equipment increased between 2.8 percent and 5.6 percent during this period.

    SALES OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES REMAIN WEAK

    Sales of food and beverage services fell 3.5 percent in February on a year-on-year basis, a smaller contraction compared to the 24.6 percent decline in January 2021. This was again mainly attributed to Chinese New Year celebrations, SingStat said.

    Food and beverage sales remained weak due to capacity constraints arising from safe distancing measures, SingStat added.

    On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of food and beverage services declined 1.1 percent in February over the previous month.

    The total sales value of food and beverage services in February was estimated at S$699 million.

    Of this, online sales made up about 22.2 percent, slightly higher than 22.1 percent in January.

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  • Vingroup reports acquisition, sale of multiple companies

    Vingroup reports acquisition, sale of multiple companies

    Vietnam’s biggest private conglomerate Vingroup sold stakes in five companies and acquired shares in six others last year, according to its audited consolidated financial statement.

    It sold 80 percent each of MV Real Estate JSC and the MV1 Real Estate JSC to Mitsubishi Corporation and Nomura Real Estate Development of Japan, and 90 percent of S-Vin Vietnam Real Estate Trading JSC to Japanese real estate company Samty Co., Ltd.

    Vingroup earned profits of nearly VND16.9 trillion ($728.45 million) from the three deals.

    It also sold a 25 percent stake in Phu Quoc Tourism Development and Investment JSC for a profit of over VND1.4 trillion, and currently owns a 5 percent stake.

    The conglomerate signed a deal with the Phu Quoc Tourism Development and Investment JSC to operate hotels, golf courses, and beachfront villas in Phu Quoc Island’s Bai Dai ecotourism area and Vinpearl Safari.

    It sold a 40 percent stake in animal feed company Viet Thang Feed JSC and now owns 26.34 percent of it.

    Vingroup spent over VND15 trillion to buy mining company Huong Hai-Quang Ngai Company Limited, real estate companies Dai An Investment Construction JSC and Nguyen Phu Trading Investment JSC, and hotel and restaurant operating firms Hon Mot Tourism JSC and Cam Ranh Invest JSC.

    It bought a 96.5 percent stake in Bao Lai Investment JSC, which mines and processes white marble to produce ground calcium carbonate powder for VND2.7 trillion. Last year Bao Lai reported a loss of VND367 billion.

    Vingroup reported revenues of VND110.4 trillion, down 15.5 percent from 2019. Its pre-tax profit was VND13.9 trillion, a year-on-year decrease of 10.7 percent.

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  • Vietnam Airlines once again calls for setting minimum fares

    Vietnam Airlines once again calls for setting minimum fares

    Vietnam Airlines wants aviation authorities to set floor fares and increase the ceiling, saying it would ensure fair competition among carriers.

    In a proposal it sent to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, it wants the fare ceiling to be increased by VND50,000-250,000 ($2.17-10.86), and minimum fares to be 35 percent of the ceiling, or VND787,500-1.01 million.

    It claimed having minimum fares would ensure fair competition among airlines and help them overcome the hardship caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, but said they could be scrapped once the aviation industry recovers from the pandemic.

    Analysts said if the proposal is accepted, airlines would not be able to offer free flight tickets under promotions, and tourism companies and passengers would be the losers.

    In 2017, Vietnam Airlines had suggested fixing minimum domestic fares of VND1.54-4.2 million ($68-$185), while its subsidiary Jetstar Pacific had proposed VND600,000-1.2 million.

    But both were rejected by the Ministry of Transport.

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  • Tim Cook slams Facebook in an interview, iOS 14.5 is coming to iPhone this month

    Tim Cook slams Facebook in an interview, iOS 14.5 is coming to iPhone this month

    Kara Swisher, “Silicon Valley’s most feared and well-liked journalist”, is back with another interview, part of the Sway podcast, produced by The New York Times Opinion Audio.

    This time, she spoke to one of the most powerful men in the world, who isn’t a Disney character, Tim Cook. The majority of the conversation revolved around data privacy and security, but the two also discussed tech, politics, Steve Jobs, Apple’s failed social media platform, Ping, as well as Tim Cook’s successor.

    The important news for the end-user, at least in the short term, is that iOS 14.5 is definitely coming out in just a few weeks (before the end of April), as promised by the company’s CEO.

    Cupertino is expanding on their already existing security features with ‘Privacy Nutrition Labels’, which will come to third-party apps. Cook explained what Privacy labels are, by comparing them to a nutrition label on foods, except Apple’s will tell you what kind of data the app developer wants to gain access to, instead of how much sugar it contains.
    His rationale was based on the fact that all privacy agreements are a few pages long, and people never read them. Privacy labels are supposed to solve this inconvenience, and we are fully on board for that!

