AVIATION - Indonesian carriers: Ticking time bombs?

eTN, 28-6-2007

The Indonesian government takes steps to improve its air safety record with the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Indonesia's Ministry of Transport has grounded nine out of the total 20 Indonesian airlines that currently have an operating license.The transport ministry unveiled its audit last Tuesday after promising to set-up new “roadmap” and warning airlines to comply with standards or face closure.The sweeping action came almost four months after authorities announced that none of the carriers surveyed were in the top safety category, while seven were in the bottom.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - UNESCO ponders if World Heritage Sites endangered by mass tourism

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) committee is to discuss this week whether its World Heritage Sites are now in danger from mass tourism..

While the committee meets in Christchurch, New Zealand, China publicly announced in Kuala Lumpur that it supports Malaysia's proposal for a separate chapter of the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage center.
In October 2006, Malaysia proposed the establishment of an Asian list, arguing it felt too much emphasis and recognition is placed on Europe and the US, and not enough heritage and historical sites in Asia are being recognized.
"Asia has its own distinct set of values and principles, and deserves its own criteria for what constitutes a World Heritage Site," added Sun.

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PHILIPPINES - Philippine Airlines eyes US$50 million Investment at Clark

ASIAtraveltips.com, 26 June 2007

Philippine Airlines is to invest between $30 and $50 million in putting up strategic facilities at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at Clark Field, Pampanga, in preparation for the extension of PAL’s Manila operations to Clark and the start of direct PAL service from Clark to foreign destinations.
“We are definitely operating at Clark. Our chairman – Dr. Lucio Tan – is excited at our plan to join the development of Clark. We are just trying to align our specific requirements with the master plan of Clark,” said PAL President Jaime J. Bautista.While the current airport handles approximately one million passengers a year, the Clark airport’s master plan envisions two terminals capable of handling 20 to 30 million passengers annually.

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VIETNAM -Hanoi is thirsty for high-grade hotels

VietNamNet Bridge,

A big wave of investment in five-star hotels is taking place in Vietnam’s capital, aiming to meet the accommodation requirements of visitors, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism.
Hanoi is one of the most attractive and lovely destinations in Vietnam, and is now the center for MICE tourism in the region.
Readers of the U.S. Travel and Leisure magazine voted Hanoi as the sixth most attractive city in Asia. MSN network readers have also chosen it as the third best culinary city in the world. In addition, De Loitte & Touche LLP rating company ranked Hanoi as having the third highest number of hotel rooms of any city in the world.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Asian giants team up to lure visitors

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN, 06/26/2007

Japan plans to join forces with the Chinese and South Korean governments to attract more tourists from the United States and Europe, sources said Monday.
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, minister of land, infrastructure and transport who is also in charge of promoting tourism, will meet his counterparts from Beijing and Seoul on Tuesday in Qingdao, China.
Under the expected agreement, the three governments will encourage Western travel agencies to organize tours to all three nations, taking advantage of international events, such as the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

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PHILIPPINES - Cagayan town seen as North Luzon's 'Boracay'

news.balita.ph, june 20, 2007

STA. ANA, Cagayan, June 20 - Investments have started pouring into this northernmost town of Luzon which the Arroyo administration is now marketing as the "Boracay of the North," transforming this once sleepy town into a world-class tourism site and North Luzon's center for economic growth.Now hosting several online gaming facilities and some hundred million-dollar hotel facilities, this town, where the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) has been established as an additional come-on to tourists, had just held its third Viray Festival which began with a grand fluvial parade showcasing the town's cultural origin and tourism potentials.

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NEW ZEALAND - Welcomes More Inbound Chinese Tourists

chinahospitalitynews.com, June 27, 2007

Following the success of its first China Summit in 2005, Tourism New Zealand has once again convened leaders of the tourism industry of New Zealand in Beijing.
Apart from the host Tourism New Zealand, 48 representatives from New Zealand Tourism Department, New Zealand Embassy in China, Immigration New Zealand, Air New Zealand, and travel agencies from both New Zealand and China attended the meeting and contributed their ideas to the future development of New Zealand tourism.

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MACAU - Plans Future Tourism Campaigns

chinahospitalitynews.com, June 26, 2007

Director of Macau Government Tourist Office João Manuel Costa Antunes has presented the tourism development of Macau and outlined future marketing strategies to guests and MGTO's representatives from 16 countries and regions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Macau Government Tourist Office Annual Marketing Meeting, Antunes pointed out that Macau's tourism industry has entered a new phase of growth and is moving towards diversification. During the first five months of this year, visitor arrivals exceeded 10 million, registering an increase of 21.45% compared with the same period of 2006. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan continue to be the three largest visitor generating markets, with growths of 19.44%, 23.21% and 1.93% respectively.

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THAILAND - Will Attract One Million Chinese Tourists

chinahospitalitynews.com, June 26, 2007

Nongnart Wattanachart, a director from the Thailand National Tourism Bureau, expressed during his recent visit to Shanghai that Thailand would attract one million Chinese tourists to visit Thailand this year and it would expect to receive three million Chinese tourists by 2010.
From June to September this year, the Thailand National Tourism Bureau will launch Green Travel packages targeting Chinese tourists, and it will specifically launch special trips for Chinese senior citizens. Bali Island and Phuket will also arrange various activities for family tourists from China.

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INDONESIA - hopes to attract Chinese visitors to Bali

chinaview.cn, 2007-06-25

The absence of a direct flight between China and the Indonesian famous resort island of Bali has hampered the government's effort to boost arrivals from China, an official said Monday.
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia serves routes to Chinese cities but has no direct flight between China and Bali as its planes have to make a stopover in Jakarta, said I Gede Nurjaya (rpt. I Gede Nurjaya), the head of the Bali provincial tourism office.
The ongoing visit by Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng to Bali is expected to become a turning point to boost arrivals from China, he was quoted by the national Antara news agency as saying.
Nurjaya said he got information that a Chinese airliner plans to serve a direct flight between Bali and Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province.

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PHILIPPINES - RP visitor arrivals reach one million

mb.com.ph, June 26, 2007

Auguring well to the tourism industry is the consistent positive growth rates in visitor arrivals from January to April with the month of January providing the biggest volume of 272,525 while the month of March recorded the highest growth of 15.1 percent.
The East Asian region maintained its position as the largest contributor of arrivals by region, accounting for 45.9 percent of the overall traffic base. This region posted an increase of 5.5 percent, from its output of 449,598 the previous year to 474,507 arrivals for the year.
The combined total of 239,285 arrivals supplied by the North American countries made this region the second biggest supplier of arrivals for the country. It grew by 3.3 percent versus its production of 231,670 arrivals the previous year. The ASEAN region shared 7.1 percent (73,572 arrivals) to the total visitor volume to rank third in visitor contribution while Australasia/Pacific have 50,952 arrivals to constitute the fourth biggest arrivals by region. Visitors from Western Europe increased by 9 percent as arrivals reached 46,604 compared to 42,771 arrivals last year.
Meanwhile, the influx of domestic travelers during the summer vacation has caused strong competition among foreign and domestic visitors for accommodations in various destinations of the country. This constrained the growth of foreign arrivals during this month. But total visitor arrivals for the month of April 2007 still increased with 243,441 compared to the arrivals of 238,941 last year.

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MANILA - SPAASIA ANNOUNCES 2007 WELLNESS SUMMIT TO BE STAGED IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES

ForImmediateRelease.Net, June 24, 2007

Wellness Media announces the return of SpaAsia Wellness Summit 2007 to be held on October 3- 5, 2007 in Manila, Philippines which will gather over 500 delegates and participants ranging from CEOs, directors, spa proprietors, journalists, healers, doctors, therapists and trainers to owners, financiers, investors, developers and development teams who have made invaluable contribution to the Asia Pacific spa industry.Now on its third year, the 2007 SpaAsia Wellness Summit proposes to address a theme of great relevance to the future of the spa and wellness industry at large. “Harnessing Collective Consciousness: Nurturing Growth, Inspiring Change” is an apt theme as the industry has now evolved and matured.

