Alibaba appoints new president for Fliggy travel unit
>> ChinaTravelNews learned that Alibaba's travel brand Fliggy has undertaken a series of major restructuring in senior management, including the appoint of Fliggy's new president. Mr. Zhuoran Zhuang, vice president of Alibaba Group, is adding the responsibility as the new president of Fliggy, while Ms. Angel Zhao is no longer acting as president of Fliggy, but she will still serve as president of Alibaba Global Business Group and senior vice president of Alibaba Group. The Fliggy brand has had three presidents in the past four years.
Taiwan announces shortened quarantine rules for business travelers
>> Starting on June 22, eligible business travelers to Taiwan can be exempted from the compulsory 14-day quarantine currently in place. Business travelers from the following places, deemed low- and medium-risk are eligible for shortened quarantine: New Zealand, Australia, Macau, Palau, Fiji, Brunei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Mongolia, Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan.
Hundreds of Beijing flights canceled after virus flare-up
>> More than 1,200 flights in and out of Beijing were canceled Wednesday as the Chinese capital wrestles with a fresh coronavirus outbreak that’s infected at least 130 people. Beijing Capital International Airport’s flight departure page alone showed more than 80 cancellations for Wednesday morning, and about 50 inbound flights were canceled. The website of nine-month-old Daxing International Airport in the south of the city showed similar cuts.
Hotel giant Huazhu mulls second listing in Hong Kong
>> Following the recent listings of Netease and JD.com in Hong Kong, Chinese hotel chain Huazhu is also seeking a second listing on the city's stock exchange, according to local news reports. The company may be aiming to raise USD 500-1,000 million. In a response to these reports, Huazhu said the company currently does not have relevant plans to announce.
MGM China plans to unveil its Fliggy flagship store via live stream
>> MGM China intends to unveil its Fliggy flagship store via live stream on June 18. The live stream coincides with the finale of the 618 (June 18) Shopping Festival spearheaded by major retail platforms such as Taobao and JD.com.
DerbySoft expands metasearch coverage for hotel worldwide
>> DerbySoft, a digital marketing and distribution service for the hotel industry, announced the launch of DSCP, a new solution for hotels and agencies to reach missing or lost metasearch opportunities in regional markets. As a part of this new program, DerbySoft has already established partnerships with a number of regional metasearch channels including Wego, Hotelscan, StayMogul, Hotelvoy and Idealo with more partnerships coming on board weekly.
China to launch e-tickets for normal-speed trains
>> China's railway operator said passengers traveling on normal-speed trains will be able to purchase e-tickets for their journeys starting from Saturday, with over 1,300 railway stations included in the new arrangement. Normally limited to high-speed, inter-city trains, e-tickets are now being made available for travel on normal-speed trains, bringing the total number of railway stations using e-tickets to more than 2,400. More than 95% of railway passengers across the country will benefit from the move.
Hong Kong Airlines calls for government support in survival fight
>> Hong Kong Airlines is asking the local government to consider helping out other carriers after agreeing to a bailout plan for the city's biggest Cathay Pacific. The city’s third-largest carrier said it has been contributing to the passenger and cargo throughput at Hong Kong International Airport since 2006, before the coronavirus pandemic crippled the industry and left most of its aircraft out of service.
