AirAsia Seeks Government Loan to Ride Out Coronavirus Storm

Reuters  / Lim Huey Teng

AirAsia Airbus A320-200 planes are seen on the tarmac of Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) in Sepang, Malaysia, February 4, 2020. Reuters / Lim Huey Teng

Skift Take: There’s no end to troubles for AirAsia Group. With Tony Fernandes finally back in the CEO saddle after being cleared of bribery charges, the airline now has to fight a much tougher pandemic battle.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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Virtual Reality Gives Training Boost to Asia’s Displaced Hotel Workers During Crisis Downtime

Passport to Success Myanmar

A capture of the 360-degree virtual reality visuals that hospitality staff see during their training. Pictured is the lobby of The Strand Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar. Passport to Success Myanmar

Skift Take: With borders shut and hotels closed during the coronavirus pandemic, this could be the moment for remote training — and virtual reality’s role — in hospitality to shine and take off.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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What’s Next for Trip.com Group as Coronavirus Crisis Subsides in China?

Trip.com

Trip.com CEO Jane Sun is seeing signs of recovery in China’s domestic travel market as the coronavirus crisis subsides in the country. Trip.com

Skift Take: For Trip.com Group’s top leader, the message is clear. Countries around the world should not squander any chances to control the virus, and neither should the travel industry let a serious crisis go to waste by not seeking out new opportunities.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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Virus Fear Empties Overcrowded Venice of Tourists

Francisco Seco  / Associated Press

Venice’s usually overcrowded streets are now void of tourists as the coronavirus spreads to Europe, with Italy being one of the worst-hit countries. Francisco Seco / Associated Press

Skift Take: While the virus threat will eventually subside and tourists will throng its streets again, Venice still has to grapple with a long-term, existential challenge that is climate change.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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Battered Asia Travel Sector Exits High Season to Regroup for Eventual Recovery

Sasha Popovic  / Flickr

Asia tourism is bracing for more challenging times ahead as the virus spreads outside of Asia. Meanwhile, operators in countries like Laos have been less affected, in part due to scant media coverage of the country. Sasha Popovic / Flickr

Skift Take: It’s likely to get worse before it gets better for the Asian tourism industry. But forward-thinking players will know to take advantage of the current downtime to meet the pent-up demand for travel once recovery comes — which may not be far off.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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