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MICRONESIA - PATA Micronesia Promotes Tourism Management Changes

yokwe.net, Jun 26, 2007

Major changes in tourism management throughout the Western Pacific region of Micronesia are being planned by the new leadership of PATA's Micronesia Chapter. The regional group's annual meeting was held June 12 in Tumon, Guam, at the Hilton Resort & Spa. Emelyn Simon, of the Marshall Islands Visitors Authority (MIVA), represented the Marshalls. There are nine national or state tourism officers for the emerging nations of Micronesia who automatically serve on the executive board along with nine elected private sector members.
Elected to serve were: Chapter Chairman - Darin Deleon, Managing Director of the Palau Visitors Authority in Palau; Vice Chairman - Lee Webber, Guam PDN; Treasurer - Judy Torres, Marianas Visitors Authority; and, Secretary - Jae Medina, PDN Guam.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Another Bridge Crossing Mekong To Link China-Bangkok

bernama.com.my, June 21, 2007

A bridge crossing the Mekong River at Chiang Khong in northern Thailand and Houayxay in Laos will be completed in 2011 to connect the south-western province of China directly to Bangkok by road. Asian Development Bank (ADB) vice-president C. Lawrence Greenwood Jr said that the agreement to build the bridge was reached during the three-day 14th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Ministerial Conference which ended in Manila today. He said in a statement that the bridge, to be financed by the governments of China and Thailand, would be the final link in a north-south road system through the Mekong region under development by nations in the area and the ADB for more than a decade."When this vital bridge is completed, it will be possible for the first time to travel by land directly from Yunnan, China, through Laos to Thailand, opening up tremendous potential for increased trade, tourism, and further integration of the Mekong region," he said.

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THAILAND - Adrian Zecha, Philippe Starck & Jean-Michel Gathy to Create Luxury Boutique Hotel in Phuket

Asiatraveltips.com, 25 June 2007

Scheduled to open in 2008 on a private peninsula on Phuket’s dramatic east coast, new five-star General Hotel Management (GHM) operated boutique hotel, The Yamu, is aiming to raise the bar on previously held concepts of exclusivity and luxury.
This much anticipated collaboration between three internationally-renown industry gurus and visionaries – Adrian Zecha of GHM Hotels and Aman Resorts, French interior design guru Philippe Starck for yoo by Starck, and celebrated architect Jean-Michel Gathy – will result in the unique concept and creation of one of Phuket’s most exclusive boutique hotels.

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BALI - A Delicate Balance of Power

Balidiscovery.com, (6/24/2007)

Bali balances on the precipice of large scale brown-outs following malfunctions at a 5 major power generating stations in Java. Those malfunctions have left Bali facing a potential power deficit of 500 megawatts and prompted National Electrical Board (PLN) officials to ask consumers to reduce power consumption between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m..
As an additional precautionary step, PLN has asked hotels with stand by power to use their systems to reduce the drain on limited power supplies.
While it is not clear how long Bali's power supply will remain in a precarious position, there was some good news in the midst of the latest electrical crisis as the Asian Development Bank and World Bank have just agreed to make funds available for a five year plan to add 10,000 megawatts in power generation to the Java-Bali power grid.

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BALI - Toll Bridge Connecting Sanur and Nusa Dua Non-Viable

Balidiscovery.com, (6/24/2007)

Despite initial enthusiasm by local leaders and Bali legislators for a bridge that would connect Sanur's Serangan island with the Benoa peninsula, plans for a span that would reduce the current 30-45 minute strip from Sanur to Nusa Dua to just 5 minutes appear to be on indefinite hold.
The Figures Just Don't Add UpWith estimated costs of the bridge put at nearly US$99 million, financial analysts are finding it difficult to devise a schedule of fees that would provide sufficient revenues to service the debt needed to build the bridge and still remain attractive to those expected to travel the new toll-bridge.

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AVIATION - Garuda Eyeing a Return to Europe

Balidiscovery.com, (6/24/2007)

Garuda Indonesia's President Director, Emirsyah Satar has signaled that, barring unforeseen difficulties, the national carrier could resume service to Amsterdam as soon as 2008.
In a general abandonment of its European route network, Garuda stopped flying to Amsterdam in 2004.
According to local press reports, Garuda is in the process of applying for the necessary traffic rights to fly to Schiphol and determining what type of aircraft from their current armada or other sources is best suited to serve this route. The Commercial and Marketing Director of Garuda, Agus Priyanto, told the Bali Post that he feels confident that the Airline can achieve traffic loads of between 70-80% on flights between Amsterdam and Indonesia.

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INDONESIA - Tourism Funding Still Not a High Priority

Balidiscovery.com, (6/24/2007)

The Indonesian-language Bisnis Indonesia reports that the Department of Culture and Tourism will obtain official funding in the 2009 State budget in excess of Rp. 1 trillion (approximately US$111 million).



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CHINA - Tibet sees record influx of tourists in first five months

eTN, 25-6-2007

Southwest China's Tibet received a record 672,000 tourists in the first five months, a rise of 82 percent from the same period last year due to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway which began operation last July.
From January to May, the region hosted 627,000 domestic tourists and 45,000 from overseas, reaping a revenue of 636 million yuan (83.6 million U.S. dollars), up 78 percent, the regional tourism bureau said. Zha'nor, deputy director of the bureau, said the Qinghai-Tibet Railway had unblocked the transport bottleneck that had hindered tourism development of the region.

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SRI LANKA - Domestic tourism promotion likely to fail-experts

sundaytimes.lk, 25-6-2007

Initiatives on domestic tourism promotion undertaken by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) to assist the struggling sector is doomed to failure, say those in the travel industry.
According to the Managing Director of World Travel Center, Sudharma De Silva, the SLTB's 'intention is good but their action is wrong.' De Silva told The Sunday Times FT that for the first time in Sri Lanka, the SLTB Chairman Renton De Alwis and Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda are speaking out on domestic tourism but with no genuine interest. De Silva calls the domestic tourism promotion a 'temporary solution to hoteliers to fill their rooms' with no attention being given to developing a long term and viable solution to sustain the local market. His main point of contention with the SLTB is that they only think about domestic tourism when there is a problem in the country.

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AUSTRALIA - Chinese pay $100 to go for a walk at Bondi Beach

smh.com.au, 25-6-2007

TENS of thousands of Chinese tourists to Australia are being fleeced by rip-off travel companies and rogue traders every year, consumer groups have warned.
The situation is so bad that tourist industry officials fear Australia could be damaged as a brand and the massive economic benefits of the boom in travel from China could disappear.
Scams uncovered in Sydney include:

* Charging tourists $100 to walk on Bondi Beach or to have their photograph taken at the Opera House;

* Locking tourists in shops and confiscating passports until they spend big on overpriced goods;

* Unfulfilled promises of luxury central business district accommodation

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THAILAND - must repair its image

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

INTRA-REGIONAL and cross-border traffic make up a substantial share of visitor arrivals in Asia and a drop in the contribution from these markets is cause for concern. Thailand knows this all too well. Although it is still a popular destination, there is no denying Thailand’s image has been dented by the political situation in the country, and security and safety issues which continue to plague it.
Coupled with this is the less-than-glowing report card of the capital’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the perception it is much harder to access compared to its predecessor at Don Muang. Asian travellers who would not hesitate to fly to Bangkok for a weekend of eating, shopping, spa treatments and entertainment – made possible by the entry of a number of low-cost carriers – are now thinking twice.

