Shanghai Express layover. Taiwanese DMC gets digitial. AI powers language app.

Your Shanghai layover is here

Shanghai Express is a free layover city tour launched by Trip.com Group to show travellers the highlights of Shanghai before their next flight.

International travellers transiting the Shanghai Pudong International Airport for more than eight hours are eligible for layover city tours.

Tours include airport pick-up and send-off, attraction tickets, e-sim cards and more.

The tours are available to international travellers who are eligible for China’s 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy, as well as those holding a 24-hour temporary entry permit issued by the airport border inspection.

After passing Customs following arrival at the Shanghai Pudong International, travellers will need to head to the Trip.com Group currency exchange counter on Island A in the Departure Hall of Terminal 2 for in-person registration.

A professional guide will be available at the counter one hour before the start of each tour to assist with the registration process. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each free tour accommodates a maximum of 10 travellers and lasts five to six hours, including transportation from and back to the airport.

Current itineraries include the Huangpu River Cruise Sightseeing Night Tour offering a night view of the Bund aboard the Huangpu River Cruise and a visit to Yu Garden at night.

Currently, nationals from 54 countries are eligible for the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policies in 23 cities across mainland China. If they hold valid international travel documents and interline tickets to countries or regions with confirmed dates and seats, they can apply for visa-free transit at border inspection in designated city ports.

Additionally, foreign nationals with international connecting flights within 24 hours can transit through nine designated airports in mainland China without immigration procedures.

A 24-hour temporary entry permit is available for travellers presenting their passports, connecting ticket flights and completed Temporary Entry Card.

Trip.com Group has seen  a triple-digit year-on-year rise in international travel bookings to China in the first two months of 2024.

Two to tango in Taiwan

Taiwanese DMC and tour operator Edison Travel Services (ETS) has partnered with Trip Affiliates Network to further immerse tour and activities operators in the digital landscape.

ETS will collaborate with TA Network’s ecosystem partners on selected destinations, enhancing the travel buying experience for customers and driving conversions by automating business processes with TA Network’s in-house solutions.

TA Network operates as an open ecosystem catering to traditional offline B2B channels such as travel agencies, wholesalers, and corporate intermediaries.

Dennis Kuo, general manager of Edison Tours, said the user-friendly interface and enterprise-level suite of software provided by TA Network. will significantly boost conversions and elevate ETS business in the Asian market and beyond.

Say selamat siang to Memrise

Memrise, the AI-powered language-learning app with more than 70 million users worldwide, had added two new languages, Greek and Indonesian, to its portfolio of 23 languages.

To cater to potential travellers, the new courses will include dozens of hyper-specific, scenario-based lessons to help users feel more confident in real-world situations – like ordering in a Greek taverna or shopping for clothes at an Indonesian market.  Available on iOS, Android, and web platforms, the Memrise app combines a chat GPT-powered “MemBot” chat tool and an extensive library of more than 48,000 scenario-based lessons, including videos featuring real native speakers.