Latest news with #TravelWithAsia
Skift
2 days ago
- Skift
Los Angeles Immigration Protests Spur Some Travelers to Change Plans
International tourists viewing the headlines from Los Angeles and other big U.S. cities may decide to skip the hassle and vacation elsewhere. The U.S. keeps giving tourists reasons to not visit. Most of Los Angeles feels normal, but after days of protests over an ICE crackdown — and with curfews, arrests, and military deployments downtown — some tourists are starting to rethink their plans. "Clients are concerned with flying and driving to the cruise ports in the L.A. area and have changed plans for cruising for the summer," said travel agent Debbie Allen at "Many have altered their plans to travel to Alaska (Seattle) and East Coast ports rather than L.A." Asia Lantz, a travel advisor based in Phoenix at said a lot of his international clients typically fly out of LAX, but they are opting for Phoenix instead. "It's not full-on panic, but there's definitely more concern about the overall vibe in bigger cities right now," Lantz said. "People are asking more questions than usual about airport logistics, layovers and whether it's even worth routing through certain places." In addition to Los Angeles, protests against the Trump administration's mass deportation policy have broken out in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Ana, California; Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston, Texas; New York; Boston; Chicago; Atlanta; Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. As of Wednesday, 700 U.S. Marines were undergoing training in the area, according to CNN. "I've had clients reconsider layovers or shift plans to alternative destinations not because they're afraid of protests, but because they don't want their vacation to be overshadowed by unpredictability or tension," Lantz said. "That said, most of my travelers trust that I'll flag any real risks and help them make informed decisions." Five other travel advisors said Los Angeles tourism was unaffected by the protests, which are centered in the downtown area and away from most — but not all — of the city's tourism sights. "There's no softening to speak of," said Eric Marino, president of All-Travel and vice chairman of the American Society of Travel Advisors National Board of Directors. "It's a non-issue and I would say a non-story." Waymo Paused LA Operations In other developments, Waymo halted the operations of its self-driving cars in parts of LA after protesters set several on fire, the Washington Post reported. And the Mexico national soccer team, slated to play a match in the city on Saturday against the Dominican Republic, canceled its plans to stay in a hotel in downtown LA, and decided on another hotel instead, according to the Associated Press. Mayor Karen Bass instituted an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew downtown in a one-square-mile area. Airbnb decline to comment on the impact to its business of the Los Angeles or wider protests, and Expedia and Priceline didn't immediately comment. Visit California referred us to the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, which didn't reply to a request for comment. One travel industry source said Wednesday he just visited LA with his family on vacation, spent a day in downtown LA, and didn't learn about the protests until they returned to the hotel. "We did a walking food tour, in the afternoon, and then a concert at the Hollywood Bowl at night with zero issues and then went back to the hotel to learn 'mobs have set the city on fire.''
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Visa unveils #TravelWithVisa initiative to boost cross-border travel in Asia Pacific through strategic collaborations
Launching in Hong Kong, one of Asia's busiest transit hubs, the ongoing multi-phased #TravelWithAsia initiative aims to enhance travel experiences and tourism economy in the region, which saw a remarkable 26% increase in cross-border trips in 2024.[1] Through strategic collaborations with leading airlines, banks, public transit operators, and key merchants, the initiative will curate unique and seamless door-to-door experiences for travellers across major tourist destinations in the region. HONG KONG, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa, a global leader in digital payments, announced the launch of #TravelWithVisa in Hong Kong, an ongoing regional initiative designed to connect travellers with major destinations in Asia Pacific. With a multi-phased approach, the initiative aims to enrich travel experiences, boost travel spending, and contribute to the Asia Pacific's tourism economy, which saw a remarkable 26% increase in cross-border trips originating within the region in 2024, outpacing the global growth rate of 12%.[2] Strategic collaborations shaping travel experiences in Asia Pacific The Asia Pacific region is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of tourism. In 2024, seven out of the top ten fastest-growing travel destinations globally, in terms of arrivals, are from the Asia Pacific region, including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.