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MALAYSIA - Arabian allure

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

JUNE to August traditionally see an influx of Arab tourists to Malaysia, and this year, the tourism ministry is targeting a 61 per cent increase over last year’s visitor arrivals from the Middle East to 300,000. The ministry’s deputy director-general, Mr Razali Mohd Daud, said this was an important market as the average Middle Eastern tourist spent three times more per day at a destination than regional tourists.One of their favourite haunts is Kuala Lumpur, with its five- and four-star international hotels and plenty of places to shop. Restaurants serving west Asian cuisine can also be easily found. Some 200,000 Arab tourists are expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur from this month to escape summer in their country, where temperatures reach 45˚C.

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HONG KONG - Aberdeen dream takes shape

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

The blueprint for the redevelopment was in the form of a paper presented to the Southern District Council by the Tourism Commission last month.
Artist impression of a tree-lined promenade at the new Aberdeen harbour.
Artist impression of the new Aberdeen harbour.In it, the commission outlined the details of a tourist hub, blending thematic architecture with al fresco Chinese and western entertainment. Work is proposed to start in 2009 and is due to be completed by 2012.Holiday World Tours managing director, Mr Paul Leung, believed developments like these helped the tourism industry and promoted repeat tourism. “The biggest advantage of Aberdeen is the natural environment. The harbour combined with the heritage aspect is really great. “The old house boats and sampans are not as prominent (as before), but the redevelopment will bring the nostalgia back. “This sort of attraction really reminds people of what it used to be and gives us a taste of the heritage.”He added: “Ocean Park up to Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau is a very large geographical area.

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SINGAPORE - STB’s pipe dream

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

INBOUND agents in Singapore are faced with a conundrum. During the recent industry conference, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) signalled they should move away from mass market visitors to target more high-yield travellers in response to the room crunch (TTG Asia, May 25-31, 2007).However, agents said rapidly rising rates and tight supply were driving even these desired visitors away from Singapore.Tour East group vice-president sales and marketing, Ms Judy Lum, said: “We have had to turn away a number of high-yield business opportunities as the hotels were not willing to allocate rooms to a committed rate because the rooms can be sold at much higher prices to walk-in corporate clients. For 2008/09, most hotels in Singapore are gunning for 30 to 80 per cent increases in their rates. Even a high-yield leisure market will find it (rate increases) hard to comprehend.”

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MARKETS - Muslim travel grows

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

The growing affluence of Malay Muslims in Singapore and their thirst to venture beyond South-east Asian destinations for leisure travel have made them an attractive market for Chinese agents who have not traditionally handled the segment. Deks Air (Singapore) is one such agency. It launched its first Muslim tour in April. The new south Vietnam packages range from S$609 (US$395) per person for a three-day FIT package to S$668 per person for a four-day group package, inclusive of accommodation at Amara Saigon and air fare on Vietnam Airlines. The country was chosen as Islam has had a presence there for the past 1,000 years. There are about 65,000 Vietnamese Muslims in southern Vietnam, with 15 mosques in Ho Chi Minh City.

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THAILAND - Amazing Thai access

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

Increased direct flights to destinations such as Phuket and Koh Samui are offering travel agents from key Asian markets the best opportunities to repackage Thailand.They told TTG Asia while the development might not entirely counter declining arrivals from Asian markets, carriers boosting services to daily flights were having an unexpected positive effect. They are fuelling the creative juices of agents, who have been forced to find new ways to push the kingdom.Hong Kong-based Westminster Travel product manager, Ms Doris Lee, said her company saw increasing demand for Phuket and Koh Samui during this July/August school holidays despite a 10 per cent drop in bookings for Bangkok during the first five months of this year.Another Hong Kong-based agent, Jetour Holiday product manager, Ms Liza Mak, said her company saw a significant increase in direct leisure business to both islands, buoyed by convenient direct air access offered by Dragonair, Orient Thai Airlines and Bangkok Airways. Dragonair operates a daily Hong Kong-Phuket flight using Airbus 321 aircraft with about 150 seats. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office director, Ms Suwalai Pinpradab, said Dragonair was likely to increase the frequency to two flights daily this year to meet increasing demand.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Mega plan to fill mega space

TTGasia.com, Jun 15-21, 2007

THIS summer, the 3,000-suite The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel on the 80.8-hectare Cotai Strip will not only rewrite the history of the enclave, but of the region when it opens as Asia’s first largest fully-integrated resort. Agents will get an idea of what that phrase really means when it opens; be it in terms of number of rooms, size of meeting space, entertainment areas, spa facilities or retail outlets, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel will have the biggest of each, all under one roof.
The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel will recruit 11,000 staff to man its 3,000 rooms, 20 restaurants and the 100,000m2 convention centre.

Construction for Marina Bay Sands in Singapore enters its fourth month.

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INDONESIA - Eco-tourism at risk

UPI, 20-6-2007

Indonesia has announced it will stage a "Visit Indonesia Year" in 2008 -- but tourist packages may not include visits to its once pristine tropical forests, savanna grasslands, and lowland forests, as unprecedented deforestation threatens to wipe out these magnificent habitats.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry hopes to attract 6 million foreign tourists and generate around US$5 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

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KOREA - pushes for more Thai tourists

Phuketgazette.net, June 16, 2007

The Bangkok office of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Korean Air and Sun Moon Tours & Travel joined forces to promote Thai tourism to Korea with an industry event at The Metropole Hotel on Thursday.Kang Sung-Ghil, Director of the KTO’s Bangkok Office said, “Phuket is one of our main markets for MICE [meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions], especially incentives. Therefore, from now on, we must come here more often to give updated information about Korea.“The event provided useful information about major international trade fairs and tourism attractions in Korea to help in planning incentive tours or educational trips to Korea, as well as pleasure tours.

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SABAH - Firefly most welcome

dailyexpress.com.my, 15 June, 2007

Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan said the intention by Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines to extend its operations to Sabah, bodes well for the State's tourism development.
"The services by Firefly can assist the State especially in tourism which is the priority sector. So if there is any carriage that can assist in the programme, I think they are welcome," he said.
Tan, who is also Infrastructure Development Minister, said the State Government has not received any formal application from the airline or the Transport Ministry, saying he only found out about it from the media. "I think the Transport Ministry would have known about the situation in Sabah, that our Kota Kinabalu International Airport being the second busiest airport in the country so we encourage actually any form of carriage to come and assist us," he said.

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SINGAPORE - sizzling economy threatens competitiveness

CNN.com, June 18, 2007

Singapore's sizzling economy, set to expand as much as 7 percent this year, could prove a headache for the government as the city-state risks becoming less competitive than rival business centers such as Hong Kong.
The labor market is tight, with demand for top bankers far outstripping supply, while property prices, a topic that dominates headlines and dinner parties, have gone crazy.
A penthouse at the luxurious St Regis Residences -- butler optional -- was recently resold for S$28 million ($18 million), up a whopping 84 percent from its initial price in August, the Straits Times reported. Prospective buyers queue up overnight for new property projects, while rents are up 30-70 percent.
"Demand is high not only for private bankers, but for all private-banking-related jobs," said Michel Longhini, regional head of BNP Paribas Private Bank in Asia.
"Costs in Singapore are definitely going up. With such high inflation -- particularly in real estate -- the cost of relocating staff is going up."

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AVIATION - Business booms for budget carriers

taipeitimes.com, 18 June 2007

Low-cost carriers are dramatically expanding their network of flights across the Mekong region, encouraging record numbers of Southeast Asian tourists to explore neighboring countries.
Thailand's top budget airline, Thai AirAsia, plans to double its flights from Bangkok to Hanoi and Phnom Penh next month, while adding Shenzhen as its third destination in China.
Air Bagan, Myanmar's largest private carrier, launched its first international flight last month linking Bangkok with Yangon.
Deals are also in the works for direct flights between Cambodia's Angkor temple town of Siem Reap and Myanmar's top tourist spots Bagan and Mandalay.