    In fact, PL already exists within Apple’s own apps. You’ll see them upon setting up your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, as well as before you start using an app for the very first time. Here’s a full list of them on Apple’s official website.

    Cook also talked about Apple’s relationship with Facebook, and app developers. He stated that he doesn’t see the social media giant as competition, and laughed when Swisher reminded him of Apple’s failed social network platform, Ping, which lasted two years between 2010-2012.

    In case you didn’t know, Apple’s being sued by a few big companies, such as Facebook, and Epic Games. Mark Zuckerberg and the company are suing in relation to the above-mentioned privacy features, which will become part of iOS very soon.

    Facebook isn’t happy with the fact that users will be ‘encouraged’ to turn off tracking, upon launching the Facebook app. Cook said he views privacy as ‘a basic right’, and wants to let people choose which information to share, and which not to.

  • Google rolls out Chat integration to all Gmail users

    Google rolls out Chat integration to all Gmail users

    Gmail has been enriched with a lot of additional functions over the years, as Google is trying to build an entire ecosystem around one of the most popular email apps on the market. Google Meet, Chat, and Rooms are just some of the features that Gmail users can access without having to leave the app.

    Unfortunately, some of the features are only available to those with G Suite accounts. However, Google has decided that at least one of these extra features should be accessible by everyone, not just those with Google Workspace accounts.

    XDA Developers reports Chat integration, a feature that was made available to Google Workspace accounts last year, is now rolling out to those with Gmail personal accounts. Spotted by a Twitter user, the new Chat integration is expected to become available to the rest of Gmail users in the coming days.

    Keep in mind though that to use Google Chat in Gmail, you’ll first need to enable it from the Chat option in the app settings. If the Chat option doesn’t appear in your Gmail for Android app, it means it hasn’t been updated with Chat integration yet.

    Once you enable Chat integration in Gmail, make sure to turn off duplicate chat notifications so that you won’t be notified twice for each chat message. Finally, if you notice any issues with Google Chat, know that the feature is still in beta.

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  • Google Assistant driving mode slowly rolling out to more countries

    Google Assistant driving mode slowly rolling out to more countries

    After introducing the Assistant Driving Mode in the United States last year, Google has decided that it’s finally time to make the feature available to users in other countries too. If you’re not living in the US, chances are that you don’t know what’s this Google Assistant Driving Mode.

    Google launched the Assistant Driving Mode as a replacement solution for Android Auto’s mode from smartphones. The feature is meant to allow drivers to get their notifications read to them out loud, so they can continue to drive without having to check their phones.

    Google Assistant’s driving mode can not only read messages to drivers, but it can also send messages and make calls for you. Not to mention that you’ll be able to control your music by simply using your voice.

    Currently, we know for sure that the Assistant’s driving mode is slowly rolling out to users in the UK, but it’s safe to assume that the feature will soon be available in other countries too. As per Google’s support page, some of the features of Assistant’s driving mode “aren’t available in all languages or countries,” whereas previously it stated that it’s only live in the US.

    Of course, Google Assistant’s driving mode is limited to just one language at the moment: English. As far as the hardware requirements go, you’ll need a smartphone powered by Android 9.0 or higher, which packs 4GB RAM or more. Also, Google’s Assistant driving mode only works in portrait mode.

  • Thai cement giant to make Vietnam ‘top priority’ market

    Thai cement giant to make Vietnam ‘top priority’ market

    Siam Cement Group (SCG), one of Thailand’s leading industrial companies, has earmarked Vietnam as its top priority market in upcoming years.

    Once a petrochemicals plant comes online in southern Vietnam, the company anticipates revenue from Southeast Asia excluding Thailand would rise to 35 percent of the total from the current 26 percent, its CEO Roongrote Rangsiyopash told Nikkei.

    “We have several projects ongoing, some big ones like a chemicals complex in northern Vietnam. That one, fortunately, has had no impact from the pandemic,” he added.

    The group has seen a trend of localized production within ASEAN and will make this a focus.

    “For the next few years, I foresee Vietnam would be our top priority,” Roongrote stated.

    SCG recently signed an agreement to buy 70 percent of Duy Tan Plastics, the largest manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging products in Vietnam, bringing its number of packaging companies in the country to eight.

    The group started investing in Vietnam in 1992. It has over 20 subsidiaries in Vietnam in the cement and building materials, chemicals and packaging industries. It has been investing in the packaging industry for over a decade.

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  • What’s Happening With Japan’s Casinos and When Will They Open?

    What’s Happening With Japan’s Casinos and When Will They Open?

