INDONESIA - Vice-President's Call for Ambitious Foreign Tourist Targets in 2007

Balidiscovery.com, (2/3/2007)

As reported on balidiscovery.com [Bali and Indonesia Targets Growth in 2007 Arrivals] Indonesia has set a bold target of 7 million foreign visitors in 2007, something on the order of 45% growth from totals achieved in 2006.Despite the ambitious target, many of Indonesia's tourism leaders polled by the Indonesian language Bisnis Indonesia remain bullish that the 7 million target can be realized, providing the Government stays strongly committed to working closely with the private sector.

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AVIATION - Air Paradise Offers Majority Stake to Bali Government

Balidiscovery.com, (2/3/2007)

The Indonesian language BisnisBali reports that Air Paradise (API) has offered 51% of its shares to the Government of Bali in an effort to secure the estimated Rp. 250 billion (approximately US$27.5 million) needed to restart the airline grounded by financial woes since December 2005.Convinced that a majority share-holding by the Bali Government would bolster the Airline's battered image, API's Chairman. I Made Wiranatha has presented detailed investment proposal to the Bali Government including projections of profitability within two years. Bali's leaders were offered a controlling 51% share in the airline for Rp. 150 billion (approximately US$16.5 million) with 33% remaining in the hands of Wiranatha and a 16% shareholding by Sri Lankan businessman Sudhahar Sunthaeampillai.

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TAIWAN - hopes to continue its tourism success story in 2007

eTN Asia, 31-1-2007

After witnessing reasonable hike in foreign tourists arrivals and foreign exchange earnings, the Tourism Bureau in Taiwan isn’t ruling out the possibility of a record number of tourists in 2007. And for that to happen, a lot would depend upon government lifting restrictions on visitors from China.
The Tourism Bureau said that its target for 2007 is 3.75 million tourists. But it also says that figure could be higher if more Chinese visitors are allowed.
Foreign tourists made more than 3.51 million visits to Taiwan last year, up 4.19 percent from the previous year. In December, the number of tourists was 320,000, setting a single month record. Officials estimate that the production value of tourism last year amounted to NT$372.5 billion (US$11.35 billion), up 4.6 percent from 2005.
A spokesperson from Tourism Bureau said, “This year if we can smoothly relax restrictions on visitors from China, we estimate we could get four million tourists. We had around 100,000 visitors from China last year. So this year if there is a quota for 1,000 Chinese tourists per day, we might well see a further 250,000.”

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SINGAPORE - Hotel Investment Market Sets New Record in 2006

Asiatraveltips.com, Friday, 26 January 2007

The Singapore hotel investment market set a new record in 2006 with seven hotel-related transactions in excess of Sin$1.5 billion. In addition, five sites, including the commercial/hotel Collyer Quay site, were sold for more than Sin$470 million under the Government Land Sales Program last year.
Mr. Scott Hetherington, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ Managing Director in Asia, commented, “Singapore is undoubtedly one of the ‘hottest’ hotel investment markets in Asia Pacific last year. The upturn in hotel trading performance has simultaneously attracted intense interest in Singapore hotel assets and enticed some hotel owners to capitalise on the aggressive investor market. 2006 has been an exceptional year for Singapore’s hotel investment market.”
Last year’s hotel transactions included the sale of Hotel Negara (now known as Negara on Claymore), Hotel Asia, Grand Plaza Parkroyal (now known as Grand Plaza Park Hotel City Hall), InterContinental Singapore, Swissotel the Stamford and Raffles the Plaza, Mandarin Orchard Hotel (now known as Meritus Mandarin Singapore Hotel) as well as one confidential sale. This compares to about Sin$330 million worth of hotel/land sales in 2005 (excluding Raffles Hotel as part of the Raffles Holdings global portfolio sale to Colony Capital).

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SABAH - Musa wants tourism players to invest in human capital

Daily express news, 26 January, 2007

Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the provision of high standard services by tourism players and its frontliners is a key element in the development of Sabah as a tourist destination.
In this respect, he said it is essential for the industry to invest in human capital by upgrading staff skills through training programmes.
"It is important to note that attractions, infrastructures and facilities are not enough to bring success," he said at the Asian Tourism Institute (ATI) 10th convocation held at Menara Tun Mustapha.
Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, Resource Development and Information Technology Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, ATI Chief Executive Officer Datuk Wong Khen Thau and chairman of ATI board of governors, Datuk Gabriel William.
Musa said the tourism industry must recognise that training is essential to the improvement the standards of services in order to achieve the state's objectives of further growth in the tourism industry.

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INDONESIA - may lose 2,000 islands due to climate change

eTN Asia, 5-2-2007

A study by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes has warned Indonesia may lose as many as 2,000 lower-lying islands by 2030 as a result of climate change.
Rising sea levels of between 8-30 centimeters (3-12 inches) by 2030 is having an impact to an extent it could be a “harbinger” for far more extreme things to come, said top UN climate official Yvo de Boer, secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
Floods in the Southeast Asian region, most notably in Indonesia and Malaysia, killed dozens of people.
Authorities in Malaysia had to evacuate up to about 100,000 people in the southern states when flood waters rose up to roof levels. Unofficial figures estimated economic losses at US$425 million.
The region is expected to experience and see higher rainfall in the coming wet seasons.
"Everybody in this world is experiencing directly the effects of climate change, whether it is floods, droughts. The phenomena is impending development, more so in developing countries which can least afford it," said Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar.