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PALAU - ADB to assist Palau to update master development plan

guampdn.com, 18 June 2007

There are widespread concerns within Palau about a significant reduction in U.S. funding under the new Compact, and the impact large fiscal adjustments would have on achieving sustainable development outcomes,” said Erquiaga. “ADB's assistance is aimed at working with the government and people of Palau to address these issues, including mapping out a path for economic growth which is sensitive to Palau’s culture and environment as well as the delivery of affordable government services including public infrastructure.”Palau comprises 340 islands on the western edge of Micronesia in the west central Pacific Ocean with a very small population.

The economy consists of tourism, retail, subsistence agriculture, and fisheries, capitalizing on its rich environmental assets and close proximity to Asia. The public sector is the largest employer and contributor to gross domestic product.

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CHINA - Tourism surge tests China's infrastructure

msnbc.msn.com, June 18, 2007

Growth, however, is already creating surging demand for hotels, transport and other tourism-related services, which is aggravated by rising domestic tourism, officials said.
"We're putting an emphasis on tourism so we can increase domestic consumption and increase living standards," Shao Qiwei, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, told a conference in Hong Kong.
Beijing has targeted growth in domestic consumption as a way to balance its economy and reduce its reliance on exports.

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VIETNAM - Devastation of beaches concerns experts

thanhniennews.com, june 16, 2007

Pham Tu, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), told a workshop which opened in the central city of Nha Trang Friday that Vietnam’s seas had been seriously polluted by waste, particularly from marine tourism projects.
Halong Bay in the north, recognized by UNCESO as a World Heritage Site, Lang Co lagoon in the central Thua Thien-Hue province, and Nha Trang bay, one of the world’s most beautiful, were living proofs for this, he added.
In Nha Trang, where diving is one of the main attractions, received 1.1 million tourists last year, 30 per cent of them foreign.
The development of scuba diving there has badly affected coral reefs as well as biological diversity.
Nguyen Van Long of the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute said: "Coral cover in Nha Trang bay shrank from 52.4 per cent in 1994 to 21.2 per cent in 2005."

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PHILIPPINES - DOST-6 eyes better projects, plans for Boracay

The news today, June 12, 2007

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 6 was asked to come up with better project plans and programs in Boracay Island to meet the needs and demands of local and foreign tourists in terms of processed food products, furnitures and even environmental protection plans for the island.
The recommendation for the regional office was made by the performance review team led by Prof. Edison Cruz, executive director of the Technology Management Center of the University of the Philippines in Diliman in last week's performance review of DOST regional offices held in Cebu City.

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CHINA - Chinese travelers changing the world's tourism pattern

People's daily online, June 15, 2007

In 2006, the number of Chinese tourists who traveled abroad reached 34.52 million, a record high in history. From January to March of this year, the number already reached 9.7 million, 14.5% higher than in the same period last year.
Wu Wenxue, vice chairman of the China Tourism Association, said at a forum on tourism in Beijing, that China has become the fastest growing source of tourists in Asia. The fast growth of Chinese travelers going abroad has gained much attention from many destination countries throughout the world. Chinese tourists traveling abroad are changing the tourism pattern in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the pattern throughout the world.

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PHILIPPINES - RP targets close to 1M retirees abroad to live here

Philippine information agency, 18 June 2007

As much as 3M retirees can be absorbed by the Philippines in the global market to attract senior residents to live in the country but the government is only targeting close to a million, according to a former top official of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).
Retirement villages is one of the flagship programs of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the government provides incentives to investors to develop retirement villages as there is definitely a market, Francisco said.
Francisco who guested in the two-day Cebu Asean Tourism Forum said there is an estimated more than 326M retirees worldwide last year while the figure will significantly increase to about 869M by 2010.
The Philippines is targeting retirees from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, US, Europe and China to consider the country as a retirement destination. The country prides itself with certain advantages such as warm climate, caring and friendly people, low cost of living, natural attractions and world-class healthcare and safety measures, Francisco bared.

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PHILIPPINES - DoT woos top firms to travel to RP

The Manila bulletin online, June 18, 2007

Company travel of employees of top Chinese corporations is a priority in the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) marketing program to continuously increase tourism arrivals from China.

CYTS is a top producer of company travel groups for the Philippines. Among its Chinese corporate clients who attended were Motorola, IBM, Samsung, Schneider Electric, China Life Insurance, Shell Exploration, Heng An Standard Life, Intel, Total (China) Investments, Orient Securities , Warner New Asia, Brother, Beijing Sanyuan Foods, Sodexho, among others.
CYTS said feedback was extremely favorable as interest in the Philippines as a holiday destination was high. Several corporations have informed CYTS that they have already decided to send their employees to the Philippines in the coming months.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Asia hospitality staff ‘vacuum’ prompts rethink on candidate selection criteria

Traveldailynews.com, June 18, 2007

As Asia’s tourism and hospitality sector struggles to cope with what now represents its worst staffing crisis in recent times, many employers are now being forced to rethink their staff selection criteria in order to ensure they can fill vacancies.According to leading recruitment and executive search specialist TMS Asia-Pacific (TMS) the situation has resulted in a paradox for many of its Asian clients who are now dropping their overall criteria requirements - some by as much as 30 per cent - to secure staff.

TMS’ Singapore-based General Manager Asia, Andrew Chan, said that many companies had taken the decision to rethink their selection criteria and fill empty job slots as quickly as possible rather than spend months looking for that elusive “perfect” candidate.

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INDONESIA - Mass Tourism – A Good Fit for Bali?

Balidiscovery.com, (6/16/2007)

A recent article in the Indonesian-language NusaBali suggests that natural carrying capacity limits imposed by Bali's infrastructure and the innate sensitivity of local culture dictate that mass tourism should not be part of Bali's long-term tourism plans.I Putu Anom, the Chairman of the Tourism Studies Program at Bali's Udayana University called for an urgent creation of an alternative to the current trend to develop mass tourism to Bali. The Educator argues that the Island's infrastructure, land reserves and water supply will not sustain mass tourism. He contends that other tourism approaches, such as Ecotourism, will bring tourist staying longer but in lesser numbers and are therefore more environmentally sustainable.

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INDONESIA - Branding Bali

Balidiscovery.com, (6/17/2007)

The visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Bali to formally open the month-long 29th Bali Arts Festival on Saturday, June 16, 2007 is also being used to launch a "Bali Brand" - the culmination of a six-month long effort to devise an effective marketing identity for the Island's tourism.
The project, rumored to have been funded by a major national tobacco company, fuels long-thwarted hopes that Bali may slowly be moving towards a more professional and measured approach to the sales and marketing of its tourism products. At the same time, the somewhat closed-door way in which the branding strategy has been created and the guarded way in which it is being unveiled to the President and the world, have some concerned that the new brand, once announced, might join the growing stack of Bali tourism initiatives filed and forgotten under "NATO – No Action Talk Only."

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PHILIPPINES - tourism welcomes US$4 billion in hotel development

eTN, 18-6-2007

The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) announced that due to record occupancy levels in the Philippines leading hotel developers are showing interest. As a result, the country is seeing over $4 billion in investments.“After experiencing high occupancy levels and steadily increasing visitor arrivals in the last several years, the Philippines has caught the attention of numerous major hotel and property developers from all around the globe,” PDOT said.

The PDOT estimates that more than US$4 billion will be slated for hotel development throughout the 7,107-island archipelago, including a much-anticipated hotel complex in the central business district of Makati City in Metro Manila.