    The idea of Japan opening casinos is an exciting prospect for many companies and patrons around the world. It’s a plan that has been in the works for a long time, with the first plans being mooted as early as 2000. Two decades ago, the Governor of Tokyo proposed the construction of a casino off the coast of the capital on an artificial island. However, it didn’t get much traction.

    He didn’t give up though, suggesting floating casinos that would be housed on boats near the coast of the city. But these also didn’t get very far in the face of a lot of opposition from other politicians and some members of the public.

    Currently, betting is allowed in a small number of circumstances, namely racing sports, bingo, lotteries, and pachinko (a sort of pinball-style game).

    It is a far cry from countries like the UK and much of the rest of Europe where licensed businesses are permitted to operate both physical and online casinos. This has led to a lot of competition among online casinos in the region, with leading companies offering unique versions of classic games like roulette, such as live games and Multi-Player options. The situation is similar in the US, where online wagering has been legalized in around a dozen states.

    This is set to change in the near future though as Japan’s lawmakers passed legislation in July 2018 that will permit several casinos to open in the Land of the Rising Sun.

    Nearly three years on, what’s changed, and when are we likely to see a Japanese casino open?

    The Rationale for Japanese Casinos

    Japan’s casinos are going to follow a similar model to those found in Singapore. Although locals will be permitted to frequent them, they’ll mostly cater to overseas guests. It is hoped that the casinos will provide a new reason for tourists to visit the country, in addition to its already diverse offering of unique foods, cutting-edge technology, and fascinating traditions.

    The original plan was that they would be ready to open after the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, but both the games and the casinos have been delayed and it’s going to be a few years before the latter opens.

    “The Holy Grail”

    The late Sheldon Adelson, who was the long-time boss of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, described the prospect of opening a casino in Tokyo as “the holy grail”. Until last year, he had spent decades on a charm offensive in the country, trying to convince Japanese politicians that casinos would be beneficial to the island nation. He believed that the capital city would be a great location for a casino because it already had the necessary infrastructure (including transport, hotels, and other nightlife) to make it a success.

    However, in 2020 Adelson’s company pulled out of the bidding process, citing “technicalities” around the rules that would prevent the Sands Corporation from achieving its goals for the country. Some reports suggest that he had turned his attention to Brazil instead.

    In addition to that, historically, Japan has been known for its caution when it comes to defining the rules for gaming. Ancient Japanese rulers established a peculiar exemption to the prohibition of amusement when the regulations were very harsh. Since then casinos have experienced many changes. Nowadays a Japanese online casino provides gamblers with an opportunity to play a variety of games, including the old traditional ones that are nowadays modernized and accessible for all the people who have internet access.

    What is Happening With the Bidding Process

    In December, policies relating to the next stage of the bidding process were agreed, setting standards that say casinos must include convention space, entertainment, shopping, and hotel rooms.

    This will mean venues in Japan will be “integrated resorts”, following the model used in Las Vegas, Macau, and other major gaming cities.

    With the rules set, cities that want to have a casino opened within their borders must now bid for that right. It is believed that Osaka, Nagasaki, Wakayama, and Tokyo are all going to be submitting bids. Their proposals are likely to be supported by casino operators, with many consortiums of international brands linked to each city.

    What Happens Next?

    The bidding process officially begins on October 1st, and will run until the end of April 2022. Between now and October, localities looking to submit proposals will need to prepare the groundwork for their submission and select an operator to partner with.

    Once the process is concluded, three locations will be selected for the first wave of licenses. It will then take several years for architectural designs to be drawn up, approved, and for construction to begin. Therefore, we’re still unlikely to see casinos opening until the second half of the decade.

     

  • AirAsia Group airlines anticipate strong recovery in 2Q

    AirAsia Group airlines anticipate strong recovery in 2Q

    The AirAsia group is something of a bellwether for the Southeast Asian airline industry due to its footprint in a range of countries in the region. So the widely varying rates of recovery for the group’s members give important indicators of the outlook for both the AirAsia empire and the broader Southeast Asia region.

    The brutal period that AirAsia has endured during the COVID-19 pandemic is highlighted by the RM5.9 billion ($1.4 billion) annual loss it reported for 2020.

    But looking ahead, the airline believes there is reason for near term optimism, as demand is projected to improve in its most important domestic markets. Some are bouncing back strongly towards pre-COVID levels, while others are in weaker condition as they prepare to emerge from the latest lockdowns.

    But the general trend is upward in the second quarter. The group’s view is that there is even light at the end of the tunnel for its international operations, which have suffered most during the pandemic.

    Granted, it is in AirAsia’s interests to paint a positive picture as it seeks to reassure financial markets during what is still a pivotal period for the airline. Nevertheless, it certainly has grounds to predict general improvement as it moves towards midyear and beyond.

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