Last year's winners in Langkawi.
The Routes Asia 2025 Awards recognize excellence in airport and destination marketing, with 15 airports, five destinations and five airlines named as finalists this year.
The awards span six categories, including the Destination Award, which honors destinations for their support of airline partners, and the Airline Award, which highlights collaboration in developing successful and profitable routes.
Three awards are dedicated to airports, categorized by passenger volume—Under 5 Million, 5-20 Million and Over 20 Million. An Overall Winner will also be selected from the category winners.
Finalists in the Airport and Destination categories have been evaluated by a panel of airline judges, while the Airline category has been assessed by an editorial panel. Winners will be announced on March 26 at Routes Asia 2025 in Perth, Australia.
More News And Analysis From Routes Asia 2025
DESTINATION
Philippine Department of Tourism, Philippines
The Philippine Department of Tourism has played a key role in expanding the country’s air connectivity, supporting airlines through strategic marketing campaigns, industry partnerships and sustainable tourism initiatives. The ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign, launched in 2023, has driven demand for travel by highlighting the country's biodiversity, cultural heritage and emerging destinations. This initiative has spurred new route development, with airlines launching new flights to Cebu, Clark and Davao. Other route successes include Air France’s Manila-Paris service and Vietnam Airlines’ Hanoi-Manila flights.
Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam
The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) is leading efforts to revitalize the island’s tourism industry following the challenges of prolonged pandemic closures, Typhoon Mawar and increasing regional competition. A key priority is air service recovery, with incentives to restore routes and expand connectivity to Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. In 2024, an Airline Incentive Program was announced, providing financial support to airlines for new and expanded services, with a focus on restoring pre-pandemic seat capacity. GVB’s marketing strategy includes the ‘Premium Guam’ campaign, positioning the island as a high-value destination.
Japan National Tourism Organization, Japan
Japan National Tourism Organization’s (JNTO) market development strategy encompasses initiatives to promote visitors to regional areas. Collaborating with airlines and travel agencies, including online platforms, it runs campaigns with a focus on key targets like Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Creative incentive schemes at Japanese airports further attract airlines. Singapore was a strong inbound market in 2024, with a record 691,100 Singaporean nationals arriving in the country. Campaigns include the ‘Fly & Explore’ initiative, designed to promote domestic destinations in Japan.
South Australian Tourism Commission, Australia
The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) plays a key role in aviation development, working closely with airlines to expand connectivity and drive tourism growth. Through its Team Adelaide collaboration, which includes government and industry partners, SATC has secured new routes and increased capacity from airlines such as China Southern, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways. Since the pandemic, Adelaide’s international capacity has recovered to 118% of 2019 levels, with new services from Jetstar, Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways. The SATC has a visitor expenditure goal of A$12.8 billion ($8.1 billion) by 2030.
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand
Thailand welcomed more than 35 million international visitors in 2024, generating more than 1.8 trillion baht ($53 billion) in tourism revenue. This growth was driven by expanded air connectivity, visa policy enhancements and high-profile tourism campaigns. The removal of certain immigration forms at key border crossings and expanded visa exemptions for travelers from 93 countries streamlined entry processes, making Thailand more accessible. International airline capacity into Thailand increased 26% year-on-year, with the likes of British Airways, Hainan Airlines and AirAsia among the carriers expanding routes.
AIRLINE
Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific has successfully restored its global network, reaching 100% of pre-pandemic flight frequencies as of January 2025. In collaboration with airport partners, the airline announced 11 new routes in 2024, including Dallas-Fort Worth and Munich, marking its first-ever passenger services to these cities. Looking ahead, Cathay is investing HK$100 billion ($12.9 billion) in fleet expansion, digital transformation and sustainability initiatives. Further strengthening its connectivity, Cathay has expanded its Greater Bay Area intermodal network, offering seamless ferry and bus transfer options to passengers from Macau, Zhuhai and Shenzhen.
Cebu Pacific, Philippines
Cebu Pacific has continued its rapid expansion and network recovery, introducing 31 new routes during 2024, comprising 19 domestic and 12 international services. The airline resumed hub operations in Davao and Iloilo, increasing its total hubs to five alongside Manila, Cebu and Clark. New destinations include Kaohsiung, Chiang Mai and Sapporo. To support long-term growth, the LCC has placed the largest aircraft order in Philippine aviation history, committing to 152 Airbus jets in a $24 billion deal. Campaigns such as ‘Fly to Happy, Fly to the Philippines!’ have further strengthened global visibility of the airline.
Singapore Airlines, Singapore
Singapore Airlines (SIA) operates flights to 80 international destinations across 34 countries. Recent network developments include the launch of daily flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport and frequency increases to popular destinations such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Perth, Phuket, Seoul Incheon, Sydney and Tokyo Narita. Additionally, the Star Alliance member plans to increase service to London Gatwick Airport in summer 2025 to daily, up from five times per week. SIA has also continued to grow its network through partnerships, including a recent expanded codeshare agreement with Air India.
VietJet Air, Vietnam
Vietjet continues to broaden its international network, with New Zealand set to become the latest addition. The LCC will launch nonstop flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Auckland in September 2025, marking its first-ever service to the country. The move aligns with Vietjet’s broader Asia-Pacific growth strategy, which has already seen a significant expansion into Australia. Further international expansion to points in Europe, India, China and Japan is expected over the course of the year. To support growth, Vietjet has strengthened partnerships with online travel agencies such as Traveloka, Expedia and Rakuten, driving inbound tourism to Vietnam.
Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam
Vietnam Airlines serves over 50 destinations with a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, continuing to expand its global network. In 2024, the carrier launched new routes to Munich and Manila from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, along with a Hanoi-Taiwan Taoyuan service. Further strengthening its European presence, Vietnam Airlines will introduce Hanoi-Milan flights in July 2025. The airline has also deepened its partnership strategy, signing memorandums of understanding with Emirates and Garuda Indonesia to enhance connectivity beyond its current network.
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