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AUSTRALIA - More Aussies head overseas for holidays

eTN, 18-6-2007

Australians took 4.4 million international trips last year, 2.3 percent more than in 2005.
More Australians than ever before are heading overseas for holidays, illustrating the need for the Australian tourism industry to step up its focus on attracting foreign tourists, a peak tourism industry body has said. Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Matthew Hingerty was commenting on the release of Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey, which reported that Australians took 4.4 million international trips last year, 2.3 percent more than in 2005. By comparison, just over five million international visitors came to Australia in 2006.

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UAE - More arrivals despite high rates

TTGasia.com, Jun 8-14, 2007

VANCOUVER-based Universal Travel president, Mr Rafiq Chinoy, started selling Dubai 20 years ago, when it was “a fishing village” and a very hard sell indeed. Nowadays, he has a different problem. Rates had “gone through the roof”, the traffic jams were horrible and even the shopping was becoming expensive, he said.“But people are still willing to pay to see Dubai,” Mr Chinoy said.Just what people want to “see” about Dubai is, ironically, the very thing, critics are lamenting about the city – progress, or too much of it, which they said had stripped Dubai of its culture, heritage and tradition.

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BRUNEI - Reason to be upbeat

TTGasia.com, Jun 8-14, 2007

DOMESTIC campaign – Kenali Negara Kami (Know Our Own Country) – to educate the man on the street on the importance of tourism seems to be paying off for Brunei.Apart from the software upgrade – getting the population more interested in Brunei’s tourism products, changing their attitude about courtesy and keeping the environment clean and green – Brunei is bullish it will meet its seven per cent growth target for 2007 for a number of reasons, among them positive tourism developments, including an aviation shot-in-the arm.It is “all systems go” for Singapore-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Tiger Airways to start operations to Brunei according to Brunei Tourism Board director, Sheikh Jamaluddin Bin Sheikh Mohamed. Although no firm launch date has been announced, it is likely to be around October, according to a source.

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SINGAPORE - Make twinning hot again

TTGasia.com, Jun 8-14, 2007

THE Lion City seems to be succeeding at transforming itself from a stopover to visit into a hip and happening destination. It seems to have shaken off its dull, strait-laced personality, and in its place a more confident, sexy and worldly destination is taking shape. Singapore is now giving cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai a run for their money.Of late, Singapore has been grabbing the headlines and overshadowing many of its neighbours and competitors. It is ready to play in the big league with more exciting nightlife and entertainment scene, more culinary options, more art and culture, more new high-end and boutique hotel choices, the upcoming integrated resorts, the first F1 night race, etc.

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ACCOMMODATION - Hyatt goes for quality growth

TTGasia.com, Jun 8-14, 2007

Hyatt International has big plans for development in Asia over the next couple of years, with the three main target markets being China, India and Thailand. But at an Asia-wide Hyatt roadshow in Beijing last week, Hyatt Asia/Pacific marketing vice-president, Mr Grahame Carder, said the group was not competing in the numbers game. He said regional expansion for the company was all about quality. Mr Carder told TTG Asia: “It’s one thing saying you’re going to have 50 hotels by such and such a date, but the biggest challenge for everyone is finding the resources to do it. “For us, less is more. We’d rather have slightly fewer hotels but have real quality in everything we do. “It’s more important for us that the brand quality and consistency is kept in focus for the group.”

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THAILAND - TAT woos back Asians

TTGasia.com, Jun 8-14, 2007

To shore up Asian arrivals, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is rolling out a new series of public relations, advertising and media activities.Fam trips for media and agents, print and TV advertising, electronic marketing, mobile phone’s short messaging service and roadshows are the main tools. All activities, however, would have to be funded by the regular budget each TAT overseas office received during this fiscal year. TAT governor, Ms Phornsiri Manoharn, said the agency was considering a cut in this and next year’s events organising budget to boost the fund for public relations and media activities. But she added that until the plan was finalised, each of the overseas offices would have to work around what they had.

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SINGAPORE - Island resort showdown

TTGasia.com, Jun 8-14, 2007

Recent developments on nearby Bintan island may turn it from the complementary destination it now is to a fierce competitor Singapore may lose tourists to in time, and Singapore agents are divided in how to react.The discussion arose in response to a spate of new tourism developments on the Indonesian island, which is under an hour’s ferry ride from Singapore. It was fuelled by speculation a casino might be built there, possibly in Lagoi Bay, to rival Singapore’s two upcoming integrated resorts at Marina Bay and Sentosa. Lagoi Bay developer, Bintan Resort Cakrawala, told TTG Asia: “As a master planner and resort developer, our focus remains firmly on property development and planning for the resort. “However, if any company purchasing land from us possesses the relevant licence to legally operate a casino business in Bintan, they would be welcome to do so.” The 1,300-hectare Lagoi Bay development in the north of the island was launched in April this year.

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CHINA - Will Cancel Limit On Foreign Travel Agencies

chinahospitalitynews.com, June 12, 2007

Wang Zhifa, deputy director of China National Tourism Administration, has announced that CNTA will cancel the limit on foreign travel agencies' forming of branches in China from July 1.
Wang disclosed the news at Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Chief Executive and ASEAN Countries Business Official Meeting where he said that CNTA would continue to care for and support the Pearl River Delta Region.
Wang says CNTA will offer the same treatment to foreign travel agencies with that of domestic travel agencies, as part of its commitments to the World Trade Organization. In order to achieve this goal CNTA would eliminate the limits on foreign-funded travel agencies and further its cooperation and exchange with tourism industry in Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, CNTA will cooperate with Hong Kong and Macao tourism departments to jointly launch Olympic Games travel and "one-stop" travel services.


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PHILIPPINES - Tourism stakeholders prepare for Cebu Asean Congress

Sun star Cebu, June 12, 2007

Foreign, national and local delegates will discuss lengthily perspectives in branding Asian destinations. For Cebu, the event will re-invent strategies to penetrate the global market. The International Media Forum will discuss issues on how far media could go in promoting the best of a destination. Concerns on infrastructures and facilities will heighten the panel discussions which will further reveal how Asian tourism leaders perceive one another in branding their destinations. The participation of the founding members of the East Asian Tourism Forum (Eatof) should be interesting to those who haven’t heard of this inter-regional group of government and academic proponents of tourism clusterings. But then, the “open skies” issues and Asean success stories are equally thought-provoking topics. Watch for it!

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BALI - facing a new threat. Global warming.

One News, Jun 5, 2007

As it struggles to recover from the effects of two terrorist bombings, Bali's tourism industry is facing a new threat. Global warming.
Experts say climate change is hitting Bali's coral reefs hard, turning once vibrant diving locations into bleached shadows of their former glory.
The situation has been compounded by the widespread, but illegal, use of cyanide and bombs by local fishermen.
In the West Bali National Park, the once common sight of brightly-coloured clown fish swimming among healthy pink anemones is becoming rare. And larger fish are increasingly uncommon.
On Menjangan Island, a popular dive spot within the park, once-vibrant cliffs of underwater colour now look washed out and brittle, with rising sea temperatures aiding the bleaching process.

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MALAYSIA - Rebranding Langkawi for tourism

The star online, June 9, 2007

Malaysia will sell Langkawi as the “ultimate green fun in the sun” resort, following the United Nations’ move to accord it a geo-park status.
The Tourism Ministry is also working hard to bring more visitors to the resort island with air links to Bali and Phuket.
“Not only is Langkawi a showcase of green, it is also a romantic island.
“We want to make Langkawi the tourist destination,” said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
“Langkawi’s status as the only geo-park in Malaysia and South-East Asia is a really big boost for the island to draw tourists,” he told reporters after attending a briefing on the island’s new status by Langkawi Development Authority officials here yesterday.