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SINGAPORE - Who is contributing maximum in tourism success story?

eTN Asia, 5-2-2007

There is no doubt over the fact that Singapore tourism industry is flourishing. The city-state surpassed the nine million-mark in foreign tourist arrivals last year.
So which country or region is contributing maximum to this growth?
According to Global Refund, a leader in travel financial services, ASEAN tourists alone have contributed close to 50 percent of total tourist spending in Singapore over the last three years.
“ASEAN as a whole has experienced escalating economic growth in recent years and as a group, experienced a high growth of 5.5 percent in 2005. This growth has in turn led to a higher rate of travel from ASEAN tourists due to increased affluence amongst its people,” said Rodney Teo, managing director, Global Refund Singapore.
He added: “Coupled with the advent of regional low cost carriers, this has led to an increase in visitors from neighboring states into Singapore as she presents a nearby option to experience shopping and leisure in an East-meets-West dynamic city. As shopping is always an integral part of tourists’ itineraries when in Singapore, we have also witnessed an overall increase in ASEAN tourists’ expenditure.”

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NEPAL - should opt for 'environment for development' approach, say experts

Nepalnews.com, Jan 25, 2007

Rather than engaging in the environment versus development approach, Nepal needs to adopt environment for development approach in order to strike a balance between economic growth and environment, say experts.
"Nepal is endowed with rich natural resources, which must be used judiciously, giving much attention towards environment," said Surendra Shrestha, senior official of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Asia Pacific regional office.
"The needs of environment should be enshrined in the new constitution as the current moment provides Nepal with unique opportunity," Shrestha said, addressing a press conference organized by ICIMOD in the capital on Thursday.
The ICIMOD also launched a book called Kathmandu Valley Environmental Outlook. The book, which is a product of research of environmental situation, has concluded that Kathmandu's growth could be severely compromised unless effective measures are taken to stem the tide of environmental degradation resulting from economic and human pressures.

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DEVELOPMENTS - Asean eager to lure cruise liners

Singapore (dpa), 29 January, 2007

Southeast Asian tourism ministers are focusing this week on a joint strategy to woo more cruise liners by promoting the region as the next Caribbean, participants said Monday.Stepped up efforts to attract more youth travellers are also on the agenda of the Asean Tourism Forum, being held through Saturday in Singapore.The Association of Southeast Asian Nations needs a "concerted effort" to become a compelling cruise destination, Singapore's Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran told The Straits Times.With only a handful of attractive cruise ports, Asia has yet to catch up with such popular cruise hubs as the Caribbean and Mediterranean, he said.Air links are also being discussed. Iswaran noted how an "open aviation regime will pave the way for more flights and competitive airfares." This, in turn, will give Asean member states the extra boost to emerge into booming tourism markets.ASEAN is also bringing forward a plan to permit unlimited flights between the capital cities of member countries by next year.

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FIJI - Tourism industry fights back

Fiji times online, January 29, 2007


The tourism industry in Fiji is slowly fighting back
SINCE the December 5 ousting of Fijis government by its military and the introduction of an Australian government travel advisory, tourism in Fiji has, not surprisingly, been in decline.
The upheaval has come at an inopportune time for the island nations tourism industry.
Fiji is in the midst of a five-star accommodation boom and two international chains, Sofitel and Hilton, have opened at Denarau Island, near Nadi, in the past year. Likuliku Lagoon Resort, in the Mamanuca group of islands near Nadi, is a luxury couples-only getaway with Fijis first overwater bungalows the style of dreamy tropical accommodation that is the prime drawcard for resorts in Tahiti and the Maldives and is due to open on March 15. General manager Steve Anstey is emphatic the 46-bure island resort will launch on time.

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DEVELOPMENTS - Southern Mindanao, Indonesia strengthen trade ...

PNA, January 29 2007

The Southern Mindanao's Jose Abad Santos-Glan-Saranggani-Cooperation Triangle (JAGS-CT) third trade mission group is in Sangihe, Indonesia on Monday positioning itself as the forerunner of dynamic local government involvement in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philipines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).The four-day third trade mission is a follow-up undertaking to further strengthen the substantial trade and tourism links have been forged last year when JAGS-CT sent two trade missions to Indonesia.This year's trade mission, which started today until February 1, is headed by Glan Municipality Mayor Enrique Yap, Jr., and Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez with the participation of 60 private and public stakeholders of JAGS-CT.The Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) said this trade mission goes in line with the directive of the State Heads in the 3rd BIMP-EAGA Summit that was held during the ASEAN FORUM in Cebu City early this month, for local governments to work closely with the private sector in formulating and adopting a common strategic action that will accelerate and deepen economic cooperation in the region.The local governments of JAGS-CT, a mini-growth area composed of three strategically located municipalities in Southeastern Mindanao of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Regency of Sangihe, Province of North Sulawesi, Republic of Indonesia, have already gone ahead of their counterparts in the EAGA, in establishing direct cross-border socio-economic relations.

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SINGAPORE - Value-added investments expected to come in at S$11b in 2007

Channel NewsAsia, 29 January 2007

Investments in Singapore are expected to come in at between S$11 and S$11.5 billion this year in value-added terms, creating up to 26,800 new jobs. The upbeat forecast from the Economic Development Board (EDB) follows a glowing report for last year, when investments hit a record value-added of S$13.4 billion and 26,000 new jobs were created. The figure of S$13.4 billion refers to the total contribution of the projects to the economy when completed. With 450 investment projects committed last year, job creation was at its highest since 2001. The EDB expects some 26,800 new jobs to be created over the next few years, when the projects are fully implemented. Some 60 percent of the new jobs will be in manufacturing and 40 percent will be in services. The lion's share of factory investments last year came from the electronics sector at S$4.3 billion, followed by the chemicals industry at S$2.6 billion. A number of projects secured last year were worth over S$1 billion in fixed asset investment. Some of these include the multi-billion dollar Shell Eastern Petroleum Cracker and MEG plant, and the S$4.7 billion Intel and Micron flash memory wafer fab.

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