Dozens of Bali flights cancelled after Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts

Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia's tourist hotspot of Bali have been cancelled or delayed, after a nearby volcanic eruption. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, erupted yesterday, spewing ash several kilometres high. Last November, the volcano erupted multiple times, leaving nine people dead and forcing thousands more to evacuate. Chandni Vatvani reports.

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Independent Singapore

19 hours ago

• Independent Singapore

Hospitality and tourism job interest in Singapore jumps 130% as industry rebounds after pandemic: Indeed

Photo: Depositphotos/ (for illustration purposes only) SINGAPORE: Jobseeker interest in Singapore's hospitality and tourism sector has more than doubled in four years amid the sector's recovery, according to new data from global hiring and matching platform Indeed. The number of clicks on hospitality and tourism job ads per million users rose by 130.3% from 2021 to 2025. Indeed said the increased interest could be linked to better perception of the sector's job security, pay, and working conditions. Skilled talent, including those returning to the workforce, and new graduates are also likely contributing to this demand. Job opportunities in the sector also increased by 48.7% from 2021 to 2025. From April 2024 to April 2025 alone, job postings grew 14.6%, likely driven by higher travel demand, major concerts and sporting events in Singapore, and new investments in building the local tourism workforce. In April, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said that the city-state welcomed 1.4 million tourists , up 4.5% from the same period last year. Indeed 's spokesperson Shannon Peter Pang said the strong interest from jobseekers is a good sign of the sector's recovery, but employers must ensure these workers are placed in roles that match their skills and support the industry's long-term growth. 'Employers are encouraged to invest in upskilling programmes to build a sustainable workforce pipeline to meet evolving service expectations and demands. Better employee retention strategies, such as competitive benefits and clear career development pathways, could help keep talent motivated and committed to building the industry,' he said. 'Singapore's smooth recovery as a premier travel destination in the Asia Pacific spells an exciting time for the country. As demand surges, the sector's businesses must ensure they're not just filling roles, but building meaningful career pathways,' he added. /TISG Read also: Singapore's tourism spending to hit record high in 2024, with more growth in 2025 Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

Straits Times

a day ago

• Straits Times

Tourists urged to be vigilant against illegal tour guides in Penang

Penang Tourist Guides Association warned that unlicensed tour operators are continuing to operate under the radar and evading enforcement. ST FILE PHOTO Tourists urged to be vigilant against illegal tour guides in Penang Tourists must play their part in curbing illegal tourism activities, said Penang Tourist Guides Association chairman Clement Liang. He warned that unlicensed guides and tour operators are continuing to operate under the radar, often finding ways to evade enforcement. With these illegal players still active in Penang, tourists hold the power to help weed them out, said Mr Liang. 'A collective effort from tourists can go a long way in improving the quality of the tourism experience. 'They should conduct background checks on tour guides, operators and packages, before making any bookings, including reviewing credentials and reading online reviews,' he said on June 19. He was responding to a statement by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry on June 1 6, which revealed that a Penang-based company had been convicted of operating as an unlicensed tour operator. The Sessions Court fined Renewage Group RM30,000 (S$9,080) after it pleaded guilty under the Tourism Industry Act 1992. In default, the company faces a 12-month jail term. The ministry has pledged to step up enforcement to ensure only licensed operators are allowed to run tourism businesses. Mr Liang cautioned against falling for suspiciously cheap or overly ambitious tour packages, noting that such deals often come with hidden risks. 'Cheap or over-committed tour packages don't always bring good memories. Don't fall into the trap or compromise safety just to save money,' he said. He also encouraged tourists to use online tools to verify whether a tour guide or company is properly licensed and to share their experiences after the trip. 'Honest reviews, public feedback and even warnings can help future travellers make better choices. 'This kind of community vigilance has proven effective in raising the industry's standards,' he said. All licensed tourist guides in Malaysia must be registered under a recognised association, which allows for greater accountability, Mr Liang added. 'If we receive complaints about a guide, we will investigate and take the necessary action. 'We work closely with tourism authorities to uphold high ethical and professional standards,' he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

CNA

a day ago

• CNA

Deep Dive Podcast: Jetstar Asia closure - Are the days of cheap fares over?

Jetstar Asia will cease operations on Jul 31, a move unsurprising to experts because the low-cost carrier was struggling to turn a profit in a tough aviation market. Otelli Edwards speaks to Shukor Yusof from aviation consultancy Endau Analytics and Dr Nitin Pangarkar from NUS Business School to find out what the future holds. Here is an excerpt from the conversation: Otelli Edwards, host: I believe Changi Airport is aiming to expand its network to over 200 cities by the mid-2030s. But airlines will need to pay about 40 per cent more to land and park at Changi over time. To some extent, that's going to affect Changi's competitiveness as an aviation hub, don't you think? Dr Nitin Pangarkar, NUS Business School: It will, but it's a question of who they are competing against, right? They cannot compete on cost versus, say, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Probably, they are targeting the Dohas and the Dubais and so on. Basically, their basis of comparison is that. When I arrived in Singapore 30 years ago, I must say that based on my impressions as a traveller, Changi seemed a lot more functional than luxurious. Otelli: Without the waterfalls and all the wonderful features. Dr Nitin: Yeah, without the waterfalls, without Jewel. There were only Terminals 1 and 2. (Terminal 2) was the new terminal at that time. I think Changi has taken a bit of a shift towards luxury. And when you do that, your costs go up. Singapore has also become more affluent. So everything is more expensive. Singapore is going to be a high-cost place compared to say, KL or Bangkok or some similar regional hub. Otelli: It's a bit worrisome for a large group of people who are used to S$100 and under sort of flight tickets, right? I guess to a certain extent, that is not practical, because then how does Jetstar for instance, make money? Does that also mean those days are over, that we shouldn't be expecting to pay such low prices? Shukor Yusof, Endau Analytics: They are over, a long time ago, post-COVID. I can confirm it's over. It's only low cost in name, but in reality, it's pretty much high fares. You have ancillary fees, you have a lot of other payments that you are going to be making. Otelli: So you think it has narrowed the gap (between) what you're paying for these so called low-cost carriers versus the legacy airlines? Shukor: Very much. So what we're seeing now is the legacy airlines, the flag carriers, are in fact becoming low-cost or budget airlines, if you look at Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, or Philippine Airlines. So those days when you could fly for a plate of chicken rice for example. For S$10 at the hawker centre, you could fly to Bangkok, you could fly to Jakarta. I've done that before ... at the forefront of when all these budget airlines were coming into the business. But now it's very different. It's more competitive. Previously, AirAsia had the first-mover advantage. They were the only ones running around and then subsequently, all the neighbours next to Singapore got very excited and they came up with their own low-cost carriers.