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MALAYSIA - on the world map

The star online, June 10, 2007

The 90s saw the emergence of Star Cruises and low-cost carrier Air Asia, which allowed connectivity into Malaysia to improve by leaps and bounds. The reduced travelling costs have also allowed the lower income groups to get a taste of being in the air and visiting another destination.
Hotels started sprouting up all over the country, especially five-star ones. Our five-star hotels offer some of the cheapest room rates in the region for unparalleled luxury. Then, with the introduction of the nationwide Mega Sale Carnival in 1999, the economy received a boost from the retail sector. The Malaysian tourism authority has undertaken efforts to position Malaysia as a leading international shopping destination.

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PHILIPPINES - Boracay still growing as top tourism destination

manilastandardtoday.com, June 4, 2007

BORACAY Island, Aklan—International visitor arrivals to this island paradise surged 40 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2007, attracting new investments that are expected to provide about 1,000 additional rooms and generate thousands of jobs this year.
“Of the 3,000 new rooms that are opening in 2007, about 1,000 rooms will be located in Boracay,” said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who visited five newly built first-class accommodation facilities.
Data from the Municipal Tourism Office of Malay, which has jurisdiction over the island, show that the number of foreign guests reached 73,110 in the first four months of 2007 alone, higher by 20,902 from 52,208 a year ago. Most of them were Koreans.

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PHILIPPINES - Koreans eye airport in ‘Next Boracay’

manilastandardtoday.com, June 5, 2007

A Korean real estate company will start the construction next month of an international airport at Carabao Island, which is being eyed as the “Next Boracay.”
Carabao Island, part of San Jose town south of Romblon, is a 15-minute boat ride from the smaller island of Boracay, and has the same white-sand beaches and pristine waters, according to Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano.
Durano said Carabao Island is about four times the size of the 10-sq. km. Boracay, which accommodated more than half a million visitors last year. It is closest to the Puka Beach, the northern part of Boracay.
“We expect the groundbreaking of the airport at Carabao Island by the end of the month,” said Durano, who, together with Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., visited the new large hotel developments in Boracay.

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PHILIPPINES - AusAID LGDP Iloilo-Guimaras joint tourism, infra plan takes off

thenewstoday.info, June 6, 2007

Integrated tourism and integrated infrastructure action plans for the provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras will finally kick off as top officials of the Australian Embassy meet tomorrow with local counterparts of the Australian Government, AusAID-backed project.

An initiative under AusAID's Local Governance Development Program (LGDP), four Project Management Teams were correspondingly created with team members coming from representatives of the Australian Government, officials from local governments of Iloilo and Guimaras and region's executives from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

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VIETNAM - UK firm to build resort for central Vietnam’s burgeoning tourism

thanhniennews.com, June 6, 2007

UK-based Qudos Technology has obtained the license to build an US$18 million five-star ecological resort in Hoi An Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the central province of Quang Nam.
As planned, Qudos Hoi An Company Ltd – the British-owned subsidiary – will develop the 8.5ha Qudos Hoi An Resort in the town’s Cam An Ward.
Construction is expected to begin soon so the resort can open by 2010.
Qudos is a leading research and development company for micro & nano technology.
Within the first two months of this year, Hoi An welcomed over 90,000 tourists, a whopping 40 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

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VIETNAM - Central provinces pursue tourism

nhandan.com.vn, June 7, 2007

The region is home to four world heritage sites, Hue Imperial City (December 1993), Hoi An ancient town (December 1999), My Son historical relecs (December 1999) and Phong Nha Ke Bang (July 2003).
Also Danang beach has been rated by the US magazine Forbes as one of the best six sea-coasts in the world; from Quang Binh to Ninh Thuan, there are many beautiful sections including Cua Tung, Lang Co, Non Nuoc, My Khe, Cua Dai, Nha Trang and Mui Ne beaches.
The number of tourists visiting the region has increased significantly in recent years and the VNAT forecasts that it will remain an attractive destination to visitors in the future.
However, revenue from tourism and associated services is still small; attributed to short stays and modest spending by foreign visitors.

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INDONESIA - Bali’s new wave

Asia Property Report - June 2008

Long one of Asia’s top tourism destinations, Bali has in the last decade also become one of the region’s top two destinations for investing in resort property. Although still someway behind Phuket in volume of sales and the number of developments, the Indonesian island is catching up fast, helped along by a newly proactive government, both at local and national level, which is keen to develop the island’s appeal as a real estate investment destination for foreign buyers.
Bali is set to capitalise on Thailand’s current troubles, which post-coup have muddied the waters on foreign ownership of property and have slowed investment across the real estate sector.

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AVIATION - Firefly Airlines links popular islands

property-report.com, June 2008

Phuket and Samui in Thailand are often compared for their natural beauty and lifestyle attractions, as are Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia. Each unique yet all four have similarities, not least their buoyant real estate markets. And now they are joined, not by land but by air, following the announcement of new services by Firefly Airlines.
Launched in April and wholly owned by Malaysia Airlines, Firefly is a low-cost start-up based in Penang that currently features a fleet of two Fokker F50 turboprops. As the newest arrival on the Asian aviation scene, Firefly is focusing on non-trunk sectors, rather than going head-to-head with more established rivals.
Termed a ´community airline´, Firefly has targeted unique routes as a distinct point of difference.
Along with its two popular international routes to Phuket and Samui, it offers domestic flights from Penang International Airport to Kota Bahru, Langkawi, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu. Firefly executives are now aiming to break even in the company´s first year following a positive response in the first month of operation.

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BALI - Spending Less and Leaving Sooner

Balidiscovery.com, (6/9/2007)

Tempo Interaktif reports that length of stay (LOS) and average spending levels are on the decline for foreign visitors to Bali. Data analyzed from Bali's Central Statistics Board (BPS) for the months of March-April 2007 also showed an increase in tourists staying in non-starred hotels. Reflecting the larger role of regional visitors from Asia in the overall market mix, the BPS reported that the LOS for foreign visitors in non-starred hotels was 3.96 days as opposed to 3.92 days in starred properties.
This short length of stay is in stark contrast to contrasting reports from official sources suggesting a length of stay in excess of 9 days.

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BALI - Garment Sector Has Shrunk Dramatically Since 2005 Terrorist Attack.

Balidiscovery.com, (6/9/2007)

The Indonesian-language BisnisBali reports that around 70% of the companies involved in Bali's off-the-rack garment trade have ceased operations in the aftermath of the second terrorist attack of October 2005. From an original 175 registered Bali members of the Indonesian Textile Association (API), only 40 companies remain in operation as members of the professional grouping. Yunasril Anga, a Directors of API, confirmed that there have been "tens" of garment companies who have gone bankrupt over the past two years resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs among people living in Bali.

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AUSTRALIA - Don’t give up on Japan

eTN, 11-6-2007

Amid the continuing underperformance from Japanese tourists, Australia’s tourism industry should remain committed to this market, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) said Wednesday.
The ATEC was responding to the latest figures from Tourism Research Australia, which showed that Japanese tourist numbers fell 7.7 percent to 582,000 in the year ended March 2007. The figures also revealed that Japanese visitors’ expenditure in Australia also fell nine percent to just over $1 billion, but on a slightly brighter note, nights were up 3.8 percent to 10.9 million as visitors stayed an average additional two nights.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - UNWTO: Asia Pacific main destination of tourists by 2010

eTN, 11-6-2007

The majority of one billion tourist arrivals expected by 2010 will be heading to the Asia Pacific region, estimates the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
UNWTO said it believes that sharing the experiences of successful destinations and organizations will help to increase total world tourism to the advantage of all, said UNWTO in a statement. "It will also help spread the benefits of tourism to less developed countries, and alleviate poverty, which is one of the organization's principal goals."