[3] Leveraging this momentum and as the first phase of the #TravelWithVisa initiative, Visa is announcing partnerships with five renowned international airlines—Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Ethiopian Airlines, EVA AIR, and Singapore Airlines, to offer Hong Kong and Macau outbound travellers rewarding flight experiences with premium benefits. By collaborating with major banks, the initiative will also introduce new offerings and features through Visa travel card programmes to further enrich every traveller's journey. In the next phase, #TravelWithVisa will showcase Visa's intercity smart mobility solutions that will enable a more efficient door-to-door travel journey, along with merchant offers that will curate new travel experiences and exclusive access to mega events across Asia Pacific for Visa cardholders. #TravelwithVisa is set to facilitate seamless, safe and enjoyable payment experiences while transforming the way people travel and explore the world. Stephen Karpin, Regional President, Asia Pacific, Visa, said, "Travel is a powerful catalyst for fostering global connections, bridging cultures, and driving economic prosperity. This is at the heart of our #TravelWithVisa initiative, which is designed to unlock transformative growth opportunities across Asia Pacific. By collaborating with a network of partners and leveraging our robust payment solutions, we are delivering exceptional value and seamless travel experiences to consumers. We also want to express our appreciation to the tourism offices for their support of our vision. Together, we are contributing to the tourism ecosystem and the economic development of the region." Shirley Yu, Group General Manager, Greater China, Visa, said, "As one of Asia Pacific's busiest aviation hubs, Hong Kong serves an important travel gateway connecting Greater China region and other parts of the world. Its accessibility, vitality and popularity as a destination have made it constant focal point for travellers from around the world; hence, making it an ideal launchpad for the #TravelWithVisa initiative. Through Visa's extensive network, strategic partnerships and payment innovation, we will continue to unlock new opportunities for businesses of all types and sizes, not just in Hong Kong but across the region." A sustained mission to advance the travel and tourism sector Visa is committed to elevating the travel experiences across Asia Pacific and the world through a series of major initiatives. Recent highlights include Visa's sponsorships of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA Awards), the Red Bull F1 teams and The FIFA World Cup™, bringing exciting and unique entertainment to travellers. To facilitate efficient and convenient journeys for urban commuters, Visa has launched its contactless payment solution, Tap to Ride, for transit operators in key cities across Asia, including China Mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, the Maldives, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Beyond these collaborations, Visa continues to share insights on regional travel trends, reinforcing its role in shaping a more connected and dynamic tourism economy. Click here to learn more about the travel privileges. At the launch event for the #TravelWithVisa initiative, Stephen Karpin, Regional President for Asia Pacific at Visa, welcomed the attending guests, industry partners and representatives of tourism offices, with an opening remark on Visa's commitment to contributing the tourism ecosystem and economic development of the Asia Pacific region. Visa announced its strategic collaborations with five international airlines — Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Ethiopian Airlines, EVA AIR, and Singapore Airlines — offering rewarding flight experiences with premium benefits. These efforts are further supported by tourism offices across Asia Pacific, including the Japan National Tourism Organization, Macao Government Tourism Office, Singapore Tourism Board, Taiwan Visitors Association Hong Kong Office, all contributing to the #TravelWithVisa vision. Back row: [Left 5] Lutricia Kwok, Head of Marketing, Hong Kong and Macau, Visa [Left 6] Shirley Yu, Group General Manager, Greater China, Visa [Left 7] Paulina Leong, General Manager, Hong Kong and Macau, Visa [Left 8] Ciyi Lim, Head of Cross Border Payments, Asia Pacific, Visa Front row (From left to right): Vivan Ying, Head of Products and Solutions, Hong Kong and Macau, Visa Robert Pei, Head of Products, Greater China, Visa Wilson Yong, General Manager of Hong Kong, Singapore Airlines Mesay Shiferaw, Area Manager, Ethiopian Airlines Chiemi Maruyama, Executive Director, Japan National Tourism Organization Hong Kong Office Sherry Yu, Assistant General Manager and Representative in Hong Kong, Macao Government Tourism Office Stephen Karpin, Regional President, Asia Pacific, Visa Brian Ng, Administrative Specialist, Taiwan Visitors Association Hong Kong Office Justina Wong, Hong Kong PR Representative, Singapore Tourism Board Kevin Cheng, General Manager of Hong Kong Branch, EVA AIR Hiroki Takano, General Manager of Hong Kong and Macau, All Nippon Airways (ANA) Yolanda Yu, Head of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, Air New Zealand Annie Cheng, Head of Corporate Communications, Greater China, Visa The #TravelWithVisa initiative was unveiled with a Visa-branded hot air balloon – a symbolic representation of exploration, travel and journey at K11 MUSEA against the iconic backdrop of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. About Visa Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at [1] According to Visa International Travel (VISIT) database. VISIT is a proprietary model which uses historic spending data on Visa cards combined with external sources to provide real-time predictions of current traveller movements, based on current spending patterns. [2] Same as above. [3] Same as above. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Visa Sign in to access your portfolio