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INDIA - The mammoth growth of the Indian aviation

eTN, 11-6-2007

The Indian domestic market is showing no sign of reducing its aviation activities, with a 25 percent increase in the number of flights scheduled for May 2007 compared with the same month last year, new figures revealed.
According to the latest statistics from OAG, the Indian domestic aviation is seeing an additional 8,631 flights and an “astonishing” 1.7 million extra seats available to people traveling within India, putting the country in third place in the Top 10 list of countries with the highest number of additional flights in May this year compared to the same month in 2006, behind China and the USA.

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MALAYSIA - Historic Melaka digs way into more of its past

eTN Asia/Pacific, 11-6-2007

The Malaysian government is setting its focus on Melaka's treasures.
Malaysia's historic state Melaka is digging its way into its past to uncover more artifacts buried since the Portuguese landed in the then world sea port trading post in the 16th century.
The unexpected discovery of a fort's remnants dating back to the 15th century is expected to enhance historic Melaka's listing as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. According to the state's historians, the site was a battleground between followers of the then Malay sultanate and invading Portuguese soldiers in 1511.

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PHILIPPINES - domestic tourism on the rise

eTN, 11-6-2007

Domestic air travel in the Philippines is setting new records.
The number of domestic airline passengers rose more than a fifth in the January to March quarter due to the growing popularity of budget airlines, according to Philippine’s Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB)According to the CAB, domestic air travelers for the first three months of the year went up by 22.4 percent to 2.4 million over the same period last year.

Cebu Pacific Air occupies the top spot in terms of garnering the most passengers with 1.01 million, a 71.6-percent increase compared to the same period last year, followed by rival Philippine Airlines (PAL) with 938,960 passengers, up from 961,764 last year.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Women Travellers Playing Major Role in Development of Asian Travel Industry

ASIATravelTips.com, 7 June 2007

As women travellers grow rapidly in numbers, spending power and influence, Asia’s travel industry is responding with a greater focus on safety, wellness and the ‘web’.
Making around 125 million trips a year and rising in Asia, women are set to play a decisive role in the development of the travel, hospitality and tourism sectors for at least the next 10 years, says Abacus CEO and President Don Birch.
“Asian women are travelling like never before. From the young to businesswomen to energetic grandmothers, they're travelling more often and further solo, in pairs with their female companions or as members of women-only interest groups,” Mr Birch said.
Latest travel figures from Mastercard now indicate that around 4 in every 10 Asian trips are by women travellers – up significantly from the just 1 in 10, in the mid 1970’s estimated by a recent Mastercard study, Women Travellers of Asia Pacific.

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AVIATION - MAI looks to winter growth

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

MYANMAR Airways International (MAI) plans to inject capacity growth of at least 20 per cent with the onset of the winter schedule in October 2007. Country manager in Singapore, Mr Aaron Teo, said: “This will be achieved through a combination of new destinations, fleet growth and increased frequencies on existing routes. Up to now, we have depended on partnerships with other airlines to extend our reach and ASEAN-based airlines have been particularly helpful.”MAI operates a pair of MD-82 on flights linking Yangon to Bangkok (10 times weekly) and Kuala Lumpur (four times weekly with frequent additional flights needed lately). On the Yangon-Singapore route, MAI has a thrice-weekly joint service with Jetstar Asia Airways operated by the latter’s Airbus A320.

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MEDICAL TOURISM - ‘Rope in the agents’

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

Medical tourism was identified in the late-1990s as a potential growth segment to improve the Malaysian economy due to the economic downturn. The government recognised the importance of this segment because health tourists spend an average four times more than recreational tourists. In 1998, the then Health Minister, Datuk Chua Jui Meng, called on the Ministry of External Trade and Industry (MATRADE) and the then Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism to look into medical tourism. But it was not until 2003 that medical tourism took off. Private hospitals worked with the Health Ministry, MATRADE, the then Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism, and the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) to promote health tourism.

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ACCOMMODATION - Asian hotels a hot buy

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

A “flush” of capital is chasing good hotel developments across Asia, with the money men singling out China, Singapore and Macau as among their hottest picks during a panel session at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ conference recently. When asked where they would put their money, Dubai-based global private equity investor Istithmar managing director, Mr Richard Johnson, said he was keen on the budget sector in the growth markets of China and South-east Asia.

Jumeirah Group executive chairman, Mr Gerald Lawless, said Dubai had a good run in the last few years. This would probably be sustained over the next two to three years, then there might be a correction, he said.“From 15 to 16 per cent RevPAR (revenue per available room), it would go back to three to four per cent, then what? There would be tremendous pressure...there will be failures,” he said, urging investors to “do your sums” by keeping in check how much they were paying for the project, the industry’s cycle, etc.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Manpower mobility in the region is on the rise as tourism continues to open up new opportunities for skilled workers

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

MANPOWER exchanges foster cultural ties and broaden horizons. The only problems perhaps would be language barriers and differences in work ethics, thereby limiting exchanges to certain countries. However, the potential for a brain drain (out of Asia) is very real. The manpower situation in the Philippines is already critical since a lot of our frontliners are being pirated by call centres or opportunities overseas. We invest in training our staff but end up losing them.This scenario indicates that manpower exchanges would most likely occur and be more successful at the frontline level. Ticketing and reservations functions are basically the same in Asia, Europe or the US. And technology has broken down barriers. We are all using the same computer systems and the lingo and expertise required to make hotel and airline bookings can be applied anywhere. As long as you have the basic skills, you can move around. Certain exchanges can occur at the managerial level too since management tenets are global.

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ACCOMMODATION - Agents must understand brands or be dropped

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is reviewing its partners and will work with only those who understand its multibrands. Chief marketing officer, Mr Peter Gowers, said: “If customers know more about the brands than they do, these agents cannot last.” Branding, and people, are the ammunition IHG will use to win the hearts of owners and customers. As it moves ahead with its Asia-Pacific expansion, this could mean cutting off travel agent partners who do not shape up.Mr Gowers told TTG Asia the group was studying plans to move to a purely performance-driven and incentive-based model, and working only with those who knew its brands and products well. “The days of flat-rate commission are gone...We want travel agents to form strategic partnerships with our sales team. We expect our partners to deliver and perform for us. The key decision is – who do we want to partner with in the next five years?,” he said.

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ACCOMMODATION - Sokha expansion

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

Sokha Hotels and Resorts is set to embark on a major expansion that will see Cambodia’s first and only hotel chain investing upwards of US$250 million in developing three mega hotel and residential complexes in the country within the next three years.
Assistant managing director, Mr Hin Samnang, said Cambodia’s strong tourism growth and high business demands had pushed Sokha to accelerate its expansion plans to complete its network of hotels in major destinations in Cambodia.
It now owns and manages the 276-room Sokha Angkor Siem Reap and 176-key Sokha Beach Sihanouk Ville. Sokha plans to spend US$100 million developing a high-end property comprising a hotel, condominiums, serviced apartments, residential villas and a shopping arcade. The project will be located on a 20-hectare riverfront peninsula of Phnom Penh’s Tonle Sap River. Mr Samnang said the hotel would be of five-star standard with 500 rooms, Sokha’s Jasmine Spa and five f&b outlets. It would also have the largest ballroom in Phnom Penh at 3,500m2.

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MALAYSIA - Space shuttle delayed

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

The project to bring in the US$2 billion Russian Buran Space Shuttle, a highlight of Visit Malaysia year, has gone wrong and both tourism ministry and event organiser Best Venue have been slow to inform the public that the exhibition has been postponed.At press time, just days before the June 5 start of the two-month long Malaysia International Aerospace Exhibition, no official announcement had been made about a postponement due to glitches in bringing the space shuttle to Malaysia.This exhibition is one of five mega events for Visit Malaysia Year and the space shuttle was to be the main highlight of the exhibition. Local travel agents in the know about the delay were fuming that the tourism ministry was keeping silent at press time, although high-ranking officials had known of this delay for several weeks.

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ACCOMMODATION - Hilton expands in Asia with a vengeance

TTGasia.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

One year after it bought Hilton International, Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) is going all out to expand internationally, setting a target of 1,000 hotels outside the US in the next 10 years, 300 of which will be in Asia-Pacific.
HHC has plenty of room to go global. Currently, 68 per cent of its EBIDTA (earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortisation) comes from the Americas. It has 2,800 hotels, but only 255 of them are outside the US. Asia-Pacific, with 51 hotels, accounts for only five per cent of its EBIDTA.

HHC president Asia-Pacific, Mr Koos Klein, said: “Asia-Pacific clearly is a big growth area.”Mr Klein, who has headed Hilton in the region since 1998, was previously hampered by the 40-year separation of HHC and Hilton International, which allowed him only the brand, Hilton and, more recently, under a strategic alliance between the two, Conrad, for expansion in the region.

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VIETNAM - War over room rates

TTGasia,.com, Jun 1 - 7, 2007

Vietnam hoteliers are defending their right to introduce steep rate increases next season, claiming tour operators should understand it is in line with strong demand from business and leisure travel.Tour operators last week united in protest against Vietnamese hoteliers’ proposed rate increases of up to 50 per cent effective immediately, saying some were refusing to honour existing contracts and describing the situation as “shortsighted” and a “grab for cash” (See TTGTravelhub.net Daily News May 24).Travel Indochina, Focus Asia, Phoenix Voyages Group and Destination Asia lent their names to a statement condemning the hoteliers’ “short term greed”. Indochina Services also contacted TTG Asia to say it agreed with their views.

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MARKETS - The coming of the Asian wave: Are we ready for it?

STB-passport, june issue

As travel and tourism enters its third phase, the period when masses of Asians, led by India and China, will begin to travel, are we prepared for the massive growth ahead? And what will the Asian legacy be? Banyan Tree's chairman, Mr KP Ho, gives food for thought.

The tourism industry is entering the third phase, defined as the "Asian period of tourism", a period that will present unprecedented opportunities and challenges.
In a speech at the China Hotel Investment Summit in Shanghai last month, Mr KP Ho, Chairman of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, said that this phase will see two-third's of the world's population, mainly in China and India, attaining a level of economic development where their populations will start to travel.
This wave, he said, would lead to a democratisation of tourism which will come "perilously close to the commoditisation of tourism, resulting in such massive numbers as to threaten the physical and cultural environments in most societies".
"Sustainable tourism will become an endangered ideal as our global industry lurches towards unsustainability," he said.

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AVIATION - Tiger Airways obtains Indian Operating Permits

ASIATravelTips.com, 5 June 2007

Singapore-based, Tiger Airways has been granted a Foreign Carrier Air Permit from the Government of India, Civil Aviation Department (DGCA). This means the airline has cleared the final regulatory hurdle and is now permitted to operate international flights between Singapore and a wide network of destinations across India.

Tiger Airways has been granted the rights to fly between Singapore and Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Trivandrum, Kolkata and Kozhikode. The airline is now in the midst of planning its flight routes and is in talks with airports and suppliers at these destinations.

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THAILAND - Private funding offered for convention center

Phuketgazette.net, June 1, 2007

NAI YANG: Phuket’s decades-old of dream of having an International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC) took a step forward on May 28, when Tourism and Sports Minister Suwit Yodmanee ordered the formation of a provincial committee and gave it 60 days to decide where the center should be sited.The move follows a May 25 meeting of ING Funds (Thailand) Co Ltd Managing Director Maris Tarab with Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit and Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Southern Region 4 office in Phuket, at the Governor’s Office at Phuket Provincial Hall.Mr Maris proposed that ING Funds build a 10,000-seat conference and exhibition center on some 2,000 rai in Mai Khao under the control of the Treasury Department’s State Property Management and Services Office, or Ratchapassadu.Mr Maris’ plan for ING to completely fund the center’s construction on a 30-year “build-operate-transfer” agreement with the government was well-received by Gov Niran.

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SINGAPORE - Casinos or culture? Singapore seeks tourists

CNN.com, june 2, 2007

What makes a successful tourist destination? Casinos, theme parks, and Bollywood films -- or a mix of historic sites and local culture?
As Singapore reduces its dependence on electronics exports it wants to boost its tourism industry -- currently about 5 percent of gross domestic product -- and is betting on casinos and other imported entertainment to lure millions more visitors.
"Artificial tourist creations can work," said Tony Wheeler, co-founder of the Lonely Planet guides.
"Disneylands all over the world seem to pull in the crowds. And the casinos, given the propensity for the Chinese to gamble, will probably be a success."
Perhaps Singapore's biggest handicap is its lack of famous sights: it has no Angkor Wat or Taj Mahal. For many years, it prided itself on its innumerable shopping malls, and promoted its annual "Singapore Sale".

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CAMBODIA - Tourists up 20 percent in first 4 months

Xinhuanet, 05-30-2007

Cambodia saw a 20-percent increase in the number of tourist arrivals for the first four months of 2007, compared with the same period last year, local media reported on Wednesday.
Some 710,000 visitors arrived between January and April and the majority were South Korean and Japanese, French language daily newspaper the Cambodge Soir quoted Tourism Minister Thong Khon as saying.

"Although Japanese and South Korean tourists still take the lead in terms of numbers, we note that there has been a 70-percent increase in Vietnamese tourist arrivals and a 38-percent increase in Thai tourist arrivals," he said.
The newly-appointed minister stressed that the large number of Vietnamese visitors has also resulted from recent efforts to advertise Cambodia's tourist destinations in Vietnam.

Thong Khon added that Cambodia intends to draw 2 million tourists this year.

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CHINA - Travel agencies concerned about tourism during the Games

China Daily, 2007-05-30

Amid the chorus of voices hailing the positive effect the 2008 Olympic Games will have on the tourism industry, a dissonant note can be heard emanating from some domestic travel agencies.
Some have forecast that their revenue from regular inbound and domestic tourism will decline next year. Those two segments contribute a major part of their annual income.

The Games are expected to benefit the outbound tourism sector and high-end commercial tourism.
"The prices of hotel rooms, vehicles and tour guides in Beijing during the Olympic Games will all be at least four times higher," said Yao Yuecan, president of the China International Travel Service Head Office.

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VIETNAM - Domestic tourism industry shows strong growth in ’07

vnagency.com.vn, (02-06-2007)

HA NOI — With rising disposable income, more Vietnamese took the opportunity to travel within the country and abroad in the early part of the year, adding to an already budding tourism industry.
According to the HCM City Department of Tourism, over 300,000 Vietnamese travelled overseas in the first five months of 2007, up 30 per cent year-on-year. In May alone, 50,000 people headed outbound to popular spots like China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.
The International Tourism and Trade JSC (Vinatour) says these destinations remain popular due to the shopping opportunities offered.
Tour companies also attribute the surge in the early part of the year to low air fares and easier visa procedures.

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VIETNAM - leaders welcome Saudi Arabian investment plans

nhandan.com.vn, June 1, 2007

The Vietnamese central and local authorities will create all favourable conditions for Saudi Arabian businesses to invest in the country, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has affirmed.
The PM receiving in Hanoi on May 31 Prince Al Waleed Ben Talal Ben Abdel Aziz Al Seoud of Saudi Arab, who was on a visit looking for investment opportunities in Vietnam.

The Prince said that his visit is aimed to seek investment opportunities, particularly in the areas of tourism, real estate and banking sectors besides to see preparation work for the construction of three Saudi Arabian-invested hotels in Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
He expressed his hope to continue boosting economic, commercial and investment ties between the two countries and requested Vietnam to send guest workers to Saudi Arab.

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